We’d have a tough time surviving without quotation marks. As a famous writer once described, “Quotation marks allow us to identify what someone actually says, as opposed to simple statements being made by the writer.” Okay, I just made that quote up, but it illustrates one of the main reasons people use quotation marks. The … Read more
A quarter-century ago, when I started my business (in the days when nearly all websites were blue), I spent time in online groups that catered to the small-business crowd. I was looking for sound advice, but found little. One conundrum really seemed to vex visitors to those sites. “When writing about my business, should I … Read more
If you’ve ever lived in an apartment or a college dorm, you’re probably aware that toothpaste offers a fast and cheap way to hide nail holes and other small damage to the walls. Anyone who has ever tried to sell a house has probably heard that slapping a quick coat of paint on the walls … Read more
You may be a highly skilled writer who can craft brilliant sentences. Which is why you might be surprised that I believe you probably shouldn’t write your own copy. Do I have a reason for that assertion? I do — actually several: It’s a waste of time. Well, maybe a waste of your time. Odds … Read more
Most people who insert foreign-language phrases and expressions into their materials do so because it makes them appear to be intelligent and sophisticated, n’est-ce pas? That is, it does unless they misspell the phrase or don’t really understand what it means. A particularly common error involves using the marvelous French word “voilà” (“behold” or “there … Read more
Grammar and syntax can be funny things. You can have two sentences that appear to be identical, aside from some subtle switches in word order, but they may mean very different things. Take this sentence: “Towering above the company’s production facility, our technician inspected the smokestack.” Or this one: “Born in Schenectady, the inventor’s first … Read more
Want proof that keeping your copy simple and easy to understand is more effective? Just look at Washington State. Like most government units, the Evergreen State is constantly trying to increase revenues (especially since there’s no state income tax). A few years ago, tax officials noticed that use-tax revenues were below projections … and they … Read more
Because I write for a living, many people assume that I’m an expert on the subject of grammar. Some go so far as to consider me a grammarian. Others assume that I must have been an English major back in college. Yes, I wrangle with grammar every day, but I’m no expert. And no, I … Read more
Many people have an aversion to repetition in marketing communications. At times, repeating yourself isn’t a good thing, such as when you’re writing a blog post or an ad and you need to make a quick impact. Or when you’re writing something like an ad or a blog post. Oops. In those situations, you have … Read more
Modern English is a flexible language, and it’s becoming more so with each passing year. Today’s acceptable grammar is significantly more casual than the usage I learned as the frequent target of my sophomore English teacher’s red pen. I’ve relaxed my standards with the times, but there are a few places where I believe it … Read more