Posts filed under 'wordiness'
May 4th, 2009
Beginnings and endings can be challenging concepts, especially when applied to life. A minor aspect crops up in listings of age categories for children. Sometimes you’ll see a phrase such as “from zero to 2 years old.”
I don’t want to delve too deeply into philosophy here, but no one is really age “zero.” As soon as you’re born, the clock starts ticking.
For a category meant to include the extremely young, make it something like “up to 2 years old.” That should do it.
Also, if you say “age,” you don’t need to say “old.” For example, either of these will work: “The program is for children from age 5 to 10 years” or “The program is for children from 5 to 10 years old,” but NOT “from age 5 to 10 years old.”
In fact, “children from age 5 to 10″ is probably enough, because ages, at least for people, are assumed to be in years unless otherwise specified.Â
February 6th, 2009
“To boldly go where no man has gone before.”
This excerpt from the introduction to “Star Trek” episodes is often cited by usage experts trying to convince people that there is no rule in English against splitting infinitives. (By the way, there isn’t.)
My focus today, though, is on the “Trek” line before that one:
“To seek out new life and new civilizations.”
This is the only reason I can come up with for why so many people want to tack on “out” when using “seek.” The “out” is superfluous. Any sort of seeking can be done without “out.”
The next time you feel compelled to use “seek out,” take out the “out” and see if the meaning is altered. Of course, don’t monkey with it in “Star Trek” references, or you might get phased.
Otherwise, dare to go where too few writers boldly go.
September 17th, 2008
To continue is to go on and on and on. But don’t write “continue on.” Save that “on” for a place where it’s needed.
As part of this continuing education, let’s also review the difference between “continual” and “continuous.”
The former is about repetition, “happening over and over again.” Legislatures are places of continual argument, but they do take breaks from it.
“Continuous” is “going on or extending without interruption or break; unbroken; connected.” When you’re at sea, the ocean appears to be continuous.
“Continuity” is the noun for “the state or quality of being continuous; connectedness; coherence.” It’s also a word used in the arts for a script for a film, radio or TV show, comic strip, etc. In movies, it also refers to matching how things appear from one shot to the next.
This family of words also contains “continuum,” a rare example of two “u’s” together. “Vacuum” is another.
Space is essentially a vacuum, but space-time is a continuum.
