Writing Style Guide COMMON BUSINESS ERRORS CONTRACTIONS: Do not use in professional writing. IT S It s imperative that we complete this form. It is imperative that we complete this form. THEY RE They re requiring the use of secured email. They are requiring the use of secured email. WHO S This website will explain who s eligible for coverage. This website will explain who is eligible for coverage. YOU RE You re allowed to deposit up to $250 per paycheck to an account. You are allowed to deposit up to $250 per paycheck to an account. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES ITS Our company achieved its sales goals last year. THEIR Their strategy is similar to ours. WHOSE The group needs to decide whose ideas will work best. YOUR Your work is exceptional. 1 9/16
CONFUSING WORDS ADVISE / ADVICE We advise our clients on choosing the best plans. We offer advice on choosing the best plans. AFFECT / EFFECT Overhead will affect our profits. The law will affect my taxes. AFFECT is a verb. Overhead will have an effect on our profits. The law will have an effect on my taxes. EFFECT is a noun. Use EFFECT with OF and ON. COMPLEMENT / COMPLIMENT Team members complement each other by bringing different strengths to the table. When she told me the job was done well, it was a true compliment. We were served a complimentary breakfast before the meeting. DEFINITELY / DEFIANTLY I am definitely interested in the position. The boy defiantly disobeyed his parents. DEPRECATION / DEPRECIATION Self-deprecation is an unappealing personality trait. Depreciation of the assets is calculated using this formula. LEAD / LED I want you to take the lead on this project. Scientists found lead in the water. If you lead, I will follow. The manager led the team. LOSE / LOOSE We cannot afford to lose the client. My shoelaces were loose, so I had to tie them again. 2
MANAGER / MANGER John Smith is the manager of the department. During the Christmas season, you may find a manger on display. MANNER / MANOR I will approach the problem in a different manner. The reception will be held at Hillsdale Manor, the president s estate. MINER / MINOR The miner was hired to work in the coal mine. This is a minor problem. My major is finance and my minor is marketing. MORALE / MORAL Employee morale was improved by the salary increases. Employees need to have moral standards when they conduct business. PASSED / PAST I passed the test with flying colors. In the past, we have been profitable. POSSESS / POSSES I possess the skills necessary for the job. The sheriff and his deputy rounded up posses for the manhunt. PRINCIPLE / PRINCIPAL Companies expect employees to have moral principles. PRINCIPLE means guidelines. As a principal at ABC Accounting Firm, Kevin has important responsibilities. John paid extra principal on his loan each month. The principal ideas were presented by the high school principal. PROSPECTIVE / PERSPECTIVE I am sending my résumé to prospective employers. I see things from a different perspective than you do. 3
REGARD / REGARDS I regard him as an expert in the field. The report is correct in that regard. Please give my regards to Mr. Thompson. ROLE / ROLL Mary played an important role in the company. A roll was served with the salad at dinner. I watched the ball roll across the street. THEN / THAN We will complete the first phase and then move on to the second. If these numbers are correct, then we can pay off our debts. THEN refers to time and is used with IF/THEN logic statements. Our profits are greater this year than they were last year. I like this idea more than that one. More often than not, my strategy works. THAN is used for comparisons: less than, hotter than, shorter than, older than, more expensive than... TO / TWO / TOO I am going to the store. I need two new computers. I, too, would appreciate an answer. I am spending too much money. TOO shows degree: too little, too late, too hot, too cold, too expensive... Write these words as one word (not two): cannot, whereas, nevertheless, oftentimes, within, throughout, themselves, myself, himself, aforementioned Be specific with dates: Tuesday, July 2, is more specific than recently. In 2016 is more specific than nowadays. Stay consistently plural (or singular when necessary): Incorrect: Once an employee submits their report, he or she will earn a bonus Correct: Once employees submit their reports, they will earn bonuses. 4
Commas A complete sentence has a subject (who or what) and verb (action words or is, am, are, was, was, were) plus additions. Joe (subject) manages (verb) the IT department for an automotive supplier. His arguments (subject) are (verb) logical. Fragments occur when subjects and/or verbs are missing. Fragment: Causing employee morale to increase. Correct: The policy (subject) is causing (verb) employee morale to increase. RULE 1: Sentences can begin with conditional openers. Place a comma after an opener to show the subject follows. Short words such as however are openers. Longer openers begin with the words below: According As Before If Unless Whenever After At By In Until While Although Because During Since When With According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, interest rates (subject) may rise. During the restructuring phase, the plan (subject) was not adequately communicated. In order to implement this change, I (subject) recommend actively using voicemail. However, flexibility (subject) is important. Alone, openers are fragments. Fragment: When we meet next week. Correct: When we meet next week, we (subject) will discuss (verb) bonuses. RULE 2: Use a comma to divide complete sentences with a conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet, whereas). Ann (subject) met (verb) with members, and she (subject) addressed (verb) their concerns. 5
Comma splices and run-ons occur when sentences are not combined as follows: John (subject) finished (verb) his report, and he (subject) submitted (verb) it on time. John (subject) finished (verb) his report. He (subject) submitted (verb) it on time. John (subject) finished (verb) his report; he (subject) submitted (verb) it on time. Note: Semicolons divide complete sentences. Incorrectly combined sentences: Comma splice: John finished his report, he turned it in on time. Run-on: John finished his report he turned it in on time. RULE 3: Use commas with lists of three or more. Do not use commas with lists of two. Customers can choose between red, blue, and green umbrellas. Customers can choose between red and blue. Two Subjects: The new employee (subject) and the head of the department (subject) met (verb) to discuss the reorganization. The new employee in accounting (subject) and the former head of human resources (subject) met (verb) on Tuesday to discuss the reorganization of the company. Two Verbs: She (subject) finished (verb) the proposal and submitted (verb) it on time. He (subject) has (verb) good arguments and expects (verb) to win the debate. Incorrect: Marie completed her report, and submitted it on time. Two Additions: She (subject) knew (verb) not only what to say but also when to say it. She (subject) studied (verb) accounting and economics at Walsh College. RULE 4: Commas set off modifiers that are not essential to a sentence. Not essential: Jim Smith, who loves to travel, will be the head of the department. Essential: Employees who love to travel will be assigned clients in Europe. Not essential: Our CEO, Jan Smyth, signed the letter. Essential: CEO Jan Smyth signed the letter. 6
Apostrophes Use apostrophes to show possession. The company s stock price rose. The man s computer crashed. A warning was on the product s packaging. The accident was no one s fault. Possessive and plural do not mean the same thing. Plural means more than one of something: desks, computers, companies, employees. PROCESS FOR DETERMINING APOSTROPHE USE: 1. Determine whether you are referring to one person or thing (singular) or more than one (plural). 2. Determine whether possession is shown. One: the company s balance sheet More than one: the companies balance sheets One: the employee s benefits More than one: the employees benefits One: the associate s clients More than one: the associates clients RULE 1: If the noun is singular and ends in s, it is correct to use either s or s s. Starbucks profits OR Starbucks s profits (compared to Ford s profits) RULE 2: If the noun is plural and does not end is s, use 's. people s attitudes, men s gloves, children s toys, women s briefcases RULE 3: Never use an apostrophe at the end of a noun that does not show possession. Incorrect: Studies (subject) prove (verb) we can be energy independent. Note: The verb prove cannot be possessed. RULE 4: Never use an apostrophe with a verb. Incorrect: Innovation (subject) plays (verb) an important role in our economy. Note: The verb plays cannot possess anything. 7
Quoting Introduce a quote with a comma (or colon for long, formal quotes). In BCOM, Lehman and DuFrene (2018) wrote, Errors in writing and mechanics may seem isolated, but the truth is, proofreading is important (p. 70). According to BCOM (Lehman & DuFrene, 2018), Errors in writing and mechanics may seem isolated, but the truth is, proofreading is important (p. 70). Make your own words work with an author s/authors words. In BCOM, Lehman and DuFrene (2018) stated that if software does not help with spelling, you will need to consult a dictionary... (p. 71). General references do not require page numbers. Lehman and DuFrene (2018) discussed all aspects of business communication. A book entitled BCOM (Lehman & DuFrene, 2018) discussed business writing. Attribute BLOCK QUOTES (40 or more words) exactly as follows: Lehman and DuFrene (2018) explained the following: Trying to write at the exact grade level of the receiver is not advised. You may not know the exact grade level, and even those who have earned advanced degrees appreciate writing they can read and understand quickly and easily. (p. 61) To maintain correct capitalization when typing several indented lines, click: Paragraph > Special > Hanging. Click this option off when you are finished with the quote. Attribute quotes by using: according to, wrote, said, stated, maintained, showed, noted, recommended, described, argued, explained, concluded, indicated, presented... Dates: Scroll down to the bottom of Web pages to find dates. In rare circumstances, use n.d.to indicate that a date is unavailable. Article titles: If an article does not have an author, use the first word/s of the article title in quotation marks in the in-text citation: ( Investments, 2018). Page numbers: If a page number is not available, use a paragraph number for direct quotes (para. 10). Interviews: Do not list interviews on the References page. Show the source in the text: (T. J. Smith, personal communication, February 7, 2018). 8
SAMPLE APA REFERENCES LIST References Formatting: Page titled References (centered) and consistently double spaced; sources written with hanging indent (first line beginning at left margin and all other lines indented) Ballard, J. (2015). Decoding the workplace: 50 keys to understanding people in organizations. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. Book: Author s last name and first initial/s used; title written in italics in sentencestyle capitalization (which means only first word of title, first word of subtitle and proper nouns are capitalized) In-text citation: (Ballard, 2015) Barrett, D. (2016, February 22). Phone fight gets technical. The Wall Street Journal, p. B1. Newspaper article In-text citation: (Barrett, 2016) Hoffman, L. (2015a, November 12). Mylan hostile takeover is a rare nail biter. The Wall Street Journal, p. C1. Hoffman, L. (2015b, November 25). Skadden s tax work anything but dull. The Wall Street Journal, p. C1. Two newspaper articles with same author and same year: Lower case a and b are used to differentiate; article titles written in sentence-style capitalization; publication title written in italics In-text citations: (Hoffman, 2015a) and (Hoffman, 2015b) 9
Malmendier, U., & Tate, G. (2009, November). Superstar CEOs. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124(4), 1593-1638. Malmendier, U., & Tate, G. (2015, November). Behavioral CEOs: The role of managerial overconfidence. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(4), 37-60. Two journal articles with same authors and different years: Article title written in sentence-style capitalization; journal title and volume written in italics and issue in parenthesis In-text citations: (Malmendier & Tate, 2009) and (Malmendier & Tate, 2015) Nguyen, T., Nguyen, H.G., & Yin, X. (2015, Spring). Corporate governance and corporate financing and investment during the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Financial Management, 44(1), 115-146. Journal article with three authors In-text citation: (Nguyen, Nguyen & Yin, 2015) Procter & Gamble home page. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.pg.com Company Web page In-text citation: (Procter, 2015) United States Securities and Exchange Commission. (2015, December 3). SEC announces charges for spoofing and order mismarking. Retrieved from http://www.sec.gov/news/ pressrelease/2015-273.html Article from government agency: Agency listed as author; article title written in sentence-style capitalization; full Web address shown In-text citation: (United, 2015) 10
Verizon and VMTurbo join forces to develop intelligent cloud control. (2015, December 9). Computer Weekly News. Retrieved from ProQuest Business Collection database. Article with no author retrieved from database In-text citation: ( Verizon, 2015) Viper Lift Trucks. (n.d.). Forklifts. Retrieved from http://www.viperlifttrucks.com/forklifts/ Company Web page without copyright date: n.d. listed in place of date (use n.d. only after scrolling to search for date) In-text citation: (Viper, n.d.) Yellen eager to raise rates. (2015, December 3). Investor s Business Daily. Retrieved from EBSCO Business Source Elite database. Yellen signaling rate hike ahead. (2015, December 4). Investor s Business Daily. Retrieved from EBSCO Business Source Elite database. Two articles with no authors beginning with same word In-text citations: ( Yellen Eager, 2015) and ( Yellen Signaling, 2015) 11
SAMPLE EMAIL TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Name Name Month XX, XXXX Nanlit Sed Quia Use specific subject line making it easier to prioritize and locate later. Hello Name: Include appropriate greeting to the reader, followed by colon. Elitsedquianon umquameiusmodira tionev quivelit, sedquia non numquameiusmodi. Equeporroquisquamest, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor ame, consectetu, adii. Provide information about attachments. UNDE OMNIS ISTE Quae ab illoinventoreveritatiset quasi architee: Tt perspiciatisnatusjerror sit voluptatema iu uelaudantium. Quae ab illoinventoreveritatiset quasi architectobeatae vitae dicta suntexplicabo. End courteously with what you expect reader to do next in response to email, executive summary, or report. Kindly, Name Title Contact Number Include closing appropriate for reader (e.g., Sincerely, Thank you, Thanks...) and include your title and contact information or automatic email signature. *Always know specific requirements (for class assignments or company) of your audience. 12
SAMPLE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FORMAT* Executive Summary Title Prepared by: Name(s) Month Day, Year Elit sed quia non numquam eius modi ratione voluptatem sequivelit, sed quia non numquam eius modi.natus jerror sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa magni dolores. Start with introductory paragraph and brief overview (introduce report or state research/project to be summarized and its business purpose/relevance to reader). UNDE OMNIS Use descriptive headings (in bold and/or underlined) to organize content and visual cues (bullet points, graphs) to emphasize main points and to present information in an easy-to-read manner. Quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae: Tt perspiciatis natus jerror sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa magni doloree voluptateit. Quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim fugit, sedr. UNDE OMNIS ISTE Eque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto. Eque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum. End with recommendations (next steps or ways business can use research) along with conclusion. *Always know specific requirements (for class assignments or company) of your audience. *The font style in this example is lorem ipsum text to show formatting, not content. Include page numbers on all business documents over one page. 13
SAMPLE BUSINESS LETTER FORMAT Jane Doe Director, Claims ABC Services 12345 Main St. Troy, MI 48083 Include your name and contact information at left margin or centered depending on letterhead for specific companies. January 15, XXXX Include date with spacing above and below adjusted to center letter. John Adams Claims Specialist XYZ Corporation 6789 Oak St. Troy, MI 48083 Dear Mr. Adams: Include name and contact information of the person receiving letter. Include greeting with courtesy title (Mr., Ms., Dr.) followed by colon. Natusztperspicia sjerror sit voluptatemaccusantiumdoloremquelaudantiumrem aperiam, eaqueipsamagnidot. Ttperspiciatisnatusjerror sit voluptatemaccusantiumdoloremquelaudantium, totam rem aperiam, edoloreseos qui rationevoluptatemsequinesciun. Ttperspiciatisnatusjerror psit voluptatemaccusantiumdoloremquelaudantium, totam rem aperiameeaqueipsamt. Sincerely, Jane Doe Director, Claims Leave four blank lines after the closing for your signature. Enclosure Use Enclosure if additional document/s included. 14