Arlene Miller's Blog, page 64
March 14, 2014
A Toast to Words – Part 2
A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated National Grammar Day with a toast to words. Well, National Grammar Day has come and gone, but we still have some interesting word facts to share with you. (And it is Pi Day, after all!) Ready?
Did you know that language does change — and enough so that an educated person will not be able to read or understand words in his or her own language written 500 years previously?
Can you guess the number of actively spoken languages in the world today? 6,000
In England in the 1800s, pants was considered a dirty word!
Gadsby, a book written by Ernest Vincent Wright, has over 50,000 words in it (about 250 pages), none of which contain the letter e!
What is the most popular first name in the world? Muhammad
Six words in the English language contain a double u: vacuum, muumuu, continuum, duumvirate, duumvir, and residuum.
Duumvirate is a government position held jointly by two people.
Duumvir refers to either of two magistrates of ancient Rome who held office jointly.
Residuum is synonymous with remainder.
The most common official language of countries is English. What is the second most common? French.
China has more English speakers than the United States.
Afraid of vegetables? You have lachanophobia.…now eat your broccoli!
No words rhyme with either orange or purple, which you probably already know if you have ever tried to write a poem!
Only one word in the English language ends with the letters mt: dreamt, a variant spelling of dreamed.
What is the most common letter in the English language? e
What is the second most common vowel? a
What is the most common consonant in English? r followed by t
What is the most common first letter of a word? s
What are the only two words in English that end in -gry? hungry and angry
Some words have no singular form: glasses, binoculars, scissors, tongs, jeans, pants, pajamas (Articles of clothing become singular when used as adjectives: pajama party, jean jacket)
The word alphabet comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha and beta
Ever wonder what the dot over the i and the j is called? The superscript dot.
Maine is the only state whose name consists of only one syllable.
Only four words in the English language end with -dous: horrendous, tremendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
The longest word in the English language is a scientific word referring to a part of DNA (another long word) and contains 1909 letters!
AND the toughest tongue twister in the English language?
The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick. Say that three times fast!
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March 7, 2014
The Alien in Your Future
I now believe that aliens exist. And I believe that these shriveled-looking, green/gray, big-eyed, long-fingered creatures are a more advanced life form than we are. So, how do I know this? Read on….
I have been in the education field for 10 years. Many of my colleagues have been there much longer than I have and have seen many more changes than I. Generally, they say, the pendulum seems to swing back and forth, with this year’s “new idea” being something that they saw 15 or 20 years ago.
Progress is a given. Well, I guess it is usually progress. Let’s say that change is a given. We see our world speeding toward ever more technology. We have smartphones, smart TVs, computers that recognize our fingerprints and our voices, and technology that does everything for us—and therefore must be smarter than we are.
There have been many changes in education lately. Many. Now, I went to school quite a while ago. And while I live and teach in California, I was educated in Massachusetts. I feel that I got a good education. I think we might call the educations we got back then “classical educations,” which was a good thing—back then. We knew things: facts, formulas. We could recite the Gettysburg Address and maybe a poem or two. We read classics. We were graded on our handwriting. And our spelling. And our grammar. And we knew about the explorers and the parts of the United States Government.
Enough reminiscing….let’s talk about what is happening now. Please note that I am not commenting on whether or not I like what is happening. I think some of the changes are good. Perhaps what I dislike most is what is being dropped, not what is being added. And, contrary to the intention, which is to make curriculum more rigorous, I think it is actually being dumbed down. And I guess, why not? Computers will be doing almost everything for us. So, our job is only to create the technology that can do these things for us. Who needs the Gettysburg Address?
So, let’s see…what is changing in the schools?
1. Cursive is out. Although seven or eight states have voted to keep it in the curriculum, cursive writing is not mentioned in the new standards. It is not a “21st century skill.” And where it is left in the curriculum, it is taught in elementary school for a year or two, and then left. Cursive really needs to be practiced. SO? Well, research indicates that the process of cursive writing is good for brain development—better than either printing or typing. Cursive is also faster than printing, should your computer (God forbid) run out of steam or crash. Cursive is also a beautiful art. Back in the day, we learned printing, typing, and cursive. Now, students apparently cannot handle all three. Dumbing down?
2. Memorization is out. Math teachers agree that it is crucial for students to memorize the multiplication tables, although there has been talk of getting rid of that skill too. We have calculators! Forget memorizing any poems or historical documents—or the spelling of words. Facts? Who needs them? The standards concentrate on critical thinking. I personally think you need some background information to think critically, not to mention the writing and speaking skills (that seem to be currently lacking) to express those thoughts. SO: I hope that my surgeon has memorized which bone is which, and which medications are for which diseases, and what other medications they interact with. I hope my dentist knows which tooth is which. I don’t want to watch a Shakespearean play in which the characters have trouble memorizing their lines. I don’t want to see a lawyer who hasn’t memorized some aspects of the law. And it is nice to be able to recite a famous poem or quote—just to feel educated. I asked my students to memorize something. Many of them were overwhelmed. They didn’t even bother to try. Dumbing down?
3. Grammar is out. Diagramming sentences? Too difficult and who needs it, anyway? Parts of speech? Phooey! The standards say that students should know how to write using complex sentences and that they should know how to use clauses and correct punctuation. However, it doesn’t really say how and when they should learn any of these things. At least in the grade I teach. SO: People who actually grew up diagramming sentences know their grammar. Today’s students don’t. Both colleges and companies complain that writing well is a huge issue. I taught a group of accountants who said that about 90 percent of their jobs consist of writing! Diagramming sentences? Spelling correctly? Too difficult. Dumbing down.
4. STEM. This acronym stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. No, there is no A for art, and the E doesn’t stand for English. This is the push in education today because this is where the jobs are: creating technology that can do the other stuff for us. SO: All the great ideas in the world are meaningless if you can’t express them understandably in writing and speaking. Besides, someone has to know spelling and grammar to program all these technological devices that are going to do it all for us. Writing? Too difficult. Dumbing down.
5. The SAT is being changed. In 2006 the Scholastic Aptitude Test, generally a requirement for applying to colleges and thought to be a predictor of college success, added a writing test to the math and English language bubble sections. Now, it is 2014 and the writing section is being “optional.” The scoring of the test is back to 1600 (800 for math and 800 for verbal) and the writing, if done, will be graded separately. Why is the writing not required? Who knows? I guess we don’t need writing. Bubbling is so much easier. This is a bit unusual because in the public schools K-12, bubbling is being removed in favor of short answers and essays on the standardized tests. Of course, a computer is going to score these essays. How? Who knows? In some of this writing, spelling and grammar won’t count, anyway. In addition, guessing on the SAT used to be penalized. No more. Guess all those bubbles and you might just get a good score—perhaps the answer is always C, after all! Oh, and the vocabulary is being simplified….no more of those big words you never use. Actually, I see those words used all the times in books. Oh, what’s a book? Dumbed down.
Oddly enough, I also read yesterday that the ACT, another college entrance exam, is becoming more popular than the SAT, which strikes me as odd, since two weeks ago I read that the ACT was being discontinued.
Now what does this all have to do with aliens? I thought you would never ask!
Look at the picture of the alien:
Gigantic eyes: We will be needing those eyes to stare at the computer screen all day doing our 21st century jobs, which will consist of developing newer and better technology to do everything else for us, giving us time to continue creating new technology. These big eyes will not get eyestrain from staring at a screen all day.
Long fingers: We don’t need them to write, so we don’t need five of them, with fingers that can grasp a pencil. These long fingers fit well around a mouse and can really work a keyboard!
Big head: I am not sure it is a big head so much as a small and shrunken body. Muscle wasting from no activity. Sitting in a chair all day in front of a screen won’t do much for your physique. You won’t really need anything more than eyes and fingers, anyway.
Greenish/gray color: Sun? What sun? You’d look greenish gray if you never got outside in the sun either! Your shrunken legs and body wouldn’t have the strength to get you outside, anyway. And there’s always Facebook if you need to see your friends.
So…that is the alien in your future!
The march of science and technology does not imply growing intellectual complexity in the lives of most people. It often means the opposite. –
Thomas Sowel
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February 27, 2014
National Grammar Day Is March 4! A Toast to Words!
According to Webster, grammar is
1. that part of the study of language that deals with the forms and structure of words (morphology), with their customary arrangement in phrases and sentences (syntax), and now often with language sounds (phonology) and word meanings (semantics)
2. the system of a given language at a given time
3. a body of rules imposed on a given language for speaking and writing it
Who started grammar, anyway?
The analytical study of language began in both Greece and India in the second half of the first millennium BC. While in Greece it began as the study of written language, in India it included the transmission of recited Sanskrit as well as written language.
The present-day study of grammar comes from Greek tradition, where is was linked with both logic and rhetoric. Plato and Aristotle can be blamed for helping form the foundation for the discussion of the parts of speech, as they were very interested in language.
However, grammar as a formal system was first developed by Greek scholars in Alexandria (Egypt).
Thank you to http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/gra... for the information in this section!
So where did English come from? Any why bother with grammar?
English is a hodgepodge of other languages. Beginning as a Germanic language used by Anglo-Saxon immigrants, English also contains influences from Latin, French and Celtic.
The purpose of grammar rules is to make language understandable. English is thought to be one of the most difficult languages to master, containing over a million words and, as we know, lots of irregularities. Without grammatical rules to define sentence structure, word usage, punctuation (we can call punctuation a part of grammar), and the like, there might be literary chaos!
Thank you http://www.ehow.com/about_6592206_eng... for some of the information in this section.
And now for the fun part: Some fun fact about words. Did you know
A sentence that contains all 26 letters of the alphabet is called a pangram.
The word uncopyrightable is the longest word in the English language (in common use) that contains no letter more than once.
The word checkmate in chess comes from the Persian phrase “Shah Mat,” meaning “the king is helpless.”
Typewriter is the longest word that can be made using the letter on only one row of the keyboard.
The names of all the continents end with the same letter they start with (and they appear to be all vowels as well, mostly a‘s).
Stewardesses is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
The word set has more definitions than any other word in the English language.
Facetious, abstemious, and arsenious contain all the vowels in the correct order.
Skepticisms is the longest word that alternates hands when being typed.
The is the most frequently used word in the English language (not too surprising).
Deeded is the only word that is made using only two letters three times each.
Queueing is the only word containing five consecutive vowels.
Lollipop is the longest word that can be typed using only one hand (the right).
You speak about 4800 words a day.
Pinocchio is Italian for pine head.
The Cambodian alphabet is the world’s largest, with 74 letters.
The longest one-syllable word in the English language is screeched.
The word lethologica is the “state of not being able to remember the word you want.”
The longest place name still in use is a New Zealand hill named: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwe-nuakit natuhu
And if #19 scared you, the word meaning the fear of long words is: hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Stay tuned to this blog for more word fun facts in the months to come!
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Correct Me If I’m Wrong
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Giveaway ends March 04, 2014.
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February 21, 2014
I Think; Therefore I Am: “However” and “Therefore”
Did Descartes really use the semicolon here??
The words however and therefore are adverbs. However (as you can see right here), they are also connecting words, joining what comes right before them to what is right after them.
However often functions as a conjunctive adverb, kind of a hybrid part of speech! And according to Webster, therefore is an adverb often used with “conjunctive force.”
There is no problem when these two words are at the beginning of a sentence. They are generally followed by a comma, and they refer to the sentence right before them:
I failed the test. Therefore, I will have to take it again.
I passed the test. However, the last time I took it I failed.
Can you use a semicolon before them rather than a period? Yes, since the two sentences are likely to be closely related, using a semicolon and a lowercase letter is also fine:
I failed the test; therefore, I will have to take it again.
I passed the test; however, the last time I took it I failed.
Okay. What about using therefore or however in the middle of a sentence and using commas around it? Is that right?
Sometimes. It depends. In the above examples with the semicolons, we have used therefore and however in the middle of a sentence; however, we have used a semicolon before them. A comma would not be correct.
Now look at these sentences:
1. Wherever you go, however, your problems will follow you.
2. I am moving to the East Coast, however, and if my problems follow me, so be it!
3. I need a babysitter and, therefore, will not be attending the wedding.
Those are correct. These are wrong:
4. I am going to Paris, however, my sister isn’t.
5. I need a babysitter, therefore, I am not going.
What’s the difference? In the five examples above, take out the however or therefore. If everything is punctuated correctly without those words, you are okay. However, if you are left with a run-on sentence, you need a period or a semicolon. Let’s check the examples above by taking out however or therefore.
1. Wherever you go, your problems will follow you. This sentence is fine, so you can safely put however within commas. It is simply a sentence interrupter.
2. I am moving to the East Coast, and if my problems follow me, so be it. This sentence is also fine, so commas around however are fine.
3. I need a babysitter and will not be attending the wedding. Also fine.
4. I am going to Paris, my sister isn’t. Not okay. You cannot use commas around however here. You need two separate sentences or a semicolon (or conjunction).
5. I need a babysitter, I am not going. Not okay. You cannot use commas around therefore here. You need two separate sentences, a semicolon, or the addition of a conjunction.
By the way, many people make a similar mistake with the word then. Then is an adverb. It tells when. It is NOT a conjunction and cannot connect.
I am going to the movies, then to dinner. Wrong.
I am going to the movies and then to dinner. Right.
February 12, 2014
What’s Love Got To Do With It? A Valentine Wordfest
LOVE – It is both a noun and a verb.
The dictionary defines love (noun) as a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. That is just the first definition. There are many. And we know we can also “love” our cars, our dogs, gardening, reading, our new job, and our houses.
The word love dates back pre-900 from Middle English. It came from the Old English lufu. Cognates include the Old High German luba and Old English lufian, as well as Old Frisian luvia.
Synonyms for love include fondness, passion, tenderness, adoration, affection.
There are some interesting words that specify certain types of love and cannot be translated into English:
Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego) – This word describes the look shared by two people who are each waiting for the other to make the first move. Oh, you know that look!
Koi No Yokan (Japanese) – This word describes the feeling upon meeting someone that love is in the cards, in time. Not quite love at first sight, but almost!
Retrouvailles (French) – This is the happiness you feel when reuniting with a love after a long separation.
Onsra (Boro language of India) – This word means to love for the last time.
Ya’aburnee (Arabic) – I do not even want to imagine life without you!
Although there is only one word for love in English (save the not-quite-right synonyms), Sanskrit tops them all with 96 words. Ancient Persian has 80, and Greek 3.
The suffix -phile means a lover of or enthusiast of. Bibliophile is a fairly common word meaning someone who loves books. And the word audiophile has been around for quite a while to describe someone who is an enthusiast of speakers and other audio equipment (love in a hobby kind of way!)
There are many other interesting words with the -phile suffix. Some are not immediately clear from the root word: for example, bookphile might be clearer to many people than bibliophile. By the way, -phile comes from the Latin philus and the Greek philos (dear, beloved).
autophile – Jay Leno, for example! A car enthusiast.
acidophile – An organism that thrives in acidic conditions.
bulbophile – A person obsessed with bulb plants!
caninophile – Yup, dogs! That defines many of us.
cryophile – An organism that thrives at low temperatures.
computerphile – Yes, I think that for most of us, it is a love/hate kind of thing.
discophile – One who loves records (remember those?). Apparently not one who loves the disco!
foodophile – OK, I admit it!
galanthophile – An enthusiastic collector of snowflakes.
hippophile – Someone who loves horses (not hippos?).
Lusophile – One who loves the Portuguese language and culture.
ostreaphile – A love of oysters.
paperphile – Yup. That is what it means!
pogonophile – One who loves or studies beards. (It takes all kinds; and I love beards!)
retrophile - One who loves things from the past.
taphophile – One who is interested in cemeteries, funerals, and gravestones.
turophile – A lover and connoisseur of cheese.
umbraphile – One who loves seeing eclipses.
xenophile - Lover of foreign cultures and people.
And that is your lesson on love. Happy Valentines Day from The Grammar Diva!
February 7, 2014
Some Quotes on Words, Grammar, and Such
Carol Burnett has said: “Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.”
In the words of Lily Tomlin, “Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.”
For a change of pace, I thought you might like to read some quotes about grammar, language, writing, and the English language. Some are thought provoking, others instructional, yet others humorous.
About Words -
We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them. – Abigail Adams
He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met. – Abraham Lincoln
A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things. – Herman Melville
When ideas fail, words come in very handy. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Words have a longer life than deeds. – Pindar
Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing. – Robert Benchley
About Writing -
The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it. – Benjamin Disraeli
I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter. – Blaise Pascal
Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very’; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. – C.S. Lewis
An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations. - Charles de Montesquieu
Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. – Cyril Connolly
Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it’s just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it. – David Sedaris (interview in Louisville Courier-Journal, June 5, 2005)
A classic is classic not because it confirms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions (of which its author had quite probably never heard). It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness. – Edith Wharton
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think. – Edwin Schlossberg
A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect? – George Orwell (“Politics and the English Language”)
The cure for writer’s cramp is writer’s block. – Inigo DeLeon
About the English Language -
Even if you do learn how to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to? – Clarence Darrow
The English language was carefully, carefully cobbled together by three blind dudes and a German dictionary. – Dave Kellett
About Grammar -
My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. – A. A. Milne
When I split an infinitive, god damn it, I split it so it stays split. – Raymond Chandler
Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect! – Owens Lee Pomeroy
Man 1: Where are you from?
Man 2: From a place where we do not end sentences with prepositions.
Man 1: Okay, where are you from, jackass?
-Author unknown
Do not be surprised when those who ignore the rules of grammar also ignore the law. After all, the law is just so much grammar. - Robert Brault
And my favorite……
Only in grammar can you be more than perfect. – William Safire
I would like to give credit to the following websites for these quotes. Please check them out if you need a quote on any topic!
The Quotations Page
The Quote Garden
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January 31, 2014
Oops!….I Did It Again: Redundancy in Writing
Redundancy in Writing
It is important to avoid redundancy, or unnecessary repetition, when we write. Redundancy can make writing overly wordy and often awkward. Read the following paragraph, and see if you can spot the ten examples of redundancy.
I woke up early because I had a meeting at 7 a.m. this morning. It is a good thing I live in close proximity to my office, so I didn’t have to leave too early. I stopped at Starbucks, which is in the immediate vicinity of where I work. I am missed if I don’t show up at a meeting, since the company is small in size. This meeting was about our latest project. We made a decision to collaborate together on it for the purpose of getting a variety of different ideas. The creativity of this company is the reason why I took the job. It is a great job, but at this point in time I haven’t gotten a raise as yet.
Did you find them? Here is the same paragraph with the redundancy eliminated.
I woke up early because I had a meeting at 7 a.m. It is a good thing I live close to my office, so I didn’t have to leave too early. I stopped at Starbucks, which is near where I work. I am missed if I don’t show up at a meeting, since the company is small. This meeting was about our latest project. We decided to collaborate on it to get a variety of ideas. The creativity of this company is the reason I took the job. It is a great job, but I haven’t gotten a raise yet.
Here are the redundancies that were in the first example:
1. 7 a.m. is the morning, so we don’t need to also write this morning.
2. Close proximity? Close is enough.
3. Immediate vicinity means near.
4. We know small refers to size, so we don’t need to use small in size.
5. Made a decision can be replaced by decided. This redundancy is called a “nominalization,” which means turning a verb into a noun, thus adding more words.
6. You cannot collaborate unless you work together, so together is redundant with collaborate.
7. Variety implies that the ideas will be different, so we don’t need both words.
8. We can use is the reason or we can use is why, but we don’t need to use is the reason why.
9. At this point in time is not necessary at all. You are obviously referring to the present.
10. You don’t need as yet. Yet is enough.
It is easy to let these redundancies slip into our writing. The best way to avoid them is to be familiar with them and proofread your work (or have someone else proofread it) to tighten it up.
Here are some other common redundancies and their “fixes.”
due to the fact that - because
I would appreciate it if you would – please
with regard to - about or regarding
completely unanimous – unanimous
each and every – each or every, not both
end result – result
exactly the same – the same
basic essentials – essentials
refer back – refer
personal opinion – opinion
summarize briefly – summarize
past history - history
very unique – unique
and also – and or also, but not both
filled to capacity – filled
difficult dilemma – dilemma (they are all difficult!)
final outcome – outcome
postpone until later – postpone
invited guests – guests (guests are generally invited)
plan ahead – plan
protest against – protest
repeat again - repeat
revert back – revert
spell out in detail – spell out
unexpected surprise – surprise
Yes, it is just another thing to think about when you write, but avoiding redundancy and unnecessary words will tighten up your writing and make your readers much happier!
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January 23, 2014
Weird and Wonderful Words (Part 3: I, J, K)
It’s Mr. Jocko!
Ready to increase your vocabulary with some words you won’t hear every day? I’ve got some good ones for you — all beginning with I, J, and K.
I
iatrarchy – noun – You have heard of matriarchy, hierarchy, and monarchy. Well, iatrarchy is a government run by physicians. Good idea or no?? Don’t get this one confused with kakistrocracy, which is a “government run by the worst people.” I guess you need to figure out for yourself who those people are.
iceblink – noun – Glare in the sky caused by light reflected off the ice. There really is a word for that!
iconomania – noun – Obsession with icons. Stay away from that computer desktop!
idempotent – noun – A quantity that doesn’t change when squared. Now, I’m no mathematician, but I think the number 1 falls into this category.
illutation – noun- Mud bath. Try that one next time you go to the spa!
infucate – verb – To apply cosmetics. I do it every morning! Doesn’t sound very pretty, though, does it?
interciliary – adj. – Between the brows. Guess those with a unibrow don’t have any interciliary space!
ishies - noun – What a cute word for hip joints! If your ishies hurt, you might need them replaced!
izzard – noun – Archaic name for the letter Z.
J
jackanapes – noun – I remember this one from a Shakespeare Insult Sheet I hand out to my students after we finish reading Julius Caesar, so I assume this word was coined by the Bard himself. It means an impudent child or conceited fellow.
janitrix – noun – Well, as it would appear to be, it is a female janitor (related to dominatrix??)
jark – noun – A seal or insignia on a counterfeit document. Who would have thought there would even be a name for that!
jawhole – noun – A sewer entrance. Makes sense, I guess.
jazzetry – noun – What a nice-sounding word! It is poetry read to a jazz accompaniment.
jocko – noun – A chimpanzee.
jugulate – verb – To slit the throat. I guess you do this after you defenestrate!
K
kakidrosis – noun – Well, you have heard of halitosis! This one is the same, but the whole body!
kalon – noun – Beauty that is more than skin deep. And we all want that!
kalopsiathe – noun – The delusion that things are more beautiful than they really are. Kalo must be a root that means beauty.
kalology – noun – The study of (logy), guess what? You got it!
keister – noun – A burglar’s took kit… Hmmmm… I thought it meant something else!
kenophobia – noun – Fear of empty spaces.
(empty space)
kephalonomancy – noun – Ready? Divination using a baked ass’s head. Hey, I didn’t make it up!
kickie-wickie – noun – Another of Shakespeare’s originals. It means wife, and is apparently not a valid word in Scrabble! Careful! Don’t get it confused with the next word!!
kickshaws – noun – A cheap worthless article, trinket.
kumiss – noun – fermented mare’s milk (yummy)
kyriolexy – noun – The use of literal expressions.
Feeling smarter now???
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January 17, 2014
etc., e.g., i.e. — What’s Up with Those?
Most people know what etc. means, but sometimes i.e. and e.g. can be confusing. They are all Latin phrases, and here are the translations:
etc. – et cetera – means and others
e.g. - exempli gratia – means for example
i.e. - id est – means that is
1. etc. – Used at the end of a list in text:
The wedding had an Italian menu, which consisted of pasta, pizza, lasagna, cannelloni, etc.
Etc. is often best avoided, especially in text. It is fine in a table or chart. Alternatives are to just say and others or and more, or just to list everything. Sometimes you can even use for example instead:
The wedding had an Italian menu, for example, pasta, pizza, lasagna, and cannelloni.
2. e.g. - used instead of for example
Once again e.g. is best avoided, particularly in formal writing, although it is fine in charts and tables. Why not just say for example? If you want to use e.g., make sure you put periods after both letters, and commas before and after the expression. Do not put e.g. in italics or bold or quotes. (I am doing so because I am using it as itself here, and I also want it to stand out.) If you are putting a complete sentence after e.g. or for example, you can put a semicolon between the sentences. You can also put e.g. in parentheses. All the following examples are correct.
The wedding had an Italian theme, e.g., the menu was completely Italian. (You could also use a semicolon before e.g. or for example. When a complete sentence follows e.g., using either a comma or semicolon before it is acceptable.)
The wedding had an Italian theme, for example, all Italian food.
The wedding had an Italian theme; for example, all the food was Italian.
The wedding had an Italian theme (e.g., the menu was completely Italian).
3. i.e. – used instead of that is
The exact same punctuation rules apply to i.e. and e.g. Use a period after each letter and a comma before and after the expression. If a complete sentence follows the expression, you can use a semicolon rather than a comma before it. Of course, you could use a period instead of the semicolon, but you aren’t afraid of semicolons, right? You can also spell it out instead of using i.e., and you can put it in parentheses. However, i.e. doesn’t mean the same thing as e.g., and they are not interchangeable – usually. (Sometimes they are pretty close.)
I am taking two languages this year, i.e., Spanish and Italian.
In the above sentence, e.g. would be incorrect. You are not using Spanish and Italian as examples. Instead, you are explaining that you are taking two languages by telling what they are. Notice that i.e. is really an equal sign (the two languages equal Spanish and Italian).
I am proud that my son is the drum major for the band; i.e., he is leading the marching band.
In the above sentence you are explaining what you mean by drum major. Once again, you see that i.e. is an equal sign, saying that drum major equals the person who leads the marching band.
Simple?
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January 10, 2014
The Grammar Diva on Big-Time Radio!
OMG! I got this exact radio for my 9th birthday! Listened to it all the time!
On December 16th, I was a guest on the Ronn Owens show on KGO radio! It was definitely one of the highlights of my career as an author and Grammar Diva. In case you aren’t familiar with the show, KGO is probably the biggest station in San Francisco (810 AM), and Ronn Owens is one of their most popular hosts. He has been doing his show for 35 years — and I might add that I was the very first grammar person to be a guest on the show.
How did this happen? Although I have been meaning to contact media about appearing to talk about my books (for three years), I have never really gotten around to it. Aside from a very half-hearted attempt at KSRO in Santa Rosa, I have done nothing — nada.
I listen to talk radio while I drive sometimes — if I have gotten tired of listening to my CD mix. This particular day, a couple of months ago, I switched on KGO and started listening to Ronn’s show. He began talking about words and what they mean and how they are used. Then, he took some calls. I found it interesting, of course, and thought the discussion would be a good topic for a blog post. I wrote that post on November 15:
http://bigwords101.com/2013/blog/its-all-about-the/
In the post, I mentioned that I was inspired by the Ronn Owens show, and I e-mailed Ronn a copy of the blog post. He e-mailed back thanking me and said he would read the post. I replied that if he ever wanted a grammar person on the show to let me know. I was joking (a little). A few weeks later, his producer called and asked if I would be on the show! Done!
Shlepping into San Francisco is not my favorite thing to do; I don’t know my way around at all, and I don’t know where to park. I asked them about parking, and they said not to worry. They gave me directions to the parking garage, and they told me to call them a few minutes before I would reach the garage and they would send someone down to get me in.
Then, I never heard from them….I thought that maybe this was a joke! What? No prep? I had been on Blog Talk radio (does anyone listen to that?) and on public radio recently, and there had been communication before the taping of each show. And this was going to be live!
I finally e-mailed to see if there was anything I was supposed to do to prepare. The producer said, “No, your expertise will be enough.”
OK. So the biggest problem was finding my way. I had no idea when I would be almost at the parking garage, so I decided it was safer to aim toward the radio station itself. I printed out the directions and found it — no problem. A little narrow street, South of Market. So, I arrived — an hour earlier — still thinking maybe there was some prep. They didn’t tell me what time to arrive. I pulled over illegally (of course) in front of the building, stressed by the San Francisco drivers, and called them. Turns out I was right at the parking garage. However, a truck came and said I had to move, so I inched forward onto the sidewalk and a tree. A passing woman asked if I needed help; I said I was OK (I always park wedged near a tree). Turned out OK. Someone from the station came down and led me into the parking space and up to the waiting area of the station.
I waited. I was supposed to be on the 11 a.m. half hour segment. No prep. Had never seen Ronn. Finally, at about 11:05 (near the end of the news), they took me into the freezer — I mean, the studio. Ronn came in, introduced myself, shook my hand, sat down, and said,”Don’t be nervous. My job is to make you feel good.” Then we were rolling on live radio. When I was led in, I was told Ronn probably wouldn’t take calls, but the headphones were there just in case. Well, of course, he took calls! Or, rather, I did! I was proud when I answered a “who and whom” question “more clearly than anyone ever had before.”
I must confess that Ronn asked me one question from my website to which I really had no answer. “Pro” that I am, I sides-swept a bit and answered something related. Did anyone notice? Politicians and beauty pageant contestants do it all the time!
And then my segment was over…..it was fun, and I walked out of there wanting my own radio show — or at least a permanent spot on Ronn’s show, maybe on grammar days. Ronn was very nice! And his show is always interesting, whether or not they are talking grammar!
So I got out of the garage and proceeded to take an unintended tour of much of San Francisco, as I tried to find my way to the Golden Gate Bridge.
In case you missed the show, here is the podcast….enjoy!
http://bigwords101.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/December_16__11AM-1387228401.mp3
Arlene, The Grammar Diva
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