Recently, we discussed the overuse of prepositions, and how they did not help if you wanted to write concisely. (Some common prepositions are in, of, at, on, for, with, to, between and by.) On the other hand, you must not omit essential prepositions. Words such as “type” and “couple” always require the preposition of. Examples (Poor) What […]
Slashes have several meanings: and, or, both, to, or per. Be careful when you use them. They can make your sentence difficult to interpret. 1. You can use a slash to indicate a time period that extends beyond a single year. Example Fiscal year 2010/11 2. Use it to replace per in measurements: 40 km/h (40 kilometers per hour). 3. You […]
Remember in English, there is always an exception to every rule. When a sentence starts with a he said/she said phrase and ends in quoted material, you should place a comma before the quote. Example He said, “The proposal will be completed by Friday.” However, if the introductory phrase forms a complete sentence, then place a colon […]
Arun’s question: “I have noticed that sometimes the word ‘peoples’ is used instead of ‘people.’ What is the difference? I always thought that ‘people’ is plural.” BizWritingTip response: As long as I am answering this question, we might as well start with the word “person.” A person is an individual human being. It comes from […]
BizWritingTip reader: “When do you use in versus into? I also have seen in to. Are they interchangeable?” BizWritingTip response: These are tricky questions – often requiring some thought on the part of the writer. The preposition “into” is used to imply movement or change or contact. Examples (correct) Please have the brochure translated into French. (This statement implies […]
Hope is a lovely word. We should all have it. However, the only time I would use it in a business document is when I am referring to a social or personal situation. Example I hope the weather is good for your vacation.?I hope you and your family are fine. In a business setting, hope implies the writer […]
1. Parentheses ( ) are used to insert explanatory information within a sentence or paragraph. Use them when you want to provide additional information that really isn’t essential to the reader. Examples This was the best year we’ve had in a long time (in terms of sales).?Note: The period is outside the parentheses because in terms […]
Muhammed’s question: “I have read that The Associated Press has officially killed off ‘e-mail’ in favour of ‘email’ in their official style guide. What are your thoughts?” BizWritingTip response: My first thought is that whatever I write will irritate someone. E-mail is the original spelling of the word. Normally, all English words that use a […]