Replacement for and replacement of

Replacement for and replacement of Replacement for and replacement of Replacement for and replacement of By Maeve Maddox Prepositions and particles are tricky in any language. Its not an easy matter to explain why some words are followed by to while others are followed by in or for. The native speaker just knows. Recently, Ive noticed the use of to with the word replacement where Id expect for or of. Homeopathy as replacement to antibiotics†¦ Offers a cost effective replacement to broken parcel shelf string†¦ i have lost 12v ac 2.4 power adapter when moving home and am looking for a replacement to said item†¦ The two most frequent meanings of replacement are a person who or thing which replaces another; a substitute. The action or an act of replacing something When replacement is used in the first sense, its synonymous with substitute. For that reason, for is the obvious choice: I need a replacement for my windshield wiper. We need a replacement for Mr. Jones the math teacher. It seems to me that in all three of the examples given above, for is the obvious choice: Homeopathy as a replacement (substitute) for antibiotics†¦ cost effective replacement (substitute) for broken parcel shelf string†¦ looking for a replacement (substitute) for said item. Used in the second sense, replacement is followed by of. Requests for the issuance or replacement of military service medals†¦ Operations involve either metal pinning with screws and/or plates or replacement of the hip joint with artificial parts†¦ Thats not to say that to must never follow the word replacement. The word is often followed by an infinitive: Sansoms replacement to be decided today†¦ SMPT gateway replacement to make mail testing easier Sometimes replacement is followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with to: Procedure now calls for the mayor to nominate a replacement to the board†¦ Budget woes delay shuttle replacement to 2015 However, in these examples, the to phrases do not qualify replacement; they modify the verbs: the shuttle replacement is being delayed to 2015; the mayors choice will be nominated to the board. Whats the consensus? Is replacement to instead of replacement for a regional thing, or an aberration? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and FingersPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

Oath of Allegiance to the United States

Oath of Allegiance to the United States The Oath of Allegiance to the United States, legally called the â€Å"Oath of Allegiance,† is required under federal law to be sworn to by all immigrants who wish to become naturalized citizens of the United States. The complete Oath of Allegiance states: I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure (or renounce) all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. The basic principles of U.S. citizenship embodied in the Oath of Allegiance include: Supporting the Constitution;Renouncing all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was previously a subject or citizen;Supporting and defending the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;Bearing true faith and allegiance to the Constitution and laws of the United States; and Bearing arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; orPerforming noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; orPerforming work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law. Under the law, the Oath of Allegiance may be administered only by officials of the U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS); immigration judges; and eligible courts. History of the Oath The first use of an oath of allegiance was recorded during the Revolutionary War when new officers in the Continental Army were required by Congress to disavow any allegiance or obedience to England’s King George the Third. The Naturalization Act of 1790, required immigrants applying for citizenship simply to agree â€Å"to support the Constitution of the United States.† The Naturalization Act of 1795 added the requirement that immigrants renounce the leader or â€Å"sovereign† of their native country. The Naturalization Act of 1906 along with creating the federal government’s first official Immigration Service, added wording to the oath requiring new citizens to swear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution and to defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. In 1929, the Immigration Service standardized the language of the Oath. Prior to then, each immigration court was free to develop its own wording and method of administering the Oath. The section in which applicants swear to bear arms and perform non-combat service in the U.S. armed forces was added to the Oath by the Internal Security Act of 1950, and the section about performing work of national importance under civilian direction was added by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. How the Oath Could be Changed The current exact wording of the Oath of Citizenship is established by a presidential executive order. However, the Customs and Immigration Service could, under the Administrative Procedure Act, change the text of the Oath at any time, provided that the new wording reasonably meets the following â€Å"five principals† required by Congress: Allegiance to the United States ConstitutionRenunciation of allegiance to any foreign country to which the immigrant has had previous allegiancesDefense of the Constitution against enemies foreign and domesticPromise to serve in the United States Armed Forces when required by law (either combat or non-combat)Promise to perform civilian duties of national importance when required by law Exemptions to the Oath Federal law allows prospective new citizens to claim two exemptions when taking the Oath of Citizenship: Consistent with the First Amendment’s assurance of religious freedom, the phrase â€Å"so help me God† is optional and the phrase â€Å"and solemnly affirm† can be substituted for the phrase â€Å"on oath.†Should the prospective citizen be unwilling or unable to vow to bear arms or perform non-combat military service because of their â€Å"religious training and belief,† they may omit those clauses. The law specifies that the exemption from vowing to bear arms or perform non-combat military service must be based solely on the applicant’s belief in relation to a â€Å"Supreme Being,† rather than on any political, sociological, or philosophical views or a personal moral code. In claiming this exemption, applicants may be required to provide supporting documentation from their religious organization. While the applicant is not required to belong to a specific religious group, he or she must establish â€Å"a sincere and meaningful belief that has a place in the applicant’s life that is equivalent to that of a religious belief.†