It’s a dreary day in San Diego—my hummingbird friend is nowhere to be found outside my window, the spider webs are filled with rain, and the gray skies remind me of my home far away. (Okay, maybe that last part is from John Denver singing about some country roads in West Virginia.)

What better way to cope with a dreary day? Or 88° weather in Allen? Or thunder showers in Monett and Springfield? Grammar!

Today, I left Ben Yagoda’s article “7 grammar rules you really should pay attention to,” completely intact. Okay…I did change the title of this section since it wasn’t really a rule, but everything else is his.

Rule 4: Avoid Pronoun Problems
Let’s take a look at three little words. Not "I love you," but me, myself and I. Grammatically, they can be called object, reflexive, and subject. As long as they’re by themselves, object and subject don’t give anyone problems. That is, no one who’s an adult native English speaker would say Me walked to the bus stop or He gave the book to I. For some reason, though, things can get tricky when a pronoun is paired with a noun. We all know people who say things like Me and Fred had lunch together yesterday, instead of Fred and I… Heck, most of us have said it ourselves; for some reason, it comes trippingly off the tongue. We also (most of us) know not to use it in a piece of writing meant to be published. Word to the wise: Don’t use it in a job interview, either.

There’s a similar attraction to using the subject instead of object. Even Bill Clinton did this back in 1992 when he asked voters to give Al Gore and I [instead of me] a chance to bring America back. Or you might say, Thanks for inviting my wife and I, or between you and I… Some linguists and grammarians have mounted vigorous and interesting defenses of this usage. However, it’s still generally considered wrong and should be avoided.

A word that’s recently become quite popular is myself — maybe because it seems like a compromise between I and me. But sentences like Myself and my friends went to the mall or They gave special awards to Bill and myself don’t wash. Change the first to My friends and I… and the second to Bill and me.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Woo-hoo! We’re up to the third rule from the article “7 grammar rules you really should pay attention to,” by Ben Yagoda. Again, I’d argue that the title of this “rule” (Verb Problems) isn’t a rule, but it is a problem. So let’s call this one: Rule 3 – Watch for Verb Problems.

There are a few persistent troublemakers you should be aware of.

· I’m tired, so I need to go lay lie down.

· The fish laid lay on the counter, fileted and ready to broil.

· Honey, I shrunk shrank the kids.

· In a fit of pique, he sunk sank the toy boat.

· He seen saw it coming.

The last three are examples of verbs where people sometimes switch the past and participle forms. [KC – The past participle is used with an auxiliary verb (has,
have, or had).] Thus, it would be correct to write:

· I have shrunk the kids.

· He had sunk the boat.

· He had seen it coming.

For a list of irregular verbs and their simple past and past participle forms, see:

www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/irregularverbs.html

Whew. Now my head hurts! Nothing like a basket of puppies to make the pain go away . . .

From various sources on Google Images

Kara Church

Senior Technical Editor

Good afternoon!

Today we have the second rule from the article “7 grammar rules you really should pay attention to,” by Ben Yagoda. He titles the rule “Bad Parallelism,” which doesn’t seem like a rule you’d want to follow. So instead, I am renaming this rule and using examples from the Purdue OWL website. (The examples are from a paper written by Dr. Linda Bergmann and Allen Brizee.)

Rule 2: Avoid Bad Parallelism

Words and Phrases

Remain consistent, or parallel, in your words and phrases. A common mistake is mixing patterns

with the –ing form (gerund) of words:

Not parallel: The construction manager established a protocol that includes

reviewing plans every morning, asking questions at stated intervals, and the

summarization of work at the end of the day.

Parallel: The construction manager established a protocol that includes reviewing

plans every morning, asking questions at stated intervals, and summarizing work

at the end of the day.

Another common mistake is mixing patterns of infinitive phrases:

Not parallel: A daily protocol was established to review plans, to field questions,

and summarize work.

Parallel: A daily protocol was established to review plans, to field questions, and

to summarize work.

Forms

Mixing forms is another common misstep:

Not parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly,

accurately, and in a detailed manner.

Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly,

accurately, and thoroughly.

Clauses

A parallel structure that begins with clauses must continue using clauses.

Not Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that

they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the

game.

Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they

should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises

before the game.

Lists

Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.

Not Parallel: The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word

meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.

Parallel: The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings,

pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular verbs.

Kara Church

Senior Technical Editor

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

www.symitar.com

Kara Church

Senior Technical Editor

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

www.symitar.com

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

A couple weeks ago, an article came out about a few grammar rules we should all have a look at. Many of you agreed, and sent the article to me. Today is the first of the seven rules, based on the article “7 grammar rules you really should pay attention to,” by Ben Yagoda. (Because the title and punctuation in the article do not agree with our standards, I’m paraphrasing some of Mr. Yagoda’s material to avoid questions and corrections from those of you who are really on the ball.)

Rule One: The Subjunctive

When you’re writing or talking about a situation that is not true—usually following the word if or the verb wish—the verb to be is rendered as were (subjunctive)instead of was.

Examples:

· If I was were a rich man. [Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum. All day long I’d biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.]

· I wish I was were an Oscar Mayer wiener.

· If Hillary Clinton was were president, things would be a whole lot different.

If you are using if for other purposes (hypothetical situations, questions), you do not use the subjunctive.

Examples:

· The reporter asked him if he were was happy.

· If an intruder were was here last night, he would have left footprints, so let’s look at the ground outside.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Over the past year, I’ve received questions, poems, articles, and samples containing contronyms. What is a contronym? A contronym is a word that is its own opposite. For example, the word dust. You dust French toast with powdered sugar (adding tiny particles). You dust your bookcase with a rag (to remove tiny particles).

There are several other names for this sort of word, including contranym, auto-antonym, antagonym, self-anytonym, and my favorite: Janus word. (This from the Roman god Janus: god of beginnings, transitions, gates, passages, etc. The month January was named to honor him. He is usually represented with two faces: one face looking into the future, and the other face looking into the past.)

Now for some of the words! These are compiled from the articles “14 Words That Are Their Own Opposites,” by Judith B. Herman, and “75 Contronyms” at Daily Writing Tips. A big “thank you” to Chris Aston for guiding me to these resources!

1. Aught: All, or nothing

2. Bolt: To secure, or to flee

3. Buckle: To connect, or to break or collapse

4. Cleave: To adhere, or to separate

5. Consult: To offer advice, or to obtain it

6. Dollop: A large amount (British English), or a small amount

7. Enjoin: To impose, or to prohibit

8. Fast: Quick, or stuck or made stable

9. Finished: Completed, or ended or destroyed

10. Fix: To repair, or to castrate

11. Flog: To promote persistently, or to criticize or beat

12. Garnish: To furnish, as with food preparation, or to take away, as with wages

13. Handicap: An advantage provided to ensure equality, or a disadvantage that prevents equal achievement

14. Lease: To offer property for rent, or to hold such property

15. Left: Remained, or departed

16. Model: An exemplar, or a copy

17. Out: Visible, as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights

18. Oversight: Monitoring, or failing to oversee

19. Puzzle: A problem, or to solve one

20. Quantum: Significantly large, or a minuscule part

21. Refrain: To desist from doing something, or to repeat

22. Sanction: To approve, or to boycott

23. Skin: To cover, or to remove

24. Splice: To join, or to separate

25. Strike: To hit, or to miss in an attempt to hit

26. Transparent: Invisible, or obvious

27. Trim: To decorate, or to remove excess from

28. Trip: A journey, or a stumble

29. Variety: A particular type, or many types

30. Weather: To withstand, or to wear away

Coin of Janus, from the Roman Republic

http://www.livius.org/ja-jn/janus/janus.html

Kara Church

Senior Technical Editor

Good morning! We’ve passed the half-way point on the Spelling, Vocabulary, and Confusing Words from grammarbook.com. Today you can “ooh” and “aah” over the O’s.

Random fourth-grader: “Did you know the word gullible is not in the dictionary?”

Young Miss Church: “Really?”

Oh no! It was already too late to come back from that. My heart sunk when I realized I’d just been bamboozled in front of the other kids on the playground. Kids laughed and I turned bright red, knowing I’d been had. April Fools’ Day, and I was not only gullible but I was a fool. I haven’t liked this day since!

Unfortunately, my husband loves this day and is the type of guy that will go to great lengths to trick people. A faked mushroom allergy? A website outlining some crazy new philosophy he’s invented? A new Facebook page where he is suddenly a champion of My Little Pony toys and has started a fan club? Yes, this is my life.

So today, I give in. I looked up synonyms for the word gullible, and they sure aren’t pretty. The Wikipedia definition of gullibility makes me feel like I should just give up and become a hermit.

Synonyms for gullible:

· believing

· biting

· credulous

· deceivable

· easily taken in

· easy mark

· exploitable

· foolish

· genuine

· green

· guileless

· innocent

· naive

· silly

· simple

· sucker

· susceptible

· swallowing whole

· taken in

· taking the bait

· trusting

· uncritical

· unsophisticated

· unsuspecting

· unwary

· unworldly

· wide-eyed

And from Wikipedia:

Gullibility is a failure of social intelligence in which a person is easily tricked or manipulated into an ill-advised course of action. It is closely related to credulity, which is the tendency to believe unlikely propositions that are unsupported by evidence.

Classes of people especially vulnerable to exploitation due to gullibility include children, the elderly, and the developmentally disabled.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

We’ve already covered most of the words in the “N” category because the homonyms started with letters earlier in the alphabet (e.g., knows/nose, knight/night). Today I only have two pairs of homonyms for you, but thanks to Keith Slayton, we have a comic about Noah for your enjoyment. Thanks, Keith!

Kara Church

Senior Technical Editor

I’m a bit late today, but here are the other interjections many of you were looking for after yesterday’s e-mail; these are from the same list at DailyWritingTips.com. I hope you have a splendid afternoon (or evening).

· Hmph (also hrmph or humph) indicates displeasure or indignation.

· Ho-ho is expressive of mirth, or (along with its variant oh-ho) can indicate triumph of discovery.

· Ho-hum signals indifference or boredom.

· Hubba-hubba is the vocal equivalent of a leer.

· Huh (or hunh) is a sign of disbelief, confusion, or surprise, or, with a question mark, is a request for repetition.

· Hup, from the sound-off a military cadence chant, signals beginning an exerting task.

· Hurrah (also hoorah, hooray, and hurray, and even huzzah) is an exclamation of triumph or happiness.

· Ick signals disgust.

· Lah-de-dah denotes nonchalance or dismissal, or derision about pretension.

· Mm-hmm, variously spelled, is an affirmative or corroborating response.

· Mmm, extended as needed, conveys palatable or palpable pleasure.

· Mwah is suggestive of a kiss, often implying unctuous or exaggerated affection.

· Neener-neener, often uttered in a series of three repetitions, is a taunt.

· Now (often repeated “Now, now”) is uttered as an admonition.

· Oh is among the most versatile of interjections. Use it to indicate comprehension or acknowledgment (or, with a question mark, a request for verification), to preface direct address (“Oh, sir!”), as a sign of approximation or example (“Oh, about three days”), or to express emotion or serves as a response to a pain or pleasure. (Ooh is a variant useful for the last two purposes.)

· Oh-oh (or alternatives in which oh is followed by various words) is a warning response to something that will have negative repercussions.

· Olé, with an accent mark over the e, is borrowed from Spanish and is a vocal flourish to celebrate a deft or adroit maneuver.

· Ooh, with o’s repeated as needed, conveys interest or admiration, or, alternatively, disdain.

· Ooh-la-la is a response to an attempt to impress or gently mocks pretension or finery.

· Oops (and the jocular diminutive variation oopsie or oopsy and the variant whoops) calls attention to an error or fault.

· Ouch (or ow, extended as needed) signals pain or is a response to a harsh word or action.

· Oy, part of Yiddish expressions such as oy gevalt (equivalent to “Uh-oh”), is a lament of frustration, concern, or self-pity.

· Pff, extended as needed, expresses disappointment, disdain, or annoyance.

· Pfft, or phfft, communicates abrupt ending or departure or is a sardonic dismissal akin to pff.

· Phew, or pew, communicates disgust, fatigue, or relief. (Phooey, also spelled pfui, is a signal for disgust, too, and can denote dismissal as well. PU and P.U. are also variants.)

· Poof is imitative of a sudden disappearance, as if by magic.

· Pshaw denotes disbelief, disapproval, or irritation or, alternatively, communicates facetious self-consciousness.

· Psst calls for quiet.

· Rah, perhaps repeated, signals triumph.

· Shh (extended as necessary) is an imperative for silence.

· Sis boom bah is an outdated encouraging cry, most likely to be used mockingly now.

· Tchah communicates annoyance.

· Tsk-tsk and its even snootier variant tut-tut are condemnations or scoldings; the related sound tch is the teeth-and-tongue click of disapproval.

· Ugh is an exclamation of disgust.

· Uh is an expression of skepticism or a delaying tactic.

· Uh-huh indicates affirmation or agreement.

· Uh-oh signals concern or dismay.

· Uh-uh is the sound of negation or refusal.

· Um is a placeholder for a pause but also denotes skepticism.

· Va-va-voom is an old-fashioned exclamation denoting admiration of physical attractiveness.

· Whee is an exclamation of excitement or delight.

· Whew is a variant of phew but can also express amazement.

· Whoa is a call to halt or an exclamation of surprise or relief.

· Whoop-de-doo and its many variants convey mocking reaction to something meant to impress.

· Woo and woo-hoo (and variations like yahoo, yee-haw, and yippee) indicate excitement. (Woot, also spelled w00t among an online in-crowd, is a probably ephemeral variant.)

· Wow expresses surprise.

· Yay is a congratulatory exclamation. (Not to be confused with yeah, a variant of yes.)

· Yikes is an expression of fear or concern, often used facetiously.

· Yo-ho-ho is the traditional pirates’ refrain.

· Yoo-hoo attracts attention.

· Yow, or yowza, is an exclamation of surprise or conveys being impressed.

· Yuck (also spelled yech or yecch) signals disgust. (Not to be confused with yuk, a laugh.)

· Yum, or yummy, is a response to the taste of something delicious and, by extension, the sight of an attractive person.

· Zoinks is an expression of surprise or amazement popularized by the cartoon character Shaggy, of Scooby Doo fame.

· Zowie, often in combination following wowie, a variant of wow, expresses admiration or astonishment.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Today I’m taking a leap over to a part of speech that is often forgotten: the interjection. An interjection is a word or phrase use to express emotion; an exclamation; a short utterance; a command.

Here are a few from www.dailywritingtips.com:

1. Ack communicates disgust or dismissal.

2. Ah can denote positive emotions like relief or delight (generally, pronounced with a long a).

3. Aha signals triumph or surprise, or perhaps derision.

4. Ahem is employed to gain attention.

5. Argh, often drawn out with additional h’s, is all about frustration.

6. Aw can be dismissive or indicative of disappointment, or, when drawn out, expressive of sympathy or adoration.

7. Aye denotes agreement.

8. Bah is dismissive.

9. Blah communicates boredom or disappointment.

10. Blech (or bleah or bleh) implies nausea.

11. Boo is an exclamation to provoke fright.

12. Boo-hoo is imitative of crying and is derisive.

13. Boo-ya (with several spelling variants) is a cry of triumph.

14. Bwah-hah-hah (variously spelled, including mwah-hah-hah) facetiously mimics the stereotypical archvillain’s triumphant laugh.

15. D’oh is the spelling for the muttering accompanying Homer Simpson’s trademark head-slapping self-abuse.

16. Duh derides someone who seems dense.

17. Eek indicates an unpleasant surprise.

18. Eh, with a question mark, is a request for repetition or confirmation of what was just said; without, it is dismissive.

19. Er (sometimes erm) plays for time.

20. Ew denotes disgust, intensified by the addition of one or more e’s and/or w’s.

21. Feh (and its cousin meh) is an indication of feeling underwhelmed or disappointed.

22. Gak is an expression of disgust or distaste.

23. Ha expresses joy or surprise, or perhaps triumph.

24. Ha-ha (with possible redoubling) communicates laughter or derision.

25. Hamana-hamana, variously spelled, and duplicated as needed, implies speechless embarrassment.

26. Hardy-har-har, or har-har repeated as needed, communicates mock amusement.

27. Hee-hee is a mischievous laugh, while its variants heh and heh-heh (and so on) can have a more derisive connotation.

28. Hey can express surprise or exultation, or can be used to request repetition or call for attention.

29. Hist signals the desire for silence.

30. Hm, extended as needed, suggests curiosity, confusion, consternation, or skepticism.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.