Open quotes. Someone’s talking. Who? For a while. OK: who? More but from whom? Finally: close quotes at the end of the paragraph and we learn who said it.
Category Archives: Style
Insights… preferably not.
One of the worst offenders in the list of words overused by Dutch authors, because ‘inzicht’ is hugely more common.
Surname prefixes
Dutch surnames often have prefixes (van, van der, de, ter, etc.) and are alphabetized by the remainder, which stops half the phone book being listed under V.
The Netherlands
Um… surely not. The Dutch don’t make mistakes when referring to their own country, do they? It turns out to be a surprisingly tricky one.
In a manner, way or fashion
If you want to write English in an efficient manner, in a smart way and in a natural fashion, then don’t forget your adverbs. Do it efficiently, smartly and naturally.
Adequate
Would you want to be operated on by a surgeon whose skills are adequate? Or would you rather have one who’s good?
Consistency: -ize or -ise
American spelling uses -ize; British spelling uses either -ize or -ise and may vary from one publication to the next. But be consistent!
Colophon
It’s not a word. (Well, just about, deep in the dark depths of the dictionary. But that doesn’t make it correct.)
Citizens
Citizen is a perfectly good word when the context is about nationality. Overuse elsewhere can sound as if you’re talking about the French Revolution or writing a dystopian novel.
Historic present
Using present-tense verbs to refer to past events can be a literary device for drawing the reader in and adding impact. But avoid it in minutes and reports in English.
Advanced Dunglish 