How to Format Subheads

An effective way to break up long sequences of paragraphs and provide an organizational scheme for your writing is to insert subheads. Here are some considerations.

5 Alternatives to Hyphenating Phrasal Adjectives

The default method for communicating to the reader that a phrase preceding a noun is a single entity modifying that noun is to hyphenate the word string together: “They agreed that a plug-and-play functionality was most desirable.”

Evoke vs. Invoke

Evoke and invoke, two members of a small but powerful family of words relating to stimulus and response, have senses both similar and distinct.

It’s All About Accuracy

During my editing career, I’ve corrected some significant factual errors in manuscripts before they were published — mistakes that would have compromised the authority of a book or a magazine or newspaper article, or at least embarrassed its author. (Aw, shucks, don’t mention it — it’s my job.) I’ve also probably overlooked a few.

25 Synonyms for “Story”

So, you’re writing a story? What kind of story? No, don’t unreel the plot for me. Provide some context for the narrative style by telling me what your model is for your tale. This is not about genre, though there may be some overlap; it’s all about the form.

How to Format Reader-Friendly Headlines

The headline of a piece of content is the reader’s invitation, so make it inviting in form as well as content. Using all capital letters is overbearing; choose between headline style (capitalizing initial letters only in words representing major parts of speech) or sentence style (initial caps only for the first word and proper nouns).

The Word of the Year 2011

Each year at about this time, the English-language media rolls out various reports announcing the word of the year according to one or more authorities. These pieces imply or overtly suggest that these selections are keywords for our society’s values, beliefs, and obsessions.

Put Adverbs in Their Place

When, how, or why something is done is expressed by an adverb, whose primary function is signaled by its name: Adverbs modify verbs (and sometimes other parts of speech — more on that later). They appear more or less in proximity to the verb they modify, but their syntactical location can vary for diverse reasons.

Precede vs. Proceed

Lazy pronunciation can wreak havoc on the language as word pairs like precede and proceed become confused. These similar-looking and similar-sounding terms, however, though not antonyms, face in opposite directions.

25 Adverbs That Get an “A”

You already know many adverbs that start with a-, a prefix that can mean, among other things, “on” (aboard) “in a state” (asleep), or “in a manner” (aloud). Here’s a roster of some of the lesser-known words in this class, many of which inspire vivid imagery, evoke an archaic or rustic tone, or conjure an amusing tableau, perhaps all at once.

Picking Your Perfect Title

Picking a title can often be the hardest part of a writing project. Sometimes the title just comes to you, but more often than not, you have to put quite a bit of work into finding just the right one. You may even have to sift through several titles before you find one that sits well with you.

85 Synonyms for “House”

An extensive vocabulary exists to describe all the possible variations in the structures in which humans live. This list, which omits most terms of foreign origin and includes temporary and mobile living spaces, includes definitions of many such words to help writers distinguish between them.

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