COMMON WRITING ERRORS AND DEFINITIONS OF ABREVIATIONS

E.g. is short for exempli gratia, a Latin phrase which means for the sake of
example. You would use it to introduce one or more examples. Dont worry
about listing every possibility; e.g. is used to introduce a few examples, not a
complete list. In general, you add a comma after e.g. and between each
subsequent example if there are more than one. If you want your examples
set apart from the rest of the sentence, you can enclose e.g. and your
examples in parentheses. Would you like to see e.g. in action?
Should that happen to poor, as-yet unaffected places (e.g., most of South
Asia and Africa) the suffering can be great, it added. WHO rejects calls to
move Olympics over Zika fears
Theres a common view that Malcolm Turnbulls 30-minute city is yet another
slight variation on the many terms we already have for a more sustainable
urban form e.g. compact city, walkable city, smart growth, new urbanism,
urban consolidation. Is Turnbulls 30-minute city a serious election issue?
What about i.e.? A lot of people confuse this expression with e.g. I.e. also
comes from Latin; it stands for id est, which translates to English as that is to
say or in other words. Some people remember this by associating the I of
i.e. with the I of in other words, or by imagining that the I and E stand for in
essence.
[What privilege] would allow them to refuse to answer investigators
questions? Only one: the Fifth Amendment privilegei.e., the refusal to
answer on the grounds that truthful responses might be incriminating. How
to Read the IG Report
Whats the difference between i.e. and e.g.? E.g. is used to give one or more
possible examples. I.e clarifies; you are providing more precise information.
Compare these two examples:
After work, Ill walk over to that new sports, i.e., Thunderdome.
After work, Ill walk over to a sports arena, e.g., Thunderdome or Victory
Court.

In the first example, you are clarifying that Thunderdome is the exact arena
that you will visit. In the second example, you will visit Thunderdome, Victory
Court, or any other sports arena.
Now you have a response if a teen teases you about your lack of texting
expertise. You can ask her to tell you the words behind some abbreviations
that you understand (e.g., id est). FYI (i.e., for your information), SWAK
means sealed with a kiss.

Et Al. vs. Etc.

Whats the difference between et al. and etc.? Whereas etc. refers to a list of
things, et al. refers to a list of people. Etc. is common in formal and informal
writing. You will most often see et al. in bibliographic lists.
Etc. is short for et cetera, which is a Latin phrase that means and the rest.
Use etc. when youre writing a list of things:
I am going to bring several pies (pumpkin, pecan, chocolate, etc.)
to Thanksgiving dinner.
When travelling, bring necessary items like a passport, proof of
medical insurance, extra money, etc.

Et Al. Usage
Why is there a period after the al of et al.? Remember, al. is short for alia
and its various forms. The period indicates that it is an abbreviation. On the
other hand, et is the full form of the Latin word meaning and, so no period is
necessary after that word. Despite its Latin origins, you dont need
italics when et al. is part of a list. After all, it has been a part of the English
language since the 1800s.
What about et al. in a sentence? How do you punctuate it? Just write the
sentence as you normally would. Besides the period, et al. doesnt require any
special punctuation. However, if you are writing a term paper, there are some
usage rules you should know for in-text citations. Lets consult the APA Style
Blog:

Dont use et al. unless there are more than two authors.

For references with three to five authors, list all the authors in the first
citation of the work, but abbreviate using the name of the first author and et
al. for any additional citations of the same work.

For references with more than six authors, cite using the first authors
name plus et al. for all of the in-text citations.

Et Al. Examples
When people cite the work of you and your friends, they would likely use et
al., especially in formal writing such as term papers and on works cited pages.
Here are two examples, one in-text mention of a publication and another from
a works cited page:
These linkages were monitored by large-scale correlational survey
research (e.g., Coleman et al., 1966) and subsequent reanalyses
of that data set (Jencks et al., 1979 and Mosteller & Moynihan,
1972).
Holt, John. How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading. The
Norton Reader, 13th Edition. Ed. Linda Peterson, et al. New York:
W.W. Norton, 2012. 195-203
In the first example, the writer uses parenthetical notations to refer to
materials that he used as references. His first resource was a research study
published by seven contributors. Rather than list everyone, he credits his
source by using the name of the principal investigator, James S. Coleman.
The second et al. example shows how a publication with multiple editors
would appear in a bibliography.

The Other Et Al.

Et al. is also short for a less frequently used Latin phrase, et alibi. Can you
guess the meaning of et alibi? An alibi is a piece of evidence that shows a
suspect of a crime was elsewhere when the crime happened. So, its not hard
to remember that et alibi means and elsewhere. Mainly, et alibi refers to
other locations that will not appear in a list. Consider the following example
from a Greek grammar guide by William Trollope. He uses et alibi to indicate

that the Greek phrase under consideration appears not only in the sixth
chapter of Mark but also in other locations of the Bible.
The [Greek phrase] to make a feast (Mark VI. 21, et alibi) is of
course anarthrous.
Isnt it great news that you and your friends can publish tales of your vacation
together without filling the cover with a comprehensive list of names? You can
use et al. to acknowledge numerous authors. And if you begin talking about
different locations, the list of casinos and hotels need not be exhaustive. You
can also let your readers know about the existence of other places with et al.
Then again, do you really want to let the world know what happened in Las
Vegas?

Grammar pedants have long known that punctuation is everything. And even
casual language buffs can tell you that commas save lives (surely youve seen
the Lets eat Grandma vs. Lets eat, Grandma meme). But to thousands who
may have never thought twice about a dangling modifier or a misplaced
appositive, the semicolon has become their reason for enduring.
Thanks to Amy Bleuel, the often misunderstood symbol has morphed from a
simple punctuation mark to a badge of pride for those who struggle with
depression, suicide, addiction, anxiety, and self-injury.
Bleuel started the nonprofit movement Project Semicolon in April 2013 to
honor her father, who took his own life, and to give voice to her own fight with
mental illness. The idea was to encourage anyone haunted by these demons
to draw a semicolon on their body, photograph it, and share it on a given day
to encourage love and to inspire.
A semicolon is used when an author couldve chosen to end their sentence,
but chose not to. The author is you, and the sentence is your life, explains
Project Semicolons website.
Since its inception, Project Semicolon has transformed from a once-off social
media initiative into a full-fledged movement and awareness campaign for
mental health and suicide prevention. And just as a once-fleeting call-to-action

has given way to this more permanent form of activism, people have
exchanged the Sharpies that Bleuel initially suggested for permanent ink.
Semicolon tattoos are cropping up everywhere: on wrists, behind ears, above
ankle bones, and more. And with them, an outpouring of heartfelt stories,
grassroots tattoo-a-thons, and even a fully devoted charity organization called
The Semicolon Tattoo Project (TSTP) have followed.
In a society that often tries to hide mental health issues, we want to push
back and show that the more we talk about it, the more people get help, says
TSTP.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administrations 2014
Behavioral Health Barometer, over 13 million Americans struggled with a
serious mental illness, 9.3 million seriously thought about committing suicide,
and 17.3 million were dependent on alcohol in 2013.
Even more alarming, though, is the fact that nearly thirty-two percent of
people diagnosed with a serious mental illness did not receive treatment in
that same year. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, many
dont seek proper diagnosis and help because of the stigma attached to this
kind of illness.
And thats exactly what the semicolon tattoo is working to change.
Just as the mark is a sign for readers to pause before continuing on with a
sentence, participants have embraced the symbol as a reminder that their
story isnt over yetand that they should tell it.
Look at the TSTP Facebook page and youll find countless people sharing
tales of survival and struggle. These brave, honest accounts have started to
bring a community together and endow members with the kind of pride that is
capable of breaking down stigma.
Whats more, the tattoo has encouraged people to demand recognition for and
discussion about illnesses that often skate by under the radar because they
are invisible.
Ink has always been a conversation starter, and the semicolon emblem is no
different. Its an opportunity for survivors, those who battle every day, and

even supporters to talk to those unacquainted with mental health issues. And
as TSTP points out, The more we talk about it, the more people get the help
they need when they need it.
So, in an age when many of us spend more time tweeting than talking, let
alone doing, the semicolon tattoo might just be the most beautiful thing weve
learned about in a long time (and, yes, we would believe this even if we
werent such devout grammarians).

There are two types of writers in this world: those who use too many commas
and those who use too few. While unnecessary commas can turn
straightforward sentences into twisting labyrinths of syntactical confusion,
missing a critical comma can change the entire meaning of your sentence.
Consider the headline from the now-infamous Rachael Ray cover
of Tails magazine: Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her
dog. While the line breaks of the original cover make it apparent what the
editors meant to say, the lack of commas between the three items in the list
cooking, family, and her dogcaused Tails to accidentally portray Ray
as a cannibal who gleefully cooks her family and dog. Wonder if she uses
EVOO for that, too?
Here are some places in your writing where you should include commas:
1. After an introductory element. When complex sentences begin with a
phrase or clause, a comma is required to separate the introductory element
and the independent clause. The previous sentence demonstrates this rule,
but lets look at some more examples:

Without a care in the world, Mildred raced down the hill on her brandnew velocipede.

In an attempt to fix the TV, he smacked the side of the set.

To her, Paris would always be the most magical city in the world.

Note that with shorter introductory elementsgenerally those consisting of

four or fewer wordsyou can technically skip the comma. However, its never

wrong to use a comma in this instance, and eschewing it can lead to

confusion.
2. Around a nonrestrictive or nonessential element. Nonrestrictive
elements provide added information, but without them the sentence would still
make sense. For example, My wife, Karen, bakes the best peach cobbler.
Presumably the speaker has only one wife, so telling us her name is a helpful
but nonessential aside. This piece from the New York Times has more on the
difference between essential and nonessential elements, but here are a
couple of additional examples:

My best friend, Jimmy Brown, always brings an extra pudding cup for
me. (People can only have one best friend at a time, so his name is a
nonessential element.)

I played the game Settlers of Catan for six hours this weekend with my
friend Parvati. (Here, neither Settlers of Catan nor Parvati should be set off
with commas because there are more games and friends in the world other
than the two mentioned in the sentence.)

That and which indicate essential and nonessential elements, respectively.

When you use that, dont use a comma, as in The ants that have infested my
kitchen show no signs of leaving. In this example, we need to know which
specific ants the speaker is talking about. However, in the sentence Ants,
which have infested my kitchen, are my least favorite insect, the aside set off
by commas is interesting, yet taking it out doesnt change the core meaning of
the sentence.
3. After the next-to-last item in a list. Among English enthusiasts,
the Oxford (or serial) comma is one of the most frequently debated topics.
(Ironically, British English doesnt tend to use the Oxford comma as frequently
as American English.) When you have three or more items in a list, you have
the option to use a comma between the next-to-last and last items in that list.
This can sometimes clarify potential confusion or downright awkward
misunderstandings. Mental Floss has a collection of pro and con examples, so
take a look and decide for yourself which one you want to use.
The important thing is to be consistent; while both styles are technically
correct, switching between the two in the same piece of writing is a faux pas
everyone can agree on.

What Is the Oxford Comma

and Why Do People Care
So Much About It?
The Oxford (or serial) comma is the final comma in a list of things. For
example:
Please bring me a pencil, eraser, and notebook.
The Oxford comma comes right after eraser.
Use of the Oxford comma is stylistic, meaning that some style guides demand
its use while others dont. AP Stylethe style guide that newspaper reporters
adhere todoes not require the use of the Oxford comma. The sentence
above written in AP style would look like this:
Please bring me a pencil, eraser and notebook.
Unless youre writing for a particular publication or drafting an essay for
school, whether or not you use the Oxford comma is generally up to you.
However, omitting it can sometimes cause some strange misunderstandings.
I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty.
Without the Oxford comma, the sentence above could be interpreted as
stating that you love your parents, and your parents are Lady Gaga and
Humpty Dumpty. Heres the same sentence with the Oxford comma:
I love my parents, Lady Gaga, and Humpty Dumpty.
Those who oppose the Oxford comma argue that rephrasing an already
unclear sentence can solve the same problems that using the Oxford comma
does. For example:

I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty.

could be rewritten as:
I love Lady Gaga, Humpty Dumpty and my parents.

The passive voice is a misunderstood entity in the world of writing. It is unfairly

judged by many authors. Some writers, without taking the time to get to know
this grammatical structure, avoid it at all costs. Others use it ineffectively
because they do not understand how it works. How can you get to know this
mysterious literary device?
First, lets start with an explanation of what passive voice is. Passive voice
sentences mention the thing or person receiving an action before
mentioning the action itself, and may omit the actor altogether. For
example, consider this sentence:
The leaves were blown by the wind.
The leaves receive the action of being blown. In the example, the agent is
specified with the preposition by. However, the agent could have been left out
of the sentence: The leaves were blown.
When is it proper to use passive voice? Consider these instances. Why do
you suppose passive voice is appropriate? Check your answers below.

My camera was stolen from my locker at school.

A candle will be lit at the memorial service for the fallen soldier.

Diets are made to be broken.

The sodium hydroxide solution was heated to 200 degrees.

Answers:

Who stole the camera? The agent is unknown. If you do not know who
committed an action, it is appropriate to use passive voice.

Who do you want to receive the attention? If you prefer the attention to
be on the action itself (the candle being lit) and not the person doing the
lighting, you may omit the agent.

You are expressing a general truth that is applicable to many. Using

active voice to express this idea would be awkward: People who make
diets make them to be broken.

Researchers often use passive voice in scientific reports. It is assumed

that the reader knows that the experimenters are performing the actions
without stating this fact explicitly. But, according to the University of
Toronto, this trend is on the decline. Recent papers tend to contain more
examples of active voice.

Similes and metaphors are both used to make comparisons or elucidate

concepts.
Metaphors simply state a comparison. Similes use the words like or as to
compare things. Because they both make comparisons, all similes are
metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.
Here are some examples of similes and metaphors:
Life is like a box of chocolates. (Simile)
My life is an open book. (Metaphor)
That baby is as cute as a button! (Simile)
Baby, youre a firework. (Metaphor)
Both similes and metaphors add color and depth to language. Share your
favorite similes and metaphors in the comments!

25 Homophones That Most

Spell-Checkers Wont
Catch
Spell-checkers have come a long way since a West Coast beach boy with an
FBI record invented the first prototype at MIT in the 1960s. Nowadays, the
berhelpful technology is not only ubiquitous in all word processors, quietly
creating more error-free writing around the world, it also exists online, where it
can point out mistakes in real time while we write emails or post on social
media.
But while spell-checkers ability to catch slipups and understand context has
evolved tremendously, most of these programs still struggle to identify
homophones, those pesky words that sound the same but carry different
meanings and, often, different spellings.
While Grammarly has algorithms that will help you correct all of these
common mix-ups, theres no substitute for the old noggin. So next time youre
writing, be sure to put on your thinking cap and look out for these
homophones that most spell checkers wont catch.

A while/Awhile
It had been a while since the long-lost lovers had seen each other,
but their passion was still so true they didnt mind
waiting awhile for their fast-approaching reunion.

Accept/Except
Everyone except Christopher, who has already discovered the
truth, needs toaccept the fact that the world is not flat.

Affect/Effect
The technicians didnt realize that the special effect that creepily
breathed down viewers necks would affect audience members so
deeply. People ran out of the theater screaming.

Aide/Aid
The teachers aide was the first to arrive at school that day. So
when the tornado hit, she gave as much aid to the kids as
possible.

Aloud/Allowed
After breaking the television set he wasnt allowed to touch, Bart
had to repeat this phrase aloud 1,000 times: I will not replace the
television dials with marshmallows.

Anytime/Any time
Call anytime! Actually, scratch that. Call me at any time after 5:00
p.m.

Bizarre/Bazaar
The strange, old-fashioned bazaar featured a freak show made up
of bizarre and mysterious people.

Capital/Capitol
The protesters left their own state capitals to converge on
the Capitol building in Washington, DC, and rally for their cause.

Cite/Site/Sight
The site of the excavation came into sight as they emerged from
the tunnel. If the bones were in fact dinosaur bones, then scientists
would need to cite the analysis taken from this discovery in every
paleontology research paper for the next hundred years.

Compliment/Complement
The winemaker received compliment after compliment for her
incredible pairing. Each selected dish seemed the
perfect complement to the chosen vintages.

Conscience/Conscious
My conscience plagues me most when Im sleeping. Then, when I
wake up, I becomeconscious of the guilt Im feeling for my actions.

Desert/Dessert
If only this hot, sandy desert were made of dessert. Then I could
simply eat my way out of it.

Elude/Allude
If youre going to allude to your diamond heist so casually in
conversation, you should prepare to elude the authorities, who will
most likely find out about the theft.

Ensure/Insure
It seems strange that in order to ensure my son can receive
medical treatment, I need to insure him with the healthcare
company on the day of his birth.

Every day/Everyday
Just because the office attire is everyday wear doesnt mean you
should wear the same clothes every day.

Formerly/Formally
Formerly a Buddhist monk clothed only in a tunic, he was
confused by the need to dress formally, in a shirt and tie, for work.

Guerilla/Gorilla
The paramilitary forces had a new tactic; they were going to use
actual gorillas as foot soldiers in their guerilla warfare.

Led/Lead,
He led them through the dangerous forest of giant spiders with
only a headlamp and a lead pipe. As the lead scout, he needed to
be brave and fearless even though he felt incredibly frightened.

One/Won
She won the costumed thumb war competition by one measly
point.

Pedal/Peddle
If you want to peddle stolen goods to innocent people, youd better
be prepared topedal your bike as fast as you can away from the
town when youre done.

Pore/Pour

If you pore over your schoolbooks with the same discipline that
you apply to gaming, I wont be forced to pour this macaroni over
your head.

Premier/Premiere
The premier of Switzerland eagerly awaited the premiere of the
new production of the Sound of Music. The woman cast as Maria
was the countrys premier actress.

Principle/Principal
School principals should be people of principle. Their behavior and
attitude should, in principle, be an example to all students.

Reign/Rein
Take the reins and lead the horse as if youre ruling a kingdom and
your reign has lasted five decades.

Weather/Whether
Who cares about the weather? Were going to have a good time
regardless ofwhether its raining, snowing, or glowing.

Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments are snippets of words that dont quite add up to a complete
thought. There are several common types of sentence fragments, including:

Subordinate clause fragments

Participial phrase fragments

Infinitive phrase fragments

Lets take a look at each of them.

To understand sentence fragments, we must first know what a complete sentence
looks like. In its most basic form, a sentence consists of a subject (a noun) and a
predicate (a verb). In rare cases, the subject is implied and you can leave off the noun,
as in the imperative sentence <i>Go!</i> Lets stick with the basics for now.
Example: I ran.
In the example above, I is the subject, the doer of the action. Ran is the predicate.
We can add clauses and descriptors to this basic sentence, further developing our
thoughts: I ran far away, Because I was being chased by a flock of seagulls, I ran
far away, etc.
Grammatically sound sentences like I ran are also called independent
clauses. Because theyre independent, they can stand by themselves as complete
thoughts. Dependent clauses, on the other hand, lack either a subject or predicate.
Writers run into trouble when their dependent clauses attempt to masquerade as
complete thoughts.
Subordinate Clause Fragments
Incorrect: Because of Sarahs bad hip.
Because is a subordinating conjunction that indicates the start of a subordinateor
dependentclause. Notice that it does not contain a predicate (a verb phrase). This
fragment withholds key information from the reader. For example, what happened to
Sarah because of her hip?
Correct: Because of Sarahs bad hip, she was no longer able to compete in ballroom
dance tournaments.
Correct: They had to walk slowly because of Sarahs bad hip.
Participial Phrase Fragments
Incorrect: Worrying about money.
In this example, we have a participial phrase that seems to have broken off from a
complete sentence. We dont know who is doing the worrying or what impact it has.
To correct this, we need to fully develop the thought.

Correct: Worrying about money ruined their marriage.

Correct: Monica was tired of worrying about money.
Infinitive Phrase Fragments
Incorrect: To find El Dorado.
An infinitive is a verb plus the word to. In the example above, to find is the
infinitive. On its own, an infinitive phrase doesnt constitute a complete thought.
Correct: Many explorers risked their lives to find El Dorado.
Correct: To find El Dorado, many explorers risked their lives.
Are Fragments Ever Okay?
As with most rules of English grammar, there is an exception. Sometimes sentence
fragments can be used stylisticallybut dont abuse the privilege. Stylistic fragments
belong in informal writing or creative work, and even then they should be used
sparingly. They can be used to increase tension in a scene or to convey narrative tone,
but too many fragments dilute the effect.
Example: Running through the trees. Gasping for breath. They were close. Too close.
She wasnt going to make it.
Example: If John didnt find a job soon, he was going to be out on the street. Hed
tried everywheretemp agencies, bookstores, libraries. Even Dairy Queen. Nothing.
Not even a nibble.
Most of the time, automated spell-checkers dont discriminate between intentional
sentence fragments and mistakes, so youll have to use your best judgment. For more
tips on identifying and correcting sentence fragments, another great resource
is Purdues Online Writing Lab.

Confusing Sentences That Actually

Make Sense
Lets face it: Sometimes the English language can be downright bizarre. The
plural of ox is oxen while the plural of box is boxes, rough rhymes with gruff
even though the two words only have two letters in common, and there are
actually more than nine hundred exceptions to the infamous i before e except
after c rule.

If youre still not convinced that the English language is full of oddities and
conundrums, take a look at these five wacky sentences that are actually
grammatically correct.

1All the faith he had had had had no effect

on the outcome of his life.
Well, talk about lexical ambiguity. But as strange as this sentence might
sound, it is actually grammatically correct. The sentence relies on a double
use of the past perfect. The two instances of had had play different
grammatical roles in the sentencesthe first is a modifier while the second is
the main verb of the sentence.

2One morning I shot an elephant in my

pajamas. How he got into my pajamas Ill
never know.
This famous Groucho Marx joke takes advantage of the fact that the same
sentence can often be interpreted in more than one way. The first sentence
can be read in two distinct ways: A) The man shot an elephant while he was
wearing his pajamas or B) The man shot an elephant that was wearing his
pajamas. Its unclear who is wearing the pajamasthe man or the elephant.
Most people interpret the sentence the first way and are subsequently startled
to read the second part of the joke.

3The complex houses married and single

soldiers and their families.
This is what we call a garden path sentence. Though grammatically correct,
the readers initial interpretation of the sentence may be nonsensical. In other
words, the sentence has taken the reader down a dead-end.
Here, complex may be interpreted as an adjective and houses may be
interpreted as a noun. Readers are immediately confused upon reading that
the complex houses married, interpreting married as the verb. How can
houses get married? In actuality, complex is the noun, houses is the verb,
and married is the adjective. The sentence is trying to express the following:

Single soldiers, as well as married soldiers and their families, reside in the
complex.

4The man the professor the student has

studies Rome.
This awkward but grammatically correct sentence is a product of what is
known as center embedding. In English, we can typically put one clause
inside of another without any problem. We can take the man studies Rome
and add a bunch of additional information between the noun and the verb.
However, the more information that is added, the harder it is to interpret the
sentence.
In this particular case, the sentence conveys the following: The student has
the professor who knows the man who studies ancient Rome. Each noun
corresponds to a verb (the man studies, the student has). But because of the
sentences syntax, this is hard to decipher. Remember: just because a
sentence is grammatically correct doesnt mean it is acceptable stylistically.

5Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo

buffalo buffalo buffalo.
No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. You read that sentence rightit
reads buffalo eight times. You see, buffalo is a noun that refers to the large,
shaggy-maned North American bison, a city in upstate New York, and a verb
that means, to intimidate. First devised by professor William J. Rapaport in
1972, this notorious sentence plays on reduced relative clauses, different partof-speech readings of the same word, and center embedding. Its also a pretty
prime example of how homonyms (words that share spelling and
pronunciation but have different meanings) can really confuse things.
While it might be hard to parse, the sentence is coherent. If you stare at it long
enough the true meaning may even miraculously come to you: Bison from
Buffalo, New York, who are intimidated by other bison in their community, also
happen to intimidate other bison in their community. For further clarification
you might also want to check out English indie rock band Alt-Js song
Buffalo, which was famously inspired by this conundrum of a sentence and
used in the soundtrack of the Oscar-nominated Silver Linings Playbook.

So, in conclusion: English is weird. But in spite of its oddities, it is also

a strangely beautiful language. You can do all sorts of crazy things with
it without breaking any rules. The bounds of proper English are virtually
endlesstest them in your writing today!

How British English and American

English are Different
Many Americans who love tea would turn up their noses at the idea of adding
milk to it. Brits, on the other hand, are known for lacing their strong tea with
milk. With or without milk, tea is tea. Its served one way in Britain and another
way in the United States, but everyone can recognize it for what it is. The
language that Americans and Brits share is a bit like thatspoken differently
in the two locations, but understandable by both groups of speakers.
According to the Legends of America website, inhabitants of the New World
first noticed that their English was different about one hundred years after
settling Jamestown. Little wonder, for colonists didnt have the ease of
communication and transportation available today. They couldnt hop on a
plane to visit relatives, nor could they video chat with their grandparents back
home. The settlers were interacting with Native Americans as well as with
immigrants from Germany, France, and other countries. The Americans
coined original words to describe their new environment. For example, what
would they call that furry little creature that was always trying to dig holes in
the garden? They had never seen groundhogs in Great Britain. Meanwhile,
words came and went out of fashion in Britain, and the Americans were none
the wiser. What are the major differences between British English and
American English?

American English Words Missing from British

English
Along with groundhogs and woodchucks, other living things earned uniquely
American monikers. One of them was the ladybug, the red and black ladybird
beetle of the United Kingdom. The Americans based rappel, the act of
descending from a height using a rope, on the French word for recall. Across

the pond, the German language inspired abseiling, the British word for the
same action. Uniquely American foods, such as smores, dont have British
equivalents because they are still relatively unknown. Perhaps that would
change if they sampled them; smores are delicious!

British Words Missing from American English

Put on your anorak. Check the pillar box, and see if my business partner sent
over the hire purchase. Would the average American understand these
commands? Probably not! Heres the translation: Put on your jacket. Check
the mailbox, and see if my business partner sent over the installment plan.

Vocabulary Differences
Other words exist in both languages, but they mean different things. For
example, if you requested a caretaker in England, you might be introduced to
someone holding a broom and dustpan. There, a caretaker is a person who
cleans and maintains a building. To Americans, a caretaker is someone who
takes care of someone, such as a child or sick person, or who looks after a
property while the owner is away. Other Briticisms are famous. Have you
learned what a lift is? Would you go for a ride in a lorry?

Spelling
One man is responsible for many of the spelling differences that exist between
American and British English. His name was Noah Webster. Yes, the same
Webster of Websters Dictionary. He decided that Americans should be
independent, not only politically, but also lexically. Thats why youll notice an
extra U in some British words like colour, armour, and humour. American
English tends to end words with -ize rather than the British -ise. The -er
ending of words like theater and center is reversed in British English words.
Other words are almost unrecognizable as cognates, such as curband kerb.

Grammar
In British English, you have to use the present perfect for recent actions that
affect the present.
Ive broken your vase. Will you forgive me?

American English accepts the present perfect as correct, but it also offers a
second possibilitythe simple past.
I broke your vase. Will you forgive me?
American English is tolerant of present perfect, but its not as understanding of
Britains past participles. In the following sentences, Americans would
use gotten as the past participle of the verbto get, leaned in the place of leant,
and spoiled instead of spoilt.
You have got much better at breaking things!
Its because youve leant too hard against the furniture.
Now its spoilt!
Even with the Ts in place of the -ed endings, an American could understand
the meaning of these sentences without a problem. And despite both groups
accents and idiosyncratic expressions, Brits and Americans have little problem
communicating with each other in English. If you visit London, you may be
invited to join the natives for an afternoon tea. If you dont fancy milk in your
drink, you can let them know. Arent you grateful for that?

The 5 Most Famous Limericks and

Their Histories
Edward Lears first influential limerick collection, A Book of Nonsense, hit
bookstore shelves nearly 200 years ago. Lear didnt invent the limerick,
however; the snappy five-line poems probably sprang to life on the streets and
in the taverns of 14th century Britain. Over time, people from all walks of life
children, scholars, drunks, beggars have delighted in the witty limerick.
Heres a brief history of five of the worlds best-loved limericks.
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory Dickory Dock showed up in Tommy Thumbs Pretty Songbook in
1744. The famed tale of the timepiece-dwelling mouse appeared beside Bah
Bah, Blacksheep and Lady Bird, Lady Bird, among others. No one knows

for certain who penned the book, but it was one of the worlds first attempts to
entertain children with literature.
Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
And down he run.
Hickory dickory dock.
The Man from Nantucket
The Man from Nantucket serves as inspiration for limericks both dirty and
pure. Perhaps youve even heard a Rated X ending to this story-starter.
However, the original Nantucket limerick was quite tame. It appeared in
Princeton Universitys humor magazine, the Princeton Tiger, in 1902:
There once was a man from Nantucket
Who kept all his cash in a bucket.
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.
Speaking of Geography . . .
Princeton wasnt the only publisher of geographically themed limericks. Lear
chose Peru as his muse at least once, as shown by the following:
There was an Old Man of Peru
Who watched his wife making a stew.
But once, by mistake,
In a stove she did bake
That unfortunate Man of Peru.

Lears story of the unlucky Peru gent blazed a path for hundreds of amateur
Peru poems to come, many of which are less than chaste. Middle schoolers
excel at crafting this kind of literature, from what we hear. Perhaps a Peru
limerick or two lingers in your own adolescent memory.
Shakespearean Limerick

Even William Shakespeare practiced what some would call the lowest form of
poetry. The following limerick about imbibing spirits appeared in Othello, Act
II, Scene III:
And let me the canakin clink, clink.
And let me the canakin clink.
A soldiers a man.
A lifes but a span.
Why, then, let a soldier drink.
The Bard also used limericks in King Lear and The Tempest.

Ogden Nash
Poet Ogden Nash coined the phrase, Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.
Some limerick fans insist he wrote the following limerick about a pelican:
A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill can hold more than his beli-can.
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week
But Im damned if I see how the heli-can.
This clever verse has also been attributed to Dixon Lanier Merritt, a humorist
who lived at the same time. Nash died in 1971 and Merritt in 1972.
Crafting a Limerick
Limericks are closed form poems that adhere to a strict template. Want to
write your own? Follow these guidelines:

The last word in lines 1, 2, and 5 must rhyme and contain 8-9 syllables
each.

The last word in lines 3 and 4 must rhyme and contain 5-6 syllables
each.

Of course, what fun are rules unless theyre broken or at least bent
every once in a while? Consider this limerick by Zach Weiner of the comic
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, which coherently flows both backward
and forward:
This limerick goes in reverse
Unless Im remiss
The neat thing is this:
If you start from the bottom-most verse
This limericks not any worse.

Now we challenge you to write your own limerick. Its fast, easy, and incredibly
satisfying. What will yours be about?

Affect vs. Effect

Affect and effect are easy to mix up. Heres the short version of how to use the
right word:

Affect is usually a verb, which is an action word. It means to impact or

change.

Effect is usually a noun, which is a person, place, thing, or idea. An

effect is the result of a change.

More rarely, affect is used as a noun in clinical settings, especially

psychology.

Watch out! There are certain situations and fixed phrases that break the
general usage rules for these words.

Now that the basics are out of the way, the time has come to learn the
intricacies of how to use affect and effect effectively. Or is it affectively? If
youre lucky, it may well be a little bit of both. (For the curious, effective would
mean successful in this context. And when it comes to grammar, success is
the goal.)

The Difference Between Affect and Effect

Is it affect or effect? In a nutshell, affect is a verb and effect is a noun. At
least (spoiler alert!), most of the time. In the majority of cases, youll encounter
the words as these parts of speech.

So, if A affects B, B experiences the effect of As action.

Huh?
Imagine Ruby (A) pushes Raphael (B) into a pond. Ruby affects where
Raphael is standing. Raphael being wet is the effect of Rubys irresistible
urge to push him into a pond.
Because Ruby performed an action, that signals the use of a verb: affect. The
result, or effect, of that verb is wetness, a noun that is probably causing
Raphael a whole lot of discomfort.
Affect and effect are different parts of speech, but they sound almost
identical. Sound-alike pairs like affect vs. effect are tricky because many
people pronounce them as homophones, which means, well, that they sound
alike. Bear/bare, here/hear, and write/right are other examples. So when it
comes to writing the right word, here are the rules to help you bear the
struggle.

10 Words Every College Student

Should Know
The years we spend at college and university are exciting and filled with
intense learning. One of the most significant areas of development is in
vocabularycommunicating with career academics and reading thousands of
pages of research-grade writing means that university may be the first time
you ever see certain words! Here are ten words that every student should
learn and master.
To corroborate is to confirm or make more certain. Now you know why lawyers
on courtroom shows are always calling corroborating witnesses to the stand!
Disparate things are distinctly dissimilar.
Extrapolate means to infer something from the information that you have. In a
math class, a professor might extrapolate the value of a variable or function.

Laconic is an adjective that describes the quality of relating much in few

words.
Pedantic teachers are overly concerned with small details or formalism.
Outside of teaching, it can refer to anyone who is ostentatious about their own
knowledge.
The term pragmatic has several definitions that relate to considering the
practical aspects of matters. A philosophical movement, pragmatism, uses the
practical consequences of a belief as the basis for determining truth and
value.
Quintessential is an adjective that describes a perfect embodiment or pure
essence of something. If you provide a quintessential example of a concept
for a thesis, you are giving the example that best embodies the concept.
Salient characteristics are prominent or conspicuous. In a geography course,
you may use salient to describe an outward projection, such as a spur
projecting from the side of a mountain.
Spurious things are not genuine or authentic. In biology, the term is used to
describe things that have similar appearances but different structures.
Syntax, in general, means a system or orderly arrangement. For example, in
linguistics, syntax refers to the rules that organize sentences.
Confusing words surround college students every day. By taking the time to
master these ten words, students enrich their vocabulary and ease the tension
that they would normally experience upon encountering them. A great way to
practice new vocabulary words is to use them in a sentence. Can you write a
sentence for each of these ten terms?

A scary-easy way to help you find

passive voice!