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July 17, 2001
ROOT WORDS
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To improve your vocabulary and spelling skills, learn the roots of several common words as indicated below, then think of more examples for each:
ROOT and MEANING:
1. bene--good or well
My job offers many BENEFITS.
2. bio--life
Have you read President Kennedy's BIOGRAPHY?
3. dict--speak
Look up that new word in a DICTIONARY.
4. fac--to make or to do
Just send me a FACSIMILE, please.
5. scient--to know
Regina wants to be a SCIENTIST.
6. spect--to see
Hand Grandma her SPECTACLES.
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SPELLING OR WRITING TIP
Here are the answers from our last issue's self-check exercise on verb tenses:
shoot/shot/shot
I frequently shoot at targets.
Jim shot at the bird.
Betty has shot her husband's gun many times.
show/showed/shown or showed
Show me the money!
Henley showed her the photographs.
Kyra has shown plenty of fortitude while on the job.
steal/stole/stolen
She steals from her piggy bank every month.
Kim stole a can of beans from the store.
I have stolen only once in my life.
stick/stuck/stuck
I must stick to the task at hand.
Caleb stuck like glue to his older brother.
That tape has stuck on the wall for weeks.
swear/swore/sworn
I swear never to lie again.
Billy swore he'd been at home all night.
Many lovers have sworn to be faithful.
swim/swam/swum
I swim every week.
Sally swam in the county meet.
Augustine has swum over two miles before.
think/thought/thought
I often think about her.
Harvey thought no one was looking.
Jane had thought about changing jobs for several weeks.
win/won/won
I usually win the spelling bee.
Carol won last year.
Zelda had won the prize before Zane finished the race.
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http://www.TidyDesk.com
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WORD OF THE WEEK:
RAFFISH (Raf'ish) adjective: something marked by crudeness or vulgarity
Have you seen Zelda's raffish garden statue?
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: Which is correct?
Either Phillip or myself would like to assist you.
-or-
Either Phillip or I would like to assist you.
GRAMMARCHECK: Since the pronoun is placed in the subject position, your second example is correct. Remember that "myself" is reflexive and should be used only when emphasizing something about yourself:
I washed myself. ("myself" tells reader who "I" washed)
It is not necessary to use "myself" in a routine statement:
I, myself, am the winner. (Who else would "I" be?)
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QUESTION: What is a compound sentence?
GRAMMARCHECK: A compound sentence is composed of two independent clauses or statements that, if written separately, could function as separate sentences:
I drove to the store and then I came home. (compound sentence)
I drove to the store. (1st independent clause)
Then I came home. (2nd independent clause)
The two clauses are joined by AND.
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QUESTION: Your April 17 section on Tag Questions was interesting. I didn't know that construction had a name. What do you call the question if the positive is followed by a positive? I think of it as possibly an accusation or perhaps a regional expression for emphasis. Or do we just speak this way to fill out a short sentence:
You finished your homework, have you?
So, you washed the dishes, did you?
Raymond has quit his job, has he?
GRAMMARCHECK: Novel idea! The positive + positive constructions above likewise are called tag questions. If anyone has heard of something more specific, please let us know! Like you, we feel such statements are used in challenging statements or as regional expressions. In fact, it seems as though we've come across this construction more often in British than American English. Are we correct, dear Britons?
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QUESTION: When using military titles or ranks, when is it appropriate to capitalize--just when referring to a specific person, or at other times?
I was promoted to the rank of commander in the Air Force.
Report to Captain Nichols.
Speak to the sergeant about that.
Listen, lieutenant, I don't have time for this.
She is the colonel overseeing cases at JAG.
Help is appreciated!
GRAMMARCHECK: Thanks for the interesting examples of particular capitalization usage.
1. The first rule is to capitalize titles referring to specific people:
Report to Captain Nichols.
2. The next rule is that you need not capitalize professional titles if they are not used as part of the person's name:
I was promoted to the rank of commander in the Air Force.
Speak to the sergeant about that.
She is the colonel overseeing cases at JAG.
3. A third rule mandates our capitalizing a title used in direct address:
Listen, Lieutenant, I don't have time for this.
Now have fun saluting your officers--in writing, that is!
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