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Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
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Michael's English is alive and active and has a new RSS feed.
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I hope everyone will return and keep up the fight.
Michael Lyons
Michael's English is alive and active and has a new RSS feed.
Please redirect to michaelsenglishusage.com
I hope everyone will return and keep up the fight.
Michael Lyons
Friday, April 23, 2010
CHANGE IS COMING
EXCITING EVENT
MICHAEL'S ENGLISH USAGE
NEW DESIGN & NEW SERVER
We are still working on the new chapter for Michael's English Usage. We are transferring to a new server and will present a completely redesigned and expanded format.
Michael's English Usage has recently celebrated the completion of three years of posts and this entry is number 894. We will have created 900 posts within the next two weeks and are very proud of that accomplishment.
The new format will provide direct Twitter and Facebook contact and use, and I encourage you to make use of these new tools and to make suggestions for topics to be discussed.
An exciting new feature will be the ability to advertise on Michael's English Usage, and I hope people and companies will take advantage of this opportunity.
A great new feature will be an internal search engine which will allow specific access to past post content. As a result, the speed of finding previous topics will be fantastically streamlined.
As always, readers will have the opportunity to subscribe to Michael's English Usage and I hope many will take advantage of this.
The newly formatted Michael's English Usage will be up and running over the weekend. Please enjoy the new format. Visit us often. The address will be the same. The content will have the same mandate. And remember: proper English usage is not a dead concept.
Thank you for your support. I hope you continue to visit.
Michael Lyons
INCISIVE/DECISIVE
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "incisive" and "decisive".
Create sentences that depict the correct meaning of each word.
PET PEEVE
Chances are good that you can guess what the pet peeve is.
The question is, "What makes it so peevish, and incidentally, so wrong?"
"At the time Bain went missing, Bernardo had committed a series of sexual assaults in her area."
Dalson Chen, City law firm files $13M lawsuit in wrongful conviction", Friday, April 23, 2010.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "ephemeral"
Define "ephemeral" and use it in a sentence.
What part of speech is "ephemeral"?
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
GRAMMAR GEEK GLEE
EXCITING EVENT
MICHAEL'S ENGLISH USAGE
NEW DESIGN
NEW SERVER
Tomorrow will mark the beginning of a new chapter for Michael's English Usage because we will be transferring to a new server and will present a completely redesigned and expanded format.
Michael's English Usage has recently celebrated the completion of three years of posts and this entry is number 893. We will have made 900 posts in the next two weeks and are very proud of that accomplishment.
The new format will provide direct Twitter and Facebook contact and use, and I encourage you to make use of these new tools and to make suggestions for topics to be discussed.
An exciting new feature will be the ability to advertise on Michael's English Usage, and I hope people and companies will take advantage of this opportunity.
A great new feature will be an internal search engine which will allow specific access to past post content. As a result, the speed of finding previous topics will be fantastically streamlined.
As always, readers will have the opportunity to subscribe to Michael's English Usage and I hope many will take advantage of this.
The newly formatted Michael's English Usage will be up and running over the next two days. Please enjoy the new format. Visit us often. The address will be the same. The content will have the same mandate. And remember: proper English usage is not a dead concept.
Thank you for your support. I hope you continue to visit.
Michael Lyons
RAISON D’ĒTRE
Identify and correct error in the following piece.
Bonus # 1: identify the irony in this entry.
Bonus # 2: identify how this example epitomizes Michael's English Usage.
"In schools the need could not be more urgent. More than one in three adults in the nation's capital are illiterate."
Nora O'Donnell, NBC Evening News with Brian Williams, Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "momentous".
What part of speech is "momentous"?
Define "momentous" and use it in a sentence.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
MIXED BAG OF WORD THOUGHTS
FEELINGS FOR/FEELINGS ABOUT
WOW! WHAT A GREAT CONCEPT
Identify the author of the following truism.
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
The word for today is "eschew".
Define "eschew" and use it in a sentence.
What part of speech is "eschew"?
List two noun forms of "eschew".
Explain the difference in meaning between "feelings for" and "feelings about".
Create a sentence that displays the correct meaning of "feelings for".
Create a sentence that displays the correct meaning of "feelings about".
WOW! WHAT A GREAT CONCEPT
Identify the author of the following truism.
“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "eschew".
Define "eschew" and use it in a sentence.
What part of speech is "eschew"?
List two noun forms of "eschew".
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I LOVE SARCASM
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF FINE PROFESSIONAL WRITING
Find and correct the error in the following piece. Be sure to cite the applicable rule.
BONUS: feel free to LOL if you identify and understand the irony of this entry.
"So much so that the powers of the Internet have been harnessed to create a punctuation mark intended to show when a sentence is sarcastic."
Mike Barber, Canwest News Service, "Sarcasm mark patented", The Windsor Star, Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "bilious".
What part of speech is "bilious".
Define "bilious" and use it in a sentence.
What is the root of the word?
What other parts of speech can be made with "bilious"?
Apply the definition of "bilious" to the example of professional writing listed above.
Monday, April 19, 2010
WOEFUL WRITING
ANOTHER "PROFESSIONAL" CONTRIBUTION
Identify, explain and correct the error in the following piece.
"Which surely obliges them to be straight with people about the limitations of the anti-HST initiatives."
Vaughn Palmer, Guest Column, "B.C. deals with the HST", The Windsor Star, Monday, April 19, 2010.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "indefatigable".
What part of speech is "indefatigable"?
Define "indefatigable" and use it in a sentence.
REMEMBER THE FORMAT
Five days a week, this blog presents grammar errors, sentence structure errors, punctuation errors, word misuses and abuses and a word for the day. You are asked to identify the errors and correct them and to define and use the word of the day. On the Sunday after each week's entries, the corrections and explanations are posted.
The concept is intentionally Socratic and is intended to challenge you to think about correct English usage in daily communication and to review your responses each Sunday.
The original catalyst for this blog was the appalling misuse of English by professional writers and newscasters. For three years they have provided the material for this blog and, unfortunately, I have all the faith in the world that they will continue to do so. Just listen for two minutes to any newscast by any news station in the country and you will understand.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - April 18, 2010
Here are the corrections and explanations for last week’s posts.
Monday
Identify and correct the error in the following selection.
“I was expecting to be one of the youngest in attendance but was surprised to find a decent amount of 20-somethings scattered in the crowd.”
How many times do I have to list this error?
“Amount” words relate to quantities of things that are measured in bulk.
“Number” words relate to things that can be counted.
“I was expecting to be one of the youngest in attendance but was surprised to find a decent number of 20-somethings scattered in the crowd.”
Tuesday
CONTAMINATES/CONTAMINANTS
“Contaminates” is a verb meaning to make impure or to pollute.
“Contaminants” is a noun referring to a type of material or stuff that pollutes or makes impure.
“Contaminants” is the goo; “contaminates” is the action.
Wednesday
VAPID/VACUOUS
“Vapid” is an adjective meaning dull, flat, lethargic or sluggishness or lacking in zest or liveliness.
“Vacuous” is an adjective meaning inanely foolish, hollow or empty.
Thursday
SHINED/SHONE
“Shined” is the transitive form, meaning an object is required, of the verb “to shine”.
“He shined his light on the old raccoon who was scavaging in the trash can.”
“Shone” is used when the verb is intransitive, or lacking an object, or when the context merely speaks of the act of shining.
“The sun shone intensely all day long.”
Friday
Correct the errors in the following. Be sure to explain what is wrong in each example.
Hint: there are six.
“I should of wrote that story yesterday so that I could of went to the ball game today.”
1. “Of” is incorrect. “Of” is a preposition; it can never be substituted for an auxiliary verb and, most definitely, cannot be used as a contraction for “have”.
2. “Wrote” is incorrect. The participial form of “to write” is needed.
3. The second “of” is incorrect. “Of” is a preposition; it can never be substituted for an auxiliary verb and, again, cannot be used as a contraction of “have”.
4. “Went” is incorrect. “Went” cannot be used with an auxiliary verb such as “could”.
“I should have written that story yesterday so that I could have gone to the ball game today.”
“I was shocked when I seen what happened when I went in the room this morning.”
5. “Seen” is incorrect. The past tense of “to see” is “saw”.
6. “In” is incorrect. There is a difference in meaning between “in” and “into”. The difference is between entering and exiting a room and toilet humour.
“I was shocked when I saw what happened when I went into the room this morning.”
PET PEEVE - THE/THEE
“Thee” is an old form of the pronoun “thou”. It really is the objective case of “thou”.
Today, it means “you”.
“Thee” is pronounced as in “he”.
“I give thee a lesson which you should heed.”
“The” is known as a definite article.
“The” denote a specific item or word as opposed the the indefinite article “a” which designates any item or word.
“The” is pronounced as in “duh” and is NOT pronounced as in “he”.
“The writing is on the wall that many people constantly mispronounce the definite article “the”.
“THE” and “THEE” are NOT interchangeable.
WOW! HOW TRUE IS THIS!
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
Isaac Asimov, a US science fiction novelist and scholar who lived from 1920 to 1992 said this.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Redolent” (adj.) means remindful, heedful, smelling of, perfumed or scented.
“Cosmology” (n.) refers to the branch of philosophy concerned about the origin and general structure of the universe, its parts, elements and laws.
“Cosmos” refers to the world or universe.
“Logy” refers to combining forms of science, knowledge, thinking or studying.
“Voracious” (adj.) means excessively greedy or grasping, devouring or craving.
“Vainglory” (n.) refers to excessive ego, boastfulness, self-love or narcissism.
The root is glory of vanity or pomp.
“Vainglorious” is the adjective form.
“Savant” (n.) refers to a man of learning, an intellectual or a scholar.
Monday
Identify and correct the error in the following selection.
“I was expecting to be one of the youngest in attendance but was surprised to find a decent amount of 20-somethings scattered in the crowd.”
How many times do I have to list this error?
“Amount” words relate to quantities of things that are measured in bulk.
“Number” words relate to things that can be counted.
“I was expecting to be one of the youngest in attendance but was surprised to find a decent number of 20-somethings scattered in the crowd.”
Tuesday
CONTAMINATES/CONTAMINANTS
“Contaminates” is a verb meaning to make impure or to pollute.
“Contaminants” is a noun referring to a type of material or stuff that pollutes or makes impure.
“Contaminants” is the goo; “contaminates” is the action.
Wednesday
VAPID/VACUOUS
“Vapid” is an adjective meaning dull, flat, lethargic or sluggishness or lacking in zest or liveliness.
“Vacuous” is an adjective meaning inanely foolish, hollow or empty.
Thursday
SHINED/SHONE
“Shined” is the transitive form, meaning an object is required, of the verb “to shine”.
“He shined his light on the old raccoon who was scavaging in the trash can.”
“Shone” is used when the verb is intransitive, or lacking an object, or when the context merely speaks of the act of shining.
“The sun shone intensely all day long.”
Friday
Correct the errors in the following. Be sure to explain what is wrong in each example.
Hint: there are six.
“I should of wrote that story yesterday so that I could of went to the ball game today.”
1. “Of” is incorrect. “Of” is a preposition; it can never be substituted for an auxiliary verb and, most definitely, cannot be used as a contraction for “have”.
2. “Wrote” is incorrect. The participial form of “to write” is needed.
3. The second “of” is incorrect. “Of” is a preposition; it can never be substituted for an auxiliary verb and, again, cannot be used as a contraction of “have”.
4. “Went” is incorrect. “Went” cannot be used with an auxiliary verb such as “could”.
“I should have written that story yesterday so that I could have gone to the ball game today.”
“I was shocked when I seen what happened when I went in the room this morning.”
5. “Seen” is incorrect. The past tense of “to see” is “saw”.
6. “In” is incorrect. There is a difference in meaning between “in” and “into”. The difference is between entering and exiting a room and toilet humour.
“I was shocked when I saw what happened when I went into the room this morning.”
PET PEEVE - THE/THEE
“Thee” is an old form of the pronoun “thou”. It really is the objective case of “thou”.
Today, it means “you”.
“Thee” is pronounced as in “he”.
“I give thee a lesson which you should heed.”
“The” is known as a definite article.
“The” denote a specific item or word as opposed the the indefinite article “a” which designates any item or word.
“The” is pronounced as in “duh” and is NOT pronounced as in “he”.
“The writing is on the wall that many people constantly mispronounce the definite article “the”.
“THE” and “THEE” are NOT interchangeable.
WOW! HOW TRUE IS THIS!
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
Isaac Asimov, a US science fiction novelist and scholar who lived from 1920 to 1992 said this.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Redolent” (adj.) means remindful, heedful, smelling of, perfumed or scented.
“Cosmology” (n.) refers to the branch of philosophy concerned about the origin and general structure of the universe, its parts, elements and laws.
“Cosmos” refers to the world or universe.
“Logy” refers to combining forms of science, knowledge, thinking or studying.
“Voracious” (adj.) means excessively greedy or grasping, devouring or craving.
“Vainglory” (n.) refers to excessive ego, boastfulness, self-love or narcissism.
The root is glory of vanity or pomp.
“Vainglorious” is the adjective form.
“Savant” (n.) refers to a man of learning, an intellectual or a scholar.
Friday, April 16, 2010
FRIDAY FUN?
ACTUAL LANGUAGE USE
Correct the errors in the following. Be sure to explain what is wrong in each example.
Hint: there are six.
"I should of wrote that story yesterday so that I could of went to the ball game today."
"I was shocked when I seen what happened when I went in the room this morning."
PET PEEVE - THE/THEE
What does "thee" mean?
What part of speech is "thee"?
How is "thee" pronounced?
What does "the" mean?
What part of speech is "the"?
How is "the" pronounced?
"THE" and ""THEE" are NOT interchangeable.
So why do people pronounce "the" as "thee" when speaking?
Wake up! Ignorance is not bliss!
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "savant".
What part of speech is "savant"?
Define "savant" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted Sunday.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A BANNER DAY FOR GRAMMAR
RECOGNITION
Michael's English Usage
is honoured and proud to be included
in the university online review
as one of the
top 50 blogs
for grammar geeks.
I recommend you access the site listed below
to gain further insights into
the correct use of the English language.
Keep the torch burning brightly!
Thank you.
SHINED/SHONE
Explain the different uses of the words "shined" and "shone".
What is the specific part of speech of each word?
Create sentences for "shined" and "shone" that clearly show the correct use of each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "vainglory".
What part of speech is "vainglory"?
What other parts of speech can you list of this word?
Define "vainglory" and use it in a sentence.
What is the root of the word?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
VERY EASY WORDS TODAY
VAPID/VACUOUS
WOW! HOW TRUE IS THIS!
Identify the author of the following truism.
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
The word for today is "voracious".
What part of speech is "voracious"?
Define "voracious" and use it in a sentence.
Explain the difference between the words "vacuous" and "vapid".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences that clearly reveal the meanings of "vapid" and "vacuous".
WOW! HOW TRUE IS THIS!
Identify the author of the following truism.
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "voracious".
What part of speech is "voracious"?
Define "voracious" and use it in a sentence.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
THIS IS "C" DAY
CONTAMINATES/CONTAMINANTS
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "contaminates" and "contaminants".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences using "contaminates" and "contaminants" that clearly show the meanings of each word.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "cosmology".
What part of speech is "cosmology"?
Define "cosmology" and use it in a sentence.
What is the root word of "cosmology"?
Hint: if you know the root, the definition should be easy. What is it?
Hint # 2: if you know the meaning of the word's suffix, the definition becomes even easier. What is it?
Monday, April 12, 2010
GOOD MONDAY MORNING
"WHEN WILL IT EVER END...?"
Identify and correct the error in the following selection.
"I was expecting to be one of the youngest in attendance but was surprised to find a decent amount of 20-somethings scattered in the crowd."
Dylan Kristy, "At 83, Rickles hasn't lost step", The Windsor Star, Monday, April 12, 2010.
The word for today is "redolent".
What part of speech is "redolent"?
Define "redolent" and use it in a sentence.
List two other parts of speech that can be formed from "redolent".
Identify and correct the error in the following selection.
"I was expecting to be one of the youngest in attendance but was surprised to find a decent amount of 20-somethings scattered in the crowd."
Dylan Kristy, "At 83, Rickles hasn't lost step", The Windsor Star, Monday, April 12, 2010.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "redolent".
What part of speech is "redolent"?
Define "redolent" and use it in a sentence.
List two other parts of speech that can be formed from "redolent".
Sunday, April 11, 2010
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - March 29 - April 9, 2010
Here are the corrections and explanations for the last two weeks of entries.
Identify each error and correct it.
“The two of us were in on Windsor's casino explosion from Day 1: Myself as a reporter at city hall, where Windsor's public debate about casino gambling started in earnest in 1990. Andrews was part of a team of NDP public wonks sent down here by the Bob Rae government to open a ‘temporary’ casino.”
“Myself” is a reflexive pronoun and cannot be used in this example.
The colon suggests there is a list to follow, but the sentence ended with only one example. It should be rewritten.
“The two of us were in on Windsor's casino explosion from Day 1. I was a reporter at city hall where Windsor's public debate about casino gambling started in earnest in 1990. Andrews was part of a team of NDP public wonks sent down here by the Bob Rae government to open a ‘temporary’ casino.”
Below is an alternate that is acceptable and correct.
“The two of us were in on Windsor's casino explosion from Day 1: I, as a reporter at city hall where Windsor's public debate about casino gambling started in earnest in 1990; and Andrews, as part of a team of NDP public wonks sent down here by the Bob Rae government to open a ‘temporary’ casino.”
ADAPT/ADOPT
“Adapt”, a verb, means to write in a different form, to accommodate or make fit or to accept.
“I will adapt to the new challenges and survive.”
“Adopt”, a verb, means to take over, to borrow, to assume or take on titles.
“I will adopt those children because I love them.”
Carefully read the following passage and find two errors. One should make you either laugh or groan; the other should just make you groan. Explain the errors and correct them.
“During surgery, Elalem took tissue samples from Milosevski's stomach and himself walked them to the pathology department.”
Did Elalem take samples from Milosevski and from himself? It sure sounds like it. Read it closely.
The problem is the misuse of the word “himself”. It must be eliminated and then the sentence makes sense; mind you, I have never seen tissue samples walk so I would change “walked”.
“During surgery, Elalem took tissue samples from Milosevski's stomach and took them to the pathology department.”
PRESCRIBE/PROSCRIBE
“Prescribe”, a verb, means to lay down rules, to dictate or to order.
“Proscribe” is a verb meaning to disallow, to forbid or to veto.
SURE/SURELY
“Sure” is an adjective meaning certain.
“Surely” is an adverb meaning undoubtedly.
Just for fun, “surely” can modify “sure”, but “sure” cannot modify “surely”. And don’t call me “Shirley”. (Do you know who said that in a famous movie? Do you know the movie?)
TIMES/MULTIPLY
“Times” does not mean “multiply” even though we use the term times-tables.
Simply, “times” must not be used to mean multiply.
“Multiply”, meaning to increase, is the correct term.
“I multiply 2 by 2 and I get 4. I do not times the numbers. Even I can understand that.”
“And waded right in to the unbearable heaviness of being Tiger.”
There is no subject of this group of words pretending to be a sentence.
“In to” should be “into”.
“And he waded right into the unbearable heaviness of being Tiger.”
“Some of it self-imposed, some out of self-preservation.”
This is an incomplete thought because there is no verb.
“Some of it was self-imposed, some was out of self-preservation.”
NOTHING
“Nothing” is a singular noun; therefore, its verb must also be singular.
“Nothing but weeds grows in my yard.” (wrong)
“Nothing but weeds grow in my yard.”
“Nothing except sweet candies appeal to Tiffany.” (wrong)
“Nothing except sweet candies appeals to Tiffany.”
Fix the errors in the following pieces. Be sure to cite the rule for each error.
“First, to give the impression Earl Woods is in a galaxy far, far away, a virtual Obi-Wan Kenobi offering words of wisdom to a much younger Tiger; the one we knew and loved before all those sordid details about his mistresses and sex life hit the press.”
This is an incomplete thought; there is no main verb.
The semicolon should be a period.
“First, the commercial gives the impression Earl Woods is in a galaxy far, far away, a virtual Obi-Wan Kenobi offering words of wisdom to a much younger Tiger, the one we knew and loved before all those sordid details about his mistresses and sex life hit the press.”
“Or for those of us who refuse to buy it, cowardice and more cowardice.”
This is an incomplete thought; there is no main verb.
“The commercial shows those of us who refuse to buy it, cowardice and more cowardice.”
“He acts like a kid who's just been taken to the woodshed; a sombre, stoic, sheepish look on his face.”
The semi-colon and word structure are wrong and destroy the correct sense of what is being said.
“He acts like a kid who's just been taken to the woodshed with that sombre, stoic, sheepish look on his face.”
“And the par-five 13th when he went in the creek with his second shot, and survived.”
This is an incomplete sentence because there is no main verb.
“He went in the creek...” conjures up an interesting image, especially if he did it in front of millions of viewers. Actually and factually, his ball went into the creek.
The comma after “shot” is really unnecessary because the subject of both verbs is “he”, but I know what the writer is trying to do.
“He survived the par-five 13th when he drove his ball into the creek with his second shot.”
INTERESTING AND TRUE
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
Voltaire, a French humanist and satirist who lived from 1694 to1778, wrote this.
ONE TRUE RULE
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”
Sophocles, a Greek tragic dramatist who lived from 496 BC to 406 BC, penned this statement.
TWO WEEKS OF WORDS
“Temporize” (v.) means to draw out a discussion to gain time, to linger, to loaf or to mill around.
“Maven” (n.) refers to someone who is highly skilled, adept, a wizard, a virtuoso or a star.
“Lupine” (adj.) means resembling a wolf, a wild species, savage or ravenous”.
Bonus: “lupine”, as a noun, refers to any plant of the leguminous species with blue, pink or white flowers.
“Tawdry” (adj.) means flashy, cheap, garish, gaudy or trashy.
“Tawdrily” is the adverb form.
“Tawdriness” is the noun form.
“Enmity” (n.) refers to hostility, antagonism or a deep-seated ill-will.
“Solicitous” (adj.) means showing concern and anxiety, afraid, concerned or careful of someone or something.
“Solicit” is the verb form.
“Solicitously” is the adverb form.
“Solicitousness” is the noun form.
“Solicitor” is another noun form.
“Naught” “n.) refers to a quantity of no importance, nothing or a complete failure.
“Naughty” is the most commonly used word that is derived from “naught”, suggesting sexual impropriety, raciness or auto erotic, so be careful when calling a child “naughty”.
“Amorphous” (adj.) means having no definite form or distinct shape, lacking structure or artificial.
“Ambiguity” (n.) refers to an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context,
other parts of speech, unclearness or uncertainty.
“Ambiguous” is the adjective form.
“Ambiguously” is the adverb form.
Monday, March 29
Identify each error and correct it.
“The two of us were in on Windsor's casino explosion from Day 1: Myself as a reporter at city hall, where Windsor's public debate about casino gambling started in earnest in 1990. Andrews was part of a team of NDP public wonks sent down here by the Bob Rae government to open a ‘temporary’ casino.”
“Myself” is a reflexive pronoun and cannot be used in this example.
The colon suggests there is a list to follow, but the sentence ended with only one example. It should be rewritten.
“The two of us were in on Windsor's casino explosion from Day 1. I was a reporter at city hall where Windsor's public debate about casino gambling started in earnest in 1990. Andrews was part of a team of NDP public wonks sent down here by the Bob Rae government to open a ‘temporary’ casino.”
Below is an alternate that is acceptable and correct.
“The two of us were in on Windsor's casino explosion from Day 1: I, as a reporter at city hall where Windsor's public debate about casino gambling started in earnest in 1990; and Andrews, as part of a team of NDP public wonks sent down here by the Bob Rae government to open a ‘temporary’ casino.”
Tuesday, March 30
ADAPT/ADOPT
“Adapt”, a verb, means to write in a different form, to accommodate or make fit or to accept.
“I will adapt to the new challenges and survive.”
“Adopt”, a verb, means to take over, to borrow, to assume or take on titles.
“I will adopt those children because I love them.”
Wednesday, March 31
Carefully read the following passage and find two errors. One should make you either laugh or groan; the other should just make you groan. Explain the errors and correct them.
“During surgery, Elalem took tissue samples from Milosevski's stomach and himself walked them to the pathology department.”
Did Elalem take samples from Milosevski and from himself? It sure sounds like it. Read it closely.
The problem is the misuse of the word “himself”. It must be eliminated and then the sentence makes sense; mind you, I have never seen tissue samples walk so I would change “walked”.
“During surgery, Elalem took tissue samples from Milosevski's stomach and took them to the pathology department.”
Thursday, April 1
PRESCRIBE/PROSCRIBE
“Prescribe”, a verb, means to lay down rules, to dictate or to order.
“Proscribe” is a verb meaning to disallow, to forbid or to veto.
Monday, April 5
SURE/SURELY
“Sure” is an adjective meaning certain.
“Surely” is an adverb meaning undoubtedly.
Just for fun, “surely” can modify “sure”, but “sure” cannot modify “surely”. And don’t call me “Shirley”. (Do you know who said that in a famous movie? Do you know the movie?)
Tuesday, April 6
TIMES/MULTIPLY
“Times” does not mean “multiply” even though we use the term times-tables.
Simply, “times” must not be used to mean multiply.
“Multiply”, meaning to increase, is the correct term.
“I multiply 2 by 2 and I get 4. I do not times the numbers. Even I can understand that.”
Wednesday, April 7
Identify and correct the errors in the following pieces.“And waded right in to the unbearable heaviness of being Tiger.”
There is no subject of this group of words pretending to be a sentence.
“In to” should be “into”.
“And he waded right into the unbearable heaviness of being Tiger.”
“Some of it self-imposed, some out of self-preservation.”
This is an incomplete thought because there is no verb.
“Some of it was self-imposed, some was out of self-preservation.”
Thursday, April 8
NOTHING
“Nothing” is a singular noun; therefore, its verb must also be singular.
“Nothing but weeds grows in my yard.” (wrong)
“Nothing but weeds grow in my yard.”
“Nothing except sweet candies appeal to Tiffany.” (wrong)
“Nothing except sweet candies appeals to Tiffany.”
Friday, April 9
Fix the errors in the following pieces. Be sure to cite the rule for each error.
“First, to give the impression Earl Woods is in a galaxy far, far away, a virtual Obi-Wan Kenobi offering words of wisdom to a much younger Tiger; the one we knew and loved before all those sordid details about his mistresses and sex life hit the press.”
This is an incomplete thought; there is no main verb.
The semicolon should be a period.
“First, the commercial gives the impression Earl Woods is in a galaxy far, far away, a virtual Obi-Wan Kenobi offering words of wisdom to a much younger Tiger, the one we knew and loved before all those sordid details about his mistresses and sex life hit the press.”
“Or for those of us who refuse to buy it, cowardice and more cowardice.”
This is an incomplete thought; there is no main verb.
“The commercial shows those of us who refuse to buy it, cowardice and more cowardice.”
“He acts like a kid who's just been taken to the woodshed; a sombre, stoic, sheepish look on his face.”
The semi-colon and word structure are wrong and destroy the correct sense of what is being said.
“He acts like a kid who's just been taken to the woodshed with that sombre, stoic, sheepish look on his face.”
“And the par-five 13th when he went in the creek with his second shot, and survived.”
This is an incomplete sentence because there is no main verb.
“He went in the creek...” conjures up an interesting image, especially if he did it in front of millions of viewers. Actually and factually, his ball went into the creek.
The comma after “shot” is really unnecessary because the subject of both verbs is “he”, but I know what the writer is trying to do.
“He survived the par-five 13th when he drove his ball into the creek with his second shot.”
INTERESTING AND TRUE
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
Voltaire, a French humanist and satirist who lived from 1694 to1778, wrote this.
QUESTION OF THE MONTH:
WHY DO WRITERS,
ESPECIALLY SPORTS WRITERS,
INSIST ON WRITING IN
HEADLINES INSTEAD OF IN SENTENCES?
ONE TRUE RULE
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”
Sophocles, a Greek tragic dramatist who lived from 496 BC to 406 BC, penned this statement.
TWO WEEKS OF WORDS
“Temporize” (v.) means to draw out a discussion to gain time, to linger, to loaf or to mill around.
“Maven” (n.) refers to someone who is highly skilled, adept, a wizard, a virtuoso or a star.
“Lupine” (adj.) means resembling a wolf, a wild species, savage or ravenous”.
Bonus: “lupine”, as a noun, refers to any plant of the leguminous species with blue, pink or white flowers.
“Tawdry” (adj.) means flashy, cheap, garish, gaudy or trashy.
“Tawdrily” is the adverb form.
“Tawdriness” is the noun form.
“Enmity” (n.) refers to hostility, antagonism or a deep-seated ill-will.
“Solicitous” (adj.) means showing concern and anxiety, afraid, concerned or careful of someone or something.
“Solicit” is the verb form.
“Solicitously” is the adverb form.
“Solicitousness” is the noun form.
“Solicitor” is another noun form.
“Naught” “n.) refers to a quantity of no importance, nothing or a complete failure.
“Naughty” is the most commonly used word that is derived from “naught”, suggesting sexual impropriety, raciness or auto erotic, so be careful when calling a child “naughty”.
“Amorphous” (adj.) means having no definite form or distinct shape, lacking structure or artificial.
“Ambiguity” (n.) refers to an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context,
other parts of speech, unclearness or uncertainty.
“Ambiguous” is the adjective form.
“Ambiguously” is the adverb form.
Friday, April 9, 2010
FRIDAY'S FOLLIES
A PLETHORA OF EXAMPLES
Find and fix the errors in the following pieces. Be sure to cite the rule for each error.
"First, to give the impression Earl Woods is in a galaxy far, far away, a virtual Obi-Wan Kenobi offering words of wisdom to a much younger Tiger; the one we knew and loved before all those sordid details about his mistresses and sex life hit the press."
Karen Hall, "Shame on you, Tiger Woods", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
"Or for those of us who refuse to buy it, cowardice and more cowardice."
Karen Hall, "Shame on you, Tiger Woods", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
"He acts like a kid who's just been taken to the woodshed; a sombre, stoic, sheepish look on his face."
Karen Hall, "Shame on you, Tiger Woods", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
"And the par-five 13th when he went in the creek with his second shot, and survived."
Cam Cole, "Watson wows Augusta", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
The word for today is "ambiguity".
What part of speech is "ambiguity"?
What other parts of speech can be made from "ambiguity"?
Define "ambiguity" and use it in a sentence.
Corrections and explanations for the entries from this week and last week will be posted Sunday.
Find and fix the errors in the following pieces. Be sure to cite the rule for each error.
"First, to give the impression Earl Woods is in a galaxy far, far away, a virtual Obi-Wan Kenobi offering words of wisdom to a much younger Tiger; the one we knew and loved before all those sordid details about his mistresses and sex life hit the press."
Karen Hall, "Shame on you, Tiger Woods", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
"Or for those of us who refuse to buy it, cowardice and more cowardice."
Karen Hall, "Shame on you, Tiger Woods", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
"He acts like a kid who's just been taken to the woodshed; a sombre, stoic, sheepish look on his face."
Karen Hall, "Shame on you, Tiger Woods", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
"And the par-five 13th when he went in the creek with his second shot, and survived."
Cam Cole, "Watson wows Augusta", The Windsor Star, Friday, April 9, 2010.
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "ambiguity".
What part of speech is "ambiguity"?
What other parts of speech can be made from "ambiguity"?
Define "ambiguity" and use it in a sentence.
CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS
Corrections and explanations for the entries from this week and last week will be posted Sunday.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
ANOTHER YEAR - A CONTINUING MISSION
NOTHING
"Nothing but weeds grows in my yard."
"Nothing except sweet candies appeal to Tiffany."
TODAY'S WORD
Correct the following sentences and cite the rule that applies.
"Nothing but weeds grows in my yard."
"Nothing except sweet candies appeal to Tiffany."
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "amorphous".
What part of speech is "amorphous"?
Define "amorphous" and use it in a sentence.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ME:
THREE YEARS AND COUNTING
On April 6, 2007, I published my first blog entry, citing lofty ideals and a mandate to harass professional writers, newscasters and radio and television speakers for so much abuse of the English language. I like to think that, in a small way, I have pushed them to be aware of their obligations to the public and, especially, to young and impressionable readers and listeners.
I take pride in offering a word-a-day to challenge people to broaden their vocabularies.
I also take pride in trying to improve punctuation, sentence structure and grammar.
Today's posting is number 881 and I fully intend to keep going, to keep challenging and to always champion the correct use of the English language.
Please visit my "FRIENDS" who are listed in the column to the right.
Please join the "FOLLOWERS" of this blog by clicking on "follow" in the box to the right.
Thank you. Come back often.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
BAD STRUCTURAL WRITING
SPORT BLOOPERS
Identify and correct the errors in the following pieces.
"And waded right in to the unbearable heaviness of being Tiger."
Cam Cole, "Rival feels Tiger's pain", The Windsor Star, Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
"Some of it self-imposed, some out of self-preservation."
Cam Cole, "Rival feels Tiger's pain", The Windsor Star, Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
Identify the author of the following truism.
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "naught".
What part of speech is naught"?
Define "naught" and use it in a sentence.
What is the most commonly used word that is derived from "naught"?
Identify and correct the errors in the following pieces.
"And waded right in to the unbearable heaviness of being Tiger."
Cam Cole, "Rival feels Tiger's pain", The Windsor Star, Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
"Some of it self-imposed, some out of self-preservation."
Cam Cole, "Rival feels Tiger's pain", The Windsor Star, Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
ONE TRUE RULE
Identify the author of the following truism.
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.”
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "naught".
What part of speech is naught"?
Define "naught" and use it in a sentence.
What is the most commonly used word that is derived from "naught"?
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
BRANCHING OUT
TIMES/MULTIPLY
In the world of math, what is correct: to "times" numbers, or to "multiply" numbers?
Explain the correct use of the terms "times" and "multiply".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "solicitous".
What part of speech is "solicitous"?
Define "solicitous" and use it in a sentence.
List four other forms of "solicitous" and identify what part of speech each is.
Monday, April 5, 2010
BACK TO WORD BUSINESS
SURE/SURELY
Explain the differences between the words "sure" and "surely".
What part of speech is each word?
Create sentences that clearly show the correct use of "sure" and "surely".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "enmity".
What part of speech is "enmity"?
Define "enmity" and use it in a sentence.
REMEMBER
Corrections and explanations for last week and this week's entries will be posted next Sunday.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
LAST OFFERINGS OF THE WEEK
TAKE NOTE
The next entry on the blog will be on Monday, April 5, 2010.
The corrections and explanations for this week and next week
will be published on Sunday, April 11, 2010.
I wish everybody a wonderful and happy Easter.
PRESCRIBE/PROSCRIBE
Explain the difference in meaning between the words "prescribe" and "proscribe".
Create sentences that clearly show the correct use of "prescribe" and "proscribe".
TODAY'S WORD
The word for today is "tawdry".
What part of speech is "tawdry"?
Define "tawdry" and use it in a sentence.
What other forms of the word can you list?
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