TIPS FOR MAY 2003

• Forever banish the nonword "alls" from your vocabulary (as in "alls I want from you is correct grammar"). There is no such animal! Use "all," please.
   
• A new "craze" among teenagers is the use of the phrase "on accident" instead of the correct idiom, by accident. Remember: it's "on purpose" but "by accident." Aren't idioms fun?
   
• Never begin a sentence with "me," "him," "them," or "us." These are object forms and cannot be used as subjects.
   
• Remember that "this" and "these" refer to things nearby, and "that" and "those" to things farther away.
   
• If you start a sentence with "this," be sure that it clearly refers to a single word in the previous sentence. Incorrect example: "The maximum-phase signal is described as an end-loaded signal. This means that the energy in the signal is concentrated toward the end of the pulse." It is impossible to tell what "this" refers to. The best solution in this case is to add an abstract noun after "this" (such as "relationship") or begin the sentence this way: "Thus the energy. . . ."

TIPS FOR JUNE 2003

• The distinction between "shined" and "shone" isn't always clear. "Shined" is transitive ("I shined my shoes," "I shined up my car"), but "shone" is intransitive ("The sun shone" or "His bald head shone"). A sentence like "I shined my flashlight to see who was making the noise" should be correct, but I (evidently incorrectly) say, "I shone the flashlight," perhaps in keeping with the idea of light in "shone."
   
• As I've said many times, spell checkers don't catch some things you wish they could. If you're writing a resume or application letter (and you've been a manager), be sure you don't accidentally type "manger." It happens all the time, believe me, and those people don't usually get the job.
   
• A common question is whether to use "a" or "an" before "historical." "An" used to be correct but is now archaic (or perhaps just old-fashioned). Even though it's not totally wrong to use "an," it's a little like wearing a corset in the 21st century. Or as pundits might say, "This usage is SO 20th century!:
   
• The word "staff" is transitioning from singular to plural. My dictionary doesn't indicate whether it considers it singular or plural, but I still treat it as singular. Note that "police" is always plural, as is
  "personnel."
   
• "Freelance" is written as one word, not as a hyphenated word. Even some freelance writers don't know that.

TIPS FOR JULY 2003

• How in the world do you handle the plural of a word whose singular form has an apostrophe, such as "don'ts"? Several ways have been tried, but the way I typed it is perfectly acceptable. This form may look wrong when paired with the plural of "do," because they don't look alike (i.e., "do's" and "don'ts"). "Do's" has traditionally been spelled with an apostrophe so that it doesnąt look like the Spanish word "dos." However, TIME magazine has now begun writing the phrase "dos and don'ts." In context, it's perfectly clear. (Some people have avoided the issue altogether, writing such phrases as "do's and taboos").
   
• Another evolving trend involves the possessive form of singular words (particularly names) ending in "s." The newest rule is to add the apostrophe and "s" to names when you pronounce the "s" (though you're allowed to add the "s" to all singular words ending in "s"). For example, do you pronounce the "s" in "Nicholas's tambourine" or "Ms. Edwards's roof?" If not, you're permitted to drop the final "s."
   
• The written symbols for states states take two forms: the U.S. Postal Service abbreviations, which are to be used ONLY in addresses. When you write sentences, use the other forms, such as Mich., Ore., Fla., etc.
   
• Speaking of the Postal Service, use "ZIP" when referring to the the five-to nine-digit code. Why? "ZIP" is an acronym for "Zoning Improvement Plan." Do not capitalize "code."
   
• Contrary to popular opinion, "well-being" is always hyphenated.
   
• Be sure to lowercase the common noun elements of names when more than one is used, such as "the Ohio and Mississippi rivers" or "Austin and Seventh avenues."

TIPS FOR AUGUST 2003

• Someone e-mailed me this mistake he saw on Bank of America's Web site: "Sign up for Direct Deposit and you could win a SUV." It should of course be "an SUV." Why? Because the "S" in "SUV" is pronounced "ess," as the acronym begins with a vowel sound. "An" is used before words beginning with a vowel sound; "a" is used before words beginning with a consonant sound.
   
• The same kind of mistake can happen with numbers. For example, if you say, "The batter had an 0-for-3 day at the plate but also had a walk and a sacrifice bunt," you are assuming that you would pronounce the "0" as "oh" rather than "zero." This assumption is correct, as this is the most common way of pronouncing the zero in this context.
   
• When is it appropriate to hyphenate "years old"? This is a question I'm asked frequently. Believe it or not, my answer will solve your problem without you ever having to wonder again – and with no detailed grammatical language. Note these sentences:
  
  1. He is a typical two-year-old. (Use hyphens if the measurement term is singular­such as "year.")
  
  2. He is twenty-two years old. ("Twenty-two" is always hyphenated, but since "years" is plural, no other hyphens are needed.)
  
  3. She was a thirty-two-year-old female. (Since "year" is singular, all three hyphens are needed. All two-word numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine are hyphenated.)
   
• Be careful about mistyping (or misspelling ) similar but usually unrelated words such as the following: "underserved" and "undeserved," "than" and "then," "manager" and "manger," "public" and "pubic" (very bad mistake!), "form" and "from," "sale" and "sell" "lead" and "led" – and the list goes on. Obviously, your spell checker will be no help in such cases.
   
• There are a number of words that are always singular in English. They include "information," "equipment," "luggage," "baggage," and "weather." These words have to be memorized by people who are not native English speakers, especially if they are words that they use often. There are others that are singular in some situations, but plural in others. This issue will be covered next month.

TIPS FOR SEPTEMBER 2003

• It's sometimes difficult to determine whether a phrase like the one at the end of the following sentence needs a comma before it: "Tickets will be available at the Children's Services Desk beginning on Oct. 1, 2003."
  
  In such cases I listen to how I would say it aloud. In this case I would not pause, so I would use no comma. That means that the phrase is necessary, or restrictive, rather than nonrestrictive. Note what would happen if you deleted "at the Children's Services Desk." In that case you would not likely even wonder about adding a comma. The same would also be true if you deleted
  "beginning."
   
• More and more often, people are confusing similar words that are never interchangeable. I just heard one example on the radio. The person being interviewed (definitely not the reporter) said that some Iraqis "willfully disarmed." That should've been "willingly disarmed." What's the difference? "Willfully" usually has a negative connotation and most commonly means "doing as one pleases." For example, my mother often said that I was a willful child, and that was not a compliment! She meant I was stubborn and wanted my way, not hers.
  
  By contrast, "willingly" means "readily and cheerfully." Quite a difference! My mother would never have called me a willing child!
   
• Words are often coined by a clever combination of two existing words. One that I've just recognized as such is "splurge," a likely wedding of "splash" and "surge." This word is labeled "informal" in one dictionary I checked, a cut above one of my favorite words, "guesstimate." Guess what words this combo represents.
   
• My new dictionary recommends using "a" before "historical" because "an" is truly archaic (or perhaps just old-fashioned). It is not totally wrong to use "an," but using it before "h" words is a little like wearing a corset in the 21st century. Or as pundits might say, "This usage is SO 20th century!")
   
• Here's a tricky grammar issue. The following sentence is correct: "Angioplasty is a procedure that should improve blood flow to the heart when one or more arteries are narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits called plaque."
  
  The problem is finding the subject and then understanding the subject-verb issue. There are two subjects: "one [artery]" and "more arteries." If you get that far, you still have to decide whether to use a singular or a plural verb, since one subject is singular and one is plural. The answer in such
  cases, is to match the verb to the nearer subject – in this case, the nearer subject is the plural "are."

TIPS FOR OCTOBER 2003

• This month I'll focus on one issue with three components. It's one that overtly confuses people who are learning English as a second language, and, whether native speakers realize it or not, this issue is problematic for them as well. What could cause such widespread problems? It's the phenomenon of the "s" suffix, which has three functions in English. Here's the story.
  
  Once upon a time, a thousand or more years ago, there were two principal ways to form plurals of English nouns, with many nouns in each category. One way—the one we primarily use today—was to add "s" or "es." The other way was to add "en." Today we see remnants of the latter usage in the word "oxen" and the archaic "brethren." Gradually the "s" and "es" plural won out, giving us the general rule we use today.
  
  At the same time as the "n" plural began to die out, changes were occurring in verb endings. At one time, every verb form had an ending. In other words, with the subject "I," the verb had one ending; with "you" as the subject, there would be one for the singular "you" and another for the plural "you." Still other endings appeared on verbs with singular nouns as subjects (and singular pronouns, such as "he" and "it") and for plural nouns and the plural pronoun "they." (Many European languages, such as French and Spanish, still have these multiple endings.)
  
  Gradually, all of the endings were dropped, except for the ending on verbs used with singular nouns and third-person singular pronouns ("he," "she," and "it"). By chance, this ending was "s"/"es"—the same as the PLURAL ending for nouns.
  
  In other words, an "s" on a noun makes it plural, and an "s" on a verb makes it singular. Therefore, we say and write, "The apple falls" and "the apples fall." Isn't this maddening?
   
• Now enter another problem: there were once different types of endings on nouns that designated their use in sentences, such as subject, object, or possessive. Unfortunately, another coincidence was that possessives of nouns were indicated by the addition of "s" or "es"!
  
  In the late 1300s, for example, the poet Chaucer would've written "the dogges bone," whereas today we write "the dog's bone." Gradually, words like "dogges," which had two syllables, were compressed to one syllable, and the apostrophe was used to show the omitted letter or letters. Today many people confuse the possessive "s" with the plural "s." Tips on dealing with this
  headache is next month's topic.

TIPS FOR NOVEMBER 2003

• As promised, the focus this month will be on distinguishing between the possessive "s" and the plural "s."
  
  Apostrophe usage is in a greater state of disarray in business writing than ever before. Two reasons for the chaos are likely. One is the trend for businesses to delete technically correct apostrophes in their names (for example, NationsBank and Albertsons). Luby's, by contrast, uses a larger-than-life apostrophe in its logo. Another possible explanation is the substantial confusion about how, but especially when, to use apostrophes.
  
  Fortunately, the rules are simple. Following is a review of the rules and a discussion of some "tricks" for proper usages.
  
  Rule No. 1: For singular words not ending in "s," add "'s."
  
  Examples: lady's choice, carpet's pattern, razor's edge
  
  Special Case: If a singular word not ending in "s" (but ending with an "s" sound) is followed by a word beginning with an "s," the "s" after the apostrophe may be omitted. For example, "for conscience' sake." Such combinations are quite rare.
  
  Rule No. 2: Singular words ending in "s" may be followed by an apostrophe or "'s," depending on whether the final "s" is pronounced.
  
  Examples: Charles' report, the boss's report, Keats' poetry (or Keats's poetry)
  
  Rule No. 3: For plural words ending in "s," add an apostrophe after the "s."
  
  Examples: pictures' frames, dogs' collars, churches' budgets
  
  Rule No. 4: For plural words not ending in "s," add "'s" after the word. There are very few words of this type, but most of them are quite common.
  
  Examples: women's suits, men's preferences, people's opinions, children's toys
  
  NOW FOR THE TRICKS!
  
  Basic Trick for Apostrophe Usage: Never change the original word. Always add the apostrophe (or apostrophe plus an "s") after the word. Examples: Charles', not Charle's; witches', not witche's
  
  Caution: Do not confuse plurals and possessives. church's = singular possessive; churches = plural; churches' = plural possessive.
  
  The Other Tricks for Using Possessive Apostrophes: Since the situations requiring apostrophes do not always involve possession (as in money's worth), you will need guidelines for deciding when to use apostrophes which make nouns into "possessive" adjectives. Here they are!
  
  Tip No. 1: Try to create an "of" phrase. If you can, an apostrophe is needed.
  
  Examples: the horse's mouth (meaning "the mouth of the horse"), a day's work (the work of a day), but ten years ago‚ an ago of ten years, thus no apostrophe
  
  Tip No. 2: Remember that a word can be used in only one way at a time. For example, a word used as the subject can't double as a possessive noun.
  
  Examples: "The Frogs and the Owls played to a 13-13 tie." ("Frogs" and "Owls" are the subjects.) "Listen to the sound of the waves." ("Waves" is the object of the preposition.)
  
  Tip No. 3: Since possessive nouns are acting as adjectives, each must be followed by a noun which it modifies. Sometimes this noun is understood.
  
  Example: The monkey's clever antics were amusing. ("Antics" is followed by a verb rather than a noun.)
  
  Example: Charles' car is in the shop, not Chris's [car]. The word "Chris's" in the last sentence requires an "'s," even though the rule indicates that the "s" is technically optional. Why? If Chris were pronounced without the possessive "s," the sentence would mean that Chris was not being worked on in the auto repair shop.
  
  Tip No. 4: If the word in question is plural, change it to a singular. If the "s" remains, it is obviously functioning as a possessive "s" rather than a plural "s."
  
  Example No. 1: two weeks' notice/one week's notice. Since the "s" remains on the singular form, the "s" must be functioning as a possessive "s." Since "week's" is singular, the apostrophe precedes the "s."
  
  Example No. 2: a few years ago/a year ago. In this case, the "s" drops off, so there is no "possessive situation."
  
  Note: Do not be confused by look-alikes. The sentence "Get your money's worth" requires a possessive apostrophe. But "This dog's worth four hundred dollars" contains an apostrophe as part of a contraction: "dog's worth" = "dog is worth."

TIPS FOR DECEMBER 2003

To celebrate the various holidays of this season, I've chosen to address introductory phrases in sentences. No, there is no relationship between the two topics.

1. Prepositional phrases:

• In the middle of Randy's phone conversation, his dog began barking uncontrollably.
  
  Note that because this is a rather long phrase, it is set off by commas. In general, set off prepositional phrases of five or more words. In other cases (as in this sentence and the previous one), listen to your voice. If you pause, put a comma. You really can trust your voice.

2. "-Ing" and "-ed" phrases:

• Forgotten in the rush, the dog ran alongside the car to get the family's attention ("dog" is the subject).
   

• Smiling at the crowd, she moved quickly to the podium ("she" is the subject).
  
  These kinds of phrases at the beginning of sentences MUST modify the first noun or subject pronoun, and they are always followed by commas. In the example above, a different kind of verb form is used; most are "-ing" or "ed" words.

3. Infinitive phrases ("to" plus a verb form of one to three words):

• To get the answer, Frankenstein quickly multiplied the numbers in his headache was no dummy.
  
  These phrases follow the same rules as the phrases in 2. above.

4. "Reverse" appositives:

• A bumbler, a scatterbrain, an airhead: she was all of these, but in her these traits were endearing rather than annoying.
  
  Most appositives are words or phrases that follow and rename nouns. For example: Stephen F. Austin, the father of Texas, was among the early Anglo settlers in what is now the Lone Star State. "The father of Texas" is an appositive giving additional information about Stephen F. Austin.
  
  In the first example, the appositive precedes the noun, giving it more attention at the beginning of the sentence. In these kinds of constructions, appositives are followed by colons; dashes would also be correct.