This post is part of the Canadian Style series. 5.24 Comparative and inclusive numbers Use as great rather than greater. six times as great not six times greater four times as great not four times greater one third as large not three times smaller
Category: Writing
10 Most Annoying Grammar Mistakes
Third conditional Don’t vs doesn’t Bring vs take Fewer vs less Semicolon use with however Have vs of Double negative Present perfect Went vs gone Its vs it’s See the detailed list at Karen’s Linguistic Issues.
Canadian Style Tip #19: Points of the compass
This post is part of the Canadian Style series. 2.13 Points of the compass Write as one word compass directions consisting of two points, but use a hyphen after the first point in those compounds consisting of three points. northwest south-southeast
Difference between sitting and seating
This is part of the difference between series. I’ve heard some people confusing the words sitting and seating. Here’s the difference between the two. Seating Seating refers to how seats are laid out. The seating arrangement is fan-shaped. Sitting Sitting refers to how one sits. The sitting arrangement will be on the floor rather than… Continue reading Difference between sitting and seating
Canadian Style Tip #18: Titles used with personal names
This post is part of the Canadian Style series. 1.06 Titles used with personal names Abbreviate professional and official titles only when they are used with surnames preceded by first names or initials. Dr. Kim Siever Dr. K. Siever Doctor Siever
Hemingway’s 4 quick tips for better writing
Use short sentences. Use short paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive. Seen at Copyblogger.
Difference between who’s and whose
Another pair of words that seems to confuse people is that of “who’s” and “whose”, but telling the difference between the two is easy. Who’s “Who’s” is a contraction, a word formed by omitting or combining some of the sounds of a longer phrase. Other examples include won’t, can’t, shouldn’t. In this case, who’s actually means “who is”.… Continue reading Difference between who’s and whose
Canadian Style Tip #17: Ampersand
This post is part of the Canadian Style series. 1.18 Ampersand The ampersand (&) is properly used only when it forms part of a corporate name.
10 things to say to sound smarter
1. Use “fewer” not “less” When speaking about a subject you can count, use “fewer”. The living room had fewer chairs than the kitchen did. Use “less” to refer to subjects you can’t count (less air, less sand, less water). 2. Use “there are” instead of “there’s” There’s is short for “there is” and should… Continue reading 10 things to say to sound smarter
Canadian Style Tip #16: Numbers
This post is part of the Canadian Style series. 1.17 Numbers When abbreviating the words number or numbers within the body of a text, use No. or Nos. but not the symbol #, which is reserved for tabular and statistical material.