Michelle Finlay

Stationery/Stationary Paper and envelopes/Remain still

and if we see the same mistake over and over again, we begin to see it as acceptable

When using the verbs ‘sit’ and ‘stand’, in particular, it has become commonplace to use the Past Participle instead of the Present Participle. Thus people might say ‘I was sat on the bus when it began to snow’, or ‘He was stood watching the carnival’ – this form is only correct if the passive voice is being used – i.e. as if somebody had placed ‘me’ in a seated position in the bus, or had placed the man in a standing position as though we were children or toys.

If the adverb is longer than three syllables, you might find that the sentence flows better if you put it directly after the verb.

And is a connecting word – it connects words, numbers, phrases or sentences, and is sometimes used to introduce an additional comment. Roughly speaking, it means also or as well.
But it is sometimes used in place of the word to in an infinitive, as in ‘We should go and buy a new alarm clock.’ This should be ‘We should go to buy a new alarm clock.’

‘Someone has mislaid top-secret papers.

It has been a matter of controversy for some time whether or not it is permissible to end a sentence with a preposition. Winston Churchill, whose mastery of the language was undeniable, demonstrated how clumsy that could make the language seem: ‘This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.’

Indeed there is an increasing tendency – possibly under the influence of US English – to say ‘on the weekend’.)

Numbers: cardinal and ordinal: i.e. one or the first

There is a traditionally held belief that it is wrong to begin a sentence with And or But. Perhaps some schools still maintain this rule, but no one has come up with a good reason for it. Obviously, if it is unnecessary, then it should be left out – but since the earliest times the best of writers have begun sentences with And and But, to their stylistic advantage. It is definitely a rule to be flouted. But judiciously.