Good morning everyone and happy Friday, it’s almost the weekend!

Welcome to the last part of our Grammar Tips series. Check out the rest of the tips below:

“Oh No, Grammar! (Part III)

…continued…

6. Comprise and consist. ‘Comprise’ is never followed by ‘of’: ‘The team comprises three people.’   ‘Consist’ is always followed by ‘of’: ‘The team consists of three people.’

7. Use ‘were’ rather than ‘was’ after ‘if’, ‘as if’, ‘as though’ or ‘I wish’.  For example: ‘I wish I were going too,’ and ‘If I were you I’d rethink this’ and ‘He spoke as though he were preoccupied.

8. May or can?  If you are asking permission, say ‘May I …’ rather than ‘Can I …’.  ‘Can’ indicates the physical ability to do something, so the answer to a ‘can’ question is often yes when the answer to a ‘may’ question is no! If you are asking for permission to do something, ‘may’ is the correct word to use.

9. Match words in a list.  Consider this sentence: ‘You can get to sunny Margate by train, car or cycling.’  Two nouns (train, car) and one verb (cycling) have been used in that list.  Match the words and say: ‘You can get to sunny Margate by train, car or bike.

10. Avoid tautologies.  That is, avoid saying the same thing twice.  The most common tautologies in business are ‘enclosed herewith’ and ‘attached hereto’. Keep it simple and say it once:  ‘enclosed’ or ‘attached’.

Contact me if your office needs legal training. Have a wonderful weekend!