Place ‘only’ as close as possible to the word or phrase it modifies An e-newsletter reader commented that I had only in the wrong place in the following sentence. I have only defined the ones I didn’t know. I should have said: I have defined only the ones I didn’t know. I agree, but am not sure […]
The distinction between more than and over is dying out More than 87 people voted. Over 87 people voted. Reader’s question: What’s the difference between more than and over? Answer: In the past, many grammar experts believed that in countable numerical expressions you should use: More than rather than over More than 87 people voted. Older than rather than over She is older than […]
Use consistent styles when writing about money Some aspects of writing about money are universal, and other aspects are style choices. In business writing, currency is usually expressed in symbols and numerals (e.g. $10). Writing about different currencies When writing about different currencies that use the dollar, you can use: A letter or letters symbolising the […]
We use fewer commas today if the meaning is clear without them Punctuation is becoming more minimal and we are tending to drop unnecessary commas. I answer people’s questions in my monthly e-newsletter and here are a few that might interest you. Commas and dates Reader’s question: Is a comma necessary after a date at the […]
Commas add clarity Commas aid clarity, prevent ambiguity and indicate where you need to pause. Often you can tell if you need a comma by reading your work out loud though this won’t always work because punctuation is mainly for the eye, not the ear. We tend to use more minimal punctuation today than we […]
Write clear, concise sentences Do you want to express yourself better in your business writing? Then tidy up your sentences. Looking closely at sentence length and structure will help make your words work for you. Thinking about content and style at the same time is difficult, so concentrate on content in your first draft […]
Is this area unchartered or uncharted? Unchartered Unchartered means without a charter or regulations. It is not used very often because it sounds a bit clumsy. The organisation was unchartered. The organisation did not have a charter. (simpler and better) Uncharted Uncharted means not mapped or unexplored. The company was moving into uncharted waters. Learn more Learn about 99 other confusing […]
Why do we have two spellings: toward and towards? The dart raced towards the bullseye. The dart raced toward the bullseye. Reader’s question: What’s the difference between toward and towards? Answer: Toward and towards can be used interchangeably to mean ‘in the direction of’. They both derive from the same Old English word toweard. Toward is more common in American English, whereas towards is used more in […]
Is a book titled or entitled? Reader’s question: Which should you say? The book is titled … or The book is entitled … Answer: Based on dictionary definitions, you can use either. The Macquarie Dictionary gives one definition of entitled as ‘to call by a particular title or name; name’. Not everyone agrees. Some people think you should use entitled to mean ‘given a […]
When to use quotation marks and what style to use When to use quotation marks Style guides differ on when to use quotation marks or italics, but generally we use quotation marks for short titles and italics for longer titles. Use quotation marks for direct speech, quotes, emphasis and the titles of articles, songs and […]