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By Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, founder of Syntax Training in Seattle, Washington, and a fan of business writing.

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Last Entry: November 14, 2009 at 13:44:56

Managing Resistant Readers

Posted on November 14, 2009
In a Better Business Writing class I taught this week in Seattle, Dave raised an important question when we were talking about writing for your readers. He asked, "What if some of your readers will be perfectly happy with your...

Dear John et al.,

Posted on November 11, 2009
Can the Latin abbreviation et al. be used at the end of the greeting in an email? It would look like this: Dear John et al., Hello, Kimia et al. A reader whom I will call Doug wrote to ask...

When Your Audience Is International

Posted on November 07, 2009
With some business audiences, it's easy to know exactly what to say and how to say it. We do it almost without thinking, following the usual rules. But with a global audience of non-native English speakers, the usual rules get...

Think Like a Customer

Posted on November 02, 2009
In Washington State we changed to daylight saving time on Sunday morning, so yesterday I needed to set all our clocks back one hour. All of the clock changes were easy, except the one in our car. My husband was...

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The Smarmy "Valued Customer" Line

Posted on October 30, 2009
This week I taught two groups of sophisticated writers who communicate with clients. One of the business writing topics we agreed to disagree about was the language we use to show customers we care. I like statements like "You have...

When Lights Go Out on the Web

Posted on October 29, 2009
I apologize that this site has only been up only intermittently over the past two days. Even I have been unable to access it. That is frustrating! Having my blog down reminds me that we need to recognize this fact:...

Where to Use a Colon--for Meter Readers and Others

Posted on October 23, 2009
Yesterday six meter readers attended my Keys to Error-Free Writing class. Given their job of traipsing around outside reading electric meters, they don't write much. But all of them were interested in learning more about business writing. If you write...

Business Writing Priorities and Promises

Posted on October 21, 2009
The other day I was talking with the managing editor of a popular subscription website that is rich in content. The editor introduced me to the site and wanted to know whether I would like to write regularly for it....

Email Reminders--Pass Them On

Posted on October 19, 2009
Because of our new online Email Intelligence class, the topic of efficient email is always on my mind. Here are a few reminders that came up in email classes recently. Workshop participants wish everyone would follow them. Please pass them...

Should I Share My Wise Criticism?

Posted on October 15, 2009
Situation 1: When I received an e-newsletter from a business associate recently, I read the beginning of one of his articles, then clicked on the link that said Read more. The link brought me to his blog, where I noticed...

One Word or Two: Anytime, Any Time

Posted on October 12, 2009
Do you wonder about the word anytime at any time? Anytime I stop to think about a word before I write it, wondering whether it is one word or two, it seems like a good topic to write about. If...

Insurance Companies as Our Families

Posted on October 08, 2009
Lately I have been thinking about messages from insurance companies, who often encourage us to think of them as our families. My thoughts go in this direction because I wrote a training proposal for an insurance company in Minnesota this...

The Power of a Personal Note

Posted on October 06, 2009
I was talking to a friend who is a fourth-year medical student applying for residency programs. She told me about the programs she is considering and said she was very impressed with Tulane. When I asked what impressed her about...

"Coning Down" for the Rest of Us

Posted on October 05, 2009
I received an excellent question from Geoff, which contains a good reminder for all of us. He wrote: "In clinical medicine, a physician reading an X-ray may ask the radiographer to 'cone down' on a suspicious area, meaning that he/she...

Nouns in a Stream--What Do They Mean?

Posted on September 29, 2009
Last week while driving on the Palisades Parkway in Bergen County, New Jersey, I spotted a perplexing road sign. It said: End Construction There are several ways to interpret the sign. Does it say that we should end construction? But...

The Stingy Email

Posted on September 28, 2009
In the Writing Tune-Up workshop in McLean, Virginia, last week, I asked participants about their pet peeves, the things that drive them crazy in the writing they read at work. A common email pet peeve came up. Does this scenario...

Constant Company Name-Dropping

Posted on September 24, 2009
Arthur wrote to ask my view of an interesting question: How often should a company use its name in a marketing piece? He asked because he translates marketing pieces into English, and some of his clients use their name five...

More From the Undersigned

Posted on September 21, 2009
I was teaching in Canada last week, and I came up against an issue that has also surfaced in U.S. business writing seminars. It has to do with that supremely formal "undersigned" person who appears at the end of letters...

Warning: Consider What You Upload to the Internet

Posted on September 12, 2009
Social media have people broadcasting what they are doing every hour, day, and minute. Blogs and newsletters posted online share photos and personal details to anyone who is interested. It is amazing to be able to connect so easily with...

Email Etiquette and Whitelisting

Posted on September 11, 2009
This week I received an email from someone suggesting that we get together to network and learn about each other's businesses. Like me, she lives in Seattle. I enthusiastically emailed my reply. Then I received this response: "I apologize for...

When They Misspell Your Name

Posted on September 09, 2009
Last week I led my first live online class, Email Intelligence. A participant asked what to do to make people spell her name correctly in email. As someone whose first and last names are often misspelled, I empathized. But I...

How to Follow Up on Networking Contacts

Posted on September 05, 2009
Alexandra wrote to ask what to write in a follow-up email to people she meets at important meetings in Bucharest. At the meetings, she often talks to potential clients or partners for only a few minutes, and she would like...

Today I Left Out the Jargon

Posted on September 03, 2009
Today I presented my first live web-based workshop "Email Intelligence," a 90-minute program. It was tricky and stressful because of some technological problems I could not solve. But so far the reviews are positive--whew! Whenever I do something new that...

Know Your Audience

Posted on September 01, 2009
The other day I was teaching a business writing class with a varied group of people, among them accountants, purchasing agents, and other "numbers" types who came with their coworkers. At one point, I wanted the attendees to do only...

Thank You in Advance

Posted on August 29, 2009
In email, letters, and memos that include a request, writers often end with one of these statements: "Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter." "Thank you in advance for any help you can provide." In comments on...

Good Customer Service Overdone and Underdone

Posted on August 25, 2009
Most companies try hard to communicate well with customers. I had a recent experience of a business trying hard--and yet not hard enough--to communicate with me in email. Here is the story: I had a reservation at a nice hotel,...

An Efficient Way to Schedule Follow-Up

Posted on August 21, 2009
A potential new client has delighted me with his efficiency. He schedules follow-up on the spot. Here's what I mean: On Monday we met by phone and agreed I would give him a proposal on Thursday. In the Monday call,...

In Receipt Of--A Phrase to Banish

Posted on August 18, 2009
Maureen wrote to me today to ask about the appropriate salutation to use when writing a letter to one person who is a friend and another who is a stranger. Would it be "Dear Kathy and Ms. Greene"? I suggested...

A Bright Tip on PowerPoint

Posted on August 14, 2009
I just finished reading Real Leaders Don't Do PowerPoint: How to Sell Yourself and Your Ideas, an excellent book by Christopher Witt for those who write and deliver speeches. As with so many books that take a strong stance, the...

Presentations: Less Is More

Posted on August 10, 2009
Lately clients have been asking about how to help people improve their PowerPoint presentations. In a tidy package, here is my best advice for presentations: Less is more. Less data--just a few powerful pieces--is more compelling than heaps of numbers...

She Didn't Hear My Comma

Posted on August 07, 2009
The other night while I was flying from Orlando, Florida, to Seattle, I was reminded of the valuable role the comma plays. The flight attendant was taking drink orders. When I asked for water, she asked, "No ice?" I responded,...

Dear Comma, Semicolon, or Colon

Posted on August 03, 2009
Kathryn from Hershey, Pennsylvania, wrote asking a question I should have answered a long time ago. Kathryn wants to know whether this punctuation is correct: Dear Ms. Gaertner-Johnston; What do you think? Is a semicolon correct after the greeting? How...

How to Slow Down Email: Ignore Lists

Posted on July 29, 2009
For last week's public Better Business Writing class, I emailed four questions to attendees in advance. They were in list form, like this: What is your job? What do you write on the job? To whom? What do you want...

A Courteous Client Handoff

Posted on July 27, 2009
Last week I worked with a group of applications support engineers who respond to clients' requests in email 24 hours a day. They have an efficient client-communication habit, and I want to share it with you. When an engineer refers...

"Why Me?" I Asked

Posted on July 22, 2009
Yesterday I received an email (below, disguised), which gave me an odd feeling. Can you guess why? Hi. I'm a former Sun reporter who was laid off in May when the paper went online-only. I'm looking for the best fit...

Please See Attached

Posted on July 21, 2009
Jonathan from California wrote to me last week asking and then answering his own question. I like it when readers are so efficient! Here is what Jonathan grappled with: Today I was looking for an answer to my question about...

Do You Write With Flare?

Posted on July 15, 2009
I hope your answer to the title question is "No!" Before you think too hard about the title, let me admit that it's a trick question. It's a confusing word pair: flare and flair. I was reminded of it the...

Tips for Successful E-Newsletters

Posted on July 13, 2009
We are celebrating the fifth anniversary of Better Writing at Work, our monthly e-newsletter, or ezine. Based on my five years of experience, I share these tips for creating and writing electronic newsletters. Please share your tips too. Be sure...

Saying Goodbye With Class

Posted on July 09, 2009
Today I received an email from a client, Marie, whose job is being eliminated at a prestigious investment company. She wrote to say goodbye. Because her email is an excellent example of how to say goodbye with class and to...

A Well-Known Problem: Well Known

Posted on July 06, 2009
A reader wrote to me today asking about a sentence with the phrase "well known." Is he "well known for his philanthropy" or "well-known for his philanthropy"? The answer depends on whether the writer wants to be a language maven...

Proofreading Quizzes--Test Yourself!

Posted on June 30, 2009
In today's New York Times online, you will find a proofreading quiz, "Red Pencils Ready?" by Philip B. Corbett. Try it! Hint: Corbett's quiz includes one or two errors per passage. I am sharing that hint since I identified many...

Why Put People Down in Writing?

Posted on June 29, 2009
The other day I sent out my monthly ezine, Better Writing at Work, to about 8,000 subscribers. I received a few "unsubscribe" notices, as I normally do. People unsubscribe when they are changing jobs or buried in email. I know...

What Out-of-Date Websites Say About Us

Posted on June 26, 2009
Someone wrote to me recently, asking for my opinion of two other business professionals. Because I am in a professional group with them, she knew I could vouch for them. The reason she wasn't sure whether they were reliable, successful...

Happy Father's Day!

Posted on June 20, 2009
My daughter just showed me the cute card she made for her dad to give to him tomorrow. She draws well, and the smiling penguin she created on the front of the card made me smile too. But being a...

Using . . . Ellipses

Posted on June 17, 2009
I don't know whether you have any punctuation marks that are hard for you to keep straight. I have only one whose spacing and length challenge me: the ellipsis. Last week a client emailed me with an ellipsis question, and...

Lazy Lies in Testimonials

Posted on June 13, 2009
I was talking the other day to one of our vendors who is going out of business but starting a new line of work. He had referred me proudly to his new website, and I told him how impressed I...

Where Is WA? A Lesson About Communication

Posted on June 11, 2009
I've been writing here about dates and times, but today I got a good laugh about places. A psychologist who lives in Redmond, Washington, shared a story of an Australian consultant who was trying to track him down. Only when...

June 8th or June 8?

Posted on June 08, 2009
The other day a client forwarded one of my emails to everyone on his team. He changed my original from this: I look forward to meeting you on June 8. To this: I look forward to meeting you on June...

A.M., P.M., a.m., p.m.: What Is the Correct Time?

Posted on June 05, 2009
Pam wrote to me to settle a debate between the younger and the older employees in her office. Her brief question was this: 4pm or 4:00pm? My answer: Neither! Both of Pam's renderings are incorrect. She needs to insert periods...

An Outreach Message That Failed

Posted on May 29, 2009
What do you think of this email I received? ************************** From: DavBlake@aol.com [I made up the address.] To: Undisclosed Recipients [That phrase filled the To line.] Subject: Writing Skills training I was referred to you by a colleague at Boeing...

When Plain Speech Becomes Sloppy Writing

Posted on May 27, 2009
I have been reading my health plan's new description of plans and benefits, which came in the mail recently. The company is raising health care premiums 13 percent. As someone who already pays over $800 each month for coverage for...

The Awkward "Please"

Posted on May 22, 2009
Adam wrote to me about the use of the word please in his company. A word that is supposed to warm up a message is making him question people's motives. Adam shared these examples, which I have disguised slightly. He...

Your Help Please With "As Per"

Posted on May 20, 2009
Dear Technical Writers, Would you please help me with a question about "as per"? In a business writing class in San Diego, a participant wanted to help her team write better technical instructions. Their instructions are wordy, use overly sophisticated...

How to Avoid Silly Errors in Email

Posted on May 19, 2009
A procurement manager from Washington, D.C., asked for ways to avoid silly errors caused by too little time to proofread and too much reliance on the grammar and spelling checker. I am happy to share my strategies: Rethink your attitude...

Obama's Well-Written Notre Dame Speech

Posted on May 18, 2009
As a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, I took special interest in the controversy over President Obama's commencement speech, which he delivered in South Bend, Indiana, yesterday. I could see the picketers and processions in my mind, and...

Proofreaders and Thieves: Check Everything!

Posted on May 12, 2009
Recently in the National Geographic Magazine blog David Brindley confessed an embarrassing error in the May issue of National Geographic. In his post, "Slips Happen," he admitted that the thoroughly researched and beautifully mapped story "Arctic Landgrab" contained one ugly...

Notes to Friends Who Have Lost Their Jobs

Posted on May 07, 2009
Friends and colleagues who have lost their jobs need to hear from us. But it can be challenging to decide what to say, with job loss having so many sides to it: stress, opportunity, rest, disillusionment, freedom, fear, elation. Or...

See You Soon, Exclamation Point!

Posted on May 04, 2009
In a recent Better Business Writing class, a participant asked me to post a blog on exclamation points, also known as exclamation marks. "They are everywhere!" she said. She's right! They are everywhere! And just as you are beginning to...

Ban This Word: "Bandwidth"

Posted on April 28, 2009
Last week in a Better Business Writing class, two people writing separate documents used the word bandwidth at the same time. Neither one of them was referring to "the transmissions capacity of an electronic communications device." Both were referring to...

Advice on "Includes No"

Posted on April 22, 2009
The other day Stuart, who lives in the UK, emailed some helpful comments to me because of "alarm bells" that went off as he read one my recent posts. I made changes based on Stuart's comments, but one of his...

No Contact Information? No Job.

Posted on April 17, 2009
This week I almost recommended a consultant. One of my clients had asked me to recommend someone who taught a particular subject, and I was ready to recommend Rita (not her real name). But when I tried to track down...

In the "Peanut Gallery"

Posted on April 13, 2009
As a teacher and writer, I have to watch my language. I check regularly to be sure I am communicating what I intend. That is why I looked up a phrase I have been hearing in a professional group I...

Ten Rules of Etiquette for Blogs and Forums

Posted on April 10, 2009
If you are reading these words, you probably participate in blogs and forums. Based on my experiences (both positive and awkward), I suggest these 10 rules of etiquette for public postings. Please add your guidelines! Note: As usual, I am...

"Subordinates"--a Word to Avoid

Posted on April 07, 2009
I recently led a business communications class for a group of global executives in Seattle, Washington. Many of them spoke English as a second, third, or fourth language. When I asked them about their learning goals, several mentioned wanting to...

Errors on a Hawaiian Holiday

Posted on April 06, 2009
We have returned from a heavenly week of vacation on the island of Hawaii. Warm weather, relaxation, the tropical landscape, and the Hawaiian people were grand. Although I wasn't working, I could not stop my eyes from spotting written errors....

Practice Makes Perfect

Posted on March 27, 2009
I gave six presentations and programs this week--two for a national insurance conference in Seattle and four for a support staff conference in Tacoma, Washington. Presenting to these groups, I relearned something I have noticed many times before: Practice makes...

What's Wrong With a Long Sentence?

Posted on March 26, 2009
Yesterday when I was presenting at a national insurance conference, we talked about this sentence, taken from a letter to customers: Believing that a specialized approach and focus for recovering from uninsured individuals is most effective, we use a professional...

Clear, Error-Free Writing--What Is It Worth?

Posted on March 19, 2009
At the close of a recent Better Business Writing workshop, a participant who works for a consulting firm asked a question I had never heard before. It went something like this: If my employer bills $150 an hour for my...

The Evolution of a Sentence

Posted on March 12, 2009
I was just writing a comment on a discussion board when I noticed the evolution of one of my sentences: First version: I find your progress inspiring. Second version: Your progress is inspiring. Third version: Your progress inspires me. The...

Paragraphs in Email--To Indent or Not to Indent?

Posted on March 11, 2009
Early one recent morning I got a phone call from someone whose name, let's say, was Adam. Adam called because he and a coworker were having a disagreement about whether paragraphs should be indented in email. I said, "No, paragraphs...

The Principle Investigator? Help!

Posted on March 10, 2009
I was reading a scientific recommendation the other day when I came upon the phrase "principle investigator." It had me worried. Did the project require someone to investigate our principles? Were we guilty of ethical lapses? Were our rules in...

Face to Face, Phone, and Email--Which Is the Best Communication?

Posted on March 05, 2009
In a recent class in British Columbia, a director spoke about the company's focus on better communication. He said, "Face to face is always best, then phone, then email. Whenever you can, choose face to face." I disagree, at least...

Hot Tip on a Microsoft Office Feature

Posted on March 02, 2009

Parallel Structure and the New Samsung Propel

Posted on February 24, 2009
On Saturday I bought a new Samsung Propel mobile phone. As someone over 40, I love reading the manual to learn about the phone. My behavior contrasts with that of my 14-year-old daughter, who got a new phone on Saturday...

Condolences to Friends in Australia

Posted on February 22, 2009
Australians remembered the victims of the tragic bushfires today in a national day of mourning. I send condolences to our neighbors on the other side of the globe. I am sorry for your heartbreaking losses of loved ones, property, and...

When a Joke Is Not a Joke

Posted on February 17, 2009
In response to my monthly newsletter, I just received this automatic out-of-office email response: I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from holiday (2nd of March). Please, be patient, and your mail...

Who Is "The Undersigned"? Me!

Posted on February 10, 2009
I am working on my presentation "Business Writing for Claims Professionals" for the PLRB/LIRB Claims Conference next month in Seattle. (PLRB=Property Loss Research Bureau; LIRB=Liability Insurance Research Bureau.) Among my examples of insurance writing is this letter sent to a...

When Is Confidence Presumptuous?

Posted on February 06, 2009
In a business communications class last night, we discussed a closing sentence in a cover letter--that is, a letter of application for a job. Here is the sentence: I look forward to being interviewed for the position. We argued about...

An Error We Can All Avoid

Posted on February 02, 2009
Today I received a contract for an upcoming program I will lead. In the contract, my last name is spelled wrong. On the program flyer, my last name and company name are both spelled wrong. In a recent list of...

Don't Ban the Apostrophe!

Posted on January 31, 2009
The apostrophe has been banned from street signs in Birmingham, England. The reason? According to a story by Jon Swaine, published online at Telegraph.co.uk, city council members spent too much time arguing over that punctuation mark. Debate apparently snarled over...

Watch Your Language--and Theirs

Posted on January 30, 2009
This week in a Better Business Writing class in Tacoma, Washington, an information systems manager was writing an announcement about certain servers being down for routine maintenance. Her message was going to go to several thousand people. In it, she...

Background: To Keep It or Delete It?

Posted on January 27, 2009
"Get rid of background" is advice I often give writers. Too frequently, background gets in the way of the meat of a message, and readers wade through thick details in search of the main point. And so it was last...

Deconstructing the Inaugural Address

Posted on January 21, 2009
Many commentators around the world have no doubt already weighed in on the strengths, content, and feeling of U.S. President Obama's inaugural speech. Here is a look at the mechanics: Number of words: 2414 (according to Microsoft Word) Number of...

Community Service: No Replies to All

Posted on January 19, 2009
In the United States, it is a national holiday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Inspired by Barack and Michelle Obama, many individuals and organizations will perform community service in food banks, shelters, and other places of need. When I finish...

A Sweet Surprise from the Pan Pacific Hotel

Posted on January 13, 2009
For the past two days I have taught in Vancouver, British Columbia, where I stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel. When I walked into my hotel room late on Sunday, I found an envelope with my name on it (handwritten...

Dear John Doe: A Sad Lesson

Posted on January 11, 2009
I was saddened to read about the U.S. Army's error in sending 7,000 letters addressed to "Dear John Doe" to family members of soldiers who had died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Elisabeth Bumiller of The New York Times wrote the...

Ideas for Blog Posts

Posted on January 06, 2009
In a professional discussion board I am a part of, there has been talk lately about coming up with topics for blogs. Some people are not posting to their business blogs as often as they want to, because they can't...

Resolutions for 2009, Simple and Sublime

Posted on January 02, 2009
Happy 2009! With the new year, it's the time of making resolutions, commitments to change our behavior. I have made three that apply to my work as a business communicator. Here are my two simple resolutions: I resolve to spell...

The Commonest Proofreading Error of 2008

Posted on January 02, 2009
I just received an email that reminded me of the commonest error I have been seeing in content--not in punctuation or grammar, in content. The email begins this way: ***Correction***The original message to you had an error regarding the day...

The Commonest Punctuation Error of 2008

Posted on December 30, 2008
Of all the punctuation errors I saw this year, the most prevalent offender was this one: Thanks Lynn.Happy holidays Lynn!Okay Lynn! Sorry to use my name so often, but the error involves direct address, that is, writers addressing the reader...

Give Yourself Credit

Posted on December 21, 2008
In a business writing class I taught recently, a participant shared a performance appraisal he had written about his work during the fourth quarter. He repeatedly included statements like "The deadline was met" instead of "I met the deadline," and...

Sales Messages in Holiday Greetings?

Posted on December 11, 2008
Jessica wrote to ask about the etiquette for sales letters in holiday greetings. She wanted to know whether sales letters should be included in holiday greetings, and if so, how long they should be. Here's the answer: No sales messages...

Ban Acronyms From Holiday Parties

Posted on December 10, 2008
I attended a holiday event yesterday where everyone was given a preprinted nametag. Every tag included the person's name and association (how they belonged). Every association was abbreviated. As a newcomer to the group, I had no idea what the...

Want to Be Concise?

Posted on December 09, 2008
In all my writing classes, people tell me they want to be more concise. That's a worthy goal, especially since our readers get slammed with so much they have to read on the job. If a message isn't short, often...

Free Spanish-English Online Dictionary

Posted on December 08, 2008
Ricardo wrote to me today to tell me about a free English-Spanish online dictionary. It's at the Word Magic website. As someone who is interested in learning Spanish, I was pleased to find out about this resource. I tested the...

Oops Once, Not Twice: Get Rid of Old Errors

Posted on December 05, 2008
This week I received an email reminding me about a luncheon on Monday, December 9. The writer pasted in the original invitation beneath his reminder. Minutes later I received an "oops" message, apologizing: the writer had meant Tuesday, December 9--not...

Too Many Nouns (Consider Revising)

Posted on December 03, 2008
Yesterday I picked up our local newspaper and read this sports headline: "Star Times All-Area Fall Prep Teams." I had no idea what it meant. Later I phoned home and asked my daughter to read the headline to me, so...

How to Punctuate Captions

Posted on November 25, 2008
Kristi wrote to ask about punctuating captions. She was told that there should never be any punctuation at all in photo captions. She asked about a caption something like this: Drivers Bill Long and Joy Rae Craig log on to...

Don't Pile on the Topics in an Email Reply

Posted on November 21, 2008
Today in "How to Write Email That Gets Read and Gets Results," which I presented for the Washington Society of CPAs," we talked about our pet peeves, things that slow us down and drive us nuts as email readers. An...

Naming Your Blog and Newsletter--Think Big

Posted on November 19, 2008
The other day in a Better Business Writing seminar a librarian named David asked for ways to generate ideas for his blog and weekly newspaper column. He was looking for creative ideas on new topics to cover. When David asked...

Too Busy to Be Kind?

Posted on November 15, 2008
I was teaching Better Business Writing the other day, and we were talking about communication style differences. An attendee told me something like this about her boss: "My boss never says please, thank you, hello, or anything nice in email....

Is Your Reader Ignorant?

Posted on November 13, 2008
I have been working on improving my Spanish, so every chance I get I spend a few minutes doing Spanish language exercises. Yesterday I was finishing an easy Spanish crossword puzzle whose theme was food, in a college Spanish workbook....

Dear Reader: More About Salutations

Posted on November 11, 2008
About 70 percent of the questions I get from readers are about salutations for business letters. Here are some recent ones. For much more about letter and email greetings, see the links below. Question: We are sending out a mass...

A Historic Day or an Historic Day?

Posted on November 06, 2008
Since Tuesday, November 4, commentators throughout the world have been speaking and writing about Barak Obama's election as President of the United States. I have been reading about what "an historic occasion" and "an historic event" his election is. I...

Surprising Your Customers

Posted on November 03, 2008
Last week my 14-year-old got her braces off. After several years of teeth expanders, retainers, and braces, as of last week, she has beautiful, straight teeth. At the end of her orthodontic appointment, the staff at the clinic sang to...

A Number, a Multitude, a Host . . . Are

Posted on October 30, 2008
This morning before my second cup of caffeine, I stumbled over a subject-verb agreement issue in instructions I was writing. Here is the sentence: If there is an odd number of participants, pair up with one of them. If there...

Thanksgiving and Holiday Greetings

Posted on October 29, 2008
In the United States, Thanksgiving is less than a month away. And Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are not far behind. It's not too soon to be thinking about writing holiday greetings to customers, clients, employees, and others around the world....

Terrible Passive Verbs

Posted on October 28, 2008
This morning in my daily newspaper I read two sentences with passive verbs so bad that I had to write about them: Owen is thanked for his past 12 years of service. Republican McCraw is endorsed for lieutenant governor for...

Domestic Violence Awareness Month--and Good Writing

Posted on October 22, 2008
In the United States October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. That designation means that domestic violence is a subject of television programs, news reports, newsletters articles, discussions, and so on. The focus on domestic violence encouraged me to tell...

It's Not Essential to Proofread

Posted on October 20, 2008
The other day I led a business writing class for leaders in a world-class company. Because they were a supportive group, one of them admitted she often doesn't proofread her email. With the need to send out dozens of messages...

A Friendly Failure--Called by the Wrong Name

Posted on October 13, 2008
I just read an email exchange between a manager and a consultant who is hoping to work for the manager. The manager's name is Susan. The consultant addressed her as Sue. Friendly failures like these get noticed much more than...

Punctuating a Series

Posted on October 12, 2008
When it comes to punctuation, not all series are created equal. On a discussion board I participate in (as part of Marcia Yudkin's Marketing for More program), this sentence came up in a discussion about commas:I dropped the pickle jar,...

Start Out Strong in a Resume

Posted on October 07, 2008
My friend Sadie asked for help with a resume (also known as a curriculum vitae), and I was happy to oblige. Sadie's resume began with her name, email and street addresses, and phone numbers. So far, so good. Sadie's first...

How to Say Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary

Posted on October 06, 2008
I received this message from Jen:As a service-oriented company, we send out birthday and anniversary cards to our clients and close business associates. The last thing we want is to be cookie-cutter, so can you please consider providing some tips...

How to Finesse Email Reminders

Posted on October 01, 2008
In an Email Intelligence class the other day, attendees brought up the question of reminders: If something is due at 5 p.m., is it okay to email someone at 4 p.m. with a reminder? What do you think? If you...

Too Many Tos

Posted on September 30, 2008
An error I am seeing constantly is the incorrect rendering of too as to. Just yesterday in an Email Intelligence class someone wrote this phrase to describe what slows down her reading of email: "to many words." That's wrong. People...

Avoid "Blessed" and "Bang for the Buck"

Posted on September 26, 2008
In yesterday's Better Business Writing class, participants shared two examples of language to avoid: "blessed" and "bang for the buck." I think their cautions are worth passing on. In the first example, an employee has been sending email with "Have...

Cowardly vs. Courageous Communication

Posted on September 24, 2008
In today's Seattle Times I read the advice columns "Miss Manners," by Judith Martin, and "Ask Amy," by Amy Dickinson. Their advice illustrates a topic I wrote about in this month's Better Writing at Work: cowardly vs. courageous communication. Responding...

What Your Out-of-Office Message Reveals

Posted on September 18, 2008
Today I sent out my monthly ezine, Better Writing at Work, to more than 6,000 subscribers. As usual, I received dozens of out-of-office messages. As I read them, I realized they told me a lot about my subscribers' employers. For...

Great Party--But You Can't Come!

Posted on September 17, 2008
Imagine a friend describing a great party she is planning--wonderful food, music, people, dancing--all on a beautiful exotic beach. Too bad it's in New Zealand and you're in New York. Your loss. Or your home office emails you about a...

Capitalizing Headings and Titles

Posted on September 11, 2008
I was driving west on State Route 520 in Seattle yesterday, when I passed a sign that always drives me nuts. It says "University Of Washington." I have nothing against the UW. In fact, I am looking forward to teaching...

Two Sides of the Fence

Posted on September 10, 2008
Where I live, people fence their yards. Before the fence goes up, the homeowner decides whether the finished side, without the supporting posts showing, will go on the inside or the outside. The essential question is this: Do I want...

Over vs. More Than

Posted on September 06, 2008
There's a quiet war between the over/more than camps, and I took part in it last week. I was updating my bio on my web site (you can read it here) when an associate cautioned me to replace my overs...

In Praise of Email

Posted on September 04, 2008
People often talk about how we overuse email. They complain that we should pick up the phone more often. They're right, of course, and I am normally one of them. But sometimes email can be better than a phone call....

Don't Do This When Emailing a Group

Posted on August 28, 2008
Cyndy from Reston, Virginia, just sent this important reminder: "When sending an email to multiple recipients from different companies, put addresses in the BCC field. Your audience will appreciate the fact that you are cognizant of protecting their privacy...

When a Verb Says "The End"

Posted on August 26, 2008
The web-hosting company I use just emailed me to let me know my contract is being renewed. They used the wrong verb. Do you recognize it? We certainly hope doing business with us was a pleasing experience. Because of their...

Ensure, Assure, Insure

Posted on August 25, 2008
Barbara of the Bonneville Power Administration in Vancouver, Washington, asked me to write about ensure, assure, and insure. I am happy to write from the U.S. perspective, and I am hoping my friends across the oceans and borders will enlighten...

Punctuating a Restaurant Menu

Posted on August 21, 2008
Chris wrote me about the menu at Cliff's Grill in Houston. He wants to make sure the punctuation is correct and sent me a brief description of the patty melt burger. Here it is: Patty Melt Beef patty, grilled onions...

Years' or Year's or Years

Posted on August 15, 2008
Inspired by the Summer Olympics, I led the "Punctuation Games" for a client yesterday. The sophisticated group took away gold, silver, and bronze medals for their wins in "100-Word Hyphen," "Apostrophe Toss," "Error-Ringing," and a final relay race in which...

Quotation Marks--Before or After?

Posted on August 13, 2008
I was teaching The Keys to Error-Free Writing in Vancouver, Washington, this week, and one of the hot topics was the placement of periods and commas with quotation marks. When we checked this site in class to see if I...

Break a Rule to Get Web Traffic

Posted on August 10, 2008
One of the rules of business writing is to use consistent language to describe something. For example, steps in a process should be called steps--not actions, phases, or points--throughout the document. Likewise, a series of tips contains tips--not suggestions, instructions,...

The "Please Advise" Habit

Posted on August 05, 2008
We all have unconscious habits. I learned about one of mine when I was visiting an elderly relative and she asked me, both of us standing in the kitchen, "Don't you ever close a drawer all the way?" I was...

My Best Tip for ESL Writers

Posted on July 31, 2008
I often get email from managers around the world. They ask for ideas on how to become more proficient in business writing in English, a foreign language to them. I am honored that they ask my advice, and I am...

"Out of Office" When You Are Out Permanently

Posted on July 30, 2008
"Out of office" messages usually cover temporary absences from work. But if you are leaving the company, whether it is for a better position, a break from work, or a stint of unemployment, let people know you are "out of...

Thank You Again for the First Time

Posted on July 23, 2008
One of the most common polite mistakes I see in business writing is this: a message that ends "Thank you again. . . ." without thanking the reader at the beginning. If you are in the habit of thanking the...

Hot Idea for Staying Out of Trouble

Posted on July 22, 2008
I have been teaching business writing for many years. But today is the first time I heard this suggestion from a workshop participant about staying out of trouble with email: Suggestion: Do not print a confidential email unless you are...

Get a Second Opinion

Posted on July 15, 2008
Last week in a Writing Tune-Up for Peak Performance class, a recent college graduate questioned the wisdom of one of my best practices for email. The best practice he questioned is this: Get a second opinion before you send an...

Just the Fax Please!

Posted on July 14, 2008
I used to think the fax machine was dead, but it's very much alive. One day last week we received two emails from two different accounting departments of our clients, both asking us to fax them materials. And both had...

When Fast Is Thoughtless

Posted on July 10, 2008
My husband Michael and I took a cross-country train trip on our vacation. We loved the easy pace of the trip--reading magazines, eating in the dining car, watching the scenery roll by, not having to think about any schedule until...

An Easy Win for Relationships

Posted on July 08, 2008
Yesterday someone in my professional network, whom I may see once a year, ordered 20 booklets from me. In my emailed thank-you for her order, I said I hoped she and her young daughter were having a beautiful summer. I...

Peaking My Interest?

Posted on July 07, 2008
Back from my vacation, I have been wading through email. One email came right after my previous blog entry, Save Important Tasks for Last, and illustrated it perfectly. The email was from Tom, who was following up with dozens of...

Email Can't Think for Us

Posted on June 24, 2008
Email is just a medium of communication. But I wish it would think for us at times like this one: I received an email a couple of weeks ago from someone inviting me to offer a business writing class to...

Save Important Tasks for Last

Posted on June 24, 2008
Time-management experts recommend doing your most important tasks first. They say that if you start with low-value activities, you may never get to the tasks that could make the biggest difference to your success. But in writing, it is not...

Not Your Sweetie, Not Your Hon

Posted on June 19, 2008
Yesterday in a business writing seminar near Seattle, Washington, we were talking about our pet peeves in the messages we read at work. It was a sociable group of women and men in a friendly company. Nevertheless, this pet peeve...

Help Them Organize Their Writing

Posted on June 17, 2008
Many supervisors and managers ask me for help when their employees can't organize information. Of course, organization depends on the document. But here are five solutions I offer supervisors and managers to help employees organize their messages. Insist that every...

Stress and a Lesson on Business Writing

Posted on June 16, 2008
I traveled through Midway Airport in Chicago on my trip to my niece's funeral last week. Already under stress, I experienced a miscommunication that offered a lesson for business writers. I had reserved a rental car. Having landed at Midway,...

We Don't Have Talent

Posted on June 09, 2008
As a fan of positive language, I am intrigued by a positive word that has not caught on with ordinary business people. That word is talent, used to describe employees. Talent management, talent acquisition, and talent retention are phrases popping...

More Than a Person--a Guest

Posted on June 07, 2008
Always on the lookout for positive language, I was rewarded this week at one of the Starbucks stores in the San Diego Convention Center. Waiting in line, I heard one of the counter staff (known as "partners") ask, "May I...

"I Know I Shouldn't, But . . ."

Posted on June 06, 2008
A couple of weeks ago, my niece Denise was in the hospital with a serious liver problem and complications. A nurse walked into her room and found Denise crying. It seems that several doctors had been standing outside Denise's hospital...

Show Me the Manual!

Posted on June 01, 2008
Mary wrote recently to ask whether "May you" is correct, as in "May you please get me a piece of paper?" Mary's daughter's teacher insists the children say "May you please" rather than "May I please have." Michael wrote today...

Bolding Gone Wild

Posted on May 30, 2008
It makes sense to use a bold font to highlight information. Used sparingly and logically, bolding focuses the reader's attention on a particular part of a message. But too much bold text, which I am illustrating here, makes readers dizzy....

When Not to Save the Best for Last

Posted on May 27, 2008
I read a news release today. I read the entire release because someone had given it to me as a writing sample, and I like to be helpful when I can. In approximately 450 words, I learned about a fascinating...

An Error to 4,959 People

Posted on May 21, 2008
My e-newsletter, Better Writing at Work, just went out to 4,959 subscribers. It included 10 techniques for concise writing--at least I thought it did. In fact, the issue was titled "10 Techniques for Concise Writing." Problem: There were 11 techniques...

Driving Topless in a Jeep

Posted on May 20, 2008
Today at the beginning of a business writing class, I asked attendees to introduce themselves by telling us something they enjoy. One woman announced: "I enjoy driving around topless in my Jeep." Was she serious? I stopped and stared, looking...

How to Capitalize Qi Gong

Posted on May 17, 2008
Susan wrote with this capitalization question: "I work for a man who does Chinese energy work called 'qigong.' When that word is used in writing (on our web site, for instance), people tend to capitalize it. My contention is that...

Why Should They Read Your Ezine?

Posted on May 15, 2008
I don't open an ezine unless something in the subject or the first line grabs me. Even when I do open it, I don't read it unless I can find the item that grabbed me within a few seconds. If...

Can This Cover Letter Be Saved? Yes!

Posted on May 12, 2008
A poorly written cover letter dismayed my kind friend Elizabeth when she received it in response to an ad for an office manager. Compassionate person that she is, Elizabeth wanted to help the woman who applied. That's where I got...

Stripping Out Punctuation

Posted on May 06, 2008
Suzanne wrote with a mailing list dilemma. Some people in her company want to strip punctuation from all the mailing addresses. For example, they want to render "Lutron Co., Inc." as "Lutron Co Inc". Suzanne is resisting this change because...

Write Concisely? Just Do It!

Posted on May 05, 2008
Before my business writing seminars, I often ask learners what they hope to gain from the workshop. Many of them make comments like these: I would like to get my ideas across in a lot fewer words. I want my...

Open Source Resources for Writers

Posted on April 30, 2008
If you are open to open source software, check out "50 Awesome Open Source Resources for Online Writers," a new list created by Christina Laun available on Job Profiles. The list features open source software for blogging, editing online, mind...

Because, Because, Because

Posted on April 29, 2008
I've been asked the same question twice within a week, so here I am, happy to clear up a misconception. Question: Isn't it unacceptable to start a sentence with the word because? I learned it was wrong. Short answer: It...

The Secret of Successful Instructions

Posted on April 29, 2008
The secret of successful instructions is to have an inexperienced user try to follow them before they are published. As the user follows each step, the wise writer watches for glitches, places where the instructions confuse or mislead the reader....

Careless Company Writing = Failure

Posted on April 22, 2008
Denise wrote to ask for help in her company: I work for a small company whose president and others on the administrative side don't seem at all interested in correct, effective writing. We're growing rapidly and will soon have a...

Word Power: Being Partners

Posted on April 21, 2008
I recently taught the Writing Tune-Up for Peak Performance at Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), one of my long-standing clients. When attendees sent me the answers to prework questions, I was struck by the words they used to describe their readers:...

Specific = Fresh

Posted on April 15, 2008
In the business writing classes I lead, attendees often talk about wanting to use fresh language. They are looking for new, fresh words to communicate their ideas. Freshness is an apt goal. We can't engage readers with stale writing. But...

A Horror Story in Microsoft Office

Posted on April 10, 2008
In yesterday's Better Business Writing class in Everett, Washington, a woman told a horror story of a "trick" gone wrong in Microsoft Office. As I remember the story, she had just begun to work on a contract at a large...

Starting Off on the Wrong Foot

Posted on April 08, 2008
In a recent business writing class, a participant said she wanted to learn to do this better in her writing: "To succinctly communicate historical information or the why behind an email, and transition into the purpose or request I am...

A Plodding Phrase About Promptness

Posted on April 05, 2008
To inspire their readers to quick action, many writers use this sluggish phrase: in a timely manner For example, "Please contact these clients in a timely manner." But "in a timely manner" is 15 letters, 6 syllables, 4 words. That's...

Fine Writing from Ballard High School

Posted on April 03, 2008
I like to praise fine writing wherever I find it. This week we received our daughter's welcome letter to the high school she will attend in September. The packet was filled with rich details, and the letter introduced them perfectly....

Early for April Fool's Day

Posted on April 01, 2008
Last night I sent a brief message to my husband, asking him to review a draft web page. As usual in a message to him, I did not include his name at the top, and I added xxoo above my...

No News Is Bad News

Posted on March 28, 2008
The group of managers walked into a Better Business Writing class, talking to each other but not to me. They responded to my greeting but didn't seem especially glad to meet me. That's unusual. Most people act eager at the...

What Do You Mean by "Metrics"?

Posted on March 28, 2008
Joy wrote to complain and ask for clarification on the correct use of the word metrics in business communication: "A word that is not one of my favorites is metrics used to describe financial performance. Example: Our metrics don't look...

One Good Thing: Coaching

Posted on March 26, 2008
This week our 13-year-old daughter participated in a music festival for young artists. She has been playing the violin for 8 years, and she had worked hard on the three pieces she played for the adjudicator (judge). The adjudicator's first...

The Latest in Hyphenation Information

Posted on March 20, 2008
In each issue of my monthly ezine, Better Writing at Work, I include an "Error Quest," a little test, or quest, to find one error in a short passage. This month's quest involved finding a word that was missing a...

A Taxing Message from the IRS

Posted on March 14, 2008
Today I received the "Economic Stimulus Payment Notice" from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States Department of the Treasury. It was a notice to all U.S. taxpayers (with a greeting "Dear Taxpayer") about a tax rebate most...

Right-Click Here to Download--or Delete?

Posted on March 14, 2008
If you created a sophisticated, elaborate weekly or monthly ezine, would you want your clients and customers to delete it without reading a word? Of course not. But most of the ezines I receive get deleted within a few seconds....

How I Learned to Correct Errors Faster

Posted on March 13, 2008
I often tell people in my business writing seminars about Microsoft's AutoCorrect and AutoText features. Every MS Office user should be using them to write faster. But I learned just last week that I was using AutoCorrect a slow, Stone...

When Right Is Wrong

Posted on March 12, 2008
Can right be wrong? Vicki raised this question in a Writing Tune-Up class today. She worried that if she used correct grammar that other people didn't recognize as correct, they would think she was wrong. Vicki's response was to use...

Request Denied: When Military Meets Business

Posted on March 07, 2008
Security officers, crew supervisors, maintenance experts--people in these jobs often attend the business writing seminars I lead. They don't enroll in any greater numbers than people in other vocations, but they often stand out for the terse way they communicate...

Happy National Grammar Day!

Posted on March 04, 2008
It's not exactly a national holiday with a day off work, but March 4 marks National Grammar Day. I got the word from Mr. Rewrite, a defender of good grammar, punctuation, and usage. Get the details at the celebratory host...

Alternatives to ASAP

Posted on March 03, 2008
In a Better Business Writing class last week, a maintenance manager was looking for alternatives to "ASAP" (as soon as possible). As someone constantly on the receiving end of ASAP requests, she wanted a different phrase to use when she...

"Sales Are" or "Sales Is"?

Posted on February 28, 2008
John from Buffalo, New York, wrote today to ask a question about subject-verb agreement. Because he is the guy everyone turns to at work when they have a grammar question and because he could not find the answer in three...

Hedging: It's Fairly, Relatively, Kind of a Problem

Posted on February 24, 2008
I read a quote in the newspaper today: If it would be fairly easy to relatively quickly get a fairly similar job with a fairly similar salary, that makes it almost a no-brainer. Granted, the example is of someone speaking--not...

"Let's Discuss"--A Cliffhanger

Posted on February 23, 2008
In a business writing class I taught recently, several managers ended their messages with this cliffhanger: Let's discuss. The sentence is not a cliffhanger because we don't know what will come of the discussion. It's a cliffhanger (something that leaves...

Less Then I Expected

Posted on February 22, 2008
This week I received a disappointing email, a marketing message from a person who describes herself as a coach in the areas of writing, publishing, and marketing books. It was the subject line that disappointed me: Would You Rather Cuddle...

An Alternative to Looking Silly

Posted on February 19, 2008
Today I received an email with this subject: 10 Powerful Secrets to Email Marketing Because I am interested in email marketing and "powerful secrets," I opened the message. I saw that it featured a free downloadable report with this jazzy...

Can This Inventory Be Saved?

Posted on February 15, 2008
While teaching Better Business Writing at a world-class Pacific Northwest business yesterday, I heard a story of an equipment inventory that made me shudder. At this business of 4000+ people, an inventory request goes out each year. A blank sheet...

Underlining: A Bad Choice Online

Posted on February 12, 2008
Yesterday I visited two websites where underlining had gone wrong. At each site, I clicked underlined (underscored) words and phrases, expecting to be taken to more information. But there was no click. I just sat there, staring at an unchanging...

What's in It for Me?

Posted on February 11, 2008
We can all get a good reminder from an email sales message I received from someone selling software for the classroom. Her second sentence was this: I would appreciate the opportunity to present this information to you through a web...

How to Read Email: Backwards

Posted on February 08, 2008
Lena wrote asking for an email tip to share with her boss. Here is her concern: My boss, who travels frequently, responds to his emails in chronological order (earliest to most recent). Therefore, he often provides advice and gives orders...

How to Entice Volunteers

Posted on February 05, 2008
The usual request for volunteers begins like this: Volunteers Needed! It doesn't work. That's because it focuses on the writer's needs rather than the needs of the reading audience. I just received an excellent call for volunteers from the Cascadia...

Why Don't They Speak English?

Posted on February 04, 2008
On Friday night I attended a superb performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Seattle Children's Theatre. Although abridged for its youthful audience, this Hamlet was faithful to the story and characters and freshly acted by just five players seamlessly changing...

Your Commotion List

Posted on January 31, 2008
The other day I wrote about David Allen's two-minute rule. When I used my grammar and spelling checker to check the post, I had a a good laugh at a suggestion for this sentence of mine: If not, your message...

Write for David Allen's 2-Minute Rule

Posted on January 28, 2008
Among his many tips and strategies, time management guru David Allen offers a "two-minute rule." He says that if you can get a new task done within two minutes, do it. If you cannot get it done that fast, either...

Re: Are You Around This Morning?

Posted on January 25, 2008
I was reviewing a company's email when I came across a wonderful email thread. It started with one employee wanting to know if another was in that day. Here is their email subject: Are You Around This Morning? The person...

How to Stop the Gossip

Posted on January 23, 2008
A client sent me a worried email about an administrative assistant. The assistant had sent out an email to some executives in the company, and that email had lots of errors. When I read the email thread, I saw the...

I Don't Hear from You

Posted on January 22, 2008
In sales letters and email (and even in telephone messages), many people end like this: "If I don't hear from you before then, I will call you on Friday." There has always been something about that statement that has not...

As I Said, Make a Sign

Posted on January 15, 2008
My husband Michael, who works with me at Syntax Training, has a sign on the wall above his desk. It says: As I said, As it says, Michael uses this sign, usually while on the telephone, to remind himself that...

Furnace Maintenance for Readers--Brilliant!

Posted on January 10, 2008
I was reading my Winter 2008 Perspective: News and Insight from PEMCO Insurance, when I came upon another excellent example of writing that makes life easy for the reader. "How to Maintain Your Furnace" was the column I was reading....

Me, Myself, and the Presidential Candidates

Posted on January 07, 2008
I have been watching the debates of the candidates vying for the nomination of their party for U.S. president. Whatever their politics, I would like them to get one thing straight about English grammar: The word myself is not correct...

Scared Off by the Big, Bad Paragraph

Posted on January 06, 2008
I was reading the list of upcoming business meetings in a weekly email from The Seattle Times, when a meeting announcement caught my attention. The presenter was going to speak on a topic that interests me--the steps in growing one's...

Another Way to Make It Big

Posted on January 03, 2008
Kathy Frederick, author of The Junk Drawer blog, wrote me about my post on increasing type size to proofread more successfully. She wrote: "My husband and I made a great discovery the other day. You can enlarge screen text by...

A New Year Message from 1949

Posted on December 31, 2007
We heard a scratching sound in a remote section of our attic, and my husband went to investigate it. While he didn't locate the source of the sound, he did find The Seattle Sunday Times from August 28, 1949, left...

Typefaces and Other Topics

Posted on December 21, 2007
I was just introduced to a blog by Ken Adams, whose expertise is in drafting contracts. His recent posts cover some of the latest options and thinking on typography. If you are interested in contracts, typefaces, and gems of language,...

What Apple Can Teach Us Writers

Posted on December 20, 2007
Last week we made a purchase at the Apple store, a new desktop Mac--our first Mac ever. Apple made the entire experience easy, and easy experiences always inspire me to think of ways to make life easier for my readers....

Be Kind to Your Note Taker

Posted on December 17, 2007
Last week I led a writing class for a group of administrative assistants who wanted help writing meeting notes and minutes. We began by talking about the challenges they face as note takers. Here's their list of challenges: Getting the...

Addressing and Signing Greeting Cards

Posted on December 14, 2007
Now that you've bought your greeting cards and written your holiday letters, how do you address and sign them? I've gotten lots of questions on this topic, and I have answered just about all of them before. Please see this...