Here is a prime example of how language is changing. Traditionally, whenever the verb in the sentence was a variation of the word “to be,” the pronoun following always had to be in the subjective case (I, you, he, she, we, or they) whether you were speaking or writing. Incorrect It is me. It was […]
Kim’s question: “In both writing and speaking, how do I refer to something that belongs to more than one person? For example, a report that Bill and I worked on – ‘the report is Bill’s and mine’ or ‘the report is my and Bill’s.’ What is the correct way to state this?” BizWritingTip response: This […]
Do you have trouble remembering whether to place the period inside or outside the quotation mark? If so, relax. The North American rules surrounding quotation marks are now quite simple. All periods and commas go inside the quotation marks; colons and semicolons are placed outside. Incorrect Time magazine says it’s “the best ice cream in […]
Here’s a challenge for you. For the next week, watch for the word “while.” How is it used? Is it being used in its correct sense of “during the time that”? If not, it’s the wrong word. Incorrect While I would like to work on the proposal today, I am too busy.?(There is no time […]
You’re probably now asking yourself what a gerund is. A gerund is a word that ends in “ing.” It is normally a verb, but it is now being used as a noun. For example, I like writing. (Writing is a gerund.) The trick with a gerund is that if a noun or pronoun precedes it, […]
One 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 […]
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 […]
The 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 […]
However is one of the most frequently-used words in business writing. It’s a wonderful word. It tells the reader that the sentence contradicts the previous thought. Unfortunately, many writers do not know the correct punctuation that accompanies the word. Because however is a two-syllable connecting word, there must always be a comma after it. But what do you […]
Cassandra’s question: “When you use an abbreviation that starts with a vowel, such as UN, do you use the article “a” or “an” with it?” BizWritingTip response: This is a common concern when it comes to using articles. Normally, you use the article “an” before words or abbreviations that start with a vowel. And you […]