Can Two Words that Mean the Exact Opposite also Mean the Same Thing?

The answer is, well, yes. At least in the following quirky example:

Can.

Can't.

Opposites.

But not so fast. How about here:

"See if you can get a better quote from that source," the editor said to Bill.

"See if you can't get a better quote from that source," the editor said to Bill.

Uh-oh. Now "can" and "can't" really serve the same purpose and mean the same thing. And either one -- can or can't -- would be acceptable in this context.

What a crazy, crazy language English is.

One of My Pet Peeves . . . .

One of my pet peeves within the world of writing is when people write (and say) "and" instead of "to" in this context:

You should try and live a good life.

No!

You should try to live a good life.

In this first instance, you're basically suggesting two activities: you should try (something); and you should also live a good life.

But there are NOT two different things going on; there is just one thing: an attempt to live a good life.

So the sentence should be: You should try to live a good life.

Got it? Good! I hate, hate, hate when people get that screwed-up -- and way too many do. Including a local Buffalo radio talk show host whose name I won't mention. But every time I hear him say it wrong, I want to beat my car radio with a hammer.

Especially for My Students . . .

If you're one of my students seeking guidance re: your basic writing skills, welcome! There's no shame in not being clear about certain issues pertaining to grammar, punctuation, etc.

In my quest to keep every post relatively short, let's tackle the problem of the run-on sentence.

A run-on is where two different thoughts are improperly connected -- or, in effect, not connected at all -- and thus form a run-on of words that makes for a disaster of a "sentence." Here's an example:

Susie went to the store earlier than anticipated she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get.

It should be clear that the run-on occurs between the words "anticipated" and "she." These are two separate thoughts that run together, forming -- you guessed it -- a run-on sentence.

It would ALSO be a run-on if the wrong punctuation mark -- a comma -- appeared like so:

Susie went to the store earlier than anticipated, she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get.

While that may look ok, it's not. It's a comma splice, which is another term for run-on.

The comma would be ok, however, if the sentence read like this:

Susie went to the store earlier than anticipated, as she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get.

So there are THREE SOLUTIONS to fix a run-on sentence:

1 Use a semi-colon where the run-on occurs.
2 Use a conjunction, such as "as, but, because, while," etc.
3 Break the thought into two separate sentences.

Here's how our example sentence would look with a semi-colon:

Susie went to the store earlier than anticipated; she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get.

Here's when a semi-colon works: when it's used to join two independent clauses. And ONLY when the two clauses it's joining are independent.

It's simple. An independent clause means the phrase can stand alone (independently) and read as a proper sentence. In the example just given, "Susie went to the store earlier than anticipated" can stand alone. It reads ok. It reads like a sentence should. It's independent.

And the second clause (the one that comes after the semi-colon) also is independent: "she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get." So a semi-colon is the proper punctuation mark to un-do the run-on problem here.

Let me show you how, if the second clause were NOT independent (i.e., if it were a "dependent" clause, needing some other words in order for it to make sense as a stand-alone phrase), then a semi-colon would NOT be the proper way to un-do the run-on sentence problem:

"as she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get." Do you see? That is not a sentence. Not a separate, stand-alone, independent thought (or independent clause). It simply makes no sense -- taken alone -- to say, "as she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get."

So, you use a semi-colon to solve a run-on problem ONLY when it joins or connects two independent clauses.

The second approach is using a conjunction, generally accompanied by a comma (but NOT a semi-colon). Thus:

Susie went to the store earlier than anticipated, because she realized how bad the weather was threatening to get. The conjunction here is the word "because."

And finally, simply make two sentences out of it all:

Susie went to the store earlier than anticipated. She realized how bad the weather was threatening to get.

Well, that took a bit longer than I'd hoped. But I hope you understand what we've covered here. Good luck!

Keep Like Things Together . . .

Misplacing modifiers and other such errors make for awkwardness or -- even worse -- the compromising of CLARITY. Remember: clarity wins the day above all else. Once again, no one every complains that a piece of writing is too clear.

Now, take a look at these two passages. The first one was how it actually appeared in an online news story. The second is how I re-wrote it.

In the first instance, it sounds like the guy's nasty deeds were done while in prison! Not true. I hope you agree and see why the second version is better:

The disgraced and former football hero who’s serving a 33-year sentence for assault, robbery and kidnapping in a Nevada prison has reportedly asked President Obama to set him free so he can treat his life-threatening brain cancer outside prison.

The disgraced and former football hero who’s serving a 33-year sentence in a Nevada prison for assault, robbery and kidnapping has reportedly asked President Obama to set him free so he can treat his life-threatening brain cancer outside prison.

'Everyday' and 'Every Day' - An explanation of Their Difference . . .

Many words get confused: everyday and every day (two words) are excellent examples.

Luckily, the explanation is simple.

The single word, "everyday," is an adjective. It's one word, not two, and describes something. That's what adjectives do -- they describe.

So, here are two examples:

Studying hard is an everyday habit of successful students.

Testing the chlorine level is an everyday chore of the pool attendant.

In both of the above sentences, "everyday" is an adjective describing things (habit, and chore).

By contrast, the two words, "every day," are used like this:

Successful students walk through these halls every day.

And like this:

Jane checks the pool's chlorine level every day.

And there you have it. Study it. Practice it. Learn it. Use it. Ta-da!!

Basic Grammar & Punctuation (this is NOT boring) . . .

It would take countless pages of text to cover all there is to say about grammar and punctuation. But as you may have noticed by now, I keep posts here relatively brief. This one shall be no exception.

First, listen to the words you write. When you write "you're," can you hear that what you're doing is writing a contraction for "you are"? You should. And if you don't hear "you are" in the word "your" -- and you shouldn't -- that's because "your" is possessive, as in "Your taxi has arrived."

If I had even a penny for every person I come across who cannot get "you're" and "your" straight, I'd be summoning Donald Trump to make me breakfast.

Listen to your writing. Ever see (or make the mistake of writing) "of" when it should have been "have"? Example: I would of come yesterday, but something came up. No, no, no! Of course it should be, I would have come yesterday...

You'd catch that ridiculous mistake if you read your work aloud and listened to your writing. We indeed read with our ears as well as our eyes.

There'll be lots more on this blog about punctuation and grammar. But let's end with this tid-bit: resist the use of exclamation marks. People use them way too frequently. They're usually-- though not always -- unnecessary.

They call way too much attention to themselves, and make things sound more exciting or important than is warranted. (If I had just now ended the preceding sentence with an exclamation mark -- as many would do to emphasize the point -- that would have been an example of where the device is simply not needed or desired.)

On the other hand, guess what: if you never use an exclamation point -- I mean never -- you just might be crazy!

See? There, I think, it works better. If nothing else, it sort of serves to make it clear that I'm making a bit of an overstatement -- and that I know I'm making an overstatement. (Likewise, the "No, no, no!" statement in the fourth paragraph, above.)

Of course, in certain promotional writing -- such as crafting brochures, flyers and ads -- there are typically more occasions, and better reasons, for using the exclamation mark with impunity.

On balance, though, even if you're tempted to use them, ask yourself if they're really needed. Ask yourself if they improve what you've written, or detract from it. Usually it's the latter.

Resist 'Big' Words!

For whatever reason, some people believe they need to use "big, fancy" words to impress people.

They'd be wrong.

In fact, more often than not the use of such words does the opposite: it turns people off. Why? Because they don't understand what you mean. And you should always, always, always write so people understand what you mean.

Simplicity and clarity win the day every time.

Why say "inclement" if you mean rainy? Why say "utilize" over "use"? Why say "domicile" when you mean a gosh darn house!

Resist big words. Keep things simple. Make things understandable. Write to express, not to "impress." You'll thank me for it in the morning.

'Rules' Don't Necessarily Rule . . .

In an earlier post, I said you must give yourself permission to keep things simple. Your readers will appreciate that.

Likewise, forget about some of the so-called *rules* that were pounded into your head from grade school teachers on up -- or from parents who liked to play grammar police.

In modern, good, acceptable non-fiction writing, "rules" are broken all the time. The King's English is seldom required or desired.

For example, a classic rule is to never put a preposition (of, with, to, etc.) at the end of a sentence. So, rather than saying, "That's the church I belong to," the rules enforcers insisted you say, "That's the church to which I belong."

But, honestly, are you really offended in any way, shape, manner, or form by "That's the church I belong to"? I mean, c'mon!

None other than Winston Churchill illustrated (wonderfully) the folly of such a rule, when he sardonically wrote: "That is something up with which I will not put!" :)

Guess what? The far more appropriate, natural-sounding and easily understood phrasing -- "That is something I won't put up with!" -- has a preposition ("with") at the end. Oh, the humanity! Thank you, Winston.

Three paragraphs above (take a look) I started a sentence with "But." Can I do that? Of course I can. And you can, too. Oh, see what I just did! I also just started a sentence with "And." Perfectly ok.

They comfortably and logically help connect thoughts within a passage. And that's a cool thing (there I go again).

Clarifying some Punctuation Issues . . .

In the last post, we briefly talked about contractions. They're very natural, conversational, and acceptable. They're part of plain English. They help make statements clear and easily understood. What a concept!

Sometimes, though, they raise the issue of the apostrophe -- when and when not to use it.

For example, "it's" vs. "its." The first one is a contraction for "it is." The second one is possessive; e.g., the dog chased its tail (you wouldn't say the dog chased "it is" tail).

I think people get confused, though, because we DO use an apostrophe when making non-personal words possessive. For instance, we write, "The dog's bowl," or "The committee's decision." In these two cases, we're making those words possessive, and an apostrophe is required.

With personal pronouns (its, her, his), however, we do NOT use an apostrophe. So it's not difficult to see where confusion can set in.

Oh, one more thing: "it's," which means "it is," also means "it has": it's been fun, folks!

Use Contractions... Please!

Contractions are fine. Use them!

This is a true story. I once was all set to give a business-writing presentation at a Buffalo-area company. The HR person e-mailed me to say she wasn't comfortable with contractions, and that I should refrain from advocating them.

Really?

She wrote, "Paul, everything is fine, but I'm not comfortable with contractions...."

Ha! She wrote "I'm"! She used a contraction in a sentence meant to tell me she wasn't comfortable with contractions. The irony was as thick as cheesecake.

Folks, contractions are fine. They're natural. They're conversational. They're easily understood.

As always, who your target audience is will dictate whether or to what extent you'll use contractions. More formal tone usually minimizes their use; a more casual, friendly and direct approach tends to find them more plentiful.

But who could possibly be offended by "The bill won't have much of a chance of passage," vs. "The bill will not have much of a chance of passage." I mean, c'mon!

And virtually no one except a preacher uses "Let us," rather than "Let's."

I think you get the picture. Give yourself permission to use contractions. Have the courage and good sense to write simply, naturally, clearly.

Write like you speak, more or less.

*Why* Write Like You Speak?

First off, when I say "write like you speak," I don't mean slurred words (like "gonna" instead of "going to") or the use of slang or "jive" or whatever you wanna (oops, I mean "want to") call it.

What I mean is that, if you *say* it in a simple, natural, conversational way, there's really no reason (usually) to *write* it much differently. Your purpose is always to communicate clearly.

That's worth repeating: your purpose is to communicate clearly. Remember -- no one ever, ever, ever complains that a piece of writing is "too clear."

If there's any quasi-exception here, it's when you consider the nuances of *audience*. If you're writing to the CEO of your company, more than likely tone and word choice are going to differ from what you'd write to your old college roommate. That's just common sense, right!

Also, if you happen to know that your reader (let's take the example of the CEO just mentioned) doesn't care for contractions, then you'd be wise to avoid them. Notice in the preceding sentence, I used three contractions: "let's," "doesn't", and "you'd."

Speaking of contractions, let's (let us?) take a look at them next. Stay tuned...

The Long and the SHORT (!!) of it . . .

Keep most of your sentences short.

The one above is a pretty good example of what I'm advising. So is the second one here. The third one's a good example, too.

See what I mean?

Shorter sentences are easier to read. They're easier to understand. And they avoid getting tangled in a web of elongated verbiage snarled in semi-colons and other junk. Quit it! Keep 'em short.

Having said that, variety is always a good idea, too. Mix it up a little. Use mostly short, simple sentences -- but sprinkle in some longer ones, too. Why? They provide variety and break up the potential monotony of too many staccato-like sentences.

Use your judgment. But on balance, shorter sentences are easier to read and easier to understand. Your readers will appreciate it. You will, too. Trust me.

One Step Toward Clarity in Your Writing . . .

Have the courage to keep it simple.

That's right, I said "simple." There's absolutely no reason whatsoever to try to somehow impress readers with a glowing vocabulary and "big" words. More often than not, such attempts fall flat on their kissers. Because either the writer ends up using the wrong "big" word, or readers are simply lost because they don't understand what you're trying to say.

Which brings me to another of my writer mantras: Write so people understand what you mean. Then stop.

Pretty simple stuff. And logical. Why on earth would you want to write what people don't understand? Makes no sense.

You have one ultimate goal in all your non-fiction writing: to be understood. And the clearer your writing is, the better your writing will be understood. That's called communication, uncomplicated. Doesn't that make sense? Of course it does.

So, in this post, I'm not going to get into specific steps for keeping things simple. That'll come shortly. All I want to emphasize for now is that you should adopt an *attitude* about writing. An attitude that embraces the idea of keeping things simple.

Resist the big words. Resist the long, drawn-out sentences. Resist the stuffy language that sounds like a machine wrote it, instead of a human being. Have the courage to keep it simple.

When you muster that courage and then write in a direct, simple and clear manner, you'll see how well-received your writing will be. You'll become better at writing. And you may actually come to enjoy writing.

Wouldn't that be something!

If you can say it, you can write it!

Writing can be difficult, writing can be easy.

If that sounded a bit like the iconic opening of "A Tale of Two Cities," that's where the ambivalence ends. Because there's NO REASON why you can't write with ease -- if you follow some basic guidelines.

This blog will share those guidelines along the journey you've chosen to take with me. But first, let me share one or two mantras or mottos I live by as a professional writer.

First and foremost is the cornerstone of my philosophy of and approach to basic non-fiction writing. And it's simply this:

NO ONE COMPLAINS THAT A PIECE OF WRITING IS 'TOO CLEAR'!

Clarity! That's the key. That's the goal. And that's the strategy. Clarity wins the day every time. No one, as I say, ever complains about a piece of writing being "too clear." You probably can't have too much money, or too much sex (I don't think), and your writing also can't suffer from being too clear.

Now, how you achieve clarity in your writing is another matter. And that's what this blog is all about.

In forthcoming posts, I'll talk about ways you can easily learn to basically write like you speak. In other words, writing that's natural and conversational. You're not trying to impress, but rather to express: simply, naturally, conversationally, clearly.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. I think you'll be glad you did!