When Speaking of Age Ranges

When Speaking of Age Ranges

Consider these sentences: Camp for children from 6 to 12 years old. Camp for children from 6 to 12 years old. Camp for children from 6 to 12 years old. You will notice that the first sentence uses “age”, the second uses “age”, and the third uses “age”. This type of construction is the subject …

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Can ‘Criteria’ Ever Be Singular?

Can ‘Criteria’ Ever Be Singular?

Standard usually a plural noun referring to the standards by which a judgment can be made. Its singular is standardbut the evidence shows that standard often used in the singular as well as in the plural, like data And agenda and their used singular timeline And agenda. Since English borrows words from Latin and Greek, …

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33 Transition Words and Phrases

33 Transition Words and Phrases

Transitional terms give writers the opportunity to prepare readers for a new idea, connecting the previous sentence to the next one. Many transitional words are nearly synonymous: words that broadly indicate that “this follows logically from the preceding” include accordingly, therefore, and consequently. Words that mean “in addition to” include moreover, besides, and further. Words …

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Can You ‘Curate’ Anything?

Can You ‘Curate’ Anything?

This is from MW’s Usage Notes Period. One of the surest signs that English is in good shape is that its speakers are constantly finding new aspects of its use that make them uncomfortable; we don’t spend a lot of energy complaining about changes and mutations of dead or dying languages. The past decade or …

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Fun With Sports-Team Names

Fun With Sports-Team Names

Sports fans are a crazy and possessive bunch. Our attachment to our favorite teams influences how we support them and even how we refer to them. How the teams got their names In the early days of professional baseball, the official names of teams did not include nicknames (such as ). childrens or oriole). You …

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Should that word have a hyphen?

Should that word have a hyphen?

The forms of compounds (two words used together) in English are not fixed. Some terms have moved from open compounds (baseball) to hyphen (baseball) to close (baseball), a sample that reflects familiarity and frequency of use. Hyphens are often used when a compound word modifies a noun (“bleached curtains,” “fire-roasted tomatoes”) but not when -glass …

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An Explication on the Use of ‘Explicit’ and ‘Implicit’

An Explication on the Use of ‘Explicit’ and ‘Implicit’

clear describe something very clearly and without ambiguity or ambiguity. default often has the opposite function, refers to something understood, but not explicitly or directly described, and often uses implication or supposition. To help with memorization, for sale atthe obvious things are for sale atDelta, Ithe obvious things are Icorrugated. Both words share the same …

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Is ‘Face Mask’ Redundant?

Is ‘Face Mask’ Redundant?

We’ll get into it (from here). On Twitter, author Mary Robinette Kowal asked a sensible question that went viral: Am I the only one who hears “masks” and wonders if people wear “shoes”? – Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) August 14, 2020 Kowal’s question comes at a time when compound face mask has been used frequently …

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What Counts as a ‘Dilemma’?

What Counts as a ‘Dilemma’?

Dilemma has been used as a general synonym for problem or predicament since the early 20th century, although some style guides insist that it must refer to a difficult choice between the two options. what is dilemma? It is simply a problem that one has (as in ‘we are facing dilemma dealing with angry prescribers’)? …

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‘Equity’ and ‘Equality’

‘Equity’ and ‘Equality’

Fair refers to fairness or equity in the way people are treated, and especially without bias or favoritism, as in “administered according to the principles of fairness”. Equality refers to the quality or status of having equal rights and opportunities, as in “women’s struggle for equal rights”. Fair And Equality share the same final Latin …

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Guidance on ‘Advise’ vs. ‘Advice’

Guidance on ‘Advise’ vs. ‘Advice’

Advise is a verb that means to give a recommendation, opinion or information. Advice is a noun that refers to opinions or information given or received. Quite simply, “advise” means “to give advice.” Although many commentators and manuals in English, elementary and older, warn not to confuse similar—but distinctly different—writings—Advise And advice, evidence of their …

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The Ruling on ‘Amiable’ vs. ‘Amicable’

The Ruling on ‘Amiable’ vs. ‘Amicable’

comely is an adjective used to describe people who are friendly or sociable. It can also describe things with a pleasant quality. friendly otherwise is often used to describe civil or peaceful relationships or interactions. Your good neighbor is ‘likable’, but your interactions with him are ‘friendly’. Although there are visible phonetic and orthographic differences, …

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On ‘Prescribe’ and ‘Proscribe’

On ‘Prescribe’ and ‘Proscribe’

prescription means to instruct or command others to follow. The doctor prescribes medicine for treatment. registeralthough it sounds similar, it means to ban something. Grab two used articles and give us a call in the morning. Meaning of ‘Prescribe’ ARRIVE prescribing means to make or order a rule or instructions for others to follow. To …

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On ‘Anecdote’ and ‘Antidote’

On ‘Anecdote’ and ‘Antidote’

ONE anecdote is a short story, often told because it is related to the current topic. ONE antidote is the antidote, but can also be used figuratively for anything that solves a problem. How did we come up with this antidote? Well, that’s a funny story… Noun anecdote And antidote sound similar and are sometimes …

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Is it Wrong to Say ‘From Whence’?

Is it Wrong to Say ‘From Whence’?

from where? means “from where, origin, or cause.” Does that mean saying “from where” is wrong? Samuel Johnson, shown here grimacing at his contemporaries’ use of the phrase ‘from’, called it “an obscenity.” Samuel Johnson certainly seems to think so. In my 1755 English dictionaryhe called from where? “an obscene way of speaking.” That’s not …

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‘Cease’ vs. ‘Seize’: Explaining the Difference

‘Cease’ vs. ‘Seize’: Explaining the Difference

Stop And catch sounds similar but has very different meanings. Stop means “end” (“Fireworks end at midnight”) or “stop” (“Please stop the commotion you’re making, I’m trying to sleep”). catch means “to control or possess something,” as in “the police confiscated the getaway vehicle, even though the thief was long gone by then.” A possible …

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‘Breath’ vs. ‘Breathe’

‘Breath’ vs. ‘Breathe’

Breath is a noun and breath is the verb in this pair. To separate them, especially in writing, remember that breath has both /ee/ and . sounds e Final. Stop. Look around you. Read a usage article. Usually the English word for an action and the word for performing that action are the same. Go …

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‘Alumni’ vs. ‘Alumnus’

‘Alumni’ vs. ‘Alumnus’

For an individual graduate, a student is a single man, a Alumni is a single woman, and a alum is a gender neutral term. For the plural, Alumni refers to many male or gender-neutral graduates, Alumni for many female students, and alum is a gender neutral plural. These terms are often used loosely, and their …

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‘Former’ and ‘Latter’

‘Former’ and ‘Latter’

Before refers to something first in the order of two or more things. After that refers to something that is second in a group of two things or last in a group of things. Some usage guidelines state that these words can only be used in groups of two, but our definition—and the actual usage …

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‘Intra-‘ and ‘Inter-‘: Getting Into It

‘Intra-‘ and ‘Inter-‘: Getting Into It

Although they look similar, the prefix internal means “in” (as happens in a single thing), while the prefix burial- means “in between” (as happens between two things). For example, international refers to things that happen within a single country, while international refers to things that happen between two or more countries. There are some things …

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‘Ferment’ vs. ‘Foment’

‘Ferment’ vs. ‘Foment’

Ferment can refer to literal fermentation, in which yeast turns sugar into alcohol, or can be used figuratively to describe a state of excitement or activity. It is often used in connection with social, artistic, and political change. food means “to provoke or awaken.” The words have some overlap in usage, as both can be …

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