Grammar Pulis

Because we all need to de-stress

2009-08-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

Spelling Squad on the beat.

The Problem with Hello in Business Writing

2009-07-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

There is no problem with using “Hello” or “Hi” in writing your business email. Business writing is about writing as you would speak. Effective business writing is about building rapport. Hello and Hi are natural and friendly words to greet your readers in a manner that is less formal than the Dear _____, salutation you use for traditional letters. If the circumstances and the audience are appropriate, go ahead and use them.

Of course, this greeting is best used for readers you can call by their first names. Drop the formal titles of Mr., Mrs., and Ms.

The problem we normally encounter with using such greetings is the way we punctuate them.

Some people write it this way:

Hi Dennis,

They think that since this is as a substitute for Dear ___, we should follow the punctuation. Insert loud and irritating buzzer sound here to indicate it’s wrong.

The proper way to punctuate this salutation is this:

Hi, Dennis.

This follows the punctuation rule of enclosing in commas the name of the person you’re writing to. For example:

Yes, Sammy, we will meet on Saturday.

No, Carol.

So, my dear readers, hello and goodbye for now. I hope to be back here soon.

A Message from Grammar Pulis

2009-06-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

I am alive. I am still fighting the good fight. I have infiltrated a den of grammar bandits involved in everything from minor punctuation misdemeanors to gruesome language murders. Some crimes are truly heinous.

Yes, I'm back to teaching sophomores. There are not enough doughnuts in the world to make grammar pulis's job easier.

I will be back. Please be patient with me.

STAQ: Confessions of a Persuasive Writer

2009-05-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

To write persuasively, you must establish your credibility. Acknowledging your expertise, without sounding pompous and boastful, would help. Talking about your information sources and the amount of research you’ve done, without boring your readers with the methods and research minutiae, would also go a long way. The content, the tone, and the writing style also matter.

Here are four things you can do to write credibly and persuasively:

SPECIFY – Avoid sweeping declarations or vague assertions that people call motherhood statements. Do you really think people would believe you when you say you are striving for world peace? How about talking about how you are serving as a peacemaker by being a mediator in your barangay meetings? Be specific. Paint as precise a picture as possible so that your readers can visualize something real, something tangible.

TESTIFY – Submit testimony. Yours and others’. Always establish that the testimony is borne out of personal experience. Give specific names and dates. Use quotation marks, and make sure you have the testifier’s permission. There is nothing wrong with editing the testimony for syntax and conciseness, but make sure you don’t tamper with the quotes so much that veracity is sacrificed.

AMPLIFY – Bring the focus closer by giving examples to illustrate your point. When you say your resort has 5-star amenities, then enumerate what those facilities are. Better yet, focus on the benefits they will get by patronizing your establishment.

QUANTIFY – Hard data is almost always better than words. Use the language of numbers. Using superlatives like best, most, highest, biggest can ring false; your reader might doubt you or ignore your claims as exaggerations. But saying you have been voted Retailer of the Year for 3 consecutive years since 2007 or that you are the number 1 reseller of XYZ laptops outselling your closest competitor by 207% would better catch their attention and aid their retention.

Remember: In writing persuasively, remember the STAQ formula: Specify, Testify, Amplify, Quantify.

Grammar Break

2009-05-08T04:16:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I've been absent for some time now. I took a break from the computer and went to the farthest place I could go to. Here: http://tinyurl.com/cm8z7c

How NOT to use PowerPoint

2009-04-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I would die a mini-death if PowerPoint were to be taken away from me. As a trainer, I have come to rely on PowerPoint as a convenient, portable, teaching aid. It also enables the sharing of other media like videos and even interactive games.

Maybe I exaggerate when I say that I consider PowerPoint an art form. I enjoy designing attractive and effective slides. Sadly, not every presenter puts the same effort.

This clip is one of my favorite YouTube videos. It is funny. And it resonates with me, reminding me of some really horrid PowerPoint viewing experiences. Enjoy it and learn from it.

If the video link does not work, copy and paste this URL: http://tinyurl.com/2fvlzr.

You Ask. Grammar Pulis Answers: More on I and Me

2009-04-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

You ask: Which is the correct answer for: Who wants to go? I OR ME?.

Grammar Pulis Answers: The correct answer is: I.

I won't go through the rules of subject and object nouns this time. Some people hear the word rule, and they run away.

The simple and quick way to know the right answer is to answer in a complete sentence.

I want to go.
versus
Me want to go.

If there's anyone who thinks it's the latter, then you're on the right blog site. Welcome! I'm here to help you figure out this confusing world of grammar. Read on, learn, and enjoy. :)

So the correct pronoun is I. But you're going to sound strange saying, "I!" I is just not a loner word. It needs company.

If you want to be a stickler, then you may say the whole sentence:
I want to go.

Or more briefly:
I do.

But, here's my little secret. If speed is an issue, and you need to shout out your answer forcefully, for example somebody says, "Who wants to go to with George Clooney to an all-expense-paid trip to Maldives?" By all means, shout, "Me! Me! Me!" Flail your arms around and jump up and down so that you are noticed. Now is not the time to bother with grammar.

You Ask. Grammar Pulis Answers: Date Formats

2009-04-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

You ask: I know both forms are correct, but when is it proper to write the date this way: April 2, 2009 and this way: 2 April 2009?

Grammar Pulis Answers: Yes, both forms are correct. And the way you punctuate those dates is also correct. If you use the month-day-year format, you should insert a comma in between the day and the year. If you choose the day-month-year format, then omit the comma.

Both examples here are correct then:
April 2, 2009
2 April 2009

It's also good that you spelled out the month.

Can you imagine the confusion if the dates are written these ways?
2/4/2009
or 4/2/2009

As to when you should use them, my default answer based on my stock knowledge would have been to:

use the month-day-year format, the traditionally considered US format, when you're corresponding with somebody from the USA, or a country that predominantly follows Standard American English, and
use the day-month-year format if you're corresponding with Europeans and countries that lean toward British English .

Wikipedia also makes this distinction.

However, I decided not to rely on stock knowledge and checked other sources. Several sources were silent on the matter, but the Chicago Manual of Style and Strunk and White's The Elements of Style agree that both formats are acceptable in the US. So, you can use either. Just try to be consistent if you're going to mention many dates in a document. Choose one style and stick to it.

It then becomes a matter of personal preference. Unless the organization, industry, or community you write for prescribes a specific style, you can chose the format that you're most comfortable with. Some organizations, for example, require dates to be formatted according to ISO standards.

Strunk and White prefers the day-month-year format, 22 April 2009. The word separating the figures contributes to clarity. Eliminating the comma also very subtly reduces clutter. I think those are 2 great reasons to choose 2 April 2009.

You Ask, Grammar Pulis Answers. : Advance or Advanced Happy Birthday

2009-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

You Ask: Is it correct to say "Advanced Happy Birthday" or "Advance Happy Birthday"? Or should I just say Happy Birthday in Advance?"

Grammar Pulis Answers: Hmm, I am so used to saying Advance Happy Birthday, so I never really wondered about its grammatical soundness. Until now.

Let's analyze.

First, let's consider the meaning of both words, advance and advanced. Both can be used as adjectives. There are, however, slight differences in the usage.

Dictionary.com says that advance is an adjective that describes something that is given, made, or issued in advance. A couple of examples are: advance payment and advance copy.

Advanced, on the other hand, is an adjective for describing something that is further along in progress or something enlightened. For example, Advanced English Program, advanced theories.

Based on the definitions, it would seem then that the former is more appropriate than the latter.

BUT, this requires more analysis. The second thing we need to look at is what the word advance is modifying. If we say that it is modifying the word birthday, then that does not make sense because the birthday is not advanced. The one that is being given in advance is the greeting. That means then that both Advance Happy Birthday and Advanced Happy Birthday are grammatically wrong. So, you really are better off saying, Happy Birthday in advance. Or just say, Happy Birthday.

Personally, however, I wouldn't mind it so much if anybody says Advance/Advanced Happy Birthday to me. I mean what kind of rude, grammar-obsessed person would I be if I slapped a grammar violation fine on a person who is being nice to me?

As the Grammar Pulis, I would let something like this nonstandard usage slide, then I'll smile, and just take the gift that goes with the greeting.

Advance Happy Easter! Oops, that should be Happy Easter in advance.

You ask. Gramar Pulis answers: the Difference between I and Me

2009-03-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

You ask: “I hope you find solace in the love and support of your wonderful family and friends such as Rick and _____??” Is it I or me that goes in the blank?

Grammar Pulis Answers:

The quick answer to your question is this. The correct way to say it is:

I hope you find solace in the love and support of your wonderful family and friends such as Rick and me.

To explain:
The pronoun you use depends on the case.

Subject Case = I, You, She, He, They
Object Case = Me, You, Her, Him, Them
Possessive Case = My, Mine, Your, Her, Hers, His, Their

Let me explain further:

Subject Case = I, You, She, He, They
Use when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence or when the pronoun renames the subject.

Examples:
* I am here.
* Here I am.
* Knock, knock. Who is it? It is I.
* It is she who killed the butler.
* My cousin and I gasped when we saw the corpse.
* You and I are against the world.

Say these only when you want Grammar Pulis to handcuff you and slap you with a grammar violation fine:
* Here na me; where na you? (Filipino texters' atrocious use of the language)
* Me and my cousins are in shock.
* You and me against the world. (There's also a missing verb there somewhere.)

Object Case = Me, You, Her, Him, Them
Use when the pronoun is used as an object of verbs or prepositions, or in cases when the pronouns are neither subject nor possessive.

Examples:
* My instinct told me to dodge and run.
* There is tension between my boss and me.
* Everybody loves me.
* Everybody is against me.
* People like her always get away with murder.

Please don’t say:
* The bullet was meant for you and I.
* It is me who killed the butler.

Possessive = My, Mine, Your, Her, Hers, His, Their
Use to indicate possession.

Examples:
* All the blame is mine.
* The petty thief ran away with my empty wallet.
* Everything in the house is either his or hers.

Sometimes we get confused about the cases. What you can do is play the “Will it sound funny if...” game.

Will it sound funny if I remove the other noun or pronoun?

I hope you find solace in the love and support of your wonderful family and friends such as I.

You have to agree that sounds funny. (As I typed above, MS Word put a green, zigzag line under I and suggested me instead.)

Will it sound funny if I replace the first person pronoun with a third person?

I hope you find solace in the love and support of your wonderful family and friends such Rick and she.

Her (third person object case), instead of she, sounds infinitely better, which means, you use the first person object case me.

Now, if all above is confusing to you, just rephrase the sentence to convert it into something you can be comfortable with.

I hope you find solace in the love and support of your wonderful family and friends. Rick and I are here to comfort and help you.

Sources:
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
Better English by Betty Kirkpatrick
http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/pronoun.asp

In Need of a Rant

2009-03-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

When it comes to grammar, I find myself sweating the small stuff too much too often. For instance, in a yahoo group I am part of, I always cringe when I read, "We are in need of accountants." I admit this is grammatically acceptable, but if one wants to arrest verbosity and write clearly and concisely, one should just say, "We need accountants." You save two words. To me, that is a big deal. I don't understand why people can't just go straight to the point in the least number of words as possible.

"In need" sounds to me more applicable in desperate or in impoverished situations. "The typhoon left the community in need of relief goods." "He is so obnoxious; he is in desperate need of a self-help book."

And this tirade is brought about by reading new twists to this pet peeve. Take these subject lines I just read: "Still need of accountants," and "Need of help." Arrrrghhhh! Be still, my raging heart. What's with this superfluous use of the preposition of? Do they get reward points for frequent use? And in these intances, I can no longer say that these are grammatically acceptable. They are reprehensible. Criminal. And this angry vigilante has kept still long enough. I just want to call them out.

Okay, okay. I am usually not this vicious. I just needed to get that out of my system. Whew.

I feel better now. Thanks.

With the Intent to Defraud

2009-02-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

Creative Signs for the Work-Hard-Party-Harder set

“Honey, will get home late tonight.” And then the volume of his voice goes down to a whisper, “Overtime.” Of course, you say, “Sure. Don’t work too hard, honey.”

When you’re as good a listener as I am, you pay very close attention to the enunciation of your spouse’s words. Did he say, overtime? Or did he just say Obeertime? Note the difference between the sounds of the consonants b and v.

Obeertime is a restaurant slash beer pub (now undergoing renovation) along Pasong Tamo St. According to my husband, they serve some of the best barbecues in town. I have to take his word for it, because I have not yet done extra work in there. Bad lighting and probably not the most conducive place for checking test papers. I am just amused by places with names like this. I appreciate the wit and the play on words. And I’m sure those who need creative excuses for post work inebriation appreciate them too.

Less than a kilometer away is a place that picks up on the theme. D’Boss. “Honey, will get home late tonight. I will go to the boss.” Again, if you’re very astute, you’ll notice that your honey used the wrong preposition. If he really had official business with his boss, he should have said, I will go with the boss. And he should pronounce the article “the” using a soft th sound, not the d sound that some Filipinos use.

And then, there is this:

“Honey, will get home late tonight. I will pass by the job site.”

Be very careful, my dear readers. Listen carefully. Your hardworking husband just might be inputting alcoholic beverages instead of encoding data.

The ABCs of Expanding Your Vocabulary

2009-02-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

Somebody asked me the secret to expanding one’s vocabulary.

First off, I suspect that right now, you know pretty much all the words you need to know to survive in your chosen career. I don’t prescribe memorizing a new word a day. Life is too short and stressful as it is. Just use the words you already know as well as you can.

But for the sake of continuous improvement, and if you really want to deposit more into your word bank, let me share with you a few tips:

Audience – Who is your target reader? With whom do you frequently communicate? Are they entrepreneurs? Then read a lot of business magazines and use the terms frequently used -- capital, investment, bottom line, strategy, sustainability --and use them literally or metaphorically in your sales letters. Do you write articles read by sports enthusiasts? Pepper your write-ups with words about winning, teamwork, the finish line. Google specific glossaries and list down words you might be able to use in your writing. Do not overdo it. Plain English is still better than jargon. Just use enough to get the attention of your readers, who would appreciate that you use their language.

Books – There are two main tips I give to aspiring writers. One is to write, write, write. And another is to read, read, read. Read aloud. Underline the words which you are not familiar with and look them up. Google them to see how these words are usually used. Experiment by using these words in your speech or written pieces. Just make sure you are using them in context.

Crossword Puzzles – I kid you not. In my youth, I discovered the word ecru through crossword puzzles. Find the difficulty level you’re comfortable with but one that is challenging as well. And yes, you can peek and cheat. That’s how you discover the words you do not know.

Dictionary – The most obvious place to look. I don’t prescribe reading it from A to Z. Rather, check it out when you have certain words you want to look up. I recommend Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. These days, however, it so much more convenient to go to www.dictionary.com. Don’t just read the first meaning. Read through it so you understand the nuances of the word.

Enjoy the Process – Play word games online. Play scrabble with a really good player. Listen to good speakers and learn which words inspire the audience. Experiment with new words. Don’t go through the motions of memorizing one word a day when you find the process tedious. Try to use a newly discovered word 10 times a day. Use them for knock knock jokes. You’re bound to remember them better.

F7 – Microsoft’s Shift F7 is such a blessing to writers. It’s a very convenient thesaurus. Use it when you think you’ve been repeating a certain word too much. You might be tempted to use an extremely impressive sounding word that no one else you know has heard of. Don’t. The point is to be understood. Write to express, not to impress. So, stick to words that most people will understand. And be careful that you are using the word properly or else you will be taken as a pretentious fool.

So, there you have it, the ABCs of expanding your vocabulary. Again, I encourage you to read as often as you can. Read a balance of fiction and non-fiction. Read well-written books. Read books on writing. Read books that discuss topics you are interested in.

The process of expanding your vocabulary is not an instant thing. It takes time. And remember, it is not the words you know, but how you use the words you know that will help you write effectively.

Interview with the Godfather of Creative Nonfiction

2009-02-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Interesting and helpful article at http://mikeswritingworkshop.blogspot.com.

Interview with Lee Gutkind

Lee Gutkind, Editor/Writer/Teacher/Filmmaker

Lee Gutkind is the founding editor of the anthology series Creative Nonfiction: The Literature of Reality, a teacher, filmmaker, and an award-winning author/editor of over a dozen books. He’s often been called “The Godfather behind Creative Nonfiction.”

Here is my exclusive interview with Mr. Gutkind:

Mike: What is the best piece of writing advice you ever heard?

Gutkind: That you need to build a habit of writing. To write every day and on a schedule.

Mike: Should you edit your work during the process or after you’ve finished? MORE HERE.

Signs of the Times

2009-02-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

More funny signs at: http://www.oddee.com/item_96446.aspx

Thanks to Maydiwayata for sending the link.

Journal Your Way to Better Writing

2009-02-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

There’s a special group of people who live the last quarter of every year with trembling hands, nerves on edge, and a tendency to get too excited. By the middle of January, they start calming down.

Don’t worry about these folks. It’s not a chronic disease. It’s just a symptom of overcaffeination. A natural result of trying to consume 12 cups of regular coffee and 9 more cups of the holiday varieties just so they can earn enough stickers to get them a free journal from Starbucks.

I understand. I’m a rabid collector of journals myself. I prefer the ones with unlined pages. I prefer paying for them since I do not have the patience for collecting stickers. Some people are crazy about moleskins. Some people like them big. Some people like them small and handy. But really, any kind of notebook will do to enable you to journal your thoughts.

There are many benefits to writing a journal. One of them is improving your writing skills. I always tell my students that one of the most effective ways to become a better writer is just to write, write, write. Journal writing enables you to do that while having fun.

Write as often as you can. You do not have to wait for something monumentally significant to happen. You can write about the mundane. Write about your daily activities. Write about that guy who always takes the same jeepney you ride on the way to work. Write about your boss and her weird habits. Write about your plans to have a haircut in the coming weekend. Or your plans for the next five years. Or how you spent the last 5 hours. Write about anything. Just write.

Journal writing may not automatically improve your grammar, but as you develop the writing habit, you would find writing to be enjoyable and well worth the effort to consciously improve.

royalty free image from www.fotosearch.com

You Ask About Subject-Verb Agreement. Grammar Pulis Answers.

2009-01-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

You asked:

Which is correct?
A block of rooms has been reserved.
A block of rooms have been reserved.

Grammar Pulis answers:

Yippee! A subject verb agreement question.

I'll answer your question by first, giving the right answer, and then explaining why.

The grammatically correct sentence is:

A block of rooms has been reserved.

Why? The verb has to agree with the headword or the main noun. In this case the headword is block. "of rooms" are modifiers. Because the headword (block) is in singular form, the verb (has) needs to be in singular form as well.

Here are more examples that follow this rule. I have used bold font for the headwords.

The stack of records has been moved into another cabinet.
A series of concerts has been scheduled for summer.
A herd of zebras passing by is making me dizzy.
A cast of thousands gets ready for the first shooting day.
My set of silver and onyx jewelry is missing.

At your service,
Grammar Pulis

Source: Understanding Grammar, Third Edition by Martha Kolln

On Behalf or In Behalf?

2009-01-21T02:11:00.000-08:00

"In the half of management, I welcome you to the Annual Planning Workshop."

Management and employees scratch their heads as they start the meeting. It takes a full minute for the snickering to stop.

Okay, so we know that things like above only happen in bad dreams. We know that the word "behalf" should take the place of that awkward and plainly wrong phrase, "the half." But there seems to be some confusion on the preposition that precedes it. Is it on behalf or in behalf?

Not a lot of grammar books can clarify this for you. The good news is that the answer is easily googled. But since you're here, I might as well help you out.

Both phrases are correct, but each has a particular use.

On behalf means "as a representative of."
"On behalf of the Management team, I thank you all for attending this meeting."

In behalf means "for the benefit of."
"We are raising funds in behalf of the typhoon victims."

So there, the next time you speak on somebody's behalf, you can be pretty sure you're using the right preposition. There will be no snickering. Promise.

Apostrophe Catastrophe

2009-01-13T01:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a sign that needs to vomit apostrophes. An eyesore and a horrible waste of black ink. There are other punctuation violations on this sign, but I will focus on the uses and misuses of the apostrophe.

So, what are the appropriate uses of this tadpole-looking punctuation mark? They are fewer than we think:

1) to indicate possession
2) for the omission of numbers in dates and letters in contractions
3) to indicate the plural of letters
4) to indicate the plural of words

Use the apostrophe to indicate possession.

I've been to Derek's office many times.
Sometimes I have to use the employees' entrance.

There are other more complex rules for the use of the apostrophe in indicating possession. But I don't want to confuse you with too much information so we will leave that for another day. Or you can check out the sources listed at the bottom of this post.

Use the apostrophe to replace letters and numbers that are omitted.

Who's going with me to the Summer Lovin' '08 concert?
I'm going to join you.

As you can see the apostrophe replaced the letter i in "who is," the letter g in
loving, the numbers 20 in 2008 and the letter a in I am. Good job, apostrophe.

Use the apostrophe for the plural of letters.

Mara needs to improve her diction; she sometimes has trouble with her f's and p's.

Use the apostrophe for the plural of words.

I'm glad I can explain to you the do's and don't's of apostrophe usage.

So here are the don't's.

Don't use apostrophes for the plural form of nouns.

That sign should read: "We provide rubbish bins for you. Please do not throw napkins and tissue paper into the bowl.

Don't use apostrophes for the plural form of nouns using abbreviations.

Her collection of CDs is priceless.
Even professional DJs are in awe.

I hope this post helps you avoid apostrophe catastrophes. It will make me happy and we will save us some ink.

Sources:
Eats, Shoots, & Leaves by Lynne Truss
The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
Comma Sutra by Laurie Rozakis
How Not to Write by Terence Denman

Grammar Pulis Invites You to a Workshop

2009-01-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

Writing is both art and skill. And business writing, to be effective, requires competence in both
the creative and the technical aspects of writing. Combining principles of style and form, this
workshop will lead learners to develop their writing competence to produce letters, email, and
reports that achieve results and build positive relationships.

This workshop will be a two-day event.

The Art & Science of Business Writing
January 20 & 27, 2009 (one week apart)
9:00 to 5:00 P.M.
CheQ Systems Training Room
1708, 88 Corporate Center
Valero corner Sedeño Streets
Makati City

Click here for more details.

Please email ecebreo@exeqserve.com or call trunk line # +6328933199 Local 102 to reserve seats.

Three Good Reasons to Become a Toastmaster

2008-12-30T04:56:00.000-08:00

Who's making New Year's Resolutions? Raise your hands.

Whether you are making resolutions or not, I urge you to seriously consider becoming a Toastmaster. That means being part of this global organization called Toastmasters International. That means making the investment in time, money, and effort to be a better communicator and leader than you already are. Follow this advice and this time next year, you'll be wondering why you didn't do this sooner.

Why should you become a Toastmaster? Here are three good reasons why:

You will expand your NETWORK.
You will increase your NET WORTH.
It is NOT WORK.

Expanding Your Network

Within the first few months that I was an active Toastmaster, I landed a training gig in a top multinational corporation. A guest in one of our meetings asked me to coach him in language proficiency. I considered that pretty good ROI for the membership dues I paid the club. And I have the club to thank for exposing me to a network of potential clients, suppliers, mentors, friends.

Every Toastmasters Club has a roster of at least 20 members. Multiply that by more than 150 clubs in the Philippines, where there are year round activities to allow you to rub elbows with different people from different industries. Consider too that there are thousands of clubs all over the world. By any standards, that is a pretty vast network. It is up to you to get the most out of that network by being as active and friendly as you can be.

Though using Toastmasters activities for blatant selling and guerrilla tactic marketing (the equivalent of spamming) is frowned upon, you can build up your image by volunteering to host events, visiting clubs as an evaluator, and excelling in speaking contests. These are more subtle, less offensive, and certainly more effective ways of showing off your talents and building up your name recall without doing any hard sell.

Networks are not limited to professional contacts. The friendships that have grown out of my Toastmasters experience are rich and thriving. These are friendships with people who want to use their time productively, who share my desire for lifelong learning and continuous development. These are people who know how to have fun. Friends who have taught me so much more beyond just communication.

Increasing Your Net Worth

Joining Toastmasters for the first time - US$20.00
Approximate Annual Membership fee - PhP5,000.00
Competency Development and Growing Self Confidence - Priceless

I can honestly say that I'm a better person, better speaker, better writer, better communicator, better leader than I was when I started in my Toastmasters journey. Our club, Butter N Toast Toastmasters Club, values lifelong learning and aims to make that possible by providing a fun, motivating environment. It's hard to think of a better investment in self development than Toastmasters.

Our members who are entrepreneurs come into the club even when it seems like they don't need to be a Toastmaster in their career. They can put their money elsewhere, but they see the value in developing their skills and confidence.

Learning in an Environment that is Not Work

If the first two reasons have not convinced you yet, then this could be the one to cinch the deal. Toastmasters is not a have-to. For me, it's a want-to. No matter how busy my schedule gets, I need to be there in the twice-a-month meetings. It's a break from the tedium of work. It's a great, productive way to be entertained. And I can mess up without worrying about getting fired. It's a laboratory to experiment with new behaviors and to take risks. Mistakes are not going to affect my career.

But the learning and all the benefits are sure to make me better in my career as well as in my personal life.

2009 is predicted to be a tough year -- one that can challenge us in many ways. I encourage you to take the Toastmasters challenge.

Ho, ho, ho!

2008-12-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

The Grammar Pulis lays down her magnifying glass for the next few days to give everyone a break. Go ahead and commit grammar mistakes because no one's watching who's being good with the commas and bad with the tenses.

Relax. Enjoy the vacation. Cherish your moments with your families and friends.

I wish you all a meaningful and merry Christmas!

The?!

2008-12-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

I got this through e-mail. Unfortunately, I can't find the source of this highly amusing piece.

"THE!?"

We' ve been friends for a long time ago. We come from the same alma mother. Actually, our paths crossed one time on another. But it's only now that I gave him a second look. I realized that beauty is in the eyes. The pulpbits of my heart went fast, really fast. Cute pala siya. And then, he came over with me. He said, "I hope you don't mine. Can I get your number?" Nag-worry ako. What if he doesn't give it back? He explained naman na it's so we could keep intact daw. Sabi ko, connect me if i'm wrong but are you asking me ouch? Nabigla siya. Sagot niya, The! Aba! Parang siya pa ang galit! Persona ingrata!!! Ang kapal niya! I cried buckles of tears.

Na-guilty yata siya. Sabi niya, isipin mo na lang na this is a blessing in the sky. Irregardless daw of his feelings, we'll go ouch na rin. Now, we're so in love. Mute and epidemic na ang past. Thanks God we swallowed our fried. Kasi, I'm 33 na and I'm running our time. After 2 weeks, he plopped the question. "Will you marriage me?" I'm in a state of shocked. Kasi mantakin mo, when it rains, it's four! This is true good to be true. So siyempre, I said yes. Love is a many splendor.

Pero nung inaayos ko na ang aming kasal, everything swell to pieces. Nag-di-dinner kami noon nang biglang sa harap ng aming table, may babaeng humirit ng, "Well, well, well. Look do we have here." What the fuss! The nerd ng babaeng yon! She said they were still on. So I told her, whatever is that, cut me some slacks! I didn't want this to get our hand kaya I had to sip it in the bud. She accused me of steeling her boyfriend. Ats if! I don't want to portrait the role of the other woman. Gosh, tell me to the marines! I told her, "please, mine you own business!" Who would believe her anyway?

Dahil it's not my problem anymore but her problem anymore, tumigil na rin siya ng panggugulo. Everything is coming up daisies. I'm so happy. Even my boyfriend said liketwice. He's so supportive. Sabi niya, "Look at is this way. She's our of our lives."

Kaya advise ko sa inyo - take the risk. You can never can tell. Just burn the bridge when you get there. Life is shorts. If you make a mistake, we'll just pray for the internal and external repose of your soul. I second emotion.

Persuasion - When Second's Better Than First

2008-12-12T21:09:00.000-08:00

"Blahblahblah Corporation is a manufacturing and importing company established 50 years ago. We have served clients from the Philippine's Top 500 companies. We are proud of the many awards our company has reaped including the Top Exporter Award in 1998."

What's wrong with these statements? Grammatically, there is nothing wrong with them. But if they are part of a company profile write-up attached to a proposal or quotation, then those are three sentences that serve no purpose except to show a bloated corporate ego and do nothing to help persuade your clients.

Will the fact that your company has been in existence for 50 years help your potential customers decrease costs, improve efficiency, increase profit? Will the Purchasing Manager reading this paragraph feel that your proposal would make his job easier, make him feel better, be better, and do better? What needs of your clients are served by the factoid that you won an award 10 years ago?

I'm not saying that your company's tenure and awards don't matter. In persuasion, credibility is also key. But to be truly persuasive, you need to answer your reader's unspoken question: "What's in it for me?"

Here's how we can rework the self-serving and ultra-boring statement:

"You can be part of a list of of Blahblahblah Corporation's satisfied customers. Since 1958, we have been helping clients like you from small to large enterprises improve efficiency and increase profits by providing top quality products and services at the lowest possible prices. In 2007, our client, TestimonyInc. decreased their costs by 32% while increasing their profit by 42%. Our website lists down a number of awards we have won through the years. But the greatest award for us is satisfying you, our client."

Here's why the latter paragraph can be more persuasive. First off, you defocus your attention from you and your organization's need to brag. And you have focused on the needs of your readers and how your organization can satisfy those needs. In terms of language, simply shifting from the writer-focused first person (I, We, Our) to the reader-focused You or Your can alter the tone of your writing to be more interesting and convincing to your potential clients.

Remember, in persuasive writing, the second person is better and more effective than first.

You're Out of Order

2008-12-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

I remember writing class back in grade school. Sister Maria Mercedes would ask us to write an essay about our summer vacation in 500 words or more. And so even if all I did that summer was watch TV and reorganize the pantry by arranging the canned goods in alphabetical order, I had to come up with a long-winded, adjective and adverb filled piece that Sister Maria Mercedes probably read as a replacement for sleeping pills.

Sadly, this nation produced generations of students who cared more about reaching their 500-word quotas than coming up with clear, concise, creative writing. Back then that kind of writing was called flowery. Today I call it an environmental crime; a waste of dead trees, ink, and teachers’ caffeine allowances.

To this day, students still attempt to please their teachers and readers by using their arsenal of sentence lengtheners – adverbs, prepositional phrases, interjections, and a million ways to say, “She said” –- “she enthusiastically exclaimed,” “she immediately uttered with a loud gasp of breath.”

One supposedly clever device is the phrase, “in order to.”
- In order to reduce our costs, we will limit employees’ use of the toilet to once a day.
- In order to meet his sales quota, Danny agreed to sell his soul.
- Sign on this order form in order to order your order.

Let’s arrest verbosity. Clear and concise writing is more effective. It also saves trees, bandwidth, and time. Delete the words “in order” and just write “to.”
- To reduce our costs, we will limit employees’ use of the toilet to once a day.
- To meet his sales quota, Danny agreed to sell his soul.
- Sign on this form to confirm your order.

Sister Maria Mercedes is no longer counting words. Neither should we. It’s more important to use fewer words, but let each word count.

Da don of ah nyu iira

2008-12-09T00:38:00.000-08:00

Hilarious look/listen at Pinglish.

You Ask. Grammar Pulis Answers.

2008-11-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

You asked:
When do you use "somebody" and "someone"? How about "everybody" and "everyone"?

Grammar Pulis answered:
To make sure I give you the right answer, I consulted 3 sources:

Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B.White
Usage & Abusage by Eric Partridge for Penguin Reference Books
Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

All of them agree that:
somebody is synonymous with someone;
everybody, with everyone;
anybody, with anyone;
and nobody, with no one.

Somebody and someone both mean "some person of unspecified or indefinite identity."
Everybody and everyone both mean "every person."
Anybody and anyone mean "any person."
Nobody and no one mean "no person."

Take note that except for no one, all are spelled as one word. There are instances when you have to spell these in two words: some body, every body, any body, no body. That is when the word body means a corpse, a human form, or a group.

Let's try out some sentences:

Somebody/ someone/some person has to bring a body to class.
Some body will be used for the anatomy class.

Everybody/ everyone/ every person will eventually die.
Every body in the morgue has been embalmed.

Anybody/ any one/ any person can replace our bikini ad model.
Any body of water would do for the beach scene backdrop.

Nobody/ no one/ no person claimed the confiscated car.
No body was found in the trunk.

Somebody may also mean "a person of position or importance" as in:
He thinks he is a somebody just because he's been promoted.
Nobody means "a person of no influence or consequence" as in:
She only dates nobodies to have a sense of superiority over her men.

I hope this was helpful to you. Keep on asking your questions, and I will do my best to answer.

Forget About the Passed

2008-11-25T00:41:00.000-08:00

In the last post, we talked about the past tense. Here are some sentences that I spotted in email exchanges among business colleagues.

A few years ago, I am responsible for our corporate responsibility projects.
I was task by my boss to coordinate all the activities.
We meet in a conference a few years ago.

These sentences are better written as:

A few years ago, I was responsible for our corporate responsibility projects.
I was tasked by my boss to coordinate all the activities.
We met in a conference a few years ago.

What is worse, however, is when words are converted to past tense when they should not be as in:

Your support will helped me realized my dream.
Let me asked the store manager a couple of questions.
I usually gave generous tips to waiters who served me well.

The first sentence refers to a future event. The clue is the word “will.” This should then be written as: Your support will help me realize my dream.

The second sentence is asking permission to ask questions. Thus, this is also considered a future event. It would be better to say: “Let me ask you a couple of questions.”

The third sentence describes a habitual action, and should then be expressed in the present tense: “I usually give generous tips to waiters who serve me well.

Here are more common mistakes:

I did not recalled anything about the last Christmas party.
Did Mr. Roxas cancelled his order?
Yes, he did cancelled it at the last minute.

Can you tell what’s wrong with these sentences?

Whenever you use the auxiliary verb do or did, the following main verb should be in neutral form. In all these sentences, the word did carry the tense so the past tense has shifted from the verbs recall and cancel. Thus, these sentences should read:

I did not recall anything about the last Christmas party.
Did Mr. Roxas cancel his order?
Yes, he did cancel it at the last minute.

There you have it. It is important to use the past tense when talking about events in the past. Normally, you add an –ed to the verb. But there are irregular verbs to consider as well. It is also important when to leave the –ed home.

Sources:
Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln
English for Business by Charles Chandler Parkhurst

Past Tensed

2008-11-18T01:29:00.000-08:00

The rule regarding conversion of verbs to their past tense forms is straightforward; add -ed. Answer becomes answered. Question becomes questioned. Of course, there are irregular verbs such as: go that becomes went, come that becomes came. Some of these irregular verbs are pretty common so it just takes frequent usage to get used to them.

Regardless how straightforward the rule is, we still seem to struggle with past tenses. We sometimes fail to convert them to past tense when they should be, and sometimes we use the past tense version even if we shouldn’t.

Let’s take a look at the sentence:

As a 16 year old virgin, I am afraid of being sacrificed to volcano gods.

Now, this sentence would only make sense if the speaker is young enough to know the names of all Jonas brothers, is chaste, and lives pretty close to active volcanoes. But if the speaker is old enough to have been part of the Death March, or knows the terms disco, betamax, or Karma Chameleon, then most likely this sentence should be in past tense.

In that case, it should be stated as:

As a 16 year old virgin, I was afraid of being sacrificed to volcano gods.

Try these sentences out by converting the verbs in parentheses to their past tense:

Last week, we (run) _____________ out of bell peppers.
Yesterday, I (go) _____________ to the market.
I made sure I (bargain) _____________ with the vegetable seller.
I was so glad he (give) _____________ me a 20% discount.

That wasn’t so hard, was it? I suspect that many of us know the rule, but we make mistakes when we are not being careful. Just remember, if it happened in the past, convert the verb into its past tense form.

Oh, just to make sure it’s clear. The title of this post is incorrect. In this case, tense is a noun, and nouns cannot be converted to past tense.

More on the past tense in the next posts.

The Usual Suspects: IRREGARDLESS

2008-11-18T00:23:00.000-08:00

The people of the world are divided into two - those who say the word irregardless and those who cringe when they hear the word.

Those who cringe usually consider this a language pet peeve. The issue is that irregardless is not a word but a combination of two - regardless and irrespective. In this case, two rights combined make a wrong. Wikipedia tries to shed light on the irregardless controversy but does not really give us a clear-cut answer.

Here's my take on the matter. When I hear it, I cringe. It is just wrong to use two negative suffixes in one word. Stick to irrespective or regardless; don't combine the two.

Another Amnesty International Video

2008-11-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Power of Our Words

2008-11-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

I am very much in love with words - reading them, writing them, discovering and trying out new ones. I am most enthralled by the power of words - to move hearts, to change minds, to impact the world. This video illustrates the power of using words embedded in letters to change the world.

Bictory Voy

2008-11-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

And now for the pronunciation drill for V and B.

B-V
base-vase
bane-vain
boat-vote
berry-very
bile-vile
beam-vim
bent-vent
ban-van
bind-vine
bet-vet
bat-vat
boy-void
bins-Vince
ban-van
burse-verse
bend-vend

Enjoy practicing!

Crimes of Fassion - And Other Fronunciation Biolations

2008-11-06T23:43:00.000-08:00

A Ba Ka Da E Ga Ha- That's the Filipino alphabet I grew up with. I know that this has now evolved into a new alphabet that looks so much like the English one. But, I suppose a whole lot of Filipinos learned the alphabet without an F. And that makes it undestandable when people say pour instead of four, pamily pirst instead of family first. I get it. F is hard to pronounce.

What boggles my mind and offends my ears is hearing people use the f sound for words that are spelled with a p. It's ferpectly understandable the other way around, but how did that uncalled for F come about? Flease fass the rice , black feffer, tof 10.

Now, here's my constructive suggestion.

Fractice, erm practice, practice, practice.

If you get your f's and p's mixed up, you can practice pronouncing these pairs of words.

F - P
feel - peel
four - pour
fine - pine
foot - put
fork - pork
fast - past
fart - part
fare - pare
fat - pat
fail - pail
far - par
fore - pore
faint - paint
fool - pool
fit - pit
face - pace
few - pew
fan - pan
fad - pad
fashion - passion

Read them twice daily at first until you get them right. Then, do it weekly. Make sure you apply them in your conversations. Eventually you won't need to practice that frequently; just do refresher drills when you think you're reverting back to your old ways. If you have a friend whom you can trust in pronunciation, let her listen to you. Be open to suggestions, and don't take it personally if your friend snickers sometimes. In time, you will learn to pronounce your f's and p's perfectly.

Let's Save the World One S at a Time

2008-11-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

One of the first things we learn in using the English language is how to make plural nouns. The general rule is to add an s at the end of the word. For example, chair becomes chairs and house table becomes tables. Because life is not simple, there are always exceptions and variations to this general rule. For example, life becomes lives, mouse becomes mice, city become cities, and child becomes children. But I have a strong, well-founded suspicion that you all know that.

So today's lesson starts here:

There are certain words that do not need the s to be converted to their plural form. In fact, they remain exactly as they are as when they are singular nouns.

These are some examples:

* equipment
* furniture
* jewelry
* advice
* stationery

Let's use them in sentences:

* The delivery men hauled a truckload of equipment into the new office building.
* We had the furniture for the CEO's office custom made.
* The tenants were advised to insure their jewelry.
* Through the years, my mentor has given me much advice about personal finance.
* We ordered stationery for the new office assistant.

There are certain words to which it is acceptable to add s, but you have to watch out for the context in which you use them.

For example, I hear people say, "Don't use jargons." Now, dictionary.com would say that jargons is an acceptable plural form. (Spellcheck, however, puts a red zigzag line underneath it.) Generally, though, jargon without an s is sufficient.

One definition of the word jargon is: the language, esp. the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group: medical jargon.

It refers to a body of terms used by a specific group of people. So it wouldn't be correct to say, "Avoid using technical jargons." It's like saying, "I need to widen my vocabularies." In some rare cases, perhaps, jargons may be acceptable when one says, "Different kinds of jargons are used in different kinds of arts - music jargon, photography jargon, theater jargon."

The same situation holds true for the word behavior. I've heard somebody say, "I don't like his behaviors. He's always rude and irresponsible." Now, even though this spiteful fellow has been doing rude and irresponsible acts for years, it's still better to say, "I don't like his behavior." Behavior refers to the aggregate responses to internal and external stimuli. Again, there are times when adding an s to the end of the word behavior might be acceptable, like when you're talking about the behaviors of different cultures with regards to public display of affection.

I guess I have belabored the point well enough. For the words jargon and behavior, it will depend on context. But for equipment, jewelry, and the rest of the list above, it is best to spare the s. When in doubt, consult a reliable and recent dictionary. If everybody would just use the plural forms of these nouns properly, we can save the world one s at a time. Think of all the ink and trees we will save. And if you think of those grammar nazis who cringe and have their blood pressure shoot up whenever they hear the words advices and furnitures, maybe doing this will be our little way of contributing to world peace.

Sources: Chicago Manual of Style 15th Edition, Watch Your English by Dr. Dups, www.dictionary.com

FILIPINISMS: Language Felonies Pinoy Style

2008-11-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

FILIPINISMS: Language Felonies Pinoy Style is a category for those peculiar ways Filipinos use the English language. Here's one of them.

The Ocular Inspection

How many times have you heard this term? It's also sometimes phrased as Ocular Visit. We've heard it so many times that it has started to sound right. But, think about it - what does ocular mean?

Ocular refers to the eye. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocular to verify. So when your HR Coordinator says he's going to a junket er uhm ocular visit to some resort your company is considering as a venue for the summer outing, you better tell him to leave his ears, tongue, nose, and epidermis in the office. He's not going to need those. Because he's only going for an ocular visit. He can only look. He cannot smell, touch, or hear. And a taste test of the resort's cuisine would also not be possible. Because it's only an OCULAR visit.

I don't know when, where, how, or why this term started being used and how it became popular. And we don't have to maim or poke the eyes of the person who started it all. But we can stop using this rather silly term and say instead, "We, (meaning you and the cute office practicumer - another Filipinism) are going to take the day off from our boring desk jobs to visit Ragged Rock Resort to check out the place for our company outing." That means you don't have to leave your other sense organs on your desk.

And your boss will say, "Ah magoocular kayo. Wear sunblock!"

Image borrowed without permission from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Ocular_Marek%27s_disease.jpg

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

2008-11-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Usual Suspects: Grammar Errors that Murder the English Language and Your Reputation will be a category for blog entries that tackle the usual grammatical errors I spot on my students' papers, colleagues' email, friends' messages, wall signages, and other surfaces where typos and language lapses lurk.

Lesson One: Spelling Tricky Pronouns

Let’s start with the basics. Let’s talk about the your/you’re, their/they’re, its/it’s conundrum. It remains a mystery why even after years of using the English language, we still can’t get these right. Fortunately, we can get away with it when we are speaking. Your is pronounced like you’re. Their is also a homonym of they’re. And its sounds exactly like it’s. The problem becomes obvious when these words are written. Spellchecker might not be able to help you here, because in isolation, they are correctly spelled words. In context, they can cause you trouble. Sure, your reader might be astute enough to understand your intended meaning. But, in a critical report or a cover letter for a job application, getting these wrong can do serious damage to your credibility. So, let this be your guide.

Possessive Pronouns:
Your
Their
Its

Subject Pronouns plus Linking Verbs:
You're (You are)
They're
It's (It is)

Clues:
All the possessive pronouns are whole words.

Each word from the other group is s contraction formed by joining a subject pronoun and a linking verb (is, are). Remember that the first letter of the verb is dropped and replaced by an apostrophe. In the movie of your mind, imagine that the apostrophe is either an i or an e.

Now, let’s use them in sentences.

Your grammar is appalling.
You’re appalling for insulting my grandmother.

Their response to their grandmother’s surprise visit was very lukewarm.
They’re not going to be in her good graces when it’s time to review her will.

The will is going to be reviewed? I thought its stipulations have been finalized.
It’s not final until she’s finally gone.

Now, it’s your turn.

______________ fly is open.

Don't you care that ______________ displaying ______________ family jewels to the public?

I don’t care if ______________ looking. ______________ reactions do not concern me at all.
______________ a shame ______________ too concerned about public opinion. ______________ not the end of the world.

In fairness to those who get these wrong, it is fairly easy to get them wrong due to ignorance, laziness, confusion, sleepiness, intoxication, tired eyes, lack of focus, or a combination of these reasons.An occasional lapse won't terminate your career. But knowing these basic rules will go a long way in achieving clarity in your communication and presenting yourself in the best positive light to your readers.