Once again Written English Corrected is back at work. We offer
a proofreading and text correction service for individuals and businesses
worldwide who are not sure about the standard of their written English.
Whether it is an application for employment, a business
prospectus, a catalogue or just a letter, let us help you to get it right!
So, today we are going to take a look at some rules we can follow
to help us use the correct ending when we are talking, or writing, about plural
nouns.
1.You
can make many nouns plural simply by adding an “s” to them. So for example if
someone says “the dog was black and white”, you know they are talking of one
dog. However, if they were to say “the dogs are black and white”, whilst you do
not know how many dogs they are referring to, you know there are more than one.
EXAMPLES
SINGULAR
PLURAL
pencil
pencils
house
houses
lamp
lamps
car
cars
hat
hats
2.For
other nouns you need to add an “es” to make plural. This is particularly true
(but not exclusively) to nouns ending in “s”, “ss”, “sh”, “ch” or “x”.
EXAMPLES
SINGULAR
PLURAL
kiss
kisses
sandwich
sandwiches
fox
foxes
bus
buses
wish
wishes
3.If
a noun ends in a vowel followed by a “y” add “s” to make its plural form.
EXAMPLES
SINGULAR
PLURAL
boy
boys
key
keys
tray
trays
trolley
trolleys
monkey
monkeys
Nouns that can be made plural by adding an “s”
or “es” to their singular form are known as regular nouns.
However there are some nouns that do not
follow the add an “s” or “es” rule. These are known as irregular nouns.
4.Let’s
think about nouns that end in a consonant followed by “y”. To make these plural
the “y” is dropped and replaced with “ies”.
EXAMPLES
SINGULAR
PLURAL
lady
ladies
family
families
city
cities
baby
babies
party
parties
5.For
nouns that end in “f” or “fe” make plural by changing the “f” or “fe” to “v”
and then add “es”.
EXAMPLES
SINGULAR
PLURAL
life
lives
loaf
loaves
wife
wives
shelf
shelves
thief
thieves
6.As
you have probably guessed, this being English, there are some irregular nouns
that do not fit into these rules at all. Their plural takes on a whole new
ending!
EXAMPLES
SINGULAR
PLURAL
man
men
woman
women
child
children
person
people
tooth
teeth
foot
feet
mouse
mice
goose
geese
diagnosis
diagnoses
crisis
crises
cactus
cacti
ox
oxen
7.Of
course we mustn't forget that there are some nouns that are the same whether singular
or plural!
EXAMPLES
SINGULAR
PLURAL
sheep
sheep
aircraft
aircraft
fish
fish
species
species
deer
deer
I hope these guidelines help to make it a little easier to
work out which is the correct way to make your noun into a plural.
Following on from last week,
today we are going to look at some more pairs or groups of words, that sound
similar or the same but have different meanings. The reason we are looking at
these words in particular is that we will often see them used wrongly; they are
easy to mix up. Hopefully when we have looked at the differences it will help
us all to never make these mistakes again.
Here we go:
Raise/ Rise
It is very easy to see how these
two monsters get mixed up; and not just in written English. It is not unusual to hear the wrong word being
said in everyday conversation. However, although they sound similar and have
similar meanings, there is a difference and it is important to use the correct word.
“To raise” is a verb meaning to lift something (or someone) up to a
higher position.
Example 1
Kelly raised the trophy over her
head, so all the crowd could see it.
It can also refer to an increase
in the amount, of or level of something.
Example 2
It was a cold day so Kevin put
more logs on the fire to raise the temperature in the living room.
“To rise” means to get up, to assume an upright position, often
from a lying, kneeling or sitting position.
Example 3
I like to rise at 6.30am every
day.
However it is also used to mean
something that goes up or elevates. The main difference here is that when
something is raised it has been lifted up by someone or something; when it
rises it does this on its own, there is no external force.
Example 4.
The sun rises in the East.
The easiest way to remember which
the correct word to use is is to think is it active or passive. If an action
has to be performed to elevate something then it is raised, whereas if something
elevates of its own accord, it rises.
Beside/Besides
Although these words look similar
they have very different meanings.
Beside is most usually used to mean “near to” or “by the side of”.
Example 5
My new house is being built
beside the river.
It can also be used to compare
one person or thing with another.
Example 6
This proposal seems very
reasonable beside the others.
There is also a commonly used
British saying that someone is beside themselves with grief, meaning that they
are completely overwhelmed at the loss of a loved one.
Besides on the other hand means “in addition to” or “apart from”.
Example 7
No-one besides the owner could
get open the door to the house.
Example 8
Besides a long weekend in New
York, I have never seen the sights in America.
Forward / Foreword
Although these sound very similar,
the meaning is completely different.
To go forward is to advance towards a place that is in front of you. To
look forward is to look for
advancement in the future, rather than raking over the past.
However, a foreword is a section at the beginning of a book that will
introduce the book and possibly tell you something about the author. This is
usually only a short section, maybe only a couple of paragraphs, and is often
written by someone other than the author.
Bore/Boar/Boor
These three homophones (words
that are spelt differently but sound the same) have entirely different
meanings.
Starting with the first, to bore something can mean to make a hole
in something, maybe using a drill or an auger. However, to bore someone, or to be boring,
is to be uninteresting or repetitive, causing boredom. Just to confuse things even further, bore is also the past
tense of the verb to bear, which is to carry something.
Example 9
Yesterday you bore the wood to
the worktable, where you bored a hole in it, but this was a boring job.
A boar is a type of wild pig, or is the correct name for any un-neutered
male pig, as opposed to a sow, which is a female pig. You will be please to
know that the piggish aspect of this word is the only meaning when it is spelt
this way.
Finally we have the last spelling, boor. This word refers to someone who
is clumsy in social situations, or even rude and ill-mannered.
I hope we have cleared up some of
the confusion that often goes with these words. It may be helpful if you read
some of our previous blogs which discuss homophones, homonyms and homographs.
Happy reading!
We have already talked many times about how confusing the
English language can be. Following on this theme, today, we are going to have a
look at pairs and groups or words that can be, and often are, easily mixed up.
Some of these words sound similar, and some sound exactly the same but have
different spelling and different meanings (homophones). This can be very
difficult when writing in English, as generally your spell checker will not
identify the wrong usage of a word, as long as the word you have used does
exist. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of examples we could look at,
but we will try and pick out the most frequently mistaken, and hopefully
explain the difference, so you will never need to wonder which one to use
again.
1. Affect / Effect
So we are starting off with a really tricky one. Let’s try
to be clear about when we should use affect and when should it be effect.
Affect is a verb
meaning to influence something, have an impact, and produce a change in
physical or emotional feelings.
Examples:
Smoking can adversely affect your health.
The increase in the price of petrol does not affect me, as I
don’t have a car.
Effect is
generally a noun and it is the result or the change that has occurred.
Examples:
The medicine had an immediate effect on the pain.
A good night’s sleep has a positive effect on your whole
day!
2. Accept / Except
Although these words are often confused they actually have
very different meanings.
To accept something
is to take or receive something that has been offered to you. This covers a
whole host of things such as an invitation to a party, a cup of coffee, a
proposal, or a public duty or obligation. You can also accept another person’s
point of view or theory meaning to regard as true.
Whereas except means "with the exclusion of".
Example
I think I know
everyone here, except that gentleman.
It can also replace “other than” in some sentences, meaning “if
it were not the fact that.....”
Examples:
He never phones, except when he wants a favour!
I would make you a cup of tea, except I am too busy.
3. Lay / Lie
This tricky pair of irregular verbs causes no end of confusion!
To lay means to
put or place something or someone somewhere. Whereas to lie is to assume a horizontal position, to rest or recline.
The easiest way to remember is that you lay something down,
but you lie down by yourself.
So, for example, you would lie down on the bed, but you
would lay your book on the bedside cabinet.
I think much confusion is caused by the fact that the past
tense of to lie is to lay, but let’s leave that one for another day!
We should also remember that lie also has another meaning, which is to tell an untruth.
4. Pour/ Poor/
Pore/Paw
Yes all these sound the same, and in spoken English we would
only know the right meaning by the context of the sentence they were used in.
However when it comes to written English we need to make sure we use the right
one or our work can become nonsensical.
To pour is to
cause something to flow from a container. We may offer to pour a drink for
someone.
However to be poor
is to lack sufficient money to enjoy a reasonable standard of life. To be
lacking essentials such as sufficient food and heat. Poor can
also be used to describe things lacking in quality, such as the standard of his
work was poor, or the children had a poor diet (meaning lacking sufficient
vitamins and minerals).
A pore is a minute opening in a surface,
especially the skin, through which microscopic particles can pass. The beauty
industry sells many products claiming to cleanse pores, leading to healthier
looking, radiant skin.
Last, but not least we have paw, which is the name given to an animal’s foot. To paw, when used
as a verb is to touch or feel something, usually in a clumsy or unwanted way!
I hope that these explanations have helped to clarify things
a little for you. Any questions please let us know. Otherwise, see you next
week with some more easy to mix up words!
From the feedback we have received following last week’s
blog I’m guessing that a lot of our readers enjoy learning fancy or elaborate
ways of saying ordinary things. With this in mind I thought we would continue
the theme and look at some more
interesting words to extend our vocabularies.
I have to start by admitting that I am a bit of a bibliophile, that is to say I am a book
lover. I love reading, and I’m
particularly drawn to old books, I love the look, the feel and even the smell.
Bibliophiles may also be collectors of books, and whilst I would not
particularly describe myself as such, I will own up to having a few overloaded
book cases around the house! On a serious note it is important that
bibliophilia is not confused with bibliomania,
which is an obsessive, compulsive disorder involving the collection of books to
the point where an individual’s relationships and health are likely to be damaged.
Luckily for me, my book collecting is more of an innocuous hobby. When something is
described as innocuous it means it is not harmful or offensive. People may ask
innocuous questions or make innocuous remarks; they do not intend to cause any
hurt or offense by what they are saying.
Of course, there are times when an innocuous remark may
cause trouble accidentally. For example if you were to ask someone if they had a
good time at the football match last Saturday, this may seem like a polite and
innocent question. If you then find out that their partner, who is with them
when you ask the question, thought that they were in work at that time, you can
see how this could lead to an argument! This indeed would be a blunder! A blunder is a mistake or error
that is caused by ignorance, stupidity or carelessness.
I’m sure most of us can remember a time when we have made a
blunder, we all make mistakes. However, I would like to think that we are
basically assiduous, meaning
hardworking, attentive and conscientious rather than feckless. To be described as such is certainly an insult. A
feckless person is someone who is useless and unable to take on any
responsibility. They certainly cannot be relied upon, as they lack strength of
character. You would not want to work with a feckless colleague. Luckily, here
at Written English Corrected, we are all assiduous of course!
And now the gloaming
has arrived, so I will finish this blog. Gloaming is used to describe that time
following sunset but before complete darkness. This time of half light is also
known as twilight or dusk. Whilst the gloaming occurs every day of the year, it
is usually associated with travelling home from work or school in the autumn
and winter, looking forward to the comfort and warmth of home.
It doesn't matter if English is your first, second or third
language, we could all do with extending our vocabulary. With this in mind I
thought this week we could have a look at some “fancy” ways of saying everyday
things.
In this way I hope all our conversations will become more coruscating. To coruscate is to sparkle
and glitter, to shimmer and dazzle, like the sun shining on a gleaming pond.
When the adjective coruscating is used it means brilliant or striking in
content or style.
I hope that didn't make you cachinnate! To cachinnate is to laugh extremely loudly, possibly
making such a noise as to embarrass others in your company. It is to cackle or
guffaw. I suppose it could be compared to the modern expression” lol” (laugh
out loud).
Maybe you are having guests for dinner soon. If so you could
welcome them to your abode (your
house or home) and compliment them on their apparel
(the clothes they are wearing). You may also use the term to describe a “type
of clothing” such as sports apparel, or you could say something like the
apparel I wear Monday to Friday (smart working suits) is very different to the
apparel I wear on the weekends (sports/leisure suits).
When trying out new words it is important to be bold and not
pusillanimous. To be pusillanimous is
to be cowardly and lack courage; to be very timid and afraid of danger.
However, do not go to the other extreme and bloviate,
no-one likes a bloviator! Those who bloviate have developed the art of talking
for a long time and saying absolutely nothing. They can be seen as self
indulgent, empty pompous and often a little boastful. Not at all like any of
our readers.
Indeed, if I was accused of such a thing I would consider
myself a target of calumny. That is
to say the victim of an untrue statement that was said with the intention of
damaging my reputation. I would cry slander and be vitriolic (bitter and caustic) in my response!
Talking of insults, I can think of nothing worse than being labelled
as vapid. Apart from the fact that it
sounds horrible it means to be boring, bland and lifeless. A sad tired out
person with little personality!
That’s enough of the insults; let’s finish this blog in a
nice way and look at a rather peculiar sounding word: indubitably. This word, pronounced in-doo-bit-a-blee, means beyond
doubt, an absolute certainty. Indubitably this blog should help you to improve
your English vocabulary!
This week has seen the beginning of October; autumn has
really arrived. For me the beginning of October conjures up images of golden
leaves rustling on nearly bare trees, of crisp mornings and cold nights. We are
on the cusp of winter. Traditionally, I suppose October has been quite a mellow
month. The children have been back to school for a few weeks now, following the
long summer holidays, and have fallen back into the school routine. By now most
of the students have returned to their colleges and universities. It’s too
early for the Christmas panic to begin, so time for a bit of peace and
reflection.
Maybe this is why the Government decided it was a good time
to introduce Stoptober! Stoptober is an
initiative to encourage smokers to stop smoking for 28 days from the 1st
October. If you are wondering why 28 days is suggested, it is because research
has shown that someone is 5 times more likely to stay off cigarettes if they
have been smoke free for this length of time.
It was first introduced in 2012 and has been supported by both health
groups and celebrities who are willing to give their time and support to
encourage those who are trying to stop. The campaign has been a great success
with over 250,000 people signing up for it last year.
About two thirds of people who are still smoking in the UK
state they would like to stop, but it can be a difficult challenge when faced
alone. The idea here is that, with support from each other and the celebrities,
the challenge becomes more “doable”. There is a feeling of camaraderie – we are
all in this together! I think one of my favourite quotes is from Al Murray (a
great English comedian) as his character “The Pub Landlord”. He stated:
'When it comes to stopping smoking the only thing stopping you stopping
is the fact that you can’t stop, so stop stopping yourself stopping and stop.”
Very funny ....and yes it really does make sense!
This year we also have the first Macmillan Cancer Support
Charity campaign “Go sober for October”. Macmillan is a wonderful charity that
provides help and support for all those whose lives are touched by cancer, and
their families. The idea is that you sign up for this event online and then
make a donation to Macmillan from the money you will save. Participants are
also encouraged to hold events in the community or their workplace to raise
money for the charity.
In this way it can be seen to be encouraging participants to
look after their own health by avoiding alcohol for one month and helping
others via contributions to a worthwhile charity. For those who are slightly
worried that a month without alcohol seems a long time, there is the
possibility to buy a “golden ticket” from the sponsors that enables the ticket
holder to have a couple of drinks on a night that they specify.
This idea has grown from a concept of “Dry July” started in
Australia in 2008 by a group of friends, and has grown to become a non profit
organisation that has raised 20 million dollars for Australian charities.
When looking at worthwhile fund raising events going on in
October, we must also mention “Wear it Pink”. This is an event to raise money
for research into breast cancer. With over 1000 women in the UK still dying
from breast cancer each month it is so important that research continues to
help prevention and cure for this disease. It is also important to realise that
men too are affected, with approximately 350 – 400 men diagnosed each year.
The pink ribbon has long been associated with breast cancer
awareness and the “wear it pink” campaign encourages individuals to arrange fun
events to raise money for breast cancer research.
So, as you can see, October in the UK is taking on a new
look altogether. We still have that sort of mellow feeling but also the
encouragement to look after our own health, whilst also raising money to help
others. There is somehow a lot to be said about this approach to health and
well being, especially just before the mad rush of parties and over indulgence
in the run up to Christmas celebrations.
