I don't subscribe to what is written below. Neverthless, if you want to
write formally, follow what the chart/table says.
GOOD WRITTEN ENGLISH
WHAT TO OMIT
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1. DO NOT USE Phrasal verbs, when other words are possible (eg: put up with
= tolerate, etc.)
2. DO NOT USE Slang (eg: 'cool' meaning 'interesting', 'good', 'useful'
etc.)
3. DO NOT USE Contractions (eg: don't = do not, etc.)
4. DO NOT USE Overworked verbs, eg:
- Use WALK, RUN, DRIVE,TRAVEL, etc. instead of GO (He went by car to
London/He drove to London)
- Use FETCH, CATCH (an illness), UNDERSTAND (I don't get it), instead of
GET, etc.
5. DO NOT begin sentences with SO, AND, BUT, BECAUSE. These are
conjunctions which should be used to join sentences (known as clauses).
Examples:
-
The children were hungry, so they made some sandwiches.
-
The family went to the beach and looked for a comfortable spot to sit
down.
-
She found her bag, but her purse was not in it.
-
He was angry with her, because she had told him a lie.
NB: There is no comma before AND
5. DO NOT end sentences with prepositions (eg: He wanted to know who she was
speaking to. SHOULD BE: He wanted to know to whom she was speaking.)
6. DO NOT USE Symbols as opposed to words (eg: &/and)
7. DO NOT USE Short abrupt sentences with the same subject. The
following example
is grammatically correct, but not sophisticated enough for good written
English:-
- A boy came in. His name was John. He was thin. His hair was
curly. BETTER
TO WRITE:-
a) A thin boy with curly hair came in; his name was John. or b) A thin,
curly-haired boy came in whose name was John.
GOOD WRITTEN ENGLISH
WHAT TO INCLUDE
Good written English contains:-
1. A combination of passive and active sentences
(eg: When I arrived, the flowers were being watered, so I watched the
gardeners for a while.)
2. Vocabulary of Greek and Latin origin in preference to vocabulary of
Germanic origin where possible. This is because, single syllable words are
used to simplify sentences for children; they are therefore considered
"easy" vocabulary in contrast with multi-syllable words.
For example:
- BETTER TO SAY: We often visit the park IN PREFERENCE TO: We often go
to the park.
* GO is a verb which is regularly over-used. (GET is another over-used
verb)
3. Certain French/Latin phrases used in accepted ways.
Examples:-
- The place had a certain: Je ne sais quoi. (= something special)
- "Bon Voyage," she said, kissed him and left the port. (= Have a good
journey)
4. Accepted Latin phrases (eg: ad hoc, ad lib, etcetera,)
- Jennifer works on an ad hoc basis (= She works from time to time as
required)
- The actor forgot his words, so he ad-libbed. (=He used his own words
instead.)
- What are you taking on holiday? Socks shoes, swimming costume,
passport, towels, pyjamas, etcetera. (=and so on)
NOTE: A good dictionary will give a list of well-known phrases.
5. Advanced constructions containing participle clauses and relative
clauses, etc. Examples:-
Participle Clause:-
- *Knowing how dangerous the dog could be*, she took a different route.
Relative Clause:-
- The woman from Scotland, *who has already walked 100 miles for charity*,
intends to cover another 1000 miles.
BUSINESS LETTERS
In addition to the above section on good written English, Business English
contains specifically worded sentences, many of which use the conditional
tense for added politeness and mixed conditional constructions (see example
2).
Typical Examples:
1. I would be grateful if you would* please send me details of your
product.
2. If you are able to provide a delivery date before the end of this
year, we would be happy to place an order without delay.
3. Further to our telephone conversation, I (wish/would like) to confirm
that my company would be pleased to negotiate a price with you.
* IMPORTANT GRAMMAR POINT: In conditional sentences, IF should never be
followed by WOULD. Certain business English constructions are exceptions to
this rule.
--
☼ I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is
to be flexible at all times ☼
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