Writing: Process and Mechanics

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bad badly through criterion
dates through expect
farther further through hyphens
identify with through jargon
lapse through myself
nauseous through overflown
past through put
question as to whether through sympathy
tact through united states
varying through would

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by D. Michelle Adkerson



a.m./p.m.
On-the-hour time designations followed by "a.m." or "p.m." never include the colon.

Last week's rendezvous was scheduled for 7 p.m. [not 7:00 p.m.], but we didn't meet again until 3:00 the following afternoon. Let's try to get together by 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.

abbreviations; acronyms
1. Generally, when letters are omitted from within an abbreviated word, use an apostrophe to denote the omitted letters.

don't can't aff'g dep't
nat'l comm'n eng'g rev'd

When letters are omitted from the end of the abbreviated word, use a period.

adj. cert. admin. univ.
coop. corp. util. inc.

And then there are the exceptions: words in which letters are omitted internally, but that use no apostrophes and that end in a period.

dept. bldg. hwy. mt.
st. ctr. bd. ltd.

There is one certainty, however; an abbreviated word never uses both an apostrophe and a period.

dep't (legal style)
dept. (business style)
But Never: dep't.

2. When using abbreviated words, base your selection of "a" or "an" on the pronunciation of the abbreviation that follows the article, not the word or phrase for which the abbreviation stands.

an FDA regulation
a Food and Drug Administration regulation

an SBA guideline

an NAACP victory

an NYSE member

Acronyms are pronounced like words.

a NOW principle
a modem

an EPCOT Center display

a Nabisco product

addresses
1. Because the Post Office scans from the bottom up, the address should appear with the city, state, and zip code on the last line of the address and the street address or P.O. box on the second to the last line. The floor, suite, or room number on an address should appear in one of the following locations:

The West Company
Attention: Ms. T. Swinton
146 Leo Lane, Room 4
Monk, WA 98000
Ms. V. Bell
Suite 600
1111 Dalloway Park
Monk, WA 98000
Ms. V. Bell
Clive & Company
Room 212, Duncan Tower
1798 21st Street
Monk, WA 98000
Ms. T. Swinton
The West Company
1928 Sack Building
2112 Leo Lane
Monk, WA 98000

Not:

Ms. T. Swan
The East Company
4444 West Market Avenue
Room 4
Walsh, ME 14500

 

2. As shown in the first example, an attention line should follow the addressee line. But it may instead appear, underscored or otherwise emphasized, on the left side of the envelope, three lines below the return address. (This is where other notations, such as "Confidential," "Personal," and "Please Forward," appear.)

The attention line should not appear below the mailing address. On the inside address, however, the attention line may appear on the second line below the mailing address.

A simpler style is to type on the top line the name of the department or person to whom the correspondence is directed and to type on the second line the company name, eliminating the use of an attention line altogether.

3. The Post Office's scanners are programmed to read both traditional style and the all-capped style that is used for mass mailings. The traditional style is still the accepted style for business correspondence, so continue to use the style shown in the examples above.

4. Use a space to separate the street number from the name of a numbered street.

22 35th Place
Not: 22 - 35th Place

adjectives
1. Compound Adjectives. If two or more descriptive words precede the noun, each of which describes the noun, use a comma (or "and," when appropriate) between each descriptive word.

The ugly, slavering, limping dog slowly approached. (The underlined words each describe the noun dog.)

2. Phrasal Adjectives. If the descriptive words before the noun are unequal, hyphenate them to create a single unit.

The quick-frozen lunch assaulted the senses. (Quick describes frozen; quick-frozen describes lunch.)

The two-year plan will affect us all.

the law-of-the-case doctrine

3. But if the first descriptive word ends in -ly, don't use a hyphen.

The quickly frozen dinner unnerved the tongue.

Note: Some compound adjectives retain the hyphen even when they appear after the noun they modify.

advise
Use advise to mean "to counsel or warn," not "to notify" or "to inform."

Not: B.J. advised us that the play began at 8 p.m.

But: B.J. informed us that the play began at 8 p.m.

Solly was advised by the strange spirit not to attempt to unlock the 13th door alone.

affect; effect
The first is a verb that means "to influence" "to change," or "to assume." The second, usually a noun, means "result" or "impression"; as a verb, effect means "to bring about."

The new color of the study should not affect her concentration, but it will.

The effect of the changed rule was chaos until a clarification was posted.The blue and white motif produces an effect of space and calm, a preferable alternative to the pumpkin theme the former owner enjoyed.

I would not have imagined that color alone could effect such a transformation.

Note: In psychology jargon only, affect has an additional meaning as a noun synonym for feeling or emotion. Likewise, the adjective form affective means "emotional."

agreement
When several nouns share a common verb, the nouns and verb should agree in number (a plural noun means a plural verb).

1. If and connects the nouns, the verb should usually be plural.

Alicia and I are going to see four films this weekend.

Tracye and the girls plan to join us for one of them.

Tip: To test yourself, use pronouns to sound out the verbs. When you see Alicia and I, think we - "We are going" sounds right. Instead of Tracye and the girls, think "They are going to join us."

But: Spaghetti and meatballs is Cassie's least favorite meal when she dines out. (The nouns act as a single unit.)

2. If or or nor connects the nouns, the verb should agree with the noun closest to it.

Either they or I am going to complete this job today.

Neither the sisters nor their mother is painting now.

Neither their mother nor they are hungry.

But when your subject has both singular and plural parts, you should generally arrange the sentence so that the plural part is nearer the verb.

Neither the observers nor Renata was aware of the danger.

Better: Neither Renata nor the observers were aware of any danger.

3. Unlike and and or, the words and phrases below follow the subject of a sentence but do not affect whether the verb is singular or plural.

combined with as well as with
along with together with in addition to
besides accompanied by  


If necessary, rewrite the sentence to make your meaning more clear.

Correct: Teri's assistance, along with tips from Michael, is exactly what I need to complete this project. (The subject, assistance, is singular, so the verb is also singular.)

But: Teri's assistance and Michael's tips are what I need. (The and makes the subject plural - "assistance and tips" - so the verb is plural.)

Correct: Jakota's bird, combined with my turtle and goldfish, makes the office come alive.

But: Jakota's bird and my turtle and goldfish make the room come alive.

allege; assert; claim; maintain (verbs)
Allege means to state or assert without adequate proof. Assert means to declare with assurance. Synonyms include declare, profess, affirm, aver, and warrant. Claim means to say or to declare; it raises doubt about the truth of an assertion. Maintain means to declare as true or as being capable of proof.

alleged; accused; suspected
These words may only refer to a crime or condition, never to a person.

Not:
alleged rapist

accused embezzler

suspected murderer

But:
alleged rape

alright
There is no such word. Use all right.

alternate; alternative
Alternate means "one after the other." Alternative means "one or the other," a choice between two or more possibilities.

The editors received alternate book proposals from their eager author. (They received the proposals one after the other; making a choice between or among the proposals is not implied.)

The editors received alternative book proposals. (They received two or more proposals with the expectation that they would choose between or among them.)

ample
Use ample when you mean "more than enough." Avoid phrases such as more than ample or hardly ample. The first is redundant; the second doesn't make sense.

My dinner was ample; I couldn't wish for more.

anticipate
Use anticipate when an event is foreseen and something is done in response to that foreseen event.

I anticipate a hard winter, so I bought a dandy new snow shovel.

appreciate; depreciate
Something that appreciates increases in value; something that depreciates lessens in value.

Not:
Her holdings depreciated in value. (Value is redundant.)

The value of his ring appreciated over time.

But:
Her holdings depreciated.

His ring appreciated over time.

apprehend; comprehend
The first means to grasp the meaning or something; the second means to know something completely.

as; like
As introduces a subordinate clause. (A subordinate clause contains a subject and verb but depends on the main clause in the sentence.) Like introduces a phrase. (A phrase has no subject or verb.)

The toy purrs like a kitten.
It purrs as a kitten purrs.

as much or more than
Incorrect for as much as or more than.

author
This word is not a verb.

awhile; a while
As a noun, while means "an interval of time." Awhile is an adverb used to modify a verb; it means "for a short time." Use a while after a preposition; use awhile after a verb with no intervening preposition.

Roberto wept awhile.

Roberta swept for a while.

 

| a | b - c | d - e | f - h | i - k | l - m |
| n - o | p | q - s | t - u | v - z |