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Use your browser's Find function to look for tips that apply to your particular situation.
Tools to help you include Bull's Eye Business Writing (a
self-paced workbook) and How To Improve Your Business Reading Skills (also on
CD-ROM)--all from Basic Learning Systems, Inc. 888-204-3600 * See our Web
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| Tip # 161: The following are among the most powerful and persuasive words you can use in email promotions: You, your, discover, free, healthy, easy, introducing, gain, new, money, advice, results, sale, proven, benefits, effective, save, value, now, win, right, why, most, safe and guaranteed. ********************************************************* Correct the errors in the following sentences: 1. Sara is a better piano player than any pianist in our group. 2. Our cat is smarter than any on the block. 3. Your car is the fastest car in the neighborhood. 4. Let's see the both of them on Saturday. 5. What kind of a computer did he buy? ********************************************************* Here is last week's question: Please answer this question from Ben, a subscriber to our tips: Which is correct to write: a 30,000 square feet facility or 30,000 square foot facility? Here is a comment from Thomas Munson, another subscriber: If you are talking about the facility then the proper usage would be the facility is 30,000 square feet, but if you are talking about a square foot the proper usage would be a 30,000 square foot facility. I am not quoting from any source, just basic college writing 101. The answer is use "foot" as an adjective. The word "foot" describes the noun "facility." If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip # 162: Words spelled with "ie" or "ei",
where the sound is e, (long ee), are usually written using the "i" before "e" except after "c." Examples are "believe" and "receive." However, the following words are exceptions to the rule, and need to be memorized: Either height Neither neighbor Reign weigh Freight seize Weird conscience Leisure height ********************************************************* Select the pronoun that makes each sentence correct: 1. My older brother and only living relative is planning to open (his, their) own real estate office. 2. At the annual meeting, our management team will present (its, their) solution to the safety problem. 3. Neither Mary nor the painters completed (her, their) work. 4. Each father and each son expressed (his, their) sincere appreciation. 5. This company has invested in several subsidiaries, but (its, their) expansion program is not yet complete. ********************************************************* Here is last week's exercise: Correct the errors in the following sentences: 1. Sara is a better piano player than any pianist in our group. 2. Our cat is smarter than any on the block. 3. Your car is the fastest car in the neighborhood. 4. Let's see the both of them on Saturday. 5. What kind of a computer did he buy? Here are my suggestions: 1. Sara is a better piano player than any other pianist in our group. (The word "other" makes it clear that Sara is a member of the group). 2. Our cat is smarter than any other on the block. (Now it is obvious the cat lives on the block). 3. Your car is the fastest of all the cars in the neighborhood. (This shows your car belongs in the neighborhood). 4. Let's see both of them on Saturday. (Do not use "the" before "both." 5. What kind of computer did he buy? (Do not use "a" or "an" after phrases ending with "of"--"kind of," type of." If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip #163: Make an interesting first impression with your title
or headline. This gives your audience the idea that your article, sales letter, or other copy is going to be a great read. Before you start writing, think about your audience. No matter who they are, titles should flow from the lips easily, and give readers some idea of what they'll learn by reading on. At the same time, they should be short enough to be memorable. One technique is to use alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of a particular consonant sound at the beginning, end, or middle of two or more words (i.e. terrific titles or great guidelines). An alliterative title is easy to say, easy to remember, and just plain fun to read. (Thanks to Meredith Pond of Dr Nunley's for this tip). ************************************************************ Please answer this question from Kim: Is it permissible to use the term "each other" for the term "one another?" ************************************************************* Here is last week's exercise: Select the pronoun that makes each sentence correct: 1. My older brother and only living relative is planning to open (his, their) own real estate office. 2. At the annual meeting, our management team will present (its, their) solution to the safety problem. 3. Neither Mary nor the painters completed (her, their) work. 4. Each father and each son expressed (his, their) sincere appreciation. 5. This company has invested in several subsidiaries, but (its, their) expansion program is not yet complete. Here are my suggestions: 1. My older brother and only living relative is planning to open (his) own real estate office. 2. At the annual meeting, our management team will present (its) solution to the safety problem. 3. Neither Mary nor the painters completed (their) work. 4. Each father and each son expressed (his) sincere appreciation. 5. This company has invested in several subsidiaries, but (its) expansion program is not yet complete. *********************************************************** Great Going!! We have won the EditAvenue.com Writing Tips Award!!!! Here's what EditAvenue.com said: Congratulations! Your website has been reviewed and chosen to bear the EditAvenue.com Writing Tips Award. Only the best writing tips sites of the net are voted to receive Writing Tips Award. The criterion for winning remains a challenge to even the best writing advice webmasters. That being said, the primary benefit of winning the Writing Tips Award is the recognition of your commitment to the pursuit of website excellence. Furthermore, it represents that your website is considered an outstanding resource for writing advice, incorporating high standards of originality and content. Most importantly, the Writing Tips Award lets others know you are viewed as a respected professional by your peers, one who is deserving of recognition. Doreen Yessayan We are proud of this award! EditAvenue.com is the premier online provider of professional editing services. If you should use their services, please let them know how you found them. If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip # 164: Use a dash to set off an abrupt break or
interruption and to announce a long summary. Although the dash can be used in place of the comma, the semicolon, the colon, or parentheses, use it only when you want to convey more emphasis than the other punctuation marks. For example: At this year's gala, the music--and the food---were superb. ********************************************************* Try using the dash in the following sentences: 1. Our entire stock of exotic coffees including a selection of beans from Costa Rica, Columbia, Brazil, and Africa, will be on sale at a 25% discount. 2. The information I sent you is true and you know it! 3. Call Al Smith he's with IBM and get his opinion. 4. I do the work he gets the credit! *************************************** Here is last week's question from Kim: Is it permissible to use the term "each other" for the term "one another?" Here is an explanation: Linguists state the term "each other" should be used to refer to two people and "one another" to more than two. However, usage is changing and many experts are allowing "one another" to be used to refer to two people also. *********************************************************** Great Going!! We have won the EditAvenue.com Writing Tips Award!!!! Here's what EditAvenue.com said: Congratulations! Your website has been reviewed and chosen to bear the EditAvenue.com Writing Tips Award. Only the best writing tips sites of the net are voted to receive Writing Tips Award. The criterion for winning remains a challenge to even the best writing advice webmasters. That being said, the primary benefit of winning the Writing Tips Award is the recognition of your commitment to the pursuit of website excellence. Furthermore, it represents that your website is considered an outstanding resource for writing advice, incorporating high standards of originality and content. Most importantly, the Writing Tips Award lets others know you are viewed as a respected professional by your peers, one who is deserving of recognition. Doreen Yessayan We are proud of this award! EditAvenue.com is the premier online provider of professional editing services. If you should use their services, please let them know how you found them. If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip # 166: The resume Cover Letter: I will be providing
information about cover letters for the next several weeks. Many prospective employers view the cover letter as a way of getting an impression of you before you are even interviewed. A cover letter is an introduction, a sales pitch and a proposal for further action all in one. It gives the reader a taste of what's to come -- not by simply summarizing the resume, but by highlighting the aspects of your background that will be most relevant to the reader. A cover letter also demonstrates that you can organize your thoughts and express yourself clearly and appropriately; in other words, it reflects your communication skills and, to some extent, your personality. Cover letters are typically one page documents. Like lots of things in life, they have a beginning, middle and end: usually an introduction saying who you are and why you're writing, followed by a sales pitch of what you have to offer and then a closing in which you propose steps for further action. These three components often amount to three or four paragraphs, but there are no hard and fast rules about exactly how you break up the information. Portions of this article were excerpted from the book Cover Letters (of The Princeton Review Job Notes series) by L. Michelle Tullier. Random House/Princeton Review Books, 1997. ********************************************************* Rewrite the following wordy sentences by making them more concise: 1. The medical exam that he gave me was entirely complete. 2. John asked his friend Sally, who was a good, old friend, if she would join him and go along with him to see the foreign film made in Japan. 3. It will be our aim to insure proper health care for each and every one of the people in the United States. ********************************************************* Here is last week's exercise: Please answer this question from Eleanor Jones: I receive your basic writing tips and have a question for you. I am confused about the definitions of bi-annual, bi-monthly, and bi-weekly. For example, if bi-annual = twice a year does bi-monthly = twice a month? or does bi-monthly mean every 2 months? We were discussing this at work and I thought I'd ask for your insight! Thank you, Eleanor Jones ********************************************************* Here are some comments: In answer to Eleanor Jones and the bi business. I think this is an interesting twist in our language, but if you look these words up in the dictionary you'll see that while biannual is defined only as twice a year, biweekly and bimonthly are defined both as every two weeks/months and twice a week/month. However, since the "every two" definition is listed first it is considered the more common usage. So I use those words to mean "every two" and I find most others do, too. But I can't help you as to why the same word can mean opposite things. Hope this helps some. Carol Stephan ********************************************************* To avoid confusion I use "bi-" to mean every 2, such as "bi-weekly" means every 2 weeks. I use "semi- " to mean twice during a specified period, such as "semi-annual" means twice a year. Victoria Macdonald, Learning and Development Solutions ********************************************************* The meaning of the prefix "bi" is two or double, if we want to refer to half that would be "semi". In conclusion "bi-annual" does not mean twice at year, it means every two years. Other examples: Semi-weekly, Semi-monthly. Judith Helinski ********************************************************* "Bi-something" means every two somethings. For example, "bi-annual" means every two years, and "bi-weekly" means every two weeks. This is easy for Americans to remember, since in 1976 we celebrated our Bicentennial, which was two hundred-years. "Semi-annual" means twice a year. Remember this by thinking that "semi-" means half, so it's something that happens every half-year. The reason these are hard to keep straight is that we hear so many people using them incorrectly. Mary J. McLaughlin If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip # 167: Resume Cover Letters - five things to think about
before writing them: 1. What does the prospective employer need to know? (skills, knowledge, experience) 2. What are your objectives? ( an interview, a phone conversation, a specific job) 3. What are three to five qualities you can bring to this employer? 4. How can you match your experience to the job? 5. Why do you want to work for this particular organization? Portions of this article were excerpted from the book Cover Letters (of The Princeton Review Job Notes series) by L. Michelle Tullier. Random House/Princeton Review Books, 1997. ********************************************************* Please answer the following question. Which word is the preferred style for news releases: "Five people" or "five persons" were involved in the project? ********************************************************* Here is last week's practice exercise: Rewrite the following wordy sentences by making them more concise: 1. The medical exam that he gave me was entirely complete. 2. John asked his friend Sally, who was a good, old friend, if she would join him and go along with him to see the foreign film made in Japan. 3. It will be our aim to insure proper health care for each and every one of the people in the United States. Suggested answers to last week's practice exercise: 1. He gave me a complete medical exam. 2. John asked his old friend Sally to join him for the Japanese film. 3. Our aim is to insure proper health care for every American. If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip # 168: Verbs: To be clear and direct, express crucial
actions as verbs: Change this: The court made a decision to conduct a review of the matter. This is better: The court decided to review the matter. ********************************************************* Summer Special!! Order my business writing workbook, Bull's Eye Business Writing (workbook or online course), and receive FREE RESUME TIPS. Offer good until August 31. ********************************************************* Please correct these sentences 1. Small business persons were not eligible to receive the grant. 2. The boss summoned Harry and I to the office. 3. Here's seven reasons for taking a vacation. 4. John was a former Director of Marketing. Here is last week's question: Please answer the following question. Which word is the preferred style for news releases: "Five people or five persons were involved in the project? Here's the answer: According to The Associated Press Stylebook, journalists prefer the word "people" to "persons" in all plural uses. Therefore, use "Five people were involved in the project." If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip #169: Here are some tips about web writing. Online copy
should make it possible for readers to scan it quickly. · Write sentences that are short (20 words or less). · Limit your text to three screens. · Do not insert hyperlinks as endnotes in your text. · Limit your use of audio and graphics. · Edit your copy before sending it out. ********************************************************* We have just been listed in the eZINESearch® Directory/List (http://www.ezinesearch.com/search-it/ezine/), which contains over 5,000 periodically published electronic magazines. ***************************************************** Please correct the following sentences: 1. Sally trained herself to not hear the highway noise. 2. Your computer was shipped to you today, you should be receiving it by Monday or Tuesday. 3. Whose in contention for the top job? 4. I am waiting on your report. ********************************************************* Summer Special!! Order my business writing workbook, Bull's Eye Business Writing (workbook or online course), and receive FREE RESUME TIPS. Offer good until August 31. ********************************************************* Here is last week's practice exercise: Please correct these sentences: 1. Small business persons were not eligible to receive the grant. 2. The boss summoned Harry and I to the office. 3. Here's seven reasons for taking a vacation. 4. John was a former Director of Marketing. Here are my suggestions: 1. Small business people were not eligible to receive the grant. 2. The boss summoned Harry and me to the office. 3. Here are seven reasons for taking a vacation. 4. John is a former Director of Marketing. If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
| Tip #170: Avoid vague words to express yourself precisely.
Compare the following pairs of sentences for clarity. Poor: What is his angle on the crisis ? Better: What are his ideas on the crisis? Poor: It is difficult for Jim to deal with the pressures of work. Better: It is difficult for Jim to cope with the pressures of work. ********************************************************* Rewrite the following sentences by replacing the vague words: 1. I do not get the solution. 2. This passage from the text shows the character's true nature. ********************************************************* Here is last week's practice exercise: Please correct the following sentences: 1. Sally trained herself to not hear the highway noise. 2. Your computer was shipped to you today, you should be receiving it by Monday or Tuesday. 3. Whose in contention for the top job? 4. I am waiting on your report. Here are my suggestions: 1. Sally trained herself not to hear the highway noise. (Avoid the split infinitive). 2. Your computer was shipped to you today; you should be receiving it by Monday or Tuesday. (Avoid the comma splice). 3. Who's in contention for the top job? (The contraction, who's, is needed here, not the possessive pronoun, whose). 4. I am waiting for your report. (This is more acceptable. You can wait on tables.) If you would like to receive the FREE weekly tips by e-mail, contact tips@basic-learning.com and write "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. http://www.basic-learning.com |
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