Mis(s)Usage

Dictionary.com's Word of the Year: Tergiversate

2012-01-18T02:25:00.000-08:00

Tergiversate

Pronounced "ter-JIV-er-sate", it means “to change repeatedly one's attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.”

Where's the Edit Button on Facebook?

2012-01-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

Posting with errors? I am guilty of this all the time!

If I really want to put out a good piece of writing (not like this one ~ lol), it takes me hours to finish it. And even if I feel that I am ready to publish it, I still edit it.

In this time and age, however, microblogging is so prevalent. Any thought, encounter, experience you have you always would want to shout it out there. Often you just type and push the Send / Publish button, and regret a minute later because what you had written badly needs editing.

For blogs or websites, it's easy to edit; but Facebook, nah. This is the status I want to edit. Look here:

The fourth line should read: Well, guess what? For 20 years, I was doing assignments.

Then next line: Everyone laughs.

The ones posted are not really wrong but for usage, style, I feel the corrections are more appropriate. But I can't find the edit button. Where is the edit button in Facebook?

Got excited to see that Edit or Remove option there. But look at my options:

No option to edit the post itself.

Before, during the early days of Facebook, I remember clearly they have this Edit button. I should know because I would edit my posts several times. (lol)

Wish they would bring it back.

The Absence of a Pronoun Antecedent

2011-06-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

An online local news provider reported about the same-sex marriage and went:

... This came amid news that New York City has also legalized gay marriage. It became the sixth state in the United States to do so.

There are two things that are wrong in this sentence.

The pronoun It in the second sentence does not have an antecedent. The pronoun does not clearly point to New York City.
If the It pronoun does point to New York City, then it negates the succeeding thought, which is "the sixth state in the United States..." New York City is not a state. There is a New York state of which New York City is a part of.

Be careful with your pronoun antecedents and facts.

I've Achieved!

2011-06-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

"I've achieved!"

I first saw this slogan on billboards. My first reaction was to ask myself, "isn't the verb "achieve" a transitive verb?"

A transitive verb needs an object to complete its thought. For example:

The sales team achieved its quota for the quarter.
The college graduate feels that he has achieved a lot.

But then again I don't think the company--and a call center at that--that put out that slogan didn't make sure that they were expressing a good and grammatically correct sentence. So I looked up again the word "achieve."

Dictionary.com says:

Achieve
–verb (used with object)
to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish: The police crackdown on speeders achieved its purpose.
2. to get or attain by effort; gain; obtain: to achieve victory.

–verb (used without object)
3. to bring about an intended result; accomplish some purpose or effect.

So, there, the word can be with or without an object.

Thanks to this "I've achieved!" slogan, I am able to review my English grammar/usage again. ;)

Check out the Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus!

2011-05-03T02:23:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this interesting site: Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus.

You key in a word and you will be given the synonyms of that word presented like a thinkmap like this:

Then the meanings of each synonym is given at the right column. You position your mouse on a word and the definition appears. And the choices expand as you click on every word. This way, you don't need to key in the word every time. It definitely makes your word search easier and more efficient.

Check it out! :)

Fee v. Cost

2011-01-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

Fee - an amount of money paid for a particular piece of work or for a particular right or service.

Examples:
How much is the registration fee?
We have added the doctor's fee to the bill.

Cost - the amount of money needed to buy, do or make something; the amount of money needed for a business or to do a particular job

Examples:
I wish I could install this software to my new laptop at no extra cost (that is, for no additional money).
Management told the marketing people to cut advertising costs.

Source

'Austerity' is 2010 Word of the Year

2010-12-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Not many of us pay attention to our vocabulary. What words we often use, what words are newly coined, and what words are added to the dictionary.

Through the years, words get listed on the dictionary while others got removed mainly due to its reach, use, or lack of it. And little did we know that words are also good signs of the times. :D

Take for example the word 'Austerity.' It is declared as the 2010 Word of the Year. Here's why:

Austerity, the 14th century noun defined as "the quality or state of being austere" and "enforced or extreme economy," set off enough searches that Merriam-Webster named it as its Word of the Year for 2010, the dictionary's editors announced Monday.

John Morse, president and publisher of the Springfield, Mass.-based dictionary, said "austerity" saw more than 250,000 searches on the dictionary's free online tool and came with more coverage of the debt crisis.

"What we look for ... what are the words that have had spikes that strike us very much as an anomaly for their regular behavior," Morse said. "The word that really qualifies this year for that is 'austerity'."

Source

The Student Theme

2010-12-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

by Ronald Wallace

The adjectives all ganged up on the nouns,
insistent, loud, demanding, inexact,
their Latinate constructions flashing. The pronouns
lost their referents: They were dangling, lacked
the stamina to follow the prepositions' lead
in, on, into, to, toward, for, or from.
They were beset by passive voices and dead
metaphors, conjunctions shouting But! or And!

The active verbs were all routinely modified
by adverbs, that endlessly and colorlessly ran
into trouble with the participles sitting
on the margins knitting their brows like gerunds
(dangling was their problem, too). The author
was nowhere to be seen; was off somewhere.

"The Student Theme" by Ronald Wallace, from The Uses of Adversity. © The University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.

Via: The Writer's Almanac

Censorship and Word Choice

2010-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

I chanced upon this post on Six Sentences and I thought of how censorship can sometimes hinder us from expressing how we feel and see things. :)

Click here to see what I mean.

Advice v. Advise

2010-12-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Many of you may be aware that these two words exist, but don't know how to distinguish one from the other. I often see the two being used interchangeably.

Advice
This is the noun form, which according to Dictionary.com means an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action. Example:

My father always give me good advice.

Following my neighbor's advice, I cleaned up my surroundings to get rid of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Advise
This is the verb from, which according to Dictionary.com means to give counsel to, offer an opinion or recommendation or suggestion worth following. Example:

The doctor advised him against eating too much chocolates.

My parents advised us when they would be arriving.

English Vocabulary: Forenoon

2009-10-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

In my Gmail, Word for the Day, I got this new word:

forenoon (noun) The period of time between sunrise and noon.
Synonyms: morn, morning
Usage: The heat of the sun awoke him early in the forenoon.

More about forenoon.

I learned a new word today. :)

Word Choice

2009-10-09T01:35:00.000-07:00

"Thank you for letting us know of this matter.

We acknowledge your request to put your Smart Bro account on temporary hold due to recent typhoon and we would like to be of help.

We are sudden to hear about what happened to your area and we apologize for the inconvenience it may have caused you."

What is wrong with this letter?

Too v. So

2009-09-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

The use of too and so is a common mistake among English speakers and writers. So when is it correct to use too and so?

I get confused, too. That's why I consulted two dictionaries: Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster.com.

Too
–adverb
1. in addition; also; furthermore; moreover
Example: We have to sell the house and car, too.

2. to an excessive extent or degree; beyond what is desirable, fitting, or right: too sick to travel.
Example: This condo unit is too large a house for you, don't you think?

3. more, as specified, than should be
Example: Don't get too near the fire.

4. (used as an affirmative to contradict a negative statement)
Example: I am too!

5. extremely; very
Example: She wasn't too pleased with his behavior.

So
1 a: in a manner or way indicated or suggested.
Example: Do you really think so.
—often used as a substitute for a preceding clause
Examples: Are you ready? I think so.
I didn't like it and I told her so.
b: in the same manner or way : also
Example: I worked hard and so did she
c: thus 1
Example: For so the Lord said — Isa 18:4(Authorized Version)
d: then, subsequently
Example: After this long meeting, I'll have dinner and so home and to bed.

2 a: to an indicated or suggested extent or degree
Example: I had never been so happy.
b: to a great extent or degree : very, extremely
Example: He loves her so.
c: to a definite but unspecified extent or degree
Example: I can only do so much in a day.
d: most certainly : indeed
Example: You did so do it.
e: most decidedly: surely
Example: I so don't believe you.

Read more here.

One of the...

2009-08-20T00:43:00.000-07:00

One of the city in Europe that I love is Paris.

What's wrong with this sentence?

It should read:

One of the cities in Europe that I love is Paris.

The rule:
The phrase "one of the," should have an object that is plural.
The structure: One of the Noun(plural)

More examples:
One of the ways to earn money online is to put Google Adsense in your site or blog.
One of the things I like about you is your thoughtfulness.

This is yet another common mistake in English essays. :)

It's v. Its

2009-08-19T01:23:00.000-07:00

This is a common mistake. I see this confusion every time I edit posts or articles of my teammates.

The difference is really simple.

It's is a contraction form of "It is." In some rare cases it is also the contraction form of "It has."

Its is a possessive pronoun and also called a possessive adjective. It is the possessive form of the personal pronoun "it." It means belonging to or relating to something that has already been mentioned.

Examples:

It's a hot day today. (It is a hot day today.)
The company is anticipating its third quarter profits.

Which sentence is correct?

1. Its his fault why the team lost the game.
2. It's his fault why the team lost the game.

The Student Theme

2009-08-18T02:16:00.001-07:00

by Ronald Wallace

The adjectives all ganged up on the nouns,
insistent, loud, demanding, inexact,
their Latinate constructions flashing. The pronouns
lost their referents: They were dangling, lacked
the stamina to follow the prepositions' lead
in, on, into, to, toward, for, or from.
They were beset by passive voices and dead
metaphors, conjunctions shouting But! or And!

The active verbs were all routinely modified
by adverbs, that endlessly and colorlessly ran
into trouble with the participles sitting
on the margins knitting their brows like gerunds
(dangling was their problem, too). The author
was nowhere to be seen; was off somewhere.

"The Student Theme" by Ronald Wallace, from The Uses of Adversity. © The University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.

Via: The Writer's Almanac

Teem: to rain heavily

2009-06-05T02:22:00.000-07:00

I know the phrasal verb "teem with sth," which means "to contain large numbers of animals or people."

The mall was teeming with shoppers last weekend.

Today, as torrential rains batter Metro Manila, I just typed the word "rain heavily" on Google, and I found out this new word, "teem." It means "to rain heavily."

Examples:
It's been teeming down all day.
It's teeming with rain.

Interesting! ;)

You and Me v. You and I

2009-02-25T01:35:00.000-08:00

Have you been following US. President Barack Obama and his speeches?

If yes, then you know what I'm talking about. If no, don't fret. I, too, didn't know about Obama's lapses on the use of the phrases, "you and I" or "you and me."

We learn that we use You and I as a subject of the sentence, and you and me as the object.

For example:

You and I deserve this scholarship.
This is just between you and me.

In any case, New York Times has an interesting article on the use of You and I or You and Me. There was a time in the history of letters that the I and me are interchangeable. Pretty interesting!

Read on...

Between... and

2009-01-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

Between 2006 or 2007, she was working for a PR company.

I often read this "between... or" combination. The correct form of this connector is "between... and." Thus the sentence above should read:

Between 2006 and 2007, she was working for a PR company.

Client and Customer

2008-12-13T06:15:00.001-08:00

In business, the terms client and customer have become interchangeable. The use of the terms also is tricky.

In the rules of usage, however, although the terms are closely related in meaning, they are not interchangeable.

"Client" refers to a person who pays for the advice or services of a professional person.

For example: They are both clients of Atty. Reyes.

"Customer," on the other hand, refers to a person who purchases goods from a shop, etc.

For example: Many customers are complaining about high prices and poor service.

Now, there is also an instance that the term "client" refers to "customer." In this case, "client" is used in the sense of "customer" by shops that regard it as a more superior word.

For example: The clients of an exclusive dress boutique were treated to a dinner dance.

Source:
Webster's Universal Spelling Grammar & Usage

Where is the Pronoun Antecedent?

2008-12-12T03:01:00.000-08:00

Look at this sentence:

Sr. Leni is Gabo's Religion teacher, and the conference was part of the preparation for his first communion.

Notice the 'his' in bold font. We call that a pronoun, and a pronoun replaces a noun. So we look back in the sentence and look for that noun that the pronoun 'his' replaces. Can you find it?

We sure can find many nouns before the 'his.' There are six nouns before 'his' - Sr. Leni, Religion, teacher, conference, part, preparation. Can 'his' replace any of these nouns? I don't think so.

The only noun that 'his' can replace in that sentence would have been 'Gabo.' But the form of 'Gabo' is not a noun, it's in the possessive, Gabo's, so that doesn't count.

In other words, the pronoun 'his' has no antecedent in this sentence. The sentence should be:

Sr. Leni is Gabo's Religion teacher, and the conference was part of the preparation for Gabo's first communion.

Watch Those S's, Please

2008-11-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

On my way home from work tonight, I overheard two people talking. Their conversation went:

Lady 1: Kaya nga every minute count.
(That's why every minute count.)

Lady 2: Sinabi mo. Every seconds count talaga!
(You said it! Every seconds really count!)

By omitting an S on "count," Lady 1 violated the subject-verb agreement. The subject is singular, therefore the verb takes on the plural form. She should have said: "... every minute counts."

By putting an S to "seconds" and not ending "count" with S, Lady 2 violated two rules:

(1) "every" should be followed by a singular noun
(2) subject-verb agreement

She should have said, "... every second really count!"

Me, Either or Me, Too?

2008-10-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

How often do you hear these expressions? I bet all the time! :)

But when to use Me, either! and Me, too!? (oops is my double punctuation correct there?)

Let's take a look at the following sentences.

Boy: I loved the movie!
Girl: Me, too!

Girl: I didn't quite get that.
Boy: Me, either.
Or the more formal reply would be: I didn't get it, either.

Are these sentences correct? Yes!

In these expressions, we use "too" in affirmative or interrogative sentence to add an agreeing thought. On the other hand, we use "either" in negative sentence/idea to add an agreeing thought.

"Too" or "either" usually comes at the end of the clause. Formal English often requires that we put a comma before it.

Everday v. Every day

2008-06-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

I see this on TV all the time:

Take XXX everyday.

I know that the one word everyday is an adjective. It means ordinary, typical or usual.

But if you mean or describe the whole period that something lasted and show something that is repeated regularly, then you use the two words every day.

Examples:
Every day counts.
Jogging is an everyday exercise for me.

So that line above should have read: Take XXX every day.

Vivid Language is Beautiful

2008-06-09T02:13:00.000-07:00

I'm reading Haruki Murukami's The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, and thanks to Jay Rubin's translation, I get a glimpse of the vivid language that Murukami uses to describe things, emotions, and situations.

Example:

...Then I glanced at the phone in the living room. It sat on the table, cloaked in silence. It looked like a deep-sea creature pretending to be an inanimate object, crouching there in wait for its prey...

Waiting for a call from his wife, Toru Okada, the character, describes the telephone. He actually wills the telephone to come alive by ringing. His wife has left him, and he awaits word from her or from anyone who has been in contact with her.

I like the way the writer describes Toru and his emotion at that particular instance. Powerful!

Main Office v. Main Branch

2008-05-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

On my way to work this morning, I saw this notice plastered on the glass window of a bank.

This main office branch will soon be open to serve you better.

I was bothered by the phrase "main office branch" in that sentence. Isn't it that the main office is not a branch. That is THE main office.

I uttered the same phrase a long time ago, and I remember that my father corrected me on this one.

The correct expression should be "main office:"

This main office will soon be open to serve you better.

The care in 'taken cared of'

2008-05-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

"Children involved in armed conflict are well taken cared of."

My ears tingle whenever I hear people use the phrase, "taken cared of." The correct form is "taken care of."

The sentence above should read: Children involved in armed conflict are well taken care of.

In this phrase, the word care should be in the affirmative form because it already has "taken" as the main verb. These verb phrase "taken care of" falls under the category of causative verbs.

According to the rule, causative verbs designate the action necessary to cause another action to happen. In "The problem has been taken care of." the verb "taken" causes the "care" to happen.

Cope up v. Cope with

2008-05-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

"Welcome sa bahay ni Kuya. I hope you can cope up with the challenges inside,"

said the host of the Pinoy Big Brother on ABS-CBN. The phrase "cope up with" kept ringing in my ear.

In the English language usage, this is a common mistake. The correct phrase is "cope with." There are also cases where "cope" is enough.

To cope means to deal successfully with a difficult situation.

Examples:
It must be difficult to cope with five children and a job.
She had so much pressure on her in her job that eventually she just couldn't cope.

On misplaced modifiers

2008-05-06T03:08:00.000-07:00

Davao City is a sprawling metropolis of over a million people located in the Southeastern part of Mindanao.

Take a look at the word "located" in bold font. Can you tell what it is describing in the sentence: "Davao City" or "people"?

The rule on modifiers is that they are placed next to the word they are modifying. A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is separated from the word or words it modifies.

To correct the given sentence, it should be:
Located in the Southern part of Mindanao, Davao City is a sprawling metropolis of over a million people.
OR
Davao City, which is located in the Southern part of Mindanao, is a sprawling metropolis of over a million people.

More examples:
Incorrect: She took a walk in the park wearing her new shoes.
Correct: Wearing her new shoes, she took a walk in the park.

Avoid Those Adverbs, Please

2008-05-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

I was watching Balikbayan on QTV last night, and in one teaser, a female newscaster blurted:

"I personally witnessed the Pahiyas here in Lucban, Quezon."

There is nothing wrong with the adverb there, but it is unnecessary. The "I" already implies that the speaker is there in person.

Every time I hear or read adverbs, I'd remember Stephen King and his aversion to adverbs. In his book, On Writing, he says that if you can't describe an event well enough, no amount of adverbs is going to help your prose.

One of his famous lines, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs."

Make That "in"

2008-04-30T02:38:00.000-07:00

Cadet Antonio Trillanes IV was in charge of indoctrinating the newcomers on the Honor System in the Academy.

It should be: indoctrinating in

Using "indoctrinate" in a sentence:

1. Some parents are critical of attempts to indoctrinate children in fundamentalism.
2. Some people have been indoctrinated by television to believe that violence is normal.

Got any question or answer on usage?

2008-04-20T01:37:00.000-07:00

Just shoot me an email at missieword@yahoo.com. :)

You can also be a guest blogger here and write about English usage, grammar, stylistics, or even any creative attempt. :)

Let's spread the word that is good English usage.

Why Mis(s) Usage?

2008-04-15T01:17:00.000-07:00

It's my English with all the quirks and the perks.

In this blog, I'll be chronicling the "misusage," a term I coin for this purpose, which refers to the lapses in English usage, stylistics, and grammar.

I will also share good usage with you, which we all can learn from. Thus, the name Mis(s)Usage, a play of "misusage" and Miss Usage, you know like Ms. Grammar. ;)