Blog

As we get into the second half of the year and relax into summer, we thought we’d take a break from grammar and punctuation tips and focus on a different topic. , How green is your workspace? As climate change no longer looms as a future disaster (because, of course, it’s here right now with many countries feeling devastating effects already), we can no longer ignore our carbon footprint in the workplace.   Encouraging climate- and planet-friendly practices at work is a no-brainer.   How green your workspace is will depend to some extent on just where you work. ‘Greening’ a communal space in a large office building, or a small cubicle in an open-plan office, requires a different approach than is needed if you work from home. One might hope that many corpor ...

We’ve all read it and cringed at some point: I literally died when I saw him.   I have literally nothing to wear.   It rained literally every day for a month. Okay, so maybe – just maybe – if you live in a monsoon climate, the last one might be true; however, more likely it’s simply an exaggeration. The first two? Clearly you didn’t actually die. And the second one could only be correct if you’d just evacuated your home in the middle of the night as it was destroyed by a fire and you’re naked in the street while all of your clothes have gone up in smoke!     Smarten up your writing – formal or informal – by avoiding this misuse. Literally means that something is true; for example, a literal translation of a document ...

Eggcorns? What on earth would they be? Generally this term is applied when people spell a word as they hear it, which may be quite different from the actual spelling. For example, if you weren’t familiar with the word ‘acorns’ you might think people were talking about “eggcorns” and write it that way. Some commonly seen ‘eggcorns’: I know what I’m doing now – I’ve got it down packed.   (Should be: I know what I’m doing now – I’ve got it down pat.)   I don’t think that will pass mustard. (Should be: I don’t think that will pass muster.)   To all intensive purposes… (Should be: To all intents and purposes…)   Just a taste to wet your appetite. (Should be: Just a taste to whet ...