Writing/Editing

Appositives and the comma conundrum

Plenty of people find themselves wondering if they’re using commas correctly, or worse, unknowingly using them incorrectly. No need to fear, though. “Grammar Girl” Mignon Fogarty has some grammar reminders to help you become more comma-savvy.

50 verbs to spice up your writing

If you find yourself repeating the same words over and over when you take minutes, Executive Assistant Nickey Christmas, who blogs all things PA, EA and VA related on her Practically Perfect PA blog, offers a good list of verbs “that you can slot into the minutes as and when you need them.”

Can you decode these terms?

FYI, the CEO wants the HR and IT reports ASAP. We rely on thousands of acronyms and initialisms, and in many cases, one set of letters can have a wide variety of meanings. Here's a test of some of the most common office terms.

5 ways to improve your writing skills

Like it or not, people judge you by how you write. Strong writing skills will help you get noticed, earn your colleagues’ trust and move you up in your career, says author and writing coach Roger C. Parker. Five suggestions to help you improve your writing:

1-Minute Strategies: Feb '13

Improve your next job hunt with a mentor ... Opt for the best streaming music service at your desk ... Flirt your way to the top?

Write so everyone can comprehend it

Many among us battle vision impairment, dyslexia and other obstacles that affect reading comprehension. Writers can take simple steps to make their work more accessible to such readers, writes Erika Enigk.

Acronyms and abbreviations

Acronyms and abbreviations are a great way to tighten up your writing and save yourself some keystrokes, but they’re only clear to insiders who use them on a regular basis. Good writers are careful to follow these rules for using acronyms and abbreviations.

Write an effective letter of complaint

Air your disappointment with a product or service by writing a letter that lets you vent while making your points clearly and effectively.

Make your writing far more readable

Is that a memo you're typing or the Gettysburg Address? When documents look like one big block of text, it's time to deploy formatting techniques to make your words more scannable and easier to digest.

Are double words allowed?

Microsoft Word’s grammar check alerts you when you repeat a word, but is repeating a word always wrong? Bonnie Trenga, author of The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier, says no. Here are several examples to illustrate when it’s perfectly fine to repeat a word.