Feb 10, 2015
Grammar Hammer: Apostrophes After “-S”
My boss and I had a discussion earlier this week on the proper use of the apostrophe when the word you’re adding the apostrophe to ends in “-s” or “-es” (for the record, his last name ends in -es). To my surprise, I was unable to find a single resource willing to make a definitive […]
"If you can't find what you're looking for, create it yourself" — love! Great advice #cmcle — Cathy Spicer (@cathyspicer) January 16, 2015 The first stage of any concept is rarely pretty. Staring at a blank canvas at the start of a project (a writing assignment, a marketing plan, a book concept) is daunting, and […]
Jan 27, 2015
Grammar Hammer: Incent, Incentive, Incentivize
A classic marketing tactic is to create a promotion that gives potential customers an incentive to buy. Almost every advertisement for a new car includes incentives for trading in your old one, or having the dealership do your taxes and double your refund to use as your down payment. One highly-publicized example of “incentive marketing” […]
Shannon Ramlochan is a Content Marketing Coordinator at PR Newswire.
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Journalists aren’t just experts in their given beat, they are also highly developed writers with a keen eye for proper punctuation and grammar. For PR pros to have their media pitches taken seriously, they must pay the same attention to detail or risk having their pitch sent straight to the trash bin. According to The Pew […]
Every New Year I make a list of things I resolve to do “more” or “less” of. This year, I’ve decided to focus those resolutions on enhancing my blogging skills. However, I think anyone who hopes to become a better blogger this year can borrow from a few of the rules I’ve set for myself to […]
Dec 23, 2014
Grammar Hammer: Taking the Reins
For my final post of 2014, I am exploring the confusion between the words “rein” and “reign.” A “rein” refers to the straps used to guide or control a horse. A “reign” refers to a period of time dominated by one ruling power. It can be a little tricky to keep these two separate. Both […]
“Don’t use ten words if you can say it in five.” This is one of the most common writing tips I come across while I’m researching grammar rules. Oddly enough, we were all taught to practice the exact opposite in school. Remember writing papers that were required to be least 1,000 words or 10 pages […]
The internet has provided much for us to be thankful for—though it also provides some cringe-inducing material on a near daily basis. As a writer, the value of tools and expert resources available at the click of a button can’t be overstated. Anyone who has produced content for publication, whether a corporate or personal blog […]
A few weeks ago, my hometown high school football team faced a minor controversy that was featured in the news. During an away game, they had allegedly trashed the locker room at the opposing school’s facility. The article, posted late one evening on a regional news site, was the official statement from my hometown school […]
Oct 28, 2014
Grammar Hammer: Each and Every One
Which is correct? To say that I write a post for Grammar Hammer each week or to say that I write a post for Grammar Hammer every week? “Every” is used to talk about how often something happens. If I say I write something on a weekly basis, I’m saying I write something “every week.” […]
Oct 14, 2014
Grammar Hammer: Shinny vs. Shimmy
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Months ago I received a Grammar Hammer suggestion to look at the difference between the words “shinny” and “shimmy.” The person who suggested this topic to me said she’d never heard the word “shinny.” I’ll confess, I hadn’t heard of it either. I wondered if shinny was an eggcorn (a word or phrase that results from […]
Oct 07, 2014
Grammar Hammer: So, Do Writing Disfluencies Exist?
In public speaking, you are taught to watch your use of “disfluencies” – as in the crutch words where you um, like, and you know your way through the silence as your brain scrambles to make a point. Disfluencies can dilute your message and damage your credibility. When speaking to a crowd, ending each point with […]
Sep 23, 2014
Grammar Hammer: Happy National Punctuation Day!
Get your red pens ready grammar enthusiasts, because this September 24 marks the 10th celebration of National Punctuation Day! Former reporter Jeff Rubin founded National Punctuation Day as an outlet for his frustration with the egregious errors he noticed every morning in the newspaper. It was declared an official holiday when Rubin secured a listing […]
Sep 18, 2014
9 Tips for Writing an Effective Online Headline
You spent hours laboring over a blog post. You did your research and fussed over sentences until they were just right. The only thing standing between you and your next task is a headline. You take a few seconds, jot down the first thing that comes to mind, and move on. Don’t do that. You’re cheating […]
Sep 16, 2014
Grammar Hammer: Is That Adverb Necessary?
In honor of back to school season, ABC aired a special ranking the best episodes of Schoolhouse Rock of all time. I’ve shared my affection for Schoolhouse Rock before, and I am happy to report that my personal favorite, “Conjuction Junction” took the number 1 spot! Another one of my favorites, which also claimed a […]
Sep 02, 2014
Grammar Hammer: Two Spaces or Not Two Spaces?
I’m of the age that one of the classes I took in high school was typing. Putting two spaces after the period at the end of a sentence was drilled into our heads as a best practice with no rhyme or reason for why this was necessary. Recently, a heated discussion over whether this practice […]
The Oxford Dictionary just unveiled the newest additions to their dictionary, and I have to admit that I was caught quite off guard by some of the entries. Apart from some buzz-wordy jargon that I could see in professional writing (pharmacovigilance), most of these words are ones I would only expect to see in more casual […]
Aug 12, 2014
Grammar Hammer: All Day “Every Day” or “Everyday”?
A suggestion from a loyal reader inspired this week’s Grammar Hammer. Is everyday one word or two words (every day)? Both variations refer to an activity that occurs on a daily basis. As usual, the best way to determine which version to use depends on the context. If I am discussing the routine activities that […]
Jul 29, 2014
Grammar Hammer: Elicit vs. Illicit
Elicit and illicit might sound similar, but technically they are not homophones and their meanings are vastly different. The words are occasionally confused due to their similar pronunciation and spelling , which is why they are the focus of today’s Grammar Hammer. “Elicit” is a verb that means “to obtain.” It can also mean “to draw out, to […]
I would be remiss if I didn’t spotlight Weird Al Yankovic’s latest hit, “Word Crimes” as the star of this week’s Grammar Hammer. Off his newest album, “Mandatory Fun,” the viral sensation tackles the most egregious grammar errors of all time and proves once and for all that you can be a stunningly creative songwriter […]
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