25 Ways to Sound Smarter in 2025
A new year presents the opportunity to self-reflect and decide what habits to kick, trends to adopt (or avoid), and tips to improve your life. Might I suggest 25 ways to improve your writing and/or speech? Full disclosure: I am not an English teacher or profess to know all the rules of grammar, but as an editor and writer, I see many of the same issues plaguing good writers and speakers. So I've compiled a quick list, in no particular order (just how they launched off the ol' bean), of 25 ways to sound smarter in the new year. Hope you'll find it helpful. Lie vs. Lay | I'm not sure why this one seems to trip up so many of us, but the easiest hack I know is lie = rest or recline; lay = place or put. If it helps to think about the E in liE and the E in rEst and rEcline, go with that. Likewise, the A in lAy and the A in plAce. I'll admit that when it comes to past-participles, I have to look them up to ensure I'm using them properly. Fun fact: my mom said she kne...
