10 Types of Hypercorrection

10 Types of Hypercorrection 10 Types of Hypercorrection 10 Types of Hypercorrection By Mark Nichol Well-meaning writers and editors sometimes mangle the language they’re trying to manage a fault called hypercorrection. Errors of this class are the result either of adherence to a spurious superstition about proper form, a misunderstanding about a point of grammar, or an attempt to fit a square idiom into a round pigeonhole. Here’s a list of some of the categories of hypercorrection: 1. â€Å"A Number Of† Followed by a Singular Verb Occasionally, a superficial understanding of what constitutes proper grammar leads writers to create a disagreeable subject/verb agreement such as â€Å"A number of members is supporting reform.† But longstanding idiom trumps strict correctness: â€Å"A number of members are supporting reform† is correct, because the focus is on the members, not on the proportion of them supporting reform. The same commonsense rule holds for handful, majority, and similar terms. 2. As in Place of Like Writers averse to like as an alternative to â€Å"such as† are also prone to replace like with as in such sentences as â€Å"He charges as a bull.† â€Å"He charges as a bull would do† is correct but stilted; the shorter form implies â€Å"He charges in the capacity of a bull,† rather than â€Å"He charges in the manner of a bull.† What’s not to like about like? 3. Double Adverbs Avoid the urge to append an -ly ending to an adverb that doesn’t require it. Flat adverbs do just fine without the suffix, and so do doubtless, much, seldom, thus, and others. 4. Foreign Articles Preceding Foreign Terms When a noun phrase is temporarily borrowed from another language, writers might be tempted to precede it with an article from that language, as in â€Å"At the countess’s wedding, she served as la fille d’honneur† (â€Å"maid of honor†). The term alone merits both the emphasis of italicization and the retention of the other language’s form: â€Å"At the countess’s wedding, she served as the fille d’honneur.† 5. I Substituted for the Object Me Some people, when they learn that the object in such constructions as â€Å"You and me are the same height† and â€Å"Me and John are the candidates† should read â€Å"You and I are the same height† and â€Å"John and I are the candidates,† generalize that me is an undesirable pronoun, even when used in a sentence’s subject, but â€Å"There’s no difference in height between you and me† and â€Å"The candidates are John and me,† unlike the sentence versions ending in the word I, are perfectly correct. 6. Latin Plurals Formed Incorrectly The plural forms of words derived from Latin that end in -us are -uses or -i. Sometimes, the -uses ending is preferred over the alternative (for example, octopuses); sometimes, the reverse is true (as with foci); and sometimes only one form is correct (prospectuses). When in doubt, check the dictionary. When not in doubt, double-check anyway. 7. Prepositions Prevented from Ending a Sentence Despite admonitions from numerous sources, including a previous post on this site, to ignore the pedantic prohibition against sentence-ending prepositions, some writers, in order to adhere to this fallacious â€Å"rule,† persist in uncomfortably trussing sentences up. For example, â€Å"What did you do that for?† need not be twisted into â€Å"For what reason did you do that?† One could easily write â€Å"Why did you do that?† but that kind of cleanup is not always a viable alternative. 8. Unsplit Compound Verbs There is a curious misunderstanding about compound verbs phrases consisting of an auxiliary verb (a form of â€Å"to be†) and another verb analogous to the spurious â€Å"rule† about infinitives discussed below: Some writers mistakenly believe that adverbs should not be inserted between one verb and another, but that syntax is preferable. Nevertheless, they prefer the clumsy construction â€Å"They quietly were calling her name† to the perfectly acceptable wording â€Å"They were quietly calling her name.† 9. Unsplit Infinitives The persistent belief that the elements of an infinitive to followed by a verb should not be separated by an adverb can result in an ambiguous sentence, such as â€Å"I was preparing quickly to depart,† which could mean â€Å"I was hurrying to prepare to depart† or I was preparing to depart hurriedly† which are not the same thing. The former meaning should be expressed â€Å"I was quickly preparing to depart† and the latter should be written â€Å"I was preparing to quickly depart† (yes, it’s acceptable to separate infinitives with an adverb) or â€Å"I was preparing to depart quickly.† 10. Whom in Place of Who The troublesome pronoun whom entangles many writers, not only at the head of a sentence but also when leading off a subordinate clause, as in the erroneous example â€Å"The top vote-getter is Smith, whom Jones knows is a poor choice.† Whom, here, is not the object of knows; it is the subject of is, and who is the correct companion of a linking verb. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Rules for Writing Numbers and NumeralsTen Yiddish Expressions You Should Know10 Tips About How to Write a Caption

s Presence

makes you think that you can see in to his inner thoughts. Since this works is a speech it is the writer’s presence. Every time I read this essay it makes me think about the man who gave it. King was a very powerful African American man. I feel that he is most recognizable by his powerful voice. Voice is an important part of the speech. McQuade and Atwan characterize voice, as â€Å"The writers â€Å"signature† †(2). This speech, if given by any other person, would have been weak. This was because of the tremendous support that the King had when he gave this speech. At a time where his people where not wanted, King rose above it and brought to life the injustices. All through out the speech King’s voice is easily detected. The voice of this speech is so powerful that people still think about this speech when they hear the phrase â€Å"I have a Dream.† Personal experience is another concept that that is easily seen in this essay. This speech would not have been as influential if any other person but an African American person gave this speech. Most importantly this speech would not of been so revolutionary if Martin King did not give it. At the time King stood for the people of his heritage. For African Americans, King was their leader to freedom. All of their struggles and all of their hardships are cried out through the King. King makes this connection by using the term â€Å"We†. ... 's Presence Free Essays on Writer\'s Presence The Writer’s Presence, written by Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan, stresses the importance of the writer’s presence. They outline four possible ways to find an authors presence in his work. Martin Luther King’s speech â€Å"I have a Dream† is one work where the writer’s presence is very easy to see. The speech is so well known to me that every time I hear it, the speech makes things inside of me feel different. This is because I feel like I am right with him at the time of the speech. The way that he organizes the words makes you think that you can see in to his inner thoughts. Since this works is a speech it is the writer’s presence. Every time I read this essay it makes me think about the man who gave it. King was a very powerful African American man. I feel that he is most recognizable by his powerful voice. Voice is an important part of the speech. McQuade and Atwan characterize voice, as â€Å"The writers â€Å"signature† †(2). This speech, if given by any other person, would have been weak. This was because of the tremendous support that the King had when he gave this speech. At a time where his people where not wanted, King rose above it and brought to life the injustices. All through out the speech King’s voice is easily detected. The voice of this speech is so powerful that people still think about this speech when they hear the phrase â€Å"I have a Dream.† Personal experience is another concept that that is easily seen in this essay. This speech would not have been as influential if any other person but an African American person gave this speech. Most importantly this speech would not of been so revolutionary if Martin King did not give it. At the time King stood for the people of his heritage. For African Americans, King was their leader to freedom. All of their struggles and all of their hardships are cried out through the King. King makes this connection by using the term â€Å"We†. ...

Thorntons PLC Strategic Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Thorntons PLC Strategic Analysis - Assignment Example Thornton's PLC has 230,000 employees world-wide and operates 520 factories in 82 countries. Thornton's PLC fundamental social impact is to improved standards of living among millions of people through creation of productive, sustainable economic development. Thornton's PLC brands showed the strongest growth, currently posting sales close to 700 million liters in over 20 countries. Thornton's PLC leadership is concentrated in Europe (regions where economic risk is limited, incomes are high and growth prospects are robust) through the development of strong brands, the HOD business, and acquisitions that offer real opportunities for synergy. In 1999 Thornton's PLC operated from 509 factories worldwide, 424 are in special chocolates and toffee products. Special chocolates accounted for 28% of 1999 revenues; 26%; chocolate and confectionery, 54% are in toffee. With a net profit of 4.724 million, up 12.3 percent over last year, and with significant, broad-based improvement in all major performance indicators, Thorntons PLC looks back on a record year 1999. The net profit margin reached 6.3 percent (5.9 percent in 1998) on consolidated sales of 74 660 million (1998: 71 747 million). The trading profit of 7 914 million increased by 11.8 percent, a margin of 10.6 percent of sales (9.9 percent in 1998). EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Amortization) improved by 12.4 percent to 8 298 million (1998: 7 382 million). These substantial improvements reflect a series of measures taken over the past years, touching virtually all activities (Mitchell, 2002). Streamlining the business portfolio, increasing operational efficiency, industrial restructuring and progress in purchasing and supply chain management enabled the Group to achieve higher profits, margins and return on invested capital. Thornton's PLC also made the necessary investments to ensure future top-line growth by investing in new products and strengthening its brands and market shares. During the first half of 2000, Thorntons PLC achieved a significant increase in both sales and profit margins. Table shows that consolidated sales grew by 9.9 percent to 38.8 billion, with real internal growth accelerating to 4.5 percent, compared to 2.1 percent in the same period of 1999. Trading profit amounted to 4296 million. This represents 11.1 percent of sales against 9.8 percent for the 1st half of 1999. Net profit increased to 2798 million or CHF 72.7 per share, resulting in a net profit margin of 7.2 percent (5.9 percent in the first half of 1999). The strong sales performance reflects the Group's emphasis on internal growth. The margin improvements result from progress achieved in enhancing operational efficiency, the streamlining of the Group's product portfolio, industrial restructuring and some lower raw material prices which were able to offset higher packaging costs. Internal Growth and Currencies Push Up Sales Consolidated sales, at 38.8 billion, were up 9.9 percent. At comparable structure (excluding acquisitions and divestitures) and at constant exchange rates, sales rose by 4.9 percent (see table 1). Table 1. Thornton's PLC Figures for 1999-2002 Thornton's PLC Annual Report 2002 2001 2000(e) 1999(f) In millions of CHF (except for per share data) Consolidated sales 89 160 84 698 81 422 74 660 71 747 EBITA 10 940 9 987 9 911 8 700 7 606 as % of