Carpenter Document Consulting

Compound modifiers are two or more words that jointly describe another word. Generally, compound modifiers are adjectival phrases, though they can be adverbial phrases as well. Compound modifiers, with a few exceptions, require hyphens, which are often overlooked by writers. Use a hyphen to indicate that the words preceding the word (usually a noun) are jointly describing it.

For example:

• The weather forecast calls for high-speed winds.
• The well-intentioned student impressed her teacher.
• Advisers must work closely with dual-degree-seeking students.

There are a few exceptions to remember when using compound modifiers:

• Do not hyphenate the compound modifier if it follows the word it describes. Compound modifiers are only hyphenated when they precede the word.
• Do not hyphenate compound modifiers that end in “-ly.” For example, “highly educated man” should not be hyphenated.

Last fall, we talked about the common confusion between you’re and your. Today, Rusty found a great example of this confusion at the Louisville Airport.

They spent all that money on the sign, and the title is all wrong.

“Literally” is one of the most misused words in the English language. People often mistakenly use literally for emphasis and exaggeration—“I’m literally as hungry as a horse!”

“Literally” means “really” or “actually,” but people often confuse it with “figuratively,” which means “in an analogous or metaphorical sense.”

Fortunately, “literally” is typically misused in speech rather than writing, but it can often lead to unintentional hilarity. Check out Literally: A Web Blog for the best misuses of the word in print and on the web.

We shared this photo with our Facebook and Twitter fans earlier this week, showing an unnecessary use of quotation marks at one of our favorite Lexington restaurants. I’ve seen it before—and it has irked me before—but I happened to have my camera on me when we stopped by last weekend.

Businesses seem to be the biggest fans unnecessary quotation marks. Often, misplaced quotation marks can be humorous, as chronicled in the Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks. 

So, folks, remember why we use quotation marks—to set off and represent exact language. Don’t use quotation marks for emphasis, unless you want to give your readers a good laugh. If you want to emphasize text, bold it, underline it, italicize it, or put it in all caps, but please don’t use quotation marks.

One of our ongoing projects at Carpenter Doc is editing online “How To” articles for a number of sites. Many of these instructional articles have a craft theme, meaning we come across the misused word “stationary” almost daily. Since writers seem to struggle with this term, we thought we’d walk our readers through this confusing homophone.

Stationary

Stationary means immobile or unchanging in condition.

Stationery

Stationery means materials for writing or typing.

So, you ride a stationary bike at the gym, but you write thank-you notes on stationery.

Writers often struggle with prepositions. These small, seemingly insignificant words can impact the meaning of the sentence, meaning there is usually a right preposition to use and a wrong one. Let’s look at one common preposition mistake that we see in documents we edit.

Which of the following three sentences uses the proper preposition?

A) A doctor is different than a veterinarian.
B) This dress is different to that one.
C) The pink flowers are different from the red flowers.

If you chose C, you’re correct. “From” is the proper preposition to use after “different.” While there has been debate over this usage in the past, most resources, including The Elements of Style online, prefer using “from” rather than “than” or “to.”

The comma is a polarizing punctuation mark, generating discussion in the newsroom and classroom alike. Everyone from copy editors to students to business professionals argue over the comma’s placement, and there are as many people who overuse commas as those who under use them. It’s safe to say that Carpenter Doc never edits a document without a missing or misplaced comma.

Thankfully, there are many standard rules for comma usage, and here are some particularly popular ones to guide your writing:

Do:

• Include a comma between independent clauses.
• Use a comma before an introductory phrase.
• Use a comma to set off a nonrestrictive clause beginning with “which.”
• Follow your style guide regarding the usage of the serial comma (comma after the conjunction in a series).

Don’t:

• Include a comma between the subject and verb of a sentence.
• Use a comma around restrictive clauses beginning with “that.”
• Include a comma between an adjective and the noun it describes.
• Use a comma after “and” if it is joining two subjects or verbs.

As I was running on the elliptical machine at my gym this morning, I noticed a sign listing the “Cardio Area Rules.” The rules were fairly standard, but I was surprised by the number of obvious grammatical errors in what was probably no more than 50 words of text. I spotted missing commas, unnecessary apostrophes, inconsistent capitalization, and a comma splice.

As an editor, it’s my job to catch these things. Would the average member notice these errors on the sign? Probably not. However, the gym paid for these signs to be produced, so wouldn’t they want them to be grammatically correct? Do organizations lose credibility and professionalism when they produce marketing materials that are rife with grammatical errors? In my opinion, they do.

If you keep your eyes open, you will find grammatical errors everywhere. Some can be comical, and some can be downright annoying. Clearly, an editor’s work is never done.

Whether we are editing dissertations, novels, or business documents, there is one error that we consistently find – misuse of the semicolon. This underused punctuation mark is often easier to use than the comma or colon because it is most frequently used in one of three ways.

1) To connect independent clauses not joined by a conjunction

If your sentence includes two independent clauses, meaning each clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, and they are not joined by a conjunction, then separate these clauses using a semicolon. (Check out our previous post about independent clauses joined by a conjunction.)

Example: Some people will call in their order; others will order online.

2) To connect independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb.

When your sentence includes two independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb like “however,” “therefore,” or “thus,” use a semicolon before the adverb.

Example: Rain is predicted for Saturday; however, the picnic remains scheduled.

3) To separate items in a series when those items include commas

If your sentence includes items in a series with multiple commas, use a semicolon to distinguish these items.

Example: The menu choices include beef, chicken, or steak; potatoes, rice, or cole slaw; and broccoli, corn, or green beans.

Generally, if your sentence requires a semicolon, it is in one of these three circumstances.

An executive at a company I worked for several years ago was surprised when I changed “which” to “that” and “that” to “which” in many instances in a company proposal that I edited. He explained that someone once told him that he used “that” too often, so he started alternating the use of “that” and “which” for variety.

Unfortunately, the interchangeability of “that” and “which” is a common misperception. It is rare that I edit a document that doesn’t have at least a few “that/which” errors.

Luckily, the guidelines for using “that” and “which” are simple. Here is how you determine whether you should use “that” or “which:”

That is used with restrictive clauses. A restrictive clause limits the subject in some way. That is not preceded by a comma.

Example: The group that wins the award receives a $100 gift certificate.

The restrictive clause “that wins the award” qualifies or limits the subject (the group). By using a restrictive clause, we understand that only the group that wins will receive the prize. Removing this clause would change the meaning of the sentence.

Which is used with nonrestrictive clauses. A nonrestrictive clause provides additional information that does not limit the subject. Nonrestrictive clauses are enclosed in commas.

Example: Carpenter Document Consulting, which increased its client base last quarter, is now hiring.

This nonrestrictive clause provides additional information about the company, but it does not limit the subject (Carpenter Document Consulting) in any way. It can be removed without impacting the meaning of the sentence.