pedant: formalist; dogmatic; a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.

● We have a model with a 1.5 litre engine which has aluminium wheels.
● We have a model with a 1.5 litre engine which is guaranteed against corrosion.

Both sentences are incorrect, because the qualifying clauses ‘which has aluminium wheels’ and ‘which is guaranteed …’ are not close enough to the noun they qualify, ‘model’. However, with the first one, the reader at least knows what is meant, simply because an engine does not have wheels. The second one, which contains the same error, could be read in two ways – either the model is guaranteed against corrosion or the engine is. But which?

If there are three or more options open to you then you cannot have an alternative – the word to use then is ‘choice’ or ‘option’. So you can say: ‘There are two alternatives: we can either credit your account or replace the goods.’ But you should say: ‘There are three options: you can return the goods for full credit, we can replace them, or we can offer you an extra discount to compensate you.’

Splitting the infinitive

– We need clearly to identify our key markets.
– We need to identify clearly our key markets.
– We need to identify our key markets clearly.

Although you would write ‘The desk and the computer are to be moved to the new office’, since there are two nouns and the subject is therefore plural, you should write ‘The desk, together with the computer, is to be moved …’ Here, because the reference to the computer is enclosed by commas, it means that it is an aside, almost an afterthought. The subject is actually just the desk, so the verb is singular.

Separating adjectival and adverbial clauses and phrases from the words they qualify. This is perhaps the most common. Look at the following sentences:
– No one may remove anything from the stationery cupboard except the Manager’s PA.
– We have had to ask you to deliver the new machine four times.
In the first sentence, it sounds as though the only thing you can remove from the stationery cupboard is the Manager’s PA! The adjectival phrase ‘except the Manager’s PA’ should go next to the pronoun it qualifies, ‘no one’. In the second, it sounds as though we wanted you to deliver the machine four times, because the adverbial phrase ‘four times’ is closer to the verb ‘deliver’ than the one it qualifies, ‘ask’. So these sentences should read:
– No one except the Manager’s PA may remove anything from the stationery cupboard.
– We have had to ask you four times to deliver the new machine.
Now the adjectival and adverbial phrases are close to the words they qualify, and your meaning is clear.

Omitting the second subject. When two clauses are joined by a conjunction, it is quite common to leave out the subject of the second clause if it is the same as the subject of the first. So you can say: ‘I hope this clarifies the situation and look forward to hearing from you’ instead of ‘… and I look forward …’ But some people make the mistake of leaving out the second subject when it is different from the first. They might say: ‘Your queries are being investigated and will be in touch shortly.’ This sounds as though ‘your queries’ will be in touch shortly, which is, of course, absurd. The reason for the confusion is that the subject of the second clause is not the same as the subject of the first. The person who will be in touch is the writer, so it should be: ‘Your queries are being investigated and I will be in touch shortly.’

constituent: being a part of a whole.

etiquette: the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.

correspondence: communication by exchanging letters with someone.

Enquiries must be answered, quotations given, orders placed, complaints dealt with, transport and insurance arranged and accounts settled. Letters must be written to customers, salesmen, agents, suppliers, bankers, shipowners and many others; they cover every conceivable phase of business activity.

hence: as a consequence; for this reason.

comprehensive: complete; including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something.

collaborate: work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something.

collaborative: involving two or more people or organizations working together for a particular purpose.

credibility: the quality of being trusted and believed in.

reputation: the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.

courteous: polite, respectful, or considerate in manner.

executive: administrator; someone who has the power to put plans, actions, or laws into effect.

conferencing: the activity of talking to people in different places using phone or computer systems.

recipient: a person or thing that receives or is awarded something; receiver.

vogue: the prevailing fashion or style at a particular time.

In today’s fast-paced business world, the traditional management hierarchy has changed, and team working is now in vogue. In such a team-based environment it is important to study and understand how groups work together. You must learn to listen and watch other people carefully so that you interpret all the non-verbal cues you receive.

liaise: establish a working relationship, typically in order to cooperate on a matter of mutual concern.

The key to your success in your job and in your career will not be gaining more paper qualifications. Your success will depend on your ability to develop relationships.

instill: gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude, especially a desirable one) in a person’s mind.

rapport: sympathy; a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well.

concise: giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive.

verbosity: the quality of using more words than needed; wordiness.

casual: informal; relaxed and unconcerned.

‘Unfortunately, if we invest in new machinery, and the market falls again, as it has been predicted, we may, possibly, find ourselves with too much production capacity, and this may, therefore, result in even more serious problems.’

‘We must give serious consideration to the issue of investing in new machinery. If the market falls again, as has been predicted, we could find ourselves with increased production capacity. This may then result in even more difficulties.’

proposal: a plan or suggestion, especially a formal or written one, put forward for consideration or discussion by others; shame; plan; project.

aloof: not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant.

extensively: in a way that covers or affects a large area.

tact: adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.

relegate: to put something or someone into a lower or less important rank or position.

Use short words like buy, try, start and end instead of purchase, endeavour, commence and terminate.

gobbledygook: language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of abstruse technical terms; nonsense.

empathetic: showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

paediatric: relating to the branch of medicine dealing with children and their diseases.

Checklist
Have you used simple words and simple expressions?
Have you avoided wordiness while remembering the need for courtesy?
Is your tone conversational and natural, as if you were speaking?
Have you used active voice instead of passive?
Have you used the right tone for the issue you are writing about and for the person you are addressing?
Have you used any old-fashioned language or jargon that should be updated?
Have you included all the essential information? Have you double-checked all the facts and figures? Is everything clear and unambiguous?
Have you remembered consistency? For example, presentation of dates and times.
Have you read out the letter as if speaking, to help you to tell if all the punctuation is placed correctly?
Is your language brief but still courteous?

INTRODUCTION
(Background and basics)
Why are you writing?
Refer to a previous letter, contact or document.
DETAILS
(Facts and figures)
Give information/instructions.
Ask for information. Provide all relevant details. Separate into paragraphs. Ensure logical flow.
RESPONSE or ACTION
(Conclusion)
Action the reader should take.
Action you will take.
Give a deadline if necessary.
CLOSE
(A simple one-liner)
Sometimes all that is needed is a simple one-line closing sentence.

sleek: (of hair, fur, or skin) smooth and glossy.

continuation sheet

customary: according to the customs or usual practices associated with a particular society, place, or set of circumstances.

complimentary: praising or approving.

rampant: (especially of something unwelcome or unpleasant) flourishing or spreading unchecked.

implication: the conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.

Seven deadly sins of working with email

You sometimes wish you could backtrack after sending a message, but it’s too late.
You sometimes forget to add an attachment that you promised in the message.
You have sometimes sent messages via email when you know a telephone call would have been better.
You haven’t done any housekeeping or deleted any messages for a long time.
You have sent private or confidential messages via email, which you have later regretted.
You sometimes send messages off quickly without a greeting or a sign-off.
You often send messages without checking through for good grammar, spelling and punctuation.

savvy: shrewdness and practical knowledge; the ability to make good judgments.

essence: the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character.

acronym: an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g. ASCII, NASA ).

Think carefully about your subject heading
This should give the recipient a good idea of the contents of the message and will make for easier handling and filing. Don’t use subject lines line ‘Enquiry’ or ‘Help needed’. These are less than useless and may not be read by a busy person scanning the subject lines quickly. Remember the acronym SMART for your subject lines, so they are:
Specific
Meaningful
Appropriate
Relevant
Thoughtful

syntax: the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

competent: having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully.

irrationally: in an illogical or unreasonable manner.

rapport: a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well.

vie: compete eagerly with someone in order to do or achieve something.

eyestrain and fatigue: dizzy.

assortment: a miscellaneous (mixture or variety) collection of things or people.

better informed customers

merge:  to cause to combine, unite.

prospective: expected or expecting to be the specified thing in the future.