Business Writing Guidelines: Noun/Pronoun Agreement, Subject/Verb Agreement, and More, Lecture notes of English

Download Business Writing Guidelines: Noun/Pronoun Agreement, Subject/Verb Agreement, and More and more Lecture notes English in PDF only on Docsity! COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES Everything you need to know about the Los Angeles County online Job Application system. ENGLISH USAGE USAGE YOUR CAREER STARTS HERE. Human Resources Los Angeles County FOR BUSINESS WRITING TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 3 Purpose of this Guide ............................................................................. 3 Objectives ............................................................................................. 3 Who should use this Guide? .................................................................... 3 Disclaimer ............................................................................................. 3 WHY THE RULES AND GUIDELINES ARE IMPORTANT ...................... 4 NOUN/PRONOUN AGREEMENT ......................................................... 5 Basic Rule ............................................................................................. 5 Special Rules and Guidelines ................................................................... 6 SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT ............................................................. 7 Basic Rule ............................................................................................. 7 Changing the Person and Number of Verbs .............................................. 7 Special Rules and Considerations ............................................................ 8 MISPLACED/DANGLING MODIFIERS .............................................. 10 WRITING STYLE .............................................................................. 12 Voice .................................................................................................. 12 Parallelism ........................................................................................... 13 Conciseness ........................................................................................ 14 Other General Style Guidelines ............................................................. 17 WORD USAGE .................................................................................. 20 CAPITALIZATION & PUNCTUATION ................................................ 27 Capitalization ....................................................................................... 27 Punctuation ......................................................................................... 27 CONCLUSION ................................................................................... 30 Additional Resources ............................................................................ 30 Feedback ............................................................................................ 31 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................... 31 ABOUT THE AUTHORS ..................................................................... 32 GLOSSARY 5 NOUN/PRONOUN AGREEMENT Basic Rule PERSON indicates whether the noun is the author (first person), the reader (second person), or someone/something else (third person). First Person I will mail the documents. {The pronoun “I” references the author of the statement} Second Person You should receive them within three to four business days. {The pronoun “You” references the reader of the statement} Third Person They will arrive in a thick envelope. {The pronoun “They” references something other than the author/reader} NUMBER indicates whether the noun is about one person, place, or thing (singular), or multiple persons, places, or things (plural). Singular I will mail the documents. {The pronoun “I” references one person} Plural I will mail the documents. They will arrive in a thick envelope. {The pronoun “They” references multiple documents} GENDER indicates whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or an object. Masculine Forward your request to John. He will confirm that he received it. {The pronoun “He” references the masculine noun “John”} Feminine Forward your request to Marcia. She will confirm that she received it. {The pronoun “She” references the feminine noun “Marcia”} Object Forward your request to John. He will confirm that he received it. {The pronoun “it” references the object “request”} CASE indicates whether the noun is the subject/cause of the action (subjective), the object/receiver of the action (objective), or the owner of something referenced in the statement (possessive). Subjective She assigns projects to workers after analyzing many factors. {The pronoun “She” is the subject causing the action “assigns”} Objective Given your unique project, Gary will probably assign it to me. {“It” is the object receiving the action of being assigned} Possessive I hope that you will be satisfied with my recommendation. {“My” references the author’s ownership of the recommendation} The following table lists several pronouns according to their person, number, and case: PRONOUNS Subjective Objective Possessive Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural First Person I we me us my our Second Person you you you you your your Third Person he, she, it they him, her, it them his, hers, its their BASIC RULE: Pronouns must match the nouns they replace in person, number, gender, and case. 6 NOUN/PRONOUN AGREEMENT (continued) Special Rules and Guidelines Some words and word groupings have special rules that apply to them. It is important to understand the special rules along with the basic rule to ensure that nouns and pronouns agree. Additionally, there are special guidelines to follow to help you avoid common agreement errors. Some of these special rules and guidelines are described below. Example: Return the original documents to the clients that request them.  Return the original documents to the clients who request them.  {“Clients” references persons and requires the pronoun “who”} Example: We are seeking a secretary that can type 40 words per minute.  We are seeking a secretary who can type 40 words per minute.  {“Secretary” references a person and requires the pronoun “who”} Example: Either the employees or the manager will send their comments by the deadline.  Either the employees or the manager will send her comments by the deadline.  {The singular noun “manager” is closest to the pronoun which must also be singular} Note: This is an example where re-writing, if possible, would be better than following the rule to avoid awkwardness. For example: “Either the manager will send her comments by the deadline or her employees will send theirs.” When a pronoun references a singular noun AND a plural noun joined by “or” or “nor,” it must agree with the noun closest to it. This also applies when the nouns have different genders. The pronoun “who” references persons. The pronoun “that” references objects. . Checking for Noun/Pronoun Agreement  Is the noun first, second, or third person?  Is the noun singular or plural?  Is the noun masculine, feminine, or an object?  Is the noun subjective, objective, or possessive?  Do any of the special rules apply? 7 SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT Basic Rule PERSON indicates whether the subject is the author (first person), the reader (second person), or someone/something else (third person). First Person I will mail the documents to you. {The author is the subject who is causing the action} Second Person You should review them before returning them to me. {The reader is the subject who is causing the action} Third Person My assistant will review them by the fifteenth of this month. {Someone/something other than the author or reader is causing the action} NUMBER indicates whether the subject is about one person, place, or thing (singular), or multiple persons, places, or things (plural). Singular Ms. Jones has earned the organization’s highest achievement award. {The subject is one person: Ms. Jones} Plural The ergonomic keyboards have design features that will make our work easier. {The subject is multiple things: keyboards} Changing the Person and Number of Verbs The following table describes the action verbs “read” and “watch” according to their person and number. Note that they are spelled the same way regardless of person or number in most instances. However, “s” or “es” is added to the end of the third person singular verb to make it agree with its subject in person and in number. This pattern applies to many, but not all, action verbs. ACTION VERBS Singular Plural First Person I read. I watch. We read. We watch. Second Person You read. You watch. You read. You watch. Third Person He reads. She watches. They read. They watch. Linking verbs that reflect states of being have special rules. Consider the following examples using the verbs “be” and “have”: LINKING VERBS Singular Plural First Person I am. I have. We are. We have. Second Person You are. You have. You are. You have. Third Person He is. She has. They are. They have. BASIC RULE: Subjects and verbs must agree in person and number. 10 MISPLACED/DANGLING MODIFIERS Misplaced modifiers are phrases that modify (i.e., describe) part of a statement in an ambiguous manner because they could potentially apply to another part of the statement. The confusion that results could be avoided by re-arranging the statement so the modifier is in a different place. Example: Here are some helpful suggestions for protecting your homes from the police chief.  Because of the order of phrases in this statement, it seems that readers need to protect their homes from the police chief! Though perhaps possible, this is probably not the intended message. The phrase “from the police chief” is the misplaced modifier that should be moved in order to make the statement clearer. Example: Here are some helpful suggestions from the police chief for protecting your home.  The following table provides additional examples of statements with misplaced modifiers that have been corrected to make them clearer. Misplaced  Properly Placed  Locate the enter key on the keyboard made of red plastic. {What is made of red plastic?} Locate the enter key made of red plastic on the keyboard. The building manager said that the office is freshly painted with new carpet and central air. {Carpet can be used to paint?} The building manager said that the freshly-painted office has new carpet and central air. She revised the form sitting in court. {Was the form sitting in court?} Sitting in court, she revised the form. To ensure that your reader can understand your writing, make sure to place modifiers close to the word(s) they are modifying in the statement. Dangling modifiers are phrases that modify part of a statement, but are missing some important word(s) to help clarify what they really mean. The confusion that results could be avoided by adding the missing words. Example: Once executed, you must check the contract for full compliance.  This statement says that “After you are executed, you must check the contract…” This is probably not the intended meaning of the statement. The phrase “once executed” is the dangling modifier that needs a few extra words to help it become clearer. Example: Once the contract is executed, you must check it for full compliance.  As shown in this example, most dangling modifiers are phrases at the beginning of a statement that do not have their own subject. Because they do not have their own subjects, they attach themselves to the subject of the statement that follows and modify it, rather than what they are really supposed to modify. The table on the next page provides additional examples of statements with dangling modifiers that have been corrected in order to make them clearer. 11 MISPLACED/DANGLING MODIFIERS (continued) Dangling  Corrected  Tattered and worn, Herbert has decided to request a new sofa for the lobby area. {Herbert is tattered and worn?} The sofa was tattered and worn, so Herbert decided to request a new one for the lobby area. Left unattended for most of the morning, the secretary decided to pick up the briefcase. {Was the secretary unattended?} Because the briefcase had been left unattended for most of the morning, the secretary decided to pick it up. While sitting in the meeting, the alarm sounded and surprised everyone. {The alarm sat at the meeting?} While everyone was sitting in the meeting, the alarm sounded and surprised them. Correcting Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers  Ensure that modifiers are placed as close as possible to the word(s) they are modifying.  Add subjects to modifiers at the beginning of statements or completely re-write the statements. 12 WRITING STYLE Style does not relate to particular rules of grammar or mechanics, but rather to ways to arrange words in statements so they are clear and strong in conveying your message. Voice, parallelism, and conciseness are components of style that affect business writing. This section will describe these components along with a few other general style guidelines for business documents. Voice “Voice” relates to the direction of the action in a statement. There are two voices: active and passive. In active voice, the action is directed from the subject to someone or something else. In other words, the subject performs the action. In passive voice, the action is directed to the subject by someone or something else. In other words, the subject receives the action. The following table illustrates these two structures. ACTIVE: Doer of Action (“Actor”)  Action  Receiver of Action The analyst wrote the report. PASSIVE: Receiver of Action  Action  Doer of Action (“Actor”) The report was written by the analyst. Though it is grammatically correct, passive voice often makes readers work too hard to figure out “Who did what?” In fact, many writers take advantage of this characteristic of passive voice when they must convey negative information and want it to be perceived less harshly. For example: Passive  Active  A review was conducted and your proposal was rejected. The committee reviewed and rejected your proposal. It is unfortunate that the letters were not issued on time. Unfortunately, we did not issue the letters on time. Errors were made, but they have been corrected. We made some errors, but we have corrected them. While there is prevalent use of passive voice in formal business documents, active voice is generally preferred to make statements clearer and more direct. However, using passive voice may be justified in some situations, such as when the “actor” is unknown, difficult to identify, or irrelevant to the overall message being conveyed (i.e., the receiver is more important than the “actor”). Example: We will return the equipment to the supplier because it was damaged during shipping. {The specific person who did the damage is unknown or difficult to identify} Example: Thankfully, hundreds of volunteers were recruited at the last minute to participate in the clean-up. {Who did the recruiting is irrelevant to the overall message} Checking for Active versus Passive Voice  Find the verb in the statement.  Ask “Who?” or “What?” is performing the action.  If the statement is constructed so the "actor" is the subject, it has active voice. If the "actor" is the object, it has passive voice. 15 WRITING STYLE (continued) Wordy: The function of this department is the collection of accounts. (10) Concise: This department collects accounts. (4) Wordy: The current focus of the medical profession is disease prevention. (10) Concise: The medical profession currently focuses on disease prevention. (8) Wordy: The duties of a clerk are to check all incoming mail and to record it. (15) Concise: Clerks check and record all incoming mail. (7) Wordy: We have a tendency to make decisions to take action on requests immediately when customers make a personal appearance with us. (21) Concise: We generally decide to act immediately on requests when customers meet with us in-person. (14) Wordy: We chose the system that is most efficient and cost-effective. (10) Concise: We chose the most efficient and cost-effective system. (8) Wordy: All applicants who are interested in the job must comply with the rule. (13) Concise: All job applicants must comply with the rule. (8) Wordy: The report which was released recently showcased our success. (9) Concise: The recently-released report showcased our success. (6) Wordy: It is imperative that we find a solution. (8) Concise: We must find a solution. (5) Wordy: There are two issues that should be addressed in the report. (11) Concise: The report should address two issues. (6) As these guidelines suggest, the fundamental consideration for making your statements concise is to eliminate words that add bulk, but not meaning. The tables on the next page provide examples of redundant, imprecise, and wordy expressions commonly used in business writing and more concise alternatives. Avoid using nouns when verbs can be used instead. Avoid beginning statements with “It is/was” or “There are/were.” Remove any unnecessary clauses that begin with “that,” “who,” and “which.” Simplify. 16 WRITING STYLE (continued) Redundant  Concise  absolutely perfect perfect basic fundamental basic centered around center conclusive proof proof continue further continue each individual each end result result final outcome result future plans plans important essential essential increasingly more increasingly mutual cooperation cooperation past history past refer back refer sudden/serious crisis crisis sufficient enough sufficient together with with true fact fact unexpected surprise surprise very unique unique Imprecise  Concise  not accept reject not admit deny not allow restrict not confusing clear not different similar not have lack not include omit not many few not often rarely not the same different Wordy  Concise   The reason for  Being that  Due to the fact that  In light of the fact that  On the grounds that because, why  It is crucial that  It is necessary that  There is a need for  It is important that must, should  As/in regards to  In reference to  With regard to/regarding  Concerning the matter of about  In the event that  If it should happen that  Under circumstances in which if  At the present time currently, now  Despite/due to the fact  Regardless of the fact that although  Is able to  Is in a position to can  It is possible that  There is a chance that  It could happen that  The possibility exists for may, might, can, could  Prior to  In anticipation of  Subsequent to  At the same time as  Simultaneously with before, when, as, after  On the occasion of  In a situation in which  Under circumstances when  On behalf of for Checking for Conciseness  Is active voice used?  Are the words precise?  Is there a simpler way to convey the message?  Are there unnecessary words or redundancies? 17 WRITING STYLE (continued) Other General Style Guidelines The following are other general style guidelines for making your writing clear and understandable. A clipped word is a shortened version of a longer word. It is appropriate to use clipped words in informal business writing (e.g., emails) or when you are certain that your reader will understand them. However, you should use full (i.e., non-abbreviated) words in formal business writing (e.g., reports, proposals, letters). Clipped  Full  memo memorandum phone telephone asap as soon as possible cell cellular Infinitives are verbs preceded by the word “to” (e.g., to write, to address, to read). Grammar rules dictate that an infinitive should be kept together (i.e., without any words in between). However, writing that explicitly follows this rule often ends up being awkward. Therefore, it has become generally acceptable to split an infinitive as long as the “to” and the verb remain fairly close together. Separating an infinitive with a long phrase (e.g., more than one or two words) can cause confusion. Split Infinitive  Intact Infinitive  to clearly and concisely at all times write to write clearly and concisely at all times to as fairly and quickly as possible address concerns to address concerns as fairly and quickly as possible Although grammar rules dictate that prepositions should never be placed at the end of a statement, writing that explicitly follows this rule often ends up being awkward. In fact, it has become generally acceptable to ignore this rule in informal writing. However, formal business writing must still adhere to it. A good guideline for avoiding the awkwardness that can result is to re-write the statement altogether, if possible. Example: Remember the name of the person you give the package to.  Remember the name of the person to whom you give the package.  Remember the name of the person who receives the package from you.  Example: What are you requesting information about?  About what are you requesting information?  What is the information that you request?  Avoid clipped words. Avoid split infinitives. Do not end a statement with a preposition. 20 WORD USAGE Effective writing depends on effective word selection. Thus, good writers must understand the differences between words so they can select the correct ones. This section will describe some specific words that are commonly confused or misused in business writing. a/an  Use a before words that begin with consonants (e.g., “hard” sounds) 1  Use an before words that begin with vowels (i.e., A, E, I, O, or U)1 Example: Our messenger will deliver a box of brochures in about an hour.  accept/except  Accept means to receive or take in someone or something  Except means to leave something out Example: Patients may accept visitors every day except Sunday.  advice/advise  Advice is a noun that means guidance or suggestion  Advise is a verb that means to give advice Example: The case worker advised the participant to seek the advice of a counselor.  affect/effect  Affect means to influence someone or something  Effect is the consequence, result, or impact of something Example: Recent hiring significantly affected workloads and produced positive effects on customer satisfaction.  among/between  Between references two things  Among references more than two things Example: The second most populous city among all major U.S. cities has fluctuated between Chicago and Los Angeles for several years.  1 This rule is based on the first sound of a word rather than the actual first written letter. For example, the first letter (i.e., “h”) in the word “honor” is a consonant, but it is silent when the word is pronounced. The first sound of the word is a vowel sound (i.e., the “o”). Thus, “an” is correct (i.e., an honor) instead of “a” (i.e., a honor). “Hard” sounds require “a” and “soft” sounds require “an.” Additionally, keep in mind that a given vowel can sound “hard” or “soft” in different words. For example, if the vowel “u” at the beginning of a word sounds like the word “you,” then “a” is correct (e.g., He had a unique idea). Otherwise, “an” is correct (e.g., The project received an unprecedented budget). If the vowel “o” at the beginning of a word sounds like the letter “w,” then “a” is correct (e.g., a one-sided document). Otherwise, “an” is correct (e.g., an only child). A handy memory tool to help you choose correctly between “affect” and “effect” in most situations is the acronym RAVEN: Remember that Affect is a Verb and Effect is a Noun. 21 WORD USAGE (continued) assure/ensure/insure  Assure means to confidently encourage someone about something  Ensure means to offer a guarantee; it references making something happen  Insure means to prevent or protect against something unwanted or undesirable Example: The IT Manager assured us that the back-up procedures will insure us against data loss and ensure that operations will continue after an emergency.  at  Do not use at after where; it is unnecessary. Example: Susan works at the branch office; that is where my supervisor is at right now.  Susan works at the branch office; that is where my supervisor is right now.  beside/besides  Beside means close to or next to  Besides means in addition to Example: Besides me, Paul and Ann also think a file cabinet should be beside each cubicle.  compliment/complement  Compliment relates to flattery or praise  Complement means that two or more things support or work well together Example: Chief Donald complimented the staff on their efforts to modify the program to complement the department’s new strategic plan.  choose/chose  Choose is present tense or future tense  Chose is past tense Example: Regina already chose to go to tomorrow’s session, but I will choose which session to attend after I speak with Bill.  compare/contrast  Compare means to note similarities  Contrast means to note differences Example: Many programs have comparable budgets; however, there is a tremendous contrast in staffing levels.  continual/continuous  Continual means intermittently repeated  Continuous means uninterrupted or “all the time” Example: The frustrated workers’ continual pleas for different cubicles stem from the continuous noise of the nearby copy machine.  22 WORD USAGE (continued) decide/determine  Decide means to subjectively choose from among several options; there is no “right” or “wrong”  Determine means to objectively evaluate something according to a standard; there is a “right” or “wrong” Example: We determined that fulfilling the request would violate departmental policy and told Mr. Fox to call headquarters if he decides to appeal.  e.g./i.e.  The e.g. abbreviation means "for example.” It is used to list examples after a general statement. The list is usually considered incomplete.  The i.e. abbreviation means "that is" or "in other words.” It is used to clarify something previously stated. When the clarification is a list of items, using i.e. indicates that the list is complete. Example: We purchased many office supplies (e.g., staplers and file folders), but have now exhausted our supply budget (i.e., funds are no longer available).  Example: During our busiest months (e.g., May), we approve most overtime requests.  {This means that that May is one of the busiest months, not the only one} Example: During our busiest month (i.e., May), we approve most overtime requests.  {This means that May is the busiest month} equal/equitable  Equal means the same  Equitable means fair Example: Each plaintiff will have an equal opportunity to testify and will receive an equitable portion of any settlement.  Punctuating i.e. and e.g.  While the e.g. and i.e. abbreviations can be used either with or without parentheses, they should always be used with parentheses in formal business documents.  Regardless of placement in a statement, the e.g. and i.e. abbreviations are always lowercase letters separated with periods that are always followed with a comma. 25 WORD USAGE (continued) than/then  Than compares multiple items  Then refers to time Example: This year’s review period is much shorter than it was last year. It was four weeks then, but we had to document more information.  that/which  Use that before information that is critical to the meaning of the statement (i.e., something that needs to be there or else the meaning would change)  Use which before information that is not critical to the meaning of the statement (i.e., something that just provides additional information without really changing the meaning) Example: The review office gives priority to cases that are submitted on time.  {Only the cases submitted on time have priority} Example: Your case file, which is on Bob’s desk, will be submitted by deadline.  {The information about the file being on Bob’s desk could be removed without changing the meaning of the statement} their/there/they’re  Their is a pronoun that shows possession of something by several persons or things  There is a location  They’re is the contraction of “they are” Example: They’re present at the field office because their primary task is to report on operations there.  to/too/two  To means going toward; it relates to direction  Too means in addition or to an excessive degree  Two is the whole number that comes after “one” and before “three” Example: Mr. Diaz is going to the meeting so he can meet the two new analysts, too.  The proposal is too lengthy; we need to condense it .  try and/try to  Try and is an imprecise expression; replace it with try to Example: After we discuss the project, try and meet the goals right away.  After we discuss the project, try to meet the goals right away.  Punctuating Too and To  When used to mean “in addition,” too is always preceded by a comma and followed by another comma or other appropriate punctuation symbol (e.g., period, question mark, semi-colon, etc.).  Because to is a preposition, it should never be the last word of a statement in formal business writing. 26 WORD USAGE (continued) use/utilize  Use means to manipulate something for its intended purpose  Utilize means to manipulate something for an unintended purpose Example: During earthquake training, we learned that office chairs can be utilized as protection against falling objects. A back-up generator would be used to provide power.  Example: We utilized two books to level the wobbly table so the clerks could use it for assembling the packets.  who/whom  Who is always a subject that refers to the person doing the action of the statement  Whom is always an object that refers to the person receiving the action of the statement Example: The worker to whom you are assigned is the one who will issue payment.  your/you’re  Your means that you possess something  You’re is the contraction of “you are” Example: Your performance suggests that you’re ready for more challenging tasks.  Choosing between Who and Whom A useful strategy for choosing correctly between who and whom is to re-write the phrase that begins with who or whom as a complete thought and then substitute a pronoun for who or whom. If a subjective pronoun (i.e., I, you, she, he, and it) fits, then who is correct. If an objective pronoun (i.e., me, you, him, her, and it) fits, then whom is correct. Consider the following examples: Original: Celeste, who/whom you all know, is the new project manager. Re-written: You all know her. {Because her is the object receiving the action, whom is correct} Original: Refer to the directory to determine who/whom can assist you. Re-written: He can assist you. {Because he is the subject doing the action, who is correct} 27 CAPITALIZATION & PUNCTUATION Proper capitalization and punctuation are aspects of writing that are often neglected or not thoughtfully considered. However, even slight changes in punctuation and/or capitalization can change the meaning of a statement. This makes them important parts of conveying your message. This section will briefly describe some fundamental guidelines about punctuation and capitalization in business writing. Capitalization Capitalization provides a visual cue to readers that a particular word or group of words is important. The following table describes some fundamental guidelines about capitalization in business writing. There may be additional guidelines that are not described. Needs Capitalization3 Example First person singular pronoun “I” I will conduct next week’s training sessions. First word in any statement (e.g., a sentence or a question) Writing is important. Do you agree? People’s names George Cole is our Director of Administration. Titles George Cole is our Director of Administration. Days of the week, months, and holidays Our office is open Monday through Thursday. Proper names of places (e.g., cities, counties, states, and countries) The most populous county in the United States is the County of Los Angeles. Proper names of historical periods/events and formally organized groups The Supreme Court has ruled on many cases that affect our operations. Proper names of races, ethnicities, nationalities, and languages We have recently added Spanish and Vietnamese translation services for our customers. Names of businesses, trademarks, and brand names Our office uses Microsoft Word. Specific entities as opposed to non-specific entities (as determined by context) Though there are 30 departments in our organization, that single Department has supplied six of the last seven Chief Executives. Punctuation Punctuation also provides visual cues to help readers understand statements. The following table lists the major types of punctuation marks and their general use in business writing. There may be additional uses that are not described. Punctuation Usage Example Period . Ends a complete statement The report is due tomorrow. Question Mark ? Ends a question or statement of doubt How many residents are in your household? Exclamation Point ! After interjections and complete statements to show extreme excitement or surprise Wow! That’s so interesting! 3 Usually only the first letter of each word is capitalized. Prepositions (e.g., “of”) and articles (e.g. “the”) are typically not capitalized (e.g., Fourth of July not Fourth Of July), unless they are at the beginning of a statement. 30 CONCLUSION This guide provided information about some of the fundamental rules and guidelines of business writing. As shown in the following revision to the poorly-written memorandum provided at the beginning of this guide, applying knowledge of noun/pronoun agreement, subject/verb agreement, misplaced/dangling modifiers, style, word usage, capitalization, and punctuation can help ensure that people who read your documents have a clear understanding of your message. For practice applying the information described in this guide, please visit the Test Preparation System (TPS). This website includes several written expression practice tests and other resources to assist those preparing for a County of Los Angeles written employment test. TPS is available on the Department of Human Resources website (http://hr.lacounty.gov) by clicking on “Job Information” and then on “Employment Test Preparation.” Additional Resources Reading this guide is a good step toward understanding how to write well. To help you gain a deeper understanding of the larger body of knowledge about good writing (e.g., how to organize statements into paragraphs and tailor your message to the audience), you may consider seeking additional information. Other resources (e.g., books, college courses, workshops, seminars, Internet resources) are available to help expand your understanding. 31 Feedback In order to assist us in enhancing this document, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. Please email any suggestions to testprep@hr.lacounty.gov. In the subject line of your email, please write “English Usage Guide.” Thank you in advance for your response. BIBLIOGRAPHY This guide was developed based on the education and experience of its authors, along with integrating the knowledge from the sources listed below. Bilinski, C. (2005). Power English: A Grammar Review [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved June 28, 2006 from http://uhr.rutgers.edu/profdev English Plus+ (2006). Common Mistakes and Tricky Choices. Retrieved December 11, 2007 from http://englishplus.com/grammar/mistcont.htm Online Writing Lab at Purdue (2009). Grammar and Mechanics. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ Sabin, W. A. (Ed.). (2005). Gregg Reference Manual (10 ed.). McGraw-Hill. Webster, M. W. (Ed.). (2006). Webster's English Usage Guide. Springfield, MA: Federal Street Press. Cover graphic designed with http://www.wordle.net/. 32 ABOUT THE AUTHORS Angela C. Hunt Human Resources Analyst IV Angela has eight years of public-sector human resources experience involving examining, recruitment, selection, survey development, training program development, and other related human resources activities. She has presented at a regional conference sponsored by the International Public Management Association – Human Resources and been published in its publication. She holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA. Marc C. Shartzer Principal Human Resources Analyst Marc holds an M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and professional certificates in Human Resources Management, Project Management, Technical Writing, and Business Management. He has over ten years of professional experience in public, private, and consulting organizations. His areas of practice include selection research and test development for entry- through management-level positions, workforce planning program development, survey development and analysis, recruitment, training program development, compensation administration, and other human resource activities. He has presented at regional and international conferences and has been published in professional journals. Additional Contributors Lester Sapitula, Human Resources Analyst IV Cornelius Lewis, Human Resources Analyst IV Paul Pluta, Human Resources Analyst III Cory Wilkin, Human Resources Analyst II Erin Schlacks, Human Resources Analyst I Sara Lupo, Human Resources Analyst I Clayton Larson, Administrative Intern Arpine Paltajian, Administrative Intern 35 GLOSSARY Noun A word that names a person, place, or thing. There are many different types of nouns, some of which are described below:  Common Nouns – name a person, place, or thing in a general sense. Examples: president, city, department  Proper Nouns – name a specific person, place, or thing. They are always capitalized. Examples: George Washington, Los Angeles, Transportation Department  Collective Nouns – name a group of persons, places, or things. The group is considered to be a single unit. Examples: team, workgroup, jury Part of Speech The traditional term that describes the category into which each word in the English language can be classified. There are eight major parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, conjunction, preposition, and interjection. A word’s part of speech depends on its context within a given statement (i.e., how it relates to other words in the statement). Thus, the same word can be classified as different parts of speech in different statements. For example, the word “interview” could be a noun in one statement (e.g., The interview is tomorrow), and a verb in another statement (e.g., We will interview him). Phrase A group of words that focus on an idea, but which do not have a subject, a verb, or both. The following statement includes a phrase:  The photocopier, pulling paper from multiple bins, is processing the job slowly." {“ Pulling paper from multiple bins” is a phrase; it does not have a subject} Preposition A word that links nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition. The whole phrase, in turn, acts as an adjective or an adverb to locate something in time and space, or tell when, where, or under what conditions something happened. Examples: about, after, against, among, around, at, before, between, despite, during, except, for, from, in, into, like, of, on, onto, over, past, since, through, to, under, until, up, upon, with, within, without The following statement includes a prepositional phrase:  The presenter’s biography was read aloud during the conference. {In the prepositional phrase “during the conference,” “during” is the preposition and “conference” is the object. The entire phrase tells when the biography was read} 36 GLOSSARY Pronoun A word that replaces a noun. When you write multiple statements about a given person, place, or thing, pronouns help to make the statements less repetitive or awkward. The following statements illustrate the usefulness of this part of speech:  After he received the notice, Mr. Hu called to discuss his options. {With pronouns}  After Mr. Hu received the notice, Mr. Hu called to discuss Mr. Hu’s options. {Without pronouns} There are many different types of pronouns, some of which are described below:  Personal Pronouns – replace nouns that name persons. Examples: I, you, he, we  Demonstrative Pronouns – identify nouns by answering “Which one?” Examples: this, that, these, those “This” and “these” reference nouns that are nearby in space or time, and “that” and “those” reference nouns farther away in space and time. The following statements include demonstrative pronouns: o This will be the committee’s first opportunity to meet. {“This” perhaps replaces “tomorrow’s meeting,” which is nearby in time} o That will be the committee’s first opportunity to meet. {“That” perhaps replaces “next year’s meeting,” which is farther away in time}  Indefinite Pronouns – refer to an identifiable, but not specified person, place, or thing. They convey “How much?” or “How many?” Examples: all, any, anyone, anything, each, everyone, everything, few, many, none, several  Interrogative Pronouns – used to ask questions. Examples: who, whom, which, what Generally, “who” and “whom” refer to people, and “which” and “what” refer to things. The following statements include interrogative pronouns: o Whom should we ask to present the award? o Which computer can the temporary employee use today?  Reflexive Pronouns – refer back to the subject of the sentence or clause. Examples: myself, yourself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves 37 GLOSSARY Sentence A group of words that expresses a complete thought. All sentences must have a subject and a verb. A verb shows action or state of being. The subject answers “Who?” or “What?” about the verb. For example, consider the following sentences:  Her secretary typed the letter. o Verb  What is the action? Typed o Subject  Who or what performed this action? Her secretary  The paperwork is due tomorrow. o Verb  What is the state of being? Is o Subject  Who or what is in this state of being? The paperwork Verb A word that expresses action or state of being. The two types of verbs can be described as the following:  Action Verbs – express something that a person, force of nature, or thing can physically do. Examples: answer, consider, open  Linking Verbs – connect the subject of a verb to additional information about the subject. These types of verbs relate to a state of being. Examples: be, become, seem, and sometimes appear, feel, grow