predominate/predominant PREDOMINATE/PREDOMINANT “Predominate” is a verb: “In the royal throne room, the color red predominates.” “Predominant” is an adjective: “The predominant view among the touts is that Fancy Dancer is the best bet in the third race.” See also predominately. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/predominate.html03/09/2005 15:39:25 predominately PREDOMINATELY PREDOMINANTLY “Predominantly” is formed on the adjective “predominant,” not the verb “predominate.” See predominate/predominant. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/predominately.html03/09/2005 15:39:25 preemptory PREEMPTORY PEREMPTORY “Peremptory” (meaning “imperative” ) is often misspelled and mispronounced “preemptory” through confusion caused by the influence of the verb “preempt,” whose adjectival form is actually “preemptive.” “Preemptory” exists only as an obscure legal term you’re not likely to have use for. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/preemptory.html03/09/2005 15:39:25 preferably PREFERABLY Although some U.S. dictionaries now recognize the pronunciation of “preferably” with the first two syllables pronounced just like “prefer”—first “E” long and and the stress on the second syllable—the standard pronunciation is “PREFFerublee,” with the first syllable stressed, just like in “preference.” The alternative pronunciation sounds awkward to some people. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/preferably.html03/09/2005 15:39:25 prejudice/prejudiced PREJUDICE/PREJUDICED People not only misspell “prejudice” in a number of ways, they sometimes say “he’s prejudice” when they mean “he’s prejudiced.” See also “ bias/biased.” List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/prejudice.html03/09/2005 15:39:26 premier/premiere PREMIER/PREMIERE These words are, respectively, the masculine and feminine forms of the word for “first” in French; but they have become differentiated in English. Only the masculine form is used as an adjective, as in “Tidy-Pool is the premier pool-cleaning firm in Orange County.” The confusion arises when these words are used as nouns. The prime minister of a parliamentary government is known as a “premier.” The opening night of a film or play is its “premiere.” “Premiere” as a verb is common in the arts and in show business (“the show premiered on PBS” ), but it is less acceptable in other contexts ("the state government premiered its new welfare system” ). Use “introduced,” or, if real innovation is involved, “pioneered.” List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/premier.html03/09/2005 15:39:26 premise/premises PREMISE/PREMISES Some people suppose that since “premises” has a plural form, a single house or other piece of property must be a “premise,” but that word is reserved for use as a term in logic meaning something assumed or taken as given in making an argument. Your lowly one-room shack is still your premises. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/premise.html03/09/2005 15:39:26 prepone PREPONE South Asian speakers have evolved the logical word “prepone” to mean the opposite of “postpone": to move forward in time. it’s a handy word, but users of it should be aware that those unfamiliar with their dialect will be baffled by this word. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/prepone.html03/09/2005 15:39:26 prepositions (repeated) PREPOSITIONS (REPEATED) In the sentence “Alex liked Nancy, with whom he shared his Snickers bar with” only one “with” is needed—eliminate either one. Look out for similarly duplicated prepositions. Incidentally, an often-cited example of this pattern is from Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die: “In this ever-changing world in which we live in”; but if you listen closely, you’ll hear instead a quite correct “In this ever-changing world in which we’re livin’.” Americans have a hard time hearing the soft British “R” in “we’re.” List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/preprepeat.html03/09/2005 15:39:27 prepositions (wrong) PREPOSITIONS (WRONG) One of the clearest indications that a person reads little and doesn’t hear much formal English is a failure to use the right preposition in a common expression. You aren’t ignorant to a fact; you’re ignorant of it. Things don’t happen on accident, but by accident (though they do happen “on purpose” ). There are no simple rules governing preposition usage: you just have to immerse yourself in good English in order to write it naturally. See also different than/different from/to. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/prepwrong.html03/09/2005 15:39:27 [...]... you prescribe it, but you forbid it when you proscribe it The usually positive function of “pro-” confuses many people List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/prescribe.html03/09/2005 15 :39:27 . predominately. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/predominate.html03/09/2005 15 :39:25 predominately PREDOMINATELY PREDOMINANTLY “Predominantly” is formed on the adjective “predominant,”. predominate/predominant. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/predominately.html03/09/2005 15 :39:25 preemptory PREEMPTORY PEREMPTORY “Peremptory” (meaning “imperative” ) is often misspelled. use for. List of errors file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/preemptory.html03/09/2005 15 :39:25 preferably PREFERABLY Although some U.S. dictionaries now recognize the pronunciation of