Word-wise Archives
Before it evolved into a blog, Word-wise was an ezine. Though its presentation format has changed, there are still plenty of gems to be mined from the old incarnation. Here are the best items from those old issues.
Usage Tips
- accept vs. except
- affect vs. effect
- alright vs. all right
- borrow (v.) vs. borrow (adj.) vs. borough vs. burrow
- can vs. may
- Claus vs. clause
- e.g. vs. i.e.
- every day vs. everyday
- I vs. me vs. myself
- if vs. whether
- its vs. it's
- lay vs. lie
- momentarily
- shall vs. will
- than vs. then
- there vs. their vs. they're
- toward vs. towards and the like
- try and vs. try to
Other Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar Tips
Language, Writing, and News Notes Articles
- Words in the News, Part I: The Waning of Print Media
- Words in the News, Part II: The Language of Online News
- English Catches a Phish
- The Times (and Words) Are a-Changing
- 3 Exercises to Invite Inspiration
- A Romantic Example of Plagiarism
- Losing Possession of English Streets
- When NOT to Edit
- The Question of the Introduction
- The Creeping Overuse of "Up"
- Revisiting "Up"
- Hijacking a Bee in Flight
- A Question of Dialect
- Hu...HUH?
- What Is Creative Nonfiction?
- Writer's UNblock
- 'Net Language, Part I: Vocabulary and Conversation
- 'Net Language, Part II: Emoticons
- Real-life Language Police
- A Leisurely Walk through a Linguistic Gem
- Where to Break a Paragraph
- Did You Really Mean That?
Business Beat Articles
- Customer Service, from a Customer's Perspective
- "Naming" a Barrier to Customer Relations
- The Hidden Cost of "Cheap"
- What Is the Real Cost of Two Units? A Rant Against Product Downsizing
"Not-so-idle Musings": Miscellaneous Articles
- Credit or Debit?
- Defining Fair Pay
- The Satisfaction of Physical Work
- Rules of the Road
- Moral e-lemma
- Futile Pursuit, or Writing Therapy?
- Struggling to Make Time
- Oh Boy!
Other Featured Writers: Contest Winners and Interviews
- 2008 Short Writing Contest Winner: "Ric and the Raven" by Diana Thurbon
- 2008 Short Writing Contest Winner: "First Consultation" by Fiona Imlach
- 2008 Short Writing Contest Winner: "Merry Christmas, George" by Jack Horne
- Interview: Children's Author Gayle Croissant-Madden
- Interview: Self-Publishing Expert Susan Daffron