Writing an Article - Basic Rules of Grammar - readbud

Writing an Article - Basic Rules of Grammar - readbud







Writing an Article - Basic Rules of Grammar






Some would-be writers think they can dash off an article without bothering to learn the basic rules of grammar. But just as any craftsperson spends time honing his skills to make the perfect piece of craft, so must a writer work hard to present an article that will be a pleasure to read and not shame him for its sloppy grammar and punctuation. True, some errors are typos, but doesn't that reflect a certain laziness on the author's part? An article should be closely examined for typos before it is sent off or uploaded.

Don't trust your spell checker. No automated spell-checker can alert you to every error. Whose and who's, lose and loose, quiet and quite, its and it's are all legitimate words, so there will be no red line under them. Spell-checkers are not clever enough yet to tell which one you meant to use. And if the error is not due to a typo, it means you need to keep a dictionary on hand to check anything you are uncertain of.

Remember that when a word ends in " 's" it means there is a letter missing. "It's" means "it is". If you are unsure which one you should be using, try saying the sentence both ways.

For instance…

" It's a good day today/ It is a good day today". The latter example makes perfect sense, so it is okay to use "it's".

But….

"Here is a rabbit. Its burrow is over there."

Does, "It is burrow is over there", make sense? No.

Of course if you said, "The rabbit's burrow is over there," then the apostrophe denotes possession (and only one rabbit), not a missing letter.

"The rabbits burrow is over there," (with no apostrophe) means there are several rabbits.

And just for the record, "loose" means not tight, while "lose" means you've lost it.
"Who's" is short for "who is", but "whose" is the possessive form of "who" (as in "Whose is that car?")
"Quiet" means "hush", while "quite" is an adverb (which should usually be left out).

"I felt quite silly," sounds better as, "I felt silly".

"I felt like an idiot," may be even better.




Sometimes rules of grammar get in the way of good writing. If this is the case they can and should be broken, otherwise your writing will become pedantic and even mechanical. One such rule is that a sentence should not begin with a conjunction. Both "and" and "but" can certainly be used to begin a sentence, or even a paragraph, but not to end one. Using either of these conjunctions to start a sentence can be a natural transition to carry the reader forward.

A rule of style tells us to never use the same word twice in a sentence, but if you have to search for several other clumsy substitutes to do the job, then please repeat. Repetition of someone's name is a little different. It can easily be replaced with "he" or "she" as the sentence progresses.

A persistent myth masquerading as a rule tells us not to end a sentence with a preposition. Winston Churchill is supposed to have made fun of this by stating, "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put." Of course a sentence may end with a preposition. A good rule is to write the way you speak. But unless you have grown up speaking English, ignore this rule too.

A few more pointers…

· When writing an article, watch that you don't repeat information unnecessarily. Even if you use different wording, it still gives the reader the impression that you think he was too dumb to get it the first time.

· Use short sentences more than long ones, but do vary the length.

· Break up the text by using bullet points, or asking a question. Why? It will add interest and prevent your reader falling asleep – or simply turning the page.

· Use short paragraphs too. This will make the job of reading it all seem much easier. In this fast-paced world readers are mostly in a hurry. If they come to a huge block of text with no white space, they'll usually skip most of it.

If you keep these tips in mind, your articles will keep both editors and readers happy.









Crash Hits: Common Injuries In Car Accidents






Cars are the most visible signs of modernity in an otherwise ancient world. No urban environment would be complete without these four-wheeled machines. Most people see them as a convenience, enabling them to get from point A to point B without having to endure the crowds the rush hours associated with public transportation. However, as cars become more and more available, roads become more and more congested. As the congestion worsens, it is inevitable that car accidents occur and people get hurt. Statistically speaking, car accidents have been occurring with increased frequency over the past decade. The statistics also show that there are a number of injuries that have become common to most car accidents during that period.

Head and neck injuries are listed as being typical to a car accident. The face, in particular, can suffer laceration and cutting from shattered glass or shrapnel generated by the impact. Dental injuries are also possible, particularly for people in the driver's seat or were close to the point of impact. Mental health problems and head trauma are also possibilities. Concussions are not uncommon among car accident-related injuries. Some people also tend to experience anxiety for some time after the accident, though this is much rarer than physical injuries. The most common mental health concerns related to a car accident would be helping the victims overcome the stress of being involved in the accident, as well as the chance of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The body, however, is much more likely to bear the brunt of the damage caused by a car accident. Injuries to the abdomen and legs can result in chronic pain for prolonged periods after an accident. In some cases, accident survivors have had to endure lower back pain for years since their bodies never fully recovered from the damage. Knee pain and damage to leg muscles like the quadriceps can also occur for those who are involved in relatively minor accidents or were not at the point of impact. Areas that have been cut or injured during the accident may also develop an infection, depending on how quickly the wound or opening was addressed by medical teams.




Broken bones and torn muscles are common among car accident victims, though the likely areas to be affected vary depending on the specifics of the accident. Simple and compound fractures can both be experienced, typically requiring extensive time to repair and recover. In a number of cases, surgery may be needed to undo some of the damage done. Most often, drivers will experience trauma and damage to the legs and possibly the torso. Some injuries may not be obvious at first and can only be treated after the victim has been given a full examination. Removal of some of the shrapnel from impact may also require surgery if it enters too deeply into the body.

There are some psychological disorders that can come about from being involved in a car accident. The most common to be cited is post-traumatic stress disorder, though it is not the only one. Anxiety is also a possible effect of being in a car accident, though it is not considered to be a common occurrence.









What Exactly Do The Numbers On The Front Of Your Credit Card Mean?






Have you ever wondered what all of those numbers on the front of your credit card actually stand for? Here is the actual breakdown...

The first digit signifies the system that the card runs on:
3 - Travel/entertainment card (ie: American Express/Diners club)
4 - Visa
5 - Mastercard
6 - Discover Card

The actual card number also varies by the system. (For example, American Express cards start with 37, Diners club cards start with 38)

Visa: Numbers two through 6 are the bank number. Numbers seven through twelve or fifteen is the account number. Finally digit 13 or 16 (the final number) is a check digit.

Mastercard: Numbers two and three, two through four, two through five, or two through six are the bank number (This depends on if digit two is a one,two, or three.) The numbers after the bank number up through fifteen are the account number, and the final number is a check number.

American Express: Numbers three and four are type and currency. Numbers five through eleven are the account number. Numbers twelve through fourteen are the card number within the account and the last number is a check number.

Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of what you are looking at the next time you pull out the plastic! So what about the back?

The back of the card has what is called a magnetic stripe. (Commonly called a magstripe.) It is made up iron magnetic particles in a plastic film. If a credit card terminal ever refuses to take your card it is most likely because this stripe is dirty or scratched. The stripe can also be erased by exposure to a magnet. (This can even happen with a basic refrigerator magent.) This stripe has all information associated with your account. This is why a merchant pays less for a card swipe when compared to a key entry.





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