Diana Booher Good Grief Good Grammar

Ilk* A à i \ L .'.ill f III Tfrg Business LCLS- Guide ïâ Grammar &B4T Usage Pimm tud^. .Zl'l'JUZ. We will have markers and erasers that can be picked up with the key. What does this sentence mean—that the reader can pick up markers, erasers, and the key at the same time? Or does it mean that the reader has to have the key to open whatever holds the markers and erasers? An off-duty postal worker armed with a pistol fatally wounded his estranged wife, a U.S. Marine sergeant, and then shot and killed himself in a federal office building in downtown Houston Thursday, police said. How many people were killed—two or three? Several paragraphs later in this news story from the Houston Chronicle, the reader learns that the wife was a U.S. Marine sergeant. As these examples show, grammar is not a "minor" part of writing; proper grammar is essential to clarity. —from the Introduction ISBN D-fllbD-1344-fci 90000 9 M 780816"013449 ISBN D-ôlbD-13MM-b SIT-TS HIGHER IN CANADA \\r^ The ^^ Business Person's Guide to Grammar and Usage Dianna Booher An effective writing style is one of the most important tools a business person can possess, and good grammar is the foundation of clear writing. In Good Grief, Good Grammar, Dianna Booher has welcome news for all business writers afflicted by bad grammar: Not only is the "disease" treatable, the cure is painless. Good Grief, Good Grammar represents an innovative self-help approach that lets professionals at all levels—from top management to the typing pool—improve their mastery of English grammar and usage at their own pace. Moreover, instead of a dry remedial approach, Good Grief, Good Grammar has an entertaining, slightly irreverent touch that makes the principles of grammar more pleasant to learn and easier to remember. The examples in this comprehensive guide are drawn from business situations, and the book includes quizzes to help the reader check his or her mastery of the concepts presented. For "visual" people, representative sentences are diagramed to illustrate the functions of individual words as well as the connections between the (continued on back flap) (continued from front flap) various parts of a sentence. A godsend for business people who need to brush up on the basics, Good Grief, Good Grammar will find a permanent place on the bookshelves of offices across the country. Dianna Booher is president of Houston-based Booher Writing Con- sultants, among whose clients are many Fortune 500 corporations, in- cluding IBM, Exxon, and Tenneco. This is her 19th book. Her previous Facts On File titles are Would You Put That in Writing?, Send Me a Memo, The New Secretary, and Cutting Paperwork in the Corporate Culture. Jacket Design: Ron-Jo Productions Printed In the United States of America GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR [...]... We're going to start with the basics and stay focused on the essentials But possibly I need to define "essentials." Some writers consider grammar- conscious bosses nitpickers These writers fail to see the link between grammar and clarity Xlll xiv GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR For example, We will have markers and erasers that can be picked up with the key What does this sentence mean? That the reader can... fifth Sunday in February," then I've omitted the idea By the way, so that you won't go into shock when you see Chapter 12, let me explain the "why" of it My theory is that xvi GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR people who are weak in grammar are primarily visual learners; instead of excelling in those skills typically termed verbal, they excel in analytical skills They like to see things that make sense; that... have found the lack of a good foundation in grammar to be an embarrassment and a serious handicap Despite software packages that check spelling and syntax, personal writing skills will never become obsolete When I lead writing workshops for corporate clients, out of a group of fifteen participants I'll invariably have five who ask me where they can find a good, comprehensive grammar text for the business... Proper August City Hall Lotus 1-2-3 Phoenix, Arizona Hortense Hoffnaggle Mojave Desert New Year's Day Lawn Avenue Friday 1 Collective staff audience personnel group management team committee jury 2 GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR Concrete Abstract street laundry computer equipment money uniforms sugar brochure freedom theory attitude problem politics philosophy situation protection annual report (no, just kidding)... grow speak wrote began did set sat was broke chose taught went drove drew flew sold grew spoke written begun done set sat been broken chosen taught gone driven drawn flown sold grown spoken 4 GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR ADJECTIVES Adjectives point out, number, and describe (or in some way tell more about) nouns or pronouns They answer the questions: Which one? What kind? How many? How much? Words that... verb of a sentence However, adverbs may also describe or explain more about an adjective, another adverb, or the sentence as a whole Adverbs usually answer the following questions: How? Why? 6 GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR When? Where? To what extent? Many adverbs end in -ly firmly blatantly briskly candidly bitterly daily approximately mistakenly sharply carefully soon sometimes here very well where not... adding more or less, most or least Some adverbs can be compared by either method Positive often often often Comparative oftener more often less often Superlative oftenest most often least often 8 GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR Some adverbs are compared irregularly Positive Comparative Superlative well badly better worse best worst PRONOUNS A pronoun takes the place of a noun or another pronoun For example, if... PREPOSITIONS A preposition links the noun that follows it (the object of the preposition) to another word in the sentence about among of under over beyond past unto with near underneath within 10 GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR without during through above by beside off until beneath except between from up against for in into down since upon at on below after toward like to across against since along around onto... leave)because she has the key to the washroom (Because introduces the lesser idea of the two.) major idea (She insists on a bonus)until I leave the project (Until introduces the minor idea.) 12 GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR major idea When all else fails,( you still have taxes.) (When introduces the minor idea.) major idea (He told me his answer)before I asked the question (Before links the minor idea to... opens the office at an early hour Please arrive early to get a seat (Adjective) (Adverb) I know it's not in your job description, but would you hose down the courtyard before you leave? (Verb) 14 GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR Roll up the hose and hook it to the back of the delivery truck (Noun) This job is turning into work (Adjective— describes the noun job) This is turning into work (Pronoun—replaces a noun) . States of America GOOD GRIEF, GOOD GRAMMAR