Administrative Assistant's Update - sample

3 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE If I were you, I'd give this a read By George Pearson Editor, AAU Grammar and usage errors can dis- tract from an otherwise well-written document. Here are some errors still cropping up too frequently. Writing Tips was / were Use were when you're expressing a wish or some- thing contrary to reality: • I wish I were (not was) more assertive. • If I were (not was) feeling better, I would play tennis today. If what I said was hurtful, I am sorry. (describes something that happened; use was) From the Globe and Mail: If Caterpillar chief executive Doug Oberhelman wasn't paid some $17-million (U.S.) in 2014, you'd feel sorry for him. (Since $17 million was his actual pay, this sentence makes a conjecture contrary to reality; use weren't.) lie / lay I was startled to see the fol- lowing in a recent column by David Brooks in the New York Times: • "Pulaski and his men were soon surrounded by flame. Hand on his gun, he forced them to lay face down in the mud of an abandoned mine tunnel." To lay face down? No, it should read "to lie face down." The principal parts of the verb to lie (to rest or recline): • Present: Today I lie down. • Past: Yesterday I lay (not laid) down. • Past participle (with helping verb): In the past I have lain (not laid) down. The principal parts of the verb to lay (to place some - thing): • Present: Today I lay out the folded laundry. • Past: Yesterday I laid out the folded laundry. • Past participle: In the past I have laid out the folded laundry. it's / its • It's (with apostro- phe) is always a contraction for it is or it has. • It's (It is) time we faced reality. • It's (It has) been far too long since we last had a talk. Unlike the possessive forms of nouns, which use an apostrophe to show possession (Hideki's poem, the Franklins' new home), possessive pronouns such as its, yours, theirs, ours, hers do not have an apostrophe. possessive with nouns ending in s If a noun happens to end with an s (or an s sound such as z), can you form the possessive by simply adding an apostrophe? A lot of people do it. Some examples: Jonny Gomes' home run. Linda Hasenfratz' executive development. Mel Brooks' movie successes. Tennis' big stage. Tiger Woods' fall from grace. The reason for doing this seems to be to avoid what some people see as an awkward-sounding word ending with yet another s after the apostrophe (even though it's following the rule): Jonny Gomes's home run. Linda Hasenfratz's executive develop - ment. Mel Brooks's movie successes. But doesn't it sound at least as goofy to refer to Richard Harris' distinguished acting career. Or Zy- drunas Ilgauskas' rebounding. Or the boss' birthday. Where do you draw the line? So don't improvise. Reputable style books recom- mend adding 's to form the singular possessive of all words, including those ending in s except a very few, such as Moses, which really does sound ridiculous (Moses's), so we bend the rule for that one (Moses'). It's the Canadian Press's style and the New York Times's. So you'll be in good company. Credit: karen roach (Shutterstock) Credit: B Calkins (Shutterstock)

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