Tag Archives: grammar

Is Grammar Overrated?

I was thinking about this the other day when the topic came up among some friends. I was surprised to learn that I was the only one in the group that didn’t teach formal grammar as a separate subject. So I asked some other friends. In that group I was the only one to do any sort of grammar at all. Now I’m curious as to who teaches formal grammar, who doesn’t and why. What the Experts Say Some experts claim that you never should teach grammar as a formal and separate subject. After all, grammar is useless apart from … Continue reading →

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing – Podcast Review

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I paid good enough attention in grammar class. I remember thinking grammar was horribly boring. The Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing podcast is not boring at all! Mignon Fogarty, the creator and host of Grammar Girl, manages to make grammar very interesting in her quick two to seven minute shows. Fogarty has a B.A. in English and a M.S. in biology. She’s also a writer and an editor. According to her website, she strives to a friendly guide in the writing world. The Grammar Girl podcast won … Continue reading →

Grammar Essentials

Unless you have somehow managed to establish and build a home business where you never write anything or say anything to another living soul–grammar DOES have a role to play in your business. I know there are some of you out there who do not want to hear that, and you might even think that YOUR customers are tolerant and patient and don’t care if you use proper grammar or not. That might be true to some extent, but eventually if you do not have a handle on decent grammar essentials, it could hurt your business. To set your mind … Continue reading →

Is Instant Messaging Ruining My Kids’ Spelling and Grammar?

I understand that language is fluid and as much as we would like to pin it down to just exactly what is documented in the Oxford Dictionary–that is not the way our language works. There are always changes and adjustments and new words and slang being added–but I cannot help but wonder if the internet, specifically e-mail and instant messaging (not to mention “texting”) isn’t doing some serious damage to my children’s writing, grammar and spelling skills? Sure, my kids are fast typists or great at “keyboarding” as it is now called–but they are NOT writing in full sentences here! … Continue reading →

Using the Exclamation Point in Your Marketing!!!

The exclamation point is a powerful little tool. It can create excitement, stress a sense of urgency, and get attention—it can also be overused in marketing and promotional materials. Here are some things to consider in using the exclamation point as part of your home business marketing… As a general rule, you want your marketing materials to be easily accessible. Short sentences or phrases and choosing key words that convey emotion and the “feel” you want for your business are important. There are places that the exclamation point just seems to natural fit—if you are having a short sale: “Hurry! … Continue reading →

What If You Don’t Have a Proofreader…And You Need One?

In the world of writing and publishing, it is common knowledge that everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) should go through the “proofer.” Proofreaders provide a valuable and necessary job function by making sure that any grammar and spelling errors are corrected. Just because we now have spell check does not mean that proofers are out of work! So, in your small business, could you benefit from having someone look over and proofread your marketing materials or other written work? I am not a great proofreader. I can do a passable job but I’ve had to explain to people before that … Continue reading →

Putting the Grammar back in Literature

Your kid loves to read books. You have managed to get regular book reports out of them. Now what? Use those book reports to teach them to apply grammar to their writing. So often, grammar and literature are treated as two separate entities. Children read good books, and write halfway decent reports. Then separately, they learn grammar rules. Here is how I have decided to start applying grammar to my children’s reading programs. Step 1, Get them to read: Like I mentioned before, first get them to read. You can make up an incentive program like the Accellerated Reading program … Continue reading →