tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post1908426789045221703..comments2023-09-05T12:51:25.656-05:00Comments on edittorrent: Bloggus InterruptusEdittorrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-50593682796127991372008-04-14T17:17:00.000-05:002008-04-14T17:17:00.000-05:00OMG, that's AWESOME! I've always wanted to be more...OMG, that's AWESOME! I've always wanted to be more like Bruce Lee and less like Hong Kong Phooey!<BR/><BR/>Theresa<BR/><I>Hyah! </I>Edittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-51792566008079923362008-04-14T09:45:00.000-05:002008-04-14T09:45:00.000-05:00I'm short of sleep and suffering from allergies to...I'm short of sleep and suffering from allergies today, so I read 'play with your sentences' and had an image of a playground pop into my mind. In it, my sentences took the form of bullies beating me up, and Theresa and Alicia appeared as martial arts <I>senseis</I> teaching me how to straighten them out so they stop doing that. Now I know that those bullies are hiding weak verbs, so I can put them in their places.<BR/><BR/>Fortunately, I didn't picture our esteemed editors with the bushy beard that my Aikido <I>sensei</I> wears. ;-)<BR/><BR/>I just had to share that. LOL<BR/><BR/>Seriously, thank you again, ladies.Dave Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00773380114295267509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-73992601903764259772008-04-13T21:49:00.000-05:002008-04-13T21:49:00.000-05:00Ian, that's a present participial phrase, and some...Ian, that's a present participial phrase, and someday I'll treat you to a bona fide rant about them. They have their uses, but they're so frequently misused and overused that I've learned to view them all with suspicion.<BR/><BR/>Jan, practice makes perfect. :) The more you play with your sentences, the more adept you'll become.<BR/><BR/>TheresaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-5377807413278648032008-04-13T20:18:00.000-05:002008-04-13T20:18:00.000-05:00I'm glad you're back, too. I was having withdrawal...I'm glad you're back, too. I was having withdrawal symptoms.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for these examples and your explanation of weak verbs. I find myself now at least attempting solutions to the weak constructions before reading the alternative. Sometimes I even get them right!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-37862589294268814382008-04-13T11:50:00.000-05:002008-04-13T11:50:00.000-05:00Welcome back! I can only hope you've found a gold ...Welcome back! I can only hope you've found a gold mine of great work and are busy tapping that vein!<BR/><BR/>One of the more sneaky ways which I find myself trying to add passive voice is through constructions where I hide the weak verb altogether and it ends up just being implied. For example:<BR/><BR/><I>Ian read over the latest column, composing a suitable comment in his mind.</I><BR/><BR/>I use that construction a LOT. And I see it a lot in things other people send me too. Sure, it FEELS okay - after all, there aren't any annoying state-of-being verbs sticking up their ugly heads, but it's only because they're hiding inside that "ING." The implication is that Ian WAS composing a suitable comment. I make a conscious effort to remove those from my own work as much as I can. I'd probably change that sentence like this:<BR/><BR/><I>Ian read over the latest column, and composed a suitable comment in his mind.</I><BR/><BR/>I don't see any difference in meaning between these two sentences, except that one is dancing with passive voice and the other kicked it to the curb.<BR/><BR/>I'm less guilty of overusing "who," but I definitely have to watch out for "that."<BR/><BR/>Thanks for sharing these columns with us!<BR/><BR/>IanIanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14497045412007902460noreply@blogger.com