FEWER/LESS
Explain the rules about the use of the words "fewer" and "less".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences that use "fewer" and "less" correctly.
Bonus: cite examples of the misuse of each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "approbation".
What part of speech is "approbation"?
Define "approbation" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
BACK TO THE BASICS
BRING/BRANG/BRUNG/BROUGHT
Explain the correct use of the words "bring", "brang", "brung" and "brought".
What part of speech is each word? Be very specific.
Which words are correct and which are not acceptable?
Create sentences that correctly use the acceptable words.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "devolution".
What part of speech is "devolution"?
Define "devolution" and use it in a sentence.
Explain the correct use of the words "bring", "brang", "brung" and "brought".
What part of speech is each word? Be very specific.
Which words are correct and which are not acceptable?
Create sentences that correctly use the acceptable words.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "devolution".
What part of speech is "devolution"?
Define "devolution" and use it in a sentence.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
THIS AND THAT
WHENEVER/WHEN
Explain the difference in meaning and use of the terms "whenever" and "when".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences for each word that display the distinct meaning of the word.
HAPPINESS
Identify the author of the following truism.
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "redact".
What part of speech is "redact"?
Define "redact" and use it in a sentence.
Explain the difference in meaning and use of the terms "whenever" and "when".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences for each word that display the distinct meaning of the word.
HAPPINESS
Identify the author of the following truism.
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "redact".
What part of speech is "redact"?
Define "redact" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
SIMPLE YET CHALLENGING
DOESN'T/DON'T
Explain the rules for the use of the words "doesn't" and "don't".
Create a sentence for each rule cited.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "stricture".
What part of speech is "stricture"?
Define "stricture" and use it in a sentence.
A gold star is awarded for providing the root word and its definition.
A gold star with a single diamond is awarded if more than one definition for the word is given.
Explain the rules for the use of the words "doesn't" and "don't".
Create a sentence for each rule cited.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "stricture".
What part of speech is "stricture"?
Define "stricture" and use it in a sentence.
A gold star is awarded for providing the root word and its definition.
A gold star with a single diamond is awarded if more than one definition for the word is given.
Monday, September 28, 2009
MULTIPLE WORD FORMS
EXTEND/EXTENT
Explain the difference between the words "extend" and "extent".
What part of speech is each?
Create sentences that clearly show the correct use of each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "debauchery".
What part of speech is "debauchery"?
Define "debauchery" and use it in a sentence.
List two other forms of the word and identify what part of speech each is.
Explain the difference between the words "extend" and "extent".
What part of speech is each?
Create sentences that clearly show the correct use of each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "debauchery".
What part of speech is "debauchery"?
Define "debauchery" and use it in a sentence.
List two other forms of the word and identify what part of speech each is.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
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.
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.
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