GRAMMAR & STYLE English Usage English is a tricky language. Its rules of grammar, spelling and usage are often confusing and contradictory. So it's little wonder then that mistakes are often made. The following are some commonly misused words and their correct usage: Approximately; About, roughly If something has been mathematically approximated, use approximately. If a precise figure is being rounded or if an imprecise figure is being glossed, use about or roughly. Such as, like In introducing examples, use such as rather than like: "Some countries, such as Poland, are overextended in their external debt." Reserve like for likeness: "Brazil, like Poland, may be overextended in its external debt." Less than, fewer than Use fewer and fewer than with words that have a separate quality and can be counted, such as persons or fence posts, and use less and less than with words that cannot be counted, such as water or land. e.g. less land, but fewer hectares of land; less steel, but fewer steel mills. More than, over Use more than for an amount, use over for a position. Write over the table or over the moon, but more than a dollar, more than 20 percent, and more than five hundred years. E.g. versus i.e. The abbreviation e.g. is for the Latin exempli gratia, "for example." The abbreviation i.e., Latin id est, means "that is." They're not interchangeable. Both abbreviations should be followed by a comma. Among, between When more than two things or persons are involved, among is usually used: "The money was divided among the four players." However, when more than two are involved, but each is considered individually, between is preferred: "an agreement between the six heirs." Respective, respectively These words can usually be omitted to the benefit of the sentence. For example, "Works of fiction are listed under the names of their respective authors" is improved when written, "Works of fiction are listed under the names of their authors." Sources: Common Errors in English website: www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/errors.html