Presented by Paul Nicholas

Business Grammar Tips, Tricks & Techniques

One error can be costly.

Why are you here?

Common Writing Blunders

Common Writing Blunders

Errors cause readers to start judging.

Your credibility suffers

1. Punctuation

2. Spelling

3. Pluralizing

4. Subject-verb agreement

5. Pronouns

6. Misplaced modifiers

6 Common Problem Areas

¡ Terminators!¡ Separators!¡ Apostrophes!¡ Quotation marks

Punctuation Station

?!.The meeting will end at 1 p.m.

Will the meeting really end at 1 p.m.?

Help!!! Really??? Are you coming?!

That meeting definitely did NOT end at 1 p.m.!

Terminators

?!.Bill Gates said, “Technology is just a tool.”

Who said, “Technology is just a tool”?

It was definitely not Steve Jobs who said,

“Technology is just a tool”!

Terminators

?!.The right way to ask is, “Will you marry me?”

Did he actually say, “Will you marry me?”

He finally asked! He finally said, “Will you marry me?”

Terminators

?!.TerminatorsThe proposal needs to go to Shirley

Leonard (Mrs. Hill’s assistant).

Have you met with Shirley Leonard (Mrs. Hill’s assistant)?

Immediately contact Shirley Leonard (Mrs. Hill’s assistant)!

!

*Except when a complete sentence or multiple sentences are in the parentheses

?!.Why don’t we go see What About Bob?

Do you want to go to the movies tonight (they’re playing What

About Bob?)?

Please stop saying “I love Yahoo!”!

!

Terminators

;:,SeparatorsCindy really enjoys cooking

her family and her dog.

Cindy really enjoys cooking, her family, and her dog.

Commas Can Cost Millions“This agreement shall be

effective from the date it is

made and shall continue in

force for a period of five (5)

years from the date it is

made, and thereafter for

successive five (5) year

terms, unless and until

terminated by one year

prior notice in writing by

either party.”

!

We sold 3,456,789 widgets for a total of $54,321.

Numbers With Commas

Numbers With CommasI was born in 1985.

I live at 12885 Mulberry Blvd.

Chapter 74 starts on page 1851.

Numbers With CommasWednesday, March

24, 2014

March 24, 2014

It was not until March 14, 1978, that the contract

was signed.

It was not until March 1978 that the contract

was signed.

Commas

Miami, Dade County, Florida, USA

Commas Did you find the Donaldson documents, Jim?

Barry, you should be the one to respond to Jack’s request.

Dr. Stone, Mrs. Hill’s appointment is set for 3 p.m.

Thank you, Cleveland, for an awesome summer.

CommasYou need butter, sugar, flour, milk, and eggs to

make a cake.

The companies Firestart, Backstrom’s, Williams and Simmons are all

accepting applications.

CommasMarty Shaw, the running back for the Giants, led the team with 7 catches.

Judy used all the apples, except the red ones, to

make the pie.

The girls’ bathroom is on the first floor; the boys’ bathroom is

on the second floor.

Semicolons and Colons

On Monday the boss met with Molly, Mary, and Mike; on Tuesday she met with

Tommy, Terry, and Tim; and on Wednesday it was Wally, Winnie, and Will.

In 1994, only 24 million cell phones were registered in the United States; in 2004 that number jumped to over 182 million; and now, another 10 years later, there are almost 328 million mobile phone subscriptions in the U.S.Semicolons and Colons

Janice speaks 4 different languages: Spanish, French,

Italian, and English.

Incorrect — The languages Janice speaks are: Spanish, French, Italian, and English.

Janice speaks Spanish, French, Italian, and English.

Semicolons and Colons

He crossed the finish line at 3:25:04.

Our current Debt-to-Asset ratio is 2:5.

Semicolons and Colons

That passage came from Leviticus 20:10.

ApostrophesDo not, would

not, have not, it is, let us, there is’ The child’s pencil!

The man’s beard!Mrs. Williams’s son!

The people’s champion!

Jesus’s disciples

The children’s pencils!

The men’s beards!

The media’s target

*Use contractions when not doing so sounds stilted.

The CEO closed her speech with, “Let’s bring home the bacon.”

The CEO closed her speech with the following: “It has been a long and trying year. Thank you for all your commitment to turning things around next year.”

I agree with John that “customer satisfaction has to be the priority” as we go forward.

Quotations

Homographs

Homophones

Long vowel sounds: paw, say, see, try, go, do

Short vowel sounds: bat, bet, sit, dog, gut

Spelling Rules

¡ Long vowels get the e.*!§ Cape, fine, secrete, hope, cube!¡ Short vowels do not.!§ Cap, fin, secret, hop, cub!¡ Drop the sneaky e before adding

a suffix with a vowel.!§ Caper, finest, secreted,

hoping, cubist

The Sneaky E*Exceptions include: have, salve, calve, judge, etc.

¡ The suffix able is an exception.!§ Noticeable, knowledgeable,

manageable, serviceable!¡ Leave the sneaky e when the

suffix begins with a consonant.*!§ Placement, hopeful, careless,

stately, forcefully

The Sneaky E*Words like judgment are an exception.

¡ Busy !¡ Puppy!¡ Merry!¡ Carry !¡ Modify!¡ Beauty!¡ Fancy

Y the I?When a word ends in a consonant +y, change the y to i before adding a suffix.

+ ly!+ es!+ ment!+ age!+ er!+ ful!+ est

= busily!= puppies!= merriment!= carriage!= modifier!= beautiful!= fanciest

Y the I?

¡ Exception 1: The suffix ness!¡ Busyness, business!¡ Exception 2: The suffix ing!¡ Carrying, beautifying, modifying

Y the I?

¡ Replace ie with y when adding ing.!¡ tie + ing = tying!¡ lie + ing = lying!¡ vie + ing = vying!¡ Does not apply when a vowel is

before y!¡ Player, enjoying, deployed

Double the Consonant,

§ Bar + ing = barring!§ Bare + ing = baring!§ Bit + er = bitter!§ Bite + er = biter

Double the Fun!¡ If a word ends consonant + vowel +

consonant, double the last consonant when adding a suffix starting with a vowel.

Double the Consonant,¡ Occur + ence = occurrence!¡ Refer + al = referral!¡ Begin + ing = beginning!¡ Regret + able = regrettable!¡ Ship + er = shipper!¡ Drop + ed = dropped!¡ Fit + est = fittest

Double the Fun!

Double the Consonant,¡ Does not apply to suffixes that start with

a consonant!§ Fitness, spotless, badly, droplet, shipment!¡ Does not apply to long

vowel sounds!§ Pairing, clearest, floater, ‘meeting’,

rebooted

Double the Fun!

Double the Consonant,¡ Does not apply if stress is not

on the final syllable!§ Opener, focusing, peppered,

canceled, traveler!§ Rebellion, combatted!¡ No need to double w, x, or y!§ Fixer, boxing

Double the Fun!

Seedy WordsSupersede

Exceed, proceed, succeed

Recede, secede, precede, concede

The S Curve¡ S sounds following short vowels

should have a double s.!§ Mass, lesser, missing, cross,

fussy, chassis!¡ S sounds following a long vowel

use ce.!¡ Face, price, puce

The S Curve¡ S sounds following consonants or

double vowels get an se.!§ Sparse, verse, horse, tense,

pulse, loose, grease !¡ Drop sneaky Es before adding

the extension.!§ Sparser, pricing, faced,

pulsate, loosen

The S Curve

Can you think of any exceptions?

Bus: buses!Tax: taxes!Six: sixes!buzz: buzzes!watch: watches!brush: brushes

Candy: candies!

Hobby: hobbies!

Piggy: piggies!

Lady: ladies

Singular vs. Plural

Irregular Words

¡ Addendum: addenda!¡ Curriculum: curricula!¡ Symposium: symposia!¡ Datum: data

Applies to Many Latin Words

Criterion: criteria!Phenomenon: phenomena

Fungus: fungi!

Alumnus: alumni!

Nucleus: nuclei!

Radius: radii!

Focus: foci

!

Irregular Words

Hypothesis: hypotheses!Crisis: crises!Synopsis: synopses!Parenthesis: parentheses

Child: children!

Person: people!

Man: men!

Mouse: mice!

Foot: feet!

Goose: geese!

I: we!

He, she, it: they

Irregular Words

¡ Deer, sheep, barracks, series, moose, corn!

¡ Fish is plural unless referring to multiple species, which is fishes.

Irregular Words

¡ News, gymnastics, mathematics, pyrotechnics, economics!

¡ Attorneys-at-law, brothers-in-law, goings-on, standers-by

Irregular Words

Subject/Verb Agreement

The representative goes!The representatives go

Only one of the managers from all the departments is

going to the convention.

Singular subjects use singular verbs; plural

subjects use plural verbs.

Some of the parts from the copier, especially the drum,

need to be replaced.

Where are the blue pieces of fabric I left on the table?

Where is the blue fabric I left on the table?

Subject/Verb Agreement

Subject/Verb AgreementBoth Johnny and Jackie are coming with me.

Bacon and eggs is my favorite breakfast.

Your name and address goes on top of the forms.

Williams and Simmons’ is a great place to work.

Subject/Verb Agreement

Either Johnny or Jackie is coming with me.

Either the manager or the technicians are to blame for the shortfall.

Either the technicians or the manager is to blame for the shortfall.

Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns

I MeYou YouHe HimShe HerWe UsThey ThemIt ItWho Whom

Pronouns

Hear the DIF!Did it for she … you would use her.!

Did it for they … you would use them.!Did it for we … you would use us.!

!

Me did it for … you would use I.!Him did it for … you would use he.!Whom did it for … you would use who.!!

Hear the DIFPaul gave the rose to Danielle.

He gave it to her.

The students listened to Jonathan play the song.

They listened to him play it.

Barry is teaching Larry?Who is teaching whom?

!Pronouns

Drop the noun and listen to how it sounds.

Joanne and I went to the conference.

Mr. Jones gave the Donaldson account to

Frank and me.

Mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, its

Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself

Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns¡ I did it myself.!¡ By themselves,

they are a completed team.!

¡ The dog let itself out through the doggie door.!

¡ Michael brought this on himself.

Pronouns¡ Both, few, several, and many

always get plural verbs.!¡ Pronouns that end with one or

body are singular.!¡ Does it make sense to follow it

with one?!§ Each one, every one, another one!¡ Much of the fabric is blue.

!

¡ The box of red pens sat on the conference table right next to the copies of our proposal.!

¡ The box sat on the table.

Misplaced Modifiers

We served cheese and crackers to the clients on paper plates.

We served the clients cheese and crackers on paper plates.

Misplaced Modifiers

He tripped and fell almost in the mud, but he managed to keep his balance.

Misplaced Modifiers

He tripped and almost fell in the mud, but he managed to keep his balance.

Misplaced ModifiersWhile driving to work, the back

tire went flat.

The back tire went flat while driving to work.

SummaryWrap

Wrapping

DrapeDraping

Who said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”?

SummaryWe should just discuss this project between ourselves.

The client and the vendor agrees on the price.

[pause]

Mrs. Jonas joined our meeting after it started with donuts.

After the meeting started, Mrs. Jonas joined us with donuts.

Summary

SummaryI have 3 brother-in-laws and each one is an alumni of our company.

I have 3 brothers-in-law and each one is an alumnus of our company.

Summary

¡ Try giving yourself 1 or 2 assignments every week.!

¡ Work on your weakest areas first.

Summary

With Paul Nicholas

Welcome to Business Grammar

Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Q&A

Thank you for joining us today!

BonusMaterials

Dear Customer,

You are a valued customer and to say “thank you,” we haveincluded the following as a bonus for you. We believe you’llfind it helpful as a job aid or to further your knowledgebeyond today’s broadcast.

Thank you,

Susan EnyeartDirector, Curriculum Development

0508

Bonus Materials:

BUSINESS

GRAMMAR TIPS,

TRICKS, AND

TECHNIQUES

Copyright 2008, Rockhurst University Continuing Education Center, Inc.

PRESENTED BY

ROCKHURST WEB

CONFERENCE SERIES,

A DIVISION OF ROCKHURST

UNIVERSITY CONTINUING

EDUCATION CENTER, INC.

29

Bonus Materials

WTGTT0508

Spelling Cheat Sheet — 100 Most-Often Misspelled Words

1. accessible 35. fueling 69. miscellaneous2. accommodate 36. fulfill 70. mischievous3. accumulate 37. gauge 71. misspelled4. acquaintance 38. grammar 72. noticeable5. acquire 39. grievous 73. nuisance6. acquitted 40. guarantee 74. occasion7. alleged 41. harass 75. occasionally8. ascend 42. heinous 76. oppression9. auxiliary 43. hindrance 77. overrun

10. benefited 44. hypocrisy 78. parallel11. bureau 45. hypocrite 79. permissible12. collectible 46. idiosyncrasy 80. perseverance13. commission 47. implement 81. persistence14. committee 48. indicted 82. possess15. concede 49. indispensable 83. precedence16. condescend 50. interrupt 84. preferred17. conscience 51. irrelevant 85. privilege18. conscientious 52. irresistible 86. questionnaire19. defendant 53. jealousy 87. recede20. descend 54. judicial 88. recommend21. drunkenness 55. knowledge 89. reminiscence22. eligible 56. leisure 90. sacrilegious23. embarrass 57. lieutenant 91. seize24. exaggerate 58. lightning 92. separate25. exceed 59. likelihood 93. supersede26. environment 60. loneliness 94. suppress27. exhaust 61. loose 95. temperament28. exuberance 62. lose 96. transferring29. facsimile 63. maintenance 97. unanimous30. fallacious 64. manageable 98. undoubtedly31. fluorescent 65. maneuver 99. vacuum32. forcibly 66. mathematics 100. weird33. foreign 67. miniature34. forfeit 68. minuscule

Bonus Materials, continued

30WTGTT0508

Spelling Tips and Rules for Professionals

Some people have a knack for spelling. For those whose knack lies elsewhere, here are somespelling tips and techniques.

Some Tips

• Most spelling mistakes are a result of mispronunciation. We all drop syllables of certainwords. For example, in America we mostly say lab-ratory instead of lab-or-a-tory. Soundout the challenging word — every letter. Spell the word phonetically. (This will help youremember the “n” in government and the first “o” in laboratory.) Then look it up online orin a dictionary.

• When you look it up, if you find you have spelled it wrong, sound out every letter in thecorrect spelling. Do this several times to fix it in your memory.

• Remember the old grade-school adage, “i before e except after c, or when the sound islong a, as in neighbor and weigh.” While there are a few exceptions to this rule, it willstill help you in 90 percent of your spelling situations.

• Use mnemonic devices. To keep the spelling of “piece” straight (if you forget rule number 2), visualize a pie. Now cut the pie into pieces.

For vacuum, remember the phrase, “You (u) two (2) vacuum.” Remember that u2 refers tothe two u’s in vacuum.

• Look for little parts inside the bigger word. To remember the spelling of perseverance, forexample, think “per” and “severance.” For questionnaire, think “question” and “naire.”

• Make a list of your commonly misspelled words. Keep it next to you when you write, asa quick reference sheet. Using the proper form of the word a few times will ingrain theproper spelling in your head. As Mark Twain said, “Use a new word correctly three times,and it’s yours.”

31

Bonus Materials, continued

WTGTT0508

Rules for Word Endings

-ible or -able?

• Words that end in -able can usually stand alone with no adjustments before the additionof the suffix.

comfort + able comfortable

read + able readable

• Many of the -ible words require you to drop a vowel from the original word.

deduce - e + ible deducible

produce - e + ible producible

• Many of the -ible words have a double s.

compress + ible compressible

access + ible accessible

-ally or -ly?

• If the adjective ends in -al, just add -ly.

critical + ly critically

final + ly finally

Adding the -ing suffix

• If a one-syllable word ends in a vowel followed by a consonant, double the finalconsonant before adding -ing.

run + ing running

dog + ing dogging

• A word with two syllables or more that ends in a single vowel followed by oneconsonant, which has the accent on the final syllable, double the consonant beforeadding -ing or -ed.

occur + ing occurring occur + ed occurred

refer + ing referring refer + ed referred

Note: Some suffixes have no specific rules and require that you memorize them. Check yourstyle book or grammar resource for help.

32WTGTT0508

Bonus Materials, continued

Punctuation Rules Made to Be Broken

1. Comma use in a series

Commas are used to separate elements of a series, but the final comma before theconcluding conjunction can be left out, especially in a simple series (red, white andblue), unless the comma is needed to prevent misinterpretation.

2. Two spaces following ending punctuation

When typewriters were used, it was the rule to place two blank spaces after endingpunctuation. With computer software, it’s the custom to use only one space followingperiods, question marks, exclamation points, etc.

3. Comma use with dates

Commas are used to set off the date and the year — for example: On July 4, 1776, theDeclaration of Independence was adopted. However, the commas can be deleted whenonly the month and year are used — the Declaration of Independence was adopted inJuly 1776 by the Second Continental Congress.

4. Apostrophe use with singular nouns ending in “s”

Styles vary widely, and apostrophes may be used or not, depending on the writer’spreference or the writer’s preferred style guide. Generally, proper nouns that end in “s”require only the apostrophe — Achilles’ heel, Tom Jones’ book. Common singular nounsending in “s” generally take both an apostrophe and “s,” depending on the sound of theword that follows — the hostess’ stationery, the hostess’s table. Check your favoritedictionary or style manual.

5. Ellipsis to indicate a pause or hesitation

An ellipsis isn’t just used to indicate deleted text. An ellipsis can also be used to illustratea pause or hesitation in thought. An em dash is often used for this purpose, but an ellipsisis used now as well.

BonusMaterialsDear Customer,

You are a valued customer and to say thank you, we haveincluded the following as a bonus for you. We believe you’llfind it helpful as a job aid or to further your knowledgebeyond today’s broadcast.

Thank you,

Susan EnyeartDirector, Curriculum Development

Bonus Materials:BUSINESSGRAMMAR TIPS,TRICKS &TECHNIQUES

G A DIVISION OF

R

C

S O M E S O M E T H I N G N E T H I N G N E W W T O D A T O D A YY

Copyright Rockhurst University Continuing Education Center, Inc.

PRESENTED BY

ROCKHURST WEB

CONFERENCE SERIES,

A DIVISION OF ROCKHURST

UNIVERSITY CONTINUING

EDUCATION CENTER, INC.

1WTGTT0914

Spelling Cheat Sheet — 100 Most-Often Misspelled Words

1. accessible 35. fueling 69. miscellaneous2. accommodate 36. fulfill 70. mischievous3. accumulate 37. gauge 71. misspelled4. acquaintance 38. grammar 72. noticeable5. acquire 39. grievous 73. nuisance6. acquitted 40. guarantee 74. occasion7. alleged 41. harass 75. occasionally8. ascend 42. heinous 76. oppression9. auxiliary 43. hindrance 77. overrun10. benefited 44. hypocrisy 78. parallel11. bureau 45. hypocrite 79. permissible12. collectible 46. idiosyncrasy 80. perseverance13. commission 47. implement 81. persistence14. committee 48. indicted 82. possess15. concede 49. indispensable 83. precedence16. condescend 50. interrupt 84. preferred17. conscience 51. irrelevant 85. privilege18. conscientious 52. irresistible 86. questionnaire19. defendant 53. jealousy 87. recede20. descend 54. judicial 88. recommend21. drunkenness 55. knowledge 89. reminiscence22. eligible 56. leisure 90. sacrilegious23. embarrass 57. lieutenant 91. seize24. environment 58. lightning 92. separate25. exaggerate 59. likelihood 93. supersede26. exceed 60. loneliness 94. suppress27. exhaust 61. loose 95. temperament28. exuberance 62. lose 96. transferring29. facsimile 63. maintenance 97. unanimous30. fallacious 64. manageable 98. undoubtedly31. fluorescent 65. maneuver 99. vacuum32. forcibly 66. mathematics 100. weird33. foreign 67. miniature34. forfeit 68. minuscule

Bonus Materials

2WTGTT0914

Spelling Tips and Rules for Professionals

Some people have a knack for spelling. For those whose knack lies elsewhere, here are somespelling tips and techniques.

Some Tips

• Most spelling mistakes are a result of mispronunciation. We all drop syllables of certainwords. For example, in America we mostly say lab-ratory instead of lab-or-a-tory. Soundout the challenging word — every letter. Spell the word phonetically. (This will help youremember the “n” in government and the first “o” in laboratory.) Then look it up online orin a dictionary.

• When you look it up, if you find you have spelled it wrong, sound out every letter in thecorrect spelling. Do this several times to fix it in your memory.

• Remember the old grade-school adage, “i before e except after c, or when the sound islong a, as in neighbor and weigh.” While there are a few exceptions to this rule, it willstill help you in 90 percent of your spelling situations.

• Use mnemonic devices. To keep the spelling of “piece” straight (if you forget the rule),visualize a pie. Now cut the pie into pieces.

For vacuum, remember the phrase, “You (u) two (2) vacuum.” Remember that u2 refers tothe two u’s in vacuum.

• Look for little parts inside the bigger word. To remember the spelling of perseverance, forexample, think “per” and “severance.” For questionnaire, think “question” and “naire.”

• Make a list of your commonly misspelled words. Keep it next to you when you write, asa quick reference sheet. Using the proper form of the word a few times will ingrain theproper spelling in your head. As Mark Twain said, “Use a new word correctly three times,and it’s yours.”

Bonus Materials, continued

3WTGTT0914

Rules for Word Endings

-ible or -able?

• Words that end in -able can usually stand alone with no adjustments before the additionof the suffix.

comfort + able comfortable

read + able readable

• Many of the -ible words require you to drop a vowel from the original word.

deduce - e + ible deducible

produce - e + ible producible

• Many of the -ible words have a double s.

compress + ible compressible

access + ible accessible

-ally or -ly?

• If the adjective ends in -al, just add -ly.

critical + ly critically

final + ly finally

Adding the -ing suffix

• If a one-syllable word ends in a vowel followed by a consonant, double the finalconsonant before adding -ing.

run + ing running

dog + ing dogging

• For a word with two syllables or more that ends in a single vowel followed by oneconsonant, which has the accent on the final syllable, double the consonant beforeadding -ing or -ed.

occur + ing occurring occur + ed occurred

refer + ing referring refer + ed referred

Note: Some suffixes have no specific rules and require that you memorize them. Check yourstyle book or grammar resource for help.

Bonus Materials, continued

Punctuation Rules Made to Be Broken

1. Comma use in a series

Commas are used to separate elements of a series, but the final comma before theconcluding conjunction can be left out, especially in a simple series (red, white andblue), unless the comma is needed to prevent misinterpretation.

2. Two spaces following ending punctuation

When typewriters were used, it was the rule to place two blank spaces after endingpunctuation. With computer software, it’s the custom to use only one space followingperiods, question marks, exclamation points, etc.

3. Comma use with dates

Commas are used to set off the date and the year — for example: On July 4, 1776, theDeclaration of Independence was adopted. However, the commas can be deleted whenonly the month and year are used — the Declaration of Independence was adopted inJuly 1776 by the Second Continental Congress.

4. Apostrophe use with singular nouns ending in s

Styles vary widely, and apostrophes may be used or not, depending on the writer’spreference or the writer’s preferred style guide. Generally, proper nouns that end in srequire only the apostrophe — Achilles’ heel, Tom Jones’ book. Common singular nounsending in s generally take both an apostrophe and s, depending on the sound of the wordthat follows — the hostess’ stationery, the hostess’s table. Check your favorite dictionaryor style manual.

5. Ellipsis to indicate a pause or hesitation

An ellipsis isn’t just used to indicate deleted text. An ellipsis can also be used to illustratea pause or hesitation in thought. An em dash is often used for this purpose, but an ellipsisis used now as well.

WTGTT0914

Participant Notebook, continued

4