Chapter 5 of 515% of exam
Avoiding Common Business Errors
Professional correspondence has its own conventions. This chapter reviews polite formulas and collective nouns that often cause mistakes in emails and reports.
Polite Formulas
Standard phrases must be used exactly: 'look forward to + -ing' and 'appreciate it if you could'. Omitting 'it' or using an infinitive after 'to' are frequent slips.
Collective Nouns
'Staff' is a collective noun; in British usage it commonly takes a plural verb ('the staff are'). Subjects like 'a steady increase' remain singular ('has been').