The Grammar Cop brings you a flock of frightful faux-pas this week. Can you spot them? 👀

1. First responders and healthcare workers will be first to recieve the vaccinations at the stadium, starting with around 300 people per day, but advancing to thousands per day soon after.
2. When Mr. Nixon died in 1994, then-President Bill Clinton praised his “wise counsel,” accomplishments and “devotion to duty,” delivering an eulogy that urged Americans to judge the former president on the “totality” of his life.
3. However, I also believe that these officers that show restraint, are well aware of those among them that are excessive, and I believe they fail to reign those officers in.

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And the corrections:

1. “Recieve”? Nope. How does that rhyme go, again? “I before E, except after C, or when sounded like A, as in Neighbour and Weigh.” Of course, there are oodles of exceptions to this rule. But receive isn’t one of them. The e does indeed come before the c in virtually all words just like it: conceive, deceive, perceive, etc.
2. Did your eyes balk at “an eulogy”? Or did they just skip over it? Normally we use the article an whenever it precedes a word starting with a vowel – but not before vowels that make a Y sound. In this case, “eulogy” is pronounced “yoo–luh-gee.” Therefore the article before it must be a: …a eulogy.
3. This sentence is so bad overall that it needs to be rewritten: However, I also believe that these officers who show restraint are well aware of their miscreant colleagues, and I believe they fail to rein them in. If any readers are puzzled by the corrections, please see me “after class” – or comment below. 😁

Like today’s column? See any flaws? Let the Grammar Cop know! Meanwhile I wish you a fine week. The days are getting longer and lighter, hooray! 😄

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