0044 (0)1273 732 888
Grammar
Posted by: Catie Holdridge
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 […]
Posted by: Barbara Wilson
27 / 08 / 10
Grammar sends many people into a panic, as they desperately try to recall what they learned in English lessons at school. But grammar doesn’t have to be an impenetrable mass of rules and regulations. Breaking the English language down into bite-sized chunks and understanding the basic principles of grammar can really help you to improve […]
10 / 06 / 10
A delegate on one of our courses suggested a subject for the blog. ‘Can “into” and “in to”,’ she wondered, ‘always be used interchangeably?’ In a word, no. Here’s why. Into ‘Into’ is a preposition. A preposition essentially indicates the relationships (usually within space or time) between two parts of a sentence. Others include ‘on’, […]
28 / 05 / 10
Compared with pondering the placement of the much less familiar semi-colon or the enigmatic apostrophe, the ubiquitous comma might seem hardly worth worrying about. They’re ten a penny, aren’t they? Why not just sprinkle them at will or leave them out entirely? Unsurprisingly, we don’t recommend doing either. They may seem a common or garden […]
11 / 05 / 10
University students’ writing is plagued by poor grammar and punctuation and a lack of consensus on what constitutes a clear writing style, new Emphasis research has found. This inaugural research project, which marks the launch of the Emphasis Research Centre, suggests that today’s graduates – the business writers of tomorrow – aren’t being encouraged to […]
05 / 03 / 10
You might have heard it’s a good idea to favour the active voice in your writing – it’s generally tighter and more dynamic than using the passive voice. But what exactly do we mean by ‘active’ and ‘passive’ anyway? The active voice puts the ‘doer’ of the action described (in grammar terms, the agent) first. […]
Our newsletter contains proven advice and tips for transforming everything you write at work. Join over 4,000 professionals who receive our best advice for writing documents that help you achieve your goals.