Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #42
With just one letter making the difference between "loose" and "lose," it's understandable that these two words get misused from time to time.
"Loose" is an adjective used to describe things that are not tight or contained. It can be used as a verb meaning to set free or release – (i.e. the hounds have been loosed) – but it is rarely used this way.
"Lose" is a verb that means to suffer a loss, to be deprived of, to part with or to fail to keep possession of.
Example:
My dog escaped from his kennel and is running loose in the street. I hope I don't lose him.
Pro tip: "Lose" is only a verb, thus it cannot be used as descriptor word.
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.