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Category Archives: Brevity
Getting It “Wright”
Here’s another chance to flex your editing muscles. See what refinements you might make in these two paragraphs from an article quoting a Wright brothers authority. The publication will remain anonymous, and we’ll call the authority Smith. Although neither Albert … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Common Grammar Errors, Flair & Finesse
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Play Copy Editor
Several rough spots jumped out at me when I read Friday’s newspaper. What would you have caught as copy editor? 1. From an entertainment column: The other reason I’m fond of the jacket is because KSU was one of the … Continue reading
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Fly High
See if this title of an online article grabs your attention. 9 Reasons Why Flying is Getting Better Your response might be “Really?” Does the person who wrote this always fly first class? Does the writer know a secret to … Continue reading
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The Soul of Wit
Although emulating Shakespeare may be aiming a bit high in our day-to-day emails, we can enhance our writing by committing to a venerated line from Hamlet: “Brevity is the soul of wit.” When we edit our work, often the fun … Continue reading
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“I” Contact
In elementary school many of us learned we were starting too many sentences with “I,” and we corrected that. But in the working world, where forging relationships with clients, colleagues, vendors, and others is so critical to success, many of … Continue reading
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In the News II
Try your hand at catching errors or making other refinements in these recent news stories. 1. Gov. John Kasich has spent 130 days of the last 10 months on the road outside of Ohio as he campaigns for president. 2. … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Commonly Confused Words, Flair & Finesse
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In the News
We all make errors when we write – even the pros who report the news. Play copy editor and decide how you’d refine these passages from the past week. 1. The middle-of-the-road shopper, neither low-end nor high-end, who in recent years … Continue reading
Weight Loss
It’s January. Gym memberships are up; calories are down. But have you resolved to eliminate fat in your writing? Here is a practice session on writing more concisely. What would you edit? 1. Due to the fact that many of … Continue reading
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“Olio”
If you’re a crossword puzzle aficionado, you know that an “olio” is a miscellaneous collection (related to another frequent crossword answer, “olla,” or stew). Today, see if you can correct or refine these sentences from an olio of sources. 1. … Continue reading
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Oldies but Goodies II
As promised last week, here are a few more quiz questions from 2015. First, correct errors or redundancies in these two sentences. 1. If you’re wondering where my Dad is, Uncle Al saw him hop in the hotel bar. 2. … Continue reading