CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - March 15, 2009

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

Monday

VERBS TEST

Read the sentences and identify the following about each:

a) the verb itself
b) type of verb
c) tense of the verb
d) voice of the verb


1. Betsy is a wonderful mother.
The verb is “is”. It is a copula verb in the present tense. It is active.

2. The house was built by George.
The verb is “was built”. It is a compound verb. It is intransitive and in the past tense. It is passive.

3. He quickly ran to the front of the line.
The verb is “ran”. It is intransitive and in the past tense. It is active.

4. The operator was driving his bus when it ran out of gas.
The first verb is “was driving”. It is a compound verb in the past tense. It is active.
The second verb is “ran out”. It is a compound verb in the past tense. It is active.

5. The marathoner had run the race in 2005.
The verb is “had run”. It is a compound verb in the past perfect tense. It is active.


Tuesday

“Overnight Saturday, another vanderGaast penguin statue went missing, this time from the London School of Economics in England.”

Things and people do not “go missing”. This is a terrible phrase that is blatantly and inanely overused. It has to be replaced.

“Overnight Saturday, another vanderGaast penguin statue disappeared, this time from the London School of Economics in England.”


“A record number of Ross's geese seen at one time in Southern Ontario were spotted Monday at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area.”

The subject of “were spotted” is “number“, a collective singular noun, by context. The verb, therefore, has to be singular.

“A record number of Ross's geese seen at one time in Southern Ontario was spotted Monday at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area.”


“'I've the heard the last six month described as an economic tsunami,'“ he said.

The quotation marks are misplaced and “month” has to be plural.

“'I've the heard the last six months described as an economic tsunami,' he said.”



Wednesday

INTENSE/INTENSIVE

“Intense” (adj.) means putting forth a great or concerted effort. It also meand existing in a high or extreme degree.
“He put forth an intense effort at pumping iron in order to build his muscles.”

“Intensive” (adj.) means that the effort or intensity of effort comes from outside forces. It is the increasing of emphasis or forc.
“Through intensive agrarian efforts by the farmer, the crop yield tripled.



Thursday

MAJORITY ARE/MAJORITY IS

“Majority” can be either singular or plural.
When “majority” is used to describe a collection of individuals, then the word should be treated as plural.
“The majority of players on the team are under twenty.”

When “majority” is used to describe a collective group, then it has to be considered as singular.
“A fifty-one percent majority of listeners is a huge number of people.”

The rule is that if “majority” refers to the group, itself, it is singular; if it refers to individuals in the group, it is plural. Context creates the choice.



Friday

COMPLEMENTARY/COMPLIMENTARY

“Complementary” (adj.) means to harmonize, match or go with something else.
“The style and colour of the couple’s clothes were complementary.”

“Complimentary” (adj.) means praising, flattering or approving comments.
“The adjudicator’s remarks for the young pianist were very complimentary.”



TAKE THIS TO HEART

“There is no remedy for love but to love more."
Henry David Thoreau, author (1817 - 1862) penned this piece.



LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Perseverance” (n.) means diligence, doggedness or persistence.

“Strident” (adj.) means loud, clamorous, shrill or discordant.

“Trenchant” (adj.) means incisive, sharp, forceful, cutting or direct

“Anomaly” (n.) means an incongruity, an abnormality or a variance.

“Dubious” (adj.) means doubtful, uncertain, ambiguous or suspicious.