BizWritingTip reader: “Is the following sentence right? ‘If the writer does not explain him or herself clearly, readers will often get incorrect information.’ ” BizWritingTip response: This question involves several grammar issues. First, a pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the word it is replacing) in terms of number and gender. Examples Marie said she can make the meeting. We worked hard […]
Susan’s question: “I saw this recently on a television network’s van: Now there’s a million ways to connect. Is this correct?” Bizwritingtip response: Good catch. This is not correct. The author elected a catchy slogan over a grammatically correct one. Whenever you start a sentence with “there” or “here” the verb agrees with the closest […]
BizWritingTip reader: “Would you please help me with the difference between ‘diagnoses’ and ‘diagnosis’? Are these words singular and plural?” BizWritingTip response: “Diagnosis” is a singular word meaning the identification of an illness or disease by means of a patient’s symptoms. Example Dr. House’s diagnosis was accurate – as usual. The word “diagnoses” is the […]
Three times in the past two months, I have had a young person in one of my business writing workshops tell me that the word Ms. means the woman is divorced. Mind boggling! Gloria Steinem would be spinning in her grave – if she were dead. Ms (UK) or Ms. (North American) is an English honorific denoting a female. It […]
BizWritingTip reader: “What is the rule for ‘data’? Some of our consultants use singular, and some use plural verbs with it. I use the singular verb myself!” BizWritingTip response: “Data” is the plural of the Latin word “datum,” meaning “given.” You would think then that “data” would fall into the standard rule for subject and […]
Pam’s question: “I am curious about the appropriate use of ‘premise’ and ‘premises.’ I never see ‘premise,’ but I understand it is the singular form of ‘premises.’However, I continue to see ‘premises,’ e.g., people refer to premises lease rather than premise lease.” BizWritingTip response: When I teach a grammar course, I tell people that for every English grammar rule […]
BizWritingTip reader: “I’m very confused as to when to use the words ‘lunch’ and ‘luncheon,’ ‘company,’ and ‘accompany.’ The first two seem to have the same meaning.” BizWritingTip response: The words lunch and luncheon refer to the lightest meal of the day, normally consumed at mid-day. However, a luncheon is more formal. I would expect it to be a sit-down affair […]
A number of BizWritingTip readers were concerned about an example I provided recently to explain the placement of punctuation with quotation marks. The BizWritingTip said that when using question marks and exclamation points, place the punctuation inside the closing quotation mark, when it applies to the quoted material only; place it outside the closing quotation […]
BizWritingTip reader: “In a previous BizWritingTip, you ended it with ‘Having fun yet!’ Shouldn’t this have a question mark at the end rather than an exclamation mark?” BizWritingTip response: This is a great question! Question marks are used for questions – real and rhetorical. (A rhetorical question does not require an answer.) Examples Can you […]
Hilary’s question: “I often see sentences that I think overuse the word ‘of,’ e.g., ‘He lived outside of Canada’ or ‘She peered out of the window.’ Isn’t this incorrect?” BizWritingTip response: This is actually a style issue rather than a grammar one. The term “outside of” is considered acceptable North American informal speech. However, business writing […]