Common Mistakes : injure

verb

.BAD: My car was seriously injured in the accident
.GOOD: My car was badly damaged in the accident

.BAD: We must all stop injuring the environment
.GOOD: We must all stop damaging the environment

: Injure is used only in connection with people and animals
Latest reports from the site of the crash indicate that three people are dead and twelve are seriously injured

: For objects, plants and machines, use damage
.Some of the equipment had been badly damaged

.BAD: He shot dead 22 innocent people and injured 23 others
.GOOD: He shot dead 22 innocent people and wounded 23 others

: wound = injure a person or animal by using a weapon such as a gun or knife
.He is accused of wounding a fellow prisoner
.The sergeant had been seriously wounded and was losing blood

.BAD: Several people injured in the accident
.GOOD: Several people were injured in the accident

.BAD: Fortunately the driver was wearing his seat belt and so he did not injure
.GOOD: Fortunately the driver was wearing his seat belt and so he wasn’t injured

: Injure is a transitive verb
.Gibbs won’t be playing because he’s injured his knee
: In passive sentences, use be injured
.You’re lucky you weren’t injured

.BAD: I was afraid that she might injure
.GOOD: I was afraid that she might injure herself

.BAD: He fell and was injured in the leg
.GOOD: He fell and injured his leg

: (injure + a part of the body (WITHOUT in
?How did you manage to injure your shoulder
: Compare
.He’d been wounded in the leg and couldn’t walk