Dangling modifiers, misplaced commas muddy your writing

Here's a grab bag of gifts for those who want to remove common errors from their writing.

Common error No. 1: Misuse of a plural verb.

"In the end, neither the malicious glee from the Right nor the aggressive minimization from the Left are treating this case with the sensitivity it deserves."

Because that sentence cites two elements — malicious glee and aggressive minimization — the writer has been seduced into using the plural verb form "are treating." But the controlling form — neither/nor — requires the singular verb "is treating."

The word neither means "this one." The word nor means "that one." The same rule applies with either/or.

Common error No. 2: That danged dangling modifier; it refuses to die.

Every day, without exception, I see or hear this form: "Growing up in Indiana, Joe's family forced him to take piano lessons." That says his family, not Joe, was growing up in Indiana. Compressing ideas destroys clarity.

When a sentence starts, "Growing up in Indiana," the next word must be either the young person's name or the pronoun "he," followed by a verb indicating his action.

Or, instead, write: "When Joe was growing up in Indiana, his family …"

Common error #3: Missing commas.

"This weird aspect of budgeting allows a party that is sufficiently ruthless, sufficiently indifferent to the havoc it might wreak, to attempt to impose through extortion policies it would never be able to enact through the normal legislative process."

That sentence, in a New York Times opinion column, can too easily lead a reader to think it's talking about "extortion policies."

Not at all. A person speaking that sentence would never run the words "extortion" and "policies" together.

So, avoid doing it in writing.

One solution: " … to attempt to impose, through extortion, policies it would never be able to enact …" Or write, " ... to attempt — through extortion — to impose policies it would never be able to enact through the normal legislative process."

Read aloud what you have written, to make sure it says what you mean.

Commas and dashes can be your friends, and gifts to your readers.

Gilson conducts writing workshops online. He can be reached through www.writebetterwithgary.com.