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Author Archives: barnabyharward
How to pluralise terms made up of more than one word
As you know, in English you generally make a word plural by adding an ‘s’ at the end. There seems to be some confusion, though, about how to make plurals of terms made up of more than one word. For … Continue reading
Attached or enclosed?
WRONG Please find the template agreement enclosed to this email. RIGHT Please find the template agreement attached to this email. Emails have attachments – an attachment is attached to an email. Letters, or anything else sent by post or courier, … Continue reading
A brief note on how to use “a/an” and “the”: General and specific references in English
This area causes various problems for Polish people writing in English. The main problem is the correct use of articles (“a” and “the”), but another problem arises from the fact that in Polish you can use the singular to make … Continue reading
One of… / each of… / any of… plus plural
If you use the phrases “one of… / each of… / any of…” they must be followed by the plural. Think about it – it’s logical. You’re always referring to one of / each of / any of many. WRONG … Continue reading
One simple way to make your English easier to read
Where possible, keep the subject of a sentence next to its verb. This will help prevent readers from “getting lost” as they read, and will also make your English sound more native-like. In the example below the announcement is the … Continue reading
Don’t use Polish word order when you write in English
It is very common to use the word order of you native language when you write in a foreign language. It is part of what linguists call “first-language interference”, and it leads to a vast range of errors. This post … Continue reading
How to translate “W przypadku gdy…”
WRONG In case when the Lessee does not acquire a building permit before 30 June 2014, the Lessor has the right to terminate the lease agreement upon one month’s notice. RIGHT If the Lessee does not acquire a building permit … Continue reading
How to translate “sprecyzować”
“Sprecyzować” CANNOT be translated as “precise”. “Precise” is an adjective (przymiotnik), while “sprecyzować” is a verb (czasownik). Nonetheless, mistakes like the one below are very common: WRONG The agreement does not precise which of its terms survive its termination. I … Continue reading
How to translate “tajemnica”
“Tajemnica” can be translated into English as either “secret” or “secrecy”. The choice of which word to use and how to use it depends on what meaning you want to express. For example, To jest tajemnica zawodowa may be translated as … Continue reading
Careful how you translate “żaden”
Mistakes are made when żaden is translated as “any” instead of “not … any”, “no”, “none” etc. Have a look at the following example: WRONG The exercise of this right is conditional upon the State Treasury having any shareholding in … Continue reading
Common Mistakes in Business English 