a philharmonic and a symphony

A philharmonic is a symphony orchestra or the group that supports it. A symphony is a large orchestra. An orchestra is a large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including strings, woodwinds, brass instruments, and percussion instruments. So, philharmonic and symphony orchestra are synonymous. Philharmonic comes from Greek words meaning 'love of harmony' and in this instance is a colloquial shortening of "philharmonic society" or "philharmonic orchestra." The term only dates back to 1813. The term orchestra is much older and originally referred to the semicircular front part of a stage in ancient Greek theaters, which was where the chorus sang and danced. Orchestra evolved to mean the group of musical instrument performers in a theater.












its and it's

Its is the possessive form of 'it'. It's is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. Examples: It's a common mistake. / The boat has a hole in its hull. The confusion arises from the dual function of the 's ending, which can indicate either possession or contraction, as in: Joe's hamburgers are the best = The hamburgers which are Joe's - that is, in that he makes them - are the best. / Joe's going to have to buy some more patties soon = Joe is going to have to buy some more patties soon. However, 's is never used to indicate possession in pronouns. We do not write hi's (instead of his), for example. Here is a test you can perform to determine whether to use it's or its: Replace it with his and see if the sentence still makes (grammatical) sense. "His a common mistake" does not make sense. However, "The boat has a hole in his hull" does make sense - at least grammatically (of course boats are not boys, but we can pretend that they are for the sake of improving our spelling). The rule to apply, then, is this: If the sentence makes sense with his, which does not have an apostrophe, it is safe to replace it with its, which also does not have an apostrophe.











there and their & Your and you're

Their and your are possessive forms used as modifiers before nouns. They basically mean 'belonging to them' and 'belonging to you', respectively: their problem, your idea. You're is a contraction of 'you are': You're doing fine. And there is a word functioning in various parts of speech, but basically referring to a place: Your umbrella is over there. You can remember their by noting that it looks like they, except the y is changed to i and an r is added at the end. If you keep this in mind you also won't spell it thier. You can remember your by noting that other pronouns also have possessive forms that end in an r, such as her, our, their. Also note that no possessive pronoun contains an apostrophe.










well and good

In general, use well to describe an activity, good to describe a thing. When it is an activity being described, use well, as in "He did well in the spelling bee." Well is an adverb in that instance, describing the verb. When it is a condition or a passive state being described, use good, as in "You're looking good tonight." Good is an adjective in this instance, describing the noun. With feel good/feel well, it is more complicated. In this case, the word well is being used an adjective meaning 'healthy' - so it is ok to say, "I feel well." You can say "I feel good" also, but it is more informal and is borderline slang. Do hyphenate well when it is placed with a past-participial verb before a noun, as in "well-known fairy tale" but not if it follows what it modifies, as "That book was well researched."










then and than

These two words are quite different! Their only similarity is in the way they sound. Than is used to compare or contrast things, as in "He is a lot smaller than his older brother." Then refers to time or consequence: "And the Canaanite was then in the land" (Gen. xii. 6.); "If all this be so, then man has a natural freedom" (Locke). So if one thing follows or results from another, use then. Than is also used before a pronoun, as in "Paul loves pizza more than me."






i.e. and e.g.

I.e. means 'that is' (to say). E.g. means 'for example'. I.e. is an abbreviation for Latin id est, 'that is'. E.g. stands for exempli gratia, 'for the sake of example'. So you can say, "I like citrus fruits, e.g., oranges and lemons" (for example, oranges and lemons) or you can use it to mean "I like citrus fruits, i.e. the juicy, edible fruits with leathery, aromatic rinds of any of numerous tropical, usually thorny shrubs or trees of the genus Citrus," (that is to say, the juicy, edible fruits...). In the first sentence you are simply giving an instance of a citrus fruit; in the second you are giving an explanation. E.g. indicates an example; i.e. specifies and explains. Compare: She loves to read non-fiction, e.g., reference books and how-to books. / He had one obvious flaw, i.e. his laziness.











dinner and supper

Supper is a light evening meal - served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening after an early-evening dinner. Either way, it is regarded as the last meal of the day. Dinner is the main meal of the day, served either in the evening or at midday. However, in certain regions of the US (New England in particular), the words are used interchangeably for the main evening meal. Supper is the older word, dating to c. 1275, and is the less formal term. Dinner dates to 1297 and signifies the chief meal of the day, no matter what time it is served, and is a formally arranged meal, sometimes given to celebrate something or in honor of someone. Both terms derived from similarly spelled French words.









affect and effect

As a verb, to affect means 'to act upon or have an influence on', as in "Sunless days affect my mood." It can also mean 'to make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume' as "to affect ignorance." To effect means 'to bring about or create' as in "to effect a change." If you affect something, you do to it. If you effect something, you cause it to be. Advertising might affect the sales of widgets (by causing them to increase), or it can effect sales (bring them about) if, for example, there were no sales at all to begin with. As a noun, effect means 'result, consequence, outcome'. An effect is that which is produced when you affect something: "The poem affected me deeply; it really had an effect on me." Affect as a noun is a term from the field of psychotherapy meaning 'the emotional complex associated with an idea or mental state'. Keep in mind that usually if you want a noun, the word you want is effect, but if you want a verb, the word you want is affect.








might and may

May expresses likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary-to-fact hypothetical. The difference in degree between "You may be right" and "You might be right" is slight but not insignificant: if I say you may be right about something, there is a higher degree of probability that you are right about it than if I say you might be right about something. Example: You think Einstein is the most brilliant physicist who ever lived? You may be right. / You think it's going to rain this afternoon even though the sun is shining this morning? Well, you might be right. May expresses likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary-to-fact hypothetical: We might have been able to go if Keir had not been so slow to get ready.










@ Waseem

Welcome dear

Go to this link,you will find common mistakes and confusing words in english language.

http://www.learnenglish.de/mistakes/...s.htm#forsince

__________________
The proud of MOUNTAIN,S THE MOHMAND.

Many words and phrases frequently are abused or misused. Make sure to avoid the flawed interpretation of these terms.


Abdicate / abrogate:
We abandon things when "abdicating." We "abrogate" things when we abolish them. Thus, we write, "Congress has abdicated [not abrogated] its power over foreign policy to the President."

Advice / advise:
"Advice" is the noun and "advise" is the verb; people advise others by offering advice.

Affect / effect:
To be safe, treat "affect" as a verb and "effect" as a noun. An "effect" is a result. "Affect" means that one produces an effect. Avoid the phrase "to effect this result" since it is a barbarism. People often use the word "impact" when they should use the word "affect," as in "The economy impacted our company’s profits." The correct form is: "The economy affected our company’s profits." An exception: in psychology the word "affect" also refers to evaluations people make—in this sense this word is a noun.

Aggravate / Irritate
This word means increasing the seriousness of something. Do not use it as a synonym for "irritate." Instead of stating "Tom’s manner aggravated his family," write "Tom’s eating habits aggravated his colitis."

Aid / aide:
We aid people when we help them. An aide is a special assistant.

Already / all ready:
"Already" means "by the time mentioned." "All ready" means that everything is prepared.

Amount / number:
Write "number" when things can be counted, as in "Perot received a surprisingly large number of votes." When things are lumped together write amount, as in "Perot aroused a great amount of voter attention."

Anxious / eager:
"Anxiety" is unpleasant. "Eagerness" is joyous. They are not synonyms.

Around / about / approximately:
Do not substitute "around" for "about" or "approximately." "Around" refers to the surroundings of something. Instead of writing, "Around two billion people watched the Academy Awards broadcast," write "Approximately two billion people watched the Academy Awards broadcast."

Assume / presume:
We "assume" things in the absence of evidence (e.g., "He erroneously assumed that she wished to pay the restaurant bill"). We "presume" things when it is reasonable to do so and there is no evidence to the contrary (e.g., "The court presumes that a person with more than five ounces of marijuana possesses it for purpose of selling it"). Except for math professors, people do not like to be caught assuming things. Yet, presuming things is reasonable.

Bad / badly:
If you have lost the sense of touch say, "I feel badly." If you are ill, say "I feel bad." In the latter example, the word "bad" is a predicate adjective, not an incorrect use of an adjective.

Blond / blonde:
Anyone can be blond. Yet, only women can be blonde.

Can / may:
"Can" refers to one’s ability. "May" concerns whether one has permission. Hence you "may" smoke in the smoking section of the restaurant if you "can" find a match to light your cigarette.

Capital / capitol:
The "capital" is the location of the government. The "capitol" is the building that government leaders occupy.

Chauvinist / male chauvinist:
A chauvinist is anyone (male or female) who follows the lead of Nicolas Chauvin, a character in Theodore and Hyppolyte Cogniard’s play La Cocarde tricolore, whose excessive patriotism and devotion to Napoleon was used to justify doubtful warlike actions. Male chauvinism refers to one who believes in the superiority of men.

Compare / contrast:
You compare like objects ("He compared the two letters for similar writing style") for both similarities and differences. You contrast any two things (like or unlike) by identifying dissimilarities ("He contrasted the dietary rules of Islam and Hinduism"). In nearly all settings, the appropriate prepositions matched with these words are "compared to" and "contrasted with."

Compliment / complement:
Though pronounced the same way, a "compliment" is praise, whereas a "complement" is something added to complete a whole.

Convince / persuade:
We persuade people to act. We convince when using proof to accept a belief. Hence, we usually are convinced" something is true, but others try to "persuade" us to do something.

Definite / definitive:
"Definite" means certain (a word you can do without since it adds redundant stress). "Definitive" means conclusive and unamendable.

Discreet / discrete:
You are "discreet" when you are tactful with others. Things are "discrete" elements if they are separate, distinct, and nonoverlapping ("In true experiments, independent variables must be discrete conditions").

Disinterested / uninterested:
Uninteresting people are bored, but disinterested people are impartial. We are tried by "a disinterested jury of our peers."

Doubt if / doubt whether / doubt that:
Do not write, "I doubt if he really cares," since this construction states that you question the "if" part of the phrase. The sentence actually states that you have no doubt. In this case (and most cases) write, "I doubt that he really cares." If there really is doubt, use "doubt whether" as in, "I have doubt whether we may end the meeting on time."

Eminent / imminent:
A person who is highly regarded is "eminent." An event that will happen soon is "imminent."

Enormous / enormity:
Big things are enormous. A heinous or atrocious thing has enormity ("The enormity of the crime called for special punishment").

Etymology / entomology:
"Etymology" is the study of the origins of words. "Entomology" is the study of insects.

Farther / further:
"Farther" refers to measurable distance. "Further" deals with matters other than distance. Thus, instead of writing, "Burke went farther into the subject," state "Burke went further into the subject.

Feel / believe:
Do not say "feel" when you mean "believe." Do not say "I feel people should act responsibly." Instead, state "I believe people should act responsibly." You can feel tired, feel happy, or feel angry, but a belief describes your assessment of a proposition. One way to tell if you are dealing with true feelings is this test: Restate the sentence and substitute the word "am" for the word "feel." If the sentence makes sense, you have isolated a feeling. If not, substitute the word belief. Thus, you could say "I am tired" or "I feel tired," but you cannot say "I am that people should act responsibly."

Fewer / less:
If you can put the concept in numbers, use "fewer." If the concept cannot be quantified, use "less." Thus, the supermarket signs should (but, regrettably, most do not) say, "Use the express lane if you have ten or fewer items." Since it cannot be enumerated, we must write "Captain Hook should have had less ambition than he did."

Flair / flare:
A flair is a special talent. A flare is a bright light.

Flaunt / flout:
When you show off something or boast about it, you flaunt it (as in "If you’ve got it, baby, flaunt it"). When you flout something you show your contempt for it ("His actions flouted the law"). In passing, it might be noted that a flautist also is one who plays the flute and in Middle English "to flout" meant to play the flute).

Flounder / founder:
When something thrashes about, it flounders. When it fails completely, it founders.

Fortunate / fortuitous:
If something fortunate happens, we got lucky. If it happened by chance, it is fortuitous ("It was fortunate for us that we fortuitously stumbled across a cabin in the woods").

Full / fulsome:
When things are full they contain abundant supplies of something ("The class was full of information"). When things are fulsome they are fat, excessive, and offensive to good taste ("His fulsome compliment made me cringe").

Gamut / gantlet / gauntlet:
Though they sound alike, these words refer to different things. A "gamut" is a full range or scope of things ("His book covered the full gamut of emotional situations"). A gantlet is a form of punishment in which people run between rows of people who attempt to beat them. A gauntlet is a glove thrown down when a person is challenged to a duel.

Gender / sex:
There is nothing salacious about the word "sex." Do not substitute the word "gender" to avoid embarrassment. People and animals differ by sex. Words differ by gender. Thus, unless a study involves gender classifications of words, it is a study of sex differences.

Hanged / hung:
When people are executed they may be hanged. When a person is hung, the term has another slang meaning altogether. The stockings may be "hung by the chimney with care" but horse thieves are "hanged by the neck until dead."

If / whether:
Use "whether" when alternatives are involved ("I do not know whether I should complain or remain silent"). Otherwise "if" is acceptable ("I do not know if I should reconsider my decision").

Illusion / delusion:
Illusions are images of nonexistent things. Delusions are misguided beliefs people hold despite evidence to the contrary. Thus, "Daydreams can be enjoyable illusions, but delusions of grandeur come from self deceit or mental imbalance."

Imply / infer:
We imply things when we suggest them without actually saying so. We infer conclusions from evidence by reasoning from data to claims.

Laudable / laudatory:
Something laudable is worth praising. Laudatory activity is the expression of such praise.

Lay / lie:
When you recline, you lie down. If you tell someone you will lay down, you may risk embarrassment. For reclining, the past tense is "lay" and the past participle is "lain." Thus, you may say "I have lain on my bed for half an hour," but you cannot write "I have laid on the lounge chair for half an hour." On the other hand, you may "lay the plate on the table," in which case all past tense forms are the word "laid." By the way, once you "lay" the plate on the table, it "lies" there until moved.

Lend / loan:
"Lend" is a verb. "Loan" is a noun. Hence, write "The loan company would not lend me any money."

Like / as:
Do not confuse them. "Like" means that one is drawing a similarity from dissimilar groups ("Her voice was like parrot’s squawk"). The error is created when one uses "like" as a conjunction. Writing "I am lucky to have a good friend like Sue" means that one has a good friend similar to Sue, but excluding Sue. The person should substitute "as" for "like" ("I am lucky to have such a good friend as Sue"). Do not say, "Tell it like it is;" say, "Tell it as it is."

Literally / figuratively:
Do not confuse these words. "Literally" means that one’s words describe what actually occurred. Most of the time, the word is tossed into sentences in which it is unnecessary. The word "figuratively" means that one is using language metaphorically. Thus, you should not say "The Rams literally were slaughtered by the Cowboys" unless the Rams football team was taken to a meat packing house run by the Cowboys. Instead one should say "The Rams figuratively were slaughtered by the Cowboys."

Lose / loose:
If you lose your keys, you cannot find them. Any loose keys may jingle in your pocket.

Luxurious / luxuriant:
Luxurious living means that you enjoy luxuries. "Luxuriant" means that something (such as a plant) is growing abundantly.

Madding / maddening:
"A madding crowd" is a group of people who can drive you insane. "A maddening crowd" is a group of people who make you angry. Hardy’s novel was Far from the Madding Crowd.

Media / medium:
"Media" is a plural word. One mass media form is a medium. Thus, one should not state "The mass media reports news inaccurately." Instead one should say, "The mass media report news inaccurately."

Minimal / minimum:
A minimal amount is the minimum in a data set. "Minimal" is an adjective and "minimum" may be used either as a noun or an adjective.

Most unique:
If something is unique, it is as singular as it can be. Thus, do not write that something is "more unique" or "most unique." It is either unique or it is not.

Mutual / common:
Mutual refers to two people who share the same emotion, as in "My fiancée and I have mutual respect" (the exception is in the phrase "our mutual friend," following the title of Dickens’ novel). Common refers to something shared by at least two people, such as "a common goal" or "a common point of departure."

Parameter / perimeter:
Do not confuse these words. A "parameter" is a number that describes a population or, metaphorically, a distinctive characteristic of a population of events. A "perimeter" is a boundary.
Percent / percentage:
Use "percent" when identifying a particular number. Use "percentage" when there is no definite figure. Thus, you may write "A full fifteen percent of women in the company are executives," but "A small percentage of women in the company is on the executive level."

Perfect / perfectly:
"Perfect" is as singular as it gets. The phrasing in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution notwithstanding, something cannot be "more perfect." "Perfectly" is an adverb used emphasize another concept, such as "The current staff arrangement is perfectly fine as it is."

Persons / people:
Use "people" if you can. "Persons" usually involves a collection of people who are counted or numbered. "People" can refer to a large group of people, usually unnumbered. Thus, "people" often can be substituted for "persons," but "persons" cannot be substituted for "people."

Phenomenon / phenomena:
One phenomenon or many phenomena may exist.

Precedence / precedents:
Things have "precedence" over others if they are given preference. "Precedents" are events that serve as standards ("The Martin v. Hunter's Lessee Supreme Court decision set a precedent on federal authority over state courts.").

Premier / debut:
These words are nouns, not verbs. A movie may have "a premier in Los Angeles," but it is not possible for a movie "to premier in Los Angeles." The same rule applies to "debut."

Pretty / very:
Do not use "pretty" as a synonym for "very." Ill-mannered members of a rock concert crowd may become "very ugly," but describing them as "pretty ugly" is just plain stupid.

Principle / principal:
A principle is a rule, standard, or general guide. A principal is a chief or primary factor. Thus, write "the principal researcher guided a team of scholars investigating the principle of uncertainty reduction."

Purposely / purposefully:
Actions are done purposely if they are intended. Actions are done purposefully if the person doing them is very determined.

Quotation / quote:
"Quote" is a verb; "Quotation" is a noun. You quote people, but you read quotations.

Raise / rise:
You ask the boss for a raise. You rise to your feet to raise a point of order.

Ravage / ravish:
When armies destroy cities, they ravage them. If a criminal commits a rape, the victim has been ravished.

Sick / ill:
Use "sick" when you mean a person is nauseated. Use "ill" when the person is not well, but not necessarily nauseated.

Specially / especially:
When something is special, it is not ordinary ("This program was specially designed for preschool children"). "Especially" refers to things that are pre-eminent or primary ("He was an especially talented musician").

Sure / surely:
Do not confuse the adverb with the adjective. Thus, write "He surely is a good cook," for "He sure is a good cook." If it sounds odd to you, substitute "certain" for "sure" and "certainly" for "surely."

Viable / vie / workable:
Something that is viable is capable of living (from the Latin vita or "life"). Something that is competitive with others vies for superiority (from the Latin invitare or "invite"). Do not substitute these words for each other. People usually misuse the word "viable" when they actually intend to claim that something is "workable" (not derived from Latin at all, thank heavens).

Vita / vitae:
Many job announcements ask applicants to submit their "curriculum vita" or complete resume. Yet, this misspelling of vitae is not the plural form. The plural form is "curricula vita." Your resume may be a full "vitae" but not a "vita." Since this word is so inconvenient to use, perhaps we can do without it completely. Nobody needs to read Vitae" above your name on a resume. Your name should be good enough.

Ways / way:
Use "way" when referring to distance ("I work a long way from my home"). Use "ways" when referring to methods ("There are many ways to make money in the stock market").

While / although:
Use "while" when you are referring to "at the same time," as in "While I washed the dishes, she finished her homework." Do not write "while" when you mean "although" or "though." Hence, do not write "While I wanted to hear the speech, I had too many other things to do." Instead, write "Although I wanted to hear the speech, I had too many other things to do."

Who / that:
Use "who" when referring to people (not animals). Use "that" for non-human things. Try to delete unnecessary uses of these words in your writing.

__________________
The Me you have always known, the Me that's a stranger still.

Good versus Well

In both casual speech and formal writing, we frequently have to choose between the adjective good and the adverb well. With most verbs, there is no contest: when modifying a verb, use the adverb.

He swims well.
He knows only too well who the murderer is.
However, when using a linking verb or a verb that has to do with the five human senses, you want to use the adjective instead.
How are you? I'm feeling good, thank you.
After a bath, the baby smells so good.
Even after my careful paint job, this room doesn't look good.

Many careful writers, however, will use well after linking verbs relating to health, and this is perfectly all right. In fact, to say that you are good or that you feel good usually implies not only that you're OK physically but also that your spirits are high.

"How are you?"
"I am well, thank you."

Bad versus Badly
When your cat died (assuming you loved your cat), did you feel bad or badly? Applying the same rule that applies to good versus well, use the adjective form after verbs that have to do with human feelings. You felt bad. If you said you felt badly, it would mean that something was wrong with your faculties for feeling.



bring versus take

Generally, take means to move something from a place close at hand to a place relatively further away; bring means to move something to a position closer at hand. This distinction is not always so clear, however, and often it doesn't matter which verb we use, simply because the distinction noted above is either unclear or unimportant. For instance, in the sentence, "We are going to visit our grandparents, and we are going to bring/take our cousins with us," we could use either verb.




compare to versus compare with

In formal usage, "compare to" is the only acceptable form when "compare" means representing as similar or likening, according to 71 per cent of the Usage Panel: "compare a voice to thunder." In such comparisons the similarities are often metaphorical rather than real; the things compared are of fundamentally unlike orders, and a general likeness is intended rather than a detailed accounting. "Compare with" is the only acceptable form in the sense of examining in order to note similarities or differences, according to 70 per cent of the Panel: "compare Sheldon's poetry with Wordsworth's." Here the things compared are of like kinds, and specific resemblances and differences are examined in detail. Informally, "to" and "with" are often used interchangeably in the foregoing examples. In formal usage, only "compare with" is acceptable when "compare" intransitively means being worthy of comparison, according to 94 per cent of the Panel: "Promises do not compare with deeds." In such constructions, "compare to" is infrequent, even in informal usage.






different from versus different than

In British English, you'd want to avoid "different than" like the plague; in American English, it is not so loathed. The Oxford Guide to English Usage notes that "different than" is useful in constructions such as "I was a different man in 1935 than I was in 1916" or "The American theatre is suffering from a different malaise than ours." In the example you give, I'd use "from."




do versus make

The distinction between these two verbs is difficult for ESL students because many of their languages have only one verb to express the meaning. In English, the idiomatic expressions need to be memorized by foreign students who haven't acquired the language naturally. There is no clear rule or mnemonic device to help students remember.


To make:
Make a bed
Make a mistake
Make dinner
Make an appointment
Make a deal
Make a left, right (to turn a vehicle)
Make an announcement


To do:
do one's homework
do a good job
do the dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc
do one's hair (get a hairdo, cut, style, etc.)




due to versus because

Some grammarians would prefer that we never use "due to" at all, but the phrase has some useful and acceptable applications, as Burchfield points out:

• (payable to) "Pay Caesar what is due to Caesar."

• (likely to) "It's due to rain this afternoon."

• (properly owed to) "Much of what we own is due to my wife's investment decisions."

• (following "to be") "His obesity is due to his daily diet of butterscotch sundaes."

Burchfield then points out that when "due to" is used to create a prepositional phrase in a verbless clause, many grammarians will object.

"Due mainly to the engineers' incompetence, the roof began to sag dangerously."
"Due to the efforts of the English faculty, students' scores writing have begun to rise."

Burchfield concludes that this use of due to seems to be forming "part of the natural language of the twenty-first century."

The phrase "due to the fact that" can often be replaced, to good effect, with "because."




if versus whether

Bernstein says that "whether" is the word we normally use to introduce a noun clause, as in "They asked whether we should attend the dinner." And then he goes on to say that if is well established to serve a similar function, and it does so in a perfectly acceptable manner (i.e., you could substitute if for whether in our dinner sentence). However, when a noun clause begins a sentence, it's a good idea to use whether, not if, because the if can throw off the reader, suggesting that a condition is being implied when that is not the case: "If [should be whether] the Pilgrims were truly Puritans was the object of his inquiry."



into versus in to

Whenever the "to" is a particle of the infinitve, be sure to keep them separate: "We dropped in to visit my Aunt," "He just stepped in to pay the bill." We use "into" to express motion or direction: "He stared into her blue eyes," "She walked into the store to say hello," "She drove into the side of the garage." In a sentence such as "Let's invite them in to dinner," of course, you wouldn't want people walking into your dinner. I hope that helps.



people versus persons

Generally, "people" is the plural of "person." "Peoples" can refer to a group or groups of culturally defined groups, as in the "peoples of eastern Europe." The choice between "people" and "persons" is not always easy, though. There used to be a rule that persons is used when speaking of a number of people who can be counted and people is used when speaking of a large or uncounted number of individuals.

There are fifteen persons on this committee but three hundred million people in the United States.
We can put twelve persons in each lifeboat.
How many people visit this mall every year?

According to Burchfield, however, the plural form persons is slowly retreating, and people is now widely used in whatever circumstance we need the plural of person.



less versus fewer

When making a comparison between quantities we often have to make a choice between the words fewer and less. Generally, when we're talking about countable things, we use the word fewer; when we're talking about measurable quantities that we cannot count, we use the word less. "She had fewer chores, but she also had less energy." The managers at our local Stop & Shop seem to have mastered this: they've changed the signs at the so-called express lanes from "Twelve Items or Less" to "Twelve Items or Fewer." Whether that's an actual improvement, we'll leave up to you.
We do, however, definitely use less when referring to statistical or numerical expressions:

It's less than twenty miles to Dallas.
He's less than six feet tall.
Your essay should be a thousand words or less.
We spent less than forty dollars on our trip.
The town spent less than four percent of its budget on snow removal.

In these situations, it's possible to regard the quantities as sums of countable measures.



that versus which

The word which can be used to introduce both restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses, although many writers use it exclusively to introduce nonrestrictive clauses; the word that can be used to introduce only restrictive clauses. Think of the difference between

"The garage that my uncle built is falling down."
and

"The garage, which my uncle built, is falling down."

I can say the first sentence anywhere and the listener will know exactly which garage I'm talking about — the one my uncle built. The second sentence, however, I would have to utter, say, in my back yard, while I'm pointing to the dilapidated garage. In other words, the "that clause" has introduced information that you need or you wouldn't know what garage I'm talking about (so you don't need/can't have commas); the "which clause" has introduced nonessential, "added" information (so you do need the commas).

We recommend Michael Quinion's article on the usage of which and that in his World Wide Words.

Incidentally, some writers insist that the word that cannot be used to refer to people, but in situations where the people are not specifically named, it is acceptable.

The students that study most usually do the best.








regards

faryal shah

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