The Semicolon

;

It's not quite a comma, not quite a colon ... Kurt Vonnegut (a favorite of mine) said in A Man Without a Country that the semicolon is pretentious and only good for demonstrating that the writer went to college. (He is not alone in this opinion in the literary world.)

And yet the American Copy Editors Society, of which I used to be a member, gave props to the semicolon for National Punctuation Day last week, which no longer being in ACES, I totally missed! Check out the very nerd-cool site for the "holiday" here.

I tend to favor the dash over the semicolon. What do you think?

On affect / effect

This one can be tricky. Both words can be either a noun or a verb depending on the meaning and context. In most cases, use affect for the verb and effect for the noun.

Let’s start with the verb form:

To affect something or someone is to have an impact or cause a difference:

Hurricane Ike affected the school year because we had to close the school for a week.

Affect can also mean to put on a false show:

That silly French accent he affected wasn’t fooling anybody.

Effect is usually used with change:

In order to effect change in the system, you have to get involved.

*Chances are this is NOT the noun you want.*

Check out the Merriam-Webster definitions for a closer look.

affect

effect

The noun forms are easier to tell apart because their meanings aren’t similar like the verbs:

Affect is a noun that describes a person’s behavior or emotions:

I am worried about Tony. He is concealing his sadness behind a flat affect so everyone will think he’s OK.

*Chances are this is NOT the noun you want.*

The noun effect is a lot like the verb affect – this is the word you want to use when describing how one thing causes another to change:

The effects of the storm were so severe that we had to close the building until we were sure it was safe.

Effect can also be used to indicate someone’s belongings:

Don’t forget to collect your personal effects from your locker.

Check out the Merriam-Webster definitions for a closer look.

affect

effect

Remember – in most cases, you want to use affect for the verb/action and effect for the noun/thing.

On its / it's

This is one of those common errors that drives me nuts -- but it’s easy to remember that only the verb in this pair has its own apostrophe.

Its is a possessive pronoun that indicates ownership:
What is the cow chewing? The cow is chewing its cud.

It’s is a contraction built from it + is, and it indicates that a thing is doing something (or even simply that the thing exists):
Where is the cow going? It’s going back to the barn.

Put them together:
Now that the cow has chewed its cud for an hour, it’s time to go back to the barn.
(This means that after the cow has chewed its own cud, it is time to head for the barn.)

To remember the difference, try these clues:

• Its is like mine or yours – they are all pronouns that tell who owns something, and none contains an apostrophe (’).

• It’s is a verb built from it + is, and if you can break down your word into it is and still make sense, it’s with the apostrophe (’) is the one you want.

On your / you’re / yore

Many people struggle to distinguish between your and you’re. Perhaps this explanation will help clarify the difference:

Your is a possessive pronoun that shows who something belongs to:

Whose chair is this? It’s your chair.

You’re is a contraction built from you + are, and it indicates that a person is doing something:

Who is going to cut the cake? You’re going to cut the cake.

Yore refers to a time long, long ago, and it is not a very common word these days, unless you hang out at the Renaissance Festival and listen to tales of yore.

Put them together:

This is your chair, and you’re going to cut the cake.

(This means that the chair belongs to you and that you are going to cut the cake.)

To remember the difference, try these clues:

• Your contains our, a pronoun that indicates something we own.

• You’re is a verb built from you + are. Remember, if you can break it down, it is a verb that needs an apostrophe (’).

On there / their / they’re

Welcome to The Grammar Hammer, my help page of tips and tricks for better writing!

It's the height of hurricane season, so school days must be just around the corner! What better time to begin a blog that explores common mistakes and offer solutions to help avoid those errors in the future.

I am a professional writer and editor, and I offer in-person writing tutoring in Deer Park and La Porte on an appointment-only basis (e-mail me for details). I will post a grammar/usage tip every week or so, beginning with my pet peeves.

On there / their / they’re

There is a place:
Where did they park? They parked over there by the trees.

Their belongs to someone:
Which one is the Smith family’s car? That blue Toyota is their car.

They’re is a contraction built from they + are, and it indicates that two or more people are doing something:
What are they doing? They’re getting a picnic basket out of the trunk.

Put them together:
The blue car parked over there is their car, and they’re carrying a picnic basket.
(This means that the blue car parked under the trees is the Smiths’ car, and they are carrying a picnic basket.)

To remember the difference, try these clues:

• There contains here, which also indicates a place.

• A person who inherits something is an heir, and you will find an heir in their.

• They’re is the only one of these three that is a verb, which indicates an action. If you can break down the word into they are without making your sentence into nonsense, they’re is the word you want. This verb is also the only one of these three that contains an apostrophe (’).