e.g.

An abbreviation that stands for the Latin phrase exempli gratia. Instead use for example or such as.

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Easy English

Easy English is a simple style of writing developed in Australia over the last 15 years by speech pathologists.

It is a simple, short way of writing information to help:

• people with low literacy;
• acquired disabilities, such as after a stroke or car accident, head injury, or dementia;
• lifelong disabilities. such as someone with Down syndrome, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy or autism;
• psychiatric or mental illness;
• people who have reading differences;
• people with poor educational outcomes;
• people who left school during K12 education;
• others.

Sentences are short and use simple words. It is written to about a grade 3 level. See Access Easy English for examples.

Also see how to apply Easy English to journalism.

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effect

The word effect, pronounced with a long e, as in /ĭ-fĕkt′/, is both a noun and a verb.

It is best known as a noun and can be thought of as a result of, a cause, something designed to give a result, or the state of being operative. Here are some of examples of how to use effect as a noun:</p?

• The legislation will have a cumulative effect on the program.
• Donations have a positive effect on our bottom line.
• The yellow paint gives the effect of sunshine in the room.
• They used amazing lighting effects in the movie.
• This slide show will have a great effect on the crowd.

As a verb, effect can be thought of as to cause or to bring about.

• It was the children who effected a settlement between their parents over custody.
• After weeks of protest, the students effected a resolution from the administration.
• The House will effect the demands from activists this week after passing the legislation along a party-line vote.

Neither use of effect, as either a noun or a verb, is interchangeable with affect. If uncomfortable with how effect sounds, or if you feel it might cause confusion for the reader, reword the sentence.

For how to properly use affect (as either a noun or a verb), see affect.

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email

Digital messages sent and received through a network, such as an intranet or the internet. Spelled as a single word without a hyphen.

Email began as a compound noun of electronic and mail, with electronic being shortened to e. Therefore, it was e-mail with a hyphen. However, it is now arguable that email has become a separate noun to describe digital mail across the internet rather than a compound noun. Therefore, there should not be a hyphen between the e and mail.

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emotional support animal

A pet (usually a dog or cat) that provides comfort to a person for psychiatric and emotional purposes. An emotional support animal, or ESA, is not a service animal. It does not need to be trained to perform a task. An ESA does not need to be registered or prescribed, though sometimes prescribed or noted in medical records. ESAs are not included as assistance animals under the ADA, although some states with more expansive definitions do include them. People with ESAs are afforded some rights to housing with their ESAs under the Fair Housing Act.

On first use, use emotional support animal, abbreviated as ESA. On subsequent uses, ESA is acceptable. The <abbr> for ESA is written:

<abbr title="emotional support animal">ESA</abbr>
 

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endemic

A disease that presents in consistent and predictable rates or patterns in a particular region. For example, tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease are considered endemic in the Northeastern U.S. These diseases occur at regular and predictable rates. It is important to note that endemic diseases can escape their region making it endemic one place but an epidemic elsewhere. Likewise, viruses and bacteria can mutate; and these endemic patterns can be disrupted.

Also see epidemic and pandemic.

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endorsements

The approval or support of a person, product, or thing. An endorsement of political candidate, piece of legislation, specific product or company can all run afoul of nonprofit news 501(c)(3) tax codes.

For more information, see political endorsements and product endorsements.

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Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District

A case in which a unanimous Supreme Court of the United States ruled that disabled students have the right to more than a minimum education, which was the standard set by the Tenth Circuit Court.

In Endrew F. v Douglas County School District RE-1, the child at the center of the case, Drew, attended public school in the Douglas County School District near Denver, Colo. until second grade. His individualized education plan was written to work with a diagnosis of autism. His parents removed him from public school stating he was not making progress and placed him in private school, where they stated he made academic, social and behavioral progress. They then sued the public school district for reimbursement.

The Tenth Circuit court ruled in favor of the district stating that under Board of Education v. Rowley,free appropriate public education need only provide an educational benefit more than the minimum standard of education. After Rowley, districts and courts had been free to interpret free and appropriate public education under IDEA in several ways, so long as students were provided with an IEP.

In Endrew F., the SCOTUS ruled that a single standard needed to guide the IDEA and it needed to be more than merely more than the minimum. Rather, the decision said, a child must be able to have the chance to meet challenging objectives and a school must offer an IEP that is reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances. This standard applies to all public schools across the nation.

For the case, see FindLaw’s Case Law Resources.

Also see FAPE and Board of Education v. Rowley.

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ensure

A transitive verb that means to make sure, certain, or safe or to guarantee.

Do not confuse with assure or insure.

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epidemic

An unexpected outbreak of infectious disease or other health condition affecting a large number of people at the same time, spreading rapidly through a similar demographic segment. This demographic can be in a similar geographic area such as a city, state or region; a similar age group; similar sex, gender, or sexual orientation characteristics; or other shared characteristics. West Nile fever and obesity are both considered epidemics.

Some hypothetical examples of epidemics could include:

• A sudden rise of American prostate cancer rates in men ages 20 to 50
• Outbreak of dengue fever in Florida
• Sudden rise in cigarette smoking in American teens
• Outbreak of polio in Upstate New York

Also see endemic and pandemic.

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