Download Grammar Grammar helps to provide structure in communication

GRAMMAR
Grammar helps to provide structure in communication. When writing, it is important to
effectively use grammar so that others can clearly understand what it is that you are trying
to communicate. The BWC is happy to provide assistance to students in all aspects of
business writing, including grammar. To further facilitate effective business communication,
members of the BWC staff have created several grammar handouts. (awkward sentence –
whose communication?)
Grammar Handouts
Below are a number of quick reference handout guides for different grammar related
issues. To learn more about one of the following grammar topics, click the
corresponding handout link. You can also download a PDF copy for personal
reference. Please check back often for more helpful handouts and updates.

Apostrophes

Capital (Upper Case) Letters

Colons and Semicolons

Commas (part 1)

Commas (part 2)

End Marks

Numbers

Prepositions

Pronouns

Sentence Fragments

Subject Verb Agreement

That vs. Which

Transitional Words & Phrases

Verbs

Word Choice
If you have additional questions, or if you would like more assistance, please feel free to make
an appointment for consultation with one of the helpful BWC Consultants.
APOSTROPHES
What is an apostrophe?
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark. In business writing, it most often expresses
possession, but can also be used to indicate contractions or plural of letters/numbers.
Indicating possession
For most singular nouns, simply add an apostrophe + s (’s) to make the noun possessive.
E.g., The bank's president said today in a statement . . .
For plural nouns ending in s, simply add an apostrophe to the end of the word.
E.g., The investor bought twenty thousand dollars’ worth of stock.
For plural nouns not ending in s, add apostrophe + s (’s).
E.g., I’m (maybe confusing to have 2 apostrophes?) double majoring in Women’s Studies.
To make compound words possessive, make the last word in the group possessive
E.g., Take that to the Editor-in-Chief’s desk.
With two or more nouns, make each noun possessive to denote individual possession.
E.g., The report compares Adam Smith's and Karl Marx's theories.
When indicating joint possession, make only the second noun possessive.
E.g., Beyonce and Jay-Z’s baby is named Blue Ivy. (HA!)
Indicating contractions or other word and/or letter omissions
Use an apostrophe when you combine two words into one to make a contraction, or when
omitting a portion of a word, phrase, or number.
E.g., She doesn’t (does not) want to attend the gala
Today the class of ’02 (2002) holds their fifteenth reunion.
NOTE: The BWC discourages the use of contractions in business writing.
Indicating the plural forms of numbers, letters, symbols, and words used as terms
E.g., Meredith boasted there were no F’s on her report card.
CAPITAL (UPPER CASE) LETTERS
This handout is currently in production and will be available soon. Please check back often
for updates.
If you have any questions regarding the use of capital letters, please schedule an
appointment with a BWC Consultant.
COLONS AND SEMICOLONS
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for updates.
If you have any questions regarding the use of colons and semicolons, please schedule an
appointment with a BWC Consultant.
COMMAS (PART 1) (IS THIS ONE APPROVED? OR IS IT THE ONE IN
THERE ALREADY?)
What is a comma?
A comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause in a sentence. Just as a “yield” sign
signals the driver to slow down, a comma signals the reader to slow down for understanding.
Below, you will find many uses for the comma with examples for each one.
Separating items in a series
Always include a comma between each item in a series, including the final item.
E.g., In the meeting, Aaron asked for budget, tax, and personnel costs.
With coordinating conjunctions
Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence. A compound
sentence consists of two independent clauses, which means each clause can stand alone as its
own complete sentence. Coordinating conjunctions include and, or, nor, but, yet, so, and
for.
E.g. She presented her information, and she answered many questions about the data.
Comma Splices
Comma splice errors occur when you use a comma to connect (or splice) two independent
clauses without using a coordinating conjunction.
E.g., She presented her information, she answered many questions about the data.
(incorrect)
She presented her information, and she answered many questions about the data.
(correct)
With an introductory clause
Sentences beginning with because, although, as, and if will use a comma to separate the
opening phrase or clause from the rest of the sentence.
E.g., Because we took a charge against the first quarter’s earnings, we will show a
decline in dividends.
When such clauses or phrases occur at the end of a sentence, you will have to judge whether
the clause or phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence. If it is essential, then do not
use a comma.
E.g., We will show a decline in dividends because we took a charge against the first
quarter’s earnings.
A comma should also follow an introductory prepositional phrase when the comma helps the
reader better understand your message. Prepositions include under, over, in, before, after,
through, between, etc.
E.g., Under the present SEC rules, we must plan carefully to avoid a citation.
With interrupting words
A comma should follow an interrupting word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence.
E.g., Yes, I can arrange the annual planning meeting for May 25th.
Likewise, use commas to set off phrases or clauses within the sentence that interrupt the
flow of the sentence and that are not essential elements for the understanding of the
sentence.
E.g., The board, interviewing steadily for three months, found a replacement for the CEO.
Including dates
When writing dates in a sentence, use a comma before and after the year.
E.g., The board of directors met on March 2, 2001, with 200 shareholders in attendance.
Including modifiers
Use a comma to separate two adjectives that modify the same noun.
E.g., The long, detailed report showed many instances of negligence.
Also use commas before and after abbreviations within sentences.
E.g., Rose Patel, Ph.D.(,?) has been appointed interim chair of the budget committee.
Including quotations
If you use quoted text within a sentence, use a comma to introduce the text.
E.g., Dr. Epstein reported, “Millennials seem to have a stronger sense of self and
confidence.”
When NOT to use a comma
Do not use a comma after the greeting in a business letter. Instead use a colon ( : ).
Additional Resources:
Kolln, Martha. Understanding English Grammar. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company,
2005.
Kolln, Martha. Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects. New York:
MacMillan Publishing Company, 2006.
O’Conner, Patricia T. Woe Is I. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003.
COMMAS (PART 2) (IS THERE A PARTICULAR REASON YOU WANTED
TO SPLIT THESE UP INTO 2 SECTIONS?)
What is a comma?
A comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause in a sentence. Just as a “yield” sign
signals the driver to slow down, a comma signals the reader to slow down for understanding.
Comma misuses constitute the most common grammatical errors.
Missing Commas in a Compound Sentence
A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two independent clauses joined by a
coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Commas are used to separate
independent clauses when they are joined by a coordinating conjunction.
The comma in a compound sentence in placed before the coordinating conjunction.
E.g., Meredith built a snowman, and Connie shoveled the driveway.
Comma Splices
Comma splices are compound sentences that are not punctuated correctly. In order to avoid
simple comma splice mistakes in writing, abide by the following rules:
1. Join the two independent clauses with one of the coordinating conjunctions (and, but,
for, or, nor, so, yet), and use a comma before the connecting word.
E.g., He watched TV when getting home from work, but she preferred going to
the gym instead.
2. When you do not have a connecting word (or when using a connecting word other
than: and, but, for, or nor, so, or yet between two independent clauses) use a
semicolon (;).
E.g., He watched TV when getting home from work; she preferred going to the
gym instead.
(Aren't these issues addressed in the first one?)
Additional Resources:
Kolln, Martha. Understanding English Grammar. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company,
2005.
Kolln, Martha. Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects. New York:
MacMillan Publishing Company, 2006.
O’Conner, Patricia T. Woe Is I. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003.
END MARKS
This handout is currently in production and will be available soon. Please check back often
for updates.
If you have any questions regarding the use of end marks, please schedule an appointment
with a BWC Consultant.
NUMBERS
This handout is currently in production and will be available soon. Please check back often
for updates.
If you have any questions regarding the use of numbers, please schedule an appointment
with a BWC Consultant.
PREPOSITIONS
What is a preposition?
A preposition describes the relationship between nouns, pronouns, and phrases in a
sentence by introducing a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase usually consists of a
preposition, the object of the preposition, and any words that modify the object of the
preposition.
E.g., My office is located in the red building.
The prepositional phrase “in the red building” is introduced by the proposition “in.”
“Building” is the object of the preposition, which the words “the” (an article) and “red” (an
adjective) modify.
Different prepositions are used in different circumstances:
Use on with days
E.g.,I will see you on Friday.
Use at with the time of day:
E.g.,My train departs at six.
Use in for parts of the day, months, years and seasons:
E.g., My birthday is in April.
Use of with words such as approve, consist, smell, dream, and think
E.g., The CEO doesn’t approve of that plan. OR I dream of a job in Finance.
With expressions of extended time, the following prepositions are used: since, for, by, from
(to), from (until), (with)in.
E.g., Apple has struggled since Steve Jobs’ death.
The advertisement ran from January to May. (OR from January until May)
The prepositions in, inside, on, at, over, above, under, underneath, beneath, below, near,
next to, by, between, among, opposite discuss relationships of place and location.
E.g., She works near Grand Central Station.
We found the tickets inside the envelope.
Remember that it is best not to end a sentence with a preposition.
E.g., Which team did you train with? (ends in preposition) vs. With which team did
you train?
(I FEEL LIKE WE COULD ADD TO THIS SECTION)
PRONOUNS
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun stands in for or refers to a noun in a sentence. Pronouns (he, they, it, etc.) must
refer to a specific noun or group of nouns. Vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun
could refer to two possible antecedents.
E.g., When Gloria set the pitcher on the glass-topped table, it broke.
To clarify that it refers to the pitcher, reword the sentence to eliminate any ambiguities.
E.g., The pitcher broke when Gloria set it on the table.
Shifts in pronouns
Because a pronoun refers to or takes the place of a noun, you have to use the correct
pronoun so that your reader clearly understands the noun to which your pronoun refers.
Therefore, pronouns should:
Agree in number
If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you must use a singular
pronoun. Note: everybody, anybody, anyone, each, neither, nobody, someone
are all singular and, therefore, take a singular pronoun.
Agree in person
When writing in the first person (I), do not switch to the second person (you)
or third person (he, she, it, they).
Making pronouns and antecedents agree
Many pronouns have antecedents, nouns or pronouns to which they refer. A pronoun and its
antecedent agree when they are either both singular or plural.
Singular: Anna finished her homework.
Plural: The students finished their homework.
When a plural pronoun mistakenly refers to a singular pronoun, you can fix this error by:
1. Replacing the plural pronoun with he or she
2. Making the antecedent plural
3. Rewriting the sentence so that no problem of agreement exists.
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
What is a sentence fragment?
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence missing one or more of the following
components: a subject, a predicate, or a complete thought.
Missing a Subject
Some incomplete sentences are missing a subject, or the “doer” of the action of the sentence.
E.g., Appeasing both stockholders and customers. (incomplete: Who/What is
appeasing?)
The new plan should appease both stockholders and customers. (complete)
EXCEPTION: Commands usually are complete sentences, even when they do not explicitly
name a subject because the implied subject is “you.”
E.g., [You] Shut the door! (complete)
Missing a verb
Some incomplete sentences lack a verb, the describer of the action of a sentence.
E.g., The memo, with its convoluted wording (incomplete: What did the memo do?)
The memo confused employees with its convoluted wording. (complete)
Recognizing dependent clauses
Dependent clauses are often mistaken for a complete sentence; however, they need more
information to make them complete (not a complete thought):
E.g., Because she left her laptop at home (What did she do?)
After she calls her husband (What then?)
When you finish your BBA (What will happen?)
Since you asked (Will you get the answer?)
If you want to be my friend (What should you do?)
Additional Resources:
Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.
Hairston, Maxine, et al. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers. 6th ed. USA: AddisonWesler Educational Publishers, Inc.
Lunsford, Andrea A. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St.
SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT
This handout is currently in production and will be available soon. Please check back often
for updates.
If you have any questions regarding the use of subject verb agreement, please schedule an
appointment with a BWC Consultant.
THAT VS. WHICH
When should I use “that”?
Use the word “that” in a restrictive clause. A restrictive clause is an adjective clause that
cannot be omitted from a sentence without affecting the meaning of a sentence. Because it
contains essential information, a restrictive clause is not set off with a comma.
E.g., The picture that was hanging in the hallway was stolen.
The clause that was hanging in the hallway restricts the meaning of the picture, so the
information is restrictive. Therefore, use “that” to connect the clause to the rest of the
sentence.
When should I use “which”?
Use the word “which” in a nonrestrictive clause. A nonrestrictive clause describes a noun or
pronoun whose meaning has already been clearly defined. Because it contains non-essential
information, a nonrestrictive clause is set off with a comma.
E.g., The picture, which was hanging in the hallway, was stolen.
The clause which was hanging in the hallway does not restrict the meaning of the picture, so
the information is nonrestrictive. Therefore, a comma is needed to isolate the clause in the
sentence.
On occasion, it can be difficult to tell whether a clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive without
seeing it in context. The following sentences are both correct; however, their meanings are
slightly different:

The cake, made with buttercream frosting, was decadent.

The cake made with buttercream frosting was decadent.
The example without commas tells the reader which of the two or more desserts the writer
is referring to.
Additional References:
The American Heritage Book of English Usage: A Practical and Authoritative Guide to
Contemporary English (Boston: Houghton, 1996).
Anson, Chris M. and Robert A. Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers,
2nd ed. (New York: Addison, 2001).
TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES
What are transitional words? Transitional words and transitional phrases provide unity
and coherence. Writing that is coherent flows smoothly from one point to another, from one
sentence to another, and from one paragraph to another. (I'm not sure about this use of
repetition here.) A transition provides a means of linking ideas (what has been said and
what will be said) to clarify the relationship between them.
Transitions can:

Show addition (this doesn't seem clear enough as a header)
E.g., for example, for instance, specifically, as an illustration, to illustrate, that is,
generally, in particular, especially, as an example, in other words, that is to say

Show comparison
E.g., similarly, likewise, along the same lines, in the same vein/way, compared to x

Show contrast
E.g., but, yet, still, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, nonetheless, instead,
conversely, even so, in spite of this/that, unlike x, after all, although this may be
true, for all that, in contrast, in other circumstances, on the contrary, otherwise,
still, certainly, of course, although, even though, whereas

Show conclusion
E.g., therefore, as a result, consequently, in conclusion, to conclude, in summary,
to summarize, finally, in short, on the whole, in brief, in a word, all in all, indeed, in
other words, in the end

Show time sequence
E.g., first/second/third, then, after that/afterward, soon/soon after, next, earlier,
meanwhile, presently, finally

Show cause and effect
E.g., thus, hence, as a consequence/result of x, for this reason, due to x,
accordingly, for this purpose, inevitably, necessarily, that being the case, to this
end, so, and so, for, since, because, so/such… that, now that, once, as…
VERBS
A verb expresses the action of a sentence. Choosing your verbs carefully ensures elegant
and precise business writing.
Active Verbs
Use descriptive, active verbs wherever (whenever?) possible. When you can, substitute “to
be” verbs (am/is/are/was/were/be/being/been) with something more interesting.
E.g., Instead of writing: “The job of the CEO is to make decisions for the
company.”
Write: “The CEO controls major company decisions.”
Substituting “controls” for “is” as the main verb allows the sentence to contain more specific
information while remaining concise.
Verb Tense
Present: The most common academic tense (is there a reason to discuss academic writing
here?). Use it in the following ways:
 To “frame” your paper: in your introduction, the present simple tense describes what
we already know about the topic; in the conclusion, it says what we now know about
the topic and what further research is still needed.
 To make general statements, conclusions, or interpretations about previous research
or data, focusing on what is known now (The data suggest … The research shows …).
 To describe the methods and data of your completed experiment (Sciences).
E.g., We conducted (this is past tense) a secondary data analysis…
Present Perfect (Passive Voice): This tense is rarely used in business writing; however, it may
be appropriate for case studies where responsibility is not assigned to a particular person or
entity.

The subject of active present perfect verbs is often general
E.g., Researchers have found…, Studies have suggested…

A new topic can be introduced with this structure:
There have been several investigations into…

You can also use the present perfect to tell the history of your idea (what has created
it?), describe the results of your research (we have developed a new…), or to draw
conclusions (this has led us to conclude that…).
Subject-Verb Agreement
The number (singular or plural) of the subject must agree with the number (singular or
plural) of the verb. Therefore, a singular subject must have a corresponding singular verb.
E.g., The company issues a daily report.
Plural Verbs: A plural subject must have a corresponding plural verb
E.g., The companies issue a daily report.
Please reference the following chart for the verb “to be,” which is irregular:
Person
Singular (past)
Plural (past)
First
I am (I was)
We were (We were)
Second
You are (You were)
You are (You were)
Third
He, She, It, was (was)
They were (were)
Additional Resources:
Biber, Douglas et al. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Longman, 1999.
Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual, th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2003)
Hin
WORD CHOICE
Sometimes finding the right word can be difficult. This handout identifies words that are
commonly misused and explains how to use them correctly.
Affect/Effect
The word effect is usually used as a noun, as in the phrase “cause and effect.”
E.g., The effect of her decision to network the computers was better communication
among team members.
Effect can occasionally be used as a verb meaning “accomplish.”
E.g., We plan to effect those changes by December.
The word affect is usually used as a verb.
E.g., The attitude of management affects employee morale at all levels.
As/Since
Though British writers generally use as and since interchangeably, American writers
distinguish between them. As used as a conjunction connotes a contemporary time,
something happening while something else is happening.
E.g., They turned on their laptops as the flight took off.
Since gives a sense of something happening in consequence of something else.
E.g., The flight attendant chastised the passengers using laptops since no electronic
devices could be used until ten minutes into the flight.
A While/Awhile
Awhile is an adverb used to modify verbs.
E.g., He stayed awhile.
While is a noun expressing an unspecified but usually short period of time. It is often the
object of a preposition.
E.g., He stayed for a while.
Generally, use awhile in the absence of a preposition, and a while following a preposition.