Parentheses can be used almost anywhere, but they are rarely seen in fictional dialogue or in quoted speech of any kind. The problem with parentheses in dialogue is that readers may not know exactly how to interpret them. . . .
This month’s workout, “Word Usage, Part 7,” once again centers on section 5.250 of CMOS 17. This time we’re focusing on words beginning with the letters n as in “nauseous” through p as in “proven.”
Janet Burroway is the author of plays, poems, children’s books, a memoir, and eight novels, most recently Bridge of Sand. Her book Writing Fiction (10th ed., University of Chicago Press, 2019) is the most widely used creative writing text in America. . . .
Most writers and editors learn not to join (or splice) two independent clauses with a comma alone. . . .
This month’s workout, “Word Usage, Part 6,” centers on section 5.250 of CMOS 17. This time we’re focusing on words beginning with the letters l as in “literally” and m as in “might.”
There are two different kinds of apostrophes: smart and straight. To use them correctly, it helps to understand how they work. . . .
It’s time for another editing and proofreading quiz! This is the second in a series of workouts that will apply your editing knowledge and proofreading skills to Chicago style.
Many of us write or say “12 p.m.” (or “12:00 p.m.”) when we mean noon and “12 a.m.” when we mean midnight. This seems reasonable enough, at least intuitively. . . .
Sharpen Your Pencils! To start off 2019, let’s take an editing and proofreading quiz. This is the first of a series of workouts that will test your editing knowledge and proofreading skills.
On a scale of 1 to 10, can you guess how big a stickler you are? (Your friends and colleagues probably can.) Just for fun, measure your peeving profile with this quiz.