We would like to share with you some of our favorite quotes about writing. We have found that such thoughts can be very inspirational, especially in times of writer's block and frustration. Enjoy!
"If one can write, anyone can. If two can, you can too!" - Nancy Sanders
"The difficulty of writing literature is not to write, but to write what you mean." - Robert Louis Stevenson
"Writing is making sense of life. You work your whole life and perhaps you've made sense of one small area." - Nadine Gordimer
"I don't like to write, but I love to have written." - Michael Kanin
"Writing is thinking on paper." - William Zinsser
"Write drunk. Edit sober." - Ernest Hemingway
"In order to write the book you want to write, you have to become the person you need to become to write the book." - Junot Diaz
"I am a writer who came from a sheltered life. A sheltered life can be daring as well. For all serious daring starts from within." - Eudora Welty
"Those who write are writers. Those who wait are waiters." - A. Lee Martinez
"All you have to do is put one word after another and remember how great it feels to be a writer." - Stephanie Lennox
"Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough." - Arthur Freed
"Whether or not you write well, write bravely." - Bill Stout
What is your favorite quote about writing? Post a comment and join the discussion!
Be sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our website!
University Proofreading's Blog. An English Language Guide To Good Writing.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The Ten Best-Selling Books of All Time
Have you ever wondered what the best-selling book of all time is? Many literary and historical scholars have investigated this question. They have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to answer! Because of the long and varied history of publishing, sales of works such as Don Quixote and The Bible are much harder to pinpoint. For the purpose of this list, we will only list works that can be positively verified.
1. Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities - 200 million copies sold
2. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - 150 million copies sold
3. Antione de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince - 140 million copies sold
4. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit - 100 million copies sold
5. Cao Xueqin's The Story of the Stone - 100 million copies sold
6. Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None - 85 million copies sold
7. H. Rider Haggard's She - 83 million copies sold
8. Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code - 80 million copies sold
9. Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich - 70 million copies sold
10. J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye - 65 million copies sold
How many of these books have you read? Join the discussion below!
Be sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our website!
1. Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities - 200 million copies sold
2. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - 150 million copies sold
3. Antione de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince - 140 million copies sold
4. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit - 100 million copies sold
5. Cao Xueqin's The Story of the Stone - 100 million copies sold
6. Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None - 85 million copies sold
7. H. Rider Haggard's She - 83 million copies sold
8. Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code - 80 million copies sold
9. Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich - 70 million copies sold
10. J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye - 65 million copies sold
How many of these books have you read? Join the discussion below!
Be sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our website!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Abbreviations in Writing
Today’s blog post is for all of our readers and writers. Abbreviations are something every reader will encounter on a daily basis. No matter the setting, proper understanding of abbreviations is crucial to clear, concise writing. In the quick guide below, popular abbreviations and their meanings are listed.
anon.
|
anonymous
|
b.
|
born
|
c. or ca.
|
about (with dates only)
|
cf.
|
compare (not see)
|
ch., chs.
|
chapter(s)
|
d.
|
died
|
diss.
|
dissertation
|
ed., eds.
|
editor(s), edition(s), edited by
|
e.g.
|
for example
|
et al.
|
and others (people only)
|
etc.
|
and so forth
|
ibid.
|
the same (title as the one mentioned in the previous note)
|
i.e.
|
that is (not for example)
|
ms., mss.
|
manuscript(s)
|
n., nn.
|
note(s)
|
n.d.
|
no date (in a book’s imprint)
|
no., nos.
|
number(s)
|
p., pp.
|
page(s)
|
pref.
|
preface
|
pt., pts.
|
part(s)
|
q.v.
|
see elsewhere in this text
|
rpt.
|
reprint
|
rev.
|
revised, revision, reviewed by
|
sec., secs., sect., sects.
|
section(s)
|
ser.
|
series
|
tr., trans.
|
translation, translated by
|
v.
|
versus (legal citations)
|
vol., vols.
|
volume(s)
|
vs.
|
verse, versus
|
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Our Favorite Poem
We understand that it is the midweek. You may be feeling tired. Perhaps you need a little inspiration. We would like to share with you one of our favorite poems. This poem is Rudyard Kipling's "If."
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
What is your favorite poem? Join the discussion below!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Proper Tensing of Common Verbs
Today's blog post will be for our ESL readers! Many ESL students struggle with the proper tensing of two very common verbs: "is" and "are." In our experience, these two verbs cause the most confusion for non-native English speakers.
"Is" is the present tense version of the verb to be. "Was" is the past tense version of this same verb. Below is an example to help differentiate between the two.
PRESENT TENSE: Cory is happy.
PAST TENSE: Cory was happy.
PRESENT TENSE: Cory is practicing soccer today.
PAST TENSE: Cory was practicing soccer yesterday.
"Are" is the plural form of the verb to be. "Were" is the past tense version of this same verb. When more than one person, place or thing is doing something, we use this verb.
PRESENT TENSE: The soccer players are practicing today.
PAST TENSE: The soccer players were practicing yesterday.
PRESENT: The fishing conditions are favorable today.
PAST: The fishing conditions were favorable yesterday.
We hope you have found this guide helpful. If you should have any questions regarding tensing, please feel free to email us at: info@universityproofreading.com!
Or visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our website!
"Is" is the present tense version of the verb to be. "Was" is the past tense version of this same verb. Below is an example to help differentiate between the two.
PRESENT TENSE: Cory is happy.
PAST TENSE: Cory was happy.
PRESENT TENSE: Cory is practicing soccer today.
PAST TENSE: Cory was practicing soccer yesterday.
"Are" is the plural form of the verb to be. "Were" is the past tense version of this same verb. When more than one person, place or thing is doing something, we use this verb.
PRESENT TENSE: The soccer players are practicing today.
PAST TENSE: The soccer players were practicing yesterday.
PRESENT: The fishing conditions are favorable today.
PAST: The fishing conditions were favorable yesterday.
We hope you have found this guide helpful. If you should have any questions regarding tensing, please feel free to email us at: info@universityproofreading.com!
Or visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our website!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Adjectives vs. Adverbs
As proofreaders, we read a LOT of papers. One of the most common issues we encounter is the confusion between adjectives and adverbs. In this quick guide, we will highlight the differences between the two. We will also provide examples of how to properly use each figure of speech.
Adjectives and adverbs are similar in that both describe something. The difference between them is that adjectives are used to describe nouns and adverbs are used to describe verbs.
Adjectives qualify people, places and things. They are used to describe attributes or qualities of a noun.
EXAMPLE: The happy children sang.
In this example, 'happy' is used to describe the condition of the children. Because 'children' is a noun, an adjective is used to describe it. In this case, 'happy' is the adjective.
EXAMPLE: The happy children sang the beautiful song.
In this example, the adjective 'happy' is used to describe the children. The adjective 'beautiful' is used to describe the song.
On the other hand, adverbs are used to describe a verb. They qualify an action. A verb is an action, and adverbs describe action.
EXAMPLE: The children sang beautifully.
In this example, the adverb 'beautifully' is used to describe how the children sang.
EXAMPLE: The man ran quickly.
In this example, the adverb 'quickly' is used to describe how the man ran.
Sometimes confusion can arise when a sentence includes both adjectives and adverbs. The examples below will help to clear up any mix-ups.
EXAMPLE: The happy children sang beautifully.
In this example, the adjective 'happy' is used to describe the children. The adverb 'beautifully' is used to describe the way they sang.
EXAMPLE: The tall man ran quickly.
In this example, the adjective 'tall' describes the man's height. The adverb 'quickly' describes how he ran.
If you find youself having trouble using these two similar figures of speech, do not hesitate to contact us for guidance! Email us at info@universityproofreading.com!
Or visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our website!
Adjectives and adverbs are similar in that both describe something. The difference between them is that adjectives are used to describe nouns and adverbs are used to describe verbs.
Adjectives qualify people, places and things. They are used to describe attributes or qualities of a noun.
EXAMPLE: The happy children sang.
In this example, 'happy' is used to describe the condition of the children. Because 'children' is a noun, an adjective is used to describe it. In this case, 'happy' is the adjective.
EXAMPLE: The happy children sang the beautiful song.
In this example, the adjective 'happy' is used to describe the children. The adjective 'beautiful' is used to describe the song.
On the other hand, adverbs are used to describe a verb. They qualify an action. A verb is an action, and adverbs describe action.
EXAMPLE: The children sang beautifully.
In this example, the adverb 'beautifully' is used to describe how the children sang.
EXAMPLE: The man ran quickly.
In this example, the adverb 'quickly' is used to describe how the man ran.
Sometimes confusion can arise when a sentence includes both adjectives and adverbs. The examples below will help to clear up any mix-ups.
EXAMPLE: The happy children sang beautifully.
In this example, the adjective 'happy' is used to describe the children. The adverb 'beautifully' is used to describe the way they sang.
EXAMPLE: The tall man ran quickly.
In this example, the adjective 'tall' describes the man's height. The adverb 'quickly' describes how he ran.
If you find youself having trouble using these two similar figures of speech, do not hesitate to contact us for guidance! Email us at info@universityproofreading.com!
Or visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our website!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Irregular Plural Nouns
The English language is full of irregularities and quirks. Of these
quirks, perhaps the most difficult one for ESL students to grasp is that
of the irregularly pluralized noun. In the majority of cases, words are
pluralized by adding an 's' or an 'es' to the end of the word. But many
nouns are pluralized in an irregular fashion. A proper knowledge of
irregular pluralization is essential to successful writing. We have
compiled a quick guide to several of the most prominent examples.
Singular Plural
We hope this quick guide will aid you in your writing endeavors. Regularly visit our blog to check back from more helpful hints, suggestions and guides!
Be sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook, and our website!
Singular Plural
appendix
|
appendices
|
bacterium
|
bacteria
|
child
|
children
|
criterion
|
criteria
|
fungus
|
fungi
|
genus
|
genera
|
goose
|
geese
|
louse
|
lice
|
medium
|
media
|
nucleus
|
nuclei
|
ox
|
oxen
|
phenomenon
|
phenomena
|
radius
|
radii
|
syllabus
|
syllabi
|
tooth
|
teeth
|
We hope this quick guide will aid you in your writing endeavors. Regularly visit our blog to check back from more helpful hints, suggestions and guides!
Be sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook, and our website!
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