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THE USE OF "ONE OF THE..."

I've written on this issue before but because of the constant misuse of this phrase I've decided to beam my light on it again.

The phrase is used primarily to indicate ONE out of many similar things, effects or people. In this wise, it must take a plural form.

For instance, "One of the BOYS took the plunge into the icy river." This means out of the two or three or more boys one of them, just one, took the plunge.

"One of the NOMINEES being screened by the Senate Committee WAS asked to take a bow."

WINING vs WINNING...
A very common mistake we make. Ordinarily the difference between the two is just the omission or inclusion of one letter N.

However, in real sense both are miles apart in meaning.

Wining simply means to drink alcohol or wine or beer most probably in a party mood.

On the other hand, winning is simply to win, to gain. My advice has always been pause and ponder on which to use while writing. We can always dutifully write the word in longhand. The correct one will pop up.

Or better still, use your dictionary.

MORE "TROUBLESOME" SETS OF WORDS TO WATCH OUT FOR!

1. Ingenious vs Ingenuous: Very tricky set; you need to be very careful in choosing the one to use. The only difference in their spelling is 'i' and 'u'.

Ingenious (the one with 'i')/