A comma splice occurs where a comma joins two or more independent parts of a sentence. The comma should not do this, but I see it every day. Here's an example: The CEO is on leave, her executive assistant will handle all queries. The above sentence has two parts, each with a subject and [...]
by Rajan Venkataraman Americans are different. You don’t have to be a keen observer of US politics – with its primaries and electoral college, with its government shutdowns and its tea party – to reach this conclusion. They speak a different language too. The first thing you notice, of course, is the [...]
Variety is a significant pleasure for a business-document editor. Not only is variety stimulating, but the work that comes across our desks at Hit Send (or rather, across our screens) also provides a fascinating insight into local and overseas businesses, Tasmanian government policy, and plans for our State. Monday First up is the bimonthly Seafood Industry News. [...]
Are your English skills keeping up with your modern lifestyle? Today is National Grammar Day – well it is in the US – and that’s my excuse to write to you about contemporary English. We all try to keep our skills up to date, and our English should be no exception. Short of time? Cut straight [...]
When editing, we encounter this fairly frequently. The question is: do nouns beginning with 'h' take the indefinite article a or an? Fortunately, the answer is easy – it depends how the word beginning with ‘h’ sounds – that is, whether the ‘h’ is pronounced or not. For example, in ‘a hot dog’ the h is pronounced, but [...]
When editing prose, I spend quite a bit of time eliminating random initial caps. I've heard this gratuitous capitalisation referred to as the 'Manhattan skyline'. Once you are referring to your organisation in one word (the company, the committee, the university) you can drop that initial cap (e.g. the Association) and Then your Writing [...]
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 [...]
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). [...]
