When should I use metric as opposed to imperial measurements? Although the Canadian style is to use metric for most measurements, there are a few exceptions, such as personal weights and heights, two-by-fours, quarter-inch screws, some sports, etc. Example A three-kilogram packet costs $4. She is 5 feet 8 inches tall. (Always use numbers rather […]
I am noticing a tendency for writers to use single quotes in their documents. However, this is lazy. Double quotes should be the norm. Single quotes are used in two places. 1. Use single quotes to set off material already inside double quotes. Example At the last strategic planning session, the chair said, “We should […]
Carlene’s question: “I am trying to find a good reference for a text style guide. I want to address readability of word-based text documents. Are you aware of a guide that provides information on how to use headings, bolding, font size, etc.?” BizWritingTip response: Design is a very personal thing, and many organizations have even […]
Thank you is an important word, but it’s too bad it is often misused. There is thank you and thank-you. However, these two forms have three different uses: Thank you = verb form Thank-you = noun Thank-you = adjective Thank you is from the verb “to thank.” The object is “you.” You can tell if thank you is the right word, if you […]
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 […]