tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70852780539660978422024-02-20T14:47:54.729+01:00Spelling it rightIf you haven't got the right spelling, you haven't got the right word.WPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687159095910942083noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085278053966097842.post-34267650947919663772008-01-03T10:30:00.001+01:002008-06-07T19:31:45.305+02:00To kick it offI'm pretty tired of some spelling (and usage) mistakes people make, so I decided to start a blog about it. I'm talking about really basic mistakes that can be avoided pretty easily. To kick off, I'd like to share an Enid Blyton story.<br />(I read it a long time ago and I'm just writing it as I remember it)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">One day an elf was walking in the woods when he suddenly heard a strange chanting. When he saw that it was a magician making a spell, he quickly hid behind a tree to watch. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">"T-O-A-D-S-T-O-O-L!" chanted the magician, and dropped a toadstool into the pot in front of him. "B-L-U-E-B-E-L-L!" he chanted, and this time dropped a bluebell into the pot. He went on with several other items, and after dropping the last one in, there was a big bang and he fell back.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Then, to the elf's surprise, the magician scooped up a handful of gold from the bottom of the pot. He then proceeded to repeat the spell and make more gold.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">The elf immediately decided to make his own gold. Who would have thought that spells were so easy? </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Once he had found everything necessary for the spell, he began chanting. "T-O-D-S-T-O-O-L-E!" he chanted, dropping a toadstool into the pot. "B-L-U-B-E-L-L!" </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">When he had put in the last item, there was a big bang and he fell back. Filled with excitement, he crept up to the pot and peered inside. To his astonishment, he saw inside, not gold, but </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">a large dictionary</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">!</span><br /><br />So what's the moral of this story? Spell it right!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I'd be happy if someone could let me know whether it was an elf (or a goblin, or a whatever) and his name! (or just suggest a name)</span>WPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687159095910942083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7085278053966097842.post-90644976738527894352008-01-03T10:00:00.012+01:002014-05-17T15:01:03.388+02:00Let's spell it right<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm trying to put this in alphabetical order as much as I can...when there are two different words (as in the case of <span style="font-style: italic;">borrow </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">lend</span>) I shall take the word that comes first to determine its place.<br />
<br />
I am trying to provide short and simple explanations, but I cannot guarantee that they work for you! So when in doubt, do consult a dictionary.<br />
<br />
Feel free to suggest any common mistakes that I may not have added yet. ;)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<br />
You <span style="font-weight: bold;">advise </span>someone, but you give people <span style="font-weight: bold;">advice</span>.<br />
<br />
If something <span style="font-weight: bold;">affects</span> you, it means that it has an <span style="font-weight: bold;">effect</span> on you.<br />
<br />
To <span style="font-weight: bold;">afford </span>something is to have enough money to buy it. Something that you can afford is <span style="font-weight: bold;">affordable</span>.<br />
An <span style="font-weight: bold;">effort </span>in the energy spent to do something.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Anyways </span>is not correct, though it has crept into common English :(<br />
The correct word is <span style="font-weight: bold;">anyway</span>.<br />
<br />
You <span style="font-weight: bold;">bathe</span>, but you take <span style="font-weight: bold;">a bath</span>.<br />
<br />
The right expression is <span style="font-style: italic;">to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">bear </span><span style="font-style: italic;">with something</span>. (not <span style="font-weight: bold;">bare</span>)<br />
<br />
Something that is <span style="font-weight: bold;">boring</span> makes you feel <span style="font-weight: bold;">bored</span>.<br />
<br />
You <span style="font-weight: bold;">borrow </span>something <span style="font-style: italic;">from </span>someone. That thing is <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>yours.<br />
You <span style="font-weight: bold;">lend </span>something <span style="font-style: italic;">to </span>someone. That thing is yours.<br />
<br />
You <span style="font-weight: bold;">breathe</span>, but you take <span style="font-weight: bold;">a breath</span>.<br />
<br />
We speak of <span style="font-style: italic;">open</span> tournaments (anyone can join) or <span style="font-weight: bold;">closed </span>tournaments (only members of a certain association/group can join). A <span style="font-weight: bold;">close </span>tournament is where the result was close (it wasn't won easily).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">A cloth</span> is the fabric used to make clothing.<br />
What we wear are <span style="font-weight: bold;">clothes</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">pieces of clothing</span>.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">To clothe</span> is also a verb: A piece of clothing clothes someone.<br />
You need cloth to make clothes/clothing.<br />
<br />
A <span style="font-weight: bold;">compliment </span>is praise.<br />
A <span style="font-weight: bold;">complement </span>is something that completes or makes whole.<br />
These two words can also be used as verbs, i.e.:<br />
We can <b>compliment </b>someone (praise someone).<br />
A cup of coffee can <b>complement </b>some home-made biscuits, making the biscuits taste better than if they were eaten on their own.<br />
<br />
A <span style="font-weight: bold;">deadline </span>is the date at which you have to complete something (usually an assignment).<br />
A <span style="font-weight: bold;">dateline </span>is found at the beginning of an article, stating when it was written. It can also refer to the International Date Line, an imaginary line in the Pacific Ocean where the date changes as you cross it.<br />
(Thanks to <a href="http://changyang1230.blogspot.com/">Chang Yang</a> for making me think of this)<br />
<br />
You <span style="font-weight: bold;">extend</span> something to a certain <span style="font-weight: bold;">extent</span>.<br />
<br />
When we say that there are <b>few </b>things in a box, we are trying to say that there are <i>not many</i> things in the box (less than expected).<br />
When we say that there are <b>a few </b>things in a box, we are trying to say that there is <i>something </i>in the box (as opposed to nothing).<br />
(Both still mean that there is a small number of things in the box) <br />
<br />
An <span style="font-weight: bold;">incident </span>is an event that happens.<br />
An <span style="font-weight: bold;">incidence </span>is an occurrence of that incident, or the rate of that incident happening.<br />
Perhaps it would be easier to remember this:<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">incidence </span><span style="font-style: italic;">of an </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">incident</span> </span>= <span style="font-style: italic;">the occurrence of an event</span><br />
(Thanks to Jeffrey Matisa for this suggestion - see comments)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's</span> is a contraction of <span style="font-style: italic;">it is</span>.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Its</span> shows possession: The cat is waving <span style="font-style: italic;">its </span>tail.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">To lose</span> is the opposite of <span style="font-style: italic;">to win</span>.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Loose </span>is the opposite of <span style="font-style: italic;">tight.</span> (the verb is <span style="font-style: italic;">to loosen</span>)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Lost</span> is the past tense of <span style="font-weight: bold;">lose</span>.<br />
We usually say "<span style="font-style: italic;">I <span style="font-weight: bold;">lost </span>something</span>" because the thing is already lost. (in the past)<br />
A <span style="font-weight: bold;">loss </span>refers to something which has been lost, or the event of losing something.<br />
<br />
You <i>pay </i>a <b>price</b>, and you <i>win </i>a <b>prize</b>.<br />
<br />
You <span style="font-weight: bold;">prove </span>something by showing <span style="font-weight: bold;">proof</span>.<br />
<br />
You <b>respond</b> to a question by giving a <b>response</b>.<br />
<br />
When you have a cold, you have a <span style="font-weight: bold;">runny</span> nose.<br />
If you have a <span style="font-weight: bold;">running</span> nose, it should not be the one on your face, it should be a fake one with legs! :P<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Stuff </span>is like <span style="font-style: italic;">furniture</span>, it never takes an 's' "in plural"!<br />
We say: <span style="font-style: italic;">a lot of stuff</span><br />
or: <span style="font-style: italic;">a lot of furniture</span><br />
without an 's' at the end of the word!<br />
Other words that follow the same rule: <span style="font-style: italic;">work/homework</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">money</span><br />
<br />
Something is <span style="font-weight: bold;">tiring </span>when it makes you <span style="font-weight: bold;">tired</span>.</div>
WPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07687159095910942083noreply@blogger.com14