Common mistakes in English

Verbs often confused

Sit and Seat.

(a) Sit
Don’t say: We seat at a desk to write a letter.
Say: We sit at a desk to write a letter.

(b) Seat
Don’t say: He sat the passengers one by one.
Say: He seated the passengers one by one.

Use “sit” as an intransitive verb. “Seat” is a transitive verb and requires an object. Very often the object of “seat” is a reflexive pronoun: He seated himself near the fire. The principal parts of the two verbs are: sit, sat, sat, and seat, seated, seated.

Note: Don’t confuse “sit” with “set”, which usually means: to place. Common idioms with “set”: to set the table, to set on fire, to set off (or out), to set a trap, to set a clock, to set a price, to set your heart on, to set free, to set an example, to set a broken bone, to set to work (= to start work).