Modern Business Writing

3.2.6 Sentences

A ‘sentence’ is a unit of thought. It should be able to stand on its own. Sentences are separated by major punctuation marks.

Major punctuation marks are . ? ! : ; -

However, we must not overlook the use of minor punctuation marks.

Minor punctuation marks are , ( ) “ “ ‘ ‘

The golden rule is to always use punctuation marks to clarify the meaning of the passage.

Sentence length

Sentences should on average be about 14 – 20 words long – more than this, and ideas can become clouded.

But it is best to vary the length of sentences; it is often dull and tiring if all sentences are of the same length. In contrast, if the sentences are too short it is difficult to make the piece flow.
We can keep sentences short by:

• 
  Keeping to one unit of thought per sentence
  
• 
  Using active verbs
  
• 
  Avoiding unnecessary words or phrases which add nothing to the meaning
  

Sentence structure

Sentence structure is just as important as length

• 
  The more difficult a text is, the simpler its structure should be.
  

The best order for a sentence is: subject, verb, direct object, e.g. “The company secretary writes the minutes”.

• 
  The essence of the message should be in the first part of the sentence, as the reader always retains this part better.
  

3.2.7 Paragraphs

3.2.7.1 Signposts

Every paragraph should begin with a brief statement of theme. This topic sentence acts as a signpost to help the reader. The first sentence should not be more than 14 - 15 words.

Efficient readers use the signposts when they skim a document to decide how closely they need to read it.
3.2.7.2 A new idea or development needs a new paragraph

• 
  Paragraphs are there for your reader - to show him/her that you are beginning a new point.
  

• 
  There should be one, clear idea per paragraph.
  

• 
  Every paragraph has a controlling idea. This is called the topic sentence and is the thought or vital piece of information from which the rest of the paragraph flows.
  

3.2.7.3 Introduce a paragraph with the topic sentence. It should be quite short.
In the following example, please underline the topic sentence, and then work out how you could restructure the passage so that it comes first.
After our discussions, I thought about the matter and felt that I needed advice. I have always felt that our Personnel Officer is a competent woman, and she has often shown integrity in staff matters so I decided to make an appointment and to discuss the matter with her. She was very helpful and I finally decided to accept the transfer to Cape Town, partly because of the educational opportunities for my children and partly because of the promotional prospects the transfer will offer me.

When people write long, unstructured sentences, and the ideas in them ramble on and merge into the next idea, this usually means that they did not plan what they wanted to say in the first place. If a writer decides on the central ideal of a paragraph before writing it, he or she will usually put the topic sentence first. This will make it easier for the reader to understand immediately what the paragraph is about.

3.2.7.4 Use the order of your paragraphs properly
Paragraph 1 should refer back to any previous communication, action etc., and should set your letter in context.

The middle paragraph(s) should deal clearly with the matter(s) you are writing about.

The closing paragraph should look to the future, explaining exactly what action you are taking now, or what you want the receiver to do. Be specific. Do not write "Please let me know" - rather say "Please let me know by return of post", or "Please send me the cheque by close of business on Friday, 4 August 2000"
3.2.7.5 A paragraph is a theme – a cluster of related sentences.

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  Separate the themes into paragraphs and the reader will be able to get an understanding of the central message. Do not include more than one theme per paragraph.
  

• 
  Good paragraphing helps to make reading easy and clear.
  

• 
  If the paragraphs are short, the reader can concentrate easily on each aspect of the report. If, on the other hand, the paragraphs are long and heavy, the reader will very soon get confused and give up. Short paragraphs make reports look easier to read.
  

• 
  A good ‘rule of thumb’ is that paragraphs should on average be 6 sentences or fewer. Sometimes a one-sentence paragraph is very effective to grab the reader’s attention or to make a key point.
  

3.2.8 Punctuation

3.2.8.1 Meaning
(1) The use of various signs or marks for dividing words, or groups of words, from one another.

(2) It is an artificial means of indicating the various stops, pauses and stresses which would occur if the sentences were spoken instead of written.

3.2.8.2 Purpose
Its object is to help in making the sense and grammatical relationships easier to understand and thus to avoid ambiguity.
Punctuation marks may be divided into two groups.

(1) "True" punctuation marks which differ from each other only in a time sense. In order of length of pause these are: -

(a) Comma (,)

(b) Semicolon (;)

(c) Colon (:)

(d) Full stop or period (.)

(2) Other marks, which are used more or less in an explanatory manner, to bring out the full sense of the words that are affected by them. These are:-
(a) Question mark (?)

(b) Exclamation mark (!)

(c) Inverted Commas - double and single (" " ' ')

(d) Parenthesis or brackets ( )

(e) The dash (-)

(f) Apostrophe (‘)

(g) Hyphen (-)

(h) Asterisks (*)

(i) The caret or mark of omission

(j) Capitals.

A. USES OF THE COMMA
(1) To separate words or groups of words in a list; e.g. The chief exports

are gold, diamonds, wool, feathers and hides.

(2) To mark off the nominative address:-

e.g. Dear Sirs,.......... Ladies and gentlemen, .......... John, come here!

3. 
   At the beginning and end of participial phrases; e.g. The Prime Minister, speaking in Afrikaans,
   
4. 
   said .....
   

(4) To separate words used in apposition; e.g. London, the capital of England, stands on the Thames.

(5) Gerundial infinitives should be marked off by commas; e.g. To tell the truth, I am in difficulties.
(6) To mark off the absolute construction:

e.g. Considering the state of affairs, it is what I expected. Do not, however, write: "The lecturer, having finished the lesson, the students left the room". (N.B.) The comma after lecturer should be omitted).

(7) Interjections are marked off by commas, preceding and following them: e.g. however, indeed, therefore, thus, unfortunately, etc.
(8) To separate phrases or clauses which interrupt the connection between other parts of the sentence; e.g. (1) If you will permit it, I shall leave now.

(2) The man, whose money was stolen, was very wealthy.

(N.B.) NOTE that a first noun clause is not separated from the principal clause, though a succession of noun clauses are separated from each other by commas; e.g. The speaker said (1) that he had seen the district, (2) that he had questioned the people, and (3) that he was convinced that they had a grievance.
(9) When "and" is used between a series of words, the comma is omitted, though it is generally included when the conjunction is used between clauses.
B. USES OF THE SEMI-COLON
This mark indicates a longer pause than that required by the comma.
(1) To mark off co-ordinate clauses in compound sentences; e.g. Johannesburg is an interesting place; Durban is a pretty town; but Pretoria is the most attractive of them all.

(2) It is often used for effect, since the comparatively long pause that it allows gives the reader time to grasp the significance of preceding words; e.g. To be or not to be; that is the question.

C. USES OF THE COLON
(1) To introduce a quotation; e.g. Most people know the proverb: "Time is money".
(2) To introduce a series of names explaining a previous statement; e.g. The chief towns in South Africa are: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban; etc.
(3) Between two statements in opposition to each other; e.g. To err is human: to forgive divine.
D. USES OF THE FULL STOP
(1) To mark the end of a complete sentence.

(2) At the end of every abbreviation.

There is a tendency for beginners to over-punctuate their work, but this may be counteracted by reading the work aloud, giving each stop its due pause.
E. THE DASH
(1) Used to give the reader a sense of strong, deliberate continuation; to introduce an unexpected ending to a sentence; e.g. He was always ready to spend money - on himself.
(2) Used before i.e. to indicate a pause; e.g. Write the following in narrative form - i.e. as a story.
(3) To introduce a list of names and indicate a strong continuation; e.g. He has visited many cities - London, New York, Paris......
(4) Doubled, it serves the purpose of brackets; e.g. At the age of twelve - such is the power of genius - he knew Latin.
F. QUESTION MARK (OR MARK OF INTERROGATION)
(1) Is placed at the end of every sentence that contains a direct question; e.g. Where are you going?
A common omission in business correspondence is found in such sentences as: Will you please send me 1 box oranges?

G: EXCLAMATION MARK
(1) Used after sentences expressing emotion, exclamatory sentences or interjections; e.g. He failed! What a pity! "Oh!”, she gasped.
H. THE PARENTHESIS
Encloses explanatory words which clarify or amplify the meaning of a sentence; e.g. A receipt for fifteen rands (R15) is enclosed.
I. INVERTED COMMAS
(1) Double. (a) Used to enclose a quotation or title; e.g. Have you read "Les Miserables?" We read that in the "Cape Times".
(b) To enclose words used in direct speech; e.g. "I shall be honoured", he said, "to accept the position".
(c) To enclose unusual words, or words used in an unusual manner; e.g. In Venice each year "King Carnival" holds high festival.
(2) Single. (a) To enclose a quotation within a quotation; e.g.

He said "I saw in the ' Mercury' that ' Hamlet’ was being staged".

(b) When words are borrowed from another author, they are usually enclosed in single inverted commas as a token of acknowledgement.

The correct position of inverted commas is outside all other marks such as exclamation and question marks.

J. APOSTROPHE
(1) To denote the omission of a letter or letters; e.g. you'll, don’t etc. (These words must not be used in business correspondence).
(2) To denote the possessive case; e.g. Girls’ High School, Princess’s Palace.
K. HYPHEN
Is used to unite the parts of a composite word; e.g. ox-eyed, worn-out, never-to-be-forgotten; etc.
It has been dropped from many compound words which are now written as one word;

e.g. bareheaded, breakdown.

It should however be used where there is ambiguity e.g. re-form, and reform.
L. ASTERISKS
Indicate the deliberate omission of words from a copied or repeated message.

A series of dots is sometimes used instead; e.g. "Come',' cried the Baronet -"cheer up, man, and fill another tumbler; here's ****** going to give us the Tailor".

M. CAPITALS
A capital letter is used: -
(1) To mark the beginning of a sentence.

(2) As the first letter of the first word in a quotation.

(3) For proper nouns.

(4) For the names of ships, books, papers, titles and events.

(5) For all proper names.

(6) For words which are to be emphasised - in advertisements.

(7) For pronoun "I" and interjection "O" or "OH".

(8) In words: Dear Sir, or Madam, at the beginning of a letter, and in Yours, at

the end.


3.2.8.3 Punctuation exercise
Without removing any words, please punctuate the following paragraph. There are no mistakes in the paragraph below.

He told me where he was going to see James and I replied that he might see Brenda there at the same time the dog started barking again I had to shout as I asked will you tell him I I tried to quieten the dog but I failed to shut him up of course I should have given him a bone I know Bill did not hear me I thought he smiled as he went away without my having had a chance to question him for the second time I went home dissatisfied

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. Anonymous

3.2.8.4 Punctuation options