GRAMMAR RULES

GRAMMAR RULES!

You may use spell check, and try to be consistent with punctuation. Great! But overlooking grammar problems can cause an editor or judge to ignore your work. Solution? Remember Grammar Rules!

We are a poetry journal. Because we have a small staff of volunteers, we do not have the resources to provide an answering service for questions about grammar. We suggest that help may be found instead at a library or online reference site, or in a manual such as Anne Stilman's book, Grammatically Correct: The Writer's Essential Guide.

JULY 2004 GRAMMAR RULES!

“Accede Versus Exceed,” by Paula Marie Bentley, Editor-in-Chief

To exceed is to go over or past a set limit or boundary.

Example: “She may exceed the speed limit in her own city, but never elsewhere.”

To accede is to give in to or agree to a request or demand.

Example: “She decided to accede to her toddler's endless requests to go to the pool.”

For a more complete discussion on this topic, we suggest you may wish to consult a copy of Grammatically Correct: The Writer's Essential Guide, by Anne Stilman.

MAY 2004 GRAMMAR RULES!

“It’s Not Always It’s,” by Mary Margaret Carlisle, Managing Editor

Many confuse possessive pronouns with their homonyms, but these are fairly easy to figure out if you remember that the word without an apostrophe is the possessive, and the one with an apostrophe is a contraction of a pronoun plus another word.

its is the possessive of it

Example: The oak tree was so badly damaged in the storm, its leaves had all disappeared.

it’s is a contraction of either it is, or it has

Example: It’s a long drive to Houston, Alaska, from Houston, Texas, particularly in the winter.

their is the possessive of they
they're is a contraction for they are

your is the possessive of you
you’re is a contraction for you are

whose is the possessive of who
who’s is a contraction for either who is or who has
(note that who’s applies only to people, but whose can apply to either people or objects.)

For a more complete discussion on this topic, we suggest you may wish to consult a copy of Grammatically Correct, The Writer's Essential Guide, by Anne Stilman.

APRIL 2004 GRAMMAR RULES!

“Compliment Versus Complement,” by S.J. Baldock, Guest Editor

A compliment is an expression of praise or admiration.

Example: “Enid wasn't sure how to respond to the compliment.”

A complement is something that completes or makes up a whole; either of two parts which complete or enhance one another.

Example: “His business acumen was a perfect complement to her social standing.”

MARCH 2004 GRAMMAR RULES!

“Among Versus Between,” by Paula Marie Bentley, Editor-in-Chief

Use among when comparing more than two elements.

Example: “The food was divided among the people.”

Use between with two elements.

Example: “She had to choose between the dog and the cat.”

FEBRUARY 2004 GRAMMAR RULES!

“Carat Versus Caret,” by Mary Margaret Carlisle, Managing Editor

A carat is a unit of weight for jewels.

A caret is a wedge-shaped mark used by editors to show where text should be inserted.

A carrot is an orange vegetable, crunchy when raw, and soft when cooked.

JANUARY 2004 GRAMMAR RULES!

“Allusion Versus Illusion,” by Paula Marie Bentley, Editor-in-Chief

An allusion is an indirect reference.

Example: “The speaker made an allusion to a scary movie.”

An illusion is something that misleads or deceives visually or intellectually.

Example: The ghost turned out to be an illusion.

DECEMBER 2003 GRAMMAR RULES!

"Who’s Versus Whose," by Mary Margaret Carlisle, Managing Editor

Who’s is the contraction for who is.

Example: Who’s taking us home?

Whose is the possessive, where something belongs to someone.

Example: Whose dog is this?

NOVEMBER 2003 GRAMMAR RULES!

“Then Versus Than”

Than is a conjunction used with comparisons.

Example: I love him more than I ever loved you.

Then is an adverb used with time.

Example: I may have loved you then, but this is now.

(Examples contributed by Sol Member, Laura Heidy.)

OCTOBER 2003 GRAMMAR RULES!

"Affect Versus Effect," by Paula Marie Bentley, Editor-in-Chief

Affect means to influence.

Example: “The rain affected our day.”

Effect means to bring about some kind of result.

“Rain is the effect of moisture in the clouds.”

SEPTEMBER 2003 GRAMMAR RULES!

"You're Versus Your," by Mary Margaret Carlisle, Managing Editor

You're is the contraction for you are.

Example: "You're writing a poetic novel in rhyme?"

Your is possessive, where something belongs to you.

Example: "Your writing is delightful."

AUGUST 2003 GRAMMAR RULES!

"It's Versus Its," by Mary Margaret Carlisle, Managing Editor

It's is a contraction for it is.

Example: "It's a good day to write a poem."

Its is possessive, where something belongs to it.

Example: "Sol Magazine posts its members' names to the WELCOME feature."