Choose the best answer in each case. Don't overthink.
1. I _____ slipped her the note.
a. discretely
b. discreetly
2. The concept subdivides into three _____ subcategories.
a. discrete
b. discreet
3.We'll meet in a _____ location where no one will suspect us.
a. discrete
b. discreet
4. Mark wasn't very _____ about his lottery winnings, flaunting his cash obnoxiously in front of friends and enemies alike. It's why he ended up dead.
a. discrete
b. discreet
5. Are these aliens _____ individuals or part of some hive-mind collective?
a. discrete
b. discreet
6. Would it kill you to do this _____ , please? Minimal noise and fuss.
a. discretely
b. discreetly
7. The Christian Bible has two _____ sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
a. discrete
b. discreet
8. Use discrete correctly in a sentence.
9. Use discreetly correctly in a sentence.
10. Use discretely correctly in a sentence.
Are you talking about me? You could have been a bit more discreet about it. Still, you have a discrete advantage when it comes down to proper usage. I guess, in my discretion, I could choose to get it right, but sometimes I'll discreetly demonstrate my ignorance without thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteHow'd I do?
You didn't take the quiz at all.
DeleteLet me be a little less mean and a little more specific. Your sentences all seem correct, although "discrete advantage" appears a little awkward. "Discrete" means "distinct," yes, but this doesn't mean that "discrete" is a 1-for-1 equivalent to "distinct," usable in all the same contexts. (A Google search of the exact phrase turns up only 1,500-plus results, i.e., it's not a very common phrase, and in fact, from what I saw, "discrete advantage" may have some sort of technical meaning.)
DeleteThe problem with offering up a slew of samples that demonstrate your knowledge of the "discrete/discreet" difference is that you're offering me these examples on your own terms, i.e., instead of testing yourself against someone else's questions, you're making your own stuff up, which isn't that hard to do. It's like running your pen through a maze that you yourself designed. Of course you'll get through it just fine. The other problem is that the original error happened at a moment when you had the chance to demonstrate knowledge, but you didn't. What's the point of showing off your awareness now? The error's already been made!
The point of quizzing you is to see whether you really have internalized the difference and can handle an obstacle course you've never encountered before. Instead, you completely sidestepped the obstacle course, built your own, successfully navigated that, and are now passing that off as a success. I guess it is, kind of, but it's not a very deep or meaningful success.
Anyway, this "discrete/discreet" error is the second one in the span of just a few days, so I'm not confident you've internalized anything at all. What if I see the same slip-up two or three posts from now? You'll again insist you know the difference, but at the moment when such knowledge mattered...
I took a class as an undergrad comp sci major called "Discrete Structures." It freaking melted my brain. In fact, I credit the F I got in this class with being an important part of my epiphany that I was not cut out for mathematics. If you take a longer view, discrete structures are in large part responsible for me being where I am today.
ReplyDelete