As we get nearer to the end of December, we are reminded of why it’s called the most wonderful time of the year. It’s the season of holidays, with Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Mawlid usually celebrated within a month of one another. And then there’s the New Year, a great opportunity to commit ourselves to plans and resolutions we’ll never actually make good on. This time of year is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of some of the words we have at our disposal to express all the wonder that’s going on.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
4 Infuriating Work Habits and How to Avoid Them
Considering all the time you spend at the office, it’s no surprise that your workspace, coworkers, and overall approach to everyday tasks have a big influence on your morale. We’ve all been there: you’re chatting with colleagues and you get a little heavy-handed with the emojis, or you’ve got an update most of your team will enjoy so you pop it into the general chat. It seems innocuous enough, but as it turns out, these—and other—little tendencies can really get under others’ skin.
Whose vs. Who’s
Who’s is a contraction linking the words who is or who has, and whose is the possessive form of who. They may sound the same, but spelling them correctly can be tricky. To get into the difference between who’s and whose, read on.
Who’s vs. Whose
- Both who’s and whose come from the pronoun who (shocking, right?).
- Who’s is a contraction, meaning it’s two words stuck together. The formula: who + is, or who + has.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Comma Between Correlative Conjunction Sets
Correlative pairs of conjunctions include words like neither…nor, not…but, and both…and. For this punctuation rule, we can also consider sets of words like not only…but also. When pairs or sets of conjunctions are being used, they do not need to be separated from each other by a comma. However, a comma may be used between the conjunctions to accommodate another grammar rule (see Exceptions).
Friday, August 15, 2014
“Barking up the wrong tree” and Other Funny Idioms
Have you heard the expression “barking up the wrong tree?” According to North Carolina State University, there are 23,000 different kinds of trees. What type of tree is incorrect? Idioms can be puzzling, but perhaps less so when you learn more about the phrases. Let’s delve into six interesting idiomatic expressions.
Barking up the wrong tree
Hunters sometimes use scent hounds to locate and pursue animals.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Disinterested vs. Uninterested—Are They the Same?
- Disinterested means “without a vested interest.”
- Uninterested means “not showing interest.”
The words disinterested and uninterested are sometimes used as if they have the same meaning. But there is a difference, and to avoid confusion, you should be aware of what that difference is.
What Does Disinterested Mean?
When someone doesn’t have a vested interest in a matter, or doesn’t have a horse in that race, we can say that this person is disinterested.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
This Is How to Effectively Plan for Second Interview Questions
You’ve been invited to a second interview—well done! But don’t get too comfortable just yet. If you’ve been asked to interview a second time, you’re likely up against the company’s top few candidates. That means the stakes are higher than ever, and you need to prepare to give the interview all you’ve got.
Why Second Interviews Are So Important
Think of the first interview as the getting-to-know-you phase.