Business Letter 2

Grammar Pattern
More Tips
1. Use proper sentences.
Use clearly laid-out sentences. Long sentences are difficult to digest..
Example:
“The man who presents the reasons for the delay in implementing the necessary
job-destroying investments planned for october, which should also save costs ang
guarantee the continuing market share for product X, encounters little understanding”
“There are plan for investment in October. These will destroy jobs but should
also reduce costs and retain the market share product X presently enjoys. Whoever
has to present tha reasons for the delay in this investment will encounter little
sympathy.”
. Avoid splitting the subject and predicate.
Ok: “After arguing the point in the meeting, David consented to allow it”
Not OK: “David, after arguing the point in the meeting, consented to allow it.”
· Avoid splitting infinitive (to call, to meet, to do)
Ok: “Peter wnted to check each order carefully and meticulously.”
Not Ok: “Peter wanted to carefully and meticously check each order
· Keep the same subject
Ok: “We were hungry at the conference because we forgot to order lunch.”
Not Ok: “We were hungry at the conference because one forgot to order lunch.”
· Keep the same tense.
Ok: “Jane answered the telephone but nobody spoke.”
Not Ok: “Jane answered the telephone but nobody speals.”
Following are some rules for the clear, easy-to-comprehend formulation of sentences.
Use short sentences
Construct short, uncomplicated sentences. As a simple rule of thumb – new idea, new
sentence.
Limit subordinate clauses
For each main clause or idea, use only one subordinate clause. Accumulating
subordinate clauses leads to a forst of words which the reader has to hack through,
frequently having to backtrap to grasp the main point that is being made
Example:
“It is important that any employee who saw the man stole a acer from the staff
car park, reports that state that he was dark haired, other reports state that he was
wearing a blue bomber jacket, and yet another report states that he was about
twenty five years old, should come and see the personnel immediately, providing that
they are not interrupting their work or that personnel officer is available.”
It would be better say:
“Would any employee who saw the man who stole ca from the staff car park
please visit the personnel officer immediately. Please check first that the personnel
officer is available, and do not interrupt your work. We have received various reports
that the man was about twenty-five years of age, dark-haired and wering a blue
bomber jacket.”
Some grammatical pitfalls
Collective nouns
Are boun hat singular in form but refer to a group of persons or things. One must be
careful to use a singular or a plural verb depending upon the purpose of the particular
sentence.
Example:
“The committee was furious with the plans for a strike.”
This is singular because the committee was acting as a group.
“The committee was arguing among themselves over the plans foe a strike,”
The cmmitee were obviuosly acting as individulas, not as a unit.
Pronouns
The most common error involving pronouns is in phrases using “me”. “myself” and “I”.
For example.”between you and I” should be “between you and me”. The best way to
get this right is to imagine the other person is removed:it would make no sense to say “That was written by I” or “That was written by me”. Therefore, it cannot be correct
to say “That was written by Mary and I” or That was written by Mary and myself”;
rather “That was written by mary and me” is correct.
Adjectives
Similar to the problem of the collective noun is the problem of”distributive” adjectives
and pronouns. These include: anybody, nobody, everybody, either, niether, each.every,none. They are all singular and must be used with verbs and pronouns in the singular.
For example:
Ok: “Everybody who travels abroad must have his or her passport”
Not Ok: “Everybody who travels abroad must have their passport”
Ok: “Each of the staff was given a certificate after the course.”
Not Ok: “Each of the staff were given a certificate after the course.”
Verbs
Are singular or plural depending on the singular or plural nature of their subject.
For example, the following are both correct:
“Those plates, left from the managers’ meeting, have not been washed.”
The stack of plates, lrft from the managers’ meeting, has not been washed.”
Adverbs
The most common mistake here is to use an adjective when an adverb is required.
Ok: “She read the letters very quickly.”
Not Ok “She read the letters very quickly.”
2. Use Proper Punctuations
3. Use correct Spelling