Writing for Business

Writing for Business - Data is or data are

Margaret Rouse — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:31:12 +0000

Once all the data ______ in, we can set traps to identify the zombie’s controller.
a. is
b. are
Which is correct?

Answer: Both answers are correct.

Source: Oxford Dictionary
Strictly speaking, data is the plural of datum, and should be used with a plural verb (like facts). However, there has been a growing tendency to use it as an equivalent to the uncountable noun information, followed by a singular verb. This is now regarded as generally acceptable in American use, and in the context of information technology. The traditional usage is still preferable, at least in Britain, but it may soon become a lost cause.

1990’s or 1990s?

Ivy Wigmore — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:29:32 +0000

Which is correct?
The bandwidth demands of the average Internet user have increased dramatically since the _____.
a. 1990s
b. 1990’s

Answer: a

Explanation:
According to AP style, the only time you use an apostrophe s to pluralize is in the case of single letters: mind your P’s and Q’s!

Me, myself, I — which is correct?

Ivy Wigmore — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:00:11 +0000

Which is correct?
I requested copies of the marketing report for other team members and ____.
a. me
b. myself
c. I

Answer: b

Explanation:
Here you have it — the ONLY way you can correctly refer to yourself AS “yourself” — reflexivey:

Use the old trick of taking the other person out of the equation:

I requested a copy of the report for myself. (You wouldn’t say “I requested a copy of the report for me” or “I requested a copy of the report for I,” right?)

It’s reflexive because the subject (I) is the same person as the object (myself).

It works the same way as:

I embarrassed myself.

I treated myself.

I hurt myself.

I overextended myself.

I convinced myself.

Only I can do anything to “myself,” grammatically speaking. No one else can call “myself.” Likewise, no one can do anything along with “myself.” Although it may sound harsh, you and myself are incapable of conducting any kind of business. “You and I,” on the other hand, might make the cover of Forbes — and be grammatically correct in interview to boot.

See more about first person pronoun errors here.

Between or among?

Ivy Wigmore — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:04:47 +0000

Which is correct?
They set up five mesh devices to create a high-bandwidth network _______ themselves without the need for a central access point.
a. between
b. among

Answer: b

Explanation:
When you’re talking about two items, use between. If there are any more than two, among is the correct choice.

Open source — hyphenate or not?

Ivy Wigmore — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:56:42 +0000

Which is correct?
Open source describes any software whose source code is in the public domain or that is copyrighted and distributed under an ______________.
a. open source license
b. open-source license

Answer: b

Explanation:
Because open-source is an adjective here, it should be hyphenated.

Knowledgerush provides more information and background on open source.

Please RSVP?

Ivy Wigmore — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:11:22 +0000

Which is correct?
We need to assign seating for the security seminar so _________ by next Friday.
a. RSVP
b. please RSVP

Answer: a

Explanation:
RSVP stands for repondez s’il vous plait, which translates to please reply. So if you include please here, you’re saying “please, please reply.” Unless you’re begging, one please is probably enough.

(Of course, as many administrative staff members know, it sometimes seems like you do have to beg to get a response from employees. But that’s another issue.)

Another tip: It’s okay to say “RSVP by Friday” but don’t say “RSVP in advance.” If we can’t assume that people will respond to invitations before the events in question — rather than after they’re over — it pretty much defeats the purpose.

Grammar Girl offers more examples of annoying redundancies.

“It’s” or “its” — which is correct?

Ivy Wigmore — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:48:56 +0000

Which is correct?
Maintaining an appropriate ambient temperature for hardware is essential to ____ performance and longevity.
a. it’s
b. its

Answer: b

Explanation:
It’s only means it is or it has — don’t use it for the possessive form.

Hyphenation — low cost or low-cost?

Ivy Wigmore — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:10:42 +0000

Which is correct?
Cluster computing can also be used as a relatively______ form of parallel processing.
a. low cost
b. low-cost

Answer: b

Explanation:
Hyphenate such terms when they serve as adjectives, as low-cost does here to modify form.

If cost is serving as a noun, we don’t hyphenate. For example: Cluster computing is sometimes used for parallel processing because of its relatively low cost.

Which is correct — oriented or orientated?

Ivy Wigmore — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:18:55 +0000

Which is correct?
The user found that the application worked well if she could get the phone view ________ with the package barcode.
a. orientated
b. oriented

Answer: Either one.

Explanation:
I empathize with the commenter on this Wordwizard thread who said “Oriented and orientated are evidently synonymous, but I can’t stand it! Can anyone give me some ammunition for my claim that ‘orientated’ came to be accepted only after sufficient misuse? Or at least that ‘orientated’ is a poor substitute for ‘oriented?’”

There really isn’t much help for either of us — the most comfort we can take is that “orient” was the original form and “oriented” arose later.

Here’s an excerpt from a fascinating comment from Ken Greenwald:

The word passed into English in the 14th century via Old French as the adjective and noun ‘orient.’ With the spread of Christianity into Europe it became customary to build churches with their longitudinal axes pointing eastward toward Jerusalem. This practice gave rise to the use of ‘orient’ as a verb (via the French ‘orienter,’ a derivative of the adjective ‘orient’— 1727-41) meaning ‘to cause to face or point toward the east,’ to turn east. It was then used by extension (1842) to mean ‘to place or adjust in any particular way with respect to the cardinal points or other defined data.’ And then, finally, in 1850 it came to be used figuratively to mean ‘to adjust, correct, or bring into defined relations, to known facts or principles; to put oneself in the right position or relation; to ascertain one’s ‘bearings,’ find out ‘where one is.’”

> Read the rest of that thread.

Sigh. It appears that “orientated” is every bit as correct as “oriented.” I will just have to bear up and accept it.

Purposely or purposefully?

Ivy Wigmore — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:30:04 +0000

Which is correct?
Although most information breaches aren’t committed _________, the effects can be just as serious as if there had been a security attack.
a. purposely
b. purposefully

Answer: a

Explanation:
Purposely means on purpose or intentionally. It describes an action with a specific purpose behind it. You might say, for example, that you purposely left the front light on because you’d be returning after dark. If intentionally works in the sentence, choose purposely rather than purposefully.

Purposefully means full of purpose and describes the manner in which the subject does something. For example, if you have something important to say, you might stride purposefully to the podium.