What is the difference between “despite” and “in spite of”? How do you know which one to use?

Here are some thoughts from peers:

Joanna: Despite, unless you’re on a word count. I have no idea though, I use both.

Noha (@noon1983): Some people find in spite of heavier and harsher. But it's my personal preference.

Lindsey: I use both.

The question remains: which is the correct choice in a given situation?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “despite” as a preposition:

                “Despite, prep. In spite of.”

The AP Stylebook gives its opinion:

                “In spite of  Despite means the same thing and is shorter.”

The Macmillan Dictionary says of despite:

                “You can...use the phrase in spite of in the same way.”

Based on these reputable sources, it appears the two are synonymous. Let’s look at some examples.

                Despite having a full house, Danny Tanner keeps his home clean.

                Michelle continues to get in trouble in spite of her father’s lessons.

                Uncle Jesse lives with the Tanners to help raise the girls, despite his music dreams.

                Kimmy Gibbler enters the home without knocking in spite of the adults’ insistence otherwise.

These four uses can go either way, according to our sources.

                In spite of having a full house, Danny Tanner keeps his home clean.

                Michelle continues to get in trouble despite her father’s lessons.

Despite and in spite of are interchangeable. Be careful, however.

Here are two oft-used errors I’ve come across while editing:

1. Misspelling in spite

Uncle Joey finds time to do stand-up inspite of his commitment to the Tanners.

-“In spite” is two words. “Inspite” is just plain wrong.

2. Using of with despite

Danny allows the family to keep Comet, despite of his aversion to dogs.

-“Of” is connected with “in spite” only.

It appears the English language terms these two as synonyms, however, despite is more formal and used more often. For reader’s seeking brevity with their writing, despite is the better choice.

Proper quotations are essential to effective writing. As you are attempting to prove a point, make a comparison or allusion, provide facts, etc., you need to accurately utilize quotations to convince your reader.

At the same time, your quotations must not be arbitrarily inserted; your paper should flow from quoted to personal thought. Without proper introduction, quotations will confuse the reader and detract from the overall impact of your work.

Academic writing consists of three major types of quotations: standard, run-in and indented.

The Standard Quotation holds no formal alias, but is the most oft-used form. When inserted properly, it will be introduced by a full sentence ending in either a comma or a colon, contain a sentence or two (but less than four) and be closed off by quotation marks. Here are two examples from papers I wrote in an Early Education class:

1. The author employs World War 1 at the outset of the story to give the reader the strongest feeling of the time setting: “Across the ocean the Great War raged, but in the valley all was at peace” (p. 5). 
2. The narrator notes, “Paris sighed, relaxing her grip on the bedspread, and slipped into a peaceful sleep” (41).

The Run-In Quotation is similar to the Standard. This quotation literally “runs in” the writer’s own sentence. To do so effectively you must be sure to not add unnecessarily but to simply add the appropriate quoted words to your sentence. Here is an example from the same class:

The grandmother replies that beautiful is “anyplace you can be proud of who you are” (3).

The third is the Indented Quotation. This one seems to be the most difficult for writers to grasp, or use appropriately. The commonly accepted rules are that the quote should be no longer than four or five sentences, be indented an inch (5-10 spaces) and be introduced by a sentence ending with a colon. Here is an example from one of my papers from a Modern Drama class:

It is here where the father explains the difference between a character’s reality and a human’s reality:

“Thinking back to those illusions which you don’t have anymore, to all those things which no longer seem to be what at one time they were for you, don’t you feel, not just the boards of this stage, but the very earth beneath slipping away from you?   For will not all that you feel yourself to be now, your whole reality of today, as it is now, inevitably seem an illusion tomorrow” (Anthology 523)?

After you have accurately introduced your quotation, remember to then expound upon it. Most often a quotation is ineffective when not explained. Avoid inserting quotes simply to fill space or reach the page/word count requirement. This will only hurt the integrity and impact of your work. It would be better to write a solid paper short of the minimum requirement than to sacrifice clarity with wordiness.

If you have any questions concerning quotation use, please contact us.

-S

A friend recently asked for my opinion on the differences/similarities between “Obscenity, Profanity and Vulgarity.” On the surface they appear very similar—all describing some measure of contradiction with standard moral practices or concerns. While that can be seen as vague, SpeedyEdits is here to shed a little more light on the topic.

The Latin origins will give us a proper definition plus point us in the right direction in determining whom each word actually offends (important).

Obscenity comes from the Latin “obscenus,” meaning, “offensive, foul, repulsive.” If you watch Law and Order: SVU than you have heard the word “obscene” used correctly. In law, “obscene” is the word of choice when labeling anything as sexually amoral or of a scatological indecency. I know that sounds confusing. Basically, we’re talking about sexual misconduct and bodily functions/excrement that should be kept to ones self.

Obscenity is something that, when committed, the law will be dropping the hammer on.

Profanity comes from the Latin “profanus,” meaning, “outside of the temple.” This term is applicable when discussing actions deemed unacceptable by the church. The “outside of the temple” refers to anything outside of the church’s accepted morality. This includes sacrilege, blasphemy, etc.

Today we typically use profanity to refer to anything that is audibly offensive, such as curse/swear words. It is largely subjective however, and different people/groups hold their own definition(s).

Profanity is something that, when committed, the church will be dropping the hammer on.

Vulgarity comes from the Latin “vulgaris,” meaning, “of or pertaining to the common people.” “Vulgar” is the most subjective of the group as different individuals will hold different opinions on what this word means and what actions it defines. I like to think of it as anything a mother would call you out on, since our mothers are the ones who shaped our attitudes and instilled standard morality as we grew up.

Vulgarity is something that, when committed, your mom will be dropping the hammer on.

In conclusion, remember this: Obscenity offends the law, Profanity offends the church and Vulgarity offends your mother.

-S

It’s been a while but I’m back with another SpeedyTip to help you make the right choice (in relation to grammar). Ever struggle with deciding between “you and I” and “you and me”? How would you decide between “Mario and I are having spaghetti” and “Mario and me are having spaghetti”?

Simply put, if the sentence can make sense when broken into two statements then you’re using the right words. 

That definition sounds confusing so let’s put it into practice using everyone’s favorite plumber.

Mario and I saved the princess versus Mario and me saved the princess.

If you can break the sentence into two statements that make sense, you’re right.

            Mario saved the princess. – That works.

            I saved the princess. – That works.

            Me saved the princess. – That doesn’t work.

                        Because of this, “Mario and I saved the princess” is the correct use.

            King Koopa is after Mario and I versus King Koopa is after Mario and me.

Again, let’s break it down and see what we’re working with.

            King Koopa is after Mario. – That works.

            King Koopa is after I. – That doesn’t sound right.

            King Koopa is after me. – That works.

                        Based on this, you should use “King Koopa is after Mario and me.”

I know this is pretty simple but trust me, a lot of times grammar is simple. Sometimes you’ll have to alter the verb form to make two clear statements though. However, this little trick should help you out almost 100% of the time.

While this SpeedyTip seems to be answerable simply by stating definitions, it’s still an issue and people are still struggling with the use of these words. This blog will be short as we will be discussing the proper use of Allusion and Illusion.

“Allusion” most often involves literature. It is used when making an indirect reference. You make an allusion to Shakespeare when you call someone “Romeo.”

An “illusion” is mostly perceptional. You’re probably familiar with “optical illusions.” “Illusion” refers to a misapprehension, your perception being deceived.

Looking at these definitions, they seem very different. However, confusing them is easy. Here are a couple sentences to give you an idea of their proper use.

            This poem contains many Biblical allusions to the Creation story.

(Reference to another story)

The magician’s trick was an illusion.

            (Misapprehension of perception)

The pipes in Super Mario Bros. are an allusion to his projected job as a plumber.

            (Reference to Mario’s job)

The UFO was an illusion created by lights and sounds.

            (Deceived perception)

To get these right, remember that an “illusion” involves perception and an “allusion” is an indirect reference.

I was recently asked to explain when/how to use “good” and “well.” It certainly gets confusing at times trying to decide which to use.

            “You played good/well.”

            “This food tastes good/well.”

            “Your perfume smells good/well.”

            “SpeedyEdits edits papers really good/well.”

It’s quite simple, actually. “Well” is an adverb and “good” is an adjective. When deciding which to use, ask yourself the following question: “Am I describing the verb/action or the noun?” If you’re describing a verb, use “well.” If you’re describing a noun, use “good.”

Let’s look at the above examples to help you out.

            “You played good/well.”

                        Since the sentence is describing how the person played (which is the verb), use “well.”

                        “You played well.”

“This food tastes good/well.”

                        This sentence is describing the food (noun), so use “good.”

                        “This food tastes good.”

“Your perfume smells good/well.”

                        Here we are describing the perfume (noun), so we use “good.”

                        “Your perfume smells good.”

“SpeedyEdits edits papers really good/well.”

                        We’re describing the word “edits” (the verb), so we use “well.”

                        “SpeedyEdits edits papers really well.

If you answer the question of what you are trying to describe, you’ll get it right every time.

-S 

It would appear that many people are commonly confusing the use of “there,” “their” and “they’re.” I see these errors most often in social media, but it never hurts to freshen up on their meanings. I will discuss the uses of each and then provide an effective trick for getting the word right when writing a paper, essay, facebook status, text, etc. (Of course, I don’t expect that too much concern is given when updating a status or sending a text…but a guy can dream right?)

“They’re” is a contraction meaning “they are.” It is most often followed by a verb ending in ing.

                        They’re coming over for dinner.

                        They’re playing soccer today.

This isn’t the only case, however. “They’re” doesn’t precede an ing verb exclusively.

                        They’re free.

                        They’re small.

It’s important to remember that “they’re” is a contraction of two words.

“Their” is a possessive term, commonly followed by a noun. It is used to show something as belonging to or owned.

                        This is their house.

                        That dog is their pet.

                        Their children are well-behaved.

Lastly, “there” has a couple of meanings, none of which are too hard to grasp.

            1. Adverb detailing the verb:

                        Will you go there with me?

                        Park your car over there.

            2. Noun meaning location:

                        Let’s go there for dinner.

                        I went there yesterday.

            3. Pronoun introducing a noun:

                        There is nothing to be afraid of.

                        Is there someone outside?

            4. Adjective pointing to something specific:

                        The man over there is my father.

                        I’ll take that one there.

The uses of these three words are so different it seems we should never get them confused. However, it happens. For those who find they struggle when deciding which to insert in a particular sentence, here’s some tricks that may help.

Use “they’re” if it can be replaced with “they are” and still make sense.

            They’re coming over for dinner. (They are coming over for dinner.)

Use “their” if it can be replaced with “our” and still make sense. (Obviously it changes the meaning of the sentence. We’re only looking for what sounds logical.)

            Their dog likes to play fetch. (Our dog likes to play fetch.)

Use “there” if it can be replaced with “here” and still make sense.

            The house over there is my home. (The house over here is my home.)

Using this simple replacement test will help you get it right every time.

-S 

Thanks to a request from a very good friend, this SpeedyTip will cover “who” and “whom.”

First of all, I think it’s necessary to mention that “whom” has nearly been removed from our language. I’ve actually read numerous articles concerning the insignificance of the word and its predicted fate. But, that’s not the subject of this Tip. I happen to enjoy employing the word.

With that out of the way, let’s discuss the use of these two words.

Keep in mind that they are both pronouns. The difference is “who” refers to the subject while “whom” refers to the object. The subject of course is the one performing the action in a sentence and the object is the one receiving the action.

                        Mario saved Princess Peach.

            Here, Mario is the subject since he is performing the action: saving Princess Peach.

            Likewise, Princess Peach is the object since the action occurs to her: being saved.

Let’s take this idea to our topic and find out where to insert “who” and “whom.”

Since Mario is the subject, we can replace him with “who.”

                        Who saved Princess Peach?

Likewise, we can replace Princess Peach with “whom” since she is the object.

                        Mario saved whom?

The only truly tricky part is when the subject and object are reversed.

                        Princess Peach was saved by Mario.

Mario is still the subject since he is doing the saving. Princess Peach is still the object since she is the one being saved. A lot of times you will have to take a minute and figure out your subject/object. Simply remember: subjects act, objects receive.

Now, how does it look when we insert “who” and “whom” into the new sentence?

                        Princess Peach was saved by who? -or- Who saved Princess Peach?

This sentence is asking for the subject (the one who performs the action, aka, Mario). Therefore we use “who.”

                        Whom was saved by Mario? -or- Mario saved whom?

This sentence is asking for the object (the one receiving the action, aka, Princess Peach). Therefore we use “whom.”

Is this starting to make sense? Quite often your Word grammar check will tell you to use who when you should actually use whom. I attribute this to the fact that the English language is continually finding whom to be obsolete.

Hopefully this SpeedyTip sheds some light on the confusion behind “who versus whom.” However, should you need further assistance, here’s a little tip to help you remember which word to use.

Genders aside, if the question can be answered with him, you should use whom.

                        Who/whom did Mario save?  Mario saved him (I know, it’s really her…just stay with me).

You wouldn’t say, “Mario saved he.” It’s “Mario saved him.” So use whom:

Mario saved whom?

Whom did Mario save?

Remember to keep the m’s together.  If the answer can be answered with him, use whom.

-S

“Do I use ‘to’ or ‘too’ here?” “What is the difference?” “How do I know which one to use in different situations?” I hear these questions often. Let me help you out a little. Once you get it, you’ll really have it—I promise.

First off, “to” will most often come in the form of a preposition or participle.

While the preposition is (in my opinion) a difficult thing to define, it’s pretty safe to view as an answer to several common questions: where, what, when, why, who, how etc. In my experience, “to” generally answers “why.”

                        I’m going to bed early to get eight hours of sleep.  (Answers “where” and “why”)

                        The boy to the left is my brother.  (Answers “where” and “who”)

“To” is a participle as well and will be seen connected with a verb.

                        to eat,  to believe,  to play,  to dream,  to speak

You won’t be using “too” connected with a verb.

                        I want to dream about sheep.

                        The kids went outside to play.

“To” is pretty simple if you remember that it answers those common questions (who, what, where, etc.) and is connected to verbs.

Now “too” is even easier.  It’s an adverb. Basically, “too” is going to have two meanings.  If you can replace the word with either of these definitions, you need to use “too.” (Or perhaps avoid “too” altogether and start utilizing more exciting words instead…)

            -Excessive, excessively, excessive amount

                        My wife thinks I have too many books.  (…an excessive amount of books.)

                        I ate too much.  (I ate excessively. I ate an excessive amount.)

-As well, in addition, also

                        I too want a hotdog.  (I also want a hotdog.)

                        Bring a pencil to class too.  (Bring a pencil to class as well.)

Make sense? Got it? I know, it seems like a lot. Really, just keep these tidbits in mind the next time you’re writing that paper and it’ll start clicking for you.  I promise.

P.S., “Two” is a number. Don’t ever mistake “two” for these words—ever.

-S

“Affect versus effect” seems to be a big issue grammatically speaking. I receive questions concerning the proper use of these words quite often. However, once you get a good feel for them, you’ll see how easy they really are! First I’ll explain their meanings and then I’ll show you a good memory trick that helps me to this day.

Basically, “affect” is a verb and “effect” is a noun.

“Affect” expresses the action of a sentence.

                        The rain affected the paint job on my house.

                        Receiving an F affects your GPA negatively.

“Effect” is a noun and can best be defined as a result.

                        The effect of eating fast food everyday is weight gain.

                        Effective immediately, all students must write a book report every week.

See the difference? If that’s not enough, here’s a very useful memory trick I thought of back in High School.

            The a in “affect” stands for Action. If the sentence is discussing action, use “affect.”

            The e in “effect” stands for End result. If the sentence is discussing the result of something, use “effect.”

That seems pretty simple, right? Well, if you employ these tips you’ll be right about 99% of the time.  There is, however, a rare incident where these roles are reversed.

“Affect” can be a noun when used in psychology.  It describes a person’s mood.

                        The patient possessed a hostile affect.

“Effect” can be a verb meaning, “to bring about.”

                        The workers’ strike effected a change in policy.

Hopefully this will aid you in getting these words right.

The effect of incorrectly using “affect/effect” will affect the overall effect your paper intends to effect…

-S

If you’ve ever struggled with “than” versus “then” than you probably try to avoid using them then…don’t you?  Then again, what’s better than a little grammar help to make it easier?

A common error (and by “common” I mean, “Holy cow, it’s EVERYWHERE!) is mixing up “than” and “then.”  I often talk with people who simply cannot figure it out.  There rarely is a paper I edit completely devoid of this mistake.

So tell me, what is the difference?

Quite simply, “than” is a conjunction and “then” can be an adverb, adjective, noun, idiom, etc.

Just how simply is that?  Well, I guess on the surface it’s not so simple.  Let me help you out a little.  Back in college I learned a pretty easy way of viewing these words and haven’t had a problem with them since.

As prior stated, “than” is a conjunction. 

           Tommy would rather have steak than chicken.  

           I like basketball more than soccer.  

Seeing it as a comparative word should help you get it straight.

My sister is taller than me.

Bill is smarter than Sam.

Next to “than” we find his equally confusing cousin, “then.”  The only way I ever got this word straight in college was by keeping “when” in my head.  If the sentence calls for the use of “then,” it will most likely answer the question: “when?”

               I went shopping and then got a bite to eat.  (When did you get a bite?)

               We weren’t ready then.  (When were you not ready?)

               Paul took a shower and then went to bed.  (When did he go to bed?)

Keep these small tips in mind the next time you’re writing that paper and you come across a “than/then” situation.  

-S

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