Polishing Your Prose Matters on Which Experts Disagree . 2. 3. Though Gregory sa
ID: 386768 • Letter: P
Question
Polishing Your Prose Matters on Which Experts Disagree . 2. 3. Though Gregory said he had a verbal agreement with Hopefully, we can expand our marketing efforts to Canada in the next few months Max told us that everybody gets their chance eventually. The trick is to be ready to take it when it happens. Any living language changes. New usages appear first in speaking. Here are five issues on which experts currently disagree: 1. Plural pronouns to refer to everybody, everyone, and each. Standard grammar says these words require singular pro- nouns: his or her rather than their 2. Split infinitives. An infinitive is the form of a verb that con- tains to: to understand. An infinitive is split when another word separates the to from the rest of an infinitive: to easily Parker, Sandy reminded him that it should have been in writing He said it was more important to successfully serve customers than to simply sell products. 4. understand, to boldly go. The most recent edition of the Oxford English Dictionary allows split infinitives. Purists disagree. 5. Sue Ellen wondered if the plan to quickly go to the supply store before the meeting would instead make them late. othy, and Elizabeth. they stayed professional and patched things up today for the Operation Feed campaign. I hope ees are manner." However, a speaker who says "Hopefully, the rain will stop" is talking about the speaker's hope, not the rain's.7 While they had a verbal disagreement on the phone yesterday 4. Verbal to mean oral. Verbal means "using words. Therefore, both writing and speaking are verbal communication. Nonver- 8. Each manager should make sure their department has a box bal communication (for example, body language) does not use words s. Comma before and. In a series of three or more items, some9 Caron said she expects that the Purchasing Publie Rela- experts require a comma after the next to last item (the itemtions, and Building Management Departments will each send before the and); others don't. their representatives to the meeting 10. The fourth shipment got delayed in transit, but Jenny said Ask your instructor and your boss whether they are willing to hopefully everybody will get their order within 72 hours. the less formal usage. When you write to someone you don't Check your answers to the odd-numbered exercises at the back know, use standard grammar and usage of the book. Exercises Each of the following sentences illustrates informal usage. (a) Which would your instructor or your boss accept? (b) Rewrite each of the sentences using standard grammar and usage. aExplanation / Answer
a) My boss would accept the formal usage.
b)1. I hope that we can expand our marketing efforts to Canada in the next few months.
2. Max told us that everybody gets his or her chance eventually. The trick is to be ready to take it when it happens.
3. Though Gregory said he had an oral agreement with Parker, Sandy reminded him that it should have been in writing.
4. He said that it was more important to serve customers successfully than to simply sell products.
5. Sue Ellen wondered if the plan to go quickly to the supply store before the meeting would instead make them late.
6. The department's best employees are Kai, Paul, Giselle, Timothy, and Elizabeth.
7.while they had an oral disagreement on the phone yesterday, they stayed professional and patched things up today.
8. Each manager should make sure his or her department has a box for the Operation Feed Campaign.
9. Carolyn said she expects that the purchasing, Public Relations, and building management departments will each send his or her representatives to the meeting.
10. The fourth shipment got delayed in transit, but Jenny said hopefully everybody will get his or her order within 72 hours.