Category: Word lovers

Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Fewer or less?

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation. This week, useless chatter about whether to use “less”… Q: Hi there. I was at the

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Grammar and Punctuation
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Rule Britannica

This week, we sit down to a lesson in ligatures with our friendly Q & A participants… Q: Hello, do you think I have the Ebola virus?  A: No. Q: Okay, great, just thought I should check. Now I also want to ask about something I struggle with.  A: Your

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Grammar and Punctuation
Dean Koorey

Q&A: 2, 4 ,6, 8! What’s the right way to write numbers?

They sit right there above the letters on the keyboard, but how do we go with using them? This week we examine numbers… Q: Hi there Australian Writers’ Centre, can I ask a question? A: Well, that capital Q in front of everything you say suggests that you can. What’s

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Grammar and Punctuation
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Some people are so possessive

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation… Q: Hi there, I have a question about possession. A: What kind of possession? We

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Grammar and Punctuation
Dean Koorey

George Clooney got married and we’re feeling rather possessive…

So, recently on the Q&A segment of our weekly newsletter, we were discussing possessives with proper nouns (names), and one example was compound possessives. When two (or more) people ‘own’ the same thing, and they are named, we only need to indicate possession on the final one: “I was invited

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Plan ahead! A conversational chat about tautology.

One of our Australian Writers’ Centre community recently asked us to clarify the use of the term “plan ahead” as being somewhat redundant. This led to more examples of tautology and somehow a party invitation… Q: Hi there AWC. I want to talk to you about the term “Plan Ahead”.

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Word lovers
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Tip: Active Voice versus Passive Voice

One thing you should be trying to do with your style is to write actively rather than passively.

Passive voice slows the action, deadens the emotions and distances the reader from the action. But what is it? I hear you ask.

Well, consider these sentences:

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: It’s very unique

Last week our Q&A used the term ‘very unique’, and in doing so, succeeded in waking up the interwebs. An ABSOLUTE catastrophe! Let’s take a look… Q: Well, wasn’t that a great Q&A last week? All ‘reality show’ themed and that. A: Oh, thanks. Um, who are those other people? Q:

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Grammar and Punctuation
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Plurals, possession and apostrophes

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation. This week, a word or two about possession… Q: Hello. Every May and September I

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Or maybe it’s “Q & An”?

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation… This week, is it “a” or “an”? Q: Woooo, hi there guys, I just got in from

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Hone sweet home

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation… This week, which word is correct? Q: Hi guys, can you clear up whether it’s

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Grammar and Punctuation
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Years’ vs Years experience?

Each week, we take an informative and light-hearted look at the important punctuation and grammar issues of the day, including the much-maligned apostrophe. This week, inspired by one of our newsletter readers, we tackle a particularly knotty one… Q: Hi there, I was editing something the other day and saw

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Compliment vs complement

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation… This week, when do we use each of these two? Q: Hi Australian Writers’ Centre.

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Sow be it

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation. This week, sowing seeds of doubt… Q: Hi Australian Writers’ Centre, help!  I’m utterly confused about

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Grammar and Punctuation
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Exercising your but

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation. This week, we’re obsessed with buts. Q: Hi Australian Writers’ Centre, I was wondering why

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: There’s no need to obsess about it…

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation. This week, we share an obsession of ours… Q: Hi Australian Writers’ Centre, I’m obsessed

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Centres around vs centres on?

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation… This week, which phrase is correct? Q: Hi there – a friend of mine wrote

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Our famous Q&As!
Dean Koorey

Q&A: Champing or Chomping?

Each week, we take a look at a common confusions and ambiguities in the English language (that gives us about a century’s worth of material!) – making things easier through the power of friendly conversation… This week, which word is correct? Q: I couldn’t wait to ask you a question

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