Write Here - Recent Posts http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/recent.aspx Write Here - Recent Posts en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jitbit AspNetForum Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:40:11 GMT Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:40:11 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic20-new-online-biographymemoir-writing-club.aspx Topic "new online biography/memoir writing club" a message from jenniejones
Just thought I'd mention a new website that's just gone online, at www.thebiographyclub.com. It's an online biography writing club packed with advice and resources for beginner and experienced writers.

The website features new book releases, news reports from the world of biographies, interviews, a chatroom, online seminars, advice pieces from authors, and more.

It's well worth a look.

www.thebiographyclub.com.]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:40:11 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic14-improving-writing-style.aspx Topic "Improving writing style??" a message from Barbara Wilson
• make sure you have a plan first
• from the plan, know how you are going to conclude the document and think of an intro that fits with this
• try writing a system of subheads as a check of the plan and make sure this is logical and interesting for the reader
• think about sentence length and vary this (always short will be choppy but opening sentence short is often good)
• think about linking devices (these join sentences, signpost direction for reader, summarise, help them predict etc)
• check your paragraphs answer units of sense (one main question to answer in each paragraph)
• employ readability techniques, like using the active voice, being specific and keeping it short and simple.

A book that might help: Writing for Science and Engineering by Heather Silyn-Roberts

Best wishes

Barbara Wilson
edited by admin on 24/08/2010]]> Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic14-improving-writing-style.aspx Topic "Improving writing style??" a message from cd Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic12-question-on-punctuation.aspx Topic "Question on Punctuation" a message from Lesley Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:38:13 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic12-question-on-punctuation.aspx Topic "Question on Punctuation" a message from Catie Holdridge
'Last autumn's shows...' is absolutely fine.

However, with your second example, you'd need to put an apostrophe before the final s of 'seasons', so: 'Last season's shows were...' This is to show the possession: the shows belong to the season in question. Mind you, if you were referring to the shows of multiple seasons, the apostrophe would come after the final s.

Hope that answers your question. Do get in touch again if not.

Catie]]> Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:27:27 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic12-question-on-punctuation.aspx Topic "Question on Punctuation" a message from Lesley
We have written: "Last autumn's shows........"

We have then written: "Last seasons shows were....."

Is this correct?]]> Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:24:06 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic9-quantities-and-numbers.aspx Topic "Quantities and numbers" a message from Catie Holdridge
As is so often the case, this is generally a matter of style. Our style would be to write 20m or 20 million (not 20,000,000). For billions, it's 20bn or 20 billion. However, we would always write thousands as 20,000 rather than 20K.

And – as always – once you've made your style choice, the most important thing is to be consistent.

Thanks for your query.

Catie
edited by Catie Holdridge on 26/11/2009]]> Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:04:41 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic9-quantities-and-numbers.aspx Topic "Quantities and numbers" a message from paul55 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:37:19 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic8-words-per-minute.aspx Topic "Words per minute?" a message from Rob Ashton Catie Holdridge wrote:
Hello Graham

Although we don't have an exact number to give you, our speech-writing expert, Jack Elliott, estimates that half an A4 page (so around four short paragraphs) should take about one minute to deliver. He also advises speaking at half the pace you imagine to be the optimum speed, since it's so easy to gather steam as you go.


Hi folks

Half a page would equate to about 290 words. So that would give you 290 words a minute.

And yes, knock 'em dead!

Rob]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:18:09 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic8-words-per-minute.aspx Topic "Words per minute?" a message from Catie Holdridge
Although we don't have an exact number to give you, our speech-writing expert, Jack Elliott, estimates that half an A4 page (so around four short paragraphs) should take about one minute to deliver. He also advises speaking at half the pace you imagine to be the optimum speed, since it's so easy to gather steam as you go.

For more tips on giving speeches and presentations, listen to Jack speak on the subject in the July edition of our Write On podcast: http://www.writing-skills.com/Uploads/July-Write-On-podcast.mp3

And break a leg!

Catie
edited by Catie Holdridge on 13/11/2009]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:56:25 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic7-full-stops-after-web-and-email-addresses.aspx Topic "Full stops after web and email addresses" a message from Catie Holdridge
This is an issue of style rather than one for which there is a particular rule.

It really comes down to ensuring clarity. If you do put a full stop, you run the risk of people adding one when searching for your website, in which case they may well fail to find it. The danger, of course, is that they won't try again. If the web or email address is an online hyperlink at the end of a sentence and you include a full stop, just be sure that it isn't part of the hyperlink.

As with any point of style: it's up to you which way you go, but always be consistent.

Thanks for your query.

Catie
edited by Catie Holdridge on 13/11/2009
edited by Catie Holdridge on 13/11/2009]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:29:57 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic8-words-per-minute.aspx Topic "Words per minute?" a message from Graham Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:31:51 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic7-full-stops-after-web-and-email-addresses.aspx Topic "Full stops after web and email addresses" a message from terri.westwood Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:11:49 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic6-the-dreaded-apostrophe.aspx Topic "The dreaded apostrophe" a message from Catie Holdridge
It's 15 years' experience and two weeks' notice.

To work these things out, just ask yourself how you would write it in a different order: it is the experience of 15 years, not 15 year. But of course, if you had only served a fifteenth of the time in said employment, you would have the experience of one year; therefore, one year's experience. Imagine the apostrophe (or apostrophe plus the letter 's') standing in for the word 'of'.

Hope that helps. For more on the apostrophe (hopefully no longer quite so dreaded!), have a look at http://www.writing-skills.com/resources/e-bulletin/article/246/whose-apostrophe.


Catie
edited by Catie Holdridge on 22/10/2009
edited by Catie Holdridge on 25/10/2009
edited by Catie Holdridge on 25/10/2009]]> Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:57:25 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic6-the-dreaded-apostrophe.aspx Topic "The dreaded apostrophe" a message from mikeoliver
Please advise]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:04:47 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic3-a-block-of-bedrooms-has--have-been-reserved.aspx Topic "a block of bedrooms has / have been reserved?" a message from Rob Ashton
Thanks for your question.

You’re right, of course, that the verb refers to the ‘block’ and should logically be ‘has’, as you suggest.

But ‘a block of’ is actually what is known as a singular expression, along with phrases such as ‘a number of’, ‘a group of’ or ‘the rest of’. These are always followed by plural verbs.

So I would go with the ‘have’: ‘a block of bedrooms have been reserved’.]]> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:58:20 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic4-when-to-use-may-or-might.aspx Topic "When to use "may" or "might"?" a message from Rob Ashton

1. If the truth of the event is unknown, then may or might are interchangeable.

• I may/might go home early

• if I go home early, I may/might have to come in early tomorrow

• he may/might have come home early.



2. If you are stating a certainty, use may.

• I may be a linguist, but I don¹t speak German.



3. If the event never actually happened, or you are stating something contrary to fact, use might.

• If I had come in earlier, my whole life might have been different

• if I had wings, I might get to work more quickly.



4. Use might when following a conditional subjunctive.

• If I were to go home early, I might have to come in early tomorrow.

Hope that helps.]]> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:57:23 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic5-what-exactly-is-the-active-voice.aspx Topic "What exactly is the active voice?" a message from Catie Holdridge
Thanks for your question. I know you're not alone in wondering about this one.

The active voice puts the 'doer' of the action described (in grammar terms, the agent) first. This makes sense clear and leaves no information hidden. For example:

The cat had stolen the dog's dinner.

Here the 'doer' ('the cat') is stated before the action ('had stolen'). Now look at this sentence:

The dog's dinner had been stolen by the cat.

This is the passive voice: the action comes before the 'doer'. In fact, the sentence would still make sense if you removed 'by the cat', which would leave everyone wondering who had stolen the poor dog's food. The passive voice is often used to disguise who performed an action, which produces a very opaque and suspect (not to mention dull) piece of writing.

Hope that's useful.

Catie]]> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:59:09 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic5-what-exactly-is-the-active-voice.aspx Topic "What exactly is the active voice?" a message from Paul
Thanks very much.
Paul]]> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:54:57 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic4-when-to-use-may-or-might.aspx Topic "When to use "may" or "might"?" a message from Mal34 may and when to use might please?]]> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:50:37 GMT http://www.writing-skills.com/forum/topic3-a-block-of-bedrooms-has--have-been-reserved.aspx Topic "a block of bedrooms has / have been reserved?" a message from sandra1 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:47:21 GMT