APRIL 22 - THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Don’t forget to read Lynn Johnston's Comic Strip For Better or For Worse in April 21st newspapers newspapers. It illustrates exactly the mandate of this blog.

TERRIBLE TOP TEN (to be continued next week)
A List of Very Annoying Language Misuses

NUMBER 6 - “Off of” - cannot use double prepositions
The child was not paying attention and fell off of the swing.
The child was not paying attention and fell off the swing.

NUMBER 7 - “Unique” - one of a kind only
"The fact that she's a young person makes it that much more unique."
"The fact that she’s a young person makes it unique."

NUMBER 8 - “irregardless” - not good word usage
I am going to run across that busy street irregardless of the consequences.
I am going to run across that busy street regardless of the consequences.

NUMBER 9 - “don’t hardly” - double negative
I am extremely flattered; I don't hardly know what to say.
I am extremely flattered; I hardly know what to say.

NUMBER 10 - “Yous” doesn’t exist (you is either singular or plural)
Yous are going to think this is hilarious, but it is really pathetic.
You are going to think this is hilarious, but it is really pathetic.


THIS WEEK’S WORDS
Superfluous means unnecessary or needless. Water wings were superfluous for the strong swimmer.
Fastidious means hard to please or excessively critical. The actor was very fastidious and would not wear a torn costume.
Inexorable means unyielding, inflexible or unalterable. The inexorable fact was that the killer was going to spend a long time in jail.

A TV DOUBLE DOSE
1) a family of people is “who” not “that” (personal pronoun)
2) family is a singular collective noun and its verb must be the same (subject-verb agreement)
"The family of nine that lived there were out of town."
"The family of nine who lived there was out of town."