Did you know that the ability to write for practical purposes can be a very important and powerful ability? Really! Becoming proficient at letter writing, for both business and personal purposes, can help you advance in many different aspects of your life. As evidence of this, th … | Continue reading
On a daily basis, we see improper preposition usage. In fact, it drives us crazy when we hear supposedly well-educated people on national radio and TV misuse common prepositions in their reporting of the news and current events. Just to be clear as to what we’re talking about her … | Continue reading
Writing is one area of life where you can continuously improve. There’s always some little tweak you can make to create an even better piece. However, when you’re strapped for time, how can you find a way to improve your writing? Rather than proofreading the same piece over and o … | Continue reading
“Start writing, no matter what,” novelist Louis L’Amour once said. “The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” And while no one would argue with L’Amour, who wrote more than 100 well-known books, there’s nothing wrong with creating a little method to the madness. Or … | Continue reading
These days, with social media being a major part of our everyday lives, how you present yourself in writing is increasingly important. If you don’t pay careful attention to the quality of the posts you make online you could be hurting yourself in ways you haven’t even thought of, … | Continue reading
Something we notice on a regular basis when we read business letters, memos, reports, and other such documents is the use of unnecessary words to over-describe a situation or condition. These are known as redundant or superfluous words. It’s very easy to get into this bad habit w … | Continue reading
Today, we have a guest post from Anne Felicitas, Editor at AdvertiseMint, a Facebook advertising agency. My first instinct after finishing a piece, whether that’s a poem, an article, or a blog post, is to share it. After all, what’s the point of toiling for a work of art that no … | Continue reading
There are two main types of application letters; job application letters and college admission application letters. These letters are very important because they are the first thing about you that the addressee of the letter will see. That’s right; they will see your application … | Continue reading
A couple of years ago we posted a series of articles about words that are often used incorrectly. This is the beginning of another multi-part series on a similar subject but with even more confused and/or misused words than before. We’ll start the list of words in alphabetical or … | Continue reading
For years now, the most requested letter samples and templates have been different types of “introduction letters” or “letters of introduction.” As usual, there is a lot of confusion as to exactly how one defines “introduction letters,” and how best to write them. Many times, peo … | Continue reading
Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post written by Sally Keys, a freelance writer in the fields of business and finance. In my decade as first a writer and then a content manager, I have seen many people who think they can be writers. They love the idea of calling themselves … | Continue reading
As an HR professional, you wear many different hats—especially when you are operating within a small business. Your daily tasks probably include things like managing schedules, resolving disputes, sorting through mountains of resumes, and running interference between management a … | Continue reading
It’s tough to be a businessperson in the digital age. While you might think that the Internet makes it a breeze to find loyal customers, the ease of communication between business and potential customer has made competition with other businesses tougher than ever. Online lead gen … | Continue reading
To quote the wise and wonderful Oprah Winfrey, “You get a free ebook! You get a free ebook! Everybody gets a free ebook!” Okay, maybe she said “car” instead of “ebook,” but nevertheless, we are channeling her generous spirit and giving away something of our own: knowledge. Writte … | Continue reading
Do you want to become a blogger? Blogging presents a unique opportunity to build a network for your existing customers while also acquiring new business. A blog is the ideal platform on which to showcase your expertise in the industry. This list of resources is designed to walk y … | Continue reading
February can be a disheartening time for writers. The zeal brought on by ambitious resolutions has worn off, and, with each passing day that you don’t write, the sting of failure grows less acute as you sink back into your regular, creativity-free routine. You don’t have to settl … | Continue reading
This comprehensive list of resources is designed to help small businesses navigate the ever-changing world of online marketing. This online marketing guide will answer your questions about ranking on search engines, increasing conversion rates, and growing your presence on social … | Continue reading
When someone asks you if you want that second bowl of ice cream, how do you respond? With a resounding “yes!” of course! However, if your professor asks if you studied for the exam, you may respond with a less enthusiastic “absolutely.” According to Merriam-Webster, the word “yes … | Continue reading
The year 2017 is almost upon us! As 2016 comes to end, we thought we would take a look at everything that happened this year: Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, a crazy U.S. election, and a great year of blog content for Inklyo. In fact, it was hard to narrow our co … | Continue reading
What Is a Job Inquiry Email? After scrolling through seemingly endless lists of jobs on hundreds of job websites, you finally come across a job opening that you know you would fit perfectly. So you prepare your resume, tailoring it to the specific position, and craft your cover … | Continue reading
This small business guide is the perfect reference for small business owners who must navigate marketing, accounting, sales, and customer service. Don’t waste time toggling between tabs when everything you need to know is in one convenient location! Business Writing Resources It’ … | Continue reading
When you think of personal branding, superstars come to mind—icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Kim Kardashian, and Ellen DeGeneres. With such giants in the public sphere, it’s easy to forget that personal branding doesn’t always result in national news coverage, a mul … | Continue reading
For many, it’s the season of Thanksgiving—but do you ever have difficulty putting your gratitude into words? You can always send a cute thank-you video (like this one with minions) or give a public shout-out on social media, but there’s something extra special about a personally … | Continue reading
As long as there are people writing, there will be a need for editors and proofreaders. However, becoming an editor or proofreader requires patience, skill, and a thorough understanding of what these professions involve. The following list of resources is designed to answer all y … | Continue reading
Airplanes. Ben Affleck making a comeback after Gigli. Space travel. Women not just wearing—but totally rocking—pants on a regular basis. Justin Timberlake being taken seriously as an actor. These are all things that people once thought highly unlikely, and maybe even impossible, … | Continue reading
As a recent university graduate, I keenly remember the dark cloud of midterms looming over me. As autumn became winter outside my window, I sat at my book-covered desk with a mammoth and ever-growing to-do list and the prospect of a good night’s sleep shrinking in proportion. It … | Continue reading
Society has progressed into the digital age, and the field of education has advanced right along with it. Teachers must now reach out to a generation that is more comfortable asking questions by talking to Siri than by raising a hand in the physical classroom. Whether you teach a … | Continue reading
Introduction Let’s begin this post with enthusiastic congratulations! Seriously, going back to school is a great decision. A degree or diploma, whether it’s your first one ever or the first one in a new field, can greatly improve your job prospects and further your career. As a m … | Continue reading
Introduction The thin layer of frost, brisk air, and falling leaves all signify one thing: it is finally that time of year when it is socially acceptable to eat hundreds of tiny chocolate bars in one sitting. October is hands down the best month of the year. By day, you can enjoy … | Continue reading
Teachers in literature have been portrayed as villains, heroes, confidants, and of course, mentors. These fictional teachers have helped us relate to our own experiences in the classroom, either as students or as teachers ourselves. Who is your favorite fictional teacher? Do you … | Continue reading
You’ve seen them all: the cool young teacher who relates to students as a friend, the stern veteran teacher who won’t put up with any nonsense, and the professor who values students’ input as much as the knowledge being shared from the podium. No matter what your teaching style o … | Continue reading
As a professional editor, I’ve edited all kinds of documents, not the least of which are essays. I’ve seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Look, it’s easy to write a bad essay when it’s due in less than 24 hours (we’ve all been there), but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult … | Continue reading
“All problems are boring until they’re your own.” As pessimistic as that sounds, Red’s right. Maybe you’re in the middle of a sentence and you realize: “Wait! I don’t know if I should use that or which in this instance.” It’s important to pick the right one. You don’t want to go … | Continue reading
Grammar is often labelled a boring subject, associated with dusty classrooms and complicated worksheets. Admittedly, we can understand why grammar doesn’t inspire happy thoughts in many people, but as any English teacher can tell you, grammar mishaps can be hilarious. Don’t belie … | Continue reading
Think ahead a few months: exam season has started, and you’re thankful that you’ve attended class faithfully and taken clear, well-organized notes—or so you thought. The incoherent jumble of words and phrases stares up at you from the page like so much tangled spaghetti, defying … | Continue reading
September is quickly approaching, and that means students around the world are preparing to go back to school. But where, exactly, are they going? This infographic explains where undergraduate and graduate students attend university in Canada and how many adventure-seekers travel … | Continue reading
Are you a budding professional? Or are you changing careers, hoping to break into that new hierarchy of skilled personnel? Even if you’re a shy person who shudders slightly at the word networking, you have to admit it’s an essential part of our job-seeking culture. After all, it’ … | Continue reading
A few quick questions before we start: Do you read the newspaper in print or online? Do you watch reruns of your favorite movies and shows on DVD, or do you opt for Netflix instead? Do you refuse to abandon print books, or do you adore the convenience of your e-reader? As a consu … | Continue reading
Idioms are figures of speech that become fixed in a language. Usually, an idiom is figurative in modern contexts but once had a literal meaning. These literal meanings, or idiom origins, can help a learner of English to understand where a phrase originated. Ever wondered what it … | Continue reading
The final notes of Pomp and Circumstance fade into the background. The last graduate cap hits the ground with an anticlimactic thud. The final whoops and hollers diminish as you shuffle from the auditorium and into the Real World. After the celebrations and the partying (oh, the … | Continue reading
You’ve been accepted to university. You’ve already envisioned the posters you’ll hang up in your dorm room; your iPod is stocked with a mix of Dave Matthews Band and EDM tunes; you’ve cleaned Costco out of its entire supply of Red Bull and ramen noodles—and then the tuition bill … | Continue reading
Working on a team is necessary for success in virtually any professional scenario. You might be a business professional collaborating on a project with your colleagues. Or perhaps you’re an academic writer who is working on an article with your peers, hoping to submit it to a fie … | Continue reading
Everyone has had the experience of sitting through a bad presentation. Those are the presentations where the lights go down, the audience is faced with slides filled with text, the speaker begins by reading each slide, and the room fills with the sounds of snoring. No one sets ou … | Continue reading
Peter flew to the window. Then, he was at the window. Earlier in the night, he had flown by the window. He thought it was open, so he flew into the window. Wendy saw Peter from the window. Her breath left a mark on the window. Peter’s favorite part of the window was how it […] | Continue reading
If you speak English (and if you’re reading this, you presumably do), you’ve probably confused two words that are pronounced or spelled the same but have different meanings. This is extremely easy to do, because English contains many homonyms, homophones, and homographs. Hold on … | Continue reading
We’re going to let you in on a little secret: most of what you learn in university you’ll learn outside the classroom. Sure, the research professor you’ve spoken to twice is going to fill a great spot on your reference list. And, okay, I guess it is kind of nice to have a degree … | Continue reading
Verb moods are not unlike the moods of people (happy, sad, angry, etc.) in that they indicate the manner in which an action or condition is intended or conceived. Unlike people’s moods, though, which have an endless variety, a verb may only occur in one of three verb moods: the i … | Continue reading
The past two years have been crazy for me. One minute I was a student, drowning in papers and dealing with stress-induced insomnia by ingesting large amounts of coffee (not my wisest choice), and the next I was employed as a professional editor. There I was, a recent graduate. No … | Continue reading