I have been out of the country for the past month and am still working my way through my emails. However, I am surprised at the number of readers who commented on the BizWritingTip regarding “texted” becoming a verb. They felt that the sentence “My daughter told my wife and me …” was grammatically incorrect. It should […]
Lesley’s question: “Please volunteer your opinion on next or last. For example, if in 2014, I said I saw her last Christmas, I take this to mean I saw her at Christmas 2012, not Christmas 2013.” BizWritingTip response: When next or last are used to describe a time, things get complicated. They mean different things to different people – even dictionaries cannot agree. […]
Irfan’s question: “Please help me understand the use of ‘though’ and ‘although’ and when to add a comma with these words. Here are two examples: 2) Although(,) I have finished your assignment, it was not difficult. 2) I have finished your assignment. It was not difficult though.” BizWritingTip response: “Although” and “though” when used as conjunctions are […]
Deane’s question: “I wonder if it’s acceptable to write spacecrafts (or aircrafts) instead of using the singular. I thought ‘craft’ was similar to the use of sheep – one word functions for both singular and plural.” BizWritingTip response: Again, another example of our words changing. Most dictionaries, e.g., Oxford, Merriam-Webster, and Cambridge Dictionaries Online, agree with you. “Craft” refers […]
Sharon’s question: “I am always confused over the use of ‘farther’ vs. ‘further.’ Which would be correct in the following sentence? If these dates do not work, we can look further (or farther?) into the year.” BizWritingTip response: This question is quite interesting. My initial response was to recommend the use of “further.” Further is used for an […]
According to Wikipedia, “Season’s Greetings” is a term that wishes people well over the holiday season regardless of their religious beliefs. We tend to use the phrase more in writing than in speaking. It first appeared on winter season greeting cards along with “Merry Christmas,” “Compliments of the Season,” and “Christmas Greetings” in the late 19th […]
Matt’s question: “I have a question on the use of ‘on line’ vs. ‘online.’ In a recent blog post you spelled it ‘on line.’ Was this correct?” BizWritingTip response: You got me. Thank you. I learn a lot from my readers. Although you often see the two spellings interchanged, I should have written it as one word […]
Evelyn’s question: “Can you please describe when to use ‘whomever’ and when to use ‘whoever’?” BizWritingTip response: If I said whoever is a pronoun in the nominative form and whomever is a pronoun in the objective form would it help? I thought not. But let me show you a trick to help you easily determine […]
Roger’s question: “I hear and see people misusing ‘come’ and ‘go.’ Can you please explain the differences?” BizWritingTip response: When choosing between these words, you must consider your location and your receiver’s location. Come means move toward. Go means away from. Examples (when communicating with someone at your location) I hope the server comes soon. (The destination is toward you.) I […]
Donna’s question: “Here’s something I struggle with – the plural use of ‘Staffs were…’ versus ‘Staff were…’ Staffs just sounds odd to me and doesn’t easily roll of my tongue. Am I wrong to say ‘Staff were very appreciative of…’?” BizWritingTip response: The plural of staff is staffs. However, it is not a common word. It refers to […]