September 14, 2011

Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit… I Mean That vs. Which vs. Who

Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time introduces readers to three very eccentric immortals that are always getting to scrapes: Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit. If you have read this wonderful book (and if you haven’t, you should!) then you understand how difficult it can be to tell these ladies apart; however, it may be easier to differentiate between them than to keep up with “that,” “which,” and “who”!

A grammatical issue that many people have to look up, as evidenced by how quickly it appeared as I typed it into Google, the issue of “that” versus “which” versus “who” is actually quite simple to understand. With a bit of help (I have turned to The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation), you will easily be telling them apart—though the Blue Book can’t help you on the Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit front.

Who

This rule is simple, though people often overlook it: “Who” is only used if it is referencing a person.

Wrong: “The company who donated to the charity was generous.”

Right: “The woman who donated to the charity was generous.”

That

Unfortunately, the rule for “that” is not as cut and dry as the rule for “who,” but it is relatively simple: Use “that” if the clause it introduces is essential.

Now, to brush up on your clause knowledge, essential clauses are those that are imperative to the meaning of the sentence. Without them, you wouldn’t know what “that” refers to.

Wrong: “The sweater which she brought to my house is dirty.”

Right: “The sweater that she brought to my house is dirty.”

The clause is essential because without the information it presents you would not know what sweater is being discussed.

Which

“Which” is used to introduce a clause after an essential clause, regardless of if it is essential or nonessential. Oftentimes, “which” is omitted to simplify a sentence, and of course it is a word that is used in other contexts, but when debating between “who,” “which,” and “that,” use “which” when the clause is nonessential or when it follows an essential clause that has already been introduced with a “this,” “that,” “these,” or “those.”

Wrong: “That is the very question that you must answer.”

Right: “That is the very question which you must answer.”

Right: “The sweater in the hallway, which she dropped, is dirty.”

Keep in mind, when determining whether or not a clause is essential or nonessential, that essential clauses will not be offset by commas, while nonessential clauses often will.

Keeping these grammatical rules straight may be a bit difficult at first, but much like the way you eventually learn the personalities of Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit, you will certainly learn to use these words properly with a bit of practice.

Get in touch with us for information about how Grammar Chic, Inc. can help you edit your business, academic, or creative writing for grammatical errors!

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September 7, 2011

All This Twittering… and What is a Facebook?

If you are the typical business owner, you do not have time to worry about social media. In fact, your day is probably so full of expense reports, budget development, HR issues, and customer questions that you may not even know what Twitter or Facebook are (and if you do, kudos, you are ahead of the game).

But just knowing about these social networking websites does not necessarily mean that you understand how to use them. You see, many people get onto these sites and sell, sell, sell. Oftentimes, business owners post nothing but links to their websites, to product description pages, or even to advertisements. The problem is, people on social networking websites don’t want to be sold.

So, the conundrum follows, how do you use social media to sell a product?

Well, here’s the trick. Social media is not an advertising cost per se. Yes, it gets the word out about your company and may drive some people to your website, but it is more about an investment in your own reputation than a way to increase revenue.

Every company has a reputation, whether they know it or not. Marketing materials, employees, corporate policies, and even the way in which their physical spaces (be them stores or offices) are arranged all come together to create a brand image—one that you can partially control, if you know how.

One of the ways to control the image is, as we have discussed previously, maintaining a cohesive brand. Using the same marketing materials and creating a solid image for your company is important. Social media, then, should be used to heighten this image, not compete with it.

When you get on Twitter or Facebook, you do not want to just sell to the people who are “following” you or that “like” you. If you do, you will see your number of followers and likes decrease quickly (or you will be blocked and no one will get your message anyway). The trick is to interact with the people who pay attention to your account in a natural way, one that reflects the values and image of your company while making your business approachable.

The bottom line is that you want your social media campaign to make people feel as though they can trust your opinion and they can ask you their questions. The overall goal of any campaign? To create an authoritative and approachable brand.

Over time, your brand will become more visible and you may see sales increase; however, this is not the goal. The goal is to create a positive relationship with the public that will keep you at the forefront of attention. Interactive posts that show you care are the way to go (and, of course, a little self-promotion here and there doesn’t hurt).

Looking to start a new social media campaign but don’t know where to start? Call Grammar Chic, Inc. to talk about how to set up your social media profiles and learn more about the brand management services we have to offer!

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September 4, 2011

Crafting the Perfect Resume: More Complicated Than You Might Think!

There is a level on which the idea of hiring a professional resume writing service seems a bit counterintuitive. After all, it is something that will cost you a few bucks—hence the word hiring—but if you’re in need of a clean new resume, chances are you’re also in need of a new job. You’re not so likely to have a bunch of extra cash lying around, then. And besides, how hard could it be to make a resume yourself?

These are all fair concerns, but consider this: These days, most resumes never actually make it before the eyes of a hiring manager or human resources professional before they go through a computer scanner. And if your resume doesn’t pass the scanner test, it’s never even going to get read, much less considered. So when you’re writing a resume, you’re not just writing for a person. You’re writing for a computer! Strange, but true.

Furthermore, let’s say your resume makes it past the scanner. The hiring manager or HR person is likely to have a huge stack of resumes sitting in front of them, and limited time to go through them. So you may have a resume that communicates your worth as an employee, but that’s only half the battle. What you need is a resume that communicates these things clearly and concisely. You need a resume that can make an approximate impression in just a couple of seconds, as an employer is leafing through a big stack of applications.

In other words, you need a resume that’s formatted in a way that a computer will accept it and written in a way that stands out. Some job applicants resort to gimmickry to distinguish their resume, but this comes across more as an act of desperation than of professionalism; a confident and skilled employee does not need silly Clipart graphics or a convoluted resume format in order to come across as unique.

All to say: Don’t think of a resume writing service as an added expense. Think of it as an investment in a resume that is significantly more likely to generate hiring interest than what you might come up with on your own. And of course, if a clean, effective resume is what you’re after, keep Grammar Chic, Inc. in mind!

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August 30, 2011

Are You Linked In?

Social networking is just that, social, but LinkedIn is a unique networking site that merges social media technology with professional intentions. As a Mecca of social media for professionals looking to expand their visibility in their field, connect with other industry leaders, or even recruit new employees, LinkedIn has provided a forum in which professionals can showcase their impressive accomplishments, highlight their expertise, and discuss ways to further their industries with other innovative minds.

This being said, you have a LinkedIn account, right?

If not, hear this: If you are looking for a new job or are trying to attract new clientele, your LinkedIn profile will most likely be consulted before any pen is put to paper. As a virtual resume, your LinkedIn profile represents your professional image to the world.

Obviously, with this much riding on its shoulders, your LinkedIn profile should be not only accurate and up to date, but it should be, well, professional. Slapping your responsibilities onto the (web)page will do nothing to attract the professionals you are looking to network with. How are they supposed to rely on your expertise if, according to your profile, you can’t effectively articulate what it is that you do?

This is a common problem with many professionals: Doing the job is one thing, but writing about it is another. Add to that the fact that most LinkedIn members aren’t professional writers and it is quite understandable why many of the profiles on the website are linguistic train wrecks.

Despite the overwhelming occurrence of this issue, there is hope! First, LinkedIn users must understand the nature of their profiles in order to properly develop them. The creators of the website have modeled the profile template off of a resume, with its sections corresponding to tradition resume structure. Additionally, they have given examples of each section that users can model their own content off of.

Though these examples are very helpful, it does not address the issue of not knowing how to write about your own work. Though it seems so straightforward, the truth is that writing about yourself is difficult, especially when you have years of experience under your belt. For this reason, we at Grammar Chic recommend starting your LinkedIn profile with your actual resume.

Now, when we say actual resume, we mean one that has been professionally written and edited, one that you would be comfortable sending out to recruiters and hiring managers. Remember, what you put on the Internet does not necessarily go away, so having a polished profile is key to maintaining a polished reputation. Once you have this resume in hand, you can simply copy the verbiage into your LinkedIn profile.

Of course, simple copying and pasting may not always do the trick, but if you have Grammar Chic write your resume and update your LinkedIn profile, all the necessary tweaking will be done for you. The result? A great resume and an up to date, industry-specific, and accurate LinkedIn profile that is available to literally anyone on the LinkedIn network (well, depending upon your privacy settings).

Maintaining a strong LinkedIn profile is important in today’s business world. Contact Grammar Chic, Inc. today to see how we can help with your resume and LinkedIn profile needs!

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August 26, 2011

Can Words Lose Their Meaning?

Robin Hanson recently wrote a blog entry about something called “concept inflation.” What this means, basically, is that we can use a word so many times, in so many different contexts, that it basically loses its meaning. The example he gives is that of the “world’s greatest hamburger.” We see so many diners advertising this that few of us actually ever believe it when we see it on a menu or a marquee. In fact, we probably react with skepticism over the idea that any particular product could be the “world’s greatest” anything.

The example that springs to my own mind is the word “awesome.” Once upon a time, I think, this word denoted something that literally filled one with awe—like, the presence of a magnificent king or a deity. But now, the word is really just a slang term for “good.”

It’s important to think about how words change, even if you don’t actually care about words all that much. Say, for example, that you’re not the person walking into the diner, but you are actually the owner of the diner. Don’t you think you want to come up with a way of marketing your product that actually sets it apart from the competition, rather than playing into a cliché?

This is especially important to think about when you’re seeking compelling, sales-oriented web content, brochures, or sales sheets. After all, you are going to be putting these materials into circulation with all of your competitors, which means it’s going to be easy for you to identify your services using the same language used by other, similar companies. But if you market yourself exactly how your competition markets themselves, you’re not doing anything to distinguish yourself, and you may be doing yourself more harm than good.

At Grammar Chic, a big component of our copywriting services involve crafting text that encapsulates your voice, what makes your company unique. The goal of our copywriting services isn’t to offer you web content or brochures that merely speak to what your business does, but rather speaks in a way that immediately sets you apart from your competition.

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August 23, 2011

Grammatical Rules that Trip You Up: Who vs. Whom

As grammatical aficionados, we at Grammar Chic, Inc. know a thing or two about the English language; however, there are some tricky rules that trip up even the most knowledgeable of writers. The anecdote? Writers should always have a great reference by their side, either in the form of books on their shelves or reliable websites to which they can quickly defer when a grammatical question pops up. As editors, we see common mistakes that many writers make, and the age-old “who vs. whom” dilemma has run across our desks many a time.

Many writers come up with little tricks or mnemonic devises to remember the rules of writing, and no matter what your learning style, there is sure to be a way for you to remember the grammatical rules that will make you a better writer.

So, on to who and whom. The most popular way to differentiate between the two is to use what some writers call the “him test.” Like he and him, who and whom are pronouns. Instead of thinking about the who/whom dilemma, put the sentence in terms of he or him. If this variation of the sentence uses he, then who is appropriate; if it uses him, then whom is your answer.

Here are some examples:

Who/Whom ate the last cookie?

He ate the last cookie.

Therefore, the sentence should read “Who ate the last cookie?”

I like both players! For who/whom should I cheer?

You should cheer for him.

Therefore, the sentence should read “For whom should I cheer?”

Another way to remember the difference between who and whom, for those of you that might be a little more interested in the mechanics of the English language, is to remember that who corresponds to the subject of a sentence and whom corresponds to the object.

The person acting in a sentence is the subject, and if the who or whom you are searching for is the subject, then “who” is the word you need. In the first example, the subject ate the last cookie. So, the question “Who ate the last cookie” is really asking about the subject.

On the other hand, the person being acted upon is the object, it is the recipient of one’s actions and requires the elusive “whom.” In the second example, the speaker is asking which player they should cheer for. Because the player is the object (the speaker is the subject), it requires “whom.”

Who vs. whom is a question that has boggled the minds of writers since the onset of the English language, but with a little practice and some solid references you can conquer this age-old dilemma.

Need help with your writing? Don’t want to be bothered with who vs. whom and other grammatical questions? Call Grammar Chic, Inc. to see what we can do for your writing project!

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation were referenced when writing this post.

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August 17, 2011

Of Course I Have a Resume…

When is the last time you updated your resume? The last time you really took a look at it and tried to consider what a third-party would think of your professional capabilities? If you are like the average member of the work force, you probably haven’t given the document a second thought since you landed your last job; on the other hand, if you are currently seeking employment, you probably obsess over the document’s contents.

To be quite honest, you should update your resume fairly often, regardless of if you are looking for a new job or not. Unless you are the CEO of your current company, or own your own business, there is probably room for you to move up in the professional world. What are you going to do if someone offers to pull you a rung or two up the corporate ladder if you can get your resume to them by tomorrow morning?

Well, the first thing you should not do is panic. No one appreciates hysterics in the workplace. The second thing you should not do is drink an abundance of coffee and pull an all-nighter, as desperately trying to hold your bloodshot eyes open after updating your resume all night will not make a good impression when you drop the document off.

Instead, you should always prepare for the opportunity of advancement. Keep your resume updated, ensuring that it reflects your most recent professional accomplishments. Though you should focus your resume to a job you are searching for, a well-maintained document will serve you well in those situations that present a limited amount of time before a corporate leader takes a look at your job history.

Don’t get caught off-guard by the CEO of the company in the elevator, or that guy at the coffee shop that sparked up a conversation and may have a position open for you at his office. Keep an updated resume handy!

Now,  some would say that writing a resume is an art from—a finely honed craft that takes time and dedication to build. At Grammar Chic, we know how to create memorable, strongly written resumes that get our clients noticed. No one can guarantee you that a resume will get you a job, but with our writing and your great personality, you are sure to have a leg up on the competition.

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