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Grammar for Grownups Quiz #40

Spelling Bee

My quarrel with spelling "rules" (can you tell from the quote marks how I detest that word?) is that there are too many exceptions. What needs to happen is not "standardizing" the spelling, but allowing writers to choose their own.

Take the "i" before "e" thing! It (the "rule") doesn't work often enough to matter. And there is no (not any/none/zilch/nada/zip) rule to decide between "able" and "ible" (although there is one guideline). You either have to memorize a bunch of words or keep a (current) dictionary at your elbow. See how you do with finding the misspelled words below. [My Spell-Check nearly lost it with the misspelled words!]

1. Writing may be a liesure activity. Spelling has some wierd yet irresistable rules.

2. Foriegn languages don't have this problem. You can eliminate our nieghbor Canada.

3. Niether Canada or Mexico pay attention to beliefs of the U.S., which makes us quite irritible.

4. When is a shiek considered a cheif? When one is indispensible!

5. Someone must sieze the moment and find some digestable way to solve the spelling problem.

Click here for my answers.

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