Put That Comma Where Your Mouth Is

It seems like a tiny thing, but double commas can change the meaning of a phrase, or even a sentence.

Double commas replace: "which is" or "who is."

Examples:

"The United States' president, Barack Obama, loves walks in the park and hitchhiking," is correct. He is the only one, therefore, there should be commas.

"John's cat Missy went for a walk." This means John has more than one cat.

"Austin, Texas, is a great place to work." This is a big one. Provinces, states, etc., call for double commas.

Commas aren't just preference. They are punctuation, and even grammar, it can be argued. They can be used for emphasis. They are wonderful tools when in the right hands.

Stop Those Anonymous Web Posts. Now.

When you send your snarky comments to online feedback databases, they can be anonymous. And that's why the posts are usually snarky. They can't be traced back to you.

Writing online is like writing any time. Would you send an anonymous letter to your kid's math teacher? OK, maybe you would, but it's pretty much a guarantee it won't be taken seriously.

Whether you are writing on a blog or creating web content, say who you are. It lends credibility to your words. People are more likely to take your comments to heart. If you have a webpage about Jane Austen, offer your credentials. Are you a PhD? An avid fan? Talk a little about why people should believe you.

In the same way, your blog should tell people who you are and why they should care about what you have to say.

Remember, when you are looking up narwhals for the kids, do you take seriously posts with no name attached? I think not.

Keep Instant Messaging in Its Place

When we IM, we abbreviate and use lowercase. And that's fine for that venue. But watch out for these habits when you write an email. People expect a more formal tone when they receive an email, particularly when it is a professional note.

Also, it is good manners to write a salutation and closing. You can offend if you are too informal. Email today is a replacement for the letter on paper. So, respect the reader and give her the courtesy of a greet and meet.

Finally, in today's online world, it is necessary to have a tag at the end. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it needs to say your name and contact information. But your tag should not be your closing. Always, always, write your handle or name at the end of the message. Mine is LM, for example.

One more thing: All of the rules of grammar apply in an email. Make sure you know the difference between its and it's; make sure you understand the use of commas and colons.

Picking Your Battles

Whether you are a freelancer interviewing a source or taking notes for your association's meetings, there is one rule you should never forget: Don't write everything.

You'll just frustrate yourself and you won't get the essence of the interview/meeting. Relax and listen to the conversation. And ask questions at the moment. If you don't understand or you think there is a missing piece to what the person is saying, it's best to get clarification right away. Otherwise, you will probably forget to ask.

It helps to have your own shorthand system. "Y" for you. "y're" for You're. "r.e." for real estate. Think of shorthand for the topics that will be addressed. If you are taking minutes, and the treasurer's report comes up, how about the dollar sign? Or "T. rpt."

It takes time to develop your ear. But after the first couple of meetings or interviews with this technique, it will come more naturally.

It's happy to have its tail.

A coworker asked me the other day about the difference between "its" and "it's." He was stuck and he needed a knock on the noggin to remember. Here is what I told him:

It's is a contraction. It means: "It is."

Its is a possessive, which is why these words throw us, right? Possessives generally have an apostrophe. John's cat. The boys' lunches. The children's playground.

Remember this: The cat played with its tail. It's happy to have its tail.

A Quick Comma Rule

Commas don't have to be painful. While you don't want to overwhelm your writing with them, they are a necessity.

Here is an important general rule. If you begin your sentence with "if," "of," "while" or the five "Ws," you'll need a comma before the second clause:

"If I write 'Kyrgyzstan' one more time, I think I'll implode."

"When I logged onto Facebook, I discovered my brother-in-law from Jordan waiting for me."

"Of all the gin joints in the world, you had to walk into this one."

And as always, if you aren't sure, read it out loud.

Grisly Murder. Is There Another Kind?

Redundancies plague our writing. I know I say you should write the way you speak, but one thing creeps up when we speak that we should avoid -- redundant words. It's your job to purge them before you hit the send button.

We know about very, about incredibly. We should describe the action, rather than lean on these words. But there are words that are so present in our lexicon, that it feels odd to take them out.

Consider "total" and "totally." "The house cost a total of $250,000." Really? Is there something other than "a total" when you talk about numbers? There are rare exceptions, of course. Sometimes, you need to clarify because you have a multitude of numbers. But question the use of "total" every time you write it.

My favorite: "grisly murder." Is there another kind of murder? Lawyers love it. You don't need to write it.