“The only other sound’s the sweep/ Of easy wind and downy flake/ The woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep/ And miles to go before I sleep.” – Robert Frost, “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”
When writers show readers the world around their characters, this is when a story can come alive. It’s the difference between dialogue existing on a black movie screen and an exchange that stirs your readers’ imaginations.
Sometimes, you might realize description would enhance a scene, but you aren’t quite sure how to turn a sentence from simple into masterful. There are three common weaknesses I stumble upon again and again in my editing work, so I wanted to pass on some possible solutions that may help.
Who’s on first? Whose shoes are those? Who’s that girl? Whose cupcake is that? Can I have it?
Wait, before I get distracted by my sweet tooth, let’s dive into the differences between “who’s” and “whose” today. Logic doesn’t always apply easily to grammar. This one—like “its” and “it’s”—is another exception to the rule that possessives have the apostrophe “s.”
“Who’s” is a contraction—just like can’t, you’re, or y’all—short for “who is” or sometimes “who was” or “who has.”
“Whose” is the possessive form.
Yes, it’s true. Every time you’ve assumed “who’s” was possessive, you’ve been wrong. Hopefully, those were just emails to your friends, not your boss’s boss’s boss. My fingers are crossed for you.
We’ve talked “who” vs. “whom,” but this simpler distinction is sometimes equally as confused. Or perhaps it’s less confused and just typed quickly without thinking about it. Either way, it’s time to pause and get it right, don’t you think?
If you have an artist who’s also a foodie, who has a day job driving the forklift at a big box store, do you know what vocabulary you should be using in all instances? Hey, everyone needs a day job—most of us anyway—so it could happen.
This spelling distinction doesn’t come up often, but when it does, there’s often confusion.
“Palate” is the word used when describing your sense of taste or simply the roof of your mouth.
A “palette” is a selection of colors or the flat board an artist mixes her paints upon.
A “pallet” is the large platform upon which goods are loaded or rarely a term used for a makeshift bed, perhaps made of straw.
Wait, was Destiny’s Child a group of grammar divas?
Here’s a thought: when Destiny’s Child sang, “All the honeys that making money, throw your hands up at me,” were they annoyed that “honeys” and “money” didn’t make an exact rhyme? Were they right to say “money” and not “moneys” or “monies”? Did they miss an opportunity for poetic perfection? Am I over-analyzing things again?
Hold that thought, early-Beyoncé fans. Do you know the difference between “money” and “moneys” and “monies”?
The good news here—for all of us—is that Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle were absolutely right in their use of “money.” This is an example of a mass noun, which often refers to an uncountable abstract. We’re talking about the idea of cash or capital, not a specific amount of dollars or cents. There’s a plurality that’s understood in “money,” which is what often confuses people about the uses of “moneys” or “money.”
If you hold a tenant close to your heart, you might not be a good landlord. Just sayin’.
In case you’ve ever wondered which word is the one you really need, you’re confusion is understandable. Both words come from the same Latin root, tenere, which means “to hold.” It’s just a matter of holding beliefs (tenet) or holding a lease (tenant).
Are there any other words that make you wonder if you’re using the right one?
I’m not one who can don a believable British accent, so maybe that’s why I always use “toward” and not “towards.” Don’t know what I’m talking about? This is another case of regional differences.
The choice of “toward” or “towards” is not a matter of right or wrong. Usually, it’s a matter of geography. Across the pond, “towards” is more common—as are related forms: “backwards,” “forwards,” “upwards,” “afterwards,” etc.
In the U.S., “toward” is more common—as are “backward,” “forward,” “upward,” “afterward,” etc.
I guess I’m conventional and follow the crowd on this one—my crowd being American. Either one you choose, though, make sure you’re consistent about it. If your writing waffles between the two, it’s jarring not only for your reader, but also for your national identity. There’s no such thing as a grammatical dual-citizen.
Some see shapes in the clouds; I see punctuation marks in rock formations.
We all know (and love) parentheses, but I wonder if you know when to use related punctuation. Brackets, for example, are handier for more than just playoffs. And what about braces? Where do they fit into the equation? Bonus question: do you know where brackets and braces are found on your keyboard? How many of you just looked down?
Parentheses: Parentheses are used within sentences to include non-mandatory information that adds to the sentence. So in other words, if you took that information out, nothing would be lost from the sentence. The difference between when to use parentheses versus commas or dashes is a matter for another tip (perhaps next week).
Choosing the right point of view for a story is hard. Sticking to that point of view can be even harder. This is a lesson that applies to creative writers, sure, but it’s also important for anyone trying to tell a story—be it in the voice of a brand or the voice of a pirate ghost trying to protect its lost treasure… or otherwise.
The key is consistency. Whatever narrative voice an author chooses, they must stay with it through the course of their text. Website homepages cannot jump from first person plural (we) to third person (the Acme Company) within a paragraph, and novels cannot vary between third person omniscient and third person limited (with limited exceptions). When the p.o.v. isn’t stable, the story becomes a bit wobbly—and not just for the picky editors among us.
Here’s an interesting case of computer programming influencing spelling. (You certainly don’t see that every day!) In honor of the official merging of K. S. Writing and Petrofy as Midlothian Web Solutions, I thought I’d go techie today. Have you ever noticed the difference between “login,” “log in,” and “log-in”?
While some argue that “login” is never correct—that it should either be “log-in” or “log in”—the use of “login” is growing. Why? There are a few possible arguments. Some argue “login” is becoming common because spaces are not used within coding languages, and hyphens can be read as a break between two separate words. Others argue that “login” just looks cleaner from a web design standpoint. Either way, when these rules trickle into the non-digital world, grammar chaos ensues!
Getting back to the correct, original usage of these words:
To log in or log on to a site (log in/log on as a verb), you would always use two words.
If you ask a user for their log-in information (used as an adjective) or simply for their log-in (noun), the hyphenated form is correct. This hyphenated form is often where the one word “login” is used interchangeably, but you know there’s a heated grammarian hullabaloo about this. (Oh, the many ways you can annoy a grammar nazi…)
Are there any other techie words or phrases you have questions about?
Sometimes, we are so clever we invent grammar rules that don’t actually exit. Then wonderful **insert sarcasm here** sites like YahooAnswers allow readers to vote on correct answers where the winner isn’t necessarily correct just popular. When uninformed Wikipedia writers also jump on the popular-but-not-actually-correct bandwagon, we’re in trouble.
This week, I was asked about the use of single vs. double quotation marks, a question that comes up fairly often and a rule that is often confused. But you know what? This answer is easy—so easy in fact that I can write it in nine words:
Always use double quotes unless inside of another quote.
