by Sharon Ernst | Nov 12, 2024 | Proofreading and Editing
Although my oldest (who is in his 30s) disagrees with me about the importance of this because–he says–rules are changing, I am sticking with my principles and training for now. And I want to make sure we all know how to capitalize correctly. So let’s take a quick dive into the rules you need to know… How to capitalize correctly Although it might not happen too often, there might be times when you will write headlines, titles, headings, subheadings and the like as part of your writing at work–or you might be...
by Sharon Ernst | Sep 13, 2024 | Proofreading and Editing
Last time, I showed you an example of word puking from a restaurant website. It was a whole lot of fancy words that said essentially nothing that would help the reader understand what kind of food or experience they could expect. This time we have a run-on sentence—71 words—that does say something, but the reader gets lost in it because it is so darn long and confusing. Here’s the sentence, with brand names removed: The auto industry has paid lip service to digital sales for years, but with the growth of ABC’s direct sales model and...
by Sharon Ernst | Jan 5, 2024 | Proofreading and Editing
Originally published July 14, 2017. Updated January 5, 2024. Proofreading! It is guaranteed to improve your writing at work! I’m serious! If you only changed one habit this year to be a better, faster writer, get into the habit of proofreading everything you write, and I mean everything. “But, Sharon,” you’re probably thinking. “That makes no sense because that will slow me down, not make me faster.” OK, yes, but no, because when you catch your mistakes, you avoid confusion which saves time,...
by Sharon Ernst | Feb 25, 2022 | Business Writing Skills, Proofreading and Editing
Clear writing is sadly lacking in both marketing and business content these days. Here’s why… No matter how many decades I spend working with words, I continue to be shocked by the lack of writing for clarity all around me. I see cluttered and clunky writing everywhere, in marketing content and in business writing. Sometimes I wonder if people are getting paid by the word, for goodness sake! But, no, I realize that’s not the case. So what is? Why this propensity for clutter instead of clear writing? Not that I think people choose...
by Sharon Ernst | Dec 16, 2021 | Proofreading and Editing
We’re celebrating the launch of a free proofreading course with proof proofreading matters! Proofreading shmoofreading, blah, blah, blah… If that’s your attitude toward this critical communication tool, read on to learn how typos can cost businesses millions of dollars—and even damage careers. How Proofreading Protects Your Brand…and Bottom Line Proofreading is important to you as an individual and to your company, for several reasons (some quite costly!). For an individual, proofreading protects (or even builds) your credibility....
by Sharon Ernst | Nov 14, 2017 | Proofreading and Editing
I’ll admit it: Even after all these years of striving for effective business writing, I struggle with the which vs. that question. I often choose whichever sounds better (no pun intended) and make my decision on a case-by-case basis. But there is a way to know which way is the right way (again, no pun intended, promise!). How? Simply ask yourself, “Will I change the meaning if I change the word?” For example, compare the same sentence written two times, once with “which” and once with “that”: The farm which has two barns has...
