Revised as of 16 April 2021
So, what’s my alternative choice to proofreading my manuscript?
Well, youse gots choices, from excellent to worst. You simply have to decide which alternative you feel would get you the furthest.
Keep in mind that alternative means one instead of the other while choice is deciding which alternative to choose.
Of course, part of your decision may depend on if your choice is a preferred option in which you have the opportunity to choose something while the alternative is usually between two possibilities…that are not necessarily what you’d prefer.
You may want to explore the post “Alternate versus Alternative” and/or “Choose versus Chose“.
Word Confusions…
…started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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You may also want to explore the post “Alternate versus Alternative“.
| Alternative | Choice |
|---|---|
| Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com | |
YMCA Half Marathon – Kilt Man! by Derek Hatfield was brightened and cropped and is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. — It’s a sexy alternative style for men, IMO. |
Choice by Linus is under the CC BY-ND license, via Flickr. — She may not know, but I sure know which would be my choice! |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective; Noun
Plural for noun: alternatives |
Adjective; Noun
Plural for noun: choices |
| Adjective: [Attrib.; of two or more things] Available as another possibility
[Logic; of a proposition] Asserting two or more choices, at least one of which is true Noun: One of the things, propositions, or courses of action that can be chosen A possible or remaining course or choice |
Adjective: [Especially of food] of very good quality
[Of words, phrases, or language] Rude and abusive Carefully selected [In the grading of beef in the US] Rated between prime and good Noun:
The person or thing chosen or eligible to be chosen An alternative An abundance or variety from which to choose Something that is preferred or preferable to others
A carefully selected supply |
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: The best choice for your alternative energy source will depend upon the geographical locations and weather conditions. There are various alternative programs we could watch. Unless the people can take back their power, there is no alternative to American democracy but tyranny. We have two alternative scenarios: eat our picnic out in the rain or build a fire inside and enjoy it. For some, a threesome can be an alternative lifestyle. Alternative music became wildly popular in the 1990s. Alternative logics is a course offered by Oxford university. Noun: Taking an eBook reader on vacation is a handy alternative to hard copies. Our only alternatives are spend the nine grand to fix the car or buy a new one. She had no alternative but to break the law. The alternative to riding is walking. |
Adjective: He picked some choice early plums. He had a few choice words at his command. It was a choice spot for undercover surveillance. Noun: His parents were not happy with his choice of friends. Her choice of a computer was made after months of research. His parents were not happy with his choice of friends. The child had no choice about going to school. This book is my choice. He is one of many choices for the award. There is another choice. There wasn’t a wide choice of candidates. Mare’s Nest is the choice in the sixth race. This restaurant has a fine choice of wines. Use a choice grade of beef in this recipe. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: quasi-alternative Adverb: alternatively, quasi-alternatively Noun: alternativeness, alternativity |
Adjective: choicer, choicest, choiceless Adverb: choicely Noun: choiceness, prechoice Verb: choose, chose, chosen |
| History of the Word: | |
| Mid-16th century, in the sense of alternating, alternate, is from the French alternatif, -ive or the medieval Latin alternativus, which is from the Latin alternare meaning interchange. | Middle English, from the Old French chois, from choisir meaning choose, is of Germanic origin. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them…and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Folsom Street Fair, <https://visualhunt.com/photo/242232/>, San Francisco, 2012, by torbakhopper, <https://visualhunt.com/author2/0a5b99>, is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt.
