A Gentle Blend of Communication Expressway
& Webgrammar's Food for Thought

Judy's Corner

An email list I belong to recently discussed dictionaries. One knowledgeable member said, "Unfortunately, work on Webster's Fourth is just beginning. That leaves Merriam-Webster's competitors, and fortunately their new editions are excellent. There is no recent Random House Webster: the 2006 is basically just a reprint of the 1993 with a new-words appendix. So I'd get the American Heritage Dictionary, 5th edition (2011) and the New Oxford American Dictionary, 3rd edition (2010). In my experience, their strengths and weaknesses are complementary: AHD is unsurpassed on etymology, whereas NOAD is supreme for coverage."

I splurged and bought the AHD, which weighs almost as much as I do, and it is superb. Lots of help relative to grammar usage. And you can access much of it online. Do consider making it a "favorite."

Web link for this issue.

Grammar Tip #1 & 2:

I'm combining the two tips in order to address a popular issue: plurals of family names. My long-time friend Jackie Loos asked how her last name should be used on a sign. First, it depends on the sign, which may have a template. Let's use my name. It could say The Vorfelds - The Vorfelds' Place/Home - The Vorfeld Home. But it never says "The Vorfeld's." Why? That apostrophe "s" is used only for possessives. And "The Vorfelds" is plural. Most signs don't have room for "family" or "home," so people often have to make do with just the name.

Professor Charles Darling (http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm) says, "When a family name (a proper noun) is pluralized, we almost always simply add an "s." So we go to visit the Smiths, the Kennedys, the Grays, etc. When a family name ends in s, x, ch, sh, or z, however, we form the plural by added -es, as in the Marches, the Joneses, the Maddoxes, the Bushes, the Rodriguezes. Do not form a family name plural by using an apostrophe; that device is reserved for creating possessive forms."

As Professor Darling states, along with the best style guides, there are always exceptions. Since "Loos" ends in an "s," it would seem logical to say "The Looses," but somehow that doesn't seem to work, so I recommended "The Loos." Best would be "The Loos Family" or "The Loos Home."

If you have issues with plural last names, especially those ending in "s," let me know how you solved your problem. And if you think I made a mistake with "Loos," click "Reply" and tell me why. I'm not through learning just yet.

Business Email Tip

List of Salutations Part 1

One person w/name, gender, & personal title preference known
Dear Mr. Martin, Dear Mrs. Sullivan, Dear Ms. Carrick, Dear Miss Reed
One person w/name known but gender not known
Dear Shannon Green, Dear J. B. Luce
One person w/name not known but gender known
Dear Madam (or just plain Madam, which is more formal), Dear Sir (or Sir, which is more formal)
One person w/name and gender not known
Dear Sir or Madam (or Sir or Madam, which is more more formal), Dear Madam or Sir (or Madam or Sir, which is more formal)
One Woman w/personal title preference unknown
Dear Ms. O'Hara or Dear Carolyn O'Hara (style guides recommend respecting the woman's preference if known. If unknown, use Ms. or just omit the title).

Exhibition at The Getty Center, Los Angeles. Untold Stories: Collecting and Transforming Medieval Manuscripts

82nd & Fifth is the Met's address in New York City. It is also the intersection of art and ideas. We've invited 100 curators from across the Museum to talk about 100 works of art that changed the way they see the world. Eleven Museum photographers interpret their vision: one work, one curator, two minutes at a time. 82nd & Fifth is a year-long series of 100 episodes. Throughout 2013, new releases will appear every Wednesday. Sign up for email announcements so you never miss one.

Alfred T. Palmer, 205h Century American Photographer.

Kenneth S. Goldstein Audio Recordings. Collection of 850 audio reels, mostly recorded by Dr. Kenneth S. Goldstein, primarily documents folk traditions from the United Kingdom and Ireland and their influence on folklore and music in North America. The recordings include interviews with musicians and storytellers, live musical performances, recitations of folktales, folklore lectures, and more. Most recordings were done in Pennsylvania, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Scotland.

Edwin S. Loyola Photography

Hawaii Quadrangles: view/download United States Geological Survey topographical quadrangles for the State of Hawaii.

HHMI Bulletin: By Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Experience the HHMI Bulletin on the iPad. Designed for a general audience, this FREE science magazine app offers scientist-vetted content in an in-depth, narrative, ad-free form. The app has the same engaging stories and eye-catching illustrations as the print magazine, along with exclusive videos, interactive graphics, and audio slideshows

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

Understanding Disorders at the Cellular Level

The Memory Toolbox: 75 Tips and Resources to Go from Amnesic to Elephantic

Why I still love paper

Character Spacing. Unlike kerning, which adjusts the spacing between all characters in a selection, character spacing adjusts the spacing between all characters in a selection.

JPG magazine. Over 200,000 photographers share photos and feedback in challenges, contests, and themes.

Five easy tips for maintaining a great website

How To Make a WordPress Website using a PC & Windows

National League for Nursing Faculty Programs & Resources. Dedicated to excellence in nursing education, the National League for Nursing is a membership organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. NLN members include nurse educators, education agencies, health care agencies, and interested members of the public. The NLN offers faculty development programs, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its members

Online Education Is Replacing Physical Colleges At A Crazy Fast Pace. Almost worth reading because of the comments!

Association of College & Research Libraries Online Learning

Infinity of Nations offers the opportunity to learn more about native cultures through a collection of objects that tells their story.

Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) uses properties listed in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. TwHP has created a variety of products and activities that help teachers bring historic places into the classroom.

Common Errors In English: Professor Paul Brians

Daily Grammar

Daily Writing Tips: Get a daily grammar, spelling, punctuation or vocabulary tip.

Guide To Grammar And Style: Jack Lynch

Professor Charles Darling's Grammar Site

The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America documents the lives of women of the past and present for the future and furthers the Radcliffe Institute's commitment to women, gender, and society.

Women’s Legal History: searchable database of articles and papers on pioneering women lawyers in the United States.

Tokyo: 1955-1970

U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian: ebooks

Beauty in Stone: indistrial films of the Georgia Marble Company

If you write any copy relating to marketing, then I urge you to sign up for Ivan Levinson's monthly email. At the time you do this, you will have access to "101 ways to double your response rates," a PDF crammed with information that will knock your socks off. What a way to learn to write better copy!

Anchoring Effect

30 Things you Should Know to Help you Start a Photography Business

No, I Won’t Build You a Website If You Don’t Know Your Audience!

Ross Snyder talks about Etsy at SXSW ( South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals) Lean Startup 2013

Catching Catfish: Always Vet the Data

Nature: 2012 The year in science

TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news. Founded in 2005, TechCrunch and its network of websites now reach over 12 million unique visitors and draw more than 37 million page views per month.

RSSOwl: a powerful news feed reader that lets you gather, organize, and search news in a convenient, easy-to-use interface with endless flexibility.

Netted is a daily email publication that harnesses the collective wisdom of the Webby Awards to uncover the online tools that make life better, easier, and more productive. Each morning we arrive at your in-box with a recommendation for a single Website, app, or service that we deem worthwhile, indispensable, or even life changing. Our editorial mission: Better living through the Internet.

Vanderbilt Television News Archive

What journalists need to know about Web design

How Your Local Bookstore Can Help You Consistently Create Content For Your Newsletter

The 10 biggest science-reporting mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Quote Investigator

I invite all my Webgrammar subscribers to join us by going to the subscription page or by sending an email to
commexpy-subscribe@ossweb.com

How to find Judy's websites

Editing & Writing Services (Biz site w/writing tips blog)
Office Support Services (Original biz site w/more personal blog & ezine)
Webgrammar for educators, writers, editors, researchers, librarians, etc.
Digifeld (Complimentary redigitized photography by Judy Vorfeld)
Judy Vorfeld's personal website

ARCHIVES FOR ALL EZINE ISSUES beginning with 2012 are now combined into one ezine: eCommunication Food for Thought in the Communication Expressway index:

Current Index and Archive: Communication Expressway

Archive: Webgrammar's Food for Thought

TO SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) TO eCOMMUNICATION FOOD FOR THOUGHT go to http://www.ossweb.com/ezine.html

Facebook - Google+ - Twitter - LinkedIn

AWC

Copyright Judy Vorfeld