Premise vs. Premises: Are you making this common high-tech copywriting mistake?

Sometimes it isn't the most technical terms that can trip your writing. Consider the word  premises, which is commonly used in the telecommunications and networking industries to refer to a physical location.

However, some writers think premises is simply the plural form of the noun, and so use the word premise (as a singular form) instead.

But in fact, although they are both nouns, these two words have distinct meanings.  Check the listings at dictionary.com and you will find these definitions:

A premise is a proposition that supports a conclusion.
A premises is a building or tract of land.

So remember, in most high-tech uses, the correct form is premises.

For more ideas on how to handle technical jargon appropriately, check out my book Copywriting That Sells High Tech.  

Comments

[Jacquelyn@Because I Said So!]

Thank you for the answer! When you look at some words long enough none of them make sense anymore!