Commonly Misused/Misspelled Words

Garth Beyer

1. That, Which

Google is a search engine that newspapers cannot ignore.

Les Hinton is publisher of the Wall Street Journal, which operates a pay model on its site.

** Which is often used for extra clarification on something in a sentence.

 

2. While

While advertising executives desperately search for the best ways to target audiences through Facebook and Twitter, there’s another social media format that is proving to be a highly effective tool for reaching consumers. [Incorrect] (Text pulled from Website Magazine, March 9, 2010)

Advertising executives desperately search for the best ways to target audiences through Facebook and Twitter. Now, there’s another social media format that proves to be a highly effective tool for reaching consumers. [Correct]

** Using “while” at the beginning of a sentence will often create a run-on sentence with too many parts.

 

3. Over, More than

The builders put an awning over the roof.
Website Magazine has more than 140,000 readers nationwide.

** “Over” is spatial. “More than” relates to quantity.

 

4. Too many verbs

City officials will work with the DNR to try to obtain a state grant. [Incorrect]

City officials will work with the DNR to obtain a state grant. [Correct]

(Text pulled from Northside News, Feb/March 2010 issue)

** Too many verbs confuse the reader and add words that take up space.

 

5. Its, They

The Northside Planning Council will hold its next meeting on Feb. 24.

The boys are going to play basketball with their friends.

(Text pulled from Northside News, Feb/March 2010 issue)

** “Its” is used for things. “Their” is used for people.

 

6. Insure, Ensure

To ensure the event went well, we prepared for 150 people.

The company was insured against losses.

** “Ensure” guarantees events and conditions. “Insure” is used in reference to finances.

 

7. Effect, Affect

John’s new position affected the future of his students. The effect was long-term.

** “Effect” is often used as a noun (effective). “Affect” is often used as a verb (influence).

 

8. Then, Than

Lucy is better than Ethel because she’s funny.

If I go running this morning, then I can eat cake.

** “Than” is used to indicate difference. “Then” means next or consequently.

 

9. Can, Able to

By using a real-time Web search engine, you are able to see the day’s hot topics. [Incorrect] (Text pulled from Website Magazine, March 9, 2010)

By using a real time Web search engine, you can see the day’s hot topics. [Correct]

 

10. Media, Medium

Do the media need to pay attention to the Web?

The Wisconsin State Journal is one medium.

** “Media” is the plural form of medium. Many mediums are media.

 

Other words

  • Every day, Everyday
  • Just, Only – replace “just” with “only”
  • Got, gotten – they aren’t words so don’t use them
  • They, Their, They’re
  • Your, You’re
  • Loose, Lose
  • Choose, Chose
  • Misspelled – this word has two Ss
  • Definitely – often misspelled
  • Embarrassed – this word has two Rs and two Ss
  • Vacuum – often misspelled
  • Very – often not needed so remove it

Commonly misused punctuation

1. Spacing after period

One space after a period. Previous rule of two spaces was due to typewriters.

2. Ellipses

We will always remember John … oh the memories.

** Ellipses are sometimes used to show emphasis. If used, there should be one space between the word and the start of the ellipses, and another space after the ellipses.

3. Semicolon

It was hot and sunny outside; Johnny went to the pool.

** Use a semicolon when putting two clauses (thoughts) together in a sentence. Oftentimes you can replace the semicolon with a period.

4. Comma

Once the year comes to an end, most of us anticipate receiving tax refunds.

Johnny likes soccer, basketball, baseball and swimming.

** Use commas when there is a pause in the sentence. If you say the sentence aloud, and there is a natural break, add a comma where the break occurs. Also use commas when listing things.

5. Punctuation in quotes

The instructor is providing information on “commonly misused punctuation.”

The instructor is providing information on “commonly misused punctuation,” and giving examples.

Consumers in online forums post such targeted questions as, “What should I look for in a laptop?”

Does Dr. Williams always say to his students, “You must work harder”?

** This is the most often misused form of punctuation. Periods and commas ALWAYS go inside quotations. Other forms of punctuation are only used inside the quotations if it’s part of the text that is being quoted. If it is not, then it is used OUTSIDE the quotes. Also, only put quotations around text that is pulled directly from something. Don’t use quotations for emphasis.

 

Thanks to @MaureenAlley for creating this.

Advertising: Who Is The Real Persuader?

Garth Beyer

If you think that advertisers are there to persuade you, you may want to think again. In another excellent documentary by Douglas Rushkoff titled The Persuaders, published in 2004 by FRONTILINE, Rushkoff dives into the advertising world to explore “how the cultures of marketing and advertising have come to influence not only what Americans buy, but also how they view themselves and the world around them.”

The more messages advertisers create, the more resistant we, as consumers, become. It’s a paradox that at some point must crumble. There is only so much room on the planet to place an advertisement and I would say that advertisers will be maxed out on space within five years if they don’t change their ways or we don’t change our minds. Out of the hundreds of years of advertising, it’s unlikely they will change their minds. In The Persuaders, we learn that advertisers aren’t necessarily trying to get us to consume their product, they are trying to get us to change our minds; about life, about conformity, about individuality, about power, and anything meaningful.

Advertisers realize that once they are in the game, they can’t stop; they must continue to bombard possible consumers with reminders, not to buy their product, but to buy their brand. Take Tide for example, it’s not about getting clothes clean anymore. You can buy any laundry detergent and it will do the job. What they advertise for is that you buy your way into their brand, into the tribe of Tide users, into the idea that “Tide Knows Fabric Best,” so you know best.

By now you may be thinking that none of what has been said offers support to the assumption that advertisers aren’t here to persuade you. That is exactly what advertisers want; they want you to know less about yourself and more about what you can be, feel, and think by buying what they offer. What it comes down to is that we see the advertisements that we want to associate ourselves with. We don’t want to have just a Mac computer; we want to have the feeling of luxury and the title of “early innovator” as all Mac users have. Advertisements aren’t here to persuade us, they are there for us to persuade ourselves. We convince ourselves that this is the image we want of ourselves – Mac user – or maybe you want to feel like an upper-class badass, so you buy a BMW. We see the advertisements we want, we persuade ourselves.

Start Schooling Dreams

Garth Beyer

Yes, it’s finally finished, but I can’t give it all away at once.

 

In light of three events,

1. Today is my birthday and I want to give you all a gift.

2. This is my 300th post, which means that this is important (to me and you).

3. I never pass up a chance to express the impact Seth Godin has made on me. He persuaded me to write and share my thoughts on education.

 

Below you can click to download the PDF version of the first 14 chapters of my upcoming eBook Start Schooling Dreams.

Start Schooling Dreams Ch. 1-14

 

Stay Positive & Next Week I Will Release Another Batch Of Chapters

Garth E. Beyer

 

If you would like to get the second batch of chapters early, email thegarthbox@gmail.com

World’s Greatest Branding Motto

World’s Greatest Branding Motto

Garth Beyer

“create loyalty beyond reason”

To elaborate, making your lovemark is to bring something forth that was not originally there. That “something” being committment; not an average level of commitment, but commitment that surpasses any predisposed beliefs or judgements.

Learning From The Music Industries Failures And Recent Flailings To Stay Alive

Garth Beyer

I’m guilty.

Being a millennial, I have to accept a sliver of the blame for the continuous downfall of the music industry. However, going into the world of journalism, print media, and digital PR, I hope to apply what I learned from the downfall of the music industry so that other media industries can adapt and overcome.

I am not applying what I have learned to specifically save any piece of a media industry. No. I am aiming to create a new business model for them to adapt and prosper with. I’ve understood a few factors that I think other media industries can learn from the music industry to help them progress through the 21st century.

The first is that there is a lack of great music which often gets confused with “commercial.” You can find great music all day every day, there is evidently a surplus. That’s because so many musicians try to be great in the commercial sense. When really, when a musician releases music that is remarkable, worth talking about and passing to a friend, then you have great music. Other media industries need to realize what it is that gets talked about. Is it the products they create for the mass, the commercial, the revenue?  Or is it the products they create for the passionate individual, the human inquirer, and the loud mouth?

A second factor involves looking at how musicians are making their money, not how the music industry is making money. Most musicians make little to nothing from selling CD’s, selling their work on iTunes, or any other form of technological distribution. They make their money from playing at venues, going on tour, collaborating with other musicians to play at a huge festival, and asking for direct donations from fans (most recently utilizing Kickstarter and other crowdfunding sources which I call devotedfanfunding). They don’t sell music anymore, they sell an experience. Once other media industries realize that producing content isn’t what will get them to survive, we may see them pick up and push forward, refusing to meet the same demise of the music industry.

The last variable is built from the previous experience concept. Other media industries must focus either on an individual or small group of like-minded individuals, tribes. You can no longer market to the mass; it’s proven ineffective, especially in the music industry. Think about all the music that is out there, presented to billions of people, yet the music industry is still crumbling. The factions of the music industry that are prospering are those groups which have faithful fans. People come together to connect with other fans, synchronously sing the lyrics, and exchange what next event of the musicians they will be going to. It’s the tribes that are keeping the music industry alive, shifting, and possibly raising it back on its feet.

Other media industries need to realize these paramount shifts, these core variables if they wish to keep their industry going.

Sometimes There Isn’t A Strategy

Garth Beyer

Taking a quote from a philosophy teacher, you would think it would be something drawn-out, deep, and utterly confusing. Before I share the quote, it must be understood how often we make our efforts complex. As a result of the complexity, we try to strategize to get what we want; to win, per say. Putting an analogy to this from the words of my philosophy teacher …

“There’s no strategy for bowling. I thought the point of it was to just knock shit down.”

Sometimes there isn’t a strategy for victory. Sometimes it’s only a matter of doing your absolute best. No shortcuts. No cop-outs. No decoys. Just knocking shit down.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Knock Something Down One By One. Knock It All

Garth E. Beyer