Speaking

Say what?

When she won the Oscar this year, actress Melissa Leo made the mistake of dropping the F-bomb as part of her speech on live television. Tip: Prior to walking into a room or onto a stage, practice your spiel.

4 lessons from stand-up comedy

Steve Cody, a public relations consultant who blogs as The Repman, says he’s learned four things about good communication from practicing stand-up comedy: 1. Courage builds courage. 2. Timing is (almost) everything. 3. It’s not just what you say, but how. 4. Humor works like a magnet.

He says/she says

Life would be simpler if we all spoke the same language. Not only do many of us speak completely different languages based on culture, but we also speak different languages based on gender. Neither style is better than the other; they’re just different.

Grammar Repair Shop: If only this phrase would 'go missing'

Problem: I've been hearing and reading the phrase "went missing" lately. It's frequently in the media and sounds terrible! Is this phrase grammatically correct? — Joyce Prosser, Administrative Assistant, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, N.H. T...

Grammar Repair Shop: 'Which' or 'that'?

A reader asks: "Is there a hard-and-fast rule regarding 'that' and 'which?'" One way to figure out when to use "that" versus "which": Take a look at the whole sentence, and then decide whether the word will introduce an essential or nonessential clau...

Grammar Repair Shop: Is it just 'me'?

One reader asks: "Please clarify the use of the word 'I' when using a pronoun with another name, such as: 'These are the vacation schedules for Joan and I.' Do you use I or me?" Whenever you're unsure of which pronoun to use in a situation like this ...

Grammar Repair Shop: Passive resistance

People tend to overuse the passive voice because they think it's more professional. In truth, readers prefer active sentences for their more direct and engaging tone. How can you spot a passive sentence? Three telltale signs: 1. Something happens to ...

Grammar Repair Shop: Tips for avoiding 4 common word goofs

Should it be affect or effect? They're or their? If you haven't confused these words when writing, you've probably seen others mix them up. Here's how to make the right choice, when it comes to the following commonly confused words: 1. There/their/th...

Grammar Repair Shop: Saying it again and again

Avoid repeating yourself by watching out for the following tautologies: phrases that—put simply—say the same thing twice. 1. advanced ahead 2. at this point in time 3. basic fundamentals 4. brief in duration 5. both together 6. coop...

Grammar Repair Shop: With regards to, irregardless

Reader Kelly Merritt sent us the following note recently: "Most people write 'I am writing with regards to,' or 'in regards to,' and I have even been corrected when using 'in regard to' ... when everything I have read says that 'regard' and not 'rega...

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