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Better English 43
Too Much Snow
February 16, 2010
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SLOW SNOW MONTH
-- WRITING YOUR LEGISLATORS
-- DUE TO IS EVERYWHERE
-- E.G. AND I.E.
-- YOUR NOT RIGHT
-- CURRENTLY IS ALREADY NOW

With 40 inches of snow falling, it's amazing how much material you can find when you are stuck inside. So here's a longer newsletter than usual.

WRITING YOUR LEGISLATORS
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 In the last issue, I promised to review the conventions that you should be aware of when writing elected officials.

They really do want to hear from you, so concentrate on making the right impression.

  1. Use correct address form, including your complete name and mailing address.
  2. Don't write a congressperson or senator who is not in your district unless the official is a member of a key committee considering a relevant bill.
  3. Type your letter.
  4. Focus on one issue per letter, being concise and concrete.
  5. Check legislation at this site and put the bill number in your letter.

Your correct address form:
The Honorable (full name) (Room #) (Name of House or Senate) Office Building United States House of Representatives or Senate Washington, DC 20515 or 20510

Dear Honorable__________:

I am a constituent in Florida's ______district.

The lack of fine writers is very important to me since I rely upon them to prepare proposals. In the state alone, these facts are undeniable:

  • fact one
  • fact two
  • fact three
There are obvious solutions to this problem, and I hope that you will review and support these bills that will bring better writing to Florida.
  • Name the bill or bills.
Sincerely,
Your name


DUE TO IS EVERYWHERE
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 Incorrect use of "due to" is one of the more slippery mistakes. It's carelessly used for "through," "because of," and "owing to" in adverbial phrases.

Tip: Be careful using the phrase to modify a verb. "Due to" means "caused by" and is synonymous with "attributable to."

Correct: "The accident was due to snowy roads."

Incorrect: "They lost the game due to carelessness."

A headline in the "Chicago Sun Times" declares, "Winter Games a Misnomer Due to Vancouver Weather."

And in Roanoke, VA, the WSLS web site informs us: "Blacksburg High School Closed Rest of Week Due to Roof Collapse."

And the "Columbus Dispatch" reports, "I-71 Southbound Largely Closed Due to Large Pileups."


E.G. AND I.E.
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 Loving pomposity, we often use the terms "i.e." and "e.g."

The first means "that is," and the second term means "for example."

In conversation, we love to use "i.e." probably because it is easier to pronounce than "e.g."

A comma comes after each, by the way. Here are some correct examples just as they appear:

  • The dumbing-down of America is a producer- driven, i.e., a corporate/governmental phenomenon.
  • Some of you may know that the so-called mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (ie, coronary heart disease).


    • Now some correct examples of e.g.:

    • And unlike in other sports where high-dollar endorsement deals exist (e.g. hockey), Nordic combined athletes have to scratch and claw by various means to support their training.
    • This program teaches stress management techniques and other important lessons (eg, about diet and exercise) and helps people rebuild their strength;

    YOUR NOT RIGHT
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     Texting and instant messaging no doubt have encouraged the misuse of "your" as a substitute for "you're."

    Of course "you're" is a contraction for "you are," and "your" is an adjective.

    Incorrect:
  • Your right.
  • Your coming?
  • Your on time!
  • Your a real friend.

    •

    CURRENTLY IS ALREADY NOW
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     "Currently," used with a verb in the present tense is usually redundant.

    Many resumes maintain that Mr. Johnson "is currently chairman of the committee," or is "currently visiting professor at..."

    "USA Today" reports that Fredericks posted a time of 35.17 seconds, which puts him currently in first place.

    If it's redundant, eliminate it.

    Sincerely,
    Barry Beckham


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