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The Art of Writing a Sentence

Writing is, of course, composed of sentences. Stringing words together in a particular order conveys meaning so that we can relate to one another and communicate, and it is as simple (or complex… or compound… or compound-complex!) as that. Today we’re going to look at the different kinds of sentences. Every sentence contains a subject …

Why writing in different styles is essential for any writer

Every kind of writing requires a different sort of style to represent it. A newspaper column is different from a film script is different from a self-help book is different from classic literature is different from a cookbook… the list goes on. Indulging in one style of writing more frequently than another certainly enhances our …

The Dramatistic Pentad: what it is & how it works

Kenneth Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad goes hand in hand with the Narrative Paradigm because of the focus on human motivation and theatrics. The kind of language that we use and the way we express ourselves are strategies to convince others of our viewpoints. If the speaker has the ability to identify with the audience, they can …

Must-watch movies

From movies to video games to theatre plays to books, varying forms of entertainment can offer an interesting perspective on the human condition and a fascinating examination of our interactive behaviours. Listed here are some of the best must-watch movies! These are a few of my favourite films which have characters and dialogue that are …

Three common mistakes people make with apostrophes

As Fritinancy pointed out in the comments section of Punctuation matters! Three tips for using commas, I made a mistake in my placement of an apostrophe. This blog is just as much a way for me to learn as it is for you, so I think it’s about time we brush up on our punctuation …

How to effectively get donations as a charity

There are many charity organizations around the world. Fighting for human, animal, and environmental rights, fighting against disease, fighting for better education… the list goes on. Charity Navigator lists 5,400 charities and those are just ones found in America. Although many of them are for good causes, they have to compete with one another for …

How Stories Change Our Lives

Communication theorist Walter Fisher created the Narrative Paradigm in direct contrast to the Rational World Paradigm. The Rational World Paradigm, rooted in the sciences, states that humans are essentially rational beings and goes on to explain the reasoning behind this assumption; the Narrative Paradigm presents the alternative humanistic view which takes a step further and …

How to Read Food Labels

Wake up. Stumble into kitchen. Take cereal box from pantry. Pour into bowl. Add milk. Reach for spoon. Sit down at table. Eat. It’s that simple, right? Well, maybe not. If your breakfast of choice is cereal, why did you choose that particular cereal? The cereal aisle at grocery stores is an impressive line-up of …

Punctuation matters! Three tips for using commas

The function of the comma is to organize your sentences and make things clear. For many sentences, particularly longer ones, if we did not use a comma we would have difficulty understanding the meaning that is being conveyed. Commas separate ideas and break up lists so that we can have several clear points within a …

How to Change Your Life (hint: choose different words)

I can’t do it. I’m too old. I don’t have enough time or money. If it wasn’t for x, then I could… One day I want to… Recognize these phrases? They crop up in conversation every day. The excuses that we make to prevent ourselves from actually getting out there and living our lives. These …

Review of The Global Language Monitor and Wordnik.com

Have you heard of The Global Language Monitor and Wordnik.com? These two online resources both offer a variety of definitions and cross-references so that we can not only have easy access to a dictionary, but also so that we can keep up with pop culture and find out about the new words and terms being …

The Problem with Online Writing (and how to deal with it)

As books, newspapers, magazines, and diaries make the shift from paper to online documents, the informal atmosphere of the World Wide Web takes over. The efficacy of the Internet results in a quick turnaround: with the click of a button, what we have written is instantaneously available to the public eye. Millions can view our …