Law of the Land and the Rules of English

To some it is a comfort that the rules of language and grammatical usage are flexible and not as rigid as mathematical or universal constants. I find it a shame for two reasons. Firstly, some of the gray areas in effort would go away and leave that much more space for thought instead of caution while in pursuit of the ideal. Secondly, I love to defy concrete rules. So language has me at a disadvantage and I love words. The parallels to my status with and devotion to women are numerous. Really that makes sense as words are the currency with which we must demonstrate endless supply while frivolously spending them to gain favor. In writing as in love there are no guarantees that by pouring out one’s soul and expressing the most heartfelt thoughts that the message will be received as intended.

With that in mind I am interested in providing a few tools I have been extremely pleased to locate on the web. For as much facility as I try to maintain with the language I have gaps and some out-and-out mental bridges simply washed away. There are a couple instances that always snag my sleeve as I run through the forests of my ideas. The first is the usage of “then “ and “than.” This should not be all that difficult and yet . . . I get caught every now and again. So here is the easy way to distinguish the application of these two words:

"Then" indicates a change in state or progression, such as the example, "Do this then do that." This is a progression of events or time. "I started out walking, and then I jogged until the end of the course."

"Than" indicates a choice, such as, "I would prefer this one rather than that one." In other words, “Than” is used usually as a comparison or preference. "I'd rather walk than jog." Personally, I find to test the usage as to whether “than” is appropriate makes the decision easier.

Another bothersome sound-alike pair is “affect” and “effect.” For this I humbly defer to Paul Brians, of Washington State University. According to him,

“There are five distinct words here. When “affect” is accented on the final syllable (a-FECT), it is usually a verb meaning “have an influence on”: “The million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not affect my vote against the Clean Air Act.”

Occasionally a pretentious person is said to affect an artificial air of sophistication. Speaking with a borrowed French accent or ostentatiously wearing a large diamond ear stud might be an affectation. In this sort of context, “affect” means “to make a display of or deliberately cultivate.”

Another unusual meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the first syllable (AFF-ect), meaning “emotion.” In this case the word is used mostly by psychiatrists and social scientists— people who normally know how to spell it.

The real problem arises when people confuse the first spelling with the second: “effect.” This too can be two different words. The more common one is a noun: “When I left the stove on, the effect was that the house filled with smoke.” When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.

The less common is a verb meaning “to create”: “I’m trying to effect a change in the way we purchase widgets.” No wonder people are confused. Note especially that the proper expression is not “take affect” but “take effect”—become effective. Hey, nobody ever said English was logical: just memorize it and get on with your life.

The stuff in your purse? Your personal effects.”

Rather than (Heh? See- see? I used it properly) attempt to provide proper descriptions, here, I will instead offer the links I found on the web. The Grand Daddy for all of these references is the University of Chicago Writing Program, GRAMMAR RESOURCES ON THE WEB. It is presented concisely and in good humor. Writing should be fun and these references make it exciting.

Gleaned from within that page are all of the sources I am currently depending on for accurate guidance. Paul Brians’s link is there but also here, Common Errors in English and another particularly intriguing resource that culled my attention was the Guide to Punctuation, Usage, and Grammar , by Marcus D. Rosenbaum and John Dinges.

These sites are likely addictive for those who may be like me and read the thesaurus for entertainment. I intend to revisit this post whenever I, or someone thoughtfully commenting, locate(s) additional or specialized resources. Enjoy!