This is one of the most commonly confused words that I see when I’m reading articles online. One means “not moving” and the other means “writing paper and related materials.” So, as I have been, I ask you – do you know which is which?

I went to the gym to ride a stationary bike.
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My grandmother gave me a custom stationery set for graduation.

When something is stationary, it is still. When you want to write a letter, you need stationery. This is a fairly easy set of words because there aren’t weird exceptions to the rule.
Most people, myself included, remember the …read more

I’m guilty of mixing up these two words. One means to have an influence on someone or something. The other means a result or outcome. Which is which?

Jane was visibly affected by the news that her dog had died.
There are side effects to most medications.

In short, affect is a verb and effect is a noun, in most cases. I remember this by thinking that affect is an action. 99% of the time, this will work to help you place the right word in your sentence.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Affect can be a noun if you’re describing …read more

In elementary school, we learn to say “John and I” all the time. It’s formal. It’s polite. It’s right.
Or is it?
Actually, using and I when talking about being with another person isn’t always the right choice. It is often instinctual to use and I, since it was drilled into our heads throughout school, but sometimes, the correct term is and me. *Gasp* Yes; it’s true – you can use and me sometimes and be grammatically correct!
But when?

Use and I when it is the subjects of the sentence. My fellow writers and I hate grammar mistakes.
Use and me when it …read more

It’s hard to remember when to use its and when to use it’s. One means it is or it has and the other make it possessive. But which one is which?

It’s should be used to refer to it is or it has. It’s a contraction.
Its should be used as a possessive form of it. Its lack of apostrophe is important.

How can you remember this? It can be tricky. Here’s how I do it:
It’s (it is or it has) uses an apostrophe. In contractions like don’t and can’t use the apostrophe to replace a letter. The same is true for it’s. …read more

Many people mix up fewer and less. These words are pretty easy to understand, though, once someone actually tells you the rule. Maybe high schools these days aren’t teaching this rule?

Use fewer when you can count the item.
Use less when you cannot count the item.

Simple, huh? So, you’d say, “John has fewer toys than Joe.” You’d also say “It rains less in Arizona than in Florida.” Less also applies to emotions and other things you can’t see or touch.
You have fewer shoes, but less happiness. You have fewer pillows, but less sleep.You have fewer watches, but less time.
Easy enough – …read more

Fineman PR just released it’s annual list of the top public relations mistakes of 2008. While I am sure (or at least, I hope) that you aren’t on the list, there are some lessons to be learned.

Accountability is important. No matter if it was the AIG party scandal or McCain dumping Letterman for a ‘better’ gig. Being open and accountable for ones actions is always the way to go. In today’s 24/7, media driven world, it’s too easy to find out the truth when you’re not.
We are always watching. As alluded to above, the spotlight is always on, always waiting …read more