Sunday, January 15, 2006
Stop Adding Syllables!
Some pronunciation --- and now spelling --- errors have become quasi-acceptable in the language, to the point that a couple of them can even be found in the dictionary. That still doesn't make them right. Orientated is not a word. Orient is a verb meaning to find one's position or direction. One can... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 8:23 PM Comments (2) (link)
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Death in the Family
The Grammar Guru will be taking a few days off due to a death in her family. Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:39 PM Comments (2) (link)
Monday, January 2, 2006
Unh, Thag Use Big Word...
and nine-tenths of the population probably has no clue what Thag meant. I have come across the word solipsism or one of its variants three times in one day. That's not exactly a common word among the general population, yet the first two times I met it, I nodded politely and read on. The third time,... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:19 PM Comments (4) (link)
Sunday, January 1, 2006
Commas are causing problems again
Another request for help with commas has landed on The Grammar Guru's electronic desktop. Commas can be confusing, especially as there are divergent opinions on some uses. Being the old-fashioned type, I'm going to give you only one set of rules, one that will leave only the smallest chance of your... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 8:41 PM Comments (0) (link)
Saturday, December 31, 2005
More Frequently Confused and Misunderstood Words
Founder as a verb means "to sink, to fail completely, or to cave in." Flounder as a verb means "to flop about clumsily, to proceed with confusion." I remember the difference by reminding myself that flounder, as a noun, is a fish, and a fish out of water flops about; founder, as a noun, is a person... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 8:44 PM Comments (0) (link)
Friday, December 30, 2005
'Then' and 'Than' Are NOT Interchangeable
I have been asked to explain once again the difference between the words then and than. Really, I have never understood the confusion between the two, as they bear no resemblance to one another, not even in pronunciation. But I, too, have seen a disconcerting number of cases where the two have been... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 10:12 PM Comments (0) (link)
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Arrant Nonsense
Okay, my ex, along with about two dozen other people, has forwarded the following message to me. "Don't delete this because it looks weird. Believe it or not you can read it. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to a... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 9:48 PM Comments (1) (link)
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
If You Meet a Murderer, Will You Mete Out Justice?
Watch these tricky little sound-alikes, because misusing them can really make you look bad. Both are verbs (well, most commonly used as verbs). Meet means to come face to face with, to come together with. (Example: We will meet in the conference room. ) Mete means to dispense or hand out. (Example:... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:36 PM Comments (2) (link)
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
It's Just a Phase; Don't Let It Faze You
and don't give me any flak... I'm just a flack for good grammar and usage. These two pairs of words are consistently misused, so I want to set the record straight once and for all. Phase is a noun indicating a passing behavioural pattern or a certain stage of development. (Example: Most children go... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:05 PM Comments (0) (link)
Monday, December 26, 2005
When You Need Advice, Ask Someone to Advise You!
The Grammar Guru has been asked to explain the difference between advise and advice, two frequently misused words that should be easy to tell apart. Advise is a verb, meaning "to tell someone what they ought to do." It is pronounced /ad-VIZE/. Someone advised him not to invest in widgets. Advice is... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:38 PM Comments (1) (link)
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A professional editor, writer, and English tutor answers your questions about the finer points of grammar, word usage, and other technical aspects of the writer's craft. E-mail questions to editormum@usa.com, or use the Comments section of a previous post. Happy Writing!
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