Category Archives: language

Try Less; Do More

Try is one of those simple, little words that we don’t give much thought to, but the difference in how we use the word is the difference between persevering and lacking commitment. If at First You Don’t Succeed… If you don’t have … Continue reading

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Costly Language Mistakes

Communication can be costly because how well you communicate will largely dictate your success, but I didn’t know a communication mistake could cost a business $340,000,000 (340 million)! That’s what happened when a Japanese trader accidentally sold 610,000 shares of … Continue reading

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Stop the Insanity!

I always think of 1990’s health guru Susan Powter when I see someone using two spaces after a hard stop (period, exclamation point, question mark, etc.) in 2009. Not only is the reasoning behind the double space antiquated, but it … Continue reading

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Compound and Complex Sentences

Good writing comprises different elements, for example, clarity, honesty, and correct basic mechanics. One of those mechanics is the ability to vary sentence structure. More mature writing consists of more than just what are called simple sentences. A simple sentence … Continue reading

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Voluntary Social Distancing and Self Isolation

If you have the flu, one of the best things you can do to prevent its spread is what many experts now recommend–participate in voluntary social distancing or self isolation. Sure, those options will help, or you could do what … Continue reading

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Annoying Work Words

It’s been my experience that executives have been more responsible for annoying, trendy language at work than the rest of us, but a recent survey of executives has revealed their top language pet peeves. One of the most annoying is … Continue reading

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Common Grammar Errors

The most popular page on languageandgrammar.com (by far)  is Sherry’s Grammar List, so I thought I’d highlight the page today. Sherry’s Grammar list contains over 125 common grammar errors, listed in alphabetical order. –Paul

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Fear Versus Hope

Fear and hope are opposite emotions, but like so many opposites, the difference between the two is slight. The question, then, is why live in fear when you can live with hope? Living in fear is living with the belief … Continue reading

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We’re Listening…

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. When you share your language pet peeves, we listen. In fact, we also highlight them in a blog post, just as we are today. Here are about 20 of your pet peeves: We was (which … Continue reading

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Just Cabinets? I Don’t Think So…

Ok, maybe I’m an idiot (perhaps I should close the comments for this post?!?), but I had no idea that a local store (part of a regional chain) called Just Cabinets sold nearly every type of furniture known to man–sofas, … Continue reading

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