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.

These two troublesome words are modals, which combine with main verbs to suggest conditions like need, ability, probability, likelihood, and permission. Other modals include can, could, should, would, and must. May and might are troublesome because there is such a subtle difference between the two.

In general, may is considered to be present tense while might is the past.

I may go to that concert.
I might have gone to that concert if it had been less expensive.

Might is also considered more tentative or less likely to happen than may.

May I have that book?
If I promise to return it promptly, might I have that book? (Tentative.)
I might stick my hand in that wasp’s nest if I decide it is a good idea. (But probably not.)

Sometimes may is used regarding having permission.

I may be able to use the corporate library.

This implies that you’re hoping for permission. However, if you’re unsure whether or not you’ll have time to use the library, use might.

When it comes to expressing possibility, may and might can be interchangeable.

They may arrive before midnight.
They might arrive before midnight.
They might have already arrived.

It gets more confusing when you’re trying to determine the likelihood of something happening.

I might write a best seller someday, but I may get a poem published next week.

The previous sentence suggests that publishing a poem is more likely than writing a best seller. If the outcome is likely, use may; use might when the outcome is not certain.

One more example to help confuse, er, clarify things further:

A ferry crashes in the Seattle harbor. We don’t know how bad things are yet, but the captain may have been injured. A few hours later we find out that the captain is fine. He’s lucky. He might have been seriously injured. If not for the captain’s skill and experience, this might have been quite the disaster.

Psychologists have long been aware of how the words we speak, read, write, and encounter can have a powerful impact on our lives. In her book Every Word Has Power, Yvonne Oswald explores the idea that changing the words you use can change your life. More information is available at http://yvonneoswald.com.

Writers have their own special challenges with words, given that “rejection” makes up a big part of a successful writing career. For that reason we excerpted a few words on Oswald’s list that writers should either avoid or use frequently. Take a look at the lists, and consider how often you use positive and negative language to describe your writing. The results might surprise you!

High-Energy Words
Achieve, Believe, Choose/Choice, Dream, Easy, Free, Future, Harmony, Knowledge, New, Please, Positive, Profit, Success, Sweet, Top, Unique, Value

Low-Energy Words
Afraid, Anxiety, Bad, Bottom, Broke, Cheap, Control, Criticize, Difficult, Doubt, Envy, Failure, Fear, Hate, Idiot, Lazy, Poor, Shame, Small, Sorrow, Trying, Weak, Worry, Worse 

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.

Since and because. These are two little conjunctions that cause problems for some folks and represent yet another gray area in terms of accepted usage. Merriam-Webster lists because as a synonym for since and vice versa, but there are subtle differences.

Since is used in a temporal sense.

Since the weather changed, my allergies have improved. 

An easy way to test if since is appropriate is to substitute “from the time when.”

Since she was a toddler, music has been an important part of Cheryl’s life.

We have visited nearly every hobby shop in San Francisco since we moved to California.

When talking about cause and effect, use because. This leaves very little room for confusion, as the word itself spells out its purpose.               

Because of the new medication, my allergies have improved.

Also correct: Since I discovered this new medication, my allergies have improved.

Because we were missing so many ingredients, we had to find a new recipe.

Unfortunately, this does not clear things up completely.

According to more than one dictionary, since can also be used to mean because:

Since he emphasized how important it was, I ran right out and mailed it.

(I mailed something because it was important.)

Some folks insist that this is incorrect; and while it does lend itself to confusion (because would have made it more clear that this is a cause-and-effect situation), it is not necessarily incorrect. Some style guides insist on sticking to since for time-related usage, which helpfully removes any doubt. In most areas of creative writing, though, people have been happily using this construction for years and are unlikely to stop just because they’re told it’s wrong.

Mantel or Mantle?

Use “mantel” when referring to the shelf above a fireplace. Use “mantle” to refer to a cloak or loose garment worn over other clothes. “Mantle” can also be used as a verb, as in to cover with (or as if with) a mantle.

Lose or Loose?

Use “lose” as a verb. You can lose a bet, lose the game, or lose your mind, but you can’t “loose” any of your faculties or possessions. “Loose” can be used as a verb too, as in “Use the hook to loosen the knot,” but, for the most part, use “loose” as an adjective. You can have a loose tooth, a loose screw, and loose change; you can have loose pants and loose morals, but don’t worry, it won’t make you a “looser.” 

For example…i.e. or e.g.?

The abbreviation e.g. stands for the Latin exempli gratia, which means “for example.” It must be followed by one or more examples. However, using e.g. does not mean that the list is a complete one.

We have several breeds of puppies available; e.g., Hounds, Labs, and Poodles, and there are several mixed breeds as well.

The abbreviation i.e. stands for the Latin id est, meaning “that is.” It should be followed by an explanation rather than a list of examples.

Don’t forget to attend the greatest match of all times. Come support the pride of Utah; i.e., the Howlin’ Huskies, on Saturday afternoon.

• Don’t forget to use a period after each letter; both are abbreviations.

• Use a comma after i.e. or e.g.

• You may use either abbreviation at the beginning of a sentence or in a parenthetical statement.

• If either abbreviation is used within the body of the sentence, use a semicolon before the expression and a comma afterward.

Hopefully (adverb)
 
 1) in a hopeful manner
 2) it is hoped; I hope; we hope
 
Hopefully, this drought will end soon.
 
According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:
 
In the 1960s the second usage of hopefully underwent a surge in popularity and was then followed by a flood of criticism. But the word in question belongs to a class of adverbs called “disjuncts,” which serve as a means by which the author or speaker can comment directly to the reader—usually on the content of the sentence to which they are attached. Many other adverbs are used in a similar fashion, such as frankly, luckily, unfortunately, but “are so ordinary as to excite no comment or interest whatsoever.” The second usage of hopefully is considered to be standard.

The use of “only.”

Here is another bone of contention among writers. The correct placement of “only” in a sentence depends largely on what part of the sentence is to be stressed.

According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:

“After 200 years of preachment the following observations may be made: the position of only in standard spoken English is not fixed, since ambiguity is avoided through sentence stress; in casual prose that keeps close to the rhythms of speech only is often placed where it would be in speech; and in edited and more formal prose, only tends to be placed immediately before the word or words it modifies.”

Examples:

Those kids respond to only one teacher; the rest seem to have little influence.
Only two kids responded to the invitation.

One Newsflash reader asked about a couple of other gray areas:

Is it bite-size or bite-sized? Farmer’s market, farmers market, or farmers’ market?

Again, according to Merriam-Webster, it is correct to use either “size.” The more common usage listed is “bite-size” or “king-size,” but under variant usage “bite-sized” and “king-sized” are listed.

The same goes for those farmers’/farmers/farmer’s markets. As our reader noted, “Sheesh! How many ways can you find this expressed on any given day?”

It would make more sense to use “farmers’ market,” as it indicates a market where there is usually more than one farmer selling their wares, but a Google search yields no consistent usage or hard-and-fast rule.

Oh, and one more thing:

Use “bated” breath, not “baited” breath. The word “bated” is the abbreviated form of “abated,” which means to subside or put an end to.

Than or then? Let’s or lets? When you’re proofreading your novel, short story, essay, or poem, keep an eye out for these and other tricky words and phrases that often cause confusion for writers:

Than versus Then

"Than" is a conjunction and is used in making comparisons:

I would rather eat a banana than a kiwi.

"Then" is an adverb relating to time:

We'll catch the train, then meet at the library downtown.

Let's versus Lets

"Let's" is a contraction for "let us," and "lets" is a verb, meaning to allow or permit:

Let's hope he lets us bring our notes.

If versus Whether

"If" refers to one possibility; "whether" refers to more than one possibility.

I don't know if he wants to go with us. He'll have to decide whether he wants to get a ride or meet there later.

Infer versus Imply

"Infer" means to draw a conclusion.

The readers inferred that the article was meant to draw attention to the refugees' plight.

"Imply" means to suggest or hint.

The article implied that aloe vera can decrease scarring due to burns.

Compared To versus Compared With

"Compared to" is used when pointing out similarities:

My tuna casserole was compared to a science fair experiment gone bad.

"Compared with" is used to point out differences:

My casserole was delicious compared with the slop the others brought.

So there you have it: mystery solved. No more worrying about than versus then, let's versus lets, if versus whether, infer versus imply, or compared to versus compared with. Writer’s Relief proofreaders have been working with writers to straighten out these kinds of grammar errors since 1994. Read more about Misused and Mistreated Words.  

Ask any seasoned writer whether to choose "use" or "utilize," and he or she will most likely tell you to ban the word "utilize" from the English language and never speak of it again.

There are many folks who consider "utilize" to be a more sophisticated, intellectual form of the verb "to use," as in "Please be so kind as to utilize the facilities on the first floor with the rest of the riffraff." You're also likely to see it used in military-speak, as in "A Claymore mine was utilized to neutralize the threat." Or in police reports: "The individual utilized a .357 Magnum."

Since there is a slight and subtle distinction between the two verbs, "utilize" is more than just an affectation—it's also usually used incorrectly. Confusing? Yes. Even the dictionaries show the distinction yet imply that both words are interchangeable. Here are the actual definitions, if you're interested.

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, "use" implies "availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end," as in willing to use any means to achieve her goal.

"Utilize" may suggest "the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something," as in an old tire utilized as a swing.

Generally, though, the distinction is not widely noted. If in doubt, ditch the "utilize," do the world a favor, and use "use." And if you're still not sure about the difference you can rely on Writer's Relief proofreaders to help! 

Writer's Relief proofreaders offer tips to teach you how to properly use these confusing terms: toward, towards, anyway, anyways, we, us, auger, augur, grizzly, grisly, past, passed.

Toward or Towards?

Simply put, Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary states that "toward" and "towards" are both correct and interchangeable, although it lists "towards" as a variant spelling. Mostly likely, this is because "towards" is more often seen in British English spelling. In the United States we gravitate toward spelling shortcuts and usually lop off the "s" on words like towards, backwards, and forwards.

Note: In British English, when backward is used as an adjective, it is normally spelled without the s-ending, as in "Please excuse our cousin's backward manners. He doesn't get out much."

Regarding Anyways...

Most people agree that this is a word better spelled without the "s." It's a word that has its place in character dialogue—picture a gum-chewing teenage girl or perhaps a garage mechanic—but it's probably best to leave anyways out of all other prose. It makes a good number of readers cringe.

Personal Pronouns: We and Us

We is a personal pronoun in the subjective (subject) case.

The kids and I made a cake.
We made a cake.

Us is a personal pronoun in the objective (object) case.

The kids baked a cake for Sam and me.
The kids baked a cake for us.

Tricky Words du Jour:

Auger vs Augur
Auger (n) is a tool used for boring holes.
Augur (n) is someone who foretells the future or (v) to foretell, especially from omens.

Grizzly vs Grisly
Grizzly (n) is a bear, while grisly (adj) means gruesome.

Past vs Passed
Past means (adj) ago, (n) time gone by, or (adv) beyond.
Passed is the past tense of the verb "to pass."

Can't keep these tricky words straight? Find grammar to be a grisly torment? Want help with your proofreading? Writer's Relief proofreaders can help!