Top posts from 2022’s first quarter
Check out my top posts from the first quarter! They’re a mix of practical tips on grammar (#1, #5), social media (#2), blogging (#3), and writing (#4). My posts that attracted the most views during 2022’s first quarter: Pronoun question: is the Fed “it” or “they”?–This is an ongoing issue. I feel strongly about the […]
Your webinar-day checklist
If you’ve ever delivered a webinar, you know that things can go wrong—especially at the last minute. I created a webinar checklist when I delivered an investment commentary webinar via Zoom to a CFA Society last year. My goal was to minimize opportunities for problems to disrupt me. Unfortunately, I‘ve learned from experience about some […]
“In order to” versus “to”
Is there ever a good reason to write “in order to” instead of “to”? When I posted this poll on LinkedIn, I expected the answer to be “no.” However, I did some research and was surprised by the results. Go with “to” most of the time Generally, it’s better to write “to” than “in order […]
MISTAKE MONDAY for March 28: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?
Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment. I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.
Break your chains!
Writing with fewer words sometimes results in harder-to-understand sentences. That can be the case with noun chains—when one noun piles upon another to modify the noun at the end of the chain. “Nouns used as adjectives often slip out of a writer’s control, producing impenetrable chains,” writes Jan Venolia in Write Right! She mentions “urban […]