Wednesday, November 30, 2005
I Did Not Allot a Lot of Time for This Post
So let me get straight to the point. There seems to be a great deal of confusion over this little issue. Allot is a verb. It means to parcel out, to assign, to apportion. Example: That doctor allots only five minutes to each patient. A lot is two words. It is a noun phrase and means myriad, bunches,... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 9:29 PM Comments (1) (link)
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Should You Inquire or Enquire?
This one is very easy if you are an American. In American English, inquire is the preferred form. If you are in Great Britain, however, things get a bit more tricky. Enquire is used of informal questions, but inquire is used of official investigations. Examples: I am going into that pub to enquire... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:19 PM Comments (0) (link)
Monday, November 28, 2005
What Does an Editor Do?
I'm amazed at the number of first-time writers who think that they can call me up, send me their manuscript (MS), and let me go through it once --- then send it off to McGraw-Hill, Penguin, or Scholastic and have the next Harry Potter on their hands. It just doesn't work that way. I'm a freelance,... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:38 PM Comments (1) (link)
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Do You Wear Your Everyday Jeans Every Day?
If so, I hope you wash them at least every third day. The Grammar Guru has been asked to address the confusion between the usage of the compound word everyday and the phrase every day. Yes, they are two totally different things. Everyday is an adjective used to describe something that is commonplace... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 1:08 PM Comments (1) (link)
Friday, November 25, 2005
People, Please! Use Your Dictionary!
Or, if not your actual, hardback, unabridged, at least type things into dictionary.com before you post a spelling that makes you look like a sloppy, uneducated wanna-be writer. In flipping through blog titles this morning---just titles, mind you---I came across at least a dozen misspellings. Most of... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 4:27 PM Comments (0) (link)
Thursday, November 24, 2005
He Did WHAT, WHERE?
or, Ya Wanna Say That Again More Slowly? A couple of years ago, a radio news announcer delivered a classic goof that I have never forgotten. All you English teachers put this one in your file of outrageous examples---it doesn't get any better than this. To announce that they would be updating the... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 8:29 PM Comments (0) (link)
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Frequently Confused and Misunderstood Words
Let's look at some words that are frequently misused and misunderstood. The problem with the completely wrong word is becoming more and more rampant, and we really need to address it. Founder as a verb means "to sink, to fail completely, or to cave in." Flounder as a verb means "to flop about... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:46 PM Comments (0) (link)
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
"That" or Not "That"...That Is the Question!
There is a movement afoot in publishing and academic circles to remove "unnecessary" instances of the word that from writing. The problem is that it is difficult to codify when that is unnecessary and when it isn't. For example, more than half of the "experts" would omit my use of that between... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:58 PM Comments (1) (link)
Monday, November 21, 2005
Watch Your Phraseology!
There is a growing movement toward redefining the words "homophobia" and "homophobic" to mean a person who hates or disapproves of homosexuals and homosexual behaviour. As an arbiter of correct grammar and proper diction (word choice), I believe that it is incumbent upon me to correct this common... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:06 PM Comments (4) (link)
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Quoting Queries....When to Play Doubles, When Singles
Quite some time ago, a former blogger named Kiwi.writer posed an interesting question in one of her posts; she was perplexed about the use of single and double quotation marks. It seems that Kiwi submitted a paper for review, and her instructor marked out all the double quotes surrounding dialogue... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 5:54 PM Comments (0) (link)
|
November 2009
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Sep | Newest | Dec |
About this Blog
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!
If you would like to express your appreciation of this blog by leaving a "tip," please click on the donation link below.
Links
Main Donate
|
