The slash (also called a virgule, diagonal, solidus, oblique, or slant) is a punctuation mark that is often overused. And it often creates the impression of a lazy thinker, particularly when used to imply and/or. Most readers and editors dislike this usage. Example We need to get a copy of the presentation in print/electronic form. (This […]
A 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 […]
Judy’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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Remember in English, there is always an exception to every rule. When a sentence starts with a he said/she said phrase and ends in quoted material, you should place a comma before the quote. Example He said, “The proposal will be completed by Friday.” However, if the introductory phrase forms a complete sentence, then place a colon […]
1. Parentheses ( ) are used to insert explanatory information within a sentence or paragraph. Use them when you want to provide additional information that really isn’t essential to the reader. Examples This was the best year we’ve had in a long time (in terms of sales).?Note: The period is outside the parentheses because in terms […]