Writing clearly

'By' or 'until'? Boris Johnson will resign ___ Friday.

'By' and 'until' are both used to indicate the end point of a state or action. However, they are often confused in academic writing....

How to use 'thus' in academic writing

'Thus' is a very useful but tricky word. Here is our advice on how to use it properly.

Can I start a sentence with 'and' or 'but'?

Your teacher probably told you not to start sentences with 'but' or 'and'. This is good advice. It is one of the most common errors in...

When 'It' Makes You Shudder

More terrifying than Stephen King's movie IT is an 'it' or a 'this' in a sentence that does not appear to refer to anything in...

Words from Chinese III: The Case of 'Double Reduction'

The impact of government policy is an area of research focus in many fields. In education, we are anticipating reading many essays,...

Words from Chinese II: The Case of Guanxi

Guanxi is a Chinese expression that is widely understood, especially in business circles. However, it is still the case that its meaning...

Words from Chinese I: The Case of WeChat

Recently, a student we were helping shared with us an essay she had written for a course in the School of Business at the University of...