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 Education / How To Use An Exclamation Point Properly (& How Not To Use It) [part 1] by TRWConsult(m): 9:13pm On Oct 07, 2015 |
Do you use an exclamation point? Do you use five or more? Is there really any limit to the number of exclamation points you can and should use? Exclamation Points & Their Overuse All you have to do is log onto Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or whichever social channel you like and you’ll see people overusing exclamation points. People everywhere are using exclamation points at the end of every sentence and in abundance. You’ve read the status that says, “OMG! This thing just happened to this person!!!! And it was so hilarious!!!!” And if you’re any kind of decent grammar user like me, you probably cringe with each exclamation point you see overused. This post is perfect for those of us who are tired of the exclamation point, as well as for those who might use it in each and every sentence. Take a journey with me to learn when to use one and when you should totally avoid it. How Can You Use an Exclamation Point Properly? You don’t always have to avoid using an exclamation point, but there are some super simple guidelines you can follow. To ensure exclamation success, ask yourself these questions (always) before hitting shift+1 on your keyboard at the end of a sentence. 1. Is What You’re Writing Very Important? We all have important information we need to write about. It can take the form of emails, blog posts, or documents for clients or businesses. As you write something like this, you might be sorely tempted to use an exclamation point, but you need to ask yourself just how important the information is. If it is something that is, as the flowchart says, vital to national interests, then you shouldn’t use that happy, excited little mark at all. 2. Is What You’re Writing Super Exciting? First of all, before you ask if the thing you’re writing is super exciting, you need to ask yourself, “Am I easily excited?” If the answer is no, then chances are you won’t overuse the mark. If you are easily overexcited, you need to make sure you really need the mark. Just because you’re excited about something doesn’t mean an exclamation point will make others excited. In addition, if you use interjections such as “oh,” then you can use the mark. For example: “Oh! I didn’t realize that.” Now, if you write about something that is exciting, well, there you go—exciting info is the best way to get readers excited. 3. Is What You’re Writing a Legitimate Emergency? Yes? Then why the heck are you writing anything? In all emergencies, you should always call the proper authorities, right? And why are you still reading this? Well, I guess if you do want to text someone about an emergency, in this case an exclamation point could be well worth it. That is, if you write something such as “hey” at the beginning of the message. Again, just call emergency services instead of writing. Please. When Should You Entirely Avoid an Exclamation Point? As you can see, you can use an exclamation point (just one) when writing, but you need to be very careful. You don’t need to have exclamation points all throughout your content to convince people to be excited. Punctuation isn’t really going to impact them. However, when you write exciting content, people will read. Get to work on some exciting information to share, and you are well on your way to creating content that will be enjoyable for every reader. What are some of your experiences with the overuse of any punctuation mark? Credit: Julia McCoy |
| Career / Happy Customer Service Week by TRWConsult(m): 12:51pm On Oct 06, 2015 |
Thank You for giving us more opportunities and ways to do MORE for you...
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| Education / Potpourri Of Misspellings by TRWConsult(m): 12:02pm On Oct 06, 2015 |
Strolling along Internet Boulevard one morning, I encountered more than the usual quota of misspelled-words-per-minute. INCORRECT: My level of stress is nothing compared to your personal battles with illness and other life hurtles. CORRECT : My level of stress is nothing compared to your personal battles with illness and other life hurdles. hurtle verb: to dash, rush, or hurry, especially with force. “The bull hurtled through the crowd.” hurdle noun: an obstacle. Literally, a hurdle is a frame that runners jump over. Figuratively, a hurdle is something that stands in the way of a desired achievement. “Even though she is cancer free, she still has one more hurdle to overcome.” INCORRECT: We want to be sure we don’t loose our earnest money. CORRECT : We want to be sure we don’t lose our earnest money. loose adjective: not tight. “Since I lost weight, these jeans are too loose to wear.” lose verb: to part with. “Don’t lose your lunch money again.” One sentence, from a bewildered college student, yielded not one, but three misspellings in a row. INCORRECT: There’s to much of a differents in the trilagy… CORRECT : There’s too much of a difference in the trilogy… to preposition: function word that indicates spatial relationships. “The children have gone to the movies.” too adverb: to an excessive degree. “He reached the station too late to catch the train. different adjective: unlike, not the same. “You are wearing two different socks.” difference noun: the state of being different. “Please explain the difference between refugee and migrant.” trilogy noun: a group of three related things, such as plays or novels. “Have you read The Lord of the Rings trilogy? I expect to find—and enjoy finding—different registers of grammar and diction used in informal contexts. Non-standard usage in a non-standard register doesn’t jar. Misspellings, on the other hand, distract in every register. Spelling, it seems to me, is a “cross-platform” sort of thing. Unless the intention is to write like Artemus Ward, native speakers who have completed eight or more years of formal education can be expected to spell common words correctly in every context. Credit: DWT |
| Education / “fictional” And “fictitious” by TRWConsult(m): 11:55am On Oct 06, 2015 |
Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary gives the same definition for both fictional and fictitious: “Fiction,” of course, is anything untrue, whether it’s a lie or a novel. Webster’s gives six definitions for fiction, among them: 1 : the act of creating something imaginary : a fabrication of the mind 2 a : an intentional fabrication : a convenient assumption that overlooks known facts in order to achieve an immediate goal b : an unfounded, invented, or deceitful statement 3 a : fictitious literature (as novels, tales, romances) b : a work of fiction; especially : NOVEL Making a distinction between fictional and fictitious, however, is both useful and customary. Fictional tends to be used in talking about fiction in the sense of creative writing: Alice in Wonderland is a fictional character created by the mathematician Charles Dodgson. Fictitious tends to carry a negative connotation and is used to denote fiction associated with dishonesty: The man used a fictitious resumé to obtain the job. We praise Ken Follett for writing a fictional account of the building of a cathedral, but we condemn a journalist who incorporates fictitious elements in a news story. Credit: DWT |
| Education / 3 Ways Writing Can Improve Your Life Today by TRWConsult(m): 5:01pm On Sep 30, 2015 |
When we think of self-improvement, we often imagine activities like exercise, yoga, or meditation. But did you know that you can improve your life by jotting down a few words? Science tells us that these simple writing practices can have a marked effect on how you’re feeling. 1 Increase your gratitude with regular check-ins Studies show that recording your grateful thoughts in a gratitude journal three times per week can make you happier. Why it works: While we learn from our struggles, it’s important to make sure we also factor in the good things that come our way. A gratitude journal encourages us to keep things in perspective and to fight off gloomy thoughts in the process. When we take notice of the things that give us pleasure, our overall happiness increases. How to do it: It’s simple—take a few days each week to write down things for which you’re grateful. It can be anything from expressing gratitude for the co-worker who brought you a cup of coffee to celebrating a personal or family milestone. Be specific—elaborating on a point can have a deeper impact than jotting down superficial observations. 2 Get rid of negative thoughts by physically throwing them away Researchers learned that when people discard a physical representation of their thoughts, such as a note, they also banish those thoughts from their heads. Why it works: No one ever completely changed their body image by trashing a piece of paper that reads “My thighs are too fat,” but science says it helps. The effect seems to come from labeling thoughts as positive or negative and reacting accordingly by either preserving them or throwing them away. How to do it: Write down one thing you like about yourself. Keep your “like” safe in your pocket, wallet, or purse and take it out now and again to refine it. Also, write down one thing you dislike about yourself. Now, destroy the “dislike” with all the fires of hell! (Just kidding! Shred it and dump it.) Pro tip: doing this digitally doesn’t seem to work as well, so break out a real notepad. 3 Be confident in your goals by writing them down Having confidence in your ability to achieve your goals is a key component to optimism, but you have to start with a clear idea of what those goals are. Organizing your thoughts on paper helps. Why it works: Tasks tend to seem overwhelming until we break them down into simple, step-by-step processes. Writing down your goals makes them feel more attainable. How to do it: Pick a goal that’s both important to you and something you can realistically accomplish within the next two weeks. (“Finish reading a book this week” is doable; “Read the entire Harry Potter series” . . . not so much.) Describe the end goal and each step you’ll take to get there, from purchasing a book to carving out some alone time and actually reading. As you accomplish these two-week victories, you can set larger goals. Soon you’ll be making progress and feeling better about yourself in the process. Credit: Grammarly |
| Education / When And How To Use Brackets by TRWConsult(m): 5:10pm On Sep 29, 2015 |
The most common use of brackets is to enclose explanatory matter that one adds in editing the work of another writer. They indicate that some kind of alteration has been made in the original text. 1. In quoting a passage it is often necessary to insert information that was provided elsewhere in the original text: I don’t care what he [Poe] meant by it, the line sounds great but makes no sense. 2. Sometimes a word in the quotation is archaic or used in a sense that may not be familiar to the intended reader so the editor may wish to provide an explanation in brackets: Paul said he was “let [hindered] hitherto.” In this episode of C.S.I. her character says “Gimme some bling [gaudy jewelery].” 3. Sometimes it’s necessary to change the original capitalization or provide a word in order to make a quotation fit grammatically into the new text: Original: He was an out-spoken old curmudgeon. Quoted form: According to Jones’s biographer, “[h]e was an out-spoken old curmudgeon.” 4. Sometimes brackets are used to enclose the dots that indicate missing words. The usual way to indicate that some words have been left out (an ellipsis) is to mark the spot with three dots (…). Original: It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race Incorporated quotation: According to Ulysses in Tennyson’s poem, “it little profits…an idle king…to…mete and dole unequal laws unto a savage race.” Some (but not all) academic writers would enclose the dots in a quotation in brackets: According to Ulysses in Tennyson’s poem, ” it little profits[…]an idle king[…]to[…]mete and dole unequal laws unto a savage race.” Another use of brackets Brackets can be used in the context of one’s own writing when more than one thing needs to be set apart. For example: Watching a popular actor who usually plays good characters play a villain (like Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition [2002]) has a negative effect on many movie-goers. Credit: DWT 1 Like |
| Education / Top 10 Words Confused In English Beginning With Letter “M” by TRWConsult(m): 4:42pm On Sep 28, 2015 |
My cumulative list of “words commonly confused” continues with ten that begin with the letter M. The confusion relates to spelling or meaning. 1. manner / manor Manner is a way of doing or behaving. Ex. “The waiter has a pleasant and helpful manner.” A manor is a house on an estate. Ex. “Cardinal Thomas Wolsey acquired the 14th Century manor at Hampton Court in 1514.” Until King Henry VIII took it away from him, Wolsey was “lord of the manor.” Ebook authors and celebrity-watchers seem to be especially prone to write the erroneous “lord of the manner.” 2. mantle / mantel A mantle is a cloak. The prophet Elijah designated Elisha as his successor by throwing his mantle over him. A mantel is the ornamental shelf above a fireplace on which people display trophies and knick-knacks. 3. marshal / Marshall In modern English, a marshal is an officer of the U.S. Justice Department or a parade leader. In Old English, a marshal was a servant whose job was to tend the horses. The occupation of marshal is reflected in the surname Marshall, but the double-l spelling is only for the proper name. Marshal also functions as a verb meaning “to arrange or set things in methodical order.” For example, “I’m glad that I wrote my book, because it made me marshal my thoughts.” 4. martial / marital The error here is one of transposed letters. Martial is pronounced like marshal and means warlike. Marital is pronounced with three syllables, MARE-ih-tul, and means “relating to marriage.” The error, when it occurs, is always good for a laugh. Ex. “New York law also has what is known as constructive abandonment which means one spouse refuses to have martial relations for one or more years.”—Divorce lawyer’s site. 5. meter / metre Both words are nouns. A meter is a measuring device, like a gas meter. Metre is a metric unit or a type of rhythm in verse. 6. metal / mettle / meddle Metal is a hard, shiny, malleable material used in the manufacture of tools or artifacts. Mettle derives from the same source as metal and was once used in the same way, but now is used only figuratively to mean the quality of a creature’s disposition. A saucepan is made of metal. To really test their mettle, put presidential candidates in crisis. Note: A mettlesome person or animal is full of spirit. Meddlesome individuals make themselves unpopular by interfering in affairs that do not concern them; they meddle. 7. militate / mitigate Militate is “to wage war.” Its current use is usually figurative, with the sense of “to weigh against.” Ex. “All the facts militate against this policy.” Mitigate is “to make something less severe.” Ex. “Homeowners can mitigate the loss of butterfly habitat by breaking up expanses of grass with forage plants.” 8. morbid / moribund Morbid means “in a diseased state.” Moribund means “in a dying state.” Both words derive from the Latin word for death and are used literally and figuratively. 9. mordant / trenchant Both words are applied to language and humor. Mordant comes from a French verb meaning “to bite” and means “bitingly sarcastic.” Trenchant comes from a French verb meaning “to cut.” A “mordant remark” hurts, whereas a “trenchant remark” enlightens. 10. mucous / mucus Mucus is a noun: “a viscous substance secreted by the mucous cells and glands of animals.” Mucous is an adjective: “of the nature of, resembling, or consisting of mucus.” A mucous gland excretes mucus. Credit: DWT |
| Education / Improve Your Writing With Precise And Meaningful Descriptors [part 3] by TRWConsult(m): 8:52am On Sep 26, 2015 |
I recently met a fellow writer at a party. But she’s not technical writer, a PR pro or corporate communicator. She’s a food critic. I was immediately curious about her approach to writing. As a medical writer, I would be at a complete loss if I had to describe how something tastes. I simply don’t have the command of adjectives and adverbs required for that type of writing. She told me that in her work, she’s very attentive to how the food tastes and how it’s cooked, and she’s very deliberate in how she describes the food. She also said that it helps to have a good thesaurus “so you can look up the 100 other words for ‘succulent.’” The lesson I learned from our conversation is that no matter what you’re writing, you should pay close attention to your descriptors. Are they precise and meaningful? Would someone understand how something tastes based on your description? Below is a list of some precise and meaningful adjectives and adverbs. Consider using these for your next writing assignment. prickly puny purring quarrelsome quirky rabid raspy receptive redolent reclusive repulsive resolute rigid rustic scarce scrawny shallow shaky somber sordid sparse spiteful subdued succinct superficial swift tart tasteless tenacious tepid thundering tiresome unbecoming unkempt unrefined unsightly unsuitable unwieldy vacant vigorous volatile wasteful whimsical wide-eyed wiggly wry yielding youthful zealous zippy Credit: Laura Hale Brockway |
| Education / Improve Your Writing With Precise And Meaningful Descriptors [part 2] by TRWConsult(m): 8:43am On Sep 26, 2015 |
I recently met a fellow writer at a party. But she’s not technical writer, a PR pro or corporate communicator. She’s a food critic. I was immediately curious about her approach to writing. As a medical writer, I would be at a complete loss if I had to describe how something tastes. I simply don’t have the command of adjectives and adverbs required for that type of writing. She told me that in her work, she’s very attentive to how the food tastes and how it’s cooked, and she’s very deliberate in how she describes the food. She also said that it helps to have a good thesaurus “so you can look up the 100 other words for ‘succulent.’” The lesson I learned from our conversation is that no matter what you’re writing, you should pay close attention to your descriptors. Are they precise and meaningful? Would someone understand how something tastes based on your description? Below is a list of some precise and meaningful adjectives and adverbs. Consider using these for your next writing assignment. hollow hulking hypnotic ill-informed immense incandescent inflammatory inquisitive insolent judicious jumpy kindhearted languid lavish ludicrous lyrical maddening makeshift mammoth measly melodic miscreant modest muddled murky narrow neighborly nimble noiseless noxious obedient onerous overconfident overwrought parched petite placid poised Credit: Laura Hale Brockway |
| Education / Improve Your Writing With Precise And Meaningful Descriptors [part 1] by TRWConsult(m): 1:02am On Sep 25, 2015 |
I recently met a fellow writer at a party. But she’s not technical writer, a PR pro or corporate communicator. She’s a food critic. I was immediately curious about her approach to writing. As a medical writer, I would be at a complete loss if I had to describe how something tastes. I simply don’t have the command of adjectives and adverbs required for that type of writing. She told me that in her work, she’s very attentive to how the food tastes and how it’s cooked, and she’s very deliberate in how she describes the food. She also said that it helps to have a good thesaurus “so you can look up the 100 other words for ‘succulent.’” The lesson I learned from our conversation is that no matter what you’re writing, you should pay close attention to your descriptors. Are they precise and meaningful? Would someone understand how something tastes based on your description? Below is a list of some precise and meaningful adjectives and adverbs. Consider using these for your next writing assignment. abrasive abrupt abundant adamant auburn bawdy bewildered bitter boorish cerulean coarse colossal combative constrained contemptible crimson crooked cross dashing deafening deliberate determined diligent distraught draconian elegant enchanting flaky flawless frantic frosty gabby guarded gutsy grave habitual hapless harmonious Credit: Laura Hale Brockway 1 Like |
| Literature / 2 Business Writing Tips From Hemingway by TRWConsult(m): 12:56am On Sep 25, 2015 |
William Faulkner once said about his contemporary, “[Ernest Hemingway] has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” Hemingway scoffed: “Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?” Hemingway was known for writing in short declarative sentences. What can we glean from Papa when it comes to the next organizational announcement or weekly report that has to go out? Business writing, like literature, doesn’t have to be dry. It doesn’t have to full of long, compound sentences in order to be effective or business-like. Nor does it have to be emotionless. Business writing is about convincing, as much as it’s about conveying. Emotion, captured the right way, can be a great ally. Adding just the right amount of emotion—subtly—can give your next report or update to your client more wallop. At work, I write every day. I’m no Hemingway, but here are two ways to add a little more oomph to your next communication: 1. Dramatic opening. A short declarative sentence. One does not have to cite the opening of “Hamlet” to get people’s attention. Still, there is nothing wrong with a little less formality and a bit more decoration. Why should your next weekly update convey emotion? Because you worked all week trying to accomplish something, and your time is valuable. "We have turned the corner. Together, with the help of our sales team, we have made tremendous progress filling the backorders of our top customers this week." 2. Short staccato sentences. Three short sentences at the end of a paragraph. "We discovered that these conversations—between team member and leaders—have taken on a greater meaning for the entire organization. Not only do leaders have a better understanding of the “pulse” of the organization at large, team members are becoming change agents in the process. Team members are being heard. Leaders are listening. ABC is becoming a better organization as a result." That sounds more powerful than a paragraph with four or five longer sentences. The three sentences at the end drive home the point, with more emotion and power behind it. Everyone should find his or her own style. Taking a page from Hemingway’s straightforward style, however, can teach us that less is more. Sometimes less is more interesting, too. Credit: Eric B. Smith |
| Literature / 10 Grammar Mistakes You Should Avoid [part 2] by TRWConsult(m): 5:49pm On Sep 22, 2015 |
Mistake 6: Incorrect use of subject pronouns INCORRECT: The owner was most kind to my wife and I as we toured the grounds. CORRECT : The owner was most kind to my wife and me as we toured the grounds. I is a subject pronoun form. It is correctly used as the subject of a verb. Its object form is me, which is used as the object of a verb or, as in this example, the object of a preposition (to). Not all English pronouns retain an object form. The pronouns that do have subject and object forms are he/him, she/her, we/us,they/them, and who/whom. Mistake 7: Inappropriate use of reflexive pronoun forms INCORRECT: Jack and myself built the company from scratch. CORRECT : Jack and I built the company from scratch. A pronoun that ends in -self or -selves is called a reflexive pronoun. This type of pronoun refers to a noun or personal pronoun that occurs elsewhere in the sentence. For example, “He cut himself shaving.” In this example, himself refers to the same person as the one meant by He. A typical error is to use a reflexive pronoun in place of a personal pronoun: INCORRECT: Thank you for everything you did for myself and my family. CORRECT : Thank you for everything you did for me and my family. Note: A more polite usage is to put me last in the phrase: Thank you for everything you did for my family and me. Mistake 8: Incorrect use of did instead of had in certain “if clauses” One use of the conjunction if is to introduce a clause that states an action that would have changed an outcome. For example, “If I hadn’t missed the train, I would be in London now.” A common error is to usedid instead of had, as in this headline: INCORRECT: [Celebrity] thinks he would be dead now if he didn’t give up alcohol and drugs CORRECT : [Celebrity] thinks he would be dead now if he hadn’t given up alcohol and drugs The person mentioned in the headline actually said (correctly), “I honestly don’t think I’d be alive if I hadn’t stopped drinking.” The tense required is the past perfect (had + past participle). Mistake 9: Incorrect irregular verb forms Most English verbs form the past and past participle by adding -ed to the base form. For example: walk, walked, (has) walked believe, believed, (has) believed jump, jumped, (has) jumped However, a few high-frequency verbs have irregular past forms, for example: run, ran, (has) run go, went, (has) gone come, came, (has) come Errors with irregular verb forms are becoming common in the media and in articles written by university graduates. Such errors are perhaps evidence that elementary school teachers no longer drill their students on the irregular verb forms. Here are typical errors: INCORRECT: Mary loves to read, has ran for office and has an articulate way of telling it like it is.—Biographical note, KZNU. CORRECT : Mary loves to read, has run for office and has an articulate way of telling it like it is. INCORRECT: Deluna-Martinez is alleged to have went into one student’s account and dropped that student’s classes.—News item, KRCR CORRECT : Deluna-Martinez is alleged to have gone into one student’s account and dropped that student’s classes. INCORRECT: Deep Impact could have just so happened to hit one of these cometesimals, while the gas seen before impact might have came from a different region on the comet with different chemistry.—Scientific article, NASA site. CORRECT : Deep Impact could have just so happened to hit one of these cometesimals, while the gas seen before impact might have come from a different region on the comet with different chemistry. Note: A cometesimal is a “mini-comet.” Mistake 10: Omitting that when it is needed after say When there is no intervening conjunction, that may be omitted after the verb say: The witness said she overheard the defendant threaten to burn the man’s house down. However, if a conjunction such as after, although, because, before, in addition to, until, or while intervenes between the verb say and its object, that is needed to avoid ambiguity: INCORRECT: Santana said after he stopped recording, he watched for a few more minutes but never saw anyone perform CPR. CORRECT : Santana said that after he stopped recording, he watched for a few more minutes but never saw anyone perform CPR. Credit: DWT 1 Like |
| Education / 10 Grammar Mistakes You Should Avoid [part 1] by TRWConsult(m): 7:01pm On Sep 21, 2015 |
Mistake 1: Using whom as a subject INCORRECT: Fire personnel radioed deputies to stop the driver, whom, according to reports, appeared to have been under the influence of intoxicants. CORRECT : Fire personnel radioed deputies to stop the driver, who, according to reports, appeared to have been under the influence of intoxicants. In this sentence, the pronoun is the subject of the verb appeared and therefore requires the subject form who. The object form of who is whom, which functions as the object of a verb or as the object of a preposition: That is the man whom I saw at the window. (object of the verb saw) Did he say to whom he sent the letter? (object of the preposition to) The misuse of whom as a subject frequently occurs when a phrase intervenes between the pronoun and its subject. Be especially careful with such expressions as “according to so-and-so,” “in my opinion,” “one suspects,” etc. Less frequently, but more embarrassingly, whom is sometimes substituted for who when little or nothing stands between it and its verb, as in this sentence taken from a news account: “An off-duty fireman whom lives in the area provided immediate assistance.” Mistake 2: Unnecessary would in a wish about the past INCORRECT: Ten Things I Wish I Would Have Known When I Was Twenty CORRECT : Ten Things I Wish I Had Known When I Was Twenty The opportunity for knowing the ten things existed in the past, but exists no longer. The tense required, therefore, is the past perfect (had + past participle). Mistake 3: Dangling modifier INCORRECT: At the age of four, Sam’s family moved from Florida, Missouri, to Hannibal. CORRECT : At the age of four, Sam moved with his family from Florida, Missouri, to Hannibal. Modifiers should be positioned as closely as possible to the element they modify. The modifying phrase “At the age of four” modifies “Sam,” not “Sam’s family.” Mistake 4: Subject-Verb disagreement with delayed subject INCORRECT: There goes Sally and Greg on their way to the movies. CORRECT : There go Sally and Greg on their way to the movies. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. When a sentence begins with here or there, the true subject of the sentence follows the verb. “Sally and Greg” is a plural subject, so the verb go must also be plural: “Sally and Greg go.” Mistake 5: Incorrect use of object pronouns INCORRECT: Me and my brothers all have college degrees in business. CORRECT : My brothers and I all have college degrees in business. Several English pronouns retain different forms that indicate their function in a sentence. Me is an object form. In the example, it is incorrectly used as the subject of the verb have. Other object forms often used incorrectly are him, her, us, them, and whom. Credit: DWT 55 Likes 7 Shares |
| Literature / Re: 51 Words You Should Know How To Pronounce [part 2] by TRWConsult(m): 3:27pm On Sep 18, 2015 |
It is continuation. Please look up the previous part on our timeline. samuel3818: |
| Business / How High Quality Content Will Generate Leads Online by TRWConsult(m): 8:17pm On Sep 17, 2015 |
There are plenty of fancy techniques advertised that claim to generate leads online. Before jumping on the latest trend to get new leads, consider a look at one of the tried-and-true basic techniques: high quality content. The online content that is presented by your company has a direct correlation to the quality of leads that you receive and your online sales conversion rates. Some of the strategies behind high quality content to generate leads online include: Purpose – the content produced should have a specific purpose in mind. This could be generating new leads, introducing a new product, or educating existing customers to build loyalty. A clearly defined marketing purpose will yield a much higher quality of online content. Approach – the style of writing should blend well with your overall company culture. A catering service may have a very lighthearted and friendly approach, while a law firm may choose to be highly professional and knowledgeable in their writing style. Accuracy – quality content writing should be grammatically correct and have no spelling or punctuation errors. Even the smallest error can diminish the overall quality of the content. SEO – through the use of search engine optimization (SEO) your online content can attract qualified leads to your web site. Using SEO properly in your content will make sure that all online channels (social media, web site, forums, banner and PPC advertisements) become effective lead generators. Interest – high quality content will be easy to read while also piquing the interest of the reader. Exciting content that will provoke action is the best possible result for your online business success. To generate leads online consider utilizing a proven method in quality content management. For more information please call us directly on 08188708026 or send mail to mail@trwconsult.com and we will contact you. Thank you. Credit: Ben Seldon |
| Literature / 51 Words You Should Know How To Pronounce [part 2] by TRWConsult(m): 4:05pm On Sep 16, 2015 |
Fred Astaire drew laughs back in the 1930s with his song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" in which the lovers can't agree on the pronunciation of words like either, neither, and tomato. Word of caution: This is written from an American perspective. 26. llinois—As with Arkansas, the final "s" in Illinois is not pronounced. Say /IL-I-NOY/ (and /Ar-kan-saw/, not /il-li-noiz/ or /ar-kan-sas/). NOTE: Some unknowledgeable folks may still be trying to pronounce Arkansas as if it had something to do with Kansas. The pronunciation /ar-kan-zuz/ is waaay off base. 27. interpret—The word has three syllables; don't add one. Say /IN-TER-PRET/, not /in-ter-pre-tate/. 28. incident—Something that happens is an "incident." Don't say "incidence" when you mean a specific event. There is a word "incidence," but it has a different meaning. 29. "irregardless"—See the real word, regardless. 30. jewelry—The word has three syllables. Say /JEW-EL-RY/, not /jew-el-er-y/. The pronunciation /jewl-ry/ is common but not correct, as it removes one syllable from the word. 31. library—Notice where the first r comes in the word. Say /LI-BRAR-Y/, not /li-ber-ry/. 32. medieval—The word has four syllables. The first e may be pronounced either short [med] or long [meed]. Say /MED-EE-EEVAL/ or /MEE-DEE-EEVAL/, not /meed-eval/. 33. miniature—The word has four syllables. Say /MIN-I-A-TURE/, not /min-a-ture/. 34. mischievous—This is the adjectival form of mischief whose meaning is "calamity" or "harm." Mischievous is now associated with harmless pranks, so that the expression "malicious mischief" has been coined as another term for vandalism. Mischievous has three syllables, with the accent on the first syllable: /MIS-CHI-VUS/. Don't say /mis-chee-vee-us/. 35. niche—Though many words of French origin have been anglicized in standard usage, this one cries out to retain a long "e" sound and a /SH/ sound for the che. Say /NEESH/, not /nitch/. 36. orient—This word has three syllables. As a verb it means to place something in its proper position in relation to something else. It comes from a word meaning "east" and originally meant positioning something in relation to the east. Now it is used with a more general meaning. Say /OR-I-ENT/, not /or-i-en-tate/. 37. old-fashioned—This adjective is formed from a past participle: "fashioned." Don't leave off the -ed. Say /OLD-FASHIOND/, not /old-fashion/. 38. picture—There's a k sound in picture. Don't confuse picture with pitcher. Say /PIK-TURE/, not /pitch-er/. Pitcher is a different word. A pitcher is a serving vessel with a handle, or a player who throws a baseball. 39. precipitation—This is a noun that refers to rain, sleet or snow or anything else that normally falls from the sky. As with prescription (below), the prefix is PRE-. Say /PRE-CIP-I-TA-TION/, not /per-cip-i-ta-tion/. 40. prescription—Note the prefix PRE- in this word. Say /PRE-SCRIP-TION/, not /per- scrip-tion/ or /pro-scrip-tion/. 41. preventive—The word has three syllables. A common fault is to add a syllable. Say PRE-VEN-TIVE/, not /pre-ven-ta-tive. 42. pronunciation—This word is a noun. It comes from the verb pronounce, but it is not pronounced like the verb. Say /PRO- NUN-CI-A-TION/, not /pro-nounce-i-a-tion/. 43. prostate—This word for a male gland is often mispronounced. There is an adjective prostrate which means to be stretched out face down on the ground. When speaking of the gland, however, say /PROS-TATE/, not /pros-trate/. 44. realtor—The word has three syllables. Say /RE-AL-TOR/, not /re-a-la-tor/. It refers to a member of the National Association of Realtors, not simply a real estate agent. 45. regardless—The word has three syllables. Please don't add an ir- to make it into the abomination "irregardless". 46. sherbet—The word has only one r in it. Say /SHER-BET/ not /sher-bert/. 47. spayed—This is a one-syllable word, the past participle form of the verb to spay, meaning to remove the ovaries from an animal. Like the verb drown (above) the verb spay does not have a d in its infinitive form. Don't add one to the past participle. Say /SPADE/, not /spay-ded/. 48. ticklish—The word has two syllables. Say /TIK-LISH/, not /tik-i-lish/. 49. tract—Religious evangelists often hand out long printed statements of belief called "tracts." That's one kind of "tract." Houses are built on "tracts." Then there's the word "track." Athletes run on "tracks." Animals leave "tracks." Don't say /TRAKT/ when you mean /TRAK/, and vice versa. 50. vehicle—Although there is an h in the word, to pronounce it is to sound hicky. Say /VEE-IKL/, not /vee-Hikl/. 51. wintry—Here's another weather word often mispronounced, even by meteorologists. The word has two syllables. Say /WIN-TRY/, not /win-ter-y/. Got any to add to the list? Credit: PR Daily 1 Like |
| Education / 51 Words You Should Know How To Pronounce [part 1] by TRWConsult(m): 3:38pm On Sep 15, 2015 |
Fred Astaire drew laughs back in the 1930s with his song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" in which the lovers can't agree on the pronunciation of words like either, neither, and tomato. Word of caution: This is written from an American perspective. Here are 50 frequently mispronounced words. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it provides a good start: 1. aegis—The ae in this word is pronounced /ee/. Say EE-JIS/, not /ay-jis/. In mythology the "aegis" is associated especially with the goddess Athene. It is her shield with the Gorgon's head on it. 2. anyway—The problem with this word is not so much pronunciation as the addition of an unnecessary sound. Don't add an s to make it "anyways." The word is ANYWAY. 3. archipelago—Because the word is from Greek, the ch is pronounced with a /k/ sound. Say /AR-KI-PEL-A-GO/, not /arch-i-pel-a-go/. 4. arctic—Note the c after the r. Say /ARK-TIK/, not /ar-tik/. 5. accessory—the first c has a "hard" sound. Say /AK-SESS-OR-Y/, not /ass-ess-or-y/. 6. ask—The s comes before the k. Say /ASK/ not /aks/. 7. asterisk—Notice the second s. Say /AS-TER-ISK/, not /as-ter-ik/. 8. athlete—The word has two syllables, not three. Say /ATH-LETE/, not /ath-uh-lete/. 9. barbed wire—Notice the ar in the first syllable. Say /BARBD/, not /bob/. 10. cache—The word is of French origin, but it does not end with an accented syllable, as cachet does. A cache is a hiding place or something that is being hidden: a cache of supplies; a cache of money; a cache of drugs. Say /KASH/, not /ka-shay/. 11. candidate—Notice the first d. Say /KAN-DI-DATE/, not /kan-i-date/. 12. cavalry—This word refers to troops that fight on horseback. Say /KAV-UL-RY/, not /kal-vuh-ry/. NOTE: Calvary refers the place where Jesus was crucified, and it is pronounced /kal-vuh-ry/.) 13. chaos—The spelling ch can represent three different sounds in English: /tch/ as in church, /k/ as in Christmas, and /sh/ as in chef. The first sound is heard in words of English origin and is the most common. The second sound of ch, /k/, is heard in words of Greek origin. The third and least common of the three ch sounds is heard in words adopted from modern French. Chaos is a Greek word. Say /KAY-OS/, not /tchay-os/. 14. clothes—Notice the th spelling and sound. Say /KLOTHZ/, not /kloz/. 15. daïs—A daïs is a raised platform. The pronunciation fault is to reverse the vowel sounds. The word is often misspelled as well as mispronounced. Say /DAY-IS/ not /dī-is/. 16. dilate—The word has two syllables, not three. Say /DI-LATE/, not /di-a-late/. 17. drowned—This is the past participle form of the verb drown. Notice that there is no final d on drown. Don't add one when using the word in its past form. Say /DROWND/, not /drown-ded/. 18. et cetera—This Latin term is often mispronounced, and its abbreviation is frequently misspelled. Say /ET CET-ER-A/, not /ex cet-er-a/. For the abbreviation, write etc., not ect. 19. February—Just about everyone I know drops the first r in February. The spelling calls for /FEB-ROO-AR-Y/, not /feb-u-ar-y/. 20. foliage—The word has three syllables. Say /FO-LI-UJ/, not /fol-uj/. 21. forte—English has two words spelled this way. One comes from Italian and the other from French. The Italian word, a musical term meaning "loud," is pronounced with two syllables: /FOR-TAY/. The French word, an adjective meaning "strength" or "strong point," is pronounced with one syllable: /FORT/. 22. Halloween—The word for the holiday Americans celebrate with such enthusiasm on Oct. 31 derives from "Hallowed Evening," meaning "evening that has been made holy." The word "hallow" comes from Old English halig, meaning "holy." Notice the a in the first syllable and say /HAL-O-WEEN/, not /hol-lo-ween/. 23. height—The word ends in a /T/ sound, not a /TH/ sound. Say /HITE/, not /hith/. 24. heinous—People unfamiliar with the TV show Law and Order: S.V.U. may not know that heinous has two syllables. (The show begins with this sentence: "In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous."  Say /HAY-NUS/, not /heen-i-us/.25. hierarchy—The word has four syllables. Say /HI -ER-AR-KY,/ not /hi-ar-ky/. Credit: PR Daily 1 Like 1 Share |
| Literature / 6 Must-know Foreign Terms Frequently Used In English by TRWConsult(m): 9:27pm On Sep 14, 2015 |
Foreign expressions represent an integral part of the English language (and of other languages). Knowing the meaning and proper usage of the most prevalent foreign terms will help you understand passages that include them. You might also need or want to use those expressions in particular situations. (Avoid using them just to sound smart, though.) Here are six foreign terms commonly used in English: 1. De facto This Latin expression 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). "And what of the plastic red bench, which has served as his de facto home for the last 15 years and must by now be a collector's item?" (NY Times) 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." "It's going to be a huge catalyst in moving the whole process forward and it really strengthens the U.S. position vis-a-vis our trading partners." (Yahoo News) 3. Status quo This famous Latin expression means "the current or existing state of affairs." If something changes the status quo, it is alters the way things have been to that point. "Bush believes that the status quo—the presence in a sovereign country of a militant group with missiles capable of hitting a U.S. ally—is unacceptable." (Washington Post) Download this free white paper to discover 10 ways to improve your writing today. 4. Cul-de-sac This term was originated in England by French-speaking aristocrats. Literally it means "bottom of a sack," but generally it refers to a dead-end street, especially one with a rounded terminus for ease of turning around. Cul-de-sac can also be used metaphorically to express an impasse or to an action that leads nowhere. "A cul-de-sac of poverty" (The Economist) "But the code of omertà was in effect for two carloads of fans circling the cul-de-sac to have a look at the house." (Reuters.com) (Bonus word: The term omertà means a code of silence, often used by or in connection with the Mafia.) 5. Per se This Latin expression means "by itself" or "intrinsically." "The mistake it made with the Xbox is that there is no game console market per se; there are PlayStation, GameCube, and Xbox markets." (PCMag.com) 6. Ad hoc Borrowed from the Latin, this can be used as an adjective, meaning "formed or created with a specific purpose," or as an adverb, meaning "for the specific purpose or situation." "The World Bank's board on Friday ordered an ad hoc group to discuss the fate of President Paul Wolfowitz." (CNN) Credit: PR Daily 2 Likes |
| Literature / The 10 Commandments Of Grammar Lovers [part 2] by TRWConsult(m): 2:28pm On Sep 11, 2015 |
Grammar gets a bad rap even without the help of the vigilantes who use it to take the moral high ground. So when a few haters decide to reduce learners, those who make grammatical mistakes, and even old-school grammar pedants to lifeless sea scum, it doesn’t do grammar any favours. It only means true and noble grammarians need to work harder to destigmatize the institution. So, if you truly adore the conventions that structure and shed light on the English language, give some thought to what we think are the guiding principles to a society where everyone understands each other easily and clearly. After all, that’s the point of good grammar. Make grammar love, not war! 6. Thou shalt not worship false grammar gods. If someone brags about the way they corrected a shopkeeper’s grammatically incorrect sign with a Sharpie or humiliated a public speaker for their poor use of language, stand up to them—don’t side with them. By condoning this kind of behaviour we’re supporting and encouraging it. 7. Thou shalt not commit grammar schadenfreude. Don’t revel in another person’s grammatical mistakes or wait with bated breath to break someone down the second they slip up and insert a ‘me’ where an ‘I’ should have gone. Taking pleasure in other people’s misfortune is only an indication of your own insecurity. 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against grammar pedants. They’re people too! Talking smack about a purist is as problematic as their penchant for unnecessarily crossing other people’s t’s. Respect their religion and encourage them to respect yours. 9. Thou shalt give people the benefit of the doubt. Even the most brilliant grammatical minds have a mental fart every now and then—that is, a lapse in concentration that results in an error. It will happen to you, and that’s why you shouldn’t venomously censure or harshly judge people when it happens to them. After all, you’ll likely be in their shoes at one time or another. Not to mention, it’s not their intent to blow the English language to smithereens, so try not to act as if they’ve channelled Guy Fawkes. 10. Thou shalt not repress your urge to make the world more grammatically correct. Just because there’s a time and place for your grammatical two cents and a certain way to best deliver it doesn’t mean you should shy away from expressing it. Shout it from the rooftops! Just make sure you’re doing it in a positive, considerate way that illuminates, not chastises or derides. Help spread the grammar love. Stephanie Katz |
| Literature / The 10 Commandments Of Grammar Lovers [part 1] by TRWConsult(m): 7:36pm On Sep 10, 2015 |
Grammar gets a bad rap even without the help of the vigilantes who use it to take the moral high ground. So when a few haters decide to reduce learners, those who make grammatical mistakes, and even old-school grammar pedants to lifeless sea scum, it doesn’t do grammar any favours. It only means true and noble grammarians need to work harder to destigmatize the institution. So, if you truly adore the conventions that structure and shed light on the English language, give some thought to what we think are the guiding principles to a society where everyone understands each other easily and clearly. After all, that’s the point of good grammar. Make grammar love, not war! 1. Thou shalt not take the name of grammar for vanity. Grammar is not a mechanism for one-upmanship, nor is it a device that devalues one person’s existence while causing another’s to appreciate. All are equal in the eyes of grammar. 2. Thou shalt remember National Grammar Day (4 March) and keep it holy. Grammar is the bedrock of communication, and if we want to continue understanding each other, it’s essential we celebrate its existence and advocate its importance. And if that’s not reason enough, we’ll remind you once more that punctuation saves lives. 3. Thou shalt honour the fact that grammar is not static. The rules that govern language constantly change and are growing more and more situational as the way we use language expands. It’s key to acknowledge that grammatical correctness is not so much a case of right or wrong as it is contingent on context. Push yourself to think in gray before you settle for black and white. 4. Thou shalt not murder a learner’s passion for grammar by belittling them. Rather, respect their curiosity and be compassionate. Mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process. If you point out a correction, do it kindly and in a way that will motivate learners to embrace grammar—not turn their backs on it. 5. Thou shalt not steal another person’s confidence by inappropriately correcting their grammar. There are certainly contexts where giving grammatical advice is warranted (during grammar discussions or when helping someone with a piece of writing, for example). But otherwise, calling out a wrongful verb conjugation or misused word in a situation that isn’t language-centric or language-dependent is about as welcome as an insurance salesperson’s call during dinner. If you truly feel the need to have a grammar intervention with someone, think long and hard about the most tactful and most productive way to do so. Help spread the grammar love. Stephanie Katz |
| Literature / 25 Homophones That Most Spell-checkers Won’t Catch [part 2] by TRWConsult(m): 5:48pm On Sep 09, 2015 |
Spell-checkers have come a long way since a West Coast beach boy with an FBI record invented the first prototype at MIT in the 1960s. Nowadays, the technology is not only ubiquitous in all word processors, quietly creating more error-free writing around the world, it also exists online, where it can point out mistakes in real time while we write emails or post on social media. But while spell-checkers’ ability to catch slipups and understand context has evolved tremendously, most of these programs still struggle to identify homophones, those pesky words that sound the same but carry different meanings and, often, different spellings. Ensure/Insure It seems strange that in order to ensure my son can receive medical treatment, I need to insure him with the healthcare company on the day of his birth. Every day/Everyday Just because the office attire is everyday wear doesn’t mean you should wear the same clothes every day. Formerly/Formally Formerly a Buddhist monk clothed only in a tunic, he was confused by the need to dress formally, in a shirt and tie, for work. Guerilla/Gorilla The paramilitary forces had a new tactic; they were going to use actual gorillas as foot soldiers in their guerilla warfare. Led/Lead, He led them through the dangerous forest of giant spiders with only a headlamp and a lead pipe. As the lead scout, he needed to be brave and fearless even though he felt incredibly frightened. One/Won She won the costumed thumb war competition by one measly point. Pedal/Peddle If you want to peddle stolen goods to innocent people, you’d better be prepared to pedal your bike as fast as you can away from the town when you’re done. Pore/Pour If you pore over your schoolbooks with the same discipline that you apply to gaming, I won’t be forced to pour this macaroni over your head. Premier/Premiere The premier of Switzerland eagerly awaited the premiere of the new production of the Sound of Music. The woman cast as Maria was the country’s premier actress. Principle/Principal School principals should be people of principle. Their behavior and attitude should, in principle, be an example to all students. Reign/Rein Take the reins and lead the horse as if you’re ruling a kingdom and your reign has lasted five decades. Weather/Whether Who cares about the weather? We’re going to have a good time regardless of whether it’s raining, snowing, or glowing. Credit: Grammerly 1 Like |
| Literature / 25 Homophones That Most Spell-checkers Won’t Catch [part 1] by TRWConsult(m): 4:07pm On Sep 08, 2015 |
Spell-checkers have come a long way since a West Coast beach boy with an FBI record invented the first prototype at MIT in the 1960s. Nowadays, the technology is not only ubiquitous in all word processors, quietly creating more error-free writing around the world, it also exists online, where it can point out mistakes in real time while we write emails or post on social media. But while spell-checkers’ ability to catch slipups and understand context has evolved tremendously, most of these programs still struggle to identify homophones, those pesky words that sound the same but carry different meanings and, often, different spellings. A while/Awhile It had been a while since the long-lost lovers had seen each other, but their passion was still so true they didn’t mind waiting awhile for their fast-approaching reunion. Accept/Except Everyone except Christopher, who has already discovered the truth, needs to accept the fact that the world is not flat. Affect/Effect The technicians didn’t realize that the special effect that creepily breathed down viewers necks would affect audience members so deeply. People ran out of the theater screaming. Aide/Aid The teacher’s aide was the first to arrive at school that day. So when the tornado hit, she gave as much aid to the kids as possible. Aloud/Allowed After breaking the television set he wasn’t allowed to touch, Bart had to repeat this phrase aloud 1,000 times: I will not replace the television dials with marshmallows. Anytime/Any time Call anytime! Actually, scratch that. Call me at any time after 5:00 p.m. Bizarre/Bazaar The strange, old-fashioned bazaar featured a freak show made up of bizarre and mysterious people. Capital/Capitol The protesters left their own state capitals to converge on the Capitol building in Washington, DC, and rally for their cause. Cite/Site/Sight The site of the excavation came into sight as they emerged from the tunnel. If the bones were in fact dinosaur bones, then scientists would need to cite the analysis taken from this discovery in every paleontology research paper for the next hundred years. Compliment/Complement The winemaker received compliment after compliment for her incredible pairing. Each selected dish seemed the perfect complement to the chosen vintages. Conscience/Conscious My conscience plagues me most when I’m sleeping. Then, when I wake up, I become conscious of the guilt I’m feeling for my actions. Desert/Dessert If only this hot, sandy desert was made of dessert. Then I could simply eat my way out of it. Elude/Allude If you’re going to allude to your diamond heist so casually in conversation, you should prepare to elude the authorities, who will most likely find out about the theft. Credit: Grammerly |
| Literature / 5 Idioms And Their Fascinating Origins by TRWConsult(m): 4:42pm On Sep 07, 2015 |
Happy as a clam The key to understanding the expression happy as a clam lies in their habitat. Clams live in both freshwater and saltwater habitats. They spend most of their time burrowed under the sand or mud. At low tide, it’s relatively easy to dig clams from their hiding places. When the water is high, it’s more difficult to find them. Therefore, clams are “happiest” when they’re least likely to be dug up and turned into a pasta dish. In fact, the full expression, published in an 1841 edition of Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, was “happy as a clam at high tide.” A dead ringer If you saw a dead ringer for Brad Pitt at the mall, how would you react? Don’t run over for an autograph. A dead ringer is a person who closely resembles someone else—so a dead ringer for Brad Pitt is a lookalike, not the genuine article. How did this expression get its start? Well, ringer is a horse racing term. Bookies took bets on whether horses would win or lose a race based on their reputation. By replacing a frequent winner with a slower stand-in, the owners of the horses could defraud the bettors. In time, the term ringer came to represent anything closely resembling something else. Bite the bullet Though no source seems perfectly certain about the origin of this idiom, the consensus points to wartime medical treatment. Before anesthesia was invented, surgery was performed on conscious victims. An amputation or a removal of a bullet from the body caused extreme pain for the patient. To ease the discomfort as much as possible, patients would drink whiskey and bite down on a lead bullet. Though this did not diminish the pain much, it did cut down on screaming and gave patients something to do while the surgeon did his cutting. Why bullets? For one thing, they were readily available. For another, they were made of lead, a soft metal that was unlikely to break the patient’s teeth. Now, English speakers bite the proverbial bullet whenever they confront an undesirable situation but press on and endure it. Heard it through the grapevine Grapevines have tendrils that dangle in coils, entwined with other grapevines in a large network. Therefore, spreading gossip through a network of individuals, person to person, was using the grapevine telegraph. Although the telegraph is virtually extinct as a means of popular communication, the gossip grapevine is as alive and well as it ever was. Kick the bucket This idiom is quite old. It appears in Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, published in 1785. Kick the bucket means to die. If you have ever literally kicked a bucket and survived, you may wonder how this expression became associated with death. One explanation, though not supported by much evidence, seems plausible. To commit suicide, a person who stood on a bucket while wearing a noose could then kick the bucket away in order to fall and die. Consider another theory. In the sixteenth century, a bucket referred to a wooden yoke used to carry objects. In particular, dying pigs were suspended from buckets, or beams, when they were to be slaughtered. The expression could come from their kicking and squealing attempts to escape death. If that explanation doesn’t seem to hold water, perhaps finding more evidence is a task for your bucket list! Credit: Grammerly |
| Literature / What Are Some Interesting Facts About Literature? by TRWConsult(m): 5:41pm On Sep 04, 2015 |
Well, let's think of a few... 1. Finnegan's Wake, the novel by James Joyce has never been adequately interpreted. In other words, nobody can agree on what the novel is about! 2. Ernest Hemingway was dared to write the shortest novel possible. It has six words and goes like this: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn" 3. The shortest story ever told was written by a Guatemalan author, Augusto Monterroso. "Cuando despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba ahí." (Translated: "Upon waking, the dinosaur still lingered there." 4. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, used to have a downer ending. A friend of the author advised him to make it a happy ending in order to please more readers. It worked! That's the novel we all read today. 5. Cervantes wrote Don Quixote as two books. He had only written one, and a copycat "fanfic" sequel emerged. To get back at the fake author for stealing his idea, Cervantes resolved to write the second book, ten years after the first one was published. You might notice the tone of the second is more serious and philosophical than the farcial first book... 6. Michel Dansel, a French author who hated verbs, wrote Le Train de Nulle Part (The Train from Nowhere) which is a FULL novel with no verbs! 7. Goethe's novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" fueled one of the earliest manifestations of copycat suicides. Like the dejected lover, many young men not only wore the same clothes, but also shot themselves to escape their sorrow. 8. Daisy Ashford, an English author, wrote her first novel, Mr. Salteena's Plan, at age 9. She lost the whole manuscript, but rediscovered it when she was 36. She edited out the spelling mistakes and published a book that became quite a success. With a foreword by JM Barrie! 9. Speaking of which, JM Barrie "invented" the name "Wendy" for the story of Peter Pan. (It's actually short for Gwendolyn) 10. The Bible is the world's best-seller. Followed by Cervantes' Don Quixote. Credit: Quora |
| Literature / 9 Things Great Writers Do Every Day [part 2] by TRWConsult(m): 8:08pm On Sep 03, 2015 |
9 Things Great Writers Do Every Day [Part 2] Written by Neil Patel | @neilpatel You’re a writer, a content creator. People expect you to churn out really good, really engaging, and really awesome content. What they don’t realize is that it takes some serious effort to create great stuff. That article that is so easy for them to read is actually really difficult for you to write. Thankfully, through the sheer power of habits, you can get to the point where creating awesome content comes naturally. Habits have the uncanny ability to stick with you. They’re a pain to implement, but they flow effortlessly after that. In the interest of making your tough job a little bit easier, here are a few daily habits that will make your content much better. Remember, these are daily habits. Skip the weekend if you want, but be sure to put these into practice during the days that you’re expected to produce content. 6) Force yourself to talk to someone. Talking is different from writing. But talking can help you become a better writer, too. If you want to write better, then talk better. You can’t improve your talking skills by staying silent all day. If you work by yourself, call up a friend. If you work in an office, shoot the breeze over lunch or coffee. Just pick someone, and be conversational. Using your writing skills to some verbal interchange will actually help your writing become better. 7) Go for a walk. Science has proven that taking a walk helps us think better. Some even say that it makes us smarter. Let’s face it. Writing is a mental challenge. You must be in keen mental shape to be able to produce the kind of stuff that you’re producing. So, if you want to sharpen your mind, then get out of your chair, head for the door, and don’t come back for at least 10 minutes. This isn't a brainstorming walk. You don’t have to think about anything, let alone your subject matter. Instead, you just move your body, and your mind will take care of the rest.  Write fast.It may sound strange, but some of my best content is stuff that I wrote really fast. Obviously, it had tons of typos and grammar errors, but overall, the content itself was pretty darn good. I’ve recently discovered the reason for this. The mind can generate thoughts way faster than the hands can type them. If, however, you’re able to type faster, you're able to transcribe more of those thoughts, along with extra nuance and clarity. Your fingers will never be able to match the speed at which you think, but when you do produce content rapidly, it has a much better chance of aligning with what you’re thinking. I’ve met people who say “Oh I can’t write. It just comes so slow!” Actually, I bet they could write, if only they type it out faster. You don’t have to turn on your supersonic speed all the time, but it’s helpful to get in the habit of writing fast. Write fast. Edit slow. 9) Google any grammar questions. An important part of writing is the mechanical stuff -- making sure you’re not breaking any grammar laws or violating any rules. (A few well-intentioned rule breaking is okay, but if you’re being sloppy, that’s just bad form.) If you come up against a grammar issue while you’re writing, do a quick Google search on it. It will only take a few minutes, but you’ll definitely learn something and possibly avoid an embarrassing mistake. Get into the habit of double-checking your grammar, even if you’re only slightly suspicious of your potential mistake. Conclusion Stay positive. Nobody becomes a better writer automatically. It takes months, even years, to form habits. But once those habits are in place, things can flow without any thought and hardly any effort. Before you know it, your writing is improving exponentially. What things do you do to become a better writer? |
| Literature / 9 Things Great Writers Do Every Day [part 1] by TRWConsult(m): 4:12pm On Sep 02, 2015 |
9 Things Great Writers Do Every Day [Part 1] Written by Neil Patel | @neilpatel You’re a writer, a content creator. People expect you to churn out really good, really engaging, and really awesome content. What they don’t realize is that it takes some serious effort to create great stuff. That article that is so easy for them to read is actually really difficult for you to write. Thankfully, through the sheer power of habits, you can get to the point where creating awesome content comes naturally. Habits have the uncanny ability to stick with you. They’re a pain to implement, but they flow effortlessly after that. In the interest of making your tough job a little bit easier, here are a few daily habits that will make your content much better. Remember, these are daily habits. Skip the weekend if you want, but be sure to put these into practice during the days that you’re expected to produce content. 1) Read something really well written. The next few tips have to do with reading. One of the best ways to become a better writer is to read what others have written. You’re not going to become a solid professional writer if you spend all day reading low-quality content. But if you spend more of your day reading professional-grade content, then you will improve. The tough thing is, you have to be discerning to find the really good stuff online. To start, here’s a list of places where the content quality stays high: • Harvard Business Review • New York Times Slate Don’t be afraid to pay for top-tier content. There’s a reason it costs money, and it’s often well worth it. 2) Read something funny. Reading humour can help shake up your brain in ways that loosen up the creative portions and help you produce better content. If you need to get your fix of Buzzfeed or The Oatmeal, go ahead. Don’t feel guilty about it. Sometimes, the best few minutes of your day are spent laughing. You’ll enjoy a lot of benefits besides just the kick you got out of the hilarious content. You’ll enjoy the benefit of writing better content yourself. Your content may not be funny, but it will be good. 3) Read something outside of your niche. If you want to get better, read broader. Reading other stuff -- really different stuff -- has a way of cross-pollinating your own writing specialty. For example, maybe you write about conversion rate optimization all day. If that’s the case, then take a few minutes to read a blog about yoga. Yoga?! Why? Because the style, approach, and nature of content that is outside your niche can help you within your niche. Good writing, regardless of what it’s about, will help you become a better writer. 4) Read something you wrote in the past. Great orators spend hours watching their speeches. Professional athletes analyze videos of their moves. Politicians watch themselves on TV. You’re a writer, so you should read content that you wrote in the past. The goal of reading past content is not to edit it. It’s too late for that. Instead, you want to learn from it. What was good about it? What things do you write best about? What wasn’t so good? What sounds awkward? Ask yourself those questions and spend a few minutes getting a better understanding of how you’re doing as a writer. 5) Write for at least 30 minutes. The most powerful tip in this whole list is right here: Write for at least 30 minutes every workday. (Skip the weekends; you deserve the break.) To become a better writer, you have to write. A lot. Every day. There’s no way to improve without actually doing it. When you get into the habit of writing on a daily basis, your brain begins to anticipate it and prepare for it. This is especially true if you write at the same time each day. Way before you put hands to the keyboard, the brain’s juices are flowing, allowing you to be more creative, more precise, and more skillful during your writing time. Every 30 minutes that you spend writing is 30 minutes that you’re getting better. Progress may not be huge, but at least it’s progress. 4 Likes 1 Share |
| Education / How To Start Writing When You Don’t Feel Like It by TRWConsult(m): 7:38pm On Sep 01, 2015 |
As a professional editor and copywriter, my biggest problem with clients is not that I get poorly written material from them. Oh no, not by a long shot. My biggest problem is I don’t get anything from them at all. I don’t mind the grammar or spelling or punctuation mistakes that my clients make. I just want them to write something. They’re the experts on the subject, not me. My job is to edit and rewrite. But as long as their wisdom is bottled up in their heads, I can’t do my job. If you care about something, you can probably talk about it, if you can talk at all. The strong silent types might need a little extra help. But the rest of us just need to prime the pump, to get the words flowing and the wisdom pouring. If your hours in the English classroom has left you with a chronic writer’s block (a problem which is almost epidemic), then learn to write differently. When writing is hard for you, how can you get started? Write about what you care about, and write to someone who cares. If you have to write about your business but can’t get started, pretend your husband wants to know what you do for a living. Write an email or write a letter to him. If you’re writing a paper for school, imagine that your teacher is really interested in reading every word you write. Too much to imagine? Pretend that you’re writing an article for your favourite magazine. Or pretend you’re writing to your grandmother or your best friend or your long-lost childhood friend. If you can’t find someone who cares about what you have to say, imagine someone who does care. For example, I care. Don’t you feel better already? If the thought of writing an email or letter still makes your words bottle up, make a phone call. Leave a long answering machine message for yourself, and then type up what you said. Call a friend and have them take notes while you talk. Anything to let the words loose. You may not be impressed with what comes out. But the sooner you get your wisdom out of your head and into your fingers or onto paper, the sooner you can make it better. You stand no chance of improvement until you start. Culled from Daily Writing Tips |
| Education / Words In English That Begin With ‘KN’ by TRWConsult(m): 11:25pm On Aug 31, 2015 |
A teaching site offers this rule for dealing with “silent k”: “k is often silent before n.” An easier way to retain this information is to forget about “silent k” altogether. In a word like knot, k is not “a silent letter” at all, but part of the distinct phonogram ‘kn’. The symbol ‘kn’ is just another way to spell the sound /n/. The spelling kn in a word like knave evolved from the Old English spelling cn, in which the “c” represented a guttural sound similar to the sound /k/. For example, the OE words from which our words knight, knot, and knave have evolved were spelled cniht, cnotta, and cnafa and pronounced with a hard first sound. The guttural sound eventually dropped out, leaving only the /n/ sound, but the old spelling has survived in ‘kn’. Here are some familiar ‘kn’ words. knapsack knave knead knee kneel knell know knickknack knife knight knit knob knock knoll knotgrass knothole knowledge knuckle Here are some more kn words that may not be as familiar: knacker (noun): One whose trade it is to buy worn out, diseased, or useless horses, and slaughter them for their hides and hoofs, and for making dog’s-meat. Ex. “Jones will sell you to the knacker, who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds.” (Animal Farm, George Orwell) knackered (adjective): exhausted. “After shopping with Mum, we were knackered.” knickerbockers (noun): loose-fitting breeches, gathered in at the knee, and worn by boys, sportsmen, and others who require a freer use of their limbs. Ex. “The child…was dressed in knickerbockers, with red stockings.” (Daisy Miller, Henry James) knickers (noun): underpants worn by women and children. The word is a back-formation of knickerbockers. It’s commonly heard in the idiom, “to get one’s knickers in a twist” (i.e., “become upset”). knackwurst (noun): a type of German sausage. Also spelled knockwurst. knout (noun): a kind of whip or scourge, very severe and often fatal in its effects. Ex. “The knout along with the gulag are Russia’s enduring shrines of torment.” knurl (noun): a small protuberance, excrescence, or knob. knurled (adjective): having knurls wrought on the edge or surface. Knurling is a process of impressing a diamond-shaped or straight-line pattern into the surface of a work piece by using specially shaped hardened metal wheels. Ex. “Walnut Knurled Guitar Knob.” “Solid walnut knurled legs on table and chairs.” Two foreign borrowings, Knesset and knish, do not belong to the category of words spelled with the phonogram kn. They are spelled with the phonogram k; the sound /k/ is pronounced at the beginning of these words. Knesset (noun): The parliament of the State of Israel. The word derives from a Hebrew word meaning “a gathering.” Ex. “On July 11, 1995 this problem was raised for discussion in the Knesset finance committee.” knish (noun): A dumpling of flaky dough filled with chopped liver, potato, or cheese, and baked or fried. The word comes from a Yiddish word derived from a Russian word meaning “a kind of cake.” Ex. “Gabila’s Knishes: Home of the Coney Island Square Knish.” Credit: DWT |
| Literature / From Memory And By Heart by TRWConsult(m): 12:37pm On Aug 28, 2015 |
The more common idiom for doing something that is recalled and not seen is to do it “from memory.” From is more appropriate than by in this idiom because memory may be regarded as a receptacle and not as an agent. For example: Painting from memory can be just as productive as painting from sight. If you’ve ever repeated a rhyming poem from memory in front of an audience, you’ve given a recitation. Pewsey clergyman Canon Gerald Osborne is to perform a remarkable feat of faith and memory by reciting in public the whole of Mark’s Gospel from memory. George Doi, a nisei, reconstructed the map from memory in March 1993. The process of committing something to memory for later recall is “to learn it by heart.” Learning texts by heart once held a more valued place in the elementary and high school curriculum than it does now. When I was a child, school children were encouraged to memorize poems like Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride” and speeches like Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” In her 90s, my mother could still recite poems she learned as a child in the Chicago public schools. Visiting a family in France one summer, I was treated to the experience of hearing members of three generations recite a tale of Fontaine—in unison and with great mutual pride. Poems learned “by heart” in childhood enrich the rest of life. Here are some examples of the idiom “by heart”: Learning poetry by heart ignites the imagination—Andrew Motion. Miss Allan encouraged us to learn poetry by heart, for which I am everlastingly grateful now that I am registered as blind and still have memories of some of the loveliest poems ever written. In Poems to Learn by Heart, Kennedy stresses the importance of memorizing poetry and presents a collection of poems that she believes everyone should internalize. [David Cameron] said his youngest daughter Florence was so obsessed with the movie [Frozen] that he found he’d learned it off by heart. Note: Learning “by heart” is not the same thing as learning “by rote.” Rote learning is more or less mindless. Learning a poem one neither likes nor understands for the sake of reciting it one time for a grade is a pointless exercise. Learning a poem or a speech “by heart,” on the other hand, is a process that engages the mind and the emotions. Bottom line: We recite from memory what we have learned by heart. Credit: DWT |
| Literature / Writing: QED, How To Keep Readers Reading Your Fiction by TRWConsult(m): 12:23pm On Aug 28, 2015 |
Writing good fiction is about maintaining forward thrust. It's your job to propel the reader through your story without having them feel they are wading through your writing. In fact, your ultimate aim is somehow to make the reader feel they're not actually reading at all. It's what I call transparency - the idea that there is nothing between your reader's mind and your story - nothing as ugly as the text getting in the way! Q.E.D. is a little acronym you might want to use to help you remember that you need to create compelling fiction on every page of your stories. Q.E.D. stands for: Question Empathy Drama Questions encourage people to look for answers. When readers read fiction they are asking themselves a series of questions about your characters and about your story. Only when you satisfy your reader by feeding questions and later-on providing answers will the reader feel entertained. At the beginning of each new page, ask yourself, What question am I going to place in the reader's mind? You must have one – because it’s what will make the reader keep reading. Without constantly stoking curiosity, a reader will simply get bored and not read on. Empathy is crucial too. Not only is it important that you create empathy for your characters early on, you also need to keep reinforcing it as you go along. Hopefully, the actions that your characters make will take care of some of this. But you should be aware that if you feel your characters slipping away from you, it’s probably because you’re not keeping them human enough to be compelling. A reader’s total empathy with a character can be powerful. The ability to maintain character empathy is the hallmark of all good fiction writers. To create a hero that is credible and popular is the goal of most leading authors. Because once you’ve done that, you can take your readers almost anywhere with them. When it’s done well, the reader is totally in your thrall and will trust you to take them further, on the adventure that is your novel, or series of novels. Use empathy-construction consciously. (See the above course for more instruction on creating empathy.) Readers rarely spot that you’re doing it deliberately. They only know what they like and that is, for the time they are reading, they like being your lead character. Lastly, D is for Drama. It’s important that you create drama, conflict, and tension at least once on every page. It’s the way of modern fiction. People want to be entertained. But they’ve seen it all before: on TV and at the movies. Always try to think of new ways of being dramatic. Stay focused on character. Don't get bogged down with description. You don’t need long explanations or descriptions of things your reader is probably already familiar with. It’s just not necessary. Modern readers like to be thrown into the thick of things immediately. There are a hundred ways to do that but most of them involve action, conflict, and drama. If you find yourself wandering from the point and nothing in particular is happening, cut back to where the last piece of conflict was, delete all the verbiage and static writing and move off again – this time at high speed! Perhaps imagine you’re a soap opera writer where every scene counts, and every exchange is emotionally charged. Try not to sink into melodrama – but be aware that you’re writing primarily to entertain. At the beginning and ending of every new page ask yourself: Q.E.D? Have I fulfilled the three requirements of compelling fiction? If the answer is yes then you’re probably well on your way to becoming a bestselling author! Keep Writing! Rob Parnell |
| Literature / Let’s “go Over” Some Business…phrasal Verbs! by TRWConsult(m): 9:43am On Aug 28, 2015 |
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 1 Like 1 Share |
| Events / 9th EDC SME Conference by TRWConsult(m): 5:06pm On Aug 27, 2015 |
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are critical to the development of any economy as they possess great potentials for employment generation, improvement of local technology, output diversification, development of indigenous entrepreneurship and forward integration with large-scale industries. In Nigeria, the economic, political, social environment and absence of requisite infrastructure has rendered SME practice costly and difficult for the small and growing businesses. Every year, Enterprise Development Centre brings together her members, other SMEs alike, stakeholders both in the public and private sector to meet and discuss contemporary issues affecting the Small Growing Businesses in Nigeria. This networking event provides a forum that not only strengthens the entrepreneurial space but contribute largely to the continuous development of the ecosystem. EDC is pleased to invite you to her 9th Annual SME conference taking place on Thursday 10th of September 2015 at Federal palace hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island Lagos. The theme of the conference is “ SMEs: The Emerging Horizon” Time: 9.30am- 4pm Date: Thursday 10th of September 2015 Venue: Federal palace hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island Lagos SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Prof Pat Utomi (CEO Centre for Leadership) Dr Cosmos Maduka (Founder, President/ CEO Coscharis Group) Mrs Ifeyinwa Ighodalo (CEO Design Options) PANELISTS INCLUDE: Mr Raphael Afaedor (CEO Supermart) Senator Babajide Omoworare( National Assembly) Mrs Mary Akpabome (ED, Heritage Bank) Dr Emeka Osuji (Pan –Atlantic University) Mr Emmanuel Ijewere ( Ijewere & Co) Mr Victor Afolabi (CEO GDM) Ms Ebi Atawodi (GM Uber.com) Mr Emeka Ezomike (Manager Tax Regulatory Services KPMG) Mr Daniel Oparison (Marketing Strategist Pagatech) REGISTRATION DETAILS INCLUDE: Registration fee: N25,000.00. (Register before 10th of August and enjoy the 20% early bird discount.) EDC Life Members: N15,000.000 Account Name- Pan-Atlantic University, Enterprise Development Centre Bank- Heritage Bank Account No-5100139767 For Sponsorship, exhibition, advert placement and other details, please call Nnenna on 08174583175 or Helen on 08174583180. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19q7aWUqCNJExglKBsonl0tybpHP17IrOx8i7tVRV-WI/viewform?c=0&w=1 This learningand sharing event features solutions to mutual SME challenges, networking, and plenaries sessions on topical issues. Don’t Miss it. ( Limited spaces available) REGISTER HERE
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