It’s not an accident that one of the West End’s most popular stage shows at the moment is about a character in search of his purpose. The protagonist in Avenue Q is a comedy puppet searching for direction. But his questions of ‘Who am I?’ and...
Rob Ashton
Writing effective job descriptions
Rob Ashton explains how to write your way to the ideal candidate. Back in January, we lamented that the UK was sitting on a glut of unwanted Christmas presents. Matching present to person is seldom an easy task. It takes time and effort. But in the run up to...
Ten tips for perfect punctuation
More people are unsure of their punctuation than would ever care to admit it. Use our quick guide to make sure you're not one of them. Never use 'its' with an apostrophe unless it means 'it is' or 'it has' – it's amazing how many people use it wrongly. Beware also the...
iPad 2.0 could herald the paperless office (at last)
Printer manufacturers must be getting a bit twitchy about the iPad. Or if they’re not, they should be – because it could well make a serious dent in their profits, writes Rob Ashton. Generally, I'm in the 'pro' camp when it comes to technology. I've bought...
May or might?
When is it right to use may and when to use might? Opinions vary, depending on what you read. Here are a few guidelines culled from the Economist Style Guide and the Oxford Guide to English Usage. 1. If the truth of the event is unknown, then may or might are...
Power to the people
People power counts for a lot in writing. ‘One in a hundred people’ is likely to produce a much bigger reaction from readers of your reports than ‘one per cent’, even though they obviously mean the same thing. Before you dismiss this as another...
Writing for health and safety: reports and procedures
When you’re lost in a foreign country or an unfamiliar city, there’s a good chance that someone will give you incomplete directions. They’ll unwittingly miss out the part about turning right at the church, or forget that the left turn comes before the roundabout. And...
How to write facilities management proposals and tender responses
There’s usually one guest at a party with a perennial case of ‘it’s all me, me, me.’ This is the type of male or female who will wedge you in a corner, and wax lyrical about their latest business success, holiday or views on America’s...
How to write health promotion documents
The health sciences have their own language. And those who don’t understand it can simply feel like they’re not part of the club. If your remit is to communicate health promotion messages to the public, you need to walk a tightrope between scientific fact...
Writing to save the world
If you're suffering from writer's block at the moment, spare a thought for the civil servants behind today's G20 summit. By 3.30 today, they have to write the statement that could determine whether the recovery kicks off or crumbles. Mind you, there are some who...
Mother’s Day or Mothers’ Day?
We had this question from a former course attendee: Hi there Please can you settle a dispute! Is it Mother's Day or Mothers' Day? Many thanks Here's our response: Hi Steph At first glance, you could say either. It would all depend on whether you think it's a day for...
Councils ban jargon – but have they missed the mark?
Council leaders have banned some 200 examples of the worst management jargon. But there are signs they've fallen into the lazy-writing trap themselves. A press release from the Local Government Association published today says that words such as 'slippage' (meaning...