ESPOUSE/EXPOUND/EXPAND

Here are three words that are often used interchangeably and, very often, incorrectly.

Define “espouse” and identify what part of speech it is.
Define “expound” and identify what part of speech it is.
Define “expand” and identify what part of speech it is.

Create sentences for each of the three words, “espouse”, “expound” and “expand” that express the different meaning of each word.

A GOOD OBSERVATION

I was reading a column titled “Foul-mouthed politicians irresponsible” by Michael Den Tandt in today’s Windsor Star and I was intrigued by one of his observations, particularly because it reflects the reason for writing this blog. He wrote: “George Orwell wrote in 1946, in Politics and the English Language: ‘An effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in intensified form, and so on indefinitely. … It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.’ ”
I suggest thinking about this when writing and speaking, all in an effort to maintain the very best standards of language use.

TODAY’S WORD

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

REMEMBER

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

MONDAY

RAVAGING/RAVISHING/RAVENOUS

“Ravaging” is the present participle of the verb “to ravage” meaning to desolate, to lay waste to, to demolish or to destroy.
“The storm was ravaging in its intensity and the aftermath was total destruction of the trailer park.”

“Ravishing” is the present participle of the verb “to ravish” which means to rape or rob violently to dishonour or to violate.
“Ravishing” also means to hold spellbound, to enrapture or to entrance as in a woman having ravishing beauty. This became a popular concept in the middle ages when men spoke of a woman’s devastating beauty penetrating their hearts in an almost violent fashion.
“The soldiers quickly subdued the pitiful villagers and then spent hours ravaging every female they could find regardless of their ages.”
“As she strolled through the room her ravishing beauty caused heads to turn and tongues to wag.”

“Ravenous” is an adjective meaning extremely hungry, famished or craving food.
“The abused children were ravenous with hunger because their brutal caregivers used their support money to gamble and drink.”

TUESDAY

Identify and correct the errors in the following examples. Be sure to give reasons to back up your corrections.
I suggest that one of the entries has more than one error. Find it.

“It also argues none of the piers need to be altered or torn down.”
The subject is “none” which is singular and which requires a singular verb.
“It also argues none of the piers needs to be altered or torn down.”

“Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is starting to look like one of those absurd cartoon figures who carry signs that read, ‘The End is Near’.”
“Who” refers back to “one”, not to “figures”. “One” is singular” and requires a singular verb.
“Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is starting to look like one of those absurd cartoon figures who carries signs that read, ‘The End is Near’.”

“ ‘I’ve been approached by 20 different people in the Greek community and none of them want to answer my questions but they want me to answer theirs,’ Lavin said.”
I repeat: “none” is singular and its verb, “wants” must agree and also be singular.
“ ‘I’ve been approached by 20 different people in the Greek community and none of them wants to answer my questions but they want me to answer theirs,’ Lavin said.”

“And for those who inevitably will claim that Brekke is a lone freak, a ‘denier’ who refuses to see the truth because he is in the pocket of some secret cabal of tarsand owners, there are many more who think the latest data means that global warming, as a theory, is probably deader that Sarah Palin’s presidential hopes.”
“Data” is plural and requires a plural verb.
I suggest that “tarsand” should be two words. My dictionary also suggests this.
“And for those who inevitably will claim that Brekke is a lone freak, a ‘denier’ who refuses to see the truth because he is in the pocket of some secret cabal of tar sand owners, there are many more who think the latest data mean that global warming, as a theory, is probably deader that Sarah Palin’s presidential hopes.”

WEDNESDAY

Identify and correct the errors in the following pieces.

“ ‘Other things that need to be done with respect to the sexual component of harassment complaints is the amount of women we have in senior positions in the organization.’ ”
“Other things” is plural but only one thing is mentioned.
“Amount” is incorrect; it should be “number”.
The sentence still does not make sense when the corrections are made because it implies there may be too many women in senior positions; it should be worded more carefully.
“ ‘Another thing that needs to be done with respect to the sexual component of harassment complaints is to increase the number of women we have in senior positions in the organization.’ ”

“ ‘I think I can meet whoever I want, whenever I want,” he said.”
“Whoever” is incorrect; it should be “whomever” because it is the object of the verb “can meet”.
“ ‘I think I can meet whoever I want, whenever I want,” he said.”

IS THIS ONE INCORRECT?

This one is probably not incorrect but it does not sound right. Read it carefully and identify what might be a better wording. I confess I am becoming really picky here.

“Those funds get used to support extra-curricular activities and out-of-town tournament trips for sports teams.”
Using “get” implies that the funds, themselves, have the ability to be used. This is an impossible concept. The correct wording should be, “funds are used”.
My argument is predicated on the concept that “get” is universally misused and I wish the word could be stricken from the English language.
Eliminating the word “get” from one’s vocabulary would be a fantastic step to being more articulate.

“Those funds are used to support extra-curricular activities and out-of-town tournament trips for sports teams.”

THURSDAY

EGRESS/INGRESS/REGRESS

The suffix “-gress” refers to an entrance or portal.

“Egress” is a noun referring to the act of going or passing out of a place or to the place of exiting.
“The egress from the caucus of the unpopular radical was accompanied by loud cheers of derision.”

“Ingress” is a noun referring to the act of entering a place or to the place of entry.
“Ingress to the estate by the enterprising thief was gained by means of the sewer system.”

“Regress” is a verb meaning to return, to revert, to return back or to relapse.
“Without education, society will regress into the chaos depicted   in Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’.”

FRIDAY

DISINTERESTED/UNINTERESTED

“Disinterested” means objective or neutral.
“Often a pollster is disinterested in a person’s character and only concerned with that person’s product usage.”

“Uninterested” means having no care or interest in knowing, bored.
“The teen’s bored look was intended to convey the persona of an uninterested adult.”

WORTH TAKING TO HEART

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States who lived from 1882 to 1945, said this.

LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Poignant” (adj.) means keenly distressing to the mind or feelings, aching or painful. It can mean keen or strong in mental appeal, touching, heart-warming or inspiring. It can also mean pungent to taste or smell.
“The movie’s poignant music brought tears of sorrow and inspiration to the eyes of the audience.”

“Nonpareil” (n.) refers to one who has no equal, a model of perfection, an ideal or a saint.
There are four syllables in “nonpareil” and the emphasis is on the third syllable.
“The old man was revered by his followers for his kindness and wisdom and was considered by all in his village to be a nonpareil who would never be equalled.”

“Pathological” (adj.) means caused by or involving mental disease, morbid, compulsive and/or obsessive.
“She was found by the experts to be a pathological and emotionless liar who would say anything so long as it made her look good.”

“Emasculate” (v.) means to deprive of strength or vigour, to weaken, to remove the testicles of a male or to make more feminine.
“The fanatic screamed that the judge wanted to emasculate the law by removing the death penalty from consideration by the jury in the child molestation case.”

“Foment” (v.) means to stir up public feeling, to agitate, to spark or to provoke.
“The unruly crowd of anarchists tried to foment the overthrow of the government with its burning and looting of whatever was in its path.”

DISINTERESTED/UNINTERESTED

Explain the difference in meaning between the words “disinterested” and “uninterested”.
Create sentences for “disinterested” and “uninterested” that show the correct meaning or each word.
Try to use these words in your conversations this week.

TODAY’S WORD

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

CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS

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

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EGRESS/INGRESS/REGRESS

Explain the differences among the words “egress”, “ingress” and “regress” which all share the same suffix.
HINT: What is the meaning of the suffix?
Create sentences for “egress”, “ingress” and “regress” that show the distinctive meanings of each word.

TODAY’S WORD

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

SOMETHING NEW & EXCITING

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Thank you to the sponsors who are helping to support this blog.

HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER

Identify and correct the errors in the following pieces.

“ ‘Other things that need to be done with respect to the sexual component of harassment complaints is the amount of women we have in senior positions in the organization.’ ”
Bob Paulson, RCMP Commissioner, in a story by Tobi Cohen, “Working on complaints: RCMP boss”, The Windsor Star, Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

“ ‘I think I can meet whoever I want, whenever I want,” he said.”
Bob Paulson, RCMP Commissioner, in a story by Tobi Cohen, “Working on complaints: RCMP boss”, The Windsor Star, Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

IS THIS ONE INCORRECT?

This one is probably not incorrect but it does not sound right. Read it carefully and identify what might be a better wording. I confess I am becoming really picky here.

“Those funds get used to support extra-curricular activities and out-of-town tournament trips for sports teams.”
Dave Battagello, “Junk food ban sees boards swallow losses”, The Windsor Star, Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

WORTH TAKING TO HEART

Identify the source of this piece of wisdom.

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

TODAY’S WORD

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

I KNEW IT WOULDN’T LAST!

Identify and correct the errors in the following examples. Be sure to give reasons to back up your corrections.
I suggest that one of the entries has more than one error. Find it.

“It also argues none of the piers need to be altered or torn down.”
Dave Battagello, “Bridge ramp to be completed by spring”, The Windsor Star, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

“Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is starting to look like one of those absurd cartoon figures who carry signs that read, ‘The End is Near’.”
Chris Vander Doelen, “The sky is not falling”, The Windsor Star, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

“ ‘I’ve been approached by 20 different people in the Greek community and none of them want to answer my questions but they want me to answer theirs,’ Lavin said.”
John Lavin in a story by Craig Pearson, “Aramco property flip questioned”, The Windsor Star, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

“And for those who inevitably will claim that Brekke is a lone freak, a ‘denier’ who refuses to see the truth because he is in the pocket of some secret cabal of tarsand owners, there are many more who think the latest data means that global warming, as a theory, is probably deader that Sarah Palin’s presidential hopes.”
Chris Vander Doelen, “The sky is not falling”, The Windsor Star, Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

TODAY’S WORD

The word for today is “nonpareil”.
What part of speech is “nonpareil”?
How many syllables are there in the word? Which one is emphasized?
Define “nonpareil” and use it in a sentence.

RAVAGING/RAVISHING/RAVENOUS

The words “ravaging”, “ravishing” and “ravenous” appear to have the same root, but do they all mean the same thing.
Define “ravaging”, “ravishing” and “ravenous” being sure to highlight the differences among the words.
Create sentences correctly using “ravaging”, “ravishing” and “ravenous”.

TODAY’S WORD

The word for today is “poignant”.
What part of speech is “poignant”?
Define “poignant” and use it in a sentence that shows its meaning.
NOTE: “Poignant” has a variety of somewhat divergent meanings; try to list more than one.

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

MONDAY

COMPARE TO/COMPARE WITH

“Compare to” is used when stressing similarities between the items compared.
“The wine grower would compare his neighbour’s home-made wine to toxic waste but he still drank it.”

“Compare with” is used when examining both similarities and differences.
“I will compare your essay with Mary’s and if they are similar, I will conclude you both cheated and you will share zero as a mark.”

TUESDAY

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.”
“Myself” is a reflexive pronoun and cannot be used here because it refers to “people” and that would make no sense. It must be replaced.
“ ‘I was very fortunate in that the people here at PwC have essentially worked with me to craft a new role for me,’ Pupatello said Monday.”

“Neither Harper’s chief spokesman nor the Chine embassy were immediately available for comment.”
“Neither” is singular and its verb must also be singular.
“Neither Harper’s chief spokesman nor the Chine embassy was immediately available for comment.”

WEDNESDAY

LUXURIANT/LUXURIOUS

The basic root of both words is the Latin “lux” which means light.
The words are based in the Middle English word “luxurie” meaning lust and the Latin word “luxuria”.

“Luxuriant” an adjective means abundant, lush, profuse or ample.
“Her luxuriant hair was the envy of many of her friends and it gave her the opportunity to star in many commercials.”

“Luxurious”, an adjective, means sensuous, decadent voluptuous or profligate.
“The luxurious surroundings of the Playboy mansion are well-known fo providing the background of many of Hollywood’s trendiest parties.”

THURSDAY

GARNISH/GARNER

“Garnish”, as a verb, means to decorate, dress or trim something such as food. It can also be used as a noun.
The root is the Old French “garnier” meaning to prepare.
“The salad chef will garnish his creation so well that it will appear to be a full meal.”

“Garner” means to gather, to acquire or to put away for storage.
The root is the Old French “gernier” referring to a granary.
“She tried to garner attention by being the loudest in the playground.”

FRIDAY

“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.”
This is not a complete thought because there si no principal clause that can stand by itself. Actually, it does not make any sense grammatically.
“At least there is no research that has occurred near bars so scientists with breathalyzers can measure how often pre-drinking occurs and how intoxicated people are before even stepping into a bar.”

AD NAUSEUM

“Ad nauseum” is misspelled. It should be “ad nauseam” and it means to a sickening or disgusting extent.
“I feel like I rant ad nauseam about the number of grammatical mistakes that are made on a daily basis in the media.”

BONUS

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

“GOOD FRIDAY WORD CHALLENGES”
Does the title refer to “Good Friday”, a Christian holy day?
Does the title refer to “good word challenges on Friday”?
Since I composed it to create the confusion, I lean towards the second. It is meant to challenge writers to be very alert when writing.

INTERESTING, AND LIKELY TRUE, CONCEPT

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”
George Bernard Shaw, an Irish dramatist who lived from 1856 to 1950, wrote this.

LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Temporize” (v.) means to act indecisively or evasively to gain time or to delay matters, to linger or to loiter.
“The reluctant witness would temporize anything he said with long-winded explanations of philosophy in order to avoid a direct answer.”

“Woebegone” (adj.) means mournful, tormented, full of woe, decrepit or run-down.
“The woebegone little street girl tried to make a living by selling flowers to people in the street.”

“Whitewash” (v.) denotatively means to cover with white paint or white wash.
“Tom Sawyer convinced his friend to whitewash the fence for him.”

“Whitewash” (v.) connotatively means to gloss-over, to cover up, to tone down or to deaden.
“The old drunk tried to avoid the probing questions of the policeman and to whitewash his involvement in the theft with inane evasiveness.”

“Tenable” (adj.) means based on sound reasoning and evidence, well-founded, sensical.
“The prosecutor built his case on tenable facts that had carefully been assembled to be completely logical.

“Hypothesize” (v.) means to conjecture, to speculate, to suppose, to form an explanation to explain something or to theorize.
“Hypothesis” is the noun form.
“Hypothetical” is the adjective form.
“”Would you care to hypothesize as to why professional writers make so many basic writing mistakes?”

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.

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.