Do You Make These 3 Mistakes in Expression?

We always intend to say what we mean, but do we always actually say what we mean?

‘She strode straight through the door.’ So, is ‘she’ a superhero, a ghost, or blind? She might well have walked straight through the open doorway. But it’s doubtful she ploughed through the barrier itself. A small adjustment, but one that’s vital to the correct understanding of your words.

‘Your not getting you’re wicked way with me.’ I know; you wouldn’t dream of doing this. But you’d be surprised how many times the possessive is mixed up with the contraction. And it’s easily corrected. Just spell out the contraction ‘you are’ in full and the sense becomes immediately obvious. So, perhaps, now you are getting your wicked way with me, after all. I look forward to the encounter.

‘More then anything else, this confusion drives me up the wall, than I go into a rage.’  Once again, you never do this, do you? One letter different, but such variation in meaning.

‘Then’ is an adverb, conjunction, noun and adjective we use to express an aspect of time. Examples?

Adverb – ‘Carelessly, in her infatuation for Bob, she caught what was then known as a social disease.’ Conjunction – ‘He went swimming, then he put on his trunks.’

Noun – ‘That was then, this is now.’

Adjective – ‘She approached the then Prime Minister and punched him on the nose.’

‘Than’ is a conjunction and a preposition that introduces comparison.

Conjunction – ‘It is better to have done that, than never to have done this at all.’

Preposition – ‘Jenny was bigger in all her proportions than was Jane.’

So, ‘then’ for time and ‘than’ for comparison. Easy isn’t it?  

The picture? I like to give a little colour to my posts, and Zemanta, my usual source for these, revealed nothing relevant, so enjoy the French countryside.

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• Most of What You Think You Know About Grammar is Wrong

Stuart's Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Habitual/Unusual

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Habitual/Unusual

Habitual: adjective - of the nature of a habit; fixed by habit; constantly repeated or continued; customary, constant, usual, continual.

Unusual: adjective - not usual; different from or contrary to what is expected or usual; exceptional, uncommon, unconventional.

'Henry shuffled across the floor in pursuit of Adrienne, his habitual expression of hunger and need writ large on his eager face in a way guaranteed to ensure his failure as soon as she turned to face him.'

'Sheila, noted for her conformity and generally nondescript manner of dress, had taken the unusual step of attending the gathering dressed as a Bunny Girl, which was all the more noticeable since the rest of the guests had decided on more formal wear for the funeral.'

1884 - 1st cricket Test Match was played at the Adelaide Oval

1901 - Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal from England to the US

Stuart's Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Gaiety/Sadness

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Gaiety/Sadness

Gaiety: noun - cheerfulness, mirth, frivolity, merrymaking.

Sadness: noun - the condition of being sad. Sad: adjective - sorrowful, mournful.

'Between evocative crashing of breakers on the sand, the hungry cries of the seagulls, and the light soughing of the onshore breeze, Jake could hear the gaiety of the beach party he approached, as they played, laughed, danced and ate around their driftwood bonfire.'

Personal note: I think it's rather sad that, as writers, we've lost the use of the word 'gay', which was such an evocative adjective for which there is no real synonym. Nothing against the gay community; just a tinge of regret that they chose that particular word as a label.

'Walking the shore, just out of reach of crashing breakers, feeling the lonely cries of gulls and allowing the offshore breeze to tangle her blonde tresses, Faith felt the deep sadness of her separation from all that she knew and loved in the world.'

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Eager/indifferent?

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Eager/indifferent: antonyms

Eager: adjective - full of or demonstrating keen desire or appetite; impatiently longing.

Indifferent:  adjective - without inclination or feeling for or against someone or something; unconcerned, unmoved, uninterested.

'James was indifferent to Jennifer when she wore her spectacles but, when she removed them he was eager for her attention, thereby demonstrating the superficial nature of most young men.'

'Jennifer was so eager for attention that she ditched common sense, modesty and self-esteem, along with most of her cover in order to attract James. But, when he finally showed an interest in her and stroked a clammy hand over her skin, she grew indifferent and, making an inaudible excuse, hurried out of his sight.'

8^th December 1792 - Henry Laurens  became the first person to be legally cremated in the USA.

8^th December 1854 - Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Immaculate Conception, making Mary free of Original Sin. A generous and timely gesture on behalf of this male dominated club, which followed years of disapprobation of the innocent mother of their spiritual leader with a new determination to make her into a virginal saint. Always the extremes: this poor woman who, if there is any historical element to the myths, was clearly no more than the lover of the man she expected to marry but was subject to painful death under the religious law of the land at the time. Wouldn't you conceive a cover story under such circumstances?

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Cacophonous/Harmonious

Cacophonous/Harmonious:

Cacophonous: adjective - discordant sound; ill-sounding.

'Rehearsing the junior orchestra for the school play was always a trial for Tony; their inability to play either in tune or in time resulted in a cacophonous output that was enough to drive any music lover to drink.'

Harmonious: adjective - tuneful, sweet-sounding; sounding together in harmony.

'Blending the melodious voice of the soprano with the deep baritone singer provided a harmonious duet that proved a delight on the ears of all those who heard it.'

Pic: The deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy in East Yorkshire. 

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Ugly

Ugly: adjective - of an appearance causing dread or horror; frightful, horrible; of an event, time, sound - dreadful, terrible; morally repulsive; base, vile; offensive or repulsive to the eye, refined taste or good feelings; disagreeable, unpleasant; causing disquiet or discomfort; problematic, awkward; of markedly disagreeable or unpleasant appearance; offensive to smell or taste; noisome, nasty; suggesting trouble or danger; of the weather or sea - threatening, dangerously rough; cross, angry or bad-tempered.

'David stared hard into the mirror on the wall of his bedsit and wondered whether any woman would ever fancy and ugly bugger like him.'

'An ugly mob gathered around the steps of the courthouse, threatening to lynch the sex offender when he emerged from the trial.'

Pic: A dry stone wall above Catrigg Force, North Yorkshire. (Included as an antidote the ugly features.)

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Pathetic

Pathetic: adjective - bringing about an effect on the emotions; moving, stirring; causing pity or sadness; full of pathos; arising from or expressing strong emotion; passionate, earnest; miserably inadequate, feeble, useless (colloquially); in pathetic fallacy - the assignment of human emotions or responses to inanimate things or animals in art and literature.

'When he was accused of fraudulently claiming expenses to which he wasn't entitled, the politician made some pathetic excuse about his lack of awareness of the rules.'

Jodie turned her back on the man beside her. 'You're a pathetic excuse for a man, John. I don't know why I let you take me in like that. Now, get out of my bed and don't ever come back.'

Pathetic Fallacy:

'Old Man Willow wept copious tears, swelling the stream into which his roots spread, as he contemplated the swan's sorry loss of his lifetime partner to the carelessly discarded fishing tackle left by an angler.'

Pic|: Trout stream in Driffield, East Yorkshire.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Regrettably or regretfully?

Regrettably or regretfully? 

Regrettably: adjective - undesirable, unwelcome, deserving censure; something deserving or worthy of regret.

Regretfully: adjective - Feeling or showing regret.

Something that is 'regrettable' is something undesirable or unfortunate.

If, on the other hand, someone is 'regretful', they are full of regret and wish they had not done or said whatever initiated the regret.

So:

'Nancy's overindulgence in alcohol, which caused her to perform a spectacular striptease on the top table at her sister's wedding, was regrettable, especially since the groom posted a video of the event on Youtube.'

'Nancy was regretful that she'd allowed too much alcohol to influence her into performing a humiliating strip before all the guests at her sister's wedding, especially when the groom, who she was trying to impress, exposed her to the world by posting a video online.'

Pic: The sea front at Staithes, North Yorkshire.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Notable, noticeable or noteworthy?

Notable, noticeable or noteworthy?

Notable: adjective - deserving of note, especially because of excellence, value, or importance; remarkable, striking, eminent.

Noticeable: adjective - able to be noticed or observed, perceptible; worthy or deserving notice.

Noteworthy: adjective - worthy of attention, observation, or notice; remarkable.

Another example of English words that are almost synonymous. The differences are subtle, and largely due to usage rather than definition.

Notable is generally used for people or events that are unusual.

Noteworthy is more usually employed to convey a sense of something commendable.

Noticeable, although it can mean the above, is normally applicable to something that is able to be noticed; something that may be quite ordinary but which is brought to prominence by location or context, perhaps.

‘Shakespeare was a notable playwright.’

‘The bravery of the pilots during the Battle of Britain was noteworthy.’

‘It was noticeable that Brian had one brown eye and another of deepest green.’

Pic: Speckled sunlight.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Nauseous or nauseated?

Nauseous or nauseated?

Nauseous: adjective - sick, nauseated; offensive to taste or smell; loathsome, disgusting, repulsive.

Nauseate: verb - become affected with nausea, feel disgusted or sick; reject food with loathing; loathe or abhor; cause nausea or aversion, create loathing.

Basically; if you’re feeling ‘nauseous’ (adjective), you’re feeling sick. However, if some substance or event is ‘nauseous’, it is something that causes sickness and disgust.

To be nauseated (verb) is to feel sick, to be affected by disgust or loathing. However, if YOU cause the disgust, etc., you are being nauseating; i.e. you are the cause of the sickness or aversion of others.

As is so often the case in English, the distinction is nice and therefore not always readily seen.

‘The pervading stink of raw sewage following the flooding caused many people to feel nauseous.’ (adjective)

‘Fred was nauseated by the reports of child molestation amongst the Catholic clergy.’ (verb)

‘For much of the crossing, Johnson was nauseated; his sea-sickness lasting until the vessel docked in calm waters.’ (verb)

Pic: Across the Bay to Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Historic or historical?

Historic: adjective - famous or important in history; having great and lasting importance; known or established in the past; dating from or preserved from a past time or culture.

Historical: adjective - of, relating to, or having the character of history; based on history; used in the past and reproduced in historical presentations; famous in history.

As can be seen, there is a slight element of interchangeability here. However, the primary use of each of these alternatives is as follows:

If it’s historic, it’s something of note that happened in the past.

If it’s historical, it’s something based on the past.

So:

‘The Battle of Trafalgar, culminating in the defeat of the French and the untimely death of Admiral Lord Nelson, was an historic event in the Europe of the early 19^th century.’

‘Jean Plaidy is a well-known writer of historical novels.’

Pic: A field of ripening barley.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Early

Early: adjective - designating, belonging to, existing or occurring close to the beginning of a time period, e.g. morning, day, evening, etc.; belonging to, designating, or relating to the initial phase of an epoch, personal development, history of a people, or the world etc.; ancient; at the beginning in serial order; happening before it is too late; arriving or occurring before the due time; former, foremost, first in time.

‘Unable to sleep, Gloria spent the early hours watching the sun rise blood red from a field of pinks, oranges, flame and gold.’

‘Harold was so nervous about being late for his interview that he turned up an hour early and had to kill time in a local café, drinking copious amounts of coffee.’

Pic: Staithes, North Yorkshire.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Picaresque

         Cover of Moll Flanders

Picaresque: adjective - relating to rascals and rogues; suggesting fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a roguish protagonist.

Good examples are Moll Flanders, by Daniel Defoe and Tom Jones, by Henry Fielding. Modern readers, and filmgoers, will probably be more familiar with the genre as demonstrated by the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

‘Stuart’s novel, relating the adventures of an unqualified hospital doctor, was described by reviewers as a picaresque romp.’

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Elemental or elementary?

Elemental or elementary?

Elemental: adjective - being an element; specifically - existing in the form of an uncombined chemical element; the basic or essential constituent of something; fundamental, simple, uncomplicated; dealing with the rudiments of something; of, relating to, or resembling a great force of nature.

Elementary: adjective - dealing with the simplest elements or principles of something; relating to an elementary school.

So, something elemental is essential or integral to nature, whereas something elementary is fundamental.

‘The raging tempest that cast great waves on the shore, tearing up the coastal trees and upending the fishing boats, was elemental.’

‘I don’t see how you can pretend to be a writer, my friend, when you fail to understand the most elementary rules of grammar.’

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Economic or economical

Economic or economical:

Economic:  adjective - of or relating to economics; relating to, or based on consumption, production and distribution of goods and services; of or relating to an economy; possessing practical or industrial significance or uses; affecting material resources; the science of economics.

Economical  adjective - marked by careful, efficient, and prudent use of resources; operating with little waste or at a saving; sparing.

So, a person is not generally economic, but it may be that the same person uses economic theory and practice to determine the most economical use of resources. Anything that is economical is generally characterised by saving money or resources.

‘The economic indicators all showed that the country’s finances were in serious debt following the disastrous collapse of the banking system at the hands of greedy and imprudent bankers.’

‘Caroline was so economical with the truth that it was difficult to give credence to anything she said.’

Picture: a farm nestling in the ripening wheat fields a short walk from my home.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Incomplete or Uncompleted?

Incomplete: adjective - not complete; not fully formed; unfinished; not whole or thorough; lacking something, imperfect.

Uncompleted: adjective - not completed.

I display these alternatives here, as they came up in a discussion at my writers’ group a short while ago. We spent a little while discussing the meanings of the two words and came away without any conclusion, so I looked them up in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (my standard reference dictionary, and the one from which the definitions were taken: thank you to the Oxford Press). Apart from the fact that ‘uncompleted’ has only one, very specific, meaning, I can discern no essential difference between the two terms used in the context of the sentence we were discussing at the time. I’d still go for ‘incomplete’, simply because I find ‘uncompleted’ has an ugly sound to it. It goes to show that, in English, the chosen word can often be a matter of taste and preference without actually altering meaning in a significant way. Agreed?

The picture is just a shot I took a while ago.  Zemanta, the widget I use for illustrations, came up with nothing suitable this time.

Stuart’s Daily Word Spot: A while or Awhile

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A while: noun phrase – ‘The bathing beauties in their bikinis had to wait for a while until they heard the results of the contest from the judges.’

Awhile: adverb – ‘After the celebrations, the politicians who’d lost the election remained awhile, hoping the press pack would have dispersed before they emerged.’