It can be fixed. Pick one of these and copy it.
Writing
Grammar Girl Quiz
Here, Check out the second comment. Hilarious.
It's National Punctuation Day!
Zrim explains.
Getting it Published
Thanks to Justin for alerting us to this book.
On Writing Well
At Justin Taylor’s BTW.
Why Johnny Can’t Preach (1)
I am a fan of T. David Gordon. He writes well. He speaks plainly. He doesn’t mince words. With some writers it’s quite possible for five people to read them and come away with five different conclusions about what the writer is . . . Continue reading →
Why Johnny Can’t Preach (2)
Between the first post and this one I listened to the excellent interview with David at Reformedforum.org. In the first chapter Gordon lays out his case that “Johnny Can’t Preach.” The first line of evidence is anecdotal. His experience (and that of . . . Continue reading →
Why Johnny Can’t Preach (3)
Part 2. The next section of the book is an analysis of one aspect of the problem: Johnny doesn’t read well. This problem has been diagnosed for many years. I see it frequently. The rise of electronic texts, which is valuable in . . . Continue reading →
Why Johnny Can’t Preach (4)
Part 3. Another reason Johnny can’t preach is because Johnny can’t write. To make this point Gordon begins with an important survey of the way technological changes have affected communication. We take printed texts for granted. We blithely tell people to “read . . . Continue reading →
Iain's Rules for Writing Well
At Ref21. (HT: Durell Flood)
Bibliography Software for OS 10.7.4
I admit it. I’m a huge fan of the Chicago Manual of Style. I started paying attention with CMS 14 and have bought successive editions through CMS 16. In my field most things need to conform to CMS 15 or 16. So, . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Tips: Using Archaic Expressions For Economy
Archaic and dated expressions have their uses. One of them is economy, saying what needs to be said in as few words as possible. Archaic words and expressions may, when used correctly, add a certain color to a sentence or paragraph. If, . . . Continue reading →
Grammar: Less And Weary
As the newspaper business enters its final stage of life and newsrooms with clattering typewriters, copy boys, and ink-stained editors with green eye shades become a distant memory so copy editing and grammar seem to be disappearing with them. The sports pages . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Guerilla: Resources For Aspiring Writers
Mike writes to ask what resources I use or that have influenced me regarding grammar and style. Here is a quick list of some of the books that have influenced me over the years. Let me say, however, that this list is . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Guerrilla: Counsel And Council
So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers (Matt 27:7). Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” (Acts 25:12) When . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Guerrilla: It’s And Its
There are a couple of simple ways to distinguish it’s from its: It’s is a contraction. It stands for it is. Whenever you wish to say it is informally use it’s as in “It’s almost time for lunch.” Its is the neuter possessive. It performs the same function . . . Continue reading →
Guerrilla, Gorilla, And The Idiot Greek Chorus
Eleven years ago the film Idiocracy was released. I have only seen portions. I am not a great fan of the comedy of errors. It is difficult for me to watch Seinfeld because of the George Costanza character. Jason Alexander did a . . . Continue reading →
Plato On The Pitfalls Of New Technology
Socrates: I heard, then, that at Naucratis, in Egypt, was one of the ancient gods of that country, the one whose sacred bird is called the ibis, and the name of the god himself was Theuth. He it was who invented numbers . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Guerilla: Incredible And Incredulous
One hears and sees these two adjectives confused with increasing regularity. E.g., in a Dallas, TX news story an attorney is quoted as saying, “It’s incredulous that this lease is being used….” The word incredible is derived from the Latin incrēdibilis, which . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Guerilla: While And Though
The distinction between while and though is neglected but should be recovered. The writer observes it is clearer and more useful to his reader. Most often today, even in edited publications (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and books) one sees them used interchangeably and . . . Continue reading →