Common_Errors_in_English_usage

LIBARY/LIBRARY
The first R in "library" is often slurred or omitted in speech, and it
sometimes drops out in writing as well; and "librarian" is often turned
into "libarian."
LIGHT­YEAR
"Light­year" is always a measure of distance rather than of time; in
fact it is the distance that light travels in a year. "Parsec" is also a
measure of distance, equaling 3.26 light­years, though the term was used
incorrectly as a measure of time by Han Solo in "Star Wars."
Please, "Star Wars" fans, don't bother sending me elaborate explanations
of why Solo's speech makes sense; I personally heard George Lucas admit
in a TV interview that it was just a mistake.
LIGHTED/LIT
Don't fret over the difference between these two words; they're
interchangeable.
LIKE
Since the 1950s, when it was especially associated with hipsters, "like"
as a sort of meaningless verbal hiccup has been common in speech. The
earliest uses had a sort of sense to them in which "like" introduced
feelings or perceptions which were then specified: "When I learned my
poem had been rejected I was, like, devastated." However, "like" quickly
migrated elsewhere in sentences: "I was like, just going down the road,
when, like, I saw this cop, like, hiding behind the billboard." This
habit has spread throughout American society, affecting people of all
ages. Those who have the irritating "like" habit are usually unaware of
it, even if they use it once or twice in every sentence: but if your job
involves much speaking with others, it's a habit worth breaking.
Recently young people have extended its uses by using "like" to
introduce thoughts and speeches: "When he tells me his car broke down on
the way to my party I'm like, 'I know you were with Cheryl because she
told me so.' " To be reacted to as a grown­up, avoid this pattern.
(See also "goes.")
Some stodgy conservatives still object to the use of "like" to mean
"as," "as though" or "as if." Examples: "Treat other people like you
want them to treat you" (they prefer: "as you would want them to treat
you"). "She treats her dog like a baby" (they prefer "she treats her dog
as if it were a baby"). In expressions where the verb is implied rather
than expressed, "like" is standard rather than "as": "she took to
gymnastics like a duck to water."
In informal contexts, "like" often sounds more natural than "as if,"
especially with verbs involving perception, like "look," "feel,"
"sound," "seem," or "taste": "It looks like it's getting ready to rain"