Punctuation Standards in British English

There are certain punctuation standards in British English that are important for a writer to understand. Even the most insightful article might be dismissed by readers because of punctuation errors, even if they have nothing to do with the merit of the content. Some mistakes crop up time and time again, making them understandable, but all the harder to excuse. Consider these punctuation pitfalls in British English that often trap the unwary.

The misaligned quotation mark.

This problem arises from a difference between American and British English. Writers mistakenly put full stops and commas inside quotation marks (the American way) when they should be outside (the British way). Further confusion arises from the fact that British English does follow the American format in fiction, when characters are speaking. For example:

Correct in British non-fiction: The gentleman said “good morning”, which was pleasant. Correct in American non-fiction: The gentleman said “good morning,” which was pleasant. Correct in British fiction: “Good morning,” said the gentleman.

Note that question marks and exclamation marks are placed inside the quotation marks if they are part of the text being quoted. They go outside if they are part of the entire sentence.

The errant apostrophe.

This tiny symbol can make or break a piece of writing, simply by being one space to the left or right. To academics and many employers, a misplaced apostrophe sticks out like a sore thumb. The confusion arises with the difference between the plural and possessive. For example:

A word can be made plural by adding an s, as in Davids, meaning more than one David. A word is made possessive by adding an apostrophe before an s, as in David’s, meaning belonging to David. A plural noun is made possessive by adding an apostrophe after the s, as in Davids’.

The treacherous its vs. it’s.

This problem catches many writers, because it doesn’t quite follow the usual rules of apostrophes. The confusion comes from the fact that it’s is not possessive but rather a contraction. The apostrophe and s replace is or has. Meanwhile, its is not plural; it is the possessive form of it. For example:

Make it possessive with an extra s, as in ‘This building had its opening last year’. Use it’s to indicate a contraction of it is or it has, as in ‘It’s not your fault’ or ‘It’s been cold this winter’. When in doubt, try inserting is or has into your sentence after it and seeing whether the sentence still makes sense.

The confusing comma.

Many writers misplace commas, largely because they think of comma placement asa stylistic choice, not subject to any hard rules. This is not quite true, because misused commas can make text very difficult to read. For example:

Too few commas result in an unwieldy block of text: To place your commas consider the points in a sentence where you would naturally stop for breath or pause for effect when the sentence is read aloud that way the sentence will read much better.

The example above is missing a crucial comma. It also runs two sentences into one.

To place your commas, consider the points in a sentence where you would naturally stop for breath or pause for effect when the sentence is read aloud. That way, the sentence will read much better.

The suspect semicolon.

The problem with the semicolon is that it often gets used where a colon or dash would be better. People can generally spot a place where one of these punctuation marks is needed, but they may not know which one to select. A semicolon does not perform the same function as a colon, and the two are not interchangeable. For example:

To merge two clauses or sentences into one sentence, use a semicolon: Brian chose to buy a blue sweater; it matched his new trainers. To begin a list, use a colon: Brian bought several items: a blue sweater, blue trainers, and a top hat. The dash and colon are broadly interchangeable, but the colon is more formal and the dash is more like a dramatic pause, used more aptly in fiction.

The frustrating full stop.

Known in American punctuation as the ‘period’, the full stop is fairly straightforward. Nevertheless, there is one circumstance when it’s very easily misplaced, which again refers to a distinction between the rules of American English and British English.

The circumstance in question is the placement of a full stop after an abbreviated title, such as ‘Mr’, as an abbreviation of ‘Mister’. British English punctuation does not require a full stop after an abbreviated title, so long as the last letter of the abbreviation matches that of the full word. When this is not the case, a full stop is added. For example, ‘Dr’ ends in an ‘r’, which is the same as the last letter of ‘Doctor’, so no full stop is needed. American English requires a full stop, or period, after all abbreviated titles. For example:

Correct in British English: ‘Mister’ is abbreviated to ‘Mr’ without the addition of a full stop. Correct in American English: ‘Mister’ is abbreviated to ‘Mr.’ with the addition of a full stop. Correct in British English: ‘Professor’ is abbreviated to ‘Prof.’ with the addition of a full stop.

4 Memorable Quotes from Larry David That Will Make You Think

Comedy lovers rejoice! After a six-year hiatus, Larry David’s acclaimed comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm is returning to HBO on October 1 for its much-anticipated ninth season.

Not familiar with the irascible Larry David? Larry got his start doing stand-up in the 1970s and was briefly a writer for SNL. But he’s best known as the true genius (and head writer and executive producer) behind the beloved ’90s sitcom Seinfeld, one of the most successful shows of all time.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (in which Larry plays a fictionalized version of himself) has also enjoyed its share of accolades, including two Emmy Awards (out of thirty-nine nominations), and a Golden Globe Award (with five nominations).

We’d say that’s pretty, pretty, pretty good.

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So today we’re celebrating the return of Curb with some creative wisdom from Larry David himself.

1Prioritize Your Own Standards

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To be honest . . . I think the only thing that really worked in my favor, is that right from the beginning I really didn’t [care] whether or not [Seinfeld] was a success. That’s not to say I didn’t want to do good work, but I wasn’t about to let myself be judged by network standards. When you’re not concerned with succeeding, you can work with complete freedom.

Despite pressure from NBC to play it safe, Larry chose to stay true to himself and his vision and make the art he wanted to make. Instead of pandering to the bureaucratic overlords, he chose to create something that he was personally proud of, regardless of its reception.

By removing the pressure to achieve, and setting his creativity loose, he was able to create something which brought joy to hundreds of millions of viewers.

2Don’t Be Afraid To Go There

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On some viewers’ surprising response to Curb Your Enthusiasm:

. . . people told me after the show started airing that they had to leave the room for some scenes because they were cringing and they couldn’t bear to watch — it was like a horror movie — I had no idea it was having that effect on people.

That was a complete surprise to me, and I liked it. I liked that they couldn’t see it. But I never really gave it that much thought. I was just trying to do funny shows. I never felt I was going too far. I felt I was doing what I wanted to see.

If you’ve seen Curb, you’ll know just how painfully cringeworthy some scenes are. But even after Larry discovered his show was having this effect on people, he didn’t tone down what he was doing to make his audience more comfortable; he continued to push the envelope.

Not everyone will understand, appreciate, or be comfortable with the art you make—and that’s okay. Do the work you want to do. Your audience is out there!

3Push Your Creative Boundaries, Even When It’s Hard

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When I drove home every day, because we were improvising it, I’d think, “Would this scene be better if I’d written it?” And 98 percent of the time, I’d thought “No.” It was better improvised. You could just get to places that you couldn’t get to writing.

But the editing is really hard. Compared to a written show, where you’re doing two to three takes and they’re all the same. For this show, every take is different.

The dialogue of Curb Your Enthusiasm is mostly improvised by the actors (instead of scripts, Larry writes outlines for the show), and the results are hilarious. The process of getting to the final product may be difficult, but it’s absolutely worth it.

4Your Perspective Can Be a Game Changer

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On Larry’s conversation with Jerry Seinfeld where they came up with the idea for Seinfeld:

We were in a grocery store and talking about the different products on the shelves. And we were making each other laugh. Then we both realized that this is the kind of dialogue we never really heard on television, or even movies, for that matter.

Chances are many of your favorite TV shows and movies have dialogue that sounds natural, and may even sound similar to how you talk with your friends. But before Seinfeld hit the airwaves in 1989, that was rarely the case, and a show celebrating the minutiae of everyday life was unthinkable.

Just like Larry and Jerry realized there was something missing in entertainment, you might also see gaps in your field that no one else has filled before. You may feel like an outsider because of your perspective, but this can also be your strength if you’re willing to act on it.

Need to catch up on Curb? The first eight seasons are available to stream on Amazon Prime!

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Learn the Types of Writing: Expository, Descriptive, Persuasive, and Narrative

Whether you write essays, business materials, fiction, articles, letters, or even just notes in your journal, your writing will be at its best if you stay focused on your purpose. While there are many reasons why you might be putting pen to paper or tapping away on the keyboard, there are really only four main types of writing: expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative.

Each of these four writing genres has a distinct aim, and they all require different types of writing skills. You may also have heard them referred to in an academic setting as modes of discourse or rhetorical modes. Institutions of higher learning teach nine traditional rhetorical modes, but the majority of pieces we are called upon to write will have one of these four main purposes.

Expository Writing

The word expository contains the word expose, so the reason expository is an apt descriptor for this type of writing is that it exposes, or sets forth, facts. It is probably the most common writing genre you will come across throughout your day. In an expository piece, a topic will be introduced and laid out in a logical order without reference to the author’s personal opinions.

Expository writing can be found in:

Textbooks Journalism (except for opinion and editorial articles) Business writing Technical writing Essays Instructions

All of these kinds of writing are expository because they aim to explain and inform.

The municipal government of Happyville unanimously approved the construction of sixty-two miles of bike trails in 2017. Made possible by a new tax levy, the bike trails are expected to help the city reach its sustainability and clean air goals while reducing traffic and congestion. Eighteen trailheads with restrooms and picnic areas have been planned at a variety of access points. The city expects construction to be complete in April 2021.

Because this paragraph supplies the reader with facts and figures about its topic, the new bike trails, without offering the author’s opinion on it, it is expository.

Descriptive Writing

The aim of descriptive writing is to help the reader visualize, in detail, a character, event, place, or all of these things at once. The author might describe the scene in terms of all five senses. Descriptive writing allows the writer a great deal more artistic freedom than expository writing does.

Descriptive writing can be found in:

Fiction Poetry Advertising Journal and diary writing

The children pedaled leisurely down the Happyville Bike Trail, their giggles and whoops reverberating through the warm spring air. Sweet-scented wildflowers brought an array of color to the gently undulating landscape, tempting the children to dismount now and then so they could lay down in the springy, soft grass.

Through description, this passage paints a vivid picture of a scene on the new bike trail.

Persuasive Writing

The aim of persuasive writing, or argumentation, is to influence the reader to assume the author’s point of view. The author will express personal opinions in the piece and arm him- or herself with evidence so that the reader will agree with him or her.

Persuasive writing can be found in:

Advertising Opinion and editorial pieces Reviews Job applications

The bike trail is the glittering gem of Happyville’s new infrastructure. It winds through sixty-two miles of lush landscape, dotted by clean and convenient facilities. If you haven’t experienced the Happyville Bike Trail yet, ditch your car and head outside! Could life in Happyville get any more idyllic?

A number of statements in this paragraph are opinion rather than fact: that the bike trail is a glittering gem, that the facilities are clean and convenient, and that life in Happyville is idyllic. Clearly, the author’s aim here is to use these depictions to persuade readers to use the bike trail.

Narrative Writing

The purpose of narrative writing is to tell a story, whether that story is real or imaginary. Pieces in a narrative style will have characters, and through the narrative, the reader learns what happens to them. Narrative writing can also include dialogue.

Narrative writing can be found in:

All types of fiction (e.g., novels, short stories, novellas) Poetry Biographies Human interest stories Anecdotes

As I cycled down the trail, I heard children giggling and whooping just around the bend. I crested a small hill and coasted down the curving path until I found the source of the noise. Three little girls sat in the grass by a big oak tree. They were startled to see me, and I smiled kindly to put them at ease.

“Whatcha doing?” I asked.

“Nothing,” they chirped in unison.

In this passage, the author sets the scene on the bike trail from his or her own point of view (which is referred to as narrating in the first person). Using both description and dialogue, the story that takes place is laid out in chronological order.

Understanding Your Purpose Empowers Your Writing

Simply puzzling out which of these four types of writing best suits your purpose and adhering to it can help you write more efficiently and effectively.

To summarize:

• Expository writing sets forth facts. You can find it in textbooks, journalism (except opinion or editorial articles), business writing, technical writing, essays, and instructions.
• Descriptive writing evokes images through rich description. You can find it in fiction, poetry, journal writing, and advertising.
• Persuasive writing aims to sway the reader toward the author’s point of view. It is used heavily in advertising, and can also be found in opinion and editorial pieces, reviews, and job applications.
• Narrative writing tells a story. It can be found in fiction, poetry, biographies, human interest stories, and anecdotes.

Republican Primary Candidates Grammar Power Rankings

At Grammarly, we believe that every time we write, we make a statement. Technology encourages fast-paced typing and textspeak—and while we don’t think that’s always bad—we do think it can fuel misconceptions and get out of hand.

In the interest of fun and a little gamesmanship, we’ve started a series of studies to award Grammar Power Rankings to different categories of commenters across the web. After a quick look at NFL and MLB fans, we’ve decided to focus on the upcoming presidential race, starting with the Republicans (who begin their GOP primary debates this week).

Stay tuned for a potential study about Democratic candidates’ supporters in the near future. For now, check out this infographic for the results and methodology from the GOP study:

To share this infographic with your blog readers, embed this in your blog post by pasting the following HTML snippet into your web editor:

Please attribute this infographic to https://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check.

Methodology

We began by taking a large sample of Facebook comments containing at least fifteen words from each candidate’s official page. Next, we created a set of guidelines to help limit (as much as possible) the subjectivity of categorizing the comments as positive or negative. Since the point of the study was to analyze the writing of each candidate’s supporters, we considered only obviously positive or neutral comments. Obviously negative or critical comments, as well as ambiguous or borderline negative comments, were disqualified.

We then randomly selected two hundred fifty of these positive and neutral comments to analyze for each candidate. Using Grammarly, we identified the errors in the comments, which were then verified and tallied by a team of live proofreaders. For the purposes of this study, we counted only black-and-white mistakes such as misspellings, wrong and missing punctuation, misused or missing words, and subject-verb disagreement. We ignored stylistic variations such as the use of common slang words, serial comma usage, and the use of numerals instead of spelled-out numbers.

Finally, we calculated the average number of mistakes per one hundred words by dividing the total word count of the comments by the total number of mistakes for each candidate.

 

Why You Should Take a Vacation, Even If You’re Busy

“I hate vacation,” said no one ever. So why are we so bad at taking time off? North Americans in particular are notorious for rarely taking time off work. A study by Expedia found that each year workers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico take twelve, fifteen, and twelve days off respectively, while Europeans take between twenty and thirty days off.

Granted, employers in North America tend to offer significantly less vacation time than European ones, but workers often don’t even take all the time they’re entitled to, and that’s bad. Reasons vary—we’re too busy, we feel guilty, our bosses make it hard—but the truth is that you’re not doing yourself (or your employer) any favors by skipping vacations. Read on to find out why you need to step away from the office and relax for a little while.

Skipping Vacation Is Bad for Your Health

Research suggests that men who don’t take vacations are 30 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those who do. Women who don’t take vacations are 50 percent more likely to have a heart attack than women who do.

Taking a vacation, on the other hand, can reduce stress and associated symptoms like sleeplessness, fatigue, and headaches. But—and this is an important but—a poorly planned vacation can leave you more stressed than you started. Plan thoroughly. Make sure you request the time off well in advance of your trip. And don’t forget to warn your colleagues that you’ll be out! They’ll appreciate the heads up, as long as you don’t brag too much.

Vacations Make You More Productive

Four in ten American workers say that even though their employer supports time off, they’re just too busy to take it. The irony, of course, is that taking a vacation actually makes you more productive. As much as we like to pretend otherwise, mental resources are finite. Once in a while, you have to step away and replenish those resources if you want to continue doing great work. According to the New York Times, an internal study by the accounting firm Ernst & Young found that “for each additional 10 hours of vacation employees took, their year-end performance ratings from supervisors (on a scale of one to five) improved by 8 percent.”

So don’t feel guilty about taking your hard-earned vacation days. Your performance will be better, not worse.

Vacations Are Good for Your Personal Life

Traveling opens you up to new cultures and perspectives. Even if you’re staying local, relaxing with a good book can be its own kind of new experience.

But time off is also important for keeping your relationships healthy. According to one survey, 43 percent of American workers dedicate less than twenty hours a week to family time. But the majority of the households surveyed who plan out their time off are happier than those who don’t. Even if you can’t take everybody on an extravagant adventure in a faraway land, there’s probably plenty to do close to home. What about a family bike ride? Why not explore that odd little museum downtown that’s only open on Wednesdays at 10 a.m.? In the end, it’s the together time that counts.

Do you take as much time off as you’d like to? Tell us about your favorite ways to relax and recharge in the comment section below.

Empower Your Writing: Transform the Passive Voice

Tell a writer that he should avoid the passive voice in writing, and he’ll usually agree – although the passive voice is perfectly acceptable grammatically.

Most writers know that the sentence, “The cow jumped over the moon” is better than “The moon was jumped over by the cow.” However, if you check a few documents with Grammarly’s Add-in for Microsoft Office Suite, you’ll see that this ghost continues to haunt. Even veteran writers have a problem with the passive voice on occasion.

But, why?

Active voice involves writing that jumps off a page and immediately grabs a reader’s interest. Let’s look at a breakdown of passive vs. active voice (and how to switch between the two) for a better understanding:

What is an Active Sentence? Active sentences have a subject that directly performs the action of the sentence. For example: “He washed the dishes.” The subject of the sentence, the pronoun “he,” directly performs the action, “washed.”

What is a Passive Sentence? Passive sentences switch the direct object and the subject, allowing the subject to receive an action passively. For example: “The dishes were washed by him.” Here, the pronoun, “him,” takes a back seat to the target of the sentence. It is also important to notice that the verb, “washed,” got a bit longer. It turned into “were washed.” File this away in your mind for a moment. Sentence length and complexity are lures that often hook us into the regular use of passive voice.

What are “To Be” Verbs? Many times, it is the “to be” verb that alerts us to a passive voice sentence. Watch out for phrases like “have been,” “will have,” and “are being.” Although not universally the case, they often point to the use of passive voice in a sentence.

Why Use Active Voice? Active voice makes our writing more exciting and energetic. It snags a reader quickly and encourages him to continue reading. Active voice sentences are also easier to read, so using active voice broadens your audience. Finally, passive sentences are usually wordy. Active voice provides us with succinct and precise writing.

How Do You Change a Sentence from Passive to Active? Once you’ve spotted a passive sentence, changing it to active is fairly easy. Turn the direct object of the sentence into the subject. Change the form of the verb used in the sentence, and then remove any unneeded prepositional phrases, simply by removing the preposition.

Passive sentence: Yesterday, the job was completed by her.

Make “her/she” the subject, and move the object, “job.” Then, discard the preposition “by,” and move “yesterday.”

Active sentence: She completed the job yesterday.

Passive sentences can be far more complex, but the basic solution to transforming them into active voice is the same.

The Trap: Sentence complexity is the basic trap that usually locks our writing into passive voice. Often our sentences need to be complex, due to a complicated thought or a stylistic choice. However, the passives can slip in whenever complexity becomes a necessity.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that active sentences have to be simple. They do not. This insidious illusion often summons the passive voice. Let’s look at a complex sentence expressed in passive voice that can be changed to active.

Complex passive sentence: Before they left for the theatre, a pearl necklace with silver beads was given to Sally by her husband Joe.

Using the simple solution of switching the direct object and the subject works here too. Remember to remove the unnecessary preposition, “by.” The only extra step involves moving around the clauses, and this sentence becomes active.

Complex active sentence: Joe gave his wife, Sally, a pearl necklace with silver beads before they left for the theatre.

If you want much more immediate and dynamic writing, it is best to use active voice. Aside from academic use, passive voice rarely makes for sparkling prose.

How do you insure that your writing falls into the active category? The solution is simple: active voice has to become a habit. Write with it every day, and do so consciously. Whenever you see a passive sentence slip into your writing, change it to active. Soon you’ll find that your passive sentences begin to fade as your active voice naturally emerges.

What’s the Most Irritating, Enraging Work Communication Habit?

Ah, March Madness. Every year, this season reminds college basketball lovers to root for the underdog, try their hand at predicting tournament results, and believe in their team. Similarly, our March MADness tournament to choose the worst work habit has had some upsets, a few underdogs, and ultimately, one champion. If you voted in one or more of the polls, thank you! Your voice has been heard. Here are the highlights of the search for the worst office pet peeve.

The Conference Champs

If you recall, we originally had four conferences defining the common areas where your coworkers may annoy you: work chat, email, phone calls, and in person. We had some tough competitions both in the first round and in the Not-So-Sweet 16 between these contenders, but here were the worst pet peeves for each medium.

The Worst Chat Crime: Emoji Overload

��������☠️ These people like to send a string of seemingly useless emojis in work chat, especially in public channels. While they may think it’s cute, it actually shows they have nothing to say.

The Worst Email Fail: Autonotification Email Hell

Autonotifications are sent automatically when someone updates a task, project, or chat. In the best-case scenario, these autonotifications can be batched, but usually your inbox gets swamped by minor updates to various channels. Is it really necessary to know that someone left a chat? Rarely.

The Worst Call Catastrophe: Background Noise Nuisances

We’ve all joined a call where the other participants sounded like they were either in an echo chamber, a wind tunnel, or the middle of Times Square. Nobody likes those calls, and nobody likes distracting background noise.

The Worst IRL Irritation: “Well, actually . . .”

This phrase is the hallmark of a know-it-all. With a penchant for perfection and an inability to filter relevant details from irrelevant ones, these people never miss an opportunity to correct or clarify themselves and others.

The Ultimate Champion: Background Noise

According to our followers, background noise on phone or video calls is the worst work communication offense. And we have to admit, it’s pretty obnoxious to hear microphone feedback, talking, crunching, beeping, traffic, or much of anything on a call.

Now that we’ve identified the worst office crime, where do we go from here? Check back in the coming weeks and months to learn how to avoid background noise, CC faux pas, and other behaviors our followers have identified as obnoxious.

What do you think of this champion? Let us know your thoughts (and feelings) in the comments below.