I was wondering if the expression “I thank you for your answer” isn’t nicer than ” Thank you for your answer”. For comparison, saying “I thank you” in French is nicer because the person who says it is more involved than when he/she simply says “Thank you for …”. Is it the same thing in … Read more
Is it correct the correspondence between probably/for sure and should? I mean, if the use of should is correct, besides to have the same meaning in phrases like: He should be ok ←→ probably he is ok ←→ he is ok, for sure Context added When, for instance, I have no news from him for … Read more
A coworker replied to an earlier email from me with some very good news. I wanted to thank him for his help. I was hoping to start with Thank you, Jim. That is wonderful news… OR is it Thank you Jim. That is wonderful news… Do I place the comma after the “Thank you”? Answer … Read more
What are different things that can be solved? For the purposes of responding to a complaint “I can’t solve this!” with the intent: “That’s because it’s not a(n) ______”. Words considered so far: Problem Equation Puzzle Specifically the response should convey comfort to the complainant. “You cannot solve this because this is not really a … Read more
“His personal correspondence is renowned in the Italian language” – from an article about Niccolò Machiavelli What is the exact meaning of “personal correspondence” in that context ? Answer These would be letters Machiavelli wrote to friends and acquaintances but not as part of his official duties. You may wish to read Machiavelli and His … Read more
I have a friend who is using “acknowledge” when someone asks him to confirm something. Usually I observe people using “Okay, noted.” but I never see anyone using “Acknowledge”. Therefore I want to check that it is okay to use “Acknowledge” instead of “Okay, noted.” in response to an email? Answer You could certainly use … Read more
I am often getting things sent to myself and other people. Is it wrong to say: Please send to… [address] attentioned to [name] I often say: Please sent to… [address] and attention it to [name] On the other hand, I might receive something and it is not mine so I ask a group: There’s a … Read more
I’m trying to find the expression to use when writing a message as a member of a team, as in: This is a reminder that all team members should act as team players. John Smith, for the Tautological team Is this “for the X team” construction correct? Could I write instead: For the Tautological team, … Read more
I would like to inquire about the usage of word “kindly” to close an email instead of “best”, “sincerely” or ….etc. Can the word “kindly” be used to close an email, for example: Hi Matt, I would like to thank you for the great help yesterday! kindly, John I see it very strange, but many … Read more
How to address the VP of a company or department? I have been told that addressing by name was not polite. Any clues? Answer Unless you knew him personally, it would certainly not be appropriate in the UK, and I imagine it would not be in the US either. Few men will object to being … Read more
