Monthly Archives: March 2016

Striking the Right Tone

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Norm Friedman

If we write an A+ email – glittering with pithy content, impeccable grammar, and masterful brevity – but the tone is stuffy or condescending or brusque or flippant, the reader will consider our message a D-. Rather than reacting with … Continue reading →

Posted in Flair & Finesse, Tone | Leave a comment

Split Infinitives

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Norm Friedman

A grammar concept we might have happily forgotten since our school days (or maybe right after the test) is the split infinitive. So what is it, and do we need to care? Here’s my take. An infinitive is the “to” … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Grammar Errors | Leave a comment

Hyphen Errors

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Norm Friedman

Branding is everything these days, and the hyphen just hasn’t kept up. In fact, its identity is so weak, it is often mistakenly called a dash. Let’s review the key points we should know about this poorly understood punctuation mark. … Continue reading →

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Setting Alarms

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Norm Friedman

As we grow more proficient in any pursuit – be it bowling, baking, or barbecuing – we are continually setting new alarms to avoid problems. This is particularly true in writing and editing. Once we realize we’re prone to mistakenly … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Common Punctuation Errors, Commonly Confused Words, Flair & Finesse | Leave a comment