Answers to Your Troublesome Writing
Questions
Certain rules about grammar, punctuation, and usage
have been ingrained into our heads from teachers,
books, or what others have told us are standard
practices.
Over time, some rules have evolved (I prefer "relaxed")
while new ones have emerged, causing us to
question what truly applies. Listed below are answers
to questions I hear most frequently from class
participants, colleagues, and even family members.
Please send me your questions, which others are
sure to have as well. I will include them in
future "Frequently Asked Writing Questions"
newsletters.
| Is it all right to begin a sentence
with "and," "but," or "because"? |
Answer: Yes. Although many of us learned not
to begin a sentence with those words, most
resources today agree it is fine to do so.
| When do you use "a" or "an"? |
Answer: The general rule is to use "a" before
words beginning with a consonant (b, d, g) and "an"
before words beginning with a vowel (a, e, i). Two
exceptions to the rule, however, are to use "an" with
words or abbreviations that begin with a consonant
but are pronounced with a vowel sound ("an MBA," "an
hour") and to use "a" with words that begin with a
vowel but are pronounced as a consonant ("union").
The bottom line is to let pronunciation guide you.
| How many spaces should I use after end
punctuation? |
Answer: Current practice is to use one;
however, two are still acceptable. The important thing
is to be consistent in your documents.
| What are some ways to close an e-mail
message besides "Looking forward to hearing from
you/speaking with you/meeting with you/our lunch" or
similar wording? |
Answer: An informal survey among friends and
colleagues yielded the following: Best, My best, Warm
regards, Kind regards, Regards, Take great care,
Sincerely, Cheers, Thank you for your time/your work
on this/your expertise, Enjoy your weekend/vacation,
holiday.
Consider your relationship with the reader(s) and the
situation to decide what is most appropriate. Often
how someone ends a message to you will guide your
own response.
| Is it okay to end a sentence with a
preposition? |
Answer: Yes. This is another "rule" that has
become outdated in most exchanges. Trying to
convert a sentence ending with a preposition can be
challenging and time consuming; however, you may
wish to do so to project a formal tone.
| What is the correct use of an
apostrophe in plural nouns? |
Answer: Somehow, we have been seeing
plural nouns written with an apostrophe before the "s"
(we hem pant's, all our customer's), which is
incorrect. Use an apostrophe to show possession of
a plural noun, not to indicate the noun is plural. If the
word ends in "s," the apostrophe comes after the "s"
(the boys' clubhouse, the nurses' patients). For plural
nouns not ending in "s," the apostrophe comes before
the "s" (the people's vote, the women's
conference).
