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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Use of Brackets

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, Nov. 15, 2011
Brackets are used for a number of purposes:

 

Use #1: Sometimes, you may wish to clarify or add to an original quote. Put words that are being added to an original quote within brackets. Example:

Original: She said, "I found their services invaluable."

Amended: She said, "I found their [IT] services invaluable."

Always put the changes in brackets, not parentheses. This tells your readers exactly how you have altered the original.
 

Use #2: Use brackets as parentheses within parentheses. You will see this with bibliographic references.

Example: (For more on the topic, see The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation [2008].)
 

Use #3: Use brackets to show the pronunciation of a word.

Example: He mispronounced mischievous [mis-chuh-vuhs].
 

Use #4: Use brackets surrounding sic and italicize it.

Example: She wrote, "They made there [sic] beds." The Latin term sic is used to indicate that something written is intentionally left in the original form, which may be incorrect.

Posted by James at 5:21 AM

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Build your vocabulary and use it appropriately

The ability to articulate your feelings, attitudes, needs, skills, and knowledge is vital to success in networking and in life. Good communication—which is a critical element in building and inspiring trust and understanding from others—pivots on your ability to clearly and accurately express yourself.

The tools of the professional are words. We paint word pictures, we tell stories, we describe product or service features and benefits, we influence, we inspire, and we hope to convince people of the benefits of doing business with us. All of this requires a command of language.

It amazes me how many people have poor vocabularies. These people fail to realize that they are limiting their success, negatively impacting their destiny and lifestyle by not having the ability to use the right word at the right time in any communication situation.

The key is to have a good enough vocabulary to be able to communicate effectively with anyone, whether they have an outstanding vocabulary or a poor one. In both cases, we need to be able to use effective words that can be understood. The ability to articulate your feelings, attitudes, needs, skills, desires, and knowledge is one of the most important ingredients for success.

Here are a few ways to enlarge your vocabulary: crossword puzzles, Scrabble, magazines, or learning one new word a day (that's 365 new words a year). In five years, imagine what kind of a vocabulary you could have with that technique. When someone uses a word you are unfamiliar with, ask what it means. Get a daily calendar that gives you a new word each day, or try an audio book on vocabulary improvement.—Tim Connor

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