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Other Added - Business Writing - Using Contractions Isn't a Bad Thing
I remember being interviewed by a writer for an article about effective meetings that was to appear in a national magazine. The writer began the interview by saying, “I don’t want any of the old standard tips; I want new tips.”I replied, “Well, people wouldn’t need new tips i
When determining whether to use it's or its,
Basic business writing (letters, memos, emails) today is supposed to be informal and conversational. "Write more like you talk" is the advice frequently given by business writing experts. Many of the grammar rules that we learned in school either no longer apply or have been altered
Since we frequently use contractions when speaking, it's certainly acceptable to use contractions in most of our daily business writing. However, confusion over the correct form can complicate the issue.
When we contract words, we make one word out of two. To show that letters are missing, we use an apostrophe in place of the missing letters. The apostrophe must go where the letters are missing! Do not becomes don't; I am becomes I’m; cannot becomes can't. (Note that cannot is actually already one word--an exception to the two-word rule. It is incorrect to write “I can not attend the meeting.” It should be written, “I cannot attend the meeting” or “I can’t attend the meeting.”)
Apostrophes can be confusing because they’re also used to show possession: man's office; woman's briefcase; executive's decision. Don’t be misled into thinking theirs or hers which also show possession, should have apostrophes: They are personal possessive pronouns (like mine, his, its), which never have apostrophes. An easy way to remember is this rhyme: “Possessive its never splits.”
When determining whether to use it's or its, a
Italian pinstripe designer suits, a button-down collar, and French cuffs do not a complete outfit make. They need something more, and this something is called a tie tack. A necktie without a tie tack is like potato chips without potatoes. The tie tack improves not only the outfit's
When we contract words, we make one word out of two. To show that letters are missing, we use an apostrophe in place of the missing letters. The apostrophe must go where the letters are missing! Do not becomes don't; I am becomes I’m; cannot becomes can't. (Note that cannot is actually already one word--an exception to the two-word rule. It is incorrect to write “I can not attend the meeting.” It should be written, “I cannot attend the meeting” or “I can’t attend the meeting.”)
Apostrophes can be confusing because they’re also used to show possession: man's office; woman's briefcase; executive's decision. Don’t be misled into thinking theirs or hers which also show possession, should have apostrophes: They are personal possessive pronouns (like mine, his, its), which never have apostrophes. An easy way to remember is this rhyme: “Possessive its never splits.”
When determining whether to use it's or its,
Fashion jewellery is an essential part to augment one’s personality. Not only clothes that a woman wears add up to her personality but the matching accessories sum up a distinct aura. Fashion jewelry comes into many line and styles. The approach of jewelry is to enhance a woman’s
Apostrophes can be confusing because they’re also used to show possession: man's office; woman's briefcase; executive's decision. Don’t be misled into thinking theirs or hers which also show possession, should have apostrophes: They are personal possessive pronouns (like mine, his, its), which never have apostrophes. An easy way to remember is this rhyme: “Possessive its never splits.”
When determining whether to use it's or its,
The world is ever changing. We have seen fads come and go, bands come and go, and hot markets come and go. But there is one thing that has kept on getting hotter, that is the need for someone to translate. Virtually every area you can think of needs someone to translate for them.
Apostrophes can be confusing because they’re also used to show possession: man's office; woman's briefcase; executive's decision. Don’t be misled into thinking theirs or hers which also show possession, should have apostrophes: They are personal possessive pronouns (like mine, his, its), which never have apostrophes. An easy way to remember is this rhyme: “Possessive its never splits.”
When determining whether to use it's or its,
Who would expect that watching a fifty year celebration for Larry King would get me thinking about the attributes of great coaches, sales professionals, clients, consultants, you name it. The other night while watching Larry being interviewed by Katie Couric, Katie asked Larry wha
When determining whether to use it's or its, ask yourself if you're contracting two words or if you want to show possession. In other words, "Do I mean it is (or it has--as in 'It's got the biggest window') or am I referring to ownership?" The following sentence shows examples of contractions (missing letters) and a personal possessive pronoun: "It's too bad the dog doesn't have its own house."
Remember that although it's okay to use contractions in business writing, it's not always preferable. When you want to emphasize a point, using two words might be a better choice: "Despite the economic downturn, we are not planning to downsize our work force in the near future."
©Mary Ward Menke You may reprint this article as long as the source is kept intact.
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