The story of Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the garden of Eden is found in chapters 2 and 3 of Genesis, the first book in the Bible.? Whether you interpret the story literally, believing it took place exactly as it appears in the Bible, or prefer a more symbolic translation is absolutely unimportant for our purposes?the meaning of the story is the same.? And there is no question about it?this story has genuine relevance for all of us today.? Let?s take a look at what happened.? [In the Hebrew and in most English versions of the Bible, the ?g? in garden of Eden is lower case; in current popular usage, the ?g? has been capitalized: Garden of Eden.] Read more…

The lesson plan for eighth-grade school teachers called for the teachers to help their students understand names stemming from their ethnic origins. In this particular class period, one of the teachers was concentrating on the term “African-American.”

After she explained to the class what it means to be an African-American, a fair-skinned girl in the class with long blond hair by the name of Angelina said, “I am African-American.”

The teacher was somewhat taken aback by a white girl with blond hair thinking she was African- America, especially after she (the teacher) had just explained what it means to be African-American.? She gathered her wits and replied, “I don’t think so, Angelina. What makes you think that?”? Read more…

Do you know someone who is working on essays for college applications?perhaps a member of your family?? Or you may know a young man or woman who is completing applications for that first full-time job after graduating from college.? Or how about that man or woman who is being considered for a promotion, or the seasoned business executive who is responsible for preparing executive summaries? ??In some of these situations correct grammar is an absolute necessity; in others using correct written grammar will definitely give you a leg up.

In my book, The Big Ten of Grammar, I deal with what, through research, I believe are the ten most frequent grammatical errors that people make on a pretty regular basis.? Without question, the most common grammatical error many of us make when writing is getting mixed up with whether commas and periods go before or after quotation marks.

There are three basic rules you need to remember when using quotation marks with other forms of punctuation.? There are absolutely no exceptions to these three rules in American English. Read more…

A shopper in a large grocery store for the first time asks a clerk where to find a certain item. ?Instead of telling her, the clerk takes her directly to the aisle and shelf where the item is located. ?The shopper, somewhat surprised at being so graciously helped in a large chain store, says to the clerk in a very pleasant voice, “Thank you.? I really appreciate your assistance.”? The clerk responds, “No problem.”

You?re eating lunch at an upscale restaurant during the busy noon-hour rush.? Without your asking, the waiter comes to the table and refills your water glass.? You say, ?Thank you.? ?And the waiter replies, ?No problem.?

You see a young mother who is trying to open her car door and, at the same time, is carrying a bag of groceries in one arm and is holding her baby in the other arm. ?You open the car door for her, and she says, “Oh, thank you. I really have my hands full.” ?You smile and say, “No problem.” Read more…

?Introduction

For most people, it is difficult to know when and how to use ?affect? and ?effect.? The confusion primarily comes from two things: (1) the two words are very similar in both spelling and pronunciation and (2) their meanings have evolved through the years, making it difficult for us to understand how the two words should be used today. But their meanings and uses have stabilized in recent years, so let?s sort this all out. It?s really not all that difficult.In years past, ?affect? was used as either a noun or a verb, but now its use as a noun is considered obsolete. Except in rare cases of some psychological studies, ?affect? is now considered only a verb?that is, a word of action.

?Effect,? on the other hand, can be used as either a noun or a verb. Read more…

As an eighty-year old retired clergyman I have thought much about what I would say to my congregation, if I were still preaching every Sunday, in the aftermath of the shooting-rampage in a school that has shocked our entire nation.? Following local, national, or international tragedies of any kind, attendance at places of worship has historically increased as people seek understanding and guidance on how to cope.? They go to their respective places of worship expecting the clergy to speak with clarity, as if we are creatures endowed with special divine connections when, in fact, we are only human creatures who, perhaps, due to training and experience, have a certain amount of knowledge about such matters that we are able to pass along. Read more…