Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Where Have All The Wordsters Gone?

Aka the editors, the dental hygienists of worddom.  I don't expect much from highschoolers (or for that matter, nowadays, from college students {snort}), but professional writers...well, come on, guys, get some braces for your grammar!

Sound:

A musical instrument cannot sound "well," it can only sound good or bad (unless you'd like to convince me that musical instruments can get sick {tut tut}).  But, "judging by your croaky voice, you don't sound well; you sound downright ill."  An instrumental group can sound good or bad.

Look:  You look good in black, but that redhead over there looks bad in black.  Makes her look downright ill.

Feel:  It feels good to relax.  I feel well after a week of R & R.  I feel good about having done that.  He feels bad about having had to fire his employee.

Smell:  That honeysuckle smells good.  (Theoretically, if you have a keen schnoz, you could claim that your nose smells well, altho it's an infelicitous phrasing; "I have a keen sense of smell" would be better.)  Those sweaty sneakers smell bad.
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If you start with "one," stay with it; don't shift to "he" or "she" or "we," etc.  "If one wants to excel, one has to work hard."  "If one votes for an Obama, one shouldn't be surprised if one ends up a slave."