NEW POST - NEW WEBSITE

A new blog post All 'bout Deletions Using Apostrophes has been posted on the new Proof That website - http://proofthatblog.com   Come see future posts there!

Grammar Giggles - Wait . . . Who Was Arrested?

Sometimes a comma just shouldn't replace the word "and"

Although Correct, Though is Less Formal.

While most sources did say that "although" and "though" mean the same thing and can basically be used interchangeably, I was able to find a bit of a varying definition for each word:

• Although = even though and in spite of the fact that
• Although he was the best worker at the plant, he did not get a raise.
• Though = however
• The dog didn't bite him, though.

Although and though are used interchangeably so often that it is now acceptable to use though in formal writing although some people (typically old school learners/practitioners) may not like it. I have to admit that I don't like it and change it every time, but will now rethink that practice unless the definitions above make a difference (see below).

There are, however, times when although and though cannot be used interchangeably.

• At the end of a sentence.
• The car is cherry red. It doesn't go very fast, though.
• With "as"
• She acted as though she was the boss.
• With "even"
• Even though the team gave it their all, they lost the championship.

Otherwise, you should be able to use either although or though in your sentence.

• Although/though there was not a cloud in the sky, rain was smearing the windshield.
• NOTE: While this sentence would be correct either way, if I'm using the definitions above, I would use although - "In spite of the fact that there was not a cloud in the sky, rain was smearing the windshield."
• The job sounded like a dream job although/though the pay was not very competitive.
• NOTE: In this sentence, either word would work even with the definitions - "The job sounded like a dream job in spite of the fact that the pay was not very competitive." AND "The job sounded like a dream job however the pay was not very competitive."

So go forth and use either although or though with wild abandon, though you need to remember the exceptions.

Grammar Giggles - School Newspapers

I found this on Twitter. The thing that is most disturbing is that this person proofreads the school newspaper but can't spell "principal." That does not speak well for the quality of the newspaper.

Then, Than, and Admitting Mistakes.

The last Grammar Giggles had a glaring error in it. I knew when I started this gig that my audience was going to be one of the toughest out there, but decided to go for it anyway. The people who follow me have been much more than kind when I do make a mistake (yeah, it happens). One of my friends sent me a very nice email with a great graphic to ask me if she was correct and I was wrong, I'm going to use her "infographic" as my blog post this week. In the Grammar Giggles, it said that something "was easier then trying to explain." "Then" should have been "than." I have lots of things I can blame it on, but it was wrong and I knew better. Thanks to Stephanie for being so nice about my error and giving me a great example for a topic for this week.

"Then" has an element of time.

• He ate dinner and then decided on dessert. (After dinner the next thing in time that happened was deciding on dessert.)

"Than" refers to a comparison.

• He would rather take the light rail to work than drive to work every day. (Comparison between riding the light rail and driving.)

Grammar Girl says to make it easier to remember, note that "then" and "time" both contain the letter "e" and "than" and "comparison" both have the letter "a."

I will take more time to read my posts rather than a cursory review so that the entries are then correct.

Grammar Giggles Week - Zombie Proofreading

Passing along an article that was easier than trying to explain just the picture. While it's not something I would have noticed (because I have no idea what channel I'm watching at any given time), it does show the importance of proofreading everything--not just documents or letters.

Grammar Giggles Week - Dallas Hornets?

Proofreading isn't always about the words . . . 

Grammar Giggles Week - He Was on Drugs, I Mean He Played Drums

When one small letter makes one very big difference.

Grammar Giggles Week - Gift Cards

I've been getting so much information from Twitter lately, it's time to share a Grammar Giggle A Day.  Enjoy!

Grammar Giggles - Too Bad It's Not Candid Camera

This week's Grammar Giggle was found on Twitter (which is a virtual treasure trove of material). Can you spot the error? Then smile!

I Feel Good But Not Well

I don't get sick often, but every once in a while something comes along to kick my butt. The latest "cold" has done just that. Three days in bed, missing my personal blog post deadline, and missing a day of work later, I'm feeling semi-human and thought being sick opened a whole new topic!

Good and well are misused a lot.  Good is an adjective.

• She did a good job on the project the boss gave her.

Well is usually used as an adverb with action verbs, but can be used as an adjective when referring to someone's health.

• She ran well. 

It is not proper, however, to say "She ran good" because "ran" is an action verb.

• He said he didn't feel well when he woke up that morning.

Good can also be used with linking verbs. For instance in the response to "How are you?" it is perfectly acceptable to answer "I am good" when they are inquiring about your general status. If you are recovering from a long illness and someone asks how you are, saying "I am well" indicates to them that you are healthy.

To feel well means "to be in good health" and to feel good means "to be in good spirits."

Once I get completely over this illness, I am hoping to be a healthy person. Healthy means to be in good health and healthful is to promote health (like healthful food).

One more illness-related set of words that are confused a lot are nauseous and nauseated.  Nauseous means to induce nausea so a pile of something disgusting makes you feel nauseous, but if your stomach is upset, you feel nauseated.

So I am good, I feel well (at least better anyway), and I do not feel nauseated. Things are looking up!

Grammar Giggles - I'd Rather Have a Pitcher!

Seems kind of high priced for wings and a PICTURE of beer . . .

To Hyphenate or Not to Hyphenate: That is the Question

Another confusing proofreading issue is hyphenated words. This is particularly true when the words are sometimes hyphenated and sometimes not depending on how the word is used. There are, of course, rules regarding hyphenation.

• Always hyphenate ex, elect, and designate when attaching them to titles. For example "Ex-President Carter."

• You can also use "then" before a title to indicate that the person was acting in that capacity at the time you are describing. Used in this way, it will be hyphenated when it would be confusing otherwise.
• Then Governor Mecham was impeached in Arizona. This could be read to mean that Governor Mecham's impeachment happened next.
• Then-Governor Mecham was impeached in Arizona. This would be read to mean that Governor Mecham was acting governor at the time he was impeached.

• Family titles starting with grand (such as grandmother) are written without a hyphen; however, family titles starting with great (like great-grandmother) are written WITH a hyphen for each great (for instance her great-great-grandmother).

• When used as nouns, terms such as African Americans or French Canadians are not hyphenated. When they are used as adjectives such as African-American politicians or French-Canadian residents, they would be hyphenated.

• Fractions written out would be hyphenated, such as one-third and three-fifths.

• Compound numbers such as thirty-five and six hundred eighty-four should be hyphenated.

• An age that modifies a noun is hyphenated.
• My 40-year-old neighbor has three barking dogs.

• An age that is an adjective phrase that comes after the noun is not hyphenated
• My granddaughter will be 13 years old soon.
• The twins are two years old.

The biggest hyphenation issue that I see consistently is third party. Hyphenating third party depends on how it is used. 

•  When third party is used as a modifier, it should be hyphenated.
• The bill for the third-party vendor was past due.
• It would NOT be hyphenated when not used as a modifier.
• The bill was sent to the third party for payment directly to the vendor.

For an easy test to see if the phrase is a modifier that requires a hyphen, try each word alone with the noun. If it doesn't make sense, you need a hyphen. If it DOES make sense, then you do not use a hyphen:

• In the example above, third vendor does not make sense so third-party vendor should be hyphenated.
• She prefers high-quality clothing. High clothing does not make sense so high-quality should be hyphenated.

Grammar Giggles - Happy Easter!

In honor of Easter, I couldn't resist sharing this from an email this week. Enjoy your EATER egg hunts!

Grammar Giggles - Would You Like Hors D'oeuvres With That?

On the executive floor of a hotel I recently stayed in, this sign was on the lounge door. I had to look a couple of times because while it didn't look right, I (and obviously others) have a difficult time spelling the word correctly. A quick Google search confirmed that it was, indeed, incorrectly spelled.

The Cost of NOT Proofreading

I read an article recently about a typo that cost the New York City transit system $250,000 to replace maps that had a typo in the minimum cost of the pay-per-ride card. Paying attention and proofreading are valuable skills in the marketplace. I wondered what other errors might have cost businesses and government agencies money and embarrassment that could have easily been prevented. Here are just a few examples that I found in my research:

• Proofreading errors have been made throughout history. The 1632 edition of the King James Bible left a word out that completely changed the meaning of the seventh commandment when that edition read "Thou shalt commit adultery." The printer was fined for the mistake and all copies of the Bible with the error had to be destroyed.
• Tattoo artists are sometimes sued for negligence in misspellings that are permanently inscribed in flesh. This happens much more frequently than one would think.
• The University of Wisconsin gave its 1988 graduates diplomas that said "University of Wisconson."
• Air Canada used luggage stickers reading "This Baggage Has Been X-Rated at Point of Origin."
• Australian Publishing Company Penguin Group had to reprint a cookbook at a cost of $18,500 because a recipe for pasta called for "salt and freshly ground black people."
• A trader on the Toyko stock exchange in 2005 was too quick to place his order and traded 610,000 shares at 1 yen each instead of 1 share at 610,000 yen. That mistake cost his firm $18.7 million.
• In 2010, a Chilean man authorized the production of 1.5 million 50-peso coins that misspelled the country’s name as “C-H-I-I-E.” The managing director of the Chilean mint was fired once the mistake was discovered. All 1.5 million of those coins remain in circulation to this day.
• In June 2010, the gift shop at Australia's Parliament House unpacked a delivery of mugs that had been ordered to celebrate Barack Obama's visit to Australia. The mugs, however, welcomed "Barrack Obama" in large letters. They lost approximately $2,000 in expected revenue.
• A new water tower in the city of Stoughton, Wisconsin, was painted with the word "Stoughon." The contractor fixed his error free of charge.
• A clerical error in 2006 may have cost an Italian airline $7.72 million USD. They advertised a flight from Toronto to Cyprus for $39 instead of $3,900. By the time they discovered the error, 2,000 tickets had been sold and the airline had to honor the price.

Everyone is busy, but slowing down and taking the time to make sure what you are doing is correct is obviously well worth it. 

Grammar Giggles - They're Paying for This Education?

It's frightening when you see grammar/spelling errors associated with educational institutions. Whoever was in charge of this should have received a refund of a portion of their college tuition.

Fewer People are Less Concerned About The Difference Between "Less" and "Fewer"

There seems to be confusion about when to use the word less and when to use the word fewer. Fewer should be used when you are talking about things that can be counted. Grammar Girl calls them "count nouns."

• He took three pencils and left fewer than four on her desk. 

Less is used when you are talking about things that cannot necessarily be individually counted. Grammar Girl calls those "mass nouns."

• If he used less sarcasm, he might have more friends.

Of course, we are talking about the English language, so there are exceptions. The word less is typically used for measurements of time, money, and distance.

• He had less than four hours of work left before his vacation.

An interesting fact is that the signs in the grocery store for "10 items or less" is actually grammatically incorrect because you can count the items you put on the grocery belt (count nouns). To be grammatically correct, it should be "10 items or fewer." That is one way to remember the difference (if remembering horrible mistakes helps you remember how it really should be). There is a belief, however, that in less formal writing, "10 items or less" sounds less stuffy, so is appropriate to use. Working for lawyers, however, has trained me that no writing is less formal, so I'm sticking with the "rule" and believing that all grocery stores are wrong! 

Grammar Giggles - TV Schedule

One of the funniest parts about this television schedule I found in a hotel room last weekend is that my granddaughter who is in the third grade is the one who found it. Perhaps she could get a job proofreading for the Hampton Inn!

Commas--More is Not Better

Commas are a mark of punctuation that seems to confuse a lot of people. Here are some common comma issues:

• Commas may be needed to set off a nonessential description. For instance, when I refer to “my grandson Jasper,” there is no comma between "grandson" and "Jasper" because if I just said “my grandson,” you wouldn’t know which of my three grandsons I was talking about. If I only had one grandson, I could set it off with commas because I could take that name out of the sentence and it wouldn’t change the meaning. If I was saying something about “President of the United States, Barack Obama,” the comma is OK because if you deleted his proper name, you would still know who I was talking about. If it doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence to take it out and the sentence still makes sense, use commas. If you need that language for the sentence to make sense, take the comma(s) out.

• With dates, the proper rule is to set off the year in complete dates with commas. “He started on February 23, 2011, in his new position.”

• Just because serial commas are correct does not mean that every time the word “and” appears, it should have a comma in front of it.  

• A comma’s intent is not to be used each time you would take a breath or pause in reading the writing. While that may be a good guide, it is not a good rule.

• Some words are always preceded and followed by commas: 

o   i.e. (that is)

o   e.g. (for example)

o   etc.

o   et al. (when it follows two or more names)

Commas have their place, just not necessarily as many places as people seem to want to put them.

Grammar Giggles - Bus Signs

Several people sent this to me, so it was obviously time to share it. Bus signs are good for making money for the bus companies, but please have someone proofread before the signs are shared with the public. Please!

Grammar Giggles - Firffighters

Thanks to my friend Caryn in California. I've looked at this several times to make sure it wasn't just that the bottom of the "e" rubbed off, but it looks to me like it is intentionally a "f." I'm thinking that California saved a ton of money by leaving the bottom line off.

Who is That to Which You Refer?

Who and that are used when referring to people. Who is for a person or the individuality of a group and that is used when you’re talking about a class or type.

Which and that refer to places, objects, and animals. Which introduces nonessential clauses which could be removed from the sentence and not change its basic meaning, and that introduces essential clauses.

                Keith’s car, which is a red sports car, was stolen last week.

                Keith’s car that was stolen is a red sports car.

For my animal loving friends, you will be happy to note who is now often used when a pet is identified by gender or by name.

It is also now appropriate to use either which or that to introduce an essential clause. Which is preferred when (1) there are two or more parallel essential clauses in the same sentence, (2) that has already been used in the sentence, or (3) the essential clause is introduced by this . . . which, that . . . which, these . . . which, or those . . . which.

Mary is working in a law office which is what her education has prepared her for and which was her dream job all through high school.

That is a restaurant which you must try.

Grammar Giggles - Centennial . . . right?

Once again my television comes through! I was looking for something to watch and my programming guide caught my eye.

Quickies - Capitals, Colons, and More

Time for a few quickies.

• Is Internet Capitalized? I've seen it both ways, but Associated Press and the Chicago Manual of Style say that the Internet, as "one big specific network that people visit," should be capitalized. The Gregg Reference Manual says the capitalized Internet is the "global system of linked computer networks," while the lowercased internet refers to local area networks linked to each other but not to the Internet. So they all agree that when you are talking about the Internet that is more than linked local area networks, capitalize it.
• What About the Web and Website? The Web is short for the World Wide Web, again a specific thing, so Web would be capitalized--at least for Associated Press. The Chicago Manual of Style disagrees and recently said that the word web standing alone may be lowercased. However, website is a more generic term that can refer to any number of different sites, so it is not capitalized. Just to keep things really confusing, the Gregg Reference Manual says that Web site is commonly two words with Web capitalized and until the World Wide Web loses its capitalization through popular usage, Web site should be capitalized. Since I'm primarily a Gregg user, I guess I will use Web site. Compound words that include web (such as webcam and webinar) are not capitalized.
• How Many Spaces After a Colon? Again, back in the old days, there were always two spaces after a colon. Now that we are using more proportional type and using only one space after a period, one space is more appropriate. 
• When is Next Wednesday? Since people understand different words different ways, it is always confusing to use the term next Wednesday. Does that mean the next Wednesday after today or the Wednesday in the next week? As it is so confusing, best practice is not to use next in this context, but to be more specific about what day you are actually talking about. Instead of next Wednesday, it is more clear to say Wednesday, February 13, or Wednesday a week from tomorrow.
• Hint for Possessives. As you may know, misuse of apostrophes to make plural words possessive is my biggest pet peeve. I will admit that sometimes I have issues figuring it out--particularly when the base word is a bit unusual. In those cases, I substitute the problem word for a more generic word. For example, if I'm trying to decide if the name Andrews is plural, I might substitute Smith. So in the sentence I knew the Andrews car was in the neighborhood by the rumble of the stereo, I substitute Andrews with Smith, and I know that the Smith car would not be possessive, so my sentence is fine the way it is. If my example was I knew Mr. Andrews' car was in the neighborhood . . . and I replaced it with I knew Mr. Smith's car was in the neighborhood . . . I know that it should be possessive. Make your substitute word something simple to make possessive and it will help you make your word correct.

If you have a quickie question or a tip that helps you remember a grammar rule, send it to me (proofthatblog@gmail.com) and we'll answer it for you and others who probably have the same questions or share your tip so that we can all learn something.

Grammar Giggles - Meetingingings

I find something wrong with every line, but "meetinging"? Seriously? I'm telling you--the local news channels are my greatest source of Grammar Giggles material.

None is Singular, None is Plural, None is Both

The word none can be singular or plural, depending on the number of the noun it is referring to. Back in my 4th grade English class, none was always singular. Again, grammar rules have changed and modern thought is that it can be either singular or plural. One way to decide is when you can use not one, then none is singular. If you mean not any, then none is plural.

• None of the directions he gave to get to the grocery store is accurate (meaning that not one of the different directions he gave to get to the grocery store is accurate)
• None of the directions he gave are accurate (meaning that not any of the directions he has ever given are accurate)

Confused yet? How about these:

• None of his electronic devices is set up correctly (not one of his devices)
• Of all his electronic devices, none are using Wi-Fi (not any of his devices)

Whether you use is or are will let your reader know what you mean.  By saying "None of his electronic devices is set up correctly," your reader should understand that you mean that not one of his many devices is set up correctly. When you say "Of all his electronic devices, none are using Wi-Fi," your reader understands that you mean that not any of his many devices are using Wi-Fi. The difference is relatively minor and regardless of which way you use it, some people (who learned that none was always singular back in 4th grade) will try to correct you. Know that as long as you are comfortable that you are using it correctly for what you mean, you can treat them like your mother-in-law—smile, nod your head, and keep doing it your way.

Grammar Giggles - State Bar "Success"

Today I was forced to change an attorney's password on the State Bar website. The screenshot below was what I received in response. I did send them a notification and hopefully it will be changed soon, but it's a pretty obvious error.

Grammar Giggles - It's Freesing in Here

As some of you know, it has been very cold in Arizona this past week. One of our local news channels (the same one that had trouble with Justin Bieber "loosing" his lunch) is at it again. I don't watch the news every night, but may have to make it a habit if I can continue to get Grammar Giggles material. Anyway, I digress. It was so cold here that we had a "freeze" watch . . . at least that's what all the other news stations called it.

3,483 People Say . . . Three Thousand Four Hundred . . . Starting a Sentence With a Number is Incorrect Say Several Thousand People

A friend recently sent me an article in a recent ABA Journal where a paragraph began with a quotation, which started with a number:

My initial instinct was "There is no way that is correct." My next thought was "Well, it IS a quotation." My research indicates, however, that in most cases it is incorrect.

Most sources suggest that if you are going to start a sentence with a number, you spell the number out. However, a reader may lose interest by the time they get to the message if the number is too long. It is better to reword the sentence. For example:

·         Twelve thousand four hundred and eight-two people are expected to post something on Facebook in the next half hour.

would be better stated:

·         In the next half hour, 12,482 people are expected to post something on Facebook.

Note that the number in the examples above is completely fabricated.

It appears that most style guides and grammar experts suggest never beginning a sentence with a number (although some say you can use a number when you start a sentence with a year—most still disagree). It is better practice just to avoid starting sentences with numbers altogether. In our example from the ABA Journal, it might have been better stated:

Karen A. Overstreet, a judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, stated that “23,000 people in western Washington declared bankruptcy last year, and I’ve encountered a lot of bankruptcy debtors who have large amounts of student loans.”

It isn’t difficult to make things work so they are generally grammatically correct. It shows that you care about your writing so that people like me (and there are LOTS of us out there) who tend to read with a more “discerning” eye will appreciate your effort to make your work more readable.

Grammar Giggles - Measure This

A friend sent me this from her local grocery ad. Apparently "by the ea." is a new standard of measurement.

Things Are Coming to a Head[ing]

I learned more about headings last week than I thought I already knew about headings. Now I get the pleasure of passing all of that new knowledge on to you!

There are two types of headings—a run-in heading and a freestanding heading. A run-in heading is one where the substance of the paragraph starts immediately after the heading. Run-in headings are usually set off by bold font and/or underlining. A freestanding heading is one which is on a line by itself, sometimes as part of an outline in a document.

A run-in heading will always be followed by a form of punctuation depending on the type of heading. If the heading is a question, it will end in a question mark. However, in a freestanding heading, use no punctuation unless you need to use a question mark or an exclamation point because the heading demands it.

As for capitalization, you are supposed to capitalize all words in the heading over four letters and capitalize all words in the heading under four letters EXCEPT:

a

an

and

as

at

but

by

for

if

in

of

off

on

or

out

nor

the

to

up

Of course, as in all things grammar, there are exceptions to that rule. If a word on the “don’t capitalize” list begins or ends the sentence, it should be capitalized. If a word on that list comes after a dash or a colon, it should be capitalized. Capitalize short prepositions like up, in, on, and for when they are used with prepositions having four or more letters.

Rafting Up and Down the Colorado River

Driving In and Around the City

New Store Opening On or About March 1

I have printed this list of words that should not be capitalized except in the special circumstances and taped it to my work computer so that it is easier for me to remember. I honestly think titles look better with each word capitalized, but who am I to argue with Gregg? If that’s the rule and my attorneys don’t have a problem with formatting headings “by the book,” then I will adjust. Will you?

Grammar Giggles - Mad Libs - Give Me a Verb!

I saw this earlier this week on a local television news station website. Come up with different verbs to use where this is missing one and this headline could offer hours of entertainment!