Should We Use Contractions?

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2024 Grammar-for-Grownups Top 10

 

Number 3 

 

“For formal business writing, when should contractions be used, and when should they not be?”

 

This question was shared by a participant in the IAAP CAPstone Business Writing Specialty Certificate course.

 

The answer to this question is more stylistic in nature. Consult your organization’s writing style guide first. Different companies have different viewpoints on the acceptability of contractions in business communication. Follow your organization’s preferences. 

 

I’ll simply share my recommendation. Generally speaking, contractions are acceptable in professional emails and informal correspondence. In other words, we can write the way we speak.

 

We’ll make reservations for the restaurant around the corner from the convention center.

 

They don’t require two forms of identification for the application.

 

The professor isn’t going to grade the essays this weekend.

 

You don’t have to spell out:

 

  • We will
  • Do not
  • Is not

 

When many of us were in high school, our English teachers taught us never to use contractions in our papers. Fortunately, that rule has been relaxed for contemporary correspondence. However, if you are submitting a more formal report or proposal, I recommend avoiding contractions. Do not use them in legal documentation or contracts.

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Grammar for Grownups Top 10: A Blooper in the Society Pages

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2024 Grammar-for-Grownups Top 10

 

Number 4: A Blooper in the Society Pages

 

In recent weeks, several readers have brought up one of my most cringe-worthy grammar peeves: using the incorrect subject-verb agreement with couple.

 

Couple should be treated as a singular noun. It is a collective noun. I’m afraid you’ll read it incorrectly in the society pages:

 

Following a honeymoon in Montana, the couple plan to reside in Jackson, Mississippi. 

 

No.

 

The grammatically correct sentence is below:

 

Following a honeymoon in Montana, the couple plans to reside in Jackson, Mississippi.

 

These are correct agreements:

 

The couple plans

The couple has

The couple is

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Is it Backward or Backwards?

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2024 Grammar-for-Grownups Top 10

 

Number 5: Is She Moving Backward or Backwards?

 

Keep the wacky words coming! Thanks to all of you who have been commenting and adding to our wacky-word conversation these past few weeks. Please continue to post your questions and share your examples. This week’s winner is backward/backwards.

 

Is it backward or backwards? 

 

We’ve all heard it both ways. But only one way is correct: backward.

 

It’s backward. No “s.” Never say backwards. 

 

Allow me to share a helpful gimmick to cement this rule in your mind: If you can’t go forwards, then you can’t go backwards. That’s a fun yet memorable trick for remembering not to put an “s” on those words. We don’t say forwards, so we shouldn’t say backwards. It’s forward and backward. It’s toward, not towards.

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Image by Petra from Pixabay

Use or Utilize?

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2024 Grammar-for-Grownups Top 10

 

Number 6: Use vs. Utilize

 

A blog reader recently tagged me with this question, and it is one we cover during our Grammar-for-Grownups seminars:

 

From a Business Writing Specialty Certificate participant:

 

Question: “I have a coworker who insists utilize is a word worth using. I change it, but he changes it back. Do you have information you could share regarding your recommendation not to use that word?”

 

Answer:

 

To answer your question, the real issue is with people using use and utilize synonymously. Many business writers substitute utilize for use because they believe it sounds more professional. Many technical writers especially tend to overuse utilize, and they usually are not approaching it correctly. 

 

In reality, use and utilize do not have the same meaning. Practically speaking, we use use any time we are talking about engaging something in order to accomplish a task. 

 

Allen used email to update his team about all the meeting cancelations due to weather precautions. (Utilize would be incorrect in this sentence.)

 

Utilize has a different meaning. We use utilize when we are describing engaging something in order to accomplish a task for which it was not originally intended.

 

Lynnie utilized her dictionary as a doorstop for her office door.

 

International travelers have begun utilizing surgical slippers as face masks when trapped in airports for hours.

 

We should stop substituting utilize for use. It is a commonly misused word in the “rise of -ize” trend we are encountering as writers. This frowned-upon writing habit includes words such as:

  • Bulletize
  • Securitize
  • Dollarize
  • Statementize
  • Calendarize

 

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes. 

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Photo by Magda Ehlers