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Was vs. were (1/2)
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Were you wondering what the "1/2" meant in today's subject line, or was it obvious to you? We're back to quizzing you this week, and it's part one of two on was vs. were.
Thank you to everyone who shared editing challenges with us. We're using them to inspire our quiz questions. You can share yours here. And don't forget: If you want to join our beta-testing program to get a sneak peek of the new product we're developing, apply here before time runs out. The application deadline is just one week away. We didn't have a quiz last week, so there's no answer to go over today. However, some of you who left feedback about this newsletter have asked us to share more Stylebot case studies. Stylebot's website has a whole page of case studies from our clients, and one we'll highlight today is from CalMatters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers California's state government. CalMatters maintains a database of state lawmakers, and in order for it to work properly, the information about each one needs to be exactly right in each story. So CalMatters got a custom version of Stylebot that combines our style guide with information on each legislator, as well as CalMatters' house style. For CalMatters, Stylebot is an all-in-one resource that helps everyone get the details right the first time. “The only asset any news organization actually has is trust and credibility,” Neil Chase, CalMatters’ CEO, said. “Little things like getting names right, getting terms right, these days is a huge credibility boost.” Read the full case study here. ❤ Team Stylebot
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Hone your writing skills and never use "hone in" again. Get writing tips, have fun with words and learn something new in a one-minute read each week by signing up for Stylebot’s newsletter.
Your understanding of the finer points of the English language often reveals itself in your use of mundane words like was and were. That's why we have a *couple* of quizzes that cover trickier rules about these verbs. Before we break down last week's quiz, though, we wanted to remind you that today is the last day to apply to be part of Stylebot's beta-testing program. This is your chance to shape our next product to fit your needs. Apply here now. OK, so how did you do on last week's quiz?...
Spoiler alert: There were no wrong answers to last week's quiz, but there's still a writing lesson to be had. We asked, "When you go back to work on Monday, how will you write time?" Technically, we were simply inquiring about what you would write. But there were still answer choices that contained incorrect options. Here's how you responded: It's a tie between 9 a.m. EST and 9 a.m. EDT. While there is definitely more than one way to write time, our style guide advises using "9 a.m." Most of...
Ready to lose an hour of sleep this weekend? It's that time of year: Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, which means clocks will spring forward while you're (hopefully) sleeping on Saturday night. When you go back to work on Monday, how will you write time? The meeting is at _______. 9AM EST 9AM EDT 9 a.m. EST 9 a.m. EDT 9:00 a.m. EST 9:00 a.m. EDT (ICYMI: We want to hear about an editing challenge you faced recently. It might become a quiz question! Share it here.) Last week we did a...