NewsBlues mrsbgrammar Page 144
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Mrs. Bluezette's Grammar Guide
preventive, not "preventative"
It's a word you hear all the time, and Mrs. B certainly doesn't want
you to lose sleep over it, but "preventative" is not really the correct
word.
PREVENTIVE is.
"Preven-TA-tive," with the extra syllable, is what linguists call a
corrupt form of the word.
Use PREVENTIVE when you're writing or talking about taking
precautionary or protective measures.
v
Our chief photog makes sure PREVENTIVE maintenance keeps
our cameras in deluxe condition.
v
In light of a student being diagnosed with meningitis, university
students are being given PREVENTIVE medication.
The eye of an ostrich may be bigger than its brain, but yours isn't.
Embed this in that wonderful big brain of yours today:
Using the word "preventive" will make me sound even more
credible.
