The office receptionist on the phone: “I know what document you want, but I don’t know what you expect me to….Oh, you want me to FAX it. You didn’t say that. You didn’t say to FAX it. You just said…” Apparently there was some push back...
Being a New Yorker, I’m proud to wear my cap, but I am mindful of the dangers of wearing clothes that say things. Clothes are a means of communication, as we know. As such, they all say things, even the ones without printed statements on them....
Marshall was a participant in a Language at Work Email Writing course several years ago. Recently I ran into him and he told me that he had just put to use something he had learned in that course. Of course we love to imagine that...
….and with her confusing sidekick, ‘can’. These words have different meanings and usages, altho the distinction has blurred in informal speech. However, in keeping with our mission of shining light on correctness where we can, we offer the rules, which are blessedly easy. May is used...
When speaking to people who represent institutions, we frequently encounter the detached, scripted, robotic, customer-service speak that is designed to find out what you want so that it can be provided to you or not without the inconvenience of acknowledging that humans are involved. The song...
I the only person who is annoyed with this: “…and you are…?” as a method of learning about another person? I mention it because, as an introductory communication, I feel it lacks a sense of collegiality or even cordiality, which characteristics can lend a measure of grace...