CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - May 18, 2008

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


Monday

FLOUNDER/FOUNDER

“Flounder”, as a verb, means to struggle in the water, struggling to stay alive.

“Founder”, as a verb, means to fill with water and sink. It can be used to imply catastrophic failure.


Tuesday

Identify the errors in the following passages:

"A new product for the plant has long been sought after."
“After” is dangling and redundant.
"A new product for the plant has long been sought."

"...while they were turning off of Janette Avenue..."
“Off” and “of” are both prepositions and cannot be used together.
"...while they were turning off Janette Avenue..."


Wednesday

Identify and correct the errors in the entries below:

"Since 2005, very little of those projects have been brought forward."
“Little” means "small". “Few” designates how many. The two are not interchangeable.
"Since 2005, very few of those projects have been brought forward."

"...there were a series of rumours..."
“Series” is the subject and is a collective singular noun; therefore, a singular verb is required for correct agreement.
"...there was a series of rumours..."


Thursday

Identify and correct the errors in the following piece:

"Our worst scores were in the categories of: unemployment (9.3 percent), air quality (10 micrograms of particulate per cubic metre), medical professionals (only 1.4 doctors per 1,000 residents), and the amount of people who walk or bike to work (a paltry 5.7 per cent of the work force)."
The use of a colon here is incorrect; there are no clauses, only phrases and colons are used with clauses.
“Amount” cannot be used when designating numbers; it is used to designate quantity.
The comma after “professionals” is not necessary because there is a conjunction already in place. (I prefer the old way.)
"Our worst scores were in the categories of unemployment (9.3 percent), air quality (10 micrograms of particulate per cubic metre), medical professionals (only 1.4 doctors per 1,000 residents) and the number of people who walk or bike to work (a paltry 5.7 per cent of the work force)."


Friday

DRANK/DRUNK

“Drank” is the past tense of the verb “drink”.
“I drank the wine yesterday.”

“Drunk” is the past participle of the verb “drink” and must use an auxiliary verb with it as in “have drunk”.
“I have drunk wine in the past.”



A GOOD PHILOSOPHY

"To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act."
Anatole France stated this.


THIS WEEK’S WORDS

“Perspicacity” (n.) means astuteness, shrewdness, wiseness or intelligence.

“Academician” (n.) means a skilled scholar, an educator or someone elected to membership in an academy.

“Inchoate” (adj.) means rudimentary, just begun or insipient.

“Grandiose” (adj.) means dazzling, formidable or impressive because of unnecessary largeness or grandeur.

“Propensity” (n.) means leaning toward, tending toward, inclination