The singular they is now widely accepted The use of the singular ‘they’ to avoid using the generic ‘he’ or alternative usages such as ‘he and she’ or ‘h/she’ is not new and is now widely accepted. (The singular they includes ‘them’ and ‘their’.) ‘The person is entitled to have an alternative address substituted for […]
I wrote a blog in defence of the passive voice because it gets so much bad press. In this blog I want to redress the balance and acknowledge the virtues of the active voice. In case you didn’t read the previous blog, let’s define the active and passive voice. The distinction is based on a […]
The passive voice has a place in business writing Most of us have probably been told at some point in our business writing career ‘to avoid the passive voice’. The reason given is that it is often wordier and clumsier than the active voice, which is more direct and lively. Also, many people think that […]
‘If I were a rich man…’ The words ‘If I were a rich man…’ are from a song in the musical, Fiddler on the Roof. Many people believe the subjunctive is dying. Somerset Maugham says in A Writer’s Notebook (1949): ‘The subjunctive mood is in its death throes, and the best thing to do is […]
What’s the difference between an acronym and an initialism? An acronym is a string of initial letters that are pronounced as a word, for example, AIDS, which stands for ‘acquired immune deficiency syndrome’. Some acronyms have become such an accepted part of the language that they are seldom spelt out, for example, scuba, sonar and […]
Good grammar improves your credibility When extolling the virtues of learning grammar, some people take a ‘shame’ approach. ‘If you use poor grammar,’ they say, ‘you damage your own reputation and, if you’re writing on behalf of your organisation, you damage the brand.’ And today with social media, mistakes linger even if they are quickly […]