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Interview with Santo J. AurelioInterview by Mehroo Siddiqui
To request a review copy of How To Say It and Write It Correctly NOW or to schedule an interview with Dr. Santo J. Aurelio, please contact Sarah Kocks.
I have worked as a court reporter for 39 years, and I have also taught various subjects, including English, in five Boston-area colleges. In that time I have noticed a marked deterioration in spoken and written English as it is used by people on a daily basis. This has happened for several reasons. The media-- radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, popular songs, and even books-- are the main culprits. The words employed by many media are not of a high caliber. Sentences are maladroitly constructed. Many words are misspelled, and many words are mispronounced. Too many teachers are not trained adequately. I have known heads of English departments in colleges who could not spell correctly and who could not compose literate sentences! Some parents are giving bad examples to their children by not speaking and writing correctly. The marked deterioration of which I speak embraces both written and spoken English.
With relation to written English, the computer is also to blame because writers are utilizing a plethora of shortcuts when engaging in e-mailing, instant messaging, and cell phone text messaging. These shortcuts take the following four basic forms: (a) the overuse of abbreviations, including making up abbreviations that do not follow abbreviation rules and even devising some that are plainly incorrect (as estab. for establishment); (b) the use of rebuses (as, B4 for before, R for are, B for be, U for you, etc.); (c) the use of noncapitalization (as, i for I, mary for Mary, toyota for Toyota, etc.); and (d) improper punctuation (e.g., there should be two spaces after each period, question mark, exclamation point, and colon).
Other shortcuts include the following: the deliberate omission of important words in a sentence (as, Went to the show or Went to show); the use of fragments instead of sentences (a sentence is composed of at least a subject and predicate, and is complete, in contradistinction to a fragment, which is merely a group of words-- in short, a dependent clause which cannot stand alone); and the application of spell-checking programs (these programs sometimes can and do misspell!).
Unfortunately, this deterioration is not limited to written English. Thanks to some of these "shortcuts," particularly the use of omissions and fragments, this deterioration has also deleteriously affected spoken English as well. For example, when some people speak, they omit critical words because they so often omit those words when they write. Also, these same people tend to engage in the use of fragments, as opposed to a complete sentence (they're using a group of words that do not contain a subject and predicate, both of which are absolutely needed for a sentence).
I think that this marked deterioration in speaking and writing English has taken place because many people have become lazier with their rampant use of the technological advances of e-mailing, instant messaging, and cell phone text messaging. I believe that there is a near-hysterical tenor of business in America. Many Americans seem to have a mania for getting everything done as quickly as possible-- and this, regrettably, has affected the way that they speak and write English! The attitudes of too many people have changed radically. Speaking and writing English correctly is not as important to them now as it was in the past. The three main reasons for this change in American speaking and writing habits are laziness, technological advances, and the widespread opinion that using correct English is simply not that important.
What made you think of writing How to Say It and Write It Correctly NOW? When did you come up with the idea of writing the book and how long did it take you to finish it?
I worked as a court reporter for a lifetime and I taught in college for many years. Through much of that time I noted that people-- young and old, immigrants and sophisticates, male and female-- were not speaking and writing correctly. So, after about 60 years of listening to them and reading their words, I decided to do something about it. As a lifelong student of English grammar and construction, I sincerely felt that I could make a significant difference by writing a comprehensive, easy-to-understand English-grammar and reference book that could markedly help all people to speak and write better, no matter their age, gender, educational achievement, or station in life. And I still totally believe that! Therefore, I thought of writing my book, How To Say It and Write It Correctly NOW, because I felt that many people needed a book of this type.
With respect to the time that I decided to write it, that was because I was diagnosed with macular degeneration and was advised that my chances of being legally blind in both eyes in three or four years was 50-50. Therefore, I decided to write that book immediately, or to forget about it forever. I opted for writing the book and I finished it in about 11 months. I was greatly aided by incorporating into the book some of the material that I had researched and written over the years.
There are a lot of books on the market that are on English language usage, grammar, and vocabulary. What makes your book different from the other ones? Was it difficult finding a publisher for it? How did you go about finding one and is there anything from your experience, in getting your book published, that you would like to share with other first-time writers?
Yes, there are many English books for sale, but my book is written economically and simply. It is truly easy to understand. Further, I have devised certain stratagems or devices or mnemonics to assist the reader to remember always, for example, the difference between principal and principle. My mnemonic instructs the reader to always spell it -pal at the end, with just one exception: When one means a rule, then spell it -ple at the end. ALL other meanings require the -pal ending. What could be simpler? Many like stratagems are included in this book. The eight parts of speech are clearly stated in easy-to-understand language. The punctuation section is of great help to every reader. The homonym and pseudo homonym section is very large and nonpareil. Those of us confused by "medicalese" and "legalese" will be enlightened by the medical-word list and the layperson's legal dictionary. And there are other sections that will assist anybody who wants to speak and write correctly. (Refer to the back cover of the book for the abridged contents, or, even better, refer to the Table of Contents for the various areas that are covered.)
It was very difficult to find a publisher. I had read that the best way to contact a publisher was through a literary agent. Accordingly, I wrote to about 71 literary agents; not one would accept the commission. Finally, I "paid" a publisher (Synergy Press) to print my book. With some 175,000 new titles published each year, it is just about impossible to be successful as a writer. And I wonder how many other books have NOT been published because the writer could not find a publisher or did not have the money to pay for it. I am not sure if any advice which I can give would be valuable or even helpful to a small degree, but, at the least, I definitely believe that all writers should have enormous patience, a sincere belief in themselves and in their books, and more than a modicum of money to expend.
How is e-mail and instant messaging affecting the quality of communication all over the world? How do you think this can be combated?
I have talked about e-mail and instant messaging (IM) above. As for how to combat the "bad" effects of e-mail and instant messaging with relation to the writing of English, that would depend on the individual. If he or she does not appreciate that e-mail and IM can contribute to lower writing standards, then why should he or she change? Of course, there could be a public policy and program to encourage writers to write well or better, but I do not think that that will happen. The short answer to the second part of your Question No. 4 is that I do not know how this can be combated.
You suggest words that should never be used by people, as well as words that should be included in everyone’s vocabulary. What are these? Why do you think it is important to keep them in mind?
Confusing words should not be used by anyone because they are confusing. For example, flammable and inflammable mean exactly the same thing; therefore, one should never use the word inflammable because listeners and readers will think that what is meant is that the item is not capable of being set on fire-- and that is not true because that item is capable of being inflamed. Flammable, of course, means that the item is capable of being inflamed. (The in- prefix usually means the opposite of something [as, correct and incorrect].) One cannot readily understand which meaning is meant without asking; and if one has to ask, then communication, clearly, is hampered and compromised.
[Other] confusing… words which should never be used are as follows: cleave, fey, fulsome, lucked out, remit, and sign off. In addition, three confusing terms are as follows: cash back (one rarely receives cash back; instead, one would receive a reduction or discount); any figure over 100% when referring to an amount of hard work (as, “He always gives 110%,” which is impossible since one can only expend, at best, 100% of one’s energy); and throwaway or disposable cameras (these cameras are not thrown away; after processing, they are returned to Kodak or other like companies for recycling). It is very important to keep these confusing words and terms in mind (and not use them) because if one wants to be understood, then confusing words and terms should never be used.
How do you think a person can maximize the effectiveness of his communication? And what manner of communication would you suggest one follow in the workplace? Any particular way of speaking that can impress one’s colleagues and employers?
People can maximize the effectiveness of their communication (letters, reports, memos, etc.) by following tried and true rules of English grammar and punctuation. That is the raison d’etre for these rules: in order for everyone to understand clearly and immediately whatever it is that the writer intended to communicate. Imagine the confusion created if one wrote, say, 1,000 words without punctuation! Also, imagine the confusion if one wrote with a plethora of commas, much more than commonsensical rules of comma punctuation would require.
The manner of communication that I would suggest that people follow in the workplace is one of simplicity-- that is, they should write succinctly, economically, on point, with a minimum of fancy words or unnecessary descriptive adjectives. The rules of sentence construction, punctuation, and spelling should be rigorously followed. Redundant verbiage should be avoided. The use of “bullets” should be employed in cases or times when that would be helpful to the reader.
With respect to speaking, if speakers want to impress their colleagues and/or employers, I would strongly suggest that they should speak only about those subjects with which they are familiar. Further, they should speak at a moderate rate-- not too fast and not too slowly. Also, eye contact should be maintained. If figures are to be recited, speakers should not look to the sky or to the ceiling for divine guidance, because the loss of eye contact engendered by that activity may well “lose” the attention of their audience. Of course, it goes without saying-- but I will say it anyway-- that speakers should be dressed properly. Wearing a tuxedo during an informal conference is senseless, improper, and will not garner the respect of listeners. By the same token, wearing jeans, shorts, and T-shirts when the listeners are dressed for “business” may lead listeners to think that the speakers are not as serious as they should be. Clearly, all speakers should employ common sense when speaking. That is the best way to impress colleagues and employers.
What mistakes do you talk about in your book, that professional communicators would never make?
I talk about these grammatical written and spoken mistakes when I give lectures regarding English grammar and punctuation. For example, some people say and write, “I seen her yesterday.” On occasion I have mentioned that some people do say and write in that fashion instead of using the correct word (saw, past tense of infinitive “to see”). I do not believe that professional communicators (speakers) should use or would use poor or incorrect English. Additionally, if these communicators distribute handouts (I always do), the punctuation therein should be, in a word, perfect.
Is your book also helpful to people who have a hard time communicating, not because of language problems, and not because they have poor grammar or vocabulary, but because they are too shy or too passive to actually come out and express themselves? These people have poor communication skills as well. Does your book address them, too? What kind of suggestions do you make for them if it does, and why doesn’t it address them if it doesn’t?
Yes, my book is also helpful to people who have a hard time communicating because they are too shy or too passive. My book stresses simplicity-- that is, stating one’s thoughts in a direct, economical, confusion-free way, using words that are easily understood. Although my book does not address these people directly, it certainly addresses them indirectly and frequently. The suggestions that I would advance to these people would be to follow the commonsensical rules and stratagems that are outlined throughout this 428-page book.
How was your experience writing this book? Was there ever a time when you felt you had nothing more to say? Or you thought you weren’t saying it effectively enough? How did you counter that?
I had various experiences in writing this book. Sometimes it was quite easy to write about Latin and Greek roots, homonyms and pseudo homonyms, the legal dictionary, and medical words, but sometimes it was exceedingly difficult to write about words that were hard to spell or pronounce, words that were too confusing to use, and the potpourri section. Above all, writing should be a labor of love. Writers should write not because they want to make money or become famous. They should write out of a sincere desire to share their knowledge or expertise with others, especially in an altruistic way. Yes, there was a time when I felt that I had little else to say, particularly when the book grew to more than 420 pages. I did not want the book to become too ponderous or too heavy. I never thought that whatever I was saying was not said effectively enough. I thought long and hard to make each sentence informative and easy to understand.
Do you plan on writing another book? If yes, then have you started thinking about it? What will it be about? If no, then why not?
I do not know now if I will write another book. I sometimes wonder if I should write an enlarged homonym and pseudo homonym book, but I doubt that, because I think my present book contains just about the best and most homonyms and pseudo homonyms of any book that I have ever read and of which I know. As for a bigger potpourri book, there are many such books on the market that are much better and larger and more detailed than my potpourri section. The same is true for art terms; there are countless books on that subject on the market. My book contains only seven pages of art terms. The short answer is that I do not presently plan on writing another book. Why not? Because my heart is not in it-- and without motivation, one cannot do anything.
From professor to reporter to author: What have you liked doing the most and why? Anything about writing that you particularly like or dislike?
I was a reporter first for many years, and then a college professor for about 16 years. I have only been an author for the last three years. I have intensely enjoyed all three vocations: reporting because I loved the challenge and the opportunity to meet exciting people and to report fascinating civil and criminal cases; teaching because it may well be the noblest profession inasmuch as one has the opportunity to teach students and to help form or reform their minds; and writing because one can reach an incredible number of readers who can then read the exact words and philosophy that the writer wants to convey.
Any other future plans that you want to share with us? Any advice for first-time writers that you would like to give here?
My future plans are indefinite. I have about 2,000 books at home that I have not read. I would love to read them all. Advice for first-time writers? I sincerely wish them and all writers GOOD LUCK. We all need that.
Originally from Pakistan, where she worked in the publications department of an organization, Mehroo Siddiqui is currently doing her Masters from George Mason University in Virginia |
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Dr. Santo J. Aurelio, author of How To Say It and Write It Correctly NOW,
was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. After his master’s degree from
Harvard, he earned a doctorate in education from Boston University. He taught
religion for 13 years and served as an official court reporter for 39 years. He
has worked as a tour guide as well as a docent for five years at all three
Harvard University art museums. As a soldier, he served in Korea from 1953-1955.
During this period he made use of his education by teaching English grammar to
Korean nationals for six months. His travels around the world showed him that
there are an enormous number of people who struggle with the correct usage of
the English language. This inspired him to compile the ultimate reference
book, which clearly explains grammatical issues ranging from punctuation and
spelling rules to medical and legal terms. After the success of this book, Dr.
Aurelio compiled a second edition with an expanded list of helpful explanations
designed to assist all types of English speakers from foreigners to college
graduates. He is currently serving a three-year term on the board of directors
of the Harvard Alumni Association and enjoys teaching various subjects part-time
among five Boston-area colleges. Besides his passion for teaching and writing
though, he loves singing, acting, and dancing, and has performed in various
amateur theatricals. Dr. Aurelio also has written more than 120 poems and song lyrics
and has recorded songs under the Musicor label. In his free time, he enjoys
jogging, traveling, and photography. He lives with his wife in Arlington, Massachusetts.
They have four sons.
