Let’s consider the grammar (not the politics) of this sentence: A filibuster is when a senator tries to delay a vote by making a long speech. At first blush, it seems to be an acceptable statement, certainly a sentence construction we hear often enough in relaxed and easy conversation. From the standards of the written …
Author Archives: rultimo
Upcoming Seminar
Techniques of Revision: Converting a Phrase to a Clause Tuesday, January 5 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT This first Writing Smartly seminar of the new year will begin a series on techniques of revision. One such technique is to convert phrases to clauses. Our sentences are strong and crisp when we write an active scene …
An Elegant Creature
Since we have been adventurous enough lately to wade more deeply into the murky waters of participles, gerunds, and infinitives (Riding the Rapids, The Infinitive), it seems only right (or risky?) that we stay a little longer to see what can be seen there. These three exotic creatures are all species of something called a …
The Infinitive
Our tour of grammar brought us recently (Riding the Rapids) into the fast-moving waters of participles and gerunds. And why not? We use these constructions a thousand times a day, and the more we know how they work, the better we can employ them. So at the risk of being swept away, let’s step farther …
Upcoming Seminar
Revising by Structure: A Review Tuesday, December 29 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. CT This next Writing Smartly seminar will review a number of constructions we have looked at over the last few months and demonstrate how to apply them to some troublesome sentences. Knowing how to recognize grammatical parts helps us rearrange our sentences to …