
'the USA' vs. 'the US' - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Mar 21, 2014 · Here is an interesting discussion of US versus U.S. versus USA versus U.S.A. from Wikipedia: Manual of Style: In American and Canadian English, U.S. (with periods) is the dominant abbreviation for United States. US (without periods) is more common in most other national forms of English. Some major American guides to style, such as The Chicago Manual …
"need to do" vs "need do" - English Language & Usage Stack …
Feb 6, 2013 · Here's a web page with some links (I haven't gone there). We can say "All {I / you / they} need do is...", but not "I need do this". In specific: No, it's not okay to use "need compute" in a scientific or academic paper. Unless you have a specific sentence, however, the question is moot: two words in isolation don't allow a good question.
word choice - "Fall from" vs. "fall off" - English Language & Usage ...
Mar 29, 2014 · Which you should prefer depends on the particular circumstances, and what is being fallen from (or off). You would usually fall off a bicycle, off the wagon or off the radar. You might fall off or from the roof or the top of a mountain. You would usually fall from a tenth-floor balcony, from grace, from a great height or from the top stair. But both sentences are correct.
What's an easy way to remember when to use "affect" or "effect"?
May 6, 2011 · Is there an easy way to remember when to use the word affect or effect in a sentence? It is very confusing, and I still get them mixed up.
What is the difference between seems like /seems that/seems?
Jan 11, 2013 · If you care a lot about the details, there is actually a very small difference between the first and second/third sentences. It seems like they have not completed the task yet. It seems (that) they have not completed the task yet. The word like here is used as a preposition: like having the same characteristics or qualities as; similar to and the interesting thing is, the word …
"Agree" vs. "concur" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
What is the difference between agree and concur? Which is the more common to use? For instance, someone said something to me and I want to say that he is right. Should I say I agree with you or I c...
Differences between "sledge", "sleigh" and "sled"
Dec 22, 2011 · Is there a difference between a sledge, a sleigh and a sled? Dictionary definitions suggest they are synonymous, but it certainly sounds wrong to refer to Santa Claus on a sledge.
"Vendor" vs. "vender" in Standard American English
Oct 1, 2016 · The spelling vendor is the standard spelling. The New Yorker, as part of its bizarre house style, uses the spelling vender. No one else does, besides those trying to emulate The New Yorker’s style. Of the 45 examples in COCA, only 17 were actual uses of the spelling vender outside of The New Yorker (compared with over 2000 examples of vendor, a ratio of over 100 …
apostrophe - Is "'em" short for 'him', 'them' or both? - English ...
Jan 9, 2014 · I have only read or heard 'em used for them, though there is some disagreement in the comments (the discrepancy may be due to 'im and 'em sounding quite similar in speech). You are correct that 'im can be used for him, and if you insist on butchering the language even further, you can use 'er for her. However, keep in mind that these abbreviations typically aren't used in …
etymology - Why is "gee-gee" slang for "horse"? - English …
Jun 8, 2012 · This Wikipedia article gives this explanation for the origin of the word gee-gee: The Chester Racecourse site was home to the famous and bloody Goteddsday football match. The game was very violent and, in 1533, banned by the city, to be replaced in 1539 by horse racing. The first recorded race was held on February 9, 1539 with the consent of the Mayor Henry …