It was a bitterly cold winter’s day. The wind was blowing straight from the Pole and every few minutes or so there was another shower of sleet. A university don – the collar of his overcoat turned high, the brim … Continue reading
I think I was 13 when I started trying to learn French. My teacher was a former army captain who had spent several years in the south and west of France. Beneath his slightly old-fashioned formality and upright military bearing, … Continue reading
Longer ago than I care to remember, a friend of a friend tried to launch a monthly magazine that would be supported entirely by its cover price. The idea was that the magazine would accept advertising but it would not … Continue reading
A former colleague tells the (cautionary) tale of being commissioned to write a document in support of a new marketing strategy. The strategy itself was very simple. But the marketing director – who needed to sell the strategy to his … Continue reading
‘Anyone who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour, before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy qualities, to be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid.’ – H W Fowler
Lately, there have been a number of informal surveys and discussions aimed at trying to find ‘the best word ever’ – a sort of Number One on the hit parade of the English lexicon. Unfortunately, the criteria by which the … Continue reading
Here’s the bottom line: if you haven’t got anything to say don’t say it. We have just conducted a review of the various ‘corporate’ editing projects KiwiStreet has worked on over the past 12 months. Most were reports of one … Continue reading
A friend of ours reckons that he has yet to meet a man who does not consider himself to be a better than average driver and a better than average lover. I sometimes feel that my own experience of would-be … Continue reading
If you mean what you say, why not write what you say? I used to work with a woman who talked a good talk. In fact, she talked a brilliant talk. Her thoughts were organised. Her words were well chosen. … Continue reading
Is it OK to start a sentence with ‘And’? Well, yes, it is OK. And, on occasion, it can also be very useful. And yet, about once a month, someone challenges KiwiStreet’s use of this humble connective conjunction. Almost without … Continue reading