₦airaland Forum

1. Travel the world

Old, young, rich, poor, there are many ways to see the world, soak up other cultures, see examples of creativity in art, food, music, architecture. Lately, I’ve been applying to and attending artist residencies to work on my writing in other countries including Spain, Portugal and Mexico. Even if you’re only able to take a day trip, take it! Soak up any experience you can get that lives outside your day-to-day life.

2. Journal

Not just the “My boyfriend broke up with me” kind. (Though that’s fine, too.) Write down your thoughts, ideas, memories, draw pictures, and record dreams. There are many ways to journal including blogs, Pinterest, and various apps. Who knows what ideas the younger you has in store for the older you. You’ll never know if you don’t record them.

3. Be a student throughout your life

So many colleges and universities offer extension courses. I like taking classes outside of my writing interest and have taken Nude Figure Drawing, Ceramics, Anger Management and Stand-Up Comedy, among others. Ultimately, anything you learn can be useful to your writing.

4. Also be a teacher

I grew up in a family that supported my creativity, but many people don’t and they need a mentor to help them navigate the waters. I not only teach in colleges, but at unexpected places, too, like spas and retreats. I love meeting and being inspired by different types of students all over the country. Why not volunteer your time teaching writing to kids or the elderly? Everyone has a story. How wonderful if you’re able to help someone express theirs.

5. Realize that no idea is too big/small/silly/crazy

One afternoon at lunch with a friend I ate too much (as usual). When I lifted my shirt to show him my bloated belly, he said, “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?” and I said, “Yeah, right, from a lazy sperm!” This off-the-cuff comment inspired my first novel, “Swimming Upstream, Slowly,” about a woman who becomes pregnant from a lazy sperm. Silly? Absolutely! Published novel? That’s right! What ideas are you preventing from being realized because you think they are too big/small/silly/crazy?

Credit: Writer’s Digest

Traditional letter-writing etiquette is based on traditional professional and marital patterns derived from the following assumptions:



A married couple is made up of a man and a woman.
The man’s name, with the appropriate honorific, goes first.
A married woman takes her husband’s surname.
A married woman’s given name is not part of the address or salutation.



Based on these assumptions, traditional etiquette dictates the following forms:



Address

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Simpson

Dr. and Mrs. Charles Simpson

Rev. and Mrs. Charles Simpson



Salutation

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Simpson

Dear Dr. and Mrs. Simpson

Dear Rev. and Mrs. Simpson



Nowadays, however, when some people question even the conventional use of Dear to begin a business letter, how to address a letter can be a hotly contested topic.



Many married women still prefer the “Mr. and Mrs.” form, but others feel marginalized by it. As a result, recent guides to letter-writing give the following as acceptable options:



Mr. Charles and Mrs. Jane Simpson

Mr. Charles and Ms. Jane Simpson



Note: In traditional etiquette, the form “Mrs. Jane Simpson” signifies that the woman so addressed is divorced.



In modern usage, when a form other than “Mr. and Mrs. [surname]” is used, the woman’s name goes first:



Mrs. Jane Simpson and Mr. Charles Simpson

Jane and Charles Simpson

Dear Jane and Charles



An editor at The Chicago Manual of Style considers any of the following as proper forms for a business salutation to a married couple:



Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stern

Dear Irene and Mike Stern

Dear Mike and Irene Stern



When members of the couple have different titles, some commentators think that the traditional male-female order should be maintained. For example, if the wife has a doctorate and the husband hasn’t, the form would be “Dear Mr. and Dr. Simpson.”



Bottom line: If you know the couple, you should know how they prefer to be addressed.

If you are addressing a letter to people you do not know well, choose a respectful form of address that suits the occasion.



Credit: DWT

Creative writing is defined as any writing that involves the use of skill and the imagination to produce something new or a work of art. It expresses thoughts, feelings and emotions as opposed to just conveying information as in journalistic writing.

Don DeLiloo defines creative writing as a form of writing that allows for personal freedom. That is, it frees us from the mass identity we see all around us. In the end, writers will not be outlaw heroes of some under culture but mainly save themselves, to survive as individuals.

Creative writing could sometimes be tasking considering the many things calling for attention. However, its rewards are immense owing to the huge satisfaction you derive from a completed work and also knowing that someone somewhere will be inspired by your work. This satisfaction makes the stress and hard work pale into insignificance as you enjoy the rewards and fun that comes with it.

Getting Started.
1. Start small. Be willing to take baby steps rather than beginning with something you have not acquired relevant skills for. For example, writing a family series that spans four generations, or an adventure. Begin with as little as a poem, then gradually move to an article, then an essay, short story etc. Do not worry about the quality of your output when you set out, just concentrate on expressing yourself in an easy-to-flow manner. When you are done, if you are not satisfied, give it to another writer to review it for you. Whatever be the case, don’t quit.

2. Stretch your writing muscles. Some people feel writing and thinking are the most difficult exercises to do compared to laundry or shopping. But this is not often the case. Cultivating the habit of writing for a number of minutes or hours per day will help activate the writing mode in you. Once this habit is formed, you would see how easily your thoughts are translated to letters.

3. Not to worry if you get stuck at some point, just relax and think. Before long, ideas will begin to flood your mind. All writers feel stuck at one point or the other, so it is not peculiar to you. It is also advised to write your observations as you go out. Sometimes, this is what you need to spur up your creative juices.

4. Find out what time is most convenient for you. Most writers do their writings early in the mornings before being caught in a web of activities while some others write at late at night after their families have long fallen asleep. You need to find out what time works best for you.

5. Have fun. We all feel bored at one point or the other. When we see writing as a chore, we may not enjoy the process of writing as such, our creative juices may not flow as easily as it would if we enjoyed it. Inject fun into your work. Play and let go the seriousness. You need to be a child at heart sometimes. Enjoying what you do not only makes you a better person, but it also makes you more creative. Don’t be too hard on yourself, relax and have fun.



Credit: DWT

Always fill in the subject line with a topic that means something to your reader. Not "Decals" or "Important!" but "Deadline for New Parking Decals."

Put your main point in the opening sentence. Most readers won't stick around for a surprise ending.
Never begin a message with a vague "This"--as in "This needs to be done by 5:00." Always specify what you're writing about.
Don't use ALL CAPITALS (no shouting!), or all lower-case letters either (unless you're the poet e. e. cummings).

As a general rule, PLZ avoid text-speak (abbreviations and acronyms): you may be ROFLOL (rolling on the floor laughing out loud), but your reader may be left wondering WUWT (what's up with that).

Be brief and polite. If your message runs longer than two or three short paragraphs, consider (a) reducing the message, or (b) providing an attachment. But in any case, don't snap, growl, or bark.

Remember to say "please" and "thank you." And mean it. "Thank you for understanding why afternoon breaks have been eliminated" is prissy and petty. It's not polite.

Add a signature block with appropriate contact information (in most cases, your name, business address, and phone number, along with a legal disclaimer if required by your company). Do you need to clutter the signature block with a clever quotation and artwork? Probably not.
Edit and proofread before hitting "send." You may think you're too busy to sweat the small stuff, but unfortunately your reader may think you're a careless dolt.
Finally, reply promptly to serious messages. If you need more than 24 hours to collect information or make a decision, send a brief response explaining the delay.

By Richard Nordquist

I’ve been advising a colleague on how to develop the transcription side of her business recently, and these tips and hints came out as being the most useful for her – so I’m sharing them with you, too. Do comment if you find these helpful or have more to share!

1. Make sure that you can do it!
Before you launch into your first transcription project, check that you can do it first! This includes:
• Being able to touch type
• Being able to type quickly
• Having the requisite technology
You can have a look at this post to check you’re suited for the work, and this one about the technology to use. Transcription jobs often come in at short notice and have tight turnarounds, so it really pays to be prepared.

2. Make sure that your ergonomics are tip-top
Transcription is the most demanding of my tasks. Typically, you’re pounding a keyboard for several hours at a time, typing as fast as you can while straining to hear the tape. Here are some of the things I and my colleagues have learned:
• Use a proper keyboard with little legs, not a laptop keyboard, even if it’s propped up
• Make sure that your chair is adjusted so that you can sit straight, looking slightly down at the screen, with your forearms sloping slightly down to your hands and your hands arched over the keys
• Make sure that your feet are flat on the floor with comfortable bends to the knees; if not, put a box or footrest in front of your chair
• Make sure that the cable on your headphones is long enough to reach your computer without you having to bend at all sideways or twist your head
• Make sure that your headphones or earphones are comfortable
• Take regular breaks to stand up, stretch, give your ears a rest and refocus your eyes – once an hour at very least (I do some squats and calf raises every hour as I seem to store tension in my legs when I am transcribing)

3. Get software to manage your transcriptions
Professional transcription software allows you to control the tape using function keys or even a pedal (like in the old days of audio typing) and will make you much quicker at doing the work. More information on software here – make sure you get used to it first!

4. Make sure that you understand what the client wants
You wouldn’t believe how many choices are involved when it comes to providing transcriptions for clients. Here are just some of them:
• Do they want you to type out exactly what the speakers say, take out the ums and ers but retain the rest, polish up the sentences so they make grammatical sense, or make non-native English speakers sound like native English speakers?
• If you are transcribing an interview, do they want you to include the full questions or just notes?
• If the person who they are interviewing says that something is off the record, do they want you to stop typing, or take it down and mark it up as off the record?
• Do they want you to include and mark pauses, and how?
• How do they want you to mark unclear sections or words that you can’t understand but can type a phonetic version?
• Do they want you to timestamp the document (i.e insert 05:00, 10:00 etc. at the relevant points in the document), and how often, if at all?
• How do they want you to differentiate between the speakers? (this could range from first initial, surname, in bold, with a colon to putting the questions in italics with no names)
• Do they want US or UK spelling? Oxford -z- spellings or “British English” -s- spellings?
• Do they have a special font or line spacing they wish you to use?
• Do they have a template that they wish you to use?
I have experienced all of these variations in my own transcription work. You may be working in a team where it’s vital to have all transcriptions looking the same, or the client might just work with the transcriptions in a particular way.
I have a standard list of questions I send out to clients if they don’t specify, so that I can make sure that I’m doing what they want.

5. If it is anything but a general text, ask for a list of terminology
When I work with music journalists, I always ask for the band name so I can check the album and song titles and band members’ names – I feel more professional if I get that right for them.
If I’m working with a particular kind of client and there seem to be a lot of specific terms, I ask for a list of terms, or send my own list and ask them to check if they’re correct, especially if it’s a long-term project. Again, this makes you look professional and avoids the client having to do any extra work to correct your interpretation of terms.
Of course, it helps if you know a bit about the topic to start with. I always turn down medical and legal transcription jobs because they’re very specialised, and I like to think that I know about music, but I did have to ask a client if I’d heard “Bowel Bass” correctly (I had!).
6. Get to grips with Word’s auto complete function
Auto complete can save you keystrokes and time by allowing you to type a few letters or a word fragment and have it expand into a word or phrase. I’ve written an introduction to this topic with more detail on personalising it, if you want to read up on this. Being able to type “tyv” and have “thank you very much” appear in your document, or having your “beh” turn into “behaviourally” is key to cutting down the time taken to type out that tape.
7. Monitor how long it takes you to do an hour or whatever, on average
Once you’ve got into transcribing, monitor how long it takes you to transcribe an hour of tape, on average. This will help you to predict workflows and give your client an estimate of how long you will take to complete their work.

However, do note two things here:
• Time taken can vary considerably (see Point 8 below) so always under-promise and over-deliver. My average rates vary from 2 hours typing to 4 hours typing for one hour of tape, although my absolute average is around 3 hours typing for every hour of tape
• Don’t forget to build in breaks – if I’m sent 3 hours of tape at midday, it will not take me until 9pm!

8. Be aware of the variables
I’ve known people who are new to transcribing to get upset when a tape takes them a long time. It might be just that the job is difficult or has some factors that would make it take longer for ANYONE to complete.. It can really vary – here are some reasons why a tape could take longer to type than average:
• It’s a new client or project – I always speed up as I get used to the client’s voices and terminology and the way the conversations go
• The sound quality is poor, leaving you to have to rewind and go over much more than usual
• The job involves taking down every single word the speakers say and they have a lot of repeated words and / or talk very quickly
• The speakers have heavy accents
• There are more than two speakers and they are difficult to differentiate (that’s why I charge more for more than two speakers)
As I said in Point 7 – try to have a listen to the tape before you make any promises on timing, and always under-promise and over-deliver!
9. Be a perfectionist but not too much of a perfectionist
It’s brilliant if you take great care over your transcription and try to make it all as good as you can. It’s not brilliant if you spend hours labouring over every tiny section of tape, trying to make everything out or frantically Googling for obscure titles of album tracks:
• Sometimes the tape will be unclear and no one could hear it – mark it as unclear, pop the tape timing down and move on
• Sometimes people talk over each other and you can’t hear what one or both of them is saying – mark that and pop the tape timing down and move on
• Sometimes people use words or talk about people whose names you cannot make out – have a go at sticking down what you can hear, mark with a question mark and the tape timing and move on
I know that when I’ve read some of the stories that my journalist clients have written, I’ve thought – “Oh, THAT’s what they said!” and I’m very experienced at this work. The clients don’t mind, as long as you get most of it and tell them about what you can’t make out. Often they will be quality checked by someone else, or the journalist will know much more about the band than you do, or they might have a little giggle at a mis-hearing and move on from it. The world will not end, and I don’t believe that anyone can transcribe a whole long tape completely perfectly.

10. Ask for feedback
Each time that I complete the first job for a new client, I ask them if there is anything that I could do differently that would help them to work with the text I produce. And if I don’t get any feedback at all from a corporate client (some of them only feed back when there is an error, which I find a bit challenging!), I will ask them for it. If you really didn’t grasp a section of tape or fear you mis-heard an important term and it’s going to come up again, ask for feedback.

And if the feedback is good AND the client says it’s OK to use it, pop it on your references page!

Credit: Libro Editing

Before we go into the nitty-gritty of writing a demand letter, it necessary to state the importance of same in cases of settling disputes arising from payment.

In cases where dialogue failsone may decide not to mediate on resolution, then a demand letter is necessary.It is a commonplace for courts to require the plaintiff to write a demand letter for payment. And if this is not required, it is sensible to do such. For the first reason, in one-third of all disputes, the demand letter serves as a speed-up to settlement. And also, if no settlement is reached, then it affords the creditor to file his or her case in an organized way before the judge and his court. Better still, one has an evidence permissible in court if the case is not resolved.
Oftentimes, individuals do not want to make small claims case. They may not want to file their small claims case in the first place. Rather, these people have to write the other party a clear, concise letter demanding payment. From there, the letter itself or conversations it engendered, enabled them receive all, or at least a significant part of their demand.

One thinking at first that the demand letter can be so effective may at first seem paradoxical, especially if you have already unsuccessfully argued with your adversary in person or over the phone. In order to understand the essence of the written word and how so much effective it can be, then one has to visualize many times one has been engaged in tough dispute. After the exchange of threats of lawsuit (especially from the offended) nothing seems to happen. Therefore, defendants take such threat with a pinch of salt and may never want to do the needful.
The case is different with writing a demand letter, clearly stating why the debtor can indeed be sued in a small claims court if a desired behavioural response is not engendered.

For real, the offender is left with no option other than think twice of his or her earlier recalcitrant behaviour for fear of a lawsuit. Hence, a lot would be committed to proper reasoning the pains of settling in court or the ease of doing same out of court. This would have given a bit of credence to whoever is making the claims and put the offender on his or toes for a quick settlement, whichever way, gradually or at once.
And it is not always the rule that one must be fetched a letter requesting for payment. A simple past-due notice form from a creditor is enough or an oral asking.

Composing Your Demand Letter
The key points to note in writing a demand letter are as follows:
Typing the letter is necessary. It is a formal document and meant for formal purpose, then it must be presentable in an acceptable format.
A concise review of the main facts of the dispute is needed. In court, recourse is made to organized presentation of issues, events and the likes for documentation. So, it is the duty of the creditor or plaintiff, whichever is applicable, to have a stated record of what had transpired between the parties involved in the dispute- how many times his calls to the defendant were not answered; the number of times he promised and failed to fulfil it.It is very necessary because it is only an organized thought in the form writing that will appeal more to the court other than haphazard and disjointed claims.

Be Polite. It is responsible of the claimant to try not to verbally assault his offender, if he or she deserves it. This could degenerate and more issues capable of jeopardizing one’s chances of having a better share.
Write with your goal in mind. The letter should encourage your opponent to make a business-like analysis of the dispute and raise such questions as

What are my risks of losing?
How much time will a defense take?
Do I want the dispute to be decided in public?
It is needful one states that the pursuit of a legal redress is an option if the demands are not met. The offender should be reminded of the implication of an adverse judgement could have on his or her credit rating.
Make and keep copies. In order to have a good case, there is need to compile a detailed record of copies of correspondence earlier sent or received.

Use certified mail. Ensure the demand letter is sent via certified mail with a proof of return receipt.So if anything falls apart, the need to go to court arises, then this can be used to oppose any frivolous claims of non-receipt.

Writing reports generally has different formats unique to each purpose or context of writing.Writing entails what one has up the sleeve. Creative as writing is, one becomes better after each and every attempts at it.For both starters and renowned writers, constancy in writing makes for perfection.

The Ready Writers are one in the vanguard of writing, whatever the form. It is believed that one must be groomed in the art of knowing a bit of everything. Writing a police report might look a thing to be wished away. Reason being that most people think what business do they have with the police, let alone writing a relative report. Yes, but for the fact that no one knows what becomes in the next minutes, it is necessary one is on guard at all times. A bit of knowledge about everything, writing inclusive, will do a whole lot.

When writing a police report take note of the following demands, whether as a police officer or a plaintiff or an accused.

Four major steps are outlined for writing a police report and they are:
1. Following Protocol
2. Describing What Happened
3. Editing Your Report
4. Sampling Police Report and Things to Include

Again, one of the demands of a good speech delivery is the Audience and should be treated with due considerations. Since without the audience, there is no speech delivery. It takes two to tangle. Then, it is inseparably significant to know the audience along the lines of their common features- likes, nature, associations, background if you can- and in fact you must get. You would do well with these information going into writing your speech. This helps to engage them throughout the delivery period; leave a lasting impression on them; and the speech becomes a talk of the town afterwards.

Now comes, the task of writing the speech. Writing too needs to be planned. This is because a lot of materials will go in, nonetheless, but in a relevant and organized manner. Before writing, due consultations with relevant personalities, documents etc must have gone ahead of the writing and the writer too, must have drawn a checklist (plan) which serves as a guide to whether the task is well done or not.
In writing a speech therefore, a structure must be in focus. By structure, we mean a beginning (introduction), middle (body) and end (conclusion). The introduction leads into the body and comprising the first sets of statements the speaker lets out to the audience, so it must be catchy and engaging all through his or her presentation. One can do well starting with a question, quote, proverb, historical fact etc.
The body is the largest part of the three. It has the details and supporting comments. It is very important one’s thought congeal as an entity. All the features of writing like organization, coherence, unity mechanical accuracy and expression must be ensured to keep the speech a flowing, interrelated and fitting piece.

To conclude, one must ensure emphasis is laid on earlier comments in form of summary or reminder. It is the custom, by so doing, to make the speech one that would last long in the memories of the audience.

Beforehand, the speaker needs to make his outline, which is the orderly arrangement of points from where the draft will be written. Outline of course, gives direction or key points or stage of the writing and it helps one ride on guided. Never stop at the first draft but proceed to the second draft, where necessary corrections could be done in the previous draft.

Getting feedback is next. Never write your speech and take it up like that. You need a critique of that. There must be a third eye somewhere to help you see what yours cannot see. Errors of grammar, appropriate humour and topic, omissions etc should be fixed before hitting the stage.
Now at the final version of speech writing, it is necessary one go through it again for all certainty. This enables one have that last shot at it; yes this can help locate unseen errors lurking somewhere and waiting to up-shoot when least expected- especially during delivery.

Writing speeches has been an art practiced for long by humans, whether for presentation at personal events, government functions or business for a and so on, it holds its special space in the order of events’ programs. And it might be contracted to an independent writer or the speaker does the bit personally. There is no fast rule to discharging on this task. Like other forms of writing, it takes its root from the thought of the writer. And since the listeners of such speeches are humans, they too must have the feel that it is communicative enough to be seen that way.
But before then, what the speech writer must have within his or her reach is a blank page- a writing sheet. This is where the ideas are scribbled as they flow. It might seem a daunting task for starters but persistence in it can indeed pay off, most definitely.

To write a speech, planning is a must. Due research into the subject matter of the speech helps gather the particular things associated with the speech in terms of facts, figures, records, people etc. This is the compass to your navigation through the sea waters. You decide the content materials- what should go into the speech and those not necessary.

The Occasion of a speech delivery has a major role to play and the first in the order of arrangement. Without an idea of where the speech is to be delivered won’t help the writer get all there is to go into it. So, it hampers the writing process so much as it limits the relevance of writing.
There need for a Speech theme. With a theme in mind, one can hold a particular subject matter in view and the whole message centers on it.It also aids in collection of supporting details to build up a memorable speech. Adopting a proper theme gives insight to the choice of usage of right quotes, imageries, opening statements etc.

In all of writings, they start off from a clear plan of what to do- the introduction, the body and of course, the conclusion. That is, a writing of any kind must have a beginning, a middle and an end. It requires a clear thought process which gives off what is being written down. That means it allows for contents development from the subconscious thought, consulting literature, places etc. Then, the organization and expression of such thought in a way that writing and reading is made easymust also be engendered.

That suffices to say that an orderly presentation is a necessity- what must come first, second and third in a coherent manner. And when we talk of expression, it must allow for the right language use, choice of words, grammar, and the likes.

So when we refer to an impromptu writing, what comes to mind is an unrehearsed exercise, which starts by the snap of a finger. This presumesthe writer has already-maderesources at his or her fingertips- all there is to make the write up in a matter of time.
Having been told the subject matter, an impromptu essay is one that is written immediately. Oftentimes, this is fixed to a time frame for delivery and one has no other option than a fast thought process. One needs no excuse other an articulate mindset. After work is done, the assessor will evaluate the writing exercise by checking onthe use of grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc and the way the writer’s thought flows from the beginning to the end.

Introduction: When we talk of this form of writing, it does not rule out the need to have a clear directive of what to do and this lies in the instruction given. This must be read to a clear understanding before pen is put to paper. An impromptu essay deserves a moment of contemplation on how one will answer the question of writing. From there, a brief outline is made.This is very necessary.Needful to say, a plan for the length, shape and size of the introductory part must be decided at first and put to mind as one embark on the task.
It is very good to start off on good footing. How does one achieve this if not by an apt use of striking statement(s) or descriptive anecdote.
Practically accepted is ascribing a distinct thesis statement -- a statement that highlights the theme of your essay in about one sentence. Of course, such thesis statement must be supported by explaining three points in the impromptu essay in the body. These must be detailed. It should also provide clear examples and make sense of the thesis stated earlier.

In the impromptu essay, one should not worry about including specific details such as dates or years from any reference materials, if one simply cannot remember them. Just elaborate on the concepts, and try to include reputable sources for your points. Keywords from the impromptu essay assignment question must be stated throughout the essay to show the assessor of the essay that one did dwell on the topic exhaustively. It is advisable to use right connectives to lead in each paragraph in the essay body. Such words indicating position as "first," "second" and "third" can help give a sense of smooth flow of thought or a logical transition.

Finish your essay by briefly reiterating your thesis and the points you made in the essay, then tying it all together with a clear conclusion. Try to pace yourself to have at least five minutes remaining before the time is up, so that you can read through the essay to see if you can reword certain phrases or need to change any spelling or grammatical errors.

Sometimes one word in a certain language can mean a number of different things in English. Of course, having multiple English words for just one word makes it very difficult for English learners.

One of the best examples is ‘hope’, ‘expect’, and ‘look forward to’. To make things worse, ‘hope’, ‘expect’, and ‘look forward to’ have very different and distinct meanings in English. They are usually not interchangeable. Let’s examine them more closely.

Hope: To wish for something with anticipation of its fulfillment.
‘Hope’ means you want something to happen. We use ‘hope’ when we desire something but are uncertain whether it will happen.

Example:
I hope it doesn’t rain on our wedding day.

Expect: To regard as probable or likely.
‘Expect’ usually means you believe something will happen, whether you want it to or not. It’s an emotionally neutral term.

Example:
I don’t expect to ever win the lottery, but I still enjoy trying.

Look forward to: To think of a future event with eager anticipation.
‘Look forward to’ is only used for events that are actually going to happen. We don’t use ‘look forward to’ for things that might happen.

Example:
I’m looking forward to my 17th birthday.

Most common mistake:
By far the most common mistake that is made with these words is using ‘expect’ to mean ‘look forward to’. People often say “I’m really expecting your birthday party.” To an English speaker that sounds like, “I’m almost certain you will have a birthday party.” Here are some other examples of how not to use ‘expect’:

1. I’m expecting to see your baby. (You should say, I’m looking forward to seeing your baby.)
2. I’m expecting my vacation next week. (You should say, I’m looking forward to my vacation next week.)

Example:
“Canada is playing England tonight. I hope Canada can manage a victory. England is usually a stronger team, though, so I expect they will win the game. Whoever wins, I’m really looking forward to watching the game!”

Valentine ’s Day is a day to celebrate love and togetherness. So, take a moment of your time and tell your loved ones how much you love and appreciate them. Remember; the pen is a mighty way to express the truth in your heart.

From, The Ready Writers Consult: WE LOVE YOU. Cheers!!!

By: Jordan Gray

Whether you want to profess your love to someone special, or you want to re-affirm your love to your significant other, words are a massively powerful tool.
Here are some tips on how to write a powerful love letter that will make your partner cry tears of joy.

Things to Consider Before Writing Your Love Letter
Before I get into the brass tacks structure of how to write your love letter, there are some things that I feel need to be expressed explicitly when it comes to the craft of love letter writing.

1. Calibration
You could deliver the most beautiful piece of stationary with the finest calligraphy on the planet, but if the words on the page sound like a copy and paste job that you took from Hallmark and they didn’t make much sense for your specific relationship then the effect would be ruined.
The content of your love letter needs to make sense. Everything you say has to make the recipient think, “Wow, this is so true, sweet, and thoughtful. They really see me for who I am.”

2. Surprise
Love letters on Christmas, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and birthdays are no-doubt powerful… but there should be an element of surprise when your love letters are gifted.

3. Variety
Don’t just spend your thousand-word love letter harping on the same thing. Even though it’s a nice gesture, giving someone a love letter exclusively focusing on their external beauty might not be as well received compared to a letter that touches on a multitude of different elements of them as a person.
Variety is key! More on this shortly.

4. The format is irrelevant
I get it… not all of us are born writers. But don’t think that there is only one way of writing a love letter. It doesn’t have to be lengthy prose, or a rhyming poem, or anything else that society has led us to believe is the way to write a love letter.
5. The medium is irrelevant
Some purists believe that hand written notes are the only way to go when it comes to delivery love letters… and while hand written is totally bad ass and a classic way of doing things, if your hand writing is as bad as mine then you might be better off sending a typed message (via email, Facebook, etc.).

If you still need help putting the content of your heart to writing, then let us help you at The Ready Writers Consult.
Send a mail to: mail@trwconsult.com or call: 08110832280 or 08102611756

Grammar and style: It is the rule that in any language expression and English is not an exception, it is inherent that correct grammatical expression is ensured.If you can, break the rule in instances where it is necessary. Like in some poetic expressions where this is a common sight. Style, which of course, cannot be alienated from grammar, in that they are inter-related, the important idea is ensuring that a piece of writing is clear and consistent. Ensure a guide for grammar and style is within reach when doing your writing.

Credibility or believability: This is necessary as it has to do with facts and truth about figures, names, events, places and the likes. If one gets this wrong, then the purpose for which the writing is done may be forfeited. This is worse in nonfiction (real and testable events, ideas etc), where the story must be believable, even if it is impossible.In nonfiction, accurate research can make or break a writer.

Thought-provoking or emotionally inspiring: This has to do with the reaction of the readers to the write up. Do they have a fresh perspective or new ideas as a result of reading? Is it enough to make the reader close the cover with tears in his eyes or a sense of victory and etc? This is a key point to know whether a writer has achieved success or not.

It is important to state here that for the sake of originality, nothing is really new in the sense that everything has been done at one time or the other and what we have now might be a remix.Nevertheless, creatively reordering of ideas in a way that it commands newness is a wonderful skill to behold and cherish in literature.

Considered one of the greatest writers of all time, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia was also fond of replying all his fan mails. These tips have been taken from letters C.S. Lewis wrote to different people over a period of time. Happy reading

Turn off the Radio. (More modern writers may say to turn off the television or the Internet!)

Read all the good books you can..

Always write with the ear, not the eye. You should hear every sentence you write as if it was being read aloud or spoken. If it does not sound nice, try again.

Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else.

When you give up a bit of work don’t throw it away. Put it in a drawer. It may come in useful later. Much of my best work, or what I think my best, is the rewriting of things begun and abandoned years earlier.

Don’t use a typewriter. The noise will destroy your sense of rhythm, which still needs years of training. (This would not apply to computers.)

Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else. Take great pains to be clear. Remember that though you start by knowing what you mean, the reader doesn’t, and a single ill-chosen word may lead him to a total misunderstanding. In a story, it is terribly easy just to forget that you have not told the reader something that he wants to know – the whole picture is so clear in your own mind that you forget that it isn’t the same in his.

Always prefer the plain, direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t ‘implement’ promises when you can ‘keep’ them.

Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “more people died” don’t say “mortality rose.”

Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”: make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please will you do my job for me.”

Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”: otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

Be sure you know the meaning (or meanings) of every word you use.

Receiving instructions from the boss? Or perhaps giving some out to your employees? Here are some phrasal verbs commonly seen in a business context, both in conversation and in written correspondence, such as e-mails and company memos.
All of the phrasal verbs below are transitive; they must always take an object when being used. In the example sentences that follow, the objects are bolded for clarity. Now that we’ve gone over the basics, shall we get started?

To go over = to review, or to examine something (e.g. a document or report) individually, or with a partner/superior. For example: “My manager said that we will go over the monthly reports at our next meeting. I hope he likes what he sees!” “Go over” is an inseparable phrasal verb. Therefore, the object it takes cannot be placed in between “go” and “over.”

To draw up = to make or prepare a specific plan or proposal in documented form (e.g. a written report, or a visual presentation). It is a separable phrasal verb. When using the complete object, it can either be placed in between the main verb (i.e. draw) and the particle (i.e. up), or it can be placed after it. “My boss asked me to draw up a new business proposal for her/My boss asked me to draw a new business proposal up for her.” However, when using an object pronoun, which would be “it” in this case, or when using “this/that, these/those,” it must go in between the main verb and the particle. “Sure, I’ll draw it up for you.” For example: “I’m drawing up a new long-term strategy for the marketing department, which I will present to them next week.”

To come up with = to create or invent an idea/proposal/plan. Like “go over,” it is inseparable; the object must always follow “with.” For example: “We need a plan for our next advertising campaign! Can you come up with some interesting ideas for it?”

To carry out = to enact, or actualize a plan/idea/proposal. This is a separable phrasal verb, and follows the same general rules used with “draw up.” For example: “Our new supervisor has made some very ambitious business proposals, but now comes the hard part – how will we carry them out?”

Now let’s go over all 4 of these phrasal verbs in a short dialogue. Can you follow the conversation?

Office Manager: Hey Frank, tell Sally in advertising to draw up a schedule for the release of our new products, and that I want to see it by next Wednesday. Tell her that we will go over it together at our next meeting, so it’d better be good!

Assistant Frank: Sure thing, boss. Should I tell her anything else?

Office Manager: Yes, also say that if I like her proposal, we’ll carry it out. That should motivate her!

Assistant Frank: Got it, boss!

Office Manager: And one more thing! Ask her to come up with some names for our new products. We don’t have any yet! She’s creative, I’m sure she can do it.


James Curcuru

Throughout the history of journalism, headlines have evolved as a method for distilling the content of an article into a handful of words that will draw readers into the piece, and they serve that function for other types of informative content such as newsletters and reports. However, in publications that are not carefully edited, especially on post-it-right-now websites, headlines can invite the wrong kind of curiosity, combined with confusion or derision, when they’re published with errors. This post examines various types of common mistakes.

1. Poor Grammar
This subheadline, under a headline about cell phone antennas, starts with a dangling modifier: “Numbering Over 2,400 in City Alone, Neighborhoods Say ‘Enough Is Enough.’” (The sentence construction implies that the figure refers to the number of neighborhoods.) The subject should be repeated (preferably, with elegant variation), and the quote must be preceded by a comma: “Towers Number 2,400 in the City Alone, and Neighborhoods Say, ‘Enough Is Enough.’”

2. Awkward Syntax
“Man Throws Woman Off Overpass, Then Self” isn’t wrong, and it could be argued that the suicide part of the suicide-murder is the key point, but the headline is clumsy and is better rendered “Man Throws Woman, Then Self, Off Overpass.” And the literal meaning of “Man Accused of Putting Bodies in Barrels in Court” is that the off-putting putting took place in the courtroom; this misplaced modifier is easily corrected: “Man Accused of Putting Bodies in Barrels Appears in Court.”

3. Incorrect Usage
A common error is perpetrated in “Less Drinking-Related Problems Reported at College.” (The problems are quantifiable, so fewer is the correct word choice.) In “VW to end making bugs in Mexico,” capitalized in sentence style rather than headline style, the choice of the first verb is awkward (stop is better), and Bugs, though a nickname for a brand name, is still a name and should be capitalized.

4. Redundancy
Repetitive wording is rare in headlines, but when money is concerned, headline writers can become careless, as in “Get $100 Bucks for Recycling Old Computer Gear” and “$1.4 Million Dollars Later, No Progress.” (This type of error shows up in the articles themselves, too, as in “Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion dollars on everything from staffing, housing, flying, and entertaining President Obama and his family last year.” There’s also a parallelism error in the list; the sentence should read something like, “Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion on everything from providing staffing for President Obama and his family last year to housing, flying, and entertaining them during that period.”)

5. Misspelling
Periodicals pride themselves on factual accuracy, but misspelling familiar names is an unfortunately common occurrence, as in “Jennifer Anniston Talks About Having Babies” (her last name is spelled Aniston) and “Smith Is the Michaelangelo of Real Estate” (the artist’s name is styled Michelangelo).

6. Incorrect Punctuation
An article headlined “To Some Graffiti Is Art, Others Its Vandalism” not only omits a pair of commas and an apostrophe and flubs another punctuation mark but also leaves out a word; it should be “To Some, Graffiti Is Art; to Others, It’s Vandalism.” Another headline also lacks an apostrophe: “Officials Past Helps Him Plan the Future,” where ‘officials’ is treated as a plural rather than in singular possessive form.

7. Erroneous Use or Lack of Hyphenation
Gratuitous hyphenation, such as that in the headline “Soldier Guilty in Parachute-Tampering” — the hyphen is appropriate only if “parachute-tampering” is a phrasal adjective preceding a noun such as case — is annoying but innocuous, but the mangling of the age range in “Most 18-29 Year-Olds Sleep with Their Smartphones” (correction: “Most 18- to 29-Year-Olds Sleep with Their Smartphones”) is embarrassing.

Nor does erroneous omission of hyphens in standing phrases reflect the rigorous quality control that assures readers of a newspaper’s accuracy; “Cease Fire in Liberia” and “Debate Free for All” should read “Cease-Fire in Liberia” and “Debate Free-for-All.”


Credit: Daily Writing Tips

Descriptive writing explains, describes or defines the author’s subject to the reader in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader’s mind.

Good descriptive writing uses sensory details to paint a picture of a person, place, scene, object or convey emotion.

Writing descriptively will make your writing more interesting and engaging to read. It also helps persuade your readers.

The reality is that there is no particular way to teach descriptive writing. Teachers can only help improve their students’ skills by encouraging them to read, read and read.

Below are a Few Guidelines to Writing Good Descriptive Essays

To write a good descriptive essay:

1. Start by deciding on a method of organisation. Good descriptive writing is organised. Some ways to organise descriptive writing include: chronological (time), spatial (location), and order of importance.

a. Spatial organisation works very well if your details are mainly visual. You can describe a scene using this method by:
i. Beginning from right to left or vice versa
ii. Top to bottom or vice versa
iii. Inside out or vice versa
iv. Around in a circle, starting and ending at the same place.

b. Chronological Order presents details and events in time-order, from first to last or from the end to the beginning. When describing an event, it is best to use chronological order.

c. Order of Importance enables you draw attention to key ideas by placing them first and placing the least important details last.

Note: When describing a person, you might begin with a physical description, followed by how that person thinks, feels and acts.

Do you want to learn to write effectively?

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Call us on 08110832280, 08102611756.

Whether you like it or not, foreign expressions represent an integral part of the English language (and of many other languages, too). Knowing the meaning and usage of the most used ones is very important. First of all because it will enable you to understand pieces of text that include them.

Secondly, because you might also need to use those expressions on particular situations (avoid using them just to sound smart though). Below you will find 6 foreign expressions commonly used in English, enjoy!

1. De Facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means “actual” (if used as an adjective) or “in practice” (if used as an adverb). In legal terms, de facto is commonly used in contrast to de jure, which means “by law.” Something, therefore, can emerge either de facto (by practice) or de jure (by law).

2. Vis-à-Vis
The literal meaning of this French expression is “face to face” (used as an adverb). It is used more widely as a preposition though, meaning “compared with” or “in relation to.”


3. Status quo
This famous Latin expression means “the current or existing state of affairs.” If something changes the status quo, it is changing the way things presently are.

4. Cul-de-sac
This expression was originated in England by French-speaking aristocrats. Literally it means “bottom of a sack,” but generally it refers to a dead-end street. Cul-de-sac can also be used metaphorically to express an action that leads to nowhere or an impasse.

5. Per se
Per se is a Latin expression that means “by itself” or “intrinsically.”

6. Ad hoc
Ad hoc, borrowed from the Latin, can be used both as an adjective, where it means “formed or created with a specific purpose,” and as an adverb, where it means “for the specific purpose or situation.”

Oftentimes, people use these two words interchangeably and end up misusing them.
For instance, look at this sentence:

1. * Let’s hear some music.

When we just want to say that sounds come to our ears, we use the verb hear. Listen to suggests that we are concentrating, paying attention, trying to hear as well as possible.
Note, however, that if listen is followed by an object, the preposition to must be used. Look at these sentences:

2. I entered the room and sat on the bed; suddenly, I heard a strange noise.
3. Can you hear anything?
4. Listen carefully; if you hear your name, go into that Black Maria.
5. Darling, let’s listen to some music.

Note, however, that we use hear when we talk about experiencing musical performances, radio broadcasts, talks, lectures, etc:

6. Did you hear the President’s speech?
7. My wife and the home-help say they heard Lagbaja play Lili Bolero last night.
8. I spent the whole holiday listening to jazz
Not *I spent the whole holiday hearing jazz.

Credit: Basic English: “A trouble-shooting approach” by Adeleke A. Fakoya

A common error with commas is to sprinkle them where they don’t belong. Here are five examples of this type of comma error.

1.
Incorrect: The laptop on the table, is mine.
Correct: The laptop on the table is mine.

Do not separate a subject from its verb. The subject is “The laptop on the table.”

2.
Incorrect: Motel rooms, that are dirty, ought to be illegal.
Correct: Motel rooms that are dirty ought to be illegal.

Do not set off a restrictive clause. The clause “that are dirty” is essential to the meaning of “motel rooms.” No commas are needed.

3.
Incorrect: The dog understood at once, what his handler wanted.
Correct: The dog understood at once what his handler wanted.

Do not separate a verb from its direct object or complement. The clause “what his handler wanted” is the object of the verb understood.

4.
Incorrect: Jethro wanted to be either a brain surgeon, or a fry cook.
Correct: Jethro wanted to be either a brain surgeon or a fry cook.

Do not use a comma to separate paired elements joined by coordinate conjunctions. The paired elements are “a brain surgeon” and “a fry cook.” No comma is needed.

5.
Incorrect: The famous author lives in a small town, because she doesn’t like the noise of a big city.
Correct: The famous author lives in a small town because she doesn’t like the noise of a big city.

Do not set off an introductory independent (main) clause from a following dependent clause. “The famous author lives in a small town” is the main clause.

Note: if the dependent clause comes first, a comma is needed: “Because she doesn’t like the noise of a big city, the famous author lives in a small town.”



Maeve Maddox

Everyone makes typos, but some are worse than others. Nothing can replace proof reading (over and over again)- no, not even spell check. Here are some of the worst culprits in the typo universe. These words are so commonly mixed up that examples can be found in prominent national newspapers, published books, and even printed on billboards.

Culprit #1: Loose/Lose

Just because it is a commonly used word does not mean that it doesn’t deserve any consideration or editing. To lose something is to misplace something, whereas loose describes a state of tightness (rather, a lack thereof) or means to set something free.

Example: Mrs. Jones will lose her mind if she hears that there is a wolf on the loose!

Culprit #2: Principal/Principle

Don’t you dare send someone to the principle’s office! In a school setting, this is particularly egregious (particularly bad). The principal is the most important person, usually the head of a school, but principles are beliefs or rules.

Example: The principal’s favorite principle is to treat others the way you wish to be treated.

Culprit #3: Complement/Compliment

I’m sure everyone has heard the joke: A man walks into a bar, orders a drink, and he hears someone whispering to him, “nice tie!!” Looking around he sees no one but the bartender who is busy with another customer. Then he hears it again “Man, I really like your shoes!” and then “beautiful shirt.” The man asks the bartender what is going on, and he says, “it’s the peanuts… they’re complimentary!”

Compliments are praises or approval, an admiring remark. To say that something is complimentary can also mean that it is free, or comes in addition to something you already have (like complimentary peanuts on a flight). A complement is something that is added to something else to improve the qualities of each.

Example: The man at the door complimented my blue dress that complements my blue eyes.

Culprit #4: Desert/Dessert

Unfortunately for victims of this typo, abandoned places and sweet treats are far from being similar. A desert is a dry, desolate place (and to say a place is deserted means that it is abandoned) whereas dessert is a course that comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food.

Example: Victor brought dessert to the picnic, but it was deserted by the time he got there; everyone had already left for the parade!

These are just a few examples of commonly confused words, but there are many, many more. Be sure to double check your work, even the common words that you use every day!

Do you find yourself mixing up certain words often? Share with us!

1. Know the Rules

This doesn’t mean to simply remember what you learned — or what you think you learned — five or fifty years ago. Careful writers continuously educate and re-educate themselves about grammar, syntax, usage, and style. In preparing to write my posts over the last few years, I have engaged in extensive research, consulting print and online authorities to confirm or correct my own understanding of what constitutes good writing. Confront your prejudices, and check your recall and understanding of the basics. Most important, don’t believe everything you think.

2. Be Open to New and Unusual Usage

Language changes and writers must change with it. This doesn’t mean that you should abandon your high standards and accept colloquial language; some contexts simply do not allow for a relaxation of the rules. But most forms of writing are flexible, and you should be, too. Adapt the language to the content, but consider also adapting the content to the language.

3. Verify

When in doubt, look it up. When not in doubt, look it up. Don’t be content with spell-checking programs; check not only definitions of words, phrases and expressions but also their connotations. When discussing a person, place, or thing, don’t simply double-check the spelling and treatment of the term; reacquaint yourself with the person, place, or thing to confirm or correct your impression that the reference is appropriate for the content. (And check your facts.)

Mark Nichol

By: Adam Davis

1. The Oxford English Corpus currently contains over 2 billion words.

2. The average person, though, is likely to know only about 50,000 of them.

3. That might be because the ten most common lemmas (base forms of a word) in English make up 25% of all words used.
Those lemmas are the, be, to, of, and, a, in, that, have, and I.
Seriously, just try to write a paragraph that doesn’t contain any form of those words.

4. Words have lifespans that can range from fewer than 1,000 years up to 20,000 years.
A word like “throw” is expected to have a lifespan of about 1,000 years, while words like “I” and “who” are likely to reach the 20,000 year mark.

5. It is estimated that a new word is created every 98 minutes.
So maybe “plobnrg” will be an actual word by the time you’ve finished reading this.

6. “You” is the 18th most common word in English, while “me” only clocks in at number 50.
I guess English speakers are just really selfless people. Or something.

7. There are over 50 countries around the world that use English as an official language, including Ghana, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

8. The dot above a lowercase “i” or “j” is called a “tittle.”

9. The longest word in English with all its letters in alphabetical order is “aegilops.”
“Aegilops” is a genus of plants in the grass family Poaceae. The more you know.

10. According to researchers at Reading University, the oldest known word in English is “who,” dating back more than 20,000 years.
Followed by “two,” “three,” and “I.”

11. The longest one syllable word is the ten-letter “scraunched,” found in a 1620 translation of Don Quixote.
Screeched, scratched, and a few more nine-letter words are tied for the title among more commonly used terms.

12. The longest word containing no repeating letters, including every vowel, is “uncopyrightable,” at 15 letters.
If you don’t require the word to have one of every vowel, “dermatoglyphics,” meaning “the study of skin markings,” is also 15 letters long.

13. Although most people believe the word “orange” to have no perfect rhyme, it actually does - “sporange.”
An extremely rare term, “sporange” is a botanical term referring to part of a fern.

14. The only English term ending in -mt is “dreamt,” a spelling of “dreamed” commonly used in British English.
There are two terms if you count its negative, “undreamt.”

15. There are nine words in English that contain two “u”s in a row.

16. In 1934, Webster’s released a dictionary accidentally containing a made-up word - “dord” - that wasn’t caught until 1939.

17. Author Ernest Vincent Wright once wrote an entire novel - just over 50,000 words - without using the letter “e.” AT ALL.


18. Lexicographer Paul Dickson entered the Guinness Book of World Records by collecting 2,964 synonyms for the word “drunk,” the most synonyms collected for any one term

We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect-- Ananis Nin

1. Practice

Once you have basic understanding of a topic in place, you will need to rehearse the information to “make it stick”. The old adage “practice makes perfect” still applies when you are trying to remember new things. If you want to make information come to mind automatically, you need to rehearse it regularly. Then you will be able to produce it quickly when you need to, whether that be for school, for your career or even for social reasons.

2. Engage meaningfully with important content matter

In 1972, Psychologists Craik and Lockhart found that the more attention we pay to the meaning of what we see and hear, the better we will remember it. In other words, memory is a function of how effortful and meaningful initial encoding was. So if you process novel information at a deeper level, you will be better able to later recall that information. Understanding aids memory and it will be harder to remember things if you are merely rote learning without fully comprehending the material.

3. Use visual imagery

There are many different ways that you can use visual imagery as a memory aid. We’ve all heard of using mind maps where we imagine a map of the information or a tree with the branches that stem out each holding an important and relevant fact. People might also find it useful to imagine a cloakroom with all of the pegs holding a piece of information. So whichever method you prefer, the key point is that you visualize the information as you study it so that you can later recall it with greater ease.

4. Use acronyms

Back when we were all youngsters, a teacher or parent likely taught us to use acronyms and my guess is that most of us still remember some version of this, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” (Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto). See?? It still works. You can also use this if you are trying to remember names at a conference (e.g., Black boots Brenda or Bushy eyebrows Earl).

5. Pay attention to beginnings and endings

Research indicates that we remember more at the beginning and end of learning periods. This does not mean we zone out in the middle of a lecture, seminar or continuing professional development day, but be aware of your own optimal memory times. Listen up for the introductions and conclusions and don’t be afraid to ask a teacher or a boss to summarize the main points again at the end of a lesson.

Credit: Doctor Sarah Cassidy from Lifehack Post

People sometimes tell you you’re misusing a word and cite the Latin origin as proof. Don’t fall for the etymological fallacy. What a word means depends not on its origin, but on how speakers of a language understand it. Over time, words have a way of wandering, and meanings mutate. If you stuck with older meanings of the following words, you could end up in a strange land where “naughty” is the same as “nice” and “awesome” means “terrible.”

1. AWFUL
Ever wonder why “awesome” means excellent but “awful” means really bad when they both derive from “awe”? In Old English, awe meant “fear, terror or dread.” From its use in reference to God the word came to mean “reverential or respectful fear.” By the mid-1700s, awe came to mean solemn and reverential wonder, tinged with fear, inspired by the sublime in nature—such as thunder or a storm at sea. Originally, awful and awesome were synonymous, but by the early 19th century, awful absorbed the negative aspects of the emotion and the word was used to mean frightful or exceedingly bad. The earliest citation in the Oxford English Dictionary for awesome meaning “marvelous, great; stunning or mind-boggling” is from the Official Preppy Handbook, 1980.

2. CHEATER
A cheater was originally an officer appointed to look after the king's escheats—the land lapsing to the Crown on the death of the owner intestate without heirs. As William Gurnall wrote in 1662, “[A] Cheater may pick the purses of ignorant people, by shewing them something like the Kings Broad Seal, which was indeed his own forgery.” Mistrust of the king’s cheaters led the word into its current sense: a dishonest gamester or a swindler.
3. EGREGIOUS
Egregious now describes something outstandingly bad or shocking, but it originally meant remarkably good. It comes from the Latin egregius, meaning "illustrious, select"—literally, "standing out from the flock," from ex-, "out of," and greg-, "flock." Apparently the current meaning arose from ironic use of the original.

4. FURNITURE
Furniture originally meant equipment, supplies or provisions, in the literal or figurative sense. For example, in a 1570 translation of Euclid’s Elements of Geometry, there is mention of “Great increase & furniture of knowledge.” Gradually, the meaning narrowed to the current sense: large moveable equipment such as tables and chairs, used to make a house, office, or other space suitable for living or working.

5. GIRL
Girl once meant a child or young person of either sex. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer says of the summoner, “In daunger hadde he at his owene gise/ The yonge girles of the diocise.” In modern English, that’s, “In his own power had he, and at ease/ Young people of the entire diocese.”

6. MEAT
Beginning in Old English, meat meant solid food (as opposed to drink) or fodder for animals. In A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775), Samuel Johnson noted, “Our guides told us, that the horses could not travel all day without rest or meat.” Generally, the word’s meaning has narrowed to refer only to the flesh of mammals, and in some regions, only pork or beef, but some Scottish dialects retain the older meaning of any kind of food.

7. NAUGHTY
In the 1300s, naughty people had naught (nothing); they were poor or needy. By the 1400s, the meaning shifted from having nothing to being worth nothing, being morally bad or wicked. It could refer to a licentious, promiscuous or sexually provocative person, or someone guilty of other improper behavior. In Sermons preached upon Several Occasions (1678), Isaac Barrow speaks of “a most vile, flagitious man, a sorry and naughty Governour as could be.” But in the same century, “naughty” also had a gentler meaning, especially as applied to children: mischievous, disobedient, badly behaved.

8. NICE
A few centuries ago if a gentleman called a lady “nice,” she might not know whether to flutter her fan or slap his face. Nice entered English via Anglo-Norman from classical Latin nescius, meaning ignorant. Then it wandered off every which way. From the 1300s through 1600s it meant silly, foolish, or ignorant. During that same time period, though, it was used with these unrelated or even contradictory meanings:
Showy and ostentatious, or elegant and refined
Particular in matters of reputation or conduct; or wanton, dissolute, lascivious
Cowardly, unmanly, effeminate
Slothful, lazy, sluggish
Not obvious, difficult to decide, intricate.
By the 1500s, “nice” came to mean meticulous, attentive, sharp, making precise distinctions. By the 18th century, it acquired its current (and rather bland) meaning of agreeable and pleasant, but other meanings hung on, just to keep things interesting.

9. PRETTY
In Old English, “pretty” meant crafty and cunning. Later, it took on a more positive connotation: clever, skillful, or able. It could describe something (for example, a speech) cleverly or elegantly made. Perhaps that is how, by the 1400s, the meaning diverted to its present sense: good-looking, especially in a delicate or diminutive way.

10. SLY
If you call someone sly now, you mean they’re sneaky and deceitful—not a good thing. But when the word entered English from Old Norse in the 13th century, it also had a positive meaning: skillful, clever, knowing, and wise. It’s related to “sleight,” as in “sleight of hand,” the magician’s skill at trickery.

11. TERRIBLE
When terrible entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman and Middle French, it meant causing or fit to cause terror, inspiring great fear or dread. It also meant awe-inspiring or awesome, which—as we saw in the discussion of awful—could be terrifying as well as wonderful. By the 1500s, terrible (like awful, dreadful, frightful, and horrible) came to mean very harsh, severe, formidable, and hence, excessive or extreme—in a bad way.
In language, like everything else, change can be hard to accept. Don’t worry. If you’re an originalist when it comes to semantics and someone calls you egregiously awful, you can take it as high praise.

Source: Judith B Herman, Mental¬_floss Post

Editing, like writing, takes time to learn. But here are five fixes I make with nearly every project. Learn to make them yourself and you’ll take your writing to a more professional, marketable, and persuasive level

1. Sentences can only do one thing at a time.

Have you ever heard a four-year-old run out of breath before she can finish her thought? I edit a lot of sentences that work the same way. You need a noun, you need a verb, you might need an object. Give some serious thought to stopping right there.
Sentences are building blocks, not bungee cords; they’re not meant to be stretched to the limit. I’m not saying you necessarily want a Hemingway-esque series of clipped short sentences, but most writers benefit from dividing their longest sentences into shorter, more muscular ones.

2. Paragraphs can only do one thing at a time.

A paragraph supports a single idea. Construct complex arguments by combining simple ideas that follow logically. Every time you address a new idea, add a line break. Short paragraphs are the most readable; few should be more than three or four sentences long. This is more important if you’re writing for the Web.

3. Look closely at -ing

Nouns ending in -ing are fine. (Strong writing, IT consulting, great fishing.) But constructions like “I am running,” “a forum for building consensus,” or “The new team will be managing” are inherently weak. Rewrite them to “I run,” “a forum to build consensus,” and “the team will manage.” You’re on the right track when the rewrite has fewer words (see below).
(If for some insane reason you want to get all geeky about this, you can read the Wikipedia article on gerunds and present participles. But you don’t have to know the underlying grammatical rules to make this work. Rewrite -ing when you can, and your writing will grow muscles you didn’t know it had.)

4. Omit unnecessary words.

I know we all heard this in high school, but we weren’t listening. (Mostly because it’s hard.) It’s doubly hard when you’re editing your own writing—we put all that work into getting words onto the page, and by god we need a damned good reason to get rid of them.
Here’s your damned good reason: extra words drain life from your work. The fewer words used to express an idea, the more punch it has.

Therefore:
Summer months
Regional level
The entire country
On a daily basis (usually best rewritten to “every day”)
She knew that it was good.
Very
(I just caught one above: four-year-old little girl)
You can nearly always improve sentences by rewriting them in fewer words.
5. Reframe 90% of the passive voice.

French speakers consider an elegantly managed passive voice to be the height of refinement. But here in the good old U.S. (or Australia, Great Britain, etc.), we value action. We do things is inherently more interesting than Things are done by us. Passive voice muddies your writing; when the actor is hidden, the action makes less sense.

Credit: Sonia Simone in Remarkable Communication Webpost