Quick Comma Rules

· Separate items in a series that are not joined by conjunctions, e.g., “The sandwich
is made of ham, cheese and lettuce." Omit the comma before the conjunction.
· Separate adverbs or adjectives modifying a single item, e.g., “Use the red, white,
and blue tablecloth.”
· Separate independent clauses with different subjects, e.g., “The light went out, and someone screamed.”
· Set off nonessential information and clauses, e.g., “My best friend, Annabelle, is
going to Europe this summer.”
· Set off contrasting expressions, e.g., “You should use a pie chart, not a bar chart.”

Writing Letters

Letters go outside the organization and can be on paper or via e-mail. E-mail letters must meet the same requirements as paper letters for grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.


· Make sure you have the correct spelling for the recipient’s name.
· Make sure the address is correct.
· Formal letters use “Dear Title Last Name:” for a salutation; informal letters use “Dear First Name,”
· Be courteous, but get to the point.
· Avoid jargon and biz-write and explain acronyms.
· Be specific, not vague. Make sure nothing is open for interpretation.
· End with action that the recipient needs to take or that you will take.
· Use a signature.

Conjunctions

There are seven coordinating conjunctions called FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. Coordinating conjunctions position themselves between words in a series. Coordinating conjunctions are words that connect other words and parts of sentences.

· FOR - introduces the reason for the preceding clause.
· AND - joins two similar ideas together
· NOR - used in the correlative pair, neither-nor
· BUT - joins two contrasting ideas together
· OR - joins two alternative ideas
· YET - is similar to 'but' as it also joins two contrasting ideas together
· SO - shows that the second idea is the result of the first

Don’t start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.

Improve Your Vocabulary

Using the right word is important; learning new words is also important. Having a good vocabulary gives you credibility and authority. Knowing what a word means and how to correctly pronounce it is the mark of a professional.

• Read. Reading is one of the best ways to improve your vocabulary.
• Get a good dictionary and use it. Look up every word you don’t recognize.
• Spend one hour a week browsing through the dictionary and set a goal to learn the meaning at least 20 new words each week. Use them in your conversation the following week. Put the words, their meaning, and pronunciation on a 3x5 index card and carry the cards with you.
• Practice the words when you have pockets of time.
  Each week, buy one newspaper from a different area of the country. If you live on the West coast, buy a Florida paper. Try to identify how that newspaper uses words. Is it different from the newspaper you are used to? If so, what’s different?
• Each month, read one magazine you have never read before to expand your vocabulary in new areas.
• Do crossword puzzles and word games.
• Ask someone you trust to correct you when you misuse or mispronounce a word.
• Play Scrabble® with someone who has a better vocabulary than you.
• Use a thesaurus to learn words with similar and opposite meanings.
• Buy and use a book designed to help you improve your vocabulary.
  

Capitalization

Capitalize:
· The first word of every sentence.
· The days of the week and months of the year.
· Proper names and trade names; the names of geographic regions, government
agencies, specific landmarks, streets, buildings, works of art, religious groups, and holidays;
and acronyms.
· Titles that appear before a proper name, e.g., President-elect Barack Obama.

Paragraph Construction

A paragraph uses several related sentences to develop a single subject or a single aspect of a large subject. A paragraph is constructed with a topic sentence, several sentences that support and expand the topic sentence, and a concluding sentence that draws the paragraph to a close and/or transitions to the next paragraph. The writer moves the reader from one paragraph to the next by repeating key words, phrases, and thoughts.

The topic sentence states what the paragraph is all about. It sets the reader’s expectations and is usually the first sentence of a paragraph. It states the point you are going to make in the paragraph. All the following sentences expand on the topic sentence and serve to prove your point. The entire paragraph works together and has no extraneous elements. It is focused and direct.

Most business writing is explanatory and/or persuasive.

Explanatory paragraphs answer who, what, where, when, why, and how. They are used to interpret facts, give directions, or provide reasons.

Persuasive paragraphs communicate the writer’s opinions and attempt to influence and persuade the reader to adopt an idea, support a cause, or take action. With persuasive paragraphs, you:

- Develop an opinion, which is stated in the topic sentence.
- Add support by using facts, figures, expert opinion, comparison, etc.
- Acknowledge and refute arguments for the other side.
- Anticipate and answer questions.
- End with a call to action.

Writing Mistakes: Using a Negative Tone

Your writing will be more successful if you focus on positive wording rather than negative since words that affect your reader positively are likely to produce the response you want. A positive emphasis helps persuade the reader and creates goodwill. In contrast, negative words may generate resistance.

- Avoid judgmental words such as “you claim,” “failed to, “neglected to,” and “lack of.”

- Avoid words with negative connotations such as no, do not, refuse, and stop and words that convey unhappy or unpleasant associations such as unfortunately, unable to, cannot, mistake, problem, error, damage, loss, and failure.

In a few cases, you may want to use the negative for emphasis. There is a difference in tone between the contracted form and the two-word form--“can’t” and “cannot” or “don't” and “do not.”

Negative: In response to your question about how many units are needed to meet minimum graduation requirements, I regret to report that you are two short of the requirement.

Positive: In response to your question about how many units are need for graduation, students need 48 units to qualify for graduation. Our records show that you have earned 46 units. Two additional units will be required to for graduation. If you have any questions or want to discuss this, please contact me.

Parallel Construction

Parallel construction means that like parts of a document are treated in the same way. Parallel construction helps create logical flow, so the reader can move through the document. When parallel construction is violated, readers subconsciously know something is wrong, even if they can’t recognize what it is.

When you use bullets, numbers, heads, or subheads, pay attention to parallel construction. Most bullets are organized with a lead verb. With numbers, each number usually is a complete, stand-alone sentence. Here’s an example of proper parallel construction for bullets:

Correct: Here’s the plan for communicating the new vacation procedures:
· Draft the procedures.
· Have the draft reviewed.
· Revise draft.
· Obtain approvals.

In the above example, each bullet starts with a verb. Here’s the same example, but in this case, the bullets do not follow parallel construction:

Incorrect: Here’s the plan for communicating the new vacation procedures:
· Draft the procedures.
· The draft is reviewed.
· The draft is revised.
· Obtaining approvals.

Parallel construction also applies to sentences.

· Incorrect: Reading a book is easier than to write one.
· Correct: Reading a manual is easier than writing one.

· Incorrect: Jane researched her book reading archives and by interviewing subject matter experts.
· Correct: Jane researched her book by reading archives and by interviewing subject matter experts.

Revise before Sending

Revision is your opportunity to make sure your document does what you want it to do. This is the process by which you hone your work so that it communicates clearly what you mean and is easy to read and understand. The best-written documents are revised.

Don’t revise immediately after you finish writing. Most of us need to let a first draft “cool off” before we can objectively evaluate what’s wrong with it.

• Cut. Cut. Cut.
• Look at every sentence and eliminate redundancies.
• Replace vague phrases and words with concrete ones.
• Delete adjectives and adverbs.
• Eliminate passive voice. Passive voice is the use of the verb “to be.” Where appropriate, turn passive sentences into active ones. Active voice is more direct and concise.

Business Writing Workshop - Good Business Writing Starts With the End in Mind

To improve business writing:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Business-Writing-Workshop---Good-Business-Writing-Starts-With-the-End-in-Mind&id=1529482

Adjective comparatives

Adjectives describe nouns and other adjectives -- brown puppy or chocolate brown puppy. They show what kind, how many, and which one. Adjectives must be placed near the words they modify. They may come before the word they describe -- a cute puppy -- or they may follow the word they describe -- the puppy is cute.

Comparatives compare two things connected with "than" or "but." Examples:

- Steve is older than Carl.
- Steve is older, but Carl is taller.

Note: When using pronouns, the subject form of the pronoun always follows "than." Example:

- Steve is older than I [am].

Superlatives compare more than two things and usually use "the" because only one element is the superlative. Examples:

- Sears Tower in Chicago is the tallest building in North America.
- The Empire State Building in New York is tall, but the Sears Tower in Chicago is taller. Taipei 101 in Taiwan is the tallest building in the world.

For tips on developing as a professional, go to http://developingasaprofessional.blogspot.com/

Write to Persuade -- Credibility

In order to persuade, you must:

Establish the trustworthiness of you and your organization. Your audience must believe you are a competent person, a professional.
Present information accurately
Use verifiable data
Use meaningful resources and expert opinion
Ensure accuracy

List three ways you establish the trustworthiness of you and your organization:

1.


2.


3.

Cut the fat

Here are some other common circumlocutions that can be compressed into just one word:

Replace:
· the reason for
· for the reason that
· owing/due to the fact
· in light of the fact that
· considering the fact
· on the grounds that
· this is why

with: because, since, why

Replace:
· on the occasion of
· in a situation in which
· under circumstances in which

with: when

Replace:
· as regards
· in reference to
· with regard to
· concerning the matter of

with: about

Replace:
· it is crucial that
· it is necessary that
· it is important that

with: must, should

Replace:
· is able to
· has the opportunity to
· has the capacity for
· has the ability to

with: can

Replace:
· it is possible that
· it could happen that
· the possibility exists for

with: may, might, could

Order of adjectives

Why is it "the quick, brown fox" and not "the brown, quick fox," or "a fat, green toad" and not "a green, fat toad"?

The order of the adjectives is as follows:

- Determiner - a, an, her, five, many, much several etc.
- Opinion - pretty, ugly, smart, cheap, etc.
- Size - big, fat, thin, tall, large, small etc.
- Shape - circle, square, tall, short etc.
- Age - old, young 10 years, a year, a week, new etc.
- Color - yellow, green, pink etc.
- Origin - American, English, Asian, Middle Eastern, African, European, Chinese etc.
- Material - cotton, wood, plastic, cloth, glass, gold etc.
- Purpose/Qualifier - hat box, sleeping bag, computer table,safe island, football field.

Source: http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Adjectives/Adjectives_Order.htm

Report writing

Reports are used to describe outcomes, i.e., report decisions made at meetings, progress on a project, or assessment of competition.

• State the purpose of the report.
• Include an executive summary.
• State all relevant findings and facts, pro and con.
• Include first-hand observations, if appropriate.
• Separate fact from opinion.
• Conclude with recommendations and next steps.
  

Spell check, but use grammar check with care

Spell check everything, but don't rely entirely spelling check. It can be a useful tool, but it's not. Spell check has a limited dictionary and some words will show as misspelled when they aren't. In addition, spell check will not catch misspellings that form another valid word. For example, if you type "your" instead of "you're" or "to" instead of "too", spell check won't catch the error.

Grammar check can be a nightmare. It will show the rule, but not apply it correctly. It also won't identify every grammar error. However, grammar check can be a tool for catching something you should think about; just don't automatically do what it tells you to do.

Watch your tone!

Tone conveys attitude and how readers respond to your message. It also communicates your image and your company’s image to your reader.

Tone is affected by:

· Word choice
· Pronoun usage
· Sentence structure
· Format

Most people respond favorably to a warm, friendly, courteous tone, which requires you to write in a natural, conversational style. To do this, concentrate on expressing your points, not impressing your reader. Be direct and get to the point.

Use positive, not negative, words. Avoid words such as “you claim,” “failed to, “neglected to,” and “lack of,” and statements that begin with “if.”