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November 14, 2000
BUSINESS LETTERS--PART III
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This week we continue our series on the standard American business letter by looking at the third element, the salutation (also called the greeting).
Many letters begin the salutation with the word "Dear," even if the recipient of the letter is unknown or known only casually. Although some companies vary their style of address, many follow traditional modes like the following.
Informal or common titles can be abbreviated:
Mister = Mr.
Mistress = Mrs.
Miss or Mistress = Ms.
Doctor = Dr.
Father (for priest) = Fr.
Reverend = Rev.
- - - - - - -
More formal or less common titles tend to be spelled out in full:
President (not Pres.)
Professor (not Prof.)
Secretary (not Sec.)
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Use only the first or last name of the recipient, not both. Generally the last name is used unless a solid business relationship has been established between writer and reader:
Dear Miss Sanders:
(formal salutation)
-OR-
Dear Nancy:
(informal salutation)
-NOT-
Dear Nancy Sanders:
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Use only preceding titles of address, not those that follow a name:
Dear Dr. Abrams:
-or-
Dear Mr. Smith:
-NOT-
Dear Mr. Kenneth Abrams, M.D.:
Dear Mr. Smith, III:
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Next week we'll discuss the fourth unit of the business letter, the body.
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NEW WORD OF THE WEEK:
QUAINT (KWANT): Unfamiliar or unusual; agreeably old-fashioned.
Shelby's grandmother displays quaint mannerisms.
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: Can you give me the rules for using "a" and "an" in sentences? For example, I write the sentence this way:
I am an avid reader.
But I see a lot of people write like this, which I believe to be incorrect:
I am a avid reader.
GRAMMARCHECK: Here are the general rules for using these two indefinite articles:
Use "a" before words beginning with consonant sounds:
a car
a duck
a pen
But use "an" before words beginning with a vowel sound:
an act
an idiot
an ostrich
However, "an" also is used before words that begin with a consonant when the consonant is prefaced with a vowel sound or appears to be silent:
"ef" = "f"
"ech" = "h"
"en" = "n"
"es" = "s"
"ex" = "x"
Here are examples:
Justin received an "F" on his English paper.
Marianne left the store an hour ago.
Kelly rewrote an SOP for the company.
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QUESTION: Hi there Grammarcheck. Thanks for all the superb assistance. Pat yourselves on the back because you render a super service.
Now for my question:
Graduates WHO have skills . . .
-or-
Graduates THAT have skills . . .
I say the latter (and I have some beans riding on this)!
Cheers,
D
GRAMMARCHECK: Hand over those beans, D. Unless your graduates are the non-human kind (such as laboratory rabbits "graduating" from one experiment to the next), use "who" to refer to nouns describing humans.
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QUESTION: I have seen several written communications recently using both "sight" and "site," and I'm confused. Which of the following usages are correct?
1. It was listed on her web site.
2. The White House is a historical site that should not be missed.
3. The wooded parcel of land would be a great site for a house.
4. In her evaluation, her boss sited several areas for improvement.
Thanks for your help in clarification!
Pam
GRAMMARCHECK: As you seem to have intuited, Pam, there are actually three homonyms (different spellings and meanings for a word pronounced the same way) at stake in your examples.
site = place or setting of location or event
sight = the ability to see; vision
cite = to quote as an authority; to commend; to enumerate or to mention
Accordingly, sentences #1, #2, and #3 above are correct. However, #4 should be written this way:
4. In her evaluation, her boss cited several areas for improvement.
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QUESTION: I am using the word "airmen" in a sentence to describe an Air Force person. Should it be capitalized?
We established a new process for our airmen.
GRAMMARCHECK: In your sentence, the word "airmen" should not be capitalized. However, to avoid using a sexist term ("airmen" categorically excludes female personnel), try this instead:
We established a new process for our personnel.
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QUESTION: I am a little confused on the correct usage of punctuation in quotations. If I quote an entire sentence, should it read thus:
"Marcus was the one who danced on the table." retorted Gina.
-or-
"Marcus was the one who danced on the table" retorted Gina.
Does such a rule have exceptions?
P. S. I adore your service. I'm striving to be a better writer and this is a perfect refresher to the idiosyncrasies of the English language.
I think it would be especially helpful if you responded to your "grammar check' and then 'question' with more of an explanation for the correct usage--perhaps a general rule if one applies. The correct answer is always readily available, but oftentimes I'm not sure why it's correct. That makes it a little harder for me to feel confident applying what I learned from that example to other instances.
Thank you for all your help!
Jenn
GRAMMARCHECK: We appreciate both your praise and your suggestion! Generally we try not to overdo the explanations to avoid confusing readers with potentially torturous rules. However, we will keep your recommendation in mind and use it when feasible. Thanks!
With regards to your question about quotes, here is how your sample should read:
"Marcus was the one who danced on the table," retorted Gina.
Why? When the sentence continues beyond the quoted speech to show who said it, a comma gently links the quote to the quoter. Remember that commas are a soft pause between elements of a sentence. Ending a quote with quotation marks and then tacking on the speaker's identification can be confusing. Commas remind us that the sentence continues on, even though the quote is complete.
If you turn the sentence around, you will find that a comma is used to introduce the quotation, and the quoted speech ends with a period inside the end quotation mark:
Gina retorted, "Marcus was the one who danced on the table."
Unfortunately, exceptions abound. We plan to discuss the use of quotation marks more fully in a future issue.
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