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
Many words that are similar carry very different meanings, but that doesn’t stop people from misusing them. Generally, they’ll accept a correction in the intended spirit, but that isn’t always the case. I remember one situation in which a client was so convinced that his misunderstanding was actually correct that I lost his business. He … Read more
Writers who are unfamiliar with a word shouldn’t use it … or should check with someone who knows it before they include it in a story. Ideally, an editor will spot a misuse and intervene. But neither of those things happened in a restaurant review in the March 22 edition of Nuvo, an Indianapolis newsweekly. … Read more
No matter how much technology a company uses in its marketing, its chances of success or failure are likely to come down to the organization’s ability to build relationships. That’s usually what effective sales and marketing efforts are all about. You want to build some sort of positive relationship with the prospect or customer, so … Read more
You’ve heard of the power of positive thinking, and may have been taught to “put on a happy face,” no matter what the situation. That’s why when I reference something that could be perceived as negative in copy, many clients are quick to request its replacement by something wearing a bigger smile. Happy talk isn’t … Read more