tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post8070571285019270912..comments2023-07-19T01:13:09.713-07:00Comments on Grammar Gang: EVERYONE has an Achilles heel....The Purdue and UniSA Connectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01873311749547093059noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-77766405691148059592014-08-13T21:45:48.509-07:002014-08-13T21:45:48.509-07:00Good question. I've checked six leading Englis...Good question. I've checked six leading English learner's dictionaries, and three of them have the apostrophe while three of them don't have the apostrophe which suggests that it's optional. A quick Google search revealed 190,000 instances of the incorrect "Achille's heel", so maybe it's safer to leave the apostrophe off in the long term!Julia Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07212715483947336555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-82739353584875542772014-08-08T02:42:21.071-07:002014-08-08T02:42:21.071-07:00Speaking of grammar, isn't 'Achilles heel&...Speaking of grammar, isn't 'Achilles heel" written "Achilles' heel", i.e., with a possessive apostrophe?<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-41041396281438403632012-04-19T16:45:22.276-07:002012-04-19T16:45:22.276-07:00Thank you Peggy for your post. We have decided we...Thank you Peggy for your post. We have decided we will do a post just for this question (at least Julia will becauses it is a favourite of hers) :)Andrea Duffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15765014126812043135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-78514250914789804942012-03-27T12:47:07.202-07:002012-03-27T12:47:07.202-07:00I always get mixed up with ibles and ables endings...I always get mixed up with ibles and ables endings: Is it delectable or delectible? Am I able to delect?<br /><br />Also, ants and ents, such as descendents or are they ants?Peggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06418542140037404786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-22896272219129177112012-01-31T14:28:04.383-08:002012-01-31T14:28:04.383-08:00The grammar gang agrees. Yes, affect can be used ...The grammar gang agrees. Yes, affect can be used as a noun.<br /><br />It is more often than not used to describe an emotion which is low or depressed.<br /><br />Obscure, but true!Andrea Duffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15765014126812043135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-1817661424498346642012-01-26T10:56:07.830-08:002012-01-26T10:56:07.830-08:00I disagree with Kathy that "'affect' ...I disagree with Kathy that "'affect' can't be used as a noun."<br /><br />Ask any psychologist or psychiatrist. <br /><br />Now, should I include a smiley (emoticon) after this comment? <br /><br />Hard to say, really; I'm exhibiting flattened affect today. Drat that botox. <br /><br />JupiterthedogAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-12360641014303906802009-02-12T22:05:00.000-08:002009-02-12T22:05:00.000-08:00I had to retrain myself to type receive correctly,...I had to retrain myself to type receive correctly, by stopping every time I began to type it. My other achilles heel is the underuse (or complete absence) of paragraphs in hand written text. I blame computers for making me believe I can somehow edit my writing as I go.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-85961433173186634242008-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:002008-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:00Though I didn't realize it at the time, my Achille...Though I didn't realize it at the time, my Achilles heel used to be long, drawn out sentences that made little sense and did not drive home my argument at all. Like many "good writers" who have never heard otherwise, I wasn't aware that an overuse of the passive voice can be so detrimental to clarity and style. I still struggle with the "to be written--not to be written" urge. I have found that a short, pithy sentence can have a much greater impact on your audience than a long, windy, and clause-strewn monolith of a sentence. Hearing and understanding is believing.<BR/><BR/>BradyBrady Spangenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648894778162563282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-11710506204123582412008-12-11T17:15:00.000-08:002008-12-11T17:15:00.000-08:00In my comment I was associating the correct spelli...In my comment I was associating the correct spelling of the words 'practice' and 'practise'with the correct meaning or context and your examples are spot-on.<BR/><BR/>I also think 'affect' and 'effect' are confusing, particularly as 'effect' can be used as both a noun and a verb. It helps to remember that 'affect' can't be used as a noun.<BR/><BR/>KathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-59611615480132566542008-12-11T16:49:00.000-08:002008-12-11T16:49:00.000-08:00I get stuck on that one, too, Kathy, but with me, ...I get stuck on that one, too, Kathy, but with me, it's more related to the meaning than the spelling. <BR/><BR/>For example, 'practise' is a verb: I need to practise piano harder in order to bemore accomplished. 'Practice' is a noun: at practice [rehearsal] the other night, we ran through a Beethoven concerto. Am I right? :)<BR/><BR/>'Affect' and 'effect' also cause a muddle!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-5674084061428528932008-12-11T16:09:00.000-08:002008-12-11T16:09:00.000-08:00That should read the difference between 'practice'...That should read the difference between 'practice' and 'practise'!<BR/><BR/>KathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-12281599282324903652008-12-11T16:07:00.000-08:002008-12-11T16:07:00.000-08:00Although I'm a self-confessed member of the 'gramm...Although I'm a self-confessed member of the 'grammar police'(sad, I know!) and get quite irritated by what I consider to be glaring errors by native speakers, I have problems with the spelling of some words and need to recall the rhymes I learnt in primary school to assist with the difference between words like 'practice' and 'pratise'. (You can see 'c' a noun). The rhyme " 'i' comes before 'e' except after 'c'" is still recalled with some words. <BR/><BR/>We learnt many such rhymes at school to assist with spelling and I wonder if children today are taught similar methods.<BR/><BR/>KathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-37655368240365162482008-12-10T21:39:00.001-08:002008-12-10T21:39:00.001-08:00Ahhhh - Virginia - that's probably how I would exp...Ahhhh - Virginia - that's probably how I would express myself in speech.<BR/><BR/>A blog (to me at least) sits somewhere inbetween talking and writing - hence my lapses.<BR/><BR/>All good fun!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-59304068488010356132008-12-10T21:39:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:39:00.000-08:00And now for my Achilles heel! It is that at the en...And now for my Achilles heel! It is that at the end of a letter I always want to write:<BR/>Yours Sincerely,<BR/>Virginia<BR/><BR/>...when in fact,<BR/> 'sincerely', 'faithfully', truly' etc are not spelt with a capital letter! Even though I know it's wrong, it still looks better to me WITH a capital letter because I wrote it like that (ie incorrectly) for so many years!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-2162304467001909812008-12-10T21:29:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:29:00.000-08:00Hi,I know Andrea really meant, "I always spell 'fr...Hi,<BR/>I know Andrea really meant, "I always spell 'friend' wrongly" (wrong being an adjective and wrongly, an adverb). Actually, 'incorrectly' would probably sound better!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-43413394246083731052008-12-10T21:12:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:12:00.000-08:00Did you mean 'crucial' Susanna ;)Don't worry, I a...Did you mean 'crucial' Susanna ;)<BR/><BR/>Don't worry, I always spell Friend wrong (would you believe, Freind)<BR/><BR/>Virginia tells me Friend ends in end!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-86527924367636777662008-12-10T20:44:00.000-08:002008-12-10T20:44:00.000-08:00HiI agree with Tracey that writing is hard work. M...Hi<BR/>I agree with Tracey that writing is hard work. My particular achilles heel is writing so fast that I forget to punctuate and my grammar is all over the place. For me editing my work is a crutial step in the writing process even though I am a native English speaker, I don't always get it right the first time.<BR/>SusannaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com