Arlene Miller's Blog, page 58

The 7 Deadly Sins of Grammar: No. 3 – Verbosity

Verbosity: Superfluity of words; wordiness

In this blog post, we will show three forms or wordiness:

Filler words and phrases
Excess verbiage
Redundancy

1. Some people like to use words to fill space,  hold the floor as they are thinking, or make those they are talking to feel smaller than a flea.

The overuse of uh, so, well , and you know can be used to fill space while the speaker thinks of what to say next. 
Some people like to add phrases to the end of what they say to make you feel stupid: “Understand?”  “Do you know what I mean ?” “Did you get that?” “Right?” and similar things.

2. Excess verbiage can be wordy phrases, larger-than-necessary words, and  more words than necessary.

Wordy phrases can start sentences: “What is did is . . . “ or “What this means is . . .” or “The reason is because [yuck!!!]. . .” and even worse, using a double is :  “What I did is is . . .” Then there is “The fact that . . .” and “That being said . . .”
Using fancy words doesn’t usually make you sound smart: conversate instead of converse or talk; using words like enormity and orientate. You don’t need to use a twenty-five cent word when you can use a nickel word.
“We will elect a president at the next meeting.” Or you could say, “The election of the president will be held at the next meeting.” The first one is far more direct and has more punch. Using a noun (election) instead of the verb is called nominalization.
If you have ever read your mortgage papers or any other contract, you have seen verbosity in the form of legalese.

3. Redundancy is usually done by mistake or because the writer or speaker doesn’t realize he or she is doing it. Here are some common redundancies:

7 p.m. in the evening (of course p.m. is in the evening!)
At this point in time is just a wordy way to say now.

Completely unanimous is the only type of unanimous there is.
The result is generally at the end, so end result is redundant.
In close proximity to is just a fancy way to say near.
For the purpose of is a puffed up way of saying to.
Each and every? Just each or every alone will do nicely.
Postpone until later? Can we postpone until any other time?
Past history really just means history, since there is no real future history.
Protest against ? Can you protest for something? 
We made a decision is a nominalization for we decided.
Small in size? Small should do it.

Due to the fact that this blog post is about redundancy and other excess verbiage, I would like to repeat again, that my personal opinion is that now you know the basic essentials of this difficult dilemma. It should be noted that the final outcome of this blog post is hopefully spelled out in detail to you, my invited guests. Do you understand?

Save the Date!
Book Launch for The Best Grammar Workbook Ever! Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Writing: No. 2 – The Fragment

Sentence Fragments

Last week we began the series of the 7 Deadly Sins of Grammar with the run-on sentence. This week we will talk about its opposite, the dreaded fragment. 

By the way, I received a comment about my inconsistent hyphenation of the word run-on (run on). While it may have looked inconsistent, there was a method to my madness. It was actually not inconsistent at all. I hyphenated run-on when it was a modifier preceding the word sentence. If I used run on as a noun without the word sentence after it, I didn’t use a hyphen. I was following the standard of hyphenating compound adjectives that precede the noun they modify. I suppose I could have hyphenated run on all the time, but I saw no reason. Here is another example: I ordered a well-done steak. I like my steak well done.  And another: He has a three-year-son. His son is three years old.

Back to the dreaded fragment (which is a fragment itself). While a run-on sentence is too much information, a fragment is not enough. A run-on sentence is two (usually) sentences that are run together without appropriate punctuation to separate them. They are usually strung together with a comma rather than a period or semicolon (or the addition of a conjunction).

A fragment, on the other hand, is less than a sentence. It is not a complete thought. First, what is a sentence, anyway. What do you need to have a complete sentence? A subject and a verb usually does the trick. Of course, sentences usually contain more than two words, but the right two words will do: a subject and a verb:

She runs.

He works. 

Before we start writing a nursery school primer here, let’s continue. You can actually have a complete sentence with just one word–a verb–if it is a command. In a command the subject, which is always you, is understood if it isn’t actually there. So when you say to your dog, Sit!–that is a sentence: You sit.

Fragments are usually longer than one or two words, however, and often can look like sentences. But before we go into that . . . 

I use fragments all the time. I use them in my blog posts. I use them in my books. You will see fragments in advertisements. Fragments have a use. Conversely, run ons don’t.  Fragments are often used for effect:

She was afraid. She made herself so small she almost disappeared in the closet. There it was again. That horrible screaming.

Okay, I wrote that off the cuff, but there it is–those last three words do not a sentence make. But you know that the author used it for effect and probably knows the difference between a sentence and a fragment.

Here is another short passage with a fragment or two:

I have three dogs. First, a poodle. My poodle is named Mollie, and she is three years old. My little brother named her Mollie. Although she is a boy dog.

Yes, I wrote that one off the cuff too. That one might be part of a paragraph or an essay by an elementary-school student. There are two fragments, and we know they are not intentional, or for effect:

First, a poodle is not a sentence. There is no verb.

Although she is a boy dog is not a sentence either. “But is has a subject and a verb!” my student says. Yes, it does indeed. She is the subject and is is the verb. However, the group of words is not a complete thought. What about although she is a boy dog? Something else is needed for that group of words, which does have a subject and a verb, to make sense. In this case, it could simply be the sentence before it. If the writer had not put that period after Mollie and had not capitalized Although, it would have been correct.

Although she is a boy dog is called a subordinate (or dependent) clause. A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb. An independent clause is a complete sentence. However, a subordinate clause isn’t and cannot stand on its own. It needs an independent clause to join with to make a sentence. The use of a subordinate clause as a sentence is probably the most common use of incorrect fragments–incorrect meaning, not intentional and not used for effect.

Many students come to my classroom believing  they cannot begin a sentence with the word because. They have been told this in elementary school so that they wouldn’t run into the problem of not finishing the thought and producing a fragment:

Because the sky is gray. Fragment.

Because the sky is gray, I will take my umbrella with me today. Sentence.

Notice that we added a complete sentence (independent clause) to the subordinate clause: I will take my umbrella with me today.

Some other words that begin subordinate clauses and might result in a fragment are although, since, until, whenever, wherever, after, before, and while.

In conclusion, some fragments (group of words that do not make a complete sentence) are effective when writing a book, blog post, advertisement, etc. However,

1. I can’t think of when a run on would be acceptable, although many novelists use them.

2. I would not, and would not recommend, ever using a fragment for effect in a business letter, cover letter, college application, or any formal writing.

—————————————————————–

Announcements:

As you know, The Best Grammar Workbook Ever is now available. If you received a PDF copy from me to review, please post your review on Amazon. If you have purchased the book, an Amazon review is always appreciated

I will be launching the workbook on Friday, May 15, at 7 p.m. at Petaluma Copperfields. Please join me for this event if you live locally! There will be chocolate cake, prizes, and humor! Help me fill the seats! Bring your friends. Support your indie bookstore and support your indie publisher!

 

 

 

 

The 7 Deadly Sins of Grammar: No. 2 – The Fragment

Sentence Fragments

Last week we began the series of the 7 Deadly Sins of Grammar with the run-on sentence. This week we will talk about its opposite, the dreaded fragment. 

By the way, I received a comment about my inconsistent hyphenation of the word run-on (run on). While it may have looked inconsistent, there was a method to my madness. It was actually not inconsistent at all. I hyphenated run-on when it was a modifier preceding the word sentence. If I used run on as a noun without the word sentence after it, I didn’t use a hyphen. I was following the standard of hyphenating compound adjectives that precede the noun they modify. I suppose I could have hyphenated run on all the time, but I saw no reason. Here is another example: I ordered a well-done steak. I like my steak well done.  And another: He has a three-year-son. His son is three years old.

Back to the dreaded fragment (which is a fragment itself). While a run-on sentence is too much information, a fragment is not enough. A run-on sentence is two (usually) sentences that are run together without appropriate punctuation to separate them. They are usually strung together with a comma rather than a period or semicolon (or the addition of a conjunction).

A fragment, on the other hand, is less than a sentence. It is not a complete thought. First, what is a sentence, anyway. What do you need to have a complete sentence? A subject and a verb usually does the trick. Of course, sentences usually contain more than two words, but the right two words will do: a subject and a verb:

She runs.

He works. 

Before we start writing a nursery school primer here, let’s continue. You can actually have a complete sentence with just one word–a verb–if it is a command. In a command the subject, which is always you, is understood if it isn’t actually there. So when you say to your dog, Sit!–that is a sentence: You sit.

Fragments are usually longer than one or two words, however, and often can look like sentences. But before we go into that . . . 

I use fragments all the time. I use them in my blog posts. I use them in my books. You will see fragments in advertisements. Fragments have a use. Conversely, run ons don’t.  Fragments are often used for effect:

She was afraid. She made herself so small she almost disappeared in the closet. There it was again. That horrible screaming.

Okay, I wrote that off the cuff, but there it is–those last three words do not a sentence make. But you know that the author used it for effect and probably knows the difference between a sentence and a fragment.

Here is another short passage with a fragment or two:

I have three dogs. First, a poodle. My poodle is named Mollie, and she is three years old. My little brother named her Mollie. Although she is a boy dog.

Yes, I wrote that one off the cuff too. That one might be part of a paragraph or an essay by an elementary-school student. There are two fragments, and we know they are not intentional, or for effect:

First, a poodle is not a sentence. There is no verb.

Although she is a boy dog is not a sentence either. “But is has a subject and a verb!” my student says. Yes, it does indeed. She is the subject and is is the verb. However, the group of words is not a complete thought. What about although she is a boy dog? Something else is needed for that group of words, which does have a subject and a verb, to make sense. In this case, it could simply be the sentence before it. If the writer had not put that period after Mollie and had not capitalized Although, it would have been correct.

Although she is a boy dog is called a subordinate (or dependent) clause. A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb. An independent clause is a complete sentence. However, a subordinate clause isn’t and cannot stand on its own. It needs an independent clause to join with to make a sentence. The use of a subordinate clause as a sentence is probably the most common use of incorrect fragments–incorrect meaning, not intentional and not used for effect.

Many students come to my classroom believing  they cannot begin a sentence with the word because. They have been told this in elementary school so that they wouldn’t run into the problem of not finishing the thought and producing a fragment:

Because the sky is gray. Fragment.

Because the sky is gray, I will take my umbrella with me today. Sentence.

Notice that we added a complete sentence (independent clause) to the subordinate clause: I will take my umbrella with me today.

Some other words that begin subordinate clauses and might result in a fragment are although, since, until, whenever, wherever, after, before, and while.

In conclusion, some fragments (group of words that do not make a complete sentence) are effective when writing a book, blog post, advertisement, etc. However,

1. I can’t think of when a run on would be acceptable, although many novelists use them.

2. I would not, and would not recommend, ever using a fragment for effect in a business letter, cover letter, college application, or any formal writing.

—————————————————————–

Announcements:

As you know, The Best Grammar Workbook Ever is now available. If you received a PDF copy from me to review, please post your review on Amazon. If you have purchased the book, an Amazon review is always appreciated

I will be launching the workbook on Friday, May 15, at 7 p.m. at Petaluma Copperfields. Please join me for this event if you live locally! There will be chocolate cake, prizes, and humor! Help me fill the seats! Bring your friends. Support your indie bookstore and support your indie publisher!

 

 

 

 

The 7 Deadly Sins of Writing: No. 1 – The Run On

Waaaaay back, when I was in junior high school, I remember my English teacher telling us that if we had even one run-on sentence in an essay in high school or college, we would get an F for the entire essay. I don’t know if that ever came to pass; I like to think I don’t remember because I would never write a run-on sentence. And don’t believe I ever failed a paper.

At about the same time, or probably even earlier, I remember being told in math class that we had better learn the metric system because that is what we would be using in the near future. We all know how that one turned out!

I think that maybe the run-on sentence warning may have gone the same way. I have no idea whether or not teachers fail a student who writes one run on in an essay. I, however, do take off points for anything  a student writes with more than one run-on sentence. More than one run on  indicates to me that the student may not really understand what a sentence is.

What is a run-on sentence, anyway? What is this evil thing that people write? Simply put, a run on is actually two complete sentences without the proper punctuation between them. Generally, it is two complete sentences separated by a comma, also known as a comma splice. A comma is not a strong enough punctuation mark to separate two complete sentences by itself.

 

Yes, there are some authors who do separate their sentences with commas in novels. Perhaps it indicates some pacing technique. I don’t like it. As an editor, I generally change it, especially in a book for children or teens. They need to see books as bastions of correctness, right?

Here is a run on sentence (also a comma splice):

My sister had a job interview yesterday, she hopes she gets the job. (Ring the Run-On Buzzer loudly!)

Fortunately, run ons are easy to fix, and there are many repair options. The simplest is to simply change the comma to a period and begin a new sentence with a capital letter:

My sister had a job interview yesterday. She hopes she gets the job.

For those who are not afraid of the semicolon, you may use a semicolon if the sentences are related. In this case, I would say they are.

My sister had a job interview yesterday; she hopes she gets the job.

Perhaps in this case they aren’t:

My sister had a job interview yesterday. I would hate to work in the company she interviewed with.

If the sentences are closely related, you can also keep the comma and add a conjunction along with it:

My sister had a job interview yesterday, and she hopes she gets the job.

Those are the three easiest and most common ways to fix a run-on sentence. There are other ways. You can separate them with a colon if the second sentence is a result of, or an explanation of, the first sentence. However, you don’t need to use a colon in this case, so you might want to avoid using the colon to separate sentences, just in case it isn’t appropriate for the particular sentences:

My sister had a job interview yesterday: she graduates from college in two weeks. (No capital letter is necessary to begin the second sentence.)

There are also some more creative ways to write the sentence:

My sister had a job interview yesterday — she hopes she gets the job.

or even

My sister had a job interview yesterday (she hopes she gets the job).

Not common, but not really incorrect. The first three fixes are the recommended ones. 

Join me again next week for Deadly Grammar Sin No. 2, which will remain a secret.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Best Grammar Workbook Ever is now available in paperback on Amazon and other online booksellers, available to order from your favorite bookstore, and available to purchase as a PDF from my website. 

If you received a complimentary PDF to review, a review would be appreciated! Thank you to all who have already posted a review. If you purchase the book, of course a review would also be greatly appreciated!

If you are in the area, I will be at the Hampton Inn in Vacaville tomorrow, Sunday, April 12, from 10-4 for BookFest Solano.

 

 

 

 

The 7 Deadly Sins of Grammar: No. 1 – The Run On

Waaaaay back, when I was in junior high school, I remember my English teacher telling us that if we had even one run-on sentence in an essay in high school or college, we would get an F for the entire essay. I don’t know if that ever came to pass; I like to think I don’t remember because I would never write a run-on sentence. And don’t believe I ever failed a paper.

At about the same time, or probably even earlier, I remember being told in math class that we had better learn the metric system because that is what we would be using in the near future. We all know how that one turned out!

I think that maybe the run-on sentence warning may have gone the same way. I have no idea whether or not teachers fail a student who writes one run on in an essay. I, however, do take off points for anything  a student writes with more than one run-on sentence. More than one run on  indicates to me that the student may not really understand what a sentence is.

What is a run-on sentence, anyway? What is this evil thing that people write? Simply put, a run on is actually two complete sentences without the proper punctuation between them. Generally, it is two complete sentences separated by a comma, also known as a comma splice. A comma is not a strong enough punctuation mark to separate two complete sentences by itself.

 

Yes, there are some authors who do separate their sentences with commas in novels. Perhaps it indicates some pacing technique. I don’t like it. As an editor, I generally change it, especially in a book for children or teens. They need to see books as bastions of correctness, right?

Here is a run on sentence (also a comma splice):

My sister had a job interview yesterday, she hopes she gets the job. (Ring the Run-On Buzzer loudly!)

Fortunately, run ons are easy to fix, and there are many repair options. The simplest is to simply change the comma to a period and begin a new sentence with a capital letter:

My sister had a job interview yesterday. She hopes she gets the job.

For those who are not afraid of the semicolon, you may use a semicolon if the sentences are related. In this case, I would say they are.

My sister had a job interview yesterday; she hopes she gets the job.

Perhaps in this case they aren’t:

My sister had a job interview yesterday. I would hate to work in the company she interviewed with.

If the sentences are closely related, you can also keep the comma and add a conjunction along with it:

My sister had a job interview yesterday, and she hopes she gets the job.

Those are the three easiest and most common ways to fix a run-on sentence. There are other ways. You can separate them with a colon if the second sentence is a result of, or an explanation of, the first sentence. However, you don’t need to use a colon in this case, so you might want to avoid using the colon to separate sentences, just in case it isn’t appropriate for the particular sentences:

My sister had a job interview yesterday: she graduates from college in two weeks. (No capital letter is necessary to begin the second sentence.)

There are also some more creative ways to write the sentence:

My sister had a job interview yesterday — she hopes she gets the job.

or even

My sister had a job interview yesterday (she hopes she gets the job).

Not common, but not really incorrect. The first three fixes are the recommended ones. 

Join me again next week for Deadly Grammar Sin No. 2, which will remain a secret.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Best Grammar Workbook Ever is now available in paperback on Amazon and other online booksellers, available to order from your favorite bookstore, and available to purchase as a PDF from my website. 

If you received a complimentary PDF to review, a review would be appreciated! Thank you to all who have already posted a review. If you purchase the book, of course a review would also be greatly appreciated!

If you are in the area, I will be at the Hampton Inn in Vacaville tomorrow, Sunday, April 12, from 10-4 for BookFest Solano.

 

 

 

 

The Best Grammar Workbook Ever! Is Here

Available Now!   

Go to the head of the class! Whether you are a student, parent, soon-to-be graduate, job seeker, writer, professional, nonnative English speaker, or anyone who ever has to write anything in your job, The Best Grammar Workbook Ever! will help you.

Starting with grammar basics and continuing on to more complex issues and grammar problems,the book will  answer every question you have. It is filled with over 100 tests and practices exercises,to get you to the head of the writing class, regardless of your age!

Here is just some of what is included:

Pretest and post test so you can see your progress
Practices and a chapter test in every chapter
Appendixes including a complete answer guide, a glossary, commonly misspelled and mispronounced words, and Greek and Latin roots
Clear explanations and examples of all types of grammar issues: sentence variety to make your writing interesting and give it flow; subject/verb and pronoun/antecedent agreement; irregular verb forms, avoiding misplaced modifiers; possessives; punctuation; capitalization; using phrases and clauses; avoiding fragments and run ons; pronoun problems such as who and whom and I and me; comparison; writing with parallel structure; clarity in writing; using slang and abbreviations; using numbers; and much, much more.

If you received a complimentary PDF, please take a look through the book and post a review on Amazon. If you purchase the book, a review on Amazon would be greatly appreciated. Although the book is not an e-book yet, it will be! Buy it now on Amazon, other online retailers, or check bigwords101 for other buying options.

And if you are local, don’t miss The Best Grammar Workbook Ever! book launch at Petaluma Copperfield’s bookstore on Friday evening, May 15 at 7.

Please share this e-mail with your friends!

Thank you!

Arlene Miller, The Grammar Diva

 

The Toughest Job There Is. . .

Teaching and Teachers

I was planning to begin the series on The Seven Deadly Sins of Grammar today, but in a week that included Good Friday, Easter, and Passover —  well, it just didn’t seem appropriate somehow. So, I will wait to start that one next week!

As you may or may not know, I have been a public school teacher (7th grade English) for the past eleven years. It was by no means a first career for me, having previously been a newspaper reporter, technical writer, technical editor, freelance editor, editing supervisor, newspaper UPI editor, tap dance instructor, medical transcriber, aerobics instructor, and stay-at-home mom, not necessarily in that order! I am retiring from public school teaching this June to devote more time to my grammar business. Teaching is the hardest job I have ever done. Combine that with the low pay, long hours, meetings, new standards, new technology, parents, administrators: I think teachers are truly heroes. 

Here, for your amusement, consideration, and deep thought are some quotes on teachers and teaching:

I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn. – Albert Einstein

The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. – Amos Bronson Alcott

For every person who wants to teach, there are approximately thirty people who don’t want to learn — much. -W.C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman

A good teacher, like a good entertainer, first must hold his audience’s attention, then he can teach his lesson. – John Henrik Clarke

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. – Henry Adams

Teaching is the only major occupation for which we have not yet developed tools that make an average person capable of competence and performance. In teaching we rely on the ‘naturals,’ the ones who somehow know how to teach. – Peter Drucker

Teachers open the door. You ether by yourself. – Chinese Proverb

Teaching is not a lost art, but regard for teaching is a lost tradition. – Jacques Barzun

A professor is someone who talks in someone else’s sleep. – W. H. Auden

A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love for learning. -Brad Henry

Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater. – Gail Godwin

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers. – Khalil Gibran

None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody — a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns — bent down and helped us pick up our boots. – Thurgood Marshall

Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills. – Minna Antrim

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. – John Steinbeck

I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.  – Confucius

I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession. – John Wooden

* Any incorrect grammar, punctuation,  and sexist writing in these quotes is not my own. I didn’t fix them because I wanted to use the quotes as I found them. Thank you to the quotations page.com and quote garden.com for the quotes!

 

 

An Auto-Interview with “The Grammar Diva”

An auto-interview? What is that? I decided that I would interview myself (I talk to myself all the time, anyway) to let you know a little bit about The Grammar Diva, but most of all “why grammar?” and “why did I write more than one grammar book?”

Me: Why would anyone be interested in grammar? 

I: You know, actually there are quite a few people interested in grammar. I hear from them all the time.  You actually are  probably grammar lovers. We probably all have our own reasons (or we are all just Virgos, anal-retentive, or both): For example, I can easily learn and figure out music theory, but I cannot put my thoughts into my hands and express them on the piano. I excelled at rhythm tap dancing, but never could really master ballet. I was great  learning Latin (since it is grammar-based and not spoken), but I couldn’t speak a word of French after years of taking it in school. I think there is a pattern here that makes me good at grammar! Music theory, intricate tap rhythms, Latin grammar —  they are all puzzles. I didn’t start our loving grammar. I started out wanting to be a writer.

Me: What kind of a writer? How long have you been writing?

I: The first thing I remember writing was a musical called Babes in Toyland (original?) for my friends. I was about 6, and we performed it for our mothers. I remember throwing a small fit because someone wouldn’t do it my way! As a teenager I wrote poems and lots of song lyrics. I became very interested in pop music and wanted to become a songwriter. By the time I was applying to college, my goal was to become a writer and write for a music magazine, namely Billboard. That is really the reason I followed the writing path and majored in journalism. Eventually, I worked for a short time as a newspaper writer and UPI editor in Florida. I then worked several years as a technical writer and editor for a computer company in Massachusetts (Wang). After I had my kids, I worked as a freelance editor until I went back to school for a teaching credential.

Me: What was your first book, and why did you write it?

I: I am not quite sure which book was first. It’s between The Best Little Grammar Book Ever and Beyond Worksheets. Beyond Worksheets is an ebook of grammar lesson plans that is on Amazon, on my website, and on a teacher site. That came about because my one and only student teacher–a couple of years after I began teaching–liked my grammar lessons and thought I should put them together in a book. I did that, and I am not sure whether that was right before or after the first grammar book. I think it was afterwards. That ebook, despite its ratings and ranking on Amazon, has garnered many positive comments on the teachers’ site! However, it doesn’t contain any technology. It can be adapted to homeschoolers, though, and probably even adapted for technology.  As far as The Best Little Grammar Book Ever: Well, I noticed once I started teaching that people everywhere kept making the same grammar mistakes — when I was a writer and editor, and when I began as a teacher. I decided to write a book that concentrated on those errors. I outlined the book, and it sat there for a couple of years until I finally wrote it and published it in 2010. It has sold very well despite my lack of marketing time or talent!

Me: What about your other grammar books? How are they different?

I: I had never intended to write another grammar book after The Best Little Grammar Book Ever! But then, on Facebook one day, I had a message from a friend, also a writer, who said she had a dream that I wrote a book called Correct Me If I’m Wrong.  I liked the title so much I thought I might as well write the book, and I did. It has some of the same things as the other book — after all, grammar is grammar. However, there is quite a bit of difference in both the content and setup. The issues are all presented alphabetically in Correct Me If I’m Wrong. There are also more word usage and more comma rules, but no quizzes, as are included in the first book. The Great Grammar Cheat Sheet is a short ebook with the highlights of the other grammar books, for a quick reference. I have just released The Best Grammar Workbook Ever! What a lot of work that was! I also have a novel that I wrote during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2011 and published on Amazon in print and as an ebook. I used a pseudonym since I was writing in such a different genre. 

Me: What is next?

I: Well, I am retiring from teaching in June, so I will have more time for my business — maybe!  I copyedit for other writers. I also am considering doing more corporate grammar/writing workshops, maybe online classes– and definitely more books! Fiction and nonfiction! Then, there is my blog, which I really enjoy doing.

Me: Is grammar your life?

I: Gosh. . .that sounds kind of sad, doesn’t it? It seems lately that grammar is my life, but really I have other interests! I would love to get back to music (composing, playing piano) at some point. I love to read, mostly chick lit. I love dogs. And then there are my kids, and they are my life! But I don’t see them that much at this point.

Then, there is coffee and Starbucks  and listening to music. I am also interested in metaphysics and all things bizarre. I am also a CNN junkie….and I watch all the reality talent shows. How’s that?

Me: Thank you for your time.

I: I’m welcome!

Some announcements: 

1. Thank you to those of you who offered a review of my new book. It’s not up quite yet.

2. Come see me and other writers:

This coming Saturday, March 28 – Local Writers Symposium

Sunday, April 12 –  Solano County Bookfest

Friday, May 15 – Book Launch Event for The Best Grammar Workbook Ever!

And next week: A new series begins right here: The Seven (Deadly?) Sins of Grammar

 

Fifty Shades of Grammar: Finale (for now)

New Book!!!!!

Thanks to your nifty comments (nifty? Does anyone use that word anymore?), I have one more installment of Fifty Shades of Grammar for you before we begin a new series of blog posts. And I have a special offer for you at the end of this post!

So, here we go (I hope I am not repeating myself with any of these!) . . .

1. Compose vs. Comprise – I don’t even want to go here, but someone mentioned it as a peeve. Is there anyone who uses these correctly? OK. Here is the story as I know it: Compose means “to make up or form something.” Often we use it as “is composed of.” The United States is composed of fifty states.” Then, we take it a step further and attempt to use comprise, and we say “The United States is comprised of fifty states.” This actually is not incorrect and is a third or fourth definition of comprise. However, if you want to use comprise in the sentence, this is really the preferred usage: “The United States comprises fifty states.” Therefore, is composed of is synonymous with comprises.

2. Criteria and Data – These words are both plural, criterion and datum being the singular forms. So when you say “The criteria is . . .” that is incorrect. It is either “The criterion is” or “The criteria are.” However, data is different. We don’t generally use datum . . .what is one piece of datum? So data is commonly used as a singular no matter what: “The data shows that . . .”(singular)

3. Continually vs. Continuously – These two words are actually different, although most people don’t make the distinction. Continuously means “without stopping.” Continually means “happening over and over again for a long time,” but not actually without stopping. Here is an example: “It has been snowing continuously since yesterday morning.” It hasn’t stopped snowing at all. “This winter we have had continual snowstorms.” It has snowed repeatedly, but it has stopped in between.

4. Punctuation outside the quotes – This bothers many people. However, in British English, the rules are the exact opposite of ours. Here are the American English standards for using other punctuation with quotations marks:

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks. Always.
Colons and semicolons always go outside quotation marks. Always.
Question marks and exclamation marks can go either inside or outside depending on the sentence. If the question mark or exclamation mark belongs to just the quoted portion of the sentence, it goes inside. If the entire sentence is a question or exclamation, the mark goes outside the quotes. If both the question and the entire sentence are questions or exclamations, use one mark only and put it inside.

5. Say vs. Tell – I don’t know where in the country these are used “incorrectly,” but there is definitely a distinction between these two words even though they both involve talking! Telling usually involves another person. So, there is often an indirect object in the sentence: Tell me that secret. Tell her a story. You wouldn’t “say her a story.” “Said” is often used in dialog: She said, “. . . .” or if not, it generally has a direct object, but no indirect. It’s kind of a weird distinction that must be very difficult for anyone trying to learn English! “I told her a secret.” But “I said that to her.” But then, you could also say, “I told that to her . . .” Go figure.

6. Try and – The correct phrase is try to, not try and: “I will try to make it to your party.”

7. Inflated verbiage – This was a common peeve. Using big words when small ones will do (and often using them incorrectly or making them up entirely); using ten words when three would be better. You get the point. Some examples of inflated verbiage:

Using words like enormity and orientate
Using phrases like “What I did is . . . ” or “What this means is . . . ” or “The reason is because . . .”
Or phrases like “The fact that . . .” or “That being said . . .”

8. Whether vs. weather – And while we are talking about the weather: climactic vs. climatic. The one that means “sunny” or “cloudy” is weather. And global warming is a climatic topic. Climactic with the additional C is related to the word climax: “The climactic moment of the movie is . . . ”

9. With regards to – There is only one regard: “With regard to” is correct.

10. I should of went – Double whammy here: It is should have, not should of. And it is gone, not went: I should have gone.

11. Nouns used as verbs – Many of us don’t like this trend:

Since I don’t need this for myself, I will gift it. (Last time I looked, gift was a noun)
Let’s common core this lesson plan. (Let’s not.)

12. Overuse of trendy words – And we all do have our favorite words! Right now amazing seems to be overused by many people. I have known people who favored the overuse of basically and remarkable as well.

13. Weird road signs – A little punctuation might help. Here are a few:

Prepare to stop federal offices
Semi exceeding the speed limit prohibited
Slow deer crossing

14. “Well, here’s the thing” – What thing?

Special Offer!!!!  – I believe I promised you a special offer, so . . . 

My new book, The Best Grammar Workbook Ever!, is just about to be hot off the presses. I am offering a free PDF copy (all 207 pages) to the first 20 people who e-mail me at bigwords101@yahoo.com. This is the final copy, not a draft.

Of course, there is a catch! In return for the book, you have to promise to write a nice (5 stars?) review for the book on Amazon. It doesn’t have to be long. And since the book is a reference, you don’t even have to read it cover to cover.  Since the book is not yet on Amazon, I will let you know when to post the review. 

Deal?

Also: For you locals -

Saturday, March 28 from 10:30-3 at the main Sonoma County Library on E Street in Santa Rosa is the Local Authors Symposium. Many local writers will be there displaying (and selling) their books and talking to you. I am among them! I believe I speak at 1 p.m.

Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. is the launch event for The Best Grammar Book Ever at the Petaluma Copperfield’s bookstore.

I might even be at the Solano County Book Festival in April….Will let you know next week!

 

 

 

Fifty Shades of Grammar: Part 3????

More Shades of Gray!

Well, the Fifty Shades of Grey book series had three, so why not three (or maybe four) installments here too? If it weren’t for the continuing great responses from you readers, I wouldn’t have so many shades of grammar to write about! Hopefully, these are all new shades:

1. etc. — Lots of problems with this one. First of all, it is different from both e.g. and i.e., which will be discussed later! Second, it isn’t ect. Third, it means “and so on,” so don’t say “and etc.” or “etc. and so on.” Those are redundant. Last, there is a period after etc. and a comma before it.

I love all kinds of berries, including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.

2. Amount and number — People on the news are still confusing amount and number, which is similar to less and fewer. Number is generally used with something countable. Amount is used with something uncountable or singular:

The number of accidents on Highway 50 has declined in the past year.  It is not the amount of accidents.

The amount of crime in the city has declined since last year. (But the “number of crimes”)

3. Double stuff — There are double negatives, double comparisons, and even double possessives, and we don’t like any of them!

There isn’t barely enough money left to pay the bills. (double negative: should be is barely)

I think he is more honester than his brother. (double comparison: should be more honest)

This is the book of Mike’s that I borrowed. (double possessive: Mike’s book; book of Mike)

4. e.g. and i.e. — They are different: e.g. means “for example.” i.e. means “that is” or “in other words.”

I love to read scary books, e.g., books in the Goosebumps series. (for example)

I love to see really scary movies, i.e., I love to be really scared! (in other words)

Both e.g. and i.e. have two periods and are preceded and followed by commas.

5. Elicit and illicit —  These words are really close in pronunciation, but they are sure different in meaning, so don’t confuse them! They are also different parts of speech.

Elicit is a verb (with the prefix e meaning out) which means ‘to draw out,” such as to elicit a response from someone.

Illicit is an adjective meaning “illegal, improper, or not allowed.”

6. Fith — Beethoven didn’t write a Fith. He wrote a Fifth!

7. Tumeric — As you saw with the spelling of cardamom, I am no cook. And I could have sworn it was tumeric. I always pronounced it (on the rare occasion I said it) toomeric. Come to find out its turmeric with an r in the first syllable. Who knew?

8. Crayon — So we were having a discussion at lunch the other week about the pronunciation of this word and whether different areas of the country pronounce it differently. My co-worker and I said it was crayon pronounced cra-un. Someone else thought we were crazy and it was pronounced cra-yawn. Which is it? Yeah, I could look it up, but what fun would that be?

9. Happy Birfday! —  Well, I wouldn’t be happy if you said that to me on my birthday, which is incidentally, on September fith.

10. Caramel — Not unlike #8, there is much ado about this pronunciation. Is it car-mel? or ca-ra-mel? Personally, I pronounce it carmel.

11.Supposably — Easier to say, but it’s supposedly.

12. Goes — I didn’t agree with Jack. I told him the book was better than the movie. But Jack goes,”I hated that book! The movie was way better!” And then my sister goes, “I hated them both.” Says is not the same as goes, is it? It’s says (or said)

13. Let’s do 13, because it is lucky day, Friday the 13th! So where did this sentence come from?

I just got my hair did. (Done you really now?)

Did you get your nails did too? Or can you only get hair did?

——————————————————————

I would like to mention a few things:

1. I will be talking and showing (and selling) my books at the Sonoma County Library, main branch in Santa Rosa at the Local Author’s Symposium on Saturday, March 28.

2. I will be launching my Best Grammar Workbook Ever at Petaluma Copperfield’s on Friday, May 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. Come to this event if you are local!

3. It is just about “did,” and it’s a good thing!

4. Looking for ideas and guest writers for this blog. If you have something you would like me to write about, please let me know (info@bigwords101.com).