A Note to Remember

Writing is an art and there is no way to be perfectly correct or completely wrong. If you don't agree with some of the things I have here, it's fine. I don't agree with everything I read on the internet, even while writing this blog. I've been taught certain things by my English teachers, and other professors, which carry into my writing. It's all a matter of personal opinion, but these are the main things which most will agree upon.

Keep your chin up and keep on writing.

Punctuation

Probably the most important topic to at least partially grasp. I'll break it down piece by piece.

Periods
Ex: .
3 Rules:

1. Used to mark the end of a complete sentence.
2. Don't follow words or acronyms that end in periods with another period.
3. Questions which are indirect should be ended with a period.

Ellipsis Marks
Ex: ...
Ellipsis Marks are used when you omit a word, paragraph, phrase, line, or more from a quoted passage.
2 Rules:

1. Do not use more or less than three periods when forming an ellipsis mark.
2. When omitting long pieces use the ellipsis marks after the last punctuation mark.

Commas
Ex: ,
21 Rules:

1. Avoid confusion by separating words or word groups (3 or more items/objects/subjects) with a comma.
2. Separate adjectives with a comma where "and" can be inserted.
3. Separate -ly adjectives from other adjectives.
4. Before or surrounding the name/title of a person addressed.
5. Date
1. Outlaw the year from the day and the rest of the sentence after.
2. Leave the comma out when part of the date is omitted.
6. Outlaw the state from the city and the rest of the sentence after.
7. Set off titles and degrees with a comma.
8. Block out expressions which interrupt the sentence.
9. Mark the end of a weak clause with a comma, do not mark the end of a strong clause with a comma.
10. Put a comma at the end of phrases (3 or more words), otherwise it is optional.
11. If the object or subject is identified then the description following should be marked in commas. Likewise, if the object or subject is not identified then the description following should NOT be marked in comas.
12. Separate strong clauses with a comma, unless they are short. The comma is placed before the words: and, but, for, or, nor.
13. To avoid confusion, separate two sentences with a comma.
14. "A comma splice is an error caused by joining two strong clauses with only a comma instead of separating the clauses with a conjunction, a semicolon, or a period. A run-on sentence, which is incorrect, is created by joining two strong clauses without any punctuation." (http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp)
15. If there is not a subject before the second verb in a sentence no comma is needed.
16. Introduce or Interrupt dialogue or quotations with commas.
17. Separate statements from questions.
18. Use a comma to separate the contrasting parts of the sentence.
19. When beginning the sentence with an introductory word (yes, well, now), isolate it with a comma.
20. "Therefore" and "however" are interrupters in the flow of the sentence, use commas to isolate them.
21. Block off introductory words (e.g., i.e., namely, for example, for instance, that is) when it is followed by a list of items.

Semicolons

Ex: ;

3 Rules:

1. Used in place of a period to conjoin two sentences where the conjunction has been left out. (I see this one get messed up so many times, conjunctions [and, or, but, because] are not allowed after a semicolon.)
2. Block off the sentence before introductory words (e.g., i.e., namely, for example, for instance, that is) when it is followed by a list of items. This is preferable over a comma.
3. Separate series with a semicolon when the series contains commas.

Colons

Ex: :

4 Rules

1. Use to introduce a list of items when introductory words are not used.
2. Following a salutation in a letter.
3. In context when a character is about to speak, but it starts in the next paragraph. (Needs to have a dialogue tag before the colon can be used.)
4. Introducing long quotations.

Question Marks

Ex: ?

3 Rules

1. When a question is asked.
2. When a statement is mixed with a question.
3. In gaming and texting language it can be used by itself to post the questions: What? Why? Who? Huh?

Exclamation Points

Ex: !

2 Rules

1. Used to show emphasis and surprise.
2. Refrain from using it too often in context, dialogue will show the emotion of the character better than a contextual exclamation point.

Quotation Marks

Ex: "

7 Rules

1. Periods and commas always go inside the marks.
2. If there is a quote used within a question the question mark goes outside the quotation marks.
3. If you are asking a question inside a quote the question mark goes inside the quotation marks.
4. Use apostrophes around quotes which are inside of quotes.
5. Quotation marks are only required when you are using a direct quote.
6. When writing a novel and a character/person/subject is speaking for more than a paragraph do not end the paragraph with a quotation mark. Instead start the next paragraph with one so the reader knows they are still hearing from the same character/person/subject.
7. When presenting a quote which may be confusing or with a spelling error put [sic] after the information/misspell to let the reader know it is the way the original piece was.

Parentheses

Ex: ( )

3 Rules

1. Enclose information which is used to clarify or is an aside.
2. Numbers or letters for listed items should be enclosed.
3. Periods only ever go inside parentheses if there is a complete sentence inside.

Apostrophes

Ex: '

8 Rules

1. Required in contractions.
2. Apostrophes are used to show possession. If they name/object/subject ends in an "s," however, then you do not put an 's you simply put an apostrophe.
3. Plural possession, both the noun and the object are pluralized, only the noun however will usually have the apostrophe.
4. Don't use an apostrophe for the plural of a last name.
5. If two or more people possess the same item together then only the last name mentioned should be marked with an 's. If they each own it separately, however, then you must mark each name with an 's.
6. Never use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns; i.e., theirs, yours, his, hers, ours, its
7. The word "it" only uses an 's when it is a contraction for "it is" or "it has."
8. Words should be possessive when they are in front of a -ing (gerund) word. Whether it be a noun or pronoun.

Hyphens or Dashes

Ex: -

Rules

1. Look up whether a word needs a hyphen.
2. Compound Verbs can be hyphenated or one word, check the dictionary.
3. If you can use the word "and" try a comma instead of a hyphen.
4. All compound numbers should be hyphenated.
5. Spelled out fractions should have a hyphen as well.
6. Words that begin with "self" should have a hyphen.
7. Can be used as a format in writing to have a continuation between thoughts or events.
8. Used in dates to say "from this time to this time."

Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

You can't really have one without the other, so when discussing one we must discuss them all.

Prefix- The small little piece which means something and is at the beginning of the word.
Suffix- The small piece which means something and is at the end of the word.
Root- The word which another word was derived from. i.e. dance to danced

These beginnings, endings, and words are used to help us know what we are reading, we know the basic definitions of words and then we know the additions to those words to make it mean something else. You can however use context clues to figure out the meaning as well.

Common Prefixes:
anti- against
de- opposite
dis- not, opposite of
en-, em- cause to
fore- before
in-, im- in
in-, im-, il-, ir- not
inter- between
mid- middle
mis- wrongly
non- not
over- over
pre- before
re- again, return
semi- half
sub- under
super- above
trans- across
un- not
under- under

Common Suffixes:
-able, -ible can be done
-al, -ial having characteristics of
-ed past-tense verbs
-en made of
-er comparative
-er one who
-est comparative
-ful full of
-ic having characteristics of
-ing verb form/present participle
-ion, -tion, -ation, -ition act process
-ity, -ty state of
-ive, -ative, -itive adjective form of a noun
-less without
-ly characteristic of
-ment action or process
-ness state of, condition of
-ous, -eous, -ious possessing the qualities of
-s, -es more than one
-y characterized by

Dead Words

Dead words are simply words which are so overused in the English language, they no longer have much meaning nor do they add any emotion to the work. Some people however are a little strict about their use, and they may mark your grade down for it in school. Check with your teacher on which words you can use because some of the ones on the internet are not really dead words. Sometimes it can be an opinion, like some of the words I saw while trying to find a list.

that
so
a lot
like
got
very

You might even see out there on the internet to never use the word "said". I am a not a strong supporter of using the word "said," but I don't think you should use it every single line. Spice up your writing with emotion words rather than using the constant "said," but don't over do it to where you never see the word "said". Sometimes, you don't even need dialogue tags, especially if it's a conversation or fight between two characters. The reader can keep track of who's saying what.

"That" tends to take away emotion from the subject or object of the sentence. It's easy to replace with who, whom, or which. In turn with each other depending on what the sentence demands.

"So" is commonly a passing of time, and if you're looking for word count, it's much easier to replace with a longer sentence. You can even cut it completely and no harm done.

"A lot" you know, I don't understand why this one is a dead word. I see nothing wrong with it. It simply expresses there is an abundance of something. Maybe they just want you to use fancy language.

"Like" this one gets irritable after a while. It's used for comparisons and saying if you have crushes on people. It's easily over used, I see nothing wrong with it in conversation or dialogue, but it's generally best to avoid.

"Got" I got a frog in my pocket. Replaceable with "have" or "received," same general use as the word "like."

"Very" usually in conjunction with the word "like," meant to rank importance on a certain subject. Use fancier language when not in dialogue.

Not Speaking to the Reader

On of the hardest things a writer can face is not speaking to the reader. All writers have the natural tendency to try and turn their writing into a conversation. It's important to not do this. You are trying to get your point across and make sure your reader understands, but DO NOT SPEAK TO THEM. As the character or the writer, both are equally bad. Now you might be wondering how you speak to the reader, here are a few examples.

You know what I mean?
I bet even you have made this mistake at least once in your life.
Have you ever been in love? It sucks, I advise you to never fall in love.

I plead guilty to this, I really do. When I was a younger writer and just learning I never really thought how tacky it looked to address the reader directly. I am now embarrassed when I come across those little slip ups in my writing. I've spent a lot of time editing and I'm sure I'll have to edit more out eventually. Be careful to not let yourself slip into this habit.

Who vs. Whom

"Who" vs. "Whom" ask yourself whether the answer would be "he" vs. "him." -Mignon Fogarty

Who connects to the subject (normally a person or character) and whom connects to the object. One of the reasons I love grammar girl however, she gives you quick tips on how to remember it. The quote up top? Remember it. The "who" connects to the "he" and the "whom" to "him." Pair m with m. M&M! Another thing to remember, is the subject is not always male, so remember the female counterparts "she" and "her" as well.

Quiz:

1. Who or Whom do you love?
     I love her.
2. Who or Whom stepped on Pascal?
     He stepped on Pascal.
3. Who or Whom has a crush on you?
     She has a crush on you.
4. Who or Whom are you proud of?
     I'm proud of him.
5. Who or Whom should we invite to the party?
     We should invite him.
6. Who or Whom wants ice cream?
     She wants ice cream.

Answers:
1. Whom
2. Who
3. Who
4. Whom
5. Whom
6. Who

Active and Passive Voice

To be completely honest, I still don't understand this topic. We'll both be learning something new today!

Active= the subject of the sentence is "acting"
Passive= the subject and target of the subject switch positions

I'm always told to write with an active voice in essay's, who knows if I've managed it. I asked a bunch of people if they knew of a way to quickly describe it to get it through a lot easier, turns out, they didn't even know there was Active vs. Passive. This obviously shows how much of a problem it is in English. *whispers* I blame the teachers.

Here's a few examples to try and help:

Active:
I threw the ball.
Tricia loves Frodo.
The 16th Century poets most often dealt with the theme of...
You heard it on the radio.

Passive:
The ball was thrown by me. OR The ball was thrown.
Frodo is loved by Tricia.
The theme that was most dealt with by the 16th Century poets was...
Heard on the radio was a song.

Wow, those Passive examples were really boring. Basically, active keeps the reader interested because it has characters which draw you in and you know the subject and what they are doing. Passive can bore them to death because there's either something completely missing (the person performing the action) or the subject seems to be acted upon by the verb.

When you don't want to put the blame or responsibility on someone however, then use passive voice to save yourself or others from extreme embarrassment! Here are some example sentences:

Mistakes were made.
The files will be sent as soon as possible.

Singular and Plural Words

The moment when you all groan because this is one of the dreaded topics. I understand, in fact I used to be there. Mostly because I grasped the concept quite easily while so many others were completely confused by it. I will help you however, as this is the point of the blog. There are two forms of words, besides the different forms they may take in different Point of Views. They are Singular and Plural.

Singular- Being the only one of its kind; dinstinctive; unique. Individual. Noting or pertaining to a member of the category of number found in many languages that indicates that word form has one referent or denotes on person, place, thing, or instance.

Plural- Consisting of, containing, or pertaining to more than one. Pertaining to or involving a plurality of persons or things. Noting or pertaining to a member of the category of number, found in many languages, indicating that a word has more than one referent.

In short, singular is the form you use when you only have one of the object in question. Plural is the form you use when you have multiple of the object in question.

Ex:
bottle-bottles
cup-cups
pencil-pencils
desk-desks
sticker-stickers
window-windows
child-children
woman-women
mouse-mice
goose-geese

Verbs

Verbs are the hardest part of grammar to grasp, as they can vary drastically and it's easy to become confused as to what the verb is. Though, the only time anyone has ever really needed to know what a verb is is when the teacher throws a quiz at you and tells you to label the parts of the sentence. Personally, I think if you're writing you just need to know the dictionary front to back and you're good. For those pop quiz days however, which even writers hate, it's good to know which word is the verb.

These small annoying verbs are usually actions, but as English decides to be even more confusing, they can also be in sentence which has no action at all. It is either the state of being or the action word. There is even past, present, and future tenses of each verb.

Ex:
looked (Past), look (Present), will look (Future)

Some verbs however, don't have the simple trick of adding an -ed at the end.

Ex:
saw (Past), see (Present), will see (Future)

Then there are continuous verbs in which you say:

is looking, are looking, so on and so forth.

There are also different forms for the point of view you choose to write from, as well as knowing if you are writing it in the singular or plural form, the tense even has a few things to say on this subject.

Point of View:
1st (I)
2nd (you)
3rd (he, she, it)
1st (we)
2nd (you)
3rd (they)

Singular:
1st (I)- see, hear, come
2nd (you)- see, hear, come
3rd (he, she, it)- sees, hears, comes

Plural:
1st (we)- see, hear, come
2nd (you)- see, hear, come
3rd (they)- see, hear, come

Singular-Present:
1st (I)- am, have, do
2nd (you)- are, have, do
3rd (he, she, it)- is, has, does

Singular-Past:
1st (I)- was, had, did
2nd (you)- were, had, did
3rd (he, she, it)- was, had, did

Singular-Future:
All- will be

Plural-Present:
All- are, have, do

Plural-Past:
All- were, had, did

Plural-Future:
All- will be