Derek Haines

English teacher, writer, and author. Passionate about grammar, creative writing, and self-publishing. Always exploring new tools and tech to help writers succeed.

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commas with but

Comma Before Or After But? 2 Simple Rules (Plus One Exception)

Quick answer: Use a comma before but when it joins two complete sentences. Don’t use a comma when the second part is a fragment. If I’d earned a dollar every time I corrected a comma mistake with but, I’d be living in luxury by now. It’s one of the most common punctuation errors in writing.…

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Using Freewriting

Using Freewriting To Help You Become A Much Better Writer

What is freewriting? It is a training technique for writers. Peter Elbow is often accredited with inventing this technique. He mentions it in his book, Writing Without Teachers, published in 1973. “The consequence [of writing] is that you must start by writing the wrong meanings in the wrong words; but keep writing until you get…

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