Daily Writing Tips

DAILY WRITING TIPS
Plural But Singular in Construction

Posted: 23 Jan 2013 09:59 PM PST
In the dictionary, when youre looking up a noun that ends in s, youre apt to find a notation like this:
noun plural but singular in construction. What does that mean?
This description refers to words like news that appear to be plural but take a singular verb (hence the
word construction, meaning sentence structure, not appearance). One category of words plural in
appearance but singular in use is that of intellectual pursuits and their associated academic disciplines:
For mathematics, physics, and the like, we use a singular verb: Mathematics is difficult for him; The
physics is staggeringly complex. However, similar terms may use singular or plural verbs depending on
the sense: Statistics is not my favorite subject; The statistics are valid.
In other contexts, usage varies. Gymnastics is treated singularly (Gymnastics is an Olympic sport),
but calisthenics takes a plural verb (Calisthenics are boring). Both words refer to a routine of physical
activities, but noun-verb agreement is inconsistent.
Some words that are plural but refer to a unified pair of objects, such as (eye)glasses,pants, and scissors,
are nevertheless associated with plural verbs: My glasses are missing; These pants have gotten too
tight; The scissors are dull.
Words in several other categories are categorical exceptions: Proper names, composition titles, and words
used as words are always singular, even if they are plural in form:
Acme and Sons is a highly rated company.
Spats is a downtown bar.
Demons is a terrible movie.
Shades is a best-selling novel.
Hits is an informal word meaning search returns.
Aussies is a nickname for Australians.
A few words appear to be plural but are in fact taken directly from other languages in which s at the end of
a word does not denote a plural form. For example, biceps (from Latin) is singular, though many people
refer to the muscle in the front of one upper arm as a bicep, and kudo (from Greek) is widely employed as
the singular form of kudos meaning praise or prestige though the latter form is singular.
(Bicep and kudo areback-formations linguistic innovations of varying legitimacy but are not
advisable in formal writing.)
Rarely, youll see a word that is plural in both appearance and usage, though the literal meaning of the
word is singular. For example, whereabouts means location, but one writes that a persons whereabouts
are unknown (even though a person can be in only one location at once)
5 Examples of the Need for Multiple Hyphenation

Complex and compound phrasal adjectives, in which more than two words unite to modify a noun that
follows the phrase, pose a challenge for many writers. How many hyphens are required, and where do they
go? These examples demonstrate the proper application of hyphens in such cases.
1. He broke the 21-year old world record at the tournament.
Hyphenation errors frequently occur in references to age or duration. In this case, the reference seems to
be to an old record of a 21-year nature, but it can mean only that a record that has stood for 21 years has
been broken. The record is 21 years old, so those three terms should be hyphenated together: He broke
the 21-year-old world record at the tournament. (Or, if the number is spelled out, He broke the twenty-
one-year-old world record at the tournament.)
2. The project exemplifies his wheeling and dealing ways.
The ways described involve wheeling and dealing. Because the two verbs are often used in tandem as an
idiom referring to underhanded negotiations, they and the intervening conjunction should all be linked:
The project exemplifies his wheeling-and-dealing ways.
3. Theyre taking a wait and see approach.
As with wheeling and dealing, wait and see is an idiom; it means that observers will refrain from
interference or deliberation until a catalyzing event occurs. All the words in the phrase should be
hyphenated together: Theyre taking a wait-and-see approach.
4. He sustained non-life threatening injuries in the accident.
As styled, the central phrase seems to refer to threatening injuries not associated with life. But the
reference applies to injuries that are not threatening to life. Although non would normally be attached
directly to a root word (for example, in nonprofit), in this case, because it is associated with the entire
phrase life-threatening injuries, it is correctly attached to life with a hyphen. But life-threatening is a
stock phrasal adjective, and a hyphen should connect those two terms here as well: He sustained non-life-
threatening injuries in the accident.
5. The soldiers were injured in a rocket-propelled grenade attack.
This sentence implies that the soldiers were injured in a grenade attack that was rocket propelled
meaning that enemy troops themselves were propelled by rockets as they threw grenades. But the weapons
were rocket-propelled grenades. Because this phrase modifies attack, grenade is attached to rocket-
propelled: The soldiers were injured in a rocket-propelled-grenade attack.
Answers to Questions About Abbreviations

Responses to some reader queries about abbreviation issues follow.
1. Which is the preferred abbreviation for United States, US or U.S.?
Both forms are correct, but, in the interests of consistency with the decline of the use of periods in
abbreviations, the trend is to use US. (Note that the abbreviation should be used only as an adjective, not
as a noun: She was born in a US territory, but not She was born in the US.)
2. When one abbreviates states, should there be any punctuation after, say,TX? And are
both the T and the X capitalized?
The short form of state names based on US Postal Service usage and technically considered a symbol
rather than an abbreviation omits periods, and both letters are capitalized. However, the symbol should
be used only when listing an address or in a chart or other graphic element where space is at a premium.
Newspaper style is to abbreviate according to The Associated Press Stylebook (for example, Tex.), but in
many other periodicals and in most books, state names are usually spelled out in regular text.
3. I am teaching a business-writing course, and I want to know how to approach terms
like SOP or any other abbreviation. Does one say an SOP or a SOP? I guess the same
would apply to getting a MA or getting an MA.
Because we pronounce each letter in these terms (ess-oh-pee and em-ay), rather than treating them as
words (sop and mah), the first sound determines whether we use a oran when we speak or write the
abbreviation.
As with other words starting with the ess sound (especially or essential, for example), we precede SOP
with an. The same goes for MA, just as in, say, eminent or embellishment.
Testing phrases vocally is usually reliable (an seems easier to say before these terms thana does), though
there are exceptions: An historic occasion is easier for me, at least to say than a historic occasion,
though an is wrong.
See this post for more information.
The Basics of Back-Formation

A back-formation is a new word produced by excising an affix, such as producing the verbsecrete from the
noun secretion. Many back-formations, like that one, acquire respectability, but others, especially more
recent coinages, are considered nonstandard, so use them with caution.
Back-formation can be seen as a form of clipping, though the distinction between one category and the
other is that clipped forms (ad in place of advertisement, for example) are the same part of speech as the
original form, whereas most back-formations are verbs formed from nouns. (Many back-formations are
formed from words ending in -tion, such as automate and deconstruct.)
Most back-formations eventually take their place among other standard terms, though they are often
initially met with skepticism. For example, curate and donate, now accepted without question (and
associated with the high pursuits of art and philanthropy, respectively), were once considered
abominations.
Newer back-formations that careful writers are wise to avoid
include attrit, conversate,enthuse, incent, liaise, spectate, and surveil. These buzzwords are convenient
hence their creation but they are widely considered inelegant, and in the case of at least a couple of
them, concise synonyms are already available. (To spectate is to watch, and to surveil is to observe.)
Sometimes, a back-formation is derived from a noun describing an action, as
withattendee from attendance, or from a noun describing an actor, as with mentee from mentor. Many
people consider such terms aberrant, and they are also ill advised in formal writing.
Other back-formations derive from confusion about a base word. Cherry and pea both developed from the
assumption that the original terms cherise and pease are plurals. More recently, biceps (and triceps)
and kudos have been misunderstood as plurals, resulting in bicep, tricep, and kudo.
Although cherry and pea were accepted without reservations into English long ago, bicep, tricep,
and kudo are still considered nonstandard.
Another class of back-formations are those shorn of their prefixes for humorous effect, such
as gruntled from disgruntled and kempt from unkempt; rarely do such truncations enter the general
lexicon.
20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 10:25 AM PST
In past weeks, Ive compiled lists of figurative meanings of the names of sense organs,parts of the
head, and parts of the hand. Heres a roster in which Ive accumulated such references for other parts
and elements of the body.
1. Arm: something resembling an arm in form and/or function, a part of a garment covering the arm,
might or power or ability, a component or division, or support
2. Blood: refers to kinship or lineage, or to a quality intrinsic to someone because its supposedly a
hereditary trait, or to bloodshed; as a verb, refers to providing a hound with a scented object to prompt a
hunt, or to introducing to bloodshed or killing
3. Bone: the core, essence, or heart of something, or the design or framework of a composition, or a
subject (usually in the idiom bone of contention) or an inclination or talent or, more often, the lack
thereof (I dont have an artistic bone in my body), or something intended to placate (Throw him a
bone)
4. Breast: the location of emotion, something resembling a breast, or part of a garment that covers the
literal breast (the sometimes-synonym chest first referred to a box and then was applied, by association,
to the section of the body)
5. Foot: something resembling a foot in form and/or function, a lower or opposite end or edge or the
bottom of something, a standard length, a unit of meter in verse, or a step or speed
6. Heart: courage or fortitude or persistence, affection or compassion or feelings, the center or essential
or vital part of something, or a stylized representation of the organ, or one or more playing cards featuring
such a symbol or a card game focusing on this suit
7. Hip: an angle of an intersection of parts of a roof
8. Intestine: the phrase intestinal fortitude, describing courage, derives from the association of the
intestines with bravery (compare the informal synonym guts)
9. Leg: a limblike component, the part of an article of clothing or footwear that covers the leg, part of a
journey or race, or one competition among several similar events, or long-term appeal or interest
10. Liver: a grayish and reddish brown, and seen in the expression lily livered, meaning cowardly
11. Lungs: a respiratory aid or device, or a variation of the literal meaning referring to someones capacity
for producing loud sounds
12. Muscle: physical force, especially for intimidation or persuasion; as a verb, to infiltrate (often in the
phrase muscle in)
13. Neck: a geographical or structural feature resembling a neck, or a narrow margin (as in the finish of a
race), or, informally, a part or region; as a verb, to narrow, or to caress and kiss passionately
14. Shoulder: the side of an artificial or natural structure, as the shoulder of a road or of a mountain; as a
verb, to push aside, or to bear, as with responsibility
15. Stomach: courage or fortitude, or desire or inclination, or appetite; in verb form, to put up with or
withstand
16. Torso: an artistic representation of the human trunk, or something incomplete or damaged
17. Vein: a channel of water or a bed of mineral in rock or ice, or a quality or style, or an aptitude or mood
18: Viscera: in the adjectival form, visceral, corresponds to the adjective gut (for example, gut feeling),
meaning instinctive (as in She had a visceral sense that she was in danger); alternatively, it means
earthy (The movie has a visceral tone, with its coarse characters and rough action)
19. Waist: something resembling a waist in form and/or function (as part of an aircraft or marine vessel),
an article (or part of an article) of clothing worn on or around the waist, or a line around the waist or a
measurement of the line
20. Womb: a space resembling a womb in form and/or function, or the literal or figurative birthplace of
an idea, product, or other physical or intellectual creation
Compound Words in Technological Contexts

Cell phone, or cellphone? Home page, or homepage? Touch screen, or touchscreen? Should such
compounds be open, or closed? We see them both ways, so its difficult to know how to treat them
unless you use one simple test: Choose the form based on the context.
The natural progression for styling compound words is open to closed, often (but not always) with a
hyphenated form as an interim phase. No ruling body authorizes the transformation, and no pattern or
logic regarding the time frame applies from one compound to another. Some compounds stubbornly
resist closing (real estate) or cling to their hyphens (mind-set), but closure is almost invariably
inevitable.
Thus, for example, sea water at some arbitrary point transformed into seawater, with a transitional
period in which both forms were commonly used, followed by preponderant use of the new form (though
the old form nearly always persists to some extent).
Technological terms are a special case, for various reasons, including that they are coined by
technologically minded people, who are not necessarily concerned about adherence to grammatical
norms, and that, in the case of programming vocabulary, the practical issue of having a single string of
characters to enter into a program is integral. Therefore, compounds referring to technological devices
and procedures are likely to begin life as closed compounds or to be adopted in technological contexts in
closed form.
And thats the key to knowing how to treat them: In general-purpose publications, youll likely see file
name and screen saver and voice mail, whereas in high-tech periodicals and on high-tech websites,
youll probably find filename and screensaver andvoicemail. (There are exceptions of course; note that on
this site, I have reluctantly adopted website in place of Web site, and I have always preferred email to e-
mail.) Consider your audience, and style technological terms as appropriate. And when in doubt,
depending on the context in which you are writing or editing, consult mainstream or specialized
publications for models.
How to Test for Hyphenation in Phrasal Adjectives
One of the most frequent style errors among writers is the omission of one or more hyphens in a phrasal
adjective, a phrase consisting of two or more words linked to show that theyre teaming up to modify a
noun that follows them. Theres an easy test to help you see that the hyphen is necessary.
When you write a phrase consisting of a noun preceded by two words describing the noun, confirm that
the first and second word together modify the third, rather than that the second and third words
constitute a compound noun modified by the first word. In the following sentence, for example, the latter
holds true: Indeed, the agency grants authority for community prevention efforts. Here, prevention
efforts is an open compound noun modified by community the sentence does not refer to efforts to
prevent community so no hyphen is required.
Also, note that not every phrasal adjective requires a hyphen. Many open compound nouns (for example,
high school, income tax, and real estate) are so well established that they appear in dictionaries as
terms in their own right and do not require hyphenation when they are converted into adjectives to
modify a noun (for example, high school student, income tax form, and real estate agent).
In a given sentence with a modified noun, ask yourself what kind of thing is being described, then
hyphenate accordingly:
1. This foundation has a feel good name.
What kind of a name does it have? One designed to make you feel good, not a good name that feels. So, its
a feel-good name: This foundation has a feel-good name.
2. The small Victorian beach town lifted a decades old ban.
What kind of a ban is it? One that has lasted for decades, not an old ban that is decades. So, its a decades-
old ban: The small Victorian beach town lifted a decades-old ban.
3. A truck and a car collided, triggering a seven vehicle crash.
What kind of crash was it? One involving seven vehicles, not a vehicle crash that is seven. So, its a seven-
vehicle crash: A truck and a car collided, triggering a seven-vehicle crash.
4. Its the Bay Areas fastest growing town.
What kind of town is it? One that is growing faster than any other, not a growing town thats fastest. So,
its the fastest-growing town: Its the Bay Areas fastest-growing town.
5. The bumps have been causing two hour delays.
What kind of delays are they? Ones lasting two hours, not hour delays that are two. So, theyre two-hour
delays: The bumps have been causing two hour delays.
What Is a Sentence?
Multiple definitions exist for sentence, and various sources differ in their interpretation of what
constitutes a valid sentence and which forms are incorrect. Heres a brief survey of what a sentence is.
A sentence is generally understood to be a unit of one or more words distinct from preceding and
following text. Sentences are categorized as declaratives, or statements (I walked the dog), imperatives,
or commands (Walk the dog), or interrogatives, or questions (Should I walk the dog?). A variation of
the declarative form is the exclamation, or exclamatory sentence (I walked the dog!).
A sentence can be both imperative and exclamatory (in which case the exclamation point preempts the
period) or both interrogative and exclamatory (in which case the question mark preempts the exclamation
point, though some writers include both in that order a style considered improper in formal contexts).
A sentence can also be both imperative and interrogatory, though the former function overrides the latter
one, and such statements are not treated as questions. (Would you be so kind as to close the door is
simply a more courteous way to direct someone to close the door.)
Traditionally, the first letter of the first word of a sentence is capitalized, although some writers have
chosen to eschew capitalization of the first word and perhaps proper nouns. (This style, however, is
eccentric and frowned on in formal writing.) Terminal punctuation a period, a question mark or an
exclamation point, or ellipses is also a general feature.
Sentences usually include a subject and a verb, but those parts of speech are not essential, though they are
almost invariably employed in formal writing. (See this post for more details.)
Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary includes the following definition for sentence: A word, clause,
or phrase or a group of clauses or phrases forming a syntactic unit which expresses an assertion, a
question, a command, a wish, an exclamation, or the performance of an action, that in writing usually
begins with a capital letter and concludes with appropriate end punctuation, and that in speaking is
distinguished by characteristic patterns of stress, pitch, and pauses.
5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

Youve heard that timing is everything. In writing, however, placement takes first place when it comes to
conveying meaning. Consider these examples.
1. So far, the book has only come out in Italian.
It has only come out in Italian? It hasnt done anything else in that language? No, it is only in Italian that
it has come out. This revision says so clearly: So far, the book has come out only in Italian. (The
placement of only within a sentence is the most common type of misplaced modifier. Its forgivable in
spoken English, but in writing, its best put in its place.)
2. Then youll be able to survive just about anything that life throws at you with confidence
and style.
What, exactly, does life throw at you with confidence and style? Nothing. Its you, not your life, that
exhibits these traits: Then youll be able to survive, with confidence and style, just about anything that
life throws at you.
3. She broke ground as the first woman to run for president of the United States in 1872.
This sentence implies that the subject was the first woman to register as a presidential candidate that
year. But the meaning is that in that particular year, she became the first such candidate in history. This
revision communicates that point: In 1872, she broke ground as the first woman to run for president of
the United States.
4. She got a job with an organization that developed policy for youth and children while
she was a political science major.
The impression one gets from this sentence is that the organization carried out its mission only during the
duration of the subjects time at the university. But what it means to say is that she obtained her job with
an organization that pursued that objective independently of her tenure, and that she was a student when
she did so, as conveyed here: While she was a political science major, she got a job with an organization
that developed policy for youth and children.
5. Smith recently presented a paper at a conference titled Averting Bloodshed: The
Benefits of Community-Based Mediation Services.
To what does the title refer the paper, or the conference? The proximity of conference to the title
implies that the event was so named, but this revision reveals the truth: Smith, at a recent conference,
presented a paper titled Averting Bloodshed: The Benefits of Community-Based Mediation Services.
Fragmentary Sentences and Sentence Fragments

A sentence can be fragmentary, but it shouldnt be a fragment. Whats the difference?
Writers should distinguish between fragmentary sentences and sentence fragments. The following
sentences are fragmentary: A virtuoso performance? Some virtuoso. Despite the absence of a subject
and a verb, which are considered standard components of a sentence, the reader fills in the missing parts:
([Do you call that] a virtuoso performance? [That musician is] some virtuoso.)
A sentence fragment, by contrast, is usually a dependent clause formatted as if it were a complete
sentence, such as the second sentence in the following passage: I went to the store. Because I need to buy
some toiletries for my trip.
The form shown in the second sentence isnt necessarily always wrong; its appropriate as a response in
colloquial dialogue:
Why did you go to the store?
Because I need to buy some toiletries for my trip.
Otherwise, however, its erroneous.
Its possible, too, for a complete sentence to be misconstrued as a sentence fragment because of a simple
error such as omission of punctuation. For example, Before I was inclined to agree is a sentence
fragment, because the words do not constitute a complete thought; no useful information has been
conveyed. The implication is that a condition will be described: Before I was inclined to agree, I needed
more proof.
If, however, before is supplied as an adverbial tag, followed by a comma (Before, I was inclined to
agree), the wording becomes a coherent statement indicating that in the past, the writer would likely
have agreed with something. Presumably, a sentence will follow with a similarly constructed reversal
written in the present tense (Now, Im not so sure).
However, fragmentary sentences are valid. Besides the commentary form, shown above in the examples
about the alleged virtuoso, they may take the form of interjections (Whew! How sad! What a
nightmare!), expressions (Good job! So long!), and partial imperatives (To the castle!) Though, of
course, exclamation points are not required in fragmentary sentences, they are common, and note that
such sentences are considered colloquial and should be used with caution in formal writing. You with me?
30 More Nautical Expressions

After launching a list of seafaring idioms on a previous online cruise, I discovered a cargo hold of
additional expressions that originated on the high seas but have come to rest high and dry on land. Heres
the haul.
1. All at sea: lost because of lack of knowledge of ones position (confused and disorganized)
2. At loose ends: a reference to idle sailors being assigned to check that rigging is secure (idle)
3. Bail out: remove water from (assist or rescue)
4. Broad in the beam: said of a wide vessel (said of a large-hipped woman)
5. By and large: said in reference to steering slightly off the wind to ease effort and decrease the risk of
slowing (in general, without special consideration)
6. Cut and run: sever the anchor line in an emergency (leave abruptly and abandoning others)
7. Fall foul of: collide with or become entangled in (come into conflict with)
8. First-rate: the largest class of warships during the sailing era (best)
9. Flog a dead horse: a reference to a period of work after getting and spending an initial payment
(focusing on something already completed or settled)
10. Flotsam and jetsam: items lost or thrown overboard, respectively (odds and ends)
11. Give a wide berth: provide sufficient space when anchoring or docking to avoid other ships (keep at
a distance)
12. Go by the board: a reference to something lost overboard (said of something to be abandoned or
ignored)
13. Hail from: referring to the point of origin of a ship (come from, live)
14. Half seas over: partly submerged or keeled over so that waves are breaking over the deck, and
therefore unable to maneuver effectively (drunk)
15. Hand over fist: using one hand at a time in quick alternating movements (rapidly)
16. Hard and fast: grounded (inflexible)
17. Hard up: a reference to the tiller being pushed as far to one side as possible (short of money)
18. High and dry: beached or caught on rocks and standing out of the water as the tide recedes
(stranded or without resources or support)
19. In the offing: in sight, from the term for the expanse of ocean visible from shore (about to happen)
20. Know the ropes/learn the ropes: a reference to understanding knots, ropes, and rigging
(familiarity with or training in how to perform a task)
21. Loose cannon: a piece of artillery that is not secure and therefore can cause damage or injury when
it rolls on its wheels from the ships movement or from its recoil after being fired (out of control or
unpredictable)
22. Ship shape: ready for sailing, with equipment and materials secured (clean, neat, in good condition)
23. Skylarking: sliding down rigging for fun (engaging in playful antics)
24. Take another tack: change the ships direction in relation to the wind (try another approach)
25. Take the wind out of ones sails: a reference to the loss of movement when another vessel comes
between the wind and ones ship (to undermine another, usually by anticipating an action)
26. Taken aback: halted by a sudden shift of wind (surprised by a revelation)
27. Three sheets to the wind: a reference to the sheets (ropes) of a sail becoming loosened, rendering
the sail useless (drunk)
28. Trim ones sails (before the wind): adjust sails as appropriate (act according to circumstances)
29. When ones ship comes home: a reference to the arrival of a fully laden cargo ship that will bring
profit to the owner or investors (achievement of fortune or good luck)
30. Whistle for it/whistle for the wind: from the tradition of superstitiously whistling to summon the
wind (hope for the impossible)
At least two nautical expressions, between the devil and the deep (blue) sea (meaning, essentially,
between a rock and a hard place) and to the bitter end (meaning to the last extremity, regardless of
difficulty), have been attributed to seafaring origins, but the idioms, or similar expressions, may have
come from earlier landlubber usage.
5 Erroneously Constructed Not Only . . . But Also Sentences

Writers often have difficulty determining the word order in sentences in which the phrase not only
appears followed by an example and then, subsequent to but also, another example. Here are fixes to
five such sentences.
1. Digital cameras are not only changing photography, but our lives.
The key to correct syntax in not only . . . but also constructions is, when sharing a verb between the two
examples, placing not only after the verb: Digital cameras are changing not only photography but also
our lives.
2. He wasnt only listening to tone, but also to the rhythms and patterns he would need to
understand and communicate.
This sentences partially conceals the problem because not is part of a contraction. To solve it, spell out the
contracted phrase, and follow the rule stated in the explanation of the example above: He was listening
not only to tone but also to the rhythms and patterns he would need to understand and communicate.
3. Many people prefer the squatter neighborhoods not only because they provide
affordable housing but freedom from government control and a sense of community
spirit.
This sentence is improved by the basic strategy of placing the verb before not only, but a further fix is
recommended. Because the element following but also is a two-part phrase, freedom may be (at least
initially) misconstrued as applying to both government control and a sense of community spirit, so
distance the second phrase from the first: Many people prefer the squatter neighborhoods because they
provide not only affordable housing but also freedom from government control, as well as a sense of
community spirit.
4. We house them in the nicest neighborhoods we can afford, the ones that are not only
comfortable in themselves, but that mask direct evidence of the worlds unfairness.
In this example, each corresponding phrase has its own verb. When this is the case, simply place not
only and but also immediately following the respective verbs: We house them in the nicest
neighborhoods we can afford, the ones that not only are comfortable in themselves but also mask direct
evidence of the worlds unfairness.
5. Eventually, I began to notice that dreams are not only inspirations for creative life and
interesting puzzles to be solved, but that they provided access to a world of meaning that
was even greater than the tactics of nonviolent social change.
More complex sentences pose a challenge, but as in the other examples, simply break the sentence
elements down. The two points of this sentence are dreams are inspirations . . . and they provide access
. . . . To achieve parallel structure, precede the first phrase with not only that and the second one with
but also that: Eventually, I began to notice not only that dreams are inspirations for creative life and
interesting puzzles to be solved but also that they provide access to a world of meaning that was even
greater than the tactics of nonviolent social change.
5 Errors in Treating Quotations

When you quote another person, be sure to avoid these pitfalls of quotation format.
1. Sometimes, LaPierre said, The only thing to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with
a gun.
In this sentence, the writer has inserted the word sometimes, though the speaker did not utter it verbatim,
into the sentence because the speaker intimated it in other words. Because it wasnt actually spoken,
however, it is placed outside the quotation marks. But the sentiment begins with sometimes, not the, so
the quotation becomes a partial one andthe is not capitalized: Sometimes, LaPierre said, the only thing
to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
2. Alfred North Whitehead wrote that The best education is to be found in gaining the
utmost information from the simplest apparatus.
A similar rule applies to an attribution (so and so said/wrote/agreed) that leads into the quotation
without intervening punctuation; the quotation becomes part of a framing sentence, and the first word of
the original quotation is not capitalized: Alfred North Whitehead wrote that the best education is to be
found in gaining the utmost information from the simplest apparatus.
3. We knew, Jones says, that the company would eventually become a major competitor,
but, without a relationship, we thought we were in danger of not achieving ubiquity.
In this sentence, the writer interjects the attribution into the midst of the quotation, which is standard
procedure. However, the attribution should be delayed until a break between two clauses: We knew that
the company would eventually become a major competitor, Jones says, but, without a relationship, we
thought we were in danger of not achieving ubiquity.
4. Schools may be the last place, Smith said, where the government is funding us to
gather together into public forums to have conversations. We have got to protect that.
This sentence, like the previous example, suffers from premature attribution. Because there is no natural
break in the sentence, the attribution should be inserted between the two sentences: Schools may be the
last place where the government is funding us to gather together into public forums to have
conversations, Smith said. We have got to protect that.
5. In many ways, its like the cowboys against the Indians. But the cowboys are fully
backed by the state, he said of the current situation.
In this case, the attribution is delayed too long. In a quotation of two or more sentences, as in the previous
example, place it between the first and second sentences: In many ways, its like the cowboys against the
Indians, he said of the current situation. But the cowboys are fully backed by the state. (Note, too, how
this arrangement strengthens the sentence because it ends with a serious punchline rather than a dry
attribution.)
30 Problem Words and Phrases

Tried-and-true words and phrases are convenient, but they are also truly trying as with clichs, when a
writer relies too heavily on stock usage, the resulting prose is tired and uninspired. Watch out for the
following deadly usages.
1. After having: After looking around, I chose a seat is fine, and so is Having looked around, I chose a
seat, but After having looked around, I chose a seat is redundant. Having means that the action has
already been performed, so the context is clear that the writer is writing after the fact.
2. Aged: Identifying the age or age range of a person or a group with this word puts the subject(s) in a
category with cheese or wine. Write 50 years old, for example, instead of aged 50 years, or ages 21
34 rather than aged 2134.
3. Aggravate: To aggravate is to make something worse, not to bother, annoy, or irritate.
4. And also: And and also are redundant; use one or the other.
5. Anticipate: To anticipate is to foresee (and perhaps act on that foresight), not to expect.
6. Anxious: To be anxious is to feel distressed or worried, not eager.
7. Approximately: How about using about instead? Save three syllables. For scientific or technical
references, approximately is fine, but its a bit much in most other contexts.
8. As to whether: As to is extraneous; use whether only.
9. At this point in time: Omit this meaningless filler.
10. Basically, essentially, totally: Basically, these words are essentially nonessential, and you can
totally dispense with them.
11. Being as/being that: Replace these phrases with because.
12. Considered to be: To be is extraneous; write considered only, or consider deleting it as well.
13. Could care less: No, you couldnt. You want to convey that its not possible for you to care
less, so you couldnt care less.
14. Due to the fact that: Replace this phrase with because.
15. Each and every: Write Each item is unique, or Every item is unique, but not Each and every
item is unique.
16. Equally as: As is superfluous; write equally only.
17. Was a factor, is a factor, will be a factor: If your writing includes one of these phrases, its
presence is a sign that youre not done revising yet; rewrite The vehicles condition is a factor in
performance, for example, to The vehicles condition affects its performance.
18. Had ought: Had is redundant; use ought only.
19. Have got: Got is suitable for informal writing only; if youre referring to necessity,
consider must rather than have got, and if the reference is to simple possession, deletegot from the
phrase have got.
20. In many cases/it has often been the case: Reduce the word count in statements containing these
verbose phrases by replacing in many cases with often, for example.
21. In the process of: This extraneous phrasing is acceptable in extemporaneous speaking but
unnecessarily verbose in prepared oration and in writing.
22. Is a . . . which/who: If you find yourself writing a phrase like this, step back and determine how to
write it more succinctly; Smith is a man who knows how to haggle, for example, can be abbreviated to
Smith knows how to haggle.
23. Kind of/sort of: In formal writing, if you must qualify a statement, use a more stately qualifier such
as rather, slightly, or somewhat.
24. Lots/lots of: In formal writing, employ many or much in place of one of these colloquialisms.
25. Of a . . . character: If you use character as a synonym for quality, make the reference concise. The
wine has a musty character is better rendered The wine tasted musty, and He was a man with a refined
character can be revised to the more concise statement The man was refined, but better yet, describe
how the man is refined.
26. Of a . . . nature: Just as with character, when you use nature as a synonym forquality, pare the
phrasing down: Reduce She had a philosophical nature, for example, to She was philosophical.
27. Oftentimes: An outdated, unnecessary complication of often.
28. On account of: Replace this awkward phrase with because.
29. Renown: Renown is the noun (as well as a rarely used verb); renowned is the adjective. Avoid the like
of the renown statesman.
30. Thankfully: In formal usage, this word is not considered a synonym for fortunately.
5 Verbose Sentences Made Shorter

When you write, think tight. The goal is not to reduce every sentence to its most concise form but to avoid
distractingly extraneous wording and phrasing. Here are five sentences improved by a reduction in length.
1. The teacher is speaking on a phone in his classroom between classes, and he breaks
away for a moment to answer a students question.
To condense a sentence with two independent clauses separated by a conjunction, open a parenthetical
where the sentences first verb appears, and close it where the second clause begins, deleting the verb and
the conjunction respectively: The teacher, speaking on a phone in his classroom between classes, breaks
away for a moment to answer a students question.
2. The theme of this years summit is From Essential Elements to Effective Practice, and
the conference will include a variety of interactive sessions.
Heres a revision of a sentence constructed like the one in the previous example, which is improved by the
same technique deletion of the initial verb and parenthesis of what followed that verb: This years
summit, From Essential Elements to Effective Practice, will include a variety of interactive sessions.
3. John Smith runs the DJ Project, an after-school program in San Francisco for students
struggling in school. He uses hip-hop to connect with the students.
To combine two sentences into one, convert key information from either sentence into a parenthetical and
tack the other statement onto the end: John Smith, who runs the DJ Project, an after-school program in
San Francisco for students struggling in school, uses hip-hop to connect with the students.
4. Its rather annoying that you cant turn off the various sounds that play when you use
the zoom and other functions.
Strive to pare explanations and descriptions down to the fewest possible words. For example, theres a
standing phrase for the concept of the various sounds that play: Its annoying that you cant turn off the
sound effects for zoom and other functions.
5. Students worked collaboratively on unfamiliar and open-ended problems.
Look for opportunities to reduce sentence length by omitting a sentences verb and converting an adverb
to a verb to take its place: Students collaborated on unfamiliar and open-ended problems. (The problem
this revision solves is called smothering a verb.)
50 Idioms About Meat and Dairy Products

Expressions that figuratively to livestock and other animals and animal products abound in English
idiom. Here are many such morsels.
12. To bring home the bacon is to earn money at a job, but to save (someones) bacon is to help or
rescue someone when they are in trouble or risking failure.
35. To beef about (someone) is to complain or criticize, but have a beef with someone is to hold a
grudge, while to beef up something is to strengthen it.
6. Wheres the beef? is a challenge or claim indicating that an idea is without sufficient substance.
78. A chicken is a fearful person, and to chicken out is to opt, out of fear, not to do something.
9. A chicken-and-egg argument is a circuitous one.
1012. Chicken feed is an insubstantial amount of money, and chicken scratch is illegible writing,
while to play chicken is to engage in a standoff to determine who will back down first.
13. To say that the chickens have come home to roost means that consequences are imminent.
14. The exhortation Dont count your chickens before theyre hatched cautions one not to act as if a
hoped-for outcome has already occurred.
15. One who is no spring chicken is not young anymore.
16. To run around like a headless chicken (or like a chicken with its head cut off) is to panic or worry
aimlessly.
1719. To have bigger fish to fry is to have more important things to do, but a fine kettle of fish is an
unfortunate situation, while a different kettle of fish suggests something is unrelated to the topic
2021. To make hamburger or make mincemeat of someone or something is to defeat or destroy the
person or the thing.
22. To be a meat-and-potatoes person is to like simple things.
23. A meat market is a venue people frequent to seek sex partners.
24. Something that is meat and drink to someone is a skill or pastime that they enjoy and that is very
easy for them.
25. One who is dead meat is a target for harm or punishment.
26. To say that one mans meat is another mans poison is to say that what one person may like, another
may dislike.
27. The meat of the matter is the essence of an issue or problem.
28. Something that is pork barrel is a government spending project cynically designed to garner
support.
29. To pork out is to eat too much.
30. To stop cold turkey is to do so abruptly.
31. To butter (someone) up is to flatter that person.
32. To say that butter wouldnt melt in (ones) mouth is to imply that they are feigning innocence by
looking calm and cool.
33. To cheese (someone) off is to anger or disgust someone.
34. A big cheese is a leader or somewhat important (sometimes jocularly rendered in French: le grande
fromage).
35. To cut the cheese is vulgar slang meaning produce flatulence.
36. Say, Cheese! is an exhortation to smile for a photograph.
3738. The cream of the crop is the best in its class; the crme de la crme is the best of the best.
3940. A good egg is a good person, and a bad egg is a bad person.
4145. To put all (ones) eggs in one basket is to risk everything at once, but to lay an egg is to
perform poorly, and to have egg on (ones) face is to be left embarrassed or humiliated, while to egg
(someone) on is to goad someone to something that is generally ill advised. A nest egg is a savings fund.
46. To say that one cant make an omelette without breaking some (or the) eggs means that nothing can
be accomplished without some difficulty.
47. To cry over spilled milk is to dwell over something that cannot be undone.
48. To be full of the milk of human kindness is to generously display kindness and/or sympathy.
4950. To milk (someone) for (something) is to pressure the person, but to milk (something) for all
its worth is to exploit something to the greatest extent possible.
5 Errors of Restriction
1. Bank of Americas purchase of Fleet Boston for $47 billion will create the biggest bank
in the United States with thirty-three million customers.
The lack of punctuation in this sentence invites the impression that of all the banks in the United States
with thirty-three million customers, the Bank of America will be the largest. But the last phrase merely
refers to the size of the customer base after the merger.
This additional information should be set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma: Bank of
Americas purchase of Fleet Boston for $47 billion will create the biggest bank in the United States, with
thirty-three million customers. Alternatively, the information can be inserted parenthetically into the
middle of the sentence: Bank of Americas purchase of Fleet Boston for $47 billion, which boosts its
customer base to thirty-three million, will create the biggest bank in the United States.
2. Take a visit to the military test kitchen where bad grub is taken very seriously.
The implication here is that among military test kitchens, the one in question is the only one that focuses
on bad food. However, its quite likely theres only one military test kitchen, a fact this sentence indicates
by the simple insertion of a comma: Take a visit to the military test kitchen, where bad grub is taken very
seriously. (If there is more than one, the implied multiplicity of kitchens is distracting; a simple change of
the article preceding the noun phrase will remove the obstacle: Take a visit to a military test kitchen
where bad grub is taken very seriously.)
3. Yesterday, ChevronTexaco announced the deal thats expected to be complete within six
months.
The reader might get the impression that of two or more deals, this ones expected to take up to six
months to complete. But theres only one deal, and it should be complete within six months. To
communicate that information, set the time frame apart from the phrase about the announcement, and
change that to which: Yesterday, ChevronTexaco announced the deal, which is expected to be complete
within six months.
4. Daniel Libeskind is the architect of the proposed $43 million Contemporary Jewish
Museum project in San Francisco that will begin construction next year.
This example is less likely than the previous one to confuse readers about the number of similar events
expected to occur; its unlikely that anyone will assume that more than one museum project is in the
offing. However, the sentence is constructed so that such distraction is possible. To clarify, undertake the
same revision as in the example above: Daniel Libeskind is the architect of the proposed $43 million
Contemporary Jewish Museum project in San Francisco, which will begin construction next year.
5. The companys incident-response can quickly and reliably identify events, which
threaten an organizations security posture.
Note that this sentence, by contrast, errs in the other direction: The wording and punctuation implies that
all events are a threat to the organizations security posture. But the sentence intends to refer to a
restricted type of events, so it should be worded to convey that meaning: The companys incident-
response can quickly and reliably identify events that threaten an organizations security posture.
10 Tips About Basic Writing Competency

Here are ten areas to be sure to attend to if you wish to be taken seriously as a professional writer.
Formatting
1. Do not enter two letter spaces between sentences. Use of two spaces is an obsolete convention based on
typewriter technology and will mark you as out of touch. If editors or other potential employers or clients
notice that you dont know this simple fact, they may be skeptical about your writing skills before youve
had a chance to impress them.
2. Take care that paragraphs are of varying reasonable lengths. Unusually short or long paragraphs are
appropriate in moderation, but allowing a series of choppy paragraphs or laboriously long ones to remain
in a final draft is unprofessional.
3. If youre submitting a manuscript or other content for publication, do not format it with various fonts
and other style features. Editors want to read good writing, not enjoy aesthetically pleasing (or not)
manuscripts; efforts to prettify a file are a distraction.
Style
4. Do not, in rsums or in other text, get carried away with capitalization. You didnt earn a Masters
Degree; you earned a masters degree. You didnt study Biology; you studied biology. You werent Project
Manager; you were project manager. (Search the Daily Writing Tips website for capitalization to find
numerous articles on the subject.)
5. Become familiar with the rules for styling numbers, and apply them rationally.
6. Know the principles of punctuation, especially regarding consistency in insertion or omission of the
serial comma, avoidance of the comma splice, and use of the semicolon. (Search the Daily Writing
Tips website for punctuation to find numerous articles on the subject.) And if you write in American
English and you routinely place a period after the closing quotation mark at the end of a sentence rather
than before it, go back to square one and try again.
7. Hyphenation is complicated. In other breaking news, life isnt fair. Dont count on editors to cure
your hyphenation hiccups for you; become your own expert consultant. (In addition to reading the post
I linked to here, search the Daily Writing Tips website for hyphenation to find numerous articles on the
subject.)
8. Avoid scare quotes. A term does not need to be called out by quotation marks around it unless you
must clarify that the unusual usage is not intended to be read literally, or when they are employed for
comic effect. (In this case, the implication is that the comic effect is patently unamusing.)
Usage
9. For all intensive purposes, know your idioms. (That should be for all intents and purposes, but you
should also just omit such superfluous phrases.) On a related note, avoid clichs like the plague except
when you dont. Theyre useful, but generous use is the sign of a lazy writer.
Spelling
10. Dont rely on spellchecking programs to do your spelling work for you, and always verify spelling (and
wording) of proper nouns.
3 Problems of Nonparallel Interjections
In a post published recently, I discussed simple problems of parallelism in sentence construction.
Here are three examples of more complex errors involving corresponding sentence elements.
1. Low-interest rates have been one of the primary, if not the primary factor in extending
the real estate boom in the United States.
The corresponding phrases in this sentence are neither parallel nor complete. First, the additional
consideration (if not the primary factor) must be structured as an interjection, meaning that it has to be
bracketed parenthetically by commas, em dashes, or parentheses. (Which method you choose depends on
the emphasis you want to give the interjection: Parentheses minimize the interruption, commas are the
default punctuation for separating an interrupting phrase from the main sentence, and em dashes call
attention to the inserted phrase.)
In this case, if not the primary factor must be set off from the rest of the sentence with punctuation
before and after; any of the three punctuation forms is appropriate. However, theres more work to be
done. The key to correctly constructing a sentence with an interjection is that if the interjection is omitted,
the sentence is still complete.
But read this version of the sentence with the interjection omitted: Low-interest rates have been one of
the primary in extending the real estate boom in the United States. Obviously, factors must be inserted
after the first use of primary in additional to the inclusion of the singular form of the word in the
interjection: Low-interest rates have been one of the primary factors, if not the primary factor, in
extending the real estate boom in the United States.
2. Talk of a name change has struck some political observers as not only a merely
cosmetic, but also as a pointless gesture.
As with the previous example, this sentence lacks a correctly framed interjection but also as a
pointless must be set off from the rest of the sentence: Talk of a name change has struck some political
observers as . . . a merely cosmetic gesture. (The ellipsis marks the omission of not only, which as part
of the not only . . . but also comparative device is technically a part of the interjection.)
The corrected sentence should read, Talk of a name change has struck some political observers as not
only a merely cosmetic, but also a pointless, gesture. (Note the omission of the second instance of as.)
Better yet, convert the interjection to a sentence-ending tag: Talk of a name change has struck some
political observers as not only a merely cosmetic gesture but also a pointless one.
3. He could have, but he didnt, press for a clear, bilateral agreement on immigration.
Use the interjection-omission test described above to analyze this sentences problem: Without the
(correctly punctuated) interjection, the sentence erroneously reads He could have press for a clear,
bilateral agreement on immigration. A hypercorrection featuring logical correspondence at the expense
of readability is He could have pressed, but he didnt press, for a clear, bilateral agreement on
immigration. As with the previous example, the sentence is best repaired by moving the interjection to
the end of the sentence: He could have pressed for a clear, bilateral agreement on immigration, but he
didnt.
The Most Overused Words of 2012

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 08:11 PM PST
Words are sometimes randomly reincarnated to serve new purposes, and usually, the new usage is
anything but offensive, and its connection may even be obscure: Does anyone object to the use of the
word plane (meaning, basically, surface) to describe aircraft? Often, however, the extension of a term to
a new connotation invites contempt. Heres a rundown of some of the online commentary about new
senses of words that have worn out their welcome.
The business blog Quartz published an article about the most misused word in 2012:disrupt, which in
the commercial world is used in the context of companies that suddenly and dramatically alter their focus
or product(s); other tiresome Wall Street jargon includes the similar pivot as well as innovation, which
almost invariably refers to strategies that are anything but innovative but the word, presumably, still
catches the eye of investors and customers.
LinkedIn recently listed the top ten words and phrases people use on the networking site to describe
themselves to potential employers and clients: Creative, organizational, and effective have remained in
the top three positions for two years in a row, followed this year by motivated, extensive experience,
track record, innovative, responsible,analytical, and problem solving. (How, then, does one market
oneself without resorting to such overused terms? Describe how you are creative, organizational, and
effective rather than simply typing the words.)
Similarly, the Shift Communications PR Agency published a graphic displaying the supposedly
substantive words most prevalent in press releases. Trailing global, the clear leader,
were forward, leading, international, growth, and well positioned.
Every year, Lake Superior State University invites nominations for inclusion on itsBanished Words
List: This years roster includes amazing, blowback (resistance or usually negative reaction to an action
or a proposal), and ginormous (a portmanteau word derived from gigantic and enormous). Among the
phrases on the list are baby bump (visual evidence of pregnancy), man cave (a female-free except
for the bikini babes on the beer posters refuge for the man of the house, especially when hes in the
doghouse), and thank(ing) you in advance, widely considered a discourteous courtesy in a business
email or letter.
The Atlantic Monthlys online version, Atlantic Wire, offers An A-to-Z Guide to 2012s Worst
Words, which includes disrupt and baby bump but also derides the use in technological contexts
of curate (which is just a fancy way to say link) and ecosystem(referring collectively to similar digital
devices or formats). Meanwhile, epic, used as an adjective to describe a supposedly remarkable experience
or phenomenon, is among a slew of pop-culture terms singled out for retirement.
And then, of course, theres fail used as a noun to describe a botched effort which is itself now
frequently deemed a failure.

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DAILY WRITING TIPS

Plural But Singular in Construction

5 Examples of the Need for Multiple Hyphenation

Answers to Questions About Abbreviations

The Basics of Back-Formation

20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Compound Words in Technological Contexts

5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

Fragmentary Sentences and Sentence Fragments

30 More Nautical Expressions

5 Erroneously Constructed Not Only . . . But Also Sentences

5 Errors in Treating Quotations

30 Problem Words and Phrases

5 Verbose Sentences Made Shorter

50 Idioms About Meat and Dairy Products

10 Tips About Basic Writing Competency

The Most Overused Words of 2012

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