Fewer or Less, Amount or Number?

Fewer and Number are used for quantities that can be counted.

Fewer people registered for the seminar than we anticipated.
You wouldn't believe the number of hours Deidre spent preparing for the presentation.


Less and Amount are used for quantities that cannot be counted.

My local grocery store is less crowded than the regional chains in the area.
Matt had a smaller amount of food on his plate than Shelly.

Spelling Tips for Some Tricky Words

Use mnemonic devices:

I before E, except after C,
Or when sounded like ay as in neighbor or weigh.

Which do you eat--desert or dessert?
Strawberry Shortcake is yummy, so it's dessert with two S's.

Make up a sentence or another word:
A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream spells arithmetic.

Hook it in your mind with a word you know how to spell.
Is it ocassion, occassion, or occasion?
Occasions OCCuR, so it's two C's and one S.

Add rhythm: Most of us learned MiSS iSS iPP i.
So it's iN coN veN ieN ce for inconvenience.

More to come later--stay tuned.

Punctuate This

Let's have some fun with punctuation!

1. Can you punctuate the following words so they make sense?

• That that is is that that is not is not is not that it it is

2. Who's in charge here?

• A clever dog knows it's master.

3. Would you hire this butler?

• The butler stood at the door and called the guests names.

Answers:

1. That that is, is. That that is not, is not. Is not that it? It is.


2. The dog is definitely in charge; it knows it is master.


3. I wouldn't hire that butler; he's being rude to my guests. I would only hire a butler who calls the guests' names (the names of the guests).

Proper Nouns Use Same Spelling Rules as Regular Nouns

During the holiday season, it never ceases to amaze me how many people don't know how to get the spelling of their names correct on the cards they send out.

Not The Jones's (possessive)

But The Joneses
Or The Jones Family

Of course, it doesn't help that Word and other grammar-check programs don't get this either.

Use the rules for making regular nouns plural when printing or signing your holiday cards and emails:

• Add an s to most words that don't end in an s.
• Remember the exceptions--we add es to most words that end in ch, o, s, sh, x, y (change to i), and z.
• There are exceptions to these basic rules, of course, but I'm not going into them here.
  

So, for those of you with names ending with ch, s, sh, x, and z, be aware that everyone will think you're spelling your name wrong when you're actually spelling it right. Easy way out:

The Branch Family--Branch is an adjective in this construction and doesn't need to be made plural.

Happy Holidays!

The Importance of Punctuation

Two versions of a "Dear John" letter:

Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?
Jane




Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy--will you let me be?
Yours,
Jane