The Fictionary

A grammar, writing, and research-help blog for fanfic authors.

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Apart vs. A Part

These are a word and a phrase that are so often used interchangeably, but really shouldn’t be  — because they have totally opposite meanings. To be a part of something means you’re included in it; to be apart from something means you aren’t with it. If you use one in place of the other, you’re saying the exact opposite of what you mean!

(PS: If it helps, just remember that “apart of” is grammatically incorrect: you can’t use that adverb with that preposition, so you probably mean “a part.” “A part” can, however, be used with other prepositions than “of,” such as “from,” “with,” or “that.”)

[fictionary-and-grammar]

You may abscond, but you’re not stealing

Abscond is a wonderful little verb with two meanings:

1) to conceal something [the transitive verb form] 2) to depart secretly or suddenly, or to conceal oneself [intransitive]

“Hux absconds Kylo’s lightsaber, much to Kylo’s annoyance.” “Bucky absconded in May and has eluded capture since.”

In addition, you can abscond with something, as in you leave secretly with it, but sometimes it is mistaken for actually stealing the thing. For example:

Incorrect: “Kylo absconded the thoughts right from Hux’s head.” Correct: “Arya Stark absconded with Needle and disappeared from King’s Landing.”

Breaking it down, Arya is the thing that is disappearing with her sword, not stealing the sword itself. And Kylo certainly can’t abscond with anyone’s thoughts; he can steal them, but they don’t mean the same thing.

[fictionary-and-grammar]

What the heck do you do with an interrobang?!

Sometimes, just an exclamation mark or just a question mark isn’t enough: your sentence needs both! You might then want to turn to everybody’s favourite* nonstandard punctuation mark, the interrobang (?!). For example:

Ordinary question: Why aren’t you coming with us tonight?

Exclamatory statement: I didn’t know you weren’t coming with us tonight!

Let’s call this an exclamatory question, expressing extreme disbelief, excitement, or indignation: Can you believe she’s not coming with us tonight?!

Just make sure you’re typing “?!” and not “!?,” because there’s no such thing as an…exclamatierrogation mark. To help you remember, it’s right there in the name: first “interro-”, as in “interrogation,” i.e., “?”, and then “bang,” which is printing slang for an exclamation mark (because it just sounds like one, don’t you think?!)

*We do have to mention that interrobangs aren’t overly professional-looking, nor are they often found in published literature. Use them carefully and sparingly if you have to; and if you do use them, please be sure you’re typing them correctly.

[fictionary-and-grammar]

So, anyways...

If you’re an American, like me, you’ve probably heard someone say “I was going to do that anyways.” That’s not out of the ordinary in everyday speech patterns in the United States. However, it is not correct in written English. Here, I’ll be breaking down the difference between “anyway” and “any way” and throwing out “anyways.”

Anyway means “in any manner or respect,” “by any means,” or “regardless.” Generally you would say something like:

“I was going to do that anyway.”

“It’s expensive to eat dinner out, but people do it, anyway.”

Any way, which is two words, is used when you are saying “I can do that in any manner” or “by any means.” For example:

“I will use proper grammar in any way I can.”

It would mean exactly the same thing to say “I will use proper grammar in any manner I can.” See the difference between this use and “anyway?”

So, what about “anyways?” Well, to be frank, it’s just not correct when you’re writing anything. The only acceptable use in writing is when you are purposefully misusing it, such as in dialogue. So, even if you grew up saying it like this, throw out the “s” and do it right anyway.

[nevver]

Common Phrases Correctly

[nijuukoo]

Oh thank the gods

[blargh-ish-deactivated20200722]

You could always nip it in the butt too if that makes you happy.

[gefionne]

Start vs. Startle

Born of my unadulterated hatred for the misuse of “to startle” in many fanfics, I am sharing with you my very favorite simple guide to transitive vs. intransitive verbs.

To Start is an intransitive verb that means to move suddenly and violently or to react with a brief involuntary movement. For example: I started when a shot rang out.

To Startle can be both a transitive and intransitive verb, but the intransitive version is not used like people try to use it in fic. The intransitive verb means to jump or move suddenly. The transitive verb form means to surprise someone suddenly.

The different between these verb forms is that a transitive verb requires a direct object. An intransitive verb does not require an object. For example:

Intransitive: “I am startled by loud noises.” Loud noises are the direct object.

Transitive: “You are startled.” There is no direct object.

HOWEVER, people in fics often try to use the transitive form as an intransitive verb.

THIS IS NOT CORRECT: “He startled at the noise.”

You are trying to use a transitive verb where you require an intransitive one.

THIS IS CORRECT: “He started at the noise.”

“To start” is the transitive verb you’re looking for.

In conclusion, please for the love of god stop writing “He startled” and write “He started.” VERBS!!!!!!

[fictionary-and-grammar]

I just recently started following this blog, so I apologize if this has been asked/answered before. I try to write my dialogue very colloquially and I feel like I do a fairly good job of pauses and interruptions, however I'm not sure if I'm punctuating everything correctly. How should a sentence be ended if speech is cut off? I used to just do an em-dash, but I've also seen it with a dash and some type of punctuation. Are one of those correct? Is there another way to do this? Thanks in advance!!

Em dash is 100% correct! Any interrupts would go:

“That’s not what I mean. You—”

Cutting it off with a en dash is incorrect. Any other sort of punctuation in an interrupted sentence isn’t, either.

May I suggest our series on punctuating dialog: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Hey, ya'll! I'm working on a fic and came across a question google has been no help with. For now, I have this sentence: "He follows them around town to the places he hasn’t been invited; no one would ever think of turning him away, invitation or no." My question concerns the last phrase, "invitation or no." Is that correct (as in 'invitation or no invitation')? Or would it be 'or not'? Or 'or none' (which feels strange...)? idk save me!

Heyo! We conferred on this and decided that both of us would colloquially use “invitation or no.” There’s nothing that we know of that makes that incorrect, and most people would say it that way. Have fun with your fic!

[fictionary-and-grammar]

A big "Grazie" from Rome (where a certain forthcoming fic featuring Pope Snoke is set...)!

Oh yay! :D :D :D -Gef

[fictionary-and-grammar]

From “Flyboys” Chapter 20: “[...] we might be assigned to the same airfield again, if never the same squadron.” Does “if never” mean “perhaps even the same”?From “Anthem for Doomed Youth” Chapter 9: “That’s never Poe Dameron, pride and joy...?” Does “that’s never” mean “are you perhaps...?”?The non-native English speaker nonnie you helped a lot some months ago is back! Thank you very much in advance... and THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL FICS, as well!

Welcome back, nonnie! Let’s see what we can do here.

Unfortunately, in the first case, “if never” means “but never”; so, broken down, the full sentence means, “Even though we could maybe be at the same airfield again, they’d never put us in the same squadron.” Your version is much less sad!

The second case kind of has the opposite meaning, so I understand why you’d be confused! In this case, “never” is sort of used as an exclamation of surprise, like saying, “No way, is that Poe Dameron?” So yes, “are you perhaps” is an accurate translation!

Thanks for asking, and for reading our stuff!! :)

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Okay ladies, let’s say I have an author in my bibliography who has a middle name (Mary Susan Brown) and another who has two non-hyphenated surnames (Mary Smith Brown = Brown being the name she is filed under). The journal I am submitting my paper to requires that I write the initials of the names and then the surname (as in, W. Shakespeare). I take it I must initialise only the middle name, and not the surname that the author is not filed under (M. S. Brown, M. Smith Brown)? Thank you!

This is an interesting one that likely has a lot to do with the type of citation style you’re using. This sounds like APA, which requires initials rather than full names (like MLA or Chicago). That’s just a guess on my part, though, so correct me if I’m wrong in that. In any case, the standards for APA require that the last name be recorded in full, even if it’s not hyphenated (http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2017/05/whats-in-a-name-two-part-surnames-in-apa-style.html). So, you would do:

Smith Brown, M. for Mary Smith BrownBrown, M.S. for Mary Susan Brown

In-text citations would look like this: (Smith Brown, 2017) and (Brown, 2017).

Good luck with your paper!

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Possessive S vs. Plural S

All right, folks, let’s get right down to what might be the most pervasive, most irritating, and most easily solved mistake in the English language. Native speakers are some of the worst offenders in this department: I’ve had at least one English teacher who couldn’t get this right! And my question is, WHY? As you’re about to see, it’s really not that hard.

Let’s start with pluralisation, because who doesn’t want to have more than one of something? No one, that’s who. And here’s a hint: it’s super easy. When you want to pluralise something, just add an S, no apostrophe. It’s that simple, even if you’re using abbreviations or numbers.*

I hate Mondays.

These are the new CDs.

The 1920s were an interesting time.

*The general American stylistic choice is to add an apostrophe-S (’s) to abbreviations and time periods, but the apostrophe-S, as we will learn, is actually an indicator of possession. Some Americans will probably fight me on this, and I will fight right back. There is no need to say “CD’s” or “1920′s” to indicate plurality.

There are, of course, some exceptions, because language wouldn’t be language without ‘em. For example:

Words ending in “O” add an “-es” when they’re pluralised.

We’re out of tomatoes.

Can you fry up those potatoes?

But good news: that’s about it!

A lot of people seem to get confused when a word ends in any vowel, and start throwing apostrophe-Ss around where they don’t belong. I’ve seen many a coffee-shop menu board announcing that they have “scone’s” and “tea’s” for sale, and I can tell you right now, they definitely don’t! Why not, you ask? Because apostrophe Ss are only for possession.

Let’s start with the basics: it’s vs. its. 

It’s is a contraction of "it is." The apostrophe indicates that something was there but has now been removed, just like in “don’t” (do not) or “can’t” (cannot).

It’s cold out today means exactly the same thing as It is cold out today.

Its is possessive: it means “the thing(s) belonging to it.”

 “The dog’s eyes were brown” can be simplified to “Its eyes were brown.”

So you see there’s no way to exchange “its” for “it’s” while maintaining your intended meaning. “It is eyes were brown” doesn’t mean anything, nor does “the thing belonging to it cold out today.”

The its principle also applies when you want to denote possession with pronouns, like “her,” “him,” or “their.” Again, you just add an S with no apostrophe:

The dress is hers. 

The house is theirs.

The boots are his. (”His” is essentially a  nicer-sounding contraction of “hims,” which isn’t a word.)

But where this gets confusing is that an apostrophe-S tacked on to any proper noun (someone’s name or title) also makes it possessive. 

The dress is Sansa’s.

Those boots are the General’s.

Just remember that pronouns and proper nouns follow opposite rules for possession and you’ll be fine! We do have another exception, but this is the last one, I promise.

For possessive plural nouns, you need an S-apostrophe (s’), not an apostrophe-S (’s). Make sure you’re putting them in the right order; otherwise, it changes your meaning.

Correct: The Millers’ house, where “the Millers” are multiple people.

Incorrect: The Miller’s house, which means that The Miller is one person.

The same rule applies to all proper nouns ending in S.

Paris’ history is long and rich. 

Francis’ hands were cold.

Technically, you can also add ‘s to a word that ends in S, but in your writing, you just have to pick one style and keep it consistent.

Paris’s history is long and rich.

Francis’s hands were cold.

Some singular nouns ending in S also take the S-apostrophe. Generally, if you would pronounce an extra syllable when you speak the word aloud, you’re safe to add an apostrophe-S. Otherwise, just an apostrophe will do.

The class’s field trip was fun.

The dogs’ barking disturbed her sleep.

And that’s about it! Go forth, possess, and pluralise to your heart’s content. 

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Sorry we’ve been slacking on non-Wednesday posts lately, folks! We’re both extremely busy with school/work and writing commitments and haven’t had time to draft a good supply of posts. We’ll get our act together soon, we promise. :)

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Cue vs. Queue

Every Wednesday we feature a set of words that are often mistaken or misused. This week’s features are:

Cue vs. Queue The homonyms strike again: two words that sound the same, but mean totally different things. A “cue” is the thing you receive in a play; a signal to begin a specific speech or action. A “queue” is several things: a line of people, the thing you put your Tumblr posts into to set them up to be posted at certain intervals, or even braided hair. In context:

Cue: “Kylo Ren gave the cue to the stormtroopers to kill the villagers.” Queue: “The attendees stood in a queue to take photos with the actors,” or “I put all my shitposts in my queue,” or “She had her hair fastened in a queue at the base of her skull.”

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Rogue vs. Rouge

Every Wednesday we feature a set of words that are often mistaken or misused. This week’s set is both dashing and...red. 

Although these words contain the exact same letters, the placement of that pesky “U” makes a whole world of difference. A rogue is a scoundrel, or a scruffy-looking nerf herder, if you like. Rouge is the French word for “red,” also meaning “blush,” and English has co-opted the latter meaning, in the sense of the cosmetic product. In context:

Rogue: “Han Solo’s reputation as a rogue had reached every corner of the galaxy.”

Rouge: “The rouge on her cheeks was the same shade as the wine.”

Pronunciation-wise, these words are also much more different than they look. Rouge sounds like “rooj” because “ou” makes an “oo” sound in French. Rogue sounds like “rowg” because “gue” makes a hard “g” sound.

It should go without saying, but the Star Wars film that takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope is not called Red One. Mind where you put your “U”s!

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Chaff vs. Chafe

Every Wednesday we feature a set of words that are commonly mistaken or misused. This week, we’re going to separate the chafe from the chaff.

To chafe is to rub up against something uncomfortably, either literally or figuratively. Too-tight pants can chafe; someone can also chafe against a set of rules that they don’t like (such as grammatical ones, apparently). Chaff, though — which we’ve seen misused for chafe way too often —  refers literally to the husks left behind after a grain like wheat or corn has been threshed. It can also mean something worthless or of little value, which leads to the figurative expression separating the wheat from the chaff: getting the good stuff out from the bad. 

So to recap: when your character has popped a boner and his jeans are feelin’ a little uncomfy, he’s not chaffing, he’s chafing! (If, however, he’s a farmer and husking wheat is what gets him going... well, we’ll leave that one up to you.)

[fictionary-and-grammar]

Thank you very much!!! And sorry for not being able to provide you with context! You have helped me a lot!

Glad to hear it! Feel free to come to us with any future questions :)