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Category Archives: Commonly Confused Words
In the News III
Continuing our February theme, this week’s post again gives you an opportunity to play copy editor. Examine the following three excerpts from recent newspaper articles and consider what you might change. 1. While many Clevelanders were excited about and pleased … Continue reading
In the News II
Try your hand at catching errors or making other refinements in these recent news stories. 1. Gov. John Kasich has spent 130 days of the last 10 months on the road outside of Ohio as he campaigns for president. 2. … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Commonly Confused Words, Flair & Finesse
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Oldies but Goodies III
To round out the year, let’s review a few more issues presented in 2015. Historic or historical? 1. The visiting scholar’s insights into today’s media contained a surprising number of (historic/historical) references. 2. The town’s (historic/historical) vote 30 years ago to … Continue reading
Oldies but Goodies II
As promised last week, here are a few more quiz questions from 2015. First, correct errors or redundancies in these two sentences. 1. If you’re wondering where my Dad is, Uncle Al saw him hop in the hotel bar. 2. … Continue reading
Oldies but Goodies
As we round out 2015, my next posts will give you another crack at improving a few sentences selected from the past year. Good luck with your review test. 1. If your going to consume a record amount of hors … Continue reading
Errors That Make Readers Grumpy
What are some common errors in writing or speaking that irk you? Some folks can’t stand “irregardless.” Others grind their teeth when “I” or “myself” is incorrectly substituted for “me.” And “very unique” has its legion of groaners. Other language … Continue reading
The A-List
See if you can avoid stumbling on any of these word choices. An A grade awaits. 1. I’m sure you will (appraise/apprise) me if anything changes. 2. A three-person panel (administers/administrates) the review process. 3. We’ve used the same financial … Continue reading
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The Whisker Metaphor
No, I’m not above pandering, so this week – in addition to targeting folks who care about perfecting their writing – I’m going after the Internet’s cat-crazy crowd. The word that pertains to both groups? “Whiskers.” In my workshops I … Continue reading
Paper Cuts II
As noted last week, observing what newspaper and magazine writers are doing to inform and entertain us can be quite instructive … while catching their occasional errors can bolster our confidence. I know I felt pretty smug when I read … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Commonly Confused Words, Flair & Finesse
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Time for the Red Pen Again
Reach for your red pen and try your hand at this short summer quiz. What corrections and other refinements would you make in the following two sentences? 1. The principal reason I held a meeting with the Marketing staff was … Continue reading