CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - October 11, 2009

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

Monday

The following examples are all based on material covered in this blog over the last month or so.
Correct the errors and state the reason for your corrections.

1. The couple were arrested at the scene and charged with robbery.

“Couple” is a singular, collective noun and needs a singular verb.

The couple was arrested at the scene and charged with robbery.


2. The woman was (reluctant, reticent) to reveal her age to the nosey teen.

“Reticent” can only refer to when one is unsure of speaking, so “reluctant” must be used.

The woman was reluctant to reveal her age to the nosey teen.


3. She stopped under the street light, she lit a cigarette.

This is a punctuation error called a comma splice. A semi-colon, a coordinate conjunction or a period must be used.

She stopped under the street light; she lit a cigarette.


4. The old man (hocked, hawked) his watch to buy a little food.

“Hock” means to trade and “hawk” means to sell.

The old man hocked his watch to buy a little food.


5. In this race I ran further than I had ever done before.

“Farther” must be used in reference to distance.

In this race I ran farther than I had ever done before.


6. Neither the skunk nor the officer were injured.

“Neither”/”nor” means a choice of one or one other so the verb must also be singular.

Neither the skunk nor the officer was injured.


7. I seen her when she ran away.

“Seen” must have an auxiliary verb such as “have”.

I saw her when she ran away.


8. The girl went missing last week and hasn’t been seen since.

People and things do not “go missing”. This is an overly trite and incorrect use of language.

The girl disappeared last week and hasn’t been seen since.


9. He don’t see very well any more.

The third person singular must use “doesn’t”. “Does not” is preferable.

He doesn’t see very well any more.


10. Jethro brang home a moose he shot in WaWa.

“Brang” is not a word. The past tense of “bring” is “brought”.

Jethro brought home a moose he shot in WaWa.


Tuesday

Identify the errors in the following pieces and correct them.

“Neither of the assailants have prior criminal records.”

“Neither” is the singular subject and the verb must agree. See number 6 above.

“Neither of the assailants have prior criminal records.”


“That and the corporate downsizing the mayor wants to contain costs and cap tax increases.”

This is an incomplete thought.

“City Council’s reorganizing plans and the corporate downsizing the mayor wants to contain costs and cap tax increases are the reasons for the fear-mongering seizing City Hall.” (You have to know the context.)


“True, a bunch of former city managers were fired or forced into early retirement with buyout packages paid for by taxpayers.”

The subject is “bunch” and it is a collective, singular noun needing a singular verb.

“True, a bunch of former city managers was fired or forced into early retirement with buyout packages paid for by taxpayers.”


Wednesday

THERE'S/THEIRS/THEIR'S

“Theirs” is a contraction of “there is”.

“Theirs” is a possessive showing ownership by “them”.

“Their’s” is not a word and any use of such a form is incorrect.


Thursday

FOR/FORE/FOUR

“For” is a preposition which begins a phrase and takes an object.
“He sat for a while and then fell to sleep.”

“Fore” is a noun referring to the front part of a boat. As an adjective it means situated toward the front. As an interjection it is a warning, particularly in golf.

“‘Fore!’ Tiger yelled as he shanked his ball into the crowd.”

Four” is a noun referring to the number after three and before five.

“I have four fingers and one thumb on my left hand.”


Friday

Read the following, determine the errors and correct them.
BONUS: find and correct the non-plural problem.

“The machinery and office equipment was also liquidated.”

There are two things as subject, so a plural verb is needed.

“The machinery and office equipment were also liquidated.”


“The dead man was removed from the water with the use of one of the fire trucks' extendable apparatus.”

“Trucks’” is plural possessive, but the context is singular.
“Apparatus” should be plural because the context suggests there is more than one apparatus. I suggest it should be “apparati”, but “apparatuses” could be used.

“The dead man was removed from the water with the use of one of the fire truck’s extendable apparati.”


TRY THINKING

Identify the author of the following thought.

“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.”
Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher, said this.


LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Cataclysm” (n.) refers to a sudden violent change in the earth’s surface. It also means a catastrophe, havoc or a calamity.

“Habituate” (v.) Means to adapt, to become accustomed to, to adjust to, to conform to something. It also means to harden oneself to something.

“Cogitation” (n.) refers to attentive scrutiny or thought, meditation, musing or thoughtfulness.
“Cogitate” is the verb form.
“Cogitative” is the adjective form.
It comes from the Latin “cogito” meaning “I think”.

“Verisimilitude” (n.) refers to the appearance of truth, believability or credibility.

“Petulance” (n.) refers to fussiness, peevishness, irritability or quick temper.


ANNOUNCEMENT

HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!

There will be no entries tomorrow.

Have a great day!