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Archive for October, 2007

Anymore / Any more, Anyone / Any one, Everyone / Every one, Everybody / Every body

Friday, October 26, 2007

The same words, written as one word or split into two words, will differ in meaning. So you need to know which word you really want.

Any more: something additional or further
Example: I don’t want any more cake.
Anymore: any longer, nowadays
Example: Harry doesn’t travel anymore.

Anyone: anybody
Example: Anyone can learn to cook but few can learn to [...]

Plural and Possessive Forms with Names Ending in y

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

How do you form the plural of a proper noun that ends in y such as Murphy? Should you change the name to Murphies? Given how other English words ending in y form their plurals, you would think so.
Examples:
puppy / puppies
army / armies
supply / supplies
However, proper nouns are not pluralized the same way as common [...]

Using [sic] Properly

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Sic is a Latin term used to indicate that something incorrectly written is intentionally being left as it was in the original. Sic is usually italicized and always surrounded by brackets to indicate that it was not part of the original. Place [sic] right after the error.
Example: She wrote, “They made there [sic] beds.”
Note: The [...]

Adjectives and Adverbs: When to use -ly

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Do you wonder when to add -ly to a word? For example, should you say, “He speaks slow” or “He speaks slowly.” What about, “He speaks slower than his brother.” Is this correct? Let’s find out.
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They may come before the word they describe: “That is a cute puppy.” Adjectives may [...]

Parentheses

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Parentheses indicate that the writer feels that the material contained within is of less importance or should be deemphasized.
Rule: Use parentheses to enclose words or figures that clarify or are used as an aside.
Example: I expect five hundred dollars ($500).
Example: He finally answered (after taking five minutes to think) that he did not understand the [...]