Polite manners and the language that accompanies them — such as greetings, goodbyes, apologies, words of thanks, and the like — tend to follow very particular rules. We often hear the phrase “Best regards,” particularly at the close of a letter or other form of communication. Is this phrase grammatically correct? It is correct to …
Academics
Anyone sitting in an English grammar class prior to 2010 probably remembers their teacher getting on a soapbox about beginning a sentence with “so,” “but,” and “because.” Despite this, the stubborn use of “so” to introduce a sentence has only grown in verbal and casual writing. Yes, you may begin a sentence with “so” correctly. …
You are writing an email to someone and thinking about how to start the main body. You can either get directly to the point or take the time to open with some form of pleasantry. Would it be correct to say, “I hope all is well with you”? It is correct to say “I hope …
Imagine you’re writing an email to your team at work. There are a lot of urgent tasks to complete, and you want to encourage the team to work quickly. Is it correct to write about “prompt action”? The phrase “prompt action” is a correct and common collocation in English. We usually use it to express …
There are many differences between American and British English. Normally, these differences are fun and easy to understand. Occasionally, however, a familiar word appears in an odd context to communicate a meaning you were not aware it could convey, and such is the case with “revise.” It is correct to say “revise” when communicating that …
The need to thank a group of people is common. It’s a way to acknowledge the hard work others have done. However, when doing so, is it “Thanks, everybody” or “Thanks, everyone”? Typically, “Thanks, everyone” is the better option because it is a little more formal and fits more situations without disrespect. However, grammatically both …