Editorial Tip of the Week: Cut the Dangling Participles!

Participial phrases often add excellent descriptions to sentences, but writers should be careful to make sure the intended meaning is clear. Dangling participles loom in the margins of sentences and twist the writer’s words. While these dangling phrases are incorrect, they can be found in the copy of careful writers. When you come across participial phrases in your work, make sure that phrase connects to the intended subject.

But let’s review our terms before moving toward certain grammatical edicts.

The Chicago Manual of Style never hesitates to offer precise definitions. The fifteenth edition notes, “A participial phrase is made up of a participle plus and closely associated word or words, such as modifiers or complements.” It’s easy to spot the participle. You have to look for a modified verb stem, usually ending in ing for present participles or ed for past participles. Participial phrases come in two forms: they can function as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun, and they can function as an adverb to modify the predicate or part of the predicate. Participial phrases modifying the subject of the sentence are the most problematic for writers, so we will focus on these phrases. Here are some examples of participial phrases to show how they work in sentences:

Snuggling into my blankets, my cat purred in the dark.

Running from the cops, the robber tripped over the curb and dropped the stolen money.

In the first example, Snuggling is the participle for the phrase into my blankets. The participial phrase Snuggling into my blankets modifies the subject cat, showing what she was doing as she purred in the dark. The second example modifies robber through the participial phrase Running from the cops. Participial phrases tend to be at the beginning of a sentence; they are usually very close to the subject being modified.

The participial phrases begin to dangle as they become disconnected from the proper subject. When the independent clause following the participial phrase does not begin with the subject modified by the participial phrase, the reader can quickly become confused. For example:

While pumping my gas, my car began to roll backward.

It seems that the car is both beginning to roll and pumping my gas. Rephrasing the uncanny ability of my car to pump my gas, I have two easy alternatives that offer more clarity. I can use the correct subject in the participial phrase, or I can begin the independent clause with the correct subject. Here are the two corrected versions of this sentence:

While I was pumping my gas, my car began to roll backward.

While pumping my gas, I noticed my car was rolling backward.

These introductory phrases clearly express that I—and not a futuristic car—was pumping the gas. We have cut the dangling participles!

There are two types of sentences prone to creating dangling participles. When using participial phrases, you should not start the independent clause with there is, there are, or it is. The Copywriter’s Handbook also notes, “Dangling is also inevitable when the independent clause is headed by a verb.” Here are a few examples of these dangling participles:

Reading the reports from the front line, it is unsafe for our army to advance any more.

Awakened by the thunderstorm, there is no chance of me going back to bed.

Watching the sunrise, getting up early was her greatest pleasure.

While eating the chocolate bar, trying to drive was very difficult for Paul.

These phrases can be corrected as easily as our first examples. We can either insert the correct subject in the first clause, or we can begin the independent clause with the proper subject. Here are two corrected versions of these examples:

After I was awakened by the thunderstorm, there is no chance of me going back to bed.

While eating the chocolate bar, Paul found driving to be very difficult.

Always pay attention to the participial phrases in your writing. Although the concept may make sense in your head, you should be sure that your sentences clearly communicate your thoughts.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Count me in!

Numbers (and their sibling, mathematics) can be the bane of any writer. When should a writer use numerals and symbols? When should a writer spell the number out? The rules for writing numbers can be vague and tend to vary from source to source.

When writing a technical or scientific piece, it is often necessary to use numerals to convey the data clearly to the reader. In most journalistic writing, the space on the page is given the highest priority. The style of the Associated Press dictates that journalists spell out both cardinal and ordinal numbers one through nine while suggesting that the writers use numerals in other cases.

A writer must strive for consistency and readability when dealing with numbers. The Chicago Manual of Style, fifteenth edition, offers wise words for writers struggling with proper usage. Chicago structures its conventions around one general rule: “whole numbers from one through one hundred, round numbers, and any number beginning a sentence” should be spelled out. Others should be written using numerals.

Two hundred and twenty-one rabbits were found living in the abandoned house.
Seventeen of the students were twenty-two-years old.
There were nearly two thousand people in the coliseum.
We’re going to party like it’s 1999!
I counted 3,397 bricks in the pathway of our neighborhood park.

The round numbers of Chicago are hundreds, thousands, millions, or higher round values. These round numbers should be spelled out. When a writer wishes to express a very large number (usually in the millions, billions, or higher), a combination of numerals and spelled out numbers is recommended for readability.

Recent research suggests that the Big Bang occurred around 13.3 and 13.9 billion years ago.
As of the 2000 census, there are an estimated 1.2 billion people living in Mainland China.

Simple fractions should be spelled out. Numbers involving whole numbers and fractions are often written in numerals, but may be spelled out if they are short. Percentages should always be written in numerals. As Chicago is quick to note, the word percent should be used in humanistic writings.

I finished writing two-thirds of my essay before falling asleep.
I woke up the next morning with 33 percent of my work left to do.
She took meticulous notes her 2½ x 4-inch index cards.

As a general rule, strive toward consistency and readability when using numbers. These conventions should provide some support when using numbers, but there will always be traditional exceptions. It’s much easier to tell someone to pick up a 60-watt light bulb than a sixty-watt light bulb. It makes more sense to use a 12-point font than a twelve-point font. If you consider your reader as you write, using numbers will be as easy as one, two, three.

For more information on using numbers when dealing with money, please read Martha's tip.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Wordiness (Part II)

Continuing last week's discussion of wordiness, let's consider a few more examples of verbiage. Although some of these phrases can add a bit of flavor to one's writing, they often appear as overused expressions. Communicating an idea or feeling is at the heart of writing—strive to be direct and to avoid useless phrases with the aim of better communication. Here are a few more examples to reconsider when you find them in your work:

inasmuch as. Although this phrase is grammatically correct, it tends to stick out like a sore thumb... or a cliché. Both since and because are more manageable alternatives.

in connection with. Our Chicago pulls no punches when calling this example a "vague, fuzzy phrase." The manual provides of, related to, associated with, about, and for as possible variations to use.

in the affirmative. While this phrase has the connotation of being more formal, it is usually easier to simply state that the answer is yes. The CMS reminds us that the correct way to punctuate the proper phrase is he said yes—using no quotation marks or capitalization.

in the near future. Why waste words when you can use one? Try using soon or shortly.

question as to whether. This phrase seems to be particularly needless for William Strunk, Jr. In the Elements of Style, he lists this phrase as the primary offender of using unnecessary words. The word whether or the phrase question whether will usually do a better job of presenting the information concisely.

As we strive to best convey our messages, remember that we are not trying to strip the life out of every sentence. We don't want to reduce our writing to the most rudimentary sketches. Instead we should take away the needless words so that our words continuously convey ideas and feelings. As Strunk wrote:

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Wordiness (Part I)

In which our Editorial Assistant begins to address the fact that many writers should examine their proclivity for using many words when fewer words would better serve their purposes.

"Be Clear" and "Omit Needless Words"

William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White offer this resolute advice to readers of Elements of Style. Although contemporary linguists have taken issue with a few grammar rules in this ubiquitous book, Elements continues to offer positive criticism for writers of all stages of development. Statements like “Be Clear” and “Omit Needless Words” may seem vague and needless, but there is sound advice in trying to avoid wordiness.

Here are a few examples to examine when found in your writing:

as far as. This phrase is often used where as for would work better. Also consider concerning and regarding as concise alternatives.

as of yet. This clumsy phrase can easily be shortened. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends yet, still, and so far as possible variants.

as per. Although the phrase may sound fitting in business correspondence, it should not stray from that domain. To sound less like a character from the Dilbert comic strip, consider revising the sentence to use as or according to.

at the present time. This dry phrase is best avoided for simpler (and clearer) choices. Writers should choose now or one of its synonyms: anymore, currently, nowadays, presently, right now, or today.

by means of. Writers can often shorten this phrase to by. The CMS suggests with as another logical substitute.

due to the fact that. Our big orange style guide provides the succinct because as a replacement. Strunk took greater issue with the phrase, noting in his original version of Elements of Style: “the expression the fact that should be revised out of every sentence in which it occurs.” Thankfully (and characteristically), he provides a list of more concise expressions.

These are only a few examples of verbose phrases, but they serve as gentle warnings. Careful writers will keep keep these in mind when considering the instruction of Strunk and White: "Be Clear." Tune in next week for more signposts toward clarity, more troubling examples of wordiness.

Editorial Tip of the Week: You keep using [decimate]—I do not think it means what you think it means.

This week’s tip can be summed up in one sentence:

Although the word decimate has recently become accepted as meaning to cause great harm or damage, the word has a dark history, reaching back to the Roman practice of punishing a group of soldiers by having them kill every tenth man in their ranks by drawing lots to determine their fate.

But let us never pass an opportunity to learn. Let us blow the dust off a few ancient tomes as we delve deeper into definition of decimation.

The word decimate comes from the Latin decimatus, meaning “the removal of a tenth.” The first recorded use of this practice appears in Livy’s History of Rome. After being unsuccessful in war with the Volsci in 471 BC, Claudius decimates his troops for not following his orders:

The soldiers being at length collected from their scattered rout, the consul, after he had in vain followed his men for the purpose of rallying them, pitched his camp in a peaceful part of the country; and an assembly being convened, after inveighing not without good reason against the army, as traitors to military discipline, deserters of their posts, frequently asking them, one by one, where were their standards, where their arms; he first beat with rods and then beheaded those soldiers who had thrown down their arms, the standard-bearers who had lost their standards, and moreover the centurions, and those with the double allowance, who had left their ranks. With respect to the rest of the multitude, every tenth man was drawn by lot for punishment. [My emphasis]

While we have added definitions to the word, instances of this horrific practice of decimation can be found as recently as World War I and the Finnish Civil War. Douglas Harper traces the origins of the common definition to the 17^th century, noting that decimates "has been used (incorrectly, to the irritation of pedants) since 1660s for destroy a large portion of."

Perhaps this week’s title was a bit hyperbolic, as inconceivable as that may seem. However, decimate has become a darling word of bloggers trying to ink an interesting headline, and it always helps to know the different definitions of a particular word. Remember our salmon style guide when you question the proper use of decimate. The Chicago Manual of Style states, "Avoid decimate (1) when you are referring to complete destruction or (2) when a percentage is specified." Annihilate will suffice as an alternative of the first type, while destroy generally fits the discussion of percentages lost.

Take the time to discover the history of the words you use. Wield your pen with precision.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Words and Phrases to Avoid (Part II)

Building upon last week’s selection of words and phrases to avoid, this week’s editorial tip features five more troublesome expressions.

in regards to. The Grammar Girl recently wrote in regard to this phrase. The s can simple be dropped to correct the phrase, but often a single word can better fit the sentence. Try using concerning, regarding, or about when you have the urge to pen a suitable preposition.

irregardless. Although this word appears often in dialog, it is not yet an excepted phrase. Meriam-Webster OnLine traces the etymology of the phrase to a probable “blend of irrespective and regardless.” It would benefit writers to choose one of the unmixed words.

pled. The correct past-tense and past-participial forms of the verb to plead is pleaded. The incorrect form has proliferated in the legal community, but journalists and writers should stick to the traditional spelling. But be warned: the argument over the correct form is a sensitive subject.

utilize. This word seems to be the darling of both advertising campaigns and writers hoping to sound a bit more grandiose. However, this word should often be replaced by use to convey the same meaning without the tinge of pretentiousness.

esquivalience. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines this word as “the willful avoidance of one’s official responsibilities.” You will not find esquivalience in any other dictionary; the word was a fictitious entry used to protect copyright. Sometimes it is hard to know what to trust in the strange world of language.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Words and Phrases to Avoid (Part I)

Nonsensical phrases and butchered words continue to plague our language, working their way into the pages of even the most meticulous writers. These phrases have become commonplace; they pass as correct in most word processing software. However, we should take up the pen in the interest of clarity. We can make steps toward becoming better authors by striking these words and phrases from our vocabularies. Here are five words and phrases to avoid, with another installment coming next week.

alright. Avoid the single word use of this expression. The Miriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary notes, "The one-word spelling alright appeared some 75 years after all right itself had reappeared from a 400-year-long absence." Although the word continues to be used, writers should stick to the proper two-word phrase.

cohabitate. This word seems to have found its niche in online relationship forums and celebrity gossip magazines. But, our salmon style guide reminds us that cohabitate is “a back-formation of cohabitation.” We already have a perfectly useful verb that has the same meaning as this latecomer: cohabit. Writers would be wise use the traditional verb.

could care less. This phrase is nonsensical in its typical application. Writers should use couldn’t care less when expressing disinterest... unless they are writing dialogue for contemporary characters.

enthused. A back-formation of enthusiasm, this word has a continual presence on blogs and with those seeking a word rhyming with use. Although the word has been present since the early nineteenth-century, Miriam-Webster states, "It has been disapproved since about 1870." Writers enthusiastic about proper grammar should seek a suitable alternative to this avoidable word.

hone in. This phrase has been become prevalent in reporting and may eventually become the correct way to express moving toward a target. Writers should home in on the correct phrase to use in troublesome situation. The word hone means the sharpening of a blade, but the simple slip of a consonant may soon provide the word with another accepted meaning.

[Tune in next week for five more words and phrases to avoid.]

Editorial Tip of the Week: The Italic Job

Italic type was first produced in the beginning of the 16^th century as a cursive typeface, one based on calligraphic handwriting of the Italian humanist Poggo Bracciolini. Whereas the typeface was originally used to print very compact yet legible volumes, italics are currently used to emphasize particular titles, names, phrases, words, and symbols within text set to roman type.

Writers should use italics sparingly to emphasize particular words or phrases. If words or phrases appear italicized too often, they quickly lose their force. Writers can usually vary the sentence structure to provide force to the emphasized words rather than relying on italics to carry the weight of the sentence.

The monster was found under the bed.

Yes, but what do you think of the chocolate cookies?

Unfamiliar words and phrases from foreign languages should be italicized, but familiar foreign words–those often used in English–do not need to be placed in italics. If a foreign word or phrase is used multiple times in a text, only the first instance needs to be italicized.

The motto of my state is esse quam videri.

Sheepskin boots were popular a few years ago, but now they seem passé.

If a word or phrase is used to reference the word or phrase itself, the term should be italicized. These nonfunctional terms may also be set in quotation marks, but italics are the traditional format. This case of nonfunctional terms also applies to letters used as letters; these letters should be italicized.

What is the definition of antidisestablishmentarianism?

Excuse me, sir. How many p’s are in your name?

When used correctly, italics can add force to your sentence, allowing a reader to make a distinction between a word or phrase and the rest of the sentence. From its origins as a separate typeface, italics serve numerous uses alongside roman type. However, it takes careful consideration to master italics.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Semicolon (Part II)

Continued from Part I of this article.

The semicolon should be used to separate items in a list or series that have internal punctuation. In this use, the semicolon helps to clarify the series, keeping the reader from being confused with the division of the commas.

The four housemates are all in their thirties: Caitlin, 34; Matt, 37; Stephen, 31; Brendan, 36.

After work Brendan, trying to return home as quickly as possible, ran to the bus; gave the bus driver, who gave him a scowl, two dollars; and squeezed into a seat between two passengers.

When using a semicolon with clauses that end in parenthesis or brackets, the semicolon should be placed after the closing parenthesis or bracket. When a sentence uses a quote and a semicolon, the semicolon should follow the closing quotation mark unless the semicolon comes from the quoted material.

The semicolon should be used to separate independent clauses and items in a series that have internal punctuation; this punctuation mark demonstrates an attempt to clarify, a way of connecting two or more related thoughts. If you want to revisit the rules of the semicolon, this comic does a great job of explaining the basic uses of this punctuation. While the semicolon remains a debated figure in contemporary grammar, Lewis Thomas in Medusa and the Snail (Viking Press, 1979) touches upon the simple elegance of the semicolon:

It is almost always a greater pleasure to come across a semicolon than a period. The period tells you that is that; if you didn't get all the meaning you wanted or expected, anyway you got all the writer intended to parcel out and now you have to move along. But with a semicolon there you get a pleasant little feeling of expectancy; there is more to come; read on; it will get clearer.

For more information see sections 6.57-62 in the Chicago Manual of Style.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Semicolon (Part I)

Somewhere between the divider and the full stop, the comma and the period, stands the semicolon. A gentle pause, the semicolon can perform the functions of either of these two forms of punctuation. While proper use of the semicolon was once cause for duels, the mark has seen a decline in usage over the past two centuries. The end of this curious mark may loom nearby, but we must strive to understand the proper use (and the possible joys) of the semicolon.

The semicolon is most often used to separate two independent clauses not joined by a conjunction. These clauses should be related, the latter modifying or clarifying the former.

My cats have grown close; I often find them snuggling in the chairs of my house.

The Chicago Manual of Style, fifteenth edition, is careful to point: "The following adverbs, among others, should be preceded by a semicolon when used transitionally between independent clauses: then, however, thus, hence, indeed, accordingly, besides, and therefore."

My house became cold in December; however, my cats adjusted quickly by sleeping under the covers of my bed.

The semicolon may also be used to separate a clarifying clause from the initial independent clause. It is most common in this case to use the semicolon before phrases such as "that is" or "namely."

We should expect vast changes for the company in the coming year; that is, we should prepare to cut costs on future projects.

Our salmon style guide notes that the semicolon may be used before a conjunction when the conjunction separates two independent clauses. While a comma is typically used in this situation, the semicolon is helpful when the independent clauses have internal punctuation.

Our company was focusing on publishing works of fiction; but requests from new clients, in addition to calls from our current authors, pushed us to accept more works of poetry.

Continue reading in Part II of this article.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Know Nouns Now (Halloween Edition)

Ah, the noun. One of the most essential parts of the English language. So important, in fact, that the Orange Word Wonder dedicates nearly seven pages to an exploration of its definition and use. Because, of course, Chicago reminds us that it is the noun that allows us to name things. It is because of nouns that we can differentiate between the guy dressed up as a superhero and the one in the corner dressed as Scooby Doo.

More importantly, how else could I develop so many pet names for my peachy punctuation guide? It's true. Without nouns, we'd be lost. So let's use 'em properly and learn those properties, eh?

The Tangerine Taskmaster tells us "nouns have four properties: case, gender, number, and person."

Case includes nominative, objective, and possessive: the ghost is over there (nominative), see the black cat (objective), the witch's brew is ready (possessive). The noun only changes when using the possessive.

Gender "classifies nouns into masculine, feminine, and neuter." In English, the entire noun often changes to denote "male or female humans or animals."

Jenny and Freddy went as a witch and a warlock, but Elizabeth and Don won the costume contest with their duo the mare and the stallion.

However, compound nouns also "contain specifically masculine or feminine nouns or pronouns."

"The headless horseman is after my girlfriend!" he exclaimed.

Other common usages are nouns used "in personification" or with "feminine suffix such as ess or ix." (Buyer beware: Chicago notes that these suffixes are quickly becoming "archaic.")

Finally, number indicates whether the noun is singular or plural (It takes less time to carve a pumpkin, but a lot of pumpkins are much more festive!).

Person "shows whether an object is speaking (we the ghosts will haunt forever), spoken to (ghosts, begone!), or spoken about (the ghosts were hauled out of the haunted house and revealed as fakes).

Boo!

Just kidding, the ghost weren't real. Pay attention!

Editorial Tip of the Week: One, 101

Many of us who love literature may find ourselves avoiding numbers. Some of us read because we'd rather not calculate. Of course, this definitely isn't true for all bibliophiles! Still, my father often laments that, when Mom was reading to my sister and I, he should've been right there with a calculator showing us that numbers are fun!

However, no matter how hard we try to avoid numbers, they still come up in our writing. They crop up and remind us that because two trains traveling 301 miles will inevitably cross paths at "Point A" or "Point B," you should know when to spell and when to use numerals.

Chicago does.

Generally, Old Orange and Faithful recommends spelling out "whole numbers from one through one hundred, round numbers [hundreds, thousands, hundred thousands, and millions], and any numbers beginning a sentence. For other numbers, numerals are used."

Of course, in scientific or technical material, numerals are typically used across the board. (You know, because they don't have bad childhood memories in which they feel tricked by the promise of "word problems.")

As an alternative rule, Chicago notes "many publications, including those in scientific and financial contexts, follow the simple rule of spelling out only single-digit numbers and using numerals for all others." Buyer beware: this could lead to "awkward locutions," so proceed with caution and "flexibility." Now, if you ask me, ten dollar words are also awkward. Alas, I am not the author of the Tangerine Tablet, and I do appreciate the clarity with which it explains most grammar gripes. Moving on.

Take home: remember to maintain consistency and flexibility when using numbers multiple times in a paragraph or paper. Consistency is the key to success. "If according to rule you must use numerals for one of the numbers in a given category, use them for all in that category. In the same sentence or paragraph, however, items in one category may be given as numerals and items in another spelled out."

For more information, exceptions, and rules, see 9.8 - 9.13 in your own Salmon Syntax Guide.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Getting Descriptive with Commas

We all love description; this makes adjectives key tools in our stories. Thanks to adjectives, your hero or heroine can be short, funny, tall, old, and quirky. Not even Dan Brown (you may have heard of him?) shies away from adjectives in his prequel Angels and Demons: "Although not overly handsome in a classical sense, the forty-year-old Langdon had what his female colleagues referred to as an 'erudite' appeal - wisp of gray in his thick brown hair, probing eyes, an arrestingly deep voice, and the strong, carefree smile of a collegiate athlete."

How else could we understand that Langden often displays a carefree smile not unlike that of Jeremiah Masoli after leading the University of Oregon Ducks in a crushing defeat of Cal? I digress.

You may be curious why Mr. 5 Million uses commas after certain adjectives and not others, even when there are two or more before the noun. Never fear, the Big Orange is always ready to enlighten.

Direct your own "probing eyes" this way and read aloud in your "arrestingly deep voice," if so inclined. Chicago states, "When a noun is preceded by two or more adjectives that could, without affecting the meaning, be joined by and, the adjectives are normally separated by commas. But if the noun and the adjective immediately preceding it are conceived as a unit, such as 'little girl,' 'political science,' or 'glass ceiling,' no comma should be used."


What do you think?
Carefree?
Strong?
More adjectives necessary? Can you rise to the comma challenge?












Dan Brown example taken from this article; let's just leave my humble opinion out of the debate for now.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Germophobic Edition

I have a confession to make; I am a germophobe.

Close friends and family members may not be surprised.

I carry a purple hand sanitizer dispenser on my key chain, avoid door handles, wash frequently, cringe when someone doesn't cover their cough, and always Google my symptoms on the web.

The following information is for those of you who understand my plight. If you become nervous at the mention of the H1N1 flu virus, view your hand sanitizer as a fashion statement, or have visited Web MD on more than one occasion, then these general guidelines are for you!

When searching for information on the latest disease or procedure, The Chicago Manual of Style
tells us to lowercase "names of diseases, syndromes, diagnostic procedures, anatomical parts, and the like." Proper names included in the term are an exception. When searching for an acronym, remember it is correct to capitalize all acronyms and initialisms. Some handy examples in Chicago are: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Down syndrome, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), finger-nose test, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and islets of Langerhans.

Afraid you may have an infection? According to Chicago, "names of infectious organisms are treated like other specific names. Names of conditions based on such names are neither italicized nor capitalized." For example, if you believe you may have a streptococcal infection, then you should ask your doctor to test your blood for microorganisms of the genus Streptococcus.

Always helpful, Chicago notes that when discussing drugs, one should try to use the brand name. Generic names of drugs are acceptable. However, they should be lowercased and followed by the capitalized brand name in parenthesis.

Of course, these are just general guidelines. If you haven't had enough of this medical fun, Chicago recommends checking out the American Medical Association Manual of Style. With its help, who knows, you can even create your own medical blog that germophobes everywhere can flock to in need of advice and solace.

Until then, wash those hands folks! ;)

Editorial Tip of the Week: Don't Let Summaries Make You Tense

Picture this. We're in Boston. It's a hot, muggy night, and all you want is a frothy brew to quench your thirst. You sit down at your favorite bar (pronounced bahr please), take in a Red Sox game, and meet a nice, recently graduated English major. Now here's a problem. What to discuss with someone you just met who has spent the last four years studying literature? Why the largest, most impressive book you've read of course!

So, you pull it out. Your crowning achievement. "I've read A Tale of Two Cities you know."

Now, inevitably, this nice English major may expect more information. She may even ask you summarize! Ack! What to do? What to include? Are those darn Yankees winning? Most importantly, what tense to use?

Glad you asked.

When summarizing a drama, you should always use the present tense. For a poem, story, or novel, it is advisable to stick to the present as well. If you do so, it is much more likely your listener will remain engaged. Remember, there is a Red Sox game on. However, Strunk and White's The Elements of Style notes, "you may use the past if it seems more natural to do so." Don't be concerned when you come across an antecedent action when using the present tense. In this case, simply express such action using the perfect; "if in the past, by the past perfect."

Above all else, stick to your guns (and your tenses). If you've begun your summary in the present tense, stay with it! After all, "shifting from one tense to another gives the appearance of uncertainty and irresolution." We can't have that, now can we? Dickens is not for the faint of heart!

This may come in especially handy if that nice English major asks for a critical essay on your favorite book. Hey, you never know. However, Strunk and White warn not to fall into summary too often. Instead, consider using evidence that adds to an "orderly discussion."

You could also just go back to watching the game. Apparently, Jacoby Ellsbury is quite a hunk, and that is hard to compete with.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Laughing Heartily, Running Swiftly, and Other Adverbial Pitfalls

Ah, the adverb; one of the many things in life that can be so good, yet so wrong. "It's so useful!" you might protest, when looking over your latest piece of fiction. Of course it is. Tacking on "ly" conveniently does all the descriptive work for you. All your character, let's call him Bryce, needs to do is "wink seductively" and we know there's a hot make out scene coming. What does that really tell us about him (save his participation in one of the cheesiest facial expressions known to humankind)? Wouldn't it be more interesting if your description of Bryce's attempt to flag down a female was a little, well, quirky? What if he attempted a slow, exaggerated wink while fingering the rim of his whiskey glass? Now, he may still be a cheeseball, but at least he's got a signature drink! If Bond taught us anything, it's that every man hoping to exude any sort of appeal needs one of those. Maybe as he slides his finger along the rim of the glass he becomes so absorbed in gazing at his new, um, beloved, he tips the glass over onto his new pink shirt (Don't hate too much, his mother picked it out). Now you have intrigue and a little disaster for our protagonist. See how much we gained when we took out the adverb and tried to imagine a little more? Think what you, the writer, can do with that.

Since this is feeling a bit preachy, let's take a brief moment to visit our Chicago Manual of Style. Hold on while I grab it from its hallowed place of reverence.

Ahem.

"An adverb is a word that qualifies, limits, describes, or modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. An adverb may also qualify a preposition, conjunction, or a clause."

Now I know what you're thinking, and I admit it's true. The adverb can be quite helpful, but it can also be a swift push onto the slippery slope of telling instead of showing.

Finally, as the title of this week's post exemplifies, the adverb can also foster redundancy. You don't need to tell us your character is laughing heartily. Do you want to get across just how darn funny your character finds life? Envision something interesting and show, show, show! There are loads of embarrassing things people do on a day to day basis, don't let the adverb take away those moments from you!

Remember, just because JK Rowling uses it doesn't mean it's gold. Create an imaginary world filled with unforgettable characters that turns into a multi-million-dollar franchise and then come talk to me.

Editorial Tip of the Week: It's Hip to be a Square Bracket

Although often upstaged by the more commonly used parenthesis, the square bracket is a handy writing tool. Perhaps you are quoting material that needs more information; there's a square bracket for that. "'They [the free-silver Democrats] asserted that the ratio could be maintained.'" Maybe you want to use the bracketed material to replace the author's original words; there's a bracket for that. When there is a pesky word within a quotation that you need to eliminate or change, the square bracket may just come to your rescue. When used correctly, the quotation "He gave an inspirational speech" becomes "[The President] gave an inspirational speech."

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, the square brackets "are used mainly to enclose material—usually added by someone other than the original author—that does not belong in the surrounding text. In quoted matter, reprints, anthologies, and other non-original material, square brackets enclose editorial interpolations, explanations, translations of foreign terms, or corrections."

Square brackets can also be useful when translating material. If a word causes ambiguity, a translator can use square brackets to avoid misrepresentation. For example, "the differences between society [Gesellschaft] and community [Gemeinde] will now be analyzed." However, Chicago warns to use the "device sparingly" in this manner.

When you're quoting, writing, or editing don't forget about the square bracket. Don't count it out just because it's a little "edgier" than it's parenthetical counterpart. It could just be your punctuation equivalent to Wonder Woman.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Dying to Dye and Other Troubling Words

"I'm nervous," Charlie said, as his mother strapped on his small soccer cleats.
"Ask your father for some ideas on how to steel yourself before the game," his mother replied, patting him on the head.
Charlie nodded seriously and ran out of the room.
"Hey, Dad," he called into the den. "Mom said you'd teach me how to steal!"

Although Charlie's mistake represents the problem with homophones that can often be funny or entertaining, sometimes using one word in place of another can cause you a lot of trouble! Sure, people love to laugh at typos and word usage problems. But you most likely want to avoid that laughter (and let's be honest, judgment) from being directed at you. Even The Chicago Manual of Style looks harshly upon those who use one word in place for another. Chapter 5 states, "What is sensual involves indulgence of the senses—especially sexual gratification. What is sensuous usually applies to aesthetic enjoyment; only hack writers imbue the word with salacious connotations." There you have it. If you want to avoid being labeled a "hack writer" by the grammar powers-that-be, it may be wise to brush up on your word usage.

Here are some common problems, listed in Chicago, to get you started on "de-hackifying" yourself. Since it's August, and all of the retailers are already advertising for pencils and binders, we'll call this the back to school edition.

cite; site. The word cite when used as a noun means a citation or source of information. The word site "is a place or location." This may come in handy when you must cite a source about a historical site for your Global Studies class.

can; may. This word usage problem is the bane of existence for children with full bladders. Like our teachers told us while we squirmed and danced miserably in front of them, can means "to be able to." Conversely, may "suggests possibility" or the need for permission.

principle; principal. Principle typically means a fundamental truth that serves as a foundation for a belief system. Principal, as a noun, means the person with the most authority or highest position in an organization. If it wasn't for this common mistake, we may never have heard that wonderful phrase while stuck in the office for chasing boys on the playground. "Now, don't cry little Judy, everyone knows that your principal is your pal.

dying; dying. While dying means "to cease living," dyeing means "to color with a liquid." Both are present participles of die and dye, respectively. Example: The cheerleaders are all dyeing their hair red for the big game, but stopped tanning to avoid dying from skin cancer.

odious; odorous. Odious "means 'hateful'" while odorous means "'detectable by smell for better or for worse.'" When little boys come in from recess, they may be odorous, but only a bully is odious.

Editorial Tip of the Week: To Be and Me, Me, Me

Face it; people love to talk about themselves. The to be verbs allow us to do so with ease. The Chicago Manual of Style notes that individuals use the to be verb as a linking verb "that connects the subject with something affirmed about the subject." This form gives us the chance to discuss that special subject in depth. You can establish a need {I am hungry}. You can proclaim your own greatness {I am AWESOME!}. You can even use it to praise someone else {He is so dreamy}. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
According to Chicago, there are two other very special uses for the eight forms of the to be verbs (is, are, was, were, been, being, be, and am). Chapter 5 states, "it is sometimes a sentence's principal verb meaning "exist" {I think, therefore I am}." After all, what better way to stroke one's ego than to ponder the beauty of our very existence? You can also use it as an auxiliary verb {I was born under that bridge yonder}. Depending on the information, this could be a great conversation starter. When teaming up with a verb's present participle the to be verb has the power to indicate "continuing or progressive action" {I was working out everyday to tone my fantastic abs}. Of course, you may find a bit more humility goes a long way. Your choice.

Buyer beware: when joining the to be verb with a past participle you are entering passive voice territory {your phone was broken}. When you find yourself caught in the realm of passivity, always ask who or what is doing the action so the sentence "can be advantageously changed to active voice" {I broke your phone}. What's that you say? This might put your favorite subject in a bad light? Keep it honest, keep it active. Then you can talk about yourself all you want, and people may just keep listening!

Editorial Tip of the Week: Abbreviations

Blacklisted by some traditionalists alongside the dreaded end-of-sentence preposition, using abbreviations--especially in formal texts--is often dismissed as a sign of incompetent writing. On the contrary, the entirety of Chapter 15 in The Chicago Manual of Style is dedicated to the complexity and usefulness of abbreviations. Certainly, excessive use will bury the meaning and distract the reader but purposeful abbreviations (and the rules that govern them) offer an equally succinct and expedient means of communicating without compromising readability.

The nature of an abbreviation will indicate how to space, punctuate, write as plural forms and whether to spell out the first appearance. There are many types: the acronym, "terms based on the initial letters of their various elements and read as a single word" {NATO, AIDS}; the initialism, "terms read as a series of letters {BBC, ATM}; the contraction: "includes the first and last letters of the full word" {Mr., amt.}; symbols {$, &} and lower-case shortened forms,{Latin terminology such as ibid., and others like vol., prof.}.

Use abbreviations wisely; if strong whole words can be used, by all means do so but recognize that abbreviations give the lay-reader a handle on specialized material and provide more concise reading for the specialist.

For much more information, in addition to Chicago, consult The Copyeditor's Handbook. Despite Chicago's seemingly exhaustive list, the editors contend that "the abbreviations listed are unavoidably incomplete" and refer readers to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Abbreviations Dictionary, and the Acronyms, Initialisms and Abbreviations Dictionary.