| Bette Frick
The Text Doctor®
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| Free grammar training in 2011 |
Watch this monthly newsletter for these future lessons:
- Four uses of commas
- Two uses of semicolons
- Five uses of colons
- Two uses of hyphens
- Two uses of apostrophes
- Punctuation placement
- Punctuation of vertical lists
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| Quote of the Month |
"I am inundated with questions from people across the United States about punctuation, and many involve the serial comma
. . . . Speaking as Punctuation Man, I hope to resolve one of punctuation's nagging issues and provide clarity. I recommend the use of the serial comma because it helps make clear the meaning of a sentence."
Jeff Rubin, Punctuation Man
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| Yes, I have my own editor | |
Special thanks to my faithful editor, Liz Willis, who improves my newsletter every month.
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| Quiz on the serial comma | |
How would you punctuate this sentence?
Research indicates that periodic electrical excitation of cranial nerves cortical sites or deep-brain structures impacts the frequency of seizures.
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| The Text Doctor's Diagnosis
February 2011
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Greetings!
I'd like to wish you and all my loyal readers a Happy Valentine's Day. (Read my first article to see why I didn't color this red.)
In my research this month, I've unearthed all kinds of interesting information to share with you. Unfortunately, it won't all fit in one newsletter. So look for more great tips next month and throughout 2011.
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Got color?
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| In my writing classes, I am often asked about using color in documents, presentation slides, and websites or blogs. In this article, I'll cover the basics of why people use color; why you might want to avoid using color; and how to use color intelligently.
Why people use color
Color can be very effectively used to emphasize text (headings, warnings, main points). Some use color to provide variety (black can be SO boring). And finally, others might use color because they think it may be expected to liven up their writing.
Four reasons not to use color
- Almost 10% of males have some type of deficiency in their color vision. This generally manifests in an inability to see red or green or both. Some have trouble with blue/yellow color combinations. If you are using color for emphasis, you won't get the result you expect with 10% of your male audience.
- Color doesn't work with a cross-cultural audience, perhaps because color is so culturally associated with emotion. In Western culture, red can signify joy, anger, or danger/warning. In Korea, the color red is reserved to write the names of those who have died. Just as you cannot control who will read your document, you likewise cannot control how your reader will interpret your use of color.
- If your document will be printed in black and white, you will lose the impact of the emphasis or variety that you intended by using color.
- Color is difficult to handle well; in fact, it's very easy to go overboard in your use of color. If you doubt your skill, stick to black and white.
If you must use colors, be aware of the following: - Light text on a dark background is 16% harder to read.
- Blue is hard to see because blue cones (receptors of color) are absent from the center of the fovea, the part of the retina where visual acuity is greatest. Consider using bold or a different typeface for the items you are highlighting.
- Experts suggest that MS Word palettes may not actually be well designed in terms of color.
Learn more about color
Visit the websites below for an introduction to color theory, including how it affects our emotions:
http://www.colormatters.com/ http://www.colourlovers.com/color http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/color Visit these websites to see how a color-deficient reader would perceive your image or website:
www.vischeck.com
www.colblindor.com
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/accessibility/assistance/cd/ http://colorfilter.wickline.org/
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Results from January's quiz on introductory commas
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| I was gratified by the participation in my punctuation quiz after I posted the first lesson in this year-long series. Who knew that 89 readers would test their ability to use a comma to set off introductory material correctly? Note the two commas in the correct answer:
Consequently, if we factor in product support hours and planned project hours, the backlog increases to 1700+ hours.
This sentence has two introductory elements: Consequently and if we factor in product support hours and planned project hours. Both need to be set off from the main clause: the backlog increases to 1700+ hours.
Good work, class: More than 75% of you got it right. Now, on to the serial comma (and possibly serial complaints).
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This month's grammar lesson: the serial comma
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| Want to pick a fight? Ask someone
wheth er they use the
serial comma (a comma before the conjunction in a paragraph list). Who knew that one little stroke of ink could start a battle?
Forming a series of items (three or more items coming one after another) allows you as a writer to efficiently list things that should be considered together. Use commas to visually and grammatically separate each item, adding a comma before the "and" or "or" in the series to allow the reader to recognize the boundaries of all the items.
For example:
- In our HR class, we studied recruitment, mergers and acquisitions, and employee relations.
- Metals concentrations for groundwater samples collected from SB-1, SB-2, and SB-3 were below established limits for drinking water.
The serial comma is probably the most controversial comma (just Google "serial comma" to see what I mean). All technical and business writing style guides call for its use, but the Associated Press does not recommend the use of the serial comma in a simple list.
Journalists and writers in marketing and sales departments follow AP style and do not use the serial comma. (I've found that it is pointless to argue this difference with anyone who uses AP style. To see an example of AP style in action, click here.)
One more thing to note: Don't waste a comma between two items: "I've had it with snow and ice this winter!"
Ready for your quiz?
Next month: Punctuation to separate independent clauses
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Favorite things: The toolkit for making written material clear and effective
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| Check out The Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective, a health literacy resource from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
As you can see by the topics below, this 11-part toolkit provides everything you need to make written material in any discipline easier for people to read, understand, and use.
The format is readable and the PDFs are the right price: Free. (Well, actually, you already paid for it with your taxes.)
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