CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - July 13, 2008

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

Monday

PRINCIPAL/PRINCIPLE

“Principal” (n., adj.) refers to someone or something which is highest in rank or importance, as in the “principal of the school” or the “principle part of the loan”.

“Principle” is only a noun, and has to do with law or doctrine, as in the “principle of fair play”.


Tuesday

PROVIDENCE/PROVIDENT/PROVINCIALITY

“Providence” (n.) primarily means the care and guardianship of God over His creatures but has also come to mean fate, luck, chance or destiny.

“Provident” (adj.)means sagacious, wise, far-seeing or showing foresight.

“Provinciality” (n.) means having the character of some province or area and usually means rustic or rural.


Wednesday

PROSTRATE/PROSTATE/POSTULATE

“Prostrate” (adj.) means lying face downward.

“Prostate” (n.) is a gland surrounding the urethra in males.

“Postulate” (v.) means to claim or assume the existence of truth or a basis of reasoning. As a noun it is a fundamental principle, prerequisite or necessary condition.


PRO PROBLEMS

Identify and correct the errors in the sentences below.

“In fact, it doesn't appear either have purchased anything since June 29. Koukousoulas, a regular at the casino, hasn't been there since last month. Both men are members of the local Greek community and none of their friends or associates have seen them since the date of their disappearance.
Police have followed every lead and tip they've been offered in the case, but are now at a dead end, Brown said.”

Sentence 1: “either” is a singular subject and needs a singular verb.
Sentence 3: “none” is a singular subject and needs a singular verb.
Sentence 4: the subject of each clause is the same so no comma is needed before “but”. If the subjects were different, a comma would be warranted.

“In fact, it doesn't appear either has purchased anything since June 29. Koukousoulas, a regular at the casino, hasn't been there since last month. Both men are members of the local Greek community and none of their friends or associates has seen them since the date of their disappearance.
Police have followed every lead and tip they've been offered in the case but are now at a dead end, Brown said.”


Thursday

PERSPECTIVE/PROSPECTIVE/PROSPECTUS

“Perspective” (n.) means point of view, especially the ability to see the whole of something, as in, “The coach’s perspective includes the entire team roster”.

“Prospective” (adj.) means "future or potential", as in, “Based on his training, his prospective earnings are enormous”.

“Prospectus” (n.) is a statement which describes or advertises a forthcoming literary work, a new enterprise or the like, as in, “The prospectus for the new medical building is being revised”.


Friday

PSYCHOLOGIST/PSYCHIATRIST/PSYCHOTHERAPIST/PSYCHOANALYST

A “psychologist” is a person who has studied the mind and earned a Ph.D. or Psy.D.

A “psychiatrist” is an M.D. who can prescribe medicines and who specializes in the treatment of mental problems.

A “psychotherapist” is not a technical term, and may be used by anyone claiming to offer therapy for mental problems. No reference to qualifications is implied.

A “psychoanalyst” is a specific kind of psychotherapist: a licensed practitioner of the methods of Sigmund Freud.



QUOTES

“Perfection is a road not a destination. Every time I live, I get an education.”
Burk Hudson

“An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.”
Anatole France

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill


THE WEEK’S WORDS

“Provocateur” (n.) means an instigator or inciter.

“Paucity” (n.) means scarcity, dearth or smallness of quantity.

“Preternatural” (adj.) means abnormal, supernatural or out of the ordinary course of nature.

“Prosody” (n.) is the science or study of poetic meters and versifications.


SORRY!

There were only four words last week; I used one word twice because I was careless. Try the ones below.

Define “propensity” and “pervasive” and use them in sentences.