There is nothing that will make you lose the respect of your co-workers, or even worse your subordinates, than a memo full of typos and misspelled words. Even with the Internet, using proper grammar while writing is important. Writing for the Internet, and especially blogs, is often conversational styled writing, so if you use perfect or at least decent grammar when you speak, most of the grammar in your writing should be OK. Although, you will still need to work on the punctuation.

The problem most people have with punctuation is with commas. I used to write great papers in school, that would always come back covered in red ink, because of the mysterious comma splice. I have written a few posts about the comma splice. I have also made repeated posts about grammar and linked to fun resources for learning and improving grammar.

That may all be well and good, but if you don’t want to bother with learning grammar here are some alternatives. The first one is to pay someone else to write your articles for you. It is easy to find writers online and there are many resources for writing services such as Odesk and Textbroker. When I first began publishing on the Internet, I wanted to develop a quality team of writers and I found a lot of people by going to writing forums and posting jobs.

The second method is using software to flag and correct improper grammar and punctuation. I have had limited success with this. Microsoft Word has a grammar function and after running it you will likely end up with more errors than you had when you started. Another software choice is White Smoke which is a software program that is supposed to help with correcting grammar and punctuation. This software may be helpful if English is your second language or your grammar is really bad, but I have had limited success with it.

If you have something that needs to be written by you and in your own voice and it also needs perfect grammar, having someone who knows what they are doing read and edit it, would be your best bet. Unfortunately, we don’t all have access to an instant English Professor or a retired editor sitting at our beck and call. That is why a great option is an online proofreading service. With a service like this you can get your document proof read and corrected, without ever leaving your home.

All of these options can help if you just don’t want to bother learning proper grammar. Some are more effective than others and they all have a cost. In spite of the title of this article, I still feel it is in your best interest to take the time and learn the grammar rules and apply them in your writing. Written communication is something you will be using your entire life and knowing how to write properly is almost as important as knowing what to say.

1. Use a comma when two independent clauses (clause that can stand by itself) are linked by a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
2. Use a comma to separate a list of three or more items.
3. Use a comma when using two or more adjectives to describe someone or something.
4. Use a comma when a dependent clause comes before an independent clause.
5. Use commas when giving extra information in the middle of a sentence, which is called an adjective clause.
6. Use a comma before a direct quote.
7. Use a comma before and after a name to get someone’s attention.
8. Use a comma when using a transition word (therefore, consequently).

You would think after all of those years of Saturday morning School House Rock we would all have these rules down, yet they seem to trip up the best of us.

If any of you have ever done any writing for online services, such as Textbroker you know they can be very strict when it comes to commas. In fact, instead of being frustrated and thinking some editor wouldn’t know good writing if it bit them, it just might be better to learn the rules and go with it. Here is an informative comma article by a Textbroker editor.

• Comma Trauma

Also if you would like a larger list of transition word, which apply to rule number 8, here is a comprehensive list.

• Transition Words

The best way to conquer English Grammar and proper writing and punctuation is to work on small sections at a time. There are tons of great resources available online and in the library or bookstore. Here is a glossary of English Grammar Terms that could keep most of us busy for a long time.

• Glossary of English Grammar Terms

A main clause must contain a subject and a verb as well as express a complete thought. Every sentence must have at least one main clause, without this main clause the sentence would be a fragment.

One problem caused by trying to avoid sentence fragments can be run-on sentences. These are sentences that contain two independent or main clauses. Another problem caused by trying to avoid a run-on sentence can be a comma-splice. A comma-splice is two independent clauses connected by a comma. When we use a comma to connect two independent clauses it must be accompanied by a co-ordinating conjunction such as (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so).

Since I mentioned conjunctions I couldn’t help but look for this video. This should bring up fond memories for anyone around my age who used to watch Saturday morning cartoons.

If you are a blogger or are involved with freelance writing it is easy to find work creating website content and marketing articles for low pay. If we want to bump it up a notch we need to write with a professional style. In order to write professionally it may be necessary to brush up on our grammar. A quick little tool to make sure that your grammar is correct is Grammar Ninja. It is an online game where we identify the nouns, verbs, and other parts of a sentence.

• Grammar Ninja

Brushing up on our grammar can be time consuming because there are so many different rules to know. An easy way to find out what where we are rusty is to take an online quiz. Many online grammar quizzes are designed for students who are trying to learn English, but they also come in handy for those of us who wish to brush up on our skills and identify weaknesses.

Online Grammar Quizzes

• Interactive Quizzes
• Guide To Grammar & Writing
• Self Study Grammar Quizzes
• Grammar-Quizzes
• About.com Grammar quizzes
• Thomson Developmental English Quiz
• Using English Grammar Quizzes
• Soft Schools Grammar
• Grammar Book

Writing is a skill that professionals hone throughout their careers. The best way to improve is to sit down and write. The old adage practice makes perfect still rings true. To bump your writing up to the next level; take a few moments each day to brush up on your grammar skills and then practice your craft.

Than – is used to indicate comparison; My blog post is longer than your blog post.

Then – is used to indicate time; I wrote my blog post then I wrote some more.

I found a nice little web site that is packed full of useful tips for these kinds of issues. So if you want to brush up on your grammar and word usage you can always check out Dr. Grammar.

Everyone, who meets this criteria, will be entered in a drawing using random.org. The first winner will get 50$ through PayPal and the second winner will get two FlipNotes if you are not familiar with FlipNotes check out my previous FlipNote post.

The contest starts today and will end on Sunday, Feb 22nd. The winner will be announced on Monday, Feb 23rd. So feel free to start commenting, and just to get things started here is a sample comment:

I tried to hide my rancor but I could not disguise the horripilation on my face and neck as I saw my worst enemy leaning against the balustrade. As if this wasn’t bad enough she was arm in arm with my first love. I suddenly got a strong urge to leave town. I think it is time to finally indulge my wanderlust.

That was tough. I think I chose difficult words. Good Luck Everyone!

The other prize is two FlipNotes sponsored by FlipNoteFan.com. If you don’t know what a FlipNote is it’s a cool little notebook that fits in a pocket or purse, and has tear out pages for quick notes. They are really cool. In fact Greg from FlipNoteFan sent me a promotional one along with the contest FlipNotes and I thought they were so cool I already ordered anther one.

FlipNotes were also recently featured on Ugly Betty and David Allen uses something similar with his David Allen Note Taker Wallet. Below is the David Allen video and you can see the Ugly Betty videos on FlipNoteFan.com. The official contest post is coming shortly but I just wanted to give you a heads up on our cool prizes and our sponsor.

vexillology \vek-sil-AHL-uh-jee\, noun:
The study of flags.

acumen \uh-KYOO-muhn; AK-yuh-muhn\, noun:
Quickness of perception or discernment; shrewdness shown by keen insight.

scion \SY-uhn\, noun:
1. A detached shoot or twig of a plant used for grafting.
2. Hence, a descendant; an heir.

desultory \DES-uhl-tor-ee\, adjective:
1. Jumping or passing from one thing or subject to another without order or rational connection; disconnected; aimless.
2. By the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
3. Coming disconnectedly or occurring haphazardly; random.
4. Disappointing in performance or progress.

voluble \VOL-yuh-buhl\, adjective:
1. Characterized by a ready flow of speech.
2. Easily rolling or turning; rotating.
3. (Botany) Having the power or habit of turning or twining.

dissolute \DIS-uh-loot\, adjective:
Loose in morals and conduct; marked by indulgence in sensual pleasures or vices

menagerie \muh-NAJ-uh-ree; -NAZH-\, noun:
1. A collection of wild or unusual animals, especially for exhibition.
2. An enclosure where wild or unusual animals are kept or exhibited.
3. A diverse or varied group.

affray \uh-FRAY\, noun:
A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl.

bloviate \BLOH-vee-ayt\, intransitive verb:
To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

genuflect \JEN-yuh-flekt\, intransitive verb:
1. To bend the knee or touch one knee to the ground, as in worship.
2. To be servilely respectful or obedient; to grovel.

Any Internet Marketer worth his/her salt, or aspiring marketer for that matter. Knows about the wealth of information that can be found in Google Trends. Today when I checked trends the #1, hot trend was a familiar name. The one and only Mignon Fogarty known as Grammar Girl. Yes I have talked about her in previous posts.

Apparently she is on a book signing tour for her new book; Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips For Better Writing. You can also download her podcast of the same name for free on iTunes. I was an early fan of Grammar Girl, and I hope to play a game of Scrabulous with her some time.

Her most frequently asked questions are the following:

Who VS Whom : Use “whom” anytime you could answer the question with “him.” This is easy to remember because both words end with “m.” Example: Whom do you love? I love him. Who stepped on Squiggly? He stepped on squiqqly.

Lay VS Lie : People lie and objects lay. Examples; I like down on the couch. I lay the book on the table.

Affect VS Effect : Affect is a verb, Effect is a noun. The arrows affected the aardvark. The effect was eye-popping.

Here’s my attempt:

“Bill, tell these people to leave”, Hilary exclaimed as she glanced around at the menagerie gathered in his office. “This is not the time to be dissolute!” Bill used his acumen to avoid the upcoming affray. “No worries, this is just a meeting of my new vexillology club.”