selena sprout

Step by step to improve my writing skills

I. ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE

1: Possessive singular of the noun by adding “s”
Ex: John’s friend

2: In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.
Ex: gold, silver, or copper
He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents.

3: Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.
If a parenthetic expression is preceded by a conjunction, place the first comma before the conjunction, not after it.
Cause => result
Ex: He saw us coming, and unaware that we had learned of his treachery, greeted us with a smile.

4: Place a comma before a conjunction introducing a co-ordinate clause.

5: Do not join independent clauses by a comma
If two or more clauses, grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction, are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon.
Note that if the second clause is preceded by an adverb, such as accordingly, besides, then, therefore, or thus, and not by a conjunction, the semicolon is still required.

6: Do not break sentences in two. In other words, do not use periods for commas.

7: A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject.

II- ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION

8. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.

9: As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, end it in conformity with the beginning.

10: Use the active voice.

11: Put statement in positive form
“Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language. Use the word not as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion.”

All three examples show the weakness inherent in the word not. Consciously or unconsciously, the reader is dissatisfied with being told only what is not; he wishes to be told what is. Hence, as a rule, it is better to express even a negative in positive form.

12: Use definite, specific, concrete language.
Prefer the specific to general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.
=> holding the attention of readers.

13: Omit needless work
⁃ Vigorous writing is concise
⁃ Many expressions in common use violate this principle:
⁃ the question as to whether whether (the question whether) there is no doubt but that no doubt (doubtless)
⁃ used for fuel purposes used for fuel he is a man who he in a hasty manner hastily this is a subject which this subject
⁃His story is a strange one => His story is strange.
In especial the expression the fact that should be revised out of every sentence in which it occurs. owing to the fact that since (because) in spite of the fact that though (although) call your attention to the fact that remind you (notify you)
I was unaware of the fact that I was unaware that (did not know) the fact that he had not succeeded his failure the fact that I had arrived my arrival
⁃ As positive statement is more concise than negative, and the active voice more concise than the passive.
⁃ A common violation of conciseness is the presentation of a single complex idea, step by step, in a series of sentences or independent clauses which might to advantage be combined into one.

14: Avoid a succession of loose sentences (tranh su lien tiep cua nhung doan long leo)
⁃ An unskilful writer will sometimes construct a whole paragraph of sentences of this kind, using as connectives and, but, so, and less frequently, who, which, when, where, and while, these last in non-restrictive senses

15: Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form.
Correlative expressions (both, and; not, but; not only, but also; either, or; first, second, third; and the like) should be followed by the same grammatical construction, that is, virtually, by the same part of speech.
Eg:
In spring, summer, or in winter
——>
In spring, summer, or winter (In spring, in summer, or in winter)
It was both a long ceremony and very tedious.
——>
The ceremony was both long and tedious.

16. Keep related words together.

The position of the words in a sentence is the principal means of showing their relationship. The writer must therefore, so far as possible, bring together the words, and groups of words, that are related in thought, and keep apart those which are not so related.
The subject of a sentence and the principal verb should not, as a rule, be separated by a phrase or clause that can be transferred to the beginning.
The subject of a sentence and the principal verb should not, as a rule, be separated by a phrase or clause that can be transferred to the beginning.

All the members were not present.
—-> Not all the members were present.

He only found two mistakes.
—> He found only two mistakes.

17. In summaries, keep to one tense.

In presenting the statements or the thought of someone else, as in summarizing an essay or reporting a speech, the writer should avoid intercalating such expressions as “he said,” “he stated,” “the speaker added,” “the speaker then went on to say,” “the author also thinks,” or the like. He should indicate clearly at the outset, once for all, that what follows is summary, and then waste no words in repeating the notification.

18. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.

This steel is principally used for making razors, because of its hardness.
—-> Because of its hardness, this steel is principally used in making razors.

III – WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS COMMONLY MISUSED

But, unnecessary after doubt
Can = be able to, may
Case
It has rarely been the case that any mistake has been made. —-> Few mistakes have been made.
Certaintly
Character
Claim
Clever
Due to
Effect
Etc -> and the rest, and so forth
Fact
Factor, feature -> add nothing
Fix. Colloquial in America for arrange, prepare, mend. In writing restrict it to its literary senses, fasten, make firm or immovable, etc.

Get. The colloquial have got for have should not be used in writing. The preferable form of the participle is got.

He is a man who…. thừa, man là he rồi, lặp nghĩa

However. In the meaning nevertheless, not to come first in its sentence or clause.

The roads were almost impassable. However, we at last succeeded in reaching camp. —->

The roads were almost impassable. At last, however, we succeeded in reaching camp.

When however comes first, it means in whatever way or to whatever extent.

Interesting.

Avoid this word as a perfunctory means of introduction. Instead of announcing that what you are about to tell is interesting, make it so.
An interesting story is told of (Tell the story without preamble.)
In connection with the anticipated visit of Mr. B. to America, it is interesting to recall that he

Less, fewer
Less refers to quantity, fewer to number.
“His troubles are less than mine” means “His troubles are not so great as mine.”
“His troubles are fewer than mine” means “His troubles are not so numerous as mine.”
It is, however, correct to say, “The signers of the petition were less than a hundred,” where the round number a hundred is something like a collective noun, and less is thought of as meaning a less quantity or amount.

Most. Not to be used for almost. Most everybody Almost everybody Most all the time Almost all the time

Near by. Adverbial phrase, not yet fully accepted as good English, though the analogy of close by and hard by seems to justify it. “Near, or “near at hand”, is as good, if not better. Not to be used as an adjective; use “neighboring”.

One of the most. Avoid beginning essays or paragraphs with this formula, as, “One of the most interesting developments of modern science is, etc.;” “Switzerland is one of the most interesting countries of Europe.” There is nothing wrong in this; it is simply threadbare and forcible-feeble. A common blunder is to use a singular verb in a relative clause following this or a similar expression, when the relative is the subject.

One of the ablest men that has attacked this problem__>>>
One of the ablest men that have attacked this problem.

Very. Use this word sparingly. Where emphasis is necessary, use words strong in themselves.

Viewpoint. Write “point of view”, but do not misuse this, as many do, for view or opinion.

So, avoid, in writing the use of so as an intensifier “so good”, ” so warm”

Thank you in advance => Will you please”, “I shall be obliged” => make your request

Should and Would

IV – SPELLING