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Results 1 to 10 of 11 (page 1 of 2)
face off, face-off, faceoff
Face off is the verb, while the spellings face-off and faceoff for the noun are correct (the National Hockey League uses faceoff for the noun). The Senators and the Leafs faced off in this year’s semi-finals. How many Stanley Cup face-offs have you seen?Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 3,462
back up, backup
The phrasal verb is spelled as two words, with no hyphen: back up. Have you backed up your data today? The noun and adjective are spelled as one word, with no hyphen: backup. Habib has agreed to be my backup at tomorrow’s meeting. My hard disk crashed and I had no backup disk.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 3,084
dependant, dependent
Use the spelling dependant for the noun. A wage earner with dependants is fully entitled to this deduction. The adjective is spelled dependent. Many Third World countries are dependent on food aid.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 2,215
hyphens: nouns with adjectives and participles
Hyphenate noun-plus-adjective compounds (in that order), whether they are used attributively (before the noun) or predicatively: duty-free goods / The goods were duty-free. tax-exempt bonds / The bonds are tax-exempt. Hyphenate noun-plus-participle compounds regardless of the position: snow-capped mountains / The mountains are snow-capped. a time-consuming activity / This activity is time-consuming. Exceptions: There are a number of them, including handmade and handwritten. Do not hyphenate compounds formed from a noun and a gerund (present participle used as a noun). Some noun-plus-gerund compounds are written as one word: housekeeping shipbuilding sightseeing cabinetmaking Others are written as separate words: decision making power sharing problem solving deficit spending Exceptions: foot-dragging gut-wrenching See hyphens: compound adjectives for such compounds used adjectivally.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,913
hyphens: nouns with gerunds
A gerund is a present participle used as a noun (e.g. making, solving). In a compound formed from a noun plus a gerund, the use of a hyphen depends on how the compound is being used in the sentence. Used as a noun When compounds formed from a noun plus a gerund function as nouns, they are not hyphenated. Some noun-plus-gerund compounds are written as one word: housekeeping shipbuilding sightseeing cabinetmaking Others are written as separate words: decision making power sharing problem solving deficit spending Exception: foot-dragging Used as an adjective When a noun-plus-gerund compound that is normally written as two separate words is used as an adjective before a noun, it should be hyphenated: the decision-making process a power-sharing agreement problem-solving techniques a deficit-spending planSource: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,862
advice, advise
The noun is spelled with a c. Advice denotes helpful information, suggestions or recommendations. Parents give their children advice in order to teach them how to avoid mistakes. The verb is spelled with an s. Advise means to offer counsel or make recommendations. I advise you to contact the police about this incident. Recently, advise has been used in the sense of notify or inform. Please advise us of your plans. The RCMP officer advised them that he would continue the investigation.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,570
old-fashioned, old fashioned, old fashion
The standard Canadian spelling for the adjective is old-fashioned, though the spellings old-fashion and old fashion are sometimes seen in advertising. Jessie accused her parents of being old-fashioned (behind the times). Kendra and Jean-Pierre live in an old-fashioned house in downtown Kelowna. The cocktail, a noun, is an old fashioned or an old-fashioned, as is the style of glassware in which this drink is served. Aubrey poured old fashioneds for his guests at the wedding reception. The orange juice was served like a cocktail in old-fashioned glasses.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,462
lynx, lynxes
The singular is lynx; the plural is lynx or lynxes. We sighted three lynx (or lynxes) during our weekend hike. The possessive is formed with apostrophe-s (lynx’s) or s-apostrophe (lynxes’). The lynx’s two cubs climbed playfully over her, biting and clawing. Lynxes’ paws are large and well-furred for hunting in deep snow.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,159
focus
In Canadian usage, the verb focus may be spelled with a single or double s before a suffix. As a forensic scientist, Rosalind focuses (or focusses) on minute details. The speaker was having trouble focusing (or focussing) his thoughts during the noisy demonstration. Barbara Cass-Beggs focused (or focussed) on the musical abilities of young children. The correct phrasal verb is focus on, and not the logically unsound focus around. The RCMP investigation focused on (not around) the misuse of public funds. The plural of the noun is focuses or foci (generally encountered in the sciences). The political campaign organizers identified three potential focuses before the election. A circle has one central point, but an ellipse has two foci.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,151
octopus, octopuses
The preferred plural for octopus is octopuses, not octopi. Visitors can see octopuses and squid at the Vancouver Aquarium.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,001