Comments for The Gordon Group Blog http://connotation.wordpress.com A weblog dedicated to the love of the English language AND to navigating it properly to best communicate your message! Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:43:39 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Writers beware! New Sixth Edition APA style guide has dozens of mistakes and has had to issue corrections by silkroadmusings http://connotation.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/writers-beware-new-sixth-edition-apa-style-guide-has-dozens-of-mistakes-and-has-had-to-issue-corrections/#comment-268 silkroadmusings Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:43:39 +0000 http://connotation.wordpress.com/?p=27#comment-268 Nancy - Thanks for this heads up. I teach for the U. of Phoenix. As a matter of policy we use APA as a requirement for all submittals by our students....and, we are transitioning to the 6th Edition right now. I'll watch from updates on this. Nancy – Thanks for this heads up. I teach for the U. of Phoenix. As a matter of policy we use APA as a requirement for all submittals by our students….and, we are transitioning to the 6th Edition right now. I’ll watch from updates on this.

]]> Comment on The blog is in the house… and the power of press releases in down times! by Nancy http://connotation.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/the-blog-is-in-the-house-and-the-power-of-press-releases-in-down-times/#comment-257 Nancy Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:05:03 +0000 http://connotation.wordpress.com/?p=9#comment-257 Thank you for your comment! I'm sorry that your note got trapped as spam, but it has been freed! I see you are an active blogger (good inspiration!), and I appreciate your taking the time to visit and post a note. Thank you for your comment! I’m sorry that your note got trapped as spam, but it has been freed! I see you are an active blogger (good inspiration!), and I appreciate your taking the time to visit and post a note.

]]> Comment on The blog is in the house… and the power of press releases in down times! by Jason Whitmen http://connotation.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/the-blog-is-in-the-house-and-the-power-of-press-releases-in-down-times/#comment-253 Jason Whitmen Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:44:25 +0000 http://connotation.wordpress.com/?p=9#comment-253 I've been reading along for a while now. I just wanted to drop you a comment to say keep up the good work. I’ve been reading along for a while now. I just wanted to drop you a comment to say keep up the good work.

]]> Comment on The power of great language resources and consistent style… by Jane Francis http://connotation.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/the-power-of-great-language-resources-and-consistent-style/#comment-235 Jane Francis Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:40:13 +0000 http://connotation.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/the-power-of-great-language-resources-and-consistent-style/#comment-235 Thanks, Nancy. I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks for taking time to comment. Thanks, Nancy. I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks for taking time to comment.

]]> Comment on The power of great language resources and consistent style… by Jane Francis http://connotation.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/the-power-of-great-language-resources-and-consistent-style/#comment-232 Jane Francis Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:12:03 +0000 http://connotation.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/the-power-of-great-language-resources-and-consistent-style/#comment-232 Regarding the final comma in a series... You state that "there was a dalliance for a time with not using them". I like to adhere to rules, but I don't want to appear stuffy and inflexible. In my o-l-d <b>Gregg Reference Manual Fifth Edition</b> (1977), it calls for the comma. How comforting. That is what I grew up with. In <b>The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage</b> (1999), it says to drop that comma. I could probably consult other references and find the same standoff. Would you agree that a writer has to be flexible and adapt to the standards of the company she's writing for? This question is undoubtedly one that has been hashed over a thousand times in the writing industry. If you can direct me to other articles or references, I would appreciate it. Earlier I could have said "the company for which she is writing." That sounds stiff, though, and I <b>could</b> get used to allowing a preposition at the end of a sentence if the writing sounds conversational and natural. <strong>To Jane Francis Thanks so much for your comment. I agree with you that we absolutely need to stay flexible with not only what our clients may wish to choose to do for their style or voice but also give ourselves as writers and editors the option to flex the rules ourselves when it just doesn't sounds right. You happened to have mentioned a situation I, too, have dealt with regarding having the preposition at the end of the sentence... and I've done it when it just happened to sound right to me. It's all evolving, but part of our jobs is to ensure that someone seeking to "break" a rule knows they are so that they are actually making an informed choice. Creative and advertising copy in particular follows different, often more-relaxed guidelines for sure! Thanks for the comment. There are lots of great online resources for these things, including the very economical new online version of <em>The Gregg Reference Manual Tenth Edition</em>, the current "bible" for easy research into current style. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073545430/information_center_view0/ Regarding the final comma in a series…
You state that “there was a dalliance for a time with not using them”. I like to adhere to rules, but I don’t want to appear stuffy and inflexible. In my o-l-d Gregg Reference Manual Fifth Edition (1977), it calls for the comma. How comforting. That is what I grew up with. In The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage (1999), it says to drop that comma. I could probably consult other references and find the same standoff.

Would you agree that a writer has to be flexible and adapt to the standards of the company she’s writing for? This question is undoubtedly one that has been hashed over a thousand times in the writing industry. If you can direct me to other articles or references, I would appreciate it.

Earlier I could have said “the company for which she is writing.” That sounds stiff, though, and I could get used to allowing a preposition at the end of a sentence if the writing sounds conversational and natural.

To Jane Francis Thanks so much for your comment. I agree with you that we absolutely need to stay flexible with not only what our clients may wish to choose to do for their style or voice but also give ourselves as writers and editors the option to flex the rules ourselves when it just doesn’t sounds right. You happened to have mentioned a situation I, too, have dealt with regarding having the preposition at the end of the sentence… and I’ve done it when it just happened to sound right to me. It’s all evolving, but part of our jobs is to ensure that someone seeking to “break” a rule knows they are so that they are actually making an informed choice. Creative and advertising copy in particular follows different, often more-relaxed guidelines for sure! Thanks for the comment. There are lots of great online resources for these things, including the very economical new online version of The Gregg Reference Manual Tenth Edition, the current “bible” for easy research into current style. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073545430/information_center_view0/

]]> Comment on The power of great language resources and consistent style… by Peggy Jordan http://connotation.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/the-power-of-great-language-resources-and-consistent-style/#comment-5 Peggy Jordan Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:49:25 +0000 http://connotation.wordpress.com/2007/06/01/the-power-of-great-language-resources-and-consistent-style/#comment-5 Excellent point about not breaking the rules to make the design look better. I totally agree that leaving out apostrophes (as in your "Richard's Bistro" example) looks like an error or an oversight to the public and to potential customers. Especially in the case of headlines and signage--a bigger font magnifies the size of the perceived mistake. Excellent point about not breaking the rules to make the design look better. I totally agree that leaving out apostrophes (as in your “Richard’s Bistro” example) looks like an error or an oversight to the public and to potential customers. Especially in the case of headlines and signage–a bigger font magnifies the size of the perceived mistake.

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