Grammar Myths Revealed

Do you know what a run-on sentence is, and how to avoid it? No, sticking in a couple of semicolons, or sprinkling it liberally with commas is not a solution!

Do you know when it is permissible to use passive voice?

How about i.e. and e.g. They aren’t the same thing. But do you know what they mean and how to use them correctly?

And then there’s one of my favorites, Never Use a Preposition to End a Sentence With.

Grammar Girl herself (aka Mignon Fogarty) explains away ten common myths on Mental Floss. You can read her article here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/61350/top-10-grammar-myths


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

Explaining the subjunctive

The subjunctive is one of the most difficult concepts to understand in grammar. In fact, it’s so complicated, that many publications ignore it. If the writer understands and uses the tense, or the editor is on top of her game and corrects it properly, that’s good. If it’s wrong well, too bad so sad.

However, to be professional, it’d be good to try to grasp the concept.

F.L. Bicknell, in The Grammar Police said, “Was and were, however, often suffer PMS. They have moods just like people do.”

The subjunctive mood is the verb form used to express a wish, a suggestion, a command, or a condition that is contrary to fact.
For example, “I was the proud owner of two hundred frogs.” This is a true past statement.
“If I were the owner of two hundred frogs I’d be really happy.” I don’t own them, but I’d like to, so subjunctive.

Because the subjunctive is about something that is not currently true, a hint that *was* ought to be *were*, is often *if*… followed by could or would.
“If I were rich I could buy two hundred frogs.”

Remember, the subjunctive tense applies only to something that isn’t currently true.


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

UK Grammar Test

Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary in the UK, is apparently a Grammar Nerd. (Grammar Nerds are cool!) Recently he released a short test to see if people in the department were good enough at grammar to please him. He believes the little details, like good grammar, are very important.
His full list of instructions is here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-gove-instructing-his-civil-servants-on-grammar-10334298.html
but for a short fun test go here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11690785/Can-you-pass-Michael-Goves-grammar-test.html
I actually disagree with him on one of the items, but see how you go!


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

Grammar Nerds Rule!

This fun story proves that people who know their grammar are not only smart, but also get out of paying their parking fines legally.

A woman was given a parking fine for leaving her pickup truck in a restricted area. The sign said those who couldn’t park there were: “any motor vehicle camper, trailer, farm implement and/or non-motorized vehicle”. She decided a pickup didn’t fit the categories and parked.

The judge, apparently another grammar nerd, agreed. He said she didn’t have to pay the fine and the sign needed to have a comma after vehicle (before camper).

Which just goes to show that grammar nerds really do rule.

The full story is here: http://www.mamamia.com.au/entertainment/comma-usage-parking-fine/


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

That or which

For most people “that” and “which” can be used interchangeably, it doesn’t really matter, the sentence feels good to the author either way. In fiction this is probably correct, but in technical writing it can be really bad news. Million dollar lawsuits have been held over a misplaced comma, that, or which.

This is because they actually are different.
No, seriously, they are. Keep reading.

“That” is used (when used correctly) for a restrictive clause, and “which” for a non-restrictive clause. Put another way, “that” limits what we’re talking about, whereas “which” adds information.

Ah, so now you can see why contracts and technical papers need to get it right, and it doesn’t hurt authors to understand it as well.

Three of the cups that have blue flowers belong to me.
“That” limits the cups we’re talking about. Only the ones with blue flowers belong to me.

If I said:
Three of the cups, which have blue flowers, belong to me.
“which” tells you more about the cups. All these cups have blue flowers on them.
We also surround the clause telling us more information with commas.

And that is where your million dollar court case is born. When someone sticks commas in a sentence with “that” which should be restrictive, and now people want to think it is non-restrictive.
Three of the cups, that have blue flowers, belong to me. Adding the commas makes it both wrong and confusing.

If you haven’t understood a word I’ve said, that’s fine. Write fiction, not contracts or technical papers.
If you have understood this blog, congratulations!

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.