Category: Business Writing

When jargon and clichés are used to the point of being meaningless, they waste time and effort, and sometimes just add to the confusion.

Does it bother you when people butcher the English Language, or make mistakes that could be avoided? For example: Do you find it irksome that the United States calls their end-of-season Major League baseball game The World Series, when only two countries are involved? Or is it annoying when people call Independence Day the Fourth … Read On >

Breathe deeply. Relax. “Poor Grammer”?  This week’s headline was intentional. That’s a relief, right? We were sent an article that appeared in the Harvard Business Review. It was shared by an Improving Communications friend (and recipient of Defender of the Language award), Michael Rudegeair. Kyle Wiens, author of “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s … Read On >

One of the basic aspects of proper sentence structure is ensuring the correct agreement between the subject and verb.

Do you know the correct methods for Pluralizing Last Names?   Making the plural form of a proper name  can be challenge without this information. Use it to be spot-on, and be able to handle someone else’s name with the greatest of respect (by getting its plural form correct!). Last letter(s) of last name What … Read On >

A pair of friends disagreed on which is correct. Is it “noise,” or “noises”?

From what you know, what would you say? Which is correct?

Mistakes in your writing can cost you dearly.  Recently I heard one of my clients say that when she gets a resume containing errors, it goes immediately in the “unacceptable” pile. Make sure your writing is correct by addressing the completeness of your sentences. Run-on sentences contain two or more independent thoughts not separated by any … Read On >

Fragments and Run-Ons and Errors – Oh My! Writing In Complete–or Incomplete Sentences? To be sure any one sentence you write is correct and complete, ask yourself, “Is it understandable out of context?” (In other words, if you stated only the sentence out loud to someone, would it make sense? If it does, then it’s … Read On >

The term, “FAIL” has become widely used as an Internet meme where people superimpose the word, “FAIL” on images of the unsuccessful, or that which does not live up to what is expected. Usually, these FAILs are intended to make people laugh. In most cases, they are quite funny. Written messages in customer-serving businesses, like … Read On >