By Judy Vorfeld Ever heard that it’s wrong to say, “Less than 50 people took part in the poll,” and that “Fewer” is the proper word? How can we tell which is right? “Fewer” should be used with a plural noun that describes a group of individual items that can […]
By Judy Vorfeld If you’re confused about “different than” vs. “different from,” here’s a quick way to rest your mind: Different from: This product is different from the one I normally use. Different than: I see the issue in a different way than you do. (Although “from” is normally preferred, “than” is acceptable […]
By Judy Vorfeld If you do much reading, or are in certain professions, you not only come across the expression et al., but know what it means. Et al. used to be used just in the U.S. in legal documents, but for many years it’s been used […]
By Judy Vorfeld CONTINUOUS (uninterrupted) “Continuous” refers something happening without interruption. Examples: Living near the freeway means listening to continuous road noise from dawn to dusk…I sat watching the continuous flow of water spilling from the top of Multnomah Falls. CONTINUAL (happening again and again) “Continual” suggests […]
By Judy Vorfeld What do I mean by words that obfuscate? In fact, what does “obfuscate” mean? It’s a word that rarely finds a home in a normal business letter. Let’s analyze just a few words that don’t belong in most business documents or on many websites (it all depends on the […]
