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Author Topic: Spelling Challenge  (Read 40536 times)

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Offline Nadir

Re: Spelling Challenge
« Reply #55 on: December 15, 2018, 11:54:50 PM »
The last line should read:
Reject its existence. The Church itself has changed its view.
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Offline Nadir

Re: Spelling Challenge
« Reply #56 on: December 18, 2018, 02:45:02 PM »
Quote
And it's not just me, any descent astronomer can do the same -- disprove Geocentrism.


Quote
And decent ones too?

Descent - accent on second syllable - the act, process, or fact of moving from a higher to a lower position.

Decent - accent on the first syllable - conforming to the recognized standard of propriety, good taste, modesty, respectable; worthy; adequate; fair; proper.
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Offline Charlemagne

Re: Spelling Challenge
« Reply #57 on: December 19, 2018, 03:16:23 PM »
One of my pet peeves: Someone saying, "My thoughts and prayers go to you and your family during this difficult time." Really? You're offering your prayers to earthly creatures, not to God? Ugh!
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Offline Nadir

Re: Spelling Challenge
« Reply #58 on: December 20, 2018, 09:40:00 PM »
Quote
Haven't you ever typed the wrong word which happens to sound like the word you meant? It's like my fingers heard what I said in my head, and picked the wrong word.
This quote refers to a comment on the misspelling of the words, then and than, interchanging one for the other, which I have noticed appears frequently here. In this case I think it may have been simply a typo, and not a confusion about the proper spelling. But the comment is an interesting one, in that the implication is that than and then sound alike. I have even seen a claim on one of these (American) spelling websites that these words sound alike which, in my mind, I immediately rejected.

Where I come from these words sound distinctly different, so I am wondering:

is it general in U.S. English that they sound alike,
or is it only that way in certain American accents or certain states,
or is it just sloppy speech that sets the trap?
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Offline AlligatorDicax

Misled by prepositional phrases/Re: Spelling Challenge
« Reply #59 on: December 23, 2018, 07:23:47 PM »
Quote from: Neil Obstat on December 01, 2018, 06:40:20 PM

Therefore, according to your principle, the following are properly rendered with the singular verb, "is":
• None of the US presidents is women a woman. (in lieu of "None ... are women.")
• None of Alaska's earthquakes since 1964 is so strong as this one. (in lieu of "None ... are so strong...")
• None of my socks is lost in the dryer. (in lieu of "None ... are lost...")
• None of the stars in the sky is brighter than the moon.
• None of the cans on the shelf is dented.
• None of these used cars is for sale.
• None of the police officers is out of uniform, sir.
• None of the ships at sea is sinking.
• None of the people using the Internet is sleeping.
• None of the hairs on your head is gray.
• None of our Christmas trees is dry.
• None of these houses is available.
• None of these sentences is correct.
• None of these dog's fleas is immune.
• None of these radio commercials is interesting.

They are indeed properly rendered with the singular verb "is".

It's the subject of a clause that properly determines the number (i.e., singular or plural form) of the verb.

But in the examples above, it's the noun objects of the prepositions "of" in subject phrases that seem consistently to tempt writers into the common errors being debated.  I assume that the errors arose in previous examples because those objects are often nearer to the verbs than are the subjects.  It's a rule that requires extra alertness from me to avoid violating it myself.
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