WordAbilities Writing Blog

In my college composition classes, I’ve noticed that students often confuse and misuse not just homonyms, but other words, as well. Most of these mistakes are understandable; some, not so much.

For example, I can’t tell you the number of papers I get from students who use “defiantly” when they mean “definitely”: I defiantly will remember this rule the next time I write a paper.

When I first started seeing this misuse, I thought it was just a few isolated cases. Now, after seeing it at least 25 times in 3-1/2 years, I know better. I cringe to think adult, non-students, may be guilty of the same blunder.

The question is, why are students making such an obvious mistake? Surely, they didn’t just start this in college! They must have used the word incorrectly in high school, too. Did their teachers just not catch it, or heaven forbid, is this the way they were taught?

It has to be the former. I’m willing to accept that some students hear their teachers mispronounce “mischievous” as “misCHEEveeus” when it should be “MISchuvus” (I personally had several grade school teachers who pronounced it incorrectly), but I can’t believe any teacher anywhere would think “defiantly” was the correct spelling, let alone the correct pronunciation, of “definitely.”

Dictionary.com defines “definitely” as “used to express complete agreement or strong affirmation: Are you starting your diet tomorrow? Definitely!” while it defines “defiant” as “boldly resistant or challenging: a defiant attitude.” The correct use of the adverb, “defiantly,” would therefore be, My teenage son glared at me defiantly when I told him to clean his room.

Would I and the rest of the world’s grammar geeks be happy if no one ever confused those words again? Definitely! Until then, I’ll continue to defiantly redline this error!

Many people suffer from “comma trauma”—the sense of panic that sets in when trying to determine whether or not to use a comma in a sentence. Much of the confusion arises because of the way we were taught commas in grade school and high school. “Put a comma where you would pause” is one well-intended “rule”; apparently, some people pause in strange places, leading to what I refer to as “comma compulsion”—putting commas after every word or two. Personally, I would rather see a few missing commas than a proliferation!
Whether you suffer from “comma trauma” or “comma compulsion,” here are some basic guidelines that might help:
1. Use a comma after introductory words (Yes, No, Well,). (But please don’t start a sentence in formal writing–academic or business–with “Well.” That’s just wrong.)

Yes, I saw that show last night.
No, we’re not going out to dinner with you.
Well, I’m sure he didn’t mean what he said.

2. Use a comma after introductory phrases and clauses.

After the concert, Elvis left the building.
In case you hadn’t heard, the meeting starts promptly at 9 a.m.

3. Use a comma to set off an adjective or adjective phrase from the noun it modifies.

Mr. Brown, our company’s vice-president, presided at the meeting.

4. Use a comma to set off a direct address.

Susan, will you bring that report with you to the meeting?
Are you sure those figures are correct, Mr. Jones?
I’m sorry, Tom, but your department’s budget hasn’t been approved.

5. Use a comma to set off parenthetical expressions (a qualifying or explanatory phrase).

It’s important, by the way, that you complete the assignment on time.
The toaster, which we received as a wedding gift, never worked properly.

6. Use a comma after each item of a date, address, or geographical location. Do not use a comma when the date is just the month and year (February 2010). The address number and street name are one item. The state and zip are one item. The month and the day are one item.

My office is at 123 Nowhere Blvd., Fledgling, MO 51111.
We got married on August 24, 1968.

(NOTE: If the city and state appear in the middle of a sentence, use a comma after the state, too: In St. Louis, Missouri, the Arch is the biggest tourist attraction.)

7. Use a comma to set a quotation off from the rest of the sentence.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
“It’s only fair,” James said, “that I split the household chores with Margaret.” (NOTE: In the U.S., periods and commas ALWAYS go inside quotation marks.)

8. Use a comma to separate two independent clauses (complete sentences) joined by a conjunction.

I went to Florida last year, and I am going again this year.
You must finish your dinner, or you won’t get dessert.

9. Use a comma to separate items in a series.

The desk drawer contained paper, pens, markers, and a ruler.
I took a shower, dried my hair, and put on makeup. (NOTE: It’s really “personal preference” whether to use a comma between the second-to-last and last item in a series. Do whatever you want; just be consistent within a document.)

10. Use a comma to separate titles and degrees from the names they’re associated with.

Mary Smith, Ph.D., will address the audience.

11. Use a comma for clarity.

In the winter, days are shorter.
High above, the sun shone brightly.
While playing, the girl fell and skinned her knee.

12. Use a comma in place of omitted words.

I played piano; Terri, guitar. (Terri played guitar.)

This list of guidelines isn’t all-inclusive, but it should help you avoid some of the comma trauma drama that prevents you from being the best writer you can be.

I attended a writers’ panel discussion last night about getting published. As might be expected, the subject of editing came up. Several audience members were confused about editors–is there a one-size-fits-all, or should one look for someone with a background specific to his/her topic? Should writers wait for a publisher to assign an editor to their work? Do editors do more than look for typos and grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors? Isn’t that what Spell Check and Grammar Check are for?

First things first: Don’t wait for a publisher to assign an editor. IF a publisher accepts your work, of course, an editor will be assigned to fine-tune the manuscript. (And don’t be surprised when they request changes.)  But the sad fact is, if your manuscript arrives on a publisher’s desk, formatted incorrectly or filled with typos and other mistakes, it will scream “AMATEUR!” and will never be accepted for publication. You, as the author, must make sure your manuscript is as close to publication-ready as possible. That means it must be formatted correctly and be error-free.

And if you’re self-publishing or using a Print-On-Demand publisher, it’s even more important that you hire an editor before printing your book.

There are two main types of editors–Copy Editors and Content Editors. Many editors do both and charge accordingly. You have to ask for what you want. Here are the differences:

Copy Editors (also known as Line Editors) look for formatting mistakes, typos, and grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. They know that periods and commas always go inside quotation marks and that “there,” “their” and “they’re” and “to,” “two” and “too” have different meanings.

Spell Check and Grammar Check have limitations. Spell Check only knows if a word is a real word; it doesn’t know if it is being used correctly. It doesn’t know that you typed “there” when you should have used “their” or “defiantly” when you really meant “definitely.” Grammar Check is quick to point out when you’ve used the passive voice; that’s fine if you’re writing an academic paper, but the passive voice isn’t always a bad thing when writing fiction and creative nonfiction.

Content Editors look for the same types of mistakes as Copy Editors, too, but their focus is on the story (fiction or nonfiction) itself: Are there inconsistencies in voice, tense, etc? Is it coherent–does it make sense; is it logical and easy to understand? What about redundancies–have you repeated a scene or given the same example more than once? Some authors have a favorite word or phrase that they use constantly without even realizing it. What they also don’t realize is that readers sometimes become so annoyed with the repetition that they put the book down, never to return.

Content Editors also look for “flow,” which is easier to understand than it is to explain. “Flow” means the sentences and paragraphs transition easily into one another and the writing isn’t “choppy”–sentences that sound like,  “dah, dah, dum, dah dah dum, dah dah dum” over and over again. To flow well, there should be variety in sentence length and structure, and the sentences and paragraphs need to transition smoothly and logically, each into the next.

Some editors specialize in fiction or nonfiction; most can do both adequately, especially Copy Editing. If your novel is set in a particular time period, using language specific to that era, you might want to look for a Content Editor with experience writing or editing that type of work. However, the onus is really on you to make sure you’ve done your research and know that the words you’ve chosen are correct for that period. Any good Copy Editor/Content Editor will note if you’ve spelled a word differently from one time to the next and bring it to your attention.

WordAbilities provides both Copy Editing and Content Editing for fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. There are many other editors “out there” who provide similar high-quality work. You can find a number of them on the St. Louis Writers Guild website, www.stlwritersguild.org  On the left side of the Main Page, click on “Need a Writer or Editor?”  I suggest you contact a few to find the one who best suits your needs.

Apostrophes create a lot of unnecessary problems for many people. We’ve seen statements like, “Peach’s for sale” and “People should’nt be so quick to judge.” Despite that counsel, people like us will judge writers like that for mistakes like those.

Apostrophe errors can be avoided if we remember that they are used for two reasons: 1) to indicate possession (ownership) and 2) to indicate a contraction of two words (showing that a letter or letters are missing). Apostrophes are never used to show that something is plural.

Examples:

This is my mom’s office. (Possession)
I don’t like your attitude. (Contraction of “do not”)

When indicating a contraction of two words, the apostrophe shows where the letters are missing; hence, “should’nt” SHOULD BE “shouldn’t.”

Exception to the possession rule for apostrophes: Possessive pronouns NEVER have apostrophes. Possessive pronouns include “hers,” “its,” and “theirs.” Remember: “Possessive ‘its’ never splits.”

Example: “It’s (it is) too bad the dog doesn’t (does not) have its own house.”

The next time you’re (you are) tempted to use an apostrophe, ask yourself, “What does this noun own?” or “What two words have been contracted?”

Don’t risk being judged!

Sexism is defined by dictionary.com as “attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles.” Everyone knows that sexism is a big no-no in today’s politically-correct society, and most of us do a pretty good job of adhering to the new rules.

But some people have a harder time applying the “non-sexist” policy when it comes to writing. Somehow, when we’re referring to an unknown or generic individual and need a pronoun, that person suddenly becomes “he.” Are all business executives or airline pilots or professors male? Not anymore (if ever).

One of the problems with the English language is that there is no generic singular pronoun. And when we personify individuals as “he,” we’re subconsciously eliminating the idea of a female as a business executive, airline pilot or professor.

So, what can we do to avoid sexism in writing? Here are a few ideas:

1. Make the noun and pronoun plural. Instead of “An individual must pass a rigorous test before he can become a pilot,” change to “Individuals must pass a rigorous test before they can become pilots.” NOTE that all referenced nouns and pronouns must be plural.

2. Replace “he” with “one.” Instead of “He should come prepared for the interview,” change to “One should come prepared for the interview.”

3. Use second person (“you”), if appropriate. Instead of “An individual must pass a rigorous test before he can become a pilot,” change to “You must pass a rigorous test before you can become a pilot.”

4. Use “he or she.” Instead of “A new employee must go through orientation before he reports to work,” change to “A new employee must go through orientation before he or she can report to work.” Caveat: Overusing “he or she” or its derivatives, including “he/she” and “s/he” (we suggest you avoid that at all costs) can be annoying to the reader. Use sparingly.

5. Eliminate the pronoun. Instead of “A new employee must go through orientation before he reports to work,” change to “A new employee must go through orientation before reporting to work.”

Before finalizing any document, re-read it, replacing sexist terminology using the above suggestions. It will take some time and effort to get used to, but until we come up with a gender-neutral pronoun, it’s the best we can do.

There are two components of every communication, written or oral: a Sender and a Receiver. Both are mandatory. If you have a Sender, but no Receiver, it’s like the proverbial tree falling in a forest–if no one is there to hear or read your communication, it doesn’t mean anything.

In oral communication, it can be argued that both sides are equally important–the Sender (the speaker) and the Receiver (the listener). Speakers should do their best to communicate clearly. If listeners aren’t sure they understand, they are responsible for seeking clarification.

In written communication, however, the onus is on the Sender (the writer) to make sure the Receiver (the reader) gets the intended message. In most cases, writers and readers aren’t in close proximity while the document is being read. If readers have questions, most of the time, they have to figure them out by themselves. If they have too many questions, they may just quit reading, and the message is lost forever.

This applies to all types of writing, but in business writing it is especially important. Business writers don’t write to entertain (at least, we hope, not intentionally); they write to inform, record, instruct, request, or persuade. If their writing is unclear, in the short-term, they may lose a sale or otherwise fail to make their point; in the long-term, they may damage their and/or their companies’ credibility.

Business writing has two goals: Clarity and Readability.

CLARITY–the message must be easy to understand:

* Avoid jargon and acronyms unless you’re certain readers will understand
* Don’t use a quarter word when a nickel one will do
* Keep paragraphs to about 10 typed lines
* Keep sentences to about 12-17 words in length

READABILITY–the document must be easy on the eyes:

* Make sure there is plenty of white space (top, bottom, left, and right margins)
* Use a ragged right margin
* Double-space between paragraphs, OR indent first lines of paragraphs
* Use headings to break up long documents into sections
* Use bullet points to draw attention to important information

As business writers, remembering these two rules of two will help ensure that our readers get the right message.

Brief, concise, and to-the-point is what we want from our business documents, both those we write and those we receive.

People today are over-communicated. Think of the last time  you were away from your computer for a day or two. How many emails were waiting for you when you finally logged on? How long did it take you to go through them? What made you sigh with relief when you opened it–a half-screen message or a message that you had to scroll down to read in its entirety?

The problem is that many of us, particularly those of us who like to write, think that the more words we use to make our point, the better. Better for us, maybe, but not for our readers. Most of the time, they want us to KISS our document–Keep It Short and Simple. Brief, concise, and to-the-point messages are easier to read and easier to process. Besides having WTMI (Way Too Much Information), long documents often require a second and even a third reading just to be understood.

There are several things you can do to make sure your document is Short and Simple:

• Make sure there is adequate white space. In hard-copy documents, that means top, bottom, left, and right margins. In emails, keeping paragraphs to 10 or fewer lines ensures white space. One sentence or one-line paragraphs are also effective, but only when you want something to stand out.
• Use bullet points to highlight important information. It’s easier to read items in a numbered or bullet-pointed list than reading those same items within a paragraph.
• Anticipate and address any questions your reader might have if you can do so briefly and concisely. When that’s not possible, let the reader know how or where they can get additional information.
• Don’t use jargon or acronyms unless you’re sure your reader understands them. If there is any doubt, define the terminology the first time you use it.
• Eliminate redundancies and clichés. Instead of referring to a “consensus of opinion,” just say “consensus.” Rather than asking the reader to “take into consideration,” ask them to “consider.” And it’s not necessary to thank someone “in advance.” Just thank him or her.

Remember, when it comes to business writing, there’s a good chance that if you “KISS it,” they will read it.

We’ve already mentioned that the English language changes faster than any language in the world, because it’s based on common usage. That is, even if something is done incorrectly according to the rules, if it’s done that way by enough people for long enough, it soon becomes acceptable. It’s all part of our “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” philosophy.

Some broken rules, however, are so blatantly offensive to grammar gurus and geeks that we will continue to rail against the malefactors until the day we die.

One such rule regards all right, which is more and more often seen written as alright. We can accept (albeit begrudgingly) the use of alright in novels, short stories, and other creative endeavors. However, alright in business writing and other formal communications causes us to shudder … and then to stop reading.

We understand the origin of the confusion: the words all ready and already are at the root of the problem. Those representations have two separate and legitimate meanings, though. All ready means “completely prepared”; i.e., “We were all ready to go.” Already means “previously” or “now” or “so soon”; i.e., “The meeting had already started.” “Is it morning already?”

There is no such distinction between all right and alright. Even though you will find alright in some dictionaries, it usually carries the caveat that it is considered nonstandard usage.

In the interest of fair disclosure, we must concede that Merriam-Webster says, Since the early 20th century some critics have insisted alright is wrong, but it has its defenders and its users. It is less frequent than all right but remains in common use especially in journalistic and business publications. It is quite common in fictional dialogue, and is used occasionally in other writing.

We don’t mean to nitpick, but we’d like to point out that just because a word appears in a dictionary doesn’t make it all right to use it in formal writing. Take the word ain’t for example. Many of us grew up chanting, “Ain’t ain’t a word ’cause ain’t ain’t in the dictionary; ain’t that right?” Yet today, ain’t appears in most dictionaries, noted as “nonstandard usage more common in uneducated speech.”

You don’t want to be considered uneducated, do you?

Then follow our advice: It is never all right to write alright.

All right?

Although we ourselves are terrific spellers, we are well aware that correct spelling doesn’t come easily for everyone. Fortunately, today we have Spell Check, which is helpful, but not fool-proof.

We advise everyone to use Spell Check before submitting any written assignment in class or the workplace. Spell Check will help catch most spelling mistakes.

Keep in mind, though, that Spell Check only knows if a word is a real word. It doesn’t know the difference between words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Words such as “to,” “two,” and “too”; “there,” “their” and “they’re” have different meanings. Make sure you use the correct ones. If you’re not sure, look them up in a dictionary (www.dictionary.com is easy to remember and is an excellent resource).

Many people misspell “writing” as “writting.” Spell Check will catch that.

Many people misuse “defiantly” when they mean “definitely.” Spell Check won’t catch that, because they’re both correctly spelled words. They do have two distinct meanings, however. Look them up to be sure you choose the one with the meaning you want.

Other confused words are “credible” and “creditable.” Again, Spell Check doesn’t know which you want, so look them up to be sure you choose the right one!

American English is an ever-evolving, beautiful thing.

All languages change over time, but English seems to change faster than any other language, because it’s based on common usage. Many words start out as slang and then become mainstream. Others begin as misused words that, when misused by enough people for a long enough period of time, become acceptable. If you don’t believe us, try looking up “bling-bling” or “irregardless.” If your dictionary is less than 10 years old, you’ll probably find both.

Sometimes, there are regional differences in the definitions of words and phrases. Some areas of the country call Pepsi and Coke “soda”; others call them “pop,” while still others cover the bases by referring to “soda pop.”

Here in the Midwest, we talk about standing “in line.” On the East Coast, they stand “on line.” (We thought “online” referred to the Internet. Silly us!)

Some words originate as nouns and are turned into verbs, and vice versa. The word “incent” is a verb created from the noun, “incentive.” We used to give customers an “incentive” to buy from us; now we “incent” them.

We heard a similar example the other night on The Mentalist. When the show’s California Bureau of Investigation agents came face-to-face with an armed suspect, they immediately drew their weapons. Their boss ordered them to “stand down.” This immediately drew the ire of the grammar geeks gathered around our TV. “You can ’stand up,’ ’stand in,’ ’stand out,’ or ’stand back,’ but you can’t ’stand down,’” we huffed in unison.

And then we realized the error of our ire: the script writers had simply taken a noun and turned it into a verb. A “stand down” (or “standdown”) is a noun meaning “truce” or “cease-fire.” By turning it into a verb, Lisbon, the boss, was telling her agents to “cease (in this case, don’t start) fire.”

If that weren’t confusing enough, “cease-fire” is listed in the two dictionaries we searched only as a noun. We’re convinced it’s verb-worthy, too.

What do you think?