Accurate or Adequate? What Floats Your Boat?

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When it comes to communication, do you side with the Grammar Police, or are you more of a “close enough, lah” kind of person?

For years, we’ve had this tug-of-war with clients, team members, and even ourselves:

  • Some want perfection - every comma in its rightful place, every word polished to textbook glory (even if it risks alienating certain audiences).

  • Others push for accessibility - plain language, local flavour, and an easy read that gets the point across, even if the Oxford dictionary clutches its pearls.

So… which camp are you in?

At Orchan, we believe the answer isn’t black or white. As communicators, our real job is making sure the message lands: clear, relatable, and appropriate for the audience in front of us. But hey, we also think standards matter. Language may be fluid, but that doesn’t mean we throw the rulebook completely out the window.

It’s a balancing act: accuracy keeps credibility intact, while adequacy ensures inclusivity and impact.

The question is... where’s your tipping point?


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