Speaking “the English language”. Mastery of “the English language”. Um… what’s wrong with just saying “English”?
Category Archives: Style
Hanging prepositions
When two different prepositions are needed in a list of actions, it can read better if you repeat the noun (or use “it” or “them” as a placeholder).
Clause order
In 1972, the company was founded. The company was founded in 1972. Both valid, depending on the emphasis, but the default for Dutch writers is often the less obvious form.
Medical Latin
Don’t assume that Latin in Dutch medical texts will be the same in English: this is often not the case. Abbreviations in particular can be incomprehensible to English speakers, even doctors
Let it be
Of several small, versatile words that are widely used by English authors and hardly ever turn up in non-native texts, the one that’s missed most often is “let”.
Answering your own questions
Want your English to sound natural? Then don’t keep answering your own questions. Want to know more? Read on!
So-called
Watch the overtones: it’s not only telling you a term is used but also implying that it’s incorrect. A so-called expert or so-called friend is not to be trusted!
By starting sentences like this…
… you are forced into a clumsy structure. Avoiding it lets you make the syntax snappier.
People persons
The plural of person is ‘people’, except in legalese and occasional old-fashioned texts.
We live on the Bovenweg
No, I’m afraid you don’t. You live on Bovenweg. There’s no article needed for a named street or road or square.
