Whether for a person, a product, a service or an organization, creating a distinct, consistent brand is key to success.
Your brand sets you apart. You achieve a unique brand through images (your logo and product photos), through website content (descriptions of products and services), and through whatever additional forms of marketing and advertising you use.
Behind the scenes, your brand is supported by how you communicate with and serve your customers. Continue
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When I read a headline with a grammatical shortcoming, I often copy it to save for a blog.
Can you spot the error in each headline before you read my analysis?
If you have trouble deciding when to use might and when to use may, this post is for you.
As a writer and ruthless editor who strives for clarity, I prefer this clear distinction:
might implies possibility
Eric might go to the movie tonight.
(There is a possibility Eric will go to the movie.)
may implies permission
Eric may go to the movie tonight.
(Eric has permission to go to the movie.)
Yet I find multiple sources online that offer what I consider this unsatisfactory claim about the difference between might and may: Continue
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How many ways can you interpret none?
It can mean no one or not one (singular), or it can mean not any (plural).
How do you know which verb none requires: singular or plural? Is it none is or none are?
You have choices, and these tips will help you decide which to choose. Continue
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It happened again … in fact, twice in one week.
First I read that Mark Kelly, retired astronaut and husband of former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, launched his campaign to run for the U.S. Senate seat once occupied by the late John McCain. The Arizona Republic described Kelly’s background: Continue
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A Ruthless Editor blog follower noted that babysitting, which first appeared in the U.S. lexicon in 1937, is generally expressed as one word.
Yet she finds pet sitting and house sitting often expressed as two words, and in some cases they are hyphenated. Which are correct: pet sit / pet-sit / petsit or house sit / house-sit / housesit?
As I did the research, it occurred to me that some might consider this issue trivial in terms of grammar. On the other hand, these words could readily arise in news writing, fiction or blogging.
Here are some reliable sources and how they present all three: baby sit, pet sit and house sit: Continue
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A blog follower sent me an email questioning all right versus alright and when each should be used. The query arose at her weekly writers group gathering.
No one felt confident about the answer, so they reverted to what apparently is a common refrain when they hit a grammar roadblock: “Ask Kathy!”
Let’s begin by considering the meanings of all right. Continue
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You’ve been out of the classroom for how long?
Your English teacher’s name was … ?
Why am I asking? I’m starting to think about New Year’s resolutions. (I know, I know, it’s still early December.)
If self-improvement is on your 2019 radar, and if fine-tuning your writing and speaking skills is among your targets, make brushing up on basic grammar your first step.
My definition of grammar: the words we choose, how we string them together, and how we punctuate them to make sense. Continue
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As the United States has struggled with catastrophic hurricanes, wildfires and mass shootings, I’ve heard people stumble over the use and pronunciation of incident and incidents, and of incidence (a valid word) and incidences (not a valid word in plural form).
The following definitions and examples will help you tell the difference.
incident: a noun meaning an event or occurrence; synonyms are episode, happening, escapade, occasion, adventure, proceeding, circumstance, development
If you send holiday greetings, or if you ever sign a gift card on behalf of your whole family, here’s a tip about writing a family name.
No apostrophes, please!
An apostrophe in a name indicates possession. A signature does not imply possession. When you send a card on behalf of your family unit, use care with how you express your last name — your surname — in plural form.
Here are samples of an assortment of last names and how to make them plural. Continue
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