A new series by Michael Carroll

Introduction     Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4

Now that I have become an astonishingly successful writer – or "author" if you prefer – I have decided to pass on my secrets to all would-be writers, in that they might attain at least a tiny smidgen of the success that I have.

Lesson 1 – The Important of Choosing the Correct Words

The is one of the most common words in the English language. Another very important word is a. A and the are almost equalled in importance by and, which is often used to collect other words. So, and and the and a are topmost among the words that you should learn. But is also an important word, and is often used to mean the opposite of and.

Other words you should know are are and is. Is is the singular of are, and it is used only when referring to one object: When used with a and the, are is often not used, but is is in its place, because the and a often refer to a singular object, and are is the plural of is. If is used as a testing condition, but it can also be used as a prelude to a statement, as in the next sentence.

If you're using a and the following noun begins with a vowel sound, you can use an - a different form of the word. For example, you would say an android, or an and, but if an is is used with an an, and if it is to be spoken aloud, care should be taken as if it is said too quickly, it is easy to blur the words and confuse the listener. For example, "Anne is an answer" is clear enough, but "Anne's an answer" is less clear.

Likewise, sentences such as "An answer is: Anne is an aunt and Annie's an ant, and Ann's a nan and is an aunt of Annie's aunt and is an analyst" should be avoided, mainly because it's not true: if Annie's an ant, then Annie's aunt is an ant, which means that the ant colony has more than one queen, something that's usually only allowed in chess.

If you see the word of, it is generally there because one object belongs to another, but of is not to be confused with off which it often is. Sometimes, speakers use the phrase of off, meaning that one thing comes from another, and of course this sort of thing should be avoided. For example, look at the previous sentence: if we say of course we mean yes but if we say off course we generally mean that something has gone wrong. Luckily, of and off are pronounced differently, as are pronounce and pronouns...

Pronouns are very important. It is a pronoun, and so is I. You is also a pronoun, as are me and he and she and so on. However, it can also be used to refer to an unspecified object, as in the phrase I knew it. This contains only one pronoun, which is I: it is not a pronoun in this case. One is often used as a non-specific pronoun, we is collective, as is they, but we and they are not as similar as one might think, because we includes the speaker, and they doesn't.

This is a word that in many ways is similar to it, except that it usually refers to a specified object, and it usually doesn't. One of the most common mistakes English speakers make is confusing that and which. We use that when we're referring to something known, and which when it is unknown. This is an important point that – like words like is and and and of course the word the – are vital to the understanding of the English language.

When when is used, it refers to a moment in time, but why is often an interrogative, which is why it is vital to remember that when and why should never be mixed. However however is used in place of but and occasionally on the other hand is used in place of it, but not in place of but.

If and when you do decide to write, you should remember that if and when and it and the and and and are are words that your reader will always understand so you can feel free to use them and they and we when and how it suits your story.

Next issue: Lesson 2 – Tenses: how and when you are supposed to have used them