Collective nouns are words that appear singular, but represent a group, such as flock, staff, class, committee, and jury.
If the group acts as a single unit, or if the idea of oneness is key, use a singular verb:
- The jury has reached a verdict.
- A couple of birds has built a nest in the eaves of my house.
- My staff is preparing the report to the board.
If members of the group act separately or if the word refers to individuals within the group, use the plural verb:
- A group of researchers from Europe are coming to the conference.
- A couple of latecomers are not seated.
- My staff are consistently late for work.
What about these?
- Human rights is a sensitive issue.
- Human rights are often ignored.
Nouns that end in “-ics” take a singular verb if they refer to a body of knowledge; a plural verb, if they refer to particular activities:
- Statistics is a boring subject for many students.
- Statistics are often interpreted for the benefit of the speaker.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Keywords for subject lines
I refuse to open e-mail from senders I don't recognize. If I don't know who sent it, it goes straight into the trash. If I do know the sender, I look at the subject line (SL) to decide when -- or if -- I'm going to read it.
Subject lines have to say something, have to help me prioritize my e-mail, or they get relegated to the bottom of my to-do list for the day. I like an SL that tells me what the e-mail is about.
Here's a trick I learned from a project manager who attended one of my workshops. Start every e-mail with a keyword, such as "Review," "Approve," "Action," "Decision Needed." A keyword can be anything that tells me what I'm expected to do with this e-mail. When I put a keyword in an e-mail, I get a faster, more complete response.
Subject lines have to say something, have to help me prioritize my e-mail, or they get relegated to the bottom of my to-do list for the day. I like an SL that tells me what the e-mail is about.
Here's a trick I learned from a project manager who attended one of my workshops. Start every e-mail with a keyword, such as "Review," "Approve," "Action," "Decision Needed." A keyword can be anything that tells me what I'm expected to do with this e-mail. When I put a keyword in an e-mail, I get a faster, more complete response.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
E-mail matters in business
Why care about grammar and punctuation in e-mail? Y cnt we jst ttfy and lol n eml?
Taking time to use correct grammar and punctuation is good business. It shows respect for the reader, reflects well on your professionalism, and, most importantly, contributes to understanding. Grammar and punctuation mistakes and text messaging abbreviations open the door to misinterpretation -- and readers will always interpret something to their advantage, not yours.
What about those oh-so-cute smilies and emoticons? What's wrong with ;-)? Nothing -- if you want to come across like a 14-year-old. If you want to look like a professional, limit the smilies and emoticons to non-business e-mails to your BFF.
Taking time to use correct grammar and punctuation is good business. It shows respect for the reader, reflects well on your professionalism, and, most importantly, contributes to understanding. Grammar and punctuation mistakes and text messaging abbreviations open the door to misinterpretation -- and readers will always interpret something to their advantage, not yours.
What about those oh-so-cute smilies and emoticons? What's wrong with ;-)? Nothing -- if you want to come across like a 14-year-old. If you want to look like a professional, limit the smilies and emoticons to non-business e-mails to your BFF.
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