41 Little Grammar Rules to Follow to Sound Smarter

C'mon: Make your high school English teachers proud.

BY READER'S DIGEST EDITORS

What's the difference: "Hopefully" vs. "I Hope"

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Hopefully means “in a hopeful manner.” “I hope the boss lets us out early” and “Hopefully, the boss lets us out early” aren’t the same thing. On the other hand, these are grammar "rules" you can safely ignore.

What's the difference: "Importantly" vs. "Important"

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More or most important is probably what you want. Only if you’re a pompous blowhard do you say things importantly.

What's the difference: "Their" vs. "His or her"

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Everyone, everybody, and close cousin each are singular, so words that refer to them should also be singular. Or, since we all have our grammar hang-ups, you could just rephrase the sentence.

What's the difference: "I" vs. "Me"

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Between you and I sounds fancy, and therefore right, but don’t be so quick to belittle Cookie Monster (“Me want cookies!”). In this case, me is correct because it’s the object of the preposition between.

What's the difference: "Assessable" vs. "Accessible"

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A library is wheelchair-accessible. Your house is assessable by the county that taxes it.

What's the difference: "Badly" vs. "Bad"

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Is your sense of touch physically impaired (almost never) or are you feeling some guilt after screwing up (almost always)? In the former, you feel badly; the latter, you feel bad.

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What's the difference: "Equally as" vs. "Equally"

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The as isn’t necessary. “I speak Latin and pig Latin equally well.”

What's the difference: "Because" vs. "That"

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You never mean "the reason is because"; you mean "the reason is that." Why? The word reason implies because. Likewise, why say “the reason why” when you can say “the reason”?

What's the difference: "Lay" vs. "Lie"

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This is another case where people think (wrongly) that a particular word sounds more “educated.” Lay and lie are not interchangeable. Lie doesn’t require an object: “I need to lie down.” But lay does: “I need to lay my head down.” Confusion kicks in because of the past tense of both verbs—lie becomes lay; lay becomes laid—but the usage stays the same.

What's the difference: "Lounge" vs. "Longue"

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Chaise lounge is actually incorrect, and people have been getting this wrong for at least a century. The proper phrase is French and translates as “long chair.”

What's the difference: "ATM" vs. "ATM machine"

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Using the phrases ATM machine (automated teller machine machine) or "PIN number" (personal identification number number) is redundant. These are other redundant phrases to stop using immediately.

What's the difference: "Historical" vs. "Historic"

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In short, historic means “significant” (“a historic election”). But if you intend “occurring in or relating to history,” go with historical (think “historical data” or “a historical link between the two world wars”). By the way, it’s never “an historic/historical event.” The vowel sound “a” should precede a consonant sound (like the hard “h” in historic).

What's the difference: "That" vs. "Who"

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A human is a “who.” Anything else (yes, including animals) is a “that.”

What's the difference: "Could of" vs. "Could have"

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This error pops up because of the similar pronunciations. But remember, every sentence needs a verb: “I could have written a better cover letter.”

What's the difference: "Most everyone" vs. "Everyone"

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Make up your mind: If you truly mean “every person,” use just everyone. If not, say most people.

What's the difference: "Nauseous" vs. "Nauseated"

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In strict terms, nauseous means “to cause nausea” (as in “a hateful, nauseous person”); nauseated means “afflicted with nausea” (as in “I’m nauseated”).

What's the difference: "Very unique" vs. "Unique"

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No need to say "very unique." Unique things and people are one of a kind, absolute.

What's the difference: "Intensive purposes" vs. "Intents and purposes"

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The right phrase to say is "intents and purposes," but even if you do get it right, you don’t need this expression. It’s just filler.

What's the difference: "Literally laughed my head off" vs. "Laughed my head off"

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Literally means “actually” and is best reserved for real events.

What's the difference: "Merge together" vs. "Merge"

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The phrase "merge together" is redundant (as are combinations like absolute necessity, free gift, and a pair of twins—unless you mean two sets of twins, that is).

What's the difference: "Orientate" vs. "Orient"

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Orientate is a word, but it means “to face east.” “The tour was designed to orient new students.”

What's the difference: "Impact" vs. "Affect"

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Impact shouldn’t be forced into service as a verb. No: “The decision impacts everyone.” Yes: “The decision affects everyone.”

What's the difference: "Off of" vs. "Off"

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Skip "off of." Some words are perfectly fine on their own. “May I bounce an idea off you?”

What's the difference: "In order to" vs. "To"

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