UC-NRLF ^B 2T7 bflT -•/* " 'nn. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/businesslettershOOthririch BUSINESS LETTERS HOW TO WRITE THEM Business Letters HOW TO WRITE THEM BY TIM THRIFT ADVERTISING MANAGER, THE AMERICAN MULTIGRAPH SALES COMPANY, CLEVELAND DIRECTOR, CLEVELAND ADVERTISING CLUB BENJAMIN J. CAMPBELL AUTHOR OP ''modern BUSINESS PUNCTUATION" '"DRILLS IN THE USE OF CORRECT ENGLISH" JOINT AUTHOR OF "essentials OF BUSINESS ENGLISH*' AND BRUCE L. VASS JOINT AUTHOR OF "essentials OF BUSINESS ENGLISH" BUSINESS ENGLISH PUBLISHING COMPANY JACKSON, MICHIGAN ^' fA Copyright 19 16 BY BUSINESS ENGLISH PUBLISHING COMPANY EDUCATION DEPi; INTRODUCTORY The ability to write a good business letter is an accom= plishment highly prized in the modern business world. Many great houses depend upon their correspondence for their business. In such cases the letter-writers are most important factors in the organization. Innumerable oc- casions arise when a business house would give almost anything for a "good letter" to suit the occasion. Thou- sands of business men are striving continuouslv to improve the style and character of their letters. P'or all these reasons, Business Correspondence is a desirable subject of study. It can be made to pay large dividends on a small invest- ment of time and labor. The young man who can write a good letter soon becomes a marked man, if not a man of mark. He is sure to be a "picked" man; and if he con- tinues to cultivate the accomplishment,. he may reap large rewards. — Thomas H. Russell. 54PJ70 CONTENTS Page Abbreviations, uses of 43 Names of the States 44 Names of the Months , 44 Commercial Terms 45 Acknowledging Orders 64 Acknowledging Remittances 65 Adjustment Letters 103 Capitalization 48 Collection Letters Ill Composition of the Letter 17 Unity of the Sentence 17 Clearness 20 Position of Adverbs and Adjectives 20 Position of Phrases and Clauses 21 Position of Correlative Conjunctions 22' Antecedent of the Personal Pronoun 22 Repetition of Important Elements 22 Miscellaneous Principles 24 Effectiveness 30 Parallelism 30 Repetition for Emphasis 30 Repetitions to be Avoided 30 Brevity 32 The Conversational Style 32 Tone and Individuality 33 Compound Words 38 Enclosures 65 Envelope Address 13 Figures, uses of 47 Folding 12 Letters Ordering Goods 62 Letters of Recommendation 67 Letters of Introduction 68 Letters of Application 70 Mechanical Make-up 59 Paragraphing 58 contents Page Parts of a Letter . 1 The Heading : 1 The Introductory Address 4 The Salutation 5 . The Complimentary Close 9 The Signature • 10 Punctuation 48 The Comma 50 Series of Words or Phrases 50 Transposed Phrases and Clauses 50 Parenthetical Words and Phrases. 51 Intermediate Expressions 51 Nouns in Apposition • 52 Nouns of Address 52 Compound Sentences 52 Adverbial and Relative Clauses 53 Omission of the Verb 53 Complex Subject 53 Quotations 54 Ambiguity 54 Words or Phrases in Pairs 54 Contrasted Words or Phrases 54 The Semicolon 54 The Colon 55 The Period 56 The Interrogation Point 56 The Exclamation Point 57 The Dash 57 Quotation Marks 57 Sales Letters 75 Art of Securing Attention , 78 Arousing Interest and Holding It 84 How to Create Desire 89 The Close— How to Get Action 96 Subscriptions 64 Syllabication 42 Titles, uses of 6 Official Position 7 Official Titles 7 Doubling Titles 8 - THE PARTS OF A LETTER Custom requires that the business letter shall follow certain prescribed forms, and any deviation from these is likely to create an unfavorable impression. The business letter consists of six distinct parts, each of which merits careful study. These are — 1. The heading. 2. The introductory address. 3. The salutation. 4. The body. 5. The complimentary close. 6. The signature. The Heading The heading consists of the address of the writer and the date. If the writer's address is a large city, the heading should contain the street and number, or the post-office box. If the address is a small place, the name of the county should be given. If the letter is written from a club, college, hotel or the like, the heading should contain this information. Position of the heading. — The heading should begin at least two inches from the top of the page, and should not extend to the left of the middle of the page, nor beyond the right-hand margin. It may occupy one, two, or even three lines, depending upon the width of the page and the information given. When the heading requires more than one line, the date, consisting of the month, the day of the month, and the year, is written on the last line. Punctuation. — The parts of the heading are separated by commas, and a period is placed at the end. Observe that no comma is used between the month and the day of BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM Letterhead Date Introductory address Salutation Body of the letter Compliment- ary close Signature HAMPSHIRE PAPER COMPANY MAKERS OF OLD HAMPSHIRE BOND South Haduey Falls. Mass. March 20, 1916. Mr, Honry J. Cameron, Manager, Acme Mfg. Company, Portland, Oregon. Dear Sir: There is just one more point In con- nection with Old Hampshire Bond that we should like to take up with you. Don't lose the perspective. Don't consider that because the amount of sta- tionery you use is large that you can't afford Old Hampshire Bond. If Old Hampshire is profitable to a concern writing five letters a day, it is ten times more so where fifty letters are v/rltten. You see all the letters, but the man you are writing to sees but one of them. And suppose he is just the roan you want most to influence. If the request meets your approval, we should appreciate an expression from you regarding Old Hampshire Bond. Yours very truly, Hampshire Paper Company, THE HEADING 3 the month, or between the number and the name of the street. Observe also that a period is placed after all abbre- viations, and that when an abbreviation comes at the end of any part except the last, it is followed by a period and a comma. The following models illustrate the correct forms for the heading of a letter : (1) Lynn, Mass., March 24, 1916. or Lynn, Massachusetts, March 24, 1916. (2) 1224 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, Feb. 5, 1915. (3) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 4, 1916. (4) Box 351, Atlanta, Ga*, June 24, 1915. Notes 1. The name of the city should never be abbreviated. The name of the state, if long, may be abbreviated. Ohio, Iowa, Maine, Idaho, Utah, and Oregon should not be abbreviated. 2. Th, st, and d should not be used in the heading after the day of the month. Write July 2^,191 5, not July 21tih, 1 91 5. 3. The date should be written in full; as, July 2I4., 1916, not 7 1 2k lie, nor July 2k, '16. 4. May, June, and July should not be abbreviated. The other months may be abbreviated, but generally it is better to write March, April, and August in full. 5. When a letterhead is used, the date should, as a rule, be written about two spaces — one-third of an inch — below the last line of the letterhead. The date should not be written on a line with the last line of the letterhead, because it destroys the symmetry of the letterhead, and because the typewritten part does not harmonize with the printed part. 4 BUSINESS letters: how to write them Exercise 1 Write the following headings, referring to the models for the proper position, arrangement, punctuation, and capitali- zation : 1. arcanum ohio april 15 1916. 2. 1245 east main st may 2 1916 jackson michigan. 3. grayson county galax may 22 1915 Virginia. 4. albany n y box 431 aug 21 1915. 5. detroit mich 314 majestic building June 24 1915. 6. June 18 masonic temple X915 st louis missouri. The Introductory Address The introductory address consists of the name and title, and the address of the person to whom the letter is written. It may consist of two, three, or even four lines. In business correspondence it precedes the body of the letter and should begin from six to nine spaces — one to one and one-half inches — below the date line. In social and official cor- respondence, it is placed below the body of the letter, begin- ning at the left-hand margin. The following models illustrate the correct forms for the introductory address : (1) Mr. W. L. Wallace, Philadelphia, Pa. (2) Mr. Henry B. Joy, President, Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Michigan. (3) Mesara. McQuillan & Harriaon, Jackson, Michigan. (4) The Lammera-Shilling Co., Chicago, 111. (5) Meaara. E. P. Button & Co., 661 Fifth Avenue, Hew York, N. Y. THE SALUTATION 5 Punctuation. — A comma should be placed at the end of each line of the introductory address except the last, which should be followed by a period. If a title, such as Secretary, President, or Manager, is used after the name, a comma should be placed between the name and the title. Notes 1. The second line of the address should be indented the same as the first line of each paragraph — either five or ten spaces on the type- writer. If the address consists of three lines, the third line should begin a corresponding distance to the right of the second line. 2. The form shown in Model 5, called the block style, is now used quite extensively. While this form saves a little time, many use it only in letters in which no indentations are made for paragraphs. The Salutation The salutation is the term of respect or courtesy used to introduce the letter. It is placed below the address and is begun at the left-hand margin. The choice of the salu- tation depends on the degree of familiarity existing between the correspondents. The following models illustrate the correct forms for the introductory address and the salutation: (1) dr. John H, Benson, Chicago, Illinois. Dear Sir: (2) Miss Mary Littler, Denver, Colorado. Dear Madam: or Dear Miss Littler: (3) The Galax Hardware Company, Galax, Virginia, Gentlemen: 6 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM Punctuation. — The salutation is followed by a colon. A colon and a dash, or a comma and a dash may be used, but the colon is preferable. Notes 1. The proper salutation of a purely business letter is Dear Sir or Gentlemen. Dear Sirs, once considered good usage, is now obsolete. Where a cordial relation exists, it is permissible to use My dear Sir or Dear Mr. Blank. 2. Sir or Sirs is used only in official or very formal correspondence. 3. The salutations. Dear Friend, My dear Friend, Dear Hall, etc., show affectionate regard, and should be confined to social letters. 4. When addressing a woman, either married or unmarried, the correct salutation is Dear Madam. If, however, the person addressed is a girl known to be in or just past her teens, it is better to use the name; as, Dear Miss Blank. In addressing a married woman. Dear Mrs. Blank may be used even when there is only a slight acquaintance. 5. In addressing a firm or other group of women, Ladies is the proper salutation. 6. Observe that dear is capitalized only when it is the first word of the salutation. Titles Courtesy, as well as custom, requires that a title be used either before or after every name, except when writing to a corporation or a society. It is a mark of respect that should never be omitted, especially when addressing an individual. Titles of courtesy. — The titles of courtesy that are used in the address of business letters are Mr., Messrs., Esq., Miss, Misses, Mesdames, Dr., Rev., Prof., and Hon. Mr. is applied to all men who have no other distinctive title; as, Mr. Paul G. Henderson. Messrs., the abbreviation of Messieurs, the French for Gentlemen, is the correct title to use when addressing two or more men engaged in business under a name that, in some way, implies the personal element; as, Messrs. Lyons & Carnathan; Messrs. J. C. Matthews & Co. ; Messrs. John L. Harrison & Sons. It is also used in address- ing two or more men not associated in business ; as, Messrs. Brown, Hamlin, and Jennings. It should not, however, be used where the word the may be placed before the firm name ; as, (the) J. C. Matthews Company, not Messrs J. C. Matthews Company. TITLES OF OFFICIAL POSITION 7 Esq., the abbreviation of Esquire, is a title given especially to lawyers and justices of the peace, but it may be applied to any man as a mark of respect; as, Thomas E. Barkworth, Esq. Miss is the title given to an unmarried woman. It is not an abbre- viation, and should not, therefore, be followed by a period ; as. Miss Fannie Ward. The plural of Miss is Misses; as, Misses Mary and Kate Harrison, or the Misses Harrison. Mrs., the abbreviation of Mistress, is the title applied to a married woman; as, Mrs. John C. Smith. Mesdames, sometimes abbreviated Mmes., is the title used in addressing two or more married women; as, Mesdames Shaw and Walker. Dr. is the title applied to those who hold a doctor's degree in medi- cine, dentistry, literature, theology, or philosophy; as, Dr. A. B. Robinson. Rev., the abbreviation of Reverend, is the title given to clergymen; as, Rev. Ames Maywood. Prof., the abbreviation of Professor, is the title given' to those who hold professorships in colleges and universities ; as. Prof. Charles W. Eliot. Hon., the abbreviation of Honorable, is the title given to men who hold or have held important positions in the national, state, or city government; as, Hon. Woodbridge N. Ferris. Titles of official position. — Titles designating official po- sition, such as Manager, President, Secretary, Superintendent, etc., should be placed on a line with the name, for the reason that it adds to the degree of courtesy and also avoids mak- ing the second line of the address too long. If, however, the name or the title is long, the title may, in order to preserve the balance of the introductory address, be placed on the second line or on a line by itself. Such titles should not be abbreviated unless space requires it. Wrong: Mr. W. W. Stephens, Vice-President, Stephens-Adamson Mfg. Co., Aurora, Illinois. Right: Mr. W. W. Stephens, Vice-President, Stephens-Adamson Mfg. Co., Aurora, Illinois. Official titles. — In addressing the President, Vice-Presi- dent, Speaker of the House of Representatives, members 8 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM of the Cabinet, and judges of the Supreme Court, it is customary to address the office rather than the individual ; thus, To the President^ White House, Washington, D. C. Sir or Mr. President is the proper salutation. With the exception of the president, some, however, prefer to address the individual rather than the office ; as. To the Hon. Robert M. Lansing, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. In addressing Cabinet officers. Senators, Members of Congress, Governors, Lieutenant Governors, judges and mayors, use Hon.; as, Hon. Charles E. Townsend, United States Senator, Washington, D. C. The proper salutation is Sir. Dear Senator or My dear Senator may be used if the writer is acquainted with the person addressed. Doubling titles. — It should be observed that a title of courtesy* should not be used after a name when a similar title precedes the name; th\is, Mr. John Brown, or John Brown, Esq., not Mr. John Brown, Esq. It is, however, correct to use a title of courtesy before a name and an academic or an official title after the name ; as. Pro}. J. C. Millman, Ph. D.; Mr. C. 0. Harmon, Manager. When addressing a clergyman whose Christian name or initials are unknown, it is correct to use the two titles Rev. and Mr. or Rev. and Dr.; as, Rev. Mr. Maywood; Rev. Dr. Pool. Exercise 2 Write the following introductory addresses, using appro- priate titles and salutations. Arrange, capitalize, and punctuate according to the models : 1. c. w. camp (a manufacturer) fargo north dakota. 2. James m adams (a lawyer) webb block jackson mich. 3. a c mills and j w main (partners in business) erie pa. 4. ames maywood (a clergyman) Cincinnati ohio. 5. alice m woodson (wife of J. M. Woodson) wheeling w va. 6. bliss and sons (merchants) sumner iowa. 7. Claude a swanson (United States Senator) Washington d c. 8. helen white (a young lady) dallas texas. THE COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE 9 9. c m fleming (Instructor in Mathematics, Technical High School) Indianapolis ind. 10. John c smith (doctor of medicine) butte mont. Exercise 3 Write the following headings and introductory addresses, using appropriate titles and salutations. Arrange, capitalize, and punctuate according to the models : 1. butte mont dec 15 1915 harold m Johnson memphis tenn. 2. university building Chicago ill oct 25 1915 c f holland secretary chamber of commerce jackson mich. 3. July 15 1916 atlanta ga 425 Washington ave c m miller president miller mfg company lincoln neb. 4. st Charles minn box 36 sept 5 1914 a w smith cashier first national bank la crosse wis. 5. Philadelphia pa nov 16 1915 a w shaw company Chicago ill. 6. hutchinson kans march 23 1915 wilson haines & co denver colo. 7. 1243 elm ave Indianapolis ind feb 23 1916 carter & price (a firm composed of unmarried women) hartford conn. 8. omaha neb may 14 1915 martin & jones (a firm composed of married women) huntington w va. The Complimentary Close The complimentary close consists of those words of courtesy or respect that follow the body of the letter and precede the signature. It should begin about the middle of the page, but may be shifted either to the right or the left so that the signature, which usually begins five spaces to the right of the complimentary close, will end even with the right-hand margin. In business correspondence the forms that have the sanction of good usage are Yours truly, Yours very truly. Truly yours, Very truly yours, etc. When addressing superiors or high officials, use Respect- fully, Yours respectfully, Respectfully yours. Very respect- fully, etc. In social correspondence. Yours sincerely. Yours very sincerely, Cordially yours, Faithfully yours, etc., are the 10 BUSINESS letters: how to write them appropriate terms. These may also be used in business correspondence when a cordial relation exists between the writer and the person addressed. The complimentary close should always be in harmony with the salutation. For instance, if the salutation is Dear Sir, My dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Miss Blank, etc., the appropriate complimentary close is Yours truly. Yours very truly, Very truly, or Very truly yours. If the salutation is Dear Friend, My dear Friend, Dear John, etc., the appropriate complimentary close is Yours sincerely, Sincerely yours. Cordially yours, etc. If the salutation is Sir, the appropriate complimentary close is Yours respect- fully. Respectfully yours. Very respectfully, etc. Punctuation. — The complimentary close is followed by a comma. Only the first word should begin with a capital letter. The Signature The signature is the name of the writer or of the firm or corporation of which he is a part or a representative. An individual signature should be written with a pen. Firm names are usually typewritten and followed by the signature or the initials of the person responsible for the letter, to- gether with such word or words as indicate his official capacity. The signature is written below the complimentary close, beginning at such a point that it will end at the right- hand margin. When writing to a stranger, a woman should always prefix the title Miss or Mrs. in parenthesis, so that a reply may be properly addressed ; as, (Miss) Alice Brown ; (Mrs.) John Dickinson. A married woman generally uses her husband's name ; as, (Mrs.) Henry M. Stone. If, however, she prefers to sign her own name, she should also write her husband's name in parenthesis, either directly under her signature or below THE SIGNATURE 11 at the left; as, Mary E. Stone (Mrs. Henry M. Stone). A widow generally uses her Christian name; as, (Mrs.) Anna M. Hunter. A woman should never use her husband's title. The wife of a doctor or a minister, for example, uses the name of her husband without his title; as, Mrs. C. J. Smith, not Mrs. Dr. C. J. Smith, nor Mrs. Dr. Smith. The following models illustrate the correct forms for the complimentary close and the signature : Tours very truly. (3) Tours very truly, STANDARD TTPEWBITER COMPAHy, TTPE President. (4) Very truly yours, THE AMERICAN TRUST COMPANY, (5) Tours very truly, THE MILES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Secr'etary. 12 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM JACKSON ROTARY CLUB jAtnSON , Michigan Folding Sizes of paper. — Business stationery comes in three sizes ; standard, half -sheet, and two-fold. The standard size, 814 x 11 inches, is folded £is follows: (1) Fold the paper from the bottom so as to leave a margin of about one inch at the top — sufficient, if possible, to leave the firm name visi- ble ; (2) crease at the fold, being careful to keep the side edges exactly even ; (3) turn the paper so that the folded edge will be at your left ; then fold from you a little less than one-third the width of the sheet ; (4) fold the left- hand edge toward you, observing that the left and right-hand folds are of the same width, a little less than one-third the width of the sheet. Inserting. — Hold the envelope in the left hand, with the flap opening toward the right ; then take in your right hand the letter as it lay after folding, inserting the edge that was last folded. The two-fold size, 7}4 x 10 J^ inches, is folded as follows: Fold the bottom from you a little less than one-third the length of the sheet ; fold the same width of the top toward you, and ^^ insert the edge that was -"""'"TTninnir I j^st folded. THE ENVELOPE ADDRESS 13 The Envelope Address The envelope address consists of the name and title, and the address of the person to whom the letter is written, which should be identical with the introductory address. In addition, it should include the street address or the post-office box when the town is large, the county when the town is small, and the rural route if required. Position of the envelope address. — The first line of the envelope address should be a little below the middle of the envelope, commencing far enough to the left so that the space at the left of the name will be about twice the space at the right of the name. Each subsequent line of the address should begin from one-half to one inch to the right of the preceding line. When addressing envelopes with a pen, the name and title should be written on the first line, the name of the city on the second, and the name of the state on the third. When addressing on the typewriter, the name of the city and state are generally written on the same line, in which case some prefer to put the street address on the second line and the city and state on the third line. The street address, the county, the box number, the name of the person in whose care the letter is sent, the words General Delivery, Transientj or any other special directions belong to the lower left-hand corner of the envelope. The parts of the envelope address are sometimes arranged as shown in Illustration No. 4. This form saves a little time, but it should be used only when the block style is used in the letter. Punctuation. — ^A comma should be placed after each line of the envelope address, except the last, which is followed by a period. When the city and state are written on the same line, they should be separated by a comma. If a title follows the name, it should be separated from the name by a comma. 14 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM ILLUSTRATION 1 llr. John W, Craddock, President, Cr addock-Terry, Company, • Lynchburg, Va. Personal, ILLUSTRATION Miss Catherine Spencer, 334 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. c/o Mrs. A. C. Brown, Note. — Some prefer to omit the punctuation at the end of the lines, except periods after abbreviations. This should be done, how- ever, only when the punctuation marks are omitted after each line of the heading and of the introductory address. THE ENVELOPE ADDRESS 15 ILLUSTRATION 3 Messrs. George C. Woolson & Co Buffalo- N. Y, 120-122 W. 32d St. ILLUSTRATION 4 Mr. S. C. Parry, President, Parry Manufacturing Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. Notes 1. Do not use the sign # or No. before the street address or the post-office box. 2. When the name of the street is a number, and the house number immediately precedes -it, the number of the street should be spelled out; as, 126 Fourth Street, not 126 J^th Street. 16 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM 3. Capitalize street, avenue, square, park, boulevard, etc., and spell out in full when they occupy the second line of the address, unless the length of the line requires that they be abbreviated. 4. In the well-balanced address, the second line should end approximately five spaces to the left or to the right of the end of the first line. To accomplish this, it is sometimes necessary to spell out the name of the state, while in other cases, it is necessary to abbreviate it. Avoid, if possible, having the second line end even with the first line. 5. When addressing envelopes with a pen, the abbreviations of the names of the states should be written with care. It is better to spell the name of the state in full, unless it is long, such as Massachu- setts, Pennsylvania, etc. Exercise 4 Write the following addresses on pieces of paper the size of the ordinary business envelope, using appropriate titles. Arrange and punctuate according to the models : 1. John J. Hill Sumner Iowa. 2. James A. Tawney (ex-Congressman) Winona Minn. 3. F. J. Simpson (lawyer) 146 5th Ave. Chattanooga Tenn. 4. Robb & Robb 272-282 Southern Building Washington D. C. 5. National Envelope Company Cincinnati Ohio. 6. O. H. Blackman care of Blackman-Ross Company 10 E. 33d Street New York City N. Y. 7. S. C. Parry President Parry Manufacturing Co. Indianapolis Indiana. 8. Elliott-Fisher Company 13 Cedar Street Harrisburg Pennsyl- vania 9. Frank W. Judson Secretary Midland Glass and Paint Co. Eleventh and Howard Streets Omaha Nebraska. 10. George W. Carlton Box 621 Cleveland Ohio 11. Elizabeth Gushing (unmarried) Vassar College Poughkeepsie N. Y 12. Alice and Kate Anderson (unmarried) Surrey County Dobson North Carolina. 13. Peter H. Henderson Transient Hutchinson Kansas. 14. George Gray Williams Bangor Maine General Delivery. 15. Joseph E. Harvey Manager Harvey Adjustment Bureau Pocatello Idaho. 16. Montgomery Ward & Co. Chicago 111. UNITY OF THE SENTENCE 17 COMPOSITION OF THE LETTER Mastery of the principles of the form and arrangement of the business letter is a very simple matter — so simple that there is no reason why any one should be deficient in this phase of the subject. But the composition of the business letter requires both study and practice. The successful letter writer must not only possess a thorough knowledge of grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, but he must also know words and how to use them to make the reader take his view of the matter. The language used should be as nearly conversational as possible. Simple words should be used where such words will express the meaning, and as a general rule, short sen- tences are to be preferred to long ones. Of course the sentences will and should vary in length. Too many short sentences give an abruptness that is unpleasant; long, involved sentences are more difficult for the reader to comprehend, and, generally, less convincing. They are not objectionable, however, when they are logically built up, but they are likely to lack the quality of unity. Unity of the Sentence Unity requires that a sentence should contain but one central idea. 1. Two or more statements not closely and logically related with one another should not be combined in one sentence. . Original: This bank closes at 4 p. m., and pays 4% interest on deposits. Improved: This bank closes at 4 p. m. It pays 4% interest on deposits. 2. Avoid long compound sentences consisting of several statements connected with ands, huts, etc. 18 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM Original: Nearly two weeks ago we sent you an order for goods, but we have received no reply, and as we are in urgent need of these goods, we should like to hear from you at once, and in the future, when we send you orders, please acknowledge them promptly and save us much annoyance. Improved : Nearly two weeks ago we sent you an order for goods, but we have received no reply. As we are in urgent need of these goods, we should like to hear from you at once. In the future, when we send you orders, please acknowledge them promptly. 3. Unite in one sentence phrased, clauses, and sentences that are closely and logically related with one another in thought. Wrong: It offers a course for those who wish to study painting. At the same time affording an opportunity for literary study. Right: It offers a course for those who wish to study painting, at the same time affording an opportunity for literary study. Or, It offers a course to those who wish to study painting, and at the same time affords an opportunity for literary study. Wrong : We are sending you our art catalogue. On the last page of which you will find the price of our regular 10-inch machine quoted at $100. Right : We are sending you our art catalogue, on the last page of which you will find the price of our regular 10-inch machine quoted at $100. Wrong: Your claim has not been approved by our auditing com- mittee. There being further information necessary. Right: Your claim has not been approved by our auditing com- mittee, there being further information necessary. 4. Do not join one thought to a preceding thought by and, hut or or unless the two thoughts are of equal value. In other words, put subordinate thoughts into subordinate grammatical forms. Original: This is a difficult piece of work, and it is necessary to be careful. Improved : As this is a difficult piece of work, it is necessary to be careful. Original: She did not wish to displease so good a customer, so she accepted the goods returned. Improved : As she did not wish to displease so good a customer, she accepted the goods returned. Or, UNITY OF THE SENTENCE 19 Not wishing to displease so good a customer, she accepted the goods returned. 5. Do not join a relative clause to a principal clause by and or hut. Wrong: We have assigned the territory to our Mr. Stillson. a native of that state, and who is familiar with the conditions there. Right : We have assigned the territory to our Mr. Stillson, a native of that state, who is familiar with the conditions there. Or, We have assigned the territory to our Mr. Stillson, who is a native of that state, and who is familiar with the conditions there. Note. — And before the relative clause in the last sentence is cor- rect, for the reason that it connects the two relative clauses. 6. Avoid using clauses in an overlapping construction ; that is, with the second depending on the first, the third on the second, etc. Original : You will remember they returned your check when you took off the 2%, which was paid about sixty days from date, which was in violation of the terms of sale. Improved : You will remember they returned your check when you took off the 2% in violation of the terms of sale. Exercise 5 . Correct the following sentences, and give your reason for each correction : 1. We are in receipt of your order of the 25th, and it is much appreciated, and we thank you for it. 2. As you requested, I am sending the work of as many students as possible, and you will find some of the work very good while some is very poor. 3. About a year ago we arranged for a firm in San Francisco to act as our agents, and to whom we shipped a quantity of your books. 4. We hope that you will give us an opportunity of serving you again. In which case we are certain the order will be filled in a manner that will meet with your approval. 5. We can not account for this mistake, and we are always care- ful about such matters. 6. This machine is becoming very popular, and it is simple in construction, durable, and easy to operate. 20 BUSINESS letters: how to write them 7. An old-line life insurance company does business on a so-called legal reserve basis. Its rates of premium being computed according to an established and accepted mortality table. 8. We thank you for your co-operation, as we certainly do need a lot of applicants at this time, as we have so many more calls than we are able to fill. 9. I believe that the candidates nominated by the board and who are not now trustees of the company will strengthen the institution. 10. We have a heavy payment to provide for on the 15th instant, and would like to have the benefit of your remittance to apply against it and hope that it will be possible for you to accommodate us at this time. Clearness Clearness treats of the proper use and arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses. It is the first requisite of every sentence. A sentence may be grammatically correct, yet its elements may be so placed that the meaning can not be definitely determined, or the meaning conveyed may be entirely different from that intended. For example, the sentence, "I met your brother going to town yesterday," leaves one in doubt as to who was going to town. But when written, "On my way to town yesterday, I met your brother," or "I met your brother on his way to town," the meaning is perfectly clear. Position of adverbs and adjectives. — Place adverbs and adjectives where they will modify the word intended Original: I should like to see you very much. Improved: I should like very much to see you. Original: We have a fine line of elegant children's suits at low prices. Improved: We have a fine line of children's elegant suits at low prices. Caution The word only requires special care, for the reason that no other word in the English language is so often mis- placed. As a general rule only should be placed immediately before the word, phrase, or clause that it modifies. CLEARNESS 21 Thus, in the sentence, "I only saw your brother for a moment," only modifies saw, and conveys the idea that I saw him, but did not speak to him, while evidently the meaning intended is that I saw your brother only for a moment, no longer. When no ambiguity would arise (as at the end of sentences), only may be placed after the word it modifies; as, "He spoke to me only.'* Position of phrases and clauses. — Phrases and clauses, like words, should be so placed that they will convey the meaning intended. f Original: He said that he visited one creamery that was manu- facturing a great deal of ice cream, in order to learn something about the business. Improved: He said that in order to learn something about the business, he visited one creamery that was manufacturing a great deal of ice cream. 1. Place the participle as near as possible to the word it modifies. Original : I looked through a window, and saw a man, on my way home, reading a book. Improved: On my way home, I looked through a window and saw a man reading a book. 2. Place the relative pronoun as near as possible to its antecedent. . Original: The fruit came in a small wooden box, which we ate. Improved: The fruit, which we ate, came in a small wooden box. When the meaning would not be obscure, the relative clause may, for smoothness, be placed at some distance from its antecedent; as, "He jests at scars, who never felt a wound." 3. When a subordinate clause is introduced by if, when, as, while, though, although, etc., force is often gained by placing it before the principal clause. This is especially true in long sentences. Original: I should be delighted to introduce you to my friends, and to show you the objects of interest in our city and the beautiful scenery in the neighborhood, if you were here. Improved: // you were here, I should be delighted to introduce you to my friends, and to show you the objects of interest in our city and the beautiful scenery in the neighborhood. 22 BUSINESS letters: how to write them 4. In conditional sentences, the subordinate clauses should be kept distinct from the principal clauses. Original: The expectations of the parents are disappointed if the children do not work hard, and money is wasted. Improved: // the children do not work hard, the expectations of the parents are disappointed, and money is wasted. Position of correlative conjunctions. — Place correlatives before the same parts of speech. Original: He not only gave me good advice, hut he helped me financially. Improved: He not only gave me good advice, btit helped me financially. Original : He shall either leave or I will. Improved : Either he shall leave or I will. Antecedent of the Personal Pronoun. — Make the ante- cedent of personal pronouns clear. Original: The boy assured his father that he was right. Improved : The boy said to his father, "You are right." Or, The boy said to his father, "I am right." Original: This law will be tolerated by the new party only so long as it is perfectly harmless. Improved : This law will be tolerated by the new party only so long as the law is perfectly harmless. In sentences of this kind, when the antecedent can not be repeated, report the conversation in the form of a direct quotation. Repetition of important elements. — While prepositions, conjunctions, etc., may often be omitted, they should be repeated in the following constructions. 1. The preposition should be repeated when its objects are separated by an intervening phrase, or by a verb and its object. Original: He forgets the gratitude that he owes to those that helped him when he was poor and uninfluential, and John Smith in particular. Improved: He forgets the gratitude that he owes to those that helped him when he was poor and uninfluential, and to John Smith in particular. The first sentence might be construed to mean that he forgets the gratitude that he owes to those that helped him and helped John CLEARNESS 23 Smith. The second sentence means that he forgets the gratitude he owes to those that helped him and the gratitude he owes to John Smith in particular. 2. When two words connected by a conjunction are such as to require different prepositions after them, both prepositions should be expressed. Original : I had no confidence or respect for him. Improved : I had no confidence in or respect for him. 3. When two or more infinitives are used in the same construction, the sign to should be repeated when they are separated by a number of intervening words. Original: It would have been no surprise to hear the bark of a raccoon, or see the eyes of a wildcat gleaming through the leaves. Improved: It would have been no surprise to hear the bark of a raccoon, or to see the eyes of a wildcat gleaming through the leaves. 4. Repeat the article when the reference is to more than one person or thing, if the meaning would not other- wise be clear. . Original : The secretary and treasurer shall be elected for a period of three years. Improved: The secretary and the treasurer shall be elected for a period of three years. The first sentence implies that one person shall be both secretary and treasurer, while the second sentence implies that there are two persons, one secretary and the other treasurer. \, 5. When that, who, when, where, if, etc., introduce a series of clauses, repeat the connective before each member of the series. Original : He said that he would be here soon, and he would then take the matter up with us more in detail. Improved : He said that he would be here soon, and that he would then take the matter up with us more in detail. Original: We have assigned the territory to our Mr. Stillson, who is a native of that state himself, is familiar with the conditions there, and will remain there for sometime to come. Improved: We have assigned the territory to our Mr. Stillson, who is a native of that state himself, who is familiar with the con- ditions there, and who will remain there for some time to come. 24 BUSINESS letters: how to write them 6. Repeat the common subject of several verbs when any word comes between that is capable of being a subject. Original : I shall be disappointed if he does not fulfill his engage- ments with me, and will endeavor to make other arrangements. Improved : I shall be disappointed if he does not fulfill his engage- ments with me, and / shall endeavor to make other arrangements. 7. Do not omit a principal or an auxiliary verb in one clause unless the form understood is the same as the form expressed in the other. Original : I shall feel, as I always have, that he is in the wrong. Improved : I shall feel, as I have always felt, that he is in the wrong. Original: The flowers were in bloom, and the grass green. Improved: The flowers were in bloom, and the grass was green. 8. Repeat any form of the verb to he when it is used as a principal verb in one clause and as an auxiliary in another. Original : She was the cynosure of all eyes, and admired by every one present. Improved: She was the cynosure of all eyes, and- w;as admired by every one present. Miscellaneous principles.— Express clearly the subject of a participle. Original: Standing on the seashore, two vessels are seen moving in opposite directions. Improved: Standing on the seashore, / saw two vessels moving in opposite directions. 2. When the subject consists of a series of words, phrases, or clauses, force is gained by using some summa- rizing word, such as thesCy all, etc. Original: Cotton and gold, banks and railways, crowded ports and populous cities are not the elements that constitute a great nation. Improved: Cotton and gold, banks and railways, crowded ports and populous cities — these are not the elements that constitute a great nation. 3. In making a comparison in the comparative degree, the person or thing compared, should always be excluded CLEARNESS 25 from the class to which it belongs, by the use of other or some similar expression. Original: He is taller than any member of his class. Improved: He is taller than any other member of his class. 4. In making comparisons in the superlative degree, the word other should not be used, because it would exclude the person or thing compared. Original: This paper has the largest circulation of all the other papers in the city. Improved: This paper has the largest circulation of all the papers in the city. 5. Avoid the use of superfluous words. Original : I do not like it, but I know of no other alternative. Improved: I do not like it, but I know of no alternative. 6. Avoid the use of inappropriate words. Original: We had an awfully nice time. Improved: We had a very nice time. Exercise 6 Correct the errors in the following sentences in accordance with the rules given under the corresponding headings: Position of Adverbs and Adjectives 1. I only saw him once after that. 2. I never expect to see him again. 3. He is an unquestioned man of genius. 4. He only ofifered me fifty dollars for it. 5. His store is only open in the forenoon. 6. The French nearly lost five thousand men. 7. We only distribute them among our friends. 8. I scarcely ever remember seeing one that \ like better. 9. The crown of England can only be worn by a Protestant. 10. The Indians chiefly subsist by hunting and fishing. 11. We scarcely have enough to supply our own immediate needs. 12. He had almost gotten to the top when the rope broke. 13. He stopped asking questions abruptly and left the room. 14. He answered all the questions that were put to him quite readily. 26 BUSINESS letters: how to write them 15. You can depend on his doing whatever he undertakes to do well. 16. It is a prevalent notion that a man's character mainly is deter- mined by his environment. It would be nearer true to directly turn this statement around. 17. The manufacture of sugar is only profitable when conducted on a large scale. 18. He adds the amounts of all checks received during the day on an adding machine. Position of Phrases and Clauses 1. The earth looks as if it were flat on the map. 2. He might be taken by any one who met him as a robber. 3. He went to town driving a flock of sheep, on horseback. 4. The Britons at least fought as bravely as the Romans. 5. The meaning is unmistakable of his presence here. 6. Wanted — Twenty boys to weed onions, from ten to fifteen years old. 7. He received a reward and the praise of all for his bravery. 8. He bought the house in which he lives, for his own residence. 9. He could see the ship gliding under full sail through a spy- glass. 10. Wanted — A stenographer by a legal firm, who can also do collecting. 11. Nature tells me I am the image of God, as well as the Scriptures. 12. Teachers should try to repress the practice of throwing stones as far as possible. 13. Please tell my father, if he is at home, I shall not hurry back. 14. Everybody thought that this was destined to be a great city twenty years ago. 15. She went on the stage, for which she had a strong inclination, to gain a living. 16. When the cat came into the room, feeling tired, I laid aside my work and began to talk to her. 17. You can tell what will be the level, whether higher or lower, of his future course, by the direction in which he is headed. 18. Did you take the book to the library, that I lent you? 19. I called at the man's home who visited us sometime ago. 20. He is like a beast of prey, who is devoid of compassion. CLEARNESS 27 21. He needs no spectacles, that can not see; nor boots, that can not walk. 22. Life with him has ended in a sad mistake, which began with such bright prospects. 23. This way will take you to a gentleman's house that hath skill to take off these burdens. Position of Correlatives 1. I will neither give you money nor favors. 2. We must not only think of ourselves, but also of others. 3. I am neither acquainted with the writer nor his works. 4. She not only speaks English, but also French and German. 5. You can neither hope for success in this course nor in the other. 6. California not only produces gold in abundance, but quick- silver also. 7. It will not merely interest children, but grown-up people too. 8. This is not merely intended to interest people, but to instruct them. 9. The good man not only deserves the respect, but also the love of his fellow beings. 10. They not only drew from their experience of actual govern- ment, but from their wealth of knowledge of past history. Antecedent of the Personal Pronoun 1. The boy promised his father that he would pay his debts. 2. If fresh milk does not agree with the child, boil it. 3. The farmer told his neighbor that his cattle were in his corn. 4. The lad can not leave his father, for if he should, he would die. 5. He at last found the key, locked the door, and went away, putting it in his pocket. 6. He told his friend that if he did not feel better in half an hour, he would return. Repetition of Important Elements 1. He tried the old and new method. 2. I never have, nor never will agree to such a proposal. 3. He may be successful in politics, as he has in business. 28 BUSINESS letters: how to write them 4. We have a large and small dictionary for the use of students. 5. He never has, and probably never will forgive me for deceiving him. 6. Our editorial page will — as it always has — support any worthy cause. 7. The council has not now, nor never had the power to make such a law. 8. The question has not, and probably never will be satisfactorily settled. 9. He belongs to one caste, and the hewers of wood and drawers of water to another. 10. It is one of the greatest misfortunes that have, or can ever happen to any one. 11. He ridicules the notion that truth will prevail; it never has, and never will prevail. 12. He strongly insisted that the measure was unjust, and was opposed to the organization of labor. 13. The old man said he was destitute of the means of subsistence, and had no money with which to purchase any. 14. I will pardon him if he apologizes and will make reparation for the damage he has done. 15. I was naturally grateful to the man who had once befriended me, and was well disposed toward the whole party. 16. It is no use trying to make him see what he owes to Robert and the friends who preserved him in peril. 17. Both in the country and the city, at his home and business, you will find him the same genuine friend. 18. He said that he would be able to see us when he returns to the city, and go over the matter more fully. 19. We hope that you have decided to go ahead with the work, and we may have the pleasure of hearing from you by return mail. Review Exercise 1. i only recite once a day. 2. I can not hardly endure it. 3. Repeat the word over again. 4. That word is wrong; erase it out. 5. All the sentences are not correct. 6. I should like to go with you very much. 7. He had not scarcely a moment to spare. CLEARNESS 29 8. Iron is more useful than all the metals. 9. Detroit is larger than any city in Michigan. 10. He seems clearly to understand his business. 11. Detroit is the largest of any city in Michigan. 12. The children seemed to be dressed nearly alike. 13. There is no man who would be more welcome. 14. This picture is an exact facsimile of the other. 15. It is a good plan to adopt with new beginners. 16. He seems to have more faith in us than his friends. 17. This seemed to be the universal opinion of all men. 18. I was not aware that you had been ill until yesterday. 19. We do the largest business of any other firm in the city. 20. Please report any inattention of the waiters to the cashier. 21. The child was a poor little orphan boy without any parents. 22. We never have and never will be forced into such a measure. 23. The performance will take place at 2 p. m. Saturday afternoon. 24. I saw my friend when I was in Chicago walking down State Street. 25. They soon had an entire monopoly of the whole trade of the country. 26. The horses being tired, they held a council and decided to go no farther. 27. In one evening I counted a large number of meteors sitting on my piazza. 28. As they were about to leave, they began to collect their things together. 29. He said that he had heard nothing, and did not expect to before next week. 30. He told his friend that if he did not feel better in half an hour he thought that he had better go home. 31. The moon cast a pale light on the graves that were scattered around, which appeared above the horizon. 32. We import our coffee through our agents in New York, which is roasted and ground on the premises daily. 33. The carriage stopped at a small gate which led by a short gravel walk to the house amidst the nods and smiles of the whole party. 34. I merely intend this as a suggestion. 30 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM Effectiveness Parallelism. — Parallelism requires that two or more similar ideas be expressed in a similar way ; that is, if one idea is expressed with an infinitive, the other should be; if one is a participial phrase, the other should be ; if one is a relative clause, the other should be, etc. Parallelism is a great aid to effectiveness. Original: The students began clapping their hands and to shout. Improved : The students began clapping their hands' and shout- ing. Or, The students began to clap their hands and to shout. Original : Pupils who have partly completed their course else- where and having satisfactory evidence of the fact will be put in the advanced classes. Improved: Pupils who have partly completed their course else- where and who have satisfactory evidence of the fact will be put in the advanced classes. Or, Pupils having partly completed their course elsewhere and having satisfactory evidence of the fact will be put in the advanced classes. Repetition for emphasis. — Do not hesitate to repeat a word or phrase if the repetition is necessary to secure clear- ness or emphasis. In fact, one of the most effective means of securing emphasis is by the repetition of a word at the beginning of each of a series of phrases or clauses arranged in cumulative order. Emphatic: Our next thought was that perhaps in that pile of discarded mail, the man behind the desk is missing something of value, something which would help him in his business, something which would, if he availed himself of it, enable him to turn out better goods at the same cost. Emphatic: With my emergency automobiles, with my expert repair men, with my modern garage and supply rooms, I can give you quick service, and what is more important — good work. Repetitions to be avoided. — Such repetitions as the fol- lowing should be carefully avoided : 1. Avoid the unnecessary repetition of the same word or phrase within a short space. EFFECTIVENESS - 31 Original: We should like to accommodate you, hut we have but one rule in such cases. Improved : We should like to accommodate you, but we have only one rule in such cases. 2. Avoid the repetition of a succession of similar sounds. Poor: We hope the note we wrote you a few days ago has been received. Improved: We trust that you have received the letter we wrote you a few days ago. 3. Avoid the repetition of hut, and, as, for, since, etc., with noticeable frequency. Original : I am sure that I made a pretty good grade on all my examinations, and I have studied for sometime past, and I am resting now. Improved : I am sure that I made a pretty good grade on all my examinations, and as I have studied for sometime past, I am resting now. 4. Avoid the careless repetition of that in a complex noun clause used as the object of a verb. Original: He said that if we would agree to the concession that he would be able to carry the plan through. Improved: He said that if we would agree to the concession, he would be able to carry the plan through. 5. Avoid the too frequent use of the same word or con- struction at the beginning of sentences or paragraphs. Original : I hasten to express my pleasure in receiving your interest- ing letter. I thank you heartily for your kind recommendations, which have no doubt materially increased our sales. / congratulate you upon the good circulation of your magazine, and I hope your attractive number will overreach your expectations. / shall give myself the pleasure of considering your proposition at an early date. / thank you for the courtesies you have extended. Improved: I hasten to express my pleasure in receiving your interesting letter and to thank you heartily for your kind recom- mendations, which have no doubt materially increased our sales. Allow me to congratulate you upon the good circulation of your magazine and to express the hope that your attractive number will overreach your expectations. Your proposition will receive my earnest consideration just as soon as I can get a little time to give to it. 32 BUSINESS letters: how to write them I thank you for the courtesies you have extended. Brevity. — While brevity is one of the essentials of a business letter, it is to be secured, not by omitting subjects, articles, auxiliary verbs and prepositions, but by leaving out all unnecessary matter and by stating concisely and to the point what one has to say. The following cautions should be observed : 1. Do not omit the subject of a sentence when it is in the first person. Poor: Have received your order of November 15. Better: We have received your order of November 15. Note. — When the members of a compound sentence are short and closely connected, the subject of the second member may be omitted when it is the same as the subject of the first member; as, "We have received your order of November 15 and will give it prompt attention." 2. Do not omit the articles a, an, and the. Poor : I was not aware of terms on which goods were sold. Better: I was not aware of the terms on which the goods were sold. 3. As a rule, do not omit prepositions. Original : Your note falls due May 10. Improved : Your note falls due on May 10. The conversational style. — One of the best means of increasing the effectiveness of a business letter is to give it the conversational style — the personal touch. To acquire an easy, natural, conversational style, imagine your cor- respondent across the desk from you and talk to him on paper, as far as possible, just as you would in a personal interview. The judicious use of such contractions as Fll, we've, well, you'd, etc., help to give a letter the personal touch. In the sales letter, such contractions may be used with good effect, and sometimes in the collection letter or the letter answering a complaint; but in letters of appli- cation, introduction, and recommendation, they would be out of place. EFFECTIVENESS 33 Tone and individuality. — Too many business letters are devoid of tone and individuality. They follow the stilted, stereotyped style of twenty years ago. Instead of being natural, they are filled with such meaningless, tiresome, overworked expressions as contents noted, esteemed favor, beg to advise, etc. The business letter to be effective must be vigorous, original, clear, and convincing. The following list contains some of the most objectionable stock words and phrases so often found in business letters : Advise. — Overworked and stilted. It should be confined to the actual giving of advice. Use inform, tell, or say. As per. — Of legal origin, stilted, and overworked. Say according to or in accordance with. At hand or to hand. — Say, "We have just received your request for a copy of our catalogue," not "Your request for a copy of our catalogue is at hand.*' Beg. — In the phrases heg to acknowledge, heg to state, beg to say, etc. 5 beg is a relic of early, formal courtesy, no longer used by good letter writers. Contents carefully noted. — Originally intended to show courtesy, but overworked and meaningless. Esteemed. — Meaningless and obsolete in such expressions as your esteemed letter. Favor. — Incorrectly used in the place of letter. Say: "We have your letter .of August 5," not "We have your favor of August 5." Hand you. — Not to be used in the place of send you. Herewith. — Superfluous when used with enclose. When used in this connection, herewith means in this envelope, an idea already contained in the word enclose. Inst., ult., and prox. — Abbreviations of instant, ultimo, and proximo, meaning the present, the past, and the next month. It is generally better to designate the month by 34 BUSINESS letters: how to write them its name ; as, "We have your letter of June 5," not "Your letter of the 6th instant," Kind. — See esteemed. Oblige. — A weak, meaningless close to a letter. Per. — ^A word of Latin origin, and should be used only with other words of Latin form; as, per diem, per annum. Use a with week, day, month, year, etc. Same. — Incorrectly used as a personal pronoun. Say, "We regret the error and hope it has not caused you any inconvenience," not "We regret the error and hope same has not caused you any inconvenience." Same is correctly used when a noun is understood after it ; as, "These prices are the same (prices) as we quoted you last week." Stated. — Stilted and overworked. Inform, say, or tell is usually better. Valued. — See esteemed. Would say, wish to say, etc. — ^Wordy and generally use- less. Say, "We regret that we can not comply with your request," not "In reply to your letter would say that we regret," etc. Writer. — Undesirable as a substitute for I, for the reason that it is awkward and fixes attention on the writer even more than the use of /. Say, "In reply to your letter of June 5, I have gone carefully over the matter," not "In reply to your letter of June 5, the writer has gone carefully over the matter." How to Begin a Letter The most emphatic places in a letter, just as in a sentence or a paragraph, are the beginning and the end. It is, there- fore, important that the student should study carefully how to begin and close a business letter in the most effective way. In many letters, especially in sales letters and letters HOW TO BEGIN A LETTER 35 answering complaints, the opening paragraph may be utilized to put the reader in the right mental attitude to receive the message that follows. While it is usually desirable to make, in the first sentence, some reference to the letter that is being answered, by referring to its contents or its date, it is much better to make this reference incidentally. Thus, "We thank you for the suggestion contained in your letter of June 25;" "We regret to learn that our last shipment was not satisfactory, as you say in your letter of the 15th, which has just reached us;" "The goods ordered in your letter of September 12 will be shipped the first of next week." Avoid such weak, stereotyped opening phrases as, "We beg to acknowledge receipt of your valued favor of recent date;" "Replying to your esteemed favor of the 15th instant ;" "In reply to your favor of the 20th ultimo." The following paragraphs illustrate both the weak, over- worked openings and the easy, natural way of beginning a letter : Poor: Your valued order of the 10th instant is at hand, and are giving same our prompt attention. Improved : Thank you for your order of June 10. We shall give this our prompt attention and hope to please you in every respect. Original: In reply to your esteemed favor of the 25th instant, beg to advise that" both of your orders have already been shipped. Improved : We take pleasure in informing you, in reply to your letter of March 25, that both of your orders have been shipped. Original: We beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the 6th instant, with order for 50 bags of peanuts, for which accept thanks. Improved : We are just in receipt of your order of June 6 for 50 bags of peanuts, for which please ac'cept our thanks. Or, Please accept our thanks for your order of June 6 for 50 bags of peanuts. Original : We are in receipt of your favor of the 7th inst. relative to loss on property #412 Harwood Street, and beg to advise that we have given orders to have a carpenter make the repairs and forward bill to us. Improved : We are pleased to inform you that we have given orders 36 BUSINESS letters: how to write them to have a carpenter make the repairs on the property at 412 Harwood Street and forward the bill to us, as requested in your letter of the 7th. Original: We have carefully noted contents of your esteemed favor of recent date, and in reply thereto, would state that the brushes we shipped you were the large size, and our very best price for }/2 doz. would be 50c each. Improved : The brushes to which you refer in your letter of Novem- ber 10 were the large size, and our very best price for one-half dozen of these would be 50c each. Or, We have carefully noted the contents of your letter of November 10. The brushes to which you refer were the large size, and our very best price for one-half dozen of these would be 50c each. Original: We beg to acknowledge receipt of your recent favor in which you advise that the second coat which we sent you was also too small. Improved: We regret very much to learn, from your letter of November 19, that the second coat we sent you was also too small. Original: In reply to your esteemed favor of recent date, we would state that the matter is having our careful attention. Improved: The matter to which you refer in your letter of the 20th is having our careful attention. Original : Your esteemed favor of the 18th inst. to hand and con- tents noted. Improved : It is a pleasure to me to acknowledge personally your letter regarding our 1916 model and to note the information you furnish regarding your car. How to Close a Business Letter Since the closing paragraph occupies so important a place, it should be so constructed as to add to the effectiveness of the letter. A good closing paragraph gives the letter a finished touch. It should be a' natural conclusion, character- istic of every-day life, and consistent with the preceding parts of the letter. A closing that is used without any sense of its appropriateness will weaken the very best of letters. The participial constructions beginning with hoping, thanking, trusting, assuring, etc., are inherently weak, often meaningless, and are used so much that they HOW TO CLOSE A LETTER 37 weaken rather than strengthen the letter. Often a letter can be so constructed as to need no separate closing para- graph, but when such a paragraph is desirable to prevent abruptness, it is usually better to make a direct statement than to use the participial phrase; as, "We thank you for your order," rather than "Thanking you for your order, we are," etc. A careful study of the following closing paragraphs will enable the student not only to avoid many of the cut-and- dried expressions that lessen the effectiveness of so many business letters, but to close his letters in a natural, effective way: Weak : Hoping to hear from you soon, we are, etc. Improved: We would thank you to write us by Wednesday, the 25th. Weak: Trusting that we may have the pleasure of sending you some samples, we are, etc. Improved : We suggest that you let us send you some samples. Original: Thanking you for the order, and trusting that we may hear from you again in the near future, we are, etc. Improved : We thank you for your order and trust that we may be able to serve you again in the near future. Weak: Thanking you for your inquiry and assuring you of our desire to serve you, we are, etc. Improved : We thank you for your inquiry and assure you of our earnest desire to serve you. Weak : Trusting that it will be convenient for you to make remit- tance at an early date, we are, etc. Improved: Won't you please make us a remittance by Tuesday, the 15th. Weak : Hoping that we may have the opportunity of serving you again, and assuring you that the order will be filled satisfactorily, we are, etc. Improved : We hope that you will give us an opportunity to serve you again, in which case we are certain the order will be filled in a manner that will merit your entire approval. Original: Thanking you for the order, and hoping the goods will reach you in good season and open up satisfactory, we remain, etc. 38 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM Improved : We thank you for your order and hope the goods will reach you promptly and please you in every way. Weak : Trusting to be favored with your early order and assuring you that it will have our prompt and careful attention, we are, etc. Improved : We promise our very best attention to any order that you may send us. Weak : Trusting that we may have your order, we beg to remain, etc. Improved : We shall appreciate your order. Original: Thanking you in advance for a reply and hoping to be favored with an order from you in the near future, we are, etc. Improved : We shall appreciate the kindness of a reply, and the pleasure of being of service to you. Compound Words As a rule, words used in their regular grammatical rela- tion and construction should be written separately, but when they are used together to express a specific meaning, they should be joined with a hyphen or written solid. Take, for example, iron fence, iron-saw, and ironwood. An iron fence is a fence made of iron, which is clearly ex- pressed when written as two words. Iron-saw, a saw made to cut iron, if not connected with the hyphen, would convey the wrong idea — that it is a saw made of iron. Ironwood, a kind of hard wood, clearly conveys the meaning when written solid. In general, it may be said that no expression in the language should ever be changed from two or more words into one — either hyphenated or solid — without a change of sense. Many compound words, once written with the hyphen, through long usage, have come to be written as one word. While there is a lack of uniformity in the manner of writing compound words, the following rules reflect the general usage: 1. Vice and ex used as parts of titles are connected with the other part of the title by a hyphen. ex-President Roosevelt Vice-President Marshall COMPOUND WORDS 39 2. When a noun and a participle are used as an adjective modifier, they should be connected by a hyphen. money-making plans order-producing ideas labor-saving machines good-looking lines 3. The prefixes co and re should be followed by the hyphen when compounded with words beginning with or e. co-ordinate co-operate re-elect re-enter re-enforce 4. The prefixes self and all are followed by the hyphen, self-confidence self-control all-important all-seeing 5. Compound numerals should be written with the hyphen. twenty-one thirty-five seventy-eight ninety-seven 6. When fractions are expressed in words, a hyphen should connect the two parts. one-half two-thirds three-fourths seven-eighths 7. When a numeral is compounded with another word to form an adjective modifier, the parts should be connected with the hyphen. forty-foot lot two-foot rule 30-day note six-story building four-legged animal 56-inch tread 8. When above, ill, well, and so are used with a participle to form an adjective modifier, they are joined to the parti- ciple by a hyphen. above-mentioned ill-bred well-informed so-called Note. — When these words are used merely to modify a participle in the predicate, the hyphen is not required ; as, "He is well informed.'' 9. The words half and quarter when prefixed to other words are generally followed by the hyphen. half-dollar half-hearted quarter-pound half-witted 10. First-class, second-class, first-rate, second-rate, etc., when used as adjectives, require the hyphen. 11. Certain combinations of words are sometimes used 40 BUSINESS letters: how to write them as adjectives, and when so used, they should be hyphenated, made-to-order garments out-of-the-way place ready-made suits end-of-the-year rush I-told-you-so expression well-to-do man Note. — Today, tomorrow, and tonight may be written either with the hyphen or solid. In business correspondence the tendency is to omit the hyphen. The following words are written with the hyphen : above-mentioned good-will, noun bird's-eye, adj. hard-hearted brand-new high-class, adj. high-grade, adj. ill-bred ill-natured labor-saving left-hand, adj. make-up, noun old-fashioned out-of-door, adj. post-office, adj. right-hand, adj. rock-bottom, adj. so-called short-lived stepping-stone well-known, adj. well-informed, adj. wide-awake, adj. whole-hearted whole-souled by-laws by-product card-index car-load, adj. cross-examine cross-question every-day, adj. first-class, adj. 12. Compounds with the prefixes over, under, ajter, non, fore, semi, sub, counter, and out are written solid. overdue nonpayment subagent overcharge nonresident subcommittee underestimate foretell countercharge undercharge foresight counterbalance afternoon semiannually outstanding afterthought semimonthly outside 13. Compounds ending with house, room, shop, hook, ship, side, maker, mill, work, holder, keeper, man, and woman are generally written solid. warehouse outside policyholder schoolhouse inside bookkeeper bedroom shoemaker timekeeper workroom sawmill salesman workshop windmill workman textbook framework workingman salesmanship millwork saleswoman workmanship stockholder needlewoman Each of the following expressions should be written as one word : COMPOUND WORDS 41 almost already, adv. although altogether always, adv. anybody anyhow anything anyway anywhere apiece (each) awhile, adv. bookkeeper bookkeeping businesslike blueprint, or blue print background cannot, or can not courthouse duebill elsewhere everybody everything everywhere bimonthly biweekly facsimile forever forthcoming forthwith fortnight furthermore headquarters henceforth hereafter hereby herein hereinafter hereinbefore heretofore hereunto herewith inasmuch insomuch intact itself letterhead maybe, adv. meantime meanwhile moreover nevertheless newspaper northeast northwest northeastern northwestern notwithstanding nowadays nowhere oneself, or one's self otherwise policyholder postmaster postpaid postscript railroad railway safeguard salesman salesroom secondhand semiannual shortcomings shorthand shortsighted somebody somehow something sometime, adv. sometimes, adv. somewhat somewhere southeast southwest southeastern southwestern standpoint stockholder straightforward subdivision subagent subcommittee sublet taxpayer textbook thereafter thereat thereby therefor therefore therein thereinafter thereinbefore thereof thereon thereupon thereunder threefold throughout timekeeper timesaver together twofold upbuilding uphold upkeep, noun vouchsafed warehouse wastebasket wastepaper waybill whatever whereabouts whereas whereby wherever wherein whereof whereupon wherewithal- whichever wholesale widespread withal withdraw withhold within without withstand workmanship The following expressions words : all right every one any one may be, verb a while, noun no one ball bearing parcel post en route pay roll should be written as separate per cent some one postal card some time, noun post office, noun vice versa price list car load, noun real estate any other 42 BUSINESS letters: how to write them Syllabication In order to preserve a uniform right-hand margin, it is often necessary to divide a word at the end of a line. The division must always be made between syllables, never elsewhere. The following rules, while not exhaustive, will materially assist the student in determining where the division should be made : 1. Do not divide a word of one syllable. Wrong: thr-ough stren-gth brou-ght sle-ight 2. When two or more letters together represent one sound, they must not be divided. Wrong: telep-hone arit-hmetic mec-hanic toi-ling Right: tele-phone arith-metic me-chanic toil-ing 3. Do not separate a syllable of one letter from the rest of the word. Wrong: a-lone man-y e-nough bus-y u-nite Right: alone many enough busy unite 4. When, in forming derivatives, a consonant is doubled, the division should usually be made between the double letters. Wrong: permitt-ed shipp-ing remitt-ance blott-er Right: permit-ted ship-ping remit-tance blot-ter 5. Do not separate ed from the rest of the word unless it is pronounced as a separate syllable. Wrong: ship-ped refer-red loan-ed laugh-ed hop-ed Right: shipped referred loaned laughed hoped Right: rat-ed profit-ed remit-ted commend-ed present-ed 6. Usually a prefix or a suffix may be separated from the rest of the word. Right: ante-cedent il-legible annual-ly fiU-ing sing-er 7. Divided so as to preserve as syllables tion, sion, dan, dent, tient, dal, tial, tious, dous, gious, geous, and gicn. Wrong: nat-ion permiss-ion optic-ian effic-ient ofRc-ial Right: na-tion permis-sion opti-cian effi-cient offi-cial USE OF ABBREVIATIONS 43 Exercise 7 Divide the following words dictionary when in doubt : into syllables. Consult a national natural beautiful special conscience schedule notify patiently question telling customary especially vicious anxious formality operate efficient leisure excelling visited pressure complexion brilliant transient departure overrated installing substantial English construction musician consistent adding instructor measure attendant procedure father compelled peculiar pleasure mother longer fulfilling religious business valuable correspondence Use of Abbreviations Use abbreviations sparingly, especially in the body of the letter. They detract from the appearance of the letter ; they save only a fraction of a second on the part of the writer, while on the part of the reader, whose interests are all-important, they require more time, as the eye more readily grasps a word written in full than when abbreviated. When, in doubt as to whether to abbreviate or not, write the word in full. The following rules reflect the best usage in regard to abbreviations : 1. An abbreviation should always be followed by a period. 2. Abbreviations of proper nouns, titles, etc., always begin with capital letters. Abbreviations of many other words and phrases begin with capital letters, even though such words and phrases do not begin with capital letters when written in full. The capitalization of abbreviations is entirely a matter of usage. For instance, free on hoard is usually written with small letters ; thus, /. o. 6., while collect on delivery is always written with capital letters; thus, C. O. D. 3. Do not abbreviate the names of the days of the week or the names of the months in the body of a letter; as, *'I will be at home on Monday, January 5," not "I will be at home on Mon., Jan. 5." Note. — Observe that when the month precedes the day of the 44 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM month, d, st, or th is not used ; thus, March 5, not March 5th. But when the name of the month does not precede the day of the month, d, St, or th is required. Thus, "The goods will be shipped by the 5th of May," "Your note falls due on the 10th instant." 4. Do not abbreviate the name of a state unless it is used as a liart of an address ; as, "He lives in Virginia," not "He lives in Va." 5. Do not, as a rule, abbreviate titles designating official positions ; as, "Prof. E. M. Coulter, President,'' not "Prof. E. M. Coulter, Pres." The reasons for this are that you do the person addressed greater courtesy by writing the title out in full and that the page presents a better appearance. Titles following the signature may be abbreviated when space requires it. 6. Do not use R. R. for railroad, Ry. for railway, nor Co. for company unless these words are a part of a proper name ; Thus, "The railroad company is at fault," not "The R. R. Co. is at fault." "The company is willing to arbitrate the matter," not "The Co. is willing to arbitrate the matter." 7. Use the abbreviation No. or the sign # before figures; as. No. 5 or #5, not number 5. But do not use the abbreviation No. in such expressions as "a number of people." 8. While usage varies in writing the past tense and the present participle and the plural forms of 0. K., the following have the sanction of good authority: O. K'd or O. K.d; O. K'ing or O. K.ing; 0. K's or O. K.*8. Note. — While, as a rule, abbreviations should not be used in the body of the letter, the following have the sanction of good usage : a. m., p. m., i. e., viz., etc.,f. o. b., and C. O. D. Instant, ultimo, proximo, while often abbreviated, are better spelled out in the body of the letter. Abbreviations of the Names of the Months January Jan. September Sept. February Feb. October Oct. March Mar. November Nov. April Apr. December Dec. August Aug. May, June and July should not be abbreviated. Abbreviations of the Names of the States The United States Official Postal Guide gives the following abbreviations of the names of the states, territories, and ABBREVIATIONS 45 possessions of the United States. The postal authorities recommend that these abbreviations be used in addressing all letters and packages intended for transmission through the mails. Nevada Nev. New Hampshire N. H. New Jersey N. J. New Mexico N. Mex. New York N. Y. North Carolina N. C. North Dakota N. Dak. Oklahoma Okla. Oregon Oreg. Pennsylvania Pa. Philippine Islands P. I. Porto Rico ..P. R. Rhode Island. R. I. South Carolina S. C. South Dakota '. S. Dak. Tennessee Tenn. Texas Tex. Vermont Vt. Virginia Va. Washington Wash. West Virginia W. Va. Wisconsin Wis. Wyoming Wyo. Alabama Ala. Arizona Ariz. Arkansas , Ark. California Cal. Colorado Colo. Connecticut Conn. Delaware : . Del. District of Columbia D. C. Florida Fla. Georgia . Ga. Illinois 111. Indiana Ind. Kansas Kans. Kentucky Ky. Louisiana La. Maine Me. Maryland Md. Massachusetts , Mass. Michigan Mich. Minnesota Minn. Mississippi Miss. Missouri Mo. Montana Mont. Nebraska Nebr. Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Ohio, and Utah should not be abbreviated. It is generally better not to abbreviate Maine and Oregon. Abbreviations of Commercial Terms Al = first-class acct. or a/c = account ' ad. or adv. = advertisement Agt. = agent amt. = amount a. m. or A. M. =ante meridian Assn. or Assoc. = association Assist, or Asst. = assistant Atty. = attorney Ave. or Av. = Avenue bal. = balance bbl. or brl. = barrel . bdl.= bundle bg. =bag bkt. = basket B/L=bill of lading Bs/L= bills of lading Bldg. = building 46 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM bot. = bought Boul. or Blvd. = Boulevard Bro. = brother Bros. = brothers brot. = brought bu. = bushel bu. or bus. = bushels bx. = box c, or ct. = cent, cents C.= hundred , c/o = care C. O. D. =cash (or collect) on delivery Cor. Sec. = Corresponding Secre- tary C. P. A. = Certified Public Ac- countant Cr. = credit, creditor cwt. = hundredweight Dept. = department doz. = dozen Dr. = debit, debtor ea. = each et al. = et alii (and others) etc. or &c. = et cetera (and so forth) Exch. = exchange f. o. b. =free on board ford. = forward ft. = foot, feet gal. = gallon G. F. A. = General Freight Agent G. P. A. = General Passenger Agent gro. or gr. = gross hf. orhlf.=half hhd. = hogshead h. p. = horsepower hr. = hour i. e. =id est (that is) in. =inch inst. = instant (this month) int. = interest mv. = mvoice invt. = inventory Jr. or jr. = junior kg. = keg lb. = pound Ltd. = limited M.= thousand mdse. = merchandise mem. or memo. = memorandum Mfg. = manufacturing Mgr. = Manager mo. = month N. B. =nota bene (note well) No. or no. = number O. K. =all correct oz. = ounce oz. or ozs. = ounces payt. = payment pc. = piece pk. =peck pkg. = package p. m. or P. M. =post meridian P. 0.= post office pr. = pair Pres. = President Prin. = Principal prox. = proximo (next month) P. S. = postscript pt. =pint qr. = quire qt. = quart reed. = received Rec. Sec. = Recording Secretary r. p. m. = revolutions per minute R. R. = railroad Ry. = railway Sec. = Secretary S"r. or sr. = senior Supt. = Superintendent • St. = Street Treas. = Treasurer ult.= ultimo (last month) Vice-Pres. = Vice-President USE OF FIGURES 47 viz. = videlicit (namely, to wit) wk. = week vs. or V. = versus (against) yd. = yard W/B or W. B. = waybill yr. =year W/Bs.= waybills Note. — The plural of most abbreviations is formed by adding s to the singular; as, lb., lbs.; yd., yds.; pc, pes.; bg., bgs.; pkg., pkgs. Use of Figures While no specific rules can be given that will govern in all cases as to what should be expressed in figures and what should be spelled out, the following suggestions will be help- ful: 1. In expressing sums of money amounting to one dollar or more, use the ^ sign and figures ; as, $123.53; $25. Note. — In expressing even amounts of money, such as $25, it is better to omit the decimal point and the two ciphers, except in con- tracts, legal papers, and tables. 2. Isolated sums of less than one dollar may be written in figures or spelled out ; as, 50c, 50 cents, or fifty cents. Note. — Do not use the sign $ for sums less than one dollar. Thus, It costs 25c, not $0.25 or $.25. 3. Express dates, dimensions, and percentages in figures; as, January 2^, 1916; 12 x 2k inches; 3% bonds. 4. When numbers require three or more words, use figures; as, 103; 250; 1530; 1,51^0,310. 5. When several numbers are mentioned in a short space, some of which should be expressed in figures, use figures for all ; as, "We drove 30 miles on Monday, 75 on Tuesday, 100 on Wednesday, and 126 on Thursday." 6. When the numbers to be expressed are not frequent, spell out those that may be expressed in one or two words; as, five, twenty, forty-two, two hundred, twenty thousand, ten millions. 7. As a rule, spell out ages, hours of the day, distances, weights., and measures, when they can be expressed in one or two words ; as, "All children under eight years of age who live two miles from schoc'. are dismissed at three o'clock." Note. — Use figures in expressing clock time in connection with a. m. and p. m.; as, "I will call at 10 a. m. or 5 p. m." Observe that a. m. and p. m. are generally written in small letters, though some prefer capitals, and that o'clock is written with a small o. 8. Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence or immediately following a colon ; as, ''Five dollars is too much for such an article," not "$5 is too much," etc. 48 BUSINESS letters: how to write them PUNCTUATION CAPITAL LETTERS Rule 1. — The first word of every sentence should begin with a capital letter. Example : One's first duty is the one that lies nearest. Rule 2. — The first word of every line of poetry should begin with a capital letter. Example: For God hath marked each sorrowing day, And numbered every secret tear. — Bryant. Rule 3. — The first word of every direct quotation should begin with a capital letter. Example : Pope says, "Hope dwells eternal in the human breast." Rule 4. — The first word of every direct question should begin with a capital letter. Example: Ask yourself this question. Are you making the most of your time? Rule 5. — Every proper noun should begin with a capital letter. Example: Martha, John Quincy Adams, New York. Rule 6. — Adjectives derived from proper nouns should begin with capital letters. Example: American from America^ English from Eng- land, Christian from Christ. ' Note 1. — When, by long usage, adjectives have lost all associa- tions with the nouns from which they are derived, they are not cap- italized ; as, stentorian from Stentor, herculean from Hercules. Note 2. — The names of religious sects should begin with capital letters; as, Protestants, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists. Rule 7. — The words north, south, east, and west should begin with capitals when they refer to sections of the coun- try, but not when they refer simply to directions. CAPITAL LETTERS 49 Examples: The journal is circulated throughout the South and the Southwest. The wind is from the west. Rule 8. — The names of the days of the week and the months of the year should begin with capital letters. Examples: Monday, Tuesday, September, December. Note. — The names of the seasons should not begin with capital letters; as, fall, winter, spring, summer. Rule 9. — The words street, lake, river, etc., should begin with capitals when used in connection with proper nouns. Examples: Main Street; the Hudson River; Lake Como. Rule 10. — Words representing important historical events, epochs of time, etc., should begin with capital letters. Examples: The Middle Ages; The Revolution. Rule 11. — When used as a part of a name, or applied to particular persons, titles of honor or office should begin with capital letters. Example : The address was delivered by Senator Dolliver. Rule 12. — In the titles of books, essays, etc., every noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, and adverb should begin with a capital letter. Example: I enjoyed reading "The Man without a Country." Note. — The articles (the, a or an) should be written with a capital only when used as the first word of a title. Rule 13. — The words 7 and should always be written with capital letters. Rule 14. — The words Bible, Scriptures, and all names of books of the Bible should begin with capital letters. Rule 15. — All names of the Deity and personal pro- nouns referring to the Deity should begin with capital letters. 50 BUSINESS letters: how to write them Example: God has given the land to man, but the sea He has reserved to Himself. Rule 16. — Common nouns, when vividly personified, should begin with capital letters. Example: Come, gentle Spring. THE COMMA Series of Words or Phrases Rule 1. — Words or phrases used in a series in the same construction should be separated from one another by- commas. Examples: Honor, affluence, and pleasure are his. To cleanse our opinions from falsehood, our hearts from malig- nity, and our actions from vice is our chief concern. Note. — When two words or phrases used in the same construction are connected by a conjunction, no comma is required; as, "Edu- cation expands and elevates the mind." Note. — In such expressions as "A beautiful red rose," no comma is used to separate the adjectives, for the reason that they are not in the same grammatical construction. Red modifies rose; beautiful modifies the expression red rose. Transposed Phrases and Clauses Rule 2. — Transposed phrases and clauses are set off by commas. Examples : When one has not a good reason for doing a thing, he has a good reason for letting it alone. Surrounded by familiar faces, he breathed freely again. Note. — When a transposed element is short and closely connected the comma may be omitted; as, "At noon we started on our way home." In the natural order, the subordinate clause follows the principal clause, and a phrase follows the word it modifies; hence, when a phrase or a subordinate clause precedes the word it modifies, it is a transposed element. When a sentence begins with a preposition, a participle, or a sub- ordinate conjunction, it contains a transposed element. Subordinate THE COMMA 51 clauses are usually introduced by if, when, while, as, since, where, though, until, etc. Parenthetical Words and Phrases Rule 3. — Parenthetical words and phrases should be set off by commas. Example : The clouds seemed to float, as it were, lazily on the summer breeze. The following are among the words and phrases commonly used parenthetically: However, therefore, indeed, perhaps, too, of course, to he sure, in the first place, generally speaking, on the other hand, beyond question. Remark. — Some of these words are used as modifiers, and when so used, they are not set off by commas. Thus, in the sentence, "However hard he studies, he improves but slightly," however is an adverb modifying hard. Note. — Words and phrases standing at the beginning of the sen- tence, and referring to the sentence as a whole rather than to any par- ticular word, though not strictly parenthetical, are set off by commas ; as, "Well, how do you like it?" "To be sure, it is of little importance." Some of the words thus used are now, well, why, again, further, first, secondly, etc. Intermediate Expressions Rule 4. — Intermediate expressions should be separated from the rest of the sentences by commas, Examples : The soldier, from force of habit, obeys. No state shall, without the consent of congress, lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports. His story is, in several ways, improbable. Intermediate expressions are expressions that come between closely related parts of a sentence; as, for instance, between the subject and the predicate, between the parts of a verb phrase, or between the verb and its complement. If, however, the intermediate expression is restrictive, no comma should be used. Thus, in the sentence, "The tree by the garden wall was struck by lightning," the phrase by the garden wall is restrictive, since it restricts, or limits, the meaning of the word tree to one par- ticular object of its kind. 52 BUSINESS letters: how to write them Nouns in Apposition Rule 5. — Nouns in apposition, together with their accompanying modifiers, should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Example: We, the people of the United States, do ordain and establish this constitution. Note 1. — A title following the name of a person should be separated from the name by a comma ; as, "W. W. Wheeler, Secretary." "The address was delivered by Rev. E. M. Mitchell, D. D., LL. D." Note 2. — When the noun in apposition stands alone or has only an article before it, no comma is required; as, "Paul the Apostle;" "the poet Milton." Note 3. — When a pronoun is used in apposition with a noun for emphasis, or in direct address, no comma is required; as, "He him- self could not have done better." "Ye men of Athens." Nouns of Address Rule 6. — Nouns of address, together with their accom- panying modifiers, should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Examples : Young man, you must not forget that talent is only long patience. You must not forget, young man, that talent is only long patience. Yes, sir, it was I. Compound Sentences Rule 7. — The members of a compound sentence, when short and closely connected, are separated by commas. Examples: Science tunnels mountains, it spans con- tinents, ' it bridges seas, and it weighs the stars. Every man desires to live long, but no man would be old. Note. — When, however, the members have commas within them- selves, the members should be separated by semicolons; as, "If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust." THE COMMA 53 Adverbial and Relative Clauses Rule 8. — ^Adverbial and relative clauses, when restrict- ive, are not set off by commas, but when they present additional thoughts, they should be set off. Examples: You have done the work well, which is all I ask. He will be here in a few days, when we will take the matter up with him. Relative and adverbial clauses are of two kinds : restrictive and non- restrictive. A restrictive clause is one that restricts, or limits, its antecedent; as, "Bring me the book that lies on my desk." The clause that lies on my desk is restrictive, because it restricts, or limits, the antecedent book, by excluding all books that do not lie on the table. A nonrestrictive clause is one that introduces an additional thought ; as, "Bring me Success Magazine, which you will find on my desk." The clause, which you will find on my desk, is nonrestrictive, because it adds an additional fact, the sentence being equivalent to the two thoughts, "Bring me Success Magazine," and "You will find it on my desk." Omission of the Verb Rule 9. — When the verb is expressed in one member of a compound sentence and omitted in the others, a comma takes its place. Example r Our first object is to obtain knowledge ; our second, to make a proper application of it. Complex Subject Rule 10. — When the complex subject of a sentence ends with a verb, or is of considerable length, it should be sep- arated from the predicate by a comma. Examples : All that you do, do with your might. That a man thoroughly educated in youth, and who has ever since been in the habit of composing could make so gross a mistake through ignorance, is almost incredible. 54 BUSINESS letters: how to write them Quotations Rule 11. — A quotation, or anything resembling a quo- tation, should be preceded by a comma. Examples: Patrick Henry began his great speech by saying, "It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope.*' The question now is, How shall we know which book to select? Ambiguity Rule 12. — ^A comma is sometimes necessary to prevent ambiguity. Example: To remain in one spot always, prevents the mind from taking comprehensive views of things. Words or Phrases in Pairs Rule 13. — When words or phrases are used in pairs, a comma should be placed after each pair. Examples: Honesty and sincerity, truth and candor, are enviable traits of character. The sunny morning and the gloomy night, the bleak winter and the balmy spring, alike speak to us of the Creator's power. Contrasted Words or Phrases Rule 14. — Words or phrases contrasted with each other should be separated by commas. Examples: We live in deeds, not years. There are few voices in the world, but many echoes. THE SEMICOLON Rule 1. — When the conjunction is omitted between the members of a compound sentence, they should be separated by semicolons. Example: The blue sky now turned more softly gray; the great watch-stars shut up their holy eyes; the east began to kindle. THE COLON 55 Note 1. — When the sentences are short and very closely connected, they should be separated by commas ; as, "The fire burns, the water drowns, the air consumes, the earth buries." Rule 2. — When the members of a compound sentence are subdivided by commas, they should be separated by semicolons. Example: Under the fierce winds, the pines bend their heads; and the mountain snow is swept away, forming immense heights, and hiding everything from sight. Rule 3. — The expressions namely, as, i. e., or that is, viz., etc., should be preceded by semicolons and followed by commas. Examples: We have five senses; namely, sight, taste, hearing, smell, and feeling. Rule 4. — When several expressions have a common dependence on a principal element, they should be sepa- rated from one another by semicolons. Examples : If we think of glory in the field ; of wisdom in the cabinet; of the purest patriotism; of the highest integrity, public and private; of morals without a stain; of religious feelings without intolerance and without ex- travagance, the august figure of Washington presents itself as the personation of all these. When the element upon which the several expressions depend comes at the beginning of the sentence, the expressions should be separated from it by a comma; when it is placed at the end of the sentence, it should be separated from the series by a comma and a dash; as, "Science declares, that no particle of matter can be de- stroyed ; that each atom has its place in the universe ; and that, in seeking that place, each obeys certain fixed laws." THE COLON Rule 1. — The salutation in business letters is usually followed by the colon. Examples: Dear Sir: Gentlemen: Rule 2. — ^A colon should be placed before a quotation, 56 BUSINESS letters: how to write them a specification of subjects, etc., when introduced by such expressions as this, these, that, as follows, etc. Example: The Declaration of Independence reads as follows: "When in the course of human events, it be- comes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, etc." THE PERIOD Rule 1. — ^A period should be placed after declarative and imperative sentences. Example : In every life the post of honor is the post of duty. Rule 2. — The period should be placed after every abbre- viated word. Examples: Ult., inst., prox.. Rev. John L. Dwight, D. D., LL. D. Note 1. — When the first syllable of a Christian name is used as a substitute for the full name, no period is used ; as, Ben, Tom, Dan, Will. Note 2. — The ordinal adjectives 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 23d, etc., are not strictly abbreviations, and they do not, therefore, require the period after them. THE INTERROGATION POINT Rule 1. — Every direct question should be followed by an interrogation point. Example: Are you satisfied with the way in which the work was done? Note 1. — When several questions have a common dependence on a principal clause, each question should be followed by an inter- rogation point, and the word following it should begin with a small letter; as, "Shall treachery triumph in this decision? shall robbery? shall assassination? shall murder?" THE QUOTATION MARKS 57 THE EXCLAMATION POINT Rule 1. — The exclamation should be used after an interjection or an exclamatory expression. Examples: Peace! Peace! Why dost thou question God's providence? What a beautiful night! THE DASH Rule 1. — ^A dash is used to mark a sudden or abrupt change in the construction of a sentence. Example : In the first place — ^but I will not discuss the matter further. Rule 2. — Parenthetical and appositive expressions are sometimes set off by the dash. Example : For two dollars — the cost of a theater ticket — you can secure this book. THE QUOTATION MARKS Rule 1. — Every direct quotation should be enclosed in quotation marks. Example: Henry Clay said, "I would rather be right than be president." Remark. — A direct quotation is one in which the exact words of another are used. It should begin with a capital letter, be set off by a comma, and enclosed in quotation marks. An indirect quotation is one in which the thought, but not the exact words, of another is used ; as, "Clay said that he would rather be right than be president." An indirect quotation should not begin with a capital letter, should not be set off by a comma, and should not be enclosed in quotation marks. Note. — When a direct quotation is separated by intervening words, such words are set off by commas, and each part of the quotation is enclosed in quotation marks; as, When Fenelon's library was on fire, "God be praised," said he, "that it is not the dwelling of a poor man." Rule 2. — The titles of books, magazines, essays, etc., should be enclosed in quotation marks or printed in italics. Examples : "The Ladies' Home Journal *" "Success Magazine," or Success Magazine. 58 BUSINESS letters: how to write them PARAGRAPHING A paragraph is a sentence or a group of sentences con- nected in meaning and developing a single phase of the subject. Each^phase of the subject should be treated in a separate paragraph, and every sentence in the paragraph should aid in the development of that phase of the subject. Object of Paragraphing. — The objects to be obtained by paragraphing are: first, to separate the different phases of the subject; second, to make reading easy for the eye by breaking up the matter into short units; third, to make reading easy for the mind by giving it a resting place and a fresh start; fourth, to make the letter more attractive in appearance. The function that a letter has to perform determines, in many cases, the paragraphing. For instance, the sales letter has four functions to perform: (1) to attract atten- tion; (2) to create desire; (3) to convince; (4) to stimulate to action. Each function requires at least one paragraph. It will often be necessary to devote more than one paragraph to the development of a single function. Length of Paragraph. — The first and the last paragraph should be short — as a rule, not more than three or four lines. Other paragraphs should not be more than seven or eight lines in length. To avoid monotony, paragraphs should vary somewhat in length. Business letters should be broken up into easy-reading, eye-pleasing paragraphs, even when there is but a slight change in the subject. When to Paragraph. — While no rules can be given for paragraphing that will apply in all cases, the following suggestions will be helpful: 1. Every change of subject matter requires a paragraph. 2. Every idea that is to be emphasized should have a separate paragraph. 3. Make a new paragraph whenever the appearance of the page requires it. THE MECHANICAL MAKE-UP 59 THE MECHANICAL MAKE-UP OF A LETTER No matter how important the message it contains, if a letter is unattractive in appearance it is likely to be cast aside with little attention. Neatness and taste in arrange- ment are to the letter what appearance is to the person. The first essential of artistic appearance is the arrange- ment of the letter on the page. It should be so placed that the left and right-hand margins are of equal width and that the top and bottom margins are also equal. The margin is to a letter what the mat is to a picture; it gives to a letter a balanced appearance. The left and right-hand margins should never be less than one inch. If the letter is short the margins should be correspondingly wider. The margins at the top and bottom should be a little wider than the side margins. Special care should be taken to see that the right-hand margin is kept as even as possible. Nothing gives a letter so unattractive an appearance as a ragged right-hand margin. Do not crowd the letter too far toward the top of the page. If the letter is short, instead of writing three or four lines entirely across the page, write seven or eight lines near the middle of the page. Another essential of artistic appearance in a tj^Dewritten page is an even touch, which means that all tjrpe impressions should have the same degree of density. To secure an even touch, the type must be clean and good ribbons must be used. Special attention must be given to capital letters, and care should be used to see that the punctuation marks are struck lightly. Except in the case of very short letters, a better display can be secured by single spacing, with double spacing between paragraphs. Always double space between the parts of the letter; that is, between the introductory address and the salutation; between the "salutation and the body of the letter, etc. 60 BUSINESS letters: how to write them THE BERGER MANUFACTURING CO. CANTON. OHIO October 16, 1915, 9h* C«le MfG* Co.. Albion, Mlohigan. uontleaan: *« arc aa yet without an acknowledcfflent of our Steel Furniture catalogue, nor a reply to our lettera of Sept. IZtb and Auk* 23rd, making Inquiry as to whether we may expect favorable con- sideration for our Steol Furniture Devices. Wo Judged from your inquiry that you probably had in view the lfl« stallatlon of a Stool Filing oqulpment. If our supposition Is correct, why not favor us with your specifications fron which we can quote you our best prices? *o are koeplng our fllo open awaiting an espresslon from you relatlvo to your disposition In this mattor and In the event that you aro no longer Interested would thank you to so advise, having enclosed a stamped envelope with ours of Sept. 13th for your convenience in so doing, for we do not wish to annoy you with unnec- essary lotters. Trusting we may yet have the pleasure of serving you and thank- ing you for your attention, we remain. Yours truly, THE BER&ER UPO . CO. ELPiAdr This illustrates a poorly displayed letter. The side margins are too narrow; the right-hand margin is ragged; and the letter is placed too high on the page. THE MECHANICAL MAKE-UP 61 THE BERGER MANUFACTURING CO, CANTON, OHIO October 15, 1916. The Gale Mfg. Co., Albion, Michigan. Gentlemen: We are as yet without any acTcnowledg- ment of our Steel Furniture catalogue, nor a reply to our letters of September 13 and August 23, making inquiry as to whether we may expect favorable consideration for our Steel Furniture and Piling devices. We judged from your inquiry that you probably had in view the installation of a Steel Filing equipment. If our supposition is correct, why not favor us with your spec- ifications from which we can quote you our best prices? We are keeping our file open awaiting an expression from you relative to your disposition in this matter and in the event that you are no longer interested, would thank you to so advise, having enclosed a stamped envelope with ours of September 13 for your convenience in so doing, for we do not wish to annoy you with unnecessary let- ters . Trusting we may yet have the pleasure of serving you and thanking you for your attention, we remain. Yours truly, THE BERGfiR MPG . CO. ELP:AGW This illustrates the same letter properly displayed. Note the wider side margins and the evenness of the right-hand margin. Observe also that the letter is centered on the page. 62 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM LETTERS ORDERING GOODS Carelessly written letters ordering goods are a source of much inconvenience and delay, and in many instances, the cause of serious mistakes. In a letter ordering goods, the following essential points should be carefully observed : 1. Each item of the order should occupy a line or a sentence by itself. This arrangement facilitates the filling of the order, as each item can then be checked off as it is gotten ready for shipment. 2. The quantity, quality, style, size, color, and any other speci- fications necessary to enable the shipper to fill the order correctly, should be given. When ordering from a catalogue in which the goods are designated by number, the catalogue number and the date of the catalogue should be given. 3. The manner of shipment, whether by freight, express or parcel post, should be specified ; also the route if this is important. If the manner of shipment is specified and the shipper fails to observe such instructions, the loss, if any occurs, falls upon the shipper. If, how- ever, no shipping directions are given, the shipper may choose his own route and method of shipping without incurring any liability. The destination, if different from the writer's address, should also be given. 4. In the case of the first order, the letter should contain a remittance covering the cost of the goods, or satisfactory references as to financial lesponsibility. LETTER ORDERING GOODS Gentlemen: Please ship us ty freight the following: 10 reams 17 x 22, 20-lb., Brother Johna- than Bond, white 4 cases 17 x 22, 24-lb., Scotch Linen Ledger 9 reams 17 x 58, 36-lb., Old Hampshire Bond 20 reams 25 x 38, 36-lb., Old Norse Bond 15 " 8^ X 11, White Laid Mimeograph, put up in packages of 500 sheets each Yours truly. LETTERS ORDERING GOODS • 63 5. A letter duplicating an order should contain the same infor- mation as the previous order. For instance, to say, "Please duplicate our order of the 15th," necessitates looking up the first order, and en- tails further correspondence if it can not be found. 6. Letters relative to a delay in filling an order should contain a duplicate of the original order, so that in case the original order was not received or was lost, the order can be filled from the duplicate. LETTER ORDERING GOODS National Grocery Company, Chicago, 111. Gentlemen: Please ship us by Michigan Central Freight the following: 15 doz. pint cans Olives 10 mats F. J. Coffee 6 "bgs. Ice Cream Salt 75 1-lb. cans H. Cocoa 6 brls. N. 0. Molasses 15 pails #1 Mackerel 10 cases Royal Baking Powder 50 "bxs. Sunlight Soap 10 pkgs. S. Yeast Cakes As our stock of some of these goods is get- ting low, we wish you would follow this shipment with tracer. Yours very truly. Notes 1. No punctuation mark is required at the end of each item of the order. 2. The names of the articles should be capitalized, but such words as cases, reams, barrels, dozen, gross, etc., expressing quantity, and such words as white, hard-finished, etc., expressing quality, should not be capitalized. 3. If an item requires two lines, the second line begins a little to the right of the first line. 4. The items composing the order should be indented far enough to the right of the paragraph margin to make the space at the left and at the right of the items uniform. 64 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM Exercise 8 Order from the Standard Furniture Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, the following goods, selected from their 1915 catalogue: 4 #42 fancy rockers ; 8 #426 hall stands ; 2 #39 dining tables ; 6 #94 bookcases; 12 pairs #91 lace curtains; 12 #75 office chairs. Request that the goods be shipped by freight. Order from F. S. Webster Co., 14 N. Franklin St., Chicago, Illinois : 4 reams #853-^ berkshire typewriter paper, 83/^ x 13; 4 dozen purple record underwood typewriter ribbons, star brand ; 2 dozen black and red record underwood typewriter ribbons, 0. K. brand ; 3 boxes multi- kopy carbon paper, black, 7-lb., 8J2 x 11 ; 4 dozen 2-oz. bottles type- writer oil. Instruct that the goods be shipped by parcel post or express, whichever is the cheaper. Assume that it has now been a week since you placed the above order and that you have not received the goods nor any acknowledg- ment of the order. Write to the F. S. Webster Co., asking them to hurry the goods along. Acknowledging orders. — An order should, as a rule, be acknowledged as soon as it is received. The purchaser is entitled to know whether his order has been received and whether it can be filled precisely as given and within the required time. A person placing an order naturally follows it with interest, and a courteous acknowledgment will go far toward establishing permanent business relations. Subscriptions. — When subscribing for a magazine or a newspaper, it is best to state specifically : (1) the amount of money enclosed; (2) the form in which remittance is made; (3) when the subscription is to begin; and (4) the name of the publication ordered. Facine, Wisconsin, October 5, 1?15# The Curtis Publishing Co., Philadelphia, Pa-, Gentlemen: You will find enclosed post-office money order foi fl.SO, for which please send me the "Ladies' Home Jour- nal" for one year, beginning with the January number. Yours very truly. LETTERS ORDERING GOODS 65 Exercise 9 1. Write a letter to the Perry Mason Company, Boston, Mass., enclosing post-office money order for $2 for a year's subscription to the "Youth's Companion." 2. Write a letter to the Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., publishers of the Saturday Evening Post, asking them to change the address of your Saturday Evening Post. Note. — In requesting a change of address, always give the old address as well as the new. Enclosures. — Any enclosure, whether of money, printed matter, or samples of merchandise, should be mentioned in the body of the letter, and "Enc." should be written at the lower left-hand corner of the letter if one en- closure is to be made ; if more than one, "Enc." with a figure indicating the number of enclosures ; as, '*Enc. 2." If the enclosure is* a remittance, the letter should state the exact amount, the form in which it is sent — check, draft or money order — and how it is to be applied. The reason for giving the details is that a wrong enclosure or an error in the amount may be detected and corrected at once. Enclosures such as checks, drafts, invoices, receipted bills, etc., should be laid upon the face of the letter with the top and left-hand edge even with the corresponding edges of the letter, fastened with a paper clip, and folded with the letter. Acknowledging remittances. — ^A prompt acknowledgment of a remittance should be made, stating the amount of the LETTER ACKNOWLEDGING REMITTANCE Gentlemen: We thank you for your check for |175, which has Just "been received and placed to the credit of your account . We appreciate your promptness in this matter, and trust that we may have your name on our books for an- other order soon. Very truly yours. 66 BUSINESS letters: how to write them remittance and the purpose for which it was designated by the sender, and when required, the letter should be accom- panied by a receipt or a receipted statement. In addition, the letter should express an appreciation of the remittance. The following letter from the office of the White Star Steamship Company is a good example of a courteous acknowledgment : Dear Sir: This will acknowledge the receipt of your let- ter of yesterday with check enclosed for $50, which we note is to be applied as a deposit to secure the reservation of Room 132 for your daughter and Berth 1 in Room 140 for yourself at the rate of $53.75. We thank you very much for this deposit and will ask you to kindly send us the full name of your daughter. We should like to call your attention to our travelers' checks and letters of credit. Yours truly. Exercise 10 1. Write to Howard & Solon, grocers, your city, enclosing a check for $12.50 to apply on your account. 2. Write a letter from Howard & Solon acknowledging receipt of the check. 3. Your customer, Henry Evans, Columbus, Ohio, who owes you a bill of $57.25, sent, by mistake, a check for $59.25. Write a letter acknowledging receipt of the payment; call attention to the error, and enclose your check for $2, the amount overpaid. Wood & Cole, Lynn, Mass., send you an order for goods amount- ing to $216. They failed to enclose payment or to furnish refer- ences. Write them a letter, stating that as you do not find them listed in either Dun's or Bradstreet's, it will be necessary to furnish the names of some firms with whom they have done business or the name of some bank that would know of their financial stand- ing. Explain that this is a rule of your house, to which you must adhere. Be careful not to give offense. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION 67 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Letters of recommendation may be divided into two classes : general and personal. The general letter of recom- mendation usually opens with the salutation "To Whom It May Concern." It is given to the person requesting it, to use as he sees fit, and must, in courtesy, be delivered to him unsealed. He keeps the original and sends a copy with his application. The personal letter of recommendation is addressed to some individual or firm, and is mailed directly to the person addressed. The first essentials of a letter of recommendation is truthfulness. It should not conceal any facts nor over- estimate the ability of the applicant. A few brief, pointed statements concerning the character and ability of the applicant will have more weight than a long letter filled with stereotyped expressions. GENERAL LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION To Whom It May Concern: Miss Mary E. Burns, the bearer of* this let- ter, has been in our employ as stenographer for the past two years. Her work has been of a very high grade. She is rapid and accurate in both shorthand and type- writing, and is especially strong in English, spelling, and punctuation. She is punctual, thor- oughly reliable, and possesses a marked degree of initiative. She is a young woman of pleasing per- sonality and displays tact in meeting callers. We are pleased to be able to give Miss Burns this recommendation and to have her use our name as reference. STANDARD MANUFACTURING CO., By 68 BUSINESS LETTERS: HOW TO WRITE THEM Notes 1. The general letter does not require a complimentary close, though some prefer to use Yours truly, Respectfully yours, etc. 2. The salutation may be written in any of the three ways: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, To Whom It May Concern, or To whom it may concern. SPECIAL LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Messrs. R« L. Harmon & Son» Jaolcsonville, fla. Gentlemen: It is a pleasure to reply to your letter :' \i'\