Be a Better Writer--ASK ME ANYTHING

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glorybee
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Re: Be a Better Writer--ASK ME ANYTHING

Post by glorybee »

The reason "attorneys" doesn't have an "ies" ending is that there is a vowel before the 'y'--that would be the case for most similar words:

day -- days

trey -- treys (like the playing card)

cowboy -- cowboys

buy -- buys

(Can't think of a word that ends in "iy" off the top of my head.)

Changing the "y" to and "i" and adding "es" for those words would put three vowels in a row--just not something that's common in English.

There are exceptions, of course, because that's the way we like our language: incomprehensible.

Your sentence is in the gray area of comma-dom. I would have put one there, but it's okay without it. But commas just about sucked the life out of me last time around on these boards, so you might want to get a more qualified opinion on that one.
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oursilverstrands
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Re: Be a Better Writer--ASK ME ANYTHING

Post by oursilverstrands »

Thanks. As per comma, I am content with your answer. Discussion closed. :D

Lillian
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I have a love affair with words. I write, even when I think I can't. I'm hooked on words!

"Let words bewitch you. Scrutinze them, mull them, savor them, and in combination, until you see their subtle differences and the ways they tint each other." Francis Flaherty
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oursilverstrands
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Re: Be a Better Writer--ASK ME ANYTHING

Post by oursilverstrands »

Jan, is there a solid rule about the capitalization, or non-capitalization, of the word "its" in the middle of a title? I would lean towards capitalizing it.

A Family Seeks its History

A Family Seeks Its History

Thanks,

Lillian
When Youth Fades
Available at: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=when+youth+f ... nb_sb_noss/

Fortunate 500


I have a love affair with words. I write, even when I think I can't. I'm hooked on words!

"Let words bewitch you. Scrutinze them, mull them, savor them, and in combination, until you see their subtle differences and the ways they tint each other." Francis Flaherty
glorybee
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Re: Be a Better Writer--ASK ME ANYTHING

Post by glorybee »

Leave in lower case any words that are not significant--generally, those are only words like a, the, and an. 'Its' is significant in this case--capitalization is appropriate.
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