Howard Levitt writes in the Vancouver Sun (March 27, 2010, p D16): “Have you noticed the verisimilitude between employees on performance improvement plans or on the verge of being fired claiming stress leave?” Now my Oxford Dictionary defines “verisimilitude” as “the appearance of being true.” So Howard is asking us if we notice the appearance [...]
Archive for March, 2010
Animal Farm: Power Corrupts
A reader submitted the paragraph: Many people are reluctant to stand up to authority because of the power they control within their hands. Power can be purely defined as “the possession of control or command over others.” Numerous novels have expressed the impact that power has had on humans, but there’s one that illustrates the [...]
Men, women and conflict
Here’s a nice little paragraph: Also psychologically different, men and women typically respond in differ ways to emotion. While men tend to react violently, women react by communicating in a friendly way because women are believed to naturally be more in tuned to others emotions and feelings than men. According to Sigmund Freud, “women show [...]
Eudora Welty: A wellworn path
Fernando sent this “grammar” question: In Eudora Welty’s short story, “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson represents an ageing truth. Phoenix grows up living in slavery or Civil War era. She dealt with slavery her whole life, even now free she has to endure the 1940′s segregated south. Slavery is an imbedded thought everywhere she goes. [...]
When is a plural not a plural? Or another blog on Grammar Bull S–t
A reader writes: Does the noun “livestock” take a singular or plural verb, as in: “Livestock [has/have] been important in serving humankind.”? Collective nouns (groups of people and things) take a singular verb unless the individuals are to be emphasized. Livestock has been important in serving humankind. (singular) I chased away the livestock who were [...]
Prove it!
Which is correct, “proved” or “proven”? According to my sources “proved” is more often correct especially in the US, however “proven” is indicated as in use in scientific and literary texts. I prefer proven myself. I guess this is another case of British vs. American usage. Being Canadian,we go both ways. HyperGraphix offers editing and [...]
Hyphen mania or hyphen-mania?
Which is correct, “pre-approval” or “pre approval?” The sentence structure is “Pre-approval is required on…” The answer is: “pre-approval” is correct since the prefix “pre” can not stand as a word on its own. My Fowler’s Standard English Usage goes on for four pages about hyphenation. Basically the rule is that you should use a [...]
Affect or Effect
Which is the correct usage of the word “effect” (or “Affect”): the paperwork necessary to EFFECT the assignment or AFFECT the assignment. To “effect” means to “bring about or accomplish.” It has a sense of completion. This would be the usage if the paperwork was necessary to complete the assignment. This is probably the correct [...]
How are you? Well or Good? Good question.
“I am well,” or “I am good” is a question I’m commonly asked. This is a tricky question. One way to look at it is whether ”feel” is an action verb or a linking verb. Another way is to look at “well” as a state of health or an adjective. “I am well.” is a formal reply [...]
Firearms in the hands of children
Barbara asks: Is “keeping firearms out of the hands of college and high school students” a thesis statement? “Keeping firearms out of the hands of college and high school students” is not a thesis statement. A thesis statement must include a point of view that you are trying to prove. Either “It is necessary to [...]