From the category archives:

Business Writing Grammar

A WISE CLIENT QUESTION:
“There was always one grammatical mix up for me, and I would like your advice on it. Do we say: I will finish in a week’s time or in a weeks time? In two days’ time or in two days time?”
This question addresses Inanimate Possessives. Before we look at Inanimate Possessives specifically, [...]

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The it’s vs its confusion is actually a very easy correction because an apostrophe is only used in the contracted form of it’s:
* It’s is a contraction of it is or it has:
- Darlene has been pushing the Kanter proposal for all it’s worth. (…for all it is worth.)
- It’s too late. (It is too [...]

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The Lie-Lay Confusion Explained

by Mary Cullen on October 16, 2008

in Business Writing Grammar

Lay and lie are two words often interchanged mistakenly in business documents.
Lay means “to place.” Lie, as a verb, means “to recline or tell an untruth.” (Lie, as a noun, means a falsehood.) Lie, as a noun is generally clear, but the verb lie and the verb lay can be confusing.
Lay (principal parts: lay, laid, [...]

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Press Release Error

by Mary Cullen on September 23, 2008

in Business Writing Grammar, Proofreading

I’m sorry I’ve not blogged for a few days. Instructional Solutions celebrates its ten year anniversary this month! There is a lot of reflection and writing and celebrating occurring.
Coincidentally, I stumbled across a press release for a potential client, also celebrating a ten year anniversary this year. They’re a great company, but I cringed. The [...]

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