I once made a mistake in another language that made the national news. I had been living in West Java (a province of Indonesia) to study music, and I went to a music party at the provincial governor’s house. Most people were sitting on the floor, as was the norm. I was leaning against a wall near the musicians so I could study what they were doing; I was also trying to be as inconspicuous as a redheaded white girl could be in Southeast Asia. The governor invited me to sit in a chair, as a foreign guest, but I politely declined, telling him in my allegedly fluent Indonesian that I would rather lean against the wall . . . or so I thought. In fact, I told him and everyone around me that I would prefer to cry out! The two words that I used were separated by a single letter: bersandar vs. bersangar . I can still hear not only their raucous laughter ringing in my ears, but also my mistake repeated over and over. If only there hadn’t been a reporter in the room!
English has so many words that are separated by a single letter. If you have ever struggled with effect and affect , further and farther , or than and then , I can assure you that you are in great company. This book is your secret decoder ring: a quick and easy reference tool that will help you remember everything from whether to double the consonant in the past tense of cancel (spoiler: don’t) to knowing the difference between who and whom .
I wrote this book because I am not just a college professor; I am also a friend, colleague, mom, and person who wants all English speakers to be able to speak and write with clarity and confidence. Inside this book, you’ll find 100 of the most common mistakes in grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and style. My goal is for you to be (metaphorically, at least) running toward clarity, rather than running from murkiness. Leave your tragic mistakes behind and, with apologies to William Shakespeare, let slip the dogs of grammar!