People form an opinion within seconds of meeting you--and you don't have to say a word! So you have to wonder, do people judge you by your e-mail subject lines? They're easy to overlook, although that's your reader's first impression of the e-mail and you.
I've received some interesting ones lately:
"Hot of the presses...see what's new!"
"Five tings you didn't know about the Paris Opera Ballet!"
"Your licence expires in 15 days"
"Truley Pivital"
"Come have diner on us tonight..."
Yikes! These messages are from reputable organizations. My husband, Beaver, forwarded that last one to me--good catch!
If you use spell check, it will check the subject line. However, sign, of, tings, and diner will pass that test because they're words. Just the wrong words. That's why we need to proofread--especially the subject line. Too bad Outlook's AutoCorrect (see last month's post) doesn't work in the subject line.
The subject line is the most important part of your e-mail message because its goal is to get the e-mail opened and read. Your message might be misconstrued if the subject line has an error. A friend received an e-mail with a subject line that said something about "signing"; the sender meant to type "singing." Oops!
So, take time to write an informative and grammatically correct subject line. After all, it's a first impression.
Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day
Judy@TheOfficePro.net
Monday, August 29, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Proofreading Tip: Word's Typo List
Are you familiar with Word’s typo list (a.k.a. AutoCorrect)? Microsoft has a feature that automatically corrects commonly misspelled (or mistyped) words; and this feature works in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Here’s how it works. If you type t-e-h for the, Microsoft changes the misspelled version to the when the Spacebar or Enter is pressed, or a punctuation mark is typed. Words typed without a space are also part of this list; for example, witha, forthe, and ofthe conveniently correct themselves to with a, for the, and of the while you’re typing. Microsoft helps you and me to become more accurate typists!
You can personalize this typo list for words you consistently mistype. That way, you don’t have to correct them ever again. For example, my fingers have a mind of their own; I consistently type select as s-l-e-c-t. So, I’ve added this combination to my list.
To add the typo and corrected spelling to the list from a document, follow these steps:
Here’s how it works. If you type t-e-h for the, Microsoft changes the misspelled version to the when the Spacebar or Enter is pressed, or a punctuation mark is typed. Words typed without a space are also part of this list; for example, witha, forthe, and ofthe conveniently correct themselves to with a, for the, and of the while you’re typing. Microsoft helps you and me to become more accurate typists!
You can personalize this typo list for words you consistently mistype. That way, you don’t have to correct them ever again. For example, my fingers have a mind of their own; I consistently type select as s-l-e-c-t. So, I’ve added this combination to my list.
To add the typo and corrected spelling to the list from a document, follow these steps:
- Right-click the misspelled word (the one with the red zigzagged underline) and select AutoCorrect.
- If the correctly spelled word is displayed, select that word. That misspelled word has now been added to the typo list with its correct counterpart.
- If the correct word is not listed, select AutoCorrect Options. (The AutoCorrect dialog box displays.)
- Be sure there’s a check in the Replace text as you type check box.
- Type the incorrect spelling (slect) in the Replace text box.
- Press TAB key to move to the With text box.
- Then, type the correctly spelled word (select).
- Press ENTER two times.
The instructions are the same for 2003.
Another way to use this feature is to create speedwriting words. Have you created your own abbreviations or shorthand words (the olden-day version of texting) when you write in longhand? Consider the possibilities: shortcuts for frequently used company names, cities, technical and medical terminology, hard-to-type words, short phrases, and even multiple-line addresses! There is a 256-character limit, though. Finally, “texting” can be put to good use--or professional use.
With the help of AutoCorrect, you can use those same shortcuts when typing. Here’s how in 2007:
- Click the Office button.
- Click the Word Options button.
- Select the Proofing link on the left side of the window.
- Click the AutoCorrect Options button. (The AutoCorrect dialog box displays.)
- Follow steps 4 – 8 above, substituting the shortcut word for the incorrect spelling.
For version 2003, replace steps 1-4 with Tools from the menu, then AutoCorrect Options. Continue with step 5.
One thing to consider--don’t use abbreviations that are words themselves. For example, deter can’t be a shortcut for determine because deter is a legitimate word. This same rule applies for misspelled words. If you mistakenly type you for your, don’t use you as your misspelled word because it’ll change it every time.
One more thing--to use the abbreviation rather than the longhand version, click the Undo button or use the Undo keyboard shortcut, CTRL+Z, immediately after the word changes; then, the longhand version goes back to the abbreviation.
To delete a word combination from the AutoCorrect list, follow these steps:
- Follow steps 1 – 4 above (to open the AutoCorrect dialog box).
- Begin typing the misspelled or shortcut in the Replace text box.
- Click to select the combination in the list.
- Click Delete, and then click OK.
Isn’t technology wonderful? Just remember, when you’re typing on somebody else’s computer, you can’t use your shortcuts! Please post what shortcuts you create or have already created.
Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day
Judy@TheOfficePro.net
Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day
Judy@TheOfficePro.net
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Proofreading Tip: Word's Proofreading System
My name is Judy, and I am a red pen-aholic. Just ask my students!
Do you have Red Pen Syndrome? Urban Dictionary.com defines the term red pen syndrome as “The sufferers of this syndrome have an irrepressible urge to correct any and all grammar mistakes that come within their sight. At times this can be helpful, but at other times, it can be downright inappropriate and mean.”
Is there a 12-step program to stop this behavior? If so, do I want to be cured? NO! When I was a young girl, I always wanted a red pen--and still do.
Have you heard there’s a movement to eliminate using red pens in schools? Red corrections are considered “stressful.” Linda Orlando wrote an article about it, “The Ink That Teachers Use to Grade Papers Has Parents Seeing Red.” Isn’t red associated with love? Well, now purple is the new red!
What do you think? Is red ink offensive? Doesn’t red make it easy to see the corrections and comments? Please tell me what you think; it’ll be fun to read your comments.
Microsoft has its own version of the “dreaded red pen.” Are you familiar with Track Changes in Microsoft Word®? You can use this feature to electronically edit documents. Once the changes have been made (which are easily identified), you can quickly accept or reject the suggested revisions. Can you guess what color is used for the changes? Don’t worry; if the red offends you, you can always change the color.
Quick Ways to Start Track Changes
You can click the Review tab to access Track Changes and all its features (if you’re using 2007), or you can quickly activate the feature from the status bar. If you don’t see Track Changes: Off (or On) on the status bar (at the bottom of the document window), right click anywhere on the status bar. Then, select Track Changes from the menu; now press ESC. This indicator lets you see if the feature is activated or not and lets you quickly turn the feature on and off by clicking it.
For 2003, TRK displays in the status bar. Double click it to turn the feature on and off; TRK is dimmed when the feature isn’t on. Use the Reviewing toolbar to access all the Track Changes features.
In both versions you may use the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+SHIFT+E, to turn Track Changes on and off.
Start Proofreading
Once Track Changes is activated, you or a proofreading buddy can add, change, and delete text, showing the revisions without losing your original content.
If you want to add a comment or to ask a question of the author, use the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+ALT+M, to add an electronic “sticky note.” It displays in the right margin. After you’re through typing your note, press ESC.
Then, turn off Track Changes once you’re through editing. Now, you can decide which changes you want to keep.
Choose a View for the Proposed Changes
If you find it confusing to read the document with all the changes, other views are available. Experiment with the different views to choose the one you prefer. (Versions 2003 and 2007 display the markup versions differently.)
Final Showing Markup—all proposed changes are displayed.
Final—all proposed changes are included as if they were accepted.
Original Showing Markup—all proposed changes are displayed.
Original—all the proposed changes are hidden.
Accept/Reject the Changes
You may accept or reject each change individually, or you may accept or reject all changes in one command.
First, press CTRL+HOME to move to the beginning of the document.
2007
Having someone else proofread your content is helpful because we generally don’t find our own errors. We know what we meant to write, so that’s generally how we read it. Your proofreading buddy doesn’t have to be a co-worker; you can e-mail the document to anyone. Track Changes makes it convenient to proofread someone’s work, and it saves paper because you don’t have to print the document to make corrections.
Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day
Judy@TheOfficePro.net
Do you have Red Pen Syndrome? Urban Dictionary.com defines the term red pen syndrome as “The sufferers of this syndrome have an irrepressible urge to correct any and all grammar mistakes that come within their sight. At times this can be helpful, but at other times, it can be downright inappropriate and mean.”
Is there a 12-step program to stop this behavior? If so, do I want to be cured? NO! When I was a young girl, I always wanted a red pen--and still do.
Have you heard there’s a movement to eliminate using red pens in schools? Red corrections are considered “stressful.” Linda Orlando wrote an article about it, “The Ink That Teachers Use to Grade Papers Has Parents Seeing Red.” Isn’t red associated with love? Well, now purple is the new red!
What do you think? Is red ink offensive? Doesn’t red make it easy to see the corrections and comments? Please tell me what you think; it’ll be fun to read your comments.
Microsoft has its own version of the “dreaded red pen.” Are you familiar with Track Changes in Microsoft Word®? You can use this feature to electronically edit documents. Once the changes have been made (which are easily identified), you can quickly accept or reject the suggested revisions. Can you guess what color is used for the changes? Don’t worry; if the red offends you, you can always change the color.
Quick Ways to Start Track Changes
You can click the Review tab to access Track Changes and all its features (if you’re using 2007), or you can quickly activate the feature from the status bar. If you don’t see Track Changes: Off (or On) on the status bar (at the bottom of the document window), right click anywhere on the status bar. Then, select Track Changes from the menu; now press ESC. This indicator lets you see if the feature is activated or not and lets you quickly turn the feature on and off by clicking it.
For 2003, TRK displays in the status bar. Double click it to turn the feature on and off; TRK is dimmed when the feature isn’t on. Use the Reviewing toolbar to access all the Track Changes features.
In both versions you may use the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+SHIFT+E, to turn Track Changes on and off.
Start Proofreading
Once Track Changes is activated, you or a proofreading buddy can add, change, and delete text, showing the revisions without losing your original content.
If you want to add a comment or to ask a question of the author, use the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+ALT+M, to add an electronic “sticky note.” It displays in the right margin. After you’re through typing your note, press ESC.
Then, turn off Track Changes once you’re through editing. Now, you can decide which changes you want to keep.
Choose a View for the Proposed Changes
If you find it confusing to read the document with all the changes, other views are available. Experiment with the different views to choose the one you prefer. (Versions 2003 and 2007 display the markup versions differently.)
Final Showing Markup—all proposed changes are displayed.
Final—all proposed changes are included as if they were accepted.
Original Showing Markup—all proposed changes are displayed.
Original—all the proposed changes are hidden.
Accept/Reject the Changes
You may accept or reject each change individually, or you may accept or reject all changes in one command.
First, press CTRL+HOME to move to the beginning of the document.
2007
- From the Review tab, select Next button to move to the first comment or proposed change.
- Select Accept button or Reject button; Word automatically moves to the next proposed change.
- Continue until all comments and proposed changes have been reviewed.
- On the Reviewing toolbar, click the Next button.
- Select Accept button or Reject button.
- Click the Next button to move to the next comment or proposed change.
- Repeat the steps until all comments and proposed changes have been reviewed.
Having someone else proofread your content is helpful because we generally don’t find our own errors. We know what we meant to write, so that’s generally how we read it. Your proofreading buddy doesn’t have to be a co-worker; you can e-mail the document to anyone. Track Changes makes it convenient to proofread someone’s work, and it saves paper because you don’t have to print the document to make corrections.
Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day
Judy@TheOfficePro.net
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Proofreading Tip: Words in CAPS
Is it possible to create a document that's 100 percent accurate? Do you rely on Spell Check to help you? Well, you know Word doesn't find all misspelled words because some typos are words. Plus, Word has default settings that intentionally ignore certain words. So, if you rely on Spell Check, you may want to change those default settings.
Do you know words in uppercase are ignored? Do you think it's because so many acronyms and initialisms such as LOL and OMG are used? If you capitalize the heading, EXPERIENCE, on your resume and misspell it, Word doesn't flag it as misspelled. I think it's more difficult to find errors in words that are in all caps.
"Words" that have numbers in them such as part numbers (A3457) are ignored, too. If you mistakenly type 1uantity instead of quantity, Word doesn't identify it as a mistake.
Do you need to change these settings? It depends. Do you write words in capitals? Do you use part numbers or "words" with numbers in your documents?
Here's how to change the default settings in Word 2007:
When you change these default settings (UPPERCASE and words with numbers) in Word 2007, they'll change in Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, too.
If you change the setting to no longer ignore uppercase words, you may want to add frequently used acronyms to your electronic dictionary. That way, you won't be bombarded with red zigzagged lines.
Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day
Judy@TheOfficePro.net
Do you know words in uppercase are ignored? Do you think it's because so many acronyms and initialisms such as LOL and OMG are used? If you capitalize the heading, EXPERIENCE, on your resume and misspell it, Word doesn't flag it as misspelled. I think it's more difficult to find errors in words that are in all caps.
"Words" that have numbers in them such as part numbers (A3457) are ignored, too. If you mistakenly type 1uantity instead of quantity, Word doesn't identify it as a mistake.
Do you need to change these settings? It depends. Do you write words in capitals? Do you use part numbers or "words" with numbers in your documents?
Here's how to change the default settings in Word 2007:
- Click the Office button.
- Click the Word Options button.
- Click Proofing link (left side of the screen).
- Remove the check from Ignore words in UPPERCASE and/or
- Remove the check from Ignore words that contain numbers.
- Click OK.
When you change these default settings (UPPERCASE and words with numbers) in Word 2007, they'll change in Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, too.
If you change the setting to no longer ignore uppercase words, you may want to add frequently used acronyms to your electronic dictionary. That way, you won't be bombarded with red zigzagged lines.
Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day
Judy@TheOfficePro.net
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Proofreading Tip: National Proofreading Day
March 8 is my mom's birthday. Flo loved to correct people, especially when it was related to language. But, is that enough to designate March 8 as National Proofreading Day?
Typos have caused some embarrassing moments and some costly mistakes. Watch Jay Leno's "Headlines," and you'll see what I mean. Even professionals get it wrong.
Correct all errors--in all documents: spreadsheets, presentations, reports, letters, e-mails, resumes. If a spreadsheet has a typo, readers will wonder if the numbers are accurate. A resume with a typo could mean a job seeker won't get called for the interview. Is your presentation professional if it has a misspelled word? Flo certainly wouldn't think so!
In the 1980s a Florida contractor filed a $254,000 product liability lawsuit against Lotus Development Corporation (remember the spreadsheet app, Lotus 1-2-3?). An employee in the construction company developed a Lotus spreadsheet to cost jobs. An additional row was inserted for general expenses; however, the formula didn't include the newly added expense of $254,000 in a $3 million office complex contract, which caused the contractor to underbid on that job. Even though the contractor won the bid, it lost money on the deal. Lotus said it wasn't responsible for the contractor's error. The contractor eventually withdrew the lawsuit.
Test all formulas in a spreadsheet to be sure they're calculating properly, especially after inserting and/or deleting rows and columns. Print a "formula display" of the worksheet to help with debugging; add row and column headings and gridlines before printing to make the formulas easier to understand. (Read the posting below for step-by-step instructions on how to do that.)
Mistakes include misspelled words; misused words; typos; grammatical errors; and missing, overused, and incorrect punctuation marks. Correct all of them. Let's care about accuracy. Join the movement. Carry a red pen (or pencil)! Celebrate National Proofreading Day!
Typos have caused some embarrassing moments and some costly mistakes. Watch Jay Leno's "Headlines," and you'll see what I mean. Even professionals get it wrong.
Correct all errors--in all documents: spreadsheets, presentations, reports, letters, e-mails, resumes. If a spreadsheet has a typo, readers will wonder if the numbers are accurate. A resume with a typo could mean a job seeker won't get called for the interview. Is your presentation professional if it has a misspelled word? Flo certainly wouldn't think so!
In the 1980s a Florida contractor filed a $254,000 product liability lawsuit against Lotus Development Corporation (remember the spreadsheet app, Lotus 1-2-3?). An employee in the construction company developed a Lotus spreadsheet to cost jobs. An additional row was inserted for general expenses; however, the formula didn't include the newly added expense of $254,000 in a $3 million office complex contract, which caused the contractor to underbid on that job. Even though the contractor won the bid, it lost money on the deal. Lotus said it wasn't responsible for the contractor's error. The contractor eventually withdrew the lawsuit.
Test all formulas in a spreadsheet to be sure they're calculating properly, especially after inserting and/or deleting rows and columns. Print a "formula display" of the worksheet to help with debugging; add row and column headings and gridlines before printing to make the formulas easier to understand. (Read the posting below for step-by-step instructions on how to do that.)
Mistakes include misspelled words; misused words; typos; grammatical errors; and missing, overused, and incorrect punctuation marks. Correct all of them. Let's care about accuracy. Join the movement. Carry a red pen (or pencil)! Celebrate National Proofreading Day!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Printing a Formula Display in Excel
Having a printout of the formulas is helpful, especially if you’ve created the worksheet, but you don’t work with it. It’s a great reference for you, and it can help with debugging.
Create the formula display by pressing Ctrl key and the accent mark key (`), which is the key left of the number one key. Formulas are displayed in the cells rather than the values.
Before printing the “formula display” of the worksheet, add the row and column headings and gridlines:
On the Page Layout tab, select the Print check boxes to the Gridlines and Headings buttons.
Create the formula display by pressing Ctrl key and the accent mark key (`), which is the key left of the number one key. Formulas are displayed in the cells rather than the values.
Before printing the “formula display” of the worksheet, add the row and column headings and gridlines:
On the Page Layout tab, select the Print check boxes to the Gridlines and Headings buttons.
Monday, February 28, 2011
National Grammar Day is March 4
A powerful supercomputer with 2,800 processors that competed in “Jeopardy.” What is Watson?
There was an online poll: Who do you think is going to win? I voted for Watson! Beaver wanted a human to win; I was cheering for Watson.
Watson has gotten a lot of attention: articles, TV shows, comedians’ jokes, and more. Rightfully so. Greg Lindsay, a contributing writer to FastCompany.com, called the Jeopardy man vs. machine match-up the “Nerd Super Bowl.” I had a front row seat (in my living room)!
My favorite clue and response were under the category, Beatles’ People: “Any time you feel the pain, hey - this guy - Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.” Watson correctly responded, “Who is Jude?” Okay, so the song is about a guy, but still, Watson called my name!
Watson was impressive. Beaver and I watched a fascinating NOVA special about Watson and its creators. NOVA chronicled Watson in its mock “Jeopardy” contests to prepare it for its big debut. Here’s a link if you’re interested in reading more about it. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/will-watson-win-jeopardy.html)
Computers can take on human-like characteristics. Have computers ever "scolded" you? They've scolded me! Years ago, I had to use prime numbers to resize files on a miniframe system. If I entered a non-prime number in the command; the computer would yell at me, “NOT A PRIME NUMBER!” Excuse me? Have you ever typed a misspelled word in Google’s search text box? Google displays Did you mean: (with the corrected spelling). Little smarty-pants!
Do you like it when computers catch your errors? Let me know what you think.
Back to “Jeopardy” and Alex Trebek—Watson is a computer, although Alex kept referring to it as a man, by saying “he” and “him.” I’ve got to correct you on this one, Alex! With National Grammar Day (Friday, March 4) just days away (yes, it’s that time of year already), using a masculine pronoun for a computer is not grammatically correct. Use a gender-neutral pronoun, not a masculine pronoun.
By the way, National Grammar Day was established in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG). (http://spogg.org)
So, what are you doing to celebrate National Grammar Day? Grammar Girl has a Web site dedicated to the national holiday. (http://nationalgrammarday.com/) Check out all the fun things to do! Will you send a free E-card to your favorite grammarian? Will you enter the Fiction Writing Contest? Let me know how you’re celebrating!
And let me be the first to wish you a safe and happy National Grammar Day!
There was an online poll: Who do you think is going to win? I voted for Watson! Beaver wanted a human to win; I was cheering for Watson.
Watson has gotten a lot of attention: articles, TV shows, comedians’ jokes, and more. Rightfully so. Greg Lindsay, a contributing writer to FastCompany.com, called the Jeopardy man vs. machine match-up the “Nerd Super Bowl.” I had a front row seat (in my living room)!
My favorite clue and response were under the category, Beatles’ People: “Any time you feel the pain, hey - this guy - Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.” Watson correctly responded, “Who is Jude?” Okay, so the song is about a guy, but still, Watson called my name!
Watson was impressive. Beaver and I watched a fascinating NOVA special about Watson and its creators. NOVA chronicled Watson in its mock “Jeopardy” contests to prepare it for its big debut. Here’s a link if you’re interested in reading more about it. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/will-watson-win-jeopardy.html)
Computers can take on human-like characteristics. Have computers ever "scolded" you? They've scolded me! Years ago, I had to use prime numbers to resize files on a miniframe system. If I entered a non-prime number in the command; the computer would yell at me, “NOT A PRIME NUMBER!” Excuse me? Have you ever typed a misspelled word in Google’s search text box? Google displays Did you mean: (with the corrected spelling). Little smarty-pants!
Do you like it when computers catch your errors? Let me know what you think.
Back to “Jeopardy” and Alex Trebek—Watson is a computer, although Alex kept referring to it as a man, by saying “he” and “him.” I’ve got to correct you on this one, Alex! With National Grammar Day (Friday, March 4) just days away (yes, it’s that time of year already), using a masculine pronoun for a computer is not grammatically correct. Use a gender-neutral pronoun, not a masculine pronoun.
By the way, National Grammar Day was established in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG). (http://spogg.org)
So, what are you doing to celebrate National Grammar Day? Grammar Girl has a Web site dedicated to the national holiday. (http://nationalgrammarday.com/) Check out all the fun things to do! Will you send a free E-card to your favorite grammarian? Will you enter the Fiction Writing Contest? Let me know how you’re celebrating!
And let me be the first to wish you a safe and happy National Grammar Day!
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