The English Linguistics Project: English Manual (8th Edition)

I

Lexicon

You can easily solve problems with diction (or lexical accuracy) by simply referring to current international dictionaries. If you cannot define the term, nor give a synonym for it, then you must be using the word based on how you have been exposed to it, and your usage might be erroneous. Of course, dictionaries are never complete; you may find words used in reputable international media which are not yet in the latest edition of any dictionary.

Nevertheless, learn to read the dictionary for the different meanings of words (or word forms) in different classifications. For example, read the entries for such simple words as make or set, and appreciate their different uses. Some dictionaries, like the Random House Webster and the Oxford Reference, also list idioms under their headword. The Cambridge International has complete sentences for each meaning it defines.

To make the meanings you have discovered last in your memory, construct authentic sentences, i.e., sentences which you would use to refer to your own experiences. For example, after learning that the preferred use of the idiom watch out for is to refer to danger, in contrast to watch for which is used to refer to something pleasant you are anticipating, you could construct the sentence I will certainly watch out for the new shows of that TV station as announced by its hosts—the shows must all be horrible.

Lexical Change

Be open to changes in the form and use of English words. For formal written communication, use international newsmagazines and reputable journals as models. For example, further is now also used in the sense of farther, e.g.:

Nothing could be further from the truth.

This despite the existence of the idiom far from the truth.

New words may come from inventions. For instance, the term fax, which is a short form for facsimile that is electronically transmitted, is now used as a verb as well:

We need these reports faxed for the board meeting tomorrow.

The clerk was faxing the deed of sale when a brownout occurred.

Another is the brand name Xerox, from the copying process technically labeled as xerography. Now we have the noncount noun and verb xerox:

The lecturer handed out xerox copies of his outline. [Thus far, the plural form xeroxes has not become popular.]

Many graduate students xerox whole books out of necessity.

Some words acquire new meanings. The verb consult led to the noun consultant, i.e., the person whom an institution consults for expertise which it does not have in-house. Now, that noun has led to another meaning of the verb consult, meaning to function as a consultant. Note the difference between these two meanings:

The movie producer, director, designers, and actors consulted NASA scientists on the details of the Mars mission.

NASA consulted on every aspect of the sci-fi movie Mission to Mars.

The use of text as a verb has become common on TV. CNN and American Idol use it to tell their viewers to send in their response, in constructions like you may text your response to or text vote to. The phrase I was texting has also been used in an American crime series. Still, its inflection seems to be limited. Sentences like

?they texted me about the change in test schedule

?we have been texting each other about the test

may still be limited to Filipino English. For conversation, these forms may be used. But in formal written texts, the longer phrase send a text message seems to be appropriate.

Many students have begun to send text messages to each other to coordinate their team research.

Some words get superseded by other words:

Also, names of institutions, cities, countries, etc., may be officially changed. Make sure that the proper nouns you are using are current and updated, such as:

Lexical Variation

Some words may have similar meanings or the same meaning, sometimes even the same source, but tend to be used in particular English dialects. Especially confusing to Filipino users of English are principally British forms, as in the following:

A special case is that of names for numbers above one million, where American and British terms do not tally. (The British terms correspond to those in German and French.) Such figures are often quoted in reports about financial figures, such as the national budget, debt, the cost of infrastructure, the net worth of the world’s wealthiest, and the like. All such reports must be strictly interpreted according to the system used.

One billion in the US system, which is also used by Filipino writers, is one thousand million (1,000,000,000), but in the European system, this numeral is called a milliard, since its billion is one million million (1,000,000,000,000). The meanings of the rest of the terms—trillion, quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, nonillion, decillion, etc.—stray farther apart since in the US system, each term is 1,000 times the preceding one, while in the British system, each term (from one trillion) is 1,000,000 times the preceding one. Thus, an American quadrillion has 15 zeros, while the British has 24.

The American system, however, has been gaining wider acceptance, and is reported to have become the standard even in British government publications.

If you are writing for Filipino and international readers, you will be more easily understood if you use American forms. This is mainly due to the wider reach of American media, both broadcast and print.

Homophonous and Homographic Words

Differentiate between homophonous (same pronunciation) and homographic (same spelling) words. If you have to use a word which sounds or looks like another word (or, put another way, a word form which has several meanings), make sure that the context of its use clearly and firmly establishes the meaning you are using it for. Some examples are:

air, airs

The air is cold.

She has airs.

She sings German airs well.

appliance

Our neighbors always buy the latest cooking appliance to come out in the market.

The appliance of science to solving the impending food crisis worldwide is quite urgent.

assumption

The Assumption of the Virgin is significant to Roman Catholics.

Your assumptions are now proven false.

The military leaders’ assumption to office was marked by much wrangling over turf.

bore

She bore a child out of wedlock.

Her boyfriend was such a bore that she left him.

Termites bore holes as they eat their way through wood.

bound

Perfect binding means the leaves and cover are bound by glue.

Law enforcement agents are bound to uphold the law.

Our comics tend to go beyond the bounds of decency.

We are finally bound for home.

dish

This dish is quite tasty.

This dish looks like the one I broke.

fastness

The rebels feel secure in their mountain fastness.

Color fastness is better in synthetic than in natural fibers.

The fastness of certain bacteria to penicillin is becoming a major medical concern.

Fastness is a major criterion for athletes. [c. 1900]

glasses

My German friend drinks two glasses of milk before breakfast.

The teacher cannot read without her glasses.

hang

Which prisoner did they hang this morning?

Which picture did you hang in the living room?

My computer hangs each time I try to open a JPG file.

little

She puts a little chili in her fried rice, but not too much.

She uses the little chili, not the big one.

nominal

Many Filipinos are only nominal Catholics.

They give no more than nominal donations to the church.

Cleanliness is the nominal derivation of the adjective cleanly.

novel

That’s a novel idea.

That’s an idea for a novel.

overage

Some of the Little League baseball players are definitely overage.

Any overage in our finances or inventory should be immediately reported and controlled.

overlook

Do not overlook traffic signs.

From the top of the water tower, you can overlook the entire farm.

The new committee was tasked to overlook the company’s landscaping projects.

paper, papers

Use no more than a sheet of paper for your bio-data.

I read your paper on inflation.

Submit your papers tomorrow.

I subscribe to seven papers.

prompt

The prompt response of the paramedics saved his life.

The actor needed some prompting even during shows.

Military abuses prompted activists to stage a rally.

Just follow the prompts on your cell phone screen.

purchase

How will you pay for this purchase? [s.t. bought]

Without good purchase on the stage floor, the dancers might slip. [firm hold]

rational

Many of our decisions are not rational.

A rational number is one that can be expressed as a ratio – an integer, fraction, or decimal that terminates or repeats.

shiver

Do not expect Eskimos to shiver inside the air-conditioned mall since they are well-adapted to the cold.

The rumble of the jumbo jet in a low approach shivered all the glass in the neighborhood.

sewer

Despite mechanization, garment factories still need many sewers.

We are never conscious of sewers in the city until they clog up.

sole

He was not the sole heir, though he was the only child.

There are many different kinds of sole at the fish market.

Her left sole was pierced by a nail sticking out of the floorboards.

steep

The north face of the mountain looks too steep to climb without any gear.

Prices of computer peripherals are steep now; wait till after Christmas.

You can’t steep tea well if the water is not boiling hot.

store

The new store sells only cheese from various parts of the world.

The large store at the back with its walk-in freezer is where the restaurant keeps all its meat.

ventilate

The ceiling fan does not really ventilate the room better.

It is time for these issues to be ventilated.

Differentiate between words with the same or similar pronunciation but are spelled differently. Errors here are usually cited as spelling errors.

NB: These are listed in Merriam-Webster as variants of each other; Encarta lists canvas as a variant spelling for canvass. Random House notes that canvass was originally a spelling variant of canvas used as a verb. Cambridge and Oxford, however, as this Manual suggests, maintains the difference between canvas the cloth and canvass the act of getting price quotations or other information.

NB: Forego is a variant spelling of forgo, meaning to abstain from or renounce. However, there is also forego which means to go before or precede.

Differentiate between words closely related in spelling and/or pronunciation.

The contraction it’s for it is is used only when it is the subject of is, and not when these two words are simply adjacent to each other:

*The problem about it’s that the data are incomplete.

The problem about it is that the data are incomplete.

Word Meanings

Differentiate between words which are very closely related in form and/or meaning to each other. [See also the sections on derivation in the chapters on the Noun, Verb, Adjective and Adverb, for different derivations from the same stem resulting in different meanings.] A few examples are:

advance vs. advanced

The group has to send an advance copy of its itinerary to the local producers.

Their theaters have more advanced facilities than ours.

anorectic vs. anorexic

The new diet you downloaded from the Internet must certainly be anorectic – it is so low in calories and nutrients.

Some antibiotics cause you to lose your appetite. They become, in effect, anorectic drugs.

The official death certificate confirms that the famous singer was anorexic; she was, indeed, diagnosed as suffering from anorexia nervosa.

Many teenagers in developed countries are becoming anorexics because of their obsession with becoming thin.

astonish vs. surprise

The cleaning lady surprised them in a rather compromising situation.

They were astonished. = They were caught by surprise.

[NB: This fine distinction between surprise and astonish is now getting blurred.]

cleanly (adj., pronounced ['klenlI]) vs. cleanly (adv., ['klinlI])

Hotel personnel are trained to be cleanly. = … to be habitually clean.

This serrated knife cuts cleanly.

clear vs. cleared

The theory of evolution is now clear in my mind.

Our biology teacher has cleared up many misconceptions about it.

My uncle has been cleared of all obligations to the company. He got his clearance papers yesterday.

consent vs. assent

The Emperor consented to the marriage of the Crown Prince to a commoner. [gave permission]

The young career diplomat assented to the marriage proposal. [responded positively]

continual, continually vs. continuous, continuously

All personnel need to undergo continual training for us to maintain our company’s competitive edge. [repeated, as in a series]

We breathe continuously even when we are often not aware of it. [without ceasing]

There is a continuous red line from the entrance door to the stage that all participants in the ceremony should follow. [unbroken (Continuous is also used to refer to space; continual is not.)]

deny vs. refute

The suspect merely denied his participation in the crime, though he had no evidence to support him.

The defense lawyer refuted the prosecution’s allegations by reexamining the evidence in a new light.

disallow vs. prohibit, forbid

Employees of the ministry have been disallowed from personally following up papers. [permission was withdrawn]

Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering the storeroom. or … are forbidden to enter … [no permission was given]

due vs. due to

The workers are only claiming the payments that are due them. [what they should get]

The delay in payments is due to a computer malfunction. [because of]

The typhoon is heading due west and should make landfall by noon. [directly]

imbibe vs. imbue

The personnel immediately imbibed the core values of the new management. [took in, accepted – figurative use of the word, which literally means to drink, especially alcohol]

The trainer imbued the personnel with the core values of the new management. [usually used in the passive: The personnel were imbued with the core values.]

infer vs. imply

We can infer from these figures that poverty is a function of the maldistribution of wealth.

These figures imply that poverty is ….

interment vs. internment

Francis Magalona’s interment will be held after the final public viewing of his remains and necrological mass at Christ the King Church on Wednesday.

Some nursing schools require a shorter period of internment in a hospital, which may not be sufficient to develop practical skills among their student nurses.

less vs. lesser (see fuller discussion in the section on Adjectives)

The company has less money after the peso devalued.

The lesser amount available for investments is slowing down the company.

madding [= acting in a frenzied way] vs. maddening [= causing one to get mad]

I want a house built away from the madding crowd.

The noisy crowd was so maddening we called security to quiet them down.

mature (adj) vs. matured

Working students tend to be more mature than non-working ones.

Cheese has to be fully matured before it gets sold in the market.

outer vs. outré (pronounced [u 't ej], from French [utRε])

You will find outlandish designs among those who belong to the outer circle of fashion designers.

Their designs are so outre that these are only good for costume shows.

replace vs. substitute

The actor was replaced by the understudy after the former had a row with the director.

The understudy substituted for the actor ….

The director replaced the actor with the understudy ….

The director substituted the understudy for the actor ….

The director substituted the understudy in the actor’s stead ….

unaware (adj) vs. unawares (adv)

We were unaware of his arrival.

We were caught unawares by his sudden and unscheduled arrival.

voluntarism vs. volunteerism

A great deal of voluntarism/volunteerism keeps many churches, schools, and hospitals functioning even with limited budgets. (voluntarism = private, and not government, support; volunteerism = use of volunteers]

The academe has been called upon to help the underprivileged through a program of volunteerism. [= the involvement of volunteers, especially in community service)

Voluntarism is contrary to determinism. [= referring to any theory that regards will, not the intellect, as the fundamental or dominant agency in the individual or the universe)

Some words have differing forms but essentially the same meaning; one form is usually preferred over the others:

administer = administrate                 

(dis)orient = (dis)orientate               

heterogenous = heterogeneous (preferred)

homogenous = homogeneous (preferred)

NB: The term homogenous may also mean homoplastic (q.v.). predominant, predominantly = predominate, predominately

An often disputed pair are healthy and healthful. Healthful is the older form, already about 150 years old by the time healthy entered the English lexicon in the 16th century. Healthful means conducive to good health; healthy means both conducive to good health and having good health.

A healthful/healthy diet is essential to a good disposition.

It is harder to remain healthy when you are engaged in stressful work.

Some words which many teachers have tried to differentiate from near-homonyms are now accepted in their common usage. One example:

self-deprecating = self-depreciating

There’s his [Walter Cronkite’s] tone: direct, slightly ironic, and appealingly self-deprecating. - Flyer on Walter Cronkite: A Reporter’s Tale, BOMC, Winter 1996.

The word preferred by some here is self-depreciating, to mean belittling oneself, instead of self-deprecating which is taken to mean hating oneself. This distinction is no longer current.

Another is:

partake = participate

After some hesitation, the activists decided to partake/participate in the ceremonies inaugurating the new factory.

Traditionally, the term partake has been limited to sharing in food or drink, but all current dictionaries now list take part in an activity as one of its meanings. Participate is the more limited term.

All graduating students must partake/participate in the commencement exercises.

They may also partake of the refreshments after the affair.

A third pair is:

specialization = specialty

when referring to a field of knowledge or specific profession, as in medical specialization or medical specialty. However, in cuisine, the word used is specialty to refer to particular dishes that a chef or restaurant is known for.

Always consult a reliable dictionary. Do not just rely on building the meaning of a word from the individual meanings of what seem to be its parts.

catnip is not related to cats

inflammable does not mean not flammable

invaluable does not literally mean not valuable

meteorology is not the study of meteors

priceless does not literally mean without a price or no price

unnatural does not always mean artificial

Some words look related because of their pronunciation or spelling. Do not guess, and be wary of other people’s explanations. Always refer to a dictionary.

rid is the past participle of rid, as in get rid of s.t.

ridden is an adjective which means full of; obsessed by, as in guilt-ridden or corruption-ridden. A government that has been rid of graft is graft-free.

Be careful in using transitive and intransitive verbs that are closely related to each other in meaning:

lay vs. lie

raise vs. rise

set, seat (v.) vs. sit

Ambiguous Words

Watch out for words that are ambiguous, i.e., that have two or more distinct meanings [see also the list of homographic and homophonous words above]. Note the two meanings of the following:

The prescription was specified for two years. [Does this refer to the years that the patient may/should take the drug prescribed by the doctor, or does this refer to an offense which is no longer deemed a violation after the period stated?]

He was relieved, knowing that the Palace does not tolerate any kind of irregularity. [Did he feel good about it, or was he dismissed?]

Sanctions are required to maintain peace in the region. [Approval, or punishment?]

Your research proposal was tabled. [Proposed for discussion (Br. & Aus.), or postponed for later discussion (Am.)?]

About 4,000 US troops involved in the war against Iraq are now suffering from what has been called the Gulf War Syndrome. [Groups, or individual soldiers? Note that while the singular troop refers to a group, the plural troops is commonly used to refer to individuals.]

Make sure that the context of your use allows only your desired meaning, and your statement clearly expresses only that meaning. Some of the words you commonly use may have several meanings, and your readers or hearers may get the meaning you did not intend to communicate.

bimonthly [adj.] = (1) every two months, or (2) twice a month. This Manual recommends the use of semimonthly for the second meaning.

buck [n.] = (1) adult male deer or rabbit, or (2) a high-spirited young man; [v.] (1) to leap upward while arching the back, like a horse, (2) to throw a rider or burden by bucking, (3) to butt against s.t., (4) to make sudden, jerky movements, (5) to resist stubbornly (to buck s.t.), or (6) to strive with determination (to buck for s.t.).

diction [n.] = (1) choice of words, or (2) articulation, pronunciation, enunciation. This Manual uses diction in the first meaning.

enormity [n.] = (1) excessive wickedness; a monstrous offense or evil, or (2) [informally] great size, immensity. [Note: For the latter meaning, the word enormousness is preferred.]

matchless [adj.] = (1) without equal, comparison; or (2) without matches

relieved [pp of v.] = (1) experiencing relief, as in the lifting of a burden; or (2) removed from office

remit [v.] = (1) lay aside (one’s mood); (2) desist from (an activity); (3) relax (one’s attention); (4) stop from imposing (a tax or penalty); (5) alleviate (suffering); (6) remand or refer s.t for consideration; (7) restore s.t. to its former status or condition; (8) postpone; (9) send money in payment of an obligation

sanction [n.] = (1) authoritative permission, (2) penalty, or (3) coercive measure (especially in international relations).

Differentiate among adverbs of frequency indicating a gradation of meaning from positive to negative.

often - not often - seldom

usually - not usually - sometimes

always - not always - never

generally - occasionally - rarely - hardly ever - never

Explicitness

Use the right word, and be as explicit as possible. Do not leave ideas understood.

* The blank was not legibly written.

   The entry on the blank was not legibly written.

* The logbook is not properly maintained with time-ins and time-outs.

   Time-ins and time-outs are not regularly recorded in the logbook.

Use the word or phrase that directly, clearly, and correctly communicates your meaning.

* The Branch Manager promised to rectify the audit findings.

   The Branch Manager promised to rectify the errors noted in the audit report.

* The keys were inconsistently surrendered to the custodial supervisor at the end of the day.

   The keys were not regularly/always surrendered ….

* The new procedures should be observed in the handling of withdrawals.

   The new procedures should be followed ….

* Any incumbent public official against whom any criminal prosecution … is pending in court shall be suspended from office." (from the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act)

The problem here is whether the statement applies to the suspension of the public official only from the office he is occupying at the time of the alleged offense, or also to any other public office he might be occupying at the time of the suspension order.

* Please recommend three or five of your best graduating students.

   Please recommend from three to five ….

Three or five literally means you cannot recommend four.

Filipinisms and Slang

Use Filipinisms only when your target readers are familiar with them—fellow Filipinos, or other nationals who have become familiar with Filipino English. Be particularly mindful of Filipinisms which are neosemanticisms, i.e., new or additional meanings to common words.

accident prone area [= high-risk area]. This phrase can be found in signages marking an area, such as tight intersections or blind corners, where many accidents have occurred. Idiomatically, however, it is a person who is prone to accidents or accident-prone, not an area. In other countries, the signage is HIGH-RISK AREA.

ballpen [= ballpoint pen]. The form listed in international dictionaries is ballpoint. In many countries, the trademark Biro (after its inventor) is often used to mean ballpoint. In the Philippines, the trademark Bic is the one commonly generalized.

color-coding [n.], color-coded [adj.] [= restriction; restricted]. In Metro Manila, this refers to a vehicle’s being restricted from traveling on certain main roads on certain days and hours. The restriction is based on the final digit of the vehicle’s license plate; it has nothing to do with color. Real color-coding exists in Olongapo City, where the bodies of public jeeps are painted the color that designates their respective routes.

comics [n., comic book, no singular]. The noun comic refers to a comedian, with the plural comics, as in American Muslim comics come of age. The Filipino usage comes from the Tag. komiks, referring to a comic book.

commute [v., travel from residence to workplace via public transportation]. The dictionary meaning is simply to travel regularly from one point to another, by any means.

do [v., make love], usually used in a Filipino sentence, conjugated with the prefix mag-.

double dead [n., cows or pigs that died of some disease but whose meat is sold for human consumption; beef or pork from such cows or pigs].

enlist [v., put oneself in a list of students for a class], enlistment [n., the procedure for such]. Some Philippine schools use these words either to mean register or enroll, or to refer to a step in the registration procedure where an enrollee asks to be put tentatively on a list of students for a certain class, with the option to get himself delisted before finalizing his registration. However, none of the ELP’s references carry this usage, limiting enlist to getting drafted for military service, or securing the help of someone or something. The Filipino sentence Magpapa-enlist ako is very common.

give [n., installment] A bank’s billboard states You can pay in four gives.

memo [v., send a memo of reprimand], also used in a Filipino sentence. Technically, a memo is simply a short form of internal communication in an institution.

plastic [adj., hypocritical]. This Philippine usage would confuse the reader who encounters such a sentence as Actors must have plastic personalities, meaning malleable or adaptable.

pumping [n., thrusting, as in the sexual act]. This has been popularized by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) in referring to objectionable sex scenes.

salvage [v., n., summary execution]. This usage is particularly misleading since salvage means save or rescue something from complete loss or destruction.

tasty [n.] bread loaf, as in The government will also distribute cheaper pan de sal and tasty in depressed areas.

toxic [n., troubled, problematic], as in Teaching is quite toxic but fulfilling, or Don’t talk to her now; she’s still quite toxic after the meeting with the boss.

trending [v., use the trend in a process to influence the results], usually in the construction make a trending; used in Filipino with the prefix mag-.

Earlier editions of the Manual identified celebrant, referring to a person marking his own anniversary (e.g., birth, wedding), as a Filipinism. It turns out that there is ample evidence to show that this usage began in American English in the 1930s, and has continued to this day, as in:

The streets of Salisbury were packed with hundreds of singing, fist-pumping celebrants. They were supporters of Bishop Abel Muzorewa going to the victory rallies.

- Time, 7979

The heritage and history are honored, claimed, no matter whether the celebrant is a newly arrived Asian immigrant.

- Newsweek, 7991

[People] gathered for the countdown to go home. Many dispersed, but plenty of celebrants were still milling around when a second wave of bombs detonated …

- Time, 2007

His theory of Irish religious consciousness began with the very early Church, which had co-opted many of the existing pagan traditions. Druidical rites, women priests, celebrants running around naked, that kind of thing.

- Discover, 2008

Of course, the first meaning of celebrant as listed in international dictionaries is the priest officiating at mass, but it is also quite commonly used to refer to anyone celebrating, thus making it equivalent to celebrator. Some have tried to popularize the term celebrator in lieu of celebrant but dictionaries list celebrator as referring to those who celebrate or help celebrate a particular event, not particularly the one marking his own anniversary. Further, celebrant is now used more commonly as equivalent to celebrator. So one can refer to the birthday celebrant or birthday celebrator (in the singular) and readily refer to the one marking his birthday. The plural birthday celebrants/celebrators may refer to those marking their birthdays, as well as those celebrating with them.

Earlier editions also listed blow-out as a Filipinism, favoring treat as the verb. It turns out this isn’t so. The listed meaning in current British and American dictionaries is a large meal; a party or feast; with the Cambridge dictionary offering as a sample sentence We went out last Saturday and had a blow-out: However, the OED also lists the idiom give a blow-out — which we use locally — in keeping with the meaning of treat. What is not attested, and thus a Filipinism, is the use of blow out as a verb, as in *The boss blew us out lost night to celebrate the company’s success.

Text as a verb, meaning send a text message via a cell phone, was earlier also identified as a Filipinism — which it was until American and British television programs began using text-voting in talent competitions. Now, it is a full-fledged verb:

Text your votes to this number.

You only have a few minutes to text your choice.

Many fans texted several times to make their favorites win.

Some Filipinisms are neoterisms, i.e., new forms for meanings already indicated by other words or phrases. Though this type of Filipinism is not in international dictionaries of English, it does not clash with similar or related English words, and does not confuse readers as much as neosemanticisms.

aggrupation [n., an assembly or grouping], as in This movement is an aggrupotion of religious groups and NGOs. The listed English word is aggroupment.

backgrounder [n., background to a plan or proposal], as in The following paragraphs constitute the backgrounder to the proposed Philippine position in the negotiations. Actually, the term background is accurate and sufficient for the same meaning.

CR [abb., comfort room], as in Where’s the CR?

fiscalizer [n. (political) critic], as in Coming from the minority party, I expect my role in the Senate to be that of a fiscalizer. This most probably derives from our use of fiscal for the public prosecutor, a carry-over from one of the meanings of the Spanish fiscal. The OED lists the verb fiscalize, but this means to cause the collection of revenue and is thus not the source for our Filipinism.

masteral [adj., pertaining to a master’s degree], as in Her masteral thesis is unrelated to her teaching career. The listed word is master’s, though masteral does parallel doctoral quite well, and is being used by the Department of Education, as well as the Commission on Higher Education.

passporting [adj., pertaining to the processing of passports], as in Incomplete documents and other required materials cause the majority of passporting problems. This term is used at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

postpone s.t. to a later date [cf. move s.t. to a later date]. The dictionary listing is postpone until a later date, or postpone for a given time period, e.g., postpone until February 15, postpone for three months.

presidentiable or presidentable [adj., n., of presidential caliber; with good chances of getting elected president]. Popularized by the newspapers during the 1992 presidential race, this derivation has also spawned senatoriable.

rallyist [n., participant in a public rally or demonstration]. Philippine newspapers in English use this term, as in Rallyists convene at Chino Roces (formerly Merado) Bridge near Malacañang to dramatize their protest on [sic] the expanded Value Added Tax law. The term listed in dictionaries is rallier.

routinary [adj]. This is an obsolete form, appearing in English literature in the late 19th century. Current dictionaries list routine for both noun and adjective.

An interesting Filipinism is oppositor, which is actually listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as an obsolete form. Current dictionaries list oppositionist which refers to a member of an opposing group or political party.

Avoid the use of slang or colloquialisms in formal communications.

That’s already over. (1993) = That’s too much.

Also, avoid using Filipinisms for which common English words are available.

Free * tripping every Sunday [to the subdivision site]. >

Free trips every Sunday.

Some words common in formal writing in the Philippines are actually often misused, such as:

consultation [n., conferring with parties concerned]. Many arguments have ensued from the wrong use of this term to mean *getting the agreement of (the majority of) the parties concerned.

emeritus [adj., retired or honorably discharged but still using the title, and possibly enjoying some privileges]. This literally means having served out or completed one’s term. It does not mean meritorius, although this sense may be implied by the fact that the institution concerned recognizes the retired or discharged person’s value.

enjoin [v., order, direct, or prescribe; in Law, to prohibit by an injunction]. This is often mistakenly used to mean encourage or invite as in Your cooperation in this Christmas get-together is hereby enjoined which literally means either your cooperation is prohibited or your cooperation is ordered or required.

harassment [n.] This term, together with the verb form harass, is often used, especially in media, even if the case involves only one instance of mischief. The term refers to repeated or continual acts of mischief. Legislative discussions which appear to be using this term even for single instances may eventually lead to two meanings—singular act in Philippine legal usage, repeated acts in general usage.

impunity [n., freedom or exemption from punishment]. The phrase with impunity is sometimes used in the papers to mean relentlessly. While this meaning is implied, it is not the direct, actual meaning.

postgraduate [adj., higher academic degree after the first]. This word is practically synonymous to the adjective graduate, the latter being the