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, […]
Betty’s question: “When should divisions with a department and staff titles be capitalized?” BizWritingTip response: Organizations often have their own style guides that list the words they want capitalized. If your organization does not have a style guide, here are some basic rules from The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling book and The Chicago Manual […]
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 […]
BizWritingTip reader: “Should letters, brochures, etc., be justified or left aligned?” BizWritingTip response: There is no right or wrong answer here. Full justified or aligned text (text with even left and right margins) is considered a formal style and less friendly. But it looks neat. I find that most readers prefer justification in documents with […]
BizWritingTip reader: “I learned the rule ‘I before e except after c’ many years ago. A colleague of mine stated there are exceptions to this rule, and I am curious as to what words those would be. Can you give me an example when ‘i’ can be used before the ‘e’? Is there a rule […]
As I explained in an earlier BizWritingTip, every business writer should have access to a good dictionary. Relying solely on your computer’s spell checker is not a good idea. It just doesn’t provide enough information. Frankly, I’m old fashioned and enjoy the feel of a print dictionary. I really like my old Oxford Canadian Dictionary. However, I […]
BizWritingTip reader: “You always mention about having an up-to-date dictionary. Can you please tell us if there is any up-to-date internet dictionary that we can refer to?” BizWritingTip response: I prefer a hard copy dictionary because in looking up one word I often glance at surrounding words and in helps to keep my English “fresh.” […]
Abraham Lincoln often said that he taught himself through reading. This is true of many great leaders. The ability to read means that people can educate themselves to overcome problems. Unfortunately, today we receive much information by radio, TV, and other multi-media sources. Yet none of these mechanisms have the ability to improve our reading […]
Ketta’s question: “Can you please provide some examples of the proper usage of ‘try to’ and ‘try and?’ ” BizWritingTip response: I was taught that when the first verb is a strong request the second verb should be in the infinitive form (to + a verb). Therefore, the phrase should be “try to.” However, according […]