Grammar Fix: Repairing Fused Sentences and Comma Splices

You probably remember the terms “comma splice” and “fused sentence” (also called a comma fault and run-on sentence, respectively) from some point in English class. For those of you who need a refresher, these terms refer to sentences in which two independent clauses have been improperly linked.

What’s an independent clause? It’s a group of words that include a subject and verb and can stand alone as a sentence because the words express a complete thought. Independent clauses can also form parts of a sentence. For example, there are two independent clauses below:

The project is behind schedule.
Our communications team has to work late.

Each of these two clauses express a complete thought, but you probably can see the flow of logic that would allow for them to be connected in one sentence. It’s a matter of connecting them properly.

Here’s Your Problem:

Fused Sentence
In a fused sentence, two independent clauses are simply thrown together in a sentence without any punctuation or connectors. In such an instance, our two example clauses would look like this:

The project is behind schedule our communications team has to work late.

Comma Splice
When the two independent clauses are connected by only a comma, the sentence now has a comma splice as in the example below:

The project is behind schedule, our communications team has to work late.

Repair Options:
To fix a comma splice or fused sentence, use one of the three options below.

1. Use a Coordinating Conjunction + a Comma

When you use a comma to connect two independent clauses, it should be accompanied by one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so). So the sentence should look like this:

The project is behind schedule, so our communications team has to work late.

or

The project is behind schedule, and our communications team has to work late.

2. Use a Semicolon

While a comma needs the support of coordinating conjunctions, a semicolon is considered strong enough mark to link two independent clauses all on its own. However, semicolons ramp up the drama of the sentence by a few degrees, so it is best to use them sparingly.

The project is behind schedule; our communications team has to work late.

3. Use a Period

Since comma splices and fused sentences contain two independent clauses, you can always add a period at the end of the first clause, insert a space, and begin the second clause with a capital letter. That is, break the sentence in two:

The project is behind schedule. Our communications team has to work late.

Recognizing structural flaws in your sentences while you’re busy writing or even revising can be challenging, especially if you’re in a rush. You can become more familiar with these types of flaws via these online quizzes for comma splices as well as run-on sentences. Even if you’re a seasoned professional, an occasional review keeps your skills sharp and makes spotting errors a quicker, easier process.

The Case for the Inverted Pyramid

Storytelling techniques have a lot of advocates (including me). However, some storytelling advocates suggest that a traditional writing format, the inverted pyramid structure, is a thing of the past.

The inverted pyramid consists of a written piece in which the most important facts are presented up front and the least essential information is placed at the end of the piece. Although it’s a traditional journalist technique, even journalists have conflicting views about using this top-down approach according to Poynter. Detractors call it outdated and anti-story since it does not follow storytelling conventions. However, supporters, including some business writers, point out that the inverted pyramid is a useful way to quickly deliver the most vital information in one’s message.

The facts are these: In these fast-paced times, an audience may not have the time or inclination to keep reading. But with the inverted pyramid structure, even if the reader stops midway, you’ll still have communicated your key points. Also, think about pitch and sales letters; they first hook readers with their most striking point or findings and then provide the supporting information. In other words, they use the inverted pyramid structure.

The delayed-lead or feature style and other storytelling techniques have their place in the PR toolkit, but the inverted pyramid isn’t going anywhere. It often is the best choice for papers and Web pages (since many online readers do not scroll down) as well as news stories and press releases.

How to Write the Inverted Pyramid Structure
In the inverted pyramid, the first paragraph, called the “lead” or “lede,” should incorporate the five Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and, if applicable, the H (how). You can spill some of that information over to the second paragraph, if necessary. During your review process, always check those two paragraphs to ensure that all the information is summarized at the top of your message.

The subsequent paragraphs should contain facts and examples that support your preceding statements. Next, write the background information for your piece’s topic with the least important details placed at the very end. If you use a bullet list, experts suggest that you also use the inverted pyramid format in the list, with the most important bullet items at the top.

When to Use the Inverted Pyramid Structure
Deciding when the inverted pyramid is appropriate is a matter of personal judgment. However, I do have a few suggestions:

• Straightforward materials such as appointment releases usually do not warrant a narrative. Most of your audience just wants the facts about the person being hired, fired or promoted, not “It all began when …”

• When you have a fact or statistic that will knock your readers’ socks off, you should start with that attention-grabber rather than with a delayed lead.

• Reports, research papers, studies and similar materials typically have an abstract or executive summary that quickly presents the piece’s conclusion or key findings.

As already mentioned, this structure should be only one of the communication methods you have at your disposal. So, how about you? When do you use the inverted pyramid and when do you opt for storytelling?

Dodging the Homophone Bullet

While editing a client’s proposal, I noticed that the program’s agenda was described as “complimenting” the public school curriculum. Recently, a friend received a flier from a public relations department offering “complementary” beverages at a special event. I’ve seen these two words misused so often that I occasionally check the dictionary just to keep things clear in my own mind.

A lot of people won’t catch these errors. In fact, my client proudly told me that a granter had called her proposal the best that they’d ever received (this was before I had ever seen it, so I can’t take credit).

So do the little mistakes matter? We don’t know how many other granters saw these gaffes and how it influenced their perceptions. If you keep writing that the program’s agenda is “praising” (aka complimenting) the curriculum or offer “corresponding” (aka complementary) beverages, eventually someone is going to notice and question your capabilities.

Homophones, also called homonyms, are words that sound the same but are spelled differently, and they pose a writing trap that’s hard to avoid. Your spell check program won’t catch these errors, and even when you review your work, your mind might stubbornly translate what you wrote into what you meant to write. Also, some people simply mistake the meaning of the words.

Common Homophone Traps
These are just some of the words that are easily confused.

Principle = rule, belief, attitude
Principal = Main; chief; presiding officer, especially of a school

Complementary = corresponding, opposite
Complimentary = free, flattering

To = a preposition and adverb used to indicate purpose, direction, proximity, position, etc.
Too = also, additionally, very, excessively
Two = pair, second

Its = possessive form of “it”
It’s = contraction of “it is”

If you’re interested in seeing how many words can be mistaken for another,  check out Alan Cooper’s Homonym List.

Three Simple Ways to Dodge Homophone Traps
So, how can you prevent the misuse of homophones? First, use substitutions if possible. In the case of the proposal, I quietly replaced the offending word with “supplement.” The substitution got rid of the problem but was close enough to the client’s preference to prevent any arguments.

Second, appoint someone else (preferably someone who writes well) to be your second pair of eyes. If you’re self-editing, take the time to walk away from the copy for a few hours or even days. You’ll catch more errors if you begin the editing process with a fresh perspective.

Third, write with a dictionary or thesaurus by your side. Don’t let pride get in the way of using these tools. A well-thumbed reference book is a sign of a conscientious writer.

These safeguards should help you eliminate homophone mistakes and other errors. If you ever do misuse a homophone, simply determine how the mistake happened and make a note to watch out for that trap the next time around.

4 Ways to Reduce Writing Time

With our hectic schedules, tactics for trimming time off or even getting started on a writing project can be invaluable. Everyone has their own preferred techniques, but here are a few I’ve learned:

1. Let Your First Drafts Be Stinkers
Don’t listen to your internal editor when you first begin writing. Just focus on getting words on the page or screen. If you do find yourself editing, try speedwriting or cutting and pasting text from your notes or source materials (with attribution as needed) directly into your document.

This rough draft will definitely need revision, but you won’t have wasted time agonizing over every word or flipping back and forth between your copy and reference material. Once you have the words down, you can edit the “ugly text” and shape it into an acceptable form.

Of course, some people spend loads of time on their first paragraph because that’s their way of planning the rest of the copy. If that’s you, move on to the other tactics below.

2. Organize Your Key Points
You can either start your project by making a list of points or you use this as your second step and arrange the text of your rough draft into a more logical sequence. I find that I rearrange my paragraphs on the second or third round of review.

If you’ve already written a query letter or proposal, use it as a ready-made outline to keep you from going off topic.

3. Reuse Previous Material
In his book Write More, Sell More copywriter Robert W. Bly suggests that for annual report projects, reusing chunks of previous annual reports or source documents is a great time-saver.

This tactic came in particularly handy on one very hectic day. I’d been working for nine hours straight when a client asked for a rush job on an ad blurb. I was so tired that trying to figure out what to write would have taken forever.

Instead, I looked at three previous ads that the client had used, put together the points that were consistent for all three, edited for length and style and had an ad blurb in less than an hour.

Of course, if you’re submitting articles on the same topic to different editors, I’d recommend that those articles be 95 percent or more different.

4. Use Templates
Cut down on formatting time by using templates for as many materials as you can, e.g., ads, email promotions, proposals, articles, etc. The bonus is that promotional materials will have a consistent look that’ll be useful in branding efforts.

Once you finish drafting the piece to your satisfaction, you’ll have to slow down and take some time as you begin to edit and proofread your work. However, these four techniques can help you reach that stage in a fraction of your usual time.

Bio
Kelle Campbell specializes in freelance public relations writing for PR companies, businesses and nonprofit organizations. She has contributed several articles on PR, writing, small business and technology topics to print and online publications. For more information, visit http://www.kcwriter.com.

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the bio is included.

Four Alternatives to Press Releases

Press releases are considered the mainstay of public relations, but that doesn’t mean that other written materials can’t get you media exposure. If you don’t have a subject newsworthy for a release, try sending one of these.

1. Pitch Letters

Use these letters to suggest story ideas to journalists. Many are looking for good ideas and your ideas will be appreciated as long as they’re on target.

Your goal is to present a story idea that will highlight your personnel, product or service, or some other feature of your business or life. However, you should approach the idea from an angle that will benefit journalists and their audiences. Tailor your pitches to the different outlets you target. And when you’re pitching to broadcast media, remember to mention audio and video opportunities in your letter.

2. Introductory Letters

Instead of waiting for the media to discover you, make the first move by offering yourself as an expert source. Introductory letters can serve as your first contact or as a follow-up to a call.

When writing to journalists, explain that if they ever need information on [fill in the blank] you will be able to supply them with information. Include a brief description of your expertise, a short fact sheet on your business, and your business card. Make sure you’ve given them all your contact information: home phone, cell phone as well as regular business phone and e-mail. You never know when a reporter will need to get in touch with you.

3. Letters to the Editors/Op-Eds

Another technique for gaining publicity is writing letters to the editor about articles that appear in the publication. These can either offer praise for an article or point out inaccuracies and omissions. If it’s the latter, be polite and make sure that you support your claims in your letter. Also, keep your letter brief (one page) and focused on one subject.

Op-eds or opposite editorials can be in the form of letters or essays, depending on the preference of the publications you target. Keep your piece short and base it on a timely subject in order to have a better chance of being published. You don’t have to refer to any articles or news that ran in the publication. In fact, some publications consider those strictly letters to the editors and won’t run it in the op-ed section. Accepted lengths range from 500-1,500 words, so check to see if there are any guidelines before you submit your piece.

4. Articles and Columns

Contribute articles to publications in order to gain exposure and credibility. Writing articles about your particular field of expertise establishes you as an expert and builds confidence in your abilities, two of the very things that you want to accomplish via your PR efforts.

Look at publications that you already read to see if any of them will make likely markets for articles (focus especially on publications that are read by your clients and prospects).  If you’re just starting out, trade magazines are a good bet since they have fewer writers competing for placement. An added bonus is that they target niche audiences, so your words will be before a focused group of prospects.

Think of a few story ideas, do some basic research and start shooting off query letters to editors. Once you have some writing experience under your belt, you may even be able to get your own column.  Newspapers and some newsletters may be receptive to proposals for a column that focuses on your particular know-how. Experts have also become columnists for community newspapers, business magazines and so on.

Propose your column idea to an editor (local publications are a good bet) and submit about three to six pieces so that they’ll have an idea of what to expect. Before you decide to become a columnist, bear in mind that columns can be daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly. That means that you’ll have to come up with new slants and ideas on a regular basis. If you are successful in getting a column, try to have a few pieces written in advance as a safety net.

These four options can help you stay in the media even when you don’t have anything for a news release. Start using them now.
Bio

Kelle Campbell specializes in freelance public relations writing for PR companies, businesses and nonprofit organizations. She has contributed several articles on PR, writing, small business and technology topics to print and online publications. For more information, visit http://www.kcwriter.com.

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the bio is included.

Boost Your Business Value – Get Published!

Getting articles published is an excellent way to establish yourself as an expert and gain the recognition of peers, customers and superiors.

Organizations love to say they have a published writer/expert on their payroll, and your articles can be used in information packages, media kits and other promotional materials for the company.

If you become an expert on an issue that no one else in your company addresses, your supervisor may give you more responsibilities (great for negotiating that raise) or promote you. And, in the event of a job change, mentioning published works will help you stand out from other candidates.

Writing and publishing an article isn’t as hard as it seems. Editors are always interested in hearing from people with expertise that relates to their publications.
Just follow these steps:

1. Develop an Idea

Think up case histories, personal experiences, how-to articles, analysis of your particular work field, essays or op-ed pieces. Topics best avoided: controversial subjects and anything that would reveal confidential information about your organization or counter its official stance on an issue. Causing embarrassment or alienation is not your objective.

2. Research and Target Publications

that’s one less idea that has to be planned for the next issue.

Also, several trade and consumer publications accept articles from outside sources. Most publications are either fully online or have a Web-based version, complete with writer’s guidelines. If you can’t find the submission policies, inquire.

Begin with publications that you already read because you’ll be familiar with their content and style. In addition, you can look up potential targets in directories such as the Writer’s Market by Writer’s Digest Books (www.writersmarket.com). Visit bookstores and libraries to flip through a couple of back issues before you approach the publication, or scan the publication Web site.

3. Get the Go-Ahead

Approach publications by submitting a query letter that states your idea and your relevant credentials. You may have to send out a few query letters before your idea is accepted. Each time, read the submission guidelines and tailor your idea to fit the publication’s needs.

A common way to start a query letter is by writing the first paragraph as you would in the article. Otherwise, start by presenting interesting statistics or facts or a representative quote. The following are other tips for effective query letters:

• Stick to a one-page letter.
• Make sure you spell editors’ names correctly.
• Outline your topic so they have a good idea of your approach and the points you’ll cover.
• Include enough facts and figures to prove you know your story.
• Emphasize your credentials for writing the article; even if they ask for published samples, your expertise should be enough.
• Enclose an SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) with the letter.

Writer’s Market has very helpful guidelines for query letters and manuscript formats. If you need more detail, borrow a book from the writing section of your local library. TryFormatting & Submitting Your Manuscript from Writer’s Digest Books.

4. Write and Send the Article

Once you have the assignment, make sure your deadline is feasible and get to work. When you write the article, it’s a good idea not to rely on yourself for proofreading. Instead, get two other people to review it if possible before sending in.

5. Follow Up

Congratulations, you are now a published writer. Now start building on it. Offer new ideas to editors who have worked with you and use your publishing credentials to get your foot in the door at other publications. And don’t forget to let people in your circle of friends and acquaintances know you’ve been published. Self-promotion doesn’t work unless you keep promoting yourself.

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the bio is included.

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