Below is a nice visual reminder from Grammarcheck.net about basic writing mistakes that people make.
Do you have others to add?
Source: www.grammarcheck.net
Grammar
The Power of Punctuation
In his memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, Louis L’Amour repeats a charming story about two great actresses that reveals the power of punctuation: Sarah Bernhardt . . . finally got a chance to see [Eleanora] Duse on the stage and, overcome with the greatness of the performance, wrote a very quick note to send backstage. It said: “Sarah Bernhardt says Eleanora Duse is a great actress.” Busy …
Fun Fridays – September 24, 2021
Today is National Punctuation Day! In celebration, take out a comma.
Or at least visit the official site: www.nationalpunctuationday.com.
Recently I walked into a church classroom to find a list of the 10 Commandments on the board. The first line read "No other God's."
Sigh.
If you want to read a fun book on grammar and punctuation I can recommend Mignon Fogarty's Grammar Girl's Quick …
When Editorial Errors Matter
by Steve Laube
Writers make mistakes. It happens. Often an editor’s job is to be the safety net and catch those tidbits that find their way into an early draft of a manuscript for any number of reasons.
The simplicity of “cut & paste” has created more opportunity for error than ever before. I've seen half sentences left in their original place because the writer failed to cut and …
To Comma or Not to Comma?
I came across this entry in Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. The book is a classic on punctuation. (Although based on British English usage, it is still a great book.) On his deathbed in April 1991, Graham Green corrected and signed a typed document which restricts access to his papers at Georgetown University. Or does it? The document, before correction, stated: “I, Graham Greene, …
Ancient Wisdom from an Ancient Editor
by Steve Laube
I came across a remarkable section in a book written around 124 B.C. The editor of the book wrote the following preface to help the reader understand his methodology and purpose. It shows the concern a good editor has for the ultimate reader. His job was to abridge a massive five volume work into an abbreviated 16,00 word document. Can anyone tell me where this comes from and …
A Cliché Simile Is a Bad Simile
One of the many things I fairly harp on when I teach at writers conferences (full disclosure: I’m a fair harper) is the need to eliminate clichés from your writing. Seriously, they’re old hat. One of the places clichés seem to creep in most often is in similes and metaphors. (Quick refresher: a simile is a figure of speech comparing two things, usually using “like” or “as,” while a metaphor is a …
Oxymorons
Oxymorons can be fun. Two words that can have contradictory meaning are put together to create a new phrase. Or it can be expanded to mean two separate thoughts or ideas that are in direct conflict with each other but when combined create something new.
For example, if you've ever worked in a cubicle you can see the humor in the description "office space."
Every Word Counts
The popularity of last week's post on the phrase counter set me on a journey to find something that would do the same sort of "counting" but instead focus on single word usage instead of phrases.
Use this link to the Word Counter web site and run your WIP (work in progress) within its walls.
Learning to Use Track Changes
All of us have gaps in our knowledge. For example, there are a ton of words that I know how to spell and use accurately in writing (because I’ve read them often) but am unsure of the pronunciation. (I know, I know, I could look up the pronunciation, but how often am I going to use the word chimera in conversation, really?) One fairly common knowledge gap among writers, I’ve often been surprised to …