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Author Archives: barnabyharward
How to use commas part 3
The gapping comma The gapping comma is very simple. It is used to avoid repetition and to show that words have been left out. For example: The blue files contain invoices from 2012; the red files, from 2013. The words … Continue reading
How to use commas part 2
The joining comma The joining comma is used to join two complete sentences into a single sentence. It must be followed by one of the following conjunctions: and, but, or, so, while, yet. Have a look at this example: The … Continue reading
How to use commas
Following up on the previous post, here’s more on how to use commas in English. There are 4 different kinds of comma. I will look at each in a separate post. 1. Listing comma 2. Joining comma 3. Gapping comma … Continue reading
Comma before “that”
Different languages have different rules about how to use commas. You cannot use the punctuation rules of your native language when you write in English – you must use English rules. Putting a comma before “that” is a very common … Continue reading
Is “data” singular or plural?
The answer is – both. The word “data” is a Latin word. It is the plural of “datum”. “Data” means facts or information; “datum” means one fact or a single item of information. “Data” and “datum” are usually used to … Continue reading
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Tagged Countable and uncountable nouns, Nouns, Quantifiers, Singular or plural
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How to use apostrophes
An apostrophe is one of these: ’ It is NOT one of these: ‘ That is an inverted comma (or quotation mark/speech mark), which is used for opening quotations. ’ is also used to close a quotation, in which case … Continue reading
How to translate “ekspertyza”
WRONG Please send us an electronic version of the Purchaser’s technical expertise dated 29 November 2014. RIGHT Please send us an electronic version of the Purchaser’s technical opinion dated 29 November 2014. Do NOT translate ekspertyza as expertise. These words … Continue reading
The difference between “ask” and “request”
These words have similar meanings, but they are used a little differently. Usage as verbs “Request” means “ask for”, NOT “ask”. You “ask a question”, but you can’t “request a question”. E.g.: WRONG He requested whether I’d read the email. … Continue reading
How to use the word “holiday”
WRONG I am currently on holidays. He is on his holidays now and will be returning to the office next week. RIGHT I am currently on holiday. He is on holiday now and will be returning to the office next … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Adjectives, British/US English, Nouns, Useful everyday phrases, Verbs
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“If I were you…” – the subjunctive mood
Many people seem to worry about the subjunctive. But you really don’t need to. I’ll tell you why later on, but for the moment let’s have a look at what the subjunctive is. Consider the following sentences: “If I were … Continue reading
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Common Mistakes in Business English 