Category: Internal Communication
Grammar Repair Shop: Is it ‘staff is’ or ‘staff are’?
Problem: Whether to use singular or plural verbs and pronouns with collective nouns that represent a group, such as “board,” “jury” and “staff.”
Grammar Repair Shop: Can you decipher Latin abbreviations?
Problem: Writers who never studied Latin often mix up the abbreviations i.e. and e.g.
Grammar Repair Shop: Dangling modifiers
Problem: A case of “dangling modifier”: when the subject of your sentence doesn’t agree with the description that precedes it.
Grammar Repair Shop: When to choose ‘a’ vs. ‘an’
Problem: “I know to use the article ‘an’ before a vowel,” writes Penny Perkins, Dayton, Ohio. “Do you use ‘an’ before a silent ‘h,’ as in ‘an honor student?'”
Grammar Repair Shop: Will they understand every word?
Problem: Moni Jackson, Toms River, N.J., takes minutes during a board of directors meeting. “At a recent session, the vice president stated that policies should be reviewed biannually,” Jackson told us. “I found out later that she actually meant once every two years. I believe the word should be ‘biennially.'”
Cubicle etiquette: Don’t be a prairie dog
If you’ve noticed a lack of “cubicle etiquette” around the office lately, distribute the following “good neighbor” checklist to your co-workers. Example: Don’t be an office prairie dog. Instead of popping your head over the top of a partition, walk around it to see your neighbor.
make the most of your office
The most effective spot to place a reminder may not lie within the system you commonly use.
Grammar Repair Shop: Avoid gender bias with clever writing
Avoid gender bias with clever writing
Grammar Repair Shop: Maintain a short list of words to capitalize
Problem: Several readers have asked recently about whether to capitalize particular words, ranging from job titles to seasons.