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Better English 101
Tips For Communicating Better
Vol I, No. 1
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in this issue
-- Transitional Phrases
-- Avoid These Common Errors
-- Quips You Can Use
Plain Language
Sometimes we stumble trying to be scholarly, sophisticated, urbane or even cute, and wind up using the word incorrectly anyway. I am titling my new book on language, Come Down to Earth. I have not decided on the subtitle yet, but the main idea that I?ll be pushing in each issue of this newsletter is that we should speak and write using diction (choice of words) that anyone in your audience can understand. That kind of communication can save time, money, and even lives. |
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Transitional Phrases ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moving from one idea to another can be done easily
with transitional phrases. When you move, you make
a transition. When you move from one idea to
another, one sentence to another, one paragraph to
another, one chapter to another, you are making a
transition. Transitional phrases help you make those
moves smoothly.
Here are some transitional phrases that you should
consider?
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Avoid These Common Errors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Very unique
If something is unique, it is one of a kind, without an equal. It is sometimes called an absolute adjective. So it does not take a modifier, as in this publishing CEO?s statement: ?The group of companies involved in bringing this experience to readers is very unique.? Myself is not a subject. It is a reflexive pronoun. Like himself, myself, themselves; it?s used for emphasis, and usually as the object of a verb or preposition. It always refers to another noun or pronoun. Incorrect: John and myself went up the street. Satheesh, Marvin and myself decided to quit. Correct: He himself had never thought about it. They are asking themselves big questions. He decided to represent himself. She passed herself off as a government employee. I surprised myself tonight.
Impact is not a verb.
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Quips You Can Use ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maureen Dowd, writing in the September 17, 2005
New York Times, reminds us of a statement from Mark
Twain: ?When I was a boy of 14, my father was so
ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man
around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at
how much the old man had learned in seven years.?
John Podesta, former chief of staff in the Clinton
administration, said this about a White House
spokesman: ?[His] credibility isn't just in tatters. It is
more like confetti.?
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Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email:
barry@beckhamhouse.com
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