Tag Archives: writing

This Is Definitely an Error

Posted on June 2, 2008 by languageandgrammar

Definitely has quickly become one of the most commonly misspelled words on the Internet. In fact, hardly a web page scrolls by where I don’t see it spelled definately. Again, the correct spelling is definitely. Think of the other words … Continue reading →

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Guilty As Charged

Posted on June 1, 2008 by languageandgrammar

On a call-in radio show on Wisconsin Public Radio on Memorial Day, where I was the guest, a caller had the audacity to say that I had used the phrase the simple fact is that on three or four occasions during … Continue reading →

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Me, Myself, and I

Posted on May 29, 2008 by languageandgrammar

A story on a regional news show ended with the interviewee saying, It was good for the neighborhood and myself. I was glad that things had worked out for the community, but, being as concerned as I am with grammar, … Continue reading →

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You’re, Your

Posted on May 22, 2008 by languageandgrammar

I often enough see your used where you’re should be used. You’re is the contraction for you are. Take the following sentence: You’re your own worst enemy. You’re (you are) your own worst enemy. Your shows possession just like my, … Continue reading →

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Insightful Political Analysis

Posted on May 21, 2008 by languageandgrammar

An MSNBC political pundit must have heard about my unadvertised use one amorphous cliche from my book, get the second free special since he gave this insightful analysis of the extended Democratic nomination process last night using two entries from the … Continue reading →

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What Is a Comma Splice?

Posted on May 20, 2008 by languageandgrammar

I’m a legitimate punctuation mark, get me out of here. This is supposedly a quote by someone who wrote a popular book on punctuation (that I have not read). If this is true, then it’s shocking to me. If this … Continue reading →

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Total 360

Posted on May 15, 2008 by languageandgrammar

I know (believe me, I know) that it sometimes seems as if it’s difficult to change direction in life, and perhaps that’s a reflection of our tendency to say the phrase I did a total 360 instead of the correct statement I … Continue reading →

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Affect vs. Effect

Posted on May 14, 2008 by languageandgrammar

This is one of those strictly written errors in English; nevertheless, it’s still a grammar error. Affect and effect have several meanings, but people get them most mixed up when trying to use the noun effect as the verb to … Continue reading →

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Blowback

Posted on May 13, 2008 by languageandgrammar

Blowback has become an increasingly popular (i.e, trendy) term, and it’s being used to mean….uh…actually, I don’t know what it’s being used to mean. That’s one of the problems with words that are made up or words that are being … Continue reading →

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Choose This!

Posted on May 12, 2008 by languageandgrammar

A couple of days ago, I was reading the comments related to an Internet article listing food that packs on the pounds (is there really anyone out there who still doesn’t know that cream-filled doughnuts and buttered mashed potatoes could … Continue reading →

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