Be Skeptical When You Read Your First Draft
At the core of what an editor does lies a skeptical frame of mind Read More
Posts Authored by Michael Kandel
Michael Kandel edited publications at the MLA for twenty-one years. He also translated several Polish writers, among them Stanisław Lem, Andrzej Stasiuk, Marek Huberath, and Paweł Huelle, and edited, for Harcourt Brace, several American writers, among them Jonathan Lethem, Ursula K. Le Guin, James Morrow, and Patricia Anthony.
Verbs with Alternative Subjects
Should you use a singular or plural verb after alternative subjects—that is, two nouns joined by or—when one is singular and the other plural? A common practice is to have the verb agree in number with the second subject of the pair—in other words, with the noun that is closer to the verb . . . Read More
Ellipsis at the Beginning of a Quotation
Read these three tips for effectively quoting from sources . . . Read More
There’s Nothing Wrong with a Full Stop
Many writers feel that the longer the sentence, the more elegant the style . . . Read More
A Few Kinds of Redundancy
Learn to recognize redundancy in your writing Read More
Using “I” in Academic Writing
Should you use "I" in academic writing? An editor offers guidance Read More
Quotes When Nothing Is Being Quoted
Authors often use quotation marks when nothing is being quoted . . . Read More
Contemporary as a Kind of Janus Word
Reasons to be mindful of the ambiguity of the word contemporary . . . Read More
The Danger of Deploy
Deploy is not a good synonym for use, utilize, or employ Read More
When Not to Include
On the use of include to mean are . . . Read More