Share

Are you an Employer?    Attract the Best Candidates with Smart Job Postings!
Search HR Resumes
The Largest Collection of Jobs on Earth | HRCrossing


Job Seekers? Try it Now  


Need Help? Call (800) 680-7345  
HUMAN RESOURCES Jobs, Jobs in HUMAN RESOURCES - HRCrossing.com
Search HR Jobs
Browse HR Jobs
Post HR Jobs
What Where


Search in Job Title Only


Select Country:
  • HR Career Feature

Do It Write


by Judith Earley     
It doesn't matter what line of work you are in; nothing is more important than good communication. It takes clear, concise, and compassionate communication to be successful in the world of human resources. However, the manner in which you come across on paper is equally important.

Do It Write
That's why it is imperative to learn how to do it write. That's right, write. Pun intended. Have you ever written right for write, or vice versa? Maybe not, but how about averse for adverse, compliment for complement, and the old standby, effect for affect?

Mistakes are easy to make when you're in a hurry and rely on spell check to catch your mistakes. You probably realized that the last time you typed "two" when you meant to type "too." As long as the spelling is correct, your computer is happy. Proper usage is up to you.

Do you remember somewhere around fourth or fifth grade when your teacher introduced you to the concept of homonyms—words that sound alike and/or are spelled alike but have different meanings? Sometimes you grab the wrong word from your memory bank because it truly is a homonym; other times, while the words are not actual homonyms, they share a close enough connection to be confusing. On that note lettuce (oops, I mean let us) take a look at some commonly confused word pears, eh, word pairs, that is.

Are you clear on your contractions?

Who's is a contraction of the words "who is" or "who has."
Whose is used to ask a question such as "Whose dog is this?"

Its without the apostrophe indicates possession by an inanimate object—"That flat tire has lost all of its air."
It's is a contraction of the words "it is" or "it has."

You're is a contraction of the words "you are."
Your is the second person possessive determiner, as in "Is this your work?"

Here are a few pure homonyms that are sure to make most people stop and proofread their work.

Stationary means something is not moving or not changing.
Stationery refers to paper and/or other writing supplies.

Shear means "to cut," as in the wool off a sheep.
Sheer commonly refers to something that is very thin.

Principal means first in order of importance—remember your school principal?
Principle, on the other hand, is a system of thought or belief.

Grisly means causing horror or revulsion.
Grizzly refers to the (Grizzly) bear's white-tipped fur.

Discreet is to be careful not to attract attention or give offence.
Discrete things are separate or distinct.

Council is an administrative or advisory group.
Counsel refers to advice or guidance.

These last two are close enough to be confusing although not true homonyms.

Ordinance is an authoritative order.
Ordnance refers to guns or munitions.

Loath people are reluctant or unwilling.
Loathe means to dislike greatly.

Mastering the sound-alike words is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to writing well. And remember, there is no shame in owning a dictionary; if you are really in a hurry, try the 'Thesaurus' button right next to spell check.

On the net:

Alan Cooper's Homonym List
www.cooper.com/alan/homonym_list.html

Confusing Word Pairs
www.businesswriting.com/tests/wordpairs.html

Thesaurus.com
thesaurus.reference.com
Popular tags:

 pairs  guns  counsels  memories  principles  grab  spellings  implications  usage  communication
Rate this article:

  
   
  printable version
  PDF version
  email to a friend
  add comments

Comments

article ID: 270008     http://www.hrcrossing.com/article/270008/Do-It-Write/

article title: Do It Write
Comment not found for this article.
add comments

Related articles

 The Importance of Good Communication in Your Job Search
 How to Write an HR Resume: Crafting Your HR Resume the Right Way
 How to Write a Human Resources Resume in a Recession
 How to Write a Cover Letter for a Human Resources Job

Facebook comments:


You Have Exceptional People Skills, Strong Organizational Capabilities, are a Master at Helping Others and Deserve Approval

Top jobs are scattered on the websites of tens of thousands of companies, organizations and other job boards. It requires creativity to bring everyone together: Through research we are able put these jobs in one place and give you the ability to see a variety of jobs you would not see elsewhere.

Other job sites only show you jobs that employers are paying to advertise. We believe this creates tension and discord and that every job should be in one place. We do not accept any money from advertisers for job postings so that we can research and provide you with unbiased research about every job opening in the market. We give you the resources to analyze your career options in a creative and imaginative manner.
Tell us where to send your access instructions:

Your Email:     
EmploymentCrossing



The Job Search Program that Guarantees Success.
Our career counselor creates a tailor-made job search strategy for you and walks you through every step of the process.
Create your unique brand for just $2,495!
2013 Most Influential HR Recruiter Rankings
600+ prestigious recruiters across America ranked
60+ industries and professions scrutinized
Comprehensive updated candid report
Get the ranking
total jobs
on EmploymentCrossing
3,247,193
new jobs this week
on HRCrossing
12,831
job type count
on HRCrossing
(4,518)
(1,838)
(1,440)
(1,120)
(585)
(576)
(574)
top 5 job searches
start using HRCrossing
Signup for free trail | HRCrossing
jobs near you
International jobs
Work at home jobs
UK jobs
Canada jobs
New search feature using US map. click here

Looking for a new human resources job in your city? click here
Sign Up now
*Email:


VeriSign Secure Site  

Only HRCrossing consolidates every job it can find in the human resources domain and puts all of the job listings it locates in one place.

  • We have more Human Resources jobs than any other Human Resources job board.
  • We list Human Resources jobs you will not find elsewhere that are hidden in small regional publications and employer websites.
  • We collect jobs from more than 42,655 websites and post them on our site.
  • Employers can post jobs for free at HRCrossing.
  • We are private, and therefore far fewer people are applying for the jobs on our site than are applying for those on public job boards.

today's featured job
Human Resources Coordinator
United States-MN-Minneapolis

POSITION FOCUS To assist in the overall operation of the Human Resources function by maintaining accurate associate records. To provide support in ...

HUMAN RESOURCES Click to Apply for - HRCrossing.com
job search tip
Job Search myth: Good things come to those who wait. Probably not. Good things come to those who initiate. Don't sit around and expect a job to come to you. Make it happen- now!
Your privacy is guaranteed. We will never give out, lease, or sell your personal information.




Privacy Policy by TRUSTe  

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars.
HRCrossing - #1 Job Aggregation and Private Job-Opening Research Service — The Most Quality Jobs Anywhere
HRCrossing is the first job consolidation service in the employment industry to seek to include every job that exists and not charge employers to post jobs on its site. HRCrossing uses sophisticated technology and manual work to comb employer websites and other job boards for jobs and bring them all to its site.

Copyright © 2013  HRCrossing - All rights reserved.