PRIMER: SPELLING & WRITING 101
How many errors can you find in the two examples below?
Explain and correct them.
"Sombre Labour Day message"
Craig Pearson, sub-headline for story "Lewenza calls for pension boost", The Windsor Star, Friday, September 4, 2009.
"As Kirk Maltby prepares for his 16th NHL season he knows the end of his playing days are near, but the Detroit Red Wings forward isn't thinking about retirement just yet."
"End is near for Maltby" story, The Windsor Star, Friday, September 4, 2009.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "incertitude".
What part of speech is "incertitude"?
Define "incertitude" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
LANGUAGE VARIETY
CREVICE/CREVASSE
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "crevice" and "crevasse".
What part of speech is each word?
What is the pronunciation of each word?
Use "crevice" and "crevasse" in sentences that clearly show their meanings.
PRONUNCIATION/ARTICULATION
Define and explain the difference between "pronunciation" and "articulation".
Create examples to solidify your definitions or examples.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "ignoble".
What part of speech is "ignoble"?
Define "ignoble" and use it in a sentence.
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "crevice" and "crevasse".
What part of speech is each word?
What is the pronunciation of each word?
Use "crevice" and "crevasse" in sentences that clearly show their meanings.
PRONUNCIATION/ARTICULATION
Define and explain the difference between "pronunciation" and "articulation".
Create examples to solidify your definitions or examples.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "ignoble".
What part of speech is "ignoble"?
Define "ignoble" and use it in a sentence.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
A MIXED BAG
PHENOMENA/PHENOMENON
Explain the difference between the words "phenomena" and "phenomenon".
What part of speech is each word?
Use the words "phenomena" and "phenomenon" in sentences that clearly show their meanings.
How many other words can you cite that are of the same category?
A GOOD OUTLOOK
Identify the author of the following quote.
“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "stereotypical".
What part of speech is "stereotypical"?
Define "stereotypical" and use it in a sentence.
Explain the difference between the words "phenomena" and "phenomenon".
What part of speech is each word?
Use the words "phenomena" and "phenomenon" in sentences that clearly show their meanings.
How many other words can you cite that are of the same category?
A GOOD OUTLOOK
Identify the author of the following quote.
“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "stereotypical".
What part of speech is "stereotypical"?
Define "stereotypical" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
WORD CHALLENGES
DISCREET/DISCRETE
Explain the difference in meaning and use of the words "discreet" and "discrete".
What words are derived from these two words?
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "hyperbole".
What part of speech is "hyperbole"?
Define "hyperbole" and use it in a sentence.
Explain the difference in meaning and use of the words "discreet" and "discrete".
What words are derived from these two words?
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "hyperbole".
What part of speech is "hyperbole"?
Define "hyperbole" and use it in a sentence.
Monday, August 31, 2009
BRUSH UP ON YOUR GRAMMAR
HOCK/HAWK
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "hock" and "hawk".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences for "hock" and "hawk" that bring across the word meanings.
ADVERBS
What is an adverb?
What is the function of an adverb?
Create sentences that display the functions of adverbs.
In case you are wondering, in order to demonstrate the functions of adverbs completely, you should create three sentences.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "portentous".
Define "portentous" and use it in a sentence.
What part of speech is "portentous"?
How is it pronounced?
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "hock" and "hawk".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences for "hock" and "hawk" that bring across the word meanings.
ADVERBS
What is an adverb?
What is the function of an adverb?
Create sentences that display the functions of adverbs.
In case you are wondering, in order to demonstrate the functions of adverbs completely, you should create three sentences.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "portentous".
Define "portentous" and use it in a sentence.
What part of speech is "portentous"?
How is it pronounced?
Sunday, August 30, 2009
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - August 30, 2009
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries.
Monday
Find and explain as many errors as you can in the sentence below and correct them. There are three.
“A 16-year old girl was in serious condition with fractured bones in her jaw, arms and legs after falling off of a moving vehicle Sunday morning, in this north Montreal suburb.”
“Off of” is incorrect. Both words are prepositions and cannot be used together.
The comma after morning is unnecessary.
What Montreal suburb? “This” is a relative pronoun but it does not relate to anything. It must be changed.
“A 16-year old girl was in serious condition with fractured bones in her jaw, arms and legs after falling off a moving vehicle Sunday morning in a north Montreal suburb.”
Tuesday
You get a gold star if you can find, explain and correct two errors in the following piece.
"The bulk of those projects are still on the wish list, but would be funded now from municipal coffers."
“Bulk” is the subject of the verb “are” but it is singular. Verb and subject must agree so the verb must be made singular.
“But” is a coordinate conjunction joining two principal clauses with the same subject so no comma is used. Note the use of "but" in the directions under FURTHER/FARTHER below: there is a comma between two principal clauses with different subjects so the comma is necessary.
“The bulk of those projects is still on the wish list but would be funded now from municipal coffers.”
Wednesday
FORCEFUL/FORCIBLE/FORCED
“Forceful” means powerful.
“She imposed her forceful moral codes upon her children.”
“Forcible” is always used to describe the use of strength.
“The thief made a forcible entry into the drug store after it was closed.”
“Forced” should be used to describe something that is done or decided upon as a result of outside causes without necessarily being violent.
“The tyrant believed that forced labour was the solution to his building problems.”
Thursday
FARTHER/FURTHER
I know this is a repeat, but it needs repeating.
“Farther” always refers to physical distance.
“He could throw the ball farther than his younger brother.”
“Further” always refers to an extent of time or degree. It also means “in addition”.
“I hold that you will obey me; further, you will do it instantly.”
Friday
BOARDERS/BORDERS
“Boarders” are residents in a boarding house or school or people who go snow boarding.
“There were too many boarders in the frat house and ten were thrown out.”
“Borders” are edges or boundaries or limits.
“The borders of the paper are ragged and should be trimmed so as to look neat.”
A POWERFUL INCENTIVE FOR LEARNING
Identify the author of the following piece of wisdom.
Nothing is worse than active ignorance.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German dramatist, novelist, poet and scientist (1749 - 1832, is the author.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Ignoble” (adj.) means cowardly, fearful, gutless or spineless.
“Vouchsafe” (v.) means to grant condescendingly, to accord, to allot or to agree as a special favour.
“Inveracity” (n.) means untruthfulness or the opposite of veracity.
“Mercurial” (adj.) means having the qualities of the god Mercury such as eloquence, shrewdness swiftness or thievishness; it also means erratic, unpredictable or changeable.
“Insuperable” (adj.) means unconquerable or insurmountable.
Monday
Find and explain as many errors as you can in the sentence below and correct them. There are three.
“A 16-year old girl was in serious condition with fractured bones in her jaw, arms and legs after falling off of a moving vehicle Sunday morning, in this north Montreal suburb.”
“Off of” is incorrect. Both words are prepositions and cannot be used together.
The comma after morning is unnecessary.
What Montreal suburb? “This” is a relative pronoun but it does not relate to anything. It must be changed.
“A 16-year old girl was in serious condition with fractured bones in her jaw, arms and legs after falling off a moving vehicle Sunday morning in a north Montreal suburb.”
Tuesday
You get a gold star if you can find, explain and correct two errors in the following piece.
"The bulk of those projects are still on the wish list, but would be funded now from municipal coffers."
“Bulk” is the subject of the verb “are” but it is singular. Verb and subject must agree so the verb must be made singular.
“But” is a coordinate conjunction joining two principal clauses with the same subject so no comma is used. Note the use of "but" in the directions under FURTHER/FARTHER below: there is a comma between two principal clauses with different subjects so the comma is necessary.
“The bulk of those projects is still on the wish list but would be funded now from municipal coffers.”
Wednesday
FORCEFUL/FORCIBLE/FORCED
“Forceful” means powerful.
“She imposed her forceful moral codes upon her children.”
“Forcible” is always used to describe the use of strength.
“The thief made a forcible entry into the drug store after it was closed.”
“Forced” should be used to describe something that is done or decided upon as a result of outside causes without necessarily being violent.
“The tyrant believed that forced labour was the solution to his building problems.”
Thursday
FARTHER/FURTHER
I know this is a repeat, but it needs repeating.
“Farther” always refers to physical distance.
“He could throw the ball farther than his younger brother.”
“Further” always refers to an extent of time or degree. It also means “in addition”.
“I hold that you will obey me; further, you will do it instantly.”
Friday
BOARDERS/BORDERS
“Boarders” are residents in a boarding house or school or people who go snow boarding.
“There were too many boarders in the frat house and ten were thrown out.”
“Borders” are edges or boundaries or limits.
“The borders of the paper are ragged and should be trimmed so as to look neat.”
A POWERFUL INCENTIVE FOR LEARNING
Identify the author of the following piece of wisdom.
Nothing is worse than active ignorance.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German dramatist, novelist, poet and scientist (1749 - 1832, is the author.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Ignoble” (adj.) means cowardly, fearful, gutless or spineless.
“Vouchsafe” (v.) means to grant condescendingly, to accord, to allot or to agree as a special favour.
“Inveracity” (n.) means untruthfulness or the opposite of veracity.
“Mercurial” (adj.) means having the qualities of the god Mercury such as eloquence, shrewdness swiftness or thievishness; it also means erratic, unpredictable or changeable.
“Insuperable” (adj.) means unconquerable or insurmountable.
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