Business Communication Instruction shares the latest news, tips, techniques, and methods being used by instructors today to make their classes more rewarding and enjoyable.

Three Quests for Errors

Are you feeling smart and alert today? Test yourself in the three short passages below. Each “Error Quest” has just one error. Find and correct it. Error Quest 1: Since you asked, this is RoAnn’s and my suggestion: We believe…

November 14, 2018
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Are You Envious–or Jealous?

Envious? Jealous? Do you use these words interchangeably? Or do you make a distinction between them? Test your understanding by filling in these blanks: I am _______________ of my neighbors’ gorgeous backyard. Rob feels _______________ when he sees Carlos talking…

November 8, 2018
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Nauseous vs. Nauseated–Which Is She?

My dear friend just had major surgery in another city. Texting me to let me know how she is, her husband wrote, “She’s nauseous a lot.” But is she nauseous or nauseated? What do you think? Word sticklers distinguish between…

September 26, 2018
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Nauseous vs. Nauseated–Which Is She?

My dear friend just had major surgery in another city. Texting me to let me know how she is, her husband wrote, “She’s nauseous a lot.” But is she nauseous or nauseated? What do you think? Word sticklers distinguish between…

September 26, 2018
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Stuck on the Right Words for Sensitive Topics? Get AP 2018

If you create newsletter articles, HR policies, forms, reports, or other pieces that touch on current topics and data, you may catch yourself wondering about word choice: transgender or transgendered? Eskimo or Inuit? Survivor or victim? The latest AP Stylebook…

June 28, 2018
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Good Word to Know: “Polymath”

Reading yesterday’s New York Times, I came upon the word polymath, and I couldn’t confidently determine its meaning from the context. Can you define the word? Here’s how The NYT used it: The debut season of “Atlanta,” the FX series…

March 5, 2018
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Amount ≠ Quantity: A Cautionary Tale

The other day my fitness coach went online to pay a $250 deposit on her daughter’s high school trip. She found the website and the correct trip, clicked the link to pay $250, and then faced a cell marked Amount….

January 10, 2018
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What Does “Redoubtable” Mean?

The other day I was reading a movie review, and a character in the film was described twice as redoubtable. Before you read on, answer this question: What does redoubtable mean? Need some help? So did I. I had no…

December 20, 2017
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