by
Mike Wasserman,
School
of Management
Bernie
Cabral and Beckie Clemens,
Graduate
Students, George Mason University
revised 02/14/01
Here
are some tips to help reinforce good business writing. Enjoy these
with your favorite beverage and a pizza. Hopefully, they will spur
some recollections of fundamental business writing concepts. If you
need more information on any of these topics, go to the links page or follow
the links provided at the end of the tips. If you need more specific
help, don't hesitate to check out the GMU
Writing Center! Have fun!
1.
Always prewrite.
2.
Good organization is critical.
3.
Always cite information you use from other sources.
4.
Revision is a key element of all good writing.
5.
Word choice and word order matter.
6.
Punctuation is an important part of style.
Prewrite
Every
thought you have about the subject counts as part of the process. These
thoughts might occur, for instance, while you are driving or in the shower,
not just while you're actually doing the research. Thinking about what
you'll write is an integral part of writing. When an idea comes
to you, jot it down as quickly as possible. Don't lose your valuable insights.
Word Choice
Active vs. Passive Voice
Make
life easier for your and your reader. More often than not, short
sentences written in active voice will more clearly communicate your thoughts.
In active voice, the doer (subject) comes first and does the action (verb).
Here are some examples:
Active:
Anthony broke the window.
(STRONG)
Passive:
The window was broken by Anthony.
(WEAK)
Active:
The boys raked the leaves.
(STRONG)
Passive:
The leaves were raked by the boys.
(WEAK)
Active:
Jill will not call Rosa.
(STRONG)
Passive:
Rosa will not be called by Jill. (WEAK)
More
information on active/passive voice
Subject/Verb Agreement
Identify the subject. The subject – usually a noun or a pronoun representing a person, place, or thing – performs the action asserted by the verb. A singular subject must have a singular verb. A plural subject must have a plural verb.
* Subjects and verbs should agree even when other words come between them:
The stories in this book are interesting.
* Most indefinite pronouns (pronouns that refer to a single unspecified person or thing, e.g. Everyone, someone, anybody, each) are singular and take a singular verb. One of the most often confused indefinite pronouns is "everyone", which sounds plural but is actually singular:
Everyone in the room takes the test at the same time.
* Use a singular verb with titles and when defining words:
"The Outsiders"remains one of my favorite books.
"Scares" is a synonym for "frightens".
(Notice that the words being defined
are put in quotations marks.)
More
Information on Subject/Verb Agreement
Articles
Articles are those little words that precede and modify nouns: the teacher, a college, an idea. These words alert the reader or listener to the object's specificity (the) or generality (a, an).
Note for non-native speakers of English:
For
some non-native speakers, choosing the right article can be difficult.
For some advice on choosing articles, try using the Noun
Matrix chart on the Writing Center web site. You may also want to make
an appointment with one of the Writing Center's ESL specialists.
Frequently Misused Words
There, Their, and They're
THERE denotes a place. The train station is over there.
THEIR denotes people possessing something. Their dogs ran all over the house.
THEY'RE is a contraction for “they are.” They're going to the mall.
Its and It's
ITS
is possessive. The possessive form of "its" never takes an apostrophe.
Its
contents are top secret.
IT’S
is a contraction meaning “It is.”
It’s hot outside.
To Lay and To Lie
TO
LAY is a verb that means "to
put" or "to place" and requires a direct object (something or someone receiving
the verb's action).
I lay the box down. I laid the box down. She lays the box down.
TO LIE is a verb that means "to recline" or "to be situated" and does not require an object.
Present Tense Past
Tense
I lie in bed.
I lay in bed.
She lies in bed.
She lay in bed.
Affect and Effect
AFFECT
is a verb meaning “to influence" or "to bring about a change."
The tornado did not affect my
neighborhood.
EFFECT
can be used as a noun meaning “the result of an action."
The effect of the president’s
encouraging speech was remarkable.
("Affect is sometimes a noun and "effect" is sometimes a verb; however, these uses are not common.)
Between and Among
BETWEEN implies two people or things. Jane and Bob have $50 between them.
AMONG
implies more than two people or things. Carl, Sue, and John shared
the work among
themselves.
Commas
Most people use too many commas. It is not necessarily true that a comma should be used each time you draw a breath when reading a sentence. If you've been taught "the breath rule" in the past and are following this rule now, please stop.
Semicolons
Semicolons
are frequently misused. Semicolons are very different marks of punctuation
from commas. Generally, use a semicolon only where you might also
have been able to use a period. There are other rules for semicolon
use, of course, but this general advice is good to follow.
Colons
Colons
have a very different use than semicolons. Unless you are writing
a sentence presenting a list of items or a series of ideas, you probably
don't need to use a colon.
A
clear thesis introduces the argument of the paper. Your major point(s)
should be addressed in your thesis paragraph to give a road map for the
paper. Each point in your thesis should be expanded upon in a paragraph
or more within the body of your paper.
Transitions, logical paragraphing,
and headings all convey your central points and make your paper more readable.
Use clear transitions to move from one point to the next. Headings may
make your logic even more clear to the reader.
Your conclusion should mirror and expand upon your opening thesis statement. A good conclusion reinforces your argument and lets readers know why the ideas are significant.
1) All direct quotes - words taken word for word from a research source - must be cited. If there is any doubt whether or not particular information should be cited, be cautious and cite the material.
2) Any material you summarize or paraphrase from a research source must be cited.
3) Plagiarism is using another's words or ideas without giving credit to the author. You might be guilty of plagiarism if you summarize or paraphrase someone else's work without citing the source. You also might be guilty of plagiarism if you seem to be summarizing or paraphrasing but actually only change a few of the original words.
4) Don't let your paper become too filled with paraphrasing and summarizing. Include your own thoughts and arguments.
To try some exercises in paraphrasing click here.
Revision
* Get used to writing multiple drafts. Good writing comes through revision (even for the best of writers).
* READ YOUR PAPER ALOUD TO YOURSELF. If you have trouble reading a sentence clearly and smoothly, it probably needs to be rewritten.
* REWRITE! REWRITE! REWRITE!
*PROOFREAD!
Questions to Consider as you Revise:
1) Does your paper answer the assignment? Check the assignment to see if you repeated key words or ideas from the assignment in your thesis paragraph.
2) In the opening paragraph, do you have a thesis statement, a sentence or two that states the main point or argument of your essay?Do you have a conclusion that ties together all the points made in your paper?
3) Does the paper flow? Make sure ideas connect clearly and logically. Do you repeat key words from your thesis paragraph throughout the body of your paper? Do the topic sentences of each paragraph relate to one central thesis and to one another?
4) Is all the information correct and adequately documented? Do you consistently and properly use the SOM's preferred method of documentation?
5) Do you use specific language?
Avoid vague language like "aspects," "thing," "factors," and "society"
and over reliance on unclear pronouns like "this", and "it." Be
Clear.