Michael's English Usage

Grammar Lessons from a Grumpy Old English Teacher

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GOOD ENGLISH USAGE: NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Monday, January 3, 2011 By Michael Lyons Leave a Comment

HEAR THE LYONS ROAR

Regularly, I become fascinated, or incensed, mostly incensed, at the widespread abuse of the English language. Most often, my anger and frustration are directed at and created by writers, radio talk show personnel and newscasters because they are supposed to be trained professionals who earn their livings by communicating. The problem is that many of them are careless, sloppy, lazy and woefully ignorant of correct English language use and, as such, set a very poor standard for their readers or listeners who, in turn, adopt the errors and compound the abuse.

I intend to crusade even more vigourously against these abuses in the future with my own editorial opinions which I will call, “HEAR THE LYONS ROAR”. I will post these roars whenever errors become so egregious that they cannot go unchallenged.

For those who feel I am plagiarizing an idea, I fully acknowledge that I am patterning the concept on Rick Mercer’s “RANT”. I want to expose inanities just as Rick Mercer does; the difference is his field is politics and my field is English language abuse.

My first ROAR will be tomorrow. Read it. Criticize it. Make comments. Suggest contributions. Do what you want but, most of all, take it to heart!

Mike

BRAND NEW YEAR; SAME OLD MISTAKE!

Identify and correct the error in the following. Give a reason.

“MAN GOES MISSING, DIES”
Jeff Bolichowski, story headline, The Windsor Star, Monday, January 3, 2011.

TODAY’S WORD

The word for today is “pensively”.
What part of speech is “pensively”?
What other parts of speech can be made from “pensively”?
Define “pensively” and use it in a sentence that demonstrates its meaning.

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