Thursday, December 29, 2011

How One Typo Can Ruin Your Job Search

 

Guest post by Robert McCauley

Job seekers receive no shortage of advice from colleagues, peers, friends, and family. Everyone has some nugget of wisdom to help you land the position. Of all the tips you’re likely to receive, this one may be the most valuable: Dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

What does having strong attention to detail have to do with finding a job? Sometimes, everything.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Do You Know the Correct Answer to Our Pop Quiz Question?

In a recent Grammarly Pop Quiz email, we asked readers how they would correct this sentence: I’m looking forward to purchasing tickets for the 2018 winter Olympics.

A: Capitalize the “W” in winter. B: Make “O” in Olympics lowercase. C: Accept the sentence as is.

44 percent of these readers gave the correct answer, A. Did you choose correctly?

Seasons are only capitalized when they’re used as proper nouns, as in the sentence above: The movie will debut in the spring of 2016.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Fulfil vs. Fulfill

  • Fulfil and fulfill are both correct spellings of the same word. It means “to put into effect,” “to achieve,” “to carry out,” or “to realize.”
  • Fulfil is the spelling commonly used in English speaking countries like the UK and Australia.
  • Fulfill is the spelling commonly used in the United States.
  • In Canada, they use both spellings.

Fulfill is one of those words with multiple spellings.

Friday, December 23, 2011

What Does Lmao Mean?

  • Lmao is an abbreviation of the phrase “laughing my ass off.
  • It is used to indicate that something is funny.

Lmao is a phrase that comes into mind when we’re laughing very hard, even though we rarely lose body parts to laughing.

The Meaning of Lmao

Lmao stands for laughing my ass off. Typically people use it in written conversations to show that they think something is funny. You can think of it as a stronger version of lol, which stands for laughing out loud.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

What Does Lmk Mean?

  • Lmk is an abbreviation of let me know.
  • The abbreviation is used the same way the spelled-out phrase is used, but you should avoid it in formal communication.

When you need people to get back to you with additional information about something, lmk is one of the phrases you can use to ask for it.

The Meaning of Lmk

Lmk is short for let me know. People have been using it for at least fifteen years.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Possessive Case of Nouns: Rules and Examples

The possessive case shows ownership. With the addition of ’s (or sometimes just the apostrophe), a noun can change from a simple person, place, or thing to a person, place, or thing that owns something. There are a few different ways to form the possessive of a noun. We’ll discuss these ways below.

If the noun doesn’t end with an s, add ’s to the end of the noun. See the following examples:

This is Mary and her dog.

Monday, December 19, 2011

10 Best Grammar Resources for English Language Learners

English is already the most common second language (by number of speakers) in the world, and more people begin studying it every day. Fortunately, the availability of learning resources is growing right along with the number of English learners. The publishing industry, web entrepreneurs, respected institutions, and enthusiasts who just want to help are producing a staggering amount of materials aimed at getting people to understand, speak, and write in English.

Friday, December 16, 2011

“Dear Tooth Fairy”: Letter-writing As Magical Persons

By Laura Wallis for The Stir by CafeMom

Few things are as monumental in an elementary-school kid’s life than losing a tooth. It’s a rite of passage, and it usually means an exciting thing is about to happen: the Tooth Fairy is going to pay a visit.

Just tucking the tooth under the pillow is usually enough to get a reward in exchange, but putting it in an envelope or folded up inside a sheet of paper means it’s less likely to get lost—and that presents a great opportunity to make some fun memories.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Purposely vs. Purposefully—Learn How To Use Both Correctly

Purposely and purposefully are two English words that are often confused. Because they both have the same root, purpose, are both adverbs, and are only a shade apart in meaning, it is no wonder that they are used incorrectly with such frequency.

Here’s how to use them.

The Difference between “Purposely” and “Purposefully”

When you use purposely in a sentence, it should be synonymous with intentionally and on purpose.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Nine Tips for Writing the Perfectly Professional Sales SMS

By Sophorn Chhay

Just because you have room for 160 characters in your texts doesn’t mean you should use them all.

In fact, texting experts seem to agree that an ideal text should be short and sweet, especially in a business environment, where the name of the game is brevity. Essentially, focus on quality, not quantity.

This can sometimes be a challenge for people who enjoy being verbose.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Is It Omelet or Omelette?

  • Omelet is the spelling used in American English.
  • Omelette is the spelling used in British English.

An omelet (or omelette) is a type of egg dish, often served at breakfast or brunch. Neither spelling is wrong, but there are some guidelines for when to use which.

Omelet is the standard spelling in American English. In fact it appears about twice as often as omelette in American publications.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Secret to Success? Many of Our Favorite Writers Also Worked as Librarians.

April 14 is National Library Workers’ Day. Given the literary nature of library work, it’s not surprising that some of our favorite authors were also librarians. Here’s a short list of writers who put in time between the stacks.

Lewis Carroll Before he began writing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (whose real name was Charles Dodgson) worked as a librarian in England.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Five Tools Dyslexic People Can Use To Improve Their Writing

By Nelson Lauver, Author of Most Un-Likely To Succeed

I’m nervous and thinking about turning around and getting back in my car. Just ring the doorbell, I tell myself. I find the courage, and my blind date answers the door with one hand while holding back Lola, an exuberant 80-pound rescued pit bull mix, with the other. I can’t believe my eyes! Jane could be a model. She’s stunning, with a movie-star smile.

The Five Best Holiday Stories to Get You in the Holiday Spirit

Not feeling the holiday spirit yet? Hectic days at work and evenings spent shopping may leave you low on holiday cheer, but the feelings of generosity, gratitude, and closeness to your loved ones are what truly make the holidays special. If music, movies, and weather aren’t getting you in the mood of the season, try reading a good book. Sit down with a holiday classic or enjoy a new read to celebrate the holidays, both religious and secular, that come at this time of year.

Friday, December 2, 2011

“What’s Wite-Out?” And Other Products You’ll Have to Explain to Your Kids

By Laura Wallis for The Stir by CafeMom

What’s Wite-Out?

And other things your kids will ask to make you feel old

A friend recently mentioned that her child, upon picking up a landline phone, asked, “Mom, what is that sound?” It was a dial tone. The speed at which technology is advancing means that many once-basic details of everyday life are quickly going the way of the dinosaur.