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Post Frequency: 2/day Last Entry: November 19, 2009 at 21:00:47 Recent Entries: 631
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What the Heck are ?Peeps??
Posted on November 19, 2009A reader wants to know about the usage of "peeps." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Gentlemen, Choose Your Weapons
Posted on November 19, 2009Writing tools can affect your style. In the days of quill and dip pens, the length of sentences (or at least, phrases) was apparently determined by the amount of ink held by the pen, and prose rhythm was dictated by this simple physical constraint. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Word of the Day: Browbeat
Posted on November 19, 2009Browbeat means to intimidate or subjugate by the use of verbal harassment or force. A synonym to browbeat is to bully. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
So Sorry to Hear That You Were Impacted!
Posted on November 18, 2009Reader Ron Harper, Jr. wants to know if people can be impacted. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
?Verbing? Nouns
Posted on November 18, 2009I was disappointed yesterday when, while cruising Facebook, I noticed a national pharmacy company?s request for me to ?fan? them. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Subordinate Clauses and Commas
Posted on November 18, 2009Writers like to sprinkle their work with subordinate clauses because they add variety to sentence structure. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Sobeit and So Be It
Posted on November 18, 2009Is there such a word as "sobeit"? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Imply and Infer
Posted on November 17, 2009If you have trouble choosing between imply and infer, you?re not alone. Many writers switch them even though they have distinct meanings. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
?In? and ?On? with Time Expressions
Posted on November 16, 2009Prepositional idioms are tricky in any language. Here are some tips for using "in" and "on" with expressions of time. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Debase
Posted on November 16, 2009Debase is a verb that means to reduce the quality or value of something, or to lower the rank or dignity of someone. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Legs Akimbo
Posted on November 15, 2009A person would have to have arms attached to his lower extremities in order to stand "legs akimbo." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Literary Essays and School Essays
Posted on November 15, 2009The word "essay" means one thing to a professional writer and something else to a student writer. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Bring and Take
Posted on November 12, 2009Writers tend to get confused about when to use bring and take. Many think that the two words can be used interchangeably, but they do have two distinctly different uses. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Retracing your steps
Posted on November 12, 2009It's probably fair to say that no-one enjoys editing and rewriting their own work. The first flush of creation is fun - especially with fiction. Characters start to fill out and find their own voices. Neat little phrases that you've been saving up for some time pop out and appear in their appointed places, and the plot moves along nicely towards a satisfactory finish...
Hypercorrecting A Well-known Phrase
Posted on November 12, 2009Somehow it doesn't sound right to hear "equally" after "created." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Dialogue Helps to Tell Your Story
Posted on November 11, 2009Dialogue can make or break your short story or novel. No matter how good the plot or subject line, poorly written dialogue can turn a reader off quicker than anything. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Calloused or Callused?
Posted on November 11, 2009You'll find both spellings, but "callous" is the one to use if you mean it in a figurative sense. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Ecumenical
Posted on November 11, 2009Ecumenical, which can also be spelled as ecumenic, is an adjective that means universal or general. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
How to Seek Reprint Permission
Posted on November 10, 2009In response to a recent article about quoting copyrighted works, a reader asked about how to secure reprint permission. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Playing with Titles
Posted on November 10, 2009Sometimes writers need to take a little time out to play. You may want to check out Lulu.com's Titlescorer. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Frantic
Posted on November 10, 2009Frantic is an adjective that means desperate or frenzied. The adverb is frantically. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Dammed If You Do?
Posted on November 09, 2009An article from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies recently revealed the shocking news that some South Korean rivers have been condemned to eternal punishment : Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Regarding RE:
Posted on November 09, 2009RE is one of those commonly used letter combinations (like SIC) that people tend to make up their own meanings for. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Mystery Writing Contest for Unpublished Novelists
Posted on November 08, 2009Writers who have never had a novel published commercially are eligible to enter The Debut Dagger writing competition sponsored by the Crime Writers' Association. The deadline is February 6, 2010. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Three Alternatives?
Posted on November 06, 2009Recently my mother (British, somewhat pedantic) visited us, and I mentioned "three alternatives" in conversation. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Oxymoron
Posted on November 06, 2009An oxymoron is a figure of speech where incongruous or contradictory terms are combined. Two examples are "genuine imitation" and "deafening silence." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Parsons Chairs and Parsons
Posted on November 05, 2009The first time I heard the term "parsons chair" I immediately imagined that the name derived from some quaint country custom of seating the visiting preacher on the best chair in the parlor. Not so. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Word of the Day: Vernacular
Posted on November 05, 2009Vernacular, the noun, is the native language of a place. It can also refer to the everyday expressions used by people or to the vocabulary used inside a particular place or profession. The adjective means native or indigenous. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Appositives and Possessives
Posted on November 05, 2009Are you planning to go to a writers conference? Or is it a writers? conference? Is the Saturday market in the town square a farmers market or a farmers? market? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Want To Start a Freelance Writing Career?
Posted on November 04, 2009The Internet is exploding with opportunities, and starting a freelance writing career is certainly one of them. If you like to write, it is a no-brainer. Freelance writing allows you to make money while exercising your writing skills, covering topics you are interested in...
10 Common ESL Mistakes
Posted on November 04, 2009Learning a new language is never easy. Below you will find ten common mistakes among students of English as a second language. Even if you are a native English speaker I guess you could use a reminder on some of them. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Word of the Day: Yearn
Posted on November 04, 2009Yearn means to grieve or to have a strong desire or need for something. The noun yearning, similarly, refers to a longing or unfulfilled desire or need. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Leech and Leach
Posted on November 04, 2009Although they are pronounced the same, "leech" and "leach" have different meanings. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Divine Passive Voice
Posted on November 03, 2009Most writers know the difference between active and passive voice. In active voice, there?s a clearly identified agent performing an action: Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Allude and Elude
Posted on November 03, 2009Speakers and writers sometimes use the word "elude" when they mean "allude." Sometimes they use "allude' when they mean "refer." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Quintessence
Posted on November 03, 2009Quintessence is the most important part of anything. It can also mean the pure essence of a substance. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Can You Write ?Mifiction??
Posted on November 02, 2009I?ve discovered a new word for "interactive fiction" and a contest to go with it: mifiction. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Jettison
Posted on November 02, 2009Jettison is a verb that means to throw goods overboard to make a vessel in danger of wreck lighter or more stable. People often use it in a figurative sense, though, where it means to discard something. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
On the Use of ?Nemesis?
Posted on November 01, 2009Chris Mentzer asks: "What is the difference between enemy and nemesis? What is the purpose of using the word 'Arch' before each?" Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Negative Prefix il-
Posted on October 29, 2009A reader writes: I used to hear from my history teacher in high school that the word "illegal" isn't actually a word. I never followed up on that notion, but I suppose from popular usage, "illegal" has become legitimized. Do you have any etymological info on that? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Word of the Day: Inure
Posted on October 29, 2009Inure means to harden or to accustom to some kind of hardship. For example, one could inure to cold or hunger. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Quoting Copyrighted Work
Posted on October 29, 2009One of the most common questions writers have is, how much of someone else?s work can you quote without securing reprint permission? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Critical Analysis of Your Own Writing
Posted on October 28, 2009So you think you have something to say? How do you get past the stymieing effect of self-analysis? Is this good enough? Will your target audience be provoked to the point of discomfort? Are you ?okay with that?? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Catfights and Dogfights
Posted on October 28, 2009Without pausing to ponder your answer, what comes to mind when you hear the word "catfight"? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Folksonomy
Posted on October 28, 2009Folksonomy is a neologism formed with the words folk and taxonomy. It is the classification of online content based on user-generated tags. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Expletives
Posted on October 27, 2009Did you know, however, that there?s another kind of indefinite pronoun called an expletive? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Demise of De Luxe
Posted on October 27, 2009It seems strange to hear "luxe" without the "de." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Taxonomy
Posted on October 27, 2009Taxonomy is the science of classification. It can also mean a systematic approach to arrange or classify a group of objects. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Clauses and Phrases
Posted on October 26, 2009A reader asks for an explanation of the terms "phrase" and "clause." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Art of Speaking
Posted on October 26, 2009The art of reporting speech in writing, that is. There are a few writers whom I really admire for their skill in dialog: John le Carré and Elmore Leonard. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Here I thought ?Nimrod? was a compliment!
Posted on October 25, 2009When I read in the newspaper about a dust-up over an email in which a radio news director called a political candidate a ?nimrod,? I couldn?t understand why the word was being decried as ?derogatory.? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Word of the Day: Trivial
Posted on October 23, 2009Trivial is an adjective that means ordinary, common or of small value. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Verbs in -ize and -ise
Posted on October 22, 2009Should it be "realise" or "realize"? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Royal Order of Adjectives
Posted on October 22, 2009Have you ever wondered why we instinctively say ?the shiny new red car? and not ?the red new shiny car?? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Scruple
Posted on October 22, 2009Scruple is the moral or ethical consideration that might inhibit certain actions in men. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Rife
Posted on October 21, 2009Rife is an adjective which means abundant, prevalent, or of common occurrence. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Who or That ? That Is The Question
Posted on October 21, 2009Some might think me an old fashioned, stuffy person when it comes to grammar. I realize that language, whether written or spoken, is a living thing, and that it changes with time; but, there are some modern conventions that I have problems with. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
What?s the Difference Between ?Too? and ?Also??
Posted on October 21, 2009Is there a difference between the words "too" and "also"? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Words Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters
Posted on October 20, 2009An email in which balloon was spelled ?baloon? got me thinking about words with double letters. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Minion
Posted on October 20, 2009Minion, used as a noun, means a subordinate or servile follower of another person. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
How to Use Dashes
Posted on October 20, 2009Writers have three different dashes at their disposal: the hyphen, the en dash, and the em dash. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Illegal Aliens and Illegal Immigrants
Posted on October 19, 2009A reader questions the use of the expression "illegal alien." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Ablution
Posted on October 19, 2009Ablution is the act of washing or cleansing the body. Usually it refers to a religious rite, and it can also indicate the liquid used in the rite. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Meddling with Mettle
Posted on October 18, 2009Another of Daniel?s great words of the day, mettle, provoked readers? comments that have in turn prompted me to get into the act. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Harangue
Posted on October 16, 2009Harangue is a long speech addressed to a large public assembly. Usually the speech is an offensive one (i.e., a verbal attack), but the word can also indicate pompous or tedious speeches. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
The Many Uses of ?Swipe?
Posted on October 15, 2009Not so long ago, to "swipe" a card was to steal it. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Placid
Posted on October 15, 2009Placid is an adjective that means pleased, peaceful or quiet. It comes from the Latin placidus. There is also a lake called Lake Placid, northeast of New York. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Anyway, Any Way, or Anyways?
Posted on October 15, 2009We writers often have to contend with compound words that begin their life as two words only to eventually morph into one. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Writing with Rhythm
Posted on September 30, 2009When I was substantially younger than I am now, I wrote masses of anguished adolescent poetry. My favorite verse form was the sonnet, a style and format that is maybe little surprising for a teenager to be writing (for those who slept through this part of their English course, a sonnet is a formal 14-line poem with a complex rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter)...
Word of the Day: Gamut
Posted on September 30, 2009A gamut is anything graduated (i.e. marked at regular intervals) used to measure. A ruler, for example, could be called a gamut. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Forget about the ?Dark Ages?
Posted on September 30, 2009Movie makers and many writers are fond of using the terms ?Dark Ages? and ?medieval? to denote ignorance, intolerance and unspeakable violence. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Nihilism
Posted on September 29, 2009Nihilism is a doctrine. It defends that nothing can be really known or communicated. In other words, it is an extreme skepticism regarding knowledge and reality itself, and it can be equated with nothingness. Nihilism can also mean the rejection of all established religious values and morals...
Books About Writing
Posted on September 29, 2009I figured that it would be useful to have a page on the blog dedicated to books about writing. This initial list was created taking into consideration the books that our writers reviewed or recommended in the past. We plan to update it regularly as well...
Avert eyes, Divert attention
Posted on September 29, 2009Although similar in meaning, "avert" and "divert" are used differently. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Foo Fighters and UFOs
Posted on September 28, 2009Before there were UFOs, there were Foo Fighters. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Arson
Posted on September 28, 2009Arson (är's?n) is the crime of voluntarily burning the house or property of another person. Burning your own house with a malicious purpose is also considered arson. Finally, the person who commits this crime is called arsonist. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Are You Sure You Mean ?Majority??
Posted on September 27, 2009A reader wonders why so many speakers and writers use the word "majority" where "most" will do. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Ward
Posted on September 25, 2009Ward (wôrd) has several meanings. It can be a specific area of a city, prison, castle, hospital and the like. To ward means to guard or protect, and the person who guards can also be called ward. Finally, the expression to ward off is commonly used to express the act of repelling something...
A Shout to Our Sponsors
Posted on September 24, 2009I am writing this post just to thank the Daily Writing Tips sponsors. Apart from helping to keep the blog going they also provide quality services for writers, so check them out. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Burgeon
Posted on September 24, 2009Burgeon (bûr'j?n), which can also be spelt as bourgeon, means to grow, sprout or blossom. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Ebook, eBook, ebook or e-book?
Posted on September 24, 2009Assuming that it matters, how should one spell eBook? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Posted on September 23, 2009My copyediting students occasionally stumble when they see a sentence like this one: All the shirt needs is/are buttons. Which is it? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Fledge
Posted on September 23, 2009Fledge (fl?j) means to furnish with feathers necessary for flight. It refers to birds, but it is also used figuratively, where it means to take care of something until it is ready to fly (e.g., a project or product). Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
What?s the Difference Between ?Say? and ?Tell??
Posted on September 23, 2009A reader wonders about the difference between the words "say" and "tell." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Do You Want to Write for DailyWritingTips?
Posted on September 22, 2009Do you want to share your favorite writing tip with our readers? Perhaps you want talk about your pet peeves? Well, now you can. We are officially accepting guest articles. And it gets even better: if our readers really like your content we might extend you an invitation to become a paid staff writer...
Word of the Day: Lexicon
Posted on September 22, 2009Lexicon (l?k's?-k?n') is a dictionary or vocabulary. It contains the words and expressions of a language. It can also refer to the collection of terms used in a particular profession or field (e.g., the lexicon of philosophy). Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook...
Three Fairly New British Language References
Posted on September 22, 2009Maeve has acquired some new reference books to better serve DWT readers who use British English. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Word of the Day: Liaison
Posted on September 21, 2009Liaison (l?'?-z?n') is a link, connection or bond. It is commonly used to describe a communication or co-operation between two groups or units within an organization (e.g., co-operation between two different military forces). The person who works to connect two groups or units can also be called liaison (e...
?Loath? and ?Loathe?
Posted on September 21, 2009Paul Russell wants to know if he should be "loath" or "loathe." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Doing Good
Posted on September 20, 2009A reader objects to the sentence "The boy did good." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Time, Gentlemen, Please!
Posted on September 17, 2009Here are some English time idioms. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Choosing Between ?If? and ?Whether?
Posted on September 16, 2009In current informal usage the words if and whether are used more or less interchangeably, as in these examples from the web: Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Want to Build a Successful Blog?
Posted on September 15, 2009If you have been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I (Daniel) believe that virtually anyone can benefit from having a blog, especially aspiring writers. How come? First of all a blog will force you to write every day, and this practice will do wonders to your writing skills...
What do you call your Wordhord?
Posted on September 15, 2009Modern English speakers use the word vocabulary to mean ?a collection of words.? To speakers of Old English, words were seen as treasure. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
When Shortening ?Synchronize,? Best Leave Off the ?h?
Posted on September 14, 2009When shortening the word "synchronize." the way to spell it is "sync." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
For Our ESL Readers
Posted on September 13, 2009The English Club is a good site for ESL learners. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Empathic or Empathetic?
Posted on September 10, 2009Although the OED and Webster acknowledge both terms as acceptable, sci-fi writers may wish to differentiate. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
?So? and ?Therefore? Are Clumsy Companions
Posted on September 09, 2009When "so" and "therefore" are intended as conjunctions, a choice must be made between them. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Writing Process
Posted on September 08, 2009Whether you know it or not, there?s a process to writing ? which many writers follow naturally. If you?re just getting started as a writer, though, or if you always find it a struggle to produce an essay, short story or blog, following the writing process will help...
How to Describe Gibberish
Posted on September 08, 2009A lot of twaddle must be expressed, considering how many words for it exist! Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Stifle, already!
Posted on September 07, 2009A reader asks if Archie was telling Edith "to put a boot in it" when he told her to "stifle." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Nothing Wrong with ?went missing?
Posted on September 06, 2009Apparently some American speakers are going ballistic over "to go missing." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
That Annoying New Verb ?disrespect?
Posted on September 03, 2009Is "disrespect" as a verb really such a new usage? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The irrealis ?were? can say hello to the Dodo
Posted on September 02, 2009According to a linguist at the University of Edinburgh, we don't have to worry about knowing when to use the subjunctive "were." Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
DailyWritingTips Crosses 20,000 Subscribers
Posted on September 01, 2009I am glad to say that this week our blog crossed 20,000 subscribers. If you are one of them, thank you! If you are not, what are you waiting for? You can subscribe and keep updated with all our posts, via RSS, email or Twitter. And yeah, it is completely free...
It?s Greeking to Me
Posted on September 01, 2009Have you ever wondered what "lorem ipsum" is all about? Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Sentence Flow
Posted on August 31, 2009A reader asks how to avoid "jumpy" story-telling. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Online Style Guides
Posted on August 30, 2009A reader asks about free online style guides. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
?Female? or ?Woman??
Posted on August 27, 2009When speaking of human beings in matters having nothing to do with reproduction, "woman," not "female," is the noun to use. Your eBbook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Stunned, Astounded and Astonished
Posted on August 26, 2009"Stun" is too strong a word to use lightly. And the preposition to use with it is "by." Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
?Critiquing? is not ?Editing?
Posted on August 25, 2009Just how "critical" should a colleague's critique of a manuscript be? Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Short clauses can take commas
Posted on August 24, 2009Sometimes a comma is strong enough to separate short clauses. Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Needing to do A Few Things
Posted on August 23, 2009A young man insists on doing violence to the uncountable noun "stuff." Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Post Office is Kitty-corner to the Court House
Posted on August 20, 2009Do you say "catty-cornered," "kitty-corner," or cat-a-corner"? Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Ah, Those -ah words in English!
Posted on August 19, 2009Is it "savannah" or "savanna"? Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly
Posted on August 18, 2009You may soon be seeing media coverage of a newly-discovered threat to the already endangered honey bee population called Rasberry crazy ants. That's not a typo for "raspberry." Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Fount of Wisdom
Posted on August 17, 2009A reader asks: Is the correct expression "fount of wisdom" or "font of wisdom"? Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Brainstorms, Turning to Showers
Posted on August 16, 2009Some sensitive souls consider the expression "to brainstorm" politically incorrect. Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
?Only? Murder
Posted on August 13, 2009Which is worse: assassination or murder? Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Uses of ?Dispose?
Posted on August 12, 2009The verb "to dispose" has more than one use. Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Basic English Grammar eBook
Posted on August 11, 2009Last year we had a series called "English Grammar 101", where the basic grammar rules were covered. Many readers asked if it was possible to transform that series into an ebook. Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
The Devil, Part Two
Posted on August 11, 2009Another look a "printer's devil" and a nostalgic reminiscence of life in a letterpress print shop. Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Period Goes Inside Quotation Marks
Posted on August 10, 2009When does a period go inside the quotation marks? Your Free Ebook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.
Into the Breach!
Posted on August 09, 2009I guess King Harry's famous speech isn't as famous as it used to be. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog!Into the Breach!
Can?t we just ?raise? the question?
Posted on August 06, 2009The misuse of the expression "to beg the question" has become widespread. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Can’t we just “raise” the question?
Television and the Present Perfect Tense
Posted on August 05, 2009Good grammar and good TV titles don't always agree. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Television and the Present Perfect Tense
?Persian? is a Lovely Word
Posted on August 04, 2009Why do many English writers refer to the Persian language as "Farsi"? Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! “Persian” is a Lovely Word
Let?s Just Prosecute to the FULL extent of the Law.
Posted on August 03, 2009Prosecuting someone to "the full extent of the law" is sufficient. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Let’s Just Prosecute to the FULL extent of the Law.
First Steps in Plotting a Novel
Posted on August 02, 2009Are plots really "a dime a dozen"? Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! First Steps in Plotting a Novel
Anorexia, Meet Orthorexia
Posted on July 30, 2009There's a new word for being obsessed about "eating healthy." Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Anorexia, Meet Orthorexia
How Do You Pronounce ?Mozart??
Posted on July 29, 2009When it comes to living people, the pronunciation of a name can be settled by asking the person to whom it belongs. That's not the case with the names of long-dead writers or composers. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! How Do You Pronounce “Mozart”?
Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill
Posted on July 28, 2009One of our readers used this expression in a recent comment: make a mountain out of a mole hole I assumed that the writer had intended to write the common expression make a mountain out of a molehill. I was about to shrug it off as a typo and move on when I thought I’d just Google the unfamiliar [...
?Juridical? and ?Juridicial?
Posted on July 27, 2009What's the difference between "juridical process" and "juridicial process"? Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! “Juridical” and “Juridicial”
An Exercise in Ambiguity
Posted on July 26, 2009Phrasal verbs can be a source of ambiguity. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! An Exercise in Ambiguity
Sideways and Clockwise
Posted on July 23, 2009What does a "wise man" have to do with describing a motion as "clockwise?" Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Sideways and Clockwise
Confusing ?Passed? with ?Past?
Posted on July 22, 2009Confusing "past" with "passed" is a common writing error. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Confusing “Passed” with “Past”
A Night in the MVSEVM
Posted on July 21, 2009Why is the word "museum" sometimes seen as "MVSEVM"? Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! A Night in the MVSEVM
The Freelance Writing ?X? Factor
Posted on July 20, 2009All right, let's go straight to the point: there is no writing tip in this post, and yes it contains a plug for a paid product. However, I am not writing this for money, but rather because I think the product could be useful and worth it for many of you guys...
Charles?s Pen and Jesus? Name
Posted on July 20, 2009Here are some thoughts about the minefields of the apostrophe to form the possessive of singular nouns. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Charles’s Pen and Jesus’ Name
That Dark Type is Called ?Boldface?
Posted on July 19, 2009Here's a new usage that gives me that fingernails-down-the-blackboard feeling. Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! That Dark Type is Called “Boldface”
The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU
Posted on July 16, 2009In response to the post on “all a rouse,” Paul Wilkins wrote I am wondering why people are misusing rouse to mean ruse. What other spellings of common words are there that would cause them to think that rouse is pronounced in the same was as ruse? The only only one that comes to mind is [...
Hopefully Caring Less About Shibboleths
Posted on July 15, 2009[We should] tax all people 90% for misusing "hopefully." Network: Visit Daily Blog Tips to improve your blog! Hopefully Caring Less About Shibboleths
10 Tips for Taking Notes
Posted on July 14, 2009Winston writes: On my job, part of my responsibility is doing transcription. Often I attend scientific meetings and have to [take notes]. The notes/minutes are written as indirect quotes. Can you please give some guidance on taking meeting notes and minutes? The purpose of taking minutes at a meeting is to create a record that can be [...
The DWT Twitter Account Is Here
Posted on July 14, 2009Over the last couple of weeks many readers emailed us asking if Daily Writing Tips had a Twitter account or not. We didn't have one, but that is fixed now. I created the account a couple of days ago, and it is already configured. The DWT Twitter Account Is Here
Verbing Nouns
Posted on July 13, 2009Two readers are troubled about the tendency to use nouns as verbs. Verbing Nouns
A Girl Like I
Posted on July 12, 2009A reader is shocked that Maeve would say "like me." A Girl Like I
One Space or Two At the End of a Sentence?
Posted on July 09, 2009A reader wants to know if we should leave one space or two at the end of a sentence. One Space or Two At the End of a Sentence?
Running Errands and Doing Chores
Posted on July 08, 2009An English teacher from the Philippines wants to know the difference between errands and chores. Running Errands and Doing Chores
Coming Down the Pike
Posted on July 07, 2009A reader wants to know if the expression is "coming down the pike" or "coming down the pipe." Coming Down the Pike
When to Form a Plural with an Apostrophe
Posted on July 06, 2009This reader wants to know why we write 1980s and not 1980’s. I understood that making text entities with non-letter characters into a plural form, you separate the s from the term with an apostrophe - 1900’s, Jones’, Smith’s, or Bang!’s...
What?s Wrong with ?Ain?t?
Posted on July 05, 2009Back when I taught junior high school English I used to tell my students that they were allowed to use the word "ain't" in their speaking and writing. What’s Wrong with “Ain’t”
Emailing a Literary Agent
Posted on July 02, 2009In the old days writers could send out their queries and fantasize for weeks about acceptance. Nowadays, thanks to email, we can be zapped with rejection in a matter of minutes! Emailing a Literary Agent
Could it Be, Just Possibly, All a Ruse?
Posted on July 01, 2009A few months ago I came across an expression I'd never heard or seen before. I think I've figured out its origin. Could it Be, Just Possibly, All a Ruse?
Don?t Have A Blog Yet? Check Out This Course
Posted on July 01, 2009A blog is a wonderful tool for anyone looking to improve his or her writing skills. Why? Because it forces you to write, day after day. If you are an aspiring writer (freelance or otherwise), a blog is even more important, because it works as a marketing platform where you can expose your writing, build your audience and network with people inside your market segment...
Why Bother About Correctness?
Posted on June 30, 2009truely their is no wrong or right way to spell because everyhitng was just though up by someone eles. Partner:BecomeABlogger.com, the best online course for aspiring bloggers. Join today! Why Bother About Correctness?
Judgement or Judgment?
Posted on June 29, 2009Reader John Moss wonders about the spellings "judgement" and "judgment." His Word application flags "judgement" as an incorrect spelling, but he finds plenty examples of "judgment" in common use. Partner:BecomeABlogger.com, the best online course for aspiring bloggers...
MLA Gets With the Times
Posted on June 28, 2009Probably the biggest change in the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers has to do with the Works Cited section. MLA Gets With the Times
Why Can?t Style Manuals Just Agree?
Posted on June 25, 2009College student can get pretty fed-up with the conflicting advice they get from differing style guides. Why Can’t Style Manuals Just Agree?
?Pomp and Ceremony? or ?Pomp and Circumstance??
Posted on June 24, 2009A reader wonders why the expression "pomp and ceremony" is being replaced by "pomp and circumstance." “Pomp and Ceremony” or “Pomp and Circumstance?”
Is ?Number? Singular or Plural?
Posted on June 23, 2009A reader wants to know if "number" takes the verb "is" or "are." Is “Number” Singular or Plural?
Hippo Words
Posted on June 22, 2009A reader writes: My office mates call me a hippocrite. Hippo Words
First Come, First Served
Posted on June 21, 2009The expression first come, first served began life as a proverb having the same sense as the early bird catches the worm. Both proverbs are admonitions against dawdling.? First Come, First Served
?Wracking? or ?Racking? Your Brain?
Posted on June 18, 2009Sherry Beth Connot writes: Every time I read how someone wracked their brain, I think it should be racked, and according to my dictionary it should. Can you explain why wracked is being used this way? “Wracking” or “Racking” Your Brain?
Does Web Usage Matter?
Posted on June 17, 2009Nuscha took me to task the other day for citing Google search results in my discussion of free rein and the frequent mistaken rendering of it as "free reign." Does Web Usage Matter?
Writing the Century
Posted on June 16, 2009Melvin Merzon sets me this multi-part question: How would you write "21st Century"? In a legal document? In a business letter? In fiction? In a nonfiction context? Writing the Century
Trouble with ?Vigorously? and ?Vicariously?
Posted on June 15, 2009So far I haven't found it in an article by a professional journalist (thank goodness), but in the course of my web browsing I have discovered the created word "vigariously." Trouble with “Vigorously” and “Vicariously”
Words for Saintly Golden Light
Posted on June 14, 2009Everyone's familiar with the word halo in the sense of a circle of light behind or above the head of a saintly person in a painting. This post offers some synonyms. Words for Saintly Golden Light
Oligarchy + Monopoly ? Oligopoly
Posted on June 11, 2009I've long been aware of the words oligarchy and monopoly, but I've only just discovered the word oligopoly Oligarchy + Monopoly ? Oligopoly
Free Rein or Free Reign?
Posted on June 10, 2009Sometimes folk etymology triumphs over origin. "Free rein" is the original form of the expression meaning "autonomy," but "free reign" apparently makes sense to a lot of people. Free Rein or Free Reign?
Worshiping and Kidnapping
Posted on June 09, 2009The recent post "One L or Two?" prompted this question from David: What about the "p" in worship. Is it "worshiping" or "worshipping"? Worshiping and Kidnapping
Rule of Thumb
Posted on June 08, 2009Reader Cynthia Turney asks Do you know where the phrase "rule of thumb" came from? Rule of Thumb
?Intact? is One Word
Posted on June 07, 2009I've seen too many examples of intact written as two words to go on assuming that they are typographical errors. “Intact” is One Word
The First Five Pages
Posted on June 04, 2009What can an agent tell from the first five pages of your manuscript? According to Noah Lukeman, plenty. The First Five Pages
Cinderella Didn?t Wear Cotton to the Ball
Posted on June 03, 2009Next time you dress your heroine for a ball, you may want to describe her gown in terms of its lightness and delicacy. Here are some nouns and adjectives for the job.Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Cinderella Didn’t Wear Cotton to the Ball
Interview with Darren Rowse on Building a Better Blog
Posted on June 03, 2009Last week we published a post about Darren Rowse's new ebook, titled 31 Days to Build a Better a Blog. I asked Darren if he was willing to answer to a small interview giving more details about the book to our readers, and he agreed. There are some interesting points, so check it out...
Subject Lines, Subscriptions and Submissions
Posted on June 02, 2009In this post I want to deal with some miscellaneous questions that have come to me via email.Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Subject Lines, Subscriptions and Submissions
Fly, Flew, (has) Flown?-Flied?
Posted on June 01, 2009Reader Michelle asks if the past tense of the verb to fly can ever be flied. My first response was to scream No! Never! But then I remembered baseball.Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Fly, Flew, (has) Flown—-Flied?
Bouncebackability
Posted on May 31, 2009Reader Graham Broadley is apparently scratching his head over a word that’s recently been admitted to the pages of the venerable OED: I was watching the French Open tennis tournament the other day and heard the commentator say the word ‘bounce-back-ability’ had made it into the OED this year...
Want to Improve Your Blog? Check This Workbook Out
Posted on May 28, 2009Many of our readers are also bloggers, and the ones who are not should seriously consider becoming. Why? Because blogging is one of the most effective ways to improve your writing. Once you have a blog, you will inevitably need to write on a regular basis, and practice makes perfection...
The Humble Foot
Posted on May 28, 2009Like other body parts, foot has found its way into numerous idiomatic expressions. Here are just a few.Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? The Humble Foot
Italicizing Foreign Words
Posted on May 27, 2009Karin-Marijke Vis wrote: What to do with foreign words? Do I put them in Italics, or in single or double quotes?Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Italicizing Foreign Words
Airplane Ears
Posted on May 26, 2009Filip from Sweden has a question about an unpleasant accompaniment to flying.Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Airplane Ears
One ?L? or Two?
Posted on May 25, 2009Lisa wrote: We're having a bit of an issue here at work. Can you address the usage of canceled vs. cancelled? Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? One “L” or Two?
Wake Up, Little Suzy!
Posted on May 24, 2009Jan Bringmann writes: I have seen many use the word woken instead of awakened. Is this correct?Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Wake Up, Little Suzy!
Words Ending in -gue
Posted on May 21, 2009An email in which the word colleague was spelled colleag got me thinking about English words that end with a hard g sound spelled -gue.Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Words Ending in -gue
Without Cease
Posted on May 20, 2009One of my illustrations in a recent post, The wind has blown without cease for three days. struck some readers as odd.Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Without Cease
In Search of a 4-Dot Ellipsis
Posted on May 19, 2009Reader Vic Shane writes: ...my editor told me there is a four-dot ellipsis that is not the same thing as the three-dot version. When I went to Journalism school (32 years ago), we only had the three-dot variety, as far as I know. The extra dot came from somewhere and I'd like to get to the bottom of it...
Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)
Posted on May 18, 2009At some point in life, you?re almost certainly going to have to write a reference letter for someone. It might be a former employee or student, or even a family friend. Here?s what you need to know about the purpose of reference letters and how to write the most effective letter possible...
Cannot or Can Not?
Posted on May 18, 2009Peter Ki asks: What is the difference between ?can not? and ?cannot?? Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Cannot or Can Not?
Good to Be Back!
Posted on May 17, 2009Four countries and eight regions, but--thanks to standard English--no communication problems!Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Good to Be Back!
Let?s Party!
Posted on May 14, 2009From a reader comes the question: Could you cover the term 'carousing' and how to use it correctly, along with other party-related terms? Thanks!Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Let’s Party!
Laurels and What One Does With Them
Posted on May 13, 2009I heard a newscaster--sports I think--say that someone was waiting on the laurels of someone else. Sometimes I feel like an ancient Roman watching Latin turn into French. What did the newscaster mean?Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? Laurels and What One Does With Them
When is a Door Not a Door?
Posted on May 12, 2009A Target television ad asks at the beginning "When is a door not a door?" Later in the ad comes the answer: "when it's a portal." So what's the difference? Got the Daily Blog Tips Newsletter? When is a Door Not a Door?
Verbs Like ?Know?
Posted on May 11, 2009A reader wonders about an unusual use of the word known. Verbs Like “Know”
The Cat?s Pajamas
Posted on May 10, 2009Not everyone loves cats, but the language has its share of expressions coined from the appearance and behavior of these slinky domestic companions. The Cat’s Pajamas
What’s a Miscreant and How Is It Pronounced?
Posted on May 07, 2009Terry Gross used the word miscreants when introducing a commentary on NPR. The segment, "Madoff: A Scoundrel Or A Sociopath?" (4/15/09)was a commentary by Geoff Nunberg on the word scoundrel in current usage. Gross placed the stress on the second syllable...
You Too Can Sponsor A Word!
Posted on May 07, 2009Of all the free language references available online, my absolute favorite is the Online Etymology Dictionary: a map of the wheel-ruts of modern English...explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago. You Too Can Sponsor A Word!
Masters Degree or Master’s Degree?
Posted on May 06, 2009Edwin Johnstone wrote: What is the proper way to spell masters degree ? or is it master's degree? or Masters degree? or Master's degree? Masters Degree or Master’s Degree?
Principal Parts of the Verb TO FIT
Posted on May 05, 2009Reader Barry Kemp has a question about fit: One thing that has puzzled me for a while is the use of the word "fit". It's quite clear when one reads that "the new rug was a perfect fit in the apartment" But what is the rule for the past tense? We often read something like "it was a long stuggle but in the end he fit the pieces together" or "she slipped it on and the suit fit her perfectly" It is quite clear these sentences are past tense so why do we not use the past tense "fitted"? Principal Parts of the Verb TO FIT
Speak of the Devil!
Posted on May 04, 2009One of my favorite sayings is God is in the details. Speak of the Devil!
When is a “Mistake” Not a Mistake?
Posted on May 01, 2009It's not just lengthy Latin words that are used to conceal meaning. The simple Old Norse word mistake is used to cover a multitude of behaviors that have little to do with the conventional meaning of the word. When is a “Mistake” Not a Mistake?
Hurrah for the Lowly BUG
Posted on April 29, 2009When I lived in England, my colleagues quickly taught me that I must say "insect" (not "bug") unless I specifically meant "bed-bug." In the U.S., bug applies to every conceivable type of insect. Hurrah for the Lowly BUG
It?s Me vs It is I
Posted on April 28, 2009Ali Abuzar wants us to elaborate the difference and usage of 1.It is me. 2.It is I. 3.This is me. 4.This is I. 5.This is Mr. XYZ. It’s Me vs It is I
Aesthetic or Aesthetical?
Posted on April 27, 2009I noticed the following use of aesthetical in a comment on an English site: Thus I use the incorrect case [object form instead of subject form] as my domain name for aesthetical reasons. Aesthetic or Aesthetical?
How Can a War Be ?Civil??
Posted on April 27, 2009Reader Dottie remarks: I've never understood the term "Civil War." It does sound like something of an oxymoron, doesn't it? How Can a War Be “Civil”?
The Difference Between ?Phonics? and ?Phonetics?
Posted on April 23, 2009Ali Abuzar wonders about the difference between phonics and phonetics. In popular usage the words are often used interchangeably, although phonics [f?n'?ks] is the term usually employed when speaking of a method of beginning reading insstruction. In this use, phonics is regarded as a simplified form of phonetics [f?-n?t'?ks], which is the scientific study of speech sounds...
Does ?Mr? Take a Period?
Posted on April 22, 2009A recent DWT post about hyphen use (Chocolate covered or Chocolate-covered) prompted a discussion about the use of a period with the titles Mr. and Mrs. Here are some of the comments: Does “Mr” Take a Period?
Practice or Practise?
Posted on April 21, 2009Mike Stone asks about the difference between practice and practise, defence and defense. Are they UK/US differences or is it something to with their use as nouns/verbs. I've never been able to find a good simple explanation. Practice or Practise?
From Our Readers - Sneak/Snuck and WH
Posted on April 20, 2009Sometimes I get comments via the Contact box that I wish had been posted in the comments for everyone to enjoy. Here are two such contributions I want to share. From Our Readers - Sneak/Snuck and WH
Taking Another Look at Strunk and White
Posted on April 19, 2009April 16 was the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, a slim grammar reference that is recommended to students and writers everywhere. I wrote a post on it not too long ago, saying that it "deserves its long popularity as a concise guide to correct usage...
Not Good or No Good?
Posted on April 16, 2009Deborah H. has a question about one of my recent post titles: Maeve, the title on today's DWT reminds me of a question that I have wanted to ask for a long time: How do I choose between "no" and "not?"
Eating Humble Pie
Posted on April 15, 2009The old expression eating humble pie remains alive and well in cyberspace: I am once again reminded of all the little things my wife manages so well and how I really should make a better effort not to take her for granted. Humble pie is definitely a dish I should eat on a regular basis.
Words beginning with ?homo-?
Posted on April 14, 2009Although Latin is no longer part of the general curriculum, it persists in enough mottos and expressions that everyone probably knows
A Harrowing Use of ?Harry?
Posted on April 13, 2009I regret that I did not make a note of where I saw this, but it did make me gasp: ...inspire harrying tales that will either make you gasp for air or make you sit there and shake your head.
Civil Liberties and Civic Duties
Posted on April 12, 2009When I read the following sentence the other day, I had an immediate "Oh No!" reaction to the use of civil:
Chopping Off Syllables
Posted on April 09, 2009Here's a fab app for keeping track of your lab info docs, vocab lists, and rehab meds.
No Sooner Than (Not ?When?)
Posted on April 08, 2009Maeve, how about no sooner had she than, or no sooner had she when. I’m always confused about that. Judging from frequent questions about this usage on various internet grammar sites, it’s a concern shared by many writers. Interestingly, when I tried to find online examples of no sooner?when, I found only one: She just knew [...
Chocolate Covered or Chocolate-Covered?
Posted on April 07, 2009Knowing when to hyphenate a word and when to write it as two words or as a compound is a difficult concept for me to master.
Is There a Difference Between ?Assume? and ?Presume??
Posted on April 06, 2009Both words have numerous definitions in the OED, but in ordinary usage, both assume and presume mean "suppose." I suppose you are going to the beach this summer. I assume you are going to the beach this summer I presume you are going to the beach this summer.
Not Winning a Contest Doesn?t Mean Your Writing is No Good
Posted on April 05, 2009The votes are in and the winners announced for the Second DWT Short Story Competition. Congratulations to winner Violet Toler and runner-up Easton Miller. Your stories pleased many readers. Contests are rough on writers. If we enter and don't win, it's very hard to shake the feeling that our writing isn't any good.
Tracking the ?Fangle? in ?Newfangled?
Posted on April 02, 2009Until I saw the word "fangled" used humorously in a couple of blogs, I'd never given any thought to the elements of newfangled. Can something be "oldfangled," or just plain "fangled"?
Hurrah for the Index Card!
Posted on April 01, 2009If I were to make a list of the 10 greatest inventions of human history, index cards would be right there along with the alphabet and the stuff you put on the back of your pet's neck to kill fleas. I don't know how I'd get along with out them.
And The Winner Is? Orange Bubble Power!
Posted on April 01, 2009The Short Story Competition 2 has finally come to an end. The voting session last week was pretty interesting, with different stories taking the lead in different days, and in the end Orange Bubble Power won. Congratulations to Violet Toler! Both Violet and Easton Miller, the runner up, will get a free license to the executive edition of the WhiteSmoke writing software, which costs $310...
Addressing Envelopes
Posted on March 31, 2009Here's a question from Alfonso Rodriguez from Lima, Peru: Would you be so kind as to tell me what is the correct way to write down an address when the building has no number, I think there is an abbreviation form.
Sneaking up on ?Snuck?
Posted on March 29, 2009A reader asks: Could you tell me which is more appropriate or how it is used: snuck vs sneeked - He snuck across the border.
Pronouncing Words that Begin with WH
Posted on March 26, 2009Maria Cypher wrote: Can you weigh in on whether the "h" in -wh- words (e.g., whether, white, overwhelmed) should be pronounced? This seems to be a regional thing, but I say yes, yes, yes! (And then my friends and relatives mock me.)
How Drunk Are You? Let Me Count the Ways!
Posted on March 25, 2009In researching words for drunkenness, I was appalled by how many I found. Clearly words to denote various states of alcoholic stupor are in frequent demand. Here are some of the terms, categorized according to degrees of drunkenness. Some are more literary than others.
The Many Faces of ?Run?
Posted on March 24, 2009A reader has asked about "the correct use of the words run vs. ran." Run is one of those words that can be either a noun or a verb. As a verb, the principal parts of run are: run, ran, (have) run.
Character Tags in Fiction
Posted on March 24, 2009In the parlance of fiction writing, a character tag is a repetitive verbal device used to identify a character in the mind of the reader. More than a simple description, a character tag calls to mind aspects of the character's personality and uniqueness.
Short Story Competition 2: The Grand Finale is Live!
Posted on March 23, 2009The time we all have been waiting has finally come. The eleven (yes we had a tie in one round) most voted stories in the ten qualifying rounds are now competing head to head for the grand winner title. If you have not already, make sure to read them...
That Elusive Will o? the Wisp
Posted on March 22, 2009A quaint, but still useful term of interest to writers is the expression will o' the wisp. The literal sense of will o' the wisp is "a phosphorescent light that occurs over marshy ground." It flits about and, according to observers, seems to retreat as one approaches it...
Mmmm, You Dirty Rat!
Posted on March 19, 2009It's the rare media mention of Wall Street con man Bernie Madoff that doesn?t contain the word "rat" in some context.
Deep POV
Posted on March 18, 2009One of the advantages of belonging to a writers' group is that every member has different strengths and areas of expertise. As a result, we are continually learning from one another. For example, I learned about Deep POV from one of my colleagues.
Modernizing Liturgical English
Posted on March 17, 2009A reader writes: In church, our liturgy has traditionally used a phrase such as "Thou Who sittest at the right hand of God the Father" to refer to Jesus, singular. As we have changed over from using the King James Bible translation, we have also gradually changed from use of "thee" and "thou" and the "est" forms of the verbs in the liturgy...
Short Story Competition 2: Tenth Round is Open for Voting
Posted on March 17, 2009All right folks, the last round is live. We have 7 stories competing on this one, for a total of 97 stories and over two months of competition. Phew! If you sent a story to us and it was not published in any of the previous rounds, let us know as soon as possible and we will look in the hundreds of emails that we received trying to find it...
Running ?Toward? the House, or ?Towards? the House?
Posted on March 16, 2009As prepositions, the words toward and towards both have the following meanings: in the direction of facing with regard to as a help to
In the Long Tail
Posted on March 15, 2009You experts in SEO out there will laugh, but I had never heard the expression "in the long tail" until I came across this sentence on a site devoted to that subject: Fresh and relevant content is becoming more and more important to SEO and establishing rankings, both for money terms and in the long tail.
How ?Fancy? Should Your Manuscript Be?
Posted on March 12, 2009A reader asks: When sending in a manuscript, how much fancy things do you do? I mean the creative font of the, "Chapter 1," or the swirly design that is sometimes in between paragraphs to demonstrate a lot of time has passed, or its a new scene. Does the publisher just decide it all?
Participles Fused and Otherwise
Posted on March 11, 2009If you don't know what a fused participle is, read on. The present participle is the form of the English verb that ends in -ing: walk walked walking To function as a verb, the present participle must be used with an auxiliary verb:
Pangrams and Lipograms
Posted on March 10, 2009I've long known that the sentence The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog contains every letter of the alphabet. What I didn't know is that such a sentence has a special name.
Short Story Competition 2: Ninth Round is Open for Voting
Posted on March 10, 2009We are getting close to the end of the second Short Story Competition. Today's round has some interesting stories as usual, so make sure to read them and cast a vote for your favorite one. Every week only one story passes the round and gets promoted to the grand finale, where we will declare the overall winner and the three writers who will receive the prizes from WhiteSmoke.
More Than One Meaning for ?Poke?
Posted on March 09, 2009One of my favorite country expressions is "pig in a poke." For those unfamiliar with the expression, a "poke" is a sack. To buy something without first looking at it is to buy a pig in a poke. (As we do when we buy things online.) I once used the word with a group of eighth-graders and discovered that poke can be used with a sexual connotation...
Can ?Enclosure? go at the top of a letter?
Posted on March 09, 2009A reader inquires: Is it permissible to list Enclosures at the top of a letter right after Subject and/or References or should they always be listed at the bottom of the letter after your closing? I suppose that anything is "permissible," but some things are not advisable...
3 Reasons to Ditch Your Novel?s Prologue
Posted on February 25, 2009The prologue is a legitimate story-telling device, but many readers admit that when they see the word "Prologue," they skip at once to the page that begins with the words "Chapter One."
Short Story Competition 2: Seventh Round is Open for Voting
Posted on February 24, 2009Welcome to the seventh round of the second Short Story Competition. Apparently we are going to have a total of 12 rounds. Whew, that is three months qualifying stories to the grand finale! The poll is going to remain open until the midnight of the upcoming Sunday...
O Captain, My Captain!
Posted on February 24, 2009Reader Cathy poses this question: Is the proper use of helm "at the helm" or "under the helm?"
The Difference Between ?While? and ?Whilst?
Posted on February 23, 2009A reader asks: what is the difference between while and whilst? Both while and whilst have been in the language for a very long time. While was in use in Old English; whilst is a Middle English development of while. As conjunctions they are interchangeable in meaning, but whilst has not survived in standard American English...
4 Exasperating Malapropisms
Posted on February 22, 2009Malapropisms can be funny, but only if one understands both the misused word and the word appropriate in the context. Here are four malapropisms that left one reader scratching his head: 1.The butler entered the drawing room bearing the visitor’s name card on a silver sliver...
I wish I were?
Posted on February 19, 2009A reader wonders whether to use was or were in the following examples: I wish I were…or…I wish I was… If only it was…or… If only it were… What is the rule? With these examples, the choice is obvous because the words wish and if only make it clear that the speaker is talking about something that is [...
Tastes Good Like/As If??
Posted on February 18, 2009I belong to a generation that remembers the Winston television ad: Winston tastes good like a cigarette should. English teachers everywhere in the United States had fits over that ad, but evidence was mustered that plenty of precedence existed for the use of like as a conjunction by recognized masters of English prose, including another “Winston” We are [...
Not All Epithets are Insults
Posted on February 17, 2009Judging by the word's common use in today's media, one might imagine epithet to be no more than a synonym for insult. Some epithets are insults, but the word has a wider application.
When -OT is [?t]
Posted on February 16, 2009In reading some instructions for building a 3-tier strawberry bed, I came across the word spiget. At first I thought it was some specialized gardening term. Then I figured out that the writer was referring to a spigot. Spigot is one of four English words in which the final -ot is pronounced [it].
Short Story Competition 2: Sixth Round is Open for Voting
Posted on February 16, 2009Alright folks, it is time for another round or short stories. If you haven't read last week's round, check it out. The winning story was hilarious, titled Orange Bubble Power. You have until the midnight of next Sunday to vote on today's stories. One story wins each individual round, and at the end we make a grand finale with the round winners, declaring the overall winner and awarding the prizes.
What?s a Retronym?
Posted on February 15, 2009When my children were infants, they wore diapers. Every so often I would splurge on a box of the newfangled, expensive, disposable kind. Now when people say "diaper," they mean the disposable kind and would call the kind I used "cloth diapers." Earlier than that, back when he mowed the grass, my big brother longed for an "electric mower...
Satire, Parody, and other Forms of Ridicule
Posted on February 12, 2009Writers have been raising laughs by ridiculing people and human behavior since at least the time of the Greek dramatists. Here are some terms to describe types of ridicule intended to make us laugh and, maybe, think. satire (n.) - This broad term applies to literature that blends criticism, wit, and ironic humor with the aim [...
Trouble with ?Did? and ?Had?
Posted on February 11, 2009I’ve begun to notice the use of “did” in contexts that call for “had.” In an episode of CSI New York, the Sinese character remarks: If I didn’t do it, he would have killed me. He’s referring to something bad he did earlier in the episode...
Short Story Competition 2: Fifth Round is Open for Voting
Posted on February 10, 2009Sorry for the small delay on the fifth round. It was supposed to go live yesterday in the afternoon, but we had a small technical problem. The competition is going pretty well though. On the fourth round we had close to 500 votes, and the winning story passed to the grand finale with just 13 votes over the second runner up...
Why So Much Anger Over Usage?
Posted on February 10, 2009A few times since beginning to write for DWT I’ve had occasion to reflect on the question of what fuels the anger occasionally expressed in the comments. One explanation I’ve come up with is that because language is so much a part of our identity, the criticism of usage or pronunciation may be perceived as a [...
Don?t Overdo ?Do?
Posted on February 09, 2009Walking past a bank the other day I noticed a sign that said We do loans.
Love Song to a Dictionary
Posted on February 08, 2009Most writers of English in every part of the world acknowledge the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a reliable reference to settle questions of spelling, pronunciation, and usage.
What Do Writers Read?
Posted on February 05, 2009I’m always learning from readers’ comments. Something I learned recently is that not all writers agree that reading Dickens is a good thing. Dickens is not my favorite 19th century novelist–George Eliot is–but I think that modern writers can learn a lot about scene structure and the management of multiple characters and subplots from reading his [...
Tracking a Quotation
Posted on February 04, 2009When a reader asked about the use of brackets in a recent email, I started to refer him to my post When and How to Use Brackets and leave it at that. Curiosity overcame me, however, and I tried to track down the complete original. Here’s the quotation that prompted the reader’s question: [We'll] probably never [...
The Word is ?Succumbed?
Posted on February 03, 2009A reader asks: Does the word “sucummbed” really exist? As in “he finally sucummbed to the cold and lay face down in the snow”… What’s interesting about this question is not that succumbed is misspelled, but that this reader kept encountering this misspelling as he tried to find a definition...
What Is A Pundit or Punditry?
Posted on February 02, 2009A reader writes: So, there I was, reading The Other McCain (Robert McCain): "the conservative movement in general tends to esteem punditry over reporting" What is the difference between punditry and reporting?
Short Story Competition 2: Fourth Round is Open for Voting
Posted on February 02, 2009The fourth round is open for voting. If you are reading this in your email inbox or via an RSS reader, remember that you need to visit the site (by clicking on the title of this post) to be able to vote on the poll. The Prizes The competition will be sponsored by WhiteSmoke...
How Many Sentences in a Paragraph?
Posted on February 02, 2009A DWT reader, exasperated by an online newspaper article formatted as eleven one-sentence “paragraphs,” asks for a definition of “paragraph” and wants to know how long a paragraph should be. A paragraph is a unit of thought that develops an idea...
Writing a Pitch
Posted on January 29, 2009Those of you planning to enter the Amazon/Penguin Fiction Contest have probably written your pitch by now. Every novelist, sooner or later, must give some thought to “the pitch.” Like a synopsis a pitch must present–in a short space if written, in a few minutes if spoken–an overall description of the novel: main character/s, main [...
?Before? and ?Ago?
Posted on January 28, 2009I came across the following sentence in a writer’s movie synopsis: [a man] passes away and bequeaths his shack on the island to a woman, a young girl that he met many years ago when he was in a prisoner of war hospital. The word that jars is ago where before is called for...
Interview with Rushang Shah, Founder of Gramlee
Posted on January 27, 2009If you have not noticed yet, Gramlee is one of the newest sponsors of Daily Writing Tips. When they contacted me a while ago I was glad to accept them aboard, mainly because I think that they provide a useful service for both individuals and companies that want to make sure their text pieces are grammatically sound and clearly written.
How Long Should a Synopsis Be?
Posted on January 27, 2009Say that your query letter has piqued the interest of an agent. She wants to see a synopsis, but doesn’t specify how long it should be. How do you decide? (For some reason you can’t just phone her and ask.) You can search the web for a nice simple answer...
What?s the Difference Between a Speech and an Address?
Posted on January 26, 2009Nabil Bayouk asks: What is the difference between speech and address (noun) Used as a noun, address is not the first word one would choose in ordinary circumstances. The more common choice is speech: The candidate gave a speech. The principal’s speech went on too long...
Short Story Competition 2: Third Round is Open for Voting
Posted on January 26, 2009A couple of people were already sending us emails asking where the third round was. Well, here it is! As an administrative note, expect the rounds to go live at around this time on Mondays. Early in the day we already the normal post from Maeve, so I figured that spacing it a bit couldn't hurt, and you still have the rest of the week to read the stories so...
What?s Your Style?
Posted on January 25, 2009A writer’s style is the sum of sentence structure, sentence length, vocabulary, literary or cultural allusions, and world view. We all strive to create a style that will result in a distinctive “voice” that will distinguish our writing from that of others...
The Chief Justice?s Prepositional Slip
Posted on January 22, 2009Most of the comments about the Chief Justice's verbal stumble while administering the Presidential oath focus on the adverb "faithfully."
Making Sense of ?Since?
Posted on January 21, 2009Sometimes a word that is clear in one context, may create ambiguity in another. Consider the following excerpt from a professional newspaper review of Hotel for Dogs. The story follows 16-year-old Andi (Emma Roberts) and her 11-year-old brother Bruce (Jake T...
Body Parts as Tools of Measurement
Posted on January 20, 2009An online writer relating the history of luggage tells how in the old days, holiday makers didn't try to manage with a mere suitcase when they went to the seaside for a week or so. They took the same kind of large trunks they would use if they were going on a long voyage:
Dealing With A Character?s Internal Thoughts
Posted on January 19, 2009Suzanne Ouimet writes: I have written several books which are 'dialogue driven'. What I am wondering is how to express my characters' thoughts. It gets a bit tiresome to keep saying something like 'he thought to himself'. (who else would he be talking to anyway?) I have also tried putting the character's thoughts in italics or some other font...
Short Story Competition 2: Second Round is Open for Voting
Posted on January 19, 2009The competition is starting to warm up. On the first round the winner beat the runner up by just one vote! Below you will find the eight stories that are competing on the second round. Remember that the winner of each round will be presented on the Grand Finale at the end of the competition, and that is where the overall winner will emerge from...
Reflections on ?Versus?
Posted on January 19, 2009The following sentence from an editorial about a money-saving measure taken by our local county government caught my eye: It's about cost-effective verses cheap.
Swiss Army Knife for Writers
Posted on January 15, 2009Until now, the only Thesaurus on my shelves was Roget’s, and it was gathering dust because I quit using it years ago. I found it more useful to look up a word in a regular dictionary and see what synonyms were offered. Not ideal, but it gave me more options than Roget’s...
Time to Re-Read Orwell?
Posted on January 14, 2009George Orwell didn’t have time to collect many royalties on his phenomenally successful novel 1984. The dystopic novel that has since influenced so many other writers and contributed words and even suffixes to our vocabulary, was published mid-1949...
Are You Guilty of Genericide?
Posted on January 13, 2009You won’t find it in Merriam-Webster (yet), but genericide has a legal meaning. The “death” specified as genericide is that of a trademark word that has become a common generic term. Some words that started out as brand names and “died” into a state of generic terms are: aspirin, bundt cake, cellophane, ditto, dry ice, escalator,?granola, [...
Short Story Competition 2: First Round Is Open for Voting
Posted on January 13, 2009Sorry for the small delay. The first round was supposed to go live yesterday, but I had some technical problems on my side. From now on all other rounds will go live on Mondays though. Thanks for all the readers that sent their stories too. The participation rate was excellent, with over 90 entries, which tops the 86 entries we had on the last competition.
Internet Marketing and Online Busieness Training Program
Posted on January 12, 2009No writing tip on this post, be warned. If you are interested in learning Internet marketing and in creating your own online business, though, read on. My name is Daniel Scocco, and I am the owner of Daily Writing Tips (most of you probably know this by now...
Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words
Posted on January 12, 2009The word acronym was coined in 1943 by Bell Laboratories to refer to new words like RADAR that had been created from the initials of the words in phrases. Distinctions can be made between initial letter constructions that can be pronounced as words (RADAR) and those which can be pronouced only as letters (FBI)...
Is Your Novel Ready to Go?
Posted on January 11, 2009If you have completed the manuscript of a novel, you may want to consider entering the Second Annual Breakthrough Novel Award Contest sponsored by Amazon and Penguin. Last year’s Grand Prize winner, chosen from a field of 5,000 entries, received a publishing contract and $25,000: Fresh Kills by Bill Loehfelm...
When Most is Enough
Posted on January 08, 2009It must be one of those “in your face” gestures of defiance. It can’t be that they don’t know better. I’m referring to the way so many bloggers create headlines that place a “most” in front of an adjective that already has the superlative -est suffix: The internet’s Most Rudest and Obnoxious people Mumbai, India is [...
Pass the Chile
Posted on January 07, 2009Every time I see a race called the Chile Pepper advertised in my local paper, I have the same reaction: Chile is the country and chili is the vegetable! Most dictionaries give the spelling chile as a “variant” of chili, but chili remains the most common American spelling...
Hey Clyde, Who?s That Harvey?
Posted on January 06, 2009Slang changes from one generation to the next, but one thing remains constant: personal names are a frequent source. The first time I heard “Clyde” used in the sense of “dull, conventional person,” was in a Star Trek episode called “The Way to Eden...
Short Story Competition 2: Deadline Is Now January 11
Posted on January 06, 2009Many readers contacted us asking for an extension on the deadline for the short story competition submissions. Considering we had the holidays in between, we agreed to. The new deadline is January 11, which is this upcoming Sunday.
Be Sure to Dot Your is!
Posted on January 05, 2009A reader asks: What is the correct way to write, "there are three two's in the English language".
Banished Words of 2009
Posted on January 04, 2009Every January Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie publishes a list of 15 Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. This year's losers (and some reasons given for banishing them):
Beginning Your Mystery Novel
Posted on January 01, 2009You've got a great idea for a mystery novel. You can hardly wait to get started, but before you launch into that first chapter, three steps can save you hours of frustration and repair work later.
The Plural of ?Calf? is ?Calves,? or is it?
Posted on December 31, 2008An NPR reporter talking about Colorado ranchers mentioned the income they get when they sell the offspring of their cattle. What she said was: when they sell their [k?fs].
Can ?blarney? be ?in fine fettle??
Posted on December 30, 2008I came across the following in a newspaper column. the Bergthold blarney was in fine fettle I tend to think of people, horses, and things such as businesses as being "in fine fettle," so seeing the expression applied to "blarney" stopped me in my tracks.
Mixing up ?lay? and ?lie?
Posted on December 29, 2008I have problems with lying and laying. Is there an easy way to make sure I am using the right one?
Famous Books Rejected Multiple Times
Posted on December 28, 2008Commenting on That First Page, a reader remarks: Then there is the story of Orwell's novel being rejected by American publishers because "American readers don't like animal stories!"
December 26
Posted on December 25, 2008The day after Christmas, December 26 (according to the Western tradition), has its own holiday associations.
?Dear Sir? and Other Business Conventions
Posted on December 24, 2008A reader asks: Is it just me, or does the "Dear" seem a little awkward when starting a business letter to someone whom you have never met or communicated [with]? If I have to call someone "Mr." or something similar, is this person really dear to me?
Deck the Halls
Posted on December 23, 2008Many of the traditional Christmas songs in English contain words or references that have changed in meaning or fallen out of common use. The familiar “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly” (words from 1881), has several words that may stump native and non-native speakers alike...
The First Page
Posted on December 22, 2008One of the sessions at a writer’s conference I attended was set up like an episode of American Idol. Three New York agents played the part of the judges. Instead of performers, typed sheets of paper were the objects of their attention and wounding remarks...
Data and Information
Posted on December 21, 2008A reader suggests addressing “the difference between data and information.” Both information and data are types of knowledge, a concept for which English has numerous words. The various words are used in different ways, according to context, but here’s an effort to differentiate some of them...
How Much Dialog is Too Much?
Posted on December 18, 2008A reader asks: How much description or dialog that may be “unnecessary” to the plot is acceptable if it contributes to “atmosphere” or characterization? Short answer: Nothing “unnecessary” belongs in your novel. But this reader’s question is not about padding his novel with “unnecessary” dialog...
Demons, Daemons and Daimons
Posted on December 17, 2008The three English words demon, daemon, and daimon all derive from Greek ?????? (daimôn), the word for a spirit that served as a link between the human and divine spheres. Daimons could be benevolent or malevolent. They were much lower in the divine hierarchy than gods like Jupiter and Diana...
Passing the Buck Slip
Posted on December 16, 2008The other day I received a letter that directed me to refer to an enclosed “buck slip.” I’d never heard the expression, but I figured out that what was meant was a printed insert. Apparently this term, along with “lift note,” is common in the world of direct mailing: …there’s really very little difference between a [...
?Self-Published? is not a Dirty Word
Posted on December 15, 2008In the old days, publishing companies that catered to writers who were willing to pay to have their books printed were called Vanity Presses.
I Got the Blues
Posted on December 14, 2008Blue is not only a favorite color for a lot of people, it is a word that occurs in many English expressions, some of them oddly contradictory. Obscene language is said to be “blue,” yet blue laws are those that forbid activities considered irreligious to take place on Sunday...
Why Are Dirty Jokes Funny?
Posted on December 13, 2008Off-color humor is certainly not new: some of the earliest recorded jokes, told thousands of years ago, deal with things that people do in the bathroom or the bedroom. What makes these jokes funny?
Ken Follett?s Master Class for Novelists
Posted on December 11, 2008According to Forbes Magazine, Ken Follet is one of the world’s ten most highly-paid novelists, with an annual income of $20 million. Follett wrote several not-so-great novels before Eye of the Needle made him rich and famous in 1978. Since then, every novel he publishes becomes a best seller...
The Perils of Writing to Someone You Don?t Know
Posted on December 10, 2008From a reader: I have a question. I work for a large Canadian law firm and I've noticed that many of the people here do not use Mr. or Ms., but rather address letters to "John Smith." Have I missed something? Is this proper now?
Names ?Epicene? and Otherwise
Posted on December 10, 2008Until very recently, the only context I knew for the word “epicene” was a T. S. Eliot poem: Along the garden-wall the bees? With hairy bellies pass between? The staminate and pistilate,? Blest office of the epicene. —T.S. Eliot?s Mr...
Even Talent Requires Revision
Posted on December 08, 2008A reader commenting on Don’t Be Too Eager to Publish says: While I may agree that lengthy detail is unnecessary, I believe you are far too critical of the opening passage. Reading with interest is a very personal matter. Why put a writer in a box where he must conform to the way in which a daydream is [...
Merriam-Webster?s Words of the Year 2008
Posted on December 07, 2008The most looked-up words in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2008 reflect the nation’s preoccupation with discussions surrounding the Presidential campaign. Seven of the ten–bailout, vet, socialism, maverick, rogue, misogyny, and bipartisan–have political associations...
Are ?Gone,? ?Taken,? and ?Written? on the Way Out?
Posted on December 04, 2008About a year ago, I wrote an article about the misuse of five irregular verbs:Go, Come, Write, Give, and Eat. After the fact, I wondered if perhaps I had singled out grammatical errors too obvious to trouble my readers with. The other day I heard a television news announcer say “have went” while delivering a [...
December 2008: Thanks To Our Sponsors
Posted on December 04, 2008Time to write a post thanking our sponsors (they make this blog possible after all!). They are all great companies that provide useful services for writers, freelancers and bloggers. Make sure to check them out.
Short Story Competition 2: Send Us Your 1,000 Word Story
Posted on December 03, 2008All right folks, it is time to run another Short Story Competition. The first one was highly successful with 86 entries and voting rounds that went for almost 2 months. This time, however, instead of 500 words you will be able to use 1,000. The rest of the rules are the same as you can read below...
Some ?All? Words and Expressions
Posted on December 03, 2008You’ll hear some of these in conversation and see them on blog sites, but when it comes to formal writing, beware of these “all” words and expressions. all of - I ate all of the cookies. The “of” is unnecessary. Better: I ate all the cookies...
50 Incorrect Pronunciations That Make You Look Dumb
Posted on December 02, 2008Fred Astaire drew laughs back in the Thirties with his song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" in which the lovers can't agree on the pronunciation of words like either, neither, and tomato.
Words for Subservient People and Actions
Posted on December 02, 2008One of the most unforgettable characters in literature is Uriah Heep in the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Heep works as clerk to Miss Trotwood’s lawyer, Mr. Wickfield. Because Wickfield is often incapacitated by alcoholism, Heep is able to cheat him out of his wealth...
Don?t Be Too Eager to Publish
Posted on December 01, 2008My son gave me a mystery the other day. He'd encountered the author at Barnes and Nobles and, having chatted with the man, he felt bound to buy a copy of his book. We'll call the writer Author X.
The Changing Pronunciation of ?Leisure?
Posted on December 01, 2008When I was about ten years old, my aunt gave me a subscription to a Disney comic. I remember one issue in which Donald Duck and his nephews had a treasure map. Overheard saying that he was “in search of buried treasure,” Donald tried to deceive the villain who’d heard him by claiming that [...
Word of the Day: Karma
Posted on November 29, 2008Karma [kär'm?], on the Buddhism, is the overall effect that the actions of a person will have on its own future existence. It can also be used generally to indicate one's destiny or fate.
Words to Describe Fearful Recoil
Posted on November 27, 2008Writers are constantly reminded “Show, don’t tell!” One way to be more descriptive in our writing is to use verbs that convey movement. Here are some words that describe movement prompted by fear, cowardice, or pain. flinch [fl?nch] to draw away in anticipation of pain...
English Words Spelled with 3-letter /?/
Posted on November 26, 2008Among several ways to spell the “long i” sound in English is the 3-letter combination -igh- as in sight [s?t]. The spelling reflects an earlier pronunciation in which the gh represented a sound made with the soft palate, rather like the ch heard in German ich...
We?re in the Pink
Posted on November 25, 2008Look up the word pink in the Merriam-Webster Online Unabridged Dictionary, and you’ll find 13 entries for the single word, and 175 two-word entries in which one of the words is pink. An impressive legacy for a word that entered the language in 1573 as the name of a plant and not a color...
What is a Split Infinitive?
Posted on November 24, 2008This is the passage that contains what may be the most famous split infinitive of all time: Space… the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before...
The Difference Between ?Un-? and ?Dis-?
Posted on November 23, 2008A reader asks about differences between the prefixes un- and dis-. The question is not easy to address. The prefix un- has been in the language longer than dis-. The Old English prefix on- (now spelled un-) was added to verbs to indicated a reversal of the action: wind/unwind bind/unbind fold/unfold do/undo This prefix has remained alive, giving us such verb [...
Hermes, God of the Word
Posted on November 20, 2008In Greek myth Hermes [hûr'm?z], son of Zeus [z?s] and Maia [m?'?, m?'?], was not just the patron god of thieves, merchants, and boundaries. He was also a god of science, art, speech, eloquence, and writing. Hermes…son of Zeus and Maia, which is, of mind and sense...
Numskulls, Noodles, and Nincompoops
Posted on November 19, 2008When I began to research words meaning “stupid person,” I expected to find ten or so common ones and be done with it. Instead I’ve found dozens upon dozens of English words used to describe a person of perceived limited intelligence...
Word of the Day: Aura
Posted on November 19, 2008Aura [ôr'?] is a noun, and it refers to an invisible, subtle breath or emanation, like the aroma of the flowers. It can also be used to indicate the atmosphere or intangible quality surrounding a thing or person. The plural can be written as auras or aurae.
What is Dative Case?
Posted on November 18, 2008A reader asks about the grammatical term “dative case.” English makes use of four “cases” - Nominative, Genitive, Accusative, and Dative. The term “case” applies to nouns and pronouns. The case of a noun or pronoun is determined by what the word does in the sentence...
To ?B? or Not to ?B?
Posted on November 17, 2008English words ending in the spelling -mb occasionally give English learners difficulty. The error arises in trying to pronounce the final b. Some of these words derive from originals that included the b sound and spelling. Some, however, had the unnecessary, (sometimes called the “parasitic”), -b added after the words were in common use...
Should THAT Be Allowed to Stand In for WHO?
Posted on November 16, 2008A reader writes to deplore the use of the relative pronoun that when the antecedent is person: English is my second language, and it hurts to see the rampant disrespect everywhere for a person who Here’s the offending sentence in a recent DWT post that prompted the objection: A fervent person is one that feels very intensely about [...
Be Your Own Ideal Reader
Posted on November 15, 2008Our article Your Ideal Reader prompted a response from veteran writer Kilburn Hall, who wrote: There is no ?ideal? reader and if you start trying to write for one specific audience, you?re going to tune out others that might actually be interested in reading your book.
Words to Describe Degrees of Religiosity
Posted on November 13, 2008With the topic of religion so much in the air, writers may have use for adjectives to describe various degrees of religious feeling and behavior. The following words have other meanings, but here the focus is on their use to describe people. religious - “dedicated to religious practice; observant practitioner of a particular religion...
Don?t Blame the Americans for this One!
Posted on November 12, 2008Ever since the 17th century, our English cousins have been blaming Americans for distorting, weakening, or vulgarizing the English language. For many, the term “Americanism” next to a word in the dictionary is a warning to avoid using it...
Grammar Done Right - Interview With Karen Reddick
Posted on November 12, 2008Karen Reddick runs the Red Pen Editor and is the author of Grammar Done Right. We asked her about her book and her views on writing and editing.
?A Historic? or ?An Historic? Event?
Posted on November 11, 2008A Google search will show more uses of a historic than an historic, but in speech, “an historic event” is the more idiomatic. To repeat something I wrote in a comment, ?An historic? is idiomatic when the words are run together and the stress falls on the second syllable of historic...
Use Modal Verbs With Care
Posted on November 10, 2008English, like other Germanic languages, makes use of a special class of verbs called modals: can, dare, may, must , need, ought, shall, will. Modals serve useful functions in expressing various tenses, moods, and conditions, but they can have an insidious effect on one’s writing...
Idiots, Imbeciles, and Morons
Posted on November 09, 2008In a recent state election Arkansas voters were asked to alter the following constitutional phrasing: “No idiot or insane person shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.” Legislators objected that the language was archaic and disrespectful...
Hurray for ?Slew!?
Posted on November 06, 2008I saw a headline in my morning newspaper (Yes, I still read print!) that renewed my hope that one of my favorite irregular verb forms, slew, is going to survive after all. U.S. says raid slew leader of terror cell Ever since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ruled the television waves, the regularized form slayed has been gaining ground...
?Colloquial? Does Not Have to Equate with ?Ignorant?
Posted on November 05, 2008I’ve written more than one post criticizing non-standard usage on television and will probably write more. A frequent opinion among the wonderful readers who take the time to comment is that I may have unreasonable expectations regarding the use of standard English on television...
Everybody is a Native Speaker, Nobody is a Native Writer
Posted on November 05, 2008Does writing English cause you pain? Maybe that's because you're not a native writer of English. But then, none of us is a native writer of anything. We all learned to talk before we could write.
Is ?Religulous? A Word?
Posted on November 04, 2008Since it’s the title of a movie, “religulous” must be said to be a word, but it’s not a very good one. I object to it as I do to any movie title that spreads and reinforces incorrect forms of English spelling or idiom. Critics to the contrary, English spelling has rules and the portmanteau [...
The FreelanceWritingGigs Blog Is Expanding
Posted on November 04, 2008Deb Ng, the founder of FreelanceWritingGigs.com emailed me today letting me know that they are expanding the blog. Basically they will have six blogs inside the main website, each featuring a different topic.
Hoist With His Own Petard
Posted on November 03, 2008I think Keith Olbermann may have had something to do with popularizing this Shakespearean expression. In July 2005 Olbermann, writing about the London bus bombing, wrote July 21st may turn out to be the day the terrorists began to blow themselves up ? hoist themselves, as the Middle English phrase goes, ?on their own petard...
Here Come the Candidates
Posted on November 03, 2008The first Tuesday in November is known as Election Day in the United States. It is the day on which political candidates are voted in or out of office. The word candidate is an example of how ancient customs become embedded in language. In ancient Rome, a person running for an elected office wore a brightly [...
Word of the Day: Stentorian
Posted on November 01, 2008Stentorian [st?n-tôr'?-?n] refers to something extremely loud or powerful, usually a voice. Stentor was a herald in the Iliad, and he had a powerful voice. That is where the term comes from.
Apophenia ? Filling the Blanks
Posted on October 31, 2008Readers' comments on What Does [Sic] Mean? point up the curious feature of the human mind that infuses meaning in the meaningless.
Need Help Making Your Site Search Engine Friendly?
Posted on October 30, 2008No writing tip on this post, so feel free to skip it. If you have a blog or website where you publish your writings, however, you could be interested on the topic. You probably know that search engines (e.g., Google and Yahoo!) are the main way that people use to information these days right?
Pronoun Use is NOT Rocket Science
Posted on October 30, 2008What is so hard about knowing when to use I and when to use me? Why can't professional reporters and TV script writers get it straight?
Writing Resources for Teenagers
Posted on October 29, 2008I know from the comments that lots of teens read Daily Writing Tips, and as a former teenage writer myself, I wanted to offers some of my tips and favourite resources.
Word of the Day: Chagrin
Posted on October 29, 2008Chagrin [sh?-gr?n'] literally refers to the cutting pain produced by the friction of Shagreen leather. It is widely used in a figurative way, however, where it means a strong embarrassment that is caused by failure, disappointment or by an awkward circumstance.
They, their, them, eggs and freckles!
Posted on October 28, 2008Sharon's post The Scandinavian Connection lists fifteen words, all nouns, that have come into English from Swedish and Norwegian. The earliest word in her list, flounder, came into English in 1592. The most recent, quisling, was coined as recently as 1940.
Writing a Thank You Note
Posted on October 27, 2008Sending a thank you note is always a lovely gesture ? and often an expected one. I?m sure that when you were a child, your parents encouraged (or forced) you to write thank you notes for birthday and Christmas presents. As an adult, you should still make a point of writing a thank you note to express gratitude in a number of situations.
Punctuation Game
Posted on October 25, 2008So you think you know your punctuation? Now you can put it to the test. Eats, Shoots and Leaves, reviewed by Maeve in July, has a punctuation game online.
Autumn or Fall?
Posted on October 24, 2008Why can?t Americans admit they have rewritten the English language. Fall for Autumn, color for colour. --Diane, comment on Among/Amongst Changing colour to color can be blamed on American dictionary maker Noah Webster, but Fall for Autumn deserves another look.
Vocabulary Test 2 Is Live!
Posted on October 23, 2008It was about time to release another one of our tests, right? We are going back to the vocabulary test, with 20 new words. If you have been reading the blog for a while, you shouldn't have a problem scoring a 100%!
Word of the Day: Kernel
Posted on October 22, 2008Kernel [kûr'n?l] is a noun that refers to edible substance that you find inside nuts, or to a grain or seed enclosed in a husk.
Ruining Your Writing by Cheap Blogging
Posted on October 22, 2008Ali recently gave us five reasons why blogging improves your writing, and I don't disagree with any of them. What ruined my writing ability (temporarily, I hope) was not the chance to write regularly or to get instant feedback. So what ruined it?
What Kind of Competition Do You Want Next?
Posted on October 21, 2008The first Short Story Competition was a success. We had almost 80 entries, and on the grand final more than 5,000 people took the time to cast a vote on their favorite story. Both competitors and readers sent us several emails mentioning that they loved the competition, and that they were looking forward to the next one.
Using the Bible for Writing Ideas
Posted on October 21, 2008Dwayne Phillips commented on my post How to Generate Hundreds of Writing Ideas to say: I find lots of short story ideas in the Bible. As someone once said, ?The copyright has expired, so you are in no danger.?
What Does [sic] Mean?
Posted on October 20, 2008Samm [sic] asks "What does [sic] mean? Sic in square brackets is an editing term used with quotations or excerpts. It means "that's really how it appears in the original."
Book Review: Save The Cat
Posted on October 18, 2008One of the best books I've read on writing recently has been Save The Cat by Blake Snyder. Snyder is a screenwriter who has has his share of both failures and successes and he shares what he has learned about the way to construct the perfect script.
NaNoWriMo ? What It Is and Why You Should Join In
Posted on October 17, 2008If you?re an aspiring novelist, but have yet to write your masterpiece, you might want to consider joining in with NaNoWriMo.
Write About What You Know
Posted on October 16, 2008For thirty years, the mid-term exam for Dr. McAnelly's Biblical Literature class was always the same essay question: "Describe the wandering journeys of the Apostle Paul." So a college football fullback and his roommate decided they wouldn't study anything else, thereby leaving them more time for other attractive pursuits...
Word of the Day: Daunt
Posted on October 16, 2008Daunt [(dônt] is a verb meaning "to discourage, to frighten." The adjective daunting usually has the sense of "intimidating."
Dial One, Followed by the Octothorpe
Posted on October 15, 2008Everyone knows the cross-hatched symbol #. For some it's the "pound sign" because it has been used by greengrocers as a symbol for "pound" on the little signs pricing fruit and vegetables: .75# (seventy-five cents a pound).
Collaborative Fiction: Writing and Gaming Online
Posted on October 14, 2008I?ve been thinking recently about the ways in which writing and gaming are mingled online, after a Daily Writing Tips reader wrote in to introduce us to a site which he and his brother have recently launched, called ?Vote Pages?. This site aims to make the writing process both collaborative and game-like:
Know Your Eschatology
Posted on October 13, 2008Political discussion these days often slips into the area of religion, particularly a belief in something called the "Rapture." This might be a good time to look at some Christian theological terms and their definitions.
The -escent Suffix
Posted on October 11, 2008My five year old is now reading fluently and as a result is asking all sorts of questions about the meanings of words. The other day, she asked why fluorescent bulbs were so named and I realized that I had absolutely no idea, so I set out to find out more about this suffix...
Dialogue Writing Tips
Posted on October 10, 2008Some writers love dialogue. They find that they have a natural ear for how different characters speak, and that the dialogue races along, carrying the story with it. Others struggle over every word of a dialogue-heavy scene, feeling that the characters sound stiff and unlifelike.
Your Ideal Reader
Posted on October 09, 2008If you?re reading Daily Writing Tips, you?re probably a writer of some description. And being a writer means, in the vast majority of cases, that you have ? or at least want to have ? readers.
WhiteSmoke Software Review
Posted on October 08, 2008I found WhiteSmoke very easy to install and get started with. It checks the grammar, spelling and readability of everything that you write (it will do this whilst running in the background, or you can load up the program directly).
When and How to Use Brackets
Posted on October 07, 2008Reader John B. Moss asks if there are guidelines for the use of brackets. There are indeed. Academic style guides such as the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers go into such matters at great length.
On-tap Inspiration Online
Posted on October 06, 2008Do you ever find that you have an hour or two free to write, but you just can?t get inspired? Whether you want a compelling idea for your next short story, a topic for your blog or a starting prompt for a poem, your brain just seems to be blank. If only there were some way to get inspiration on-tap?
Word of the Day: Bureaucracy
Posted on October 04, 2008Bureaucracy [by?-r?k'r?-s?] refers to the administrative system that governs social organizations. Bureaucracy includes laws, regulations, departments, and committees.
The More You Tell, The More You Sell
Posted on October 03, 2008Most writers don't need encouragement to write more words. After all, that's how some of them get paid: by the word! Using the words you need and no more - writing concisely - is a skill that every writer spends a lifetime learning. Mark Twain once said, ?I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead...
An Article Marketing Guide
Posted on October 02, 2008Article marketing is a great way to promote a product, service, website or blog. The name says it all: article marketing means marketing yourself with articles and it's easy to do if you know how. Here's how to create a good article marketing article.
Pen Or Keyboard ? How Do You Write?
Posted on October 01, 2008Last week, my grandmother (who knows I do a lot of writing) asked me, ?Do you write straight onto the computer or do you write by hand first??
Setting Writing Targets
Posted on September 30, 2008When you?re working on a big, long-term writing goal ? perhaps becoming a published novelist, or making a living from your writing ? it?s easy to get discouraged or distracted along the way. Sometimes the gulf between where you are with your writing and where you want to be can seem like an impassable chasm.
12 Greek Words You Should Know
Posted on September 29, 2008Along with Latin, Greek is probably the language that most influenced other languages around the world. Many English words derive directly from Greek ones, and knowing their origin and meaning is important. Below you will find 12 Greek words that are commonly used in our society...
Stephen King?s On Writing
Posted on September 26, 2008One of the best books I?ve read about writing and being a writer is Stephen King?s On Writing.
Is That a Noun or a Verb? I?m Confused
Posted on September 25, 2008The main reason why sentences are confusing is that they are too long. Shorten them and your readers will thank you. But another leading reason for confusing sentences: uncertainty about what part of speech a word is: noun, verb, adverb, adjective, and so on.
Writing An Effective Fiction Query
Posted on September 24, 2008I'd rather write a 60,000 word novel than a one-page query letter, but I know that a query letter is my chief tool for winning the attention of a literary agent. Here are some things to consider when pitching your novel in a query letter.
How to Generate Hundreds of Writing Ideas
Posted on September 23, 2008Do you ever feel completely out of ideas? Sometimes, I?ve got time to write ? but I?m just not feeling inspired. I might want to write an article for one of my blogs, or work on a short story. I may just want to write something personal, perhaps a letter to a friend, or a journal piece, but for some reason I can?t think up a topic.
Short Story Competition: The Winners
Posted on September 22, 2008The competition is finally over. We had some controversies along the way, but overall I think the event was successful. I am sure that the writers enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their pieces, and that the readers enjoyed the opportunity to read stories coming from all sorts of backgrounds...
The Question Mark
Posted on September 19, 2008The question mark is used at the end of a direct question. Example: 'What is your name?' she asked.
Word of the Day: Dystopian
Posted on September 18, 2008Dystopian [d?s-t?'p?-?n] (or dystopic) is the adjective form of dystopia, a place in which people live in misery. It derives from the literary invention of Utopia, an imaginary place in which human misery has been eliminated. The terms are common in film criticism.
ExistentialQuestions.com: Share Your Meta-Physical Theories
Posted on September 18, 2008Warning: this post is off topic and does not contain any writing tips. If you are interested on meta-physical and philosophical issues, though, read on! What is the meaning of life? Does God Exist? Are we alone in the Universe? Where do we came from? What is happiness?
Dirt and Filth
Posted on September 17, 2008In today's paper I read: Moisture and filth on the video detection camera's lens can cause it not to detect cars...
How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point Arc
Posted on September 16, 2008One of my favourite ?how to write? books is Nigel Watts? Writing A Novel and Getting Published. My battered, torn and heavily-pencil-marked copy is a testament to how useful I?ve found it over the years.
Short Story Competition: The Grand Final
Posted on September 15, 2008The time we all have been waiting for has finally arrived. It is the Grand Final of the first Short Story Competition on our blog. We had 8 batches over the past 8 weeks, each with 10 stories competing for an entrance on this final. As you can imagine the quality of the stories you will find today is pretty high...
Elegant Variation
Posted on September 12, 2008I learned about "elegant variation" from my high school English teacher, but even she taught about it with a slightly-skeptical smile. It's a rule that many writers feel bound to follow when they don't need to.
Verbless Sentences
Posted on September 11, 2008One of the basic grammatical rules in English is that every sentence should contain a verb. Some of Daily Writing Tips?s readers may have had sentences underlined in red at school if they weren?t a ?proper sentence? ? and I?m sure many of you (especially fiction writers) have had Microsoft Word squiggle a green line under a sentence saying ?Fragment (consider revising)...
Old English, Parvus sed Potens
Posted on September 10, 2008Since I am currently participating in an Old English seminar--we're translating Beowulf--I'm especially sensitive to anything that may seem like a slur on Old English, the fascinating language that was the origin of modern English.
Word Games to Improve Your Writing
Posted on September 09, 2008It?s hard work to increase your vocabulary by memorising long lists of words and definitions, or to improve your spelling by constantly writing out words you get wrong. Why not try playing some word-based games instead? If you have kids, these are great ways to help them with their writing skills whilst having fun!
Short Story Competition: Eight (and Final) Batch Is Open for Voting!
Posted on September 08, 2008All right folks, with the eight stories being presented today we arrive at 76 total entries! That is a bunch of them huh? If you sent one and it never appeared on one of the batches, let me know as soon as possible and I will try to include it on this one...
Word of the Day: Bromide
Posted on September 05, 2008Bromide (br?'m?d'), a compound of bromine, is a sedative. Used figuratively it can mean a dull person or a trite saying.
Whom Are You Writing For?
Posted on September 04, 2008Writing is a form of communication, but for many amateur writers, its most important purpose is for communicating with themselves. That sounds strange, but seeing your own words on paper helps you understand who you are and what you're thinking, even in the moment as you're writing them down...
How to Revise, Edit and Proofread Your Writing
Posted on September 03, 2008Whatever sort of writing you do, it?s important to revise and edit your work ? especially if you write academic essays, or articles or short stories that you?ll be submitting to editors. However much time you took over the piece on the first draft, you?ll always find a few mistakes to correct.
Seven Things To Do When You Don?t Feel Like Writing
Posted on September 02, 2008Sometimes, you?ve got an hour or two free ? but you don?t feel like writing. All the advice in the world on becoming inspired or getting self-disciplined just isn?t helping you. For whatever reason, you know your ability to string together a new article or story is temporarily absent.
Short Story Competition: Seventh Batch Is Open for Voting!
Posted on September 01, 2008I thought this week we would have the final batch of stories, but we still have one more to go next week. We were left with 15 stories, so instead of making a bigger batch, we will have 8 competing today, and 7 next week. That way you have more time to read each of the stories and vote on your favorite one! After that we will have a final round with all the batch winners (8 of them), competing for the first place and for the prizes.
Complacent, Complaisant
Posted on August 29, 2008It's easy to mix up these two words, but there's a world of difference in their meanings.
Say What You Mean
Posted on August 28, 2008One of the most influential teachers of writing was Rudolf Flesch. I encountered him through an out-of-print book called On Business Communications, formerly titled Say What You Mean. Only later did I discover that he also wrote the 1955 educational critique Why Johnny Can't Read...
A Novel IS Fiction
Posted on August 27, 2008I?ve noticed that some people talk about ?fiction novels.? A novel IS fiction.
English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know
Posted on August 26, 2008Just ask to a friend what is the role of prepositions within sentences, or what are the four moods of verbs, and I am sure that you will see a puzzled look on his face. Understanding the basic grammar rules is essential for communicating efficiently, but most of us have forgotten those concepts years ago...
Short Story Competition: Sixth Batch Is Open for Voting!
Posted on August 25, 2008The sixth batch with 10 new stories is live. You have until next Sunday to cast a vote on your favorite story. Next Monday we will have the seventh and final batch, so stay tuned! I would like to say thank you to all the people that sent a story. It has been a funny and pleasant experience to run this competition, and I am sure that most of the readers are enjoying it as well.
Word of the Day: Bourgeois
Posted on August 22, 2008Bourgeois (b?r-zhwä') is an adjective that refers to people who own property. The collective noun for such people is bourgeoisie.
The Scandinavian Connection
Posted on August 21, 2008A chance remark by a Swedish friend about English loan words in Swedish set me on the trail of borrowings of Swedish origin that have entered the English language. There are a few common ones:
Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs
Posted on August 20, 2008Daily Writing Tips has already covered Five reasons why blogging improves your writing. But once you?ve polished up your skills, and grown used to writing frequently and receiving feedback, blogging can also help you get paid for your writing.
How to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children? and Your CEO
Posted on August 19, 2008Sonia asked us for tips on writing effective office emails, especially when addressing medical doctors, CEOs, your elders (those older than you), and your "juniors" (those younger than you).
Short Story Competition: Fifth Batch Is Open for Voting!
Posted on August 18, 2008First of all let me address one problem that we had over the last batch. One of the stories had more than 500 (something like 700) and some readers were wondering and complaining about it. It was my fault and not planned. Basically I was trying to stream line the process of uploading the stories to the blog, and this one slipped though my word count process...
Cockney Rhyming Slang
Posted on August 15, 2008Cockney Rhyming Slang has been moving around the world, thanks to the popularity of East End gangster movies such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and many others.
Definitely use ?the? or ?a?
Posted on August 14, 2008When to use the indefinite article a and when to use the definite article the depends mostly on how specific you want to be. During a wedding ceremony the groom would say, ?Give me the ring! The wedding ring!? because he must have a particular ring, while a carpenter would say, "Hand me a nail? because he doesn't care which nail in the box he uses.
How to Format a UK Business Letter
Posted on August 13, 2008I covered writing US business letters, but I know we have a number of readers in the United Kingdom too ? or readers who might want to write to companies within the UK. I?ll just be covering the formatting here rather than explaining again why each element is included, so you might want to read the article on US business letters first.
10 Ways to Find 10 Minutes to Write
Posted on August 12, 2008How long do you need to write? We often think it's not worth sitting down and starting a piece unless we have a whole afternoon clear ? but even finding a spare hour can sometimes seem impossible.
Short Story Competition: Fourth Batch Is Open for Voting!
Posted on August 11, 2008Here are ten more short stories for your delight. This is certainly the most creative batch we have had so far. Some curious ideas and formats have been used by the writers. Anyway make sure to read them and cast your vote to the story that you want to see featured on the grand final...
Compliment vs Complement
Posted on August 08, 2008I had an email at work recently which read ?This new software will compliment the existing system.? Can you spot what?s wrong with that sentence? If you get confused by the different between compliment and complement, or if you?re unsure which to use when, read on.
Some Hairy Expressions
Posted on August 07, 2008Warning: This post may offend some readers. Words, however, are just words and that's what DWT is all about. Curious minds want to know!
How to Format a US Business Letter
Posted on August 06, 2008Whatever you do ? whether you?re a student, employed in an office job, or working as a freelancer ? I can guarantee that at some point in your life, you?ll need to sit down and write a formal business letter.
You Are What You Read
Posted on August 05, 2008Readers often ask how to improve their English writing skills when English is not their native language and they don't live in an English-speaking country. My advice? Do it the way I did. Imitate me.
Short Story Competition: Third Batch is Open for Voting!
Posted on August 04, 2008It is Monday, and as usual we have another batch (the third one) of short stories up for voting. There are some really interesting stories on this one. Make sure to read them all before casting your vote! 1. A Young Boy?s Journey by Pip Leake In the Wheatbelt of Western Australia, towards the end of the 19th century, a ten year old boy undertook an epic journey...
Obsessed With Ob- Words
Posted on August 01, 2008The other day, someone used a word that I hadn't heard in a long time: obstreperous. I love the way that rolls off the tongue. It means noisy, unruly, belligerent, cantankerous - you get the picture.
English Grammar 101: Parts of Speech
Posted on July 31, 2008A word is a ?part of speech? only when it is used in a sentence. The function the word serves in a sentence is what makes it whatever part of speech it is.
Minimise Distractions When Writing: 4 Practical Tips
Posted on July 30, 2008Perhaps you?ve managed to get into the habit of writing every day, but you?ve also acquired the distraction habit. You sit down at your computer, fire up your word processor and type a couple of sentences ? but then an email arrives, and once you?ve replied to that, you check Twitter and Facebook ? then a friend rings to chat about weekend plans.
BlogMastermind: A Training Program for Bloggers
Posted on July 29, 2008No writing tips on this post, but I figured many of our readers would be interested in know about this training program. BlogMastermind is basically a course, with the duration of 6 months, and the aim of giving all the information and tools that a person needs to create a successful blog and to make a living with it.
Short Story Competition: Second Batch is Open for Voting!
Posted on July 28, 2008Below you will find the second batch with 10 more stories (you can read the first batch here). Basically we will have 7 batches with 10 stories each. They will get published every Monday, and the poll stays open until the following Sunday. Once we have the 7 batch winners, we will post the stories together for a final voting round...
Word of the Day: Bombast
Posted on July 26, 2008Bombast (b?m'b?st') means loud-mouthed, inflated speech. Bombast was cotton stuffing used to pad some types of clothing. The adjective is bombastic.
Publishing Horror Stories
Posted on July 25, 2008Want to know which mistakes to avoid? Here's a publisher's perspective. In the latest issue of Publishing Basics, Carolyn Madison reveals some of the errors that make publishers cringe. These include misspellings, poor grammar and punctuation, structural problems, ambiguous messages and inaccurate content.
Cut To The Chase
Posted on July 24, 2008Cut to the chase is a common expression, meaning get to the point. It's an exhortation to omit flowery phrases and unnecessary preamble and focus on the core issue. This expression first appeared in newspapers in the 1940s, though it has an older origin in the American film industry.
Conversational Email
Posted on July 23, 2008One reader, Bruce, wrote in to ask: I find it curious that the written word now includes expressions clearly intended for verbal exchange. I'm referring to many of the suggestions you provided for email. In an attempt to be accurate and possibly too literal, I have tended to opt out of those uses...
Review of Eats, Shoots and Leaves.
Posted on July 22, 2008I've finally got round to reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Here's a book that is not only useful and fun to read, its phenomenal popularity carries a moral for every writer:
Short Story Competition: First Batch is Open for Voting!
Posted on July 21, 2008When I launched the short story competition last week I was expecting to receive some ten, perhaps fifteen entries. The time frame for submission was not that long in fact. Boy I was wrong. We have over 60 participants! It would be impossible to post all the entries today, especially since the readers are going to vote on them...
Word of the Day: Bankruptcy
Posted on July 19, 2008Bankruptcy (b?ngk'r?pt'si) in a financial sense means a state of being unable to pay one's debts. There are two kinds: liquidation, in which the debts are wiped out or discharged, and reorganization, in which the debtor provides the court with a plan for repayment...
The KISS Guide To Writing Keyword Rich Articles
Posted on July 18, 2008Freelance writers are often asked to write keyword rich web content articles. If you don't know where to begin, here's the 'keep it simple' guide to get you started.
Five Reasons Why Blogging Improves Your Writing
Posted on July 17, 2008Do you have your own blog? If so, do you sometimes feel guilty about spending time writing for your blog rather than working on something which you consider more ?worthwhile?? If you don?t have a blog, have you ever thought of starting one? Perhaps you?re not sure whether it would be worth the investment of your time and energy.
English Grammar 101: Interjections
Posted on July 16, 2008Interjection comes from from a Latin word that means ?throw between." It's a word or phrase that is thrown into a sentence to express an emotion:
Good Writing ?A Matter of Opinion??
Posted on July 15, 2008A reader asks what we think of the comment: In many ways, good writing is a matter of opinion. It's not a question that has an easy answer.
Short Story Competition: Send Your 500 Words Story In!
Posted on July 14, 2008All right folks, it was about time to run a writing competition over here. The first one will be a short story competition. You have until next Sunday (July 20th) to send your story to us via email, on the infoATdailywritingtips.com address.
Converse Terms
Posted on July 11, 2008I've been reading a book on linguistics recently. During the process I have discovered some new terminology, such as converse terms. This phrase describes pairs of words where one word reverses the relationship that is denoted by the first.
Daily Writing Tips Has Crossed the 10,000 Subscribers Mark
Posted on July 10, 2008The blog is just over one year old, and we already crossed the 10,000 subscribers mark. If you are one of them thank you! If you are not, you might be missing our tips!
Prevaricate vs Procrastinate
Posted on July 10, 2008Two commonly confused words are prevaricate and procrastinate. They are similar in being quite formal, Latinate, words but have different meanings.
13 Ways to Make a Freelance Living
Posted on July 09, 2008The Internet has provided freelance writers with a whole new set of prospects for selling their skills. But while traditional markets will always be the main source of freelance writers? income, it is possible to increase earnings in other markets using a little imagination and ingenuity...
English Grammar 101: Conjunctions
Posted on July 08, 2008A conjunction joins words and groups of words. There are two classes of conjunction: co-ordinate or coordinating and subordinate or subordinating.
The Gender Neutral Discussion
Posted on July 07, 2008The DWT Forum is enjoying a lively discussion of the problem of what do do about the political need to make writing "gender neutral" without writing such ugly constructions as s/he, he/she, he or she. Some readers still support the use of "he" in a general sense as was the practice until it came to be seen as a mark of patriarchal oppression...
June 2008 Most Popular Articles
Posted on July 04, 2008Happy 4th of July to all the U.S. readers. Below you will find the most popular articles of the past month; check them out if you missed any.
Rebut, Refute, Deny
Posted on July 03, 2008There's often confusion between rebut and refute and both words may be misused when deny is most appropriate. It's true that they all have to do with negation, but that's where the similarity ends.
How To Write Every Day (and why you should)
Posted on July 02, 2008If you aspire to be a writer, and read tips from well known authors, you?ll have come across the advice that you should write every day.
English Grammar 101: Verb Tense
Posted on July 01, 2008Modern English has six tenses, each of which has a corresponding continuous tense. The first three tenses, present, past, and future, present few problems. Only third person singular in the present tense differs in form:
Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business Emails
Posted on June 30, 2008When I wrote a post on email etiquette, one reader, Juan, left a comment to ask for some advice (I?ve changed his punctuation a bit for clarity?s sake): I just discovered your page and I love it. Please teach me before we sign off the mail with ?warm regards? etc ,we also always using some phrasal sentences such as ?please look into this matter? or ?thank you in advance?, ?I would be very appreciate on your help in this matter?, etc...
Word of the Day: Apocalypse
Posted on June 28, 2008Apocalypse [?-p?k'?-l?ps'], with the definite article, means "the end of the world." Apocalyptic writings--prophecies of the end of the world couched in symbolic language--were a popular genre with Jewish and early Christian writers between 200 B.C.E...
When the Review Tops the Book
Posted on June 27, 2008Some time ago one of our readers sent me a link to a brilliantly written book review, interestingly enough about a shockingly bad book. The person who wrote the review is called Charles Moore. Here is a quote from it:
English Grammar 101: Verb Mood
Posted on June 26, 2008English verbs have four moods: indicative, imperative, subjunctive, and infinitive. Mood is the form of the verb that shows the mode or manner in which a thought is expressed.
Dissatisfied, Unsatisfied
Posted on June 25, 2008Don't mix up dissatisfied with unsatisfied. Dissatisfied applies only to people who are unhappy, frustrated or disappointed with a thing, person or situation. Examples:
DWT Grammar Test 1: Take it Now!
Posted on June 24, 2008It was about time to release another test. This time around you will measure your grammar knowledge and skills. If you have been reading the blog for a while you should have no problems with the 20 questions presented....
When Did ?Pimp? Become a Positive Term?
Posted on June 23, 2008Much to my horrified amazement, I just ran across a Facebook page called Obama Is A Pimp. The amazing thing is that the page is supportive of Barack Obama.
Word of the Day: Abyss
Posted on June 20, 2008An abyss [?-b?s'] is a deep hole, so deep as to seem bottomless. "The Abyss" refers to the infernal regions that include the abode of the dead, the home of evil powers, and the place of punishment of the wicked. The adjective is abysmal.
Five Ways to Write Faster
Posted on June 19, 2008Whether you need to clear a backlog of emails, write an important document at work, finish a short story, or do your homework, spending hours staring at a blank screen and struggling to come up with words won?t help.
PC Vitals for Every Freelance Writer
Posted on June 18, 2008If you?ve never experienced the horror of a computer screen turning stark blue and displaying garbled characters while you are working on it, then lucky you. My advice is to never take things for granted. Computers have a nasty habit of hiding their internal illnesses until it?s too late, by telling you one thing when they mean another, or by playing tricks on your mind.
Check Out TechCult.com
Posted on June 17, 2008No writing tip on this post, but it might still be interesting to you guys. TechCult.com is the newest blog on our network, and it will basically cover tech stuff, but with a twist. I know that there are thousands of blogs out there already covering tech, so unless we had a something different the blog would hardly succeed.
Pander Code
Posted on June 17, 2008A word that jumps incessantly out of newspapers, magazines, and the mouths of political pundits these days is some form of pander. It's especially popular as a headline word:
Pen Names
Posted on June 16, 2008A reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, uses his real name in his writing for a weekly newspaper, but is considering using a pen name for other work. He wrote: I have had heavy criticisms attached to my birth name, before my professional career [as a journalist] even started, and believe with a pen name I can have a fresh start...
Homograph Examples
Posted on June 13, 2008Homographs are words with different pronunciation, meanings and origins but the same spelling. They are not to be confused with homonyms, homophones and heteronyms. In order to work out which pronunciation and which meaning is appropriate, you need to be aware of the context...
Not on the Daily Writing Tips Forum Yet?
Posted on June 12, 2008We are approaching 400 members on the DWT forum, and there are some great discussions going on there. Here are some examples:
Word of the Day: Fundamentalism
Posted on June 12, 2008Fundamentalism (f?n'd?-m?n'tl-?z'?m) in a religious sense is an effort to return to "fundamentals," or founding principles. It was first applied in the early 20th century to an American militant conservative Protestant movement that rejected the new science of textual criticism, insisting instead upon a literal interpretation of the Bible...
25 Pieces of Writing Software You Should Know About
Posted on June 11, 2008Of course, all you really need in order to write is a notebook and pen. But there are lots of software packages that can make life easier for writers. Whatever you want to be able to do, there?s almost certainly some software out there to help you. The list below includes the best packages to help you plan and structure a novel, share documents online with other people, format your screenplay or script correctly, minimize writing distractions, improve your English and more...
English Grammar 101: Verbs Voice
Posted on June 10, 2008English verbs are said to have two voices: active and passive. Active Voice: the subject of the sentence performs the action:
Email Etiquette
Posted on June 09, 2008If you work in an office, you probably write emails every day ? to colleagues, to your boss, to clients. Even if you?re still at college, you?ll need to email your lecturers once in a while (maybe to plead for an essay extension, or to ask for help) ? and many employers now expect resumes and cover letters to be sent by email.
Travel Writing Resources
Posted on June 07, 2008I love travel writing, but the strangeness of the internet marketplace means that sometimes I have to write travel articles about places that I've never been to. I've now done several of these, and here's what I have learned from the process.
Word of the Day: Avatar
Posted on June 06, 2008Avatar [?'v?tär'] is a religious term that signifies a deity that has taken an earthly form. For example, Krishna is an avatar of the god Vishnu. In popular Western culture, the word has come to have secular meanings: 1. "another version of someone or something;" 2...
English Grammar 101: Introduction to the English Verb
Posted on June 05, 2008English has three kinds of Verbs: transitive, intransitive, and incomplete. 1. Transitive Verbs A verb is transitive when the action is carried across to a receiver:
The Best Way To Start Out In Freelance Writing
Posted on June 04, 2008When you're thinking of becoming a freelance writer, you will find a lot of advice about starting a writing career. However, there's one thing that you should do above anything else. That's to write. If you don't write, you are not a writer.
Using the Active Voice to Strengthen Your Writing
Posted on June 03, 2008Writing in the active voice means constructing sentences where the subject ?acts?: I threw the ball. You are making too much noise. Ben will eat popcorn and watch a movie tomorrow evening.
Nonstandard Usage Detracts from Novel
Posted on June 02, 2008The English language can certainly be said to be in flux when college professors write such stuff as: 1. She reached into her carpetbag to her side and found her ever-present notepad. 2. This was the first unsolicited compliment her figure had ever gotten by a young man 3...
May 2008 Most Popular Articles
Posted on June 01, 2008Below you will find the most popular articles over the past month. Check them out if you missed any.
Arabic Loanwords In English
Posted on May 31, 2008The Arabic language has contributed hundreds of words to the English language by many different routes. That's partly because in what my daughter likes to call the olden days (from around 700AD to the Middle Ages), the Arabic kingdoms had a great influence on Europe and the world...
May 2008: Thanks for Our Sponsors
Posted on May 30, 2008A big thank you for all our sponsors. As you know we have several writers contributing to Daily Writing Tips, and this happens thanks to the support of those companies. They all provide great services and products for freelance writers and bloggers alike, so check them out.
Word of the Day: Paramour
Posted on May 29, 2008Paramour ((p?r'?-m?r') is sometimes used as simply a synonym for "lover," but it usually carries the connotation of an illicit lover, "one taking the place without the legal rights of a husband or wife."
How Short Can You Go? 50 to 100 Word Stories
Posted on May 28, 2008How short can a ?short story? be? Merriam-Webster just defines it as ?shorter than a novel?, telling us that a short story is: an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot
An Englishman in New York - The Problem Of UK-US English in Freelance Writing
Posted on May 27, 2008Some people see the differences between American English and British English as a problem. I see them as an interesting challenge. And although the title to this article might indicate that I?m English, I am in fact, a British Scot. I am also fully aware there is more to the United States of America than the wonderful state of New York, but I felt it made a good title, so I went with it.
If You Can Keep Your Head?
Posted on May 26, 2008Back when I was an eighth-grader, children were required to memorize poems. I can still recite much of If by Kipling. The poem begins If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too,
Word of the Day: Gothic
Posted on May 24, 2008Gothic (g?th'?k) is an adjective with several meanings. First of all it used to describe things related to the Goths, or things that have a Germanic origin. Some people broadened this definition to encompass anything related to the Middle Ages. Finally, Gothic can also be related to a very specific architectural style that was present in Western Europe until the 15th century.
Verb Words
Posted on May 23, 2008I'm always interested in words that relate to a particular area. A couple of weeks ago, I looked at words for book lovers. Now it's time to think of words about words. In this case, I'm concentrating on one particular Latin root, verbum, the Latin word for word...
Even, Yet, and Still
Posted on May 22, 2008Until recently I thought that the pleonasm "even still" was to be found only in the uncertain writings of college freshmen. Then I read this in the current issue of my favorite writer's magazine:
English Grammar 101: Articles
Posted on May 21, 2008The words a, an, and the are generally called articles and sometimes classed as a separate part of speech. In function, however, they can be grouped with the demonstrative adjectives that are used to point things out rather than describe them.
Blowing The Gaff
Posted on May 20, 2008I recently mentioned a book called Mind The Gaffe, which is all about errors in English. It got me to thinking about the word gaffe and other related expressions. I set out to do some digging in my trusty dictionary and came up with a few surprises. The word gaffe means a social blunder and originates from French in the 19th century...
Super Words
Posted on May 19, 2008As a prefix, super- originates from the Latin super, an adverb and preposition meaning above, on top of, beyond, beside. That's the original meaning of the English prefix, too, though according to the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, it has taken on other senses over the centuries...
44 Resume Writing Tips
Posted on May 19, 2008Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing that dream job. That is beyond discussion. How does one make sure that his resume is top notch and bullet proof, however? There are several websites with tips around the web, but most bring just a handful of them...
Word of the Day: Uncanny
Posted on May 17, 2008Uncanny (?n-k?n'?) is an adjective used to describe things that are strange and disturbing, to the point that they appear to have a supernatural origin. One informal synonym is spooky.
Cna Yuo Raed Tihs?
Posted on May 16, 2008Today opening my email I came across a very interesting message from a friend. It was basically a message where the letters of each word were all scrambled. The first and the last letters were kept intact, but between them they were all mixed. Surprisingly enough I could read it perfectly...
?Epi-? Words for Writers
Posted on May 15, 2008The Greek prefix epi- means something like *on, over" and occurs in several English words. Here are some writing-related words that begin with it. epic Although the epi- in this word isn't actually a prefix, I'll include it because it is an important literary term...
Loan, Lend, Loaned, Lent
Posted on May 14, 2008Renee wrote to us to ask: Can you please clarify the proper way to use these words: loan, lend, loaned, lent? Thank you!
English Grammar 101: Adjectives
Posted on May 13, 2008An adjective is a word that describes a noun. There are two kinds: attributive and predicative. An adjective is used attributively when it stands next to a noun and describes it: The black cat climbed a tree.
The Vicissitudes of the Latin Plural in English
Posted on May 12, 2008A recent forum question asks about the word data. The dictionary says the word data can be treated as a singular. But strictly speaking the word is a plural. How does such a thing happen in language? You wouldn't say, "the cars is fast". How does a plural gain acceptance as a singular?
Few vs. Several
Posted on May 10, 2008Reader Norma H. Flaskerud wonders about few and several. She thinks "a few" refers to "maybe 2-3 items" while "several" refers to "maybe 3-6." Her husband says "a few" is 4-7 items.
What?s a Male Mistress?
Posted on May 09, 2008The other day someone asked me for the male equivalent of "mistress." Naturally, I shot back "master," but that was not the answer. My questioner wanted a word that was the male equivalent of: woman having sexual relations on a regular basis and being supported by man not her husband
Hot Topics on the Daily Writing Tips Forum
Posted on May 08, 2008Around two weeks after we opened the doors of our Forum, and we already have more than 300 members. Thanks for everyone who joined, I am sure we will be able to help each other with those tricky English questions. Here are some hot topics that emerged on the Forum on the past two weeks:
Reduplicatives And Their Meanings
Posted on May 07, 2008After my recent post on reduplicatives, Jaguar asked for definitions of the terms in the post. Of course, now I'm wishing that I hadn't included quite so many examples, but here goes:
Creative Writing 101
Posted on May 06, 2008What is Creative Writing? Creative writing is anything where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than to simply convey information. I?ll be focusing on creative fiction in this post (mainly short stories and novels), but poetry, (auto)biography and creative non-fiction are all other forms of creative writing...
Should You Use Footnotes or Endnotes?
Posted on May 05, 2008One of our readers, Billy Green, wrote to ask: Could you enlighten some of us old folks about the proper use of footnotes? Below is what I wrote to the publisher: I am a firm believer in footnotes printed on the same page where the asterisk is printed...
Womanly Words - Gyn
Posted on May 03, 2008Well, I couldn't let the men have all the fun. English has a lot of words that contain the Greek root meaning woman or female - gyn. This appears at the start or in the middle of many common words. As with the andr- words, many of these have biological or scientific origins...
A While vs Awhile
Posted on May 02, 2008One of our readers, Robert, wrote to ask Daily Writing Tips: Here's a couple of words I use all the time interchangeably. But are they? a while vs. awhile Help me out, o oracle!
Most Popular Articles April 2008
Posted on May 01, 2008Below you will find the most popular articles of the past month. Check them out to make sure you have not missed any. English to Become the Official and Obligatory Language of the Internet: The Central Authority for Internet Control (CAIC) announced today that they plan to make English the official and obligatory language of the Internet, and that by 2010 all the web pages should already be using English exclusively.
50 Open Source Resources for Writers
Posted on April 30, 2008Why pay for Word processors, image editing and other tools when there are solid open source alternatives around? The guys from Job Profiles just compiled in fact a big list with 50 open source resources for writers. Below you will find my favorite ones:
Weird Words
Posted on April 29, 2008Browsing on the web today I came across an interested website that lists hundreds of weird words from the English language. Here are some that caught my attention: Alexipharmic - Having the quality or nature of an antidote to poison. Astrobleme - An eroded meteor impact crater.
Setting Your Freelance Writing Fees
Posted on April 29, 2008One of the most difficult things for a freelance writer is deciding what rate to charge for jobs. When working for oneself, it?s not as simple as setting a price and sticking to it rigidly for every client that comes along; there are things to consider, and all kinds of worries involved...
Inquire vs Enquire
Posted on April 28, 2008One of our readers, Susabelle wrote to ask: Can you take on explaining the difference between ?inquire? and ?enquire??
Andro- The Prefix That?s All Man
Posted on April 26, 2008Andro- derives from the Greek andros (man) and denotes anything that's male or masculine (and you thought that was testosterone :) ) It's given us several words, many of them scientific or biological:
Calling All Book Lovers
Posted on April 25, 2008This collection of book words is not for bibliophobes (book haters), but if you love books, then these are great words for you to use in writing and conversation. They all derive from the Greek biblion, which means book.
The Freelance Writer at Home
Posted on April 24, 2008Of all the benefits of being a freelance writer, working from home has to be one of the best. You can set your own pace, manage your time how you want it, and best of all, you get to be your own boss. Leaving the negatives out of the equation for the moment, what can a freelance writer do to make sure her working environment is as comfortable, supportive, and reliable as it would be, were she working in a city centre office? I?m not talking about front door security, a subsidized canteen, or even an ample supply of free staples and pens...
Reduplicatives - Double Delight
Posted on April 23, 2008Reduplicatives never travel alone. In fact, they always come in pairs and sometimes sound rather silly. These are the words formed through reduplication, when you repeat a word to form a new one, or slightly change the vowel or consonant. These are inventive and musical words and there are hundreds of them in English...
Passed vs Past
Posted on April 22, 2008Sandi from Inspiration for Writers wrote to ask: ?Can you do a segment on Past vs. Passed--if you haven't already? Too many get these words mixed up.? Very happy to oblige, Sandi!
The Daily Writing Tips Forum is Live
Posted on April 21, 2008I was planning to launch it once we reached 10,000 subscribers, but the feedback that we got from readers last week was so positive that we decided to kick start the Forum right now. It is about quality rather than quantity, after all, so even if we get a small community there I am sure that the quality of the discussions will be outstanding...
Let?s Not Eviscerate ?Eviscerate?
Posted on April 21, 2008I've always thought of the verb eviscerate as being a really strong word suggestive of horror. Say it aloud. Even the word's sound seems to twist like a knife blade. eviscerate - [ee VIS er ate] intransitive verb - To take out the internal organs or entrails of; to disembowel; to gut.
Among vs. Amongst
Posted on April 19, 2008One of our readers, Tania Botha asked: ?When (if ever) must one use "amongst" - I systematically use "among" in my own writing and change it when editing other people's texts, because "amongst" seems so old-fashioned. Is there a rule??
Euphemism and Euphuism
Posted on April 18, 2008Political correctness is nothing new. People have desired to avoid calling a spade a spade since ancient times. People don't die, they "pass away." Politicians don't commit crimes, they "make mistakes." Married men don't commit adultery, they "cheat...
Word of the Day: Caucasian
Posted on April 17, 2008Caucasian (kô-k?'zh?n) is commonly used as an adjective to describe people from racial groups characterized by white skin, especially ones with European origin. This meaning was coined by German anthropologist Johann Blumenbach since the Caucasus Mountains (located close to the Black Sea) are homeland for most of the white races.
Creating Your Freelance Niche
Posted on April 17, 2008Finding one?s own niche in which to write articles can be a great position to attain, and one most writers will attempt at some point in their careers. For a freelance writer just setting out, niche writing can help make the break into the business much easier, and provide a steady source of writing gigs while earning some money...
Especially vs. Specially
Posted on April 16, 2008One of our readers recently asked if we could explain the difference between especially and specially.
Killer Domains: Tools & Techniques to Find the Perfect Domain Name
Posted on April 16, 2008This is a bit off topic, but many of our readers also have websites or are planning to create one, so I figured that they could be interested on my recent ebook. It is titled "Killer Domains: Tools & Techniques to Find the Perfect Domain Name." Here is a quote from the launch post:
How and Where to Publish Your Short Stories
Posted on April 15, 2008One reader asks: ?What advice would you give to someone who has bags of passion and loves life and just happens to have lots of stories and would like to know how to publish or where to publish??
Should We Add an Open Forum to Daily Writing Tips?
Posted on April 15, 2008Lately we are getting flooded with emails from readers. Most of them contain really smart questions or topic suggestions, but unfortunately we don't have time to answer them all. Thinking about that problem I started wondering if perhaps it could be a good idea to add a forum to the website.
Poring over ?Pore? and ?Pour?
Posted on April 14, 2008Some confusion appears to exist regarding the use of pour and pore. Charlie complains that he has to pour through stacks of badly-written letters to the editor every day.
A Slip Of The Lip
Posted on April 12, 2008It's easy to trip up when speaking or writing, but what do you call the results when you do? A few weeks ago, I wrote about eggcorns. These are errors in which people guess wrongly the meaning, origin and spelling of certain expressions. An example would be writing or saying 'flaw in the ointment' instead of 'fly in the ointment'.
A Writer?s Bookshelf
Posted on April 11, 2008No-one knows it all, and as a writer I use several sources of research for my articles and ebooks. Aside from the resources I use to research particular topics, there are also several essential books I need related to the craft of writing. Here are the books on my bookshelf which I couldn't do without...
That vs. Which
Posted on April 10, 2008One of our readers, Justin, recently wrote to ask: When proofreading a peer's article on the solar system, I realized that she, and I, are unsure of the proper use of "that" and "which" in a sentence. Below is two examples of the same sentence, one using "that" and the other "which...
Top Tools To Get Started In Freelance Writing
Posted on April 09, 2008Any freelance writer starting out these days could be forgiven for thinking all that?s required is a laptop with Internet access, and a telephone. But there?s more to think of; hidden extras which will be needed somewhere along the line if a serious attempt is to be made...
Reader Piqued By French Mutilations
Posted on April 08, 2008Mari, one of our readers, writes: Perhaps...you could address a problem that seems to have reached epidemic proportions: the difference between pique, peek and peak. Recently I have been inundated with people giving 'sneak peaks' and having their curiosity 'peeked'...
Five Words You Can Cut
Posted on April 08, 2008One of the best ways to make your writing stronger is to cut unnecessary words. Many people tend to over-write, often in a similar way to how they?d speak. Words creep in that add no meaning and can make a piece of writing sound vague and woolly rather than confidence and precise.
Funny Images Conjured up by Web Comments
Posted on April 07, 2008Sometimes I'm more amused than annoyed by spelling errors and incorrect word choices that I see in blogs and comments. Here are a few. Let your imagination soar!
Misfeasance or Malfeasance?
Posted on April 05, 2008I just heard James Oberstar (D-Minn.) chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee spokesman accuse the Federal Aviation Agency of both misfeasance and malfeasance. Here's the comment as reported in the Los Angeles Times: "The FAA would have us believe this was an isolated incident and that the damage is contained, that it was attributable to a rogue individual," Oberstar said...
Keeping a Writers? Notebook
Posted on April 04, 2008If you?ve ever had aspirations towards fiction-writing, you?ve doubtlessly heard the advice to keep a notebook on you at all times, to jot down those elusive flashes of brilliance that come at the most inopportune moments. It?s definitely a good idea to have pen and paper to hand as much as possible ? however, the discipline of keeping a writers? notebook means more than just scribbling a few words when inspiration strikes.
7 Tips To Bag Your Dream Writing Gig
Posted on April 03, 2008It?s an average morning in freelance writing land. You?re dressed and fed (maybe), you?ve checked your inbox, and now you?re sipping on a fresh cup of coffee while scanning the Internet job boards for writing gigs of interest. Then you see it. A job that is so suited for you and your writing style, you may as well have written the advert yourself...
Program vs. Programme
Posted on April 03, 2008One of our readers wrote to ask if we could clarify the difference between program and programme.
Let?s Keep Some of the Old Verb Forms
Posted on April 02, 2008When it comes to some irregular verbs, I really hate to see the old past participle forms "regularized" to the dominant "-ed" ending. Here's an odd "regularization" of split:
Word of the Day: Zeitgeist
Posted on April 02, 2008Zeitgeist is a German term that means "spirit of the time." It is commonly used to illustrate the trends and characteristics of a period or generation. Google, for instance, releases monthly and annual reports with the most popular search queries, and they call those reports Google Zeitgeist.
English to Become the Official and Obligatory Language of the Internet
Posted on April 01, 2008The Central Authority for Internet Control (CAIC) announced today that they plan to make English the official and obligatory language of the Internet, and that by 2010 all the web pages should already be using English exclusively. The objective of this regulation is to make the access to information universal and convergent...
Used Transitively, ?Avail? Is a Reflexive Verb
Posted on April 01, 2008I noticed the following sentence in a travel blog. It refers to the availability of rental lockers in French railway stations: [Travelers] can therefore once again avail of these services particularly in main train stations in France.
Systematic and Systemic
Posted on March 31, 2008Mark, one of our readers, requests a discussion of the difference between systematic and systemic. Both adjectives derive from the noun system which, in late Latin, meant a musical interval, that is, a difference in pitch between two notes.
Most Popular Articles March 2008
Posted on March 31, 2008Below you will find the most popular articles of the past month. Check them out to make sure you have not missed any. A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything: I attended a writers? workshop session at which a minor, but much-published author warned participants against creating POV (point of view) characters of the opposite sex.
Knickerbocker Story
Posted on March 29, 2008The Oxford Dictionary of Etymology tells an interesting story of the origin of the word knickerbockers.
Starting A Copywriting Business
Posted on March 28, 2008This is a guest article by Andy MacDonald. Today companies are realizing that cleverly written copy can seriously affect the responsiveness to their ads and marketing collateral. Online and offline content has to be designed in a cleverly written manner to induce the reader to purchase the business?s products or services, or otherwise do what the advertiser wants them to do...
?Wreck,? ?Wreak,? and Other [rek] Words
Posted on March 27, 2008I saw this in an article about caring for a laptop: If you store your laptop in the vehicle for any period of time, keep in mind that the extreme temperature ranges within the vehicle could wreck havoc with your laptop.
How to Write an SEO Article - Part 2
Posted on March 26, 2008In part one of How To Write An SEO Article, we looked at how important it is to get the basics of an SEO article correct from the start. We looked at the importance of writing relevant content to the user and not the search engine, and we also looked at the research that goes into keywords and keyphrases that are to be integrated into the article...
Should Web Editors Correct Customers? Grammar?
Posted on March 25, 2008One of our readers who works as a Web Content Editor raises an interesting question concerning the handling of customer comments on a product web site: Should comments posted by customers be edited for glaring errors of spelling and grammar?
Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm
Posted on March 25, 2008Many of us want to write fiction but rarely manage to get round to it. We struggle to find a free hour to write in ? or the energy to write. Doing writing bursts is a great way to get going when time is short and motivation flagging.
Tibetan Situation Getting Sticky
Posted on March 24, 2008I was startled to read the following in an article by Associated Press writer Christopher Bodeen: But China has angrily rejected all calls for dialogue, and Tibet's hardline Communist Party chief [Zhang Qingli ] was quoted Wednesday in a particularly viscous attack on the Dalai Lama
The Silent K
Posted on March 22, 2008One common spelling error is omitting the K at the beginning of words where it is silent (example: nick-nack instead of knick-knack). The origins of silent K are difficult to pin down. What we do know is that the k wasn't always silent, especially in words of Germanic origin...
The Difference Between ?will? and ?shall?
Posted on March 21, 2008Reader Eric wonders about the uses of will and shall. When do you use "will" and "shall?" I know that [they] mean the same thing, but I would like to know when to use them in the correct grammatical sense. In modern English will and shall are helping verbs...
How to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk
Posted on March 20, 2008I work in technical support, which has given me many opportunities to develop the skill of phrasing things carefully. If you?re in an IT department or technology company, you doubtlessly have to deal with emails from irate people who?ve just spent hours struggling with a piece of unhelpful software...
How to Write an SEO Article - Part 1
Posted on March 19, 2008In a recent article, A Freelance Writer's Basic Guide to SEO, we had several requests asking how SEO knowledge can be used in practice, when writing articles. Naturally, we are only too happy to oblige. The methods I am going to talk about in this article have not been learnt in online courses, nor have they been taken from theory manuals you can download for a price on the Internet...
DWT Featured on Reader?s Digest
Posted on March 19, 2008I remember that my grandfather used to read all those small Reader's Digest magazines. He had a huge pile of them. Time has passed and now Reader's Digest is embracing the Internet. They managed to create a really useful website on www.rd.com.
No Country for English
Posted on March 18, 2008In preparing to write a review of No Country for Old Men, I glanced at some online discussions of the film to see what other people were saying. The grammarian in me overcame the movie critic as I found myself paying more attention to the mode of expression than the thoughts being expressed.
Medium, Media
Posted on March 18, 2008Medium originates from the Latin meaning middle, midst or means and this sense has carried through its various meanings. The 16th century meaning of intervening substance gave rise to the 19th century meaning of enveloping substance, a term often used in scientific experiments.
Daily Writing Tips Spelling Test 1
Posted on March 17, 2008It took us some time, but we are finally up with another test, the Spelling Test 1.
Word of the Day: Flabbergast
Posted on March 15, 2008Flabbergast (fl?b'?r-g?st') means to overwhelm with wonder or surprise. If you are flabbergasted, you are astonished with something.
Robin Hood was Clad in Green
Posted on March 14, 2008The morning paper for me is always full of surprises that have nothing to do with the news. A recent eye-popper: Bill White, the mayor of Houston, cut a ribbon ahead of the public opening of the Beer Can House, a folk art monument that got its start when the late John Milkovisch began a 20-year task of cladding his house and workshop with thousands of maintenance-free flattened beer cans.
Pros and Cons of Telecommuting
Posted on March 13, 2008Telecommute (verb): to work from home, communicating with a central workplace using equipment such as telephones, fax machines, and modems. Telecommute; the word sounds as though it opposes the freedom that a freelance writing life should bring, and is therefore in no way desirable...
Onomatopoeia (it is not something to eat)
Posted on March 13, 2008Onomatopoeia (on-O-mat-O-P-ya) is a word that's hard to spell but easy to understand. Derived from the Greek words for name and making, onomatopoeia refers to the literary device of making words that imitate sounds. It's a way to emphasize the sounds and it's a technique we use often...
Alas, Poor Heroine
Posted on March 12, 2008Anyone who has ever taught knows The Look. It is the eye-rolling look students throw at one another when the behind-the-times teacher uses what she thinks is a perfectly ordinary word, unaware that the word has taken on a new meaning.
Web Usability Revisited
Posted on March 11, 2008If you're reading every word of this post, then you're in the minority. More than ten years ago, usability expert Jakob Neilsen published a paper called How Users Read On The Web. He began the paper by saying: 'They don't.'
Found Any Eggcorns Lately?
Posted on March 10, 2008A friend recently pointed me to a linguistic term that I hadn't seen before: eggcorn (or egg corn). It seems that in certain dialects eggcorn is a homonym for acorn, as Mark Liberman reported on the Language Log in September 2003. It turns out that there are hundreds of these eggcorns in common use...
Word of the Day: Stigma
Posted on March 08, 2008Stigma (st?g'm?) is a scar or mark. Often times said mark has a negative connotation, as in a mark of disgrace and infamy. In ancient times, for instance, slaves and criminals used to get stigmas marked on their skins with burning iron. The plural of this noun can also be stigmata.
A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything
Posted on March 07, 2008I attended a writers? workshop session at which a minor, but much-published author warned participants against creating POV (point of view) characters of the opposite sex.
Good Friday and Easter
Posted on March 06, 2008Reader Elaine Peters wonders if the word ?Good? in ?Good Friday? has anything to do with the word ?God,? pointing out that the English ?good-bye? is a shortened version of the once common expression ?God be with ye.?
5 Tips for Handling Clients
Posted on March 05, 2008Running a home-based writing business is a great way to make a living. It allows one to be creative, flexible, and above all, it allows for a certain amount of freedom. There remains however, some things that anybody who runs any size of business can get out of; client management...
It?s National Grammar Day
Posted on March 05, 2008If you're reading this blog, then you'll be happy to know that we have our own day. The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG), has designated March 4th National Grammar Day.
Any vs. Either
Posted on March 04, 2008I just did a double-take when reading an article about creating passport photos using Photoshop Elements and another application. Here's what threw me: If you have any of these two applications, then you can follow this simple do-it-yourself project...
Most Popular Articles February 2008
Posted on March 03, 2008Below you will find the most popular articles of the past month. Check them out if you missed any. Laugh About Writing: Writing doesn?t always have to be a serious business. Though it?s wise to make sure that you write correctly, there?s a lot of fun to be had when playing with words.
Word of the Day: Anachronism
Posted on March 01, 2008Anachronism (?-n?k'r?-n?z'?m) is the placing of a person or thing out of its natural chronological or historical time. Putting a written book in a prehistoric movie, therefore, would be considered an anachronism. Notice that in poetry and other arts anachronisms can appear both deliberately and accidentally.
How To Rediscover The Joy Of Writing
Posted on February 29, 2008Most people get into the writing business because they love to write. In fact, they can't imagine doing anything else. However, when you write for a living, you may sometimes feel as if you're writing by rote and as if the joy of writing has completely evaporated...
Rhinotillexis on the Decline
Posted on February 28, 2008You may be pleased to hear that rhinotillexis is on the downturn, at least in public places. This lovely term means "picking one's nose with one's fingers."
A Freelance Writer?s Basic Guide to SEO
Posted on February 27, 2008Hands up all those freelance writers who, when scanning the job boards recently, have seen writing gigs looking for copywriters with SEO experience? (should be everyone). Keep your hands up if you don?t understand what SEO is, or if you do, were confused the first time you saw it used? (should still be everyone)...
English Grammar 101: Adverbs
Posted on February 26, 2008Adverbs are used to describe or modify a verb, adjective, clause, or another adverb. Basically, they modify everything except nouns and pronouns (which are modified by adjectives).
Speaking Of Eponyms
Posted on February 25, 2008My first introduction to the concept of eponyms was in high school. My English teacher talked about the 'eponymous heroine', meaning the protagonist after whom the book was named. Examples include Jane Eyre and Silas Marner. An eponym is a word that is formed from the name of a person...
Wether, Weather, Whether
Posted on February 23, 2008Wether is a prime example of a word that will slip past the spell check. It is easily confused with two of its homonyms, whether and weather. Flying fingers find it easy to miss the single letter that separates them.
Top 5 Freelance Mistakes To Avoid
Posted on February 22, 2008The road of freelance writing is fraught with pot-holes, sharp bends, and hidden horizons, so it pays to know a few of the mistakes in advance to help make the journey go that little bit smoother. It?s easy to make mistakes when working as a self-employed person, and even the smallest error may have a mis-proportionally negative affect on your business...
Praises to the Correct Use of The Semicolon
Posted on February 21, 2008Lana, one of our readers, pointed me to a very interesting article over the NY Times. Titled Celebrating the Semicolon in a Most Unlikely Location, the article describes how the reporter was pleasantly surprised by finding an erudite and correct use of the semicolon on a subway sign.
A Book on Writing for Novelists
Posted on February 20, 2008Before launching myself into the historical novel I've been thinking about, I decided to read some books on writing before getting too far along. My luck was to pick up Sol Stein's How to Grow A Novel. Some writing books are good for beginners, but some are not...
Daily Writing Tips Featured on Cool Site of The Day
Posted on February 19, 2008The guys from Cool Site of the Day have been featuring websites since 1994. I have discovered many interesting and useful websites through their service, so it is flattering to get Daily Writing Tips mentioned there as well. If this is your first time here, we are a basically a blog focused on grammar, punctuation, freelance writing and spelling tips...
The Unfortunate Dys
Posted on February 18, 2008The prefix dys- derives from the Greek and has a number of unfavourable meanings. In Greek, using this prefix denoted the opposite of anything that was easy, favourable or fortunate, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Etymology.
Bouillon, Bullion or Boolean?
Posted on February 16, 2008Don't confuse bouillon with bullion--one is a soup ingredient and the other is gold.
Warning: Microsoft Did Not Invent Grammar!
Posted on February 15, 2008Most people who advise on writing tell you to check the spelling and grammar on your work. This is good advice. However, the trouble is that the tools we often use just aren't up to the job. Many of us use Microsoft Word for writing, and its built-in spelling and grammar checker for checking our work...
Top 5 Tips When Bidding For Freelance Work
Posted on February 14, 2008One way of obtaining freelance work is by bidding for work through websites like GetAFreelancer.com, Guru.com or Elance.com. This route to contract work is a handy tool for stop-gap work but can be a minefield for the uninitiated. The idea is based on the eBay model, where clients post the type of work they are looking for within a budget range, timescale, and description of the work they need completed...
Fun With Words: Palindromes
Posted on February 13, 2008Palindromes are words, phrases or number sequences that read the same way in both directions. Palindrome derives from the Greek for 'running back again'. Both the Greeks and Romans are known to have enjoyed palindromes. The Greeks also published palindromic poetry...
Will Your Book Ever Be Published?
Posted on February 12, 2008Every writer who has browsed the pages of the Writers Market is familiar with notations like this one: Publishes 25-30 titles a year. Receives 5,000 queries and 1,500 manuscripts a year.
What is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?
Posted on February 11, 2008The terms metaphor and simile are slung around as if they meant exactly the same thing. A simile is a metaphor, but not all metaphors are similes.
Months: A History Of Time
Posted on February 09, 2008Our calendar has changed a lot over the years, but in early Roman times there were only ten months. It was not until 700 BC that the last two months were added by Nuna Pompilus, Rome's second king, and the calendar got a further shake up in 46 BC when Julius Caesar reformed it, changing the number of days in many months...
Site, Sight, and the Spell Check Syndrome
Posted on February 08, 2008Today I found a plastic bag on my front door. A yellow sticker identified it as a bag for the Scouting Food Drive. Being a writer and a grammar nazi, I never just glance at things like this. It is my curse to read labels in their entirety. In small print I was instructed to leave the bag, with food inside, "in plain site" on my porch.
Experts and Editors
Posted on February 07, 2008In a previous article we looked at generalisation as opposed to specialising in specific subject matter. We looked at the pros and cons of each, and it provoked a lot of feedback from our readers. One question that popped up involved the amount of knowledge one should attain in order to be considered a qualified expert on a topic...
Poll: Should We Write email or e-mail?
Posted on February 06, 2008I am pretty sure that you already considered if you should be writing the abbreviation of electronic mail as email or e-mail (or as something else yet). The same confusion applies to the abbreviations of electronic commerce, electronic book and so on...
Street Slang For Scriptwriting
Posted on February 05, 2008If you're writing a script, one way that you can bring it to life is to let your characters speak in current street slang. That's the advice from the creators of Raindance, which promotes independent film in the UK. They have suggested a number of current slang phrases to give your characters some street cred...
Break Writer?s Block: Choose Your Audience
Posted on February 04, 2008"Daily writing tips..." a student may be reading wistfully. "Oh, I'd be happy if my main need was tips for improving my writing. But I have to write a paper for school, and I don't even know what to say. I can't even get motivated to start." This kind of writer's block - the lack of an interesting topic - is most common among students, but it's not exclusive to them...
Word of the Day: Knack
Posted on February 03, 2008A knack (n?k) is a specific talent or ability. It can refer both to natural and acquired capabilities. Some dictionaries also propose that a knack usually is a talent "difficult to explain or teach."
Rite, Write, Right, Wright
Posted on February 02, 2008Here are four frequently misspelled words that your computer Spell Check won't catch.
Laugh About Writing
Posted on February 01, 2008Writing doesn't always have to be a serious business. Though it's wise to make sure that you write correctly, there's a lot of fun to be had when playing with words. Two emails that landed in my inbox the other day made me chuckle. The first was called Humor for Lexophiles...
January 2008 Most Popular Posts
Posted on January 31, 2008Below you will find the most popular posts of this month. Check them out if you missed any. Give me an ?A?: a vs. an: The indefinite articles a and an both mean the same thing. The definite article the refers to a particular thing (?Give me the ring! The wedding ring!?) while a and an refer to any item of a certain type (?Please hand me a nail, any nail...
Complex and Complicated
Posted on January 31, 2008Listening to BBC 4, one of our UK readers heard a senior police officer refer to a recent case as "a complex and complicated investigation." Al asks: Was he repeating himself or were there subtle nuances of communication here?
Interview with Fiction Author Jeff Kozlowski
Posted on January 30, 2008This is the first of many interviews that we plan to publish on Daily Writing Tips. Below you will find the questions that Gregg Donaldson, a contributing writer for the blog, asked to Mr. Jeff Kozlowski, an English teacher for college preparatory students with learning disabilities and fiction author...
Break Writer?s Block: Don?t Begin at the Beginning
Posted on January 30, 2008Agonizing over your first words? Unsure of how your article or letter should start? Can't come up with a good title? Don't worry about it - yet. Newspaper reporters don't write headlines while out on the beat. Their editors do, back in the office. Great novelists usually don't sit down and launch immediately into brilliant words such as, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
For Want Of A Letter ? Bated, Baited
Posted on January 29, 2008The expression with bated breath is recorded as appearing for the first time in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice towards the end of the 16th century. It refers to having subdued or restrained breathing because of some strong emotion.
Daily Writing Tips Reaches 5,000 Subscribers
Posted on January 29, 2008Today our Feedburner widget is showing 5,056 subscribers. Considering that the site was launched eight months ago, that is a pretty good numbers (it turns into an average of 21 new subscribers every day).
Surviving The Midnight Oil: 6 Practical Tips for Freelance Writers
Posted on January 28, 2008Freelance writers often suffer from a condition known as ?workaholism?, or an inability to know when to quit for the day. I?ve often found myself at the computer and thought I would call it a night after the next draft of an article, or completed the next chapter of a novel...
A Sweet Story About Marmalade
Posted on January 26, 2008The other day I was watching the last episode of the Parkinson Show (a UK talk show), when Michael Caine told a story about the origin of the word marmalade. The word refers to a jelly like preserve, usually made of citrus fruits, in which bits of the fruit and rind are suspended...
Caesar, Kaiser, and Czar
Posted on January 25, 2008To begin with, ?Caesar? was a family name. Now, in various forms, it is a generic term for ?ruler? or ?emperor.? In Roman naming practice, a newborn child was given three names (tria nomina). The praenomen was a name like Lucius or Marcus. The second name was the name of the tribe, clan, or gens, such as the Julii or Cornelii...
English Grammar 101: Prepositions
Posted on January 24, 2008Prepositions are used to link nouns and pronouns to other words within a sentence. The words linked to are called objects
Sit vs. Set: Sit Down and Let Me Set the Scene
Posted on January 23, 2008The verbs sit and set are commonly confused and misused, but the difference between them is similar to the difference between lay and lie - and maybe even easier to understand. The similarity between each set of words lies in the fact that one verb is transitive and needs a direct object, while the other verb is intransitive and can stand alone...
The Generalist vs. The Specialist
Posted on January 22, 2008One of the biggest problems facing modern day freelance writers is whether to spread out and write on a variety of subjects, or whether to specialise in markets they are able to ?expert? in. It?s a problem both for established writers as well as those starting out, because while it may be the route to job satisfaction for one writer, it may also be the road to a life of boredom for another...
Colin Galbraith is Joining the DWT Team
Posted on January 22, 2008I just wanted to let everyone know that we have a new writer joining the Daily Writing Tips (there are five of us now!). Being a web publisher, I work with many freelance writers for a variety of projects. I started working with Colin some months ago, and his writing skills are amazing...
Positions, Please
Posted on January 21, 2008Getting the right position is not just about making a good career move or finding your spot on the stage. There are several words that refer to the different positions in which you can lie. Some of these are not just about the body, but about the attitude...
Word of the Day: Effusive
Posted on January 20, 2008Effusive (?-fy?'s?v) is an adjective used to describe someone expressing his emotions excessively or enthusiastically. Such emotions could be gratitude, approval, praise, pleasure and so on. The opposite of effusive is restrained.
For Want Of A Letter ? Tic, Tick
Posted on January 19, 2008Sometimes the inclusion or omission of a single letter can completely change the meaning of your word, phrase or sentence. Take the word tic, for example. It's a noun that refers to those visible twitches that suggest nervousness or stress. Merriam Webster defines it as: 'a local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face'...
Give me an ?A?: a vs. an
Posted on January 18, 2008The indefinite articles a and an both mean the same thing. The definite article the refers to a particular thing (?Give me the ring! The wedding ring!?) while a and an refer to any item of a certain type (?Please hand me a nail, any nail.?) But when do you use a and when do you use an? You were probably taught in school that, preceding a vowel (?an apple?), you use an...
Word of the Day: Egalitarian
Posted on January 17, 2008Egalitarian (?-g?l'?-târ'?-?n) refers to systems or societies where people are treated equally and have the same political, civil, economic and social rights. The word comes from the French égalité, which means equality.
Continuous or Continual?
Posted on January 17, 2008Many writers use continuous and continual as if they were exact synonyms, but my English teachers taught their students to distinguish between them.
Celtic: /sel tik/ or /kel tik/?
Posted on January 16, 2008What is the "correct" pronunciation of the word Celtic? Boston Celtic fans prefer the soft c sound, but Irish dancers tend to go with the hard c sound.
The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should Know
Posted on January 15, 2008The Yiddish language is a wonderful source of rich expressions, especially terms of endearment (and of course, complaints and insults). This article is a follow up on Ten Yiddish Expressions You Should Know. Jewish scriptwriters introduced many Yiddish words into popular culture, which often changed the original meanings drastically...
Politicians and Humpty Dumpty
Posted on January 14, 2008'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone,' it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.' 'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.' 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's all...
Word of the Day: Dislodge
Posted on January 12, 2008Dislodge (d?s-l?j') means to remove someone or something from a previously occupied position. You could put your feed on the table, for instance, dislodging the papers that were present there.
Tentative and Tenterhooks
Posted on January 11, 2008The other day I listened to a radio interview in which the subject continually pronounced the word tentative without one of its ts.
Whom Are You Writing For?
Posted on January 10, 2008One of the key issues when crafting any piece of writing is who your audience is. If you?re writing for a newspaper or magazine, you?ll probably be able to find some statistics about your readership profile. Most publications rely on advertising to keep them going, and in order to get the best ads, they need to know who their readers are so that advertisers know where their dollars will be spent.
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Can I sue my employer for creating a hostile work environment and lying about my work performance to get me to quit?
How does the owner of the business feel about all of this? I suggest that you tr...
The company I worked for forced me to quit instead of dealing with someone harassing me, what can I do?
Look up CONSTRUCTIVE DISCHARGE...................this looks like what happened t...
Can a collection acgency collection on a debt that has been removed from my credit report?
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