.common errors in usage between certain sets of words

 Some of the most common errors in usage are between certain sets of words. Master these sets and you will have made a great improvement.

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  Bored/Boring, Interested/Interesting, and Excited/Exciting

These participial adjectives create problems for most students of English. The easiest way to remember them is that the –ed form represents the feeling one has, and the –ing form represents what has caused the feeling. Don’t say: I am so boring. Do say: The movie was boring. I am bored. 

Don’t say: I am so exciting! Do say: The lottery is so exciting! If I win, I will be so excited! Don’t say: I am so interesting. Do say: The history of Asia is very interesting. I am very interested in it. Yes, you may be very interesting, but you should leave that up to people that know you and who are interested in you.

Lend/Loan/Borrow 

Loan can be a noun as the name of a transaction where someone borrows something from someone who lends it to them. It can also be a verb with a meaning similar to that of lend. Lend and borrow are both verbs. If I lend something to you (money?), I give it to you temporarily—expecting that you will return it. If I borrow something from you, I take it from you temporarily, knowing that you expect me to return it to you. I get or receive something from you. Don’t say: Ramona, will you borrow me 20 pesos? Do say: Ramona, will you lend (or loan) me 20 pesos so I can buy lunch today? She might say: Of course, I will be glad to lend (or loan) you 20 pesos! or Don’t say: SuHyun, may I lend 5000 won from you? Do say: SuHyun, may I borrow 5000 won from you so I can buy lunch today? She might say: Of course, I will be glad to lend (or loan) you 5000 won! Just as common: Do say: Can I borrow your cell phone for a moment? I need to call home.

Do say: Would you lend (or loan) your cell phone to me for a moment? I need to call home. Note that I borrow something from you, but you lend something to me. Or, I may lend something to you, but you borrow something from me. Remember: lend to, borrow from Using loan as a noun: Do say: Jacque’s loan (not lend) was for 50 francs.

 Most/Most of 

Most should be used if the word following it is a noun or adjective. Most of should be used if the word following it is a pronoun, a proper noun used as a possessive, or an article. Don’t say: Most of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Do say: Most Americans eat …... . Don’t say: Most Mr. Kim’s students hate to study English. Do say: Most of Mr. Kim's students hate to study English

.Lay/Lie 

Lie is an intransitive verb and never has an object. It means to stay at rest in a horizontal position. Don’t say: I am going to lay down for a nap. Do say: I am going to lie down for a nap. Lay is a transitive verb and always requires an object. It means to set or put something down. Don’t say: Please lie this book on the desk. Do say: Please lay this book on the desk. Remember the saying “Let sleeping dogs lie” and note that the sleeping dog is not moving. Lay is more active than lie.

 Raise/Rise 

 Raise means to lift up something. Don’t say: We rise the flag everyday at the student assembly. Do say: We raise the flag everyday at the student assembly.Rise means to go up, stand up, or get out of bed. Don’t say: I raise every morning at sunrise. Do say: I rise every morning at sunrise.

Accident/Incident . An accident is an unforeseen, unpredictable event. An incident is also an event, but may or may not be unforeseen and unpredictable. An incident may also be planned and occur deliberately.Don’t say: A man murdered his parents last night in order to gain access to their money. This kind of accident is deplorable and has shocked the entire nation. (If a man plans a murder it is not an accident, it is an incident.) Do say: This kind of incident is deplorable and has shocked the entire nation.

 See/Look at/Watch

 Use see when you mean to perceive something with the eyes. Use look at when you mean to use your eyes to see something. Often the thing or things you are viewing does not move or is stationary (such as a painting or photographs) Use watch when the thing you are viewing is moving or changes (such as television or a movie). Don’t say: Whenever I smoke, my wife sees me with disgust. Do say: Whenever I smoke, my wife looks at me with disgust. Don’t say: Did you look at what just happened? Do say: Did you see what just happened? Don’t say: I looked at TV until 11:00 PM last night. Do say: I watched TV until 11:00 PM last night.

Agree with/Agree to 

Use agree with if you have the same opinion, idea, judgment, etc. as another person. One agrees with people. Don’t say: Miss Lee agreed to Mr. Ma's comment about the educational problems in Taiwan. Do say: Miss Lee agreed with Mr. Ma's comment about the educational problems in Taiwan. Use agree to if you concur with the actions, plans, suggestions of another person. One agrees to things. Don’t say: Bill agreed with his brother's suggestion to lend him money to start his own business. Do say: Bill agreed to his brother’s suggestion to lend him money to start his own business.

 Impressive/Impressively/Impression/Impressed 

Impressive is an adjective and modifies a noun or pronoun. Impressively is an adverb and modifies a verb. Don’t say: The movie was very impression. Do say: That was a very impressive movie. (adjective) Do say: He acted very impressively in the movie. (adverb)Impression is a noun and is used to describe a positive influence that something or someone has made on another. Don’t say: That movie made me impressed. Do say: That movie made an impression on me. Impressed is a verb and is used to indicate that something or someone has had a positive influence on someone. Don’t say: I was very impressive with the movie. Do say: I was very impressed by the movie.