Grammar – Page 2

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).

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.

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.

No There, There?

May 24, 2013 by Judy

The English language has more than its share of homophones — words that sound alike, but have different spellings and meanings. It’s not a problem in oral language, but using the wrong word in written communication can be annoying, if not misleading. One set of homophones that is often misused is there, their, and they’re. Let’s review. they’re They’re is a contraction, the joining of two words into one. In this case: they and are. Instead of saying (or writing),”They are going to buy this house,” we combine two words into one and indicate the missing letters with an apostrophe. …