Category: Punctuation
Writing Measurements: How Do You Measure Up?
| January 11, 2011 | Posted by JerriCook under Becoming a writer, Punctuation, Structure |
Would you describe your slice using numbers or numerals?
The Punctuation Buffet: Comma, Colon, or Em Dash?
| January 2, 2011 | Posted by JerriCook under Punctuation, Structure, Uncategorized |
Don't pile it on too high at the punctuation buffet.
Writers have an array of punctuation choices, just like a patron at buffet. It all looks so good, but too much mixing and matching or piling it on too high has gastronimical consequences. We want to give our readers a smooth treat, properly seasoned and delivered. That’s where punctuation and style meet—at the punctuation buffet, and like any other buffet, some things are just standard. The punctuation buffet always has commas, colons, and em dashes. The trick is to pick the right helping for your style, which is the plate you offer to your reader.
Commas have been described as speed bumps, but I prefer to think of them as fork-sized bites. Use a comma when you are adding just a taste of something complementary to the fork, like you would if you were eating a salad. Pick up a piece of lettuce, a bite of tomato, and dip the whole thing lightly into the dressing. Commas tie things together that belong together. (more…)
The Death Of The Dash: Using Hyphens
| December 24, 2010 | Posted by JerriCook under Punctuation |
The dash is dead.
The dash is dead, but I doubt that anyone will be attending the funeral. Writers won’t miss it. The modern trend in punctuation is to replace dashes with hyphens. This is a welcomed trend for writers who would rather concentrate on content than convoluted rules of punctuation.
Hyphens are used to connect two words used as an adjective when the last word is a verb:
battery-powered car
milk-drinking fool
game-playing goat
That's Hot: Using Adjectives To Spice Up Your Writing
| December 18, 2010 | Posted by JerriCook under Punctuation |
Some like it hot. Adjectives can spice up your writing.
If variety is the spice of life, then adjectives are the spice of writing. A few well-placed adjectives add depth and flavor to your writing. But, like anything else, too much of a good thing can ruin the entire concoction. Knowing when to use an adjective and where in the sentence to place it is as important as knowing which spice to add to your stew, and how much of it to incorporate.
Let’s start at the beginning. An adjective modifies a noun. Simple enough. The adjective shows the reader what you are trying to convey, and using just the right descriptor at the right time makes a huge difference. Like Mark Twain said: (more…)
Understanding Quotations and Paragraphs
| December 9, 2010 | Posted by JerriCook under Punctuation, Structure |
Sometimes English composition teachers only get it half right, which of course, is a nice way of saying they get it wrong. One of the hardest things for teachers to convey to their students is the relationship between quoted material and the paragraph. We’ve all been told that we need a new paragraph every time another person speaks. This is true, but it’s only half of the story.
Don't butcher your paragraphs
The example I’m sharing with you is from a submission to the January/February 2011 issue of Dairy Goat Journal. While the editor of record puts the magazine together, I’m the one who proofs it, and makes corrections. It’s frustrating to see contributors repeatedly making the same mistake—improperly formed paragraphs with quoted material from the same person. Below is a part of the actual submission: (more…)
That's Mine: Using The Apostrophe To Show Possession
| December 9, 2010 | Posted by JerriCook under Punctuation |
Avoid unexpected twists.
Even the smallest errors can distract or confuse your reader. The best writing threads seamlessly through the reader’s mind, no loose ends, no snags. No matter how well-drafted the content is, something as small as a missing apostrophe can cause your reader to stumble, stop, or worse—just give up.
The apostrophe is used in contractions to show omission—don’t, won’t , can’t etc. Apostrophes also show possession. When used with single proper names, the apostrophe is coupled with an s to form a possessive noun: Jane’s purse, Billy’s saddle, Father Joseph’s cross. This is rule is simple enough, but like any other rule in the English language, there are a few subtle twists. (more…)
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