Re: Free grammar lessons!
rant rant rant
I hate words ending in -um, particularly "medium." Where the hell do you think the word "media" came from? It's the plural form of "medium," referring to the method by which information is passed on between people. So television, the Internet, and radio are all media for transmission of information.
Why people say "mediums" is beyond me. Although it's technically correct by dictionary definition, it's totally inconsistent with just about EVERY other word ending in -um, such as paramecium or datum (yes, that's where we get the word "data" from). Why on earth would this be allowed? "Mediums" is awkward to say. The only situation in which I would consider it correct is when referring to a spiritual medium, and even then "media" is more appropriate, even if it doesn't sound as fitting. After all, a spiritual medium acts as the "medium" between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
Similarly, the word "criteria." It's plural. The sentence "There is not a single criteria I don't meet" is completely incorrect. The singular form of the word is "criterion." That's -on. Use the damn word correctly please.
**** English and its irregular pluralization.
rant rant rant
I hate words ending in -um, particularly "medium." Where the hell do you think the word "media" came from? It's the plural form of "medium," referring to the method by which information is passed on between people. So television, the Internet, and radio are all media for transmission of information.
Why people say "mediums" is beyond me. Although it's technically correct by dictionary definition, it's totally inconsistent with just about EVERY other word ending in -um, such as paramecium or datum (yes, that's where we get the word "data" from). Why on earth would this be allowed? "Mediums" is awkward to say. The only situation in which I would consider it correct is when referring to a spiritual medium, and even then "media" is more appropriate, even if it doesn't sound as fitting. After all, a spiritual medium acts as the "medium" between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
Similarly, the word "criteria." It's plural. The sentence "There is not a single criteria I don't meet" is completely incorrect. The singular form of the word is "criterion." That's -on. Use the damn word correctly please.
**** English and its irregular pluralization.
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