tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22847655471887571422024-03-13T16:27:22.227-05:00Crystal Clear ProofingEASY-TO-UNDERSTAND TUTORIALS,FUN CHALLENGES AND A REFRESHING ATMOSPHERE HELP MAKE THE CLOUDY AREAS OF WRITING AND GRAMMAR ~CRYSTAL CLEAR~Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-11046250715172370592012-04-20T08:30:00.002-05:002012-04-20T08:33:25.753-05:00Proper Use of "Me" and "I"Two of the most common words used incorrectly, both in written material and in speech, are "me" and "I."<br /><br />Technically, "I" is a nominative pronoun used as a subject of a sentence, while "me" is an objective pronoun, used as an object. The problem usually arises when connecting objects in a sentence. "I" is not an objective case word, but it is used simply because to most people it just sounds better.<br /><br />Using "I" works for the nominative case when you and the other person are subjects of a sentence; however, if you and the other person are objects of the sentence, using "I" is not correct.<br /><br />For example, "Mary and I are going to the conference" works. "You" and "Mary" are subjects of the sentence. Remove "Mary" and you have, "I (am) going to the conference."<br /><br />Being objects in a sentence changes correct structure. Simply leave out the second object(s), or person(s). For example:<br /><br />You may be tempted to write or say, "Would you like to join Mary and I at the conference?" By removing the second object (Mary) you have, "Would you like to join I at the conference?" Now try, "Would you like to join me at the conference?" It's easy to see that the proper sentence should be, "Would you like to join Mary and me at the conference?"<br /><br />It really is just as simple as removing that second object. Let's try it again:<br /><br />"Please explain proper word choice to Christine and I."<br />"Please explain proper word choice to Christine and me."<br />Remove the second object (Christine) and you have: "Please explain proper word choice to I," or, "Please explain proper word choice to me." See how easy it is to recognize the proper sentence?<br />"Please explain proper word choice to Christine and me."<br /><br />Of course there are some instances where you can avoid your own internal dilemma by simply using the first-person plural and stating, "Would you care to join us at the conference?' or, "Please explain proper word choice to us."<br /><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-19166695818656252262012-01-31T16:50:00.002-06:002012-01-31T17:06:14.534-06:00Pronoun Tips<center><a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/pronouns/dickies619/pronouns.gif?o=5" target="_blank"><img src="http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg313/dickies619/pronouns.gif" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Pronouns take the place of nouns.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Subject Pronouns</span>: I, you, he, she, it, we, they<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Object Pronouns</span>: me, you, him, her, it, us, them<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rule</span>: Use a Subject Pronoun (also called Nominative Case), not only as the subject of a sentence, but after 'to be' verbs when the pronoun renames the subject.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">'To be' verbs</span>: is, are, was, were, will be, may be, may have been<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Example</span>: He is my friend.<br />'He' is the subject of the sentence, so use a subject pronoun.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Example</span>: Enrique and she are friends.<br />'Enrique' and 'she' are the subjects of the sentence.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Example</span>: It is I who called.<br />I comes after the 'to be' verb 'is' and renames the subject 'it.' Therefore, use the subject pronoun.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rule</span>: Use an Object Pronoun (also called Objective Case) when the pronoun is the direct object, the indirect object, or the object of the preposition.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Example</span>: Ella met him at the restaurant.<br />'Him' is the direct object.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Example</span>: Ella will give him his money back.<br />'Him' is an indirect object because you can mentally put the word 'to' in front of it. 'Money' is the direct object.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Example</span>: Between you and me, this will never work.<br />'You' and 'me' are the objects of the preposition 'between.'<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rule</span>: Use reflexive pronouns—myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, yourselves—to refer back to another noun or pronoun in the sentence.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Correct Example</span>: I did it myself.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Incorrect Example</span>: Please give it to Roger or myself.<br />In this sentence, 'myself' does not refer back to another noun or pronoun.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><center><span style="font-size:180%;">(:</span> IF THE ABOVE GRAPHIC APPEARS JITTERY, YOU'VE HAD TOO MUCH CAFFEINE! <span style="font-size:180%;"> :)</span><br /></center><br /><center><a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/coffee%20cup/hrhqueencat/Drinks%20Hot/coffee.jpg?o=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/hrhqueencat/Drinks%20Hot/coffee.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:78%;" ><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Source: Grammarbook</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-28973453906475199792011-11-15T18:53:00.006-06:002011-11-20T20:23:13.897-06:0015 Frequently Confused Pairs of Verbs<span style="font-style:italic;">These similar-looking words below have dissimilar meanings. Make sure you’re using the correct one in each pair.</span><br /><BR><br />1. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Amused/bemused:</span> To be amused is to be entertained; to be bemused is to be confused.<BR><br />2. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Appraise/apprise:</span> To appraise is to evaluate; to apprise is to inform.<BR><br />3. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ascribe/subscribe:</span> To ascribe is to attach an idea to a source; to subscribe is to hold belief in an idea.<BR><br />4. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Attain/obtain:</span> To attain is to reach; to obtain is to acquire.<BR><br />5. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Barter/haggle:</span> To barter is to trade; to haggle is to negotiate.<BR><br />6. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Born/borne:</span> To be born is to be brought forth; to be borne is to be carried along.<BR><br />7. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Borrow/loan:</span> To borrow is to receive something for temporary use; to loan is to provide something on those terms.<BR><br />8. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Careen/career:</span> To careen is to lean over to one side or to sway; to career is to hurry carelessly—not to be confused with the alternate meaning of a chosen pursuit, a profession or occupation. (Additionally, to 'carom' is to ricochet.)<BR><br />9. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Censor/censure:</span> To censor is to ban; to censure is to reprimand.<BR><br />10. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Criticize/critique:</span> To criticize is to judge harshly or in a negative manner; to critique is to evaluate.<BR><br />11. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Denigrate/deprecate:</span> To denigrate is to defame or belittle; to deprecate is to disapprove or de-emphasize (but can also, like denigrate, mean to disparage).<BR><br />12. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Differ/vary:</span> To differ is to disagree or to be distinct from; to vary is to change (although differ can also refer to 'variation').<BR><br />13. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Espouse/expound:</span> To espouse is to support; to expound means to state, explain, or defend (which is also distinct from the phrase “expand on,” which means to provide additional or digressive details).<BR><br />14. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rebut/refute:</span> To rebut is to argue in response to another argument; to refute is to deny an argument.<BR><br />15. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Wangle/wrangle:</span> To wangle is to obtain by underhanded means; to wrangle is to wrestle.<BR><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><br />Source: Daily Writing Tips</span><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-21318022955643323932011-11-02T06:44:00.007-05:002011-11-02T13:25:51.907-05:00The Apostrophe with Numbers, Letters and Abbreviations
<br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Punctuation/?action=view&current=apostrophe.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Punctuation/apostrophe.png" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center>
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<br /></span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Rule:</strong> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br /></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>She consulted with three M.D.s.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">BUT</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong> She went to three M.D.s’ offices.
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive.</em></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>
<br /></em></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>She learned her ABCs.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong> the 1990s</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">NOT</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">the 1990’s</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">the ’90s or the mid-’70s</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">NOT</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">the ’90’s or the mid-’70’s</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>She learned her times tables for 6s and 7s</span>.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Exception:</strong> Use apostrophes with capital letters and numbers when the meaning would be unclear otherwise.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong> Please dot your I’s.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">You don’t mean <em>Is</em>.</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Example:</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>Ted could not distinguish between his 6’s and 0’s. </span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">You don’t mean </span><em style="font-family: arial;">Os</em>. </span></span>
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<br /></span><p></p><span style="font-size:78%;"><i>Source: Grammarbook
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<br /></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-30940660691797248302011-08-17T06:40:00.001-05:002011-08-17T08:01:10.927-05:00Hyphenating Between WordsMany of us get confused about when to hyphenate between words. For example, should you write <span style="font-style:italic;">nearly-extinct wolves</span> or <span style="font-style:italic;">nearly extinct wolves</span>?
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nearly </span>answers how close to extinct wolves are/were. Adverbs answer the questions <span style="font-style:italic;">how</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">where</span>, and <span style="font-style:italic;">when</span>.
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<br />Adverbs do not get attached to adjectives with hyphens. Therefore, the adverb <span style="font-style:italic;">nearly</span>, like most "ly" words, does not get hyphenated.
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<br />Only compound adjectives—adjectives that act as one idea with other adjectives—get hyphenated in front of nouns.
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<br />Example: The crowd threw out the barely edible cake.</span>
<br />The word <span style="font-style:italic;">barely </span>is an adverb answering <span style="font-style:italic;">how </span>edible the cake was.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Example: newly diagnosed disease</span>
<br />The word <span style="font-style:italic;">newly </span>is an adverb answering <span style="font-style:italic;">when</span>.
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<br />Example: We live in a two-story building.</span>
<br />The word <span style="font-style:italic;">two </span>does not answer <span style="font-style:italic;">how</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">when</span>, or <span style="font-style:italic;">where</span>. It is acting as one idea with <span style="font-style:italic;">story </span>to describe the noun <span style="font-style:italic;">building</span>. Therefore, <span style="font-style:italic;">two-story</span> is a compound adjective requiring a hyphen.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Example: The announcer offered a blow-by-blow description of the boxers' punches.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Blow-by-blow</span> is acting as one idea. Therefore, it is a compound adjective.
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<br />Example: Our building is two stories. </span>
<br />When the description follows the noun, do not hyphenate.
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<br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view&current=wednesday-23.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/wednesday-23.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" >Source: Grammarbook</span>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-84691889832133029082011-08-03T06:01:00.001-05:002011-08-03T06:04:01.527-05:00Commas Before "and" in a SeriesIn American English usage, a comma should precede <span style="font-style:italic;">and </span>with three or more items in a series.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Example: I would like to order a salad, a sandwich, and dessert.</span><br /><br />Newspapers and magazines do not generally use this rule, as print space is too valuable to use on what might be considered extraneous punctuation. However, print publications will use the final comma before <span style="font-style:italic;">and </span>if it is needed to avoid confusion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Example: Her $10 million estate was split among her husband, daughter, son, and nephew.<br /></span><br />Omitting the comma after <span style="font-style:italic;">son </span>would have led the reader to believe that the son and nephew had to split one-third of the estate (each receiving one-sixth), rather than understanding that each relative received one-fourth of the estate.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view&current=497889ts8ue7lsum.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/497889ts8ue7lsum.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><i>Source: Grammarbook</i></span><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-10069482761200021142011-06-29T06:09:00.006-05:002011-06-29T06:18:38.465-05:00Parallel ConstructionSentences and lists are awkward when they contain a series of items with inconsistent grammatical structure. But as your reader scans through a series of items with parallel grammatical structure, the relationships between different items of information become clear. Here’s an example:<br /><br /><b>Which of the two sentences below is easier to follow?</b><br /><br /><i>At the February meeting we will hold a discussion of the new health plan, whether to revise the procedures manual, and then a draft will be developed of the early retirement policy.<br /><br />At the February meeting, we will discuss the new health plan, decide whether to revise the procedures manual, and draft an early retirement policy.</i><br /><br />In the second example, the parallel verb tenses saved space and helped us grasp the ideas immediately. To help your writing flow smoothly and make sense, use the same format for items you present in a series.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=fourthofjulycatstamp.gif" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/fourthofjulycatstamp.gif" /></a><br /><br /><b>HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!</b><br /></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><i>Source: Grammarbook</i><br /><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-6843681428259241942011-06-15T06:30:00.003-05:002011-06-15T06:33:32.712-05:00Demonstrative Adjectives<u>This/That/These/Those – Demonstrative Adjectives</u><br /><br />The demonstrative adjectives—this/that/these/those—tell us where an object is located and how many objects there are.<br /><br /><u>This/That</u><br />This and that are used to point to one object. This points to something nearby while that points to something “over there.”<br /><br /><u><i>Examples:</i></u><br />This dog is mine.<br />This is mine.<br />That dog is hers.<br />That is hers.<br /><br /><u>These/Those</u><br />These and those refer to more than one object. These points to things nearby while those points to things “over there.”<br /><br /><u><i>Examples:</i></u><br />These babies have been smiling for a while.<br />These are mine.<br />Those babies in the nursery have been crying for hours.<br />Those are yours.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view&current=WednesdayCat-002.gif" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/WednesdayCat-002.gif" /></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Source: Grammarbook</span></em><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-32659954275039773432011-05-03T17:09:00.002-05:002011-05-03T17:11:47.233-05:00Happy Mother's Day or Happy Mothers' Day?<span style="font-family:arial;">Mother's Day is officially singular; it's the day you are supposed to honor your own mother.<br /></span><em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day an American national holiday in 1914, and it's always celebrated on the second Sunday in May.</span></em><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=happy_mothers_day.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/happy_mothers_day.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br /><br /><em>Source: GrammarGirl</em><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-13720087831597119082011-04-13T05:47:00.005-05:002011-04-13T06:10:53.995-05:00The Impotence of Proofreading<center><em>Here's something a little different for your viewing enjoyment! Even if you've seen this video before, take a break from your busy blogging schedule and treat yourself to a good laugh! Sit back, enjoy, and have a delightfully HAPPY day!</em></center><br /><center><br /><object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OonDPGwAyfQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OonDPGwAyfQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object></center><vr><BR><BR><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Source: YouTube</em></span><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-23507520918372215912011-03-30T06:24:00.015-05:002011-03-30T06:45:05.853-05:00You've Got "E-mail" or You've Got "Email"?Last week, the editors of the Associated Press Stylebook created a stir by announcing a change in their recommended spelling: "e-mail" is now "email."<br /><br /><br />The social media website <em>Mashable</em> implied that the change is long overdue, running the story with the headline "AP Stylebook finally changes 'e-mail' to 'email.'"<br /><br /><br />On the other hand, the New York Times announced that they'll stick with "e-mail." What this shows is that using a hyphen in "e-mail" is a style choice, and <span style="font-style:italic;">Mashable </span>is more permissive than the Associated Press, which is more permissive than the New York Times when it comes to language change.<br /><br /><br />When the AP Stylebook editors were asked why they made the change, they said most of their writers already turn in articles with the "email" spelling, and copy editors found "e-mail" increasingly difficult to police. They emphasized that they don't consider themselves to be on the leading edge of language change; instead, they "bow to common usage."<br /><br /><br />This creates yet another "writer/author preference" as to which version to use. Just remember to be consistent!<br /><br /><br /><br /><em><span class="Apple-style-span">Source: GrammarGirl</span></em><br /><center><a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/wednesday" target="_blank" o="'4"><img border="0" src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm230/gumboisland/Days%20of%20the%20Week/Wednesday/Wednesday-1.gif" /></a></center><br /><center><i><span class="Apple-style-span">HAPPY Spring...and<br />Have a HAPPY Day!</span></i></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-60847920684916330622011-03-23T06:05:00.010-05:002011-03-23T06:33:41.374-05:00Assure, Ensure and Insure<em>Assure</em>, <em>ensure</em>, and <em>insure </em>can be confusing. Here are the definitions along with some examples to help clarify the distinctions for you.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Assure:</strong> to promise or say with confidence<br /><em>Example:</em> Let me assure you that I will be at the meeting at noon.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Ensure:</strong> to make sure something will/won’t happen<br /><em>Example:</em> To ensure my family’s safety, I have installed an alarm system.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Insure:</strong> to issue an insurance policy<br /><em>Example: </em>I will insure my home with additional fire and flood policies.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Seasons/?action=view&current=HappySpring.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Seasons/HappySpring.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;">Source: Grammarbook</span></em><br /><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-29283706432975169532011-03-09T06:35:00.005-06:002011-03-09T07:26:25.846-06:00Happy "Words Matter Week!"<BR>It's hard to believe it's been an entire year since we last recognized and celebrated <i>Words Matter Week!</i> This is a day of great importance no only to those of us working in the writing, editing or publishing professions, but to everyone. If words didn't matter, we'd all be reading material with misspellings, grammar and punctuation faux paus, poor structure — and I shudder to think what syntax would be like! The importance of words and the proper use of then is important, but without proper <i>syntax</i>, much of what we'd be reading simply wouldn't make sense.<br /><br />Take an extra moment during this week to be grateful for the references you use in your writing, and (if applicable) the proofreader or editor who <i>knows</i> words, punctuation, grammar, syntax — and how to <i>make your work shine with the clarity of a diamond!</i><b><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Features/?action=view&current=words-matter-2011-poster-300.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Features/words-matter-2011-poster-300.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:180%;color:#993399;"><em>Have a HAPPY day!<BR></em></span> <center><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></center></center></b><b><center><center></center></center></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-69267468201893033392011-03-02T07:04:00.002-06:002011-03-02T07:08:56.510-06:00Quotations Within Quotations<br />Almost all of us have found ourselves confused with double and single quotation marks. When do we use single quotes? Where does the punctuation go with single quotes? With just a few rules and examples, you will feel surer about your decisions.<br /><br />Rule: Use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks when you have a quotation within a quotation.<br /><br />Example: Bobbi said, “Delia said, ‘This will never work.’”<br /><br />Notice that what Delia said was enclosed in single quotes. Notice also that the period was placed inside both the single and the double quotation marks.<br /><br />The American rule is that periods always go inside all quotation marks.<br /><br />Example: Bobbi said, “I read the article, ‘A Poor Woman’s Journey.’”<br /><br />Rule: Question marks and quotation marks, unlike periods, follow logic with their placement. If a quote inside a quote is a question or exclamation, place the question mark or exclamation mark inside the single quotes.<br /><br />Examples: Bobbi said, “Delia asked, ‘Will this remote control work on my TV?’<br />”Bobbi said, “Delia shouted, ‘Get your hands off me!’”<br /><br />Rule: If the question is inside the double quotes, place the question mark between the single and double quotes.<br /><br />Examples: Bobbi asked, “Did Delia say, ‘This will never work’?”<br /><br />(Because you will rarely need an exclamation mark within the double quotes and not within the single quotes, there is little sense discussing this.)<br /><br />Rule: In the above three examples, only one ending punctuation mark was used with the quotation marks. The rule is that the “stronger” mark wins. Question marks and quotation marks are considered stronger than the period. Period!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view&current=37-1.gif" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/37-1.gif" /></a></center><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><i>Source: Grammarbook</i><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-27995422472864485302011-02-16T06:17:00.001-06:002011-02-16T06:19:31.548-06:00Capitalization After Colons<BR><BR>Have you run across the situation where one sentence ending with a colon is followed by another sentence? Do you capitalize the first word of that second sentence? Why would you use a colon between the two sentences rather than a period or a semicolon?<br /><br />Rule for colons between sentences: Use a colon instead of a semicolon or a period between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates something in the first sentence.<br /><br />Capitalization rule with sentences after colons: If only one sentence follows the colon, do not capitalize the first word of the new sentence. If two or more sentences follow the colon, capitalize the first word of each sentence following.<br /><br />Example: One of my favorite novels is by Kurt Vonnegut: his novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, is often funny, yet packs an emotional punch.<br /><br />Example: Garlic is used generously in Italian dishes: It greatly enhances the flavor of pasta. Garlic also enhances the flavor of lasagna, one of my favorite dishes.<br /><br />Now, should you capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a list rather than a new sentence?<br /><br />Rule for capitalizing with lists after colons: Do not capitalize the first word of a list after a colon.<br /><br />Example: I like the following Italian dishes: pasta primavera, eggplant Parmesan, and lasagna. (Parmesan is capitalized because it comes from the Italian city of Parma.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Source: Grammarbook</span><BR><BR><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view¤t=HappyWednesday.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/HappyWednesday.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-22039276373153304312011-01-12T06:27:00.002-06:002011-01-12T06:29:34.560-06:00Capitalization of Job TitlesWith capitalization of job titles, there are rules and then there is the “rule.” The rules are based on some precedent while the “rule” is based on ego. Let’s go over the rules that have precedent first.<br /><br />Rule: Capitalize job titles immediately preceding the name when used as part of the name.<br /><br />Example: We asked Chairperson Leong to join us at the meeting.<br /><br />Rule: Capitalize job titles immediately following the name when the word the does not appear in front of the job title.<br /><br />Examples: Ms. Leong, Chairperson, will join us at the meeting.<br />Ms. Leong, Chair, will join us at the meeting.<br />Mr. Hanson, Editorial Advisor for The Independent Journal, helped draft the article.<br /><br />Rule: When the appears in front of the job title, do not capitalize.<br /><br />Examples: Mr. Hanson, the editorial advisor, helped draft the article.<br />The chairperson, Sarah Leong, will join us at the meeting.<br />Mr. Cortez was the senior managing director of the Baskin Group.<br /><br />Rule: Capitalize titles in signature lines.<br /><br />Examples: Sarah Leong, Chairperson<br />Craig Hanson, Editorial Advisor<br /><br />Rule: Do not capitalize titles when used descriptively.<br /><br />Example: Ms. Leong, who will chair the meeting, is always on time.<br /><br />“Rule”: The “ego rule” is that you may have to ignore the above rules in real life. If someone in your office (as in your boss) wants his or her title capitalized in all situations, then do so. Generally, the higher in rank someone is in an organization, the more likely his/her title will be capitalized at all times.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Source: Grammarbook</span><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view&current=637.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/637.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-88618070924033173992010-12-29T07:51:00.001-06:002010-12-29T07:51:53.607-06:00HAPPY New Year!<BR><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=67657.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/67657.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><BR><BR><br /><br />We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">~Edith Lovejoy Pierce~</span><BR><BR><br /><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=3814.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/3814.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-10503660335010326912010-12-22T06:09:00.001-06:002010-12-22T06:11:42.844-06:00HAPPY Holidays!<center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=43834d33.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/43834d33.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show. The secret lies in an inner glow. It's lighting a fire inside the heart. Good will and joy a vital part. It's higher thought and a greater plan. It's glorious dream in the soul of man." <br /><br />~Wilfred A. Peterson (The Art of Living)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=Cat-Christmas-1.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/Cat-Christmas-1.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Teach us to value most eternal things. <br />To find the happiness that giving brings... <br />To know the peace of misty, distant hills. <br />To know the joy that giving self fulfils. <br />To realize anew this Christmas Day. <br />The things we keep are those we give away.<br /><br />~Marvin Davis Winsett ("A Christmas Prayer")<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=Christmas10.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/Christmas10.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" ><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wishing everyone a very healthy, safe and HAPPY holiday!</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=cat-cute.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/cat-cute.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-33445274958549912562010-12-01T06:27:00.003-06:002010-12-01T06:29:42.756-06:00Spelling Challenge<BR><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/New%20Blog%20Signatures/?action=view&current=Misspellings.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/New%20Blog%20Signatures/Misspellings.gif" alt="Misspellings" border="0" /></a><br /></center>It's time for a Spelling Challenge! Grab a cup of java, a sticky note and pen, and write down the correct spelling for the ten words below!<br /><br /><center><strong><em>NO PEEKING!</em></strong><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/?action=view&current=peek.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Peek" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/peek.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />1. amatuer<br />2. tarrif<br />3. liason<br />4. carberator<br />5. reccommend<br />6. afficionado<br />7. athiest<br />8. comemmorate<br />9. occurrance<br />10. viscious<br /><br /><br /><center>If you spell all ten words correctly, you get the beautiful sparkling gold glitter star! <em>Good Luck!</em><br /><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/?action=view&current=gif-gold-glitter-stars_21.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/gif-gold-glitter-stars_21.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br /><br />ANSWERS:<br /><br />1. amateur<br />2. tariff<br />3. liaison<br />4. carburetor<br />5. recommend<br />6. aficionado<br />7. atheist<br />8. commemorate<br />9. occurrence<br />10. vicious<br /><br /><br /><center>Whether or not you got your star, everyone gets this spray of PURPLE glitter stars for your efforts!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Have a HAPPY day!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/?action=view&current=STARS.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/STARS.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-56923041258319493962010-11-24T06:27:00.006-06:002010-11-24T06:56:24.000-06:00HAPPY Thanksgiving<center><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" ><br />Have a Wonderful Turkey Day!</span><BR><BR><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Seasons/?action=view&current=cat.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Seasons/cat.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><BR><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Hugs,<br />♥ Crystal ♥</span><BR><BR><BR><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/?action=view&current=cat_Thanksgiving.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Holidays/cat_Thanksgiving.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> </center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-12329561205415194212010-11-17T06:57:00.002-06:002010-11-17T07:03:25.335-06:00To Google, or to google<BR>Google executives would rather you didn't use "Google" as a verb since doing so threatens their trademark, but as you know, it's very common to hear people say, "I Googled it," to mean they searched for something on Google.<br /><br />The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary lists the verb "google" as lowercase, but notes that it is often capitalized. The Oxford English Dictionary draft entry shows the verb "Google" capitalized, but some of the example sentences have it lowercase. In searching for an older, analogous situation, I discovered that Bryan Garner says "xerox" is usually not capitalized when it's used as a verb, but sometimes it is.<br /><br />There doesn't seem to be an absolute rule, although companies prefer that you capitalize trademarked terms if you insist on using them as verbs. The best advice I can give you is to pick a style and stick with it. As an editor, I respect the preference of companies and trademarks, and capitalize titles, especially Google!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Source: Grammar Girl</span><BR><br /><BR><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view¤t=wednesday-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/wednesday-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-23102396187174960572010-11-10T07:17:00.002-06:002010-11-10T07:19:24.539-06:00Vocabulary<BR><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/New%20Blog%20Signatures/?action=view&current=WeirdWord.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="Weird Word" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/New%20Blog%20Signatures/WeirdWord.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/?action=view&current=words.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/clip%20art/words.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p><em>Increase your vocabulary with not-very-common and/or not-frequently-used words.</em></p></center><br />Today's <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Weird Word</span> is: <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">advertent</span>, and its pronounciation is: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><em>\ad-'vr-tnt\</em></span>.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Advertent</span> is a adjective meaning: giving attention – heedful.<br /><br /></span><em><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Marcia listened to everything we said with an <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">advertent </span>expression on her face, then proceeded to tell us, point by point, exactly why she disagreed with us.<br /></span></span></em><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view&current=038-1.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/038-1.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-62694410794861576932010-11-03T07:47:00.000-05:002010-11-03T07:48:30.364-05:00Rules Do Change<BR><h1 style="color: rgb(25, 83, 155);"><small><strong><img style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 10px;" src="http://www.grammarbook.com/newsletters/images/typewriter.jpg" width="196" align="right" height="130" /></strong></small></h1> <p><strong>Spacing After Periods</strong></p>Originally, typewriters had monospaced fonts, so two spaces after ending punctuation marks such as the period were used to make the text more legible. However, most computer fonts present no difficulty with proportion or legibility, so use just one space after a period, colon, question mark, or exclamation point at the end of a sentence. You will not be struck by lightning, I promise! <p><strong>Quotation Marks and Punctuation</strong></p> <p>In Grandma’s day, a period used with quotation marks followed logic: Example: Myrtle said the word “darn”. The period went outside the quote because only the last word was in quotation marks, not the entire sentence. Example: Myrtle said, “I would never say that.” The period went inside the quotation mark because the entire sentence is a quote.</p> <p>Today, in American English usage, the period always goes inside the quotation mark.</p> <p><strong>Example: </strong>Myrtle said the word “darn.”</p> <p>This does not follow prior grammatical logic, but...things DO change!</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Source: Grammarbook</span></p><p></p><p><br /></p><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view¤t=w14.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/w14.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a></center><BR><BR><BR><BR>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-32607430579619827022010-10-27T06:11:00.003-05:002010-10-27T06:17:45.621-05:00Thoroughness Challenge<center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Features/?action=view&current=bethorough.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Features/bethorough.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br /><br />The<em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"> Thoroughness Challenge</span> is a post consisting of paragraphs that contain spelling and/or grammatical errors. The paragraphs with the errors corrected and highlighted in <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">red</span> can be found at the end of the post.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Note:</span> The purpose of the <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Challenge </span>is <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">thoroughness</span>. You're only looking for errors in spelling and/or grammar. Names and places will NOT be misspelled, nor will there by any changes to punctuation or sentence structure.</em><br /><br /><br /><center>Your <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Challenge </span>today is about the <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">early days of search engine optimization</span> and contains <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">37</span> errors. <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Good Luck!</span></em></center><br /><center>*******************************************************************************</center><br />Webmasters and content providers began optimzing sites for search engines in the mid 1990s. Initially, all webmasters needed to do was submit the address of a page, or URL, to the varous engines which would send a "spider" to "crawl" that page, extract links to other pages from it, and return infomation found on the page to be indexed. The prosess involves a search engine spider downloading a page and storing it on the search engine's own server, where a second progam, known as an indexer, extracts varous information about the page, such as the words it contains and where these are located, as well as any weight for specfic words, and all links the page contains, which are then placed into a schedular for crawling at a latter date.<br /><br />Site owners started to recogize the value of having there sites highly ranked and visable in search engine results, and the phrase "search engine optimazation" probably came into use in 1997.<vr><br /><br />Early versions of search algorithyms relied on webmaster-provided infomation such as the keyword meta tag, or index files in engines. Meta tags provide a guide to each page's content. Using meta data to index pages was found to be less than reliable, however, because the webmaster's choice of keywords in the meta tag could potentally be an innacurate representaton of the site's actual content. Inacurate, inconplete, and inconsistant data in meta tags could and did cause pages to rank for irrelavant searches. Web content providers also maniplated a number of atributes within the HTML source of a page in an attempt to rank well in search engines.<br /><br />By relying so much on factors such as keyword density, which were exclusivley within a webmaster's control, early search engines suffered from abuse and ranking maniplation. To provide better results to their users, search engines had to adept to ensure their results pages showed the most relavant search results, rather than unrelated pages stuffed with numrous keywords by unscrupulus webmasters. Since the sucess and popularity of a search engine is determned by its ability to produce the most relavant results to any given search, allowing those results to be false would turn users to find other search sources. Search engines responded by develping more complex ranking algorythms, taking into account addtional factors that were more diffcult for webmasters to munipulate.<br /><br /><br /></vr><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><vr>Now, let's see how <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">thorough </span>you are!</vr></span><br /><br /><vr></vr></div><vr><br /><center>*******************************************************************************</center><br />Webmasters and content providers began <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">optimizing </span>sites for search engines in the mid 1990s. Initially, all webmasters needed to do was submit the address of a page, or URL, to the <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">various </span>engines which would send a "spider" to "crawl" that page, extract links to other pages from it, and return <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">information </span>found on the page to be indexed. The <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">process </span>involves a search engine spider downloading a page and storing it on the search engine's own server, where a second <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">program</span>, known as an indexer, extracts <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">various </span>information about the page, such as the words it contains and where these are located, as well as any weight for <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">specific </span>words, and all links the page contains, which are then placed into a <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">scheduler </span>for crawling at a <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">later </span>date.<br /><br />Site owners started to <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">recognize </span>the value of having <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">their </span>sites highly ranked and <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">visible </span>in search engine results, and the phrase "search engine <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">optimization</span>" probably came into use in 1997.<br /><br />Early versions of search <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">algorithms </span>relied on webmaster-provided <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">information </span>such as the keyword meta tag, or index files in engines. Meta tags provide a guide to each page's content. Using meta data to index pages was found to be less than reliable, however, because the webmaster's choice of keywords in the meta tag could <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">potentially </span>be an <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">inaccurate representation </span>of the site's actual content. <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Inaccurate</span>, <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">incomplete</span>, and <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">inconsistent </span>data in meta tags could and did cause pages to rank for <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">irrelevant </span>searches. Web content providers also <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">manipulated </span>a number of <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">attributes </span>within the HTML source of a page in an attempt to rank well in search engines.<br /><br />By relying so much on factors such as keyword density, which were <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">exclusively </span>within a webmaster's control, early search engines suffered from abuse and ranking <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">manipulation</span>. To provide better results to their users, search engines had to <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">adapt </span>to ensure their results pages showed the most <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">relevant </span>search results, rather than unrelated pages stuffed with <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">numerous </span>keywords by <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">unscrupulous </span>webmasters. Since the <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">success </span>and popularity of a search engine is <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">determined </span>by its ability to produce the most <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">relevant </span>results to any given search, allowing those results to be false would turn users to find other search sources. Search engines responded by <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">developing </span>more complex ranking <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">algorithms</span>, taking into account additional factors that were more <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">difficult </span>for webmasters to <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">manipulate</span>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/?action=view&current=WednesdayCat-002.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss98/purplecat_1/Days/WednesdayCat-002.gif" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Wishing all you Cool Cats a totally Cool and <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">HAPPY </span>day!</span></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></vr>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2284765547188757142.post-41672141937841674452010-10-20T07:02:00.001-05:002010-10-20T07:04:14.760-05:00Writing Numbers as Words<br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2" valign="top" width="20"><br /></td><td rowspan="2" valign="top"><h2><img style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px;" alt="English Tip" src="http://www.grammarbook.com/newsletters/images/03.jpg" align="right" width="167" height="217" /> </h2> <p>Many readers have asked me why people write numbers this way:</p> <p><strong>Example: </strong>We will need 220 (two hundred twenty) chairs.</p> <p>Isn’t it unnecessary to have both numerals and words for the same number? </p> <p><strong>Rule of Thumb:</strong> There are two reasons for using both: 1. You are more likely to make an error when typing a numeral than when typing a word AND much less likely to spot the error when proofreading. 2. If your document is dense, has a lot of numbers, or contains large numbers, the numerical form helps your readers scan information quickly. </p> <p>So by typing a combination of a numeral and a word, you are almost guaranteed accuracy and ease of reading.</p> <p><strong>Rule:</strong> Some authorities say that the numbers <em>one</em> through <em>nine</em> or <em>ten</em> should be spelled out and figures used for higher numbers. Other authorities spell out <em>one</em> through <em>one hundred</em>, plus even hundreds, thousands, and so on. The best strategy is to be consistent. </p> <p><strong>Correct Examples: </strong>I want five copies, not ten copies. I want 5 copies, not 10 copies.</p> <p><strong>Rule:</strong> Be consistent within a category. For example, if you choose numerals because one of the numbers you must deal with is greater than <em>ten</em>, you should use numerals for everything in that category. If you use numbers in different categories, use figures for one category and words for the other. </p> <p><strong>Correct Example:</strong> Given the budget constraints, if all 30 history students attend the four plays, then the 7 math students will be able to attend only two plays.<br />(<em>Students</em> are represented with figures; <em>plays</em> are represented with words.)</p> <p><strong>Incorrect Example:</strong> I asked for five pencils, not 50.<br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;">Source: Grammarbook</span><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com14