Here are the corrections and explanations for this week's entries.
Monday
NO POSTINGS
Tuesday
RAISE/RAZE
“Raise” means to lift or elevate something. It also means to make a higher bid such as in some card games.
“Raze” means to demolish a building or to take it, literally, to the ground.
Wednesday
Find and fix the error.
"The arrest and seizure of drugs and assets will have a significant affect on the ring's ability to continue operations."
“Affect” is a verb. The correct word is “effect”.
"The arrest and seizure of drugs and assets will have a significant effect on the ring's ability to continue operations."
DOES THIS SOUND RIGHT?
Fix it.
"Ryan Bourque, 24, of Windsor, is charged with break and enter, assault with a weapon, resist arrest, assault police, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police."
The word forms are incorrect for the context and should be made consistent.
"Ryan Bourque, 24, of Windsor, is charged with breaking and entering, assault with a weapon, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police."
Thursday
How many errors can you find and fix in the following piece?
"During our layover in Tokyo, I took the opportunity to sample some Suntory. For those who didn't see it -- or couldn't take their eyes off of Scarlet Johansson long enough to notice -- that was the beverage company that Bill Murray was pimping in those ads he was filming during the movie Lost in Translation. Suntory produces all sorts of drinks -- pop, beer and hard liquor. They even manufacture a beer dispenser that would be Homer Simpson's dream. It tilts the cup for you while it pours you a cold one. Got to see this in action and it was impressive."
“Off of” is a double preposition and is unacceptable.
“Dashes” are often used when the writer doesn’t know what punctuation to use. Commas would do. Rewording would do.
“Got to see this in action…” is an incomplete sentence and “got” should be avoided. Rewording is the best course of action.
What does a beer dispenser have to do with arriving in China or with the topic of the piece?
"During our layover in Tokyo, I took the opportunity to sample some Suntory. For those who didn't see it, or couldn't take their eyes off Scarlet Johansson long enough to notice, that was the beverage company that Bill Murray was pimping in those ads he was filming during the movie Lost in Translation. Suntory produces all sorts of drinks such as pop, beer and hard liquor. They even manufacture a beer dispenser that would be Homer Simpson's dream. It tilts the cup for you while it pours you a cold one. I saw this in action and it was impressive."
Friday
PREMIER/PREMIERE
“Premier”, as an adjective, means the best or the first of something.
“He is the premier scorer on the team.”
“Premier”, as a noun, means the principal or main person.
“She is the Premier of Canada.”
“Premiere”, as a noun means the first performance
“I saw the premiere performance of “Hamlet” at Stratford this year.
“Premiere”, as a verb refers to the opening of a play.
The play premiered on May fifteenth.
THE WEEK’S WORDS
“Iniquitous” (adj.) means sinful, evil, immoral or unjust.
Interpolate“ (v.) means to butt in, explain, interrupt or cut in.
“Malfeasance” (n.) means the wrongful performance of an act an actor has no right to do. It is, generally, a legal term.
“Visceral” (adj.) means instinctive, primeval, intuitive or primitive.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
FRIDAY'S EASY FARE
PREMIER/PREMIERE
Explain the differences in meanings between the words "premier" and "premiere".
Be sure to consider the words as nouns, verbs and adjectives in your analysis.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "visceral".
Define "visceral" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be published on Saturday.
Explain the differences in meanings between the words "premier" and "premiere".
Be sure to consider the words as nouns, verbs and adjectives in your analysis.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "visceral".
Define "visceral" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be published on Saturday.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
WRITING "STYLE" - ???
THIS WILL TAKE SOME EFFORT!
How many errors can you find and fix in the following piece?
Is it even relevant to the story? Be prepared to defend your opinion.
"During our layover in Tokyo, I took the opportunity to sample some Suntory. For those who didn't see it -- or couldn't take their eyes off of Scarlet Johansson long enough to notice -- that was the beverage company that Bill Murray was pimping in those ads he was filming during the movie Lost in Translation. Suntory produces all sorts of drinks -- pop, beer and hard liquor. They even manufacture a beer dispenser that would be Homer Simpson's dream. It tilts the cup for you while it pours you a cold one. Got to see this in action and it was impressive."
Bob Duff, "China journey an Olympian effort", The Windsor Star, Thursday, August 7, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "malfeasance".
Define "malfeasance" and use it in a sentence.
How many errors can you find and fix in the following piece?
Is it even relevant to the story? Be prepared to defend your opinion.
"During our layover in Tokyo, I took the opportunity to sample some Suntory. For those who didn't see it -- or couldn't take their eyes off of Scarlet Johansson long enough to notice -- that was the beverage company that Bill Murray was pimping in those ads he was filming during the movie Lost in Translation. Suntory produces all sorts of drinks -- pop, beer and hard liquor. They even manufacture a beer dispenser that would be Homer Simpson's dream. It tilts the cup for you while it pours you a cold one. Got to see this in action and it was impressive."
Bob Duff, "China journey an Olympian effort", The Windsor Star, Thursday, August 7, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "malfeasance".
Define "malfeasance" and use it in a sentence.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
CARELESSNESS
LATE BUT NEEDED
Find and correct the error in the following sentence.
"The arrest and seizure of drugs and assets will have a significant affect on the ring's ability to continue operations."
Rob Lamberti, "Cops seize $5M in drugs", Toronto Sun, Friday, August 1, 2008.
DOES THIS SOUND RIGHT?
Decide and explain what is wrong in the entry below?
Fix it.
"Ryan Bourque, 24, of Windsor, is charged with break and enter, assault with a weapon, resist arrest, assault police, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Criminals more desperate, violent, cop says", The Windsor Star, Wednesday, August 6, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "interpolate".
Define "interpolate" and use it in a sentence.
Find and correct the error in the following sentence.
"The arrest and seizure of drugs and assets will have a significant affect on the ring's ability to continue operations."
Rob Lamberti, "Cops seize $5M in drugs", Toronto Sun, Friday, August 1, 2008.
DOES THIS SOUND RIGHT?
Decide and explain what is wrong in the entry below?
Fix it.
"Ryan Bourque, 24, of Windsor, is charged with break and enter, assault with a weapon, resist arrest, assault police, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Criminals more desperate, violent, cop says", The Windsor Star, Wednesday, August 6, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "interpolate".
Define "interpolate" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
FAIR SUMMER FARE
RAISE/RAZE
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "raise" and "raze".
Use each word in a sentence.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "iniquitous".
Define "iniquitous" and use it in a sentence.
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "raise" and "raze".
Use each word in a sentence.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "iniquitous".
Define "iniquitous" and use it in a sentence.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - August 3, 2008
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's postings.
Monday
GORILLA/GUERILLA
“Gorilla” identifies the largest of the anthropoid apes of western equatorial Africa.
“Guerilla” refers to a member of a small independent of soldiers that harasses its enemies with surprise raids and unconventional warfare.
Tuesday
This was the closing line of a story I heard on the news.
“No word on charges.”
This is an incomplete thought because there is no verb.
“No word on charges has been released.”
Wednesday
Identify and correct the errors in the following examples?
“One in four Canadians are considered overweight or obese.”
The subject is “one” and it is singular. A singular verb is needed.
“One in four Canadians is considered overweight or obese”.
"However, a large majority of responders were on side with it."
The subject is “majority” and, in this context, is a collective singular noun, so a singular verb is needed.
"However, a large majority of responders was on side with it."
Thursday
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."
The subject of the sentence, Paula Cookson, is singular and needs a singular verb.
“Like Affleck and others” is not the subject and does not pluralize the subject.
"Pauline Cookson, like Affleck and others, was concerned a giant solar farm near her house would drive down property values and affect her quality of life."
Friday
PERVERSE/PERVERTED
“Perverse” means stubborn or wrong-headed and makes no hint of anything erotic. It means going counter to what is desired or expected.
“Perverted” is often used in relation to abnormal sexual desires. It really means wicked, evil, distorted or turned from what is right
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".
Edgar Allan Poe used the concept of perverseness in his short story, “The Black Cat”. In the story, the author despairs of his perverseness by which he does exactly what he knows he should not do when he maims and walls up his black cat for accidentally tripping him. The perfect perverseness and irony, of course, is that his cruelty eventually results in his admission of guilt to the police.
PRONOUNS - "THEIR" CONTROVERSY
"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 is the number of plural pronouns in the sentence.
So, read the sentence and identify how many plural pronouns there are?
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, hence the term “pronominal adjective”.
THIS WEEK'S ADAGE
“Ignorance is not innocence but sin.”
Robert Browning wrote this.
THE WEEK’S WORDS
“Unctuous” (adj.) means pertaining to something oily, greasy, excessively smooth or soapy.
“Vestigial” (adj.) means pertaining to a mark, a trace, a vestige or some visible evidence.
“Puerile” (adj.) means childish, silly, immature or infantile.
“Confluence” (n.) means a union, a flowing together, a coming together or a meeting.
“Encomium” (n.) means a eulogy or a formal expression of praise.
Monday
GORILLA/GUERILLA
“Gorilla” identifies the largest of the anthropoid apes of western equatorial Africa.
“Guerilla” refers to a member of a small independent of soldiers that harasses its enemies with surprise raids and unconventional warfare.
Tuesday
This was the closing line of a story I heard on the news.
“No word on charges.”
This is an incomplete thought because there is no verb.
“No word on charges has been released.”
Wednesday
Identify and correct the errors in the following examples?
“One in four Canadians are considered overweight or obese.”
The subject is “one” and it is singular. A singular verb is needed.
“One in four Canadians is considered overweight or obese”.
"However, a large majority of responders were on side with it."
The subject is “majority” and, in this context, is a collective singular noun, so a singular verb is needed.
"However, a large majority of responders was on side with it."
Thursday
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."
The subject of the sentence, Paula Cookson, is singular and needs a singular verb.
“Like Affleck and others” is not the subject and does not pluralize the subject.
"Pauline Cookson, like Affleck and others, was concerned a giant solar farm near her house would drive down property values and affect her quality of life."
Friday
PERVERSE/PERVERTED
“Perverse” means stubborn or wrong-headed and makes no hint of anything erotic. It means going counter to what is desired or expected.
“Perverted” is often used in relation to abnormal sexual desires. It really means wicked, evil, distorted or turned from what is right
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".
Edgar Allan Poe used the concept of perverseness in his short story, “The Black Cat”. In the story, the author despairs of his perverseness by which he does exactly what he knows he should not do when he maims and walls up his black cat for accidentally tripping him. The perfect perverseness and irony, of course, is that his cruelty eventually results in his admission of guilt to the police.
PRONOUNS - "THEIR" CONTROVERSY
"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 is the number of plural pronouns in the sentence.
So, read the sentence and identify how many plural pronouns there are?
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, hence the term “pronominal adjective”.
THIS WEEK'S ADAGE
“Ignorance is not innocence but sin.”
Robert Browning wrote this.
THE WEEK’S WORDS
“Unctuous” (adj.) means pertaining to something oily, greasy, excessively smooth or soapy.
“Vestigial” (adj.) means pertaining to a mark, a trace, a vestige or some visible evidence.
“Puerile” (adj.) means childish, silly, immature or infantile.
“Confluence” (n.) means a union, a flowing together, a coming together or a meeting.
“Encomium” (n.) means a eulogy or a formal expression of praise.
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