Grammar: All about (U)

Grammar: Which word to use (U)

https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-u

1. CORRECT USAGE

1.1. Similar words mean different things…

uninterested or disinterested?

uninterested means not taking an interest; not synonymous with disinterested, which means unbiased, objective.

1.2 Use the right word in context…

unique

uninterested one of a kind, so cannot be qualified as “absolutely unique”, “very unique”, etc.

until

not “up until”.

used

He used to do something, not he did use to do something and certainly not he did used to do something (double imperfect); eg “High street shops did, it’s true, used to be more varied” – would read better as “High street shops certainly used to be more varied”.

2. SPELLINGS

2.1 To hyphenate (or not)?

‘under’ prefixes are normally one word, eg underachieve, underact, underage, undercover, underdeveloped, undermanned, underprivileged, undersea, undersecretary, undersigned, undervalue, underweight

YES

under-19, under-23s, under-age

up-to-date (adj)

upper-class (adj) BUT upper class (noun)

U-boat, U-turn

umm-ed and ahh-ed

user-generated content

EXCEPTIONS

an up-to-date fashion (adj) BUT up to date

2.2 One word or two?

One word

unbiased

unchristian

uncooperative

upbeat, upfront, upgrade, upstage, uptight BUT upside down

upriver, upstream

Two words

under way NOT underway

2.3 Frequently misspelt

ukulele NOT ukelele

uncharted NOT unchartered

unmistakable NOT unmistakeable

usable NOT useable

utopian

2.4 Change with form or plural

2.5 Take note of capitals

[ic = initial capitals | lc = lowercase]

 

ic

UN security council

universities take initial cap, eg Sheffield University, Johns Hopkins University, Free University of Berlin.

lc

underground, the BUT London Underground for name of company

3. EXPRESSIONS

4. PUNCTUATION

5.GRAMMAR