MCOM 320
Time
For a round hour without minutes, use the whole number, but when another time expression in the sentence includes the minutes, make both consistent. (This is yet another application of parallelism). Use lowercase a.m. and p.m. to indicate morning or afternoon/evening as needed. In business writing, never use the word "o'clock." YES: Jason wanted to start at 11 a.m. YES: Jason wanted to start at 11:00 a.m., but we didn't start until 12:30 p.m.
sentence fragment
If a collection of words ends in a period but does not contain both a subject and a verb
Is a team (or other group of people) singular or plural?
In business, a team is made up of a number of individuals. However, because the team is an entity distinct from its individual members, use a singular pronoun (and verb) when referring to the team as a whole: NO: The sales team achieved their target. YES: The sales team achieved its target. ALSO YES: The members of the sales team achieved their targets.
many / much
Use 'Much' with uncountable nouns Use 'Many' with countable nouns.
Monetary amounts
Use the currency sign with no decimals for whole numbers ($20). For fractions of dollars (or other currency), use the decimal expression ($20.56). The basic principle of parallelism suggests that you NOT mix the two in a single sentence. NO: The movie ticket cost $7.75, but I had only $5. Instead, make the expressions consistent by using the decimal expression with both: YES: The movie ticket cost $7.75, but I had only $5.00.
weak subjects
"There" and "it"
It's is a contraction of
"it is" or "it has." However, its (no apostrophe) indicates possession. To easily check whether you've chosen the right word, expand to "it is" or "it has" and read the sentence again. If the sentence makes sense, use the apostrophe; if not, no need.
adverse / averse
Adverse - unfavorable Averse - opposed to
Adverbs
Describe actions (verbs); often end in -ly Keep your adverbs close to the word they modify MISPLACED ADVERB: Tony fixed the clog in his bathroom drain skillfully. (What does the adverb "skillfully" have to do with drains? Isn't it modifying the verb "fixed"?) WELL PLACED ADVERB: Tony skillfully fixed the clog in his bathroom drain.
Format numbers consistently within sentences.
Despite all of the above-mentioned rules, keep your formatting consistent within a sentence. NO: Lila found 58 markers, 12 notebooks, and seven file folders in the storage room. YES: Lila found 58 markers, 12 notebooks, and 7 file folders in the storage room..
coordinating conjunction
FANBOYS=for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (Semicolons and dashes can also be used to join two independent clauses.) Knowing the seven coordinating conjunctions is crucial to mastering comma placement
f the word has an "s" at the end because it has already been made plural,
then just add the apostrophe to the end of the word after the "s." (Follow this rule: First form the plural, then make it possessive.) Customers + ' = customers' The employees are trained to manage the customers' complaints. Officers + ' = officers' The officers' safety is one of the police chief's main concerns.
Note that each of these sentences contains a "time marker"—
three days, twice, six years. Perfect tenses always take time markers.
Avoid starting sentences
with large numbers. NO: Four hundred and ninety five parking tickets were issued last month. YES: Last month, the department issued 495 parking tickets.
Who vs. that. When choosing between "who" and "that" to refer to a team
choose "that."
The smaller hyphen is often used to join two or more words into a
compound adjective. When the same words combine, but appear after the noun, they are not hyphenated. YES: We received first-rate service. We received service that was first rate. YES: I have a part-time job.
fewer / less
countable things/things you can't count
When the conjunctive adverb is interrupting a single clause
do NOT use a semicolon. NO: Laying off your top performers; however, does not boost morale. (The semicolon separates the subject from the verb—bad idea.) YES: Laying off your top performers, however, does not boost morale. (Commas are fine here, because the word "however" is not placed between two independent clauses.)
phrase
do not have subjects; nothing is doing the action.
When creating a list, capitalize the first word of
each item in a vertical list. (Reminder: Make lists parallel, as emphasized in Chapter 2a. Note how each of these bullet items begins with a verb.): Reduce days in receivables Hire a new IT manager Slash unnecessary expenses
independent clause
expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. Has both a subject and a verb.
further / farther
farther- used for physical distance further- used for metaphorical distance
When referring to a title—
including book titles, job titles, and degrees—use correct capitalization.
Use a semicolon between
independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb. Conjunctive adverbs are words like however, therefore, furthermore, and nevertheless. The semicolon is placed before the conjunctive adverb and a comma placed after.
Use a semicolon to join
independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction BIG FAT NO-NO: Sam received exceptional client evaluations, sadly, Lynn did not. (See the problem? You can't tell what "sadly" is modifying. The comma doesn't have enough oomph to join two independent clauses. A period would work, but it would also chop a continuous idea into two separate chunks.) PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE: Sam received exceptional client evaluations; sadly, Lynn did not. (Nice.)
Possessive pronouns
indicate that someone possesses or owns something.
Use commas after
introductory words, phrases, and clauses. INTRODUCTORY WORD: Yes, we can help you with your fundraiser. INTRODUCTORY PHRASE: All things considered, the convention was a success. INTRODUCTORY DEPENDENT CLAUSE: When Martha introduced the president, everyone became silent.
"which" is used
is used when the clause is non-restrictive: it contains "nice-to-have" information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. YES COMMAS
"that" is used
is used with restrictive clauses Restrictive clauses are "must-have" information, without which the reader won't understand the meaning of the sentence. NO COMMAS
lead / led
lead - the metal as in lead pipe OR present tense of led led - past tense of lead
parallelism
means using the same word patterns—the same syntax —for similar parts of a sentence. Writers most often violate the parallelism principle in two situations: (1) when stating items in a list or series, and (2) when connecting items with what are called parallel connectives.
reflexive pronouns.
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves Never use a reflexive pronoun in place of an objective-case pronoun; reflexive pronouns can also be used to intensify objects.
Write large numbers using a combination of decimals
nd verbal descriptors (million, billion, etc.) NO: At the end of 2016, Facebook had more than 1,790,000,000 monthly active users. YES: At the end of 2016, Facebook had more than 1.79 billion monthly active users. NO: The company had earnings of more than $4,200,000,000 over the last three years. YES:The company had earnings of more than $4.2 billion over the last three years.
Items in a series or list
need to be stated in the same grammatical form. NOT PARALLEL: Our exhibition booth will feature product giveaways, instructional videos, and we'll be especially pleased to raffle off a Hawaiian vacation. (The first two items in the series are adjective-noun combinations; the third item is a clause that starts with a subject and verb.) PARALLEL: Our exhibition booth will feature product giveaways, instructional videos, and an exciting raffle for a Hawaiian vacation.
Nominalization
no -tion on a verb
When the i.e. (or e.g.) precedes a phrase rather than a clause,
no semicolon is needed. A comma works fine: YES: This year, let's focus on our greatest strength, i.e., our after-sales support. (No semicolon needed.)
Use commas to
separate clauses SENTENCE 1: HR managers may encounter ethical dilemmas in the workplace. (One independent clause) SENTENCE 2: HR managers may encounter ethical dilemmas, and corporate executives may not see these situations the same way. (Two independent clauses) SENTENCE 3: As a result of the complex issues we face in society, HR managers may encounter ethical dilemmas. (One dependent clause and one independent clause)
number / amount
(Number) is used when the items can be counted. (Amount) denotes quantity.
whether / if
(Whether) should be used when listing alternatives. (If) should be used when referring to a future possibility.
In some cases, words are made plural differently than adding an "s"
(like child to children or man to men). When making these words possessive, go back to the simple rule of adding an apostrophe + s after forming the plural. Children + ' + s = children's The youth group donated coats to the children's shelter. Men + ' + s = men's Kristine works in the men's department.
The general rule is to use "who"
(not "that") when referring to people:
Parallel Connectives
-Neither/nor The movie was neither interesting nor uplifting. -Either/or Walmart is going to either lay off a lot of workers or cut their hours. -Not only/but also The new consultant is not only a genius but also a gourmet. -Both/and Google is both profitable and innovative. -Rather/or Would you rather take two weeks off or move to a different team?
appraise / apprise
1. to make an estimate 2. to inform (in a formal sense)
Is a company singular or plural?
A business is a single entity, which means that it takes a singular pronoun: NO: Microsoft is a great company; they have an excellent benefits package. YES: Microsoft is a great company; it has an excellent benefits package.
dependent clause
A clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb
clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
always singular
Anyone Either* Everything Nothing Anybody Every Many a Someone Anything Everyone Neither* Somebody Each Everybody Nobody Something
always plural
Both Few Several Many
DEGREE
Capitalize the formal degree title, but not the general reference. EXAMPLES: Cary Lewis is earning a Master of Public Administration (MPA). (This is the formal title, a proper noun.) Claire Dixon is working on a degree in business administration. (Business administration is a general field of study; no need to capitalize.)
JOB TITLES:
Capitalize the job title when it precedes the person's name, but not the general reference to a job title. EXAMPLES:The president of this company is Jackie Jones. Carol introduced the new head of our company, President Jackie Jones.
Only
DO NOT Almost all errors with "only" occur when it is placed between the subject and the verb especially tricky modifier because it can function as an adjective or an adverb. This duality can cause great confusion. To avoid misinterpretation, think carefully about where to place only; it belongs directly next to the word or words it modifies. EXAMPLE 1: She picked up the phone only when he was in the office. (Meaning: She never picked up the phone unless he was in the office.) EXAMPLE 2: She only picked up the phone when he was in the office. (Meaning: She didn't do anything else when he was in the office: she didn't say hello, dial a number, check her email, look out the window, etc. Her sole activity, when he was in the office, was to pick up the phone.)
Dates
Generally use the cardinal (1, 2, 3) number for the date. The ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd) are allowable only if the date precedes the month. Although we often interchange the cardinal and the ordinal forms when we talk, follow this rule in writing. OK: The store opened on Saturday, the 12th of July, 2016. BETTER: The store opened on Saturday, July 12, 2016. PREFERRED FOR NON-U.S. AUDIENCES: The store opened on Saturday, 12 July 2016. NO: The store opened on Saturday, July 12th, 2006.
Past Perfect
He had been to Hawaii twice before he saw the volcano. Past perfect indicates a completed action that took place before another action in the past.
Present Perfect
He has been sick for three days. Present perfect indicates an action that has been occurring over a period of time up to and including the present.
indefinite pronouns that can be either singular OR plural
Here's a handy tip: If the quantity is countable, then the indefinite pronoun takes a plural verb; if you can't count it, then use the singular verb. All Most Any None More Some COUNTABLE QUANTITIES WITH PLURAL VERBS: All of the divisions are presenting their reports tomorrow. (The verb is plural because "divisions" are countable.) Some managers prefer face-to-face performance reviews. (Managers are countable.) None of the coupons were redeemed. (None in this case means "not any," and coupons are countable.) NON-COUNTABLE QUANTITIES WITH SINGULAR VERBS: All of the work is finished. (This is singular since "work" is not countable: "I did five work and she did seven." Huh?) Some patience is required to complete this task. (Patience is not countable.) None of the oatmeal Is left. (Oatmeal is a blob. How do you count individual parts of a blob?)
Make Subjects and Verbs Agree
In sentences, subjects always have verbs associated with them. The subject is the actor, and the verb is the action (or the state of being). Writers who've grown up with English usually know what verb form to use because it "sounds right." Two situations can cause confusion, however: intervening prepositional phrases (by far the biggest offender), and other intervening elements. Let's look at intervening prepositional phrases first. Which of the following two sentences sounds correct? SENTENCE 1: Only one of the company executives is fully insured. SENTENCE 2:Only one of the company executives are fully insured
Percentages
In written text, use the numeral and the percent symbol (e.g., 6%). However, check your company's style guide because some specify that all numbers be expressed as words (six percent); others use the numeral with "percent" written out (6 percent). NEVER express percentages like this: six%. In passages of text, round the percent to the nearest tenth: 11.57% becomes 11.6%.
Avoid Ambiguous Pronoun References
NO: John's manager said he wasn't allowed to go. (Who wasn't allowed, John or John's manager?) YES: John's manager said John wasn't allowed to go. NO: My team leader hates the new audit director; she constantly avoids her. (Who is avoiding whom?) YES: Stacy, my team leader, hates the new audit director; in fact, Stacy constantly avoids her. NO: John and Laney rarely take time to debug their code and document the errors they find. This could create system-wide problems later. (What does "this" refer to—the lack of debugging, the lack of documentation, or both?) YES: John and Laney rarely take time to debug their code and document the errors they find. Buggy code could create system-wide problems later.
Also incorrect is the use of apostrophes to form possessive pronouns.
NO: Please join the Dixon's for a party at their home. NO:Merry Christmas from the Johnson's.
paralell items in a list
NO: Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria: -Is the client satisfied? -Were the consultants fully utilized? -Existence of a follow-on project. (Wait a minute—the first two bullets are questions; this one's a statement.) YES: Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria: -Is the client satisfied? -Were the consultants fully utilized? -Did the project generate follow-on work?
what do parallel connectives connect?
Neither ADJECTIVE nor ADJECTIVE Either NOUN or NOUN Not only VERB but also VERB
Fundamental 1
Never use a phrase or a dependent clause as a sentence. Make sure all of your sentences contain at least one independent clause.
Match Indefinite
Pronouns and Verbs
gender and number
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in both gender and number. Look at the following sentences. The antecedent is underlined and its pronoun is in blue. NO: Please ensure that each manager brings his laptop to the meeting. YES: Please ensure that all managers bring their laptops to the meeting.
When expressing possession with a proper noun, what do you do with names that end in -s, -es, -z, or -x?
SINGULAR: NO: That blue Honda is John Thomases car. (Nope—that's plural, not possessive.) YES: That blue Honda is John Thomas's car. YES: That blue Honda is John Thomas' car. PLURAL: NO: That blue Honda is the Thomases's car. (The car belongs to the Thomas family.) YES: That blue Honda is the Thomases' car. YES: That blue Honda is the Thomas' car. For names ending in z (such as Sanchez or Aziz), the rule is the same. SINGULAR: NO: That blue Honda is Rita Sanchezes car. (Rita Sanchez is the individual in question.) YES: That blue Honda is Rita Sanchez's car. YES: That blue Honda is Rita Sanchez' car.
Future Perfect
She will have been in college for six years by the time she graduates. Future perfect indicates a completed action that will take place before another action in the future.
The same rule applies to the construction "not only/but also."
The subject nearer the verb determines the conjugation, so when you have both a singular and a plural subject, put the plural one closer to the verb: NO: Not only the invoices but also the bill of shipping is inaccurate. (This is grammatically correct but stylistically awkward.) YES: Not only the bill of shipping but also the invoices are inaccurate. (With "invoices" nearer the verb "are," the sentence is stylistically more pleasing.)
Dangling modifiers
These are words or phrases that do not modify ANY word in the sentence. NO: As the manager, the refunds were handled carefully. (The refunds are the manager? That's a dangling modifier; the manager is never identified.) YES: As the manager, I carefully handled the refunds.
pronouns
To choose the right pronoun, you need to know whether it's a subject or object in a sentence. We've already learned that subjects do the action in a sentence. Objects, on the other hand, either receive the action in the sentence or come after a preposition.
Fractions
When expressing fractions, express standalone fractions as words and hyphenate them: NO: Only ¾ of the students passed the exam. YES: Only three-fourths of the students passed the exam. However, use decimals wherever possible. NO: After going west for five-and-a-quarter miles, travel three-and-a-half miles north on the main road. YES:After going west for 5.25 miles, travel 3.5 miles north on the main road.
Antecedents
When pronouns are substituting for nouns, they must agree with their antecedent (the noun they are substituting for). SENTENCE 1: Adrienne's teammate, Rex, wants his lunch break early today. SENTENCE 2: Adrienne's teammates, Rex and Rachel, want their lunch break early today. The verb changed from wants to want, and the pronoun changed from his to their. These changes keep the verb and the pronouns in agreement with their antecedent.
Page numbers
When referring to a page or chapter number, always use numerals: NO: You'll find the quote on page five of chapter eleven. YES: You'll find the quote on page 5 of chapter 11.
Reflexive pronouns are permissible in only three situations:
When the subject and object are the same, e.g., The president's advisor humiliated herself in front of the national media. When the object of a preposition refers to the subject, e.g., The interns went out to dinner by themselves. For emphasis or intensification, e.g., If marketing won't conduct the end-user study, we'll do it ourselves. OR I gave the report to Robert himself.
Floating hyphen
When you're using two or more compound adjectives in a row and they all modify the same noun, the hyphen lets you avoid repeating the noun. This is called a floating hyphen. NO: The company offers either a one-hour or two-hour orientation session. (OK, but why repeat the word "hour"?) YES:The company offers either a one- or two-hour orientation session. Note: Self-esteem, self-confidence, self-awareness, and all other such self-referencing nouns always take hyphens
When expressing ownership, joint and individual ownership are differentiated by the correct use of apostrophes. If the item is jointly possessed, the apostrophe goes on only the SECOND person's name as in the first two examples below.
YES: Caden and Traci own a home. It is Caden and Traci's home. YES: Caden and Traci have children. They are Caden and Traci's children. YES: Harry and David both have driver licenses. They are Harry's and David's licenses. YES: Claire and Taylor both have their airplane tickets. They are Claire's and Taylor's tickets.
Other terms, like time, can show possession:
YES: I have seven years' experience in programming. YES: I have never done a day's work in my life! YES:You'll receive two weeks' vacation.
Be sure to capitalize proper
adjectives, as in these examples: CAPITALIZED: I am taking a French class. (Languages are capitalized.) NOT: I love french fries. (This has become common usage over time.) CAPITALIZED: Could we install a Coke machine in the lunchroom? (Coke is a trademark. If you don't want to specify a brand, you could say, "Could we install a drink machine . . .?")
affect / effect
affect: verb effect: noun
Use Colons only
after Complete Sentences Here's a tip: Look to the left of the colon. If the words to the left of the colon form a sentence that introduces a series or a list, and that series or list appears to the right of the colon, then the colon is being used appropriately. This rule applies even with a bulleted or numbered list: INCORRECT (because the words before the colon do not constitute a complete sentence): The Volunteer Services intern will: -Help the National Volunteer Services team to increase capabilities. -Develop strategies to enhance organizational volunteer engagement capability. -Research and make recommendations for expanding volunteer use. CORRECT The Volunteer Services intern will do the following three tasks: -Help the National Volunteer Services team to increase capabilities. -Develop strategies to enhance organizational volunteer engagement capability. -Research and make recommendations for expanding volunteer use.
Use the "Oxford comma" to separate
all the items in a series (including the penultimate item). When listing a series of items, include commas to separate all of the items.
Capitalize compass points when they refer to a specific place or region
and not when they refer to a general area: CORRECT: Lake Tahoe is about four hours east of San Francisco. (Do not capitalize general compass points.) CORRECT: Jamie Parsons was raised in the South. (Capitalize compass points when they refer to recognized regions.)
subject
are doing the work; they are doing or being something. Every sentence you write should have a strong subject. In other words, state clearly who or what is doing the action.
Use commas around
nonessential words or phrases. This keeps your sentences flowing smoothly and helps the reader capture your meaning the first time through. NOTHING SET OFF: Our engineers have without a doubt worked tirelessly on this upcoming release. (Hard to understand, isn't it?) NON-ESSENTIAL INFORMATION SET OFF: Our engineers have, without a doubt, worked tirelessly on this upcoming release. SENTENCE 1: My son, Wayne, majored in economics. SENTENCE 2: My son Wayne majored in economics. You might think the two sentences communicate exactly the same thing. You'd be wrong. The difference is indicated by the commas. In Sentence 1, the commas indicate that "Wayne" is nonessential information. In other words, the author has only one son and his name happens to be Wayne. In Sentence 2, the lack of commas indicates that "Wayne" is essential information. The author clearly has more than one son but is talking about the one (Wayne) who is an econ major.
me
objective case, receive the action in the sentence
With direct quotations, capitalize the first word
of the quotation when the first word of the quotation begins the sentence. Read the following correctly capitalized sentences, noticing that in the second sentence, the quote doesn't start with a capital letter, since the quoted material finishes the logical flow of the sentence: CAPITALIZED QUOTE: Warren Buffett has said, "Rule No.1: Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1." PARTIAL QUOTE NOT CAPITALIZED:Warren Buffett has said that we should "never lose money."
Generally, spell out single-digit numbers
one through nine. Use numerals for double-digit numbers 10 - infinity. YES: He realized he could eat 13 mandarin oranges and still consume fewer calories than he would by eating one glazed donut. Be aware of the following exceptions to the general numbering rule. Spell out any number that begins a sentence NO: 13 clients expect visits next week. YES: Thirteen clients expect visits next week.
modifiers
phrases is written to describe a noun—and the noun that they describe should be the very next word in the sentence.
If one subject is singular and the other is plural,
place the plural subject nearer to the verb and make the verb plural: NO: Either the players or the coach is not working hard enough. (Technically, this is correct, but it sounds odd because of the plural subject, "players.") YES: Either the coach or the players are not working hard enough. (That sounds much better, doesn't it?)
Use apostrophes to express
possession. In simple possession, just add an apostrophe + s.
I
subjective case, do the action in a sentence
Three parts of a sentence
subjects, verbs, and complements
Use a semicolon after an independent clause
that comes before "i.e.," (which means "that is" or "in other words") and "e.g." (which means "for example") if another independent clause follows. NO: We have received approval for the new position, i.e., we can hire either one full-time employee or two part-time employees. (That comma is not up to the task of joining two independent clauses.) YES: We have received approval for the new position; i.e., we can hire either one full-time employee or two part-time employees. (Perfect use of a semicolon.)
Use a semicolon to separate items in a series
that contains internal commas. In these cases, the semicolon acts as "super comma." Examine the following sentence, in which the list of cities and states creates a messy sequence of commas. NO: Fidelity Investments builds operations centers in out-of-the-way places like Merrimack, New Hampshire, Smithfield, Rhode Island, Westlake, Texas, Covington, Kentucky, and Greenwood Village, Colorado. (If that didn't give you a headache, you're unusual.) YES: Fidelity Investments builds operations centers in out-of-the-way places like Merrimack, New Hampshire; Smithfield, Rhode Island; Westlake, Texas; Covington, Kentucky; and Greenwood Village, Colorado. (Those "super-commas" really help, don't they?)
If both subjects are plural,
the verb is plural: Neither the consultants nor the regulators are knowledgeable about the industry. (The verb is plural because both "consultants" and "regulators" are plural.)
Use the present tense
to express a permanent truth or condition. Suppose that someone says to you, "What did you say your name was?" Though the person might have been introduced to you last week, if your actual name is the same today as it was last week, the question should be phrased: "What did you say your name is?" Here is an additional example: NO: Reactions to the merger appeared on page 14A of last Tuesday's Wall Street Journal. (Wait, did the the WSJ editors move the article to a different page?) YES: Reactions to the merger appear on page 14A of last Tuesday's Wall Street Journal. (Last week's paper still exists and the article is still on page 14A.)
Keep Subjects Close
to their Verbs
a comma separates
two independent clauses
When in doubt about verbs,
use the word "and" to create a plural subject—and as a bonus, you'll use fewer word
Here's an exception: Hyphens are not used
when one of the words is an adverb that ends in -ly. YES: She bought the brightly colored dress. (no hyphen) YES: He ate the rest of the partly opened package of cookies. (no hyphen)
