| Errors "R" Us! (Sorry, but I haven't figured out how to make a backward "R" on my computer.)
Words beginning with "r" cause many usage problems. See whether you can select the correct "r" word (or sound-alike "wr" word) in the following sentences. "R" you ready?
1. Ted's homework was (ripe, rife) with errors.
2. A (riff, rift) developed between Frank and his agent.
3. Molly (wracked, racked) her brain for the answer.
4. Jessie gave the speaker her (wrapt, rapt) attention.
5. A mild, wet summer will (rebound, redound) to the benefit of farmers.
6. George responded to the imperious manner of his boss by becoming stubborn and (restive, restless).
7. The manager was (reticent, reluctant) to use the pitcher after just two days of rest.
8. Getting a tattoo seems to be a (rite, right) of passage for many teenagers.
Answers and explanations:
1. rife -- Unless the student turned in a fruit tree as a science project, his homework was rife (filled) with errors.
2. rift -- A riff, which may be a shortening of "refrain," is a melodic phrase in jazz or a rapid, improvisational verbal takeoff. A rift is a divide or fissure and, by extension, a split or alienation between friends or associates.
3. racked -- "To rack" means "to torture or oppress." "To wrack" means "to destroy utterly; to wreck." So, the set phrase is "to rack one's brains," meaning to torture them by thinking hard.
4. rapt -- "Wrapt" is an obsolete past-tense and past-participial form of "wrap." "Rapt" means "captivated, spellbound."
5. redounds -- "Redound" means "to have an effect for ill or good." People sometimes confuse "redound" with "rebound," meaning "to bounce back."
6. restive -- "Restive" means "intractable, balky." "Restless" means "uneasy, nervous, impatient." While it's true that George might also grow restless under the autocratic rule of his boss, it's more likely he'd grow "restive."
7. reluctant -- "Reluctant" means "feeling or showing hesitation or aversion." "Reticent" means "reserved; unwilling to speak freely." More and more people are mistakenly using "reticent" for "reluctant."
8. rite -- A "rite" is a prescribed form or a ceremonial practice. While it's true that teenagers may regard getting a tattoo as a right, the correct phrase is "rite of passage."
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Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc.
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