Ragno - Word Savvy

WORD SAVVY. Copyright 2011 by Nancy Ragno. Manufactured in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No other part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Writers Digest Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. (800) 289-0963. First edition.

For more resources for writers, visit www.writersdigest.com/books.

To receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter delivering tips and updates about writing and about Writers Digest products, register directly at www.writersdigest.com/enews.

15 14 13 12 11 5 4 3 2 1

Distributed in Canada by Fraser Direct

100 Armstrong Avenue

Georgetown, Ontario, Canada L7G5S4

Tel: (905) 877-4411

Distributed in the U.K and Europe by F&W Media International

Brunel House, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4PU, England

Tel: (+44) 1626-323200, Fax: (+44) 1626-323319

E-mail: postmaster@davidandcharles.co.uk

Distributed in Australia by Capricorn Link

P.O. Box 704, Windsor, NSW 2756 Australia

Tel: (02) 4577-3555

EDITED BY MELISSA WUSKE

DESIGNED BY TERRI WOESNER

PRODUCTION COORDINATED

BY DEBBIE THOMAS

Dedication

In memory of Sandra Ragno Murray, whose support and thoughtful suggestions were of great help to me while this book was still a work-in-progress.

I NTRODUCTION

This book gives you the tools you need to develop word savvy, an essential component of your success profile, one that can spell the diff erence between a lackluster, mediocre career and an outstanding one.

What exactly is word savvy? Savvycomes from the French savoir faire: to be in the know; to have the ability to say or do the right thing. Word savvy enables you to choose the right word for the jobto say what you want to say or create the eff ect you aim to achieve. Word savvy prevents you from making wrong-word blundersusing aff ectwhen you mean eff ector complimentwhen you mean complement. It prevents you from misusing words because you think you know what they mean, but you really dont. Peruse,for example, is commonly misused to mean glance over quickly, to skim, whereas it really means to examine thoroughly. Word savvy saves you from using nonwords, such as irregardless,or incorrect phrases, such as couldnt care less. It enables you to use tricky singular and plural forms with assuranceeven when they come from foreign sources: e.g., alumnus/alumni and alumna/alumnae.

But thats not all. Being word savvy means that you keep abreast of the times. You stay on top of important new words entering the language and are alert for words you need to know. You are aware of the keywords computers are likely to scan for in your rsum. You know the important terms and current buzzwords in your field. Th rough word savvy you stay in the loop, maintain your competitive edge, and keep on top.

How can you achieve word savvy? This book tells you what you need to know. Youll learn how to:

Master seventy-six commonly confused word pairs.

Conquer fift y-two commonly misused words.

Purge twenty-five no-nos from your speech and writing.

Use tricky singulars and plurals with assurance.

Include the right keywords in your rsum.

Keep abreast of the new buzzwords in your field.

How is Word Savvy unique? First, it is comprehensive. Unlike other books, it presents six important components of word savvy: (1) commonly confused words; (2) commonly misused words; (3) popular nonosnonwords and illogical phrases; (4) tricky singulars and plurals; (5) buzzwords in the workplace; and (6) keywords for rsums. In addition, Word Savvyexplains how wrong-word errors occur (sometimes due to no fault of the writer) and provides tips and techniques on how to spot wrong-word errors and proofread like a professional.

In addition to being comprehensive, Word Savvy is eminently practical. Its approach is honest, straightforward, and clear. It tells you what you want to knowinformation you need, information you will use. It deals with the word-choice problems you are most likely to encounter when you write. Although there are dozens of books available on word usage, most are not that practical. Typically, in order to include enough entries to fill a book, they are padded with esoteric and elitist terms words that few would ever use, let alone confuse: e.g., peccantvs. peccable, conterminousvs. contiguous,and emolumentvs. emollient.

Word Savvyis not for writers only. Being word savvy is a key to success in all areas of endeavor. Whether in business, science, the arts, academics, public service, or any other field or industry, the person who can use words clearly, accurately, eff ectively, and correctly is ahead of the game. Superior word savvy is not only admired but creates its own halo eff ect. Th at is, the person with superior word savvy is perceived to be superior in other areas as wellIQ, social skills, or job skills, for example. Th us, this book is a must for every success-oriented reader. Word Savvyis your key to success.

How This Book Is Organized

CHAPTERS 1 & 2 introduce the problem of wrong-word errors. explains why the usual methods of attacking the wrong-word problem dont work and presents two options for attacking the wrong-word problem systematically and eff ectively.

CHAPTER 3 consists of instructive entries for seventy-six pairs of commonly confused words. This chapter is designed for flexible use as both a wrong-word dictionary and a self-teaching text. Entries are alphabetized and cross-referenced, making the section ideal for use as a wrong-word dictionary. Each entry is self-teaching, self-testing, and self-correcting. Its aim is to help you learn and rememberwhich word is which.

CHAPTER 4 is a quick reference guide to fift y-two commonly misused words. Information is presented in a table to make it quickly accessible. The listing for each word gives its mistaken meaning and its correct meaning.

CHAPTER 5 focuses on twenty-five no-nos to purge from your speech and writing. It covers both nonwords, such as irregardless,and incorrect phrases, such as hone in on.Information is presented in a quick-reference table.

CHAPTER 6 is a guide to tricky singular and plural forms. It deals with singulars and plurals of words borrowed from foreign languages; plurals of compound nouns; and plurals of proper names, numbers, and letters.

CHAPTER 7 reveals some surprising ways in which wrong-word errors can happen. It explains how such typos can occur even if you are adept at typing; how wrong-word errors can be initiated by spell-checkers; how use of a computerized thesaurus can cause you to choose a wrong word; and how word-usage errors can occur if you do not keep your audience in mind.

CHAPTER 8 emphasizes the importance of proofreading and provides proven tips and techniques on how to proofread like a professional.

CHAPTER 9 is both a departure and a bonus. Written with the success-oriented professional in mind, Talk the Talk: Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords discusses the eff ective use of buzzwords versus their widespread misuse, gives suggestions and resources for keeping on top of the latest buzzwords in your field, andof vital concern to all job seekerstells how to include the right keywords in your rsum to prepare your rsum for an electronic scan.