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Error #1: Run-on Sentence or Comma Splice

A run-on sentence is a sentence that joins two independent clauses without punctuation
or the appropriate conjunction. A comma splice is similar to a run-on sentence, but it
uses a comma to join two clauses that have no appropriate conjunction.
Fixing a run-on sentence or a comma splice can be accomplished in one of five different
ways:

• Separate the clauses into two sentences.

• Replace the comma with a semi-colon.
• Replace the comma with a coordinating conjunction--and, but, for, yet, nor, so.
• Replace the comma with a subordinating conjunction--after, although, before,
unless, as, because, even though, if, since, until, when, while.
• Replace the comma with a semi-colon and transitional word--however, moreover,
on the other hand, nevertheless, instead, also, therefore, consequently,
otherwise, as a result.

For example:

• Incorrect: Rachel is very smart, she began reading when she was three years old.
• Correct: Rachel is very smart. She began reading when she was three years old.
• Correct: Rachel is very smart; she began reading when she was three years old.
• Correct: Rachel is very smart, and she began reading when she was three years
old.
• Correct: Because Rachel is very smart, she began reading when she was three
years old.
• Correct: Rachel is very smart; as a result, she began reading when she was three
years old.

Error #2: Pronoun Errors

Pronoun errors occur when pronouns do not agree in number with the nouns to which
they refer. If the noun is singular, the pronoun must be singular. If the noun is plural,
however, the pronoun must be plural as well. For example:

• Incorrect: Everybody must bring their own lunch.

• Correct: Everybody must bring his or her own lunch.

Many people believe that pronoun errors are the result of writers who are trying to avoid
the implication of sexist language. Although this is an admirable goal, correct grammar is
still important.

Error #3: Mistakes in Apostrophe Usage

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Apostrophes are used to show possession. However, you do not use an apostrophe after a
possessive pronoun such as my, mine, our, ours, his, hers, its, their, or theirs. For
example:

• Incorrect: My mothers cabin is next to his' cabin.

• Correct: My mother's cabin is next to his cabin.

In the case of it's, the apostrophe is used to indicate a contraction for it is. For example:

• Incorrect: Its a cold day in October.

• Correct: It's a cold day in October.

Error #4: Lack of Subject/Verb Agreement

When speaking or writing in the present tense, a sentence must have subjects and verbs
that agree in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject
is plural, the verb must be plural as well. For example:

• Incorrect: The recipes is good for beginning chefs.

• Correct: The recipes are good for beginning chefs.

Error #5: Misplaced Modifiers

To communicate your ideas clearly, you must place a modifier directly next to the word it
is supposed to modify. The modifier should clearly refer to a specific word in the
sentence. For example:

• Incorrect: At eight years old, my father gave me a pony for Christmas.

• Correct: When I was eight years old, my father gave me a pony for Christmas.

What's the third English word that ends with -gry?

Read the article that answers this question on YDC's "Fun & Games" page.

What's the longest place name in the world?

We've supplied you with photographic evidence for one contender and listed some others
at another "Fun & Games" article.

What's the longest word in the English language?

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis meaning a lung disease caused by
breathing ultramicroscopic particles of volcanic silica. This word has never been used; it
was artificially contrived to be the longest word in the English language.

What does "antidisestablishmentarianism" mean?

At 28 letters, "antidisestablishmentarianism" might be the best-known long word in
English. It is a rare British term meaning "opposition to removing the tie between the
Church of England and the state."
How do I say [a common phrase] in language X?
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• To translate phrases, web pages, entire documents, or anything else among

European languages, try our translation engines.
• Ask the YourDictionary translation Pros.
• To find everyday, useful phrases in almost every conceivable language, have a
look at Jennifer's Language Pages.

I need to find a girl's/boy's name in language X.

Our links to resources about names are listed on the Specialty page, under Names. We
will be adding to them as they become available.

• YourDictionary.com has links to an extensive naming resource under "Names" in

the specialty dictionary section.
• If you cannot find what you need there, try a search engine like Google or Yahoo.
Type in the language that you need, the gender of the name you want, and the
word "names," for example, "Thai boy names." That ought to do it.

What does this name mean?

YourDictionary.com maintains its shelf of naming glossaries and dictionaries under
"Names" in our specialty dictionary section. If you can't find the name you are looking for
there, you probably won't find it on the Web.

I know the meaning but I can't think of the word for it. What do I do?
Go to the YourDictionary's Quick Lookup, type in 2 or more words you would expect to be
in the definition of the word, select "Definitions" instead of "Normal" in the menu bar to
the right of the input. Click "GO!" If you do not find the word you are looking for, click
"HELP!" above the "GO!" button for additional suggestions.

Is it "judgment" or "judgement"?
The English spelling system is a nightmare (see "The Chaos" in our library) caused by
inconsistencies in the spelling system. To remain on the side of the orthographic angels
and help our children learn to spell words in the language more accurately,
YourDictionary.com is committed to as much consistency in spelling as the English
language allows. To spell "judgement" without an "e," while spelling "abridgement,"
"acknowledgement," "arrangement," "engagement," and the 40 other words in English
with a soft "g" before -ment with an "e," is an act of bewildering inconsistency that
makes learning the spelling system unnecessarily difficult (See Dr. Language's article on
the equally puzzling but ever popular editorial error, "an historical" for the correct "a
historical".)

It is not a new problem; both spellings have trailed this word throughout history and all
English-language dictionaries assure us that both are acceptable. However, we are
offering a reasoned resolution to the dilemma that allows us to spell all such words
accurately and consistently, making our kids' task of learning the language just a bit
easier. We should use the "e" after "g" and "c" (e.g. "advancement" when they are are
soft and omit it when they are hard (e.g. "segment," "pigment"). By the way, we have
William Shakespeare and all our British brethren on our side. Not bad company to keep.

Are "imply" and "infer" synonyms?

These two terms cannot be correctly used interchangeably. In fact, "imply" and "infer"
are antonyms. If I say that your car is too small, I would imply that I don't want to ride in
it. YOU would infer from my comment that I do not want to ride in it.� The subject of
"imply" is the source of an implication while the subject of "infer" is the recipient of an
implication.
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What is the difference between "its" and "it's?"

"It's" is always the abbreviation of "it is" as in "It's (it is) a nice day, isn't it?" "Its" is the
possessive of "it" as in, "That is Morton's puppy but I don't know its name."

What is the difference between "may" and "can?"

We use "can" to indicate capability or possibility, e.g. "I don't know if I can lift this piano
by myself." "May" is used when you are speaking of permission, "May I lift your piano for
a little exercise?"

What is the difference between "there" and "their?"

Glad you asked. "There" indicates a place as in, "I live here not there." It is the opposite
of "here." "Their" is the possessive of "they" as in "They live there but is isn't their
house."

What is onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia is the naming of a sound by trying to imitate it, as in "meow" (The cat
meowed) or "quack" (The duck only uttered a muffled quack.) For more on
onomatopoeia, read John Whitman's article on Japanese onomatopoeia, "Chit-Chat
Among Japanese Farm Animals."

What is an eponym?
An eponym is a person's name on which a common noun is based, for example "nicotine"
was named after Jean Nicot (1530-1600), who purportedly introduced tobacco to France.
Another way of saying the same thing is that "nicotine" is a commonization of "Nicot" plus
the suffix -ine.

What is the difference between an epithet and an epitaph?

An epithet, from Greek epithetos "placed upon, attributed," is an adjective or other
descriptive word or phrase that characterizes the person or object it is attributed to. As
George Eliot wrote in "Romola," "Hollow, empty is the epithet justly bestowed on Fame."
An epitaph, from Greek epi "on" + taphos "tomb," is an inscription on a tomb or
gravestone.

What is an acronym?
An acronym is a word formed from the initials of words in a phrase, such as NATO
['neyto] from North Atlantic Treaty Organization or "scuba" from "self-contained
underwater breathing apparatus." It is often used to include abbreviations but
abbreviations are not all pronounceable words. "YDC" is an abbreviation, not an acronym.

What is a synonym and a homonym?

A synonym (from Greek syn "with" + onoma "name") is a word that has the same
meaning as another word. "Couch" and "sofa" are synonyms. A homonym is a word that
is pronounced like another word. "Pare," "pair," and "pear" are homonyms. Homonyms,
from Greek homo "same" + onoma "name," are sometimes called "homophones" from
Greek homo "same" + phone "sound

Linguistic Potpourri
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The Third English Word Ending on "gry"

Sorry, this one is not much fun. This question was inflicted on us,
according to Richard Lederer by the Bob Grant radio talk show on
WMCA in New York City in 1975, someone who almost but not quite
had a sense of humor. The original question ran something like this:
There are three commonly used words in the English language which
end on '-gry'. 'Angry' and 'hungry' are two of them. What is the third
word? It is a common word you use every day and if you have been
listening to what I say, you have already heard it.
The originator thought that the answer to this question could be
"hungry", i.e. that there would be some ambiguity with "third word in
the preceding sentence". Unfortunately, that interpretation is not
available for the message.
Others would have the original riddle as going more like this:
There are three words in the English language that end on "-gry".
"Angry" and "hungry" are two of them. What is the third word in 'the
English language'?)
Here is intended answer is 'language', the third word in the phrase,
'the English language'. Again, the second line fails the ambiguity test
and thus as a riddle that anyone could rightly remember.
Yet another explanation is that the riddle was originally an oral one
which went this way:
There at least three words in that end in 'g' or 'y'. One of them is
'hungry,' and another one is 'angry.' There is a third word, a short
one, which you probably say every day. If you are listening carefully
to everything I say, you just heard me say it three times. What is it?
The answer here is, of course, 'say'.
Rush Elkins recalls his first experience with the riddle this way:
I first heard the "gry" riddle posed in slightly different form in 1969 or
1970 [so much for Lederer's theory--RB]. I was then in graduate
school at University of Florida and in the habit of meeting with a
group of friends every Wednesday evening for dinner, drinks, and
conversation. One of those evenings, someone challenged the group
to find three common English words containing the letter combination
"gry." I'm sure that there was no stipulation on the placement of
"gry" because I recall someone suggesting that it might occur at the
boundary of a compound word. (That turns out to lead nowhere.)
A year or two later, I encountered the word "gryphon" in a book, had
one of those aha! experiences, and presented my find at the next
meeting as a sort of trophy. Although not exactly an everyday sort of
word, "gryphon" appears in most dictionaries and is understood by
most literate English readers. (How many times have YOU used it
today?)
There are other explanations as well. They all boil down to a bad
riddle gone berserk.