BizWritingTip reader: “Can you tell me the real difference between assume and presume? I know presume has a more negative connotation, but the dictionary definitions for them are so similar. The wordassume has been given such a bad rap over the years with the bad joke about what assuming does. What is the correct usage of these words?” According to the Oxford Canadian Dictionary, assume […]
A BizWritingTip reader asked, “Would you happen to know which is better for business emails: opening with Hi Jane, Jane, or Dear Jane? Mostly, I see Hi Jane used in my business.” BizWritingTip response: There are several options for starting an email in North America as our business culture is not as formal as other areas. You can use “hi,” […]
BizWritingTip reader: “Would it be possible to do an article on the proper use of the words who and whom?” BizWritingTip response: Certainly. Use “who” when the word is serving as the subject in the sentence and “whom” when the word is being used as an object.This rule also works for “whoever” and “whomever.” Was that helpful? If […]
BizWritingTip reader: “I always believed that you should use who when you are referring to people and that when referring to things. However, these two words seem interchangeable now. What is correct?” BizWritingTip response: A few reference books say you can use both words interchangeably. However, conventional thinking supports your understanding. Use who (and its related forms, whose and whom) to refer to people. […]
Jo’s question: “Which is correct? ‘There was lightning and thunder last night,’ or ‘there were lightning and thunder.’ ” BizWritingTip response: This question relates to subject and verb agreement. When a sentence begins with there or here, the actual subject is considered to be the word or words following the verb. Use a singular verb if the […]
Recently, we discussed the overuse of prepositions, and how they did not help if you wanted to write concisely. (Some common prepositions are in, of, at, on, for, with, to, between and by.) On the other hand, you must not omit essential prepositions. Words such as “type” and “couple” always require the preposition of. Examples (Poor) What […]
Slashes have several meanings: and, or, both, to, or per. Be careful when you use them. They can make your sentence difficult to interpret. 1. You can use a slash to indicate a time period that extends beyond a single year. Example Fiscal year 2010/11 2. Use it to replace per in measurements: 40 km/h (40 kilometers per hour). 3. You […]
Wilma’s question: “Please send out a segment on ‘your’ versus ‘you’re.’ Almost daily, I get emails from people who answer me with ‘your welcome.’ This is one of my pet peeves! It really makes us look inept when we send out things like that.” BizWritingTip response: I agree with you. “Your” used in place of […]
BizWritingTip reader: “My colleagues and I were astounded to learn that “learnt” is an acceptable British variation of “learned,” to express past learning. It is accepted by MS Word in its “Spell-check.” However, the MS Word thesaurus does not offer a synonym. Is this widely used and accepted as proper English in North America, or […]
Prepositions are important words in a sentence. They link words or phrases to other words in terms of time, space or relationship. Some common prepositions are in, of, at, on, for, with, to, between and by. However, some writers tend to overuse them. Your sentences will become stronger if you omit prepositions that add nothing to […]