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A Lesson in None

Before assuming that you have nothing at all to learn about the word none, consider the following questions:

·      Should you say none is or none are?

·      Do the words none and never ever belong together?

·      Is none an acceptable substitute for no one?

Of all the four-letter words in the English language, none is among the most notorious for tripping up speakers and writers. Seemingly a straightforward term that babies understand and toddlers utter, none has a way of creeping into sentences and making smart adults appear uneducated.

Taking a short lesson in none goes a long way in preventing grammatical errors:

1.    Although more commonly a pronoun, none also serves as an adverb.

2.    Synonyms for none as an adverb are not at all and in no way.

-       The teacher was none too happy about her students’ poor performance.

-       The found hiker is none the worse for wandering in the woods all night.

3.    Synonyms for none as a pronoun are not any, no part, and not one.

-       Although we were hoping to see deer on the trail, not one was in sight.

-       Although we were hoping to see deer on the trail, none was in sight.

 -       Bobby had candy, but he did not give any to Mary.

-       Bobby had candy, but he gave none to Mary.

 -       No part of that story is true.

-       None of that story is true.

4.    Style manuals prefer that writers use not one instead of none as the subject.

-       Not one meets the requirements. PREFERRED

-       None meets the requirements. 

5.    None is not a proper substitute for no one or nobody.  Not one is acceptable.

-       No one is coming over. PROPER

-       Not one [of them] is coming over. PROPER

-       None is coming over. IMPROPER

-       Nobody wants to come. PROPER

-       Not one [of the girls] wants to come. PROPER

-       None wants to come. IMPROPER

6.    None takes both singular and plural forms. Determine if none refers to a singular or plural noun in order to pair it with a singular or plural verb accordingly.

-       I planted twenty rose bushes last season and none are blooming.

-       I need one volunteer and none has surfaced.

-       Any ideas? None come to mind.

7.    Do not pair none/none of with a negative verb or adverb, which would present a double negative.

-       Any ideas? None don’t come to mind. WRONG

-       Any ideas? None come to mind. RIGHT

-       None of the paint wasn’t good. WRONG

-       None of the paint was good. RIGHT

-       I never get none of the jokes. WRONG

-       I get none of the jokes. RIGHT

-       I never get any of the jokes. RIGHT

8.    When using none of (meaning not one of) as the subject in formal writing, use the singular verb.

-       None of the chapters was interesting to the class.

-       None of the ingredients is organic.

9.    When referring to two people or things, use neither of instead of none of.

-       After John and I exchanged business cards, none of us knew what to say. WRONG

-       After John and I exchanged business cards, neither of us knew what to say. RIGHT

-       None of the two houses we toured has a basement. WRONG

-       Neither of the two houses we toured has a basement. RIGHT

Any questions remaining? I hope you have none! If you do, please feel free to contact me!

My best,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

 Thoughts or questions? Please contact Write Lady to exchange ideas about effective communications and gain from professional writing and editing services. Receive monthly tips and insights by completing the subscription form on this page.

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Write about Money

The topic of money arises in more contexts than one could count. An untold number of writers are also specifying dollars and cents incorrectly—at least from a grammatical standpoint.

Granted, one dollar is a simple concept, but considering that $1, $1.00 and a dollar all mean the same, we see how confusion arises over the appropriate way to show the amount in a particular context. Depending on the situation, one option will be preferred, while others will be correct but not ideal, or downright wrong.

The following guidelines clarify when words and/or numerical expressions make the most sense for writing about monetary values:

·      For clarity (as the AP Style for journalists specifies), round the figure and use the dollar sign plus numerals. Instead of presenting a long string of digits, name values of one million and more. Include commas.

-       $1

-       $1,000

-       $125,000

-       $1 million

-       $125 million

-       $1 billion

·      Unless you need to show exact amounts, round to no more than two decimals.

-       $123.4 million

-       $1.25 billion 

·      Unless necessary, omit the decimal values for cents.

-       YES: John spent $50.

-       NO: John spent $50.00.

·      For amounts less than $1, use the numeric value (if 12 or over) or spell the number along with the word cents. Although the cent symbol (¢) serves a practical purpose on signs and price tags, avoid using it within sentences.

-       Adding 25 cents to the price of each item covers the cost of bags.

-       I wouldn’t give five cents for that dress.

-       Cookies: 50¢ Each

·      If beginning a sentence with a dollar amount, spell out the value or rearrange the order.

-       One thousand dollars allows us to feed one hundred families.

-       With $1,000, we can feed 100 families.

·      Spell out the value if the reference to money is casual, nonspecific or sporadic.

-       The firm spent thousands of dollars on brochures.

-       Thanks a million for your help.

-       We appreciate any dollar amount donated.

-       The same people who spent over fifty dollars per week on coffee claimed they had no money left for savings.

·      Spell out the value in the context of a literary work, such as in a story or poem, and in most quotes.

-       Earning sixteen dollars for babysitting, she felt like a millionaire.

-       “We offered ten million for the land,” says CEO Doug Shelton.

·      Do not include the dollar sign with the word dollar.

-       RIGHT: The donor pledged $1,000.  

-       RIGHT: The donor pledged one thousand dollars.

-       WRONG: The donor pledged $1,000 dollars.

·      Let words take the place of zeroes for values of one million or over.

-       RIGHT: The cost of the land was $150 million.

-       RIGHT: The cost of the land was $150,000.

-       WRONG: The cost of the land was $15 thousand.

-       WRONG: The cost of the land was $1 thousand. 

·      Hyphenate when spelling out numbers between 21 and 99 (excluding, of course, those that are divisible by ten).

-       You won’t regret the seventy-five dollars you’ll spend on dinner per person at Café One.

-       Tux 123 rents every tuxedo for one hundred twenty-three dollars.

·      Hyphenate the dollar amount when the value serves as an adjective.

-       We don’t believe you’ll succeed in charging two-hundred-dollar fees for travel services that savvy consumers could arrange on their own. 

·      Use a singular verb along with a dollar amount that’s considered a single value.

-       RIGHT: One hundred dollars is a fair price.

-       RIGHT: The final bid was one hundred dollars.

-       RIGHT: Our sales goal is $1 million for the first quarter.

-       RIGHT: Two million dollars is the value of the real estate.

-       WRONG: The amount we earned are one hundred dollars.

·      Just as when expressing numbers numerically, use commas to separate hundreds, thousands, millions, etc. to spell out the same values.

-       The company’s debt totaled twenty-one million, six hundred thousand dollars.

·      Chose a style and present numerals and words consistently.

-       RIGHT: We spent only $200 of the $500 available.

-       RIGHT: I’m happy with $5 or $50.

-       RIGHT: I’m happy with five dollars or fifty dollars.

-       WRONG: We spent only two hundred dollars of the $500 available.

-       WRONG: The brand netted $110,000 last year. If the trend continues, profits should increase by twenty thousand.

When writing for a publication, industry or purpose that dictates a certain style, you’ll save time—and money—by reviewing the accepted practices for referencing dollars and cents before you begin your manuscript.

If you have additional questions about naming monetary values, you’re most welcome to contact Write Lady for guidance to write about money correctly.

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

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Right on Time

Do you know the right way to write any time of day?

Telling time is easy, but do you get confused over matters like whether to write p.m., P.M. or PM, or if you should add a space, as in 11:35p.m. or 11:35 p.m.?

So little time and so many options!

The following guidelines address common misconceptions about writing time correctly:

1.     Style guides differ in terms of capitalizing the names of time zones. If you are not required to follow a particular format, then choose one and stick with it.

-       Some capitalize each word, as in Eastern Standard Time, Central Daylight Time, and Mountain Standard Time.

-       Other sources capitalize only the proper names. For instance, they capitalize the word Pacific in Pacific daylight time, but not eastern in eastern standard time.

2.     Use the singular form of the word saving (not savings) when referring to daylight saving time (DST).

3.     Always capitalize the abbreviations for time zones without periods.

-       EST, CDT, MST, etc.

4.     Put one space without commas between the time and the zone.

-       1:00 a.m. EST

5.     The most commonly preferred abbreviations used to indicate before noon (ante meridiem) and after noon (post meridiem) are a.m. and p.m.

-       Also accepted are A.M., AM, P.M. and PM., sometimes shown in a slightly smaller font. Whether or not you use periods depends on the style guide or the format you adopt. Maintain the same format throughout any single communication or group of publications. 

-       Some informal users also opt for am and pm with no periods.

-       Pay attention to your spacing—one space between the time and a.m. or p.m., and no spaces between a and m or p and m—with or without periods.

Correct

-       1:30 a.m.

 -      1:45 AM

Incorrect

-       2:15p.m.

-       2:30 P M

6.     Most style guides state not to show minutes when expressing a.m. and p.m. on the hour.

Correct

-       1 a.m.

-       10 PM

Avoided

-       1:00 a.m.

-       10:00 PM

7.     However, facilitate a cleaner, easier-to-read format by including the minutes on the hour when presenting an agenda with multiple times.

-        Agenda for Conference

8:00 a.m. Registration

8:30 a.m. Introductions

9:00 a.m. First Speaker

9:30 a.m. Second Speaker

8.     Do not use a.m. or p.m. with 12:00.

-       The middle of the day is 12:00 noon.

-       The middle of the night is 12:00 midnight.

9.     When using the 24-hour clock, omit a.m. and p.m., but indicate a time zone if your audience needs clarification.

-       00:00 CST

-       14:30 EST

10. Do not mix a.m. or p.m. (or their other abbreviated forms) with words.

-       Correct

·      The meeting is at 5 p.m.

·      The meeting is at 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

·      The meeting is at five o’clock in the afternoon.

-       Incorrect

·      The meeting is at five p.m.

·      The meeting is at 5 o’clock p.m.

11. As shown above, if ending a sentence with p.m. or a.m., do not add an extra period.

12. Write o’clock only when indicating the full hour or when specifying minutes before stating the hour.

-       Correct

·      2 o’clock

·      two o’clock

·      ten past two o’clock

-       Incorrect

·      2:10 o’clock

13. Do not separate the words representing the hour and minutes with a hyphen or colon.

Correct

-       The wedding would take place at six thirty in the evening.

-       The meeting time is six fifteen.

Incorrect

-       The wedding would take place at six-thirty in the evening.

-       The meeting is at six:fifteen.

14. Use hyphens when writing minutes only if you would normally spell the cardinal number with a hyphen.

-       The wedding did not begin until six forty-five.

-       My watch read six twenty-two when the meeting started.

15.  If the hour and minutes are written in word form and the time serves as an adjective, then hyphenate the hour-minute pair. Do not hyphenate numerals.

-       I have a five-fifteen appointment.

-       I have a 5:15 appointment.

-       I have a five o’clock appointment.

-       The schedule shows a six-ten arrival.

-       The schedule shows a 6:10 p.m. arrival.

 At this point in time, can you confidently determine which are correct?

1.     1 p.m.

2.     1 PM

3.     12:00 noon

4.     12 o’clock noon

5.     twelve o’clock in the afternoon

6.     all of the above

 Good for you if all of the above was your choice! If not, simply keep this reference in a handy place. By taking a little time to verify and adopt applicable rules and styles, you’ll form a habit of writing time correctly without giving the matter a second thought!

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

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The Sophisticated Toast

Did you know that the thoughtful hosts of ancient Greece toasted their guests’ health by taking the first sip of wine to prove that the batch was not tainted with poison? With that in mind, are you prepared to stand and make the all-important toast?

Today, the sip is the anxiety-free part of making a formal toast. We could downplay the significance of toasting, but when all eyes and ears are on the presenter, the pressure builds for him or her to say something witty or memorable and certainly appropriate. The delivery is also important. Even if the gathering is casual, no audience appreciates a ramble filled with ums. Admired are those who know how to raise a glass and offer a few chosen words that strike a chord.

Consider the following guidelines for making a sophisticated toast:

 ·      Determine a theme for the toast that will resonate with the honoree(s) and those present for the occasion.

For example, one might make a general toast to an extended family gathered for an annual reunion or particularly to the family’s matriarch and patriarch.

·      Inject meaning.

The toast, for instance, might note that the family shares a special bond because of the love and support that the matriarch and patriarch have shown to all.

·      Show respect for all present.

Eliminate private secrets, language that not all would understand, and inside jokes and references that exclude certain people; omit profanity and potentially offensive innuendo; avoid embarrassing or otherwise targeting certain individuals.

·      Speak from the heart but take time to practice what you’ll say.

Say the toast aloud to catch any spoken glitches—i.e., words that make you tongue-tied. Practice until you’re comfortable with the message and your delivery.

·      Watch the clock.

Consider how long one would care to hold up a glass. 

·      Separate an accompanying speech, even if ostensibly short, from the toast.

If you want to make a speech, have it preface the toast and conclude before you ask people to raise their glasses.

·      Make notes that you can easily read and hold.

If you have a tendency to get tongue-tied or lose track, then make notes. Large, bulleted words or short phrases are often sufficient to prompt the memory, eliminating the need to read verbatim. Of course, reading every line of an eloquent toast is preferable to going blank and saying um.

Also, if you choose to make notes, think about writing them on an old-fashioned index card, which many speakers find is less cumbersome (and more elegant) than attempting to manage a phone or tablet in one hand and a glass in another.

·      Nail an impromptu toast by pausing to collect your thoughts before talking and proceed by speaking slowly.

If you’re like most, you talk faster when you’re a little nervous. Therefore, even if you make a mindful effort to slow down considerably, your delivery will probably sound normal or possibly just a bit more thoughtful to the audience.

·      Gather participants if they are not all in the same area and fill their glasses.

·      Stand so that you can be seen and politely get the crowd’s attention. You might use a microphone and/or rap your glass, but avoid hushing everyone, which is rude.

·      If necessary, briefly introduce yourself and establish your connection to the event/individual(s).

·      To start, raise your glass slightly above waist level and out from your body. At the same time, project your voice to say, “I’d like to propose a toast.”

·      Politely invite those gathered to join you in raising their glasses.

“Please join me in raising your glass.”

·      Next, raise your glass to eye level to state a wish or hope.

For example: “May we always emulate our matriarch and patriarch, Mary and George, who have taught us the value of loving and supporting one another so that we now have such a big, loving and caring family.”

·      Finally, raise your glass overhead to state the final words of the toast. 

Make a short pronouncement so that all gathered repeat after you. For example: “To our family!”

When the honoree (also referred to as the toast), keep the following notes in mind:

·      Do not stand for the toast.

·      Do not drink to yourself.

·      Consider standing after to say thank you.

 As gestures of goodwill and opportunities to honor others, the most well-received toasts are spoken sincerely. If you somehow slip up, all is not lost. Find your sense of humor, smile and say, “Cheers!”

If you ever need help scripting a toast, I would be delighted to assist you.

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

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How to Lighten Up

Life is full of serious matters, but what would be the harm—or the benefits—of lightening up a bit?

Despite the day’s events, we have the power to focus on what makes us grateful and cheerful or unappreciative and depressed. We can harbor anxiety and negativity, or maintain a calm, positive outlook. Likewise, we can approach others in a stuffy, formal manner, or aim to be open and friendly.

Language gives us some of the simplest, most effective tools to lighten our own perspectives and convey them to others. Consider the following examples to see how much a message’s impression changes when the tone shifts from formal and gloomy to cheerful, personal, optimistic, grateful and humorous:

Formal and gloomy: With tremendous sadness, the management of XYZ Company announces that Mary Smith retires this July after 30 years of service.  Her professionalism and dedication in managing Customer Service, in addition to her wonderful sense of humor, will be greatly missed. Tim Jones will take over as department manager. Please join us in wishing the best to Mary and Tim.

Still gloomy but less formal: We are sad to say that after 30 years of service to XYZ Company, Mary Smith retires this July. We’ll all miss her professionalism and dedication in Customer Service, as well as her wonderful sense of humor. Tim Jones will take over as department manager. Please join us in wishing the best to Mary and Tim.

Appreciative and more positive: With gratitude for Mary Smith’s professionalism and dedication in managing Customer Service, we wish all the best to her when she begins her retirement from XYZ Company after 30 years this July. We’ll certainly miss Mary and her wonderful sense of humor, but she’s leaving us in good hands. Having worked with Mary since 2010, Tim Jones will take over the department.  Let’s all thank Mary and congratulate Tim! 

An overall lighter tone that’s more personal and optimistic: Always ensuring that our customers are treated better than any in the industry, Mary Smith is at last ready for some TLC of her own. After 30 years of service to XYZ Company, Mary has decided to retire in July. A dedicated professional and role model with a wonderful sense of humor, she leaves us in great hands with Tim Jones, who stands ready to take over as Customer Service Manager. Let’s wish her a happy, healthy retirement and all the best to Tim. 

Cheerful, personal, optimistic, grateful and humorous: Always ensuring that our customers are treated better than any in our industry, Mary Smith is at last ready for some TLC of her own. After 30 years of service to XYZ Company, she has decided to retire in July. Now, don’t worry about the business going crazy: Mary—a dedicated professional and role model—leaves us in great hands with Tim Jones, who stands ready to take over as Customer Service Manager. Tim admits, however, that he’s still needs practice in the joke-telling department, so in the meantime, Mary promises to keep us smiling with photos of her bucket list pursuits on Facebook. Let’s wish Mary many happy, healthy years of retirement and offer Tim our full support by laughing at every punch line!

***

In addition to demonstrating how much the facts remain the same as the gist of the message changes from the first announcement to the last, the progression also reveals that lifting levels of gravity and formality by degrees enables us to achieve the desired tone and texture for a communication.

All in all, with a bit of effort to adopt a positive mindset, we grow more inclined to spread sunshine--a little of which goes a long way!

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

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Shaky Versus Solid Wording

Who’s more credible and persuasive: someone who appears uncertain or a person who exudes confidence?

Many complex factors determine whether or not a communication convinces and moves an audience. We’ve all heard various people deliver essentially the same message yet leave completely different impressions based upon tone, posture and vocabulary. When analyzing effective versus ineffective communications, we realize that in addition to some obvious elements, seemingly subtle words here and there impact what listeners and readers perceive overall.

When striving to inform and influence others, consider how the following statements become more powerful by rephrasing them to exclude certain words:

1) If, Will

Shaky: If you will enroll in our loyalty program, we will provide valuable coupons and offers.

Solid: Enroll in our loyalty program to receive valuable coupons and offers.

2) Believe, Think

Shaky: We think you should choose the concrete floor, which we believe complements your industrial design scheme better than the brick.

Solid: We recommend the concrete floor, which complements your industrial design scheme better than the brick.

 3) Help, Can 

Shaky: By evaluating our students three months after they receive a driver’s license, we provide feedback that can help correct problems before they become bad habits.

Solid: By evaluating our students three months after they receive a driver’s license, we provide feedback to correct problems before they become bad habits.

 4) Try, Hope 

Shaky: We always try to please our customers with unique merchandise and hope they have an enjoyable experience in our store.

Solid: We always look forward to pleasing our customers with unique merchandise and creating an enjoyable experience in our store.

 5) Want, Wish

Shaky: We want to break ground on the new clinic and wish to raise $1million by July 1.

Solid: We aim to raise $1million by July 1 in order to break ground on the new clinic.

6) Really, Very

Shaky: Dr. Smith designed a very effective program for people who are really serious about losing weight.

Solid: Dr. Smith designed an effective program for people who are serious about losing weight.

 Tips for Noting and Eliminating Shaky Vocabulary:

1)   Create a handy checklist of shaky words to avoid. Make a habit of searching for them in your written documents and appropriately edit out each one before publishing.

2)   Practice your presentation for an attentive person who gives you a cue each time you use a shaky word or express yourself in an uncertain manner.

 Shaky: If you wish to convey a level of confidence that convinces your followers, I really think my examples and tips will help you, and very much hope you’ll try to eliminate those shaky words—if you can!

Solid: Convey a level of confidence that convinces your followers by using my examples and tips to eliminate those shaky words!

 My best to you,

Sallie Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

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Smart from the Start: Title Punctuation Tips

We all know that titles and other headings influence whether or not audiences engage.  

Who doesn’t judge a book by its cover or a business by its billboard!

Indeed, readers not only form perceptions and make decisions about the communication vehicle and its source because of what a title says, but they also connect or disconnect based upon how those introductory words appear.

Quite commonly, people don’t know how to punctuate titles correctly, particularly in terms of capitalizing various words, and random uppercase and lowercase usage can be a highly distracting and detracting feature of titles and other headings.  Let’s clear up any confusion by demonstrating fundamental guidelines with the following book titles:

Title Capitalization Rules

1. Capitalize the first and last words of a title.

The Hobbit

2. Capitalize the first word following a colon within a title.

Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

3. Capitalize all nouns and pronouns.

She’s Having a Baby—and I’m Having a Breakdown

4. Capitalize all verb forms.

The Man Who Would Be King

5. Capitalize all adjectives and adverbs.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

6. Do not capitalize articles—a, an or the—unless they are first in the title.

12 Years a Slave

7. Do not capitalize conjunctions—and, or, but, nor, for, etc.—unless they are principle words.

All Creatures Great and Small

8. Do not capitalize prepositions—of, in, for, with, etc.—unless they are principle words.  Exception: If following AP style, you would capitalize longer prepositions like between and versus.

All of Me

Nonconventional Exceptions

Certain references guides and organizations follow the conventional rules but also capitalize all words in a title that contain four letters or more. Others simply capitalize all words. If you decide to follow a nonconventional format, then my best advice is to stick to it.

Consistency among main titles, headings, subheadings and chapter titles is especially important within a particular communication (like a book, article, website or presentation), as well as within a campaign or other initiative that contains a number of related communications.

If you’d like to share your ideas or comments, please post them on Write Lady’s Facebook page.

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

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Ending It All

About 640 years ago, Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, expressed the following sentiment:

“There is an end to everything, to good things as well.”

Yes, all good things eventually come to an end. With that being the case, we naturally desire the best possible conclusions to reinforce what was good and to avoid ruining what came beforehand.

Have you ever read a book, for instance, that captivated you until the last page or paragraph, which came across as if the author threw something together just to finish? Did you feel frustrated and even resentful for having wasted your time?

Such sentiments are not uncommon because writers and speakers so often fail to nail their closing remarks. Likewise, many of those who succeed do so only after agonizing—painfully—over their parting words.

If you worry about losing your audience at the end or reaching the end of your rope by the time you finish, consider the follow tips as soon as you set out to draft your next article, book, presentation, letter, case study or other project:

1. Begin with your ending. Start out with a clear vision of where you want to end up.

Consider what your audience should take away from your message and develop your main points around that conclusion—before you write your opening statement.  

You can and should tweak the ending based upon any changes you decide to make along the way. 

2. Make sure your ending makes sense. Lay the proper groundwork throughout your communication so that the elements add up in the end.

Have a plan for injecting need-to-know insights and information for your audience to gather at the appropriate stages. 

Suspense and surprise elements can be enthralling, but a final shocker won’t be brilliant unless you’ve given your audience a reason to believe in the possibility.

3. End with your beginning. Devise an ending that takes your audience back to the start.

Draw a connection between the introduction and conclusion to reinforce the message without repeating yourself.

Connect the dots, but instead of telling your audience what or how to think, strive to provide a means to reflect and react.

4. Make your audience want more. Motivate your audience by providing reasons to return to you for more of whatever you offer and/or for a reason to act upon your message.

Create a cliffhanger that promises to solve the puzzle in the future, or prompt a call to action that persuades your audience to take the next step. 

Keep in mind that audiences need enticing information and ideas—not a mouthful of fancy phrases that don’t say anything—to stick with you.

At this point, I can’t ignore that even Chaucer struggled with endings. He began The Canterbury Tales with the notion of creating 120 separate tales that his characters—pilgrims on their way to Canterbury—would tell to pass the time during their journey. Instead, he stopped at 24 and did not revise the stories he completed. The reason he never finished his epic work remains a mystery, but considering that Chaucer’s legacy lives on, I believe we should give him a pass and agree that he ended well after all.

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady