CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - March 9, 2008

Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's postings.

Monday

PAIL/PALE

“Pail” is a container for holding liquids. It may be made of wood, metal, leather or any number of things.

“Pale” means whitish, without colour, of a low degree of saturation, lacking in brightness. It also means a stake or picket such as in a fence, an area without fixed bounds or, in heraldry, a broad vertical stripe.


Tuesday

MINUTE/MOMENT/INSTANT

“Minute” is usually considered a period of time, one sixtieth of an hour.

“Moment” usually refers to a short space of time or a definite stage as in a course of events. “Moment” denotes much the same as “instant” but with a greater sense of duration.

“Instant” is practically a moment in time with no duration.

I would suggest using “minute” for the definite space of sixty seconds and “instant” and “moment” for indefinite, though short, periods of time.


Wednesday

Are there any errors in the entries below?

"On Tuesday, the audit commitee decided behind closed doors to delay the release of the audit for at least another month."

“Commitee” is misspelled.

"On Tuesday, the audit committee decided behind closed doors to delay the release of the audit for at least another month."

"Despite ongoing delays, Bailey said there has been no changes made to the report."

“There” is a pronoun standing for “changes”. “Changes” is plural. Therefore, the verb must be plural.

"Despite ongoing delays, Bailey said there have been no changes made to the report."


"Halberstadt said he keeps pressing for its release and took comfort from Berry's stated intentions: "There has been issues with regards to responses from administration and why the delays."

“There” is a pronoun standing for “issues”. “Issues” is plural. Therefore, the verb must be plural. (At least, it was consistent with the previous entry.)
“And why the delays” seems like a poorly worded add-on; maybe a rewording is needed.

"Halberstadt said he keeps pressing for its release and took comfort from Berry's stated intentions: "There have been issues with regards to responses from administration about delays."


Thursday

"Greg Oliphant of Condor Signals Communications was assessing the damage to one of the signals that were knocked down Wednesday morning when a car driven by a Michigan man collided with a freight train on Brock Street near College Avenue."

The subject of the verb “were knocked down” is “one”, not “signals”. Since the subject is single, the verb must also be single.

"Greg Oliphant of Condor Signals Communications was assessing the damage to one of the signals that was knocked down Wednesday morning when a car driven by a Michigan man collided with a freight train on Brock Street near College Avenue."


"However, there are some issues that I think it's incumbent upon us to ensure there is accountability for the money that the City of Windsor is sending...and how that money is being spent."

This is word-heavy. The first clause should be eliminated.
There is a “typo” which “Spellcheck” will not catch: “sending”.

"I think it's incumbent upon us to ensure there is accountability for the money that the City of Windsor is spending...and how that money is being spent."


"NO BIG DEAL: Gino DiCarlo just recently moved to the Blue Heron area in the city's east end, but is not particularly concerned about the existance of a former landfill near his home."

“Existance” is misspelled; it should be “existence”.
No comma is needed before “but” because the subject of the two clauses is the same.

"NO BIG DEAL: Gino DiCarlo just recently moved to the Blue Heron area in the city's east end but is not particularly concerned about the existence of a former landfill near his home."


Friday

SARCASM/IRONY

“Sarcasm” which is always ironic is used to mock, belittle, wound or deride someone or something.

“Irony” may, or may not, be sarcastic; very often it is humorous. Irony means saying one thing and meaning another. There can be simple irony, dramatic irony, irony of situation and irony of fate.


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Education is the best provision for old age."
Aristotle said this.


THIS WEEK’S WORDS

“Incredulity" (n.) means doubt, disbelief or skepticism.

“Prestigious" (adj.) means esteemed, honoured or respectable.

“Derisive" (adj.) means jeering, mocking or disrespectful.

“Pernicious" (adj.) means insidious, abusive, harmful or degrading.

“Surreptitious" (adj.) means sneaky, stealthy, hidden or underhanded.