Thursday, October 11, 2012

31 Days: Day 11 — All I can say is . . . Really?

This may be the shortest post in the history of 31 Days to Better Grammar. All eleven days of it.

The mystery illness has been kicking my patootie the last two days, and it is already 8:31 pm on Day 10 with no Day 11 post in sight. I'm fading quickly.

But because I lean heavily toward verbosity, let me first share this little tidbit. (You knew it was too good to be true, didn't you?) I found out yesterday that there is an 18-year-old young man who is reading and enjoying this series. He says it's helping him understand grammar in a way he never has before. Can I tell you how happy that makes me? As an English lover and to-the-core word nerd, I want everyone to love it as much as I do, so the thought that I can help shed some light on a subject that so many people hate really spins my prop (that's an old Navy Air term). And I'm thrilled that he was willing to tell his mother about it. I won't reveal (or even hint at) his identity—to protect his reputation among his peers.  ;)


Today I'm just going to share a few of the easily confused pairs you said drove you crazy, in hope that someone else may learn from them and that will be one fewer person in the world to get on your last nerve. Think of it as my public service for the day.

1. immigrate vs. emigrate

immigrate = enter a country and take up residence. (think In)

emigrate = leave one's home country and move to another to take up residence (think Exit)

Jacob emigrated from Israel to America.  My mother immigrated when she was a teen.


2. site vs. sight

site = physical location of a structure or event; Internet address

sight = something that is seen

I caught sight of the building's site. I can't stand the sight of that site.


3. cease vs. seize

This one really surprised me. I mean, the two words don't even sound alike. But apparently, they are mixed up regularly on Facebook.

Really? Bad grammar on Facebook?

cease = stop an action

seize = grasp and hold on

Seize the day. Cease bickering. But if you cease the day or seize the bickering, we're all in trouble.


4. prophet vs. profit

The last one surprised me; this one stuns me. I want to say (like Jerry Seinfeld) Really?

Seen in a church publication recently, this one said "Jesus was a profit." Really? Not only is it a misspelling, it's wrong doctrinally.


prophet = one who utters divinely inspired revelations

profit = the excess of income over expenditures in a transaction or series of transactions

A prophet foretold the birth of Christ. I hope my business operates at a profit.


That last one may prevent me from sleeping tonight. I'll try to have a more positive lesson tomorrow.

Be thankful ~



1 comment:

Kayla said...

It would really be okay if you just let yourself get better, and then cracked your grammar whip. You could postpone. I don't think there is a rule that says it has to be 31 consecutive days of grammar....right?