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CTE
Instructor Training
Workbook
Business Writing
This publication was funded fully or in part by Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 grant #14-C01-010 for $1,115,909 awarded to Coast
Community College District and administered by the Chancellor’s Office,
California Community Colleges.
Special thanks to Shannon M.M. Takeuchi, Writing Tutor and
Frederick Lockwood, Business Department Chair for their
contributions in the development of the workbook.
Table of Contents
Section One: Critical Thinking
The Critical Thinking Process………………………………………….pages 1-3
The Critical Thinking Process: An Exercise…………………………...pages 4-6
Section Two: Business Writing
Types of Written Business Documents…………………………………pages 7-13
The Business Writing Process: The Three-Step Approach……………..page 14
The Business Writing Process: Purpose, Audience, and Tone………….page 15
The Business Writing Process: An Exercise……………………………pages 16-17
Section Three: Grammar and Mechanics
Quick Reference: Common Grammatical Errors……………………….pages 18-22
Common Grammatical Errors: An Exercise……………………………pages 23-27
Section One:
Critical Thinking
1
The Critical Thinking Process
All decisions that are made in the business setting require you to use the critical
thinking process. In other words, in order to fully understand and act on a problem or
opportunity, you must be able to observe the facts of the situation, analyze it, and propose
appropriate action. This section explains each step in the critical thinking process and
provides a flow chart of the process. As you will notice, each step involves asking yourself
many questions; questioning ensures that you cover each step in-depth.
Step 1: Observing and Collecting Information Before you can begin to analyze a problem or opportunity, you must
first gather all the information and facts about it. Having all the information
is vital as it allows you to understand the scope and depth of the issue. One
way to do so is to ask the four basic questions of who, what, where, when.
Who is involved? What people, groups, or other companies are a
part of this problem or opportunity?
What is the problem or opportunity? What is the situation? What
other information is needed, i.e., what research do I need to do?
Where is the problem or opportunity located?
When did the problem or opportunity begin? How long has it been
an issue? By when does it need to be addressed?
Once you have all the information, you can begin to categorize it as either
essential or non-essential to your written document.
Step 2: Identifying and Explaining the Issue
After you’ve collected all the information necessary, you can use it to
accurately identify and succinctly explain the issue at hand.
Observing and Collecting
Information:
What is the situation? What are the facts of the
situation?
Identifying and Explaining the Issue:
What is the problem or what are the problems?
2
Step 3: Analyzing the Cause Analyzing the cause of the issue is perhaps the most critical step in
the critical thinking process. It is in this step that you use the
information to figure out what led to the issue at hand. To do so, ask
yourself what and why questions:
What led to this issue?
Why did the actions/inactions lead to the issues?
Is the issue the problem itself, or a symptom of an underlying
problem?
If there is an underlying problem, what is the cause?
Step Four: Developing a Solution or Recommendation
Once you have fully analyzed the situation and understand the
problems at hand, you can then develop solutions or
recommendations that will correct the issue or issues. To ensure that
the solution(s) is/are feasible, you can return to the four basic
questions of who, what, when, and where:
Who will be involved in the solution? What will their roles be?
Will they need training?
What information/materials/processes will be required? What,
if any, are the costs involved?
Where will the solution be implemented? What department,
what office, what region?
When will the solution be implemented? Will it be done all at
once or in phases? If it requires phases, when will each phase
begin and end?
What will the potential issues be in implementing the
solutions? Will there be resistance from the employees or
employers? How will those concerns be addressed?
Is the solution sustainable?
Analyzing the Cause:
What led to those
problems?
Surface / Underlying
Developing a Solution:
How can those problems
be addressed? In other
words, what are the
solutions to the
problems?
3
Step Five: Communicating and Implementing the Solution or
Recommendations Once you have developed the solutions/recommendations
and determined how to implement them, the next step is
communicating the solutions/recommendations to the necessary
persons and ensuring that they carry out the
solutions/recommendations accurately and efficiently.
How will you communicate the solutions/recommendations? In
person, through email or memo?
How do the solutions/recommendations need to be presented?
I.e., can you be direct, or do you need to be indirect in your
presentation? Step Six: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Solution
The final step in the critical thinking process is developing a
means of evaluating the effectiveness of the
solutions/recommendations.
Will there be measurable results that prove the
solutions/recommendations are working? I.e., will the
symptoms disappear, will sales increase, will costs decrease,
etc.
Are the results sustainable? I.e., will the positive effects be
short or long term?
Communicating and
Implementing the
Solution:
Who will be involved in
addressing the
problems?
How will the solutions be
implemented?
Evaluating the
Effectiveness of the
Solution:
How can the
effectiveness of the
solutions be measured?
4
The Critical Thinking Process: Exercise
Directions: use the information found in the “Critical Thinking Process” section to help
you complete the worksheet based on the given scenario. Use the space provided to help
you complete each step of the Critical Thinking Process.
You work in the Human Resources department. Due to recent changes in state law, your boss
asks you to review the hiring practices of the company. During your review, you discover that
the current application asks questions about the applicant’s ethnicity, which is illegal according
to the new state law. What do you do and why?
Step One: Observing and Collecting Information
Step Two: Identifying and Explaining the Issue
5
Step Three: Analyzing the Cause
Step Four: Developing a Solution or Recommendation
6
Step Five: Communicating and Implementing the Solution or Recommendation (note: you
may want to read “Types of Business Documents” on page 7 to help you complete this step)
Step Six: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Solution
Section Two:
Business Writing
Types of Written Business Documents
Businesses and business people utilize several different types of written documents
in order to communicate with each other, clients, and the public. Which form is used and
when it is used depends on the message being sent, the purpose of the message, and the
target audience. Below are short definitions of the four basic forms of written documents
most often used and corresponding links you may visit in order to see examples and get
more information. Memos: “Memos are […] printed documents traditionally used for the routine, day-to-day
exchange of information within an organization. In many organizations, IM, e-mail, blogs, and
other electronic media have largely replaced paper memos” (Bovee and Thill, 2010, p.97).
The following links provide more information on writing memos:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/01/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/02/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/03/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/04/
Letter: “Letters are […] written messages generally sent to recipients outside the organization.
In addition to conveying a particular message, they perform an important public relations
function in fostering good working relationships with customers, suppliers, and others” (Bovee
and Thill, 2010, p.97).
The following links provide more information on writing business letters:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/02/ Reports:
Informational reports: “informational reports offer data, facts, feedback, and other types
of information, without analysis or recommendations” (Bovee and Thill, 2010, p. 377).
Analytical reports: “analytical reports offer both information and analysis, and they can
also include recommendations” (Bovee and Thill, 2010, p. 377).
For the basic structure of business reports, please see Figures 1.1 and 1.2
Proposals: “Proposals are a special category of reports that combine information delivery and
persuasive communication” (Bovee and Thill, 2010, p. 377).
For the basic structure of business proposals, please see Figure 2.1
Figure 1.1: Basic Structure of a Business Report
What is a report?
Reports, like essays, are a common way of assessing students at university. While essays
generally require a discussion of a particular issue/theoretical statement or quote, reports
generally focus on a specific problem or case study. Business reports, for example, are often
addressed to a client (e.g. manager) and make recommendations. Reports always use section
headings and take an objective perspective.
There is a logical development expected in any report. The sections that are required in a report
can vary depending on what type of report it is. It is important to understand your audience to
determine which sections are required.
Title page
In the title page, you would usually be expected to include: • Title of the report - This needs to be brief, but describe what the report is about
• Your name and student ID
• Name of the person the report is written for
• Date
• Other details you might be required to include.
Introduction
The introduction explains to the reader in more detail some or all of the following points:
• reasons for undertaken the study and writing the report
• the assumptions which were made in the study • the scope of the investigation, i.e. what is covered and what is not
• the limitations inherent in the study
• an outline of the structure of the report.
Discussion
The discussion section is a very important part of your report and presents an interpretation of
your results. Typically, you might include:
• support (or otherwise) that the results provide for the hypotheses
• factors which may have influenced your results,
• implications of the results.
Conclusion The conclusion is a summary of your study - its overall purpose, the steps in the process, its
overall findings. This should lead to the recommendations, if your report requires these.
Recommendations
If the purpose of the report is to suggest actions that should be taken, these recommendations
should be listed here, usually numbered in a logical sequence.
9
Figure 1.2: Analytical Report
TO: Robert Mendoza, Vice President of Marketing
FROM: Binh Phan, National Sales Manager
DATE: September 12, 2010
SUBJECT: Major accounts sales problems
Explains how
the information used in the
analysis was
collected.
As you requested on August 20, this report outlines the results of my
investigation into the recent slowdown in sales to major accounts and the
accompanying rise in sales- and service-related complaints from some of our
largest customers.
Over the last four quarters, major account sales dropped 12%, whereas overall sales were
up 7%. During the same time, we’ve all noticed an increase in both formal and informal
complaints from larger customers, regarding how confusing and complicated it has
become to do business with us.
My investigation started with in-depth discussions with the four regional sales managers,
first as a group and then individually. The tension I felt in the initial meeting eventually
bubbled to the surface during my meetings with each manager. Staff members in each
region are convinced that other regions are booking orders they don’t deserve, with one
region doing all the legwork only to see another region get the sale, the commission, and
the quota credit.
I followed up these formal discussions by talking informally and exchanging e-mail with
several sales representatives from each region. Virtually everyone who is involved with
out major national accounts has a story to share. No one is happy with the situation, and I
sense that some reps are walking away from major customers because the process is so
frustrating.
The decline in sales to our major national customers and the increase in their complaints
stem from two problems: (1) sales force organization and (2) commission policy.
ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEMS
When we divided the national sales force into four geographical regions last year, the
idea was to focus our sales efforts and clarify responsibilities for each prospective and
current customer. The regional managers have gotten to know their market territories
very well, and sales have increased beyond even our most optimistic projections.
However, while solving one problem, we have created another. In the past 12 to 18
months, several regional customers have grown to national status, and a few retailers
have taken on (or expressed interest in) our products. As a result, a significant portion of
both current sales and future opportunities lies with these large national accounts.
I uncovered more than a dozen cases in which sales representatives from two or more
regions found themselves competing with each other by pursuing the same customers
from different locations. Moreover, the complaints from our major accounts about
overlapping or nonexistent account coverage are a direct result of the regional
organization. In some cases, customers aren’t sure which of our representatives they’re
supposed to call with problems and orders. In other cases, no one has been in contact with
them for several months.
Clarifies who requested the report,
when it was
requested, and who
wrote it.
Highlights the
serious nature of the
problem.
Describes the first
problem and
explains how it
occurred, without
blaming anyone
personally.
10
For example, having retail outlets across the lower tier of the country, AmeriSport
received pitches from reps out of our West, South, and East regions. Because our
regional offices have a lot of negotiating freedom, the three were offering different
prices. But all AmeriSport buying decisions were made at the Tampa headquarters, so
all we did was confuse the customer. The irony of the current organization is that we’re
often giving out weakest selling and support efforts to the largest customers in the
country.
COMMISSION PROBLEMS
The regional organization problems are compounded by the way we assign commissions
and quota credit. Salespeople in one region can invest a lot of time in pursuing a sale,
only to have the customer place the order in another region. So some sales rep in the
second region ends up with the commission on a sale that was partly or even entirely
earned by someone in the first region. Therefore, sales reps sometimes don’t pursue
leads in their regions, thinking that a rep in another region will get the commission.
For example, Athletic Express, with outlets in 35 states spread across all four regions,
finally got so frustrated with us that the company president called our headquarters.
Athletic Express has been trying to place a larger order for tennis and gold accessories,
but none of our local reps seem interested in paying attention. I spoke with the rep
responsible for Nashville, where the company is headquartered, and asked her why she
wasn’t working the account more actively. Her explanation was that the last time she got
involved with Athletic Express, the order was actually placed from their L.A. regional
office, and she didn’t get any commission after more than two weeks of selling time.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Our sales organization should reflect the nature of our customer base. To accomplish that
goal, we need a group of reps who are free to pursue accounts across regional borders—
and who are compensated fairly for their work. The most sensible answer is to establish a
national account group. Any customers whose operations place them in more than one
region would automatically be assigned to the national group.
In addition to solving the problem of competing sales efforts, the new structure will also
largely eliminate the commission-splitting problem because regional reps will no longer
invest time in prospects assigned to the national accounts team. However, we will need to
find a fair way to compensate regional reps who are losing long-term customers to the
national team. Some of these reps have invested years in developing customer
relationships that will continue to yield sales well into the future, and everyone I talked to
agrees that reps in these cases should receive some sort of compensation. Such a
“transition commission” would also motivate the regional reps to help ensure a smooth
transition from one sales group to the other. The exact nature of this compensation would
need to be worked out with the various sales managers.
Brings the first problem to life by
complementing the
general description with a specific
example.
Simplifies the reader’s task by
maintaining a parallel
structure for the discussion of the
second problem: a
general description followed by a specific
example.
Explains how the new organizational
structure will solve
both problems.
Acknowledges that
the recommended
solution does create a temporary
compensation
problem, but expresses
confidence that a
solution to that can
be worked out.
(Bovee and Thill, 2010, p. 396-397) 11
Figure 1.2 cont’d
SUMMARY
The regional sales organization is effective at the regional and local levels but not at the
national level. We should establish a national accounts group to handle sales that cross
regional boundaries. Then we’ll have one set of reps who are focused on the local and
regional levels and another set who are pursuing national accounts.
To compensate regional reps who lose accounts to the national team, we will need to
devise some sort of payment to reward them from years of work invested in such
accounts. This can be discussed with the sales managers once the new structure is in
place.
Neatly summarizes both
the problem and
the recommended solution.
12
Figure 2.1: Internal Proposal
TO: Jamie Engle
FROM: Shandel Cohen
DATE: July 8, 2010
SUBJECT: Saving $145k/year with an automated e-mail response system
Captures reader’s attention
with a compelling promise
in subject line.
THE PROBLEM:
Expensive and Slow Response to Customer Information Requests
Our new product line has been very well received, and orders have surpassed our
projections. This very success, however, has created a shortage of printed
brochures, as well as considerable overtime for people in the customer response
center. As we introduce upgrades and new options, our printed materials quickly become outdated. If we continue to rely on printed materials from customer
information, we have two choices: Distribute existing materials (even though
they are incomplete or inaccurate) or discard existing materials and print new
ones.
THE SOLUTION:
Automated E-Mail Response System
With minor additions and modifications to our current e-mail system, we can set
up an automated system to respond to customer requests for information. This
system can save us time and money and can keep our distributed information
current.
Automated e-mail response systems have been tested and proven effective. Many
companies already use this method to respond to customer information requests,
so we won’t have to worry about relying on untested technology. Using the
system is easy, too: Customers simply send a blank e-mail message to a specific
address, and the system responds by sending an electronic copy of the requested
brochure.
Benefit #1: Always Current Information
Rather than discard and print new materials, we would only need to keep the
electronic files up to date on the server. We could be able to provide customers
and our field sales organization with up-to-date, correct information as soon as
the upgrades are available.
Benefit #2: Instantaneous Delivery
Almost immediately after requesting information, customers would have that
information in hand. Electronic delivery would be especially advantageous for
our international customers. Regular mail to remote locations sometimes takes
weeks to arrive, by which time the information may already be out of date. Both
customers and field salespeople will appreciate the automatic mail-response
system.
Describes the current
situation and explains why
it should be fixed.
Explains the proposed
solution in enough detail to make it convincing without
burdening the reader with
excessive detail.
Builds reader interest in the
proposed solution by listing
a number of compelling benefits.
13
Benefit #3: Minimalize Waste
With our current method of printing every marketing piece in large quantities, we
discard thousands of pages of obsolete catalogs, data sheets, and other materials
every year. By maintaining and distributing information electronically, we would
eliminate waste. We would also free up a considerable amount of expensive floor
space and shelving that is required for storing printed materials.
Of course, some of our customers may still prefer to receive printed materials, or
they may not have access to electronic mail. For these customers, we could
simply print copies of the files when we receive such requests. The new Xerox
DocuColor printer just installed in the Central Services building would be ideal
for printing high-quality materials in small quantities.
Benefit #4: Lower Overtime Costs
In addition to saving both paper and space, we would also realize considerable
savings in wages. Because of the increased interest in our new products, we must
continue to work overtime or hire new people to meet the demand. An automatic
mail response system would eliminate this need, allowing us to deal with
fluctuating interest without a fluctuating workforce.
Cost Analysis
The necessary equipment and software costs approximately $15,000. System
maintenance and upgrades are estimated at $5,000 per year. However, these costs are
offset many times over by the predicted annual savings:
Printing $100,000
Storage 25,000
Postage 5,000
Wages 20,000
---------------------------------- Total $150,000
Based on these figures, the system would save $130,000 the first year and $145,000
every year after that.
CONCLUSION
An automated e-mail response system would yield considerable benefits in both
customer satisfaction and operating costs. If you approve, we can have it installed
and running in 6 weeks. Please give me a call if you have any questions.
Acknowledges one
potential shortcoming with the new approach, but
provides a convincing
solution to that as well. Itemizes the cost savings in
order to support the
$145k/year claim made in the
subject line.
Summarizes the benefits and
invites further discussion.
(Bovee and Thill, 2010, p. 400-401)
14
The Business Writing Process: The Three-Step Approach
The writing process for any business document can be broken down into three main
steps. According to Bovee and Thill (2010), “the three-step process is especially valuable with
reports and proposals. By guiding your work at each step, the process helps you make the most
of the time and energy you invest.” Step 1 is the planning stage in which all the information is
gathered, analyzed, and outlined. Step 2 is the writing stage in which the information is drafted
into sentences and paragraphs. Step 3 is the final stage in which the draft of the document is
revised and proofread. While these steps seem to progress in a linear manner (beginning, middle,
end), it is important to note that in the course of writing, you may go back and forth between the
steps. In fact, such flexibility ensures that you produce accurate and effective written messages.
Plan - Gather
Write Complete
information
and do any
necessary
research
-Analyze the
data; clarify the
issue, whether
problem or
opportunity.
-Organize the
information
and determine
the scope,
required
information,
and appropriate
format
-Create an
outline
- Determine
your purpose,
audience, and
tone - Create a draft
using concise,
appropriate
language
-Revise the
draft, checking
for
organization of
information,
clarity,
conciseness,
and
appropriateness
of language. -Proofread to
eliminate any
typos,
grammatical
errors, or
spelling errors.
15
The Business Writing Process: Purpose, Audience, and Tone Purpose: To create an effective written document, you must first understand what your purpose is.
Sometimes your purpose is determined for you, such as when your boss requests a report on
particular information. Sometimes, however, it will be up to you to determine what your purpose
is by first analyzing your situation and asking yourself “why am I writing?” Once you have
determined your purpose, you can choose which written document format will be most
appropriate. The following questions are basic questions you can ask yourself in order to help
you identify your purpose:
Why am I writing? Often, the answer to this question will be answered by an infinitive
phrase (“to” + verb), such as “to analyze the budget of travel expense and to provide
recommendations to eliminate unnecessary expenses.”
What is the information I have and why does my audience need it? Audience:
Much of the writing you’ll do for business will need to address particular people, also know as
your audience. Is it your immediate boss? Your employees? The board of directors? A client?
The community? The information each of these audiences requires might be the same or
different, but how you present the information will be different depending upon who you are
addressing. Therefore, it is very important that as part of your writing process you consider who
your particular audience is and create a brief profile for it so that you may choose the correct
form of document and the most appropriate tone in order to effectively deliver the information.
The following are a few basic questions to ask yourself so that you may build a profile of your
audience:
What people make up my particular audience?
What are their expectations for this memo/letter/report/proposal?
What information have they requested?
What information do they need? Tone: In writing, “tone” refers to the particular “mood” that is created through words. Generally
speaking, the tone used in business documents will always be professional, objective, and polite.
However, there are questions to ask yourself that will help you understand the tone required for
your document even further:
What is the situation? Is it a serious problem that needs to be addressed, or is it a positive
situation?
How will the audience react to the information? Is it likely to be well received, or will
there be resistance?
16
The Business Writing Process: Purpose, Audience, and Tone Exercise
This exercise uses the same scenario presented in Exercise One. Use the work you did for
that exercise to help you complete this worksheet.
You work in the Human Resources department. Due to recent changes in state law, your boss
asks you to review the hiring practices of the company. During your review, you discover that
the current application asks questions about the applicant’s ethnicity, which is illegal according
to the new state law. What do you do and why? What is the purpose of your written document, i.e. the objective?
Who is your target audience? Why is it your target audience?
What are the target audience’s expectations for the report/memo/proposal?
17
Based on the target audience you’ve identified, what reaction do you expect? Why?
Do you need to use a direct or an indirect approach for your solution/recommendations?
Why?
Section Three:
Grammar and Mechanics
Quick Reference: Common Grammatical Errors
This reference list is meant to provide a brief overview of the most common
grammatical errors. Each error contains a definition of the error, an example of the error,
and an example of how to correct the error. While this reference is useful, it is not
comprehensive; therefore, a list of additional resources has been provided.
Comma splice: a comma splice occurs when two complete sentences are separated using only a
comma. If you are using a comma to separate two complete sentences, you must also use a
coordinating conjunction, also known as the FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
Example:
A. Comma splice: [The purpose of this report is to identify monthly travel expenses],[the
expenses analyzed include gas, car rentals, plane tickets, and hotel rooms.]
B. Correction: [The purpose of this report is to identify monthly travel expenses],and
[the expenses analyzed include gas, car rentals, plane tickets, and hotel rooms.] Fragment: a fragment occurs when a sentence is missing a subject and/or a verb and does NOT
convey a complete thought.
Example:
A. Fragment: Although the price of gas has risen.
B. Correction: Although the price of gas has risen, travel by car is the less expensive form
of transportation for the sales representatives when compared to travel by plane.
Informal voice: while a sentence may be grammatically correct, if it uses informal voice, i.e.
conversational or colloquial words or phrases, then it might be read as unprofessional by an
audience. For written business communication, it is best to avoid using the informal voice.
Example:
A. Informal voice:I bet it would totally save the company a ton of money if the sales reps
drive instead of fly.
B. Correction: In order for the company to maintain a cost-effective travel expense
budget, sales representatives should travel by car rather than travel by airplane.
Parallel structure: should a sentence include a series or list of words or phrases, each word or
phrase must be of the same type; i.e., if the series begins with a verb, all units in the series must
also be verbs.
Example:
A. Incorrect: Sales representatives are responsible for keeping track of mileage, submit
receipts, and will get reimbursed.
B. Correction: Sales representatives are responsible for keeping track of mileage,
submitting receipts, and checking the accuracy of reimbursement.
Punctuation: different punctuation marks function in different ways, but the following is a list
of the most commonly used marks, including a definition for how each is most commonly used:
1. Apostrophe ( ‘ )—used to indicate possession OR to indicate omission
a. possession: The sales representative’s receipt is missing.
b. Omission: It isn’t his fault; the secretary misplaced it.
2. Colon ( : )—used to set off a list of four or more items
a. The following sales representatives must submit their monthly reports: Charles,
Jessica, Mary, Dwight, Jim, Pam, and Stanley.
3. Comma ( , )—used to separate a complete sentence and an incomplete sentence OR to
separate items in a series.
a. Separate an incomplete and complete sentence: [Even though Pam has doubled the
number of her sales], [Jim still has the highest number of sales for the month.]
b. Separate items in a series: The people with the highest number of sales are Jim, Pam,
and Dwight.
4. Hyphen ( - )—used to create compound adjectives OR to indicate a word break.
a. In compound-adjectives: The new user-generatedsurveys are more accurate than the
old computer-generated surveys.
b. Word break: The reports should be com-
pleted and turned in no later than the 5th of each month.
5. Period ( . )—used to separate complete sentences. May also be used in abbreviations,
such as “i.e.” or “e.g.”
a. The district sales manager approves the expense budgets for each location. She emails
them by the 1st of each month.
6. Question mark ( ? )—used to indicate a question
a. How much should the company budget each month for travel expenses?
7. Quotation marks ( “ )—used to indicate dialogue OR to mark the direct speech or direct
writing of a secondary person or source
a. As the contract states, “all parties must receive a copy of the contract.”
b. The CEO said in his speech that“our company will focus on growth.”
8. Semicolon ( ; )—like the period, the semicolon is used to separate complete sentences.
a. [The reports are almost complete]; [they just need to be finalized before they are
duplicated and filed.] Run-on or fused sentence: a run-on sentence, also known as a fused sentence, occurs when two
or more complete sentences are written together and lack proper punctuation to indicate where
one complete sentence ends and the next begins. A period, semi-colon, or a comma and
coordinating conjunction may be used to correct a run-on sentence. (see “comma splice” for a list
of coordinating conjunctions.
Example:
A. Run-on sentence: Sales have increased by 15% over last year this means that each
employee will receive a year-end bonus.
B. Correction: [Sales have increased by 15% over last year.] [This means that each
employee will receive a year-end bonus.] Subject/pronoun agreement: in any sentence, when the subject is replaced by a pronoun, the
pronoun must maintain the gender or number of the subject. The more common mistake is the
misuse of the plural pronoun “they” in replacing a singular noun.
Example:
A. Incorrect: Coffee Bean is a well-established company. They have been open since
1963.
In the first sentence, Coffee Bean is one company, and therefore it is a singular noun. In
the second sentence, the singular proper noun “Coffee Bean” has been replaced by
the plural pronoun “they,” thus creating a disagreement in number.
B. Correction: Coffee Bean is a well-established company. It has been open since 1963.
Subject/verb agreement: in any sentence, the verb must be conjugated to its corresponding
subject.
Example:
A. Incorrect: Coffee Bean offer franchise opportunities.
B. Correction: Coffee Bean offers franchise opportunities.
Verb tense shift: in any sentence, the verb tense should remain consistent within the context of
the sentence; i.e., if a sentence uses the present tense of a verb, it should maintain the present
tense with all subsequent verbs unless the context of the sentence allows for a shift to a different
tense.
Example:
A. Coffee Bean offers health benefits to its employees; it had a life insurance and
retirement plan that employees can enroll in as well.
In this sentence, there are three verbs, “offers,” “had,” and “can enroll.” The first and
third verbs are present tense, but the second verb is in past tense. The context of the
sentence indicates that Coffee Bean currently has life insurance and retirement plans for
employees, the second verb, “had,” is an incorrect shift in tense.
B. Correction: Coffee Bean offers health benefits to its employees; it has a life insurance
and retirement plan that employees can enroll in as well.
Additional Grammar Resources
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Web Resources
The following web-based resources have been chosen for their accuracy and ease of use.
Each of the grammar errors listed on this reference guide and more may be found in each of the
resources listed.
http://www.chompchomp.com
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/5/
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Common Grammatical Errors: Exercise
This diagnostic is meant to help you assess your ability to recognize and correct
common grammatical errors. If you are able to recognize and correct the errors contained
in this exercise, then these errors most likely do not appear in your own writing. If you are
unable to identify or are unable to correct the errors in this exercise, it might be an
indication that your own writing contains those errors.
Exercise: The following paragraph contains an example of each of the grammatical errors
and some of punctuation errors that are on the “Grammar Quick Reference.” For each error you
find, first underline the error, then correct the error to make the sentence grammatically correct.
The following page contains a key that you can use to check your corrections.
(1) Founded in 1963, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is one of the most popular chains of
coffee shops in America,its first store was opened in Brentwood, Californiaand the company has
since expanded to over 950 stores in fifteen American states and twenty-six countries
worldwide.(2) The company, which offer franchise opportunities, featured both traditional (street
side and shopping mall) and non-traditional (airports, university campuses, military bases, store-
in-store, hotels and casinos) retail formats.(3) According to Coffee bean’s website, they have
“always been passionate about connecting loyal customers with carefully handcrafted products,”
which include a variety of coffees, teas, blended drinks, and serves snack items.
(4) Like many other for-profit companies. (5) The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf uses its
“Caring Cup” program to be totally cool and give back to communities through monetary
donations to select charities it gives to both global and domestic programs, stating, “our
customers also participate in these initiatives through their purchases and donations. Together we
respond to the needs of local communities served by our stores and the needs of communities
where our products are grown. (6) The combination of premium coffee and tea drinks and
attention to community development make The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf a great company.
Correction Key
(1) Founded in 1963, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is one of the most popular chains of
America. Its California, and
coffee shops in America, itsfirst store was opened in Brentwood, California and the company
has since expanded to over 950 stores in fifteen American states and twenty-six countries
offers features
worldwide. (2) The company, which offer franchise opportunities, featuredboth traditional
(street side and shopping mall) and non-traditional (airports, university campuses, military bases,
Bean’s it
store-in-store, hotels and casinos) retail formats. (3) According to Coffee bean’s website, they
has
have “always been passionate about connecting loyal customers with carefully handcrafted
snack items.
products,” which include a variety of coffees, teas, blended drinks, and serves snack items.
Like many other for profit companies, The
(4)Like many other for-profit companies. (5) The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf uses its
as a means of giving
“Caring Cup” program to be totally cool and give back to communities through monetary
charities. It
donations to select charities it gives to both global and domestic programs, stating, “our
customers also participate in these initiatives through their purchases and donations. Together we
respond to the needs of local communities served by our stores and the needs of communities
where our products are grown.”(6)The combination of premium coffee and tea drinks and
attention to community development make The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf a great company.
Key to Corrections:
(1) a. run-on sentence
b. missing comma
(2) a. subject/verb agreement
b. verb tense
(3) a. capitalization
b. subject/pronoun agreement
c. subject/verb agreement
d. parallel structure
(4) a. fragment
(5) a. informal voice
b. run-on sentence
(6) a. correct as is
