lay/lie
The word lay needs to be followed by a direct object, whereas the word
lie is followed by an indication of direction. Remember this difference by
keeping in mind that lie and direction both have the letter i as their
second letter.
• Lay means to put or place something somewhere.
• Lie means to rest or recline.
Please lay your report on the stack to the left.
We asked the sick employee to lie down.
less/fewer
Fewer, used with plural nouns, refers to number. Less, used with singular
nouns, refers to degree or amount. Both fewer and number end in er, which
can help you remember which word to use. Part of the confusion results
from the commonly seen sign in grocery stores: “ten items or less.” It
should read: “ten items or fewer.”
• Less is used for quantities and degree.
• Fewer is used for numbers (countable units).
There were fewer applicants for the job.
There was less completion.
You must make fewer mistakes in order to keep your job.
I trust there will be less cause for complaint.
EXERCISE 22: Practice Using Frequently Misused Words
Read the sentences that follow and choose the appropriate word. Try to
complete the exercise without rereading the word usage explanations to
see whether you remember the rules.
1. The fax machine (continually/continuously) runs out of paper.
2. Bring (less/fewer) muffins for next week’s staff meeting.
3. How will the decision to streamline operations (affect/effect)
the workforce?
4. Just (among/between) the three of us, what do you think about
the proposal?
lay/lie
The word lay needs to be followed by a direct object, whereas the word
lie is followed by an indication of direction. Remember this difference by
keeping in mind that lie and direction both have the letter i as their
second letter.
• Lay means to put or place something somewhere.
• Lie means to rest or recline.
Please lay your report on the stack to the left.
We asked the sick employee to lie down.
less/fewer
Fewer, used with plural nouns, refers to number. Less, used with singular
nouns, refers to degree or amount. Both fewer and number end in er, which
can help you remember which word to use. Part of the confusion results
from the commonly seen sign in grocery stores: “ten items or less.” It
should read: “ten items or fewer.”
• Less is used for quantities and degree.
• Fewer is used for numbers (countable units).
There were fewer applicants for the job.
There was less completion.
You must make fewer mistakes in order to keep your job.
I trust there will be less cause for complaint.
EXERCISE 22: Practice Using Frequently Misused Words
Read the sentences that follow and choose the appropriate word. Try to
complete the exercise without rereading the word usage explanations to
see whether you remember the rules.
1. The fax machine (continually/continuously) runs out of paper.
2. Bring (less/fewer) muffins for next week’s staff meeting.
3. How will the decision to streamline operations (affect/effect)
the workforce?
4. Just (among/between) the three of us, what do you think about
the proposal?
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