CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - September 27, 2009

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

Monday

PRONOUNS

A pronoun is a word that can take the place of a noun or another pronoun.

The function of a pronoun is to allow us to speak and write without repeating the names of persons and things which can become tiresome and repetitive.

Personal pronouns, such as I, me, he, you hers, yours and theirs, stand for persons.
“You are the sunshine of the world.”

Interrogative pronouns, such as who, whom, which, what and whose, are used in asking questions.
“Who is standing on the bridge?”

Demonstrative pronouns, such as this, that, these and those, point out a particular thing or person.
“ That is the prize to be won.”

Indefinite pronouns, such as any, few, all, several, one, none, both and many, stand for no particular person or thing.
“A few good men are all that is needed.”


Tuesday

INTERMENT/INTERNMENT

“Interment” (n.) is the ritual of placing a corpse in a grave or is burial.
“The interment of my grandmother was a solemn ritual.”

“Internment” (n.) refers to confinement during war or imprisonment.
“Internment in a prisoner of war camp must have been a hideous ordeal.”


Wednesday

HOW MANY ERRORS?

Read the following and find and correct the errors. Be sure to give reasons for your choices.

“The two suspects fled the premises when the officers arrived, and after a brief chase the couple were arrested.”

“Couple” is a collective noun and is singular so its verb must also be singular.
The comma is misplaced: it should be after “and” and another be put after “chase”. No comma is needed between the clauses because the subjects are the same.

“The two suspects fled the premises when the officers arrived and, after a brief chase, the couple was arrested.”


Thursday

Identify and correct the errors in the three examples below.

“Taping a knob onto the end of his stick as he prepared for practice at the WFCU Centre, little seems to separate Ryan Baldwin from the rest of his Spitfires teammates.”

There are too many tenses in this effort: since it starts in the present tense, it should maintain that tense throughout.

“Taping a knob onto the end of his stick as he prepares for practice at the WFCU Centre, little seems to separate Ryan Baldwin from the rest of his Spitfires teammates.”


“Planning for parenthood. Planning for the future.”

Both of these are incomplete thoughts, written for the sake of some form of terse style.

“Planning for parenthood and planning for the future are his immediate goals.”


“The two o'clock feedings, the diaper changing - all part of Baldwin's daily chores.”

This is an incomplete thought, probably again for the sake of a “jock-type” style.

“The two o'clock feedings, the diaper changing are all part of Baldwin's daily chores.”


Friday

VERACIOUS/VORACIOUS

“Veracious” (adj.) means actual, literal, honest or conforming with truth. It shares a root with “verity” and “veracity”.
“The witness gave a veracious account of the events of the crime in his testimony.”

“Voracious” (adj.) means excessively greedy, ravenous, hungry or grasping.
“The vulture had a voracious appetite.”


OFT HEARD - BUT WHO COINED IT?

“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’”
George Bernard Shaw wrote this.


LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Querulous” (adj.) means fretful, habitually complaining, whiny, faultfinding or grumbling.

“Diminution” (n.) refers to a change towards something smaller or lower, regression or the act of decreasing something.

“Lascivious” (adj.) means lewd, libidinous or lustful.

“Copious” (adj.) means large in number or quantity, extensive, ample or plentiful.

“Debilitate” (v.) means to drain, to jade or to enfeeble.
“Debility” and “debilitation” are two noun forms of the word.