Summer Reading for a Grammar Geek
As a lover of the English language, I have assembled a small library over the years of books about writing (yes, pretty geeky of me, I know). One of my favorite books is Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language, by Richard Lederer. Lederer is a former English teacher and writer about writing who collects language gaffes and errors like some people collect wheat pennies or Beanie Babies.
On a rainy day this summer, with the power out from a storm, my son and I found a copy of Anguished English on the cottage bookshelf and sat down together to kill some time. Two hours later our sides aches from laughing so much at the ways people have mangled the English language! I think he learned more about English and writing in those 2 hours than he has in all of his 11 years.
If you want a few quick, humorous lessons to improve your (or your child’s) writing, pick up a copy of Anguished English. It belongs on the bookshelves and bedside tables of anyone who writes at work. Two of my favorite lessons from Anguished English are below.
Chapter: It’s an Ad, Ad, Ad, Ad World
We are all trying to sell something. Our expertise, our product, maybe ourselves! Marketing helps convey to people who we are and what we have to sell. Whether you are writing a classified ad Craigslist entry or a product review, it pays to pay attention to your copy. Sometimes we are too close to the words we write to see the perspective of the reader, such as with these examples:
- Lost: small poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family. [Yes, I know a few people who should be neutered too. Thankfully none of them are in my family.]
- The hotel has bowling alleys, tennis courts, comfortable beds, and other athletic facilities. [Great way to get your cardio in!]
- Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating. [Those are my favorite kind of cooks.]
Lesson learned: PROOFREAD! If possible, ask another person to serve as a second set of eyes to review your writing, especially if it is going to someone important you need to impress. Sometimes a proofreader who has not been involved in the writing process will catch word nuances and save you some embarrassment.
Chapter: Mangling Modifiers
Modifiers are words that describe (i.e., “modify”) other words. Adjectives modify nouns. Adverbs modify verbs. The bottom line on modifiers is that they need to fall in a logical place in the sentence so the sentence reads correctly. Otherwise, you sound like a fool (and no, I am not talking about the Shakespearean character known for the witty use of language). Misplacing a modifier is a mistake with results worthy of an 11-year-old boy’s laugh-fest! Some examples from Anguished English:
- Do not sit in chair without being fully assembled. [I know a few people who are missing a screw or two, too.]
- No one was injured in the blast, which was attributed to a buildup of gas by one town official. [Blame it on the cauliflower.]
- Breaking into the window of the girls’ dormitory, the dean of men surprised 10 members of the football team. [If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!]
Lesson learned: Word order and sentence structure impact the meaning of your writing. Reading a sentence aloud can help identify misplaced modifiers (sentence diagramming works better). Sometimes hearing the words – versus reading them on the page – provides insight into how the words work together to convey the meaning you intend – or not!
Learning ways to improve grammar and writing doesn’t have to be boring or drawn out. An hour or two reading Anguished English can do much to draw attention to common grammar gaffes like word choice and misplaced modifiers. Put it on your bedside table tonight!
Heather Nelson is a partner with PeopleResults, a consultancy that guides organizations and individuals to “start the wave” of change. Heather and the team have advised major clients including PepsiCo, McKesson, Microsoft, Frito-Lay, Hitachi Consulting and many others on how to realize results through people. Contact her at hnelson@people-results.com.
We’ve been spotlighting and sharing helpful recruiting and placement resources for both our client companies and our employment candidates for years. Please use our search tool to find a topic relevant to your employment needs, or choose from our list of topics below.
Recent Posts
Categories
- Applying for a Job
- Career Change
- Community
- Creative
- Dallas Employment Trends
- Dallas Job Candidates
- Employers
- Financial Tips
- Finding Opportunities
- Fun For Working Moms
- General
- Hot Jobs
- Hot Jobs & Companies
- Hybrid Work
- Insights
- Interviewing
- Progressive Thinking About Non-traditional Hiring
- Re-entering the Workforce
- Recruiter Relationships
- Remote Work
- Reputation Management
- Resume Rules
- Staying Sharp Till You are Ready
- Time Management
- Tools to Know
- Uncategorized
- What We Love About Dallas
- Work-Life Balance
- Work-Life Balance Tools
- World
Tags
Archives
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- October 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- January 2022
- October 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- March 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- November 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- May 2016
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
Categories
- Applying for a Job
- Career Change
- Community
- Creative
- Dallas Employment Trends
- Dallas Job Candidates
- Employers
- Financial Tips
- Finding Opportunities
- Fun For Working Moms
- General
- Hot Jobs
- Hot Jobs & Companies
- Hybrid Work
- Insights
- Interviewing
- Progressive Thinking About Non-traditional Hiring
- Re-entering the Workforce
- Recruiter Relationships
- Remote Work
- Reputation Management
- Resume Rules
- Staying Sharp Till You are Ready
- Time Management
- Tools to Know
- Uncategorized
- What We Love About Dallas
- Work-Life Balance
- Work-Life Balance Tools
- World
Recent Comments