HOW 13 - a handbook for office professionals

a handbook for office professionals

learning experience The publisher reserves the right to remove content from this title at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it For valuable information on pricing, previous editions, changes to

current editions, and alternate formats, please visit www.cengage.com/highered to search by

ISBN#, author, title, or keyword for materials in your areas of interest

Words • abbreviations and symbols • Words oFten conFUsed and misUsed • elements oF Writin tyle • sPellinG, ProoFreadinG, and editinG • address Format and Forms oF address • e-mail m

es, bUsiness letters, and memorandUms • rePorts and otHer bUsiness docUments • emPloyment lication docUments • tHe internet and its resoUrces • manUal and electronic File manaGement •

Grammar and UsaGe • PUnctUation • caPitalization • nUmber Formats • HyPHenation and dividin Words • abbreviations and symbols • Words oFten conFUsed and misUsed • elements oF WritinG style

sPellinG, ProoFreadinG, and editinG • address Format and Forms oF address • e-mail messaG siness letters, and memorandUms • rePorts and otHer bUsiness docUments • emPloyment aPPlica tion docUments • tHe internet and its resoUrces • manUal and electronic File manaGement • Gram mar and UsaGe • PUnctUation • caPitalization • nUmber Formats • HyPHenation and dividinG Words

bbreviations and symbols • Words oFten conFUsed and misUsed • elements oF WritinG style • ellinG, ProoFreadinG, and editinG • address Format and Forms oF address • e-mail messaGes, bU ness letters, and memorandUms • rePorts and otHer bUsiness docUments • emPloyment aPPlication

ocUments • tHe internet and its resoUrces • manUal and electronic File manaGement • Grammar and UsaGe • PUnctUation • caPitalization • nUmber Formats • HyPHenation and dividinG Words •

bbreviations and symbols • Words oFten conFUsed and misUsed • elements oF WritinG style • sP , ProoFreadinG, dress • e-mail messaGes, bUsiness letters, and memorandUms • rePorts and ot siness docUments • emPloyment aPPlication docUments • tHe internet and its resoUrces • man and electronic File manaGement • Grammar and UsaGe • PUnctUation • caPitalization • nUmber For

mats • HyPHenation and

13

HOW a Handbook For oFFice ProFessionals

James L Clark

Professor Emeritus, Business Department, Pasadena City College

Lyn R Clark

Chair, Computer Applications and Office Technologies Department,

Los Angeles Pierce College

copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used

in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012953583 ISBN-13: 978-1-111-82086-2

ISBN-10: 1-111-82086-4

South-Western

5191 Natorp Boulevard Mason, OH 45040 USA

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of customized learning solutions with office locations around the globe, including Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan

Locate your local office at: www.cengage.com/global

Cengage Learning products are represented in Canada by Nelson Education, Ltd.

For your course and learning solutions, visit

www.cengage.com

Purchase any of our products at your local college store or at our

preferred online store www.cengagebrain.com

13th Edition

James L Clark and Lyn R Clark

Senior Vice President, LRS/

Acquisitions & Solutions

Planning: Jack W Calhoun

Editorial Director, Business &

Economics: Erin Joyner

Acquisitions Editor: Jason Fremder

Associate Development Editor:

Josh Wells

Editorial Assistant: Megan Fischer

Senior Brand Manager:

Kristen Hurd

Associate Market Development

Manager: Roy Rosa

Art and Cover Direction,

Production Management, and

Composition: PreMediaGlobal

Media Editor: John Rich

Rights Acquisition Director:

Audrey Pettengill

Rights Acquisition Specialist,

Text and Image: John Hill

Manufacturing Planner:

Ron Montgomery

Cover Images:

Top (Left to Right): ©Dmitry

Ersler/Fotolia; ©Yuri Arcurs/

Fotolia; ©Dmitry Ersler/Fotolia

Middle (Left to Right): ©Dmitry

Top (Left to Right): ©Dmitry

Ersler/Fotolia; ©Yuri Arcurs/

Fotolia; ©Dmitry Ersler/Fotolia

Middle (Left to Right): ©Dmitry

For product information and

technology assistance, contact us at Cengage Learning Customer & Sales Support, 1-800-354-9706

For permission to use material from this text or product,

submit all requests online at www.cengage.com/permissions

Further permissions questions can be e-mailed to

permissionrequest@cengage.com

Comma  61Semicolon  81Colon  85Dash  91Period  94Question Mark  99Exclamation Mark  103Quotation Marks  105Apostrophe  110Parentheses  115Brackets  117Asterisk  118Diagonal  119Underscore  119Ampersand  120

General Format  151Numbers Expressed in Figure Form  153Time  160

Addresses and Telephone Numbers  163

Formats  165Special Forms  167

Hyphenating Words  173End-of-Line Word and Word-Group Divisions  181

Abbreviations and Acronyms  189Contractions  211

Symbols  212

Developing an Effective Writing Style  273Using Words Effectively  273

Creating Sentences  279Organizing Sentences into Cohesive Paragraphs  291Placing Paragraphs in Effective Order  294

Preparing for Proofreading and Editing  301Spelling  304

Proofreading  308Editing  314

General Address Format  321Names and Titles  322Places  325

Address Format for Foreign Correspondence  328Online Address Formats  329

Forms of Address  331

E-Mail Messages  344Business Letters  352Business Letter Styles  353Punctuation Styles  355Letter Format and Placement of Major Parts  357Addressing Envelopes  387

Folding and Inserting Correspondence  392Memorandums  394

General Formats for Reports and Manuscripts  405Parts of a Report or a Manuscript  412

Meeting Minutes  464

The Chronological Résumé  482The Functional Résumé  490Conventional Résumé Formats  495Automated Applicant Tracking Systems  495Online Career Resources  501

The Application Letter  505The Application Form  508Reference Requests  509Follow-up Letters  510

The Internet and the World Wide Web  515Web Resources  518

Web 2.0  523

The Paper Filing Process  535Indexing and Alphabetizing  535Organizing and Maintaining Computer Data Files  543

A Handbook for Office Professionals 553

HOW 13: A Handbook for Office Professionals, 13th edition, has been designed to

provide assistance for preparing all types of written business communications Its content and style focus upon the needs of students—as well as office per-sonnel, business writers, and other business professionals—to produce suitable documents for success in a highly competitive, fast-paced global economy

HOW 13 presents detailed and precise information for writing, formatting,

and transmitting business documents It serves as a reference to answer specific questions regarding writing style, language conventions, business formats, and document transmission as they relate to the preparation of e-mail messages, business letters, memorandums, reports, manuscripts, proposals, bulletins, résumés, faxes, agendas, itineraries, press releases, and meeting minutes

AComprehensiveReferenceManualforBusiness

HOW 13 is succinct, yet comprehensive It covers thoroughly the principles

of business writing style, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, number usage, word hyphenation and division, and abbreviation format in simple, easy-to-understand language Each rule is illustrated with examples or example sen-tences related to business circumstances or conditions In addition, more than

250 word confusions—such as affect/effect, ensure/insure, and principal/ principle—are differentiated by simple definitions and discriminating examples.

Content and formats for various business documents are covered thoroughly

in HOW 13 All the major parts of a business letter, forms of address for domestic

and foreign correspondence, and commonly used letter styles are discussed and illustrated, along with the basic formats for writing memorandums Business writers will find helpful the up-to-date guidelines for citing sources, preparing visuals, setting up listings, providing main and text headings, compiling prelimi-nary pages and bibliographies, formatting a report, and developing an effective business writing style

Instructions and examples for preparing e-mail messages, itineraries, agendas, press releases, and meeting minutes further enhance the usability of this book as a business writer’s resource To assist readers with the entire document processing

cycle, HOW 13 provides detailed procedures for preparing business documents

on computer-based equipment and accessing the Internet to collect information

NewtoHOW 13

The following information is new to HOW 13:

• New, updated information on the latest MLA report formats, citation style,

and Works Cited (see Chapter 12)

Preface

• New, updated information on the latest APA report formats, citation style,

and reference list (see Chapter 12)

• New and expanded information on using the Internet to access Web 2.0

resources—social media, blogs, cloud computing, wikis, and other nication resources (see Chapter 14)

commu-Special Features

Several features, besides the Table of Contents and the extensive Index,

increase the functionality of HOW 13 as a reference resource:

1 Solution Finders—comprehensive topic indexes at the beginning of each

chapter enable readers to locate easily answers to their questions

2 Two-color format—primary rules are printed in red and examples are printed

in black so that principles may be located, read, and understood quickly

3 Example headings—boldfaced headings differentiate aspects of each rule

so that specific examples and applications may be located immediately

4 Spiral binding—the lie-flat feature of spiral binding permits readers to

com-pare readily their written work (or questions) with the examples

5 Glossary of grammatical terms—a listing with definitions and examples of

all the grammatical terms used in this reference manual may be accessed for further clarification of any language principle

Finding Solutions to Problems

Information you need may be located easily and quickly in HOW 13 by using

4 Turn to the appropriate section within the chapter by referring to the guide references (the section numbers shown at the top right corner of the odd-numbered pages)

page-If information cannot be located through surveying the contents listed on the

back cover, use HOW’s comprehensive Index at the end of the reference manual

to find the appropriate section

Supplementary Materials

HOW 13 may be used as a classroom text or supplement for instructing students

or by general office employees, administrative assistants, business writers, and managers—anyone who deals with the preparation of written business documents

The Workbook for HOW 13 (ISBN 9781133586630) provides reinforcement for

the major principles covered in the reference manual This 390-page supplement

contains exercises that are coordinated specifically with sections in HOW 13 and

are designed to provide learners with realistic applications, not just isolated sentence exercises

Workbook exercises enable learners to apply the rules governing grammar, punctuation, capitalization, number usage, word confusions, abbreviations, writ-ing style, spelling, proofreading, and editing In addition, learners receive prac-tice in locating reference sources on the Internet, composing e-mail messages, using correct address formats, formatting business letters and memorandums, and indexing names for filing

The Instructor’s Manual and Key CD-ROM (ISBN 9781133588221) includes keys

to all the exercises in the Workbook for HOW 13 In addition, this teaching tool

supplies more than 120 instructional Microsoft Word projection documents that contain the major punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and number-usage

principles in HOW  13 and correspond directly with the exercise applications

in the workbook Other teaching materials in the instructor’s manual include

a familiarization exercise, a series of assessments for the business letter and memorandum applications in the workbook, and PowerPoint presentations

for the punctuation principles and other communication concepts covered in HOW 13 These resources are also available for instructors to download instantly from the HOW 13 Web site at login.cengage.com.

User Profile

HOW 13 may be used by students in word processing, keyboarding, business

English, business communication, voice-recognition, transcription, legal office, medical office, and office procedures courses—all courses that require the process-ing of written words It functions as a resource for class assignments, answering questions on writing style, language applications, punctuation, document frame-

work, and document format Use of HOW 13 enables students to produce more

nearly correct business documents This reference manual continues to be a able resource as students enter the business environment and experience actual assignments in business writing and document preparation

valu-Leaders who conduct business communication seminars will find HOW 13

an indispensable tool for assisting participants in improving their writing skills, language competence, mechanics of expression, and knowledge of document framework and formats

HOW 13 serves as a reference for all persons in business who are

respon-sible for communicating through the written word Similar to the indispensable dictionary, this manual compresses other essential reference information into a single source for producing effective business documents Persons in all fields

of business, education, government, law, and medicine will benefit from using

HOW 13 as a reference in preparing written documents for their professional

position and their personal business circumstances

Special acknowledgment and thanks are extended to PamWeigand, Eastern

Washington University, who has been a continual supporter of the HOW series

and spent several hours with the authors providing feedback for the

publica-tion of HOW 13.

We also thank the following reviewers for their assistance in the preparation

of this reference book:

Steve Abram, Kirkwood Community College

Velda Arnaud, Lane Community College

Elsa Barr, Central Community College

Dr Kimberlee Bartel, Central Washington University

Carole Bennett, Santa Rosa Junior College

Jane Braynard, Santa Rosa Junior College

Dr G Jay Christensen, California State University, Northridge

Dr Lajuan Davis, The University of Southern Mississippi

Pamela Dupin-Bryant, Utah State University

Gwen Eltz, Spokane Falls Community College

Jane Flesher, Chippewa Valley Technical College

Leann Gatewood, Iowa Central Community College

Joyce E Graham, Rogue Community College

Patti Koluda, Yakima Valley Community College

Julie Lewis, Baker College-Allen Park

Dr Natalie A Lupton, Central Washington University

Michael Martel, Ohio University

Jeanette Martin, University of Mississippi

Catherine Peck, Chippewa Valley Technical College

Kathleen Richards, Utah Valley State College

Cynthia Townsend, Baker College

Mary Tucker, Ohio University

Twila Wallace, Central Community College

Shani Watkins, Central Washington University

Linda Wenn, Central Community College

Karen Woolstenhulme, Utah State University

Diana Yohe, Bristol Community College

James and Lyn ClarkE-mail: LynClarkPC@Hotmail.com

Acknowledgments

Grammar and

Usage

Linking verbs, used with 1-23

Other and else, used with 1-21e

Neither nor 1-35a

Not only but also 1-35b

of initials 1-4jAlphabetic letters 1-4jCompound nouns 1-4i

f, words ending in 1-4d

fe, words ending in 1-4d

Foreign-derived nouns 1-4fHyphenated nouns 1-4iIrregular 1-4g

Names used with titles 1-4kNouns always plural 1-4hNouns always singular 1-4hNumerals 1-4j

o, words ending in 1-4c

Proper nouns 1-4eRegular 1-4aSame form in singular and plural 1-4hTitles used with names 1-4kWords used as words 1-4j

y, words ending in 1-4b

Possessives, formation of 1-5Compound nouns 1-5dDistance 1-5g

General rules 1-5a, b, iGerund, before a 1-5eIdentification of possessive nouns 1-5

Inanimate objects 1-5hIndividual ownership 1-5cJoint ownership 1-5cTime 1-5f

Proper nouns 1-3b

Overview

Complete sentences 1-2b, 1-40Commands 1-2b

Questions 1-2bRequests 1-2bStatements 1-2b

Grammar and Usage

Grammar and Usage Solution Finder (continued)

That and which 1-17c

Who and whom 1-17b

Sentences

Complete, use of 1-2b, 1-40

Commands 1-2b

Questions 1-2bRequests 1-2bStatements 1-2bComplex 1-40dCompound 1-40b, cCompound-complex 1-40eConcluding punctuation marks 1-41bFragments 1-41Simple 1-2b, 1-40a

Verbs

Agreement, subject and verb 1-14

A number subjects 1-14g

Collective nouns 1-14jCompound subjects 1-14c, dIndefinite pronouns 1-14ePortions preceding a verb 1-14fPronoun agreement with subject and verb 1-14bRelative pronoun clauses 1-14k, l, 1-17b, c

Singular subjects joined by

Lay and lie, use of 1-13

Passive voice 1-12Regular verbs 1-7Tenses 1-9, 1-10, 1-11Future 1-9cFuture perfect 1-10cFuture progressive 1-11cPast 1-9b

Past perfect 1-10bPast progressive 1-11bPresent 1-9a

Present perfect 1-10aPresent progressive 1-11a

(1) Nouns Nouns name—for example—persons, animals, places,

objects, feelings, and things. David, dog, New York, iPhone, happiness, and organization are examples of nouns.

(2) Pronouns Pronouns are noun substitutes They take the place

of a noun to avoid repetitive use of a word I, they, she, you, me,

it, and him are examples of pronouns.

(3) Adjectives Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns They may

describe, indicate how many, or tell which one Examples include

red roses, three computers, and their offices.

(4) Verbs Verbs are the motors of a sentence They show action or

describe a state of being Verbs such as drive, eat, dance, and study show action while verbs such as am, was, look, and feel

describe a state of being

(5) Adverbs Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs

They tell how, when, where, why, or to what degree Examples

include drive carefully, arrived yesterday, newly painted furniture,

and speaks too quickly.

(6) Prepositions Prepositions are connectors Most prepositions

can be identified by imagining what a plane can do to a cloud It can fly over, under, through, in, around, etc., a cloud Prepositions

introduce descriptive phrases that relate to other parts of the sentence Examples are in a few days, through your efforts, and under these circumstances.

(7) Conjunctions Conjunctions, too, are connectors Coordinating

conjunctions connect like parts in the sentence and adverbial conjunctions introduce clauses Coordinating conjunctions include and, but, or, and nor Examples of adverbial conjunctions

include because, since, as, and if.

(8) Interjections Interjections are words used to express a strong

feeling or a sudden emotion Such words usually stand by

Examples of interjections include wow, oops, yes, no, and oh.

speech, depending upon the role they play in the sentence.

sentence containing all parts of speech

Yes, Kevin and I drove to the airport yesterday

sentence spotlighting nouns, pronouns, adjectives

Please call Josephine if you need additional information.

Matthew sent copies of the e-mail messages to me.

sentence spotlighting verbs and adverbs

verb adverb

For continued good health, exercise daily.

verb adverbs

Beth many times talks too loudly in the office.

sentence spotlighting conjunctions and prepositions

Our manager and assistant managers will be working on alternate shifts.

You will receive within the next few days a call from the doctor or his

Oops, I should have noticed that typographical error before the

brochure was sent to the printer

used in sentences Specific usage principles apply to the various parts as they play their roles in the development of sentences

to communicate ideas A sentence (1) contains a verb (a word showing action or describing a condition), (2) has a subject (a noun or pronoun that interacts with the verb), and (3) makes sense (comes to a closure) Use sentences to express ideas.

(1) Verbs appear by themselves or in a verb phrase The last verb in

a verb phrase is considered to be the main verb

(2) Subjects are either simple or compound Simple subjects consist

of a single noun or pronoun whereas compound subjects contain two or more nouns or pronouns linked by and, or, or nor.

(3) A complete sentence is an independent clause, a word group that

by itself makes sense

statements

simple subject Last week several employees in our Manufacturing Department

verb

increased their standard output by 12 percent (Makes sense.)

This latest proposal by Kym Freeman is excellent (Makes sense.)

The computer and printer in my office have been moved to the new

building (Makes sense.)

questions

Which student in your class wrote this excellent report? (Makes

sense.)

Who among your staff is eligible to apply for this position? (Makes

sense.)

How many real estate brokers and agents from our state will attend

this conference? (Makes sense.)

requests or commands

verb Please return the enclosed questionnaire by June 30 (Simple subject

you is understood; makes sense.)

verb phrase and adverb not

Do not litter in the parks or on the highways (Simple subject you is understood; verb phrase, do (not = adverb) litter; makes sense.)

animals, places, things, objects, time, feelings, qualities, actions, concepts, measures, and states of being.

person

Please ask the nurse to call in my prescription to the pharmacy.

How often does our webmaster update the posting of career

opportunities with our company?

animal

Dr Lee specializes in the treatment of dogs and cats.

We deliver fresh fish daily to all Market Depot stores in the city.

place

The mall in our neighborhood is often too crowded on weekends.

Plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled

departure

thing

All the data for this project is stored on the network.

Which company was eventually awarded the contract?

object

Where did you find your lost backpack?

Move the computer to the desk in my office.

time

Payment for these purchases is due within 30 days.

Our new payroll system should be in place next month.

feeling

Everyone in the room sensed Mr Smith’s anger as he spoke.

The mother’s love and adoration for her newborn shone in her face.

quality

I appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity.

Such irresponsibility must be reported to the supervising physician.

1 The rules and spellings in this chapter are based on Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

(2011) Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.) Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster,

Incorporated For a complete, up-to-date online resource, visit Merriam-Webster at

http://www.m-w.com Individuals who have purchased Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate

Dictionary, 11th ed., may obtain a digital download and also register for a free one-year

Posted signs forbid swimming in this part of the lake.

Golfing is an individual sport enjoyed by both men and women.

concept

Our country was founded on freedom of expression.

Please report any progress you have made in locating the heirs.

measure

Johnson Industries’ assets total more than $700 million.

Three yards of fabric will be needed to re-cover each chair.

state of being

Is she being treated by a specialist for her illness?

Complacency in this rapidly changing industry could easily lead to

bankruptcy.

nouns are known as proper nouns Nouns that do not name specific ones are known as common nouns, and they are not capitalized.

proper nouns

Yesterday the Northland Timber Company announced an 8 percent

increase in lumber prices

Repairs on the Golden Gate Bridge are still in progress.

You will have our decision by November 1.

Much of this information is available through the Internet.

common nouns

Yesterday the company announced an 8 percent increase in lumber

prices

Repairs on the bridge are still in progress.

You will have our decision by the 1st of next month.

Most of this information is available through online resources.

contain two—or even three—words These compound nouns appear

as regular entries in the dictionary and are defined as nouns Some compound nouns are hyphenated, but most are separate

words without hyphens (open compounds) or written solid (closed

compounds).

closed compound nouns

Is your firm handling the Andersons’ lawsuit?

Please remove the wallpaper before showing the apartment to

prospective tenants

open compound nouns

Ask the vice president to sign this purchase order.

Have you located a disc jockey for the holiday party?

hyphenated compound nouns

John’s brother-in-law is a security analyst at M L Stern & Co.

The vice-chancellor must approve all faculty appointments.

in s, sh, ch, x, or z form their plurals by adding es.

nouns adding s

nouns adding es

If the letter preceding the y is a vowel, just add s However, if the

y preceded by a vowel

y preceded by a consonant

2Noun plurals, other than regular ones ending in s or es, are shown in the dictionary

immediately after the singular form of the word Spellings for noun plurals are based on

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (2011) Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.)

Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated For a complete, up-to-date online resource, visit

Merriam-Webster at http://www.m-w.com Individuals who have purchased Merriam-Webster’s

Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., may obtain a digital download and also register for a free one-year

subscription to the online versions of multiple Merriam-Webster dictionaries.

3An exception to this rule is the word quiz For the plural form, add z before adding es—quizzes The same exception applies to whiz, as in computer whiz or math whiz For the

plural form, add z and es—computer whizzes or math whizzes.

4An exception to this rule is the word money For the plural form, follow the general rule or drop the ey and add ies Either moneys or monies is correct.

nouns ending in o may form the plural by adding s or es The correct plural form for all words ending in o is shown in the dictionary after

the singular form of the word If two plural forms are shown for a word, use the first one—unless the second form is otherwise preferred.

musical terms

pianos solos sopranos altos cellos banjos

common nouns ending in os

macros ratios portfolios studios memos logos

common nouns ending in oes

cargoes tomatoes heroes potatoes vetoes mottoes

just f or fe may add s, or they may drop the f or fe and add ves Nouns taking the irregular plural form by adding ves are shown in

the dictionary If the dictionary does not show the plural form, just

add s If the dictionary shows two plural forms, use the first one plural nouns ending in ffs

plural nouns ending in fs or fes

plural nouns ending in ves

proper nouns ending in s, sh, ch, x, or z form the plural by adding

es All others form the plural by adding s.

proper noun adding es for plural form

proper noun adding s for plural form

foreign plural Consult your dictionary, and use the plural form that appears first.

foreign-derived nouns with preferred foreign-derived plurals

or adding letters other than s or es These irregular plurals are

shown in the dictionary in the same entry with their singular form.

Other nouns are used only with singular verbs, and still others are used solely with plural verbs These irregular constructions are explained in the dictionary entry that defines the word.

5 Preferences for English and foreign noun plurals are based on entries shown in

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (2011) Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.)

Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated For a complete, up-to-date online resource, visit

Merriam-Webster at http://www.m-w.com Individuals who have purchased Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., may obtain a digital download and also register for a free one-year

subscription to the online versions of multiple Merriam-Webster dictionaries.

1-4

nouns with the same singular and plural forms

nouns always used with singular verbs

nouns always used with plural verbs

main word For (1) hyphenated compounds not containing a main word and (2) compound nouns written as a single word, form the plural at the end.

plural formed on main word

plural formed at end

Some compounds have irregular plural forms Check your dictionary

to verify the plural forms of compounds you do not use regularly.

irregular plural forms

as words, and abbreviations composed of initials are formed by

adding s or es For clarity, though, all isolated lowercase letters and the capital letters A, I, M, and U are made plural by adding

abbreviations, and words referred to as such.

plural formed with s or es

Mr Matthews wants this assignment completed without any further

ifs, ands, or buts.

Make a list of dos and don’ts for the care of this copier.

There are two vacancies for RNs on our team.

How many members of your accounting staff are CPAs?

Please ensure that these c.o.d.s are sent out by the end of the week.

plural formed with s or es and referred to as such

Please request our receptionist to write her 1s and 7s more legibly,

since I often have difficulty distinguishing between them

If you receive many more Cs during the next two semesters, you may

have difficulty entering our graduate program

Ms Graham, our new copy editor, does not use her whiches and

thats correctly.

On the last ballot, did the noes outnumber the yeses?

Always express in lowercase letters the a.m.s and p.m.s with clock

time

plural formed with an apostrophe and s and referred to as such

To ensure that your writing is legible, be sure to dot your i’s and

cross your t’s.

Your son received three A’s on his last grade report.

Be careful not to use too many I’s in your business writing.

Why do the M’s appear smudged in this document?

title, make either the name or the title plural, but not both For two

or more individuals with either a different title or a different name, use the singular form.

same name and title

different name or title

Mr Bentley and Mr Thompson have accepted your invitation for

lunch on May 15

Two of the finalists for the position are Ms Stevenson and

Mr Stevenson!

1-4

To determine ownership and identify possessive nouns, locate what

is owned and who owns it Place what is owned and the owner in an ownership phrase By inverting the order of two nouns that appear

together and inserting belonging to, of, or for, you can check for

ownership and determine where an apostrophe might be needed.

singular or plural, form the possessive by adding ’s.

what is

owned  owner possessive form

(Note: The final s in words such as Illinois, Des Moines, DuBois,

and Francois is not pronounced; therefore, ’s is used with these

possessive forms.)

by simply adding an apostrophe unless an additional syllable is pronounced in the possessive form If an additional syllable is

pronounced, add ’s.

no extra pronounced syllable

what is

owned owner possessive form

extra pronounced syllable

what is

owned owner possessive form

the wallet belonging to Mr Harris Mr Harris’s wallet

6 See Section 2-55 for additional examples.

possession only on the last noun Where individual ownership exists, show possession on each noun.

joint ownership

Courtney and Taylor’s office has been moved to the third floor.

The Rodriguezes and the Martinsons’ store is located on Sixth Avenue Our law firm will draw up Mr Simms and Ms Ross’s partnership

agreement

Clark and Clark’s reference manual is required for this class.

individual ownership

All my mother’s and father’s clothes suffered smoke damage from

the fire in their apartment building

Tom’s and Dave’s commission checks were drawn for incorrect

amounts

Mr Granados’ and Ms Stone’s applications for admission to the

police academy have been accepted

All the accountants’ and the administrative assistants’ desks have

been moved to the new offices

my father-in-law

convention of attorneys-at-law attorneys-at-law’s convention

manager

inheritance for the two stepsons the two stepsons’ inheritance

Lisa’s assisting us with this project will ensure that it will be

completed by the deadline date

There is no record of the witness’s answering these questions

under oath

time—minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years.

time nouns—singular

peace for a minute a minute’s peace

activities for the day the day’s activities

notice of a month a month’s notice

mail from this morning this morning’s mail

calendar for tomorrow tomorrow’s calendar

1-4 • 1-5

work for four hours four hours’ work

interest for two weeks two weeks’ interest

trial for three months three months’ trial

experience for five years five years’ experience

distance.

He lives just a stone’s throw from the office

The truck missed hitting our car by an arm’s length

(nonliving) things or objects except for time or distance Instead,

use a simple adjective or an of phrase.

Words such as company, team, organization, association, committee,

herd, and flock are not considered inanimate because they refer to

groups of people or other living groups.

The hull of the cruise ship was damaged during the storm (Not The

cruise ship’s hull was damaged during the storm.)

The stipulations of the will were presented by the attorney (Not The

will’s stipulations were presented by the attorney.)

group composed of people or another living group

Most of the company’s profits in 2012 were from Internet

directly follow the ownership word or are not named The ship word, however, still shows possession with an apostrophe.

owner-item owned does not directly follow the ownership word

The only computer station to be replaced is Kasey’s (Kasey’s

computer station.)

On Tuesday we will meet at the Lopezes’ to list their condominium

for sale (The Lopezes’ condominium.)

item owned not named

Mr Ardigo left the attorney’s over an hour ago (The attorney’s office.) Did you leave your cell phone at the Gallaghers’? (The Gallaghers’

home.)

Verbs

sentences “go.” Verbs show action or describe a state of being at a

certain point in time Examples of action verbs are run, swim, talk, and write.

Nonaction verbs, those that describe a state of being, include

words such as seem, feel, and smell The most commonly used nonaction verbs, however, are derived from the verb be—am, is,

are, was, were, and been.

was, did) The last word in a verb phrase is the main verb Word groups

must contain a verb or a verb phrase to be complete sentences.

verb in sentence

Darryl checks his e-mail messages at least twice daily.

Please return these defective hard drives to the vendor.

Vista Industries is one of our best customers.

verb phrase in sentence

We have received several contracts from Gourmet Cookery.

Fenton Industries has been involved in two lawsuits during the past

year

Our office staff is presently processing your order.

How much money did your company invest in this condominium

project?

1-5 • 1-6

points in time The main parts of a verb used to form tenses include the present part, the past part, the past participle, and the present participle.

1–7 Formation of Parts for Regular Verbs

Most verbs, which are regular verbs, form their parts in this way:

(1) The present part has the infinitive form without the

accompanying to.

(2) The past part adds ed to the present form.

(3) The past participle uses the past part with at least one verb

helper

(4) The present participle adds ing to the present form and uses at

least one verb helper

sentence examples

You will need to collect more evidence before we can present this

case to the district attorney’s office (Infinitive)

Blair collects stamps from countries all over the world (Present part) The courier collected all our mail for overnight delivery about an

hour ago (Past part)

My assistant has collected prospectuses from five major suppliers of

health insurance programs (Past participle with a helping verb.)

Our Research Department is collecting additional information from

consumers (Present participle with a helping verb.)

1–8 Formation of Parts for Irregular Verbs

pres-ent participle in the usual manner All such irregular verb forms are

shown in the dictionary; they are listed directly after the present form of the verb Verbs without such a listing are regular verbs, and

their parts are formed in the regular way described in Section 1–7.

(1) Most verbs ending in e form their past part and past participle

by adding d These same verbs form the present participle by

dropping the e and adding ing.

(2) Another group of verbs double the final consonant before adding the regular endings to the past part, past participle, and present participle

to encloseencloseenclosed(have) enclosed(are) enclosing

to completecompletecompleted(have) completed(is) completing

to stir stir stirred (has) stirred (are) stirring

to clipclipclipped(have) clipped(is) clipping

verbs that double the final consonant

forming the past part and the past participle A list of parts for some such commonly used irregular verbs follows:

Present Part Past Part Past Participle Present Participle

1-6 • 1-8

Present Part Past Part Past Participle Present Participle

lie (to tell an untruth) lied lied lying

Our summer clearance sale begins August 1.

We began work on this construction project early last March.

Orders, as a result of our national television campaign, have begun

to flood our telephone lines

Sales through our Web site are beginning to equal our catalog sales.

Verb parts are used to form tenses that place an action or a tion in a time frame The verb part itself may express tense, or a verb part with helpers (a verb phrase) may be needed to identify the time frame The most commonly used tenses are the simple

condi-tenses—the present, the past, and the future.

currently existing condition Use the present part or a conjugation (changes in spelling to accommodate person) of the present part

to form this tense.

(1) Place an s at the end of the present part when it is used with any singular subject except I and you.

(2) Place es at the end of the present part for verbs ending in s, sh,

ch, x, and z when it is used with any singular subject—except I

(3) Use the present part with any plural subject

present tense formations for most verbs

the cat eats the company provides the cat sits

you eat (pl.) you provide (pl.) you sit (pl.)

the children eat the parents provide the patients sit

1-8 • 1-9

7The verbs do and go add es also; that is, the singular form of do for he, she, and it is does The corresponding form for go is goes.

present tense formations for verbs ending in s, sh, ch, x, and z

the board wishes the program teaches the cat relaxes

you wish (pl.) you teach (pl.) you relax (pl.)

the children wish the schools teach the travelers relax

use of present tense

Our purchasing agent buys all office furniture from local vendors.

Elton Electronics establishes offices in all countries in which it

conducts business.

The All-Clean cleaning crew waxes our office floors weekly.

He goes to the doctor regularly for checkups.

the past part of a verb to express the past tense.

The decorator selected gray carpeting for the computer training room.Our office manager received your signed contracts yesterday

Cameron bought this digital equipment from an Internet site

the future tense, use the present part with the helping verb will.

I will call you next week to confirm our appointment

The committee will review your proposal by March 1, and

Mr Rosen will notify you of the committee’s decision by March 8

Our company will not participate in the bidding for this contract

The perfect tenses—the present, past, and future—use the past

participle of the verb along with a helping verb formed from have.

began in the past and has continued until and including the present

This tense is formed by using has or have with the past participle

of the verb.

The company has already paid heavy fines for environmental-impact violations.

another past action Use had as a helping verb with the past

participle of the main verb to form this tense.

Our client had signed this new will just three days before he died

We accepted Hadley Enterprises’ offer only after we had contacted

three other vendors

Although the manufacturer had shipped the merchandise two weeks ago, it arrived too late for our sale

before another future action Use the helping verbs will have with

the past participle of the main verb to form this tense.

By the time we publish this book, we will have spent more than

$50,000 in fees to freelance writers

If allowed to continue, this project at its conclusion will have cost

United States’ taxpayers more than $3 billion

You will have already completed the semester before your

scholarship funds arrive

The progressive tenses show action in progress during the present, past, and future Use the present participle of the verb along with

a being verb helper—am, is, are, was, were, or be.

the present time The being verb helper am, is, or are is used with

the present participle to form this tense.

Our company is sponsoring a 10K run scheduled for May 8

Several employees are relocating to our main office in Salt Lake City

Are you planning to take any additional online classes?

in the past The being verb helper was or were is used with the

present participle of a verb to form this tense.

I was planning to take this course next semester until I learned that

my new position will require considerable travel

Until the end of last year, we were still manufacturing replacement

1-9 • 1-11

form this tense, use the helping verbs will and be with the present

participle of the verb.

We will be hiring employees for this new restaurant location

approximately three weeks before construction is completed

Our auditors will be reviewing Price Investment Corporation’s

books for at least another two months

Unlike other verb constructions, the passive voice does not necessarily identify who does what Instead, the person or thing performing the action may be cloaked in ambiguity.

In business communications the passive voice is often used to soften the impact of a negative idea or to avoid placing blame for an oversight or error It is also used simply to provide variety

in sentence construction Although grammar checkers ( software programs) may flag passive voice constructions, they are not grammar errors.

To form a passive voice construction, use the past participle of the

verb with one of the following being verb helpers: is, are, was,

were, be, or been.

Our cosmetic line is sold only through franchised retailers

Unfortunately, the shipment was damaged in transit

On March 30 eviction notices were mailed in error to all the

building tenants

The new medical office complex will not be completed by October 1.All depositors have been notified that the insured deposits of

Universal Bank will be transferred to another bank

Each online order is acknowledged by a message to the customer’s e-mail account

1–13 Use of Lay and Lie

lie means “to recline.” Forms of these two verbs are often confused

in usage The principal parts of lie and lay follow:

Present Part Past Part Past Participle Present Participle

b Use a form of lie when the subject of the verb is performing the

action, that is, the subject is what is lying Otherwise, if the subject

of the sentence is not the person or thing doing the lying, use a

form of lay.8

Always use a form of lay when the past participle appears with a

being verb helper (is, are, was, were, be, been).

subject is performing the action—is lying

The new shopping mall lies at the base of the LaCrescenta Foothills Tony lay unconscious for nearly half an hour before the ambulance

arrived

Our computer system has lain idle for nearly three hours.

At this veterinarian’s facility, the dogs were lying in clean, well-

maintained cages

subject of verb is not lying

Jennifer lays all new magazines on tables in the reception area (New

magazines are lying on tables—not subject of verb; Jennifer is the subject.)

Before leaving the office, Logan laid the contracts on your desk

(Contracts are lying on the desk—not subject of verb; Logan is the

subject.)

Our shipping clerks have always laid these booklets horizontally

in their packing boxes (Booklets are lying in packing boxes—not

subject of verb; shipping clerks is the subject.)

Retail stores throughout the country are laying plans to capture

their share of holiday purchases (Retail stores, not plans, is the

subject of the sentence.)

always a form of lay (being verb + past participle)

Sandbags have been laid along the riverfront because of impending

flooding

When was the carpeting laid in these offices?

Each morning the mail is opened and laid on Mr Martin’s desk by

10 a.m

subject To identify a subject, omit any prepositional phrases that separate the subject and the verb.

8Use of the verb lay with three of its parts—lay, laid, and (has, have, or had) laid—is often easily identified by substituting a form of the verb put If put or one of its forms makes sense, then the use of lay or one of its forms is correct Otherwise, a form of lie is more than likely

1-11 • 1-14

E-mail messages in your company account are open for scrutiny

(Omit prepositional phrase in your company account.)

The stock of cartridges for our printers is running low (Omit

prepositional phrases of cartridges and for our printers.)

gender with the subject.

Mr Tucker submitted his September sales report yesterday

Remind every salesperson to provide us with his or her cell phone number

Candace and Ryan have already submitted their home-loan

application to Chase Bank

The company increased its production because it foresaw an

increased demand for computer games during the holiday season

plural verb When compound subjects are joined by or or nor, the

form of the verb is determined by the part of the subject that is closer to the verb If one part is plural and the other is singular, place the plural part, where possible, closer to the verb.

compound joined by and

My daughter and son-in-law subscribe to TIME and Bloomberg

Businessweek.

Letters and packages for overnight delivery leave our office on a

regularly scheduled basis

Mr Muñoz and his two assistants are temporarily out of the office.

compound joined by or or nor

Neither Ashley nor Rory was available to meet with the client on

Monday

Either Dana or I am responsible for opening the store on weekdays.

Ms Binder or her assistants are reviewing the manuscript (Not Her

assistants or Ms Binder is reviewing the manuscript.)

Candy or flowers are typically given on Valentine’s Day (Not Flowers

or candy is typically given on Valentine’s Day.)

the parts separated by and constitute a single person or thing and (2) when the compound is preceded by each, every, or many a (an) single person or thing

Our tax attorney and accountant has prepared all the reports

needed for the Internal Revenue Service

Her nurse and companion works six days a week.

Bacon and eggs is the most popular breakfast item on our menu.

This horse and carriage was used throughout the television series

The Shannon Family.

compound preceded by each, every, or many a (an)

Each home and condominium was inspected by the general

contractor before it was released for occupancy

Every man, woman, and child is responsible for carrying his or her

belongings during the tour

Many a student and instructor has requested additional tickets to

our Theater Department’s production of Mamma Mia.

somebody, anybody, either, and neither take singular verbs.

Each of these books has been autographed by the author

Everything in these files needs to be transferred to microfiche

Neither of them was present at the meeting

plural verb form based on the number of the noun that follows If the noun is singular, then use a singular verb; if it is plural, use a plural verb.

The same rule applies to those words such as some, all, none,

most, a majority, one fourth, and part that indicate portions When

they function as subjects, the number of the noun that follows governs whether a singular or plural verb is correct.

there preceding a singular verb form

There is one person on the mailing list you may wish to call.

There appears to be only one reason why our bid was rejected.

there preceding a plural verb form

There are three people on the waiting list.

There appear to be several reasons why our bid was not accepted.

portion preceding a singular verb form

Some of the money has been invested in U.S Savings Bonds.

Part of your order has been shipped.

One third of our clerical staff needs additional training on this new

system

portion preceding a plural verb form

All the materials were shipped to you yesterday.

1-14

So far only one half of the apartments have been painted.

The majority of our employees receive extra benefits from our

incentive plan

number used as a subject requires a singular verb Keep in mind

that descriptive adverbs and adjectives may separate the article a

or the from the word number.

a number subject, plural verb

A number of our customers are requesting a full refund.

A surprisingly small number of our customers have purchased the

lightweight laptop

the number subject, singular verb

The number of employees selecting MDA medical insurance has

increased substantially since 2009

The large number of customer inquiries received from our recent

advertising campaign was far greater than we had anticipated.

untrue or highly unlikely), use were instead of was after if, as if, as

though, or wish The verb was is used only if the situation after if,

as if, or as though could be true.

use of were instead of was

If I were you, I would update my application before the deadline

date (A condition that is untrue—I cannot be you.)

Mr Greeley took charge as though he were the owner of the store

(However, Mr Greeley is not the owner of the store.)

I wish I were able to answer that question for you (However, I

cannot answer the question.)

use of was

If Sally was here, she did not sign her weekly time sheet (Sally could

have been there.)

The customer acted as though he was irritated with our credit

policies (The customer certainly may have been irritated.)

and the verb form.

Unfortunately, I was unable to follow logically the technician’s

explanation (Avoid to logically follow.)

None of us seemed to understand fully the reasons for the change

in policy (Avoid to fully understand.)