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<h1 class="title">Battling with English - part 1 (HPR Show 2558)</h1>
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<h2 class="author">Dave Morriss</h2>
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<h1>Table of Contents</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#introduction">Introduction</a></li>
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<li><a href="#using-the-wrong-word">Using the wrong word</a><ul>
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<li><a href="#confusing-then-and-than">Confusing <code>'then'</code> and <code>'than'</code></a><ul>
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<li><a href="#examples-of-what-you-should-never-write">Examples of what you should never write</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="#confusing-there-their-and-theyre">Confusing <code>'there'</code>, <code>'their'</code> and <code>'they're'</code></a><ul>
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<li><a href="#examples-of-what-you-should-never-write-1">Examples of what you should never write</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="#confusing-tenet-and-tenant">Confusing <code>'tenet'</code> and <code>'tenant'</code></a><ul>
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<li><a href="#examples-of-what-you-should-never-write-2">Examples of what you should never write</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="#links">Links</a></li>
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</header>
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<h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>
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<p>This is the first episode of a series about the English language. In it I want to look at some of the problems people (including myself) have with it. I plan to do several episodes and I want to keep them short.</p>
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<p>The English language is old and has changed – evolved – in many ways over the years. It has come from a multitude of sources, and it’s difficult to say what is <strong>correct</strong> in an absolute way.</p>
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<p>For example, when I was at school we were taught that "<em>nice</em>" should not be used in written material. At that time it was becoming common to see phrases like "<em>I had a nice time</em>" meaning <em>pleasant</em> (in a bland sort of way). In my "<em>Concise Oxford Dictionary</em>" from 1976 the 6th definition, "<em>agreeable</em>" is marked "<em>colloquialism</em>", whereas today this is a common usage.</p>
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<p>However, it’s easy to use the wrong word in the wrong context. You might choose one that sounds similar for example. You might also have problems with the spelling of a chosen word. Spelling in English is not always logical. You might also find yourself confused about the use of punctuation – the correct use of apostrophes can be challenging for example.</p>
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<p>In this series I want to examine some of the problem areas and try to give you the means of remembering the <strong>right</strong> way.</p>
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<p><strong>Note</strong>: I’m not an authority on this stuff, but I have tried to teach myself not to make these mistakes over the years. I just wanted to share what I have learnt<a href="#fn1" class="footnoteRef" id="fnref1"><sup>1</sup></a> with some links to higher authorities.</p>
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<h2 id="using-the-wrong-word">Using the wrong word</h2>
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<h3 id="confusing-then-and-than">Confusing <code>'then'</code> and <code>'than'</code></h3>
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<p>I see this a lot, on the web, in emails and in texts. Here are the definitions (follow links for the full details):</p>
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<dl>
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<dt><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/then"><b><em>then</em></b></a></dt>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 1:</u> (adverb)</small> <em>at that time</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "The lecture is at one; I’ll see you <u>then</u>"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 2:</u> (adverb)</small> <em>next, afterwards, after that, also</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "Add the eggs <u>then</u> mix thoroughly"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 3:</u> (conjunction)</small> <em>in that case, therefore, it follows that</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example 1:</u></small> "If we don’t buy fuel here <u>then</u> we might not reach our destination"
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example 2:</u></small> "If this didn’t work, <u>then</u> I was all out of ideas"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 4:</u> (adverb)</small> <em>existing, at that time</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "I went to school in the 1960’s, and back <u>then</u> things were different"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dt><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/than"><b><em>than</em></b></a></dt>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 1:</u> (conjunction)</small> <em>introducing second member of comparison</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example 1:</u></small> "Am I taller <u>than</u> you or are you taller <u>than</u> me?"
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example 2:</u></small> "I talk about why used stuff is often better <u>than</u> new stuff"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 2:</u> (preposition/conjunction)</small> <em>in expressions introducing an exception or contrast</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example 1:</u></small> "Other <u>than</u> fish, John eats no meat"
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example 2:</u></small> "We do not filter the shows in any way other <u>than</u> to check if they are audible and not blatant attempts at spam"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 3:</u> (conjunction)</small> <em>in expressions indicating one thing happening immediately after another</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "No sooner was the concrete poured <u>than</u> someone walked over it"
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</dd>
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</dl>
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<h4 id="examples-of-what-you-should-never-write">Examples of what you should never write</h4>
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<h5 id="example-1">Example 1</h5>
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<blockquote>
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<p>I like to listen to jazz every now and <strong>than</strong></p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>This should be "<em>now and then</em>". It’s an idiom that means "occasionally" or "every so often".</p>
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<h5 id="example-2">Example 2</h5>
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<blockquote>
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<p>Wine is better <strong>then</strong> beer</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>This almost implies that you should drink wine and follow it with beer! It should be <em>than</em> because a comparison is being made between wine and beer.</p>
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<hr />
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<h3 id="confusing-there-their-and-theyre">Confusing <code>'there'</code>, <code>'their'</code> and <code>'they're'</code></h3>
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<p>This one overlaps into a topic I want to look at in a later episode because one of the options contains an apostrophe. The confusion here seems to be that the three words sound pretty much the same!</p>
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<p>Let’s start with definitions (follow links for the full details):</p>
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<!-- Needs more work -->
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<dl>
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<dt><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/there"><b><em>there</em></b></a></dt>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 1:</u>(adverb)</small> <em>in or at that place or position</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "Over <u>there</u> is the nearest pub"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 2:</u>(adverb)</small> <em>used in attracting someone’s attention or calling attention to someone or something</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "Hey <u>there</u>, be careful!"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 3:</u>(adverb)</small> <em>used to indicate the fact or existence of something</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "HPR has existed for more than 10 years and <u>there</u> are over 2500 shows in its archives"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dt><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/their"><b><em>their</em></b></a></dt>
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<dd><small><u>meaning:</u> (possessive pronoun)</small> <em>belonging to or associated with the people or things previously mentioned or easily identified</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "The story of a Lancashire community and <u>their</u> high-speed network"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dt><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/they%27re"><b><em>they’re</em></b></a></dt>
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<dd><small><u>meaning:</u> (contraction)</small> <em>a form of <b>they are</b></em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "I was just at my friends’ house. <u>They’re</u> busy redecorating"
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</dd>
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</dl>
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<h4 id="examples-of-what-you-should-never-write-1">Examples of what you should never write</h4>
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<h5 id="example-1-1">Example 1</h5>
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<blockquote>
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<p>Look over <strong>their</strong>!</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Look over their what?? This one should have used <em>there</em>.</p>
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<h5 id="example-2-1">Example 2</h5>
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<blockquote>
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<p>I climbed into the attic and <strong>they’re</strong> was a wasp’s nest <strong>their</strong>!</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>The wasp’s nest serious disturbed the writer’s grammar. It should have been "<em>there was a wasp’s nest there</em>" otherwise you would have to try and understand "<em>and they are was</em>" as well as the possessive "<em>their</em>", which make no sense at all.</p>
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<hr />
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<h3 id="confusing-tenet-and-tenant">Confusing <code>'tenet'</code> and <code>'tenant'</code></h3>
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<p>I see and hear this all the time. I reckon it has actually become more common in the last few years.</p>
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<p>Let’s define the words (follow links for the full details):</p>
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<!-- Needs more work -->
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<dl>
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<dt><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tenet"><b><em>tenet</em></b></a></dt>
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<dd><small><u>meaning:</u> (noun)</small> <em>a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "The <u>tenets</u> of the hacker ethic are sharing, openness, decentralisation, free access to computers and world improvement."<a href="#fn2" class="footnoteRef" id="fnref2"><sup>2</sup></a>
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dt><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tenant"><b><em>tenant</em></b></a></dt>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 1:</u> (noun)</small> <em>a person who occupies land or property rented from a landlord</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "He used to rent some rooms over a shop, but he didn’t like being a <u>tenant</u>"
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</dd>
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<dd><br/>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>meaning 2:</u> (verb)</small> <em>the act of occupying property as a tenant</em>
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</dd>
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<dd><small><u>example:</u></small> "I used to <u>tenant</u> some rooms over a shop"
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</dd>
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</dl>
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<p>How to remember which is which? <a href="http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/tenet-versus-tenant" title="Grammar Girl's thoughts on the issue">Grammar Girl</a> suggests remembering that "<em>tenant</em>" is about where a person lives. It ends with "<b>ant</b>" and ants might also live there.</p>
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<h4 id="examples-of-what-you-should-never-write-2">Examples of what you should never write</h4>
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<h5 id="example-1-2">Example 1</h5>
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<blockquote>
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<p>The <b>tenet</b> of Wildfell Hall</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>This is <b>not</b> a novel by Anne Brontë! Reading it literally, "The belief of Wildfell Hall" doesn’t make much sense.</p>
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<h5 id="example-2-2">Example 2</h5>
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<blockquote>
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<p>The <strong>tenants</strong> of the hacker ethic…</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>The people who live inside the hacker ethic?</p>
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<hr />
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<h2 id="links">Links</h2>
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<ul>
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<li>Then:
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<ul>
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<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/then">Definition of "then"</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/then">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>Than:
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<ul>
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<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/than">Definition of "than"</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/than">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>Then versus Than
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<ul>
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<li>Writing Explained: <a href="http://writingexplained.org/then-vs-than-difference">Then vs. Than: What’s the Difference?</a></li>
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<li>Grammarist: <a href="http://grammarist.com/usage/than-then/">Than vs. then</a></li>
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<li>Merriam-Webster: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-to-use-then-and-than">When To Use Then and Than</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>There:
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<ul>
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<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/there">Definition of "there"</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/there">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>Their:
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<ul>
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<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/their">Definition of "their"</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/their">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>They’re:
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<ul>
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<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/they%27re">Definition of "they’re"</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>Tenet:
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<ul>
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<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tenet">Definition of "tenet"</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/tenet">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>Tenant:
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<ul>
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<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tenant">Definition of "tenant"</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/tenant">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li>Tenet versus Tenant:
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<ul>
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<li>Quick and Dirty Tips: <a href="http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/tenet-versus-tenant">Grammar Girl</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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</ul>
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<section class="footnotes">
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<hr />
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<ol>
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<li id="fn1"><p>One thing I have <em>learnt</em> is that "<em>learned</em>" and "<em>learnt</em>" are both correct and mean the same. However, "<em>learnt</em>" is more common in the UK, whereas "<em>learned</em>" is used both in the UK and the USA.<a href="#fnref1">↩</a></p></li>
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<li id="fn2"><p>Paraphrased from the Wikipedia article on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic" title="Wikipedia article on the Hacker Ethic">"<em>Hacker Ethic</em>"</a><a href="#fnref2">↩</a></p></li>
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</ol>
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</section>
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