Por Nick Potter
In this series we look at real-life examples of the most common mistakes in English by native Spanish lawyers. These and lots more invaluable tips are available in a new e-book/paperback, here: 50 English Tips for Spanish Professionals.
inform, notify and communicate
Consultancy work involves a lot of informando and comunicando; so it’s unfortunate that the equivalent English terms require different prepositions and construction than you may realise.
Question: Which ONE of A – H below is correct?
| A | Please note that the letter provided informs that the deadline is the end of the month |
| B | CNMV notification dated 8 February informing of its non-opposition to the appointments |
| C | We are very pleased to inform that we have come top in the ranking |
| D | The lender notified to the guarantor that an event of default had occurred |
| E | The Transferee undertakes to notify the Transfer to the Company |
| F | The Ministry’s decision must be notified within 30 days after the communication of the purchase agreement |
| G | Suspicious transactions must be communicated to the authorities within 15 days |
| H | A decision must be taken within 30 days after the transaction has been communicated by the Company |
Before you the answer, remember:
Let’s take these three verbs in turn:
Inform
- You inform somebody (not “inform to” somebody) of or about something
- Always with an object e.g. We informed him of the situation; They were informed that no risk was involved
If you don’t have an object, use state, declare or announce.
Notify
- You notify somebody of or about something
- Passive: something is notified to somebody e.g. The appointment of an assistant company secretary need not be notified to the Registrar
- Always with an object e.g. The liquidator did not notify the Registrar; She wasn’t notified
If you don’t have an object, use state, declare or announce.
Communicate
- Passive: results and other information are communicated to somebody
- Things are not usually communicated by somebody – better to say reported, disclosed or declared by.
So
A and B are wrong because to inform is always used with an object. So, technically you’d have to say:
| A | Please note that the letter provided informs her / them / us that the deadline is the end of the month |
| B | CNMV notification dated 8 February informing her / them / us of its non-opposition to the appointments |
In fact, “state” is a better fit here, because it does not require an object:
| A | Please note that the letter provided states that the deadline is the end of the month |
| B | CNMV notification dated 8 February stating its non-opposition to the appointments |
Inform is also misused in C, for the same reason (lack of object). Here, use “announce” instead.
| C | We are very pleased to |
D-F are wrong because you notify somebody that / of something or something is notified to somebody:
| D | The lender notified |
| E | The Transferee undertakes to notify |
| F | The Ministry’s decision must be notified to the company within 30 days after |
G is the correct sentence. H is wrong because of the construction “communicated by”:
| G | Suspicious transactions must be communicated to the authorities within 15 days [CORRECT] |
| H | A decision must be taken within 30 days after the transaction has been |
