See if you can avoid stumbling on any of these word choices. An A grade awaits.
1. I’m sure you will (appraise/apprise) me if anything changes.
2. A three-person panel (administers/administrates) the review process.
3. We’ve used the same financial (adviser/advisor) for more than 20 years.
4. I still like my solution, but I’m not (adverse/averse) to Amy’s suggestion.
5. I realize there’s something to be said for preserving traditions, but some of our procedures strike me as (archaic/arcane).
6. Call us every few days to let us know you’re (alright/all right).
7. Ask Aaron to tell you his (anecdote/antidote) about speed dating.
8. Annie is an (alumna/alumnus) of UCLA.
The answers
1. Apprise. When we apprise, we inform; when we appraise, we evaluate.
2. Administers is preferred, but administrates is an accepted alternative.
3. Adviser and advisor are both correct. Although we probably see advisor more often, adviser gets the nod from the experts.
4. Averse. This one’s tough because both words relate to opposition. The difference is that adverse describes things (adverse reaction, adverse result, adverse weather) while averse describes an attitude. (If no one is averse to having pizza tonight, lets go to Antonio’s.)
5. Archaic. The implication here is that the procedures are old-fashioned, or archaic. Arcane means mysterious or secret, not old.
6. All right. Although we frequently see alright, it is considered nonstandard.
7. Anecdote. An anecdote is a story – particularly a short or amusing one. An antidote, of course, is a remedy; it counteracts something negative.
8. Alumna. Annie is a female, so she’s an alumna; her brother Arnie is an alumnus. (The plural of alumna is alumnae, and the plural of alumnus is alumni. If you took Latin, you just might remember all this, but an escape hatch is going informal and calling each grad an alum.)
You made the A-Team, right?
In addition to presenting workshops on writing in the workplace, Norm Friedman is a writer, editor, and writing coach. His 100+ Instant Writing Tips is a brief “non-textbook” to help individuals overcome common writing errors and write with more finesse and impact. Learn more at http://www.normfriedman.com/index.shtml.