Avail
How to use the verb and noun "avail" correctlyThis is an entry on my list of Common Errors in English Usage. Visit the main page for direct links to additional entries.
“To no avail” means “without success”:
tried to resuscitate her, to no avail
“To avail oneself of [something]” means “to take advantage of [something]”:
availed herself of the opportunity to observe a veterinarian at work
These are standard idioms for which no other formula is acceptable.
Related Resources
Common Errors in English Usage: Errors in diction and idiom commonly made by native speakers of English
List of Common Errors in English Usage (PDF): Printable version of the complete list
Common Grammar Errors: A list of common errors in grammar (topics like subject-verb agreement and parallelism) as distinct from usage
List of Common Errors in English Usage: PDF version
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