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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Differences between “on” and “at” (and “in”)
This may seem simple, but it’s surprising how many advanced speakers of English as a foreign language continue to make mistakes with prepositions.
How to use the word “risk”
Consider the following: There is a potential risk that the Company may refuse to satisfy your demand. Almost every time I read the word “risk” I have to correct how it is used. This is usually because it is preceded … Continue reading
The difference between “milliard” and “billion”
In English, a “billion” is 1 000 000 000 (a thousand million). This has always been the case in US English. In British English, in the past the word “billion” meant a million million. If we wanted to refer to a thousand … Continue reading
Don’t use double negatives
My last post referred to confusing multiple negatives. This one looks at the common grammatical problem of double negatives. Have a look at this example: WRONG This Escrow Account Agreement expires if no money is not credited to the Escrow … Continue reading
Don’t use multiple negatives
Read this: If the Deposit is not paid, the Seller has the right to rescind this Agreement by a notice in writing to the Purchaser delivered within 30 days from the date of this Agreement, provided that such rescission right … Continue reading
The difference between Shareholders’ meeting and Shareholders meeting
Do you add the apostrophe to Shareholders’ meeting? Or do you prefer Shareholders meeting, without the apostrophe? Both are in fact correct. It may seem like a very small point, but misunderstanding the underlying grammar is the source of some … Continue reading
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Tagged Adjectives, Compound nouns, Noun groups, Nouns, Possession, Punctuation, Word order
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Christmas and New Year greetings in English
The simplest Christmas greeting is: Happy Christmas Another popular standard greeting is: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year “Merry” and “happy” have slightly different meanings. “Merry” means happy, but in a joyful and festive way. We don’t use the … Continue reading
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What is the correct position in a sentence of the word “also”?
One of the most common mistakes associated with word order is the tendency to put adverbs in the wrong place. This particularly applies to the word “also”, but other adverbs are commonly misplaced too. Consider the following examples with “also”: … Continue reading
How to end emails
Here are the basic rules for starting and ending correspondence: START END Formal Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Sir or Madam, Formal Yours faithfully, (UK) Sincerely (yours), (US) Yours truly, (US) Formal / Standard Dear Mr Smith, (UK) Dear Ms … Continue reading
How to start emails
If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, start business emails with either of the following: Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Madame, is wrong. If you don’t know whether you’re writing to a man or … Continue reading
Common Mistakes in Business English 