Affect means to influence or change. Example: Smoking can adversely affect a person's health. Effect means to bring about or execute when used as a verb, but is more often used as a noun, meaning something brought about by a cause. Example: Smoking has a bad effect on a person's health.
07/15: Correct Writing: e.g. / i.e.
A comma follows both e.g. (meaning "for example") and i.e. (meaning "that is").
Incorrect: Be sure to use an antivirus program (i.e., Norton Antivirus) on your computer.
Correct: Be sure to use an antivirus program (e.g., Norton Antivirus) on your computer.
Incorrect: Be sure to use an antivirus program (i.e., Norton Antivirus) on your computer.
Correct: Be sure to use an antivirus program (e.g., Norton Antivirus) on your computer.
They're is a contraction for they are. Their is a possessive, meaning something belonging to they.
Incorrect: After dinner, the cats groom they're fur.
Correct: After dinner, the cats groom their fur.
Incorrect: After the management meeting, their having lunch.
Correct: After the management meeting, they're having lunch.
Incorrect: After dinner, the cats groom they're fur.
Correct: After dinner, the cats groom their fur.
Incorrect: After the management meeting, their having lunch.
Correct: After the management meeting, they're having lunch.
07/13: Correct Writing: Lose/Loose
If you lose something, you've misplaced it. If your pants are too loose, you need a belt or suspenders.
Incorrect: I seem to always loose my keys.
Correct: I seem to always lose my keys.
Incorrect: I seem to always loose my keys.
Correct: I seem to always lose my keys.
I recently came across an issue that hadn't occurred to me - is the "two spaces" rule obsolete? While researching and verifying my "Correct Writing" blog entries, I was surprised to discover that some organizations' style guides proclaim leaving two spaces at the end of a sentence an old-fashioned and undesirable holdover from the typewriter days.
I've noticed that some folks don't use two spaces at the ends of their sentences, but figured that they just never took typing class in high school. Is a single space the new norm? It won't be for me, at least not for awhile. As a writer and someone who types over 90 words per minute, I don't fancy re-learning to type without hitting the space bar twice at the end of each sentence. Your thoughts?
I've noticed that some folks don't use two spaces at the ends of their sentences, but figured that they just never took typing class in high school. Is a single space the new norm? It won't be for me, at least not for awhile. As a writer and someone who types over 90 words per minute, I don't fancy re-learning to type without hitting the space bar twice at the end of each sentence. Your thoughts?
07/09: Correct Writing: Neither/Nor
Category: Copywriting
Posted by: ZodQueen
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When two singular subjects are connected by neither, nor, use a
singular verb, as in, "Neither John nor James was there," not were
there.
singular verb, as in, "Neither John nor James was there," not were
there.
These words are often misused. Each should be applied to two or more objects to signify every one of the number by itself. Every requires more than two to be spoken of and denotes all of the persons or things taken separately. Either refers to one or the other of two, and should not be used to include both. Neither is the negative of either, referring to not the other, and not the one, and relating to two persons or things considered by themselves.
The following examples illustrate the correct usage of these words:
Each boy on the winning team received a trophy.
Every woman in the regiment displayed bravery.
We can walk on either side of the road.
Neither of the two is to blame for the incident.
Each other refers to two, while one another denotes more than two.
"Tim and John had a fight and struck each other" is correct.
"Tim, John and Fred had a fight and punched one another" is also correct.
Avoid "the two friends teach one another" or "the three sisters love each other."
"Tim and John had a fight and struck each other" is correct.
"Tim, John and Fred had a fight and punched one another" is also correct.
Avoid "the two friends teach one another" or "the three sisters love each other."
People often use between and among interchangeably. However, there are subtle but distinct differences in correct usage of the two words. Between references only two objects, while among refers to two or more items.
"The grapes were divided equally between them" is correct when there are two people involved. If there are more than two, it should read "the grapes were divided equally among them."
"The grapes were divided equally between them" is correct when there are two people involved. If there are more than two, it should read "the grapes were divided equally among them."
Category: Copywriting
Posted by: ZodQueen
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Further is commonly used to denote quantity, farther to denote distance. "I biked farther than you" and "I need no further supply of hardwood" are correct.