‘However’ is similar in meaning to ‘but’, with a longer pause built in. What’s tricky is that ‘however’ isn’t interchangeable with ‘but’, and it’s punctuated differently. In fact, punctuating the word ‘however’ is about the most common problem we see as editors. Here are some guidelines: But But is a ‘conjunction’ in grammar, and it [...]
I was training government staff in plain English writing the other day, and one course participant asked me about the Oxford comma: when should one use it? And then Rajan Venkataraman, who supports Hit Send's fast-turnaround editing service, wrote a blog explaining exactly that. Thanks Rajan. Mel Roome Principal Editor ******* In sentences that [...]
For plain-English advocates who prefer short sentences, semicolons as a joining device are a no-no; but in the right document, for the right audience, they can greatly improve long sentences and bring variety to your writing style. At Hit Send we see some pretty odd sentences with semicolons, so here are some tips for [...]
Do you struggle with the ‘he said’, ‘she said’ of handling quotes in your business writing? Maybe you’d like to incorporate a little more variety? Here are some unobtrusive mechanisms to help you. 1. Weave the quote in Weave spoken quotes into the middle of your text; don’t just place them at the beginning or end [...]
