Is that a Word?

Although I am the last person you’ll find speaking formal, or “proper,” English, I probably do spend more time thinking about grammar and punctuation than the average person. Even though I speak what is considered slang or conversational English, as someone with a background in English, I admit I sometimes notice other people’s mispronunciations. Interspersing slang or colloquialisms in our conversations is a matter of preference and personality. Using made-up words in writing or speech, however, is an error, and that’s different.  Read on to see if you’re guilty of using words that aren’t really words.

Common Errors

“He supposably ended their engagement.”

This is one of the most common errors I hear in speech, and it often transfers to writing because it’s so darn common. It’s an error because supposably is not, has never been, a word. It’s supposedly.

 

“I am quitting my job irregardless of the consequences.”

This might be the second most common error, after supposably. Irregardless is not a word either. It’s regardless, which means “irrespective” or “nevertheless.” It could have started from the related meaning to “irrespective,” but that’s a guess.

 

“For all intensive purposes, I think my political views are the same as yours.”

This use is so common in speech that it has worked its way into written English. But it’s still an error. The correct phrase is “for all intents and purposes,” which translates to “for all practical purposes.”

Interestingly, the origin comes from King Henry VIII in 1546. The first recorded use was in an Act of Parliament, which reads, “to all intents, constructions, and purposes.”

 

“I will do my upmost to help support the president.”

This one is a bit tricky. In this example, “upmost” is describing the degree or quality that this person hopes to support the president. It should say, “I will do my utmost to help support the president.”

Though “upmost” is a word in British and some English dictionaries, it’s used as a shortened version of “uppermost,” an adjective meaning “highest” or “top,” as in, “We are on the upmost floor of the building.” However, according to many grammarians, this is an old, archaic word that is only now used when the writer actually means utmost.

Not So Common Errors

“I pulled out the letters from my chester drawers.”

I recently read a student’s narrative essay that described his room’s “chester drawers.” This is one of those errors that we translate from spoken to written word, though even saying “chester drawers” will raise eyebrows in certain circles. It’s chest of drawers, which makes a lot more sense.

 

“I was hired to type, file, answer phones, excetera.”

This is a word that worked its way in to written form from mispronounced speech. The correct use is et cetera, which is Latin for “and” (et) “the rest” (cetera). The abbreviated version – etc. – is often used in academic essays, but many instructors will request you to omit its use when possible. If you are writing out a list of 3 or 4 items and feel “etc.” is needed, it most likely isn’t. Just write out all the items instead.

 

“I have two expressos every morning.”

Okay, I admit I’ve pronounced it with an “x” forever, but I don’t drink it, so no barista has ever corrected me. However, I’ve seen it infiltrating writing, so we have to stop. It should be, “I have two espressos every morning.” Most people, like me, pronounce it with a hard “x” – EXpresso, but it should be an “s” – espresso. But I’ll bet you coffee aficionados knew that.

 

Final Thoughts

It’s shocking how quickly erroneous speech patterns can begin to creep into our written phrases. Even though we speak imperfectly, most serious writers agree on correct and preferred forms of a word. Carefully consider if your usage and spelling are correct before you turn in your final essay. You’ll undoubtably – I mean undoubtedly – have a better final paper!

 

Secrets to Effective Dialogue

Last week here at Writing Center Underground, we discussed how to format written dialogue for your narrative essay. This week, we’ll look at the qualities of effective dialogue.

When composing a narrative essay, dialogue is an essential component for creating an engaging story. Without the spoken words, the reader can’t “hear” the characters (the real people who you are introducing to your audience) and get to know them. Simply summarizing what a character said isn’t as engaging or interesting as direct dialogue between characters.

When composing a narrative, you’ll most likely be re-creating conversations from the past. Don’t get too caught up in whether or not you recall exactly what was said. That is less important as how you portray the people in your narrative with their language, mannerisms, and other characteristics of their speech. When trying to decide exactly where and how to incorporate written dialogue, there are 3 essential questions to ask yourself before you begin:

• Is it AUTHENTIC?

• Is it ESSENTIAL?

• Is it DOING MORE THAN ONE THING?

 Is it Authentic?

Authentic dialogue realistically portrays the person speaking. If it’s authentic, the spoken words will sound exactly like the person would sound in real life. This doesn’t mean you have to incorporate slang in every sentence, but it does mean that the diction, word choice, phrasing, and other stylistic choices can easily be attributed to the person who is speaking in the narrative. It shouldn’t be too formal or precise. Below is an exchange of dialogue between a son and his mother:

“Jason,” my mother asked, “what were your activities and pursuits at your elementary school today?”

“I had a full day of activities, Mother.  My teacher was quite stimulating, and recess was especially delightful,” I said.

Doesn’t quite sound right, does it? Most likely, an exchange between a mother and young son might sound something like this:

“How was school today?” mom asked.

“It was okay I guess.”

The first example obviously sounds stilted and formal, unlike how most families speak. The second example is more realistic. Some writers might choose to even use slang in their speech, such as “I dunno,” or “Kinda good,” but be very careful of overusing phonetic substitutes, as it becomes a bit tedious to read and runs the risk of characters sounding illiterate.

Is it ESSENTIAL?

“Hi Jim. How are you?” I asked.

“I’m fine. How are you?” Jim said.

“I’m fine,” I said.

BORING! An exchange like the example above is not essential to the narrative. It’s not really doing anything toward moving the narrative forward or showing any kind of characterization of the speakers. Compare this with the following exchange:

“Hi Jim,” I said.

“What wrong?” Jim asked, concerned.

“It’s my dad,” I said, breaking down.

In this exchange, the everyday-ness of the previous example is avoided. There may have very well been niceties exchanged, but in written dialogue, the writer must compress time and get to what’s essential. Here we get tension, we get emotion, and the narrative is propelled forward. Which leads us to essential element #3.

Is It Doing More Than One Thing?

Dialogue, whether in fiction or nonfiction, isn’t meant to simply allow characters to “speak.” If this is all it’s doing, then it isn’t doing enough.

Dialogue should draw a characterization. This means that the dialogue works to show traits of the person speaking, or the relationship between the speakers.  What they say, how they say it, and the tone they use provides the reader with lots of information they wouldn’t get otherwise.

The following excerpt is from Beloved by Toni Morrison, an expert at characterization through dialogue. Notice in this example that Morrison mostly avoids using phonetic spellings, but simply drops words to characterize the speakers:

“Something funny ‘bout that gal,” Paul D said, mostly to himself.

“Funny how?”

“Acts sick, sounds sick, but she don’t look sick. Good skin, bright eyes and strong as a bull.”

“She’s not strong. She can hardly walk without holding on to something.”

“That’s what I mean. Can’t walk, but I seen her pick up the rocker with one hand.”

“You didn’t.”

“Don’t tell me. Ask Denver. She was right there with her.”

In this exchange, Morrison avoids speaker tags, except in the first line to set up the exchange. This “he said, she said” can take away from an otherwise engaging exchange, and here, it isn’t necessary. Also notice that the two people speaking have distinctly different styles, so it’s easy to differentiate each speaker from the other.

Consider everything the following bit of dialogue is doing:

“What’s the capital of Spain?” Jerry asked, pausing over his crossword puzzle.

Susan looked up from her book and rolled her eyes. “Madrid, duh.”

“Why are you so sarcastic all the time?” Jerry slammed his pencil on table. He

looked like he was going to cry. “I don’t think I can take much more of this.”

Poor Jerry! You can cut the tension with a knife! What’s going to happen? Several things are happening with this dialogue-

1. Characterizes speakers
2. Shows relationship between characters
3. Creates tension
4. Moves narrative forward

When you’re writing dialogue for your narrative, consider why you are incorporating each exchange and know what your purpose is for including it. If it isn’t essential, leave it out.

There really are no secrets to writing effective dialogue, but knowing who your characters are and why you are incorporating every exchange will help you in determining what to leave in and what to take out. Avoid phony or forced speech, and use speaker tags thoughtfully. When you’re finished, read your essay aloud to “hear” what you’ve written. Try reading some essays or short stories to see how other writers do it. Follow these steps, and you’ll be writing dialogue like a pro!

Below is a brief reading list of some of the greatest writers of dialogue you might study.

“Hills Like White Elephants” – Ernest Hemingway.

“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” – Raymond Carver.

Anything by Elmore Leonard or John Steinbeck.

 

 

 

 

All About Articles

English language learners often find that one of the toughest things to learn about the English language is article use. While some languages utilize articles, not all of these have both definite and indefinite articles as in English, so as non-native speakers begin to learn the intricacies of English, articles can be especially troubling.

Technically, an article is an adjective, as the article modifies the noun just as an adjective does. Articles are also referred to as “determiners” as they determine whether something is specific or nonspecific. Articles in English are either definite (specific), or indefinite (nonspecific).  

THE – The Definite Article

The is a definite article, which refers to something specific. For example, “Let’s go to the movie,” refers to a specific movie. If the sentence stated, “Let’s go to a movie,” it could mean any movie, or a nonspecific movie.

Other examples of definite articles:

I want to go to the party. (a specific party, not just any party)
Can a have the cookie? (a particular cookie, not just any cookie)
I want the coat on sale. (a particular sale coat)

Definite articles are also used before names of educational departments, buildings or institutions, such as

I want to go to the University of Nebraska.
He works in the Department of Gerontology.

Definite articles also precede bodies of water and mountain ranges:

I have heard the Great Lakes are beautiful.
Have you been to the Rocky Mountains?
I want to ski the Swiss Alps.

Other notes on definite articles

If you are referring to a country that is only one word, you would not use an article:

I am from Africa. (not the Africa)
I have visited France. (not the France)

You would not use “the” for planets:

Incorrect: The Pluto is the smallest planet.
Correct: Pluto is the smallest planet.

Finally, omit “the” before cities, towns, states, continents, names of streets, languages, nationalities, sports (football), and academic subjects.

But DO use “the” before rivers, oceans, seas, specific points on the globe (the South Pole), geographical areas, deserts and forests.

A and An – Indefinite Article

A or An are indefinite articles, which refers to a non-specific noun. For example, “Can I get a dog?” refers to any dog in general. In contrast, “Can I get the dog,” is referring to one specific dog. The beginning letter and sound of a word will determine whether you’ll use A or An. A singular noun beginning with a vowel will use “an”: an orange; an airplane; an opera. Also, an will precede a noun with a silent “h” such as hour. However, if the “h” is not silent, you would use the article a, such as a horse or a hobby.

A singular noun beginning with a consonant will use “a”; a car; a boy; a tornado. “A” is also used with a singular noun that has a consonant sound, such as university, which begins with a “y” sound, a consonant.

Other examples of indefinite articles:

I’d like to go to a university. (any university will do)
Can I have an apple? (any apple)
I want to see an octopus. (no particular octopus)

We do not use an indefinite article with plural nouns and noncount nouns:

She was wearing red shoes. (shoes is a plural noun)
She has long brunette hair. (hair is a noncount noun)
I want to wear denim jeans to work Friday. (jeans is plural)
I have so much homework to do! (homework in noncount)

 

This is only a brief morsel of an extremely complex English grammar rule, a rule that takes a lot of time to master for English Language Learners (and even native-English speakers!).  For more help, a great resource is Purdue Owl Online Writing Lab – or your local writing center!

Other resources:

http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/
http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/index.php

 

To Air is Humane: And Other Common – and Uncommon- Usage Errors

 

 

Not a semester goes by that a student defiantly misuses the word already.

Wait – are you sure I didn’t mean, “Not a semester goes by that a student definitely misuses the word all ready”?

Which one is correct? How do you know for sure?

Definitely and defiantly are two of the most misused words in student papers. To clarify, definitely means “for sure,” or “having distinct limits,” while defiantly means “bold, resistant or challenging.”  Why would anyone confuse these two words with such different meanings? Because if a writer misspells definitely, which is not hard to do, most likely a computer’s spell check will think the writer wants to spell defiantly, and change it for you. The two words look so similar that you most likely won’t catch it in a quick read through – assuming you don’t rely on spell check, and read through your final paper before you turn it in.

You don’t rely solely on spell-check, right?

I suppose a person could misuse a word defiantly – or with a bad attitude – but most likely he or she wasn’t doing it out of spite, but just made an honest mistake.

Below you’ll find a few other common usage errors. Which ones have you made?

Already or All ready

Although these two words sound the same, they each have distinctly different meanings.

All ready, two words, means you are prepared, ready to go.

Ex: Dinner was all ready when the guests arrived.

Ex. John is ready. Jane is ready. The kids are ready. Are you all ready?

Hint: If you can substitute “ready” in place of all ready, then it is used correctly.
Ex. Dinner was ready when the guest arrived.

Already, one word with one “L,” is an adverb related to time, meaning “prior to a specified time.”

Ex: The turkey was already burned when the guests arrived.

Ex. The kids were already in bed when I got home.

Desperate or Disparate 

These two words don’t really sound alike, but are commonly confused.

Desperate (the stress on the first syllable) means to have lost hope, or to be anxious or frantic.

Ex. I am desperate to get home for the holidays.

Ex. I’m failing algebra; I’m desperate for help!

Disparate (stress on the second syllable)  means dissimilar, or unequal.

Ex. Those two have very disparate political views.

Ex. However disparate our opinions are, we can still be friends.

Advise or Advice 

One is a noun, and one is a verb. Do you know which is which?

Advice is a noun, meaning a recommendation or suggestion.

Ex. Advice is better to give then to receive.

Ex. My dad always gave me the best advice.

Advise is a verb meaning to give advice, or a recommendation or suggestion (note the “s” is pronounced  as a “z”). Advise can also mean a notification.

Ex. I would advise you not to eat the fire-eating dragon salsa.

Ex. Can you advise me on which stock to invest in?

Foreword or Forward

Forward is an adjective with several different meanings.

One meaning is “in the front”:

Ex. She is sitting forward in the plane.

Another meaning of forward is to be brash:

Ex. Jason! It’s rude to be so forward!

Forward can also mean a movement toward a position:

Ex. The Raiders are moving the ball forward down the field.

Foreword, on the other hand, is a noun, meaning the part of a book where prefatory comments are made. It’s also called the introduction or preface of a book.

Ex. The editor makes some good points in the foreword about the author’s life, so be sure to read it.

Ex. I quoted the foreword of the book on my Works Cited, so I hope I cited it correctly.

Mute or Moot 

I actually heard “mute” misused for “moot” in conversation recently.  The speaker said, “It was a mute point.” However, this usage is incorrect. He should have said, “It was a moot point.”

Mute means unable to speak, or remaining silent.

Ex. She was mute when the teacher asked her a question.

Moot actually has several different meanings, and can be used as a noun, a verb, and an adjective, which is how it is used in the example above (moot point).

Moot used as a noun refers to a deliberative assembly primarily for the administration of justice.

Ex. The verb, moot, derives from the noun, moot, a hypothetical case argued as an exercise by law students.

The verb meaning of moot means to bring up for discussion or to debate.

Ex. The issue of whether a person’s nature or upbringing is more important continues to be mooted by experts and nonprofessionals alike.

Moot used as an adjective means disputed or debatable.

Ex. The court ruled that the issue is now moot because the people involved in the dispute have died.

Ex. I think they were wrong, but the point is moot. Their decision has been made and it can’t be changed now.

Note: the usage and common meaning of “moot” has changed over the centuries, transforming into its most common usage today as an adjective.

Air, Err, or Heir 

These three radically different words all sound alike (called homophones), which is the cause of confusion.

The most common use of the word air refers to the atmosphere, or what we breathe. If you’re a football fan, you may have also heard the word used as a verb.

Ex. The air is a bit muggy today.

Ex. Trailing by 20 points, the team took to the air (noun).

Ex. The quarterback aired it out down the field (verb).

But air can also refer to an outward appearance:

Ex. The home has an air of luxury.

Ex. He has an air of mystery.

Err is a verb, which means to make a mistake:

Ex. I have erred in my calculations.

Ex. To err is human, to forgive divine.

Our third homophone, heir, is a noun, meaning one who inherits property:

Ex. He is the heir of the Wal-Mart fortune.

Ex. The king left no heirs when he died.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, it’s quite easy to confuse these and other similar types of words. The only way to catch the error is to know the definition. Relying on spell check won’t help, as it often corrects misspellings incorrectly, and if you’ve spelled the wrong word right, the computer isn’t smart enough to tell you to fix it. If you’re not sure, check your dictionary or thesaurus, every writer’s best friends.