A plain language guide to grammar, punctuation and writing well
Look at this from a recent story in Retail Week: “We aren’t adverse to a change in the leasing model." And this, from Nottinghamshire Live: "I'm not adverse to slowing down the road ..." This is a mistake you will see EVERYWHERE. People use 'adverse' when they mean 'averse'. But it rarely happens the other… Continue reading A quick word … averse to adverse
Is it all right to write 'alright'? 'Alright' is perfectly OK in informal writing, unless you're emailing someone with grammar-related blood pressure issues. Oxford Dictionaries says: There is no logical reason for insisting on 'all right' as two words, when other single-word forms such as 'altogether' have long been accepted. Nevertheless, it is still considered… Continue reading A quick word … all right or alright?
Ensorcelled? Really? Why send your readers away (probably never to return) to consult a dictionary when 'enchanted' or 'fascinated' would work just as well (probably better) in this case?
Some words are ugly and some grammatical concepts are very tricky indeed. And sometimes ugly combines with tricky. But I know you like a challenge. Exhibit A: the gerund. Don’t go – the butler’s serving drinks afterwards.
A quick piece of advice today from an old hack: repetition is not necessarily a Bad Thing. Some writers think that repeating the same word is to be avoided at all costs, but this simply isn't the case. Very often, the distracting and intrusive linguistic gymnastics involved render a piece of writing inelegant and amateurish.
Or, indeed, ‘flack’. ‘Flack’ being a variant spelling of ‘flak’ which means anti-aircraft fire, or, as used above, strong or annoying criticism. See Oxford Dictionaries.
Grammar books sometimes bother me; you somehow feel as if you should believe everything you read in them. But while that might make you more of a selective human, it won’t in all cases arm you with the facts.
Wordwatch Towers 