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Choose your words wisely
Posted by: Catie Holdridge
14 / 04 / 11
When writing anything for a global audience, it’s best to leave idioms out of it. Idioms are groups of words whose meaning is usually metaphorical and cannot necessarily be deduced from looking at each component word. Unsurprisingly, this can make them problematic for anyone who may be attempting to translate word by word. What might […]
21 / 03 / 11
Writing messages that are effective for all your readers is not as easy as it may first seem. New research shows that patients may be risking their health because warning labels on medications are not clear enough. The researchers, led by Professor Theo Raynor at the University of Leeds, found that phrases like ‘may cause […]
09 / 03 / 11
David Cameron has referred to it as his ‘mission’ and his ‘passion’, but it does seem that very few people are entirely sure what the ‘Big Society’ is actually all about. This isn’t too surprising when even those well and truly behind the idea are not helping matters. Phillip Blond, director of the think tank […]
27 / 01 / 11
Whatever online persona you may have chosen to adopt in your blog, your deepest personality traits may be given away by your choice of words, a new study has found. The specific words bloggers use relate to which of the ‘big five’ personality factors dominates in that person. These factors are: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, […]
04 / 11 / 10
When actress Emma Thompson warned teenagers against using slang on a recent visit to her former school, she probably didn’t expect to spark a debate. But spark one she did. It was, apparently, the ‘likes’, ‘innits?’ and ‘it ain’ts’ she heard bouncing around the Camden School for Girls, Thompson’s alma mater, which drove her ‘insane’. […]
24 / 09 / 10
English can be a confusing language. Swapping one word for another that sounds exactly the same (a homophone) can alter the meaning completely. Picking the right one gives your business writing credibility. Here are some commonly confused words clarified, to help you make the right choice every time. 1. Practice and Practise Practice with a […]
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