How many times have you read that someone wrote “over twenty novels” or sold “over a million copies” of their books? Did you realize that’s not proper grammar?

Below are more “PUGS Pointers”–tips on Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling–along with yet another reason it’s important to polish those PUGS. (And if you make it to the bottom of this blog post, you’ll get a free bonus: a Punctuation Chuckle!)

WHY POLISH YOUR PUGS?

PUGS errors can be distracting.

If I’m reading a book, no matter how good the content or story might be, if there are too many mistakes in punctuation, usage, grammar, or spelling, it’s tough for me to get past those enough to concentrate on the book. I have been known to stop reading a book, and put it back on the shelf, if I find too many errors. And there are other readers like me out there. Don’t let PUGS problems distract readers from your message or your story.

PUNCTUATION TIP:

Descriptive Phrases

When a plural noun ending in s is used to modify another noun, use an apostrophe without an added s. No apostrophe in proper names that do not use one.
Examples:
   a teachers’ college
   a writers’ conference
   writers’ guidelines
   Publishers Weekly
   Diners Club

USAGE TIP:

aisle/isle
aisle (noun) is a passage, as in “We met in the grocery store aisle.”
isle (noun) is an island, as in “We spent our honeymoon on a tropical isle.”

GRAMMAR TIP:

more than vs. over

More than is used with figures (numbers).
“Vickie sold more than one thousand copies of her last book.”

Over refers to spatial relationships.
“The football soared over the receiver’s head.”

SPELLING TIP:

airfare (one word)

CLICK TO ENLARGE GRAPHIC IF IT’S TOO SMALL TO READ.