Writer's Craft 2

Question 1

Six common quotations mistakes

Answer 1

1. Starting a new paragraph for a quotation when it should lead directly from your introduction.
2. Letting Quotations Float
3. Using quotations that are too long
4. Not putting quotation marks around a word as a word
5. Putting commas and periods outside of quotation marks.
6. Forgetting to put quotation marks around the title of a short story, article, or personal essay.

Question 2

Every day vs Everyday

Answer 2

• Every day: describes things that occur each day

* Everyday: something is ordinary or commonplace

Question 3

Apart vs A part

Answer 3

• Apart: Two or more people or things separated by some distance; separation (adverb)
• A part: piece or segment of something; union (noun)

Question 4

Weary vs Wary

Answer 4

• Weary: physically or mentally fatigued

* Wary: to be on guard against something; to be watchful or cautious

Question 5

Practise vs Practice

Answer 5

• USA: Practice is a noun and a verb

* UK (and outside USA): Practice is a noun. Practise is a verb.

Question 6

Licence vs License

Answer 6

Same rules as practice/practise

• Licence is the noun, license is a verb

Question 7

Affect vs Effect

Answer 7

• Affect: to produce a change or influence something (verb)
• Effect: indicates an event where a change has occurred (noun)
Trick: A is for action (affect); E is for end result (effect)

Question 8

Amount vs Number

Answer 8

• Amount refers to to mass nouns (uncountable)

* Number refers to count nouns (countable…duh)

Question 9

Fewer vs Less

Answer 9

• Fewer: things you count (like number)

* Less: things you don’t count (like amount)

Question 10

Imply vs Infer

Answer 10

• Imply: indicates the truth or existence by suggestion rather than explicit reference
• Infer: to deduce or conclude from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements

Question 11

Lie vs Lay

Answer 11

• Lie: to rest recline or rest on a surface (intransitive– it does not take a direct object)
• Lay: to put or place something (transitive – it takes a direct object)

Question 12

Lie vs Lay tenses

Answer 12

Past tense | Past participle | Present participle
Lie (recline): Lay, Lain, Lying
Lay (put): Laid, Laid, Laying

Question 13

Slash

Answer 13

Generally, avoid it. Can be used to show pairs. (actor/director)

Question 14

Quotation marks

Answer 14

1. Capitalize the first word of the second part of an interrupted quote only if it begins a new sentence.
2. Capitalize the first word of any mid-sentence quote that constitutes a sentence
3. Put each new speaker’s quotes on a new line
4. Put periods and commas inside quote marks
5. Question marks and colons depend on what it refers to
6. Setting off words as words
7. Introing a new term

Question 15

What SHOULDN’T you use quotation marks for?

Answer 15

• usually not when showing irony
• slang
• emphasis

Question 16

Italics

Answer 16

1. Excessive use is annoying and distracting
2. Italicize the names of most works of art: books, movies, albums, plays
   BUT use quotes for titles of shorter works: short stories, articles, songs, episode titles
3. Don’t use italics for sacred texts or software programs (obviously the same thing)
4. Use italics for foreign words not part of standard English

Question 17

Capitalization

Answer 17

1. Capitalize proper nouns, not common nouns
2. Don’t capitalize to make something sound important
3. Capitalize months, holidays, days of the week – not seasons
4. Don’t capitalize school subjects unless they’re a language
5. Capitalize family names as names, not as roles

Question 18

Pronoun Case

Answer 18

1. Subjective: pronoun is in subject/subject complement position
2. Objective: Pronoun is in object position
3. Possessive: Pronoun is in possession

Question 19

I.E. vs E.G

Answer 19

• i.e. –for the sake of example (several examples)

* e.g. – in essence (restatement)

Question 20

Among vs Amongst

Answer 20

They mean the same thing, but amongst is kinds pretentious (check your style guide)

Question 21

Verb moods

Answer 21

1. Th indicative: facts, opinions, questions
2. The imperative: commands, orders, advice
3. The subjunctive: wishes, conditions contrary to fact (were, not was)

Question 22

Simple vs Simplistic

Answer 22

• Simple: plain, ordinary

* Simplistic: same, but more negative/offensive

Question 23

Explicit vs Implicit

Answer 23

• Explicit: stated directly, clear

* Implicit: hinted at or implied

Question 24

Further vs Farther

Answer 24

• Further: metaphorical measurements, unknown distances

* Farther: quantifiable measurements

Question 25

Fictional vs Fictitious

Answer 25

• Fictional: something in literature (“a fictional character”)
• Fictitious: Something in real life (“a fictitious lie”)

Question 26

Anxious vs Eager

Answer 26

• Anxious: worried, uneasy (negative)

* Eager: full of keen desire (positive)

Question 27

Peek vs Peak vs Pique

Answer 27

Peek: quick glance
Peak: High Point
Pique: feeling of anger, irritation, curiosity

Question 28

Could care less

Answer 28

YES YOU CAN!

It’s couldn’t care less

Question 29

Could of/Might of/Should of

Answer 29

NO. Use “have”

Question 30

Disinterested vs Uninterested

Answer 30

• Disinterested: objective, unbiased
• Uninterested: not interested, not engaged
You want a disinterested judge, not an uninterested one.

Question 31

Elicit vs Illicit

Answer 31

• Elicit: to evoke

* Illicit: illegal

Question 32

Data

Answer 32

Basically, your life is a lie. Data is actually plural.
• the data show that…
• the data are inconclusive.
If you want to barf, it’s probably right.

Question 33

Precede vs Proceed

Answer 33

• Precede: to come before something in time

* Proceed: to take action or move forward

Question 34

Try and/try to

Answer 34

NOT “try and”

• I’ll try to call Emily