Jean Reynolds's Blog, page 14

A Welsh Lesson

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

Although I past the course with a C, I couldn’t transfer the credits when I enrolled in a different college.

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Chances are you don’t speak Welsh! I hope you’ll read today’s post anyway. I think it raises an interesting point. (Here’s something you can look forward to: an English teacher is going to fall on the floor.)

I’m studying Welsh via Duolingo and slowly learning how to construct complicated sentences. This week’s challenge is sentences like this one:

I went out after I had coffee.

Here’s the Welsh version (with “after I had coffee” in bold):

Es i allan ar õl i fi gael coffi.

Here’s what’s interesting (to me, anyway). After I have coffee uses exactly the same words as after I had coffee.

People who speak Welsh can’t make a distinction between “had” and “have” in some complex sentences. Their grammar won’t let them do it. The result is sentences like this: “I went out after I have coffee.” And guess what? Everybody understands anyway!

English teachers love to tell you that if the grammar of a sentence isn’t perfect, people won’t understand you. But today’s Welsh sentence proves (to me, anyway) that your brain will probably figure out the meaning even if there’s a mistake.

(That thunk you just heard was an English teacher falling on the floor.)

So let’s not belittle people who make mistakes. A student who struggles with a sentence isn’t stupid or confused. They made a mistake. That’s all! And we’ll probably figure out the meaning anyway.

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

Be careful not to confuse past (a time that’s finished) with passed (an action). Today’s sentence requires passed.

Although I passed the course with a C, I couldn’t transfer the credits when I enrolled in a different college.  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

Happy New Year!

Even if you don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, I think they’re a good idea for writers. It’s useful to take stock of your writing practices at least once a year to see if there’s something new you should be doing.

Here are some suggestions. (If these sound overwhelming, take heart. At the end of this post I’ll be encouraging you to choose only one.)

1.  Set a daily writing goal. You’ll be following in the footsteps of many famous writers who challenged themselves to write a set number of pages every day. When Bernard Shaw was starting his writing career, he forced himself to write four pages a day. If he skipped a day, he wrote eight pages the next day.

2.  Spend five minutes a day exploring the features in your word-processing software. I’m endlessly shocked (“appalled” is probably more accurate) by the writers I meet who don’t have basic word-processing skills such as find & replace, save as, and autocorrect. It’s fine (and fun!) to play with the pull-down menus, and you’ll learn a lot.

3.  Resolve to start adopting the working habits of professional writers. If you’re using open-source software, save up and install Word on your computer. Learn how to use the Styles feature in your word-processing software.

Stop underlining for emphasis (professionals don’t do it, and neither should you). Learn how to punctuate direct quotations (in the US, the commas and periods always go inside). If you’re still spacing twice after a period, STOP IT!

4.  Learn about formatting manuscripts and books. Smashwords.com has a free ebook that will teach you how to do this (that’s how I learned): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52. You can read it on any e-reader or just download it to your desktop as a .pdf.

5.  Read at least one good book about writing or language. Start with (of course) The Elements of Style. Other recommendations include anything by Theodore Bernstein or John McWhorter; Adair Lara’s Naked, Drunk, and Writing; and Mary Norris’s Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen.

6.  Join a writing group. Your library may have information about local groups you can join. If there’s no group in your community, start one. Your public library probably has a meeting room that you can use free, and it will help you publicize your group.

7.  Learn about online resources available through your library card. You may be able to access ebooks, newspapers, magazines, and reference books at home, free. Good writers are good fact-checkers and researchers.

8.  Set up a free Google Alert for a topic that interests you (especially if it’s related to a writing project). Because I’ve published a book about writing better police reports, every day I receive a free list of links to news stories that involve police reports. Some of those stories provide useful fodder for my blog and help me sell books.

9.  Join LinkedIn. Set up your profile, upload a photo, and get involved in at least one group (listed under the Interests tab). LinkedIn puts you in touch with other professionals, provides opportunities for you to post your writing, and helps you keep up with trends in your field. Most important, it gives you credibility as a writer.

10.  Set up an appointment with a professional photographer for a head shot that you can use online.

11.  Subscribe to a magazine for writers, or stop by the library every couple of weeks to read one of their magazines.

12. Build connections to other writers. Be generous about sharing what you know. If a friend publishes a book, post a review on Amazon.com. 

My advice is to pick one resolution, get it under your belt, and then select another one. Keep pushing ahead and growing. You’ll have an exciting time, and your new skills will amaze you.

Best wishes for success and happiness in 2020!

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Happy New Year CORRECTED

To my wonderful subscribers: The wrong version of today’s post went up this morning with the wrong quiz answer! It’s been fixed. Happy New Year to all of you!

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

That car is your’s, isn’t it?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Even if you don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, I think they’re a good idea for writers. It’s useful to take stock of your writing practices at least once a year to see if there’s something new you should be doing.

Here are some suggestions. (If these sound overwhelming, take heart. At the end of this post I’ll be encouraging you to choose only one.)

1.  Set a daily writing goal. You’ll be following in the footsteps of many famous writers who challenged themselves to write a set number of pages every day. When Bernard Shaw was starting his writing career, he forced himself to write four pages a day. If he skipped a day, he wrote eight pages the next day.

2.  Spend five minutes a day exploring the features in your word-processing software. I’m endlessly shocked (“appalled” is probably more accurate) by the writers I meet who don’t have basic word-processing skills such as find & replace, save as, and autocorrect. It’s fine (and fun!) to play with the pull-down menus, and you’ll learn a lot.

3.  Resolve to start adopting the working habits of professional writers. If you’re using open-source software, save up and install Word on your computer. Learn how to use the Styles feature in your word-processing software.

Stop underlining for emphasis (professionals don’t do it, and neither should you). Learn how to punctuate direct quotations (in the US, the commas and periods always go inside). If you’re still spacing twice after a period, STOP IT!

4.  Learn about formatting manuscripts and books. Smashwords.com has a free ebook that will teach you how to do this (that’s how I learned): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52. You can read it on any e-reader or just download it to your desktop as a .pdf.

5.  Read at least one good book about writing or language. Start with (of course) The Elements of Style. Other recommendations include anything by Theodore Bernstein or John McWhorter; Adair Lara’s Naked, Drunk, and Writing; and Mary Norris’s Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen.

6.  Join a writing group. Your library may have information about local groups you can join. If there’s no group in your community, start one. Your public library probably has a meeting room that you can use free, and it will help you publicize your group.

7.  Learn about online resources available through your library card. You may be able to access ebooks, newspapers, magazines, and reference books at home, free. Good writers are good fact-checkers and researchers.

8.  Set up a free Google Alert for a topic that interests you (especially if it’s related to a writing project). Because I’ve published a book about writing better police reports, every day I receive a free list of links to news stories that involve police reports. Some of those stories provide useful fodder for my blog and help me sell books.

9.  Join LinkedIn. Set up your profile, upload a photo, and get involved in at least one group (listed under the Interests tab). LinkedIn puts you in touch with other professionals, provides opportunities for you to post your writing, and helps you keep up with trends in your field. Most important, it gives you credibility as a writer.

10.  Set up an appointment with a professional photographer for a head shot that you can use online.

11.  Subscribe to a magazine for writers, or stop by the library every couple of weeks to read one of their magazines.

12. Build connections to other writers. Be generous about sharing what you know. If a friend publishes a book, post a review on Amazon.com. 

My advice is to pick one resolution, get it under your belt, and then select another one. Keep pushing ahead and growing. You’ll have an exciting time, and your new skills will amaze you.

Best wishes for success and happiness in 2020!

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

Possessive pronouns (his, hers, ours, yours, theirs, its) don’t use apostrophes.

If grammar gobbledygook like “possessive pronouns” confuses you, here’s a trick: you know that his has no apostrophes. All the similar words work the same way: no apostrophes.

That car is yours, isn’t it?  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

The ebook edition is ON SALE for just $4.95 at through January 1, 2020! Click here to purchase What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You in a variety of ebook formats – or as a .pdf to read on your desktop. There is no shipping or service charge.

[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

New Year’s Resolutions for Writers

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

That car is your’s, isn’t it?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Even if you don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, I think they’re a good idea for writers. It’s useful to take stock of your writing practices at least once a year to see if there’s something new you should be doing.

Here are some suggestions. (If these sound overwhelming, take heart. At the end of this post I’ll be encouraging you to choose only one.)

1.  Set a daily writing goal. You’ll be following in the footsteps of many famous writers who challenged themselves to write a set number of pages every day. When Bernard Shaw was starting his writing career, he forced himself to write four pages a day. If he skipped a day, he wrote eight pages the next day.

2.  Spend five minutes a day exploring the features in your word-processing software. I’m endlessly shocked (“appalled” is probably more accurate) by the writers I meet who don’t have basic word-processing skills such as find & replace, save as, and autocorrect. It’s fine (and fun!) to play with the pull-down menus, and you’ll learn a lot.

3.  Resolve to start adopting the working habits of professional writers. If you’re using open-source software, save up and install Word on your computer. Learn how to use the Styles feature in your word-processing software.

Stop underlining for emphasis (professionals don’t do it, and neither should you). Learn how to punctuate direct quotations (in the US, the commas and periods always go inside). If you’re still spacing twice after a period, STOP IT!

4.  Learn about formatting manuscripts and books. Smashwords.com has a free ebook that will teach you how to do this (that’s how I learned): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52. You can read it on any e-reader or just download it to your desktop as a .pdf.

5.  Read at least one good book about writing or language. Start with (of course) The Elements of Style. Other recommendations include anything by Theodore Bernstein or John McWhorter; Adair Lara’s Naked, Drunk, and Writing; and Mary Norris’s Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen.

6.  Join a writing group. Your library may have information about local groups you can join. If there’s no group in your community, start one. Your public library probably has a meeting room that you can use free, and it will help you publicize your group.

7.  Learn about online resources available through your library card. You may be able to access ebooks, newspapers, magazines, and reference books at home, free. Good writers are good fact-checkers and researchers.

8.  Set up a free Google Alert for a topic that interests you (especially if it’s related to a writing project). Because I’ve published a book about writing better police reports, every day I receive a free list of links to news stories that involve police reports. Some of those stories provide useful fodder for my blog and help me sell books.

9.  Join LinkedIn. Set up your profile, upload a photo, and get involved in at least one group (listed under the Interests tab). LinkedIn puts you in touch with other professionals, provides opportunities for you to post your writing, and helps you keep up with trends in your field. Most important, it gives you credibility as a writer.

10.  Set up an appointment with a professional photographer for a head shot that you can use online.

11.  Subscribe to a magazine for writers, or stop by the library every couple of weeks to read one of their magazines.

12. Build connections to other writers. Be generous about sharing what you know. If a friend publishes a book, post a review on Amazon.com. 

My advice is to pick one resolution, get it under your belt, and then select another one. Keep pushing ahead and growing. You’ll have an exciting time, and your new skills will amaze you.

Best wishes for success and happiness in 2020!

[image error]

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

[image error]

Instant Quiz ANSWER

Possessive pronouns (his, hers, ours, yours, theirs, its) don’t use apostrophes.

If grammar gobbledygook like “possessive pronouns” confuses you, here’s a trick: you know that his has no apostrophes. All the similar words work the same way: no apostrophes.

That car is your’s, isn’t it?  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

The ebook edition is ON SALE for just $4.95 at through January 1, 2020! Click here to purchase What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You in a variety of ebook formats – or as a .pdf to read on your desktop. There is no shipping or service charge.

[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

Jean Revises a Sentence

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

I laid down for an hour after a long day at work.

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Here’s something I revised right before I posted it last week:

During last week’s Pilates session, my trainer had a phone call from his son: their Netflix account wasn’t working. My trainer told him that the credit card had expired, and he hadn’t gotten around to updating it.

The problem was a little word that most of us don’t think about very often: he. My trainer was talking to his son. This is what I originally wrote:

My trainer told him that the credit card had expired, and he hadn’t gotten around to updating it.

There are two males in that sentence my trainer and his son. So “he hadn’t gotten around to updating it” is confusing. 

Of course most people would quickly figure it out: my trainer did the explaining. But good writers try to avoid these hiccups. Your brain should have a smooth and enjoyable ride when you’re reading.

I revised it so that there was just one male in the sentence:

My trainer explained that the credit card had expired, and he hadn’t gotten around to updating it.

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

Lie and lay can be confusing! (I avoided learning how to use them for years – those two words were just too intimidating.)

A good strategy is to learn one usage at a time. Laid is what you do to something (or someone) else: I laid a festive tablecloth on the table.

Lay (past tense) is what you did yourself: I lay down for an hour.

Today’s sentence requires lay:

I lay down for an hour after a long day at work.  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

The ebook edition is ON SALE for just $4.95 at through January 1, 2020! Click here to purchase What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You in a variety of ebook formats – or as a .pdf to read on your desktop. There is no shipping or service charge.

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“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

The Grammar Detective

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

There’s three messages for you.

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During last week’s Pilates session, my trainer had a phone call from his son: their Netflix account wasn’t working. My trainer explained that the credit card had expired, and he hadn’t gotten around to updating it.

So when I got an email from Netflix about an expired credit card, I started to click the link to update it. But something didn’t look right, and I reread the email more closely. Two sentences were joined with a comma and therefore. Another sentence had a comma splice. Another sentence used the British spelling of center.

We could not authorize your payment for the next billing cycle of your subscription, therefore, we’ve suspended your membership.

Obviously we’d love to have you back, simply click restart your membership to update your details and continue to enjoy all the best TV shows & movies without interruption.

Visit the Help Centre or contact us now.

I immediately went to the official Netflix website and clicked the Account link. Everything was in order.

When I was in school, nobody told me that my usage skills would protect me from computer hoaxes. (One reason is that there were no computers back in the 60s.) I want to send a big thank you to every English teacher I’ve had over the years!

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

There’s a handy trick to help you with sentences that begin with There is/There are/Here is/Here are. Just flip the sentence around.

There is three messages for you.

Three messages for you are there.

You need are! So today’s sentence should be written like this:

There are three messages for you.

Did you notice that I started my explanation with one of these sentences? “There’s a handy trick.” Let’s flip it around: “A handy trick is there.” Use is. Bingo!

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

The ebook edition is ON SALE for just $4.95 at through January 1, 2020! Click here to purchase What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You in a variety of ebook formats – or as a .pdf to read on your desktop. There is no shipping or service charge.

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“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

Merry Christmas!

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

The whole family came together for Christmas dinner, we had a joyful celebration.

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

Don’t use a comma to join two sentences. Use a period or a semicolon.

The whole family came together for Christmas dinner. We had a joyful celebration.  CORRECT

The whole family came together for Christmas dinner; we had a joyful celebration.  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

The ebook edition is ON SALE for just $4.95 at through January 1, 2020! Click here to purchase What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You in a variety of ebook formats – or as a .pdf to read on your desktop. There is no shipping or service charge.

[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

A Lesson in a Christmas Card

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

Although I felt embarrassed in her presents, she gave me a warm welcome.

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Some years ago my younger sister gave me a beautiful Christmas card with the opening lines from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women written in lovely calligraphy. I continue to display the card, now flaking with age, in front of my computer keyboard every year.

These opening lines are so famous that one year they showed up in a Dr. Who episode: Tom Baker is seen wandering among the first pages of some famous books, including Little Women.

But I digress. Here’s a little activity for you. Read those first lines (reprinted below), and write down everything they tell you about the characters. Don’t include anything you already know about Little Women! Stick to the sentences in green.

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

“It’s so dreadful to be poor!” sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

“I don’t think it’s fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all,” added little Amy, with an injured sniff.

“We’ve got Father and Mother, and each other,” said Beth contentedly from her corner.

The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, “We haven’t got Father, and shall not have him for a long time.” She didn’t say “perhaps never,” but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was.

Here’s my list:

It’s just before Christmas in the home of a poor family on a cold day
Four sisters are facing a bleak holiday: Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy
Past Christmases were happier
The family has had a change in fortune recently
Jo isn’t afraid to be unladylike
The girls live with their parents, but their father is away at war and in danger
The girls’ mother probably isn’t in earshot
Beth is less materialistic than her three sisters
Amy is the youngest
The girls miss their father

Not bad for only 121 words!

There’s a reason why people continue to read Little Women, first published in 1868 (the girls were missing their father because he was a chaplain in the Civil War). This is good writing. Every word counts. In a few lines you’re drawn into the story, introduced to no fewer than six characters, and shown how to sort out their personalities and the challenges they’re facing.

What can you learn from reading classics like Little Women? A lot. Maybe those four girls couldn’t look forward to any Christmas presents that year, but Alcott left plenty of gifts for the rest of us, 151 years later.

One more thing: you might be wondering whether I’m planning to see the new filmed version of Little Women that’s opening this week. Yes. Can’t wait!

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

Don’t confuse presence (being there) with presents (gifts). Today’s sentence requires presence:

Although I felt embarrassed in her presence, she gave me a warm welcome.

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

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Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer. 

The scarf you’re wearing today compliments your sweater perfectly.

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I hope your shoes were full of candy and surprises this morning!

Here’s a present for you. James Harbeck (a language expert with a wise and helpful take on many writing issues) is offering a free ebook: 12 Gifts for Writers. Click the link to download it.

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

The word needed for today’s sentence is complements (“completes”]. The spelling will help you remember the meaning!

The scarf you’re wearing today complements your sweater perfectly.  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go

Double Negatives

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Instant Quiz

Can you improve the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

He wasn’t about to step foot in the meeting room until the debate was over.

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Here’s a troublesome sentence from the Social Q’s column in the New York Times from November 3, 2019: 

“But if you can’t find a way to trust your husband again, I don’t believe you can afford not to divorce him.”

What does that sentence mean? I’ve read and reread it, I still wouldn’t be willing to swear that I understand it. I think this is what it’s saying:

“If you can’t find a way to trust your husband again, you need to divorce him.”

But there are three negatives (can’t find, don’t believe, not divorce). It takes a lot of plodding to work your way through that. Why not just say what you mean?

Here’s some advice for you: write positive sentences.

I can’t believe Janet didn’t get the promotion.  CONFUSING

I’m amazed that Janet wasn’t promoted.  BETTER

While we’re at it, let’s talk about an urban legend concerning double negatives: two negatives indicate a positive. No. English isn’t math.

Many languages – including Russian and Spanish – have double negatives. Do you really want to tell the Russians that they don’t know how to do math?

And this may surprise you: Old English used to have double negatives too. They’re gone now, of course, and they’re considered a diction mistake. Don’t use a double negative (“I don’t have nothing”) at a job interview! But don’t let anyone tell you that two negatives make a positive.

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

“Set foot” is a better expression.

He wasn’t about to set foot in the meeting room until the debate was over.  BETTER

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go