Rules in English

BASIC RULES IN ENGLISH

Rule #1: If you're writing with a fairly decent word-processing program, then use the
spell-checker!! It's not foolproof--you'll probably have to add names of characters and
technical terms--and it will be of limited help with synonyms. But it's the place to start
for self-editing. (Did I run this article through a spell-checker? Yes, twice.)

Rule #2: Be your own editor. Look things up! Use a dictionary--there should be one
right there by the computer while you're writing; watch the credits of a show. Check a
few other stories, or look at pro novels* to see how things are done. Don't let that "ST:
Encyclopedia" gather dust on the coffee table. Learn from what you read. (Did I look
things up as I was writing this? You bet I did. More than once.)

(*Long aside: If you're going to use a Trek novel that's hanging around, don't pick up one
by Diane Carey or Michael Jan Friedman. The former seems to rely on a really weird
thesaurus [describing how a character was feeling anxious: "His hands were rosined with
sweat." Hmm, last time I checked, rosin was a dry powder used to keep your hands from
sweating.] Friedman doesn't seem to know what a thesaurus is...shall we count the
number of times he used the word "grunted" in the "Day of Honor" novelization? Let's
not. Look into Christie Golden's "The Murdered Sun" and "Marooned" to see how a
decent author handles the mechanics of writing.)

Rule #3: Ask for help. If you're not too shy to do it, get someone else to read your work
before you publish it. I find it disconcerting and difficult to proofread on-screen; I still
prefer the hard copy and a red pen. But you're bound to find a friend or fellow fan
somewhere who can help out, and it's always a good idea to have another set of eyes look
for glitches. Or, again, look it up. Try the "Elements of Style," "Essentials of English," or
any basic grammar guide you can find in your library or bookstore.

Rule #4: Read what you've written, and don't be afraid to revise. Your words are not
etched in gold, nor are they carved in stone. Rewriting and correcting have become so
much easier with word-processing, yet people seem less willing to bother with it now.

Rule #5: Learn, Learn, Learn. It's no good finding out what mistakes you've been
making, if you correct them in your current work, then go on and make them in future
writing! Try to get it right every time, and you'll save time and effort.

Part One

Now, let's begin with some of the most common mistakes that can be found even in the
best of stories:

Its and It's.

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This is probably the most common mistake writers make.

Its is a possessive pronoun. No apostrophe. "The dog buried its bone." "The starship lost
its starboard nacelle."

It's is a contraction for "It is" or "It has." "It's a nice day." "It's been a long journey."

Other possessive pronouns that follow the "s" form--ours, yours, hers, theirs--likewise
do not take an apostrophe.

Addendum: Contractions (including ones like let's--short for "let us") always take an
apostrophe.

Whose and Who's.

Again, one is a possessive, and the other is a contraction.

Whose. Possessive, no apostrophe. "Whose weapon is this?"

Who's. Short for "Who is" or "Who has." "I want to know who's been messing with
the replicators, and who's going to fix them."

Your and You're.

Oh, those pesky pronouns! With the same rules as those above.

Your. Possessive, no apostrophe. "Have you lost your mind?"

You're. Short for "You are." "You're going to get into trouble."

Well, color me embarrassed! I committed a major usage faux pas here...and am I glad I
was the first one to catch it! The words described above and just below are not synonyms
(words with similiar meanings), they're homonyms, words that sound alike but have
different meanings and spellings! (Although, technically, some homonyms do have the
same spelling. Homophone is the more correct term, but is not as widely used. Then
there are homographs, where the pronunciation differs, such as record (the disk), and
record (to make a recording). Properly confused now? Just give me a slap upside the head
for getting the terms mixed up. Corrections follow:

There, They're, and Their.

Homonyms can be such a bother!

There is an adverb, meaning at or in that place, often used as an intensifier. "We're going
over there." "Tom there is our best pilot."

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There's is the contraction for "There is" or "There has." "There's the ship." "There's
been an incident in the mess hall."

They're is a contraction for "they are." "They're going to lose that battle."

Their is a possessive pronoun. ""The aliens have lost their weapons." (See above for the
plural rule on theirs.)

Lose and Loose.

Ah, but these two are not homonyms!

Lose (pronounced Lew's) is the opposite of find or win. "You're going to lose that bet."
"We're losing the link." "They thought the lieutenant was a loser."

Loose (rhymes with noose) is the opposite of tight. "This uniform feels loose." "Loosen
up, Tuvok."

Lead and Led.

The past tense of the verb "to lead" (rhymes with bead) is "led" (rhymes with bed). "I
will lead my people to victory." "He led his people to victory."

Lead pronounced "led" is the metal. "The protective case had a lead lining."

The past tense of "to read" is pronounced, but not spelled "red."

Phase and Faze.

Phase means a stage of development; a recurring form; a part of a cycle. "We're in phase
one of our plan." "The moon is in its waxing phase."

Faze means to bother or disturb. "The potential for danger did not faze him."

It's not alright.

"Alright" is not a word. It's the incorrect spelling of all right. Unfortunately, it's come
into more common usage lately. Try to avoid it.

A lot to remember?

There is no such word as "alot." That's a misspelling of a lot: "The ship was in a lot of
trouble. Allot, however, means to give, assign or apportion.

The Dis Words.

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Disappoint, disapprove and disappear have one "s" and two "p's," not the other way
around! The prefix "dis" means negation, lack or invalidation.

Yes, there are some words spelled with "diss"--if you're not sure, look it up!!

Character names.

There is nothing more annoying than reading a fan story wherein the author got the name
of a major character wrong. You can find the correct spelling in the credits, or TV Guide,
or a reference book!! I can't even count the number of ways I've seen "B'Elanna" and
"Kathryn" misspelled on the 'net! And they've been right up there in the opening credits
of Voyager for four seasons.

It's harder to know how to deal with alien names and technobabble, however. This will
usually turn out to be a judgement call, unless it can be referenced somewhere.

Punctuating Quotations.

Oh, this is a tricky one. Bear with me as I try to explain.

Don't capitalize pronouns (or verbs!) that follow quoted dialogue, unless the quote ends a
sentence. It's the punctuation at the end of the quote that tends to confuse people. (Of
course, the only pronoun that's always capitalized is "I.")

Examples:

"There's a problem with the warp core," she said. (Comma, no trouble.)

"Are you sure?" asked Captain Janeway. (The question mark doesn't mean the
sentence ended! It ends with the period after Janeway. Don't capitalize the verb!)

"There's a problem with the warp core?" she asked. (Same as above--the sentence
ends with the period, not the question mark. Don't capitalize the pronoun!)

"There's a problem with the warp core!" she exclaimed. (Same as above--the
exclamation point does not end the sentence.)

However....

(Ha--knew there was a catch, didn't you?)

If you let a quote stand alone, with a sentence after it that begins with a pronoun, that's a
different story.

B'Elanna led the captain to the control panel. "There's a problem with the warp
core." She indicated the suspect readings. "They've been fluctuating for hours," she

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continued.

See how that works?

And watch out for proper nouns, especially ranks and titles!

"What caused this problem?" Commander Chakotay asked.

Articles follow the pronoun rule:

"Can you help?" the lieutenant inquired.

Speaking of ranks...

I can't blame anyone for getting this mixed up, since they have a hard time getting it right
in any Trek series!

If someone holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander (Data, Worf, Dax, Tuvok), they are
directly addressed as "Commander." (Not "Lieutenant," as they let Seven of Nine do in
what--two episodes??) The person can be introduced or referred to as Lieutenant
Commander, however: "Ambassador, this is Lieutenant Commander Tuvok." "A
pleasure to meet you, Commander."

But...

(Oops! Another catch.)

If Captain Sisko wanted someone to find Dax, for instance, he could say, "Locate the
commander, would you?"

See?

Part Two

Lay and Lie.

Two very easily confused words. Lay, laid, laid: principal parts of the verb which means
"to put (place) down, or in position." "I shall lay the rug." "I laid the rug." "I have laid
the rug." Lay is a transitive verb; that is, it takes an object.

Lie, lay, lain: principal parts of the verb which means "to recline or repose." "She will lie
in the hammock." "She is lying in the hammock." "She lay in the hammock yesterday."
"She has lain there all afternoon." Lie is an intransitive verb; it never takes an object.

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Oh, yes...and how was she lying in the hammock??

Supine means lying on the back, or with the face upward.

Prone means lying with the front or face downward.

Oh, and a person can also be lying prostrate (face down or full-length) but not prostate
(which is a problem only men have to worry about...)

More exceptions.

These two words are often confused:

Accept means "to receive." "Will they accept the terms of our offer?"

Except means "to leave out." "They agreed to everything except the final provision."

Dash it all.

Punctuation can be especially tricky when publishing on the 'net, where special
typographic characters play hell with text files. Smart quotes (ones that turn in and out)
are verboten, and certain servers won't accept italics for emphasis (most people then rely
on asteriks).

Here's a problem I've encountered in several stories lately: the confusing of a dash with a
hyphen. To indicate a sharp or sudden break in the normal or expected flow of narrative
or dialogue, a dash is required. Ordinarily, this would appear as a single, long unbroken
line. But it usually can't be reproduced outside a word-processing program. Therefore,
you substitute a double hyphen:

There was nothing to indicate--at least as far as she sould see--that there was a
problem with the controls.

(A dash can also separate parenthetical ideas, or ones used as afterthoughts:)

His first view of Voyager--tethered to the docking pylon--was breathtaking.

The ship was flying smoothly--or so it seemed.

(In dialogue, a dash indicates halting or hesitant speech:)

"There's nothing wrong; I just--want to get out of here," she explained anxiously.

A hyphen ( - ), a single short line, divides words that wrap around lines, or joins
compound words:

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twenty-something

high-pressure

And that's all for today's lesson. Link below for more!

Affect/Effect

Affect is a verb which means "to have an influence on." (It's never used as a noun, except
in psychological terminology.) "The ship was affected by the plasma storm." "Will the
damage affect our progress?"

Effect as a noun means "a result, or the way something influences an object." "The effect
of the explosion was catastrophic." Other usages: special effects; to take effect; in
effect; effectiveness; for effect. It's only used as a verb to mean "accomplished or
produced." "His studying effected an improvement in his grades."

Altar/Alter

An altar is a table or elevated surface before which religious ceremonies are enacted.
"They were married before the altar."

Alter means "to change or modify." "We have to alter our course."

Bait/Bate

You trap someone or something with bait. "We baited the hook." "The bullies baited the
cadet with vicious taunts."

Bate (abate) means to take away, to lessen the force of. "They waited for the news with
bated breath."

(To further confuse you, here's an old joke from Robin Williams:

Mindy: "I'll be back soon."

Mork: "I'll be waiting with worm-on-tongue."

Mindy: "What?"

Mork: "Bated breath.")

Canon/Cannon

Canon means an established law or rule, as in church doctrine, or the established

parameters for a television series... "Most fan fic deviates from canon."

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A cannon is a really big weapon, one that Captain Janeway would love. "Fire the laser
cannon!" she ordered.

Complement/Compliment

A complement is something that completes, makes whole, or brings to perfection. "His

personality was a complement to hers."

A compliment is an expression of praise. "He complimented her on her dress."

Council/Counsel

A council is a group that acts in an advisory or decision-making capacity. "The city

council met to discuss the proposal." "They called a council to make plans for the
future."

Counsel means "advice" (as a noun), or "to advise" (as a verb). "You may have to seek
legal counsel." "Commander Troi offered a counseling session." (advice) "As your
lawyer, I counsel you to plead not guilty." (to advise)

Hangar/Hanger

Aircraft or shuttles are stored in a hangar. You hang your clothes up on a hanger.

Rain/Rein/Reign

We all know what rain is, don't we?

But these are the tricky ones:

Rein means to hold back, as in the reins you use to direct a horse. "She reined in her
temper."

A monarch or ruler reigns. "The king reigned over vast lands."

Sense/Scents/Cents

So simple: Sense is a function of perception or feeling, as in the five senses, or a sense of

humor.

Scents, of course, are odors.

And cents are pennies; or centimeters (but then it's pronounced "sahnts.")

BUT....don't confuse any of those three with since, which is an adverb relating to time,

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or, as a conjunction, means because.

Taught/Taut

Taught is the past tense of "teach." "They taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget."

Taut means "tight, tense, or in trim shape." "She admired the lean, taut lines of his
body."

Note: Don't confuse either of the above with taunt, which means to tease or torment.

Here are some words that have similar spellings but different pronunciations, AND
still get mixed up on a regular basis.

Breath/Breathe

Breath (how ironic, it rhymes with death!) is a noun, as in "Take a deep breath."

Breathe (that e on the end makes it sound like heave) is a verb: "Breathe! You forgot to
breathe again, stupid." (Obscure Looney Tunes reference.)

Breathed and breathing also have the long e sound. Breaths and breathlessly do not.

Plague/Plaque

Plague (sounds like vague) is an illness, an affliction, or a curse. "They were plagued by
continuing problems with the warp core."

A plaque (you know, like that stuff on your teeth?) is an award, something to hang on the
wall. "Each starship has commemorative plaque on the bridge."

Rogue/Rouge

A rogue (sounds like vogue) is a scoundrel or a rascal. It can be used as an insult, or a

backhanded compliment, depending on how roguish the person is!

Rouge (from the French, for red; pronounced with a long u sound and soft g) is a
cosmetic coloring (blusher) or a powder for polishing jewelry.

Part Three

Oops! Another overzealous error!

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Awhile is an acceptable spelling!

(But I'm not backing down on "alright.")

Already/All ready

Already means before or by a certain time: "They had already left the ship when the
message came through."

All ready means that everyone is prepared to do a given thing: "We are all ready to
make the trip."

Angel/Angle

Angel, as in Touched By One, long a, soft g: a celestial being or a really nice person.

Angle, as in triangle, short a, hard g: a geometric figure, or an aspect from which

something is viewed. As a verb: to get something by trickery or artful means; to move or
turn at an angle.

Bazaar/Bizarre

A bazaar is a place for the selling of goods, like on the Mari homeworld, or the pirate
planet where the Da Vinci hologram had such a good time.

Bizarre--think Outer Limits or Twilight Zone. Weird and strange.

Passed/Past

Passed is the past tense of the verb to pass: (1) to beyond or farther than. "We passed
that planet three days ago." "The days passed quickly." (Also: An exam can be passed, as
can judgement or a law.)

Past, as an adjective, means over or finished. "Those are past events."

As a noun, the time before the present. "It happened in the past." Or, former experiences,
good or bad. "Paris was a man with a past."

As an adverb, to go beyond. "They waved at us as they walked past."

(Busy little word, isn't it?)

As a preposition, (1) beyond time. "It was past midnight when they returned." (2) beyond
in position. "It was the first door past the turbolift." (3) beyond the scope or extent of.
"The events were past their comprehension." (4--told you it was busy!) beyond the
amount of. "The boy could not count past 20."

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To/Too/Two

To, a preposition: in the direction of; towards; in contact with, etc. "Let's go to the
holodeck."

Too, an adverb: in addition; also; very. "It's too late." "May we come, too?"

Two, the number 2. Obviously.

Part Four

Spelling:

There is no "d" in congratulate or congratulations.

There is no "a" in definite or definitely.

There is only one "p" in apologize.

More confused words and phrases:

Breach/Breech

Breach refers to the act of breaking, or the violation of a contract, promise or legal
obligation. It also means a gap or break (think of that "ea" in each word) in a wall or
fortification, the breaking up of friendly relations, or the leaping of a whale from the
water. The classic reference from Shakespeare: "Once more unto the breach!" The
classic reference from Star Trek: "Warp core breach imminent!"

Breech, an Old English word for the lower part of the body (think breeches=pants), and
breech birth, where a baby is born bottom first. It also refers to the part of a gun or
cannon behind the bore or barrel.

Envelop/Envelope

Envelop (verb--the last syllable rhymes with cup) means to wrap or enclose, or hide
something from sight.

An envelope (rhymes with cope) is of course the paper case for a letter or document. It
also refers to the outer fabric covering of a dirigible or hot-air balloon; or the enclosing
membrane of an organ.

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Fair/Fare

Fair has many meanings: light in coloring; attractive in appearance; satisfactory or

acceptable; likely or promising; in a just or legitimate manner; legal (particularly in
sports). It also refers to a large exhibit, bazaar or carnival-like event.

Fare (fared, faring) means how something is going: "He fared well in the tournament."
It also means the sum paid for travelling--air fare; or a food menu--bill of fare.

Intense/Intents

Intense means extreme in degree, strength or size; or deeply felt. "He had an intense
longing for her.

Intents (from intend, meaning to plan or design) refers to having a reason to do

something. "For all intents and purposes..." (See below.)

Peak/Peek/Pique

Peak is a high or projecting point, such as a mountain or its summit; or the maximum
development of something. (Also, to look sick or dispirited: peaked.)

Peek means to take a quick or furtive look at something.

Pique, as a noun, means a feeling of irritation or resentment. "She was in a fit of pique
over the way she was treated." As a verb, it means to stimulate or arouse. "Her story
piqued his interest."

Peal/Peel

Peal refers to long or loud sounds: a peal of bells, laughter, thunder or trumpets.

Peel is the skin of a fruit, and removing the same (or removing any sort of covering,
including clothing!); to keep an eye peeled means to be on the alert; to peel off is to veer
off in a flight formation for a dive or landing.

Pension/Penchant

You get a pension when you retire. A penchant is a strong inclination or liking for
something. "He had a penchant for getting into trouble."

Shear/Sheer

Shear means to remove fleece, hair or the like by cutting, or to move through, as if by
cutting. Likewise, the shears used for cutting.

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Sheer means to swerve or deviate from a course; a fine, transparent fabric; pure or
undiluted; perpendicular or steep.

Phrases Explained:

If someone is eager or anxious to do something, they are said to be champing at the bit,
not chomping.

If someone is making an effort to conform to rules, they are said to toe the line, not tow
it. (And it's spelled toeing, if need be.)

If something is prepared in advance, or done in a routine manner, it is cut-and-dried.

(Hyphens included.)

If something was done deliberately, it was done to all intents and purposes. (Not
intense.)

A violent pang or pain is a throe, usually pluralized thusly: the throes of childbirth, the
throes of passion. (Not throws, as in tossing something, or a collection of afghans.)

Part Five

The Weirdest Mistake I've Seen Lately!

It wasn't in a piece of fan fiction, but it is fandom-related. I broke down around Christmas
and decided to subscribe to The Star Trek Universe Fact-File Cards. Heck, I haven't
collected any Trek merchandise (barring a few Voyager articles) in ages, so I thought I'd
indulge myself. They're pretty nifty, but some of the wording and phrasing in the
descriptions of episodes and aliens is a bit odd. But this was the funniest thing I saw:

A "Memorable Moment"--Spock, McCoy and Scotty discussing the cure for the
Interphase Madness encountered in "The Tholian Web":

Scott: "What is it?"

McCoy: "It's a deluded theragen derivative."

The good doctor's Georgian accent aside...the victims of the interphase may have been
acting deluded or delusional, but that theragen stuff was diluted!

Spare the Poor Bunny!

If a person accomplishes something by a narrow margin, it is done by a hair's-breadth,

that is, a very tiny allowance--the width of a hair. "They made a hair's-breadth escape

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from the Kazon ship." Sometimes also written hairsbreadth or hairbreadth.

However...don't write it as hare's breath! A bunny's very rapid respiratory rate might be
the reaction to a narrow escape, but not the description of it.

Aisle/Isle

Both of these rhyme with I'll.

When you're shopping in K-Mart, you walk down the aisle. You do the same thing in
church when you're about to be married.

Isle is a poetic short form of island.

Assure/Ensure/Insure

These three words all mean to make secure or certain. Assure refers to people, as in
putting someone's mind to rest about a concern or fear--giving confidence, reassuring.
Ensure and insure can both mean to make secure from harm, but only insure refers to
guaranteeing life or property against risk, as in an insurance policy.

Broach/Brooch

Broach (sounds like poach), a verb, to begin to talk about. "Cautiously, he broached the
subject of their son's engagement." To draw off a liquid, by piercing a hole in a keg or
container--which relates back the use of the word as a noun: a tool used to shape or
enlarge a hole, when it is a variant of the word:

Brooch (usually pronounced like pooch), a large decorative pin or clasp. "The society
matron wore an attractive diamond brooch to the party."

Choice/Chose/Choose/Chosen

Choice (sounds like Joyce), a noun: "They made the right choice when they picked that
car."

Chose (sounds like goes), past tense of the verb choose: "He chose not to follow his
father into the service."

Choose (sounds like chews), to select, make a decision: "They need to choose a date for
the wedding." "You will have to choose between one or the other."

Chosen (sounds like frozen), past participle of choose: "The crew has chosen to stay
behind and defend the ship." It can used to be described someone selected for a special
purpose, as in the Chosen People.

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Collaborate/Corroborate

The former means to work together, especially on a joint intellectual effort. "They
collaborated on the design plans for the new shuttle." It also can mean to cooperate
treasonably, with an enemy occupying one's country. "Dr. Bashir was accused of
collaborating with the Dominion."

Corroborate is a synonym of confirm--to strengthen or support other evidence, to attest

the truth or accuracy of a statement. "They called upon another witness to corroborate
the victim's testimony." "Captain Janeway asked the Doctor for corroboration of the
alien scientist's findings."

Curious/Curiously/Curiousness/Curiosity

It's not so much the meanings, but the spelling of these words that creates a problem.
Curious, curiously, and curiousness all have a "u" and that inner "us" sound--but
curiosity does not.

Discreet/Discrete

Discreet--having or displaying respect or reserve in one's speech or behavior. "Despite

his reputation for rowdiness, he acted discreetly at the wedding."

Discrete--Separate or individual things; unconnected distinct parts. "At first, the crew
seemed divided into two discrete groups--Starfleet and Maquis."

Hoard/Horde

Both sound like "board."

A hoard is a hidden or stored fund or supply, guarded for future use. "Neelix kept a
secret hoard of coffee beans, for emergencies."

A horde is a swarm or throng, of people, animals or insects. Historically, the Mongol

Horde.

Inquire (Enquire)

Inquire--to put or ask a question, to look into or investigate. Inquiry: the act of
inquiring.

Enquire and enquiry are simply variations of the above.

Leach/Leech

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Leach refers to the removal of soluable matter from a substance by a percolating liquid.
In literary usage, it has come to mean to wash or leak away, to be removed. "The color
leached from his face, leaving him pale and frightened-looking."

A leech is a bloodsucking worm, making a comeback as a viable medical treatment for

certain conditions! It can also refer to a person who preys on, or relies too heavily, on
another.

Lightning/Lightening

Lightning, of course, is a large electrical discharge in the atmosphere. As an adjective, to

move very fast, with lightning speed.

Lightening (light-EN-ing) is to make lighter or brighter, as in illumination; or to make

less heavy, as in a load or burden; or to make less troublesome or oppressive.

Meditate/Mediate

Meditate (ryhmes with medicate) means to contemplate, to ponder or reflect upon.

Vulcans do it a lot. (Tuvok likes to use his meditation lamp.)

To mediate (MEE-dee-ate) is to resolve or settle differences by acting as an intermediary

agent between two or more conflicting parties. "The president hoped to mediate a peace
accord in the Middle East."

Moral/Morale

The adjective moral sounds like floral. It pertains to the judgement of goodness or
badness of human action or character; arising from conscience or a sense of right and
wrong. "They had a moral obligation to assist the aliens in the void." As a noun, a moral
is a lesson contained in or taught by a story or parable.

Morale (sounds like corral) refers to the state of the spirits of an individual or group.
"Neelix was the self-appointed morale officer on Voyager."

Moot/Mute

Moot--sounds like boot. Subject to debate; arguable, unresolved. Or without legal

significance, having been previously settled; of only academic importance.

Mute--sounds like cute. Silent; incapable of speech. The little button on the remote that
deletes the sound.

Pore/Pour

Homophones--they sound identical, but have different meanings.

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Pore--a minute opening or orifice, such as the pores of the skin. It also means to gaze
steadily or intently, to study or read carefully. "Commander Chakotay spent many hours
poring over the crew reports."

It's that last meaning that gets mixed up frequently with different tenses of pour--which
means to make or send forth a stream or flow. "Neelix was pouring coffe for the captain
when the attack began." "The enemy forces poured into the city."

Regulate/Relegate/Delegate

I once saw these three words misused in the same story.

Regulate: To control or direct according to a rule, or to a adjust (a device) for proper

functioning. Think Rules and Regulations.

Relegate: To send or consign, especially to an obscure place or position. "He was

relegated to performing minor tasks in the cargo hold."

Delegate: A person authorized to act on behalf of others: a country's delegate to the U.N.
To appoint or assign others to complete a task.

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