Language is dynamic, whether we like it or not. Recently I wrote an article with a sub-title Chillaxin with the Big Dogs. When I was younger, I would have had a twitching eye and levels of stress that were off the charts if I even considered using a word like ‘chillax.’ When I was younger, I loved diagramming sentences. The way the words, or parts of speech, fit together into meaningful sentences was – and still is to me – as beautiful as a symphony by Wagner or a mural by Michelangelo.

The best thing about them was that they were always the same. ‘The’ was an article that went before a noun; in fact, it was a definite article. We weren’t just talking any old noun, but a definite, singular, and unique noun. And the same beauty ran through each and every word, spelling, phrase, part of speech, and even punctuation.

New words

Now I do recognise that back then I had a childishly simple view of language. Language, punctuation, and everything associated with them are constantly changing. Just consider that 30 years ago we wouldn’t have been able to argue about whether ‘online’ is a hyphenated word or not, because ‘online’ was not a word then. And 10 years ago, if someone had said, ‘Chillax, Dude!’ most of us would have just rolled our eyes and shaken our heads.

When a new word comes into being, it’s actually quite simple to classify and categorise it. For example, ‘chillax’ is clearly a verb.

We get a lot of new words added to the dictionary every year. Even acronyms from computer-speak such as LOL and ROTF are making their way into common usage.

New punctuation

What about new punctuation, though? It seems we are mostly set in our ways when it comes to punctuation. We have the standards like full stops, commas, and exclamation marks. Then there are the less commonly used such as the ampersand, brackets, and the tilde (look it up!) Of course there are the ones no one really uses or knows much about like the caret, the percontation point (aka rhetorical question mark), or even the because symbol. We don’t really get many new punctuation symbols these days.

Now we get to the crux of the matter. Take a look on social media, in chat rooms, and even in business emails. You’ve probably noticed and even likely used the dot dot dot. No, I’m not talking about the ellipsis. Most style manuals agree that the ellipsis is formed by three spaced full stops: Paul is eating at Mia’s. I am . . . at David’s. The definition of an ellipsis is that it symbolises words or phrases that have been left out of the sentence. In the sentence above, the missing words might be ‘planning on eating’ as in ‘I am planning on eating at David’s.’

The dot dot dot

The dot dot dot, however, has come about from computer speak. It is three non-spaced full stops, and it generally implies a long pause that means something like ‘I haven’t decided yet. Give me a second or two,’ or ‘I’m thinking. Hang on a minute.’

For example, in messenger, you might ask me to meet you for coffee after work. I might respond, ‘I have to get home early as I have training tomorrow…but I can manage an hour or so. Yes, let’s meet!’ The dot dot dot doesn’t represent any missing or implied words. It just means that I am thinking about whether I need to get directly home or whether I can spare some time to meet you for coffee.

Normally, computer speak wouldn’t be a big problem, but, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, this particular piece of punctuation is making its way into normal business writing, from messages and emails to reports. You might even have used it yourself a time or two. It looks like it’s here to stay…or at least it seems that way.

So, what are we going to call this new punctuation mark? The Thinking Dots? The Dot Dot Dot? The Squished Ellipsis? How about The Long Comma…or perhaps The Pause? Drop me a note here or send me an email to let me know what you think our new punctuation mark should be called!

We’ve all seen certain words misused. We are used to being reminded of the problems so many folks have with words like ‘their,’ ‘there,’ and ‘they’re,’ as well as ‘wear’ and ‘where.’

Well, the other day a friend of mine was browsing the Internet and happened to run across a dating site. Just for fun, she read a few of the profiles and nearly died laughing when several fellows wanted a ‘discrete relationship.’ So, whether these will help you or the lovelorn out on the dating websites, here are a few more commonly confused words to watch out for.

Discrete/ Discreet

Remunerate/Renumerate

Peak/Peek/Pique

Led/Lead/Lead

Whose/Who’s

Nuclear/Nucular

Disc/Disk

Faze/Phase

Sight/Site

The problem with some of these words and their misuse is that sometimes we don’t even know a different spelling or word exists. Hopefully you learned a new word or two and won’t make the mistake of having a discrete relationship on a dating sight.

Incorrect punctuation not only changes the meaning of your writing, but it can also cause your reader to lose focus on what you are saying. Instead, readers will start thinking about how you are saying it and why it sounds to them. They won’t get you meaning, and they may not reply to your key points. Punctuation matters!

In practice

Let’s look at some of the primary uses of commas in business writing:

• Use a comma between two complete thoughts (i.e. full sentences) that are connected by a coordinating conjunction like and, but, or, yet, and so.

• Use a comma after introductory phrases.

• Use commas to separate items in a list.

• Use a comma before and after information that could be placed in brackets.

Finally, check out this sentence, which could be read in two ways

On July 12th, AT&T tweeted, “Athletes from #TeamUSA just don’t inspire fans. They are inspired by them…”

They just don’t inspire their fans? Whoops. The consequences of good grammar can be disastrous. And keep in mind that with these kinds of mistakes, a spellchecker is not enough. The anonymously authored poem, “Ode to My Spell Checker,”
is a prime example:

Eye halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea.
It plainly marks four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a quay and type a word
And weight for it to say
Weather eye yam wrong oar write.
It shows me strait a weigh

As soon as a mist ache is maid.
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite.
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it,
I am shore your pleased to no.
Its letter perfect awl the way.
My checker told me sew.

Writing today is more important than ever, but it seems we have become lazy. A recent survey by Netcraft’s claims there are over 644 million active websites on the Internet, and almost every one of those would be filled with the written word. And in today’s competitive business world, one slip-up could cost you a lot. The problem is that people don’t even know when they have made a slip-up. This is why you need to make a conscious effort to keep up with proper grammar and punctuation.

When you write well, you portray an intelligent and professional individual, and you will stand out from others who don’t. When searching for an assistant recently, the ones who caught my eye were the ones that knew how to use a comma and a full stop. Their caring about the job started from the very beginning, when they showed care for the details. And I like it too when they learn quickly from any minor mistakes that I point out.

Isn’t it time that you put a bit of extra effort into writing clearly and concisely, with attention to good punctuation and grammar? Start today!

One of the most common problems in business writing today is getting the comma in the right place. I see so many commas where there should really be full-stops.

As a general rule, we should use a comma:

• to separate words or phrases in a list.
  Would you like a gold, grey, white or black trim on your new car?
  Writing well takes time, effort and a lot of practice.
  (NB: In a list like this do not put a comma before the final and.)
• to separate adjectives qualifying the same noun.
  Please enclose a large, self-addressed envelope.
  I enjoy the warm, humid climate in Singapore.
• to join two clauses that are joined by a co-ordinating conjunction.
  The expansion of our business is a long-term project, and we need an efficient management consultant to help us.
  John has the necessary qualifications, but Dave has more experience.
  (NB: Whether or not you use a comma here will depend on your own preference, the length of the sentence and the amount of separation that you wish to show. In a short sentence where the ideas in the clauses are closely related, you might leave out the comma. In a longer sentence you might put in a comma so that the reader can absorb what he or she has read so far.)
• to create parentheses, where something is inserted that either expands on the main sentence or qualifies part of it.
  Mandy Lim, my secretary, will contact you soon to make an appointment.
  The Managing Director, who is overseas at present, has asked me to reply to your letter.
• to separate phrases and clauses to make your message easier to read.
  We have five different models, each with its own special features.
  Although I agree with the points you mention, I would like clarification on various issues.

Using commas is largely a matter of taste and style, but one thing is for sure – they should not be overused. When I first revised Gartside’s Model Business Letters in 1992 many of the letters were full of commas and very long sentences. Take a look at this example:

Unfortunately, if we invest in new machinery, and the market falls again, as it has been predicted, we may, possibly, find ourselves with too much production capacity, and this may, therefore, result in even more serious problems.

While all the commas in this sentence are placed correctly, there are far too many of them and they make the sentence jerky. In today’s business writing we should keep sentences short and cut out non- essential commas. For example:

We must give serious consideration to the issue of investing in new machinery. If the market falls again, as it has been predicted, we could find ourselves with increased production capacity. This may then result in even more difficulties.

Blending in with your Text

Back in the 80s, Boy George and Culture Club had a song with a first line that I always thought sounded like, “Comma, comma, comma, comma, comma chameleon…” I thought that was a terrific first line because commas sometimes act like punctuation chameleons.

Of course, I soon realised that’s not what Boy George was singing after all, but the premise still holds true for commas. They can be confusing and have odd little characteristics that are sometimes hard to understand. You might ask, “What difference does it really make?” The answer is that incorrect punctuation can not only change the meaning of your writing, but it can also cause your reader to lose focus on what you are saying. Instead, they start thinking about how you are saying it and why it sounds odd to them.

While there are oodles of rules that govern the use of commas, for most business writing, you need to be aware of four primary uses:

1. Commas are used between two complete thoughts (i.e. full sentences) that use a co-ordinating conjunction to connect them. Sounds scary, right? Not really. Co-ordinating conjunctions include and, but, or, yet, for (like ‘because’), no, and so.

Example: The email was sent on Monday, but Mr. Lu did not receive it until Thursday.

Notice the two complete thoughts: The email was sent on Monday and Mr. Lu did not receive it until Thursday. They are connected with the conjunction ‘but’, so a comma goes after the first sentence and before the co-ordinating conjunction.

2. Commas also need to be used after long introductory phrases. Often the phrases are prepositional phrases (if you’re into grammar) but sometimes the first word is something else.

Example: After replacing the cartridge in the laser printer, you must always make sure the door closes completely.

In this example, you can see that the main sentence, which has a subject AND verb, is: You must always make sure the door closes completely. The comma came after the prepositional introductory phrase before the complete sentence.

3. The third primary place we used commas is in lists. This is usually a pretty easy one to figure out.

Example: The committee will comprise Sue, Kara, James, and Lynn.

Clearly, commas need to go between each of the items in the list. One variation you might see is a sentence that has the last comma missing. Some companies prefer you to put the comma before the word ‘and,’ and other companies don’t. Either way is correct, so just use the standard format for your own company and be consistent.

The final main place for using a comma is when you are adding information that could be placed in brackets. It’s not as confusing as it sounds. Let’s look at this example. Can you see anything wrong with it?

Example: The new employee, Mary will start work on Monday.

The root sentence is “The new employee will start work on Monday.” When we add in the person’s name, we really need a comma after her name as well as before it. This is a really important rule, and it’s one that many people don’t use.

Let’s take a look at some more examples:

The new shopping mall, which opens on Monday, has 43 stores.

In this case, the root sentence is ‘The new shopping mall has 43 stores. When we drop in the qualifying phrase, we need two commas around it.

Check out some more examples:

We need John, and possibly Doreen as well, to help with this project.
Mr John Brown, Training Manager, will interview you tomorrow.

Finally, check out this sentence, which could be read in two ways

Mary, my assistant, will call you soon
In this example, Mary is ‘my assistant’.

Mary, my assistant will call you soon.
Without the second comma, Mary is the person you are talking to.

But first you have to learn them

Have you ever wondered where all the rules out there governing grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so on come from? Is there really a dictator called the Grammar Ninja hiding in a cave or bunker somewhere, thinking up evil ways to make your writing ‘wrong?’ Is he or she inventing new words to make your life miserable?

After all, we all know what ‘online’ means, but is it one word, a hyphenated word, or two words? And what about ‘off-line?’ It doesn’t look right as ‘offline,’ but if you hyphenate it, should you then hyphenate ‘on-line’ to be consistent?

These types of questions have tortured writers since the first dictionaries were compiled in what is now known as Syria back around 2300 BCE*. Oh goodness, there’s another question – didn’t we used to say BC and AD for dates? When did that change and who decided to change it to BCE (Before the Common Era)? And why? Whoops, I apologise for getting off on a tangent there, but it just frosts my cookies to think about it all.

Why do language rules change?

The reason language changes is really pretty simple: It changes because language is dynamic, not static. I know that’s cheating, because I basically said language is changing because it changes. But it’s true. New concepts, ideas, and even things are constantly being invented, and we need to have words to convey them. Do you really want to say, “I was on my computer, connected to the Internet” every time? Isn’t it much easier to say, “I was online”?

Oh my goodness, there’s another one! I put a punctuation mark outside the quotation mark. The rule says punctuation goes inside the quotation mark… or is that only true in dialogue? And if I had put the question mark inside the apostrophe, it would have looked like I was asking whether I was online or not. Good grief, this is confusing!

Is there a Grammar Ninja?

Really, who decides what is standard practice when it comes to writing? Is there a grammar committee or even the famous Grammar Ninja out there somewhere? As much as we would like to believe it, no individual or group has the power to change language rules and conventions.

So who changes them? You do! I do! We all do! But usually it’s unconscious. To go back to our ‘online’ vs. ‘off-line’ question, the verbal reference ‘online’ obviously only came into being after the computer and the Internet were invented. Someone somewhere used the word and it caught on until every computer-savvy person was using it. I can remember seeing it spelled all three ways back then: online, on-line, and on line. Nothing made me twitch so much as to see it spelled all three ways in the same report.

Eventually, everyone seemed to settle on the single word spelling, ‘online.’ But now we have ‘off-line’ and people haven’t quite decided on where they want to go with it. It’s very possible you are still seeing it all three ways.

What’s the solution?

What do you do when you are writing a company newsletter article about how the newsletter will be going online in a couple of weeks, but for the first month, you can still get it off-line? The key to finding the best usage when a rule hasn’t been established yet is to pick the one you see most often and then remain consistent throughout your document.

That’s the final word. Language conventions are dynamic and we all decide what they are. And writing is like anything else, you have to learn the rules and why they are that way before you can decide when to break them. What do you think about language conventions? Do you have any pet peeves relating to language conventions? Let me know in the comments.