The question of whether to use who or whom may seem abstract, or pertinent only to the pompous. But, technically, it’s no different from differentiating between she and her, he and him, or they and them. Subject and object What we’re essentially...
Catie Holdridge
How to fix run-on sentences
‘Run-on sentences’ may sound like a newspaper headline announcing that sentences are flying off the shelves. In fact, they are a product of the grammatically incorrect practice of running complete ideas into each other. Observe: I rock she rolls. As you can see, a...
Is the round robin’s goose cooked?
Disclaimer: the views expressed in this article are those of the author and not those of the rest of the staff at Emphasis. We like robins here, and none were harmed in the production of this article. Ed.] Christmas is a time for traditions. For many, this involves...
Name that festive tune
Oh, jingle bells! Under the influence of one too many eggnog-laced espressos, we’ve only gone and rewritten verses from three popular Christmas songs in almost impenetrable management speak. Passive constructions? Tautology? Unnecessarily long words? Latin? Oh...
The most missable proofreading errors
Last month, we set you a proofreading task. After the results were in, two things became clear. One: you like a challenge. And two: some errors can outfox even the most eagle-eyed of us. Don’t let these ones fool you twice. 1. Punctuating around brackets (or,...
Whose luggage is it anyway?
One of our readers, Marc, wrote in with this question: ‘Should it be you and your partner’s luggage or your and your partner’s luggage? As in: "We were sorry to hear about the loss of you and your partner’s luggage on your recent flight." The...
Make good writing second nature
A question for the drivers: how much of the drive to work this morning do you remember? The answer, probably, is not much, because you’re so used to the process that you no longer need to consciously think about it. It’s the same for learning any new...
Easy on the adjectives
New research suggests that if you want your writing to be shared online then overusing adjectives is not wise, advisable, judicious, big or clever. [Mental note: should probably edit this.] The findings come from social media scientist Dan Zarrella, who aims –...
Hit or myth? Use an before h-words
No one ever said English was a straightforward language. No sooner have you learned one rule than you are presented with all the exceptions. As dewy-eyed innocents, we were taught to put a before words beginning with consonants and an before those starting with...
In or on
This may be a post mostly for our non-native English speaking readers. When to use in or on at any given moment is something native speakers give little thought to, simply because they’ve grown up hearing where these words slot in. But it can be more confusing for...
iGE iPhone app review
Apple boasts that there are now more than 500,000 iPhone apps available. Some are useful, and some less so (we particularly love the virtual stapler). But which camp does University College London’s Interactive Grammar of English (iGE) app fall into? For many, grammar...
Test your proofreading
The proofreading competition is now closed. Taking the time to proofread your writing – whether it’s a letter, report, proposal or even just an email – shouldn’t be an optional extra. After all, it can mean the difference between sending ‘I’ll definitely be done by...