The Turner Ink blog contains rants, bloopers, observations and opinions. It also has handy tips on grammar and punctuation such as colons: semicolons; and full stops. As well as some very useful ‘how tos’. Feel free to leave comments. Be nice though.

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Archive for the 'Grammar tips' category

Where do commas go in a list of adjectives?

28th
Apr
by Sarah Turner

A comma should be used to separate two or more co-ordinate adjectives that describe the same noun.

Or to put it more simply, if you’re using two similar words to describe a thing, person, place, animal or idea you should use a comma to separate them.

She worked in a happy, relaxed office.
He pointed to the big, tall guy in the gym.
Her boss was a strong, confident woman.

The easiest way to test if the two adjectives are similar is to reverse their order or stick an And inbetween them.

She worked in a happy and relaxed office. She worked in a relaxed, happy office.
He pointed to the tall and big guy in the gym. He pointed to the big, tall guy in the gym.
Her boss was a strong and confident woman. Her boss was a confident, strong woman.

Yep, they all work. Which means they’re all co-ordinating adjectives and need a comma between them.

Now use the same the rule to spot non co-ordinating adjectives.

He wore his blue cotton shirt to the office.
It was a stripy football jersey.
The extensive briefing document was nearly finished.

If we swapped them round or added an And we’d get:

He wore his cotton blue shirt to the office.
It was a stripy and football jersey.
The briefing extensive document was nearly finished.

Nope. These don’t work. So no comma.

As a general rule, adjectives of size come first, followed by adjectives of age, shape, colour, material, origin and purpose.

Blue cotton shirt.
Tall, young guy in accounts.
New French film.

 


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Your dirty laundry is coming home to roost. And other metaphors, similes, idioms and clichés we love

19th
Feb
by Sarah Turner

I was thinking about metaphors on the journey into work this morning. And that’s because practically every single segment on the radio used a metaphor at some point.

Metaphors make a comparison between two things that are basically different but have something in common. So

Arsene Wenger was boiling mad over Porto’s dodgy goal
Bankers’ bonuses are difficult to swallow
The ball rocketed into the net
His recollection of events was foggy
London is a melting pot
He’s a rock

Of course the ball didn’t literally go like a rocket. But it did go very fast, like a rocket would. And London isn’t literally a melting pot. But it is full of all types of people, things, smells and colours. And some bloke isn’t literally a rock. But he is strong and sturdy. You get the drift.

And then I started thinking about similes, idioms and clichés. (Yeah, thank goodness it’s only a 15 minute drive.)

So what are similes? Similes are when two things are compared to each other and are said to be like or as something.

She felt as free as a bird
It fitted like a glove
That joke is as old as the hills
She was as thin as a rake
They were as scarce as hen’s teeth
He was as tough as old boots
Life is like a box of chocolates

How about idioms? An idiom is a common expression which is part of every day speech and often breaks all rules on grammar and meaning. In fact, the word idiom comes from the Greek idios meaning ‘one’s own, peculiar, or strange’.

The histories of some idioms such as skate on thin ice are obvious. Some are not. Here are a few of my favourite idioms.

Cat’s pyjamas
Gone for a burton
Sleep on a clothes line
Give the cold shoulder
Not my cup of tea
Fly off the handle
Go the whole hog
Keeping up with the Joneses
Don’t mince your words
In a pickle
Get the sack
Don’t shilly-shally
Back to square one
Storm in a teacup

Many idioms are metaphors such as bed of roses and on the back burner. Some idioms such as like a bear with a sore head and bald as a coot are similes. Some idioms are dyads – pairs of words joined by and – such as airs and graces, beer and skittles, and above and beyond.

Which brings us on to clichés.

Clichés are like their close relative idioms. But unfortunately, clichés have gone round the block once too often and have become overused and tired. Avoid them like the plague.

Move the goalposts
Another day another dollar
The ball is in your court
Laugh all the way to the bank
Blood, sweat and tears
Chomping at the bit
On time and on budget
Blast from the past
Can’t see the wood for the trees

Got any favourite idioms that you love to death? Or any clichés that you avoid at all costs? Let us know in the comments.


Tags: clichés, idioms, metaphors, similes
Posted in Grammar tips, Word stuff | comments icon 1 Comment »

A sign of the times? Bloopers from around the UK

10th
Feb
by Sarah Turner

Friend and SEO colleague, Rob Dobson, emailed me this pic this afternoon from the Fulham Road, London. Hmmm…nice shop. Poor sign.

Window of La Maison Coloniale in Fulham

But La Maison is in good (bad?) company. Take a look at these corkers that have been sent to the MSN News site recently. 

Do not climb sign

Do not cling? Do not climb? Or what the heck. Let’s have both.

Help us reduce crime sign

Yeah, help us reduce crime against the English language.

Oxford Dictionary sign

I wonder if there were enough Ofxord Dictionary’s left to be handed out as leaving presents.

Waitress or waitor sign

We hope you’re fluent in English ‘cos we’re not. Although we make awesome stuffed olives.

 Tomato sign

You say tom-ah-to we say to-may-to. Let’s call the whole thing off.

Sue's Snax's sign

My personal fave. Sue’s Snax’s. So wrong. So very wrong.

Ladies powder room sign

I sort of love this sign. I like the fact the loo is referred to as a powder room. And it’s only 5p to have a tiddle. That’s a bargain.

What I especially like is one of the comments left on the MSN News site.

Also, in number 17, the apostrophe is not superfluous, merely in the wrong place as the word “ladies” is a plural, and the toilets are “ladies’ toilets”.

Oh, so it’s merely in the wrong place. That’s ok then.


Tags: apostrophes
Posted in Bloopers, Grammar tips, Punctuation tips | comments icon 1 Comment »

Need any stationary?

2nd
Feb
by Sarah Turner

Business Stationary posterI spotted this on the Holloway Road this week.

Well we have just had a recession. So I guess some businesses may be stationary. But I don’t suppose this is what they are talking about.                                               

Come on people. This is a schoolboy error. The easiest way to remember the difference:  stationers (with an E) sell stationery (also with an E).                                


Posted in Bloopers, Grammar tips | comments icon 4 Comments »

Is it enquiry or inquiry?

25th
Jan
by Sarah Turner

Iraq Inquiry logoI was watching some of the Iraq Inquiry last week. And it got me thinking: when do we use inquiry and when do we use enquiry? A quick search online reveals that some institutions use both (yes, I’m talking about you Evening Standard).

However, it’s generally considered that enquire is the British spelling and inquire the US spelling. But as we can see from the Iraq Inquiry that’s not strictly true.

In fact, we use both spellings in the UK.

Enquiry means to request information or to look into.

I received an enquiry from a journalist.
He enquired about my health.
We need to make some enquiries and get back to you.

Inquiry is used for official investigations.

The police will launch an official inquiry into the riot.
The Iraq Inquiry is taking place in London.

 


Tags: american spelling
Posted in Grammar tips, Word stuff | comments icon 1 Comment »

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