In Australia, 'Yours sincerely' and 'Kind regards' are appropriate letter sign-offs if you have used the recipient's name, such as 'Dear Mr Johnson'.If you have said 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam', use 'Yours faithfully' instead.(My memory-jogger: if you don't know the name of the person you are writing to, you need to have faith your letter [...]
Remember which spelling by using 'dependent' in much the same way you use 'independent' (as an adjective). I am dependent/independent; she is a dependent adult / an independent adult. In these examples, dependent – just like independent – is spelled with an 'e'. Then contrast these uses: Our family includes five dependants: one teenager and four [...]
Here are the five most common word mix-ups I’ve found while proofreading over the past month. 1. Sort and sought … especially with the phrase ‘sought-after’. Correct usage: I’ll sort out the details tomorrow. (That one’s easy, yep?) This house is in a sought-after location. 2. Bought and brought Is this confusion unique to [...]
The apostrophe can be troublesome, no doubt about it. While there are many occasions when it should be used (judiciously, in the right spot...) let's start with three of its former uses that no longer apply. Contrary to many grocers’ blackboards advertising tomato’s or potato’s, the apostrophe does not have a place in forming plurals. [...]
It delighted me to see the introduction of DIY checkouts recently at my local supermarket, but perhaps not for the usual reasons you'd expect. Yes, it's quicker to get through the checkout now, and no, I don't have to chat to the checkout chick or rooster if I don't feel inclined (which I enjoyed anyway). [...]
