Can You Spell The 25 Most Commonly Missed Words In English?

Educating Educators: Basic Grammar for Teachers

Should all educators have to pass basic grammar in order to teach? Several months ago, Grammarly polled, and over 30,000 people cast their votes. The overwhelming majority, 94 percent, answered yes. But what kinds of skills should be tested? Most states require teachers to pass a test of basic skills, but each state has unique licensure requirements. Generally, the states who use tests focus on math, writing, language arts, and reading comprehension. In addition, teachers often have to pass in-depth tests in their teaching specialty. Let’s talk about what commenters think teachers should know.

Basic Parts of Speech

In one anecdote, one teacher observed a colleague pushing ESL students to identify a direct object in every sentence. Of course, not every sentence has a direct object. Clearly, these students would later have a difficult time understanding what a direct object is and identifying other parts of speech. English teachers in particular should have a firm grasp of grammar and conventions before they deliver a lesson to the class. Teachers and anyone else wishing to review the basic parts of speech can consult our Grammar Basics series. The articles give a brief overview of how to use each of the major parts of speech.

Writing Conventions

One comment reminisces unfavorably about a high school teacher who insisted that the first sentence of every paragraph be the topic sentence. Fatigued with students omitting this sentence, having to search for it, or perhaps from ignorance, she explained that topic sentences are always at the top! The story is humorous, but good writing skills are no laughing matter. Studies have repeatedly proven that good writing skills can help you to distinguish yourself from other applicants in any career. Employers value good communicators, and this skill is essential in the teaching field.

Spelling

Teachers who specialize in a subject should be experts. One commenter found it “incredible that someone can teach something without knowing how to spell it.” A good proofreading program will help teachers avoid spelling errors in printed materials. Teachers should make sure to double-check everything that they distribute to students and parents, including emails and worksheets that they find online.

Commonly Confused Expressions

One teacher fell prey to a commonly confused expression. A commenter shared the feedback that the teacher provided to her fifth-grade daughter: “You should of wrote…” The correct phrase is “should have.” (And it should be “written,” not “wrote.”) Yes, some similar-sounding expressions confuse even professionals! There are many sayings that are frequently mixed-up, and teachers have a prime opportunity to model the correct use of these expressions. Students often pick up the speaking patterns of those with whom they spend significant periods of time—parents, peers, and teachers.

In your opinion, should aspiring teachers have to demonstrate basic grammar skills? It’s not too late to cast your vote! Most teachers do a great job, and they love to learn. Whether an educational institution requires basic skills testing or not, many educators would enjoy brushing up on the basics of writing and grammar. Thankfully, there’s lots of learning material available for students and teachers! Have you taken the time to thank a teacher for helping you to learn basic grammar—either by teaching it directly or setting a great example?

Would you text your boss?

What do you think about the state of writing in the workplace? Share your thoughts in our weekly poll!

3 Things Introverts Feel on Valentine’s Day

Oh, Valentine’s Day—the holiday of love and romance! Or, at least, it’s supposed to be. For me, as a strong introvert with generalized anxiety, holidays are pretty much like those “Mystery Gifts” you bought at dollar stores as a kid. Expectations for awesomeness bloom in your head, only to wither away under a hodgepodge of mediocrity. It’s not all bad, though. Here are a few things that introverts feel on Valentine’s Day and some thoughts on what to do about it.

This is overwhelming.

Too much heart-shaped stuff, a coma-inducing amount of sugar (as if I needed more excitement), and an obscene number of public declarations of love on Facebook.

For a holiday that 36 percent of adults don’t even celebrate, it’s surprisingly ubiquitous. There is advertising everywhere. Pink and red packaging everywhere. Heart-shaped everything everywhere. And, that’s only the marketing pressure. There’s social pressure too. Even well-meaning friends or coworkers discussing their grand romantic plans can induce paralysis. There is a weird feeling that if you don’t do anything or, maybe worse, you don’t do much for your partner on Valentine’s, that it is somehow indicative of your feelings. It’s not. It’s indicative of how claustrophobic it felt when you attempted to plan that elaborate expression of love that one time.

This is inauthentic.

This is basically the only time of year when I am expected to associate true love with glitter, red and pink, and hyper-romantic professions of love.

With the exception of when The Bachelorette starts running, love every other day of the year happens in the context of day-to-day life. It’s less a pair of star-cross’d lovers moving toward happily ever after and more a couple of people appreciating imperfection and working hard in spite of it—and it’s definitely not covered in pink sparkles. Valentine’s Day as it is marketed is an exaggerated, narrow conception of love.

To make matters worse, it’s not even artistically or aesthetically exaggerated. At least if we were all spewing lines from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, swooning over the enduring commitment of Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth Bennett, or exalting the quiet passion in Rodin’s The Kiss, we could claim Valentine’s Day as a cultural boon. But we don’t. Valentine’s Day makes love seem like both a simple, perfect fate and a commodity.

This is awkward.

Do I congratulate friends? What is my date expecting? How do I remain polite without making anyone uncomfortable?

Valentine’s Day, unlike many other holidays, sits in a gray area. With other winter holidays, it’s a safe bet your friends are celebrating something—even if it’s just all the holiday pay. But Valentine’s Day is beloved by many, hated by more, and tolerated by some. It’s a pretty exclusive holiday in practice, celebrated mostly by those coupled among us, which leaves a lot of people out.

So, how do you know what is expected from your new partner, your friends, or—jeez—your coworkers? Hypothetically, if I were to bake heart-shaped cookies and share a romantic quote on Twitter, would I make a fool of myself at the office or inspire my love-skeptic friends to tease me for the next two weeks? Or, what if I do nothing, but everyone around me gets really into it? It’s awkward because it’s vulnerability, and it’s public, and there aren’t clear expectations for how to behave with everyone.

What to do about it.

Valentine’s Day can be a source of sensory and emotional overload because it is built around oversimplified or exaggerated romance and doesn’t include obvious standards to help navigate various social relationships. That doesn’t mean the day can’t be enjoyable for introverts, however.

As an introvert, it’s important to focus on your needs and on communicating expectations. If going through the candy aisle to stock up on treats for the office party gives you anxiety, ask if you can help with something else, like planning the music. And, if you’re not sure how your partner feels about the holiday, make a point to discuss your ideal Valentine’s Day ahead of time.

If you are dating an introvert, keep things simple and personal by avoiding elaborate and flashy professions of love. Opt instead for gestures that reflect intimate knowledge of your partner and deep appreciation for them.

Are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? What do you think about it and what are your preferences?

10 Best Grammar Resources for English Language Learners

English is already the most common second language (by number of speakers) in the world, and more people begin studying it every day. Fortunately, the availability of learning resources is growing right along with the number of English learners. The publishing industry, web entrepreneurs, respected institutions, and enthusiasts who just want to help are producing a staggering amount of materials aimed at getting people to understand, speak, and write in English. Some of the materials are good, some of them not so much, and to help you figure out which is which, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best resources you could be using to learn English grammar.

Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White

The Elements of Style, commonly known as “Strunk and White,” is a classic style guide every American student is familiar with. It helped shape how the English language is used in the United States, for better or for worse, and as such is a required read for English language learners.

Oxford Modern English Grammar by Bas Aarts

Oxford Modern English Grammar is a precious tool for any English language learner who needs a deeper understanding of how the English language works. It covers both British English and American English, and it uses examples from written and spoken English to explain the most basic grammar points as well the most complex.

Purdue Online Writing Lab

From grammar to individual resources for English language learners, professionals, and English teachers, Purdue OWL is as comprehensive as English learning resources can get.

Grammar Exercises from the University of Bristol’s Faculty of Arts

Learning and testing go hand in hand. The University of Bristol’s Faculty of Arts hosts extensive grammar learning materials on their website, which include exercises to help you practice using punctuation, discern between commonly confused words, use the subjunctive, and plenty other things.

Grammar Monster

Grammar Monster is a website that offers both quick information and detailed explanations about everything that has to do with grammar. Plus, it also has a short test for each of its sections, so you can gauge how well you understood the section’s contents.

UsingEnglish.com

UsingEnglish.com is not the place to go looking for lessons on English grammar, but as far as grammar glossaries go, it hosts a very comprehensive one. The site also offers a vast number of tests and quizzes that can keep you occupied for a long time.

Edufind.com

Edufind.com is a website with a very simple layout that allows you to navigate through it quickly. Even though the website’s materials aren’t organized in the form of lessons, they are written in simple, easy-to-understand language, so you can use them as a learning resource.

Oxford Dictionaries

OxfordDictionaries.com is a fun website where you can read the Oxford Dictionaries’ blog, watch their videos, and find a dictionary that can help you learn new words. There’s also a grammar section where you can learn everything you need to know about English grammar.

British Council

The British Council has a long tradition of helping people around the world learn English, and their website contains everything from lessons, grammar explanations, and a glossary to games and apps. It’s an excellent resource for English language learners of all proficiency levels and from all walks of life.

Cambridge Apps

Cambridge University Press’s Grammar in Use series of apps contains three apps: one for beginners, one for intermediate learners, and one for advanced English language learners, each corresponding to a book published by CUP. While the apps do not contain all the materials from the books, they are chock-full of activities that can help you practice English grammar anytime, anywhere.

Practice or Practise–Which Spelling Is Right?

Practice with a C or practise with an S—which spelling is correct? In American English, practice is always right. In British English, whether practice or practise is the correct choice depends on its role in the sentence. How can you know which form to use?

In American English, practice may function as a noun or a verb. Regardless of its role in the sentence, the correct spelling is always practice with a C. In British and other non-American versions of English, spelling may vary depending on the function of the word. For example, if you are referring to what a doctor does, you would say that he practises medicine. You spell the verb form, practise, with an S. However, if you are referring to the the doctor’s business, you can use the noun form, practice with a C. Nevertheless, language is always changing. In some forms of English, such as Canadian English, practice with a C is becoming more popular for nouns and verbs. Some examples may help you visualize the point.

Every day after school, Robert likes to practice singing his solo for the spring concert. [American]

Even though she knew she would regret it during soccer practice, Bonnie devoured a large chocolate ice cream cone.

Shelby met the lawyer to discuss the case at his practice.

Bart lost his licence to practise medicine when he was convicted of a criminal misdemeanour. [British]

I quickly learned to type, though I don’t have a computer on which to practise. [British]

Examples

Take note of these interesting instances of practice and practise from literature and the media.

The Sparkle Cheer Team held its first practice last week at Paso Robles High School with five new athletes.

Paso Robles Daily News

Practice makes perfect, but a new study shows you might need to keep practicing even when you think you are perfect already.

Daily Mail

British medical and legal professionals living in EU countries fear they may no longer have the right to practise law, medicine or other disciplines if the government does not rapidly agree a post-Brexit deal.

People Management

Which spelling is correct—practice with a C or practise with an S? In American English, practice is always correct. However, in other varieties of English, you’ve learned that the answer isn’t as simple because you have to take into consideration whether the word is functioning as a verb or a noun. Besides spelling, have you ever wondered how American English differs from the English spoken in the United Kingdom?

How to Ask for Days Off (And Actually Get Them)

There’s a good possibility that you need a day (or two, or more) off work. NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a poll and found that about half of Americans who work fifty-plus hours a week don’t take all or most of the vacation they’ve earned. Of those who do take time off, about 30 percent say they do a significant amount of work during what’s supposed to be their hard-earned leisure time.

In a driven, competitive work culture, it can be difficult to ask for days off. And yet, taking a vacation is rejuvenating. Scheduling time to relax and leave workplace stress behind for a while means you’re more likely to return to your job with renewed creative energy and motivation, which ultimately makes you more productive. Here’s how to ask for time off the right way.

Planning Your Time Off Request

To ensure that you stay on good terms with your boss and coworkers, it’s important to put a little forethought into your vacation request.

Give advance notice

Don’t drop your request on your unsuspecting boss a week before you’d like to leave. Odds are good that even events you had no hand in planning—your friend’s wedding, for instance—will still allow you to ask for days off with plenty of lead time. (Of course, unexpected life events such as funerals or family emergencies are handled differently, and most managers will do their best to accommodate you.)

Know your employer’s vacation policies

Familiarize yourself with how your company handles time off. If you have an employee handbook or a contract that outlines vacation procedures, consult it. If your workplace is more casual, check in with your coworkers or someone in human resources to see how things are usually done.

Make sure you’re caught up

Before you start making flight reservations, make sure the projects you’re working on are in good shape. If you’re behind, or if leaving would mean dumping a lot of work on your colleagues that you should have finished yourself, asking for time off isn’t likely to win you any friends.

Making Your Time Off Request

Now that you’ve done a little planning, you’re ready to ask for vacation days. When and how you ask is important, so consider these best practices.

You’re asking for time off, not telling

There are people who’ll approach their manager on a Monday morning saying, “By the way, I just booked a trip to the Bahamas, so I’ll need next week off.” Don’t be that person. Nobody likes that person.

No matter how good that vacation deal you just spotted online seems, it’s never a good idea to book travel without clearing it with your employer first. Remember to ask your boss for time off, not simply tell him or her you’re taking it. A simple script might go like this:

“I have some vacation time coming, and I’d like to take a week to travel with my family. Would the week of July __ be a good time?”

Don’t ask during crunch time

If your workplace is engaged in an all-hands-on-deck scenario, it’s not an ideal time to ask for vacation, even if you’re planning for the future. When everyone’s focused on a major milestone, and potentially stressed as a result, it can seem tone-deaf to ask about your week in Maui. If possible, it’s best to wait until the dust of a major deadline has settled.

Similarly, make your vacation request during times when your boss is less likely to be stressed or busy. But don’t drop the vacation bomb when he or she might be thinking of things other than work. If it’s late Friday afternoon, and you’re anticipating spending some weekend down time, there’s a good chance your boss is, too.

Asking when you’re the new kid

If you’re new to your job, asking for vacation can be challenging. If you’ve applied for a job, and you already have travel planned, it’s appropriate to wait until after you’ve been extended an employment offer and you’re in the negotiation phase to discuss time off:

“I’ve got existing travel plans for mid-August, and I’d like to take time off for that between [date] and [date]. Would that be workable?”

Be prepared to take that time unpaid if you won’t have earned any vacation days before it’s scheduled.

Job experts advise against taking time off during your first three months on the job if you can help it. During that time, your boss and co-workers are still getting a sense of your work ethic. Unless you happen to work at a company that encourages time off as part of its super-laid-back workplace culture (they’re out there!), it’s best to prove yourself before you head off to Vail for a snowboarding adventure.

Consider getting it in writing

Depending on how casual your workplace is, it might be a good idea to submit your vacation request via email so you have a written record. Once you’ve sent an email (remembering to ask, not tell your manager when you’re leaving), follow up with a quick in-person chat if necessary.

Planning Your Time Away

So, you’ve scored some well-earned vacation days. Good for you! Before you set sail, it’s a good idea to get a few things in order to avoid making extra work for your colleagues or leaving clients in the lurch.

Make sure key players know you’ll be away

You’re a cog in a well-oiled machine, baby! A little forethought can help keep those gears turning smoothly while you’re away. It’s a good idea to make a written plan to help your team handle your responsibilities in your absence. To avoid piling extra work on your colleagues, ask them if they’re able and willing to help fill in the gaps.

If you have clients who’ll be relying on you, make sure they know who can help them in your absence. Keep in mind that important contacts outside the workplace—particularly anyone you’re collaborating with on an ongoing basis—may need a heads-up before you’re sipping margaritas on the beach and ignoring your inbox.

Say thanks

In the U.S., employers aren’t required to provide time off (paid or unpaid) except for medical or family leave—vacation is a benefit and not mandated by law. When your boss accommodates your need for some down time by granting you days off, it’s appropriate to say thank you. And it’s always good form to thank any co-workers who helped fill in for you while you were away, too.

Asking for days off doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little planning, know-how, and tact, you’ll be on your way to some needed downtime, and you’ll ensure that your boss and colleagues miss you rather than resent you while you’re away.

Use These Four Tips to Improve Your Writing Fast

Guest post by Meryl K. Evans

The valet pulled up in my car. I thanked him, tipped him and entered my car. I noticed both turn signals were blinking. What’s up? It took me a minute to realize the valet had turned on the hazard lights. I didn’t even remember if I had ever used them in this car.

I touched every switch, button and stick searching for the toggle. Sure, I could dig for the instruction manual in the glove compartment, but I didn’t want to hold up the folks behind me. So I asked a nearby valet for help. Click. She pushed the button with the hazard icon above the touchscreen display. Color me embarrassed.

Despite this, I told my husband what happened. He said many people don’t know where to find the hazard light switch because there was no standard location for it. Well, I won’t forget next time.

If I read anything I wrote from five years ago, I flinch. I’m a better writer than I was five years ago. And I hope I’m better five years from now. Doing lots of reading and writing helped me grow as a writer.

Unlike with the hazard lights, I’ll pick up an instruction manual for writing to learn a few tricks. This would be any book on writing. The first memorable one I read was William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” Within 15 pages, I learned these four tips, which boosted my writing.

Why limit to four tips? Many articles provide a long list of tips. It’s so overwhelming that you don’t bother trying any. Keep it simple. Four is doable. And you can use them right now. Learn a handful of writing tricks at a time. Know them and nurture them. They’ll become a habit.

Trade Five Dollar Words for Cheap Ones

The first advice is to simplify. Zinsser covers it in one sentence: “Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that’s already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what — these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence.”

One sentence taught me to swap fancy words for simple ones, cut words ending in -ly and don’t be passive aggressive. Why opt for the snooty “utilize” when you can use the effortless “use?” And who needs the mind-numbing “numerous” when the four-lettered “many” works? Here, the Thesaurus is your friend.

Cut Very Unnecessary Words

Why not get to the point by cutting the underlined words? I blame the search engine optimization. People say online content needs to be more than 1,000 words for SEO’s sake. They believe long content earns more love from search engines.

Anxious to reach the word count goal, writers add a bunch of words especially qualifiers and adverbs, throw in statistics and amend sentences to plug in key phrases until it fits.

Do we need “very” to underscore how much we need to drop needless words? We’ve used “very,” “so” and “really” so often that these words have lost power.

Split Long Sentences to Create Two Shorter Ones for a Crisper Read

Granted, the quote from Zinsser runs long. But it packs a punch. If he had replaced commas with periods, how would it affect the sentence?

I’ve edited articles where an entire paragraph contained one sentence. For these, I convert the long sentence into two or three sentences. This breaks multiple thoughts into a single thought for each. It improves readability and clarity.

Omit Redundant Words

Take a look at this list and see how you can make them better.

• Add a new.
• In order to.
• Overused cliché.
• Past history.
• Period of time.
• Plan ahead.
• Straight to the point.
• Tall skyscraper.
• Thanks in advance.

I applied these tips to my writing as quickly as I learned where to find the hazard lights button. Next time I crack the car’s user manual, I’ll glean two or three tips. Those will join these three plus the many others I’ve discovered since I started driving my car. In a year or two, the new knowledge will help me improve this article.

Keep reading and keep writing. The bettering will follow. Oh, and be sure to find your hazard lights now before you need to know how.

Share your writing tip in the comments.

About the Author

Meryl K. Evans, Content Maven, writes a variety of content and helps her clients with their content marketing needs. A native Texan, Meryl lives a heartbeat north of Dallas in Plano, Texas with her husband and three kiddos. Y’all can visit her online home at www.meryl.net.

3 Dating Tips You Can Steal From “Quiet”

Dating is tough for a lot of people. For introverts living in an extroversion-dominant society, the dating pool can be even more difficult to navigate. However, some of the powerful lessons from the landmark book Quiet:The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking can be helpful not only for coping with western culture generally but also for getting more value from dating.

What Is Quiet?

In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain explains how western society has come to favor an ideal of one spectrum of personality: extroversion. This “extroverted ideal,” which Cain argues permeates our culture, emphasizes that a person’s highest form of self should be outgoing, risk-friendly, highly collaborative, action-oriented, and effervescently social, among other things. In contrast, Cain argues that introverts’ strengths and contributions have been overlooked or even denied because they embody traits like caution, reticence, contemplativeness, focus, and preference to work solo, which have historically been devalued by society.

How Can It Help You in Dating?

1 Understand Your Needs

The most important step in finding greater fulfillment as an introvert is to take time to truly understand your own needs. In environments that have been traditionally dominated by extroverted values (most education systems and business spaces), introverts often act as what Cain calls “psuedo-extroverts.” Basically, this means introverts learn to adopt extroverted tendencies to cope and succeed in life. Sometimes they are so successful that they convince others—or even themselves—that they are extroverts.

This doesn’t help you at all when it comes to finding a partner, however. In that arena it pays off more to be true to yourself. So, it’s important to take some time to remove your “psuedo-extrovert” mask and get in touch with your introverted heart. Understand how much social interaction you can handle, what kinds of activities leave you feeling recharged, and how often you need them.

2 Set Appropriate Expectations When Dating Other Temperaments

Once you know what you need and under which circumstances, you can begin to fit those pieces into the needs of prospective partners. This is sometimes easier said than done. If you, for example, find yourself attracted to someone with a different temperament, your particular need for isolation and quiet in the evenings can clash with their need for activity and stimulation. So, what do you do? Essentially, it comes down to communication. Letting prospective partners know up front and in real-time what you are comfortable with will help you get more satisfaction out of dating in general and will help you filter out partners that aren’t an ideal fit in the long run.

3 Practice Communicating Your Preferences

However, it can be difficult to tell someone you like that this trendy (read busy) bar that they are crazy about makes you want to crawl into a (quiet) hole for an entire Saturday. Rather than toughing it out but secretly feeling uncomfortable and therefore not representing your best self, try communicating what it is that is particularly difficult for you, e.g., “This place has a lot going on and it’s hard to talk.” This is when a bit of practice comes in handy.

Asserting introverted needs in an extroverted space is uncomfortable—at least at first—but by identifying what you need to be fulfilled, you can begin asking for or making these needs known in less high-stakes situations than your next date. That is, practice asking the waiter to turn off the television or turn down the music. Practice asking your friends to go someplace calmer. Practice telling your co-worker who jumps from task to task that you need some time to get organized and plan. Practice telling your family that they should go out without you and that you’ll be fine at home alone for the night. The more you voice your needs in everyday scenarios, the easier it will be for you to find the necessary words when you need to communicate with a date.

What experiences have you had with dating as in introvert? What communication tips would you add?

Stay Away From These 5 Cliché Endings

Writing a book is difficult, but trying to pick an ending that is both impactful and wraps the plot up beautifully is even more difficult. Beginning your book is important, but ending it can be equally so. Relying on clichés won’t get the job done. As an author, you’ll only leave your readers feeling disappointed and dissatisfied.

Make sure to stay away from these five cliché endings:

The Happily Ever After

What It Is: All of the characters in your book live happily ever, with no hardships to bear. You’ll find the hero in this ending has defeated everyone and all of the plot twists you’ve worked so hard to write have been tied up nicely — but they’re also usually tied up very unrealistically.

Why to Avoid It: Life doesn’t necessarily end happily ever after, which makes this type of ending feel disingenuous. You want your readers to feel enthralled with your book so that they’ll want to buy more from your library or even read the same book again. Real people always have troubles, so make sure that your book stays in realm of realism.

The Drawn-out Dream

What It Is: The drawn-out dream ending is a cliché that usually has the main character waking up safe and sound in their bed, having realized that the entire plot up until that point has just been a dream.

Why to Avoid It: This type of ending typically annoys readers, who feel that the author has copped out. A book should be emotional to everyone involved, and an author who uses this ending seems to betray readers’ trust and cheapen the deep emotions that person has felt throughout the book.

The Killing Hero

What It Is: This is the cliché ending where the hero gets incredibly strong or lucky and kills off everything that ever stood in his or her way. He either accomplishes this task himself, or he is instrumental in orchestrating a plan that saves the world.

Why to Avoid It: This ending is just overdone, making it one of the top clichés no one wants to see when they finish a book. Authors need to avoid this ending because it’s just not realistic. It’s pretty anti-climactic and leaves the reader feeling excited for a little while, but that the book sizzled out overall. This ending just doesn’t engage the reader.

The Guilty Hero’s Monologue

What It Is: This cliché ending is where the hero finally defeats the bad guy or force, but you get to hear his internal thoughts of regret or remorse. This monologue is supposed to show the character’s guilt at what he’s had to do, and how this is eating away at him (or her). Even though the ending is happy, our hero must now live with all the blood and sins on his hands.

Why to Avoid It: In general, writers should strive to show, not tell, readers what is happening in the book. By strongarming readers into feeling specific, manufactured emotions, you are taking away their freedom to experience the novel in a way that is reflective of their background and experiences. Readers feel like they are being led to specific conclusions, and not many enjoy the feeling of an author holding their hand throughout a book — especially the ending.

The Lover’s Life

What It Is: In the lover’s life cliché ending, you’ll find that the end of your novel involves the main character falling in love, for an unexplained and often random reason, and then living happily ever after. It’s a twist that shows that true love makes the world go ‘round and that all that happened throughout the course of the book was worth it.

Why to Avoid It: Again, unrealistic endings tend to annoy readers. If a love interest is too sudden, it isn’t all that real. If it is unexplained, it leaves your characters lacking depth. The truth is that not everyone falls in love and lives happily ever after. The best endings are unique, seemingly realistic, and really make your readers think.

So the next time you are tempted to end your book with an easy, clichéd ending, don’t. Set the text aside, brainstorm some unique possibilities, and pick up your manuscript again when you have a more interesting picture of what could be.

Watch Your Language in Corporate Emails

We are “devolving” into lackadaisical proofreaders.

Even senior management and professionals with advanced degrees and experience no longer show the stamina or desire to ensure that their written words convey exactly what they are meant to–and our carelessness is coming to a head.

This is compounded by the fact that, more than ever, human beings are being judged on word choice. In large part, this is a result of our increasing reliance on written communication to conduct both business and personal relationships.

When writing for a specific purpose–whether it’s personal or professional–think about these three tips before you hit “send.”

Watch Your Tone

In written communication, it is especially important to watch your tone. For example, short replies to emails (sure, fine, ok, etc.) may come across as abrupt or angry. Excessive use of punctuation or CAPS LOCK could also suggest excitement–with both positive and negative connotations.

Ensure that every email you send in a professional environment is purposeful and that it includes relevant and actionable information. CAPS LOCK is rarely appropriate, and multiple exclamation points or question marks may send readers the wrong message. Wasn’t it Mark Twain who tried to explain that exclamation points should be used ever so sparingly (as in shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater), or omitted from one’s work entirely?

Proofread!

Aside from watching your tone, here are some proofreading tips that can help you to avoid potentially damaging emails:

• Read your email out loud. Even middle school students are taught this strategy. It’s an easy way to catch your mistakes, i.e., typos, and tone down or polish your language.
• Check for clarity. Is your meaning clear? Does your word choice accurately reflect your feelings or point of view? Don’t write “Call me at once,” if you mean “Please contact me at your earliest convenience. This deal’s important, Joe. Thanks.”
• Check for fluency. Newspapers are typically written at a fifth- or sixth-grade level. Writing at a sixth-grade level doesn’t necessarily mean you write like a sixth-grader; it just means that a sixth-grader would be able to comprehend what you’ve written. It also means that adult readers will be able to quickly and easily absorb what you’re trying to tell them.
• Organize your thoughts. Does your argument unfold intelligently? Is your word choice persuasive? If you are drafting several paragraphs, do you use a topic sentence for each one and include evidence to support it?
• Elaborate. Have you explained your position fully? Or will the reader have lingering questions?
• Proof for mechanics. Check your capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and syntax (the order of the words in your sentence). For gosh sakes, get yourself a grammar book if you don’t have one already, and keep it at your elbow. Writing crisp emails makes you shine. Lean on the latest edition of Strunk & White or the AP Stylebook for support. Either will do.

Strain Your Brain: Conclude with a Powerful Thought

As any great author will advise, your last line should sing. Before writing it, ask yourself, “What do I want to leave the reader thinking?” The answer to that question is the last line itself.

Q&A with Martha Brockenbrough, Founder of National Grammar Day

Martha Brockenbrough is the founder of National Grammar Day and author of The Game of Love and Death, which comes out April 28 and has received starred reviews from Kirkus Books and Publishers Weekly. Martha recently spoke with the Grammarly team to provide some insight into National Grammar Day and to share her perspective on language.

Grammarly: You established National Grammar Day in 2008. When did you realize that such a holiday was necessary?

Martha: “Necessary” might not be the first word I’d choose. Food, water, love, underpants. All of these are necessary things. But I knew National Grammar Day would be a lot of fun. Fun is necessary, too, and as soon as I learned the holiday did not yet exist, I set about creating it. I was inspired by the high school students I was teaching at the time. They needed a bit of help with their grammar, and I wanted to make the learning experience lively and positive. Everyone can probably remember that teacher who made grammar seem difficult or unpleasant. I wanted to show my students the fun they could have with language. They more they knew about how it worked, the more they could do, much in the same way you play better basketball when you know all of the rules.

Speaking of rules: Much has been said about the fact that many so-called rules in our language aren’t. That’s quite true. But it doesn’t mean people don’t have certain expectations about the grammar we use. Hiring managers, potential dates: People will judge you if your grammar is non-standard, just as they will judge you for wearing a Speedo to a black-tie event (even with a black tie, which would be the worst).

G: What is your biggest grammar pet peeve?

M: I try not to keep too many pet peeves. That said, every time I see “your” instead of “you’re,” my soul shrivels a little more.

G: Is there a grammar rule you don’t mind bending/breaking?

M: There are plenty of so-called “rules” that really and truly aren’t. It’s fine, for example, to begin a sentence with a conjunction. You probably don’t want to do this a lot, because it makes your writing sound choppy. But it’s perfectly fine style. Same goes for ending a sentence with a preposition.

As a novelist, though, I routinely and purposefully bend the language as many ways as I possibly can to create memorable characters who feel authentic. All we have with novels are words, and out of this, we create not only worlds, but all of their inhabitants. Books breathe, in many cases, because of the artful bending of words, punctuation, and expectations. Mark Twain, an absolute genius with language (and a proponent of simplified spelling), depended utterly on making rubber out of rules. Imagine how awful it would be if someone standardized the grammar in Huckleberry Finn. That would be like putting a tasteful blouse on the Venus de Milo.

Again, it’s about context. If you’re applying for a job with the Queen, spray the starch and follow the most formal conventions. If you’re doing something else, then do whatever it takes to do it well.

G: Oxford Comma, yes or no?

M: It depends. I write for a variety of publications. Some follow Associated Press Style, which is a serial comma killer.

Some don’t. When I write books, for example, I use the Oxford comma.

If I were in charge of the world, I suppose I’d urge use of the Oxford comma. It’s easy to point out cases where confusion arises without it. My favorite is the one that says, “We invited the strippers, JFK, and Stalin.” This is not the same as “We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin.” (For the record, I would pay many folded single dollar bills to watch JFK and Stalin strip together.) What’s more, we no longer live in an age where we’re communicating via telegraph, so we don’t need conserve characters in quite the same way we used to, except on Twitter.

That said, the opposite confusion can sometimes arise. Consider this: “For my sister, an orangutan, and Jerome…” It’s unclear whether the speaker’s sister is an orangutan.

This is why you have to pay attention to every sentence you write. Communicating what you mean in a way that other people can understand is the goal. (That and inventing time travel so we can all catch that hot Cold War stripper act.)

G: Why is good grammar important? Isn’t it enough that we all “kind of” understand each other?

M: Tell that to the person who wrote the contract between Rogers Communication and Atlantic Canada. One rogue comma ended up costing Rogers something like $1 million a year. Most of us won’t be in a situation like this, but any time you write a letter, a personal ad, a job application, a Facebook status post, or even a tweet, you’re putting yourself into the world for all to judge and potentially misunderstand. Just as you wouldn’t want to go outside with your pants only “kind of” zipped, you want to give yourself the best chance of making whatever connection you seek. It saves all sorts of heartache and embarrassment, not to mention the occasional heap of cash.

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Thank you, Martha! Happy National Grammar Day.

Curious to know what kind of grammar nerd you are? Take Grammarly’s quiz in honor of National Grammar Day.

Realise or Realize?

Realise and realize are different spellings of the same word, and they can be used interchangeably. Both are common throughout the English-speaking world, though in different areas. Realize is preferred in American and Canadian English, while realise is preferred outside North America.

You can find more details about these spelling differences below.

Realise or Realize—Which Should I Use?

People associate a lot of things with British culture—one of them is how different British English is from American English, spelling included. Let’s compare realise and realize.

Consider your audience. For American readers, the -ize ending is probably the way to go. While both endings might be correct according to your dictionary of choice, you could unnecessarily alienate your audience if you insist on using -ise. Elsewhere, preferences might not be as strong, but they might view -ize as an American spelling. What is important is that you are consistent. For example, if you decide to go with realize, you should use the -ize ending for all verbs that can be spelled with either -ize or -ise. By doing so, you will minimize the risk of someone thinking you’ve made a mistake.

The -ise ending is actually newer than the -ize ending. In Britain and other countries, it became popular after 1875, when it began appearing in news articles. However, the -ise ending didn’t catch on in the United States or in British science periodicals and professional journals. For that reason, you will see both verb endings in British literature.

Oxford University Press, a British publisher, prefer to use the -ize ending for words that derive from the Greek suffix -izo. Doing so reflects the origins of verbs and nouns, such as realization, organization, and privatization. An -ise ending could erroneously suggest that the verbs derive from the French verbs réaliser, organiser, or privatiser. That’s not to say that Oxford style always condemns -ise endings. To illustrate, the -ise of televise doesn’t have a Greek origin, so that -ise ending is A-okay.

Examples

People do not seem to realise that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We’re living in science fiction, but we don’t realize it.

Terry Pratchett

Adding this up, Woolworths could realise up to $1bn on the sale.

The Australian

Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.

Jean Genet

Which do you prefer—realise or realize? Will you choose the spelling most popular where you live?

Q&A with Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty

Mignon Fogarty is the founder the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network, the creator of of the Grammar Girl website (one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers in 2012, 2013, and 2014), and the creator and host of the Grammar Girl podcast (Best Education Podcast in the 2012 and 2013 Podcast Awards). 

The Grammarly team recently chatted with Mignon about grammar, language, and National Grammar Day (March 4).

Grammarly: How did you become such a recognized grammar expert?

Grammar Girl: I’m not certain how it happened. My first Grammar Girl project was the podcast, but when it launched, it was just a hobby and I was working full time, so I wasn’t watching the traffic closely. Within a few weeks it was #2 in all of podcasting at iTunes and the success took me by surprise. Four months after the podcast launched, the Wall Street Journal picked the Grammar Girl website as their pick of the day, and I started getting book-deal offers and eventually partnered with Macmillan to write Grammar Girl books and to manage and expand the Quick and Dirty Tips network, of which Grammar Girl is a part.

Since the beginning, my readers and listeners have been wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive. The success of Grammar Girl is all because of them. Early on, I got a lot of e-mail messages from listeners telling me how much they loved the show and that they had shared it with all of their friends.

I also like to think that I’m recognized as an expert because I thoroughly research every topic I cover. I see a lot of people commenting online about what they think are grammar rules, but they’re going on their memory or what they learned in grade school, and they’re often incorrect. Readers and listeners learn that they can trust that I have looked up the rules and history of a topic and that I’m not just spouting my own opinions. In fact, I so diligently avoid inserting my opinion that at times my book editors have had to remind me that sometimes people actually do want to know what I think.

Grammarly: What is your biggest grammar pet peeve?

Grammar Girl: After years of answering people’s questions about grammar, seeing how they struggle, and writing about it, I don’t really have any pet peeves. The more research I do, the more I discover that many hard-and-fast rules are just consensus opinions or suggestions, such as the “rules” about splitting infinitives or that using passive voice is always wrong. I guess it mildly annoys me when I see words capitalized that shouldn’t be, but I don’t get too worked up about it.

Grammarly: Is there a grammar rule you don’t mind bending/breaking?

Grammar Girl: I can’t think of any hard-and-fast rules that I would break, but because the articles on my website are also the scripts to my audio podcasts, I write them in an informal, conversational style. For example, I often start sentences with conjunctions and use contractions. Those things aren’t wrong, but sometimes people think they are, and it is definitely a casual writing style.

Grammarly: Oxford Comma, yes or no?

Grammar Girl: My Twitter fan @ravishlydotcom asked me this question in December. I tend to favor the Oxford comma because it makes things more clear and avoids the rare potential ambiguities.

Grammarly: Why is good grammar important? Isn’t it enough that we all “kind of” understand each other?

Grammar Girl: Good grammar has become even more important today than it was ten or fifteen years ago. It’s common to meet people online now, so the quality of your writing has a huge influence on the first impression you make on people. I like to say that instead of “dressing for success,” you need to “write for success.” I have an article that my friend Martha Brockenbrough (who founded National Grammar Day in 2008) wrote about the importance of good grammar and how it can help you stay out of jail, keep your job, and even find love.

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Mignon Fogarty is the author of the New York Times best-seller Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing and six other books on writing. She was recently appointed to be the Donald W. Reynolds Chair of Media Entrepreneurship in the Reynolds School of Journalism and Advanced Media Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Thanks, Mignon, for your time!

Curious to know what kind of grammar nerd you are? Take Grammarly’s quiz in honor of National Grammar Day.

5 Reasons the Writing World Should Celebrate Dyslexia

Guest Post by Doug Sprei and Jules Johnson, LearningAlly.org

For many people with dyslexia, writing and spelling are some of the most challenging activities in daily life. And yet in the midst of this difficulty, a world of creative thinking is awakened. Some of the most acclaimed authors, business leaders, scientists, and innovators are dyslexic. The next time you switch on a light bulb or reach for a favorite book, consider the following reasons that dyslexia is something to be celebrated.

Millions of people have dyslexia – and their different brains add to the extraordinary diversity of humanity.

Studies by leading researchers such as Dr. Sally Shaywitz of Yale University indicate that as many as one in five individuals have dyslexia. Their findings also prove that dyslexia is decidedly not an indicator of intelligence. 

People with dyslexia who struggle to read, spell, and write are often bright and innovative thinkers who excel in many disciplines. The list of celebrities in this category includes film director Steven Spielberg, financial magnate Charles Schwab, entrepreneur Richard Branson, activist Erin Brockovich, lawyer David Boies . . . the roster is panoramic.

 

So what’s going on? “Our education system looks at dyslexia as a deficit rather than as a difference,” says Dr. Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University. Wolf and other prominent educators embrace the term cerebral diversity to help people understand that there really is no one standard brain organization. “For its own survival, the human species needs differences,” she says. “And the brain of an individual with dyslexia has certain unique features that help our society advance.”

Terrible spellers can be great writers – and thinkers.

Agatha Christie once recounted that “Writing and spelling were always terribly difficult for me. I was an extraordinarily bad speller and have remained so until this day.” From an internationally acclaimed author, that may be a shocking admission, but Christie was far from alone in struggling with dyslexia. A list of her peers includes poet Philip Schulz and playwright Wendy Wasserstein (both Pulitzer Prize winners), children’s book author Rick Riordan, and novelist John Irving, to name just a few.

As a young student with dyslexia, writer and filmmaker Sprague Theobald struggled against authority figures saying that he was stupid and would never accomplish anything. “Mostly, my job now is to not acknowledge the damaging voices from my past school years,” he says. “If you are a stickler for spelling and don’t understand why a person may have spelling issues, let me give you a spelling test of Greek words with a police siren blaring in your right ear and a fire siren blaring in your left ear. That’s about how confusing and challenging spelling can be for those of us who are blessed with dyslexia.”

We might still be writing by candlelight if not for dyslexia.

A six year-old student was once sent home from school with a note from his teacher pinned to his shirt. It read, “This boy is too stupid to learn.” Decades later, he recalled, “My teachers said I’m addled, my father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided I must be a dunce.” The boy, Thomas Edison, went on to invent the first commercially practical incandescent light. His example is illuminating for children with learning disabilities who feel crushed when labels are pinned on them – and can even provide “light bulb moments” for parents anxious to buoy their spirits.

Assistive technology is a “ramp” for dyslexic writers and readers.

People with dyslexia often have no problem verbalizing great ideas, but can be frustrated when they have to put those ideas in writing. They can also sometimes be dysgraphic, which makes the physical act of writing with a pencil and paper extremely difficult. And of course reading brings on a huge host of challenges.

Fortunately there are a variety of tech tools that can help them translate their ideas into writing.  “When it comes to editing their writing, dyslexics can use advanced spelling and grammar checkers,” says assistive technology specialist Jamie Martin. “For reading and research, human-narrated audiobooks from Learning Ally can be downloaded and accessed on computers, tablets, and smartphones. Word prediction and dictation software can go a long way in removing the barrier of poor spelling for dyslexics; and any kind of electronic writing can be the saving grace for people with dysgraphia.”

Dyslexia informs our past and future. Scientific acumen, creativity, and engineering ingenuity are only some of the gifts of the dyslexic brain. In young people, those gifts are not recognized and exalted often enough.

“I’m as much of a grammar and spelling nerd as anyone out there,” says educational therapist Diana Kennedy.  “On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to go head to head in a contest of science, art, or invention against Leonardo DaVinci, or of business acumen against Charles Schwab, or of movie-making against Steven Spielberg. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be proud of your prodigious spelling and grasp of complex grammar, but when it comes to dyslexia, it’s important to keep our pride in perspective.”

 

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Doug Sprei is national communications director and Jules Johnson is social media community leader at Learning Ally – a national nonprofit serving students with learning and visual disabilities. The organization provides resources for parents; training and technology for teachers and schools; and 80,000 human-narrated audio textbooks for K-12 through higher education. For more information, visit http://LearningAlly.org.

Train your brain with these 4 spelling tips and tricks

Amateur Something or someone that is amateur is non-professional. If you remember that amateur ends in a fancy French suffix (-eur), you’ll be able to spell this word correctly in both professional and non-professional situations.

Conscientious Conscientious means thorough, careful, or vigilant. If you have a strong conscience, you will be conscientious. You can remember the conscience by breaking it into “con” and “science.” Then the similarities between conscience and conscientious will help you remember the spelling for the latter.

Harass To harass means to fatigue or to tire with repeated and exhausting efforts. Don’t “harass” your fingers by making them type extra letters on the keyboard. Harass contains only one R.

License A license is an official authorization. You can remember the C in license by thinking that you don’t always need sense (spelled with an S) to get a license.

Do you know other spelling tips or tricks? Share them in the comments!

What Does Lmk Mean?

• Lmk is an abbreviation of let me know.
• The abbreviation is used the same way the spelled-out phrase is used, but you should avoid it in formal communication.

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When you need people to get back to you with additional information about something, lmk is one of the phrases you can use to ask for it.

The Meaning of Lmk

Lmk is short for let me know. People have been using it for at least fifteen years. By now it’s a staple of electronic communication.

How to Use Lmk

Lmk is an abbreviation you might find in work-related communication. However, if the communication in question requires a formal tone, or if you think the person you’re emailing doesn’t know what lmk stands for, it might be best to avoid using it. In that case, just use the full form instead. If you do use it in formal communication, remember that consistency is key when it comes to capitalization. Consistency is also nice to see in informal communication, but it’s not as important.

Examples

I’ll go if you go, but lmk what time so I can prepare.

I think I’m coming down with something. Lmk, I can change the reservation.

Lmk when you get the newest report.

15 Words English Borrowed From Chinese

When people are learning a language, often they learn the names of delicious foods. English has adopted the names of many Chinese dishes. However, you may be surprised to realize that many other everyday words and phrases are also borrowed from various dialects of Chinese.

Foods

Bok choy is an Asian green that can be cooked or eaten raw. In Chinese, the expression derives from words meaning “white vegetable” because of the white stalks. Ketchup, also spelled catsup, is thought to derive from Chinese words referring to the juice of an eggplant. Oolong, literally meaning black dragon, and pekoe, meaning white hair, are types of tea. In fact, the word tea itself comes from a Chinese word! Other Chinese food words include ginseng and lychee.

Animals

Many cultures love dogs, and the Chinese are no exception. From them, we get the names of many dog breeds. Shar peis, a breed distinctive for loose wrinkly skin, get their name from Chinese words meaning “sand” and “fur.” We also get the breed name for shih tzus from Chinese words meaning “lion dog.”

Expressions

The expression chop chop, an impatient way of telling someone to hurry up, comes from a Chinese expression with a similar meaning. Yin Yang describes the interaction of darkness and brightness. Gung ho, which in English means enthusiastically or wholeheartedly, has an interesting story. A U.S. Marine officer used the phrase as a training slogan after learning the name of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society derived from a literal translation of the Chinese expression for “work together.”

Other Cool Things

Many martial art forms, such as tai chi and kung fu, owe their names to their Chinese origin. Mahjong is a fun matching game that many enjoy. Rickshaw is an alternative name of jinrikisha, a small cart pulled by a human driver that was once very popular in China and Japan.

This article contains only a few words adopted from Chinese. With a little investigation of your own, you will discover many more Chinese words embedded in the English language. Why not brainstorm with your family and friends to see how many more you know?