It’s not uncommon to see “i.e.” used where “e.g.” should be used, and vice versa. In fact, it’s one of the most common mistakes writers make. Why? How could such simple abbreviations perplex even the most experienced of writers at times? It could have something to do with the fact that both abbreviations are derived from Latin words.
Continue reading to learn more about these sometimes-puzzling abbreviations.
Topics: Latin abbreviations, i.e.,, e.g., id est, exempli gratia
An idiom is a style or form of artistic expression that is characteristic of an individual, a period or a movement, or a medium or instrument. Another way to define idiom is as an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically (as no, it wasn’t me) or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (as Monday week for “the Monday a week after next Monday”). Idioms are often phrases we utter without even thinking about them.
Topics: idioms
It’s highly unlikely your boss or coworker will ever ask you to identify the subject or verb in a sentence you wrote in an email. And colleagues will never ask you to verify that all pronouns in a sentence you wrote are agreeing with their proper antecedents. Well, at least not in most professions. This isn’t surprising, but makes it easy to see why we forget about what clauses are and why their structures are important in our daily writing.
Topics: nonrestrictive clauses, clauses, restrictive clauses, main clauses, conditional clauses, relative clauses, noun clauses
Is there anything you need to do, hold, or see before you sit down to write, every time you write? If so, you might already have some sort of writing ritual.
From renting a hotel room to chewing on coffee beans, the famous authors on this list had some unique writing rituals. Some of them are a bit more eccentric than others. But after you parse through them, you’ll see why you might want to consider starting a writing ritual too, if you don’t already have one.
Topics: writing rituals, writing techniques
Writing a manual or instruction booklet for new team members or customers is difficult. You want them to get acquainted with your product or service in a positive way, while providing them with valuable information. But you don’t want to bore them or scare them away with complicated details.
Topics: technical writing
Most writers want to believe their writing will be read, understood, liked, and shared with others simply because it’s well written. They believe the essence and content of their writing and its message is what really matters. But that’s not always the case. Many times documents and posts will go unread simply because they’re not properly formatted, regardless of their content.
Use the tips below to format your writing in a way that will make it stand out, and make it easier for your audience to read.
Topics: business writing, effective writing, consistency in writing
Most copywriting experts will suggest you write the way you speak when you’re writing marketing copy, that you should sound natural and use a conversational tone if you truly want to get your message across to an audience.
In a previous post, we highlighted some grammar rules that can and should be broken if you want your marketing copy to be effective. Here are a few more to add to that list.
Topics: marketing writing, writing marketing copy
When you envision a proofreader reviewing your writing, what do you see?
Do you see a person wearing a pair of coke-bottle glasses and an oversized sweater hunched over a stack of papers? Does he have a giant red pen in his hand and a condescending glare in his eye, a smirk on his face, just ready to tear your work to shreds? Is she setting out to edit your work until it fits her idea of perfection, even if it’s far from your original vision? Is he also using grammar and spellcheck technology to do all his work for him?
Organizations of every type rely on email more than any other communication channel because it’s cost effective, (generally) private, personal, easy, quick, and versatile.
Topics: business writing, email, email marketing
As a writer and a professional, you should always strive to be grammatically correct. However, there are times when it’s less important to follow strict grammar rules and more important to connect with your audience. Especially when you’re attempting to inform or persuade an audience about an idea or product.
You can’t truly connect with your audience if you aren’t speaking their language. And if you truly want to speak their language, you will be conversational yet professional in your copy. Sometimes this means you’ll have to break some of the rules, like the ones listed below.
Topics: grammar, grammar rules
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