Are you plagued by punctuation? Do you often wonder if your spellchecker really catches all those errors? Do people often ask you what you really meant in that e-mail? Read on for advice about how to polish your workplace writing skills.
Why is Writing So Important?
When confronted with the rules of grammar, most of us cock our heads and say, “Sure, I remember grade school.” Grammar and usage are just as important in our day-to-day lives as that algebra we said we’d never use. Read on for advice and simple tips to improve your writing skills.
Spelling
It seems simple enough, but spelling is probably the most common error made in adult writing. No one grades our memos and presentations, so when we make a mistake, it’s rarely pointed out to us. If someone notices it, they ignore it rather than take a chance on embarrassing us, or worse, correcting a boss or higher-ranked coworker.
Spellcheck Software
You cannot rely on spellcheckers in office software. Let me repeat that. You cannot rely on spellcheckers. Ever. I mean it. Spellcheckers do not know the difference between homonyms, which results in the wrong word, spelled correctly. Programs also do not know whether you mean the possessive its or the contraction it’s, leaving you with the wrong one.
Imagine how embarrassing it would be to write “I Quite!” when you want to quit your job. The spellchecker would let that one slide right by you.
Also, you should learn to check the individual spelling of a word if you are unsure. Just because the rule you learned in grade school stated “i before e except after c” does not make it the proper rule for every word. Common exceptions are weird, foreigner, neither, leisure, seizes and height.
Dictionaries and Thesauri
Dictionaries are cheap, and Merriam Webster has a free, online dictionary and thesaurus at its website. If the dictionary lists the usage as nonstandard, read that as wrong. It is always better to spend a minute to double check than to make a mistake on an important presentation.
A thesaurus is a book that lists synonyms of words. It can help you figure out the difference between words that sound alike, or mean almost the same thing.
Homonyms and Confusing Word Pairs
Most people assume they know which which to use when, but often, the most commonly used words are used incorrectly.
For instance, the homonyms their, there and they’re are often misused. Their is possessive for they: It’s their problem. There refers to a place: Let’s meet over there. They’re is a contraction for they are: They’re using the wrong tense in that sentence.
Another common culprit is the trio of to, too and two. To is a preposition, and is used to address motion or direction toward a thing. Two is the number. Too is used to mean also, in addition, or an excess of something: The English language has too many rules to follow.
Commonly Misused Word Pairs:
Here/hear
Bare/bear
Accept/except
Affect/effect
Allude/elude
Passed/past
Principal/principle
Who’s/whose
Board/bored
Brake/break
Conscious/conscience
Lay/lie
Lose/loose
Elicit/illicit
See why you can’t trust a spellchecker?
Words That Aren’t Words
Often, bad usage of words infiltrates popular dialect, and we use words in our writing that aren’t words at all. Any dictionary entry that states a word is nonstandard really means that the word is not a word, but a mistake that happens so often the dictionary editors were compelled to include it.
Here are some of the most frequent violations:
Allright and alright. The proper word is two words: all right.
Irregardless. The word is regardless.
Enthused should be enthusiastic.
Theirselves is themselves.
Anways, somewheres, nowheres. None of these words should be plural.
Idioms
Idioms can be problematic because they are most often heard in speech, rather than seen in writing. Often, when they are written, the mistake goes unnoticed because we don’t know the origin of the idiom.
These can usually be deciphered by addressing the meaning of the idiom. “Grin and bear it” means to take punishment, not smile and remove your clothing, so the right word is bear, not bare.
“Toe the line” means to behave in a disciplined manner rather than engage in physical behavior, so the word is toe, and not tow.
Redundancy
Often, we write the way we speak without realizing it. This can lead to overstating the obvious. Something cannot be very unique, because unique itself means very rare, original, one of a kind. The word very is redundant.
The phrases because of and due to state a reason for something. Don’t write “The reason is because of,” or “The cause is due to.”
The word myriad is often used redundantly. There cannot be many myriad colors; there can be myriad colors.
Don’t Use Pretentious Verbiage in an Endeavor to Ameliorate Your Prose.
Use the word that best suits your needs. There’s no reason to get stuffy. The use of pompous language makes your writing stiff, boring and often unreadable. Stating your case simply and concisely means that your words will be more easily understood and remembered.
If you mean use, don’t say utilize. If you want to say bomb, avoid writing incendiary device. It’s a bomb. The word speaks for itself and has more impact than the obtuse phrase. Nix facilitate when you mean help, commence when you want to begin, and compensate when you mean pay. Simple, clear writing is always better than fancy writing, unless you’re shooting for the Nobel Prize.
Capitalization
Proper nouns and specific names of objects or products should have their first letters capitalized, not the whole word. If you want to mention the southern part of Atlanta, it’s south Atlanta, rather than South Atlanta or SOUTH ATLANTA.
The name of your favorite store is My Favorite Store, not any other variation. You visit a doctor’s office, but you are treated by Dr. Smith.
When addressing names in letters, (see how much easier that was to read than inter-office correspondence?) capitalize a person’s title. You write to Ms. Jane Brown, Officer Davis and Vice-President Joe Climber.
E-Mail
The only difference between a typed letter and an e-mail is the method of delivery. While using cute abbreviations like C U L8tr may be acceptable when writing to your sister, it is not acceptable at work. It’s about as professional as dotting your i’s with miniature hearts.
E-mail letters should have complete sentences with punctuation. They should have an opening and a closing. An e-mail takes seconds to send, but it shouldn’t take seconds to write.
E-Mail Addresses
In the same vein, (not vane, we’re not talking about weather, here) the choice of e-mail address should also be considered. A proposal to your boss should not be sent from an e-mail address that reads like a high school yearbook signature. Use your name. Leave catlover@email.com and gr8dancer@email.com for your personal e-mail. It’s just as unprofessional and tacky as wearing a sequined tube-top under your suit jacket, and no one wants to see that, either.
Punctuation
Commas matter. When you use too many, you end up with a sentence that reads like a chopped rutabaga. It’s clunky and tastes bad when it passes through your lips. When you use too few, your meaning becomes unclear.
Commas indicate pauses and separate independent thoughts within a sentence. They are also used within lists of items, and to split up adjectives with similar meanings.
Periods should come at the end of sentences, and two spaces should follow each one. A sentence that says two different things separated with a comma should probably be two sentences, rather than one. Sentences that are too long, or run on endlessly, muddle your ideas in extra words. A straightforward thought is easiest to understand. Skip the extra details and get to the point. The spaces following a period make for easier reading.
Quotation marks should be used when quoting someone directly. They should not be used for extra emphasis on a word. If you must emphasize, use italics. The names of films, books, and other publications should also be in italics, rather than quotation marks.
Misplaced punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence by making it unclear. In any kind of writing, clarity is key. It only takes about two minutes to proofread a page of writing. If those two minutes helps you simplify your sentences, clarify your meaning, or avoid a spelling snafu, they were worth it. One of the fastest ways to leave a bad impression is misspelling the name of a boss, client or coworker, and it couldn’t be easier to avoid.
Slang
This topic is simple. Avoid the use of slang. Technical jargon is one thing, but sloppy slang is never acceptable. Some words, such as cool, have made their way into accepted language. Words ending with –izzle have not. Any use of words like ain’t, yo, dude and homie is unprofessional.
Save it for the water cooler, or better yet, the weekend.
This rule goes double for foul, sexist or racist language. It’s not only unpleasant, it could get you fired. If you’re unsure about a phrase, it’s probably best avoided.
The words you write are a direct reflection of you. You wouldn’t walk into the office in dirty, wrinkled clothes…don’t let your writing leave the same bad impression.
Resources
In addition to a good dictionary and thesaurus, there are numerous style guides available. The can be useful when you're confused about the use of a word, as opposed to its meaning. Popular and widely accepted guides are The Chicago Manual of Style and Strunk and White's.