A compendium of commonly confused words (part 2 of 3)
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Welcome to part two of our list of some of the English language's most commonly confused word pairs.
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I’m obsessed with helping people. I’m not a doctor, therapist, convenience store clerk, park ranger, or general contractor, however – so I can’t help you with your foot fungus, daddy issues, lotto habit, insatiable botanical curiosity, or basement renovation. What I am is a writer, editor, and natural-born teacher with a tremendous work ethic and an innate desire to help the world be as lovely and humane a place as possible. So my blog is focused on sharing small lessons I’ve learned: small ways to be a better writer, a better worker, and a better human.
Change happens incrementally. Start small.
New blog posted weekly in either Small Ways, Red Pencil Scribbles, or Nice Thing o' the Week. To receive updates, find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
A compendium of commonly confused words (part 1 of 3)
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The English language is rife with super-fun word pairs in which one word is commonly confused with the other. Some simply sound alike. Others have overlapping/similar meanings that are hard to keep straight.
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Putting apostrophes in their place
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Flagrant misuse of apostrophes is yet another unfortunate reality in today's world. I admit, however, that flagrant misuse of apostrophes does lead to some good jokes.
Read MoreCommon comma errors (let's make them less common)
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Just as others find value and interest in things I can't pretend to understand (e.g., golf, doomsday prophecies, gambling, manicures), I don't expect everyone to have time for the comma.
Read MoreA prioritized guide to prioritization
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I once heard a metaphor that works well here: “It’s like a duck moving smoothly across the water. Above the water, it looks effortless and smooth. But underneath the water, you know the little webbed feet must be paddling like crazy.”
Read MoreExpectation setting for dummies
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Success isn’t some nebulous, unquantifiable thing. Simply put, the measure of your success is determined by the expectations you set. You set the bar. If you reach it, you’ve succeeded. So why is setting expectations so consistently problematic?
Read MoreDon’t just ask for an introduction. Get one.
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There are countless reasons you may be introducing yourself via a written missive, hoping to convince whomever you’re writing to that they should do you the honor of meeting you. How do you write an email that gets you that introduction?
Read MoreSimple strategies for getting them to ignore you less
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The need to incite action by others presents its own set of superfun challenges. And while I have no magic or utterly foolproof solutions, I do have a few strategies worth trying.
Read MoreAsk for help more often
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For various reasons – some altruistic, some control-freaky, some selfish, and almost all misguided – we take on more of the load than we need to. We don’t ask for help.
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