Imprecise uses of words

This page is designed to show students the sort of errors that are made even by well-educated writers. They are just slightly careless misuses of language, in ways that make careful readers think 'Ooops! that's not right!' Careful readers (and academics are by and large careful readers) may sneer at people who write phrases like the following, which have all appeared in prestigious publications.

• "A £1 million..." (The phrase a million means the same as one million, so a £1 million could be re-phrased as one one million - in other words, one of the two a or one is unnecessary.)
• "That the [text of Shakespeare's] plays may have been changed in production is almost certain." may have been indicates a possibility; almost also indicates possibility. All scholars would agree that there is a possibility that the texts were changed. This sentence means "it is not quite sure that there is a possibility...", when any sensible writer would have been happy with the idea that "there is a possibility that the text was changed."
• "We wish to apologise ..." Why not do it then? The best way to say this is We apologise.
• "Although sometimes included in books on Shakespeare's language, I do not ... deal with such topics as..." This is a Hanging participle, and as such a grave error. Taken literally, this sentence means that the writer has been included in books, which is absurd. He meant that the topics had been included.