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Sit Vs. Set

10/22/2015

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Someone set the pot of flowers on the chair, but if I wanted to sit there, I'd have to move the pot first.

Like
"lie" and "lay," sometimes it can be difficult to figure out how to use "sit" and "set" correctly. The word "sit" means to assume or be in an upright position, and it is almost always an intransitive verb, so it doesn't take an object. Example: I never sit in the front row at a movie theater.

The word "set" means to put or place something, and it often takes an object. Example: They set the plates on the table.

Here's how to conjugate both verbs:

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An easy way to choose between using "sit" and "set" is to decide whether the noun in question has agency. If the noun has agency, in that it performs the action, then use “sit.” For example, Julie can sit on the sand. If, however, the noun is an object, without agency, then use “set.” A pail can't sit itself down on the sand, but Julie can set it there. It's a little tricky when the word "sit" is used to mean "to cause someone to be seated," as in "the waiter sat Julie at a table for four." Although the waiter has agency, and Julie is the object of the sentence, I remember that she still has the ability to seat herself, so the waiter wouldn't "set" her at a table for four.

When writing, if you mean to put something down, use "set." For everything else, use "sit," and you too will be sitting pretty.

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Subject-Verb Agreement

4/30/2015

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Subject-verb agreement is one of the first things we learn when writing. The subject and verb in a sentence agree if they are both the same type. Singular subjects require singular verbs, and plural subjects require plural verbs. For example, “Tammy plays on the beach” is correct, but “Tammy play on the beach” isn’t. Easy, right?

Not always. Sometimes the components of the sentence make it harder to determine agreement.

The first challenge is when an intervening phrase comes between the subject and verb. If the subject is singular, but the intervening phrase is plural, then use a singular verb. Use a plural verb when the subject is plural and the intervening phrase is singular. Always match the verb to the subject. Example: The test on dividing fractions was hard OR Predictions about which horse will win the race are often wrong.

Indefinite pronouns used as the subject can also confuse subject-verb agreement. The table below lists which indefinite pronouns are singular and which are plural.
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Whether the words in the third column are singular or plural depends on the particular sentence. If the indefinite pronoun refers to a singular word, then it takes a singular verb. If the pronoun refers to a plural word, then the verb is plural. Examples: Most of the workout was easy BUT Most of the exercises were easy.

Collective nouns can also be a challenge. A collective noun names a group. Some common collective nouns are army, audience, council, crowd, and staff. When a collective noun is the subject, it takes a singular verb if the sentence refers to the group as a whole. Example: The staff is located on the third floor.
A collective noun takes a plural verb when referring to individuals members of the group. Example: The staff have decided to paint their offices.

In the past, when the word data was used as a subject, it took a plural verb. However, usage has evolved, and now data is treated as a collective noun. Example: The data is compelling.

Compound subjects can be tricky as well. When subjects (whether singular or plural) are joined by the word and, they take a plural verb, as in "Anna and Lucy are friends." If the subjects are both singular and joined by or or nor, then they take a singular verb, as in “neither the teacher nor the assistant was late.” If one subject is singular and the other plural, then the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Example: Either the cat or the dogs are responsible for the damage.

Amounts can also trip people up. If the amount is considered one unit, then the verb is singular, as in “two years is a long time to be away.” Otherwise, amounts take plural verbs. Example: “Three days are left in the month.”

Composition titles and the names of countries may complicate subject-verb agreement. Even when the names of works and countries are plural (such as The Final Days or the Netherlands), they take a singular verb because they refer to a single unit. Examples: The Grapes of Wrath is a compelling book AND The United States was represented at the conference.

Although the rules of subject-verb agreement are complex, remember these guidelines, and all your sentences will be in perfect agreement.
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Using "Said" with Dialogue

4/10/2014

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"Never use a verb other than 'said' to carry dialogue." --Elmore Leonard, Rule Three of his Ten Rules on Writing

Elmore Leonard, famous crime novelist, contended the writer was "sticking his nose in" by inserting a verb with dialogue, so it was best to use the least intrusive verb possible. Many writers agree because "said" certainly doesn't draw attention to itself or distract readers from the story.

I don't disagree. I'd include "ask" as well because it's nearly as invisible as "said" and works better with questions. However, I object to an absolute use of "said" for two reasons:
  • "Said" attracts adverbs.
  • Sometimes how the character delivers the dialogue is important.
"Said" attracts adverbs because many writers can't stop at one word. They give in to the nearly irresistible temptation to graft on an adverb. As novelist Stephen King said, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs." Elmore Leonard agreed. (See Rule Four.) Too many adverbs are distracting and can become inadvertently funny. As I've mentioned before in Rose's Red Pen, I once read a children's book aloud to my daughter that boasted eight adverbs on one page, all coupled to the word "said." We laughed as each new adverb appeared, surely not the reaction the writer wanted.

My other reservation about using only "said" is that sometimes how a character delivers a line is crucial. For example, maybe your protagonist says something outrageous about her boss in the middle of a meeting. Whether she mutters it under her breath or shouts it out loud changes the entire scene.

Since I had two reasons not to stick solely to "said," here are two tips on what to do instead.

If you're using another verb, make sure it's physically possible to talk while doing that. When editing, I've run into characters that grin, laugh, or gasp a line. Try one of those while actually talking -- I dare you. Instead, let your character complete the action and then talk. For example:

Tim grinned. "Go ahead. I dare you." 

The second tip is to make your dialogue do the work. Rewrite so that the words, sentence structure, and rhythm indicate how the character says the lines. You won't need a verb like "snapped" if the sentences come in short, staccato bursts. An adverb like "incoherently" is unnecessary if your punctuation, sentence structure, and word choice show that the character can't string together coherent sentences.

So what's the final takeaway on never using a verb other than "said" with dialogue? Never say never.

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Describing Action

2/13/2014

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How much is too much? Part of the challenge in describing action is choosing which details are important.

For example, imagine a scene in which a character named Tom hands over his driver's license. A writer could choose to describe every bit of what happens, like this:

"Tom reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his wallet with his right hand. He unfolded the smooth eel skin, thumbing through plastic cards to find the right one. With his thumb and index finger, Tom carefully handed his driver's license to the store clerk."

Or the writer could say: "Tom handed his driver's license to the store clerk."

Of course, when writing action, using strong, active verbs is important. Assuming you've chosen the right words, how many of them do you need? How do you decide how much detail is desirable? The process is like wading through a lake of words to fill a beaker of significant action. How do you decide what's significant? Ask yourself two questions: Is the action necessary to the plot? If not, does the action illustrate something the reader needs to know about the character?

Let's return to Tom and his driver's license. In many stories, this simple transaction is not going to be important to the plot. But what if the situation were different and Tom is traveling with a fake license, trying to cross the Mexican border and return to the United States? What if the person he's handing the license to is from Border Patrol? Then, perhaps, you might linger over each action, building the tension as Tom slowly, reluctantly pulls out that license, hoping that the forgery is good enough to fool the agent.

What if Tom's just showing his license to a store clerk to use a credit card? If the action isn't crucial to the plot, then all you have to do is get from Point A to Point B efficiently. But what if how Tom pulls out his license tells the reader something about the character? Imagine that Tom is obsessive-compulsive. The way he organizes his wallet and extracts cards in a particular order shows what Tom is like without the writer having to say it explicitly.

As you describe action, think about the purpose of the scene. Let the purpose drive how much and what kind of description you write.


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The Use and Abuse of Verbs

1/30/2014

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Back in the seventies, Schoolhouse Rock defined verbs in a lively, concise way. When I watch "Verbs, That's What's Happening" even now, I'm struck by all the action. When we write, the verbs we choose should be alive, active, leaping off the page. Too often, though, we ignore them or bury them instead.

Sometimes we ignore verbs in favor of using adverbs. The result is the "wryly" syndrome, when an outbreak of adverbs smothers the weaker verbs in the sentence. Instead of saying a character "went quickly," what about punching up the sentence with a more vivid verb, such as "sprinted," "dashed," or even "scampered"? The verb "said" is particularly vulnerable to adverb exposure. Once, when reading a children's book aloud to my daughter, I counted thirteen adverbs on two pages, eight of them coupled to the word "said."

We also mistreat verbs when we bury them among a lot of other words. One way to bury a verb is to plunk it down between a helping verb and "-ing." The verb phrases "was eating" and "was shaking" are weaker than "ate" or "shook."

Sometimes writers bury the verb right along with the subject by using passive voice. Here's an example: "The argument for a higher assessment was made by the condo board." Isn't it more interesting and dynamic to write: "The condo board argued for a higher assessment"?

In this sentence, not only is the verb buried, but the subject also disappeared: "Post-it notes were invented to find a use for less adhesive glue." Who invented them? The sentence is stronger in the active voice, with an active verb: "Arthur Fry invented post-it notes to find a use for less adhesive glue."

Another way to bury the verb is to pad it with unnecessary words. Business and technical writing are littered with phrases like "performed an analysis," "conducted a study," and "made the announcement." Use simpler, stronger words instead such as "analyzed," "studied," and "announced." Lists of active verbs abound online, particularly for resume writing.

Don't ignore strong verbs or bury them, making your readers do the work of digging them up. Make your writing lively and active by choosing the right verbs.

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    Rose Ciccarelli offers writing and editing services through Rosebud Communications.

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