Useful Guides
The Double Negative
by Bill Ball & Tony Scott The use of the double negative for emphasis is, as we say, as old as the hills; and it was used in this way centuries ago much more frequently than it is today. But what is a double negative... read more »
A Guide to Business Writing (part 4)
A Guide to Business Writing (Contd.) 6. Memos Purpose The purpose of a memo is to communicate as briefly as possible, so that action will follow as quickly as possible. It cannot do this effectively unless its subject and intention are immediately obvious to the receiver. The importance... read more »
Formal Business Writing (part 3)
A Guide to Business Writing (continued) 5. Write clearly, simply and specifically Here are some common pitfalls to avoid: superfluous words pompous phrases vague, abstract words and phrases 'hedging' the proximity rule misuse of pronouns words with several meanings double negatives. Superfluous words 'staff of suitable calibre and quality' (Overemphasis and confusion of meaning.) 'I personally believe...'... read more »
Formal Business Writing (part 2)
A Guide to Business Writing (Contd.) All writing should be readable and interesting, and communicate its message clearly and unambiguously. Meet these aims by writing in a good, clear style. 4. Style There are no hard and fast rules — rules are a substitute for the thought... read more »
Formal Business Writing
A Guide to Business Writing "Good business writing is a lot harder than it sounds. For the generation of new executives brought up on mobile phones, and used to communicating by SMS or MMS, it can be particularly daunting." - Sidney Callis. From the book Business Writing... read more »
Basic Written English - Part 3
Punctuation or 'stopping' is used by the writer to help the reader to understand the construction and meaning of a passage without undue effort. It is akin to the various signs used by a composer in a piece of music, and is just like... read more »
Basic Written English - Part 2
This is the solution to the puzzle we set on the previous page. It's a good idea to practise building sentences in the same way: The Paragraph If a sentence may be defined as a group of words expressing a single thought, and ending with a... read more »
Basic Written English
by Bill Ball, Rhea Williams and Tony Scott Introduction Before we can write we have to learn to read, and before we can read we have to learn to speak. That is the normal order of events from the time we are born to about the... read more »
The main punctuation marks
1. The Full Stop a. This is the strongest punctuation mark, making the most definite pause (in reading aloud or silently) when used at the end of a sentence. As shown in the previous examples, it is used at the end of sentences unless... read more »