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A Distinction Between “Optimal” and “Optimum”?

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by Kathleen Watson

According to merriam-webster.com, scientists in the mid-19th century needed a word to describe the most favorable point, degree or amount; the best condition for the growth and reproduction of an organism. They took “optimus” from Latin to create the noun optimum.

It filled the scientific need, and optimum eventually gained use beyond the scientific community to broadly imply the best or most desirable.

A few decades later, optimum was being used as an adjective as well as a noun. That’s when optimal was coined to serve as an adjective, but the distinction is either not understood or not accepted by everyone.

A popular resource for writers, Garner’s Modern American Usage, prefers “optimum” as the noun and “optimal” the adjective.

Noun Examples: optimum

These examples show how optimum is used as a noun (the best condition or amount):

Professor Albertson was pleased that the soil conditions of the test garden finally reached their optimum.

The pass interception yielded the optimum the coach could have hoped for.

Your thorough preparation resulted in the optimum your job search could have achieved.

Adjective examples: optimal

These examples show how optimal is used as an adjective (the most desirable, most favorable, most effective). Note that optimal is followed by the element it modifies:

Once students achieved optimal soil conditions for the test garden, the plants thrived.

The quarterback’s injury contributed to an optimal opportunity for a pass interception.

Because of your thorough preparation, your achieved optimal results from your job search.

I align with those who recognize and appreciate the distinction between optimum and optimal. Consider these pairs of words that follow the same noun / adjective pattern as do optimum and optimal:

bacterium / bacterial

cerebrum / cerebral

cranium / cranial

minimum / minimal

If optimum and optimal mean the same thing — if they are interchangeable — why do both words exist? Choosing one word over another because of its precise meaning or nuance separates the thorough writer, editor, or publication from the rest.

Kathleen calls herself the Ruthless Editor. She has created Grammar for People Who Hate Rules to help people write and speak with authority and confidence. Kathleen can be reached at kathy@ruthlesseditor.com.

In your opinion, are these two words interchangeable?

When “Start to” and “Decide to” Creep into Your Writing

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making your writing clearby Barbara McNichol

Do you habitually start a sentence with the phrase “start to” or “begin to”? In a 5,000-word document I recently edited, those phrases appeared 14 times, while only five were deemed necessary to the meaning. That’s a lot of extra words!

To be more direct in your writing, skip the “start/begin” part and employ the phrase Nike made famous: Just do it!

These examples show how you can write a stronger statement by going straight to the action verb rather than “beginning” to go for it.

Example 1: Slowly begin to approach your teammate with your idea.

Better: Slowly approach your teammate with your idea.

Example 2: Start to make an agenda for the meeting.

Better: Make an agenda for the meeting.

Whenever you write “start to” or “begin to,” question it. Ask: Is “start” or “begin” essential to the meaning of the sentence? Chances are you can glide straight to the action verb without it!

Similarly, watch out for “decide to” in your writing. Which verb carries more weight in this example sentence, “decide” or “launch”?

Example: The president decided to launch the company’s implementation strategy next month.

Better: The president will launch the company’s implementation strategy next month.

Do you see how “decide” doesn’t add meaning while “launch” is vital to the message? When you catch yourself writing “decide,” ask: Is it needed?

Your goal is clearer, stronger writing so your readers clearly understand what you mean. Pay attention to these phrases and streamline them. It will make a big difference.

What similar verb phrases belong in this category? List them here. I will discuss them in future posts.

Barbara McNichol has created a Word Trippers Tips resource so you can quickly find the right word when it matters most. You’ll improve your writing through excellent weekly resources in your inbox including Word Trippers of the Week. Details at www.WordTrippers.com

 

 

Mark Twain’s Sage Writing Advice

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by Chris Stern (reprinted from SSA newsletter)

Mark Twain was considered one of the greatest American writers of his time. He was often asked about the craft of writing and gave quite a bit of advice about putting words on paper. Here are a few of my favorites.

  1. Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. Interestingly, this was quoted by Rudyard Kipling in From Sea to Sea (1899) with the attribution to Mark Twain.
  2. You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are God’s adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by. This was in a letter to his son Orion Clemens in March 1878.
  3. Use good grammar. Not exactly a bold insight, but one that he wrote regarding “Fennimore Cooper’s Literary Offences” in 1895. He wrote “18 Rules of Writing” in this article, the advice on good grammar was #14 . Here are a few more from this source:
  4. A tale shall accomplish something and arrive somewhere.
  5. The episodes of a tale shall be necessary parts of the tale, and shall help develop it.
  6. The personages in a tale shall be alive, except in the case of corpses, and that always the reader shall be able to tell the corpses from the others.
  7. The personages in a tale, both dead and alive, shall exhibit a sufficient excuse for being there.
  8. Eschew surplusage. (aka Whack Wordiness)
  9. The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction.
    By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.
  10. Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream. (Barbara’s favorite)

Which of these are your favorites, either from a “funny” or a “serious” point of view?

The Only Five Comma Rules You’ll Ever Need

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by Harvey Stanbrough (used with permission)

This is gonna sound WAY oversimplified, especially given the nineteen PAGES of comma rules in the HarBrace College Handbook.

But it’s true. If you use these five rules, you can’t go wrong:

1. Never put a comma between a subject and its verb or between a verb and its object.

Also you must realize that a subject may be compound, as in “John and Ray went to the store and bought a television and a radio.”

In the example, “John and Ray” is the subject. “Went and bought” is the verb. “A television and a radio” is the object.

Of course, you can also add to the size of the subject, verb or object and you can detract from the size of the subject verb or object.

2. When a subordinate clause introduces an independent clause, separate the two with a comma.

If you aren’t sure about clauses, Rule #2 is an example of itself, as is this explanation.

A clause has a subject and a verb but doesn’t stand alone, meaning it doesn’t make sense by itself. (A “phrase” is missing either a subject or a verb.)

In Rule 2, “clause” is the subject and “introduces” is the verb, but “when” keeps the clause from making sense by itself. Therefore it is “subordinate.”

3. Do NOT use a comma to separate the clauses when a subordinate clause follows an independent clause.

In Rule #3, “Do not use a comma” is an independent clause and the remainder is a dependent clause. This rule, again, is an example of itself.

As an interesting side note, the subject in Rule 3 is the implied “you.” The verb is “use.”

4. Use a comma before the appropriate coordinating conjunction to join two related sentences.

The coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. Remember the acronym FANBOYS. My female students used to love that acronym. By the way, you very seldom need a comma AFTER a coordinating conjunction, although that is a bad habit that some folks have developed.

5. Trite as it sounds, when you are in doubt about whether to use a comma, leave it out.

Believe it or not, most comma problems arise from the insertion of misused commas, not from their omission.

That’s it! The five rules of comma use. And really, there are only three. The first one is necessary, numbers 2 and 3 are the same thing in reverse, and Rule 4 is necessary depending  on how you want the sentence to flow.

And of course, the last one isn’t so much a rule as a warning.

Harvey Stanbrough adheres to Heinlein’s Rules and writes across all genres. He has written and published 20+ novels and novellas, 160+ short stories, and hundreds of poems. He has compiled 5 critically acclaimed poetry collections and 25 collections of short fiction. Sign up for his Daily Journal or his ProWriters Blog at HarveyStanbrough.com.

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5 Tips to Ensure Your Written Message is Clear

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by Barbara McNichol

No matter what your written message—a sensitive email, a report, a proposal, even chapters in a book—you aim to make it easy for readers to understand. But how can you ensure what you actually write is what you intended?

Ignore this question at your peril. No matter how busy you are or how quickly you want to advance your projects, slow down. When you rush to action, you risk having to redo, revise, and explain. That doesn’t save you time!

Turn These Writing Tips into Habitsmaking your writing clear

What can you do improve the readability of your message as you write it? Turn the following five tips into strong habits:

  1. Write short words and limit the total number in a sentence. No more than 21 words per sentence is a good rule of thumb.
  2. Include one major point per paragraph and one major concept per chapter. Don’t try to do too much in either one.
  3. Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly so the strongest, most salient ones can stand out in a crowd.
  4. Break up large blocks of type with subheads—enough that readers can skim the subheads to quickly find what they’re looking for.
  5. Don’t change the point of view within a paragraph (e.g., switching from a “we” to “you” orientation). When you have to shift the viewpoint, start a new paragraph.

Always Proofread Your Written Message

Most important, always proofread your own message and, if possible, have a colleague check it, too. As you reread it, ask: “Is this exactly what I intended?” If not, rework it until you’re satisfied your message can be easily understood by others.

The benefit to you? You will save time in the long run.

What proofreading habits are most effective for you? Share them here.

A Writing Tip that’s Not a Halloween Joke

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by Patrice Rhoades-Baum

Have you heard the expression “murder your darlings”? It’s not a Halloween joke. It’s a century-old, highly respected writing tip.

A writing tip

Who said it?

According to Forrest Wickman’s research, Arthur Quiller-Couch offered this insightful advice in his widely reprinted 1913-1914 Cambridge lectures “On the Art of Writing”:

“Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it – whole-heartedly – and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings.”

What does it mean?

Sometimes while writing, we create a sentence or paragraph that is particularly energetic. It flows! It sparkles! It may be brilliant!

But if that sentence or paragraph does not support your message, you need to kill it. You need to whip out your red pen or hit the delete key.

It breaks your heart, but it must be done.

I believe every word, every sentence must support the message. “Murder your darlings” reminds us to be objective when writing and editing our content.

We are servants of the message we seek to communicate. We cannot fall in love with a passage that does not serve our message.

I’ve been writing professionally for 30+ years, and I know it’s tough to “murder your darlings.” My advice? Take a breath. Buck up. Do it.

The more you “murder your darlings,” the easier it becomes. Implement this writing tip to make your message clear. Your writing improves and everyone wins – except that “darling.”

Patrice Rhoades-Baum is a marketing consultant and branding expert. She guides solopreneurs – professional speakers, corporate consultants, and business coaches – to create a clear brand, strategic website, and polished one sheet brochure. Patrice has a 35-year marketing background: 25 years in high-tech corporate marketing + 10 years as a business owner. She specializes in branding for small businesses and writing strategic, hardworking one-sheet and website copy. She can be reached at www.patricerhoadesbaum.com

Share an example of when you “killed a darling” and didn’t have to stand trial for murder.

Refresh Your English Language Knowledge Every Week

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American English language resourceImagine having a resource at your fingertips that allows you to quickly find the right word when it matters most. Then imagine refreshing your knowledge in the English language every week so you can confidently use confusing words correctly.

Having the right word at your fingertips hasn’t always been easy—until now. Here’s a solution that enhances your excellence every day (not everyday).

Your Word Trippers Tips subscription offers:

  • An ebook featuring 390+ pesky pairings of words that can trip you up (except vs. accept, advise vs. advice, further vs. farther, to name a few)
  • A Word Tripper of the Week arriving in your in-box for 52 weeks (see sample on this page) and includes audio
  • Bonus PDFs on grammar and punctuation tips every quarter
  • A 38-minute webinar
  • A crossword puzzle that review previous Word Trippers

Sample of Word Tripper of the Week

ongoing word resource

Word Tripper of the Week

Build Credibility, Confidence, Competence in the English Language

Finding the right word to use that matters most—

  • Allows you to be seen as a credible professional
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Your Word Tripper of the Week hones your English language knowledge and keeps the learning alive. And its usefulness has been time-tested for more than a decade.

To get a better grasp of the English language with ease, invest in Word Trippers Tips—only $99/year.

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– Michael Spremulli, Corporate Entertainer & Speaker, www.Spremulli.com

 

Follow Zinsser’s Advice on Writing Well

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“Keep your paragraphs short. Writing is visual—it catches the eye before it has a chance to catch the brain.” – William Zinsser, On Writing Well

On Writing Well

This language expert gives excellent advice, but how does it translate to what you’re working on? I suggest this:

For nonfiction writing (including your emails), limit the length of your sentences to 21 words.

Why 21 Words?

With more than 21 words, you risk readers backtracking to the beginning of the sentence to retain or refresh the meaning. Few will do this! They want to understand it quickly on the first read, not the second or third. Also keep your paragraphs short as Zinsser suggests. Because people mostly scan rather than read each word on-screen, they can do so faster when paragraphs are short. Don’t set up a tedious experience for your readers.

Writing Well with Hemingway App

An editing app called Hemingway (www.hemingwayapp.com) helps accomplish this. It color-codes sentences based on ease of reading and indicates how to clarify them. When you use it as a learning tool, you’ll improve your writing just by following the suggestions.

Even if you don’t use this tool, pay attention. In my first draft of this article, I exceeded 21 words on four sentences. After doing a word count, I reworked them in ways that both Hemingway and Zinsser would approve.

Make that a habit for you, too!

What “Writing Well” tips do you have to share?

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