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,” […]
Word Choice – Lay Versus Lie
in -Latest, Feature Article, Word ChoiceLinden’s question: “The verb I always have trouble with is ‘lay’ and its past tense and past participle. Can you provide some guidance?” BizwritingTip response: “Lay” and “lie” are two verbs that fall into the irregular category. In other words, the normal rules for changing their tenses do not apply. But let’s start with their […]
Word Choice – None
in Word ChoiceBizWritingTip reader: “In a prior BizWritingTip, you wrote: ‘None of these mechanisms have the ability to improve our reading skills.’ Isn’t this an error in subject and verb agreement? Shouldn’t it be: none of these mechanisms has the ability”? BizWritingTip response: In very formal writing, “none” takes a singular verb. However, in business writing, “none” […]
Writing Style – Preposition Placement
in StyleA BizWritingTip reader wrote: “In a recent tip, you wrote the sentence ‘Whom should I send the report to?’ In my years of taking English, I would consider re-writing the sentence to read ‘To whom should I send the report?’ If you are so inclined, I would love to know if you have a different […]
Grammar Tip – Hyphens
in GrammarA BizWritingTip reader wrote to tell me about an article she had just received titled Thousands of Hyphens Perish as English Marches On. I really appreciated it as I try to keep as up to date as possible. The article discussed why the latest edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary has removed the hyphens from about 16,000 […]
Grammar Tip – Names of Sports Teams and Verbs
in -Latest, Feature Article, GrammarJudy’s question: “When writing about a sports team, such as the North Stars, is the accompanying verb singular or plural? Should it be ‘the North Stars consists’ or ‘the North Stars consist’?” BizWritingTip response: When referring to a collective noun, such as a team, use a singular verb. Example (correct) The team is playing tonight. […]
Word Choice – Assume versus Presume
in Word ChoiceBizWritingTip 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 […]
Writing Style – Email Salutations
in EmailsA 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,” […]
Grammar Tip – Who Versus Whom
in GrammarBizWritingTip 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 […]
Word Choice – Who Versus That and Which
in Word ChoiceBizWritingTip 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. […]
Grammar Tip – There Was or There Were
in -Latest, Feature Article, GrammarJo’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 […]