Writing Numbers
Should a number be written as a word or as a figure (e.g., a numeral)? There are no easy clear rules; there are only style guides that offer different opinions.
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Nouns and Pronouns
You’d think that nouns and pronouns would be easy, because we use them every day. But proper usage often trips people up.
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Commas and Semicolons
Rules for using commas and semicolons have been debated for years, and there are a number of sources that offer an opinion on how to use them. However, there are a few simple or basic guidelines that work most of the time.
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Some Challenging Verbs
A verb is the main part of any true complete sentence; it’s the word that describes an action, an occurrence, or a state of being. As important as this part of speech is, verbs are often used incorrectly. Following are some common errors.
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Detailed Table of Contents or Outline
Writing a book can seem like an overwhelming project. Where do you begin? One good way to start is to create an outline or a detailed table of contents (TOC) for your book.
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The Value of a Strong Introduction
The journalism professor was passing out a few hints on writing. “A good introduction,” he explained, “is highly important. Always remember the young man who, desiring to marry Angus McPherson’s comely daughter, opened his interview, ‘Sir, I’d like to show you how I can save you some money.’ “” ~The Christian Science Monitor
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Redundant Words
Some writers use extra words when fewer would be as, if not more, effective. More words don’t necessarily add more meaning to an author’s message.
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Abbreviations and Acronyms
Abbreviations and acronyms are convenient shortcuts for words and phrases. They’re used to save space in print and to save time in saying the entire original phrase.
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Quotes About Editing
Editing is critical to writing. Following are a number of quotes, which are used to point out why.
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So, You Want to Write a Book?
Are you one of those people who has a book inside of you? Have you started writing it any number of time, but just can’t seem to get it done? Here are some ideas that might let you succeed.
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