Grammar Rant: Since/Because

It's Grammar Rant Friday! (By the way, how's your chunking going?) I'm chunking as fast as I can!

The Difference Between Since and Because

Since has two meanings: it can refer to some point of time in the past, or it can mean “because.”
Since [from the time that] we last talked, I've found a much better job at another company.
Since [because] I will be traveling for the next two months, please hold my mail until I return.
Ordinarily, the context makes it clear which meaning is intended, but reword in cases where the use of since could cause confusion.

Confusing
I've not talked with Rob since he got the job that I had hoped to snare for myself. (It is not clear why the writer has not talked to Rob. Is it because the writer is suffering from a bad case of envy, or is it simply because Rob is no longer easy to stay in touch with?)

Clear
I've not talked with Rob since he left the company for another job. As it happens, he got the job that I had hoped to snare for myself.

Clear
I've not talked with Rob since he left the company, because he got the job that I had hoped to snare for myself.

Got it? Good. Talk to ya Monday!

Grammar Rant

I go off on these every so often. This blog has been spared before, but not today.

Today’s rant:

Compose/comprise

Let’s review. Comprise means to “to contain, consist of”; compose means “to make up.” The parts compose (make up) the whole; the whole comprises (contains) the parts; the whole is composed of (NOT: is comprised of) the parts.

The parent corporation comprises (consists of) three major divisions.
Three major divisions compose (make up) the parent corporation.

Whew. I feel better. Authors, this is missed by so many writers and editors. If you get it right in your writing, you go up a notch or three in my book.