9 June 2017 - Continually vs. Continuously

Continually vs. Continuously

G'day folks,

Welcome to two more words that often confuse us.

These terms, along with their adjective forms continual and continuous, are often used interchangeably in speech and writing, but style guides urge writers to practice discernment when using continually and continuously. In formal contexts, continually should be used to mean “very often; at regular or frequent intervals,” and continuously to mean “unceasingly; constantly; without interruption.” To put this into context: reading grammar blogs continually, or at regular intervals, throughout the day might be a fun way to boost your knowledge about the English language, but doing so continuously, or without stopping, for the duration of a day would likely result in fatigue, hunger, and—dare we say—boredom.

Despite the rules of good usage outlined above, it is not uncommon for continually to be listed as a synonym for continuously in dictionaries, or for them to be used interchangeably in the wild. Both words come from the Latin verb continēre meaning “to hold together; retain,” and when continually entered English it meant what continuously does now.

One way to remember the difference is to use the letters in each term as a hint: continuously has an uninterrupted chain of Os and Us toward the end, reminding us that it means “uninterruptedly” or “unceasingly.” Continually, is interrupted by two jutting Ls, reminding us this term is associated with breaks, interruptions, and intervals. Knowing the difference between these terms will give you an advantage in formal settings, but don’t fret if you can’t keep the two words distinct all the time. After all, style guides are continually published, but the language is continuously changing.

Clancy's comment: Mm ...

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11 May 2017 - TRICKY WORDS TO MASTER

TRICKY WORDS TO MASTER

G'day folks,

Welcome to some more words that seem to cause us grief. English vocabulary is full of pitfalls that you might not be aware of. Don't let them trip you up.

 INVARIABLY

If something happens invariably, it always happens. To be invariable is to never vary. The word is sometimes used to mean frequently, which has more leeway.

 COMPRISE/COMPOSE

A whole comprises its parts. The alphabet comprises 26 letters. The U.S. comprises 50 states. But people tend to say is comprised of when they mean comprise. If your instinct is to use the is … of version, then substitute composed. The whole is composed of its parts.

FREE REIN

The words rein and reign are commonly confused. Reign is a period of power or authority—kings and queens reign—and a good way to remember it is to note that the g relates it to royal words like regent and regal. A rein is a strap used to control a horse. The confusion comes in when the control of a horse is used as a metaphor for limits on power or authority. Free rein comes from such a metaphor. If you have free rein you can do what you want because no one is tightening the reins.

 JUST DESERTS

There is only one s in the desert of just deserts. It is not the dessert of after-dinner treats nor the dry and sandy desert. It comes from an old noun form of the verb deserve. A desert is a thing which is deserved.

TORTUOUS/TORTUROUS

Tortuous is not the same as torturous. Something that is tortuous has many twists and turns, like a winding road or a complicated argument. It’s just a description. It makes no judgment on what the experience of following that road or argument is like. Torturous, on the other hand, is a harsh judgment—“It was torture!”

EFFECT/AFFECT

When you want to talk about the influence of one thing on another, effect is the noun and affect is the verb. Weather affects crop yields. Weather has an effect on crop yields. Basically, if you can put a the or an in front of it, use effect.

EXCEPT/ACCEPT

People rarely use accept when they mean except, but often put except where they shouldn’t. To accept something is to receive, admit, or take on. To except is to exclude or leave out—“I’ll take all the flavors except orange.” The x in except is a good clue to whether you’ve got it right. Are you xing something out with the word? No? Then consider changing it.

 DISCREET/DISCRETE

Discreet means hush-hush or private. Discrete means separate, divided, or distinct. In discreet, the two Es are huddled together, telling secrets. In discrete, they are separated and distinguished from each other by the intervening t.

 I.E./E.G.

When you add information to a sentence with parentheses, you’re more likely to need e.g., which means “for example,” than i.e., which means “in other words” or “which is to say ...” An easy way to remember them is that e.g. is eg-zample and i.e. is “in effect.”

  

DISINTERESTED/UNINTERESTED

People sometimes use disinterested when they really mean uninterested. To be uninterested is to be bored or indifferent to something; this is the sense most everyday matters call for. Disinterested means impartial or having no personal stake in the matter. You want a judge or referee to be disinterested, but not necessarily uninterested. 

Clancy's comment:  Another bunch to print off and stick on your wall ... Just in case.

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27 April 2017 - THAT vs. WHICH

THAT vs. WHICH

G'day folks,

Here are two more of those words that often cause us grief.

To understand when to use that vs. which, it’s important to keep in mind the difference between and restrictive and non restrictive clauses. In formal American English, that is used in restrictive clauses, and which in used in non restrictive clauses.

A restrictive clause contains information that limits the meaning of the thing being talked about. For example, in the sentence “Any book that you like must be good,” the relative clause “that you like” is restrictive becau

se it identifies specifically a book that you like. Note that in restrictive clauses, sometimes that can be omitted. “Any book you like must be good” is also often used, especially in informal settings.

A non restrictive clause, on the other hand, is used to supply additional information that is not essential to understanding the main point of the sentence. Consider the example “The book, which I found at a dusty used bookstore, was a real page-turner.” The relative clause “which I found at a dusty used bookstore” is non restrictive because it adds extra information, almost like an aside. You could delete the details about the bookstore, and the sentence would still make sense. In this example, which is preceded by a comma; non restrictive clauses tend to follow punctuation like a comma, a dash, or parenthesis. Which is only used in restrictive clauses if it’s preceded by a preposition.

Luckily there’s an easy way to remember whether to use that or which. If the relative clause contains information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence, and is also preceded by a comma, a dash, or parenthesis, it’s probably non restrictive, so use which. If not, odds are it’s restrictive, so use that.

However, the above distinction is a rule of formal American English, and is not as strictly observed in British English or in informal English of any type.

 

Clancy's comment:   Mm ... American English?

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