Geoff Foster, of The Wall Street Journal’s “The Count” sports column, collaborated with Grammarly, the popular automated proofreader, to put NFL fans to the test. Each official NFL team site was analyzed looking at the top 150 fan comments (10,000+ words) for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
Grammarly ranked all 32 NFL team fan bases from worst to best. Whose smack talk was the most eloquent? The Detroit Lions fans proved to be the grammar champs. Who not write so good? That dubious honor goes to Washington Redskins fans.
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You write a great article, and someone comments to point out every typo. You express your opinion in a comment, and someone critiques your writing style. These self-appointed grammar overseers are grammar trolls. What do you do when a grammar troll tests your patience? An angry response often makes the situation worse. If you want them to leave you alone, you will need to shut them down once and for all! Here are eight ways to stop grammar trolls without sinking to their level.
Act as though they are invisible.
Why do grammar trolls pick on your grammar? If their motive is to make you feel bad, reacting angrily only gives them satisfaction. Learn from this Korean proverb: If you kick a stone in anger, you hurt your own foot. Don’t damage your credibility by arguing with unreasonable critics; ignore them! Nine times out of ten, trolls who fail to get a reaction lose interest and move on to their next victim.
Focus on the real problem.
On the other hand, perhaps your grammar troll isn’t trying to be malicious. Some pesky commenters have good intentions, but they lack the tact to express their opinions inoffensively. In that case, carefully prepare a polite response. Let them know that you appreciate their feedback, but the way they express themselves is hurtful. If their hearts truly are in the right place, they might think before they post their next comment. You never know—you might later find their insights valuable once you realize that they came from someone who is trying to help you.
Starve them.
What happens if birds can’t find enough food in one location? They fly off in search of new feeding ground! Trolls are also migratory. They need typos, misspellings, and grammar mistakes to survive. They move from one territory to the next in their search for sustenance. If you proofread carefully enough, your writing can be completely devoid of nutrition for these voracious beasts. You will leave them with no choice but to move on.
Have the first and the last laugh.
Can you look for the humor in the situation? In real life, you might chuckle at yourself if you trip on the sidewalk. Why take your words so seriously? A balanced self-view contributes to emotional health and confidence. Besides, trolls hate when you laugh at them! If they want to embarrass or anger you, your good-natured response will really get their goat! You might say something like, “Ha! I guess that apostrophe got the best of me this time!” To add an extra zing, add a funny gif from a website like giphy.com. You’ll find plenty of options if you search “typo” or “grammar.”
Join the club.
To err is human, right? Everyone, grammar troll or not, has made a mistake at some point in their lives. Ironically, trolls are frequently guilty of making mistakes in their criticisms. Why not give them a taste of their own medicine? Check to see if the trolls are following correct and current practices by consulting a style guide. If you find an inconsistency, link to the resource in your response. It might be just the wake-up call they need.
Tell your biggest buddy.
Grammar trolls often bully those they feel are weaker than themselves. However, you have more control than you might have imagined. For example, did you know that you can disable comments on your blog or block certain users? If it’s not your website, report the bully to the moderator or webmaster. Most moderators of forums, for instance, are willing to remove comments or revoke privileges of abusive community members. Be patient when you make a report. Sometimes moderators need time to gather evidence before permanently banning a user. You can help them by sending screenshots of inappropriate comments made by the offender.
Graciously give thanks.
Look on the bright side: not many things in life are free. Grammar trolls offer proofreading and grammar advice at no cost to you! After all, you can learn a lot from your mistakes. Rather than let disparaging comments get you down, make an honest evaluation of your writing and speech. When someone points out a weakness, research how you can improve. Then, practice what you’ve learned. You might find your grammar troll to be an ugly but beneficial blessing in disguise.
Avoid dark alleys.
Trolls like to hang out in the dark corners of the Internet. If you are selective about where and how you comment online, you might be able to avoid trolls altogether. If you do decide to comment, remember that your exchanges are public. People, even those who don’t go so far as to contact you, will judge what you write and say. If your posts are well thought out and in good taste, readers will respect you even if you don’t always write perfectly.
You can beat a grammar troll without using your fists. Maintain the moral high ground. Trading insults only brings you down to their level. If your responses—should you deign to respond—show respect and good sense, readers will quickly see your intellectual superiority. Sure, you made a boo-boo, but who are the real buffoons?
Historic describes something momentous or important in history.
Historical simply describes something that belongs to an earlier period of history.
Historic and historical are two adjectives that have very similar meanings; so similar that it’s no wonder they are often confused. Still, they are not simply two spellings for the same word, so you should know when to use which.
When to Use Historic
Historic is an adjective that comes in handy when we speak about people, places, or events that existed or happened in the past. But we can’t use the adjective for everything that relates to the past—only those things and people that have a prominent place in history are called historic:
We used a historic map to learn about the history of our town.
The effects of the historic Battle of Hastings can still be seen in the English language.
When to Use Historical
For other people or places that existed in the past, or for things that relate to history, we use the adjective historical:
We used a historical map to learn about the history of our town.
The meeting between the two countries’ leaders was a historical occasion.
Examples
These battlefields and military installations were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985.
Forbes
Chanel has said it will leave a historic perfume site in France if plans for a high-speed train line affecting its jasmine fields go ahead.
BBC
Gladden said Alda Clark founded the historical society after the death of her husband, former Howard County Circuit Court Judge James Clark Sr., in 1955.
The Baltimore Sun
Scientists have pieced together historical records to reconstruct Arctic sea ice extent over the past 125 years.
One look at composer-performer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s list of accomplishments and you’ve got to wonder how he does it all.
His first musical, In the Heights, which he wrote and starred in, won four Tony Awards. He’s acted in TV shows, appeared on SNL, and was recently awarded the prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Grant. He wrote the songs for Disney’s animated “Moana,” whose hit song “How Far I’ll Go” was nominated for the 2017 Oscar for Best Original Song. He’ll be starring in Disney’s upcoming Mary Poppins sequel, and is also connected to the live action version of The Little Mermaid.
Oh and you may have heard of his game-changing, record-breaking, smash hit musical, Hamilton, which won 11 Tony Awards, the 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and totally redefined what musical theater could be.
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This guy stays busy. And not only does he find the time, but he’s consistently producing work that is both tremendously creative and is always raising the bar.
So what can we learn from Lin-Manuel Miranda about getting stuff done? And what can we learn about the creative process from this creative powerhouse?
1 Find Your Creative Groove
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With so much on his plate, Lin-Manuel has learned to make his creative time intentional and organized. He says:
In a way, I know that I’m going to get more writing done while I’m in the show, because having your life structured this way, where you have to be somewhere every night at 8:00, forces you to organize your time.
He always writes with a deadline (or else it won’t get finished), and he plays to his strengths by scheduling his writing time for the morning—his most productive time of day. Now that he has a dog, the morning walk is “when all the good stuff happens” and he’s able to tap into his peak creativity.
2 When The Going Gets Tough… Keep Going
This conversation happened 3 years ago. Keep writing. Get back to your piano. pic.twitter.com/90csgeoLUv
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 23, 2016
Lin-Manuel deals with writer’s block, just like the rest of us. It took him a full six years to write Hamilton, and along the way he faced the same bouts of discouragement (and hope) that all writers face.
Anytime you write something, you go through so many phases. You go through the ‘I’m a Fraud’ phase. You go through the ‘I’ll Never Finish’ phase. And every once in a while you think, ‘What if I actually have created what I set out to create, and it’s received as such?’
So if Lin-Manuel seems a little superhuman, it’s not because he was bitten by a radioactive, song-writing spider — it’s because he worked at it.
Making words rhyme for a living is one of the great joys of my life . . . That’s a superpower I’ve been very conscious of developing. I started at the same level as everybody else, and then I just listened to more music and talked to myself until it was an actual superpower I could pull out on special occasions.
3 Make Your Work a Priority—Because It’s Worth It
Good morning.
You will have to say no to things to say yes to your work.
It will be worth it.
This is from 2009. pic.twitter.com/fplm2QLsf6
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) October 11, 2016
A few years back, Lin-Manuel was sitting on a train headed to a friend’s birthday party, when he got the idea for a song. He started writing in his notebook and suddenly he had the chorus and he could see the whole shape of the song. When the train arrived at his stop he got off, went up to his friend’s party and said “Hey what’s up, man? Happy Birthday! I gotta go.” Then he left the party, got back on the train, and wrote the rest of the song (the Hamilton showstopper “Wait For It”) on the way home.
You have to do that sometimes, you have to say no to your friends to say yes to your work. Because what are you gonna do, like, lose that idea because you decided to have a drink with your friends? It’s not worth it, your friend will be there!
4 Find Collaborators and Mentors You Can Learn From
Hamilton doesn't exist without John Weidman.
Both by example
(Assassins, Pacific Overtures)
& through his friendship. pic.twitter.com/P86Z0QDnyQ
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) February 15, 2015
Collaboration can be a key part of raising your work to the next level. There were many times when Lin-Manuel felt stuck when writing Hamilton, but he had mentors like John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim who he could turn to for encouragement and feedback. Lin-Manuel says his choice to work on projects is not based on whether he thinks they’ll succeed or fail, but on what he’s going to learn from the process.
I co-wrote . . . “Bring It On: The Musical,” not because ever since I was a little boy I wanted to write about cheerleaders, but because I knew I’d be working with Andy Blankenbuehler and Tom Kitt and Jeff Whitty and Amanda Green. And I knew I’d have . . . three new tools for my songwriting tool kit from working with that caliber of artists. . . . I could not have written “Hamilton” without having worked on “Bring It On” first.
5 Do Work That You Love
At the end of the day, whatever type of creative work you do, it’s important to love the project you’re pursuing. In Lin-Manuel’s case, musicals involve a huge time commitment, and like most creative projects, will not make you rich (unless it’s Hamilton, which seems to be the huge exception to every rule).
Basically I have the best job in the world because I fall in love for a living. I write musicals, and musicals take a long time to write. So when you have an idea you really have to fall in love with it.
He advocates the importance of pursuing those ideas that just won’t leave you alone. Reality-wise, sometimes this means finding a job you can support yourself with so you can have the flexibility to work on your passion projects. While writing In the Heights, Lin-Manuel worked as a substitute teacher, and in the early days of writing Hamilton he took a job acting in an unsuccessful TV show (Do No Harm) which allowed him to spend time in Philadelphia doing research.
Lin-Manuel had no idea whether Hamilton would be a success or not, but he was passionate about the idea and he was committed to doing his best work. And the results were truly magical.
Should you write regards to close your next letter or email? What does it mean to send your regards, anyway?
When to End a Letter with “Regards”
Historically, with best regards and with kindest regards have been used as a letter closing—a.k.a. a valediction. In decades past, regards implied not only esteem but also affection; today it sits somewhat higher on the spectrum of formality. While sending regards might have once been reserved for close friends and family, the tone it currently implies makes it well suited for informal correspondence, whether business or personal. A good definition for best regards, for example, would be a comparatively neutral “with my best wishes and esteem.”
Suitable Ways to End a Letter
Formal: Yours faithfully Formal (business): Yours sincerely; Sincerely Semi-formal: With best regards; With kindest regards; Warmest regards Informal: Regards; Kind regards; Best regards Personal: Yours truly; Cheers; Love
Using regards in a letter closing suggests that you have respect for the recipient, but not necessarily a close relationship with him or her. Because it is less formal than yours faithfully or sincerely, expressions with regards are perfect in emails, which tend to be less formal than letters anyway.
The more informal style for an email would be simply Regards. It can work for emails to people you work with regularly, but you might also want to consider that if you correspond with someone very frequently, no closing may be required at all.
Using “In Regard To” in a Sentence
The phrases in regard to and with regard to are identical in meaning to concerning. These expressions are used often in business correspondence to identify matters at hand. As regards is also frequently used in this way.
We have noticed a discrepancy in regard to your bill.
I have a question with regard to your position on taxation.
As regards sustainability, we use only recycled paper in our products.
Because as regards and in regard to/with regard to are closely related, a common error is to write in regards to (with an s) or with regards to. There is no need to make regard plural in either of these phrases.
Please let me know what your preference is with regards to the payment schedule.
Please let me know what your preference is with regard to the payment schedule.
The client asks that you give her monthly reports in regards to the status of her investments.
The client asks that you give her monthly reports in regard to the status of her investments.
It is worth remembering that some people consider with regard to and in regard to unnecessary business speak, and that ninety percent of the time, they could be simply and cleanly reduced to about or concerning.
Please let me know what your preference is concerning the payment schedule.
The client asks that you give her monthly reports about the status of her investments.
Using “Regarding” and “Regard” in a Sentence
The preposition regarding can also be used in the sense of concerning or with respect to.
The doctor called this morning regarding your test results.
Has the travel agent given you any more information regarding your proposed trip to Malta?
As a noun, regard can mean “consideration”:
Jane has no regard for the safety of her employees.
Or “esteem”:
The software development team holds their supervisor in high regard.
As a verb, to regard means “to consider or think about something in a particular way”:
The law regards child endangerment as a very serious crime indeed.
Or “to observe” (although this usage is archaic):
Alas, Dante could regard the object of his affection only from a distance.
“Regards,” “Best Regards,” and “In Regard” in Summary
Regards, Best regards, and Kind regards are good email sign-offs.
Remember that concerning and about can work just as well as, and more concisely than, in regard to and with regard to. The phrases in regards to and with regards to are never correct, and you might garner criticism if you use them.
First and firstly are both ordinal (or ordering) adverbs that English speakers and writers use to enumerate related points (e.g., first…second…third… or firstly…secondly…thirdly…). Because first, second, and third work perfectly well as both adjectives and adverbs, some people find that adding -ly is superfluous and even a little bit pretentious. In other words, it is grammatical overkill.
Is “Firstly” a Real Word?
Dictionary giants Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster did not recognize firstly as a word at all. Surprised? Native English speakers naturally warm to the word firstly as an ordinal adverb because most adverbs end in -ly. Not all adverbs do; consider fast, well, and often, for example.
Johnson and Webster clearly believed that first should be included in this irregular adverb group, and that firstly should never be used at all.
Yet it would be silly to say that firstly isn’t part of the English language. We hear it all the time. The question is this: will using firstly when you enumerate points make your writing seem less correct?
Should I Use “First” or “Firstly?”
It is not wrong to use firstly, secondly, and so on to enumerate your points. Nor is it wrong to use the simpler first, second, etc.
I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. Firstly, I would love to see the Colosseum. Secondly, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Thirdly, they have great pizza.
I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. First, I would love to see the Colosseum. Second, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Third, I need better pizza.
These statements are equivalent in meaning. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for choosing the “first” sequence over the “firstly” sequence.
First, using first is a sure win. If your writing is being published or evaluated, or even if you would like to seem proficient to your coworkers, use the construction that is never criticized rather than the one that is frequently criticized.
Second, the unnecessary -ly may not seem pretentious to you when applied to the lower numbers, but they will, once you follow them logically up the scale. Beyond fourthly and fifthly, they become quite ridiculous. (Seventhly? Eleventhly?)
Third, have you ever noticed that firstly doesn’t have a cognate in the idioms we use every day? You would never say firstly come, firstly served or at firstly glance.
Whichever system you choose, avoid mixing your methods. For example, using firstly then second and third, will simply open you up to more censure, even if there is no hard-and-fast rule to stop you.
When to Use “At First”
At first is not used to enumerate points as first and firstly are.
There are two steps to signing in to our website. At first, type your login name. Next, type in your password.
There are two steps to signing in to our website. First, type your login name. Next, type in your password.
The phrase at first means “in or at the beginning.”
At first, I thought a burglar had come in, but then I realized it was the cat.
She denied eating the cookie at first, but she soon understood that the crumbs on her dress had given her away.
I disliked bungee jumping at first, but now I can’t imagine living without it.
If you just can’t get enough of ordinal numbers now that you have learned about first vs. firstly, find out some more about them.
She likes hiking and outdoor sports; you’re a homebody who’d rather eat nachos and watch Netflix. He’s into kale smoothies and hates chocolate; you . . . well, honestly, what kind of person hates chocolate?
But then someone appears who catches your eye. This person sounds upbeat, likes many of the same things you do, and has some interesting hobbies. Winner!
Swipe right!
You dash off a quick message to say hello and introduce yourself:
Hi their! It looks like we have a lot in commen. Lovd ur profile. Lets talk!
Hours pass. Then days. Your potentially perfect match does not respond. What have you done?
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You are being judged
Okay, time for a harsh reality—if you’re involved in the online dating world, you’re being judged. And, because it’s likely to be your first method of contact, one of the ways your potential matches are judging you is by how well you write. Here are a few ways to avoid blowing it.
Use ur your words!
We know typing on a mobile device can be a pain, but when you’re trying to make a love connection it’s important to avoid shortcuts. Taking the time to spell out words rather than resorting to textspeak shows you’re not dashing off hasty, impulsive responses. If your match has real potential, isn’t he or she worth the time it takes to write out real words?
Proofread!
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Practice safe text—proofread before you hit send. Not only does paying attention to detail show you care, it makes you look smarter and better at life, so people will like you more.
Okay, we’re being a bit snarky there, but we have stats to back this up! Grammarly’s research, in cooperation with eHarmony, revealed that a man with just two spelling errors on his online dating profile is 14 percent less likely to get a match. Ouch! Women may be more likely to evaluate men in terms of things like grammar because, according to OKCupid, they get seventeen times as many messages as men do.
Keep it positive
Even when you don’t mean to be a downer, your language can come across as negative. When writing a potential paramour, take a moment to consider how your message might be perceived. Let’s say you’re chatting with a guy who seems like a perfect match. You ask him to meet you for coffee and conversation. Here are two potential responses he might send:
Sure, that could be fun.
or
Yes, that would be fun.
Odds are, you’ll feel a lot more confident about his enthusiasm if he sends the second response. Even though sure is affirmative, it comes with an implied non-committal shrug, an unspoken meh. And who wants to hear “meh” in response to “Let’s get together”? After all, the famous quote says “Yes, a thousand times yes!” not “Sure, a thousand times sure.”
Could is a similar language beast. It’s ambiguous. Saying, “That could be fun” is like admitting you think meeting for coffee only might end up being a good time. Don’t be a buzzkill! Before you hit send, apply an empathy check to make certain you’re staying positive. Ask yourself “How would I feel if I got this message?” If you sound like you’re not all that interested, or like you’re hedging your bets, a little editing to choose the right words will go a long way.
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Tame your punctuation
We’ve warned you to keep it positive, but that doesn’t mean you have to commit egregious acts of overkill. People who go wild with punctuation can look a little . . . over-the-top. Exclamation points, for example, are for exclamations. (Who knew?) They work just fine when you’re saying an excited “Wow!’ or “Awesome!” or even a disappointed “Damn!” But when you write “I’d love to meet you!!!!!” you’re conveying potentially scary levels of excitement. Only dogs can get away with that level of enthusiasm.
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But don’t be stuffy
Just because you’re proofreading, spelling out complete words, and not overdoing the punctuation doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. In fact, you should have fun. Coming across like a stuffy snob is as bad for your dating prospects as coming across like a slobbery canine. You may be tempted to demonstrate your command of the English language, or even to throw in an erudite semicolon or two, but that doesn’t convey fun so much as “I’m silently judging you.”
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Compare these two introductory texts:
Hello. I was attracted to your profile. You and I appear to have a great deal in common. If you are interested, I would like to exchange correspondence to see whether we might be a match.
vs.
Hi! I came across your profile and noticed that we’re both into polar bear plunges and ice dancing. I thought I was the only one! I’d love to get to know you. Would you like to chat?
Which one would you respond to? Not only does the second version call attention to common ground, it sounds much more conversational.
One quick addendum: Men who properly use the pronoun whom seem to be 31 percent more irresistible to women. We’re not saying it’s a sure thing, guys, but it couldn’t hurt to brush up on your who vs. whom skills.
Communicate to be understood
In the online dating world (and anywhere else, for that matter) your primary writing goal is to be understood. Clear communication means not only paying attention to detail, but aiming for a positive, conversational tone. When you’re communicating online and excited about the prospects of a new match, it can be hard to remember to check yourself before you wreck yourself. But trust us, it’s worth it.
