The Century Handbook of Writing Part 2

Right: The fact that a man wears old clothes is no proof that he is poor. [Or] The wearing of old clothes is not proof that a man is poor.

Note.--_Because of_, _owing to_, _on account of_, introduce adverbial phrases only. _Due to_ and _caused by_ introduce adjectival phrases only.

Wrong: He failed, due to weak eyes. [Due is an adjective; it cannot modify a verb.]

Right: His failure was {due to } weak eyes {caused by}

{because of } Right: He failed {owing to } weak eyes.

{on account of}

Exercise:

1. The reason why I would not buy a Ford car is because it is too light.

2. My second reason for coming here is because of social advantages.

3. Because John is rich does not make him happier than I.

4. Because I like farming is the reason I chose it.

5. The only reason why vegetation does not grow here is because of the lack of water.

=_is when_ or _is where_ Clauses=

=6. Do not use a _when_ or _where_ clause as a predicate noun. Do not define a word by saying it is a "when" or a "where". Define a noun by another noun, a verb by another verb, etc.=

Wrong: The great event is when the train arrives.

Right: The great event is the arrival of the train.

Wrong: Immigration is where foreigners come into a country.

Right: Immigration is the entering of foreigners into a country.

Wrong: A simile is when one object is compared with another.

Right: A simile is a figure of speech in which one object is compared with another.

Note.--A definition of a term is a statement which (1) names the cla.s.s to which the term belongs, and (2) distinguishes it from other members of the cla.s.s. Example. A quadrilateral is a plane figure having four sides and four angles. To test a definition ask whether it separates the term defined from all other things. If the definition does not do this, it is incomplete. Define _California_ (so as to exclude other states), _window_ (so as to exclude _door_), _star_ (exclude _moon_), _night_, _rain_, _circle_, _Bible_, _metal_, _mile_, _rectangle_.

Exercise:

1. The pistol shot is when the race begins.

2. A sn.o.b is when a man treats others as inferior socially.

3. The wireless telegraph is where messages are sent a long distance through the air.

4. The definition of usury is where one charges interest higher than the legal rate.

5. Biology is when one studies plant and animal life.

=Undeveloped Thought=

=7. Do not halfway express an idea. If the idea is important, develop it.

If it is not important, omit it.=

Incomplete: We were now quite sure that we had lost our way, and Jack said he had a business engagement that night.

Better: We were now quite sure that we had lost our way, a fact which was all the more annoying as Jack said he had a business engagement that night.

Puzzling: Since McAndrew had inherited money, his suitcase was plastered with labels.

Right: Since McAndrew had inherited money, he had traveled extensively. His suitcase was plastered with the labels of foreign hotels.

Careless: In looking for gasoline troubles, we forgot to see whether the tank was supplied.

Right: In looking for the cause of the trouble, we forgot to see whether the tank was supplied with gasoline.

Note.--In giving information about books, do not confuse the t.i.tle with the contents or some part of the contents. Be accurate in referring to the time, scene, action, plot, or characters.

Loose thinking: Shakespeare's _Hamlet_ occurs in Denmark [The scene is laid?]. Many pa.s.sages are powerful, especially the grave-digging [Is grave-digging a pa.s.sage?]. The character of Horatio is a n.o.ble fellow [conception], and the same is true of Ophelia [Ophelia a fellow?]. The drama takes place over several weeks. [The action covers a period of several weeks.]

Exercise:

1. The victrola brings to the home the world's musical ability.

2. The user of Dietzgen instruments is not vexed by numerous troubles that accompany the inferior makes.

3. To the picnicker rainy weather is bad weather, while the farmer raises a big crop.

4. Some diseases can be checked by preventives, and in many cases can be of great use to an army.

5. This idea of breaking all records held for eating is naturally harmful to the digestion, and these important organs may thank their stars that Christmas does not come very often.

=Transitions=

The state of mind of a writer is not the state of mind of his reader.

The writer knows his ideas, and has spent much time with them. The reader meets these ideas for the first time, and must gather them in at a glance. The relation between two ideas may be clear to the writer, and not at all clear to the reader. Therefore,

=8. In pa.s.sing from one thought to another, make the connection clear. If necessary, insert a word, a phrase, or even a sentence, to carry the reader safely across.=

s.p.a.ce transition needed: We were surprised to see a house in the distance, but we went to the door and knocked. [This sentence does not give a reader the effect of distance.]

Better: We were surprised to see a house in the distance. _But we hastened toward it with thoughts of a warm meal and a good lodging. We entered the yard_, and went up to the door, and knocked.