Rob’s question: “Is ‘thank you’ a hyphenated word? For example, should I write ‘thank you for your help’ or ‘thank-you for your help’?” BizWritingTip response: To express gratitude use the two words thank you – without the hyphen. Example Thank you for your help. If you are familiar with British English, you probably learned to […]
Klaus’s question: “Please comment on the use of multiple and numerous. Are they interchangeable? Is it correct to say that multiple people attended the meeting?” BizWritingTip response: According to the Oxford dictionary, “multiple” means “having many parts, elements, or individual components; many and various.” Therefore, if I had to make a choice between the two […]
Paty’s question: “I have a question about the proper use of ‘License’ vs. ‘Licence’ as I’m writing a policy.” BizWritingTip response: The spelling of these two words varies according to country. In Britain and Canada, licence is the noun and license is the verb. In other words, if there is a piece of paper to hold […]
Pam’s question: “Can you please clarify the appropriate response to ‘How are you?’ Is it ‘Good’ or ‘Well’? ” BizWritingTip response: According to The Gregg Reference Manual, to feel well means “to be in good health.” To feel good is “to be in good spirits.” In other words, you are referring to your mental outlook. […]
Tracey’s question: “What is the difference between ‘disorganized’ and ‘unorganized’ and when do you properly use them?” BizWritingTip response: The Old English prefix on- (now spelled un-) was added to words to indicate a reversal of action. The Oxford Dictionary defines organize as “give an orderly structure to, systematize.” Therefore, unorganized means the opposite — […]
Ketta’s question: “Could you please provide some examples of the proper usage for ‘try to’ and ‘try and’?” BizWritingTip response: According to the Oxford Dictionary, try means to “make an effort with a view of success.” Traditionally, when the first verb is a strong request, it is followed by the word “to” and the verb. […]
Debbie’s question: “Should ‘is’ or ‘are’ be used when an inserted phrase changes the subject from singular to plural? For example, if I wrote ‘the version accessed (and features exposed)’ would the verb be ‘is’ or ‘are’?” BizWritingTip response: This question relates to subject and verb agreement. In the example, the subject “version” is singular. Therefore, […]
Doug’s question: “Will you please explain the difference between ‘this’ and ‘next’ as it relates to time? When someone refers to this Friday, I think it is the upcoming Friday. But if someone refers to next Friday, I think it is the following Friday. Is this correct?” BizWritingTip response: I agree with you, Doug. My […]
Diane’s question : “How should you sign off at the end of an email? Some people don’t sign off but just use their signature box, which includes their full name. Others place their first name above the signature box.” BizWritingTip response: Either way is correct. It’s all about the tone you want to create. If you […]
Teri’s question: “I occasionally hear someone (namely my husband) say ‘had ran’ instead of simply ‘ran.’ I am at a loss to explain the error to him so the correction sticks. Any advice?” BizWritingTip response: This question deals with the tenses of verbs. “Had ran” is the past perfect tense. “Ran” is the simple past […]