Larry Brautigam of Berlin, Connecticut, was watching the banter of some TV pundits when he suddenly noticed their banner: a huge pennant behind them proclaiming, “The Light at the End of the Tunnel Maybe a Locomotive.”
The artist who does pennants for that show, Larry thought, should be doing penance.
Maybe we all need some re”training” on splitters — terms rendered as one word or two, depending on the intended meaning. All aboard for a quick quiz:
No. 1: The light you see (maybe/may be) the headlamp of a locomotive.
No. 2: (Maybe/may be) we should get off the tracks.
No. 3: Are you (already/all ready) to go through the tunnel?
No. 4: Have you (already/all ready) gone through the tunnel?
No. 5: Is going through the tunnel an (everyday/every day) occurrence?
No. 6: Do you go through the tunnel (everyday/every day)?
No. 7: Has (everyone/every one) of you gone through the tunnel?
No. 8: Has (everyone/every one) gone through the tunnel?
No. 9: Is it (alright/all right) to go back into the tunnel?
No. 10: That train comes through the tunnel (alot/a lot).
No. 11: The headlamp of the train is on (everytime, every time) it comes through the tunnel.
No. 12. We were standing (altogether/all together) off the tracks.
Answers:
1) “may be”: a verb phrase expressing likelihood. 2) “maybe”: an adverb meaning “perhaps.” 3) “all ready”: an adjective phrase meaning “prepared.” 4) “already”: an adverb meaning “before a specified time” or “so soon.”
5) “everyday”: an adjective meaning “ordinary, commonplace.” 6) “every day”: an adverb phrase meaning “on every day.” 7) “every one”: When the pronoun “one” is preceded by “every” and followed by “of,” then “every one” is correct. 8) If you mean “all the people,” write “everyone.” If you mean “each and every person — every single one!” — write “every one.”
9) “all right”: Though “alright” is increasingly common, it’s not yet a standard English word. 10. “a lot”: “Alot” is a non-standard spelling of the two-word phrase “a lot.” 11. “every time”: “Everytime” is a nonstandard spelling of the two-word phrase “every time.” 12) “all together” or “altogether”: If you mean, “standing there together,” use “all together.” If you mean “completely off the tracks,” use “altogether.”
Scores: 9-12 correct — great tunnel vision; 4-8 correct — well trained; 0-3 correct — off the rails.
Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His new book, “Mark My Words,” is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.
