The Turner Ink blog contains rants, bloopers, observations and opinions. It also has handy tips on grammar and punctuation such as colons: semicolons; and full stops. As well as some very useful ‘how tos’. Feel free to leave comments. Be nice though.

Turner Ink

Copywriting Services London

The Oxford comma: posh punctuation

10th
Mar
by Sarah Turner

Named after the Oxford University Press where it was first used, the Oxford comma – a comma before the word and – is often avoided in British English but used in the US. For example:

In the US they write: Red, white, and blue.
In the UK we write: Red, white and blue.

For some reason, us Brits often feel quite weird about putting a comma before the word and. But we shouldn’t. Because the Oxford comma can really help avoid confusion.

Compare the following: 

The flags were red, green and white, and blue. Three flags.
The flags were red, green and white and blue. How many flags? And what colour are they? Doh!

Go on. Use the Oxford comma today.


Tags: oxford comma
Posted in Punctuation tips | comments icon No comments yet »

Don’t be a website bore. It’s all about conversations not speeches

6th
Mar
by Sarah Turner

Imagine yourself at a party; glass of warm punch in one hand, cold sausage roll in the other. And you’re trapped with the party bore. He’s giving you a speech about his latest achievements; the speed of his car; his golf handicap; and his plans for world domination. You can’t get a word in edgeways and he doesn’t ask you anything about yourself. It’s a drag isn’t it?   

Now take a look at your website. Is it the online equivalent of the party bore? Is it talking about how great your company is; what it’s achieved; how long it’s been going; and what it sells?

Your website should talk with your customers not at them.

Have you got a problem with something? We think our product or service can help.
What else would you like to know? We’re waiting for your call.
How can we help you? Drop us a mail.

In fact, your website should be the ultimate party host: entertaining, attentive and helpful. 

Now pass me a glass of champers.


Tags: web writing
Posted in Website & SEO copywriting | comments icon No comments yet »

Is it ‘it’s’or ‘its’? Confused?

28th
Feb
by Sarah Turner

The use of it’s and its seem to get a lot of people confused. I even saw this on a website recently – I swear this is true – ‘i’ts very good!’ Nope. It’s very bad. So this is the easiest way to remember: 

It’s is a contraction of it is. So

It’s (it is) a nice day. It’s (it is) a small world.

Its means ‘belonging to it’. So

The house has lost its value. Here’s the car but where are its keys?

See? It’s not difficult is it?


Tags: apostrophes
Posted in Punctuation tips | comments icon No comments yet »

Look out. It’s a flying noun

27th
Feb
by Sarah Turner

What’s the difference between a concrete noun and an abstract noun? What’s that I hear you cry? Who cares? Stay with me. I’m attempting to perform a public service.
 
A concrete noun is a noun that can be seen, smelt, tasted, touched, heard. So,

I wore a nice watch to the party. Watch is a concrete noun.

Trickier to recognise, an abstract noun is an idea or feeling such as love, happiness, confidence, grief, boredom, frustration. So,

The crowd was amazed at his bravery in front of goal. Bravery is an abstract noun.

 
 Now, aren’t you glad you know that?


Tags: nouns
Posted in Grammar tips | comments icon No comments yet »

Starting a sentence with And or But. Can we? Yes we can!

26th
Feb
by Sarah Turner

Do you remember being told at school that you can’t start a sentence with a conjunction i.e. a joining word like And, But, Yet? Well here’s a shocker: you can.

If you want to be really formal you might want to use In addition or Nevertheless.

But for the rest of us mere mortals starting a sentence with And or But is perfectly acceptable. In fact copywriters do it all the time as it makes copy informal, snappy and really gets a point across.

Just try not to use a conjunction at the end of a sentence. Yeah..but..no..but..and yeah…but


Tags: conjunctions
Posted in Grammar tips | comments icon 1 Comment »

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