Bull's Eye Business Writing TipsTip #471: "We read with..."These
FREE weekly business writing tips
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| Tip #471:
"We read with our ears as well as our eyes."
This is a quote from James Kirkpatrick's headline in his syndicated column "Writer's Art." We can create mood and pace with words. For example, for the writer who wants to write "fast," she can write bolt, dash, hustle. If the writer wants to slow the pace, he can use words like dawdle, meander, trudge, etc. We can even have laugh words such as cackle, giggle, snicker, etc. Even in business writing, we can use verbs to create a mood. "My associate barked a command at the ..." |
Weekly Exercise:
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This week’s quiz:
Rephrase the following awkward sentences:
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Quote of the week:
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
(Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Comments about questions from Tip #470:
Susan Cole commented:
It all depends on the style guide you're using. AP style, the Chicago Manual of Style and the Oxford Style Manual tend to agree on these particular points, and evidently Gregg is also in line with these. When in doubt, turn to a style guide.
In example 1, capitalization depends on context. There isn't enough context for me to tell whether the hospital is acting as a recognized entity or whether the word is being used as a description.
Compare these sentences:
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The Hospital, under the guidance of its new CEO, has instituted the International Outreach Program to bring medical relief to poverty-stricken areas of third-world countries.
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The hospital has a dedicated team of doctors who last year made several important breakthroughs in oncology research.
Examples 2 and 3 are considered correct as written. Capitalize a title when it's used before the person's name as part of the name ("Director of Marketing Mary Fodor is happy to announce . . .") but not when following or replacing the name as in the examples given. One exception to capitalizing the title before the name is in using it as an appositive, a description that should not be read as part of the name: former president Bush, German chancellor Merkel (but, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, the first female chancellor). However, if your audience is a passel of lawyers, capitalize every Noun and Title that might be interpreted as reference to an Entity. This is the only way to make the Audience (i.e., "Lawyers" and "Legal Assistants") comfortable and happy.
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Suggested Answers:
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These business writing tips brought to you by:
Bull's Eye Business Writing
10 Easy Guides for Getting to Your Writing Target
By Gloria Pincu, M.A. , President of Basic Learning Systems, Inc.
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