This assignment is a "refresher" on grammar and sentence skills. These exercises cover skills that are often lacking in business writing and most often apparent to colleagues and clients.
Write the corrected version only (you don't need to write the original sentence or the identification of the problem, but do use precise words and action verbs for all sentences, as well as correct grammar and punctuation. There are 20 problems to correct.
English 1131
Language and Grammar Exercises
Creating Parallel Structure When Listing Items
1. To narrow a Web search:
Place quotation marks around a phrase when you want an exact term.
Many search engines have wild cards (usually an asterisk) to find plurals and other forms of a word.
Reading the instructions on the search engine itself can teach your advanced search techniques.
2. The university is one of the largest employers in the community, brings in substantial business, and the cultural impact is also big.
Correcting Sentence Errors: Run Ons, Fragments, Case, and Repetition
3. You can expect our fleet cars to be in pristine working order you can enjoy amenities such as cruise control, GPS tracking, satellite radio.
4. Without filling out the appropriate requisition form, Kelly's discipline action report indicated that she purchased two fax machines for the department.
5. Customers can order through the Web page, or they can order through our 1-800 number, or they can order through traditional mail.
6. They spent the month visiting our satellite offices and meeting their staff. In Ft. Wayne. In Lawrence. In Flint. and in Dayton.
7. Zane and me prepared the cover for the annual report and then we forwarded it to Nardo for review when tomorrow she will let us know if there are any revisions.
Fixing Errors in Grammar and Punctuation
8. Company's are find it to their advantage to cultivate their suppliers. Partnerships between company's and their suppliers can yield hefty payoffs for both the company and the supplier. One example is Bailey Controls with Ohio. Bailey make control systems for big factories. They treat suppliers like departments of their company. When a Bailey Controls employee pass a laser scanner over a bins bar code the supplier is instantly alerted to send more parts.
Correcting Errors in Denotation and Connotation
9. For a guy from the south side, Louie speaks pretty good English.
10. Luckily Carl, the senior vice president, is older than dirt and has the memory of an elephant.
11. For a woman, JoAnn is remarkably stable-she might just have what it takes for management.
Eliminating Jargon and Simplifying Language
12. With regard to the aforementioned letter of July the 15th, we expect to expedite your order to ship not later than July 21.
13. Your affirmation via signature will conclude all manner of business regarding this transaction.
14. Per your request, please fine enclosed the listing of the required nomenclature for the project headings.
15. Proffering the appropriate remuneration for services rendered assists in securing the most adroit and capable person for our employ.
Changing Verbs from Passive to Active
16. The car was driven by Lloyd to the airport.
17. A phone call was made by Penelope to the home office.
18. Whenever possible, vacations should be taken by employees during the summer months.
19. When Diedre calls, she should be told to bring copies of the annual report with her to the meeting.
20. It seems that the purchase of generic ink was based on a recommendation by Carlos from accounting services.