Errors In Word Usage (part 1)

ABLE and CAPABLE
The word 'able' means having the ability to perform a given act, and 'capable' means having the adequate capacity to do or to make.

WRONG:	No man fully able of his own language ever masters another.
RIGHT:	No man fully capable of his own language ever masters another.
WRONG:	To be capable to practice five things everywhere constitutes perfect virtue.
RIGHT:	To be able to practice five things everywhere constitutes perfect virtue.
WRONG:	I feel secured now that my pet is in able hands.
RIGHT:	I feel secured now that my pet is in capable hands.

ANXIOUS and EAGER
The word 'anxious' should be used only when anxiety is involved; it should not be used as a substitute for the word eager. The word 'eager' means 'full of desire or enthusiastic'.

WRONG:	I am anxious to read the new book of my favorite author.
RIGHT:	I am eager to read the new book of my favorite author.
WRONG:	She was eager to know about her brother's condition.
RIGHT:	She was anxious to know about her brother's condition
	(Here anxious is being used in the right context as the subject's anxiety has to be portrayed.)

AMOUNT and NUMBER
The word 'amount' is used to denote quantity. The word 'number' is used when the objects involved can be counted.

WRONG:	The amount of animals in the zoo was small.
RIGHT:	The number of animals in the zoo was small.
WRONG:	We saw a large amount of cars parked outside the school.
RIGHT:	We saw a large number of cars parked outside the school.
WRONG:	There was a small number of milk in the carton.
RIGHT:	There was a small amount of milk in the carton.

ALL TOGETHER and ALTOGETHER
The words all together have the meaning of 'everyone in or at the same location'. The word altogether means 'entirely'.

WRONG:	We were there altogether for the first birthday of her baby.
RIGHT:	We were there all together for the first birthday of her baby.
WRONG:	They were all together unanimous in their decision.
RIGHT:	They were altogether unanimous in their decision.

ALL RIGHT and ALRIGHT
The term all right is correct; the word alright is non-existent in acceptable usage.

WRONG:	Everything is alright in the army camp.
RIGHT:	Everything is all right in the army camp.

ACCEPT and EXCEPT
Accept (verb) means 'to receive'.
Example: I accept your gift.


Except may be either a preposition or a verb
Example (preposition): Every girl is here except Sarah.
The word 'except' here means 'make an exception' of.

Example (verb): We except her from the responsibility.

WRONG:	I shall except the invitation.
RIGHT:	I shall accept the invitation.
WRONG:	They excepted the report file given to them.
RIGHT:	They accepted the report file given to them.
WRONG:	The doctors accepted certain possible diseases from him.
RIGHT:	The doctors excepted certain possible diseases from him.