Archive for category Writing Tips
Just Fix It Series
Posted by Lisa in Just Fix It Series, Writing Tips on August 8, 2012
Tired of trudging through content that talks about the grammar rules before you get to the how-to? In our Just Fix It Series, we get straight to the point. No more wading through conceptual information before you find what you need. Each topic identifies a problem and tells you how to apply the solution. We explain the Grammar Behind It at the end. If you’re interested, that is.
Find Just Fix It Series
- Point to Writing Tips tab, and then point to Just Fix It Series. Select a topic.
I or Me
Posted by Lisa in I or Me, Just Fix It Series, Writing Tips on August 8, 2012
“I” and “me” are often confused in everyday speech, especially when connected to another pronoun or a name using the coordinating conjunctions “and” and “or.” For those who are unfamiliar with the grammar concepts, or who just want to know which one to use and when, there’s an easy way to decide if you should use “I” or “me” in the sentence.
Determine if it’s I or me
Example 1
John told Mary and (I or me) to go inside.
Did John tell I to go inside? NO
Did John tell me to go inside? YES
John told Mary and me to go inside.
John is the subject, and Mary and me (object pronoun) are the persons who are being told (verb) by John to go inside.
Example 2
If David and (I or me) move to California, we’ll buy a beach house.
If me move to California? NO
If I move to California? YES
If David and I move to California, we’ll buy a beach house.
David and I (singular subject pronoun) are the persons performing the action of moving and buying (verbs).
Example 3
Just between you and (I or me), moving is a great idea.
Is it between we? NO; therefore, I won’t work.
Is it between us? YES; me is the correct form.
Just between you and me, moving is a great idea.
Between needs to be followed by the plural. So, we’ll use the plurals “we” and “us” to correct this sentence, where we=I and us=me.
Example 4
She taught him and (I or me) how to catch a ball.
Did she teach I? NO.
Did she teach me? YES.
She taught him and me how to catch a ball.
She (subject) taught (verb) him and me (object pronoun) how to catch a ball.
And last but not least. . .
Never use | Always use |
Him and I; her and I | Him and me; her and me |
He and me; she and me | He and I; she and I |
The Grammar Behind It
I
I is a first person singular subject pronoun and refers to the person doing the action of the verb. Use I if it’s the subject of the sentence.
- Subject-verb
- Mary and I (subject) went (verb) inside.
Me
Me is an object pronoun. In this position, me follows the verb and is the person to whom the action is being done. Use me if it’s object.
- Subject-verb-object
- The teacher (subject) told (verb) John and me (object pronoun) how to write.
All hat and no cattle
An American idiom that refers to a person who is all talk but lacks “action, authority, power, or substance”. You may also hear people say, “all hat and no cows.”
Related idioms: all bark and no bite, all talk and no action, all lime and salt, but no tequila, all shot and no powder, all wax and no wick
What other idioms mean the same thing as ‘all hat and no cattle’?
Source: http://en.wiktionary.org
Web Content Series: Write Descriptive Links
Posted by Lisa in Web Content Series, Write Descriptive Links, Writing Tips on April 27, 2012
Your content is concise and scannable, and now you want to add value to the reader experience. You can do this by using links to help readers find content related to the topic. Links are maps to information, and must be clear and concise so that readers arrive at the correct destination.The following guidelines can help ensure that links describe exactly what the reader wants.
- Use the title as the link.
- Don’t use a long URL in the title or description. In fact, I suggest not using a URL at all, but if you must, try free services like bitly.com to shorten URL links. When using shortened URLs, consider the possibility of link rot, that they could be blocked or misconstrued as spam or questionable content, and other issues.
- Avoid phrases like “click here,” “here,” and “more info.”
- Four words or less ensures that links are easy to scan.
- Provide links to resources and related information; don’t summarize.
- Provide cross-references.
- Use key words—what people search for—to improve scannability as well as the chances of your content ranking higher in search engines.
Is it possible to describe a destination in four words or less? When is it better to link to the URL?
Copyright 2012 by Lisa Hodson
Previously on Web Content Series
Web Content Series: Make Content Scannable, 13 Apr 2012
Web Content Series: Organize Your Content, 20 Apr 2012
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Resources: Microsoft Manual of Style, 4th Edition.
Is it possible to describe a destination in four words or less? When is it better to link to the URL?
Web Content Series: Organize Your Content
Posted by Lisa in Organize Your Content, Web Content Series, Writing Tips on April 23, 2012
In my early years as a technical writer, the most common approach for developing documentation was to tell readers what you were going to tell them, tell them what you want them to know, and then tell them what you just told them. This approach produced content-rich information that end users and readers had to sift through before they found what they needed, which was usually how to perform a task or procedure. Readers don’t make time for much these days—deadlines loom, multi-tasking is the norm—and frankly, neither do I. Getting to the point benefits both the readers and me by improving usability and decreasing time to market. The following guidelines can help you get to the point quickly without sacrificing quality.
- Put the most important content first using key words in the headings, subheadings, and the first sentence of each paragraph.
- Give readers the who, what, when, where, and why in the first sentence or two, or paragraph.
- Communicate in plain language and use short paragraphs that focus on a small chunk of information.
- Provide links to related information. (Don’t over do it.)
In my post, Carl Albert Public Internship Program: Real Experience, Lifetime Connections, the most important content is in the heading and the first paragraph, as well as in a link to the CAPIP web page.
Carl Albert Public Internship Program: Real Experience, Lifetime Connections
Interested in public service? Want to build a network of professionals in your area of interest while getting paid? Consider becoming a Carl Albert Public Intern or an Executive Fellow. The Carl Albert Public Internship Program (CAPIP) is open to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in an accredited university. This Program is ongoing; hence, there is no application deadline.
There’s much more to the post, but the basic key points, or takeaways—name of the internship, network, get paid, and no application deadline—ensure that if readers don’t read further, they have what they need. A link to the source is also included and serves as a visual cue that tells the reader, “Hey! Click me to learn more.”
It’s not about you or me; it’s about the readers’ experience. Getting to the point in your content gives readers what they want without sacrificing quality, and they are more likely to visit again.
Previously on Web Content Series
Web Content Series: Make Content Scannable, 20 Apr 2012
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Resources: Microsoft Manual of Style, 4th Edition.
How do you organize your content for ease of use?
Web Content Series: Make content scannable
Posted by Lisa in Make Content Scannable, Web Content Series, Writing Tips on April 20, 2012
Readers scan online content—titles, headings, paragraphs, links—and decide quickly if content is meaningful to them. When they find what they need, they’ll continue reading. The following guidelines can help you write and deliver content that the reader needs, right when they need it.
- Use keywords in headings and subheadings
- Provide links in the Table of Contents
- Create lists in bullet format
- Write content in concise, short paragraphs, or chunks
- Include adequate white space between chunks of information
- Place the most important content at the top of the web page or on the first screen
- Eliminate the need for the user to scroll through content by reducing word count or dividing content into separate topics on individual pages
More in this series
Web Content Series: Organize Your Content, 23 April 2012
Web Content Series: Write Descriptive Links, 27 April 2012
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Resources: Microsoft Manual of Style, 4th Edition.
What other strategies do you use to make text scannable?
What I’ve Learned About Blogging from Writing More Than 1,000 Posts | Michael Hyatt
Posted by Lisa in Writing Tips on March 21, 2012