Author Archives: Jessica Keet

I love the English language!

For those who love the philosophy of ambiguity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of English: 1. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila…floor 2. Atheism is a non-profit organization 3. The main reason that Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live 4. I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help […]

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Common errors series: ‘lightening’ vs. ‘lightning’

Today I’m going to discuss the difference between ‘lightening’ and ‘lightning’ — a mistake I see all too often when proofreading my clients’ work. Lightening is a verb that means to make something that is heavy less so. For example: By removing some books from my backpack, I will be lightening my load. Lightning is a noun that means a flash […]

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Funny typos!

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Hi Everyone, Wow, time flies! I don’t write a new blog post once or twice and before I know it, it’s almost 3 months later! Okay, seriously though, I know I let things slip; my last blog post was on 10/7/13. So here I am back in the saddle ready for 2014 with some funny typo graphics. Happy New Year […]

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Common errors series: ‘affect’ vs. ‘effect’

One of the most common mistakes I come across is the inadvertent use of ‘affect’ when ‘effect’ should be used and vice versa. Here is a simple way to remember the difference and thus which should be used when: Affect is a verb meaning ‘to influence.’ For example: the baby’s incessant crying affected my ability to do my homework. Effect […]

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Typo fun!

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Hi Everyone, Just a short post today. Enjoy these hilarious graphics of typos. I’ll be back on Monday with another installment in my common errors series, focusing on the difference between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’. Yours in crisp, error-free writing, Jessica xx

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The irony in words…

Recently I noticed a company name on the side of a building. At first it didn’t strike me as strange but the more I analyzed it, the more irony I found in it. Society today places way too much importance on age and beauty, manifest in the amount of anti-aging creams available on the market, as well as the amount […]

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What is a pun?

A pun, also called paronomasia (which I didn’t know either until right now!), is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect (thanks Wikipedia!). One of my favorite puns, which I learned in high school is “The butcher has very attractive […]

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Marketing mayhem with a side of snarkiness…

You know how when you send out a marketing email, you will ALWAYS get at least one person that replies with a snarky “Remove me from this list”? Well, here’s a story about a snarky comment I received after sending out a marketing email, plus a grammatical faux pas all rolled into one. This was several years ago, mind you…but […]

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‘I’ before ‘e’, except after ‘c’

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Most rules in English have exceptions and the ‘I’ before ‘e’, except after ‘c’ rule is no exception (pardon the pun). Hold on…I’m assuming you all know what ‘I’ before ‘e’, except after ‘c’ means, but for those who don’t here goes: Generally words that have an ‘i’ and ‘e’ combination will have it in that order, unless preceded by […]

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The innocence of children

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Kids are so cute and innocent. Here are some funny kids’ notes that I found online. They all have typos in them, but then…that’s part of their charm! Yours in crisp, error-free writing (except just this once!), Jessica xx

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