Microsoft Word Longman-Common Errors docx

choose 
= decide which one you want: ‘We chose Greece because we hadn’t been there before.’ 
 
 
ELECTRIC • ELECTRICAL • ELECTRONIC • ELECTRONICS 
 
electric
 
Electric
means carrying, producing, produced by, powered by, or charged with 
electricity: ‘an electric wire’, ‘an electric generator’, ‘an electric shock’, ‘an electric 
current’, ‘an electric light bulb’, ‘an electric toaster’ For machines and devices that are 
powered by electricity but do not have transistors, microchips, valves, etc, use 
electric
(NOT 
electronic
):’an electric guitar’, ‘an electric train set’, ‘an electric razor’ 

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109 
electrical
 
Electrical
means associated with electricity: ‘electrical systems’, ‘a course in electrical 
engineering’, ‘an electrical engineer’ To refer to the general class of things that are 
powered by electricity, use 
electrical
(NOT 
electric
): ‘electrical equipment’, ‘We stock 
all the latest electrical kitchen appliances.’ 
electronic
 
Electronic 
is used to refer to equipment which is designed to work by means of an 
electric current passing through a large number of transistors, microchips, valves etc. 
and components of this equipment: ‘an electronic calculator’, ‘tiny electronic 
components’ Compare: ‘an electronic calculator’ BUT ‘an electric oven’ An 
electronic
system is one that uses equipment of this type: ‘electronic surveillance’, ‘e-mail’ (= 
electronic mail, a system for sending messages very quickly by means of computers) 
electronics
Electronics
(WITH 
s
) refers to (1) the branch of science and technology concerned with 
the study, design or use of electronic equipment: ‘a student of electronics’ (2) (used as 
a modifier) anything that is connected with this branch: ‘the electronics industry’