{"id":4504,"date":"2025-08-26T10:03:57","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T08:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/?p=4504"},"modified":"2025-09-17T12:08:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T10:08:00","slug":"grammar-myths-that-hold-back-your-business-english-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/business\/grammar-myths-that-hold-back-your-business-english-part-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Grammar Myths That Hold Back Your Business English (Part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By now, you\u2019ve probably realised that many of the \u201crules\u201d we were taught about English aren\u2019t rules at all. They\u2019re myths\u2014often outdated, sometimes misunderstood, and occasionally just made up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this final part of the series, we\u2019re tackling a few more that still trip people up in business writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Myth 11: You must never use \u201cthey\u201d as a singular pronoun<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The myth:<\/strong> They<\/em> is plural, so using it for one person is incorrect.
The truth:<\/strong> They<\/em> has been used as a singular pronoun for centuries\u2014and it\u2019s now widely accepted, especially when gender is unknown or irrelevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2705 If a client calls, ask them to leave a message.<\/em>
\u2705 Each participant should bring their own laptop.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Grammar tip:<\/strong> Singular they<\/em> is grammatically correct, inclusive, and often the clearest option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Myth 12: You must never use \u201cand\/or\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The myth:<\/strong> And\/or<\/em> is clumsy, confusing, or incorrect.
The truth:<\/strong> While it can be overused, and\/or<\/em> is perfectly valid when you need to express both options clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2705 Please bring your laptop and\/or tablet to the session.<\/em>
\u2705 The role may involve travel and\/or weekend work.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Grammar tip:<\/strong> Use and\/or<\/em> when both options are possible, and you want to avoid ambiguity. Just don\u2019t overdo it\u2014clarity is still key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Myth 13: \u201cHopefully\u201d is incorrect at the start of a sentence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The myth:<\/strong> Hopefully<\/em> can only mean \u201cin a hopeful manner.\u201d
The truth:<\/strong> Language evolves. Hopefully<\/em> is now widely accepted to mean \u201cI hope\u201d or \u201cit is hoped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2705 Hopefully, the new system will be easier to use.<\/em>
\u2705 Hopefully, we\u2019ll see results by next quarter.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Grammar tip:<\/strong> This is called a sentence adverb\u2014it modifies the whole sentence, not just one word. And yes, it\u2019s allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Myth 14: You should never use \u201cetc.\u201d in business writing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The myth:<\/strong> Etc.<\/em> is vague, lazy, or unprofessional.
The truth:<\/strong> Etc.<\/em> is perfectly acceptable when the context is clear and the list is obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2705 We\u2019ll need pens, notebooks, flipcharts, etc.<\/em>
\u2705 The team handles logistics, scheduling, travel, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Grammar tip:<\/strong> Don\u2019t overuse it\u2014but don\u2019t fear it either. Just make sure your reader knows what kind of things you\u2019re leaving out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Myth 15: You must never begin a sentence with \u201cBecause\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The myth:<\/strong> Starting with because<\/em> creates a sentence fragment.
The truth:<\/strong> It\u2019s only a fragment if you don\u2019t finish the thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2705 Because the deadline moved, we had to adjust the timeline.<\/em>
\u274c Because the deadline moved.<\/em> (This one is<\/em> a fragment.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Grammar tip:<\/strong> Because<\/em> is a subordinating conjunction. It\u2019s fine at the start\u2014as long as the sentence is complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s the takeaway? (All three parts in one breath)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can start with And<\/em>, end with a preposition, split an infinitive, use me<\/em> instead of I<\/em>, repeat words, write fragments, embrace they<\/em> for one person, and say hopefully<\/em> without fear.
You can even use etc.<\/em>, and\/or<\/em>, and because<\/em> at the start of a sentence\u2014without the grammar police knocking on your inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short: write like a human. A clear, confident, professional human.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yes\u2014full disclosure\u2014I used to be one of those grammar sticklers. The kind who\u2019d twitch at a split infinitive or silently judge a dangling preposition. But over time, I\u2019ve come to appreciate that modern Business English isn\u2019t about perfection\u2014it\u2019s about connection. And clarity. And sounding like someone people actually want to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Thanks for sticking with me through all three parts of this series. If you\u2019ve found it helpful\u2014or if you\u2019ve got a favourite grammar myth of your own\u2014I\u2019d love to hear it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading,
Stuart<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By now, you\u2019ve probably realised that many of the \u201crules\u201d we were taught about English aren\u2019t rules at all. They\u2019re myths\u2014often outdated, sometimes misunderstood, and occasionally just made up. In this final part of the series, we\u2019re tackling a few more that still trip people up in business writing. Myth 11: You must never use […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4504"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4511,"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504\/revisions\/4511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}