Thursday, June 22, 2017

Slashes

There are two types of slashes: a backslash () and a forward slash (/). The backslash is used only for computer coding. The forward slash, often simply referred to as a slash, is a punctuation mark used in English. The only time it is appropriate to use a comma after a slash is when demonstrating breaks between lines of poetry, songs, or plays.

What Does / Mean Between Words?

An explanation of what a forward slash means in a text depends on the context.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

9 Best Grammar Resources for Teachers

How do teachers motivate students to embrace good grammar 365 days of the year and not just on World Teachers’ Day? These ten grammar resources might be just what you need.

1 Visual Aids

If students visualize how grammar works, they will be able to understand sentence structure. For example, an infographic on Copyblogger.com explains what a dangling participle is. Here’s their example sentence: “After rotting in the cellar for weeks, my brother brought up some oranges.” The illustration of a zombie holding an orange helps students see that sentence structure matters.

Monday, June 19, 2017

Spelling Rules

Anyone who has ever had to memorize a tough-to-spell English word (It’s fuchsia, right? Or is it fuschia? Fushia?) has noticed that the spelling of some words is wildly different from the way we pronounce them. To make matters worse, some words are spelled differently in American English and British English. If it makes you feel any better, the eccentricities of English spelling weren’t invented just to make life difficult for writers.

How do email mistakes affect your impression of brands?

This poll is part of a series that Grammarly is running aimed at better understanding how the public feels about writing, language learning, and grammar.

Please take the poll and share your thoughts in the comments. We can’t wait to hear from you!

If you are interested in more, check out last week’s poll.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Interjections

Ouch! Oh my! Wow! Yikes!

If you’ve ever uttered any of the words above, you’ve used an interjection, whether you knew it at the time or not. The word interjection comes from the Latin words inter (between) and jacĕre (to throw). So, an interjection is a word that you throw in between sentences or thoughts to express a sudden feeling.

Standalone Interjections

Because interjections usually express sudden feelings, you’ll often see them used to convey surprise (both good surprises and bad ones) or excitement.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Yes, You Can Make a Complex Point Over Text

Making a point in a clear, assertive email is one thing. But doing it in a text? LOL, way 2 much 4 txtspk.

Or is it?

Sure, you don’t have as much leeway in a text as in an email because of sheer lack of space, but it is possible to make a point, ask for something important, or express a serious idea in a text message. Here are some tips for how to make it so.

Use real words

As in, “you,” “for,” “today,” “thanks.” Writing in real-speak instead of text-speak shows that you’re serious.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Here’s How to Know the Difference Between Miss, Mrs., and Ms.

Miss, Mrs., and Ms. are not interchangeable terms. Choosing the wrong title can cause offense, so it’s important to know the difference between the three titles. The guide below will describe how the titles Miss, Mrs., and Ms. have been used traditionally—but remember, if someone tells you they prefer a particular title, that’s the one you should use to address them.

What does “Miss” mean?