Here are the corrections and explanations for last week’s entries.
MONDAY
“FOR EXAMPLE”
Read the following excerpt and correct the use of “for example“.
Explain the governing rule.
“People can fill out a 10-minute survey on the airport’s website that’s designed to find out the routes and flights social travellers would support. For example, whether people want more West Jet service, Porter flights to Toronto island or direct U.S. flights.”
“For example” and “for instance” can begin new sentences as long as the phrase is followed by a complete idea or thought; otherwise a semi-colon must be used as a connective.
“People can fill out a 10-minute survey on the airport’s website that’s designed to find out the routes and flights social travellers would support; for example, whether people want more West Jet service, Porter flights to Toronto island or direct U.S. flights.”
TUESDAY
THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD – Part 1
A verb is in the subjunctive mood when it expresses a condition which is doubtful or not factual. It is most often found in a clause beginning with the word “if”. It is also found in clauses following a verb that expresses a doubt, a wish, a regret, a request, a demand, or a proposal.
The subjunctive mood of the verb “to be” is “be” in the present tense and “were” in the past tense regardless of what the subject is.
“If I was you, I would run.”
The verb following “if” is a non-factual condition, so “was” is incorrect and must be changed to “were”.
“If I were you, I would run.”
“I wish he was able to type faster.”
The verb suggests a non-factual or doubtful condition, so “were” must be used.
“I wish he were able to type faster.”
WEDNESDAY
Identify and correct the problems in the following examples.
“Interested parties had to pay a fee to receive a copy of the request for proposal. Details and a price wasn’t listed on the trustee’s website.”
The subject of the second sentence, “details and a price” is plural. A plural verb is needed.
“Interested parties had to pay a fee to receive a copy of the request for proposal. Details and a price weren’t listed on the trustee’s website.”
“…to permanently cement that busted well…”
“Busted” is not acceptable in place of the words “burst” or “broken”; it is a cheap cliché.
“…to permanently cement that well that burst…”
“…you and me can now purchase electronics…”
“Unbelievable!” Remove “you and” and read the sentence; it sounds like Tonto in 1952. “Me” cannot be used as a subject; it is only objective.
“…you and I can now purchase electronics…”
THURSDAY
INTERMENT/INTERNMENT
“Interment” is burial.
“The interment of bodies was an open invitation to the resurrection men in “A Tale of Two cities”.
“Internment” is imprisonment.
“The internment of Paul Bernardo is a lifelong sentence.
CORRECT GRAMMAR CRUSADE CONTINUES
“If you’ve been wondering why all the unions seem determined to affect the course of Windsor’s municipal election, look no farther than an arbitrator’s ruling last month which ended lifetime benefits for another group of city workers.”
What is the difference in meaning between “further” and “farther”? I have only answered this one about ten times. There is a difference in meaning regardless of the acceptance of them being interchangeable in the U. S. I refuse to accept that they are interchangeable because they are not.
“If you’ve been wondering why all the unions seem determined to affect the course of Windsor’s municipal election, look no further than an arbitrator’s ruling last month which ended lifetime benefits for another group of city workers.”
FRIDAY
PET PEEVE
“Hey!”
As the years go by, I find it interesting to listen to the dumbing-down of the English language and “Hey”, as a means of greeting each other in lieu of “Hello” or “Good morning” or some other form of understandable communication has been put on my list of peeves.
We are becoming a bunch of inarticulate burpers who are too lazy to form anything other than an unintelligible grunt when we meet another burper, so “Hey!” is now a pet peeve.
“GOTTA GO, NOW!”
“Gotta” is not a word! It cannot be substituted for “must” or “have to”. It is unacceptable slang for, “I have got to go now”.
Informally, “I’ve got to go,” is tolerable.
The grammatically correct expression that really should be used is, “I have to go.”
LAST WEEK’S WORDS
“Delectate” (v.) means to please, charm or delight.
“Delectation” is the noun form referring to delight.
“Delectable” is the adjective form.
“Stygian” (adj.) means lower, nether, infernal, dark or gloomy. It refers to the river Styx or the4 lower world in Greek mythology.
“Lambent” (adj.) means softly bright or radiant, glowing, lucent or lustrous.
“Sententious” (adj.) Means pithy sayings or maxims, concise, magisterial or judicial in utterance.
“Rapturous” (adj.) Means joyous, ecstatic, elated or gleeful.
“Rapture” is the noun form.
“Rapturousness” is another noun form.
“Rapturously” is the adverb form.
MAJOR VACATION
ANNOUNCEMENT
I am going to have a vacation.
The next posting will be
Monday, August 23, 2010.
If you need a grammar fix, delve into the archives.
There are over 900 entries dating back to April 2008.
Surely, one of them might be of interest.
