If words and their use really matter to you, I’m afraid to say that these days, you (and I) appear to be in a minority. Take as an example the ‘comments’ people leave on various blog posts. Yesterday I was reading a post on a friend’s blog about the unacceptably poor standards in a lot [...]
When I was little my father took me to the library and I was so very young the sour old woman at the desk told him I could not borrow books, hinting not so gently that I would tear out pages and tint the margins with rainbow colors. Dad knew better. I had been reading [...]
What? Nouns of direct address? Was that the name of an ‘80s rock group? Perhaps—but it more widely refers to an oft-ignored rule for the use of the comma. Care should be taken with all punctuation, but perhaps commas can be the most subtle and slippery of all. Care? Judiciousness with their uses? Oscar Wilde [...]
Now, my California community college students are far from clueless, to use their word, in all matters of life, I assure you. And some are quite bright, and capable in many respects. It is their frame of reference that concerns me here. It is their limited experience and world view, and the manner in which [...]
Further to my post here on Angie’s (September 2nd) “Misusing words the modern day obsession”, http://angiesdiary.com/articles/misusing-words-the-modern-day-obsession/ here is yet another exasperating example of buzz words taking over. *** In my old age I grow more and more annoyed of late as totally nonsensical modern day terms are seemingly replacing normal ones. Take ‘Pay Down’ as [...]
Criticism of the abuse of the English language is, no doubt, nearly as old and venerable a phenomenon as the use of the grand language itself.
In the last few years various words have been employed incorrectly, or have been replaced by a buzzword in a way totally removed from the word’s original meaning.
Overview: Word software programs, such as Microsoft Word, provide a remarkable resource for writers wishing to improve the syntactical structure of their prose. For example, it incorporates basic grammar instruction for sentence organization, accompanied by a dictionary/thesaurus to improve spelling, vocabulary, and overall literacy, which may significantly enhance writing mechanics with persistent practice. Improve Writing Step [...]
Whether you publish your book in hard back, paperback, or in one of the many eBook formats currently available, unless you take more care, it won’t be long before you become ignored as a writer, or worse, totally forgotten. What do I mean by this? It’s simple, so simple in fact that I’m surprised so [...]
Take the word ‘lead’ as an example of major confusion in my native language. In one form, lead is the name given to a heavy bluish soft ductile metal. But in numerous other forms it has a completely different meaning. Here are just a few for you to consider: To lead – the act of [...]
