A BizWritingTip reader wrote: I often see titles written without capitals, for example, Joe Blow, pharmacy manager, … . I would normally use capitals on these words but maybe a rule has changed, and I missed it! BizWritingTip response: The style today with regard to capitalizing words within sentences is called modified down. In other […]
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 […]
Some writers are a little confused as to when to use may versus should versus must. However, golfers should find it easy as the rules of golf explain these words perfectly. May = optional Should = strongly recommend Must = mandatory instruction (a penalty is involved) Therefore, when the rules book state: “A ball on the putting green may be […]
Emails have only been an official tool of the workplace since the mid 90s. However, the media philosopher Marshall McLuhan seemed to be referring to them in the 60s when he said, “We shape the tools and they in turn shape us.” Emails were designed to make us more productive. We can send and receive […]
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 […]
Zabrina’s question: “This is something I have run into two days in a row – ‘inquire’ versus ‘enquire.’ Can you explain them and give examples?” BizWritingTip response: In North America, enquire is just another spelling for inquire. (Inquire tends to be used more often.) According to both the Canadian and American Oxford dictionaries, either word […]
A BizWritingTip reader wrote: “Regarding versions of the past tense of the word ‘light,’ I was taught to write: ‘He lit the candle.’ But I have often seen in books: ‘He lighted the candle.’ Which is correct?” BizWritingTip response:? We were taught (in the days of the dinosaurs) that lighted was used when a fixture was […]
When I conduct a workshop on business writing, I often ask the participants which cliché they dislike the most. The most common answer is Thanking you in advance for your anticipated co-operation. Why? There seem to be two reasons: First, it is normally used after a question, such as “Would you please send me the […]
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 […]