This was inspired by the list "100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know." Please create your own and invite me to compare. I hope that each of us will master English more fully through this exercise.
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The difference between there, their, and they're.
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2. |
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The difference between two, to, and too.
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3. |
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How to use a semicolon.
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4. |
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The difference between angel and angle.
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5. |
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The difference between sea, see, and the letter C.
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6. |
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Penultimate means second to last, not better than ultimate.
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7. |
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"I before E, except after C" is an incomplete doctrine.
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8. |
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Antidisestablishmentarianism isn't the longest word in the English language, so stop trying to use it.
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9. |
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Cite your sources, or it's plagiarism.
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10. |
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If you are not from Australia, you probably can't do a believable Australian accent.
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11. |
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Inflammable means the same thing as flammable. The antonym is nonflammable.
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12. |
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If you are wondering if street slang makes you sound cool when you use it, it doesn't. If you never wondered, you might be OK.
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13. |
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Saying "um" or "like" to fill time is worse than a few seconds of silence.
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14. |
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There is no such word as "alot."
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15. |
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The difference between it's and its.
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16. |
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It's asterisk, not asterick.
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17. |
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Only say "literally" if you mean it literally.
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18. |
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You stand on a podium. You speak from behind a lectern.
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19. |
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The double "is" is abominable, i.e. "The fact is is that you sound ignorant."
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20. |
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The meaning and proper use of "beg the question."
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21. |
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The difference between your and you're.
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22. |
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Irregardless is not a word.
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23. |
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Good is an adjective. Well is an adverb. Use them as such.
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24. |
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The difference between lay and lie.
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25. |
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The phrase "different than" does not exist. It's "different from."
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26. |
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A scene may be heart-rending, but it is not heart-rendering unless you are in a slaughterhouse or similar animal processing operation.
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27. |
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Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound, not a vowel sound; thus, the phrase "avoid alliteration, always" is not funny. "Avoid assonance, always" is funny.
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28. |
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"Prolly" is not a word. Use "probably," with two Bs.
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29. |
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Excessive use of exclamation points is annoying! Just one is enough, even for the most exciting sentences!!!
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30. |
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You share an anecdote when telling a story, an antidote when saving a victim of poisoning.
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31. |
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Being in the dictionary does not make a word appropriate for widespread use. The newer dictionaries are now including words such as "bootylicious."
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32. |
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"Like" is not a suitable filler between thoughts.
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