PERVERSE/PERVERTED
Explain the difference in meaning between "perverse" and "perverted".
Create sentences that illustrate the meanings of each word.
BONUS
Identify the American author who used the concept of "perverse" to great advantage in the writing of his short stories.
You get a gold star if you can name his story that epitomizes "perverseness".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "encomium".
Define "encomium" and use it in a sentence.
Try using it in your discourse today.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
CHALLENGES
NECESSARY ACCORD
Find and correct the error(s)in the following sentence.
"Pauline Cookson, like Affleck and others, were concerned a giant solar farm near her house would drive down property values and affect her quality of life."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Solar farm takes heat", The Windsor Star, Thursday, July 31, 2008.
THIS WEEK'S ADAGE
Can you identify the author of the following?
“Ignorance is not innocence but sin.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "confluence".
Define "confluence" and use it in a sentence.
Find and correct the error(s)in the following sentence.
"Pauline Cookson, like Affleck and others, were concerned a giant solar farm near her house would drive down property values and affect her quality of life."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Solar farm takes heat", The Windsor Star, Thursday, July 31, 2008.
THIS WEEK'S ADAGE
Can you identify the author of the following?
“Ignorance is not innocence but sin.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "confluence".
Define "confluence" and use it in a sentence.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
MEDIA CONTRIBUTORS
THE CONSTANT AND USUAL
Identify and correct the errors in the following examples?
"One in four Canadians are considered overweight or obese."
Anna Vlachos, "Study of Obese Women Story", A Channel News, Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 11:30 pm.
"However, a large majority of responders were on side with it."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Naysayer calls plan pie in the sky", The Windsor Star, Thursday, July 30, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "puerile".
Define "puerile" and use it in a sentence.
Identify and correct the errors in the following examples?
"One in four Canadians are considered overweight or obese."
Anna Vlachos, "Study of Obese Women Story", A Channel News, Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 11:30 pm.
"However, a large majority of responders were on side with it."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Naysayer calls plan pie in the sky", The Windsor Star, Thursday, July 30, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "puerile".
Define "puerile" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Q & A
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
This was the closing line of a story I heard on the news last night.
What is wrong with the line?
Correct it.
"No word on charges."
Jim Crichton, A-News, Monday, July 28, 2008, 11:31 pm.
"THEIR" CONTROVERSY
I received a comment yesterday about the following sentence: "Sierra and Cody told us that their grades were better than ours but we didn't believe them."
This was taken from the TV show, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
The problem for the commentor was the number of plural pronouns in the sentence.
So, read the sentence and identify how many plural pronouns are in there?
(Hint: the show experts were correct. Proof below. I am breaking precedent here.)
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "vestigial".
Define "vestigial" and use it in a sentence.
PRONOUNS
There are five plural pronouns in the sentence: "us", "their", "ours", "we" and "them".
"Their" is a plural, possessive pronoun, used as an adjective to modify the noun "grades" and is called a pronominal adjective.
"Their" is a pronoun. Its function is as an adjective which is a word that modifies or describes a noun.
This was the closing line of a story I heard on the news last night.
What is wrong with the line?
Correct it.
"No word on charges."
Jim Crichton, A-News, Monday, July 28, 2008, 11:31 pm.
"THEIR" CONTROVERSY
I received a comment yesterday about the following sentence: "Sierra and Cody told us that their grades were better than ours but we didn't believe them."
This was taken from the TV show, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
The problem for the commentor was the number of plural pronouns in the sentence.
So, read the sentence and identify how many plural pronouns are in there?
(Hint: the show experts were correct. Proof below. I am breaking precedent here.)
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "vestigial".
Define "vestigial" and use it in a sentence.
PRONOUNS
There are five plural pronouns in the sentence: "us", "their", "ours", "we" and "them".
"Their" is a plural, possessive pronoun, used as an adjective to modify the noun "grades" and is called a pronominal adjective.
"Their" is a pronoun. Its function is as an adjective which is a word that modifies or describes a noun.
Monday, July 28, 2008
EASY WEEK - DAY 1
GORILLA/GUERILLA
Define and explain the difference between "gorilla" and "guerilla".
Use each word in a sentence that expresses its meaning.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "unctuous".
Define "unctuous" and use it in a sentence.
Define and explain the difference between "gorilla" and "guerilla".
Use each word in a sentence that expresses its meaning.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "unctuous".
Define "unctuous" and use it in a sentence.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - July 27, 2008
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries.
Monday
DEGRADE/DENIGRATE/DOWNGRADE
“Degrade” means an actual lowering in status or rank or a corruption in terms of value.
“Denigrate” means to insult, belittle or sneer at someone or something. It in not interchangeable with “degrade”.
“Downgrade” means to lower something in worth or to make something worse.
Tuesday
INANE CLICHÉ - MY RANT # 1
Think about what is written in the following highly overused and trite cliche.
Does it make any real sense?
What is implied in "immediately"?
What statement should be used?
"A representative for Chery was not immediately available for comment."
If a reporter cannot talk to a spokesman for his story, he uses the inane phrase, “…not immediately available…”.
This does not even make sense.
Does it mean that a spokesman will be available later, as opposed to immediately?
Is it a feeble attempt to sound erudite in the absence of a quotable being?
Is it a cover-up for mere speculation?
Is it just fill?
Is it just an easy way to avoid doing the required spadework to authenticate a story?
Is it a sign of an inability to write _______ ? (Supply your own adverb at the end.)
If nothing else, the following should be used:
"A representative for Chery was not available for comment."
INTENSE/INTENSIVE
“Intense” comes from your forceful, passionate or extreme effort, as in an intense study before an exam.
“Intensive” has the same meaning except it comes from external forces, as in the intensive bombing of Berlin during the Second World War.
Wednesday
YES/YEAH - MY RANT # 2
What is the difference between "yes" and "yeah"?
When a reporter, or anyone presenting news or information on the public airways, uses the term “Yeah…” in response to a question, such as was done by a certain CBC Business Reporter early this week, I seriously wonder about the professionalism of such a person.
“Yeah” is street slang and has no place in a newsroom.
“Yeah” does nothing but lower the intelligence level of the speaker, and by extension, the report being presented.
“Yeah” does not make a reporter or writer cool; “yeah” does not make the reporter or writer more friendly or more hip; it just makes that person sound ignorant, untrained and unprofessional.
I suggest that the pros start raising the bar of their presentations, if for no other reason than to be the professionals they are paid to be.
“YES” IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE WORD.
“YEAH” IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE.
Amen.
Identify and correct the error in the following sentence.
"Under terms of the tunnel proposal, Infrastructure Ontario would loan $75 million to the recently formed Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation."
“Loan” is a noun. The verb form is "lend". They are not interchangeable.
"Under terms of the tunnel proposal, Infrastructure Ontario would lend $75 million to the recently formed Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation."
Thursday
TRY AND/TRY TO
“Try and” is non-standard and should never be used.
“Try to” should always be used because of the different meanings of the words “and” and “to”.
Friday
FORMALLY/FORMERLY
“"Formally"” really means properly, correctly or officially.
“Formerly” means once, previously or in the past.
The problem is that the words are often mixed up with each other.
A NOBLE PHILOSOPHY
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
Helen Keller wrote this.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Rancorous” (adj.) means bitter, cruel, venomous or spiteful.
“Enigmatic” (adj.) means mysterious, unfathomable or unknowable.
“Anserine” (adj.) means resembling a goose, stupid, foolish or silly.
(Check the day this word was posted and you will understand why I inserted such an arcane word.)
“Revulsion” (n.) means nausea, distaste, horror or loathing.
(I am getting dotty in my old age; I again repeated a word in my “Words of the Day” unit. Sorry.)
Monday
DEGRADE/DENIGRATE/DOWNGRADE
“Degrade” means an actual lowering in status or rank or a corruption in terms of value.
“Denigrate” means to insult, belittle or sneer at someone or something. It in not interchangeable with “degrade”.
“Downgrade” means to lower something in worth or to make something worse.
Tuesday
INANE CLICHÉ - MY RANT # 1
Think about what is written in the following highly overused and trite cliche.
Does it make any real sense?
What is implied in "immediately"?
What statement should be used?
"A representative for Chery was not immediately available for comment."
If a reporter cannot talk to a spokesman for his story, he uses the inane phrase, “…not immediately available…”.
This does not even make sense.
Does it mean that a spokesman will be available later, as opposed to immediately?
Is it a feeble attempt to sound erudite in the absence of a quotable being?
Is it a cover-up for mere speculation?
Is it just fill?
Is it just an easy way to avoid doing the required spadework to authenticate a story?
Is it a sign of an inability to write _______ ? (Supply your own adverb at the end.)
If nothing else, the following should be used:
"A representative for Chery was not available for comment."
INTENSE/INTENSIVE
“Intense” comes from your forceful, passionate or extreme effort, as in an intense study before an exam.
“Intensive” has the same meaning except it comes from external forces, as in the intensive bombing of Berlin during the Second World War.
Wednesday
YES/YEAH - MY RANT # 2
What is the difference between "yes" and "yeah"?
When a reporter, or anyone presenting news or information on the public airways, uses the term “Yeah…” in response to a question, such as was done by a certain CBC Business Reporter early this week, I seriously wonder about the professionalism of such a person.
“Yeah” is street slang and has no place in a newsroom.
“Yeah” does nothing but lower the intelligence level of the speaker, and by extension, the report being presented.
“Yeah” does not make a reporter or writer cool; “yeah” does not make the reporter or writer more friendly or more hip; it just makes that person sound ignorant, untrained and unprofessional.
I suggest that the pros start raising the bar of their presentations, if for no other reason than to be the professionals they are paid to be.
“YES” IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE WORD.
“YEAH” IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE.
Amen.
Identify and correct the error in the following sentence.
"Under terms of the tunnel proposal, Infrastructure Ontario would loan $75 million to the recently formed Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation."
“Loan” is a noun. The verb form is "lend". They are not interchangeable.
"Under terms of the tunnel proposal, Infrastructure Ontario would lend $75 million to the recently formed Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation."
Thursday
TRY AND/TRY TO
“Try and” is non-standard and should never be used.
“Try to” should always be used because of the different meanings of the words “and” and “to”.
Friday
FORMALLY/FORMERLY
“"Formally"” really means properly, correctly or officially.
“Formerly” means once, previously or in the past.
The problem is that the words are often mixed up with each other.
A NOBLE PHILOSOPHY
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
Helen Keller wrote this.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Rancorous” (adj.) means bitter, cruel, venomous or spiteful.
“Enigmatic” (adj.) means mysterious, unfathomable or unknowable.
“Anserine” (adj.) means resembling a goose, stupid, foolish or silly.
(Check the day this word was posted and you will understand why I inserted such an arcane word.)
“Revulsion” (n.) means nausea, distaste, horror or loathing.
(I am getting dotty in my old age; I again repeated a word in my “Words of the Day” unit. Sorry.)
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