Author: Alexandra Brown

It’s apple season.

And as you might know, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Or does it?

I’ll let the research scientists answer that question.

A question I can answer is whether it’s a good idea to use a metaphorical expression like this in your writing.

This is an Old English proverb that’s intended to give advice about staying healthy.

Proverbs are brief, often well-known statements that offer wisdom.

Is it okay to use proverbs in writing?

Yes. You can use them in fiction and in nonfiction. (But not in academic writing, where it’s important to use language that’s formal and precise so your argument can be easily followed.)

Proverbs are not the same as idioms. How do they differ? 1) Idioms don’t offer advice, and 2) Idioms have figurative meanings: if the words in an idiom were translated literally, the idiom would not make sense.

The literal meaning of a proverb makes sense (if you eat an apple every day, your doctor will stay away). But that meaning also needs to be applied to a larger meaning (if you eat fruits and vegetables, you won’t get sick.)

Because the literal interpretation of a proverb makes sense, a proverb you’ve never seen before will likely be easier to understand than an idiom you’ve never seen before.

How can a proverb strengthen your writing?

• Readers may be familiar with the proverb you’re using, so it can provide an engaging way to help them grasp an idea and connect with your text.
• By connecting with your text, readers will be more likely to remember what they read; this is especially helpful when reading educational materials.

But just as it’s dangerous to overuse idioms (see this post about using idioms in writing), it’s dangerous to overuse proverbs.

How can a proverb weaken your writing?

• Readers may be unfamiliar with the proverb you’re using, and they may have to stop and figure out what it means.
• Proverbs (and idioms) are culturally based. They’re founded on common experiences; so they may not be easily understood by all your readers.

It’s important to find balance between spicing up your writing with a proverb and using so many indirect expressions that your readers can’t understand what you’re saying.

If you know a proverb that might help your readers connect with an idea you’re trying to convey, you believe it expresses your intended meaning accurately, and you’ve considered the cultural background of your readers, use it.

I’m not sure whether eating apples will keep your doctor away, but I’m sure that if your writing is difficult to connect with, it’ll keep your readers away.

 

 

 

There’s one kind of dinosaur that still exists.

It’s the species Thesaurus.

Thesaurus is a small, rectangular creature that’s the perfect size to sit on a bookshelf. Its once scaly skin has adapted into smooth paper. Researchers have found that it exists in a variety of colors. Thesaurus is docile; it doesn’t bite. It’s well organized and resourceful.

What’s most unique about Thesaurus is that its verbal abilities are highly developed; it’s estimated to have the largest vocabulary of all the dinosaur species. It feeds on words; it holds a treasury of them and likes to share them.

Millions of years ago, Thesaurus helped other dinosaurs communicate with each other. Today, it wants to help you choose words to make your writing strong so you can communicate your ideas to other humans successfully.

When might you want to seek help from Thesaurus? When you can’t think of an appropriate word to use or when you keep using the same words repeatedly.

Thesaurus will help you identify synonyms and antonyms so your writing won’t be repetitive. It’ll help you use language more effectively.

You don’t have to run from Thesaurus. It can be a partner in your writing process.

I’m not encouraging you to use Thesaurus to find big words; that’ll complicate your writing. But Thesaurus can help you find alternatives to words you use too frequently. For instance, overuse of the word “great” is something I often see; it’s more effective to break up the use of “great” with a word that’s more specific to what you’re describing.

Some reference books, such as the encyclopedia, are nearly extinct. But luckily, Thesaurus is still around. If you don’t have one already, keep your eye out for one.

Don’t fear Thesaurus. Instead; fear dull, boring sentences that use the same words over and over again.

Let the enduring Thesaurus help your writing evolve.

 

I’d like to introduce you to two readers:

Satisfied, Spellbound Sam

Sam is engaged and focused. He’s neither tripping over misplaced punctuation nor lost in ambiguity. He easily finds the information he’s looking for when he begins reading your book, pamphlet, or webpage. He understands what you’re saying because you wrote it in a clear, cohesive way with little fluff. He’s motivated to read more.

Frustrated, Fed-Up Fred

Fred is distracted and confused. He’s not even finished with your first paragraph, and he’s already lost. There are commas in all the wrong places; sentences don’t flow smoothly and meaning is ambiguous. He has to reread sections. It’s taking more time than it should. He’s struggling. He’s questioning the quality of your brand and the validity of your ideas. Fred decides to stop reading.

Do you want your readers to feel like Sam or Fred?

If people can easily navigate your text and understand your ideas, they’ll feel like Satisfied, Spellbound Sam. And your communication goals will have been met.

What’s the best way to ensure your readers don’t end up like Frustrated, Fed-Up Fred?

Make sure your text has been edited.

Whether it’s a manuscript, a blog post, a cover letter, or a business memo, don’t take the chance of publishing it or sending it with errors.

You’ve taken the time to write. It’s a good idea to leave time for editing so your readers aren’t frustrated.

 

As an editor, I see errors in writing every day; therefore, revising errors is an everyday occurrence for me.

One common error I see is the misuse of the words everyday and every day.

These words are used often. They may sound the same, but they have different meanings.

Everyday is a compound word (when two or more words are joined to form a new word that has a single meaning).

The new word has a meaning that’s different from the meaning of each separate word.

Everyday (adjective) means commonplace or typical.

Her everyday routine includes swimming.

Because everyday is an adjective, it must be followed by a noun (routine).

Every day is two words: an adjective (every) and a noun (day); it means each day.

She swims every day.

Every day refers to time; in the above example, it tells us when he makes breakfast. It doesn’t need to be followed by a noun.

So how can you remember to use these terms correctly?

If you’ve written everyday in a sentence, double-check to see if it’s followed by a noun. If it’s not, spell it as two words.

Try not to make the misuse of everyday and every day an everyday mistake.

 

In your writing, it’s important to connect the ideas you’re presenting. Disconnected ideas are confusing.

One way to connect ideas is by using transitional words and phrases. They help organize information, so your readers can easily move from one thought to the next. If they struggle to navigate your text, they’ll probably stop reading.

But it’s important to use transitional words and phrases correctly.

A phrase I often see used incorrectly is on the other hand. It’s used to express contrast. It’s another way of saying from another point of view.

But this phrase is often used without the first part: on the one hand. This makes it incomplete and unbalanced. (This post explains why unbalanced sentences are problematic.) Readers may know what you mean by on the other hand. But it’s best not to make assumptions about what your readers may or may not know.  

If the original point of view has not been directly introduced by on the one hand, on the other hand is out of place.

Also, because on the other hand is an idiom, its meaning may not be understood by all readers, especially if it’s used without the first part. Readers will have questions: What hand? Why are we talking about hands? Where’s the other hand? (This post explains the dangers of overusing idioms.)

Use on the other hand sparingly. And be sure to use it correctly so you don’t confuse your readers.

Even when used correctly, on the one hand . . . on the other hand is wordy. Consider using a more concise alternative. There are many, but these are the ones I often suggest to writers:

in contrast

however

conversely

instead

Some writers might argue that those who insist on using on the one hand with on the other hand are being overly consistent. But because it’s always best not to assume what your readers will understand, there’s nothing wrong with consistency.

Remember, your goal is to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. Correctly used transition words and phrases help make this happen.

Depending on the tone and style of your text, on the one hand . . . on the other hand might work well, but try not to isolate one part of the phrase from the other.

With the Fourth of July approaching, I’m reminded of one of the ways America wanted to show its independence from Britain: by making revisions to British English spellings.

In addition to adopting the Declaration of Independence, the initiation of language reform also showed that America was a distinct nation. Nineteenth century American lexicographer Noah Webster was responsible for this reform.

Many British English words aren’t spelled the way they sound (their spellings are similar to the language from which they originated: French). This inconsistency is confusing; therefore, Webster introduced revisions to British spellings so that sounds and spellings would be consistent (and, according to Webster, superior to British spellings).

Some examples of these spelling revisions included changing words ending in –our to end in –or (e.g., behaviour/behavior and colour/color) and changing words ending in –re to end in –er (e.g., theatre/theater and centre/center).

I sometimes see British spellings in American English writing.

These are the two most common British spellings I see that cause confusion for writers of American English:

towards/toward (Toward is preferred in American English.)
amongst/among (Among is preferred in American English.)

It’s easy to see why there’s confusion: both spellings are similar and comprehensible.

So why does it matter which spelling we use?

Because we have to follow the style of English in which we are writing. American spellings are more commonly used in American English. British spellings are more commonly used in British English.

Because consistency is important in writing, it’s best to stick with one style of English.

Have you ever opened a box filled with foam packing peanuts? They often take up most of the box, and the unpacking process can end in a fluffy mess.

Although this filler material can be annoying, it’s necessary to ensure the contents of the box arrive intact.

In writing, fluffy filler material is unnecessary.

Fluff includes using too many adjectives, lengthy or meaningless sentences, or empty words that don’t help carry your message forward.

There are many fluffy words, but these are the two I see most often:

very—this word is vague. It doesn’t add anything meaningful to your sentence.

really (when used to mean very)—this word is also vague and meaningless.

These words fill space. You can convey the same meaning without them. Do you see how the same meaning is conveyed in each pair of sentences?

It’s very silent.

It’s silent.

That’s really unbelievable.

That’s unbelievable.

Very and really are useless. It’s ok to use them in speech. But in writing, you have time to carefully choose your words, and you don’t need to fill space.

In writing, people like using really and very in an attempt to intensify their sentences. But it’s better to use descriptive words to create strong sentences. Your readers will be annoyed if they have to unpack and clean up fluff to locate your message.

How do you avoid fluff?

1. Read through your text, and highlight each fluffy word you see. (These are words that don’t add meaning to your sentences.)
2. Determine whether these words can be removed or replaced with stronger, more descriptive words.
3. Ensure each word and sentence contributes to your message. Remove words that don’t support your points.

Tighten your sentences. Your message doesn’t need to be padded with fluff. In fact, it’ll arrive to your readers more solid and strong if you use effective words, rather than meaningless words.

Years ago, I had a favorite ice cream treat. It was called an IT’S-IT. It was originally created in my hometown in the 1920s, and I’m pretty sure this dark chocolate-dipped oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich is a legend here on the West Coast.

What’s especially important to this editor is that the creator of the IT’S-IT didn’t make the common mistake of misusing it’s and its.

And that’s a good thing, or else we’d have ITS-IT, which wouldn’t make sense.

Because its is the possessive form of it, we’d have to ask what an “it” is and who “it” belongs to.

We’d be confused. We’d wonder why the creator didn’t proofread. We might even question the quality of the product. We’d focus on the mistake, rather than on the delicious ice cream.

Instead, we see “It is it,” and we ask “What is it?” And the answer is clear: This ice cream sandwich is “it” because it’s the best.

I often see it’s and its written incorrectly. Even native English speakers make this mistake.

It’s is a contraction of it is.

Here’s an example: It’s ice cream.

Its, with no apostrophe, is the possessive form of it.

Here’s an example: She removed the ice cream sandwich from its package.

The confusion comes from the fact that ‘s often indicates possession. But in this case, it doesn’t.

Using the apostrophe correctly in the word it’s is one of the many rules of English that you must follow if you want your writing to be coherent.

The rule is as follows: If you can use it is or it has, use it’s; if you can’t, use its.

Even though you’re a conscientious writer, mistakes happen. That’s why it’s important to proofread. Better yet, have an editor proofread.

You don’t want your readers to focus on your misuse of a word. You want them to focus on your clear, cohesive message.

 

Last week was full of comma splices. I saw them in much of the writing I edited.

What’s a comma splice?

It’s when two independent clauses are joined with a comma. (An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a sentence.) A comma is not the correct punctuation that should connect two independent clauses.

Here’s an example of a comma splice:

The dog jumped over the fence, the cat stayed in the yard.

There are a few ways to revise this error.

Option one: Use two complete sentences.

The dog jumped over the fence. The cat stayed in the yard.

Option two: Add a coordinating conjunction and a comma.

The dog jumped over the fence, and the cat stayed in the yard.

Option three: Add a subordinate conjunction.

When the dog jumped over the fence, the cat stayed in the yard.

Option four: Add a semicolon.

The dog jumped over the fence; the cat stayed in the yard.

Why do comma splices matter to you? Because if you use them, your writing will be incoherent and will lack effective flow. Your readers will think you don’t know what you’re doing.

You don’t want a mess of disconnected ideas that will complicate your writing. Avoid comma splices.