Weekly GrammarTip

Four Common Mistakes

The purpose of our GrammarTip is to share advice with our readers so they can avoid the mistakes we see in documents our clients send us. Rather than sit back and contribute to the erosion of established rules and standards, we're here to reinforce what leading English grammar authorities consider to be proper, and help our readers avoid what those authorities consider to be wrong. To that end, we detail here some mistakes we often see in our clients' documents, and their corrections.

A & AN: Vile errors

Guideline. Use a before any word that begins with a consonant sound. Use an before any word that begins with a vowel sound. Easy enough. We'll dispense with the obvious examples and go right to the ones we see missed every day: sounds that begin with consonants but are pronounced as though they start with vowels - and vice versa.

• My company has an HMO plan for medical problems.
• The proposal came to us as an MS Word document.
• This is a historic occasion. [In UK English, though, historic is usually preceded with "an" because of the softer pronunciation of the "h" in "historic."]

AS, BECAUSE & SINCE: Ongoing problem

Guideline. Use because or since when you might otherwise say "the reason being." Use as when you would otherwise use "during."

• I didn't hear any of the commotion that went on last night because [the reason being] I was fast asleep.
• I didn't get a chance to see any of the finalists as [during the time] they were marching by very quickly.
  Different from:
• I didn't get a chance to see any of the finalists because [the reason being] they were marching by very quickly.

DIFFERENT FROM & DIFFERENT THAN: Marked distinctions

Guideline. Favor different from in most cases, but keep in mind that different than is now considered acceptable in many situations.

• Morris is different from the way I imagined he would be, based on his photograph.
  But:
• The situation is a lot different today than it was just yesterday during the slalom competition. (The alternative here would be wordier: "The situation is a lot different today from the way it was yesterday during the slalom competition.")

DUE TO, BECAUSE OF & OWING TO: Just cause

Guideline. Use these phrases interchangeably, but be prepared to defend your use of due to when it follows an action verb.

A closer look. Due to fell into disrespect in the early 1900s, when grammarians decided it was an adjective and therefore could not modify an action verb. Some usage authorities still hold that position, but the modern view is that due to is a prepositional phrase and can therefore be used wherever you feel like using it.

• My sunburn today is due to my falling asleep in the noonday sun yesterday. (Due to is standard here because it follows a linking verb, is.)
• I didn't sleep a wink last night due to [or because of or owing to] the noise created by the flamenco dancers who live above me.

Source: Grammar for Smart People by Barry Tarshis.

 

Test Your Vocabulary!

A Cultural Milestone

On this date in 1977 (long, long ago), Star Wars Episode 4 was released (in a theater not too far away, probably). Since then the Star Wars concept has made a few bucks for its owner. (But anybody who was smart enough to trademark the word droid 35 years ago deserves to be rich, don't you think?) As we commemorate this monumental icon of culture that changed the world, see if the Force is with you for today's quiz.

1. Hoth: (a) A desert planet on the remote outer rim of the galaxy; (b) A 3-legged animal ridden by Han Solo; (c) A favorite pet of Jabba the Hutt's; (d) An ice planet occupied by the rebellion.

2. Qui-Gon Jinn: (a) Jedi master and mentor to Obi-Wan Kenobi; (b) Cousin of reptilian creature Jar Jar Binks; (c) A tactical maneuver used by a rebel fighter jet during battle; (d) Padme Amidala's father.

3. Lando Calrissian: (a) A bounty hunter from Tatooine; (b) A friend of Han Solo's who lives in Cloud City; (c) The first Dark Sith Lord of the Empire; (d) A pilot who trained Luke Skywalker on Tatooine.

4. Alderaan: (a) A word often associated with The Force for its supernatural powers; (b) The name of Luke and Leia's estranged sister; (c) Home planet of Princess Leia; (d) Sister galaxy to Naboo.

5. Darth Maul: (a) The name given to Darth Vader after his turn to the Dark Side of the Force; (b) The apprentice to and personal assassin for the Sith Lord Darth Sidious; (c) The primary foe of Luke Skywalker; (d) A term given to every Jedi Master upon the completion of his or her training.

6. Endor: (a) A forest moon occupied by creatures named "Ewoks"; (b) Name of Han Solo's deceased first wife; (c) Tropical region on the Dagobah System; (d) Local bar frequented by Lando Calrissian.

7. Jawas: (a) Nomadic group of trash scavengers found on the planet Tatooine; (b) Reptilian creatures who live in underwater cities on the planet Naboo; (c) A tall humanoid race with a large beaked head; (d) Huge, hairy, ape-like creatures of which the character "Chewbacca" is one.

8. C-3PO: (a) Astromech droid; (b) Battle droid; (c) Protocol droid; (d) Maintenance droid.

9. Rancor: (a) A poisonous rat found aboard the Millennium Falcon; (b) A model of lightsabers commonly used by young Jedi's; (c) The name of Anakin Skywalker's star fighter jet; (d) A giant monster living in the palace of Jabba the Hutt.

10. Tauntaun: (a) A large, white, furry animal found on the planet Hoth; (b) A cloak worn by a Jedi apprentice; (c) The Jawa word for "hello"; (d) One of the two suns of the planet Tatooine.

Here are the answers to today's Vocabulary Test!