If you can append “by zombies” to the end of a sentence, you’ve indeed written a sentence in passive voice.
do a global search and eliminate double spaces
If you are about to offer a piece of information that is crucial to your sentence, offer it up without a comma and with a “that.” If only an interesting amplification, use “, which.”
Italics are weary on eyes: don’t use them for more than six consecutive words. Longer passages will read as dreams and will be skipped.
An “and” within parantheses or commas does not break the pluralness of the subject and so a plural verb should follow.
hyphens to link up words modifying a noun:
- first-rate movie
- nasty-looking restaurant
- all-you-can-eat buffet
Exceptions occur when misreading is unlikely:
- real estate agent
- high school students
Exception also when the modifier ends in “ly”:
- inconsistently applied rules
- highly paid copy editors
Modern style is to merge prefixes and main words seamlessly:
- antiwar
- autocorrect
- codependent
- extracurricular
en dash to connect a multiword proper noun to another multiword proper noun or to pretty much anything else:
- a Meryl Streep–Robert De Niro comedy
- a New York–to–Chicago flight
- also Supreme Court decisions like 7–2, sports scores, page references
- World War II–era plane
- Pulitzer Prize–winning play
Résumé with two accents
Flipping restlessly through the channels, WIlly Wonka was playing. NOOOOO. Who was flipping? Not the movie itself. Dangling intro. Intro must properly fuse to the main bit, the subject.
“Were” when the sitution is unlikely or impossible: If I were to win the lottery…
“Was” when a situation is simply not the case but could be: If he was to walk into the room right now…
If you can insert “in fact” right after “If I” then use “was.”
If you’re ackowleding some action or state of being that most certainly did occur (if = in that), use “was.” If I was hesitant to embrace your suggestion yesterday…
Do NOT:
- use “onboard” as a verb in place of “familiarize.” Use “orient” for new employees.
- use “pass away” instead of died
- use “chords” instead of “vocal cords”
- use “added” in front of bonus
- use “all-time” in front of record
- use “personal” in front of a host of words like “friend” or “opinion.” “Personal” can usually be deleted.
- use “sudden” in front of “impulse.”
“anymore” = any longer or at this time: We’re not in Kansas anymore.
“any more” = an additional amount: I don’t want any more pie.
“born” = discussions of birth, even metaphorical ones.
“borne”= carried or produced: Diseases are insect-borne.
And though triumph may be born out of tragedy, one’s grand schemes may not be borne out in reality.
“cache” = hiding place for valuables. As a verb it means to hide. Pronounced “cash.”
“cachet” = quality of prestige or distinction. Pronounced “ka-shay.”
“continual” = ongoing but with pause: continual thunderstroms (but some sunlight interspersed)
“continuous” = ceaseless
“criterion” = singular
“criteria” = plural
“discreet” = discretion, keeps secrets well
“discrete” = specific thing over there
“everyday” = adjective: everyday occurence
“every day” = adverb: I go to work every day.
“farther” = literal distance: I can’t take another step farther
“further” = figurative,as a measure of degree or time: Later this afternoon, let’s discuss this weighty matter further.
In doubt, use further.
“flounder” = struggle clumsily
“founder” = to sink or fail
“forego” = to precede
“forgo” = to do without
“gibe” = sneering taunt
“jibe” = agree with or align
“grisly” = gory crimes
“grizzled” = gray hair and maybe old, but it does not mean rugged
“lay” = thing to act upon, can replace with “place”
“lie” = no object needed. Past tense of “lie” is “lay”: Yesterday, I lay down.
“loath” = adjective, reluctant
“loathe” = verb, detest
“into” = movement
“in” = presence
Jumping into a lake = leaving the dock with a jump
Jump in lake = jumping up and down in the water
Title case for first and last and all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Not for articles (a, an, the) or conjunctions (and, but, if, or).
Sometimes for prepositions (generally those 4+ letters).