Tag Archives: words

Fare well, one of our favorite wordsmiths

• Remember to never split an infinitive.
  
• The passive voice should never be used.
  
• Do not put statements in the negative form.
  
• Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
  
• Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
  
• If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing.
  
• A writer must not shift your point of view.
  
• And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.)
  
• Don’t overuse exclamation marks!!
  
• Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
  
• Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
  
• If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
  
• Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
  
• Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
  
• Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
  
• Always pick on the correct idiom.
  
• The adverb always follows the verb.
  
• Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives.
  

William Safire (December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009), Rules for Writers, from On Language