Passed & Past : Grammar & Editing Tips

A few weeks ago, I posted about Homophones and Contractions. Homophones are words that sound alike (can be spelled alike or not) but have different meanings. 

As an editor, I fix tons of homophones in manuscripts. From time to time, I thought I'd feature some commonly misused homophones. 

Today, I'm going to discuss passed and past. 

Each word had over 15 possible definitions, so it's easier to discuss examples when they are often confused.

Passed is most often used as the past tense of pass.

My daughter passed her exam. On the way home, she passed her friend on the street.

Past can be a noun (meaning the time gone by), an adjective (completed, finished, no longer in existence), and an adverb (so as to pass or go by).

She had more homework than in years past. The ball sped past the pitcher.

Where I see it most confused is in the verb versus adverb usage.

He passed the mirror and winked at himself. (passed is a verb)

He walked past the mirror and winked at himself. (past is acting as adverb for walked)

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Definitions from Dictionary.com

Effect & Affect : Grammar & Editing Tips

A few weeks ago, I posted about Homophones and Contractions. Homophones are words that sound alike (can be spelled alike or not) but have different meanings. 

As an editor, I fix tons of homophones in manuscripts. From time to time, I thought I'd feature some commonly misused homophones. 

Today, I'll discuss effect/affect. At first glance, these might seem easy.

The simple rule: 

Effect is a Noun and Affect is a Verb

You can affect an effect.

Affect: to do something that influences someone or something

Effect: a result or action to someone or something

Ah, there has to be an exception for fun, right?

Yep.

Effect can be a verb. However, it's used very rarely. Honestly, I rarely use it. There are simply better ways to word the sentence. But, in the effort of full disclosure...

Effect (noun): to make something happen

Example: He wanted to be President to effect change.

Hope this helps.

To date, I've had the following homophone posts if you are interested in checking them out:

Bear/Bare

Peek/Peak/Pique

Reign/Rein/Rain

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Definitions from Dictionary.com

Bear and Bare : Grammar & Editing Tips

A few weeks ago, I posted about Homophones and Contractions. Homophones are words that sound alike (can be spelled alike or not) but have different meanings. 

As an editor, I fix tons of homophones in manuscripts. From time to time, I thought I'd feature some commonly misused homophones. 

Today, I'll discuss bear and bare. At first glance, these might seem easy.

Source

Bear

An animal. Easy. Right?

Well, as a noun, yes.

Verb variations (past tense = bore, past participle = borne):

1. To hold up, support (bear weight)

2. To give birth (bear a child)

3. To produce by natural growth (bear fruit)

4. To hold up under / be capable of (bear close examination)

Also bear down on something and bear in mind.

Bare

Some good adjectives for this one.

1. Without covering or clothing / naked

2. Without the usual coverings or contents (bare walls)

3. Open to view / unconcealed (bare dislike)

4. Unadorned (bare facts)

5. Just sufficient (bare necessities of life)

Verb (past tense: bared)

1. To reveal / uncover / expose (bare all in an interview, bare one's teeth)

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Definitions from Dictionary.com

Peek, Peak, and Pique : Grammar & Editing Tips

A few weeks ago, I posted about Homophone and Contractions. Homophones are words that sound alike (can be spelled alike or not) but have different meanings. 

As an editor, I fix tons of homophones in manuscripts. From time to time, I thought I'd feature some commonly misused homophones. 

Today, I'll discuss peek, peak, and pique.

www.wigflip.com

Peek

Think of the two Es as eyes. 

v. To look or glance furtively

n. A quick or furtive look or glance

It's about a look or a look into something. 

I often see a mistake with "sneak peek"... I think it's because sneak has eak, so it's easy to mistakenly type peak instead of peek.

Peak

n. The pointed top of a mountain or range (or anything) / the maximum point, degree, or volume of anything
v. To reach the top

He reached the peak of the mountain race, which was the peak of his racing career.

Pique

Most commonly used in the phrase "pique someone's interest."

n. to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, especially by somewound to pride / to excite or arouse (interest, curiosity)
v. to arouse pique in someone

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Definitions from Dictionary.com

Reign, Rein, and Rain : Grammar & Editing Tips

www.wigflip.com

Last week, I posted about Homophone and Contractions. Homophones are words that sound alike (can be spelled alike or not) but have different meanings. 

As an editor, I fix tons of homophones in manuscripts. So, I thought I'd feature some commonly misused homophones for the next couple of weeks. 

Today, I'll discuss reign, rein, and rain.

Reign

Royal rule or authority (noun) or to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority (verb). So, if it's about royalty, it's reign. 

Rein

A leather strap, fastened to each end of the bit of a bridle, by which the rider or driver 
controls a horse or other animal by pulling so as to exert pressure on the bit (noun) or 

to check or guide by exerting pressure on a bridle bit by means of the reins / to curb, restrain, or control (verb).

I like to think of reindeer to remember this one. Pulling or device to pull = rein. Even if you want to hold back a person, it's rein in. 

A tricky one is free rein. I found an excellent description of why it's rein and not reign in this instance (from Grammarist). From their website:

The usual spelling of the phrase meaning freedom to do as one pleases is free rein, not free reign. The latter is a common misspelling, and it almost makes sense given reign's meaning (i.e., the exercise of sovereign power). But free rein, an allusion to horseback riding, is the original form, and it is much more common in published texts. The OED lists instances of its use from as long ago as the 17th century.

Rain

This is the easy one, right? Rain is weather... the water that comes down from the sky.

And for real fun...

reign of terror -- think ruling of terror

rained terror -- think rained water, so rained terror (like terror is coming down)

A king can rain terror that causes a reign of terror. 

Grammar is never boring!

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Definitions from Dictionary.com

Homophones and Contractions : Grammar & Editing Tips

Happy Wednesday!

Our language can be tricky. So many grammar and spelling rules have exceptions. Then, there are homophones*: words that sound alike (can be spelled alike or not) but have different meanings.

Examples of ones spelled alike: read (can mean to read a book today or I read a book yesterday) or rose (a flower or to rise past tense).

For today, let's stick with homophones that sound alike but are spelled differently, with a special focus on words with contractions.

They're / Their / There
They're = they are
Their = belonging to them / possession
There = place (like here)

It's / Its
It's = It is
Its = belonging to it / possession

You're / Your
You're = you are
Your = belonging to you / possession

Who's / Whose
Who's = Who is
Whose = possession (Whose bag is this?)

I'll be doing another homophone list and tricks post soon. I focused on these today, because they are (they're) commonly used and misused.

There's good news, though. These are easy to identify. 

Example

You're going to have a wonderful time.

You are going to have a wonderful time.

So, just "un-contract it" to make sure of the spelling. *smiles* 

If you know you struggle with these, do a Search & Find in your document and double-check them.

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

* I used the term homophone for both types to keep it simple. However...

Source

Oxford Comma : Grammar & Writing Tips

Funny thing about getting off schedule... it has a ripple effect. Since I didn't publish my Monday post until Tuesday, it felt weird to publish my Grammar post on Wednesday (normal schedule). But, never fear, I didn't forget!

Today, I wanted to talk about commas. 

Whether the comma or period is the most used punctuation mark could be debated. After all, every sentence needs a period; not all sentences require a comma. However, some sentences use more than one comma.

Anyway...

So, I will feature comma uses several times.

For today, an easy one.

The Oxford Comma

Growing up, I was taught to put a comma before the and in a series ONLY if the series was complicated (not just single words). However, the new standard is to put the comma before the and.

At first, I was resistant. But, as an editor, I've seen countless examples of why it's important to use this comma. Plus, let's be honest, it's easier to have a hard-and-fast rule about it than a subjective one. Commas tend to be the most misused punctuation mark because of varying opinions, so a few solid rules are useful.

So, embrace the Oxford comma. After all, you don't want...

When I'm worried about something, I often seek wisdom 

from my parents, God and Judy Blume.

Wow. Instead of my parents, God, and Judy Blume, I've now declared that my parents are God and Judy Blume.

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Pronouns: Grammar & Editing Tips

Ah, the pronoun. Such a nifty way to avoid repetition. Thanks to she (and others like he, I, you, it, we, they), authors don't have to constantly reuse character names or bog down story with repeating nouns. 

wigflip.com

Sometimes, pronouns cause confusion because they take ownership of the closest, preceding noun (antecedent), and the last thing a reader wants to do is go hunting for that noun or be utterly confused.

So, a writer should make sure the pronoun is clear.

Example:

David and Bill went to the store, and he enjoyed his newly purchased candy bar and cherry pie. It was the best thing he ever tasted.

He = Bill

It = Cherry Pie

If that is the meaning the author intends, the sentence works. However, if he is meant to be David and/or it refers to the candy bar, then some reworking is needed. The his and he subsequently used refer to Bill as well. 

Okay, so just remember... the pronoun refers to the closest, preceding noun. 

Sometimes, the pronoun is used correctly, but the sentence is still suspect.

Example:

Several Miami strippers donated boxes of clothing, and they can be viewed at the church bazaar next Saturday.

Whoa. Wait a minute. Yes, they = boxes of clothing, but a reader might do a double take and think the strippers can be viewed at a church. That's a whole different story. *snickers*

Better to rework the sentence for clarity...

Several Miami strippers donated boxes of clothing, and these items can be viewed at the church bazaar next Saturday. 

Also, if it's been a while since the noun the pronoun refers to was used, clarify by repeating the noun. You don't want to make a reader search back a couple of paragraphs to figure out who he/she/it is. 

Furthermore, pronouns should not refer to something that hasn't been mentioned yet.

Example:

If it's cheaper, then definitely buy the red blouse. 

Instead...

If the red blouse is cheaper, then definitely buy it.

I could go on forever about pronouns, but the examples above cover a lot of material. 

An exception (because there's always one, right?)...

Dialog is independent of prose. A noun mentioned in dialog, would not be the closest, preceding noun for the sake of a pronoun in prose.

For example, if a main character (Kevin) is highlighted in prose but mentions a Gary in dialog, Kevin is still the he when prose begins again.

For more information, visit this great post by Grammar Girl: Pronouns and Antecedents. 

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Apostrophes: Grammar & Editing Tips

Isn’t it amazing how important the smallest of punctuation marks can be? 

Consider the apostrophe--small in stature, a simple ’, but huge in importance. After all, an apostrophe either takes the place of missing letters or assigns ownership. It is also used to show multiple letters, such as the student received many A’s on her report card. More on that in a moment.

If Charlie has a dog, it’s Charlie’s dog. The only somewhat confusing aspect to making names possessive… names that end in s. According to AP Style, the newest consensus is to leave off the additional ’s. So it would be Charles’ dog and not Charles’s. However, it is not incorrect to say Charles’s, and that style is favored by Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, although to me it is quite clunky.

In the case of biblical references, everyone seems to agree—Jesus’ and Moses’ is the way to go.

Interestingly, this was a debated enough issue that the Arkansas House of Representatives introduced a bill to clarify the state’s possessive, known as the Arkansas’s Apostrophe Act.

And of course there is the exception of it’s. Since it’s is it is, the possessive of it is its, no apostrophe.

Back to the student that received many A’s on her report card. The A is not A is and it’s not possessive, so why the apostrophe? Because otherwise it is the word As (same problem for the letters I and U which would become Is and Us without an apostrophe).

How big of a deal can a misplaced or missed apostrophe really be?

Let me give you a quick example…

The girls decision meant life would never be the same.

In a story, it’s important for the reader to know if that sentence should read girl’s or girls’ (one girl or multiple girls). Writers don’t want their readers scratching their head for too long, because then readers disconnect from the story. Never a good thing.

How can anybody remember all these rules, especially ones that the grammar experts disagree on? 

That’s just one of the reasons a good editor is important. They do the research and give you their advice. Just as importantly, they make sure it is consistent throughout your work. Your readers will thank you for it.

*****

I originally published this post on the Indie Books Gone Wild website here.  

Another great graphic...

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Lay & Lie: Grammar & Writing Tips

It's Wednesday--time for another grammar tip.

Today's Topic: Lay and Lie

At least we can get one thing straight right away. If you don't tell the truth, you tell a lie (past tense: lied). 

Now things start to get more complicated, but here's a simple trick...

A person/animal will lie down, but an object needs someone to lay it down. That's pretty easy. Note: when I grew up, I was taught only humans lie down (animals lay down). That's no longer the case. Animals also lie, unless a chicken needs to lay an egg. *chuckle*

But, as is true of most things in Grammar World, there is a complication.

The past tense of lie is lay. What? Again, the deciders of all things grammar love to mock us. 

So, for a handy resource, I put it in a graphic*.

Just in case I haven't emphasized it enough, Grammar Girl is an excellent resource for your grammar questions. Everything is laid out (see how I did that) in a simple to understand and comprehensive manner.

Thanks to Susan for commenting about covering lay and lie.

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it on a future post. 

* I'm just starting to play around with PicMonkey, so no graphic masterpieces yet.

Top 10 Writing Pet Peeves: Grammar & Writing Tips

For today's grammar focus, I'm recycling a post from June 2012. Enjoy!

*****

No writer is perfect, and perfection would be boring anyway. 

I'm a big believer in keeping a reader engaged. Some mistakes, at least for me, bring me out of the story and back into my own head.

My Top 10 Writing Pet Peeves

Lose/Loose
This one annoys me, because I don't get it. The words are just so different. Chose/choose bugs me, but I can understand why people confuse them. Although I guess you can lose something that gets too loose. Hmmmm.

Similar Sounding Words
Examples: there/they're/their, its/it's, you're/your, two/to/too

The spell check function fails this test. I get it. When you are typing fast, you might accidentally use the wrong one. If you know you make these mistakes often, do a Search and Find as part of your editing process and make sure these words are used correctly. 

Mark Twain (from Wikipedia)

Overuse of Very
Using very gets old very quickly. I love the Mark Twain quote, "Substitue damn every time you're inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."  Rarely is "very" needed (with the exception of dialogue).

Irregardless
I. Hate. This. Word. Why? It is not a word. It's a double negative, and actually means not having no regard. So irregardless would technically mean having regard. Are you confused? Me, too. To me, it would be like saying irrelevantless.

Too Many Ellipses in Dialogue
I like an ellipsis for dramatic effect within story (or a blog post). However, I don't like line after line of dialogue with ellipses. Yes, it is a good indicator of someone being interrupted, but if someone is interrupted line by line, I think the conversation should be over. I know I would clam up by then. 

Also, some writers use it to show pauses when a simple comma will do.

Unnatural Dialogue
Speaking of dialogue, I want it to sound like two people talking. Good dialogue should read fast and true. It shouldn't read like prose. And rules that apply to good writing, do not apply to good dialogue. People speak with words writers are told to avoid: just, that, very. Even irregardless. Furthermore, if you craft a teenager, don't have them speaking like an adult. 

Read dialogue out loud to catch awkwardness.

Using the Word Believe Too Often
If a writer is using first person point of view, "I believe" is obvious. If the narrator is telling you about other characters and using believe, the reader doesn't know for sure what the narrator really knows. Do we just take the narrator's word for it?

Example: "I believe ghosts haunt the house up the street. My friend believes they don't."

If I is the narrator, we know he/she believes it simply by stating it. And we can't know for sure that the friend doesn't believe in ghosts, unless the friend character says it or the narrator shows why they don't think the friend believes it.

Am I making any sense?

Using Spell Checker as Editor
The spell check feature is awesome, and it will save you from typos and misspelled words. It will not save you from #1 or #2 above. Or some typos, like typing form for from. Use it, but don't let it be your editor.

Too Many Characters with Similar Initials
Maybe it's because I read at night, or maybe it's because I have three kids, but I can't keep it straight when Molly loves Max who was once wed to Mindy who fights constantly with her sister, Melissa. Oh, and Mike is falling fast for Molly, but Mindy is jealous. 

Update: Funny aside to this. In my Tala Prophecy series, I have Reagan falling for Rowan but fighting against Rafe. Oops! I fell in love with the names. Rowan and Rafe are brothers, so that helps my case, right? I know many families who keep with an initial theme. 

Inconsistency
This is the worst. I'd rather an author own a mistake throughout, or own a style that I might consider wrong, than to switch back and forth. Confused as to whether to use the oxford comma or not. No problem, pick a way and run with it. 

Example: I recently read a book where a main character was Molly for half the novel and Mollie for the other half.

What is your biggest writing pet peeve? Or, what mistakes make you cringe when you're reading?

Note: I edited and edited this piece, terrified I'd make a mistake. There's nothing like writing a post about mistakes that contains mistakes. I hope it's as error free as possible.

Clench vs. Clinch: Grammar & Writing Tips

Happy Wednesday!

Wednesdays are now my days to share a writing or editing tip.

Without further ado...

Source

Clench versus Clinch

For simplicity, clench is to grasp or hold firmly (clench something in your hand or clench your teeth--see picture to the right) and clinch is to settle decisively (clinch a win).

However, like most things related to our beautiful language, there is an exception:

Boxing. an act or instance of one or both boxers holding the other about the arms or 
body in order to prevent or hinder the opponent's punches. (from Dictionary.com)

As I began to further research what I thought would be a simple post, I also found that Dictionary.com listed "a passionate embrace" as a slang definition of clinch. I'm guessing that came from the boxing clinch above. Too funny... that's not very romantic at all.

Furthermore, Grammarist.com stated:

Some dictionaries list clench and clinch as variants of each other, but this is just because the words have been confused so often for so long. Edited publications and careful writers keep them separate.

So, I guess these Wednesday Grammar Tips won't always be simple. When in doubt, I look something up via a trusted source. I like Grammarist and Grammar Girl, and The Chicago Manual of Style is my editing bible.

Most often, I see the mistake of an author saying a character clinched his/her teeth or clinched a spell book. In those cases, it should be clenched. 

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it on a future post. 

Whether you are editing, writing, or reading today, I hope you enjoy every single word!