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.