LET'S COMMUNICATE
Agriculture Communication Newsletter
April 2004, No. 100

Here are more exercises from the manager's seminar I attended. The leader pointed out that inaccurate grammar gives others a poor impression of us. 

See how you do on these. Answers below.

1. Many business writers tend to overuse commas in (their,his) writing.
2. We will have (fewer, less) employees next year.
3. Your answers are (alright, all right).
4. We limit the number of programs we present to (ensure, insure) our success.
5. Let's just keep this between you and (I, me).
6. Let's drive a bit (further, farther) before we stop to take a break.
7. I did not mean to (imply, infer) that your answers were correct.

Web URLs for units associated with the Vice President for Agricultural Affairs have been updated. They are:

www.ag.ndsu.edu

www.ag.ndsu.edu/vpag

www.ag.ndsu.edu/academics

www.ag.ndsu.edu/research

www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension

These are now redirects, so when you key in this URL, your browser actually goes to a different address. The goal is to change all the URLs eventually, but with so many links and with the current addresses publicized, that's a long-term project.

The Ag IT Advisory Group and Ag Com Web team are working on redesigning the general integrated page and developing common headers and footers. If you have suggestions, please send them to me.

Ag Communication is reviewing several processes, so here's an update.

All news story drafts and ideas should go to Rich Mattern, 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu.   We'd especially appreciate tips on research going on in your departments or at your RECs for news releases.  

Educational materials go first to Sharon Lane, 231-7883, slane@ndsuext.nodak.edu.  Sharon will then track your project through an editor, graphics, printing, Web and other steps. The Educational Materials Clearance Form is being updated to help with this process, and we'll soon have the interactive pdf form on the Web. This process will especially help you with cost estimates.

Ag Com tries hard to get your materials on the Web ASAP as both pdf and html documents, often before they're even printed.

Ag Com's policy is to charge for labor on projects that are funded with grant dollars. Since Ag Com isn't in the position to initiate grants, our service relies on you including this work as part of the cost of the project. This is no different than you writing in technicians or graduate students for their work on grants. We've often let grant- funded projects slip through without support to Ag Com in the past, but we can longer allow that to happen.

To get production estimates as you develop a grant proposal, just contact any of us who might work on the project, and we'd be glad to help you.

If grant dollars are to provide products to a funding source, we must work with you from the beginning to get an agreement in writing on how expenses and products will be shared.

Please let us know if you have questions or suggestions for how we

can continue to improve the educational materials process.

1. their -- The subject (writers) is plural, plus we certainly can't assume males.

2. fewer -- Use fewer for individual items and less for bulk or quantity.

3. all right -- This sentence may be interpreted to mean every one of the answers is correct. But even if it's interpreted to be the answers are OK, all right as two words is preferred.

4. ensure -- Ensure means to guarantee. Insure only refers to insurance.

5. me -- Despite the Crystal Gayle/Eddie Rabbit song from the early '80s called "Just You and I," me is correct.

6. farther -- Farther refers to physical distance. Further refers to an extension of time or degree.

7. imply -- Writers or speakers imply in the words they use. A listener or reader infers something from the words.