EDITORIAL BLOG
Posted 10/29/2007 Grammar myth #1: Ending a sentence with a preposition There are a lot of grammar myths floating around, perpetuated by well-meaning people who are, unfortunately, a little behind the times. But don't blame them (or yourself, if you're one of them); the English language is a work in progress. Rules that were actually taught in school years ago have been debunked, and others have taken their place. One rule that has no basis in fact but has been widely taught anyway is the prohibition against ending a sentence with a preposition. I used to buy into this one myself. In case you aren’t familiar with the term, a preposition is a word that expresses a relationship to the word(s) it precedes. Some examples are in, on, from, by, to, for and with. An example of a sentence that ends with a preposition would be: “There are some things I will not put up with.” To understand why the rule prohibiting this structure is inappropriate, consider how silly the sentence becomes when rewritten to move the preposition from the end: “There are some things up with which I will not put.” According to The Chicago Manual of Style, the rule about ending a sentence with a preposition stems from “an ill-founded superstition.” This superstition probably started with people who studied Latin, which has a grammatical structure that doesn’t allow sentences to end in prepositions. _____________________________________________________________________ Posted 12/10/2006 More 50-cent words! Match the terms below with their definitions. See the bottom of this post for the answers. 1. Dearth (pronounced: derth) 2. Frisson (pronounced: free SAW) 3. Furbelows (pronounced: FUR buh lohz) 4. Heterogeneous (pronounced: he tuh ruh JEE nee uhs) 5. Misogyny (pronounced: mi SAH juh nee) 6. Mordant (pronounced: MAWR dint) 7. Profligate (pronounced: PRAH fluh git) 8. Rectitude (pronounced: REK tuh tood) 9. Sartorial (pronounced: sahr TAW ree uhl) 10. Tautology (pronounced: taw TAH luh jee) Definitions A. Composed of unlike or unrelated parts; widely different B. Extremely wasteful; recklessly extravagant C. Caustic or sarcastic D. Needless repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase or sentence E. Pertaining to clothing or dress, especially men's F. A shudder or tingle experienced from excitement, fear or pleasure G. Correct conduct according to principles H. Hatred of women, especially by a man I. Showy, useless trim or ornamentation J. A scarcity or lack (Scroll the page so you can't see the answers until you're ready.)
Answers 1J, 2F, 3I, 4A, 5H, 6C, 7B, 8G, 9E, 10D _____________________________________________________________________ Posted 10/1/2006 If you know the definitions for even half of these 50-cent words, give yourself an A+. Match the terms below with their definitions. See the bottom of this post for the answers. Terms 1. Apercu (pronounced: a per SOO) 2. Concomitant (pronounced: kahn KAH muh tuhnt) 3. Habitué (pronounced: hu BI choo ay) 4. Lagniappe (pronounced: LAN yap) 5. Nabob (pronounced: NAY bob) 6. Paucity (pronounced: PAW suh tee) 7. Peregrinations (pronounced: pe ruh gri NAY shunz) 8. Raconteur (pronounced: ra kahn TER) 9. Tendentious (pronounced: ten DEN shuhs) 10. Verisimilitude (pronounced: ve ruh si MI luh tood) Definitions A. An item given free to a customer with the purchase of another item B. Journeys C. A small amount or insufficiency D. The appearance of being true or real E. Having a definite tendency, bias or purpose F. Accompanying; attendant G. A person who excels at telling stories H. A very rich or important person I. A person who frequents a particular place J. A quick impression or insight (Scroll the page so you can't see the answers until you're ready.) Answers 1J, 2F, 3I, 4A, 5H, 6C, 7B, 8G, 9E, 10D
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Blog posts Grammar myth #1: Ending a sentence with a preposition Posted 10/29/2007 Posted 12/10/2006 Posted 10/1/2006 |
