Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Commonly misused/misspelled words and phrases (Part 73)

For those of you who waited patiently (and for the rest), here are more words and phrases that are often misused:

That vs. Who

Wrong: People that act superior annoy me to no end.

Right: People who act superior annoy me to no end.

Wrong: I hate referees that mess up a penalty call.

Right: I hate referees who mess up a penalty call.

Right: Jets that operate via fly-by-wire are inherently unstable.


When referring to people, use who. When not referring to people (inanimate objects, animals, insects, etc.), use that.


Waited(ing) on vs. Waited(ing) for

Wrong: He waited on her for more than an hour!

Right: He waited for her more than an hour!


Unless you’re referring to a food server who waits on customers, the correct expression is waited for someone, not waited on them.


Want more? I'm afraid you'll have to wait until next time.


Mark.

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