Having finished grading numerous final papers, it's time for a refresher on the use of effect versus affect.

"Effect" is usually a noun meaning result or a verb meaning to bring about.   “Affect” is used as a noun to mean emotional expression or as a verb when you mean to influence rather than to cause.

The best way to remember the use of an a or an e is to think cause and effect.

Once in awhile, a word seems to be in vogue among writers for the mass media (or maybe I just notice it more).  Such is the case with the word till; as in, we'll wait till the sun rises.

The writer's job is to make the most informed word choice, and though use of the word till is grammatically proper it is no match for until.  

If you are a farmer, you till the soil.  If you are a poet you cannot wait 'til your love returns.  If you are writing for the era of digital literacy, use until to join the idea of waiting to the event you anticipate.

I can think of no greater contributor to reader confusion than the preposition.  Use too many of them and you've asked the reader to make too many connections (when one is all they want to make). 

Here’s one more rule on prepositions – don’t end the sentence with one. 

It has the effect of making the sentence trail off. A preposition makes a connection between two things and if nothing appears after the preposition, it is considered an incomplete thought.

It's interesting to watch the kafuffle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama around allegations that Obama lifted lines from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick during a speech he (Obama) delivered.

It's interesting mostly because I have been in the unenviable position of busting a few college students for plagiarism--or failing to display academic integrity.

Here's the speech I give at the beginning of each semester:

"There are three types of plagiarism with which I will concern myself.   The first is relatively benign, as it is a case where it's clear to me that you heard a line in a movie or read it somewhere and have come to assimilate the material as your own.  I'll tell you to fix it (mostly because it's likely to be trite).

The second instance will result from a failure to cite the source.   I'll read material and see that you have failed to give proper credit, and I will reflect that in the grade.  (My experience that this comes from pulling material off the Web and then failing to attribute after it's been pasted into the document.  I counsel never pasting material into a document draft.)

The third shade of plagiarism will send you off to the Dean of Students.  I usually pick up on it when I'm reading along and there is a dramatic shift in style and voice.   A student who has struggled mightily and then writes like Graham Greene sends me off to the search engines to match the content.   In this case, the intent is clear - to pass off someone's material as your own.   I have no sympathy for that."

Based on what I know of the Obama speech, the assignment would have been marked down.  But we'd have kept it between student and instructor.

A common mistake made by business writers is an over-reliance on the euphemism.  And this needs to be avoided in all instances. 

A euphemism is a vague statement used because the writer is uncomfortable with the subject. (For instance writing: This is a bad situation, when you need to say: We are losing all of our customers.)  

The euphemism is too abstract for the business style of writing.  More than that, it has the effect of a written throat clearing, positioning the writer as indecisive.  Not a good way to be perceived...