Grammar – Page 4 – amalfabian

How to use punctuation marks

commas I have a confession to make. I have a soft-corner for punctuation marks. These elegant symbols silently provide order and meaning to words. Unfortunately, these marks are often misused by people who write business emails, reports, and things like that.

Here are seven things about punctuation which you must know:

Space is a part of punctuation. Yes, it is. So, make sure that there are enough blank spaces in your writing. Remember what you learnt at school: there must be space in between paragraphs. If you are writing a report, make sure that there is sufficient space around headings, sub-headings, diagrams, and charts.
When introducing a list, use a dash (–) or a colon (:). Do not use a dash and then a colon. Here is a specimen: :– In India, people use this colon-dash monster combination quite regularly. If you are guilty of this. Stop it! And if someone you know does this, tell them about it. Why use extra punctuation?

3. Full-stop. You know this one.

At the end of a sentence, use a full-stop. In this age of SMSing and other forms of instant communication, busy people sometimes forget

(Did you notice the missing full-stop?)

4. & reads as ampersand. We use it in business names, especially for partnerships. For example, McKinsey & Company, and Mahindra & Mahindra.

When writing an office email, use and to join two words or two sentences. And, do not use &.

If you are writing to friends, use & as many times as you like.

5. A semicolon joins two sentences related in meaning.

Here is an example:

The new team has been finalized; we are meeting this Monday.

Do not, and I mean do not, use semicolons in any other way.

For example:

~~The attachments are; minutes of the meeting, audio files, market research.~~

As you can see from the above example, you cannot use a semicolon to introduce a list. That is not part of that punctuation mark’s job description.

6. Use exclamation marks sparingly. If you are excited or shocked about something, one ! will do. If you use more (!!!) then exclamation-inflation starts to happen. Every additional exclamation mark rapidly decreases in value. Do not let that happen!

7. Ellipsis…

That is what those three dots are called. They are used to indicate missing words in a text. And of course, some people use them for effect…

If you do use them, restrict yourself to three dots. There are people in this world who use five or six dots. One, two, three. And no more.

For more on misused punctuation marks, visit this post. And if you are curious to know more about semicolons, read this.

Be a couch potato and learn English

Couch Potato

Source: vectorstock.com

The best way to a learn a language is to immerse yourself in it.

Be surrounded by it, every waking hour. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to stay in a foreign country. The next best thing could be watching TV.

Television (and now Youtube, Amazon, Netflix) gives us a window into other language worlds and cultures. Surprisingly in India, people do not seem to be taking advantage of this medium as much as they should.

Specifically, when it comes to learning English, learners see it as a distinct subject which is utilized in specific situations (e.g. while taking an exam, or making a presentation at work). This way of thinking limits the way one learns the language. Learning English is understood as learning grammatical rules and lists of words. This creates a narrow (and often fragile) language base.

Being a couch potato could be a part of the solution. (Ah… I see that smile on your face!) There are stories from around the world which highlight the link between TV watching and language learning. Two sisters in Isreal learned Spanish by watching an Argentinian telenovela with Hebrew subtitles. Read about them on CNN. In the short article, the sisters say that they learned English the same way.

And, you can learn English (or any other language) that way too.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Choose a series that you enjoy. If you like the theme, chances are that you will be more willing to sit through it.
Where possible, have subtitles. Even if the subtitles are in the same language, that is okay. In this way you are using two language learning skills – listening and reading. The two skills reinforce each other.
Watch the programme again and again. A baseball player from Venezuela watched each episode of the serial Friends at least five times. And his level of English has improved dramatically.
If there is some vocabulary you do not understand, reach out to your cellphone. Google the word and find out its meaning. Go ahead and do it. Don’t postpone it, as you may forget the word. This is a natural way to build your vocabulary, because you are encountering the word in its natural context.
If there is a grammatical structure which is unfamiliar, try and find out more about it. Google. Don’t be lazy.
You can have a varied diet as well. Watch a cartoon channel, a news channel, and a nature documentary channel. In this way, you expose yourself to different kinds of vocabulary. This will help you when you have to converse on different themes.
Be consistent. (Remember point 3 in this list.)

Be an active, curious couch potato. Although your body may be immobile, your mind is all action!

For more on learning English, you can visit these 3 free websites.

Are you afraid of a Grammar Nazi?

What’s your answer? Yes or no?

My answer is: don’t be.

Grammar Nazis give grammar a bad name

These self-appointed guardians of the English language do more harm than good. They intimidate learners of the language by rudely pointing out grammatical errors. Thereby diminishing the joy of learning.

Let’s talk about grammar

Grammar is fluid and alive.

It is derived from the use of language. People use language to convey information, conduct business, share stories, gossip, and do much more. Over time, customs and patterns of usage have taken form. And of course, grammarians have codified these patterns. In short, it is a commonly agreed upon set of rules of language.

Grammar defines the relationships between words.

With a sound knowledge of grammar, you express yourself clearly and precisely. You place key words at the beginning or end of a sentence, depending on the effect you wish to create. You use a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences to bring variety and pace in your writing. If you are writing poetry, you could happily violate the rules of grammar with impunity.

Grammar is a tool to help you become a more effective communicator.

Grammar has a bad reputation

Unfortunately, grammar has a really, really, really bad reputation.

Many people get defensive when the topic comes up. Even proficient speakers of English say: “Well, my grammar isn’t that good”.

On the bright side, if you are a proficient speaker of the language, then grammar may come naturally to you. You have an implicit understanding of how words are to be arranged in a sentence. You don’t have to refer to a grammar book. If something is amiss, your spider senses tingle. Although you many not be able to explain why the grammar is wrong, you just know that something is not right.

The rules of grammar are hardwired inside your brain. Lucky you!

The problem is when you are not a proficient user of the language, and you are learning it. You may be at the pre-intermediate, intermediate, or upper-intermediate level. In this case, grammar may seem like a never-ending series of arbitrary rules and exceptions.

Learning the subject becomes daunting and boring.

Making errors could be a good thing

Cartoon dinosaur fossils — Image credit: Freepik.com

When you are learning a language, you will commit errors.

It is important that you learn from these errors. Making errors means that you are trying to understand the mechanics of the language. It is not negative. It’s a good thing!

There is something you must know about your errors. They may be fossilized. What does that mean? It means that these errors are deeply embedded in your mind.

Here’s an example.

Learner: I didn’t went to the office yesterday.

Teacher: Didn’t went?

Learner: Mmm… I mean… Didn’t go.

Two days later the learner says: I didn’t went to the airport.

Although the student is aware that the grammar is wrong, when speaking, they would still make that error. The error is fossilized.

How can you overcome your fossilized errors?

By being aware. Find out what errors you usually make. Then monitor yourself when you speak. You may still be making them. But, they will decrease in frequency.

And then one fine day, they will disappear. Just like the dinosaurs did.

Don’t be impatient when learning grammar

Do you want to learn the present perfect continuous, the past perfect, and the future perfect all in one day? Please don’t. Don’t try to gobble up all of grammar in one go. It won’t work. Trust me. Your mind will not be able to digest all of it.

Learn a grammar point. Practice it. Then move on to the next point. Slow and steady. Just like the turtle in the race.

Here comes the Grammar Nazi

Enter the Grammar Nazi. This person relishes the opportunity to pounce on a misplaced semicolon, or some other grammatical error.

Grammatical rules are stated with finality and authority. (Beware, sometimes these confidently stated rules may be incorrect as well!)

Such a high-handed attitude is unnecessary and counter-productive.

After a Grammar Nazi lesson, the learner may feel even more inhibited to speak. The language becomes a minefield patiently waiting to explode the moment the learner opens their mouth.

Open letter to a Grammar Nazi

Dear Grammar Nazi:

While teaching an aspect of the language, you need to supportive.

Identify the error. Patiently explain why it is incorrect.

Be empathetic. You would make errors too, when learning a new language. It is natural.

In fact, you may be making errors in English that you are unaware of.

Regards,

A concerned teacher

Next steps

The next time you encounter a Grammar Nazi, tell them to explain politely or not to explain at all.

Remind him that all grammar rules are make believe!

To improve your grammar, you could read these posts on articles, prepositions, and the future time.

Image credit: Know Your Meme

Why do you make the same language errors, again and again?

Fossil

Why do people keep repeating the same grammatical and vocabulary errors, even after they have been corrected?

For example, language learners learn that one should say ‘equipment’ and not ‘equipments’. The reason behind it is that ‘equipment’ is an uncountable noun, and so one shouldn’t add an ‘s’ to it. The phrase three equipments is grammatically incorrect. When I say this in a session, people nod their heads in complete agreement. But, when they leave the room, and have a conversation, they are more likely to ask: Where are the equipments?

Why are they repeating this error? The clue is in the photo of this post. The photo is of a fossil. The language errors that we make are fossilized in our minds. This means that even if the trainer corrects you in a session, afterwards, when you speak with friends or colleagues, you are likely to return to making the same error.

Can you de-fossilize your language? Yes, you can. But you have to work at it.

Pay attention to how you speak and write. And mentally take note of the errors which you know you are making. (I monitor my speech, almost all the time.) Over time, you will use the grammar point or word accurately and effortlessly.

Email writing 2 : Punctuation

Grammar for better English: A free workshop for adults

Hello! My next Grammar workshop is online. It is happening this December.

Please note: There are no seats available for the 13 Oct or 14 Oct workshops.

Why have a workshop on grammar?

Do you want to write emails that are easily understood? Do you want to write reports that are grammatically error-free? And do you want to make more effective presentations at work?

If you answer yes to these questions, then improving your grammar would be the right place to start. A strong foundation in grammar will allow you to express yourself more precisely, concisely, and effectively. It’s as simple as that!

Who is the trainer?

As a corporate trainer in Delhi NCR for six years, I have conducted business grammar, email writing, and presentation skills courses and workshops at institutions, MNCs, and Indian companies.

I’m interested in creative writing and have written a book Q and the Magic of Grammar. And the next book is Common Indian Errors in Business English. It should be out in a few months.

Who is this for?

This training is for people who are reasonably fluent at English, but who are making errors in grammar. It is for people who would like to improve their communication skills.

Here’s a short test. If you can correctly answer these three questions correctly, then you are at the right level for this training programme.

Fill in the blanks with the correct tense of the verb in brackets.

Yesterday, I _________ my clients. (to meet)
Nowadays, she ____________ the marketing team in Noida. (to manage)
When we visited Mumbai, we didn’t ________ to the showroom. (to go)

Scroll all the way down for the answers.

If you have any questions about the level of this course, email me at: amalfabian@yahoo.com.

What grammar points will be covered?

I intend to review the common grammatical errors of Indian speakers. So, I urge you to mentally prepare yourself; we’re going to cover a lot of territory.

We’ll look at: errors in the use of tense, the use of the article (a, an, the, zero article), use of prepositions, and uncountable nouns (is it etiquette or etiquettes?) .

Of course, we’ll have some time where you can ask my anything about grammar and language learning in general.

Where?

The venue is the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Here is the exact venue:

“Willow Hall”

Habitat World, at India Habitat Centre,

Lodhi Road

New Delhi-110003

(Entry from gate number 3 on Vardhman Marg)

When?

It is on the 13th of October. That’s a Saturday. The day’s training session will be for six hours. (Don’t worry, there will be breaks!) The timings are: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Please be on time.

(Please note. There is a workshop on the 14th of October as well, but there are no seats available.)

How many participants?

There are limited seats. There will be a maximum of 20 participants.

How much?

It is for free. There are no charges. Lunch and coffee/tea are complimentary.

Will there be future workshops on writing and speaking?

This is the first in a series of workshops. Apart from grammar, I intend to conduct workshops on email writing and presentation skills.

What is the next step?

If you are interested, please email to: amalfabian@yahoo.com confirming your participation.

As there are limited seats, please wait for a confirmation.

Answers:

Yesterday, I __met____ my clients. (to meet)
Nowadays, she __manages___ the marketing team in Noida. (to manage)
When we visited Mumbai, we didn’t __go____ to the showroom. (to go)

Learn English with your child

patenting

Learning any language takes time. And that includes English as well.

Many people working in the corporate sector want to learn English words and phrases that are directly related to their work.

They often do not have the time or inclination to strengthen their foundations (grammar, vocabulary, writing skills, reading skills, listening skills, and speaking skills).

Learn with your child

How can you strengthen the foundations of your language?

If you have a child at home, consider yourself lucky. You can learn with her. Together, practise reading from her textbook.

Use the content in the textbook as a launchpad for further learning.

For example, if there is a lesson on food, watch YouTube videos on the topic.

When watching, be sure to be an active listener.

Make a mental note of new vocabulary, grammar structures, and pronunciation. See if you can identify any of the words / grammar that you and your child have come across in the textbook.

After you finish the activity, you could have a conversation about it.

Did you like the YouTube video? Why? Why not? What were the main points? Was there any new information? Were there any words that you want learn more about? Was it easy to understand the accent of the speaker?

Immersion is key

If you want to learn any language– the secret is immersion. The language needs to be around you all the time.

With your child, set aside some time when both of you speak only in English. For instance, at the dinner table, you could revise the words / grammar that you have together looked at.

Don’t worry if mistakes are made. Making mistakes is a good sign. That means you are engaging with the language. After all, when learning a new language, it is normal to make mistakes.

Practise, practise, practise. Over time, you and your child will become fluent speakers.

Be consistent

It is said that the child is the father of man.

I believe that the child is an excellent English teacher for a man or woman. Learning with your child is a fun, natural way to learn anything.

If you choose to learn with your child, make sure that it is a long-term project. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t see immediate results.

Slow and steady wins the race! Always.

For more information and advice, visit: British Council LearnEnglish Kids.

Do you have plans for your child to study abroad? This is a post on how to help her succeed in international English exams.

3 or 4 common punctuation errors

Three exclamation marks in the sky

For some reason, I’m a fan of punctuation marks. And to my dismay, I find that they are misused many a times in business writing.

Misused punctuation marks

1. Semicolon

The semicolon is used to divide two sentences that are in some way related to each other. The key word is ‘sentence’. There has to be a sentence on both sides of a semicolon. Here are two examples:

I enjoy punctuation; the semicolon is my favourite mark. (correct usage)

I enjoy punctuation; the semicolon. (incorrect usage)

When you use a semicolon, think about whether it divides two sentences or not. What is a sentence? I hear you ask. A sentence is a group of words that:

a. has a subject and a verb;

b. makes complete sense on its own.

2. Exclamation marks!

Note that I used just one exclamation mark for the sub-heading. One exclamation mark is more than enough.

Do not write: !!!

Of course, in informal communication, you can use a series of exclamation marks. On WhatsApp, you can type: I passed the test!!! But, even here, the value of your exclamation marks starts to fall if you use too many of them.

Using too many exclamation marks dilutes the impact of your message. From now on, be mindful when using these marks.

Why do women use exclamation marks three times as much than men? Find out.

3. The use of the dash and colon

There are many uses of these punctuation marks, but I have one particular use in mind. When introducing a list, many people in India start with :–

That is redundant, and a bit heavy.

Either go with the colon (:), or go with the dash (–). Why go with both? That makes your writing unnecessarily heavy.

And that’s a wrap

When writing, be aware how you use these marks.

Read this post on how to use other punctuation marks.

Have you ever asked yourself: when should I use a semicolon?

When it comes to punctuation, keep it light.

Just like in design: less is more.

Image credit: Grok

Category: Grammar