Mary Ann’s question: “Should there be a comma in the following sentence: ‘If you’re driving tired you’re driving impaired’?” BizWritingTip response: Years ago, writers were told to place a comma wherever they would take a breath. But this could sometimes be confusing as people don’t always have the same breathing patterns. And people learning English […]
A BizWritingTip reader wrote: I am curious as to what salutation should be used on letters when you don’t know the name or gender of the person you’re writing to. Is “gentlemen” passe? BizWritingTip response: Yes, “gentlemen” by itself is considered passé. You could address the letter to “Ladies and Gentlemen.” (Don’t use the word […]
A BizWritingTip reader wrote: Something “that bothers me almost as much as ‘irregardless’ — and may be more commonly used — is ‘more importantly.’ Is it just me or is this actually correct?” BizWritingTip Response: I hate to tell this, Peter, but when you are starting a sentence “more important” and “more importantly” are considered […]
The BizWritingTip I sent recently regarding “between you and me” caused some questions regarding the word “number.” I wrote “Between you and me, there are a number of people who don’t get it right.” Questions then rose around the word “number.” Does “number” take a singular or a plural verb. In other words, should it […]
Grace’s question: “Is the word ‘learned’ as past tense right or should it be ‘learnt’ instead?” BizWritingTip response: “Learn” is an interesting verb. When using it in the past tense or as a past participle, you have two options. Examples (correct) I learned about the meeting last week. (past tense) I learnt about the meeting last week. […]
A BizWritingTip reader has asked us to comment on the word irregardless. Irregardless is a word that many communicators mistakenly believe is correct in formal writing or speaking. It came into being in the early 20th century, but it has to be one of the most contentious words in the English language. It has been criticized for […]
A BizWritingTip reader wrote:? I challenged my boss that we can use the word emails when referring to more than one. But he said that there’s no “s” on the end as in paper mail there’s no “s” on the end. We would never say that we received mails today. Please advise. BizWritingTip’s response: Technically, your […]
“How many typos in a resume does it take for you to decide not to consider a job candidate for a position with your company?” The result: more than 80 per cent of the executives surveyed said they would lose interest in a candidate if they found two typos.
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 […]
Ensure, insure and assure are three simple words that are often abused. Ensure means to make sure. It is a good word, but it tends to be overused. Many writers like to place it before most of their verbs. Original If you want to attend the conference, please ensure that you inform Martha Jones so she can submit your […]