Friday, October 31, 2008

MEDIA WATCH WEEK - DAY 5

ONE STORY - MANY HITS

Find and correct the errors in the following pieces.

"Jesse Imeson looks good in chains. What else to say about a man who killed three times in four days?"

"Food and liquor are going missing, articles of clothing, fishing equipment."

"Because better people, in the end, always win."

Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen Columnist, "With a killer on the loose, brave neighbours prevail, Kelly Egan, The Windsor Star, Friday, October 31, 2008.


TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "languorous".
Define "languorous" and use it in a sentence.


CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS

Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted on Sunday.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

MEDIA WATCH WEEK - DAY 4

ACCEPTABILITY?

Read the following and decide whether or not they contain writing errors.
Identify the errors and correct them.


"Because it's stomach churning to think that those dear old grandparents, Bill and Helene Regier of Mount Carmel, aged 72 and 73, were killed in cold blood by someone who surely knew their deaths would be 'freebies' on his maxed-out crime account."
Gord Henderson, "Where's the justice?", The Windsor Star, Thursday, October 30, 2008.

"Three for the price of one. A volume discount."
Gord Henderson, "Where's the justice?", The Windsor Star, Thursday, October 30, 2008.

"...says members are impacted for life..."
Rob Shervill, AM800 CKLW News, Thursday, October 30, 2008, 9:03 am.

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "frivolity".
Define "frivolity" and use it in a sentence.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

MEDIA WATCH WEEK - DAY 3

ON-LINE SHOW SCHEDULE

Read the following paragraphs that list "Other Upcoming Events..." for the Lynn Martin radio show on AM800, CKLW . Find and correct the errors.

"Is it true, do men get more romantic with age? The most romantic age 53? Do you agree? We are told he is wiser and will work for his partner, be more likely to make an effort. is it true? Is your man more romantic than ever? Would you choose an older man over a young man, anytime?"

"Young, childless, and snipped. Men as young as 21 are seeking vasectomies. With one couple suing for $50,000 because his didn't take. Should they collect for an unplanned pregnancy?"


AN INTERESTING PHILOSOPHY

Identify the author of the following barb.

“Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”


TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "euphemism".
Define "euphemism" and use it in a sentence.


CONGRATULATIONS!

I congratulate "Yusuf" for finding the spelling error that I made last week. Well done!
To those who did not find the error: "Too bad! You lose! I corrected the mistake."
If you are really curious, you will find Yusuf's comment attached to one of my postings. Read it.

M.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

MEDIA WATCH WEEK - DAY 2

CHECK THESE GEMS!

Find and correct the errors in the entries below.

[He] "...shoulda went right to second base..."
Brian Dunstan, CBC Newsworld, Monday, October 27, 2008, 2:35 pm.

"I was doing good."
(I think this was in reference to his previous weather predictions in which he failed to predict the rain that cancelled the World Series Monday.)
Sam Champion, weatherman, ABC Good Morning America, Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 7:15 am.


TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "self-effacement".
Define "self-effacement" and use it in a sentence.

Monday, October 27, 2008

MEDIA WATCH WEEK - DAY 1

PROFESSIONALS AT WORK

Find and explain the flaws in the following pieces.


[He expressed] "...the need for he to be at his grandmother's side...".
Henry Champ, CBC Newsworld, Friday, October 25, 10:15 am.


"The better choice,even with the disadvantage of having an inexperienced running mate in Sarah Palin, who doubtless spies every last Air Canada plane taking the northern route to Europe."
Barbara Yaffe, "McCain best for Canada, The Windsor Star, Saturday, October 25, 2008.


"One in five Britons find monogamy undesirable and nearly a third think it is unnatural, according to a sex survey out Sunday."
"Survey finds a third think monogamy unnatural", London, The Windsor Star, Monday, October 27, 2008.


TODAY'S WORD

Today's word is "pathetic".
Define "pathetic" and use it in a sentence.
List all the other forms of the word that come to mind.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - October 26, 2008

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

Monday

ALLEGED/ ALLEGEDLY

Alleged” is an adjective (technically a participle) meaning supposed, suspected, so-called or assumed.

Allegedly” is an adverb meaning purportedly or supposedly.

How are "alleged" and "allegedly" misused and overused.

To say that a crime is alleged when there is an obvious victim of the crime or abuse is ridiculous. The crime had been committed; there is no alleged victim or alleged crime; there is a victim and a crime. Thus, in this case, by deduction there is no such thing as an alleged perpetrator. Reporters and writers often make this mistake in a seeming attempt to not influence a case.


Tuesday

PRONUNCIATION/ARTICULATION

Pronunciation” means the stress that is put on a syllable.
Other words for this are emphasis or accent.
In Canada we should say “finance” with the stress on the second syllable. In the states, the stress is on the first syllable.

Articulation” is the clarity with which a syllable is spoken. Another word for this is enunciation.
“Little” has two “ts” in the middle and should not be sloppily spoken as “liddle”.


Wednesday

DRAUGHT/DRAFT

Draft” (n.) means a drawing or sketch, a current of air or a levy such as conscription.
The beer industry has adopted “draft” in place of “draught” for obvious marketing and advertising reasons.

Draught” (n.) means a current of air such as in a room or chimney, a drawing of a liquid.

Today, the words are almost completely interchangeable.


Thursday

ACCEPT/EXCEPT

Accept” (v.) means to receive.

Except” is usually a preposition meaning but or leaving out.
“Except” can be used as a verb such as in , “He excepted the results.” The meaning is that he did not include them in whatever conclusion he was drawing.
The two words are almost perfect antonyms.


Friday

Identify and correct the error in the following entry.

“The number of homicides in Canada went down last year from the year before, although an increasing number of slayings are related to gang warfare, Statistics Canada reported Thursday.”

If “number” refers to all individuals, “are” is acceptable. Normally, “number” is a collective singular noun and a singular verb, “is” is required.

“The number of homicides in Canada went down last year from the year before, although an increasing number of slayings is related to gang warfare, Statistics Canada reported Thursday.”


A GREAT LIFE APHORISM

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt said this.


LAST WEEK’S WORDS

Recrimination” (n.) means an accusation, blame or reproach.

Interlocutor” (n.) is a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue with another.

Acquisitive” (adj.) means greedy, covetous, avaricious or grasping.

Morbid” (adj.) means gloomy, morose, dark or moody.

Tipple” (n.) means a cocktail, a pint, a beer, a nip or an intoxicating liquor. As a verb, it means to drink or tip one.

Tipple” (n.) is a device that is used to overturn a freight car to dump its contents. It also means a place where the cars are emptied of their contents.