Welcome to the second tutorial in this Back To Basics series dealing with grammar for the 21^st century.

In the first tutorial, we began by looking at punctuation, in particular, the use of capitals.  Similarly, this tutorial addresses another common punctuation error – contractions.

Now don’t be scared by the term.  Contractions are things we see, read and hear every day. Quite simply, a contraction is a word that is formed by joining and shortening two words commonly used together – can’t, won’t, shouldn’t, let’s.

I was recently asked to review a website for a client and the first thing that jumped out was the constant use of the word “wont” as in “you wont need to…” and “you wont be able to…”.  I’m sure you’ll agree that without the correct use of an apostrophe, the word just looks unfinished and unprofessional.

My client could not understand that it was in fact a spelling error as his spell-check didn’t pick it up.  The word “wont” is actually spelled correctly but not in this context.  Rather, “He had sushi again for lunch, as is his wont.”

Similarly, the word “cant” refers to jargon or hypocrisy and again won’t be corrected by spell-check.

Not so long ago, the use of contractions was frowned upon in formal writing.  However, these days the rules have relaxed.  When writing for the web, in particular, it is important to keep your tone conversational and write the way you would speak.  Therefore, go hard with the contractions, but watch your use of an apostrophe.

By the way, be careful when you wish to lengthen contractions to give a more formal tone such as “would not”, “can not” and “let us”.  Make sure you are aware of the correct two words to replace your contraction with. 

My personal pet hate is replacing “could’ve” with the words “could of”.  Of course, the correct word is “have” but this seems to be quite a common error…..well it is in Queensland, anyway!

By far the most common mistake I see in business writing is the incorrect use of capitals.  Even if the spelling and grammar on a document are perfect, unnecessary capitals can mar the look of a piece as well as interrupting the readability.

1.      As a general rule, only use capitals for proper names – Currumbin Bird Sanctuary, Andrew Daddo, Katoomba, and Red Write Communication Services.

This becomes particularly tricky when we are dealing with regions.  For example, if we are referring to the rainfall in south-east Queensland, there is no need to capitalise the area.  If, however, we mention the South-East Queensland Antique Car Club, the region becomes part of the proper name and thus needs capitals.

2.      Think twice before capitalising titles.  While Managing Director looks acceptable, the Executive Assistant In Charge Of Operations may be a little overdone, with due apologies to the executive assistant.

Also, if we are using a person’s title as a form of address it may be necessary to capitalise each word.  When we talk about Prime Minister Kevin Rudd attending an event it can be quite different from local sporting identities, the prime minister and his wife attending.  Confused??

3.      Thirdly,

What about sub headlines?

Sub headlines are on the increase with the popularity of web content.  The use of sub headlines enables readers to scan documents quickly to find the information they are looking for. 

However, as with titles above, less is more.  You may like to capitalise every word in your headline, such as Capital Punishment, but when it comes to your sub headlines only capitalise the first letter of the first word, What about sub headlines?

Avoid mixing capitals such as Modern Art in the Computer Age for two reasons.  Firstly, you are bound to become confused as to which words to capitalise, and secondly it has become outdated by the newer “downstyle” of capitalising only the first letter of the first word.

I hope this short article has addressed some of the more common mistakes in punctuating written texts.  Above all, however you decide to format your documents, keep everything consistent and be mindful of the first impressions being created by your readers.

As we are all aware first impressions really do count.  I sometimes wonder, however, how many businesses are aware that these first impressions are often formed through viewing a written document, be it promotional material or website content.

Nothing screams “unprofessional” louder than spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors.  Even a high profile business can unwittingly tarnish their image with simple and avoidable mistakes.

As with most things, written documents are subject to changes in fashion.  For example, with the popularity of word processed documents came the trend to have all text firmly left-aligned, making the first line indent look quite old fashioned.

Similarly, there have been small but similar changes to certain punctuation rules.  For this reason, I will be posting a series of short and simple tutorials to address some of these rules for the writer in your business. 

When in doubt, however, always have your documents professionally proofread and edited to ensure that you convey an appropriate and professional image.  It is usually the least expensive service offered by a professional writer and could well save you money over and over again.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for part one in the series, where I’ll be looking at the most common mistake – the use (and misuse) of capitals.

“It’s not easy being green”.  So sang Kermit the Frog a couple of decades ago and it seems today, that not a truer word was spoken.

As consumers we have been encouraged to “do our bit” for the environment by using biofuel blends yet recent research suggests that widespread biofuel use has forced world food prices up by 75%, pushing 100 million people worldwide below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

The use of biofuels seemed like a good idea at the time.  After all, we can help to solve the two biggest challenges of our time – climate change and dwindling fossil fuel stores.  Now, however, the production of biofuels has been blamed for a 30% spike in food prices.

Experts claim that the production of biofuels has distorted food markets in 3 ways:

1.  It has diverted grain away from food for fuel, with over a third of US corn now used to produce ethanol. 

2.  Farmers have been encouraged to set land aside for biofuel production.

3.  Biofuel production has sparked speculation in grains, driving prices up.

It has been predicted that by 2030, rising world populations would require a 50% increase in food production.  The problem of growing enough crops to produce renewable energy as well as meeting the increasing demand for food has now become apparent.

However, supporters on the other side of the fence claim that the use of biofuels will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect fossil fuels and increase rural development particularly in disadvantaged countries.

They blame the growing middle classes in China and India for driving the increased demand for food.  They are quick to point out that rice has seen the biggest increase in price worldwide, but it is not used for biofuels.  Sugar, on the other hand, is a biofuels crop; the price of which has actually decreased.

As Australians currently battling against both rising fuel prices and rising food prices, the chicken and egg question must be asked – which came first.  Until we have some sort of conclusive scientific evidence and governments we can trust, all we can do is be guided by our conscience when we next approach a petrol bowser.

After returning from a trip down the coast to see a few “much loved but not seen often enough” friends, I can appreciate, in a very practical way, the importance of face-to-face communication.

Telephone calls and emails are great methods to keep in touch but sometimes we need to see people “in the flesh” to know how they’re really travelling.

While we can say what we like over the phone, our bodies and body language are true barometers of what’s happening below the surface.

Stress affects us all differently and when you know someone really well, you know the signs to look for – losing weight, gaining weight, bags around the eyes, hair, skin - you name it.

These non-verbal clues give us so much more information than words alone.  In fact we can read in their bodies what their words aren’t saying.

Personally, I have a tendency to get dermatitis on one particular finger when I’m under stress.  My best friend knows this so she’ll look me in the eye and ask “How are you?”  However, regardless of my answer, she’ll grab my hand and study it and ask “How are you really?” (Pleased to say I passed the test this time).

Another friend is as lean as a thoroughbred and looks fantastic.  However, she tends to lose just a little too much weight when stressed.   Even if I ask her over the phone if she’s lost weight, she can tell me anything she likes.  It’s only when I see her with my own eyes that I can confirm whether she really is OK or not.

It seems that everyone’s lives are getting busier and busier and sometimes the only way we can keep in touch is via a short email or a quick telephone call.  These are great methods to be able to touch base or keep up with news, but nothing can compare with the vast amount of information that is conveyed through face-to-face communication, even if it’s just a quick visit.

Maybe the busier our lives become, the more we need to schedule short trips away to personally visit those important people in our lives and ascertain exactly “how they’re travellin’.”

If you look back over your school days, I’m sure that there are certain teachers that still spring to mind, for reasons good or bad!  A truly inspiring teacher can have a marked influence on a student throughout their school years and indeed for the rest of their lives.

While teachers seem to cop a pretty poor wrap these days (and some understandably so), it is incredibly refreshing to hear about those few who strive to make a difference.

My 11 year old son came home last week with an outline of work to be undertaken this term.  Apparently they are focusing on Media Studies.  One of his first assignments for this module was to “Research a magazine that is targeted to children your own age or a bit older.  Next, take a count of how many pictures of children are in there.  Of these, how many are overweight, have spotty skin or are dressed in unfashionable clothes.  Do you think this magazine accurately shows “normal” children?”

Wow!  What a great education for your average Year 6 student!  At a time when young people are becoming increasingly self-conscious about their appearance and are looking to the media for role models, how insightful it is to teach them to take a more objective view.

Similarly, their next assignment is to count the number of food ads shown in children’s typical “prime time”, ie 5pm to 6pm.  They then need to analyse what type of food is being advertised.  No surprises here…junk food, of course.

Lobby groups have been trying  to ban junk food advertising during children’s viewing time to little avail.  Surely it makes more sense to educate our children about these media ploys.  This in turn may well force advertisers to change their tactics.

Here’s to you Mr Johnstone and others like you who impart such valuable life skills to our future generation.

Who knows, maybe next we can teach our future adults such life skills as money management, deciphering political jargon, reading food labels or effective communication skills.  Fingers crossed.

Throughout our sunburnt country, Australians are doing it pretty tough at the moment.  With the price of fuel and food soaring out of control, it’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet.  Add to this the slow but steady increase in interest rates over the past twelve months and we see many Aussie families with their backs firmly planted against the wall.

However, I believe we still are the “lucky country” and we need to remember that there are countless populations across the world finding life a lot tougher.  In fact, there is nowhere on Earth that I would rather be than right here right now.

This may seem little comfort for those Australian families who just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and who live in constant dread of further interest rate rises.  Many homeowners are now living completely at the mercy of their bank.

How refreshing then, to find a business that is coming in to bat for the struggling homeowner.  Independent Property Negotiators is a unique company that has been recently formed to take the pressure off property owners who need to sell their home.

Basically, IPN steps in when you decide to sell your home.  They negotiate with at least three different real estate agents on your behalf to find the best appraisal.  This service costs the same as if you were to sell your home privately but the benefits are that the owner’s identity and financial situation remain anonymous.  This prevents the owner being forced into a sale at a price that could be well below the real value of their home.

In addition, IPN offers other free services such as financial counselling and debt restructuring to allow the homeowner more time and breathing space to wait for the best possible selling price.

However, IPN’s services are not just for people struggling with their debt. They actually offer a very viable alternative for anyone wishing to sell their home.  The company is currently based in Brisbane and Sydney but will expand to other centres in the near future.

For more information on IPN and their services, visit www.ipnoz.com.au

It would seem that everything in our world is subject to trends and fashions these days, even journalism.  Not so long ago the celebrities we most wanted to read about were the royal ones and it was difficult to find a magazine without  Di or Fergie gracing the cover.  Now, however, we seem to have an interest in celebrities who are rich, dim, trashy, scandalous and preferably with a stint in rehab.

The recent inquest into the death of Princess Diana has finally concluded and I’m sure you’ll agree that now we can all get some sleep!  The findings really came as no surprise to most of us but it appears that the official  view differs from the public one.  While the inquest concluded that the drunken chauffeur was mostly to blame, the public still like to condemn the media, or more precisely, the paparazzi.

Similarly, it is the media who are blamed for our current trend towards gossip stories about trashy celebrities, but who actually drives the media?  You do, dear public!  You are actually the catalyst in the whole media chain reaction.

When you buy these magazines, readership numbers increase, which in turn make the publication more attractive to advertisers.  It is this advertising dollar that makes the media world go round.

As long as there are some members of the public who continue to want to know all the sordid details, true or otherwise or glimpse an embarrassingly candid photo of a well-known celebrity, the media will continue to meet the demand.

One wonders at the motivation behind this desire to take a voyeuristic view into other people’s lives.  Is it admiration or empathy, or rather is it almost a “tall poppy syndrome”, where we enjoy seeing the more human moments of our stars that seem to level them:  that hint of cellulite, a lack of make-up or a bad hair day.

It is a proven statistic that the people with the most disposable income at the moment is the younger generation, you know, the ones without kids and mortgages.  It is therefore this sector of the public who are more inclined to drive the media machine.

Currently, we seem destined to be updated daily on whether Britney Spears is wearing underwear or not.  Who really cares??  Obviously someone does.

I have always been proud to be a daughter of the Sunshine State but I must admit my loyalty only goes so far.  When it comes to wine, I generally steer well clear of a Queensland grown drop.  After all, how can you compete with a Barossa Shiraz or a Limestone Coast Chardonnay.  Well, now I’ve been introduced to a Childers Chambourcin and I stand corrected!

I recently stumbled on a little boutique winery, Brierley Wines, nestled behind the picturesque town of Childers.  Apparently the chambourcin (sham-bor-sun) variety of grape is so well-suited to the area, there is no need for chemical pesticides or fungicides.  The result is a variety of lovingly hand-grown, hand-picked and hand-produced wines.  Add to this the extremely high levels of antioxidants in Chambourcin  wine and you really can’t go wrong.

Tony and Sue Brierley have recently opened their cellar door to the public. Their country hospitality coupled with their professionalism makes this little winery one class act.  They currently produce several varieties of wine including a bubbly, a port and a very trendy Semillon Chardonnay. 

Their most popular wine, however, is the sweet Chambourcin.  Designed to be served chilled, this wine is full-flavoured and sweet but with the body and finish of a more serious red.  As such it is the perfect accompaniment to spicy meals and seafood.  Tony calls this wine “The Beginner’s Wine” as even non-wine drinkers seem to find this one extremely palatable.

Keep an eye out for Brierley Wines’ official opening in winter as well as upcoming events including cooking demonstrations by Dan the Demo Chef and “Settle-In Sundays”, with live music, food and buses running from Hervey Bay and Bundaberg.

For more information, contact Sue on (07) 4126 1297 or visit the website, www.brierleywines.com

We are all aware that communication can take many forms. For example, did you know that in a face-to-face conversation, the spoken word represents only 30% of the overall communication?  The rest takes the form of facial expressions, body language, tone of voice and eye contact.

Sometimes, it is not what is said that is important. Rather it is information left unsaid.  Apparently the opposite also applies.

I recently met a bloke at a barbeque (as most Aussies do). Let’s call him Ross.  We were discussing a man we had both met who has a tendency to “stretch the truth”.  Ross told me that he was aware of this tendency on his first meeting with him.  This surprised me as this particular man has managed to fool many of us for quite some time.  Being the skeptic that I am, I asked him how he could possibly have known this after only one encounter.  His answer was amazingly simple and logical.

He told me that when people are being a little less than honest, they always say one sentence too many.  He said that it was that one sentence after their point had been well and truly made that negates all of the preceding information.  How interesting!

After considering this for a time, I have to say that I agree with him.  It really does make sense.  When people are telling the truth, they are happy to just state the facts.  However, there comes a certain desperation to be believed in people who are not being entirely honest.  This could well lead them to overcompensate or give ‘too much information’.  I encourage you to think about this in your own communication, particularly with those who are inclined to, let’s say, exaggerate.  See if you agree.

What a useful communication tool and a great asset to add to our built-in BS Detectors.