Jeff Mellor's Grammer and Style Rules

  1. Produce å%^&$#@ copy so that readers can focus on the substance of your writing.

  2. Any author should strive to use gender-inclusive language in his writing.

  3. Check you final copy for spilling errors. (Spell Czechs some times let's miss steaks sale threw.)

  4. Also check to see if you've words out.

  5. If dangling, omit participles.

  6. In my opinion, I really think that an author in writing books, articles, or publications should definitely get in the habit of always endeavoring to try to help eliminate unneeded, redundant, and superfluous words, phrases, and sentences that are not really required to express fully for others his or her very own thoughts, concepts, feelings, ideas, or emotions simply, economically, and concisely.

  7. Discourses that are informed by current conceptualization frameworks can often be more easily negotiated and/or interrogated by the non-specialist when driven by pre-post-modern terminology.

  8. Strive assiduously to excise excess successive similar sibilant sounds, but also ban bunches of bilabials.

  9. Remember not to ever split infinitives.

  10. The passive voice is to be avoided, if the active voice can be used.

  11. Mixed metaphors are pitfalls which are poison to effective writing.

  12. Avoid using commas, which aren't necessary.1

  13. Avoid a not inconsiderable lack of clarity by omitting series of mutually cancelling logically negative expressions.

  14. Avoid overuse of "quotation" marks.

  15. Avoid slang. It sucks.

  16. Avoid spurious irregular verbs which have snuck into the written language.

  17. Avoid monotony by varying the beginning of successive sentences.

  18. Observe the cases of the pronouns you use. It helps you, I, and other readers understand things more clearly.

  19. The correct use of singulars and plurals are important factors to remember.

  20. Precise diction often centers around the careful use of prepositions.

  21. Each pronoun should agree with their antecedent; verbs also has to agree with their subjects.

  22. Take pains to use adverbs as good as you can.

  23. Don't use run-on sentences you must insert correct punctuation.

  24. Its important to use apostrophe's correctly.

  25. The adverb always follows the verb.

  26. One cannot gainsay the advantage of avoiding archaisms.

  27. Use a semi-colon properly, always use one where it's appropriate; and never where it isn't.

  28. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences where confusing phrases might intervene, to their antecedents.

  29. No sentence fragments.

  30. A writer mustn't shift your point of view.

  31. Don't use no double negatives.

  32. In letters themes reports articles and papers we use commas to separate items in a series.

  33. If you are dubitable about the meaning or usage of a word, consult your dictionary.

  34. Do not use foreign expressions, if there is a suitable English quid pro quo.

  35. If you must use a foreign word, it is de rigor to use it correctly.

  36. Never use a preposition to end a sentence with.

  37. When like, you know, telling about one of those sort of special kind of things, use the most precise expression possible, I mean the reader is like wow when you do.

  38. Inappropriate mixtures of stylistic levels in written discourse can really blow the reader's mind.

  39. Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague. Seek viable alternatives.

1 Avoid excessive footnoting of extraneous information, since it can needlessly break the reader's concentration.
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