Exclamation points, plural compound words like “mothers-in-law,” and scare quotes are tricky for writers concerned with proper grammar, punctuation, and usage. Writers tend to use “almost” and “most of” with imprecision as well. Keep reading to learn the best way to use these words and punctuation marks.

How to Effectively Use Exclamation Points!

As with many things, overuse of a technique will diminish its power. So it is with the oft-overused exclamation point. This powerful little punctuation mark loses its punch if it appears too often or, worse, in multiples. Use the exclamation point for emphasis, humor, strong emotion—but use it sparingly to avoid sounding like a lovesick teenager.

The concert was great!!! Joel was totally awesome!!! I’m in love!!!

Another example of overusing the exclamation point:

The car took the turn too quickly! Martha shrieked in fear and stomped on invisible brakes, but it was too late! Her baby was in the backseat! Skidding, the SUV broke through the barricade and disappeared over the edge of the embankment!

Despite the tension of the entire paragraph, only one exclamation point is appropriate—Her baby was in the backseat!—and using more than one in a paragraph is almost always overkill. Not that the exclamation point doesn’t have its uses—if there’s no emphasis in a scene that screams for emphasis, the writing will come across as the equivalent of monotone.

What Are Scare Quotes?

Have you ever seen a sign like this at your local grocery store?

Today only! Buy one, get one “free”!

Is the second item free or not? The scare quote casts doubt on the word it encloses, even though the author’s intention was simply to make the word “free” stand out. Many writers make this mistake when trying to emphasize a particular word or phrase.

Cathy didn’t know why her friends were making her an “outcast.”

I felt “ripped off” by my agent.

Scare quotes should be used to express skepticism or derision about the enclosed word or phrase. They are especially useful when you’re aiming for irony or sarcasm:

The so-called “humane” society put over a hundred dogs to death this year.

It was hard to believe this noise was actually classified as “music.”

You may also use scare quotes to distance yourself from a word or phrase. For example, if you are writing a self-help book, you may surround “inner child” with quotes to show it’s not your own term, and that you may not even agree with the phrasing.

Be careful how you use these “scary” quotes or your reader may have trouble interpreting your meaning. If you offer a 19th-century saga of the “Western” frontier, your readers may assume they’re going to be tricked and denied any cowboys and Indians.

How to Make Compound Words Plural

Compound words are often hyphenated (brother-in-law). Since the first word in the compound (brother) is the most important, it is the part that is pluralized: brothers-in-law.

Other examples of compound words in plural form:

                        passerby                          passersby

                        matron of honor              matrons of honor

                        knight-errant                  knights-errant

Do not add an apostrophe “s” to the end to make it plural, unless it is possessive.

Correct:            My mother-in-law’s opinion matters to me. (Singular)

                        My mothers-in-law’s opinions matter to me. (Plural)

Almost (all of) vs Most (of)

These phrases can be pitfalls for writers, and their different nuances can change the meaning of your sentence. So can the placement.

1.  I almost failed all of my classes. (I nearly failed but ended up passing all of my classes.)

2.  I failed almost all of my classes. (I did fail most of my classes.)

3.  I failed most of my classes. (I failed more than half of my classes.)

Here’s how to remember where in a sentence to write “almost.”

“Almost” means “nearly.”

“Almost all” means close to all, but not quite all.

“Most of” implies more than half.

“Almost all” and “most of” are very similar and can be used in similar ways, although “almost all” is stronger than “most of.” (I like almost all of his movies implies that I’m a bigger fan than I like most of his movies.)

Here are a few more examples:

1. She almost planted all her roses. (She was interrupted before she could finish or start.)

2. She planted almost all her roses. (She was able to plant nearly all of her roses.)

3. She planted most of her roses. (She was able to plant at least half of them.)

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The terms “lady” and “gentleman” imply a degree of respect for the person they describe. A lady does not speak with her mouth full. A gentleman does not discuss his wealth with strangers. And a rough character, such as a drifter or a con man, a prostitute or a child molester, does not warrant the label. Recently there have been complaints about news reporters using the term “gentlemen” to refer to characters under suspicion of criminal behavior. “The gentleman in question is out on parole despite the murder charge.” It would seem that “man” would be a better choice of words.

When writing fiction, keep in mind the terminology you use. Aside from the titled women of Great Britain (a countess, baroness, or the daughter of a duke, for example), a lady is generally defined as a woman of refinement and manners, implying “good breeding.” A gentleman is defined as a man of noble or gentle birth; a man belonging to the landed gentry; or a man who combines gentle birth or rank with chivalrous qualities (Merriam-Webster).

So if you have a group of rugby players or roller derby champs who happen to be female, even if they’re individually ladylike and courteous in their personal lives, it would be best to refer to them as “women,” as in “The women ran roughshod over the competition.” Otherwise your reader might picture a group of delicate, prissy women politely scoring goals and gently pushing their fellow “ladies” out of harm’s way.

Be sure to use “ladies” and “gentlemen” with care and consciousness of the implications of the words and the effect your choice will have on your readers.

More articles like this:

The Use Of Gender-Neutral Language In Your Writing

Agreeing To Agree: Basic Pronoun Rules

Using Sensitive Language

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Female. It’s a word that can be both a noun and an adjective. But unless you’re referring to farm animals or giving a lecture on the diversity of nature, someone is sure to be offended if you refer to a woman as a female—as in Carole is a female who knows what she wants. While it’s true that, historically, many renowned authors have used female as a noun, it’s also true that the practice is less accepted in modern usage. 

George and Scott met some good-looking females at the nightclub on Saturday.

In this context, female smacks of depersonalization and disrespect. Most women will agree that being referred to as a female is somehow offensive, even if they’re not exactly sure why. More and more we find that female and male are used to imply inferiority, whether in noun or adjective form, as in That’s just the female side talking, or Typical of a female. Note that the same objections can be raised when referring to men, as in If it weren’t for the male mentality, we wouldn’t have any wars, or I am determined to get to know that male.

When used in this context, male seems more mammal than human, and the man in question has been effectively depersonalized. But as an adjective, male is appropriate: 

The choir is composed of young male voices. 

In the following sentence, female and male are acceptable as nouns: 

The females lay their eggs in spring, while the males provide constant watch over the nest.

As adjectives, male and female are also perfectly acceptable: 

The newcomers were divided into two groups, female recruits to the left, male recruits to the right.

And while we’re on the subject of sensitivity, perhaps a word about girls. 

There are four girls and three men working at the office.

The (hopefully) unintentional result of this sentence is the trivialization of the contributions of the girls in the office, some of whom have probably not been called a girl for years. The sentence would be less insulting to women—or at least equally insulting to both sexes—if it read There are four girls and three boys working at the office, but this conjures up an image of seven kids running around the office—safer to change girls to women. 

Technically, this whole female vs woman issue is up for discussion. Dictionary definitions of female and male categorize the words as both noun and adjective, with female (n) = woman or girl and male (n) = man or boy. It’s more an issue of context and the importance of word choice when making an impression on the reader, whether intentional or not. If you want to avoid alienating your readers, opt for writing with sensitivity and avoid using biased language. What may be mere words to one reader may be construed as patronizing or insensitive to another, which may leave him or her less receptive to the content of your writing overall. And doesn’t that defeat the whole point of writing?

For more on gender and prose, read Using Sensitive Language.

Question: In fiction, is it okay to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, yet)?

Answer: Not according to many high school English teachers and not according to Strunk and White (The Elements of Style). The long-enduring rule has been that using a coordinating conjunction to begin a sentence implies a preceding clause to which the sentence should be connected, leaving an incomplete sentence or fragment. However, the majority of modern fiction writers agree that using a conjunction to begin a sentence is an acceptable practice. In fact, creative writers have been doing it for centuries, happily ignoring this “rule” as well as other restrictions, like Thou Shalt Never Use Sentence Fragments or A Comma Must Separate Two Conjoined Sentences. In fiction, the lines between convention and creativity can be blurry. 

Coordinating conjunctions include the words: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Beginning a sentence with one of these conjunctions can lend impact or emphasis to the sentence:

I’d really like to go to college. But who’s going to pay for it?

It was a frigid night, with the wind whipping off the lake. Yet she stripped down and dove in anyway.

It is unnecessary to use a comma after a coordinating conjunction. One exception is “so,” which is often used at the beginning of a sentence as a kind of summing-up device, and in this context, it is usually set off with a comma:

So, needless to say, we ended up moving across the country.

As a creative writer, if you begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction, fear not—no grammatical rules have been broken, although it’s best to use this technique sparingly for maximum effect. However, keep in mind that in formal communication, business correspondence, and academic writing, you’d be wise to follow the advice of Strunk and White and avoid starting sentences with conjunctions. And not use sentence fragments. (Kidding!)

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Too vs. To
Too is an adverb, with two different meanings:
• Excessive
Example: Don’t heap too much food on that paper plate.
• Also, in addition
Example: Your sister is coming too.
Example: Don’t forget to set her a place too.

To can be combined with a verb to create an infinitive (to + verb):
Example: I can’t wait to swim in the river.

To can also be a preposition.
Example: This road leads to my house.
Example: Don’t speak to your mother like that.

Each Other vs. One Another
Use each other when referring to two people. Use one another when referring to more than two people:
Example: The two friends embraced each other.
Example: The basketball team high-fived one another.

’Til vs. Till
Either of these substitutes for until is appropriate, as long as the punctuation is correct.
Example: I will wait till noon to call.
Example: I will wait ’til noon to call.

Et cetera
This is a Latin phrase meaning “and other things.”
When et cetera is abbreviated, it must be punctuated with a period at the end: etc. It’s used in informal or technical writing to suggest the logical continuation of a list of things.
Example: We’ll need to assemble nuts, bolts, tools, etc.

Do not use etc. after and or to refer to people. Do not use it as a synonym for e.g. or et al.; and do not use it to vaguely refer to “other things” that are not clear to the reader. In creative writing, avoid the use of etc. altogether. Specify all the items in the list or use “and so on.”

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What is "parallelism" in writing? Parallelism: The use of identical or equivalent syntactic constructions in corresponding clauses or phrases. (The American Heritage Dictionary)

Faulty parallelism is the result of mixing up tactics when composing a sentence. This happens most often when a writer wants to make a sentence more interesting, especially when the sentence is long or complex, but the result can be unsettling to the reader. Parallelism can relate to just about anything: nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, articles, and prepositions (as in the following example).

Not parallel:      They rode to the market, the post office, and to the library.
Parallel:            They rode to the market, the post office, and the library.
Parallel:            They rode to the market, to the post office, and to the library.

If a sentence contains elements related in purpose or structure, be sure these elements are presented in the same grammatical form.

Not parallel:      I enjoy long walks on the beach, eating gourmet food, and to stargaze on a clear night.
Parallel:            I enjoy taking long walks on the beach, eating gourmet food, and stargazing on a clear night.

Often more a matter of style than grammatical error, achieving parallel structure adds rhythm and elegance to a sentence. Creative writers do have a certain poetic license to forego the rules of parallelism when the result is a more powerful or artistic sentence, but in general, watch out for elements that don’t jibe.

Some more examples:

When I was a teenager, I was a cook at a fast-food restaurant, delivered newspapers, and then I worked as a valet.
BETTER: When I was a teenager, I cooked at a fast-food restaurant, delivered newspapers, and worked as a valet.

We vacation in spring, summer, and in fall.
BETTER: We vacation in spring, summer, and fall.
OR: We vacation in spring, in summer, and in fall.

A time not for words, but action.
BETTER: A time not for words, but for action.

Work is as important as playing.
BETTER: Work is as important as play.
OR: Working is as important as playing.

She is a teacher who is dedicated and, at the same time, finding her students tedious.
BETTER: She is a teacher who is dedicated and, at the same time, finds her students tedious.

The new budget calls for lower salaries, marketing funds, and shorter hours.
BETTER: The new budget calls for lower salaries, lower marketing funds, and shorter hours.

The politician has the charisma, the charm, and has the contacts to run successfully.
BETTER: The politician has the charisma, the charm, and the contacts to run successfully.
OR: The politician has the charisma, has the charm, and has the contacts to run successfully.

Susan is interested but not very good at foreign languages.
BETTER: Susan is interested in but not very good at foreign languages.

At my favorite restaurant, the lunch menu is good but the drinks expensive.
BETTER: At my favorite restaurant, the lunch menu is good but the drinks are expensive.

She traced his face in the photograph slowly and with love.
BETTER: She traced his face in the photograph slowly and lovingly.

Titled vs. Entitled

“Titled” means that something has received a title, as in The movie was titled, Grammar Gurus Gone Wild.

“Entitled” means that someone has rights to something, as in She felt entitled to special treatment ever since she won an Oscar for Grammar Gurus Gone Wild.

What Are We Supposed to Do?

Don’t use “suppose to” or “use to” when you mean “supposed to” or “used to.”

I Wonder How to Punctuate That

Incorrect: I wondered how he knew that?
Correct: I wondered how he knew that.

Incorrect: I asked her if she knew that?
Correct: I asked her if she knew that.
 
Don’t Use Quotes Indiscriminately

We’ve all seen signs like these:

Today only, “free” samples!
See these “classic” cars!
Employees must “wash their hands” before exiting the restroom.

Or phrases…
It’s not really my “cup of tea.”
If you’re not careful, you could end up with the “swine flu.”

The moral of this story: Don’t use quotation marks unnecessarily or for special emphasis.

And Finally…What Is an Aphorism?

An aphorism is a short, to-the-point sentence that sums up a clever observation or general truth:

The trouble with bucket seats is that not everyone has the same size bucket.

Writers are great. They taste like chicken.

With great power comes great responsibility. With mediocre power comes a 1964 Datsun pickup truck and a power suit from Sears.

When life gives you lemons, try making a lemon chiffon cake with extra lemon.

And finally, from Mark Twain:

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

Imagine you’re a freshman in high school. Your teacher has assigned a 500-word essay, but you have approximately 20 words of wisdom to share. You’ve already used two-inch margins and triple-spaced the whole mess, but you need more words…so you resort to that old standby: verbal gobbledygook.

It starts out like this:

One of the points that I am trying to make here is…
I strongly believe that it is important to realize that…
Then, to keep the momentum going, you throw in a few choice phrases:
The reason why is because…
At this point in time…
In terms of…
Due to the fact that…
Generally speaking…
It is my opinion that…

And finally, to appear sophisticated, you use big words when other, simpler words would suffice:

On account of. What’s wrong with because?
Irregardless. Yikes. This word needs to be eliminated altogether.
Utilized. Again, what’s wrong with use?
Basically. There are very few occasions where this word is necessary.

In the end you have your 500 words, but a good English teacher will strip your piece right back down to the original 20 words anyway. You’ve wasted your time and, more importantly, your teacher’s time.

Don’t let this bad habit affect your writing today. Whether you’re writing a business letter or a novel, keep in mind that people today are multitaskers. They’re impatient and anxious to get right to the point. When you use clear, concise language, you get your message across in a way that appeals to these busy folks. There’s nothing wrong with using an interesting new word here and there, but don’t write with the thesaurus open beside you, searching for fancy ways to say simple things in every sentence. New writers often make this mistake, operating under the assumption that sprinkling multisyllabic words throughout their text will be impressive. Stick to writing more naturally, and avoid alienating your readers.

Whatever you write take the time to go through and weed out unnecessary words and phrases. “She wondered about the fact that he wasn’t there” can easily be changed to “She wondered why he wasn’t there.” In the examples above note the prevalence of the word “that”—something to watch out for when you’re looking to trim fat. In fact, there’s a good simile: writing is like a great steak. If the customers have to spend several minutes cutting off gobs of fat to get to the good stuff, they will probably get irritated and won’t return to your restaurant.

H.W. Fowler said it best in The King’s English:

Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched.
Prefer the concrete word to the abstract.
Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.
Prefer the short word to the long.

The English language has a nice, neat system of verb tenses to choose from:

Nearly every piece of fiction will require a variety of verb tenses to show the reader the sequence of events throughout the story. A letter to the editor will most likely be written in the present tense, and a nostalgic piece about your childhood will be primarily written in the past tense. We’ll give a quick overview of the proper usage of all the verb tenses, but first, here’s a question from one Newsflash reader:

"Is there a preferred tense choice for fiction writers, or does one’s choice of verb tense brand one as a “hack” or an amateur?"

Even though tenses fit neatly into a table, making the proper choices isn’t so cut-and-dried. There are various shades of difference between, say, the future and the future perfect, and authors must determine what accurately describes the sequence of events they are trying to convey. Verb tense puts the reader in the proper time frame, and messing around with it can be incredibly distracting, especially if you’re inconsistent. Is this happening now? Is this a flashback? Editors do not care what tenses are used as long as they are used correctly.

For instance, a big, red amateur flag pops up if verb tense is flat-out wrong.

I wanted to find an open drugstore, and I walk into the first one I see.

Obviously, there are two tenses (past and present) where there should be one, and this is jarring to the reader. Pick one tense and stick to it.

A second problem involves using the passive voice. Both of the following sentences are technically correct, but sentence #2 uses an active voice to drive the action…
 
The car was driven quickly down the street. (Who drove the car?) 

Melissa drove the car quickly down the street. (Ah, much better.)

Editors are turned off by the excessive use of the passive voice, and passive writing is often wordy—this can quickly brand you as an amateur. As far as proper usage of verb tenses in general, here’s a quick grammatical overview: Use the present for discussing general knowledge or truth, arguments or ideas, or works of literature.

Dogs prefer an owner with a calm, steady nature. 

Use the past for events that have already happened in the past and are now finished.

In 1966 her parents moved to the Northeast.

Use the present perfect for events that happened in the indefinite past. 

He has argued that carbohydrates are not the enemy they are portrayed to be.

Use the past perfect with the simple past to describe an event that happened before another event.

The storefront had already been destroyed when the police arrived.

Use the progressive form to emphasize action that is happening at that moment.

I am working as fast as I can.

Use the future perfect for actions that will be completed at some time in the future, with one event occurring before another.

When the bell rings I will have been writing for over half an hour.

As with so many aspects of writing, there is no rule that says if you want to get published, use this (fill in the blank) tense. Some writers are able to write fiction entirely in the present tense (something that requires a great deal of skill and practice), but there is nothing amateur about choosing to write in the past tense—the most common and widely accepted tense for fiction. Again, every piece of fiction is likely to contain multiple forms of verb tenses, and the trick is to use them properly and consistently.

When a sentence contains repeated words, most spell-checking programs will highlight the extra word. It’s a fairly common form of typo. But there are also times when a sentence has been deliberately constructed with double words:

I assured them that that wouldn’t happen.

The spell-checker flags this as a mistake but is it incorrect?

Another example: They were instructed to give her her job back.

Both of our examples are grammatically correct, but some may find them a bit awkward. A simple rewrite can often eliminate the problem.

I assured them that it wouldn’t happen.
They were instructed to reinstate her job.

One other source of confusion is the construction of “had.”

They had had some trouble with their neighbors long before this lawsuit.
If I had had an extra pencil, I would have finished the exam in time.

These are examples of the correct usage of the past perfect form of “have” when it refers back to an earlier past time.

A more troublesome usage of double words involves “is,” as in, The trouble is is that you are from out of town. Or The fact is is that the weather won’t cooperate.

This is incorrect, as well as awkward, and should be rewritten. The trouble is that you are from out of town. The subjects of the sentences are “the trouble” and “the fact,” which require only one verb—“is.”

Sometimes writers try to fix the problem by adding a comma. The question is, is the man going to stick around? The general construction of these “the problem is, the question is” sentences is inherently ungainly and should probably be avoided.

So, do not be unnecessarily troubled by doubled words. If you are unhappy with them, reword your sentence.

As soon as I wrote it, it started to make sense.