Writers are often confused about whether a phrase beginning with an adverb should be hyphenated. The answers to the following three questions explain when hyphenation is required and when it is incorrect. 1. I read an article that included this sentence: “Smith did his best during a nationally-broadcast speech this month to scare voters away … Read more
What is the difference between often and oftentimes, and is oft a word? The short answers are that there is no difference, and yes. These three adverbs all stem from the Old English (and Middle English) term oft, meaning “frequently.” The longer variants developed in the 1300s. Just as often is an extended alteration of … Read more
When sentence elements that provide additional, nonessential information are not positioned in proximity to the word or phrase they directly pertain to, the sentence is often awkward at best and confusing at worst. Each example below demonstrates how misplacing a reference to a year or a point in time may muddle the meaning of a … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for partial quotations in American English; revise the sentences as necessary: 1. His comment left me wondering whether I’d be “invited to resign”, as he had put it. 2. Although Smith agreed with the assessment, he added, “We resent the tone.” 3. It’s difficult to … Read more
There are numerous ways to inadvertently derail a sentence by failing to provide consistent structure to parallel elements. The following sentences illustrate various types of pitfalls and how they can be avoided. 1. These audits are performed on both an ongoing basis or as part of due diligence. Both is appropriate (but not required) when … Read more
1. It is essential for management to have the ability to assess how good the organization is at embracing risk. This is a case of a smothered verb—a verb converted into noun form, which complicates the sentence because a new verb must be conjured to accompany the newly formed noun. In this case, the simple … Read more
Dangling participles are verbs that are intended to refer to a particular noun but that, because of how the main clause of the sentence is crafted, do not support the noun. The main clause, and the subordinate clause (often appearing at the head of the sentence), may in and of themselves be grammatically valid, but … Read more
Ponder and pound respectively pertain figuratively and literally to weighing things, and this commonality isn’t a coincidence: The Latin word pondus, meaning “weight,” is the source of both words. Ponder, meaning “consider” or “reflect” (though the original senses were “appraise” and “estimate”), stems from the Latin term ponderare (with the same meaning), the verb form … Read more
Each of the sentences below represents a distinct type of careless writing that obfuscates meaning. The statements are followed by discussions and revisions. 1. The strategy includes triggers for alternative contingency plans management has decided to implement if certain predetermined events occur or conditions arise. The reader might misread “alternative contingency plans management” as an … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect use of the colon; revise the sentences as necessary: 1. The three types of rock are: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. 2. That’s the key: What to do about rust. 3. Try the following steps: Rinse, lather, and repeat. 4. Smith said: “That’s the way I look … Read more
The following questions from readers pertain to how to distinguish essential information from nonessential information. 1. A colleague of mine wrote, “Institutions need to be able to collect and collate data in a centralized tool, which is easily accessible and can be mined to inform data-analytics activities.” I corrected it to “Institutions need to be … Read more
In each of the sentences below, a phrase that supports the main clause of the statement but should be distinct from it lacks an essential element that identifies it as a subordinate clause: a comma separating it from the main clause, thus obscuring the subordinate clause’s function. A discussion, followed by a revision, explains the … Read more