When Bad Grammar Happens to Good People

CHAPTER 12

Wasteful Words and Infelicities

Speaking errors aren’t always a matter of leaving out a word or using a word in the wrong way. Some errors result from too many words—such as the kind of murky or incorrect sentences you end up with when you sprinkle around an extra “a,” “on,” or “as” or two. The following sections include the most problematic errors that arise from tossing in an extra word where it doesn’t belong:

142. A half a

Don’t Say: Jerald ate a half a rhubarb pie before we could stop him. Say Instead: Jerald ate half a rhubarb pie before we could stop him.

Here’s Why: The first “a” here is unnecessary. Say either, He ate one half of a pie, or He ate half of a pie.

143. And et cetera

Don’t Say: We took everything to the ...