CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - March 29, 2009

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


Monday

Correct and explain the error in the sentences below.

“The decisive hole proved to be the par-five 11th where Goosen sunk a 17-foot putt to eagle the hole.”

The past tense of the verb “sink” is “sank” not “sunk”.

“The decisive hole proved to be the par-five 11th where Goosen sank a 17-foot putt to eagle the hole.”

“Hurst sank a long putt on the 18th green at the tough BosqueReal Country Club to finish at 10-under 206.”

This sentence is correct.
The criticism arose because both the sentences cited above were in the same article but each used a different past tense foe the verb “sink”. The assertion is that if one is to be wrong, one has to be, at least, wrong consistently.


Tuesday

RAISE/RISE

“Raise” means to make higher, to build or to nurture. It is normally transitive, meaning an object is present because the action is done to something or someone else.

“Rise” means to get up or to become elevated. It is never transitive.


Wednesday

Find and correct the mistakes.

“The Spitfires don't want to extend the series any longer than they need two for a couple of reasons.”

“Two” is a noun or adjective, depending on use, denoting a level one higher more than one.
“To” is a preposition indicating direction, as in the phrase “to the store”.
“Too” is an adverb meaning also or in addition.

“The Spitfires don't want to extend the series any longer than they need to for a couple of reasons.”


“The diminutive, elderly man sat hunched over in the prisoner's dock in bail court, no outwardly visible signs of having been shot."

This is an incomplete thought with a dangling participial phrase at the end.

“The diminutive, elderly man sat hunched over in the prisoner's dock in bail court with no outwardly visible signs of having been shot.”


“Difficult, but necessary, the experts say, if Michigan and its kids are to have a future.”

This is an incomplete thought.

“The job is difficult, but necessary, the experts say, if Michigan and its kids are to have a future.”


Thursday

SURE/SURELY

"Sure" is an adjective. It modifies nouns or pronouns.
“He is very sure of himself.”
“Sure” is a predicate adjective referring back to “he”.

"Surely" is an adverb. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.
“Surely, you jest.”
“Surely” modifies the verb jest because it answers the question “how” about the verb.

The words are not interchangeable.


Friday

ASOCIAL/ANTISOCIAL/SOCIAL

“Social”, as an adjective, means friendly companionship or communal mixing.

“Antisocial” is an adjective meaning opposed to society order or hostile to society or the group.

“Asocial” is an adjective meaning withdrawn from society, not social or not scrupulous. It is usually connected to very negative group or societal feelings.


TRY THIS ONE

“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”
Will Durant, a US historian created this line.


LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Ethereal” (adj.) means ghostly, eerie, delicate or wraithlike.

“Schism” (n.) means a split, a break, a rupture or a rift. It is most often used when there is a division of church or religious bodies.
It is pronounced “sĭz-əm”.

“Eponymous” (adj.) means giving one’s name to something or relating to a thing named after a person. An example is the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.

“Prima facie” is a Latin phrase meaning at first appearance or at first view or before investigation. In law, it means evidence sufficient to establish a fact or a presumption of fact.

“Parochial” (adj.) means narrow, close-minded, insular. It also means associated with a parish or local group.