Whether you are composing a memo, letter, or document of any sort, the correct use of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice are important. The slightest mistake could change the meaning of the entire document that you have written. I have provided a few guidelines on how to produce an accurate document. In following these steps, you will not only gain knowledge, but you will also become a more professional writer.
When focusing on sentence grammar, it is important to take these steps:
-Make sure that the sentence is grammatically complete. In other words, the sentence must contain a subject and a predicate.
-Make sure that each part of speech is used correctly. Parts of speech include verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and articles. Each of these parts of speech can be used correctly based on the construction of the sentence. It is important to know how you are going to use your subject and predicate in order to include each part of speech.
-Be sure to sequence verb tenses accurately. In other words, the writer must determine which tense the sentence is taking place so that they can set up the verb to describe either the past, present, or future. The past tense of run is "ran", present tense would be "is running", and future tense is "will run". This rule also applies to the subject-verb agreement.
When focusing on correct spelling, it is important to take these steps:
-Learn the most commonly misspelled words. Words are constantly being misspelled, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were to find a few in this blog! However, there are multiple ways to avoid such errors, just by glancing over the commonly misspelled words list. These can be found in just about any grammar book, and even online.
-Use a spell checker. This step is vital for the business environment. When composing a document on your computer, make sure that the spell checker for that document is active. This will point out the mistakes and errors you have made with spelling, as well as grammar.
-Learn to distinguish different homonyms. Homonyms are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. A list of these can also be found in grammar books and online sources.
-Follow the spelling rules, and know the exceptions. An example of a spelling rule would be "i before e except after c" and the exception to this rule would be the word "either".
-Use a dictionary. If you are unsure about the spelling of a word, do not hesitate to look it up in the dictionary. In the end, it will have been worth it to use correct spelling as opposed to looking less intelligent on an application, letter, resume, etc.
-Re-read your work. Spell checkers are not always 100% accurate. This is why it is important to re-read your document, or have someone edit it for you. Sometimes it is easy to miss your own mistakes, which is why peer editing is highly encouraged.
When focusing on punctuation, be sure to take these steps:
-Determine the correct end punctuation. Periods, question marks, and exclamation points are punctuation that goes at the end of a sentence. Periods are used for sentences that making statements, mild commands, or polite requests. Question marks are used to close sentences that ask requests. Exclamation points are used at the end of sentences that show surprise or strong emotion.
-Be sure that the commas in your document are used appropriately. Even I have a trouble with this step. It is important to steer away from any unnecessary commas. Commas should only be used to set off introductory words, phrases, and clauses; as well as setting of items in a series.
-Follow correct capitalization. The beginning word of every sentence should be capitalized, as well as pronouns, and the beginning of a quote.
As far as determining the proper word choice for your sentence structure, there is just one simple rule:
-Always find the word with the higher diction. By this I mean that it is always better to go with the word that has the most sophisticated meaning for your subject. This will help to enhance your vocabulary and display your intelligence to those that will be viewing your work.
These are just a few guidelines to abide by when composing a document. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of taking the time to check for correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice. Just by following these steps, your knowledge of writing will improve and the respect that others have towards you will strengthen. It can only help, and not hurt your document. Good luck, and enjoy the beautiful process of writing correctly!
Carlyn,
ReplyDeleteWow, great blog! You did an awesome job with your blog. You provided a vast amount of detail and made it easy to not only read, but to understand. Providing an introduction to the topic was a great idea and lead in to the things you were going to discuss. I really liked how you broke the topic of writing correctly into sections and provided tips for each. That, as a fellow writer, I found to be really helpful. I also greatly appreciated the fact of the amount of effort you put into your blog. The fact that you provided examples within your explanations to ensure the reader understood what was being discussed was another aspect, I found, to be very helpful and really achieved the goal of this project. The only thing I would have loved to see is a link to a site where such things as common misspelled words and/or homonyms could be found, otherwise, great job and I look forward to reading your next blog!
more voice and more visuals needed (graphics or an embedded video from YouTube).
ReplyDelete