Spelling Doctor

Spelling Names

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:33:08 +0000

I have never been a spelling bee champion; rather I was the worst in my school. Nearly once a week my school teacher would make me stand in the classroom as a display stand to make me receive the applause from the class for scoring the highest number of spelling mistakes in the spelling test. There was nothing in the whole world that I hated so much as spelling a word. Most students would find Math tuff, but I think for me spelling a word was Math in itself. I remember trying to find a formula to spell words correctly, obviously none of it worked and I continued to remain the worst word speller in my school.

Things have changed now. I don’t have to write on a paper anymore. I have the enterprise version of Microsoft office installed on my laptop. Every time I make a spelling mistake it underlines the word and all I have to do is right click on the word and select the word that I wanted to type. However, there is still a problem that I face and that is spelling names. Unfortunately Word does not cover all the names, mostly just the most popular ones. I work in the tourism industry and I am always surrounded by names, sometime of people and sometimes of places.

Over the period of time I have found some methods that could be used to spell names correctly. When it comes to names, or for that matter any word, pronouncing them correctly is the key. When it comes to words we normally pronounce it correctly, but when it comes to names, especially new names, we may spell it wrong because we pronounce it incorrectly. Checking with people around whether you are pronouncing the name correctly can help you to find the right pronunciation. Once you find the right pronunciation, say the name loudly and break it into syllables. As you break it into syllables, write the alphabets that you hear and you will have the right spelling. If you are still unsure, then in case of the name of a place you can check online and in case of the name of a person, ask the person. Happy spelling names!

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Best summer in how long – Comment : A blog on the World Cup…
Big Energy Business : Poor energy saving. It used to be the kid…
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…

ShareThis

When is it OK for spelling to be bad, wrong or misused?

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:33:08 +0000

Believe it or not, but there are a number of cases in which it is perfectly acceptable to misuse and abuse spelling. These cases, however, are few and far between and subject to specific rules! So don’t go trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes with that game of Scrabble…

Here, now, is the definitive guide to how to use wrong spelling as a way to enhance your work:

1) Made up words and how a writer can use them: in academic work or most mainstream fiction, you should know by now that there are very few opportunities to slip up when writing in the third person (He, She). However, if you’re writing from the perspective of someone – as in with first person POV – then you can feel free to experiment with miss-spelling, or comical spelling as a real device to engage the reader. Such instances might include the following example: a book written from the perspective of a 14 year-old mentally challenged girl. Seeing the world through her eyes, it’s possible and only right to take liberties with language.

…By changing and morphing language, they create an exciting feeling that anything is possible…

2) In rhyming: poets sometimes invent or misuse words and in doing so create an interesting and charming effect. Say, for example, a poet was commissioned to create a poem about ortak rings . In this case, he or she might be striving to increase interest about the rings – as per the reason for them being hired – and so using words which flow and create interesting imaginative visions is favoured rather than prohibited. This could result in sales and much interest in the rings themselves. Sometimes, doing things a bit differently by breaking the rules means both fun and profit!

3) Play on words, a classic in fiction: some writers do brilliant, almost magic things with the abuse of words. By changing and morphing language, they create an exciting feeling that anything is possible. Word play can also be fun for writers of children’s fiction, as children are much more open to having fun with their language rather than complaining that some specific rule has not been adhered to.

4) Company copy and advertising: sometimes, advertising needs to pack a punch. It must both stimulate someone to think about something, as well as asking them to reach into their pocket! Word play and the like is a fantastic thing in direct mail too. It shows daring, a thirst for progression and an ability to have fun while also being effective.

ShareThis

Reading Over Mobile Apps

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:03:03 +0000

Many of the people dealing with language purification (those Oxford-fashioned dictionary researchers) feared that the age of technologies would de-personalize the language - we have grammar checking software, we hardly use hand writing anymore and the way we communicate include an enormous quantity of ’rephrased'expressions. However, apparently the people developing all these technologies are making up their own solutions to the problems they are creating. And despite created for children, the software to be discussed is also a good way for adults to refresh their language skills.

The mobile apps for proper reading, the best of which is developed by Nokia, allow your children to quickly comprehend the so called ’lessons'in the rich text reading app. It is easy to transfer the app through other Nokia phones as well - it can be done through an email, over a R4 memory card, through Ovi Store link etc. But once started, the app would definitely catch the attention of your child. Grammar rules are implicated into the text itself so that the child would quickly develop of habit recognizing grammar rules within the text.

The rich text is combined with original design. Elmo, the plush toy from Sezam Street series would be aiding your kids to understanding the mechanics of reading. Combining speech with action and other cartoon heroes would make reading from the Interactive Rich Reading text application a pleasure for your children. And this is he best way of making them read and remain entertained.

Developing such software might be a solution to many problems and might solve some of the problems we are experiencing due to the decay of paper-based learning approaches and reading materials.After all we are moving towards a more modern world and would need to somehow adjust to it. Losing the paper book might be a tragic loss but it is a replaceable resource.

ShareThis

Why your spelling matters

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:33:05 +0000

I am one of those irritating people who is always saying how spelling matters. I can’t help it, it’s in my blood and in my genes. But you know what? I really don’t care. I love spelling and grammar and the English language, and I will stop at nothing to get my message across! (I realise that makes me sound a lot like a hardcore religious fanatic, but so be it.)

The following advice I have here is, I won’t lie, inspired by my friend Dan who is a graduate of

The Bristol Language Centre English School . As a graduate he knows and has fresh in his mind a lot of things which a stale and bitter person like me has long forgotten, so thanks Dan, the inspiration was great!

without good spelling and grammar, you will find it harder to communicate

Spelling matters because people won’t take bad spelling seriously: what will happen is people will laugh at your bad spelling and find it amusing that you are hopeless. If they don’t take your spelling seriously then it is highly unlikely that they will take you seriously. This leads to the obvious problem of not getting that job you wanted, or impressing in the way that you intended to.
Spelling matters because that is often the first thing people know about you in a work situation: want that job? You had better have a good CV. Send in a rubbish CV, riddled with typos, and you are in trouble. In fact, I’d be surprised if the CV got further than the desk. Chances are that it will go straight in the bin or worse, the shredder…
Spelling matters because without good spelling and grammar, you will find it harder to communicate in life: this is the worst thing of all and something to avoid at all costs. Communication is part of everything, from work to friendships to…well, literally EVERYTHING. If you can’t communicate then you are at a severe disadvantage and that really is not the way to go, my friend!
Spelling matters because it means you can be efficient: do you really want to waste your time and others'by being slack on spelling? Every time you send an email with poor spelling and grammar, it takes twice as long to get read and be mentally processed. This leads to inefficiency and slowness. Basically, it’s not good.
Spelling matters because it is part of every day life and you need it for work: if you want to perform at your best then you simply must have a handle on it!

Similar Posts:
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…
The Beginner’s Basics To Skiing : If you are new to skiing the…
The Hidden Human Nature : We all have bizarre and disturbing…
Busy Moms Need to Accessorize : Moms are busy and are on their…

ShareThis

How to use capitals, italics and bold

admin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:11:27 +0000

Recently, very recently, in fact, I have noticed a determined increase in the way authors are using capitals and italics and bold. I wouldn’t normally go into detail and write a whole article about this, but in this case I think it is necessary: the point is that some authors – especially indie authors who don’t have access to an editor, and are possibly a bit too concerned about other people reading their work – have next to no idea about how to use these important grammatical tools. When used well, they are powerful, but when used badly…well…let me see…results can prove disastrous…

Capitals: capitals are one of those things. They can either add to the effect of a piece of writing or irritate you beyond belief. My motto? Don’t overuse. And remember that capitals amount to screaming, so when you write a lot of capitals, you’re going to exhaust your reader and potentially make them close the book to get away from all that noise…

it’s certain that any skilled writer can do what they please – providing they can justify it

Otherwise, capitals can be used occasionally when a character wants to make a point. This has been done in many novels, and allows a writer a way of defining a word without having to use italics. Now, here’s about italics…

Italics: italics are really fascinating things, I think. You can say: I went to see the hybrid cars and it’ll indicate that went has some specific tone, or you can leave it plain and make that tone invisible to the reader. Both are powerful ways of getting your message across. Not only that but they also reveal crucial details about how a character uses sarcasm and humour in their everyday speech.

Bold: bold is possibly one of the trickiest things to use in a novel or work of fiction, the reason being that bold doesn’t really have many relevant uses. Where it does come in handy, though, is if you are writing a first person novel. In this case you can use bold as the character who is narrating wishes, which opens up a lot more possibilities than when you are writing in third-person point of view (or as it’s known in the trade, POV).

Of course, these are only my opinions, and it’s certain that any skilled writer can do what they please – providing they can justify it and not make the reader want to throw their book straight through a double-glazed window.

ShareThis

Interpretation in writing

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:11:40 +0000

All these sentences are slightly different in tone, and, therefore, effect. There are literally sometimes dozens of ways to write the same sentence

I am annoying – I know that for a fact, and to anybody reading this article I doubt it will come as much of a surprise! I ask too many questions — especially about technical things that most people couldn’t care less about… — quiz people who don’t want to be quizzed, and generally annoy people. Yep, that’s me. One thing which really annoys people is when I quiz them about what they really want their writing to mean and suggest (I’m talking about writing friends, here…sometimes people with way more writing experience than me, too). Because, if you ask me, there are different ways to write the same thing. There doesn’t always have to be one right answer; in fact, sometimes there can be more than a few and you need to be aware of how they might come across. Well, if you ask me, anyway. The comma needs to be in the right place, you know! Some people still care about that kind of thing!

Look at this example: David went for a wander on the beach and, stopping to pick up a supremely shiny stone, he gazed out to sea and thought to himself Oh dear, it would seem that man is drowning. It’s a shame I can’t swim!

Now look at this next example: David went for a wander on the beach and stopping to pick up a supremely shiny stone he gazed out to sea and thought to himself Oh dear, it would seem that man is drowning. It’s a shame I can’t swim!

And now this: David went for a wander on the beach and, stopping, to pick up a supremely shiny stone, he gazed out to sea and thought to himself Oh dear it would seem that man is drowning. It’s a shame I can’t swim!

See what I mean now? All these sentences are slightly different in tone, and, therefore, effect. There are literally sometimes dozens of ways to write the same sentence. It isn’t that one way is righter, it’s just that commas can be great to slowing the writing down, or speeding it up to make a point. Sometimes they are used – as my pal rowan dartington goes on about – as you would in a conversation. This adds impact and dramatic effect when the pause occurs.

Which is why you always need to pay attention to the message you are getting across!

ShareThis

Spel It Rite

admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:17:46 +0000

Most people don’t think twice about spelling mistakes most of the time. The attitude prevalent amongst most workers is %u2018well you know what I meant’. Yet this cavalier approach to language is costing the internet business millions in lost revenue according to online entrepreneur Charles Duncombe. Mr Duncombe recently gave an interview to the BBC whereby he pointed out the fact that poor spelling on websites and blogs puts consumers off.

The rise of email and the internet is partly to blame for this, but the bigger cause of poor spelling comes from younger generations not reading enough. More and more UK workers enter the market without knowing how to spell often very simple words. The reliance on spell checker has made us all lazy but there is an entire generation out there who would not know how to construct a proper sentence without the spell check facility turned on. Mr Duncombe backs up his claims by reminding us that 99% of the time whenever a company is trying to sell something to a consumer online it is through the written word. Images will accompany adverts of course, but it is always the word that will communicate the core information the consumer needs to make a decision over whether or not to buy a service or product.

Text speak is another big culprit for causing the degradation of spelling ability across the globe. Terms like %u2018lol’ (laugh out loud) have become common place amongst the text generation and it is rare to receive a message that doesn’t have at least several spelling mistakes and coded acronyms included. Terms like payg mobile broadband are as common place as full worded sentences are. Email communication and texts are being written so fast that spelling mistakes have become socially acceptable. A poorly worded email from the boss is taken as nothing more then a simple eccentricity rather then a terrible grasp of grammar or lack of concern over sentence structure. By allowing these mistakes to become common place in society, we have set an extremely bad example to the next generations learning to read and write. It becomes even more embarrassing when you see examples of spelling bee champions who are barely older then 11 showing us all how it should be done.

How do we fix our spelling problem then? The answer is simple; we all need to read more books. Our children need to be encouraged to read as much as possible when growing up and parents need to take the time to read books with their kids together. Only by doing this will the spelling crisis begin to recede. As for spelling in the workplace, responsible managers should take the time to construct their emails properly before sending. Text speak should be dissuaded and proper sentence structure and grammar encouraged.

Spell it right indeed!

ShareThis

The Art of Essay Writing

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:33:07 +0000

Expression of thoughts can be done in many ways. Some people sing, some talk while some of us like to write. But putting your thoughts on paper is not child’s play. If you want others to like what they read, you have to make your essay sound interesting and hold the attention of the reader.
Through many secondary teaching jobs, I’ve compiled some tips for students on essay writing. Here goes:
Essay writing takes time, so if you’re writing to apply to an academic institution, make sure you start early and improvise it every chance you get. Grammar and punctuation, of course, need to be precise to avoid confusion.
Most students make the mistake of not doing enough research on the topic. If the topic assigned is unfamiliar, good methodical research is a must. You can consult books, websites and professionals in the field to guide you.
Writing something is like a mirroring your personal thoughts. Therefore, plagiarism is considered a huge mistake as they are not your own thoughts, but someone else’s. Take time to focus on your own thoughts and you never know, they might touch a chord!
Presentation counts. Divide your essay into short paragraphs but be careful, the transition from one to the other should be comprehensible. Put bullets and sub-heads wherever necessary.
Lastly, writing is all about being creative. Don’t be a goat following a shepherd. Think out of the box and trust your imagination. The best essays are those that force one to stop and think, and ponder over life’s great mysteries! So go ahead, and let your creative juices flow!

ShareThis

Different Ways To Do Things

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 15:03:18 +0000

Technically this isn’t about spelling, it’s about grammar, but what do you care? The two go hand-in-hand and you can’t have one without the other, right?

Now, today’s post is a lesson about comma’s. Let’s take 2 examples of the same sentence and mess with them a bit.

1) Janet was having a really awful day and didn’t understand her cat’s behaviour. He was acting up as per usual and not doing anything he was told and to make it even worse he kept jumping up and taking a swipe at the vase which her mother had bought her which was extremely valuable. Darn that cat!

2) Janet was having a really awful day, and didn’t understand her cat’s behaviour; he was acting up as per usual. And not doing anything he was told. And to make it even worse he kept jumping up…and taking a swipe at the vase which her mother had bought her. Which was extremely valuable – darn that cat!

As you can see, it’s a piece of basic text which would work well with diesel fuel storage tank in it or whatever. The difference comes in what the comma’s / lack of commas make the reader feel and imagine.

1) The words flow easily and you don’t stop reading and thinking about it all until the end of each long sentence. There is more to memorize, and you read it quickly, wanting to get to the end.

2) This has a completely different effect. The commas and full-stops make the sentences more concise, almost like Janet is very impatient and annoyed. The ANDs at the start of the later sentences also add the feeling that Janet is getting progressively more annoyed with the cat. The last sentence beginning with Which finally states the most frustrating thing.

So, you see, a sentence can be constructed in many different ways. Why not play around and see what kind of effect works best for you?

ShareThis

Get Vocabulary Right in Writing

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 12:03:09 +0000

Writing is a very demanding task depending on what you are writing about. Whether it is a very formal occasion or otherwise there is a need to get spellings right because it is the first step to the proper communication and expression of the flow of thoughts. What I am trying to pass across is that spelling every word correctly is essential in writing. Before writing begins, plenty of research is necessary on the subject matter that is been written on. The advantage in researching is that the writer will have a lot more to write about and will probably have less grammar problems. This is because familiarity with relevant field vocabulary will have been established. Writing properly can then commence once the above has been established.

Once writing is complete, proof reading should be the next step. Proof reading by yourself is good but not enough; you need a third and neutral eye. This is why you need someone who is better skilled in writing than you are to go through your work. Do not be deceived; even great novelists have to get their work read over and over again by professional proof readers. The need to get your work corrected does not necessarily mean you are weak in writing; it is just the way it should be done. If you are going to do a retail shop fitting, I bet you desire that everything looks good to the eye. That is why correct spelling also helps the appearance of a piece of writing.

ShareThis