Take a moment: grammar lessons
Marilyn Monroe may have contributed to the stereotype of the “dumb blonde,” but this bright woman had better writing skills than most today who consider themselves “smart”
Great writing can be rendered mediocre by a failure to utilize correct grammar and punctuation. As an editor, I see this time and again; poor grammar skills, though, are so common nowadays that one needn’t look farther than the email correspondences at work to experience the shock and horror.
Shock and horror… A little dramatic, maybe - but let’s remember: our language is often all we have with which to communicate. While the subtle energies of our conscious world may continue to guide us even as we embark on new technological social platforms, some of the basic modes of communication that we have evolved to rely on are simply lacking in modern times. Tone, pitch, scent, body language, facial expression, energy field - these are some of the many modes of expression we use, usually subconsciously, to express ourselves. When we text, instant message or email without them, our words must speak for themselves, something that might sound simple and obvious. They’re words! It is simple, when we use our words well.
Common misuse of language obscures meaning by rendering our writing difficult to follow. We end up failing to communicate what we intend as a result. We also force our reader to reread and reread in an attempt to demystify the complications in our prose, causing frustration over their extra expense of time and energy, and ultimately, a potential jadedness with us - the writers - and our cause.
Here are the most common mistakes I encounter, some which can be caught quickly, others which lead a reader down a perilous journey of confusion. And let’s be clear: I catch myself making these mistakes ALL the time. With the average education in grammar these days, we’re all guilty. The key is catching the mistakes before hitting “post,” “send” or “print.” Note: No doubt I’ve committed one of the crimes below in this very post. Catch me if you can.
1. Employing basic punctuation: the comma, colon, semicolon, dash, apostrophe. I find these punctuation marks under- and overused, and although it may seem like a small crime since they are not “words,” these little dots and dashes are actually hugely instrumental in conveying meaning. They are words, in their own way. Silent words. They speak the unspoken elements of our language - the pauses that pepper our speech.
A comma suggests a short pause, a gentle break, to avoid run-on or to split up informal list items.
A colon suggests a call to attention, leading us to a focal point: perhaps a formal list, a sweeping conclusion, or a heady insight.
A semicolon allows us to pause between two complete thoughts, but without the conclusive weight of a period. Its two component thoughts are connected; they are two parts of the same whole, despite being complete sentences on their own.
A dash functions like a stronger comma, or a softer colon - a longer pause than a comma would incite, but with an easier transition than what follows the colon.
An apostrophe is multipurposed: signifying ownership (Jerry’s laptop), creating a conjunction (wasn’t property), implying the omission of a letter (of the U.S. gov’t), or making a plural out of an abbreviation (or property of the European govt’s). An apostrophe does NOT make a plural of a full word. Laptops is the plural; not laptop’s.
2. It’s vs. Its: This is an extension of the general punctuation (apostrophe) issue, but it deserves special mention. It’s means “it is.” Its implies “belonging to it.” This is easy!
3. Affect vs. Effect: These words are so similar in spelling, in how they sound, and their meaning - it’s no wonder we swap them incorrectly all the time. They both can function as a verb and a noun, only further complicating their usage. The general rule of thumb to remember is that affect is usually the verb. This word can affect us. Effect is usually the noun. This word is an effect of language. But because they can double-duty, you can effect change (verb), and have an affect (noun). Using effect as a verb or affect as a noun requires a more specific definition of the words. The noun “affect” refers very specifically to an emotion or feeling - it’s really a psychological term. An affect is what happen to our reader when we traumatize him with our language. The effect in that situation is the miscommunication we experience. To use the verb functionality of “effect,” we must combine it with an object. Our grammar studies effect the good writing we desire to create.
4. Improper use of words: This one is a doozy. It applies to so many words I cannot list them all, but my general advice is to look up the definition and usage of a fancy word before using it. We tend to use words we have heard or read without fully understanding how they function, resulting in their abuse. For example: “An important criteria” sounds ok, right? We hear the word “criteria” so often that we have never considered to look it up: criteria is the plural! The sentence should read: “An important criterion.” Add dictionary.com to your bookmarks and consult it frequently.
5. Overuse of the passive tense, or passive voice. The rebel was caught by the king, the rose was plucked by the woman… The passive voice is immensely useful when used in moderation and at appropriate times. When overused, it clutters our language. While some discourage ALL use of the passive voice, I believe that it can and should be used when it enriches the language. Because it rarely adds to our language, it should not be used often. Judging its success is really up to the writer, but a general guideline is: use the passive voice when you want to place emphasis on the the thing to which the action is directed, not the director of the action. If you want to emphasize the rebel or the rose, use a passive tense; if you want the emphasis on the king or woman, use the active tense - the king caught the rebel; the woman plucked the rose.
6. Which vs. That: We can use “that” far more frequently than “which,” but “which” sneaks its way into places it doesn’t belong. The egg which hatched should be The egg that hatched. Knowing when to use “which” involves a basic trick: the clause following “which,” if removed from the sentence, should not prevent the sentence from making sense as a result of its removal. The egg, which hatched, produced an adorable chick makes sense without the “which” clause: The egg produced an adorable chick.
There are times when “which” and “that” both make technical sense in a sentence, but you must consider how each changes the meaning of that sentence. Using the above example: The egg, which hatched, produced an adorable chick suggests to us simply that the egg hatched. The egg that hatched produced an adorable chick implies there are other eggs - eggs that did not hatch. You’ll know not to use “that” if there is a comma involved. “Which” always follows a comma.
We also must use “which” in a qualifying statement, usually about a noun, involving a preposition, e.g. the egg, upon which we contemplate life’s beauty, inspires us.
