Blog – Page 16

Accepting the Exceptional

July 8, 2013 by Judy

“My son,” wrote the proud mother, “was excepted…” Her Facebook post went on to share her joy that her child was chosen to participate in an event for children like her son who have lost a limb. No doubt, her son is exceptional. But the correct term to describe her son’s selection, is accepted. Accept is always a verb meaning “to receive” (as a gift or promotion), agree to or believe (accept the decision of the judge), or to take responsibility (accept the duties of office).

Word of the Week – ruth

July 3, 2013 by Judy

With no apologies to Stephen Pastis, creator of Pearls Before Swine, I offer this week’s Word of the Week --- a post that was written weeks before this strip appeared:

Is it too much to know which to-two-too to use?

July 1, 2013 by Judy

As if two-word homophones aren’t confusing enough, today we tackle the to-too-two dilemma. Too much for you? Not if you keep a few definitions in mind.

Word of the Week – discombobulated

June 26, 2013 by Judy

Last weekend we made the 1600-mile trip for my family’s annual reunion. As usual, it was a whirlwind trip as we attempted to see as many relatives and friends as possible in three days. And as usual, it’s left me feeling discombobulated.

Put Modifiers in their Place

June 24, 2013 by Judy

Engaging prose makes good use of modifiers. Descriptive words---adjectives, adverbs, and phrases---add the kind of detail that draws the reader into a
story or clarifies a piece of nonfiction. But beware the misplaced modifier. Confusion or unintended humor can result when the descriptive word or phrase is placed too far from the word it modifies.