Writing for Business - A Whatis.com Blog » the difference between http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business Is your grammar as good as your code? Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 The difference between “someday” and “some day” http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-someday-and-some-day/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-someday-and-some-day/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:14:46 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/?p=2197 Which is correct?
The message from human resources asked if she could come for an interview __________ next week.
a. someday
b. some day


Answer: b.

Explanation:
“Someday” refers to an unspecified time in the future, as in “Someday my prince will come.” As two words, “some day” refers to an unspecified but specific day: The interview will be scheduled for a particular but unspecified day the following week. “Someday” is incorrect in that context.

Confusingly, you can substitute “some day” for situations where “someday” works — but not vice versa.

Grammarist explains more about “someday” vs. “some day.”

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]]> http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-someday-and-some-day/feed/ 0 The difference between “dependent” and “dependant” http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-dependent-and-dependant/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-dependent-and-dependant/#comments Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:22:40 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/?p=2088 Which is correct?
The ________ variable is what is being measured in an experiment.

a. dependent
b. dependant


Answer: a.

Explanation:
Dependent is an adjective meaning reliant upon. Dependant is a noun, meaning one who is dependent, as a child is reliant upon her parents.

The value of the dependent variable depends on the input to the equation:

In a simple mathematical equation, for example:

a = b/c

the dependent variable, a , is determined by the values of b and c.

@grammarmonster provides more examples of dependent vs. dependant and a quiz.

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]]> http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-dependent-and-dependant/feed/ 0 The difference between “though” and “although” http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-though-and-although/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-though-and-although/#comments Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:19:24 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/?p=2072 Which is correct?
A botnet is a group of computers organized to distribute spam or malware — _________ the owners are typically unaware of the fact.

a. though
b. although
c. even though

Answer: b. or c., for formal writing

Explanation:
The meanings of a. and b. are the same, in this context, and although though isn’t wrong, it’s less acceptable in formal writing. Even though expresses a stronger contrast between the ideas in the first of the sentence and the last, so arguably that’s the best choice.

Grammarist provides examples of when though means the same thing as although and when it doesn’t:

Examples

In these examples, although and though are the same:

Growth in Europe is maintaining momentum, although the risks related to peripheral economies have increased. [Globe and Mail]

Unlike the other comparisons, however, this one is apt, though perhaps not in a way Cantor intended. [Washington Post]

Although the birds are just a small part of his business, carefully raising the pheasants from delicate eggs to beautifully feathered birds is clearly a passion. [The Age]

Some grown unschoolers, though positive about it overall, admit they’ve at times longed to be just like the other kids … [National Post]

And in these examples, though is an adverb and hence not interchangeable with although:

             This weekend, though, theaters were packed. [Los Angeles Times]

             There was another twist to come, though, as Pavlyuchenkova defied her flagging

 

Even though Grammarist seems to disagree, though doesn’t seem acceptable to me in formal writing. I always change it, when editing. What do you think?

 

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]]> http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/the-difference-between-though-and-although/feed/ 0 What’s the difference between an architecture and an infrastructure? http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/whats-the-difference-between-an-architecture-and-an-infrastructure/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/whats-the-difference-between-an-architecture-and-an-infrastructure/#comments Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:34:04 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/?p=1943 Which is correct?
In information technology, an ___________ specifies the overall structure, logical components, and the logical interrelationships of an information system.
a. architecture
b. infrastructure

Answer: a.

Explanation:
An architecture is a conceptual model of the components of some IT system; infrastructure is the hardware components.

Reminds me a bit of how some anonymous wag thought to differentiate hardware from software:

Those parts of the system that you can hit with a hammer are called hardware; those program instructions that you can only curse at are called software. – Anonymous

That’s one of the entries in Our Favorite Technology Quotations. If you liked it, there’s lots more where that came from.

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