Grammar Did Not Give Birth to Your Mother

POP QUIZ

Grammar

Question 1 – Grammar is:

A) the nice lady your mother calls Mum, who bakes tasty chocolate chip cookies;

B) your mother singing a telegram; or

C) the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology.

Ignore that your mouth is probably watering for a chocolate chip cookie or that you are having visions of your mother dancing around in a rabbit suit. Instead, stick around as we explore the correct answer: C.

Grammar is the study and use of the written and spoken word. If you are considering a career as a writer, you need to have a firm grasp on the straightforward and less-known rules of proper grammar.

Nouns & Adjectives

Question 2 – A noun is:

A) empty or without, as in noun-abrasive;

B) a woman devoted to her Catholic faith, living with other nouns; or

C) the part of the English language that denotes a person, place or thing.

Again, the answer is C. A noun is a person, place or thing like a parent, school or cartoon. A proper noun is a specific, identifiable person, place or thing like Mum, Ipswich Grammar School or Tom and Jerry.

Question 3 – An adjective is:

A) a goal, as in “His adjective is to become a doctor.”

B) the wood on the outside of a pencil; or

C) a word or phrase used to describe a noun.

If you answered C, you are correct. Adjectives do not have a singular and plural form, they should never end in a pluralised –s. Adjectives are rarely placed after the noun they describe.

You wouldn’t say “the orange juicy” but rather “the juicy orange.”  However, you may say “This orange is juicy.”

This may seem like ‘common sense writing rules’ so far but you would be surprised how often these grammar mistakes appear. You may have mastered the spoken English language but sometimes get caught up on the rules.

Verbs & Adverbs

Question 4 – A verb is:

A) a green twig used to flavor foods;

B) a man’s name; or

C) the part of the English language that describes an action.

A verb is the part of a sentence that describes what the noun did, does or will do; essentially an action.

Adverbs are similar to adjectives in that they modify verbs. Adverbs typically tell HOW something is done. Adverbs can also modify adjectives.

Tip – There is one specific adjective/adverb rule that is worth special attention, the “good or well” rule.

“Good” is an adjective and only describes nouns – “He is a good doctor.”

“Well” is an adverb and only describes verbs – “He plays well with others.”

Commas, Colons and Semicolons

This “,” is your comma. This “:” is your colon. This “;” is your comma on your colon, i.e. semicolon. Any questions? These three punctuation characters each have a distinct, specific use.

Comma overuse plagues many new writers. Cure thyself by following these common comma rules:

1.     Separate lists of three or more items with a comma. If your audience will be reading your work in a magazine, newspaper, newsletter or online, do not include a comma before the “and”, “or” or “nor.” For books, essays and other writing channels, writers should include a comma before the “and”, “or” or “nor.” Examples: Punctuation is crucial for writers, editors and publishers of magazines and websites. Grammar is important for writers, editors, and publishers of books and essays.

2.     Separate phrases, especially those that are dependant. Example: In order to receive tax benefits, you will need to show proof of residency.

3.     Establish that a direct quote is next. Example: Frankie said, “A man, a dog and a mouse walk into a bar.”

4.     Disconnect related but unnecessary descriptive phrases from a sentence. Example: Your son, the one with the bright red hair, just got off the school bus.

Colons aren’t just part of the digestive system, though they have been known to cause new writers a sour stomach. Colons introduce added detail to or explanation of the preceding idea or they can substitute a comma when introducing a direct quote.

Examples:

She has a predictable morning routine: she hits snooze once, starts the coffee, lets the dog out then crawls back into bed for 10 minutes.

Frankie said: “A man, a dog and a mouse walk into a bar.”

Semicolons have much more limited use and are possibly the least utilised punctuation symbols. There are just two reasons to use a semicolon; to separate two independent phrases or to separate word groups separated by commas.

Examples:

Fido enjoys playing fetch; any excuse to run around the yard. (The semicolon separates two independent phrases.)

You should plan to take classes in a foreign language, for quick job placement; business management, for a quicker climb up the corporate ladder; and macramé, for the fun of it. (The semicolon separates groups already separated by commas.)

Numbers or Words

When should you, a writer, spell out a number and when should you use figures? Here are the rules:

1.     When a number starts a sentence, it should always be spelled out.

2.     Spell out numbers one through nine, use figures for numbers 10 or more unless rule 5 applies.

3.     When a sentence contains both numbers above 10 and numbers 9 or below, use all figures. Example: I need 8 samples for each of the 48 lecture attendees.

4.     Fractions should always be spelled out and hyphenated if they are less than one. Mixed fractions should be expressed in figures unless they begin a sentence.
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Example: The baker added one-half cup of butter to the mix. She slowly mixed in 4 1/2 cups of flour.

5.     Large numbers should be expressed as simply as possible.

Example: The winner will take home three million boxes of cereal.

6.     Decimals should be expressed as a figure. For decimal numbers less than one, begin with a zero unless the decimal begins with a zero. Example: During normal precipitation, a tree trunk will grow 0.1 inch in diameter per year. In drought conditions, a trunk may grow as little as .02 inches in diameter.

7.     Decades can be expressed as a number or spelled out in lowercase. Example: Prohibition lasted for a dozen or so years in the twenties and thirties. Specifically, the movement began in the early ’20s and ended in ’33.

8.     Spell out approximate times, use numerals to express exact times. Noon and midnight should be spelled out. Example: She was supposed to meet me at three thirty. I waited until 4:13 then went home. She called me at midnight to explain she was ill.

How did you score? All correct I hope. So, next time you hear someone say, “Err, grammar, isn’t she mum’s mum?” you’ll know just what reply to give.

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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The Character Next Door

So you finally have the time to finish that story. Your outline touches on every aspect of the plot. You’ve made it the best that it can be. You’re sure your efforts have the right mix of suspense, humor, clarity and originality.

All of that is necessary, but what about connecting with your readers? Fiction writing isn’t the same as weaving fairy tales or campfire stories; you don’t have the added benefit of using physical animation. You need to grab your readers’ attention with your words only. And the best way to do this is to keep your readers’ interest with characters that are worth caring about… just like the character next door.

Most adults have very limited time for pleasure reading. Those who choose fiction over self-help or biographies do so in order to lose themselves in someone else’s life. Whether it’s for their last half-hour of the day, or to take them away from the drudgery of public transportation, they can escape into another world. They want their story to not only hold their interest, but involve them as well. It’s almost impossible to fulfill these desires with characters who are caricatures or one dimensional.

Many readers of fiction choose to read books in a series, for the simple fact that they like to follow the ongoing ups, downs and happenings of the main characters. (Most followers of the Nero Wolfe series will never remember the murderers, but they will remember Archie Goodwin’s romantic interludes!) People consider fiction characters as personal acquaintances; if they aren’t likeable, just as in real life, the readers will avoid them – and the author’s future works as well.

So, how does a writer go about creating characters who mesmerise in the present, and have unlimited potential for the future?

Ask yourself: what makes us interested in others? Knowing about a character’s past helps to explain their outlook. Awareness of their focus goes a long way in predicting their responses. A few hints about their personal desires show us where they are at in their lives.

Obviously the length of the piece will determine how much of your word count can be spent on character definition. Some writers fill the reader in as the story unfolds; others provide a lengthy introduction in the first paragraph or page. The most effective method is to use the character’s own dialogue so the reader can ascertain the character’s views and opinions, and of course, characteristics.

But these are just processes. What are some actual techniques to get at the essence of the character in the first place?

One way may be to use the concept of an “imaginary friend,” just as you may have had as a child. You knew what his favourite colours and foods were because you had free rein to make him whatever you wished, and it was usually an extension of yourself. The same construction could apply to your character. Writing down as much as possible about your character may flesh him into an individual with specific likes and dislikes, from which may spring appropriate phrases and actions.

Extending from this may be the creation of a person that is based on your traits, but with a decidedly different personality. This will allow your insights to blend through, colouring the persona with a special temperament. (Failing that, you could do a composite of different people you’ve known, but unless you have a strong sense of the character already, he may become a bit too complex to elicit empathy.)

It may be a good idea to provide your character with a past that has a direct bearing on his present conditions. This could be interwoven into the plot with the use of flashbacks. This in itself can provide very deep insights into the character, eliminating the need to introduce new elements as they are already present via the flashbacks.

Another worthwhile practice is to display a characters’ prejudice, hard heartedness, or lack of education. A writer who did an excellent job of this was Ed McBain, with his 87^th precinct series. One police officer showed his ignorance with every line uttered; another’s male chauvinism was quite politically incorrect. However, since everyone knows such individuals, reading McBain’s short stories and books is akin to hearing co-workers around the water cooler. (One of his methods was to get into the mind of such characters, and to include in the story the reasons for their amoral thinking. Their own points of view toward their lack of character obviously took some analysing, but readers come away with a definite understanding of what makes the characters tick.)

A writer who cleverly creates characters that defy categorisation is Sue Grafton. Her returning cast includes individuals with quirks that aren’t impossible, just improbable. The finished product generates profound respect for a family of 90 year olds who start romances and fights, along with a private eye who eats mainly pickles and pimento sandwiches, and owns only one dress. Here is a case of characters possessing out of the ordinary habits which identify them, but because of the writer establishing their focus and reasoning, it works.

So remember, Joe Blow from Number 32 may drink too much beer and forget to mow his lawn, but he always brings over your newspaper if it lands on his side of the fence. It’s small idiosyncrasies like these that make us remember people. We’re interested in them without even realizing it, and this in turn can make us care about them.

Really well thought out fiction characters impress us to the point where we wish we had them as friends in our own lives. They are usually far from perfect, sometimes irrational, and often make mistakes. In other words, they are just like us.

We can take a hint from these famous writers and take the time to develop our characters thoroughly before introducing them to our readers. When the “character next door” is intriguing and cared about, we don’t want the story to ever end!

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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Reposition Your Preposition

Never end a sentence with a preposition! This is one of the first rules of writing you may have learnt in high school English. It is the one grammar rule that was always enforced, especially when writing essays. It is also one of the easiest rules to break, because sometimes a sentence just doesn’t sound right any other way. So the question at hand is whether or not this rule holds true today.

Ordinarily a preposition is placed in front of a noun, pronoun, noun phrase or pronoun phrase to give a sentence more direction, or to show where something is located or when something happened.

Prepositions are common words like: about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, as, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but, by, despite, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, out, outside, over, past, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, under, underneath, until, up, upon, with, within and without.

Adding any of these words to the front of a noun helps to direct the noun, as in: under the bed, beside the chair, against the tree, without fear.

“The writer searched for his pen that was somewhere under the desk.”

Often we see, both in writing and in speech, sentences formed with a preposition at the end.

“Where are you off to?”

“Where do you work at?”

Both of these sentences sound good to the ear and everyone understands exactly what you are trying to say. Yet, both are grammatically wrong according to the rule. So how could you fix them?

“Where are you off to now?” This could be one fix. Or, “Where are you going?” This could be another.

“Where are you employed?” would probably be the best fix for the second sentence.

So when is it acceptable to break the rule? In dialogue, of course. Even in literary fiction it is acceptable for characters to talk like ‘real’ people. Genre and mainstream fiction is also very lenient about allowing the author to tell the story his or her own way. If your character in question is not from a formal background, they would be less believable if they always spoke in complete and correct sentences. So in this instance it would be preferable to place prepositions at the end of the character’s parts of speech.

However, using end of sentence prepositions is generally not acceptable in description prose. Most often, editors view them as a sign of a rank amateur. Editors believe in breaking rules also, but know that a good writer knows when it is acceptable and when it should be avoided.

Non-fiction writing is a bit stricter on this rule. At least, for most print magazines and periodicals. Here, editors are looking for crisp, clear writing. They want to know that not only do their authors have knowledge about the subject they are writing about, but that they also have great grammar skills. This means less work for the editor as they work to get the article in print.

The most relaxed venue to overlook this rule is when you are writing for the web. Webmasters and web publishers tend to like their articles to be user friendly. This means the articles are more conversational in tone and are often written in the common vernacular. End of sentence prepositions are common in web published documents, unless they are of a professional nature, i.e., medical papers, news stories, and white papers.

And the preposition is not alone. The terms preposition, postposition and circumposition can all be grouped under one heading – Adposition. Adposition is essentially an element that blends phrases into a sequence that our minds can more easily understand. Many of these sequences are common-day phrase fragments, like: in lieu of, as time permits, with respect to, in regard to, in spite of. Many of these fragments can be used to start a sentence, with the fragment giving reference to what is about to be disclosed in the remainder of the sentence.

“With respect to our earlier conversation, I propose a change to the contract.”

The English language is known as a living language. No rule is set in stone; no matter what your English teacher told you. The one thing every writer must remember though is before you can break the rules, you must know the rules. This means not only knowing the grammar rules of writing, but also knowing if the publication you plan to submit your work to follows the same rules. How do you find this out? By reading these publications to see what has been accepted from other writers.

Will the rule about end of sentence prepositions ever go away completely? Probably not, but as time passes, more and more editors will come to realise that people prefer to read words that sound the way they are spoken. Learning to accept an unacceptable placement of your prepositions will go a long way in making your writing more pleasing to the ear.

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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Placing Your Apostrophe

Many writers get their apostrophe placement incorrect, or simply confuse some words with others. In an effort to ensure their writing is acceptable, writers have a tendency to either overuse or under use the apostrophe.

The most common area of writing where this occurs is with possession. A noun and a pronoun are two different things, and are treated as such when changing their possession.

When changing the possession of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s. Examples: the dog’s bowl; the teacher’s chair.

When changing the possession of a pronoun, add an s without an apostrophe. Examples: hers; its; ours; theirs; yours.

Plurals are another problem. Adding an s to the end of a word indicates there is more than one, so no apostrophe is needed. Examples: the teachers had a meeting; she lost five pounds of fat. Certain words, however, need the addition of es or ies to aid with pronunciation. Examples: boxes; churches; countries; and most other words ending in ch, s, sh, x, y, z and a few ending in o.

When changing the possession of a plural noun, add the apostrophe after the s. Examples: the teachers’ car park was flooded; the students’ books were wet. The exception though is in the case of a plural noun, which as a singular, ended with an s. In this instance we would usually write the possessive plural noun as we hear it, with an s apostrophe s. Examples: the octopus’s garden; the witness’s version.

However, changing the possession of a singular noun that ends in s, x or z will usually require the addition of only the apostrophe. Examples: the octopus’ garden; the witness’ version.

There are also some plural nouns that do not end with an s, so they will need to have an apostrophe and an s added. Examples: children’s; men’s; women’s.

Another rule (though this one is rather old-fashioned) is if the noun consists of only one syllable, always add apostrophe s, but if two or more syllables, add only the apostrophe.

Multiple nouns are also difficult to write in the possessive form. In a sentence showing joint possession, the possessive closest to the noun shows possession. Examples: Tom and Mary’s holiday snaps look great; She was trying to clean Mary and Tom’s fish tank. If items are owned individually, a double possessive is used. Example: She walked Tom’s and Mary’s dogs (Tom and Mary each own a dog).

Contractions can also cause a problem. As people tend to write words as they sound, many of these words are written in place of the correct word. Some examples of contractions that are commonly confused:

• they’re instead of there (or their)
• there’s instead of theirs
• you’re instead of your
• won’t instead of wont
• who’s instead of whose
• it’s instead of its

Ultimately your apostrophe placement may depend on what you’re writing and/or who you are writing for. If there is an in-house style guide, you will need to stick to that. If a client has asked you to follow a particular style guide, example: the Chicago Manual of Style, then that is what you must follow.

If you are writing for yourself, the best course of action is to stick with your own country’s dialect and follow that standard of language. Most countries will have their own preferences and may even have a recommended style guide. The best place to find this information is at your local library.

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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Words Writers Misspell

Contrary to popular belief, not all writers are good spellers. In fact, and unfortunately, many writers—particularly writing “newbies”—are not. Even self-professed “grammar queens” and “grammar nazis” are guilty of making regular spelling mistakes. No, spelling mistakes are not reserved for children and those who failed high-school English class. We simply cannot assume that every word of a published article—whether online or in print, fiction or non-fiction—is spelled correctly.

Why is this? Are we uninformed, or just lazy? While English is certainly a confusing language with seemingly more spelling and grammar exceptions than rules, it is not difficult to take some time to learn how to spell. This learning begins with recognising commonly misspelled words and then learning how to spell them correctly.

You’d be surprised at how many words are commonly misspelled by new writers and veteran writers alike—there are thousands upon thousands. However, for the purposes of this article, shorter, more manageable lists will suffice.

One reason why so many words are commonly spelled incorrectly in writing is because they are often confused with other similar-sounding and looking words; particularly homonyms. Here is a list of commonly confused words:

– your, you’re;
– it’s, its;
– there, their, they’re;
– to, too, two;
– no, know;
– new, knew;
– a lot (not alot), allot;
– past, passed;
– threw, through;
– lose, loose;
– advice, advise;
– desert, dessert;
– effect, affect;
– insure, ensure, assure;
– allude, elude;
– weather, whether;
– principal, principle;
– patients, patience;
– independent, independant;
– conscious, conscience;
– compliment, complement

The key to knowing which spelling to use when, is learning what each word means. For example, “desert” means to leave behind or a dry, sandy region; “dessert” is the sweet treat you have after dinner. Another trick is to differentiate between the spellings based on the part of speech. For example, “advice” is a noun (“That’s terrible advice!”), but “advise” is a verb (“I must advise against that.”).

Other commonly misspelled words occur because writers have become so familiar with the misspelling that they believe the error to be correct. Or because they tend to spell an unknown word based on how it sounds. Or because they think the word is too long or confusing to spell correctly.

Here is another short list of commonly misspelled words:

– accommodate (usually one “c” or “m” is missing);
– broccoli;
– calendar;
– consensus;
– desperate;
– definitely;
– embarrass (usually an “r” or “s” is missing);
– existence;
– guarantee (not “guarranty” or “guerentee” or “guarentee”);
– harass (just one “r”);
– jewellery (US version is jewelry);
– judgement (US version is judgment);
– liaison;
– memento;
– millennium;
– noticeable;
– occurrence;
– pastime;
– perseverance;
– questionnaire;
– rhythm;
– separate;
– vacuum;
– weird

Obviously spelling isn’t everything in writing, but it sure can make or break you as a writer. Whether you focus on writing fiction or non-fiction, it’s essential to not only learn how to spell, but also to identify commonly misspelled words and learn how to spell them correctly. Poor spelling is, to some, indicative of poor writing, and this is not the impression you want to make as a writer. Bad spelling makes your writing appear sloppy and unprofessional.

Convinced you’re a lousy speller for life? Relax. There are actually methods for improving your spelling, that don’t involve memorising the correct spelling of every single word in the dictionary. Using a mnemonic (just don’t spell it “neumonic”) device is one of the best ways to help you spell better. An example of a mnemonic device is thinking of the three “e’s” in the word “cemetery”—just like tombstones all in a row: e e e.

There are many more mnemonic devices that can be used, some of which can be found at websites like http://www.mnemonicdictionary.com. A simple Google.com search will return many more sites—if you’re game!

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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Single Or Double Quotation Marks?

Many people get mixed up when it comes to using single and double quotation marks. This is not surprising when you consider that different countries have different preferences. And to add more confusion, quotation marks are also known by other names, such as inverted commas and occasionally aerial commas.

In fact, an epidemic of “quotation mark abuse” in everyday writing, and even in writing professional fiction or non-fiction, has become a widespread problem. We just don’t seem to know when to use single quotation marks, double quotation marks, or when to avoid them all together.

First, let’s define quotation marks. Quotation marks are punctuation marks that are used in pairs—an opening mark and a closing mark—in order to set off direct quotations, speech, certain titles, a phrase, a word, or other dialogue.

Second, let’s delve into what quotation marks—whether single or double—should not be used for. There are a few types of quotation mark abuse, but the two most prevalent are emphasis and sarcasm. As a general rule, both types of quotation marks should not be used simply to stress any word or words in a sentence.

Quotation marks used emphatically in these two sentences are not uncommon on public signs:

Please ‘DO NOT’ remove trolleys from store.

Please ring the bell for our “friendly” service.

The single quotation marks in the first sentence are completely unnecessary, grammatically incorrect (if any quotation marks were used, they would be double, not single) and even raise questions as to the statement’s meaning. The double quotation marks in the second sentence create some skepticism as to what kind of service is actually being offered.

The intentionally sarcastic and scornful misuse of quotation marks is worse, and is far too rampant in today’s fiction, non-fiction and everyday communicative writing. However, sometimes it can work to use double quotation marks around a word that is meant to carry a certain element of irony, as long as it is done correctly and used appropriately.

So what should quotation marks be used for, and what’s the difference between single quotation marks and double quotation marks?

The first, and perhaps most obvious, use of quotation marks is to surround direct quotations or spoken words. In this case, always use double quotation marks (“ ”) to enclose the quotation. Quotation marks should only be used to repeat an exact written phrase or sentence, or exact spoken words. For paraphrases or indirect quotations, do not use quotation marks.

Single quotation marks are not used for direct quotations or spoken words (except in Britain and Australia—more on that shortly) unless a quotation needs to be used within a quotation. For quotations within quotations, always use single quotation marks.

Here is an example:

“I can’t believe that the Grey’s Anatomy ‘Doctor of Death’ episode was repeated on the weekend, and I missed it!” Jennifer said to Matt.

As a T.V. show title, Grey’s Anatomy needs italics and the episode “Doctor of Death” needs quotation marks. Note how double quotation marks are used when it’s mentioned on its own, but single quotation marks are used within a quotation. If the quotation within the quotation is at the end of the sentence, two separate quotation marks—a single quotation mark and then a double quotation mark—appear at the end of the sentence, after the period or comma. For example:

“No kidding,” replied Matt. “I hated the episode ‘Doctor of Death.’”

(Note: this is a fictitious episode title.)

For quotations within quotations within quotations (which doesn’t happen that often in writing), double quotation marks are used. The original quotation is enclosed in double quotation marks; the quotation within that quotation is enclosed in single quotation marks; and the quotation within that quotation is enclosed in double quotation marks again.

The second use of quotation marks is for titles of songs, television show episodes, articles, short stories, and poems. Double quotation marks are always used for the names of items that belong to a large group, set or complete work, like a chapter in a book. The larger group, set or complete work is italicized, and includes books, music albums, movies, newspapers and magazines. But be aware that again, different countries have different preferences.

Some examples:

– Grey’s Anatomy (a T.V. show title)

– “Doctor of Death” (a T.V. episode title)

– Back to Basics (a Christina Aguilera album title)

– “Candyman” (a Christina Aguilera song title)

– The Science of Getting Rich (a book title)

– “The Right to be Rich” (a chapter title)

The question of where to put single and double quotation marks with respect to other punctuation is a big one. If a quotation ends with a period or comma, put the closing quotation mark after the period or comma. If a quotation ends with a colon or semi-colon, put the closing quotation mark before the colon or semi-colon. If a quotation ends with an exclamation or question mark, put the closing quotation mark after the mark, unless it’s not part of the quotation, then it goes before.

Here are some examples:

“No man is an island,” wrote John Donne.

I’m not a big fan of Stephen King’s short story “The Death of Jack Hamilton”; however, I do like the other stories from his collection Everything’s Eventual, especially “L.T.’s Theory of Pets.”

“Why did he break up with you?” asked Sarah.

I couldn’t believe our professor was actually dancing to “Thriller”!

If you want to use a quotation that has more than 30 words or 3 lines, there is actually no need for quotation marks at all. Simply indent the text from the left-hand margin, reduce the font size by a point or two and leave an extra line space above and below the quotation. This is called a block quotation and sets the quotation apart from other text so no marks are needed (be sure to still cite your source though).

One important point to keep in mind is that Americans, the British and Australians disagree on the grammatically correct usage of single and double quotation marks. The British and Australians actually use both single quotation marks and double quotation marks, depending on style and publisher preference, and they favor keeping other punctuation, like commas and periods, to the outside. The Australian Government Style Manual recommends single quotation marks under the premise that less punctuation is better, and yet many Australian newspapers and publishers still use double quotation marks.

Here is an example of this difference:

“I’m having the worst day of my life,” sighed Heather. —American

‘I’m having the worse day of my life’, sighed Heather. —British/Australian

But what about the difference between the term “inverted commas” and the terms “quotation marks” and “quotes?” (This is not considered quotation abuse, by the way; these quotations were not used for emphasis but to set aside the terms.)

There is actually a difference between the words quote and quotation. Technically and grammatically, quote is a verb that means to repeat what somebody else has written or said. Quotation, on the other hand, is a noun referring to what you are quoting. In this article, quoteand quotation could be interchangeable, which is generally accepted, but there is a technical difference and the preferred term is quotation.

The term inverted commas originated in the eighteenth century and is not widely used anymore, but you will still find some references to it. The British do still use the term, but generally when referring to single quotation marks. (This paragraph and the one above are using italics in place of quotes—which do you prefer? Italics do make the copy cleaner and easier to read.)

So, quote, quotation or inverted commas? Some even call them aerial commas. It’s best to stick to your country’s standard style unless you are writing for a particular market. Personally, I prefer to use double quotation marks as I feel that it helps the reader understand my intentions by avoiding confusion with apostrophes. And that’s the most important thing – the reader.

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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Confused By Some Words?

How many times have you typed a word only to find that it wasn’t quite the one you thought it was? This happens all the time as we bash out our words on the keyboard, unaware that we should have used the ‘other’ version of a particular word in its place.

Here is a short list of some ‘confusing’ words and their actually meanings (you should be able to find many more by searching on the Internet, some people have reported over 500) –

• accept – to receive something
• except – to exclude something

• advice – to give a suggestion
• advise – a verb that means to give advice

• affect – a verb that means to influence in some way
• effect – a noun that means the result of something

• all ready – it is prepared
• already – it happened previously

• appraise – to value something
• apprise – to give notice to

• awhile – an adverb
• a while – a noun

• bring – toward you
• take – away from you

• choose – to pick now
• chose – already picked

• cite – to quote someone or something
• site – a location

• compliment – to praise someone
• complement – goes well with something

• conscience – self-imposed morality
• conscious – awake and aware of surroundings

• e.g. – for example
• i.e. – that is

• ensure – to make sure or certain
• insure – to guarantee against risk of loss or harm

• everyday – an adjective describing how often
• every day – each or all

• farther – a long way off
• further – also, as well

• faze – to disturb
• phase – a cycle

• flair – talent or aptitude
• flare – to burn unsteadily

• flier – to fly
• flyer – advertising material

• imply – to indicate or suggest
• infer – to derive by reasoning

• later – being after
• latter – the second mentioned of two

• lay – to put or place
• lie – to recline

• loose – not bound together
• lose – to be without

• passed – the past tense of pass
• past – the time gone by

• principal – first or highest in rank
• principle – a guiding sense

• stationary – not moving
• stationery – office supplies

• their – the possessive of they
• there – location
• they’re – contraction of they are

• whose – ownership
• who’s – contraction of who is or who has

Many of these words sound the same and that is what adds to their confusion. These are sometimes referred to as homophones (there are two, three and four way homophones). And many of these words simply look the same, which also adds to their confusion. Look up some of the following terms on the Internet to get a feel for the different types of words that fall into these groups: homophones, homographs, heteronyms, heterophones, polysemes and capitonyms (just to name a few). It’s no wonder we get confused!

So when in doubt; grab your dictionary. It’s better to check than to guess in most cases. A great, and free, on-line resource is Dictionary.com. There are many other types of dictionaries on-line, just start searching.

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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The Disappearing Comma

When is a comma not a comma? When it’s missing! The most important job for a comma is to prevent confusion for the reader. If a comma isn’t there, the reader may become lost.

With faster technologies comes faster communication, which in turn leads to less punctuation as we pound our fingers across the keyboard at an ever increasing speed. And as a result, many pieces of writing, whether they be fiction or non-fiction, are appearing without the use of commas.

Let’s re-write that last sentence without the commas-

And as a result many pieces of writing whether they be fiction or non-fiction are appearing without the use of commas.

How many times did you need to read it before you grasped its meaning? Most readers will need to read an un-punctuated sentence at least twice before they subconsciously add their own punctuation. If you are making your readers work twice as hard when they are reading your work they will not enjoy what they are reading.

Some of the many reasons to use commas are-

• To define run-on lists
• To avoid ambiguity
• To define strings of adjectives
• To separate coordinate clauses
• To define a coordinate conjunction
• To define defining and non-defining clauses and phrases
• To introduce adjectival clauses and phrases
• To introduce adverbial clauses and phrases
• To define introductory and transitional expressions
• To enclose parenthetic expressions
• To isolate an apposition
• To define a shared element of a statement
• To show omissions where words or numerals are expressed
• To separate titles from affiliations

We usually use commas to separate different parts of sentences in order to make the sentence easier to understand. Comma use in general can cover a large area so we will only touch on one area in this article.

The most commonly confused use for commas is in a run-on list. An example: Tom, Dick, and Harry. When a list is used within a sentence a comma is used to separate each item. The debate still rages, though, as to whether a final comma is needed (as in the example above).

The Australian style manual says not to use a final comma unless it is needed for clarity, yet many American style manuals say to always include the final comma. And the classic from Strunk also says to include the final comma (www.amazon.com/dp/097522980X). This type of comma is often referred to as a serial or Oxford comma.

It is also suggested that the writer should gage [sic.] whether adding the final comma will aid the reader in understanding the sentence’s meaning, and if so, add it. Newspapers often leave out the last comma to save space, and many magazines and publishers will have their own style guides for writers to follow. Whichever you choose, be sure to stay consistent throughout.

Many grammar experts claim that the use of commas is on the decline. And some even say that it is a good thing as it allows the writer to develop their own style. So the use of commas can be a matter of judgment and personal preference, but always try to aim for clarity.

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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The Editor’s Which Hunt

When trying to decide whether to use that or which, many writers opt for which. Why? Probably because it feels safer for them when they’re not sure which word to use.

Luckily for the writer it’s the editor’s job to hunt down all of the whiches and check to see if they should be replaced with that.

But how does the writer, and the editor for that matter, work out which word is best? Below we will look at some examples of that versus which usage.

That is used to start a restrictive phrase; a restrictive phrase being a phrase that defines items of a particular category. It needs to tell the reader which items of the category it is referring to. Usually no comma is needed before that.

Which is used to start a nonrestrictive phrase; a non-restrictive phrase being a phrase that does not need to define items within a category. It tells the reader that there is only one item in that category, so no distinction is needed. It usually supplies some additional information about the item. Generally a comma is needed before which.

Below are some examples of that and which usage:

• Here is the movie I borrowed from you that had heaps of action. (Restrictive: indicates the particular movie.)
• Here is the movie I borrowed from you, which had heaps of action. (Nonrestrictive: ‘which had heaps of action’ could be deleted and the sentence would still work.)
• The red car that was parked in the garage was stolen. (Restrictive: indicates the particular car.
• The red car, which was parked in the garage, was stolen. (Nonrestrictive: ‘which was parked in the garage’ could be deleted and the sentence would still work.)

If the subject is or was a human being, use who (or whom) to introduce the phrase.

Some easy ways to remember which words to use:

• If you can tell which item the sentence is talking about without using that or which, then which is probably the word you need. But if you can’t tell which item is being talked about, then use that.
• If you remove the nonrestrictive phrase and the sentence still makes sense, which is probably correct.

Some say that it’s fine to use which in a restrictive phrase as long as you don’t include the commas, and yet some say otherwise. In this instance it’s best to stick to your preferred style guide or publisher’s guidelines.

And as the editor hunts down the last of the elusive thats and whiches, the restrictive and nonrestrictive phrases will continue to wreak havoc with as many writers as possible. So when in doubt, leave it out (i.e. remove the nonrestrictive phrase to see if the sentence still makes sense).

Kristy Taylor is a syndicated freelance journalist with articles and short stories strewn across all forms of media. She has written and published numerous books, and is the executive editor of KT Publishing, which encompasses several web sites. For free listings of short story competitions visit http://www.shortstorycompetitions.com

To contact Kristy, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.

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