Here are the corrections and explanations for last week’s entries.

MONDAY

APPOSE/OPPOSE

“Appose” is a verb meaning placing side by side or in close proximity.
“The jury will appose the different versions of testimony and render a decision.”
“Apposition” is the noun form.

“Oppose” is a verb meaning to struggle against, to confront or to be in contrast to something else or another opinion.
“We oppose all those who would stifle our freedom of thought.”
“Opposition” is the noun form.

TUESDAY

THE SUBJUNCTIVE AGAIN

Find, correct and cite the governing rule that applies to the example below.

“With our economy still as bad as it is, imagine the human cost if Ontario was still being cheated out of one-third of the $3.8 billion in funding it deserves under the current spending.”

“The supposition of the sentence demands the subjunctive case and the verb cannot be “was”.

“With our economy still as bad as it is, imagine the human cost if Ontario were still being cheated out of one-third of the $3.8 billion in funding it deserves under the current spending.”

WEDNESDAY

EMPATHY/SYMPATHY

“Empathy” is a noun meaning understanding or entering into another’s feelings.
“Empathetic” is the adjective form.
“Having recently having experienced the death of a very dear person, I have great empathy for the feelings of her children.”

“Sympathy” is a noun referring to a community of feelings or an agreement in feelings among people or a favourable feeling of compassion.
“Sympathetic” is the adjective form.
“I have great sympathy for artists who must struggle on a daily basis for their livelihoods.”

ALWAYS THE SAME MISTAKES! WHY?

Identify and correct the errors in the following examples.

“But agencies tasked with accommodating the displaced residents are now bracing for a nightmare scenario in which some elderly people may have to be placed in temporary beds and those who’ve already spent months waiting to get into a nursing home see their names drop further down the list.”

“Further” means “in addition to”.
“Farther” refers to distance.
“Further” and “farther” are not interchangeable, regardless of what Americans say.

“But agencies tasked with accommodating the displaced residents are now bracing for a nightmare scenario in which some elderly people may have to be placed in temporary beds and those who’ve already spent months waiting to get into a nursing home see their names drop farther down the list.”

“Weston said that the talent of the artists who have been trained over the years have been key factors in the program’s success.”

The subject of the sentence is “talent”. The verb, therefore, must be singular and the rest of the sentence must be altered to reflect this.

“Weston said that the talent of the artists who have been trained over the years has been a key factor in the program’s success.”

An alternative and correct rendition could be made if “talent” were to be plural.

“Weston said that the talents of the artists who have been trained over the years have been key factors in the program’s success.”

SO/SEW/SOW

“So” is an adverb meaning in a way that, to that extent or having the purpose of.
“I said I would come and so I will.”

“So” can be an adjective meaning truthful, actual or genuine.
“I would not have told you this if it were not so.”

“Sew” is a verb meaning to fasten, to stitch, to quilt together, or to create cloth or textile.
“I will sew the hems of your pant at any length you want.”

“Sow” is a verb meaning to place seeds in the ground for future growth, to dispense or sprinkle.

A PRO CONTRIBUTION

“There were a group of guys…”

Group is a collective singular noun and needs a singular verb.
“I object to the term “guys” because it is so misused and so sexist.

“There was a group of men…”

CONTROVERSIAL CONCEPT

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.”
Gerry Spence, an American trial lawyer, wrote this.

LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Eponym” (n.) refers to the name of a person for whom something is named.
“Alexander the Great is the eponym for Alexandria.”

“Confluence” (n.) refers to a place where two things come together, a junction, a flowing together or a coming together, such as in a family reunion.
“Pittsburgh is located at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.”

“Malevolent” (adj.) means wishing evil on others, malicious ill will and the urge to hurt, spiteful or vixenish.
“The old, malevolent hag put a curse on many who did not take her seriously.”
“Malevolence” is the noun form.
“Malevolently” is the adverb form.

“Perverse” (adj.) means markedly different from the accepted norm, stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing or marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict.
“The narrator of Poe’s ‘The Black Cat’ was perverse in his pursuit of the cat and blamed it on the demon intemperance.”
“Perversion” is the noun form.
“Perversity” is another noun form.
“Pervert” is a noun form and can be used as a verb.

“Ambivalence” (n.) refers to mixed feelings, uncertainness or uncertainty.
“Ambivalent” is the adjective form.
“Ambivalently is the adverb form.
“The feelings of golf fans are ambivalent about Tiger Woods after his personal difficulties have had a bright light shone on them.”

ANNOUNCEMENT

I am taking another week off.

I will post again Tuesday after Labour Day.

{ 0 comments }