The Weltchek Weekly

I’m pretty sure when I need a comma; I’m not so sure about a semicolon.

I hear that a lot.

The semicolon is easy to explain because it does two specific things (unlike the comma whose use is wide and varied and can sometimes be subjective). The first thing the... (Read More)

I received an email from Citibank the other day that started like this: We’re working as quickly as possible to reopen the branches that remain closed – you can find the latest information about the branch nearest you at Citibank.com/locations.

The dash is incorrect. It should be a period or... (Read More)

Insidious and insipid share the same page in the dictionary, but their meanings have nothing in common. Insidious means proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects, while insipid means lacking flavor. Yet on account of their physical similarity—all those i’s, n’s and s’s make them look and... (Read More)

I saw an ad for a health plan the other day that read, Our large selection of doctors is there for you.

If that doesn’t sound right to your ear, it’s because it’s not. The verb is should be are, as in, Our large selection of doctors are there for... (Read More)

I was recently included in a group email that elicited a lot of responses from the people on the distribution list. One person finally wrote, “I agree with Tim and Stewart’s comments, so I am not going to add anything more to the discussion.”

The problem is that Tim and... (Read More)

• Only 50 percent of doctors screen their patients for osteoporosis according to professional guidelines, e.g., every two years.
• If the candidate’s tax plan is implemented, John’s $1,000 investment would incur a 6% wealth tax, i.e., $60.

In one of those two sentences, the two-letter abbreviation is incorrect.... (Read More)

I’m recognized as a collaborative and “hands-on” advisor to my clients.

“Why the quotation marks?” I asked as I read this line in a LinkedIn bio.

The author’s not using hands-on in an ironic, sarcastic or skeptical sense, which is one reason you use quotation marks. Hands-on isn’t a slang,... (Read More)

I recently read a bio that ended with the following line: He was also a contestant on the college edition of “Jeopardy!”.

I loved that quirky detail, but I wondered about the period at the end of the sentence.

You don’t need it. The exclamation point in the quoted... (Read More)

• I hope your Summer is off to a good start!
• Let me know if we’re now approved for our Summer budget.

• I hope your Summer is off to a good start!
• Let me know if we’re now approved for our Summer budget.

In both cases, summer... (Read More)

The Coast Guard cleared the beach because of a man-eating fish.

In that example, man-eating is an example of a compound modifier: two or more words that express a single concept to describe a noun, in this case fish.

Sometimes compound modifiers are hyphenated, and sometimes they’re not.

How to... (Read More)