Style

Sometimes we may wish to report the words of others. In fact, this is quite a regular occurrence in any language. There are two ways to do this: reported (indirect) speech, and direct speech. Here’s how they work. Direct speech As the name would suggest, direct speech is when you directly report the words of […]

Metaphors, when used correctly, are a powerful literary tool, as Shakespeare knew only too well. The above quote, taken from the Bard’s play As You Like It, expertly describes life as if it were a play, with all of us acting our parts. It’s a vivid description, and metaphor was something that Shakespeare knew how […]

One of the most common writing advice you can find on the web is “never use passive voice.” There are so many professionals and even software tools that identify the passive voice as a mistake that it is hard to resist this crowd wisdom. However, in reality, the passive voice is not a mistake at […]

Writing is not only about avoiding grammar or spelling errors. It is always about style. People can instantly tell when they are reading something wonderful versus poor styled piece. This is why you as an author should work on your writing style, and here are five simple tips that will help in lifting it fast. […]

A metaphor is an idea that seeks to explain something by using words that are not literally connected to the topic being discussed. Metaphors are a wonderful part of language, both enabling better understanding of meaning and providing a poetical edge to the language that may otherwise not exist. Let’s start with a few examples: […]

Let’s share a secret that all great writers are already aware of: you’ve got to get your reader hooked from the off. In fact, every line must leave the reader wanting more, but it is the first sentence that must make the biggest impact. This may always have been true, but we live in the […]

Called a full stop in British English and a period in American English, periods are among the easiest punctuations to use. While interrogative sentences end with a question mark, periods are used to end declarative sentences or statements. Example: I would love to go on a hike.                 Don’t forget to bring back my book tomorrow. […]

An interjection simply expresses an emotion as a reaction to something. Example: Wow! That’s amazing. Ouch! That hurt. In the above examples, the words wow and ouch express the speaker’s reaction to an event, the first offering surprise, the second representing pain. How to use interjections As interjections are spoken, they are inherently informal, so […]

Ellipsis… What Are They? Originating from the Greek word that meant “omission”, an ellipsis (plural: ellipses) is used to show that something has been omitted in a sentence. Ellipsis is useful in showing omission when you are quoting someone. The reasons for using ellipsis ranges from bringing clarity to a sentence, to removing irrelevant words […]

Commas are among the most misused and overused punctuations in the English Grammar. As there are many rules pertaining to the usage of commas, its abuse isn’t too surprising. While there are often many subtle aspects to look out for, here are the ways you can correctly use the comma.