I recently saw an email that talked about the eminent retirement of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The writer should have said imminent instead.
Eminent, used mainly to describe people, means famous and respected, whereas imminent means something is about to happen.
I mused that the writer could have referred to the... (Read More)
A new year—at last!—is just two weeks away and with it lots of opportunities to wish one another well. Putting those wishes to paper, however, can be tricky. Is it Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year or Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year? If you chose the... (Read More)
A well-known healthcare company recently hired a diversity and inclusion officer who announced in a press release that he was going to magnetize and incubate diverse talent to fuel innovation at the company.
Who actually says I’m going to magnetize talent?
Would a grown person really want to be incubated?
... (Read More)A while ago I wrote a post about not starting emails with I hope you are well.
In everyday business writing, I counseled, there’s generally no reason to open with a reference to your reader’s well-being, particularly if you don’t know the person to whom you’re writing.
But coronavirus has... (Read More)
I got an email from the restaurant down the street offering me elevated comfort food in this time of crisis. I know, they were trying to make me feel better: If I order from them, I’ll feel as though I’m dining out and not standing at the kitchen counter in... (Read More)
The velocity at which data is created means that traditional methods of analyzing it are not sufficient.
Eighty one percent of youth who use tobacco products initiate with a flavored product.
These two sentences crossed my desk recently and gave me pause. Both include multi-syllable words that could be... (Read More)
The holidays are upon us and with them lots of opportunities to wish people well. Putting those wishes to paper correctly, however, can be tricky. Is it, for example, Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year or Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year?
Read these guidelines... (Read More)
All three statements use myself incorrectly. Here’s what the speakers should have said—and why:
Only one of the following sentences is correct. Which one is it?
Because you say to whom, you might think the second sentence—the one with whomever—is the correct... (Read More)
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)
