The 10 Commandments of Grammar Lovers

Grammar gets a bad rap even without the help of the vigilantes who use it to take the moral high ground. So when a few haters decide to reduce learners, those who make grammatical mistakes, and even old-school grammar pedants to lifeless sea scum, it doesn’t do grammar any favors. It only means true and noble grammarians need to work harder to destigmatize the institution. So, if you truly adore the conventions that structure and shed light on the English language, give some thought to what we think are the guiding principles to a society where everyone understands each other easily and clearly. After all, that’s the point of good grammar. Make grammar love, not war!

1Thou shalt not take the name of grammar for vanity.

Grammar is not a mechanism for one-upmanship, nor is it a device that devalues one person’s existence while causing another’s to appreciate. All are equal in the eyes of grammar.

2Thou shalt remember National Grammar Day (4 March) and keep it holy.

Grammar is the bedrock of communication, and if we want to continue understanding each other, it’s essential we celebrate its existence and advocate its importance. And if that’s not reason enough, we’ll remind you once more that punctuation saves lives.

3Thou shalt honor the fact that grammar is not static.

The rules that govern language constantly change and are growing more and more situational as the way we use language expands. It’s key to acknowledge that grammatical correctness is not so much a case of right or wrong as it is contingent on context. Push yourself to think in gray before you settle for black and white.

4Thou shalt not murder a learner’s passion for grammar by belittling them.

Rather, respect their curiosity and be compassionate. Mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process. If you point out a correction, do it kindly and in a way that will motivate learners to embrace grammar—not turn their backs on it.

5Thou shalt not steal another person’s confidence by inappropriately correcting their grammar.

There are certainly contexts where giving grammatical advice is warranted (during grammar discussions or when helping someone with a piece of writing, for example). But otherwise, calling out a wrongful verb conjugation or misused word in a situation that isn’t language-centric or language-dependent is about as welcome as an insurance salesperson’s call during dinner. If you truly feel the need to have a grammar intervention with someone, think long and hard about the most tactful and most productive way to do so.

6Thou shalt not worship false grammar gods.

If someone brags about the way they corrected a shopkeeper’s grammatically incorrect sign with a Sharpie or humiliated a public speaker for their poor use of language, stand up to them—don’t side with them. By condoning this kind of behavior we’re supporting and encouraging it.

7Thou shalt not commit grammar schadenfreude.

Don’t revel in another person’s grammatical mistakes or wait with bated breath to break someone down the second they slip up and insert a me where an I should have gone. Taking pleasure in other people’s misfortune is only an indication of your own insecurity.

8Thou shalt not bear false witness against grammar pedants.

They’re people too! Talking smack about a purist is as problematic as their penchant for unnecessarily crossing other people’s t’s. Respect their religion and encourage them to respect yours.

9Thou shalt give people the benefit of the doubt.

Even the most brilliant grammatical minds have a mental fart every now and then—that is, a lapse in concentration that results in an error. It will happen to you, and that’s why you shouldn’t venomously censure or harshly judge people when it happens to them. After all, you’ll likely be in their shoes at one time or another. Not to mention, it’s not their intent to blow the English language to smithereens, so try not to act as if they’ve channeled Guy Fawkes.

10Thou shalt not repress your urge to make the world more grammatically correct.

Just because there’s a time and place for your grammatical two cents and a certain way to best deliver it doesn’t mean you should shy away from expressing it. Shout it from the rooftops! Just make sure you’re doing it in a positive, considerate way that illuminates, not chastises or derides.

Help spread the grammar love. Don’t forget to share this post via Facebook or Twitter if you’ve ever been the victim of a grammar hate crime or if you simply want the world to be a more grammatically correct place.

---

Stephanie Katz is a San Francisco–based writer who, contrary to the way it may seem, won’t correct your grammar over beers, coffees, or any other normal life interaction. She tells stories about health, history, travel, and more and can be contacted via email at stekatz@gmail.com.

Comma Before Which

• Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase.
• Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.”
• Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question.

---

Comma Before Which in Nonrestrictive Phrases

A nonrestrictive phrase adds a little bit of extra (but not essential) information about a noun phrase that you’ve already mentioned in your sentence.

Jeff’s new car, which is less than a month old, already started leaking oil.

In the sentence above, which introduces a nonrestrictive phrase (highlighted in gray). Therefore, you need a comma before which and another one at the end of the nonrestrictive phrase. How can you tell that it’s a nonrestrictive phrase? Try taking it out of the sentence.

Jeff’s new car already started leaking oil.

The meaning of the sentence didn’t change—it just contains slightly less detail now. You’re still talking about Jeff’s new car.

If a phrase is restrictive instead of nonrestrictive, it means that you can’t take it out of the sentence without changing the meaning. Restrictive phrases are usually introduced by that instead of which, especially in American English.

Cars that Jeff buys always seem to break down.

The highlighted phrase in the sentence above is restrictive. If you try taking it out of the sentence, the meaning changes: Cars always seem to break down. You’re not talking about cars in general; you’re specifically talking about the cars that Jeff buys. That means the phrase is restrictive and you should not use commas with it.

Here are a few more examples of sentences that require a comma before which:

My mother’s house, which is in a nice neighborhood, needs a new coat of paint.

Tom’s second book, which he spent ten years writing, is now a best seller.

Rob tripped over his shoes, which he had left lying in the middle of the floor.

Everyone loved Robin’s video, which she had filmed in her garage.

Which in Prepositional Phrases

You don’t need a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase such as of which, in which or on which.

We heard three speeches, the longest of, which went for an hour.

We heard three speeches, the longest of which went for an hour.

The envelope in, which the letter arrived had no return address.

The envelope in which the letter arrived had no return address.

The platform on, which we built our program is very stable.

The platform on which we built our program is very stable.

Which in Questions

You don’t need to use a comma before which when it introduces a question. That’s not much of a problem for direct questions, since which is usually the first word:

Which bus should I take?

But when a sentence contains an indirect question, which might not be the first word. Either way, you don’t need to put a comma before it.

I asked Sam, which bus I should take.

I asked Sam which bus I should take.

This Is Why It’s Important to Track Your Writing Stats

Writing is like going to the gym—you’re excited for the end results, but it takes a lot of hard work to get there! You know daydreaming won’t get you the perfect beach bod or the next New York Times bestseller, so how do you reach your goals?

Just as tracking your fitness progress is a healthy way to stay focused and motivated to work out, tracking your writing stats is a fantastic way to take your writing to the next level!

Here are four ways that tracking your writing stats will help you improve your writing and reach your goals.

1Realistic Expectations

Proudest moment of my life #Grammarly pic.twitter.com/I1iYDlIM6d

— Miguel O’Keefe (@miguelokeefe) April 24, 2017

Have you ever been a little too optimistic about your writing speed?

Sometimes we writers tell ourselves crazy things like “This blog post should only take half an hour!” or “Writing my thesis will take two weeks, tops!” or “I’ll finish the first draft of my novel in a single month!”

Turns out it’s helpful to have realistic expectations about how much you can accomplish. When you know your current writing pace, you’ll be able to plan ahead and give yourself the time you need to produce your best work.

For every writing session, record your start and end time and how many words you wrote. As you track your work, you’ll begin to see how long it takes you to complete a project or meet a word count.

You’ll know the optimal writing time to schedule so you can finish your essay or post. This can also help you set realistic long-term goals if you’re working on a big project like a thesis or a novel.

If you’re starting to charge for your writing, knowing your average writing pace will help you calculate the best price for your clients’ projects so you’re making a profit and not a loss.

2Motivation and Accountability

It’s nice when the #stats support your feelings. Felt #productive last week. Back at it! ������ #ReadWriteRepeat #Grammarly #ManuscriptLife pic.twitter.com/3fVVcYVivr

— Michael S Williams (@DrMikeWill) March 28, 2017

“Write a thousand words a day and in three years you’ll be a writer!” —Ray Bradbury

Tracking your word count is like using a pedometer to track your steps. Getting to watch your progress is exciting, motivating, and keeps you accountable.

Many writing projects take multiple days (or weeks, or months) of work, and it can be demotivating if you feel like you’re not making progress. When you track your daily word count you’ll know exactly how much further you have to go, and it feels great to see what you’ve accomplished so far.

If you’re trying to develop a daily writing habit, shooting for a certain word count—whether that’s 200, 750, or 1,000 words (as Ray Bradbury recommends)—will help you stay on track.

3Goal Achievement

Happy with my weekly #Grammarly stats. Clearly room for improvement which you will see in the weeks ahead! #Croydon #CompleteMarketingMix pic.twitter.com/pRg9HjONhu

— Smallbiz-emarketing (@smallbizemarket) April 1, 2017

A powerful method for staying motivated and making progress is setting clear, achievable goals so you know exactly what you’re working toward.

With fitness, that might be losing a certain number of pounds or inches or lifting a particular weight. With writing, that could be a goal of X words per day, or posting to your blog twice a week, or finishing a short story by a certain date.

Just like you would weigh yourself at the gym, you should track your writing progress so you know how close you are to your goals—and whether you need to adjust your strategy.

Apps like Pacemaker and Ink On are great for helping you meet your goals through planning and tracking your writing projects.

4Increased Quality

Wow, #Grammarly says I’m a #Vocabulary Superhero �� pic.twitter.com/rWPMNeMgI6

— Nikola Danaylov (@singularityblog) May 3, 2017

Tracking your health and fitness goes beyond the scale and can involve multiple measurements, like resting heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, and BFP.

Likewise, writing stats can go beyond quantity (word count) and speed (writing pace), and can help you track the quality of your writing through metrics like

• vocabulary diversity
• grammar mistakes/accuracy
• sentence length
• words per paragraph
• pronouns
• clichés
• most used words
• readability

Check out Count Wordsmith to dive into tracking these more detailed stats.

You can also get a regular stats update delivered right to your inbox through Grammarly’s Weekly Progress Report. Simply stay logged in to your Grammarly account while you write and Grammarly will track your key stats for you. This personalized report records your word count and vocabulary usage, and reveals your top grammar mistakes—so you know exactly what to work on going forward.

Has tracking your writing stats helped you improve your writing? Let us know in the comments below!

How to Address Your Business Email or Letter to a Woman (Without Offending Her)

Let’s face it, formal letter-writing has gone the way of the pager. Once a necessary communication tool, it’s now a relic of an era before email, only to be used in specific, often similarly antiquated situations.

But what should you do if you have occasion to write a letter? And what if you have to write that letter to someone who isn’t a man?

via GIPHY

Never fear, fearless writer, you’ve got this.

The Titles, They Are A-Changin’

If titles confuse you, you’re not alone. A Google search for “how to address a letter” easily returns “to a woman,” and when you look at the recommendations for “how to address a letter to a woman,” the confusion only compounds:

Clearly, nobody knows how to address those darn women in their letters. So, as a representative of the female gender, let me clarify a few things.

via GIPHY

The Short Version: Just Use Her Name

When in doubt, it’s best to use the first and last name of any person you’re addressing a formal letter to. It’s both formal and conveniently gender neutral!

Dear Mrs. Jonathan Smith, Try our special new line of pens. Your husband will be thrilled that you are no longer laboring over your grocery list with a regular pen!

Dear Jane Smith,

Use whatever pens you want. You’re a human being.

Want more proof that this is the way of the future? Grammarly surveyed our audience on this topic, and found that the “Dear [First name] [Last name]” option was widely preferred. Want to voice your opinion? Vote in the poll below.

Here’s a tip: Need a more cohesive guide to addressing a letter to someone you don’t know? Check out this flowchart.

When You Should Use “Ms.”

Of course, this discussion of writing letters to ladies would be incomplete without a discussion of “Ms.” Although this title has a 100+ year history, its use has been varied over the years. Some writers default to “Miss” or “Mrs.” based on their assumptions about a woman’s marital status, or because that’s how they were taught in school. In the twenty-first century, I’d assert that it’s time to put this system of cringe-inducing honorifics behind us and stick with “Ms.” for all female-facing correspondence.

How did “Ms.” come to be? According to The New York Times Magazine the title was first proposed by an unnamed writer in a 1901 Massachusetts newspaper.

via GIPHY

Yes, you read that date right: 1901.

Although this first usage made a little buzz, it was quickly forgotten, and the title stayed out of the public eye for the next forty-eight years, until it appeared as a note in Mario Pei’s The Story of Language. Throughout the 1950s, “Ms.” was mentioned timidly as an expedient time-saver, without much public acclaim. Then, during the women’s movement of the ’60s and ’70s, “Ms.” took on a new, political life. This era heralded the title. Activists began to use it, Ms. magazine published its first issue, and people began to discuss the honorific as an equalizing force between men and women.

The abbreviation Ms. is simple. It is easy to write, and the person concerned can translate it properly according to circumstances. For oral use it might be rendered as Mizz, which would be a close parallel to the practice long universal in many bucolic regions, where a slurred Mis’ does duty for Miss and Mrs. alike. —Anonymous

With its rich history, it’s safe to say that “Ms.” is preferred by many women of the twenty-first century. However, there are a few times when you should definitely avoid this title.

Don’t Use “Ms.” If She Has a Professional Title

First of all, if a woman has a professional title, use it! Women who are doctors, lawyers, professors, judges, officers, etc., should be addressed just like their male counterparts. Your recipient worked hard for her MD, JD, PhD, judgeship, etc., so don’t overlook the importance of the accolade and the opportunity to make a solid first impression.

Some common professional titles include:

• Dr.—In English, this can indicate either a medical doctor (MD) or someone with a doctorate in a subject (PhD). Note: there is some debate about whether lawyers (JD) can use this title.
• Prof.—Used for professors at universities.
• Esq. (American) or Adv. (British)—A suffix used for lawyers.
• Hon. (American)—Used for judges and justices.
• Officer—Used for police officers and other types of law enforcement.

Please note that there are many more titles used in both the UK and the US to denote clergy, politicians, military members, and noble persons. You can refer to this guide from Project Gutenberg if you need help navigating the wide world of English honorifics.

Don’t Use “Ms.” If She Asks You Not to

One great thing about lady-humans is we’re all different. We have different wants, hopes, dreams, favorite bacon-enhanced foods, and even (you guessed) preferred titles. If a woman specifically asks you to use another title to address her (or uses it to describe herself), use her preference. “Ms.” may be handy, but each woman is an individual human being with different views on this topic, and since “honorifics” are meant to “honor” a person, you should respect their wishes.

Also, if you mess up someone’s title in a letter or email, don’t worry! The relative obscurity of letter-writing means most people will be more forgiving with formalities than they used to. After all, we live in a world of business emojis and work-appropriate textspeak.

Don’t Forget About “Mx.”

If you’re addressing someone who identifies as neither male nor female, or if you don’t know the gender of your recipient, “Mx.” is a great option! You can read more about how to use gender-neutral language in my blog post on the subject.

What do you think about “Ms.” as a catch-all title? Tell me in the comments below!

How to Write Dates Correctly in English

If writing dates has you stymied at times, it is probably for one of two reasons. The first is that date formats vary the world over, and we come across these different styles frequently in our reading. The second may be that you aren’t quite sure how to write dates with commas.

The key to overcoming your struggle with dates is to understand the prevailing conventions and then apply them clearly—and consistently.

How to Write the Year

Years should be expressed as numerals except at the beginning of a sentence. Most style guides agree that beginning a sentence with a numeral is poor style, so years placed at the beginning of a sentence should be written out as words. American writers tend not to use and after thousand when expressing a year after 2000 in words, but it is common in British English. Both are correct.

The year 1929 brought the Great Depression, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and an influenza epidemic.

Nineteen twenty-nine brought the Great Depression, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and an influenza epidemic.

Much happened in the political arena in 2016.

Two thousand and sixteen was an eventful year in politics.

Two thousand sixteen was an eventful year in politics.

How to Write the Month and Day

When referring to a specific date in the month-day date format, use cardinal numbers (one, two, three) rather than ordinal numbers (first, second, third). This may feel counterintuitive because we normally use ordinal numbers when we “speak” of dates. For example, one would say January first two thousand seventeen but write January 1, 2017.

Daniel was born on May 13.

Many people get confused about how to write dates with commas, so here is a rule of thumb: in the month-day-year format (used in the United States), place commas after the day and year. In the day-month-year format (used in the UK and other countries), do not use commas at all.

On May 13th, 2007 Daniel was born.

On May 13, 2007, Daniel was born.

On 13 May, 2007, Daniel was born.

On 13 May 2007 Daniel was born.

If you use a construction using of, it is fine to use an ordinal number. It is also fine to use an ordinal number when referring to a specific day without reference to the month.

Daniel was born on the 13th of May.

Daniel was born on the thirteenth.

How to Write Dates with Days of the Week

When writing a long-form date, use a comma after days of the week to ensure readability.

How fortunate that the world did not end on Friday, December 21, 2012!

Monday, May 5, is my last day of work.

How to Write Centuries

Here’s a tip: When writing about whole centuries, do not use an apostrophe before s. Centuries are plurals, not possessives.

For example, when we write the 1800s, we are referring to all the years from 1800 to 1899. Within that range are one hundred discrete years; that is, more than one: a plural. We can also refer to those years collectively as the nineteenth century in all lowercase letters.

Women often wore bonnets in the 1800’s.

Women often wore bonnets in the 1800s.

Women often wore bonnets in the eighteen hundreds.

Women often wore bonnets in the Nineteenth Century.

Women often wore bonnets in the nineteenth century.

How to Write Decades

Here’s a tip: Decades should be written as two-digit numbers with an apostrophe before them and an s after them (e.g., ’90s). When in doubt, write it out. You can write the entire decade in numerals with an safter it (e.g., 1990s), or write out the words (e.g., the nineties).

This is the way to think about writing decades using numbers: they are both abbreviations and plurals. A shorter way of saying “My mother was born in the 1940s” is “My mother was born in the ’40s.” The apostrophe (not an opening single quotation mark) indicates where the two century digits would be, had they been included. There is no need to put an apostrophe between the zero and the s—that would incorrectly indicate a possessive.

In the 80’s, I had a haircut like the lead singer of A Flock of Seagulls.

In the ’80s, I had a haircut like the lead singer of A Flock of Seagulls.

In the eighties, I had a haircut like the lead singer of A Flock of Seagulls.

Writing Dates as Numerals

All-numeral date styles should not be used in formal writing, but there may be times when it is appropriate to use them. When you do, be aware that not all countries express dates with numerals in the same way. American usage calls for a month/day/year date format, the United Kingdom and much of Europe use a day/month/year format, and most countries in Asia use the year/month/day format. Some countries use a combination of these depending on context (Canada, for example, uses all three, depending on who is the recipient of the communication).

So remember, if you are American and you write to your British friend inviting him to celebrate Independence Day on 7/4 with you, you can expect your guest to arrive on April 7 (which he will express as 7 April). Likewise, if he invites you to his Guy Fawkes Day party on 5/11, you will need to mark your calendar for November 5 rather than May 11.

Here’s a tip: Consider your audience when choosing how to express the date.

Monday Motivation Hack: Make the Hard Choice

Whether you’re a decisive taskmaster or someone who struggles to choose what to eat for breakfast, you will eventually have a decision that stumps you. Sometimes, these are big life choices like taking that job, choosing that partner, or moving to that new city. Other times, seemingly small decisions like which font you should use in your presentation can trip you up.

Never fear, future decision-makers! There are several hacks to help with decision-making, but let’s start with the most basic element of a decision—your baseline. In other words, what measuring stick do you consistently use to make decisions? How do you measure yourself?

Finding an “Anchor” for Your Decision-Making Process

Let’s say you had to decide whether you would get a new car. You do your research, find a car you think is cool, and purchase that car. The next day, one of your friends posts a picture of their expensive, flashy car on Facebook. How would you feel?

The Self-Comparison Trap

If that made you feel uncomfortable, you may fall prey to the classic trap of comparing your decisions to those of others. This is an example of what motivation experts call an “anchor”: the baseline you use to make decisions. Common examples of “anchors” are colleagues at work, family members, classmates, friends, and even people you don’t know but look up to.

If you compare yourself to others when making decisions, you’re not alone. In fact, many psychologists have theorized that social media has only made this problem worse. Whether Facebook or good old-fashioned bragging is to blame, it’s clear from the number of searches for “compare yourself” that this anchor isn’t going away anytime soon:

In a world where we’re constantly benchmarking ourselves against one another, how do we make good decisions?

Anchors Away! Changing Your Baseline

The answer to this comparison conundrum is easy: you need to change the anchor you use to make decisions. Instead of comparing your professional success, personal goal completion, and self-image to others, you can use yourself as a baseline. Once you stop making “social” comparisons and begin using your past performance as the anchor for future decisions, you’ll find decision-making becomes much easier and less fraught with stress.

There are a number of techniques to make yourself your decision-making baseline, but it all starts with questioning how you measure a successful decision. Do you compare yourself to others, or do you focus on your past decisions and use those to inform future ones?

What do you think about comparing yourself to others? Tell us in the comments below!

The Best Podcasts to Help Your Work Life

Some say you are what you eat. What about what you listen to? Edison Research found that people who listen to podcasts “often take action in direct response” to what they hear. If you have a career goal, it only makes sense that listening to an informational or motivational podcast on the subject will help you. Here are seven of the best podcasts for improving life at work.

Brain Training Podcast

According to its website, Brain Training Podcast is “the daily audio workout for your head.” Just as physical exercise strengthens your body, mental stimulation makes your brain stronger. Rather than a tedious exercise session, Brain Training uses games to get your mind working. Some of the games seem low-impact, such as Order, which asks you put a list of random numbers in ascending order. Others might make you sweat as you try to recite a list of letters and figures, which sounds easy until you realize the name of the game—Backwards.

Happier With Gretchen Rubin

Who doesn’t want to be happier and more productive? In one British study, the productivity of a group of workers rose by an average of 12 percent. Why? They were happier than before and the study’s author, Dr. Daniel Sgroi indicated that this gain is easily replicable if managers create “work practices aimed at boosting happiness.” Rather than wait for your manager, why not take your happiness into your own hands? Writer Gretchen Rubin tackles the subjects in her podcast series. Plenty of topics apply to the workplace. For example, the episode “One of the Worst Ways to Waste Time Is to ______” identifies things that don’t need to be done. With the time you save, you’ll be able to increase productivity and also spend time in the pursuits that make you happiest.

How I Built This

Are you intimidated by the thought of starting your own business or patenting an invention? The How I Built This series follows the stories of successful entrepreneurs from beginning to end. Not every story is entirely rosy; some innovators had as many hard knocks as they had victories. By the time you finish listening, you may be motivated to get started on your goals.

The Tim Ferriss Show

If you eat a tasty dish in a restaurant, you may be able to guess many of the main ingredients. Tim Ferriss attempts find the recipe for success by “deconstructing excellence.” He asks the highest performers of different industries what their daily habits are like and who their role models are. He separates out the main ingredients, sharing tips that anyone can use. He pushes you to question things you never thought about, such as who you sit next to in the break room. According to Ferriss, “You are the average of the five people you associate with most, so do not underestimate the effects of your pessimistic, unambitious, or disorganized friends. If someone isn’t making you stronger, they’re making you weaker.”

Inside Mastery

Most employees would love to increase productivity and reduce stress. Inside Mastery examines performance in the light of neuroscience and psychology. What are the best practices of those at the top of their fields? In each episode, a distinguished presenter shares proven techniques from their own experience or research. For instance, CEO Caroline Webb hosts “How to Have A Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life.” She shares insights from behavioral science such as how implementation intentions affect your work ethic.

Writing Excuses

I don’t have time to learn to be a better writer. In my occupation, writing isn’t very important. What reasons do you give for failing to improve your writing skills? Experienced authors host the podcast each week. The podcasts eliminate the excuses. The audio is short—usually less than twenty minutes—and the methods are for everyone “whether they write for fun or for profit, whether they’re new to the domain or old hands.” Once you run out of excuses, you might find yourself writing better than you ever thought possible.

HBR Ideacast

Sarah Green, editor of Harvard Business Review, hosts this weekly program. It features tips from successful upper managers about everything from dealing with conflict avoiders and seekers to healthy team building practices. Guests hosts include CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and some quite famous names—Greg Louganis, Katie Couric, and Salman Rushdie, to name a few.

Changing from a poor diet to a nutritious one can boost your physical health. Likewise, listening to podcasts can have a strong positive effect on your work life. What are your career goals? Feed them, and watch them grow by listening to one of these seven excellent podcasts today.