A percentage point or percent point is the unit for the arithmetic difference of two percentages. For example, moving up from 20% to 42% is a 22-percentage point increase, but is a 110 percent increase in what is being measured. Let’s see this with an example: Source Text:                         Trump’s job approval has risen from 44 percent on March 16 by 5 percentage points to 49 percent nine days later on ..read more

Writing long sentences will alienate your readers and would even cost you your customers. Try to shorten your sentences whenever possible: Long:       The company will invest $2billion in a new semi-conductor manufacturing plant in San Jose, California, which will have living quarters for engineers, a school, a swimming pool and a  recreation center. Better:    The company will invest $2billion in a new semi-conductor manufacturing plant in San Jose, California. The plant will have living quarters for engineers ..read more

This article series aims to eliminate usage errors and help non-native speakers to write clearly and fluently. We suggest that you always do proper research and use style guides effectively. For anything you are not sure of, feel free to ask us. Misused word as Alternatives because Explanation “As” is sometimes used to mean “because.” But do not use it if there is any chance of ambiguity. In the example below, “as” could mean “because” or “when.” Example Avoid “We ..read more

This article series aims to eliminate usage errors and help non-native speakers to write clearly and fluently. We suggest that you always do proper research and use style guides effectively. For anything you are not sure of, feel free to ask us. Misused word since Alternatives because Explanation Do not use “since” to mean “because” if there is any chance of ambiguity. In the example below, “since” could mean “because” or “from the time that.” Example Avoid “Since we won ..read more

Are you as old as I am and therefore able to name the NBA team the legendary basketball player Clyde Drexler is most commonly associated with? If you are getting somewhat on in years and you also follow NBA basketball, then you would answer: Portland Trail Blazers. What I will focus on throughout the rest of my entry is the verb “to blaze a (new) trail.” If you set an example by being the first to do something, you blaze ..read more

This article series aims to eliminate usage errors and help non-native speakers to write clearly and fluently. We suggest that you always do proper research and use style guides effectively. For anything you are not sure of, feel free to ask us. Misused word allow (to), permit (to), enable (to) Alternatives make it possible to, allow us to, enable us to, allow (an assessment) of. Explanation When used to mean “make it possible to,” “allow to” cannot be used without ..read more

This article series aims to eliminate usage errors and help non-native speakers to write clearly and fluently. We suggest that you always do proper research and use style guides effectively. For anything you are not sure of, feel free to ask us. Misused word important Alternatives large, substantial, significant. Explanation “Important” is often wrongly used to mean “big” (“the most important power station in France”); it actually means: “strongly affecting the course of events or the nature of things” or ..read more

The article discusses the importance of effective management for hybrid meetings, which combine onsite and online participation, emphasizing the need for constant team communication, reliable internet, and proper equipment setup. It recommends using Zoom's advanced features to facilitate smoother interactions and maintain engagement among participants. The piece also notes that these practices are trusted by prominent organizations like the UN and EU and offers further assistance for those interested in organizing hybrid meetings ..read more

Dragoman offices can provide certified, notarized and apostilled translations in many regions and languages of the world. However, many government and private institutions prefer the translations to be performed or reviewed by translators holding either an ITI or CIOL certification ..read more

Every now and then, we receive a translation content that sends us down the emotional roller-coaster. Like I said, a good professional is to be able to detach from the content and simply do their job ..read more