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Results 1 to 10 of 32 (page 1 of 4)
overall, over all
The overused adjective overall can be left out entirely or a more precise synonym can be used instead. Depending on the context, choose one of the following: absolute, aggregate, average, comprehensive, general, supreme, total, or whole. The (overall) goal of the provincial program is full employment. The final figures show an overall (total, absolute, average, general) increase in sales. The adverb phrase over all expresses the idea of “all things considered,” and is written in two words. Over all, I would say the party was a great success.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 10,649
assure, ensure, insure
Assure is used in the sense of offering a guarantee or removing doubt, uncertainty or worry. Thanks to the new regulations, the employees’ job security was assured. The builder assured the homeowner that the renovations would be completed on time. Ensure means to make sure or certain. To ensure that he could keep his word, the builder hired two extra carpenters. Insure is related primarily to the field of insurance, and sometimes to preparing for the future. If you insure your life, you assure your family members a settlement and ensure their financial security. Insure (or Ensure) your future by continuing your education.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 10,243
old, older, elder
Elder and eldest are normally reserved for people. Use elder when comparing two people and eldest when comparing three or more. Lianna always admired her elder brother. The eldest person attending the reunion will receive a plaque. The title elder is often used for senior or highly respected members of a family or community. Having survived years of hardship, the elders were said to be very wise. As a title, Elder is often capitalized. Although barely middle–aged, Jacob was elected to the Board of Elders of his church. Sixteenth–century painters Lucas Cranach the Elder and Lucas Cranach the Younger were father and son. Old, older and oldest refer to either people or things. Use older when comparing two people or things and oldest when comparing three or more. Lianna always admired her older brother. The oldest person attending the reunion will receive a plaque. Houses in Halifax are older than those in Calgary. In the oldest office buildings, there are very few telephone connections.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 6,073
and so as a result
Redundancies are words that repeat information unnecessarily. Since the conjunction so indicates result, the expression and so as a result is redundant. Use as a result or so by itself, or use the conjunctive adverb therefore. Redundant: Lise and Mark stopped for dinner, and so as a result they got home late. Recommended: Lise and Mark stopped for dinner; as a result, they got home late. Redundant: The air conditioning was on, and so as a result we were quite comfortable. Recommended: The air conditioning was on, so we were quite comfortable. Redundant: The car wouldn’t start, and so as a result Robert had to take the bus. Recommended: The car wouldn’t start; therefore, Robert had to take the bus.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 2,262
simple sentence
A simple sentence (or independent clause) is a word group that contains a subject and a verb and forms a complete thought: The girls rowed past the dock. In this example, girls is the subject, rowed is the verb, and the entire word group forms a complete thought—that is, it makes sense by itself. Simple sentence structures The examples below show the many different structures that can appear in a simple sentence: 1 subject, 1 verb: The girls rowed past the dock. 2 subjects, 1 verb: Sarah and Tiffany raised the sail. 1 subject, 2 verbs: The wind had fallen but was rising quickly by late afternoon. 2 subjects, 2 verbs: Gulls and terns circled overhead or floated on the water. Verb before subject for effect: Across the waves to the island sped the boat. Verb before subject in a question: Was the island inhabited? Verb before and after subject in a question: Had anyone gone there before? There + verb before subject: There are no people on the island. Here + verb before subject: Here is a small harbour. Command verb with subject you omitted: Lower the sail. Row to shore. Use Simple sentences are grammatically correct, but too many can make your writing less interesting. Use them sparingly, therefore. A few well-placed simple sentences can create a stylistic effect when combined with longer compound and complex sentences. In the following passage, the two simple sentences at the end emphasize the speed of events and the sudden danger: The storm broke with a fury before they could reach shelter. Slipping and stumbling on the muddy ground, they dragged the canoe farther up the shore; then, wet and exhausted, they battled their way to the cabin. Suddenly, lightning struck. The roof was on fire!Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,889
More secrets of syntax
Some Secrets of Syntax introduced ways of playing with the basic subject + verb + object syntax of the English sentence to build anticipation and emphasis. This article looks at how rearranging syntax can make a document, be it a report, newsletter or website, more readable by boosting rhythm and adding variety. Rhythm Why think about rhythm? "A writer’s pursuit of stylistic fluency is not complete without attention to the music created by words and sentences—to the rhythm of language." (Doug Babington and Don LePan, Broadview Guide to Writing) Rhythm is by no means the sole province of poets and musicians. Anyone who encounters a prose passage that pleases the ear as well as the mind knows the satisfaction that comes from the rhythm of words. With the possible exception of user manuals and other instructions, writing that has a spring in its step (to mangle a metaphor) stands a far greater chance of being read than prose that plods doggedly along. Rhythm and syllabic stresses In language, rhythm arises largely from alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. Strict rhythm that follows a definable meter may be overkill in most workplace writing, but in the right situations—opening or closing sentences, headings, tag lines, speeches—it can be the secret to a memorable sentence. I remember several years ago writing a promotional blurb for my punctuation workshop. Most of the description was finished, but I was struggling with the opening line. Here’s what I had: As the old saying goes, God is in the details. For reasons I couldn’t articulate, I wasn’t satisfied with the sentence. As a lead-in to capture readers’ attention, it seemed flat and (through no fault of the content) not quite right. I tinkered, then tinkered some more, then came up with this: God is in the details, the old saying goes. Suddenly, the sentence came alive. It had rhythm. Specifically, it had trochee, a pattern that switches between stressed and unstressed syllables (think of pick-up hock-ey). Trochee is an easy rhythm to overuse—too much of it and your report will sound like a Mother Goose tale—but for this one important sentence, it did the trick. Here is another example of how tighter rhythm can lift a sentence to a new level: A few were lucky enough to escape the fire. A lucky few escaped the fire. The second sentence relies on iamb, a pattern that, in a reversal of trochee, alternates unstressed and stressed syllables (in-tense re-lief). As brief as it is, this second sentence has music in it. Rhythm and intonation Rhythm also comes from intonation, the way the voice naturally rises and falls as it moves through a sentence. The easiest way to create this kind of rhythm is to repeat a series of parallel phrases or clauses, a technique Tom Wolfe masterfully wields in his novel A Man in Full: "He loved all those board meetings too much, loved being up on the dais at all those banquets too much, loved all those tributes to Inman Armholster the great philanthropist, all those junkets to the north of Italy, the south of France, and God knew where else on Armaxco’s Falcon 900, all those minions jumping every time he so much as crooked his little finger." Variety Why think about variety? "This writing is boring. Boring!" (Or so nearly every reader—even you—may think at one time or another) No one, no matter how disciplined or earnest or technically minded or scholarly, really wants a steady diet of monotonous sentences. And monotony is exactly what we get with an unending cascade of subject + verb + object sentences. Take note of the length and structure of your sentences and don’t be afraid to mix them up from time to time, even in formal, businesslike writing. The only risk you run is that readers might find the material (heaven forbid) appealing. Variety and sentence length Are your sentences all the same length? That’s one recipe for monotony. Most writing benefits from a framework of medium-length sentences with some longer and shorter ones hammered on for good measure. It can be especially effective to follow a long sentence with a short one so as to highlight the short sentence: Many scientists hail Dr. Spudnik’s research as groundbreaking, stressing its relevance to both the practice and study of tuber cultivation. We disagree. Variety and sentence type Most writing relies on the declarative sentence (statement). To change it up, try an occasional interrogative (question) or imperative (command). Besides adding variety, the switch changes the emphasis and speaks directly to the reader: According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the world consumes roughly 3.5 billion cubic metres of wood each year. How much wood is that? Coal-burning plants harm the environment in various ways, one of which is contributing to acid rain. But consider the alternatives. Another way to liven up prose is to mix cumulative and periodic sentences. If your response to that advice is "Huh?" you’re not alone. These sentence types are virtual strangers outside the world of grammar and rhetoric. The cumulative sentence, also known as the "loose" sentence, is the more common type in English. It begins with the main idea in an independent clause, then tacks on elaborating details. The cumulative sentence mirrors how we speak: we usually first articulate our main idea, then add caveats and embellishments afterward. This similarity gives cumulative sentences a conversational feel: One company that has readied itself for climate change is Trees & Such, a family-owned forest products company with a long history in western Canada. "Perfectionism will ruin your writing, blocking inventiveness and playfulness and life force (these are words we are allowed to use in California)." (Anne Lamott) The periodic sentence, on the other hand, builds up to the independent clause, which appears at the end. Because periodic sentences delay the main message, they seem carefully composed, unlikely to have hurried off the tongue. Their ordered, writerly flavour makes a nice counterpoint to cumulative sentences. They are also the perfect structure when your main message is striking or surprising: Thanks to the combined efforts of government and industry, and with funding from the largest research unit in eastern Canada, the 3G (Garbage Going Green) program has developed dozens of new uses for recycled materials. "Early one morning, under the arc of a lamp, carefully, silently, in smock and leather gloves, old Doctor Manza grafted a cat’s head onto a chicken’s trunk." (Dylan Thomas) Variety and sentence openings If all your sentences begin the same way (with the subject, for instance), readers soon become hypnotized, and not in a good way. Snap them out of it by varying your sentence openings. Transitional words and phrases The boy’s elders said that young warriors build strength and wisdom by making mistakes, by learning from failure. Yet what did they know about fighting dragons? She barely escaped being swept away in the icy mountain stream. After that, her outlook on adventure changed drastically. Adjectives and adverbs Weak but elated, the climbers hoisted themselves onto the rocky peak. Surprisingly, no one disputed Leo’s self-proclaimed title of Gyroscope Guru. Phrases and dependent clauses Sitting in the window and surveying the lavender fields below her, Aimee felt happy and lucky to be alive. To qualify for flight training, you must be in good physical condition and pass a written test. As the soothsayer had foretold, the crops withered and a pestilence struck the livestock. Reading these sentences, did you notice their beat? The minute you diversify sentence structure, you also diversify rhythm. And that’s the beauty of paying attention to syntax. A small shift here and there creates a ripple through the document, and the reader is buoyed pleasantly along.Source: Peck’s English Pointers (articles and exercises on the English language)
Number of views: 1,865
faulty comparisons
When making a comparison, avoid making illogical or unclear statements Illogical comparisons In illogical comparisons, the writer uses a faulty structure, which often leaves out a key element or idea. Illogical: The blender at this store is cheaper than the other store. [The blender costs less than a store?] Logical: The blender at this store is cheaper than the one at the other store. Illogical: I think green cleaning products perform as well, or better, than traditional ones. [As well than?] Logical: I think green cleaning products perform as well as, or better than, traditional ones. Illogical: Unlike Consuela, Devon’s cooking is bland. [Consuela is not like Devon’s cooking? Should she be?] Logical: Unlike Consuela’s cooking, Devon’s is bland. OR Unlike Consuela, Devon cooks bland foods. Illogical: Pepe eats more than anyone I know. [I know Pepe, so he can’t eat more than anyone I know!] Logical: Pepe eats more than anyone else I know. Unclear comparisons In unclear comparisons, the reader can’t tell what or who is being compared. Unclear: Greta paid a lower price for the concert tickets. [Lower than somebody else paid? Lower than she paid for something else?] Clear: Greta paid a lower price for the concert tickets than Abdul did. OR Greta paid a lower price for the concert tickets than for the tickets to the play. Unclear: Fred sees Joanne more often than Naomi. [Does Fred see Naomi? Or does Naomi see Joanne?] Clear: Fred sees Joanne more often than he sees Naomi. OR Fred sees Joanne more often than Naomi does.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,540
begin, commence, start
Begin is the more general term: Until I can start my car, I cannot begin to finish my chores. The meeting will begin at 8:30 exactly. My course in Canadian history begins (or starts) on Tuesday, May 15. Some people say the world began with a big bang. Do not begin writing until the bell rings. Commence is more formal than begin or start: The ceremony will commence promptly at 11 a.m. Start usually applies to physical motion: Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,472
luxuriant, luxurious, luxury, deluxe, de luxe, luxe
Luxuriant refers to abundant growth. The lagoon was surrounded by luxuriant vegetation. Luxurious concerns luxury, that which is costly or of high quality. The CEO’s office was full of luxurious furniture. Luxury is properly a noun; however, it is now used as an adjective, especially in advertising. Sleeping in on the weekend is a luxury for many parents. When my father was a child, a car was viewed as a luxury item. Though some authors frown on the use of deluxe (sometimes spelled de luxe), it is a long–accepted adjective meaning “elegant and costly.” This is our deluxe model: it does cost slightly more than the standard condominium unit. Luxe—sometimes seen in advertising—is informal and can be replaced by such terms as elegant, opulent, sumptuous or expensive, depending on the context. Allesandra is a model and wears nothing but luxe fashions.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,478
To be or not to be: Maintaining sentence unity
Usually when sentence unity turns up on the agenda at the workshops I teach, participants look at me blankly. Who can blame them? The term, though a chapter heading in many grammar and writing texts, is vague at best. So I normally introduce the topic by explaining what sentence unity means. Here are four possible explanations. Which one or ones are correctly worded? Sentence unity is where you make sure the subject and predicate of a sentence join logically. Sentence unity is when the parts of a sentence come together grammatically and make sense. The reason sentence unity is important is because without it, a sentence is incoherent. Sentence unity is taking care to keep sentence parts in line. If you found fault with all of these sentences, congratulations. Their content is fine, but all four are awkwardly constructed. Each illustrates a sentence unity problem—a logical and grammatical hitch in how the subject and predicate join together. In each case the hitch centres on the verb to be. To be, at first glance an innocent, workaday verb, can be surprisingly difficult to use correctly. Here’s a look at the most common ways writers misfire with this verb, destroying sentence unity in the process. Is where The word where, of course, denotes place. Yet writers often use where after the verb to be when referring to terms or concepts that have nothing to do with place. The result? Sentences like the following, which lack unity and suffer from both logical and grammatical problems. Origami is where you fold paper into shapes and objects that will delight and amaze the whole family. The logical problem is that origami is not a place. It’s therefore not accurate to say that origami is where anything takes place. Here’s a possible revision: Origami is the art of folding paper into shapes and objects that will delight and amaze the whole family. The grammatical problem is more complicated. If you’re a grammar keener, you’ll know that to be is a linking verb, and like all linking verbs it needs to be completed by either a noun or an adjective, or a phrase or clause that serves as a noun or an adjective. But where, a conjunction that refers to place, always begins an adverb clause. Strictly speaking, this means that following to be with where should produce a grammatically disjointed sentence every time. Nowadays, however, only the most prescriptive grammarian would condemn the structure outright. It’s generally agreed that when the subject of the sentence is a place, it’s fine to use is where. China is where the art of paper-folding originated, but Japan is where it is most widely practised. Is when Is when wreaks the same sort of havoc in writing as is where. Consider this illogical sentence, which regrettably appears in an online writing guide from a California college: Unity is when all the sentences in a paragraph stick to the main point, as stated in the topic sentence. The word when refers to time, but unity is not a time. This sentence is just as incorrect as the is where sentence above. It could be rewritten like this: Unity results when all the sentences in a paragraph stick to the main point, as stated in the topic sentence. Like where, when is generally acceptable after the verb to be when its use is logical—that is, when its subject refers to a time. New Year’s Day is when many people resolve to kick nicotine forever. The reason . . . is because An even more widespread problem, the reason . . . is because is an expression that routinely springs to mind when we have some explaining to do. The reason Sheila left the fundraising dinner early was because she had had her fill of lame political jokes and leathery prime rib. This sentence is snarled because because, like where and when, begins an adverb structure, not a noun or adjective structure, which should ideally follow to be. But unlike is where and is when, the reason . . . is because is uniformly panned by grammar texts and usage guides, largely because in addition to being grammatically suspicious, it’s redundant. The reason is and because mean the same thing. It’s therefore best to avoid the reason . . . is because entirely. There are two easy fixes: (1) eliminate the reason . . . is and just keep because or (2) use that in place of because. The first approach is often better because it produces a more concise sentence. Sheila left the fundraising dinner early because she had had her fill of lame political jokes and leathery prime rib. The reason Sheila left the fundraising dinner early was that she had had her fill of lame political jokes and leathery prime rib. To be in definitions Anyone who has composed a definition knows the peculiar pain of trying to capture the essence of something in words. Part of the difficulty is that definitions so often hinge on the verb to be, which is almost an equals sign in such a sentence, equating the term to its definition. Definitions require a precise balancing of subject and predicate. Notice the awkwardness of these two attempts: A turophile is being a connoisseur or lover of cheese. Taxidermy is a lifelike representation of an animal constructed from its preserved skin. Looking at the first sentence as if it were an equation helps to pinpoint the imbalance: a turophile (a person) = being something (an action). The sentence unity problem is clear: a person cannot equal an action. Here’s a better attempt: A turophile is a connoisseur or lover of cheese. If we analyse the second sentence, we see that taxidermy (the process) = the representation of the animal (the stuffed animal itself). Once again, the sentence unity is askew. To be must be followed by a noun that says precisely what taxidermy is. Taxidermy is the craft of constructing a lifelike representation of an animal from its preserved skin. Logic, balance and patience—that’s what it takes to construct unified sentences with to be. A simple verb that’s deceptively hard to use, to be is nonetheless a verb no writer can be without. Related quiz Test yourself—To be or not to be: Maintaining sentence unitySource: Peck’s English Pointers (articles and exercises on the English language)
Number of views: 1,449