Tag Archives: Grammar

The art of painting speech

Posted on by under Creative Writing
paint palette

When I write something my aim is to put forward an idea, thought, or concept, or to tell a story. How do I do it? I make funny little abstract marks on a page. It’s a bit like painting.

What are those abstract marks? You’re looking at them right now. They’re called letters and with them you build words.

Instead of a canvas I use the screen of a computer or a sheet of paper, and instead of a brush I use a keyboard or a pen. My colour palette is the words I use and the brush strokes are my sentences and grammar.

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Setting an Example: Professional Writing – Whatever your Profession

Posted on by under Improving Your Writing

Road SignI received an out-of-office email from the Learning and Development Department where I work recently. It began:

‘This is an automated responce …’

I was somewhat dumbstruck. Even when I saw the irony in it I still could not find it funny.

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The Apostrophe and the Greengrocer

Posted on by under Improving Your Writing, Punctuation

apostropheGreengrocer?

Often called the Greengrocer’s Apostrophe because it was seen on market stalls and greengrocers’ shops: carrot’s, onion’s, mushroom’s.

You can see apostrophes used wrongly in some of the most public places: on vans, shop fronts, and billboards. Not checking your punctuation before having something printed professionally can harm your credibility. Would you want the professional service in the image to print your signs? Have you spotted what’s wrong with it?

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Writing Inspiration: Some Favourite Websites

Posted on by under Creative Writing, Improving Your Writing, Inspiration & Motivation
DSCF0783

We writers are surrounded by inspiration in all areas of our lives.

Everyday scenarios and moments provide us with a spark that could turn into a story; a few notes that lay buried in a notebook until rediscovered and worked into a current piece of writing, or expanded upon and turned into a story in their own right.

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Homophones: Sound-Alike Words – Whose and Who’s

Posted on by under Creative Writing, Homophones and Homonyms, Improving Your Writing

Who’s versus Whose?

Homophones are sound-alike words. They are spelt differently but sound the same.

Each word has a distinct meaning. If in doubt consult your dictionary or style book. A good proofreader will pick up mistakes such as these but it’s best to get it right in the first place.

So, when do you use who’s and when do you use whose and how do you remember which is which? Continue reading →