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Following on from last week’s post, we look at how the humble comma can be essential for clarity. (Grammar, remember is all about clarity – avoiding confusion and misunderstandings.) Perhaps the most frequently quoted example of the difference a comma can make is: Let’s eat Grandma!               versus        Let’s eat, Grandma!   The simple comma turns children from cannibalistic monsters to just normal, hungry children!   What other purpose does the humble comma serve? It separates items in lists: On our trip we visited the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Death Valley and Disneyland.    It separates subordinate or dependent clauses: My daughter, who is 22, is getting married on Saturday.     This clause gives extra information, not necessary ...

Many believe that grammar is the sole, esoteric preserve of a small number of aficionados who delight in pointing out misplaced apostrophes or complaining that the supermarket express checkout refers to “less than 10 items” instead of “fewer than…”. These people may feel that worrying obsessively over grammar will stem their creativity – or perhaps that grammar is outdated in a 21st-century world of instant communications.     But grammar is not just about being pedantic; it’s about clarity. Incorrect grammar can make a basic statement ambiguous at best and almost impossible to comprehend at worst. We are featuring a series of blog posts over the next four weeks, dealing with different grammatical issues that affect clarity. First, the hy ...

  It seems like it was only just Christmas and now here we are ready for March Break! If you’re busy at work, you may well be wondering where on earth the time has gone. So, what will you do during March Break? Not sure? There are some ideas below:   1] Take a vacation somewhere warm Work busy? No time to get away? Remember that vacations are beneficial and have been proven to improve efficiency. We all need to recharge our batteries; relax and take a break – your business will survive without you for a week or so and you will return to work feeling re-energized. (And if you’re really tired of winter, just think of all the vitamin D you’ll be soaking up!)   2] Take a vacation somewhere cold   See above for reasons to take a break. However, if beaches aren’t your thing a ...