Different vocabulary10 docx

file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/errors.txt

Usually a redundancy. Most of the time plain "result" will do fine.

ENQUIRE/INQUIRE

These are alternative spellings of the same word. "Enquire" is perhaps

slightly more common in the U.K., but either is acceptable in the U.S.

ENTHUSE

"Enthuse" is a handy word and "state enthusiastically" is not nearly so

striking; but unfortunately "enthuse" is not acceptable in the most

formal contexts.

ENVELOP/ENVELOPE

To wrap something up in a covering is to envelop it (pronounced

"enVELLup"). The specific wrapping you put around a letter is an

envelope (pronounced variously, but with the accent on the first

syllable).

ENVIOUS/JEALOUS

Although these are often treated as synonyms, there is a difference. You

are envious of what others have that you lack. Jealousy, on the other

hand, involves wanting to hold on to what you do have. You can be

jealous of your boyfriend's attraction to other women, but you're envious

of your boyfriend's CD collection.

ENVIROMENT/ENVIRONMENT

The second N in "environment" is seldom pronounced distinctly, so it's

not surprising that is often omitted in writing. If you know the related

word "environs" it may help remind you.

EPIC/EPOCH

An "epoch" is a long period of time, like the Jurassic Epoch. It often

gets mixed up with "epic" in the sense of "large-scale." Something

really big has "epic proportions," not "epoch proportions."

EPIGRAM/EPIGRAPH/EPITAPH/EPITHET

An epigram is a pithy saying, usually humorous. Mark Twain was

responsible for many striking, mostly cynical epigrams, such as "Always

do right. That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest."

Unfortunately, he was also responsible for an even more famous one that

has been confusing people ever since: "Everyone is a moon, and has a

dark side which he never shows to anybody." it's true that the moon

keeps one side away from the earth, but--if you don't count the faint

glow reflected from the earth--it is not any darker than the side that

faces us. In fact, over time, the side facing us is darkened slightly

more often because it is occasionally eclipsed by the shadow of the

earth.

An epigraph is a brief quotation used to introduce a piece of writing or

the inscription on a statue or building.

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