Fascinating New Languages

Despite all our smarts and scientific advancements, there is still a lot we don’t know about the phenomenon of human language. We don’t know what the first human language sounded like. We don’t know exactly where, how, or when it came to be. We may never be able to find out—there’s an overwhelming lack of data to work with. What we can say, however, is that once we figured out how to create language, we went ahead and created a bunch of them. And we’re still doing it today.

Where There’s a Need, There Is a Way

Two of the main senses for using language are speech, our ability to create sounds, and hearing, our ability to perceive sounds created by others. We can also give language a visual form by writing, but the visual element is important even in face-to-face communication. We send off and receive a number of non-verbal communication signs, such as facial expressions, postures, and gestures. A number of our fellow humans aren’t able to communicate with all three senses, but doesn’t stop them from finding effective ways of communication.

People who are deaf learn sign language—a language of hand gestures and signs that allows them to communicate with great fluency. But what happens in a community of deaf people who don’t have a sign language they can use to communicate? They come up with their own. When a group of deaf children in Nicaragua was taught to lip-read and use American Sign Language, they shunned lip-reading and quickly developed a sign language of their own—behind the backs of their teachers. The result was a completely new language, developed in the 1980s by Nicaraguan kids. And just like that, Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua, or ISN, was born.

People who can’t hear or see have an even bigger challenge—they can’t rely on signs and gestures. In the United States, people who are deaf and blind have been developing a sign language that is based on American Sign Language but has a tactile twist to it. A person speaking in Pro-Tactile ASL, which is what the new language is called, uses her own hands and arms as well as the hands and arms of the person she’s talking to create gestures and signs. It’s a contact language that allows speakers to communicate nuances such as nodding and other gestures.

Other Reasons to Invent a Language

Constructed languages have been created with different agendas, apart from the basic human need to communicate. Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, the creator of arguably the best-known constructed language in the world, Esperanto, wanted to make a language that was easy to learn, could be used as an international second language, and could help overcome cultural misunderstandings. Robot Interaction Language, or ROILA, is a language currently under development at the Eindhoven University of Technology’s Department of Industrial Design. It is the first language created specially for use by talking robots. Loglan, created Dr. James Cooke Brown, is a language used by linguists to research linguistic relativity.

But new languages also pop up spontaneously when conditions are right. People living in Lajamanu, a small and isolated town in Australia, already had a heritage language they could speak, Walpiri. They also spoke both English and Kriol, an English-based creole. When parents spoke to their kids in a mixture of the three languages, the kids took the words they heard and married them with a syntax that wasn’t present in any of the three parent languages, creating a new native language for about 350 of Lajamanu’s residents. It’s spoken only by people who are around thirty-five years old.

Artistic Languages That Entertain

Fantasy settings invite us to create new languages. Alien cultures, alternative histories, dystopian futures, worlds of magic and swordplay—these settings are often very different from the world we live in. So, it only makes sense to, at least from time to time, populate these strange worlds with their own languages. Occasionally, you’ll get fantasy languages that really work (kind of). You might call them artistic languages, or artlangs.

If you’re a fan of the Star Trek franchise, you probably know there are Trekkers who can speak Klingon, a language created for a Star Trek movie by the American linguist Marc Okrand. If you’re familiar with the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, you’re probably aware of Quenya and Sindarin, two Elvish languages of Middle Earth. Na’vi, created by Dr. Paul Frommer, is what the big blue aliens speak in James Cameron’s movie Avatar. The Verdurian language was created by Mark Rosenfelder for a role-playing game, and it contains 400,000 words.

There’s no end to human inventiveness when it comes to language. What new languages do you speak?

“Dear Sir or Madam”—Learn When to Use It and Some Alternatives

How do you know when to use Dear Sir or Madam or something else? When writing a business letter or email, it can be a real challenge to get the salutation right—especially for someone you don’t know or an organization you’ve never worked with. In such situations, you should err on the side of formality, but even then there are good reasons to avoid Dear Sir or Madam. Luckily, there are a number of alternatives for Dear Sir or Madam that will help you remain professional.

Is Dear Sir or Madam Acceptable?

The short answer is yes but only rarely—though of course, not everyone agrees.

Here’s why:

• In today’s technologically connected world, there is (almost) no excuse for not knowing whom you are writing to.
• Dear Sir or Dear Madam may offend your recipient if you’re unsure of their gender or get it wrong.

If you want to write a better cover letter to a prospective employer or an outstanding business letter to a potential client, you want to stand out, right? Likely you want to show how you are already a great fit for the team. Knowing someone’s name, gender, and what they do is a fundamental way to show your investment.

Dear Sir/Madam Cover Letter vs. Dear Sir/Madam Email

You should avoid using Dear Sir/Madam in emails as well as in cover letters.

Cover letters are notably more formal than emails, but some of the same rules apply, especially if you are writing to someone for the first time. Regardless of format, use a formal tone, while—as stated earlier—investing time in researching whom you are writing to.

Dear Sir/Madam Alternatives

Because you should invest some time trying to find out exactly whom you are writing to, the best alternatives to the highly impersonal Dear Sir or Madam include, in order of preference:

• Dear [First Name Last Name],
• Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. [Last Name],
• Dear [First Name], or Hello, [First Name], (informal only. Good if you’ve worked together before or the environment is casual.)
• Dear [Name of group or department],
• Dear [Job Title],
• To Whom It May Concern,
• Dear Sir or Dear Madam,
• Dear Sir or Madam,

This business writing salutations flow chart will help you understand when to use Dear Sir or Madam and when to use something else.

Dear Sir/Madam vs. To Whom It May Concern

If, after diligent searching online and off, you are unable to learn the the name, role, or gender of your intended recipient, what should you do? In this (rare) situation, you should use Dear Sir or Madam and not To Whom It May Concern.

Though many people use Dear Sir or Madam interchangeably with To Whom It May Concern, there is a notable difference in meaning that employers or companies in certain formal sectors (academia, law, finance, etc.) will be sensitive to.

To Whom It May Concern implies that the information discussed in the letter can go to any relevant party within the organization.

This salutation should be used for general concerns like support requests or feedback.

Dear Sir or Madam implies that you have one specific person in mind for this letter, but do not know their name, title, or gender.

This salutation should be used for communication regarding specific projects, specific concerns, or employment.

How to Use Dear Sir or Madam Correctly

If you must use Dear Sir or Madam or a variant of it, traditionally this salutation is paired with Yours Faithfully, in the signature. Here is a template of a letter or email which uses Dear Sir or Madam correctly.

Dear Sir or Madam, (or Dear Sir, or Dear Madam,)

Letter text centered vertically on page.

Yours Faithfully,

[your signature when possible]

Your first name and last name Your designation

Dear Sir or Madam or Something Else? Take the Poll!

Which salutation do you use for cover letters and emails? How do you know which to use?

Commas in Dates

When writing a date, a comma is used to separate the day from the month, and the date from the year.

July 4, 1776, was an important day in American history.

I was born on Sunday, May 12, 1968.

But if you’re writing the date in day-month-year format, you don’t need a comma.

The project will commence on 1 June 2018.

Do use a comma if you’re including a day of the week with the date. Note the use of the comma after the date when it appears in the middle of a sentence.

On Friday, October 28th at four o’clock, we’ll have a small gathering in the office kitchen to celebrate Mark’s birthday.

Please come out on Saturday, April 15th, 2017, to show your support for the marathon runners.

When you’re giving only a month and a year, you don’t need a comma.

I haven’t seen this much snow since January 2002.

A Colossal List of Creators to Inspire Your Writing

Whether you write novels, blogs, marketing content, news articles, movies, social media posts, transcripts for podcasts, or something that we don’t even know about yet, you probably sometimes feel the need for inspiration. Maybe you could use some tips on reaching a wider audience. If you work freelance, maybe you’re in search of some ideas for expanding your business. Or perhaps you’re in the market for a new set of skills—web design, marketing strategy, new media, you name it.

Lucky for you, this list has it all. Grammarly hunted down all the best blogs about writing inspiration, writing as a job, writing fiction, and working with social media, content marketing, journalism, and design—plus a few bonuses about creativity in general. So put on your thinking cap, get ready to get creative, and browse away.

All Writers

Whatever type of writing you do, here’s a place to get started. These blogs offer general inspiration, advice for being a content writer full-time, and tips for getting started on whatever you’re working on.

This Pinterest About Inspiration Quotations, writing prompts, synonyms for blah words like “very” and “nice,” and tips on character, structure, plot, and much more. It’s Pinterest: if you want to know something, you’ll find it.

Freelance Writers Online This well-organized blog by a full-time freelance writer has tips on how to make the gig work as a career, plus ideas for marketing yourself, creating a portfolio, and the art of writing. Bonus: here’s a collection of 5 TED talks on storytelling, creativity, and writing in general.

Write to Done This site is organized by advice about fiction (character arcs, target audiences, and exercises to boost your creativity), nonfiction (blogging, boosting traffic, making money), marketing for writers, and tips that could be useful for pretty much everyone.

Live Write Thrive A copyeditor’s guide to getting your writing going. A low-key WordPress-type affair, the site includes resources for writers and inspiring to-dos. For example, look at something green or blue—colors that apparently help boost creativity.

ProBlogger This is a blog about blogging full-time. Meta, isn’t it? It has advice and ideas organized into eight areas, including getting started, creating content, finding readers and community, making the big bucks, productivity, and getting clients. Those categories are sorted in a handy side tab, and you can find more resources up top.

Fiction Writers

If you’re an aspiring fiction writer, check out these blogs for writing prompts, refining your plots and characters, polishing your style, and getting published.

Now Novel Characters, plots, settings, beginnings, endings, the very principles of storytelling—Now Novel delivers all the dirt on writing big books of fiction, and does it in bite-sized bloggy chunks. It’s pretty bare bones as a site, but it has great stuff for helping you get started, and the categories on the right go deeper into specific interests.

The Writer Creative name, we know. For professional writers and wannabe professional writers, The Writer magazine has guidance for improving your writing and getting through problems with the craft, advice for finding audiences and agents, and tips from working authors. The website has resources for getting published and prompts for when you get stuck, too.

DIY Author Take it from the blog authors themselves: “DIY Author exists to educate and empower authors with the knowledge and tools they need to do the work, find an audience, and build a career.” This blog is well organized and chock-full of tips, tools, and techniques you can put into practice, from developing your writing habits to getting published. Plus, there’s a podcast.

Advanced Fiction Writing With the tagline “Successful fiction writing = organizing + creating + marketing,” this blog does not mess around. Be warned: some of the content is behind a paywall. But even the free content can be super useful, whether you’re figuring out how to structure a scene, writing a dog, or creating a whiny character who’s just whiny enough. It could be a bit easier to navigate, but since the focus is on selling a writing technique—one that clearly comes in handy for a lot of people—it’s still worth checking out.

Pictures to Inspire Words Are you the visual type? This is a Pinterest Board of strange and intriguing images that should help get your imagination churning.

Content marketers

Calling all content marketers, bloggers, social media specialists, advertisers, and strategists—this is the place for you. These are the top nine blogs with tips for successful content marketing as well as examples of who does it best. Ranging from the more technical, data-oriented side of marketing to the perfect social media post, these blogs will give you plenty of food for thought, whether you’re building a blog, a business, an audience, or your own portfolio.

Autopilot With case studies, marketing automation expertise, and examples of A/B testing and other forms of marketing research, Autopilot will satisfy your need for data and in-depth analysis. Its sparse layout and focus on case studies and research give Autopilot a sophisticated feel, but it’s still easy to dive into.

ContentWriters This blog’s specialty is general marketing info and how-tos for content strategy, but it also has articles focused on specific industries (medicine, real estate), companies (Airbnb), and tools (Google Analytics). With descriptive titles, previews of articles before you click, and tons of content, this is a great spot for ideas and getting started.

Content Marketing Institute Advice and how-tos for marketing, content, and innovations in creating and executing ideas. There’s a lot of content, but also a lot of organization (tabs at the top, tabs on the side, tabs on tabs on tabs). It’s also very orange.

Copyblogger This blog about copy has info about building an online presence, expanding your business, engaging audiences, and the ins and outs of content marketing. Rather than a more compact list of multiple articles, which is the norm for many content marketing sites, Copyblogger shows the first chunk of an article, with popular articles listed on the right. It can feel a bit clunky if you prefer the dashboard look, but if you like knowing what you’re getting into before you click, this is the format—and the content—for you.

Hootsuite Hootsuite focuses on social media and brand-building, with tips on how to maneuver the gamut of social media platforms. There’s also a section on innovations in tech and the social web. Its Pinterest-like dashboard makes for easy clicking.

Hubspot Hubspot has one of the most granular breakdowns of topics related to sales and marketing (spanning blogging, productivity, office life, sales closing, you name it), plus analysis of trending business strategies and tips for duplicating them. With its scrollable lists of recent posts and comprehensive categorization, Hubspot is indeed the hub for inbound marketing.

Inbound Marketing Blog With sections on inbound marketing, social media, SEO, design, and lead generation, this blog by Inbound Marketing Agents is chock-full of tips, tools, rules, and need-to-knows of online marketing. The thumbnail-arranged articles are digestible and implementable.

Kissmetrics It sounds like it counts how many smooches are given on a daily basis, but this is a marketing blog about analytics and optimization. Because Kissmetrics is an analytics company, it’s got a lot of heavy-duty detail on the numbers end of things, but its blog has useful tips on content creation, too.

Mention Mention has a focus on digital marketing and media monitoring, with articles about strategy, reputation management, writing, and editing. The dashboard layout is neat and easy to navigate, though there are only twelve articles on the homepage. Still, plenty of food for thought.

Journalists

If you want to be a journalist, pick your favorite news source and read it religiously: there’s your model for how to write. If you’re interested in the state of journalism, different reporting styles, and new forms of media, dive into the blogs below.

Advanced Media Institute With its focus on new media, this blog, which is run through the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, has articles (and of course, other forms of media) about video, podcasts, social media, film, mobile and digital media, and visualizing data, stories, and more. With tips, how-tos, and examples, it’s a great portal for exploring non-traditional methods for communicating your ideas.

MediaShift This PBS blog has info about social media, business, education (especially digital education), and articles and tips about digital media in general. And don’t forget the Idea Lab, which is all about the changing face of journalism.

Nieman Lab Covering media analysis, journalism ideas, and examples of reporting in different categories, the Nieman Lab is a useful resource for journalists looking for inspiration or aiming to get into the rights and wrongs of contemporary news.

Old Media, New Tricks Started by a former journalist/news strategist and social media editor/teacher, this blog was built with enough expertise to have plenty of tricks up its sleeve. Categories include blogging, social media sites, and the future of media in general. The design isn’t anything to write home about, but hey, maybe that’s the next trick. Until then, there’s plenty of media to read about.

Society of Professional Journalists Blog This site boasts blogs by professional journalists and writers on issues in contemporary journalism, the changing media, and how information is presented, shared, consumed, and understood. Sounds serious, but it’s a must-read for aspiring journalists.

Designers

Whether you design web tools, user interfaces, buildings, or online content, there’s something for you in these blogs. Most of them focus on UX and web design, but other creative types are sure to find something to chew on here, too.

Canva Canva’s Design School has info ranging from the very general (social media engagement) to the super specific (web banner ads and real estate flyers). The site features articles about design, interactive tutorials, and tips, plus an easily browsable category list if you scroll down. Bonus for nice colors and navigability.

Codrops With its many columns, cards, and categories, Codrops truly looks like a design blog. It’s a great resource for tutorials and tips about trends and methods in web design and development.

The Dsgn Blog Inspiring tidbits, featured designers, quotes of the week, and plenty of material about design for websites, apps, graphics, music, architecture and interior decor (like this weird chair), and more. The sparse but thorough blog also provides a list of other design blogs at the right.

nuSchool The nuSchool blog has tips for gaining clients and making it as a freelance designer. With its emphasis on education, helping you expand your design toolbox, and tips on running a business, this is a key site for freelancers.

Treehouse Treehouse focuses on coding, but it’s also got useful content about the aesthetics of web design. The goal: launching a career that bridges technical knowledge with creativity.

Creatives In General

Any of the above categories—or anyone, really—can find something below. Whether you’re a freelancer, want to inject more creativity into your normal job, or would rather take a break from your desk and read about a cool art thing, these blogs have got you covered.

Creative Boom An online magazine for, by, and about creative types, Creative Boom is excellently designed and overflowing with inspiration. Even if you’re not a visual artist, their content on visual art can help get your creative juices flowing. If you’re not in the mood for a muse, they’ve also got tips and resources for professional freelancers, marketers, and anyone who’s interested.

Hyperallergic This site’s name may make you think of sneezing uncontrollably or possibly breaking out in hives, but its really cool content is basically the opposite of that. A contemporary blog about all things arty, Hyperallergic has posts about artists from around the world (like Bhutanese painters), artistic interpretations of world events (protest photography), and weird artsy things from world history (creepy Victorian-era Christmas cards).

Format Magazine Format Magazine is all about creativity. The online publication features profiles of artists, discussion and education posts, videos, and generally interesting stuff about art, design, music, and creativity. Get ready to get inspired.

Flavorwire This site has you covered on art, books, music, movies, and TV. It has interesting takes on pop culture and quick reads to inspire or distract you—whatever you’re in the mood for.

The Inspiration Room This online “room” is a collaboratively created library of innovations in advertising, photography, print, TV, design, and anywhere else you can think of. Most of the content is from advertising, but the creativity is constant.

There’s plenty more where these blogs come from, but we did our homework, and we think these are the best and the brightest blogs for writers, freelancers, content marketers, journalists, designers, and creatives. Oh, and as far as inspiring blogs go, Grammarly is a pretty great one, too.

3 Young Adult Series You Should Read before You See the Movies

We’ve all heard it before: The movie was great, but the book was so much better. No matter which version of the story you prefer, the great thing about book-to-movie adaptations is that you can enjoy the story twice: once on the page and again on the screen. Here are three young adult series we recommend you read before you see their on-screen counterparts:

The Divergent series by Veronica Roth

In the film version of Divergent, the first book in the trilogy by Veronica Roth, Shailene Woodley does a wonderful job of conveying protagonist Tris Prior’s determination and bravery as the world around her changes into something she barely recognizes. The movie keeps all the essential scenes from the book, but as movies often do, it compresses some of the relationships and plotlines that are more deeply developed in the novel. For this reason, pick up a copy of Divergent and give it a chance before you watch the movie.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

There’s no denying that Jennifer Lawrence embodies the character of Katniss Everdeen on screen. But there’s one character who gets a lot more development in the book series, particularly the first book, than in the movies: Gale, Katniss’s best friend. In order to feel the true tension of the Katniss-Peeta-Gale love triangle, you must get to know Gale better. And to get to know Gale better, you must read the books.

The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness

The most obvious reason you should read the Chaos Walking series before watching the movies is that the movies haven’t been released yet! This young adult sci-fi series is set in a world where humans can hear each other’s thoughts, which makes for a very loud and often chaotic society. It also makes the writing creative and colorful, which is why the book is worth a read before the movie makes it to the big screen.

Which book-to-movie adaptation is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re looking for more movie versions of your favorite books, check out these films we recommend.

Each and Every–What’s the difference?

Each vs. every is a common grammar issue, even for proficient writers, because let’s face it—they’re very similar words. Although both words refer to something that is singular, each refers to an individual object or person, while the term every refers to a group of objects or people lumped together as one. For example, consider the following sentences:

Every artist is sensitive.

Each artist sees things differently.

Each vs. Every (Two Objects)

In addition, the word each is used when there are only two objects in question. Consider these examples:

Jessica wore anklets on each ankle.

Jessica wore anklets on every ankle.

Each vs. Every (More than Two Objects)

When the quantifier refers to more than two objects, each and every can sometimes be used interchangeably. Look at the sentences below:

The bride received each item on her registry.

The bride received every item on her registry.

Each and Every

It is common to see each and every used alongside one another for emphasis as illustrated in the following sentence:

The bride received each and every item on her registry.

Note that although this is a common usage, it may not be acceptable in formal writing.

How to Use “Former” vs. “Latter”

The terms former and latter are words used to distinguish between two things. Former directs us to the first of these two things, and latter directs us to the second (or last) of them. Do not use former or latter when you are writing about more than two things.

Former and latter are words that sound old-fashioned to some people, and indeed they are very old words.

According to the Online Etymological Dictionary, former derives from the Old English word forma, meaning “first.” By the 12th century, former was used to mean “first, earliest in time or order,” and by the 1580s, it arrived at its present meaning, “the first of two.”Latter has a similar history. In Old English, lætra was the comparative form of “late” and latter had arrived at its present meaning of “the second of two” by the 1550s. It is a relative of our modern word later.

”Former” vs. “Latter”: Remembering Which Is Which Couldn’t Be Easier

When using former and latter to distinguish between two things, remember “F for first, L for last.”

The Simpsons and Game of Thrones are both great shows, but I prefer the former.

This writer is a fan of The Simpsons, which is the first show mentioned.

She thinks polar bears and hamsters are both cute, but I could only recommend the latter as a pet.

This writer holds a belief that hamsters, the last animal mentioned, is the better of the two companions for a human.

Keep in mind that it isn’t a good idea to overuse former and latter in any one piece of writing. Readers tend to be confused by this because it essentially asks the reader to glance back at the two items to reference which item was listed first and which was last. If you ask your readers to perform too many mental maneuvers, they tend to lose interest quickly. However, in academic writing it can be very useful. Naturally, because these terms refer to items in a list, never use them in spoken language, because there is nothing for the listener to go back and refer to—they are just words in the wind.

Never Use “Former” and “Latter” with Lists of More Than Two

Here’s a tip: The principal caveat about using former and latter is this: these are words that can only be applied to two things, never three (or more).

My hobbies are singing, playing the piano, and dancing, but the former is my true passion.

My hobbies are singing, playing the piano, and dancing, but the first is my true passion.