COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS & TERMS
A (Continued)
My house is insured.
n
B
all together, altogether All together means everyone or everything.
biannual, biennial, bimonthly Biannual means twice a year. Biennial means every two years. Bimonthly means every two months.
n The Parsons were all together in one room.
Altogether means completely or entirely.
C
I stopped seeing him altogether.
n
cannot Cannot is always one word. Do not use can’t.
a lot Always two words.
capital, capitol Capital is the city that is the seat of government.
among Use among not amongst.
Washington DC is the nation’s capital.
n
Correct Usage: They were among friends. Incorrect Usage: They were amongst friends.
Capitol is the building in which the legislative body sits.
appraise, apprise Appraise means to set a value on.
n We visited the capitol building on our trip to Washington DC.
n There is a need to appraise existing practices and programs.
Capital , as a verb, also relates to assets that add long term net worth to an organization.
Apprise is to inform.
n Our company has several capital improvements scheduled in the next year.
n She asked to be kept apprised of the situation.
assure, ensure, insure Assure is to convince or give confidence.
cents Spell out cents , using numerals for less than a dollar. Zeros are not necessary if there are no cents.
n They assured us it would never happen again.
5 cents
12 cents
Ensure is to make certain or guarantee.
n
n
Use the dollar sign ($) and decimal system for larger amounts.
n The company must ensure accurate records are kept.
$1.50
$2
Insure is to arrange for compensation in the event of damage, loss or injury.
n
n
child care Always two words, no hypen.
n Businesses can insure against fluctuations.
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