Everything English

Writing and Grammar Tips (beta)

Contact a customer support specialist at 1-206-494-5992

Category : Common Mistakes

Is it One Word or Two?

S Nicholas

The English language is difficult. So much of how we use words is intuitive. But what about non-native speakers who haven’t been taught English grammar since first grade? It must be terribly difficult! I’ve made a list of words I commonly see misused in papers I edit. Read on to see if these are mistakes you’ve made before.

A Lot versus Alot
What is the difference between a lot and alot? Alot is not a word. Ever. Under any circumstances. It is always, always, always separated into two words: a lot. You will probably frequently see the word written as alot, but it’s wrong. Don’t do it.

All right versus Alright
When is it all right to spell it alright? Simple: always use it in its two-word form: all right. Alright is found in dictionaries, but it is a rarely used form, and not a form you would use in formal writing anyway, so don’t use it. Always spell it in two words: all right.

Everyday versus Every Day
How about everyday versus every day? Everyday used as one word is an adjective. It describes a noun.
For example: My everyday dishes are not as pretty as my formal dishes.
Or: My everyday shoes wear out quickly, but my special occasion shoes do not, because I wear them infrequently.

When you use the phrase every day as two words, it is usually used as an adverb. An adverb is a word that describes a verb (an action word)…sort of like an adjective, but used on a verb, not a noun. An adjective describes a noun: look at that red dress. An adverb describes a verb: she walked slowly. How did she walk? Slowly. So, when using every day as two words, as an adverb, it would look like this: I walk around the block every day. When do I walk around the block? Every day.

A trick I like to use is to put the word “single” in between every and day, and if it works, I know I should use the two-word version. I walk around the block every single day. That works. Using the two-word option is correct.

But using a previous example, could I say: My every single day dishes are not as pretty as my formal dishes? No. That doesn’t work. So I need to use the one-word option, everyday. In this case, everyday is an adjective, describing the noun dishes.

Cannot versus Can Not
This is easy. It’s always cannot. It cannot be spelled can not. Ever. So don’t do it.

When in doubt, use a trusted dictionary to look up the word. Most dictionaries give examples, and you should be able to discern which version of the word to use.

Remember, a lot of people make grammar mistakes every day, but we cannot say that is all right. We must always strive to do our best!

Posted under : Common Mistakes,Mechanics,Resources,Writing Tips

PLAGIARISM

by Sarah | 4 Comments

By S Nicholas

The Little, Brown Handbook (1986) defines plagiarism as “the presentation of some else’s ideas or words as your own; from the Latin word for kidnapper.” See what I did there? I let you know that I did not make up that definition. I gave credit to my source.

Many of the papers we edit at EditMyEnglish are related to Ph.D. programs. And in the Ph.D. world, plagiarism is a HUGE deal! Those caught plagiarizing will be kicked out of their programs of study. In extreme cases, legal action might ensue!

So how do you avoid plagiarism? As one of my high school teachers taught me, when writing a paper, almost every sentence should be cited. That’s right! Almost every sentence! The sentences not containing citation are your very own. They are your thoughts that link one source to another source.

Your own thoughts do not need to be cited. For example, “I do not like cold weather.” That doesn’t need to be cited because it is your opinion. Common information also does not need to be cited. For example, if you say, “Florida is hot in the summer,” that doesn’t need to be cited. Most people generally acknowledge that Florida is hot in the summer.

Additionally, if you state common information, such as that the French Revolution took place from 1789-1799, it does not need to be cited. That is historic information, generally accepted to be true.

However, if you write any thoughts another author has shared on a topic, you do need to cite it. Someone else’s independent material, material attributed to them, would be ideas not generally known (unlike the dates of a war, or temperatures of a specific region, which ARE generally known).

You cannot take an author’s idea and re-word it a little and call it your own. Any idea you get from someone else needs to be cited. It is perfectly acceptable to use other works within your paper. Just cite the sources! In fact, the more outside sources you have in your paper, the stronger your thesis will be! But…you HAVE to cite all your sources.

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources OR paraphrase the author’s material. To paraphrase correctly, without plagiarizing, use your own words to rephrase what another person said. Wait. Doesn’t that seem to conflict the preceding paragraph? Let’s look at an example:

Original: John F. Kennedy said, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” That quote could be used in a paper, citing Kennedy as the original author of that quote, and using quotation marks. It would be perfectly acceptable to do it this way.

Plagiarism: I think that as citizens of this country, we should not ask what our country can do for us but rather, we should think about what we can do for our country. In this case, only a few words were changed, but the original intent of the original quote remained intact without citing a source. Therefore, it is plagiarism.

Paraphrasing: A famous man once suggested that we should consider how we might be of service to others, rather than waiting on others to serve us. In this case, an attribution was made to a source, the main idea of the original thought was left intact, but the way it was stated was changed.

The main concept to grasp when writing a paper is that you have to acknowledge where you got your ideas. It is illegal to take someone’s property for your own use; it is also illegal to take someone else’s words (intellectual property) and use them as your own.

I can usually spot plagiarism easily. If I’m working on a paper, heavily editing each paragraph, and then suddenly come across a perfect paragraph, my suspicions are raised. There are now computer programs for teachers to use to help spot plagiarism. When in doubt, either find a source to cite, or word your sentence in such a way that the reader has no doubt who had that thought.

Good students are typically conscientious, citing heavily, and using their own words to link between other authors’ words.

Posted under : Common Mistakes,Mechanics,Punctuation Rules,Resources,Writing Tips

It’s All in the Words!

by Sarah | 39 Comments

By S Nicholas

I love words! I have always loved words. After a career working with words, I have decided that how people use language directly relates to how intelligent they are perceived! Note that I am talking about perception, and not necessarily reality. People with multiple college degrees who speak or write improperly convey to the world that they are, in fact, not smart. Likewise, people who may not have a college degree but talk and write correctly convey to the world that they are extremely intelligent. It’s all in the words.

Some of the most common mistakes which impact perceived intelligence include:
• “Between you and I” – This is NEVER correct! There is not a situation in which it would be ok to say or write “between you and I.”
WRONG: Between you and I, the food here is bad.
RIGHT: Just between us, the food here is bad.

• The misuse of I versus ME . The shortcut to knowing which is correct is to remove the other name in the phrase, and use either or I or me to see which works.
WRONG: Sam threw the ball to Jeff and I.
RIGHT: Sam threw the ball to Jeff and me.
If you remove the name “Jeff,” you will see that only the word “me” works correctly.

• Commas – this tiny punctuation mark is responsible for most of the mistakes I read!
1. A comma-splice occurs when two sentences are joined together by a comma.
WRONG: It is a hot day, I am going to eat ice cream to cool off.
RIGHT: It is a hot day, so I am going to eat ice cream to cool off.
Two sentences cannot be joined together with a comma unless a conjunction (and, so, but, etc…) follows the first complete thought.
2. A run-on sentence occurs when a sentence containing multiple phrases does not contain commas.
WRONG: It is a hot day so I am going to eat ice cream to cool off because I love ice cream and it always helps me feel cooler.
RIGHT: It is a hot day, so I am going to eat ice cream to cool off because I love it, and it always helps me feel cooler.
Commas used correctly help set off phrases in a distinct way in order to help the reader understand the message.

• Quotation Marks –It is important to remember that the comma and the period ALWAYS go inside the quotation marks!
WRONG: Jane said, “Go outside”.
RIGHT: Jane said, “Go outside.”
WRONG: The musical, “Hello Dolly”, was held last weekend.
RIGHT: The musical, “Hello Dolly,” was held last weekend.
Note that the comma and period need to be INSIDE the quotation marks. In some cases, the question mark might be outside of the quotation marks. For example: Did you hear him shout, “Fire”?

• You’re versus Your – The best way to determine which is correct is not to use the contraction, “you’re,” but spell out you are. If “you’re” trying to say “you are,” the contraction would work.
WRONG: Your trying to find your socks.
RIGHT: You’re trying to find your socks.
“You’re” is the contraction for “you are.” “Your” is simply showing possession…your socks, your house, your cat. Most frequently, people write “your,” but mean to say “you are.” When in doubt, don’t use the contraction.

Using proper grammar is an introduction of yourself to others. To put forth your best image, speak properly and write properly. A teacher’s hint for improving grammar: read good literature frequently!

Posted under : Common Mistakes,Examples of Poor Grammar,Mechanics,Punctuation Rules