Improprieties
Summary:
This resource covers using logic within writing—logical vocabulary, logical fallacies, and other types of logos-based reasoning.
Contributors:Ryan Weber, Allen Brizee
Last Edited: 2010-04-17 05:32:21
A functional impropriety is the use of a word as the wrong part of speech. The wrong meaning for a word can also be an impropriety. For example, in this sentence, the impropriety is "trying":
When writing papers, we trying to start early and revise often.
Correct version:
When writing papers, we try to start early and revise often.
Here is another example:
This tale works as initiative story about a young girl who grows into a more mature adolescent.
Correct version:
This tale works as an initiation story about a young girl who grows into a more mature adolescent.
To help you practice avoiding improprieties, complete the exercise below.
Mark improprieties in the following phrases and correct them. If you find none, write C for "correct" next to the phrase.
Example: (occupation) hazards — occupational
- reforming institution policies
- percent aging students by grades
- dead trees as inhabitants for birds
- an initiate story about a young girl
- a recurrence theme in literature
- a wood chisel
- a wood baseball bat
- a frivolity conversation on the weather
- a utopia hideaway of alpine villas
- a utilize room complete with workbench
- the unstable chemical compounds
- the unschooled labor force
- the vandals who rapined Rome
- an erupting volcano crevassing the hills
- criticism writing which is often abstract
- abstracted beyond understanding
- classified as an absorbent
- a handwriting letter
- banjoed their way to the top ten
- a meander stream
- hoboing across the country
- holidayed the time away
- the redirective coming from the officer
- grain-fed slaughter cattle
- ivy tendoned to the walls
