Commas! I can’t think of anything more fun than talking about commas first thing Monday morning! Can you? Oh. OK. You can. But still. They’re important. (And yes. I’m a sick woman.) Misusing them can change the meaning of a…
Colons, Commas, and Dashes, Oh My!
Colons, Commas, and Dashes 2022 – Copy
Saying Thank You
Saying thank you. Why are we so reluctant to say “thank you” to someone else for their work, especially work that we paid for? Is it possible that paying for something seems to be enough, so thanks are neither needed nor…
The Real Problem with Swearing
The real problem with swearing? No, it’s not what you might be thinking. Recently, I posted a fun meme that had a “swear” jar and a “talking about my dog” jar for coins, reflecting an old idea that when we…
Kick these old grammar rules away Part 2
Why kick these old grammar rules away? Well, as you saw in Part 1, in modern-day writing, they no longer always apply. Like all languages, English — in its various guises — evolves. The rules for using it also evolve. …
Pity the Poor Semicolon!
Do you wonder why I titled this article “Pity the Poor Semicolon?” Have you noticed how many times semicolons get dragged into the wrong place in a sentence? Too often, one is used instead of a comma or colon, either of…
Simple Pleasures of Life
What are your simple pleasures? I grew up in a household with an adoptive mother and a dad who were polar opposites in nearly every way. My mother was only 7 when her own mother died; she and her younger…
They Never Meant to Kill
Written July 12, 2017 << >> They never meant to kill — sounds like a book title, doesn’t it? But it happened. I am sitting at my computer, watching the news, and again, I’m struck with horror at the killing…
Lessons learned from playing cards
Here are a few lessons I learned from playing cards… In our frantic and fast-paced world – yes, even now with the virus all around us – many of us cling to the idea that we know what we did, we…
April 2020: Describe Your Life
April 2020: What words describe your life? Over the past few years, starting with this article, I’ve written a few more on using language to our benefit, trying to help us all remember that we hold many of the keys…
We All Have a Role to Play
We all have a role to play. Like many around the world, I’ve watched in horror as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has ravaged cities and towns causing unimaginable pain to their citizens. People who are healthy one day are sometimes gone a…
Why Are We All So Frightened?
Why are we all so frightened? Why are we so scared of those who are different? Why are so many angry at others who don’t look exactly like them, who don’t speak the same language, who aren’t the same sex,…
Kick Those Old Grammar Rules Away Part 1
Why kick those old grammar rules away? Because in the modern era of the 2020s, they’re no longer considered correct by most writers and style guides. So with apologies to stricter grammarians than I am, today, we’re going to get…
Networking Success Tip #3
Networking Success Tip #3 Do you attend networking events in the real world? I mean, do you go to places where people are standing around, all hoping to SCORE BIG at the event by picking up a bunch of new…
Networking Success Tip #2
Networking success tip #2 is the second of So, you’re off to another networking event. You read my first article on this, and you feel empowered. You’re strong. You’re going to rock the event! When you arrive, you sign…
For the Love of Language
I love language, and I am in awe of those who have the ability to converse in a language that isn’t their native one. Heck, some folks are comfortable in several languages! I speak, write, and understand only English —…
Are We Doing Enough Good?
Are we doing enough good for others? Could we do more? I read an excellent short post by Bruce Kasanoff (Am I Doing Enough Good?) this morning about doing enough good for others. His premise was that there are all kinds…
What Do Editors Do, Anyway?
What do editors do, anyway? Authors usually know they need another pair of eyes once they’ve gotten their thoughts together in a draft form. But they can become confused about who they should talk to, especially as there’s no 100%…
Is THIS missing from your articles?
Is THIS missing from your articles? Do you get full value from publishing articles on social media? Or are you among those who seem to get little value from LI or other social media platforms? Are you among those who…
Seriously? I’m an Editor?
Seriously? I’m an editor? Yup, I guess so. But I still laugh to myself and probably always will … When did I become an editor? Oh, right. When a good friend – Sandra Elaine Scott – asked me to help her…
Who Are You Calling Old?
Who are you calling old? I saw a question this morning on Quora about the difference between old folks now and 70 years previously. This article sprang up full-blown, as so many seem to do. First of all, what age…
Are You Making the Most of YOUR LinkedIn Profile?
Are you making the most of YOUR LinkedIn profile? I joined LinkedIn in October 2005, and basically did NOTHING for years. I had no idea how or what to do … and didn’t know anyone to even ask. I had…
Uncover Your Smothered Verbs!
Uncover your smothered verbs! Why? Because you’ll shorten and sharpen your writing, and your readers will get more out of the experience. So what’s a smothered verb, you ask? It’s a verb that we changed into a noun, a word…
Do You Compete … or Collaborate?
Do you compete or collaborate? Just today I saw an article about not wanting our competitors to be seen on LI by anyone who would be looking for someone who has the same type of job that we do. The basic…
Using the “Self” Pronouns Correctly
Using the “self” pronouns correctly can be tough! Those are the ones that end in “self” or “selves.” Many speakers and writers use them everywhere, but these pronouns have a very limited grammatical purpose: They’re meant to be mirror image…
Visually Smooth Out Your Writing
Would you like to know how you can visually smooth out your writing? As a copyeditor, I work on a wide variety of articles every week, some so well written my jaw drops in awe. Occasionally there’s one that needs…
If You Don’t Know …
The question is simple: If you don’t know … are you willing to ask for help? Do you remember being a kid and wanting to grow up and know everything about everything, the way so many adults appeared to do?…
More Cross Words!
Funny how “more cross words” and “more crosswords” can seem to be the same but are actually so diferrent. In this article, clearly the words are good ones, not cross ones. But to get your attention, I broke the word…
It’s Quiz Time Again!
It’s quiz time again, folks! I see a lot of errors in articles, many likely made due to confusion about what’s considered correct in the American grammar system. While our system has a lot in common with all others, it’s…
It’s a Numbers Game!
It’s a Numbers Game! A good buddy, Jim Saelzler, wrote to me recently asking about using numbers as the first “word” in a sentence and asking if we should follow them with a capitalized word. He wondered if anything had changed…
Keys to Success?
Have you ever heard these “keys to success”? Everyone line up quietly. Go in order. If you’re #1, you go first. If you’re #2, you always go right after #1. Start on the left and move to the right. Start…
Are You Always an Expert?
Are you always an expert, even when you’re “off duty”? Do you have trouble balancing your professional and personal roles? I saw a magazine advice column recently where a professional was wondering how to respond to those who asked for…
Instinctive and Instinctual
While the words instinctive and instinctual share a common bond, they’re also subtly different when used accurately. That said, many writers do use them as they see fit, even if the word isn’t the right one, probably because so few…
The Impossible English Language!
Talk about showcasing how impossible the English language can be! Thanks to John Philpin for sharing this on one of our mutual BIZCATALYST360° sites in response to something I wrote in my column “All in All.” There are many much shorter versions…
Rein it in, partner!
Rein it in, partner! is what I often want to say to those who come on too strong too quickly! How about you? The Internet is a wondrous place, especially for those of us who grew up long before it…
Cross Words
Now, before you write and tell me that crosswords is usually written in solid form, trust me: I know that. But cross words is exactly what the right term is for these challenges in a recent puzzle in the Boston Globe Sunday magazine…
Grammarly or Humanly
Grammarly or Humanly? That’s a question a lot of people ask. Many readers know that I am a columnist with BIZCATALYST 360°, having been invited onto the platform by its founder and editor in chief, Dennis Pitocco. I love being…
Successfully Giving Feedback
Personal Branding: A Harsh Lesson
Using Quotation Marks (American Style)
Using Quotation Marks (American Style): Sometimes I get lucky and a connection asks a great question that turns into an article, like this one. Recently, Donna Shattuck asked about using quotation marks or parentheses, but because this article is already…
Networking Success Tip #1
Networking Success Tip #1 is the first of four to help everyone succeed at this, whether in person or virtually. As of March 2020, in-person networking disappeared, and it may be a long time before we practice it that way…
Apostrophes — Again!
Apostrophes — Again! This isn’t the first article I’ve written on using apostrophes, and given the confusion surrounding them, it probably won’t be the last. But since I can’t know who will read what I post or who needs to…
The Long, Dark, Puffy Coat
“Some women think they can escape the long, dark, puffy coat. But many have succumbed.” That’s the online headline of a well-written story (by Beth Teitell) in the Boston Sunday Globe newspaper: In the newspaper itself, the headline is “What the puffy…
Confuzzled by These English Words?
The title — Confuzzled by these English words — obviously contains a word that is made up. But I think it conveys the truth: Many words in English are tough to understand! In English, these words are known as homophones,…
One Comma or Two?
One comma or two? Why? I love the picture above, and although it may not seem to connect with showing us some American punctuation rules … it actually does for many rules, especially commas. There’s a rule that says where…
Happy Holidays — All of Them!
So, you might be asking, what’s with this “Happy Holidays — all of them” stuff! Were you expecting Merry Christmas? Well, OK. Merry Christmas! And Happy Hanukkah! And Happy Kwanzaa! And Happy Cookie Day! And Happy Laughter Day! (OK, I…
Social Media Trolls
Are you familiar with the term “social media trolls”? We’re seeing evidence of them everywhere on social media, which is a shame. As a verb, troll can mean “to post inflammatory or irrelevant material on an electronic forum to provoke responses; as…