From Rick: This post will finish the topic of formatting (for now) and attempt to cover those varied points not previously discussed. (1) Smart quote redux This past week I discovered a problem with smart quotes. Remember that I said
Read MoreIntro from Rick: My blog post on Thoughts prompted Perry McDaid, a writer from the UK and one of the early members of Silver Pen, to contact me. (All writers reading this blog are invited to check out Silver Pen.
Read MoreFrom Scott and Rick: The apostrophe is another punctuation sticking point for many writers. When to use it, when not to use it, and where to use it: all of these can present difficulties. Just keep a few simple rules
Read MoreFrom Rick: As I did with commas, I’m going to cover the basics of semicolons. This is not an exhaustive list of their uses. For the finer points, consult The Chicago Manual of Style. THE SEMICOLON– Many people misunderstand the
Read MoreFrom Rick: Punctuation–commas in particular–seems to confuse beginning writers (and seasoned ones as well) more than many other aspects of grammar. Most of us are hopefully taught good grammar in school (although I’ve heard a rumor that that it’s been
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