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Category Archives: Uncategorized
The difference between “reduce”, “decrease” and “diminish”
Usage as verbs RIGHT The population of Italy has decreased in recent years. WRONG The population of Italy has reduced in recent years. In this example “decreased” is correct. This is because nobody is making Italy’s population get smaller – … Continue reading
What is parallel structure and why does it matter?
‘Parallel structure’ or ‘parallelism’ refers to keeping the same grammatical structure in your writing when you list items in a series. Mistakes are very common in this area. They make your writing look and sound clunky and can impede a … Continue reading
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Tagged bullet points, Clear and concise writing, noun phrases, Prepositions, verb phrases, writing lists
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The difference between “born” and “borne”
Both “born” and “borne” are the past participle (third form) of the verb “bear”. The verb “bear” basically means “carry”. “Born” is used ONLY with reference to a birth of a baby or animal. My son was born on Christmas … Continue reading
“Decide to”, “decide on” and “make a decision”
“Decide to” is followed by the infinitive.“Decide on” is followed by a verb in the –ing form or a noun / noun phrase. You decide to do something.But you decide on doing something, or you decide on something. “Decide to” … Continue reading
“To lie” and “to lay”
The verb “to lie” can mean two things: to deliberately tell untruths – e.g. Don’t lie to me! to be in a horizontal recumbent position – e.g. Lie down and relax. Confusion arises – also among many native speakers of … Continue reading
How to use the phrase “a number of…”
WRONG There is a number of possible solutions that we can discuss. RIGHT There are a number of possible solutions that we can discuss. WRONG A number of protesters was seen outside the premises. RIGHT A number of protesters were … Continue reading
Overuse of linking phrases and discourse markers
There seems to be a tendency among non-native speakers of English to use more linking phrases in their writing than is necessary. There are numerous examples of such phrases. Many of them use the passive voice and can be very … Continue reading
The difference between “in possession of” and “in the possession of”
Somebody is in possession of something. Something is in the possession of somebody. So for example: The passenger was in possession of a very large dog. A very large dog was in the possession of the passenger. Mistakes can sound … Continue reading
How to use “worth”
WRONG It might not work, but I think that in our current circumstances it is worth to try. Using the structure “worth to do something” is a very common mistake. It is ALWAYS WRONG. RIGHT It might not work, but … Continue reading
Whether (or not)
WRONG We must decide by the end of the month whether or not we’re going to do it. This is an example of a very common mistake. In this sentence “or not” is unnecessary. RIGHT We must decide by the … Continue reading
Common Mistakes in Business English 