{"id":530,"date":"2012-03-14T11:30:28","date_gmt":"2012-03-14T19:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=530"},"modified":"2019-04-22T08:36:30","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T15:36:30","slug":"incorrect-word-usage-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/incorrect-word-usage-choice\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Words You Probably Use Incorrectly"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is wrong with this picture? Hot water can <\/span>scold<\/em>? And furthermore, hot water can scold <\/span>hot drinks<\/em>? Well I suppose next time you need a sitter for your hot drinks, hot water will make sure they’re well behaved!<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes time to edit an essay, however, the errors aren’t always clearly marked with blaring red and yellow stickers. And sometimes, it’s not which words you use in your essays, but how you use them.<\/p>\n

Below are nine words that seem to be creating quite a bit of confusion for writers. One question remains: Are you ready to reach word choice nirvana?<\/p>\n

1. Comprise<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Incorrect Usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

My daughter\u2019s play was comprised of three acts.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correct Usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

My daughter\u2019s play comprised three acts.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong>
\nThe meaning of comprise is, \u201cto consist of.\u201d In this way, it\u2019s entirely unnecessary to employ \u201cof\u201d in its use. Once you commit its intended definition to mind, you\u2019ll be blown away by the amount of essays defaming the good name of comprise.<\/p>\n

2, 3, & 4. Assure, insure, and ensure<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Incorrect usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

I assured that his taxi would arrive at 5:00AM.<\/em><\/p>\n

After she insured him of her good intentions, George felt more inclined to trust Susie with his hamster.<\/em><\/p>\n

After the hamster burned down Susie\u2019s house, her Allstate agent informed her that she wasn\u2019t ensured against rodent-related arson.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correct usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

I ensured the taxi would arrive at 5:00AM.<\/em><\/p>\n

After she assured him of her good intentions, George felt more inclined to trust Susie with his hamster.<\/em><\/p>\n

After the hamster burned down Susie\u2019s house, her Allstate agent informed her that she wasn\u2019t insured against rodent-related arson.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong>
\nThis triad of –sure<\/em> seems to be causing quite a bit of ruckus in the grammar world! To assure<\/em> is to lend certainty or optimism to a doubtful party, giving assurance that their worries are unnecessary. To insure<\/em> is to guarantee against financial risk and damages associated with one\u2019s possessions. To ensure<\/em> is to deliberately make certain that something will or will not occur. If you\u2019re still unclear, the Grammarist\u2019s article on ensure, assure, and insure<\/a> will surely banish any remaining word choice uncertainty!<\/p>\n

5. Bombastic<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Incorrect usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

Gerald\u2019s angry tendencies often turned into bombastic fits of rage.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correct usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

Jane and I both agreed that the senator\u2019s bombastic speech wasn\u2019t going to prove conducive to any actual change.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s a huge tendency to assume the \u201cbomb\u201d in bombastic is similar to hot-tempered, ticking time \u201cbomb\u201d-like people. Bombastic, as an adjective, does nothing to describe a person\u2019s temperament. Rather, bombastic is an adjective used to describe individuals who use complicated, fancy language with the sole intent of impressing others.<\/p>\n

6. Decimate<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Incorrect usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

The fire decimated the forest, leaving nothing but ash in its wake.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correct usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

As I strolled through the rose garden, I overheard the gardener cursing the hungry deer who decimated his plot.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong>
\nThe traditional, and perhaps outdated, definition of decimate is to \u201ckill one in every ten.\u201d In fact, \u201cDecimation\u201d was originally practiced by the Roman Army as a form of punishment<\/a>! However, the more commonly accepted, modern definition of decimate involves extensive destruction. It\u2019s important to recognize that neither meaning of decimate allows for the idea of absolute, total destruction.<\/p>\n

7. Inflammable<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Incorrect usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

Helium is an example of an inflammable gas.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correct usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

It is unwise to smoke near filling stations, as gasoline is highly inflammable.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong>
\nThe inflammable versus flammable conundrum seems to have writers everywhere scratching their heads. Hopefully, this brief explanation will bring an end to what must be awful dandruff! Inflammable is actually a synonym of flammable, meaning the definitions of both describe something that is easily set on fire. While the adjective inflammable came into use first, the in- prefix seemed to confound people who thought it to mean \u201cincapable of combustion.\u201d Flammable was then devised as the synonymous, modern alternative to inflammable. Still confused? Bottom line: When in doubt, use flammable.<\/p>\n

8. Irregardless<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Incorrect usage<\/span>: any written context.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correct usage<\/span>: any spoken context, at your discretion.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong>
\nIrregardless, though technically a word, is regarded as part of a \u201cnonstandard\u201d dialect. Linguists will tell you that such a designation permits the use of irregardless in conversation, though the substitutes regardless or irrespective will help you stay much classier in the long run. If you\u2019re keen on irregardless and want to join the \u201cIrregardless Posse,\u201d you\u2019d best come correct and read Gabe Doyle\u2019s article on the history and usage of irregardless<\/a>.<\/p>\n

9. Noisome<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Incorrect usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

The house party next door grew to be quite noisome as the night progressed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correct usage<\/span>:<\/p>\n

The motorists were unaware that their vehicle had begun to spew noisome black smoke from its tailpipe.<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/strong>
\nNoisome has nothing to do with decibels, bass, or noise of any kind.  Rather, noisome describes an unthinkably horrible smell. You can also use noisome in a scandalous sense, in instances where a person\u2019s behavior is crass, unrefined, or lacking in moral judgment. It\u2019s a pretty uppity thing to say about someone, so make sure to use noisome  only while wearing your best monocle.<\/p>\n

While this list is by no means exhaustive, your instructor (or those editing essays<\/a>) will certainly appreciate the crispness and accuracy of your word choice. And if you weren\u2019t using these words before, go ahead and throw a word like bombastic in your next paper. It may sound silly to say, but imagine how snazzy it\u2019ll look on the next essay you turn in!<\/p>\n

Do you have any word choice-related pet peeves you’d like to share with the Kibin community? We’d love to hear your comments!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thumbnail image used<\/a> courtesy of Flickr user raindog<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is wrong with this picture? Hot water can scold? And furthermore, hot water can scold hot drinks? Well I suppose next time you need a sitter for your hot drinks, hot water will make sure they’re well behaved! When it comes time to edit an essay, however, the errors aren’t always clearly marked with … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/b> “9 Words You Probably Use Incorrectly”<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,24,25,23],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n9 Words You Probably Use Incorrectly - Kibin Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/incorrect-word-usage-choice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"9 Words You Probably Use Incorrectly - Kibin Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is wrong with this picture? Hot water can scold? And furthermore, hot water can scold hot drinks? 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