Welcome to the 2013 A to Z Challenge!
This year, I’m
focusing on two themes: Emotions and
grammar,
depending on which
letter we’re on each day.
Today’s a grammar day!
__________
P is for Present Participle Phrase: in a sentence, a phrase using the –ing form of a verb as an adjective to
modify a noun or noun phrase. (This is
different from a gerund, or an –ing
verb that acts as a subjective or objective noun.)
Though this might sound confusing, it’s really simple. When you write a phrase, using an –ing
verb to describe a noun, (like I just did there,) that is a present
participle phrase. Did you recognize the
one I just used in that last sentence? I
underlined it. We use them all the time
when speaking, and we use them even more when writing. And that’s where the issue lies.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with this sentence
structure, and I use it just like everyone else, the issue comes down to its
frequency. As an editor, as well as an
experienced critique partner, I read a lot of manuscripts, especially debuts,
but also experienced and previously published authors, as well, and
undoubtedly, the one thing I see more than just about anything else—sans the
missing comma, of course—is the overuse of the present participle phrase.
Sometimes, writers will use them in fifty to seventy-five
percent of their sentences. So what’s
wrong with that, you ask? Well, first
off, it shows an inability to be creative with your writing, and it reads very
sing-song-ish, which is distracting. It
also shows that the writer isn’t truly aware of his or her writing.
Sentences within a paragraph need to be varied, in length,
in rhythm, and in structure. It’s boring
and monotonous to read the same type of sentence structure over and over
again. After a first draft is completed,
the author needs to read and analyze each separate sentence, each separate
word, revising it so it’s different from the ones right before and right
after. While present participle phrases
are fine every now and then, try to keep them down to three or less per
page.
I used to be a big PPP offender. I never even noticed it until I critiqued
with a college English professor. She
pointed it out, and I’ve become very sensitive to it ever since. Even still, I tend to overuse it, and cringe
when I read back over my work. Thank God
for the editing process!
What about you? Do
you find yourself overusing this particular type of sentence structure?
13 comments:
I try not to use it as much as possible. Avoiding it is difficult, though :)
mood
Moody Writing
#atozchallenge
I never really thought about it before right now. I will be watching in the future.
Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com
I did not know this. Thanks for sharing.
I probably do. I'll have to take another look.
I'm sure I use it! Just like LY words, although I'm much better now. And at varying sentence length. All comes from practice.
I don't think I use it much. And I'm glad to know exactly what it is.
I worry about this so much, my first book, I seriously took out every single ing word. My editor thought I was totally insane! I guess it's about balance. I'm still learning that balance.
I had a critique partner once who wouldn't allow even one. I tried to explain that variation is good, but she would have nothing of it. LOL. We parted ways. She was so focussed on words like THAT, AND, and ING verbs she drove herself and me crazy.
This is something I NEVER even thought about before. I will try to be more aware of it in my daily writing in my blog to see how often I do it.
Thanks for the awareness!
Reading aloud helps me catch the sing-songy stuff as well as the repetitious structures. I find myself falling into the "as he, as she" pattern a lot, so I ax those whenever I catch them.
Maybe.
:)
Heather
Thank God for the editing process, indeed!
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