Word Quiz #4 Punctuation: the Apostrophe

From Word Studio Winter Newsletter here

Apostrophes are used in 4 basic ways: to take the place of an omitted letter or letters when writing a shortened form of the word; to take the place of a omitted figure or figures; to show possession in nouns; often used with s (‘s) to form the plural of a figure, a letter, an abbreviation or a word that is referred to as a word.

1. When (it’s, its) seven o’clock, give the dog (it’s, its) food.
2. The (womens, women’s, womens’) ski club will meet Saturday morning.
3. Write your (s’es, s’s, ss’) bigger please.
4. (There’s, Theres, Theirs, Theirs’) room for two (2’s, 2’s, 2s’) at the corner table for four.
5. The (Kimberley’s, Kimberleys’) old car can reach a top speed in the (70s. 70’s, 70s

Answers: 1. it’s, its.  2. women’s, o’clock. 3. s’s.   4. There’s, 2’s. 5. Kimberleys’, 70’s.

Tables for Peace

Excerpt from inaugural issue of  DIVERSE Magazine November 2009

Tables for Peace

A young woman had never celebrated Christmas away from Japan.  We gathered branches in the forest to make a front door wreath and used some for the table.  She was eager to learn about western Christmas traditions and the formal placement of cutlery, plates, napkins and glasses.  She guided us in making origami cranes and candy holders to add to the decor.  When she finished lighting the candles she bowed and said, “Your table is like a shrine.”  Tables for Peace diversemagazine.ca by Virginia Gillespie

Word Lover, Pablo Neruda

“It’s the words that sing, they soar and descend. I bow to them. I love them, I cling to them, I run them down, I bite into them, I melt them down. I love words so much.  the unexpected ones, the ones I wait for greedily or stalk until, suddenly they drop.  Vowels, I love them.  They glitter like colored stones, they leap like silver fish, they are foam, thread, metal, dew.  I run after certain words.  They are so beautiful that I want to fit them all into my poem.  I catch them in mid-flight, as they buzz past, I trap the, clean them, peel them.  I set myself in front of the dish, they have a crystalline texture to me, vibrant, ivory, vegetable, oily, like fruit, like algae, like agates, like olives.  and then I stir them, I shake them I drink them, I gulp them down.  I mash them, I garnish them, I let them go.  I leave them in my poem like stalactites, like slivers of polished wood, like coals, pickings from a shipwreck, gifts from the waves.  Everything exists in the word.”

Word Power Quiz #3 Vocabulary

From Word Studio Newsletter – Autumn 2009

Stories Behind the Words – you may know the meaning but, do you know the geographical etymology?

1. chauvinism (a) exaggerated patriotism (b) a vulgar display     (c) capitalism  (d) complete and utter defeat
2. hallmark (a) a disfigurement  (b) a proof of excellence (c) a piece of furniture  (d) a decoration
3. meander (a) to flirt  (b) waste time  (c) to wander aimlessly (d) to mumble
4. nemesis (a) a bad omen (b) favoritism extended toward relatives (c) a kidney disease  (d) a fearsome antagonist
5. pariah (a) a Hindu ruler ( b) an underling  (c) a social outcast  (d) a diseased person

Answers:

1. chauvinism – (a) exaggerated patriotism (Nicholas Chauvin was a zealous patriot in Napoleonic France)
2. hallmark – (b) a proof of excellence. (In Medieval times a hallmark was an official mark stamped on genuine gold and silver articles at the Goldsmiths’ Hall in London)
3. meander – (c) to wander aimlessly (The Meander, now called Menderes, is one of the most winding rivers in Asia)
4. nemesis – (d) a fearsome antagonist (Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance)
5. pariah – (c) a social outcast (In the caste system of India a pariah belonged to a very low caste at the bottom of the social scale.)

Leaf Ember

As the vernal equinox approaches,

we stroll  into the season of the longest night.

One leaf ember lingers,

a reminder of the cyclical nature of life.

The Great English Debate

The English Language has become an international currency and is evolving at a rapid pace.  Not only are pronunciations different, but the spellings and usage differ, particularly between British and American English.

This is confusing enough for people whose first language is not English, but imagine what they experience when they study or do business in Canada.  Many Canadian writers are adamant about using Canadian spelling only.  But businesses, publishers and media writers often work with the Chicago Manual of Style to communicate in what is being called International English.

As a bilingual country, Canadians also are faced with documentation printed in both French and English. One Federal Publication version of the Canadian Style Guide also includes an appendix on how to present French words in an English text.

There are strong opinions on this ongoing debate.  Vancouver’s Geist Magazine has one worth reading called Bad Spellers by Stephen Henighan. “Like other aspects of Canadian culture, our spelling, in spite of its second-hand appearance, is unique.”

Word Power Quiz 2 – Vocabulary

From Word Studio Summer Newsletter 2009

Dunsmuir Community Gardens Sunflower

Colors – Colours
While visiting the sumptuous gardens this summer try to incorporate some of these colour/color words when describing the flowers and plants. How many hues do you already know?

1. cerulean
2. indigo
3. ocher
4. azure
5. cerise
6. ecru
7. chartreuse
8. fuchsia
9. sorrel
10. mauve

(a) pale yellowish green
(b) light yellowish brown
(c) vivid blue
(d) purplish rose
(e) dark yellow
(f) deep violet blue
(g) cherry red
(h) reddish or yellowish brown
(i) bright bluish red
(j) clear sky blue

Answers
1.(c) 2.(f) 3.(e) 4. j) 5(g) 6.(b) 7.(a) 8.(i) 9.(h) 10.(d)

1,000,000th Word

Web 2.0 has been declared the millionth English word by a web monitoring firm.

This means that through tracking it has appeared on the web more than 25,000 times.

Dictionary makers disclaim the findings.

What criteria do you think constitute words being added to dictionaries?

For more details google: web 2.0, one millionth english word, bbc

Beever – Sidewalk Art Genius

Julian Beever sidewalk art

Every time I look at photos of his work new definitions of mastery come to mind. A picture…..thousand words…..hmmm

Post your critiques of his work in comments and see more examples at website

Word Power Quiz 1 – Spelling

Words of advice: don’t depend on spell checkers. Do you agree?

Test your spelling skills.You may be surprised. Five frequent spelling errors in business communication.

1. a) acomodate b) accomodate c) acommodate d) accommodate
2. a) consensus b) concensus c) consencus d) consensuss
3. a) deductable b) deductible c) deductuble d) deductibel
4. a) liason b) liasson c) liasone d) liaison
5. a) license b) lisense c) licens d) lisence

answers: 1.d 2.a 3.b 4.d 5.a

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