"When I was in journalism school we called the failure to mention the most important, interesting, or attention-grabbing elements of a story in the first paragraph of a story 'burying the lede.

"Last weekend, I was browsing in the Cajun food section at the grocery store.

"With all its accents and dialects, the English language naturally includes variation in sound.

Eric Barker speaks to Steven Pinker (photo, left) on the subject.

"One of my favourite sources for information and guidelines regarding referencing and citation styles is the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).

Barbara Pachter (photo, left) reveals common speaking mistakes even professionals make.

"Whether it’s academic, corporate, or technical text, or you're simply trying to think of what to scribble on a colleague’s birthday card, writing can be bewildering, tedious work," declares Laura Hale Brockway (photo, left).

"As writers, editors, and PR professionals, we are keenly aware of having to fight for readers’ attention," declares Laura Hale Brockway (photo, left).

Drake Baer presents the case.

"No matter how unselfish you are, you probably still find yourself trying to influence people to do the things you want them to do.

"So, you've decided to move on.

"Brands are trying their hardest to rewire the way you speak--renaming products, what we call ourselves at work, and even how we think about ourselves as customers.

On Point, with Tom Ashbrook, covers the topic of "verbal tics" (“I’m just saying.

"To explore the psyche of a people, do not look at what they do – look at what they do wrong.

Jeff Haden gives fair warning about word traps.

"To many people, LinkedIn seems like a chaotic, confusing mess," declares Janet Scarborough Civitelli, Ph.

"Can you diagnose a company's problems by the way it abuses the English language?

Can you guess what's on the list?

This resource is no longer available.

This resource is no longer available.

"John ate a slice of pepperoni pizza, and drank a bottle of beer.

"Fast Company recently attacked the use of "so" at the start of sentences, claiming it insults your audience, undermines your credibility, and demonstrates discomfort with the subject matter," reports Christina Sterbenz.

"You would think every company would prefer to communicate in a way that connects with the audience," writes Lou Hoffman (photo, left).

Sarah Green interviews Bryan Garner in this podcast at HBR Blog.

"In this Business English Pod episode we’re going to look at making a verbal progress report during a meeting.