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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Biannual, bimonthly & biweekly
“Biannual”, “bimonthly” and “biweekly” must be some of the most useless words in the English language. This is because each word has two different meanings. They can either mean “occurring once in two years/months/weeks” or “occurring twice in one year/month/week”. … Continue reading
Is it OK to split infinitives?
One of the most famous examples of a split infinitive is in the introduction of the original Star Trek TV series: “to boldly go where no man has gone before”. The infinitive “to go” has been split by the addition … Continue reading
How to use “prevent”, “prohibit” and “ban”
WRONG The Lease does not provide for a period of time during which the Tenant is prevented to use the Premises. RIGHT The Lease does not provide for a period of time during which the Tenant is prevented from using … Continue reading
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
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
The difference between “by” and “until”
WRONG Write the report until 5 pm. RIGHT Write the report by 5 pm. Write the report until 5 pm means “Start writing the report now, continue writing it until 5 pm, then stop writing it regardless of whether it … Continue reading
The difference between “program” and “programme”
There is some confusion about the meaning and spelling of these words. “Program” is US English. It is used for every meaning of the word, both as a noun and a verb. “Programme” is UK English. It is used for … Continue reading
As of
“As of” is a little phrase but I have a lot to say about it. Although it is very common in business writing it can create ambiguity if used incorrectly. Ambiguity is caused by the fact that “as of” has … Continue reading
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Tagged Clear and concise writing, Prepositions, Time expressions, Useful everyday phrases
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Common Mistakes in Business English 