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Vitamins

  1. Vitamin Review #10 May 22, 2008
  2. Vitamin Review #9 May 21, 2008
  3. Vitamin Review #8 May 20, 2008
  4. Vitamin Review #7 May 19, 2008
  5. Vitamin Review #6 May 16, 2008
  6. Vitamin Review #5 May 15, 2008
  7. Vitamin Review #4 May 14, 2008
  8. Vitamin Review #3 May 13, 2008
  9. Vitamin Review #2 May 12, 2008
  10. Vitamin Review #1 May 9, 2008
  11. Vitamin #148 May 8, 2008
  12. Vitamin #147 May 7, 2008
  13. Vitamin #146 May 6, 2008
  14. Vitamin #145 May 5, 2008
  15. Vitamin #144 May 1, 2008
  16. Vitamin #143 April 30 2008
  17. Vitamin #142 April 28, 2008
  18. Vitamin #141 April 25, 2008
  19. Vitamin #140 April 24, 2008
  20. Vitamin #139 April 23, 2008
  21. Vitamin #138 April 22, 2008
  22. Vitamin #137 April 21, 2008
  23. Vitamin #136 April 18, 2008
  24. Vitamin #135 April 17, 2008
  25. Vitamin #134 April 16, 2008
  26. Vitamin #133 April 15, 2008
  27. Vitamin #132 April 14, 2008
  28. Vitamin #131 April 11, 2008
  29. Vitamin #130 April 10, 2008
  30. Vitamin #129 April 9, 2008
  31. Vitamin #128 April 8, 2008
  32. Vitamin #127 April 7, 2008
  33. Vitamin #126 April 4, 2008
  34. Vitamin #125 April 3, 2008
  35. Vitamin #124 April 2, 2008
  36. Vitamin #123 April 1, 2008
  37. Vitamin #122 March 31, 2008
  38. Vitamin #121 March 20, 2008
  39. Vitamin #120 March 19, 2008
  40. Vitamin #119 March 18, 2008
  41. Vitamin #118 March 17, 2008
  42. Vitamin #117 March 14, 2008
  43. Vitamin #116 March 13, 2008
  44. Vitamin #115 March 12, 2008
  45. Vitamin #114 March 11, 2008
  46. Vitamin #113 March 10, 2008
  47. Vitamin #112 March 7, 2008
  48. Vitamin #111 March 6, 2008
  49. Vitamin #110 March 5, 2008
  50. Vitamin #109 March 4, 2008
  51. Vitamin #108 March 3, 2008
  52. Vitamin #107 February 29, 2008
  53. Vitamin #106 February 28, 2008
  54. Vitamin #105 February 27, 2008
  55. Vitamin #104 February 26, 2008
  56. Vitamin #103 February 25, 2008
  57. Vitamin #102 February 22, 2008
  58. Vitamin #101 February 21, 2008
  59. Vitamin #100 February 20, 2008
  60. Vitamin #99 February 19, 2008
  61. Vitamin #98 February 14, 2008
  62. Vitamin #97 February 13, 2008
  63. Vitamin #96 February 12, 2008
  64. Vitamin #95 February 8, 2008
  65. Vitamin #94 February 7, 2008
  66. Vitamin #93 February 6, 2008
  67. Vitamin #92 February 5, 2008
  68. Vitamin #91 January 31, 2008
  69. Vitamin #90 January 30, 2008
  70. Vitamin #89 January 29, 2008
  71. Vitamin #88 January 28, 2008
  72. Vitamin #87 January 25, 2008
  73. Vitamin #86 January 24, 2008
  74. Vitamin #85 January 23, 2008
  75. Vitamin #84 January 12, 2008
  76. Vitamin #83 January 18, 2008
  77. Vitamin #82 January 17, 2008
  78. Vitamin #81 January 16, 2008
  79. Vitamin #80 January 15, 2008
  80. Vitamin #79 January 14, 2008
  81. Vitamin #78 January 11, 2008
  82. Vitamin #77 January 10, 2008
  83. Vitamin #76 January 9, 2008
  84. Vitamin #75 January 8, 2008
  85. Vitamin #74 January 7, 2008
  86. Vitamin #73 December 19, 2007
  87. Vitamin #72 December 18, 2007
  88. Vitamin #71 December 17, 2007
  89. Vitamin #70 December 14, 2007
  90. Vitamin #69 December 13, 2007
  91. Vitamin #68 December 12, 2007
  92. Vitamin #67 December 11, 2007
  93. Vitamin #66 December 10, 2007
  94. Vitamin #65 December 7, 2007
  95. Vitamin #64 December 6, 2007
  96. Vitamin #63 December 5, 2007
  97. Vitamin #62 December 3, 2007
  98. Vitamin #61 November 30, 2007
  99. Vitamin #60 November 29, 2007
  100. Vitamin #59 November 28, 2007
  101. Vitamin #58 November 27, 2007
  102. Vitamin #57 November 26, 2007
  103. Vitamin #56 November 21, 2007
  104. Vitamin #55 November 20, 2007
  105. Vitamin #54 November 19, 2007
  106. Vitamin #53 November 16, 2007
  107. Vitamin #52 November 15, 2007
  108. Vitamin #51 November 13, 2007
  109. Vitamin #50 November 12, 2007
  110. Vitamin #49 November 8, 2007
  111. Vitamin #48 November 7, 2007
  112. Vitamin #47 November 6, 2007
  113. Vitamin #46 November 5, 2007
  114. Vitamin #45 November 2, 2007
  115. Vitamin #44 November 1, 2007
  116. Vitamin #43 October 31, 2007
  117. Vitamin #42 October 30, 2007
  118. Vitamin #41 October 29, 2007
  119. Vitamin #40 October 26, 2007
  120. Vitamin #39 October 25, 2007
  121. Vitamin #38 October 24, 2007
  122. Vitamin #37 October 23, 2007
  123. Vitamin #36 October 22, 2007
  124. Vitamin #35 October 19, 2007
  125. Vitamin #34 October 18, 2007
  126. Vitamin #33 October 17, 2007
  127. Vitamin #32 October 16, 2007
  128. Vitamin #31 October 15, 2007
  129. Vitamin #30 October 12, 2007
  130. Vitamin #29 October 11, 2007
  131. Vitamin #28 October 10, 2007
  132. Vitamin #27 October 9, 2007
  133. Vitamin #26 October 4, 2007
  134. Vitamin #25 October 2-3, 2007
  135. Vitamin #24 October 1, 2007
  136. Vitamin #23 September 28, 2007
  137. Vitamin #22 September 27, 2007
  138. Vitamin #21 September 26, 2007
  139. Vitamin #20 September 25, 2007
  140. Vitamin #19 September 24, 2007
  141. Vitamin #18 September 21, 2007
  142. Vitamin #17 September 20, 2007
  143. Vitamin #16 September 19, 2007
  144. Vitamin #15 September 18, 2007
  145. Vitamin #14 September 17, 2007
  146. Vitamin #13 September 14, 2007
  147. Vitamin #12 September 13, 2007
  148. Vitamin #11 September 12, 2007
  149. Vitamin #10 September 11, 2007
  150. Vitamin #9 September 10, 2007
  151. Vitamin #8 September 7, 2007
  152. Vitamin #7 September 6, 2007
  153. Vitamin #6 September 5, 2007
  154. Vitamin #5 September 4, 2007
  155. Vitamin #4 August 30, 2007
  156. Vitamin #3 August 29, 2007
  157. Vitamin #2 August 28, 2007
  158. Vitamin #1 August 24, 2007
Vitamin Review #10 May 22, 2008

1.  Everyday we have to always copy are stupid vitamins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2.  I didn't mean to infer that your guys's actions were to mischeevious; however, your acting like you are kindergardeners.

3.  What is the French phrase that means "strike of state"?

4.  Write down three questions that you still need answered before the final.
Vitamin Review #9 May 21, 2008

Write ten vitamin correction sentences covering vitamins from the entire year.  Then switch with a classmate and correct each other's sentences.  
Vitamin Review #8 May 20, 2008

Choose three foreign words you do not know very well that you think may be on the final.  Copy each word and definition five times.  
Vitamin Review #7 May 19, 2008

1.  An article I read called The Best Types of Exercise in Fitness Magazine peaked my curiosity so much that I have swam every day this week.

2.  Its time to try and do real good on are final exams in English and History.  

3.  What is the Latin phrase that means "quickly thrown together or improvised"?  What about "let the buyer beware"?
Vitamin Review #6 May 16, 2008

1.  In the place we're going too be at, we will need the following sturdy shoes, comfortable clothes, and a good camera.

2.  The Carlsons house is real different than ours; Mr. Jones is to.  

3.  What is the French word that means "fashionable, stylish, topped with ice cream"?  What about "a private conversation between two people"?

4.  What is the Spanish word that means "tomorrow"?  What about "a small, relatively unimportant offense or sin; quirk"?
Vitamin Review #5 May 15, 2008

1.  Your going to pay down your loan alot more quickly if u pay both principle and interest.

2.  If I would of known the pharmacy was closed, I would of picked up my perscription today rather than waiting until tomarrow.

3.  Using the rules of using an ellipsis, remove "conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" from the following section of "The Gettysburg Address."
                "Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth on this continent a                  new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are                  created equal."
Vitamin Review #4 May 14, 2008

1.  I can't help but wonder if correct pronounciation of words like maintainance would have helped me to learn to spell them.

2.  What is the word that means "full of respect"?  What about "each in the order indicated"?
Vitamin Review #3 May 13, 2008

1.  His extreme heighth has had an effect on his life, especially when walking in doorways.

2.  The problem occured while we were reading out loud in class.

3.  What is the word that means "private"?  What about "employees"?

4.  Write the following quotation (said by Mrs. Dunlavey) correctly using the rules of writing quotations:  Does everyone have their textbooks today?
Vitamin Review #2 May 12, 2008

1.  Congradulations Bob your about to recieve a free subscription to Reader's Digest.

2.  I was real suprised to discover that it was alright to read books like East of Eden Cold Mountain and ect. in an english class.

3.  What is a compound modifier, and when would one hyphenate it?

4.  What is the word that means "writing materials"?  What about "unmovable, fixed, in a rigid position"?
Vitamin Review #1 May 9, 2008

1.  The image of nucular energy tends to get drug through the mud, but it can be good for earth.

2.  It might be a suprise to learn that Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi use to be my favorite album in Junior High; it contained the song Livin' on a Prayer.  

3.  What is the word that means "reference"?  What about "false impression"?

4.  What is the German word that means "spirit of the times"?
Vitamin #148 May 8, 2008

It is a good idea to know at least a few letters from the Greek alphabet since they are used in many different disciplines.  Try to memorize the whole thing:
*Α, α= alpha             Ξ, ξ= xi
*Β, β= beta            Ο, ο= omicron
Γ, γ= gamma           * Π, π= pi
*Δ, δ= delta            Ρ, ρ= rho
Ε, ε= epsilon            *Σ, σ= sigma
Ζ, ζ= zeta            Τ, τ= tau
Η, η= eta            Υ, υ= upsilon
*Θ, θ= theta            Φ, φ=phi
Ι, ι= iota            Χ, χ= chi
Κ, κ= kappa            Ψ, ψ= psi
*Λ, λ= lambda          *  Ω, ω= omega
*Μ, μ= mu
Ν, ν= nu
Hint:  putting it to music really helps with memorization.  
Vitamin #147 May 7, 2008

Try to avoid redundancies such as "today's modern society" and exaggerations such as "from the beginning of time" or "throughout history."  These are lazy and make writers sound as if they have no idea what they are trying to say.  Instead, substitute something more specific such as "for the past five hundred years" or "in the twenty-first century."  

Correct:
1.  Proofreading errors, such as transposing of there and their or the mispelling of convienience, have become common in today's modern society.
Vitamin #146 May 6, 2008

Soil is lower-case “earth.” And in most uses even the planet itself remains humbly in lower-case letters: “peace on earth.” But in astronomical contexts, the Earth comes into its own with a proud initial capital, and in science fiction it drops the introductory article and becomes “Earth,” just like Mars and Venus. A similar pattern applies to Earth’s satellite: “shine on, harvest moon,” but “from the Earth to the Moon.” Because other planets also have moons, it never loses its article.

Correct:
1.  Your going to have to reposition your equipment to recieve a good signal from Jupiter on earth.
Vitamin #145 May 5, 2008

Even more Latin phrases:
Magna Cum Laude= "with great praise" meaning a high honor given to college students with a superior academic record (usually a 4.0 G.P.A. Summa Cum Laude is an honor just under Magna Cum Laude)
    ex. He graduated magna cum laude from U of I.  
Ad Hoc= "to this" meaning quickly thrown together or improvised
    ex.  At the last minute, we threw together an ad hoc team for the softball tournament.
Magnum Opus (often shortenend to just opus)= "great work" meaning a masterpiece
    ex.  Many people consider the "Ninth Symphony" to be Beethoven's magnum opus.
Status Quo= "fixed place or thing" meaning things as they are
    ex.  If one is not happy with the status quo, he should try to change it.
Caveat Emptor=  "let the buyer beware" this is used as a warning to be careful before you buy because you bear the final responsibility for any purchases you make
    ex.  Caveat emptor when shopping on the internet.
Vitamin #144 May 1, 2008

More Latin phrases:
Non Sequitur:  "does not follow" meaning a phrase that seems absurd because it doesn't make sense within the context
    ex.  Republicans love our country; Democrats love our country.  Therefore, Republicans must love Democrats.
De Facto= "from the fact" meaning in reality, or in fact
    ex.  While Mary was recovering from her illness, Bob was the de facto head of the company.
Alter Ego= "other I" meaning one's second self or alternate personality
    ex.  Superman's alter ego was Clark Kent.
Modus Operandi (M.O.)= "method of operating" meaning a pattern or procedure (often criminal)
    ex.  The thief's modus operandi was leaving the water on in the houses he robbed.
Persona Non Grata= "person not pleasing" meaning an unwelcome person
    ex.  She was persona non grata at her ex-boyfriend's wedding.
Vitamin #143 April 30, 2008

Latin phrases commonly used in English:
Bona Fide= "in good faith" meaning genuine or well-intentioned
    ex.  He was a bona fide millionaire.
Pro Bono= short for pro bono publico "for the public good" meaning work done for free
    ex.  The lawyer agreed to work pro bono.
Ad Nauseam= "to the point of nausea" meaning doing something until people are sick of it
    ex.  They sang "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" ad nauseam.
Mea Culpa= "my fault" meaning an admission of guilt
    ex.  As soon as she knew she was caught, she just said, "Mea culpa."
Vitamin #142 April 28, 2008

Everyday is written as one word only when used as an adjective.  
ex.  We do not use our china every day.
ex.  Our everyday dishes were not as expensive as our china.  

Correct:
1.  Everyday your walking around looking for someone to go with.  
Vitamin #141 April 25, 2008

Accept= to consent to receive
Except= to exclude
ex.  If you offer me Godiva chocolates, I will gladly accept them—except for the candied violet ones.
NOTE: Just remember that the “X” in “except” excludes things—they tend to stand out, be different. In contrast, just look at those two cozy “C’s” snuggling up together. Very accepting. And be careful; when typing “except” it often comes out “expect.”

Correct:
1.  They all laid prostate on the floor-accept for the one in the chair.
Vitamin #140 April 24, 2008

A dash (—) looks like a double hyphen and is a very useful punctuation mark.  It is used in a similar manner to a colon—especially for separating parts of a sentence where one part explains the other (as used in this sentence).  
When typing a dash in Microsoft Word (and most other word processing programs), type two hyphens with no space separating the words on either side; then when you space after the second word, the program will change it to a dash.  

Correct:
1.  Its real tempting to constantly yell at kindergardeners-there always running around and making noise.  
Vitamin #139 April 23, 2008

It is tempting to think that your attention might be aroused to a high point by “peaking” your curiosity; but in fact, “pique” is a French word meaning “prick,” in the sense of “stimulate.” The expression has nothing to do with “peek,” either. Therefore the expression is “my curiosity was piqued.”

Correct:
1.  Congradulations! You're question has really peaked my curiosity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vitamin #138 April 22, 2008

In formal academic writing, avoid ending sentences with prepositions.  Even though this has become accepted practice in spoken English, it is still considered inappropriate in formal writing.  To do this, just rearrange the sentence.  
INCORRECT:  I did not have anyone to go with. (This sentence could be changed in two different ways)
CORRECT:  I did not have anyone to go with me.    -or-    I did not have anyone with whom to go.
INCORRECT: Which door do I leave from?
CORRECT:  From which door do I leave?

Correct:
1.  Who has she ran passed the collage with?
Vitamin #137 April 21, 2008

It is absolutely unnecessary to use more than one exclamation point at a time.  If you are using the exclamation point correctly, it should convey enough emphasis to get the point across.  The problem occurs when people overuse it, making it seem necessary to use more than one to convey real emotion.  Only use it when you absolutely need it, and only use one at a time.  
CORRECT:  Sally fell out of the boat!
INCORRECT:  Sally fell out of the boat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Correct:
1.  The bell has all ready rang, and the kindergarden class is still missing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vitamin #136 April 18, 2008

Past:  preposition or adverb meaning “beyond;” noun or adjective meaning “in a time before the present”
ex.  We walked past the barn.
ex.  That happened in the past.  
Passed:  past tense of pass
ex.  I passed English this semester.
ex.  We passed the barn on our way to the pond.  
ex.  I passed the peas to Great Aunt Sue.  
NOTE:  When someone dies, we say they “passed away” or “passed on,” NOT “past away.”

Correct:
1.  I have swam in the relays at Parkland Collage for the past four year's.
Vitamin #135 April 17, 2008

 College:  the next educational level after high school; a group of academics or disciplines
ex.  Most people apply to college in their senior year.
ex.  I was accepted to the college of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  
Collage:  a picture made of pasting together a number of different pictures or items
ex.  We made a collage in art class.  
Think about how silly it sounds to say that one of your goals in life is to attend collage.  

Correct:
1.  Are parents tell us to constantly be thinking about what we want to do after collage.  
Vitamin #134 April 16, 2008

Adopt= to accept; to make one's own
    ex.  The couple adopted a child.
    ex.  Illinois adopted a new tax code based on Iowa's.
Adapt= to change
    ex.  It is important to learn to adapt to new surroundings.  

Correct:
1.  According to Darwin, part of natural selection is learning to adopt to a new enviroment.  
Vitamin #133 April 15, 2008

Prostate= a gland found in men
    ex.  He had his annual prostate exam.
Prostrate= lying flat
    ex.  She lay prostrate on the floor.

Correct:
1.  He was so traumatized by his prostrate exam that he has laid prostate on the floor for hours.  
Vitamin #132 April 14, 2008

 Are is the present tense form of the verb to be.  Our is a plural possessive pronoun.  Don’t mix them up.  
ex.  We are going to the store.  
ex.  Our (not are) store does not carry that brand.  
NOTE:  Spell check and grammar check won't catch this mistake.  

Correct:
1.  Are dog likes to lay on everybodys coats so that they have to move him when its time to go.  
Vitamin #131 April 11, 2008

Even more verb confusion:
Run:
    ex.  I run every day.  (present)
    ex.  I ran yesterday.  (past)
    ex.  I have run three days this week.  (present perfect)
Swim:
    ex.  I swim.  (present)
    ex.  I swam.  (past)
    ex.  I have swum.  (present perfect)
Again, this is correct.  You can look it up.  

Correct:
1.  I have swam every day this week, but I have only ran one day.  
Vitamin #130 April 10, 2008

More verb confusion:
Ring:
    ex.  The bell rings. (present)
    ex.  The bell rang. (past)
    ex.  The bell has rung.  (present perfect)
Sing changes the same way.
Drink undergoes a similar change:  drink, drank, has drunk.  
Sink follows the pattern of drink:  sink, sank, has sunk.  

Correct:
1.  The bell rung to seperate english from advanced biology.  
Vitamin #129 April 9, 2008

 Memorize the different forms of the following verbs to avoid mixing them up:
Lay (transitive verb meaning “to put or set”)
    ex.  I lay the book on the table. (present)
    ex.  I laid the book on the table.  (past)
    ex.  I have laid the book on the table.  (present perfect)
Lie (intransitive verb meaning “to rest oneself”)
    ex.  I lie on the bed.  (present)
    ex.  I lay on the bed.  (past)
    ex.  I have lain on the bed.  (present perfect)
Yes, this is correct.  You can look it up.  The problem is that we have heard these verb forms used incorrectly so many times that the correct forms sound off to us.  

Correct:
1.  He has laid on the couch every night this week watching South Park reruns.  
Vitamin #128 April 8, 2008

Common German words used in English:
Angst= fear without reason; anxiety
    ex.  Teenagers are known for having a lot of angst.
Doppelganger= double, look-alike, imitation
    ex.  He was Tom Cruise's doppelganer and was often asked for his autograph.
Kitsch= cheap, sentimental, gaudy items of popular culture
    ex.  The Applebee's dining room was covered in kitsch.  
Zeitgeist= "spirit of the time"
    ex.  Peace and love was the zeitgeist of the hippie movement in the 1960s.  
Vitamin #127 April 7, 2008

Moral differs from morale in only one letter, but the meanings are totally different.  Moral pertains to a sense of right and wrong.  Morale pertains to a person’s mood or level of spirits.
ex.  Capital punishment is a moral issue.
ex.  The morale of the class was high after the test.

Correct:
1.  The moral of the kindergarden class was high after they recieved there Christmas gifts.  
Vitamin #126 April 4, 2008

 Kindergarten comes from two German words:  kinder (“children”) and garten (“garden”).
NOTE: kindergarten has a t, not a d, in the last syllable.

Correct:

1.  An easily-frustrated teacher should not teach kindergarden, especially one who likes to wear light colored clothes.  
Vitamin #125 April 3, 2008

 Avoid the construction “the reason is because.”  Because is a subordinating conjunction that introduces an adverb clause.  Instead, use “the reason is that.”
ex.  The reason I am tired it that I read until three o’clock.

Correct:

1.  The reason we're going to try and go to Rothbury Michigan instead of Detroit Lakes Minnesota this summer is because Michigan is much closer.  
Vitamin #124 April 2, 2008

Use try to, not try and.  Try means “attempt.”  When a person tries to do something, he “attempts” to do it.  He does not know if he will succeed.
ex.  Try to finish during the class period.

Correct:

1.  Your going to try and make it to there house by five?
Vitamin #123 April 1, 2008

 Use all of with pronouns.
ex.  all of them
ex.  all of us
Use just all before nouns
ex.  all the people
ex.  all the time
ex.  all his property

Correct:

1.  You guys need to always be sure to pay attention in class all of the time.
Vitamin #122 March 31, 2008

 Many languages have separate singular and plural forms for the second person (ways of saying “you”), but standard English does not. “You” can be addressed to an individual or a whole room full of people.
In casual speech, Americans have evolved the slangy expression “you guys” to function as a second-person plural, formerly used for males only but now extended to both sexes; but this is not appropriate in formal contexts. Diners in fine restaurants are often irritated by clueless waiters who ask “Can I get you guys anything?”
The problem is much more serious when extended to the possessive: “You guys’s dessert will be ready in a minute.” Some people even create a double possessive by saying “your guys’s dessert. . . .” This is extremely clumsy. When dealing with people you don’t know intimately, it’s best to stick with “you” and “your” no matter how many people you’re addressing.
DEFINITELY leave any form of "you guys" out of all but the most informal writing.  
NOTE I was once marked down on a teaching evaluation in college for using "you guys."  

Correct:

1.  We have put your guys's work in a seperate pile for you're convienience.  
Vitamin #121 March 20, 2008

Capitalize school subjects that are languages, that are followed by a number, or that are proper names of the course.
English, French, Algebra I, Biology II, and World History are subjects.
Typing, biology, science, algebra, and history are areas of study.

Correct:
1.  The sophmores are so excited being that they get to take english, Math, and advanced biology next year.  
Vitamin #120 March 19, 2008

Do not use when or where as a substitute for a noun when writing a definition.  Note below how much more mature the second and third examples sound.
Weak:  A faux pas is when one makes a social blunder.
Improved:  A faux pas is a social blunder.
                  A faux pas is a time when one makes a social blunder.
Note the last two examples use nouns as predicate nominatives.

Correct:
1.  Joie de Vivre is when you have a carefree attitude about life.
Vitamin #119 March 18, 2008

Imply means “to suggest.”
ex.  The speaker’s tone implied that he found the question annoying.
Infer means “to interpret” or “to get a certain meaning from a remark or action.”
ex.  From the speaker’s tone of voice, I inferred that he was angry.
Usually the speaker implies and the listener infers.

Correct:
1.  He inferred that he thinks that everyone that talks on a cell phone constantly is wasting their life.  
Vitamin #118 March 17, 2008

Avoid the use of would have in “if” clauses.  Use the past perfect tense.
ex.  If I had (not would have) known, I would have volunteered my help.
Common sense should tell us we cannot express a difference in time by using the same tense.

Correct:
1.  If I would have known that the storm was eminent, I would of moved my car.
Vitamin #117 March 14, 2008

        Eminent= distinguished, outstanding, noteworthy
            ex.  An eminent judge was selected for the trial.
        Imminent= threatening to occur soon
            ex.  The sudden change in temperature signaled an imminent storm.
     Memory clue:  Imminent has a negative connotation.  Whatever is going to happen when      the word is used is unpleasant.  Think of the double m as double trouble.

        Correct:
        1.  The imminent sientist made a breakthrough in his expriments on the enviroment.  
Vitamin #116 March 13, 2008

        Lend is the verb; loan is the noun.
            ex.  If Dad will lend me the money, I will repay the loan on Saturday.
            ex.  Yesterday, Dad lent me a dollar. (past tense of lend is lent)

        Correct:
        1.  Someone loaned me their phone so I could call a cab.
Vitamin #115 March 12, 2008

        There is no shortened form of enthusiastic.  There is no such creature as enthused.
            ex.  An enthusiastic person is a happy person.

        Correct:
        1.  Everyone was real enthused when they found out what there grades were.
Vitamin #114 March 11, 2008

When writing, you must make your pronouns agree with their antecedents (the antecedent is the word the pronoun refers to in the sentence).  DO NOT use they or their with a singular antecedent, instead use he or she or some other singular pronoun.  If you are worried about using sexist language, change your antecedent to a plural or reword the sentence to get rid of the problem.  
            ex.  A person has to watch out for his belongings.
            ex.  A person has to watch out for his or her belongings.  
            ex.  People have to watch out for their belongings.
            NOT: A person has to watch out for their belongings.  
        Notice that the last example doesn't even make sense if one looks at it closely.  

        Correct:
        1.  Everyone has to seperate their whites from their colors when doing laundry.
Vitamin #113 March 10, 2008

        In the next few days, watch for allusions to “the Ides of March.”  Cartoons, newspaper articles, television and radio commentators allude to it frequently.  March 15 is a day to     be careful.
        “Beware the Ides of March” stems from Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. The soothsayer (prophet) warned Caesar not to go to the Senate on March 15, the ides or  “middle” of the month.  Caesar ignored him.  Caesar died after twenty-plus knife gashes.
Vitamin #112 March 7, 2008

    When like is a preposition, use it before a noun.  Avoid like if a clause follows.  Use as if         instead.
        ex.  It looks like rain.
        ex.  It looks as if it might rain.
    Notice as if is a conjunction and can handle the clause following it.

    Correct:
    1.  Its almost like she is so concerned about the party being a suprise that she dident take the     time to plan it good.
    2.  Sophie he looks alot like his sister.  
Vitamin #111 March 6, 2008

    Nauseated= feeling of sickness in the stomach
        ex.  The nauseated student dashed to the restroom.
    Nauseous= sickening, disgusting, bothersome
        ex.  Picking one’s nose in public is a nauseous act.

    Correct:
    1.  He was feeling so nauseous that he had to seperate from his friends and run in the                 convienience store to use the restroom.
Vitamin #110 March 5, 2008

    More Spanish words commonly used in English:
    Embargo= official ban on trade or other commercial act with another country
        ex.  The oil embargo of the late 1970s hurt the U.S. economy.
    Peccadillo= small, relatively unimportant offense or sin; quirk
        ex.  One of my husband's peccadillos is snoring.  
    Siesta= afternoon nap or rest
        ex.  Most Meditteranean countries take siesta every afternoon.  
Vitamin #109 March 4, 2008

    Some Spanish words commonly used in English:
    Mañana= "tomorrow" meaning in the indefinite future, used to indicate procrastination
        ex.  I'll finish my paper mañana.
    Aficionado= person who is knowledgeable or enthusiastic about a subject (similar to                 conniosseur)
        ex.  She was an aficionado of gourmet food.
    Renegade= one who deserts or betrays a group or organization; rebel
        ex.  The army sent a search party after the renegades.  
    Vigilante= self-appointed enforcer of the law
        ex.  The vigilante ranchers hanged the cattle thieves.  
Vitamin #108 March 3, 2008

 Hanged is used in past tense when taking a life.
ex.  In the Old West, cattle rustlers were hanged.
Hung is used in past tense to suspend an object.
ex.  The teacher hung many things on the wall.
ex.  The captain was hung by his thumbs.

Correct:
1.  The view between the members of the group is that the criminal should not be hung.
Vitamin #107 February 29, 2008

    Council= governmental group (associate the c with “circle”—the form usually used for             seating this group)
        ex.  A student council is supposed to oversee school regulations and student concerns.
    Counsel= to advise (verb) or advice (noun)
        ex.  I tried to counsel my little brother.

    Correct:
   
    1.  She likes to always give council to her friends.
Vitamin #106 February 28, 2008

    Advise is a verb.  Advice is a noun.
        ex.  She will advise me on how to proceed.
        ex.  She gave good advice.  

    Correct:
    1.  I was able to handle the situation real good being that she gave me such good advise.
    2.  He adviced me on how to site the book in my paper.  
Vitamin #105 February 27, 2008

    Avoid the use of beings as and  being that for since or because.
         ex.  Because my ankle was sprained, I will not participate.
         ex.  Since my ankle was sprained, I did not participate.

    Correct:
   
    1.  Beings as he was so mischeevious, its real suprising that he does so good in school.
Vitamin #104 February 26, 2008

    Accent the first syllable of mischievous.  Drop the f from mischief and add –vous to             make mischievous.
    NOTE the pronunciation correlates with the spelling—‘mis-che-vas.

    Correct:

    1.  If she swam to much further from the dock, she could of drownded.
Vitamin #103 February 25, 2008

     Sight= the power of seeing
        ex.   He was losing his sight.
    Site=  place of a building, event, or cache of information
        ex.  They surveyed the site of the new school.
        ex.  This was the site of a famous battle.
        ex.  I found the answer on the History Channel site.
    Cite=  to document or make allusion to
        ex.  It is necessary to cite sources when doing research.
        ex.  The lawyer cited a precedent when arguing her case.

    Correct:

    1.  That web sight has alot of great recipes for desert.
Vitamin #102 February 22, 2008

    The pronunciation of drowned and didn’t correlate with their spelling.  Drownded and               dident are warped versions that are frequently heard in this area.  Avoid these two.

    Correct:
    1.  By the time the rescue team reached her, it was to late; she had all ready drownded.  
Vitamin #101 February 21, 2008

    Further refers to quantity, additional times, or degree.
    ex.  Further investigation will not be necessary.
    Farther refers to distance.
    ex.  Joe lives farther from school than I do.

    Correct:
    1.  Sally does mother live further from the High School than you do?
    2.  She is an alumni of PBL, and its her perogative to attend the games.    
Vitamin #100 February 20, 2008

    If introduces a condition.
    ex.  If I win the lottery I will lose friends.
    Whether introduces a choice.
    ex.  My employer asked me whether I wanted family or single health insurance coverage.

    Correct:
    1.  Alot of people ask if I drive thru the cematery or around it.
Vitamin #99 February 19, 2008

    It is man to men, woman to women, and freshman to freshmen.  They all change the same way.
    ex.  The Freshman Class has twenty-seven freshmen.

    Correct:
    1.  The Freshman will be called to immediately go to the eniromental seminar.
Vitamin #98 February 14, 2008

When using the abbreviation of ante-meridien and post-meridien, use capital letters followed by periods: A.M. and P.M. (the two Latin phrases mean “being before noon” and “being after noon.”)

Correct:

1.  The convienience store won't open until seven am.  
2.  Its difficult to always be checking on the food while its in the oven.
Vitamin #97 February 13, 2008

Words like high school, senior, bank, river, etc., are capitalized only when used as part of or in place of a proper noun.
ex.  The juniors and seniors set the pace in most schools.
ex.  John is a senior.
ex.  The Senior Class at PBL is taking a trip.
ex.  First place in skits this year went to the Seniors.
ex.  Busey Bank is one of the leading banks in the area.

Correct:

1.  Alot of people look back on High School fondly.
Vitamin #96 February 12, 2008

Watch the endings of alumni (meaning “graduates”) to determine which form to use.
alumni (long i)= plural for both men and women or plural for men
alumna (long a)= single female
alumnae (long e)= plural female
alumnus= single male

Vitamin #95 February 8, 2008

A person’s alma mater is the school from which he graduated or the school song.  The Latin phrase means “fostering mother.”

Correct:

1.  U of Is alma mater could also be called Hail to the Orange. 

Vitamin #94 February 7, 2008

When using a phrase that comes from another language and is not part of our general English vocabulary, it is necessary to underline or italicize it. 

ex.  She has a great deal of joie de vivre (or joie de vivre). 

Joie de vivre is a French expression meaning “joy of living.”  It refers to a hearty, carefree enjoyment of life. 

Correct:

1.  Basketball is there raison d'être. 

Vitamin #93 February 6, 2008

When typing words or phrases from another language, be sure to include any pronunciation symbols used in that language.  To do that in Microsoft Word, highlight the letter needing the symbol, go to “insert,” “symbol,” click on the appropriate symbol, and click “insert.”  When using other word processing programs, consult the manual to find out how to do this.  By the way, this also works for a number of other types of symbols, such as those used in math.  You can also insert letters from other alphabets, such as Cyrillic, Greek, and Arabic. 

Vitamin #92 February 5, 2008

Even more French Phrases:

1.   coup d’état= a sudden, decisive exercise of authority in politics ("strike of state")

ex.  The coup d’état brought many changes.

NOTE:  this phrase is often shortened to just one word—coup (pronounced ku)

2.   en masse= all together ("in a body")

ex.  Our family attended the funeral en masse.

3.  bon mot= a clever turn of phrase ("good word")

ex.  His speech was peppered with enough bon mots to keep the audience engaged. 

Vitamin #91 January 31, 2008

More French phrases (ones dealing with food):

  1. au jus= served in the juice obtained from roasting ("with juice")

ex.  We ordered our prime rib au jus.

  1. a la mode= fashionable, stylish, topped with ice cream ("according to fashion")

ex.  We ordered cherry pie a la mode.

  1. a la carte= according to a menu that prices each item separately ("by the bill of fare")

ex.  A la carte gives a person more choices.

4.   filet mignon= thick slice of beef cut from narrow end of tenderloin ("dainty thread")

            ex.  A filet mignon is one of the more expensive meat selections.

Vitamin #90 January 30, 2008

Common French expressions that we have borrowed and their literal meanings as follows:

  1. faux pas= social blunder (“false step”)

ex.  The speaker committed a faux pas when he belched during his opening comments.

  1. Tête-à-tête= private conversation between two (“head to head”)

ex.  We will arrange a tête-à-tête to settle the issue.

  1. dèja vu= something overly or unpleasantly familiar (already seen)

ex.  The dying dog scene in the movie was dèja vu for several of us.

Vitamin #89 January 29, 2008

Fiancée (woman) and fiancé (man) are spelled differently but pronounced the same.

Correct:

1.  His fiancé is French and therefore knows how to spell fiancée.  

2.  I payed for the T-shirts that we used for our innermural team.

Vitamin #88 January 28, 2008

Use as far as and as fast as—Not all the farther and all the faster.

When people are asked what they mean by all the farther, for example, they resort to as far as to explain it.  It is easier just to use the obvious form in the first place.

ex.  Page twelve is as far as we read today.

ex.  When I heard we were going to have a quiz, I read as fast as I could.

Correct:

1.  Route 41 is all the farther I was able to drive; that is 4 miles from my parents house.

2.  She prefers to always give insults that sound like complements. 

Vitamin #87 January 25, 2008

Rules for use of numbers in Academic writing:

  1. If you can say it in one or two words, write as a word

ex.  We had to buy two books, fifteen notebooks, and twenty-one pencils.

  1.  If it takes three or more words to say it, write as a numeral

ex.  For the fundraiser, we sold 423 sandwiches.

  1. DO NOT MIX NUMBERS AND WORDS (at least within the same sentence).  If you must use any numbers, use all numbers.

ex.  For lunch we packed 7 cans of soda, 14 sandwiches, and 101 cookies.

  1.   If a sentence begins with a number, spell out the number or rewrite the sentence.

ex.  Three hundred, twenty-two is our biggest class.

ex.  Our biggest class is 322.

5. Decades are usually written without capitalization (the nineties); however, it is acceptable to use numerals (the 1990s).  Be consistent in form used.

6.For large numbers, use a combination of numerals and words

ex.  3.5 million.

7.  If a number is part of a proper noun, leave it the way it is. 

ex.  Studio 54 was a hot nightclub in the seventies.

ex.  I used to live on 4th street. 

8.  Dates can be left in number form. 

 

Vitamin #86 January 24, 2008

Complement= (noun) something that completes

(verb) to complete or accentuate

            ex.  One slice of pie is a complement to the whole pie.

            ex.  A pink shirt complements a maroon sweater.

Compliment= (noun) praise

                        (verb) to praise

            ex.  I like compliments because they make me feel better.

            ex.  I complimented him on his appearance.

Memory Clue:  I like compliments.

Correct:

1.  I complemented him on his work in the T.V. show Everybody Loves Raymond.

Vitamin #85 January 23, 2008

Prerogative= special right or privilege because of age, rank, class, etc.  Notice the spelling.  It is not perogative.

ex.  It is a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.

ex.  It is a teacher’s prerogative to assign the seating arrangement, alter an assignment, delay a test, etc.

Correct:

1.  I all ready knew your aunt Jenny was visiting for the weekend; its my perogative to decide whether I will visit or not. 

Vitamin #84 January 22, 2008

There are two past tense forms of pay—paid and payed.

ex.  The man paid (settled financially) his debt on time.

ex.  As tests were distributed, the nervous freshman was wishing he had paid more attention to details.

ex.  The fisherman payed out (uncoiled) the rope as he prepared to enter the dock.

Correct:

1.  Between the three of us its well-known that he has not yet payed that bill. 

Vitamin #83 January 18, 2008

Use between when referring to two people, things, or groups.  Use among for more than two. 

ex.  We split the pizza between the two of us. 

ex.  We split the pizza among the five of us. 

Correct:

1.  Once the money was divided up between everyone, their wasn't much left for each of us. 

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Vitamin #82 January 17, 2008

It is intramural games we play between classes, NOT innermural.  Intra means “within”; mural means “wall.”

Correct:

1.  I played on my dorms innermural team during college.

2.  Its kind of hard to always keep the yard mowed with all the rain we have been having.

Vitamin #81 January 16, 2008

Suspicion is a noun only.  DO NOT try to use it as a verb.  If you need a verb, use suspect. 

ex.  The downcast eyes of the salesman aroused my suspicion. 

ex.  I suspected the salesman was lying.

Correct:

1.  I suspicion that he could probably play real good; he is the taller student in the class. 

Vitamin #80 January 15, 2008

Avoid split infinitives unless essential for meaning.  A split infinitive is a to separated from its verb.  WEAK CONSTRUCTION (split infinitives)------CORRECTED USAGE

to instantly be killed------to be killed instantly

to efficiently do his work------to do his work efficiently

Example of a necessary split infinitive—We expect to more than double our profit next year.  Placing the “more than” elsewhere would change the meaning.

Correct:

1.  Its important to constantly be checking for errors. 

2.  Is is alright if I change the channel?  Steve and myself all ready seen When Harry Met Sally.

Vitamin #79 January 14, 2008

The difference between emigrate and immigrate lies within the prefixes.  Emigrate means “to leave one’s country for another.”  Immigrate means “to enter another country.”

ex.  Famines cause people to emigrate.

      Many people feel our country needs tougher immigration laws.

Correct:

1.  People that emigrate to the United States sometimes have tough time adapting. 

Vitamin #78 January 11, 2008

Feel good means “to be happy.”

ex.  I feel good about my grades.

Feel well means “to be in good health.”

ex.  Having had the flu for three days, I do not feel well.

Correct:

1.  I didn't feel good this morning, so I didn't do everything I was suppose to.

2.  We have all ready raised enough capitol to start our new busness. 

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Vitamin #77 January 10, 2008

Capital= the city, wealth, chief in importance

           ex.  Paris is the capital of France.

           ex.  Paris begins with a capital letter.

           ex.  A business needs capital to operate.

Capitol= the building

            ex.  The capitol has a rounded dome on top.

Memory clue:  the o is shaped like the dome on top of the           building.

Correct:

1.  The first graders are doing a real good job learning to write there capitol letters, but there lowercase letters are still sort of ilegible. 

Vitamin #76 January 9, 2008

Kind, sort, and type are handled the same.

  1. Avoid using kind of (sort of, type of ) to mean “somewhat.”  Instead, try alternatives: slightly, a little, rather, somewhat.

ex.  The meeting was rather disorganized.

  1. Avoid adding an a after kind of (type of, sort of).  It is simply not needed, just as at and of are often not needed.

ex.  That kind of (NOT kind of a) meeting can be dull.

Correct:

1.  That kind of a chocolate can be sort of difficult to use in this recipe. 

Vitamin #75 January 8, 2008

Good is an adjective; well is generally an adverb.

Memory clue:  something may BE good, but it is always DONE well.

ex.  I do a good job when I spell, but I do not sing well.

Well is used three times as an adjective. 

ex.  He acts as if he feels well (health).

ex.  The color of red looks well on him (appearance). 

ex.  All is well on our streets tonight (satisfactory).

Correct:

1.  In my lifetime, I have done many jobs detassle, bail hay, babysitting, working in restarants, ect. 

2.  I have done most of them real good. 

Vitamin #74 January 7, 2008

For business letters and resumes from this area especially, the following are needed for spelling:

detassel      bale hay (not bail)         baby-sitter        sincerely           restaurant

Correct:

1.  We were especially disatisfied with the person that waited on us.

2.  Alot of people run thru the hallway when they are not suppose to. 

2nd semester

Vitamin #73 December 19, 2007

Use which or that to refer things and who for people.

ex.  English II is a course that requires all sophomores to master certain writing skills.

ex.  Mr. Qualls is the teacher who is coaching the baseball team.

DO NOT use which to refer to people.

That may be used to refer to people considered as a group or class of people.

      ex.  The class that sells the most oranges will get a bowling trip.

Correct:

1.  A person that has ilegible handwriting has no room to be disatisfied with other peoples penmanship. 

2.  I through the ball to the person that was playing first base. 

Vitamin #72 December 18, 2007

through= a preposition used to indicate movement into and out.

ex.  Driving through a red  light can be fatal.

threw= past tense of throw, which means to “propel through the air”

ex.  The horse threw his rider.

ex.  I threw the ball. 

thru= a colloquial variation of through.

AVOID use of thru in all academic and business writing.

Correct:

1.  The sign was not in a convienient location, so alot of people drove thru it. 

2.  Its real easy to mispell words like seperate, recieve, and suprise. 

Vitamin #71 December 17, 2007

When a prefix is added to a word, the spelling of the word is NOT changed.

ex.  mis+spell=misspell

      il+legible=illegible

      dis+satisfied=dissatisfied

      re+commend=recommend

Correct:

1.  These kind of honey are neither the sweeter or the smoother when compared to all the other kinds. 

2.  Zac, Lee, and myself have all ready eaten our desert. 

Vitamin #70 December 14, 2007

Use the comparative form for two, the superlative form for more than two.

ex.  Timmy is the taller of the two.

      ex.  Tom is the tallest of the three brothers.

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Vitamin #69 December 13, 2007

Be sure to use a singular adjective with a singular noun.

ex.  This kind          these kinds       that kind           those kinds

Many people think of kind as a plural word and thus use these or those with kind.  Since we do not say “these book,” we do not say “these kind.”  Type, sort, and kind are all singular words. 

Vitamin #68 December 12, 2007

Use nor with neither, or with either.  Do not mix them; they work as pairs.

ex.  We will either read or write.

ex.  We will neither read nor write.

NEVER:  We will neither read or write.

Correct:

1.  Last Fall was neither wet or cold.

2.  Alot of people wondered who's dog it was; it belonged to the Jones.

Vitamin #67 December 11, 2007

Capitalize seasons only when personified.

ex.  Old Man Winter arrived last night with freezing rain.

ex.  The first day of spring is March 21.  (not personified)

Vitamin #66 December 10, 2007

President and precedent look and sound similar, but they differ greatly.

President=(prez-ed-ant) is the leader of an organization or country

Precedent=(pres´-ed-ant) is something done or said that may serve as an example to justify a subsequent act of a similar kind

ex.  The attorney searched the records for a precedent to use in his argument.

NOTE the s sound, not a z sound, in precedent.

Correct:

1.  Its real important for lawyers to cite presidents in order to win there cases.

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Vitamin #65 December 7, 2007

Names (or any nouns) that end in sh, s, z, x, or ch (when pronounced ch and not k)  add -es to become plural.

ex.  Mr. Fox—the Foxes

ex.  Mr. Hatch—the Hatches

ex.  Mr. Williams—the Williamses

 

Vitamin #64 December 6, 2007

Memorize this list of words that are already possessive—thus not needing an apostrophe.

my—mine               our—ours                     your—yours                 their—theirs

his, hers, its, whose