Old Grammar Rule Redefined

Longtime subscriber (and amazing book cover designer Chaz DeSimone) sends me this must-read link that you can add to your permanent editing file: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/08/donald-trump-may-win-this-years-word-of-the-year/

Using “they” in the singular has been a broken rule that’s been leaning toward acceptability for a long time. It's so awkward to do the he or she bit and choosing just he or she is always risky. Someone is going to be insulted including people who don’t identify with either gender. And trading around between he and she is just plain confusing anyway. I don't go along with this kind of proclamation until the Chicago Style Book says it's okay. The book industry is fu-u-u-ssy!

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 Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults, and speaks on issues of writing and publishing. Find her at http://howtodoitfrugally.com. Find the second edition of her multi award-winning The Frugal Editor: Do-it-yourself editing secrets for authors: From your query letter to final manuscript to the marketing of your bestseller. (HowToDoItFrugally Series of Books for Writers). Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/writers_books.htm , where writers find lists and other helps including , Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips on the Resources for Writers page. She blogs on all things publishing (not just editing!) at her SharingingwithWriters blog. She tweets writers' resources at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo . Please tweet this post to your followers. We all need a little help with editing. (-:

Grammar Lovers! So What Exactly Is a Flat Adverb?

Just a quick tip for visitors and subscribers to this newsletter. It's originally from my SharingwithWriters newsletter, but those who love words, grammar, and editing, it's a tip that may surprise you! 

"Many folks (including authors) aren’t aware—unless they’ve read my The Frugal Editor—that many grammar “rules” aren’t rules at all. Take the word slow. Sure you can “go slowly.” But dictionaries define slow as an adverb and as a synonym of slowly. You’ve all seen lists of adverbs that don’t end in ly, right? These adverbs are called flat adverbs. Some grammarians place slow into that category and even on those lists. So you go right ahead and use slow as an adverb secure in the knowledge that picky grammar cops get things wrong. . .mmm. . .quite often!"
 

PS: To subscribe to SharingwithWriters newsletter and get a free e-booklet on wordtrippers, go to http://howtodoitfrugally.com. There is a subscription book at the top right of almost every page.


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults. and speaks on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (How To Do It Frugally series of book for writers). Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/writers_books.htm , where writers will find lists and other helps including Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips on the Resources for Writers page. She blogs on all things publishing (not just editing!) at her Sharing with Writers blog. She tweets writers' resources at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo . Please tweet this post to your followers. We all need a little help with editing. (-:

Grammar Rules Vs. Style Choices--and MORE!

I seldom pop in with just a link for my "Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" subscribers and visitors. I couldn't resist when I saw this from "The Subversive Copy Editor." It reflects the difficulty I see when my clients can't get past the idea of rules (on some issues) to the idea of a style choice. It also adds a few subtle arguments and observations, especially the one about English as a second language. I do hope you like it as much as I do.

http://www.facebook.com/l/4c3bc;www.subversivecopyeditor.com/blog/2010/07/english-101-still-learning.html

I hope some of you will look up my new Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips, too. I'm providing the widget for this easy-to-take mini brush-up course in a booklet.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults and speaks on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870. Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com, where writers will find lists and other helps on the Resources for Writers page. She blogs on all things publishing (not just editing!) at her Sharing with Writers blog. Find me tweeting writers' resources at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo. And please tweet this post to your followers. We all need a little help with editing. (-:

Caps and Why We Get Confused About Grammar Rules

Thanks to Amber Polo for interviewing me for you blog. The subject is capitalization. But her questions prompted me me rant a little on how language changes. http://amberpolo.blogspot.com/2010/01/carolyn-howard-johnson-on.html


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults and speaks on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870. Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com, where writers will find lists and other helps on the Resources for Writers page. She blogs on all things publishing (not just editing!) at her Sharing with Writers blog.
And please tweet to your followers. We all need a little help with editing. (-:

Apostrophes Anyone? Sometimes rules aren't rules and if you're over 40 the rules might have changed!

Today I'm blogging--if you can call it that--with an excerpt straight from The Frugal Editor. Actually from one of the sidebars.

Most of us know this stuff but we're also not aware that even the stylebooks disagree on some of the basics. And, even though we know a lot, we still get tripped up on it--often. I know from the editing I do. (-: And there is one among these that we don't often think about or need but when we do, we can get confused. I know that because I get letters. Ha!

AND, one of these rules has changed slightly since some of us were in the sixth grade. Can you tell which one?



Making Possessives So Simple the Gremlin Can't Fool with You (c)

1.Add 's to a singular form of the word, even if it ends in s. Example: Travis's uniform. (Yes, the stylebooks do disagree on this and there are what I call seat-of-the-pants exceptions. Sound seems to be the determiner, or an individual publisher or journal's style guidelines.)

2.Add 's to plural forms that do not end in s. Example: children's.

3. Add only the apostrophe to the end of plural nouns that end in s: Example: several eggs' yolks or writers' program.

4. Add 's only to the end-syllable in compound words. Example: sister-in-law's children.

5. Add 's only to the last noun in a series to show joint possession of a single object. Example: Nancy and Ted's house. Rarely two people will possess two items; in that case each of the owners would get a separate little marker for a possessive. Example: Nancy's and Ted's cars.

6. Do not add an apostrophe to a possessive pronoun. The words yours, theirs, his, etc., already indicate possession. In this case, the gremlin usually coaxes you into an error only when you have a prepositional phrase. Example: He is an enemy of yours (not an enemy of yours' or your's).

Note: These rules may be slightly different--especially the rules with plurals--from the ones you learned in school. The updated ones are easier. Rejoice!


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults and speaks on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870. Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.