As The Saying Goes

or ought to.

Avoid The Following:

irregardless: Regardless of how you feel about me, I still like you.

being that, being as: Because I was late, I couldn’t have pie.

where at: Where is the store? Not Where is the store at?

as to: We wondered about his family. Not We wondered as to his family.

could of, would of, should of: We could have, would have, should have.

had ought: We had to go. We ought to go. Not We had ought to go.

in regards to: Regarding your homework…

owing to the fact that: We have money because we worked hard.

in the event that: I will come with you if it doesn’t rain.

small in size

circulate around

true fact or true fact

joint partnership

close to the point of or close to the point of (two different meanings, in my head)

reason…is because

reason why…is because

in this day and time (choose one)

consensus of opinion

pair of twins (unless you mean two pair) (= 4)

cooperate together, collaborate together

close proximity (choose one)

contemporary writers of today (writers of today is acceptable, but why use three words when two will do?)

if and when (choose one)

mingle together

joint cooperation

3:00 AM in the morning/7:00 PM at night

snowing out/snowing outside

Say What You Mean:

advert/avert

affect/effect

alternate/alternative

allusion/illusion

ambiguous/ambivalent

can/may

common/mutual

compliment/complement

continuous/continual

deduce/deduct

disinterested/dispassionate/indifferent

emigrate/immigrate

eminent/imminent/immanent

enormity/enormousness

felicitous/fortuitous/fortunate

former/latter

healthful/healthy

implicit/explicit

imply/infer

incredible/incredulous

ingenious/ingenuous/disingenuous

libel/slander

nauseated/nauseous

practical/practicable

principle/principal

sensory/sensuous/sensual

tortuous/torturous

Up next, idioms!

Thank you to The Princeton Review: Grammar Smart, 2nd edition ISBN: 0-375-76215-9

*The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University of ETS.