Great Post of Writers on Writing

I often recommend that aspiring writers read reflections on writing by successful ones. A good way to get a taste of what I mean is to read these 22 quotes from 22 celebrated authors posted at The Chive. They're all good, notably the funniest, not surprisingly, from Mark Twain; one that I have always maintained about the need to read and write from Stephen King; a reminder about the value of rewriting by Ernest Hemingway's reminder that even great writers rewrite; and G.K. Chesterton's advice on how to handle criticism.

A Grammar Cop Throws the Book at Job Prospects

An article by iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens in The Harvard Business Review assures us that we need good grammar if we are to work for him. Mr. Wiens requires job applicants to take a grammar test, which he calls his "litmus test" in deciding whether to hire them. And he makes a good argument for us to believe that his standards are shared by many hiring managers when he writes:

Grammar signifies more than just a person's ability to remember high school English. I've found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing—like stocking shelves or labeling parts. ... I hire people who care about those details. Applicants who don't think writing is important are likely to think lots of other (important) things also aren't important.

Many practical tips on grammar and usage appear in The Art of On-the-Job Writing.

Good Grammar Remains a Hot Issue

For the past 28 years, I have heard executives and managers tell me how they cringe when their employees abuse Standard English rules. Needless to say, those complaints increased as email grew in popularity and have become even louder as smartphones allowed us  to text on the run. The Wall Street Journal reminds us of this common managerial grievance in a recent article.

Some organizations go so far as screening all staff emails to clients before approving their release. Others authorize only a select few employees to write directly to clients. Still others that do not have such a luxury of limiting external communication to a chosen few applies the sensible approach of requiring all important documents to undergo peer review to detect overlooked errors in grammar, diction, punctuation, and capitalization.

Of the many courses that I offer to companies, my Business Grammar workshop has generated the most interest recently. In fact, the American Management Association asked me last year to design its first AMA's Business Grammar Workshop and this year to adapt it as a live online version.

Unquestionably, writers' attention to grammar reflects their attention to detail, so grammar still does matter.

Punctuation Pointers, Part 4: Capitalize after a Colon?

You will not find unanimous opinion on whether to capitalize the first word of an independent clause following a colon. An excellent online resource, which I've recommended on this blog before, The Guide to Grammar and Writing by Capital Community College, Hartford, Connecticut, suggests that you should capitalize in certain cases, yet this contradictory example sentence appears on its explanation:

There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you still have time.

But if you read the rest of the post, you'll get a sensible explanation of its use. By the way, I do capitalize independent clauses following colons and do not capitalize dependent clauses following colons. Examples:

Remember this: You must work hard to achieve your goals.

Remember to bring the following items: ID card, enrollment confirmation, and flash drive. 

Punctuation Pointers, Part 3: Capitalizing and Punctuating Lists

No universal standard exists for capitalizing and punctuating bulleted or numbered lists. The Microsoft Word default is to capitalize the first word in each item, and the editors of one of my clients insist that I follow this pattern when writing for them. Another client wants me not to capitalize or insert end punctuation except for a period at the end of the final item. Lawyers tend to insert semicolons at the end of each item, an and at the end of the penultimate one, and a period at the end of the final one.

None of these systems makes sense to me because they either undermine the grammatical sense underlying the content or they complicate the simplicity that lists are intended to convey. Regardless of which system you prefer, do not say or let anyone tell you (not even me) that there's a right way to capitalize and punctuate lists. All ways are a matter of taste.

Here is how I apply capitalization and punctuation to lists:

Do not capitalize or punctuate if the items are not sentences. Example:

Please remember to bring the following documents:

• birth certificate
• driver's license
• passport

Capitalize the first word and apply periods at the end of each item when the items are sentences. Example:

If you are the last to leave the office, please complete the following security requirements:

1. Lock the window.
2. Set the alarm.
3. Turn off the lights.
4. Lock the door.

This system makes the most sense to me because it is compatible to Standard English rules, consistent for the reader grasping the content, and memorable for the writer to employ.

Punctuation Pointers, Part 2: The Difference Between a Colon and a Dash

During punctuation exercises in writing classes, some people want to use the dash in place of the colon and vice versa. Well, these two punctuation marks are closely related in their intention, so let's see what the difference is.

A colon follows a lead-in sentence that makes an  announcement. For instance:

•  Moe Coe should bring the following tools: pliers, hammer, and screwdriver.
• Attending the meeting were as follows: John Conn, Jane Lane, and Sandy Tandy.

Notice how the following or as follows often precedes a colon. But these phrases are not mandatory, as in this example: I like Carson Larson for one reason: he works hard.

A dash also leads into information, but with far greater emphasis. Examples:

• Sue Du did a fine job—as she always does.
• Mark Dark will win—for the third straight year—the Employee of the Year Award.

Let's contrast two closely related sentences to illustrate the difference between the colon and the dash:

• Here is my response: no.
• My response—for the third time—is no.

Do you sense the difference?

BOOK BRIEF: "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker serves as tour guide through syntax and language development to support his most compelling claims that all infants come into the world with linguistic ability and that grammatical rules are senseless, as they are concocted arbitrarily and perpetuated pointlessly.


The Language Instinct launches from the deep structure linguistic  theory of Pinker's MIT colleague, Noam Chomsky, to suggest that language is indeed hard wired in the brain but that it is also learned, evolving over millennia and differentiating through forces of mutation, heredity, and geographical isolation.


The book reviews the function of phonemes, morphemes, words, sentences, and alphabets with a good portion examining syntax and semantics in combination. The insights a casual reader will gain from this book will result only from a careful, sometimes painstaking, study of Pinker's dense prose, which he often peppers with humor.