Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries.
Tuesday
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.”
The past perfect tense is tricky; “hadn’t have hit” is overkill because there are too many variations of “have”.
“If their tour bus hadn't 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.”
Wednesday
COLONS
A colon is used before a list or an explanation that is preceded by a clause that can stand be itself.
“There are three skills to master if you want to play baseball: hitting, catching and throwing.”
A colon can be used to separate an independent clause from a quotation.
“Lady Macbeth revealed her evil ambition in her soliloquy: ‘The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements’.”
SEMI-COLONS
The semi-colon is used as a connection between two or more independent clauses that are related.
“My wife will not sit in the upper deck ; she is afraid of heights.”
The semi-colon is used to separate clauses in a long list. Note the use of the colon to start the list.
“She collected souvenirs from every place she visited: theatre memorabilia from Stratford; oil rig statues from Texas; waterfall pictures from Niagara; and model cars from Detroit.”
Thursday
DOUBT THAT/DOUBT WHETHER/DOUBT IF
“Doubt that” should be used if you think something is untrue.
“I doubt that he lost twenty five pounds in two weeks.”
“Doubt whether” is used to express uncertainty.
“I doubt whether the game will be finished because of the turbulent weather.”
“Doubt if” can be used instead of “doubt whether” but it is more casual. It cannot be used in place of “doubt that”.
“I doubt if she really cares about me.”
Friday
GRATIS/GRATUITOUS
“Gratis” (adj. or adv.) means costing nothing, complimentary or free.
“The show tickets were gratis.” (adj.)
“I will give you show tickets gratis.” (adv.)
“Gratuitous” (adj.) means undeserved, unearned, obnoxious or needless. It can be used in place of “gratis” but it usually has a negative or self-serving connotation.
“Her feigned kindness to the rookie cheerleader was gratuitous and hurtful.”
THINK ABOUT THIS ONE
“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.”
Henry David Thoreau, US author (1817 - 1862), wrote this.
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Plurality” (n.) means a relative majority, a large number or a multitude. In politics, when there are three or more candidates, the excess of votes received by the leading candidate over the votes received by the next candidate is called a plurality.
“Antithesis” (n.) means the exact opposite, the converse as in a thesis that is the opposite of another thesis.
“Malingerer” (n.) refers to a skulker or someone who is absent from or shirks his duty.
“Antipathy” (n.) is a feeling of intense dislike, an aversion, a distaste or an abhorrence of someone or something.
The roots are: “anti” which means against; and “-pathy”, a noun element which refers to suffering or feelings. Note the similarity to the word “antithesis” above.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
A MIXED BAG OF WORDS
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.
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.
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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