COMMUNICATION - Magazine - Darwin Magazine

What Are Words For? So that you can express yourself. And you really should learn to
express yourself correctly.

BY CRAWFORD KILIAN

DICTION REFERS to the choice of words used to express an idea. Here are some words that may cause confusion if you choose them for the wrong purpose. Sometimes they sound like the term you want, or they've been misused so constantly that they sound right to you.

ASSURE: to promise. We can assure you of a great stay in our B&B.
ENSURE: to make certain. You can ensure success by careful planning.
INSURE: to guarantee against loss. Here's how to insure all your valuables with one policy.

COUNTRY: the territory of a nation. Canada is a very large country.
NATION: the people of a country. Canadians are a largely peaceable nation.

DISC: correct spelling for all non-computer references: a compact disc, a herniated disc.
DISK: correct spelling for computer references: a ZIP disk, a floppy disk.

and many more...

Comments

New York Post Online Edition

news : "December 29, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - Startling new Army statistics show that strife-torn Baghdad - considered the most dangerous city in the world - now has a lower murder rate than New York. The newest numbers, released by the Army's 1st Infantry Division, reveal that over the past three months, murders and other crimes in Baghdad are decreasing dramatically and that in the month of October, there were fewer murders per capita there than the Big Apple, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Bush administration and outside experts are touting these new figures as a sign that, eight months after the fall of Saddam Hussein, major progress is starting to be made in the oft-criticized effort by the United States and coalition partners to restore order and rebuild Iraq. 'If these numbers are accurate, they show that the systems we put in place four months ago to develop a police force based on the principles of a free and democratic society are starting to ...

Forum: The fish that threatened national security : "At La Guardia we proceeded to security and the X-ray inspection point run by the Transportation Security Administration. I have learned by now that, post-9/11, a traveler is better off safe than sorry when proceeding through security. I wasn't prepared, however, for the TSA to stop me right at the entrance, proclaiming that no small pets, including fish, were permitted through security. I had, however, just received the blessing of the ticket agents at US Airways and pre-assured MJ's travels with Pittsburgh International Airport security weeks before our travel date. I tried to explain this to the screener who stood between me and the gates, but she would have none of it. I was led back to the US Airways ticket counter, stocking-footed and alone, where the agents reasserted that they did not see a problem for me to have a fish on board, properly packaged in plastic fish bag and secured with a rubber band as MJ was....

Sophont

Search This Blog