by Donna | Feb 22, 2011
Last “Presidents’ Day” post, honest! In discussing how to punctuate Presidents’ Day and when to capitalize and when not to capitalize president, I can’t help but bring up another commonly-miswritten error–that of capitol and capital.
Here is the low-down, along with a trick or two to help you remember the details:
1. Capital
a. Means upper-case letter–most people do not use this word incorrectly here
b. Can be used as an adjective to mean primary–that was a capital idea!
c. Can be used as an adjective to describe punishable by death–capital punishment
d. A city that is the seat of the government for a state–this is where people sometimes use capitol instead
2. Capitol
a. Refers to the building in which the U.S. Congress meets (when it is capitalized)
b. Refers to a state’s main government building (when it is not capitalized)
c. Tricky Trick to Help It Stick: Only use capitol when referring to a goverment building—capitol does not have any other uses; all other uses need capital
by Donna | Jan 23, 2011
January is “word” month here at Language Lady 365, so today I have another Wacky Word pair for you…and more”Tricky Tricks to Help It Stick”!
Do you know when to use further? How about when to use farther? Most people do not–I know I didn’t know until I began writing language arts books!
Here’s the scoop:
1. Farther is for going distances: I ran farther than he did OR He drove farther than I did.
2. Further is for other uses, such as thinking or understanding: Let me explain this further.
Of course, I have “Tricky Tricks to Help It Stick”:
1. fArther–has an A in it and is for Area…distances
2. fUrther–has a U in it and is for Understanding (you further your thinking or go further in college or make your point further..)
Hope this helps! Don’t forget to join us next week for “Homework Help” here at LL 365!
by Donna | Jan 21, 2011
It was so simple in my mind—banks loan money; friends lend a hand. Use loan for money and lend for everything else. Until I found out that, that is the British rules, not the
US unwritten rules! Agggh….
US rules follow the loan is a noun and lend is a verb. Stuffy grammarians would not approve of my “loan money; lend a hand” philosophy.
So…if you are not concerned about impressing the grammarians of the world (especially US ones):
- Always loan money (or never do if you want to keep friends and family!)
- Always lend a hand…and anything else someone wants to borrow (but do not expect to get it back!)
If you are a stickler for
US vs British grammar rules, and you are in the
US:
- lOAn is a nOUn (two vowels each)
- lEnd is a vErb (one noun; e)
Regardless, always remember to lend a hand to those in need! Smile…
by Donna | Jan 20, 2011
In that old hymn, “I Wonder as I Wander,” is the writer thinking while he meanders or meanders while he’s thinking?
When Winnie the Pooh would rather be wondering, would he rather be thinking or would he rather be meandering?
These age-old questions can now be answered—with a quick tip from LL 365!
- Wonder is spelled like ponder—and means the same thing—to think
- Wander is spelled like land—and you wANDer all over the lAND—you roam around (or meander)
Another quick tip—wander has an A in it and Area has an A in it—you wAnder around an Area…
Tricky Tricks to Help It Stick
- wONDER—pONDER—think
- wANDer—lAND—roam the land
by Donna | Jan 19, 2011
Answer Key:
1. The word was so allusive/elusive; it just wouldn’t come to me.
Hint: Elude and exclude look similar. “I excluded that song from the program because it eluded me.”
2. He made an illusion/allusion/elusion to our previous conversation.
Hint: Allusion related to allude. “What he alluded to is ludicrous.” Means to refer to something.
3. The ride gives you the allusion/illusion that you are on a mountain top.
Hint: Illusion comes from illustrate. A picture….gives you the picture or feeling of something else.
4. I excluded the word from the program because its spelling alluded/eluded me.
Hint: Eluded—excluded. Elude means “not able to grasp.”
5. What did he elude/allude to?
Hint: Allude/allusion—something you refer to. “What he alluded to was ludicrous.”
6. They used Kleenexes to give you the allusion/illusion of fabric.
Hint: Illusion is a facsimile or picture. Related to illustrate.
7. What he alluded/eluded to was ludicrous!
Hint: “What he alluded to was ludicrous.”
8. What was his illusion/allusion to your situation?
Hint: Allude/allusion—referring to something else.
9. Allusion/illusion is related to hallucination.
Hint: Illusion is related to hallucination—pictures that are not there.
10. He made an elusion/allusion to our previous conversation.
Hint: Allusion is to refer to something else; elusion is to be out of your grasp. He referred to the previous conversation…not that he couldn’t grasp it.
