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Well, apparently the groundhog saw his shadow this week, which means we're stuck with six more weeks of winter. I'm as ready for spring to arrive as anyone, but I've got to admit that there's one big advantage to the long, cold, gray days of winter. I tend to get more work done. There are no warm, sunny afternoons to lure me away from my desk. There's no need to set aside time in the morning to water the garden and weed the flowerbeds. And the racket from my neighbor's ailing lawnmower doesn't break my concentration. So, thanks to Punxsutawney Phil, I'll enjoy another few weeks of hot coffee in the morning (in the summer I switch to iced tea) and the quiet confines of my closed- up house. But believe me, I'll also welcome warm spring breezes and the sweet scent of lilacs drifting through open windows when the time comes. And I'll bet you will, too. Hang in there--we're getting closer! All the best, Cassie Hart
www.cassiehartwriter.com
3 Puntuation Mistakes to Avoid
Do you find yourself puzzling over possessives and
consulting your co-workers about commas? If so, rest
assured that you're not alone. There are several
types of punctuation errors that sometimes creep into
our writing. Let's look at three common mistakes that--
with a little clarification--can easily be avoided.
1. Which is it?
Knowing when to use its or it's may seem
tricky at first, but determining when to use the
correct version is actually pretty simple: just remember
that it's--with an apostrophe--is a contraction
of it is .
It's a good thing we backed up the computer last
night.
Have you send the Anderson file? It's missing.
Its, on the other hand, is the possessive form of
it. Never use an apostrophe in this situation.
That dog has mud all over its paws.
The tree is about to loose its leaves.
Let's take a look at both forms used in the same
sentence:
I can it's my cell phone by its ringtone.
When in doubt, mentally substitute it is for
its/it's and read the sentence again. If the
meaning is clear, you've made the right choice.
2. Comma dilemmas
Commas are often thrown (unwillingly) into places
where they don't belong. Use commas to help your
readers understand meaning and to prevent ambiguity.
Ambiguous: To be successful students must study
to pass exams.
This sentence runs together somewhat. At first glance,
the adjective successful appears to modify the
noun students. In this case, however,
successful isn't meant to function as an
adjective. Insert a comma to help clarify:
Better: To be successful, students must study to
pass exams.
Excess commas result in sentences that are difficult to
read. Try to avoid overusing commas in your copy.
Unnecessary commas: As I approached the bus, this
morning, I tripped, and spilled coffee on my new jacket.
Better: As I approached the bus this morning, I
tripped and spilled coffee on my new jacket.
3. Who's S is it, anyway?
When it comes to adding the letter s to make a noun
possessive, it's common to see errors like this:
Remember to
bring two #2 pencil's for the certification test
tomorrow.
Adding an apostrophe and an s makes a singular
noun possessive. In this example, pencils should
simply be plural, not possessive. After all, the pencil
doesn't own anything. Eliminate the apostrophe and the
sentence will be fine:
Remember to
bring two #2 pencils for the certification test tomorrow.
When changing a singular noun to its plural form, simply
add an s, -es, or -ies accordingly.
Examples:
report (singular), reports (plural)
business (singular), businesses (plural)
company (singular), companies (plural)
Got it now? In your next piece of writing, get ready,
get set, and punctuate properly!
To discuss potential projects not listed here (or
to obtain more information about any of those
mentioned above) feel free to send
me an email.
Contact me today for a fr*e estimate on your next
writing project!
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email: cahart@att.net voice: 309.454.1908 web: http://www.cassiehartwriter.com |
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