How to Write Great Essays

HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS
29
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
It doesn’t matter how often they are used, the words (and usages) mentioned in this rule
are not considered standard English and should never be used.
acrrosed/acrost:
the adverb and preposition 
across 
has only one form; it never
ends in the letter 
t 
alot:
incorrect spelling of
a lot;
often seen in informal writing, but should not
be used in an essay or any other formal writing
alright:
incorrect spelling of
all right
anyways:
speech dialect form not acceptable in written English; use 
anyway
anywheres:
see 
anyways
arguably:
considered vague and overused; often appears as a dangling
modifier
brang/brung:
often seen masquerading as the past tense of
bring
;
brought
is
the only correct past tense of bring
conversate:
an unacceptable back-formation of
conversation
; use 
converse
instead
everywheres:
see 
anyways
go:
should not be used to report speech (“He goes, ‘I quit.’ ”)
hopefully:
most often heard as a substitute for “I hope;” as such it is not a
word. “
Hopefully
I’ll get an A on the test” is an example of nonstandard
English. What the writer means is “I hope I’ll get an A on the test.”
Hope-
fully
is a word, however, when used as an adverb to mean full of hope. For
example: They waited 
hopefully
for the firefighters.
irregardless:
this blend of irrespective and regardless has been in use for
about a century, but is still not considered a word in standard written
English