TalonRider

Thanks Trab. Those figures could be added to what Wibby has stated. And I agree, if I started receiving pay for something I like doing, I couldn't consider myself an amateur. I'm with you Cole. I've been doing it for the fun of it and mainly work authors that I enjoy. I like to know what I'm getting into before I agree to work with someone new. I recently finished 14 chapters, some posted and some new, for my newest author. Even now there are some issues that arise that I don't do anything with and I probably should. Jan

I had an interesting email today from one of my authors. Here's part of the email he sent to me: With all of the authors I've worked with over the few years I've been doing this, I've only worked with one who has published anything and that author has a few eBooks online. Back in July I worked on one of CPL's books. I have never charged anyone for the editing I've done. I guess my question is, if I decide to do this, what should I charge? I also figure this would be good experience as one of my regular authors has plan's to become a published author sometime in the future. Jan

In an unrelated article, or is it, I came across this: Cop Uses BB Gun to Save 'Jarhead' Skunk By Associated Press Sat Oct 6, 1:56 AM CARROLLTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. - These are the salad days for one lucky skunk. Officer James Kellett said a skunk whose head was stuck in an empty salad dressing jar wandered into the police station's parking lot Thursday in Carrollton Township, near Saginaw and about 80 miles north of Detroit. Kellett wanted to serve and protect the white-striped weasel, but wasn't interested in any resistance _ spray or otherwise. So he grabbed a BB gun used in hunters' safety courses and shot at the jar from about 40 feet. The shots cracked and shattered the jar, leaving a glass collar around the skunk's neck. With its head free, the skunk ran off. "I didn't want to use deadly force, and it is a residential area," Kellett told The Saginaw News. "The way he was when he took off, he was able to eat, breathe and spray _ and do anything else skunks like to do." Kellett didn't get much in the way of gratitude, but he's grateful the skunk didn't spray. And the makers of T. Marzetti's salad dressing are sending the officer coupons good for free dressing as a reward. ___ Information from: The Saginaw News,

I like to eat pudding cups using that type spoon. It lasts longer that way.

Thats quite possible. I've notice over the years in the Health Care field, that the title Nurse Aide is being replaced with Nursing Assistant.

USAGE Part 2 Farther/further ? farther (adverb): Additional to actual distance. o The office that you are looking for is just a little farther down the hall. ? further (adjective): To a greater extent. o We have to further discuss the new line at the next department meeting. Formally/formerly ? formally (adverb): In compliance with rules, procedures, regulations. o She soon will be formally installed as president of the Management Club. ? formerly (adverb): In the past; some time ago. o He was formerly in charge of Accounting and now runs Purchasing. Fourth/forth ? fourth (adjective): Preceded by three in a series. o Ellen is the fourth secretary we've had in Human Resources. ? forth (adverb): Forward; onward o The manager gave us permission to go forth with the project. Healthful/healthy ? healthful (adjective): Promotes good health. o Eating three healthful meals a day can prevent many illnesses. ? healthy (adjective): In good health. o People need to eat properly in order to remain healthy. Imply/infer ? imply (verb) To suggest. o I hope you don't mean to imply that I have done something to sabotage your project. ? infer (verb): To guess or conclude. o One might infer, from the anger you are showing, that this news is quite upsetting to you. Indict/indite ? indict (verb): To charge with a crime. o The committee can make investigation into the wrong-doing, but only a judge can indict the perpetrators. ? indite (verb) To write. o It will take me just a minute to indite my greetings on the birthday card. Inequity/iniquity ? inequity (noun): Unfairness. o I am incredibly concerned about the inequity of the division of labor between my coworker and me, because I seem to do much more than he. ? iniquity (noun): A wicked act or thing. o The iniquity of emptying out the pensions of elderly retires to make the company appear more profitable should be punished to the highest degree. Ingenious/ingenuous ? ingenious (adjective): Clever. o Magda has come up with an ingenious solution to the problem that will save an incredible amount of time. ? ingenuous (adjective): Na?ve; openly straightforward. o Evan's ingenuous description of the problems in this department should not be misconstrued as slander; he really wants to make things better around here. Lay/lie ? lay (verb): To Place. o Please lay the report on the table so Alice will see it when she comes in. ? lie (verb): To recline. o After struggling for ten hours with getting all the boxes into the house, I will lie down for an hour. Learn/teach ? learn (verb): To receive knowledge from something or someone. o Penny learned the new computer program quickly. ? teach (verb): To impart knowledge to someone else. o Each of the supervisors will teach New Employee Orientation. Let/leave ? let (verb): To allow or permit. o Ellen let me borrow here copy of the annual report. ? leave (verb): To go away; to depart. o Sally must leave for the meeting immediately after lunch. Liable/libel ? liable (adjective): Legally obligated; responsible o We are liable for any injury that happens on our property. ? libel (noun): Defamatory statement. o Libel against our company is non tolerated; our attorneys send letters to those who slander our good name, Loath/loathe ? loath (adjective): Unwilling or reluctant. o I am loath to start the inventory of the back warehouse, because it is a messy job. ? loathe (verb): to hate. o I loathe days like this when I miss my train, spill my coffee, and delete important files all before noon. Lose/loose ? lose (verb): To be unable to find or obtain. o Jenny was afraid she would lose the bid. ? loose (verb): To make free; untie. o Why loose your anger on me? Maybe/may be ? maybe (adverb): Perhaps. o Maybe we can ask the Quality Team to address the Customer Service issues. ? may be (verb): A possibility exists. o It may be that the meeting will be delayed, because Ms. Jensen has not yet returned to the office. Moral/morale ? moral (adjective): Virtuous. o The way to determine the moral thing to do in a situation is to think of how you would like to be treated. ? morale (noun): Spirit. o The best way to keep up company morale is to acknowledge when someone has done a good job. Persecute/prosecute ? persecute (verb): To oppose. o Throughout history, it seems that one group is always persecuting another through wars and invasions. ? prosecute (verb): To sue. o We are going to prosecute this case against those who embezzled from the pension fund and, hopefully, reclaim some money for the retirees. Personal/personnel ? personal (adjective): Private; individual; involving one person. o The manager asked her assistant to do several personal errands. ? personnel (noun): Employees of an organization. o Acme hired several new personnel to complete the conversion project. ? personnel (adjective): Referring to employees. o The Personnel Department is responsible for all hiring functions. Perspective/prospective ? perspective (noun): A View o There is a better perspective of the stage from the balcony. ? prospective (adjective): Likely or expected to happen. o The prospective hires had to complete a personality inventory and present a five-minute report about some area of business. Plaintiff/plaintive ? plaintiff (noun): Party suing in a lawsuit. o The plaintiff alleges that the defendant willfully neglected his legal duties. ? plaintive (adjective): Mournful. o The grieving man let out a plaintive cry. Populace/populous ? populace (adjective): The masses; the general public. o The populace is now equipped with ever smaller media recording devices that only specialists had previously. ? populous (adjective): Heavily settled. o This area has become so populous over the past decade that the county is revisiting the zoning laws in hopes of keeping a check on the population growth. Precede/proceed ? precede (verb): To go before. o The groom and the attendants should all precede the bride down the aisle. ? proceed (verb): To go forward. o After the wedding, we will proceed to the restaurant for the reception. Principal/principle ? principal (adjective): First in rank or importance. o The financial security was the principal reason he joined the firm. ? principal (noun): The person in a lead position or the head of an educational institution; a sum of money that earns interest. o The principal called an all-school assembly to announce the awards. o The principal plus interest is due in 45 days. ? principle (noun): A fundamental truth or law. o Ben practices the principles of ethical management. Rebut/refute ? rebut (verb): To argue in opposition. o Marisol rebutted the opposition's argument that the workplace was safe with the documented conditions that existed in the factory at that time. ? refute (verb): To prove wrong. o The photos and workers' statements were more than enough to refute the opposition's argument of work-place safety. Regardless/irrespective/irregardless ? regardless (adverb): Without regard for objections; anyway. o Regardless of his feelings, she took the new job. ? irrespective (adverb): Without consideration of; regardless of. o The department bonus is disbursed among everyone equally; irrespective of individual merit. ? irregardless: Not a real word. Some writers mistakenly use irregardless to mean "without regard," but the prefix ir is unnecessary, since regardless is already a negative. Respectively/respectfully ? respectively (adverb): In a proper sequence or order. o Chris was elected in the positions of vice president and treasurer, respectively ? respectfully (adverb): With respect. o The new director spoke respectfully of his predecessor. Simple/simplistic ? simple (adjective): Clear and easy to understand. o The directions are simple: add hot water and drink. ? simplistic (adjective): Oversimplified. o "What goes up must come down" is a simplistic explanation for the destruction I see before me. Stationery/stationary ? stationery (adjective): Writing paper and envelopes. o We need to order new stationery for the office. ? stationary (adjective): In a fixed position. o Riding a stationary bicycle is a good form of exercise. That/which ? that (pronoun): Pronoun that refers to a party of the sentence integral to meaning. o We are going to the building that is on the corner of First and Howard. ? which (pronoun): A relative pronoun that designates additional detail or information. o Room 24, which is down the hall, is where the conference is going to be held. Then/than ? then (adverb): At a certain time, later. o First, we'll send out the customer survey, then we'll develop the new program. ? than (conjunction): A word used to introduce a comparison. o Beth is better than Ellen at using the computer. Two/too/to ? two (adjective): The number 2. o I need two copies of the Henderson report immediately. ? too (adverb): In addition; more than; also; very. o Our budget is too high at present. ? to (preposition): Toward. o Mary went to the meeting. Uninterested/disinterested ? uninterested (adjective): Bored. o She appeared totally uninterested in the conversation as she gazed out the window. ? disinterested (adjective): Unbiased; objective. o We need to bring in a disinterested third party to resolve this dispute. Veracious/voracious ? veracious (adjective): Honest; truthful. o Andy gave a veracious account of what had happened, despite the fact that people had encouraged him to lie. ? voracious (adjective): Having a huge appetite; greedy. o Elle is a voracious reader; her apartment is crammed with book shelves. Waive/wave ? waive (verb): To give up (a claim or right). o The contract stipulates that the author will produce the book as a work for hire and waive all future claims on royalties. ? wave (verb): To gesture; to signal. o With a wave of his hand, David signaled Alec to come into the office. Weather/whether ? weather (noun): The state of the atmosphere. o The weather prediction for the weekend is great: plenty of sun with few clouds. ? whether (conjunction): Used to introduce stated or implied alternative possibility or possibilities. o I don't know whether the art supply store will be open at this hour. Exercise 15 – Usage 1 Hi-light the correct choice to complete each of the following sentences. 1. It doesn't (affect/effect) me either way. 2. Georgia (eluded, alluded) to the conversation we had earlier. 3. I took him to the (sight/cite/site) of the new building. 4. I think the black really (compliments/complements) the red. 5. We asked Geoff's opinion since he is a(n) (disinterested/uninterested) bystander. 6. Jinx says she wants to go (to/too). 7. From Johnson's attitude, I (implied/inferred) there was trouble. 8. It's the (principle/principal) of the thing that makes me question his integrity. 9. I said my goodbyes (respectively/respectfully) to avoid hard feelings. 10. His book is better (then, than) hers. Exercise 16 – Usage 2 Hi-light the correct choice to complete each of the following sentences. 1. The heroine saved millions of lives, but nearly lost her own, in the most (climatic/climactic) moment of the movie. 2. Sean told a joke to (defuse/diffuse) the hostile tension that developed amongst the guests. 3. We will (precede/proceed) with the demolition once the residents have removed their belongings. 4. A professional arbiter acts as a (uninterested/disinterested) party to help resolve a dispute. 5. I have a (veracious/voracious) thirst for knowledge about medieval financial institutions, a passionate interest of mine. 6. Our goal of becoming the top firm in the industry was (elusive/ illusive) until Sandro joined the company. 7. Are you trying to (imply/infer) that I had ulterior motives in choosing my sister's company for the contract? 8. I don't like speaking to her because she seems to (critique/criticize) something about me every time she opens her mouth. 9. We are out of time for now, but we can discuss this (farther/further) at a later date. 10. Health insurance will be (deducted/deduced) from your salary before taxes are calculated.

USAGE Part 1 Expressing yourself clearly and effectively depends greatly on the words you choose and how you use them in sentences. The English language offers a rich and extensive vocabulary, but it also harbors a wealth of look-alike, sound-alike words that can confuse your message. Accept/except ? accept (verb): Receive willing; agree to; consent to. o John will accept the award at the luncheon on Thursday. ? except (preposition): Other than; with the exclusion of. o All of the reports except Linda's have been turned in. Adapt/adept/adopt ? adapt (verb): To adjust to the needs. o You can adapt the report template to suit the information you wish to convey. ? adept (adjective): Proficient; extremely skilled. o Angry customers soon calm down when Ellison speaks to them; she is adept at making people feel relaxed. ? adopt (verb): To choose. o If we adopt the new rules for our meetings, things will be more orderly. Adherence/adherents ? adherence (noun): Attachment; following closely. o Rules will only work if everyone is in adherence to them. ? adherents (plural noun): Supporters; followers. o The adherents of the new proposal made sure they were at the meeting in order to show their support. Adverse/averse ? adverse (adjective): Unfavorable, hostile. o The President was opposed to adverse criticism. ? averse (adjective): Opposed (usually used with "to") o The President was averse to hostile criticism. Affect/effect ? affect (verb): To influence (most common usage). o The new policy will affect employee morale in a positive way. ? affect (noun): Feeling or emotion (rare usage). o The patient demonstrated little affect during the session. ? effect (verb): To bring about, to cause (rare usage). o The cost reduction program will effect layoffs of some staff members. ? effect (noun): Result, outcome (most common usage). o What effect will the equipment malfunction have on shipment of the orders? Aid/aide ? aid (verb): To help. o I would appreciate it if you could aid me in finding conference room 2B. ? aide (noun): An assistant. o The department will be hiring an aide to help with all the paperwork this project is generating. Allude/elude ? allude (verb): to make an indirect reference. o At the staff meeting, the manager alluded to the customer service complaints. ? elude (verb): To escape detection. o The errors in the report eluded the proofreader. Allusion/illusion ? allusion (noun): Indirect reference. o Harriet made an allusion to the other company's profitability in her report. ? illusion (noun): An erroneous, false perception. o Perfect morale is an illusion in many companies today. Alternate/alternative ? alternate (noun): In place of another; substitute. o I was selected as an alternate, to be there in case one of the jurors cannot finish the whole trial. ? alternative (adjective): One of several things from which to choose. o Though several alternatives to the current method exist, the team only tried one before scrapping the project altogether. Among/between ? among (preposition): Used to describe relationships involving more than two people or things. o The four of them decided among themselves where they wanted to have dinner. ? between (preposition): Used to describe relationships involving only two or for comparing one thing to a group in which it belongs. o The choice was between New York and Los Angeles. Ante-/anti- ? ante- (prefix): Prefix meaning "before." o We dedicate this memorial to our ancestors, to our antecedents in the community, to all those who have come before us. ? anti- (prefix): Prefix meaning "against." o I hope my antiperspirant lasts through the meeting; I don't want them to see me break a sweat. Anxious/eager ? anxious (adjective): Worried; disturbed; concerned. o The anxious secretary checked three times for the overnight delivery. ? eager (adjective): Enthusiastic interested; keen. o Susan was eager to start her new job. Appraise/apprise ? appraise (verb): To evaluate; to judge; to estimate. o The head of Risk Management will appraise the four buildings before issuing insurance policies. ? apprise (noun): A foundation upon which something rests. o I will apprise you of the board's decision immediately after Tuesday's meeting. Bases/basis ? bases (plural noun): Plural of "base" and of "basis." o Let's make sure we cover all the bases of our pitch again before we make our final presentation. ? basis (noun): A foundation upon which something rests. o On the basis of your stunning letters of recommendation, we have decided to hire you for the position. Bizarre/bazaar ? bizarre (adjective): Strikingly unconventional; odd; weird. o I knew something bizarre was happening when the elevator was filled with balloons. ? bazaar (noun): A market. o Every week during the summer a bazaar sets up in the parking lot to sell crafts and snacks. Broach/brooch ? broach (verb): To introduce. o I hate to broach the subject, but have you found out what led to Alan quitting last week? ? brooch (noun): A piece of jewelry. o I don't usually wear jewelry, but my grandmother gave me this brooch recently and she's meeting me for lunch. Capital/capitol ? capital (noun): Assets; money; seat of state government; upper case letter. o The new plant represents a major capital investment. o Denver is the capital of Colorado. o Start each sentence with a capital letter. ? capitol (Noun): Building where the legislature meets. o Capital Hill is usually a frenzy of activity. Cash/cache ? cash (noun): Money (slang). o We have the cash to invest now, and we need to act while the market is hot. ? cache (noun): A hiding place. o I know there is a cache of chocolate around here somewhere, just in case of emergencies. Casual/causal ? casual (adjective): Incidental; not formal o We had a casual discussion about the case when we passed in the hall, but we did not have any meetings about it yet. ? causal (adjective): Expressed cause; relates to or constitutes a cause. o The causal factor in the company's debt is that it spent more money than it took in. Chord/cord ? chord (noun): A combination of musical notes. o The opening chord of this piece of music is a perfect representation of the energy our product delivers. Let's use it in the commercial. ? cord (noun): String or rope. o Tie up the bundle of catalogues with cord so we can recycle them. Cite/sight/site ? cite (verb): To quote an authority; to acknowledge. o Linda cited the first three quarterly reports in her year-end summary. ? sight (noun): Ability to see. o Bill did not lose sight of problems in Operations when he moved to Purchasing. ? site: (noun): Location or place. o Our company has three remote sites where manufacturing takes place. Climatic/climactic ? climatic (adjective): Relating to climax; the highest point. o There will be some climatic discomfort in the office until the air conditioning is repaired. ? climactic o Of course, the most climactic point of the conference occurred when the whiteboard fell over onto the laser projector and burst into flames. Complement/compliment ? complement (verb): To complete or add value to something. o The new safety program will complement perfectly the OSHA regulations implemented on January 1. ? complement (noun): Something that completes or brings to perfection. o The wine was a delicious complement to the meal. ? compliment (verb): To praise. o Susan complimented the staff on a job well done. ? compliment (noun): An expression of praise. o Bill was embarrassed by the compliment. Conscience/conscious ? conscience (noun): A sense of right and wrong. o Only someone with a complete lack of conscience would bilk old ladies out of their savings. ? conscious (adjective): Fully aware. o I am conscious of the fact that sometimes you need to spend money to make money, but there are limits. Continual/continuous ? continual (adjective): Occurring steadily, but with occasional stops or breaks. o Because he continually missed his deadlines, he received a verbal warning. ? continuous (adjective): Unbroken, occurred without pauses, stops, or breaks. o Niagara Falls receives a continuous flow of water from the river. Council/counsel/consul ? council (noun): An advisory or legislative body. o Sandra's position on the Executive Council will last for two years. ? counsel (noun): Advice or help. o Mary sought counsel from Brian about whether or not she should interview for the new position. ? counsel (verb): To advise. o The dietitian will counsel the patient about nutritious meal plans. ? consul (noun) A government official who resides in a foreign city and represents fellow citizens there. o The consul promised to check into the snarled paperwork. Criticize/critique ? criticize (verb): To judge negatively. o It is a bad idea to criticize our new programs in front of the fund raisers who made them possible in the first place. ? critique (verb): To evaluate. o Now that the project is complete, I'd like to critique our process so we know what to repeat, and what aspects need changing. Decent/descent/dissent ? decent (adjective): Proper, adequate, downward. o If we do a decent job at promoting this product, it will fly off the shelves. ? descent (noun): The act of moving downward. o The descent of the company to second in the market is unacceptable to driven CEO. ? dissent (noun): Disagreement. o The dissent in the room was audible in the loud groans we heard when the idea was presented. Deduce/deduct ? deduce (verb): To infer, to draw a conclusion. o I deduce from your wet umbrella that it is still raining outside. ? deduct (verb): To subtract from. o My balance is low because every week I deduct more from account than I put in. Defuse/diffuse ? defuse (verb): To make less harmful, potent, or tense. o A trained negotiator can defuse a difficult situation between irritated parties. ? diffuse (verb): To spread out; to scatter. o The lamps in the waiting room are too harsh; we need shades to diffuse the light. Disapprove/disprove ? disapprove (verb): To express lack of approval. o I disapprove of the way that some people take two-hour lunches and leave the work to the rest of us. ? disprove (verb): To prove false. o The fact that our department is first in sales this quarter should disprove all those who criticized our plan. Disburse/disperse ? disburse (verb): To pay out. o The comptroller will not disburse the funds until the proper signatures have been received. ? disperse (verb): To scatter. o The police asked the crowd to disperse after the party got out of hand. Disinterested/uninterested ? disinterested (adjective): Impartial, fair, and objective. o Sally was asked to be a disinterested member of the committee in formulating the new policy. ? uninterested (adjective): Not interested. o Tom is uninterested in participating in the flex-time program. Elicit/illicit ? elicit (verb): To draw forth. o I tried to elicit a response from Jasper about what to order for lunch, but he said nothing. ? illicit (adjective): Amoral. o The illicit ivory trade has led to the poaching of animals for nothing but their tusks. Elusive/illusive ? elusive (adjective): Hard to catch. o The goal is elusive for now, but once we have a decent team together, success will be ours. ? illusive (adjective): Unreal; imaginary. o The illusive Phoenix is an appropriate symbol for rebirth and renewal. Emerge/immerge ? emerge (verb): To rise out of. o Green shoots began to emerge from the soil soon after the bulbs were planted. ? immerge (verb): To plunge into. o Immerge your hand in cold water immediately so it won't swell. Eminent/immanent/imminent ? eminent (adjective): Well-known. o We are fortunate to have an eminent scholar on Egyptian sculpture as our lecturer today. ? immanent (adjective): Existing within; inherent o Some feel that greed is immanent in human nature, while others believe in honest human kindness. ? imminent (adjective): Impending; soon to arrive. o Alexander spent all his time on the phone making arrangements for his imminent vacation. Everyday/every day ? everyday (adjective): Ordinary. o We should sue the special china for dinner tonight; receiving a promotion is not an everyday occurrence! ? every day (adjective) (noun): Each day. o Make sure to back up your data every day before you leave the office. Exalt/exult ? exalt (verb): To raise in rank; glorify. o Allison was exalted and given another promotion for doubling the client base upon taking over the department. ? exult (verb): To rejoice. o While we all want to exult in the moment of our team's destruction of property is no way to show one's joy.

That reminds me, I've been a little lacking in posting more information. I do have some information on Usage that I need to get posted that deals with some of those confusing words.

I agree with Wibby on this. I'm the editing lead for a program at another site were member authors can get editor/beta reader assistance. When I'm contacted by an author, I ask them for a description and a small portion of the story that I can send to a prospective editor. I recently started working with a another author who contacted me personally, after a recommendation from someone. I read the first chapter that is posted at Nifty to help me make my decision. Jan

Sounds like someone may have a secret admirerer.

Here's a Grammar Quiz you can try.

But did you try taking the quiz? The first time I took it, I scored a 5 out of 10. Not that I'm making excuses, but it was late and I was tired when I took it I retook it a couple days later and scored 8 out of 10. Jan

This is an article that was sent to me so I thought I'd share it here. 5 Embarrassing Grammatical Mistakes by Martha Brockenbrough I once had a job opening for an editor on my team. In the middle of an interview, I noticed the candidate--an otherwise very nice man--had a giant piece of spinach wedged into his teeth. This was no speck; had I a pair of tweezers, I probably could have plucked it out and used it to swaddle a grape. As hard as it was to watch him smile and answer my questions, the salad to-go didn't cost him the job. The grammatical errors on his Web site--a spelling error and a missing comma--were another story, though. As gross as the spinach was, I could look away from it. Typos, on the other hand, I could not ignore, and as nice as he was, I had to turn him down. That's the thing with bad grammar. It's the intellectual equivalent of spinach in your teeth, especially when you're at work or looking for a better job. With that in mind, here are five errors that are easy to prevent. Think of them as mental floss. 1) Be agreeable When it comes to language, we can't just agree to disagree--at least not when it comes to subjects and verbs. If your subject is singular, your verb must be, too. Usually, this is easy: ? "The boy eats the pie." ? "The people eat the pie." It gets trickier when there is a descriptive phrase tucked between the subject and the verb. As peanut butter gives life and meaning to bread, this modifying phrase enhances the meaning of the sentence. But--just as peanut butter doesn't turn bread into a waffle--a modifier doesn't change the form of the verb. So, in American usage, you'd say, "The group of people is eating the pie." What's the trick here? Knowing how to identify the subject. In this sentence, "the group" is the subject, not "people." In any sentence, the subject is whoever or whatever is performing the action. In this case, it doesn't matter if there are 100 students eating pie; the group is the subject of that sentence, and it needs a singular verb. In a similar vein, I just got a letter home from my daughter's school that said, "A child reads better if you read to them every day." Even though an elementary school-age child has the energy of many people, he or she must be talked about in the singular. But if the "he or she" thing feels too stuffy, it's fine to say, "Children read better if you read to them every day." We at the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar consider using the plural this way to be our royal escape hatch. 2) Avoid apostrophe catastrophes On the bright side, the "pie's" made by our dorm's cook in college were delicious. For that, she gets significant credit and my everlasting gratitude. But I did gasp in horror at the sign she made advertising them. It is a catastrophe of apostrophe to make a plural with an apostrophe-s. Apostrophes are used for possessives. Pies, alas, don't possess much beyond crust and filling. So unless you're talking about that, keep the apostrophe out of the recipe. Apostrophes also appear in contractions, which magically appear when you make one word out of two. The apostrophe stands in for the missing letter or letters. There is one exception, though not all apostrophe zealots agree with me on this point. You can't easily write home about all the A's you got in English class if you don't stick the apostrophe in there. (It reads as though you're saying, "I got all As." As what? As if?) This exception gets some grammar nerds whipped into a lather. Purists view this as an abomination, though the apostrophe zealot in England who sent me e-mail couldn't give me a better way of writing around the "As" problem. (You can work around this by putting the A in italics, but if you aren't careful when you change your typeface, you might lose it in the editing phase.) Language nuts who are more generous with their apostrophes stick them in if's, and's, and but's. That's too far. Apostrophes do not belong in ifs, ands, or buts, because those plurals are perfectly clear without them. Clarity is the whole point of grammar, and if a rule doesn't make language more clear, then it's just silly. The final tricky situation here is whether possessive nouns that end in s get an apostrophe only, or the apostrophe-s. Unless they're Moses or Jesus, or some other Biblical entity, they get an apostrophe-s. I'm not kidding. I have no idea why this is so, but it's funny, so it's worth remembering. 3) I seem to have misplaced my modifier Let's say you're trying to sell your grandmother's antique dresser online. Does this make a good advertisement? Hmm, let's see. For sale: Antique dresser for woman with thick legs and large drawers. It would make a great ad--if you're trying to sell your desk only to husky women wearing giant underpants. If you want anyone else to consider it, you'll want to rewrite that sentence so the descriptive modifier isn't separated from its noun. For sale: Woman's antique dresser with thick legs and large drawers. If you keep your sentence structure simple, you are less likely to misplace a modifier. When in doubt, start with the subject, then move right away to your verb. This can lead to dry writing, but that's better than inadvertently hilarious writing, like this: Having finished homework, the TV was turned on. Maybe the technology has improved since the days I used to watch The Muppet Show instead of doing my algebra, but I've never known TV to finish its homework. A great way to avoid making mistakes like this is to write in active voice instead of passive. You know you're writing in active voice when the subject of your sentence performs the action. A sentence is in passive voice if it's not clear who did something--in this case, who turned on the TV instead of trying to earn extra credit. 4) Dangerous malapropisms: Say what? A friend who's in the media business told me the awkward tale of a colleague who kept saying "antidote" in a meeting, when the word she was grasping for was anecdote. This is a classic malapropism, when someone misuses a word by confusing it with another word that sounds similar. A number of words sound similar, but mean very different things. Indicted and inducted form another pair of potentially embarrassing swaps. When a person is indicted, he's charged with a crime. When a person is inducted, he's been given a new job or honor (or introduced to a new idea). You'd congratulate someone who's been inducted, and offer condolences to someone who's been indicted. Otherwise, you'd be embarrassed. Conscience and conscious are another tricky pair. But if you stay conscious of the difference, you will have no embarrassing incidents weighing on your conscience. Want more? Take the evil word-twin quiz. 5) Words to write right: its, it's, who's, whose, their, there, they're The saying used to be, "On the Internet, no one knows if you're a dog." (Cats are obvious, though; they always fall asleep on the keyboard.) Likewise, when you're talking, no one can tell if you screw up whose and who's, its and it's, and there, they're and their. But when you're writing, watch out. Screw these up and you'll look like a fool. But don't despair. Or, as grandmothers say, "There, there." You can expand your mind on this front by understanding contractions. If what you're really saying is "it is," "there is," or "who is," then use the apostrophe version. So, it's, there's, and who's. Use its, whose, and theirs for possessives. How do you remember this? Just remember that possessive pronouns have everything--except apostrophes. Likewise, I have another goofy little trick for keeping their straight from they're and there. Their is a possessive. It has an i in it. I like owning things. Therefore, the one to use there is their. There's, meanwhile, comes with a warning. There's is short for there is. ?There's a fly in my soup? is correct, if disgusting. But ?There's flies in my soup? is incorrect and even more disgusting. So be careful there. Even one of my smartest high school students--an award-winning writer--made this mistake in a recent piece she wrote for me. My bet is this is a common mistake because it's easier to say "there's" than "there're," which is the correct verb form whenever you're dealing with more than one fly. Those two r sounds in a row don't exactly trip off the tongue. While you can get away with it in speech, the error will be more obvious in writing. So beware. And now, for two final entrants into the write-it right category: loose and lose. This one's easy. Loose rhymes with goose. And as they said in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "How loose is your goose? Your goose is totally loose"--whatever that means. Meanwhile, lose is a loser. It has lost its other o. And if you can remember that, you'll be a winner--grammatically speaking, at least.

Are you bragging or complaining?

One of the Philly radio stations, in past years, runs a program where they ask for old computers (desktop and laptop). Those that can be refurbished are and then donated to other programs. Last year, the laptops they received where sent to soldiers in Iraq for personal use.

Happy Labor Day everyone. Jan

It's an attempted take over by the animal kingdom. And there is a variety here from our fur/hair bearing to our feathered friends, including a bird of prey.

And I love you too, my friend.

I need to change this statement. I have the box checked. I unchecked it over at The House, then logged in. When I went to post something, it wasn't permitted. I had to login again.

Oops, my fault. I missed it. Jan

I used to have the problem when I'd check that box so I quit checking it. Jan

The Blue Whale ejaculates over 40 gallons of sperm while mating, but only 10% enters the female. And you wondered why the sea water tasted so f**king salty!!!

That's a big help Dude.

Gee, am I going have to step in with my Garam Sarr and break this up?

We do the same thing here. If the holiday falls on Saturday, it's celebrated on Friday. If it falls on Sunday, then it's celebrated on Monday.