An algorithm (ăl’gə-rĭTH’əm) is a procedure defined to solve a problem, usually structured in steps. The algorithm takes an input, carries the steps and then produces an output. Google, for instance, uses an algorithm to find the most relevant web pages on the Internet whenever your perform a search query. Algorithms sound scary, of interest … Read more
American English has many regional variants, some of them more comprehensible than others. Along with spelling rules, schools once taught a standard pronunciation. The purpose was to maintain a standard speech easily understood by people in every part of the country and by non-native speakers who learn English as a second language. No one doubted … Read more
The apostrophe has a wide range of uses within the English language. Forming plurals, however, is not one of them. Many people, especially those that speak English as a foreign language, tend to make this blatant mistake. Here are some examples illustrating this punctuation error: According to the rule’s we should follow him. The waiter … Read more
Meritocracy (mĕr’ĭ-tŏk’rə-sē) is a system where the advancement of individuals is based on their performance and ability. American companies, for instance, are said to be more meritocratic than Italian ones, where nepotism (family connections) prevail. Yet if you look beyond party politics at some of the things that have distinguished America—mobility, immigration, meritocracy, volunteerism—a more … Read more
Some novelists like to begin with a blank page and see where their thoughts take them. This approach may be good enough to get started, but if it’s a mystery you want to write, sooner or later you’ll need a plan. Before you get too far, you may want to check out Hallie Ephron’s Writing … Read more
In the 1970’s, educational research indicated that less than one per cent of the population suffered what has come to be called “dyslexia” (a disturbance of the ability to read). Now the estimate is “from 5 to 15 per cent.” As early as 1955 Rudolf Flesch pointed out the disconnect between “modern” teaching methods and … Read more
Spelling counts, even in the classified section of a newspaper. Since people who place the ads can’t depend upon someone at the paper to correct their spellings, it’s a good idea to be careful. Here are some spellings I’ve noticed in classified ads: Dalmation pups for sale Bluehealer pups for sale Female lab – spaded … Read more
No matter what kind of writing you do, reading poetry can be a great way to improve your writing skills. The principles of poetry can be applied to nearly every kind of writing you do. Let’s take a look at what we can learn from poetry. 1. Poetry teaches word economy. In a poem, not … Read more
The convenience of the Web has made freelance writing more convenient. Jobs are easier to find, but rejection letters can arrive much more quickly! The Web also has opened up a new range of business practices, some good, some bad. Here are the types of freelance writing jobs that I steer away from, if possible, … Read more
The words “Caesar” and “dais” are not exactly everyday words, but when they do appear in stories or news items, they are often misspelled. The problem with Caesar is that the English pronunciation is /see zer/ so the English speaker wants to put the “e” directly after the “C.” I learned how to spell it … Read more
“It sounds like you,” said my friend, the playwright, when I asked him about the script I had given him. Coming from a successful writer, it wasn’t a compliment. If all the characters in your novel sound like you, maybe you should forget about the novel and write an autobiographical monologue instead. You’ll find, if … Read more
If you want to write proper English, you have to follow a rule called “subject-verb agreement.” That means that if the subject is plural (ducks), then the verb needs to be plural (quack). If the subject is singular (duck) then the verb needs to be singular (quacks). This issue is not as picky and unimportant … Read more