Friday, June 1, 2007

MORE BASICS - Part Four

ANOTHER OFT-MISUSED PAIR

GENDER/SEX

What is the difference between "gender" and "sex"?
Use the each word in a sentence that correctly displays its meaning.

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "glib".
Define the word and use it in a sentence.
What part of speech is the word? Can it be used as any other part of speech?

Thursday, May 31, 2007

MORE BASICS - Part Three

DISINTERESTED/UNINTERESTED

What is the difference between "disinterested" and "uninterested"?
This should be simple but expressing and understanding the difference is the challenge.
Use each in a sentence that expresses the meaning.

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is exigency.
Define the word. What part of speech is it? Use it in a sentence.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

SOME MORE BASICS

DIFFERENCES - Part 2

What is the difference between "rise" and "raise"?
Given that they both are verbs, which is transitive and which is intransitive?
What do the words "transitive" and "intransitive" mean?
Use each in a sentence.

A QUESTION & AN OPINION
Do TV networks and newspapers intentionally hire illiterate writers? I cannot turn on a television newscast without being overwhelmed by utterly appalling sentence construction and egregious grammatical errors. I suggest that, at the very least, some editors with some simple and basic knowledge of language should be employed. Take a look below.


NEWSCASTER GAFFS
"Schwartzenegger is here to sell Canadians on his highly unique environmental agenda."
Tom Clark, CTV News, Tuesday, May 29, 2007, 11:14 pm.
"A pair of wayward whales are almost back home."
Marcia MacMillan, CTV Newsnet, Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 9:20 am.

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is dilettante.
Define the word. What part of speech is it?
Use it in a sentence.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

SOME BASICS

DIFFERENCES

PROPHESY/PROPHECY

What is the difference between "prophesy" and "prophecy"?
Is there a difference in pronunciation for the two words?
What is the part od speech of each word?
What other forms of the words do you know?
Use each word in a sentence?

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is promulgate.
Define the word and use it in a sentence.

Monday, May 28, 2007

IT GOES ON AND ON

TODAY'S ERRORS

Identify the errors in the examples below.

"The store also held a barbecue in their parking lot Thursday that raised more than $1,900 for the baby, $400 of which was donated."
Michelle Martin, "Woman says she's the mom", Canwest News Service, Saskatoon, Monday, May 28, 2007.

"The survey also shows that nearly one in five Canadian parents believe that if their children have taken swimming lessons, fences and gates around home pools are not needed."
Dale Molnar, Sonja Puzic, The Windsor Star, Monday, May 28, 2007.

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is taciturn.
Define the word and use it in a sentence.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - May 27, 2007

MONDAY

How many errors are there in the efforts below?
All three sentences end in prepositions. This is incorrect and redundant. Also, sentence two is an incomplete thought.
"Where are you getting your glasses at?"
"Where are you getting your glasses?"
"The same place you got your frames from."
"The same place you got your frames."
"What time are we going at?"
"What time are we going?"

TUESDAY

What are the errors?
The girl walked into the room and tried to orientate herself to her surroundings.
Orientate is an old form and should be avoided. “Orient” as a verb means to find or give direction and should be used in the sentence below.
The girl walked into the room and tried to orient herself to her surroundings.

"Also, a patient may not work well with the doctor, in which case the doctor has the right to stop treating them, for a number of reasons."
The subject is “patient” and is singular so it should read “the doctor has the right to stop treating him.” or “patient" should be pluralized.
"Also, a patient may not work well with the doctor, in which case the doctor has the right to stop treating him for a number of reasons."
"Also, patients may not work well with the doctor, in which case the doctor has the right to stop treating them, for a number of reasons."

WEDNESDAY

Identify the errors below.
"The large majority of the 211 plates are held by multi-plate owners - some whom live outside Windsor - who rent them out to drivers for up to $200 per week."
“Whom” is objective case. “Who”is subjective case and must be used as subject of the verb “live”. Also, I am not a fan of dashes because they usually are inserted when the writer does not know what punctuation to correctly use.
"The large majority of the 211 plates are held by multi-plate owners, some who live outside Windsor, and who rent them out to drivers for up to $200 per week."

"Installer charged after iPod goes missing"
Things and people DO NOT GO MISSING. THEY ARE NOT FOUND MISSING, EITHER!
"Installer charged after iPod disappears"

THURSDAY

What is the difference between "like" and "as"?
“Like” is a preposition. A preposition takes an object.
“As” is a conjunction. A conjunction must take a clause with a subject and a verb.
He walks like a clown.
The young bucks fight as two behemoths do.

FRIDAY

NOUNS
A noun which applies to any one of a class of things is a common noun.
A noun which names one particular person, place or thing is called a proper noun.
In the sentence below, “town”, “city” and “library” are common nouns and “Whitby”, “Toronto” “King Street” and “Andrew Carnegie” are proper nouns..
"The town of Whitby is close to Toronto. The city has a library on King Street. It was endowed by Andrew Carnegie."

PRONOUNS

Personal pronouns are words that stand for persons. “Him”, “we”and “mine” are personal pronouns.
Interrogative pronouns are used in asking questions. “Whom” and “yours” are interrogative pronouns.
Demonstrative pronouns point out particular people or things. “That”, “those” are demonstrative.
Indefinite pronouns stand for no particular person or thing. “Others”, “somebody” and “neither” are examples.

What is a pronominal adjective?
This word has the value of an adjective and a pronouns because it modifies a noun and can stand for persons or things.
“This book belongs to me.” “This” modifies book and is demonstrative.

What is a compound personal pronoun?
A compound pronoun is indefinite and composed of two parts.
“No one is able to solve the problem.”
What is a reflexive pronoun?
A reflexive pronoun is one that reflects back or refers to the doer of the action. It cannot be used as a subject of a sentence.
“I shot myself in the foot.”

TODAY'S WORD

Irrespective” (adj.) means independent or without regard to something else
“Irrespective of your likes and dislikes, you shall do the work or be replaced."

“Slipshod” (adj.) means untidy or slovenly.
“The writer was slipshod in his proofing and it showed in the product.”

"Doddering” (adj.) means shaking, tottering or senile.
"The doddering old fool ogled the girls with a jaundiced eye."

“Sycophant” (n.) is a word identifying a self-seeking and flattering person.
"The sycophant kept flattering his boss in hopes of a promotion."

“Multifarious” (adj.) means having many different parts, forms or sides.
"The multifarious actor could play Hamlet or Richard III with ease."