Appraise vs. Apprise

Sometimes similar sounding words get used interchangeably, even when they have different meanings. For example, appraise and apprise have different meanings despite their similar sound.  Appraise means to estimate the monetary value of something (appraise the value of a house, for example) or to estimate the importance of something (such as to appraise the writing of Shakespeare). Apprise, on the other hand, means to give notice to or inform (for instance, to be apprised of a friend's travel plans).

Matriculation matters

The word matriculate is most commonly used as a verb. It means to enroll in or be admitted to a group, such as a program, college, or university. When it is used this way, it is usually followed by a preposition, such as at, into, or to. It does not mean "to graduate." For example, here is an instance where it is used correctly: "Bob and Sarah both matriculated to Columbia University."

Wrangling reflexive pronouns

Correctly using reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, etc.) is a bit difficult, but here's a quick tip: Don't use reflexive pronouns in place of objective case pronouns (pronouns used as objects of verbs or prepositions). Reflexives refer to the subject. An intensive pronoun intensifies an action, e.g., "I want to do it myself." For example, this would be incorrect: "The party was for Bob and myself, and I allowed me the privilege of attending the celebration." Instead, you would say, "The party was for Bob and me, and I allowed myself the privilege of attending the celebration."

Implies vs. infers

Imply vs. infer... the two words are often misused, but fortunately, the trick for remembering which one to use isn't difficult. A speaker implies while a listener infers. For example, "During his presentation, John seemed to imply that I did not know much about weather patterns. I inferred that he wasn't aware I've taken several courses in meteorology."

Amount vs. number

This is an easily confused grammar rule! Amount refers to things that cannot be counted. For example: loyalty, faith, heartache, water, and snow. Number, on the other hand, refers to things that can be counted. For instance, users, timelines, ships, pebbles, and tips. Here's a helpful diagram remember the difference. (Thanks to Dan Delaney in OTR for suggesting this grammar tip!).

Although vs. while

This can be a tough grammar tip to remember. Although means "in spite of the fact that." So you could say, "Although Katie is from Florida, she likes cold weather." On the other hand, while means "at the same time." For example, "While I read, the dog napped."

To throw a monkey wrench into the previous rule, some dictionaries (including the Oxford English Dictionary) do say it's acceptable to use while to mean although. Just make sure doing so doesn't cause confusion. For example, if you say, "While the cat is white, the dog is black." People wouldn't know if you were contrasting the animals' colors or saying that the cat is only white when the dog is black.

Thanks to Cheryl Johnson in the Office of Student Finance (OSF) for suggesting this grammar tip!

Me vs. I

Here's an oldie but a goodie. Most people use I when they really mean to use me. For example, "Can you send the report to John and I?" Sounds right, but it's actually wrong. Try taking John out of the sentence. It doesn't make sense to say, "Can you send the report to I?" That's because the word I shouldn't be used as the object of a sentence. So, in this instance, you would say, "Can you send the report to John and me?" To do a quick test, just remove the other person's name from the sentence and see if what you have left (I or me) makes sense by itself. If not, you know you're using the wrong one.

Compliment and complement

Is there a typo in that headline? Nope! There really are two different ways to spell the word, and they each mean something different. Compliment is something nice that someone says about you. For example, "Your dress is so pretty!" Complement, on the other hand, is something that adds to or supplements something else. For instance, "Her necklace was a nice complement to her new dress."

Then and than

This grammar rule isn't too tricky. The word then has a variety of meanings, including "at a point in time" or "in addition to." Than, on the other hand, is used to compare. (For example, "This peach is bigger than that one.") To keep it simple, just remember to use than when comparing and then for everything else.

Are you really anxious?

We use the word anxious a lot, but its meaning may be different than you previously thought. We usually say, "I'm anxious to see my friends" or "I'm anxious to finally travel to Europe." The real definition of the word, however, means to have a feeling of dread, fear, or anxiety. It doesn't mean you're looking forward to something. So unless you fear your friends or visiting Europe, it's best to say you're excited or eager instead.

May and might

Here's another tricky one to remember the difference between. May implies a possibility. For example, "I may go to the gym after work." Might, on the other hand, indicates much more uncertainty or indecision. For instance, "I might decide to run a marathon one day."

Disinterested vs. uninterested

It's easy to assume that disinterested and uninterested mean the same thing, but they don't actually. Someone who is disinterested is impartial. For example, a judge should be impartial, or fair and not biased, while presiding over a trial. Another way to think of it is someone who is indifferent. Someone who is uninterested, on the other hand, is a person who doesn't care at all or has no feelings toward something. He or she is unconcerned. For instance, someone may be uninterested in reading books.

Whether or if?

Many people believe whether is interchangeable with if, but it isn't. If introduces one condition. Here's an example: "If we save money, we can afford a trip to Europe." Whether expresses a condition where there are two or more alternatives. For instance, "I'm not sure whether I will study at the library or the coffee shop."

Bring vs. take

You'll probably be doing a lot of bringing and taking this holiday season. But how do you know which action you are really performing? If you are moving something toward a person or a place, then you are bringing something. (Ex: I'm bringing gifts to my parent's house.) If you're moving something away from a person or place, then you are taking. (Ex: I'm taking our packages to be gift wrapped at the store.)

Since and because

This grammar rule is a little tricky. Since refers to time, whereas because refers to causation. For instance, "Since I stopped studying, I have not done well in school." Since refers to the time when the person stopped studying. Here's another example: "Because it was so hot, I had to drink lots of water during my run." Because refers to the heat, which caused the person to be thirsty and drink water.

Farther vs. further

This rule is similar to our last one regarding fewer and less. The word farther implies a measurable distance. For example, "I ran two miles farther than Kate." Further should be used for abstract lengths you can't always physically measure. For instance, "The rising cost of gas caused further implications."

Fewer and less

This one isn't too tough if you can remember that fewer should be used for things that you can actually quantify or count. For example, "There are fewer than 10 apples on the table." Less, on the other hand, is used for hypothetical quantities or things you can't physically count. For instance, "I have less success in school when I don't study."

Sneaky serial commas

The serial comma is often a matter of opinion between writers and editors. If you need a quick refresher, it's a comma placed immediately before a coordinating conjunction, such as and, or, or nor. For example: England, France, and Spain. Many style guides favor the use of a serial comma (like the Chicago Manual of Style), but others do not (like the Associated Press Stylebook).

Ah, choices! But there is a time when using one is needed. If the way the sentence is written may cause confusion, then use a serial comma. For example, "I called two friends, Amy and Steve." It's not clear whether the two friends are Amy and Steve or whether Amy and Steve are in addition to the two friends. A serial comma would make that clear: "I called two friends, Amy, and Steve."

Which vs. that

This one can be pretty tricky, but here's how to figure out whether you use which or that. Use that before a restrictive clause and which before everything else. A restrictive clause just means you can't get rid of it because without it, the sentence wouldn't make sense. Here's an example: A dress that is white is usually worn by a bride. If you remove "that is white," the meaning of the sentence would change. Without it, you would be saying a dress is usually worn by a bride, not specifically a white dress.

Here's an example for which: Movies, which are fun to see, are going up in price. If you take out "which are fun to see," the sentence doesn't lose its original meaning. This means that "which are fun to see" is a nonrestrictive clause--it can be left out without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Me, myself, and I

Can't figure out whether you should use me, myself, or I? Here's a quick trick: when deciding between me or I, ask yourself if the sentence makes sense if you take out the other noun or pronoun. For example, "Sophia and me went out to lunch." If you removed "Sophia" from the sentence, it would read, "Me went out to lunch." That doesn't make sense, right? So, in this case, you would say, "Sophia and I went out to lunch." Here's another example: "The dog licked Alex and I." If you take out Alex, the sentence reads, "The dog licked I." That sure doesn't sound correct! The sentence should be "The dog licked me."

As for myself, this one is easy peasy. Only use myself when you've already referenced yourself in the sentence. It can't be used as a substitute for me. How does this sound? "Jon and myself visited the Mayan ruins." If you remove Jon from the sentence, it would say, "Myself visited the Mayan ruins." That sounds all sorts of funny. It should be "Jon and I visited the Mayan ruins."

A last example: "I think the book was excellent, if I do say so myself." Here, "myself" refers back to I. I've already mentioned myself in the sentence, so "myself" is the correct choice. (Thanks to Melanie Paradise in One Stop for suggesting this grammar tip.)