How not to write a sentence
When is a sentence not a sentence? When it’s a fragment (such as this one), a comma splice, or a run-on sentence. This is basic stuff that we all learned in elementary school, but it’s often helpful to revisit the basics. A sentence is a sequence of words that expresses a complete thought. It is an independent clause that contains a subject and a verb. (Note: The subject can be implied, as in an imperative: Stop! The implied subject in this case is you.) Correct: I woke this morning to the sound of light sabers clashing in the living room. We get into trouble when we...
Want to write better? Rate yourself on t...
I’m so jazzed. My son is finally old enough that they’re starting to focus on the mechanics of writing in school. He brought home a worksheet on commas the other day, and I was euphoric. They’re teaching them to use the serial comma! (I know, I know. I’m going on about the serial comma again. Roll your eyes accordingly.) Though my son may not share my enthusiasm for writing, the curriculum his school is using is full of great writing advice. The following is from a checklist called “Traits of Good Writing” in which the kids are asked to rate their writing...
In case you weren’t confused enoug...
Given my two previous posts on confusing word pairs, I thought I had this topic fairly well covered. We’ve discussed the difference between comprise and compose and hone and home, just to name a few. Still, I keep running into problematic word pairs; they’re turning up like run-on sentences in a James Joyce novel. Here are seven more pairs to note: Exacerbate and exasperate To exacerbate means to worsen (an already bad situation). Example: Having John write the response will only exacerbate the backlash. Exasperate means to exhaust, usually someone’s patience....
The ellipses . . . use it properly
In a world of instant messaging and texting, everyone is trying to say more with less. We abbreviate, we truncate, we punctuate — all to get our message across using the fewest characters. In my own texting, I’ve just begun to notice that I use the ellipses excessively. “While I’m thinking about it . . . can you please check that link.” “Parent-teacher conference . . . 10 a.m. . . . Wednesday.” I’ve even caught myself misusing the ellipses at work. Wait a minute, did I just write “Meeting cancelled. . .Stacey was a no-show. . . Rescheduled for Friday”...
A four-step method to my madness
Not all writers are created equal. I’ve spent most of my career editing the work of writers with varying degrees of skill. Some articles that cross my desk need a complete rewrite; others don’t require a single change. Through the years I’ve created a process that helps me edit on different levels. Editing to improve the structure of an article is different from editing for style and usage. Here’s a four-step method to my madness: 1. Read, and read only This may seem obvious, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to read the article before making...
5 ways to focus so you can write
I have a confession to make. I’m not actually very productive when it comes to writing — at my day job, that is. For three weeks I’ve been trying to write an article about a business initiative, and I can’t get to it. I open a blank Word document with every intention of starting the article, and then the emails start. Or the phone rings. Or someone stops by. Everyone experiences this. We are all doing more with less time and fewer resources. But in the “age of distraction” how do you find time to focus on the task of researching a topic and writing about...