Karen Reddick, Editor & Author’s Assistant

References:
Reader’s Digest www.rd.com 08/08
www.fun-with-words.com

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Get tips like these and many others in the book version of Grammar Done Right! available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com

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Examples:
in the May/June issue
1973/74
parent/child problems

A slash punctuates some abbreviations and in lieu of a period.

Examples:
c/o
w/
w/o
S/Sgt
d/b/a

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

References:
Webster’s Standard American Style Manual, p. 47
Chicago Manual of Style 15th Edition, p. 268-269

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Get tips like these and many others in the book version
of Grammar Done Right! available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com

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Examples:
We fear that this situation may, in fact, occur; but we don’t know when.
In a society that seeks to promote social goals, government will play a powerful role; and taxation, once simply a means of raising money, becomes, in addition, a way of furthering those goals.

A semicolon joins two clauses when the second begins with a conjunctive adverb (furthermore, hence, however, indeed, likewise, moreover, namely, otherwise, therefore, and thus just to name a few).

Examples:
Most people are covered by insurance of one kind or another; indeed, many people don’t even see their medical bills.
It won’t be easy to sort out the facts of this confusing situation; however, a decision must be made.

A semicolon is used in place of a comma to separate phrases in a series when the phrases themselves contain commas. A comma may replace the semicolon before the last item in a series if the last item is introduced with a conjunction.

Examples:
She flung open the door; raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time; locked herself in the bathroom; and, holding her sides, started to laugh uncontrollably.
We studied mathematics and geography in the morning; English, French, and Spanish right after lunch, and science in the late afternoon.

BONUS: A semicolon is placed outside quotation marks and parentheses.

Examples:
They referred to each other as “Mother” and “Father”; they were considered the typical happily married elderly couple.

She accepted the situation with a smile (but held secret regrets); however, all of that changed when she saw him the next day.

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

References:
Webster’s Standard American Style Manual, p. 45-46
Chicago Manual of Style 15th Edition, p. 256

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Get tips like these and many others in the book version
of Grammar Done Right! available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com

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Examples:
Only 10% of the mice were observed to react to the stimulus.
The treatment resulted in a 20%-25% reduction in discomfort.

NOTE: No space appears between the numeral and the % sign.

The word percentage or percent when used as a noun without an adjacent numeral, should never be replaced by a percent sign.

Examples:
Only a small percentage of the mice exhibited a growth change.
The clinic treated a greater percentage of outpatients this year.
One percent is a very small percentage.

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

References:
Webster’s Standard American Style Manual, p. 127
The Chicago Manual of Style 15th Edition, 9.19, p. 384

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Get tips like these and many others in the book version
of Grammar Done Right! available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com

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2. Evaluation or Opinion: interesting, delicious, comfortable, inexpensive, heavy

3. Size: big, little, huge

4. Shape: round, square, long

5. Age: old, young, new

6. Color: white, red, green

7. National Origin: Italian, European, Asian

8. Religious Faith: Catholic, Buddhist, Mormon

9. Material: oak, ivory, wooden

10. A noun used as an adjective: kitchen cabinet, writing desk

Examples:

Many little white ivory buttons
Her beautiful long kitchen table
A delicious, inexpensive Italian meal
Her efficient, hardworking, ambitious virtual assistant

You’ll note the comma is only used when the adjectives are evaluative adjectives; where we can insert and between the adjectives and the order can be reversed.

Examples:
A delicious and inexpensive Italian meal
An inexpensive and delicious Italian meal

Her efficient and hardworking and ambitious virtual assistant
Her ambitious and efficient and hardworking virtual assistant.

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

Special thanks to Alice Levine Editorial Services for providing this tip. http://www.alicelevine-editorial.com
Reference found at: Houghton Mifflin Company http://tinyurl.com/5xvsv3

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Get tips like these and many others in the book version of Grammar Done Right!
Available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com

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I discovered that both are correct and are interchangeable. You can use either one because they mean the same thing, but I found many sources stating that attaching the s is used mostly in British English and without the s is preferred in American English.

Another tidbit about the word toward is its pronunciation. Toward is pronounced /tord (rhymes with board) - not /tword or /tward.

Toward, like backward, implies movement.

Examples:
The horses knew they were headed toward home.
He likes to sit with his back toward the wall.
It began to rain toward morning.
Mom didn’t like her teenager’s attitude toward her father.
He threw in five dollars toward the bill.
Their efforts toward peace were successful.

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

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Grammar Done Right! is a quick and easy to use reference tool for all.
Get your copy of Grammar Done Right! available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com

Visit the Editor’s blog
http://vandeservices.com/blog

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USE a Comma
- Between two independent clauses joined by coordinating or correlative conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, either)

Example:
I used to live alone, but now I have a roommate.

- After a fairly long dependent clause that precedes an independent clause

Example:
When Jeff graduates from school and moves out, I will look for another roommate.

- To set off nonrestrictive appositives, phrases, and clauses

Example:
My first roommate, my sister’s friend, was very sloppy.

- To separate two adjectives that modify the same noun if the word and can be used between them without altering the meaning (coordinate adjectives)

Example:
I am pleased with my tasteful, well-furnished apartment.

- After namely, that is, i.e., and e.g.

Example:
Another tenant in the building, namely, Juliette, may move in.

DO NOT Use a Comma
- In a compound predicate (two verbs)

Example:
I will review the applications and decide which people I will interview.

- Around a restrictive appositive

Example:
Anyone who wants to live with me has to look neat and tidy.

- With a restrictive clause

Example:
I will be glad when the process is completed.

- Before a restrictive dependent clause that follows a main clause

Example:
I will place an ad for a roommate after I return from spring break.

- Between two adjectives if the first modifies the idea of the second and the following noun (cumulative adjectives)

Example:
I am embarrassed by my old multicolored sofa.

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

Written with permission by Alice Levine Editorial Services
http://www.alicelevine-editorial.com
alevineed@aol.com

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Get great tips like this and many others in the book version of Grammar Done Right!
available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com

Visit the Editor’s blog
http://vandeservices.com/blog

Holy cow and holy mackerel

A little bird told me we fight like cats and dogs till the cows come home.

We are cold fish or hotdoggers

Early birds and night owls

Lone wolves and social butterflies

Old crows, lame ducks, sitting ducks and dead ducks

We’re party animals and strutting peacocks

And we fish for compliments

We are clotheshorses that wear turtlenecks and hush puppies.

We’re young bucks in puppy love with foxy chicks in pony tails.

Some people have a whale of an appetite and eat like pigs, drink like fish, stuff themselves to the gills and wolf their food.

On the other hand, some people eat like birds.

Still others are batty, squirrelly, bug-eyed, cock-eye cuckoos.

Many are mad as march hares and look like something the cat dragged in.

Our relatives are crazy as coots or loons and drive us buggy with their horsing around.

Some are dumb bunnies and dumb clucks who move at a snail’s pace or run around like chickens with their heads cut off–those bird-brained dodos.

Maybe they are just being silly gooses who monkey-see-monkey-do.

Many are clumsy as an ox or a bull in a china shop.

We all know someone who thinks they are the top dog on their high horse in the cat’s pajamas and the cat’s meow.

Big fish in small ponds that better follow the pecking order of those who rule the roost and never work for chicken feed because it is, after all, a dog-eat-dog world.

Leapin’ lizards, henpecked, goose pimples, butterflies in my stomach

Crocodile tears, quiet as mice and smelling like a rat

Bird’s eye view and tiger by the tail, bees in her bonnet, pet peeve, got my goat, ruffle my feathers

I’m antsy, crabby, pigheaded, and no spring chicken.

Let’s go hog wild and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, eager beavers.

It’s a real jungle out there.

Now buzz off.

What a hoot!

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but differ in meaning or derivation.

Examples:

Bank (a place to deposit money), and bank (a river’s edge)
Fair (county fair), fair (reasonable), fair (appearance as in fair skinned)

Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but differ in meaning, origin, and sometimes spelling.

Examples:

Cite (to quote as an authority or example), sight (to see), site (location or place)
Sea (body of water), and see (vision)
Bow (tie or package ornament), and bough (branch of a tree)

Heteronyms are words that are spelled the same but differ in meaning and pronunciation.

Examples:

attribute - (at-TRIB-ute) to ascribe; (AT-trib-ute) characteristic
bowed - (rhymes with “how’d”) inclined the head in greeting; (rhymes with “towed”) bent
close - (CLOZE) to shut; (CLOHSS) nearby
conduct - (CON-duct) behavior; (con-DUCT) to direct or manage
digest - (DIE-jest) collection of published material; (die-JEST) absorb nutrients
dove - (rhymes with “love”) a bird; (rhymes with “hove”) jumped off
entrance - (EN-trance) entry way; (en-TRANCE) to captivate
house - (HOWSS) building that serves as living quarters; (HOWZ) to provide with living quarters
incense - (IN-cense) substance that produces a pleasant aroma when burned; (in-CENSE) to anger
lead - (LEED) to guide; (LED) a metallic element
minute - (MIN-it) sixty seconds; (my-NOOT) tiny
number - (NUM-ber) a discrete value or quantity; (NUM-mer) more numb object - (OB-ject) thing; (ob-JECT) to protest
perfect - (PER-fect) flawless; (per-FECT) to make flawless
refuse - (REF-yoos) garbage; (ref-YOOZ) to deny
separate - (SEP-ar-ATE) to set apart; (SEP-ret) not joined together
tear - (TARE) to rip; (TEER) a drop of the clear liquid emitted by the eye
wound - (WOOND) to injure; (WOWND) coiled up

Happy Writing!
– Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor

Written with help from my friends at: http://www.rinkworks.com/words/heteronyms.shtml
http://www.editingandwritingservices.com/homonyms.html

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Grammar Done Right! is a quick and easy to use reference tool for all who write.
Get your copy of Grammar Done Right! available at www.GrammarDoneRight.com