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 the motions to make sure your work reads exactly as you meant. Mind your commas, gerunds,  (and all punctuation), and use a style guide. This case screams–

  • The power of writing correct grammar
  • The importance of proofreading
  • The importance of  writing and revisiting your work after a time, with fresh eyes
  • The value of having an editor to review your work
  • The significance of having a colleague or other person read after you

It takes collaboration to put your best word forward and give accurate, clear instructions to your readers.

Let me collaborate with you as you work to put your best word forward. E-mail editsbymarks@gmail.com or go to editsbymarks.com.

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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 for confirming whether to hyphenate or not hyphenate a word is Webster’s dictionary (11th edition). Here are five rules for using the hyphen.

1
Use a hyphen with comparative and compound adjectives (words ending in er and est).

Examples: longer-term study, best-qualified candidate, highest-rated schools.

2
Use a hyphen in a temporary compound adjective (one that is made up of specially chosen words to best describe something). The hyphen is a crucial tool to give clarity and help readers understand your message. Use it if the word can be misread to change the meaning of your sentence.

Example: The students resided in two parent homes. (This implies two separate residences.)

The students resided in two-parent homes. (This implies that they lived in a home with both of their parents.)

Example: The used-furniture store is popular with students. The hyphen in this case shows that the store sells used furniture.

Whereas “The used furniture store ” implies that the furniture store is used by students.

3
Use hyphens for compound words in which the second word is capitalized.

Example: The program will operate from mid-June to the end of August.

When there is a prefix before a date.

Example: The pre-1945 movie was not included in the curriculum.

With abbreviations:

Example: The pro-MADD parents sponsored after-prom activities for the seniors.

Several related words.

Example: The non-school-based employees work for 12 months of the year.

Words that could easily be misunderstood.

Example: re-form (to form again)

Most words formed with a prefix or suffix are written as one word.

Examples: Prefix: extracurricular, socioeconomic, prekindergarten (BUT pre-K), counterclockwise

Suffix: ladylike; courthouse

4
If a compound adjective is placed after the term it describes, do not use a hyphen, since the combination is clear enough for readers to understand.

Examples: the student-centered activities are new this year, BUT this year, the new activities are student centered.

The program was designed for same-sex children. BUT The program was designed for children of the same sex.

5
When two or more compound adjectives have a common base, the base is often omitted in all but the last adjective, but the hyphens are retained, followed by a space.

Examples: Long- and short-term measures, over- and underfed hamsters, 15- and 30-year mortgages.

Get more help with hyphenation and putting your best word forward. Visit editsbymarks.com and send me a note.

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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.

A style guide helps to keep your public and internal communications consistent and as free of errors as possible. Inconsistent messaging confuses and isolates your audiences.

It summarizes your organization’s approach to writing commonly used terms and jargon specific to your trade.

It sets the standard rule for styling and spelling the names of your programs and services.

It is important to take the time to document a consistent style for your publications to maintain the credibility of your organization’s message.

It is best practice to designate a point person who can objectively maintain the style guide, after getting input from employees and members.

A style guide helps an organization clarify expectations and distinct branding requirements for various marketing initiatives.

A style guide should include any special language to be used in specific circumstances (e.g., key customer service language for different audiences/clients). If necessary, it should include exceptions to the rule.

It is a critical tool for developing a uniform brand identity across different mediums and helps companies avoid erroneous branding and writing mishaps.

If your bloggers need guidance, you should include rules on word-count expectations, internal/external linking requirements, and targeted keywords to use.

A traditional style guide contains information on grammar and editorial word usage. Your editorial standards should include the following:

  • Abbreviations and acronyms.
  • Capitalization (e.g., the names of your programs and services)
  • Word usage—(e.g., web site or website, grant making or grantmaking).
  • Words to avoid—helpful for guest writers/bloggers.
  • Terminology (e.g., is it Internet or internet? LGBTQ, LGBTQIA).
  • Sentence structure—serial commas, special punctuation.
  • Tone (e.g., casual, academic, formal, or authoritative).
  • Where to check if your question is not addressed (Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, APA Publication Manual, Merriam Webster’s Dictionary).

A comprehensive style guide includes rules on the use of visual elements, such as these :

  • Description of the logo.
  • Rules on how the logo should be displayed (e.g., in report, postcard, brochure, website page, or e-news).
  • Specific fonts to use and size, weight, and when to use bold or italics.
  • A color palette and the specific colors to use in different documents.
  • What style of bullets to use.
  • How numbered lists should appear.
  • Examples of how not to use your branding elements.
  • Rules on who should use your organization’s branding.

An effective style guide must be a living document that is updated on a regular basis. Schedule annual reviews and updates to the style guide. A designated team, led by the product development specialist, who writes and updates the document, should review it.

Have an informal meeting or special event to introduce your employees to this tool and get them vested in it.

For help in developing your organization’s style guide, visit dM Editorial Solutions at http://www.editsbymarks.com. Let’s talk about it.
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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.

img_3168The 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 Women’s March, in Washington, D.C., yesterday. All of us found a voice–an outlet to express our hopes and fears, which were as diverse as the call to respect the field of science, to the maternal fears of women for their sons regarding police brutality, to the reminders that this is a nation of immigrants, and girls just want FUNdamental rights, to name only a few.

Women’s rights are human rights and this cry must resound in our actions. We must stop pretending that everything is in order and demand our rights, the rights of the men that love us, and the rights of our children every day. From  healthcare, to freedom of religion, to the pride of sharing our cultures–these are the silent screaming voices of our time that must be heard and respected. Gloria Steinem described the gathering in D.C., as “an outpouring of energy and democracy the likes of which I have never seen in my long life.”

Freedom=living without fear. Perfect love, which lingered in the positive atmosphere at the rallies in D.C., and across the nation yesterday, truly casts out fear and drives us to live our best lives. It was an honor to be among such  passionate people. We can’t stop yet, the struggle must continue!

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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.

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An adjective’s job is to modify a noun, giving the reader a visual. First of all, where you place the adjective in the sentence is crucial. Writers must be careful, because a misplaced adjective and be confusing, misleading, or even disastrous. Example: A hot cup of coffee is different from a cup of hot coffee (the former implying that only the cup is hot, and the latter implying that the coffee is hot).

The right adjective or adjectival phrase can invite your readers to literally taste, feel, touch, and smell the noun it travels with. It announces the noun that follows it and, when well thought out by the writer, it brings your sentence to life—with a bang!

Example: The submissive students became a rowdy mob when they saw the food.

In this sentence, the words submissive and rowdy illustrate strongly that there was no holding back the normally submissive students when they saw the food. They must have been practically starving.

Constance Hale, in Sin and Syntax, describes the alchemy of adjectives as “boiling down an excess of ideas to the essence of a thing, with words that surprise.” Don’t just describe with adjectives, show your reader exactly what you mean. Choose your adjectives with care by exploring the passion that the noun elicits from you. Render your nouns using clever strategies like alliteration, metaphors, similes, parallel phrasing, brief lyrical phrases, and rhyme and rhythm (poetry). The color red of something can be better described using cherry, bleeding, vermillion, ruby, auburn, cardinal, scarlet, wine, or blood orange (fruit).

To inspire you, here are some more delicious adjectives that bring their nouns to life:

  • aphrodisiac potion of music
  • cobalt and sapphire bolts of fabric
  • lithe, nimble fingers
  • pungent, pervasive smell of sardines
  • bashful yet audacious singer

So, grab your imagination, dictionary, and thesaurus and be selective and precise in your choices of adjectives; seek surprise and wonder for your readers. 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.

 

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