[comma!] etc.
Be sure to add a comma before “etc.”
Example 1: “We bought bread, cheese, ham, etc.”
Also be sure NOT to italicize “etc.”
Example 2: See Example 1.
As well, be sure to add a comma AFTER “etc.” if your sentence does not end.
Example 3: “We bought bread, cheese, ham, etc., but then forgot them all at the supermarket counter.”
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
Conversion.
English has always been adept at converting parts of speech – that is, making a noun function as a verb, or having what looks like a verb do the work of an adjective.
Though especially noun-verbs can scrape our ears on first hearing, we generally get used to them (think of “to task,” “to gift,” and “to friend”).
And yet… before converting parts of speech, verify whether there is a ready substitute.
For example, even though the verb “to higher” exists, it is so rare the majority of English speakers would probably claim there’s no such thing. You can raise (sic) your essay grade by avoiding “to higher.”
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
raise vs. rise.
Both verbs have to do with growing, but RAISE is transitive (“Raising children is difficult”), while RISE is intransitive (“Prices have risen again.”).
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
Research.
“Research” is normally a non-countable noun and you can live a full and happy life without ever writing “researches.”
Some use it in the plural to mean “separate scientific investigations” but others (including the writers of these weekly tips) find “researches” very strange. If possible, it is therefore better to use just research, especially when you mean it in a very general way – e.g. “Research has shown…”
As you know, “study” is a regular ol’ count noun:
“A study has shown…”
“Studies have shown…”
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
An ad hoc list of all tips from this academic year is available at:
http://www2.arnes.si/~bjason/tips%20-%202014%202015.pdf
Spot the mistake in this sentence: “That is a belief in which we do not believe in.”
The mistake? A prepositional doubling-up (“That is a belief IN which we do not believe IN.”).
Other frequent examples:
“The theory of which we have been informed of.”
“The cousin with whom I went to the beach with.”
No great solutions here – just be vigilant!
Here are two links on the matter:
http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/…/plenary-session-david-cr…
http://david-crystal.blogspot.com/…/on-world-in-which-we-li…
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
Age.
The verb to age has to do with growing older, but the implication is generally that the person should be relatively close to old age (i.e. children don’t normally “age”) and that it is showing in their looks.
Both “aging” and “ageing” are acceptable spellings.
“Aging” is the more usual spelling in the US, while “ageing” appears to be more frequent in the UK.
In the past, Yorkshire children were taught to write “ageing,” while New Yorkers were taught to write “aging.”
From The New York Times: “An Aging Europe in Decline”
From The Guardian: “We know the population is ageing – now we must embrace the challenge”
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
Visit vs. attend.
Here’s an easy way to remember the difference between “to visit” and “to attend”:
To visit means to go to some place or person to spend some time there, usually in your free time.
e.g. “Why don’t you come for a visit?”
When you go somewhere on a regular basis or for a more or less official purpose, we use the verb to attend (school, a funeral, a meeting).
e.g. “I was unable to attend the funeral because I was attending school.”
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
The slash…
Try not to use it to separate synonyms:
“I went into the woods and saw a giant/huge toad.”
A sentence like that leaves the reader wondering:
1) What is there a difference between “giant” and “huge”?
2) If there is no great difference, why are both words needed?
3) Isn’t it the author’s job to choose the right word?
If you are signalling an alternative, remember that no space is needed before and after the slash (there are exceptions to this rule):
e.g. “he/she
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
Using expressions from other languages is risky and fine and replete with an “I don’t know what.”
A well-placed French or Latin or Slovenian expression can contribute to the impression of a well-educated writer.
However, there are other dangers.
First, you might sound pretentious (like you’re lording your knowledge of Ancient Greek over your reader).
Second, you might sound hackneyed. Phrases such as carpe diem, je ne sais quoi and crème de la crème are overused to the point of cliché.
Third, italics. When to use them? According to the Chicago Manual of Style, “Italics are used for isolated words and phrases in a foreign language if they are likely to be unfamiliar to readers.”
Fourth, it can be obvious that we simply can’t think of an English word…
Fifth, you need to be careful to write the word correctly, including accents. “garcon” [sic] is best avoided if you can’t find the cedilla on your keyboard.
Sixth, plurals can get messy. For example, if you order a “panini” (rather than a “panino”), you will not go hungry. If you speak of “tempos” after going to the opera, the chattering classes might wrinkle their collective noses. When it doubt, check the dictionary!
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
Patterns with consider…
The verb “consider” is normally transitive, but the usage depends on the meaning:
1) “He considers me stupid” means “He thinks that I am stupid.”
2) “Please consider me as a partner” means “Please think about making me a partner.”
As you can see, mixing up the two can easily result in misunderstandings.
In terms of non-finite complementation, the usual pattern would be to say something is considered (i.e. believed) to have a healing effect (“…but you might consider having another child, for instance”).
Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir
