Frequently Asked Questions Archives

Should a Company Be “It” or “We”?

In the past week, two clients have written to ask whether they should refer to their company or division using the singular it or a plural pronoun. Below are their examples, slightly disguised. The underlining indicates the pronoun they doubted. Company X wishes to express our… continue reading

Understanding Dashes and Hyphens

UPDATED IN AUGUST 2021 Do you know the difference between a dash and a hyphen? Do you recognize where to use en dashes and em dashes? If you do, then pass this post on to someone else. Or read it to be sure of your… continue reading

Ignore These 10 Always-Never Rules

In a recent Punctuation for Professionals online class, an attendee said she had learned this rule: to always use a comma before because. That "rule" makes no sense. We need a comma before because only rarely. Most commas before because appear for another reason having nothing to do with the… continue reading

How to Spend Less Time Revising

Do you take too long revising emails, reports, and other communications? This post shares three ways to cut your rewrite time. They cover planning, writing, and adjusting your standards. 1. Make a simple plan and follow it. Diving in without a plan may give you a rush… continue reading

Challenge: Capitalizing Job Titles and Units

A reader named Michelle sent me an excellent capitalization challenge. She received a brief article (indented below) to publish in a magazine, and she wants to follow standard capitalization rules. Which categories of capitalization would you change in Michelle's example? Would you change job titles,… continue reading

A white and blue background with the words: "Comprised of vs. Composed"

“Comprised of” vs. “Composed of”: A Test

Updated September 15, 2022: Let’s discuss composed of vs. comprised of. At lunch today I read the following sentence in an advertising supplement in The New York Times: Our wine team is comprised of devoted wine lovers who are some of the most respected professionals in… continue reading

Top Three Writing Errors of 2014

In my work as a business writing teacher, I read samples of writing from managers and employees at all levels around the country and the globe. In 2014 I repeatedly saw three errors. Two of them are punctuation mistakes; one falls into the grammar pot.… continue reading

Do Bullet Points Belong in Letters?

This month I worked with a team of people who often write letters to the public. Their letters include a variety of helpful details. When you have a lot of information to communicate in a letter, do you use traditional paragraphs only? Or do you… continue reading

How to Write the Opening Sentence

In a Business Writing Tune-Up class, an attendee wrote what he wanted to get from the class: “My most time-consuming task is developing a good opening sentence. Any tips on that?” Yes! The first sentence can be the trickiest one to write–not just for novelists and… continue reading

10 Non-Errors to Stop Correcting

Have you been correcting non-errors? Test your knowledge in the 10 items below. Only two sentences contain an error in grammar or usage. Can you recognize which two? Those two represent errors editors sometimes introduce into sentences that were originally correct. Do not edit for… continue reading