Common Rules
Commonly Misused Words
Commonly Misspelled Words

Common Rules

Alumni
This word construction is taken directly from its Latin origins. Therefore, the noun forms are gender specific: "alumna" refers to one woman; "alumnae" refers to a group of women; "alumnus" refers to one man; "alumni" refers to a group of men or a group of men and women. It's rare to see the feminine plural form, "alumnae." Most often the form "alumni" is used for any group of graduates.

Alumni Abbreviations
Identify past and current students by their class years with an apostrophe before the year in the year 2000 or later. For graduates in the 1900s, use the four-digit year (1951). If a person received more than one degree from Carnegie Mellon, use both years and put a comma between them. In this case an apostrophe may be used for the "19" in subsequent years.

Right:	Laura San Giacomo (1984) had a supporting role in "Pretty Woman."
Right:	Paul Christiano (1964, '65, '68) served as provost during the 1990s.

Letters are often used before the year to indicate the school that granted the degree.

Right:	James Gosling, CS1983, created the computer language JAVA.
Right:	Earl Wild, A1937, participated in Carnegie Mellon's centennial celebration.

Consistency is the key as to the method of indicating the alum's year of graduation. The choice is yours as to using parens or commas and the use of spaces. Pick one and use consistently throughout your publication.

Collective Nouns
The collective nouns "faculty" and "staff" are singular nouns. If you wish to use a plural construction, use "members of the faculty/staff" or "faculty/staff members."

Right:	The faculty is represented by Faculty Senate.
Right:	Members of the faculty are dedicated researchers and teachers.
Right:	Staff members disagree among themselves about the best benefits options.
Right:	The Carnegie Mellon staff numbers almost 3,000.

Passive Voice
Avoid using the passive voice, which can contribute to imprecise, weak or wordy prose.

Think about this sentence: "Jane's classes were taught in the morning." Taught by whom? Is Jane a teacher or a student? An active construction would clarify the sentence: "Professor Smith taught Jane's morning classes."

When a passive construction makes an appearance in an early draft, think about the sentence. Try to alter the construction and choose an active verb. Concise sentences with active verbs and a few, carefully selected modifiers communicate most clearly to the reader.

Sometimes passive voice is a better choice. For example, when the recipient of an award is more important than the awarding body, it's better to keep this information in the lead of the sentence: "Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge was awarded an honorary doctorate"

That/Which
These words cause so much confusion, they deserve a section of their own. "That" and "which" often are used incorrectly in clauses.

When referring to a human being (or an animal with a name), any clause should be introduced by the word "who" or "whom."

When referring to an object or nameless animal with an essential clause—one that cannot be eliminated without changing the meaning of the sentence—use the word "that" to introduce the clause. Essential clauses do not need commas.

When referring to an object or nameless animal with a non-essential clause—one that can be eliminated from the sentence without changing the basic meaning—use the word "which" to introduce the clause. If non-essential clauses appear in the middle of sentences, they may need to be set off by commas.

A simple test: Once your sentence is written, try reading it without the clause. If the sentence still means about the same thing, your clause should be introduced by "which." If taking out the clause changes the meaning drastically, it should be introduced by "that."

Right:	The club meeting, which was held in Skibo Coffeehouse, was lively.
Meaning:	The club meeting was lively. (We must already know which club meeting it is.)
Right:	The club meeting that was held in Skibo Coffeehouse was lively.
Meaning:	The only meeting being held in Skibo Coffeehouse was lively. (Another way to think of essential clauses—you don't really need the word "that.")
Better:	The club meeting held in Skibo Coffeehouse was lively.

Commonly Misused Words

adverse/averse
"Adverse" means unfavorable. "Averse" means reluctant.

adviser/advisor
"Adviser" is preferred although both are correct.

affect/effect
"To affect" means (1) to influence, change or produce an effect; (2) to like to do, wear or use; or (3) to pretend. "To effect" means to accomplish, complete, cause, make possible or carry out. If you're looking for a noun, you're probably looking for "effect." If you're using a verb, you're safest with "affect."

afterward
not afterwards

all right
not alright

allude/refer
"To allude" means to speak of without mentioning. "To refer" means to speak of directly.

allusion/illusion
An "allusion" is an indirect reference. An "illusion" is a false impression or image.

alumna/ae
An alumna is one woman. Alumnae are a group of women.

alumni/us
Alumni are more than one man or a group of men and women. An alumnus is one man.

around/about
"Around" should refer to a physical proximity or surrounding (I'll look for you around the front of Baker Hall). "About" indicates an approximation (Let's have lunch about 11:30 a.m.).

beside/besides
Use "beside" to mean (1) at the side of (sit beside me); (2) to compare with (beside other studies); or (3) apart from (that's beside the point). Use "besides" to mean (1) further-more (besides, I said so); (2) in addition to (and elm and maple trees besides); or (3) otherwise (there's no one here besides Bill and me).

between/among
Use "between" to show a relationship between two objects only.

Use "among" when it's more than two.

"Between" takes an objective pronoun—me, her, him. "Between you and me" is okay. "Between you and I" is not.

biannual/biennial
"Biannual" is twice a year. "Biennial" is every two years.

complement/compliment
"Complement" is something that supplements. "Compliment" is praise or the expression of courtesy.

compose/comprise/constitute
"Compose" is to create or put together. "Comprise" is to contain, to include all or embrace. "Constitute" is to make up, to be the elements of.

Examples:	The whole comprises the parts. The parts constitute the whole. The whole is composed of parts.
	The department comprises 12 people. Twelve people constitute the department. The department is composed of 12 people.

continual/continuous
"Continual" is a steady repetition.
"Continuous" is uninterrupted.

criteria
plural (more than one criterion, which is a quality, a value or a standard of judgment)

curricula
plural (more than one curriculum, which is a program of academic courses or learning activities—the H&SS curricula)

curricular
adjective (H&SS' curricular philosophy)

curriculum
singular (the History curriculum)

data
plural noun, usually takes a plural verb; if used as a collective noun, when the group or quantity is regarded as a noun, it takes a singular verb (the data is sound).

daylight-saving time
not daylight-savings time

different from
not different than

disinterested/uninterested
"Disinterested" means impartial. "Uninterested" means someone lacks interest.

dissociate
not disassociate

entitled/titled
"Entitled" means having the right to something (she is entitled to the inheritance). Use "titled" to introduce the name of a publication, speech, musical piece (the piece is titled, "Love and Illusion").

farther/further
"Farther" refers to physical distance. "Further" refers to an extension of time or degree.

fewer/less
In general, use "fewer" for individual items that can be counted. Use "less" for bulk or quantity that is measured (not counted). "Fewer" usually takes a plural noun; "less" usually takes a singular noun.

half-mast/half-staff
To use "half-mast," you must be referring to a flag on a ship or at a naval station. A flag anywhere else is at "half-staff."

historic/historical
"Historic" means important. "Historical" refers to any event in the past.

hopefully
Unless you're describing the way someone spoke, appeared or acted, do not use this one. Too many people use "hopefully," an adverb that must modify a verb only, as if it were a conditional phrase.

Right:	I hope we can go.
Wrong:	Hopefully, we can go.
Wrong:	Hopefully, the report will address that issue.
Right:	It is hoped the report will address that issue.
Right:	She eyed the interview list hopefully.

important/importantly
"Importantly" is incorrect unless it is an adverb.

Right:	He strutted importantly through the castle.
Right:	More important, he said, the quality of the program must not suffer.

imply/infer
"Imply" means to suggest or indicate indirectly. To "infer" is to conclude or decide from something known or assumed.

In general, if you imply something, you're sending out a message. If you infer something, you're interpreting a message.

in regard to
not in regards to

"As regards" or "regarding" may also be used.

insure/ensure
"Insure" means to establish a contract for insurance of some type. "Ensure" means to guarantee.

General rule? Use "ensure."

irregardless
The word is "regardless." "Irregardless"? No such word.

-ize
Do not coin verbs with this suffix, and do not use already coined words such as "finalize" (use "end" or "conclude") or "utilize" (use "use").

lay/lie
"Lay" means to place or deposit, and requires a direct object (forms: lay, laid, laid, laying). "Lie" means to be in a reclining position or to be situated. It does not take an object (forms: lie, lay, lain, lying).

lectern/podium
You stand on a podium and behind a lectern.

let/leave
To "let alone" means to leave something undisturbed. To "leave alone" means to depart from or cause to be in solitude.

like/as
Use "like" to compare nouns and pronouns. Use "as" to introduce clauses and phrases.

literally/figuratively
"Literally" means in an exact sense. "Figuratively" means in a comparative sense.

Right:	The furnace literally exploded.
Right:	He was so furious he figuratively blew his stack.

located
In most cases, you'll find you don't really need this word. Instead of "The store is located in the University Center," you can simply write "The store is in the University Center." Instead of "Where are you located at?" (which is the worst construction of all), write "Where are you?"

many/much
In general, use "many" for individual items that can be counted. Use "much" for bulk or quantity that is measured. midnight/noon
Use instead of 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. Do not put a "12" in front of either one.

me/myself
Avoid using "myself." In most constructions, it's the objective pronoun you really want:

Right:	It's between you and me.
Wrong:	You can tell your supervisor or myself.

more than/over
Use "more than" when you mean in excess of; use "over" when referring to physical placement of an object, an ending or extent of authority.

Right:	More than 25 professors participated.
Wrong:	The university has over 50 buildings.

nor
Use this word anytime you use "neither."

oral/verbal
"Oral" refers to spoken words. "Verbal" can refer to either spoken or written words, but most often connotes the process of reducing ideas to writing.

partially/partly
These two are not interchangeable. "Partially" is used to mean to a certain degree when speaking of a condition or state. "Partly" implies the idea of a part, usually of a physical object, as distinct from the whole.

Right:	I'm partially convinced.
Wrong:	The building is partially completed.
Right:	The building is in a state of partial completion.
Right:	The building is partly completed.

past experience
What other kind of experience is there? Just use "experience" alone.

peddle/pedal
To "peddle" is to sell. To "pedal" is to use pedals, as on a bicycle.

people/persons
Use "person" when speaking of an individual. The word "people," rather than "persons," is preferred for plural uses.

pom-pom/pompon
"Pom-pom" is a rapidly firing weapon. A cheerleader's prop is correctly called a pompon.

premier/premiere
"Premier" is first in status or importance, chief, or a prime minister or chief executive. "Premiere" is a first performance.

presently/currently
Many writers use these terms as if they were synonymous. But "presently" means in a little while, soon. "Currently" means now. In most cases you can do just fine without using "currently." For example, "we are currently revising the plan" works better when simply stated, "we are revising the plan."

pretense/pretext
"Pretense" is a false show or unsupported claim to some distinction or accomplishment. "Pretext" is a false reason or motive put forth to hide the real one, an excuse or a cover-up.

principal/principle
"Principal" as a noun is a chief person or thing; as an adjective, it means first in importance. "Principle" is a noun meaning a fundamental truth, doctrine or law; a guiding rule or code of conduct; a method of operation.

rebut/refute
To "rebut" is to argue to the contrary. To "refute" is to win the argument.

regardless
"Regardless" is a word. "Irregardless" is not a word.

shall/will
"Shall" is used for the first-person future tense and expresses the speaker's belief regarding his or her future action or state.

If "will" is used for first-person future, it expresses his or her determination or consent. At other times, "will" is used for the second- and third-person future tense.

student body
Use "student" or "students" instead.

that/which
See Common Rules.

theater/theatre
The preferred word in the United States is "theater," unless the British spelling is part of a proper name, as in "Kresge Theatre" or "Chosky Theatre."

toward/towards
"Toward" is correct. "Towards" is not.

unique
Commonly overused, this word literally means one of a kind, without equal. "Unique" should never be modified by "truly," "rather" or "very." Something is either unique or it's not.

use/utilize
Use "use." "Utilize" is the awkward verb form of the obsolete adjective "utile." Why bother?

who/whom
We rarely see the word "whom" in writing. But if your sentence has an objective clause referring to a person or animal with a proper name, you're being ungrammatical if you don't use whom.

The word "who" substitutes for subjective pronouns‹he, she or they; "whom" must be used in the sense of him, her or them. If you don't want to use "whom," restructure your sentence. Don't just stick in "who" when it is incorrect.

-wise
Do not use this suffix to coin words like "weatherwise."

Xerox/photocopy
A trademark for a brand of photocopy machine should never be used as a noun or verb.

Commonly Misspelled Words
This is just a small sampling to get you thinking. When in doubt, use a computer spell program or look it up (or both).

accommodate
acknowledgment
aesthetics (not esthetics)
antiquated
catalog (not catalogue)
commitment
conscience
consensus
counselor
deductible
dissension
drunkenness
ecstasy
embarrass
exhilarate
foreword
harass
hors d'oeuvres
inadvertent
indispensable
inoculate
insistent
irresistible
judgment
knowledgeable
liaison
memento
nickel
occurred
occurrence
perseverance
prerogative
privilege
proceed
sponsor
tyrannous
vacuum
vilify