THE USUAL
Identify and correct the error in the following sentence.
"That wraps it up for you and I."
Mitch O'Connor, Mix 96.7 Radio Show, Friday, November 28, 2008, 8:56 am.
CONTINUOUS/CONTIGUOUS
Define and explain the difference between the terms "continuous" and "contiguous".
Use each word in a sentence that clearly displays its meaning.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "bacchanal".
Define "bacchanal" and use it in a sentence.
You get a bonus star for your forehead if you can identify the derivation or root of the word.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
LOTS OF WORK
A REALLY IRRITATING COMMERCIAL
Correct the errors in the following commercial.
"You don't drive like her, and you shouldn't pay the same insurance premiums as her."
Grey Power commercial seen continuously on CBC.
THE USUAL
Find and correct the error in the following sentence.
"Neither mother nor daughter have any previous retailing experience."
Dave Hall, "Mother, daughter open specialty gift shop", The Windsor Star, Thursday, November 27, 2008.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Identify the author of the following line.
“The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "abjure".
Define "abjure" and use it in a sentence.
What is the noun form of this word?
Correct the errors in the following commercial.
"You don't drive like her, and you shouldn't pay the same insurance premiums as her."
Grey Power commercial seen continuously on CBC.
THE USUAL
Find and correct the error in the following sentence.
"Neither mother nor daughter have any previous retailing experience."
Dave Hall, "Mother, daughter open specialty gift shop", The Windsor Star, Thursday, November 27, 2008.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Identify the author of the following line.
“The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "abjure".
Define "abjure" and use it in a sentence.
What is the noun form of this word?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
"ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR WATSON!"
"SAY WHAT?"
Can you find the errors in the following pieces?
Are you able to fix the errors in these pieces?
[The clouds], "...they continue their lingerment...".
Sonya Singh, A-News Weather, Monday, November 24, 2008, 6:29 pm.
"I supported the motion even though I do not think that OTF (Ontario Teachers Federation) had no other choice but to accept a deal that did include conditional inflation protection as part of the valuation."
Scott Hunt, ARM Newsletter, November 25, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "extemporaneous".
Define "extemporaneous" and use it in a sentence.
Can you find the errors in the following pieces?
Are you able to fix the errors in these pieces?
[The clouds], "...they continue their lingerment...".
Sonya Singh, A-News Weather, Monday, November 24, 2008, 6:29 pm.
"I supported the motion even though I do not think that OTF (Ontario Teachers Federation) had no other choice but to accept a deal that did include conditional inflation protection as part of the valuation."
Scott Hunt, ARM Newsletter, November 25, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "extemporaneous".
Define "extemporaneous" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
CELEBRATION
TIMING MISTAKE
Yesterday, I mentioned there would be a celebration on Wednesday. But I miscalculated. The momentous day, for me, is actually today.
Today's entry marks the 500th posting of this blog. It has been accessed close to 20,000 times by curious people and I thank all. That is not bad for such an esoteric topic as the correct use of the English language.
So, congratulations to me! And I promise to keep at it with due diligence.
On Friday, April 6, 2007, I made my first entry and championed "raising" our sights" in our use of the English language. After 500 entries, all dedicated to that end, I am more determined than ever to continue the battle.
I have concentrated on highlighting the mistakes and gaffs of the professional writers and speakers in my city because I want them to be the leaders and teachers of the correct use of the language. I feel they should strive for perfection in every presentation they make and when they do not, they do a disservice to their readers and listeners.
I do not accept mediocrity, sloppiness or outright error from those who should know better and who are paid for their "communication" skills.
PERFECT EXAMPLES
There are two errors in the following unit. Find and correct them.
"The office and myself are much better known to the public," said Fraser: "I think more attention is paid generally to our reports than may have been the case in the past."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Auditor enjoys star status", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "extolment".
Define "extolment" and use it in a sentence.
Yesterday, I mentioned there would be a celebration on Wednesday. But I miscalculated. The momentous day, for me, is actually today.
Today's entry marks the 500th posting of this blog. It has been accessed close to 20,000 times by curious people and I thank all. That is not bad for such an esoteric topic as the correct use of the English language.
So, congratulations to me! And I promise to keep at it with due diligence.
On Friday, April 6, 2007, I made my first entry and championed "raising" our sights" in our use of the English language. After 500 entries, all dedicated to that end, I am more determined than ever to continue the battle.
I have concentrated on highlighting the mistakes and gaffs of the professional writers and speakers in my city because I want them to be the leaders and teachers of the correct use of the language. I feel they should strive for perfection in every presentation they make and when they do not, they do a disservice to their readers and listeners.
I do not accept mediocrity, sloppiness or outright error from those who should know better and who are paid for their "communication" skills.
PERFECT EXAMPLES
There are two errors in the following unit. Find and correct them.
"The office and myself are much better known to the public," said Fraser: "I think more attention is paid generally to our reports than may have been the case in the past."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Auditor enjoys star status", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "extolment".
Define "extolment" and use it in a sentence.
Monday, November 24, 2008
BE CLEVER - BE CAREFUL
AVENGE/REVENGE
Explain the differences between the words "avenge" and "revenge".
Create sentences that clearly display the meaning of "avenge" and "revenge".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "machination".
Define "machination" and use it in a sentence.
What is the correct pronunciation of the word?
SPECIAL CELEBRATION - Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Check in on Wednesday for details.
Explain the differences between the words "avenge" and "revenge".
Create sentences that clearly display the meaning of "avenge" and "revenge".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "machination".
Define "machination" and use it in a sentence.
What is the correct pronunciation of the word?
SPECIAL CELEBRATION - Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Check in on Wednesday for details.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - November 23, 2008
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries. (Be patient; they are extensive.)
Monday
Find and fix the errors in the following sentences.
“The entire family visited Sea World, the Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, road on the teacups and merry-go-round, and watched a fireworks show.”
The past tens of “ride” is “rode”, not “road”.
The comma after “merry-go-round is superfluous.
“The entire family visited Sea World, the Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, rode on the teacups and merry-go-round and watched a fireworks show.”
“But these are the first layoffs in quite awhile and there's a possibility some will be called back after the new year.”
“Awhile” is an adverb meaning “for a short time”. “a while” is the object of the preposition “in”, so it is a “noun”. The two terms are not interchangeable.
“But these are the first layoffs in quite a while and there's a possibility some will be called back after the new year.”
Tuesday
What is unacceptable with each of the following entries? Fix the problems.
“...pushing further to the south…”
“Further” means in addition to. “Farther” refers to distance.
“...pushing farther to the south…”
“Oh, yeah!”
A professional newscaster could, at the very least, elevate her vocabulary to “Oh, yes!”
“Oh, yes!”
“Ignatieff has learned the language of inclusiveness, he has survived the bumbling rituals of retail politics, but he kept coming back to his urgent need to 'explain to Canadians' what exactly is going on.”
The punctuation is incorrect. Semi-colons must be used, not commas.
The verb tense must be kept consistent throughout.
The last subordinate conjunction, “but”, should probably be “and”.
“Ignatieff has learned the language of inclusiveness; he has survived the bumbling rituals of retail politics; and he has kept coming back to his urgent need to 'explain to Canadians' what exactly is going on.”
“But what if the country needs straight talk and specific ideas instead of patient instruction: Would Ignatieff bail out the auto industry, for instance?”
The first word after a colon is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun.
“But what if the country needs straight talk and specific ideas instead of patient instruction: would Ignatieff bail out the auto industry, for instance?”
Wednesday
Identify and correct all the errors below.
“FEWER WORKERS: With Chrysler Financial moving most of its employees to Toronto there will even be less people in Chrysler's Windsor headquarters.”
When referring to numbers, “fewer” must be used.
When referring to amounts, “less” is used.
“Fewer workers” is correct. “Less people” is incorrect.
The rule must be applied consistently.
There should be a comma after “Toronto”.
“FEWER WORKERS: With Chrysler Financial moving most of its employees to Toronto, there will even be fewer people in Chrysler's Windsor headquarters.”
Thursday
Identify and correct the errors in the following piece.
“But when it comes to the passenger prohibition, Baraoniciu sees another case of society's bias against teen drivers. ‘Us as young people, we are already getting screwed over by the insurance companies with large monthly payments and such.’”
“Bias” is used when the meaning is “for”. Prejudice” is used when the meaning is “against”.
“Us” is objective. The subjective form is needed.
There should be a comma after “We” and the second “we” should be eliminated.
“And such” is unnecessary fill and should be eliminated.
“But when it comes to the passenger prohibition, Baraoniciu sees another case of society's prejudice against teen drivers. ‘We, as young people, are already getting screwed over by the insurance companies with large monthly payments.’”
Friday
Fix the error in the sentence below.
“A Ontario pet owner has been charged with killing an animal after a puppy fell from a 10th-story balcony Wednesday night.”
“An”, not “a”, is always used before a word beginning with a vowel.
“An Ontario pet owner has been charged with killing an animal after a puppy fell from a 10th-story balcony Wednesday night.”
DOMINATE/DOMINANT
“Dominate”, which means to control, to rule or to govern, is a verb.
“Dominant”, which means leading, principal or foremost is an adjective.
A GOOD PHILOSOPHY
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”
Abraham Lincoln coined this phrase.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Averse” (adj.) means unwilling, disinclined or hesitant.
“Sclerotic” (adj.) refers to the fibrous membrane covering the eyeball and the connotation is usually to the hardening of one’s ideas or opinions.
“Malapropism” (n.) is the habit of ridiculously misusing words. The word is for Mrs. Malaprop, the “old weather-beaten she-dragon” of Sheridan’s play, The Rivals.
“Sinecure” (n.) means an office requiring little or no work, especially one yielding profitable returns. In the Church, it is an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls.
“Frivolous” (adj.) means merry, dizzy, giddy or flippant.
Monday
Find and fix the errors in the following sentences.
“The entire family visited Sea World, the Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, road on the teacups and merry-go-round, and watched a fireworks show.”
The past tens of “ride” is “rode”, not “road”.
The comma after “merry-go-round is superfluous.
“The entire family visited Sea World, the Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, rode on the teacups and merry-go-round and watched a fireworks show.”
“But these are the first layoffs in quite awhile and there's a possibility some will be called back after the new year.”
“Awhile” is an adverb meaning “for a short time”. “a while” is the object of the preposition “in”, so it is a “noun”. The two terms are not interchangeable.
“But these are the first layoffs in quite a while and there's a possibility some will be called back after the new year.”
Tuesday
What is unacceptable with each of the following entries? Fix the problems.
“...pushing further to the south…”
“Further” means in addition to. “Farther” refers to distance.
“...pushing farther to the south…”
“Oh, yeah!”
A professional newscaster could, at the very least, elevate her vocabulary to “Oh, yes!”
“Oh, yes!”
“Ignatieff has learned the language of inclusiveness, he has survived the bumbling rituals of retail politics, but he kept coming back to his urgent need to 'explain to Canadians' what exactly is going on.”
The punctuation is incorrect. Semi-colons must be used, not commas.
The verb tense must be kept consistent throughout.
The last subordinate conjunction, “but”, should probably be “and”.
“Ignatieff has learned the language of inclusiveness; he has survived the bumbling rituals of retail politics; and he has kept coming back to his urgent need to 'explain to Canadians' what exactly is going on.”
“But what if the country needs straight talk and specific ideas instead of patient instruction: Would Ignatieff bail out the auto industry, for instance?”
The first word after a colon is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun.
“But what if the country needs straight talk and specific ideas instead of patient instruction: would Ignatieff bail out the auto industry, for instance?”
Wednesday
Identify and correct all the errors below.
“FEWER WORKERS: With Chrysler Financial moving most of its employees to Toronto there will even be less people in Chrysler's Windsor headquarters.”
When referring to numbers, “fewer” must be used.
When referring to amounts, “less” is used.
“Fewer workers” is correct. “Less people” is incorrect.
The rule must be applied consistently.
There should be a comma after “Toronto”.
“FEWER WORKERS: With Chrysler Financial moving most of its employees to Toronto, there will even be fewer people in Chrysler's Windsor headquarters.”
Thursday
Identify and correct the errors in the following piece.
“But when it comes to the passenger prohibition, Baraoniciu sees another case of society's bias against teen drivers. ‘Us as young people, we are already getting screwed over by the insurance companies with large monthly payments and such.’”
“Bias” is used when the meaning is “for”. Prejudice” is used when the meaning is “against”.
“Us” is objective. The subjective form is needed.
There should be a comma after “We” and the second “we” should be eliminated.
“And such” is unnecessary fill and should be eliminated.
“But when it comes to the passenger prohibition, Baraoniciu sees another case of society's prejudice against teen drivers. ‘We, as young people, are already getting screwed over by the insurance companies with large monthly payments.’”
Friday
Fix the error in the sentence below.
“A Ontario pet owner has been charged with killing an animal after a puppy fell from a 10th-story balcony Wednesday night.”
“An”, not “a”, is always used before a word beginning with a vowel.
“An Ontario pet owner has been charged with killing an animal after a puppy fell from a 10th-story balcony Wednesday night.”
DOMINATE/DOMINANT
“Dominate”, which means to control, to rule or to govern, is a verb.
“Dominant”, which means leading, principal or foremost is an adjective.
A GOOD PHILOSOPHY
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”
Abraham Lincoln coined this phrase.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Averse” (adj.) means unwilling, disinclined or hesitant.
“Sclerotic” (adj.) refers to the fibrous membrane covering the eyeball and the connotation is usually to the hardening of one’s ideas or opinions.
“Malapropism” (n.) is the habit of ridiculously misusing words. The word is for Mrs. Malaprop, the “old weather-beaten she-dragon” of Sheridan’s play, The Rivals.
“Sinecure” (n.) means an office requiring little or no work, especially one yielding profitable returns. In the Church, it is an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls.
“Frivolous” (adj.) means merry, dizzy, giddy or flippant.
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