Chapter 5 of 518% of exam
Common Usage Errors
Some mistakes come up often in everyday writing. This chapter collects frequent errors with 'used to', 'since' versus 'for', comparatives, and indefinite pronouns, and shows the corrected version so you can recognize them.
'Used To' Forms
'Be used to' meaning accustomed to is followed by a gerund: 'I'm used to driving.' This differs from 'used to drive', which describes a past habit.
Since vs For
'For' marks a length of time ('for three years'), while 'since' marks a starting point ('since 2020'). Mixing them up is one of the most common duration errors.
Comparatives and Indefinite Pronouns
Short adjectives form the comparative with -er ('colder than'), never 'more colder'. Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' are singular and take 'is', not 'are'.