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The Reason Why Is Because

October 19, 2012 in Say What? with 5 Comments

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This is something I really didn’t learn until years into my writing, but now I’m keenly aware of it. Because of the way we often talk, we make this mistake in our writing regarding reason and why. The word reason means an explanation. The word why is defined in Merriam-Webster’s as “cause, reason, or purpose.” Maybe you already see where I’m going with this.

If you say, “The reason why I ate that . . . ” you are saying, “The reason reason I ate that.” Now, the word because means . . . you guessed it: why. So now, if you say, “The reason why I ate that is because . . .” you are saying, “The reason reason I ate that is the reason . . .” (or something close to that). Most Word options can be set to detect the reason-why combination and it will flag it, but try to watch out for it. That sentence, by the way, should just be “The reason I ate that sandwich is I was hungry.” Or you could use two sentences: “Why did I eat that sandwich? Because I was hungry.”

Racked, Wrecked, or What?

October 12, 2012 in Say What? with 6 Comments

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Here are more pairs of words I run across in manuscripts I’m editing that get confused. One that puzzles me is the word wracked. I see this a lot in published novels, and particularly with novels published by one publishing house in particular (sorry, not naming names, but it is a bit weird how that word comes up in just about every novel of theirs I read and is spelled wrong). I’ve been tempted to write them, but I have to use some self-control. Just so you know–we editors can get a little carried away. It takes a lot of scolding myself not to dig a pen out of my purse and start marking up menus at restaurants.

If you are racking your brain right now, or you’re racked with pain, then you are spelling the word correctly. The spelling wracked means wrecked. It’s a old variation of that word. Or it can mean a rack (noun) or a type of seaweed. But it does not mean to suffer pain or anguish or torture, or to strain violently (rack your brain). I don’t know why this word bugs me so much but it does.

Another pair of words I see used incorrectly a lot is lightning and lightening. It should be pretty obvious that if you plan to make something whiter, you will be lightening it (verb). The stuff that shoots out of the sky in a storm is lightning.

And then there’s compliment and complement (as well as complimentary and complementary). Pay attention to that little easy-to-miss difference in the vowel there. I pay you a compliment when I see how well your shoes complement your dress. If I give you complimentary tickets to the game, you might compliment on my shoes just to be nice (and hope I’ll give you more in the future).

Are You Likely or Apt to Read This?

October 5, 2012 in Say What? with 5 Comments

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Here are four words that are often confused: apt, likely, prone, liable. Their differences are a bit subtle, but they do mean different things, so you might want to write these in your notebook for future reference.

Apt: Means one is habitually inclined: A frog is apt to gobble up a fly if it gets too close.

Likely: Means one is inclined or tending toward something: She is likely to win (implying the odds are with her).

Prone: Means one is inclined but usually implies undesirable results:  He’s prone to tripping.

Liable: Means one is likely to suffer (always undesirable consequences): She’s liable to have accidents (implies probability).

These words have no bearing on other meaning of these words, such as a likely story, he’s lying prone, she’s an apt pupil, not liable for the accident (legally responsible). Being a copyeditor, I’m apt to look for misuse of these words! And I’m likely to find some!

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