The AFFECT - EFFECT Disconnect

Hello, again, all of you! I hope you're continuing to practice good grammar all over the place, whether you're writing or speaking. Maybe we can slowly eliminate the bad grammar practices we hear and see daily by modeling Standard English for our friends and neighbors...and maybe even the media will start paying attention to some of these much needed changes! The water won't clear till you get the hogs out of the creek, as we have heard around these parts of North Carolina :-)

Today's lesson addresses a major mix-up we see frequently with AFFECT and EFFECT, so let's tale a look at the differences between them.

Now, both of these words sound very much alike, which is probably one of the reasons we hear them confused so much. They are, however, very different in meaning, so check out the following explanation:

AFFECT is a VERB that means "to cause a change in" or "to influence." Here's an example of its correct use:

Insulting an alligator before you cross stream may AFFECT your health. ( Better get out of the water first !)

EFFECT, however, may be either a NOUN or a VERB, and this, very likely, contributes to even more confusion.

EFFECT used as a NOUN means "result" and here's an example of its correct use:

Passing the time of day with your family will have a good EFFECT on your relationship with them. (But only if everybody is bound and determined to be nice :-)

And, finally, EFFECT is used as a VERB when it means "to bring about" or "to accomplish". Actually, this use isn't as prevalent today as the other two uses, but we still see and hear it at times. Notice the correct use here:

Never drowning in his own sweat EFFECTS a negative opinion from Tom's boss that he's too lazy to work. ( Being lazy as a tarred dog won't work!)

Pretty simple, I hope. Okay, so let's see if you've mastered these little words.

1. Will the cashier's being as slow as cream rising have an (AFFECT, EFFECT) on how many people use that check-out lane at Food Lion?

2. Johnny's trifling behavior at the beach last night (AFFECTED, EFFECTED) changes in my opinion of him.

3. Myrtle's ability to catch more flies with honey than vinegar when speaking to others (AFFECTED, EFFECTED) the Nominating Committee's decision to choose her to represent them .

All right! How did you do? Here are the answers:

1. EFFECT is correct because it is used as a NOUN and means "result".

2. EFFECTED is correct , but this time because it is used as a VERB and means "brought about" or "accomplished."

3. AFFECTED is correct here because it is used as a VERB and means "causes a change in" or "influences."

All right, way to go, all of you Grammar Stars, if you made a perfect score! If you missed one or two or (heaven forbid!) all three, just review the rules above, think about it, and try to apply the rules to some sentences of your own. Never fear. You'll get it! Practice really does make perfect.

Okay, Y'all. Time to finish up and wish you each a wonderful day with much happiness!. Do continue giving me great ideas for lessons and thanks for sharing your favorite grammar peeves. Peace, GG

LIKE, AS, and AS IF : Are they alike?

Hey! Today's lesson reviews problems we seem to have quite frequently with LIKE, AS and AS IF. Have you ever wondered whether to use LIKE or AS in a sentence such as the following?

Marti thinks (LIKE, AS) I do about iced tea - we both prefer a little tea with our sugar...

or...whether to use LIKE or AS IF in a sentence such as this one?

Jeff acts ( LIKE, AS IF) he knows everything there is to know about all 5,000 snakes in North Carolina.

If you chose LIKE in the first sentence, join the crowd of many folks who mistakenly use the wrong verb...

and... if you also chose LIKE in the second sentence, you're there again.

Here's why:

Standard English requires us to use LIKE (and its forms) only as a VERB, such as the one seen in the following sentence:

Kelly and Anthony LIKE to attend all of Brennan and Brady's ballgames...

Or as a PREPOSITION such as the one seen in the next sentence:

Robert drives LIKE a maniac.

That's pretty simple, huh? Just remember that LIKE should be used only as a VERB or a PREPOSITION.

NOW, what about AS or AS IF?

AS and AS IF are SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS when they introduce clauses in a sentence. As we've studied before, a clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb and sentences can contain more than one clause.
In the first example sentence above...

"Marti thinks..." is one clause...

"...as I do about iced tea..." is another clause...and...

"...we both prefer and little tea with our sugar"...is a third clause--all in the same sentence.

Our main concern, however, is the second clause that indicates new subjects and verbs are being used in the sentence - not "Marti thinks...". and...

that new clause is "...I do about iced tea..." Since this is also a separate clause, a subordinate conjunction must appear at its beginning - hence, AS is correct, not LIKE. Remember that LIKE is considered just a VERB or PREPOSITION and since you just learned that AS is a subordinate conjunction when it precedes a clause, you know that AS is the correct answer.Well, all right!

Okay. So let's take a look at the second example sentence:

"Jeff acts..." is the first clause...

"...AS IF he knows everything ...in North Carolina" is the second clause.


So how do you prove that AS IF is correct? You should have no problem recognizing that AS IF precedes a clause. It's just that simple! .

Now it's time to give you a chance to show how much you know. Choose the correct answer in the following sentences:

(1) (Like, As) all children, Davy wanted a bike.

(2) Homer and Tony believe just (like, as) their daddy does about the dinner bell always being in tune.

(3) Junior looks (like, as) the hindquarters of bad luck.

(4) That man looks (like, as if) he's been hit in the face with a wet squirrel.

(5) Sally felt (like, as) her boyfriend did about deer season needing to be a national holiday.

Wasn't this easy? Here are the answers:

(1) LIKE is correct since there's no clause following it. LIKE is also used as a preposition.

(2) AS is correct since there IS a clause following it.

(3) LIKE is correct since no clause follows it. LIKE is also used as a preposition.

(4) AS IF is correct since there IS a clause following it.

(5) AS is correct since there IS a clause following it.

My hope is that you all made 100 on this little quiz and will never again make these mistakes! Celebrate!

Well, it's about time to close up shop and rest a spell. Y'all have a wonderful week and be as happy as you can as often as you can. Peace and happiness to all, GG

The Bottom Line on Messed-Up Signs and Ads

Hello again all you good grammar enthusiasts! How many times have you observed signs and ads all over the place with notoriously flagrant grammatical errors -- on highway signs, billboards, and tv? What about those in newspapers, magazines, and online? I think it's time to declare a revolution on sign errors, so here we go again with more information on this problem. A former classmate of mine who is quite an expert with our language actually saw these signs recently. (Groan)

Here's one he saw right here in North Carolina identifying a parking lot for a Country Club:

PARKING FOR MEMBERS AND GUEST ONLY

Aargh!! Does this mean that each member could have only one guest? Better be sure you choose the right one! ( An S needs to be placed on the word GUEST! It's plural.)

Here's another sign he saw on the side of the road:

BOILED PEANUT FOR SALE

Lordy, Lordy. I don't know anyone around these parts who could eat just one boiled peanut. While this most likely is the result of the sign writer being too busy to pay much attention to what he's doing, somebody needs to tell him to slow down and look at what he's advertising! (Please put an S on PEANUT! It's plural.)

Take a look at the next one, seen at Oak Island:


OAK ISLAND

T SHIRT'S

& TOWELS

3 FOR $10.00


Have mercy! Here we go again with the Amazing Apostrophe. It pops up all kinds of places it shouldn't be, and is not placed where it should be! Why would T SHIRT'S have an apostrophe and TOWELS not have one? (Both nouns are plural and both should end in a simple S. Apostrophes are used ONLY to show the omission of letters and possession.)

...And, finally, I recently saw this one in a regional newspaper for gardening supplies:


BEST POTTERY

BEST SELECTION OF PLANTS

BEST GIFTS

AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT OUR CUSTOMER'S TELL US



Puhleeze, save me. Right here we see the exact same mistake with the Amazing Apostrophe that was made in the prior ad: CUSTOMER'S does not need an apostrophe! (It is plural and does not show possession, nor have any letters been omitted.)

So much for the Annoying Apostrophe. Whew! We really need to get this one straight. Just stop for a minute and think through the rules and common sense will prevail :-) I'd love to hear about other sign and ad mistakes you might see around these parts. The revolution will continue... Have a great week! Peace and happpiness to all. GG

The Run-On Sentence Blooper

Welcome, Everyone! I hope you've been well since our last lesson and that you're ready for another topic on a grammar blooper we see all the time. If you'll pay attention and learn today's rules, you'll get an A+ for being sharp as a brier.

Today's lesson is centered on something we see written way too much: run-on sentences. Back in my teaching days, I constantly saw students using tons of them in things they wrote. This error is also seen quite a bit in written publications such as newspapers, magazines, and other such material. Let's see if we can fix this problem right now!

Here are some examples of this mistake:

1. He was behind the door when brains were passed out, he's also so clumsy he couldn't hit the ground if he fell.

...or...

2. We knew which truck we wanted to buy, we didn't have enough money.

...or...

3. Horror stories are thrilling, many people enjoy them.

...or...

4. Stephen King is a very popular horror writer, his books sell especially well at Halloween.

So... what do you think is wrong with these sentences? Each example shows two separate sentences written as though they were one sentence. This error is called a run-on sentence since they show two sentences joined by a comma. (They have run into each other :-)

All you need to do to correct this is

1. Form two separate sentences by using a period between them:

He was behind the door when brains were passed out. He's also so clumsy, he couldn't hit the ground if he fell.

2. Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, so, yet, nor) between the two sentence parts (or clauses):

We knew which truck we wanted to buy, BUT we didn't have enough money.

3. Join the two sentence parts with a semicolon:

Horror stories are thrilling; many people enjoy them...or finally...

4. Use a semicolon with a conjunctive adverb (therefore, then, moreover, nevertheless, besides, also, still, finally, consequently, accordingly, furthermore, hence, however, indeed, otherwise, thus)followed by a comma between the two sentence parts:

Stephen King is a very popular horror writer; THEREFORE, his books sell especially well near Halloween.

Now try your hand at figuring out which one in the two pairs of following sentences is correct:

A. Waccamaw Academy will have its first football team in its 40-year history next fall. The decision was made Monday night by the school's board of directors.

B. Waccamaw Academy will have its first football team in its 40-year history next fall, the decision was made Monday night by the school's board of directors.

C. The Columbus County Courthouse should look beautiful, it should also be a place where people can work or visit safely.

D. The Columbus County Courthouse should look beautiful, but it should also be a place where people can work or visit safely.

E. Whiteville's newest retail destination, Lowe's Home Store, will open next week, and many residents are thrilled.

F. Whiteville's newest retail destination, Lowe's Home Store, will open next week, many residents are thrilled.

G. The Columbus County Parks and Recreation Department began in 1977 with a budget of only $13,000, today it operates on a budget of roughly $500,000.

H. The Columbus County Parks and Recreation Department began in 1977 with a budget of only $13,000; however, today it operates on a budget of roughly $500,000.

...And...here are the incorrect answers: B, C, F, and G...and they're all incorrect because we see two sentence parts (or independent clauses) joined together by a comma as one sentence...that's why we call them run-on-sentences. Now how did we correct them?

A. We simply placed a period between the two parts.

D. Both parts are joined together by a comma and the coordinating conjunction, BUT.

E. Both clauses are joined together by a comma with another coordinating conjunction, AND.

H. Both clauses are joined together by a semicolon and the conjunctive adverb, HOWEVER.

Well, all of you grammar scholars, that should help if you've been confused by a teacher writing RS somewhere on your composition. RS just means that you've used a run-on sentence in your paragraph. Of course, now you know what to do to avoid this...Right? You have several options when choosing how to correct this error, but just be sure it makes sense. Read your idea to yourself and, no doubt, your "ear" (and common sense) will tell you what is correct.

Time to go, so take good care of yourself, and keep on with your good speech and writing. Peace and happiness to all, GG

Begone WENT for GONE!

Welcome back to another grammar lesson. I know you've heard this error before as it is very common in these parts of North Carolina, but we surely aren't alone, and I'm about as determined as a duck after a June bug to help get rid of it!

Just recently I heard a sheriff on national TV make the following statement about a crime that was being investigated:

"It (the outcome of a crime) could have WENT either way."

Aargh!! Once again we hear people who should know better making unbelievable errors when they speak! Just ask any English teacher and others who love the Mother Tongue :-)

I imagine you can now guess what the topic of today's lesson will be. Yup, the outrageous misuse of WENT for GONE.

Let's see what's going on here.

Okay. If you'll just think about a few simple little rules, I think you'll never have trouble again with these two verbs.

The verb GO is a very irregular verb in English, and both WENT and GONE are some of its forms. As we have learned before, we sometimes need to take a look at verb conjugation to understand more fully why some rules are they way they are. Since this error is most often seen in the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses, we will concentrate there. Here's the correct use of GO in these tenses:

Present Perfect - I have gone, you have gone, he/she/it has gone, we have gone, you have gone, and they have gone

Past Perfect - I had gone, you had gone, he/she/it had gone, etc.

Futre Perfect - I shall/will have gone, you will have gone, he/she/it will have gone, etc.

Ah, ha! Did you see any examples of

"I have WENT..." , "You had WENT..." , "He/she/it will have WENT..." ?

No way! And that's because using WENT for GONE in these cases is about as bad as throwing a clod in the churn.

Now all of this begs the question: Why do lots of folks make this mistake? Maybe the answer lies in the fact that WENT actually IS corrrect in the PAST tense form of GO. Check this out:

Past of GO - I went, you went, he/she/it went, we went, you went, they went

Considering this, it's pretty easy to figure how some folks just confuse the past tense use with the three perfect tenses of GO.

Now let's see how well you can do with the following sentences:

1. David had (gone, went) a country mile before he saw the racetrack.

2. I have (gone, went) just about as far as I can go on this rocky path with no shoes on.

3. Ray (gone, went) down the road to find Linwood and jerk a knot in his tail.

4. Have you ever (gone, went) to a pig pickin'?

5. Junior (gone,went) to Cafe Gourmet last night and told me today that he ate so much his stomach was touching the table when he finished.

Here are the answers: GONE is the correct answer in sentences 1, 2, and 4. WENT is correct in sentences 3 and 5. The explanation is very simple. Sentences 1, 2, and 4 each have an "H" word (had, have, and Have) as part of the verb. The other two sentences do NOT have an "H" word as part of the verb. Pretty easy, huh? If for no other reason than that, you should never make a mistake again with GONE and WENT!

Be merciful to us English teachers by helping others who persist in saying things such as, " I had WENT to see my aunt, but she wasn't home," or "Have you WENT to buy your new shoes yet?"
We'll be forever in your debt!

For now, I'm signing off. Have a great week and practice perfect grammar! Peace and happiness, GG

To Clarify ALUMNI...

Hello Everyone!

Have you ever been confused about which word is correct when you are referring to "graduates"? When should you use ALUMNA, ALUMNAE, ALUMNUS, and ALUMNI? The misuse of these words is fairly common, but if you'll pay attention, I'll try to show you how to use them correctly so you'll never be confused again.

Here are some examples of common mistakes with this problem:

I am an ALUMNI of Whiteville High School...or...All of the ladies in our Sunday School class are ALUMNI of The University of North Carolina at Wilmington...or Butch is an ALUMNI of NC State University in Raleigh.

Notice how the word ALUMNI is getting a good workout in the above sentences. It seems that we tend to use ALUMNI much more frequently than any of the other three words we should be using.

So what's going on here and what should we remember?

Okay...Here are some simple definitions to help you keep them straight:

ALUMNA is singular and simply means one female graduate. (Diane is an ALUMNA of Appalachian State University.)

ALUMNAE is plural and means two or more female graduates. (Heather, Alice, and Tiffany are ALUMNAE of South Columbus High School.)

ALUMNUS is singular and means one male graduate. (John is an ALUMNUS of Wake Forest University.)

...and finally...

ALUMNI is plural and means two or more male graduates. (Bill, Fred, Harry, and James are ALUMNI of South Columbus High School.)

Now... here's an additional use of ALUMNI that does not apply to the other three words:

ALUMNI (still plural) can ALSO be used when referring to both males AND females. ( All ALUMNI of the East Columbus High School Class of 1998 are invited to a class reunion on Saturday night at the Vineland Station Depot in downtown Whiteville.)

How about that? Pretty easy, I hope. Let's try a little practice to see how well you do:

1. All the (alumni, alumnae) of the Girls' Dance Team performed perfectly for the guests.

2. Because the (alumni, alumnus) of the Boys' Fishing School caught plenty of fish, everyone was happy.

3. Being an new (alumnae, alumnus) of East Carolina University made Steve's face light up like a new saloon.

4. Is it true that all your brothers and sisters are (alumni, alumnae) of Pembroke University?

5. Mrs. Baldwin told us that she was an (alumna, alumnus) of Queens University in Charlotte.

...And now, here are the answers:

1. Alumnae is correct because the reference is to more than one female graduate.
2. Alumni is correct because the reference is to more than one male graduate
3. Alumnus is correct because the reference is to one male graduate.
4. Alumni is correct because the reference is to both male and female graduates.
5. Alumna is correct because the reference is to one female graduate.

So there's another grammar lesson and I hope you've learned how to differentiate between these four words. Have a wonderful week and until next time, be happy. Peace and many regards to you all! GG

The WEARY/LEERY/WARY Query

Hey all of you grammar enthusiasts! Welcome back to another lesson on some problems we hear quite a bit with our language.

Today's topic deals with a problem suggested by two special readers, and one that, I think, will be very easy to clear up. Just hang with me and I'll try to make this short and simple.

Have you ever wondered about the differences between WEARY, LEERY, and WARY? We probably have more confusion between WEARY and WARY, but because WEARY sounds so much like LEERY, sometimes even it gets thrown into this confusing muddle.

Let's begin with WEARY. This word, according to Webster's, is an adjective and means "...exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness." Think of it also describing someone's patience, tolerance, or even pleasure being depleted.

Here's an example sentence:

I'm so WEARY of political commercials that I cut the TV off every time one comes on.

Here, WEARY means that the speaker is exhausted from watching so many commercials--his patience, tolerance, and/or pleasure is gone from doing so.

Next, let's move right along to WARY. This word, also an adjective, simply means "...marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchful prudence, especially detecting and escaping danger."

Here's how WARY could be used in an example sentence:

Bobby's cat kept a WARY look at the fox lurking behind the fence.

With this sentence, the implication is that the cat senses danger and is watchful in order to escape from the fox's clutches, if necessary. Pretty easy, so far, huh?

The final word is LEERY (sometimes spelled LEARY, but the former is preferred.) LEERY is another adjective and means "...suspicious, wary." WHOA! Did you notice that? WARY is a synonym (means the same) of LEERY. Now, we see one of the reasons why these three words get confused.

Here's a good way to keep this straight:

WEARY means exhausted or worn-out...while...

both LEERY and WARY mean about the same thing: suspicious or watchful.

Try your hand at these sentences:

1. Mike was (leery, weary) of hearing, "It's so dry around here the trees are bribing the dogs."

2. Kathy became (wary, weary) of the telemarketer when he told her to send a $5,000 check to cover the expense of shipping the big prize she had just won.

3. Ava became (leery, weary) of the meal her mom fixed for her after she saw something green on her plate.


How did you do? These are some simple rules to remember, so I hope you did well.

Here are the answers:

1. WEARY is correct because it means Mike is "tired" or "worn-out" about hearing this so much.

2. WARY is correct because it means Kathy is "suspicious" at hearing about such a large demand of money.

3. LEERY is correct because it means that Ava is "suspicious" since she probably doesn't want anything green on her plate.

Okay, Everyone. Did you make 100 again? See how easy most of these little problems are if you'll just think them through and remember the rules for each?

Well, it's about time to sign off. Thanks for reading this info. again, and have a wonderful week! I love hearing from you with your suggestions for another topic. Peace and happiness, GG