Secure and sure, along with a handful of other words originating from those terms, share an etymology. These words are listed and defined in this post. The parent word is the Latin adjective securus, meaning “free from care or danger.” (The first element, se, means “free from” and is seen in secret, and the second … Read more
Revise each sentence below so that the nouns to which the pronouns refer are obvious. 1. He told his brother that his bicycle had been stolen. 2. I left my coat in the car, but now I can’t find it. 3. If you’ve ever wanted to go there, now is the perfect time to travel … Read more
Adhering to the following guidance about usage, syntax, punctuation, style, and form will perceptibly improve the quality of your writing. 1. Use vivid verbs. Monitor your writing for excessive use of forms of “to be”—is, be, and their variants—and other helping verbs such as has, as well as other weak verbs like do and go, … Read more
Inasmuch as it pains me to say it, notwithstanding my affection for fused words, nevertheless, I encourage readers to use some of the words listed hereinafter sparingly and others not at all. Evolution of the English language includes a process called univerbation (yes, that’s really a word), the combination of a fixed expression of two … Read more
Each of the following sentences is flawed because omission of a word prevents the statement from conveying the intended meaning. Discussion and revision point out the missing word. 1. Smith will discuss the organization’s mission and activities to date. The writer likely did not intend to suggest that the discussion would be about both the … Read more
Intrigued by a reference to the political term Atlanticism, heretofore unbeknownst to me, I researched the history of the name of the ocean that separates the western and eastern hemispheres. This post defines and discusses these and related terms. Atlanticism, a term coined in 1950, refers to the concept of cooperation between the United States … Read more
The Latin noun tempus, meaning “season” or “time,” is the source of time and other words pertaining to chronological measurement, but it is also the origin of terms associated with literal and figurative measurement in general as well as some that have related meanings, as detailed in this post. Tempus is borrowed directly into English … Read more
In each pair of sentences below, choose the version that correctly indicates through word and punctuation choice whether an explanatory phrase is restrictive or nonrestrictive. 1. a) Smith is a spokesman for the US Army’s 800th Military Police Brigade that operates prisons in Iraq. b) Smith is a spokesman for the US Army’s 800th Military … Read more
In each of the following sentences, the statement’s wording or syntax problematically interferes with reader comprehension. Discussion and revision of each example points the way to a clear solution. 1. He exchanged greetings with leaders from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. This sentence implies that Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are names of leaders, because the writer is trying … Read more
Two primary functions of the comma are to separate independent clauses and to set off parenthetical elements, and writers often confuse the two functions when a conjunction is introduced. In the examples below, a comma has been misplaced. Discussion after each sentence explains the problem, and a revision after each shows the solution. 1. But … Read more
In each of the following sentences, an error pertaining to hyphenation results in a faulty phrasal adjective. Discussion and revision explain and demonstrate how to solve the problem. 1. The company appeared to violate federal law by offering high-interest rate loans in states where such loans are prohibited. This sentence describes rate loans of a … Read more
This post lists and defines words derived from the Latin noun terra, meaning “earth” or “land.” Terra is used in several contexts in English but never on its own as a common noun. It is the name of an early Roman goddess associated with Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and maternity, and identified with the … Read more