|
Volume
2, Issue 3
June 2007 |
In
this issue:
- Let Me Count the Ways
- Have You Met Grammar Girl?
- Ask TSW!
- Spotlight on...Heidi Zimmer
- Workshop Booklet Available
Let
us take care of your words.
LET ME COUNT THE WAYS
Some
people hate numbers, and others love numbers. But one
thing that almost everyone struggles with is how to
write numbers in e-mail, reports, or proposals. Do you
write "7" or "seven"? Are there
even rules for numbers? You bet! Below are a few rules
for writing numbers.
Spell
out numbers one to nine. For numbers higher than 10,
use numerical forms.
I
have three siblings.
I have 12 siblings.
If
there are several numbers related to each other in a
sentence and one is higher than 10, use all figures.
If all numbers are lower than 10, spell the numbers
out.
INCORRECT:
There are 17 students, and three are female.
CORRECT: There are 17 students, and 3 are female.
If
the numbers are unrelated, then use both figures and
words.
There
are 17 students, and three books.
To
write about decades, spell out the number, but use lowercase
letters.
During
the eighties, arcade games were popular.
Use
numbers, with an apostrophe in the right place.
INCORRECT:
During the 80's, arcade games were popular.
CORRECT: During the 80s, arcade games were popular.
CORRECT: During the 1980s, arcade games were popular.
If
a sentence starts with a number, spell out the number.
Fifty-nine
attended the conference in Chicago.
And
there are even rules for writing fractions, time, and
much more! Some great Web sites about writing numbers
are at:
HAVE YOU MET GRAMMAR GIRL?
Who would have thought that a podcast about grammar
would bring international fame to Grammar Girl within
six months? Maybe you've seen her on CNN or Oprah, or
read about her in the New York Times or USA Today.
Just
who is Grammar Girl and why is she so popular? She's
Mignon Fogarty, a 39-year-old technical writer who says,
"Grammar helps language be more beautiful."
For easy-to-read and fun lessons about English, visit http://grammar.qdnow.com.
ASK TSW!
Is there an ASL or English question you've always
wanted answered, but were too embarrassed to ask? TSW
will answer your questions and give tips and suggestions.
A
reader asks: I notice that as I get older, I feel
more and more out of the loop as each day goes by. The
technology boom has given birth to all this new jargon
and vocabulary that seem to multiply faster than bunnies.
Half the time I'm completely lost when trying to talk
with my younger friends. What can I do to keep current
on words and find my way back?
TSW
responds: There are many readers out there who
can relate to what you wrote. It's true that the recent
boom in technology has quickly changed and influenced
the way we communicate in person and online. The best
solution? Read, read, and read. Newspapers and magazines
are a great way to stay updated on current lingo and
"buzzwords." There are also many Web sites
that may help, such as:
A
popular workshop that addresses this challenge for both
interpreters and deaf people is Think of a Word,
Quick! For more details, check out the workshop
booklet available for download at www.tswriting.com
under SERVICES.
Have
a question? Send your question to news@tswriting.com,
and we will answer your question in this column. Your
name will be kept anonymous.
SPOTLIGHT ON...HEIDI ZIMMER
Each month, we profile one of our clients. This month,
we talk with Heidi Zimmer, a woman with an admirable sense
of adventure.
 Heidi
Zimmer says she never has enough adventure in her life.
And shes not exaggerating when she says that.
Zimmer is the first Deaf woman to have reached the top
of Denali, or Mount McKinley, in Alaska and the top
of Kilimanjaro in Africa. She is also the Deaf person
to have reached the top of Mt. Elbrus in the Republic
of Russia. As if that wasn't enough, she aspires to
climb all seven summits of the world - or the highest
peak on each continent - and after talking with Zimmer,
it becomes apparent that this is something she definitely
will accomplish. With her passion and sense of adventure,
and her unbeatable spirit, Zimmer is a remarkable character.
And it's hard to imagine that she could ever have been
insecure about her abilities.
For
years, she had been told she couldn't do things. It
wasn't until she participated in a Colorado Outward
Bound program at the age of 19 that she realized her
potential. There, Zimmer casually told an Outward Bound
instructor that she wanted to climb a mountain. The
instructor replied, "Why not?" With this simple
response came a life change.
As
a student at Gallaudet College (now University), Zimmer
and a friend rode their bikes across the country. She
again did this as part of Girls on the Move in 2001,
traveling the country on her bicycle while the group
presented to children at schools all over the nation.
She's climbed mountains. She ice-climbs. She trains.
And oh, yeah, she also happens to have Usher Syndrome.
"It's my passion to educate deaf children, deaf-blind
people, and other people that they, too, can do what
they put their minds to. I used to be very insecure,
with a very bleak, negative outlook on life," Zimmer
says. "But how can I do that now? There are too
many wonderful things in the world that I want to experience,
and I want to bring that sense of excitement to everyone
I talk to." She now travels the country giving
presentations and is preparing for her next climb -
Mt. Vinson in Antarctica.
Zimmer
works with T.S. Writing Services for writing and editing
services. "I'm very supportive of deaf-owned businesses
like T.S. Writing Services. TSW provides access through
ASL, which is more comfortable for me to use and with
TSW's employees who are deaf, I know my thoughts and
culture will be understood," she says. "I
can easily tell them what I want in ASL. Plus the quality
of work is excellent, with A-to-Z resources that meet
my needs. I can't imagine not working with TSW!"
She
is now raising funds for her recently established nonprofit
organization, Seven Summits, and will donate parts of
the funds to Seabeck Deaf-Blind Retreat in Seattle,
Deaf Women of Courage, and the World Federation of the
Deaf.
For
more about her adventures and nonprofit organization,
visit www.heidizimmer.com.
WORKSHOP BOOKLET AVAILABLE!
TSW is often asked if we present workshops.
We do, and there's a booklet available for free download
from the TSW Web site, highlighting available presentations
and workshops. Future workshop offerings include human
resources and writing workshops, online workshops in ASL,
and much more!
To
download the booklet, visit www.tswriting.com
and click on SERVICES, then WORKSHOPS.
ABOUT
TSW
T.S. Writing Services, LLC, provides writing, editing,
design and translation services for American Sign Language
and English users. For more information, visit www.tswriting.com. | 
