Tag: English Usage
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Some writers may argue that logically moving from one point to another in a piece of writing is important. However, I’d argue that moving a reader from one point to another in a piece of writing is even more important. This is where the idea of transitions comes into play, and this is my topic…
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In previous articles about linguistics and usage, I mentioned the malleability of English since it incorporates so many words from diverse languages. Sometimes these loanwords include diacritics, which are symbols that alter pronunciation, distinguish words, indicate stress, or preserve orthography. Think of characters like â, à, ä, ç, é, ê, ñ, ó, etc. Today, I’ll…
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Recently, I wrote about awkward plurals used in English, focusing mostly on the linguistic history related to why we say the things we do. Today’s post is a bit different. While there is a bit about etymology, there are several other practical tips and bits that can be used daily with plurals derived from Latin.…
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Lions and tigers and bears, oh my this is easy to understand. But what about wolves and mice and geese, and why is it moose not meese? Awkward plurals in English are the bane of EFL/ESL students the world over. Even native English speakers can sometimes stumble to understand the confusing mess that has become…
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Few things are more upsetting than having an editor or proofreader “correct” something that is already correct. Yes, hypercorrections are as real as they are bothersome. Here are a few common misunderstandings that lead to hypercorrections. Consult the references at the end for further reading. A Myriad of or Myriad Myriad can be a noun…