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WRITING BY THE BOOK

By Cassandra Skevis

I once had a professor who enthused about the Harcourt English Handbook and all she was able to learn from it.  And she really meant it.  The student next to me was quick to note, however, that it was a little “short on plot.”  Not many people get excited about grammar, but without it, communication is difficult at best. 

Seasoned writers know that every dot on the page has meaning and makes a difference.  Consider this sentence, for instance, in a millionaire’s last will and testament: “I leave everything to Bobby, Jack, and Carol,” as opposed to this sentence: “I leave everything to Bobby, Jack and Carol.” 

The only difference is the lack of a comma after Jack in the second sentence.  But in the first instance the presence of that comma means that the money will be divided three ways.  In the second instance, a lawyer could argue that the money should be divided in half.  Bobby gets half and Jack and Carol get the other half.  Big difference.

When writing for an audience, clarity is everything, and grammar makes it possible to be clear.  Without it, we end up with a mishmash of tenses, phrases and poorly composed ideas.  Here’s a few commonly made grammatical mistakes:

Whose and who’s --

Who’s is a contraction of “who is,” as in “She’s the one who’s going to the store.”  Whose, on the other hand, is possessive.  “Whose car is that?”

Its and it’s –

It’s is the same as “it is.” “It’s a bit chilly today.”   “Its” is third person possessive, and is used when something belongs to whatever is represented by “it.”  “That’s its belly button.”

Your and you’re

Again, “your” is possessive.  “That is your book.”  “You’re” is a contraction of “you are.”  “You’re not really going to sing, are you?”

There, their and they’re

These three words are frequently mixed up.  But they each have their own distinct meanings.  “Their” is the third person plural possessive meaning something that belongs to “them.”  “It’s their boat.”  “They’re” is a contraction of “they are.”  They’re going out in their boat.”  And “there” is a place.  “They’re going out there in their boat.”  You get the idea.

Making your book readable is the first and most important step in getting an audience to read it, so don’t overlook the grammar.  It’s your bag of tricks, your toolbox, and your very best friend.