It’s fun when two of my favourite feeds come together in a single item, to whit “Shooting down ‘amateur grammar nazis’” over at Language Log, which riffs on a recent xkcd cartoon. I remember, as a young cub reporter, being infected with the news editor’s aversion to the sloppy use of “situation” to mean “circumstances” and all that guff (as it happens, the very use that xkcd’s freedom-fighter espouses). And I remember being asked to write a story about the work of a professor of acoustics who had come up with new techniques to determine where loudspeakers should be placed in a room for optimal sound quality. And I remember (although not perfectly accurately) being pleased as punch with my headline: Research on loudspeaker situation.
An old geezer reminisces about situation
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That cartoon is me to the hilt! I not only misspell things on purpose for one blogger who *can’t stand it* — I can never remember which effect/affect is correct when I’m writing and try to avoid it if I can.
A few weeks back I used it though. And used the wrong one! And within minutes I had an email telling me so. Not from a Nazi, but from a friend.
So, that was ok. And hopefully it will stick with me which word is correct to use in whatever *situation!*
I’m never sure how polite it is to correct the mistakes of others. I don’t think I’d ever do it publicly. I’ve got mnemonics for some of my worst cases, but on the other hand I just know when something I affect will have the effect I seek.
Yeah, it’s hard to know when to say something and when not to. Even when constructive criticism comes from a good friend, it still has that *sting.*
I just know when something I affect will have the effect I seek.
I’m going to remember that sentence!
Got anything that’ll help me remember how to use the proper possessive when the word ends in an “s”?
Res’ house was blue.
Res’s house was blue!
I’m not sure there is one rule for possessive ending in an s. I go with what sounds best. Or maybe I always write it Res’ but pronounce it Res’s.
Not much help, I know.