Tip 65: Quotation Marks: American or British?
When it comes to quotation marks, the rules for British usage are, for the most part, the opposite of the rules for American usage, as shown in the table below:
Tip 64: Despite or In Spite of
Unlike many of our Timely Tips, this tip isn’t to tell you how these words are different and how to use them correctly. Instead, I am here to tell you that these words mean the same thing. Surprised? So was I! I’ve always assumed that there were occasions, grammatically speaking or otherwise, when you needed…
Tip 62: Bad vs. Badly and Good vs. Well
What do you usually say when you aren’t feeling well? Do you say, “I feel bad”? If you write, “I feel badly,” you are in essence saying that your sense of feel is not working correctly. If you write, “I feel bad,” you may be saying that you are sick. So you say “I feel…
Tip 61: Hyphens with the prefix ‘re’
Regardless of how good you are at grammar, hyphens can be a pain. Here is the rule for using the prefix ‘re’ with or without a hyphen: Use a hyphen with ‘re’ if it meets both of these conditions: 1. ‘Re’ means again. 2. Omitting the hyphen from the word would cause the reader to confuse it…
Tip 60: Principle, Principal
It’s amazing how many people use these two words incorrectly. Principal is the name that you give the person who is in charge of an elementary or secondary school. He—or she—is the ‘main one.’ That’s what principal means. So whether you are talking about the administrator in a school or you are trying to point…
Tip 59: Correct Usage of ‘Once’
A few years ago I was chastened by a client who informed me that the word ‘once’ means ‘one time,’ and it should not be used to mean anything other than that. He was so adamant about it that I didn’t bother to look it up. I have heard this admonition more than once (in fact, several…
Tip 58: Inserting Tabs in a Table
Yes, Virginia, You CAN Put Tabs in a Table! You may already know this, but it’s new to me. I have found that if I try to ‘Tab’ within a table, Word just takes me to the next cell in the table. If I am at the end of the table, pressing ‘Tab’ adds a…
Tip 56: Whether or If?
Use ‘whether’ when there is an alternative involved . . . I can’t decide whether I should leave or stay. Can you tell me whether you intend to pay me? (The alternative is not to pay me.) Use a moisture analyser to visually indicate whether the dehydrator is functioning within its designed range. In most cases, do not use ‘or not’ with ‘whether.’ It is redundant. Please…
Tip 55: Further or Farther
‘Further’ and ‘farther’ are often (and sometimes incorrectly) used interchangeably. Use ‘further’ when writing about additions or progress. Hint: ‘further’ is also a verb, meaning ‘to develop or help grow.’ Any further comments must be submitted in writing. To further your career, get a college education. Use ‘farther’ when writing about physical distance. Hint: ‘farther’ is the comparative form of ‘far.’ If ‘far’ doesn’t make sense…
Tip 54: All or All of?
Is it correct to say, “All of the cars had been stolen”? Or should I write, “All the cars had been stolen”? According to The Chicago Manual of Style, we should delete the ‘of’ whenever possible. (All the cars had been stolen.) There are exceptions, however. (It seems that there are always exceptions when it…