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Tag Archives: British/US English
The difference between “currently” and “presently”
Many people – native English speakers included – are confused by the word “presently”. In UK English it has traditionally been a formal, literary word which means “in a short time”, “soon” or “before long” – in contrast to “currently”, … Continue reading
The difference between “practice” and “practise”
In British English – like “licence/license” and “advice/advise” – “practice” is a NOUN and “practise” is a VERB: NOUN Safeguarding clients’ personal data should be standard practice in the company. He has been a lawyer for many years, but he … Continue reading
The difference between “licence” and “license”
“Licence” is the British English NOUN – The bar has received a licence to sell alcohol. “License” is the British English VERB – We are now licensed to sell alcohol. You can remember this because it is the same as … Continue reading
How to write dates
There is a difference between how dates are written in British and American English. In British English dates are usually written in the day-month-year format, for example: 6 October 2017 In American English dates are usually written in the month-day-year … Continue reading
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Tagged abbreviations, British/US English, Numbers, Useful everyday phrases
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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
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 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
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Tagged Adjectives, British/US English, Nouns, Useful everyday phrases, Verbs
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How to talk on the phone
Here are a few examples of phrases commonly used in telephone conversations. Obviously the people’s names and the company name are invented. Introducing yourself If an assistant answers the phone: They say: Good morning, Company X, How can I help you? … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged British/US English, polite expressions, Useful everyday phrases
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The difference between “in future” and “in the future”
Consider these examples: You should be more careful in future. In the future we plan to make significant investments in Romania and Bulgaria. In the first example “in future” means “from now on and always”. It is often used in … Continue reading
Differences between British and American English
When you write in English you should decide whether to use British or American. Some companies have a policy about this, but many do not. Either way, you should aim to be consistent throughout a piece of writing. The table … Continue reading
Common Mistakes in Business English 