Tutor profile: Mary W.

What is "passive voice" and why should it be avoided in fiction writing as much as possible (unless used intentionally)?

Passive voice is when the subject of a sentence is not the noun acting out the verb, but rather the object of the verb. Example: The road was crossed by the chicken. In this example, the road is not the one doing the "crossing", but rather the chicken is. While it is not grammatically incorrect to write in passive voice, it stylistically is frowned upon as it causes problems with clarity and readability in writing.

"A thousand eyes were upon her" is an example of what kind(s) of figure of speech?

It is an example of synecdoche and metaphor. It is synecdoche because a single part - the eyes - are representative of the whole - the people. It is a metaphor because the eyes were not literally "upon" her, but rather it is a poetic way of saying that there were many people staring at or watching her.

What is the difference between a semi-colon and a colon?

A semi-colon joins two independent clauses that are closely related. It can also be used to separate items in a list. A colon, however, introduces something that will follow, such as a list or a quote. It only connects two independent clauses when the second clause is a summary or definition of the first clause.