BizWritingTip reader: “I have recently seen what appears to be a different version of the i.e. guideline. The short form was viz. followed by a group of names or items. ‘There were three people elected to the 2010 board of directors, viz., Mr. Smith, Mr. Hall, and Mr. Kelly.’ I cannot think of any Latin term […]
Susan’s question: “Being a grammar buff, it causes me pain when I hear and read ‘lay’ being used instead of ‘lie,’ all over the internet, television, radio, and in song lyrics these days. Please consider doing your followers a great service by highlighting this epidemic.” BizWritingTip response: You are right. This is a common mistake. […]
BizWritingTip reader: “Can you use ‘simultaneously’ and ‘concurrently’ interchangeably? I checked several dictionaries, and they give the same definition for both words.” BizWritingTip response: Yes, the dictionary does define both words as “occurring or operating at the same time,” and many people do interchange them. However, “simultaneously” tends to be used more when there is some […]
BizWritingTip reader: “In a publication we are currently editing, the first program/service sometimes is written with the first letter of each word capitalized and then the acronym in all caps. At other times, it is written all small caps with the acronym in caps. Which way is correct?” BizWritingTip reader: It is often easier to […]
BizWritingTip reader: “I was writing an email to a colleague and hesitated after I had written ‘Do you want to include the names in the proposal or would you prefer to share those verbally? I’m wondering since the names will be passed on during a dialogue if I would have been more accurate to say […]
Basia’s question: “I was proofing a paper for a grad student, and we wondered what the difference is between the terms ‘for instance’ and ‘for example’ in a sentence.” BizWritingTip response: According to the Oxford Dictionary, for instance is defined “as an example.” For example means “by way of illustration.” In theory, for instance is […]
BizWritingTip reader: “Please comment on the proper use of the words ‘currently’ and ‘presently.’ ” BizWritingTip response: This is an interesting question. While “current” and “present” mean the same when they are used as adjectives, the nuances of the words may differ when they are used as adverbs. As adjectives, both words imply “now existing.” Examples […]
I’d like to continue our previous BizWritingTip blog on capitalization with titles and occupations. When a word is a job description, use lower case. When it is a title, use upper case. Examples We need to hire another writer. (occupation – lower case) I suggest you contact Professor Jones (title – upper case) However, when a person’s name […]
Leah’s question: “Would you please write about the overuse of the word ‘that’? For example, shouldn’t ‘Please read the letter that I wrote’ be better as ‘please read the letter I wrote.’ ” BizWritingTip response: The use of the pronoun “that” is controversial. Fortunately, it is a style issue rather than a grammar one. In […]
BizWritingTip reader: “When you are referring to a person’s title, i.e., nurse, doctor, accountant, etc., when do you capitalize the first letter in their title and when do you not?” BizWritingTip response: According to The Canadian Press style book, Caps and Spelling, the style for capitalization is “modified down.” This means that occupations and job descriptions […]