CHAPTER 13 GETTING YOUR ACT TOGETHER ENGLISH FOR CAREERS, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical by Leila R. Smith Presentation design by Barbara Moran English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

After completing Chapter 13, you will Get Get Your Act Together, by reviewing the most common writing faults and replacing them with clear, correct, and logical language Reinforce Reinforce the grammar, word choices, and punctuation you practiced in Chapters 1-12 English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Sentence faults result in problems for readers result in problems for readers prevent writers from achieving objectives prevent writers from achieving objectives readers are amused or distracted by errors readers are amused or distracted by errors readers have to seek clarifications, wasting time readers have to seek clarifications, wasting time miscommunications happen miscommunications happen frustrations mount frustrations mount the company looks unprofessional the company looks unprofessional English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Written workplace communications must be clear logical correct concise courteous English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Let’s review Chapter 10! Are these sentences, fragments, run-ons, or commas splices? Hopeful to hear from you for your input. Hopeful to hear from you for your input. FRAGMENT FRAGMENT I hope to hear from you; we need your input. I hope to hear from you; we need your input. SENTENCE SENTENCE I hope to hear from you we need your input. I hope to hear from you we need your input. RUN-ON RUN-ON I hope to hear from you, we need your input. I hope to hear from you, we need your input. COMMA SPLICE COMMA SPLICE English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

TLC for sentences To improve writing style, vary sentence lengths To improve writing style, vary sentence lengths Try to keep sentences under words Try to keep sentences under words Short “choppy” sentences may be blended. Short “choppy” sentences may be blended. For example: For example: Jane likes her work. Dick likes to play. Jane likes her work. Dick likes to play. Jane likes her work, but Dick likes to play. Jane likes her work, but Dick likes to play. Although Jane likes to work, Dick likes to play. Although Jane likes to work, Dick likes to play. Jane likes her work and Dick likes to play. Jane likes her work and Dick likes to play. English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ End read 72 End read 72

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ The play was long. The play was boring. And the actors forgot their lines. The play was long. The play was boring. And the actors forgot their lines. The play was long, boring, and the actors forgot their lines. The play was long, boring, and the actors forgot their lines. I knew we should have rehearsed.

TLC for sentences Beware of “gobbledygook” Beware of “gobbledygook” needlessly long words needlessly long words superfluous words superfluous words complicated sentence structure complicated sentence structure pompous, hard to understand language pompous, hard to understand language Try clarifying this: Try clarifying this:  To prevent interference of respiration due to the obstruction of the larynx region, masticate sustenance with absolute thoroughness.  To prevent choking, chew food thoroughly. English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

TLC -- for pronouns Vague pronoun references create confusion. Joe and Ed are going in his car. (whose car?) Joe and Ed are going in his car. (whose car?) Joe and Ed are going in Ed’s car. Joe and Ed are going in Ed’s car. We ordered cheese pizza and spinach salad, but Jean is allergic to it. (allergic to what?) We ordered cheese pizza and spinach salad, but Jean is allergic to it. (allergic to what?) We ordered cheese pizza and spinach salad, but Jean is allergic to cheese. We ordered cheese pizza and spinach salad, but Jean is allergic to cheese. English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Misplaced words create confusion (or unintended amusement) Mom Mom has the recipe for the apple pie, which is in her head. head. (she has an apple pie in her head?) Mom’s Mom’s apple pie recipe is in her head, not written down. We We need a trainer for the dog who speaks German. German. (the dog speaks German?) We We need a dog trainer who speaks German. Strive for clarity! English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ End Read 73 End Read 73

Parallel Parts ( Use consistent grammatical form) Not parallel Not parallel Americans have a right to live, having liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Americans have a right to live, having liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Parallel Parallel Americans have a right to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness. Americans have a right to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness. English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ End read 74 End read 74

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ The voice of verbs Active (direct) Active (direct) The subject does the verb’s action The subject does the verb’s action Use active for most workplace writing Use active for most workplace writing Passive (indirect) Passive (indirect) The subject receives the action The subject receives the action Use passive for tact or emphasis Use passive for tact or emphasis If inserting “by someone” after the verb makes sense, the voice is passive

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Are these sentences active or passive? The soloist sang the aria off-key. The soloist sang the aria off-key. ACTIVE subject (soloist) did the action (sang) ACTIVE subject (soloist) did the action (sang) The aria was sung off-key. The aria was sung off-key. PASSIVE aria was sung “by someone” off- key PASSIVE aria was sung “by someone” off- key Antonio forgot to tune the piano. Antonio forgot to tune the piano. ACTIVE subject (Antonio) did the action (forgot) ACTIVE subject (Antonio) did the action (forgot) The piano wasn’t tuned. The piano wasn’t tuned. PASSIVE piano wasn’t tuned “by someone” PASSIVE piano wasn’t tuned “by someone”

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ End read 75 End read 75

Don’t let your verbals dangle in public! Flying overhead, the guide pointed out the rare whooping cranes. (the guide was flying?) Flying overhead, the guide pointed out the rare whooping cranes. (the guide was flying?) The guide pointed out the rare whooping cranes flying overhead. The guide pointed out the rare whooping cranes flying overhead. Smothered in fudge, we ate the delicious sundaes. (we were smothered in fudge?) Smothered in fudge, we ate the delicious sundaes. (we were smothered in fudge?) Smothered in fudge, the sundaes we ate were delicious. Smothered in fudge, the sundaes we ate were delicious. English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ You have seen how to “Get Your Act Together!” English for Careers, 9th Edition Business, Professional, and Technical By Leila R. Smith ©2006 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458