Check Grammar

Check Grammar - BROOCH or BROACH?

2006-12-12T10:10:00.000-06:00

Today's English grammar rule reviews BROOCH and BROACH. Although the two words sound the same, they are very different. Unfortunately, many people who do not know the correct meaning of BROACH often accept it to mean BROOCH.

BROOCH is a clip-on or pin-on piece of jewelry or ornamentation.

BROACH is both a noun and a verb. In its noun form, BROACH is a tool used to cut, puncture, or pierce. In its verb form, BROACH means to open or break into.

Check Grammar - DIVED or DOVE?

2006-12-08T08:50:00.000-06:00

Today's English grammar rule reviews DOVE and DIVED. Although DOVE is commonly used as a past-tense form of the word DIVE, it is still considered non-standard English by many. The more commonly accepted DIVED should be used in academic writing.

Today's recommended book: Lonesome Dove: A Novel (Simon & Schuster Classics) (Hardcover).

Check Grammar - Brought, Brung, and Brang

2006-12-07T08:06:00.001-06:00

Today’s English Grammar rule reviews the words BROUGHT, BRUNG, and BRANG.

Of course, BRUNG and BRANG are non-standard past-tense forms of BRING. Do NOT use BRUNG or BRANG; always use BROUGHT as the past-tense form of BRING, which means TO TAKE SOMETHING ALONG.

Today’s recommended book is The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale (Hardcover) - and you can get the leather-bound edition for less than $11.

Check Grammar - Bust or Burst?

2006-12-06T10:52:00.000-06:00

Today's English Grammar rule looks at BUST and BURST.

BUST is a sculptured, painted, drawn, or engraved representation of the upper part of the human figure, esp. a portrait sculpture showing only the head and shoulders of the subject. It is also the chest or breast, esp. a woman's bosom.

BUST is NOT correct usage to describe an item that has shattered or broken, such as a balloon that has burst; nor is it correct usage to describe a person who has been caught doing something illegal or unacceptable.

BURST is the word that should be used to describe an item that shatters or breaks, such as a balloon bursting.

Today's recommended book is The Universe in Gamma Rays

Check Grammar - Cement or Concrete?

2006-12-05T14:26:00.001-06:00

Today's English Grammar rule reviews the difference between cement and concrete.

CEMENT is the raw product, the powder that normally comes in bags, also called sacrete, which further confuses the terms CEMENT and CONCRETE.

CONCRETE is the hardened, finished product, such as a concrete sideway or concrete driveway.

Today's recommended book is Concrete at Home: Innovative Forms and Finishes: Countertops, Floors, Walls, and Fireplaces

Check Grammar - Peak, Pique, or Peek?

2006-12-03T06:04:00.001-06:00

Today’s English Grammar Rule defines peak, pique, and peek. Most people do not realize that they are using peak when they should be using pique. Pique means to stimulate or start, as in “The book piqued my interest in politics.” Peak is a pinnacle or highest point, such as the peak of a mountain. Peek means to take a quick look at something.

Today’s Recommended book is A Guide to Misused, Misunderstood and Confusing Words

Check Grammar - Democrat or Democratic?

2006-12-02T09:28:00.001-06:00

Today’s English Grammar rule discusses the terms Democrat and Democratic. There are two major political parties in the United States: Democrats and Republicans. Both parties are democratic, which means adhering to the belief that all people are socially equal and that their government exists to support that premise and empower its people.
When people refer to the Democrat party as the democratic party, they are not incorrect; but it should also be stated that the republican party is a democratic party.

Today’s Recommended book is Grammatically Correct: The Writer's Essential Guide to Punctuation, Spelling, Style, Usage and Grammar

Check Grammar - ALOT or A LOT?

2006-12-01T11:48:00.000-06:00

Today’s English Grammar Rule reviews A LOT and ALOT.

Some believe that the phrase A LOT was put together because the English language also has the word ALLOT, which is a verb that means to grant something or apportion. There is no word in our language that is spelled ALOT. If you cannot remember whether to use A LOT or ALOT, just remember that you would never use this spelling ALITTLE to mean a small quantity. So, if that seemed complicated, what I’m trying to say is that you should NOT use ALOT, spelled without a space; always use A LOT, spelled with a space.

Today's Recommended Book

Check Grammar - Regardless or Irregardless?

2006-11-30T07:21:00.000-06:00

Today’s English Grammar rule discusses the words REGARDLESS and IRREGARDLESS.

REGARDLESS mean NOT to regard or consider something, the meaning given by the suffix LESS, so this term is considered a negative. The prefix IR also causes a word to become a negative, so when combined with the suffix LESS, one creates a double negative in one word. In other words, IRREGARDLESS makes no sense and is improper. Do not use the term IRREGARDLESS; instead, use REGARDLESS.

Check Grammar - Assure, Ensure, Insure

2006-11-29T08:24:00.001-06:00

Today's English Grammar Rule discusses the three similar words assure, ensure, and insure.

ASSURE means to give confidence; ENSURE means to confirm something; and INSURE means to obtain an insurance policy. See the sentences below that exemplify the proper usage of each word.

ASSURE: The student assured me that he would not be late for his tutoring session.

ENSURE: I called to ensure that the caterers would arrive by noon.

INSURE: Both automobiles are insured for liability only.

Check Grammar - Sneaked or Snuck?

2006-11-26T07:09:00.000-06:00

Today's English grammar check is SNEAKED OR SNUCK.

SNUCK is NOT the past tense for SNEAK, although I hear it and I read it in students' papers. If you have an occassion for using the past tense of SNEAK, it's safer to use SNEAKED, rather than SNUCK.

Tune in tomorrow for another English grammar check.

Check Grammar - Who's vs Whose

2006-11-24T09:58:00.001-06:00

Today's English Grammar Rule reviews when to use WHO'S and WHOSE.

WHO’S and WHOSE is very similar to IT’S and ITS. Just like IT’S always means IT IS, WHO’S always means WHO IS. And just like ITS shows possession without an apostrophe, so does WHOSE. Below are examples that illustrate the correct usage of both:

WHO’S – Who’s (who is) going to host Thanksgiving this year?
WHOSE – Whose essay won the Chancellor prize?

Check Grammar - Is Composed Of - or - Comprise?

2006-11-22T11:59:00.001-06:00

The most common misuse of COMPRISE is that people substitute it for IS COMPOSED OF, which is incorrect. COMPRISE means CONSITUTES. The key to using COMPRISE correctly is to test the sentence by substituting the word CONSTITUES for COMPRISE. If that word sound correct, then you've used COMPRISE correctly. Typically, a sentence that uses IS COMPOSED OF will be the reverse of a sentence that uses COMPRISE. Below are sentences to illustrate correct usage for each word.

COMPRISE: Research, MLA guidelines, and structure comprise first-year college writing.
COMPOSE: First-year college writing is composed of research, MLA guidelines, and structure.

Check Grammar - Cut the Muster or Mustard?

2006-11-20T08:01:00.000-06:00

The saying (idiom) goes like this: Cut the Muster, not Cut the Mustard. The modern sense of the idiom is to succeed; to have the ability to do something; to come up to expectations.

This etymology seems plausible at first. Its proponents often trace it to the American Civil War. We do have the analogous expression “to pass muster,” which probably first suggested this alternative; but although the origins of “cut the mustard” are somewhat obscure, the latter is definitely the form used in all sorts of writing throughout the twentieth century. Common sense would suggest that a person cutting a muster is not someone being selected as fit, but someone eliminating the unfit.

(Washington State University)

Anecdote or Antidote?

2006-11-19T07:38:00.001-06:00

Anecdote is a stort story, often humorous or relating events.
Antidote is a medicine, often counteracting poison.

Examples:
Anecdote - The mothers all told similar anecdotes about their children's reaction to liver.
Antidote - Doctor Morrison immediately prescribed an antidote for snake bite.

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Check Grammar - Pronunciation of the state of Illinois

2006-11-11T09:38:00.000-06:00

The final S in the state of Illinois is silent. The ending sound should rhyme with boy, toy, soy. The state’s final syllable should NOT rhyme with noise. And for those trivia buffs out there: Illinois was a tribe of Native American Indians. They were known as Illinois or Illiniwek Indians who occupied a large portion of the Mississippi River valley. They were indispensable allies of French fur traders and colonists who came to live in the area now known as the Midwestern United States.

A New Endeavor

2006-11-03T14:28:00.001-06:00

I've just begun writing for Suite101's Teaching & Technology. Please stop by and say hello. I'd love to hear from you there as well.
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Grammar Check: That versus Which

2006-10-31T17:07:00.000-06:00

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"That" is used when essential information follows.

"Which" is used when non-essential information.

The rules are a little more complicated, but those are the basics.

Examples:

THAT

Funding is used to help companies that have been approved by the government.
The file cabinets hold IRS returns that have been filed.

WHICH

Non-fiction books are on the back shelf, which is a bit of a walk from here.
Retrievers are touted as being the best dogs around children, which is better for your needs.

By the way, "Who" refers to people. "That" and "which" refer to things, so don't use "that" when referring to people.
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Check Grammar: Good or Well?

2006-10-29T08:48:00.000-06:00

I’ll never forget my 7th-grade Language Arts teacher telling us that we “could never do anything good.”

Yes, it seems a bit harsh, but it’s true, and it’s the method she used to help us understand when to use WELL and when to use GOOD.

WELL – an adverb, which describes HOW something is done.

Shelley rides really well. (Describes how she rides.)
Chad paints so well that his teacher is recommending him for the scholarship. (Describes how he paints.)
Would you say she writes well? (Describes how she writes.)

GOOD – an adjective, which describes a NOUN (person, place, thing, idea, or concept).

The lasagna is so good. (Describes the lasagna.)
The writer is better than good; he’s fabulous! (Describes the writer.)
It was a good website that had up-to-date information. (Describes the website.)

GOOD and WELL:

It was good plan, and it was carried out well. (Good describes the plan, and well describes how it was carried out.)
She’s a good architect, and her work is well received. (Good describes the architect, and well describes how her work is received.)

Confusing Words...

2006-10-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

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There are several words that seem to perplex many, much of the time…

Traveling or Travelling
Canceled or Cancelled
Adviser or Advisor
All ready or Already
I.E. or E.G.
Awhile or A While

Let’s take a look at each set of words:grammar, grammar rule, english grammar, grammar check, grammar help
Traveling or Travelling? Seems that using one L is more acceptable in the US, but using two Ls is common abroad.

Canceled or Cancelled? Again, it seems we Americans are the efficient ones, using only one L. Oxord Concise Dictionary says cancelled, but Merriam-Webster says either way. MS Word didn’t squiggle either spelling!
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Adviser or Advisor? The Columbia Guide to Standard English says BOTH are correct noun forms of the word Advise.grammar, grammar rule, english grammar, grammar check, grammar help
All ready or Already? These are different words that are sometimes misused. Already is an adverb used to describe something that has happened before a certain time, as in “Are you coming? I’ve already got my jacket.” All ready is a phrase meaning completely prepared, as in “As soon as I put on my jacket, I’ll be all ready.”grammar, grammar rule, english grammar, grammar check, grammar help
I.Ee., or E.G., ? Again two separate meanings.

"I.e." means "that is," which is short for a Latin phrase. "I.e." is used in place of "in other words," or "it/that is."

"E.g." means "for example" and also comes from a Latin expression. "E.g." is normally used before an example.

Awhile or A While? Awhile is an adverb, which means "for a while," for example, “I walked awhile before I became tired.” A while is two words: the article “a” plus a noun, used primarily after the word “for,” for example, “I thought for a while before I answered.”

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BAD or BADLY

2006-10-25T19:36:00.001-05:00

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Have you ever wondered if “I feel badly” is correct or incorrect? Okay, most people don’t wonder, but maybe, just maybe, you are wondering. So, which is correct, “I feel badly,” or “I feel bad,” when describing one’s physical state? Most people aren’t confused when they hear either of these sentences: they just know that you don’t feel well.grammar, grammar rule, english grammar, grammar check, grammar help
Let’s take a look at the rules:

LY is added to the end of an adjective to create an adverb. Wait! Don’t go. Just take it one step at a time, and it’ll make sense.
An adjective describes something. An adverb describes something too: a verb*
Okay, so LY added to a word means that it describes a VERB. A verb shows ACTION.
SO…words that end in LY can only describe HOW or the METHOD of performing an ACTION.

BADLY, can ONLY show HOW something is DONE. Here are some sentences to exemplify all this gibberish:
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Correct:

He writes badly. (Tells how he writes.)
She sings badly. (Tells how she sings.)

Incorrect:

She feels badly. (Tells how she touches something…not her physical state but her tactile ability.)
I felt badly about his death. (Again, incorrect.)

“I feel bad.” Is the only correct way to express your state of health.grammar, grammar rule, english grammar, grammar check, grammar help
(*and other adjectives, but let’s not get in over our heads just yet.)

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Sexist Language

2006-10-24T17:40:00.000-05:00

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This week, I’ve noticed an alarming number of offenses in sexist language. Sexist language isn’t limited to using the generic HE; it goes far beyond this, but I’ll cover this for now.

It is no longer acceptable to use HE to represent the human (or any) population—unless the entire population is male and that fact is verifiable. It is acceptable, however, to alternate between HE and SHE (or him and her) throughout a text, to represent an unknown gender; at first this may seem confusing so it is advisable to use neutral words that do not indicate gender. Here’s are three paragraphs that exemplify this rule; the first is sexist, the second uses alternating pronouns, and the third substitutes pronouns with other nouns that do not indicate gender:

Just before the birth, help your child select his own special gift to give to the baby at the hospital. Gently help him choose an infant-appropriate toy. Help him wrap it and place it in your hospital bag. When he comes to visit the new baby at the hospital, have the gift available so he can present it to Baby.
Just before the birth, help your child select his own special gift to give to the baby at the hospital. Gently help her choose an infant-appropriate toy. Help him wrap it and place it in your hospital bag. When she comes to visit the new baby at the hospital, have the gift available so he can present it to Baby.
Just before the birth, help your child select a special gift to give to the baby at the hospital. Gently help the child choose an infant-appropriate toy. Help the soon-to-be sibling wrap it and place it in your hospital bag. When it comes to visit the new baby at the hospital, have the gift available so the older child can present it to Baby.

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Advise or Advice?

2006-10-23T07:30:00.001-05:00

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Seems lately I’ve been fixated on words that are commonly confused, so why stop now? The two words I’ve noticed recently that people seem to interchanged incorrectly are ADVICE and ADVISE.

Definitions:

ADVISE – (S=Z sound): It’s a VERB, which means it shows ACTION. To ADVISE someone is to give them ADVICE or a recommendation.
ADVICE – (C=S sound): It’s a NOUN, which means it’s a person, place, thing, idea, or concept. It’s a recommendation or a suggestion.

I think it’s the consonant sounds that trip up speakers and writers. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

ADVISE:

The teacher will advise you to take notes.
The counselor advised us to select fewer courses.

ADVICE:

The teacher’s advice was helpful.
The counselor’s advice was not applicable to us.

WHO or WHOM?

2006-10-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

ITS or IT'S - with an apostrophe?

2006-10-20T15:49:00.000-05:00

Definately or Definitely?

2006-10-19T12:38:00.000-05:00

LIE and LAY

2006-10-19T10:22:00.000-05:00

TOP 5 Tricks for Looking and Sounding Smarter

2006-10-19T07:35:00.000-05:00

Affect or Effect?

2006-10-17T16:49:00.000-05:00

THEIR - Can it be used that way?

2006-09-16T16:14:00.000-05:00

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Did you ever write a sentence like the following, where you just knew something was wrong, but you couldn't put your finger on it? For example, "Someone forgot their ticket."

Most people know that the word THEIR refers back to a plural subject, such as in this sentence, "They forgot THEIR tickets." THEIR refers to THEY, both being plural. So what do we do about the sentence, "Someone forgot their ticket."?

(If you're getting ready to lie down in bed, then this is perfect timing, because this next paragraph will put you to sleep.)

The obvious is to use SHE or HE instead of THEIR, but what if you don't know the gender? And please, please, please, do NOT use HIS without knowing. That's gender bias and with over 60% of merchandise purchased by females, you do not want to alienate your buyers.

The English language lacks of a neutral, singular personal pronoun; the only singular personal pronouns are SHE, HE, and IT. It does seem to be more acceptable these days to use THEIR in this situation; but be cautious! If you do this in academic writing, you'll be treated like a criminal. If you use this in a professional report, you may get away with it, but not without jeopardizing your reputation. Most people just use my #1 trick for looking and sounding smart: rewarding to avoid the problem.

I don't want to make this more complicated, but I'm going to. The same problem arises when you use the following words: EVERYONE, EVERYTHING, SOMEBODY. Yes, I know two of these words sound plural, but they're not. Do I LOOK like I'm joking? Here are some perplexing examples:

"Everyone wants their paycheck." (Yeah, it sounds okay because "everyone" sounds plural--but it's not.) Just avoid this mistake by writing, "Everyone wants a paycheck."

I've come upon an alternative, and I cannot take credit for this pure genius, but I can, at the very least, pass it along to others, who need a nuetral personal pronoun. This word can be broken down like this: she/he/it, hence s/h/it, shorter even, shit. Okay, I realize it's known as a profanity in our language, but let's get past that.

Lose or Loose?

2006-08-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

Reason Why - Why do people use these words together?

2006-07-29T16:48:00.000-05:00