SmithWriting Blog

Next in our series on punctuation marks is the colon.

This unsung duo of dots has a myriad of uses. Beyond simply indicating the time of day, the colon has many more essential—some might say exciting—duties. You see, colons are used to introduce content that explains the previous sentence. In a way, they fill us with anticipation and make us ask ourselves, “What’s coming next?”

Some of the most common uses for the colon:

to introduce a series

My garden is blooming with many spring flowers: tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, and grape hyacinth.

to introduce long quotes

(basically any quote longer than a sentence)

to introduce an explanation

The Red Sox drive me crazy: Last year they win the World Series, this year they’re swept by the Devil Rays.

to introduce a definition

(see the title of this post)

for emphasis

I have only two passions in life: grammar and chocolate.

in a business letter greeting

Dear Mr. Jones:

for time of day

7:30 p.m.

to separate biblical chapter and verse numbers

1 Corinthians 13:13

Important note: You should only capitalize the first word after a colon if it’s the start of a complete sentence (like this one).

I had many a pun ready to use in this post, but I decided to keep it clean and present only the straight poop about the colon (groan) … OK, I used the word “duties,” but that was not deliberate.

Filed by rebecca at 8:57 am under Grammar guide
4 Comments

Love word games? Want to help end hunger? Got a minute?

Well then surf on over to FreeRice.com.

Developed by a computer programmer as a means to help his child study for the SAT, FreeRice is an online vocabulary game with a mission.

Here’s how it works:
The site gives you a word and four multiple choice options for its definition. You click on the one you think is correct. For each one you get right, FreeRice donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program; the rice is paid for by the site’s advertisers.

It’s wonderfully addictive and I don’t even consider it a distraction from work because it helps me become a better writer – and perhaps more importantly, a better world citizen.

Check it out for yourself at www.freerice.com.

Filed by rebecca at 1:13 pm under For the love of words
1 Comment

Take heart, America. A new band of superheroes has emerged.

No, they’re not rescuing damsels in distress or foiling the evil plans of villains. The Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL) is doing something much more important: They’re fixing typos.

Armed with markers and whiteout, these intrepid warriors are dedicated to “a more perfectly spelling union.”

Doesn’t that sound beautiful?

Led by the fearless Jeff Deck, TEAL is a group of young professionals that is traversing the country to find typographical errors in public places and—here’s the best part—fix them.

If they made action figures, I’d buy them. (Do you think they wear teal-colored tights?)

For more about TEAL’s noble mission, visit their Web site and blog.

Filed by rebecca at 2:51 pm under Grammar guide
2 Comments

You wouldn’t tell your 85-year-old grandmother to “chillax” any more than you’d tell an urban teen to “mind your Ps and Qs.” It just wouldn’t make sense.

In writing, as in talking, you always have to consider your audience. Only when you know and understand your readers can you communicate effectively with them.

Before writing anything, a professional copywriter will always ask you about your audience. If your organization has survey data or marketing statistics about your audience, that’s great. This information will significantly inform the copy being written for your brochure, direct mailing, letter, whatever.

If you’re not sure about your audience, that’s fine too. Depending on the scope of your project, SmithWriting can conduct interviews and/or focus groups for you. Should you need a more in-depth marketing analysis, we can refer you to some of the best folks in the business.

No one wants to get a one-size-fits-all solicitation. Whether your readers are being asked to donate to your cause or attend your event, they want a message that’s customized and in a language they understand.

Capiche?

Filed by rebecca at 6:00 am under Copywriting
2 Comments