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FAQJudy Vorfeld answers your questionsFind articles on word usage at Judy's business site
Are you a grammar expert?
I've worked in banking, construction, insurance, a church office, business travel, shipping, and fleet management. And I'm active in human and social services in my community as a volunteer. My strongest gifts lie in my ability to spot creativity, talent, and potential in others...in analyzing the works, writing, and ideas of others...and in troubleshooting the problems and challenges other people and businesses face. because of my love of words and the need to express myself I began taking writing lessons in the 1980s. I used everything I learned to be better—in terms of writing—at every job I had. In the years following my writing lessons, I had about 15 articles published, mostly nonfiction. But I learned that I liked editing even more than writing. Once I started my own business, everything came together. I had to draw out people in order to write good resumes. Same for brochures and press releases, etc. I got more and more involved in editing as time went by. I apparently have the ability to get a good sense of my clients. I take their words and edit and organize them into what it is that they really want to say. I said all that to say this: I may not have a degree in English, but I have the ear and the experience to tell when language sounds "right" and when it doesn't. I can spot a dangling participle as well as the next person. But my real skill is in editing business documents, manuscripts, academic papers and website text. I look at text as the writer's audience would, then try to make sure it speaks to the readers in the clearest possible way. When writing a letter, what form do I use to address a woman? When writing to a married woman, follow her preference for first and last names if you know it. She may prefer to be addressed by her original name (Ms. Joan L. Conroy). If you do know that she is using her husband's last name, continue to use her own first name and middle initial (Mrs. Joan L. Noonan). The form that uses her husband's first name and middle initial as well (Mrs. James W. Noonan) is acceptable only for social purposes. It should never be used when addressing a business letter to a married woman, and it should not be used when a married woman becomes a widow unless she indicates that this is her preference. In selecting Ms., Mrs., or Miss, always respect the woman's preference. If it is not known, use the title "Ms" or omit the courtesy title altogether. Kelly, the examples Gregg gives are "Dear Ms. Noonan" or "Dear Joan Noonan." I vote for "Ms." if you don't know her preference, and it's business-related. In the strictest sense of the word, socially, says long-dead and dearly beloved Emily Post, use Mrs. James W. Noonan. How do I diagram sentences?
When do I use "who" and "whom" in sentences?
When do you use an extra apostrophe "s" following a last name ending with the letter "s"?
Traditional exceptions to the general rule for forming the possessive are the names Jesus and Moses: in Jesus' name; Moses' leadership..."How to form the possessive of polysyllabic personal names ending with the sound of s or z," says CMS, "probably occasions more dissension among writes and editors than any other orthographic matter open to disagreement." Gregg Reference Manual, 7th Edition, Sabin, 631 says:
There will always be controversy on this "style" issue, since some style guides call for only an apostrophe followed by the letter "s." Some are more concerned with the way a word looks in print, others with the way it sounds when spoken. When writing "internet company," should these two words be capitalized?
Which sentence is correct: 1) There is nothing to comment on, or 2) There is nothing to comment upon.
Strunk and White says, "The proper place in the sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end." Webgrammar offers the following options in order to avoid conflict:
We have a running debate at work. When using quotes at the end of a sentence, is it: He said, "I wish I could go home." OR He said, "I wish I could go home".
Is it correct to say "speak to" someone or "speak with" someone?
What's the standard for using Web sites in sentences? For example, when do we not use punctuation immediately after typing out a Web address?
What's the difference between proverbs and idioms?
Conversely, it says this about idioms: "It is the language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class; the syntactical, grammatical, or structural form peculiar to a language; an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically (as no, it wasn't me) or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (as Monday week for "the Monday a week after next Monday")". Traditionally, most people think of idioms as expressions . . . phrases. This site has a list called Lingo: Definition of Common Terms that gives its own descriptions for categories from Aphorisms through Slogans. And I have a page with many idiom-related links on this page. What's the difference between i.e. and e.g.?
You use e.g. when you mean "for example." The origin of e.g. is "exempli gratia." Example: Shertzer's book has a number of elements, e.g., punctuation, capitalization, parts of a sentence, and confusing words. In American English, generally follow i.e. and e.g. with a comma. Use abbreviated forms like these only in informal or technical documents, or documents where space is at a premium (catalogs, forms, etc.). What books do you use for reference and editing?
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