PRECEDENCE/PRECEDENTS
Explain the difference in meaning and use between "precedence" and "precedents".
Create sentences that show the meanings of each word .
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "audacious".
What part of speech is "audacious"?
Define "audacious" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A DIFFERENT KIND OF APPROACH
THESE KIND/THIS KIND
Explain the correct use of the terms "these kind" and "this kind".
How are these terms misused?
Create sentences showing the incorrect use of "these kind" and "this kind".
Create sentences showing the correct use of "these kind" and "this kind".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "audacious".
What part of speech is "audacious"?
Define "audacious" and use it in a sentence.
HELP!
This blog needs some new ideas and approaches.
Please feel free to offer suggestions for a different focus.
The mandate will remain the same: to foster and develop better use of our language.
The approach can be modified.
Click on "Comment" below and give me some ideas.
Explain the correct use of the terms "these kind" and "this kind".
How are these terms misused?
Create sentences showing the incorrect use of "these kind" and "this kind".
Create sentences showing the correct use of "these kind" and "this kind".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "audacious".
What part of speech is "audacious"?
Define "audacious" and use it in a sentence.
HELP!
This blog needs some new ideas and approaches.
Please feel free to offer suggestions for a different focus.
The mandate will remain the same: to foster and develop better use of our language.
The approach can be modified.
Click on "Comment" below and give me some ideas.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"M" DAY FUN
MEDAL/METAL/MEDDLE/METTLE
Here are four words that often sound the same because of our tendency to not enunciate correctly.
Define each word and identify the part of speech each is.
Create sentences that show the meanings of "medal", "metal", "meddle" and "mettle".
WORTH REMEMBERING
Who penned the following epithet?
“The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "mollify".
What part of speech is "mollify"?
Define "mollify" and use it in a sentence.
Here are four words that often sound the same because of our tendency to not enunciate correctly.
Define each word and identify the part of speech each is.
Create sentences that show the meanings of "medal", "metal", "meddle" and "mettle".
WORTH REMEMBERING
Who penned the following epithet?
“The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "mollify".
What part of speech is "mollify"?
Define "mollify" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN?
How many errors can be found in the following examples?
Find and identify them. Correct them.
"There was a baseball cap and blood-soaked clothing laying in a pile on the pavement."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Teen cyclist injured by car", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
"Not because people believe they might not be able to drive safely, but because of the penalties in blowing over a .05 blood-alcohol reading, which is at the heart of the six-month old law."
Lead Editorial opinion, "Breath tests", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
"Again, no definite answer."
Lead Editorial opinion, "Breath tests", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
"Common sense says these individuals aren't going to threaten their own life or anyone else's."
Lead Editorial opinion, "Breath tests", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "otiose".
What part of speech is "otiose"?
Define "otiose".
Define "otiose" and use it in a sentence.
How many errors can be found in the following examples?
Find and identify them. Correct them.
"There was a baseball cap and blood-soaked clothing laying in a pile on the pavement."
Trevor Wilhelm, "Teen cyclist injured by car", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
"Not because people believe they might not be able to drive safely, but because of the penalties in blowing over a .05 blood-alcohol reading, which is at the heart of the six-month old law."
Lead Editorial opinion, "Breath tests", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
"Again, no definite answer."
Lead Editorial opinion, "Breath tests", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
"Common sense says these individuals aren't going to threaten their own life or anyone else's."
Lead Editorial opinion, "Breath tests", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "otiose".
What part of speech is "otiose"?
Define "otiose".
Define "otiose" and use it in a sentence.
Monday, October 19, 2009
WEEK'S EASY START
ABIDE/BIDE
Define "abide" and "bide".
What part of speech is each word?
Explain the difference between "abide" and "bide".
Create a sentence using each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "obdurate".
Define "obdurate".
What part of speech is "obdurate"?
Create a sentence that uses and expresses the meqning of "obdurate".
Define "abide" and "bide".
What part of speech is each word?
Explain the difference between "abide" and "bide".
Create a sentence using each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "obdurate".
Define "obdurate".
What part of speech is "obdurate"?
Create a sentence that uses and expresses the meqning of "obdurate".
Sunday, October 18, 2009
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - October 18, 2009
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries.
Tuesday
There are four errors in the examples below. Find them, fix them and give your reasons for your choices.
“The 26 year-old man from the nearby suburb of New Westminster had been out drinking when he saw a couch on a east Vancouver sidewalk and decided to lay down to sleep.”
“An”, not “a”, is required before a word beginning with a vowel.
“Lay” is incorrect. When the subject is acting on some other object, “lay” is used. When the subject is lying down, “lie is used”.
“The 26 year-old man from the nearby suburb of New Westminster had been out drinking when he saw a couch on an east Vancouver sidewalk and decided to lie down to sleep.”
“Which means if there is any skimping on materials, design or construction, the fallout will come back to bite the hindquarters of the contractors' heirs.”
“Which” is a subordinate conjunction and makes its clause dependant. So the whole thing is an incomplete thought.
“If there is any skimping on materials, design or construction, the fallout will come back to bite the hindquarters of the contractors’ heirs.”
“Which is why the list of partners and subcontractors named by each of the successful bidding consortia reads like a who’s who of the world’s building industry: the names include Spaniards, Brits, Germans, Americans and Aussies.”
See the explanation for the example above.
The colon is misused; it should be a semi-colon.
“The list of partners and subcontractors named by each of the successful bidding consortia reads like a who’s who of the world’s building industry; the names include Spaniards, Brits, Germans, Americans and Aussies.”
Wednesday
Correct the three errors in the following units.
“A super pest, a circus act, a small, nasty bundle of balled-up menace who, when healthy competed like a giant.”
This is an incomplete thought.
“Darcy was a super pest, a circus act, a small, nasty bundle of balled-up menace who, when healthy competed like a giant.”
“Blue collar; hard working and gritty.”
This, too, is an incomplete thought.
The semi-colon should be a colon because a list of qualities about blue collar workers is being implied.
“He was blue collar: hard working and gritty.”
Thursday
AMBIVALENT/INDIFFERENT
“Ambivalent” (adj.) means being pulled in two directions about something thus creating uncertainty or indecision.
“Indifferent” (adj.) means having no particular feelings, concern or leanings about something.
Friday
CONFLICTED/CONFLICTING FEELINGS
“Conflicted” and “conflicted feelings” are jargon and should not be used, particularly in correct writing.
The term “conflicting feelings” is acceptable. Having “ambivalent” feelings is also acceptable.
“I feel conflicted about that,” is not acceptable.
“I have conflicting feelings about that,” is the way to say it.
A THINKER
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein, 1879 - 1955, said this.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Funereal” (adj.) means gloomy, suggestive of a grave or a burial.
“Machiavellian” (adj.) relates to the philosophy of Niccolò di Bernardo Machiavelli, an Italian statesman (1469-1527), who held the political doctrine which placed expediency above political morality and condoned the use of craft, unscrupulousness and deceit in order to maintain the authority and effect the purposes of the ruler. In short, it refers to a person who puts deceit above morality.
“Succour” (v.) means to help, assist, aid or suckle, particularly in a difficult situation. The American version is “succor”.
“Ungainly” (adj.) means lacking grace of movement or posture, gawky, unwieldy or awkward.
Tuesday
There are four errors in the examples below. Find them, fix them and give your reasons for your choices.
“The 26 year-old man from the nearby suburb of New Westminster had been out drinking when he saw a couch on a east Vancouver sidewalk and decided to lay down to sleep.”
“An”, not “a”, is required before a word beginning with a vowel.
“Lay” is incorrect. When the subject is acting on some other object, “lay” is used. When the subject is lying down, “lie is used”.
“The 26 year-old man from the nearby suburb of New Westminster had been out drinking when he saw a couch on an east Vancouver sidewalk and decided to lie down to sleep.”
“Which means if there is any skimping on materials, design or construction, the fallout will come back to bite the hindquarters of the contractors' heirs.”
“Which” is a subordinate conjunction and makes its clause dependant. So the whole thing is an incomplete thought.
“If there is any skimping on materials, design or construction, the fallout will come back to bite the hindquarters of the contractors’ heirs.”
“Which is why the list of partners and subcontractors named by each of the successful bidding consortia reads like a who’s who of the world’s building industry: the names include Spaniards, Brits, Germans, Americans and Aussies.”
See the explanation for the example above.
The colon is misused; it should be a semi-colon.
“The list of partners and subcontractors named by each of the successful bidding consortia reads like a who’s who of the world’s building industry; the names include Spaniards, Brits, Germans, Americans and Aussies.”
Wednesday
Correct the three errors in the following units.
“A super pest, a circus act, a small, nasty bundle of balled-up menace who, when healthy competed like a giant.”
This is an incomplete thought.
“Darcy was a super pest, a circus act, a small, nasty bundle of balled-up menace who, when healthy competed like a giant.”
“Blue collar; hard working and gritty.”
This, too, is an incomplete thought.
The semi-colon should be a colon because a list of qualities about blue collar workers is being implied.
“He was blue collar: hard working and gritty.”
Thursday
AMBIVALENT/INDIFFERENT
“Ambivalent” (adj.) means being pulled in two directions about something thus creating uncertainty or indecision.
“Indifferent” (adj.) means having no particular feelings, concern or leanings about something.
Friday
CONFLICTED/CONFLICTING FEELINGS
“Conflicted” and “conflicted feelings” are jargon and should not be used, particularly in correct writing.
The term “conflicting feelings” is acceptable. Having “ambivalent” feelings is also acceptable.
“I feel conflicted about that,” is not acceptable.
“I have conflicting feelings about that,” is the way to say it.
A THINKER
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein, 1879 - 1955, said this.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Funereal” (adj.) means gloomy, suggestive of a grave or a burial.
“Machiavellian” (adj.) relates to the philosophy of Niccolò di Bernardo Machiavelli, an Italian statesman (1469-1527), who held the political doctrine which placed expediency above political morality and condoned the use of craft, unscrupulousness and deceit in order to maintain the authority and effect the purposes of the ruler. In short, it refers to a person who puts deceit above morality.
“Succour” (v.) means to help, assist, aid or suckle, particularly in a difficult situation. The American version is “succor”.
“Ungainly” (adj.) means lacking grace of movement or posture, gawky, unwieldy or awkward.
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