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Index P
- Pacific Daylight Time
- Pacific Standard Time
- paed-
- paedo-
- palaeo-
- paleo-
- pan-
- Panjabi
- para-
- parallel between
- parallelism in headings
- parallelism with correlative conjunctions
- parallelism with items in a series
- parallel to
- parallel with
- Paralympic Winter Games
- paralyse
- paralyze
- parentheses
- Parsi
- participle
- participle phrase
- particular to
- Pashto
- Pashtun
- passive voice
- past history
- past tradition
- patho-
- patri-
- patro-
- PDT
- PE
- peculiar to
- ped-
- pedal
- peddle
- pedi-
- pedo- (1)
- pedo- (2)
- P.E.I.
- penta-
- per
- per-
- per cent
- percent
- per-cent
- percentage
- perfectly legitimate
- peri-
- period
- period of time
- permanent resident
- perpendicular to
- perpendicular with
- Persian (1)
- Persian (2)
- persist in
- Perso-
- person
- personal
- personal pronouns
- personification
- personnel
- perspective (from the)
- petr-
- petri-
- phase
- PhD
- Ph.D.
- phenom
- phenomena
- phenomenon
- phleb-
- phosphorous
- phosphorus
- photo-
- photocopy
- physio-
- phyto-
- picto-
- Pilipino
- plan
- planning
- planning in advance
- plug
- plurals of compounds
- plurals of family names
- pluri-
- p.m.
- pneumo-
- poet
- poetess
- point at
- point out
- point to
- poisonous
- poly-
- Poppy Day
- possessive with gerunds
- post
- post-
- post on
- post to
- pound sign
- practicable
- practical
- practically
- practice
- practise
- pre
- pre-
- precedents
- preceding
- precise
- precision
- predicate
- predict
- predict in advance
- preface
- preferable
- preference for
- preference in
- prefer one to the other
- preoccupied about
- preoccupied by
- preoccupied with
- preplan
- preplanning
- prepositional phrase
- prepositions
- prerequisite
- presently
- present to
- present with
- preside at
- preside over
- presume
- pretence
- pretense
- preventable
- prevent from
- preventible
- prevent to
- previous
- previously listed
- previously listed above
- Prince Edward Island
- Prince Edward Islander
- principal
- principle
- prior
- prise
- prize
- pro-
- procedure
- proceed against
- proceed to
- proceed with
- process
- prohibit from
- pronoun agreement: collective nouns
- pronoun agreement: compound antecedents with and
- pronoun agreement: compound antecedents with or
- pronoun agreement: gender
- pronoun agreement: indefinite pronouns
- pronoun agreement: number
- pronoun agreement: person
- property owner
- prophecy
- prophesy
- proportional(y)
- proportionate(ly)
- provide a description
- provide against
- provide for
- provide with
- proximity
- pseudo-
- PST
- psycho-
- public service: capitalization rules (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
- punctuation: spacing
- Punjabi
- pursuance (in)
- put in place
- put into place
- pyro-
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presently, at the present time
In North America presently means either “now” or “shortly.” Where more than one interpretation is possible, use precise synonyms such as now or soon.
- Celeste said that she is presently negotiating a contract. Did she mean that she is working on it now, or will be starting soon?
- The Boudreaus are presently (or now or currently) living in a lighthouse on Prince Edward Island.
In Britain, presently generally means “shortly.”
- James will be home from the pub presently (soon).
The wordy phrase at the present time can often be omitted, or replaced by currently, now or at present.
- Wordy: The minister has no further comment at the present time.
- Concise: The minister has no further comment.
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