Short story author, Novelist in the making & Grammar enthusiast
‘Avoid passive voice.’
That must be one of the most common pieces of grammar advice. And one of the most valuable ever. So, how terrible would it be if you had to ask, ‘But what is passive voice’, and no one had a simple answer? That’s what I’m here to provide today. [Read More…] about What is passive voice?
In late-19th-century Boston, one lonely figure strides past closed curtains and shuttered windows, hurrying to catch the earliest train to New York City. Hers is a life defined by death and hell-bent on revenge. Two … Read more » about Glimpses. Your free book of short stories.
COULD I HELP YOU PERSONALLY? Instead of reciting abstract rules and principles, or using examples that look nothing like anything you’d ever write yourself, couldn’t we figure this grammar and punctuation business … Read more » about Your Free Grammar Edit
And I thought writing a blog about further and farther would be easy! Or at least somewhat straightforward. Instead, Merriam-Webster.com is able to … Read more » about ‘Further’ vs ‘Farther’ as simply as possible
If I was you, I’d keep reading. Wait, though … shouldn’t it be “were”? If I were you, I’d keep reading. But is that really correct? Which is it? … Read more » about “If I was” or “if I were”? Simple methods for choosing the right one every time
Do you want to write clear sentences that use grammar and punctuation correctly? But do phrases like "compound … Read more » about To Comma or Not to Comma? When to put commas before “and”, “but”, “or”, “nor”, and “yet” made simple
Writing description can be a tricky business. Too much and the reader might get bored. Too little and they’ll … Read more » about How to write Riveting Description with “The Pillars of the Earth”
I’m back again on my mission to present the rules of grammar and punctuation without any jargon and with a … Read more » about A Simple Guide to Fixing Run-On Sentences
Ken Follett opens The Pillars of the Earth with a stark and unsettling line. The small boys came early … Read more » about Sentence cadence. Uncovering this secret of great prose in “The Pillars of the Earth”
I’ve got a book on my shelf printed by the Oxford University Press and another printed by the Cambridge … Read more » about What’s an Oxford comma? How do I use it correctly? And do I need one at all?
Is it you and I or me and you? Do you, like me, dread getting that wrong at the wrong moment? Oh the … Read more » about MicroBlog 4: ‘You and I’ or ‘you and me’? A simple way to know
Who doesn’t love an adrenaline-pumping chase sequence? From Mission Impossible and Jason Bourne, to Star Wars … Read more » about MicroBlog 3: If your sentence starts with an ‘-ing’ word, don’t make this mistake!
Last week, I repaired the first half of a sentence inspired by one of my mum’s most grammatically awkward … Read more » about Asking too much of your commas? Careful rephrasing comes to their rescue
Have you ever bitten off more sentence than you could chew? I mean, have you ever tried to put a long and … Read more » about Leapfrogging! A simple solution for grammar pitfalls and pink poodles
Recently, I was browsing punctuation and grammar books on Amazon when I came across an interesting review. … Read more » about Taking the Complex out of Complex Sentences … and taking on one of their greatest complexities
Here comes my second MicroBlog, where I’ll share another grammar nugget at lightening speed. I’m sure we all … Read more » about MicroBlog 2: When to capitalise words like mum and dad?
Welcome to my first MicroBlog, where I’ll share a grammar nugget at lightening speed. I recently saw a … Read more » about MicroBlog 1: Commas, Names, and not eating Grandma
Here’s a simple grammar principle that’s well worth remembering: Where there is ‘however’, there should always … Read more » about ‘However’ and commas
Words joined by hyphens. They’re all around us. But what are they? Give me five minutes, and I’ll explain just … Read more » about Hyphens? When to use them made simple
‘Place a comma before “which” but not before “that”.’ I’ve come across this simple guideline many times, and … Read more » about Can a single comma change the meaning of a whole sentence? A simple guide to placing commas before ‘which’ and ‘that’
