Writing Tools

How do you know when your book is ready to show to agents and publishers?

It takes gentle perseverance and the right feedback to ready your manuscript for publication. When you’ve tightened it up as much as possible and know that if you have to read it one more time, you’ll go mad, that’s when you’ve gotten as far as you can on your own.

TOOLBOX

Here are a few tools to help avoid common pitfalls. Below is a list of often confused homonyms, problem phrases, and common mistakes.

Homonyms, words that sound alike:

Abdicate, Abrogate

To abdicate is to resign from the throne, or more loosely to cast off a responsibility.

To abrogate is to repeal a law or abolish an arrangement. To arrogate is to attempt to take on a right or responsibility to which one is not entitled.

• Standard: Edward VIII abdicated the throne of the United Kingdom.
• Standard: Henry VIII abrogated Welsh customary law.

Accept, Except

Accept is a verb meaning to receive. Except is usually a preposition meaning excluding. I will accept all the packages except that one. Except is also a verb meaning to exclude. Please except that item from the list.

Affect, Effect

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence. Effect is usually a noun meaning result. The drug did not affect the disease, and it had several adverse side effects. Effect can also be a verb meaning to bring about. Only the president can effect such a dramatic change.

Allusion, Illusion

An Allusion is an indirect reference. An illusion is a misconception or false impression. Did you catch my allusion to Shakespeare? Mirrors give the room an illusion of depth.

Assure, Ensure, and Insure

In American English, to assure is purely to intend to give the listener confidence, to ensure is to make certain of, and to insure is to purchase insurance. The only difference with British English is that “assure” can be used instead of “insure”, particularly in the context of life insurance/assurance.

• Standard: I assure you that I will have your car washed by the time you return.
• Standard: When you mow the lawn, ensure there are no foreign objects in the grass.
• Standard: I plan to purchase the collision policy when I insure my car.
• Standard: I already have more than enough life assurance.

Capital, Capitol

Capital refers to a city, capitol to a building where lawmakers meet. Capital also refers to wealth or resources. The capitol has undergone extensive renovations. The residents of the state capital protested the development plans.

Climactic, Climatic

Climactic is derived from climax, the point of greatest intensity in a series or progression of events. Climatic is derived from climate; it refers to meteorological conditions. The climactic period in the dinosaurs’ reign was reached just before severe climatic conditions brought on the ice age.

Elicit, Illicit

Elicit is a verb meaning to bring out or to evoke.

Illicit is an adjective meaning unlawful. The reporter was unable to elicit information from the police about illicit drug traffic.

Emigrate from, Immigrate to:

Principle, Principal

Principal is a noun meaning the head of a school or an organization or a sum of money. Principle is a noun meaning a basic truth or law. The principal taught us many important life principles.

Hint:

To recognize the spelling of Principal first think of yourself as a greedy opportunist. You definitely would want to be a pal of anyone who is in a position of power or anything to do with money. This principal has pal in it.

Than, Then

Than is a conjunction used in comparisons; then is an adverb denoting time. That pizza is more than I can eat. Tom laughed, and then we recognized him.

Hints:

Than is used to compare; both words have the letter a in them.

Then tells when; both are spelled the same, except for the first letter.

Words that don’t sound alike but confuse us anyway:

Lie, Lay

Lie is an intransitive verb meaning to recline or rest on a surface. Its principal parts are lie, lay, lain. Lay is a transitive verb meaning to put or place. Its principal parts are lay, laid.

Hint: Chickens lay eggs. I lie down when I am tired.

Set, Sit

Set is a transitive verb meaning to put or to place. Its principal parts are set, set, set. Sit is an intransitive verb meaning to be seated. Its principal parts are sit, sat, sat. She set the dough in a warm corner of the kitchen. The cat sat in the warmest part of the room.

Who, Which, That

Do not use which to refer to persons. Use who instead. That, though generally used to refer to things, may be used to refer to a group or class of people. I just saw a boy who was wearing a yellow banana costume. I have to go to math next, which is my hardest class. Where is the book that I was reading?

Problem phrases

Supposed to: Do not omit the d. Suppose to is incorrect.

Used to: Same as above. Do not write use to.

Toward: There is no s at the end of the word.

Anyway: Also has no ending s. Anyways is nonstandard.

Couldn’t care less: Be sure to make it negative. (Not I could care less.)

For all intents and purposes: Not intensive purposes.

Common Mistakes

Prepositional phrase

There are no secrets between Michael and I.

– Michael and me—me is the object of the preposition between; prepositions are followed by the object form of pronouns
– You should be able to take out the words “Michael and” and still be able to read the sentence.
– Cut out the name; would you use I or me?

Correction: There are no secrets between Michael and me.

Subject-verb agreement

One of the many writers who come from the Mediterranean countries are enrolled in my composition class.

– One is singular; are is plural.
– A singular subject (one) should be followed by a singular verb (is, not are)
– Prepositional phrases (of the many writers) are not an important part of the sentence when looking at verb agreement; the main idea (S + V) is One is enrolled.

Correction: One of the many writers who come from the Mediterranean countries is enrolled in my composition class,

Double negative

Sarah can’t hardly get out of bed for her 8:00 class,

– Two negatives in a row—can’t hardly.
– “Hardly” is already negative—either She can hardly or She can’t.
– The sentence literally (or mathematically) means that Sarah can easily get out of bed; two negatives = a positive

Correction: Sarah can hardly get out of bed for her 8:00 class.

Dangling construction

Entering the bakery, the smell of fresh pastries and coffee overwhelmed her.

– It sounds like “the smell of fresh pastries and coffee” is “entering the bakery.”
– As a reader, I am unclear as to what was entering the bakery—a woman or a smell?
– The actor of the sentence must be at the beginning of the independent clause.

Correction: Entering the bakery, she was overwhelmed by the smell of fresh pastires and coffee.

Verb tense shift

In Strindberg’s Miss Julie an aristocratic woman pays a nighttime visit to the servants’ quarters and slept with the family valet.

– Pick a verb tense and stick with it; present tense is the standard for writing about literature.
– Avoid verb tense changes—The woman pays/ The woman sleeps.
– Verb tenses should stay consistent within a sentence.

Correction: In Strindberg’s Miss Julie an aristocratic woman pays a nighttime visit to the servants’ quarters and sleeps with the family valet.

Sentence fragment

The Senator voted for the health care bill to the delight of the opposition. Although he had to admit that there were certain provisions with which he disagreed.

– Although indicates that the segment following should be joined to the main clause.
– Things that sound like afterthoughts or additions are rarely complete sentences.
– These two ideas can be combined to form one complex sentence; otherwise, the second clause is a fragment.

Correction: The Senator voted for the health care bill to the delight of the opposition although he had to admit there were certain provisions with which he disagreed.

Wrong verb form

Dairy farmers should of received a larger subsidy from the Federal government because of the increased cost of operation.

– This sentence should read “should have” because “of” is a phonetic way of saying “have” in spoken English.
– Should’ve = should have
– “Of” is a preposition while “should have” is a helping or auxiliary verb.

Correction: Dairy farmers should have received a larger subsidy from the Federal government because of the increased cost of operation.

Comma splice

Anne rode her bicycle to the meeting in the -40 temperatures, everyone else either drove or stayed home.

– A comma doesn’t correctly join two sentences (or two independent clauses).
– You have two complete sentences here; use a semi-colon or a period rather than a comma.
– There is no putting two sentences together with just a comma.

Correction: Anne rode her bicycle to the meting in the -40 temperatures; everyone else either drove or stayed home.

Run-on sentence

Warren and Alice spent at least $5000 on their Hawaiian vacation the trip could have been less expensive if they had stayed at hotels away from the beach.

– A new subject and a new verb after “vacation” – a new sentence
– There are two complete sentences here not separated by punctuation.
– This sentence contains two complete thoughts without the necessary punctuation.

Correction: Warren and Alice spent at least $5000 on their Hawaiian vacation; the trip could have been less expensive if they had stayed at hotels away from the beach.

(Lack of) Parallel construction

Ellen quit her job not only because of the long commute but also because she did not respect her supervisor.

– If you want to use not only … but also, the word group following each part (phrase or clause) must be parallel in construction.
– Because + Prepositional phrase is grammatically different from because + S + V.
– Match the form of items joined by coordinating conjunctions or phrases.

Correction: Ellen quit her job not only because she had a long commute but also because she did not respect her supervisor.