Right: He can _teach_ you as much as any one can.
LEAVE. Do not confuse _leave_ and _let_. Leave means _to let remain_.
Let means _to give permission_.
Wrong: Will your mother _leave_ you go?
Right: Will your mother _let_ you go?
Right: I shall _leave_ my trunk in my room.
LIABLE. Do not use _liable_ for _likely_.
Wrong: It is _liable_ to rain to-day.
Right: It is _likely_ to rain to-day.
Right: He is _liable_ for all that he has agreed to pay.
LIGHTNING. Do not use _lightning_ as a verb in place of _lightens_.
Wrong: During the storm, it _lightnings_ frequently.
Right: During the storm, it _lightens_ frequently.
LIKE. Do not use _like_ for _as_. _Like_ is a preposition. _As_ is a conjunction.
Wrong: He doesn"t talk _like_ he did yesterday.
Right: He doesn"t talk _as_ he did yesterday.
Right: It looks _like_ a mahogany chair.
LIT ON. Do not use _lit on_ in the sense of _met with_ or _discovered_.
Wrong: I at last _lit on_ this plan.
LOT. Do not use _lot_ in the sense of _a great number_ or _a great deal_.
Wrong: A _lot_ of people were there, She talks _a lot_.
MOST. Do not use _most_ for _almost_.
Wrong: I have _most_ completed the book.
Right: I have _almost_ completed the book.
Right: He has done _the most_ of the work.
MRS. Do not use _Mrs._ before t.i.tles; as, _Mrs. President, Mrs.
Professor, Mrs. Doctor_.
MUCH. Do not use _much_ for _many_. _Much_ refers to quant.i.ty. _Many_ refers to number.
Wrong: As _much as_ five hundred people were present.
Right: As _many as_ five hundred people were present.
MUTUAL. Do not confuse _mutual_ and _common_. _Mutual_ means _interchanged_.
Wrong: John and William had a _mutual_ liking for Mary.
Right: John and William had a _common_ liking for Mary.
Right: John and William had a _mutual_ liking for each other.
NEAR. Do not use _near_ for _nearly_.
Wrong: He ran _near_ all the way to the station. I came _nearly_ making the same mistake.
Right: He ran _nearly_ all the way to the station. I came _near_ making the same mistake.
NERVE. Do not use _nerve_ in the sense of _impudence_.
NEWSY. Do not use _newsy_ in the sense of _full of news_.
NEITHER. Do not use _neither_ with reference to more than two objects, nor follow it by a plural verb.
Wrong: _Neither_ of the three could come. _Neither_ of the two _are_ here.
Right: _No one_ of the three could come. _Neither_ of the two _is_ here.
NO GOOD. Do not use _no good_ in the sense of _worthless_ or _not good_.
Wrong: The book is _no good_.
NO PLACE. Do not use _no place_ after a negative. See --46.
Wrong: I am not going _no place_.
Right: I am not going _anywhere_. I _am going nowhere_.
NOTORIOUS. Do not use _notorious_ in the sense of _famous_ or _noted.
Notorious_ means of _evil reputation_.
Wrong: Gladstone was a _notorious_ statesman of England.
Right: Several _notorious thieves_ were arrested.
NOWHERE NEAR. Do not use _nowhere near_ for _not nearly_. See --40.