Grammar-O

Grammar-O Wednesdays
with Ocieanna

Welcome to grammar day on Seriously Write. If you’re a regular visitor here, you know that Ocieanna, our good friend and fellow blog hostess, went into cardiac arrest early in January. She’s doing well, but needs further rest. In the meantime, Annette and I (Dawn) will carry on in Ocieanna’s place until she can return. Please continue praying for her. Thanks!

Ready to test your skills?

The following sentences may contain grammar, punctuation, spelling, or other writing misdemeanors. Your job is to find the infraction and set it right. Try not to look at the answers below.

Have fun!

Sentences to correct:

1) After a day of pouring rain (or falling snow) and cool temperatures; there’s nothing better than a crackeling warm fire to make you feel comfortable and safe.

2) But it doesn’t last forever. The needs tending, or eventually what’s burning will be used up. The embers will die. The air, warm and inviting, will grow at first chilly, and then cold.

3) The same is true of our Spiritual lives. When we get our first taste of what its like to be in relationship with our Lord—not just know about Him from Sunday School lessons—but really know Him, we hunger for more.

4) Passion for our faith, for living what we believe, and serving God initally takes priority over everything else. But if we don’t stook our inner spiritual fire for God, the flames will slowly die down. We’ll become passive about not only sharing our beliefs – but also passive about what we believe. But, it doesn’t have to be that way . . .

5) People who are in a strong relationship with Christ imanate a warmth and glow to people around them. Their inner spiritual fires are stoked.

6) 1 Thessalonians 5;19 says, “Do not put out the Spirit's fire (NIV). I want to keep the fire stoked in my relationship with Lord. Do you?



Corrected sentences:

1) After a day of pouring rain (or falling snow) and cool temperatures, there’s nothing better than a crackling, warm fire to make you feel comfortable and safe.

Note: There should be commas after the word “temperatures” and “crackling.”

2) But it doesn’t last forever. The fire needs tending, or eventually what’s burning will be used up. The embers will die. The air, warm and inviting, will first grow chilly, and then cold.

3) The same is true of our spiritual lives. When we get our first taste of what it’s like to be in relationship with our Lord—not just know about him from Sunday school lessons—but really know him, we hunger for more.

Note: The CMOS and the CWMS both state that deity pronouns should not be capitalized. And most publishers agree. There is a long list of reasons why. But, if an author feels strongly about capitalizing He, Him, etc. when referring to God, the publisher will usually accept it. If you choose to capitalize the pronouns, it’s important to be consistent throughout the manuscript.


4) Passion for our faith, for living what we believe, and serving God initially takes priority over everything else. But if we don’t stoke our inner spiritual fire for God, the flames will slowly die down. We’ll become passive about not only sharing our beliefs—but also passive about what we believe. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. . . .

Note: A four-dot ellipsis (which is simply a period followed by a three-dot ellipsis) indicates an omission that does not render the sentence grammatically incomplete.

5) People who are in a strong relationship with Christ emanate a warmth and glow to people around them. Their inner, spiritual fires are stoked.

Note: A comma is needed after the word “inner.” To not include the comma would mean that we were comparing inner to outer spiritual fires. Including the comma means that we’re referring to inner fires, which happen to be spiritual.

6) First Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not put out the Spirit's fire” (NIV). I want to keep the fire stoked in my relationship with the Lord. Do you?

Note: Write out the number if the sentence begins with the number.
Note: Use a colon instead of a semi-colon between chapter and verse.
Note: Quotation marks are needed after the word “fire.”

How well did you do?

I use The Chicago Manual of Style and Webster’s Dictionary as my sources.