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.
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