How Does This Affect Me?

I don’t know about you, but I can remember, for the longest time, doing everything I could just to avoid using certain words because of how confusing they were. Trying to differentiate between “lie vs. lay” and “affect vs. effect” just did not seem worth the trouble. After realizing that I would not be able to run from these words forever, I have since discovered some helpful hints for better understanding them.

The main difference between the first words mentioned is that “lay” requires a direct object and “lie” does not. Also, “lay” is an active verb, meaning “to place,” and “lie” is a still or passive verb that means “to recline.”

So you lay the baby down to sleep (the baby is the direct object), and the baby lies in its bed.

 

 

Now, let’s focus our attention on the differences between “affect vs. effect.” The majority of the time you will use the word “affect” with a verb, and you’ll use the word “effect” with a noun. Typically, “affect” means “to influence, but I will provide a definition just to clarify: affect. When considering the word “effect,” the main definition is “a result.” I will provide examples for both:

The speech really affected how I felt on the matter.

Here, “affect” is used as a verb.

The speech had a strong effect on me.

Here, “effect” is used as a noun.

 

My hope is that this blog will have a long, lasting effect on you. For those of you who do not find yourselves in some way affected by these examples of poor grammar, then I hope that I could have at least provided you with some entertainment along the way. 

Hodgepodge

I would like to start off by creating a scenario for you: Imagine a week has gone by since you last bought groceries — you shop at a normal grocery store (not Costco, where you're set for life after just one trip) — and you're wondering what you can throw together for dinner. Looking through the fridge you find some left-over taco meat, half a jar of pasta sauce (better check the expiry date), maybe some questionable vegetables, and some tater tots. On its own, each of these items seems a bit random, but throw them all together and you might get lucky! You'll have either created a masterpiece or be faced with terrible indigestion. This blog will be something like that — a hodgepodge of grammar tidbits all thrown in together. Let's cross our fingers on the outcome.

The first issue I would like to discuss the difference between "fewer" and "less." The word "fewer" is used with count nouns and the word "less" is used with mass nouns (non-count nouns). Count nouns are pretty straight forward, in that they are anything that you can count. Examples are jelly beans, fingers, sheep, etc... Non-count nouns are therefore, the nouns you cannot count. Some examples are clutter or water. Following these rules, most of you will have noticed a common misuse of the word "less" at your grocery store. The express check-outs tend to say "15 items or less," when they should be reading "15 items or fewer."

The second grammar concern I'd like to address is the appropriate usage of "who versus whom." The word "who" is used when referring to the subject of a clause and the word "whom" is used when referring the object of a clause. Another easy trick I have learned for remembering is that if you can substitute the word "he" for "who," then it's correct. And if you can substitute "him" for "whom," then it's correct. Check out the following examples:

Who lives in that tree house?

This is correct because "he" will also work in this sentence.

He lives in that tree house.

 Jack gave his last dollar to whom?

You can see that this is correct because "him" will work in place of "whom."

Jack gave his last dollar to him?

Thirdly, I would like to pose my own question: Does anybody use the word "whelm"? I know it is a word but I don't know whether I've actually ever heard it used before. As I, myself was unsure of the difference between "whelm" and "overwhelm" I would like to provide everyone with an answer I found that I thought gave a very understandable explanation:

Overwhelmed is not really redundant. It is like turned and overturned. Overwhelmed, which is why it is used more frequently, has the connotation of being completely turned over whereas whelmed just means engulfed or overcome by events.

There you go! A little of everything all thrown into one. I hope you enjoyed dinner tonight.

Does Good Grammar Apply to Music Too?

Why is it that in school you can spend hours and hours trying to memorize terms and examples, but you can hear a terrible song and within a few times of listening to it, you’re able to recite the lyrics word for word? If only it were that easy to remember and recall everything in a textbook.

While music is sometimes referred to as being able to “soothe the soul,” there are many songs with titles and lyrics that suggest the opposite effect. Along with not always being the most relaxing, a lot of these songs are promoting "questionable" grammar. A few examples of songs that you might not want to listen to right before your grammar exam are:

“Ain't Nuthin But a Gangsta Party” by 2 Pac
“All Eyez on Me” by 2 Pac
“Picture Me Rollin'” by 2 Pac
“In Da Club” by 50 Cent
“Bitches Ain't Shit” by Ben Folds

Now imagine listening to music like this on a regular basis and having countless song lyrics — with terrible English — as your guide to grammar. I can picture it now: writing an email to a colleague explaining that “this printer ain’t got nuthin’ for toner!” Yikes.

For most of the artists mentioned above, I'm sure, or at least hopeful, that the poor grammar comes mainly from their desire to express emotions in a harsh and informal manner. Even using "informal" in describing these songs, seems too polite and proper for their probable content.

While rap songs appear to commit the obvious grammar offences, many of our favourite alternative songs misuse words and showcase poor grammar. Who are we kidding though? We'd listen to our favourite musicians sing about anything and as fans, would view any grammar mistakes as part of their artistry. I'll end with The Rolling Stones; Would "(I can't get any) satisfaction" have created the same effect?

 

Silly Apostrophe, Tricks are for Kids

I would like to start off discussing contractions — not the kind that the google search first refers to (I’m here to talk about grammar, not give prenatal advice). I don't want you to get the wrong idea here — but rather the contractions that are formed by joining two other words in an attempt to make it shorter. Contractions are most prevalent in casual speaking or writing. A hurdle for a lot of people is differentiating between “its” and “it’s.”

 

 

The contraction “it’s” is a shortened version of “it is” or “it has.” Not that either of those really needs much shortening. “Its” shows possession. Here are a few examples showing the correct usage of both:

Judging from this weather, it’s going to be a long winter.

This is the same as:
Judging from this weather, it is going to be a long winter.

The dog chewed on its bone.

This sentence would not work using it’s because it would then look like this:
The dog chewed on it is bone.

Other contractions people will sometimes confuse are “would’ve” and “who’s,” although not with each other. While, the contraction “would’ve” is short for “would have,” many often mistake “would’ve” for meaning “would of,” which is incorrect. There are even some versions of Microsoft Word that recognize “would of” as being correct. Don’t fall for this grammar check mistake. Now, looking at “Who’s,” we see that it's similar to “it’s” in that you just add an “is” to the first part of the contraction. “Who’s” then becomes “who is,” and this contraction has a different meaning than “whose." “Whose” is the possessive form of both "who" and "which." Here are a few examples that will hopefully help to clear up some of the confusion.

Had I known you would be stopping by, I would've gotten ready.

This is the same as:
Had I known you would be stopping by, I would have gotten ready.

Who's going to help me throw a birthday party for Jack?

I want to throw a birthday party for Jack whose age remains a mystery.

With a little practice and some hints here and there, we get closer and closer to having a better understanding of grammar and all of its quirks.

 

 

 

 

 

Out With the Old, In With the New

There are very few things in this world that you can count on to stay the same: The sun rising and setting, a mother’s love, and the fact that whatever your new “favorite” is on a menu, it will be gone in a month because it’s only seasonal. Language — is not one of those things.

For as long as people could speak, they’ve been redefining meanings and altering their language to suit whichever rules or “standards” applied at that time. There are many words that we use quite regularly but associate with a different meaning than their initial definitions and usages. Here are a few examples of some of the words we use now and their prior meanings:

Along with words having adopted new definitions over time, there are many words that have either lost their meanings or else been created in order to adapt to our ever-changing society.

As technology continues to expand there is a need for new words such as: ringtone, iPad, cellular phone, and wireless. Other absurd words such as: supersize and unibrow are now being recognized in the dictionary. Personally, I think our society should not be supporting either of these words. We could all do without the supersizing of our Big Mac meals and the existence of unibrows; Ernie's the only one supporting that one.

While society and language evolve, there are also words that become unnecessary and eventually disappear from our vocabulary. Words such as: icebox, 8 track, gams, moxie, and barkeep are all examples or words we rarely, if ever, hear anymore.

As much as we might want to keep our favourite outdated words in circulation, we’ll benefit from embracing the changes and new opportunities our language presents — as long as we’re careful not to take advantage of words like “supersize.”

Pet Peeves, Anyone?

We all have our pet peeves, whether it's that guy with his one pant leg rolled up, the driver who didn't give you the "thank-you" wave when you let him in front of you, or the people who pay with debit in the Tim Horton's drive-through — you start to feel your skin turning green and your clothes ripping off as you begin to morph into the Hulk — It's seven in the morning. You just want your coffee! To add to these frustrating moments, I have begun to experience new pet peeves — grammar pet peeves. Dun, dun, dun...

 The first of these annoyances is when people use the word "literally" incorrectly. So, let me start off by giving a definition of the word literally to hopefully clear up some of the confusion.

If people still want to use "literally" incorrectly, then be my guest. Just know that if you're looking to put emphasis on your topic, the only thing being emphasized when you misuse the word "literally," is your lack of understanding regarding the actual meaning of that word.

 Now for some fun examples of the word "literally" being misused:

 

 

 

This is one of those times you hope that you don't have to use the word "literally."

You do not want to be this guy.

 

The second pet peeve of mine is when people use the word "irregardless." According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "irregardless" is considered to be non-standard. By providing a definition of the word regardless, let me show you that "irregardless" is really just a double negative using ir- and -less. "Irregardless" is not a word, regardless of what you might think.

 

Although, most people tend to be fairly forgiving of these grammar faux pas, there are some people who consider themselves to be the "grammar police." By avoiding the "word," "irregardless" and using "literally," in the right context, your run-ins with these people should be less frequent. To wrap up, I hope everyone was able to pick up some helpful grammar information from this blog and not just the fact that I have a lot of pet peeves.

 

To, Too, and Two

 Let’s face it, there is nothing too exciting about “to, too, and two.” Although alike in sound, these words have different meanings, and whether it’s fun or not, it’s important to know how to differentiate between them. If all else fails, turn to youtube. Not only can youtube provide us with funny cat videos, surprise engagement proposals (that no boyfriend to follow could ever live up to), and teenage singing sensations like Justin Bieber, but it can also be a fun approach to learning grammar.

 

 

The word “to” can be used as a preposition of movement or direction, it can be used to mean ‘receive,’ and can also be used in conjunction with times. Some examples of these being used can be seen below:

-          I will walk to the bakery.

-          I would like to go to Paris.

-          The restaurant is open from 4:00pm to 11:00pm.

 

The word “too” is used to mean “very” or “also.” The proper use of "too," is shown in the following examples:

-          I ate too much.

-          They are coming too.

 

Let’s hope that there aren’t too many people who get this “two” wrong. I realize the confusion, but I am hopeful that this will clear everything up. The word “two” is used only for the number. Here’s an example:

-          Who ate my last two donuts?

 

There are too many rules to follow when learning English grammar. I feel as though I need to take a break every two minutes just to get through it. 

While this hasn’t been my most enthralling post, I am hopeful that the proper use of these words is a little clearer. Call me crazy, but they seem important, considering we use them in most of our everyday sentences. If nothing else, you’ve picked up a few ideas of what to check out on your next youtube surf. You’re welcome!

 

Cute Cats

Wedding Proposals

Bieber fever

 

 

 

How Do You Spell That?

For anyone who has ever written anything, I'm sure there have been instances in which you have been unsure as to the spelling of some of our language's common words. The reason for the confusion is that the Americans began referring to the American Webster's Dictionary for their spelling, whereas the British chose to refer to the Oxford English Dictionary. Canadians (with their love for all things royal) decided to follow the Queen, and tend to favour the British way of spelling -- notice how I spelled "favour."

A few examples of words that can be seen spelled differently by Americans versus Canadians can be seen in the following chart:

You'll notice that a main difference between the British/Canadian versus American way of spelling is how the British/Canadian words tend to comprise of an "our," whereas the American spelling normally contains an "or."

One interesting little tidbit of information that I would like to bring to everyone's attention is that the American space shuttle, Endeavour, is spelled using the British/Canadian spelling rather than the typical American spelling. The reason for this is that the shuttle is named after the British HMS Endeavour, the ship which took Captain James Cook on his first voyage of discovery! Maybe this was a bit off topic, but seeing as the Americans are the "picture of patriotism," this seemed an interesting choice of name.

Oops... Wrong Captain.

With Canada being as multicultural as it is, as well as having the Americans as neighbours, there are bound to be many crossovers when it comes to spelling. Ultimately, the choice will come down to the audience you are writing for -- or whichever spelling you can remember at the time.

Texting Takeover

If you are anything like me, you're one of those people that doesn't go anywhere without her cell phone. If we're not texting (having actual oral conversations over the phone seem to have gotten lost somewhere with the dinosaurs), we're checking our emails, paying our bills, or finding some other way to avoid taking part in real-life conversations. The chances are that most of you are probably reading this from your cell phones. This being as such, I have to take this time to voice my concern for the poor grammar that tends to go along with texting.

The last text message I received was "np. lol." I had just thanked a friend for answering a question for me. The "np," I understand to mean "no problem." The "lol," I'm assuming is being shortened from "laugh out loud" -- this friend isn't quite the "lots of love" type. If I'm interpreting this text message correctly, then I'm perplexed as to why the "lol" is even in there? It seems that this acronym is being thrown into just about every text message now without the sender even really knowing why!

For myself, the appeal of sending a text message is that it's quick and easy. What's unappealing, is that to make texting even "faster," we're making acronyms out of all our common phrases. I say "faster" because, it can sometimes take me five minutes just trying to decipher a 30 character text.

I wonder then, what this means for our future generations? Children who don't even have any friends to talk to yet are getting cell phones for their birthdays. Will "words" like "ttyl" and "brb" become common grammar for them? I guess that English and grammar teachers will have their work cut out for them.

With technology continuously improving and coming out with the latest versions, it seems that we won't be seeing the end of texting anytime soon. That being said, I still find it difficult embracing text messages that barely contain any actual words. Maybe I'm just old?

Is This Real Life?

As mentioned in my last entry, a guilty pleasure of mine is reality television. Now, I am sure that some of you are probably rolling your eyes at my love for "bad" TV, but considering there are likely to be no more than five people reading this, I ask you to please bare with me and try your best to overlook this major "character flaw" of mine -- at least until the end of this entry.

To me, watching reality TV is a time when I can turn my brain off and just enjoy whatever escapades other people are getting into throughout their daily lives. And until recently, shows like "Say Yes to the Dress", "Little People, Big World", and "Survivor" served as my form of "relaxation therapy". There have, however, been a flood of new shows taking over my favourite channels. Shows like "Swamp People", "American Hoggers", and "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" it seems, are fast becoming the new fad of reality programming.

I group these shows apart from the ones first mentioned because these all require a special kind of attention when watching. It's not enough to just watch mindlessly -- now you have to read subtitles. If reading subtitles wasn't enough, you have to exert an honest effort just to understand what most of the sentences mean or are referring to. The people in these shows speak English, yet somehow manage to leave us guessing at what they are actually trying to express.

Some of you may have started reading this with a dislike for reality TV, but let me conclude this by suggesting that it really does offer something for everyone. Whether it's for the person who just wants to relax at the end of the day by watching something they don't have to think about, or for the person who wants to challenge themselves by having to translate speech that's actually in their mother-tongue, (it's confusing to me too) in the world of reality television, there's a show out there for you!

This Cannot Be a Good Sign

As a vehicle owner, I am constantly faced with different distractions while on the road there are the bad drivers, back seat drivers (my boyfriend might say I'm guilty of this), cell phones, and those pedestrians that seem to just materialize out of nowhere. Now let's add poor grammar on signs to the list!

How can you expect anyone to stay focused on the road when faced with a sign like this? Does this mean that if we slow down or "brake" that we have already passed "it"? Are we talking about a car or a china shop here? I shouldn't be too hard on the guy. He does have excellent penmanship. Next!

"Perparing Your Child for College..."? Would it be wrong of me to feel concern for the children whose college preparation depends on the person who wrote this sign? The worst part is that the sign is advertising the university. If the school's intention was to get a certain message across, consider it received!

I can definitely appreciate what is being advertised here; who doesn't love pies and burgers -- particularly, the former? But besides the delicious calories waiting for you inside that food truck, there is nothing that can be said for this sign. Maybe the owner of this truck thought that the sign was too simple and that it needed an apostrophe to spruce it up? For now, this sign remains an unsolved mystery.

I take the offense committed to this sign very personally! Pun intended. I'm going to assume that what was meant  to be said was "Authorized Personnel Only". If this isn't the case, let me take this time to tell you all a few personal things about myself. I am 5'-9" tall, reality TV is my vice, and I love dessert (if you couldn't already sense my excitement over the "pie" sign)!

Try as we might to avoid it, bad grammar is all around us. It looks as though we will just have to start paying more attention when on the roads!