The Pesky Rules #2 by Erika M Szabo

Oh, the joy of using the English language!

In March I shared my cheat-sheet about the Pesky Comma.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2019/03/that-pesky-comma-by-erika-m-szabo.html

And in mid April an article about the Pesky Rules #1

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2019/04/that-pesky-comma-part-2-by-erika-m-szabo.html

I learned English as an adult and the comma became my worst nightmare when I started writing.
Where it's needed and don't need it?
I rely on the editors to catch my mistakes, but I really should use my cheat-sheet more often. I bet my editor would have fewer headaches.

Let's see some more rules which are the authors' and editors' cause headache:

Irregular Verbs

The English language has quite a few surprises. The irregular verbs must be learned, simple as that.

Let's see the word: broadcast. You'd assume the past tense would be: broadcasted. But no, just to give you a headache, for this word a past tense doesn't exist. 

So you have to say: "Yesterday ABC broadcast a new show." 

The list of about 200 irregular verbs is so extensive that one blog post is not enough to list them.  

It's versus Its

Normally, an apostrophe symbolizes possession.

"I took the dog's pillow."

But because apostrophes also usually replace omitted letters — like "don't" — the "it's" versus "its" decision gets complicated. 

Use "its" as the possessive pronoun:

"I took its pillow."

For the shortened version of "it is" use the version with the apostrophe.

"It's sunny outside." 

Nor versus Or

Use "nor" before the second or farther of two alternatives when "neither" introduces the first.

Think of it as "or" for negative sentences, and it's not optional. 

"Neither Cathy nor I understand the new program." You can also use nor with a negative first clause or sentence including "not."

"Cathy didn't understand the program, nor did I."

Then versus Than

Use "then" when discussing time.

"We had dinner, and then we watched a movie."

Use "than" in comparisons.

"Episode three was far better than episode two." 

Ending Sentences With Prepositions

First of all, don't do it — usually.

Yeah, easier said than done!

"My boss explained the new rules, which we had to abide by." sounds awful.

In most cases, you can just transpose the preposition to the beginning of the clause.

"My boss explained the new rules, by which we had to abide."

Or better yet, rephrase the sentence to avoid this problem:

"My boss explained the new rules." 

 I write fiction, children's books, and health related books.

Your can read about my books on my website:

https://www.authorerikamszabo.com

https://www.authorerikamszabo.com

That Pesky Comma: Part 2 by Erika M Szabo

Where does it belong?

By Erika M Szabo

https://www.authorerikamszabo.com

I learned English as an adult and the comma became my worst nightmare when I started writing.
Where it's needed and don't need it?

I rely on the editors to catch my mistakes, but I really should use my cheat-sheet more often. I bet my editor would have fewer headaches.

Read the first part of my cheat-sheet here:
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2019/03/that-pesky-comma-by-erika-m-szabo.html


My cheat-sheet continued:

Use a comma to separate each element in an address. Also use a comma after a city-state combination within a sentence.
I work at 234 South Street, New York, 10045.

Also use a comma to separate the elements in a full date (weekday, month and day, and year). Also separate a combination of those elements from the rest of the sentence with commas.
March 15, 2019, was a strange day.
Friday, March 15, 2019, was a strange day.

You don't need to add a comma when the sentence mentions only the month and year.
March 2019 was a strange month.

Use a comma when the first word of the sentence is freestanding "yes" or "no."
Yes, I saw a fox when I went running.
No, the fox didn't bite me.

Use a comma when directly addressing someone or something in a sentence.
My boss often asks, "Cathy, did you read the new policy yet?"

Incorrect placement of the comma leads to confusion and misunderstanding.
Stop clubbing baby seals!
It looks like an order to desist harming baby seals.
Stop clubbing, baby seals!
Now it prompts baby seals to stop clubbing.

Use a comma between two adjectives that modify the same noun.
I saw the big, mean fox when I went running.

Use a comma to offset negation in a sentence.
I saw a fox, not a baby seal, when I went running.

Also use commas when any distinct shift occurs in the sentence or thought process.
The cloud looked like an animal, perhaps a baby elephant.

Use commas before every sequence of three numbers when writing a number larger than 999. (Two exceptions are writing years and house numbers.)
10,000 or 1,304,687.

Read the first part of article about the Pesky Rules:
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-pesky-rules-1.html

Next week we'll talk about "its versus it's", "then versus than", "nor versus or" and many other pesky rules. Don't miss the post!

Yesterday was a great day, my book trailer video was chosen to be on of the winners in the Bookish Video Contest:

 Cursed Bloodline 

https://books2read.com/u/meAdZ9

  

See the winners here:
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2019/04/winners-of-bookish-video-contest.html

The Pesky Rules #1

Learning the English language rules is not easy!

Oh, the joy of learning English!

In March I shared my cheat-sheet about the pesky comma.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/2019/03/that-pesky-comma-by-erika-m-szabo.html

I learned English as an adult and the comma became my worst nightmare when I started writing.
Where it's needed and don't need it?
I rely on the editors to catch my mistakes, but I really should use my cheat-sheet more often. I bet my editor would have fewer headaches.

I will continue sharing my cheat-sheet next week about the use of the pesky comma.

But this week let's talk about some of the pesky rules:

Apostrophe
Normally, an apostrophe symbolizes possession: "I took Mandy's purse."
Apostrophes can also replace omitted letters: "I don't, I can't."
When used as a possessive pronoun: "The dog had a toy. I took its toy."
For the shortened version of "it is" use the version with the apostrophe: "It's raining outside."

Fewer or less?
We use "fewer" when discussing something countable: "Fewer than ten people saw the flying object."
We use "less" for intangible concepts: "I spent less than one hour coloring the picture."

Dangling modifiers
These are ambiguous, adjectival clauses at the beginning or end of sentences that often don't modify the right word or phrase:
"Rotting in the pantry, our Mandy threw the onions in the garbage." The structure of this sentence implies that Mandy is a zombie rotting in the pantry.
But when you place the modifying clause right next to the word or phrase it intends to describe:
"Mandy, threw the onions, rotting in the pantry, in the garbage." Then we know the onions went bad in the pantry and not Mandy.

Me, myself, or I?
Me and I always function. as the object.
"My friend and I went to lunch."
"Sara asked Betty and me to go hiking."
"I ate five apples."
When you've referred to yourself earlier in the sentence: "I made myself breakfast."

Who or whom?
It's not always easy to tell subjects from objects but to use an over-simplified yet good, general rule: subjects start sentences (or clauses), and objects end them.
"Who is a bully?"
"Careful whom you call a bully."

Lie or lay?
This is a pretty confusing rule:
The word "lay" must have an object, so we don't say: "I'm going to go lay down." Someone lays something somewhere: "Mandy lays her pen on the table."
You lie. Unless you lay, which means lie but in the past tense:
Present Past
Lie Lie Lay
Lay Lay Laid

Next time we'll talk about nor versus or, than versus then, irregular verbs and a few other things, and I will continue sharing the pesky comma rules cheat-sheet. Don't miss the posts!

In this short story collection I mentioned a few stories about the humorous part of learning a new language along with stories from my nursing years.

Available in eBook and audiobook:

EBOOK

AMAZON

ITUNES

KOBO

PLAYSTER