Arlene Miller's Blog, page 43

National Punctuation Day: 8 Common Punctuation Mistakes

Sunday, September 24 is National Punctuation Day. 

What better way to celebrate than to use punctuation correctly? I have written many posts about various punctuation marks, and I will link to some of them in this post. Here are eight common punctuation mistakes:

The overuse of dashes and the use of hyphens to stand in as dashes. Dashes are used to set off an abrupt change of thought in a sentence. There are two types of dashes: the long one is used as described in the previous sentence, and the short one is used as the minus sign and in number ranges. The hyphen is the shortie and is used between parts of compound words. Here is last week’s post that talks about dashes and hyphens. 
Confusing colons (:) and semicolons (;).  I often see a semicolon used where a colon should be used. I suspect it is because many people don’t really understand semicolons. When you are going to list some things after a sentence, for example, use a colon. A colon indicates some type of list or explanation follows. Semicolons don’t do that at all.
The comma splice is a bad thing. Please do not separate your sentences with a comma unless you also have a conjunction in there (and, but, so, for, or, nor, yet). You need to use a period, a semicolon, occasionally a colon, or a comma WITH a conjunction to separate two sentences, commas cannot separate sentences. (See????)
British and American English differ in some ways. One of these ways is in the use of other punctuation marks with quotations marks. In American English, periods and commas ALWAYS go inside quotation marks. Colons and semicolons always go outside quotation marks. Question marks and exclamation points can go either way depending on the use. 
Some people don’t like commas. They feel that they are unnecessary blemishes in their writing, so they don’t use them even when they should. Other people love commas, and they sprinkle them in their writing like salt. Every time they envision a slight pause in a sentence, they throw in a comma. Don’t. There are lots of comma rules and places to put commas. Don’t put unnecessary commas in writing, for example, between a subject and a verb: Joe and his friends, especially like horror movies, so they are going to the movie, at the new theater, this weekend. (That sentence needs only one of those commas. The rest are incorrect.)
Oy! Apostrophes! Apostrophes are mostly used in contractions and in possessives. They are rarely used in plain old plurals. Please don’t use them in plural’s!
I am guilty of this one. Sometimes I get carried away with punctuation at the end of my sentences!!!! Yup, it’s true. I wouldn’t put multiple punctuation marks at the end of a sentence in something like a business letter, but sometimes to make a point (or show emotion), I will double or triple up on my exclamation points. Some people like to use an exclamation point AND a question mark at the end of sentences. In formal writing, please refrain. In texts go for it!!!!!
Fear of the semicolon. Don’t be afraid of the semicolon. It is probably the simplest of all punctuation marks except for maybe the period. Semicolons really have only two uses. The most common is to separate two sentences that are closely related for a nice change from always using a period. Besides, using semicolons makes you look smart (as you are!). If sentences are closely related, you can use a semicolon; in fact, the semicolon is my favorite punctuation mark. The other use of a semicolon is to “unconfuse” a confusing series or compound sentence where there are already commas: I will visit Boston, Massachusetts; Ithaca, New York; Lewiston, Maine; and Burlington, Vermont on my tour of New England.

There you have it. So celebrate National Punctuation day with a toast to your favorite punctuation mark.. And thank you, Jeff Rubin, for  inventing this day!

Grammar Diva News

So what’s going on over here?

I wrote a piece for my writing club’s (Redwood Writers) annual anthology. This year the theme was Sonoma County (California). I generally don’t write short pieces, but I was inspired with this theme; I wanted to write about our famous ice rink, built by Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz. My daughter skated there for 12 years—every day—until she went off to skate for Disney on Ice, where she still is, now in her 10th year. I will be reading my piece, “Santa Rosa on Ice,” at the Anthology Launch this Sunday, which coincidentally is National Punctuation Day.
I have been busy with having my daughter and son-in-law home for a while (Yay!!!). I haven’t gotten as much work done as I should have. However, they are going on tour next week, and I will be sitting alone at my desk (alone again) working my fingers to the bone. My next projects are a self-publishing guide (yes, I know many people have already written one, but mine will be very simple for the beginner, using my self-publishing journey as a reference) and a “book set” of three of my books. I will be combining The Best Little Grammar Book Ever (second edition), The Best Little Grammar Workbook Ever, and Does Your Flamingo Flamenco? into one volume. Who says you can’t have it all? Of course, the books will still be for sale individually.
Speaking of my books, another plea for reviews—reviews do sell books. So if any of you have any of my books hanging around, unreviewed, please consider writing a short review (of any number of stars) on Amazon or Goodreads. I know you aren’t supposed to use “thank you in advance,” but thank you in advance.
I guess that is enough for now. Oh, if you have any suggestions for blog topics, please let me know.

 

 

The Long and Short of It: Dashes and Hyphens

When I copyedit, I see all kinds of lines and spaces that are supposed to be dashes. And, as I am probably guilty of myself, the overuse of the mighty dash. But this post is not about appropriate use of dashes or how many you use…

This post is about the difference between the hyphen, the en dash, and the em dash—and how to make them on your keyboard. By the way, there is generally no space around hyphens or dashes.

Hyphen: This is the short one that you will find on your number pad or the top row of your keyboard. I have a Mac Air, and on my keyboard it is on the top row. Hyphens are used in some compound words and to divide a word at the end of a line. Only one keystroke is required to make a hyphen. Examples: Self-taught, ex-husband. 

En Dash: This is the medium-length line that requires a little more work to create. The en dash is used for minus signs and date ranges. However, many people use it as a long dash, which it isn’t. Many people type two hyphens in a row to create any a dash. Sometimes your computer will put them together to make something longer than a hyphen; sometimes it won’t. The most frequent place to find en dashes is in indexes (page ranges) and math books (minus signs).  The en dash is made on my Mac is by holding down the alt (or option) key and pressing the hyphen. Examples: 1950–1960, 20–10=10.

Em Dash: This is the long dash that is used in text. Technically, it is used to indicate a big break in thought in a sentence. It is longer than the en dash. The hyphen requires one keystroke, the en dash requires two keystrokes, and the em dash requires three keystrokes, at least on my keyboard. To make an em dash, hold down the shift key and the alt (option) key, and then press the hyphen.  Example: I finally found my glasses—they were underneath the sofa cushion—after getting along fine without them for three weeks. Hint: Make sure your em dashes are in the correct places in your sentence by reading the sentence without the text that is within the dashes. The sentence should make sense.

Why are they called en and em dashes? They are measurements in typography: An em is a unit equal to the currently specified point size. For example, one em in a 16-point typeface is 16 points. 

****September 24 is National Punctuation Day, so next week we will have a special post about punctuation!****

And now a few favors to ask:

If you are not already a subscriber to this blog, why not subscribe? It’s free and you get a free book download.

If you have any of my books, an Amazon review is greatly appreciated. Reviews sell books!

If you have any ideas for future blog posts, please let me know!

Word-Storm Ahead

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma (and we hope Jose dwindles down to nothing).  I have put some links to places where you can donate at the end of this post.

Categories of Storms: What Do They Mean

We all hear about the different categories of tropical storms and hurricanes. What do they mean?

They are measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale — a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. This scale also estimates potential property damage. Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and h

 

igher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage. Category 1 and 2 storms are still dangerous, however, and require preventative measures. 

Category
Sustained Winds
Types of Damage Due to Hurricane Winds




1
74-95 mph

64-82 kt

119-153 km/h
Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days.


2
96-110 mph

83-95 kt

154-177 km/h
Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks.


3

(major)
111-129 mph

96-112 kt

178-208 km/h
Devastating damage will occur: Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.


4

(major)
130-156 mph

113-136 kt

209-251 km/h
Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.


5

(major)
157 mph or higher

137 kt or higher

252 km/h or higher
Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.



Different Types of Wind and Water Storms

The following are some of the most common types of damaging storms in the United States: 

Hail Storms

Hailstorms do the greatest amount of damage to the exterior of your home or property:  roof damage, siding damage, shingle damage, window damage, and automobile damage. 

Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms can produce lightning, hail, tornadoes, flooding, and more. 

Ice Storms

Ice storms produce freezing rain that coats everything in its path with a layer of glaze ice. Generally speaking, if a storm causes accumulation of more than a quarter inch on exposed surfaces, the storm can be classified as an ice storm. This type of accumulation can cause broken tree branches, power outages, and other hazardous conditions.

Tornadoes

For many areas around the United States, damage from severe tornadoes presents a very real threat. Most tornado damage is done by high winds with recorded speeds exceeding 300 MPH and the flying debris propelled by these fierce winds. The most damage from tornadoes happens in “tornado alley” — a part of the United States that includes Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri.

Lightning

You may be surprised to learn that lightning is a major cause of storm damage in many areas around the country. The National Lightning Safety Institute estimates the cost of lightning damage in the $5 to $6 billion dollar per year range. Lightning that hits trees and the ground is a common cause of wildfires, structure fires, property damage, and power outages.

Heavy Snow / Blizzards

Blizzards are severe winter storms that combine heavy snowfall, with high winds and freezing temperatures. The combination of cold, wind, and snow damages homes, businesses, and automobiles. Heavy snow can produce dangerous conditions, including roof collapse.

Floods

Floods are typically the result of heavy rain and water that rises faster than storm drains can handle. Flash floods driven by quick, violent bursts of rain can flood homes, basements, and businesses, causing serious damage to both interiors and exteriors. Flooding is a very dangerous storm phenomenon that results in numerous deaths and extensive property damage each year.

Derecho Storms

A derecho is a large, violent, fast-moving, complex of thunderstorms that follow one another along a path of at least 240 miles, with wind gusts of at least 58 mph. Although derechos are very difficult to predict, they often form along the boundary of a large, hot air mass near a jet-stream air current. 

Tropical Storms

A tropical storm is a type of storm system that develops in tropical environments. These storms are characterized by extremely low pressure systems and high-speed, swirling winds. In order for a storm to be classified as a “tropical storm,”  a specific set of circumstances must exist. In order to be a tropical storm, the wind speed must be between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Lower or higher wind speeds would be another classification (lower: tropical depression, higher: hurricane). 

Hurricanes

A hurricane is the most powerful classification given to a tropical cyclone. Characterized by low barometric pressure systems, extremely high winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges and swells,  hurricanes that make landfall can be extremely destructive. 

What Does FEMA Stand For and What Does It Do?

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)  supports the citizens and first responders who work  to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 

Climactic Versus Climatic

Many people get these two words confused. Climactic comes from climax. Climatic comes from climate. So when we are talking storms, we are usually talking about climatic.

How Are Hurricanes Named?

Ever wonder how hurricanes get their names? And why do hurricanes have names at all? Meteorologists long ago learned that naming tropical storms and hurricanes helps people remember the storms, communicate about them more effectively, and so stay safer if and when a particular storm strikes a coast. These experts assign names to hurricanes according to a formal list of names that is approved of prior to the start of each hurricane season.

Most hurricanes were originally designated by a system of latitude-longitude numbers, which was useful to meteorologists trying to track these storms. Unfortunately, this system was confusing to people living on coasts seeking hurricane information.

In 1950 a formal practice for storm naming was first developed for the Atlantic Ocean by the . At that time, storms were named according to a phonetic alphabet (e.g., Able, Baker, Charlie), and the names used were the same for each hurricane season; in other words, the first hurricane of a season was always named “Able,” the second “Baker,” and so on.

In 1953, to avoid the repetitive use of names, the system was revised so that storms would be named after female names. By doing this, the National Weather Service was mimicking the habit of naval meteorologists, who named the storms after women, much as ships at sea were traditionally named for women.

In 1979 the system was revised again to include both female and male hurricane names.

Atlantic  are: Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, and Whitney. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30

Where to Donate

Red Cross Disaster Relief

Other Places to Donate and Avoid Scams

Habitat for Humanity

Thank you to the following websites for providing information!

Hurricane Wind Scale

List of 40 Highly Rated Places to Donate

Types of Storms

Ouch! My Ears!

I don’t know about you, but since the November election (and before it as well), I have been watching a fair amount of cable TV news. I really haven’t watched any network news, so I can’t really speak to that — but these are smart people on cable news, both the show hosts and the pundits. But sometimes my ears hurt by their use of the English language. 

Before I continue with my gripes, I do have to say something. Most of us haven’t learned any grammar since probably seventh or eighth grade, and for many of us, that was a really long time ago. Most of what I know, I learned from teaching 7th grade English and from copyediting other people’s writing. So, in a way, it is not surprising that people would maybe make some mistakes unless they are grammar nuts like I am. On the other hand, though, some of these are pretty well-known “no-nos”!

Me and him???? Really? I hear this one a lot — as a sentence subject. I have no idea why people persist in this usage. First of all, me and him aren’t subject pronouns. Second, out of politeness, me comes last. These same people are of course using I as an object pronoun: Him and his lawyer gave the news to Jim and I. Nice.

Myself is still being abused. Myself is used properly pretty much only when I am the subject: I talked to him myself. I myself spoke to her. Not He told it to Jane and myself. Or My fellow journalists and myself wrote about it last week.

The confusion about like versus as and as if is another common “mistake.” I put mistake in quotes because the distinction is largely ignored these days. Look at last week’s blog post for more information about this one. Basically, like is often used when as if or as should be. Like I said last night should be As I said last night. 

These little slip-ups concern me. I find them of concern. But I don’t find them concerning. What’s with that? Last time I looked up concerning (likely the last time I wrote about this issue), it was still a form of the verb concern. It was not really an adjective (although it is a participle).  Therefore, I don’t like the sentence, This is concerning. Translation: This is of concern. I suppose that first construction is now so common that it will become (or already has become) acceptable. 

But who am myself to say?

If you have heard any “grammar abuses” on the news, please write and tell me about it by e-mail or in the comments section here. Thank you!

Grammar Diva News

Check out my news release about Does Your Flamingo Flamenco? By the way, I will be giving away 5 copies of this book on Goodreads, and I think the deadline to sign up is September 5. 

The issue with Amazon that I was having last week, I have now learned, is a “thing.” Amazon’s policy on third-party sellers changed in March, and many are upset and have written articles about it.  Where have I been?

 

Like, As If . . .

There is difference between like and as if. However, no one pays much attention to it anymore except the most “conservative” of us grammar people.

Here is the standard:

Like is a preposition. That means it has an object. Objects are nouns or pronouns: He acts like a clown.

As if/as is a conjunction and is used before a clause. A clause contains a subject and a verb: He acts as if he thinks he is funny.

Easy, right? 

I guess the whole thing started with that old cigarette ad that some of you might remember (this is back when TVs were black and white and showed cigarette commercials): Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.

Now, going by the “rules,” the correct way to say this is Winston tastes good as a cigarette should. (Or Winston tastes like a cigarette!)

Winston tastes good as a cigarette should doesn’t even sound right, does it? I am not sure if it sounds a little off because we are so used to hearing it said and seeing it written “wrong,” or if it just doesn’t sound quite right. In fact, when I am copyediting, I sometimes let the “incorrect” like go if I feel that it actually sounds better in a certain sentence — this is certainly true in dialogue, but even in fictional (mostly) narrative. In nonfiction, I am more likely to stick with the standards.

Well, here is a fly in the ointment: A simile is a comparison using like or as. You might remember that from school. You were probably learning the difference between similes and metaphors. Metaphors are comparisons without like or as.

Here are some idiomatic similes:

Blind as a bat.

Dumb as a rock.

Sharp as a tack.

Quiet as a mouse.

She slept like a log.

He eats like a pig.

 He slept like a baby.

Very odd. Most of the common ones we know use as — and begin with an adjective —  even though there is just a noun  (not a clause) after them. And the ones at the end of the list — the ones  that use like — are still followed by just a noun, but notice that they have a subject and verb in front of them — they are complete sentence similes. I don’t know why, or if there is a “why.” I haven’t found the why yet, and I think it would take quite a bit of research to find it. 

We could talk about the “missing” verb. Here is an example of what I mean by a missing verb:

She likes chocolate more than me. (She likes chocolate more than she likes me.)
She likes chocolate more than I. (She likes chocolate more than I do.)

The missing verb in the similes using as is is:

Blind as a bat is.
Dumb as a rock is.
Sharp as a tack is.
Quiet as a mouse is.

The missing verb in the similes using like are action verbs:

She slept like a log sleeps. (She slept as if she were a log!)
He eats like a pig eats. (He eats as if he were a pig!)
He slept like a baby sleeps. (He slept as if he were a baby!)

Interesting food for thought. Any opinions?

As a final piece of advice, as a grammarian, I would try to stick by the standards in my writing. Like is a simple comparison followed by a noun or pronoun. As/as if is a conjunction and is followed by a subject and a verb.

 

Grammar Diva News

So, does anyone know how to win a fight with Amazon, who runs the world? Here is the issue I have been dealing with: 

The Best Grammar Workbook Ever!

The Best Grammar Workbook Ever!

As you can see, the first link goes to a page where it says the book is not eligible for Amazon Prime, and the book is sold by a third-party seller. You get here by searching on Amazon for the title of the book.

The second link goes to a page where it says the book is eligible for Prime, sold by Amazon, is over a dollar less expensive, and is shipped more quickly. You get here by searching Amazon for grammar workbooks and limiting the search to Prime.

Which one would you buy? So I have been talking to Amazon for days, and no one can explain the Amazon algorithms to me. All I know is people buy Amazon Prime, and they don’t want to go clicking around to find it, so this is bad for my sales. This is my bestselling book. It is the ONLY one of my books not obviously Prime. And it is the ONLY grammar workbook that shows up on the first page of a grammar workbook search that is not immediately and obviously Prime. 

The reason given to me is that Amazon gives the Buy Box to any seller who gives a better customer experience. Do you think paying more and waiting longer for shipping is a better experience? I don’t either. 

Does anyone know how to win a war with Amazon?

Well, anyway, if you want that grammar book, I would suggest you follow the second link!

 

I’m Appositive

An appositive is a word or phrase that comes after (usually) a noun or pronoun to further explain it.  Check out these two sentences:

My neighbor, a Bostonian, has been in California for six years.
My neighbor, who is a Bostonian, has been in California for six years.

Both of the above sentences mean exactly the same thing, and they are both written correctly. The first sentence uses an appositive (a Bostonian), and the second sentence uses a clause (who is a Bostonian — a clause because it has both a subject, who, and a verb, is )

It is just  matter of choice which way you want to write a particular sentence. 

We have discussed previously in this blog (probably numerous times) essential versus nonessential clauses.  Well, appositives are also essential or nonessential, which is why sometimes there are commas around an appositive and sometimes there aren’t. 

Here are some sentences with appositives:

My mother, Gina, works for the school department.
The dog running down the street belongs to my friend.
The book on the top shelf was written by my aunt.
My brother Ed is running for mayor.
My brother, Ed, is running for mayor.

Let’s look at the commas (or lack thereof) in those sentences.

If you say your mother, we know you are talking about your mother, and we assume you have just one, so we know whom you mean. Her name is additional information and is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Therefore, Gina is set off with commas.
We don’t know which dog belongs to your friend. You are identifying the dog by saying it is the one running down the street. It limits the dog you are talking about and is essential to the meaning of the sentence. Take it out and the sentence is unclear. Yes, there might be instances where that phrase might be nonessential (you are both watching the dog running down the street, in which case you might say, That dog, running down the street, belongs to my friend), but I think we can safely say the phrase is taken to be essential in that sentence.
Pointing out the location of the book you are talking about is essential to the meaning of the sentence. Which book is written by your aunt? The one on the top shelf. That sentence also assumes there is only one book on the top shelf. Otherwise, further description is required.
Sentence 4 is the same as sentence 5 except for the commas. Both sentences are correct in certain situations, but they imply different things.  In sentence #4 there are no commas around Ed. Therefore, Ed is essential to the sentence. Why would Ed be essential to describing your brother? (Answer: You have more than one brother, so you need to clarify which brother you are talking about here.)
Now that you have read the previous explanation, you know why there are commas here. You have only one brother, and his name is Ed. Therefore, his name is additional information and not needed for the meaning of the sentence.

Most people do not pay attention to the distinction between #4 and #5, and usually no one notices and everyone understands. But just in case you want to be precise . . .

Does Your Flamingo Flamenco? is FREE on Kindle Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20. 
Five copies of the print version of Does Your Flamingo Flamenco? will be given away on Goodreads. Sign up here for the giveaway!

Conciseness!

 Today we finish the three Cs with Conciseness. We have already discussed Consistency and Clarity in previous posts. They do overlap. Consistency and conciseness both help clarity. And clarity is what we are striving for in both our written and spoken communication.

Here are some ways to make your writing more concise.

You don’t need to use long words when a short one will do just fine. We are not asking you to write like a first grader, but short words actually have more punch.
Following along with #1, short sentences also tend to be stronger and more effective than longer (and often meandering) ones. It is best to vary sentence length — some short, some medium, some long. Sentences that are all the same length tend to make writing choppy.
Nominalizations add unnecessary words and weaken writing. What is a nominalization? Look at this sentence: The committee will hold a meeting to conduct a discussion about new equipment. Now look at this sentence: The committee will meet to discuss new equipment.  Why say hold a meeting when you can simply say meet? Why say conduct a discussion instead of simply discuss? Nominalizations are the taking of a simple action verb and turning it into a longer and weaker noun phrase.
Wordiness in both writing and speaking is the antithesis or conciseness. Wordiness includes filler words and phrases, excess verbiage (see #5), and redundancy (see #6). When people speak, they sometimes like to use words to fill space, hold the floor while they think, or make those to whom they are talking feel stupid. 

Uh, so, well, and you know are sometimes used to fill space while the speaker thinks of what to say next. And some people like to add a phrase to the end of what they are saying to make you feel kind of stupid: Understand? Do you know what I mean? Did you get that? Right? “

Excess verbiage includes wordy phrases in both writing and speaking. Wordy phrases can begin sentences: What I did is . . . What this means is . . . The reason is because . . .  and even the double is (oh, horror!): What I did is is . . . Other wordy phrases include the fact that . . .  and that being said . . . 
Redundancy will add unnecessary words to your writing and speech. Here are some common redundancies:


7 a.m. in the morning instead of just 7 a.m.
close proximity instead of just close
immediate vicinity instead of just near
small in size instead of just small
in order to instead of just to
at this point in time instead of now
as yet instead of just yet
collaborate together instead of just collaborate, which implies together
due to the fact that instead of just because
each and every instead of just each or every
personal opinion instead of just opinion
I would appreciate it if you would instead of just please

Grammar Diva News

Just finished three successful days at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa. The new Does Your Flamingo Flamenco? was quite popular! Must be the cute cover? It is now available on Kindle as well as in paperback. Check out all our books on Amazon: it is back to school time! If you do have a Grammar Diva book, we always appreciate a review on Amazon or Goodreads — and it doesn’t have to be long! Thank you!

 

 

Clarity!

Welcome to the second C (last week we talked about Consistency)  in the series of three (what will it be next week?). In this post, we discuss clarity.

The whole purpose of speaking and writing is to communicate. The most important thing about communicating is understanding what is being said or written. Clarity is important; otherwise communication doesn’t work well.

A couple of obvious roadblocks to clarity are long, complicated sentences and fifty-cent words when a twenty-five cent, or even a ten-cent, word will do. Let’s talk specifically about three problems that can get in the way of clarity.

Unclear antecedents: Mary waved at Jennie as she drove by. Who was driving? Did Mary drive by Jennie and wave? Or did Mary wave as Jennie drove by? We can’t tell whom she refers to. She is a pronoun that refers to someone previously mentioned in the sentence. Whomever she refers to is its antecedent. As Jennie drove by, Mary waved. There. Fixed. Words such as it, this, and which often have unclear antecedents, so be careful when you write. Sometimes we might start a sentence with it or this, and whatever it or this refers to is a sentence — or maybe more than a sentence — back, leaving the reader confused. Same with which: I have several ideas for the dance theme and who will provide the refreshments, which I will talk to you about later. Not too clear.
Subject and verb too far apart. The committee, which is made up of people from a variety of occupations, and which meets several times a year to determine what the priorities of the department should be for the next year, and even several years beyond that in many cases — at least recently —  is drawing up its agenda for the next meeting. This particular example is not difficult to wade through — there are much worse — but you get the idea. The subject of the sentence is committee, and the verb is is drawing. There is too much information between them. Often, by the time you get to the action word (verb), you have forgotten what the subject is, and you have to look back to find it. Don’t make your reader work that hard. I am not saying that the subject must always be directly followed by the verb, but there is rarely a reason to put that much information between them.
Misplaced and dangling modifiers. Repaired and freshly painted, I picked up my car from the body shop. They called to tell me my car would be ready on Thursday. It is generally best to put words near other words they go with. Who or what was freshly painted and repaired? It appears that it was I, not the car. Did the shop call on Thursday? Was the car ready on Thursday? Both? I picked up my car, repaired and freshly painted, from the body shop. They called on Thursday to tell me my car would be ready that afternoon.  Fixed.

Grammar Diva News

See you at the Sonoma County Fair!

I will be at the Sonoma County Fair, along with other Redwood Writers, selling my books, doing readings, and giving tips – 11  a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday August 5; Friday, August 11; and Sunday, August 13. Come on down and say HI!

Does Your Flamingo Flamenco?– Now available on Amazon and Kindle!

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Consistency!

I always rewrite the very beginning of a novel. I rewrite the beginning as I write the ending, so I may spend part of morning writing the ending, the last 100 pages approximately, and then part of the morning revising the beginning. So the style of the novel has a consistency. Joyce Carol Oates

One thing that copyeditors look for when editing a manuscript is consistency. Why? Consistency makes your book (or whatever you are writing) look pulled together–and as if you know what you are doing. What do I mean by consistency?

I was copyediting a book a couple of weeks ago. In one sentence the writer used the Oxford (series) comma. In the very next sentence, which also contained a series, the author didn’t use the Oxford comma. Although I prefer using the Oxford comma, it is really the author’s choice, so I will just go with whatever the author uses for the first series I see. I will make the rest of the series the same: either comma or not. Yes, there is of course an exception: if a series is confusing, I will add or delete the Oxford comma regardless of how the other series are done. I really don’t understand why a writer would choose to use the comma in one sentence and not in the next. Maybe the author isn’t thinking of commas as much as I am! Here is an example:

I have so many things to do today. I need to go to the bank, pick up the kids from school, get to the library before it closes, and definitely get to the grocery store. We are completely out of bread, eggs, milk and several other necessities.

Here are three other important things (in my opinion) to keep consistent:

Hyphens. Some compound words are hyphenated. Others are written as two separate words. Yet others are run together as one word. Sometimes a word changes over time. Take the word web site. Or is it web-site? Or website? Well, we can probably agree that it is website. However, website is a relatively new word in our language. It often  happens that a new word begins as two separate words, and as it becomes more common, it becomes hyphenated, and then as it becomes everyday language, it is written as just one word. I see e-mail and email, e-book and ebook. Does it matter which way you write it? Then there are the compound modifiers: one-term senator, two-story building, etc. Most of the time you can’t find a compound modifier in a dictionary. And words like e-mail might be hyphenated in one dictionary and written as one word in another. What to do? What to do? Pick a way to write it, and stick with it. It is better to pick a way–even if it isn’t the preferred way — and stick to it than to keep changing from one way to another. Being inconsistent gives the appearance you really don’t know what you are doing. Consistency gives the appearance of a plan.
Capitalization. We all know the capitalization rules. And there are so many of them. And sometimes, there just is no real answer as to whether or not something should be initial capped or not. Or maybe you have some reason to capitalize something just because. Be consistent with the capitalization. Pick one way and stick to it for the same use of the same word. Inconsistent capitalization can be jolting to a careful reader.
Parallel construction. What is that? It is more of a grammatical/writing quality issue that is a more organic type of consistency. It is actually “incorrect” to write without parallel construction. Parallel construction is the use of the same construction for similar elements in a sentence. Here is a very simple example of a sentence that is NOT parallel: We went to the pool, to the mall, and saw a movie. Parallel: We went to the pool, to the mall, and to the movies. A little more complex example of a sentence that is not parallel: My boss said, “You will be getting a promotion, receiving a sizable raise, and your responsibility will increase.” Here is how to write it in a parallel way: My boss said, “You will be getting a promotion, receiving a sizable raise, and assuming more responsibility.”

Consistency is one of those aspects of your writing that make it look “finished.”

Grammar Diva News

Don’t miss the Sonoma County Fair if you are local! Redwood Writers will be selling books, giving readings, and providing you with tips of all kinds every day of the fair in the EC Kraft Building.  I will be there with my books — at special prices, of course– on Saturday, August 5; Friday, August 11; and Sunday, August 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please come by and say Hello!!!

My new book is now available on Amazon. It is also now available for preorder on Kindle right here!

Is it buck naked or butt naked? Lay or lie? Compliment or complement? You will find over 250 confused word pairs, word groups, and idioms, presented alphabetically with examples and definitions. 

   

 

 

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Well, I Feel Good: “Well” and “Good” Untangled

I just finished a good book.
I am good.
I am well.
The cake is good.
The candy tastes good.
I did well on the test.
She is a good tennis player.
She plays tennis well.
I feel well.

All of the above sentences are correct in their use of well and good. The main difference between the words is that good is an adjective (and they generally describe nouns), and well is an adverb (and they usually describe verbs, or sometimes adjectives or other adverbs).

Here is why all the above sentences are correct.

Good book. Good is an adjective in its usual place, right before the noun it modifies.
I am good. If you have a “linking” verb, which is a verb that connects the word before it with the word after it (it serves as an equal sign), you use an adjective after it, not an adverb. Good doesn’t describe am; it describes I (I = good). The most common linking verb is the “to be” verb; some of its common forms are am, are, is, were, was, have been, will be. But the “to be” verb must be the only verb. If you say, “He was walking,” walking is the verb, not was. (Was is an “auxiliary,” or “helping,” verb here). Compare a linking verb to an action verb: I read a book. Read is not connecting I and book (I do not equal a book). I read well. Here, well is describing how you read, so you use an adverb. 
I am well. Hmmm….so if #2 is correct (I am good), how is I am well also correct? If you say, “I am good,” it is often in reference to how you feel. The explanation for why you use good in the sentence is in #2. However, well is acceptable after the “to be” verb if it refers to a state of health.  So, they are both correct.
The cake is good. Here is another example of using the adjective after the “to be” verb. 
The candy tastes good. You would never say, “The candy tastes well.” In addition to “to be,” the sense verbs are also sometimes linking verbs: look, smell, taste, feel, sound. See the comparison of these verbs as linking verbs and action verbs after #9 below.
I did well on the test. Well is an adverb describing how I did (action verb did.)
Good tennis player. Good is an adjective modifying tennis player after the linking verb is.
She plays tennis well. Well is an adverb describing the action verb plays. How does she play?
I feel well. This is pretty much the same as I am well. Feel is a linking verb because it is a sense verb here. However, well means a state of health here, so it is fine to use, even though it is generally thought of as an adverb. Here is a really an adjective. (Note that well can also be a noun – Timmy fell into the well – and even an interjection – Well! What have we here?

Comparison of action verbs and linking (sense) verbs:

I am looking at the cake vs. The cake looks good.
I smell smoke vs. The brownies smell good.
I taste the salt in the chocolate vs. The chocolate tastes good.
I feel my cat’s soft fur vs. The breeze feels good.
I sound the whistle to get their attention vs. That music sounds loud.

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Grammar Diva News

Does Your Flamingo Flamenco? will be available on Amazon (and soon everywhere else) in a couple of days. 

I will be selling my books and giving readings and grammar tips at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, CA on August 5, 11, and 13 from about 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. I will be part of the Redwood Writers tables inside the EC Kraft Building. All my books will be for sale, including a special back-to-school (or college or new job) package including the above three books at a special price: the grammar book, the grammar workbook, and the book of confusing words. If you are local, I hope to see you there. There will be many great authors and books for sale! (Well, the authors won’t be for sale, but the books will be!)

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