|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Rosita said Sonya heard the committee arguing about the decision. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rosita said Sonya heard the committee arguing about the decision. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rosita said Sonya heard the committee arguing about the decision. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rosita said Sonya heard the committee arguing about the decision. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inflection may carry the message. Learn to recognize the stress in your words and those spoken by others. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tip 127: Eliminate redundancies. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here's a list to start your thinking. Choose one or the other, but not both: fitting and proper, workable and feasible, absolutely and positively, accurate and correct, beneficial and helpful, hazardous and unsafe, the sick and unhealthy, the disadvantaged and underprivileged, the powerful and elite, serious crisis, important essentials, desirable benefits, basic fundamentals, final outcome, separate and distinct, alternate choices, past history, joint partnership, advance warning. And the list goes on with each nightly news broadcast. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tip 128: Grapple with grammar. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here are the common mistakes and a shortcut or simple rule to help you avoid each: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Correct misused verbs. Gone-went, do-don't-doesn't, lie-lay, sit-set, affect-effect, was-were. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Use "-ly" on adverbs. The boss writes quickly. They decided promptly. The committee meets regularly. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Differentiate between good and well. Good describes an object, place, idea, person, thing. Well describes how something performs: Fido is a good dog. Fido eats well. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Drop unnecessary prepositions on the end of sentences. Not: "Where's the paper at?" But: "Where's the paper?" Not: "These are the designs I worked on." But: "I worked on these designs." Not: "Which team is Harry on?'' But: "Harry is on which team?" Not: "Where did the contract go to?" But: "Where did the contract go?" Some prepositions sound fine at the end of sentences; others sound limp. Let clarity be your guide. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eliminate double negatives. The following words mean no/not/negative; use only one of them in any sentence: no, not, never, none, no one, nowhere. |
|
|
|
|
|