Author Archives: The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

Unknown's avatar

About The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

Reason for being: To tell stories and help writers and others with a message to put their best word forward.

Dairy company could pay $10 million for want of a comma and a misused gerund…

Posted on March 20, 2017 by The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

A recent lawsuit ruling [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/us/oxford-comma-lawsuit.html]  cost a Maine dairy company millions, and granted company truck drivers payment due for overtime work, because of negligence in using a comma and a gerund. This is a current example of the importance of going through … Continue reading →

Posted in grammar, Opinion | Leave a comment

5 Rules for Using Hyphens in Compound Adjectives

Posted on March 14, 2017 by The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

A compound adjective is a modifier made up of two or more words. The general practice in writing is to use a hyphen if the compound adjective can be misread. There are several exceptions to this rule. The best reference … Continue reading →

Posted in grammar, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Use a Style Guide To Help Your Organization Establish Credible Communications

Posted on February 17, 2017 by The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

How to establish credible communications Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Struggle Must Continue for Our Voices To Be heard!

Posted on January 22, 2017 by The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

The great artiste and activist Nina Simone (who also suffered from depression) once wrote “inside I’m screaming, someone help me, but the sound isn’t audible–like screaming without a voice–“ Many screams had a voice  in the diverse people and signage at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Adjectives can be sexy, ask a noun

Posted on December 22, 2016 by The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

Use a moderate number of penetrating descriptors to adorn the plainest of nouns with character and leave readers with a lasting impression of your story. Continue reading →

Posted in grammar | Tagged , | Leave a comment