Sets of words that sound similar often confuse writers. My book, Get to the Point, 2nd edition, contains an extensive (or was it intensive?) list of these words. Several Writamins subscribers have requested that we review a few classics. Affect versus Effect AFFECT (verb or noun) in its verbal usage means to act on; to […]
7 Commonly Misused Word Pairs Read More »
Where’s the Beef? Which would you rather eat — a burger made with 100% meat or one that’s clogged with flour, preservatives, and other fillers? Assuming you’re not a vegetarian, you probably want the beef, not the filler. In the same way, your readers want your message, not the mealy-mouthed hedge words that clog up
Filler Words Annoy People — So Why Do We Use Them? Read More »
A friend recently told me that she was laying low until after New Year’s. Alarm bells went off in my head as I wondered, “Doesn’t she mean she is lying low?” Many of us are perplexed about the difference between lying low and laying low. The problem arises from a deeper confusion about the difference between lie and lay. In my book on
Lying Low or Laying Low? Read More »
[4-minute read] When I was in my 20s, I worked for a Japanese import/export company in San Pedro, California. My boss was the son of the founder, a solid, successful Japanese-American businessman. One day, he asked me to write a report on the sales prospects for an item they were planning to import. I asked,
How Long Should Your Emails Be? Read More »
[6-minute read] “I emailed him three times and he didn’t respond. What should I do?”“I know he doesn’t check his email frequently, but I don’t want to bug him with a phone call. What should I do?”“She gets over 100 emails every day. Should I call her instead?” These are the kinds of questions my
Email, Call, or Zoom? How to Decide Read More »
