HIDE AND SEEK -- THE GRAMMAR EDITION, PART 2

The "Communication Minute" below contained five hidden grammatical errors. Examples of correct usage appear below.

Like all grammatical "rules," these five usage suggestions have exceptions. Context, audience, and purpose will determine correct usage. And sometimes, there may be a better word choice altogether.

1) Because of/due to: Because of means as a result of; due to means attributable to.
CORRECT: "Because of our experiences..." "The participants' increased knowledge is due to their workshop experiences..."

2) Based on/on the basis of: Using based on at the beginning of a sentence can be problematic because the phrase is often a dangling modifier. For simplicity, use based on following a "to be" verb and on the basis of as an adverbial phrase.
CORRECT: "On the basis of my experience..." "Our conclusions were based on..."

3) While, since/although, whereas: While and since indicate time; although or whereas indicate conditional relationships.
CORRECT: "Although it's sometimes useful..." "Since last year, my writing has improved..."

4) Over/more than: Over is generally used to describe spatial relationships and passage of time; more than is used with numerals, figures, and amounts.
CORRECT: "More than half of the manuscripts..." "Over the past 10 years..."

5) Impact/affect: Affect means to influence; impact means to strike forcefully.
CORRECT: "...errors that affect us..." "The raindrops impacted the soil surface, causing runoff..."

For more resources and information on grammar tips, please contact Jennifer Alexander at jennalex@ksu.edu

HIDE AND SEEK -- THE GRAMMAR EDITION, PART 2