Benefited or Benefitted—Which Is Right?

• Benefited and benefitted are both acceptable spellings.
• Benefited is more common in the United States.

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When you make a verb past tense, sometimes all you have to do is add -ed. Other times, you double the final consonant before adding it. What about the verb benefit? Is the past tense benefited or benefitted?

Benefited vs. Benefitted

The quick answer is that both of them are acceptable. However, you might wonder why the double T version exists in the first place. What’s the rule for doubling the final consonant for the simple past? For regular verbs, you double the last consonant when a one-syllable verb ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern. If a verb has more than one syllable, you double the last consonant if it is in a stressed syllable. Does benefit fit the rule?

Is the ending in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern? Yes, F-I-T are the last three letters. Is the verb one syllable? No, benefit is three syllables. So now, you would only double the last consonant if it’s stressed. Is it stressed? That answer is not so cut-and-dried. Benefit sounds a little different in British and American English. Some say that the final F-I-T is unstresssed in American English. By that criterion, you can write the past tense of benefit as benefited. In the United States, this is the most common way to spell it.

Why would anyone spell benefitted with a double T? Well, even native English speakers might not know all the rules that govern the language. Another verb, fit, does double the T in the past tense because it is one syllable. So it’s easy to see why people might think benefit is like fit in the past tense. Others say the final syllable of benefit receives a secondary stress, so perhaps that’s reason enough to apply the stressed last syllable rule.

Examples

Would you like to see benefited and benefitted in context? Let’s look at some examples from books and online. Which way of writing it seems right to you?

Four situations were measured: when lying benefitted both people, when lying benefitted only the partner, when lying benefitted only the participant, and when lying hurt them both.

Bustle.com

With plentiful oil and gas reserves, one would hope Alberta benefitted from the rise in energy prices, just as Hawaii should benefit from warm weather that fosters its tourism industry.

CalgaryHerald.com

I count as blessings things I could have benefited from, even if I neglected to utilize them. A gift is still a gift, even if left wrapped and unopened.”

Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale

Consumer spending also clearly benefited from the weakened pound encouraging spending by overseas visitors to the UK.

Independent

If you are in favor of spelling the past tense of benefit with one T, you are part of the majority in the United States. However, if you think that the final T should be doubled, you are definitely not alone. You can spell it either way, but be prepared; your choice might result in a friendly debate!

5 Best Children’s Books of All Time

Every child grows up with a certain book that resonates with him or her, but there are some books that have a reached a level of such popularity that they become staples in the childhoods of people everywhere. Reading is an important experience as a kid; it fuels the imagination and implants moral suggestions for how to deal with the world from a young age. That makes children’s books powerfully suggestive and entirely important in the life of a child.

Take a look at this list of some of the all-time best children’s books and reminisce about some of your old favorites.

Charlotte’s Web

Readers cherished E.B White for his elegant style and the beautiful creations of different, interesting characters that mirrored real themes of life without frightening away children. Charlotte’s Web is about an altruistic spider that befriends a pig and saves his life through the friendship. This book tip-toes around the themes of mortality without being overtly terrifying or too complex for a child to understand. Those are just a couple reasons why Charlotte’s Web remains one of the greatest children’s books of all time.

The Giving Tree

The works of Shel Silverstein are commonly a child’s introduction to poetry. Silverstein’s poetry is captivating and real. His illustrations are realistic and detailed, yet they maintain a playfully animated style that keeps them fun and engaging. The Giving Tree is about a tree that gives a child everything it has until that child is a man and the tree is no longer a tree. The themes in this children’s book stretch from the simple — like kindness — to the more complex — like man’s relation to nature — making it an excellent choice for any child.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go

It’s safe to say that there is no way that any essential list of children’s books would be complete without at least one Dr. Seuss creation. In fact, it’s quite a difficult task to choose just one out of the impressive body of work Mr. Geisel put out in his lifetime. Oh, the Places You’ll Go is a heartfelt, inspirational story that reinforces for children the concept of limitless human potential. It’s hard to read this book and not feel that anything is possible.

The Giver

The science-fiction novel by Lois Lowry paints a dystopian image that removes emotion, free will, and all sense of empathy from the human equation in order to show how important these virtues are in life. It implores children to hold onto emotions and to remember the importance of history. The themes in the book encourage children to embrace and appreciate life.

Where the Wild Things Are

There are many ways to try to Where the Wild Things Are; however, perhaps the best way to think of it is as a traditional coming-of-age narrative that flips everything on its ear. This monstrous, imaginative adventure takes an excellent look at the anger of a child and puts a unique perspective on it. This book has been significant in the lives of children worldwide for many years, and based on the craftmanship of the book, it will likely remain so for many years to come.

Stories will always be important in the lives of people because they grant a point of reference that’s outside of our day-to-day situations; they essentially test-drive the emotions and morality of children in a safe but significant way. Plus, they offer thrills beyond the ordinary.

What special books do you fondly remember from your childhood?

7 Books Every Student Should Read Before Entering the Workforce

Unless you’re really lucky, you’ll have some time between taking your last step out of your college and your first step into a new job. You can spend that time trying to have as much fun as you can, basically prolonging the college experience as long as possible. You can spend that time trying to figure things out, yourself included. You can travel, paint, or volunteer. You can do a lot of things, but what you can’t do is escape the fact that, unless you have a trust fund, you’ll have to join the workforce (cue Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine”). It will be a big change, and it might be tough. Luckily, there’s a tool we humans use to extend our knowledge to others and pass it down to coming generations: books. The right book at the right time can give you guidance, advice, inspiration, or words of warning for this transition.

1 This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace David Foster Wallace, a writer (and the world’s foremost bandana wearer, aside from Tupac), gave a commencement speech at Kenyon College back in 2005. This speech, titled “This is Water,” was posthumously published in the form of a book, and if you can read only one book on this list, it should be this one. In a very smart and thoroughly human way, Wallace captures the post-college human condition experienced by people who are a part of the workforce, and gives thoughtful advice about making the most out of it.

2 How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie A self-help book from the 1930s that’s still as influential as it’s ever been, Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is a must-read for everyone whose work will include any form of contact with people. The book will teach you how to win friends and influence people, just as the title says, and you can imagine how helpful that might be with coworkers, clients, and customers. Previous editions had sections about writing effective business letters and marital satisfaction, but those were dropped in more recent editions. You have this blog to help you with business writing; for the marital thing, you’re on your own.

3 A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf There’s more than one reason you should read Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. The sheer guts she displayed by giving lectures about lesbianism, feminism, and gender inequalities is one reason. The fact that women are still paid less than men to do the same jobs around the world is another one. And it also carries the lesson that, no matter your gender or occupation or the hardships you face, you should fight to carve out a room of your own, a place for your passions.

4 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain Those who aren’t particularly outgoing and tend to keep to themselves might think they won’t have a nice time joining the workforce. According to Susan Cain, they might be onto something, because it seems that today’s culture prefers extroverts. In Quiet, Cain aims to show the folly of such an approach while also giving introverts plenty of tips on how to find their way in this culture. This book aims to change minds, so extroverted college graduates should read it as well.

5 Personal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson Starting to earn money is one thing; learning how to manage it is a completely different thing. What to do and what not to do with your personal finances is something that’s best learned before you actually have personal finances, and Eric Tyson’s book will provide plenty of good advice about what’s ahead of you in your professional and financial life.

6 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Another self-help classic, Covey’s seven habits have been so influential that they garnered him an invitation from President Bill Clinton for a chat about ways to implement the seven habits in his presidency. What makes the book so influential is that it carefully balances independence and interdependence, giving advice on how to prioritize personal goals, but also how to use empathetic listening to understand others.

7 Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel The last book of the list is a book in which people talk about their work and how it makes them feel. Studs Terkel’s masterpiece is an oral history that delivers exactly what it promises—regular people with regular thoughts about their jobs. The jobs the people in the book have are widely varied, so you’ll read the thoughts of a piano tuner on one page and the musings of a tennis player on another. And even though it was written in 1974, it’s still a very valuable resource for you, the person about to join the workforce.

5 Reasons You Should Be Reading African American Literature

In the month of February, Americans place a special emphasis on the achievements and history of black Americans, or Americans of African descent. Each year, a theme promotes one facet of black heritage. This year, 2016, the theme is “Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories.” The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) website explains, “From port cities where Africans disembarked from slave ships to the battlefields where their descendants fought for freedom, from the colleges and universities where they pursued education to places where they created communities during centuries of migration, the imprint of Americans of African descent is deeply embedded in the narrative of the American past. These sites prompt us to remember and over time became hallowed grounds.” You might encounter descriptions of many of these important locations in African American literature, such as the books mentioned in the article “5 Inspiring Authors to Read During Black History Month.” But why should you be interested in the works of these African American writers?

A Complete Education

History helps you to understand the present. It also helps you to see the consequences of actions and attitudes. African American history is an integral part of American and world history. To appreciate historical events, you need to know more than just the names of people and places or the dates of events. Why did the people involved act in the way that they did? What were the prevailing attitudes of society? How did the social, environmental, political, and religious climate impact the people and events? African American historical novels reveal what was happening in the black community during significant world events. You won’t fully comprehend the past until you examine it from all possible angles.

Exposure to Different Perspectives

If you are not of African descent, you may view the world differently than someone who comes from that background. Of course, the best way to get to know people is to spend time with them in person. However, reading is another great way to consider the world from a perspective other than your own.

Development of Empathy

When you read any literature from another cultural standpoint, you will see differences in the way people of that culture think, speak, and behave. You might be surprised to learn how many similarities you notice. Emotions such as love, anger, curiosity, desire, sorrow, and fear are common to all people. Perceiving these similarities may help you to feel more connected to black Americans as a group. When black Americans read these books, they also feel more connected to their ancestors. Studies prove that reading positive stories about members of your ethnic group increases feelings of self-worth and belonging. Children, adults, blacks, and non-blacks benefit from reading multicultural literature.

Cool Culture

One of the best things about American culture is that it incorporates traditions, cuisine, art, and other facets of many world cultures. By reading literature rooted in African American culture, you may learn that some of the customs you already practice have African origins.

Everyone Loves a Good Book

Why do you read any book? Did you receive a recommendation from a friend or teacher? Does the title intrigue you? Are you looking for specific information? These same factors can move you to read African American literature.

You don’t have to limit your appreciation for black history to the month of February. African American literature is an enjoyable way to celebrate American culture all year round. Whether you do it to fill out your knowledge of world history, to challenge yourself to view things from another perspective, or just to find a good book, you won’t regret exploring this fascinating genre.

For Team Members at Automated Proofreading Company, Email Presents a Major Challenge*

San Francisco, Calif. — Most consumer Internet startups focus on gaining funding, accessing top talent, or providing Google-esque perks, but a Bay Area automated proofreading company is navigating a different set of issues.

“I am terrified to send emails,” said a team member at Grammarly.com. “Because I work with a company dedicated to improving written communication, all of my email is subject to intense scrutiny. Even my friends have started to point out the tiniest mistakes in my writing.”

Nationally, employees at writing-related companies have expressed similar fears in publishing articles without reviewing them at least five times, or updating their social media profiles. The problem is largely the handiwork of grammar geeks and word nerds with 24×7 Internet access and a penchant for trolling.

“Before I press ‘send,’ I find myself reading and re-reading my outgoing mail at least five times,” said another Grammarly team member. “Last month, I nearly forgot to include a comma before ‘and’ when listing three items in a series – after that, I communicated exclusively by telephone for a week.”

But some experts do not see a problem.

“How can human beings go on living if they know that someone is wrong on the Internet?” asked a representative from Reddit.com. “By detecting minor grammar errors and publicly shaming those responsible, grammar geeks and word nerds are creating transparency around the issue of written communication.”

Grammarly provides team members with email exposure therapy and daily counseling sessions, but the stress is taking a toll.

“Last year, in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked our Facebook fans which teacher had the biggest impact on their love of reading or writing,” said a member of Grammarly’s social media team. “Rather than answer the question, some fans started a scathing dialogue about whether ‘impact’ is an acceptable verb. Dictionaries went flying.”

In a written statement, one of Grammarly’s senior executives said, “With respect to written communication, the bar is high. That’s [literally] all I am comfortable saying right now.”

Employees at automated proofreading companies are not the only ones under scrutiny. Teachers are increasingly blamed for their part in perpetuating poor writing education. Legal constraints prevent grammar geeks and word nerds from infiltrating the classroom, but writing activists have circumvented this with standardized testing and other initiatives.

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* This is a satirical blog post that we’ve written to mimic a typical newspaper article. It is meant to brighten your day, and not to offend. No Grammarly team members were harmed in the writing of this piece; and (for the most part) we are not really afraid to send emails. #FunnyFriday @TheOnion needs us!

#GrammarlyChat

If you missed our March #GrammarlyChat, get caught up with our Storify summary: https://storify.com/Grammarly/grammarlychat-blogging-and-self-publishing.

If you missed our February #GrammarlyChat, get caught up with our Storify summary: https://storify.com/Grammarly/grammarlychat-writing-for-work-and-job-searching.

If you missed our January #GrammarlyChat about books and reading, get caught up with our Storify summary: https://storify.com/Grammarly/grammarly-chat-books-and-reading

If you missed our December #GrammarlyChat, get caught up with our Storify summary: https://storify.com/Grammarly/grammarlychat-editing.

Please email socialmedia@grammarly.com with any questions or ask us on Twitter @Grammarly. We look forward to chatting with you!

Labeled or Labelled—Which Is Correct?

• Labeled and labelled are both correct spellings.
• Labeled is the preferred spelling in American English.
• Labelled is the preferred spelling in British English.

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How should you spell the past tense of the verb label? After adding the -ed ending, should you double the L? Speakers of American English might answer differently than speakers of British English.

Labeled vs. Labelled

Labeled and labelled are both correct spellings, and they mean the same thing. How you spell the word depends on your audience. If you are writing for American readers, labeled is the preferred spelling. In other places, such as Great Britain and Canada, labelled is a more common spelling than labeled.

Even though the jar was labeled as flour, the children knew it was where their mom hid the candy.

The school labeled the lockers with numbers.

What the janitor labelled bug spray contained a powerful poison.

No one likes to be labelled as a cheater.

Examples

Labeled in North American Publications

As you shop your favorite grocery store, do you lean toward foods that are labeled “natural”?

Michigan State University Extension

“As a concerned citizen and a veteran I am profoundly upset that your administration has labeled the American Flag a ‘disruptive symbol,” Velis wrote.

Mass Live

Labelled in British Publications

A schoolboy has been suspended after a light-hearted video of him rapping was labelled a ‘hate crime’ by teachers.

Daily Mail UK

In February, the Sun, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, published a story which labelledPrince William “work-shy Wills”, and accused him of “shirking” his royal duties and his job as an air ambulance pilot.

Financial Times

When reading, keep in mind that labeled and labelled are both correct. If you are the writer, choose the most familiar form for your readers. If you have questions about other British vs. American English spellings, you might do some research before deciding which word is right for you. Do you know the difference between realise and realize or check and cheque?