It's National Punctuation Day

I found out through a friend on Facebook that today is National Punctuation Day. Who knew? To celebrate, here's a classic bit from Victor Borge.

Grammar terms made easier: The independent clause vs. the dependent clause

I try to keep things understandable in this blog, not getting caught up in grammar jargon and English-class speak. I've been in the editing business in one form or another for about 25 years and even I get confused when grammarians use all that jargon: reflexive pronoun, future perfect tense, dangling participle, antecedents, etc.

So, from time to time on this blog, I'll take a grammar term and try to simplify it for you.

This time, I'll discus independent clause and dependent clause.

An independent clause is a group of words that could stand on its own as a sentence.

For example, two halves of a sentence on each side of a semicolon are independent clauses because each half could stand on its own as a sentence: I rode in Dan's car; it was blue.

Here's another example: She will visit us if she can.

The part She will visit us is an independent clause because it could stand on its own as a sentence. But the part if she can is a dependent clause because it can't stand on its own as a sentence - it is dependent on the other clause for it to make sense.

If you have any suggestions of grammar terms you would like me to simplify, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Never, ever use this word

Want to drive me crazy?

Use winningist.

Every time I hear it I just want to slap someone.

I don't care if ESPN and all the other networks use it; I don't care if some dictionaries allow it; I don't care if newspapers and magazines use it. Winningist is not a word.

If winninger isn't a word, then neither is winningist.

So, what do you use to describe a person who has won the most games in a sport? Use most winning.  For example:

     John Smith is the most winning coach in NCAA Division I football.
OR
     John Smith has won most games in NCAA Division I football.

Titles are a capital idea - sometimes

During these weeks of political conventions, we all have seen references to the president, representatives, senators, governors and other officials.

It has been my experience that many people have trouble with rules of capitalization when using titles with names. I use The Associated Press Stylebook rules for these situations, and the rules are fairly simple.

Generally, when an official title comes before someone's name, capitalize the title and abbreviate it when appropriate. When the title comes after someone's name, lowercase the title and usually spell it out. Here are some examples:

Five speakers, including U.S. Sen. John Smith, spoke to the delegates.
Five speakers, including John Smith, a U.S. senator, spoke to the delegates.

The council and New York Mayor John Smith criticized the proposal.
The council and John Smith, the mayor of New York, criticized the proposal.

Customers sued Widget Inc. Chief Executive Officer Bob Jones.
Customers sued Widget Inc. CEO Bob Jones.
Customers sued Bob Jones, chief executive officer of Widget Inc.
Customers sued Bob Jones, CEO of Widget Inc.


OK, that's pretty simple. Now, what about plurals - when you have more than one person with the same title? When the title comes before the name, capitalize and make plural, abbreviating the title when appropriate. When the title comes after the name, lowercase and make plural. Here are some examples:

The audience heard U.S. Sens. John Smith and Bob Jones speak.
The audience heard from John Smith and Bob Jones, U.S. senators.

Speeches given by Chief Executive Officers John Smith and Bob Jones were well received.
Speeches give by John Smith and Bob Jones, chief executive officers, were well received.

The James Dean of the grammar world: "its" vs. "it's"

 

 

When it comes to the possessive form, the word it is a rebel with a clause - the anguished street punk with a heart of gold who loves to cause trouble, and a lot of it, but nothing that can't be worked out.

The trouble it causes has to do with the possessive form vs. the contraction form. In my opinion, it's (it is) in the top three mistakes made  by writers, especially those who don't write often. Heck, even the grammar checker that came with my computer gets it wrong all of the time, telling me to do the opposite of what I should do.

Other singular words form a possessive with the apostrophe-s combination: the boy's ball, Dad's car, the doctor's practice. But the word it is contrary. The possessive is its - with no apostrophe: its food, its length.

The apostrophe comes in with the contraction of it is. The contraction is it's.

So the rules are:
Possessive: its
Contraction for it is: it's

Is your goose cooked if you don't bring home the bacon? Only in Canada

It's Canada goose but Canadian bacon.

I have no idea why there's a difference. I grew up saying Canadian goose until I was told I shouldn't say Canadian because the goose isn't a citizen of Canada. So then what about bacon? Don't get me wrong - I am all for bacon being eligible for citizenship in any country, but there does seem to be a contradiction here.

So, I looked up the issue on a couple of websites (trust me, I didn't spend a lot of time researching this) and the posters were all over the place regarding the usage of these words.

In the end, because The AP Stylebook uses Canada goose and Canadian bacon, that's what I use.

And one last thought - if Canada geese aren't really Canadians, then does that make them illegal immigrants?

Word usage tip: "farther" vs. "further"

Here's a classic word usage problem: farther vs. further.

You can hear and see these words getting mixed up frequently on television, radio, in print and in everyday speech. The rules are simple:

Farther is to be used  only for physical distances.
Further is to be used for any other extension of time or degree.

Pretty simple, right?

Here are two examples:

He went farther into the woods than I did.
He went further in his career than I did.

So, just keep in mind: Farther is for distances and further is for all other uses.