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CONTENTS FEATURE: Pair the adverb 'also' with the word it's supposed to modify GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn up to $500 FEATURE: Pair the adverb 'also' with the word it's supposed to modify      Which sounds better: "The boys also can paint the fence," or "the boys can also paint the fence"? Should spitting an auxiliary verb ("can," in this case) from main verb ("paint") always be avoided?      That's the question that perceptive reader Laura J. asked. Sound alone shouldn't be used to determine placement of the adverb "also;" grammar must be considered because its location can alter the meaning of the entire sentence.      The word "also" is an adverb, specifically a conjunctive adverb that is used to indicate addition (as in "he's a novelist and also a licensed civil engineer") or comparison as in "Sharon is from Los Angeles, and I'm also a Southern Californian").      In either case, the word "also" is used to define a relationship between two statements. Its placement consequently is critical in identifying the sentence elements that the writer is attempting to contrast.      Consider this sentence: "Denver is experiencing blizzard conditions, and it also snowed in Omaha." Placement of the adverb "also" alongside the verb "snowed" suggests that Omaha may have experienced more than a snowstorm. Readers may wonder if high winds or even a tornado accompanied the snowfall.      If the intention instead was to show that both Denver and Omaha had snowfall, that idea would be expressed more clearly by moving the adverb "also" adjacent to "Omaha," as shown here: "Denver is experiencing blizzard conditions, and snow fell in Omaha also."      Here's another example: "The schedule shows that Bob is planning to meet with clients in Philadelphia, but Sheila also heard that he will drive to Newark." Placement of the adverb "also" gives emphasis to the verb "heard," raising the possibility that the two pieces of information may have come from different sources — the Philadelphia trip is indicated in writing on the schedule, but the possibility of an additional stop in Newark may now be emerging in discussions. Is the statement trying to draw the contrast between the two sources? Is the statement questioning the reliability of the information about his intended trip to Philadelphia, and suggesting that he may instead go to Newark? That distinction is unclear.      Another interpretation of the same sentence might be that someone else in addition to Sheila reported hearing that Bob will drive to Newark ("Fred said he thought that Bob intended to stop in Newark, and Sheila also heard that.").      Shifting "also" to another position within the sentence produces a different result. Consider this revision: "The schedule shows that Bob is planning to meet with clients in Philadelphia, but Sheila heard that he also will drive to Newark." That statement could indicate that Bob will drive to two cities: Philly and Newark. Or it could suggest that Bob will join another employee who previously had planned to drive to Newark alone ("he also will drive to Newark").      If the intention is to state that Bob had modified his itinerary with the unexpected addition of a meeting in Philadelphia, here's one way to clarify that: "The schedule shows that Bob is planning to meet with clients in Philadelphia, but Sheila heard that he will drive to Newark also."      Meanwhile, the boys are waiting for us at the fence. Suppose the girls had started painting the fence, but the boys want to help. "The boys also can paint the fence" will express the idea adequately because "also" is modifying boys — saying they want to join the girls.      Suppose that the boys washed the dog and now they're available to help paint the fence. "The boys can also paint the fence" would convey that idea. Separating the auxiliary verb "can" from the main verb "paint" is acceptable because of the necessity of placing "also" before "paint" to convey the intended idea clearly.      Suppose the boys sanded the fence yesterday, and now it's ready to be painted. "The boys can paint the fence also" would express that idea unequivocally.      Think about the point you want to emphasize or contrast, and place "also" next to that contrasting element. GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions 1. Neil B. wrote:      "I am having a bit of a tissy with a retired city police sergeant who is very active and quite obnoxious in the blog sections of our local newspaper. He addresses himself as "Retired Sgt." and I have told him that I feel if he is not retired military, he should refer to himself as "Retired Police Sgt." I know it sounds silly, but shouldn't his salutation contain "Police" so he is not thought of by local numbskulls as some kind of war hero? Thanks and please advise." The grammar coach replies:      Neil, we don't think the question you raised is silly. The Associated Press Stylebook, which establishes standards for journalistic writing, discusses the topic you raised and agrees with your assessment. As part of its "military titles" entry, the stylebook lists acceptable abbreviations for titles, followed by an advisory for references to firefighters and police officers. It says: "Use the abbreviations listed here when a military-style title is used before the name of a firefighter or police officer outside a direct quotation. Add 'police' or 'fire' before the title if needed for clarity: police Sgt. William Smith, fire Capt. David Jones."      The title "sergeant" is used in the Army, Marines, and formerly in the Air Force. In the Army, "sergeant" is the second-lowest rank among noncommissioned officers, but a police sergeant is a management-level classification. For those reasons, the retired police officer probably should make that clarification. 2. Dorothy M. wrote:      "What do the 'cc' and 'bcc' in e-mail address lines stand for? I understand that one 'c' is an abbreviation for 'copy,' but what does the other one mean?" The grammar coach replies:      Dorothy, as personal computers began to replace manual and electric typewriters in business and home offices in the 1980s, hardware and software designers adapted some of the old typewriter-related lingo to help ease the transition. Typewriters had a "carriage return" bar that the user slapped to drive the paper-bearing carriage to the left edge of the paper on a new line. Electric typewriters were equipped with a "return" key to carry out the same function; computer keyboards retained the "return" key, even though the carriage had gone to the trash heap.      The abbreviation "cc" likewise is a quaint reference to typewriter practice. Before photocopy machines became widely available and affordable, carbon paper was used to make a duplicate copy while typing. Carbon paper was a thin material coated on one side with dry ink, held in place with a wax film. The carbon paper was sandwiched between two pieces of paper, all of which were rolled into the carriage together. When the typewriter keys tapped the original paper, the carbon surface transferred impressions of the keystrokes onto the second paper "carbon copy." Business correspondence typically was coded "cc" to indicate who had received such a "carbon copy."      Since the term "carbon copy" bears no relationship to electronic communication, a substitute meaning was concocted for "cc" — it's now a "courtesy copy." The term "bcc" refers to a "blind courtesy copy," sent to a third party whose name is intentionally concealed.      Are you perplexed by some aspect of grammar or word usage? Don't be shy! Ask the "grammar coach" at EditPros and we'll try to help—at no charge, just for the sport of it. FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn a finder's fee of up to $500      Do you know of a friend or colleague whose office can benefit from EditPros' services? If you do, EditPros may reward you with a "finder's fee" of up to $500.      EditPros LLC, established in 1993, performs writing, editing, proofreading and publication management services for newsletters, brochures, Web sites, annual reports, research studies, business proposals, and other informational and marketing materials. Our office is in Davis, Calif., between Sacramento and San Francisco; however, our clients include educational institutions, private corporations, health-care organizations, trade associations, scientific research institutions, Web site developers and government agencies from throughout the United States. We have worked with some of them for more than 10 years.      If you recommend our services to a friend or business colleague, and that introduction leads to an assignment for EditPros, we will award you a "finder's fee" equaling 10 percent of the amount we earn on the first assignment for the new client, up to a maximum finder's fee of $500. Naturally, the finder's fee is applicable only to client organizations for which we have not worked previously.      This offer will remain in effect until further notice. YOUR TURN: Ask the "grammar coach" or subscribe      We invite you to submit your questions to the "grammar coach," and we welcome you to subscribe to this monthly newsletter—which we'll send to your e-mail address at no charge. We respond to all "grammar coach" questions personally, but delays may occur because we must place top priority on assignments from our clients. We appreciate your patience and your interest.      You also can change your e-mail subscription address. 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