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Creating Signs and Symbols on Your Keyboard

You can create signs and symbols by holding down the Alt key while you press the numbers on the right side of the keyboard. Make sure the Num Lock is on. This works in WORD, WORKS, e-mail, etc. I’ve added some symbols to my site, Grammarbook.com.

Additional Tip:

The debate about using one space or two spaces after an ending punctuation may still be raging on within the land, but the war is over according to most authorities. Use just a single space after a period, exclamation point, colon, and question mark. Please remember that I am not “the decider,” just your humble messenger.

Posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 5:34 am

Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure

The three words, assure, ensure, and insure, are often confused so here are the definitions along with some examples to help clarify the distinctions for you.

Assure: to promise or say with confidence
Example: Let me assure you that I will be at the meeting at noon.

Ensure: to make sure something will/won’t happen
Example: To ensure my family’s safety, I have installed an alarm system.

Insure: to issue an insurance policy
Example: I will insure my home with additional fire and flood policies.

Pop Quiz

Choose the correct word in each sentence. Scroll down to view answers.

1. I assure/ensure/insure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.

2. I will assure/ensure/insure my car as required by law.

3. Mauricio saved money from every paycheck to assure/ensure/insure he could buy gifts for his family at the end of the year.

Pop Quiz Answers

1. I assure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.

2. I will insure my car as required by law.

3. Mauricio saved money from every paycheck to ensure he could buy gifts for his family at the end of the year.

Posted on Monday, November 26th, 2007 at 3:24 pm

Pronoun Tips

Pronouns take the place of nouns.

Subject Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they

Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them

Rule: Use a Subject Pronoun (also called Nominative Case), not only as the subject of a sentence, but after to be verbs when the pronoun renames the subject.

To be verbs: is, are, was, were, will be, may be, may have been

Example: He is my friend.
He is the subject of the sentence, so use a subject pronoun.

Example: Enrique and she are friends.
Enrique and she are the subjects of the sentence.

Example: It is I who called.
I comes after the to be verb is and renames the subject it. Therefore, use the subject pronoun.

Rule: Use an Object Pronoun (also called Objective Case) when the pronoun is the direct object, the indirect object, or the object of the preposition.

Example: Ella met him at the restaurant.
Him is the direct object.

Example: Ella will give him his money back.
Him is an indirect object because you can mentally put the word to in front of it. Money is the direct object.

Example: Between you and me, this will never work.
You and me are the objects of the preposition between.

Rule: Use reflexive pronouns—myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, yourselves—to refer back to another noun or pronoun in the sentence.

Correct Example: I did it myself.

Incorrect Example: Please give it to Butri or myself.
In this sentence, myself does not refer back to another noun or pronoun.

Posted on Sunday, November 11th, 2007 at 1:05 am