Do you find these words confusing? Test yourself, then see if you need to refresh your knowledge. Choose the correct word in each sentence. Answer… Read More »Confusing words: ensure, insure, assure, affect, effect
Use fewer with things you can count.Use less with things you measure, not count. If you mix these, it could be a question of style.… Read More »Confusing words: Less vs fewer
Test yourself then check below. Which is correct? Sometimes both are. 4. Fish contains less than the cholesterol content / contents in beef and chicken.… Read More »Confusing singular and plural nouns
Many of us learned at school that data is the plural form of datum in Latin. Other words of Latin origin are memorandum and biennium. … Read More »Data is or data are?
In UN and other institutional texts, precision matters. Yet some of the most common problems arise not from complex terminology but from pairs or sets… Read More »Beware of confusing words in UN texts
Either is used to mean “one or the other”. Either is used with or. Neither is used to mean “not one nor the other”. Neither… Read More »Giving alternatives: either/or; neither/nor. Which verb should I use — singular or plural?
Well, not quite. They can make you sound pompous, long-winded and old-fashioned. In most communications today, long words are inappropriate and may confuse your reader.… Read More »Long words make me sound sophisticated, right?
In professional writing, “sorry” can convey an apology, empathy, responsibility, bad news or a desire to maintain positive relations. But its usage requires caution. According… Read More »“Sorry!”: a word with multiple meanings
Avoid sounding insensitive and old-fashioned. Use gender-sensitive terms in your writing. What is the best gender-sensitive alternative to this kind of dated language? Try to… Read More »Use gender-sensitive language
I am listening to the BBC breaking news programme and the broadcaster is describing an accident with “a large amount of police” arriving. But what… Read More »Oral vs written language