Keeping a Commonplace Book Tuesday, February 23 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT Writers read—for pleasure, for information, for models. Studying someone else’s good work can teach us how to do it, and a commonplace book is a simple device that will keep you disciplined in the craft of writing. The next Writing Smartly seminar will …
Tag Archives: Seminars
Upcoming Seminar
How to Use the Past Perfect and Future Perfect Tenses Tuesday, February 16 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT Which of these two sentences is correct: I spoke with the surgeon a number of times before I scheduled the procedure or I had spoken with the surgeon a number of times before I scheduled the procedure? …
Upcoming Seminar
Sentence Design: Parallel Construction Tuesday, February 9 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT Could this sentence be improved: My new apartment is bright, sunny, and transportation is just around the corner? Probably so, because its construction is not parallel: three elements follow the verb, but only two, bright and sunny, are adjectives. The next Writing Smartly …
Upcoming Seminar
More on Commas and Semicolons Tuesday, February 2 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT What is the difference between an old, wooden chair and an old wooden chair? Would you write the doctor had the results, however, they weren’t conclusive or the doctor had the results; however, they weren’t conclusive or the doctor had the results; …
Upcoming Seminar
Using or Not Using the Comma: Restriction Tuesday, January 26 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT Which of these sentences is punctuated correctly: my friend Tom is a lawyer; my friend, Tom, is a lawyer; or my friend, Tom is a lawyer? Much depends on whether and where to place a comma, and the next Writing …