L
LATINO, HISPANIC, CHICANO
See Chicano, Latino, Hispanic.
LATIN TERMS
LATITUDE, LONGITUDE
Latitude lines run horizontally around the earth (and on maps). To correctly write latitude measurements, consider these facts:
Each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles apart.
Latitude degrees are numbered from 0° to 90°.
0° latitude is the equator.
Latitudes north of the equator include “north” (“N”) in their description.
Latitudes south of the equator include “south” (“S”) in their description.
90° north is the North Pole, and 90° south is the South Pole.
Longitude lines run vertically around the earth and converge at the North and South Poles. Longitude lines are also known as meridians. To correctly write longitude measurements, consider these facts:
Each degree of longitude is approximately 69 miles apart at their widest distance, which is as they cross the equator.
The meridian at 0° longitude runs through Greenwich, England.
Longitudes extend east and west from Greenwich, England, and include “east” (“E”) or “west” (“W”) in their description.
Longitude lines extend to 180° east and 180° west at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean.
Longitude and latitude are used together to locate points on the earth. Degrees of longitude and latitude are divided into minutes (′) and seconds (″). Seconds can be further divided into tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.
To describe a location using longitude and latitude, latitude is listed first and is separated from longitude by a comma.
Example: The location of the United States Capitol is 38° 53′23″N, 77° 00′27″W. This translates into 38 degrees, 53 minutes, 23 seconds north of the equator and 77 degrees, 0 minutes, and 27 seconds west of the meridian passing through Greenwich, England.
LAY, LIE
Many people confuse the two words because the word lay is both the present tense of lay (lay, lay, laid) and the past tense of lie (lie, lay, lain).
Lie means to remain in position or to rest. Lie is intransitive, meaning that no object ever accompanies it. When the subject is lying down, use lie.
Example: I’m pretty tired, so I’m going to lie down.
Lay means to place something somewhere. Lay is transitive, meaning that an object always accompanies it. The verb lay takes an object in a sentence, whereas the verb lie does not. When the subject acts on something else, use lay.
Correct: I’m going to lay the book on your desk.
Incorrect: He lays down after lunch every day.
Correct: He lies down after lunch every day.
Correct: Yesterday he lay on the couch for two hours.
Correct: Will you please lay the book on the table?
Correct: The pen lay on the desk all day.
What can be confusing is that the past tense of lie is lay. Table 2.19 lists the various forms of the verbs lay and lie.
Table 2.19 Forms of Lay and Lie and Sample Sentences
LAY OUT, LAYOUT
Lay out as two words is a verb that means to display something in an orderly way, to spend or invest money, or to explain or show.
Example: I’m going to lay out my clothes before I start packing them into my suitcase.
Example: I’ve had to lay out thousands for car repairs.
Example: She laid out all the alternatives available to the company.
Layout, as one word, is a noun that describes a design plan.
Example: She was impressed by the layout of the loft apartment.
LEAD, LED
Lead can be both a noun and a verb.
As a noun, lead is a heavy metal.
As a verb, lead means to guide others, and the past tense is led.
LEARN, TEACH
Before you can learn, someone must teach you.
Incorrect: She learned me how to type.
Correct: She taught me how to type.
Correct: If I teach him correctly, he will learn quickly.
LEAVE, LET
LED, LEAD
See Loan, Lend.
Lend, Loan
LESSEN, LESSON
Lessen is a verb that means to make something smaller.
Example: When the rain stopped, the flooding lessened.
Lesson is a noun for something that is learned, studied, or taught.
Example: Falling off the ladder taught me a valuable lesson about safety.
LESS, FEWER
When you are talking about countable things, you should use the word fewer.
When you are talking about measurable quantities that cannot be counted, you should use the word less.
Example: He has fewer assets, but less worry.
Less refers to a smaller amount, degree, or value.
Example: There is less traffic today than yesterday.
Fewer refers to a quantifiable number.
Example: Fewer cars are on the road today than yesterday.
LET, LEAVE
Let means to permit.
Example: Let her go with us.
Leave means to depart, to bequeath, to allow.
Example: Leave her alone.
LETS, LET’S
Lets without an apostrophe means to allow something.
Example: We can go get ice cream if my brother lets us use his car.
Let’s with an apostrophe is abbreviated to mean let us.
Example: Let’s go get ice cream.
LEXICAL DENSITY
The Lexical Density Test is a readability test that is designed to measure how easy or difficult a document is to read. The test uses the following formula:
A document with a low Lexical Density rating is relatively easy to read. A rating of 60–70% is difficult to read. A rating of 40–50% is the target range for business documents.
LIABLE, LIKELY
Liable should be used when referring to legal responsibility.
Example: The landlord is liable for damages.
Likely refers to a high probability.
Example: That horse is likely to win the race.
LIE, LAY
LIGHTED, LIT
Lighted and lit can both be used as the past tense and past participle of the verb to light. Both lighted and lit can also be used as adjectives. Lit is more often used as a verb, whereas lighted is more often used as an adjective.
Correct: He lit a candle.
Correct: He held a lighted pipe in his hand.
LIKE, AS
Like is a preposition always followed by a noun or pronoun in the objective case.
Correct: Though he was only a little boy, he marched like a major.
As is an adverbial conjunction used to introduce a subordinate clause.
Incorrect: It appears like he isn’t coming.
Correct: It appears as if he isn’t coming [the subordinate clause].
LINE
Line should not be used in place of business.
Incorrect: He has a jewelry line.
Correct: He is in the jewelry business.
LINKING VERBS
Linking verbs connect a subject and its complement (a noun or adjective that describes the subject). Linking verbs often include forms of the verb to be.
Example: These employees are [linking verb] all hourly workers.
Sometimes linking verbs are related to the five senses.
Example: look, sound, smell, feel, tast.
Example: Those offices look vacant.
Sometimes they are related to a state of being.
Example: appear, seem, become, grow, turn, prove, remai.
Example: Increased sales seem likely.
LISTS
Lists can be used to highlight specific information or to make it easier to reference information. When creating lists, consider the following tips:
List items should have parallel phrasing.
Use a lead-in sentence to introduce the list.
Each list item should be grammatically correct if it continues from the lead-in to form a sentence.
Do not use headings instead of a lead-in sentence.
In-Sentence Lists
In-sentence lists are built into the flow of the text.
Example: There are three things on our agenda: (1) minutes from last month’s meeting, (2) treasurer’s report, and (3) new business.
Example: Remember three things about firearms: (1) they can be used for sport; (2) they can be used destructively; and (3) they do not care how you use them.
Note the characteristics of the preceding in-sentence lists:
Use a colon to introduce the items only if the lead-in is a complete sentence.
Punctuate list items with commas for sentence fragments.
Use semicolons to separate the list items that are complete sentences.
Add an and before the last item.
Use numbers or letters within parentheses for each item.
Avoid using in-sentence lists when there are more than four or five items.
Vertical Lists
Vertical lists are indented and lined up one over the other. Consider the following tips when creating vertical lists:
List items should be indented three to five spaces from the lead-in sentence.
Sentence-style capitalization should be used on each list item.
Optionally add a comma after each item.
If you add commas, add a period after the last item.
If complete sentences are used for each item, semicolons may be used after each item.
Numbered Lists
In numbered lists, each item has a number. Consider the following tips when creating numbered lists:
Use numbered lists when a specific order is required for the items in the list.
For nested sublists, use letters for each item.
Example:
1. Two items need to be addressed first:
a. When to hold the meeting
b. Where to hold the meeting
Bulleted Lists
Bulleted lists are vertical lists where bullets or other symbols are used to introduce each item.
Multicolumn Lists
Multicolumn lists consist of items appearing in two or more columns. Column headings are not necessarily used in multicolumn lists.
LITERALLY, FIGURATIVELY
Often the word literally is used when figuratively should be used.
Incorrect: Literally, it’s a jungle in that office.
Correct: Figuratively, it’s a jungle in that office.
It is best to omit both literally and figuratively from your business documents.
LIT, LIGHTED
LITOTES
A litotes is a figure of speech where a writer or speaker uses a negative word to express the opposite of what he or she means. Litotes are an understatement of reality.
Example: She’s not the sharpest student in the class.
LITTLE, A LITTLE
Little means the same as few or not much.
Example: Mike has little experience with the software.
A little means the same as some.
Example: Sara has a little experience working with the software when she was with her previous employer.
LOAN, LEND
Loan should be used as a noun to refer to an agreement to borrow.
Example: He went to the bank to receive a loan.
To allow someone to borrow is to lend.
Incorrect: Loan me your pen.
Correct: Lend me your pen.
LOG ON, LOG OFF, LOGON, LOGOFF
When log on or log off are two words, they are treated as verbs.
Use the term log on when referring to the action of users when entering their ID and password to access a network or a secure Web site.
Example: You have to log on to gain access to the database.
Use the term log off when referring to the action of users when ending a session on a network or secure Web site.
Example: Make sure you log off before closing your browser.
When logon or logoff are one word, they are treated as adjectives.
Example: The Web site features a secure logon.
Example: The site has an automatic logoff if there’s no activity for ten minutes.
LONELY, ALONE
LONGITUDE, LATITUDE
LOOSE, LOSE
Loose is a verb that means to allow to run free and an adjective that means not tight. Loose is pronounced with an s sound.
Example: My neighbors loosed [verb] their dogs in the neighborhood.
Example: He wore a loose [adjective] kerchief around his neck.
Lose is a verb that means to separate from possession or to suffer a loss from the removal of something. Lose is pronounced with a z sound.
Example: She tends to lose patience with her elderly parents.
LOST, LOST OUT
Don’t use extra words—like out—that are not necessary for meaning.
Incorrect: He lost out.
Correct: He lost.
LOTS
Don’t use lots when referring to an amount of something. Lots and lots of are colloquialisms that should be avoided. Alternatives include many and much.
Incorrect: She receives lots of fan mail.
Correct: She receives a great deal of fan mail.
Incorrect: He spent lots of money on that car.
Correct: He spent much money on that car.
Incorrect: She has lots of friends.
Correct: She has many friends.