Antonio’s question: “In last week’s Biztip you said, ‘If I was writing a report or a formal letter ….’ English is my second language, but I clearly remember being taught that in this kind of structure I should use ‘were’ versus ‘was.’ I believe it should be ‘if I were writing an email ….’ Have the […]
When to use shall as opposed to will. Both words express the following thoughts:
A. future time
B. promise or threat
C. willingness
However, shall is now considered slightly dated and is used more in formal writing and speech. In standard business writing, will is the correct word.
Paula’s question: “This issue has come up often in our organization — the use of ‘their’ for singular instead of ‘his/her.’ For example, many write: ‘This patient needs to follow their diet better.’ I would use ‘his/her.’ What is the acceptable norm now?” BizWritingTip response: It is difficult to give a straight answer to this […]
I am often asked if we still need to use articles (a, an, and the), particularly when writing an email. The answer is a resounding yes. Without them, a writer looks sloppy. The articles, a, an, and the, are considered adjectives and they signal that a noun follows. Example Are you going to the store? […]
Deane’s question: “Is it okay to write ‘Most of the population speaks English.’ Or should it be ‘Most of the population speak English.’ BizWritingTip response: This question deals with subject and verb agreement and collective nouns. Words such as all, none, any, some, more and most are considered pronouns. The verb following may be singular […]
Some people don’t see the necessity of commas. However, a telecommunications company has recently had a $2 million lesson on why they are so important. It seems that, in 2002, a telecommunications company contracted an infrastructure company to string cable lines across the Maritimes for a fee of $9.60 a pole. The telecommunications company believed […]
Jan’s question: “When referring to a 21 bed unit or a 2 year term contract, is it 21 bed or 21-bed? And is it a 2 year or two-year contract?” BizWritingTip response: Again, great questions — taking two different rules into account. First, when a number (e.g., 21) and a noun (e.g., beds) form one thought and […]
One of my grammar books states that people who say “between you and I” commit an error of “unsurpassable grossness.”’ I think this statement is overkill. However, “between you and I” is an undeniable grammar error. “Between” is a preposition. The pronouns following must be in the objective form. Therefore, the correct answer — the […]
I am noticing a tendency for writers to use single quotes in their documents. However, this is lazy. Double quotes should be the norm. Single quotes are used in two places. 1. Use single quotes to set off material already inside double quotes. Example At the last strategic planning session, the chair said, “We should […]
Carlene’s question: “I am trying to find a good reference for a text style guide. I want to address readability of word-based text documents. Are you aware of a guide that provides information on how to use headings, bolding, font size, etc.?” BizWritingTip response: Design is a very personal thing, and many organizations have even […]