Erasmus Compositor on Composition

Good writing skills are elusive today due to inadequate English instruction in American public and private schools and even colleges. Attention spans on average have gotten shorter also. Television viewers become unconsciously dependent on rapid camera angle changes used to constantly refresh the viewer's attention. Trying to maintain attention in the real world is more difficult and boredom sets in more quickly. We cannot solve these deep structural problems, but we can encourage and help our visitors to write more clearly in their working world. First consider a few common errors to avoid and then some links for more help.

Don't let your tongue trip up your pen!

Certain words in English are identical in speech, but very different in meaning. Be sure to distinguish them clearly in writing.

"There" is over yonder, not here. "Their" belongs to them, is not mine. The confusion over these two words is not uncommon.
"Here" is the current location of my body; "hear" is a function of my ears. In the employment supplement of the local paper I saw an advertisement that closed with the sentence: "Let us here from you!" Such carelessness does not inspire confidence.
"Two" is 1 + 1. "Too" means also. "To" indicates direction towards (among other uses).
"Addition" is part of arithmetic; for example, the addition of one plus one equals two. "Edition" is the form of a publication such as the second edition of a book or the morning edition of the newspaper. Can people confuse these two words? Do they sound that much alike? A recent email newsletter from a large company introduces a section of the message with the expression: "Also in this week's addition of the Newsletter. . ." What is this world coming to?

Maintain historical spellings. The English language has a habit of preserving a word's history in its spelling, even though the pronunciation may not now seem to match the spelling.

What you owe is a "debt" although the "b" sound was never pronounced in English. The word is derived from Latin debitum. Compare our word "debit" in which the "b" sound is pronounced. The French spell the word dette. Italian uses debito.

What sounds and seems logical may be incorrect! The English language is very complex, traditional, and slow to change. Modernized spellings and phonetic renderings are adopted slowly. Don't run ahead of the pack.

The opposite of darkness is light, although advertisers have been using the phonetic rendering lite for some time. The phonetic form should not be used in standard writing.
Although we say I ring, I rang, I have rung, we may not say I bring, I brang, I have brung. We say instead I bring, I brought, I have brought.
We may write screen's color, but we do not write it's color. Write its color. The expression it's is reserved for the contraction of it is (just as they're is the contraction of they are. Of course, they're is not their or there.).

Review the rules of style!

Take a look at these authoritative (if not dictatorial) guides on good style. They are clear and concise.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1979. This is the third edition. You can see the 1918 edition online. Published works more than 75 years old are in the public domain.
The Desktop Style Guide by James Felici. New York: Bantum Books, 1991. This is "style" on a different level. We should not only use words correctly; we should make them appear effectively. This book focuses on the appearance of the text to the reader. The presentation is detailed, but clear on matters we often take for granted.
Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. New York: Vintage Books, 1988. This is not a book on style or grammar of course, but a valuable work for those who communicate with others. A companion dictionary was also published.

Check out a useful link!

A Grammar, Composition, Editing, Proof-Reading Resource invites grammar, composition, research and formatting questions. Web author Linda DeVore also offers several good, substantial links to dig deeper into matters of composition and grammar. Check this site out at

Look at these other issues in professional business communication:

Consider our practical suggestions on Résumé Development.
Get tips for the beginning desktop publisher at The First Bumps and Bruises.
You may have heard about possible confusion and disruption from the millennium bug or Y2K problem. Did you know that our current calendar is in error? We don't know what year this is! Check out Millennial Confusion.
Consider a speech about intellectual priorities, made in 1918, by a great scholar and student of ancient language, history and culture. Listen to these challenging thoughts by Professor Morris Jastrow.
Learn about the spirit of the contemporary Erasmus Compositor and about the original historic humanist scholar Erasmus in the Inspiration of Erasmus.
Return to our home page at Erasmus Compositor.

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