Mindful Snacking, Mindful Speaking
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- On August 20, 2019
In this edition of Say It Better Say It Right, an executive of a major food company talks about teaching people to snack mindfully, that is to enjoy cookies and candy—responsibly.
Let’s “Agree”—Not “Align”
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- On August 6, 2019
Please let us know if you’re aligned to this.
That line appeared in an email about an agenda for an upcoming meeting. Its author should have written, Let us know if you agree with this.
In everyday English, align means to arrange in a line, as in, The pictures look... (Read More)
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall
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- On July 23, 2019
- I hope your Summer is off to a good start!
- Let me know if we’re now approved for our Summer budget.
- I hope your Summer is off to a good start!
- Let me know if we’re now approved for our Summer budget.
In both cases, summer... (Read More)
When You Mean “About,” Not “Around”
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- On July 8, 2019
- Attached please find details around what the project will entail.
- Policymakers are having a discussion around how to deliver better patient care.
In both cases, around should be about, which means concerning or with regard to. I don’t know when or why it happened, but people have started... (Read More)
When (and When Not) to Hyphenate Compound Modifiers
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- On June 18, 2019
The Coast Guard cleared the beach because of a man-eating fish.
In that example, man-eating is an example of a compound modifier: two or more words that express a single concept to describe a noun, in this case fish.
Sometimes compound modifiers are hyphenated, and sometimes they’re not.
How to... (Read More)
Lighten Your List (Three’s a Charm)
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- On June 4, 2019
One of the things I edit most are sentences that include lists of points. We cram in too many. Take, for example, this sentence from a fact sheet about a company’s expertise in data analytics for the commercial real estate industry:
Our engagements range from predicting tenant turnover, to demand... (Read More)
Tips for Proofreading
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- On May 21, 2019
The Reserve Bank of Australia recently copped to printing 46 million new dollar bills with a typo. (The word responsibility, printed on the face of the bill, is missing its last i.)
Typos are one of many things you’re checking for when you proof your content. Here are some others:
... (Read More)
We Inculcate It Into Your Everyday Routine?
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- On May 7, 2019
In this edition of Say It Better Say It Right, an executive of a major pharmacy chain describes the phenomenon of having treatment centers in drugstores.
Whoever and Whomever
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- On April 23, 2019
Only one of the following sentences is correct. Which one is it?
- Give the ice cream to whoever wants it the most.
- Give the ice cream to whomever wants it the most.
Because you say to whom, you might think the second sentence—the one with whomever—is the correct... (Read More)
A Refresher on Who and Whom
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- On April 5, 2019
Here is a line of copy from a piece I was recently asked to edit: Make a list of the people who you will ask for help.
The who in the sentence should be whom: Make a list of the people whom you will ask for help.
The grammatical explanation... (Read More)