Frequently Asked Questions Archives

Closings for E-mails and Letters

Many people visit this site in search of answers to their etiquette questions. One popular query is “How do I end a letter?” Another is “Is ‘best regards’ acceptable?” The Complimentary Close It’s the “complimentary close” or “complimentary closing” that business writers are wondering… continue reading

Salutations in Letters and Email

This post is all about the etiquette of salutations (greetings). We discuss both business letter salutation and email salutation. It’s dedicated to the many who have visited this blog in search of tips on how to begin a letter. Rules for Business Letters The standard… continue reading

“That” vs “Which”

People often ask about the difference between that and which. Where should each word be used? What’s the difference between them? It can be a tricky question. That’s because the distinction between that and which can be very subtle. Here’s the short answer to the… continue reading

Can You Start a Sentence with “And” or “But”?

In our business writing classes, people often want an answer to this burning question: Is it acceptable to begin a sentence with the word and or but? The answer is yes. It is perfectly acceptable to start sentences with the conjunctions and and but. However,… continue reading

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Does Punctuation Go Inside or Outside of Quotation Marks?

The proper placement of questions marks inside and outside of quotation marks can be confusing to many writers. This question also applies for all other punctuation, such as colons, semicolons, commas, and more. Let’s take a look at how and when you should use question… continue reading