Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 14:26     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.
Comprise does not need the "of."
fulsome
bemused
fortuitous
Tortuous


I am going to expand on this. Big things are COMPOSED OF smaller things. Smaller things COMPRISE the bigger things.
EX: Pate, foie gras, and sweetbread comprise organ meat foods.
Organ meat foods are composed of things like pate, foie gras, and sweetbread.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 14:20     Subject: PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know this is mostly in jest/ venting, but I actually find this thread quite helpful. I grew up in the rural south and got a crap education. I studied STEM at a public university and never had to take English at the college level. Even though I’ve thrived professionally and make very good money, my grammar and spelling remain below where I’d like to be. I rarely have imposter syndrome because I am very good at my job, but this is one area that gets me and still makes me feel insecure.


Even with a STEM education, you should have had a course on technical writing. Technical writing is less tolerant of the ambiguities we tolerate in regular communication.


Read. Read a lot. Classic English literature will never let you down.


That is so true! I’m an immigrant and when I first arrived my English was very basic. I sounded like a parrot because my favorite word was “what?”

It was very hard for me because in my country and in my native language, I have ALWAYS written and spoken well.

The only advantage I had over my peers growing up, was the fact that I read A LOT. Always!

Four years after I arrived I realized that taking English classes was not enough, so I decided to research English classics of literature and began reading them. My initial goal was to read one book per week for one year - I didn’t accomplish that goal but I came close to it.

Unfortunately I could not do the same regarding writing because I had no reason to do it, like I had during my school years and college.

Same problem with pronunciation - I may know the difference between pique and peak, effect and affect, loose and lose, etc, but I was only exposed to the word in a text, I may pronounce it completely wrong.

Honestly, it sucks.


PP, you're way ahead of many Americans. You have a lot to be proud of.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:43     Subject: PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know this is mostly in jest/ venting, but I actually find this thread quite helpful. I grew up in the rural south and got a crap education. I studied STEM at a public university and never had to take English at the college level. Even though I’ve thrived professionally and make very good money, my grammar and spelling remain below where I’d like to be. I rarely have imposter syndrome because I am very good at my job, but this is one area that gets me and still makes me feel insecure.


Even with a STEM education, you should have had a course on technical writing. Technical writing is less tolerant of the ambiguities we tolerate in regular communication.


Read. Read a lot. Classic English literature will never let you down.


That is so true! I’m an immigrant and when I first arrived my English was very basic. I sounded like a parrot because my favorite word was “what?”

It was very hard for me because in my country and in my native language, I have ALWAYS written and spoken well.

The only advantage I had over my peers growing up, was the fact that I read A LOT. Always!

Four years after I arrived I realized that taking English classes was not enough, so I decided to research English classics of literature and began reading them. My initial goal was to read one book per week for one year - I didn’t accomplish that goal but I came close to it.

Unfortunately I could not do the same regarding writing because I had no reason to do it, like I had during my school years and college.

Same problem with pronunciation - I may know the difference between pique and peak, effect and affect, loose and lose, etc, but I was only exposed to the word in a text, I may pronounce it completely wrong.

Honestly, it sucks.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:28     Subject: PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Real estate listing are the worst. My pet peeve is “screen porch.” Shudder!


Failing to match subject and verb am not good two.


Big fingers and tiny screen fail! Listings, of course.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:22     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.

Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:20     Subject: PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
A lot of these are excusable for non-native English speakers. If you make these mistakes as a native English speaker, it is evidence that you didn't read enough especially as a child through young adulthood.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:19     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Mortified when they mean horrified
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:17     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Toe, not tow, the line.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:16     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.
Comprise does not need the "of."
fulsome
bemused
fortuitous
Tortuous


I cringe every time I hear fulsome is used to mean full. So, so common at my work. But that is another battle lost.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:12     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:I could care less


I love using this in a specific context: I could care less [about some trivial matter], but I don't.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 13:11     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Home in on something not hone in on.

Rein someone/thing in, not reign in.


These two I’m not quite sure👆


The. Second one is correct. The first is not.


In different contexts, one is correct and the other is not.

https://prowritingaid.com/home-in-vs-home-in
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 12:42     Subject: PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
I need a brake, so I am going to quite my job.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2023 08:39     Subject: PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Anonymous wrote:All the "ons" really annoy me.

Waiting on line.
I dropped it on accident.
I'm on my period.

I think these are regionalisms so I try not to hate them as much as plain old errors. But “lying on me” rather than “lying about me” drives me nuts.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2023 22:43     Subject: PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
Errant apostrophes especially when referring to plural surname of a family - like having a party at the Smith’s house! Welcome to the Smith’s! Merry Christmas from the Smith’s!

Don’t buy stationery from any company that advertises itself as a stationary company.
PapER=stationery

The principal is your pal. This is an important principle.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2023 22:29     Subject: Re:PSA: The word is FAZE, not PHASE
"Supposibly" vs "supposedly." And this one is my MIL's fav. Ugh.
Comprise does not need the "of."
fulsome
bemused
fortuitous
Tortuous