It has been observed that sometimes people use two or more words to imply one meaning making the sentence look clumsy and unprofessional. Often this makes the words redundant. Sometimes, it can be used to as a self-reinforcing pretence of significant truth.

This can be likened to tautology which the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines as ‘a statement in which you say the same thing twice in different words when this is unnecessary’. For example, the musicians sang in turns one after the other.

Wikipedia also defines it as a logical argument constructed in such a way, generally by repeating the same concept or assertion using different phrasing or terminology. A tautology simply states the same thing twice.

Sometimes, some of these expressions may be permitted in certain context which is also determined by the meaning the writer tries to infer.

However, in some cases, replicating a word in a sentence weakens the expression of the language making it sound not only unprofessional but unrefined.

A professional writer should be wary of redundant combinations which makes a work unappealing to readers.

Below are some examples.
- An expectant pregnant mother
- Speeding too fast
- Moving slowly at a snail’s pace
- Reiterate again
- A bold audacious person
- Retrace your steps backward
- Other options
- Evacuated out
- A human person
- Go on and continue
- Couple of husband and wife
- Forest of trees
- Merge together
- Vamoose and leave
- A pair of two shoes
- Refurbish again
- Surgical caesarean section
- Rebuilding the building
- Progress forward
- A baby cot bed
- A tortuous ordeal
- An old obsolete bag
- Archaic and unfashionable dress

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These two words mean the same thing even though they have different spellings. It means to ask somebody for information or conduct an investigation on someone or something. It could also mean the act of asking questions while enquiries is a place where you can get information.

Generally speaking, either of the spelling can be used, but it has been observed that a lot of people prefer to use ‘enquire’ and ‘enquiry’ for the general sense of ‘asking questions’ while they use ‘inquire’ and ‘inquiry’ for a formal investigation.

Below are some examples
- Sandra enquired her registration number from the officer
- The last enquiry in my MD’s inbox yesterday was about vacant offices
- The policemen will inquire into the bank’s fraud
- John’s family asked when the inquiry will be concluded

It is common place to for speakers of British English to use enquire and enquiry while inquiry is used more among US English speakers. This is applicable for both formal and informal investigations. The Advanced Oxford Learner’s Dictionary seems to recognise inquire as the more dominant form.

In conclusion, it is your choice to make which spelling you will adopt, although it is better to find out which spelling is used if you are writing for a particular publication. It is advised to stick to inquire if you are unsure of which to use and whichever you decide on, ensure you are consistent.

Credit: Daily Writing Tips

It has been observed that many people confuse the word ‘past’ for ‘passed’ even among the very educated people. Which explains why we need to pay close attention to our grammar. Sometimes, probably because we are not fully concentrating, we mistakenly use the inappropriate word in a particular context, thereby making the sentence lose its meaning. These words have a way of playing on us if we are very conversant with them.

The examples given below will give you an understanding of what context to use each of the words so that your message is well understood.
Past

The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines past as something gone by in time, something just ended or belonging to an earlier time.
Furthermore, it could serve as adjective, noun, preposition or adverb depending on the context in which it is used.

Past as an adjective
For example
- The days for late-coming to school are now past
- All the past senior prefects in my high school were male

Past as a noun- the time that has gone by or things that happened in an earlier time
For example
- Mary enjoyed relaxing in the park in the past
- Bill looked back at his past without any form of regret
- We have to go with the trend and not live in the past anymore.

Past as a preposition- referring to later than something as in telling the time.
For example
- Mr John left exactly half past seven
- The President read his speech at ten minutes past eight.

Another form of preposition- referring to ‘past’ as above or further than a particular point or stage or to the other side of somebody or something.
For example
- Abel walked past his friends without stopping to say hello
- The President is long past retirement age
- The teenage boy is long past his childish tantrums
- Carmen’s school is just past the state library

Past as adverb- referring to moving from one side of something to another
For example
- Sandra called out to Jason as he ran past the school field
- The ball ran past the goal post

Passed- A verb in the past tense
Passed is the past participle of ‘pass’. It can be both a transitive verb (in which a subject and object(s) is required) or an intransitive verb (in which no object is required).

‘To pass’ means ‘to move in the direction mentioned’, ‘to change from one state to another’, to move past or to the other side of someone or something’, ‘to depart’, or ‘to proceed’ ‘to achieve the required result in a test or an examination’, ‘to come to an end’.
For example
- My parents believe I will pass my final exams excellently
- The airport road was so narrow that the cars could barely pass
- After Joshua’s grandma passed on, he inherited her ranch
- The bridal procession passed slowly along the aisle to match the rhythm of the song

How do people confuse ‘past’ and ‘passed’
Some writers wrongly use ‘pass’ when they actually meant ‘past’
For example
- The pupils past the Proprietor’s office while marching to their class
The correct usage here is
- The pupils passed the Proprietor’s office while marching to their class

An easy way to know which to use is to write the sentence in the present tense assuming you are describing an event currently happening.
- The pupils pass the Proprietors office while marching to their class this morning or
- The pupils are passing the Proprietor’s office on their way to their class

This helps to determine which is more appropriate given the context you are using.

Credit: Daily Writing Tips

Writers are creative and very dynamic people. They think outside the box recreating what happens in the society. Literature mirrors every day events in our world which is why writers are thinkers and creators. They help us understand the world better by using stories to illustrate culture, traditions and even life generally.
However, in order to be efficient in this chosen field, there are basic tips that writers and upcoming writers must consider. Below are a few to note.

1. Be innovative and dynamic. Nothing is constant in life. Everything changes including language. As such, writers must be ready and willing to adapt to change. This is not to imply that we shouldn’t abide by the standard and accept colloquial usage. The fact is some contexts do not allow for relaxation of rules. However, most forms of writing are flexible and so should you be. Occasionally consider adapting the language to the content and also adapting the content to the language of your audience. For example, when writing story books for children, the language should be easily understood and stories interesting enough to captivate their attention. It should also have images which illustrate the story further.

2. Be aware of the rules. As a writer, you should be open to continuous learning, unlearning and relearning. Do not only hold on to the rules of grammar and syntax you learned twenty years ago. Deliberately confront your prejudices and recall your understanding of the basics. Take time to invest in yourself by updating your knowledge base. Be aware of the current trend on usage, style, grammar and syntax. Don’t be obsolete. Learn new things.

3. Endeavour to always verify. Whenever you are in doubt of a term you use, endeavour to verify. Don’t rely on spell-checker to edit your spellings. To be sure you are using the right word, phrase or expression in the appropriate context; endeavour to always check your thesaurus. In addition, always double-check your spellings especially when discussing a person, place or thing that you are not sure of. Be diligent enough to confirm and correct your impression to ensure that the reference you are making is appropriate for both the content and context.


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The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines irony as the amusing or strange aspect of a situation that is very different from what you expect. It could also mean the use of words that say the opposite of what you really mean, often as a joke and with a tone of voice that shows this.

Wikipedia on the other hand defines irony as the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. And also similar to the definition of Oxford, it also defines irony as a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result. Thirdly, it is a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.

Types of Irony

1. Verbal irony. This involves saying what one does not mean. For example, in response to a foolish idea, John says ‘what a fantastic idea’.

2. Situational irony. This when one is making jest of someone’s misfortune while unaware that the same misfortune has befallen him.

3. Dramatic irony. A lot of writers employ this technique in which the characters in the story are oblivious of the situation but the audience is not.

However in real life circumstances, irony may be comical, bitter or sometimes offensive.

Some examples include:
• The biggest lion in the Kenya’s reserve is called ‘Tiny’
• Oh fantastic, you have finally broken my phone
• While laughing at Ken who slipped as he stepped on a banana pee,l Bill didn’t know another banana peel was by the door which he unknowingly stepped on and fell

Just like other figures of speech, you can derive added meanings to a drama through irony. Oftentimes, the interest of a reader is generated and imagination activated through irony thereby making a literary work more intriguing. By employing irony, a literary work comes more alive because real life is actually full of ironical expressions and situations.

Credit: Daily Writing Tips and Literary Devices.

It has been observed that many people confuse ‘from memory’ and ‘by heart’. There are different context appropriate for the use of each phrase. Using it outside its context may alter its meaning.

Linguists say the process of committing something to memory to be recalled later is termed as ‘learning by heart’.
Some years ago, learning texts by heart was highly valued in primary and secondary schools as opposed to what is obtainable now.

As a young child, we were encouraged to memorize nursery rhymes and poems. In her 70s, my mother could still recite poems and long notes which she learned as a primary school pupil in the 1950s. No doubt, poems learned ‘by heart’ in childhood enrich the rest of one’s life.

Below are some examples of ‘learning by heart’.
- I will remain indebted to Miss Brown for encouraging me to learn poetry by heart because those memories remain some of the loveliest I have till date of childhood.
- Ben became so obsessed with Celine Dion’s hit track ‘Waiting’ that he had to learn the lyrics by heart.
- My sister taught her son to become a Bible scholar by learning long chapters of the Bible by heart.
- The children in the junior Church had to learn their lines of the play by heart in preparation for the Children’s day celebration.

Learning a poem or speech ‘by heart’ is a process that engages the mind and emotions.

Memory on the other hand is defined as the part of the brain where information is stored. We store up information, messages, images, events, painful and joyful experiences in our minds. Sometimes, some of the things we say are recalled from our memory. The fact is we recite from our memory what we have learned by heart. The memory forms the bank from which we withdraw when the need arises. For instance, if you ever said a poem from memory in front of an audience (whether two people or a hundred), what you have done is a recitation.

Some examples include:
- Daniel Bush reconstructed the school design from memory during the summer of 1990
- Sarah achieved a remarkable feat of faith when she recited the entire book of Psalm from memory.

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One of the most frequent types of mistakes that students of foreign languages make has to do with preposition use. Though prepositions can often be translated from one language to another, it’s usually hard to predict which one is used in what situation when learning a foreign language. It doesn’t help that prepositions can sometimes completely change the meaning of what you’re trying to say, especially in certain set expressions. Here are some pairs of phrases that seem pretty similar, but actually mean very different things.

If you can think of more pairs like this, please post them in comments. Also, feel free to add new sentences that use these phrases in different ways!

1. Hang up / hang out
To “hang up” means to end a phone call; to “hang out” means to spend time relaxing, usually with a friend.
If he hangs up before I’m done talking, I will be too mad to hang out with him this weekend.

2. Look up / look forward
To “look up” means to search and find information about something, usually in a dictionary or some sort of database. To “look forward” to something means to be excited about an event that will happen in the future.
After looking up the plot of Woody Allen’s latest movie, I’m really looking forward to seeing it!

3. Get into / get over
To “get into” means to become involved or interested in something. To “get over” can either mean the opposite of this — to lose interest in something — or it can also mean to recover from something, particularly an illness.
After I get over this flu, which is making me so weak, I’m going to get into biking again.

4. Throw out / throw up
To “throw up” means to vomit, whereas to “throw out” means to dispose of something that is no longer being used. Hint: In this case, “out” and “away” can be used to express the same meaning, so to “throw something out” and to “throw something away” both mean to put it in the garbage.
If my cat throws up on the floor in my living room, I’ll have to throw away the rug that’s in there.

5. Run into / run over
To “run into” someone can have the literal meaning of colliding with their body, but the phrase often means to meet or see someone unexpectedly. To “run over” something means to drive a vehicle over that person or thing.
I was so excited when I ran into my friend that I forgot to look both ways when crossing the street and a car almost ran me over!

6. Put down / put off
To “put down” another person means to insult them or make them feel useless or stupid. To “put off” something, usually some sort of event, means to postpone it.
I put off going out to lunch with my friend because the last time I spoke with her, she kept putting me down.

7. Hand in / hand out
To “hand in” an assignment means to submit it; to “hand out” means to distribute to a group of people. Here, because “in” and “out” are opposites, the two phrases have somewhat opposite meanings. However, be careful, as this is not necessarily always the case.
The teacher handed out the test to all of his students and told them to hand in the answers before the day was over.

8. Break into / break up
To “break into” a place means to forcibly enter it, and is usually used with a place that you should not enter or to which access is usually restricted. To “break up” with someone means to end a relationship.
If your girlfriend breaks into your house in the middle of the night uninvited, that’s probably a pretty good reason to break up with her!

Maya Barzilai

In today’s high technology age, the need for communication through e-mails has become necessary. People across geo-political zones around the world can now communicate easily without having to meet physically. Business deals are closed, transactions are made, sometimes relationships are established, and knowledge is gained through online education and through e-mails.

Therefore, it has become important to learn the requisite skills required to communicate effectively and efficiently through e-mails. Learning to write professional and business-like email has become a crucial skill. You must update your skills if you don’t want to be referred to as obsolete and lose relevance in today’s highly competitive business world.
Below are few tips to follow when writing emails.

1. Begin with a salutation. Start your email by addressing whomever you are writing to. Business mails should always begin with a salutation. For example
- Dear Mr Brown, or Dear Dr Carson (for formal salutations like your boss or someone you don’t know)
- Dear Mary, or Dear Ken (informal salutation like a colleague).
- Sometimes, you could use ‘Hi Rose,’ if it’s a close friend or a close person.

2. Use capitals appropriately. Endeavour not to misuse capitals as it is often done by most people. Some mistakes may not be excused particularly with business letters. Follow the same rules of punctuation as it relates to other forms of writing. Below are a few punctuation tips.
- Begin your sentence with a capital letter
- Use capitals for the first letter of proper nouns (names and places) and always capitalise ‘I’ wherever it appears in the sentence
- Always capitalize acronyms. For example ‘USSR, ECOWAS, HIV, BBC’.
- Do not write a whole sentence in capital letters. It will amount to literally yelling at whoever is reading your mail. Just the first letters and other appropriate ones will do.

3. Do not write in long paragraphs. In business writing, there is no room for beating about the bush. Time is of essence to most business people; therefore, it is advisable to just go straight to the point. Split your mail into short paragraphs where each paragraph deals with a particular point. You could consider using bullet-points for extra clarity.

4. Stick to one topic. It’s important you stick to the subject of your email rather than bringing in other issues outside the subject area. When you jumble up your email with different topics, it makes it difficult to track your flow of thought.

5. Sign off the email. Different closings apply to different emails. If its internal company email, you can just double space after your last paragraph and type your name. However, it’s an external mail, your closing has to be properly done. Below are examples of closing external mails.
- ‘Yours faithfully’ should be used to close formal emails while ‘Yours sincerely’ could be used when you know the name of your addressee.
- You could also use ‘Best regards’ or ‘Kind regards’ in other situations
- Even while writing to people very close to you, it is polite to sign off appropriately such as ‘Take care’, ‘All the best’ or ‘Have a great day’ before typing your name.

6. Use a mature email signature. If you really have to use an email signature, please do it sensibly. Don’t jumble your email signature with several quotes or pictures so it doesn’t appear like another body of mail. What your email signature should have includes your name, phone number, website or postal address if applicable.
This makes it easy for your correspondents to be able to contact you if need be without having to go back to the first message.

Credit: Daily Writing Tips

When writing your novel, be wary of these common mistakes made by authors which could put people off your book. It could also mean you’re not being thorough in the delivery of your work. Therefore, in order not to send the wrong message to your teeming audience, ensure you look out for the following in your work.

1. Misspelling. Typical mistakes include confusion between ‘write’ and ‘right’, ‘maize’ and ‘maze’, and ‘blue’ and ‘blew’ amongst others. On no account should you rely on spell checkers to confirm a spelling that may be used in the wrong context. Always do a painstaking review of your work before going to the press so as not to lose confidence in your readers.


2. Missing determiners. Determiners help to carry your readers along through your story. Omitting them may mean they could get lost along the ‘journey’ of the story. Examples include: ‘the’, ‘a’, and ‘an’.


3. Misuse of commas. Commas generally indicate a pause in the course of a sentence. Sometimes, we over use it while at other times, it is underutilized therefore defeating its purpose. A good suggestion will be to read aloud your writing adhering to all the punctuation marks. That way, you will be able to tell if you have under or over used it.


4. Incorrect capitalization. Initial capitals are generally used for nouns which are names of persons, places or things. We should avoid writing words in all capitals as it will amount to literally ‘shouting’ at your audience.


5. Wordiness. Unnecessary extra words or phrases may make your work look tardy. It has a way of affecting the structure and composition of your work, thereby reducing its quality. Therefore, as much as you can, keep your writing succinct and apt for clarity.

Credit: Grammarly

Sometimes, hearing ridiculous and blatant grammar, pronunciation and language mistakes could not only be annoying, but could also be nerve wrenching regardless of wherever or whomever it’s coming from.

Good enough, children are easy to correct, but with strangers, it could prove difficult. So, in such situations, we just hold our peace and allow the language peeves be.

Below are some examples of the irksome grammar used by people.
I feel badly. A person may write badly or dress badly but certainly not feel badly. Therefore, how you feel whether unwell or unhappy is bad and not badly.

Where are we going to? It is grammatically incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition because the ‘to’ at the tail of the sentence does not serve any purpose and it makes the sentence sound awkward.

Like, you know… This could pass for an uncomfortable pause such as ‘um’ in a conversation. Therefore, we should reduce its use to the barest minimum or completely eliminate it except in the context of making comparisons.

For all intensive purposes. The actual accepted phrase is ‘for all intents and purposes’ and not ‘for all intensive purposes’ because ‘intensive purposes’ does not make much sense.

I have less friends than before I wrote this list. ‘Less’ and ‘tricky’ could sometimes be tricky. For plural nouns that are countable, the word to use is ‘fewer’. But for things which cannot be counted or referred to by a singular noun, you use the word ‘less’.

I should of gotten the burger. Often times, you hear children say ‘should of’ which we can excuse because even though the correct thing to say is ‘should have’, the two phrases sound so similar.

Bring it with you when you go. You ‘bring’ something to a place but you ‘take’ something away. Therefore, it’s correct to say ‘bring it with you’

This one’s for my sister and I. This is another tricky one in which adults also make mistakes. For example, ‘my Dad and I went to the cinema’ is correct while’ I bought ice cream for my friend and I’ is incorrect. The way around it is to first of all take the other person out of the sentence and then determine which sounds right. ‘I bought ice cream for I’ or ‘I bought ice cream for me’.


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Fingers and fingering sound so alike but are actually different in meaning. Finger is indeed a rich bank of varying expressions.
The different fingers include: thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger.
History shows that the earliest use of the word finger dates back to 1450 with the meaning “to point” while the reference ‘to touch with the fingers’ dates back from 1590.
Due to the nature of the finger being long and thin, the word is used for almost anything long and thin.
Below are some idioms that have the word ‘finger’ in them;
To lay a finger on someone (to harm)

I met the baby crying even though I couldn’t tell who laid a finger on him.
To finger (to incriminate)

After the touts were accosted at the motor park by policemen, they fingered their accomplices without further delay.
To lift a finger (to make an effort to help)

Belinda hardly lifts a finger except when asked in as much as she litters the place with her papers.
To raise a finger against (to offer violence against)

Mother Theresa never raised a finger against any of the children she adopted.
To cross one’s fingers (to trust to luck)

As for Ken, his known way is to cross his fingers while putting his best to his work
To burn one’s fingers (to suffer financial losses)

The Arabian billionaire Mohammed Abdul severely burned his fingers in the crude oil exportation of 1990 that it took him almost ten years to regain his financial standing.
To point an accusing finger (to point with the forefinger as a gesture of blame)

Esther Braithwaite pointed an accusing finger at her friend for betraying her by disclosing her secret to her colleagues.
To make a slip of the finger (to make an unintentional movement of the finger)

In today’s world of digital communication, just one slip of the finger could end up allotting to a different person what was originally meant for someone else.
To put one’s finger on a problem (to identify the crux of a matter)

Naomi Williams put his finger on the problem when he said “it is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment”.
A finger of Scotch or other liquid (a unit of measurement approximately the width of an adult finger)

Sydney headed straight to the sideboard immediately after the meeting, pouring two healthy fingers of scotch into two glasses.
A wag of the finger (a gesture or statement of reprimand)

Literally, the “finger wag” is an act of reprimanding or warning someone by moving the forefinger from side to side.
Nigeria’s Super Eagle’s captain Sunday Oliseh is noted for wagging his finger as a warning to opponents that they could not score against his team.

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According to Merriam-Webster, “as well as” is equivalent to and:

as well as conjunction: and in addition, and.

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, however, it is not:

Note that the phrase as well as is not equivalent to and.

WRONG: The team fielded one Mazda, two Corvettes, three Bugattis, as well as a battered Plymouth Belvedere.
RIGHT: The team fielded one Mazda, two Corvettes, and three Bugattis, as well as a battered Plymouth Belvedere.— 6.18

The phrase “as well as” and the single word “and” are not equivalents because and joins two elements of equal importance, but “as well as” places more emphasis on one of the elements. Compare:

My dog and cat bring me things to throw.
My cat and dog bring me things to throw.
My cat, as well as my dog, brings me things to throw.

In the first two sentences, no distinction is made between cat and dog. In the third sentence, an unequal emphasis is placed upon cat, suggesting that there is something notable about the action as it applies to the cat.

This use of “as well as” is similar to the correlative “not only…but also,” but the emphasis falls on the element that precedes “as well as.”

WRONG: The bride, as well as her bridesmaids, were dressed in mauve.
RIGHT: The bride, as well as her bridesmaids, was dressed in mauve.
BETTER: The bride and her bridesmaids were dressed in mauve.

If no contrasting emphasis is intended, “and” is the better choice.


Credit: DWT

Gorgeous, handsome, cute…

How many times have you used these words? These classic terms serve their purpose, but it might be nice to mix it up a little. Here are seven different and interesting ways to compliment someone’s looks.

Winsome

If winsome is attractive, is “losesome” unattractive? Rather than relating to victory, the win- of winsome comes from the Old English word wyn, which means pleasure or delight. Winsome is not a common word, but you will find many references to winsome smiles in literature.

Stunning

Stunning is an adjective that means capable of causing surprise, confusion, or a loss of consciousness. When applied to a person, it can mean striking beauty. Stunning can be applied to anything excellent, from a goal to a hat.

Comely

Comely can apply to a person’s appearance or behavior. Either way, it means attractive. A person with pleasing conduct and countenance is very comely indeed!

Pulchritudinous

This synonym is difficult to pronounce. It means physically beautiful, but it looks a bit like putridness. Make sure you say it correctly (PUL-kruh-TOOD-uh-nuss), or the object of your affection may think you are calling them rotten.

Fine, Finer than Frog Hair, and Finer than Frog Hair Split Three Ways

Fine has always described things of superior quality. Fine evolved as a slang term meaning “especially good-looking.” Southern speakers went a step further, coining the term “finer than a frog hair.” This term, ironic because frogs don’t have hair, is even more interesting when it’s expanded: he is finer than a frog hair split three ways!

There are so many ways to express beauty. Shakespeare was an expert at giving compliments: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” Would you like to flatter someone in your life? You may not be able to compare to Shakespeare, but you can impress your partner if you use some of the synonyms you learned today.


Credit: Grammarly

One-letter words

In every conversation you have, you probably use one of two vowels as a single-letter word. Did you guess a and I? The indefinite article a is only capitalized when it begins a sentence, but the pronoun I is always capitalized. Another single-letter word that is always capitalized is O. It’s not common in everyday writing, but it appears as an interjection in poetry. Some dictionaries list every letter of the alphabet as an individual word. For example, each English letter has five meanings listed on Dictionary.com. V, for instance, is the twenty-second letter of the alphabet; any spoken sound represented by the letter V; anything that has the form of a V; any written representation of the letter V; and a device, such as printer’s type, that reproduces the letter V. What a lot of meanings for one letter!

Two-letter words

How many two-letter words do you know? Most are quite common. Besides the greeting hi, there are verbs—am, be, do, is, and go. There are lots of articles, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions—as, an, at, by, in, no, of, on, so, to, up. Finally, there are pronouns—he, it, me, us, and we. It’s the nouns and the adjectives that seem a little obscure: Aa is a type of lava. Ae means one. Id is a part of the human psyche. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

Three-letter words

Though single- and two-letter words are relatively few, there are scores of three-letter words in the English language. You might shock your opponent if you use one of the rare ones. In mathematics, iff means “if and only if.” A kip is the hide of a small animal. Nim is a synonym of steal. In some word games, words composed of rare letters give high scores. How many points could you get with pyx, a box used for religious purposes, or zek, a term once used for prison camp laborers?

Aside from word games, short words come in handy in other ways. Phrontistery.com features a riddle: Add two and one and you may ken the odd key I’ll use for now. Not yet? ’Tis not too bad, but I’ll aid you. Thy tip: “wee.” Now can you spy the key? Yes! You win! But you see how its use can vex the ego, and I’ll end. But who can say it’s not fun?

How will you use your tiny little words? Whether you use them to win a game or compose a poem, take a moment to appreciate these small gems.

Credit: Grammarly

7. pedal / peddle
The verb pedal means, “to use or work a pedal, as of an organ, piano, or bicycle.”

Literally, the verb peddle means, “to travel about with wares for sale.” Figuratively, it means, “to deal out or seek to disseminate, as ideas or opinions. Ex. Writers come to tell you stories, [and] to peddle their ideas.

8. pour / pore
pour: to cause or allow to flow; emit in a steady stream.
pore: to gaze intently or fixedly; look searchingly; to devote oneself to attentive reading (used chiefly with over).

9. prescribe / proscribe
To lay down a rule or give directions is to prescribe. Ex. The doctor prescribed an earlier bedtime.

To condemn or forbid as harmful is to proscribe. Ex. The university has proscribed the carrying of guns on campus.

10. peek / peak / pique
Most people use these words correctly in speech, but misspell them in writing. All three may be used as nouns or verbs.

peek
verb: look slyly or furtively or to peer through a crack or hole or from a place of concealment.
noun: a surreptitious look

peak
verb: to reach a maximum, as of capacity, value, or activity.
noun: the pointed or projecting part of something.
noun: the top of a hill or mountain or something resembling it.

pique
verb: to arouse anger or resentment in someone.
noun: offense taken.

Credit: DWT

1. nutritional / nutritious
The adjective nutritional means, “related to the process of nutrition,” that is, using food to support life. Ex. The nutritional value of one egg is the equivalent of one ounce of meat.

The adjective nutritious means “nourishing or healthy to eat.” Ex. A nutritious breakfast can help prevent overeating and snacking later in the day.

2. noisome / noisy
The adjective noisome means, “offensive to the smell or other senses.” Ex. I was repelled by the noisome smell that accompanied the speaker back from the smoking area.

The adjective noisy means, “characterized by the presence of noise.” Ex. Many writers find it difficult to work in a noisy environment.

3. observance / observation
The performance of a customary rite is an observance. Ex. The observance of Memorial Day includes military parades and the placing of flowers on graves. Ex. Do you support moving the observance of Memorial Day to May 30th?

An observation is an act of recognizing and noting some fact or occurrence, often involving the measurement of some magnitude with suitable instruments. Ex. Gallileo’s achievements included the observation and analysis of sunspots.

4. obsolescent / obsolete
Something that is obsolescent is going out of use. Ex. Although still used in 66 percent of US homes, landline telephones are obsolescent.

Something that is obsolete is no longer active or in use. Ex. Mimeograph machines are obsolete.

5. ordinance / ordnance
An ordinance is an official decree. Ex. An ordinance in my town forbids residents to allow pet cats to go outside without a leash.

The term ordnance refers to military supplies including weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and the necessary maintenance tools and equipment. Ex. In 1969, he served as a platoon sergeant in the 70th Ordnance Battalion, responsible for maintaining the 5th Infantry Division’s basic load of ammunition.

6. palate / palette / pallet
All three words are pronounced the same.

The roof of the mouth consisting of the structures that separate the mouth from the nasal cavity is called the palate. Figuratively palate refers to the physical sense of taste or to intellectual capacity.

Ex. Ludovico wrote that, given Francesco’s exquisite palate, he chose only fish of the finest quality.
Ex. It may take a well-developed literary palate to fully appreciate, but this miniseries remains an indelible treat.

Painters arrange paint on a palette. Ex. Over the course of more than two decades, I’ve used all kinds of palettes – dishes with little wells, pieces of porcelain tile, old CDs, waxed paper, and water-color paper.

Figuratively, “an artist’s palette” is a distinctive combination of colors. Ex. Vermeer’s seventeenth-century palette did not include many strong colors.

The word pallet may refer to a temporary bed. Ex. At night I slept on a pallet in a corner of Belle’s upstairs room.

The word pallet also applies to “a portable platform of wood, metal, or other material designed for handling by a forklift truck.”

Credit: DWT

If you’re still not convinced that the English language is full of oddities and conundrums take a look at these five wacky sentences that are actually grammatically correct.

1. All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life.

Well, talk about lexical ambiguity. But as strange as this sentence might sound, it is actually grammatically correct. The sentence relies on a double use of the past perfect. The two instances of “had had” play different grammatical roles in the sentences—the first is a modifier while the second is the main verb of the sentence.

2. One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I’ll never know.

This famous Groucho Marx joke takes advantage of the fact that the same sentence can often be interpreted in more than one way. The first sentence can be read in two distinct ways: A) The man shot an elephant while he was wearing his pajamas or B) The man shot an elephant that was wearing his pajamas. It’s unclear who is wearing the pajamas, the man or the elephant. Most people interpret the sentence the first way and are subsequently startled to read the second part of the joke.

3. The complex houses married and single soldiers and their families.

This is what we call a garden path sentence. Though grammatically correct, the reader’s initial interpretation of the sentence may be confusing, at best. In other words, the sentence has taken the reader down a dead-end.

Here, “complex” may be interpreted as an adjective and “houses” may be interpreted as a noun. Readers are immediately confused upon reading that the complex houses “married,” interpreting “married” as the verb. How can houses get married? In actuality, “complex” is the noun, “houses” is the verb, and “married” is the adjective. The sentence is trying to express the following: Single soldiers, as well as married soldiers and their families, reside in the complex.

4. The man the professor the student has studies Rome.

This awkward but grammatically correct sentence is a product of what is known as center embedding. In English we can typically put one clause inside of another without any problem. We can take “the man studies Rome” and add a bunch of additional information between the noun and the verb. However, the more information that is added the harder it is to interpret the sentence.

In this particular case the sentence conveys the following: The student has the professor who knows the man that studies ancient Rome. Each noun corresponds to a verb (the man studies, the student has). But because of the sentence’s style this is hard to decipher. Remember: just because a sentence is grammatically correct doesn’t mean it is acceptable stylistically.

5. Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo.

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. You read that sentence right— it reads “buffalo” eight times. You see, “buffalo” is a noun that refers to a large, shaggy-manned North American bison, a city in upstate New York, and a verb that means, “To intimidate.” First devised by Professor William J. Rapaport in 1972, this notorious sentence plays on reduced relative clauses, different part-of-speech readings of the same word, and centre embedding. It’s also a pretty prime example of how homonyms (words that share spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings) can really confuse things.

While it might be hard to parse the sentence is coherent. If you stare at it long enough the true meaning may even miraculously come to you: “Bison from Buffalo, New York, who are intimidated by other bison in their community, also happen to intimidate other bison in their community.” For further clarification you might also want check out English indie rock band Alt-J’s song “Buffalo,” which was famously inspired by this conundrum of a sentence and used in the soundtrack of the Oscar-nominated Silver Linings Playbook.

So, in conclusion: English is weird. But in spite of its oddities it is also a strangely beautiful language. You can do all sorts of crazy things with it without breaking any rules. The bounds of proper English are virtually endless – test them in your writing today!


Credit: Grammarly

The passive voice is a misunderstood entity in the world of writing. It is unfairly judged by many authors. Some writers, without taking the time to get to know this grammatical structure, avoid it at all costs. Others use it ineffectively because they do not understand how it works. How can you get to know this mysterious literary device?

First, let’s start with an explanation of what passive voice is. Passive voice sentences mention the thing or person receiving an action before mentioning the action itself, and may omit the actor altogether. For example, consider this sentence:

The leaves were blown by the wind.

The leaves receive the action of being blown. In the example, the agent is specified with the preposition by. However, the agent could have been left out of the sentence: The leaves were blown.

When is it proper to use passive voice? Consider these instances. Why do you suppose passive voice is appropriate? Check your answers below.

My camera was stolen from my locker at school.
A candle will be lit at the memorial service for the fallen soldier.
Diets are made to be broken.
The sodium hydroxide solution was heated to 200 degrees.

Answers:

Who stole the camera? The agent is unknown. If you do not know who committed an action, it is appropriate to use passive voice.
Who do you want to receive the attention? If you prefer the attention to be on the action itself (the candle being lit) and not the person doing the lighting, you may omit the agent.
You are expressing a general truth that is applicable to many. Using active voice to express this idea would be awkward: People who make diets make them to be broken.

Researchers often use passive voice in scientific reports. It is assumed that the reader knows that the experimenters are performing the actions without stating this fact explicitly. But, according to the University of Toronto, this trend is on the decline. Recent papers tend to contain more examples of active voice.

What questions do you have about using passive voice?

Credit: Grammarly

The adjectives least, less, more, and most present difficulties for writers when the words are paired with other adjectives: Should hyphens be employed? And what about when little, much, and similar terms are involved?

Generally, do not hyphenate such constructions. The following examples are all correct:

“She bought the least expensive shampoo.”

“I’ve never heard a less interesting story.”

“That wasn’t the most regrettable part.”

“We have a more likely explanation.”

But use these words cautiously in such sentences. For example, “He made several more successful efforts” is ambiguous: Does it mean that the person added a few successful efforts to his record of previous successful ones, or that the person’s efforts were more successful than previous ones? Some writers choose to hyphenate “more successful” when appropriate in such a context, but such a strategy leads to inconsistency when the hyphen is omitted in a similar but unambiguous statement. “He made several additional successful efforts” or “He made several efforts that were more successful,” respectively, clarifies the writer’s intent without making exceptions.

Very is another problematic term. Most writers likely consider it obvious that no hyphen belongs in “John held up a very full bucket,” but very stands alone even when it modifies a hyphenated phrasal adjective, as in “They chose three very well-liked students.”

But compare these conventions with the custom for such words as little, much, seldom, and often. These words, all of which except often can be adjectives or adverbs, serve the latter function when they precede an adjective and a noun — and in this case, they require a hyphen. (That’s counterintuitive, because adjectives are often hyphenated to a following word, while adverbs rarely are.)

Here are some examples:

“Mary spoke about a little-understood aspect of the animal’s behavior.”

“He explained a much-misunderstood phenomenon.”

“The seldom-seen plant is found in only one place.”

“The project was plagued by interventions with often-inconclusive results.”

(As with phrasal adjectives, these word pairs are not hyphenated after the noun. For example, “Mary spoke about an aspect of the animal’s behaviour that is little understood.”)

Note this exception: “The somewhat subjective report omitted some important details.”

Credit: DWT

Dictionaries incorporate new words every year. Some are pop culture inventions like jeggings, photobomb, and meme. Other words, like emoji and upvote, spring up from technology and social media. Dictionaries respond by creating definitions for anyone who cares to know what a twitterer is. And thank goodness they do; you can learn what an eggcorn is simply by turning a few pages in your trusty updated dictionary.

What you don’t know can’t hurt you. Is that expression true in the case of vocabulary? Are words out of sight, out of mind? Let’s look at some of the words we lost—terms eliminated from dictionaries or never included—to see if obsolete words really are better forgotten.

For the sake of spelling bees alone, we should consider bringing back quomodocunquize. The word means to make money by any means possible. Also work-related is ergophobia, the morbid fear of going back to work. Think of the advice you could give if these two words were still in play: Instead of quomodocunquizing every month, try to find stable employment. If you don’t find a job soon, you run the risk of developing ergophobia.

One obsolete word means a person with a handsome face. English has many words to express beauty; why should this word be banned? Well, its components still exist. There’s snout, which according to Dictionary.com, has five meanings. Notably, the first and most prevalent understanding of snout is the muzzle of an animal. Another definition refers to humans; a snout is “a person’s nose, especially when large or prominent.” Fair, the other part of the extinct word, used to be associated more with female beauty than “free from bias.” Therefore, calling someone snoutfair was a compliment.

Hugger-mugger is another compound word, but the current definitions of its components don’t match its meaning. In modern English, this term would be confusing. In general, hyphens link together two words to express one idea. For example, a hunter-gatherer is a person who feeds himself by hunting and gathering food. Nowadays, a hugger is someone who embraces others. A mugger is someone who assaults other people, usually with the intention to rob them. However, to hugger-mugger isn’t to embrace someone while you rob him; it means to act in a sneaky, secretive manner. Using this verb would probably confound your listener, so it’s probably best to use a more understandable synonym. You might agree that simpler synonyms are the way to go if you consider some obsolete terms from archaic versions of the Bible. “Cheek teeth” are now rendered as “fangs” in modern revisions. Instead of “suffer the little children to come,” the verse in the book of Mark now reads, “let the little children come.”

Idioms help preserve some obsolete words. Not many people could define tisket or tasket, but they know the children’s rhyme by heart: A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket… Outside of the expression, “to and fro,” fro is seldom used. Interestingly, it originated from the Scottish pronunciation of “from.” Now, “to and from” sounds strange to most English speakers.

The Sami languages, spoken in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, reportedly include more than 150 words related to snow and ice. In the 1590s, the English language had a word for recently melted snow—snowbroth. Now, English speakers simply call it water or melted snow. In fact, words that are markedly specific seem more vulnerable to extinction. A 19th-century dictionary included Englishable, a term to describe how appropriate a word is for the English language. However, English is a dynamic language, always accepting and abandoning words. Apparently, Englishable itself isn’t Englishable; it’s now obsolete.

Do you favour any infrequently used words? If so, use them now and often. . . A word’s best defence against extinction is regular use.


KIMBERLY JOKI

The vocabulary of modern English owes a lot of its richness to borrowing words from other languages, but it borrows from some languages much more than others. We have only one word of Finnish origin in common use, but it’s a good one. Sauna, a direct import from Finland, pulls double-duty as our word for a relaxing steam bath and as the perfect way to describe gloriously hot, humid summer days. Here are some other great words with international origins:

Orange

Which came first: the colour or the fruit? In English, believe it or not, it was the fruit. The word first appeared in English at the end of the fourteenth century, around the time the fruit was making its way into Western Europe. Like so many other words, orange entered English by way of French, but the roots of the word stretch back to the Dravidian languages of southern India. It took another 150 years or so after the first introduction of orange for it to become the word for the colour, too. Before then, the English-speaking world had to make do with saying yellow-red or red-yellow. Ever wonder why we call someone with orange hair a redhead? If orange had come along earlier, perhaps today we would call them “orangeheads” instead. Well, maybe not . . .

Disaster

Students of Latin or Greek can probably decipher the original meaning of disaster by looking at its roots: dis- (negative, bad, not) and astrum (star). Long ago, it was commonly believed that the position of stars and planets directly affected our daily lives here on earth. So a sudden calamity or misfortune was often blamed on the influence of a “bad star.”

Zombie

We can thank the folklore of Haiti and the West Indies for contributing one of the most terrifying and popular creatures in the modern horror genre: the zombie. But the origins of zombie may not have been so scary. The word can be traced back to West Africa, and possibly derives from a Kongo word meaning “god.”

Ketchup

Ketchup wasn’t always a tomato-based condiment. Once upon a time, mushrooms were the main ingredient. In fact ketchup isn’t always even ketchup. If you live in the southern United States, you may spell it catsup. The etymology is murky, but the word seems to descend from a word meaning “pickled fish brine” in the Amoy dialect of southeast China. The word may have made its way into English after entering Malay as kēchap.

Algebra

The prefix al- offers a clue about the origins of this word. Like alchemy, alcohol, alcove, and almanac, algebra is a descendant of Arabic (al is the definite article in Arabic, like the in English). Algebra is a combination of al- and jabr, meaning “the restoration of broken parts.” Algebra appeared occasionally in Middle English as a medical word, specifically in relation to fractured bones, but this meaning was quickly overtaken by the mathematical one.

Credit: Grammarly

Despite the difference between the words effective and efficient when used alone, once the word cost is added to them to produce cost-effective and cost-efficient, the meaning of both compounds appears to be economical or cost-saving. I’d welcome the input of an economist who could provide contexts to show a difference in meaning between the compounds, if one in fact exists.

Effective and efficient, on the other hand, belong to a group of adjectives relating to the idea of getting results. Their similarity in meaning is clear in these OED definitions:

effective: Powerful in effect; producing a notable effect; effectual.

efficient: Productive of effects; effective; adequately operative.

effectual: That produces its intended effect, or adequately answers its purpose.

efficacious: That produces, or is certain to produce, the intended or appropriate effect; effective.

Like the readers who wrote to me, I see a significant difference between effective and efficient. I understand efficient to mean, “marked by ability to choose and use the most effective and least wasteful means of doing a task or accomplishing a purpose.” For example, burning the house down to get rid of termites would be effective, but not efficient.

Here are some examples of suggested usage based on a note in the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus:

Use effective to describe something that produces a definite effect or result.

Antony proved that he was an effective speaker by rousing the rabble against the men who killed Caesar.

Use efficient when the intention is to imply skill and economy of energy in producing the desired result.

In less than a year, the new treasurer’s efficient management resulted in the elimination of the organization’s enormous debt.

Use effectual to describe something that produces the desired result in a decisive manner.

Destroying the bridge proved to be an effectual strategy for stopping the invaders.

Use efficacious to describe something that produces the desired effect.

Ginger is an efficacious remedy for an upset stomach.

Credit: DWT

[- English Language -]
*quot;Go," is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
[- Fairy Tales -]
In downtown Lima, Peru, there is a large brass statue dedicated to Winnie the Pooh.
[- Fairy Tales -]
The brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm), collectors of the famous Grimm's Fairy Tales, were not storytellers, nor were they simple lovers of fairy tales. The Grimms were language scholars, the greatest of their time by most accounts, and the stories were collected and codified in the early nineteenth century as an exercise in comparative German philology and grammar.
[- Novels -]
For several decades the well-known Belgian mystery writer Georges Simenon wrote, on the average, one Novel every eleven days. Besides the more than 230 Novels he penned under his own name, Simenon wrote 300 other books under a pseudonym.
[- Novels -]
Part of Lewis Carroll's classic, "Through the Looking Glass," was omitted from the original publication and was only made known to the general public after 107 years of obscurity. The section, which featured a giant wasp wearing a wig, was left out because Carroll's illustrator, John Tenniel, refused to illustrate it. "A wasp in a wig," said Tenniel, "is altogether beyond the appliances of art."
[- Nursery Rhymes -]
This Nursery Rhyme history comes from the court of Queen Elizabeth I. The queen is said to have teased her courtiers, much the way a cat teases a mouse. She herself was very fond of dancing to the tune of a fiddle. One of her courtiers was nicknamed "Moon" and another "Dog." Moreover, Elizabeth had a lady in waiting known as "Spoon." One day, we are told, a gentleman of the court known as "Dish" eloped with Mistress Spoon, inspiring the following:
Hey diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
[- Nursery Rhymes -]
The Nursery Rhyme "Old King Cole" is based on a real king and a real historical event. King Cole is supposed to have been an actual monarch of Britain who ruled around 200 A.D.
[- Poetry -]
Though it is not widely known, the Italian painter Michelangelo (1475-1564) was considered by his contemporaries to be one of the greatest Poets of all time. About 250 of his Poems and sonnets have come down to us today and are still read by scholars, historians, and Poets.
[- Poetry -]
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), America's most famous woman Poet, published only seven Poems during her lifetime. All of these, moreover, were published anonymously and often against her will. Dickinson, a recluse most of her life after an unfortunate early love affair with a married minister, wrote her Poetry in absolute secrecy and rarely shared her work even with her family. It was only after her death that volumes of her writings were discovered, and it was not until 1890, four years after she died, that the first collection of her work was published.
[- Poetry -]
Arthur Jean Nicolas Rimbaud (1854-1891), the great French Symbolist poet, wrote almost all his notable Poetry between the ages of fifteen and twenty. In 1879, after having spent his adolescence and young adulthood in wandering, scandal, and debauchery, Rimbaud suddenly repudiated his art, travelled to the Middle East, set up a business in Ethiopia, and spent the rest of his life as a merchant. He never wrote another Poem.

Credit: SkyGaze

You’re writing a paper, but suddenly you stop because you’re not sure about a grammar rule. What do you do?

Some questions are unique, but others have been asked hundreds of times. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the answers to some of the most frequently asked grammar and language questions in one handy guide?

Here it is!

What’s the difference between fewer and less?

Can you count the items? Use fewer. Otherwise, use less!

Fewer than 20 of the 314 applicants received an invitation to interview for the position.
I have less time to read this year than I would like.

Is it me or I?

Remove the other noun and say the sentence aloud. If it sounds wrong, switch the pronoun.
Did you invite Billy and me?


Did you invite Billy? Did you invite me? They both sound correct, so me is correct.
Should Billy and I go to the store?


Should Billy go to the store? Should I go to the store? Again, they both sound correct, so I is correct.
Me and Sally sent gifts.


Me sent gifts. Sally sent gifts. Me sent a gift doesn’t sound right, so substitute I: Sally and I sent gifts.
How do you punctuate items in a vertical list?

Answers vary on this issue so check your current style manual. In general, full sentences should include normal end punctuation. If single words or short phrases make up your list, be consistent about punctuation. Either consistently include punctuation at the end of each item or don’t use it for any of them.

What is the past tense of lie?

When lie is used to talk about the position of a something, the past tense is lay.
After the basketball game, the team banner lay on the gymnasium floor.


If that sounds wrong to you, it is because this verb is often confused with lay which means to put something down. The past tense of lay is laid.
He laid the team banner on the gymnasium floor after the game.

How does affect differ from effect?

Affect is a verb that means “to influence.” Though effect can be a verb in some formal contexts, it is usually used as a noun. As a noun, it means “a result.”
The barking of the neighbour’s dog affects my ability to concentrate.
The barking of the neighbour’s dog has a curious effect on my ability to concentrate.


Though these questions are among the most common, you may have other doubts about how to use certain words and punctuation. What can you do if you have other unanswered questions? Why not expand this guide with some research of your own? Write down your questions and research the answers. Make notes of your findings in a notebook. Then, you will have your own personal grammar handbook to consult.

Credit: Grammarly

Disappointment is an emotion. The preposition that follows disappointed hints at the intensity of the emotion involved.

“Disappointed in” suggests that a betrayal has taken place. The source of the disappointment is usually a loved and trusted person whose actions are seen by another as a betrayal. The trusted person’s very character is in question. This kind of disappointment shakes a relationship.

In is also used when trust has been placed in an entity or institution from which something else was expected:

New Hope parents, students disappointed in court’s decision
Drivers in Liberia are expressing frustration and disappointment in the Federation of Road Transport Union (FRTUL) for its alleged failure to meet their needs.

“Disappointed by” lacks the sense of betrayal conveyed by “disappointed in”; with by the emotion seems to be more one of surprise:

Kim Simplis Barrow says she’s disappointed by church’s position

“Disappointed with” seems to have the broadest application. We’re disappointed with products or with how things are done:

”I am deeply disappointed with how WorkSafe conducted this investigation,” Clark told reporters.

iPhone users are disappointed with the iOS 7.1 software update that’s draining their batteries

Julien Disappointed With Bruins’ Effort In Winnipeg

Chase disappointed with outcome of 2014 Legislative sessions

Preposition use is changing rapidly. For example, nonstandard “excited for” is challenging standard “excited about” in the speech of younger speakers. If the established uses of “disappointed in” and “disappointed by” are displaced, it will be by “disappointed with,” as in this comment by Drake Bennett:

Being disappointed with a person feels different from being disappointed with an outcome, and demands a different response.

Credit: DWT

The Latin expression mea culpa is used as an interjection and as a noun.

mea culpa interjection: an exclamation acknowledging one’s guilt or responsibility for an error. For example:

MOTHER: The garbage is overflowing!
SON: Mea culpa! I’ll take it out right now.

As a noun, a mea culpa is the acknowledgement of one’s guilt or responsibility for an error and is often used as a synonym for apology.

Here are examples of this use:

Just before Guillen began his 45-minute mea culpa…the Marlins announced he had been suspended for five games.

Anthony Weiner’s emotional mea culpa: Will it be enough?

Does McCain owe mea culpa to POWs & MIAs?

Hydro owes us a mea culpa.

An apology is “an acknowledgement of an offense with expression of regret for it, by way of reparation.”

Mea culpa as a synonym for apology derives from its use in a Latin prayer called “The Confiteor.” The Latin word confiteor means, “I confess” or “I acknowledge.” In praying, the supplicant repeats the phrase mea culpa, “through my own fault,” numerous times during the recitation of the prayer.

An error with mea culpa occurs when a writer doesn’t understand its English meaning. Here are examples of misuse:

Annie gritted her teeth and lifted her hands briefly from the wheel in a mea culpa apology to the indignant driver of the cleaner’s van.—Novel published by Random House.

Rather than from John Paul Culotta, The Progressive, a mea culpa apology is due from the cretins who faithfully followed our “torturer in chief” to financial and human disaster.—News item, The Wave (Rockaway, New York).

Alpha Chi Omega President Megan Koelln issued a mea culpa apology.—LA Weekly.

In each example, the word apology is redundant. The only reason to follow mea culpa with the word apology would be in the context of talking about different kinds of apology.

Note: More often than not, the statement being described in the news as a mea culpa is not an apology at all, but an excuse.

excuse noun [eks-KYUS] : anything that justifies or extenuates a fault or defect.


Credit: DWT

Here are my top 10 tips for fun, creative and productive writing, which can be applied to blogging, writing a book, an article, a report at work, a thesis, a term paper or any other major writing project.

1: Go out and write
Getting out of the house means I’m not distracted by all of the other stuff I could/should do at home (from washing the dishes to finally fixing that loose door handle). Also the café has noise, music, people coming in and out and while this may not work for everyone, it’s a nice level of distraction for me, and actually allows me to concentrate better than I do in a quiet office.

2: Leave the laptop charger at home
This may be the most important tip. This way the battery life of my computer sets an upper limit to how long I can write. I can’t sit there all day – I have 3 1/2 hours at the most. This means I spend zero time surfing the web, checking up on news, etc…

Also, I could never write for a whole day. I have about 2-3 good writing hours in me per day before the creativity, productivity and quality of my writing starts to plummet.

3: Decide on the structure first
I start by lining up all the chapters, so I know what sections the book has and which order they will come in. I don’t write the chapters in that order, and I also change this outline as I write.

But I do know where each chapter will fit, and approximately what it will contain. This saves me from moving a lot of text around and it also makes it easier to write the chapters without always having to refer to something that’s coming later in the book, something I find sloppy and indicative of a messy structure.

4: Write what you want to write
Every morning, I work on the chapter that interests me the most that day. Because I have the overall structure in mind, I don’t need to tackle the chapters in sequence. If I feel like writing about why happiness at work is important to you and me I do that. If the question what is happiness at work is on my mind, I write about that.

This helps make the writing process fun and less of a chore.

There’s a corollary: If you don’t want to write, don’t. Writing is rarely fun, productive or good when you’re not in the mood. Instead of forcing yourself to write, consider if there’s something you can do to change that (like going out to write) or if maybe it’s just time for a day off from writing.

5: Work on it in your head before writing
One reason the writing can go so fast is that I know what I want to say. I have spent a lot of time thinking, taking notes, talking to people and gathering stories and business cases about happiness at work.

Writing while at the same time finding out what to say takes a lot more time. So find out what to write first. Talk it over with other people. Then write it.

6: Work on two chapters in parallel
I always write on two chapters at the same time. Well not at the exact same time, but on the same day. One of these is almost finished and just needs a rewrite and some polish. The other one I’m just starting on, and this is where most of the actual writing happens.

The good thing about this approach is that I don’t aim to finish a chapter the same day I start it – I can fill out most of it, but leave open questions or difficult sections to another day.

This also means that each writing session contains both “original” writing and re-writes, so the process is more varied. Spending a whole morning just re-writing chapters is way too boring.

And finally this eliminates the practice of writing the whole thing and then doing reviews and rewrites – which only serves to make reviewing intensely unpleasant.

7: Write alone

Even if you’re working on a project together with someone else, do the actual writing alone. Two (or more) people sitting at a computer arguing over each sentence is not a good use of people’s time.

If you’re collaborating with others then:

Decide on a structure for the whole project
Decide who does what
Do the actual writing alone
Then get together and compare notes
Never, ever do the actual writing together )

8: Get feedback as you go
Because I post chapters straight to the blog, people are reading what I write right away, not in some distant future where the book may have been published and people may have bought it. This gives the process an immediate pay-off that motivates me.

Also I get great feedback in the comments. I have already gone back to previous chapters and updated them, based on the comments people leave. Also, I get encouragement. I’m a sucker for praise, and the fact that people leave encouraging comments motivates me a lot.

9: No deadlines or goals
I have had no specific targets or goals. I did not set out to write half the book in 8 mornings – that would’ve been serious hubris. I have no deadline, no goal to write so many words per day.

I could never write to a specific deadline, because writing is a creative process. I can do it when I’m in the mood. Trying to write when I’m not, is a frustrating exercise in futility.

But having no deadlines does not mean I’m slacking – I’m actually looking forward to getting up in the morning to write. This attitude is the basis for good writing. To me, good writing can never be a chore. To quote The Laziest Man in North America: “If it feels like work, you’re not doing it right.”

The sci-fi author Lois McMaster Bujold tried this approach and to her great surprise found that she wrote more than twice as fast as when she was writing to a deadline. She also had a lot more fun.

10: Make it fast
While I have no fixed deadline I did decide to write the book quickly. I could’ve given myself half a year to write, but I prefer to immerse myself in the project for a short period of time as opposed to having it on the backburner for months on end.

This keeps the structure, content, tone and feel of the book consistent in my mind and makes the process easier and ultimately more efficient.

The result

The thing is, I’ve started on a book before but had to stop again because I just couldn’t focus on the writing or because I lost steam somewhere along the way. But this time I’ve found a process that works very well for me and this has made writing:

Fun – I just can’t wait to write, it’s that much fun
Productive – I mean a book in 20 days…
Creative – I’m taking some chances and trying a lot of things I haven’t tried before
Good – I like what I’m writing, and it’s really high quality for what is essentially a first draft
And the very best thing is coming out of the café with the really, really great feeling that “MAN, this is fun and MAN I’m proud of my work”. That is what writing should feel like!

Credit: Positive Sharing

The Chicago Manual of Style offers these rules for family terms that include the words foster, grand, great, half, and step:

foster
The noun forms are open: foster mother, foster father, foster parents, foster home.
The adjective forms are hyphenated: foster-home background, foster-parent role.

grand
Grand compounds are closed: grandmother, grandparent, granddaughter.

great
Great compounds are hyphenated: great-grandmother, great-great-grandfather.

half
When referring to a sibling, the compound is open: half sister, half brother.

step
Step compounds are closed, except with grand and great: stepdaughter, stepsibling, step-grandfather, step-grandparents.

Credit: DWT

1. Pay attention to punctuation, especially to the correct use of commas and periods. These two punctuation marks regulate the flow of your thoughts, and they can make your text confusing even if the words are clear.

2. Try not to edit while you’re creating your first draft. Creating and editing are two separate processes using different sides of the brain, and if you try doing both at once you’ll lose. Make a deal with your internal editor that it will get the chance to rip your piece to shreds; it will just need to wait some time.

3. Write daily for 30 minutes minimum! It’s easy to notice the difference in a short time. Suddenly, ideas come to you and you think of other things to write. You experiment with styles and voices and words and the language becomes more familiar…

4. Be a good reader first.

5. Learn to take criticism and seek it out at every opportunity. Don’t get upset even if you think the criticism is harsh, don’t be offended even if you think it’s wrong, and always thank those who take the time to offer it.

6. Write as if you’re on deadline and have 500 words to make your point. Then do it again. And again.

7. To be a good writer is to start writing everyday. As Mark Twain said, “the secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

8. Try using new words. i.e avoid repeating words. This way we learn the usage of different words.

9. Read great writers for inspiration. If you read them enough, their excellent writing style will rub off onto your dazzling blog. YOU ARE what you read (and write!).

10. Don’t shy away from adopting the good habits that other writers use.

Credit: DWT

It can be fun to take a break from writing, editing and corporate communicating to play with words.

Let’s have some fun with these made-up words:


1. Afterclap: the last person to clap at a performance or event.


I know Alison is proud of her daughter, but does she have to be the afterclap every time?

2. Askhole: a person who asks too many pointless, intrusive or obnoxious questions.


I’m never going out with that askhole again.

3. Beerboarding: extracting information from colleagues by buying them drinks.


I think the only way to get answers from the IT folks is to beerboard them.

4. Confrazzled: being confused and frazzled.


Being forced to use this new content management system has left everyone confrazzled.

5. Chuckology: the study of Chuck Norris.

As the Chuckologists say, what would Chuck do?

6. Destinesia: the experience of reaching your destination and forgetting why you’re there.


I mostly experience destinesia on Monday mornings.

7. Gruntled: the opposite of disgruntled.


They’ve just announced this year’s bonus amount, so I’m feeling very gruntled right now.

8. Hiberdating: ignoring everyone else in favor of your boyfriend or girlfriend.


Beth must be hiberdating. I haven’t heard from her in weeks.

9. Intaxicaton: the sense of euphoria felt when receiving a tax refund.


Sarah’s intaxication lasted until she realized that it was her money in the first place.


10. Huggle: a combination of hug and cuddle. A huggle lasts a little longer than a hug.


I think someone needs a huggle.


What words would you add to the list?

Laura Hale Brockway

Do you use an exclamation point? Do you use five or more? Is there really any limit to the number of exclamation points you can and should use?

Are you now wondering when you can’t use an exclamation point? Never fear—I am here to save the day.

1. Are You Writing a Highly Professional Email?
Professional emails can be a pain, can’t they? You’re always second-guessing yourself, and wondering if you should say one thing or another.

The one thing you shouldn’t second-guess is the use of an exclamation point. If you are writing a highly professional email, or even if you’re writing to a college professor about missing class, don’t use an exclamation point.

2. Are You Writing a Term Paper That Is 70 Percent of Your Grade?
Term papers are hard work, and you want every ounce of effort you put in to be appreciated. Whether the paper is 70 percent of your grade or only 20 percent, you still need to write it well and professionally.

As you write your term paper, you might just happen across some really exciting new information about the topic. Does this mean you can write about it and use tons of exclamation points to show how excited you are?

Nope.

Never use an exclamation point in your term paper—it could knock a few points off your overall grade.

3. Did You Already Use an Exclamation Point?
If you’re writing a blog post or something that isn’t highly professional, then you can use an exclamation point. But how do you know when you’ve used too many?

A great way is to read through and see if you’ve already used one—if you have, then you don’t need more. You’ll also notice that reading through your post or content will help immensely because you’ll start to realize that each place you put an exclamation point really didn’t need it.

Write Exciting Information. You Won’t Need a Billion Exclamation Points.

You don’t need to have exclamation points all throughout your content to convince people to be excited. Punctuation isn’t really going to impact them. However, when you write exciting content, people will read.

Get to work on some exciting information to share, and you are well on your way to creating content that will be enjoyable for every reader.

What are some of your experiences with the overuse of any punctuation mark?

Julia McCoy