O is for Osprey

This osprey is nesting on a hydro pole right next to a minor highway south of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

 

O is for “or”

Or is a conjunction used to denote one of two alternatives or the last of a list of alternatives. In this way, the word or may also express some uncertainty.

purple or mauve

sheep or goats

an apple, an orange, or a peach

two or three goats

In the case of either…or, you are presented with only two alternatives.

Either we eat now or after the play ends.

Either do your chores or else you are grounded.

He was working either in his office or at the library.

For an expression using whether…or, you are presented with a conditional phrase or an indirect question.

We have to go, whether it is raining or not.

Call your friend and ask him whether or not it is raining there.

The word or may indicate a synonym.

cougars or mountain lions

an opening or gap

O is for ought

The word ought is an auxiliary verb, originally a past participle of the verb, to owe, but now used only with other verbs in the infinitive. It indicates obligation or duty, advisability or prudence, and is less vexing than should.

We ought to leave now.

He ought to have thought of that.

She ought not to have eaten so much.

Confusing O words

boudoire

cougar

course

ooze

operation

opposition

organism

origin

rook

root

soot

wool 

Exercises

1. Choose a book or newspaper to work with. Find sentences that include the conjunction or and figure out the exact meaning.
2. Substitute should for ought and consider how the meaning of a sentence changes.
3. Read through the list of “Confusing O Words”. Check the pronunciation of each word. Any surprises?

Note: This blog post is an excerpt from a book, “English Manual: Letter by Letter,” to be published in the summer of 2015.

O is for Outlook

This shady outlook is on the bank of Lake Ontario, a good place to watch for birds.

O is for onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia, Greek for “word-making”, describes a word or name that imitates a sound. Commonly, onomatopoeic words include names for noises and for animals and objects that make noises.

Names for noises

buzz

moo

rattle

sizzle

vroom-vroom

Names for animals that make noises

bobolink (bird)

chickadee (bird)

katydid (insect)

phoebe (bird)

whip-poor-will (bird)

In poetry, onomatopoeia is a device used to suggest the sound being described.

And the West-Wind came at evening,

Walking lightly o’er the prairie,

Whispering to the leaves and blossoms,

Bending low the flowers and grasses…

—The Song of Hiawatha, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

O is for oxymoron

An oxymoron is the use of contradictory ideas in one expression in speaking or writing, to create an impression. In this case, the prefix oxy— means “sharp” and the suffix —moron, “foolish”.

open secret

original copy

typically odd

Exercises

1. Find some instances of onomatopoeia and oxymoron and use them in a sentence.
2. Use the word “outlook” in two different ways.

Special reading assignment

1. Of the opposite ovens, only one was often off.
2. Owls, nocturnal birds of prey, have captured the imagination in many ways. In literature, they represent messengers, wisdom, learning, and Athens. An owl may also be an omen. In real life, they just go about their own business.

 

O is for Owl

Wordsworth the Owl can be found outside the library on Queen Street East in Toronto. Sculptor, Ludzer Vandermolen.

Prefixes

ob—, oc—, of—, op— mean “in the way of”, or “facing” and, usually, something in opposition or contrary. Notice that the c, f, and p are doubled.

obstruct

object

obvious

occasion

occult

occupy

offence [or offense]

offer

opponent

oppose

opposite

Special reading assignment

1. Our one and only objective was to organize the office and outline the operation.
2. Owls have broad wings, which allow them silent flight and more successful hunting.
3. Otters have thick, waterproof fur. When they swim, hundreds of shiny, silver bubbles follow in their wake.

Note: This blog post is an excerpt from a book, English Manual: Letter by Letter, to be published in the summer of 2015.

O is for Oak

The white oak has leaves with rounded lobes.

Significance and abbreviations

O is the fifteenth letter of the alphabet and the fourth vowel.

O is the human blood type of universal donors.

O is the chemical symbol of the element oxygen.

O’ as a prefix for a surname is the Irish abbreviation for “of the family”.

o’ stands for “of” in contractions such as “o’clock” and “man-o’-war”.

OK stands for okay and means that everything is all right.

OK is also the state postal code for Oklahoma, USA.

O levels (ordinary levels) was a level of secondary school examinations, part of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) in parts of the United Kingdom. It was replaced by the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in 1988. O levels are the equivalent to Grade 10 in Canada.

ON is the official provincial postal code for Ontario, Canada.

O.R. or OR is the abbreviation for Operating Room.

OR is also the official postal code for Oregon, USA.

Oz is slang for anything Australian.

Oz is also the mythical country and city portrayed in the film, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

oz. is an abbreviation for “onza”, Italian for ounce, a unit of measurement.

Some O words

off

oil

one

only

option

orb

ouch, ow!

out

over

owe 

Exercises

1. Identify more abbreviations, acronyms, and codes starting with the letter O.
2. In the list of “Some O Words,” which have a hard O, a soft O, or a diphthong?

Special reading assignment

 

1. Out and about the house. [Americans laugh at the way Canadians say this phrase. How do you say it?]
2. Have you ever seen an ostrich swallow an orange?
3. The royal or pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) is the national tree of England, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Latvia, and Estonia. Other species of oak represent Germany, Ireland, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, the United States, and Wales.