According to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary’s definition, “travesty” is a grotesque misrepresentation or imitation. Tragically, many writers confuse the word “travesty” with the similar-sounding “tragedy” even though these two words have very different meanings. The definition of “tragedy” is the
Used and Abused Words Part 1: Literally
Literal: Taking words in their usual or primary sense without metaphor or allegory; following the letter, text or exact word; so called without exaggeration. (Oxford Canadian Dictionary, Second Edition) Has anyone ever told you they were literally scared to death
Is it one word or two?
Watch out for these six words that have drastically different meanings when split in two. 1. Everyday vs every day Here’s an everyday word that I see used inappropriately every day. “Everyday” can refer to something that happens Monday to
How Canadian is your English?
Grammar, eh?! is a new IWA initiative meant to help writers improve their knowledge of English and English grammar. We aim to publish biweekly an article on this topic, written by the IWA member Christina Friend, who is a writer, editor and