Table of Contents - Moscow Americanmoscowamerican.com/images/c/c6/Blue_Book_of_Grammar... · 2019. 4. 2. · English grammar and usage. She continued to refine her materials, eventually

Table of ContentsTitle Page

Copyright

Preface andAcknowledgments

About the Authors

Introduction

Chapter 1: Grammar

Finding Nouns, Verbs,and SubjectsSubject-Verb AgreementClauses and PhrasesPronounsWho vs. WhomWhoever vs. WhomeverWho, That, WhichAdjectives and AdverbsPrepositionsEffective Writing

Chapter 2: Punctuation

PeriodsCommasSemicolonsColonsQuotation MarksParentheses and BracketsApostrophesHyphensDashesEllipsesQuestion MarksExclamation Points

Chapter 3: Capitalization

Chapter 4: Writing Numbers

Chapter 5: Confusing Wordsand Homonyms

ABCDEFG

HIJKLMNOPQ-RSTU

VWY

Chapter 6: QuizzesGrammar PretestFinding Nouns, Verbs,and Subjects Quiz 1Finding Nouns, Verbs,and Subjects Quiz 2Subject and VerbAgreement Quiz 1Subject and Verb

Agreement Quiz 2Pronouns Quiz 1Pronouns Quiz 2Who, Whom, Whoever,Whomever Quiz 1Who, Whom, Whoever,Whomever Quiz 2Who, Whom, That,Which Quiz 1Who, Whom, That,Which Quiz 2Adjectives and AdverbsQuiz 1

Adjectives and AdverbsQuiz 2Prepositions Quiz 1Prepositions Quiz 2Affect vs. Effect Quiz 1Affect vs. Effect Quiz 2Lay vs. Lie Quiz 1Lay vs. Lie Quiz 2Advice vs. Advise Quiz 1Advice vs. Advise Quiz 2Their vs. There vs.They're Quiz 1Their vs. There vs.

They're Quiz 2More Confusing Wordsand Homonyms Quiz 1More Confusing Wordsand Homonyms Quiz 2Effective Writing Quiz 1Effective Writing Quiz 2Grammar Mastery TestPunctuation,Capitalization, andWriting Numbers PretestCommas and PeriodsQuiz 1

Commas and PeriodsQuiz 2Semicolons and ColonsQuiz 1Semicolons and ColonsQuiz 2Question Marks andQuotation Marks Quiz 1Question Marks andQuotation Marks Quiz 2Parentheses and BracketsQuiz 1Parentheses and Brackets

Quiz 2Apostrophes Quiz 1Apostrophes Quiz 2Hyphens Between WordsQuiz 1Hyphens Between WordsQuiz 2Hyphens with Prefixesand Suffixes Quiz 1Hyphens with Prefixesand Suffixes Quiz 2Capitalization Quiz 1Capitalization Quiz 2

Writing Numbers Quiz 1Writing Numbers Quiz 2Punctuation,Capitalization, andWriting NumbersMastery Test

Chapter 7: Answers toQuizzes

Grammar PretestAnswersFinding Nouns, Verbs,and Subjects Quiz 1

AnswersFinding Nouns, Verbs,and Subjects Quiz 2AnswersSubject and VerbAgreement Quiz 1AnswersSubject and VerbAgreement Quiz 2AnswersPronouns Quiz 1 AnswersPronouns Quiz 2 AnswersWho, Whom, Whoever,

Whomever Quiz 1AnswersWho, Whom, Whoever,Whomever Quiz 2AnswersWho, Whom, That,Which Quiz 1 AnswersWho, Whom, That,Which Quiz 2 AnswersAdjectives and AdverbsQuiz 1 AnswersAdjectives and AdverbsQuiz 2 Answers

Prepositions Quiz 1AnswersPrepositions Quiz 2AnswersAffect vs. Effect Quiz 1AnswersAffect vs. Effect Quiz 2AnswersLay vs. Lie Quiz 1AnswersLay vs. Lie Quiz 2AnswersAdvice vs. Advise Quiz 1

AnswersAdvice vs. Advise Quiz 2AnswersTheir vs. There vs.They're Quiz 1 AnswersTheir vs. There vs.They're Quiz 2 AnswersMore Confusing Wordsand Homonyms Quiz 1AnswersMore Confusing Wordsand Homonyms Quiz 2Answers

Effective Writing Quiz 1AnswersEffective Writing Quiz 2AnswersGrammar Mastery TestAnswersPunctuation,Capitalization, andWriting Numbers PretestAnswersCommas and PeriodsQuiz 1 AnswersCommas and Periods

Quiz 2 AnswersSemicolons and ColonsQuiz 1 AnswersSemicolons and ColonsQuiz 2 AnswersQuestion Marks andQuotation Marks Quiz 1AnswersQuestion Marks andQuotation Marks Quiz 2AnswersParentheses and BracketsQuiz 1 Answers

Parentheses and BracketsQuiz 2 AnswersApostrophes Quiz 1AnswersApostrophes Quiz 2AnswersHyphens Between WordsQuiz 1 AnswersHyphens Between WordsQuiz 2 AnswersHyphens with Prefixesand Suffixes Quiz 1Answers

Hyphens with Prefixesand Suffixes Quiz 2AnswersCapitalization Quiz 1AnswersCapitalization Quiz 2AnswersWriting Numbers Quiz 1AnswersWriting Numbers Quiz 2AnswersPunctuation,Capitalization, and

Writing NumbersMastery Test Answers

Index

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Preface andAcknowledgments

Jane Straus created her English languageinstructional materials because she“found no books that conveyed the rulesof English in—well—plain English.”Over the years of teaching basic Englishlanguage skills to state and federalgovernment employees as well as toindividuals in the private sector and innonprofit organizations, she refined hermaterials, eventually creating The BlueBook of Grammar and Punctuation and

its related website, GrammarBook.com.In the introduction to the tenth edition,

the author spoke of her 2003 brain tumordiagnosis, how it led to her next boldsteps in life, and her successful surgeryto remove the tumor. Unfortunately, in2009, she again learned she had a new,unrelated brain tumor—this timemalignant. Jane Ruth Straus passed awayon February 25, 2011.

Due to the outpouring of appreciationfor her work, her husband, LesterKaufman, continued to oversee theGrammarBook.com website so thatanyone around the world could stillbenefit from her life's work. He alsocollected ideas and suggestions for

changes, new material, andimprovements to The Blue Book. Aftermaking the acquaintance of Tom Stern, aMarin County, California, writer andeditor, Kaufman recognized that Sternpossessed the knowledge, skills,experience, and passion needed tothoroughly re-examine The Blue Bookand revise it to make it a first-rategrammar resource for everyone.

First and foremost, thanks must go tothe late Jane Straus for her vision andpersistence in creating a reference guideand workbook that is popular and easyto understand. We could not havesucceeded in updating this book withoutthe assistance of Marjorie McAneny at

Jossey-Bass and literary agent CathyFowler, both of whom steadfastlybelieved in the book's value. We alsothank Zoe Kaufman, Jojo Ortiz, and PattiClements, for their contributions to thequizzes; the thousands of loyal readersand viewers of the GrammarBook.comwebsite who, by offering valuable inputdaily, have helped shape the rules,examples, and quizzes; and Gary Klehr,for helping name the book many yearsago.

This book is dedicated to mybrilliant wife, Jane Straus. She was amultitalented woman with boundlessenergy and a natural gift forclarifying all matters complex. She

put her heart and soul intoeverything she undertook. She wastaken from us far too soon.

—LESTER KAUFMAN

About the Authors

Jane Straus (1954–2011) was aneducator, life coach, and best-sellingauthor. To prepare for a job teachingEnglish to employees of the state ofCalifornia in 1975, Straus scoured thelibrary for materials that conveyed therules of English in plain English. Findingno such resources, she wrote the rulesher own way, made up exercises, ran offsome copies, and hoped for the best.

The class was a hit. More and morestate employees demanded that they getan equal opportunity to benefit from

Straus's no-nonsense instruction inEnglish grammar and usage. Shecontinued to refine her materials,eventually turning them into The BlueBook of Grammar and Punctuation.

When the Internet was born, shelaunched a website, GrammarBook.com,which has helped millions of people allover the world improve their Englishgrammar. Straus became a sought-afterspeaker in the fields of grammar, publicspeaking, and life coaching. Her otherbook is Enough Is Enough! StopEnduring and Start Living YourExtraordinary Life (Jossey-Bass, 2005).

Lester Kaufman is the publisher ofGrammarBook.com. A lifelong public

servant, he served first in the PeaceCorps, and eventually completed thefinal years of his federal career with theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency.He married Jane Straus in 1987.

After his retirement from the EPA,Kaufman began assisting with theoperation of Straus's fledgling websiteand helped edit previous editions of TheBlue Book of Grammar andPunctuation.

Following Jane Straus's untimelypassing in early 2011, Kaufman assumedmanagement of GrammarBook.com,which features an informative andentertaining weekly newsletter thatencourages readers to ask grammar

questions and offer their views on thestate of twenty-first-century English.

Tom Stern is a freelance writer andeditor. After leaving a career in themusic business in 1992, he became acopyeditor-reporter-critic, eventuallyworking for a number of San FranciscoBay Area periodicals. In 2011, histwice-monthly grammar column for aMarin County newspaper chain placedfirst in the California NewspaperPublishers Association's BetterNewspapers Contest.

Introduction

Now in its eleventh edition, The BlueBook of Grammar and Punctuation willhelp you write and speak withconfidence. You don't have to be anEnglish major to understand grammarand punctuation. You just need rules andguidelines that are easy to understand,with real-world examples.

Whether you are an instructor teachingstudents the rules of English or a student,executive, professional writer, or avidblogger honing your grammar andpunctuation skills, this book will help

you zip through tests (including theSAT), reports, essays, letters, e-mails,and résumés. It will help you (and yourwriting) impress your teachers, yourclients, and other readers.

Every generation of English scholarsdespairs because the language alwaysseems to be at a crisis point. But it isundeniable that everywhere one looksnowadays, the principles in this bookare casually and cavalierly violated.

The Blue Book will prove to be avaluable tool for teachers and students inachieving the goals of the Common CoreState Standards Initiative. Studying thechapters and working through the quizzeswill provide students of all ages with the

skills and knowledge they need tosucceed beyond high school—in collegeand in the workplace. Students willlearn how to use formal English in theirwriting and speaking and how to betterexpress themselves through language.We also recommend reading the worksof great writers to experience firsthandthe art and beauty of effectivecommunication.

This book is logical, self-paced, andfun to use, with scores of interesting andchallenging quizzes that you mayphotocopy to your heart's content. Bestof all, you can look forward to instantgratification, because the answers to thequizzes are included.

Throughout the text, certain terms havebeen set in boldface type (for instance,at the beginning of Chapter One, noun,common nouns, proper nouns). Due tospace and other considerations, wecould not always explore these linguisticterms as thoroughly as we might havewished. Readers are strongly urged tolook further into these terms on theirown. We also recommend that those whoare serious about improving theirEnglish grammar always keep adictionary close by and use itassiduously.

If you don't have time to researchseveral leading reference books to figureout where the next comma should go or

whether to write who or whom, you willfind The Blue Book to be a pleasure touse. Dedicated to eliminatingunnecessary jargon, it highlights the mostimportant grammar, punctuation, andcapitalization rules and guidelines andclarifies some of the language's mostconfusing and confounding words.

In Chapter One, “Grammar,” you willlearn how to find nouns, verbs, andsubjects and make sure they agree withone another. Next you will learn aboutclauses and phrases, the keys tounderstanding sentence structure. Then,on to pronoun usage, so that you willknow whether to write I or me, he orhim, who or whom, etc. From there, in

the “Adjectives and Adverbs” section,you will discover why some words have-ly added to them, and why you must say,“She did well on the test,” rather than“She did good on the test.” After that,you will breeze through prepositions,learning some surprising rules, and wewill debunk at least one myth. (Hint: Isit safe to ask, “What are you talkingabout?” or must we ask, “About whatare you talking?”)

The “Effective Writing” section ofChapter One will give you helpful tipsfor constructing sentences andparagraphs that flow gracefully, makingit easier to write quickly and well.

Chapter Two, “Punctuation,” takes on

all the usual suspects: periods, commas,semicolons, colons, quotation marks,parentheses and brackets, apostrophes,hyphens, dashes, ellipses, questionmarks, and exclamation points. The bestpart about this and other chapters is thatyou will find an abundance of examplesthat you run across every day.

Then comes Chapter Three,“Capitalization,” in which you will getyour most vexing questions answered,learning which words to capitalize in atitle and when to capitalize job titles,such as president or director.

In Chapter Four, “Writing Numbers,”you will learn the importance ofconsistency when using numerals or

writing out numbers. You will also learnhow to write fractions and largenumbers.

After that, you will enjoy spendingtime reading all about affect vs. effect,lay vs. lie, their vs. there vs. they're,and its vs. it's in Chapter Five,“Confusing Words and Homonyms.” Wehave provided hundreds of words andphrases for you in this chapter, so youwill never again have to be confused bythe differences between farther andfurther, continual and continuous,flaunt and flout, tortuous and torturous,and all the rest of the trickiest and mostcommonly misused words and phrases inthe English language.

Promise not to skip the quizzes,pretests, or mastery tests in Chapter Six.The more you practice, the moreconfident you will become. Once you getover any fears about test taking, we thinkyou will find the quizzes both enjoyableand challenging. You will find theanswers in Chapter Seven.

Please visit www.GrammarBook.com,where you will find all the quizzes in thebook in a multiple-choice, interactiveformat. If you are a teacher or are reallyjazzed about improving your Englishskills, on the website you will also find

Hundreds of additionaldownloadable, interactive quizzesin the “Subscription” area

Dozens of free one-minute videosby Jane Straus on English languageusageAll the rules and examples you seein the bookA sign-up box on the home page forour free weekly e-newsletter withtips and articlesOur blogRecommendations for furtherreading and study

The point of grammar proficiency is tobe clear and direct, and to avoidmisunderstanding. We hope you willcome away from this book with thismantra: “Think before you write.” Besure every sentence conveys what you

mean, with no possibility of ambiguityor inadvertent meaninglessness.

That being said, as George Orwellwrote in 1946, “Break any of these rulessooner than say anything outrightbarbarous.”

We hope you find The Blue Book to beboth enjoyable and invaluable.

NoteThe authors researched theleading reference books onAmerican English grammar andpunctuation including TheChicago Manual of Style, TheAssociated Press Stylebook,Fowler's Modern English Usage,

Bernstein's The Careful Writer,and many others. The authorsprovide rules, guidance, andexamples based on areas ofgeneral agreement among theauthorities. Where the authoritiesdiffer, this book provides optionsto follow based on the reader'spurpose in writing, with thisgeneral advice: be consistent.

Chapter 1

Grammar

Finding Nouns,Verbs, andSubjects

NoteWe will use the standard ofunderlining subjects once andverbs twice.

DefinitionsA noun is a word or set of wordsfor a person, place, thing, or idea. Anoun of more than one word (tenniscourt, gas station) is called acompound noun.

There are common nouns and propernouns. Common nouns are words for ageneral class of people, places, things,and ideas (man, city, award, honesty).They are not capitalized. Proper nouns

are always capitalized. They namespecific people, places, and things (Joe,Chicago, Academy Award).

For more on nouns, see Chapter Two,“Apostrophes,” Rules 2a through 2e.

A verb is a word or set of wordsthat shows action (runs, is going,has been painting); feeling (loves,envies); or state of being (am, are,is, have been, was, seem).

Examples: He ran around the block.I like my friend.They seem friendly.

State-of-being verbs are called linkingverbs. They include all forms of theverb to be, plus such words as look,

feel, appear, act, go, followed by anadjective. (See the “Adjectives andAdverbs” section later in this chapter.)Examples: You look happy.

We feel fine.He went ballistic.

Verbs often consist of more than oneword. For instance, had been breakingdown is a four-word verb. It has a two-word main verb, breaking down (alsocalled a phrasal verb), and two helpingverbs (had and been). Helping verbs areso named because they help clarify theintended meaning.

Many verbs can function as helpingverbs, including is, shall, must, do, has,can, keep, get, start, help, etc.

A subject is the noun, pronoun (seethe “Pronouns” section later in thischapter), or set of words thatperforms the verb.

Examples: The woman hurried.Woman is the subject.She was late.She is the subject.Shakespeare in Love won anAcademy Award.Shakespeare in Love is thesubject.

Rule 1. To find the subject and verb,always find the verb first. Then askwho or what performed the verb.Examples: The jet engine passed

inspection.Passed is the verb. Who orwhat passed? The engine, soengine is the subject. (If youincluded the word jet as thesubject, lightning will notstrike you. But technically,jet is an adjective here and ispart of what is known as thecomplete subject.)From the ceiling hung thechandelier.The verb is hung. Now, if youthink ceiling is the subject,slow down. Ask who or whathung. The answer is thechandelier, not the ceiling.Therefore, chandelier is thesubject.

Rule 2. Sentences can have morethan one subject and more than oneverb.Examples: I like cake, and he likes ice

cream. (Two subjects and twoverbs)He and I like cake. (Twosubjects and one verb)She lifts weights and jogsdaily. (One subject and twoverbs)

Rule 3. If a verb follows to, it iscalled an infinitive, and it is not themain verb. You will find the mainverb either before or after theinfinitive.Examples: He is trying to leave.

To leave is an infinitive; themain verb is trying.To leave was his wish.The main verb is was.

NoteOne of the most stubbornsuperstitions in English is that it iswrong to insert a word between theto and the verb in an infinitive. Thisis called a split infinitive (togladly pay, to not go). There is noEnglish scholar alive who will saya split infinitive is technicallywrong. However, split infinitivestend to be clumsy and unnecessary.Experienced writers do not usethem without good reason.

Rule 4. Any request or command,

such as Stop! or Walk quickly, hasthe understood subject you, becauseif we ask who is to stop or walkquickly, the answer must be “you.”Example: (You) Please bring me some

coffee.Bring is the verb. Who will dothe bringing? The subject youis understood.

Subject-VerbAgreementBeing able to find the right subject andverb will help you correct errors ofsubject-verb agreement.

Basic rule. A singular subject (she,Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is,goes, shines), whereas a pluralsubject takes a plural verb.Example: The list of items is/are on the

desk.If you know that list is thesubject, then you will chooseis for the verb.

Rule 1. A subject will come before

a phrase beginning with of. This is akey rule for understanding subjects.The word of is the culprit in many,perhaps most, subject-verbmistakes.Hasty writers, speakers, readers,and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the followingsentence:Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses

lend color and fragrance tothe room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roseslends. . . (bouquet lends, notroses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjectsconnected by or, either/or, or

neither/nor require a singular verb.Examples: My aunt or my uncle is

arriving by train today.Neither Juan nor Carmen isavailable.Either Kiana or Casey ishelping today with stagedecorations.

Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or,or neither/nor sentence agrees withthe noun or pronoun closest to it.Examples: Neither the plates nor the

serving bowl goes on thatshelf.Neither the serving bowlnor the plates go on thatshelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in theroad. For example, if I is one of two(or more) subjects, it could lead tothis odd sentence:Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I

am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword suchgrammatically correct but awkwardsentences.Better: Neither she, I, nor my friends

are going to the festival.ORShe, my friends, and I are notgoing to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use aplural verb with two or moresubjects when they are connected by

and.Example: A car and a bike are my

means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:Exceptions: Breaking and entering is

against the law.The bed and breakfast wascharming.

In those sentences, breaking andentering and bed and breakfast arecompound nouns.Rule 5. Sometimes the subject isseparated from the verb by suchwords as along with, as well as,besides, not, etc. These words andphrases are not part of the subject.Ignore them and use a singular verb

when the subject is singular.Examples: The politician, along with

the newsmen, is expectedshortly.Excitement, as well asnervousness, is the cause ofher shaking.

Rule 6. With words that indicateportions—percent, a lot, majority,some, all, etc.—Rule 1 given earlieris reversed, and we are guided bythe noun after of. If the noun after ofis singular, use a singular verb. If itis plural, use a plural verb.Examples: Fifty percent of the pie has

disappeared.Fifty percent of the pieshave disappeared.

A third of the city isunemployed.A third of the people areunemployed.All of the pie is gone.All of the pies are gone.Some of the pie is missing.Some of the pies aremissing.

NoteIn recent years, the SAT testingservice has considered none to bestrictly singular. However,according to Merriam-Webster'sDictionary of English Usage:“Clearly none has been bothsingular and plural since Old

English and still is. The notion thatit is singular only is a myth ofunknown origin that appears tohave arisen in the 19th century. Ifin context it seems like a singularto you, use a singular verb; if itseems like a plural, use a pluralverb. Both are acceptable beyondserious criticism.” When none isclearly intended to mean “notone,” it is followed by a singularverb.

Rule 7. In sentences beginning withhere or there, the true subjectfollows the verb.Examples: There are four hurdles to

jump.There is a high hurdle tojump.

Here are the keys.

NoteThe word there's, a contraction ofthere is, leads to bad habits ininformal sentences like There's alot of people here today, becauseit's easier to say “there's” than“there are.” Take care never to usethere's with a plural subject.

Rule 8. Use a singular verb withdistances, periods of time, sums ofmoney, etc., when considered as aunit.Examples: Three miles is too far to

walk.Five years is the maximumsentence for that offense.

Ten dollars is a high price topay.BUTTen dollars (i.e., dollar bills)were scattered on the floor.

Rule 9. Some collective nouns, suchas family, couple, staff, audience,etc., may take either a singular or aplural verb, depending on their usein the sentence.Examples: The staff is in a meeting.

Staff is acting as a unit.The couple disagree aboutdisciplining their child.The couple refers to twopeople who are acting asindividuals.

NoteAnyone who uses a plural verb witha collective noun must take care tobe accurate—and also consistent.It must not be done carelessly. Thefollowing is the sort of flawedsentence one sees and hears a lotthese days:

The staff is decidinghow they want to vote.Careful speakers andwriters would avoidassigning the singular isand the plural they tostaff in the samesentence.

Consistent: The staff are decidinghow they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences isrecommended whenever possible.The preceding sentence would readeven better as:The staff members are decidinghow they want to vote.

Rule 10. The word were replaceswas in sentences that express a wishor are contrary to fact:Example: If Joe were here, you'd be

sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was,not were, given that Joe is singular?But Joe isn't actually here, so we saywere, not was. The sentencedemonstrates the subjunctive mood,which is used to express things that

are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary,or factually contradictory. Thesubjunctive mood pairs singularsubjects with what we usually thinkof as plural verbs.Examples: I wish it were Friday.

She requested that he raisehis hand.

In the first example, a wishfulstatement, not a fact, is being expressed;therefore, were, which we usually thinkof as a plural verb, is used with thesingular subject I.

Normally, he raise would soundterrible to us. However, in the secondexample, where a request is beingexpressed, the subjunctive mood is

correct.Note: The subjunctive mood is losing

ground in spoken English but should stillbe used in formal speech and writing.

Clauses andPhrasesDefinitions

A clause is a group of wordscontaining a subject and verb. Anindependent clause is a simplesentence. It can stand on its own.

Examples: She is hungry.I am feeling well today.

A dependent clause cannot standon its own. It needs an independentclause to complete a sentence.Dependent clauses often begin withsuch words as although, since, if,

when, and because.Examples: Although she is hungry. . .

Whoever is hungry. . .Because I am feeling well. . .

Dependent IndependentAlthough she ishungry,

she will give him some ofher food.

Whatever theydecide,

I will agree to.

A phrase is a group of wordswithout a subject-verb component,used as a single part of speech.

Examples: Best friend (noun phrase)Needing help (adjective phrase;see the “Adjectives and Adverbs”section later in this chapter)

With the blue shirt (prepositionaladjective phrase; see the“Prepositions” section later in thischapter)For twenty days (prepositionaladverb phrase)

PronounsDefinition

A pronoun (I, me, he, she, herself,you, it, that, they, each, few, many,who, whoever, whose, someone,everybody, etc.) is a word that takesthe place of a noun. In the sentenceJoe saw Jill, and he waved at her,the pronouns he and her take theplace of Joe and Jill, respectively.There are three types of pronouns:subject (for example, he); object(him); or possessive (his).

Rule 1. Subject pronouns are usedwhen the pronoun is the subject ofthe sentence. You can remember

subject pronouns easily by filling inthe blank subject space for a simplesentence.Example: ___ did the job.

I, he, she, we, they, who, whoever,etc., all qualify and are, therefore,subject pronouns.Rule 2. Subject pronouns are alsoused if they rename the subject. Theywill follow to be verbs, such as is,are, was, were, am, will be, hadbeen, etc.Examples: It is he.

This is she speaking.It is we who are responsiblefor the decision to downsize.

NoteIn informal English, most peopletend to follow to be verbs withobject pronouns like me, her,them. Many English scholarstolerate this distinction betweenformal and casual English.

Example: It could have beenthem.

Technicallycorrect:

It could have beenthey.

Example: It is just me at thedoor.

Technicallycorrect:

It is just I at thedoor.

Rule 3. This rule surprises evenlanguage watchers: when who refers

to a personal pronoun (I, you, he,she, we, they), it takes the verb thatagrees with that pronoun.Correct: It is I who am sorry. (I am)Incorrect: It is I who is sorry.Correct: It is you who are mistaken.

(you are)Incorrect: It is you who's mistaken.

Rule 4. Object pronouns are usedeverywhere else beyond Rules 1 and2 (direct object, indirect object,object of a preposition). Objectpronouns include me, him, herself,us, them, themselves, etc.Examples: Jean saw him.

Him is the direct object.

Give her the book.Her is the indirect object.The direct object is book.Are you talking to me?Me is the object of thepreposition to.

Rule 5. The pronouns who, that, andwhich become singular or pluraldepending on the subject. If thesubject is singular, use a singularverb. If it is plural, use a pluralverb.Example: He is the only one of those

men who is always on time.The word who refers to one.Therefore, use the singularverb is.

Sometimes we must look moreclosely to find a verb's true subject:Example: He is one of those men who

are always on time.The word who refers to men.Therefore, use the plural verbare.

In sentences like this last example,many would mistakenly insist thatone is the subject, requiring isalways on time. But look at it thisway: Of those men who are alwayson time, he is one.Rule 6. Pronouns that are singular(I, he, she, everyone, everybody,anyone, anybody, no one, nobody,someone, somebody, each, either,

neither, etc.) require singular verbs.This rule is frequently overlookedwhen using the pronouns each,either, and neither, followed by of.Those three pronouns always takesingular verbs. Do not be misled bywhat follows of.Examples: Each of the girls sings well.

Either of us is capable ofdoing the job.Neither of them is availableto speak right now.

Exception: When each follows anoun or pronoun in certainsentences, even experienced writerssometimes get tripped up:Incorrect: The women each gave her

approval.Correct: The women each gave their

approval.Incorrect: The words are and there each

ends with a silent vowel.Correct: The words are and there each

end with a silent vowel.

These examples do not contradictRule 6, because each is not thesubject, but rather an adjunctdescribing the true subject.Rule 7. To decide whether to use thesubject or object pronoun after thewords than or as, mentally completethe sentence.Examples: Tranh is as smart as

she/her.

If we mentally complete thesentence, we would sayTranh is as smart as she is.Therefore, she is the correctanswer.Zoe is taller than I/me.Mentally completing thesentence, we have Zoe istaller than I am.Daniel would rather talk toher than I/me.We can interpret thissentence in two ways: Danielwould rather talk to herthan to me. OR Danielwould rather talk to herthan I would. A sentence'smeaning can changeconsiderably, depending onthe pronoun you choose.

Rule 8. The possessive pronounsyours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs,and whose never need apostrophes.Avoid mistakes like her's andyour's.Rule 9. The only time it's has anapostrophe is when it is acontraction for it is or it has. Theonly time who's has an apostrophe iswhen it means who is or who has.There is no apostrophe in oneself.Avoid “one's self,” a common error.Examples: It's been a cold morning.

The thermometer reached itshighest reading.He's the one who's alwayson time.

He's the one whose wife isalways on time.Keeping oneself ready isimportant.

Rule 10. Pronouns that end in -selfor -selves are called reflexivepronouns. There are nine reflexivepronouns: myself, yourself, himself,herself, itself, oneself, ourselves,yourselves, and themselves.Reflexive pronouns are used whenboth the subject and the object of averb are the same person or thing.Example: Joe helped himself.

If the object of a preposition refersto a previous noun or pronoun, use areflexive pronoun:

Example: Joe bought it for himself.

Reflexive pronouns help avoidconfusion and nonsense. Withoutthem, we might be stuck withsentences like Joe helped Joe.Correct: I worked myself to the bone.

The object myself is the sameperson as the subject I,performing the act ofworking.

Incorrect: My brother and myself did it.Correct: My brother and I did it.

Don't use myself unless thepronoun I or me precedes it inthe sentence.

Incorrect: Please give it to John ormyself.

Correct: Please give it to John or me.Correct: You saw me being myself.

Myself refers back to me inthe act of being.

A sentence like Help yourself lookslike an exception to the rule until werealize it's shorthand for You mayhelp yourself.In certain cases, a reflexive pronounmay come first.Example: Doubting himself, the man

proceeded cautiously.

Reflexive pronouns are also usedfor emphasis.Example: He himself finished the whole

job.

Rule 11a. Avoid they and their withsingular pronouns.Incorrect: Someone brought their

lunch.Correct: Someone brought her lunch.

ORSomeone brought his lunch.

If the gender is undetermined, youcould say Someone brought his orher lunch (more on this option inRule 11b).Rule 11b. Singular pronouns muststay singular throughout thesentence.Incorrect: Someone has to do it—and

they have to do it well.

The problem is that someone issingular, but they is plural. If wechange they to he or she, we get arather clumsy sentence, even if it istechnically correct.Technicallycorrect:

Someone has to do it—andhe or she has to do it well.

Replacing an ungrammaticalsentence with a poorly writtencorrection is a bad bargain. Thebetter option is to rewrite.Rewritten: Someone has to do it—and

has to do it well.

Many writers abhor the he or shesolution. Following are moreexamples of why rewriting is abetter idea than using he or she or

him or her to make sentencesgrammatical.Incorrect: No one realizes when their

time is up.Correctbutawkward:

No one realizes when his orher time is up.

Rewritten: None realize when their timeis up.

Incorrect: If you see anyone on thetrail, tell them to be careful.

Correctbutawkward:

If you see anyone on thetrail, tell him or her to becareful.

Rewritten: Tell anyone you see on thetrail to be careful.

Rule 12. When a pronoun is linkedwith a noun by and, mentally

remove the and + noun phrase toavoid trouble.Incorrect: Her and her friend came

over.If we remove and her friend,we're left with theungrammatical Her cameover.

Correct: She and her friend cameover.

Incorrect: I invited he and his wife.If we remove and his wife,we're left with theungrammatical I invited he.

Correct: I invited him and his wife.Incorrect: Bill asked my sister and I.

If we remove my sister and,we're left with the

ungrammatical Bill asked I.Correct: Bill asked my sister and me.

NoteDo not combine a subject pronounand an object pronoun in phraseslike her and I or he and me.Whenever and or or links anobject pronoun (her, me) and asubject pronoun (he, I), one ofthose pronouns will always bewrong.

Incorrect: Her and I went home.Correct: She and I went home.

(She went and I went.)

Who vs. WhomRule. Use this he/him method todecide whether who or whom iscorrect:

he = whohim = whom

Examples: Who/Whom wrote the letter?He wrote the letter.Therefore, who is correct.Who/Whom should I votefor?Should I vote for him?Therefore, whom is correct.We all know who/whompulled that prank.This sentence contains two

clauses: we all know andwho/whom pulled thatprank. We are interested inthe second clause because itcontains the who/whom. Hepulled that prank. Therefore,who is correct.We wondered who/whom thebook was about.This sentence contains twoclauses: we wondered andwho/whom the book wasabout. Again, we areinterested in the secondclause because it contains thewho/whom. The book wasabout him. Therefore, whomis correct.

Note: This rule is compromised by an

odd infatuation people have with whom—and not for good reasons. At its worst,the use of whom becomes a form of one-upmanship some employ to appearsophisticated. The following is anexample of the pseudo-sophisticatedwhom.Incorrect: a woman whom I think is a genius

In this case whom is not the objectof I think. Put I think at the end andwitness the folly: a woman whomis a genius, I think.

Correct: a woman who I think is a genius

Learn to spot and avoid this too-common pitfall.

Whoever vs.WhomeverTo determine whether to use whoever orwhomever, the he/him rule in theprevious section applies:

he = whoeverhim = whomever

Rule 1. The presence of whoever orwhomever indicates a dependentclause. Use whoever or whomeverto agree with the verb in thatdependent clause, regardless of therest of the sentence.Examples: Give it to

whoever/whomever asks for

it first.He asks for it first.Therefore, whoever iscorrect.We will hirewhoever/whomever yourecommend.You recommend him.Therefore, whomever iscorrect.We will hirewhoever/whomever is mostqualified.He is most qualified.Therefore, whoever iscorrect.

Rule 2. When the entirewhoever/whomever clause is the

subject of the verb that follows theclause, analyze the clause todetermine whether to use whoeveror whomever.Examples: Whoever is elected will

serve a four-year term.Whoever is the subject of iselected. The clause whoeveris elected is the subject ofwill serve.Whomever you elect willserve a four-year term.Whomever is the object ofelect. Whomever you elect isthe subject of will serve.

A word to the wise: Whomever iseven more of a vogue word thanwhom. Many use it indiscriminately

to sound cultured, figuring that noone will know any better.

Who, That, WhichRule 1. Who and sometimes thatrefer to people. That and whichrefer to groups or things.Examples: Anya is the one who rescued

the bird.“The Man That Got Away” isa great song with agrammatical title.Lokua is on the team thatwon first place.She belongs to a greatorganization, whichspecializes in savingendangered species.

Rule 2a. That introduces what is

called an essential clause. Essentialclauses add information that is vitalto the point of the sentence.Example: I do not trust products that

claim “all naturalingredients” because thisphrase can mean almostanything.We would not know the typeof products being discussedwithout the that clause.

Rule 2b. Which introduces anonessential clause, which addssupplementary information.Example: The product claiming “all

natural ingredients,” whichappeared in the Sundaynewspaper, is on sale.

The product is alreadyidentified. Therefore, whichbegins a nonessential clausecontaining additional, but notessential, information.

NoteEssential clauses do not havecommas introducing orsurrounding them, whereasnonessential clauses areintroduced or surrounded bycommas.

Rule 3. If that has already appearedin a sentence, writers sometimes usewhich to introduce the next clause,whether it is essential ornonessential. This is done to avoid

awkward formations.Example: That which doesn't kill you

makes you stronger.This sentence is far preferableto the ungainly but technicallycorrect That that doesn't killyou makes you stronger.

NoteThe distinction between that andwhich, though a useful guideline,is widely disregarded: Which isroutinely used in place of that,even by great writers andjournalists, perhaps because itsounds more elegant.

Adjectives andAdverbsDefinitions

An adjective is a word or set ofwords that modifies (i.e.,describes) a noun or pronoun.Adjectives may come before theword they modify.

Examples: That is a cute puppy.She likes a high school senior.

Adjectives may also follow the wordthey modify:Examples: That puppy looks cute.

The technology is state-of-the-

art.

An adverb is a word or set ofwords that modifies verbs,adjectives, or other adverbs.

Examples: He speaks slowly (modifies theverb speaks)He is especially clever (modifiesthe adjective clever)He speaks all too slowly(modifies the adverb slowly)

An adverb answers how, when, where,or to what extent—how often or howmuch (e.g., daily, completely).Examples: He speaks slowly (answers the

question how)He speaks very slowly (answersthe question how slowly)

Rule 1. Many adverbs end in -ly, butmany do not. Generally, if a wordcan have -ly added to its adjectiveform, place it there to form anadverb.Examples: She thinks quick/quickly.

How does she think? Quickly.She is a quick/quicklythinker.Quick is an adjectivedescribing thinker, so no -lyis attached.She thinks fast/fastly.Fast answers the questionhow, so it is an adverb. Butfast never has -ly attached toit.We performed bad/badly.

Badly describes how weperformed, so -ly is added.

Rule 2. Adverbs that answer thequestion how sometimes causegrammatical problems. It can be achallenge to determine if -ly shouldbe attached. Avoid the trap of -lywith linking verbs, such as taste,smell, look, feel, etc., that pertain tothe senses. Adverbs are oftenmisplaced in such sentences, whichrequire adjectives instead.Examples: Roses smell sweet/sweetly.

Do the roses actively smellwith noses? No; in this case,smell is a linking verb—which requires an adjective to

modify roses—so no -ly.The woman lookedangry/angrily to us.Did the woman look with hereyes, or are we describingher appearance? We aredescribing her appearance(she appeared angry), so no -ly.The woman lookedangry/angrily at the paintsplotches.Here the woman activelylooked (used her eyes), sothe -ly is added.She feels bad/badly aboutthe news.She is not feeling withfingers, so no -ly.

Rule 3. The word good is anadjective, whose adverb equivalentis well.Examples: You did a good job.

Good describes the job.You did the job well.Well answers how.You smell good today.Good describes yourfragrance, not how you smellwith your nose, so using theadjective is correct.You smell well for someonewith a cold.You are actively smellingwith your nose here, so usethe adverb.

Rule 4. The word well can be anadjective, too. When referring tohealth, we often use well rather thangood.Examples: You do not look well today.

I don't feel well, either.

Rule 5. Adjectives come in threeforms, also called degrees. Anadjective in its normal or usual formis called a positive degreeadjective. There are also thecomparative and superlativedegrees, which are used forcomparison, as in the followingexamples:Positive Comparative Superlative

sweet sweeter sweetestbad worse worstefficient more efficient most efficient

A common error in using adjectivesand adverbs arises from using thewrong form of comparison. Tocompare two things, always use acomparative adjective:Example: She is the cleverer of the two

women (never cleverest)

The word cleverest is what is calledthe superlative form of clever. Useit only when comparing three ormore things:Example: She is the cleverest of them

all.

Incorrect: Chocolate or vanilla: whichdo you like best?

Correct: Chocolate or vanilla: whichdo you like better?

Rule 6. There are also threedegrees of adverbs. In formalusage, do not drop the -ly from anadverb when using the comparativeform.Incorrect: She spoke quicker than he

did.Correct: She spoke more quickly than

he did.Incorrect: Talk quieter.Correct: Talk more quietly.

Rule 7. When this, that, these, andthose are followed by a noun, they

are adjectives. When they appearwithout a noun following them, theyare pronouns.Examples: This house is for sale.

This is an adjective.This is for sale.This is a pronoun.

PrepositionsDefinition

A preposition is a word thatindicates location (in, near, beside)or some other relationship (about,after, besides) between a noun orpronoun and other parts of thesentence. A preposition isn't apreposition unless it goes with arelated noun or pronoun, called theobject of the preposition.

Examples: Let's meet before noon.Before is a preposition; noon isits object.We've never met before.There is no object; before is an

adverb modifying met.

Rule 1. A preposition generally, butnot always, goes before its noun orpronoun. One of the undying mythsof English grammar is that you maynot end a sentence with apreposition. But look at the firstexample that follows. No one shouldfeel compelled to say, or even write,That is something with which Icannot agree. Just do not use extraprepositions when the meaning isclear without them.Correct: That is something I cannot

agree with.Correct: Where did you get this?Incorrect: Where did you get this at?

Correct: How many of you can Idepend on?

Correct: Where did he go?Incorrect: Where did he go to?

Rule 2a. The preposition like means“similar to” or “similarly to.” Itshould be followed by an object ofthe preposition (noun, pronoun, nounphrase), not by a subject and verb.Rule of thumb: Avoid like when averb is involved.Correct: You look like your mother.

That is, you look similar toher. (Mother is the object ofthe preposition like.)

Incorrect: You look like your motherdoes.

(Avoid like with noun + verb.)

Rule 2b. Instead of like, use as, asif, as though, or the way whenfollowing a comparison with asubject and verb.Correct: You look the way your

mother does.Incorrect: Do like I ask. (No one would

say Do similarly to I ask.)Correct: Do as I ask.Incorrect: You look like you're angry.Correct: You look as if you're angry.

(OR as though)

Some speakers and writers, to avoidembarrassment, use as when theymean like. The following incorrectsentence came from a grammar

guide:Incorrect: They are considered as any

other English words.Correct: They are considered as any

other English words wouldbe.

Correct: They are considered to belike any other English words.

Remember: like means “similar to”or “similarly to”; as means “in thesame manner that.” Rule of thumb:Do not use as unless there is a verbinvolved.Incorrect: I, as most people, try to use

good grammar.Correct: I, like most people, try to use

good grammar.

Correct: I, as most people do, try touse good grammar.

NoteThe rule distinguishing like fromas, as if, as though, and the way isincreasingly ignored, but Englishpurists still insist upon it.

Rule 3. The preposition of shouldnever be used in place of the helpingverb have.Correct: I should have done it.Incorrect: I should of done it.

Rule 4. Follow different with thepreposition from. Things differ fromother things; avoid different than.

Incorrect: You're different than I am.Correct: You're different from me.

Rule 5. Use into rather than in toexpress motion toward something.Use in to tell the location.Correct: I swam in the pool.Correct: I walked into the house.Correct: I looked into the matter.Incorrect: I dived in the water.Correct: I dived into the water.Incorrect: Throw it in the trash.Correct: Throw it into the trash.

Effective WritingRule 1. Use concrete rather thanvague language.Vague: The weather was of an

extreme nature on the WestCoast.This sentence raisesfrustrating questions: Whendid this extreme weatheroccur? What does “of anextreme nature” mean? Whereon the West Coast did this takeplace?

Concrete: California had unusuallycold weather last week.

Rule 2. Use active voice wheneverpossible. Active voice means the

subject is performing the verb.Passive voice means the subjectreceives the action.Active: Barry hit the ball.Passive: The ball was hit.

Notice that the party responsible forthe action—in the previous example,whoever hit the ball—may not evenappear when using passive voice.So passive voice is a useful optionwhen the responsible party is notknown.Example: My watch was stolen.

NoteThe passive voice has often beencriticized as something employedby people in power to avoidresponsibility:

Example: Mistakes were made.Translation: I made mistakes.

Rule 3. Avoid overusing there is,there are, it is, it was, etc.Example: There is a case of meningitis

that was reported in thenewspaper.

Revision: A case of meningitis wasreported in the newspaper.

Evenbetter:

The newspaper reported acase of meningitis. (Active

voice)

Example: It is important to signalbefore making a left turn.

Revision: Signaling before making aleft turn is important.ORSignaling before a left turn isimportant.ORYou should signal beforemaking a left turn.

Example: There are some revisions thatmust be made.

Revision: Some revisions must bemade. (Passive voice)

Evenbetter:

Please make some revisions.(Active voice)

Rule 4. To avoid confusion (andpompousness), don't use twonegatives to make a positive withoutgood reason.Unnecessary: He is not unwilling to

help.Better: He is willing to help.

Sometimes a not un- constructionmay be desirable, perhaps evennecessary:Example: The book is uneven but not

uninteresting.

However, the novelist-essayistGeorge Orwell warned of its abusewith this deliberately silly sentence:“A not unblack dog was chasing anot unsmall rabbit across a not

ungreen field.”Rule 5. Use consistent grammaticalform when offering several ideas.This is called parallel construction.Correct: I admire people who are

honest, reliable, and sincere.Note that are applies to andmakes sense with each of thethree adjectives at the end.

Incorrect: I admire people who arehonest, reliable, and havesincerity.In this version, are does notmake sense with havesincerity, and have sinceritydoesn't belong with the twoadjectives honest andreliable.

Correct: You should check yourspelling, grammar, andpunctuation.Note that check your appliesto and makes sense with eachof the three nouns at the end.

Incorrect: You should check yourspelling, grammar, andpunctuate properly.Here, check your does notmake sense with punctuateproperly, and punctuateproperly doesn't belong withthe two nouns spelling andgrammar. The result is ajarringly inept sentence.

Rule 6. Word order can make orruin a sentence. If you start asentence with an incomplete phrase

or clause, such as While crossingthe street or Forgotten by history, itmust be followed closely by theperson or thing it describes.Furthermore, that person or thing isalways the main subject of thesentence. Breaking this rule resultsin the dreaded, all-too-commondangling modifier, or dangler.Dangler: Forgotten by history, his

autograph was worthless.The problem: his autographshouldn't come right afterhistory, because he wasforgotten, not his autograph.

Correct: He was forgotten by history,and his autograph wasworthless.

Dangler: Born in Chicago, my firstbook was about the 1871 fire.The problem: the sentencewants to say I was born inChicago, but to a carefulreader, it says that my firstbook was born there.

Correct: I was born in Chicago, and myfirst book was about the 1871fire.

Adding -ing to a verb (as incrossing in the example thatfollows) results in a versatile wordcalled a participle, which can be anoun, adjective, or adverb. Rule 6applies to all sentences with aparticiple in the beginning.Participles require placing the actor

immediately after the opening phraseor clause.Dangler: While crossing the street, the

bus hit her. (Wrong: the buswas not crossing.)

Correct: While crossing the street, shewas hit by a bus.ORShe was hit by a bus whilecrossing the street.

Rule 7. Place descriptive words andphrases as close as is practical tothe words they modify.Ill-advised:

I have a cake that Molliebaked in my lunch bag.

Cake is too far from lunch bag,making the sentence ambiguousand silly.

Better: In my lunch bag is a cake thatMollie baked.

Rule 8. A sentence fragment isusually an oversight, or a bad idea.It occurs when you have only aphrase or dependent clause but aremissing an independent clause.Sentencefragment:

After the show ended.

Fullsentence:

After the show ended, wehad coffee.

Chapter 2

Punctuation

PeriodsRule 1. Use a period at the end of acomplete sentence that is astatement.Example: I know him well.

Rule 2. If the last item in thesentence is an abbreviation that endsin a period, do not follow it with

another period.Incorrect: This is Alice Smith, M.D..Correct: This is Alice Smith, M.D.Correct: Please shop, cook, etc. We

will do the laundry.

Rule 3. Question marks andexclamation points replace andeliminate periods at the end of asentence.

CommasCommas and periods are the mostfrequently used punctuation marks.Commas customarily indicate a briefpause; they're not as final as periods.

Rule 1. Use commas to separatewords and word groups in a simpleseries of three or more items.Example: My estate goes to my

husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew.

Note: When the last comma in a seriescomes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it isknown as the Oxford comma. Mostnewspapers and magazines drop the

Oxford comma in a simple series,apparently feeling it's unnecessary.However, omission of the Oxfordcomma can sometimes lead tomisunderstandings.Example: We had coffee, cheese and

crackers and grapes.

Adding a comma after crackers makesit clear that cheese and crackersrepresents one dish. In cases like this,clarity demands the Oxford comma.We had coffee, cheese and crackers, andgrapes.

Fiction and nonfiction books generallyprefer the Oxford comma. Writers mustdecide Oxford or no Oxford and notswitch back and forth, except when

omitting the Oxford comma could causeconfusion as in the cheese and crackersexample.

Rule 2. Use a comma to separatetwo adjectives when the adjectivesare interchangeable.Example: He is a strong, healthy man.

We could also say healthy,strong man.

Example: We stayed at an expensivesummer resort.We would not say summerexpensive resort, so nocomma.

Rule 3a. Many inexperiencedwriters run two independent clausestogether by using a comma instead of

a period. This results in the dreadedrun-on sentence or, moretechnically, a comma splice.Incorrect: He walked all the way home,

he shut the door.

There are several simple remedies:Correct: He walked all the way home.

He shut the door.Correct: After he walked all the way

home, he shut the door.Correct: He walked all the way home,

and he shut the door.

Rule 3b. In sentences where twoindependent clauses are joined byconnectors such as and, or, but, etc.,put a comma at the end of the firstclause.

Incorrect: He walked all the way homeand he shut the door.

Correct: He walked all the way home,and he shut the door.

Some writers omit the comma if theclauses are both quite short:Example: I paint and he writes.

Rule 3c. If the subject does notappear in front of the second verb, acomma is generally unnecessary.Example: He thought quickly but still

did not answer correctly.

Rule 4a. Use a comma after certainwords that introduce a sentence,such as well, yes, why, hello, hey,etc.

Examples: Why, I can't believe this!No, you can't have a dollar.

Rule 4b. Use commas to set offexpressions that interrupt thesentence flow (nevertheless, afterall, by the way, on the other hand,however, etc.).Example: I am, by the way, very

nervous about this.

Rule 5. Use commas to set off thename, nickname, term ofendearment, or title of a persondirectly addressed.Examples: Will you, Aisha, do that

assignment for me?Yes, old friend, I will.

Good day, Captain.

Rule 6. Use a comma to separate theday of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.Example: It was in the Sun's June 5,

2003, edition.

No comma is necessary for just themonth and year.Example: It was in a June 2003 article.

Rule 7. Use a comma to separate acity from its state, and remember toput one after the state, also.Example: I'm from the Akron, Ohio,

area.

Rule 8. Traditionally, if a person's

name is followed by Sr. or Jr., acomma follows the last name:Martin Luther King, Jr. Thiscomma is no longer consideredmandatory. However, if a commadoes precede Sr. or Jr., anothercomma must follow the entire namewhen it appears midsentence.Correct: Al Mooney Sr. is here.Correct: Al Mooney, Sr., is here.Incorrect: Al Mooney, Sr. is here.

Rule 9. Similarly, use commas toenclose degrees or titles used withnames.Example: Al Mooney, M.D., is here.

Rule 10. When starting a sentence

with a dependent clause, use acomma after it.Example: If you are not sure about this,

let me know now.

But often a comma is unnecessarywhen the sentence starts with anindependent clause followed by adependent clause.Example: Let me know now if you are

not sure about this.

Rule 11. Use commas to set offnonessential words, clauses, andphrases (see the “Who, That,Which” section in Chapter One,Rule 2b).Incorrect: Jill who is my sister shut the

door.

Correct: Jill, who is my sister, shut thedoor.

Incorrect: The man knowing it was latehurried home.

Correct: The man, knowing it waslate, hurried home.

In the preceding examples, note thecomma after sister and late.Nonessential words, clauses, andphrases that occur midsentence mustbe enclosed by commas. The closingcomma is called an appositivecomma. Many writers forget to addthis important comma. Followingare two instances of the need for anappositive comma with one or morenouns.

Incorrect: My best friend, Joe arrived.Correct: My best friend, Joe, arrived.Incorrect: The three items, a book, a

pen, and paper were on thetable.

Correct: The three items, a book, apen, and paper, were on thetable.

Rule 12. If something or someone issufficiently identified, thedescription that follows isconsidered nonessential and shouldbe surrounded by commas.Examples: Freddy, who has a limp, was

in an auto accident.If we already know whichFreddy is meant, thedescription is not essential.

The boy who has a limp wasin an auto accident.We do not know which boy ismeant without furtherdescription; therefore, nocommas are used.

This leads to a persistent problem.Look at the following sentence:Example: My brother Bill is here.

Now, see how adding two commaschanges that sentence's meaning:Example: My brother, Bill, is here.

Careful writers and readersunderstand that the first sentencemeans I have more than one brother.The commas in the second sentencemean that Bill is my only brother.

Why? In the first sentence, Bill isessential information: it identifieswhich of my two (or more) brothersI'm speaking of. This is why nocommas enclose Bill.In the second sentence, Bill isnonessential information—whomelse but Bill could I mean?—hencethe commas.Comma misuse is nothing to takelightly. It can lead to a train wrecklike this:Example: Mark Twain's book, Tom

Sawyer, is a delight.

Because of the commas, thatsentence states that Twain wroteonly one book. In fact, he wrote

more than two dozen of them.Rule 13a. Use commas to introduceor interrupt direct quotations.Examples: He said, “I don't care.”

“Why,” I asked, “don't youcare?”

This rule is optional with one-wordquotations.Example: He said “Stop.”

Rule 13b. If the quotation comesbefore he said, she wrote, theyreported, Dana insisted, or asimilar attribution, end the quotedmaterial with a comma, even if it isonly one word.Examples: “I don't care,” he said.

“Stop,” he said.

Rule 14. Use a comma to separate astatement from a question.Example: I can go, can't I?

Rule 15. Use a comma to separatecontrasting parts of a sentence.Example: That is my money, not yours.

Rule 16a. Use a comma before andafter certain introductory words orterms, such as namely, that is, i.e.,e.g., and for instance, when they arefollowed by a series of items.Example: You may be required to bring

many items, e.g., sleepingbags, pans, and warmclothing.

Rule 16b. Commas should precedethe term etc. and enclose it if it isplaced midsentence.Example: Sleeping bags, pans, warm

clothing, etc., are in the tent.

NoteThe abbreviation i.e. means “thatis”; e.g. means “for example.”

SemicolonsIt's no accident that a semicolon is aperiod atop a comma. Like commas,semicolons indicate an audible pause—slightly longer than a comma's, but shortof a period's full stop.

Semicolons have other functions, too.But first, a caveat: avoid the commonmistake of using a semicolon to replacea colon (see the “Colons” section).Incorrect: I have one goal; to find her.Correct: I have one goal: to find her.

Rule 1. A semicolon can replace aperiod if the writer wishes tonarrow the gap between two closely

linked sentences.Examples: Call me tomorrow; you can

give me an answer then.We have paid our dues; weexpect all the privilegeslisted in the contract.

Rule 2. Use a semicolon before suchwords and terms as namely,however, therefore, that is, i.e., forexample, e.g., for instance, etc.,when they introduce a completesentence. It is also preferable to usea comma after these words andterms.Example: Bring any two items;

however, sleeping bags andtents are in short supply.

Rule 3. Use a semicolon to separateunits of a series when one or moreof the units contain commas.Incorrect: The conference has people

who have come from Moscow,Idaho, Springfield,California, Alamo,Tennessee, and other placesas well.Note that with only commas,that sentence is hopeless.

Correct: The conference has peoplewho have come from Moscow,Idaho; Springfield, California;Alamo, Tennessee; and otherplaces as well.

Rule 4. A semicolon may be usedbetween independent clauses joined

by a connector, such as and, but, or,nor, etc., when one or more commasappear in the first clause.Example: When I finish here, and I will

soon, I'll be glad to help you;and that is a promise I willkeep.

ColonsA colon means “that is to say” or “here'swhat I mean.” Colons and semicolonsshould never be used interchangeably.

Rule 1. Use a colon to introduce aseries of items. Do not capitalize thefirst item after the colon (unless it'sa proper noun).Examples: You may be required to

bring many things: sleepingbags, pans, utensils, andwarm clothing.I want the following items:butter, sugar, and flour.I need an assistant who cando the following: input data,write reports, and complete

tax forms.

Rule 2. Avoid using a colon beforea list when it directly follows a verbor preposition.Incorrect: I want: butter, sugar, and

flour.Correct: I want the following: butter,

sugar, and flour.ORI want butter, sugar, andflour.

Incorrect: I've seen the greats,including: Barrymore,Guinness, and Streep.

Correct: I've seen the greats,including Barrymore,Guinness, and Streep.

Rule 3. When listing items one byone, one per line, following a colon,capitalization and endingpunctuation are optional when usingsingle words or phrases precededby letters, numbers, or bullet points.If each point is a complete sentence,capitalize the first word and end thesentence with appropriate endingpunctuation. Otherwise, there are nohard and fast rules, except beconsistent.Examples: I want an assistant who can do

the following:a. input datab. write reportsc. complete tax forms

The following are requested:

Wool sweaters for possible coldweather.Wet suits for snorkeling.Introductions to the localdignitaries.

These are the pool rules:

1. Do not run.2. If you see unsafe behavior, reportit to the lifeguard.3. Did you remember your towel?4. Have fun!

Rule 4. A colon instead of asemicolon may be used betweenindependent clauses when thesecond sentence explains,

illustrates, paraphrases, or expandson the first sentence.Example: He got what he worked for:

he really earned thatpromotion.

If a complete sentence follows acolon, as in the previous example, itis up to the writer to decide whetherto capitalize the first word. Althoughgenerally advisable, capitalizing asentence after a colon is often ajudgment call.Note: A capital letter generally doesnot introduce a simple phrasefollowing a colon.Example: He got what he worked for: a

promotion.

Rule 5. A colon may be used tointroduce a long quotation. Somestyle manuals say to indent one-halfinch on both the left and rightmargins; others say to indent only onthe left margin. Quotation marks arenot used.Example: The author of Touched, Jane

Straus, wrote in the firstchapter:Georgia went back to her bedand stared at the intricatepatterns of burned mothwings in the translucentglass of the overhead light.Her father was in “hypermode” again where nothingcould calm him down.

Rule 6. Use a colon rather than acomma to follow the salutation in abusiness letter, even whenaddressing someone by his or herfirst name. (Never use a semicolonafter a salutation.) A comma is usedafter the salutation in more informalcorrespondence.Formal: Dear Ms. Rodriguez:Informal: Dear Dave,

Quotation MarksThe rules set forth in this section arecustomary in the United States. GreatBritain and other countries in theCommonwealth of Nations are governedby quite different conventions. Nowhereis this more apparent than in Rule 3a inthis section, a rule that has the advantageof being far simpler than Britain's andthe disadvantage of being far lesslogical.

Rule 1. Use double quotation marksto set off a direct (word-for-word)quotation.Correct: “When will you be here?” he

asked.

Incorrect: He asked “when I would bethere.”

Rule 2. Either quotation marks oritalics are customary for titles:magazines, books, plays, films,songs, poems, article titles, chaptertitles, etc.Rule 3a. Periods and commasalways go inside quotation marks.Examples: The sign said, “Walk.” Then

it said, “Don't Walk,” then,“Walk,” all within thirtyseconds.He yelled, “Hurry up.”

Rule 3b. Use single quotation marksfor quotations within quotations.Example: He said, “Dan cried, ‘Do not

treat me that way.’ ”

Note that the period goes inside boththe single and double quotationmarks.Rule 4. As a courtesy, make surethere is visible space at the start orend of a quotation between adjacentsingle and double quotation marks.(Your word processing program maydo this automatically.)Notamplespace:

He said, “Dan cried, ‘Do nottreat me that way.’”

Amplespace:

He said, “Dan cried, ‘Do nottreat me that way.’ ”

Rule 5a. Quotation marks are oftenused with technical terms, terms

used in an unusual way, or otherexpressions that vary from standardusage.Examples: It's an oil-extraction method

known as “fracking.”He did some“experimenting” in hiscollege days.I had a visit from my“friend” the tax man.

Rule 5b. Never use single quotationmarks in sentences like the previousthree.Incorrect: I had a visit from my‘friend’ the tax man.The single quotation marks in theabove sentence are intended to send

a message to the reader that friend isbeing used in a special way: in thiscase, sarcastically. Avoid thisinvalid usage. Single quotationmarks are valid only within aquotation, as per Rule 3b, above.Rule 6. When quoted material runsmore than one paragraph, start eachnew paragraph with openingquotation marks, but do not useclosing quotation marks until the endof the passage.Example: She wrote: “I don't paint

anymore. For a while Ithought it was just a phasethat I'd get over.“Now, I don't even try.”

Parentheses andBracketsParentheses and brackets must neverbe used interchangeably.

ParenthesesRule 1. Use parentheses to encloseinformation that clarifies or is usedas an aside.Example: He finally answered (after

taking five minutes to think)that he did not understandthe question.

If material in parentheses ends asentence, the period goes after theparentheses.Example: He gave me a nice bonus

($500).

Commas could have been used in thefirst example; a colon could havebeen used in the second example.

The use of parentheses indicates thatthe writer considered theinformation less important—almostan afterthought.Rule 2. Periods go insideparentheses only if an entiresentence is inside the parentheses.Example: Please read the analysis.

(You'll be amazed.)

This is a rule with a lot of wiggleroom. An entire sentence inparentheses is often acceptablewithout an enclosed period:Example: Please read the analysis

(you'll be amazed).

Rule 3. Parentheses, despite

appearances, are not part of thesubject.Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was

always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewritingthe sentence:Example: Joe (accompanied by his

trusty mutt) was alwayswelcome.

Rule 4. Commas are more likely tofollow parentheses than precedethem.Incorrect: When he got home, (it was

already dark outside) hefixed dinner.

Correct: When he got home (it wasalready dark outside), he

fixed dinner.

BracketsBrackets are far less common thanparentheses, and they are only used inspecial cases. Brackets (like singlequotation marks) are used exclusivelywithin quoted material.

Rule 1. Brackets are interruptions.When we see them, we know they'vebeen added by someone else. Theyare used to explain or comment onthe quotation.Examples: “Four score and seven

[today we'd say eighty-seven] years ago…”“Bill shook hands with [hisson] Al.”

Rule 2. When quoting something thathas a spelling or grammar mistakeor presents material in a confusingway, insert the term sic in italics andenclose it in nonitalic (unless thesurrounding text is italic) brackets.Sic (“thus” in Latin) is shorthand for,“This is exactly what the originalmaterial says.”Example: She wrote, “I would rather

die then [sic] be seenwearing the same outfit asmy sister.”The [sic] indicates that thenwas mistakenly used instead ofthan.

Rule 3. In formal writing, brackets

are often used to maintain theintegrity of both a quotation and thesentences others use it in.Example: “[T]he better angels of our

nature” gave a powerfulending to Lincoln's firstinaugural address.Lincoln's memorable phrasecame midsentence, so theword the was not originallycapitalized.

ApostrophesRule 1a. Use the apostrophe toshow possession. To showpossession with a singular noun, addan apostrophe plus the letter s.Examples: a woman's hat

the boss's wifeMrs. Chang's house

Rule 1b. Many common nouns endin the letter s (lens, cactus, bus,etc.). So do a lot of proper nouns(Mr. Jones, Texas, Christmas).There are conflicting policies andtheories about how to showpossession when writing such nouns.

There is no right answer; the bestadvice is to choose a formula andstay consistent.Rule 1c. Some writers and editorsadd only an apostrophe to all nounsending in s. And some add anapostrophe + s to every proper noun,be it Hastings's or Jones's.One method, common in newspapersand magazines, is to add anapostrophe + s ('s) to common nounsending in s, but only a stand-aloneapostrophe to proper nouns endingin s.Examples: the class's hours

Mr. Jones' golf clubsthe canvas's size

Texas' weather

Care must be taken to place theapostrophe outside the word inquestion. For instance, if talkingabout a pen belonging to Mr.Hastings, many people wouldwrongly write Mr. Hasting's pen(his name is not Mr. Hasting).Correct: Mr. Hastings' pen

Another widely used technique is towrite the word as we would speakit. For example, since most peoplesaying, “Mr. Hastings' pen” wouldnot pronounce an added s, we wouldwrite Mr. Hastings' pen with noadded s. But most people wouldpronounce an added s in “Jones's,”

so we'd write it as we say it: Mr.Jones's golf clubs. This methodexplains the punctuation of forgoodness' sake.Rule 2a. Regular nouns are nounsthat form their plurals by addingeither the letter s or -es (guy, guys;letter, letters; actress, actresses;etc.). To show plural possession,simply put an apostrophe after the s.Correct: guys' night out (guy + s +

apostrophe)Incorrect: guy's night out (implies only

one guy)Correct: two actresses' roles (actress

+ es + apostrophe)Incorrect: two actress's roles

Rule 2b. Do not use an apostrophe +s to make a regular noun plural.Incorrect: Apostrophe's are confusing.Correct: Apostrophes are confusing.Incorrect: We've had many happy

Christmas's.Correct: We've had many happy

Christmases.

In special cases, such as whenforming a plural of a word that is notnormally a noun, some writers addan apostrophe for clarity.Example: Here are some do's and

don'ts.

In that sentence, the verb do is usedas a plural noun, and the apostrophe

was added because the writer feltthat dos was confusing. Not allwriters agree; some see no problemwith dos and don'ts.Rule 2c. English also has manyirregular nouns (child, nucleus,tooth, etc.). These nouns becomeplural by changing their spelling,sometimes becoming quite differentwords. You may find it helpful towrite out the entire irregular pluralnoun before adding an apostrophe oran apostrophe + s.Incorrect: two childrens' hats

The plural is children, notchildrens.

Correct: two children's hats (children

+ apostrophe + s)Incorrect: the teeths' rootsCorrect: the teeth's roots

Rule 2d. Things can get reallyconfusing with the possessiveplurals of proper names ending in s,such as Hastings and Jones.If you're the guest of the Ford family—the Fords—you're the Fords'guest (Ford + s + apostrophe). Butwhat if it's the Hastings family?Most would call them the“Hastings.” But that would refer to afamily named “Hasting.” Ifsomeone's name ends in s, we mustadd -es for the plural. The plural ofHastings is Hastingses. The

members of the Jones family are theJoneses.To show possession, add anapostrophe.Incorrect: the Hastings' dogCorrect: the Hastingses' dog

(Hastings + es + apostrophe)Incorrect: the Jones' carCorrect: the Joneses' car

In serious writing, this rule must befollowed no matter how strange orawkward the results.Rule 2e. Never use an apostrophe tomake a name plural.Incorrect: The Wilson's are here.Correct: The Wilsons are here.

Incorrect: We visited the Sanchez's.Correct: We visited the Sanchezes.

Rule 3. With a singular compoundnoun (for example, mother-in-law),show possession with an apostrophe+ s at the end of the word.Example: my mother-in-law's hat

If the compound noun (e.g., brother-in-law) is to be made plural, formthe plural first (brothers-in-law),and then use the apostrophe + s.Example: my two brothers-in-law's hats

Rule 4. If two people possess thesame item, put the apostrophe + safter the second name only.Example: Cesar and Maribel's home is

constructed of redwood.

However, if one of the joint ownersis written as a pronoun, use thepossessive form for both.Incorrect: Maribel and my homeCorrect: Maribel's and my homeIncorrect: he and Maribel's homeIncorrect: him and Maribel's homeCorrect: his and Maribel's home

In cases of separate rather than jointpossession, use the possessive formfor both.Examples: Cesar's and Maribel's

homes are both lovely.They don't own the homesjointly.

Cesar and Maribel's homesare both lovely.The homes belong to both ofthem.

Rule 5. Use an apostrophe withcontractions. The apostrophe isplaced where a letter or letters havebeen removed.Examples: doesn't, wouldn't, it's, can't,

you've, etc.Incorrect: does'nt

Rule 6. There are variousapproaches to plurals for initials,capital letters, and numbers used asnouns.Examples: She consulted with three

M.D.s.

She consulted with threeM.D.'s.Some write M.D.'s to give thes separation from the secondperiod.

Many writers and editors prefer anapostrophe after single capitalletters only:Examples: I made straight A's.

He learned his ABCs.

There are different schools ofthought about years and decades.The following examples are all inwidespread use:Examples:

the 1990sthe 1990's

the '90sthe 90's

Awkward: the '90's

Rule 7. Amounts of time or moneyare sometimes used as possessiveadjectives that require apostrophes.Incorrect: three days leaveCorrect: three days' leaveIncorrect: my two cents worthCorrect: my two cents' worth

Rule 8. The personal pronouns hers,ours, yours, theirs, its, whose, andoneself never take an apostrophe.Example: Feed a horse grain. It's better

for its health.

Rule 9. When an apostrophe comesbefore a word or number, take carethat it's truly an apostrophe (') ratherthan a single quotation mark (‘).Incorrect: ‘Twas the night before

Christmas.Correct: ’Twas the night before

Christmas.Incorrect: I voted in ‘08.Correct: I voted in ’08.

NoteSerious writers avoid the word ’tilas an alternative to until. Thecorrect word is till, which is manycenturies older than until.

Rule 10. Beware of false

possessives, which often occur withnouns ending in s. Don't addapostrophes to noun-derivedadjectives ending in s. Closeanalysis is the best guide.Incorrect: We enjoyed the New Orleans'

cuisine.

In the preceding sentence, the wordthe makes no sense unless NewOrleans is being used as anadjective to describe cuisine. InEnglish, nouns frequently becomeadjectives. Adjectives rarely if evertake apostrophes.Incorrect: I like that Beatles' song.Correct: I like that Beatles song.

Again, Beatles is an adjective,modifying song.Incorrect: He's a United States' citizen.Correct: He's a United States citizen.

Rule 11. Beware of nouns ending iny; do not show possession bychanging the y to -ies.Correct: the company's policyIncorrect: the companies policyCorrect: three companies' policies

HyphensThere are two commandments about thismisunderstood punctuation mark. First,hyphens must never be usedinterchangeably with dashes (see the“Dashes” section), which are noticeablylonger. Second, there should never bespaces around hyphens.Incorrect: 300—325 peopleIncorrect: 300 - 325 peopleCorrect: 300-325 people

Hyphens' main purpose is to gluewords together. They notify the readerthat two or more elements in a sentenceare linked. Although there are rules and

customs governing hyphens, there arealso situations when writers must decidewhether to add them for clarity.

Hyphens BetweenWords

Rule 1. Generally, hyphenate two ormore words when they come beforea noun they modify and act as asingle idea. This is called acompound adjective.Examples: an off-campus apartment

state-of-the-art design

When a compound adjective followsa noun, a hyphen may or may not benecessary.Example: The apartment is off campus.

However, some established

compound adjectives are alwayshyphenated. Double-check with adictionary or online.Example: The design is state-of-the-

art.

Rule 2a. A hyphen is frequentlyrequired when forming originalcompound verbs for vivid writing,humor, or special situations.Examples: The slacker video-gamed his

way through life.Queen Victoria throne-satfor six decades.

Rule 2b. When writing out new,original, or unusual compoundnouns, writers should hyphenatewhenever doing so avoids

confusion.Examples: I changed my diet and

became a no-meater.No-meater is too confusingwithout the hyphen.The slacker was a videogamer.Video gamer is clear withouta hyphen, although somewriters might prefer tohyphenate it.

Writers using familiar compoundverbs and nouns should consult adictionary or look online to decideif these verbs and nouns should behyphenated.Rule 3. An often overlooked rule for

hyphens: The adverb very andadverbs ending in -ly are nothyphenated.Incorrect: the very-elegant watchIncorrect: the finely-tuned watch

This rule applies only to adverbs.The following two sentences arecorrect because the -ly words areadjectives rather than adverbs:Correct: the friendly-looking dogCorrect: a family-owned cafe

Rule 4. Hyphens are often used totell the ages of people and things. Ahandy rule, whether writing aboutyears, months, or any other period oftime, is to use hyphens unless the

period of time (years, months,weeks, days) is written in pluralform:Withhyphens:

We have a two-year-oldchild.

We have a two-year-old.Nohyphens:

The child is two years old.(Because years is plural.)

Exception: The child is one year old.(Or day, week, month, etc.)

Note that when hyphens areinvolved in expressing ages, twohyphens are required. Many writersforget the second hyphen:Incorrect: We have a two-year old

child.Without the second hyphen,

the sentence is about an “oldchild.”

Rule 5. Never hesitate to add ahyphen if it solves a possibleproblem. Following are twoexamples of well-advised hyphens:Confusing: I have a few more important

things to do.Withhyphen:

I have a few more-importantthings to do.

Without the hyphen, it'simpossible to tell whetherthe sentence is about a fewthings that are moreimportant or a few morethings that are all equallyimportant.

Confusing: He returned the stolen

vehicle report.Withhyphen:

He returned the stolen-vehicle report.With no hyphen, we couldonly guess: Was the vehiclereport stolen, or was it areport on stolen vehicles?

Rule 6. When using numbers,hyphenate spans or estimates oftime, distance, or other quantities.Remember not to use spaces aroundhyphens.Examples: 3:15-3:45 p.m.

1999-2016300-325 people

Rule 7. Hyphenate all compoundnumbers from twenty-one through

ninety-nine.Examples: thirty-two children

one thousand two hundredtwenty-one dollars

Rule 8. Hyphenate all spelled-outfractions.Example: more than two-thirds of

registered voters

Rule 9. Hyphenate most double lastnames.Example: Sir Winthrop Heinz-Eakins

will attend.

Rule 10. As important as hyphensare to clear writing, they canbecome an annoyance if overused.Avoid adding hyphens when the

meaning is clear. Many phrases areso familiar (e.g., high school,twentieth century, one hundredpercent) that they can go before anoun without risk of confusing thereader.Examples: a high school senior

a twentieth centurythrowbackone hundred percent correct

Rule 11. When in doubt, look it up.Some familiar phrases may requirehyphens. For instance, is a book upto date or up-to-date? Don't guess;have a dictionary close by, or look itup online.

Hyphens withPrefixes andSuffixesA prefix (a-, un-, de-, ab-, sub-, post-,anti-, etc.) is a letter or set of lettersplaced before a root word. The wordprefix itself contains the prefix pre-.Prefixes expand or change a word'smeaning, sometimes radically: theprefixes a-, un-, and dis-, for example,change words into their opposites (e.g.,political, apolitical; friendly,unfriendly; honor, dishonor).

Rule 1. Hyphenate prefixes whenthey come before proper nouns or

proper adjectives.Examples: trans-American

mid-July

Rule 2. For clarity, many writershyphenate prefixes ending in avowel when the root word beginswith the same letter.Examples: ultra-ambitious

semi-invalidre-elect

Rule 3. Hyphenate all wordsbeginning with the prefixes self-, ex-(i.e., former), and all-.Examples: self-assured

ex-mayorall-knowing

Rule 4. Use a hyphen with the prefixre- when omitting the hyphen wouldcause confusion with another word.Examples: Will she recover from her

illness?I have re-covered the sofatwice.Omitting the hyphen wouldcause confusion withrecover.I must re-press the shirt.Omitting the hyphen wouldcause confusion with repress.The stamps have beenreissued.A hyphen after re- is notneeded because there is noconfusion with another word.

Rule 5. Writers often hyphenateprefixes when they feel a wordmight be distracting or confusingwithout the hyphen.Examples: de-ice

With no hyphen we get deice,which might stump readers.co-workerWith no hyphen we getcoworker, which could bedistracting because it startswith cow.

A suffix (-y, -er, -ism, -able, etc.) is aletter or set of letters that follows a rootword. Suffixes form new words or alterthe original word to perform a differenttask. For example, the noun scandal can

be made into the adjective scandalousby adding the suffix -ous. It becomes theverb scandalize by adding the suffix -ize.

Rule 1. Suffixes are not usuallyhyphenated. Some exceptions: -style, -elect, -free, -based.Examples: Modernist-style paintings

Mayor-elect Smithsugar-free sodaoil-based sludge

Rule 2. For clarity, writers oftenhyphenate when the last letter in theroot word is the same as the firstletter in the suffix.Examples: graffiti-ism

wiretap-proof

Rule 3. Use discretion—andsometimes a dictionary—beforedeciding to place a hyphen before asuffix. But do not hesitate tohyphenate a rare usage if it avoidsconfusion.Examples: the annual dance-athon

an eel-esque sea creature

Although the preceding hyphens helpclarify unusual terms, they are optionaland might not be every writer's choice.Still, many readers would scratch theirheads for a moment over danceathonand eelesque.

DashesDashes, like commas, semicolons,colons, ellipses, and parentheses,indicate added emphasis, aninterruption, or an abrupt change ofthought. Experienced writers know thatthese marks are not interchangeable.Note how dashes subtly change the toneof the following sentences:Examples: You are the friend, the only

friend, who offered to help me.You are the friend—the onlyfriend—who offered to help me.I pay the bills; she has all thefun.I pay the bills—she has all thefun.

I wish you would…oh, nevermind.I wish you would—oh, nevermind.

Rule 1. Words and phrases betweendashes are not generally part of thesubject.Example: Joe—and his trusty mutt

—was always welcome.

Rule 2. Dashes replace otherwisemandatory punctuation, such as thecommas after Iowa and 2013 in thefollowing examples:Withoutdash:

The man from Ames, Iowa,arrived.

Withdash:

The man—he was from Ames,Iowa—arrived.

Withoutdash:

The May 1, 2013, edition of theAmes Sentinel arrived in June.

Withdash:

The Ames Sentinel—dated May1, 2013—arrived in June.

Rule 3. Some writers and publishersprefer spaces around dashes.Example: Joe — and his trusty mutt —

was always welcome.

EllipsesDefinition

An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is apunctuation mark consisting of threedots.

Use an ellipsis when omitting a word,phrase, line, paragraph, or more from aquoted passage. Ellipses save space orremove material that is less relevant.They are useful in getting right to thepoint without delay or distraction:Fullquotation:

“Today, after hours of carefulthought, we vetoed the bill.”

Withellipsis:

“Today…we vetoed the bill.”

Although ellipses are used in manyways, the three-dot method is thesimplest. Newspapers, magazines, andbooks of fiction and nonfiction usevarious approaches that they findsuitable.

Some writers and editors feel that nospaces are necessary.Example: I don't know…I'm not sure.

Others enclose the ellipsis with aspace on each side.Example: I don't know…I'm not sure.

Still others put a space either directlybefore or directly after the ellipsis.Examples: I don't know…I'm not sure.

I don't know…I'm not sure.

A four-dot method and an even morerigorous method used in legal worksrequire fuller explanations that can befound in other reference books.

Rule 1. Many writers use an ellipsiswhether the omission occurs at thebeginning of a sentence, in themiddle of a sentence, or betweensentences.A common way to delete thebeginning of a sentence is to followthe opening quotation mark with anellipsis, plus a bracketed capitalletter:Example: “…[A]fter hours of careful

thought, we vetoed the bill.”

Other writers omit the ellipsis in

such cases, feeling the bracketedcapital letter gets the point across.

For more on brackets, see“Parentheses and Brackets,” earlier inthis chapter.

Rule 2. Ellipses can expresshesitation, changes of mood,suspense, or thoughts trailing off.Writers also use ellipses to indicatea pause or wavering in an otherwisestraightforward sentence.Examples: I don't know…I'm not sure.

Pride is one thing, but whathappens if she…?He said, “I…really don't…understand this.”

Question MarksRule 1. Use a question mark onlyafter a direct question.Correct: Will you go with me?Incorrect: I'm asking if you will go with

me?

Rule 2a. A question mark replaces aperiod at the end of a sentence.Incorrect: Will you go with me?.

Rule 2b. Because of Rule 2a,capitalize the word that follows aquestion mark.Some writers choose to overlookthis rule in special cases.Example: Will you go with me? with

Joe? with anyone?

Rule 3a. Avoid the common trap ofusing question marks with indirectquestions, which are statements thatcontain questions. Use a period afteran indirect question.Incorrect: I wonder if he would go with

me?Correct: I wonder if he would go with

me.ORI wonder: Would he go withme?

Rule 3b. Some sentences arestatements—or demands—in theform of a question. They are calledrhetorical questions because they

don't require or expect an answer.Many should be written withoutquestion marks.Examples: Why don't you take a break.

Would you kids knock it off.What wouldn't I do for you!

Rule 4. Use a question mark when asentence is half statement and halfquestion.Example: You do care, don't you?

Rule 5. The placement of questionmarks with quotation marks followslogic. If a question is within thequoted material, a question markshould be placed inside thequotation marks.

Examples: She asked, “Will you still bemy friend?”The question is part of thequotation.Do you agree with thesaying, “All's fair in loveand war”?The question is outside thequotation.

ExclamationPoints

Rule 1. Use an exclamation point toshow emotion, emphasis, orsurprise.Examples: I'm truly shocked by your

behavior!Yay! We won!

Rule 2. An exclamation pointreplaces a period at the end of asentence.Incorrect: I'm truly shocked by your

behavior!.

Rule 3. Do not use an exclamation

point in formal business writing.Rule 4. Overuse of exclamationpoints is a sign of undisciplinedwriting. Do not use even one ofthese marks unless you're convincedit is justified.

Chapter 3

Capitalization

Capitalization is the writing of a wordwith its first letter in uppercase and theremaining letters in lowercase.Experienced writers are stingy withcapitals. It is best not to use them if thereis any doubt.

Rule 1. Capitalize the first word ofa document and the first word after aperiod.

Rule 2. Capitalize proper nouns—and adjectives derived from propernouns.Examples: the Golden Gate Bridge

the Grand Canyona Russian songa Shakespearean sonneta Freudian slip

With the passage of time, somewords originally derived fromproper nouns have taken on a life,and authority, of their own and nolonger require capitalization.Examples: herculean (from the ancient-

Greek hero Hercules)quixotic (from the hero ofthe classic novel Don

Quixote)draconian (from ancient-Athenian lawgiver Draco)

The main function of capitals is tofocus attention on particularelements within any group ofpeople, places, or things. We canspeak of a lake in the middle of thecountry, or we can be more specificand say Lake Michigan, whichdistinguishes it from every otherlake on earth.

Capitalization Reference ListBrand namesCompaniesDays of the week and months of theyear

Governmental mattersCongress (but congressional),the U.S. Constitution (butconstitutional), the ElectoralCollege, Department ofAgriculture. Note: Manyauthorities do not capitalizefederal or state unless it is partof the official title: State WaterResources Control Board, butstate water board; FederalCommunications Commission,but federal regulations.

Historical episodes and erasthe Inquisition, the AmericanRevolutionary War, the GreatDepression

HolidaysInstitutions

Oxford College, the JuilliardSchool of Music

Manmade structuresthe Empire State Building, theEiffel Tower, the Titanic

Manmade territoriesBerlin, Montana, Cook County

Natural and manmade landmarksMount Everest, the Hoover Dam

Nicknames and epithetsAndrew “Old Hickory” Jackson;Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat

OrganizationsAmerican Center for Law andJustice, Norwegian Ministry of

the EnvironmentPlanets

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, butpolicies vary on capitalizingearth, and it is usually notcapitalized unless it is beingdiscussed specifically as aplanet: We learned that Earthtravels through space at 66,700miles per hour.

Races, nationalities, and tribesEskimo, Navajo, East Indian,Caucasian, African American(Note: white and black inreference to race are lowercase)

Religions and names of deities

Note: Capitalize the Bible (butbiblical). Do not capitalizeheaven, hell, the devil, satanic.

Special occasionsthe Olympic Games, the CannesFilm Festival

Streets and roadsLowercase Reference ListHere is a list of categories notcapitalized unless an item contains aproper noun or proper adjective (or,sometimes, a trademark). In such cases,only the proper noun or adjective iscapitalized.

Animalsantelope, black bear, Bengaltiger, yellow-bellied sapsucker,

German shepherdElements

Always lowercase, even whenthe name is derived from aproper noun: einsteinium,nobelium, californium

FoodsLowercase except for brandnames, proper nouns andadjectives, or custom-namedrecipes: Tabasco sauce, Russiandressing, pepper crusted bluefintuna, Mandy's Bluefin Surprise

Heavenly bodies besides planetsNever capitalize the moon or thesun.

Medical conditions

Epstein-Barr syndrome,tuberculosis, Parkinson'sdisease

MineralsPlants, vegetables, and fruits

poinsettia, Douglas fir,Jerusalem artichoke, organiccelery, Golden Delicious apples

Seasons and seasonal dataspring, summertime, the wintersolstice, the autumnal equinox,daylight saving time

Rule 3. A thorny aspect ofcapitalization: where does it stop?When does the Iraq war become theIraq War? Why is the legendaryHope Diamond not the Hope

diamond? Everyone writes NewYork City, so why does theAssociated Press Stylebookrecommend New York state? Therearen't always easy formulas orlogical explanations. Research withreference books and search enginesis the best strategy.In the case of brand names,companies are of little help, becausethey capitalize any word that appliesto their merchandise. Domino'sPizza or Domino's pizza? Is it IvorySoap or Ivory soap, a Hilton Hotelor a Hilton hotel? Most writersdon't capitalize common nouns thatsimply describe the products (pizza,

soap, hotel), but it's not always easyto determine where a brand nameends. There is Time magazine butalso the New York Times Magazine.No one would argue with Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola, but a casecould be made for Royal Crowncola.If a trademark starts with alowercase word or letter (e.g.,eBay, iPhone), many authoritiesadvise capitalizing it to begin asentence.Example: EBay opened strong in

trading today.

Rule 4. Capitalize titles when theyare used before names, unless the

title is followed by a comma. Do notcapitalize the title if it is used after aname or instead of a name.Examples: The president will address

Congress.Chairman of the BoardWilliam Bly will preside atthe conference.The chairman of the board,William Bly, will preside.The senators from Iowa andOhio are expected to attend.Also expected to attend areSenators Buzz James andEddie Twain.The governors, lieutenantgovernors, and attorneysgeneral called for a specialtask force.

Governor Fortinbrass,Lieutenant GovernorPoppins, and AttorneyGeneral Dalloway willattend.

NoteOut of respect, some writers andpublishers choose to capitalize thehighest ranks in government,royalty, religion, etc.

Examples: The President arrived.The Queen spoke.The Pope decreed.

Many American writers believethis to be a wrongheaded policy ina country where, theoretically, allhumans are perceived as equal.

Rule 5. Titles are not the same asoccupations. Do not capitalizeoccupations before full names.Examples: director Steven Spielberg

owner Helen Smithcoach Biff Sykes

Sometimes the line between title andoccupation gets blurred. Oneexample is general manager: is it atitle or an occupation? Opinionsdiffer. Same with professor: theAssociated Press Stylebookconsiders professor a jobdescription rather than a title, andrecommends using lowercase evenbefore the full name: professorRobert Ames.

Rule 6a. Capitalize a formal titlewhen it is used as a direct address.Example: Will you take my

temperature, Doctor?

Rule 6b. Capitalize relatives' familynames (kinship names) when theyimmediately precede a personalname, or when they are used alonein place of a personal name.Examples: I found out that Mom is

here.You look good, Grandpa.Andy and Opie loved AuntBee's apple pies.

However, these monikers are notcapitalized with possessive nouns orpronouns, when they follow the

personal name, or when they are notreferencing a specific person.Examples: My mom is here.

Joe's grandpa looks well.The James brothers werenotorious robbers.There's not one mother Iknow who would allow that.

Rule 6c. Capitalize nicknames in allcases.Examples: Meet my brothers, Junior

and Scooter.I just met two guys namedJunior and Scooter.

Rule 7. Capitalize specificgeographical regions. Do notcapitalize points of the compass.

Examples: We had three relatives visitfrom the West.Go west three blocks andthen turn left.We left Florida and drovenorth.We live in the Southeast.We live in the southeastsection of town.Most of the West Coast israiny this time of year.(referring to the UnitedStates)The west coast of Scotland israiny this time of year.

Some areas have come to becapitalized for their fame ornotoriety:

Examples: I'm from New York's UpperWest Side.I'm from the South Side ofChicago.You live in NorthernCalifornia; he lives inSouthern California.

Rule 8. In general, do not capitalizethe word the before proper nouns.Examples: I'm reading the London

Times.They're fans of the GratefulDead.

In special cases, if the word the isan inseparable part of something'sofficial title, it may be capitalized.Example: We visited The Hague.

Rule 9. Do not capitalize city, town,county, etc., if it comes before theproper name.Examples: the city of New York

New York Citythe county of MarinMarin County

Rule 10. Always capitalize the firstword in a complete quotation, evenmidsentence.Example: Bill said, “That job we started

last April is done.”

Rule 11. For emphasis, writerssometimes capitalize a midsentenceindependent clause or question.Examples: One of her cardinal rules

was, Never betray a friend.It made me wonder, What ismankind's destiny?

Rule 12. Capitalize the names ofspecific course titles, but not generalacademic subjects.Examples: I must take history and

Algebra 101.He has a double major inEuropean economics andphilosophy.

Rule 13. Capitalize art movements.Example: I like Surrealism, but I never

understood AbstractExpressionism.

Rule 14. Do not capitalize the firstitem in a list that follows a colon.

Example: Bring the following: paper, apencil, and a snack.

For more on capitalization after acolon, go to “Colons,” Rules 1, 3,and 4, in Chapter Two.Rule 15. Do not capitalize “thenational anthem.”Rule 16a. Composition titles: whichwords should be capitalized in titlesof books, plays, films, songs, poems,essays, chapters, etc.? This is avexing matter, and policies vary.The usual advice is to capitalizeonly the “important” words. But thisisn't really very helpful. Aren't allwords in a title important?The following rules for capitalizing

composition titles are universal.Capitalize the title's first andlast word.Capitalize verbs, including allforms of the verb to be (is, are,was, etc.).Capitalize all pronouns,including it, he, who, that, etc.Capitalize not.Do not capitalize a, an, or theunless it is first or last in thetitle.Do not capitalize the word and,or, or nor unless it is first orlast in the title.Do not capitalize the word to,with or without an infinitive,

unless it is first or last in thetitle.

Otherwise, styles, methods, andopinions vary. Small words such asor, as, if, and but are capped bysome, but lowercased by others.The major bone of contention isprepositions. The Associated PressStylebook recommends capitalizingall prepositions of more than threeletters (e.g., With, About, Across).Others advise lowercase until apreposition reaches five or moreletters. Still others say not tocapitalize any preposition, even bigwords like regarding orunderneath.

Hyphenated words in a title alsopresent problems. There are no setrules. Some writers, editors, andpublishers choose not to capitalizewords following hyphens unlessthey are proper nouns or properadjectives (Ex-Marine but Ex-husband). Others capitalize anyword that would otherwise becapped in titles (Prize-Winning,Up-to-Date).Rule. 16b. Many books havesubtitles. When including these, puta colon after the work's title andfollow the same rules ofcomposition capitalization for thesubtitle.

Example: The King's English: A Guideto Modern Usage

Note that A is capitalized because itis the first word of the subtitle.Suppose you are reviewing a bookwhose title on the cover is in capitalletters: THE STUFF OFTHOUGHT. Beneath, in smallercapital letters, is the subtitle,LANGUAGE AS A WINDOW INTOHUMAN NATURE. All sides wouldagree that the main title should bewritten, The Stuff of Thought. Butdepending on which capitalizationpolicy you choose, the subtitle mightbe any of the following:

Language As a Window Into

Human NatureLanguage as a Window IntoHuman NatureLanguage As a Window intoHuman NatureLanguage as a Window intoHuman Nature

Capitalizing composition titles isfraught with gray areas. Pick apolicy and be consistent.

Chapter 4

Writing Numbers

Except for a few basic rules, spellingout numbers vs. using figures (alsocalled numerals) is largely a matter ofwriters' preference. Again, consistencyis the key.

Policies and philosophies vary frommedium to medium. The two mostinfluential guidebooks for publishers,editors, and writers, the Associated

Press Stylebook and the ChicagoManual of Style, have differentapproaches. The first recommendsspelling out the numbers one throughnine and using figures thereafter;Chicago recommends spelling out thenumbers one through ninety-nine andusing figures thereafter.

This is a complex topic, with manyexceptions, and there is no consistencywe can rely on among blogs, books,newspapers, and magazines. Thischapter will confine itself to rules thatall media seem to agree on.

Rule 1. Spell out all numbersbeginning a sentence.Examples: Twenty-three hundred sixty-

one victims werehospitalized.Nineteen fifty-six was quitea year.

Note: The Associated PressStylebook makes an exception foryears.Example: 1956 was quite a year.

Rule 2a. Hyphenate all compoundnumbers from twenty-one throughninety-nine.Examples: Forty-three people were

injured in the train wreck.Twenty-seven of them werehospitalized.

Rule 2b. Hyphenate all written-out

fractions.Examples: We recovered about two-

thirds of the stolen cash.One-half is slightly lessthan five-eighths.

Rule 3a. With figures of four ormore digits, use commas. Countthree spaces to the left to place thefirst comma. Continue placingcommas after every three digits.Important: do not include decimalpoints when doing the counting.Examples: 1,054 people

$2,417,592.21

Rule 3b. It is not necessary to use adecimal point or a dollar sign when

writing out sums of less than adollar.Not advised: He had only $0.60.Better: He had only sixty cents.

ORHe had only 60 cents.

Rule 4a. For clarity, use noon andmidnight rather than 12:00 PM and12:00 AM.

NoteAM and PM are also written A.M.and P.M., a.m. and p.m., and am andpm. Some put a space between thetime and AM or PM.

Examples: 8 AM3:09 P.M.

11:20 p.m.

Others write times using no spacebefore AM or PM.

Examples: 8AM3:09P.M.11:20p.m.

For the top of the hour, some write9:00 PM, whereas others drop the:00 and write 9 PM (or 9 p.m.,9pm, etc.).

Rule 4b. Using numerals for the timeof day has become widely accepted.Examples: The flight leaves at 6:22

a.m.Please arrive by 12:30sharp.

However, some writers prefer tospell out the time, particularly whenusing o'clock.Examples: She takes the four thirty-five

train.The baby wakes up at fiveo'clock in the morning.

Rule 5. Mixed fractions are oftenexpressed in figures unless theybegin a sentence.Examples: We expect a 5½ percent

wage increase.Five and one-half percentwas the expected wageincrease.

Rule 6. The simplest way to expresslarge numbers is usually best.

Example: twenty-three hundred(simpler than two thousandthree hundred)

Large round numbers are oftenspelled out, but be consistent withina sentence.Consistent: You can earn from one

million to five milliondollars.

Inconsistent: You can earn from onemillion dollars to 5million dollars.

Inconsistent: You can earn from $1million to five milliondollars.

Rule 7. Write decimals usingfigures. As a courtesy to readers,many writers put a zero in front of

the decimal point.Examples: The plant grew 0.79 inches

last year.The plant grew only 0.07inches this year.

Rule 8. When writing out a numberof three or more digits, the wordand is not necessary. However, usethe word and to express any decimalpoints that may accompany thesenumbers.Examples: one thousand one hundred

fifty-four dollarsone thousand one hundredfifty-four dollars and sixty-one cents

Simpler: eleven hundred fifty-fourdollars and sixty-one cents

Rule 9. The following examples aretypical when using figures toexpress dates.Examples: the 30th of June, 1934

June 30, 1934 (no -thnecessary)

Rule 10. When spelling out decades,do not capitalize them.Example: During the eighties and

nineties, the U.S. economygrew.

Rule 11. When expressing decadesusing figures, it is simpler to put anapostrophe before the incompletenumeral and no apostrophe betweenthe number and the s.

Example: During the '80s and '90s, theU.S. economy grew.

Some writers place an apostropheafter the number:Example: During the 80's and 90's, the

U.S. economy grew.Awkward: During the '80's and '90's,

the U.S. economy grew.

Rule 12. You may also expressdecades in complete numerals.Again, it is cleaner to avoid anapostrophe between the year and thes.Example: During the 1980s and 1990s,

the U.S. economy grew.

Chapter 5

Confusing Wordsand Homonyms

Many words in English sound or lookalike, causing confusion and not a fewheadaches. This chapter lists some ofthese words, and other troublemakers.

AA, ANUse a when the first letter of theword following has the sound of aconsonant. Keep in mind that somevowels can sound like consonants,such as when they're sounded out asindividual letters. Also, someletters, notably h and u, sometimesact as consonants (home, usual),other times as vowels (honest,unusual).Examples: a yearning

a hotela U-turn (pronounced “yoo”)a NASA study

Use an when the first letter of theword following has the sound of avowel.Examples: an unfair charge

an honor (the h is silent)an HMO plan (H ispronounced “aitch”)an NAACP convention (the Nis pronounced “en”)

ABBREVIATION, ACRONYMThis is a fine distinction that someconsider nitpicking. Terms such asFBI, HMO, and NAACP, althoughwidely called acronyms, areactually abbreviations. Thedifference is in how they are spoken.

An abbreviation, also called aninitialism, is pronounced letter byletter. An acronym is pronounced asif it were a word. The abbreviationFBI is pronounced “eff-bee-eye.”The acronym NASA is pronounced“nassa.”ACCEPT, EXCEPTAccept means “to acknowledge” or“to agree to.”Except is usually a preposition usedto specify what isn't included: I likeall fruits except apples.ACRONYMSee abbreviation, acronym.AD, ADDAd: short for “advertisement.”

Add: to include; to perform addition.ADAPT, ADOPTTo adapt is to take something andchange it for a special purpose. Ascreenwriter adapts a book to makeit work as a movie. An organismadapts (itself) to a new environment.To adopt is to take something anduse it or make it your own. Agovernment adopts a differentpolicy. A family adopts an orphan.ADVERSE, AVERSEAdverse: unfavorable: an adversereaction to the medication.Averse: not fond of; seeking toavoid: averse to risk.ADVICE, ADVISE

Advice: guidance.Advise: to suggest; to recommend.AFFECT, EFFECTAffect as a verb means “toinfluence”: It affected me strangely.As a noun, it is a technical term usedin psychology to describe someone'semotional state.Effect as a noun means “result”: Ithad a strange effect on me. As averb, it means “to bring about” or“to cause”: He's trying to effectchange in government.AGGRAVATEThis word is not a synonym forannoy or irritate. To aggravate isto make something worse: He

started running too soon andaggravated his sprained ankle.AHOLDYou can get hold of something, andyou can get a hold of it. But informal writing, “ahold” is not a realword.AID, AIDEAn aid is a thing that helps.An aide is a living helper orassistant: His aide brought first aid.AIL, ALEAil: to be ill.Ale: an alcoholic beverage.AISLE, ISLEAisle: a corridor.

Isle: an island.ALL READY, ALREADYAll ready means that everything oreveryone is now ready.Already refers to somethingaccomplished earlier: We alreadyate.ALL RIGHTTwo words. Someday, alright mayfinally prevail, but it hasn't yet.ALL-TIME RECORDThe team set an all-time record forconsecutive games won. Delete all-time. All records are “all-time”records.Similarly, avoid “new record.” The

team set a record, not a new record.ALL TOGETHER,ALTOGETHERAll together: in a group: We're alltogether in this.Altogether: entirely: It is notaltogether his fault.ALLUDE, ELUDE, REFERAllude means “to mentionindirectly.” Do not confuse alludewith refer. If we say, “Good old Joeis here,” we refer to Joe. If we say,“That man with the ready laugh ishere,” we allude to Joe, but wenever mention his name.Allude is also sometimes confusedwith elude, which means “to

escape” or “avoid capture.”ALLUSION, ILLUSIONAllusion, the noun form of allude, isan indirect, sometimes sly, way oftalking about something or someone.An illusion is a false perception.ALLOWED, ALOUDAllowed: permitted.Aloud: said out loud.ALTAR, ALTERAltar: a pedestal, usually religious.Alter: to modify; to change.AMBIGUOUS, AMBIVALENTSomething is ambiguous if it isunclear or has more than onemeaning.

Ambivalent describes a mixed orundecided state of mind: Herambiguous remark left him feelingambivalent about her.AMIABLE, AMICABLEBoth words mean “friendly,” butamiable generally describes apleasant person; amicable generallydescribes a cordial situation: Theamiable couple had an amicabledivorce.AMID, AMIDSTEither is acceptable, but manywriters prefer the more conciseamid.AMOUNT, NUMBERUse amount for things that cannot be

counted and number for things thatcan be counted: This amount ofwater is enough to fill a number ofbottles.The culprit is amount. Some mightincorrectly say “a large amount ofbottles,” but no one would say “alarge number of water.”a.m., p.m.The abbreviation a.m. refers to thehours from midnight to noon, andp.m. refers to the hours from noon tomidnight. Careful writers avoid suchredundancies as three a.m. in themorning (delete in the morning) oreight p.m. this evening (make iteight o'clock this evening).

To avoid confusion, use midnightinstead of twelve a.m. and nooninstead of twelve p.m.The terms also are frequentlywritten as a.m., p.m.; am, pm; andam, pm.ANSee a, an.AND/OR“Objectionable to many, who regardit as a legalism,” says Roy H.Copperud in A Dictionary of Usageand Style. Either say and or say or.ANECDOTE, ANTIDOTEAn anecdote is a brief, amusing tale.An antidote counteracts or reduces

the effects of something unpleasantor even lethal. There are antidotesfor snakebites, but there is no knownantidote for boring anecdotes.AN HISTORICSome speakers and writers use anwith certain words starting with anaudible h—the word historic headsthe list. But why do those who sayan historic occasion say a hotel, ahospital, a happy home? There isno valid reason to ever say anhistoric, an heroic, an horrific, etc.,and anyone who does so is flirtingwith pomposity.ANXIOUS, EAGERIn casual usage, anxious has become

a synonym for eager, but the wordsare different. Whereas eager means“excited” or “enthusiastic,” anxious,like anxiety, denotes uneasiness.ANY MORE, ANYMOREUse the two-word form to mean“any additional”: I don't need anymore help.Use anymore to mean “any longer”:I don't need help anymore.ANY TIME, ANYTIMETraditionalists do not accept theone-word form, anytime. But it iseverywhere, and there's no turningback.There does seem to be a differencebetween You may call anytime and

Do you have any time? Always usethe two-word form with apreposition: You may call at anytime.APPRAISE, APPRISEA school district official was quotedas saying, “We have been appraisedof all the relevant issues.” Badchoice. The word appraise means“to decide the value of.” Thegentleman clearly meant apprised,which means “informed.”ASCENT, ASSENTAscent: a climb; movement upward.Assent: an agreement (noun); toagree (verb).AS REGARDS

See in regard(s) to, with regard(s)to.ASSUME, PRESUMEAssume: to take for granted withoutevidence.Presume: to believe based onevidence.ASSURE, ENSURE, INSURETo assure is to promise or say withconfidence. It is more about sayingthan doing: I assure you that you'llbe warm enough.To ensure is to do or have what isnecessary for success: Theseblankets ensure that you'll be warmenough.To insure is to cover with an

insurance policy.What you insure you entrust to abusiness. What you ensure resultsfrom your personal efforts.AURAL, ORALSince the two words are pronouncedthe same, be careful not to writeoral (having to do with the mouth) ifyou mean aural (having to do withhearing).AVERSESee adverse, averse.A WHILE, AWHILEThe two-word phrase a while isgetting pushed aside by awhile. Butawhile should only be used to mean“for a while.” It's a distinction

worth preserving: It took a while,but I was convinced after thinkingit over awhile.Always use a while withprepositions: After a while, shearrived.

BBACKWARD, BACKWARDSBoth forms are acceptable, althoughthe Associated Press Stylebookinstructs journalists to always usebackward.BACTERIAStaphylococcus is a virulent formof bacteria. No problem there. Butin a sentence like It's a virulentbacteria, well, now we have aproblem. Bacteria is a plural noun;the singular is bacterium. So don'twrite The bacteria in the cut wasinfecting it, because the bacteriawere infecting it.

BAIL, BALEBoth words do double duty as nounand verb. As a noun, bail commonlyrefers to money deposited to gain aprisoner's freedom, or bail thatprisoner out.A bale is a large, bound or wrappedpackage of unprocessed material. Tobale is to make into a bale.BAITED BREATH, BATEDBREATHDon't write “baited breath.” Theword bated, a variant of abated,means “lessened in intensity,”“restrained.”BALL, BAWLBall: a round object; a gala event.

Bawl: to cry; howl.BARE, BEARBare as an adjective means“unconcealed”: bare arms. As averb it means “expose”: to bareone's feelings.Bear as a noun refers to a wildanimal. As a verb it has manymeanings, from “carry” (bear arms)to “tolerate” (I can't bear it) to“steer” (bear right at the corner).BASICALLYThis word, especially when it startsa sentence, is probably unnecessary.BEACH, BEECHThe beech tree was close to thewindy beach.

BEAT, BEETYou can't beat my recipe for beets.BECAUSE, SINCEBecause and since can be used justabout interchangeably to explain thereason for something. But since canalso refer to a time in the past: Ihave waited since yesterday.BELL, BELLEBell: a chime or alarm.Belle: a lovely woman.BENIGHTEDHe was a benighted soul in anenlightened time. Many peopleassociate it with knighted and thinkbenighted is a good thing to be. Far

from it. Note the lack of a k; don'tthink knight, think night. To bebenighted is to be “in a state ofmoral or intellectual darkness.”BERTH, BIRTHBerth: a built-in bed on a train orboat; a space for a boat to dock.Birth: being born; a beginning.BESIDE, BESIDESBesides as anadverb means “in addition” or“moreover”: It's Albert's birthday,and besides, you promised. Besidesis also a preposition meaning “otherthan” or “except”: Who besides meis hungry?Compare that with The personbeside me is hungry. Beside is a

preposition that means “next to,”“near,” “alongside.”A lot of people say something is“besides the point.” They meanbeside the point. When a statementis beside the point, it misses themark and settles nothing.BETTER, BETTORBetter: of higher quality.Bettor: a gambler.BIANNUAL, BIENNIAL,SEMIANNUALThese words do not all mean thesame thing. Biannual means “twicea year,” as does semiannual,whereas biennial means “occurringevery two years.”

BITE, BYTEDon't confuse what your teeth dowith byte, a computer term for eightbits of information. Adding to theconfusion, sound bite—a briefexcerpt from a longer work—issometimes mistakenly written“sound byte.”BLOC, BLOCKThe more familiar word is block,which can refer to many things: atoy, a cube-shaped object, a citystreet. Not as versatile is bloc: agroup united for a particularpurpose.BOAR, BOOR, BOREBoar: a wild pig.

Boor: a vulgar brute.Bore: a compulsive chatterbox.BOARD, BOREDWhen the board called the roll, hewas too bored to speak up.BOLDER, BOULDERBolder: more daring.Boulder: a large rock.BORN, BORNETo be born is to be given birth to, asbabies are born. Or it can mean “tobe created”: ideas are born themoment we think of them. It alsomeans “to arise from”: Timmy'sstomachache was born of wolfinghis food.

Borne is the past tense of bear, inthe sense of “carry.” To be borne isto be carried: a mosquito-bornedisease; or to be endured: Timmy'sstomachache had to be borne untilit finally went away.BOY, BUOYFew if any would write boy insteadof buoy, a nautical beacon ormarker. Nonetheless, both words aretraditionally pronounced the same.In Bryson's Dictionary ofTroublesome Words, author BillBryson says, “Unless you would say‘boo-ee-ant’ for buoyant, pleasereturn to pronouncing it ‘boy.’ ”BRAKE, BREAK

Use your brake before you breaksomething.BRIDAL, BRIDLEBridal: relating to brides andweddings.A bridle is a head harness, usuallyfor a horse. Not surprisingly, theverb bridle means “to control” or“to restrain.” But it also means “topull back the head quickly in anger.”BRING, TAKEThey're not interchangeable. Youbring something here; you takesomething there. The locations of“here” and “there” are from theperspective of the speaker or writer.Your friend asks you to bring her a

book, so you take the book to herhome.BROACH, BROOCHTo broach a topic is to bring it upfor discussion: Now is the time tobroach the subject. As a verb,broach also means “to open orenlarge a hole.” The noun broachrefers to a pointed tool whichperforms that operation.A brooch, a decorative pin or clip,is nothing like a broach. But sincethey're often pronounced alike, andbecause ignorance never rests, somedictionaries accept broach as analternative spelling of brooch.BUOY

See boy, buoy.BYTESee bite, byte.

CCACHE, CASHAs a noun, cache refers to a hiddensupply of valuables, such as food,jewels, and cash. But it can alsorefer to the hiding place where youkeep those items. The verb cachemeans “to hide treasure in a secretplace”: He cached all his cash in acache.CAN, MAYI can go means I have the ability andfreedom to go.I may go means I have either anoption or permission to go.CANNON, CANON

Cannon: a large, mounted gun.Canon: a body of writings; aprinciple or set of principles.CANNOTOne word; avoid “can not.”CANVAS, CANVASSCanvas is a durable fabric.Canvass as a noun or a verb refersto the door-to-door gathering ofvotes or opinions.CAPITAL, CAPITOLJust remember: the o means it's abuilding. A capitol is a governmentbuilding where a state legislaturemeets, and the Capitol is thebuilding where the U.S. Congress

meets.A capital is a city that serves as theseat of government. We got a tour ofthe capitol when we went to thecapital.CARAT, CARET, KARATMost of the confusion is caused bycarat and karat because both areassociated with jewelry. The purityof gold is measured in karats.Twenty-four-karat gold is 99.9percent pure, but so soft that it isconsidered impractical for mostjewelry.A carat is a weight measurement forgemstones: a two-carat diamond setin an eighteen-karat gold ring.

A caret has nothing to do with any ofthis. It is a mark an editor makes in adocument to show where additionalmaterial should be inserted.CAREEN, CAREERGrammar sticklers are a stubbornlot. They use career the wayeveryone else uses careen. It iscareer, not careen, that means “toveer out of control”: The carcareered wildly across three lanes.Careen means “to lean or tip over,”and strictly speaking, it's moresuitable for describing boats thancars.CAST, CASTECast: a group of actors or

individuals.Caste: a social class; a rigid systemof social distinctions.CEMENT, CONCRETEPeople constantly refer to “cement”sidewalks, driveways, walls, etc.However, cement is a powder that,when mixed with sand or gravel andwater, becomes concrete.CENSOR, CENSUREThey sound similar, and both wordsdeal with negative criticism. Censoras a verb means “to removeunacceptable material.” As a noun,it means “someone who censors.”Censure as a verb means “todisapprove of” or “to criticize

strongly.” As a noun, it means“disapproval,” even “scorn.”CENTER AROUNDThe lecture will center around theeconomy. The center is the middlepoint. Would you say “pointaround”? This common,muddleheaded expression resultsfrom scrambling center on andrevolve around. Because thoseidioms are roughly synonymous, ifyou use them both enough, theymerge in the mind.CEREAL, SERIALCereal: a breakfast food.Serial: a story told in regularinstallments (noun); ongoing, in a

series (adjectives).CHAISE LOUNGEThis example of cultural dyslexiashould be avoided at all costs. Thecorrect term is chaise longue,meaning “long chair” in French.CHILDISH, CHILDLIKEBoth are comparisons with children.The difference is that childish isunflattering; it's equivalent toinfantile and only a smallimprovement on babyish. Someoneis childish when acting unreasonableor bratty.Not so with childlike, a word thatextols youthful virtues, such assweetness, purity, and innocence.

CHILE, CHILIIf life were fair, Chile with an ewould refer only to a country inSouth America, and chili with asecond i would refer to a type ofpepper, and also to a spicy stew.These spellings are recommended,but with the caveat that not everyoneagrees. In New Mexico, the stewthey eat is chile, not chili. Thestylebook of the Los Angeles Timessays the dish is chili, but the pepperis a chile. And there are even somewho spell the pepper or the dishchilli.CHOMPING AT THE BITIt started out as champing at the bit,

which is still preferred by mostdictionaries.CHORAL, CORALChoral: relating to or sung by achoir.Coral: an underwater organism thatmakes up reefs; a shade of orange.CHORALE, CORRALA chorale can be both a piece ofmusic and a singing group.A corral is an enclosure for horsesor other livestock.CHORD, CORDWhen two or more musical tones aresounded simultaneously, the result isa chord.

A cord is a rope or strand of flexiblematerial.CITE, SIGHT, SITECite: to quote; to praise; to mention;to order to appear in court.Sight: the ability to see; a scene orview.Site: a location or position.CLASSIC, CLASSICALClassic, adjective or noun, is a termof high praise: “of the finest quality”or “a prime example of”: a classicplay, a classic pizza.The adjective classical applies totraditions going back to the ancientGreeks and Romans: The housefeatured an array of classical

influences.Classical music is marked byformal, sophisticated, extendedcompositions.CLICHÉIt's a noun, not an adjective. Yetmore and more you see or hearthings like I know it sounds cliché,but…Make it I know it sounds likea cliché.CLICK, CLIQUEA click is a brief percussive noise,but some mistakenly write it whenthey mean clique, a close, exclusivegroup of people.CLIMACTIC, CLIMATIC

Climactic—note that middle c—means “exciting” or “decisive.” It isoften confused with climatic, whichmeans “resulting from or influencedby climate.”CLOSE PROXIMITYThis phrase is a pompous andredundant way of saying “near.”Proximity does not mean “distance”;it means “nearness,” so closeproximity means “close nearness.”COARSE, COURSECoarse means “rough, lacking infineness of texture” or “crude,lacking in sensitivity.”Course is usually a noun and hasseveral meanings, mostly having to

do with movement or progress,whether it be a course taken inschool or the course of a river.COHORTYour friend is a crony, confidant, orcollaborator, but not a cohort. Inancient Rome, a cohort was adivision of three hundred to sixhundred soldiers. So carefulspeakers and writers avoid cohortwhen referring to one person. Yourcohort is not your comrade, ally,teammate, or assistant. It's a wholegroup, gang, team, posse: A cohortof laborers went on strike.COIN A PHRASETo coin a phrase is to make one up.

But many misuse it when citing orquoting familiar expressions: Hisbright idea was, to coin a phrase,dead on arrival. Since dead onarrival is a well-known idiom, thewriter didn't “coin” it; he merelyrepeated it.COINCIDENCESee irony.COLLECTABLE,COLLECTIBLEBoth are acceptable, but collectiblehas a slight edge in popularity,especially as a noun.COLLIDE, CRASHA collision involves two movingobjects. A car does not collide with

a lamppost; it crashes into alamppost.COMPLEMENT, COMPLIMENTAs both noun and verb, complementrefers to an added element thatenhances, rounds out, or puts a finaltouch on something.Compliment, noun and verb, isabout nice words or gestures. Trythis perfect complement to yourorder, with our compliments.COMPLETE, COMPLETELYThese words are often unnecessary.What is the difference between acomplete meltdown and ameltdown? How is completelyexhausted different from exhausted?

COMPRISEPossibly the most abused two-syllable word in English. It means“contain,” “consist of,” “becomposed of.” Most problems couldbe avoided by remembering thismantra: The whole comprises itsparts.Consider this misuse: Vegetablescomprise 80 percent of my diet. Thecorrect sentence is Eighty percentof my diet comprises vegetables.My diet consists of vegetables;vegetables do not consist of my diet.This sentence looks right to mostpeople: Joe, John, and Bobcomprise the committee. But it's the

other way around: The committeecomprises Joe, John, and Bob.Another common misuse is thephrase comprised of, which is nevercorrect. Most people use comprisedof as an elegant-seeming alternativeto composed of. An ad for acleaning service states, “Our team iscomprised of skilled housekeepers.”Make it “Our team comprisesskilled housekeepers,” “Our team iscomposed of skilled housekeepers,”or, perhaps the best choice, “Ourteam consists of skilledhousekeepers.”Since comprise already means“composed of,” anyone using

comprised of is actually saying“composed of of.”CONCERTEDOne person cannot make aconcerted effort. A concert impliesan orchestra. As Paul Brians pointsout in his Common Errors inEnglish Usage, “To work ‘inconcert’ is to work together withothers. One can, however, make aconcentrated effort.”CONCRETESee cement, concrete.CONFIDANT, CONFIDENTConfidant: a trusted adviser.Confident: certain, self-assured.

CONNIVE, CONSPIREOne who connives pretends not toknow while others are collaboratingon something sneaky, wrong, orillegal.To conspire is to work together on asecret scheme.CONNOTE, DENOTEDenote is used for descriptions thatstick to the facts. The word “dog”denotes a domesticated animal.Connote reveals additionalmeanings beyond what is clinical orobjective. It is used whenexpressing what a word implies orreminds us of. The word “dog”connotes loyalty.

CONTINUAL, CONTINUOUSThe difference between continualand continuous is the subtledifference between regular andnonstop. If your car continuallybreaks down, it also runs some ofthe time.A faucet that drips continuouslynever stops dripping, twenty-fourhours a day. If a faucet dripscontinually, there are interludeswhen it's not dripping.CONVINCE, PERSUADETo many, these two are synonyms,but there are shades of difference.Someone might be persuaded, whileat the same time, not convinced: She

persuaded me to do it, but I'm stillnot convinced it was right. Whensomething or someone persuades usto act, it might be by using reason orlogic, but it could also be by usingforce, lies, or guilt.Convince refers to an unforcedchange of mind and heart thatprecedes action. We consider theevidence, and if it is strong enough,it convinces us and changes ourperspective.In formal writing, convince nevertakes an infinitive, but persuadealmost always does. You cannot beconvinced to do something; you canonly be convinced that something,

or be convinced of something.CORALSee choral, coral.CORDSee chord, cord.CORRALSee chorale, corral.COUNCIL, COUNSELCouncil: a group of people meetingfor a purpose.Counsel: advice (noun); an attorney(noun); to give advice or guidance(verb).COUPLE (OF)The of stays. These days, evenveteran communicators are saying

and writing “couple miles fromhere” or “costs a couple bucks.”That used to be the jargon of toughguys in gangster movies.COURSESee coarse, course.CRASHSee collide, crash.CRAVENTo many people, a craven scoundrelis a flagrant or shameless rogue, nota spineless one. But craven means“cowardly,” “weak.”CRITERIACriteria is the plural of criterion, astandard used for judging, deciding,

or acting. The sentence Honesty isour chief criteria is ungrammatical;there can't be only one criteria.Make it Honesty is our chiefcriterion or Honesty is one of ourchief criteria. Your criteria are yourstandards, plural.Those who know that criteria isplural aren't out of the woods yeteither: many believe the singular is“criterium.” And there are somewho will reveal to you their“criterias.”CURRENTLYOften unnecessary. What is thedifference between I'm currentlywriting a book and I'm writing a

book?

DDAILY BASISI run five miles on a daily basis. Inmost cases, the windy and unwieldyon a daily basis can be replacedwith daily or every day.DATAJohn B. Bremner, in Words onWords, states unequivocally, “Theword is plural.” This one is thorny,because the singular, datum, isvirtually nonexistent in English.Many people see data as a synonymfor “information,” and to them,These data are very interestingsounds downright bizarre. Maybe,

but it's also correct. Theodore M.Bernstein, in The Careful Writer,says, “Some respected and learnedwriters have used data as a singular.But a great many more have not.”DEFINITE, DEFINITIVESomething definite is exact, clearlydefined, with no ambiguity. Butdefinite does not necessarily mean“correct”: George has a definitebelief that two and two are five.Something definitive isauthoritative, the best, the last word:This is the definitive biography ofLincoln.DENOTESee connote, denote.

DESERT, DESSERTThe noun desert refers to a desolatearea. As a verb, it means “toabandon.”A dessert is the final course of ameal.Many misspell the phrase justdeserts, meaning “properpunishment.” In that usage, desertsis derived from deserve.DESPISE“Syme despised him and slightlydisliked him,” wrote George Orwellin the novel 1984. Orwell knew that,strictly speaking, despise means “tolook down on” but not necessarily“to dislike,” although that's usually

part of the deal.DEVICE, DEVISEDevice: an invention.Devise: to invent.DIFFERENT FROM,DIFFERENT THANDifferent from is the standardphrase. Traditionalists obstinatelyavoid different than, especially insimple comparisons, such as You aredifferent from me.More-liberal linguists point out thata sentence like It is no different formen than it is for women is clearand concise, and rewriting it withdifferent from could result in aclumsy clunker like It is no different

for men from the way it is forwomen.They may have a point, but manyfine writers have had no problemsteering clear of different than fortheir entire careers.DILEMMABe careful when using dilemma as asynonym for predicament. The di- indilemma (like that in dichotomy ordioxide) indicates two: if you have adilemma, it means you're facing twotough choices.DISBURSE, DISPERSETo disburse is to distribute or payout money or other financial assets.Use disperse when something other

than money is being distributed: Theagency dispersed pamphlets afterthe meeting.Disperse also means “to scatter” or“make disappear”: The policedispersed the unruly mob.DISCOMFIT, DISCOMFORTThe two are often confused.Discomfit originally meant “todefeat utterly.” It has come to mean“to fluster,” “to embarrass.”Discomfort is usually used as a nounmeaning “anxiety,” “nervousness.”DISCREET, DISCRETEDiscreet: careful not to attractattention, tactful.Discrete: separate, detached.

People often write discrete whenthey mean discreet. The situation isnot helped by discretion, the nounform of discreet.DISINTERESTED,UNINTERESTEDYou can be both uninterested anddisinterested, or one but not theother. Disinterested means“impartial”; uninterested means“unconcerned” or “apathetic.”Many would interpret The judgewas disinterested to mean that thejudge didn't care. But the sentenceactually means that the judge wasunbiased. Huge difference there.Would you rather have a judge who's

fair or one who wants to go home?DOCKWhat is often thought of as a dock isactually a pier or wharf. The bookModern American Usage (edited byJacques Barzun, et al.) defines adock as “the water-filled space inwhich the ship comes to rest. Thepier is the structure on which thepassengers stand or alight.” WouldOtis Redding's song still be amasterpiece if he'd called it Sittin'on the Pier of the Bay?DRUG (DRAGGED)She drug Joe out of his office atmidnight. When did “drug” replacedragged as the past tense of drag?

The answer is: It didn't, and itcouldn't, and it better not.DUAL, DUELDual: double; having two parts.Duel: a two-sided conflict (noun); tofight a duel (verb).

EEAGERSee anxious, eager.EFFECTSee affect, effect.e.g., i.e.These two helpful abbreviations areoften used interchangeably, a sorrymistake that impoverishes thelanguage. The term i.e. means “thatis to say” or “in other words,”whereas e.g. means “for example.”To illustrate: Artists like MarlonBrando and James Dean (i.e., theso-called “method actors”)

electrified audiences in the 1950s.Compare that sentence with The so-called “method actors” (e.g.,Marlon Brando and James Dean)electrified audiences in the 1950s.EKE OUTIt has come to mean “barely get by”:I eke out a living as a writer. Butits traditional meaning is either “tosupplement”: I eke out my living asa writer by working a day job, or“to make the most of”: We eked outthe small amount of food we hadleft.ELUDESee allude, elude, refer.EMIGRATE, IMMIGRATE

Emigrate: to leave one country inorder to live in another country.Emigrate takes the preposition from,as in He emigrated from Russia toAmerica. It is incorrect to say. “Heemigrated to America.”Immigrate: to enter a new countrywith the intention of living there.Immigrate takes the preposition to,as in He immigrated to Americafrom Russia. It is incorrect to say,“He immigrated from Russia.”EMINENT, IMMINENTEminent: prominent; distinguished:an eminent scholar.Imminent: about to happen: inimminent danger.

EMPATHY, SYMPATHYWhen we have empathy, we areable to put ourselves in otherpeople's place and even feel theirpain, or think we do.Sympathy is more removed thanempathy. When we have sympathy,we may not suffer along with thosewho are hurting, but we havecompassion and are often willing tohelp.EMULATE, IMITATEEmulate means “to try to be as goodor successful as.”Imitate means “to copy or fashiononeself after.”A sentence like He tried to emulate

her is repeating itself: He tried totry to be as good as she was. Wedon't “try to emulate.” When weemulate, we're already trying.ENORMITYThis word is frequently misused: the“enormity” of football linemen thesedays, or the “enormity” of the task.Enormity has nothing to do withsomething's size. For that, we havesuch words as immensity, vastness,hugeness, and enormousness.Enormity is an ethical, judgmentalword meaning “great wickedness,”“a monstrous crime.” The enormityof Jonestown doesn't meanJonestown was a huge place, but

rather that it was the site of a hugelyoutrageous tragedy.ENSURESee assure, ensure, insure.ENTHUSEMany writers, editors, scholars, andcritics regard enthuse and enthusedas unserious and unacceptable.EPITAPH, EPITHETAn epitaph is a tribute inscribed ona tombstone in honor of the personburied there.An epithet, unlike an epitaph, isoften an insult based on race, class,religion, politics, etc.: The mob wasshouting racial epithets.

Otherwise, an epithet is a kind ofnickname. It is a word or briefphrase that illustrates a defining traitof someone or something: Alexanderthe Great, the wine-dark sea.EPITOMEThe epitome of means “the essenceof.” It does not mean “the best,” “theheight of.” Sam is the epitome ofhumility means that Sam is a perfectexample of a humble person. Itdoesn't necessarily mean that he'sone of the humblest men who everlived.ERSTWHILEIt's often confused with worthwhile.But erstwhile means “previous” or

“one-time.” My erstwhile assistantdoes not mean “my valuableassistant.” It means “my formerassistant” and nothing more.etc., et al.These abbreviations are a scholarlyway of saying, “You get the point.”The term etc. means “and the rest,”“and so on.” It is usually placed atthe end of a short list of things tosave the writer (and reader) thetrouble of going on needlessly.When a list of people, rather thanthings, is involved, use et al. inplace of etc.: Joe Smith, Ray Jones,et al., led the team to victory.Both etc. and et al. require periods,

even midsentence.EVERY DAY, EVERYDAYThe two-word term every day is anadverbial phrase that answers thequestions when or how often, as in Ilearn something new every day.As one word, everyday is anadjective that means “ordinary” or“part of a daily routine”: These aremy everyday clothes.EXACERBATE, EXAGGERATETo exacerbate is to make a difficultsituation worse or more intense: Thehumidity exacerbated the intenseheat.To exaggerate (note the double g) isto overstate, to stretch the truth: He

exaggerated when he said it wasthe hottest day on record.EXCEPTSee accept, except.

FFACTIOUS, FRACTIOUSFactious means “characterized bydissent and internal disputes.” Afactious group is liable to split offinto factions.Fractious means “irritable,”“quarrelsome,” “ill-tempered.”FAINT, FEINTFaint: to go unconscious.Feint: a distracting move meant tothrow an opponent off guard (fromfeign).FAIR, FAREFair: an exhibition (noun); just,

impartial (adjectives).Fare: payment for travel (noun); tohave an experience (verb); to gothrough something (verb): How didyou fare on your test?FARTHER, FURTHERThe general rule: farther refers toreal, physical distance: Let's walk alittle farther.Further deals with degree or extent:Let's discuss this further.FAZE, PHASEWhen something or someone fazesyou, you are disturbed or troubled:Her behavior doesn't faze me.A phase is a period or chapter: He'sgoing through a difficult phase

right now.FEAT, FEETFeat: an extraordinary act oraccomplishment.Feet: twelve-inch increments;appendages below the ankles.FEWER, LESSHere's a seemingly innocentsentence: I now have two lessreasons for going. Make it twofewer reasons. If you can count thecommodity (two reasons), less willbe wrong. You have lessjustification, but fewer reasons.Exception: When the amount is one,such a sentence should read, “I nowhave one reason fewer” or “one less

reason, but not “one fewer reason.”Admittedly, this is a head-scratcher,but that's English for you.Use less for specific measurementsof money, distance, time, or weight:It costs less than a million dollars.We walked less than fifty feet. Lessthan thirty minutes had passed. Itweighs less than five pounds. Thebook Modern American Usageexplains why: “We take a milliondollars as a sum of money, not as anumber of units; fifty feet as ameasure of distance, not as one footadded to forty-nine other feet; thirtyminutes as a stretch of time, exactlylike half an hour…and the

quantitative less is therefore correctin comparisons; fewer would soundabsurd.”FIR, FURFir: a type of tree.Fur: animal hair.FIRSTLYSee secondly, thirdly, fourthly.FLAIR, FLAREFlair: style; talent.Flare: to erupt; to blaze.FLAMMABLE, INFLAMMABLELet's see: flammable means“combustible.” Inflammable means“combustible.” Any questions?FLAUNT, FLOUT

He was a rebel who flaunted therules. That sentence is incorrect.Make it flouted the rules. To flout isto ignore, disregard, defy.To flaunt is to make a big display:She flaunted her diamond necklace.FLEA, FLEEFlea: a type of insect.Flee: to run away.FLOUNDER, FOUNDEROne way to avoid confusing thesetwo verbs is to think of flounder, thefish. Something that is flounderingis thrashing around helplessly, like afish out of water.Founder means “to fail.” If abusiness is floundering, it is in

distress but may yet be saved. If abusiness founders, nothing canrevive it.FLOUR, FLOWERFlour: an edible powder preparedby grinding grains.Flower: the bloom of a plant.FOREGO, FORGOMany permissive editors allowforego in place of forgo. But foregomeans “to go before,” “precede”: Agood stretching session shouldforego rigorous exercise.To forgo is to abstain from, dowithout: If you forgo a goodstretching session, you might pull amuscle.

FOREWORD, FORWARDA foreword is an introduction,usually to a book. It's sometimesconfused with forward, meaning“ahead,” “forth.”FORMERSee latter.FORTH, FOURTHForth: onward.Fourth: coming directly afterwhatever is third.FORTUITOUS, FORTUNATEFortuitous is a chronicallymisunderstood word. To purists, itmost emphatically does not mean“lucky” or “fortunate”; it simply

means “by chance.” You arefortunate if you win the lotteryfortuitously, but you can also getflattened by a truck fortuitously.FOUL, FOWLFoul: tainted; sickening.Fowl: edible bird or birds.FRACTIOUSSee factious, fractious.FREE GIFTA curious term for gift.FULSOMEMany people take fulsome to mean“abundant” or “lavish.” But be waryof writing the likes of He received afulsome tribute or Please accept my

fulsome apology. The word actuallymeans something darker:“excessive,” “fawning,” even“disgusting.”FUNFun is a noun, not an adjective.Sentences like It was a fun time orthe ghastly It was so fun have noplace in serious writing.FURSee fir, fur.FURTHERSee farther, further.

GGAIT, GATEGait: stride; the way a person oranimal walks or runs.Gate: a barrier.GAMUTGamut originally referred to theentire range of musical notes that theear can recognize. It has come tomean the range or extent of anything:His speech ran a gamut ofemotions. Do not confuse run thegamut with run the gantlet (seegantlet, gauntlet).GANTLET, GAUNTLET

These two words, despite theirsimilarity, come from differentroots. The distinction should bepreserved.The expression run the gantletmeans “to undergo criticism orharassment from several sources ina concentrated period of time.” It isoften written run the gauntlet,which makes language nitpickers cryfoul.To throw down the gauntlet is toaggressively challenge someone. Totake up the gauntlet is to acceptsuch a challenge.GEL, JELLIn popular usage, jell means “to

come together”: Our team isstarting to jell. Gel refers to ajellylike substance: hair gel.GILT, GUILTGilt: gold coating.Guilt: fault; blame; shame.GLIBA word with a split personalitysuitable for backhandedcompliments and faint praise. Glibcan mean “smooth,” “urbane.” But itcan also mean “superficial,” “tooslick.”GRADUATEHe graduated high school lastweekend. Make it graduated from.There are even some fussbudgets

who'd insist he was graduated fromhigh school. But graduated from isas correct as was graduated from.GRAFFITINote the double f and single t.Graffiti is the plural of graffito,Italian for “little scratching.”Therefore, There was graffiti allover the wall is incorrect. Make itThere were graffiti all over thewall.GRILL, GRILLEGrill: a grated metal cooking utensil(noun); to cook over direct heat(verb).Grille: a network of metal, wooden,or plastic bars that acts as a barrier

or screen.GRISLY, GRISTLY, GRIZZLYGrisly means “horrific,”“gruesome.” However, grisly bearsare not necessarily grizzly bears,North American brown bears knownfor their fierceness.Don't confuse grisly with gristly,which means “tough,” “chewy.”GUERRILLANote the spelling: double r, doublel. Some think “guerilla” with one ris a valid alternative, but the wordderives from guerra, which means“war” in Spanish.

HHAIR, HAREHair: what grows on the head andbody.Hare: a rabbit.HALL, HAULHall: a passageway; a large room.Haul: to pull or drag.HALVE, HAVEHalve: to divide in two.Have: to possess; to hold.HANGAR, HANGERMany think that a shed or shelter forhousing airplanes is a “hanger,”rather than a hangar (the correct

spelling).A hanger is something to hang agarment on, or someone who hangsthings.HANGED, HUNGSpeakers and writers who valueprecision know that the past tense ofhang, when it means “to put to deathusing a rope,” is hanged, not hung.This applies to both the active andpassive voice: They hanged theprisoner and The prisoner washanged.For inanimate objects, use hung.Under unusual conditions, peoplealso hung or are hung, e.g., Hehung from the tree with one hand or

He found himself hung upsidedown.HEAL, HEELHeal: to repair; to restore to health.Heel: the back part of the foot; ascoundrel.HEALTHFUL, HEALTHYThe difference between these twowords is unquestionable, healthfulmeaning “something that promoteshealth” and healthy meaning “ingood health.” But in everydayspeech, healthful has been nudgedaside by healthy in phrases likehealthy food or a healthy diet.HEAR, HEREThere is an ear in hear, and here is

80 percent of where.HEROIN, HEROINEHeroin: a drug derived frommorphine.Heroine: a woman admired forcourage or ability.HISTORICSee an historic.HOARD, HORDEHoard: to stockpile; to amass.Horde: a large group; a crowd.HOARSE, HORSEHoarse: raspy; sore-throated.Horse: a type of animal.HOLE, WHOLEHole: an opening.

Whole: entirety (noun); entire(adjective).HOLY, WHOLLYHoly: sacred.Wholly: entirely.HOMAGEA critic called a film “a homage tomotherhood.” The critic wisely didnot write “an homage,” knowing fullwell that the h is sounded (see anhistoric). This word has spun out ofcontrol in the twenty-first century. Itstraditional pronunciation is“HOMM-ij.” Then “AHM-ij”gained a foothold, and it wentdownhill from there. Now, justabout all one hears is the pseudo-

sophisticated “oh-MAHZH,” apronunciation that was virtuallynonexistent in English until the latetwentieth century.HONE INMake it home in. Hone in hasachieved undeserved legitimacy forthe worst of reasons: the similarityin sound and appearance of n and m.Honing is a technique used forsharpening cutting tools and the like.To home in, like zero in, is to getsomething firmly in your sights, toget to the crux of a problem.HOT WATER HEATERA curious term for water heater.HUNG

See hanged, hung.

IIDLE, IDOL, IDYLLIdle: not active; unemployed.Idol: an effigy; a beloved celebrity.Idyll: a happy interlude; prose orpoetry describing rural serenity.i.e.See e.g., i.e.ILLUSIONSee allusion, illusion.IMITATESee emulate, imitate.IMMIGRATESee emigrate, immigrate.IMMINENT

See eminent, imminent.IMPACTAs a verb, impact is constantlymisused, and affect is almost alwaysthe better choice. Avoid such usagesas The proposition will impactproperty taxes or Greenhouse gasemissions negatively impact theenvironment. Make it affect insteadof impact in both sentences.Impact means “to pack tightlytogether,” as in an impacted tooth.IMPLY, INFERInfer is not a synonym for imply.Imply is done by a speaker or writer—specifically, one who is beingindirect: She implied that I'm a fool

means that she didn't come right outand say it, but she got her pointacross.Infer is done by a perceptivelistener or reader who “catches”your meaning: I infer that you thinkI'm a fool.Imply is akin to suggest andinsinuate; infer is akin to deduceand conclude.INCITE, INSIGHTIncite: to provoke; stir up.Insight: understanding;comprehension.INCLUDEFrom a story about a rescue at sea:“The rescued pair included an

American woman and a Danishman.” This is a misuse of include,which means “to make someone orsomething part of a group.” Youcan't be included unless others areinvolved. The sentence requires arewrite, something like The twopeople rescued were an Americanwoman and a Danish man.A major-league baseball teamdoesn't include men; it consists ofmen, and only men. Compare: Ouroffice softball team includeswomen. We realize immediately thatit's a coed league and there are alsomen on the squad.INCREDIBLE, INCREDULOUS

Something incredible is beyondbelief, so when we experience it,we are incredulous.Incredulous refers to a state ofastonishment or disbelief. It is not adeft synonym for incredible.INFERSee imply, infer.INFLAMMABLESee flammable, inflammable.INGENIOUS, INGENUOUSWhat a difference one letter makes.Ingenious refers to worldlybrilliance; ingenuous refers tootherworldly innocence.IN ORDER TO

Sometimes in order to is necessary,but it's often just a fussy way ofsaying to: We should exercise inorder to stay healthy. Drop in orderwhenever possible.IN REGARD(S) TO, WITHREGARD(S) TOIn regard to and with regard to arephrases that mean “regarding,”“concerning,” “on the subject of.”As regards—note the s on the end—means the same thing. Perhaps this iswhy people mindlessly pluralizeregard and say in regards to and itspartner in crime, with regards to.Both of the following examples arecorrect: With regard to your friend,

let's hope she is well. Compare thatto With regards to your friend. Let'shope she is well.In the first sentence, With regard tomeans “concerning.” But in thesecond sentence, regards with an sis a plural noun meaning “bestwishes.”INSURESee assure, ensure, insure.IRONYWhen something is ironic, it has agrimly humorous or paradoxicaltwist, as if the universe wereplaying a wicked practical joke.Thus, it is ironic if a speeding carcrashes into a “drive carefully” sign,

or if someone named Joe Friendlyturns out to be a serial killer.Do not use irony or ironic todescribe a simple coincidence: It'sso ironic that our birthdays fall onthe same day. No irony there; it'smerely coincidental.IRREGARDLESSThis nonsense word results fromconfusing and combining regardlessand irrespective. If people wouldjust think about it, what's that sillyir- doing there?In technical terms, ir- is an initialnegative particle. So ifirregardless means anything, itmeans “not regardless” when the

person using it is trying to say theexact opposite.IS ISThe thing is is that…The truth is isthat…The problem is is that…Theairwaves are teeming withcommentators afflicted with the is ishiccup, one of life's mysteries, evento those who say it. The mostalarming case in point: The fact ofthe matter is is that, a bloatedlocution intoned by certain pundits,often right before they express anopinion.ISLESee aisle, isle.IT'S, ITS

It's: a contraction for it is or it has.Its: a possessive pronoun meaning“belonging to it.”

JJELLSee gel, jell.JIBE, JIVEThe verb jibe means “to fit,” “to bein harmony with”: His version didnot jibe with hers.Many people say jive when theymean jibe, but jive, noun and verb,is African-American slang thatoriginally referred to up-tempo,jazzy music. Then it became a termfor hipster jargon. It has come tomean dishonesty, silliness, orinanity: talking jive is lying ortalking nonsense. Stop jiving means

“Stop fooling around.”JUSTBe careful where you put it. Themeaning of just depends on itsplacement in a sentence, especiallywhen it is accompanied by not, orby negative verbs such as don't orwouldn't.Many people say just not when theymean not just, and this could lead tomisunderstanding, embarrassment,even hurt feelings.Not just means “not only,” whereasjust not means “simply not” or“definitely not.”He's a trusted adviser, not just afriend means “He's more than an

adviser; he's a friend, too.” But He'sa trusted adviser, just not a friendmeans something quite different: “Itrust his advice, but he's no friend ofmine.”JUST DESERTSSee desert, dessert.

KKARATSee carat, caret, karat.KINDERGARTNERNote how the spelling differs fromkindergarten.KNEW, NEWKnew: past tense of know.New: up to date; original; unused.KUDOSTo this great man, kudos are due.That sentence wouldn't raise manyeyebrows, but kudos is not theplural of kudo. There's no such thingas “a kudo.” Kudos is a Greek word

(pronounced “KYOO-doss” or“KOO-doss”) meaning “praise” or“glory,” and you'd no more say“kudos are due” than you'd say“glory are due.” Admittedly, kudosis due looks odd. Better to rewritethe sentence.

LLASTLYIf you wouldn't say “firstly,” whysay “lastly”? Drop the -ly. (See alsosecondly, thirdly, fourthly.)LATTERHe offered a trip to New York,Chicago, or Tarzana. She chose thelatter. Oh no she didn't. Latter can'tbe used when there are three (ormore) options. It applies only tosentences like He offered a trip toNew York or Tarzana, which makesNew York the former, Tarzana thelatter. When there are more thantwo people or things mentioned, use

last.LAXADAISICALThe word doesn't exist, but thatdoesn't stop people from saying it.The word they're looking for islackadaisical: “without energy orenthusiasm.”LAY, LIEThese may well be the two mostconfounding three-letter words in allthe language. The use of lay wherelie is indicated has been a majorproblem for generations. Maybebecause of the word's negativedouble meaning, people shy awayfrom saying lie.All of the following are incorrect:

I'm going to lay on the couch. Yourwallet is laying on the dresser. Hewants to lay down. Make it lie,lying, lie, respectively.Lie: You lie down today; you laydown yesterday; you have lain downbefore.Lay: Please lay the book downnow; you laid the book downyesterday; you have laid that bookdown before.

Yesterday I lied/laid/lain/layon the bed.Most people would guess laidon the bed, but the correctanswer is lay.I have often lied/laid/lain/lay

on the bed.Again, most people wouldguess laid, but lain is correct.I have often lied/laid/lain/laymy wallet on the dresser.This time, laid is correct.

Lay vs. Lie ChartPresent Past

To recline lie; is/arelying

lay;has/have/hadlain

To put orplace

lay; is/arelaying

laid;has/have/hadlaid

To tell afalsehood

lie; is/arelying

lied;has/have/hadlied

Examples in thepresent tense:

I like to lie down fora nap at 2 p.m.

I am lying down fora nap today.Please lay the bookdown.I am laying the bookdown.I am tempted to lieabout my age.I am not lying aboutmy age.

Examples in thepast tense:

I lay down for a napyesterday at 2 p.m.

I laid the book downyesterday.He lied on thewitness stand.

Examples with ahelping verb (has,have):

I have lain down fora nap every day thisweek.

I have laid the bookdown for the lasttime.He has lied each dayon the witness stand.

LEAD, LEDCorrect: He led the parade.Incorrect: He lead the parade.Budding writers are increasinglyusing lead instead of led as the pasttense of the verb to lead.There are three reasons for thisconfusion. First, the past tense ofread, the other common -ead verb,

is read. Second, the word lead,when it's a noun denoting a metal, ispronounced led, just like the pasttense of the verb to lead. And third,they don't drill spelling in schoolsthe way they used to.LEAK, LEEKLeak: an unintended discharge ofliquid or gas.Leek: a type of onion.LESSSee fewer, less.LESSEN, LESSONLessen: to decrease.Lesson: something learned orstudied.

LET HE WHO IS WITHOUTSIN…One of the most notoriousmisquotations in the Englishlanguage is “Let he who is withoutsin among you cast the first stone.”This misuse of the pronoun he hasbeen giving English sticklersnightmares for decades.How could it be “Let he”? Itcouldn't. Here is the actual quotationfrom the Gospel of John: “He that iswithout sin among you, let him firstcast a stone at her.”LIABLE, LIBEL, LIKELYLiable has a negative connotation:He's liable to have an accident if

he doesn't slow down.Libel is a malicious attack onsomeone's character.Likely refers to simple probability:She is likely to be on time.LIESee lay, lie.LIGHTENING, LIGHTNINGThat flash in an overcast sky is abolt of lightning, which issometimes misspelled lightening.Lightening is the process of makingsomething lighter in color or weight.LIKEDo it like she does. Sentences likethat one have always been

unacceptable to purists. Nowadays,however, such sentences go virtuallyunchallenged, even by many editors.Strictly speaking, like can only be apreposition meaning “similar to” or“similarly to.” So Do it like her(i.e., similarly to her) would becorrect. But because no one wouldsay, “Do it similarly to she does,”there is no grammatical justificationfor Do it like she does.In the mid-twentieth century,Theodore M. Bernstein said in TheCareful Writer: “The usage of likeas a conjunction…is not acceptablein better-grade writing.”The American Heritage

Dictionary's panel of experts hasnoted that for more than a century,anyone who said like she does wasconsidered illiterate. Yet today, thepanel says, “Like is more acceptablyused as a conjunction in informalstyle.”The traditional view is that if a verbfollows the noun or pronoun, as inlike she does, it means like is thewrong choice. Instead, use as, as if,as though, or the way.

Do it the way she does (not likeshe does).Say it as if or as though youmean it (not like you mean it).Go when the light is green, as

it is now (not like it is now).LITERALLYI was so amazed, I literally hit theceiling. If someone has literally hitthe ceiling, he ought to move to aplace with higher ceilings.It was literally like being in Paris.Drop literally. Nothing is “literallylike.” Anyone who says “literallylike” doesn't understand the word.Literally is supposed to mean “100percent fact”…period. But nottoday, when, as in the previousexamples, literally is often usedfiguratively. That way madness lies.In responsible usage, literallyallows no room for poetry, analogy,

hyperbole, frivolity, or any otherflights of fancy. Any sentencecontaining literally should meanwhat it literally says. We are beingasked to accept that sentence as factand not interpret or infer. So if yousay you were “literally stunned,” wehave no choice but to conclude thatyou were physically incapacitated.A newspaper item told of a couplewhose dreams “literally collapsed”when a fixer-upper they bought camedown in a heap as they startedworking on it. Now, we know whatthe writer meant, but the house iswhat literally collapsed, not thedreams. How could a dream, the

very essence of all that is beyondmateriality, literally collapse?One simple solution: Say“virtually”: I virtually hit theceiling. Their dreams virtuallycollapsed.Virtually allows speakers andwriters to enhance and embellish totheir hearts' content, options theyrelinquish when using literally.LOAN, LONELoan: something given temporarily.Lone: only; solitary.LOATH, LOATHELoath: reluctant.Loathe: to dislike intensely.

I am loath to work for anyone Iloathe.LOOSE, LOSELoose: opposite of tight.Lose: to misplace; to be defeated.

MMAIL, MALEMail: correspondence.Male: masculine.MAIZE, MAZEMaize: corn.Maze: a labyrinth.MANNER, MANORManner: a method; a behavior.Manor: a palatial residence.MARQUEE, MARQUISMarquee: a projection over atheater entrance.Marquis: an aristocrat; a nobleman.MARRY, MERRY

Marry: to wed.Merry: cheerful.MARSHAL, MARTIALMarshal: a law officer (noun). Toassemble (verb). Note the spelling:one l.Martial: warlike.MASTERFUL, MASTERLYAnother pair of words whosedistinct meanings have been blurredby carelessness. The problemcenters on masterful, in suchphrases as a masterful artist or amasterful performance. Make itmasterly, which means “highlyaccomplished,” “inspired,”“demonstrating mastery.”

Masterful has darker shadings. It'sabout being the alpha dog: dominant,supreme—almost ruthlessly so. Amasterful performance should referto a boxer or a victorious footballteam rather than a cello concert.MATERIAL, MATERIELMaterial: whatever something ismade from.Materiel: military equipment andsupplies.MAYSee can, may.MEDAL, MEDDLE, METAL,METTLEMedal: a decoration; a badge.

Meddle: to interfere.Metal: an earth element.Mettle: boldness; grit.MEDIAAmong the language's most abusedwords is media, a plural noun;medium is the singular. A medium isa system of mass communication:The medium of television is aprominent component of the massmedia.Every day we hear and readstatements like “The media isirresponsible,” “The media has ahidden agenda.” In those sentences,“media” should be followed by“are” and “have.”

There are some who prefer anddefend “the media is” and “themedia has.” To them, the variousmeans of mass communication—newspapers, radio, TV, magazines,blogs, etc.—make up one “media.”The United States is where I live iscorrect, even though “States” isplural, so why not “the media is,”even though media is plural? Nicetry, but no sale.Writers should insist on the mediaare. It's important that people thinkof the media as many voices,opinions, and perspectives ratherthan one monolithic entity.MERETRICIOUS

A veteran newsman said, “Hiscareer is meretricious.” Heprobably meant meritorious.Instead, the sentence as it stands isan insult.When you hear it, the first twosyllables echo merit, but thesimilarity to meritorious ends there.Meretricious means “flashy,”“cheap,” “tawdry”: The candidatemade a meretricious display ofpiety.METAL, METTLESee medal, meddle, metal, mettle.MICMic is a bogus and cluelessabbreviation of microphone. For too

many decades to count, the wordwas mike. “Ike is good on a mike”went a line from a popular early-1950s song about presidentialcandidate Dwight D. Eisenhower.A bicycle is a bike, not a “bic.” Sohow is a microphone a “mic”?MINER, MINORMiner: one who works in a mine.Minor: someone under the legal ageof adulthood (noun); of lessimportance (adjective).MINUSCULEBe sure to note that first u. A lot ofwriters think the word is“miniscule.” And it makes sense thata word for “tiny” would have a mini

in it. Don't think mini, think minus.MISNOMERA misnomer is a mistake, but not allmistakes are misnomers. The wordis wrongly used in this sentence: It'sa misnomer that elephants areafraid of mice. A misnomer is notthe same as a misconception. Thenome in the middle is from the Latinnomen, meaning “name.” Amisnomer is a mistake in labeling:for instance, calling aluminum foil“tinfoil” or calling a koala a “bear”(it's a marsupial).If “Lucky” Brown loses his fortunein the stock market and “Speedy”Green blows out his ankle, their

respective nicknames becomemisnomers.MORAL, MORALEMoral: a lesson (noun); ethical(adjective).Morale: spirit; level of enthusiasm.MORE IMPORTANTLY, MOSTIMPORTANTLYTraditionalists do not acceptimportantly in sentences like Mostimportantly, Churchill was astatesman. Drop the -ly and saveyourself a superfluous syllable.More important, you'll be usinggood English.MORNING, MOURNINGMorning: the start of the day,

between night and afternoon.Mourning: sorrow over a tragedy.MUSCLE, MUSSELMuscle: fibrous tissue; strength.Mussel: an edible marine bivalve.

NNAVAL, NAVELNaval: pertaining to ships; nautical.Navel: belly button.NEITHER…ORAs a conjunction, neither oftenteams with nor: “Neither aborrower nor a lender be.” The rulemany learned in fifth grade was,“Neither…nor, either…or, but neverneither…or.”Neither…or is another once-unthinkable faux pas gainingmomentum among people who oughtto know better. A political adviser'sresignation letter read, “This

position is not a fit for me, neitherpersonally or professionally.”(Make it “either.”)A big-city newspaper editor wrote,“I neither commissioned orapproved it.” Even editors neededitors.NEWSee knew, new.NEW RECORDSee all-time record.NONPLUSSEDNote the double s.Nonplussed is widely misused as asynonym for cool or unfazed:Despite his anxiety, he appeared

nonplussed. Clearly, the writermeant nonchalant. nonplussedmeans the opposite: “confused,”“thrown off.” His strange behaviorleft her nonplussed.NORSee neither…or.NOT JUSTSee just.NOTORIETYA critic wrote: “Burgess gainednotoriety with his wildly popularchildren's books.” Another oft-abused word, notoriety hassomehow become a good thing. Butcan't you hear the notorious innotoriety? There are all kinds of

fame; notoriety is one of the badkinds, just down the pike frominfamy. This is a word bestreserved for describing the world'sscoundrels.NUMBERSee amount, number.

OOFF OF“Hey! You! Get off of my cloud,”sang the Rolling Stones,unnecessarily. Make it off my cloud.The of in “off of” adds nothing, sowhy not drop it?ORALSee aural, oral.ORDINANCE, ORDNANCEOrdinance: a law.Ordnance: military weapons andammunition.OVERDO, OVERDUEOverdo: to go overboard with;

behave excessively.Overdue: behind time; payable.OVERLYShe is overly concerned about herjob. Note that if the opposite weretrue, no one would say “underlyconcerned.” Make it too concernedor overconcerned.Many writers think overly isunnecessary and a bit precious.“Making over into overly,” saysBryson's Dictionary ofTroublesome Words, “is a little liketurning soon into soonly. Adding -lydoes nothing for over that it couldnot already do.”

PPAIL, PALEPail: a bucket.Pale: lacking color.PAIN, PANEPain: physical or emotionalsuffering.Pane: a glazed piece or section of adoor, window, etc.PALATE, PALETTE, PALLETPalate: the roof of the mouth; taste.Palette: a range of colors; a boardto hold and mix paint colors.Pallet: a low, portable platform.PARISH, PERISH

Parish: a district with its ownchurch and clergy.Perish: to stop existing; to die.PARODY, SATIREA parody is a humorous imitation ofa book, film, song, poem, etc., meantto poke fun at the original's style orintentions.A satire uses biting humor,hyperbole, sarcasm, irony, etc., tolay bare the toxic absurdity ofcivilization.PASSED, PASTPassed: gone ahead of; approved.Past: a former time; beyond.PAST HISTORY

A curious term for history.PASTIME, PAST TIMEA pastime is a leisurely pursuit orhobby.The phrase past time refers tosomething that should havehappened or been done by now.It's past time that people realizedthat pastime is one word.PEACE, PIECEPeace: tranquility.Piece: a portion.PEAK, PEEK, PIQUEPeak: a summit.Peek: a glance (noun); to steal aglance (verb).

Pique: ill humor (noun); to arouse orannoy (verb).PEAL, PEELPeal: to ring.Peel: to strip.PEDAL, PEDDLEPedal: a foot-activated lever (noun);to operate something with pedals,such as a bicycle or organ (verb).Peddle: to sell or publicize.PEER, PIERPeer: a person who is an equal(noun); to look attentively (verb).Pier: a structure extending out overwater.PENULTIMATE

“He's the penultimate Washingtoninsider,” said the glib pundit,blissfully unaware that penultimatemeans “second to last.”PERCENTOne word.PERPETRATE, PERPETUATEPerpetrate: to commit a crime.Perpetuate: to prolong or sustain.PERSECUTE, PROSECUTETo persecute is to go after in anintimidating, bullying manner.To prosecute is to go after in a legalmanner.PERSUADESee convince, persuade.

PHASESee faze, phase.PHENOMENONThis troublemaker baffles evenarticulate speakers. And they knowit. If you listen closely, you'll noticepeople trying to save face by fudgingthe last syllable.Phenomenon is singular.“Management is a universalphenomenon,” declares a businesswebsite. It helps to remember the -on on the end, which almost spellsone.The plural form is phenomena. Acommentator on national televisionhad it exactly backward. He spoke

of “the phenomena of climatechange” and later used phenomenonas a plural. Others say“phenomenas” when they meanphenomena.PIECESee peace, piece.PIQUESee peak, peek, pique.PISTIL, PISTOLPistil: the female organ of a flower.Pistol: a gun.PLAIN, PLANEPlain: a treeless area of land (noun);not fancy; evident (adjectives).Plane: a flat or level surface; short

form of airplane.PLUM, PLUMBPlum: a type of fruit.Plumb: to examine (verb); upright;vertical (adjectives); totally;precisely (adverbs).p.m.See a.m., p.m.POINT IN TIMEAt that point in time is an exercisein empty pomposity, made(in)famous by the Watergatehearings of the early 1970s and stillgoing strong. Why not just at thatpoint or at that time?POLE, POLL

Pole: a long, cylindrical piece ofwood or metal.Poll: a collection of opinions; asurvey.POOR, PORE, POURPoor: deprived.Pore: a small opening (noun). Tostudy carefully (verb).Pour: to send liquid flowing.Be careful not to say “pour over” ifyou mean pore over.PRAY, PREYPray: to speak to a deity.Prey: a victim (noun); to hunt, toexploit (verbs).PRECIPITATE, PRECIPITOUS

Media pundits have errantly decidedthat precipitous means “immediate”or “swift,” as when they discuss theadvisability of “precipitous troopwithdrawal.” The correct adjectivewould be precipitate.Precipitous means “steep,” like aprecipice.PREDOMINATELYSome mistakenly use it as analternative to predominantly, as in“chiefly,” “primarily.” Funny thingabout predominately: you might notsee it for long stretches, and then,like some verbal swine flu, it cropsup everywhere for a few weeks.Although predominately is

technically a word, it's not easy topinpoint what it means.PREMIER, PREMIEREPremier is generally an adjectivemeaning “the best,” “of unsurpassedquality, skill, or importance.” As anoun, it refers to a head ofgovernment.A premiere is an opening night orfirst performance.PRESENTLYCareful speakers and writers mightconsider avoiding this word. If youtell hungry guests, “We're servingdinner presently,” they might thinkyou mean now. But presently means“in the near future.” It's a stuffy

word anyway; what's wrong withsoon?PRESUMESee assume, presume.PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPLEPrincipal: a major participant; thehead of an institution (nouns); offirst importance; chief (adjectives).Principle: a fundamental belief; afundamental fact.PROFIT, PROPHETProfit: gain.Prophet: a predictor; a seer.PRONE, SUPINEThe victim was found lying prone,her eyes gazing sightlessly at a full

moon. Sorry, but this is a maneuveronly the swivel-headed girl fromThe Exorcist could pull off, becausewhen you're prone, you're lying onyour stomach. Make that supine,which means “lying on one's back.”PROPHECY, PROPHESIZE,PROPHESYA prophecy is a prediction.When prophets make prophecies,they prophesy, not “prophesize.”It will be a crowning achievement,prophesized its chief engineer.Lose that z and make it prophesied.It is doubtful you could find anydictionary anywhere that lists“prophesize.” Even the

nonjudgmental Webster's New WorldCollege Dictionary shuns thiscommon (mis)usage.PROSECUTESee persecute, prosecute.PURPOSELY, PURPOSEFULLYThese words share much commonground, and they are sometimesinterchangeable, but there aredistinct differences. Purposelymeans “intentionally,” but some actsare intentional, yet pointless: LittleJimmy purposely threw Alice'slunch in the mud.Someone who does somethingpurposefully is on a mission, withan important goal in mind: The

rescue team purposefully combedthe woods for the missing child.

Q-RQUOTATION, QUOTETo purists, quote is a verb only.When we quote, we repeat orreproduce someone's exact words.The correct term for quoted materialis a quotation. In casual usage, aquotation is often called a “quote,”but quote as a noun is still notacceptable in formal writing.RACK, WRACKAs a verb, rack means “to afflict,”“oppress,” “torment.”To wrack is to cause the ruin of.A lot of people mistakenly write

things like “nerve-wracking” and “Iwracked my brains.” Drop the w inboth cases. Both expressions derivefrom that device in the torture hall offame called the rack.RAISE, RAZERaise: to lift up.Raze: to take down.RAP, WRAPRap: a sharp blow; a type of music(nouns); to strike sharply (verb).Wrap: to enclose in a covering.REAL, REELReal: actual, authentic.Reel: a spool (noun); to stumble;falter (verbs).

REASON BEING ISOne hears this odd phrasefrequently, in statements like Theeconomy is in trouble; the reasonbeing is profligate spending. Makeit either the reason being profligatespending or the reason is profligatespending.REASON IS BECAUSEThe reason is because we spend toomuch. Make it The reason is that wespend too much. Saying the reasonis makes because unnecessary.REEK, WREAKReek: to smell bad.Wreak: to inflict.REFER

See allude, elude, refer.REGARDLESSSee irregardless.REIGN, REINReign: period in power (noun); tobe in power (verb).Rein: a strap to control horses(noun); to control or guide (verb).RELISH INJones is relishing in his new role asfinancial adviser. The sentencemistakes relish for revel. EitherJones relishes his role or he revelsin his role.RENOWNAnsel Adams is renown for his

timeless photographs. Make thatrenowned. This widespread gafferesults from thinking renown is akinto known, probably because theyshare those last four letters.REST, WRESTRest: to relax.Wrest: to take forcibly.REST, AS THEY SAY, ISHISTORYThe rest, as they say, is history is acringe-inducing cliché. Not The restis history, which has its place—it'sthat pseudo-sagacious as they saywhich really rankles. How toexplain the enduring appeal ofsomething so tired, weak, and

breathtakingly unoriginal?RESTAURATEURNote the spelling: no n.RETCH, WRETCHRetch: to heave.Wretch: a lowly being; a scoundrel.RETICENTReticent means “uncommunicative,reserved, silent.” But many peoplewrongly use it to mean “reluctant”: Iwas reticent to spend so much on afootball game. No, you werereticent when you didn't protest theticket price.REVERENDIn formal writing, there's no such

thing as “a reverend.” The word isan honorific used before a pastor'sname: the Reverend Josiah Blank.Important: the is mandatory. Alsonote the phrase must be followed bythe person's full name—to say“Reverend Blank” is wrong twice.REVIEW, REVUEReview: an examination or criticism(noun); to assess, to analyze (verbs).Revue: a variety show.RIFF, RIFTRiff: a brief musical phrase; pithy orflippant wordplay.Rift: a crack; a disagreement.RIGHT, RITE, WRITE

Right: an entitlement (noun);correct, opposite of left, opposite ofwrong (adjectives).Rite: a ritual; a ceremony.Write: to compose letters or words.RING, WRINGRing: the sound of a bell; jewelryworn around a finger.Wring: to twist.ROAD, RODE, ROWEDRoad: a street; a path; a highway.Rode: past tense of ride.Rowed: past tense of row.ROLE, ROLLRole: a position; a part in a play orfilm.

Roll: a baked food; a flowingmovement (nouns); to rotate; to flowwith a current (verbs).RYE, WRYRye: a grain.Wry: mocking; ironic; droll.

SSATIRESee parody, satire.SAVER, SAVORSaver: someone or something thatsaves or conserves.Savor: to appreciate.SCENT, SENTScent: an aroma; a fragrance.Sent: taken; moved.SECONDLY, THIRDLY,FOURTHLYAs noted earlier, few people say“firstly,” and fewer yet say “fifthly,”“sixthly,” “seventeenthly,” etc. Many

adverbs do not end in -ly. It makesmore sense to use second, third, andfourth rather than secondly, thirdly,and fourthly.SEMIANNUALSee biannual, biennial, semiannual.SENSUAL, SENSUOUSSensual: relating to sexual pleasure.Sensuous: relating to or affecting thephysical senses.SERF, SURFSerf: a slave.Surf: waves.SERIALSee cereal, serial.SET, SIT

Set: to place something somewhere.Sit: to take a seat.SEW, SO, SOWSew: to stitch.So: as a result; in the mannerindicated.Sow: to scatter or plant seed.SHEAR, SHEERShear: to cut; to clip.Sheer: pure; steep; translucent.[sic]This is found only in a directquotation (note the brackets). Aneditor inserts [sic] directly after aword or sentence to notify readersthat something is off or incorrect, but

is being reproduced exactly as itoriginally appeared.SIGHTSee cite, sight, site.SIMPLISTICIt's not the same as simple. It means“oversimplified,” as in Yoursimplistic argument leaves out toomany facts.At a memorial service, a well-meaning soul remembered arenowned artist as “a simplisticman.” Some occasions are toosolemn for foolish language lapses.Trying to express somethingcommendable, the speaker insteadsaid the dear departed had been a

simpleton.SINCESee because, since.SITESee cite, sight, site.SLASHDespite its popularity, the slash (/),technically known as a virgule, isfrowned on by purists. Other than toindicate dates (9/11/2001) orseparate lines of poetry (“Celery,raw / Develops the jaw”), it has fewdefensible uses in formal writing.Usually a hyphen, or in some casesthe word or, will suffice. Instead ofwriting the novelist/poet Eve Jones,make it the novelist-poet Eve Jones.

Rather than available to anyman/woman who is qualified, makeit any man or woman.“The virgule is a mark that doesn'tappear much in first-rate writing,”says Bryan A. Garner in ADictionary of Modern AmericanUsage. “Use it as a last resort.”SLEIGHT, SLIGHTSleight: dexterity; skill.Slight: slender; of little substance.SNUCKMany think snuck is the past tense ofsneak, but it's not, at least not yet.The past tense of sneak is sneaked.SO

See sew, so, sow.SOAR, SORESoar: to fly high.Sore: painful; in pain.SOLE, SOULSole: the bottom of a foot; a type offish (nouns); single; solitary(adjectives).Soul: essence; the spirit apart fromthe body.SOME, SUMSome: an unspecified number.Sum: the total from adding numbers.SON, SUNSon: male offspring.Sun: the star that is the central body

of our solar system.SOWSee sew, so, sow.STAID, STAYEDStaid: solemn; serious.Stayed: remained; waited.STAIR, STAREStair: a step.Stare: to gaze intently.STAKE, STEAKStake: a wager; an investment; apole.Steak: a cut of meat.STATIONARY, STATIONERYStationary: in one place; inactive.Stationery: writing paper.

STEAL, STEELSteal: to rob.Steel: an iron alloy (noun); totoughen (verb).STEP, STEPPEStep: a stair (noun); to move bylifting the foot (verb).Steppe: vast grassland.STOMPING GROUNDSIt started out as stamping grounds,which is still preferred by mostdictionaries.STRAIGHT, STRAITWords like straitjacket and strait-laced are frequently misspelledusing straight, which is incorrect,

but understandable. Wouldn't a“straightjacket” be just the thing tostraighten you up and straighten youout? Doesn't “straight-laced” aptlydescribe a person of refinement (thelace part) who lives the “straightlife”? This is why some authoritiesaccept straight-laced as analternative spelling. But a strait is anarrow channel, and it is that senseof “confinement with little room tomaneuver” that generated theseterms.STRATEGY, STRATAGEMNote the second a in stratagem.Both words refer to plans of action.But stratagem denotes trickery. It is

a scheme to deceive or outwit.SUMSee some, sum.SUNSee son, sun.SUNDAE, SUNDAYSundae: ice cream with syrup.Sunday: a day of the week.SUPINESee prone, supine.SUPPOSE TONever “suppose to.” Don't drop thed in usages like You're supposed tobe here.SURFSee serf, surf.

SYMPATHYSee empathy, sympathy.

TTACK, TACTTack and tact are commonlyconfused when discussing strategy.A tack is a course of action.Tact is discretion.We decided to try a new tack iscorrect, but “a new tact” is what alot of people say, mistakenlythinking “tact” is short for tactic.TAIL, TALETail: the hindmost animalappendage.Tale: a story.TAKE

See bring, take.TAUGHT, TAUTTaught: trained; educated.Taut: stiff; tightly stretched.TEAM, TEEMTeam: a group with the same goal(noun); to form a squad (verb).Teem: to swarm.TEMBLORAlthough it produces tremors andmakes the ground tremble, anearthquake is a temblor, not a“tremblor.”TENANT, TENETA tenant is someone who pays rentto use or occupy a property. But

“tenant” is often mistakenly used inplace of tenet, a fundamental beliefor principle held true by a group ororganization.THAN, THENThan is used for comparison.Then means “next,” “after that.”THATSee who, which, that.THEIR, THERE, THEY'RETheir: belonging to them.There: in that place.They're: contraction of they are.They're in their car over there.THOSE KIND OFInstead of “those kind of things,” say

either those kinds of things orthings of that kind. Better yet:things like that.TILL, 'TILAlways use till. You won't find areference book anywhere thatrecommends 'til. Writer John B.Bremner declares brusquely, “Eithertill or until, but not 'til.”It's natural to assume that 'til is acontraction of until. However, tillpredates until by several centuries.TO, TOO, TWOTo: in the direction of; toward.Too: also; excessively.Two: the number after one.

TORT, TORTETort: a breach of contract.Torte: a rich cake made with little orno flour.TORTUOUS, TORTUROUSTortuous: winding; twisting: atortuous trail.Torturous: painful; causingsuffering: held under torturousconditions.TOTALLYNot to be used arbitrarily. How istotally convinced different fromconvinced?TOWARD, TOWARDSThe Associated Press Stylebook

insists on toward, but both areacceptable and mean the same thing.TRANSPIREThe celebrity issued a statementthrough his attorney that he was“sorry and saddened over whattranspired.” This usage of transpire,though common, is incorrect. Theword doesn't mean “occur” or“happen.” Something that transpiresis revealed or becomes known overtime. The Oxford online dictionarygives this example: “It transpiredthat millions of dollars of debt hadbeen hidden in a complex web oftransactions.”TREMBLOR

See temblor.TROOP, TROUPETroop: a body of soldiers.Troupe: a group of travelingperformers.Mike is a real trouper. Many wouldspell it “trooper.” But a trooper iseither a cop or a soldier in thecavalry, whereas a trouper,according to the American HeritageDictionary, is “a reliable,uncomplaining, often hard-workingperson.”TRULYNote the spelling: no e.This word is often just windowdressing. How is I truly believe

different from I believe?TURBID, TURGIDTurbid means “muddy,” or“unclear,” literally and figuratively.Both a river and a poem mayproperly be called turbid.Turgid means “swollen,” literallyand figuratively. One may sufferphysically from a turgid limb, ormentally from a turgid (i.e.,pompous and bombastic) speech.

UUNINTERESTEDSee disinterested, uninterested.UNIQUEThe Big Easy is one of America'smost unique cities. Drop most.What's wrong with saying one ofAmerica's unique cities?Unique is, on its own, a potentword, and it must never beaccompanied by an intensifier, sincemodifying it saps its considerablepower. When you use unique, put itout there alone—otherwise, sayunusual.Unique belongs to a group of words

called absolutes or incomparables.Examples include dead, equal,essential, eternal, opposite,supreme. Such words resist beingmodified. Modifiers like more,most, absolutely, rather, and veryeither strip them of their strength orresult in foolishness.“Would you say ‘very one-of-a-kind’?” asks Roy Blount Jr. in hisbook Alphabet Juice. Adding veryor absolutely to unique, Blountsays, “is like putting a propeller ona rabbit to make him hop better.”UTILIZEAll the way back in the 1940s,George Orwell blew the whistle on

this pretentious word in his classicessay “Politics and the EnglishLanguage.” Orwell advised writersto get over themselves and go withuse. But use is so humble, somundane, whereas utilize reallysounds like something. Bureaucratsin particular love to use utilize.

VVAIN, VANE, VEINVain: futile; narcissistic.Vane: a blade moved by wind:weather vane.Vein: a blood vessel; a mood.VENAL, VENIALVenal: corrupt,” “able and willing tobe bribed.”Venial: “forgivable.”Any writer who inadvertently dropsthe i in a sentence like Her lapsewas venial may want to think aboutgetting a good lawyer.VERSES, VERSUS

Verses: lines of poetry.Versus: as compared to anotherchoice; against.VERYSerious writers are wary of very.Very often, this very word is veryunnecessary.VIABLEViable means “able or fit to live”:viable cells, a viable fetus.In popular usage, viable has becomesynonymous with possible,workable, feasible. Many puristsconsider this unacceptable. RoyCopperud, in American Usage andStyle, says “the word has had theedge hopelessly ground off it.”

VIAL, VILEVial: a small container.Vile: evil, depraved.VICE, VISEVice: a bad habit; an immoralpractice.Vise: a device used to hold an objectfirmly.VIRTUALLYSee literally.

WWAIST, WASTEWaist: the part of the human bodybetween the ribs and hips.Waste: garbage (noun); to squander(verb); to spend uselessly (verb).WAIT, WEIGHTWait: to stay; to be available.Weight: heaviness; significance.WAIVER, WAVERWaiver: relinquishment of a right.Waver: to feel indecisive; to swingunsteadily.WARN, WORNWarn: to notify about trouble.

Worn: carried on the body;deteriorated.WARRANTEE, WARRANTYWarrantee: a person who is given awritten guarantee or a warrant.Warranty: a written guarantee.WARY, WEARYWary: mistrustful; guarded.Weary: exhausted; drained.WAY, WEIGHWay: a method; a direction; amanner.Weigh: to measure mass; to mullover.WAYS TO GOA ways to go, meaning “a

considerable distance,” is bestavoided in formal writing.WEAK, WEEKWeak: lacking strength.Week: a period of seven days.WEATHER, WHETHERWeather: climatic conditions (noun);to withstand (verb).Whether: if; in case.WHETHER OR NOTOften, the or not can be dropped, asin I don't know whether or notyou've heard this.WHICHSee who, which, that.WHILE, WILE

While: during.Wile: a ploy to fool, trap, or entice.WHO, WHICH, THATUse who only when referring tohumans. Avoid such usages as acompany who or a country who or adog who. For those, that or which iscorrect.Contrary to superstition, that isperfectly acceptable when appliedto people. The Man That Got Awayand The Girl That I Marry, two hitballads from the mid-twentiethcentury, were written at a time whenthe popular culture expected literacyfrom its songwriters. And don'tforget the famous quotation from the

Gospel of John which begins, “Hethat is without sin among you…”Which as a pronoun should neverrefer to humans. (It's an adjective insentences like Which man do youmean?)WHOLESee hole, whole.WHOLLYSee holy, wholly.WHO'S, WHOSEWho's is a contraction of who is orwho has.Whose is the possessive case ofwho.Who's the man whose wife called?

WITH REGARD(S) TOSee in regard(s) to, with regard(s)to.WON'T, WONTWon't: contraction of will not.Wont: habit; custom (nouns);accustomed (adjective).WORNSee warn, worn.WRACKSee rack, wrack.WRAPSee rap, wrap.WREAKSee reek, wreak.WREAK (WRECK) HAVOC

Because wreak havoc means “tocause destruction,” some mistakenlythink the first word of the phrase iswreck.WRESTSee rest, wrest.WRETCHSee retch, wretch.WRINGSee ring, wring.WRITESee right, rite, write.WRYSee rye, wry.

YYOKE, YOLKYoke: a harness for oxen.Yolk: the yellow part of an egg.YOU'RE, YOURYou're: contraction of you are.Your: belonging to you.

Chapter 6

Quizzes

Grammar PretestCorrect the grammar error in eachsentence. Answers are in Chapter Seven.Example: Shoshana felt badly about

failing the Geometry test.Correction: Shoshana felt bad about failing

the geometry test.

1. How quick he runs.

2. Neither one of them are ready yet.3. The desk and the chair sits in thecorner.4. Each of us were scheduled to takethe test.5. The coach, not the players, havebeen ill.6. There is only four days untilChristmas.7. She is one of the women whoworks hard.8. That was Yusuf and me whom yousaw.9. This phone call is for Bill and I.10. Terrell is the smartest of the two.11. It was I whom called.

12. It is us clerks who work hard.13. He took the plate off of the table.14. I am doing fine. How aboutyourself?15. They mailed the copies to himand I.16. Neither of the candidates havespoken.17. How will you be effectedfinancially if downsizing means youwill lose your job?18. Joan walks slow so her childrencan keep up with her.19. Jake is the oldest of the twobrothers.20. May did good on the test she

took yesterday.21. He and she were real closefriends.22. Whomever drove in the carpoollane without any passengers will befined.23. Please allow Jenna or myself toassist you.24. It's a company who doesn't judgeothers by their nationalities andaccents.25. They fought over their father'sestate because they felt angrily aboutthe way he had treated them.26. You look well in that runningoutfit.27. Don't feel badly about forgetting

my birthday.28. We saw two puppies at thepound and took home the cutest one.29. Speak clearer please.30. Where is that book at?31. Pollen effects my sinuses andmakes me sneeze.32. I want to lay down for a nap, butthe phone keeps ringing.33. That SUV, that landed on itshood after the accident, wastraveling at eighty miles per hour.34. Yesterday, Barry lay my jacketon the hood of the car.35. We need to discuss this farther.36. My daughter became a honorary

member of the city council for theday.37. The group is on their bestbehavior.38. Your the only one for me.39. That redwood tree has becometaller then the oak tree next door.40. The time for action has longsince past.41. Its a long way from here toTierra del Fuego.42. Mother, can I go to the movieswith Ashton this afternoon?43. I could of danced all night.44. Srdjian immigrated from hisnative Bosnia about five years ago.

45. Did you see the beautiful broachGenevieve was wearing today?46. The teacher tried to illicit adiscussion about the novel.47. La Donna talks fondly about thefour years that she has went to theuniversity.48. The answer is plane and simple.49. Let me sit this book down on thetable before I answer your question.50. The legislature finallyauthorized the funds to polish thegold on the dome of the capitalbuilding.

Finding Nouns,Verbs, andSubjects Quiz 1Underline the subjects once and theverbs twice. Correct the capitalizationof nouns if needed. Answers are inChapter Seven.Example: He arrived at heathrow airport on

time.Answer: He arrived at Heathrow Airport

on time.

1. The overturned truck blockedboth lanes.2. He appears to be deep in thought.

3. The Metropolitan Museum of Artis a New York city landmark.4. She will fly part of the way andthen drive fifty kilometers to getthere.5. Honesty is the best policy.6. Get over here quickly!7. From the bottom of the cave, thestalagmites rose ten feet high.8. Through the mist, the Bridgeappeared.9. I will just be watching the bostonmarathon, but my wife will berunning in it.10. Behind the door is a coat rack.11. Joe has been helping out with the

chores.12. He should have been moregracious.

Finding Nouns,Verbs, andSubjects Quiz 2Underline the subjects once and theverbs twice. Correct the capitalizationof nouns if needed. Answers are inChapter Seven.Example: She scratched her silver ring

against the edge of the pool.Answer: She scratched her silver ring

against the edge of the pool.

1. He depends on her in times ofneed.2. Watch your step.

3. The Insurance Agent gave hersound advice.4. On the table was her purse.5. In the newspaper, an interestingarticle appeared.6. Look before you leap.7. Across the road lived herboyfriend.8. We are forced to inhale andexhale this smog-filled air.9. In the gutter, I found a shiny newdime.10. Around every cloud is a silverlining.11. How long have you been livingin new Delhi?

12. They must have given upeventually.

Subject and VerbAgreement Quiz 1Underline the subjects once and theverbs twice. If the subjects and verbs donot agree, change the verbs to match thesubjects. Place a check mark in front ofsentences that are correct. Answers arein Chapter Seven.Example: Willard and his sister is going

for a long hike.Correction: Willard and his sister are going

for a long hike.

1. That pack of lies are not going tocause me to change my mind.2. My favorite team's colors are

orange and black.3. Here's two more factors toconsider.4. Neither the rain nor the darknessare going to stop me.5. My staff believes in providinghigh-quality service.6. This is one of the things thatbothers me about grammar.7. Mary Lou asked that he take outthe trash.8. Either the bikes or the lawnmower go in that space.9. Oh my, there's not enough dessertsfor everyone.10. The bag of toys is going to a

needy family.11. Neither my brother nor mysister-in-law are taking Mom to thedoctor.12. The conductor, as well as themusicians, are taking the stage.13. A majority of the communitysupport lower speed limits.14. My whole family arevacationing in Baja California thiswinter.15. Did he say sixty dollars are thecost of going to the ball game?16. The distance alone, besides thecosts involved, are too great toconsider moving.17. Law and order is the principle

he based his campaign on.18. There's lots of food left.19. There's lots of people here.20. If it was up to me, we wouldleave earlier in the morning.21. One in three stressed Americanscope by shopping.22. Four years are considered thenormal amount of time to earn abachelor's degree.

Subject and VerbAgreement Quiz 2Underline the subjects once and theverbs twice. If the subjects and verbs donot agree, change the verbs to match thesubjects. Place a check mark in front ofsentences that are correct. Answers arein Chapter Seven.Example: The box of books were opened

yesterday.Correction: The box of books was opened

yesterday.

1. Al and Eli go to the beach to surfwith their friends.2. There's three strawberries left.

3. The group of children from thatschool has never seen the ocean.4. If our staff members keep pickingat each other, we will not meet ourgoals.5. A lot of things she said was thetruth.6. My problem, which is minor incomparison with others, existbecause I dropped out of highschool.7. Most of my savings is invested inreal estate.8. She's one of those professionalswho really pays attention.9. Some of my goals has yet to bemet.

10. All of my goals are being metand surpassed.11. None of this is your business.12. Nervousness, not to mention lackof sleep, contribute to poorperformance.13. One-third of the city areexperiencing a blackout tonight.14. One-third of the people aresuffering.15. The next thing I heard were twoshots.16. Ladies and gentlemen, here'sWisin and Yandel.17. Neither Darren nor Ida arecapable of such a crime.

18. Eighty miles on one charge arethe maximum range for my electriccar.19. I wish it were summer and timefor vacation.20. Her attitude is one of the thingsthat's different.

Pronouns Quiz 1Circle the correct word(s) in eachsentence. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. It is he/him who will beresponsible for making all of thearrangements.2. It is I who is/am wrong.3. I hope my boss gives thatassignment to Laura and I/me.4. She was one of those cruisepassengers who is/are alwayscomplaining.5. Each of the players get/gets tomake a speech before the parade.6. Julia is a faster runner than I/me.

7. The sweater that we found at thechurch is yours/your's.8. The dog hurt its/it's paw whilerunning through the empty field.9. George and I/myself finishedstaining the deck.10. Everyone wrote their/his or herown autobiography in the class.11. She/her and Carlos are thebaby's godparents.12. The honors committee nominatedhe/him and Ming.13. Everyone working on thistogether have/has come to a differentconclusion/different conclusions.14. You more than anyone elseknows/know what the risks are.

15. Her/She and I/me are in chargeof the sales presentation tomorrow.16. Neither of the girls are/isplanning a wedding in the nearfuture.17. It is we/us who will get theblame if things do not go well.18. Its/It's obvious that the best teamwill prevail.19. Nora is one of the candidateswho is/are worthy of my vote.20. Nora, of all the candidates whois/are running, is the best.

Pronouns Quiz 2Fix any errors in the followingsentences. Place a check mark in front ofsentences that are correct. Answers arein Chapter Seven.

1. Meagan said she looked forwardto seeing he and I at the airport.2. Him and me have been goodfriends since second grade.3. Yes, this is her speaking.4. My friend, unlike myself, is veryartistic.5. Please talk to Daniela or myselfnext time you have a concern.6. As I've said before, ask either

Boris or she, not me.7. None of the doctors have beenable to figure out what is wrongwith she or I.8. She is as stubborn as him, butthat's no surprise given they aresister and brother.9. I weigh more than him.10. Who's hat is this?11. It is us who deserves credit forthis company's third-quarter profits.12. Its a shame that some of theprofits have been wasted onexcessive executive compensationpackages.13. If you have any questions, pleasecall either Randy or myself.

14. Me and my friend will stop byon our way to the bakery.15. You can help him or me butprobably not both of us.16. It is me who is to blame.17. My boss and me will pick upwhere the others left off.18. When the horse kicked it's legs,the rider landed in the lake.19. You're friend told her's to tell myfriend that their's a party tonight.20. The argument he gave had it'smerits.

Who, Whom,Whoever,Whomever Quiz 1Choose the correct word (who, whom,whoever, or whomever) to completeeach sentence. Answers are in ChapterSeven.

1. _____ brought the mail in today?2. He is the doctor _____ tookJimmy's tonsils out.3. _____ did you go to the moviewith?4. There will be a prize awarded to_____ finishes first.

5. Fatima was the cashier _____won the lottery.6. It does not matter to me _____drives tomorrow.7. I will be happy to help _____needs extra assistance.8. Sheila will have her hair styledby ______ her friend Rhondarecommends.9. I will ride with _____ is planningto stop at the store.10. _____ wrote the story did anexcellent job.11. Next week they will decide_____ will be on the varsity team.12. Please thank _____ brought inour mail while we were gone.

13. Andre is the person _____ wethink is the most qualified.14. We will hire _____ you trust todo the work.15. _____ used the grill last forgotto clean it.16. _____ are you mailing that letterto?17. I will drive _____ Orlandodecides to invite to the game.18. _____ do you trust to fix yourcomputer?19. _____ can eat 25 hot wings willwin a T-shirt.20. The wedding florist _____ wewanted to hire is unavailable.

Who, Whom,Whoever,Whomever Quiz 2Choose the correct word (who, whom,whoever, or whomever) to completeeach sentence. Answers are in ChapterSeven.

1. _____ is your closest friend?2. _____ do you bank with?3. _____ do you think will win theaward?4. Clare knows _____ the winner isalready.5. Omar will talk about his

girlfriend with _____ asks him.6. Kimiko donates her time to _____she feels needs it most.7. Quinton will work on the projectwith _____ you suggest.8. _____ was that in the clowncostume?9. Kathy was not sure _____ shewas voting for.10. _____ wins the lottery willbecome a millionaire.11. He is the man _____ Mr.O'Brian hired.12. She is the woman _____ Ibelieve was hired last year.13. _____ were you speaking about

just now?14. _____ do you think will do thework best?15. I will vote for _____ you thinkis best.16. I will vote for _____ yousuggest.17. _____ shall I ask about thismatter?18. Give the information to _____requests it.19. Give the information to _____they prefer.20. _____ do you suppose runs thisshow?

Who, Whom,That, Which Quiz1Correct who, whom, that, or which inthe following sentences. Place a checkmark in front of sentences that arecorrect. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. Tina is looking for a pet who issmall and easy to care for.2. Andre was the boy who we hiredto shovel our snow.3. The package which was left onthe porch was our book order.4. The mechanic that fixed my car

did a great job.5. I hope we can find a restaurantthat we can all agree on.6. The red vase, that she sold for$20, was worth $200.7. Mike is having a difficult timefinding a tutor who we can afford.8. That is the mascara that causedmy allergic reaction.9. Was he the only student in theclass who applied for thescholarship?10. My favorite store, which isclosing Friday, is having a big sale.

Who, Whom,That, Which Quiz2Correct who, whom, that, or which inthe following sentences. Place a checkmark in front of sentences that arecorrect. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. Ahmed is the skydiver that brokehis back last week.2. That that doesn't kill you makesyou stronger.3. I love hearing the owls who sit inthe trees and hoot at dusk.4. The domino theory, that stated

that when one country fell tocommunism, others in the areawould be likely to fall, was used asan argument to continue the VietnamWar.5. The game which intriguesGretchen the most is dominoes.6. Gandhi was a role model whomillions admired.7. The tomatoes which grow in hergarden are unlike those you buy in astore.8. The tomatoes from her garden,which grew larger than those in thegrocery store, were sweet and ripe.9. The baker who we hired shouldwin an award.

Adjectives andAdverbs Quiz 1Decide whether the sentences arewritten correctly. If not, change them.Place a check mark in front of thesentences that are correct. Answers arein Chapter Seven.

1. Allison runs very clumsy.2. Her boyfriend said she lookedgood in her new dress.3. I feel just as badly about this asyou do.4. I did good today on my finalexam.5. C.J. slept sound after running the

marathon.6. Despite her honest efforts, mygrandmother's driving is worst thanever.7. To dance good, you have topractice a lot.8. Of your three dogs, which iscuter?9. School policy says that childrenshould stay home from school if theydo not feel well.10. Your house looks similarly to theJohnsons' house.11. Eat daintier please.12. Do you like soccer or basketballbest?

13. You should speak more carefularound my daughter.14. He still hears good for someonewho's played in a rock band fortwenty years.15. His hearing is good for someonewho's played in a rock band fortwenty years.16. Our homemade fried rice wasreal tasty.17. I think my left eye is my sharpesteye.18. Dana did not get into herfavorite college because her essaywas written bad.19. He looked pensive sitting cross-legged under the willow tree.

20. These days, children don't knowhow to treat each other nice.

Adjectives andAdverbs Quiz 2Decide whether the sentences arewritten correctly. If not, change them.Place a check mark in front of thesentences that are correct. Answers arein Chapter Seven.

1. Come quick or we will miss ourbus.2. He swings the bat as good asanyone in major-league baseball.3. I have never been less surer ofanything in my life.4. Ella was the best of the twosisters at gymnastics.

5. You did that somersault so good.6. Rochelle felt badly aboutforgetting Devlin's birthday.7. This is the worst oil spill I haveever seen.8. The jasmine has bloomed andsmells very sweet.9. She looked suspiciously to theman wearing the trench coat.10. She looked suspiciously at theman wearing the trench coat.11. To find her, we need to followthose set of tracks.12. Who is the faster runner: Usain,Johan, or Justin?13. Do you feel happily about your

performance on the math quiz?14. The new model of this chain sawoperates much quieter than the oldmodel.15. She felt good about getting herpuppy from the SPCA.16. You'd better be able to provethat, of all the candidates, you'remore qualified.17. Which is the worst, a toothacheor a headache?18. She reacted swift, which madehim feel badly about insulting her.19. The herbs in the salad tastedbitter.20. Sharon fought bitterly against herex-husband for custody of their

daughter.

Prepositions Quiz1Correct the following sentences byadding, removing, or changing theprepositions. Place a check mark in frontof sentences that are correct. Answersare in Chapter Seven.

1. We could of been there by now ifwe hadn't gotten lost.2. Where did you buy that beautifulnecklace at?3. Charles talks like his brotherdoes.4. He drove his car in the garage.5. Did you take an envelope off of

my desk?6. Where did Nadia's little dog goto?7. Like the ranger said, this is anarea with a lot of poison ivy.8. Stacey's copy of the book wasdifferent than mine.9. Jacques acted like he never metyour aunt.10. The tour guide led our group intothe library.

Prepositions Quiz2Correct the following sentences byadding, removing, or changing theprepositions. Place a check mark in frontof sentences that are correct. Answersare in Chapter Seven.

1. Where did you get this from?2. I could of danced all night.3. This problem is no different thanmany others I've dealt with.4. The lioness ate like she hadn'teaten food in a week.5. Take your plate off of the table.

6. Cut the pie up into six slices.7. I don't know what you are talkingabout.8. You could of told me about themistake earlier.9. I don't know where he is at, or Iwould tell you.10. I'm going to turn this lost walletinto the police.

Affect vs. EffectQuiz 1Circle the correct word in eachsentence. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. Mark told Taneisha that cigaretteswould negatively affect/effect herhealth.2. The service trip to CentralAmerica had a life-alteringaffect/effect on Rosemary.3. To affect/effect better treatment offood-packaging laborers, Aaronstarted a workers union.4. The convict showed littleaffect/effect throughout her trial.

5. When the school's new rules takeaffect/effect, students will no longerbe allowed to leave campus duringlunch.6. Do you think our campaign willbe affective/effective?7. Bobby's friends tend toaffect/effect his rash decisionmaking.8. Working overtime at the officenegatively affected/effectedKeeton's personal life.9. It is unfortunate that fossil fuelshave such a drastic affect/effect onthe environment.10. One must be a powerful speakerto affect/effect social change.

11. Jojo found that meditation hadtherapeutic affects/effects.12. The choices we make now willaffect/effect society for generationsto come.13. Professor Nguyen's harshgrading had the unintendedaffect/effect of discouraging interestin the course.14. The bike safety law currently inaffect/effect should be improved.15. The emergence of socialnetworking websitesaffected/effected her productivity.16. Do you think that winning thelottery has affected/effectedJujhaar's personality?

Affect vs. EffectQuiz 2Circle the correct word in eachsentence. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. The affect/effect of the antibioticon her infection was surprising.2. I did not know that antibioticscould affect/effect people soquickly.3. Plastic surgery had anaffect/effect not only on herappearance but also on her self-esteem.4. If the chemotherapy has noaffect/effect, should she get surgery

for the tumor?5. When will we know if thechemotherapy has takenaffect/effect?6. Losing her hair fromchemotherapy did not affect/effecther as much as her friends hadexpected.7. To have the most affect/effect, youshould know both your strengths andyour weaknesses.8. The movie Winged Migration hadtwo affects/effects on him: hebecame an environmental advocateand a bird lover.9. The net affect/effect of blowingthe whistle on her boss was that she

was eventually given his position.10. What was the affect/effect of hispromotion?11. His decision affected/effectedeveryone here.12. We had to affect/effect areduction in costs.13. The critics greatlyaffected/effected his thinking.14. How were you able toaffect/effect such radical changes?15. That book had a majoraffect/effect on his philosophy.

Lay vs. Lie Quiz 1Make corrections to the words in boldwhere needed. Place a check mark infront of sentences that are correct.Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. Grandma is not feeling well andwent to lay down.2. The mail has laid on the tableunopened for two days now.3. The cat will probably be lying inthe sun after she eats her lunch.4. The chickens layed enough eggsfor us to make three large omelets.5. Bobby has been lying his clotheson the bed instead of folding them.

6. The girls layed in the tent andpretended they were camping out.7. Omar laid on the air mattress andfloated on the water for hours.8. He forgot where he had layed hiskeys.9. Lay out all the clothes that youwant to pack.10. You should have lain out all theclothes that you wanted to pack.

Lay vs. Lie Quiz 2Make corrections to the words in boldwhere needed. Place a check mark infront of sentences that are correct.Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. I am dizzy and need to lay down.2. When I got dizzy yesterday, I laiddown.3. My brother lays carpet for aliving.4. That rug has lain there fordecades.5. We need to lie this baby down fora nap.6. We will know we have lain this

issue to rest when we no longer fightabout it.7. The lions are laying in wait fortheir prey.8. The lions have laid in wait fortheir prey.9. I laid the blanket over her as sheslept.10. I will lie my head on my pillow.

Advice vs. AdviseQuiz 1Circle the correct word. Answers are inChapter Seven.

1. My doctor adviced/advised me togo to the gym more often.2. I always ask my brother foradvice/advise because he knows mebest.3. My advice/advise is to talk toGeorgia face-to-face, rather than bye-mail.4. The traffic reportersadvice/advise commuters to take theback roads because of the accident

on the freeway.5. If you are interested in becominga marine biologist, I wouldadvice/advise you to talk to Hank.6. Even though Scott always givesEden bad advice/advise, she stillfollows it.7. Although Bhaven is not veryopinionated, he gives astuteadvice/advise.8. Teachers advice/advise parents toemphasize reading at home.9. When giving advice/advise to afriend, I try to put myself in hershoes.10. The ride operatoradvices/advises passengers to keep

their limbs inside the roller coaster.

Advice vs. AdviseQuiz 2Circle the correct word. Answers are inChapter Seven.

1. Adele is always happy to offeradvice/advise if you ask her for it.2. The lawyer adviced/advised himto plead guilty.3. If you want to go on the seniortrip, I would strongly advice/adviseyou to start saving your money.4. Our new members are impressedwith the level of advice/advise theyreceived from the leadership group.5. Sara always takes my

advice/advise to heart.6. I'd like to ask an engineer toadvice/advise us on the design.7. We adviced/advised the citycouncil that the deadline wastentative and might need to beextended.8. Lakeisha knows she can alwaysgo to her best friend foradvice/advise.9. Don't give advice/advise thatyou're not willing to followyourself.10. Randall has a bad habit ofoffering unsolicited advice/advise.

Their vs. There vs.They're Quiz 1Circle the correct word. Answers are inChapter Seven.

1. The Garcias are having a costumeparty at their/there/they're housetonight.2. I heard that the best beaches arein Southern California, but I wouldrather not drive all the way downtheir/there/they're.3. While their/there/they're in town,we want to show LaDasha andRaquel the beach at sunset.4. Their/There/They're are many

ways to cut a cake.5. Celia allows her children towatch television once they havefinished their/there/they'rehomework.6. Paul and Summer are in search ofa tank for their/there/they're babyturtles.7. On Thursday, their/there/they'regoing to take a paragliding lesson.8. After a long day of work,their/there/they're brains were fried.9. Even though their/there/they're isnot enough space in my room for thattree, my dad refuses to move it.10. To our surprise, Nick and Taylorjust announced that

their/there/they're getting married!

Their vs. There vs.They're Quiz 2Circle the correct word. Answers are inChapter Seven.

1. According to an old legend,their/there/they're is treasure buriedon that island.2. Juan and Pancho just called to letus know their/there/they're comingfor dinner.3. Their/There/They're is a mouse inmy closet!4. I can't wait to see the looks ontheir/there/they're faces when I tellthem the truth.

5. I wonder if their/there/they'replanning to go shopping with us.6. The children went upstairs to playafter clearing their/there/they'replates at dinner.7. It's their/there/they're decision, soI'll just stay out of it.8. I don't know whattheir/there/they're doing to cause allthat noise, but it's giving me aheadache!9. The kids haven't called yet; I'mconcerned about their/there/they'rebeing out so late at night.10. I believe Wynona left herglasses over their/there/they're.

More ConfusingWords andHomonyms Quiz 1Correct all usage errors as listed inChapter Five. Beware: there may bemore than one error per quiz question.

1. It was not just a great day; it wasan historic occasion, and I wasfeeling alright.2. It takes awhile to adopt to this hotweather when you're fromAnchorage.3. You don't need fancy stationary tothank someone—that's besides the

point.4. I can not be calm on rollercoasters. I ride them with baitedbreath.5. I have no flare for geography: Ithought Buffalo was the capitol ofNew York, but it's Albany.6. Where good friends areconcerned, my chief criteria hasalways been loyalty.7. I prophesized that if she keptacting that way, she'd get her justdesserts.8. You have to be more discrete oryou'll literally drive your husbandup the wall.9. I've never waivered in my

enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays,i.e., Romeo and Juliet.10. Let's take the next boat off of thisisland. We'll be in eminent danger ifwe wait around.11. I explained my principle reasonsfor quitting to a couple guys fromwork.

More ConfusingWords andHomonyms Quiz 2Correct all usage errors as listed inChapter Five. Beware: there may bemore than one error per quiz question.

1. Just wait 'til you see one of themost unique buildings in theMidwest.2. I always buy Acme productsbecause it's a company who reallycares about the consumer.3. I was amazed by the enormity ofhis hands, which held me in a vice-

like grip.4. It's not everyday that I get tospend several hours on my favoritepast time.5. He's one of the premiere actors ofour generation, irregardless of hismessy personal life.6. It won't phase me in the least ifyou just sit your drink on the chairnext to you.7. He never graduated high schoolbecause he always flaunted theschool rules.8. He wore a gold metal when helead the parade yesterday.9. I think it was a fashion misnomerto wear such a miniscule ring with

such a big bracelet.10. Even here in earthquake country,that tremblor was a frighteningphenomena.11. I don't have to show up until 10a.m. in the morning.

Effective WritingQuiz 1Rewrite these sentences to make themmore effective. Your sentences may bedifferent from the answers given in thebook. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. While I am in town. Let's visitGolden Gate Park.2. Walking aimlessly down thestreet, a bus almost clipped me.3. Good employees are prompt,courteous, and they help you whenyou need it.4. Several items of evidence wereoverlooked by police who were

investigating the scene of the crime.5. It is expected that you will reportfor work by no later than nineo'clock.6. There is just one more thing that Iwant to say before I finish up.7. The patient is not unresponsive.8. Raised in Italy, my grandfather'sbroken English created problemsearly on.9. Students will benefit themselvesby listening, taking notes, and theyshould always pay attention.10. The cars were worn down by thetaxi drivers.11. After tossing and turning, thealarm came on much too early.

12. I have always believed in beingthrifty, loyal, and I do high-qualitywork.13. One thing I could say withouthesitation is that he is not unreliable.

Effective WritingQuiz 2Rewrite these sentences to make themmore effective. Your sentences may bedifferent from the answers given in thebook. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. We will utilize the attorneys wehave employed to engender thedissolution of our marriage.2. The boy was hit in the face by thepie as it left the girl's hand.3. It was not likely that no onewould want to claim ownership ofthe new sports car.4. We washed the dishes, swept the

floor, and the tables were dusted.5. While singing in the shower, thebar of soap slipped from her hands.6. Maria encountered a stranger cladin her parka and blue jeans.7. The weather had adverse impactson our boat, resulting in thenecessity of rescuing us from thewater.8. On a hike with my wife, a bearclimbed a tree.9. Looking back, the dog wasfollowing us.10. Jordan did not believe thatSerena had embarrassed himunintentionally.11. Martin could not juggle watching

Timmy, making breakfast, and he hada report to write.12. Like others we questioned, hisname was not announced.13. I was wearing the sweater thatAmy knitted at the concert.14. Lying on a stretcher, they carriedhim out.

GrammarMastery TestCorrect the following sentences. Place acheck mark in front of sentences that arecorrect. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. Some of the desserts was left bythe end of the birthday party.2. It was myself and maybe twoother people.3. Dr. Cresta is one of thoseprofessors who does whatever ittakes to get his point across.4. Your brilliant excuses almostmakes up for your tardiness.5. Neither Jackson nor Jenna is

playing hooky.6. Neither Jackson nor his family aregoing camping this weekend.7. Either of us is capable ofwinning.8. All of the class is willing to takepart in the prank.9. One-third of the eligiblepopulation tend not to vote innational elections.10. Not even one-third of the voterstends to cast their ballots in nationalelections.11. Here's the paper clips yourequested.12. She is one of those doctors whomake house calls.

13. Her and him are always fighting.14. When Toni and him come over,we always have a great time.15. It is we who must decidewhether to tax ourselves or cutspending.16. Between you and I, this class isa joke.17. Whom do you think you are togive me advice about dating?18. Who makes up these Englishrules anyway?19. Whom do you think should win?20. Who are you voting for?21. She is one of the only teacherswho does what it takes to help her

students learn joyfully.22. Whomever has the keys gets tobe in the driver's seat.23. We are willing to work withwhoever you recommend.24. The thoughts that Ted presentedat the meeting were worthwhile.25. The thoughts that Ted presented,that were about shifting nationalpriorities, were well received.26. When you do a job so good, youcan expect a raise.27. I, as most people, try to beconsiderate of others.28. Harry smells good. What is theaftershave he is wearing?

29. Lisa did so well on the test thatshe was allowed to accelerate to thenext level.30. Our puppy is the least hungriestof the litter.31. He's a man whom I think definesgreatness.32. Karen should of known that hercheap umbrella would break in thestorm.33. Sometimes the effects of ourgenerosity may seem minimal, butour good intentions do make adifference.34. Ben thought he had lain myjacket on that bench.35. Our company policy will not

allow me to except a gift worthmore than $50.36. They thought we were late, butmy wife and I were all ready at therestaurant.37. Irregardless of who was therefirst, we were all very hungry andready to eat.38. We could hardly believe theGiants could loose the game by thatmany runs.39. Isn't it amazing how long thatmime can remain completelystationery?40. The department's principalconcern is the safety of allemployees.

41. How did they manage to servecold ice cream in the middle of thevast dessert?42. The boss complemented Ari onhis excellent presentation.43. The judge did not believe any ofthere stories.44. Ilana said she wanted to becomea FBI agent when she grew up.45. It's not good when your alwayslate like this.46. To be a good billiards player,you've got to think farther ahead thanjust the next shot.47. I think I'll go lay down awhile.48. The golf course at the resort islovely, but I prefer it's swimming

pool.49. Sam and myself paid the cabfare, and Alejandro paid for dinner.50. Marta completed five lessproblems than I did in the sameamount of time.

Punctuation,Capitalization, andWriting NumbersPretestCorrect any errors in punctuation,capitalization, and writing numbers.Place a check mark in front of sentencesthat are correct. Answers are in ChapterSeven.

1. Go West three blocks and turnright.2. He insisted it was based on thepeoples' right to know.

3. “How,” I asked “Can you alwaysbe so forgetful”?4. I want you to meet my best friendBill when he gets here.5. Although we have a competentstaff; bottlenecks do occur.6. I did not receive the order;therefore, I will not pay my bill.7. We offer a variety of drinks, forinstance beer and wine.8. Is that book your's?9. We have much to do, for example,the carpets need vacuuming.10. Estimates for the work havebeen forwarded, and a breakdownof costs has been included.

11. Because of his embezzling thecompany went bankrupt.12. A proposal that makesharassment of whales illegal, hasjust passed.13. He is the President of ourcorporation.14. Paolo hurried to the depot tomeet his aunt, and two cousins.15. Finish your job, it is imperativethat you do.16. Sofia and Aidan's house wasrecently painted.17. “Stop it!” I said, “Don't ever dothat again.”18. He was born in Ames, Iowa andstill lives there.

19. “Would you like to accompanyme,” he asked?20. I have always had a mentalblock against Math.21. He is a strong healthy man.22. To apply for this job you musthave previous experience.23. Marge, the woman with blondhair will be our speaker thisevening.24. He thought quickly, and thenanswered the question in completedetail.25. He asked if he could beexcused?26. It is hailing; not raining.

27. We will grant you immunity, ifyou decide to cooperate with us.28. You signed the contract,consequently you must provide uswith the raw materials.29. I would like; however, to readthe fine print first.30. You are required to bring thefollowing: Sleeping bag, food, and asewing kit.31. The three company's computerswere stolen.32. The womens' department isupstairs and to your left.33. It hurt it's paw.34. One of the lawyer's left herbriefcase.

35. That's the Texas' way of doingthings.36. July 5, 1990 was the day I wasborn.37. I need to locate four states on themap; Arkansas, Ohio, Illinois, andUtah.38. The e-mail read, “Hi Camille. Ihaven't heard from you in twoweeks.”39. The veterinarian said, “Unlessits bleeding and doesn't stop, don'tworry about it.”40. Not wanting to discuss this withher mother anymore, Wendydeclared, “This is her karma notmine.”

41. You must study hard, to get goodgrades at a major university.42. ¼ of the police force voted for apay raise.43. Thirty one people were injured.44. I owe you $15.00, not $16.

Commas andPeriods Quiz 1Correct any comma or period errors.Place a check mark in front of sentencesthat are correct. Answers are in ChapterSeven.

1. Ophelia is picking up the foodand I am making the centerpieces.2. “Yes,” Ting said “I did see thebaby panda at the zoo today.”3. Her mother is planning a trip toPortland, Maine in the fall this year.4. Patrick's name was on the guestlist, wasn't it?5. Yes, Mother I did remember to

place the bakery order.6. Jackson's white cat was born inJune, 2013, at his farm.7. Jackson's white cat was born onJune 28 2013 at his farm.8. You may only bring the bareessentials to the exam, i.e. a watch,a pencil or a pen, paper, and acalculator.9. Pencils, pens, paper, calculators,etc., will be provided.10. I would be hesitant however, totake the trip alone.11. He hosted a cowboy-themedparty in the big, red barn.12. It looks like A.J. Jefferson, Jr.will be our next congressman.

13. If you are interested in workingfor our company send us yourrésumé.14. My oldest cousin who lives inDetroit used to be a policeman.15. Jonathan Green M.D. will be thekeynote speaker at the conference.16. The keynote speaker at theconference will be Jonathan Green,M.D..17. Well do you think we'll see thesun today?18. Frank visited the travel agent,but still did not book his trip.19. I want to go now not later.20. I really enjoyed the show, theacting was superb.

Commas andPeriods Quiz 2Correct any comma or period errors.Place a check mark in front of sentencesthat are correct. Answers are in ChapterSeven.

1. I took Angie the one with thefreckles to the movie last night.2. Jeremy, and I, have had our shareof arguments.3. You are I am sure, telling thetruth.4. She left Albany, New York onJanuary 18 of that year.5. I need sugar, butter, and eggs,

from the grocery store.6. Dairy products, e.g. milk, butter,eggs, etc. are no longer foods I caneat.7. Please Sasha, come home as soonas you can.8. Although you may be right Icannot take your word for it.9. If you decide to cooperate with uswe will grant you immunity.10. I am typing a letter and she istalking on the phone.11. She finished her work, and thentook a long lunch.12. Mae said “Why don't you comeup and see me sometime?”

13. You said that I could go, didn'tyou?14. To apply for this job you musthave a Social Security card.15. He seems to be such a lonelyquiet man doesn't he?16. She wore a bright red dress.17. She has a good healthy attitudeabout her work.18. On June 7, 2012 Hector earnedhis computer science degree.19. I like anchovies on my pizza mywife hates them.20. Although my wife hatesanchovies. I like them on my pizza.

Semicolons andColons Quiz 1Correct any punctuation errors. Somesentences may require removingpunctuation. Place a check mark in frontof sentences that are correct. Answersare in Chapter Seven.Example: These are some of the pool

rules; do not run, report unsafebehavior to the lifeguard, andhave fun.

Correction: These are some of the poolrules: do not run, report unsafebehavior to the lifeguard, andhave fun.

1. Denise prefers to eat chicken or

fish: I'm a vegetarian.2. The centerpieces had her favoriteflowers; roses, carnations, anddaisies.3. They were missing a few thingson their camping trip, namely; theyforgot sunscreen, towels, andfirewood.4. Please give me some time, I donot want to be rushed.5. While visiting the beach, we saw:pelicans, stingrays, and iguanas.6. I would like to leave early in themorning, therefore: I am going tobed soon.7. On our last trip we stayed inNashville, Tennessee, Atlanta,

Georgia, and Orlando, Florida.8. The girls on the team will havequite a few expenses; uniforms;shoes; equipment; and camp fees.9. Estella landed her dream summerjob: She'll be an intern in a senator'soffice.10. Roberto can't decide amongthree careers: dentist; veterinarian;or physical therapist.11. When Jane leaves, which will bein a few minutes, we can plan herparty, but we still better do itquietly.12. The players have only one goal,they want to win the Stanley Cup.13. I need to buy: shampoo,

toothpaste, soap, and contact lenssolution.14. Give her a break, she just startedworking here two days ago!15. The delegates came from ouroffices in Region 1, Boston, Region2, New York, Region 6, Houston,and Region 10, Seattle.16. Her new supervisor gave her alist of rules to be followed at theoffice; no making personal phonecalls, surfing the Internet, or readingmagazines.17. Jobs were assigned to the sheltervolunteers; clean the litter boxes,sweep the floors, feed the cats, andgive them water.

18. Max and Sue have been to theCaribbean many times, however;they have not visited St. Lucia.19. At the camp the children weredivided into two groups; those whoknow how to swim; and those whodo not.20. Ashley was late for therehearsal: she is usually late.

Semicolons andColons Quiz 2Correct any punctuation errors. Somesentences may require removingpunctuation. Place a check mark in frontof sentences that are correct. Answersare in Chapter Seven.Example: We told Annika that we would

take three courses next fall;French, American literature, andadvanced algebra.

Correction: We told Annika that we wouldtake three courses next fall:French, American literature, andadvanced algebra.

1. You asked for forgiveness, he

granted it to you.2. We ask therefore, that you keepthis matter confidential.3. The order was requested sixweeks ago, therefore I expected theshipment to have arrived by now.4. The American flag has threecolors, namely, red, white, and blue.5. Clothes are often made fromsynthetic material; for instance,rayon.6. If you believe in magic, magicalthings will happen, but if you don'tbelieve in magic, you'll discovernothing magical.7. The orchestra, excluding theviolin section was not up to par.

8. I have been to San Francisco,California, Reno, Nevada, andSeattle, Washington.9. I need a few items at the store;clothespins, a bottle opener, andnapkins.10. I answered the phone, no oneseemed to be on the other end of theline.11. I wanted a cup of coffee, not aglass of milk.12. We have set this restriction, doyour homework before watchingtelevision.13. If you can possibly arrange it,please visit us but if you cannot, letus know.

14. I gave her a lot of money whilewe were married therefore I do notwish to pay her a dime in alimony.15. We have a variety of desserts,for instance apple pie, chocolatemousse, and flan.16. I needed three cards to win thehand, namely the ten of hearts, jackof diamonds, and king of hearts.17. I needed three cards to win thehand; the ten of hearts, jack ofdiamonds, and king of hearts.18. I would, therefore like to havean explanation for the missing cash.19. Nature lovers will appreciateseeing: whales, sea lions, andpelicans.

20. He has friends from Iowa andNebraska and Illinois is his homestate.

Question Marksand QuotationMarks Quiz 1Correct the punctuation errors in thefollowing sentences. Place a check markin front of sentences that are correct.Answers are in Chapter Seven.Example: “Well, I really don't know” she

said.Correction: “Well, I really don't know,” she

said.

1. “Have you already completed oursurvey,” the cashier asked?2. Yan inquired, “Is it supposed to

snow tomorrow”?3. I wonder why Allen left so earlythis morning?4. “Are we really planning to drivestraight through without stopping,”he asked in amazement?5. I hope you don't mind my askingshe said, “but do you realize howtired everyone is going to be by thetime we get there”?6. Shia asked, with disbelief “Areyou sure you want to be the one totell her?”7. Betty is the one who found outfirst, isn't she.8. “Victor asked me what I didyesterday?” she said.

9. She said, “T.J. shouted, “We arenot staying at that hotel.”10. Carmella wanted to know if youneed a ride to the mall.

Question Marksand QuotationMarks Quiz 2Correct the punctuation errors in thefollowing sentences. Place a check markin front of sentences that are correct.Answers are in Chapter Seven.Example: He asked, “Did Danika really

say that”?Correction: He asked, “Did Danika really

say that?”

1. He wanted to know when youwill be here?2. “Well, she said, “you certainly

didn't waste any time.”3. “Is it almost over,” he asked?4. “I've had it up to here!”, shescreamed.5. The song asks, “Would you like toswing on a star”?6. Carmen said, “She vowed, “I'llnever leave you.”7. “May I have a rain check on thatlunch”? I asked.8. Do you believe the saying, “It isbetter to vote for what you want andnot get it than to vote for what youdon't want and get it?”9. Bernard said, Waldo asked, “Whotook my pencil sharpener?”

10. “May I see your ID card,” theclerk asked?

Parentheses andBrackets Quiz 1Correct the punctuation errors in thefollowing sentences. Place a check markin front of sentences that are correct.Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. After standing in line for 30minutes [or possibly longer], shewas able to buy the tickets.2. My cousin wrote, “I herd (sic) arumor that Jack and Jennifer aregetting engaged.”3. I would like to confirm mymembership (The dues check isenclosed.)

4. Our first meeting will be held atFirst Central Bank's communityroom [Main Street branch].5. We all decided to go out for pizzaafter the meeting (except for Dan).6. I overheard her say, “Our favoritecousin (she meant Dale) will beaccompanying us on our trip.”7. Yasir was able to find the book hewanted for a really good price(twenty-five dollars.)8. Luigi moved to this countryshortly after he was born (about1925).9. When his family came to theUnited States, they settled inWashington [state].

10. The first line of his letter said,“My freinds [sic], I never thoughtwe would all be together again likethis.”

Parentheses andBrackets Quiz 2Correct the punctuation errors in thefollowing sentences. Place a check markin front of sentences that are correct.Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. She requested (actually shepleaded, that her name be withheld.2. Joe called today (He's been sick.)and said he felt better.3. I can have lunch with youtomorrow (Friday.)4. I hope you are feeling better (I amsick today.)5. In the movie Vanessa exclaims,

“Whatever shall I do if he (thesheriff) comes looking for youtomorrow?”6. I read in the Mill Valley policelog: “Officers were called todisburse (sic) attendees at a noisyparty.”7. Daniel wanted to know whyMindy felt that way (he really didn'tunderstand it.).8. Mariella told us that when hergrandfather was a child, he used towork at a hamburger stand foralmost nothing [sixty-five cents anhour].9. I need to run to the store rightaway (it's going to close in 20

minutes.)10. “do not go to sleep angry at eachother,” the author states on page 56.

Apostrophes Quiz1Correct any apostrophe errors. Answersare in Chapter Seven.

1. The movie had it's desired effect.2. Both of my brother-in-law's livenear Durango.3. Those girl's vitality and humorare infectious.4. Womens' Wear Daily has beencalled the industry's voice ofauthority.5. Those actress's costumes lookbeautiful on them.

6. Bill and Al had a boat. I wasthere when Bill's and Al's boat sank.7. She always let me stay up past theother childrens' bedtime.8. In some peoples' opinion,Faulkner is too difficult.9. I really felt that I got my moniesworth.10. Would that companies healthplan give you peace of mind?

Apostrophes Quiz2Correct any apostrophe errors. Answersare in Chapter Seven.

1. Those old factory's roof's have allcaved in.2. The two little bird's feather'swere ruffled.3. If it isn't her's, then who's is it?4. Joe Wilson said, “I may bebiased, but the Wilson's holidaymeals are the best.”5. Watch out for the scissor's sharpblades.

6. Weve been invited to her twosisters-in-law party.7. Does'nt it seem strange that Ididn't see that friend of your'sanywhere?8. The five injured sailor's relativesare waiting outside.9. Not all baby's mothers agree onwhat constitutes good nutrition.10. Mr. Simms said none of hisfellow Simm's opinions would swayhim.

Hyphens BetweenWords Quiz 1Add, remove, or fix hyphens asnecessary. Place a check mark in front ofsentences that are correct. Answers arein Chapter Seven.

1. The storm blew down a seventyfoot tall tree last night.2. The tree that blew down last nightwas seventy feet tall.3. My sister is moving from herhome next to the heavily-congestedhighway.4. The summer camp was designedfor 16 year old to 18 year old

gymnasts.5. The summer camp was designedfor gymnasts 16 years old to 18years old.6. The summer camp was designedfor gymnasts 16-18 years old.7. Clashes came one-year after theprime minister took office.8. It's a two hour meeting, 2:30 -4:30 p.m.9. If we split the bill evenly, weeach owe thirty four dollars.10. We offer around the clockcoverage.11. Those low-interest rates aretempting.

12. He certainly is a slovenly-appearing young man.

Hyphens BetweenWords Quiz 2Add, remove, or fix hyphens asnecessary. Place a check mark in front ofsentences that are correct. Answers arein Chapter Seven.

1. She jumped from a two storybuilding.2. You must let-down your guard.3. You certainly have a go get itnature.4. The badly-injured fireman wastaken to a hospital.5. Look left-and-right before youcross the street.

6. The left handed pitcher threwfastballs at almost 100 miles perhour.7. Do you remember anything youread in the fourth grade?8. This is seventh grade readingmaterial.9. Beware of high pressuretelemarketers.10. That two year old is adorable.11. That two-year old child isadorable.12. That child is two years old.

Hyphens withPrefixes andSuffixes Quiz 1Add or remove hyphens as necessary.Place a check mark in front of sentencesthat are correct. Answers are in ChapterSeven.

1. Construction of the transAlaskaoil pipeline had to address issuescaused by perma-frost.2. Our town's exmayor has surprisedeveryone by deciding to run forreelection.3. The safety official deemphasized

human error as a factor in theaccident.4. Oh no, I've spilled coffee all overmyself and will have to redress fordinner.5. Jacob had to sue the manufacturerto obtain full redress for his injuries.6. According to Aunt Agnes, half ofyoung people today aresemiilliterate.7. Our farming coop includes arooster and a coop for five chickens.8. I suppose hiking twelve miles aday for four days is do-able, but I'drather not.9. It is a true-ism that creating aCubiststyle painting is easier said

than done.10. Would you have guessed thatexSenator Salazar would becomeGovernorelect Salazar?

Hyphens withPrefixes andSuffixes Quiz 2Insert hyphens or close up the spacewhere appropriate. Answers are inChapter Seven.

1. non Jewish2. pre existing3. re establish4. self satisfied5. ex Marine6. anti inflammatory7. anti war

8. error free9. self styled10. absentee ism

CapitalizationQuiz 1Correct the following sentences wherecapitalization errors appear. Place acheck mark in front of sentences that arecorrect. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. Don't you love looking at the skywhen venus appears next to theMoon?2. Leslie said that a highlight of hertrip to the Nation's Capital wastouring the white house.3. My Grandmother lives onFillmore street.4. I will be excited to listen to our

Chief Executive Officer, NancyWilliamson, speak today in theauditorium.5. The new immigration bill has thesupport of most of our State'sCongressional delegation, includingsenator Mayhew.6. I plead not guilty, your honor.7. Have you ever visited NewEngland in the Fall?8. I told uncle Walter to turn Northwhen he reached Broadway, but hegot lost because he's not fromMadison county.9. Uncle Walter said, “please useleft or right, not North, South, East,or West.”

10. Adriana is dreading SpringQuarter because she has to takeOrganic Chemistry and Physics 105.11. Adriana needs to bring thefollowing to her final exam: Twopencils, scratch paper, a calculator,and a light snack.12. That was amazing how CoachErnie Sasaki led The Bulldogs totheir first winning season.

CapitalizationQuiz 2Correct the following sentences wherecapitalization errors appear. Place acheck mark in front of sentences that arecorrect. Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. She said, “bees are not the onlyinsects that sting.”2. “You must understand,” hepleaded, “That I need more time topay you.”3. Mark Paxton, the Vice Presidentof the company, embezzled over onemillion dollars.4. The President of the United States

wields much power.5. I live in the northeastern part ofthe state, where the climate iscolder.6. The West, especially California,is famous for its cutting-edgetechnology.7. Have you read All The King'sMen?8. I enjoy Summer more than anyother season.9. Employees of the Company werelaid off with little hope of returningto work.10. The supreme court unanimouslystruck down the proposedConstitutional Amendment today.

11. We saw Director George Lucaswalking down the street.12. We all stood for the NationalAnthem before watching The NewYork Mets play The Chicago Cubs.

Writing NumbersQuiz 1Correct, simplify, or improveconsistency regarding how numbers areexpressed in the following sentences.Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. During the first hours after theplane crash, authorities reportedthirty six people missing.2. 36 people were reported missingduring the first hours after the planecrash.3. The new stadium will hold 43520fans.4. Bobby grew .67 inches in three

months.5. Next week's lottery jackpot isexpected to reach between fourmillion and 5 million dollars.6. Next week's lottery jackpot isexpected to reach between $4million dollars and $5 milliondollars.7. The next meeting of the holidayparty planning committee will beheld on the 31st of October at 12Noon.8. The plane won't arrive until 12p.m.9. Some people now refer to theForties and Fifties as “mid-century.”10. Some people now refer to the

‘40s and ‘50s as “mid-century.”

Writing NumbersQuiz 2Correct, simplify, or improveconsistency regarding how numbers areexpressed in the following sentences.Answers are in Chapter Seven.

1. 1/5 of the inventory was ruined inthe fire.2. A two thirds majority is needed topass the measure.3. The tree grew only .5 inchesbecause of the drought.4. Her earnings rose from $500 to$5,000.00 in one year because of

her marketing efforts.5. I paid her all but the last $0.75today.6. We all agreed. $2,500 is a lot ofmoney.7. 47 people were hired last month.8. Including tax, my new car costthirty two thousand, six hundredseventy two dollars, fifty sevencents.9. I will be twenty- one years old onDecember 9.10. We have only received pointfive four inches of rain this year.

Punctuation,Capitalization, andWriting NumbersMastery TestCorrect any errors in punctuation,capitalization, or writing numbers. Placea check mark in front of sentences thatare correct. Answers are in ChapterSeven.

1. I am asking if you would like toroller blade together tomorrow?2. Yes Jean, you were right aboutthat answer.

3. He said that the book was “In myoffice if you want to read it”, so Itook him up on it.4. Wherever we go peoplerecognize us.5. Isabel enjoys the museumalthough she cannot afford theentrance fee.6. His new book is titled Food is myFavorite Thing.7. You are my friend, however, Icannot afford to lend you any moremoney.8. Paul Simon sang, “I am a rock, Iam an island.”9. I asked Ella, “Did he want hisring back”?

10. John F. Kennedy, Jr. became amagazine publisher and a pilotbefore his tragic death.11. Your house resembles theJohnson's house.12. The elections will be held on thefirst Tuesday of November 2008.13. The elections, will be held onTuesday, November 4, 2008, and thepolls will be kept open until 8:00p.m.14. Carl worried about the hurricanebut tried to stay calm and help hisfamily.15. I favor green and yellow andpurple is her first choice.16. I need to locate four states on the

map: namely, Minnesota, Michigan,California, and Nevada.17. This is the point that Einsteinmade; You cannot fix a problem withthe problem.18. Our Philosophy teacher thinksEinstein meant that we cannot stopwar by waging war.19. Whenever Cheryl is in town shevisits her sister.20. A well reasoned argument waspresented for negotiating a peacefulresolution.21. The argument for negotiating apeaceful resolution was wellreasoned.22. A liberally sprinkled dose of

humor was very much appreciated.23. Our liberal minded clergymanmanaged to unite the entirecongregation.24. Our clergyman, who united theentire congregation, was liberal-minded.25. Jan asked, “What did Joe meanwhen he said, ‘I will see you later?’”26. I asked the Wilson's over fordinner.27. When I noticed that our dog cutit's paw, I called the veterinarianright away.28. “Your right to be concerned,”said the vet. “I would like to take a

look at your dog.”29. Even though its thirty miles tothe town where that vet's office is, Iwanted to take the drive.30. The friendly looking vetexamined our dog's paw andsuggested that we have it bandaged.31. We had pet insurance but stillowed $40 dollars in co-paymentfees.32. Our dog was a semi-invalid untilshe chewed off the bandage.33. I guess she did what any selfrespecting dog would do bygrooming herself.34. The dog has fully re-covered,although I will never be the same.

35. Girls in his family wore hand medown dresses.36. Wendy thought she kneweverything about her mother butfound out two years ago that hermother had been married before.37. When Wendy asked about thismarriage, her mother Ilse washesitant to discuss any details.38. She will go to her grave withsome secrets said Wendy.39. “Do you understand her need forprivacy,” Wendy asked her husband?40. The wealthy became wealthierduring the 1990s.41. The alarm clock went off at 4:00o'clock.

42. Many people dread the 15 ofApril in the United States becausetaxes are due.43. The check was written for$13348.15.44. The check was written for three-hundred forty-eight dollars andfifteen cents.

Chapter 7

Answers toQuizzes

Grammar PretestAnswers

1. How quickly he runs.2. Neither one of them is ready yet.3. The desk and the chair sit in the

corner.4. Each of us was scheduled to takethe test.5. The coach, not the players, hasbeen ill.6. There are only four days untilChristmas.7. She is one of the women whowork hard.8. That was Yusuf and I whom yousaw.9. This phone call is for Bill andme.10. Terrell is the smarter of thetwo.11. It was I who called.

12. It is we clerks who work hard.13. He took the plate off the table.14. I am doing fine. How about you?15. They mailed the copies to himand me.16. Neither of the candidates hasspoken.17. How will you be affectedfinancially if downsizing means youwill lose your job?18. Joan walks slowly so herchildren can keep up with her. (ORmore slowly)19. Jake is the older of the twobrothers.20. May did well on the test she took

yesterday.21. He and she were really closefriends.22. Whoever drove in the carpoollane without any passengers will befined.23. Please allow Jenna or me toassist you.24. It's a company that doesn't judgeothers by their nationalities andaccents.25. They fought over their father'sestate because they felt angry aboutthe way he had treated them.26. You look good in that runningoutfit.27. Don't feel bad about forgetting

my birthday.28. We saw two puppies at thepound and took home the cuter one.29. Speak more clearly please.30. Where is that book?31. Pollen affects my sinuses andmakes me sneeze.32. I want to lie down for a nap, butthe phone keeps ringing.33. That SUV, which landed on itshood after the accident, wastraveling at eighty miles per hour.34. Yesterday, Barry laid my jacketon the hood of the car.35. We need to discuss this further.36. My daughter became an

honorary member of the city councilfor the day.37. The group is on its bestbehavior.38. You're the only one for me.39. That redwood tree has becometaller than the oak tree next door.40. The time for action has longsince passed.41. It's a long way from here toTierra del Fuego.42. Mother, may I go to the movieswith Ashton this afternoon?43. I could have danced all night.44. Srdjian emigrated from hisnative Bosnia about five years ago.

45. Did you see the beautiful broochGenevieve was wearing today?46. The teacher tried to elicit adiscussion about the novel.47. La Donna talks fondly about thefour years that she went to theuniversity.48. The answer is plain and simple.49. Let me set this book down onthe table before I answer yourquestion.50. The legislature finallyauthorized the funds to polish thegold on the dome of the capitolbuilding.

Finding Nouns,Verbs, andSubjects Quiz 1Answers

1. The overturned truck blockedboth lanes.2. He appears to be deep in thought.3. The Metropolitan Museum of Artis a New York City landmark.4. She will fly part of the way andthen drive fifty kilometers to getthere.5. Honesty is the best policy.

6. (You) Get over here quickly!7. From the bottom of the cave, thestalagmites rose ten feet high.8. Through the mist, the bridgeappeared.9. I will just be watching the BostonMarathon, but my wife will berunning in it.10. Behind the door is a coat rack.11. Joe has been helping out with thechores.12. He should have been moregracious.

Finding Nouns,Verbs, andSubjects Quiz 2Answers

1. He depends on her in times ofneed.2. (You) Watch your step.3. The insurance agent gave hersound advice.4. On the table was her purse.5. In the newspaper, an interestingarticle appeared.6. (You) Look before you leap.

7. Across the road lived herboyfriend.8. We are forced to inhale andexhale this smog-filled air. (OR are)9. I found a shiny new dime in thegutter.10. Around every cloud is a silverlining.11. How long have you been livingin New Delhi?12. They must have given upeventually.

Subject and VerbAgreement Quiz 1Answers

1. That pack of lies is not going tocause me to change my mind.2. My favorite team's colors areorange and black. (CORRECT)3. Here are two more factors toconsider.4. Neither the rain nor the darknessis going to stop me.5. My staff believes in providinghigh-quality service. (CORRECT)6. This is one of the things that

bother me about grammar.7. Mary Lou asked that he take outthe trash. (CORRECT)8. Either the bikes or the lawnmower goes in that space.9. Oh my, there are not enoughdesserts for everyone.10. The bag of toys is going to aneedy family. (CORRECT)11. Neither my brother nor mysister-in-law is taking Mom to thedoctor.12. The conductor, as well as themusicians, is taking the stage.13. A majority of the communitysupports lower speed limits.

14. My whole family is vacationingin Baja California this winter.15. Did he say sixty dollars is thecost of going to the ball game?16. The distance alone, besides thecosts involved, is too great toconsider moving.17. Law and order is the principlehe based his campaign on.(CORRECT)18. There's lots of food left.(CORRECT; the verb is -'s, acontraction of is.)19. There are lots of people here.20. If it were up to me, we wouldleave earlier in the morning.21. One in three stressed Americans

copes by shopping.22. Four years is considered thenormal amount of time to earn abachelor's degree.

Subject and VerbAgreement Quiz 2Answers

1. Al and Eli go to the beach to surfwith their friends. (CORRECT)2. There are three strawberries left.3. The group of children from thatschool has never seen the ocean.(CORRECT)4. If our staff members keep pickingat each other, we will not meet ourgoals. (CORRECT)5. A lot of things she said were thetruth.

6. My problem, which is minor incomparison with others, existsbecause I dropped out of highschool.7. Most of my savings are investedin real estate.8. She's one of those professionalswho really pay attention.9. Some of my goals have yet to bemet.10. All of my goals are being metand surpassed. (CORRECT)11. None of this is your business.(CORRECT)12. Nervousness, not to mention lackof sleep, contributes to poorperformance.

13. One-third of the city isexperiencing a blackout tonight.14. One-third of the people aresuffering. (CORRECT)15. The next thing I heard was twoshots.16. Ladies and gentlemen, here areWisin and Yandel.17. Neither Darren nor Ida iscapable of such a crime.18. Eighty miles on one charge is themaximum range for my electric car.19. I wish it were summer and timefor vacation. (CORRECT)20. Her attitude is one of the thingsthat are different.

Pronouns Quiz 1Answers

1. It is he who will be responsiblefor making all of the arrangements.2. It is I who am wrong.3. I hope my boss gives thatassignment to Laura and me.4. She was one of those cruisepassengers who are alwayscomplaining.5. Each of the players gets to makea speech before the parade.6. Julia is a faster runner than I.7. The sweater that we found at the

church is yours.8. The dog hurt its paw whilerunning through the empty field.9. George and I finished staining thedeck.10. Everyone wrote his or her ownautobiography in the class.11. She and Carlos are the baby'sgodparents.12. The honors committee nominatedhim and Ming.13. Everyone working on thistogether has come to a differentconclusion.14. You more than anyone else knowwhat the risks are.

15. She and I are in charge of thesales presentation tomorrow.16. Neither of the girls is planning awedding in the near future.17. It is we who will get the blameif things do not go well.18. It's obvious that the best teamwill prevail.19. Nora is one of the candidateswho are worthy of my vote.20. Nora, of all the candidates whoare running, is the best.

Pronouns Quiz 2Answers

1. Meagan said she looked forwardto seeing him and me at the airport.2. He and I have been good friendssince second grade.3. Yes, this is she speaking.4. My friend, unlike me, is veryartistic.5. Please talk to Daniela or me nexttime you have a concern.6. As I've said before, ask eitherBoris or her, not me.7. None of the doctors have been

able to figure out what is wrongwith her or me.8. She is as stubborn as he, but that'sno surprise given they are sister andbrother.9. I weigh more than he does. OR Iweigh more than he.10. Whose hat is this?11. It is we who deserve credit forthis company's third-quarter profits.12. It's a shame that some of theprofits have been wasted onexcessive executive compensationpackages.13. If you have any questions, pleasecall either Randy or me.14. My friend and I will stop by on

our way to the bakery. (This formatis preferred over I and my friendwill stop by on our way to thebakery.)15. You can help him or me butprobably not both of us.(CORRECT)16. It is I who am to blame.17. My boss and I will pick upwhere the others left off.18. When the horse kicked its legs,the rider landed in the lake.19. Your friend told her friend totell my friend that there's a partytonight.20. The argument he gave had itsmerits.

Who, Whom,Whoever,Whomever Quiz 1Answers

1. Who brought the mail in today?2. He is the doctor who tookJimmy's tonsils out.3. Whom did you go to the moviewith?4. There will be a prize awarded towhoever finishes first.5. Fatima was the cashier who wonthe lottery.

6. It does not matter to me whodrives tomorrow.7. I will be happy to help whoeverneeds extra assistance.8. Sheila will have her hair styledby whomever her friend Rhondarecommends.9. I will ride with whoever isplanning to stop at the store.10. Whoever wrote the story did anexcellent job.11. Next week they will decide whowill be on the varsity team.12. Please thank whoever brought inour mail while we were gone.13. Andre is the person who wethink is the most qualified.

14. We will hire whomever youtrust to do the work.15. Whoever used the grill lastforgot to clean it.16. Whom are you mailing that letterto?17. I will drive whomever Orlandodecides to invite to the game.18. Whom do you trust to fix yourcomputer?19. Whoever can eat 25 hot wingswill win a T-shirt.20. The wedding florist whom wewanted to hire is unavailable.

Who, Whom,Whoever,Whomever Quiz 2Answers

1. Who is your closest friend?2. Whom do you bank with?3. Who do you think will win theaward?4. Clare knows who the winner isalready.5. Omar will talk about hisgirlfriend with whoever asks him.6. Kimiko donates her time to

whoever she feels needs it most.7. Quinton will work on the projectwith whomever you suggest.8. Who was that in the clowncostume?9. Kathy was not sure whom shewas voting for.10. Whoever wins the lottery willbecome a millionaire.11. He is the man whom Mr. O'Brianhired.12. She is the woman who I believewas hired last year.13. Whom were you speaking aboutjust now?14. Who do you think will do the

work best?15. I will vote for whoever youthink is best.16. I will vote for whomever yousuggest.17. Whom shall I ask about thismatter?18. Give the information to whoeverrequests it.19. Give the information towhomever they prefer.20. Who do you suppose runs thisshow?

Who, Whom,That, Which Quiz1 Answers

1. Tina is looking for a pet that issmall and easy to care for.2. Andre was the boy whom wehired to shovel our snow.3. The package that was left on theporch was our book order.4. The mechanic that fixed my cardid a great job. (CORRECT) ORThe mechanic who fixed my car dida great job.5. I hope we can find a restaurant

that we can all agree on.(CORRECT)6. The red vase, which she sold for$20, was worth $200.7. Mike is having a difficult timefinding a tutor whom we can afford.8. That is the mascara which causedmy allergic reaction. (“That is themascara that caused my allergicreaction” is not incorrect. However,when that has already appeared in asentence, writers sometimes usewhich to avoid awkwardformations.)9. Was he the only student in theclass who applied for thescholarship? (CORRECT)

10. My favorite store, which isclosing Friday, is having a big sale.(CORRECT)

Who, Whom,That, Which Quiz2 Answers

1. Ahmed is the skydiver that brokehis back last week. (CORRECT)OR Ahmed is the skydiver whobroke his back last week.2. That which doesn't kill you makesyou stronger.3. I love hearing the owls that sit inthe trees and hoot at dusk.4. The domino theory, which statedthat when one country fell tocommunism, others in the area

would be likely to fall, was used asan argument to continue the VietnamWar.5. The game that intrigues Gretchenthe most is dominoes.6. Gandhi was a role model whommillions admired.7. The tomatoes that grow in hergarden are unlike those you buy in astore.8. The tomatoes from her garden,which grew larger than those in thegrocery store, were sweet and ripe.(CORRECT)9. The baker whom we hired shouldwin an award.

Adjectives andAdverbs Quiz 1Answers

1. Allison runs very clumsily.2. Her boyfriend said she lookedgood in her new dress. (CORRECT)3. I feel just as bad about this as youdo.4. I did well today on my final exam.5. C.J. slept soundly after runningthe marathon.6. Despite her honest efforts, mygrandmother's driving is worse thanever.

7. To dance well, you have topractice a lot.8. Of your three dogs, which iscutest?9. School policy says that childrenshould stay home from school if theydo not feel well. (CORRECT)10. Your house looks similar to theJohnsons' house.11. Eat more daintily please.12. Do you like soccer or basketballbetter?13. You should speak morecarefully around my daughter.14. He still hears well for someonewho's played in a rock band fortwenty years.

15. His hearing is good for someonewho's played in a rock band fortwenty years. (CORRECT)16. Our homemade fried rice wasreally tasty.17. I think my left eye is my sharpereye.18. Dana did not get into herfavorite college because her essaywas written badly.19. He looked pensive sitting cross-legged under the willow tree.(CORRECT)20. These days, children don't knowhow to treat each other nicely.

Adjectives andAdverbs Quiz 2Answers

1. Come quickly or we will missour bus.2. He swings the bat as well asanyone in major-league baseball.3. I have never been less sure ofanything in my life.4. Ella was the better of the twosisters at gymnastics.5. You did that somersault so well.6. Rochelle felt bad about forgettingDevlin's birthday.

7. This is the worst oil spill I haveever seen. (CORRECT)8. The jasmine has bloomed andsmells very sweet. (CORRECT)9. She looked suspicious to the manwearing the trench coat.10. She looked suspiciously at theman wearing the trench coat.(CORRECT)11. To find her, we need to followthis set of tracks. (OR that)12. Who is the fastest runner:Usain, Johan, or Justin?13. Do you feel happy about yourperformance on the math quiz?14. The new model of this chain sawoperates much more quietly than the

old model.15. She felt good about getting herpuppy from the SPCA. (CORRECT)16. You'd better be able to provethat, of all the candidates, you'remost qualified.17. Which is worse, a toothache or aheadache?18. She reacted swiftly, which madehim feel bad about insulting her.19. The herbs in the salad tastedbitter. (CORRECT)20. Sharon fought bitterly againsther ex-husband for custody of theirdaughter. (CORRECT)

Prepositions Quiz1 Answers

1. We could have been there by nowif we hadn't gotten lost.2. Where did you buy that beautifulnecklace?3. Charles talks the way his brotherdoes.4. He drove his car into the garage.5. Did you take an envelope off mydesk?6. Where did Nadia's little dog go?7. As the ranger said, this is an areawith a lot of poison ivy.

8. Stacey's copy of the book wasdifferent from mine.9. Jacques acted as if he never metyour aunt.10. The tour guide led our group intothe library. (CORRECT)

Prepositions Quiz2 Answers

1. Where did you get this?2. I could have danced all night.3. This problem is no different frommany others I've dealt with.4. The lioness ate as if she hadn'teaten food in a week. (OR asthough)5. Take your plate off the table.6. Cut the pie into six slices.7. I don't know what you are talkingabout. (CORRECT)8. You could have told me about the

mistake earlier.9. I don't know where he is, or Iwould tell you.10. I'm going to turn this lost walletin to the police.

Affect vs. EffectQuiz 1 Answers

1. Mark told Taneisha that cigaretteswould negatively affect her health.2. The service trip to CentralAmerica had a life-altering effecton Rosemary.3. To effect better treatment offood-packaging laborers, Aaronstarted a workers union.4. The convict showed little affectthroughout her trial.5. When the school's new rules takeeffect, students will no longer beallowed to leave campus during

lunch.6. Do you think our campaign willbe effective?7. Bobby's friends tend to affect hisrash decision making.8. Working overtime at the officenegatively affected Keeton'spersonal life.9. It is unfortunate that fossil fuelshave such a drastic effect on theenvironment.10. One must be a powerful speakerto effect social change.11. Jojo found that meditation hadtherapeutic effects.12. The choices we make now willaffect society for generations to

come.13. Professor Nguyen's harshgrading had the unintended effect ofdiscouraging interest in the course.14. The bike safety law currently ineffect should be improved.15. The emergence of socialnetworking websites affected herproductivity.16. Do you think that winning thelottery has affected Jujhaar'spersonality?

Affect vs. EffectQuiz 2 Answers

1. The effect of the antibiotic on herinfection was surprising.2. I did not know that antibioticscould affect people so quickly.3. Plastic surgery had an effect notonly on her appearance but also onher self-esteem.4. If the chemotherapy has no effect,should she get surgery for the tumor?5. When will we know if thechemotherapy has taken effect?6. Losing her hair fromchemotherapy did not affect her as

much as her friends had expected.7. To have the most effect, youshould know both your strengths andyour weaknesses.8. The movie Winged Migration hadtwo effects on him: he became anenvironmental advocate and a birdlover.9. The net effect of blowing thewhistle on her boss was that shewas eventually given his position.10. What was the effect of hispromotion?11. His decision affected everyonehere.12. We had to effect a reduction incosts.

13. The critics greatly affected histhinking.14. How were you able to effectsuch radical changes?15. That book had a major effect onhis philosophy.

Lay vs. Lie Quiz 1Answers

1. Grandma is not feeling well andwent to lie down.2. The mail has lain on the tableunopened for two days now.3. The cat will probably be lying inthe sun after she eats her lunch.(CORRECT)4. The chickens laid enough eggs forus to make three large omelets.5. Bobby has been laying his clotheson the bed instead of folding them.6. The girls lay in the tent andpretended they were camping out.

7. Omar lay on the air mattress andfloated on the water for hours.8. He forgot where he had laid hiskeys.9. Lay out all the clothes that youwant to pack. (CORRECT)10. You should have laid out all theclothes that you wanted to pack.

Lay vs. Lie Quiz 2Answers

1. I am dizzy and need to lie down.2. When I got dizzy yesterday, I laydown.3. My brother lays carpet for aliving. (CORRECT)4. That rug has lain there fordecades. (CORRECT)5. We need to lay this baby down fora nap.6. We will know we have laid thisissue to rest when we no longer fightabout it.

7. The lions are lying in wait fortheir prey.8. The lions have lain in wait fortheir prey.9. I laid the blanket over her as sheslept. (CORRECT)10. I will lay my head on my pillow.

Advice vs. AdviseQuiz 1 Answers

1. My doctor advised me to go to thegym more often.2. I always ask my brother foradvice because he knows me best.3. My advice is to talk to Georgiaface-to-face, rather than by e-mail.4. The traffic reporters advisecommuters to take the back roadsbecause of the accident on thefreeway.5. If you are interested in becominga marine biologist, I would adviseyou to talk to Hank.

6. Even though Scott always givesEden bad advice, she still followsit.7. Although Bhaven is not veryopinionated, he gives astute advice.8. Teachers advise parents toemphasize reading at home.9. When giving advice to a friend, Itry to put myself in her shoes.10. The ride operator advisespassengers to keep their limbsinside the roller coaster.

Advice vs. AdviseQuiz 2 Answers

1. Adele is always happy to offeradvice if you ask her for it.2. The lawyer advised him to pleadguilty.3. If you want to go on the seniortrip, I would strongly advise you tostart saving your money.4. Our new members are impressedwith the level of advice theyreceived from the leadership group.5. Sara always takes my advice toheart.6. I'd like to ask an engineer to

advise us on the design.7. We advised the city council thatthe deadline was tentative and mightneed to be extended.8. Lakeisha knows she can alwaysgo to her best friend for advice.9. Don't give advice that you're notwilling to follow yourself.10. Randall has a bad habit ofoffering unsolicited advice.

Their vs. There vs.They're Quiz 1Answers

1. The Garcias are having a costumeparty at their house tonight.2. I heard that the best beaches arein Southern California, but I wouldrather not drive all the way downthere.3. While they're in town, we wantto show LaDasha and Raquel thebeach at sunset.4. There are many ways to cut acake.

5. Celia allows her children towatch television once they havefinished their homework.6. Paul and Summer are in search ofa tank for their baby turtles.7. On Thursday, they're going totake a paragliding lesson.8. After a long day of work, theirbrains were fried.9. Even though there is not enoughspace in my room for that tree, mydad refuses to move it.10. To our surprise, Nick and Taylorjust announced that they're gettingmarried!

Their vs. There vs.They're Quiz 2Answers

1. According to an old legend, thereis treasure buried on that island.2. Juan and Pancho just called to letus know they're coming for dinner.3. There is a mouse in my closet!4. I can't wait to see the looks ontheir faces when I tell them the truth.5. I wonder if they're planning to goshopping with us.6. The children went upstairs to playafter clearing their plates at dinner.

7. It's their decision, so I'll just stayout of it.8. I don't know what they're doingto cause all that noise, but it's givingme a headache!9. The kids haven't called yet; I'mconcerned about their being out solate at night.10. I believe Wynona left herglasses over there.

More ConfusingWords andHomonyms Quiz 1Answers

1. It was not just a great day; it wasa historic occasion, and I wasfeeling all right.2. It takes a while to adapt to thishot weather when you're fromAnchorage.3. You don't need fancy stationeryto thank someone—that's beside thepoint.

4. I cannot be calm on rollercoasters. I ride them with batedbreath.5. I have no flair for geography: Ithought Buffalo was the capital ofNew York, but it's Albany.6. Where good friends areconcerned, my chief criterion hasalways been loyalty.7. I prophesied that if she keptacting that way, she'd get her justdeserts.8. You have to be more discreet oryou'll virtually drive your husbandup the wall.9. I've never wavered in myenjoyment of Shakespeare's plays,

e.g., Romeo and Juliet.10. Let's take the next boat off thisisland. We'll be in imminent dangerif we wait around.11. I explained my principal reasonsfor quitting to a couple of guys fromwork.

More ConfusingWords andHomonyms Quiz 2Answers

1. Just wait till you see one of themost unusual buildings in theMidwest.2. I always buy Acme productsbecause it's a company that reallycares about the consumer.3. I was amazed by theenormousness of his hands, whichheld me in a vise-like grip.

4. It's not every day that I get tospend several hours on my favoritepastime.5. He's one of the premier actors ofour generation, regardless of hismessy personal life.6. It won't faze me in the least if youjust set your drink on the chair nextto you.7. He never graduated from highschool because he always floutedthe school rules.8. He wore a gold medal when heled the parade yesterday.9. I think it was a fashion mistake towear such a minuscule ring withsuch a big bracelet.

10. Even here in earthquake country,that temblor was a frighteningphenomenon.11. I don't have to show up until 10o'clock in the morning. (OR 10 a.m.OR 10 in the morning)

Effective WritingQuiz 1 Answers

1. While I am in town. Let's visitGolden Gate Park.Make a sentence fragment a fullsentence: While I am in town, let'svisit Golden Gate Park.2. Walking aimlessly down thestreet, a bus almost clipped me.Correct the dangler (the sentence aswritten says the bus was walkingdown the street): As I was walkingaimlessly down the street, a busalmost clipped me. OR Walkingaimlessly down the street, I was

almost clipped by a bus.3. Good employees are prompt,courteous, and they help you whenyou need it.Use parallel construction: Goodemployees are prompt, courteous,and helpful.4. Several items of evidence wereoverlooked by police who wereinvestigating the scene of the crime.Avoid wordiness: The policeinvestigators missed evidence leftat the crime scene.5. It is expected that you will reportfor work by no later than nineo'clock.Use active verbs: I expect you to

report for work by nine o'clock.6. There is just one more thing that Iwant to say before I finish up.Avoid wordiness: I have one morething to say.7. The patient is not unresponsive.Be careful with multiple negatives(not unresponsive): The patient isresponsive.8. Raised in Italy, my grandfather'sbroken English created problemsearly on.Correct the dangler (the sentence aswritten says “my grandfather'sbroken English” was raised inItaly): My grandfather was raisedin Italy, and his broken English

created problems early on. ORRaised in Italy, my grandfatherspoke broken English, whichcreated problems early on.9. Students will benefit themselvesby listening, taking notes, and theyshould always pay attention.Use parallel construction: Studentswill benefit themselves by listening,taking notes, and paying attention.10. The cars were worn down by thetaxi drivers.Use active verbs: The taxi driverswore down their cars.11. After tossing and turning, thealarm came on much too early.Correct the dangler (the alarm was

not tossing and turning): Aftertossing and turning, I was awokenmuch too early by the alarm. ORBecause I slept restlessly, thealarm woke me much too early.12. I have always believed in beingthrifty, loyal, and I do high-qualitywork.Use parallel construction: I havealways believed in thrift, loyalty,and high-quality work.13. One thing I could say withouthesitation is that he is not unreliable.Be careful with multiple negatives(not unreliable): One thing I couldsay without hesitation is that he isreliable.

Effective WritingQuiz 2 Answers

1. We will utilize the attorneys wehave employed to engender thedissolution of our marriage.Avoid wordiness: We have hiredattorneys to help us with ourdivorce.2. The boy was hit in the face by thepie as it left the girl's hand.Use active verbs to avoid dullwriting: The girl flung the pie, andit exploded in the boy's face.3. It was not likely that no onewould want to claim ownership of

the new sports car.Avoid confusing multiple negatives(not . . . no one): Someone willsurely want to claim ownership ofthe new sports car.4. We washed the dishes, swept thefloor, and the tables were dusted.Use parallel construction: Wewashed the dishes, swept the floor,and dusted the tables.5. While singing in the shower, thebar of soap slipped from her hands.Correct the dangler (the soap wasnot singing): The bar of soapslipped from her hands as she sangin the shower.6. Maria encountered a stranger clad

in her parka and blue jeans.Descriptive words and phrasesshould be close to the words theydescribe: Maria, clad in her parkaand blue jeans, encountered astranger.7. The weather had adverse impactson our boat, resulting in thenecessity of rescuing us from thewater.Avoid wordiness: Our boatcapsized in the storm, so we neededrescuing.8. On a hike with my wife, a bearclimbed a tree.Correct the dangler (the bear wasnot hiking with “my wife”): On a

hike with my wife, I saw a bearclimb a tree.9. Looking back, the dog wasfollowing us.Correct the dangler (the sentence aswritten says the dog was lookingback): Looking back, we saw thedog following us.10. Jordan did not believe thatSerena had embarrassed himunintentionally.Avoid pretentious multiple negatives(not…unintentionally): Jordanbelieved that Serena hadembarrassed him intentionally.11. Martin could not juggle watchingTimmy, making breakfast, and he had

a report to write.Use parallel construction: Martincould not juggle watching Timmy,making breakfast, and writing areport.12. Like others we questioned, hisname was not announced.Correct the dangler (“his name” isnot what was “like others”): Likeothers we questioned, he was notidentified by name.13. I was wearing the sweater thatAmy knitted at the concert.Descriptive words and phrasesshould be close to the words theydescribe: At the concert, I waswearing the sweater that Amy

knitted.14. Lying on a stretcher, they carriedhim out.Correct the dangler (“they” were notlying on a stretcher): They carriedhim out lying on a stretcher.

GrammarMastery TestAnswers

1. Some of the desserts were left bythe end of the birthday party.2. It was I and maybe two otherpeople.3. Dr. Cresta is one of thoseprofessors who do whatever it takesto get their point across.4. Your brilliant excuses almostmake up for your tardiness.5. Neither Jackson nor Jenna isplaying hooky. (CORRECT)

6. Neither Jackson nor his family isgoing camping this weekend.7. Either of us is capable ofwinning. (CORRECT)8. All of the class is willing to takepart in the prank. (CORRECT)9. One-third of the eligiblepopulation tends not to vote innational elections.10. Not even one-third of the voterstend to cast their ballots in nationalelections.11. Here are the paper clips yourequested.12. She is one of those doctors whomake house calls. (CORRECT)13. She and he are always fighting.

14. When Toni and he come over,we always have a great time.15. It is we who must decidewhether to tax ourselves or cutspending. (CORRECT)16. Between you and me, this classis a joke.17. Who do you think you are togive me advice about dating?18. Who makes up these Englishrules anyway? (CORRECT)19. Who do you think should win?20. Whom are you voting for?21. She is one of the only teacherswho do what it takes to help theirstudents learn joyfully.

22. Whoever has the keys gets to bein the driver's seat.23. We are willing to work withwhomever you recommend.24. The thoughts that Ted presentedat the meeting were worthwhile.(CORRECT)25. The thoughts that Ted presented,which were about shifting nationalpriorities, were well received.26. When you do a job so well, youcan expect a raise.27. I, like most people, try to beconsiderate of others.28. Harry smells good. What is theaftershave he is wearing?(CORRECT)

29. Lisa did so well on the test thatshe was allowed to accelerate to thenext level. (CORRECT)30. Our puppy is the least hungry ofthe litter.31. He's a man who I think definesgreatness.32. Karen should have known thather cheap umbrella would break inthe storm.33. Sometimes the effects of ourgenerosity may seem minimal, butour good intentions do make adifference. (CORRECT)34. Ben thought he had laid myjacket on that bench.35. Our company policy will not

allow me to accept a gift worthmore than $50.36. They thought we were late, butmy wife and I were already at therestaurant.37. Regardless of who was therefirst, we were all very hungry andready to eat.38. We could hardly believe theGiants could lose the game by thatmany runs.39. Isn't it amazing how long thatmime can remain completelystationary?40. The department's principalconcern is the safety of allemployees. (CORRECT)

41. How did they manage to servecold ice cream in the middle of thevast desert?42. The boss complimented Ari onhis excellent presentation.43. The judge did not believe any oftheir stories.44. Ilana said she wanted to becomean FBI agent when she grew up.45. It's not good when you'realways late like this.46. To be a good billiards player,you've got to think further aheadthan just the next shot.47. I think I'll go lie down awhile.48. The golf course at the resort islovely, but I prefer its swimming

pool.49. Sam and I paid the cab fare, andAlejandro paid for dinner.50. Marta completed five fewerproblems than I did in the sameamount of time.

Punctuation,Capitalization, andWriting NumbersPretest Answers

1. Go west three blocks and turnright.2. He insisted it was based on thepeople's right to know.3. “How,” I asked, “can you alwaysbe so forgetful?”4. I want you to meet my best friend,Bill, when he gets here.5. Although we have a competent

staff, bottlenecks do occur.6. I did not receive the order;therefore, I will not pay my bill.(CORRECT)7. We offer a variety of drinks, forinstance, beer and wine.8. Is that book yours?9. We have much to do; for example,the carpets need vacuuming.10. Estimates for the work havebeen forwarded, and a breakdownof costs has been included.(CORRECT)11. Because of his embezzling, thecompany went bankrupt.12. A proposal that makesharassment of whales illegal has just

passed.13. He is the president of ourcorporation.14. Paolo hurried to the depot tomeet his aunt and two cousins.15. Finish your job; it is imperativethat you do.16. Sofia and Aidan's house wasrecently painted. (CORRECT)17. “Stop it!” I said. “Don't ever dothat again.”18. He was born in Ames, Iowa, andstill lives there.19. “Would you like to accompanyme?” he asked.20. I have always had a mental

block against math.21. He is a strong, healthy man.22. To apply for this job, you musthave previous experience.23. Marge, the woman with blondhair, will be our speaker thisevening.24. He thought quickly and thenanswered the question in completedetail.25. He asked if he could be excused.26. It is hailing, not raining.27. We will grant you immunity ifyou decide to cooperate with us.28. You signed the contract;consequently, you must provide us

with the raw materials. OR Yousigned the contract. Consequently,you must provide us with the rawmaterials.29. I would like, however, to readthe fine print first.30. You are required to bring thefollowing: sleeping bag, food, and asewing kit.31. The three companies' computerswere stolen.32. The women's department isupstairs and to your left.33. It hurt its paw.34. One of the lawyers left herbriefcase.35. That's the Texas way of doing

things.36. July 5, 1990, was the day I wasborn.37. I need to locate four states on themap: Arkansas, Ohio, Illinois, andUtah.38. The e-mail read, “Hi, Camille. Ihaven't heard from you in twoweeks.”39. The veterinarian said, “Unlessit's bleeding and doesn't stop, don'tworry about it.”40. Not wanting to discuss this withher mother anymore, Wendydeclared, “This is her karma, notmine.”41. You must study hard to get good

grades at a major university.42. One-fourth of the police forcevoted for a pay raise.43. Thirty-one people were injured.44. I owe you $15, not $16. OR Iowe you $15.00, not $16.00.

Commas andPeriods Quiz 1Answers

1. Ophelia is picking up the food,and I am making the centerpieces.2. “Yes,” Ting said, “I did see thebaby panda at the zoo today.”3. Her mother is planning a trip toPortland, Maine, in the fall this year.4. Patrick's name was on the guestlist, wasn't it? (CORRECT)5. Yes, Mother, I did remember toplace the bakery order.6. Jackson's white cat was born in

June 2013 at his farm.7. Jackson's white cat was born onJune 28, 2013, at his farm.8. You may only bring the bareessentials to the exam, i.e., a watch,a pencil or a pen, paper, and acalculator.9. Pencils, pens, paper, calculators,etc., will be provided. (CORRECT)10. I would be hesitant, however, totake the trip alone.11. He hosted a cowboy-themedparty in the big red barn.12. It looks like A.J. Jefferson Jr.will be our next congressman. OR Itlooks like A.J. Jefferson, Jr., will beour next congressman.

13. If you are interested in workingfor our company, send us yourrésumé.14. My oldest cousin, who lives inDetroit, used to be a policeman.15. Jonathan Green, M.D., will bethe keynote speaker at theconference.16. The keynote speaker at theconference will be Jonathan Green,M.D.17. Well, do you think we'll see thesun today?18. Frank visited the travel agent butstill did not book his trip.19. I want to go now, not later.20. I really enjoyed the show. The

acting was superb. OR I reallyenjoyed the show, and the actingwas superb.

Commas andPeriods Quiz 2Answers

1. I took Angie, the one with thefreckles, to the movie last night.2. Jeremy and I have had our shareof arguments.3. You are, I am sure, telling thetruth.4. She left Albany, New York, onJanuary 18 of that year.5. I need sugar, butter, and eggs fromthe grocery store.6. Dairy products, e.g., milk, butter,

eggs, etc., are no longer foods I caneat.7. Please, Sasha, come home assoon as you can.8. Although you may be right, Icannot take your word for it.9. If you decide to cooperate withus, we will grant you immunity.10. I am typing a letter, and she istalking on the phone.11. She finished her work and thentook a long lunch.12. Mae said, “Why don't you comeup and see me sometime?”13. You said that I could go, didn'tyou? (CORRECT)

14. To apply for this job, you musthave a Social Security card.15. He seems to be such a lonely,quiet man, doesn't he?16. She wore a bright red dress.(CORRECT)17. She has a good, healthy attitudeabout her work.18. On June 7, 2012, Hector earnedhis computer science degree.19. I like anchovies on my pizza. Mywife hates them. OR I likeanchovies on my pizza, but my wifehates them.20. Although my wife hatesanchovies, I like them on my pizza.

Semicolons andColons Quiz 1Answers

1. Denise prefers to eat chicken orfish; I'm a vegetarian.2. The centerpieces had her favoriteflowers: roses, carnations, anddaisies.3. They were missing a few thingson their camping trip; namely, theyforgot sunscreen, towels, andfirewood.4. Please give me some time; I donot want to be rushed.

5. While visiting the beach, we sawpelicans, stingrays, and iguanas.6. I would like to leave early in themorning; therefore, I am going tobed soon.7. On our last trip we stayed inNashville, Tennessee; Atlanta,Georgia; and Orlando, Florida.8. The girls on the team will havequite a few expenses: uniforms,shoes, equipment, and camp fees.9. Estella landed her dream summerjob: She'll be an intern in a senator'soffice. (CORRECT OR she'll)10. Roberto can't decide amongthree careers: dentist, veterinarian,or physical therapist.

11. When Jane leaves, which will bein a few minutes, we can plan herparty, but we still better do itquietly. (CORRECT)12. The players have only one goal:they want to win the Stanley Cup.OR The players have only one goal;they want to win the Stanley Cup.13. I need to buy shampoo,toothpaste, soap, and contact lenssolution.14. Give her a break; she juststarted working here two days ago!15. The delegates came from ouroffices in Region 1, Boston; Region2, New York; Region 6, Houston;and Region 10, Seattle.

16. Her new supervisor gave her alist of rules to be followed at theoffice: no making personal phonecalls, surfing the Internet, or readingmagazines.17. Jobs were assigned to the sheltervolunteers: clean the litter boxes,sweep the floors, feed the cats, andgive them water.18. Max and Sue have been to theCaribbean many times; however,they have not visited St. Lucia.19. At the camp the children weredivided into two groups: those whoknow how to swim and those whodo not.20. Ashley was late for the

rehearsal; she is usually late.

Semicolons andColons Quiz 2Answers

1. You asked for forgiveness; hegranted it to you.2. We ask, therefore, that you keepthis matter confidential.3. The order was requested sixweeks ago; therefore, I expected theshipment to have arrived by now.4. The American flag has threecolors, namely, red, white, and blue.(CORRECT)5. Clothes are often made from

synthetic material, for instance,rayon.6. If you believe in magic, magicalthings will happen, but if you don'tbelieve in magic, you'll discovernothing magical. (CORRECT)7. The orchestra, excluding theviolin section, was not up to par.8. I have been to San Francisco,California; Reno, Nevada; andSeattle, Washington.9. I need a few items at the store:clothespins, a bottle opener, andnapkins.10. I answered the phone; no oneseemed to be on the other end of theline.

11. I wanted a cup of coffee, not aglass of milk. (CORRECT)12. We have set this restriction: doyour homework before watchingtelevision.13. If you can possibly arrange it,please visit us, but if you cannot, letus know.14. I gave her a lot of money whilewe were married; therefore, I do notwish to pay her a dime in alimony.15. We have a variety of desserts,for instance, apple pie, chocolatemousse, and flan.16. I needed three cards to win thehand, namely, the ten of hearts, jackof diamonds, and king of hearts.

17. I needed three cards to win thehand: the ten of hearts, jack ofdiamonds, and king of hearts.18. I would, therefore, like to havean explanation for the missing cash.19. Nature lovers will appreciateseeing whales, sea lions, andpelicans.20. He has friends from Iowa andNebraska, and Illinois is his homestate.

Question Marksand QuotationMarks Quiz 1Answers

1. “Have you already completed oursurvey?” the cashier asked.2. Yan inquired, “Is it supposed tosnow tomorrow?”3. I wonder why Allen left so earlythis morning.4. “Are we really planning to drivestraight through without stopping?”he asked in amazement.

5. “I hope you don't mind myasking,” she said, “but do yourealize how tired everyone is goingto be by the time we get there?”6. Shia asked with disbelief, “Areyou sure you want to be the one totell her?”7. Betty is the one who found outfirst, isn't she?8. “Victor asked me what I didyesterday,” she said.9. She said, “T.J. shouted, ‘We arenot staying at that hotel.’”10. Carmella wanted to know if youneed a ride to the mall. (CORRECT)

Question Marksand QuotationMarks Quiz 2Answers

1. He wanted to know when youwill be here.2. “Well,” she said, “you certainlydidn't waste any time.”3. “Is it almost over?” he asked.4. “I've had it up to here!” shescreamed.5. The song asks, “Would you like toswing on a star?”

6. Carmen said, “She vowed, ‘I'llnever leave you.’ ”7. “May I have a rain check on thatlunch?” I asked.8. Do you believe the saying, “It isbetter to vote for what you want andnot get it than to vote for what youdon't want and get it”?9. Bernard said, “Waldo asked,‘Who took my pencil sharpener?’ ”10. “May I see your ID card?” theclerk asked.

Parentheses andBrackets Quiz 1Answers

1. After standing in line for 30minutes (or possibly longer), shewas able to buy the tickets.2. My cousin wrote, “I herd [sic] arumor that Jack and Jennifer aregetting engaged.”3. I would like to confirm mymembership. (The dues check isenclosed.) OR I would like toconfirm my membership (the duescheck is enclosed).

4. Our first meeting will be held atFirst Central Bank's communityroom (Main Street branch).5. We all decided to go out for pizzaafter the meeting (except for Dan).(CORRECT)6. I overheard her say, “Our favoritecousin [she meant Dale] will beaccompanying us on our trip.”7. Yasir was able to find the book hewanted for a really good price(twenty-five dollars).8. Luigi moved to this countryshortly after he was born (about1925). (CORRECT)9. When his family came to theUnited States, they settled in

Washington (state).10. The first line of his letter said,“My freinds [sic], I never thoughtwe would all be together again likethis.” (CORRECT)

Parentheses andBrackets Quiz 2Answers

1. She requested (actually shepleaded) that her name be withheld.2. Joe called today (he's been sick)and said he felt better.3. I can have lunch with youtomorrow (Friday).4. I hope you are feeling better. (Iam sick today.) OR I hope you arefeeling better (I am sick today).5. In the movie Vanessa exclaims,“Whatever shall I do if he [the

sheriff] comes looking for youtomorrow?”6. I read in the Mill Valley policelog: “Officers were called todisburse [sic] attendees at a noisyparty.”7. Daniel wanted to know whyMindy felt that way (he really didn'tunderstand it). OR Daniel wanted toknow why Mindy felt that way. (Hereally didn't understand it.)8. Mariella told us that when hergrandfather was a child, he used towork at a hamburger stand foralmost nothing (sixty-five cents anhour).9. I need to run to the store right

away (it's going to close in 20minutes). OR I need to run to thestore right away. (It's going to closein 20 minutes.)10. “[D]o not go to sleep angry ateach other,” the author states onpage 56.

Apostrophes Quiz1 Answers

1. The movie had its desired effect.2. Both of my brothers-in-law livenear Durango.3. Those girls' vitality and humorare infectious.4. Women's Wear Daily has beencalled the industry's voice ofauthority.5. Those actresses' costumes lookbeautiful on them.6. Bill and Al had a boat. I wasthere when Bill and Al's boat sank.

7. She always let me stay up past theother children's bedtime.8. In some people's opinion,Faulkner is too difficult.9. I really felt that I got my money'sworth.10. Would that company's healthplan give you peace of mind?

Apostrophes Quiz2 Answers

1. Those old factories' roofs haveall caved in.2. The two little birds' featherswere ruffled.3. If it isn't hers, then whose is it?4. Joe Wilson said, “I may bebiased, but the Wilsons' holidaymeals are the best.”5. Watch out for the scissors' sharpblades. (OR scissors's)6. We've been invited to her twosisters-in-law's party.

7. Doesn't it seem strange that Ididn't see that friend of yoursanywhere?8. The five injured sailors' relativesare waiting outside.9. Not all babies' mothers agree onwhat constitutes good nutrition.10. Mr. Simms said none of hisfellow Simmses' opinions wouldsway him.

Hyphens BetweenWords Quiz 1Answers

1. The storm blew down a seventy-foot-tall tree last night.2. The tree that blew down last nightwas seventy feet tall. (CORRECT)3. My sister is moving from herhome next to the heavily congestedhighway.4. The summer camp was designedfor 16-year-old to 18-year-oldgymnasts.5. The summer camp was designed

for gymnasts 16 years old to 18years old. (CORRECT)6. The summer camp was designedfor gymnasts 16-18 years old.(CORRECT)7. Clashes came one year after theprime minister took office.8. It's a two-hour meeting, 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Remember: no spacesaround hyphens.)9. If we split the bill evenly, weeach owe thirty-four dollars.10. We offer around-the-clockcoverage.11. Those low interest rates aretempting.12. He certainly is a slovenly-

appearing young man. (CORRECT)

Hyphens BetweenWords Quiz 2Answers

1. She jumped from a two-storybuilding.2. You must let down your guard.3. You certainly have a go-get-itnature.4. The badly injured fireman wastaken to a hospital.5. Look left and right before youcross the street.6. The left-handed pitcher threwfastballs at almost 100 miles per

hour.7. Do you remember anything youread in the fourth grade?(CORRECT)8. This is seventh-grade readingmaterial.9. Beware of high-pressuretelemarketers.10. That two-year-old is adorable.11. That two-year-old child isadorable.12. That child is two years old.(CORRECT)

Hyphens withPrefixes andSuffixes Quiz 1Answers

1. Construction of the trans-Alaskaoil pipeline had to address issuescaused by permafrost.2. Our town's ex-mayor hassurprised everyone by deciding torun for reelection. (OR re-election)3. The safety official de-emphasized human error as a factor

in the accident.4. Oh no, I've spilled coffee all overmyself and will have to re-dress fordinner.5. Jacob had to sue the manufacturerto obtain full redress for hisinjuries. (CORRECT)6. According to Aunt Agnes, half ofyoung people today are semi-illiterate.7. Our farming co-op includes arooster and a coop for five chickens.8. I suppose hiking twelve miles aday for four days is doable, but I'drather not.9. It is a truism that creating aCubist-style painting is easier said

than done.10. Would you have guessed that ex-Senator Salazar would becomeGovernor-elect Salazar?

Hyphens withPrefixes andSuffixes Quiz 2Answers

1. non-Jewish2. preexisting (OR pre-existing)3. reestablish4. self-satisfied5. ex-Marine6. anti-inflammatory7. antiwar (OR anti-war)8. error-free

9. self-styled10. absenteeism

CapitalizationQuiz 1 Answers

1. Don't you love looking at the skywhen Venus appears next to themoon?2. Leslie said that a highlight of hertrip to the nation's capital wastouring the White House.3. My grandmother lives onFillmore Street.4. I will be excited to listen to ourchief executive officer, NancyWilliamson, speak today in theauditorium.5. The new immigration bill has the

support of most of our state'scongressional delegation, includingSenator Mayhew.6. I plead not guilty, Your Honor.7. Have you ever visited NewEngland in the fall?8. I told Uncle Walter to turn northwhen he reached Broadway, but hegot lost because he's not fromMadison County.9. Uncle Walter said, “Please useleft or right, not north, south, east,or west.”10. Adriana is dreading springquarter because she has to takeorganic chemistry and Physics 105.11. Adriana needs to bring the

following to her final exam: twopencils, scratch paper, a calculator,and a light snack.12. That was amazing how coachErnie Sasaki led the Bulldogs totheir first winning season.

CapitalizationQuiz 2 Answers

1. She said, “Bees are not the onlyinsects that sting.”2. “You must understand,” hepleaded, “that I need more time topay you.”3. Mark Paxton, the vice presidentof the company, embezzled over onemillion dollars.4. The president of the UnitedStates wields much power.5. I live in the northeastern part ofthe state, where the climate iscolder. (CORRECT)

6. The West, especially California,is famous for its cutting-edgetechnology. (CORRECT)7. Have you read All the King'sMen?8. I enjoy summer more than anyother season.9. Employees of the company werelaid off with little hope of returningto work.10. The Supreme Courtunanimously struck down theproposed constitutionalamendment today.11. We saw director George Lucaswalking down the street.12. We all stood for the national

anthem before watching the NewYork Mets play the Chicago Cubs.

Writing NumbersQuiz 1 Answers

1. During the first hours after theplane crash, authorities reportedthirty-six people missing.2. Thirty-six people were reportedmissing during the first hours afterthe plane crash.3. The new stadium will hold43,520 fans.4. Bobby grew 0.67 inches in threemonths. (.67 is less clear.)5. Next week's lottery jackpot isexpected to reach between fourmillion and five million dollars. OR

Next week's lottery jackpot isexpected to reach between 4 millionand 5 million dollars.6. Next week's lottery jackpot isexpected to reach between $4million and $5 million. OR Nextweek's lottery jackpot is expected toreach between 4 million dollars and5 million dollars.7. The next meeting of the holidayparty planning committee will beheld on the 31st of October at noon.8. The plane won't arrive until noon.9. Some people now refer to theforties and fifties as “mid-century.”(OR midcentury)10. Some people now refer to the

'40s and '50s as “midcentury.” (ORmid-century)

Writing NumbersQuiz 2 Answers

1. One-fifth of the inventory wasruined in the fire.2. A two-thirds majority is neededto pass the measure.3. The tree grew only 0.5 inchesbecause of the drought.4. Her earnings rose from $500 to$5,000 in one year because of hermarketing efforts. OR Her earningsrose from $500.00 to $5,000.00 inone year because of her marketingefforts.5. I paid her all but the last seventy-

five cents today. OR I paid her allbut the last 75 cents today.6. We all agreed. Twenty-fivehundred dollars is a lot of money.7. Forty-seven people were hiredlast month.8. Including tax, my new car costthirty-two thousand six hundredseventy-two dollars and fifty-sevencents.9. I will be twenty-one years old onDecember 9.10. We have only received 0.54inches of rain this year.

Punctuation,Capitalization, andWriting NumbersMastery TestAnswers

1. I am asking if you would like toroller blade together tomorrow.2. Yes, Jean, you were right aboutthat answer.3. He said that the book was “in myoffice if you want to read it,” so Itook him up on it.

4. Wherever we go, peoplerecognize us.5. Isabel enjoys the museumalthough she cannot afford theentrance fee. (CORRECT)6. His new book is titled Food IsMy Favorite Thing.7. You are my friend; however, Icannot afford to lend you any moremoney.8. Paul Simon sang, “I am a rock; Iam an island.” (OR “I am a rock. Iam an island.”)9. I asked Ella, “Did he want hisring back?”10. John F. Kennedy Jr. became amagazine publisher and a pilot

before his tragic death. OR John F.Kennedy, Jr., became a magazinepublisher and a pilot before histragic death.11. Your house resembles theJohnsons' house.12. The elections will be held on thefirst Tuesday of November 2008.(CORRECT)13. The elections will be held onTuesday, November 4, 2008, and thepolls will be kept open until 8:00pm.14. Carl worried about the hurricanebut tried to stay calm and help hisfamily. (CORRECT)15. I favor green and yellow, and

purple is her first choice.16. I need to locate four states on themap, namely, Minnesota, Michigan,California, and Nevada.17. This is the point that Einsteinmade: You cannot fix a problemwith the problem.18. Our philosophy teacher thinksEinstein meant that we cannot stopwar by waging war.19. Whenever Cheryl is in town, shevisits her sister.20. A well-reasoned argument waspresented for negotiating a peacefulresolution.21. The argument for negotiating apeaceful resolution was well

reasoned. (CORRECT)22. A liberally sprinkled dose ofhumor was very much appreciated.(CORRECT)23. Our liberal-minded clergymanmanaged to unite the entirecongregation.24. Our clergyman, who united theentire congregation, was liberalminded.25. Jan asked, “What did Joe meanwhen he said, ‘I will see youlater’?”26. I asked the Wilsons over fordinner.27. When I noticed that our dog cutits paw, I called the veterinarian

right away.28. “You're right to be concerned,”said the vet. “I would like to take alook at your dog.”29. Even though it's thirty miles tothe town where that vet's office is, Iwanted to take the drive.30. The friendly-looking vetexamined our dog's paw andsuggested that we have it bandaged.31. We had pet insurance but stillowed $40 in co-payment fees. (OR40 dollars)32. Our dog was a semi-invalid untilshe chewed off the bandage.(CORRECT)33. I guess she did what any self-

respecting dog would do bygrooming herself.34. The dog has fully recovered,although I will never be the same.35. Girls in his family wore hand-me-down dresses.36. Wendy thought she kneweverything about her mother butfound out two years ago that hermother had been married before.(CORRECT)37. When Wendy asked about thismarriage, her mother, Ilse, washesitant to discuss any details.38. “She will go to her grave withsome secrets,” said Wendy.39. “Do you understand her need for

privacy?” Wendy asked herhusband.40. The wealthy became wealthierduring the 1990s. (CORRECT)41. The alarm clock went off at fouro'clock.42. Many people dread the 15th ofApril in the United States becausetaxes are due.43. The check was written for$13,348.15.44. The check was written for threehundred forty-eight dollars andfifteen cents.

Index

AA, anA while, awhileAbbreviation, acronymAbbreviations, at end of sentencesAbsolutesAcademic concerns: course titles vs.academic subjects; degreesAccept, exceptActive voiceAd, addAdapt, adopt

Adjectives; adverb forms of; commaswith, before nouns; compound, hyphenswith; defined; degrees of; good, well;phrases used as; proper; quizzes; withsense verbs; this, that, these, thoseAdjunctAdverbs; defined; degrees of; ending in -ly; good, well; phrases used as; quizzes;with sense verbs; veryAdverse, averseAdvice, advise; quizzesAffect, effect; quizzesAgesAggravateAholdAid, aideAil, ale

Aisle, isleAll-All ready, alreadyAll rightAll together, altogetherAllowed, aloudAll-time recordAllude, elude, referAllusion, illusionAlphabet Juice (Blount)Altar, alterA.m., p.m.Ambiguous, ambivalentAmerican Heritage DictionaryAmerican Usage and Style (Copperud)Amiable, amicable

Amid, amidstAmount, numberAn, aAn historicAnd: independent clauses joined by; innumbers; pronouns and nouns linked by;subject-verb agreementAnd/orAnecdote, antidoteAnxious, eagerAny more, anymoreAny time, anytimeApostrophes; in contractions; dos anddon'ts; with initials, capital letters, andnumbers used as nouns; with possessivepersonal pronouns; with possessiveplural nouns; with possessive singular

nouns; quizzes; to show joint possession;single quotation marks vs.; till, `til; withtime or moneyAppositive commasAppraise, appriseArt movementsAs: like vs.; pronouns afterAs regardsAscent, assentAssociated Press StylebookAssume, presumeAssure, ensure, insureAural, oralAverse, adverseAwhile, a while

B

Backward, backwardsBacteriaBail, baleBaited breath, bated breathBall, bawlBare, bearBasicallyBeach, beechBeat, beetBecause sinceBell, belleBenightedBernstein, Theodore M.Berth, birthBeside, besidesBetter, bettor

Biannual, biennial, semiannualBite, byteBloc, blockBlount, Roy Jr.Boar, boor, boreBoard, boredBolder, boulderBorn, borneBoy, buoyBrackets; [sic]; with interruptions;quizzes; with quotations. See alsoParenthesesBrake, breakBremner, John B.Brians, PaulBridal, bridle

Bring, takeBroach, broochBryson's Dictionary of TroublesomeWordsBuoy, boyBusiness writing: colons after salutationin business letter; exclamation points inBut, independent clauses joined byByte, bite

CCache, cashCan, mayCannon, canonCannotCanvas, canvass

Capital, capitolCapitalization; of art movements; tobegin sentence after colon; of city,county, etc. before proper noun; ofcourse titles vs. academic subjects; offirst word of document and after period;of first word of quotation; followingquestion marks; of geographic regionsvs. points of compass; of kinship names;of lists following colons; of midsentenceindependent clause or question; of ``thenational anthem,''; of nicknames;pretest; of the before proper nouns; ofproper nouns; quizzes and mastery test;of spelled-out decades; of subtitles ofworks; of titles and offices; of titles ofworks

Carat, caret, karatCareen, careerCareful Writer, The (Bernstein)Cast, casteCement, concreteCensor, censureCenter aroundCereal, serialChaise loungeChicago Manual of StyleChildish, childlikeChile, chiliChomping at the bitChoral, coralChorale, corralChord, cord

Cite, sight, siteClassic, classicalClauses: defined; dependent; essentialvs. nonessential; independent;semicolons in sentences with multipleClichéClick, cliqueClimactic, climaticClose proximityCoarse, courseCohortCoin a phraseCollectable, collectibleCollective nouns, subject-verbagreementCollide, crash

Colons; after salutation in businessletter; capitalization of lists following;between independent clauses whensecond explains first; to introduce lists;to introduce long quotations; to introduceseries of items; quizzes; semicolons vs.Comma splicesCommas; with academic degrees; afterdependent clauses starting sentences;after salutation in informal letters;appositive commas; with cities andstates; with dates; with etc.; withindependent clauses; with interruptingexpressions; with introductory words;with Jr. and Sr.; with names directlyaddressed; with nonessential words,phrases, and clauses; in numbers; Oxford

commas; with parentheses; quizzes; withquotations; to separate contrasting partsof sentences; to separate statements fromquestions; to separate two adjectivesbefore nouns; in series; with titles usedwith names; with two adjectives beforenounsCommon Errors in English Usage(Brians)Common nouns: capitalizing, in brandnames; defined; possessives of, endingin $s$Complement, complimentComplete, completelyCompound adjectivesCompound nouns: defined; hyphenating;possessives of; subject-verb agreement

Compound verbsCompriseConcertedConcrete, cementConfidant, confidentConnive, conspireConnote, denoteConsistency: capitalization andpunctuation of list items; capitalizationof titles of works; collective nounsubject-verb agreement; parallelconstruction; possessives of nounsending in $s$; singular pronouns;spelling out numbers vs. using figuresContinual, continuousContractionsConvince, persuade

Copperud, Roy H.Coral, choralCord, chordCorral, choraleCouncil, counselCouple (of)Course, coarseCrash, collideCravenCriteriaCurrently

DDaily basisDangling modifiersDashes; punctuation replaced by;

spacing with; subject-verb agreementDataDates: apostrophes in decades; commaswith; using figures to express; yearsbeginning sentencesDefinite, definitiveDegrees: academic; of adjectives; ofadverbsDenote, connoteDependent clauses: commas withindependent clauses followed by;commas with sentences starting with;defined; with whoever/whomeverDesert, dessertDespiseDevice, deviseDictionary of Modern American Usage,

A (Garner)Dictionary of Usage and Style, A(Copperud)Different from, different thanDilemmaDisburse, disperseDiscomfit, discomfortDiscreet, discreteDisinterested, uninterestedDockDos and don'tsDrug (dragged)Dual, duel

EEach

Eager, anxiousEffect, affect; quizzesE.g., i.e.EitherEither/orEke outEllipses; defined; to express hesitation,changes of mood, etc.; with omittedwords or sentences; spacing withElude, allude, referEmigrate, immigrateEminent, imminentEmpathy, sympathyEmulate, imitateEnormityEnsure, insure, assure

EnthuseEpitaph, epithetEpitomeErstwhileEssential clausesEtc., et al.Every day, everydayEx-Exacerbate, exaggerateExcept, acceptExclamation points; in formal businesswriting; overuse of; replacing periods;to show emotion, emphasis, or surprise

FFactious, fractious

Faint, feintFair, fareFalse possessivesFarther, furtherFaze, phaseFeat, feetFewer, lessFir, furFirstlyFlair, flareFlammable, inflammableFlaunt, floutFlea, fleeFlounder, founderFlour, flowerFor instance

Forego, forgoForeword, forwardForth, fourthFortuitous, fortunateFoul, fowlFractions: hyphenating; mixed; subject-verb agreementFractious, factiousFree giftFulsomeFunFur, firFurther, farther

GGait, gate

GamutGantlet, gauntletGarner, Bryan A.Gel, jellGilt, guiltGlibGood, wellGraduateGraffitiGrammar: mastery test; pretestGrill, grilleGrisly, gristly, grizzlyGuerrillaGuilt, gilt

H

Hair, hareHall, haulHalve, haveHangar, hangerHanged, hungHave, of used in place ofHeal, heelHealthful, healthyHear, hereHelping verbsHereHeroin, heroineHistoric, anHoard, hordeHoarse, horseHole, whole

Holy, whollyHomageHone inHot water heaterHung, hangedHyphens

IIdle, idol, idyllI.e., e.g.Illusion, allusionImitate, emulateImmigrate, emigrateImminent, eminentImpactImply, infer

In, intoIn order toIn regard(s) to, with regard(s) toIncite, insightIncludeIncomparablesIncredible, incredulousIndependent clauses: capitalization ofmidsentence; commas with; defined;semicolons between. See also SentencesIndirect questionsInfinitivesInflammable, flammableIngenious, ingenuousInitials, plurals ofInsure, assure, ensure

Interrupting expressions: brackets for;commas with; dashes with; subject-verbagreementIntroductory words: commas with;semicolons beforeIrony, 93IrregardlessIrregular nounsIs isIsle, aisleIt is, it wasItalics: for sic; for titles of worksIt's, its

JJell, gel

Jibe, jiveJr.JustJust deserts

KKarat, carat, caretKindergartnerKnew, newKudos

LLanguage, concrete vs. vagueLastlyLatterLaxadaisical

Lay, lie; quizzesLead, ledLeak, leekLess, fewerLessen, lessonLet he who is without sin.~.~.Liable, libel, likelyLie, lay; quizzesLightening, lightningLikeLikelyLinking verbsLists: capitalization and endingpunctuation; colons before; etc. vs. et al.with. See also SeriesLiterally

Loan, loneLoath, loatheLoose, lose

MMail, maleMaize, mazeManner, manorMarquee, marquisMarry, merryMarshal, martialMasterful, masterlyMaterial, materielMay, canMedal, meddle, metal, mettleMedia

MeretriciousMerriam-Webster's Dictionary ofEnglish UsageMicMiner, minorMinusculeMisnomerModern American UsageModifiers: dangling; misplacedMoral, moraleMore importantly, most importantlyMorning, mourningMuscle, mussel

NNamely

Names of people: capitalization ofkinship names; commas with degrees ortitles; commas with, directly addressed;commas with Jr. or Sr.; hyphens withdouble last names; nicknames; pluralsof; possessives ofNames of places: capitalization of city,county, etc. before; capitalization ofgeographic regions; commas with citiesand statesNaval, navelNegatives, doubleNeitherNeither/norNeither.~.~.orNew, knewNew record

NoneNonessential clausesNonplussedNot justNotorietyNouns: collective, subject-verbagreement with; common; compound;defined; linked with pronouns by and oror; phrases used as; plurals of initials,capital letters, and numbers used as;possessives of; quizzes on finding;regular vs. irregular. See also Propernouns; SubjectsNumber, amountNumbers. See Writing numbers

O

Object of the prepositionObject pronounsOf: subject-verb agreement and phrasesbeginning with; used in place of haveOff ofOneselfOr: independent clauses joined by;pronouns and nouns linked by; subject-verb agreementOral, auralOrdinance, ordnanceOrwell, GeorgeOverdo, overdueOverlyOxford commas

P

Pail, palePain, panePalate, palette, palletParallel constructionParentheses; for clarifications andasides; comma placement with;punctuation of complete sentences in;quizzes; subject-verb agreement. Seealso BracketsParish, perishParody, satireParticiplesParticles, initial negativePassed, pastPassive voicePast history

Pastime, past timePeace, piecePeak, peek, piquePeal, peelPedal, peddlePeer, pierPenultimatePercentPeriods: with abbreviations at end ofsentences; after indirect questions;capitalization after; with completesentences in parentheses; at end ofsentences; with et al. and etc.;exclamation points replacing; questionmarks replacing; quizzes; with quotationmarks; semicolons replacingPerpetrate, perpetuate

Persecute, prosecutePersuade, convincePhase, fazePhenomenonPhrasal verbsPhrases: beginning with of, subject-verbagreement with; defined; essential vs.nonessentialPiece, peacePique, peak, peekPistil, pistolPlace names. See Names of placesPlain, planePlum, plumbP.m., a.m.Point in time

Pole, pollPoor, pore, pourPossessive pronounsPossessives: amounts of time or moneyas; of compound nouns; falsepossessives; with joint ownership; ofnouns; of personal pronouns; of wordsending in $s$; of words ending in yPray, preyPrecipitate, precipitousPredominatelyPrefixes; confusing without hyphens;defined; ending in same vowel thatbegins root word; hyphens with; beforeproper nouns or adjectives; quizzes onhyphens with; re-; self-, ex-, all-Premier, premiere

Prepositions; in, into; defined; differentfrom, different than; of vs. have; as, asif, as though, the way; like; phrasesused as; quizzes; sentences ending withPresentlyPresume, assumePrincipal, principleProfit, prophetProne, supinePronouns; caution on apostrophes with;consistency with singular pronouns;defined; following than or as; linkedwith nouns by and or or; objectpronouns; possessive pronouns; quizzes;reflexive pronouns; subject pronouns;this, that, these, those; who, which, thatProper adjectives: capitalizing; prefixes

beforeProper nouns: capitalization of;capitalization of city, county, etc.before; capitalization of the before;defined; possessives of; prefixes before.See also Names of people; Names ofplacesProphecy, prophesize, prophesyProsecute, persecuteProximity, closePunctuation: mastery test; pretestPurposely, purposefully

QQuestion marks; after direct questions;capitalization following; with halfstatement/half question; not used with

indirect or rhetorical questions; quizzes;with quotation marks; replacing periodsQuestions: capitalization ofmidsentence; commas to separatestatements from; indirect; rhetoricalQuotation, quoteQuotation marks; double; withnonstandard expressions; with periodsand commas; with question marks;quizzes; with quotations longer than oneparagraph; single; spacing betweensingle and double; for titles of worksQuotations: brackets with; capitalizationof first word of; colons to introduce;commas with; within quotations

R

Rack, wrackRaise, razeRap, wrapRe-Real, reelReason being isReason is becauseReek, wreakRefer, allude, eludeReflexive pronounsRegular nounsReign, reinRelish inRenownRest, as they say, is historyRest, wrest

RestaurateurRetch, wretchReticentReverendReview, revueRhetorical questionsRiff, riftRight, rite, writeRing, wringRoad, rode, rowedRole, rollRoot wordsRun-on sentencesRye, wry

S

Satire, parodySaver, savorScent, sentSecondly, thirdly, fourthlySelf-Semiannual, biannual, biennialSemicolons; colons vs.; beforeintroductory words; quizzes; betweensentences; in sentences with multipleclauses; in series containing commasSensual, sensuousSentence fragmentsSentences: beginning with numbers;capitalization of independent clause orquestion in middle of; colons between,when second explains first; commas toseparate contrasting parts of; ending

with prepositions; parallel construction;in parentheses; periods at end of; run-on;semicolons between; word order in. Seealso Independent clausesSerf, surfSerial, cerealSeries: colon to introduce; commas in;semicolons in. See also ListsSet, sitSew, so, sowShear, sheer[sic]Sight, site, citeSimplisticSince, becauseSite, sight, cite

Slash (/)Sleight, slightSnuckSo, sew, sowSoar, soreSole, soulSome, sumSon, sunSpacing: with AM or PM; aroundhyphens; with dashes; with ellipses;between single and double quotationmarksSplit infinitivesSr.Staid, stayedStair, stare

Stake, steakStationary, stationerySteal, steelStep, steppeStomping groundsStraight, straitStrategy, stratagemSubject pronounsSubjects: defined; how to find; quizzeson finding; underliningSubject-verb agreement; with and; withcollective nouns; with dashes; withdistances, period of time, sums ofmoney, etc.; with here and there; withinterrupting expressions; with none; withor, either/or, neither/nor; withparentheses; with phrases beginning with

of; with portions; with pronouns;quizzes; singular vs. plural verbs;subjunctive mood; with who, that, whichSubjunctive mood: defined; subject-verbagreementSubtitlesSuffixes; beginning with same letter thatends root word; defined; not usuallyhyphenated; quizzes on hyphens with;using discretion with hyphenatingSum, someSun, sonSundae, SundaySupine, proneSuppose toSurf, serfSympathy, empathy

TTack, tactTail, taleTake, bringTaught, tautTeam, teemTemblorTenant, tenetThan, pronouns afterThan, thenThat, who, which; quizzesThat isThe, capitalization before proper nounsThe national anthemTheir, there, they're; quizzesThere is, there are

There'sThey and their, with singular pronounsThis, that, these, thoseThose kind ofTill, `tilTitles and offices: capitalization of;commas withTitles of coursesTitles of works: capitalization of;quotation marks or italics forTo, too, twoTort, torteTortuous, torturousTotallyToward, towardsTranspire

TremblorTroop, troupeTrulyTurbid, turgid

UUninterested, disinterestedUniqueUtilize

VVain, vane, veinVenal, venialVerbs: compound; defined; how to find;infinitives; quizzes on finding; types of;underlining. See also Subject-verb

agreementVerses, versusVeryViableVial, vileVice, viseVirguleVirtuallyVoice, active vs. passive

WWaist, wasteWait, weightWaiver, waverWarn, wornWarrantee, warranty

Wary, wearyWay, weighWays to goWeak, weekWeather, whetherWebster's New World CollegeDictionaryWell, goodWhether or notWhich, who, that; quizzesWhile, wileWho, subject-verb agreementWho, which, that; quizzesWho, whom; quizzesWhoever, whomever; quizzesWhole, hole

Wholly, holyWho's, whoseWith regard(s) to, in regard(s) toWon't, wontWords on Words (Bremner)Worn, warnWrack, rackWrap, rapWreak (wreck) havocWreak, reekWrest, restWretch, retchWring, ringWrite, right, riteWriting, effective; active vs. passivevoice; concrete vs. vague language;

dangling modifiers; double negatives;misplaced modifiers; overuse of thereis/are, it is/was, etc.; parallelconstruction; quizzes; sentencefragments. See also Business writingWriting numbers; beginning sentences;commas in; dates; decades; decimals;fractions; hyphens with ages; hyphenswith spelled-out numbers; largenumbers; money; quizzes, pretest, andmastery test; time of day; using figuresvs. spelling out numbers; when to useand in spelled-out numbers; yearsWry, rye

YYoke, yolk

You're, your