Page 119 - How to write effective business English your guide to excellent professional communication by Fiona Talbot

108 How to Write Effective Business English

Tune in to the changing use of pronouns in business today. My
publishers offer guidelines as follows. Avoid using masculine pro-
nouns for neutral nouns. Use ‘they’ and ‘their’ rather than ‘he’,
‘him’, ‘his’.
In this way, you will find an example such as this: ‘Not sure
what to do? Ask your manager for their advice.’ Even though ‘man-
ager’ is a singular noun, the neutral plural ‘their’ is common usage
now, in this context.
Beyond this, more pronouns are being added to the mix of
English pronouns found in traditional grammar books of yester-
year. For example, some people may indicate personal, gender-fluid
pronouns they want you to use when addressing them, such as ‘ze’
or ‘hir’ as their preferred third-person singular pronouns over ‘he’
or ‘she’, etc.
There are many other variations that this book hasn’t the scope
to include, and besides it is very much about individuals’ personal
preferences, so please do take the time to research your readers and
mirror to them what they expect. It’s very much about tailoring
your writing and tuning in to the ongoing changes. It’s essential to
do this to communicate effectively and respectfully with your tar-
get audience.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun. For example:

red, lovely, clever;
That is a lovely photo.

A verb is a ‘doing word’ or describes a state of being. For example:
write, run, work, be;

She is an assistant who works hard.
Sometimes a verb needs two or three words to complete it. For
example:
I am working in Moscow this week.

You will be travelling first class.