A.M., P.M., a.m., p.m.: What Is the Correct Time? Pam wrote to me to settle a debate between the younger and the older employees in her office. Her brief question was this: 4pm or 4:00pm? My answer: Neither! Both of Pam's renderings are incorrect. In email, many people seem to be dropping both the periods and the space, but don't follow the crowd. The Associated Press Stylebook: 4 p.m.Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications: 4 P.M.The Chicago Manual of Style and Garner's Modern American Usage: 4 p.m. or 4 PM (with PM in small capitals) The Gregg Reference Manual: 4 p.m. or 4 P.M. Whatever style you choose, be consistent. Pam's coworkers were apparently arguing about whether to include the zeros. 7:00 a.m. Pam, it's time for you and your coworkers to pitch in and get a style manual. Does your style guide recommend a different approach to time? LynnSyntax Training
Writing Guides The following Writing Guides are available. To view guides, click on the list of catgories on the list below. You may view or hide descriptions of the guides. Writing and Speaking Research Writing & Documentation Writing in Specific Disciplines Conducting Qualitative & Quantitative Research About the Writing@CSU Guides These guides are the result of a joint effort of the Writing@CSU project and the Colorado State University Writing Center. In 2012, the guides were moved into a content management system developed for the Writing@CSU site. Using Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely. Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely; Dear Sir or Dear Mr On this page we look at important phrases for writing letters and emails, such as when to use Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely, Dear Sir, Dear Madam, and so forth. You know how important it is to speak good English in an international working environment. If you work for a company which does business abroad, you probably read and write a lot of English, too. Writing, like speaking, is communication. Do you have that skill? Do you present yourself in a professional manner when you write? In short, you want to give a professional image when you write to your customers and business partners. 10 good opening lines We need an opening line in a business letter or professional email: to make reference to previous correspondence; to say how we found the recipient’s name/address; to say why we are writing to the recipient. 10 good closing lines We need a closing line in a business letter or email: When the recipient’s name is unknown to you:
Subject-Specific Writing If you are having trouble locating a specific resource please visit the search page or the Site Map. Professional, Technical Writing These OWL resources will help you conduct research and compose documents for the workplace, such as memoranda and business letters. This section also includes resources for writing report and scientific abstracts. Writing in Literature These OWL resources will help you write about literature and poetry. Writing in the Social Sciences These OWL resources will help you write in some of the social sciences, such as social work and psychology. Writing in Engineering These OWL resources will help you write in a wide range of engineering fields, such as civil and computer engineering. Creative Writing These OWL resources will help you with the basics of creative writing. Medical Writing These OWL resources will help you write in medical and/or scientific contexts. Journalism and Journalistic Writing Writing in Nursing Writing as a Veterinary Technician
New York Barbershop - Rotterdam - Barbier Thank You in Advance In email, letters, and memos that include a request, writers often end with one of these statements: "Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter." "Thank you in advance for any help you can provide." In comments on another blog post this week, one writer said she hated "Thank you in advance" and another wanted to know why the phrase deserves hatred. People hate the phrase for a couple of reasons. "Thank you in advance" also suggests that the reader will not be thanked later on, after fulfilling the request. Of course, people who write "Thank you in advance" do not intend to be presumptuous or thoughtless. "Thank you for considering my request." You can also sound polite by simply omitting the "in advance": "Thank you for any help you can provide." I began with the example "Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter." Thank you in advance for avoiding the above phrases. Just kidding. LynnSyntax Training
Why is Business Writing So Awful? What's bad, boring, and barely read all over? Business writing. If you could taste words, most corporate websites, brochures, and sales materials would remind you of stale, soggy rice cakes: nearly calorie free, devoid of nutrition, and completely unsatisfying. One of my favorite phrases in the business world is full-service solutions provider. A quick search on Google finds at least 47,000 companies using that one. Who writes this stuff? When you write like everyone else and sound like everyone else and act like everyone else, you're saying, "Our products are like everyone else's, too." If you care about your product, you should care just as much about how you describe it. Unfortunately, years of language dilution by lawyers, marketers, executives, and HR departments have turned the powerful, descriptive sentence into an empty vessel optimized for buzzwords, jargon, and vapid expressions. Luckily, there are exceptions. Woot is one of those companies. Don't you just love these people?
Unbiased Language Printable PDF Version Fair-Use Policy Recent changes in social awareness have made people think about the ways language tends to downgrade certain groups. Common sense and some specific strategies can help you avoid suggesting putdowns where you don't intend them. The "Man" Trap: Many standard wordings seem to assume that every individual is male. Repeating he and she, him and her, his and hers at every reference is clumsy. Dated Quotations: Wordings from historical or literary texts often don't follow these principles. Confusing the Group and the Individual: Many academic disciplines focus on group behaviour and can describe it precisely. Avoid using adjectives as collective nouns: females, natives, gays, Orientals, the blind, etc. Gendered Labels: Terms that label people simply on the basis of their sex have often gathered negative overtones: Further References American Psychological Association.
Business Letter - Salutation If you know the person's name: Dear Ms/Miss/Mrs/Mr/Dr + surname Dear Mr Miller You can also write the person's full name. Dear Chris Miller If you don't know the person's name: There are several possibilities to address people that you don't know by name: Business partners often call each other by their first names. Dear Sue Punctuation In British English, don't use any punctuation mark or use a comma. Dear Mr Miller or Dear Mr Miller, In American English, use a colon: Dear Mr. For examples see → Subject. Ms, Miss or Mrs? Mrs – to address a married woman Miss – to address an unmarried woman (rarely used now) Ms – to address a woman whose marital status you don't know; also used to address an unmarried woman Note: The abrreviations Mr, Mrs etc. are usually written without full stops (Mr) in British English and with full stops (Mr.) in American English.
12 Tips for Better Business Writing Today’s business world is almost entirely information-driven. Whether you run a small business or occupy a small corner of the org-chart at a massive multinational corporation, chances are that the bulk of your job consists of communicating with others, most often in writing. Of course there’s email and the traditional business letter, but most business people are also called on to write presentations, memos, proposals, business requirements, training materials, promotional copy, grant proposals, and a wide range of other documents. Here’s the rub: most business people have little experience with writing. If you’re one of the many people in business for whom writing has never been a major concern, you should know that a lack of writing skills is a greater and greater handicap with every passing year. 1. In business writing as in virtually every other kind of writing, concision matters. 2. 3. Proofread immediately after you write, and then again hours or, better yet, days later. 4. 5.
Wordiness: Danger Signals and Ways to React Printable PDF Version Fair-Use Policy One of the most efficient ways to improve your writing is to edit it for conciseness. You may have been struggling to think ideas through as you wrote, and piled up alternative wordings. Or you may have fallen into the habit of using more words than necessary just to use up space. If you can let your original draft "cool down" a while, you will find it easy to recognize unnecessary words and edit them out. Your reader will thank you! Doubling of Words (choose one): Intensifiers, Qualifiers (omit or give specific details): Formulaic Phrases (use a one-word form or omit): Catch-all Terms (can sometimes omit): Padded Verbs (use a one-word form): Unnecessary "to be" and "being" (omit): Passive Verbs (change to active voice, if possible with a personal subject): Overuse of Relative Structures ("Who," "Which," "That") (omit when possible ):
Opening and closing lines Opening lines: Why do we need an opening line in a business letter or formal email? - to make reference to previous correspondence - to say how you found the recipient's name/address - to say why you are writing to the recipient. 10 Good Opening Lines: With reference to your letter of 8 June, I ... I am writing to enquire about ... After having seen your advertisement in ... , I would like ... After having received your address from ... , I ... I received your address from ... and would like ... We/I recently wrote to you about ... Thank you for your letter of 8 May. Thank you for your letter regarding ... Thank you for your letter/e-mail about ... In reply to your letter of 8 May, ... Closing lines: Why do we need a closing line in a business letter or email? - to make a reference to a future event - to repeat an apology - to offer help 10 Good Closing Lines: If you require any further information, feel free to contact me. I look forward to your reply. I look forward to hearing from you. Dear Sir ...
Business Writing