GRATIS/GRATUITOUS
Define "gratis" and "gratuitous" and explain the difference between the two words.
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences that show the correct use of each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "antipathy".
What part of speech is "antipathy"?
Define "antipathy" and use it in a sentence.
There are two roots of this word that give clues to its meaning. Identify and explain them.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
THINKER CHALLENGES
DOUBT THAT/DOUBT WHETHER/DOUBT IF
Explain the correct use of each of the expressions "doubt that", "doubt whether" and "doubt if".
Create a sentence for each expression that displays its correct use.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "malingerer".
What part of speech is "malingerer"?
Define "malingerer" and use it in a sentence.
What is the verb form of this word?
Explain the correct use of each of the expressions "doubt that", "doubt whether" and "doubt if".
Create a sentence for each expression that displays its correct use.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "malingerer".
What part of speech is "malingerer"?
Define "malingerer" and use it in a sentence.
What is the verb form of this word?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
BACK TO THE BASICS
SOME BASIC PUNCTUATION
COLONS AND SEMI-COLONS
Explain the rules regarding the use of a colon and a semi-colon.
Create sentences using colons and semi-colons. Create a sentence for each rule you can name.
THINK ABOUT THIS ONE
Who penned this sardonic truism?
“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "antithesis".
What part of speech is "antithesis"?
Define "antithesis" and use it in a sentence.
COLONS AND SEMI-COLONS
Explain the rules regarding the use of a colon and a semi-colon.
Create sentences using colons and semi-colons. Create a sentence for each rule you can name.
THINK ABOUT THIS ONE
Who penned this sardonic truism?
“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "antithesis".
What part of speech is "antithesis"?
Define "antithesis" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A NEW SEMESTER. LET'S GO!
A MUST READ
Congratulations! There is a column in today's Windsor Star written by Janice Kennedy of the Ottawa Citizen called "Worrying about words in today's world" which reinforces everything I have been trying to convey about the need for the correct use of the English language.
Please read Ms. Kennedy's article and take it to heart.
PROOF POSITIVE
Find and correct the error in the following piece.
"If their tour bus hadn't have hit a patch of black ice on a Minnesota highway and flipped into a ditch, they may never have set foot on the Battala Rock star stage."
Rita Poliakov, "Band's fate turns in crash," The Windsor Star, Tuesday, September 8, 2009.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "plurality".
What part of speech is "plurality"?
Define "plurality" and use it in a sentence.
Congratulations! There is a column in today's Windsor Star written by Janice Kennedy of the Ottawa Citizen called "Worrying about words in today's world" which reinforces everything I have been trying to convey about the need for the correct use of the English language.
Please read Ms. Kennedy's article and take it to heart.
PROOF POSITIVE
Find and correct the error in the following piece.
"If their tour bus hadn't have hit a patch of black ice on a Minnesota highway and flipped into a ditch, they may never have set foot on the Battala Rock star stage."
Rita Poliakov, "Band's fate turns in crash," The Windsor Star, Tuesday, September 8, 2009.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "plurality".
What part of speech is "plurality"?
Define "plurality" and use it in a sentence.
Monday, September 7, 2009
LABOUR DAY
HAPPY LABOUR DAY
Let us remember to put forth the labour to be correct in all our communications, both written and oral, particularly those of us who write professionally.
To quote a wonderful old radio cliché, "The Shadow knows", and he will get those who are quilty of breaking the rules.
NEXT ENTRY
This blog will resume tomorrow.
Let us remember to put forth the labour to be correct in all our communications, both written and oral, particularly those of us who write professionally.
To quote a wonderful old radio cliché, "The Shadow knows", and he will get those who are quilty of breaking the rules.
NEXT ENTRY
This blog will resume tomorrow.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - September 6, 2009
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries.
Monday
HOCK/HAWK
“Hock” (v.) means to pawn, soak or soak.
“He hocked his stereo to buy a ring for his girl friend.”
“Hawk” (v.) means to offer for sale, to pitch as in an idea or to hunt for hawks.
“The salesman created a loud and fast-paced commercial to hawk his used cars.”
ADVERBS
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
“He ran quickly.”
The adverb “quickly” explains “how” about the verb “ran”.
“He ran very quickly.”
The adverb “very” explains “how” about the adverb “quickly”.
“She is beautifully adept in her dancing.”
The adverb “beautifully” explains “how” about the adjective “adept”.
Tuesday
DISCREET/DISCRETE
“Discreet” (adj.) means prudent, discerning or circumspect.
“We must be discreet in our arrangements so as to not tip our hand.”
“Discrete” (adj.) means separate, abstracted or removed.
Golf fans and tennis fans are distinctly discrete groups.
Wednesday
PHENOMENA/PHENOMENON
“Phenomena”, a noun, is plural.
“Phenomenon”, a noun, is singular.
“Data”/”datum”, “criteria”/ “criterium” and “media”/”medium” are of the same nature.
Thursday
CREVICE/CREVASSE
“Crevice”, a noun, means a small fissure, a wee crack, a tiny recess or a little niche and the accent is on the first syllable.
“The crevice between her teeth was barely noticeable.”
“Crevasse”, a noun, refers to a deep fissure or a huge cleft, as in a glacier, and the emphasis is on the second syllable.
“The crevasse in the ice was not passable and the explorers had to travel miles to get around it.”
“Crevice” has the emphasis on the first syllable.
“Crevasse” has the emphasis on the second syllable.
PRONUNCIATION/ARTICULATION
“Pronunciation” is the emphasis put on each syllable; for example, in Canada, the emphasis in the word “finance” should be on the second syllable.
“Articulation” is the clarity with which each syllable is spoken; for example, “water” has a “t” in it and the “t” should be clear; usually we say it as “wadder”.
Friday
Explain and correct the errors in the sentences below.
“Sombre Labour Day message”
I have heard of and visited “Sombra”, a beautiful little town on Lake St. Clair, but never “sombre”. Does anybody ever check spelling? I guess not, even though some spell-checks acknowledge it.
“Somber Labour Day message”
“As Kirk Maltby prepares for his 16th NHL season he knows the end of his playing days are near, but the Detroit Red Wings forward isn't thinking about retirement just yet.”
As usual, the subject and verb do not agree; the subject is NOT “days”; the subject of the sentence, Kirk Maltby, is singular, so the verb must also be singular.
There should be a comma after “season”.
“As Kirk Maltby prepares for his 16th NHL season, he knows the end of his playing days is near, but the Detroit Red Wings forward isn't thinking about retirement just yet.”
A GOOD OUTLOOK
“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910) coined this phrase.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Portentous” (adj.) means momentous or ominous in significance, prophetic, pompous or overblown.
“Hyperbole” (n.), considered a figure of speech, means exaggeration, magnification or overstatement
“Stereotypical” (adj.) means lacking spontaneity, originality or individuality, trite, hackneyed or conventional or conforming to a preset notion.
“Ignoble” (adj.) means cowardly, gutless, spineless, ungentlemanly or the opposite of “noble”.
“Incertitude” (n.) refers to doubt uncertainty, apprehension or dread.
Monday
HOCK/HAWK
“Hock” (v.) means to pawn, soak or soak.
“He hocked his stereo to buy a ring for his girl friend.”
“Hawk” (v.) means to offer for sale, to pitch as in an idea or to hunt for hawks.
“The salesman created a loud and fast-paced commercial to hawk his used cars.”
ADVERBS
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
“He ran quickly.”
The adverb “quickly” explains “how” about the verb “ran”.
“He ran very quickly.”
The adverb “very” explains “how” about the adverb “quickly”.
“She is beautifully adept in her dancing.”
The adverb “beautifully” explains “how” about the adjective “adept”.
Tuesday
DISCREET/DISCRETE
“Discreet” (adj.) means prudent, discerning or circumspect.
“We must be discreet in our arrangements so as to not tip our hand.”
“Discrete” (adj.) means separate, abstracted or removed.
Golf fans and tennis fans are distinctly discrete groups.
Wednesday
PHENOMENA/PHENOMENON
“Phenomena”, a noun, is plural.
“Phenomenon”, a noun, is singular.
“Data”/”datum”, “criteria”/ “criterium” and “media”/”medium” are of the same nature.
Thursday
CREVICE/CREVASSE
“Crevice”, a noun, means a small fissure, a wee crack, a tiny recess or a little niche and the accent is on the first syllable.
“The crevice between her teeth was barely noticeable.”
“Crevasse”, a noun, refers to a deep fissure or a huge cleft, as in a glacier, and the emphasis is on the second syllable.
“The crevasse in the ice was not passable and the explorers had to travel miles to get around it.”
“Crevice” has the emphasis on the first syllable.
“Crevasse” has the emphasis on the second syllable.
PRONUNCIATION/ARTICULATION
“Pronunciation” is the emphasis put on each syllable; for example, in Canada, the emphasis in the word “finance” should be on the second syllable.
“Articulation” is the clarity with which each syllable is spoken; for example, “water” has a “t” in it and the “t” should be clear; usually we say it as “wadder”.
Friday
Explain and correct the errors in the sentences below.
“Sombre Labour Day message”
I have heard of and visited “Sombra”, a beautiful little town on Lake St. Clair, but never “sombre”. Does anybody ever check spelling? I guess not, even though some spell-checks acknowledge it.
“Somber Labour Day message”
“As Kirk Maltby prepares for his 16th NHL season he knows the end of his playing days are near, but the Detroit Red Wings forward isn't thinking about retirement just yet.”
As usual, the subject and verb do not agree; the subject is NOT “days”; the subject of the sentence, Kirk Maltby, is singular, so the verb must also be singular.
There should be a comma after “season”.
“As Kirk Maltby prepares for his 16th NHL season, he knows the end of his playing days is near, but the Detroit Red Wings forward isn't thinking about retirement just yet.”
A GOOD OUTLOOK
“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910) coined this phrase.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Portentous” (adj.) means momentous or ominous in significance, prophetic, pompous or overblown.
“Hyperbole” (n.), considered a figure of speech, means exaggeration, magnification or overstatement
“Stereotypical” (adj.) means lacking spontaneity, originality or individuality, trite, hackneyed or conventional or conforming to a preset notion.
“Ignoble” (adj.) means cowardly, gutless, spineless, ungentlemanly or the opposite of “noble”.
“Incertitude” (n.) refers to doubt uncertainty, apprehension or dread.
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