Marlene’s question: “I hear people say ‘zero dollars.’ If it’s zero, shouldn’t it be ‘zero dollar’?” BizWritingTip response: “Zero” can be used as a noun, verb or adjective. Examples (correct) Turn the dial to zero. (Zero is a singular noun.) We all got zeros on the test. (Zero is a plural noun.) She quickly zeroed in […]
A BizWritingTip reader has asked us to review the best practices for sending letters to people you don’t know. In years past, it was acceptable to begin a letter to someone you didn’t know with Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Ladies and Gentlemen. (Note: There is no “e”on madam.) However, the North American business culture is […]
BizWritingTip reader: “I was wondering if you can provide an abbreviated guide as to which words are hyphenated. I think you provided a short piece on this some time ago, but I since learned there are other rules also.” BizWritingTip response: This is quite a complicated grammar question involving a number of rules and exceptions. […]
BizWritingTip reader: “Do you have an opinion on the construction ‘Bob’s information was different than mine’? I see it all the time and do not like it. I would write ‘Bob’s information was different from mine,’ but I appear to be one of the few who feel this way.” BizWritingTip response: The phrases different from and different than are […]
A BizWritingTip reader wrote: I often see sentences that end in a preposition or hear commercials that do the same. Am I out of touch? Is this acceptable? Not when I went to school. It makes me wonder just how much attention is given to the correct use of the English language in both written […]
BizWritingTip reader: “Can you please advise which sentence is correct? ‘Other information remain unchanged.’ Or, ‘Other information remains unchanged.’ Is the word ‘information’ considered a plural or singular noun?” BizWritingTip response: The word “information” is deemed an uncountable noun. In other words, you cannot count it on your fingers. Uncountable nouns take a singular verb. […]
Seng’s question: “When referring to a person who may be delegated a task, would you write designate or designee? For example, the manager or designate/designee is responsible for approving the report.” BizWritingTip response: Designate is a verb meaning “to appoint” or “to mark or point out clearly.” Examples Who was designated to write the report? […]
In a previous blog of BizWritingTip, we looked at placing a comma before “and” when you are using it to join two separate thoughts. Now we will look at how to deal with it when you are using it to separate items in a series. Use a comma when you are writing about a series of three […]
In a previous blog, we discussed the use of the indefinite article, a or an, with acronyms and initialisms. Let’s now look at when to use a definite article, the, with these abbreviations. (Acronyms are abbreviated words that can be pronounced as actual words, e.g., NAFTA or AIDS. Initialisms are abbreviations that must be pronounced as letters, e.g., LCBO.) Use […]
Teri’s question: “Here is something I would like clarified: Is the proper phrase “use to” or “used to” as in “I ______ to enjoy snow.” BizWritingTip response: “Used to” is employed when making a statement about repeated activities or thoughts that are now finished. Examples I used to love golfing in hot weather. Now I […]