These crafty little buggers can insinuate their way into copy without us even realizing it. Misplaced (and dangling) modifiers are some of the biggest culprits in unclear writing. The worst thing about them is that we tend to not even notice them because we know what we meant to say.
Misplaced modifiers can confuse readers. Modifying words and phrases are a clingy bunch—they want to attach themselves to the closest word or phrase in the sentence. If they’re in the wrong spot, they can appear to modify a different word or phrase than we intended, changing the meaning of the sentence drastically.
Example:
Shining brightly, I had to shield my eyes from the sun.
Because of the placement of the modifying phrase “shining brightly,” at first glance the reader thinks that the narrator of the sentence is shining brightly. If the sentence is part of a first-person narrative from the point of view of Watchmen’s Dr. Manhattan, who actually does shine brightly on a regular basis, then maybe that’s okay. But in the far more likely scenario that the writer meant that the sun is shining brightly this sentence needs to be reworded so as not to confuse the reader:
I had to shield my eyes from the sun, which was shining brightly.
The sun was shining so brightly I had to shield my eyes.
Sometimes misplaced modifiers aren’t so obvious. See if you can catch the misplaced modifier in the following sentence:
The third annual Incredible Customer Experience Awards recognize 10 businesses that excel in hospitality and 10 people who provide outstanding customer service along the Grand Strand.
As written, this sentence indicates that the 10 people who are to be honored are customer-service employees in locations along the Grand Stand only. (In other words, people who work in other locations are not included.) But that's not the intention of the sentence. What the writer meant to say is that the ceremony is taking place along the Grand Stand. This should be rewritten to clear up any confusion:
The third annual Incredible Customer Experience Awards along the Grand Stand recognize 10 businesses that excel in hospitality and 10 people who provide outstanding customer service.
Have a grammar rule that you'd like to see covered as a Tip of the Week? Leave a suggestion in the comments!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Who Else Needs Another 12 Hours in Their Day?
Wow. Wowee wow wow.
How is it possible that I've let two whole months go by without updating?
The time has flown by, and my unforgivable lack of blog maintenance is due to something that makes me very happy: I've been busy. Busy with a capital "B."
I currently have two regular clients. Ideally, I would have more than that, but these two lovely companies are piling so much work on my plate that I don't think I could handle anything more right now. Especially considering that I'm still putting in 40 hours (plus 5+ hours a week commuting) at my "regular" job.
I feel like I'm striking a solid balance at the moment. Because I still have the full-time job, my freelance income is gravy. It's allowing me to pay off a ton of debt and build my savings account for the day I take the scary scary leap into full-time freelancing. It's also funding a new computer and furniture for my home office.
My goals for the year are coming along. I had a slow month in February, but I came back with a vengeance in March. In mid-March, a client that I've been working with since the beginning of the year moved me to a new project. In addition, a client I've had since last year kept me super-busy with several well-paying assignments. As a result, I exceeded the income from my previous best freelancing month by almost $200.
I haven't been able to break into copywriting yet, mostly because I've been so busy with my other projects. I did pick up a copy of Bob Bly's The Copywriter's Handbook, and it's already providing me with lots of great ideas. Getting my first business-writing sample is a huge goal for me going into the second quarter of 2009.
Full-time freelancing, my ultimate goal, is still on the distant horizon. I'm getting there. Slowly but surely. As much as I complain to my husband and friends that I don't have time for anything but work lately, combining the full-time job with the part-time writing business is still the best of both worlds. As much as I'm anxious to start freelancing on a full-time basis, I want to have all my debt paid off and a reasonable amount of cash set aside before I cut the cord from full-time employment. So my current 60-hour work weeks are a means to an end.
I just hope that end is in sight soon. ::grin::
I'll end this post with a question for any other freelancers who read this blog: When you were first starting out, did you moonlight while holding down a full-time job? How long did you lead the double life before going full-time with your writing business?
How is it possible that I've let two whole months go by without updating?
The time has flown by, and my unforgivable lack of blog maintenance is due to something that makes me very happy: I've been busy. Busy with a capital "B."
I currently have two regular clients. Ideally, I would have more than that, but these two lovely companies are piling so much work on my plate that I don't think I could handle anything more right now. Especially considering that I'm still putting in 40 hours (plus 5+ hours a week commuting) at my "regular" job.
I feel like I'm striking a solid balance at the moment. Because I still have the full-time job, my freelance income is gravy. It's allowing me to pay off a ton of debt and build my savings account for the day I take the scary scary leap into full-time freelancing. It's also funding a new computer and furniture for my home office.
My goals for the year are coming along. I had a slow month in February, but I came back with a vengeance in March. In mid-March, a client that I've been working with since the beginning of the year moved me to a new project. In addition, a client I've had since last year kept me super-busy with several well-paying assignments. As a result, I exceeded the income from my previous best freelancing month by almost $200.
I haven't been able to break into copywriting yet, mostly because I've been so busy with my other projects. I did pick up a copy of Bob Bly's The Copywriter's Handbook, and it's already providing me with lots of great ideas. Getting my first business-writing sample is a huge goal for me going into the second quarter of 2009.
Full-time freelancing, my ultimate goal, is still on the distant horizon. I'm getting there. Slowly but surely. As much as I complain to my husband and friends that I don't have time for anything but work lately, combining the full-time job with the part-time writing business is still the best of both worlds. As much as I'm anxious to start freelancing on a full-time basis, I want to have all my debt paid off and a reasonable amount of cash set aside before I cut the cord from full-time employment. So my current 60-hour work weeks are a means to an end.
I just hope that end is in sight soon. ::grin::
I'll end this post with a question for any other freelancers who read this blog: When you were first starting out, did you moonlight while holding down a full-time job? How long did you lead the double life before going full-time with your writing business?
Monday, February 2, 2009
GrammarScribe Grammar Tip of the Week: February 2, 2009
When to Use "That" as a Conjunction
Part of our jobs as bloggers and copywriters is to make our writing as tight as possible. One of the words that often gets the strike by writers and editors is the word "that," when used as a conjunction.
Sometimes the edit is warranted. For example, "I knew you had gone to the meeting" is just as clear as "I knew that you had gone to the meeting." The sentence is just tighter if you omit "that."
However, sometimes omitting "that" can make a sentence incredibly confusing. For example: "Police believe a well-known serial killer is behind the murders." In this sentence, I'd first read: "Police believe a well-known serial killer," which makes me think that maybe they're taking in his testimony. Then the rest of the sentence throws me for a loop and I have to read the sentence over again for it to make sense.
The role of an editor, in addition to making sure that writing is grammatically correct, is also to make things as easy on the reader as possible. So in this case, I'd change the sentence to say: "Police believe that a well-known serial killer is behind the murders." Adding "that" removes all ambiguity from the first part of the sentence.
Here is the ruling from the AP Stylebook on using "that":
Use the conjunction “that” to introduce a dependent clause if the sentence sounds or looks awkward without it. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but in general:
• That may usually be omitted when a dependent clause immediately follows a form of the verb to say: “The president said he had signed the bill.”
• That should be used when a time element intervenes between the verb and the dependent clause: “The president said Monday that he had signed the bill.”
• That usually is necessary after some verbs, including: advocate, assert, contend, declare, estimate, make clear, point out, propose and state.
• That is required before subordinate clauses beginning with conjunctions such as after, although, because, before, in addition to, until and while: “Haldeman said that after he learned of Nixon’s intention to resign, he sought pardons for all connected with Watergate.”
When in doubt, include "that." Omission can hurt. Inclusion never does.
Part of our jobs as bloggers and copywriters is to make our writing as tight as possible. One of the words that often gets the strike by writers and editors is the word "that," when used as a conjunction.
Sometimes the edit is warranted. For example, "I knew you had gone to the meeting" is just as clear as "I knew that you had gone to the meeting." The sentence is just tighter if you omit "that."
However, sometimes omitting "that" can make a sentence incredibly confusing. For example: "Police believe a well-known serial killer is behind the murders." In this sentence, I'd first read: "Police believe a well-known serial killer," which makes me think that maybe they're taking in his testimony. Then the rest of the sentence throws me for a loop and I have to read the sentence over again for it to make sense.
The role of an editor, in addition to making sure that writing is grammatically correct, is also to make things as easy on the reader as possible. So in this case, I'd change the sentence to say: "Police believe that a well-known serial killer is behind the murders." Adding "that" removes all ambiguity from the first part of the sentence.
Here is the ruling from the AP Stylebook on using "that":
Use the conjunction “that” to introduce a dependent clause if the sentence sounds or looks awkward without it. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but in general:
• That may usually be omitted when a dependent clause immediately follows a form of the verb to say: “The president said he had signed the bill.”
• That should be used when a time element intervenes between the verb and the dependent clause: “The president said Monday that he had signed the bill.”
• That usually is necessary after some verbs, including: advocate, assert, contend, declare, estimate, make clear, point out, propose and state.
• That is required before subordinate clauses beginning with conjunctions such as after, although, because, before, in addition to, until and while: “Haldeman said that after he learned of Nixon’s intention to resign, he sought pardons for all connected with Watergate.”
When in doubt, include "that." Omission can hurt. Inclusion never does.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
New Year, New Goals
Hello readers!
I'm so sorry I haven't been regularly keeping up with this blog. I hate making excuses for myself, but the holidays were busy and then all of a sudden I started getting a ton of work, so I let this blog fall by the wayside after Thanksgiving.
But.
It's a new year (and I'm way late with the New Years resolutions, but better late than never), and one of my goals for this year is to update this GrammarScribe blog on a regular basis. I have so much to talk about on the freelancing side of things, plus I miss updating with regular grammar tips.
Freelancing is going extremely well lately. I'm about to break a huge barrier: by the time I'm paid for all the work I've completed in January, I'll have made more than $1,000 for the month.
Now, I know that number probably looks small to any more experienced freelancers that may be reading this. But it's a huge deal to me. It's the first time that I can realistically seeing myself making a go of this full-time. I'll have to make a lot more than this, obviously—$1K a month won't get me far without another job to supplement it—but it's more than I've ever made in a single month.
Compare that to my income for January 2008: $15.64.
I've come a long way.
And yet I still have a long way to go. So that brings me to my 2009 freelance writing goals. I've already met one of them—to seek out new clients. I scored a new client early in the month and I'm already getting steady work from them.
Other goals:
What kinds of goals have you set for yourself this year? How have you been so far at sticking to them? Leave a comment and let me know!
I'm so sorry I haven't been regularly keeping up with this blog. I hate making excuses for myself, but the holidays were busy and then all of a sudden I started getting a ton of work, so I let this blog fall by the wayside after Thanksgiving.
But.
It's a new year (and I'm way late with the New Years resolutions, but better late than never), and one of my goals for this year is to update this GrammarScribe blog on a regular basis. I have so much to talk about on the freelancing side of things, plus I miss updating with regular grammar tips.
Freelancing is going extremely well lately. I'm about to break a huge barrier: by the time I'm paid for all the work I've completed in January, I'll have made more than $1,000 for the month.
Now, I know that number probably looks small to any more experienced freelancers that may be reading this. But it's a huge deal to me. It's the first time that I can realistically seeing myself making a go of this full-time. I'll have to make a lot more than this, obviously—$1K a month won't get me far without another job to supplement it—but it's more than I've ever made in a single month.
Compare that to my income for January 2008: $15.64.
I've come a long way.
And yet I still have a long way to go. So that brings me to my 2009 freelance writing goals. I've already met one of them—to seek out new clients. I scored a new client early in the month and I'm already getting steady work from them.
Other goals:
- I want to exceed my freelancing income each month. Near the end of 2008, each month's income was a little higher than the previous months' paycheck. I'd like to continue that streak for as long as possible into 2009.
- I resolve to update this blog on a more regular basis. Exciting things are happening here, and I want to make the time to talk about them. Early ideas for posts include tips on how to get started writing for the Internet. And I'll be offering a GrammarScribe Grammar Tip every Monday to help you start your work week.
- My last goal is to break into commercial writing at some point this year. Press releases, brochures, direct mail, advertisements, etc.
What kinds of goals have you set for yourself this year? How have you been so far at sticking to them? Leave a comment and let me know!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Is there anything better than the afternoon before a major holiday? And Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite, as far as time off from the "real job" goes. I clocked out at 2:00 on the nose, and now I'm just waiting for my husband to do the same.
Tonight's plans are pie-themed: I'm baking apple and pumpkin pies for tomorrow and then watching Ned the Piemaker on an episode of Pushing Daisies (sadly, it's one of the last episodes of this lovely series).
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And while I'm chowing down on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cheesy asparagus (a killer recipe passed down from my mom), I'll be thinking about what I'm thankful for this year.
First and foremost, my wonderful and supportive husband. We live in a relatively small one-bedroom apartment that has no room for my own office. Not many guys would be as understanding when their wife says, "Oh, honey, I'm on deadline. Can you not turn the TV on right now? Actually...can you go somewhere else entirely for the next hour?" He's never complained once, and he's gotten to the point where he'll just "decide" to go out to a bookstore for the evening when he knows I have freelance work to do.
We're moving to a new apartment in February that will have room for an office, but he's been beyond patient this year. And always super supportive of my goals.
Second, in this crappy economy, I am so fortunate to have a steady full-time job with regular pay and benefits, plus a budding freelance career on the side. My full-time gig is a copy editing job, and I'm so lucky to be writing and editing for 8, 9, 10 hours (or more) a day between my regular job and freelancing.
Third, I have a great family and absolutely wonderful friends.
Fourth, I'm grateful for the theatrical opportunities I've had over the past year. I got to play Mrs. Potts and take on an absolutely iconic song and scene in a production of Beauty and the Beast last December. And in April, I got to appear off-off-Broadway in a one-act festival!
Other things I'm thankful for, in no particular order:
My sister (she gets singled out from the rest of the fam because she's extra-awesome)
My new laptop
The fact that I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in and food to eat every night
My health
Long holiday weekends from work that allow me to get extra freelance work done.
And to my fellow readers, I'm thankful for you. I started this blog just under a year ago, and I'm still learning my way around the blogosphere. But for those of you who stop by every once in a while to read and comment, even when I haven't updated in a while, I want you to know that I really appreciate it.
Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for this year?
Tonight's plans are pie-themed: I'm baking apple and pumpkin pies for tomorrow and then watching Ned the Piemaker on an episode of Pushing Daisies (sadly, it's one of the last episodes of this lovely series).
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And while I'm chowing down on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cheesy asparagus (a killer recipe passed down from my mom), I'll be thinking about what I'm thankful for this year.
First and foremost, my wonderful and supportive husband. We live in a relatively small one-bedroom apartment that has no room for my own office. Not many guys would be as understanding when their wife says, "Oh, honey, I'm on deadline. Can you not turn the TV on right now? Actually...can you go somewhere else entirely for the next hour?" He's never complained once, and he's gotten to the point where he'll just "decide" to go out to a bookstore for the evening when he knows I have freelance work to do.
We're moving to a new apartment in February that will have room for an office, but he's been beyond patient this year. And always super supportive of my goals.
Second, in this crappy economy, I am so fortunate to have a steady full-time job with regular pay and benefits, plus a budding freelance career on the side. My full-time gig is a copy editing job, and I'm so lucky to be writing and editing for 8, 9, 10 hours (or more) a day between my regular job and freelancing.
Third, I have a great family and absolutely wonderful friends.
Fourth, I'm grateful for the theatrical opportunities I've had over the past year. I got to play Mrs. Potts and take on an absolutely iconic song and scene in a production of Beauty and the Beast last December. And in April, I got to appear off-off-Broadway in a one-act festival!
Other things I'm thankful for, in no particular order:
My sister (she gets singled out from the rest of the fam because she's extra-awesome)
My new laptop
The fact that I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in and food to eat every night
My health
Long holiday weekends from work that allow me to get extra freelance work done.
And to my fellow readers, I'm thankful for you. I started this blog just under a year ago, and I'm still learning my way around the blogosphere. But for those of you who stop by every once in a while to read and comment, even when I haven't updated in a while, I want you to know that I really appreciate it.
Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for this year?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
And Now for Something Completely Different...
I made my first business-related purchase this weekend.
I got a new laptop.
I've been in the market for one for a while, since my husband and I have been sharing an old Dell laptop since I officially kicked off my freelancing career back in January. More work has been coming my way lately, so I wanted to have my own workstation so I wasn't constantly monopolizing the "family computer." Plus I wanted something lighter and faster than our old model.
Friday night, I was window-shopping in Best Buy when this on-sale beauty caught my eye. (The price in the store was a much better deal than the price online.) A little less than an hour later, it was mine.
And I love it. So much.
(Obviously, I'm already doing work on it---you can see my open article onscreen in those last couple of pictures!)
I got a new laptop.
I've been in the market for one for a while, since my husband and I have been sharing an old Dell laptop since I officially kicked off my freelancing career back in January. More work has been coming my way lately, so I wanted to have my own workstation so I wasn't constantly monopolizing the "family computer." Plus I wanted something lighter and faster than our old model.
Friday night, I was window-shopping in Best Buy when this on-sale beauty caught my eye. (The price in the store was a much better deal than the price online.) A little less than an hour later, it was mine.
And I love it. So much.
(Obviously, I'm already doing work on it---you can see my open article onscreen in those last couple of pictures!)
Working Over the Holidays
Here's a question for any established freelancers who read this blog: Do you plan to work over the upcoming holiday weekends (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years)? If not, have you worked over holidays in the past?
This is the first time I've had to ask myself that question. And my answer is yes, absolutely I'm going to work.
Take this coming weekend, for instance. Obviously, Thanksgiving Day is family time. But then I've got three full days off from work. I am not a Black Friday shopper. Too many years of working retail have killed any desire to shop that day. (Although I may hit up a few online sales.) I tend to do a lot of writing and editing on the weekends anyway, so why should this weekend be any different?
To be honest, as someone who's balancing an increasingly heavy freelance workload on top of a 40+ hour week at work, the idea of having three full days to do nothing but my freelance work is like a breath of fresh air.
Christmas will be a different story. My sister is visiting from Indiana over the Christmas weekend, so I'm going to take a break from work while she's here. But for Thanksgiving? I'll take the extra assignments, please.
How do all of you handle holidays? Do you embrace the extra time to work, or do you take the weekend for some much-needed "me" time?
This is the first time I've had to ask myself that question. And my answer is yes, absolutely I'm going to work.
Take this coming weekend, for instance. Obviously, Thanksgiving Day is family time. But then I've got three full days off from work. I am not a Black Friday shopper. Too many years of working retail have killed any desire to shop that day. (Although I may hit up a few online sales.) I tend to do a lot of writing and editing on the weekends anyway, so why should this weekend be any different?
To be honest, as someone who's balancing an increasingly heavy freelance workload on top of a 40+ hour week at work, the idea of having three full days to do nothing but my freelance work is like a breath of fresh air.
Christmas will be a different story. My sister is visiting from Indiana over the Christmas weekend, so I'm going to take a break from work while she's here. But for Thanksgiving? I'll take the extra assignments, please.
How do all of you handle holidays? Do you embrace the extra time to work, or do you take the weekend for some much-needed "me" time?
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