PUNCTUATION

 

. Full stop (BrE) period (NAmE)

• 1.        at the end of a sentence that is not a question of exclamation

Ø  I knocked at the door. There was no reply.

Ø  I knocked again.

• 2.       sometimes in an abbreviations

Ø  Jan.

Ø  e.g.

Ø  a.m.

Ø  etc.

• 3.       in internet and email addresses (said ‘dot’)

Ø  http://www.oup.com

, comma

• 1.        to separate words in a list, though they are often omitted before ‘and’:

Ø  a bouquet of red, pink and white roses

Ø  tea, coffee, milk, or hot chocolate

• 2.       to separate phrases or clauses:

Ø  If you keep calm, take your time, concentrate and think ahead, then you’re likely to pass your test

Ø  Worn out after all the excitement of the party, the children soon fell asleep.

3.                  before and after a clause of phrase that gives additional, but not essential information about the                 noun it follows:

Ø  The Pennine Hills, which are very popular with walkers, are situated between Lancashire and Yorkshire

(Do not use commas before and after a clause that defines the noun it follows)

Ø  The hills that separates Lancashire from Yorkshire are called the Pennines.

• 3.       to separate main clauses, especially long ones, linked by a conjunction such as and, as, but, for, or:

Ø  We had been looking forward to our holiday all year, but unfortunately it rained every day.

• 4.       to separate an introductory word of phrase

Ø  Oh, so that’s where it was.

Ø  As it happens, however, I never saw her again.

Ø  By the way, did you hear about Sue’s car?

• 5.       to separate a tag question from the rest of the sentence:

Ø  It’s quite expensive, isn’t it?

Ø  You live in Bristol, right?

• 6.       Before or after ‘he said’, etc. when writing down conversation:

Ø  ‘Come back soon’, she said.

• 7.       Before a short quotation:

Ø  Disraelli said, ‘Little things affect little minds’.

: colon

• 1.        To introduce a list of items:

Ø  These are our option: we go by train and leave before the end of the show; or we take the car and see it all.

2.                   In formal writing, before a clause or phrase that gives more information about the main clause.                 (You can use a semicolon or a full stop, but not a comma, instead of a colon here.)

Ø  The garden had been neglected for a long time: it was overgrown and full of weeds.

• 2.       To introduce a quotation, which may be intended:

Ø  As Kenneth Morgan writes:

The truth was, perhaps, that Britain in the years from 1914 to 1983 had not changed all that fundamentally.

                             Others, however, have challenged this view…

; semicolon

• 1.        Instead of a comma to separate parts of a sentence that already contain commas:

Ø  She was determined to succeed whatever the cost; she would achieve her aim, whoever might suffer on the way.

• 2.       In formal writing, to separate two main clauses, especially those not joined by a conjunction:

Ø  The sun was already low in the sky; it would soon be dark.

? question mark

• 1.        At the end of a direct question:

Ø  Where’s the car?

Ø  You’re leaving already?

Do not use a question mark at the end of an indirect question:

Ø  He asked if I was leaving.

• 2.       Especially with a date, to express doubt

Ø  John Marston (?1575-1634)

! exclamation mark (BrE) exclamation point (NAmE)

• 1.        At the end of a sentence expressing surprise, joy, anger, shock or another strong emotion:

Ø  That’s marvelous!

Ø  ‘Never!’ she cried.

• 2.       An informal written English, you can use more than one exclamation mark, or an exclamation mark and a question mark:

Ø  ‘Your wife’s just given birth to triplets.’

‘Triplets!?’

‘ apostrophe

• 1.        With s to indicate that a thing or a person belongs to somebody:

Ø  My friend’s brother

Ø  King James’ s crown/King James’ crown

Ø  The students’ books

Ø  The women’s coats

• 2.       In short forms, to indicate that letters or figures have been omitted:

Ø  I’m (I am)

Ø  They’d (They had/they would)

Ø  The summer of ’89 (1989)

• 3.       Sometimes, with s to form the plural of a letter, a figure or an abbreviation:

Ø  Roll your r’s

Ø  During the 1990’s

 

-       hyphen

• 1.        to form a compound from two or more other words:

Ø  hard-hearted

Ø  fork-lift truck

Ø  mother-to-be

• 2.       to form a compound from a prefix and a proper name:

Ø  pre-European

• 3.       when writing compound numbers between 21 and 99 in words:

Ø  seventy-three

Ø  thirty-one

4.                   sometimes, in British English, to separate a prefix ending in a vowel from a word beginning with             the same vowel:

Ø  co-operate

Ø  pre-eminent

• 5.       after the first section of a word that is divided between one line and the next:

Ø  decide what to do in order to avoid mis-

takes of this kind in the future

_ dash

• 1.        in informal English, instead of a colon or semicolon, to indicate that what follows is a summary or conclusion of what has gone before:

Ø  Men were shouting, women were screaming, children were crying – it was chaos.

Ø  You’ve admitted that you lied to me – how can I trust you again?

• 2.       singly or in pairs to separate a comment or an afterthought from the rest of the sentence:

Ø  He knew nothing at all about it – or so he said.

… dots/ellipsis

• 1.        to indicate that words have been omitted, especially from a quotation or at the end of a conversation:

Ø  …challenging the view that Britain…had not changed all that fundamentally.

/ slash/oblique

• 1.        to separate alternative words or phrases:

Ø  have a pudding and / or cheese

Ø  single/ married / widowed / divorced

• 2.       in internet and email addresses to separate the elements (often said ‘forward slash’)

Ø  http://www.oup.com/elt

‘’ “” quotation marks

• 1.        to enclose words and punctuation in direct speech:

Ø  ‘Why on earth did you do that?’ he asked.

Ø  ‘I’ll fetch it,’ she replied.

• 2.       to draw attention to a word that is unusual for the context, for example a slang expression, or to a word that is being used for special effect, such as irony:

Ø  He told me in no uncertain terms to ‘get lost’.

Ø  Thousands were imprisoned in the name of ‘national security.’

• 3.       around the titles of articles, books, poems, plays, etc:

Ø  Keat’s ‘Ode to Autumn’

Ø  I was watching ‘Match of the Day’

• 4.       around short quotations or sayings:

Ø  Do you know the origin of the saying: ‘A little learning is a dangerous thing’?

• 5.       in American English, double quotation mark are used:

Ø  “Help! I’m drowning!”

{ } brackets (BrE) parentheses (NAmE)

• 1.        to separate extra information or a comment from the rest of a sentence:

Ø  Mount Robson (12 972 feet) is the highest mountain in Canadian Rockies.

Ø  He thinks that modern music (i.e. anything written after 1900) is rubbish.

• 2.       to enclose cross-references:

Ø  This moral ambiguity is a feature of Shakespeare’s later works (see Chapter Eight)

• 3.       around numbers or letters in text:

Ø  Our objectives are (1) to increase output, (2) to improve quality and (3) to maximise profits.

[ ] square brackets (BrE) brackets (NAmE)

• 1.        Around words inserted to make a quotation grammatically correct:

Ø  Britain in [these] years was without

Italics

• 1.        To show emphasis:

Ø  I’m not going to do it – you are

Ø  …proposals which we cannot accept under any circumstances.

• 2.       To indicate the titles of books, plays, etc:

Ø  Joyce’s Ulysses

Ø  The title role in Puccini’s Tosca

Ø  A letter in The Times

• 3.       For foreign words or phrases:

Ø  The English oak (Quercus robur)

Ø  I had to renew my permesso di soggiorno (residence permit)

BUSINESS LETTER

 

A business letter is an official written communication often between organizations or individuals regarding official matters. It’s important to follow the right format, use the right tone, and be straight to the point for clear communication. The language used in business letters must closely reflect your business’ brand identity

A good business letter is brief, straightforward, and polite. If possible, it should be limited to one single-spaced typewritten page. Because it is so brief, a business letter is often judged on small, but important, things: format, grammar, punctuation, openings and closings. A business letter is not the place to try out fancy fonts or experimental writing styles.

Types of Business Letter

1. Cover letters: A cover letter accompanies a package, report, or any other official document. It explains the contents and gives instructions to the recipient on how to handle it. 

2. Proposal letters: Businesses leverage proposal letters to their partners, peers, and prospective clients to propose a business idea, project, or partnership. These letters aim to convince the recipient to act upon or endorse the business proposal.

3. Thank you letters: To express gratitude and appreciation to a person or organization for their assistance, support, or services provided, you can write a thank you letter. The tone here is usually courteous and grateful. 

4. Complaint letters: To effectively convey their dissatisfaction, businesses often take the help of complaint letters. In such instances it’s essential to balance expressing your displeasure and avoiding excessive anger to maintain the air of professionalism. You can also offer suggestions to the recipient on rectifying the situation..

5. Acknowledgment letters: Acknowledgement letters help confirm the receipt of an item or to acknowledge a fact or error highlighted by someone. These letters should include the date of receiving the package or information and express gratitude towards the sender for their contribution.

6. Response letters: Response letters address a previous letter or inquiry, provide information, or confirm the necessary actions.

7. Letters of request: You can use these to secure additional information on a matter, request for additional resources to your superior in the organization, or secure a professional favor from someone outside the organization. When writing such letters, it’s important to seek assistance without appearing excessively emotional or desperate. Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider the adjectives used in the letter.

8. Congratulatory letters: Such letters aim to congratulate someone on their achievements, promotions, or other accomplishments. The letter should outline the reason for offering congratulations and highlight any positive feedback.

Formats of Business Letter:

1. Full Block : Align all elements on the left margin.

2. Modified : Down the middle of the page, align the return address, date, closing, signature, and typed name; align other elements on the left page margin.

3. Semi Block:  Align all elements on the left margin; the first line of each paragraph is indented

Elements of a Standard Business Letter

1. Return Address: Your address (or the address of the company you represent). If you are using preprinted stationery, there is no need to retype the information.

2. Date: Leave two blank lines after the return address. Always spell out the month and include the day, a comma, and the year.

3. Inside Address: Leave two blank lines after the date. Then type the address of the person or company to whom you are writing.

4. Salutation: Type Dear, followed by the person’s name. End the line with a colon. If you don’t know the name of the person, use a title instead (i.e., Dear Editor, Dear Madam).

5. Body: Align your message on the left margin. Skip a line before starting a new paragraph, but do not indent the paragraph’s first line. Make sure that each paragraph is clear and concise.

6. Closing: Leave two lines of space after your last body paragraph, then use a conventional closing, followed by a comma (i.e., Sincerely, Sincerely Yours, Respectfully).

7. Signature: Your signature should appear below your closing. Unless you have established a personal relationship with the person you are writing, use both your first and last name.

8. Name and Position: Four lines after the closing, type your full name. Do not include a title (Mr. or Mrs.). If you are writing on behalf of an organization, type your title on the next line.

9. Abbreviations at the end of a letter: If you send a copy of a letter to someone other than the person addressed, use cc: and the person’s name. Use Enc. or Enclosure if you enclose something with the letter. If someone else types it, put the writer’s initials in capitals, then a slash and the typist’s initials in lowercase: MT/fjr. Just one abbreviation should appear on a line.

 

Language Features of Business Letter:

1. Using Simple Present

2. Using correct punctuation

3. Using technical term

4. No contraction

5. Using polite and formal word

6. Using old fashioned font type (no fancy one)