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!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
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!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Examples of Lists
Here are some examples of vertical lists discussed in the previous post. Notice the first letter of the first word is always capitalized for each item. Notice the balanced writing in every example. The numbered list’s items begin with a verb, and the bulleted list’s items are a list of features.
The following example uses a colon to introduce the numbered list because the introductory statement is a complete sentence. A numbered list is used because the steps need to be completed in the order given. Each item is punctuated with a period because each one is a complete sentence.
An Excel 2007 spreadsheet that has an embedded chart may be printed without the chart by following these steps:
1. Select the data range to be printed.
2. Click the Office button.
3. Point to Print.
4. Select Print.
5. Under the ‘Print what’ section of the Print dialog box, click the option button for Selection.
6. Click OK.
The example below does not use a colon because the intro ends with the verb to be. (A colon isn’t used if the intro ends with a preposition either.) The list itself does not have any punctuation marks at the end of the line because none of them are complete sentences.
Some of my favorite features in Excel are
• Subtotals
• IF function
• VLOOKUP function
Examples of Lists in a Sentence
Some of my favorite features in Excel are • subtotals, • IF function, and • VLOOKUP function.
A chart that’s embedded in a spreadsheet may be printed without the data by following these steps: (1) click the chart, (2) press CTRL + P, and (3) press ENTER.
Resume Examples
Use action verbs with quantifiable results for bulleted items in a resume. If it’s a past job, use past-tense verbs.
• Handle up to $20,000 in cash and credit card transactions daily
• Manage all accounting, payroll, and benefits for 125-employee business
The following example uses a colon to introduce the numbered list because the introductory statement is a complete sentence. A numbered list is used because the steps need to be completed in the order given. Each item is punctuated with a period because each one is a complete sentence.
An Excel 2007 spreadsheet that has an embedded chart may be printed without the chart by following these steps:
1. Select the data range to be printed.
2. Click the Office button.
3. Point to Print.
4. Select Print.
5. Under the ‘Print what’ section of the Print dialog box, click the option button for Selection.
6. Click OK.
The example below does not use a colon because the intro ends with the verb to be. (A colon isn’t used if the intro ends with a preposition either.) The list itself does not have any punctuation marks at the end of the line because none of them are complete sentences.
Some of my favorite features in Excel are
• Subtotals
• IF function
• VLOOKUP function
Examples of Lists in a Sentence
Some of my favorite features in Excel are • subtotals, • IF function, and • VLOOKUP function.
A chart that’s embedded in a spreadsheet may be printed without the data by following these steps: (1) click the chart, (2) press CTRL + P, and (3) press ENTER.
Resume Examples
Use action verbs with quantifiable results for bulleted items in a resume. If it’s a past job, use past-tense verbs.
• Handle up to $20,000 in cash and credit card transactions daily
• Manage all accounting, payroll, and benefits for 125-employee business
Punctuating Vertical Lists
Everyone writes lists: to-do lists, grocery lists, New Year's resolutions, even wish lists to Santa. But do you know how to punctuate lists? If you're scribbling a grocery list, obviously you don't need to punctuate. But if you do, you earn extra credit points!
However, what if you're including a list in a business document? Lists are effective because they're easier to read than paragraphs. The following rules will help you properly punctuate a vertical list:
Need a colon? (I mean the punctuation mark!) Yes, if the introductory statement is a complete sentence. (The statement that introduces this list uses a colon because it's a complete sentence.) A colon isn't used if the intro ends with the verb to be (is, are, was, were, being, been, etc.) or a preposition (to, with, etc.). In these instances, you don't use any punctuation, even though it looks like something's missing.
Need bullets or numbers? Use numbers if you need a specific order. Use bullets if your list doesn't need to be in a particular order, although you may sort the items by importance, alphabetically, or by categories. If you need to reference items during a discussion, use letters instead of bullets.
Use capitals? Yes. Capitalize the first letter of the first word of each line. Word and PowerPoint will do that for you automatically.
Use a period at the end of each line? Use a period only if the item is a complete sentence. Some people place commas or semicolons at the end of each line plus the word "and" at the end of the second to the last item. That's okay if you want a more formal format, but it's not necessary in business writing.
Is your list balanced? Be consistent; for example, start each point with a verb. You may also start each item with a question, with a command, or with a summary statement. Some people start each item with You should. Even though the writing is balanced, the words You should are unnecessary; don't use them. Bulleted items on resumes need to be balanced, too; use action verbs rather than Responsible for or Able to.
Headings highlight and summarize the information in a list that has more than one or two sentences for each point. By summarizing each point with bold text at the beginning (as I've done above), the reader can scan the material and then read the items that only pertain to him or her. For example, if HR distributes a memo about benefits, a part-time employee could skip the information about vacations or other benefits that don't apply to him or her.
Use these same guidelines for your PowerPoint slide lists. Even better, forget the list; just use a title and an image on the slide!
Lists may be formatted with bullets, numbers, or letters within sentences, too. This method saves space and visually highlights each point. Simple lists with three or four items work well in a sentence. Use commas at the end of each item, and don't capitalize the first letter of the word. However, the same rules for balanced writing and colon usage to introduce the list do apply.
However, what if you're including a list in a business document? Lists are effective because they're easier to read than paragraphs. The following rules will help you properly punctuate a vertical list:
Need a colon? (I mean the punctuation mark!) Yes, if the introductory statement is a complete sentence. (The statement that introduces this list uses a colon because it's a complete sentence.) A colon isn't used if the intro ends with the verb to be (is, are, was, were, being, been, etc.) or a preposition (to, with, etc.). In these instances, you don't use any punctuation, even though it looks like something's missing.
Need bullets or numbers? Use numbers if you need a specific order. Use bullets if your list doesn't need to be in a particular order, although you may sort the items by importance, alphabetically, or by categories. If you need to reference items during a discussion, use letters instead of bullets.
Use capitals? Yes. Capitalize the first letter of the first word of each line. Word and PowerPoint will do that for you automatically.
Use a period at the end of each line? Use a period only if the item is a complete sentence. Some people place commas or semicolons at the end of each line plus the word "and" at the end of the second to the last item. That's okay if you want a more formal format, but it's not necessary in business writing.
Is your list balanced? Be consistent; for example, start each point with a verb. You may also start each item with a question, with a command, or with a summary statement. Some people start each item with You should. Even though the writing is balanced, the words You should are unnecessary; don't use them. Bulleted items on resumes need to be balanced, too; use action verbs rather than Responsible for or Able to.
Headings highlight and summarize the information in a list that has more than one or two sentences for each point. By summarizing each point with bold text at the beginning (as I've done above), the reader can scan the material and then read the items that only pertain to him or her. For example, if HR distributes a memo about benefits, a part-time employee could skip the information about vacations or other benefits that don't apply to him or her.
Use these same guidelines for your PowerPoint slide lists. Even better, forget the list; just use a title and an image on the slide!
Lists may be formatted with bullets, numbers, or letters within sentences, too. This method saves space and visually highlights each point. Simple lists with three or four items work well in a sentence. Use commas at the end of each item, and don't capitalize the first letter of the word. However, the same rules for balanced writing and colon usage to introduce the list do apply.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts. They’re convenient because you don’t have to remove your hands from the keyboard to grab the mouse and click a button. Here are some of my favorite Microsoft keyboard shortcuts:
Ctrl + S = Save
Ctrl + W = Close the file (without exiting the program)
Ctrl + N = Start a new file (and bypass that extra screen!)
Ctrl + C = Copy
Ctrl + V = Paste
Ctrl + A = Select all
Ctrl + Z = Undo previous command
Ctrl + Y = Redo previous command
Ctrl + F = Find text
Start using one of them until it becomes a habit; then, move on to the next one. Usually, your fingers are already on the keyboard, so why not use the shortcuts? You can still use the mouse to perform the commands; thankfully, the mouse isn’t as hard to find as the remote!
Ctrl + S = Save
Ctrl + W = Close the file (without exiting the program)
Ctrl + N = Start a new file (and bypass that extra screen!)
Ctrl + C = Copy
Ctrl + V = Paste
Ctrl + A = Select all
Ctrl + Z = Undo previous command
Ctrl + Y = Redo previous command
Ctrl + F = Find text
Start using one of them until it becomes a habit; then, move on to the next one. Usually, your fingers are already on the keyboard, so why not use the shortcuts? You can still use the mouse to perform the commands; thankfully, the mouse isn’t as hard to find as the remote!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
How Do You Make Last Names Plural?
Where has this year gone? Have you already addressed your holiday cards? If not, here are the rules to help you master some common mistakes when addressing envelopes—for any occasion.
So, do you add an s to a family name when you’re addressing the envelope to the family? In case you want to send us a card, it’s “The Beavers,” not “The Beaver’s.” Even though some people add an apostrophe and an s to people's last names to make them plural, it's not correct.
So, do you add an s to a family name when you’re addressing the envelope to the family? In case you want to send us a card, it’s “The Beavers,” not “The Beaver’s.” Even though some people add an apostrophe and an s to people's last names to make them plural, it's not correct.
The rule to follow when making a last name plural is add an s, unless it ends in s, x, z, ch, or sh; then add an es. For example, Lopez becomes Lopezes and Harris becomes Harrises.
Does the es added to a last name look strange? Spell check doesn’t like it either. But that’s the proper way to do it.
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