Karen Reddick, The Editor’s Blog

People often ask me, “What’s the single most common error you read while editing a manuscript?”

I need look no further than that question itself. While single most isn’t the worst grammar gaffe, it does make many an editor cringe. The phrase is redundant. Simply saying most, which is already superlative and doesn’t need any help.

And while we are at it, avoid absolute best and absolute worst.

Happy writing!

Many people think these two words are interchangeable, but they are not.

i.e. means that is, in other words, or more commonly, namely. The Latin term is id est.

e.g. means for example. The Latin term is exempli gratia.

The easiest way to remember this is to use the rule of association: i.e. means in other words, and that is; both have the letter “i.”

And, e.g. means for example; both have an “e.”

It should, also, be noted that i.e. and e.g. are not italicized, and they are best used in lists, parenthetical statements, and citations rather than in text.

Example:
The U.S. has many states that begin with the letter A (i.e., Alabama, Alaska, Arizona).
French fries go well with dipping sauce (e.g., ketchup, ranch dressing).

When it comes to using these terms in text, it is more acceptable to write out the meaning instead of using the abbreviation.

Example:
The U.S. has many states that begin with the letter A; namely (or in other words, that is), Alabama, Alaska, Arizona.
French fries go well with a dipping sauce, for example, ketchup, ranch dressing.

A quick word about punctuation. Because these are abbreviations, always use a period after each letter (but no spaces) and it is recommended by most style manuals to use a comma following i.e. and e.g. just as you would if you were spelling them out.

Happy writing!

Both of these words are correct and interchangeable. You can use either one because they mean the same thing, but many reference manuals state that attaching the [s] is used mostly in British English and without the [s] is preferred in American English.

Another tidbit about the word toward is its pronunciation. Toward is pronounced /tord (rhymes with board) — not /tword or /tward.

Toward, like backward, implies movement.

Examples:
The horses knew they were headed toward home.
He likes to sit with his back toward the wall.
Mom didn’t like her teenager’s attitude toward her father.
He threw in five dollars toward the bill.
Their efforts toward peace were successful.

Happy writing!

At the beginning of many books, you will see an author has a dedicated page acknowledging those that help with their book.

What you might not know is that the preferred spelling in American English is without the medial “e” (just like in judgment and abridgment).

Keep that in mind next time you can’t decide which is correct.

Happy writing!

Sources: Garner’s Modern American Usage, p 15
The American Heritage Dictionary, p 75

Many people get confused by the terms yay, yeah, and yea.

The word yea is an archaic formal way of saying yes that was used mainly in voting. It’s the opposite of, and rhymes with, nay.

Examples:
All in favor of ordering pizza say, yea.
All opposed say, nay.

When writing the common casual version of yes the correct spelling is yeah (sounds like yeh).

Examples:
Yeah, I’ve heard of that terminology before.
Yeah! Rock and roll lives forever!

The word yay also rhymes with nay but is the opposite of boo (as in the negative, not the scary).

Examples:
When the piping hot pizza arrived, we all yelled, “yay!”
Yay! The concert starts in five minutes!

Happy Writing!

Many of us aren’t sure when to use a hyphen at the beginning or ending of a word. Here are some common beginnings and endings that don’t usually need a hyphen.

Beginnings:

anti: The entire group was antiwar.

bi: The paychecks come out bimonthly.

co: Her book used many coauthors.

extra: The student’s extracurricular schedule is full.

inter: Those two words are interchangeable.

micro, mini or multi: The boss’s micromanagement of the project caused a minicrisis among his multitalented staff.

non: Susan chose to be nonpartisan in this election.

over and under: It’s important to be overcautious if serving alcohol when underage children are present.

post: He came from the postwar era.

semi: He drove that huge semitrailer under that tiny bridge.

sub and super: Our subbasement got supersaturated during the flood.

Endings:

ache: I’ll trade a headache for a toothache any day.

less or more: The ageless soprano can still hit the uppermost notes.

like: That painting was so lifelike.

wide: Sewer rats are a citywide problem in some parts of the country.

Happy Writing!

Although important in all communication, choosing the correct words are especially important in writing, where ideas and attitudes are expressed without the help of facial expressions, tone of voice, or gestures. You can enhance the power of your writing by following these guidelines:

Use the correct word
Beware of confusing words that sound alike and have related or similar meanings, like imply/infer; convex/concave; disinterested/uninterested; emigrate/immigrate).

Example:
imply means to suggest but not express something. “His silence implied anger.”
infer means to deduce or arrive at a conclusion from facts on hand. “We inferred from his tone of voice that he was angry.”

Use descriptive words
Whenever possible, use a descriptive word over a vague word. Words such as thing and stuff and weak verbs such as walk, act, move can often be replaced by words that convey a more precise meaning.

Example:
Vague: My brother drove up in a rundown car.
Better: My brother sputtered to a stop in his old, dilapidated convertible.

Use appropriate words
Words that are right in one situation may be wrong in another (e.g., female siblings, is an acceptable expression by itself), but it would be awkward to use as follows:

Example:
Awkward: Jan, Sylvia, and I are best friends as well as female siblings.
Better: Jan, Sylvia, and I are best friends as well as sisters.

Happy writing!

Always capitalize the first and last words both in titles and in subtitles and all other major words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions).

Lowercase the articles: the, a, and an.

Lowercase prepositions, regardless of length, except when they are stressed (i.e., through in A River Runs Through It).

Or, when used as adverbs or adjectives:
up in Look Up
down in Turn Down
on in The On Button

Lowercase the conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor.

Lowercase the words: to and as just for simplicity’s sake.

Examples:
A Little Learning Is a Dangerous Thing
Singing While You Work
Tired but Happy
Taking Down Names, Spelling Them Out, and Typing Them Up
Sitting on the Floor in an Empty Room
Turn On, Tune In, and Enjoy.

Happy Writing!

Both of these words are correct and interchangeable. You can use either one because they mean the same thing, but many reference manuals state that attaching the [s] is used mostly in British English and without the [s] is preferred in American English.

Another tidbit about the word toward is its pronunciation. Toward is pronounced /tord (rhymes with board) — not /tword or /tward.

Toward, like backward, implies movement.

Examples:
The horses knew they were headed toward home.
He likes to sit with his back toward the wall.
It began to rain toward evening.
Mom didn’t like her teenager’s attitude toward her father.
He threw in five dollars toward the bill.
Their efforts toward peace were successful.

Happy Writing!

Like is probably the least-understood preposition. It’s used to compare one thing to another. It means similar to or for example.

Examples:
This flower looks like a daisy.
This tastes more like lemonade than iced tea.
You look like your father.
I’m good at water sports like skiing and sailing.

As and as if are conjunctions used before clauses. (Remember: a clause has a subject and a verb.)

Examples:
He worked hard as he knew he should.
You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.

Happy Writing!