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Dangling Phrases and Clauses

When phrases or clauses are misplaced in a sentence, such that they don’t agree with the subject, sometimes funny or even embarrassing meanings and images will result. Danglers are difficult for us to spot when we write them because we can’t always see that what we have written is not what we meant to express.

Example: While walking across the street, the bus hit her.
Did the bus really walk across the street?

Correction: While she was walking across the street, the bus hit her. OR
The bus hit her while she was walking across the street.

Example: I have some pound cake that Mollie baked in my lunch bag.
Did Mollie actually bake the pound cake in my lunch bag?

Correction: In my lunch bag, I have some pound cake that Mollie baked.

Now that you are alerted to danglers, perhaps you will be able to appreciate some of the bloopers below even more. Thank you to Hu O. for sending these.

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
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The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”
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Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
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Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say ‘Hell’ to someone who doesn’t care much about you.
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Don’t let worry kill you off—let the Church help.
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Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
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For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
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Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
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Irving B. and Jessie C. were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
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A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
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At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What Is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.
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Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
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Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
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Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
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The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
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Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM—prayer and medication to follow.
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The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
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This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
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Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.
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The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
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Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
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The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
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Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
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Sunday: “I Upped My Pledge – Up Yours.”

Posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

Forming the Plurals of Numbers, Letters, and Abbreviations

Rule: The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes.

Example: She consulted with three M.D.s. BUT
Example: She went to three M.D.s’ offices.
The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive.

Example: She learned her ABCs.
Example: the 1990s, not the 1990′s
Example: the ’90s or the mid-’70s, not the ’90′s or the mid-’70′s
Example: She learned her times tables for 6s and 7s.

Exception: Use apostrophes with capital letters and numbers when the meaning would be unclear otherwise.
Example: Please dot your I’s.
You don’t mean Is.
Example: Ted couldn’t distinguish between her 6′s and 0′s.
You don’t mean Os.

Posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 8:31 pm

Abbreviations vs. Acronyms vs. Initialisms

Dictionaries don’t all agree on the definitions of these words and neither do style manuals. So I will attempt to shed more light on the distinctions.
Abbreviations
According to Dictionary.com, an abbreviation is a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole, as Dr. for Doctor, U.S. for United States, lb. for pound.

Initialisms and acronyms are two types of abbreviations that are used to shorten phrases.

Initialisms are abbreviations that are pronounced one letter at a time.
Examples:
• FBI
• HTML
• IBM
• DVD
• BTW (by the way)
Note that most people would simply call these abbreviations, which is fine.

Acronyms are abbreviations that are pronounced as words.

Examples:
• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
• AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
• OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)
• SPA (Society of Professional Accountants)
• WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant)
• ASAP (as soon as possible)
• Radar (radio detecting and ranging)
• Scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)

Do you ever wonder about the origin of a word or when it came to be a common part of the language? According to Ask.com, the word acronym originated in 1943: “As wartime production of names using initials reached an all-time high, it was high time to give a name to the growing arsenal of alphabetic abbreviations. That need was met in a note in the February 1943 issue of American Notes and Queries: ‘Your correspondent who asks about words made up of the initial letters or syllables of other words may be interested in knowing that I have seen such words called by the name acronym, which is useful, and clear to anyone who knows a little Greek.’”
“Greek? Yes, acronym follows the model of other designations for types of words, like synonym, antonym, and homonym. The -nym means “a kind of word”; acro- means “top, peak, or initial,” as in acrobat or acrophobia.

Posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 10:06 pm

Subjunctive Mode

Subjunctive Mode
Are you old enough to remember the ad jingle, “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener…”? Did you ever wonder about I were? This is an example of the Subjunctive Mode, which refers to the expression of a hypothetical, wishful, or imaginary thought. Sentences using wish and if usually indicate Subjunctive Mode and require using were as the to be verb form.

Examples:
If I were rich, I’d sail around the world.
He wishes he were in a position to give his employees raises.

When using Subjunctive Mode with verbs besides were, use the past tense or past perfect tense.

Examples:
I wish I had studied more for the test.
It would be better if you had brought the ice cream in a cooler.

Quiz

Correct the verbs in the following sentences as needed.

1. If I was stronger, I would have won that race.
2. I wish he was able to come to the party earlier.
3. If she were truly your friend, she wouldn’t talk behind your back.
4. I wish I practiced piano when I was younger.
5. If she went to the store on Saturday, she would have received a discount.

Quiz Answers

1. If I were stronger, I would have won that race.
2. I wish he were able to come to the party earlier.
3. If she were truly your friend, wouldn’t talk behind your back. (Correct)
4. I wish I had practiced piano when I was younger.
5. If she had gone to the store on Saturday, she would have received a discount.

Posted on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 at 3:24 am

Some Confusing Words

We have many words in the English language that have subtle differences between them. If you know these differences, you will be confident that you are conveying the meaning you intend.

The five sets of confusing words we will cover today are:

Adverse vs. Averse
Uninterested vs. Disinterested
Suppose vs. Supposed
Oriented vs. Orientated
Democratic Party vs. Democrat Party

Adverse = unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect; strongly opposed (refers to things, not people)
Averse = having repugnance (refers to people)

Example: She had an adverse reaction to the medication.
Example: They experienced adverse weather conditions.
Example: He is averse to a military draft.

Uninterested vs. Disinterested

Uninterested = not interested
Disinterested = unbiased

Example: She seemed uninterested in history.
Example: Because she was disinterested, she acted as the mediator.

Suppose vs. Supposed

Suppose = to assume to be real or true; to consider as a suggestion
Supposed = intended; required; firmly believed; permitted

Example: I suppose you will tell me when it’s time for dinner.
Example: Suppose we go to the movie now…will that work for your schedule?
Example: We were supposed to meet at the theater.
Example: He is supposed to be at work at 6:00 P.M.

Oriented vs. Orientated
The dictionary allows you to use either word to mean “adjusted or located in relation to surroundings or circumstances.”

Example: The house had its large windows oriented toward the ocean view.
OR
Example: The house had its large windows orientated toward the ocean view.

Democratic Party vs. Democrat Party
It’s the Democratic Party. Some non-Democrats don’t like the implication that one party has a lock on democratic principles so will say Democrat Party.

Posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm