12 Rules Of Writing

I know that we aren't professional writers. Nor or we professional journalists. What we or is a bunch of borderline narcissists who think we got something ot say taht other people will want to read and that will effect them to. Sort of like the guy who drives the Segway or the big SUV we are saying in essence 'look at me'.

Did you spot the grammar and spelling errors in the above sentence? I'm no expect on grammar but I like to think most of the time I get things right and I know how to use the spell check that comes with this blog program.

A while back I posted some basic pointers to follow when constructing arguments, logical rules that can be an aid in constructing and presenting arguments or defending positions.

Just as fallacies can sink your argument, so can grammar errors. Here are 12 simple rules of writing that can and will improve your writing skills. A 'tip of the bus driver's hat' goes out to Junket Studies Tutoring for putting these rules together.

1. To join two independent clauses, use a comma followed by a conjunction, a semicolon alone, or a semicolon followed by a sentence modifier.

2. Use commas to bracket nonrestrictive phrases, which are not essential to the sentence's meaning.

3. Do not use commas to bracket phrases that are essential to a sentence's meaning.

4. When beginning a sentence with an introductory phrase or an introductory (dependent) clause, include a comma.

5. To indicate possession, end a singular noun with an apostrophe followed by an "s". Otherwise, the noun's form seems plural.

6. Use proper punctuation to integrate a quotation into a sentence. If the introductory material is an independent clause, add the quotation after a colon. If the introductory material ends in "thinks," "saying," or some other verb indicating expression, use a comma.

7. Make the subject and verb agree with each other, not with a word that comes between them.

8. Be sure that a pronoun, a participial phrase, or an appositive refers clearly to the proper subject.

9. Use parallel construction to make a strong point and create a smooth flow.

10. Use the active voice unless you specifically need to use the passive.

11. Omit unnecessary words.

12. Spellcheck.