Write First, Edit Later: Well, it is important to write correctly. It makes your communication clearer, and your reputation brighter. But it’s usually better to say what you mean poorly than to say nothing. Passive vs. Active Voice: English teachers like myself love to warn new writers against the evils of passive voice. Here at … Read more
A college freshman asked me how to spell “valiant” and when I did, he wondered why it was not “-ent”. He asked how I knew that and I had no idea how to respond! All along, I’ve been a terrific speller, even winning some spelling bees in my younger years. But after some thoughtful consideration … Read more
Conundrum (kə-nŭn’drəm) is a very difficult or insoluble problem. It can also refer to a riddle whose answer is a pun, a paradox or an enigma. But we have heard a lot less about these debt-market disciplinarians in recent years. Instead, bond yields have been puzzlingly low, a conundrum that taxed even Alan Greenspan, the … Read more
The ending -ness can be added to any adjective and most past participles to create abstract nouns: happiness randomness misguidedness Some adjectives, however, already have corresponding nouns that do not end in -ness. Many beautiful and expressive abstract nouns are falling into disuse because writers and speakers are too quick to use a -ness word. … Read more
You know in your bones that you’re a good writer, and you have something worth writing about. How do you make that first step into getting paid for it? Ways to break into writing Start a blog. If you’re going to promote a website, why not make it your own website? Start a blog and … Read more
Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style receives frequent mention in articles about writing. Originating as a classroom study aid prepared by Cornell English Professor William Strunk in 1918, this widely-used desk reference of English usage, form, and style continues to influence writers after a hundred years. After Strunk died in 1946, essayist E.B. White … Read more
Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary gives the same definition for both fictional and fictitious: of, relating to, characterized by, or suggestive of fiction. “Fiction,” of course, is anything untrue, whether it’s a lie or a novel. Webster’s gives six definitions for fiction, among them: 1 : the act of creating something imaginary : a fabrication of the … Read more
We have already covered the basics of this punctuation mark on the article Introducing the Comma. Basically, commas are used after introductory elements on sentences (e.g., introductory words, phrases,clauses). Commas are also used to separate dependent clauses, like this: As it was raining, we decided to stay home. The comma can also be used to … Read more
You took too many English classes. Someone has told you that it’s more important to say it right than to say it at all. Well, it is important to write correctly. It makes your communication clearer, and your reputation brighter. But it’s usually better to say what you mean poorly than to say nothing. Why? … Read more
One of our readers asks if there is a rule for knowing when to write –ence and when to write –ance at the ends of words such as: affluence, eloquence, essence, influence, insurgence and ambulance, clairvoyance, finance, ignorance, nuisance In a priority list for English spelling reform, the spellings –ence and –ance, –ent and –ant, … Read more
Creating a piece of writing can be compared to building a house. Both activities involve practical and aesthetic considerations. A builder needs to know what is to be built and who will be using it. A writer must have a clear purpose and an intended audience. A builder who specializes in building houses probably would … Read more
Here are some French words and expressions of special use to writers. auteur theory This term has come into use from the writings of French film critics. The “auteur” is the director and the film is interpreted in relation to that director’s personality and personal view of the world. Such criticism usually compares the film … Read more