Last night I read a Facebook post written by a neighbor’s son. He recently spent a few years abroad speaking a foreign language exclusively and is now back home in the States. His post was political and religious in nature and well thought out for a 20-year-old young man. I’ve known him for years and was impressed with his thoughts. What made me laugh and shake my head was the first comment left for this young man. “Whether honey… not weather (sorry, can’t help but be a mom)” And to top it off, the comment wasn’t left by his mother. It got me thinking about how often I correct my own kids regarding their word usage. Is it a “mom” thing, a “teaching” thing or just a “grammar” thing? I’m not sure which but I’m hoping it’s a little bit of all three.

Regardless, today’s Tuesday Tip is in thanks to my neighbor’s Facebook post.

Use whether as a conjunction to introduce choices: Please tell us whether you would prefer steak or salmon for dinner.

Use weather when referring to the state of the atmosphere: The constantly changing springtime weather is driving us crazy.

I know this poem will help me not only with my work, but with my kids’ homework! Hopefully it will help you also.

In recent weeks we’ve talked about the overuse of the words said and look. Now let’s talk about very.

This word does little to help your readers understand the depth of emotion you’re trying to display. Instead of very tired, use exhausted. Instead of very happy, use elated.

Here is a list of words to replace your “very + adjective” choices with a more appropriate option.