Free Writing Tips

On occasion we get lured into saying the opposite of what we mean. I was reminded of this a few days ago when I read the following sentence in an article extolling the many strengths of the hit TV show This Is Us: “You can’t underestimate the quality of the performances.” Hmm. Is that supposed to be a compliment?

What the writer meant to express was “You can’t overestimate the quality of the performances.” That is to say, in a rather figurative sense, no matter how high you go in praising the acting, even greater accolades would be deserved.

(“Underestimate” would be used correctly, however, in “We anticipated completing our project in March, but we underestimated the complexity of the final phase.”)

A similar misstep involves saying “I could care less,” as in “I just learned the boss can’t attend my retirement party, but I could care less.” No, it’s the opposite. Surely, the speaker means that, having no particular affection for her boss, she “couldn’t care less.”

And here’s a tricky one: “Clyde inferred that the project will miss the deadline.” That was correctly written if Clyde was drawing meaning from something he heard or read. But if Clyde was delivering a cryptic message, he was implying. Those who drew conclusions from his hinting were inferring (making inferences).

So if you merely imply something, I need to infer what you mean.

As writers, we want to ensure that we are always taking our readers in the right direction.

You can go to http://www.normfriedman.com/index.shtml to learn more about my workshops on writing in the workplace, individual coaching, editing, and handbook – 100+ Instant Writing Tips. Thank you.

The Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year for 2016 was post-truth: “denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

Meanwhile, Merriam Webster led off its top 10 for 2016 with “surreal.” And now, of course, we already have a contender for 2017 recognition in “alternative facts.”

But let’s put all the surrealism and politics aside and contemplate two aspects of “alternative facts” pertaining to correctness.

Point 1. Is anything wrong with this sentence? We have two alternatives for our program.

Alternatives isn’t quite right because to have an alternative we need a starting point. For example, “We were thinking of a panel discussion, but now we have an alternative.” Our first idea was the starting point, and then we developed another idea.

So the distinction between options and alternatives is that options are merely choices while alternatives are additional choices after the first is established. Therefore, the sentence above should have been We have two options for our program.

Point 2. In business writing many folks like using the word data even when facts would be just as apt. But I use data sparingly because it has a dual identity. It can be interpreted as singular or plural. (Do you write The data suggests or The data suggest? The data is or The data are?)

Discussing this thorny singular/plural predicament further would make for an overly long blog and probably clarify little, so the main point is that we save ourselves time and trouble whenever we can use facts (or information or statistics or numbers) instead of data.

The moral of the story

Think twice before using alternatives. Don’t hesitate to use facts (and I mean that in more ways than one).

You can go to http://www.normfriedman.com/index.shtml to learn more about my workshops on writing in the workplace, individual coaching, editing, and handbook – 100+ Instant Writing Tips. Thank you.

Is this correct? I shouldn’t have believed Pam’s story, but I guess I’m too trustworthy.

How about this? When Pete explained why he arrived late, I was suspect.

What? You think they’re both wrong? You don’t trust me?

Okay. You caught me red-handed. They are both incorrect, so let’s review the common confusion.

We shouldn’t say or write trustworthy when we really mean trusting, as in the sample above. Someone we have faith in to tell the truth or behave honorably is trustworthy. But if we find nearly everyone trustworthy, perhaps we are too trusting.

Knowing when to use suspect vs. suspicious isn’t much harder, but the explanation is longer because of multiple meanings. Bear with me.
• Suspicious can describe both our attitude toward someone who is behaving questionably or the object of our suspicion.
• Suspect, as an adjective, applies only to the object of our suspicion. For example, I found Polly’s motives suspect. (So we were suspicious of her motives.)
• And, of course, suspect is a noun: The police now have a suspect in custody. 

You can trust me

So here are five correct uses of today’s words. Really.
We elected Al as treasurer because he is so trustworthy.
Brad says he is generally trusting until he has evidence that he should be wary.
Craig’s enthusiasm for every one of Diane’s ideas seems suspect.
Craig’s enthusiasm for every one of Diane’s ideas seems suspicious.
Elaine is suspicious of Frank’s claim that he graduated high school at 16.

You can go to http://www.normfriedman.com/index.shtml to learn more about my workshops on writing in the workplace, individual coaching, editing, and handbook – 100+ Instant Writing Tips. Thank you.

Pick the preferred word in each case.

1. I have (continually/continuously) been improving my wardrobe.
2. At the meeting we solved one problem but then could get no (farther/further).
3. Bruce was (champing/chomping) at the bit to refute what Kirk was claiming.
4. Although the practice is risky, I have decided to (lend/loan) my son-in-law money to buy a new car.

Your score

We know that word use changes over time, and one kind of change is a softening of some distinctions. So feel free to disagree, but I think in all four of these cases straying from original uses is not serious. In other words, you scored 100 on the quiz. Congratulations! But if you want to know what fussy folks (like me) would do, here you go.

The stickler point of view

1. Continually means that something keeps happening, but intermittently. (Zoe continually makes remarks that are politically incorrect.) Continuously means unceasing, like our pulse. (The alarm rang continuously for a full hour.)
(Note that continuous can also be used to describe something spatial, such as a continuous line – an unbroken one.)
2. A purist would use further in #2, because we’re being conceptual, and farther for something that can truly be measured, such as mileage. (The ice storm prevented me from driving any farther.)
3. You and I chomp, but when we use the expression in #3 we are referring to the action of a horse, and horses champ. So the original phrase is champing at the bit.
4. Using loan as a verb is widely accepted, but sticklers would say or write that they are going to lend their son-in-law money or give him a loan.

Distinctions about distinctions

We are in a gray area here, and beyond that, there are shades of gray. For example, some people can’t stand hearing irregardless, and I certainly agree that although irregardless is marginally acceptable, it’s much better form to stick with regardless. But the four distinctions above are far less important.

You can go to http://www.normfriedman.com/index.shtml to learn more about my workshops on writing in the workplace, individual coaching, editing, and handbook – 100+ Instant Writing Tips. Thank you.