Words With Friends

Words With Friends

You may play this wildly popular word game with your friends on your phone, Words With Friends, but this blog post isn’t about that.  I just thought the title perfectly describes what we should all take a minute to think about today since it is National Grammar Day.

With the rise of texting and social media, many of our traditional grammar rules have been set aside in the name of quick communications, but I contend that concise, error-free, grammatically correct writing is still the mark of a true professional. And, consistently delivering good written copy defines your personal brand and builds credibility.

I read a post today on Ragan’s PR Daily Blog by Michael Sebastian and he noted the following articles and tips available online about the importance of correct grammar:

• To honor the holiday, Ragan.com published a “whimsical” piece about a “majestically sublime press release.”
•  And, on Ragan.com, check out a story by Executive Editor Rob Reinalda on tips for avoiding common verbal gaffes.
• At the website DailyWritingTips, there’s a useful story about punctuation and quotation marks.
•  Check out the advice that Grammar Girl (a.k.a., Mignon Fogarty) dispenses on her site, Quick and Dirty Tips.
• There’s also an ongoing grammar haiku jam on Twitter. Just search the hashtag #GrammarDay today.

So, if you have actual words with friends…or colleagues…or customers today, think about good grammar and how it can make you look good.