I get quite upset by the incorrect use of words and phrase in written English these days so I thought I'd try to do something to bring attention to the errors and possibly encourage people to raise their standards.
I'm not talking about changing to a more academic style of language but just cutting out the common errors that are increasingly creeping in.
The first example is the use of everyday in place of every day and vice versa.
Like most of the errors I will be covering here, the rule for deciding on which to use is simple:
Everyday as one word means "common or garden" or things we use every day such as bread and milk. In technical terms it is an adjective - a word that adds further meaning to a noun.
"I buy everyday items at the corner shop."
For any other use the correct version is every day.
"I buy my milk from the corner shop every day."
So, usage such as "The best prices everyday" is incorrect; it should be "The best prices every day."
I'm sure a lot of people don't have the slightest concern about this but I believe it is important. Please feel free to submit your comments of support or ridicule!
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1 comment:
I am pleased that someone other than myself cares about both cameras and the English language. One thing that gets me is the misuse of the word 'which' in place of 'that.' For example, 'I know a restaurant which serves excellent gumbo' should really be '...that serves excellent gumbo.' Another common mistake is using 'usage' instead of 'use,' as in 'Usage rates are up this year.' However I have almost given up explaining these mistakes because generally people don't care about it any more.
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