GOOD FRIDAY WORD CHALLENGES

by Michael Lyons on Friday, January 27, 2012

READ CAREFULLY

Identify and correct the error in the following example. Be sure to have reasons to prove your assertion.

“At least not research that is parked near bars so scientists with breathalyzers can measure how often pre-drinking occurs and how intoxicated people are before even stepping into a bar.”
Sharon Hill, “Windsor focus of ‘pre-drinking’ study”, The Windsor Star, Friday, January 27, 2012.

AD NAUSEUM

“Ad nauseum” is a term that is overused ad nauseum, but what does it really mean?
Correct what is wrong with the term itself?
Create a sentence using the correct term.

TODAY’S WORD

The word for today is “hypothesize”.
What part of speech is “hypothesize”?
What other parts of speech can be made from “hypothesize”?
Define “hypothesize” and use it in a sentence.
Try to use the word in your speech today.

BONUS

Explain the confusion that might arise in the title of today’s blog entry.

CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS

Corrections and explanations for this week’s entries will be posted Sunday.

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MORE INTERESTING WORDS

by Michael Lyons on Thursday, January 26, 2012

GARNISH/GARNER

These are not earth-shatteringly important words but they are easily confused.
Define “garnish” and “garner”.
What part of speech is each word?
What is the root of each word?
Use “garnish” and “garner” in sentences that show their meanings.
Try to use each word in some fashion today.

OBSERVATION

Have you noticed that writing skills have markedly improved lately in the local paper? I have. Congratulations. Keep up the effort; the dividends are phenomenal for everyone.

INTERESTING, AND LIKELY TRUE, CONCEPT

Identify the author of the following. Think about it; it tells a lot about people. Don’t think about if you don’t want to!

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”

TODAY’S WORD

The word for today is “tenable”.
What part of speech is “tenable”?
Define “tenable” and use it in a sentence that demonstrates its meaning.

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SUBTLE MEANINGS OF WORDS

January 25, 2012

LUXURIANT/LUXURIOUS Define “luxuriant” and “luxurious” and be sure to delineate the difference in meaning of the words. “What is the root of the “luxuriant” and “luxurious”? Create sentences using  “luxuriant” and “luxurious”. Be sure the sentences correctly express the meanings of the words. TODAY’S WORD The word for today is “whitewash”. What part of speech [...]

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BASIC GRAMMAR PROBLEMS

January 24, 2012

BACK TO THE MISTAKES Identify and correct the errors in the following examples. Give reasons to back up your corrections. “ ‘I was very fortunate in that the people here at PwC have essentially worked with me to craft a new role for myself,’ Pupatello said Monday.” Sandra Pupatello in a story by Dave Hall, [...]

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EXACT WORD USAGE

January 23, 2012

COMPARE TO/COMPARE WITH The terms “compare to” and “compare with” are not exactly interchangeable. Explain the correct and precise use of “compare to” and “compare with”. Compose sentences that show the correct use of each term. TODAY’S WORD The word for today is “temporize.” What part of speech is “temporize”? Define “temporize” and use it [...]

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CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS – January 22, 2012

January 22, 2012

Here are the answers and explanations for last week’s entries. MONDAY – LET US LEARN ABOUT SENTENCES – Part 1 SIMPLE & COMPOUND SENTENCES What is a sentence? A sentence is a group of words with a subject and a predicate and which expresses a complete thought. What are the necessary components of a complete [...]

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LET US LEARN ABOUT SENTENCES – Part 5

January 20, 2012

SURPRISE TEST This little test covers all the material that was presented Monday through Thursday of this week. It is really meant as a review. Try it. Grade yourself. Use it to help identify writing errors by others. Print it and use it to line the bottom of your bird cage if you want. Use [...]

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LET US LEARN ABOUT SENTENCES – Part 4

January 19, 2012

COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCES The first step is to write a simple sentence. The second step is to combine two or more simple sentences to create a compound sentence. The third step is to create a complex sentence. The fourth step is to combine all of the above and to create a compound-complex sentence. The fifth step, [...]

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LET US LEARN ABOUT SENTENCES – Part 3

January 18, 2012

COMPLEX SENTENCES On Monday and Tuesday, material about simple sentences and compound sentences was presented. Today, we go to the next step in sentence construction and that is to the complex sentence. Start by defining the terms. What is a simple sentence? What is a compound sentence? What is a complex sentence? Look at the [...]

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LET US LEARN ABOUT SENTENCES – Part 2

January 17, 2012

PRACTICE WHAT WE LEARNED Yesterday, I presented “simple sentences” and “compound sentences” and asked you to create examples of each. Today, I list ten examples of simple and compound sentences. The project is to identify each sentence as either simple or compound. Cite a reason for each choice. The second part is to identify the [...]

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