A recent online chat with a graphic designer in Bristol (near my home town of Bath) reminded me of the different names we use for everyday objects. In this case it was footwear. Or, to be precise, canvas shoes. A dap…
On the eve of Wimbledon – my favourite sporting event of the year – it seems fitting to write a blog about tennis. Like any sport, tennis has its own lingo but rather than focus on the common terminology, I… Posted in Language Tagged with: glossary, tennis, terms
The summer holidays are drawing to a close, which means it’s almost time for the kids to go back to school. It seems fitting, therefore, to take a look at education-related idioms as the next in my series. As is… Posted in Idioms Tagged with: education, sayings, school
I’ve a confession: this is my first blog post in six weeks. And only my fifth this year. I know that doesn’t exactly sound like a heinous crime, even for a freelance copywriter. And I very much doubt if anyone…
What are your pet grammar peeves? Which grammar mistakes set your teeth on edge? Is it the misuse of apostrophes for plurals? Perhaps the incorrect your/you’re or their/there/they’re? Maybe it’s dangling modifiers or stray semicolons that get your goat. Top of my…
Geraldine is an exceptional proofreader with a keen eye for detail and provides clear constructive feedback for improvements. Ravinder Sandhu, Events and Media Manager, STA Related Posted in Uncategorised
Introducing the first in a new series of mini blog posts about common writing mistakes. The difference between compliment vs. complement is one that catches a lot of people out. I often see them used incorrectly, as in “complimentary therapies”,… As a standalone word, a graph is a diagram showing the relation between variable quantities […]
Introducing the first in a new series of mini blog posts about common writing mistakes. The difference between compliment vs. complement is one that catches a lot of people out. I often see them used incorrectly, as in “complimentary therapies”,…
Back in the ‘old days’ it was simple. If you wanted to speak to a friend, you picked up the phone and dialed their number. On a landline. But these days you have to choose from an overwhelming array of…
The summer holidays are drawing to a close, which means it’s almost time for the kids to go back to school. It seems fitting, therefore, to take a look at education-related idioms as the next in my series. As is… Posted in Idioms Tagged with: education, sayings, school
Recent weeks have seen some pretty extreme weather conditions in certain parts of the world. While many Australians swelter in excessive heat, parts of the U.S. have – quite literally – been buried under several feet of snow. So it’s… Here in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is well underway – we’re not exactly snowed in in the UK, but […]
In most industry sectors, employees get sent on various training courses as part of their continuing professional development (CPD). Whether run internally or by external providers, these courses all share something in common. They’re designed to: Enhance your knowledge Help…
Like many others, I turned to various creative pursuits for a welcome distraction during lockdown. One of these was rediscovering a favourite childhood pastime: jigsaws. Not only has this helped take my mind off other things these past few months,…
As any non-native speakers learning English as a second language soon discover, English is a funny language! Not only has its vocabulary derived from several European language families, but there are also numerous paradoxes and inconsistencies that are a real test of…