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Archive for November, 2009

How do you feel about that?

Posted by Catie Holdridge

The most innocuous-seeming topics have sparked incredibly heated debates. Marmite: love it or loathe it? Toilet roll facing front or facing back? [Front obviously – Ed.] Daddy or chips?

Well, we’re about to start another one: whether or not to cut ‘that’ from sentences.

Now, don’t panic. This is not some kind of totalitarian coup – we are in no way advocating the complete abolition of ‘that’ from the English language. It is, after all, very useful.

How else would we be able to declare: ‘I want that one’?

No other word comes near it for its ability to define and specify, as in:

Have you seen the watch that my father gave me?

Incidentally, in this way it is not to be confused with ‘which’, since the latter often presents optional information (which could be omitted from the sentence):

My watch, which my father gave me, has gone missing.

However, anyone who knows Emphasis knows that we favour clarity, brevity, and generally getting on with it. To that end, sometimes the ‘that’s are redundant and just get in the way. Observe:

Are you still talking about the watch that your father gave you?

easily becomes:

Are you still talking about the watch your father gave you?

The meaning is just as clear, the sentence is less clumsy, and you have that little bit longer left to look for the watch.

But don’t let us hog the microphone. Join the debate: redundant place-filler or vital for rhythm and sense? Are there instances where excluding it would only lead to madness? Just how do you feel about ‘that’?

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Posted November 30th, 2009 in Grammar | 1 Comment »

Tactical mistake

Posted by Catie Holdridge

We’ve all done it: accidentally substituted a similar-sounding but actually entirely different word for the one we meant to write.

And while no-one wants to be the person who does it (it could seriously undermine your credibility), for humour’s sake, we’re probably all secretly glad it happens occasionally.

Take one of the features of a 9 LED Eurohike aluminium torch (offered at an unmissable price with a recent purchase at Millets). Listed between ‘heavy duty aluminium construction’ and ‘3 x AAA batteries included’ we find ‘tactical on/off switch’.

Now that sounds fancy, doesn’t it? But really, whenever any of us make that strategic reach for the on/off switch, with the cunning plan of being able to see where we are going, aren’t we all tacticians in our own right?

Or could this simple, moulded, soft-rubber switch actually be better described as … tactile?

But then, this is a dangerous game to start.

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Posted November 19th, 2009 in Choose your words wisely, Proofreading | No Comments »

Be sensitive; get the details right

Posted by Catie Holdridge

It’s always important to check over and authenticate the key details in anything you write before you send it out. But if there’s ever a time when it’s absolutely vital, it’s when addressing sensitive matters.

Gordon Brown knows this now better than anyone. At a time of year when everyone is particularly conscious of the lives and lot of soldiers, it is especially mortifying that he apparently sent out a handwritten condolence note with misspellings, including of the late young man’s name.

Whether it’s your unfortunate duty to be penning a letter denying a loan, rejecting a proposal or giving someone their notice, you must remember that the recipient will probably already be on the defensive. Any typos or unchecked errors will just seem like insult piled on top of injury.

So, be it in the spirit of not burning bridges, of good press, or merely the milk of human kindness – get the details right.

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Posted November 12th, 2009 in Proofreading, Spellings | No Comments »

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