Gingerich Grammar Mistakes: Bring and Take

from :

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Column at Lit Reactor by Jon Gingerich            January 31, 2012

Jon Gingerich is an editor, a fiction writer, and writes about politics and media. Click on the title to read the column in its entirety - including all of the twenty common mistakes.

You can learn more about Jon by clicking on his name.


Bring and Take

In order to employ proper usage of “bring” or “take,” the writer must know whether the object is being moved toward or away from the subject. If it is toward, use “bring.” If it is away, use “take.” Your spouse may tell you to “take your clothes to the cleaners.” The owner of the dry cleaners would say “bring your clothes to the cleaners.”

Gingerich Grammar Mistakes: Different Than and Different From

from :

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Column at Lit Reactor by Jon Gingerich            January 31, 2012

Jon Gingerich is an editor, a fiction writer, and writes about politics and media. Click on the title to read the column in its entirety - including all of the twenty common mistakes.
You can learn more about Jon by clicking on his name.

 
Different Than and Different From

This is a tough one. Words like “rather” and “faster” are comparative adjectives, and are used to show comparison with the preposition “than,” (e.g., greater than, less than, faster than, rather than). The adjective “different” is used to draw distinction. So, when “different” is followed by a preposition, it should be “from,” similar to “separate from,” “distinct from,” or “away from.” e.g., My living situation in New York was different from home. There are rare cases where “different than” is appropriate, if “than” operates as a conjunction. e.g., Development is different in New York than in Los Angeles. When in doubt, use “different from.”

Gingerich Grammar Mistakes: Anxious

from :

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Column at Lit Reactor by Jon Gingerich            January 31, 2012

Jon Gingerich is an editor, a fiction writer, and writes about politics and media. Click on the title to read the column in its entirety - including all of the twenty common mistakes.


You can learn more about Jon by clicking on his name.

 
Anxious

Unless you’re frightened of them, you shouldn’t say you’re “anxious to see your friends.” You’re actually “eager,” or "excited." To be “anxious” implies a looming fear, dread or anxiety. It doesn’t mean you’re looking forward to something.

Ideas and Inspiration

I recently read an article - no, l'll admit, read part of an article - about the benefits of distraction for writers. The author did say that we need to minimize distractions *while* we're in the act of writing, but distractions in the rest of our lives can lead to discoveries of new ideas or characters or colors or noticing a smell - the list of potentials is long.

Those "distractions" are what help our stories come alive and keep the reader engaged.

Recently I've been having some of those "distractions." And trying to take notes of them when can. Sometimes the notes don't make sense out of context. One recent example I put out into the world as a twitter post; and when looked at it, the punch was gone. So my challenge as a writer, then, when those glimpses and smells and bits of overheard conversation flow into my awareness - distract me- to put them into a story or poem or scene so they have a new context where they make sense.

Yes, distraction isn't always bad.
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Razor's Edge 2/24/12

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Today's Razor's Edge is made up of a video of a performance of Miwa Matreyek's work, with optional word prompt if you need or want a little more.

Miwa performed this piece at T:BA11 at The Works. Even though I missed some of The Works performances, this one was high on my list to see and I made it. It is nice to see it again here - and it was incredible to see in person.

For today's prompt, just sit back and watch the video. If you can, make it full screen and let it wash over you, enter into her world. There are a few glimpses where you get to see her behind the scenes work - and I don't think that detracts. Let it take you to another perspective, if you can.

Be the performer.

Be the ground or the earth where her story is rooted.

Be another being in her performance.

Watch, listen, let it in.

If you'd like a start, use one of these prompts - and write! Ten minutes - go.

"But I've lived there and I know that ......

"As I reached toward him I noticed .....

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Gingerich Grammar Mistakes: Disinterested and Uninterested

from :

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Column at Lit Reactor by Jon Gingerich            January 31, 2012

Jon Gingerich is an editor, a fiction writer, and writes about politics and media. Click on the title to read the column in its entirety - including all of the twenty common mistakes.


You can learn more about Jon by clicking on his name.

 
Disinterested and Uninterested

Contrary to popular usage, these words aren’t synonymous. A “disinterested” person is someone who’s impartial. For example, a hedge fund manager might take interest in a headline regarding stock performance with which he has no money invested. He’s “disinterested,” i.e., he doesn’t seek to gain financially from the transaction he’s witnessed. Judges and referees are supposed to be "disinterested." If the sentence you’re using implies someone who couldn't care less, chances are you’ll want to use “uninterested.”

Gingerich Grammar Mistakes: Since and Because

from :

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Column at Lit Reactor by Jon Gingerich            January 31, 2012

Jon Gingerich is an editor, a fiction writer, and writes about politics and media. Click on the title to read the column in its entirety - including all of the twenty common mistakes.

You can learn more about Jon by clicking on his name above.



Since and Because

“Since” refers to time. “Because” refers to causation. e.g., Since I quit drinking I’ve married and had two children. e.g., Because I quit drinking I no longer wake up in my own vomit.

Gingerich Grammar Mistakes: Farther and Further

from :

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Column at Lit Reactor by Jon Gingerich            January 31, 2012

Jon Gingerich is an editor, a fiction writer, and writes about politics and media. Click on the title to read the column in its entirety - including all of the twenty common mistakes.

You can learn more about Jon by clicking on his name above.


Farther and Further

The word “farther” implies a measurable distance. “Further” should be reserved for abstract or hypothetical lengths. e.g., I threw the ball ten feet farther than Bill. e.g., The executive climbed further up the ladder of success.

Gingerich Grammar Mistakes: Fewer and Less

from :

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Column at Lit Reactor by Jon Gingerich            January 31, 2012

Jon Gingerich is an editor, a fiction writer, and writes about politics and media. Click on the title to read the column in its entirety - including all of the twenty common mistakes.

You can learn more about Jon by clicking on his name above.


Fewer and Less

“Less” is reserved for hypothetical quantities. “Few” and “fewer” are for things you can quantify. e.g., The firm has fewer than ten employees. e.g., The firm is less successful now that we have only ten employees.