1. Later, latter
Latter is the second-named of two items; ‘former’ the first later refers to time: Henry and George decided to leave. ‘See you later’ said the latter.
2. like, such as
Like suggests resemblance and means ‘similar to’: thus a band like Oasis means a band that resembles them, but it also nowadays means ‘a band such as Oasis’. In other words, like has come to have two meanings where previously there was a clear distinction between ‘like’ and ‘such as’. Such as is used to precede an example or examples of a larger subject: there are great bands such as Oasis and Radio head. Bands here are the larger generic term, while the named bands are individual examples of bands.
3. Media
Media is the plural of medium. There are two things to be on guard about. You should write television is the most important medium in society (not media). When you use the plural media, you require are rather than is after the media are to be congratulated for exposing Tory sleaze. There is an rd medium: this is the plural of the word ‘medium’, meaning a spiritual-Fist or person claiming to be in contact with the spirits of the dead.
4. On, upon
On will always do; you don’t need to use upon unless you think it sounds more formal in a particular sentence.
5. Shall, will
Will is gradually displacing shall. In common usage, will is the future time ‘helping’ or auxiliary verb for all persons – will be leaving tomorrow.
The conventional rule is that I and we take shall for the future – I/we shall be leaving tomorrow – and that you/he/she/it take will: he will be going today. And then, secondly, that we reverse these when we wish to express [Intention or determination: we will get there; you shall do as you are told.
Use whichever sounds best to you, but you aren’t going to go wrong with ml. Shall is mainly used in first-person questions requesting an opinion or consent: Shall I order a takeaway tonight? Shall we dance? But you would Kite when will I see you again? Because shall has a slightly dated, formal air, it can be used when a formal effect is required: I shall do, it; I’m determined to succeed.
6. Should, would
Should expresses obligation or perhaps moral duty, whereas would expresses a wish or hypothetical condition. I should visit my aunt, and would if I could be bothered. Should these days, therefore, is used mainly as synonym for ought to.
7. That, which
There are several points here. First, that is often regarded as an informal equivalent of both who and which, and used in speech in place of either. Secondly, who is used for people: the women who won, which is used for animals and things: the boat which sank; that is also used for animals and things. Thirdly, there are two uses of which, only one of which requires t commas:
The pictures, which are due back tomorrow, are very clear.
The pictures which have been sent back are very clear, the difference here is that, in the second example, the information ‘which have been sent back’ is essential to identify what is being talked about and so is not separated off by commas. In the second example we could substitute that for which, but not in the first: that cannot be used for what are called non-restrictive clauses.
It is, then, a reasonable rule of thumb to stick to which after a comma. The school that I attended and the school which I attended is both acceptable, but the school, which is in Middlesex, has now been demolished illustrates how which follows a comma.
8. Till, until
Till and until have the same meaning, and either can be used. Until, is the more formal word, and is the preferred choice at the start of a sentence.
9. Toward, towards
The words are interchangeable. Towards is preferred in Britain, and toward in America. Choose which form you are going to use, and stick with it; don’t slip from one to the other.
10. Which, who
Which never refers to people? Who, or sometimes that, is used for people: usually that refers to persons when they are anonymous or a group: the children that came here. But the children who came here is also correct.
11. Who’s, whose
Whose is a contraction of who is or who has? Whose is a possessive? Who’s there? Who’s been eating my porridge? Whose car is making that noise? If you confuse these two, a straightforward answer is never to write whose but to stick to who is. Or, if you do write it, make sure you translate it in your head as ‘who is’. The same applies to all contractions.
12. Your, you’re
You’re a contraction of you are. Your is a possessive. You’re a big baby. Your baby is asleep. Once again, it is perhaps better to avoid you’re in any formal work if you are likely to confuse it with your. It would be just as easy to write you are a big baby.