While doing research recently for an ESL student, I came across another “rule of writing”, to wit: Don't use gerunds; they make your writing weak. To qualify as a gerund a word must be: a verb with an “ing” suffix that performs the job of a noun. Take these sentences as examples: I like hiking. … Continue reading The Rules of Writing: No Gerunds?
active verbs
The Rules of Writing: A Built-In Paradox
The Rules of Writing. So many of them are subject to discussion, if not passionate argument. The Oxford comma, the em-dash, the sentence fragment: you're on one side or the other. Hardly anyone stands on the fence. Two of the most popular and oft-quoted Rules are: 1.) Use a stronger verb instead of a verb … Continue reading The Rules of Writing: A Built-In Paradox
Gifford MacShane, Author 