Should I Use Will or Would in an If-Clause?

Many writers wonder if it’s equally correct to use “will” or “would” in an if-clause. The short answer is no, but there are exceptions to the rule. An if- or when-clause (often used to form conditional sentences) generally does not contain “will,” which is the simple future tense of the verb “to be.” One exception is when the action in the if- or when-clause takes place after that in the main clause. For example, consider the following sentence:

If aspirin will ease my headache, I will take a couple tonight instead of this horrible medicine.

The action in this sentence is the aspirin easing the headache, which will take place only after the speaker takes them later that night.

Another exception is when “will” is not being used as an auxiliary verb, but as a modal verb. In other words, “will” is permitted when it is being used to politely express willingness, persistence or a wish. For example, consider the following sentence:

I think I will warm some water for tea if you will excuse me.

The speaker will only warm up the water if he is excused by the listener.

Grammar Basics: What Is Objective Case?

An direct object is a noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a transitive verb. For example:

Alice caught the baseball.

Subject=Alice Verb=caught Object=baseball

A direct object answers the question of who(m) or what. In the sentence above, you could determine that ‘baseball’ is a direct object by asking the question: What did Alice catch? She caught the baseball. Baseball is the direct object. An indirect object answers the question of to whom, for whom, or for what. For example:

Max pitched Alice the baseball.

Max (subject) pitched (verb) the baseball (direct object) to whom? He pitched it to Alice. Alice is the indirect object. To learn more about grammar and to help us celebrate National Grammar Day this March, visit our new resource page.

Are Pun Competitions a Real Thing?

Around 400 people gathered on Sunday, November 6, at a Kuala Lumpur coffee shop called The Bee. Inside, there was barely enough room to stand, but that didn’t stop people from having fun and enjoying what they’d all come to witness—Malaysia’s very first pun competition. Adequately titled Pun Competition Malaysia, the event was a massive success, and by the end of it, Malaysia had its first winner of “The Punniest Ever” title, a guy called Zim Ahmadi.

Punning (also called paronomasia), is a type of wordplay that feeds on words with multiple meanings, or different words that sound similar. When you say that the cannibals didn’t eat the clown because the clown tasted funny, the joke relies on the fact that “funny” has two meanings. When you say that Bilbo Baggins started walking without his shoes and it turned into a hobbit, you’re using the fact that the words “hobbit” and “habit” sound alike, and that Bilbo is, in fact, a hobbit.

Puns have had a way of coming in and out of fashion throughout history. They were popular at the time Jesus lived, as the Bible has us believe (Matthew 16:18, anyone?). Cicero was a prominent punster, and a very funny member of Roman society. Shakespeare wasn’t afraid of using a pun now and then, and the author of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift, wrote a guide to punning. Swift’s guide came at a time when puns were being attacked by people such as the English essayist Joseph Addison and the English godfather of lexicography, Samuel Johnson, among others. Even though we’re well past the eighteenth century and the great punning uproar of that time, puns are still met with cringes. Or so it seems.

The very first Malaysian Pun Competition is interesting not because it’s an isolated event—it’s not—but because it shows that love of punning is a real thing. The O. Henry Pun-Off has seen people doing their best punning every May since 1978. But newer torch-carriers have been popping up left and right. PUNDERDROME is a Brooklyn-based punning competition that’s been running since 2011. Pundamonium is a pun-slam competition that’s been held around the United States since 2013. The UK Pun Championship celebrated its fourth birthday this year.

So yes, pun competitions are a real thing. People actually turn up and enjoy listening to puns and have a good time. This shouldn’t come as a surprise though—the stigma against punning has been heavily challenged by the likes of late-night talk show hosts Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, the creator of BoJack Horseman Raphael Bob-Waksberg, and the legions of people who have contributed to making Tumblr the best place on the Internet for hilarious punning. Bad puns are still bad, just like bad jokes are, but good puns will make people watch a TV show, check out a website, or come to an event to share a laugh with other punthusiasts.

WriteWorld: Writing Tips: Proofreading

I’m currently finishing up a university degree in journalism, and I’ve been doing journalistic work for newspapers and radio alike for some years now. It’s a line of work wherein proofreading is essential. People are paying to read a piece you’ve written, which means you simply…

Read more: WriteWorld: Writing Tips: Proofreading

Catalog vs. Catalogue

• Catalogue and catalog are both acceptable spellings.
• Catalog is most popular in American English.
• Catalogue is the most common form in other parts of the world.

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Some stores compile lists of products you can buy from them. These lists (often in book form) are sometimes accompanied by descriptions and photos of the products. You may see this book described as either a catalog or a catalogue. Which is the proper way to spell the word—catalog or catalogue?

Catalog or Catalogue—Which Is Correct?

Which spelling do you think looks best? Your answer might depend on where you live. In the United States, catalog is the most common way to spell the word. In other English-speaking countries, catalogue is most popular.

Years ago, American writers began to drop the -ue ending from many words to simplify the spelling. Now, words like analog, dialog, and catalog are common in American English.

Examples

One of the best ways to learn how to use a word is to look at examples. Here are some ways to use catalog (and catalogue) in a sentence. You will notice that the definition of catalog extends beyond a book of products for sale. A catalog can be any compilation of items organized in a systematic manner. That’s why the list of books available at your library might be organized in a digital catalog. It can also be used as a verb meaning to make a catalog of items or to add an item to a catalog. You can catalog anything!

The McKinney Public Library System on Monday upgraded to a new online catalog system known as Koha, an open-source Integrated Library System (ILS) used by thousands of libraries worldwide.

McKinney Courier-Gazette

As the 2016 ABC Best Books for Young Readers catalog arrives in stores, booksellers can supplement their supplies with extra stock by placing an order via a form on BookWeb.

Bookweb.org

“This is the most democratic Neiman Marcus catalogue I’ve ever seen,” Pedraza said, citing a $35 tube of Dior lipstick. “They know they need to appeal to millennials if they’re going to survive two decades from now.”

Washington Post

Cataloguing is not simple data entry, and understanding how to catalogue within a MARC record is not as simple identifying the field and inputting straightforward data and punctuation.

The Cataloguing Librarian

There are so many ways to catalog the possible flaws: He’s too short. She’s too tall. Too fat. Too thin. Not enough education. Too much education. Or you become judgmental about how much your date eats or drinks or how they interact with other people.

TinyBuddha.com

Even though catalog usually appears without the -ue ending in American English, there’s nothing wrong with writing it the longer way. In fact, if you are writing for an audience outside the United States, catalogue may be the form that they are most comfortable seeing in print. Which is the proper way to spell the word—catalog or catalogue? They are both acceptable options. Now, you have the information to decide which spelling will work best for you.

How One Typo Can Ruin Your Job Search

 

Guest post by Robert McCauley

Job seekers receive no shortage of advice from colleagues, peers, friends, and family. Everyone has some nugget of wisdom to help you land the position. Of all the tips you’re likely to receive, this one may be the most valuable: Dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

What does having strong attention to detail have to do with finding a job? Sometimes, everything. Consider these real-life resume mistakes collected by Robert Half; we call them “Resumania.”

RESUME: “Referees available upon request.”

EDUCATION: “Bachelor of ants degree.”

RESUME: “I work hard but do enjoy taking log lunches.”

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS: “Very smard.”

OBJECTIVE: “I want the job at your company so baldy.”

SKILLS: “Excel at working within a tea-oriented culture.”

AVAILABILITY: “I am defiantly open to relocating.”

EDUCATION: “I have a bachelorette degree in computers.”

QUALIFICATIONS: “Typing speed of -60 words per minute.”

TECHNICAL ABILITIES: “Great Microsoft Office skis.”

Statements like these are good for laughs. But, of course, that’s not what the professionals who wrote them had hoped for. Rather than highlighting their skills and experience, they called those qualities into question. As you can see, even a single missing or misplaced letter can make a world of difference.

Still not convinced? Consider this: Three out of four executives surveyed by Robert Half said “just one or two typos in a resume are enough to remove applicants from consideration for a job.” Forty percent said it takes only one typo to rule candidates out. That’s because hiring managers will assume a mistake in your application materials means you’re just as prone to errors on the job.

Here’s how to ensure you submit an error-free resume and cover letter:

Start with spell-check. There’s absolutely no excuse for not running your software’s built-in spell-check function. But even these apps aren’t perfect. Consider also using an additional tool such as Grammarly to give your application materials an extra-thorough examination.

Hit Print. Go old-school by printing out your resume and cover letter. It’s often easier to spot typos when reviewing a hard copy than when reading a document on screen. You also can focus on formatting elements—such as font style, boldface and italics—which spelling and grammar checks won’t scan.

Go line by line. Proofread your documents with a ruler in hand. This simple tool allows you to focus to a single line of text at a time. It’s not a quick process, but it’s worth it. Shift into reverse. Yes, it sounds strange, but reading your documents backward will help you concentrate on individual words. You’re also less likely to assume familiar passages are OK and skip over them.

Ask for help. As a final step, ask a friend, family member or professional contact to review your resume. A fresh set of eyes may spot slipups you’ve overlooked. Another person also can alert you to sections of your resume that might be vague or confusing. Just remember to express your thanks afterward.

What if the unthinkable happens, and you send in your resume only to discover later that it contained an error? It’s happened to me before, and it’ll make your stomach drop.

Unfortunately, there’s little recourse. Resubmitting your materials—and explaining the reason for doing so—will only draw more attention to the mistake. It’s better to hope the employer doesn’t look too closely. At the very least, I can guarantee you won’t make the same mistake again.

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Robert McCauley is a career expert with Robert Half, a leading specialized staffing firm that helps skilled professionals find rewarding temporary and full-time jobs in a variety of fields. Robert has been writing about the job search and careers for more than 10 years. Connect with him and Robert Half on Twitter and YouTube.

5 Foundational Writers in Environmentalism

We tend to look at the world’s problems with sustainable development and environmental troubles as the burning issues of our time. The environmentalist movement has been gaining momentum for the last couple of decades, and at this point, most of us should acknowledge that the world has a problem and that we need to fix it. For those purposes, here’s a short list of influential authors who will help inspire the environmentalist in you.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Henry David Thoreau is an author who needs no introduction. With interests in society, history, biology, and politics, Thoreau would be the perfect person to discuss the challenges of today’s environmental issues. In his own time, he was a visionary whose work proved to be influential well beyond the borders of his country. The book that puts him on this list is, of course, Walden.

John Muir (1838-1914)

The Scottish-American naturalist and writer John Muir is an important early figure in the US conservationist movement. One of Muir’s most significant credits is his role in making Yosemite Valley a protected national park. As a writer, Muir produced fourteen books. His most famous book is My First Summer in the Sierra, full of contagious joy and admiration for nature and the landscape of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

Rachel Carson, a marine biologist and conservationist, was the author of Silent Spring, the book that helped ban DDT and started the movement that helped create the Environmental Protection Agency. This alone makes her one of the most significant environmental authors of the twentieth century.

Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

Wangari Maathai was not primarily a writer; she was a Nigerian environmental and political activist and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1977, she started the Green Belt Movement, which aimed to empower women in Kenya through taking practical environmental action like planting trees and fighting against deforestation. A champion of sustainable development, democracy, and gender equality, Maathai managed to produce a sizeable body of written work, with The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience being the most famous part of it.

Michael Braungart (1958- )

Even though he’s not a prolific writer, the German chemist Michael Braungart’s work in sustainability will undoubtedly earn his small body of work a place next to other environmental classics in the future. Braungart’s primary concern is the transition from the cradle-to-grave model of industry to a cradle-to-cradle one. He co-authored his most famous written work, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, with the US architect William McDonough.