Business Grammar Basics BGB/1010

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1 Business Grammar Basics BGB/1010

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3 Table of Contents Introduction... vii Parts of Speech... 1 Lesson Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech... 3 The Eight Parts of Speech... 3 Nouns... 3 Pronouns... 4 Verbs... 5 Adverbs... 5 Adjectives... 6 Conjunctions... 6 Interjections... 7 Prepositions... 7 Lesson Nouns Using Nouns Correctly Lesson Adverbs and Adjectives Using Adverbs and Adjectives Troublesome adjective-adverb pairs Irregular adjectives real/really bad/badly good/well Lesson Verbs Using Verbs Correctly Voice Mood Verb tenses Irregular verbs Irregular verbs Working With Words BGB/1010 i

4 Business Grammar Basics Lesson Prefixes and Suffixes Rules for Constructing Prefixes and Suffixes General rules Rule Examples Exceptions Rule Examples Rule Examples Rule Examples Rule Examples Exceptions Rule Examples Exceptions Lesson Forming Plurals Rules for Forming Plurals Lesson Forming Possessives Rules for Forming Possessives Basic guidelines Irregular plurals Personal pronouns Joint possession Separate possession Gerunds Compound nouns and noun phrases Attributives versus possessive Lesson Basic Rules For Spelling Basic Spelling Rules Becoming a better speller Words ending in silent e Words ending in y Plural nouns Nouns ending in s, x, ch, sh, z BGB/1010 ii

5 Table of Contents Nouns ending in f, fe, ff Nouns ending in o Silent letters Words containing ie or ei Adding suffixes Words ending in y, k or x Memorization Learn prefix and suffix rules Practice pronunciation Other guidelines The Mechanics of Writing Lesson Abbreviations The Correct Use of Abbreviations Titles and names Location and time Units of measure When to include periods When to use capital letters When to use i.e. or e.g When to use a or an Lesson Capitalization The Correct Methods of Capitalization Headings, lists, and colons Names and titles Places, events, and other entities Sentences Dialog Questions Lists unnumbered Lists numbered Lists bulleted Colons Headings in title case Headings in sentence case Official corporate titles Occupational titles Lesson Numbers BGB/1010 iii

6 Business Grammar Basics Writing Numbers Basic rules Special rules Punctuation Lesson End Punctuation End Punctuation Marks The period The question mark The exclamation point Lesson Commas Using the Comma Correctly Correct usage Incorrect usage Lesson Connecting and Separating Marks Using Connectors and Separators Semicolons Colons Dashes Lesson Other Punctuation Marks Using Other Punctuation Marks The apostrophe Parentheses and brackets Quotation marks Lesson Sentence Structure Sentence Parts, Phrases, and Clauses Direct and indirect objects Subject and object complements Phrases and clauses Lesson Subject-Verb Agreement The Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement Titles or names of companies Joined by and Linked by or or nor iv BGB/1010

7 Table of Contents Collective nouns Measurements Indefinite pronouns Questions Use of here, there, and it Compound subjects Lesson Pronouns and Antecedents Rules of Agreement for Pronouns and Antecedents Agreeing in gender Agreeing in person Agreeing in number Lesson Common Sentence Errors Sentence Fragments, Comma Splices, and Modifiers Sentence fragments Comma splices and run-on sentences Misplaced and dangling modifiers Identifying sentence fragments Correcting sentence fragments Comma splices Run-on sentences Guarding against comma splices and run-on sentences Lesson Commonly Confused Word Pairs Recognizing Commonly Confused Word Pairs Similar sounding words Similar meaning pairs Lesson Commonly Misused Verbs and Other Words Recognizing Commonly Misused Verbs and Other Words Commonly misused verbs Other misused terms Lesson Idiomatic Use of Prepositions Using Prepositions Idiomatically Glossary BGB/1010 v

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9 Introduction The Business Grammar Basics course consists of 6 modules as follows: Parts of Speech Working with Words The Mechanics of Writing Punctuation Sentence Construction Common Usage Errors The first module defines the functions of the eight parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, interjections, and conjunctions. In particular, it focuses on how to use them effectively, and correctly. And it provides special focus on nouns, adverbs, adjectives, and verbs, including verb tenses. When you have finished the course, you'll have the necessary building blocks to develop your writing skills.. Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: recognize the parts of speech in given sentences recognize the correct use of nouns in given sentences recognize the correct use of adjectives and adverbs in given sentences recognize the voice and mood of given verbs match the sentences with the verb tenses they contain The second module explains how to use words correctly, including some key rules on how to spell correctly. It covers rules for properly constructing prefixes and suffixes. In addition, the course describes how to form plurals and possessives correctly. And it presents spelling rules and tips to help you become a better speller. Knowing the rules, as well as the exceptions, when it comes to details like these will make you a more confident writer and leave a good impression on your readers. Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: recognize how to correctly construct prefixes and suffixes recognize how to form plurals correctly identify examples of correctly formed possessives recognize basic spelling rules that govern the spelling of given words The third module presents the basic rules for using capital letters, abbreviations, and numbers. It covers abbreviations of titles, names, locations, BGB/1010 vii

10 Business Grammar Basics and countries, as well as how to capitalize direct quotes, titles, names of organizations, and product names, among other elements. In addition, you will be introduced to the forms and uses of numbers with dates and time, money, fractions, and symbols. Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: recognize how to use abbreviations correctly recognize examples that use correct capitalization recognize the correct use of numbers in given examples The fourth module reviews the standard rules and guidelines for using punctuation appropriately. You'll start by reviewing how to correctly apply end punctuation, including the correct use and rules for periods, question marks, and exclamation points. You'll also find out how to correctly use commas, one of the most common punctuation marks. The course also describes rules for using different connecting and separating marks, such as colons, semicolons, dashes, and hyphens. In addition, it shows how to properly use apostrophes, parentheses, brackets, and quotation marks. Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: recognize examples of correctly applied rules for using end punctuation recognize how to use commas correctly identify sentences in which commas are misused recognize how to use semicolons, colons, and dashes correctly recognize how to use apostrophes, parentheses, brackets, and quotation marks correctly The fifth module reviews basic sentence construction, including how to develop sentences that are logical, clear, and powerful the basis of any sound business document. The course examines the parts of a sentence the subject and predicate, for example and distinguishes between phrases and clauses. It shows the importance of subject-verb agreement, as well as agreement between pronouns and their antecedents. You'll also find out how to identify and fix some of the most common types of sentence errors. Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: recognize the parts of a sentence identify phrases and clauses in given sentences identify sentences that have the correct subject-verb agreement recognize examples of pronouns and antecedents that agree in person, number, and gender recognize how to fix sentence fragments recognize how to fix comma splices and run-on sentences viii BGB/1010

11 identify the sentences with misplaced or dangling modifiers Introduction The sixth module describes how to use commonly confused words correctly, including word pairs that sound alike and those that have related meanings. It also covers verbs that are often misused for example, affect and effect or apprise and appraise. In addition, the course reviews some idiomatic combinations of verbs and prepositions that can be confusing. Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: correctly use commonly confused word pairs recognize the correct usage of commonly misused verbs and other words recognize the appropriate idiomatic expression to use in given sentences You may use this manual to review and highlight important concepts as you progress through the course. Enjoy your course! BGB/1010 ix

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13 Module Parts of Speech The first module defines the functions of the eight parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, interjections, and conjunctions. In particular, it focuses on how to use them effectively, and correctly. And it provides special focus on nouns, adverbs, adjectives, and verbs, including verb tenses. When you have finished the course, you'll have the necessary building blocks to develop your writing skills. The following lessons are covered in this module: Lesson 1: Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech Lesson 2: Using Nouns Correctly Lesson 3: Using Adverbs and Adjectives Lesson 4: Using Verbs Correctly BGB/1010 1

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15 Parts of Speech Lesson 1 Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech The Eight Parts of Speech To understand the basics of good grammar, you need to be familiar with the eight parts of speech. The parts of speech tell you how words function in a sentence, rather than what words are or mean. Words can also be altered to function as different parts of speech. Nouns Nouns are words that name things. They can be categorized into five groups: Common nouns name a generic type of person, place, or thing. Common nouns can be further divided up into count, abstract, or collective nouns. Proper nouns name unique people, places, or things, rather than identifying them based on the categories to which they belong. They always start with a capital letter. Count nouns express enumerable things. They occur in both singular and plural forms. Collective nouns or mass nouns refer to things that are normally countable, either because they are BGB/1010 3

16 Business Grammar Basics Pronouns abstract or because they denote an indeterminate number of people or things. Abstract nouns name things you can't see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. They describe feelings, ideas, or concepts. Pronouns replace nouns. Using them can make sentences less cumbersome. Pronouns have different forms or cases, depending on how they function in a sentence: Subjective pronouns replace nouns that act as the subjects in sentences. In other words, they replace nouns describing who or what performs the action described by a verb. Objective pronouns act as the objects in sentences. They replace nouns identifying who or what is the recipient of the action expressed by a verb. Possessive pronouns indicate ownership, or possession. The possessive pronouns my, our, your, his, her, its, and their can be used as adjectives to qualify nouns as in "my report." Each possessive pronoun also has a corresponding independent form that can stand alone, without a noun. With the independent form, the thing possessed may be either an antecedent or something understood. The independent form can also be the subject or object of a verb. Some personal pronouns are compounds that use the suffix self or selves. These pronouns are used for two main 4 BGB/1010

17 Parts of Speech Verbs purposes for emphasis, as in "I will do it myself," or to refer to the subject of the verb, as in "They support themselves." When they are used for emphasis, they are called intensive pronouns. When used to refer to a subject, they are called reflexive pronouns. A reflexive pronoun looks the same as an intensive pronoun but has a different function. It reflects the action that the verb describes by renaming the subject, whereas an intensive pronoun adds emphasis and gives force to a sentence. And intensive pronouns take the subjective case, whereas reflexive ones don't. Verbs are commonly described as "action" words. That's because verbs typically describe the performance or occurrence of actions, as in runs or writes. But verbs can also indicate a state of being or condition. Helping or auxiliary verbs combine with some verb forms. They may indicate tense or obligation, or provide other additional meaning. These combinations of helping verbs with other verb forms are known as verb phrases. Commonly used helping verbs are versions of the verb to be. These include am and is in the present tense, was and were in the past tense, and will in the future tense. Adverbs Adverbs describe, qualify, limit, or modify verbs, adjectives, and sometimes other adverbs. You can classify adverbs into three types. Adverbs of time tell you when something occurs. Adverbs of manner describe how something is done. And adverbs of place tell you where BGB/1010 5

18 Business Grammar Basics something occurs. Adverbs commonly end in the letters ly. Adverbs often modify verbs, but they can also modify adjectives, which are words that describe nouns. Adverbs can also modify other adverbs. Adjectives Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. They answer questions such as Which one? What kind? or How much? Conjunctions Conjunctions join words, phrases, or sentences. There are two types of conjunctions: Coordinating conjunctions join words or groups of words that are of equal importance that is, independent elements. Subordinating conjunction introduces a clause that is dependent on the main clause of a sentence. You may remember being taught at school that you should never start a sentence with a conjunction like And, But, or So. However, it's now generally considered acceptable to do this if a previous sentence makes it clear what the conjunction is referring to. It's also appropriate to start a sentence with a conjunction like Because or Since if the sentence begins with an introductory clause that modifies another clause that follows. 6 BGB/1010

19 Parts of Speech Interjections Interjections are words, phrases, or clauses that denote strong feeling or emotion. They're often followed by exclamation marks. Avoid using interjections in formal business writing unless you're quoting someone directly. Prepositions Apreposition is a word or phrase that links an object to another word in a sentence to show the relationship between them. A preposition's object is usually a noun or pronoun. Different prepositions indicate different types of relationships: Prepositions such as on, above, and below identify spatial relationships they specify where something is in relation to something else prepositions like before, after, at, and until indicate time relationships, and prepositions such as by, to, and with identify logical relationships Being able to identify the eight parts of speech and use them correctly will help ensure your business writing is clear, professional, and effective. BGB/1010 7

20 Business Grammar Basics Job Aid Distinguishing the Parts of Speech Instruction: Use this job aid to review the eight parts of speech and examples of their correct use. Eight parts of speech Parts of speech Nouns Function Nouns are words that name something for example, persons, places, things, ideas, or qualities. They're categorized into five groups: common, proper, count, collective, and abstract. Examples Common nouns: lamp, box, cupboard Proper nouns: Africa, Oklahoma, Stephen Count nouns: pencil, door, car Collective nouns: crew, herd, team Abstract nouns: trust, honesty, sympathy 8 BGB/1010

21 Parts of Speech Eight parts of speech Parts of speech Pronouns Function Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. Examples Susan lost her keys. Verbs Verbs describe actions or states of being. Helping verbs clarify the tense of the main verbs in sentences. Ron and Paul will have their meeting now. He ran. Henry is hungry. Helping verb: Adverbs Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They answer questions such as When? Where? Why? and How? She is typing a letter. She deliberately ignored the request. The package will arrive soon. He very thoughtfully helped Gina carry her bags. BGB/1010 9

22 Business Grammar Basics Eight parts of speech Parts of speech Adjectives Function Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. They answer questions such as Which one? What kind? How many? or How much? Examples This is an ideal venue for the staff party. Please hand me a blank piece of paper. Conjunctions Conjunctions join words, phrases, or sentences. There are two types: coordinating and subordinating. Coordinating conjunctions join words or groups of words of equal importance that is, independent elements, such as two or more nouns, verbs, phrases, or clauses. A subordinating conjunction introduces a clause that's dependent on the main clause in a sentence. Coordinating: Juanita and Mike are business partners. Subordinating: Construction will be put on hold until the rain stops. 10 BGB/1010

23 Parts of Speech Eight parts of speech Parts of speech Interjections Prepositions Function Interjections are used to express emotion. They're inappropriate in formal business writing. Prepositions connect words or phrases and indicate the relationship between them. Examples Ah! Now I know the answer. Wow! Can you believe that? I put the board against the wall. He told me about his new job. BGB/

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25 Parts of Speech Lesson 2 Nouns Using Nouns Correctly Nouns are an essential component of most sentences. Without them, there's little we could communicate. So it's no wonder these are the first group of words young children learn. Being able to identify different types of nouns can help you improve in three areas: capitalization becomes easier when you know how to spot proper nouns subject-verb agreement in a sentence depends on whether a noun is countable or noncountable, and being able to spot abstract nouns and replacing them with concrete nouns can often help you write more clearly and vividly Whereas a common noun is the generic name of one thing in a class or group, a proper noun is the name of a person or the official name of a place or thing. So office or person is a common noun, but Simon is a proper noun. Proper nouns also include brand names, as in Scotch tape and Kleenex tissues. All proper nouns start with an initial capital letter. A common noun may become a proper noun. Moreover, sometimes a proper noun may be used figuratively and informally. BGB/

26 Business Grammar Basics When the correct form of a verb matches with the subject in a sentence, it's called subject-verb agreement. You'll be better able to apply the rules for subject-verb agreement if you can identify these types of nouns: count nouns, which name things that can be counted like customers, chairs, or invoices, and noncount nouns, which name things that can't be or aren't usually counted like advice, water, furniture, and wealth Count nouns can be singular or plural, like brick or bricks and photo or photos. They then take the appropriate singular or plural verb forms. Noncount nouns are also called collective or mass nouns. When it is the subject of a sentence, a noncount noun usually takes a singular verb. However, if you express a quantity of units before a noncountable noun, it becomes countable and the verb must agree with the units. So tea on its own is a noncountable noun, but cups of tea are countable and take a verb in the plural form. Moreover, in a collective sense, a noncount noun may take either a singular or a plural verb form. A singular verb emphasizes the group; a plural verb emphasizes the individual members. Some collective never take the plural form. You must always use them with singular verbs. It's important to use definite and indefinite articles correctly with different types of nouns in particular count and noncount nouns. An article comes before a noun or noun phrase. The article the, indicates that the noun identifies something definite, whereas the article a or an indicates that the noun is indefinite. 14 BGB/1010

27 Parts of Speech You use the indefinite article a or an before a singular count noun when you mention it for the first time. Plural count nouns are never preceded by a or an. Also, noncount nouns don't take an indefinite article, except when you're referring to different types of something that's not countable. Noncount nouns that represent a collection or a mass may be preceded by a phrase that indicates quantity, such as a lot of, a little, or some. The definite article points to a definite object that is so well understood that it does not need description. A singular or a plural count noun may take the definite article. Noncount nouns may also take the definite article. You use the before a singular count noun in three situations: you have mentioned it before you identify it immediately before or after you state it, or it's unique or the only one in existence You don't ever use the indefinite articles a or an before a proper noun. In general, you don't use the either, but there are exceptions - for example, with plural proper nouns and with the names of organizations. Business writing should always use words that have clear, concrete, and specific meanings so that the writing is easy to understand. Abstract nouns denote feelings, thoughts, concepts, or ideas. You may find them useful sometimes, mainly in the broad statements that set the course for your writing, but their meanings can be interpreted differently by different people. Concrete nouns name people, places, or things you can experience through at least one of your five senses. They can be clearly visualized and are less likely to BGB/

28 Business Grammar Basics cause confusion. Using them, along with more specific adjectives, can help you write more clearly. It's important to use nouns correctly in sentences. Being able to identify the different noun types can help you apply correct grammar and punctuation in your business writing. Proper nouns always start with an initial capital. Specific rules determine whether you must use singular or plural verb forms with count and noncount nouns. Also, particularly in business writing, replacing abstract nouns with more concrete ones can make your writing clearer and more vivid. 16 BGB/1010

29 Parts of Speech. Job Aid Types of Nouns Instruction: Use this job aid to review the definitions and examples of proper, count, and noncount nouns. Noun types Noun type Description Example Proper nouns Identify specific people or places and always begin with a capital letter. Jennifer, New Zealand Count nouns Identify entities that you can count. dictionary, cup, road Noncount nouns Identify entities that you either can't or wouldn't typically count. research, bread, work BGB/

30 Business Grammar Basics Lesson 3 Adverbs and Adjectives Using Adverbs and Adjectives Adverbs and adjectives give life to your writing, helping you to describe things more accurately and draw your readers in. When used correctly, they can make your sentences stronger and clearer. However, using too many adjectives and adverbs can clutter your sentences and make them harder to understand. It's important to be concise, especially in business writing. So you need to use adjectives and adverbs only when they add real meaning. Like including too many adjectives or adverbs, using them incorrectly can puzzle your readers and undermine your credibility as a writer. So it's important you know how to use them, as well as when to use them, in your writing. A characteristic of adjectives and adverbs is that you can use them in different forms to specify degrees of comparison. The three degrees of comparison are positive, comparative, and superlative: In the positive degree, an adjective or adverb describes the quality, quantity, or manner of one person or thing. In the sentence "Alice wrote a long letter," the word long is an adjective in the positive degree. In the sentence "Alice arrived early," the word early is an adverb in the positive degree. In the comparative degree, an adjective or adverb compares the quality, quantity, or manner of two 18 BGB/1010

31 Parts of Speech people or things. An adjective in the comparative degree is longer in the sentence, "Alice wrote a longer letter than Betty." An adverb in the comparative degree is earlier in the sentence "Alice arrived earlier than Betty." In the superlative degree, an adjective or adverb compares three or more people or things. It indicates that what's being described has a quality to a greater extent than anything it is being compared to. The way you form the comparative and superlative degrees of an adjective or adverb depends on whether you have a one-syllable, two-syllable, or three-or-more-syllable word: one-syllable word You usually add er to make the adjective comparative or est to make it superlative. The same applies to most one-syllable adverbs that do not end in the letters ly. Exceptions apply for some irregular one-syllable words, such as good and bad. These become better and worse rather than gooder and badder. You can use a good dictionary to find the correct forms of comparison for irregular adverbs and adjectives. two-syllable word Some adjectives and adverbs with two syllables take the er and est suffixes, but most take more or most. And a participle used as an adjective - for example, boring requires more or most before it. Sometimes, the way a word sounds will help you determine whether to use the suffix or the words more or most. For example, tranquilest does not sound natural, therefore most tranquil is probably the better form in this case. Consult a good dictionary to check if you are uncertain about which form to use. And remember, some adverbs and adjectives are irregular, BGB/

32 Business Grammar Basics so no rules guide their forms in the comparative and superlative forms. three-syllable word You usually form the comparative with more or less, and the superlative with most or least. Remember, when using the comparative and superlative forms, you should use either the er / est endings or the words more and most but not both. And some adverbs and adjectives, by their definitions, are absolute and can't be compared. Troublesome adjective-adverb pairs Some adjective-adverb pairs can cause confusion. They account for many of the common usage errors with adverbs and adjectives, in writing and speech. The adjective real is often used incorrectly in place of the adverb really as in "John was real upset." This is incorrect because real in this context is modifying upset, which is an adjective so the adverb really should be used. A simple way to check if you're using really and real correctly is to replace them with the word very. If the meaning of the sentence stays the same, you should be using the adverb really. But if not, use real. Confusion between the words bad and badly often arises when they are used with a linking verb. Whether these verbs are linking depends on their meaning in sentences. When the word after a verb modifies the subject, the verb is linking and the word should be an adjective, as in "The economy was bad in the first quarter." But when the word modifies the verb, it should be an adverb as in "The plants grow badly 20 BGB/1010

33 Parts of Speech in this rocky soil." If you were to write "The plants grow bad in this rocky soil," it would mean something different that the plants somehow become bad. Similar confusion can occur between the adjective good and the adverb well. Good describes nouns or pronouns and means commendable, worthy, virtuous, or valid. The word well is most commonly used as an adverb, meaning to do something in a satisfactory way, skillfully, or in a kind way as in "he treated her well." The way adverbs and adjectives are formed differs depending on the intended degree of comparison. The three degrees of comparison are positive, comparative, and superlative. You usually form the different degrees based on the number of syllables in a word, although some adverbs and adjectives are irregular. It's important to avoid confusing certain adjective-adverb pairs, such as real and really, bad and badly, and good and well. Remembering which part of speech these words function as will help guide you in their correct use. BGB/

34 Business Grammar Basics Job Aid Forming Comparatives and Superlatives Instruction: Use this job aid to review the rules for constructing adjectives and adverbs in the comparative and superlative forms. Adjectives and adverbs have three degrees of comparison: the positive, comparative, and superlative. A positive adjective denotes an object's quality without reference to the quality of any other object. Rules for constructing comparative and superlative forms: Number of syllables in the adverb / adjective Example Compara tive degree compare s two people or things Example Superlative degree compares three or more people or things Example Onesyllable adjectives Most onesyllable adverbs that don't end in ly strong soon Add er stronger sooner Add est strongest soonest 22 BGB/1010

35 Parts of Speech Number of syllables in the adverb / adjective Example Compara tive degree compare s two people or things Example Superlative degree compares three or more people or things Example A participle used as an adjective requires more or most before it amused amusing more amused more amusing most amused most amusing Two syllables, ending in anything other than y caring often Either add less or more before the word; or add er to the end of the word more caring more often Either add least or most before the word; or add est to the end of the word most caring most often Two syllables, ending in y funny early Replace the y with ier funnier earlier Replace the y with iest funniest earliest Three or more syllables appropriate ly carefully Add less or more before the word more appropriate ly more carefully Add least or most before the word most appropriat ely most carefully BGB/

36 Business Grammar Basics Number of syllables in the adverb / adjective Example Compara tive degree compare s two people or things Example Superlative degree compares three or more people or things Example Some adverbs and adjectives, by definition, are absolute and can't be compared never universally uniquely perfect dead impossible never universally uniquely perfect dead impossible never universally uniquely perfect dead impossible infinite infinite infinite then then then now now now on on on first first first finally finally finally here here here 24 BGB/1010

37 Parts of Speech Irregular adjectives Some exceptions to these rules are called irregular adjectives. Examples of irregular adjectives Irregular adjective Comparative form Superlative form far further/farther furthest/farthest good better best bad worse worst little less least many more most BGB/

38 Business Grammar Basics Job Aid Confusing Adjective-Adverb Pairs Instruction: Use this job aid to review a list of confusing adjective-adverb pairs, along with strategies for remembering how to use them correctly. Confusing pairs Adjective Adverb real good bad really well badly real/really The adjective real is often used incorrectly in place of the adverb really as in "John was real upset." This is incorrect because real in this context is modifying upset, which is an adjective. It is therefore correct to use the adverb really in this example "John was really upset." To check if you're using the adverb really correctly, simply replace the adverb with the word very. If the meaning of the sentence stays the same, you've used the adverb correctly. If the meaning changes, you've used it incorrectly. 26 BGB/1010

39 Parts of Speech Consider these examples: "John is a real salesman." This is correct. "John is a very salesman." This is incorrect because very cannot replace real in this case. bad/badly Confusion between the terms bad and badly arises when there's no action verb in a sentence. In these cases, remember that adjectives are used to describe nouns or pronouns, whereas adverbs must be used to describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Consider these examples: Jane felt bad. (correct) Jane felt badly. (incorrect) The word badly is an adverb. In this case, an adjective describing the noun Jane is required. Otherwise, the meaning in "Jane felt badly" is that Jane's sense of touch isn't working properly. good/well Good describes nouns or pronouns and means commendable, worthy, virtuous, or valid. An example is "This is a good report." The word well is most commonly used as an adverb, meaning to do something in a satisfactory way, skillfully, or in a kind way as in "He treated her well." BGB/

40 Business Grammar Basics Lesson 4 Verbs Using Verbs Correctly Voice Mood The verb is the most complicated part of speech. A verb changes form to express different information, including voice, mood, and tense. The voice of a verb reveals the relationship between the subject and the action itself in a sentence: In the active voice, the subject comes before the verb. In the passive voice, the subject comes after the verb or may even be left out of a sentence. In business writing, using verbs in the active voice can help you make a stronger impression. In the passive voice, helping verbs like "am" must be added to support a main verb. These can add to the length of sentences, and convey less energy and interest than action verbs. The mood of a verb indicates the way in which the verb expresses an action or state of being. There are three types of moods: 28 BGB/1010

41 Parts of Speech You use the indicative mood to state something as a fact, describe something give factual details, or to ask questions. You use the imperative mood to issue commands or make requests. Sentences in the imperative mood usually have an understood "you" as the subject. You use the subjunctive mood when referring to a possible act or state. Verb tenses The tense of a verb reveals the time at which an act, state, or condition occurs or occurred. The three main divisions of time are present, past, and future. To form verb tenses correctly, you need to know the principal parts of verbs: The plain form of a verb is the form you find in the dictionary. The infinitive is the part of the verb that in its plain form may be preceded by to. You form the present participle by adding ing to the plain form of the verb. A present participle is used with a to be verb to show that an action is in progress. The past participle is usually the same as the past tense form it takes an ed or d after its plain form. Regular verbs have basic forms that don't change when you form different tenses. Irregular verbs, however, change form in different tenses. There are so many variations of irregular verbs that if you are unsure about how to form a tense, you BGB/

42 Business Grammar Basics should check a good dictionary. The verb to be has more irregular forms than any other verb. The three major categories of verb tenses break down further into simple, perfect, and progressive tenses: The simple present tense indicates an action that is currently taking place, a recurring action, or something that is always true. To form this tense for regular verbs, you use the plain form of a verb except when the subject is he or she, in which case you add an s. The past tense describes an act, state, or condition that occurred or existed at some point in the past. Regular verbs form their past tense by adding ed to the verb. The future tense indicates an expected act, state, or condition. This tense is formed by placing will before the plain form of the verb. The present perfect tense indicates that an act, state, or condition began in the past and may still be occurring. This tense uses the helping verb have or has along with the past participle of a verb. The past perfect tense indicates that an act, state, or condition was completed before another specified past time or past action. The future perfect tense describes an act, state, or condition expected to be completed before some other future act or time. This tense is formed by using will have with a past participle. The progressive tenses indicate actions that are still in progress. You form all these tenses using a form of the verb to be with the present participle. So the present 30 BGB/1010

43 Parts of Speech progressive tense indicates continuing or progressive action. To form this tense, you use the present tense forms of to be am, is, or are with the present participle. The past progressive tense identifies an action that occurred for a certain amount of time in the past. To form this tense, you use was or were with the present participle. Last, the future progressive tense indicates an action that will be in progress at a certain time in the future. To form this tense, you use will be with the present participle. It can be more difficult to form tenses correctly with irregular verbs. Common usage errors occur when using irregular verbs such as do, hang, and drink : In perfect tenses, the past participle of do which is done must be used. The verb to hang takes different past tense and past participle forms depending on the intended meaning. The past tense of drink is drank and the past participle is has drunk. An auxiliary or modal verb is a very irregular verb used with other verbs. Using different modal verbs can change the meaning of a sentence. One modal verb that doesn't vary in its form in either the present or past indicative is ought. Moreover, it has no infinitive form or present or past participle. The verb is the most complicated part of speech because it changes form to express information, including voice, mood, and tense. The voice of a sentence is either active or passive. In business writing, active verbs make stronger BGB/

44 Business Grammar Basics impressions and are more concise. Statements and questions are in indicative mood, and commands are in imperative mood. The subjunctive mood expresses hypotheses or wishes. Verb tenses reveal whether actions or states happened in the past, present, or future. To form verb tenses, you should know the plain forms of verbs, their infinitives, and their present and past participles. Verb tenses are divided into simple, perfect, and progressive tenses, each of which is formed differently. An auxiliary or modal verb is used with other verbs to indicate time or add other meaning. 32 BGB/1010

45 Parts of Speech Job Aid Principal Parts of Verbs Instruction: Use this job aid to review the principal parts of verbs. To form verb tenses correctly, you need to know the principal parts of verbs. These include their plain form, infinitive, present participle, and past participle. Methods of forming a verb part Part How to form this part Example Plain form Infinitive Present participle The plain form of a verb is the form you find in the dictionary The infinitive is the part of the verb that in its plain form may be preceded by to You form the present participle by adding ing to the plain form of the verb Manage Type Help To manage To type To help He is managing He was typing BGB/

46 Business Grammar Basics Methods of forming a verb part Part How to form this part Example She is helping Past participle The past participle is usually the same as the past tense form it takes an ed or d after its plain form. He managed He typed She helped Irregular verbs Verbs are either regular or irregular in the way they form different tenses. When you form tenses using regular verbs, the plain forms of the verbs remain unchanged. For example, you simply add the suffix ed or d to form the past participle or the past tense. However, irregular verbs change form in different tenses. Although an irregular verb usually forms the present participle in the same way as a regular verb for example, ride-riding or do-doing, there are no rules on how an irregular verb forms the past tense and past participle. So you have ride-rode-ridden and do-did-done. A good dictionary of usage or general dictionary is a vital resource. 34 BGB/1010

47 Business Grammar Basics Job Aid Forming Regular and Irregular Verb Tenses Instruction: Use this job aid to review how to form different verb tenses for regular and irregular verbs. There are three categories of verb tenses: simple, perfect, and progressive tenses. Each category contains three subcategories: present, past, and future versions of the tense types. Forming verb tenses with regular verbs Tense Present Past Future Simple tense Use plain form of verb, but add an s to the verb in thirdperson singular. Add ed to the plain form of the verb. Place will before the plain form of the verb. Example: He uses the computer. Example: He used the computer. Example: He will use the computer. Perfect tense Use the verb have or has along with the past participle. Use had with the past participle. Use will have with the past participle. BGB/

48 Business Grammar Basics Forming verb tenses with regular verbs Tense Present Past Future Example: He has used the computer. Example: He had used the computer. Example: He will have used the computer. Progressive tense Use am, is, or are with the present participle. Example: He is using the computer. Use was or were with the present participle. Example: He was using the computer. Use will be with the present participle. Example: He will be using the computer. Irregular verbs The basic forms of irregular verbs change in different tenses. Examples of irregular verbs are become, begin, buy, do, come, forget, and say. Because there are so many variations of irregular verbs, the only way to learn them is by memorizing each one or by using a good dictionary to check their forms. Forming verb tenses with irregular verbs "do," "buy," and forget Tense Present Past Future Simple tense I must do that soon. I did that recently. I will do that by next month. 36 BGB/1010

49 Parts of Speech Forming verb tenses with irregular verbs "do," "buy," and forget Tense Present Past Future I want to buy it. I bought it recently. I will buy it by then. I might forget. Perfect tense I have done it. I have bought it. I forgot. I had done that recently. I had bought that recently. I will forget. I will have done that by next month. I will have bought that by next quarter. I have forgotten. I had forgotten. I will have forgotten that by tomorrow. Progressive tense I am doing that soon. I was doing that recently. I will be doing that in the future. I am buying it. I was buying it. I will be buying it next month. I am forgetting about that. I was forgetting. I will be forgetting about that. BGB/

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51 Parts of Speech Follow-on Activity Evaluating Your Written Work Instruction: Use this follow-on activity to analyze and evaluate your use of the different parts of speech in a piece of your writing. Instructions for use: To use this tool, review a short piece of your own written work by answering the questions listed below. Then evaluate how well or how poorly you've used the different parts of speech. Make notes on how you can improve your areas of weakness. How many different parts of speech have you used? Try to identify examples of all these parts of speech. Which part of speech have you used most frequently? Which parts of speech have you used rarely? BGB/

52 Business Grammar Basics Which types of nouns did you use? Did you use any nouns incorrectly? Did you use adverbs and adjectives correctly? For the verbs in a particular paragraph, which o o o voice have you used? mood have you used? tense have you used? How could you improve your writing, based on what you've learned about the parts of speech? 40 BGB/1010

53 Module Working With Words The second module explains how to use words correctly, including some key rules on how to spell correctly. It covers rules for properly constructing prefixes and suffixes. In addition, the course describes how to form plurals and possessives correctly. And it presents spelling rules and tips to help you become a better speller. Knowing the rules, as well as the exceptions, when it comes to details like these will make you a more confident writer and leave a good impression on your readers. The following lessons are covered in this module: Lesson 1: Prefixes and Suffixes Lesson 2: Forming Plurals Lesson 3: Forming Possessives Lesson 4: Basic Rules for Spelling BGB/

54 Business Grammar Basics Lesson 1 Prefixes and Suffixes Rules for Constructing Prefixes and Suffixes Prefixes are a standard set of syllables that are added to the beginning of root words to change their meaning. Suffixes are a standard set of syllables that are added to the ends of words to alter their meaning as well as their function. You can break prefixes down into four categories, depending on their meanings. Prefixes can be used to indicate: quantity negation time, or direction or position Suffixes can help you recognize which parts of speech certain words are. For instance, the addition of a suffix to a root word could change it from a verb to a noun. Another suffix could change the word to an adjective, whereas another might make it an adverb. The three categories of suffixes are as follows: noun suffixes are those that change the root word to a noun adjective suffixes change root words into adjectives, and 42 BGB/1010

55 Working With Words verb suffixes are added to root words to change them to verbs So suffixes can be added to form nouns, adjectives, and verbs. And to form adverbs, you usually add the suffix ly. General rules Using prefixes and suffixes correctly requires not only that you know what they mean, but also which guidelines to follow when attaching them to root words. In general, hyphens shouldn't be used when adding a prefix or a suffix to a word. There are some exceptions to the rule. Normally, the prefix mid doesn't require a hyphen, as in midday. However, when it's followed by a number, a hyphen must used. You should also use a hyphen when mid is followed by a proper noun such as mid-january or mid- Atlantic. When adding less or like to the end of a word, a hyphen has to be used if the addition results in three l's occurring in succession. The prefix re, meaning again, doesn't usually need to be followed by a hyphen. However, you should use a hyphen with it to distinguish the meaning of words with the same spelling. For example, you release a statement to the press, but you re-lease an apartment to a tenant. Another rule is to add hyphens to ensure clarity: compound words When adding a prefix to a hyphenated or a spaced compound word, it is necessary to use a hyphen. BGB/

56 Business Grammar Basics "self" words A hyphen is added when self is used as a prefix. However, a hyphen is not required when self is the base word and it's followed by a suffix, as is the case with the word selfish. common elements If you're using two or more prefixes with a common element, you use a suspending hyphen after each prefix to show its relationship to the common element. For example, "We completed pre-, mid-, and post -training assessments." capital letters When you place a prefix in front of a word that begins with a capital letter, you have to use a hyphen. This would include words like mid-june and trans-american. You should also add a hyphen when a prefix ends in a or i and the root word begins with the same letter. But typically, when the prefix ends with e or o and the root word begins with the same letter, you don't use a hyphen. There are some exceptions, however, including co-owner, co-opt, and de-emphasize. When in doubt, consult your dictionary. The trend in spelling has been away from the use of hyphens. Although it's a trend not a rule it may sometimes help, when deciding whether to use a hyphen, to remember that the trend exists. And if ambiguity or confusion results from not including a hyphen, then you should add it. When adding a prefix to a word, the spelling of the root word is not altered in any way. However, when adding suffixes to words, the spelling of the root word may change. Because of this, there are certain rules for adding suffixes to root words. 44 BGB/1010

57 Working With Words One of these rules relates to the silent e that appears in such words as become, like, and give. This e has to be dropped from the root word when the suffix being added begins with a vowel. Exceptions to this rule are the words changeable and noticeable. In these instances, the silent e is maintained because it follows a soft g or c. In some cases, you'll keep the silent e when adding a suffix. The silent e is kept if the suffix begins with a consonant. An exception to this rule is the word argument, which is formed when the silent e is dropped from the verb argue before the suffix is added. Another rule for adding suffixes is that you change the y in a root word to i if the letter before the y is a consonant. You keep the y in the root word if the suffix begins with an i, as is the case when you add the suffix ing to the word cry to form crying. You also retain the y in a root word in certain onesyllable words and if the letter before the y is a vowel. Sometimes it's necessary to keep the y when a suffix is added to certain one-syllable words. If you add a suffix to the root word dry, you keep the y to form the word dryness, for example. The y is retained if the letter before the y is a vowel, as is the case with the root word annoy when you add a suffix to form the word annoyance. The only exceptions to the rule about vowels before the y include the one-syllable words day and say, in which case the y is changed to an i. The basic component of any word is its root. You can modify the meaning of the word by adding a prefix before the root or a suffix after it. Prefixes can alter the meaning of the root word by indicating quantity, negation, time, and direction or BGB/