The Death List

[lollardfish]

In seventh and eighth grade, my English teacher was Mrs. Venable. She had a list of mistakes called the "Death List," and if you made any of them in your assignment you got, at best, a 59 (an F). In honor of me using effect instead of affect in a syllabus draft, I have decided to re-institute the Death List for all non-formal writing assignments for my students (things graded pass/fail. If they make the mistake, it's fail).

All of them are things that spellcheckers do not catch, and that I see CONSTANTLY in student writing. They must be things that remain valid in modern usage (i.e. First person singular and plural /future/ should be "shall" instead of "will." But that ship has sailed. Similarly, quote is a verb and quotation is a noun, but, quote is now also a noun, damnit!)

I am looking for death list submissions. Here are mine so far (will be updated as I develop them).

On the list:

Your/You're
Their/There/They're
It's/Its
Affect/Effect
Principle/Principal
Ensure/Insure
Who's/Whose
Wear/Where
Led/Lead
Lose/Loose
To/Too

Comments

[neogrammarian.livejournal.com]

if you add 1st person to the list, do make a note that this is a History-gaffe only, as in lit careful use of the 1st person is appropriate. (I actually make my srs recite in class "I contend," "I note," "I acknowledge," etc to help break them of the deeply ingrained passive voice that can too easily hide where they stop & the critics they cite begin).

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

Don't forget "ensure" and "insure". That one drives me nuts.

[creidylad.livejournal.com]

I fear the misuse of the word "nauseous" is also a ship that has sailed. "Nauseated," means 'feeling nausea.' "Nauseous" means 'inspiring nausea.'

Anyway, I do recommend putting whose/who's on the death list.

[hunnythistle.livejournal.com]

My pet peeve is serial commas: when people don't use them when they should. I see this in the media constantly, and it drives me bats!

Example: The vendor was selling red, white and blue balloons. I ask you, how many colors of balloons is the vendor selling? Two or three? (One red and one "white and blue"? Or one red, one white, and one blue?) Strictly speaking grammatically, I count two. Common usage these days assumes three. If three, the sentence should read: The vendor was selling red, white, and blue balloons.

I hate it because it is confusing. I can no longer tell from reading the sentence how many colors of balloons the vendor is selling. In this case, I cannot accept "common usage" as an excuse, because it hinders meaning. My Angry Fascist Grammarian persona thinks people who fail to use this correctly, and hence write confusingly, should be flogged. A failing grade may suffice as appeasement, though.

[zinzinzinnia.livejournal.com]

where/wear (believe it or not)
definately (which Word appears invariably to correct to 'defiantly')
to/too

[zinzinzinnia.livejournal.com]

We use Diana Hacker's Pocket Guide as a reference in our department. I like it: it's small, portable, easy to follow. It has a usage guide that contains many of these problematic words, and an online tutorial for students whose instructors have registered.

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/book.asp?1149000255

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

quote is a verb and quotation is a noun, but, quote is now also a noun,

Well, for rather generous values of "now." According to the OED, "quote" has been used in written English to mean "quotation" since the 1880s.

[laurel]

Perhaps capital/capitol? Seems like you've covered the big ones.

AUGH

[bhoneydew.livejournal.com]

here/hear

and any incidence of AOLspeke, though for my money that should be a course misconduct and ejection offense.

And yes, I have seen it.

("Loose" drives me nuts. And people have /argued/ that one.)

[zinzinzinnia.livejournal.com]

(as I mark papers)

saying "on the contrary" when they mean "on the other hand"

(or is only my kids who do that?)

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

i think it's mean to have it's/its on that list. i get those wrong all the damn time. ahem.

however, any use of an apostrophe to signal an oncoming s should cause the student to be beaten about the head and shoulders. i don't know about failing the assignment, but definitely the beating.

and last but not least, you realize that you are now morally required to put wean/ween on the list, yes?

[braider.livejournal.com]

Someone probably already added Two to To/Too. Also, accept/except, moot/mute (this last is usually a pronunciation error. Which leads to the possibility that perfectly valid points are being bound, gagged, and thrown in a broom closet until they are no longer relevant.)

...vectored here by way of Becca's wedding post, btw.