Avoid Cliches

Why should you avoid cliches? Cliches are expressions, figures of speech, that were at some point in the past fresh and creative figurative language, but today they are overused and often times boring. I would also add that cliches may fail to accomplish their intended purpose.



EXAMPLE: The groom developed cold feet hours before the weeding. (cliche)


EXAMPLE: A few hours before the wedding, the groom called the event off, purchased a single airline ticket and boarded a plane for Alaska. (detailed)



Which of the above sentences is more effective?


Here is a very small list, but if you want to read more, go to Cliches: Avoid Them Like the Plague for a more extensive list.

A bottomless pit
Bite the dust
An axe to grind
A carrot on a stick
Cold feet
Don't make waves
Cute as a button
Make my day
Out on a limb
Stop and smell the roses
From the ends of the earth
Go with the flow

Don't Use "You"

Everybody loves the pronoun "you" even when there is no "you" in the sentence, or the paragraph or the essay.

ERROR

I love visiting my aunt's house in the Bahamas because when you are there you always relax and have a great time.


CORRECTION


I love visiting my aunt's house in the Bahamas because when I am there I always relax and have a great time.


For the sake of clarity, consistent and accurate pronouns are a must...

The Benefits of Using Active Verbs

Avoid using "to be" verbs like is, was, were, am and are. Instead use active verbs like depicts, encourages, recommends, illustrates, embodies, conjures, resembles or typifies. Active verbs offer so much more life to your sentences and ultimately enhance your message. In addition, you use fewer words if you use active verbs. Wordiness serves to confuse your reader while concisely written sentences and paragraphs better communicate your intent.

EXAMPLE

• Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is one of his most famous art pieces. The woman in the painting has always been in the center of much speculation and analysis.
• The Mona Lisa, one of Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous art pieces, provokes much speculation and analysis.

EXAMPLE

• The author was telling his arduous journey through the jungles of Brazil.
• The author describes his arduous journey through the jungles of Brazil.

EXAMPLE

• There are many reasons why I prefer visiting rural rather than urban areas.
• I prefer visiting rural rather than urban areas for many reasons.
  

EXAMPLE

• The book is about a family who is spending Christmas together after many years of separation.
  
• The author recounts the story of a family who gathers for Christmas after many years of separation.
  

Do you see and hear the difference?



LINKS

List of Active Verbs from Boston College
List of Active Verbs from Write Express
List of Active Verbs from Harvard Law School

Proofreading Backward

Proofreading represents one of the most tedious and most avoided steps in the writing process. First, as we write we become attached to our words and sentences, to the rhythm and the placement. After spending so much time with our ideas, we begin to record them in our mind. As we begin to read over the words in search of errors, we stop reading what is actually on the paper or on the screen. Instead, we begin to recite what lives in our head, memorized and familiar. You may read over the same sentence 10 times and fail to notice that a word like the is missing. However, if you return to your writing a day or two later, you will quickly notice the omitted word. The elapsed time provides your mind a fresh and clear view of the previously imposed ideas. You no longer think the words or sentences. Instead, you find yourself truly reading the words in front of you. Therefore, I recommend writing and walking away from your piece for a few minutes, hours or days. If that is not an option, then try proofreading backward.

Have you ever proofread backward? Although it may at first seem uncomfortable, it offers the writer a way to combat the preconceived ideas and thoughts that prevent you from seeing your errors. Proofreading backwards just means you proofread your last sentence first and then the next to the last and so on until you reach the first sentence in your piece. Reading individual sentences which do not connect or flow into other sentences allows you to focus on each word and punctuation mark in the sentence. If something is missing or misspelled, you will see it. If your word choice is weak or your word order is disjointed, you will see it. If you have omitted a needed comma, used incorrect verb tense or written a fragment, you will see it. Proofreading backward allows your mind to focus on the little things within and not on the ideas or the flow of those ideas.

Our attachment to our thoughts may explain why it is so much easier to spot an error on someone else's writing while failing to spot the most obvious of errors on our own.

Coordinating Conjunctions

There are 7 coordinating conjunctions: for, or, nor, yet, but, and, so


These words are commonly used to

1. (create a compound sentence) My mother prepared lasagna, and I baked a chocolate walnut cake.
   
2. (create a compound subject) He will become a biologist or a lawyer.
   
3. (create a compound verb) Lee photographed and described the event.
   
4. (create a compound object) Amanda did not give him the address nor directions.
   

Use a comma after the coordinating conjunction when joining two complete sentences. Avoid the comma after a coordinating conjunction when joining two subjects, two objects or two verbs.

NOTE: Using correct punctuation helps to avoid sentence errors such as fused sentences and comma splices.

What is a Subject Verb Agreement Error?

Subject verb agreement errors occur when the subject and verb in the sentence do not agree. (Singular verbs need "s" at the end while plural verbs do not.)

ERROR: Joel and Marie attends class every day.

Subject is plural "Joel and Marie."

Verb is singular "attends."

CORRECTION: Joel and Marie attend class every day.

Subject is plural "Joel and Marie."

Verb is plural "attend."

Some subject verb agreement errors are more difficult to locate and correct . For example, nouns that sit inside prepositional phrases cannot be the subject of the sentence. Prepositional Phrases contain a preposition and noun or pronoun, but the noun or pronoun in the prepositional phrase cannot be the subject, for it is the object of the preposition.

ERROR: One of the women at my church work for the city council.

Subject is singular "One."

Verb is plural "work."

CORRECTION: One of the women at my church works for the city council.

Subject is singular "One."

Verb is singular "works."

"Of the women" is a prepositional phrase, and therefore "women" is not the subject of the sentence. If you remove "of the women" and "at my church" which is a second prepositional phrase, you are left with

One works for the city council.


A FEW EXAMPLES OF PREPOSITIONS

in on over under before below beneath about between for of off above around into with to at beside until

How Not to Write a Thesis Statement in an Essay

Avoid writing a thesis statement for your essay that is too general or too specific. Also avoid making announcements.

Example of too broad-- Many people around the world believe capitalism is better than socialism. (You could write a book or several books with this thesis.)


Example of too narrow-- My cousin, who worked hard and established a successful business in the United States, today enjoys a very comfortable living. (This is an example that could be used to support your main idea.)

Example of an announcement-- I am going to write about why capitalism is better than socialism. (Don't tell me that you are going to tell me something; just tell me.)


To write an effective thesis statement, you must include a "who or what", also known as a topic or subject, and you must include a focus word or key word.

Example-- The capitalist system in the United States provides several advantages to its citizens.

Subject Verb Agreement: Here and There

The basic rule for subject verb agreement is easy. If the subject in the sentence is singular, then the verb is singular. Therefore, add an "s" at the end of the verb. However, if the subject is plural, then the verb must be plural. Plural verbs have no "s" at the end. The difficult part for some writers is determining the subject of the sentence.

For instance one common misconception is that the words "here" and "there" are the subjects in the sentence. They are not. They are adverbs or adjectives and at times nouns used as objects. TIP: When you start a sentence with one of these words, the subject comes after the verb.

ERROR: There is a lot of people at the party.

CORRECTION: There are a lot of people at the party.

Because a lot is the subject and it is plural, the verb must be plural. Plural verbs have no "s" at the end.

ERROR: Here comes the neighborhood children to play with my son.

CORRECTION: Here come the neighborhood children to play with my son.

Because children is the subject and it is plural, the verb must be plural. Plural verbs have no "s" at the end.

What are Fused Sentences?

A fused sentence, also known as a run-on, occurs when you join two sentences without any punctuation or conjunction. To separate sentences, you can use a period. To join sentences, you can use a semicolon (;) alone between the two sentences, or you can use a semicolon and an adverbial conjunction followed by a comma. Another way to join the two sentences is to place a comma and a coordinating conjunction between the sentences.

Coordinating Conjunctions-- for, or, nor, yet, but, and, so
Adverbial Conjunctions-- therefore, furthermore, however, in addition, first, then, consequently

The Miami Heat basketball team has lost more than 10 games in a row many fans refuse to go to the home games. = fused sentence

The Miami Heat basketball team has lost more than 10 games in a row. Many fans refuse to go to the home games. = two simple sentences

The Miami Heat basketball team has lost more than 10 games in a row; many fans refuse to go the the home games. = a compound sentence

The Miami Heat basketball team has lost more than 10 games in a row; therefore, many fans refuse to go the home games. = a compound sentence

The Miami Heat basketball team has lost more then 10 games in a row, so many fans refuse to go to the home games. = a compound sentence

What is a Comma Splice?

A comma splice occurs when you join two complete sentences together with only a comma. Sentences can be joined in various ways, but a comma alone is not one of those ways.

Example

My dog dislikes its new dog food, I will have to find an alternative.

How can you join two sentences together?

• Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction ( for, or, nor, yet, but, and, so)


• EXAMPLE My dog dislikes its new dog food, so I will have to find an alternative.

• Use a semicolon (;) alone


• EXAMPLE My dog dislikes its new dog food; I will have to find an alternative.

• Use a semicolon and an adverbial conjunction (therefore, however, finally, first, also) and then add a comma.


• EXAMPLE My dog dislikes its new dog food; therefore, I will have to find an alternative.

How can you separate the two sentences?

• Use a period (.)

For a list of more conjunctions, quizzes or extra review, visit my online course plan and scroll down.

What is a fragment?

In order to write a complete sentence, you must include a subject, a verb and a complete thought. If you omit any of these three pieces, you have written a fragment. Therefore, a fragment is the opposite of a complete sentence. If you omit the subject, it is a fragment. If you omit the verb, it is a fragment. If you omit the complete thought, it is a fragment. Now the next important question is "What is a complete thought?" To explain, it is best to look at some examples.

• FRAGMENT (missing a complete thought)
• When he left the house this morning.
  
• SIMPLE SENTENCE
• He left the house this morning.

To correct the fragment, which is missing the complete thought, I removed the word when. Words that create incomplete thoughts are words called subordinating conjunctions.

There are many subordinators

• because
• if
• when
• although
• as
• until
• since
• so that
  

• COMPLEX SENTENCE
• When he left the house this morning, I went to sleep.

• Another way to correct this fragment is to add an independent clause, also known as a simple sentence. Again, you need at least one subject, one verb and a complete thought in oder to write a complete sentence.

• To eliminate unintentional fragments, you must always proofread and edit carefully after you complete your rough draft. As you proofread, look at each word in the sentence. You are looking for the presence of three important parts: at least one subject, one verb and a complete thought.

• For further review, you can visit my website and scroll down to the fragment exercises and quizzes.

• If you have questions, post them and I will answer. I will regularly post brief "Grammar How To's" so check back for more.