CopyStrands

Writer's Digest: List of 101 Best Sites

2009-04-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Writer's Digest has released their list of the 101 best writing sites. Of course they are to be taken with a grain of salt as they are not all great sites, but some are. It's worth a look if you are new to writing or are looking to break into a freelance career.

How to Find Freelance Writing & Editing Jobs

2009-03-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

In a tough economy work can be scarce. If an employer lets you go then apply your skills in freelance work. It will keep you busy while you look for a new job and will help build your career in the process.

There are a number of great sites out there to help you find freelance work here are 10 that are reputable and offer successful results for freelancing so you can hit the floor running:

1. American Society of Business Publication Editors

2. Media Bistro.com

3. Freelance Writing Gigs

4. Places for Writers

5. PoeWar

6. Morning Coffee

7. Online Writing Jobs

8. oDesk

9. Poets & Writers

10. Craigslist.org

Affordable Health Insurance for Freelancers

2009-02-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

Since several emails have flooded my inbox about this topic I've found some information that might help those who freelance that need health insurance. And of course for those just looking for affordable health insurance.

Here are a few places to try that my fellow colleagues use that freelance for the New York Times Company:

1. eHealth Insurance

2. National Association for the Self-Employed

3. Health Insurance Resource Center

4. Cobra Insurance

5. Affordable Health Insurance Plans

6. Encore Dental. For those that have asked about cheap or free dental cleanings. I know freelancers who contact local dental schools in their area for cheap cleanings. You can also search your local phone book for "dental hygiene schools" or "dental schools." A dentist in your area can make referrals for you since they recruit hygienists from local schools in the area.

How to Format Numbers in Writing/Editing

2009-01-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

Every publisher has its own rules for how to format numbers in writing. Especially since every major style guide is different on this matter.

There are some basic rules, however, you can follow for formatting numbers in writing and editing.

1. Spell out whole numbers from one to ten. "I found six errors in the newspaper."

2. Use numerals after ten. "She saw 14 elk and 42 sheep at Yellowstone."

3. Round numbers should be spelled out. "More than two million people crowded the inauguration in 2009."

4. Spell out the number if it is the first word in a sentence. "Nineteen seventy-seven was the year my sister was born."

5. Spell out simple fractions and use numerals for mixed fractions. "Altogether, we jogged three-quarters of a mile." or "Measure 3¼ cups of flour."

6. Always use numerals with a.m. or p.m., but spell them out with "o'clock." "It is 4 p.m." or "My family will arrive at six o'clock tomorrow."

7. Use numerals to emphasize exact times of day. "Catch the F train at 4:24 sharp."

8. Use a hyphen to join words in compound numbers. "The alarm is set for three forty-five."

9. Spell out the "percent" symbol in creative copy and use numerals. "She gave 80 percent effort to the game."

10. For organizations and products, follow the organization's style. "7-Eleven, Six Flags"

11. Use numerals for decimals. "Measure it to .04 inches."

12. Stay consistent within a sentence unless the numbers are unrelated. I needed 5 new patients, not 50!" or "I needed five new patients, not fifty! Otherwise: "I have 50 new patients but only four new nurses."

Some other examples:

Spell Out:
A hundred years (or dollars)
The nineties

Use Numerals:
104 years
'80s or the 1980s
$2.49
Highway 66
4576 Birch Street
Pages 26-32

Using Sentence Fragments

2008-12-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

Sentence fragments are commonly used in poetry (haiku) and at advertising agencies or by copywriters with a flair for punchy one liners. The tone is often conversational.

Many writers and editors wonder if sentence fragments are okay to use in writing.

The answer is yes. Depending on the type of writing and as long as they are used sparingly. A good editor will know when sentence fragments are appropriate.

For example, this is a catchy sentence fragment that would work in advertising and copywriting. The product is Columbia snow boots:

"Rain and Mud Don't Stand a Chance."

Another time sentence fragments are appropriate is in creative writing. Many creative writers use sentence fragments in dialogue. For example:

"No can do. Too much housework to do. Horrible, really."

So the next time you're in doubt about sentence fragments just remember they are usually appropriate in poetry (haiku), copywriting, ad copy, and creative writing (dialogue). Keep in mind that less is more.

Subtle Word Differences

2008-11-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

Writers often come to a point in their writing when they are faced with what key word choice to use. Sometimes that word choice is slightly off. To help clear up these misunderstandings here is a quick guide:

Than versus Then

"Than" is used in making comparisons; it is a conjunction:
I would rather eat a peach than a banana.

"Then" relates to time; it is an adverb:
We'll catch the light rail, then meet at the bookstore downtown.

Let's versus Lets

"Let's" is a contraction for 'let us,' and "lets" is a verb, meaning to allow:

Let's hope he lets us bring our cell phones.

If versus Whether

"If" refers to one possibility; "whether" refers to more than one possibility:

I don't know if she wants to go with us. She'll have to decide whether she wants to get a ride or meet there later.

Compared To versus Compared With

"Compared to" points out similarities:

My tuna casserole was compared to a science project gone bad.

"Compared with" is points out differences:

My pasta salad was delicious compared with the pasta dishes the others brought.

A or An?

2008-10-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Think phonetically on this one. Ask yourself what sound does it make? If the first letter makes a consonant sound use "a." ; if the first letter makes a vowel sound use "an."

"A" goes before all words that begin with a consonant:

A book
A black cat
A dog
A historic event

"An" goes before all words that begin with a vowel sound or a silent "h":

An apple
An egg
An hour
An honorable man

Keep in mind if "u" makes the same sound as the consonant "y," or "o" makes the same sound as the consonant "w" then "a" is used:

A union
A one-armed man

Rules for Showing Possession

2008-09-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Many writers get confused about apostrophe placement. Confused? Here are some rules to help guide you:

Rule 1: To form the possessive of a singular noun that does not end in s or an s sound, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun:
Examples: the nurse's orders, the writer's paper, Rebecca's car, my brother's children, his father-in-law's house

Rule 2: To form the possessive of a singular noun that does end in s or an s sound, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun:
Examples: Felix Rodriquez's hat, the witness's report, James's letter
One exception to this rule is to add only an apostrophe when adding the apostrophe plus s makes the word difficult to pronounce:
Examples: Mrs. Rogers' new house

Rule 3: To form the possessive of a plural noun that ends in s or es, add only an apostrophe to the noun:
Examples: the actors' roles, the farmers' markets, their doctors' orders

Rule 4: To form the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in s or es, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun:
Examples: her children's toys, the men's dressing room

Rule 5: To indicate separate possession, add whichever possessive sign is appropriate (an apostrophe plus s or an apostrophe alone) to the name of each person:
Examples: Bill's and Tom's cars (two separate cars: Bill's car and Tom's car), James's and Jenny's houses (two separate houses: James's house and Jenny's house)

Rule 6: To indicate joint possession, add the appropriate possessive sign (an apostrophe plus s or an apostrophe alone) to the final name:
Examples: Sally and Jack's house (the house belongs to both Sally and Jack), Edwin and Mary's books (the books belong to both Edwin and Mary)

One exception to this rule occurs if one of the owners is identified by a pronoun (my, his, her, our, their). In this case, make each name and pronoun possessive:
Example: Tiffany's and my project (not Tiffany and my project); Mike's and our dinner (not Mike and our dinner); John's, Ethan's, Tessa's, and my party (not John, Ethan, Tessa, and my party)

A note about the possessive pronouns: my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, whose. These pronouns never require apostrophes.

Rule 7: To form the possessive of a singular abbreviation, add an apostrophe plus s.
Examples: the FAA's ruling, the MD's diagnosis, USA's stand

Rule 8: To form the possessive of a plural abbreviation, add an s'.
Examples: the PhDs' dissertations, the RNs' orders, the CPAs' convention

Use vs. Utilize

2008-09-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

A college professor long ago told my class to "keep it simple" when writing. Most experienced writers and college professors will tell you to ban the word "utilize" from the English language. The word "use" is more simple.

However, there are many people who consider "utilize" to be a more sophisticated, intellectual form of the verb "to use," as in "Please be so kind as to utilize the facilities on the third floor." Even police reports have been known to say: "The individual utilized a .357 Magnum."

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, "use" implies "availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end," as in willing to use any means to achieve his/her goal.

"Utilize" means "turn to practical use or account," as in an old tire utilized as a swing.

So here is the rule: If in doubt, ditch the "utilize," do your writing a favor, and use "use". The college professors of the world will be smiling.

Restrictive & Nonrestrictive Clauses

2008-08-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

There are two types of relative clauses: restrictive (also called essential) and nonrestrictive (also called nonessential).

A restrictive clause is a clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

If you removed the restrictive clause, the sentence’s meaning would not be the same.

A nonrestrictive clause is a clause that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence (it's usually extra information that is not necessary to the main idea of a sentence). If you removed the nonrestrictive clause, the meaning of the sentence would stay the same.

There are three important points to remember about punctuating restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses:

1. Restrictive clauses are not set off by commas.

2. Nonrestrictive clauses are set off by commas.

3. Generally, the pronoun "that" is used with restrictive clauses and "which" is used with nonrestrictive clauses. The pronoun "who" is used with both restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses.

Here are some examples:

Example 1: The magazine that is lying on the coffee table belongs to Carrie.

Example 2: The magazine, which is lying on the coffee table, belongs to Carrie.

These sentences appear to be very similar. However, their meanings are very different.

In example one, the relative clause "that" is lying on the coffee table is restrictive; it is essential to the meaning of the sentence. It tells us which magazine out of many belongs to Carrie. If we removed the clause from the sentence, the sentence’s meaning would no longer be the same.

In example two, there are commas around the relative clause "which" is lying on the coffee table. This clause is nonrestrictive; it is nonessential to the meaning of the sentence. We can tell by the use of the nonrestrictive clause that there is only the one magazine in the room, and that book belongs to Carrie.

Here is one more example:

Example 3: Mary Smith, who is my next-door neighbor, won the baking contest.

In example three, the relative clause is nonrestrictive. The fact that Mary Smith is the neighbor has nothing to do with the intent of the sentence, and this clause could easily be removed. Therefore the clause is nonessential.

About Children's Books

2008-07-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Many people get confused about age appropriate language for children's books. As a writer of children's books you will let agents and publishers know your inexperience when words are used that children do not understand. To help, follow these genre guidelines:

Primary Age
Children ages 6 to 8 (1st through 3rd grades). Include picture books, easy-to-read books, and picture story books. Easy-reader books are meant for children to read alone. Sentences should average five to six words, with the maximum number of words being ten.

Elementary Level
Children ages 8 to 12 (4th through 6th grades). Sentences of approximately 10 words, with the maximum number of words being 20. Most books written at this level range between 20,000 and 40,000 words.

High School Level
Children ages 13 to 17 (7th through 12th grades). Uses adult structure and vocabulary. Most books written at this level range between 25,000 and 55,000 words, but longer lengths are found. Savvy sixth graders can oftentimes read at this level.

Picture Books
Many children have short attention spans, just ask moms and teachers. These books run from 50 to 1,500 words depending on age. There are three categories of picture books:

1) Books for babies to three-year-olds. These books have very little text, mostly pictures.

Books for toddlers to five-year-olds. These books are designed to be read aloud and at one sitting (about 15 minutes). They typically have a happy ending. Length of sentences is about five to six words.

3) Books for five- to eight-year-olds. These books contain a story. They should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The plot should be simple and these books may also be read aloud.

Picture Story Books
These books are filled with illustrations but have a more complicated plot than picture books. The text drives the story. These books are written for five- to eight-year-olds. Picture stories have lots of action. These books are usually read to children, so the words used must be understandable to them.

Young-Reader Books or Easy-To-Read Books
These books run from 500 to 1,5000 words. Children reading these books are six- to nine-year-olds. About 50 pages in length with only 40 or so pages of text. Sentences should contain approximately five words with a few up to eight words. These books are usually read by children on their own.

Young-Adult Novels
These books are created for readers 12 to 18 years old. The protagonist should be a teenager, and the plot significant and suitable to this age group.

Hi-Lo Books
These books run from 400 to 1,200 words. They are considered high interest and low reading level. These books are created for slow readers. They contain a lot of action. Sentence length is about eleven words.

The ratio of all children’s books published is about 60% fiction and 40% nonfiction.

A Lesson on Homonyms

2008-07-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

A homonym is one or more words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings, and are usually spelled differently. Make sure you are using your homonyms correctly. Check out this list of homonyms to help you along. Then click on the test link at the bottom of this post and keep on practicing.

Examples of Homonyms:

ade fruit beverage
aid to assist
aide an assistant

altar raised center of worship
alter to change

arc portion of a circle
ark vessel

ascent the climb
assent to agree

boar wild pig
boor a person with rude, clumsy manners and little refinement
bore not interesting

breach to break through
breech lower/rear portion

canvas rough cloth
canvass to examine thoroughly

carat unit of weight for precious stones
caret proofreader’s insertion mark
carrot vegetable
karat one 24th part of otherwise pure gold

forego to precede
forgo to abstain from

heroin narcotic
heroine female hero

lightening removing weight or darkness
lightning static electricity from the sky

palate taste
pallet a platform for transporting goods; bed
palette a selection of paint
pallette one of the plates near the armpit of an armor suit.

pincer claw-like gripping action
pincher one who pinches
pinscher terrier

vain worthless
vane flat device that moves with the air
vein blood vessel

vial narrow glass container
vile despicable
viol stringed instrument

yoke oxen harness
yolk yellow center of an egg

Want to practice more with homonyms? Take these tests.

Seven Comma Rules

2008-06-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

You might remember being told that you place a comma anywhere we think a reader should pause. Unfortunately this results in incoherent sentences. Check out these seven rules for comma usage to help your writing flow properly:

Comma Rule 1: Use a comma before coordinating conjunctions (such as and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) that join independent clauses (a word group that contains at least on subject, one verb, and expresses a complete thought).

Example: Hank enjoys bird watching, and he has submitted several photos to local newspapers.

Comma Rule 2: Use commas to separate items in a series. If two in the series belong together omit the last comma.

Example: She bought bread, milk, cookies, and juice.
Example: He bought bread, milk, ham and eggs.

Comma Rule 3: Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, and clauses.

Example: Quietly, he tiptoed past the sleeping dog. (introductory word)
Example: After he finished his homework, Jarred read Hamlet. (introductory clause)

Comma Rule 4: Use commas to set off nonrestrictive phrases or clauses (that add nonessential information to a sentence. So if the phrase or clause is removed from the sentence it would still keep its original meaning).

Example: Several bankers, brokers, and lawyers attended the conference, which began at 2 p.m. (nonrestrictive clause)

Comma Rule 5: Use a comma between adjectives that modify the same noun.
Hint: If you can put and or but between the adjectives, a comma will probably belong there.

Example: Wanda is a tall, sophisticated businesswoman. (Since we could write tall and sophisticated, the comma is necessary.)

Comma Rule 6: Use a comma to separate a direct address from the rest of the sentence.

Example: If we don’t go soon, Tina, it will be too late.

Comma Rule 7: In direct quotes, use a comma (or commas) to separate the speaker from the quote.

Example: The teacher said, "Please pass your papers to the front of the room."

Point of View

2008-06-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

When planning a story, at some point you have to make an important decision. In order to bring the character(s) to life, you must decide who will be telling the story. Whose point of view will engage the reader most effectively?

First Person:
Many editors and publishers say that a novel written from the first-person point of view (I, we) is often a sign of an inexperienced writer. Often these novels are thrown in the trash.

Go to your local bookstore and take note of how many bestsellers are written in first person. They exist, but novels are far more often written in third-person narrative.

In first person, the character is also the narrator, either playing a central, active role or a sideline part. As the first-person narrator, you have one point of view to offer, and this can be limiting. There’s simply less opportunity to bring depth to the story. On the other hand, a first-person narrative creates an undeniable intimacy with the reader. Poems and short stories don’t necessarily need to delve into other characters’ viewpoints, thoughts, and feelings, and writing in a first-person narrative works quite well. Keep in mind that there are also several well-received novels written in first person (like autobiographies), so don’t let that deter you from choosing the point of view that works best your novel.

Second Person:
If you write a novel in second person your novel will sound like the character, narrator, and even the reader, is referred to as "you." About the only book form this would work for is a "How-to" piece. "First you buy a hammer..."

Third Person:
Storytelling from a third-person point of view (he, she) offers a clear distinction between the author and the characters, allowing the author complete freedom to travel through the story and its characters. The narrator is not a character and can therefore comment on every aspect. There are three types of third person narratives:

1. Omniscient Narrator. Usually reserved for longer fiction, this narrator is an all-knowing observer with the knowledge of the character's history. The Omnisciet Narrator can enter any character’s thoughts, interpret any character’s speech or actions, and provide commentary on their backgrounds and motives.

2. Omniscient Narrator (Limited). In this technique, the narrator’s knowledge is limited to one character—the protagonist. Other players are seen only externally. The narrator’s voice is the main character, and no other information can be brought in from other sources (characters) other than what is observed through plot and dialogue. This is the most commonly used in short stories and novels.

3. Objective Narrator. The objective narrator offers no opinion and no value judgments, leaving the interpretation of events and dialogue up to the reader. The reader’s knowledge is limited to external descriptions, and the reader is invited to infer his or her own meaning from them.

How to Research Literary Markets

2008-05-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

Once you have completed your prose piece or group of poems, the next step is to find an outlet for your work.

The difficulty lies in determining which magazines might be the best places to send your work. For most writers the writing part is easier than determining where to send work for publication. Here are some ways to make your job easier.

Start with market books. The most popular ones are Writer’s Market, Poet’s Market, Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market, and The International Directory of Little Magazines & Small Presses. These books contain a wealth of information that will help you in your search.

It is important to understand that these books are only guides, and oftentimes, information is out of date before publication. When researching literary magazines, be sure to verify the address and submission guidelines, including reading dates and length limit for work. Most literary magazines have Web sites too. Again, verify the information before sending your work to them.

You can also write directly to the magazine and request submission guidelines. Again make sure the information is accurate, double check the address, editors' names, and other guideline information.

Literary journal Web sites can help too. Try http://www.newpages.com and http://www.pshares.org

Lastly do your research and learn what kind of work is getting published. Literary magazines at your local bookstore report on trends to help you out.

Rules for Showing Possession

2008-05-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

The apostrophe is a small punctuation mark, but its misuse can cause huge problems in writing. Here are some rules to guide you.

Rule 1: To form the possessive of a singular noun that does not end in s or an s sound, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun:
Examples: the doctor's orders, the writer's computer, Betty's car, my sister's dog, her father-in-law's car
Rule 2: To form the possessive of a singular noun that does end in s or an s sound, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun:
Examples: Jennifer Lopez's music, the witness's report, James's poetry

Rule 3: To form the possessive of a plural noun that ends in s or es, add only an apostrophe to the noun:
Examples: the actors' roles, the writers' workshop, their doctors' orders, the beaches' cleanliness

Rule 4: To form the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in s or es, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun:
Examples: her children's toys, the women's dressing room

Rule 5: To indicate separate possession, add whichever possessive sign is appropriate (an apostrophe plus s or an apostrophe alone) to the name of each person:
Examples: Bill's and Tom's cars (two separate cars: Bill's car and Tom's car), James's and Mary's houses (two separate houses: James's house and Mary's house)

Rule 6: To indicate joint possession, add the appropriate possessive sign (an apostrophe plus s or an apostrophe alone) to the final name:
Examples: Mary and Jim's house (the house belongs to both Mary and Jim), Evan and Ava's books (the books belong to both Evan and Ava)

One exception to this rule occurs if one of the owners is identified by a pronoun (my, his, her, our, their). In this case, make each name and pronoun possessive:
Examples: Eric's and my project (not Eric and my project); Mark's and our dinner (not Mark and our dinner); John's, Frank's, Mary's, and my party (not John, Frank, Mary, and my party)

Rule 7: To form the possessive of a singular abbreviation, add an apostrophe plus s.
Examples: the FAA's ruling, the MD's diagnosis, USA's stand

Rule 8: To form the possessive of a plural abbreviation, add an s'.
Examples: the PhDs' dissertations, the RNs' orders, the CPAs' convention

More Mistreated Words

2008-05-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

The list goes on, here are more words that tend to trip up writers and editors:

altogether (adv): entirely, completely
all together (as a phrase): in a group

amount (n): used for a quantity that can't be counted
number (n): used for things that can be counted

bore/bored (v): to dig or drill
bear/bore (v): to carry

breach (n, v): a break / to break
breech (n): the rear or bottom

clench (v): to hold or clutch, like teeth or a fist
clinch (v): to settle decisively, as in clinching a deal, or to tightly hug, like with boxing

demur (n, v): a protest / to protest
demure (adj): to be coy, modest

discreet (adj): judicious, modest
discrete (adj): separate, distinct

enervate (adj, trans. v): lazy, lacking physical energy
energize (v): to be energetic

inter (v): to bury
intern (v): to jail

lead (v): present tense, to guide the way
led (v): past tense
(Many writers use "lead" for the past tense because it sounds like the other "lead," the metal.)

mantel (n): a shelf
mantle (n): a cloak, a cover

plead (v): present tense, to beg
pleaded (or pled) (v): past tense (in the similar vein to lead / led).

principal (adj, n): referring to a person or something which is of high rank
principle (n): related to a law or doctrine

raise (v): to lift something (transitive: requires a direct object, such as: He raised the blanket from the floor.)
rise (v): to put oneself in an upright position (intransitive: no direct object needed, such as: He rises in the morning at six o'clock.)

rational (adj): reasonable or logical
rationale (n): underlying reason

shined (v): past tense, to make something brighter, like shoes or a bald head.
shone (v): past tense of all other uses of "shine" (such as: The moonlight shone over our nighttime walk last night.)

Serial Commas, Ellipses, and Em-Dashes

2008-04-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Three mysterious punctuations solved!

1.Serial Commas: Per the Chicago Manual of Style you want your writing to include the final serial comma before the conjunction and the final word or phase in a series.

For instance:
"My favorite things are books, knitting, and running."

"I like to get up late, brush my teeth, and brush my hair."

The purpose of including this final comma is for clarity and to give each word or phrase equal weight in the sentence.

2. Ellipses are another riddle. Ellipses are used to indicate that a sentence is left incomplete and unended (space, dot, space, dot, space, dot, space); it suggests a thought abruptly stopped. Typically a space before and after the inserted ellipses is preferred. If the ellipse ends a sentence, do not add a final period; however, you can include an exclamation point or question mark after the ellipse.

3. Em-Dash: An em-dash is the width of a capital "M" and there are no spaces inserted either before or after an em-dash. An em-dash indicates a parenthetical thought—like this one—or some similar abrupt change in thought.

Writers: keep it simple!

2008-04-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

The biggest mistake writers make is speaking in complicated terms. The best way to see if your writing reflects a natural (simple) state is to ask yourself: Would I speak like this out loud?

If you want to be a good writer follow these rules:

1. Avoid complicated tenses. Write out what you have to say. Then convert it to simple language. If you find what you have to say is boring. Then start over! Better to have something important to say or don't say it all.

2. Stop using complicated constructions. Most times when you write a sentence within a sentence you are better off making them two separate sentences. Try it, you may find your writing flows better.

3. Omit clichés and repetition. Clichés are phrases people have heard over and over and over again. There is nothing interesting about saying something that's been said so many times before. Watch for repetitive language. It is sloppy to read a paragraph with the same word in it. A big culprit: the word however. Also descriptive words like: beautiful or pretty.

4. Leave out small phrases such as: "on my way" or "as a matter of fact" or "here goes" or "before you know it" or "take the edge off," etc. These phrases add nothing to good writing.

5. No more long words. You must be a precise writer to get away with writing long words with vital meaning. The timing and delivery of what you have to say is better suited with simple language everyone understands. The biggest overuse of this is when writers use the word 'utilize'. Just say 'use' or 'used'. Remember, simpler is better!

Active vs. Passive Voice

2008-04-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Many writers and proofreaders are confused by the terms active and passive voice. Contrary to their sound, the terms have nothing to do with the tense of verbs. Rather, they refer to the performer of the action in a sentence. Both active and passive voice sentences are useful in writing, and understanding the difference between them is helpful in creating a clear, strong message.

Active Voice: the subject of the sentence performs the action.

Example: A member of the high school’s football team carried the ball. Here, the subject of the sentence, member, is performing the action, carried.

Passive Voice: the subject becomes the receiver of the action.

For example: The ball was carried by a member of the high school’s football team. This time, the subject, ball, is not performing the action. Instead, it is the receiver of the action.

*A clue that this is a passive voice sentence can be found in the prepositional phrase that occurs at the end (by a member of the high school’s football team). Many passive voice sentences contain prepositional phrases beginning with by.

Consider the following sentences. Are they active or passive?

1. Gleefully stomping in the mud, the little boy ran down the driveway.
2. The singer was applauded by the audience.
3. The story is being written by a member of the Writers Guild.
4. The eagle, searching the sky for its dinner, perched on a branch of the tree.

The first and fourth sentences are active. In each, the subject is performing the action of the verb—the boy is doing the running, and the eagle is doing the perching.

The second and third sentences are passive. In each, the subject of the sentence is the receiver of the action. To check, simply look at the sentence and ask yourself if the subject is performing the action. In the second sentence, is the singer doing the applauding? No, so that sentence is passive. In the third sentence, is the story doing the writing? No. That sentence is also passive.

To make these sentences active, simply rewrite them so that the subject performs the action. In sentence two, the audience is doing the applauding, so in the active voice, the sentence should read: The audience applauded the singer. In the third sentence, the performer of the action is a member of the Writers Guild, so we can rewrite the sentence as follows: A member of the Writers Guild is writing the story. (Notice that in both cases the subject is found within the prepositional phrase.)

Consider the following sentence. Is it active or passive?

5. Math problems were solved.

Since the problems aren’t doing the solving, we know that this sentence is passive. To make it active, simply add an appropriate subject. For example, the sentence could be rewritten to read: We solved the math problems. Now the sentence is active because the subject, we, is doing the solving.

Is active voice always preferable? Not necessarily. Active voice sentences are usually more precise, and if you want to emphasize the subject, you should use active voice. However, passive voice is best if you want to call attention to the receiver of the action. For example, consider this sentence:

6. The president of the bank was shot by an unknown gunman.

Clearly, this sentence is passive—the subject, president, is receiving the action rather than performing it. However, in this case, the passive voice is preferable to the active voice since the receiver of the action is more important than the performer of the action. Making the sentence active would delay getting the most important information to the reader.

Words Are Confusing

2008-03-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of confusing words writers and editors come across from time to time. The next time you aren't sure which one to use consult this quick list:

Ability/Capacity
Ability refers to the power to do something
Capacity refers to the ability to hold or contain something

Acclamation/Acclimation
Acclamation refers to an oral vote or praise of some kind
Acclimation refers to adapting to a new climate or environment

Adhere/Cohere
Adhere means to stick fast, to be devoted, or to carry out a plan
Cohere means to hold together as part of the same thing

Adverse/Averse
Adverse means difficult or unfavorable
Averse means opposed to

Bad/Badly
Bad is an adjective describing nouns or pronouns (Joe had a bad feeling about leaving.)
Badly is an adverb (I think he paints very badly.)

Because of/Due to
Because of refers to cause and effect
Due to should be used with a linking verb (are, was, is, etc.)

Brochure/Leaflet/Pamphlet
A brochure is a small booklet usually not longer than 24 pages
A leaflet is a small printed item usually not longer than four pages
A pamphlet is a stapled publication of fewer than 100 pages

Callous/Callus
Callous refers to having an unfeeling attitude
Callus refers to a thickening or hardening of the skin

Hoard/Horde
Hoard refers to a hidden find or cache
Horde refers to a crowd or throng

Liable/Libel/Lible/Slander
Liable means legally responsible or likely
Libel is damaging someone’s reputation in print or other media
Note: Lible is not a word
Slander is an oral statement that damages someone’s reputation

Formatting Titles

2008-03-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

When you're trying to remember if you're supposed to use underlining or italics or quotation marks, here are four simple rules.

1) Underlining and italics serve the same purpose. Never do both. Do not use quotation marks, underline, or italics together.

2) For any work that stands on its own, use italics or underline. (Stories or chapters from within a book are considered PARTS of the book.)

3) A work that is part of a larger work goes in quotation marks.

4) No quotation marks around titles of your own composition.

Quick Hit Guide to Formatting:

Books: Italics or Underline

CDs: Italics or Underline

Articles (Newspaper or Magazine): Quotation Marks

Chapter Titles (not chapter numbers): Quotation Marks

Magazines, Newspapers, Journals: Italics or Underline

Names of Ships, Trains, Airplanes, Spacecraft: Italics

Poems: Quotation Marks

Poems (Long): Underlined or Italics

Plays: Italics

Short Stories: Quotation Marks

Song Titles: Quotation Marks

Special Phrases ("let them eat cake"), Words, or Sentences: Quotation Marks

Television Shows and Movies: Italics

Television and Radio Episode Titles: Quotation Marks

Happy formatting!

Grammar Tests

2008-03-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

It's interesting that people in America are born and raised with the English language in their daily lives. Yet, most Americans haven't come close to mastering their own langauge.

On the other hand, people living in other countries speak and write more than one language.

So challenge yourself and improve your grammar, one comma at a time with these fun quizzes!

http://www.edufind.com/

http://www.copydesk.org/quizzes.htm

http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.shtml

http://www.spelling-tests.com/

Word Daze

2008-03-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

In writing and editing these words are often interchanged resulting in the wrong use. Here is a handy list to keep you on track:

Than/Then: than is used to compare two or more things; then is used for describing something that follows something else.
Example: I am much taller than you. I walked to the store, then to the park.

Allude/Refer: allude is bringing something up indirectly; refer is to mention it directly
Example: They alluded to the fact that she was in the hotel. She referred to her degree to prove that she had experience.

Anxious/Eager: anxious implies unease or tension; eager refers to happy anticipation
Example: I was a little anxious about going to a different school. The kids were eager to go on vacation.

Negligent/Negligible: negligent means you’ve failed to do something you should’ve done; negligible means it’s small or unimportant with no consequence
Example: The negligent teacher did not do a good job. The effect was negligible.

Breach/Breech: breach is a violation of a law, obligation, or standard; breech can mean backside or part of a firearm
Example: The company sued her for breach of contract. Her children were born breech.

Retch/Wretch: retch is to vomit or try to vomit; wretch is a miserable person
Example: He retched continuously. The old wretch tried to bring down her spirits.

Disapprove/Disprove: disapprove is to have an unfavorable opinion of something or someone; disprove means to prove to be invalid, false, or in error
Example: My mother disapproved of my new friends. The defendant disproved the judge’s decision.

Enviable/Envious: something enviable is desirable; someone who is envious is jealous
Example: The lifestyle celebrities lead is enviable. She set him up because she was envious of his friend.

Hoard/Horde: a hoard is a supply stored up or hidden away; a horde is a swarm or large group or crowd
Example: The squirrel was hoarding food in its cheeks. The concert was canceled because the horde was uncontrollable.

Lama/Llama: a Lama is a monk; a llama is an animal related to the camel
Example: We were excited to meet the Dalai Lama. We saw several llamas on the safari.

Dialogue Break Down

2008-02-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

It’s easy to get confused when writing dialogue. Typically, the rule is to use double quotation marks around the words of the speaker. However, the most common problem lies in the placement of punctuation other than quotation marks.

The standard rule is to include periods and commas within the quotation marks:

She said, "I don’t know you."

"I don’t want to know you," she said.

"I don’t know you," she said, "and I no longer trust you."

"I don’t know you!" she exclaimed.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"Fine, don’t believe me," he replied. "You’ve never trusted me."

Note: when using dialogue tags like (she said, he replied) it must be a "speaking action," whereas nonspeaking actions (he snorted, she glared) are not punctuated as tags and should be treated as separate sentences:

"I don’t know you." She glared at him.

"Fine, don’t believe me." He snorted with disgust.

Use single quotation marks to mark dialogue within dialogue:

"And then I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t know you!’" she said.

She said, "And then I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t know you!’"

"And then I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t know you!’ and he walked away."

One last general rule:
It is ideal to start a new paragraph for each new speaker. It makes for a clearer picture of the give and take of a "conversation" and helps the reader switch from speaker to speaker.