STAR TS Translation Services Blog

A great competition we came across this week is being run by Eason. Eason is challenging schools in every county across Ireland to have fun and improve their spelling in a competition to find the Eason Spelling Bee champion schools.

In each county, a county Spelling Bee will offer to all schools the chance to enter and compete. The best speller from each county will go to the provincial finals. Finally, the four provincial winners will then compete for the Eason All-Ireland Spelling Bee Title on  Tubridy on 2FM on June 22nd  in RTE Studios.

The first prize constitutes a book library to the value of  €7,500 and every entrants wins a book.

All the County Bee winners who will be taking part in the Provincial Finals are below:

All the Munster
Kerry: Tommy O’Neill, Scoil Iosagain, Ballybunion
Limerick: Fiona Gleeson, St. Paul’s National School, Dooradoyle
Cork: John Corkery, Ovens National School, Ovens
Waterford: Roisin Daly, Liosmor Mochuda N.S., Lismore
Tipperary: Rory Delaney, Sacred Hearts, Air Hill, Roscrea
Clare: Emily Meehan, St John’s Primary School, Shannon

Connaught
Galway: Ethan Roche, Newtown National School
Mayo: John Ryan, St. Brendan’s National School
Sligo: James Devaney, St. Patrick’s National School, Calry
Roscommon: Shauna Mullen, St. Mary’s Primary School, Strokestown
Leitrim: James Clancy, Ardvarney National School, Dromahair

Ulster
Fermanagh: Cal Blake, Holy Trinity Primary School
Cavan: Adam Kelly, Killygarry N. S.
Monaghan: Alison McBride, Gaelscoil Ultain
Armagh: Elise Smyth, St. Mary’s Primary School, Derrytrasna
Donegal: Thomas Cavanagh, Saint Patrick’s BNS
Down: Àine Smyth, Holy Family Primary Schoool
Antrim: Lea Carson, Pond Park Primary School (Host School)
Tyrone: Amy Clements, McClintock Primary School
Derry: Terence McLaughlin, Holy Family P.S.

Leinster
Longford: Ciarán, St. Matthews National School, Ballymahon
Wicklow: Rebecca White, St. Kevin’s National School, Greystones
Dublin: Edward Collins, St. Mary’s National School, Donnybrook
Westmeath: Bronwyn Smith, Scoil Etchen Naofa
Laois: Ciara Phelan, Scoile Bhride
Carlow: Raena McElwee, Scoil Naomh Peaders, Ballon
Meath: Diarmuid MacMurchada, Rathbeggan
Kildare: Ciarán Reilly, Scoil Diarmada N.S., Castledermot
Wexford: Conn McIntyre, Barntown N.S. (Host School)
Offaly: Gillian Razon, Durrow N.S.
Louth: Clarice O’Brien, St. Buites N.S., Tenuer, Dunleer
Kilkenny: Liam O Lionaird, Gaelscoil Osrai

Good luck to all of them! Have fun and do the best you can!

STAR is a provider of English translation and proofreading services so we have a keen interest in the English language. We also sponsor this online Spelling Rules Game could be useful to train some of our young spellers. SpellingRules is an application that teaches spelling rules in a dyslexia-friendly way.

Effect and affect can each be used as both a noun and a verb. They are easily confused as they sound similar and the two main usages are associated with something being changed or altered.

If you’re not sure which to use, a good rule of thumb is that effect is more often used as a noun and affect as a verb. This holds true for almost all situations in Standard English.

The two more common words
-Effect (Noun): A result or impact, something caused by something else.
“The new teacher had a positive effect (impact) on the school.”

-Affect (Verb): To alter or change (or have an effect on)
“The new teacher affected (altered) the way the school was run.”

The two less common words
-Effect (Verb): To cause something to happen or occur.
“The new teacher effected (brought about) curricular and disciplinary change.”

-Affect (Noun): A psychology term for an external display of emotion.
“The new teacher noticed that the boy had flat affect (showed no emotion).”

• Languid or Limpid

Languid means something listless, weak or sluggish whereas limpid means something clear or transparent.

• Pretense or Premise

Reviewing a ecommerce website the client claimed, “Our site has been built on the pretense that customer service  is our priority.”

The marketing team obviously meant premise, i.e. “the basis for” the company’s devotion to customers…

The word pretense means “pretending, a false claim, insincere or false profession “. This is certainly the last thing the marketing team wanted to imply!

Proofreading Advice: Spell checkers don’t pick up on these errors, so remember to always have your new copy proofread.

Writing clear English is always hard but spelling can also be a challenge. Some spellings are particularly tough.  Here is a quick test for you.

Choose the right word in each set of parentheses:

1. The central meeting room can ______________________  more people.

[accomodate/accommodate/accommodate]

2. Success requires _______________.
[committment/comittment/commitment]

3. I was _________________________when the plate fell on the floor.

[embarrased/embarrassed/embarassed]

4. I’ve _______________ so much on business I don’t know which country I’m in.
[traveled/travelled)

5. We are looking for  __________________ suggestions for designs for our new brochure.

[inovative/innovative]

Answers:

1. accommodate.

2. commitment.

3. embarrassed.

4. Both spellings are correct

“Traveled” is more used in the US, and “travelled” in Europe.

5. innovative.