Categories for Writing

Beware the Buzzword

We’re all guilty of throwing a buzzword in here and there. And with their prevalence in everyday language nowadays, it’s hard not to use them.

So what are they? Buzzwords are industry terms that sound important or technical, and are used to impress a usually uninformed audience. Words like synergy, bandwidth and value-add are popular buzzwords. Now, as impressive as these may sound, it’s hard to decipher what they really mean. That doesn’t sound very user-friendly, does it?

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Wave vs. Waive and Waver vs. Waiver

Hey!(3) You’ve got to love those crafty homophones. For this month’s vs. post, we thought we would offer up a two-for-one. Wave, waive, waver and waiver all sound similar, and it’ll help to keep you on your toes by knowing the differences and when to use them.

These four words may not be part of your everyday writing, but if you happen to come across them, you’ll want to get them right.

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Tips for Dealing with Tight Writing Deadlines

The dreaded deadline: it’s a writer’s worst enemy. And the best plug to stop the flow of creative juices. Whether you write professionally or as a student, you’re faced with deadlines; and the anxiety, writer’s block, paralysis and other crippling symptoms they can cause are very real.

That being said, here are a few tips for writing to a deadline that go beyond drinking energy drinks and slapping yourself in the face.

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5 Examples of How the English Language Makes No Sense At All

When you sit back and really take a look at the English language — at least our North American version of it — it almost seems unbelievable how we ever learn to communicate. With words that sound the same but are spelled differently, words that look the same but sound different and different rules for similar words, it’s enough to make native English speakers crazy, let alone someone learning it for the first time.

Here are 5 examples of how English really makes no sense at all:

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To vs. Too vs. Two — the Saga Continues

This month’s “vs.” selection deals with three words that are often confused, even though one of them refers to a number. If you listen to someone speak, you’ll notice that some version of this word is used incredibly often.

It’s usually used correctly when spoken, but writing it out causes some major headaches. It’s also a source of frustration for those reading your words who know which one to use. Let’s clear up the confusion right now, so you’ll never make the mistake again.

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You Can’t Blame It All on Auto Correct…It’s Time to Take Responsibility!

These days, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t been a victim of the autocorrect feature on their mobile device at least once. That thing seems to have a mind of its own. It often creates words that aren’t even words, or corrects your word to something that has no place in the sentence you’re trying to write.

The results can be embarrassing, unsettling or even downright scandalous. However, most of the time autocorrect mishaps just make it look like you are a poor speller or don’t know which word to use in a particular grammatical situation.

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Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should: The Case Against Using Big Words in Your Writing

If you’ve been writing for a long time, you’re well read and/or well educated, and you happen to have a large vocabulary, it’s not uncommon to want to show it off. After all, long and complicated words that only a handful of people can understand make you sound smarter, right?

Naturally, the answer is no — in fact, using big words may even make you sound less intelligent.

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Principal vs. Principle…Seldom Used and Often Confused

For this installment of our ‘vs.’ post, we thought principal and principle could use some clearing up. Many of you rarely have an opportunity to use either one in your writing, so mix-ups are a common occurrence.

Of course, ignorance is never an excuse for misusing your homonyms, so even though the mistakes may be completely innocuous, it’s time to learn the right way.

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How to Tell the Difference Between an Active Sentence and a Passive Sentence

In an earlier blog post, we briefly touched on the subject of active sentences and passive sentences. Usually called active voice and passive voice, this designation affects the meaning and effectiveness of almost any sentence.

Writers are constantly instructed to write in the active voice, but it’s not always easy to distinguish between the two. Here are some tips to help you along.

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Different Types of Dashes and How to Use Them In Your Writing

Dashes are used in all types of writing for many different reasons. To the untrained eye (which is almost everyone, including lots of seasoned writers) these dashes are all the same. However, all dashes are not created equal and you may get dinged by an editor if you use the wrong one in the wrong situation.

Confused? I feel your pain. Dashes come in three different varieties. You have your hyphen, the em-dash and the en-dash. It’s challenging to write effectively and use immaculate grammar when you make mistakes that you didn’t even know were mistakes. Read on!

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Beware the Buzzword

Categories for Writing

Beware the Buzzword

Wave vs. Waive and Waver vs. Waiver

Tips for Dealing with Tight Writing Deadlines

5 Examples of How the English Language Makes No Sense At All

To vs. Too vs. Two — the Saga Continues

You Can’t Blame It All on Auto Correct…It’s Time to Take Responsibility!

Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should: The Case Against Using Big Words in Your Writing

Principal vs. Principle…Seldom Used and Often Confused

How to Tell the Difference Between an Active Sentence and a Passive Sentence

Different Types of Dashes and How to Use Them In Your Writing

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