Human Skills and Better Communication
The plural solution is often an easy way to turn a faulty sentence into a better one.
In a lot of murder cases, it transpired that the victim knew their attacker.
How would you fix it?
Continue reading “The Plural Solution, And More”
Really? Ninja? Be careful what you advertise for. If you ask for a ‘ninja’ marketer, PR assistant (or, heaven help us, a ‘ninja’ editor), then beware.
This rather bizarre descriptor has become quite common in job ads. And then there are the other favourites: ‘superhero’, ‘rockstar’ and a few others. Leave them in if you must but be warned. Here’s what you can expect….
I’ve just finished a translation of ‘Ran Blake – Un Homme En Noir’. It’s a comprehensive study by expert French music critic, P. L. Renou. The article focuses on American pianist, composer, and educator Ran Blake, and the central relationship between his music and ‘film noir’.
Continue reading “Translation: Ran Blake – A Man in Black”
Lazy language is everywhere.
It’s difficult to get through even one day’s reading without struggling to make sense of a tangled mess of woolly words – a real dog’s blanket of poor grammar and incorrect language use.
Continue reading “Lazy Language”
‘Who needs an editor? I just use a spell-checker’. That‘s something I hear quite often – usually from people who need help, but don’t want to admit it.
What about you? Yes, you need an editor, too. Most of us do.
That’s because editing is not just about correcting mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. A sophisticated text checker can do that. Well, sometimes. Perhaps.
Continue reading “Yes, You Need an Editor”
Pivot! As a noun or a verb, it’s been around in business articles and blogs for a while, but the contagion is spreading. It’s an overused ‘go-to’ buzzword among fans of ‘corporate-speak’. Apart from its boring predictability, there’s the problem of its meaning.
Continue reading “Pivot? Say What You Really Mean”
There should be penalties for women having babies who smoke.
What? Babies smoking? Has to be something wrong there.
I opened the door to the delivery man wearing my best party dress.
But why on earth was he wearing it?
Seriously, though, the big problem with these sentences is a common one: it’s the problem of misplaced modifiers.
Guess what? You might be in the minority. By that, I mean those who understand the real meaning of ‘decimated’. Most don’t.
If you want an example, here’s a beauty! This is a snippet from an account of a road accident: ‘… the impact fully decimated half the car’.
Your challenge is this: ‘How much damage was done to the car?’ Hint: you might need maths.
Continue reading “Decimated? Or Just Damaged?”
All right or alright?
Lots of people are confused about which to use.
Here are a few tips that might clear things up, without getting too technical.
Continue reading “All Right or Alright?”
It’s a busy life. There are people moving in and out of your day. There are interruptions, activity, noise, and technology all around you. Do you ever feel it’s hard to be 100% human?
You might feel hurried, stressed, or overwhelmed. Even if you’re healthily busy, going about your daily routines at home or at work, most days there’s at least one point where you seem to disappear.
Continue reading “100% Human: 30-Day Challenge”