The A's & B's of "muse"

Being Amused is to be entertained or diverted in a happy, pleasant way. It is also when someone or something has caused you to laugh or smile.

Being Bemused on the other hand is to be confused, lost in thought or preoccupied.

Be careful when using CONTRONYMS!!!!

What is a contronym you ask? A word that, depending on the context in which it is used, has opposite or contradictory meanings.

 Let’s have a look at a few just for fun:

CONSULT: to offer advice OR to obtain it

BOLT: to secure, OR to flee

TRANSPARENT: invisible OR obvious

ROCK: an immovable mass OR a shaking or unsettling movement

FINE: exceptional/excellent OR good enough/acceptable

FIRST DEGREE: most severe (murder) or least severe (burns)

Be sure to craft your sentences with the appropriate context so readers know EXACTLY what you mean. You may need someone to oversee (monitor) your writing, so you don’t oversee (fail to monitor) your habitual errors...

Tricky eh?

The Grammar Continuum

At CYA, we are continually searching for interesting grammar tidbits to share with our readers to make sure they look good on paper! If we were to continuously do this, we would be exhausted!

Continual refers to  something of regular or frequent occurrence, while continuous is something that does not stop; a very important distinction in certain circumstances. Think about it!

How unique IS it?

Here is a phrase-misuse that you may have made and most certainly have heard or seen.

The word "unique" means one of a kind, incomparable, like no other thing in the world. That is a pretty amazing thing to be, so why do people feel compelled to try and enhance the word ? Very unique, totally unique and quite unique are statements that  may actually put the uniqueness in question. Somewhat unique, another oft-used expression, definitely means that what is being referred to is NOT unique at all.

Uniquely Yours,
The CYA Team

Are you persuasive.....or convincing?

There is a subtle yet interesting distinction between these two words. They are often used interchangeably, even though that may not grammatically correct.


PERSUADE: to motivate a person to do something
CONVINCE: to lead someone, by argument or evidence to understand or believe something


I convinced my husband that a kitchen renovation was a great idea and then I persuaded him to start dismantling the cabinets the following weekend.


PS I may have used bribery or blackmail to achieve this result, but that is fodder for another blog!

It's "grate" to know these things!

We often we see these three verbs used interchangeably ... and they shouldn't be because there are nuances in their meanings that make one of them the "grate" choice every time!

MIGRATE *** 

IMMIGRATE *** EMIGRATE

So let's look at this more closely.

Migrate 

to GO from one country, region or place to another

(it's all about the going!)

Immigrate

to COME to a country of which one is not a native

(it's all about the coming)

Emigrate

to LEAVE a country or region and settle in another

(it's all about the leaving)

There, there ... not to worry!

Even though today's highlighted error is far too often seen in professional and business communication, we know this quick reminder will stick with you and YOU won't be caught misusing these homophones.


Here are some real examples of incorrect use of these words below (names withheld to protect THEIR reputations):

Craig was right in the middle of a rampage, but he stopped THEIR to make sure we were all scared.
"He said THERE so pressed for time that they did not get to any proof-reading today"
"I was going to call you this afternoon, but THEY'RE meeting was called early..."

LET'S GET IT STRAIGHT!

THERE is an adverb describing a PLACE or a POINT IN ACTION:
Craig was right in the middle of a rampage, but he stopped THERE to make sure we were all scared. 

THEY'RE  is a contraction for they are:

He said THEY'RE so pressed for time that they did not get to any proof-reading today.

THEIR is a possessive pronoun for "they", used before a noun:
I was going to call you this afternoon, but THEIR meeting was called early.


So THERE you have it!

Very in-ter-es-ting!

Disinterested or Uninterested? That is the question.

Although it appears that historically, the meanings of these 2 words may have switched, the correct usage today is as follows:

Disinterested - neutral, unbiased, impartial, unprejudiced

Uninterested - indifferent, having no interest, of no personal consequence

Although they may seem quite similar, they really are not. A disinterested observer would probably make a good judge where as an uninterested person would not.

As writers of a blog, we accept that a reader might be disinterested in the subject matter, but hope that no one is ever uninterested!

At A Loss.....

CYA Writing Tips specializes in bringing to light, words that are commonly misused or misspelled. A good friend and follower of our blog, brought a good one to our attention yesterday, and in his honor (spelled correctly for us and other Americans - we don't do "ou") we are going to share it with you today.

Loss Leader is the term used to refer to goods or services offered at deep discounts (often below cost) in order to attract customers. The strategy behind the loss leader is that the discounted product or service will attract customers to the business to "get the deal", and then they will continue to buy/use other products or services that are more profitable.

Lost Leader, is the term used in error. Not to say that there are no "lost leaders" (world politics can boast quite a few!), but it is incorrect when used to describe this particular marketing strategy.

Amiss and Remiss ... close but not the same

At a seminar last week, the speaker said " I would be AMISS if I didn't mention....". Something sounded AMISS, and we did not want to be REMISS in excluding it from our blog. With further investigation, we can see how the mistake could be easily made as their meanings are somewhat similar.

AMISS - not quite right; inappropriate or out of place
                       There was something amiss in the classroom.

REMISS - negligent or careless; slow in performing one's duties
                   As writing tip bloggers, we would be remiss if we didn't clarify these differences for our readers

Everyday Email Etiquette

A few reminders worth remembering:

ALWAYS INCLUDE BASIC GREETINGS

Simple but kind salutations work well in the electronic world. Use the recipient's name and be polite, yet brief and concise.

DON'T SEND BEFORE YOU INTEND TO

It is quite unprofessional to send an email before it is complete, proofed and copied to the appropriate people. ALWAYS type and proof your email BEFORE filling in the TO and CC fields.

REVIEW ALL RELATED MESSAGES BEFORE REPLYING

Although cumbersome, spend the time reviewing all related emails when you have been away from your desk for a time. Replying to something that has already been handled by a colleague or even the person who sent the email is confusing and can cause errors and wasted time.

YOUR SUBJECT LINE ... MAKE IT COUNT

Choosing a creative, interesting or highly relevant subject line is of paramount importance when trying to get your message read, heard and acted upon. Remember that people are busy and you are competing with hundreds and maybe thousands of other emails for mental real estate.

NEVER EMAIL IN ANGER

An email tainted by explosive emotion is not only unprofessional and inappropriate, it actually has MUCH LESS effect than a calm, professional presentation of facts and issues coupled with a clear call to action. 

'til next time,

Your CYA Team

IT'S ALL IN THE "d"

Adverse and Averse


Commonly, we see the words adverse and averse used incorrectly; although they have SIMILAR meanings and are both adjectives, they are quite different and cannot be used interchangeably.


Adverse means bad or negative
Averse means opposed or against


Understanding this, one cannot be "adverse" to something as in "I am adverse to lippy teenagers" because that would translate to "I am BAD to lippy teenagers" which clearly does not make sense. 


CORRECT USE: I am averse to lippy teenagers.


Conversely, one does not have an "averse" reaction to something as in "I had an averse reaction to the lippy teenager" because that would translate to "I had an AGAINST reaction to the lippy teenager" which again, does not make sense.


CORRECT USE: I had an ADVERSE reaction to the lippy teenager.


Substituting the synonyms for ADVERSE AND AVERSE in your sentences will help you determine which word to use and lead you to use these words correctly...consistently! 

To pique/peak/peek your interest.....

Let's just get the relevant definitions out there right from the start, then we can pick apart the proper use of these homophones!

PIQUED: a verb meaning to excite with interest and curiosity


PEEKED: a verb meaning to have looked or glanced quickly, often from a concealed location


PEAKED: an adjective meaning to have a peak (or as our parents might have used; an adjective meaning to be pale and drawn in appearance suggesting oncoming illness - pronounced PEAK-KID)


The main reason for this particular blog subject is CYA having seen, countless times, the improper use of the word PEEKED or PEAKED in place of PIQUED.


Let's use them correctly in a sentence to clarify:
1. Her interest was PIQUED with an invitation to join the debating club.
2. Isaac PEEKED at the Christmas gifts hidden in the closet
3. The PEAKED meringue atop the key lime looked delicious.

Choose your words  carefully so you won't look PEAKED in front of your
co-workers!

TRY ... and TRY again!

This entry is short and sweet and I will try to express the sentiment simply and concisely.


We  should not "try and" be or do anything, but we should "try to" be and do everything! What I am trying to say is that I will  try to convince you not to use try & and together, but instead always use try to.


EXAMPLE:


"I will try to be more creative in my next Blog entry"  is correct while "I will try and be more creative in my next Blog entry" is incorrect!


GET IT?

Wreaking Havoc on Reek

Today's common error is really more of a spelling mistake. Very few people are likely to write either word very often, but may speak them regularly. Neither are very positive words, but both get their point across quite nicely.

WREAK - to cause destruction, inflict revenge or express anger or hatred in action against another

REEK - give off an extremely unpleasant smell or show strong evidence of an unpleasant quality.

The vengeful teen wreaked havoc at school by planting a stink bomb that reeked for a week!

JUST DON'T DO IT...and you won't need this post!

Today's blog is a two-fold lesson. Part 1 is knowing the difference between "libel" and "slander". Do you think you know? The misuse of these words is a mistake made by many and it is an easy one to fix.

"Libel" is written defamation and "slander" is verbal defamation. You can avoid both by abiding by the old adage "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, then don't say anything at all".

Part 2 of today's blog is the mixing up of libel and liable. "Liable" means having legal responsibility or likely to do something. Be careful with this one...it is more often a verbal faux pas than a written one.

If you know someone who is liable to use libel when they should be using slander, please forward this blog.



EN, IN or AS - Be SURE!

Ensure
Insure
Assure

We expect that most people don't mix up all three words as much as they do the first two, but we thought we would put them all in today's blog to ensure that you feel assured about using the word insure!

ENSURE is used when you are referring to GUARANTEEING something. It is the single-word option for make sure.

We ensure your satisfaction in our writing services.

INSURE means "to provide protection against loss, damage & liability", usually with a financial or replacement guarantee. It can also mean "to protect against risk", usually by offering preventive measures or a "Plan B".

State Farm will insure your home against theft and fire.

ASSURE is to to convince someone of something or to assuage their doubt.

We assure you that you won't make this error once you read this blog.

Without Regard ......

"Irregardless", a much used word in the 20th century, is actually not a real word at all. If you break it up, you will see that the two negative elements,  ir and less, create a meaning exactly the opposite of what is intended in the use of the word.

The correct word is "regardless" which means without regard for.

So...regardless of a bad habit you may have picked up along the way,  the use of irregardless is erroneous, and for some, hearing it is similar to the sound of nails on a blackboard!

Affect vs Effect - How do you know?

In our research, much of which has been done simply by reading email, blogs and social media posts, we have found the misuse of these two words to be extremely common.

It is actually quite simple to prevent this error, by remembering that EFFECT is a NOUN and AFFECT is a VERB.

AFFECT means to act on or to influence, as in "the world has been deeply affected by the Tsunami in Japan"

EFFECT is a result, or the power to produce a result. "The Tsunami has had a devastating effect on the Japanese people."

There are exceptions, but the above examples are the most common uses of these two words.

P.S. If you have been affected by the effects of the Tsunami and wish to help, please go to http://www.worldvision.com/ and make a donation.

Company Policy

It is very common to see a company name treated as a plural noun. This happens because our perception of a company often includes the employees as the focus. The company name though, is a singular noun, and should be treated as such.


IN THE NEWS.......
Cadbury to ship its crème eggs to the Easter Bunny this Friday!

SHOULD NEVER BE IN THE NEWS......
Cadbury to ship their crème eggs to the Easter Bunny this Friday!

...and THEN there was THAN

Even though spellings and meanings are very different, when pronunciations of words are similar, they often get misused in writing.

THEN is not to be confused with THAN ...

THEN is an adverb usually referring to a time reference meaning "at that time" or "next on the order of time" or even "at the same time" as in: 

·         Life was better THEN

·         We wrote the Blog, then we celebrated

·         Initially, the Blog was cumbersome, then it became second nature

THAN is most commonly seen as a conjunction used "to introduce a second part of an unequal comparison" or "to introduce the rejected choice in expressions of preference" as in:

·         My sister is older THAN I (am old)

·         I would rather be a millionaire THAN a pauper

We are hoping that this quick Blog lesson, THEN, will prove to be more helpful THAN "going it alone"

A Lot, Alot, Allot - Pick 2

Today's post is to confirm that you can know a lot about something, but never alot. The word "alot" does not exist! The noun "lot "basically means a large amount ,so having "a lot" of something is the opposite of having "a little".

"Allot" on the other hand is a verb, which means to distribute or allocate.

So, if you are going out tonight to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, please allot yourself plenty of time to drink a lot of green beer, and then... take a cab!

It's NOT a Choice!

Here is another common error that creeps up on you when you don't take the time to think through what you are actually trying to say ...

To use "it's" or "its" ... THAT is the question.

"It's" is a contraction - it is short for it is or it has while  "its" is a possessive pronoun - as in "The jaguar killed its prey."

A good way to verify if you have chosen the correct i-t-s is to ask yourself if the i-t-s can be substituted with it is or it has ....if so, use "it's", if not, use "its"

Never use ANYWAYS in ANY WAY!!

Adding an "s" to anyway is one of the most common grammatical errors, and although it is so frequently misused it is almost accepted, it is nevertheless a mistake!


Anyway is an adverb, and adverbs do not have plurals. Anyway means "in any case", nonetheless, and regardless.


In addition anyway is occasionally spelled like the two word phrase, any way, meaning "in any manner".


So, you may choose to continue using "anyways", but we thought you would like to know anyway because any way we can help out, we are happy to do so.

Thank you.....

... to which the most common reply is "You're Welcome"! But too often we see it written as YOUR welcome.


The misuse of your and you're is a very common one, but particularly conspicuous when used in this oft-emailed two word response. 'You're', is the contraction of you are, as in you are welcome. The 2 words your welcome would rarely be used together, except in reverse order such as I welcome your arrival.

The use of proper grammar makes a big impression - but improper grammar often makes a bigger one.

http://www.cyainternational.com/

If you COULD; why don't you?

This mistake is probably made by 50% of the English-speaking population. When you are completely dismissive about something or someone, the appropriate expression is "I couldn't care less" , although so many people say that they could!

"I could care less" is the grammatically incorrect but widely used expression. When you think about it, if you could care less than you do-wouldn't you?  

Win-Wind Situation

Today's entry is about being lucky, but your luck may run out if you are grammatically incorrect. We have seen many times, that people have had a WINfall, but did you know it is actually WINDfall?

Its origins seem to be from wind blowing fruit off the tree, resulting in a windfall (an unexpected piece of good fortune) for a passerby.

"Just Deserts"

Have you seen this expression written and perhaps been frustrated because it is spelled incorrectly? Well, actually it's not.

Deserts, as in "things deserved" has been used since the 13th century. Although it is now rarely used except within the context of this expression, this is the correct spelling, even though many now erroneously replace it with desserts (the sweet course after the entree) and others confuse it with desert (an arid region of land).