March Newsletter: Comma or colon before a quotation?

I instinctively choose between a comma and a colon before a quotation. But I wondered if there was a rule that I should know about. I was happy to discover Grammar Monster’s “Comma or Colon before a Quotation?” The blog post features an easy-to-follow flow chart for picking a comma or a colon. The key […]

7 factors that affect reading ease

7 factors that affect reading ease

On this blog—and in my writing workshops—I’ve written about things that affect reading ease. I’ve focused on the average number of syllables per word, words per sentence, and sentences per paragraph. However, Harold Evans’ Do I Make Myself Clear? Why Writing Well Matters, introduced me to a seven-factor list from Robert Gunning, creator of the fog […]

Mistake Monday

MISTAKE MONDAY for February 26: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?

Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment. One item stands out as wrong beyond any question, even without knowing the context of this table. I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.

February newsletter: Do grammar errors affect your heart rate?

Have you ever felt as if your heart skipped a beat upon noticing a grammar error? It’s not just your imagination that bad grammar can affect your heart rate. When people spot grammar errors, their heart rate variability declines, indicating that they’re stressed. That’s according to a University of Birmingham research study reported on in […]

Do I need to use the (r) mark with my CFP designation?

“Do I need to use the ® mark with my CFP designation”? This question spurred me to do some research on whether one must always write “CFP®.” When I was active as a reporter, I never used the ® mark. In fact, I rarely included an interviewee’s CFP designation because space was tight. Upon doing […]