Author Archives: catherinespicer

It’s awards season, so for this week’s Grammar Hammer, I thought I’d tackle the trickiness of “premier” vs. “premiere” (also, a suggestion from a loyal reader.)

Paging through any number of magazines, how many times have you seen ads or read articles about various places or business touted as “the premiere [spa, resort, restaurant, software, etc.]“? This comes up more often than you might think in business writing. My handy-dandy AP Stylebook keeps things pretty simple when you’re trying to decide which word to use.

“Premiere” can be used as a noun or a verb and refers to a first performance.

QUICK TIP: Outside of the entertainment industry, you won’t have much occasion to use “premiere.” If you want to have some fun with your readers, tell them that a movie premieres at its premiere.

EXAMPLE: “My friends and I won free tickets to the premiere of the ballet.”

“Premier” – used as a noun to mean an individual who is the first minister in a national government that has a council of ministers, or used as an adjective to mean a first in status.

QUICK TIP: “Premier” is easy to remember because it will have almost nothing to do with a debut performance.

EXAMPLE: “My son’s class project about Canadian provinces included writing a report on the Quebec premier and what she does during an average day at work.”

EXAMPLE: “On these cold, wintry days, I remember my trip last spring to the Kauai Coffee Plantation – the premier coffee destination in Hawaii.”

So the next time that magazine you’re reading while you wait for the dentist touts the luxuries of the “premiere resort spot in the world,” you can sigh and shake your head at the unnecessary fancy-fied spelling used to try to get you to book a trip.

Have a grammar rule you’d like me to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services at PR Newswire.

I’ve read several articles lately that have made me question whether I’m just getting old and curmudgeonly about certain things. I’m a self-proclaimed old-schooler in many respects.  I still want to put two spaces after a period (mainly out of fear of retribution from Mrs. Thomas, my high school typing teacher, who would thwack my knuckles with a ruler if I didn’t employ proper spacing). I still advocate the use of the serial comma after the second to last item in a list.

“Where are you at?” and “Where is it at?” are the grammatical equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to me. Is ending a sentence with a preposition a grammatical faux pas? Is it an urban grammatical myth? Or is it just irritating?

The Colonel would say, “Now, granddaughter, sometimes it’s ok to end a sentence with a preposition. Think about whether or not the sentence would work if you left out the preposition.” Ending a sentence with a preposition is part urban grammatical myth, part unnecessary and part absolutely necessary.

NECESSARY: “What did you trip over?” You can’t really say, “What did you trip?” That sounds more like you actually tripped something instead of tripping over something. And unless I was auditioning for Shakespeare, I probably wouldn’t say, “Over what did you trip?”

UNNECESSARY: “Where are you at?” I’m at the end of my rope with that sentence. “At” is unnecessary. I will say this is something I hear spoken more than I see it written. But, since the old-schooler in me believes that well-written is a direct correlation to well-spoken, it’s still a viable example. Unnecessary prepositions can also show up in the middle of sentences. For example, “There’s a stray cat outside of the door.” You don’t really need the “of” in that sentence. “There’s a stray cat outside the door.”

URBAN GRAMMATICAL MYTH: Grammar Girl offered some sage advice on this one, calling it “Cover Letter Grammar.” Because so many people see ending sentences with prepositions as a grammar rule, don’t do it on something like a cover letter. The person reading the letter might think that this is still an actual grammar rule and think you made a mistake. But, once you get the job, don’t be afraid to end your sentence with a preposition (as long as you skip the unnecessary ones). Be ready to dazzle your new boss with your grammatical prowess and have your style guide handy to prove your point.

Have a grammar rule you’d like me to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services at PR Newswire.

The proper usage of me, myself, and I ranks pretty high in my list of grammar pet peeves. Maybe it’s all those quizzes I was subjected to in Mr. Mullens’ 6th grade English class, but when it comes to using me, myself, or I, here are a few quick tips to help you remember which is which.

I – one of the big guns in the personal pronoun world – is used as the subject. Only use “I” when you are the one taking action in the sentence. “I shoveled the driveway.” Simple, right? Let’s add someone else to the sentence. Which would you use?

• “Tony and me shoveled the driveway in record time.”
• “Tony and myself shoveled the driveway in record time.”
• “Tony and I shoveled the driveway in record time.”

Correct answer – “Tony and I shoveled the driveway in record time.”

Quick tip – if you’re not sure whether or not to use “I,” remove the other person from the sentence and see if it makes sense. I’m pretty sure I’d get some strange looks if I said, “Me shoveled the driveway in record time,” or “Myself shoveled the driveway in record time.”

Me – the object. Use “me” when the action is being done to, or for, you. Which would you use?

• “If you have any additional questions about the project, call Sarah or me.”
• “If you have any additional questions about the project, call Sarah or myself.”
• “If you have any additional questions about the project, call Sarah or I.”

Correct answer – “If you have any additional questions about the project, call Sarah or me.” I’m asking someone else to do the action – call. Who are they calling? Me.

Myself – one of the –self pronouns (reflexive or intensive, depending on their function).

“Myself” shouldn’t be used unless there’s an “I” previously in the same sentence. Think of it this way, only you can do something to yourself.

RIGHT: “I wanted to shovel the driveway myself.”

WRONG: “Shoveling the driveway is good for the neighborhood and myself.” (OK, that’s lame, I don’t know anyone who really ENJOYS shoveling the driveway or thinks it’s GOOD for them, but I think you get my point.)

As for me, myself, and I, we’re doing just fine, thanks, and will probably be shoveling my driveway this weekend.

Have a grammar rule you’d like me to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services at PR Newswire.

What is it about January that brings out the list-maker in all of us? A friend of mine took to the social media airwaves on New Year’s Day, called resolutions something I can’t repeat in polite company, and instead, suggested you pick something you want to do and make it happen in 2013. I like the premise. It saves me a lot of time from having to make pesky lists that I will lose by the end of the week.

Speaking of lists, I’ve seen a lot of them lately. They range from the top news stories (both good and bad) of 2012 to lists of buzzwords we’d like to retire in 2013 (sorry folks, I’m afraid “fiscal cliff” will be with us for a while) to lists of resolutions for writers.

Grammarly recently offered a top ten list of grammatical peeves. I think it’s a great list and I’m sure there are many others that can be added to it (I’d couple in the contraction of “should have” is not “should of” along with #4 on that list).
I’d also offer one more to add to Grammarly’s list – “accept” is a verb and “except” is a preposition.

Accept is a verb which means “to take something that is offered.” My favorite example is the Groucho Marx quote, “Please accept my resignation. I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member.” It can also be used to mean “to agree that something is right” (example – “The candidate’s views were not widely accepted”).

Except is most often used as a preposition, meaning “with the exclusion of.” “I bought Christmas gifts for everyone except my brother’s cousin.”

Except can be used as a conjunction, meaning “other than” or “if not for the fact that” – “I loved everything about the party except the host.”

Have a grammar rule you’d like me to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services at PR Newswire.

How often are you using parentheses in your writing? Personally, I’d wager that 90% of my text messages with friends and family involve the use of parentheses to react to the conversation I’m having. In a more professional setting, I think I have some work to do on my writing. I use parentheses a lot to express supplemental information (which probably means I need to improve my writing to not have to explain everything as an aside, something I will resolve to do in 2013).

A friend suggested I look at the use of parentheses as a topic for this column.  As soon as she mentioned overuse of parentheses, I started watching for them. I don’t see this too often in the context of the news releases that cross my desk every day. But, when I pull up my favorite blogs or grab the latest trashy novel I’m reading, the parenthetical context changes and I get wrapped up in the story and the more conversational tone of the writer. Often, that involves the use of parentheses to express an aside (can you believe that the protagonist of this story actually falls for that crazy, eccentric billionaire with the crazy fetish?).

There are six primary uses for parentheses (thanks to Writing Simplified for the succinct list).

• Use parentheses to indicate an acronym – Please consider donating a few dollars to the Cleveland Animal Protective League (Cleveland APL) to help homeless doggies and kitties have food and shelter and hope for a new home for the holidays.
• Use parentheses to enclose dates – Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) is the historical figure I would like to have dinner with if I could travel back in time.
• Use parentheses to enclose citations – The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep (WC Fields).
• Use parentheses to indicate the plural of nouns – If anyone has information about the person(s) who committed this crime, please call your local police.
• Use parentheses to enclose numbers or letters in a series – Before I can start cooking Christmas dinner, I need to (1) get the turkey, (2) make the stuffing, (3) buy a dessert, (4) chill the wine.
• Use parentheses to enclose supplemental information. The key here is that the information being enclosed in the parentheses will not alter the meaning of the sentence if it is removed – An annual Christmas tradition in my house is to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” (one of my favorite movies). Em dashes can also be used for extraneous information, but they are used more to indicate emphasis than just extra detail. Parentheses indicate less emphasis or importance.

Happy Holidays (in whatever way you choose to celebrate)!

Have a grammar rule you’d like me to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services at PR Newswire.

PR Newswire’s Cleveland operations center, in all its holiday carnage glory.

Christmas is just a week away. Are your gifts purchased? Are your stockings hung? Have you procured the roast beast? What about the tree? Is it lit up for the holiday, or is it lighted?

Lighted vs. Lit is like the trick question of grammar rules. Grammatically speaking, either word is correct because both words are past tense verbs and interchangeable as past participles. I hate to say it, but in most cases, it’s really going to come down to what sounds best to you. According to Grammarist, lit is favored for both uses outside the U.S. Lighted is usually used as an adjective, while lit is more often a verb. The Grammarist site also includes a very interesting chart showing usage of both words throughout time. Currently, we’re favoring lit over lighted. One key difference in using lit vs. lighted is that lit can refer to someone being drunk, where lighted cannot.

So your tree can be lit with a thousand lights and your uncle can be lit after indulging in too much eggnog. I’m currently working in a festively lighted place (or, if you prefer, a place that is lit up with the holiday spirit as my colleagues battle over which pod of cubes has the most festive decoration).

Have a grammar rule you’d like me to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services at PR Newswire.

The holiday season is in full swing, and I’m dusting off the Christmas decorations that will adorn my home before the family arrives. As I placed the poinsettias on the mantle above my fireplace, I started thinking about whether or not I wanted to hang stockings. Naturally, that gave me an idea for this week’s column – the proper usage of hanged vs. hung.

Both words, hanged and hung, are past tense versions of the verb “hang.” This is also one of the few examples that I know of where there is more than one version of the past tense of the word and that there are two separate meanings (which stems from the Old English words for hang, hon and hangen).

My grandfather (The Colonel) would say to me, “Granddaughter, pictures are hung and people are hanged,” so that’s how I always remembered the rule. I’ll spare you some of the more crass examples I came across as I double checked my rules on the various grammar sites out there. Instead, I’ll stick with safe, reliable Merriam-Webster:

“For both transitive and intransitive senses 1b the past and past participle hung, as well as hanged, is standard. Hanged is most appropriate for official executions (example: he was to be hanged, cut down whilst still alive … and his bowels torn out — Louis Allen) but hung is also used (example: gave orders that she should be hung — Peter Quennell). Hung is more appropriate for less formal hangings (example: by morning I’ll be hung in effigy — Ronald Reagan).”

Hopefully, dear writers, you don’t have much cause to use “hanged” in your writing, but if you do hang stockings by the chimney, make sure they’re hung with care.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Randy Son of Robert.

In the two short weeks I’ve been writing this column, I’ve found there is no end to the grammatical bugaboos that frustrate writers.  Last week, some friends of mine started a rant on Facebook citing a number of grammatical infractions they encounter daily. One of the key pet peeves that hit that thread was the misuse of the comma.

Grammarly recently polled over 1,700 of its Facebook fans on what piece of punctuation they are most “thankful” for in their writing.  Overwhelmingly, English writers are most thankful for the comma (45 percent).  The misuse of commas is also among the top grammar mistakes that writers around the world are making, according to Grammarly’s research.

I thought it would be worthwhile to look at the four most common mistakes involving the comma.

1. Not including a comma before a coordinating conjunction (43% of all comma mistakes among Grammarly users.) When a coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses, it should be accompanied by a comma (if the two independent clauses are brief, many writers will omit the comma, but it is always correct to include a comma in this case). “I need to clean the house before I get my Christmas tree, but I’d rather go out for drinks with the girls instead.”
2. Comma misuse in an introductory phrase (8 percent.) Common starter words for an introductory phrase that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while.“While I was eating, the cat jumped on the table and knocked over the vase.”You should also include a comma after participial and infinitive phrases, absolute phrases, nonessential appositive phrases, and long prepositional phrases (over four words).

   “Having finished my column before the deadline, I treated myself to a latte from Starbucks.”

   Finally, you should include a comma after common introductory words such as yes, however, well.

   “Well, I’m sure the cat didn’t really mean to knock over the vase.”

3. Comma misuse inside a compound subject (7 percent.) I’m sure many of you have seen advertisements for law firms or pharmaceuticals and the phrases that begin, “If you, or a loved one, has [been injured on the job] or [developed mesothelioma] …” that is an example of a compound subject.  Which is it — If you have been injured or if a loved one has developed mesothelioma? The writer’s intent is that either you or a loved one is in need of such a service.   Remove the commas, they don’t belong there.
4. Comma misuse around interrupters (6 percent.) This is one that I see occasionally in news releases as part of the Customer Content Services Team at PR Newswire.  Interrupters are modifiers that comment upon a noun. We enclose them in commas because they are not essential to the meaning of the main clause. We see this most often as a noun appositive in a news release: “John Smith, president and CEO of ABC, Inc., announced today the signing of a contract with XYZ Company.”Another example of an interrupter is an adjective clause or participial phrase:

   “Jane, whom you met last night, is up for an award at next week’s conference.”

   “Dr. Michael Jones, named as last year’s top doctor, has been promoted to Chief Resident.”

   Remember that these interrupters are not essential to the meaning of the rest of the sentence.

According to Grammarly, there are 28 different types of comma mistakes that English writers can make. Yet, not including a comma before a coordinating conjunction—and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet—is six times more common than any other! What are your most common comma mistakes?

Have a grammar rule you’d like me to explore? Drop me a line at catherine.spicer@prnewswire.com.

Author Catherine Spicer is Manager of Customer Content Services at PR Newswire.