What if the spell check option on your phone or computer stopped working today? Like me you would probably go into panic mode, followed by a frantic search for your dusty dictionary. The truth is we are a country that can not spell! I admit, when I receive emails from individuals interested in doing business and they are laced with spelling deficiencies, I have the urge to correct them before sending a reply and on occasion I have done just that. Does it change my perception of that individual and their ability to get the job done and produce top results? It most certainly does. Taking that extra few moments to read through a letter or email before sending can mean all the difference in your bottom line and reputation. Here are a few tips that may help you avoid a visit from the Grammar Vandal: Create your message and send it to yourself, take your time in composing the message, and request a review from an outside (reputable) source. One other tip that's crucial is increase the amount of books you read, this too will boost your intellect and vocabulary. Following these few simple tasks will have you back on the path to good spelling in no time and don't be ashamed to get out those old flash cards. Here's a little humor from Brian Regan to get you laughing your way back to success. (I hope there are no grammatical errors in dis...couldn't help myself).
Kennedy Consulting Group, LLC is a full-service special event management and media relations firm backed by 15 years of experience providing quality services for major corporations, non-profits and religious organizations. Our track record includes a hand in planning the U.S. Dream Academy Gala, which raised over $1.9 Million by receiving match funds from Ms. Oprah Winfrey. We have also provided event consultation for Governor Martin O'Malley's Office of Minority Affairs. Our boutique firm is woman owned.
1. Yes, it is true that we are a nation of lousy spelllers.
ReplyDelete2. It is also true that many persons are grammatically deficient.
3. Ditto for sentence structure.
4. Punctuation seems to be a personal preference here in 2010.
5. We should all be using our spell check more often.
6. We should all be calling our mothers more often, too.
April, your observations are accurate and duly noted. Some people just can't spell worth a sh*t.
Since you clearly appreciate humor, I leave you with this little poem:
Eye have a spelling chequer,
It came with my Pea Sea.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss Steaks I can knot sea.
Eye strike the quays and type a whirred
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am write oar wrong
It tells me straight a weigh.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your shore real glad two no.
Its vary polished in its weigh.
My chequer tolled me sew.
A chequer is a bless thing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right all stiles of righting,
And aides me when eye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The chequer pours o'er every word
Two cheque sum spelling rule.
The original version of this poem was written by Jerrold H. Zar in 1992. A standard spell checker, such as the one I have in the HP laptop on which I am writing this communiqué, will find little or no fault with this poem because it checks words in isolation. A more sophisticated spell checker will make use of a language model to consider the context in which a word occurs. So even religious use of spell check will sometimes not be a substitute for strenuous proofreading and your suggested help from a tireless friend. Bummer!
Thus endeth the lesson.
What a great and funny poem Kay! Hilarious...but sadly so true. Lazy vibes have crept into every crevice of our society. From dudes who ask you out by saying "wanna hang out" to short hand texting madness.
ReplyDeleteBuilding a small business means you appreciate excellence in every aspect of your company and that includes spelling. I have been blessed with a few great friends who are excellent editors and they have come through on so many occasions. However, possessing these qualities on your own is priceless.
First of all, I think it's ironic that the name of this blog is not in spell check (yet). Second, It's amazing how many people will send you something laced with errors...I have to laugh (and cry) sometimes when I get email blasts that look like a 2nd grader composed them. Finally, and somewhat unrelated, I love the Entrepreneurious On the Move image!
ReplyDeleteI know right! It should be an option in spell check. I always have to look to make sure I spelled it correctly.
ReplyDeleteThose poorly crafted emails are a complete eyesore! I am guilty of a slip up every now and again but they are never easily detected and it's typically because of the time I'm submitting it.
Yaay! You like the 'on the move' pic. I thought that it captured us very well. To infinity and beyond!!