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Category: Writing
Addressing Standards
I see a lot of mail. And it amazes me how everyone seems to follow their own addressing conventions when writing out a postal address. It’s even more amazing, given that (at least) Canada and the USA have postal addressing standards. For example, in Canada, the Canada Postal Guide has these guidelines: Addresses should be… Continue reading Addressing Standards
Using Present Perfect Tense for the Past
I don’t know how many times I have heard people incorrectly using the present perfect tense. Here’s an example of the present perfect tense: Kim has worked at the University of Lethbridge for five years. This is different from saying he worked at the U of L for five years because the example implies he… Continue reading Using Present Perfect Tense for the Past
Using em dashes
Em dashes—those honking big dashes people use to introduce a break in thought—are not preceded or followed by spaces. Nor does using two hyphens –– count as an em dash. For the record.
Methodology
If you are using ‘methodology’ as a replacement for ‘method’, please stop. Not only does it sound pretentious, but to those of us who actually know that ‘methodology’ means ‘the study of working methods’, it reeks of illiteracy. Just say what you mean. Why complicate everything?
Lunch and Dinner
When I was growing up in urban Saskatchewan, we often referred to the midday meal as dinner and the evening meal as supper. It seems now that whenever I use the term dinner, everywhere I go people ask me “Do you mean lunch”. Is this usage no longer common in Canada?
Difference between less and fewer
When I was in the grocery store the other day, I noticed the express checkout line had a sign that read “9 items or less”. Interestingly enough, I have seen the same thing at different stores. This is a problem. Less We use less when we can’t quantify something (i.e. less air, less water, less grass).… Continue reading Difference between less and fewer
International
One thing I have found with being on the Internet for ten years is a tendency for a US-centric web. The usage of words such as “foreign” and “international” (as in “our international visitors” or “we offer content in foreign languages”) are often used to mean “not USA”. I do not think this is an… Continue reading International
6 handy keyboard shortcuts for accented characters (Mac & PC)
My mum’s side of the family is nearly all French (aside from a Scottish line). As a result, I find myself writing in French occasionally. Living in Canada probably contributes to this as well. Most of my French correspondence is usually with my maternal grandmother. When writing in French, I include accented characters where appropriate.… Continue reading 6 handy keyboard shortcuts for accented characters (Mac & PC)
The 7 points of email etiquette
I’ve been on the Internet for 9 years. During this time, I’ve seen a lot of people come online. We’ve gone to being the only ones in the family with Internet access to using the Internet to plan a family reunion. We’ve gone from no businesses in our city having a website to being able to… Continue reading The 7 points of email etiquette