Communicating about disabilities can be tricky. Writers strive to be respectful and sensitive in their choice of words, but there isn’t universal agreement on how to do that and when a line is being crossed. One key issue is whether language should be “person-first” or “identity-first.” Should someone be described as “a person with a […]
Disabilities and Putting People First Read More »
Preferred terminology for writing about the original peoples of Canada has changed over the years, and it’s important for journalists, business communicators and other writers to keep up with the times. When I was starting my journalism career, the preferred term for First Nations, Metis and Inuit collectively was aboriginal with a lowercase a. That
Indigenous, Aboriginal or . . . ? Read More »
Be careful how you use the word only. Poor placement of this little modifier can confuse the reader and twist the meaning of a sentence. “He only wrote three songs” could be taken to mean he alone wrote three songs or, alternatively, that he wrote three songs and did nothing more with them (i.e., he
Only in the Wrong Place Read More »
“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.” Source: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1886).
The Power of Advertising Read More »
You know Nigeria’s citizens are Nigerians, but what are the folks in neighboring Niger called? Are they also Nigerians, or Nigerans, or maybe Nigerites? What you’re looking for is Niger’s proper demonym. A demonym is a word that identifies people from a particular place. There are demonyms attached to countries, regions, cities, and entire continents
What Shall We Call Them? Read More »
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” U.S. journalist Gail Sheehy (1936-2020) authored 17 books. This quotation is from Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life.
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Acronyms and initialisms can be powerful tools for concise communication, but be careful how you use them. Before I go further, let’s be clear on our terms. My New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines acronym as “a word formed from the initial letters or parts of other words.” Some commonly used acronyms are NATO (for
Acronyms and Initialisms Read More »
Spelling matters. Your Grade 5 teacher was right about that, and it’s still true in this digital age. There are times when spelling is, in fact, crucial. I’m thinking of resumes and cover letters in particular right now, but it’s also true of reports, proposals and memos to superiors. A couple of misspellings can torpedo
5 Proofreading Tricks Read More »
My services include copy editing and proofreading. What’s the difference? Copy editors correct for grammar, spelling, punctuation, style and more. They look for mistakes, repetition, and inconsistencies before a book or article goes to publication. As one writer at thebalancecareers.com puts it: “Copy editors are the grammatical gatekeepers of the media world. They read over
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