The word staff is a collective noun. It represents a group. Some other examples of collective nouns are board, committee, company, organization, department, and faculty. The trick with these words is that when the group is acting in harmony, you must use the singular form of the verb. Correct The customer service staff is not available after […]
Writing Style – let’s get rid of clichés
in StyleA cliché is a phrase or expression that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or purpose. The word originates from the era of block printing, when lazy printers would cut out frequently-used pieces of type, store them in a drawer, and bring them out again when the phrase reappeared.Initially refreshing, […]
Grammar Tip – Me, Myself, or I
in GrammarOne of the most common grammar errors you see and hear today is the me, myself and I problem. If you know the correct way of using these words, it is irritating to find them used incorrectly. One of my workshop participants said that the misuse is like having someone scrape their fingernails on a blackboard. At my local […]
Word Choice – Less Versus Fewer
in -Latest, Feature Article, Word ChoiceDeborah’s question: “I see and hear in the media, and in conversations the word ‘less’ being used instead of ‘fewer.’ It is a pet peeve of mine, and I see it on T.V., in print, on packaging, and I hear it on the radio – the CBC no less! Has there been a change in […]
Grammar Tip – Verbs: Past Tense Versus the Present Perfect and Past Perfect Tenses
in Word ChoiceWith today’s North American business readers, less is usually better. In other words, in Canada and the U.S. — in a business setting — readers prefer writers to use fewer words to convey information. A prime example is the past tense of verbs. Example (past tense) I edited the report. However, people who were educated […]
Writing Style – Why the Rules for Letters Don’t Apply to Emails
in Emails, StyleWe are all familiar with letters. They are a traditional form of communications. However, emails are recently new to the business scene and require their own email-centric form of writing and organizing. Why? Emails were never designed to be a formal method of communication. When emails came into being in the early 90s, they were […]
Grammar Tip – Staff Is or Staff Are
in GrammarThe word staff is a collective noun. It represents a group. Some other examples of collective nouns are board, committee, company, organization, department, and faculty. The trick with these words is that when the group is acting in harmony, you must use the singular form of the verb. Correct The customer service staff is not available after […]
Word Choice – Off or Off of
in -Latest, Feature Article, StyleAndy’s question: “Is it proper grammar to use ‘Billy jumped off of the ladder’? I don’t think so. I think it should be ‘Billy jumped off the ladder.’” BizWritingTip response: “Off” and “of” are both prepositions. A preposition is a word mainly used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship with other words. […]
Word Choice – Impact: The Verb
in Word ChoiceA BizWritingTip reader wrote, “One of my pet peeves is the use of impact. More and more, I see and hear it being used as a verb. It seems to even have a past tense – impacted. My experience is that people are using impact in place of affect (as a verb). My only knowledge of impact is as a noun. Do I […]
Writing Style – What Every Business Reader Wants to Know
in StyleToday’s busy readers are skimmers, drowning in paperwork and are impatient. Therefore, when they glance at one of your documents either in hard copy or on a screen, what do they want to know right away? They want to know “What’s in it for me?” They mentally ask themselves “Why do I need to read […]
Grammar Tip – Explaining Colons
in GrammarThe colon (:) is an important punctuation mark in that it signals to your readers that an explanation follows. Unfortunately, many readers tend to overuse it. If you are staying on the same line, you must have a complete sentence before you use a colon. Correct Our client list includes many companies from the automotive […]