Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, Author at BusinessWritingBlog

Style

Abbreviating Big Numbers

Question: Which of these abbreviations are correct? $25 m $25m $25M $25mm $25mil Answer: None of them if the reader does not understand them. Last week I heard from David, a proofreader in international banking, who wrote about standard abbreviations for millions and billions. In… continue reading

Punctuation

Hyphenation Information

Doubts about hyphens drive people nuts. In my business writing classes, people regularly raise anxious questions about hyphen/no hyphen and word open/word closed. I just got an email from a client who had three hyphen questions, so I am inspired to supply some Hyphenation Information.… continue reading

Vocabulary

Disburse Vs. Disperse–Wrong!

Some people talk about their mistakes in therapy. Some write about their mistakes in diaries or journals. I write about mine here. That way, I may save other people from making the same errors. The mistake: disburse vs. disperse. My mistake was thinking that disburse… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Don’t Appraise Your Readers

In a recent Better Business Writing class an attendee wrote a sentence like this one in a letter to a customer: You may be certain that I will appraise you as soon as I receive the investigator’s report. But the reader would want to be… continue reading

title graphic stating "advising people in special roles"

Etiquette

Advice on Special Salutations

I regularly get questions from readers who want to know the proper salutation (greeting) for a letter to someone in a particular role or special job. Here are questions I have received about greetings in letters: How do I address a husband and wife when… continue reading

Should You Use Its, It’s, or Its’?

Its, it’s, or its’? Knowing when and how to use these words can cause some confusion and errors for writers. Let’s explore the differences as well as English grammar rules for their proper usage. How Do You Use Its, It’s, and Its’? Its is the… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Is: A Singular Verb

In the last hour of reading my email, I have read three sentences whose subjects and verbs do not agree. In each example, the verb is is. Attached is the evaluations. Your insight and feedback is very important to me and my team. Computer languages… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Dangling Modifiers

Dangling modifiers–these are the phrases that appear at the beginning of a sentence (usually) that give people a chuckle because of what follows them. Here is an illustration: Chewing contentedly on our rose bushes, Aunt Amy saw a doe and a small deer. Because the… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

What Is “Grammar and Usage”?

Lately people have been visiting this site looking for the answer to this question: “What is the difference between grammar and usage?” Here is my answer: Grammar has to do with the correct placement of words in a sentence. Usage involves using the proper word.… continue reading

Graphic asking if contractions are sloppy with examples of contractions

Punctuation

Don’t Use Contractions?

Are contractions sloppy? That question came to me today when a writing class participant told me she would never use a contraction. And here’s the reason she wouldn’t: A teacher had drilled into her head that their use is wrong. In fact, the participant called… continue reading

Author Archives: Lynn Gaertner-Johnston