Mastering English Grammar and Business Writing

Clause Fragments and How to Correct Them

Clause fragments occur when:

• A dependent clause is not attached to an independent clause.
• A sentence is missing a verb or a subject.

How to Correct a Fragment

• Give the subject an adequate verb or give the verb a subject.
• Combine the fragment with the sentence before or after it.
• Change a word or two in the fragment to make it a complete sentence.

Avoiding Double Negative Constructions

Double negation is grammatically incorrect; any negative proposition must only contain one negative. Some pronouns or adverbs, such as no, nothing (not anything), nobody (not anybody), and never (not ever), are called negative terms.

When negation already exists in the sentence, the following are used:

• Any instead of no
• Anything instead of nothing
• Anybody instead of nobody
• Ever instead of never

Examples:

• He has no friends. / He doesn't have any friends.
• I see nothing from here. / I can't see anything from here.

Common Usage Problems: Affect vs. Effect

Affect is almost always a verb meaning to influence. Affect is an action word.

Effect, usually a noun, means result. Occasionally, effect is a verb meaning to bring about or to cause.

Examples:

1. I would not let my personal problems affect the quality of my work.
2. The effect of the earthquake on Beijing was disastrous.
3. She effected policies that benefited the entire organization.

The Four Principal Parts of a Verb

• Base/Present: Same as the infinitive without "to." Add -s to form the third-person singular.
• Present Participle: Add -ing.
• Past: Add -ed.
• Past Participle: Add -ed.

Three Cases of Personal Pronouns

Pronouns have three cases, which indicate how that pronoun is related to the words it is used with. The three cases are: nominative, possessive, and objective.

• The nominative case: Used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. The nominative form pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
• The possessive case: Used to show ownership or possession. The possessive form pronouns are: My, mine, our(s), his, her(s), their, its, yours.
• The objective case: Used as the direct object, indirect object, or the object of the preposition. The objective form pronouns are: Me, you, him, her, it, them.

Standard Parts of a Business Letter

• Date
• Sender's address
• Recipient's address
• Salutation
• Body text
• Closing
• Signature block
• Enclosures

Common Types of Advertisement

• Comparative advertising
• Cooperative advertising
• Informational advertising
• Direct mail
• Outdoor advertising