One Space Or Two?

I shared an article on facebook regarding the argument over whether to use one or two spaces after a period (or question mark or exclamation mark). And yes, there does seem to be an argument over this.

There are numerous people who claim it was the way they were taught and that's what they will do. Even some English teachers who learned to use two spaces years ago insist upon teaching it that way to students of today. One person on my facebook page commented Who cares? I think those in the writing world do care. Or should.

Take a look at the article giving reasons for using one space. And yet another. If you google the topic, you'll find a slew of articles addressing the one space or two subject.

We humans don't like change but change we must or the world will move on without us. Back in 1997, I was still writing on an electric typewriter. I decided that it was time to get a computer and join the technology movement. I knew nothing at all about using a computer but I learned through trial and error.

Later, I read an article an editor had written begging writers who submitted to use only one space after the end of a sentence. What? That was my response because my typing teacher had drilled the two spaces rule into her students. Face it, we are definitely creatures of habit and it's not easy to break a long-instilled one.

Because I didn't want my submissions to be cast aside by not following the guidelines, I broke the habit. Yes, I had to think consciously each time I came to the end of a sentence for awhile. Finally, using one space became my new habit.

I will honestly say that I have not read guidelines for submission that threaten writers who use two spaces but I have seen guidelines that recommend using a certain style that is used in something like the Chicago Manual or another one.

It may seem a small thing but sometimes it's the little things that count in life. Are you willing to put your submissions in jeopardy because you stubbornly cling to your preferred method?

Grab Your Grammar Hat

Grammar is probably not the topic you would list as something you wanted to learn more about as you move along your writing journey. Boring? Maybe. It's also something that might make an editor toss your submission in a hurry if you write with too many mechanical errors or grammar no-no's.

The people in my online writers group are not beginners but I have seen many submissions where the writer changes tense in the middle of a paragraph, then reverts back to the original in the next. I will venture to say that most, if not all, of these writers know better but they get wrapped up in the content and errors slip by. It's one very good reason to have others critique your writing for both content and mechanics.

The three main categories of verb tenses are Past, Present and Future. I'm sure you all know that but if you are writing in past tense, then suddenly switch to present in one or two sentences, it throws everything off. Consistency in verb forms is not just a nice thing to do. It's mandatory.

I frequently suggest--even urge--writers to wait a couple days or even longer before editing whatever has been written. It's the little things like verb tense that will show up then. If you start revising and editing immediately after writing the first draft, you're less likely to catch the errors.

Strive for harmony with your subjects and verbs. If you have a singular subject, you need a singular verb. A plural subject requires a plural form of the verb. 

I remember grammar exercise sheets that my 7th and 8th grade English teacher handed out at the beginning of every class, five days a week. We had to fill in the blank with the proper form of verbs, adjectives, adverbs and other grammatical subjects.  It's a known fact that we learn through repetition. Some students hated those exercise sheets but I know that they helped me learn proper grammar. Ok, I have to confess that I enjoyed doing these exercises while many of my classmates did not. I have always been a word person while many others claim title to being a numbers person. For them, those grammar sheets caused a lot of misery.

There are far too many articles on this topic for me to link to just one. Use your favorite search engine to find them, then take some time to review the proper usage of tenses in writing. You'll find good examples of subject and verb agreement as well as the usage of different tenses of verbs. My aim here today is to make you aware of these two parts of grammar so that you will see them when you write, then edit, your own work. 

Adverbs Are Far Too Easy To Use

A D V E R B S

In school, we learn the parts of speech. Each one, we were told, has a job to do in the sentences we write. That's a pretty simplified version of learning a piece of grammar. But it will serve as an introduction to what I want to talk about today. 

Writers toss adjectives around a sentence to describe a person, place or thing--in other words, a noun. They also sprinkle adverbs into their dialogue tags with glee. They, too, are descriptive. How easy is it to have a character speak and then add an adverb in the tag line to let the reader know how the dialogue was spoken. Did John Doe speak his line harshly, happily, sadly, glumly, gleefully, angrily or some other ly word that describes a verb? Or sometimes writers use the one word adverb when a character does something. The writer wants us to know how the character performed whatever it might be. Easy enough to add one simple word. Maybe.

Using adverbs in this way speaks of a lazy writer. It tells us how the subject feels. It's far better to show what the speaker is feeling or doing. Dump the adverb and add something to show the same thing. If you do, you have a far more visual image. Adverbs can modify adjectives and other adverbs and not all end in ly, although a great many do so. 

Examples:

1.OK:   John shut the door slowly.

   BETTER:  John inched the door until it closed.

2. OK:  Sally ran to school quickly.

    BETTER:  Sally ran to school faster than a jackrabbit in the desert.

3. OK:  Sam turned suddenly.

    BETTER:  Sam slid to a stop and turned the corner.

4. OK:  "I want to go home," Joanie said loudly.

    BETTER:  Joanie shrieked, "I want to go home"

5. OK: "I don't know," Buddy whispered softly.

    BETTER:  Buddy's voice softened to a bare whisper. "I don't know." 

Do you see that the second sentence in each example is more visual? Tells the reader more? Is more interesting? 

If you want to learn more about using adverbs or replacing them, use a search engine like google to find more detailed articles. 

Grammar--Boring But Important

This poster made me smile when I saw it on a friend's facebook page. I never considered myself a Grammar Nazi, but I think it's possible that the title is fitting for me. 

Unlike many kids, I enjoyed the grammar part of English class. I liked filling out those fill in the blank exercises where you had to choose the proper word. Like your or you're. To this day, it irritates me when I see it used incorrectly. Even on TV news shows! 

I thought diagramming sentences was great fun, the longer the sentence the better. Punctuation exercises brought me an easy A. Spelling, which I consider a close relative to or even part of grammar was easy for me, too. This is not bragging, it's just the way it was. 

Now that I'm a grown-up, I know that what brought pleasure and something easy to learn for me might have been terribly difficult and boring for others. I understand that because math proved miserable and tough for me. 

Nevertheless, writers need to be especially careful to use proper grammar. Only the other day, I read an interview where several editors claimed that one of the biggest turnoffs when reading submissions received from writers was to find the piece rife with grammar and spelling errors. The content would have to be spectacular for them to accept it and correct all the technical mistakes.

Writers today have the benefit of spell check and grammar usage helps. Use them if you know you have a problem with either one. Sure, it adds a little time, but you'll come out the winner in the end if you send a submission to an editor that has no errors in it. 

Google keywords like grammar websites to give you any needed assistance. Spend 10 minutes a day with a grammar website. We're never too old to learn. One I found that looked good is a Guide to Grammar and Writing  You'll find plenty of others. Same with spelling rules. 

I've decided I'm not a true Grammar Nazi because, even though I cringe a bit when I see a major grammatical error, I never correct the speaker or writer. Not that I wouldn't like to, but my mother taught me to be careful of other people's feelings. I did correct my children but that's in the Mother's Handbook--a part of my job as their mom.