Arlene Miller's Blog, page 66

A Few Things About Adjectives

 

Adjectives are a pretty friendly part of speech; they don’t cause too many problems in our writing. However, there are a couple of things that might cause a question or two: compound adjectives and consecutive adjectives.

Compound adjectives are just what they sound like—more-than-one-word adjectives. For example, I just made one up that contains four words! And yes, they are hyphenated and sometimes “made up” by the writer. 

1. The first thing to know is that these compound adjectives are generally hyphenated when they appear directly before the word they describe, but not if they appear after the word. Here are some examples:

I have a self-published book. BUT My book is self published.

He has a three-year-old son. BUT His son is a three year old.

I am baking an eight-layer-high cake . BUT  This cake is eight layers high.

Often, the hyphen (or the elimination of a hyphen) can clear up confusion:

A pink-horned owl is in that tree. (The owl has pink horns. ) Compare that to

A pink horned-owl is in that tree. Now the whole owl is pink. See the difference? 

You also want to make sure that the adjective, compound or not, is in the right place:

Two-year-old teacher wanted for new daycare center. (This is a real example! Yes, a very precocious toddler indeed!)

Striped baby’s dress for sale. (Striped dress or striped baby????)

2. By consecutive adjectives, I am referring to two or more adjectives before the same noun.  Is there a comma between the adjectives, or isn’t there? Yes. Both.

If one of the adjectives is modifying the other adjective rather than modifying the noun, there is never a comma between them. For example,

bright blue dress (Here, we mean bright blue, not bright dress.)

If the second adjective really goes with the noun, don’t use a comma.

new hit song (Here, hit really goes with song. It is a hit song.)

strict second-grade teacher (second-grade, a compound adjective, really goes with teacher.)

If both of the adjectives are describing the noun, sometimes there is a comma between the two adjectives. The quick way to figure it out is to put and between the two adjectives. If it makes sense to say and between them, you need a comma.

old, torn dress (old and torn dress)

hot, humid day (hot and humid day)

long, narrow hallway (long and narrow hallway) 

Happy Halloween and Happy Describing!

 

 

 

 

 

Dots and Lines: Hyphens, Dashes—and Ellipses . . .

Hyphens, Dashes, Ellips

Hyphens, dashes, and ellipses are less talked about punctuation than, let’s say, commas and semicolons, but they are important to use correctly, nonetheless.  And actually many of us use (and overuse) the dots and lines that are dashes and ellipses. 

First, let’s talk about hyphens and dashes—the lines. There are three sizes of lines, all different punctuation marks with different uses. Sometimes the problem is the ability to make the different lines on your computer!

- This little one is a hyphen.

–This medium one is an en dash.

—This long one is an em dash.

I have a Mac. The hyphen is on the number line. That one is easy. I made the en dash with Option/Hyphen. I made the em dash (the longest one) by pressing Shift/Option/Hyphen. You can also use Insert Symbol for the long one, and just choose a long line. These symbols, of course, are in the middle of the line. They are not underscores (_). Some people use two hyphens in a row for an em dash. Often (but I could never figure out when), the computer will put them together for you. It results is a short em dash, but it works. We rarely use the en dash, the shorter one, for anything, so generally an en might substitute for an em. However, if your writing is being editing, your editor might fix those dashes to make them proper em dashes.

Hyphen - The hyphen is used to separate words; that is its only function. It separates words that don’t fit on a line. This use becomes more obsolete as computers can fit the type without splitting words at the end of the line. Or, the computer splits the word for you. If you are writing by hand, make sure that words split on the end of the line are split at the syllable break. One-syllable words cannot be split, and proper nouns should not be split either.

Hyphens are also used in some words that have a prefix, where running the whole thing together might be unclear. There may be two vowels in a row, for example.

Example: co-op is different from coop. 

However, most words like this are clear and do not need the hyphen: cooperate, reorder, reestablish

Some words with a short prefix still usually use a hyphen: ex-husband 

In a word’s evolution, the word often starts out as two separate words (e mail). As the word becomes more common, it is often hyphenated

(e-mail). When the word becomes very common, it often becomes one word (email). 

To determine whether of not to hyphenate a word, look it up in the dictionary. If the dictionary gives you a choice, or two dictionaries disagree, choose one way and stick to it. Consistency always give you an air of expertise!

In addition to splitting words with hyphens, you use a hyphen in some compound adjectives, but only if the adjective comes before the noun.

Examples:

I like well-done steak. BUT I like my steak well done.

I have a three-year-old daughter. BUT My daughter is three years old.

Hyphens are also used in the numbers twenty-one to ninety-nine, which are often spelled out; and fractions used as adjectives:

My piggy bank is two-thirds full. BUT I have two thirds of a cake left. (not an adjective here)

En Dash – The en dash is not used very often. It is used as the minus sign in math, and it is used in number ranges. So, you will see it in indexes for sure!

Examples: pages 25–30 OR  Jim Jones (1825–1900) was a hero to us all.

Em Dash — The em dash is used (and often overused) to indicate an abrupt change in thought or to emphasize something. If the section to be put within dashes is not a complete sentence, commas can sometimes be used instead (you cannot put a complete sentence in the middle of a sentence and put commas around it; you will have a run on). Parentheses can also be used instead of an em dash, but are far less dramatic!

Examples: I was looking for the cat—I hadn’t seen her in over a week—when I found her in the attic.

                     My daughter—looking so radiant—got married yesterday. 

To make sure you have your dashes in the right place, take out the portion of the sentence within the dashes. The rest of the sentence should be a complete sentence and should make sense on its own without the words that are within the dashes.

 Important Note: There are no spaces before or after a hyphen, en dash, or em dash.

Ellipsis . . . The ellipsis is commonly used when something is left out of a quote to make it shorter. Just be careful that you don’t change the meaning of the quote by leaving out selected material. An ellipsis is also used to indicate an unfinished list or unfinished thought at the end of a sentence. 

The ellipsis is made with three periods. There is a space before the first period, a space between each of the periods, and a space after the last of the three periods if the ellipsis is in the middle of a sentence or at the end of something that is not a complete sentence. If the ellipsis is used at the end of the sentence, the ending punctuation comes after the three periods. So, if the sentence would end in a period, the ellipsis has four dots instead of three. Another form of punctuation, if necessary, instead of a period, would come after the ellipsis.

Examples:

The mayor said, “There is no reason to increase our taxes in this city . . . would cause the taxpayers great hardship.”

The mayor said, “There is no reason to increase our taxes in this city . . . . (There is more to the speech, but the part given is a complete sentence, so there are four periods.)

She thought to herself, I need to get out of this place because if I don’t . . . (There is no ending period because there is no end to the speaker’s sentence. She is trailing off.)

And this is the end of this blog post . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do I Feel Bad? or Do I Feel Badly?

Bad Versus Badly

Many people are confused about bad versus badly—and for that matter, good versus well. Bad is an adjective; badly is an adverb. Good is an adjective; well is an adverb.

So….do you feel bad or badly? Good or well?

Let’s start a few steps back. Adjectives (one of the parts of speech) are generally used to describe nouns. They tell what kind, which one, or how many.

Examples of adjectives:

pretty dress (what kind?)

bad dream (what kind?)

seven books (how many?)

this tree (which one?)

Adverbs (another part of speech) are generally used to describe verbs. Many times (but not always), adverbs end in -ly and are formed by adding the -ly to an adjective. For example, quick (adjective) and quickly (adverb); soft (adjective) and softly (adverb); and bad (adjective) and badly (adverb).  Adverbs tell when, how, and to what extent.

Here are some examples of adverbs in action:

He dances well (how)

He will go soon (when)

He is too thin (to what extent – and an adverb modifying the adjective thin)

Most of the time adjectives are placed before the noun they modify in a sentence. For example,

I have three (adjective) wishes (noun).

I bought the blue (adjective) dress (noun).

However, sometimes adjectives appear away from the noun or pronoun they modify. For example,

The dress is blue.

I am quiet.

Joan is intelligent.

In the above examples, blue describes, or modifies,  dress; tired describes I, and intelligent describes Joan.

Now, look at these sentences, which are structured in the same way, but use adverbs instead of adjectives:

Joan speaks intelligently (adverb).

I walk quietly (adverb).

The dress fits perfectly (adverb).

In the above sentencers, the adverbs describe the verbs (as adverbs usually do): speaks how? (intelligently); walk how?(quietly), and fits how? (perfectly).

Now, look at these sentences:

The pizza looks good. (Good is an adjective describing pizza)

The man looks at her carefully. (Carefully is an adverb describing looks.)  (Looks how?)

The fabric feels soft. (Soft is an adjective describing fabric.)

The woman feels the fabric lightly. (Lightly is an adverb describing feels.) (Feels how?)

Okay. Let’s explain all this. If you look at the first pair of sentences, with look as the verb, you will discover that there are two kinds of look.  In the first sentence, no one is looking at anything. Pizzas don’t have eyes. The looks verb here is not an action verb. Now look at the second pair of sentences. In the first sentence, there is also no action. The fabric has no fingers, and it isn’t feeling anything. However, in the second sentence, the woman is feeling using her fingers.

Some verbs (most verbs) are action words even if they represent mental action (think, consider, wish) rather than physical action. However, some verbs do not represent action. They represent a state of being,  emotion, or sense.  These verbs are often called linking verbs. Some verbs can be both action and state of being, depending on how they are used in the sentence  (feel, taste, sound, and grow, for example).

Linking verbs include the following (not an all-inclusive list):

to be (is, am, are, was, were, will be, has been, have been, etc.)

look

sound

taste

feel

seem

become

grow  (The tomatoes are growing quickly – action;  I am growing tired – linking)

If this were a math lesson, the linking verb would be an equal sign. 

I am tired. I = tired.

Sue is tall. Sue = tall.

The pizza looks good. Pizza = good.

If you try this with an action verb, it doesn’t work:

I play chess. I = chess? No.

She walks the dog. She = dog. No.

Now, what does this all have to do with bad and badly, you ask? After a  linking verb, you use an adjective, not an adverb.  (The grammatical term for this adjective is predicate adjective). I feel bad is correct bercause feel is a linking verb here. To say I feel badly would imply that feel is being used as an action verb. In other words your fingertips are not working, so you feel badly!

What about I feel good? Or is it I feel well?  Grammatically, it is I feel good, since good is the adjective and well is an adverb.  However, in this case (yes there is always an exception), you can correctly use well, because well has been accepted to mean a state of good health. So, either way, you are correct.

Now, I feel bad if I have confused you, but I feel good if I have helped to “unconfuse” you!

 

Two, To, Too, Tutu

Most of us know the difference between two, to, and too, but there is some confusion about the correct punctuation with too. Oh, are we really going to talk about tutu too? (No, I’m just pulling your leg warmers!)

Two is obviously the number. No problem there.

To has two uses. First, it can be a preposition. In this case, to is in a phrase and is followed by an article (sometimes) and a noun or pronoun

Example: I went to the mall.

Second, to can be part of an infinitive. In this case, to is followed by a verb.

Example: I want to go with you.

No problem there, although sometimes I do see to used instead of too.

Too also has two uses. First, it can mean also.

Example: I want to go too! 

Second, too can mean an excessive amount.

Example: I have too much candy. (Is this even possible?)

It is the first use of too that we are going to talk about in terms of punctuation. Is there a comma before too, or isn’t there?

Which is correct?  I want to go, too. OR I want to go too.

There is no real hard and fast rule that makes it incorrect to write it either of those ways. However, there is no reason to put the comma before too. It is preferable to not use a comma.

What about if the too is in the middle of the sentence? 

Example: I, too, would like to go.

In this case, especially if the too comes directly after the subject (which it does in the above sentence), the comma is used. Here, the too is used for emphasis, and you would put the commas around it.

A few examples:

I love peanuts, and I love peanut butter too.

We are hiking up that mountain too.

We too are hiking up that mountain. OR We, too, are hiking up that mountain (if you want to emphasize the too).

So, in conclusion — here is one case where there is no real right and wrong. However you don’t need a comma before too at the end of a sentence. If you use too and want to emphasize it, especially right after the subject, go right ahead.

Most of us remember learning to put a comma before too at the end of the sentence. However, not true.

 

 

 

 

Those Pesky Pronouns!

First of all, please excuse a few mistakes I made in last week’s post, which I did eventually correct — after the posts were sent out. I left out the date in September on the opening page of the post. Then, I included an example that was a misplaced modifier. It was a busy week. But no excuse. 

Pronouns

 

Pronouns are one of the eight parts of speech. They are used to stand in for a noun (or another pronoun), and they probably cause more trouble than any other part of speech. There are six varieties of pronouns.

1. Personal Pronouns:

   I                       me                  my/mine

    you                 you                 your/yours

     he                   him                his

     she                 her                 hers/her

     we                   us                  our/ours

     they                 them             their/theirs

      it                      it                    its

      who                whom            whose

 The pronouns in the first column are used for subjects in a sentence (nominative case). The ones in the second column are objects (objective case). Those in the last column are possessive (possessive case).

If you took Latin, you might remember these as nominative, accusative, and genitive (I think!)

A. She and I went to the movies.

She and I went to the movies with him and her. (If you have a problem deciding, just take out the other person, and see which sounds right by itself.)

B. It’s between you and me (Not you and I….these pronouns are the objects of the preposition between. You wouldn’t say between we, would you??)

C. Trouble with who and whom? Try substituting he and him. If he works, use who. If him works, use whom.

Who is going with you? (He is going with you.)
Whom are you inviting to the party? (I am inviting him to the party.)
With whom are you going? (I am going with him.)

D. Remember that none of the possessive pronouns (right-hand column) have apostrophes, so its doesn’t either when it implies ownership.

2. Demonstrative Pronouns:

This, that, these, and those — and they don’t usually cause problems. Just remember to use this and that with singulars, and these and those with plurals (not these kind of books, but these kinds of books).

3. Interrogative Pronouns:

Used to ask a question: Who, whom, whose, what, and which – These generally don’t cause a problem.

 4. Reflexive/Intensive pronouns:

These are the pronouns with -self at the end: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Remember: The only time you can correctly use myself in a sentence is when I is the subject. Likewise, you can use yourself only when you is the subject, and so on. 

Correct: I made myself a fancy dinner.

Incorrect: She told a story to him and myself. (should be me)

5. Indefinite Pronouns: 

There are many of these including the ones ending in -thing, -one, and -body: Nothing, something, anybody, everything, anyone, etc.

Those are all singular, which leads to a problem!  (There are several indefinite pronouns that are plural.)

Everyone is bringing their tents. (Everyone is singular and so is the verb is. But their, which stands in for everyone, is plural. This “mistake” is frequently made because there is no singular pronoun for a human that isn’t gender specific.  ”Him or her” is awkward to say. Therefore, it has actually become acceptable to use the singular their. I don’t like it and would recommend just rewriting the sentence to avoid the problem:

Technically incorrect (but acceptable) – Everyone is bringing their tents.
Correct, but awkward – Everyone is bringing his or her tent.
Rewritten to solve the issue – Everyone is bringing a tent.

6. Relative Pronouns: 

These pronouns introduce clauses: which, that, who, whom, and whose.

Examples:

This is the boy who lives next door.
That movie, which I saw last year, is now out on DVD.

Just remember to use which and that for things; and who, whose, and whom for people. Also, use commas around the clause if you could take it out and preserve the meaning of the sentence. Use no commas around the clause if you need it to understand the sentence or identify whom or what you are talking about.

For more information on pronouns, you might want to buy my books.  (just a suggestion)

 

 

 

 

 

 

                        

National Punctuation Day

Punctuation Rules!

 

September 24th is National Punctuation Day. It seems right that we should pay homage to punctuation in this blog post……

How? Well, I will briefly go through the common punctuation marks and when to use them….and then the best part will be at the end. Here goes:

Period: (.) Use at the end of a sentence. Also use in some abbreviations. Not generally used in acronyms that are capitalized such as IBM, AARP, etc. Used for the abbreviation for inch (in.), so it doesn’t get confused with the word in.

Comma (,) Oh, do we have to? There are so many rules! Here are the important ones:

1. Use a comma to separate the two complete sentences that make up a compound sentence.

I am doing the laundry, and I am cleaning the bathrooms.

2. Use a comma to separate items in a series whether they are words, phrases, or clauses.

I like peppers, onions, and mushrooms on my pizza.
I like to ride horses, play volleyball, and knit blankets.

3. Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses.

Finally, we are going to Paris.
After the movie, we are going to dinner.
Whenever we go to dinner, we eat dessert.

4. Use a comma to set off interrupters in a sentence.

I know, however, that he isn’t home.
The world, in my opinion, is flat.
The watch, which I got on sale, is very valuable.

5. Use a comma with quotations.

He said, “I am not hungry yet.”
“I am not hungry yet,” he said. TIP: Commas always go inside quotation marks in American English. Periods do too, by the way.

6. Use a comma with direct address.

Mary, clean your room.
Clean your room, Mary.
No, Mary, he isn’t here yet.

7. Use a comma with dates and addresses (sometimes).

I was born on September 8, 1980, in Lincoln, Nebraska, on a Friday afternoon.
I was born in September 1980 in Nebraska on a Friday afternoon.
He lives at 45 Main St., Boston, MA 01932

8. Use a comma with contrasting elements.

She was tall, yet graceful.
It was a warm day, but very rainy.

9. Use a comma when not using one would cause confusion.

While we were eating, ants arrived on our blanket.
The two dresses were blue and white, and green and gray.

Semicolon (;) Use a semicolon to separate two sentences that are closely related when you do not want to make two separate sentences or use a conjunction and comma. (Semicolons always goes outside quotations marks.)

I went to college in Boston; my brother went to school on the West Coast.

Also use a semicolon (or rewrite) to clear up a series that already has commas.

The committee included Jane Green, the major; Jim Cotton; Helen Cleary; the comptroller; and four other employees.

Colon (:) Use a colon to introduce a list whether it is horizontal or vertical. (Colons are also used in digital time). Colons can also be used to introduce other things, such as quotes, but not in dialogue. (Colons always go outside quotation marks.)

Please buy these ingredients: chcolate, flour, sugar, and milk.
In his speech the major talked about the new mall: “I think the economy of our city will be greatly enhanced by the 101 additional businesses in the new mall.”

Question Mark (?) Use a question mark after a question. Question marks can go inside or outside quotes, depending on the sentence.

He asked, “Are we there yet?” (Quote is a question.)
Did he say , “I recognize you”? (Whole sentence is a question.)
Did he ask, “Are we there yet?” (Both sentence and quote are questions.)

Exclamation Point (!) Use when expressing emotion. Please don’t use more than one at a time. Please (!). With quotes, follow the same guidelines as with question marks.

Hyphen (-) Use a hyphen in compound words (sometimes). Consult a dictionary if you are unsure if a word has a hyphen; if you can’t decide (or dictionaries disagree), just be consistent! Hyphens also split words on the syllable at the end of a line—mostly before computers. (There are no spaces around hyphens.)

Dash (—) A short dash (en dash, longer than a hyphen) is used in number ranges and as the minus sign. The long dash (em dash) is used to indicate a big break in thought. Please don’t overuse long dashes. They have no real place in formal writing. (There are no spaces around dashes.)

My dog—he isn’t trained yet—is in a crate all night. (You can also use parentheses, but don’t use commas. You might be trying to connect two complete sentences with a comma—a definite NO-NO.)

Parentheses ( ) Use parentheses to enclose additional information. If the content of the parentheses is a complete sentence, punctuate it as such.

Turn to Chapter 5 (page 66).
Turn to Chapter 5. (This chapter is the most challenging one in the book.)

Brackets [ ] Use brackets if you need parentheses inside of parentheses. Also use brackets to explain part of a quote that may not be understood because it was taken out of context.

The President said, “It [the war] will cost us over 6 billion dollars.

Quotation Marks (“) Use to enclose the exact words someone says. Also use to enclose short stories, poems, song titles, articles, chapter titles, and other parts of larger things. Use italics for books, movies, CDs, magazine titles, and other larger things.

Single Quotations (‘) Use single quotes only for quotes inside of quotes. Do not use them for emphasis! Use italics, or sometimes double quotes, for emphasis.

Apostrophes (‘) Use apostrophes to indicate possession. Use apostrophes to form contractions. TIP: Don’t use apostrophes in plurals (please) unless not doing so would cause confusion.

A‘s, 1990s, ’90s (all correct).

Ellipsis ( . . . ) Use to indicate missing words in a sentence or a trailing off at the end of the sentence. Often used in dialogue. Use three periods with spaces between each, and if you use an ellipsis at the end of the sentence, use four periods.

OK. Now for the fun. I told you to wait until the end. Here are some links to more unusual punctuation marks, for example, the interrobang!

Click Here

And Here

 

Happy Punctuation Day!

P.S. If you are new to the blog, please look at the other Grammar Diva blog posts!

 

 

                                                                                           

                                            

 

 

 

Winston Tastes Good Like (As) a Cigarette Should!

Like Versus As

You may not be old enough to remember the television commercial in the headline of this post. However, it is commonly used as an example of incorrect grammar: the difference between the use of like and as.

And it is a very common error. Like is often used when as, as if, or as though should be used instead.

In fact, recently I edited a couple of novels, where I couldn’t decide whether or not to change like to make it correct. If the grammatical mistake was in dialogue, I figured that the character would probably say it that way, so I didn’t correct it. You can get away with a lot in dialogue! If it was in the narration, I still pondered over whether or not to change it. After all, we must consider the narrator ‘s grammar as well. 

Well, enough of this….what is the rule, anyway?

Like is used for simple comparisons. It is generally followed by just a noun.

As, as if, and as though are used when they are followed by a clause—a group of words contining a subject and a verb. Compare these two correct examples:

She acted like a queen.
She acted as if she were a queen.

The first example is a simple comparison between she and queen.

 In the second example, there is a clause after the as if. She is the subject and were is the verb.

 

Now look at the slogan in the headline:

“Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.”

(The verb taste is actually implied, but not there, after should: Winston tastes good like a cigarette should taste.)

These, therefore, are both correct grammar:

Winston tastes like a cigarette. (meaning that Winstons taste like cigarettes–a simple comparison)
Winston tastes good, as a cigarette should (taste). 

Here are some examples of like and as used correctly:

She talks like a New Yorker. 
She talks as if she is from New York.
Mabel acts like the boss.
Mabel acts as if she is the boss.
It looks like rain.
It looks as if it will rain.

So, to sum up….

Use like if what follows is just a noun, or a noun modified by an adjective.

Use as (or as if or as though) if what follows is a clause with a subject and a verb.

 

Well, it seems like a nice day, so it looks as though this is the end of this blog post!

 

More Misplaced Modifiers: Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional Phrases

In last week’s post, we talked about the correct placement of the words only and almost. The week before  that we talked about dangling participles. This week we continue our discussion of the correct placement of modifiers with prepositional phrases.

Here is an example of a prepositional phrase that is in the wrong place in the sentence:

She walked her dog in a bikini.

Unclear? Fuzzy? Silly? Yup! Those are words that describe incorrectly placed prepositional phrases. Although we might assume that it was the girl who was wearing the bikini, who really knows? The sentence says it was the dog who was wearing the bikini because the phrase in a bikini comes right after dog.

First, let’s talk about what prepositional phrases are. A phrase is a small group of related words without both a subject and a verb. Prepositional phrases can function as adjectives or adverbs, describing nouns or verbs, so they commonly tell where, when, or what kind.

All prepositional phrases have the same basic structure. They begin with a preposition (one of the parts of speech), followed by an article (not always, but much of the time), and then a noun or pronoun. Remember that the articles are a, an, and the. There may be additional words, such as an adjective describing the noun in the phrase.

Here are some prepositional phrases that tell where:

over the rainbow
in the kitchen
around the corner
at school
up the spiral staircase

Here are some prepositional phrases that tell when:

after the game
before breakfast
past midnight
within the hour

Here are some prepositional phrases that tell what kind or which one:

with the blue stripes
for my friend

Prepositional phrases should generally be placed near what they describe. Often they fit best at the beginning of the sentence. One place they do not belong is near a word that they don’t describe.

Let’s look back at our first example:

She walked her dog in a bikini.

There are always many ways to fix a sentence. One way to fix this one would be to put the prepositional phrase in a bikini at the beginning of the sentence. 

In a bikini, she walked her dog. Or,
Wearing a bikini she walked her dog. Or
While she was wearing a bikini, she walked her dog.

Here is another example. In this sentence, the mistake is much less obvious:

Several people congratulated him on his speech at the end of the meeting.

Can you find the problem? It sounds as if his speech was at the end of the meeting. The sentence probably means to say that several people congratulated him at the end of the meeting. 

At the end of the meeting, several people congratulated him on his speech.

Here are a few more examples:

I heard about the meeting in the  men’s room.

Was the meeting in the men’s room? That is what the sentence says. More likely, you heard about the meeting while you were in the men’s room.

While I was in the men’s room, I heard about the meeting. Or
In the men’s room, I heard about the meeting.

Did you see the hurricane on the morning news?

Was there really a windy newsroom? 

Did you see the report about the hurricane on the morning news?

That desk is perfect for a college student with large drawers and sturdy legs.

I guess you see the problem here! 

That desk with large drawers and sturdy legs is perfect for a college student.

As you can see, the mistakes in placement are easy to make! But they are also easy to fix. All it takes is a little care while writing and maybe some proofreading. Although much of the time, the reader will “get” what you are saying, it is much clearer to put things where they belong.

 

 Arlene Miller, also known as The Grammar Diva, has written the two popular books you see here as well as a grammar lesson plan book. She is a teacher, author, speaker, grammar and business writing workshop facilitator, and a copyeditor. She is a member of Redwood Writers and a board member of the Bay Area Independent Publishing Association. Come hear her grammar workshop at the Sonoma County Book festival on September 21 at 3:15.

 

Click on either book to buy! 

A Little Lesson About “Only”

 In last week’s blog post, I talked about dangling participles, one of the categories of misplaced modifiers. Misplacement of the word only can also be described as a misplaced modifier. A modifier is something that describes or somehow changes something else in the sentence. Modifiers are generally either adjectives (modify nouns and pronouns) or adverbs (modify verbs) or some other grammatical structure being used as an adjective or adverb.

The word only is sometimes an adjective (only child) and sometimes an adverb (I only danced in my last play; I didn’t sing.)

The placement of only in a sentence can really change the meaning of the sentence, as you will see in the series of sentences below. However, most of the time, the placement of only is not a problem at all. There is one common misplacement of only, and it is extremely common and usually is not even noticed. (Yes, I notice it much of the time, but it usually doesn’t really affect anyone’s understanding of the sentence.) But first, look at these sentences, all with only in a different place, giving each sentence a completely different meaning

Only Judy kicked her friend in the leg. (Modifies Judy. No one else kicked the friend, just good old Judy.)
Judy only kicked her friend in the leg.(Modifies kicked; she kicked her friend, but she didn’t do anything else to her.)
Judy kicked only her friend in the leg. (Slightly different meaning: Judy didn’t kick anyone else, just her friend, thank goodness!)
Judy kicked her only friend in the leg. (Modifies friend; no surprise this was her only friend.) 
Judy kicked her friend only in the leg. (She didn’t kick her anywhere else.)
Judy kicked her friend in her only leg. (Modifies leg; poor friend.)

Now, no one is going to say Judy kicked her only friend in the leg, when he or she really means Judy kicked her friend in her only leg.   However, there is a sentence in that list that is often used instead of the one that is really meant. Can you find those two sentences?

The answer? Sentence #2 is often used to mean Sentence #5. The person saying it would emphasize the word leg, and it would probably sound OK to many people (yes, you’re right; not to me…)

Here is another similar example:

I only have five dollars.

The correct way to phrase this is I have only five dollars.

Only goes with the five dollars, not with have.

Another similar word is almost. Check out these sentences:

We almost made ten dollars.
We made almost ten dollars.

Although many people would say or write the first sentence when they actually mean the second sentence, they have different meanings. In the first sentence, you may have been selling a book for $10. Someone was very interested in the book and nearly bought it, but they didn’t. So, you didn’t make any money. But since they almost bought it,  you could have made ten dollars; in other words, you almost made ten dollars.

In the second sentence, you actually did make some money; you made almost ten dollars. So, perhaps you made $9.99!

Although many times no one will notice the placement of only or almost,  and will assume the intended meaning anyway, you might want to add this to your bag of  grammar tricks!

 

 

 

Special Edition: “Bloglight” on Linda Jay Geldens

Linda Jay Geldens

I have known Marin-based copyeditor and promotional writer Linda Jay Geldens for a while through BAIPA (Bay Area Independent Publishers Association), where we both sit on the Board, Linda Jay as newsletter editor and me as Board Secretary. I knew Linda was a great copyeditor; after reading a book that she edited and finding it flawless, I hired her to copyedit my second grammar book. But until more recently, I didn’t know some very interesting facts about Linda!

 Linda’s father was a radio and TV writer who worked with Rod Serling before The Twilight Zone; in fact, as a child,   Linda vacationed with her  family and the Serlings.
 Linda dated Governor Jerry Brown when they were students at UC Berkeley and Jerry’s father Pat was governor.
Linda used to be a professional jazz singer, and when she was 19 she had a gig at the Hangover Lounge in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, singing jazz while standing on a piano!

Linda Jay was born in New York City to a Methodist dramatic writer (who had studied to become a minister) and a Jewish kindergarten teacher. An only child, Linda moved a lot because her dad was a freelance writer, but she always connected to her new environment by joining the staff of the school newspaper. Her parents teamed up to write murder mysteries and dramas on TV and radio from the 1940s through the 1970s. Their writing included two scripts for the famous radio show The Shadow in the 1940s. Her father, Verne Jay, also wrote an episode of the TV series Gunsmoke. While he was working for WLW, the NBC radio station in Cincinnati  in 1950, a new writer was hired. His name was Rod Serling. Rod and Linda’s dad teamed up to write a murder mystery,  A Walk in the Night, for the Phillip Morris Television Playhouse before Serling moved to Hollywood to find his fame and fortune — which he did with The Twilight Zone.

Linda Jay, always an English major, started college at Miami University in Ohio. On Serling’s recommendation, she transferred to Antioch. After leaving Antioch, Linda went to New York City for  several months, where she hung out in Greenwich Village listening to jazz, while working as a secretary at Columbia University. She then moved to California to attend UC Berkeley, where she met Jerry Brown at the International House, where they both lived. On their second date, he said they were going to Sacramento to visit his parents. Linda had no idea who his father was! When Jerry said his father was the Governor, Linda was just a little surprised!

Eventually, Linda attended George Washington University in Washington, DC, where she graduated with her degree in English.

Her first job out of school was for the well-known Boston publishing house, Little-Brown, where she was an advertising copywriter. Since then, Linda has written for The Artist’s Magazine, Television Technology, websites, blogs, and book covers. She has also been editing manuscripts consistently, about 25 books a year, ranging in genre from business to memoir to fantasy to spirituality.

Her Favorite Genre: Linda’s favorite genre to edit is memoir. “You get the whole picture of someone’s life,” she says. “Not just the facts, but what they’re really all about — their heart, their soul.”

Her Most Unusual Projects: At 19, Linda edited The Tight White Collar, a novel by Grace Metalious, the author of Peyton Place. She also wrote the back cover copy for Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye, a book about John F. Kennedy. Most recently, Linda collaborated on the book Ring EXchange — Adventures of a Multiple Marrier by Pam Evans.

Linda says, “I don’t have a book in me. I have many 1500-word articles in me. In six months I will be 75 years old, and I have just barely scratched the surface of what I can do in editing and writing. Odd, huh?”

Linda is an expert copyeditor, or line editor.She goes over every line of a manuscript to make sure it is publisher-ready, whether it is to be self-published or traditionally published. It is extremely important to her that she not change the author’s authentic voice and that all final decisions belong to the author.

Her grammar pet peeves? “Between you and I” (rather than “me”) and “lay and lie.”

Although we are both copyeditors, we are friends and not really competitors. I would be the first to tell you that Linda is a great editor. We will be representing BAIPA at the Booktoberfest at the Mechanics Institute in San Francisco on September 27.

If you would like to contact Linda Jay, her e-mail is LindaJay@aol.com.