Tuesday Tip: Punctuation Tips to Ponder

Misused or overused punctuation marks can really hurt your manuscript. Here are a few tips to ponder and look for in your WIP (work in progress):

Apostrophes: Misused'

Commas: Often placed, in the wrong space

Ellipsis: Used too often in stories...

Exclamation points: Overused!

Question mark: Generally used correctly?

Semicolon: Best to create a new sentence; conjunctions and commas are other options.

Periods: These are usually fine.

Tuesday Tip: Advise or Advice?

This is the final post on some common words that can be confusing.


Advise is a verb meaning to give counsel to or to offer an opinion or suggestion. 

The doctor will advise you on the best treatment.

Advice is a noun meaning an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action. 

It's often wise to get advice from someone with more experience. 

Tuesday Tip: Anymore or Any more?

For the past few weeks, I've posted about some common words that can be confusing. I'm wrapping that up this month. 

Anymore means "any longer."  

The child told his mom he didn't need help anymore.

Any more means "additional." 

The boy said he didn't need any more help besides his brother.

Tuesday Tip:Specially or Especially?

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Specially means it's for a specific purpose. 

The dress was made specially for the bride.

Especially means particularly or "above all." 

The boy loves all animals, especially turtles.

Tuesday Tip: Stationary or Stationery?

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Stationary means unmoving. 

The traffic was stationary due to the accident.

Stationery is a word for office supplies or writing materials. 

The bride discovered that blank invitations were less expensive than those found at a fancy stationery store. 

Tuesday Tip: All Together or Altogether?

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


All together means everyone together or everything included. 

All together there are six kids coming to the party.

Altogether means completely, all things considered, or on the whole. 

I don't think you've been altogether honest with me.

Tuesday Tip: Torturous or Tortuous?

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Torturous means very unpleasant or painful. 

It was a torturous decision, but he left his job.

Tortuous is marked by repeated twists or turns. 

The country streets are narrow, tortuous, and inaccessible to trucks.

Tuesday Tip: Criterion or Criteria?

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Criterion is a standard. 

The main criterion for joining the country clue is one's ability to pay the annual fee.

Criteria is the plural form of criterion. Criteria are two or more standards. 

When she saw the criteria for getting into Harvard, she decided to attend a local university instead.

Tuesday Tip: Hanged or Hung?

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Hanged is when someone is put to death by hanging from a rope. 

The prisoner was hanged.

Hung is the correct past tense for of "hang" in all other uses. 

The child hung from the fence before he climbed over it.

Tuesday Tip: Warranty or Warrantee?

Over the next few months, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Warranty is a written guarantee. 

The tablet comes with a year's warranty on all parts.

Warrantee is a person who is given a written guarantee or a warrant. 

Sarah was the warrantee for the tablet.

Tuesday Tip: Vise or Vice?

Over the next few months, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Vise is a tool used to hold an object firmly.

Clamp the starter in a vise.

Vice is a bad habit or immoral practice. 

He thought gambling was a vice.

Tuesday Tip: Elicit or Illicit

Over the next few months, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Elicit is a verb that means to evoke.

The telemarketing phone calls elicited no response from the homeowner.

Illicit is an adjective that means illegal.

She dumped her boyfriend because of his illicit drug habit.

Note: Elicit and evoke both begin with the same letter, as do illicit and illegal.

Tuesday Tip: Adverse or Averse

Over the next few months, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Adverse is an adjective that means unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect.

She had an adverse reaction to her medication.

Averse is an adjective that means to have strong feelings of opposition, antipathy, or repugnance.

Many children are averse to the idea of year-round school.

Tuesday Tip: Historic or Historical?

Over the next few months, I'm going to be posting about some common words that can be confusing.


Historic is an adjective that means well-known or important in history.

A historic event is memorable.

Historical is an adjective that pertains to past events.

A historical event occurred many years ago.

Tuesday Tip: Should you use i.e. or e.g.?

I.e. is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "id est." It is used to specify or clarify, and it means "in other words."

E.g.is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "exempli gratia." It means "for example," and it used to introduce examples.

Tuesday Tip: Anymore or Any more?

Anymore and any more are often confused, but they aren't interchangeable.

Anymore is an adverb, and it means "any longer." For instance:

"It's not a secret anymore," Violet said after reading on Twitter about Mark's plans for her surprise party.

Any more is an adjective phrase meaning "any additional." Such as:

"Would you like any more tea?" Martin asked.

Tuesday Tip: Everytime or Every time?

Everytime should never be used. Instead, it should be written as two separate words: every time. Even though words such as everywhere, everyone, and everyday are common and correct, everytime is not considered acceptable.

Tuesday Tip: Me or I?

Are you confused about when to use me vs. I? The two are not interchangeable. It's something that confuses many people.

Me is a pronoun that is used as an object of a sentence. For instance:
Grandpa took me to get ice cream. (Grandpa is the subject, and me is the object in the sentence.)

I is a pronoun that is used as a subject of a sentence. For instance:
Grandpa and I went for ice cream. (Both Grandpa and I are subjects of the sentence, and went is the verb.)

Tuesday Tip: To Capitalize or Not Capitalize

Are you confused about when to capitalize some nouns? If so, here are three fundamental capitalization rules to keep in mind:

1. The first word in a sentence. This should always be capitalized.

2.  Titles and honorifics (including their abbreviations): This would include things such as Doctor (Dr.), Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Lord, President, etc.

3.  Proper nouns/names: This includes names of locations, days, months, companies, places, and people. For instance: Chicago, Stephanie, Minnesota, Pandora, November, Wednesday, etc.

Tuesday Tip: Articles

A, an, and the are demonstrative adjectives, but they are also called articles. They are used to point things out vs. describe things, which makes them a bit different from most adjectives.

There are two types of articles: definite and indefinite.

Definite Article: The is a definite article because it points to a particular object or class, such as:

• This is the song I was telling you about.
• The red-eared slider is my favorite turtle.

Indefinite Article: A and an are called indefinite articles because they point out an object in general vs. a particular one. A is used with words beginning with a consonant sound or an aspirated h. An is used with words beginning with a vowel sound. For example:

• A dog ran down the street.
• We need to book a hotel room for our trip.
• In a trial, it is best to have an honorable judge.
• An apple a day is supposed to be healthy for you.