Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Keep Your Mitts Off My ...
Mettle...Metal...Meddle...Medal? This is where poor pronunciation gets us... pure confusion. These four words are so often mispronounced (well, okay, pronounced sloppily) that their misuse in writing is almost as certain as death and taxes. So here's the easy way to remember how to use them: Metal... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:24 AM Comments (0) (link)
Sunday, October 30, 2005
How the Grammar Guru Embarrassed Herself With the State Capital
Once upon a time, the Grammar Guru was just a cocky teenager without much good sense. She read a newspaper headline that said "Protesters Converge on State Capital" and decided that her local newspaper needed the benefit of her editorial skills. She called to complain that the newspaper should get... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 1:47 PM Comments (0) (link)
Friday, October 28, 2005
Take a Breath! Breathe, Breathe, Breathe!
A couple of little pointers for some often-confused words. I've been seeing these a lot lately on Blogit, so I guess it's time to re-post this quick little lesson.... breath, breathe: This one is simple, but it's a very common mistake. Breath (breth with a soft /th/ sound) is the noun: I need to... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:30 AM Comments (0) (link)
Thursday, October 27, 2005
If You Keep Peeking Over that Peak, I'm Going to Get Seriously Piqued!
Okay, some more sound-alikes to cause you trouble. A peak is the top of something, like a mountain. It's a noun. Examples: Everest is the highest mountain peak on Earth. Bob reached the peak of his career in 1998. To peak means to reach the topmost limit of ability or performance. It's a verb.... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 6:45 AM Comments (0) (link)
Monday, October 24, 2005
Can You Cite the Site Where You Lost Your Sight?
The "site" trio seems to be causing some confusion nowadays, probably as a result of the "shorthand" used by instant messagers. This is another simple problem to unravel. A site (noun) is a place ---- virtual or actual ---- like a construction site or a website. To cite (verb) something is to quote... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:15 PM Comments (1) (link)
Friday, October 21, 2005
You Can't Censure a Censor for Doing His Job ...
Three words that are often confused, and that have little to do with each other: Censor, Censure, Censer, and Sensor. Let's get the censer out of the way first, as it bears no conceivable relation to the other two, except in approximate pronunciation. A censer (/SEHN sur/) is an incense burner that... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 8:46 PM Comments (0) (link)
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Don't Waive That, You Aberrant Flag-Waver!
Today's homophones pointer is for two words that sound just alike, but mean two completely different things. And you look goofy when you mix them up. Trust me. A waiver is a release form stating that you will not hold another entity responsible if something bad happens to you. You sign them before... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:02 PM Comments (1) (link)
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Homophones --- I Hear Ya ...
A lot of the questions that the Grammar Guru receives are from people confused by similar-sounding words. I've addressed a lot of these words in this blog, and I want to cover a few more today. A feint is a move in swordplay or other combat-oriented pursuits (including Chess), in which the person... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:14 AM Comments (1) (link)
Friday, October 14, 2005
E or I for That Kind Remark?
When someone says something nice about you, is it a compliment or a complement? These two words are pronounced so similarly that they are frequently misused. Let's set the record straight. A compliment is a kind remark about someone. Mike's comments on Sally's work were the nicest compliment she has... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:53 AM Comments (0) (link)
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Don't Confuse These Two!
Just a quickie for today...but a mistake I am seeing more and more often. It bugs the heck outta me. Where is an adverb meaning "in what location." Were is a verb, the past tense of "to be," meaning "formerly" or "existed in the past." Perhaps the mistakes I am seeing are the result of sloppy... Sign in to see full entry.
posted by editormum at 7:55 PM Comments (0) (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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