Grammar and the Science of Writing

Inspired Worlds is an independent publisher currently specialising in distributing the literary works of the award-winning author Alan G. Brown across varied platforms.

Wordsmith

This section is not only a bit of fun, but also informative for readers and a good reference for writers.

Over time, these pages will expand to cover most subjects the author has needed to study. His library contains more reference material than the number of books he could ever hope to write, yet every writer needs this background knowledge. Most will never appear in a novel, or not in great detail. Sometimes, pages of detail to show the reader that the writer has done his homework is unnecessary. Alan has spent many hours in research, and taken pages of notes, simply to ensure a single line in a novel is historically or scientifically accurate.

Later pages will look at our complex language too. If one can properly understand English, then they can understand almost anything. A very old joke was about a foreigner trying to understand his book of English while travelling through London in a taxi: "B-o-u-g-h pronounced bough (as in bouw). R-o-u-g-h pronounced rough (as in ruff). L-o-u-g-h pronounced lough (as in loch)." Just then, the taxi passes a sign: Black and White Minstrel Show, Pronounced Success, at which point he throws the book out of the window.

Who remembers their earlier days of learning? I before E except after C (except in certain circumstances). Nothing in this language is easy, and is why so many writers, and non-writers, make so many mistakes. Signs can produce many smiles, or cringes, especially when apostrophes are used incorrectly, as in: "Bun's made to order". Or one we saw regularly:

Sunday Roast Children
Half Price

Now, what does that mean? If you buy a roast child on Sunday, you get the meal at half-price? No doubt you all have your own favourites. Newsreaders get many words wrong, and even newspapers try fitting so much in a sentence that they change the meaning. Recently, this appeared in a newspaper: "Mr - - a local gardener living in - Road was found guilty and sentenced to 60 hours community service for stealing at the magistrates court." Did the magistrate catch him stealing his gavel, or something?

Email your amusing quotes, and these may appear on a later page.

Boat or Ship?

While writing a book, I found myself referring to a boat in one sentence and a ship in the next. Then I wondered where the difference between the terms lay. Various books gave similar answers, and left me reeling. For instance:

A ship is a large boat, although boats can carry boats. A ferry is always a boat, not matter its size, as is a submarine, even though modern submarines are larger than some ships. A yacht is always a yacht.

'Vessel' can refer to any of the above. Right, argument over.

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		This section is not only a bit of fun, but also informative for readers and a good reference for writers. Over time, these pages will expand to cover most subjects the author has needed to study. His library contains more reference material than the number of books he could ever hope to write, yet every writer needs this background knowledge. Most will never appear in a novel, or not in great detail. Sometimes, pages of detail to show the reader that the writer has done his homework is unnecessary. Alan has spent many hours in research, and taken pages of notes, simply to ensure a single line in a novel is historically or scientifically accurate. Later pages will look at our complex language too. If one can properly understand English, then they can understand almost anything. A very old joke was about a foreigner trying to understand his book of English while travelling through London in a taxi: "B-o-u-g-h pronounced bough (as in bouw). R-o-u-g-h pronounced rough (as in ruff). L-o-u-g-h pronounced lough (as in loch)." Just then, the taxi passes a sign: Black and White Minstrel Show, Pronounced Success, at which point he throws the book out of the window. Who remembers their earlier days of learning? I before E except after C (except in certain circumstances). Nothing in this language is easy, and is why so many writers, and non-writers, make so many mistakes. Signs can produce many smiles, or cringes, especially when apostrophes are used incorrectly, as in: "Bun's made to order". Or one we saw regularly: Sunday Roast Children Half Price Now, what does that mean? If you buy a roast child on Sunday, you get the meal at half-price? No doubt you all have your own favourites. Newsreaders get many words wrong, and even newspapers try fitting so much in a sentence that they change the meaning. Recently, this appeared in a newspaper: "Mr - - a local gardener living in - Road was found guilty and sentenced to 60 hours community service for stealing at the magistrates court." Did the magistrate catch him stealing his gavel, or something? Email your amusing quotes, and these may appear on a later page.		Boat or Ship? While writing a book, I found myself referring to a boat in one sentence and a ship in the next. Then I wondered where the difference between the terms lay. Various books gave similar answers, and left me reeling. For instance: A ship is a large boat, although boats can carry boats. A ferry is always a boat, not matter its size, as is a submarine, even though modern submarines are larger than some ships. A yacht is always a yacht. 'Vessel' can refer to any of the above. Right, argument over.