Six Common Usage Errors

Good writing and good editing are about helping readers to understand. As a professional editor will tell you, this is as much art as it is technique. With this in mind, though, word usage is pretty cut and dry. At Precise Edit (http://preciseedit.com) we see some of the same writing mistakes repeatedly, and we share them below. We recognize that not everyone uses a professional editing service, so this information is meant to help you as you write.

i.e. vs. e.g.
Use i.e., to re-name, restate, or to clarify, as in, “He fell out of the window, i.e., down.” This is an abbreviated Latin term (id est) that roughly translates as “which is to say…” or “meaning…”
Use e.g., to provide examples, as in, “He liked falling, e.g., out of windows, from airplanes, off of ladders.” This is an abbreviated Latin term (exempli gratia) that roughly translates as “For example…” [And don’t forget the comma after either one.]

Data is plural
Example: “The data are complete; we conclude that falling is dangerous.” [We hear data used as a singular noun so often that the mistake seems right, but it isn’t.]

Like vs. Such as
Use like to show similarities, as in, “He was falling like a rotten tomato that missed the stage.”
Use such as to provide examples, as in, “Everything falls at times, such as tomatoes and bodies from windows.” [Not: “Everything falls at times, like tomatoes and bodies from windows.” Another correct way to say this is “Everything falls at times, e.g., tomatoes and bodies from windows.”]

Everyone is singular
Example: “Everyone needs to jump out of his window.” [Not: “Everyone needs to jump out of their window.” You could use “his or her” to be politically correct.]

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