D C — ^1 S JD 9 O ^^ ^ 3 •—^ 55 1 i> ^ 4 8 ^ '^^• ^''e Property: of O.Tr, BUSINESS ENGLISH A Course in Practical Grammar and Business Corre- spondence for Commercial Scliools -BY- CARL C. MARSHALL Author o£ "Essentials o£ English," "Bookkeeping" and Business Training," Etc. SEVENTH EDITION CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA Goodyear-Marshall Publishing Company 1915 V •.-^ Copyrighted 1905 THE GOODYEAR-MARSHALL PUBLISHING COMPANY vnt ^7 Business English — Part I. A FOREWORD 1. Language affords the means as well as the evidence of intelligence. Whoever ac- quires the knowledge and use of a new word, acquires, also, the idea for which that word stands, and adds that much to his mental capital. The mind, like the body, grows by what it feeds upon, and it gains in strength by the clear thinking that finds expression in correct and exact language. Long ago Lord Bacon gave expression to these basal truths in his famous observation : "Reading maketh a full man, conversation a ready man, and writing an exact man." No other educational re((uirement has so much to do with one's personal success, as the al)ility to sj.ieak and write one's mother tongue effectively. Throughout our country, and in all departments of business and professional life, there is a pressing call for men and women who have been trained to the ready use of good English. No commercial house wants a travel- ing representative who cannot present his business intelligently and correctly. A man who cannot write or dictate a letter expressed in clear language and in correct form, will rarely be entrusted with the management of a business enterprise. One's intelligence is estimated by the way he uses language, just as his social position will be inferred by the kind of clothes he wears. The man who dresses like a tramp will be taken for a tramp, and the person who speaks inaccurately and ungrammatically, or writes a letter containing errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., will be taken for an ignoramus and, usually, with entire justice. These thoughts are offered in the hope that they may impress the student with the great practical importance of the work outlined in the following course in language-training. The standards of commercial English are each year growing higher, and familiarity with its re- (|uirements is of paramount importance to those who are looking forward to a business career. LESSON 1. Some Important Essentials. 2. An acceptably written English sentence To use a common phrase, tlie sentence must must be correct in the following particulars : "sound right. 1. The words must be spelled according 5. The sentence must be grammatical, and to standard usage, and capital letters must be ^'ree from slang or other impurities of speech, properly used. Most people fe«ozt' enough to observe, fairlv 2. The necessary punctuation-marks must ^yeH- the foregoing requirements, but compara- be employed ' tively few have acquired the habit of doing so. o c 1 1 ,.1-1 -11 This can come only through constant attention o. huch words must be chosen as wul , ■ ,. i • ' .• and pamstakmg practice. express the thought accurately and clearlv. o n i i r „ • . ■ ' o. Read the foUowmg rules. Doubtless 4. ihe words must be so arranged as to they are not new to you.'^but are vou in the produce a pleasing and harmonious efifect. habit of observing them ? **jf* BUSINESS ENGLISH GENERAL RULES. 1. Begin every sentence zvith a capital let- ter, and end it (usually) with a period (.), an interrogation (f), or an exclamation (!). 2. Begin with a capital letter all zuords used as proper (individual) names of persons, places, and things. 3. Use proper abbreviations in accordance with usage, and place a period after ALL ab- breviations. 4. Keep the margin (space at the left of the page) uniform, and paragraph each new topic. 5. Use commas, or such other punctuation- marks as may be necessary, to indicate pauses or to make more clear the meaning of the sen- tence, and divide syllables at the end of lines, only as indicated by the dictionary. Affix the possessive sign ('s) to indicate pos- session in the case of nouns in the singular form; as boy's, John's, Mr. Jones's, Charles's; also, to irregular plurals (those that do not end in s), as, men's, children's, oxen's, etc. Affix the apostrophe (') only to regular plurals, as, boys' hats; birds' wings; ladies' gloves. In addition to the foregoino- rnles, the stu- dent is advised to study carefully, and apply in all his future work the following : Directions Regarding the Preparation of Written Exercises. 4. Headin>r. ^Uur wiitten exercises should be given a suitable heading, which should in- clude your name, the date, subject of the paper, or any other data that your teacher may re- quire. The following is an acceptable form : ^. c^gz-.«^ ^S<>-z-^^r^;r'^^^C/ 5. Margin. t\ Ijlank space, or "margin," should be reserved at the left of all printed, typewritten, or pen-written manuscript. This marginal space should be uniform throughout the letter or other manuscriiit. but may vary in width with the size of the paper used. In the case of common letter or foolscap paper, it may be about three-fourths of an inch, and for note- pa])er, one-half an inch. The width of the margin is somewhat a matter of l.isle, but it should be kept uniform, since an irregular or varying margin gives an appearance of sloven- liness to an otherwise neat marjuscript. A paragraph should begin at a distance from the left edge of the paper equal to tzvice the zi'idth of the margin. 6. Spelling. No fault in composition is more discreditable than incorrect spelling. A dictionary should always be at hand and should be consulted in the case of any word about the spelling of which the writer has the least doubt. \Vhenever it is necessary to verify the spelling of a word, one should at once write the word correctl)- a number of times on a piece of waste paper, in order that it may not again give trouble. No one who forms this habit will long be a poor speller. 7. Neatness. Persons of taste and refine- ment should require no caution as to the value of neatness in the matter of letters or other written manuscript, yet many persons who are tidy and careful as to their dress or personal habits, will write letters or hand in school papers that show woeful evidence of careless- ness and slovenliness. But aside from this gen- eral consideration, bookkeepers, clerks, stenog- raphers, and others who engage in commercial employment soon find that neatness has a cash value as well. No business ofifice fails to ap- l^reciate this quality in an office employee. It is, therefore, of special importance that the student of business English form this habit at the outset. Keep all written exercises where they will not become soiled, wrinkled, blotted, or turned u]) at the corners. Papers that re- quire folding should be folded evenly and neatly, the writing should be plain and uni- form and as free as possible from blots, crossed-out words, erasures, etc. One may be neat in his written work without being an ex- ])ert ])enman, but neatness, like other habits, comes only through constant attention. 8. Forethought. Tliere is a good rule thai admonishes us: "Think before you speak." It is doubly important to "think before you write." Nothing is of more advantage to a writer than to form the habit of mentally con- structing every sentence in its entirety, before allempting 1o write it. By far the greater num- ber of errors in written com|)osition occur, not because the writers do not knoiv enough, but bocrur'^e thev ili> iiol take time to think. THE I'ARTS OF SPEECH Exercise 1. Copy the following- paragraphs, carefully observing the "General Rules" as to punctua- tion, capitals, margin, paragraphing, etc., also the foregoing "Directions." We have yours of Oct. 12 relating to the matter of your undertaking the sale of the Beamer furnace in Freeport, 111. Had your proposition reached us a week earlier, we might have effected an arrange- ment with you, but we signed an agreement on Sept. 29 with Mr. A. N. Miller, whereby he became our exclusive agent at Freeport. If, however, you would like to engage in the selling of our furnaces at some other good point, we believe we can give you entirely satisfactory territory. We have, at present, nn agent at Fond du Lac, Wis., and we think that this is quite as promising a point as Freeport. We could ailso give you Logansport, Ind., or Clinton, Iowa, both of which are live towns. The references sent are fully satisfactory, and we are quite willing to sign a contract with you, provided you are suited with the territory that is now available. Mr. Stevens' partner, Mr. Walker, called on us today, and he tells us that you have been handling the Bolton Co.'s line of steam- fittings. In the event of our coming to an agreement with you, would you care to con- tinue this- work as a "side line" ? For our part, we see no objection to such an arrange- ment. Marking Papers. A sy.stematic method of marking written exercises is illu.strated on pases 0, 7, and S. Tlie use of this sys- tem will save much time to both student and teacher. On page 6, is a key to the correction-marks ; on page 7, is a letter, with the errors marked, as it would come from the hands of the teacher, and on page 8, is the letter as it would appear after the designated correc- tions have heen made. If the teacher adopts tliis metliod of marking cor- rections, the student should study the key and illus- trations until he is familiar with the system. Exercise 2. Write from memory, in your own words, the suggestions and rules given in Lesson 1. LESSON 2. The Parts of Speech. 9. The words of the English language have Iieen divided, according to meaning ami use. into eight general groups, called Parts of Speech. These are : 1. Nouns, or names of persons, places, objects, or ideas. Examples : Edwin, Chicago, book, love, intelligence. 2. Pronouns, or words used instead of nouns, and to avoid their repetition. Examples: Henry said to Aw mother : "I am much interested in Spanish ; may / study it?" "Yes," sJie answered, "I ani willing, pro- vided \0!i have time to give it proper atten- tion." " 3. Verbs, or words expressing action or being, and used to afifirm something- of some l)ei-son or thing. Examples : Corn grows. It ivill rain. She remains at home. The river has been rising. Walter is studious. 4. Adjective.'', or words used to qualify or h'n-iit the meaning of a noun or pronoun. Examples: These apples are unsalable. The sentences were clear and forceful. She is very happy and has many charming friends. 5. Adverbs, or words used to modify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Examples: They walked rapidly. It was very beautiful. The train was moving rather slowly. 6. Prepositions, or words used to show re- lations between nouns and pronouns and other words. Examples : He lived near the river. The goods were made in Germany. This affiair is betzveen you and me. She divided them among her friends. 7. Conjunctions, or words used to join words, sentences, or parts of sentences. Examples: Energy and diligence may bring wealth, but it takes dignity and charac- ter to make manhood or womanhood. 8. Interjections, or words thrown in to ex- press pain, surprise, or other sudden emotion. Examples: O dear! Ha! Ha! Fiddle- sticks ! P-shaw ! BUSINESS ENGLISH 1. Capitalize. 2. Do not oapitali'/e. 3. Omission of, or error in, imuo- y^^2^'ffj—-<^:^ t!i-.-i.'^j^z-..e-..^ -^-Z^cJ^ -^^^-s^^-^t-^^^^-^-^ tuation. *^ C^ tuation. 4. Misspelled. 5. Omission of words. 6. Superfluous words. 7. Use abbreviation. S. Do not abbreviate. 9. Wrong alibreviation. 10. Wrong division. 11. Paragraph. -^^'^''-'C^'t/^-a.^C^^^ ,j2,-^-..S.^.^,,^g_6.^^ .J^^Co _--(^-*<-3^^<.-' — <:L-'t-.-?'^^ --^^-j-t^^o^^ fL't'C^oS^ \L -L^^^ C^_-;^..-t,-«^ ^.^-ty-^T^ — e is (ue. The name-form is also used with various auxiliaries (will, shall, may, might, can, could, etc.) to assert futurity, determination, duty, possibility, possession, etc. Examples: They may conic. He shouM stiidv. It will rain. I shall go. 83. The name-form, preceded by the word to. is used to form a class of verbal jihrases called infinitives. Examples: They ought to go. To be con- tented is to be happy. She likes to sicatc. 84. The singular form. This inflection of the verb is usually formed by adding s or es to the name-form. It is userl only in the predicate and with singular sulijects in the tJiird person. Examples: She liz'cs in New York. 'I Ik- boy catches the ball. The verb be has two irregular singular forms, is and zvas. The singular form of haz'c is has. 85. The past form. 'I'jiis is tlic fs(Mil tense. Spelling Hints. 89. Dropping final e. In forming the im- lierfect ])arl ici])le of \-crbs ending in e. this let- ter is oinittei] in ll:r p;irliri])lo. l'",XAMi'i.i';s : hope, hoping; write, writing; ride, riding. FORMS AND AGREEMENTS 21 Exceptions: singe, singeing; hoe, hoeing; plan, planned, planning; trim, trimmed, trim dye, dyeing. 90. Doubling final consonant. When the verb consists of but one syllable and terminates in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant is usually doubled in forming both the perfect and the imperfect jiarticiple. Examples: fit, fitted, fitting; run, The final letter is also doubled when the verb consists of more than one syllable, and when the final syllable is accented and ends in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel. Examples: concur, concurred, concurring; NAME FORM. go come SINGULAR. goes comes runnmg; reu lit, remi itte EXERCISE 24. Model. PAST. PERF. P. went gone came come spell spells spelled spelled IMP. p. going coming spelling Prepare lists, as in the abo\-e model, of the forms of the following verbs. When in doubt as to the required form, consult the dictionary : also, observe the rules as to dropping final e and doubling final consonants. write lie conceal shoe blow lav combat throw run tip fix take dye bite charge catch die lend sit do LESSON 16. The Verb; Forms and Agreement. 91. The verb be. In English as in most other languages, the verb he is much more ir- regular than other verbs. As used in ordinary speech, it has eight simple forms, as follows : Name-form he Singular am, IS, zvas are, zuere been he ins Plural Perf. Part. Imper. P. The form am is used only in the first per- son and singular number. The forms, is and ivas, are used only in the third person singular. In conditional clauses, the plural form ivcrc is used with a singular subject. This is known as the suhjnnctive form, or subjunctive mode. of the predicate verb. Examples : If I zcere he, I would not go. Jl'erc he qualified, he could get the position. 92. Defective verbs are those that have fewer than the usual number of forms. Many of the auxiliarv verbs have but two forms. Examples: may, might; can, could; shall, should ; will, would. The verb ought has only the name- form. It is used in the present only, and without aux- iliaries, and is always followed by the infinitive verbal. Examples: Tie ought to go. She ought to have knozvn it. We ought to he charitable. It is a common error to use ought with the auxiliary had; as, "He had ought to study." "You hadn't ought to go," instead of, "He ought to (or should) study," "You ought not to ( or should not*) go." 93. Mode and tense forms. In the more technical treatises on grammar, much attention is given to the various predicate combinations, which are considered under the headings. "Mode" (or "Mood") and "Tense." As the detailed study of these verb combinations has little practical value, it is omitted in this book. BUSINESS ENGLISH 94. Agreement of the verb with its subject. The fact that the verb may vary in its form to agree with the person and number of the subject, is called "the agreement of the verb with its subject." The most common errors in this connection are : (1) the use of the singular form with a plural or compound subject, or a subject singular in form but plural in meaning; (2) the use of the plural form of the verb with a singular subject. Examples: 1. 2. o. 4. 5. INCORRECT. ]\Iary and Ethel has gone. Cherries is ripe. People differs about it. A box of apples were sent. Politics are interesting. 1. o O. 4. 5. CORRECT. Mary and Ethel have gone. Cherries are ripe. People differ about it. A box of apples was sent. Politics is interesting. 95. Errors of this class occur, not because the speaker is ignorant of the rule requiring the verb to agree with its subject, but because he misapprehends the number of the subject. It is ver}' important to remember that it is the meaning and not the form of the subject that determines the number-form of the verb or pronoun to be used. Many nouns that are plural in form, are singular in meaning and require singular verbs or pronouns. Examples: politics, crisis, measles, ethics, news. Others are treated as plurals though desig- nating but one article. Examples : trousers, scissors, tongs, for- ceps. Xouns in the plural form often express c|uantity rather than number: when this is clearly evident, the singular f(irm of the verb is required. The fallowing sentences are cor- rect : 1. A thdusand dollars ivas paid for the prr)])erty. '2. Ten thousand bushels of wheat 7C'«,f purchased in May. 3. Two hundred pounds nvs his weight at that time. 4. Seven pounds of salt is required. 5. Two hundred gallons of wine 7i.'as sold to one customer. 6. Twenty-five cents 7C'«.v subscribed by the class. 7. Sixty omices wr/.v the f|nan(ity sold on Saturday. Unless (|uantity rather th.m number is f>lainly indicated in the sentence, the plural form f)f the verb .should lie used as in the fol- lowing: 1. Three days ccr/r gi\en to Enndun and two to Paris. 2. Five dollars zi'erc laid on the table. 3. Two gallons zi'ere used. NOTE. — Usage inclines to tlie use of the plural where a small quantity is indicated. 1. Three quarts of milk were purchased. -. .Several dollars were paid for stationery. 96. Collective nouns as subjects. Some nouns in the singular form, are either singular or plural in meaning, according to the sense in which they are used. These are called collect- ive nouns. Studv the following illustrative sentences: 1. The connuiitcc lias prepared its report and adjourned. 2. The conunittee (that is, the ineuibers of the committee) are unable to agree, and there- fore have not made their report. 3. The commit tee are all good men. 4. The committee is com])osed of good men. 5. The Adams family is famous in Ameri- can history. (). The family (members of the family) reside on Pine Street. 7. His family is large, but he supports it in comfort. 8. A pair of gloves costs a dollar. 9. 'i'wo pair were sold. 10. A pair of twins zvere ;il)an(loned by //)(■/;■ parents. II. him ? 12. unfair. 13. 14. 15. Nf)TE. — None (ecpiivalout to not one ) is treated a.s shiKuljir hy si lucui-alc writers. Wliat means ivere used to convmce That means of winning the game is The jury has rendered its verdict. The jury are tired of the case. None of the clerks is to blame. RKVIRW EXERCISES 23 Compound Subjects. 97. (a) When the assertion apph'es to tlie several memljers of a compouncl subject, the plural form of the verb is required. Example : Frank and Joe are sick. (b) W'hen the assertion applies to one of the subject members, and not to the others, the verb shouKl atjree witli that meml^er. Examples: The boy, and not the parents, icas to blame. 1'he parents, and not the boy, were to blame. (c) When the assertion applies separately to several parts, each in the singular form, the verb should be singular. Ex.VMPLE.s: I'Lither Frank or Joe is sick. Neither the lion nor the tiger is native to America. (d) When the assertion applies separately to several parts, some of which are singular and some plural, the verb should agree with the member that is nearest to it. Ex.'VMPLES: Neither the man nor his em- ployers were responsible. Neither the employ- ers nor the man 7cas responsible. LESSON 17. Review Exercises. Exercise 25. Write sentences illustrating the agreement of the verb with the following nouns used as subjects. Consult the dictionary if necessary: measles pair ci\'ics wages pains scissors dozen crisis analysis tidings gentlemen morals Congress people crowd whereabouts score tactics Exercise 26. Form original sentences illustrating the use of the following collective nouns, both as sin- gular and as plural sulijects : family jury couple company society mob . flock committee firm Exercise 27. Correct the following and give reasons: 1. Neither Frank nor I are to go. 2. A flock of birds were seen above the lake. 3. Tile family is all at home. 4. The jury is not agreed as to the evi- dence. 5. Henry and not his sisters are to go. 6. Bread and milk are wholesome food. 7. Rats and mice is vermin. 8. A pair of twins was lying on the couch asleep. 9. The committee was dining in its apart- ments. 10. Neither the daughter nor the mother are ill. 11. Either the soldier or bis oiflcers is to blame. 12. The goods was purchased at a dis- count. 13. The acoustics of the hall are unsatis- factory to the society. 14. Everybody were invited. 15. A basket of eggs were on the table. 16. The couple has enjoyed its visit. 17. One faction in the convention favor Jones and refuse to support Robinson. 18. Every one of us were absent. 19. Fifty dollars were paid for the rent. 20. Five pounds of salt are needed. 21. Twenty years of his life were spent in Paris. 22. Fifteen pounds are the exact weight. 23. Fifteen cents were contributed by the teacher, and seventy-five cents, in all, were raised. 24. Five hundred bushels of potatoes were the cjuantity sold in IMarch. 25. Five silver dollars was given to me todav. 24 BUSINESS ENGLISH LESSON 18. Errors in the Use of Verb-Forms. 98. The use of improper or unauthorized verb-forms, instead of the proper forms, especially in the case of the past, and the per- fect forms, is a very common error with care- less writers or speakers. Errors of this kind may be divided into the following classes : 1. The use of impure or unauthorized forms; as, drozmided for drotmicd. knowcd for knozmi, ain't or hain't for am not. 2. The use of the perfect for the past forms; as, "I seen him," instead of, "I sazv him." "They come to town yesterday." in- stead of. "They came to town yesterdav." 3. The use of the past for the perfect form; as, "They have zvent away," instead of. "They have gone away." "They have began. the work," instead of, "Tliey have begun the work." 4. Using the parts of one verb for those of another; as, lay for lie, sit for set, etc. 5. Misuse of au.xiliaries, shown in the in- discriminate use of shall and zvill. should :ind zxjould, can and may, etc. The following list of irregular verbs con- tains the ones most frequently misused. The student should study this list until he can illus- trate by means of a sentence the use of anv form given. Caution : Remember tiiat the past form should never be used with an auxiliary, and that the perfect should never- be used (in tiie predicate) without one. Irregular Verbs. l)eaten begun blown broken burst caught chosen come done drawn drunk or drank dri\-cn eaten fallen flown frozen gone got or gotten given begin rjeac began blow blew break broke burst burst catch caught choose chose come came do did draw drew drink drank drive drove eat ate fall fell fly flew freeze froze go went get got give gave grow grew grown have had • had know knew known lay laid laid lie (to rest) lay lain pay paid paid ride rode ridden ring rang or rung rung rise rose risen run ran run see saw seen set set set sit sat sat shake shook shaken shoe shod shod sing sang or sung sung sink sank or sunk sunken slay slew slain speak spoke spoken steal stole stolen swim swam swum take took taken tear tore torn throw threw thrown wake woke or waked waked wear wore worn weave wove woven write wrote written Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. 99. A transitive verb is one that requires an object coinplemcnt to complete its meaning. (See Lesson 7.) Ex.\MPLES: He tc/// z(.'ritc a letter. They bought the books. 100. An intransitive verb is one that does not require an object complement to complete its meaning. F.xAMPi,E.s: They are zvalking. She laughed liearlily. NOTE.- ('i)imliitivo vorlis, or those tliat are rom- pleted liy an at,trll)iifo eomiilonipnt, are intransitive. See 24-25. 101. There are two groups of verbs that are smnewhat similar, both in meaning and form, the distinction being that the verbs of the one group are fr.'uisitive, wln'le tliose of the other are intransitive. We have here arranged these verbs in pairs. Notice tliat the first one in eacli pair is in- transiliz'c, and that tlic second one is trausitizr. Tiie student slmnld study them until he is faiuih.'ii" with the fnrins ruid mcrniing of eacli. MISUSE OF AUXILIARIES 25 NAME-FORM. PAST PERF. PART. f Fall (to topple over) fell fallen 1- \ Fell (to cause to fall) felled felled ( Lie (to recline) lay lain \ Lay (to cause to recline)laid laid Rise (to ascend) I Ris( 1 Rai rose risen 4. i Raise (to cause to rise) raised raised f Learn (to acquire learned learned knowledge) I Teach (to cause to taught taught 1^ learn) f Sit (to rest) sat sat ^' t Set (to place) set set Sentences Illustrating the Use of the Foregoing Verbs. Fall (intrans.) The tree fell (or has fallen). Fell (trans.) They have felled the tree. Lie (intrans.) He lay (or was lying, or lias lain ) on the couch. Lay (trans.) They laid (or zvill lay, or Iiaz'c laid) him on the couch. Rise (intrans.) He rose (or has risen, or ivill rise) from his chair. Raise (trans.) They raised (or zvill raise) the flag over the building. Sit (intrans.) The king sits (or sat, or has sat) on the throne. Set (trans.) He set (or zvill set, or has set) the pitcher on the table. Exercise 28. Correct the following sentences and tell why they are incorrect : 1. The wind blowed very hard. 2. They done it well. 3. He has ran away. 4. He lav the book on the table. 5. The bill has been i)ayed. 6. They have swam the river. 7. He laid down on the grass. 8. Will the bread raise? 9. The general had fallen trees across the road in order to hamper the movements of the enemy. 10. He come home yesterday. 11. He learned me to play tennis. 12. She has set there for an hour. 13. They had eat the bread. 14. He drunk a pint of milk. 15. Had I saw him first, I would not have went. 16. I am almost froze. Do vou ever use any of the following forms? ain't ketch (for catch) drawed blowed druv (for drove) hadn't ought bursted drownded dove (for growed knowed dived) weaved dumb (for climbed) rid (for rode) Exercise 29. Form sentences illustrating the correct use of the following forms: went fell raised begun gave seen blew lain rose done laid come sat swam wrote set stole took NOTE. — Set is intransitive in a number of mean- ings, as, Tlie sun sets: Tlie cnrrent sets to the east: The plaster has set; The blossoms have fallen, and the fruit has set : He set out to do his whole duty. The use of set in the case of a brooding hen is incor- rect ; say, "n silling hen ;" "the lien sits on her nest." LESSON 19. Misuse of Auxiliaries. 102. Shall and will. These au.xiliaries as- sert either mere futurity or promise or deter- mination, according to the person of the sub- ject. Thus, "I shall" or "We shall" (first per- son) asserts mere futurity; as, "I shall be ill," "We shall arrive at six o'clock." "You shall" or "He shall" or "They shall" (second and third person), asserts promise or determina- tion on the part of the speaker. Examples : You shall go to school (determination). He shall be allowed to go (promise). They shall obey the rules (determination). JVill has much the same meaning as shall, but as to person, is used in the opposite way. That is, zvill, in the Urst person, implies prom- ise or determination, and in the second and third person, mere futurity. Examples: I will pay you the money (promise). We will never submit to it (determination). You will arrive at Chicago on Saturday (futurity). They will not consent to the agreement (futurity). 20 BUSINESS EXrjLISH The following arrangement shows the cor- rect use of shall and will: MERE FUTURITY. 1st Person I shall \^■e shall 2nd and 3rd Person You will He will Thev will PROMISE OR DETERMINATION. 1st Person 2nd and 3rd Person I will You shall We will He shall They shall Exercise 30. Explain the correct use of shall and zvill in the following sentences : 1. I will go if you desire. 2. You shall have the money even though I must sell the crown jewels — Queen Isabella to Columbus. 3. I will have it in spite of you. 4. I am convinced that I shall not live long. 5. He will do as he pleases anyhow. 6. They shall see the play if they wish. 7. Do not fear : the money shall be raised. 8. I will never see him again, never. 9. Alas ! I shall never see liim again ! 10. They shall go to school; I will not allow them to grow up in ignorance. Why are the following incorrect ? 1. I will probably suffer for it. 2. You will not impose on me in that manner. 3. I fear he shall be sick. 4. They shall arrive tomorrow if the train is not delayed. 5. I shall not allow you to go. 6. I will be unable to see him. 7. He will not go ; I promise you that. 8. We shall remit the amount without fail nn J^n. L !t. Y(^\\ shall priibabh- he ill to-morrow. Tl. T am afraid we will not arrive in time. 103. In askinjo: questions the auxiliary should be u>ed that is required in the answer. Examples: questions. answers. Will you buy it? I will. Shall yr)u enjoy the trip? I think T shall. Will he recover? We think he will. Shall 1 ho puTiished? You shall. Will I \)c punished? I think you will. Will I be ill ? I think you will. Shall he pay the debt? He shall. \\\\\ he pay the debt? He will. Exercise 31. State wliv the following are inciirrect : Will you be ill? \\"\\\ I get my lesson? NOTE. — "Will I?" is usuall.v incorrect, as only the person who a.sks the question can tell whether he "will" or not. Shall he be ill? Shall you try to win ? Shall to-morrow be fair? When will you be of age? When shall I be elected? How shall you get the money? 104. Should and would. These auxiliaries are, respectively, the past forms of shall and will and have corresponding uses in the differ- ent persons. 'T should," "You would." and "He would," are used when there is no promise or deter- mination on the part of the speaker. Examples: I should like to go. I should have gone if it had not rained. You zvoidd have failed, liad you attempted it. He Zi'ould have been elected but for the alien vote. "I would," "You should," and "He should," implv conditional promise or determination on the part of the speaker, or duty on the part of the person spoken to. Examples: I zuould never have consented to such an arrangement. Had I known of your distress, you should have had aid (promise). If I had the power, you should be punished (determination). He slwuhl support his ]X\r- ents (duty). NOTE. — Should iiiul Tcoii/d live used to express other nieanniirs, and nian.v nice distinctions are involved in their accurate use. For the exact deterniinalion of any of these ca.'^os. an >uialirid,i;ed dictionary should be consulted. Exercise 32. Tuslifv the use of should and would in the fdlldwing sentences : 1. I should like to attend a convent. 2. If the lion were to esca]ie. I shoultl be frightened. 3. If \-()U were my son, _\'ou should obey yiuir teacher. 4. Were you to fail. 1 should be very greatly disapjioinled. 5. Had I known the facts, I z^'ould not ha\e loaned him the money. (). If all goes well, he slwuld be here by .'^aturdaw ERRORS IN rSK OF VERBALS 27 LESSON 20. Verbals. 105. 'llie term verbal is broadly used to flcsi^nate a word or phrase that has the form and meaning of a verb, but which is used as a noun or an adjective modifier. The perfect and imperfect participles are often used as verbals ; also, several kinds of phrases, formed by joining certain auxiliaries to these forms ; as, having zvrittcn, being seen, liaz'ing been noticed, etc. By some avithors, verbals are called "participial adjectives," "verbal nouns," "verbal adjectives," "com- ])ound participles," etc., but the value of these (hstinctions is not apparent. 106. The infinitive verbal phrase consists of the word to, followed by various verb- forms; as, to go, to be going, to have gone, to be seen, to have been seen, etc. The word to is omitted in certain constructions after an object complement ; as, "He made him (to) admit it," "I heard her (to) sing." Exercise 33. Name the verbals to be found in the follow- ing sentences, giving the office of each : 1. He owns a thriving business, having purchased it in January. 2. He was a learned man. much broken in fortune. 3. Being ach'ised as to the situation, we will at once take advantage of the rising market. 4. Knowing his capability, I advised him to accept the position. 5. To be prepared for every emergency, was his constant aim. 6. Having been informed of the occur- rence, he is to leave for New York to-night. 7. Bathing too soon after eating is in- jurious. 8. It was a drawn battle, yielding no ad- vantage to either contestant. 9. Any owner may recover possession of stolen property by proving title. 10. Having supplied you with written in- structions, we naturally expected you to fol- low them. LESSON 21. Errors in Use of Verbals. 107. Verbals modified by possessives. When a verbal is used as the object of a preposi- tion, and is modified by a noun or pronoun, the modifier should have the possessive form. Examples : 1. 2 3^ 4. 5. 6. INCORRECT. I did not know of him going. because of John being ill. through the president failing to come. I heard of 'voii and vour brother being ill. on the boys refusing to go. They heard of him having gone. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. CORRECT. I did not know of his going. because of John's being ill. through the president's failing to come. I heard of vour and vour brother's being ill. On the boys' refusing to go. They heard of his having gone. 108. Present and perfect infinitives. The /i/r.cn; /infinitive (not the perfect) is required when reference is liad to a time coincident zvith or after the time indicated by the predicate verb. The perfect infinitive is required when tlie reference is to a time before that indicated by the predicate verb. 28 BUSINESS ENGLISH Examples : incorrect. correct. 1. I should have been pleased to have met 1. I should have been pleased to meet you. you. (time coincident with predicate). or I am pleased to have met you. (before time indicated by predicate), or I am pleased to meet you (now). 2. I should have been glad to have heard 2. I should have been glad to hear her. her. or I am glad to have heard her (or to hear her). 3. We should have been delighted to have 3. We should have been delighted to go. gone. or We are delighted to have gone (or to go). 109. Omission of verb. The omission of the verb or some of its parts, or of the subject, may cause the sentence either to be ungrammatical or ambiguous (obscure) in its meaning. Examples: INCORRECT. CORRECT. I like him better than John. I like him better than John does. or I like him better than I like John. Here the omission of the verb in the incorrect sentence leaves the reader in doubt as to which of the meanings given in the correct sentences is intended. INCORRECT. CORRECT. He knew that he had omitted to do what he He knew that he had omitted to do what he ought to (or should). ought to do (or should do). Good usage requires the repetition of the verb in such sentences. 110. Agreement of tense forms. The parts of a compound predicate should agree in tense-form. INCORRECT. CORRECT. I have advised him and, in fact, did all I could T have ailvised him and, in fact, have done all to prevent his going. I could to prevent his going. or I advised him and, in fact, did all I could to ])rcvent his going. In the incorrect sentence, the perfect form of the verb is joined with tlie past. In both of tlie correct sentences, tiie tense- and verb-forms agree. INCORRECT. CORRECT. I have gone several times in Marcli and went 1 wciil several times in March and went again again in April. in April. BEVIEW OF VERB FORMS 29 LESSON 22. Review of Verb-Forms. Exercise 34. Rewrite the following septences, correcting all errors : Be prepared to give the reasons for your correction. 1. If I had knew you was not coming, I would not have set there so long. 2. The majority of men is inclined to justice. 3. Clay admired Webster more than Cal- houn. 4. I have not and never will tell him. 5. Since that time there has been several disputes. 6. She beseeched him to spare her boy. 7. He learned me to file letters. 8. She had laid down for a moment's rest. 9. Beef and poultry are scarce, but fish are to be found in all the markets. 10. It was your business to have secured as many orders as possible, and to have been on the look out for orders all the time. 11. His crime being discovered, he flew to South America. 12. I have not, and will not, agree to his proposal. 13. The jury were out two hours before they returned their verdict. 14. I should have liked to have met him. 15. The tree was fallen by my brother in 1890 and it has laid there ever since. 16. Every one of us were asked to bring our books. 17. You have not done your work hereto- fore, but I shall see to it that you shall here- after. 18. The measles have broken out and half the school is absent. 19. You have not done it, but you ought to. 20. Will I recite to you in the classroom or the study-hall? 21. In business education, is to be found the shortest roads to success. Exercise 35. Rewrite each of the following sentences, choosing the right word from those italicized : 1. The mercury has fell fallen ten degrees. 2. The general, with his aids, then en- tered, and ivere zvas at once conducted to the President's box. 3. Every one of us has have known about it. 4. It was plain that a majority of the dele- gates tvere zvas for Wilson. 5. A numbes of hats zuere zvas offered for sale. 6. The greater part of our marriages is are happy. 7. Since the passage of the law, gold has steadily fiozvn Hozued into the treasury. 8. Her nurse sat seated her in the big chair. 9. One hundred dollars have has been sub- scribed. 10. A clear majority of the convention zvas were for Brown. 11. A barrel of pecans zvere zvas ordered in October. 12. One of the many things that make makes life uncomfortable in the Philippines is are the great multitude of mosquitoes. 13. The course of events haz'e has proved the truth of his remark. 14. Ten dollars zuere zvas given for the coat. 15. His friend plead pleaded with him, but all to no purpose. 16. The great height of the trees zvas zuere most impressive. 17. The clanging of the many bells zvcre zuas always in our ears. 18. The Mothers' Club request requests the pleasure of your company on Tuesday evening. Exercise 36. Rewrite correctly such of the following sen- tences as you consider incorrect : 1. I think that neither he nor his sons are in the city. 2. This wonderful lecturer, and alleged "humorist," relies on his imagination for his facts and on his memory for his wit. 3. Failing to agree, the jury were dis- charged. 4. Neither Henry nor Frank were at home. 5. Prices have rose but prosperity has raised them. 6. Bad news travels fast. 7. I would think he should know better. 8. The old wreck lay there for years. 9. The public get what they demand : if the drama is bad, the public, not the managers, are to blame. 10. Twenty cents were spent for postage- stamps. 30 BUSINESS ENGLISH 11. quest. 12. 13. success 14. 15. 16. 17. money 18.' 19. spelled, I shall be obliged to refuse your re- Will I get the book for you? All but one of my classmates has been ful. The sun had not yet rose. Neither of the boys are here. I will not be able to attend. I would be ruined if I was to spend as you do. I do not think I will be sick. A large number of words was mis- !20. Each of these methods brings the right answer. 21. I am determined that they shall go. 22. I haye no doulit of the senator being sincere. 23. Since the beginning of tlie Republic the majority have ruled. 2-4. Mr. Wilson will be pleased to accept Mrs. Clarke's kind inyitation for Wednesday. 25. His industry and capability and the fact that he is absoluely honest, has won the favor of his employers. LESSON 23. Adjectives and Adverbs. ¥ 111. .Adjectives and adverbs are closely related in form, meaning, and use. They are usually employed as modifiers, and serve to vary the meaning of the sentence in a great variety of ways. 112. Alost adjectives are descriptive words naming qualities belonging to the object sig- nified by nouns and pronouns: as, good, large, old, white, kind, etc. Other adjectives are used merely to designate the noun, or to limit its application to some particular object or ob- jects; as, a man, this desk, those boys, fiz'C books, yonder hill, the school. 113. .Vdverbs are usually related as ad- juncts (words joined to) to verbs and verbals, modifying these as to. the time, place, manner, or cause of the action signified by the verb : as, "He was running raf'idly." "The\' were standing there," "He came yesterday." They also modify adjectives and other adverbs by A'arying the degree of (|uality expressed; as, I'erv rich, slightly ill, rather (piietlv. 114. 'i"he grammatical variations of ad- jectives and adverbs are few and their inflec- tion simple. Errors in the use of these ])arts of speech are mostly due to a misunderstanding of their meanings. Errors of this class do nut properly belong to grammar, but to diction. i>r "word-selection, and will be considered in a subseriuent lesson. 115. Certain adjectives and adverbs are inflected Im indicate what, in grammar, is called comparison. There are three degrees, or variatir)ns, of comjjarison, as follows : 1. Positive defrree, or that which indicates merely the possession of the (|uah'ty; as, sweet, Iml, iKiblc. fast. 2. Comparative degree, or tlrat form which indicates a stronger degree of quality than is expressed by the positive form; as, sweeter, liotter, noliler, faster. 3. Superlative degree, or that which indi- cates a still stronger degree of quality than the comparative ; as, sweetest, hottest, noblest, fastest. 116. Inflection. It will be seen that in the foregoing examples the comparative degree is formed by adding er. and the superlative de- gree by adding est to the positive. 117. Such adjectives and adverbs as form tiieir comparatives and superlatives by means of these inflections are said to be compared reoidarly. They are usually words of one syllable. Most of those having two or more syllables are not compared regularly, but have their variations in degree expressed by the qualifying adverbs more and most; as, more beautiful, most beautiful. 118. Several adjectives antl adverbs are conqjared in-egn1arly by the use of entirely different words. l''.XAMl'I, F.s: ■osrriVK. CO.MI'AKATIVK. suri':uL.\TivE, good better best some more most little less or lesser least ill or bai 1 worse worst 119. Some adjectives and adverbs express ((ualities tiiat do not admit of conqiarison. l'"xAMrT.i':s: round. I'^rench, dead, x-oniler, theie. first. ERRORS IN THE USE OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS Exercise 37. Write, in tlie fi)rm given on tiie preceiing- page, the omiparison oi such of the following- adjectives and adverbs as admit of compari- son. Write in a separate list those that are not compared. When in doubt, consult the dictionary : handsome sate square quietly good hopeful popular aboye nicely rapidly complete lively contented sad uni\-ersal pertect curious round matchless lovely often friendly happy senseless LESSON 24. Errors in the Use of Adjectives and Adverbs. 120. Improper comparison. In the com- parison of adjectixes and adverbs, the follow- ing errors should be avoided : (a) Using terms of comparison in the case of adjectives that express absolute quality. Say, )iiorc nearly round, more nearly equal ; not "rounder," "more equal," etc. (b) Use of superlatives in comparing tzvo persons or things. Say, "This is the larger book of the two," not, "This is the largest of the two." (c) The making of illogical comparisons. Say, "Paris is the most elegant city of Eu- rope," or, "more elegant than any other city in Europe," not, "Paris is more elegant than any city of Europe." As Paris is included in the phrase, "any city of Europe," the last sen- tence is equivalent to sa\'ing that Paris is more elegant than itself. Say, "George is more studious than any of his classmates," not "Georg^e is the most studious of his class- mates." As George is not "of his classmates," tlie last sentence is illogical. 121. Improper forms of adjectives and ad- verbs. There are a number of uncouth and wholly unauthorized words and expressions, the use of which ought to be (but is not) con- fined to the vulgar and illiterate. Among these the following may be mentioned : "everv- vvheres" and "anywheres," for everywhere and anywhere; "complected," for complexioned ; as, "She is light complected," instead of, "She is light complexioned," or, "She has a light complexion;" "nowdiere near" for not nearly, as, "You were nowhere near so sick as I." in- stead of, "You were not nearly so sick as I ;" "not much" or "not muchly," for not at all. "Do you intend to withdraw from the con- test?" "Not much." This barbarism is quite inexcusable. Say, "I do not," or for greater emphasis, "Not at all." or "By no means." NOTE. — The author has before him a business school announcement in which occur the following iiuestion and answer: "Have we then .-ilianiloneil Blank's shorthand? Not muchly." "Thusly" for thus. "He rea.soned thusly," for "He reasoned thus." "Illy" for ill. "He spoke illy of her." Say, "He spoke ill." "Illy" is now obsolete. "Beside" for besides. "Many persons beside me think so." Say, "Many persons be.'fides me think so." "Firstly" for first. "Firstly, we wish to call \our attention to, etc." While secondly, thirdly, fourthly, etc., are correct, there is neither authority nor occasion for "firstly," since the word first is both an adjective and an adverb. 122. Adjectives for adverbs. The luisuse of adjectives and adverbs in attribute comple- ment and predicate modifier has already been considered (See Lesson 8). Some errors of this class occur in other constructions. "Real" for very or really. "It is real pretty." Say. "It is very (or really) pretty." "Much" for very or badly. "He is not much hurt." Say. "He is not badly hurt." "I am not ninch sick." Sav, "I am not \erv sick." 32 BUSINESS ENGLISH Adjectives are often incorrectly used to modify other adjectives, as in the following ex- amples : CORRECT. INCORRECT. He was terrible angry. It was uncommon cold. It was an awful bloody battle. He w-as a mighty sick man. He was terribly angry. It was uncommonly (or exceedingly) cold. It was an awfully bloody battle. He is a verv sick man. NOTE. — This use of mighty is especially common as a colloquialism in our Southern States. 123. Superfluous adjectives and adverbs. It is a common fault of untrained or thought- less writers, or those who write for sound rather than for sense, to crowd their sentences with useless adjectives and adverbs. In the following sentences, the italicized words are wholly useless : 1. She was a charming and attractk'c girl. (If she was charming it may be assumed that she was attractive.) 2. The collections were up to the usual average. 3. It was a dire and azvful calamity. ■i. The funeral obsequies occurred on Tues- day. (As well might one speak of a funereal funeral.) 5. A punitive law should be passed to pun- ish this'ofifense. 6. His habit of talking to himself had become habitual. (This sentence occurs in a recent work of fiction. How a habit could be other than "habitual" is not explained. The author probably intended to say that the habit had become fixed.) 7. The litigants, accompanied by then- rcspective attorneys, entered the court-room, dt is difficult to frame a sentence in which this much overworked word "respective" has any real use.) 8. You may think now that ynu are right. but you will see your error later on. 9.' He has opened up a dry-goods store at Dayton. 10. Errors are to !)c found tln-ouglmut the whole book. 11. We parted mutually disliking each other. 12. The arrangement was rcciprocallx beneficial to both of tliom. (Tlie meaning is properly expressed also, by retaining the ad- \-erb and omitting the phrase, "to both of them.") 124. Disagreement in number. Tlie fol- lowing adjectives have both a singular and a plural form : SINGUL.\R. PLURAL. this these that those A few others have the plural only ; as, few, several, many, sundry, various, divers, and tlie numerals — two, three, four, five, etc. A few adjectives are singular only; as, none, either, neither, each, every. The adjectives these and those are plural in form and should be used to modify plural nouns only. Do not say, "these" kind, or "those" sort, but this or that kind or sort. 125. Adjectives as pronouns. In the case of certain adjectives, as, one. any, many, all, those, few, etc., the noun is often omitted, the adjective thereby acquiring the function of a pronoun. Examples: Many are called, but fczv are chosen. All should obey the law. Each should do his part. Neither was injured. It should be remembered that each, either, neither, this, that, and one. are always singu- lar, and wlien used as subjects re(|uire singu- lar verbs. Ilie words any. none, and some, are either singular or plural. .-Ml, manv, tlicsc, tho.se. and few, are alzcays |)liiral. Those and Ihom. Very careless or illiterate persons use the ])ronoun them in place of the adjective those; as. "Them" books are gone. Who took "them" apples? No one with the least regard for his mother-tongue should be guiltv of this nncoudi form of siicccli. 126. Double negatives. The words no, nni, uono, noliody, neither, nor, never, and noth- ing, are called negatives because their use changes ;ni afrnni.ilive sentence to a negative one. CLAUSES AND CONNECTIVKS 38 Examples: AFFIRMATIVE. 1 . Either niav go. 1. ■2. He is ill. •) 3. It was either Henrv or Ralph. 4. I have seen him. 4. 5. Thev accomplished something. .). (?. One of us will go. () NEGATIVE. Neither may go. He is not ill. It was neither Henry nor Ralph. I have never (or not) seen him. They accomplished nothing. None of us will go. A prevalent error, and a most offensive one from the standpoint of good English, is to employ two negatives in one sentence. The effect of this is to destroy the negation which the speaker wishes to express. Ex.\MPLEs: \\ e haven't no books. I haven't never seen him. Is isn't no use. We have not seen none. They didn't do nothing. These slipshod expressions are most likely to occur witli tlie constructions, isn't, didn't, haven't, etc. Thev should be carefullv avoided. Exercise 38. Write sentences illustrating the correct use of the following adverbs, adjectives and adjec- tive pronouns : nice nicelv soon somewhat neither anv well nearlv vender better best these oftener there them badlv few less most none Exercise 39. each Rewrite such of the following sentences as contain errors: 1. This is the most interesting book of the two. 2. This figure is rounder than that. 3. Of all his sisters, she was the most favored. 4. Mt. Blanc is higher than any otlier mountain in Europe. 5. He is nowhere near so intelligent as liis ])rother. 6. He was dark complected and wore a real stvlish hat. 7. We feel tliat you have acted real mean in the matter. 8. It was tolerable cold, and the wind blew awful. 9. He is a stout, fleshy man, and has formed the curious and singular habit of walk- ing with both of his two hands tightly closed. 10. It is the largest mill of its kind in the whole world. 11. The partners then placed their respect- ive contributions of capital in the bank to tW- credit of the firm. 1-2. and losses equally. 13. Later on, they intend to open up a real estate office. 14. Why did you buy them kind? 15. W'e never saw none of the samples, in. Thev haven't done nothinsf about it as We mutuall\- agreed to share the gains vet. 17. 18. 19. 20. He is the best boy of the three. He was \er\- near successful. The argument was most unanswerable. His address was miglit\- interesting. LESSON 25. Clauses and Connectives. 127. A clause is any group of words con- taining a subject and a predicate. A sentence may consist of two or more independent or co- ordinate clauses joined by a conjunction. Examples : You may go to Nczv York and Arthur may return to Cincinnati. 128. A sentence may also consist of one or more independent clauses, and one or more dependent, or subordinate, clauses. Examples: We greatly feared that he would be injured. In this sentence, "We greatly feared" is the main, or independent, clause, and "that he would be injured" is a subordinate clause serving as the object com- plement of the verb feared. 129. Independent clauses are joined bv the conjunctions, if, but, for, and, although, as, etc. -.a BUSINESS ENGLISH 131. Subordinate clauses are usuall}- joined to tlie rest of the sentence by two classes of connectives : 1. Conjunctive adverbs, w by, when, how, where, etc. 2. Relative pronouns, who. whom, whose, which, that. what. etc. 132. A subordinate clause may serve as the subject of the sentence, as an attribute comple- ment, or as an adjective or an adverbial modi- fier. The following- sentences illustrate clauses used as these several elements, the words com- prising the clause being printed in italics : Subject. Thai he zvoiiUi fail, was the gen- eial opinion. Attribute complement. His fault is, that he refuses to listen to ailviee. Object complement. We belie\e that he k'HI conic. Adjective modifier. He is a man -who kiioics his business. Adverbial modifier. W'e started when the bell began to ring. NOTE. — All adverbial clause is usuall.v joined b.v a foiijunetive adverb to the word or phrase it iiiodities : as, "Yoii iiia.v go 7i/:e>i he returns." Other kinds of clauses are usually connected to the rest of the sen- tence b.v means of a relative iironoun ; as, "I know 7t horn you mean." 133. Office of relative pronoun. Besides its use as a connective, the relative pronotm fills some office in the clause, as subject, at- tribute, complement, object complement, or object of a preposition. Some of the relatives, like the personal pronouns, have nominative, objective, and possessive forms. Study the following : NOMIN.\TIVES. who w hich whoever whosoever OBJECTIVES. whom which whomever whomsoever POSSESSIVES. whose w hose ihosesoever What and that have no possessive forms, and their nominative and objective forms are the same. 134. The proper use of the nominative and objective forms of the relative pronouns should have the student's careful attention, as the misuse of these forms is a common error. The nominatives xvho and ivhoevcr should be used only as the subject and the attribute complement ; the objective forms, zvhom and whomever, should be used only as the object com- ])lement. or as the object of a preposition. Examples: INCORRECT. Tie knows who we mean. 1 wonder whom he thinks we are. CORRECT. 1. He knows whom we mean. '1. 1 wonder who he thinks we are. f'i'hc relative is here the attrilnite complement of are.) ?). ^'ou may give the book to whoever you will. ('J'lie relative is here the object of to.) 4. Do you know whom it is? ;"). T wonder whom will be chosen. \'in\ m;iy gi\c the book to whomever ^■^u will. 4. l')o you know who it is ? 5. 1 wonder who will be chosen. (The relative is here the subject of the clause.) 135. Interrogative .sentences are those used in asking questions; as, "whom did you see?" "When did he cimie?" They arc usually introduced by the words, who, whom, where, whv, when, etc. These words, when thus used, are called inlerrogatizrs. As inlcrrogalive pronouns, who and whom may have tiic same nfiircs as when lliev arc used as connect i\'es. the same errors arise from their misuse. AGREEMENT OF THE VEUIi IN CLAUSES Study tlie following examples : INCORRECT. 1. li'ho did he mean? 2. PVho do vou intend to invite? 3. IJlio did'hcsell it to? 1. 9 4. 5. 6. Avoid ending a question with a preposition. Whom can it be but Frank ? 4. JVhom did you say called? 5. Who do you believe it to be? fi. Exercise 40. 1. ■1 Rewrite the following sentences, choosing the right word from those italicized : I have no idea zvho whom it was. Do you know zvho whom he meant ? .']. ll'hom zvho do you think is guilty? 4. Whom ivho will it be? 5. Whom who was it given to? C). You may write to whomever whoever you are acquainted with. CORRECT. Whom did he mean? Whom do you intend to invite? To whom did he sell it? Who can it be but Frank? Who did you say called ? Whom do vou believe it to be? 7. I am just to whomever zvhoevcr is just to me. 8. My friend from Chicago zvhom zvho I invited to visit me, willarrive on Monday. 9. They are persons zvhom zvho we believe to have done wrong. NOTE. — The subject of an iiiliiiitivo plirase sliould have the objective form. 10. They are persons zvhom zvho we think have done wrong. LESSON 26. Agreement of the Verb in Clauses. 136. When a relative pronoun is the sub- ject of a clause, the verb in the clause must agree with it in number. As a pronoun agrees in number with its antecedents, it follows that the number-form of a clause verb must often be determined by a reference to the antecedent of the relative. Thus, in the sentence, "She is one of the persons who have been chosen," the plural form of the verb is used because zvho is the subject, and its antecedent, perso>is, is plural. Why are the following sentences incorrect? 1. Only one of the robbers who was cap- tured has made a confession. 2. The professor and his brother from Washington, both of whom was here last week, have gone to Cleveland. 3. Every one who were allowed to go home during the holidays have returned. 4. I am not among those who disapproves of him. 137. Than and as. It is a common error to use these conjunctions before obiective pro- nouns in sentences like. "He is older than me," "She is as tall as him," instead of, "He is older than I," "She is as tall as he." In such sen- tences, the second clause is contracted bv the omission of the verb. By supplying the verb. the reason for using the nominative form be- comes evident. "He is older than I am," "She is taller than he is." 138. So and as. The word as may be used either as an adverb or as a conjunction. Examples: He is as guilty as I am. Here, the first as is an adverb modifying the adjective guilty, while the second as is a con- junction connecting the two clauses. In assert- ing equality of comparison, as should be used both as the adverb and the conjunction. But in denying the equality of comparison the ad- verb so should be used. Examples : He is as rich as his brother, lie is not so rich as his brother. It is a common error to use the adverb, as instead of so. in sentences like the last. Correct the following: 1. The woolens are not as expensive as the silks. 2. She is not as proficient as Miss Brown, n. I am not as well as I was yesterday. 4. Business is not as good this year as last. 5. I am not as much interested as she. 6. Had you studied harder, you might not be as deficient as vou are. 30 BUSINESS ENGLISH 139. Neith3r--nor. Neither, when used as a cunjunction, should be accompanied by nor. Examples: Ncitlicr John nor his parents are to blame. I \vill ticilhcr affirm nor deny the statement. It is a common fault to use or with neither; as. "I will neither g-o or allow you to go," in- stead of "I ^^•ill neither go ;;o;- allow you to Correct the following : arry will attend the House or 1. Neither Frank or 11 school this year. 2. It is likely that neither the Senate will be in session. 3. Our position is such that we can neither accept or reject your proposition. 4. We do not believe he is capable, neither do we consider him reliable, or c\'en strictly honest. LESSON 27. Diction or Word-Selection. 140. l-"ailure to use words in accordance with their accepted meanings, is the cause of much weak and inaccurate English. Whoever would speak or write efifectively or pleasingly, riust learn to choose his words with nice dis- crimination. He should acquire the "diction- ary habit" and always be on the lookout for those apt forms of expression that lift speech above the common-place. As an aid to language-study, nothing is more important than tlie careful reading of good books. It is i)y this means only that one can become famil- iar with words as they are used by the masters of literature. But it should be clearly recog- nized that mere knowledge is not enough. \\'e can learn to use words only by using them. In letter- and theme-writing, and in other fcjrms of original composition, the learner should constantly put into practice the word-knowl- edge that he acquires, otherwise, if he ho])cs to become a ready and accurate writer, his labor will be in vain. As an introduction to the word-study lliat follows, we offer here two or three general suggestions which jjoint out some things to be avoifled in choosing words : 1. Use words only in accordance with their precise meanings, selecting those that most clearly and appropriately express the idea you wish to cr)nvey. 2. Do not use unusual, technical, bookish, and many-syllabled words, rather than the commoner words of every-day speech. Ordi- narily, do not say reside wdien you mean lix'e, or expire for die, or siifticient for enough, or anticipate for expect, or insinuate for hint. 3. In both writing and speaking, but especially in writing, avoid the use of all slang, cant terms, localisms, or other impurities of speech. Some of these are not allowable even in light conversation among intimates ; all of them are out of place in written language. .Some people seem to take a kind of pride in being, as they would put it, "up to date" in slang. It is usually noticeable that these per- sons are not "up to date" in more important matters. 4. Avoid the use of needless words, or those that exaggerate the idea. People with commonplace ideas often try to give them im- portance by means of high-sounding words, just as a poor cook will try to make an insipid dish palatable by a la\ish use of spices or con- diments. Those who thus ovcrscason their l;uiguage are fond of words like awful, tre- luendous. grand, fierce, horrid, sjilendid, ter- rible, etc. These have been ai)tly termed "awful words." There are persons who will use the word "splendid" to describe any pleas- ing Ihing, from grand ojjcra to mince jiie. They will also use the word "horrible" to describe eitlier a railwav wreck or a mostjuito- bite. Some exam])les are here olTcred which siiow ihc ini])iMi;uici' nf wdrd-seleclinn in determin- ing the (lilTerence between goiii] ;ind b.'id English. \ .(■[ the sin lenl stnd\' Ihcsi' i'\;inipK's care- fn'llv. VVOIU) STUDY FAULTY. 1. The music was just simply splcmliil and the supper was certainly immense. 2. T have perused vour commuuicatiini nt May 9. 3. I do not apprehend that he will accomplish his purpose prior to his arrival in San Francisco. 4. He (lid not depart this life until he had reached the advanced age of four score years and ten. He has a "ood character in that section. COKKECTEU. 'The music was delightful and the supper excellent. I have read your letter of May 9. r do not think he will succeed in his under- taking until he reaches San Francisco. 4. ?T e (hei at the advanced age of ninety. G. 7. S. 9. The grocer has plenty of patrons. He recommended us to go to a party by the name of Hawkins. The men were connected together by ties of consanguinity. Your failure to answer our letter is im- mensely aggravating. (i. 7. 8. 9. Flis rc])utatiiin in that ncighliorhood is good. The grocer has many customers. He advised us to go to a person named Hawkins. The men were blood relations. Your failure to answer our letters is very irritating. Exercise 41. Rewrite the following sentences, trying to express the intended thought in simple, clear, and correct English. Do not try to preserve the form of the given sentence, if the need of a better form is evident : 1. We have secured splendid table board at a widow woman's who resides near by to the college. !2. I am sufYering with a frightful tooth- ache and I guess I must have it out. 3. T desire to acknowledge my obligations to you for your most generous commendation of my services. 4. Fve got to get a dictionary ; T simply can't tell which of them words to use with- out it. 5. I went clear to town before I could get a sight of him. 6. It's terrible strange that he ne\'er said nothing to me concerning it. 7. His garments were purchased prior to his reception of the remittance sent him by his father. 8. He has turned out to be an awful fail- ure just as I anticipated that he would. 9. I am not sure but what it will rain; it kind of looks as though it might. 10. At a comparatively late hour last night a conflagration started in some unexplained manner in the residence property occupied by Mr. P. C. Sullivan. Despite the heroic efforts of the firemen, the entire structure was con- sumed by the devouring element. The calamity is a disastrous one to the family, as they are in indigent circumstances. (The essential facts set forth in this grand- iloquent paragra])h should be expressed in two or three lines at the most.) LESSON 28. Word Study. 141. Colloquialisms. There are in Eng- lish many words and expressions wliich are permissible in familiar or light conversa- tion, or even in informal letters, but wliich are to be avoided in more formal speaking and writing. These expressions are known as colloquialisins (from colloquial — conversa- tional). The dictionaries indicate the col- loquial use of words by the abbreviation "coll." There are many hundreds of these words, and their use is somewhat a matter of taste or judgment, but many of them are barely above the grade of vulgarism. In business English, and in letter-writing generally, colloquialisms should not be avoided to the extent of making one's speech seem stiff, or over-formal, but anything approaching vul- garism should always be shunned. Whether 38 BUSINESS ENGLISH a business letter or a business conversatio;i sliould be colloquial, or whether it should be entirely formal, is a matter to be determined chiefly by the relations of the persons, and by the unwritten rules of taste and common sense. In many cases no doubt, it is better to keep on the safe side by using the formal rather than the colloquial term. NOTE. — For a discussion of this matter iu rohitinn to l)usiness letters, see 217. In the following discussion of misuse! words, the author's comments relate to the requirements of formal English only: this with the understanding that some disapproyed ex- pressions may be allowable as colloquialisms. How to Study Words. 142. The complete study of a word in- yolyes four things, yiz: 1. How to spell it. 2. How to pronounce it. 3. What it means. 4. How to use it in any or all of its mean- ings. Means for such study are supplierl by our dictionaries. Of these, there are four that are in general use ; yiz : "Worcester's," "Web- ster's," "The Standard," and "The Century." Tliese works differ in unimportant matters only, and none of them can be considere 1 "au- thoritive" to the exclusion of the others. 143. How to use the dictionary. Most people know how to use a dictionary to find the correct spelling of a word, but many have not learned to use it for the other purposes of word-study. To learn to use the dictionary in determining the correct spelling, ijronuncia- tion, meaning, and use of words should be one of the student's first steps in the study of English. It is becau.se of the fact that so many students, even in the advanced grades, ha^■c not yet learned to do this, that the matter is referred to here. 144. Diacritical marks. These are sym- bols enij)|iiyed in all dictionaries (but not in precisely the same way in all) In indicate t!ie pronunciation of words. At the bottum of each page in the dictionary, is a list of common words, with the diacritical marks of certain letters given, to enable the person wdio consults the dictionary to pronounce other and un- familiar words in w hich these marks are used. Exercise 42. Find, by means of the dictionary, the cor- rect pronunciation of the following words : NOTE. — Do not Dverloolv tbe accent marljs. as given ill the dictioiiar.v, which are quite as important as the diacritical marks. abdomen acclimate acoustic adept aeronaut agile alias alibi accessory advertisement a la carte allopathy almond altercation asphalt athenjeuni attache auspices automaton ai'dacious azure 145. Definitions. In defining words, the dictionaries (unabridged) give (1) the part of speech using the abbreviations, as u. (noun), z'. (verb), adj. (adjective), etc.; (2) the origin, that is, the language and form, or "root" from which the word is derived, and. if an important \\i)rd. its equivalent in other lan- guages; (3) the definition (or definitions, if the word has more than one meaning) ; (4) the synonyms, which include the other words that are similar in meaning. In ascertainin;'" the meaning and use of a word, the entire treatment, as given in the dic- tionary, should be considered. NOTE. — .\ Ivc.v to the various s.vmbols and ablircvia tioiis used in delinins words will he found in the in- troductor.v jiart of the dii'tionary. Exercise 43. By consulting the dictionary, ascertain the origin, pronunciation, and meanings of the fol- lowing words, illustrating their uses with orig- inal sentences. In case a word has two or more meanings, illustrate each with a sentence: lenient comparable routine precedence suffice isolate JILSUSHIl WOKIJ.S ail LESSON 29. Misused Words. 146. Ahich had luiii^lish comes Iruin con- fusing; certain rather common words with otliers iiaving- a somewhat similar form and meaning. In tiie following lessons, are pre- sented for special study, a collection of com- monly misused words, accompanied by such suggestions and cautions as may help the learner to a\'oid the errors that are most likely to occur in their use. Misused Nouns. Action for act. "His act (not his action) was illegal." Action usually relates to an act in progress; as, "the action-oi an engine." Act relates to a completed action. Alien -Foreigner. An alien is a person of foreign birth who is a resident but not a citi- zen. A foreigner is a person of foreign birth who is not a resident, usually applied to those who are outside of a country or who are within its boundaries temporarily. For ex- ample, were an Englishman to resitle in America for a term of years, but remain un- naturalized, he would not properlv be a for- eigner, but he would be an alien for the ica- son that he is not a citizen. Amateur for novice or beginner. "I difl not do well, as I am but a novice fnot amateur). An amateur is one who practices an art or sport for the love of it, instead of for gain. An amateur may or may not be unskillful. Antipathy for dislike or aversion. "He shows a decided dislike (not antipathy) for tiresome people." Antipathy is a constitutional state or feeling, and is stronger than dislike : as, "an antipathy to snakes." or. "an antipathy to falsehood." Avocation for calling or vocation. "He will engage in the law or in some other professional \-ocation for calling, not avocation)." An avocation is something in which one engages aside from his regular calling or v(ication. Thus, one might sav, "My vocation is teaching but I sometimes add to my income by story- writing, canvassing, and other OT'ocations." Balance for rest or remainder. "I have sold the rest (or remainder, not balance) of mv goods." The bala)ice of an account is the ex- cess of one side over the other. So. one misfht write, "i enclose a check for the balance of our account in favor of your firm." To use balance for rest or remainder, is a gross error. Character for reputation. "He has a good reputation (not characer) among his neigh- bors." One's character is what he is; his repu- tation is wdiat people ////;//.' he is. Consequence for importance. "That is a matter of little importance (not consequence)." Consequence relates to the end, effect, or result of a thing: as, "The loss of Port Arthur was a disaster of great consequence to the Russians." Importance has reference to the prominence or significance of a thing: as "Politeness is con- sidered by the Japanese a matter of great im- portance." Couple for tivo. "We saw two (not a couple) of men on the sidewalk." Couple or pair relates to two persons or things closelv associated: as. "a betrothed (or married) couple," "the dance recjuires four couples." "Lions are said to hunt in couples ( or pairs)." Do not say. "a couple of books." "a couple of weeks," "a couple of apples." "a couple of boys," etc. Depot for station, "^^'e waited in the little station (not depot) for the Chicago train." A depot is a place of storage for goods, etc. The word is also applied to the terminal passenger railway stations in the larger cities, but even these are now more frequently (and. we may add. more properlv) designated as stations. Device for article, instrument, or invention. "The rocking chair is an article (not device) never, used by the Chinese." "The barometer is an important instrument fnot device) in- vented by Torricelli. an Italian philosopher." .\ device is a contrivance devised for a specific ]5urpose : as. a safety valve, a thumb-screw, a railroad-frog, etc. While it is often proper to speak of a device as an invention, it is never l^roper to speak of an invention as a device un- less reference is had to its special purpose. Evidence for testimony. "The testimony (not evidence) given by the witness was con- tradicted." By evidence, we mean aiwthing that tends to prove or disprove a proposition. Testimoux consists of the statements of wit- 40 BUSINESS ENGLISH nesses. These statements may or may ni>t 1)e regarded as evidence. Heap for much or a great many. "We raised iiutiii (not a lieap of) corn and wlieat." "He buys a great iiuviy (not a heap of) books." This use of heap is very objection- able. The word means a pile, or a mass ; as. "a heap of earth and stone," "On the l^arn floor was a great heap of grain." Lady — Gentleman. "There were two ladies in the street car." "Many hrdies were present." Use the word women in such cases. Say, also, "Mr. and Mrs. Brown." not. "Mr. Brown and lady." We may say. "Mrs. H. is a lady," meaning that she is a gentle and refined woman, just as we may say, "Mr. H. is a gen- tleman," meaning that he is a man of culture and honor. The indiscriminate use of lady and gentleman to designate persons of either sex. is in very bad taste, as is also the practice of addressing a strange woman as "lady" instead of "madam." We sometimes hear porters, car- conductors, floor-walkers, and other public functionaries saying. "This way. lady." "I do not know, lady." etc. : but well-bred persons say. "Madam." The use of "gents" for gentle- men is another current vulgarism. An ex- perienced traveler says that he always avoids a "Ladies' and Gents" Dining-Room." An- other observer of persons and language has re- marked : "gentlemen wear trousers; 'gent.s' wear 'pants.' Exercise 44. Illustrate with original sentences the correct use of the words discussed in this lesson. Exercise 45. Select the right word from those italicized in the following sentences: 1. He has chosen teaching as his I'oeation avocation. 2. He will pav the balance remainder of the debt in March. 3. Himself, open-souled as the day, he had a strong aversion dislike antipathy for all hypocrites. 4. He manifested a decided dislike antip- athy as to the proposal. 5. You must not expect much of me, as T am only a novice amateur beginner. 6. The foreign alien vote of Chicago is large, 7. His character reputation for truthful- ness is not abox'e (|uestion. LESSON 30. Misused Nouns. Majority for most of or the greater number. "Most (not a majority) of tlie houses are small." "Of the machines made in 1905, the greater number (not the majority) were de- fective." Majority relates to persons only, and usually when a question of preference or voting is involved ; as, "A majority favored the election of Brown," "Mr, A. had a clear majority of the delegates." Party for perso}i or firm. "We met a person (not party) named Steplicns." "A lirm (not party) in St. Louis has offered us gooils at a lower price." The use of party to designate a ]ierson, belongs to legal ])hraseology ; as, "the parly to a contract," or, "the party accused." Tlie use of party for person, is according to \V'cl)stcr, "now accounted a vulgarism," Patron Patronage. "The grocer has many customers ('not ])atrons)," "'i"he firm h.is ;» large custom (not ])atronage)," Patron and patronage relate to the special support or favor given to an artist, musician, or author. They sliould never be used with reference to com- mercial or imlustri.'d undertakings. Plenty for ;;;(7«_v or enough of. "We had hired horses enough (not plenty of horses) to transport the excursionists." "There were many people (not jilenty of people) everv- whcrc in the park." Plenty means an abun- dance of. enough and to spare, and ajjplies to ([uantity rather than number; as. "iilenty of food," "plenty of grass." "])lenty of liooks and newspapers." Portion iov part. ".\ part i not ])orlion) of ilie town was burned." "Hut a snialj ])art (not poilion of his money remained," Portion means a purl sel aside or allotled : as, "A por- MISUSED NOUNS 41 tioii of his lime was given to reading," or, "A porlion of his estate was be(|ncathc'il to his brother." Ride for drive. "We went fi.ir a drive (not ride) in the carriage." Ride is properly used in tlie case of horseback riding, or ri(hng in an automobile, car, steaml)oat, or of any means of transjjortation otiier tlian that of a vehicle moved by horses or other animals that arc driven. Solicitation for solicitude. These words are often confounded. Solicifalioii means the act of soliciting or requesting. Solicitude means anxiety. "He felt much solicitude (not- solicitation) as to the success of the under- taking." "It was owing to his solicitation (not solicitude) that I consented to the inter- view." Statement for assertion. "He made asser- tions (not statements) about his partner which were untrue." A statement is a formal or lengthy declaration of facts, or of one's opin- ion as to a public question. A mere declara- tion, or assertion of fact, should not be spoken of as a statement. Success for one ivho or that zvlii'ch succeeds. "He has not succeeded (or achieved success) as an author." Do not say, "He is not a suc- cess as an author." Success relates to the tiling ackici'ed. not to the person or thing that achieves it. Verdict for opinion or testimony. "It is the general opinion (not verdict) that the enter- prise is a failure." "It is the testimony (not \-erdict) of everyone wdio has used it that the article is entirely satisfactory. Verdict relates to the conclusions rendered by a jury in a law- suit, but, in a figurative sense, the word is .'••ometimes used to indicate the conclusion of a comnumity as expressed at the polls, or in some pubhc way; as, "The citizens have ren- dered their verdict against the party." Whole for all or entire. "All (not the whole of) the company joined in the applause." "All (not the whole of) the property has now been sold." "I have read the entire (not the whole) book." Using Verbs and Adjectives as Nouns. The so-called "ready writers" and other careless or flippant persons are prone to ttse as nouns, certain words that are correctlv used as verbs or adjectives only. Some of these uses are current in newspapers of a certain class. and ma}' be allrnvable as colloquialisms, al- though entirely unauthorized by the diction- ruHes or by really good usage. We append a list of these, and advise the student to avoid using them in all formal writ- ing, or in conversation with strangers : "combine," for compact, or combination; as, "They formed a combine." "trolley," or "electric," for trolley car or electric car. "repeat," for repetition; as, "each repeat of the order." "invite," for imitation; as. "They sent me an inz'ite." "optional," for optional study; as, "Book- keeping is an optional." (Say, "Bookkeeping is optional.") "human," for human being; as, "We humans are all liable to temptation." "postal," for postal card; as, "I sent you a postal (or postcard)." "deal," for trade or agreement; as, "They made a deal." "raise," for increase; as, "He asked for a raise in salary." "write-up," for newspaper notice; as, "All the papers ga\^e him a zvrite-up." "talk," for address: as, "He gave a talk to the students." Say, "He talked to (or gave a short. or ni- formal address to) the students." Talk is allowable in speaking of a conversa- tion; as, "We had a talk about it." "recommend," for recomniendation; as, "He gave me a good recomtnend." Exercise 46. Correct the following : 1. Our hardware business is flourishing; we now have plenty of patrons. 2. A Chicago party has bought a majority of this season's product. 3. He finished a good portion of the work to-day. 4. Aly statement about his partner aroused his solicitation. 5. It was the general verdict of Harper's fellow employees th.at he was not a success as a salesman. 6. He sokl the wdiole of his stock to the combine at ninety-five before asking for a raise in his salary. After the deal, he gave a talk to the directors of the old comnany, and the newspai)ers gave him a big write-up. A few- (k'n-s later, lie bought a gents' furnishing store. -12 BUSINESS ENGLISH LESSON 31. Misused Verbs. 147. Appreciate for enjoy. "I enjoyed (not appreciated) the flowers you sent." "We have greatly enjoyed (not appreciated) your visit." Appreciate means to estimate at its full worth, or to be sensible ,of the value of any- thing; as. to appreciate a favor, or privilege. "We fully appreciate your allowing us a credit at this time." AflFect and effect. These verbs are quite dis- tinct as to meaning, but, on account of their similarity of form, are often confounded, especially by stenographers. Affect, in its ordinary use, means to influence or act on ; as. "The misfortune will not affect our business." Effect, as a verb, means to bring about or ac- complish; as, "He could not effect the sale of the property." As a noun, effect means a result ; as, "The effect of the new arrangement was to increase our sales." Agg^ravate for irritate. "His insolent lan- guage was very irritating (not aggravating)." Aggravate means to add to or render more of- fensive; as, "Your denial only aggraz'ates your offense." "His insolent language aggravated my anger." Antagonize for alienate. "His conduct has alienated (not antagonized) his friends." An- tagonize means to oppose, while alienate means to drive away, or displease. Thus, one might say, "By antagonizing the trusts, the President has alienated some wealthy members of his party." Beat for excel or zuin. "Robinson's piano excels (not beats) all the others." "Fred xvon (not beat) in the foot-race." Beat means to strike, or to overcome in battle; as, "He was punished for beating his horse." "The Jap- anese beat the Russians at Mukden." Bound for determined. "I am determined (nrit bound) to thwart his jilan." Bound means oijiigated ; as, "I am hound liy my con- tract ti") use hard coal." Calculate for intend. "Wc intend ( nol cal- culate) tn enlarge our building soon." Cal- culate moans to compute or forecast through mallicmatical process ; as, "They calculated that the floor would be strong enough to sup- port the weierht." Calculate is also wronclv n-''d for likely, as in the following: "The over-working of railway employes is calcu- lated to increase the number of wrecks," "His conduct is calculated to get him into trouble." Can for may. Can means, is able to, or has the poiver; as, "He can succeed if he tries." May indicates permission or possibility; as, "You may now take your seat," or, "It umy rain to-omorrow." Can is often misused for may. where the speaker asks for permission; as, "Can I take my seat?" instead of, "May I take my seat?" "Can I sell some of the machines at cost?" wrote an agent. "We do not know whether you can or not," answered the firm, "but we shall not allow you to try." Claim for say, assert, or maintain. "He iimintains (not claims) that he is innocent." "He asserts (not claims) that his business is prospering." "She savs or asserts (not claims) that she is but twenty years old." Claim means to demand, or assert a title to; as, "He claims his reward," "He claims the right to hold the land." We may say, "He claims the land," but, "He asserts (not claims) that he owns the land." Consider for think, believe, or regard. "We tliiyik (not consider) that the matter is now set- tled." "We believe (not consider) that your services are not worth more than twenty dol- lars per week." "You may regard (not con- sider) yourself as discharged." Consider means to examine carefully, or take note of; as. "We will consider your claims," "We will not fail to consider your application when we require another stenographer." Expect for believe, suppose, or suspect. "I believe (not expect) that he has returned to Chicago." "I suppose (not expect) that we have bought more goods than we shall sell." "I suspect (not expect) that he has been dis- honest." Expect means a belief as to the oc- currence of some future event, whether or not such event is wished for; as, "T e.vpect he will he ill." "T am expecting him to-morrow." .S'ust^eel means to surmise or mistrust, usuallv with reference to .something unfavorable; as. "I suspect that the food has been aflulterated," or, "We siisf'eet him of working against our interests." Suspect is often wrongly u.sed for expect, or think in sentences like the following: "1 sus/n^cl that he will return to-niovrow," "I suspect that the Re]nil)lic;ms will win." MISUSED VERBS 43 Fix f(ir iiicikI ov repair or adjust, "lie will go as soon as he can repair (not fix) his bicycle." "My coat is torn; please mend (not iix) it." "Mr. C. is dissatisfied with our last shipment : i)lease call and adjust (not fix. or fix up) the matter." Fix means to make firm or fast: to settle definitely: as, "Hx the price." "fix the railway rates," "Iix the posts firmly in ihe i^round," "Our [ilans are lixed" (that is settled). Foot for pay. "You furnish the ])lans and I will pay (not foot) the bills." Foot means to sum up, as the fij:^ures in a column. "We have posted the Cdlumns, and our footings aund calculate appreciate beat affect antagonize effect aggravate consider Exercise 48. Correct the following: 1. He claims that he has done the work. 1^. I expect that he is deceiving us. 'i^. W'e consider that the debt has been paid in full. -i. Can I be excused for this afternoon? 5. I have fixed up our difficulty with Ivogcrs: he is to foot our bill for previous ex- ])enses. and we are to fix his pump so it will work, or ship him a new one. " 6. I have got to have my report by Satur- f'ay or get fired. 7. He calculated to sell us a bill of goods. 8. W't greatly appreciated the concert ; it certainly beat the one we attended last week. 9. I have got a good reason for my dis- trust and I am bound that he shan't get the better of me again. 10. It was terrible aggravating to be im- posed on that way. 44 BUSINESS ENGLISH LESSON 32. Misused Verbs. Grow for lessen, diminish , or become. "Our sales are decreasing (not growing smaller) each year." "Our salaries have steadily dimin- ished (not grown smaller)." "Our customers are becoming (not growing) dissatisfied." Grozc means to enlarge, to increase naturally ; as, "The business is grooving in volume," "He is steadily grozving in capability." Its use in the sense of diminishment is evidently absurd. Learn for teach. "He is to teacli (not learn) me bookkeeping." "It will teach (not learn) him a lesson." Learn means to acquire skill or knowledge; it is the act of the student or learner, not of the teacher or of anything ex- terior to the student. Love for like. "He likes (or enjoys, not loves) football." "She likes (or is fond of, not loves) chocolate fudge." Love relates to the affections, feelings, or sentiments. It is prop- erly used to express strong admiration for. or enjoyment of, anything that appeals to the emotions or sentiments; thus, it is proper to say that we loz'e nature, poetry, music, or the like. It is hardly less than silly to use the word to express our mere likings for ordinary things. Patronize for buy of or employ. "We buy at (not patronize) Miller's grocery." "I em- ploy Dr. Henry," or. "Dr. Henry is mv pliysi- cian;" not. "I patronize l^r. Henry." (See patron and patronage in "Misused N'ouns.") Post fnr informed. "He is well informed (not posted) regarding financial matters." Post is a bookkeeping term, and means to transfer amounts from one book to another ■ as, to post a journal. To speak of a person's being "posted" is the merest jargon. Prophesy for predict. "I (predict (not prophesy) that he will succeed." "Wiggins predicts (not prophesies), a stf)rm for the 20th." f'rophesv means foretelling by a ])rophet : as. "I);iiiif1 ]iruphesiel (he coming ot Christ." Raise for rear or breed. "He was reared or bred (not raised) in Virginia." "They reared (not raised) a large familv." Raised in the sense of rear is applied to cro|)s or to domestic animals; as, "Thev raise corn and wheat," "They raised large numbers of cattle and horses," "He is engaged in raising chickens." D(i nut appl\- the word to^ persons. Recollect for remember. "I remember (not recollect) the date; it was Jan. 10, 1914." "I remember (not recollect) the time we saw the bear." Recollect means to recall or re-arrange in the mind several circumstances partly for- gotten; as, "I now recollect (or recall) the terms of our agreement." The use of the word is suggested by its form, re-collect ; that is, to collect again. Settle for pay. "We have paid (not settled) this bill." "Select the goods and I will pay (not settle) for them." Settle means to ad- just ; as, "to agree to the settlement of an ac- count," "to settle business affairs." One may say. "I settled that account in March," which mav or may not mean that the balance of the account was paid. State for .ray. "He said (not stated) that he would go to New York in June." .S'/iuch inter- ested," etc., are correct. Improper Forms. "Scared" for afraid of. "I was scared of him." "Kind of" or "Kinduv," for rather or some- ivhat; as, "He is "kind of slow," "I 'kind of thought you might come." "Three first" for iirst three. "I shall hire the three first men who applv." There can be but one "first." "Look at there," for look there. "Tasty" for tasteful. "She is a 'tasty' woman." Hyphenated Words. 150. Many apt and expressive adjectives may be "made to order" by forming com- pounds : as, strong-armed, clean-hearted, long- headed, hard-featured, etc., but it is possible to use such terms to excess. Furthermore, this tendency to use hyphenated terms sometimes results in very awkward expressions, and even very objectionable forms. 4S BUSINESS ENGLISH Note the following examples : FAULTY. 1. We went to a near-by house. 2. Mr. H., a oiic-fiiiic member of Congress from Ohio. 3. A never-to-be-forgotten occurrence. 4. This fast-and-loose policy. 5. A long-looked-for event. 6. At last the niany-tinies predicted dis- aster occurred. CORRECTED. 1. He went to a house near by. 2. Mr. H., at one time a member, etc. 3. A memorable occurrence. 4. This vacillating policy. 5. A long-expected event. 6. At last occurred the tlisaster so often predicted. Exercise 52 Choose the right word from those italicized in the following sentences : 1. We raised less fe?ver chickens this year than last. 2. He bought as niiieli many as twenty tons of hay. 3. He sold as many nineh as six dozen eggs. 4. I shall scarcely hardly be able to gei out a statement by Saturday. 5. I sold hardly scarcely enough goods on that trip to pay hotel bills. 6. It seems to me that your plan is not practical practicable. 7. His teaching was not practical practi- cable. 9. The poor fellow is very sen.utive sensi- ble to criticism. 10. He is quite .■ioisitive sensible of his deficiencies. Correct the following : 1. He is lialile to get mad and order us out (;if his office. 2. It was a nice book and we enjoyed it a whole lot. 3. This lilank has less pages than the other. and we will use as much as a dozen a month, 4. If you do not attend to business better, you are apt to be discharged. 5. He is quite sick, but not dangerous. G. He is quite a successful salesman. 7. I am so hoarse I can scarcely speak. 8. We were very pleased to learn that 8. It would not be practical practicable to _vour three first orders were so large. Be sure use your niachiTie in our factory. to look up all the near-by towns. LESSON 35. Choice of Prepositions. 151. The number of English prepositions is not great, but tlie relations they express are so numerous and the usage with respect to them is so arbitrary that the definitions in the dictionaries are often an insufficient guide to their correct use. Usage requires that certain prepositions follow certain words, often with- out the application of any very clearly defined rules. The etymology (origin and significa- tion) of a worfl usually determines the preposi- tion to be used with it, and a knowledge of this often helps the learner to use the right preposition. Sui)])f)se, for instance, that one is per|)lexefl as to the preposition to be used with the word accuse. Ts one accused with a crime, f)r of a crime? The word accuse is from the Latin causa, a cause, or lawsuit; hence lo ac- cuse of theft means, literally, to bring to trial because of theft. But we say, "charged with a crime." Why tvith? Charge is derived from carrus, a wagon ; hence, to load or lay on, as a burden. Therefore, to charge one with an ofiFense, is, literally, to load or burden him with the offense. No one who is tluis in- formed as to the real meaning of these two words, would-be likely to err as to the preposi- tion that sh(nild follow them. It often hajipens that either of .several pre]io- sitions may be used with a given word, ac- cording to the sense in which the word is used. Thus, the word adapt means lilerally tn tit lo or adjust. Hence, we say, "A man is adapted lo fthat is, fitted to) his calling." But when adapted is used in the sense of suitable or tit, MISUSKD rilKl'OJSITIONS 40 tlie preposition for (which goes with these words) is required; as, "A fountain pen is adapted for writing." The hteral, or original meaning of the preposition itself is often of great aid in de- termining its use. For instance, the preposi- tion for, in its original signification, means the cause or reason for which anything is done. Most, if not all. of tlie many meanings and uses of for may he traced to this original meaning. The word ivith originally meant agaiiisf. Out of this came the meanings, nearness, proximity, association. We still have traces of the ancient meaning in ivith-ho\d. to hold against, and ToVA-stand, to stand against, and in such uses of the word as fight zvith, strug- gle zuith, contend zuith, argue zvith, quarrel zc'ith, etc. Jl'ith is now more often used in its sense of agreement or association ; as, work zvith, agree zvith, unite zvith, and in contrast to from, in such expressions as differ from, separate from, take from, etc. Exercise 53. To do the work of this exercise, the student should have carefully read the preceding para- graphs, and have access to an unabridged dic- tionary. I. Why should we say angry zvith a per- son and angrv at conduct? (See zvith and at.) '2. \\'hen sliould we say, guilty zvith, and when, guilty of? Illustrate. o. Should we say, ill of the measles, or /// zvith' the measles? Why? 4. Illustrate the use of agree zvith and agree to. 5. Illustrate intrust to and intrust zvith. f). Justify tlie expression, talk to the point. 7. When should we say, slain zvith a friend, slain for a friend and slain by a friend? S. Illustrate inz'est hi, invest zvith, invest for. (1. Give correct use of part from and part zvith. 10. ^Vhen would you say, zvalk in, zvalk into? II. W'hat is the distinction between over and above F 12. Give examples of the correct use of the prepositions, on and upon, betzveen and among. 13. Find out when to use "allied to" and "allied with." LESSON 36. Misuse of Prepositions. 152. Errors are frequent in th.e use of Accused of theft by a person. prepositions in connection with the words . , • r, ; r, ^i r„„t ^. ' ■ ,_, r u ■ 1- ^ n-i ,. 1 ,. Accessory /o a crime : a/^cr or yr/o/r the tact, given in the following list. ihe student ' ' should study carefully all the words in the list. Acquaintance zvith a subject ; of one person and try by means of original sentences, to zvitli another; betzveen two persons. illustrate the use of each word with the prepo- » . ^ r ^^■ - Agent of a company for selling certain goods, etc. Alarm /;; the town among the people at the news. Aliens to our laws : among our people in our country. Allegiance of the citizen to the country; "The laws require allegiance from the citi- zens." Acquit of the charge by the jury. Adapted to a pursuit or calling: for a pur- pose; from a source; as. "The play w^as adapted from the story of Ruth." sitions given in connection with it. NOTE. — The preposition of, in tlie sense of belois- in^ to, may be used witli almost any noun; as, "The revenge of a fool." The preposition bv, in the sense through the act or agency, may follow nearly all verbs ; as, "Injured by an enemy." "Sold by the author," etc. These uses are generally omitted in the following list. Abound zvith. The book abounds with (not in) wit. Accommodate cC'i7/f a loan; to conditions. Accommodated by (not with) a friend. Accordance zvith (not to) the contract. 50 BUSINESS ENGLISH Adequate fo a demand ; for a purpose. Advantage of a circumstance : oz'cr an op- ponent. Advocate (noun) for a person; of a prin- ciple. Agree to a proposal ; with a friend ; on or tif>on a subject; in our views; between or among ourselves. One account or story agrees with another. Allied to something of the same class; as, "The peach is allied to the apricot;" with a friend or allv ; as, "Russia is allied tvith France." Alliance of one person or nation ivith an- other, for a purpose, against an enemy ; alliance of, bctzvcen, or among nations. Anger at an insult; tozcard a person; angry at a thing; with a person. Announce to a person Z)_v (not through") newspapers : or by telegraph or letter. Antipathy to a person or thing; between two persons. Apathy of a person tozvard a thing. Arraign at the bar ; before the judge ; for a crime; on or lipon a charge or indictment. Arrested /t^r a crime on suspicion by an of- ficer on, npon, or by virtue of a warrant in execution on final process. Ask for a thing; of or from a person; about or after one's death, prospects, friends, etc. Attachment of a man to his friends ; for their qualities; betzveen or among friends; at- tached by a cord, etc. Awkward in the use of a thing; at an em- ployment. Beat zvith a stick; by a trick; into insensi- bility or submission. Becoming to a person ; as a dress or hat. "Such conrluct was becoming in her." Bound by a contract ; zvith a chain or rope ; into a l)ook or bundle; under a penalty. Careful in one's business, language, haljits. etc. ; about an affair ; for the future ; of one's money. Cause of an accident; for anger, inter fcrence, alarm, etc. Choose //■«»! or among a number; one out of many ; betzveen two ; for a given purpose. Class of things; in or at college, in arith- metic. Compare an object zvith a similar object in order to note points of resemblance, etc. ; as, '■^^'e compare the picture in the book zvith those of the magazine." We compare an ob- ject to another of an entirely different class, but which resembles it in some special way ; as, to compare the parks of a city to the lungs of the human body ; or, to compare a brave man to a lion. Exercise 54. Write the following sentences, choosing the right preposition from those italicized : 1. The waters abound in zvith fish. 2. He is accused zvith of embezzling his employer's mone3^ 3. He has but slight acquaintance zvitli of the matter. 4. Allegiance by from the citizens to for the laws is the foundation of good govern- ment. 5. He was acquitted of from all complicity in the crime. 6. We fear your machine is not adapted for to our requirements. 7. He is an advocate for of municipal ownership. 8. Our several competitors agreed between among themselves not to put in bids for the contract. 9. Several companies were allied zvith to us in our contention for lower rates. 10. He showed anger tozvard at me, and I was also angry at zvith him. Write correctly such of the following sen- tences as you consider incorrect : 1. He was awkward in boxing, and also at handling the dumbbells. 2. On account of his ill temper, we com- ])ared him with a snapping-turtle. .'?. His death was announced to me through a telegram. 4. He has a great anti]xitliy for snakes. 5. He was arrested on a licnch warrant from Judge Haynes. ,(). The pumping-plant was inadequate for the needs of the city. 7. I agreed with my fiinnrs views in the matter. 8. I chose one from mit of the many ponies offered, and paid for it on the spot. !•. I le was struck with a stone. 10. A quarrel between the three fellows caused them to be arrested on ilisturbing the peace. MISUSKD PKEPOSITIONS 51 LESSON 37. Misused Prepositions. Complain to one in authorit)' of or against Hinder in his progress; from accomplishing a person for a specified act; of the conduct of something-; by mismanagement or opposition, a person; before a court; in a newspaper aboitt the non-enforcement of laws, etc. Impudence from (or the impudence of) a subordinate to his superior. Confirm a statement by (not with) testi- mony ; confirmed in habits or opinions. Contrast one thing ivith another. Converse with friends about (not on) a topic. Defense or defend against an assault or charge ; in law, defense to an action, or con- struct a defense from testimony. Deliberate o>i or upon (better than about or concerning) a matter. Dexterity of hand, action, or movement; zvith the pen or sword ; in managing men ; at a game. Die of a disease; by accident (as by drown- ing, by a fall, etc.) ; in pain or agony; zvith one's comrades ; for one's friends or principles. Differ zvith a person (contention) ; from an opinion or result. Different from (not to) another object in qualities. Difference bctzvecn two or anions several Injury of a cause ; to a person or object ; by a fire; by or from an accident, collision, etc.; through negligence. Listen to (not at) music, an address, etc.; for something expected ; as, to listen for his friend's footsteps; for a signal. Love of one's country; for one's friends; to or tozvard God. i''. Made from, of, or out of (not with) ma- terials, as, paper, iron, good, etc. ; into a given form ; for a certain purpose ; zvith hands ; by hand ; by a person ; zuith a lathe. Marriage of or bctzvecn two persons, or of one person to or zvith another; marriage among the Chinese. Necessity of surrender, or of ceasing to carry on some enterprise, usually expressed in the negative ; as, "There is no necessity of our giving up," etc. ; for action, as a necessitv for rapid work; to a person or purpose; as, "Bread is a necessity to (not for) me." Neglect of a duty by a person ; or neglect of a child by its parents. "He showed much neg- persons or objects: in qualities or style; differ- lect of (not for) his duties." ence (controversy) zvith a person: a difference of one thing from (not to) another. Enemy of (not to) another person: in war. Envious of (not toward) a person; of his wealth, power, etc. Faithful /;; service or work ; to duties or em- plo\-ers. Friendship of one person for or toward (not to) another; bctzvecn or among (not of) per- sons. Give to a person for (not to) a cause or pur- pose. We give a thing into another's care, and give for (in the place of) another. Happy at a discovery; over (not at) a suc- cess. "He has a happy manner zvith his friends." Happy in one's circumstances or among one's children. _ Help /)( (not at) a work; zvith money or atl- vice; to success: against an enemy. Part from a friend : part zvith money or other possessions. Patience tt'/V/i offenders: in suft'ering; under affliction. Plead zvith one in authority for an offender ; against an injustice; to an indictment: at the 1)ar : before a judge: in court. Prejudice agflin.f? (not toward) a person; in one's favor. Profit of an act or of work ; on an invest- ment : in a business ; the profits of a business, capital, labor, etc. Purchase at a price or at auction : of or from a person : for cash ; zvitli money : on time or credit : or on a note. Reason of a thing or occurrence that re- quires an exnlanation ; for a thing that is done or felt : as. "What is the reason for his queer action ?" "He had no reason for going, or for anger or complaint." BUSINESS ENGLISH Recover from (not of) an illness; (in law) to recover judgment against; to recover dam- ages of or from a defendant. Revenge ufjoii a person, for an injury. Security for (not of) a debt ; for a prisoner ; in the sum of five hundred dollars. Speak to or with a person (as in a conversa- tion) ; of or about a thing; on a subject; in parliamentary language, to speak to the ques- tion. Exercise 55. Illustrate with original sentences the correct use of the following combinations : faithful to enemv of dexterity at differ with die by different in faithful in friendship for die of complaint against confirm in dexterity with differ from complain of Correct the following where necessary : 1. He had no defense to the charge. 2. His interference hindered us from get- ting the building ready. 3. The handles are made with machines. 4. There is no necessity of the firm's going in debt. ;"). He does nut like to part from his money. G. He helped me both in money and en- couragement. 7. I have no patience for people who show neglect iq their work. 8. It was purchased for a good price. 9. His profits by the deal were very large. 10. What security can you give me on my investment ? LESSON 38. Big Words. 153. While some persons allow their speech to degenerate into a disorderly jumble of slang and flippant colloquialisms, others go to the opposite extreme and affect unusual and pon- derous words, bookish expressions, and round-about forms of speech. This kind of jargon abounds in second-class novels, newspapers of the poorer sort, and in the work of weak and mediocre writers generally. By way of suggestion, we cite here a few examples of what should be avoided by all who would learn to express themselves in clear, simple, and forcible English : ' GR.-\NDILOQUENT. 1. superintend the correspondence. 2. solicit your consideration. 3. We take the liberty to advise you that, etc. 4 was tendered a ban(|uct. 5. I beg leave to offer some brief observa- tions. G. The mad course of the infuriated animal was soon arrested. 7. We beg to acknowledge the receipt of vnur esteemed comnuun'catinn of May 8. A vast concourse of people. 8. f). I am gratified tn acknowledge the ex- ceedingly valuable benefits I have re- ceived througli my attendance at your estimable institution. PL.\IN ENGLISH. 1. Attend to the letter-writing. '2. Ask your attention. 3. \\'c A\iMtc to inform you tliat, etc. 4. Was asked to a dinner. 5. I ask to .say a few words. (i. The frightened liorsc was sonn stopped. 7. We have vour letter of Ma\- 8. ,\ big crowd. I am glad to sav lh;i1 I \y.\vv been greatly benefilccl by .-ittcnding ynur excellent schocil. BIG WORDS 53 Tlie preceding sentence is cjuoted from a school catalog-. In another part of the catalog is the following "companion piece" : 10. This institution is absolutely unsur- passed in the advantages it extends to its matriculates by that of any other institution in the country. 11. On account of financial reverses, our firm has been compelled to succumb. 12. He is financially embarrassed. 13. He donated generously for the relief of tlie unfortunate. 14. He departed this life within a brief period subsequent to his withdrawal from commercial pursuits. 10. The advantages offered by this school are unexcelled. 11. Our firm has failed. 12. 13. 14. He is short of money. He gave much to the poor. He died soon after business. retiring from In the following list of words, those prmted in heavy-face type are less concise and forci- ble than the italicized expressions following them : as, "This Abundance for enough or plenty. Amplify for enlarge or expand. Anticipate for e.vpeet. Abhor or abominate for dislike. Abominable for unpleasant; weather is 'abominable.' " Abrogate for a)inul or cancel. Absolutely for quite or entirely. Absentminded for forgetful or preoccupied. Attain or obtain for get. Consummated for finished, completed, or solciunizcd (in case of a marriage ceremony). Depreciate for fall in price. Extend or proffer for give or offer, as to "extend" an invitation, to "proffer" assistance. Inaugurate or initiate for begin or com- uiencc. Paraphernalia for equipment. Partake for eat. Perambulate for walk about. Proposition for offer, or business affair. The misuse of this word has become the veriest slang. During a recent railway jour- ney, the author sat near a well-dressed Chi- cago business man, with whom this word proposition was clearly a favorite. In the course of an hour's talk, he used the word in six different wavs, none of them correct. Just Avoid the Use of Exonerate for relieve from blame. Endeavor for tr\. SuflScient for enough. Expenditures for payments. New departure for reform or improvement. In the immediate future for soon. Superintend for direct, manage or oversee.. Remunerate for pay. Remunerative for paying or profitable. Transpire for occur or become knoivn. Witness for see. Considerable for much or many. The foregoing list includes but a few of the many "big words" that are often used for their shorter and plainer equivalents. It can- not be held that the use of such words, within their correct meaning, is positively incorrect, but their use is very often in bad taste, and tends to a pompous and exaggerated, instead of a simple and accurate, style of speech. Exercise 56. Rewrite the following sentences, trying in each case to express the thoughts in simple, clear, and concise language : 1. The price of agricultural productions before leaving the train, he referred to the has become so depreciated that I do not antici- President of the United States as "a hot prop- pate being able to discharge my indebtedness osition!" to you prior to the first day of January. 54 BUSINESS ENGLISH 2. The roads have been rendered so abom- inable by the late inclement weather, that we have been unable to get our grain transported to the railroad. 3. Your last shipment of oil is absolutely unsalable, but fortunately we still have an abundance of the good quality on hand — quite sufficient for our trade. 4. If agreeable to you, we will abrogate the old agreement and consummate a new one. 5. We absolutely exonerate you from all intentional negligence in the matter. 6. For us to undertake to remunerate him to the extent of his demands, would undoubt- edly prove an expensive proposition. 7. We hope to amplify the area of our commercial operations in the immediate future. 8. In my absentmindedness, I was peram- bulating the walks in the park, entirely uncon- scious of the engagement I had made to meet you at ten o'clock. I solicit your forgiveness for this seeming negligence. 9. We not only remunerated him for his personal expenditure, but we reimbursed him for the sums he had expended in purchasing his traveling paraphernalia. 10. We have decided to inaugurate a new- departure from our previous methods, and al- low our trade discounts only to cash patrons. LESSON 39. The Qualities of Correct Expression. 154. The learner's attention has hitherto been directed to a study of the correct forms and uses of words. We are now to consider some of the principles of word-arrangement, or phraseology and the more important general qualities of correct expression. Good English involves much more than mere compliance with the rules of grammar antl the use of proper words. The purpose of language is not merely to express our thoughts, but to impress them on others. A sentence may be entirely grammatical, yet so vague and weak as to be well-nigh meaningless. Good business English should have four qualities. These, in the order of their importance, are, correctness, clearness, brevity, and force. Correctness. 155. To be correct, a sentence should be — (1) Grammatical: that is, each word should have the form and use prescribed by the rules of grammar. (2) Composed of words properly spelled and capitalized, and used in accordance with their established meaning. (3) Properly punctuated: that is. its parts separated and its last word followed by such point, or punctuation-mark, as may be neces- sary to make clear its meaning. 156. Tlic requirements of grammar with res])ect to the several parts of speech, also the matter of using words according to their ac- cepted meaning, have been discussed in pre- vious chapters. With regard to the correct- ness of sentences, it now remains to consider the requirements of capitalization and punc- tuation. The Use of Capital Letters. 157. The omission of, or evident misuse of capitals, like incorrect spelling and the vio- lation of the rules of grammar, indicates lack of education. While there is much variation in the use of capitals in certain cases, there is nevertheless a general uniformity, which is governed by fairly definite rules. 158. The following sub-divisions include the more iiuportant cases : When Capitals Are Required. 1. Initial letters. The initial (])eginning) letter of every .sentence, every quotation form- ing a sentence, and every line of poetry, should be a capital. Examples: At the top of the hill, we encountered a notice which read, "No shooting allowed here," so we turned back. Half a league, half a league. Half a league onward! THE QUALITIES OF CORRECT EXPRESSION— CAPITALIZING 55 '2. I'ropcr nouns, titles, etc. A capital let- ter should begin all special (individual) names, whether of persons, places, or things ; also titles, as Major, Doctor, Professor, etc.. when applied to individuals. Letters used to designate degrees, as LL. D., D. D., A. M., etc., also require capitals. Capitals are also used for manv abbreviations; as, C. O. D., Cr., P. M. NOTE. — A list of the uioro imiinrtant .ilibreviations will l)0 found near the end of this book. When a name, as that of a society or of a book, consists of a series of words, only the more important are begun with capitals ; as, "The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals," "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." ?>. Words denoting Heaven, the Bible and the Deity, also pronouns referring to the Deity, should begin with capitals. "It is through His grace and in obedience to His law, that is, the Word of God, that we hope for Paradise." Observe that the word god does not require a capital when used other than as an appella- tion of the Deity ; as, "The mills of the gods grind slowly." NOTE. — The word hib/e, when used as a general term to indicate a book, is not capitalized. Exatnple : He bought a bible. The firm makes a specialty of handsomel.v bound bibles. 4. Adjectives derived from proper nouns should begin with capitals ; as, American, French, Johnsonian, English, Victorian. Some adjectives of this class have become so far dis- associated from their derivatives, that the initial capital is not required. Examples: quixotic, a china cup, a nial- tese cat, a newfoundland dog, a german-silver spoon, morocco leather. (a) Verbs derived from proper nouns are not usually capitalized ; as, boycott, christen, gerrymander, burke (to suppress secretly). An exception to this rule is Christian-ize. (b) The words east, west, north, south, northwest, etc., are capitalized when used to designate a part of the country ; as, "The South had its own problems;" "The North- west is peculiarly interesting to a man from the East." (c) The adjectives eastern, western, northern, etc., are often capitalized when used with respect to some particular region ; as, "The customs of Eastern people," "Contrary to Southern interests," "He lives in Eastern Ohio." These words should not be capitalized when used merely to indicate location ; as, "Rochester is in the western part of New York." (d) The word state is usually capitalized when used as an official title ; as, "Contrary to the laws of the State of Ohio," "I am the State," said Louis XIV. State is not capital- ized in ordinary uses of the word ; as, "Ne- braska is a productive state. 5. The words I and O. The pronoun / and the interjection O should always be capi- talized. The interjection oil is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence or a line of poetry. 6. Roman numerals. Capitals are gen- erally used for these, as VIII, LX, etc., but small letters are employed when the numeral is used to indicate a passage of Scripture ; as, "John xvii-21." 159. Printing-office customs. There is much variation among newspapers and other pub- lishing offices, as to certain uses of capitals. For instance, in some offices, the words Repub- lican, Democrat, Catholic, Methodist, etc., are capitalized, while in other offices they are not. Each printing office has its own special custom with regard to capitalizing and other matters, which are known among printers as "the office stxde." The selected words and expressions given on page 56 show a growing tendency to drop capitals in newspaper offices. In the first column, the capitalizing is in accordance with the strict application of the rules. The second column shows the usage of many newspapers. Most of the examples given are taken from recent issues of a leading newspaper, and fairly illustrate the usage of many of the city dailies. Opinions may dififer as to which form the student should adopt. Scholars, literary persons, and many teachers, would doubtless advocate strict capitalizing, but the tendency among news- papers, and in business offices as well, is toward a more restricted use of capitals. The author would advise students of shorthand and others who are fitting themselves for business pursuits, to follow, generally, the rule, "Use capitals only zvhen they are plainly required; zuhen in doubt, use small letters." 56 BUSINESS ENGLISH LITERARY STYLE. 1. The Ohio River. 2. Fourth Street. 3. The Board of PubHc ^^'orks. i. The Federal Grand Jury. 5. The Repubhcan Party. 6. The Heahh Department. 7. Every court in the State and Nation. 8. The President of the Rock Island Sys- tem. BUSINESS USAGE. 1. The Ohio river. 2. Fourth street. 3. The board of public works. 4. The federal grand jury. 5. The republican party. (Chicago Tribune.) 6. The health department. 7. Every court in the State and nation. 8. The president of the Rock Island sys- tem. The Chicago Record-Herald prints, "The President (meaning the President of the United States) has returned." The Tribune prints, "The president of the United States." Most newspapers print, "the President," when alluding to the President of the United States, but do not capitalize in speaking of the president of a railway or the president of a club or society, or even of a foreign country. 9. The Lake Avenue Police Station. 10. The Governor of Missouri is a Demo- crat. 11. The Government will prosecute the Beef Trust. 12. The Seventh Ward Committee. 9. The Lake avenue police station. 10. The governor of Missouri is a demo- crat. 11. The government will prosecute the beef trust. 12. The Seventh ward committee. Exercise 57. Give reason for the use of all capitals found in the following sentences : 1. He used the word in a Pickwickian sense. 2. His subject was, "The Origin and De- velopment of Stenography." 3. In his hour of need, the old Canadian turned to the Savior and His promises. 4. We had supper at the Star and Garter. 5. It was as plain as Holy Writ. fi. We visited the Capitol and met Mr. W'alker, the present Secretary of State. 7. The Alountain and the Squirrel Had a quarrel, And the former called the latter. "Little Prig ;" Bun replied : 8. The Eastern man marvels at the jiro- gressiveness of the W^est. 9. It was, after all, a Utnpiaii scheme. 10. At this point, the Senator interposed. "You are quite wrong," said he, "I am by no means a convert to the Baconian theory."' Exercise 58. Rewrite the following sentences, using capi- tals as required : 1. the evening telegram announces the resignation of the russian ambassador. 2. the bishop is a genial gentleman ; he holds the degree of d. d. and II. d. from prince- ton and has long been prominent in the coun- cils of his cliurcli, that of the ni. e. south. 3. the city council met at 7 ]^. m. sharp with his honor, mayor curtiss, in the chair, and at once proceeded to consider amendments nos. 3 and 4 to ordinance no. 35. 4. we consider logic an important subject; it is taken up in the junior year, and we use simms ^t walker's text chuMng the first semester, following this with "white's elements." LESSON 40. Punctuation. 160. I'uiuiuatioii is the use of certain ch.'ir- acters, calleil ])unctuatii)n-marks, as a means of indicating to the eye the construction nf written sentences and the relation of their parts. In a general way, punctuation-marks serve the same purpose in written comj>osition that is servcti 1)\' the pause in oral speech. However, pauses are often required in read- ing or speaking, where no punctuation-marks are used in tlu' matter read, and marks are often used where the oral reading would re- (|uire no pauses. As punctuation-marks are PUNCTUATION mainly used to indicate the construction of sentences, it is evident that no one can punctu- ate accurately who does not understand sen- tence structure. It is, also, true that punctua- tion presents few difficulties to those who fully understand the sentence and the relations of its parts. The Punctuation-Marks. 161. Ten kinds of punctuation-marks are in common use, as follows : Comma (,) Exclamation ( !) Semicolon ( ;) Dash ( — ) Colon ( :) Parenthesis O Period (.) Brackets ([T) Interrogation (?) Quotations ("") 162. Punctuation may conveniently be studied under two general divisions : 1 . Terminal punctuation, or the use of marks at the end of the sentence. 2. Intermediate punctuation or the use of marks in separating the parts of the sentence. Terminal Punctuation. 163. The period (.) is placed at the end of a declarative sentence ; that is, a sentence which consists of an ordinary assertion. Example: Insects abound in tropical countries. 164. The interrogation or question mark ( ?) follows interrogative sentences, or ques- tions. Example: ^^l^ere is your home? A sentence is often declarative in form but interrogative in meaning. Examples: Attorney. You say you came home about nine o'clock? Witness. Yes, sir. Attorney. And the defendant, 'Sir. Brown was in the house? \\'itxess. Yes, sir. Attorney. You saw him? Witness. Yes, sir. 165. The exclamation ( !) follows ex- clamatory sentences, or those expressing sur- prise or strong emotion. Examples: How beautiful it is! W'hat wonderful patience he shows! Exclamatory sentences may also have the form of assertions, qncsfions, or commands. Examples: The city is burning! Dare you ask me to sacrifice my honor ! O, see that beautiful bird ! 166. Imperative sentences, or commands, may be followed by either exclamations or periods, according to the degree of urgency implied. Examples: Here, boys, catch that car! Now, Harry, do not fail to be at home by nine. 167. Related sentences. Sentences that are grammatically distinct are often so closely related that they are not separated by the or- dinary terminal marks. 168. The semicolon ( ;) is used to separate sentences that are very closely related in mean- ing. Ex.\mples: Rubber is found in most trop- ical countries : the best, however, comes from the forests of the Amazon Valley. 169. The colon ( :) is used to separate sen- tences that are less closely related than those requiring the semicolon, but too closely con- nected to require a period. Examples : Cigarette-smoking dulls the faculties and depletes energy: that business men recognize this, is made evident by the fact that several railroad companies refuse to em- ploy cigarette-smokers. 58 BUSINESS ENGLISH LESSON 41. Intermediate Punctuation. 170. The comma (,) is the most important of the marks required in separating the parts of the sentence. The principal cases requiring the use of the comma for this purpose are the following : 1. Introductory elements. These are usu- ally set off b}- the comma. Examples : Gentlemen, you are quite wrong in your conclusions. As to that, we can give no definite answer now. Speaking gen- erally, we are not favorably impressed by his work. 2. Parenthetical expressions. By these, are meant such words or expressions as are not grammatically essential to the sentence. They were formerly enclosed in parentheses. Examples : We will refer your proposition, hoivever, to the directors. Your expenses, even though they exceed one hundred dollars per month, will be borne by the firm. He usually visited the office on Saturday, often as early as eight o'clock, and remained several hours. 3. Explanatory elements. These are words, phrases, or clauses inserted in the sentence to make its meaning clearer, but do not closely modify its parts. Examples: Mr. Barlow, our neiv neighbor, is employed at Caldwell's. Our bookkeeper zclio had noticed the discrepancy, called my attention to it. My uncle, zvho is much interested in painting, will call on you next week. Clauses like the one set ofif by commas in the last sentence, are called non-restrictive because they explain, but do not restrict, the application of the assertion to the word modified. Thev should be distinguished from restrictive clauses, which are not set off by comas. Study the following examples : THE clause non-restrictive. 1. Cochineal, which is an important dye- 1. stuff, comes from Mexico. 2. The boy, who was not afraid of work. 2. remained with us several months. 3. The newspapers, which made a point 3. of being sensational, greatly exag- THE CLAUSE RESTRICTIVE. The Cochineal that comes from Mexico is the best to be had. A boy who is not afraid of work can always find employment. Those newspapers that make a point of being sensational greatly exaggerated the affair. gerated the affair. NOTE. — As a rule, tlm relative ?t'/io or xvhuii is pi-eferalil.v nsod in non -restrictive, and the relative thai In restrictive clauses. 4. Inverted elements. A modifying word, phrase, or clause, is said to be inz'ertcd when it begins the sentence, instead of following the word it modifies. Inverted elements are set off by commas. Examples: Sometime in February, we sent you full instructions as to this matter. (TIcrc the phrase sometime in February is inverted. since its natural, or regular, position would be at the close, instead of at the beginning, of tlie sentence.) To make sure of the sale, I called at tlie office again. When I visited Maywood. he was not at home. Of the many machines ive have used, this seems to be the most satisfac- tory. 5. Elements forming a .series. Commas are reqniic-d to separate llic parts of a con- nected series, unless all the conjunctions are present. Examples: Neither Brown, Watson, Par- ker, nor Davis, has yet sent in a report. (No- tice that the comma is used between the last two members, notwitlistanding the presence of the conjunction. This is now required by the best usage. Were all the conjunctions present, no comma would be required; as, "Neither Brown nor \\'atson nor Parker nor Davis has yet sent in a report.") Eggs, butter, cheese, and poultry are all very scarce. Sometimes, for purpose of emphasis, all the conjunctions arc omitted : in this case, a comma is placed after the last word in the series. Examples: Prudence, temperance, indus- try, faithfulness, are the i|n;ditics that make fur success. REVIEW on 6. Informal quotations. An informal quotation is one that is not formally intro- duced by "as follows," "viz.," "in these words," or some similar expression. Informal quotations are set oiif by commas. Examples: We notice that you say, "bronze caskets with steel handles," but we assume that you meant, "steel caskets with l)ronze handles." You know the old saying, "All is not gold that glitters." 7. Antithetic words or phrases. These are expressions that show antithesis, or con- trast, and are set off by commas. ExAMPLESS Friday, not Thursday, was the day agreed upon. It was the cloth-bound books, not those zvith paper covers, that we ordered. 8. Omission of verb. \Mien a verb is omitted, the comma is used to inrlicate the omission. Examples: I w-ent to St. Paul and he, to Omaha. We find that the four-inch cutter is too heavy and the three-inch, too light. Mr. ^Vayne delivered the flour and Mr. Hart, the apples. 9. Attribute clauses are set off by commas. Examples: The question is, ]Vhat are we to do about it? My opinion is, that he zvUl prove to he a reliable man. 1 0. Clauses of a compound sentence. A comma is used to show the omission of the conjunction lietwccn the clauses of a short compound sentence. Examples : You may accept his oft'er, we will ship the goods to-morrow. (If the con- junction were inserted after "offer," the comma would not be needed.) I hope you will remit the money, I am needing it very much. If the clauses are longer, both the comma and the conjunction may be used. Examples : We hope to have everything in readiness for our removal to the new building by the first of May, and we shall expect you here by April 15 to assist in the packing. (If the conjunction is omitted in sentences of this kind, a semicolon is used to separate the clauses. See 168.) 171. General rule for the use of the comma. W'hile the student will find it greatly to his advantage to be familiar with the fore- going special rules for the use of the comma, he must, in many cases, rely more upon his judgment than upon the particular application of any rule. In many instances, he may be aided by the following general rule : Place the comma wherever its use tends to make the meaning of the sentence clearer, and ivhere no other punctuation-mark seems ap- plicable. LESSON 42. Review. Exercise 59. Give a reason for the use of each punctua- tion-mark in the following sentences : 1. Still, it does not appear to us that he has done, intentionally at least, any wrong thing while acting as our agent. 2. And to think that, notwithstanding our previous relations, he could write us a letter like that ! 3. Just across the street, is a little book store; near to that, an old Italian has a fruit stand. -I. Money, friends, and opportunity having gone, he sank, poor fellow ! into a state of utter despair. 5. Electricity, the real nature of which is quite unknown to science, has wonderfully added to the convenience, comfort, and pleas- ure of modern life. 6. Upon the success of the undertaking. we have staked thousands of dollars; in this \enture, as in our former ones, we have never once doubted, much less feared, as to the re- sult. 7. It is in steadiness, industry, and will, not in good intentions, that you are deficient. 8. We shot ducks, geese, and other fowl ; we fished in brook, river, and sea ; we climbed mountains; we rowed, sailed, or rested, ac- cording to our mood ; in short, for six weeks, we fairly reveled, care free, in the delights of an outdoor existence. 9. After all, Ralph, what are you but an impulsive, inexperienced boy? 10. I said that he is dishonest, it is true, and I very much regret it. 11. I said that he is dishonest : it is true ; and I very much regret it. Note how the punctuation affects the mean- ing of the last two sentences. 60 BUSINESS ENGLISH LESSON 43. Special Uses of the 172. The Period. 1. Letters and figures used in numbering chapters, paragraplis, problems, etc., should be followed by the period. (See the sub-divisions of this and other text-books.) 2. Abbreviations. All abbreviations, ini- tials, etc., should be followed by the period. Examples : lb., C. & N. W. Ry., J. P. Hill, Esq., Mr. A., Mrs. C, Miss B., f hos. Brown, M. A. 3. Signatures, titles, headings, etc. George ^Vilson. Autobiography of a Sailor. My Hobbies. Custom varies considerably as to this use of the period. The display-headings used in newspapers and magazines are not usually punctuated, nor are the headings of advertise- ments, title pages, etc. In some publications, the headings of chapters and divisions are punctuated, in others they are not. 173. The Colon. Formal introductions to quotations, resolu- tions, documents, etc., are followed by a colon. Examples : Above the doorway of one of the inns, a queer sign reads as follows : "Comfort and Good Meat and Forage for Men and Beasts." The resolution, as amended, was then adopted as follows : Resolved, tliat it is the sense of this conven- tion, etc. NOTE. — The colon .niid d.ish are sometimes used wliore the matter (|uoto(l lie;;ins a separate line, as in the following examples: This Indenture W itnesseth : — That H. A. Bell, party of the first part. etc. We give herewith, the terms of our prop- osition ; viz. : — We will deliver, etc. NOTE. — The expression "viz." is an abbreviation of tlie Latin word videlicet, which means, "that which may be seen." It is read, "namely," and is always foliowed liy a period. When used as an introductory word, it is usually preceded l)y a semi-colon, and may be followed l)y a comma, a colon, a dash, or a colon and a dash, according to circnnistanccs and llic variations of usa«e. 174. The Semicolon. ] . Enumeration of particulars. Examples: 'I'he fdilmving subjects were discussed: Kindergartens; German in the Grade .Schorijs; Teachers' .Salaries; and Cor- poral I'unishment. Add the following num- Punctuation-Marks. hers: 67; 126: 698; 473. Our plans include the following features : To advertise in all the newspapers in the territory ; to circular- ize all the dealers ; to send agents into all the important towns; to give public demonstra- tions at the leading stores. 2. Sentences contracted to phrases, as often required in lists, catalogs, etc. Examples: Charles Walker Benton; born, 1821 ; graduated at Amherst. 1845 ; enlisted in the Union Army, 1862; brevetted Major. 1864. 3. Before viz., i. e., e. g., as, for example, etc., when thev forniallv introduce an enumer- ation of particulars. Examples : There are six elements of a contract : viz. : parties, consideration, etc. (See also last sentence illustrating use of the colon, 173.) When viz., and e. g., with the matter to which they relate, are used parenthetically in the sentence, the semicolon is not used. Examples: Some of our dress fabrics, viz., mohairs, silks, and grenadines, are all im- ported. 175. The Comma. 1. Dates. A comma should be placed be- tween the day of the month and the year. Examples: J""e 25, 1913. 2. Addresses. Commas should separate the parts. Examples: 118 Fern Ave., Redlands. Cal. No. 26, 63rd St., Hvde Park, Chicago. Cadmus, Linn Co., Kans. 3. Numbers. Commas arc often used to separate nnml)ers into periods of three figures; as, 214,629.506. 176. Ttif. Dasti. 1. Break in the thought. A dash is often used to set off a word or expression that inter- rupts the natural course of the sentence. Examples: As for his generosity — but the less said about that the better. If I suc- ceed — and I nnll succeed — the reputation of our goods will be firmly established. The dash, like the coiuma and the marks of ])arenthesis. is often used to enclose parenthet- ical expressions. "As for myself — knowing him as I do — I am not surprised at his suc- cess." SI'ECIAL USE OF PUNCTUATION-MAUKS 61 2. Omitted numbers or letters. 1 he dash is used to show the omission of figures when reference is had to a succession of dates or numbers in a series, also to show the omission of letters in words which, for any reason, the writer does not wish to spell in full. Examples: "Our \h. Haynes will be in your city Dec. 7-12." Read pages 18-26. Mr. J s B n is not in the least dull, and he will understand what is referred to. (This form of innuendo is more common in England than in America.) 177. Marks of Parenthesis. 1. Parenthetical matter. Marks of paren- thesis are used to enclose parenthetical matter less closely related to the structure of the sen- tence than that set off by the comma. Example: Upon Mr. Bell's return here (you will recall that he had gone to St. Louis in March), we discussed the matter fully. Figures, signs, etc. Signs, characters, etc., given for illustration are enclosed in paren- theses; as, ( + ) (?) (=). 2. Amounts and numbers given in com- mercial papers, which are written in words, are enclosed in parentheses. Examples : "I promise to pay twenty dollars ($20) ;" "We agree to deliver five (5) cords of best oak wood. 178. Brackets. The most important use of brackets is to en- close explanatory matter inserted by some one other than the author of the composition. Examples : Ladies and Gentlemen : When I first met Mr. Scott in this city in 1862 [The speaker was in error here, as Mr. Scott did not come to our city till Sept. 1, 1863. Ed.] 179. Al'OSTROPIIE. The original use of the apostrophe was to indicate omitted letters. It is still used for this purpose, in such constructions as e'er, isn't, there's, etc. Its use to indicate possession has this origin. (See Lesson 13.) The apostrophe is used to show the omis- sion of figures or words in indicating a vear; as, '05 (f905). The days of '76 (1776).' He reached the mines in 'forty-nine. Also in indicating the plurals of letters, figures, signs, etc. ; as, "the 5's," "x's," "p's, and q's." 180. Quotation Marks. Quotation-marks are used to enclose all direct quotations; that is, quotations in which the identical words are quoted. Ex.^mples: He said, "Economy is the road to wealth." An indirect quotation is one that does not purport to give the exact words of the speaker or author. Quotation-marks are not required. Example: He said that economy is the road to zvealth. A quotation within a quotation is enclosed in singje marks. Examples : "In the first place," said my father, "I hope you will remember the old saying, 'A rolling stone gathers no moss,' and not make the mistake of needlessly going from place to place." Quotation-marks are also used to enclose a word or phrase not in good use, or one used in a humorous or sarcastic sense. Examples : We fear the whole afifair is a "fake." The young man aspired to be a "poet," but his "poetry" did not appear to command a high price in the market. LESSON 44, Review Tests, Exercise 60. Give a reason for the use of each of the punctuation-marks in the following sentences : We have received from the publishers. 1. N. P. books Flartman & Co., the following new "Among the Earth's Neighbors," by Geo. S. O'Laughlin, A. M., Professor of Astron- omy, Baldwin College. "Will-o'-the-Wisp, or the Strange Adven- tures of Pattv," bv "Yale '09." (James S. Cook.) BUSINESS ENGLISH 2. To whom it May Concern : — Whereas, on Saturday, April 25, 1913, 3. Our goods have the following special merits; viz.: (1) they are made of the finest Para rubber; (2) they are so simply con- structed that a child can use them; (3) all extra parts (including valves) can be supplied on short notice. ■1. ^^'e were at Burnham in May, not in June, as Callie wrote. By the way, while there, I visited the "Old Church" (as the people now call it). You will, doubtless, recall that Father's old friend, Cameron, is buried there. The simple inscription on his headstone — barely decipherable — reads as follows : "Here lies Thomas Marvin Cameron, born. Mar. 2, 1798 ; died, June 21, 1869." 5. In the Register for October, we find this entry: "C. A. Stone, Harvard, 78; Ad- mitted to membership, June 12, 1886 ; Presi- dent of Society, 1892-3 ;" died, Nov. 16, 1895." 6. I have often thought — in fact. I think I got the idea from you in the first place — that our friend G Id W s (perhaps it isn't best to spell the name in full ; letters go "astray," sometimes, you know,) may have known more about this affair than he cared to admit. Exercise 61. Copy the following, inserting the necessary punctuation-marks at the places indicated by the vertical lines : 1. Now this order | singular circumstance] wasn't it|| was| in every particular] identical with the one received Apr] 14] 1913] 2. On the 5th inst]] the will of the late Gen] A| T| Joyce was admitted to probate] In addition to the bequests mentioned in the Times of Monday] are the following] to Sarah ]\Iiller] an old servant] a house and lot in Dayton] Mich]] to Henry Harmon] a Cornell student] Class of ]06] a copy of the Century Dictionary] 3. Ralph seemed in high spirits] | Don't be cast down] boys]] he remarked playfully] ] Remember Uncle Zach's old saying] |cheer up] the worst is yet to come]] Great old chap] Uncle Zach] How I'd like to see him|| 4. I have read Chapter XVIII] carefully I and found there an allusion to II Cor] ix] 12] which] to me| is not entirely clear] 5. ]Bosh|] exclaimed the old gentleman! bringing down his cane with emphasis] !\^■hen you quote that silly old saying] ]boys will be boys]] you mean] simply] that boys ought to be allowed to do all sorts of wrong things] just because they are boys]| LESSON 45. Clearness, Force and Brevity. 181. Clearness is the quality of a sentence wliich makes it immediately and completely understood. As the first object of all composition is to convey thought, no other element of style — not even correctness — is more important. It is quite possible for a sentence to be entirely correct, from a grammatical standpoint, yet so obscure that its meaning can only be guessed at. 182. Clearness is secured mainly through attentiiin to the following matters: 1. 1"he use of the words that mean to the reader what they mean to the writer. 2. Such natural arrangement of the wnrds that the relations of the different parts of the sentence may be easily perceived. 3. Using pronouns in such a way that their antecedents are plainly indicated. 4. Avoiding long sentences and useless words. 5. Omitting no words tiiat are necessary to make the meaning clear. 6. Proper punctuation. 183. The o]i])()site of clearness is am- bigfuity or obscurity. This fault may result from a neglect of any of the elements of clear- ness. The person who would write clearly should kcc|) ill mind tw'on could read "miser" in every 'li'riiikle of his dry leathery hroii.', and sec the gliut of sik'cr in every gleam of his little ratlike eyes. CLEARNESS 05 Like a flash, Ralph spraiit^ U) the hehn. while George plunged head first over the rail into the sea. Our competitors are s'-ivaniiiiig into thai territory lilce locusts; we must be with them at once, and scramble for our share of the busi- ness. "Give every man a square deal: no more, no less." — Theodore Roosevelt. OUR "FOUR IN HAND." "Lower prices, Smiling customers, Higher qualities, Larger sales." It is the man who hustles that makes the best member of society, and the surest pro- moter of the public weal. You can hustle if you can do thi)igs, for you can then find a place to hustle in, 188. The omission of needless words is an important means of adding to the forcefuhiess of a sentence. "Boil it down," is a standard and ever valualjle rule. The young writer will find it an excellent practice to go over the first drafts of his letters or other composition, cross out all needless words and then rewrite. This is a method often employed even by experienced writers. The use as modifiers, of wcjrds or phrases, rather than clauses, yields a gain in force as well as brevity. Note the following contracted expressions : 1. Goods which are manufactured in Eng- land. 2. People who are disposed to be indolent. 3. Laws that relate to what we shall eat or what we shall drink. 4. We write for the purpi.ise of asking what you desire should be done in the matter, the matter. 189. Arrangement of elements. A sentence is often made more forcible by placing the most important element last. English goods. 2. Lazy people. 3. Sumptuary laws. 4. W'e write to ask as to vonr wishes in Study the following examples : WE.\K ARR.\NGEMENT. 1. We have decided to accept your offer of the 10th, as we can make the shipment on the date specified, and as we are especially desir- ous of introducing our goods in your city. 2. I saw an uncut diamond worth ten thousand dollars while I was on a visit to my brother recently who lives in St. Louis. 3. He failed completely although we amply supplied him with funds and allowed him a free hand in the matter of advertising, etc. STRONG ARRANGEMENT. 1. As we are especially desirous of having our goods introduced in your city, and as we can make the shipment on the date specified, we have decided to accept your offer of the 10th. 2. During a recent visit to my brother in St. Louis, I saw an uncut diamond, valued at ten thousand dollars. 3. Although we supplied him amply with funds, and allowed him a free hand in the matter of advertising, etc., he failed com- pletely. Exercise 63. Study the following contrasted examples and note the means that are employeil to change a weak and rambling sentence into a concise and forcible one : LACKING IN FORCE AND BREVITY. CORRECTED. The young man seems to show an inclina- The young man is inclined to be lazy anrl tion toward indolence and the neglect of his neglectful, duties. The question as to wdiether or not we will Our directors are to meet next Monday and accept your proposition will be entered upon will then consider your proposition, at the meeting of our directors, ^vhich will occur on Monday next. - CG BUSINESS ENGLISH Finally \ve discovered that the line was be- ing interfered with by a limb that extended out from the trunk of a big oak tree. All at once, we observed a man of diminu- tive stature walking with great rapidity to- ward the place where we were standing. We especially desire to call your attention to the fact, etc. We have received your esteemed favor of t'.:e 22nd inst., and in reply to the same we re- gret to say, etc. V.'e finally saw that the line-interference uas caused by the projecting limb of a large oak. Suddenly we espied a little man hurrying towards us. We wish you to notice, etc. Answering your letter of June 22, we re- rret to be obliged to inform vou, etc. j\Iy father has made arrangements so that I can enter at your schoool, as he 'desires me to acquire a good business education. Wishing me to receive a good business education, my father has decided to send mc to vour school. Exercise 64. Recast the following sentences, improving th.e construction as much as you can : 1. It having been decided to caU a physi- cian, when he arrived he said that the disease that the man had was smallpox, and this of course naturally produced a great deal of excitement among the people in our boarding- house. 2. He put on his overcoat and gloves and then he ordered his carriage and then drove to the White House, introducing me to the President. 3. We contemplated attending the W'orld's Fair before we had fully considered the necessarily great cost attending the carrying out of our undertaking, but finally reached the conclusion that it would not be prudent for us to do so, and so abandoned our intention, 4. He has decided to devote a portion of his accumulated wealth to the establishment of an institution for giving instruction in the trades and useful arts to those unfortunate boys and girls who have neither father nor mother. ( The use of the words fortinic, in- dustrial school, and orphans, will greatly re- duce this over-padded sentence.) 5. Tliey read their doom in the setting sun as they ascend the distant mountain slowlv. 6. He is an industrious, diligent, hard- working, careful, painstaking voung man, who is a general and universal favorite with everybody whrmi ho cnnics in contact with. 7. All at once I was confronted with a big Ijla'-k bear as I 'vent whistling along the mountain trail after having eaten my lunch- eon. 8. The things that are most easy for all of us to do are the things that we have practiced doing for a long time. 9. She fully concluded to take a situation as a sales woman, something she had never thought she could bring herself to do ; but circumstances compelled her, as her money was about gone, but she did cjuite well, ami was fairly contented \vith her new employ- ment. (It is a serious fault to crowd too many things into one sentence.) 10. The book "Ben Hur"' of which you spoke so highly and which i ha\c lieen trying to buy "ever since, I finally found and I liave read II quite hurriedly which was not accord- ing to the adxice which you gave me, although I am sure it is a l)ook which should be care- fully read and which I intend to read again. ( The stringing of long clauses together in tliis manner has a most weakening effect ; it has been called "Wdiichcraft." It is remedied \)v the use of tlie short sentence, an:l by using ])lira?ei and one-word modifiers instead of c'au-es, as, "contrarv to vour advice." instead "f "which v/as not according to the advice whicli you gave u'c.") Part II. LESSON 1. The Letter and Its Parts. 190. Of all forms of written speecli, tlie letter offers the most natural and genera] means of expression. Nearly everybody writes letters of some kind, and thousands of people prac- tice no other form of original composition. The foundation idea of a good letter is that it should contain what the writer would say if he were face to face with the one written to. Sometimes we hear a person say : "My friend writes charming letters; thev are so natural; when I read them, it seems that he is talking to me." This is the highest praise to be given to any letter, and it applies to business letters, as well as to letters of friendship or afifection. The ideal business letter is the one that has the life- like force and directness of a business talk. The person who would become an adept in writing forceful business letters, must keep this basal idea ever in mind. It will be discussed further under the heading, "The Body of tlic Letter." 191. Importance of good form. .\ word should be said on the importance of having a business letter correct in all essentials as to form, punctuation, etc. Some young people are in- clined to underestimate this, and to get the idea that it does not matter nuicli whether or not a letter is in correct form. But no one can be careless in these particulars, without running the risk of being misjudged as to his knowledge of more important things. Besides, it takes no longer to write a letter in correct than in incorrect form, when the matter of correctness once becomes a habit. The attainment of this habit, is a mark of accuracy and orderliness that has a cash value in the eyes of every careful Ijusiness employer. NOTE. — The forms recommended and illustrated iu this text are based on prevailing usage, so far as the author has been able to ascertain it, but it should be remarked that departures from this usage are becoming more and more common in business otfices. This is particularly the case as to margins, and indentations, in headings, superscriptions, etc. The author has not thought it desirable to run the risk of confusing the learner by presenting illustrations of these various dc|iarturcs from conventional forms, since they have not, as yet, the authority of general usage. 192. The parts of a letter may conveniently be treated under two general divisions, viz. : 1. Form, including everything that has reference to the proper beginning and closing of a Ic'iter, and the orderly arrangement of its parts. 2. Subject-matter, or all that relates to the style and contents of the "Body of the Letter," or message itself. 193. Form of the letter. With regard to form, letters may be divided into two general groups, Business Letters anrl Social Letters. The former will be considered first. 194. Paper. The paper commonly used for business letters, consists of separate sheets of "standard size;" that is, sheets cle-cen indies long and eight and one-half inches wide. Special sizes are often used, particularly in the case of hotel stationery. The paper may be either plain white or tinted. Most firms use so-called "letter-heads," or sheets of standard-size paper, with a business announcement, name and meinbers of firm, or officers of company, with place of business, etc., printed at the top of the sheet, as in the form a'_ the top of page 68. C8 BUSINESS ENGLISH CARLO. JIARSHALL. Pvesi.lent S. H. GOlUlYEAK. Vi.-e-Presi.leiit r. L. AKN'dTT. Swretary. T. S. METI'ALF. Treasurer Texts and Equipment for Modern Business Training 195. Style cf penri'ianship. The writing in a pen-written business letter, should be, first (if all, legible, and entirely free from ornamental flourishing, shading, etc, "Fancy writing" of any kind is strictly out of place in a business letter, as it is, indeed, everywhere else where busi- ness writing is required. Business men care very little about the style of an employee's writing, if it is reasonably neat and can be read. 196. Parts of a business letter. For con\'enience of study, the parts of a business letter are here considered under the following classification : SCHEME OF A BUSINESS LETTER Place. Date. 1. Opening. •2. Body of Letter. 3. Closing. Heading. Address. Salutation. I J; Words of Courtesy Signature. These several parts are shown on the model letters given on the next two pages. Study the foregoing scheme until you can write it without referring to the book. 197. The heading. This includes the business or postal address of the writer, and the d.ate. Jt is usually written at the right id the page on the first ruled line. In the case of unruled paper, it should be written not nearer than one inch from the upper m;ugin of the paper, but may be written lower, if the letter does not occupy a full page. This rule, of course, does not a])ply to printed Ictterdieads. 'J"he purpose of the heading is to make known the place and time at which the letter is written. If an answer to the letter is expected, tlie heading should give definitely the writer's postal address. The street, or building and room-numljcr shoidd be given, if in a city, and the post office, county and state, if the letter is sent from a country address. In the case of large cities, as New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, etc., the name of the state is often omitted. The name of the cnunty is mmecessary in the case of a small city or good-sized town. The state may be oniille 1 imly in the case nf the largest cities, say, those o\ ;i (|u;irler of a nn'Ilion inhabitants or more, also in the case of letters for local delivery. The year should never be omitted in the dale, especially in business letters. If the heading is long, it may occupy more than one line. In letter-head paper intended for tvpewritten letters, the printed datcdine and yeai-figm-es are jirefcrably omittcil, as they otdy de- lay th? tyi)ist in writing the heading. 198. The address. This iiicludi--- the name nf the ])ersiin nr linii ti> wlmm the leller is sent, and the jxisla! address. Tiic address shouhl be definite enough to enable liie |)ostal author- ities tn deliver the letter, should the envelope be destroyed or its superscriiHion become illegible during transmission, as sometimes hapj^cns. Care should be taken to have the name agree, in fnrm. willi the signalm-e nf ihc person to wliom the letter is written. 'I'hus. if a jjcrson signs his name "James ,'\. Hill," dn nni arldress [continued on i'.\(;k 71.] MODICL r.KTTKU G'.t a O Racine, Wis.. June 16, 19 Heading. A. W. Bell & CO. , Chicago. 111. Address. Gentlemen: sahuauon Answering your letter of June 14, we have to report that the eggs and poultry will be shipped this evening by the Str. "Bettie Morgan". We have found some difficulty in filling your order for prime strawberries, as the crop in this section has been damaged by the recent heavy rains. We have managed to get some twenty crates, however, which we will express by first train tomorrow. Hoping the goods sent vrill prove satisfactory, and soliciting your further orders, we are Very truly yours. Words of courtesy. ^^^54^^^-^^^^ Siguatu»e Model Typewritten Letter. BUSINESS ENGLISH //L^(^--7^-'yi'<.'-7-Z^,.<:^^Z^ai-<^ /^'='<^, \iY ^''''^--■■'^^''^^''^^^^■'^^ • i.-^5--V* ^'Z5?-^£^^:Ut?'-j-Ms2l£^_.-'25C^..fe:^, ■■?-t^Z^o-^^l^.^^t?-u^z>^-' ^'4:^^^^?'Z-^(S^-<^t-<:^^^^^^'Z^^^«^:»'i^'' Model Pen-Written Letter, LETTER AM) I'lS TARTS him as "James Hill," or "J. A. Hill," etc. It is but common courtesy to allow a person to de- cide as to the form in which his own name is written. Great care should be taken, also, to s])ell the names of persons properly. People are som2times very particular as to the spelling of their names, and are offended if they arc misspelled. The author once knew a person named "Johnston" who was always greatly irritated when his name was written "Johnson." He would even refuse to answer a letter thus addressed We may think this sensitiveness absurd, but it exists, and it is good manners, as well as goo:I business policy, not to ignore it. When the letter is addressed to an individual, the title Mr., Mrs., or Miss is used. In the case of a professional ]:)erson, the title. Prof., Dr., Rev., etc., may be used, or th.e erpiivalent degree-letters, M. D., A. M., D. D., etc., may follow the name, CAUTION. — As a rule, both title and desree-letters are not used in the same address, but an exception to this rule is somotiuies made in the case of elei's^ymen and college professors; as, "Rev. S. T. Jones, D. D.," "Prof. Charles Wilson, A. M." The title Esq. was formerly used after the name of a gentleman, but this title is now seldom, used, except in letters to lawyers. Messrs. (from the French plural Messieurs — "Gentlemen") was formerly used in allress- ing a firm or company, but is now rarely seen. NOTE. — A further discu.ssion of this matter will l:e found under "Titles anil Salutations." The name in the address should begin on the margin-line at the left, and the postal or bus- iness address should be written on the next line, and s'aould begin an appropriate distance to the right of the margin-line. For position and punctuation of headings and address, see the model forms, pages 69 and 70. 199. The salutation. This is the term of respect, friendship, or affection with which a ■letter is introduced. It is usually written on the next line below the address and should begin at the margin. (See model letters, pages 69 and 70.) The salutation varies with the nature of the letter and the relations of the writer and receiver of the letter. Where the parties are strangers or mere business acquaintances, the most common salutations are "Dear Sir," or "Madam," for individuals, and "Gentlemen." "Dear Sirs," or "Dear Madams." for a firm or company. "My clear Sir," or "My dear Madam," is more cordial, and "Dear Mr. Jones." or "Dear Mrs. Brown," is more familiar still. "Sir" and "Madam" alone are distant and for- mal salutations, used only in official letters, or where the relations between the persons are unfriendly. The kind of salutation to be used is largely a matter of taste. It is presumptuous, if not impertinent, to use a familiar salutation, as, "My dear Smith," or "My dear Mrs. Brown," in writing to a person with whom one has but a slight acquaintance. On the other hand, it is over- formal, if not discourteous, to use "Sir," or "Madam," in writing an ordinary business letter, or "Dear Sir," or "Dear Madam," when writing even a business letter to a friend or familiar acquaintance. NOTE. — In the case of n formal letter to an unmarried woman, the salutation may he "Dear Jladam." or it may be omitteil. Strictly speakin?:, the title, "Madam." is appropriate only to married or elderly women. If one uses a very familiar salutation, liks "Mv dear Brown." "Dear Mr. Jone^," "Friend Palmer," etc., the address should not precede the salutation, but should appear on the left side of the sheet at the close of the letter. See model letter te David Weston, page 104. Punctuation. Custom allows some variation as to the punctuation-mark following the sal- utation. It is usuallv a colon, but the colon and dash, and sometimes the comma and dash, are used. Van Sant's Typewriting In^ructor. a well-known authorit\-, recommends the colon alone, and usage, at the present time, seems to favor this punctuation of the salutation. Capitalizing-. Nouns used as the principal words in a salutation are capitalized, but other words arc not, unless they begin the salutation. Examples: My dear S'r: Dear Friend Frank: Mv dear Mother; My very dear Friend; Dear old Chum; My darling Sister; My dear Friend and Teacher. Model Openings. 200. The following models illustrate varimi^ forms of headings, addresses, and saluta- tions. Study them carefully before preparing the work required in Exercise 1. BUSINESS ENGLISH No. 1. Ordinary Form. Vincent, Iowa, April 6, 19 Mr. H. M. Stone, Fulton, 111. Dear Sir: In answer to your letter, etc. No. 2. Two-Line Heading. Room 519, Equity Bldg. , Chicago, May 7, '05. C. F. Roberts & Co . , 817 Locust St., St. Louis. Gentlemen: Answering your inquiry, etc. No. 3. To an Unmarried Woman. Racine, Wis., Aug. 17, 19 Miss Clarice Marshall, 110 Fern Ave., Redlands, Calif. Your letter of Aug. 7 etc. If the salutiitidu is imiittcd, tho first ]iariif,'raiili of the letter sliould lie iiideiilccl iinifciniil.v as in a three line atUlress, and extra space allowed between the address and the lir.st lino of the letter. No. 5. To Two Women. 147 Van Buren St. , Chicago, Sept. 9, 19 Mesdames La Voux & Marc, 69 Cortland Place, New York. Dear Madams: Answering your letter, etc. No. 6. Familiar Address. 2142 Park Row Bldg., New York, June 10, '05, My dear Longley: Your very welcome letter of May £0 is at hand. FORM OF THE LETTER 73 No. 7. To Member of Religious Community. 320 Second Ave . , Clinton, la. Jan. 9, 19 Sister M. Geraldine, Convent of St. Francis, Rock Island, 111. Dear Sister: In answer to your valued letter, etc. No. 8. Official Letter. Room 69, Govt. Bldg. , Omaha, Nebr., May 29, '05. Hon. Geo. B. Cortelyou, Post Office Department, Washington, D. C. Sir: I have the honor to report, etc. Exercise 1. (a) \\'ritc llie following openings, observing proper form, position, and punctuation. Lse stanilard-size letter paper, and either pen and ink or typewriter, as vour teacher may direct. 1. Glenellyn Dupage Co 111 Mar 19 1913 M'r R M Seymour 215 Ry Ex Bldg Chi- cago Dear Sir Answering your letter of March 18 etc. 2. 529 (^akwood Blyd Chicago Jan 17 13 Mrs Esther Ames 257 Concord Place Boston Dear Madam We have vour letter of June 14 etc. 3. Mayor's Office Cincinnati Ohio U S A Nov 25 1913 Hon Samuel Chatterton M P -11 Cheapside London Eng Dear Sir Answering your letter etc. NOTE. — In tlie headings of letters, addressed to persons in foreign countries, tlie name of tlie state (iin- .■ililircviated) slunild be given, and the letters, U. S. A. (United States of America), should be used. 4. Gray Gables May wood Rockingham Co Va Aug 29 "13 Dear Mr Marble \\'e arc all ik'lighted to know etc. " 5. 124 Main St Room 26 Ouincy 111 Feb 21 1913 Miss Helen Seymour 459 Washing- ton St St Louis Your letter of Feb 20 relating to etc. (b) Write five original openings, showing variations in headings, address and st}de of sal- utation, and including first few w^ords of the letter as in the model openings. LESSON 2. Form of the Letter. — (Continued.) 201 Body of the letter. This usually begins on the line below and a little to the right of the salutation, but many prefer to begin on the same line with the salutation. The rules relat- ing to margin and paragraphing should be carefulh- observed. (Sec "Margin," Lesson 1. Parti.) NOTE. — Tlic suli.jcrt matter of tlio letter will be discussed in a sub.sequent lesson. 74 BUSINESS ENGLISH 202. The closing. The body of the letter' usually ends in a paragraph consisting- of some such expression as, "Hoping to be favored with your further orders, we remain." or, "Request- ing the favor of an early answer, I am, with great respect," but these are optional, and their use is a matter of taste. The closing, proper, consists of the words of courtesy and the signature. 203. Words of courtesy. Like the salutation, the words of courtesy may be either formal, respectful, familiar, or friendly, depending on the relations between the writer and the person written to. The following are permissible forms. FORM.AL AND RESPECTFUL Respectfully, Respectfully yours. Yours very respectfully. Very respectfully yours, ^^'ith great respect, With highest regard, MERELY COURTEOUS Yours trul}'. \'ery truly. Yours very truly, Verv truly vours. F.VMILLAR OR FRIENDLY Yours, Your friend. With regard. \\'ith warm regard, etc. Fraternally, Cordially. Sincerely, Gratefully, Faithfully, (Yours may precede or follow any of the above except the first two. The word z'ery may also be used with either of the last four.) Those in the "Formal and Respectful" group are most often used in letters addressed to persons in official stations, to members of the clergy, or to persons in religious orders, etc. Of- ficial letters are often concluded wit): the ])hrase, "Your obedient servant." Letters to an editor may close with, "I am. Sir." This form is used by Llarper's Weekly. Words of courtesy should never be abbreviated; as, "Resp'y," "Yrs," and the like. NOTE. — A late authority on business corresponclence; advocates tlie disuse of both snlut.-iticm and words of courtosy in business letters. This practice is being followed in some offices. Capitalizing. In the closing words of courtesy, only the first word is capitalized. Examples: Your afifectionate daughter; Your loving friend; Very truly yours; Cordially and fraternally yours; As ever, your frienrl. Titles, as, Sir, Sirs, Madam, etc., are always capitalized. 204. The signature. This is the name of the (lerson. firm, or company wdio is respon- sible for the letter. If the letter is written by an cnii)loyee of :i company or firm, the writer's name or initials (pen-written) should accompany the signature. (See Model Closing 5 and (i. ])age 75.) As a rule, a business letter should have a pen-written signature, but if the signature is tvpev/ritten or stamped, it may be verified by the pen-written name or initials of the person by whom the letter was written or dictated. Tn most offices, it is tlic ruk' that k.-ttcrs must be marked with the initials of the stenographer who transcribes them. The signer of a letter should take particular care to h.'ive his signature easily legible. In business offices that have much nu'sccllaneous cnrres]iondcncc. ammying errors are constantly arising because there are so many people who do not write their names so they can be read. It is also desirable that the signature of a business man be cimractcrislir; that is, always written as nearly as possible in the same wav. Ranks requ're persons doing business with them to file their signatures for reference in a ".Signature Book" or on a ".Signature Card." and the cashier may not honor the checks or in Ii'rscmcnts of a ]ierson whose signalure does not correspond with the one on file. The signature of a woman shoukl ind'cale her sex, and whether she is marrierl or single, as "(Miss) Mabel T. Dwight," or "Mrs. Charles L. Dav." This is particularlv imnnrtant if the letter is written to a stranger. .\ married woman, unless she is cfindwlin';- a lnisine--s on hei" own account, should use her husljand's name in her signature wlten writing lo stranger'^, A widow slioiilil \]^c her own gi\-cn name or initials. FORM OF THE LETTER Model Closings. 205. The followins^- models illustrate the form, position, etc., required in different styles ni" closings. After studying these, prepare the closings required in Exercise 2. Note that the sii^naturc ends at the cxtu-mc riidil uf tlic sheet. No. 1. Hoping to hear from you soon, we are Very truly yours , Blake & ■ Macdonald No. 2. Awaiting your further pleasure, I remain Very respectfully, Henry A. Malcolm. No. 3. Kindly remember me to all "the force". Cordially yours, Tom L. Anderson. No. 4. I have the honor. Sir, to remain Your obedient servant, Walter S. Davis, Inspector. No. 5. Wishing you complete success in your most worthy under- takings, we are. Madam, With great respect. The Harkness-Wells Company, No. 6. Soliciting your further order?,, we remain Youra very truly. The Ames Pump Company. per ^,^^^_,,,__.- Secretary. No. 7. Hoping that we may have the oleasure of another visit from you soon, I remain, as ever, Your sincere friend, Helen M. Jackson. •Ir. C. B. Spencer, Melrose, Mass. NOTE. — In social letters, the a(l(li-es.s of the person written to i.s i)lace name .-nid ail dre.ss of the person or lirni iisinfc it. Self-addressed envelopes are fx9j/2 inches, and "No, 9." 37<^xS7.;^ inches, used as a sclf-addressctl envelope to enclose in "No. 10." Government envelopes. .Some fourteen dilTerent styles and sizes of stamped enxelnpes, newspaper-wra])pers, etc., are kejjt on sale at LInilcd States jiost offices. They are sold at the ordinary ])rice asked by dealers for enveln])es of a similar size and quality, with the postage added. Many firms use these instead nf unslampeij cmnmercial envelopes. ( inNeniuK'ut en- velopes fliffcr in size and designaliim fmm commercird en\'eli)])cs. 'Hie go\ernment en\clope used in business is the "No. 5." It is three and one-half by six and fivc-sixteenlhs inclics, or slightly smaller tlian the commercial envelojie, "No ()■/!>." The govenimcnl (ifrui.d cinclnpe. "No. 8," is of the same dimensions as tlie commercial, "Nn. 10." Special-request envelopes. Tiicse arc envelopes that have i)rinted upon them ( prefer;d)l\- in the upper left-liand corner) a request for return in case of non-delivery. This re(|ncst [continued on page 80,] SUPERSCRIPTION FORMS Fig. 1. Diagram Showing Correct Position of Tarts. STAMP ^/A^& (^i^-f^L-<^ ■^ Fig 3. Faulty; Iiihamionious Arrangement and I'aris in Wrong Position. BUSINESS ENGLISH STAMP Fi^. 3. Three-line Superscription witli Local Address. STAMP rS, <^-^ Fig 4. Ill C!arc of Another I'erson. N<»'ri';. The iililircviatiiiii "%" is dI'Icm used for "in care of." SUPERSCRIPTION FORMS 79 L-cz-A^t^^Ty^u^a^-^^^tCM^^^ Yvy^ // ^^Z:f^^'-7^vZA^^C'-r^^iyt^ 't'^t'T^ ^} iPi.f-t^jy Fig. 5. Letter of Introduction. NOTE. — A letter of iiitroduotion, lieiii^' delivered In person, does not retiuire a stamp. After— Days return to JOHN C. SMITH 146 State St., WILKESVILLE, N. Y. STA \l P Mr. Frank B. Jones, 2416 Front Street, Oswego, Ohio . Fig. C. Four-line Sui)erscription, Government Model. 80 BUSINESS ENGLISH usually reads: "If not called for in 10 days, return to," or, "After 5 days return to," followed by the name and address of the sender. To facilitate the prompt return of undelivered mail, the postal authorities request that the name and address of the sender be placed on all letters and packages sent by mail. Many firms combine a brief business card with the special recjuest. If ordered in lots of 500 or more, the Government furnishes without extra charge, printed special- recjuest envelopes, giving the name and address of the sender. No matter of an advertising nature is printed on these. Color, quality, etc. The color of envelopes, whether they are used for business or social purposes, varies greatly, but tints are usually preferred to pronounced or strong colors. There are also great differences in quality. Envelopes made of light or cheap paper are sometimes used for advertising circulars, etc., but firms of good standing rarely use anything but the best grade of envelopes for business letters. It is not good form to use cheap stationery or business letter-heads or envelopes for any kind of social letter-writing. 207. The superscription, or direction, consists of whatever is written or printed mi the envelope to insure its delivery to the person entitled to receive it. Superscriptions may be pen- written, typewritten, or printed. They usually consist of (1) the Naiiic of the person or firm to whom the letter is sent, (2) the General Address, consisting, usually, of the city and state, (3) the Local Address, as street and number, building and room-number, post office box-num- ber, etc. There is a growing tendency in many business offices, and in some business schools, to de- part from the usage that has hitherto prevailed in the matter of the form and arrangement of the several parts of the superscription. In some offices, the name and address are written in the same alignment, and without indentation or e.xtra spacing. Others write the name of the town and the state on the same line. As these variations make more or less trouble for the Govern- ment mailing clerks, and sometimes are the cause of letters being missent, the Post Ofiice De- partment has printed on the cover of its stamp booklets, a model address, as a guide to the pub- lic, and in the interest of uniformity in superscriptions. We reproduce tliis form in Fig. 6, page 79. For pen-written superscriptions, the following rules are generally observed l)\- persons of good taste : 1. Write the name first, and. as nearly as possil)le. on a line midway between the top and the bottom of the envelojje, 2. The name of the town is written next, below and to the right, ;ind then the state, the initial letters beginning at sucli points that they will touch a straight line cimnecting the first letters in the superscription. (See Fig. 1, page 77.) 'A. The local address is sometimes written at the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, ])ut the best usage requires it to be written just after the name, as in Fig. 6, page 79. It may be written at the left, however, if the other parts of the superscription require four lines. 4. If it is desired to mention tlie official or business position of the person written to, as. "Supt. of City Schoools," "Editor American Penman." "Governor of Ohio," etc.. this shmild be written below the name, thus making a four-line superscription. 5. Superscriptions on letters or packages for registry (see page IKi) should give the name of the county, unless in the case of a large city. On other classes of mail, the name of the county is unnecessary. 6. In the case of mail matter lor rural free delivery, it is very important to write the number of the route; as, "R. F. D. No. 3" fRiual i'"rec Delivery No. 3). 'Ibis is f|uite as im- portant as is the local address in a letter sent tn a large city. 7. The parts of the sui)erscription lielnw the name slinuld In' wrilU'u in such a position as to divide the envelope space below the name into equal parts. Instructions relating to typewritten superscrii)tions will be given in a subsequent lesson. Great care should be taken to write all parts of the superscription legibly. (Ornamental writ- ing should be avoided, unless in the case of correspondence between ])rofessional penmen. The ])unctuation of a supersrriiition is the ^anie as that I'eqnired in the address at the opening of the letter. The diagrams given on i)ages 77, 7S, ,-uid 71l will aid llu' sludcnl in ;Lpplying the rules given under 207. C<">nsuh these forms in preii.nring the addresses re<|uired under llic following exercise. FOLDING AND ENCLOSURES 81 Exercise 3. Prepare twenty slips of unruled wliite paper, liaving tlie dimensions of a No. 6j^ envelope (3^x61^ inches). Write on these (with pen and ink) the following superscriptions: 1. Mr. Geo. H. Nettleton, Mound City, Kansas, R. F. D. No. 1. 2. Master Irving Stone, Battle Creek, Mich.. Care I. L. Stone, 216 Maple St. 3. Prof. Seymour Eaton, President Drexel Institute, Philadelphia. 4. Miss Ena Harmer, 1529 C Ave., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 5. Mr. E. H. Anderson, Prop'r Northwestern Bus. Coll., Fargo, N. D. 6. Plon. A. P. Rogers, M. P., 421 Ry. Exch. Bldg., Toronto, Ont. 7. Sister M. Beatrice, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Moline, 111. 8. Hon. W. N. Ferris, Big Rapids, Mich. 9. The South Side Development Co., 4976 Stuart Ave., Chicago. 10. The Chicago Chess and Checker Club, 1196 Schiller Bldg., Chicago. 11. Mr. Horace G. Healey, Editor "Business Journal," 203 Broadway, New York. 12. Hon. Geo. W. Clarke, Governor, Capitol Bldg., Des Moines, Iowa. 13. Col. Edw. L. Stanton, Soldiers' Home, Dayton, Ohio. 14. Sergt. C. A. Watson, Fifth U. S. Cavalry, Manila. P. I. 15. Hon. David Brewer, U. S. Supreme Court, Washington, D. C. 16. Harper, Jones & Hall, 346 Trude Bldg., Chicago. 17. Miss Inez Day, Hopedale, Conn. 18. Flon. Randolph C. Carpenter, House of Representatives. Topeka, Kansas. 19. Mrs. Archie A. Robinson, Flat B, 4047 Ellis Ave., Chicago. 20. Mr. Harlin Endicott, Room 29, Universitv Bldg., Boston. LESSON 4. Folding and Enclosures. 208. Folding. The method of folding a letter-sheet depends upon the kind of stationery used. If the length of the envelope exceeds the width of the paper, the letter-sheets are folded in one direction only, as in Fig. 1, page 82. If the standard letter-paper is used with ordinary business envelopes, the sheets must be folded in two directions, and it is a matter of consider- able importance to learn to do this correctly and rapidly. The student should provide himself with a few sheets of letter-paper and practice folding them in accordance with the following directions and the illustrations on pages 82, 83, and 84. 1. Place the sheet before you, face upward ; take hold of the bottom margin and turn it upward to within one-half inch of the top margin, being careful to have the side margins even : then fold by passing the nail of the second finger firmly from left to right across the bottom of the folded sheet. (See Fig. 2.) 2. Turn upward about two and one-half inches of the right-hand margin of the folded sheet to the left and fold as in Fig. 3. 3. Turn the same width (23/2 inches), of the right-hand margin toward the left, and fold firmly with the nail of the second finger, as before. (See Fig. 4.) Be careful to have the margins in their right positions when folding, and keep the sheet free from creases, finger-marks, etc. 209. Inserting letter in envelope. Taking the envelope in the left hand, wnth its face next to the palm, and the folded letter in the right, insert the letter, as shown in Fig. 5. The letter should be so folded as to occupy a little less than the full length and width of the envelope. 210. Enclosures. These are documents or other papers, as checks, drafts, receipts, or the like, which are to be enclosed with a letter. If the enclosure is of considerable size, as, a lengthy bill or statement, a contract, insurance-policy or other legal document, an official envelope is used, the paper or document is folded apart from the letter, and inserted in the envelope as a separate enclosure. In the case of a check, short bill, receipt or other small paper, the enclosure should be placed, face upward, across the face of the letter and folded with it. (See Fig. 6.) [continued on P.'iGE 85.] 82 BUSINESS ENGLISH ^^^^^^^gpaxT-^a ■■ ^pV ^^^^H ■ i^H =^H ^^^ -^^ . ^^^^ r .- ^^^- ,.*fc^J3^^H UHl Fig. 1. Width of Paper Less than Length of Envelope. (One-direction Folding.) ^^I^^^^B<^M^sl ^^^^flk Jig Fig. 2. First Fold, When- Stiiiidard Si^)^ Shcrt is lo Ix' Inserted in liusiness Fnvrlopi-. Crwo-direclion l''<)lding.) FOLDING AND ENCLOSURES 83 Fig. 3. Second Fold in Two-direction Folding. Fig. 4. Third Fold in Ttvo-direction Folding. 84 BUSINESS ENGLISH Fig. 5. Inserting in Envelope. Fig. (i. rosiiion of Knrlosure. POSTAGE AND MAILING 85 Papers enclosed in this way are not lii-cely to be overlooked or accidentally dropped when the letter is removed from the envelope, as they are when not folded with the letter. It is the cus- tom in some offices to pin enclosures to the letter-sheet. If circulars, etc., are enclosed, they should not be folded witli the letter, but put in as a separate enclosure. If one or two stamps are enclosed, they should be pinned (not stuck) to the top of the letter-sheet. If a considerable number, say, a dozen or more, stamps are enclosed, they should be folded, and inserted loose within the folds of the letter. Exercise 4. 1. Write the following letter to Henry A. French & Co., 246 Ocean St., Seattle, Wash. Use your present address and the current date as a heading, an appropriate salutation and clos- ing words of courtesy, and your own signature. Direct and enclose the letter in a No. 6^^ busi- ness envelope, and prepare a slip of blank paper of the size of an ordinary receipt, to represent the enclosure. (body of letter.) "I have yours of May 19 enclosing Chicago draft for $25.60 to balance your account to date. Enclosed find receipt for same. "Thanking you for the remittance, I am" 2. Holmes Bros. & Co., of 275 Market St., Cleveland, Ohio, on June 6, 1913, received a let- ter from P. C. Blake & Sons, Vendome, Ind.. dated June 4, 1913, and containing a check for $150 to apply on account. Write the letter of a.cknowledgment, enclosing a slip of paper to rep- resent the receipt. Direct the envelope and fold and enclose letter as in previous examples. Unless you are using imitation stamps in your letterwriting work, mark tlie envelope with an outline showing the position of the stamp. Present the foregoing letters to your teacher for approval. LESSON 5. Postage and Mailing. 211. Domestic mail-matter includes all mail-matter deposited in the mails for local de- liverv, or for transmission from one place to another within the United States, or to or from or between the possessions of the United States. Porto Rico and Hawaii are included in the term "United States." The Phillipine Arch- ipelago, Guam. Tutuila (including all the adjacent islands of the Samoan group which are possessions of the United States), and the Canal Zone are included in the term "Possessions of the United States." The term, "Canal Zone." includes all territory purchased from Pan- ama, embracing the Canal Zone proper and certain islands in the Bay of Panama. 212. Classes of matter and postage. Domestic mail-matter is divided into four classes, as follows : First-class consists of: 1. All written matter, whether written wiih pen or typewriter, or other device. This in- cludes letters, U. S. postal cards, private post-cards, and any other written matter (or partly written and partly printed), whether sealed or unsealed. NOTE. — Even printed matter will be rated as first-class if it is in tlie nature of a special or jiersonal communication. 2. All matter sealed or otherwise closed against inspection. Rates. 2 cents for each ounce or fraction. Limit of weight, 4 pounds. U. S. Postal cards cost 1 cent each, and private post-cards (subject to Government regulations as to size, material, etc.), require a one-cent stamp, whether the matter on them is written or printed. Full pre-payment of postage is not required for first-class matter. In case of insufficient post- age, the amount unpaid will be collected from the receiver of the letter when it is delivered. An unstamped letter will not be sent to its destination, but will be returned to the writer, if his identity can be determined from the envelope; if not. the letter will be held for postage. 86 BUSINESS ENGLISH Drop-letters. These letters are addressed for delivery at the ofiice where mailed. If mailed at an office where there is no delivery by letter-carriers, the postage is one cent for each ounce or fraction. If mailed at letter-carrier offices, the postage is the same as for other first- class matter. Second-class (Unsealed) consists of newspapers and periodicals which bear the author- ized statement, "Entered at the post office as second-class mail-matter." The term itnsealcd means enclosed in an open or removable wrapper, as one that is open at the ends, or fastened by cords, rubber bands, etc., thus permitting inspection by the post- office officials. Special communications in writing are not allowed either on the wrapper or on the enclosed matter. The presence of these may cause the package to be held for postage at first-class rates. This rule applies also to third- and fourth-class matter. It is permissible, however, to write on the wrapper the name and address of the-seader, after the words "From," "Sent by," etc. The words, "Marked," "Special Copy," etc., may also be written or stamped on the wrapper or enclosure. It is also permissible to make corrections of typo- graphical errors, etc., on the periodical enclosed. Rates. 1 cent for 4 ounces or fraction. Full prepayment is required. No limit as to weight. Publishers' second-class rates. When a newspaper or other periodical is established, the publishers apply to the Postoffice Department at Washington to have it "entered as second- class matter." If this is authorized, the publishers may send the periodical through the mails at the rate of 1 cent for each pound or fraction. Matter thus mailed is called "publishers' sec ond-class," or "pound-rate" matter. Other second-class matter is known as "transient second- class." Third-class — Unsealed. This comprises all printed matter other than newspapers, period- icals, etc., or special communications of a personal nature. It includes books under 8 ounces in weight, circulars, proof-sheets, corrected proof-sheets, with manuscript copy accompanying the same, matter in print, or raised characters for the blind, photographs, maps, etc. Rates. 1 cent for each 2 ounces or fraction. Full prepayment required. Limit of weight, •i pounds, except it be one book. Fourth-class — Unsealed. This comprises all mailable matter not included in the first, second, and third classes. It includes generally all merchandise, blank-books, or paper, speci- mens of plants, minerals, etc., and printed matter on other material than paper, and books of eight ounces in weight or over, also, all packages of third class matter weighing over four pounds. EXCEPTIONS. — Seeds, bulbs, roots, ]ilaiits, cuttings, etc.. weighinK less thnn eiglit ounces, available for plant proijagation, arc, by special legislation, mailable at third-class i-ates — 1 cent for cacli two ounces or fiaction. Parcel post. ( Revised to September, 191;").) By an act of Congress untler date of August 24, 1912, provision was made for transporting l)y mail, packages of fourth-class matter at rates which vary with the distance. This act, known as the Parcel Post L.aw, became effective January 1, 1913. Prior to this date, packages of fourth-class matter, not exceeding four pounds in weight, were transnn'tted regardless of distance at the uniform rate of 1 cent per ounce. The increase in the weight limit of the mailable package, and the greatly decreased cost of transmission through short distances, liave had the effect of turning into the mails a great many shipments that, under former condi- tions, would have been handled liy the various prixate express companies. Packages weighing up to fifty pounds may be mailed for local delivery, or to any point within the first two zones, at rates prescribed by the postal authorities. Beyond the second zone the weight limit is 20 pounds. It should be noted that the Parcel I'nstjl.aw makes few changes in the classification of mail-matter, provided for in previous laws. W circular of information, with "Parcel Post Guide" and map, giving a schedule of rates for the dilTerTnt parcel post zones, can be obtained, on application, from the Third Assistant Pdstmn^kT Ccncral at \\'ashinglnn, D. C. The fee for this service is 75 cents. General Rate Rule. Mailer of a higher class, enclosed '^'ith nuiller of a lo'U'er class, suhjccls llic ivhole package to the higher rale. POSTAGE AND MAILING 87 214. Unmailable matter. This is matter that is proiiihitcd admission to the mails. It comprises : 1. All matter illegibly, incorrectly, or insnffciently addressed. 2. All "transient second-class" matter and all matter of the third and fourth classes not fully prepaid, and all first-class matter not prepaid one full rate — 2 cents. 3. All first-class, third-class (except a single book), and fourth-class matter weighing more than the weight fixed by the postal rules. 4. All matter harmful or objectionable in its natiu'e, as poisons, or animals or vegetable substances liable to decoiuposition ; all intoxicating, explosive or highly coiubustible or inflam- mable liquids, or any other article that is likely to cause harm to the postal employees, or to the mail-pouches, or other government property. 5. All written or printed matter or pictures of an offensive nature, or any libelous or scurrilous matter intended to reflect injuriously upon the character of another. 6. All matter pertaining to lotteries, gift enterprises, etc., also, anything concerning schemes to obtain money under false pretenses. NOTE. — Severe penalties are provided for ttie violation of the last two refinlations. 215. Preparing matter for mailing. Employees in a business office are often called upon to attend to the mailing of letters, circulars, samples of goods, books, and other classes of mail-matter. It is important to be able to do this with accuracy and dispatch. Postage-stamps -of various denominations, ranging from one cent to a dollar or more, are to be obtained at all postoffices and are usually kept on hand in the quantities and denominations required. Most letters will require a two-cent stamp, while printed circulars sent unsealed will usually require one cent. The stamp should be placed at the upper right-hand corner of the face of the en- velope, and at a distance of about one-eighth of an inch within the margin. See illustrations on pages 78 and 79. When large numbers of letters are mailed, some appliance for moistening stamps is usually provided. Special postage-scales also are in general use for ascertaining the postage required on let- ters and packages. These scales are provided with a graduated index which shows at a glance the postage required for each of the several classes of mail-matter except fourth-class. A Reference-List of Mailable Matter. The following alphabetical list as issued by the Post Office Department, gives the articles most generally dispatched in the mails, with the mailing-class to which each belongs. It will be found useful for reference, and may be consulted in answering certain of the questions asked under Exercise 5. Article. ("hiss. Article. (see Advertising signs printed on other material than paper Albnms. autograph, without writing Alliums, autograph, with writing Albums, photograph Almanacs Animals, stuffed Architectural designs, printed Architectural designs, containing writing Drawings ) Artificial flowers Assessment notices, wlioU.v in print Assessment notices, partly in writing Baggage checks, metal Bills, wholly or partly in writing Bhink account books Blank Books, with written entries Blank cards Blaidv printed forms, with written signature... Blind, indented or perforated sheets of paper containing characters which can be read by the. unsealed Blueprints Books, printed (see parcel i)OSt regulations). ..3d or. 4 th. 4th. 1st. 4th. 8d. 4th. .'id. 1st. 4th. ■M. 1st. 4th. 1st. 4th. 1st. 4th. 1st. .Sd. 3d. 4th. Botanical specimens, not susceptible of being used in propagation Btilbs (special rate) Calendars, printed on paper Calendars, printed on material other than paper Candles Carbon copies of typewritten matter Card games Cards, blank Cards, Christmas, Easter, etc., printed on paper. Cards, Christmas, Easter, etc., printed on ma- terial other than paper Cards, visiting, bearing written name C:ii.ilogues 'Certiticates, blank Certificates, filled out in writing Check books, blank Checks, blank Checks, in writing, canceled or uncanceled Chromos, printed on paper Cigars Circulars, printed (see "Third-Class Matter").. Cloth, samples of Coin Class 4th. 4th. 3d. 4th. 4th. 1st. 4th. 4th. 3d. 4th. 1st. .3d. 3d. 1st. 3d. 3d. 1st. 3d. 4th. 3d. 4th. 4th. 88 BUSINESS ENGLISH Article. Class. Coin holders, card, blauk Copy books, school, with printed lines and in- structions for use Crayon pictures or drawings, framed or unf ramed Cuts, wood and metal Cuttings of plants or trees (special rate ) Daguerreotyijes Designs, wholly in print on paper Diplomas, blank Diplomas, filled out in writing Drawings (pen or pencil), without writing, framed or unframed Drawings or plans containing written words, letters, or figures indicating size, price, dimen- sions, etc Electrotype plates Engravings, when framed Engravings and wood cuts, impressions from, printed on paper Engravings and wood cuts on wood or metal base Envelopes, maUed in bulk Flour, samples of Flowers, cut or artificial Fruit, dried Geological specimens Grain, samples of Herbs, dried , Honey, in comb Insects, dried Invitations, printed or engraved, containing no other writing than date and name and ad dress of person addressed and sender Labels, written Letterpress copies of handwritten or typewritten matter Liquids Liquors, ardent, vinous, spiritous, or nuilt. un mailable. Lithographs Magazines or newspapers, mailed by the public, Manuscript or typewritten copy, without proof- sheets Manuscript copy, accompanied with proof-sheets Maris, printed on cidth. Article. 4th. 3d. 4th. 4th. 4 th. 4th. ad. M. 1st. 4th. 1st. 4th. 4th. .3d. 4th. 4th. 4th. 4th. 4th. 4th. 4tb. 4th. 4th. 4th. .3d. 1st. 1st. 4th. .Sd 2d. 1st. 3d. 4tli. Maps, printed on paper, with the necessary mountings Medals or coins Merchandl.se, samples of Metals Minerals Music books Newspaper clippings, with name and date of paper .stamped or written in Newspapers or magazuies, mailed by the public. Nuts, In natural state Paintings, framed or unframed Paper, blank Patterns, printed (ir nnprinted Photographs, mounted or unmounted Plans and architectural designs, printed J'lants for propagating purposes (special rate). Postage stamps, canceled or uncanceled Postal cards, wholly or partly in writing, I'e- mailed Post Cards, printed, in bulk Posters, printed on cloth Posters, printed on paper Price lists, printed, containing written figures changing individual items Price lists, wholly in print Printed matter on other material than paper... Printing, samples of Proof-sheets, printed, corrected, with or without manuscripts Receipts, printed, with written signatures Receipts, partiall.y pi-inted, with writing Roots for propagation (special rate) Rulers, wooden or metal Seeds (special rate) Sheet music Shorthand or stenographic notes Soap Tags Telegram blanks Tintypes Typewritten matter, original letterpress and' manifold copies thereof Valentines, iirinted on paper Valentines, iirlnted on other material than paper Wall iiaper ^^. . . . . Class. .3d. 4 th. 4th. 4th. 4th. 3d. 3d. •2(1. 4th. 4th. 4th. 4th. 3d. 3d. 4th. 3d. 1st. 3d. 4th. ,3d. 1st. 3d. 4th. 3d. 3d. 1st. Ist. 4th. 4th. 4th. 3d. 1st. 4th. 4th. 3d. 4th. IPt. .3.1. 4th. 4tli. Exercise 5. Find tlie amount of ])Ostagc required to mail each of tlie following-described articles: 1. A magazine weighing 8j^ ounces. 2. A typewritten ni;inuscrii)t sent to a newspaper for jniblication and weighing 6-34 ounces. 3. A package of i)rinted patterns weighing 1] pounds, 5 ounces, to be sent to Second Parcel Post Zone. 4. Package of maps weighing 2 pounds, 3Vi ounces. 5. A package of newspapers (not mailed by publisher) weighing 2 pounds, 3j4 ounces. 6. A sealed letter weighing 3j/^ ounces. 7. 1500 unsealed circular letters each cootaining a jirinled ciiTiilar, and each weighing 1V4 ounces. fATailed separately.) 8. 2000 .sealed letters with enclosures, to make each letter weigh VA ounces. 9. Package of books to first zone weighing IS^i pounds. 10. Package of newspapers, with whicli w;is included a scaled Ictler. weight of package 1 pound, S'/i ounces. THE BODY OF THE LETTER 89 LESSON 6. The Body of the Letter. 216. Composition and construction. The style of a letter is determined by its purpose and the relations of the writer to the one written to. We all want our letters to make a good impression, just as we wish to present what is called "a pleasing address" when we meet peo- ple personally. To accomplish this, a letter should be natural, direct, and appropriately phrased. As previously suggested, the best guide to letter-writing style is to write as you would talk were you face to face with your correspondent. This does not mean that a letter may be incorrect as to grammar, or contain slang or other objectionable forms of speech. A letter need not be bookish or formal in order to be written in good English. 217. Colloquialisms permissible. Many conversational terms and expressions are allow- able and even desirable in a letter, whether it be on business or otherwise, which would not be proper in any essay or other form of strictly literary composition. The following three letters are here introduced to show how a natural conversational style may be secured. Read them carefully and note the efifect of such colloquial expressions as the following, in the first letter: "thinking over your plan." "your idea has some good points." "it is out of the question." "up to his ears in work." "see about this account." "working up trade." 478 Broadway, New York. Jan, 16, 19 s Mr. Amos L. Macey, 10 Greendale, Pa. 5 Dear Sir: 10 s Since our talk on Monday, we have been thinking over your plan as to working up trade in North Jersey. No doubt your idea has some good points, at least good enough to justify a trial later in the season when we are not so busy and can spare the extra men to send into the new field. Just now, however, it is out of the question, as everybody is up to his ears in work. Be sure that we appreciate your enterprise in the matter, and if the plan succeeds, the credit shall be yours. 10 By the way, Hawkes & Fuller of Waynesville, Pa., owg us a considerable balance that is nearly two months past due. You would better call there on your way in next week and see about this account. We enclose statement. 35 Cordially yours. The Evans-Belle C-'j . Per C. J. B. 90 BUSINESS ENGLISH The following- letter is rather more formal than the last one, but it has the simple, straight- forwardness of a face-to-face talk. See if you can tind the expressions that give this effect. Avalon College, Avalon, 0., July 26, '05. Mr. Henry B. Nelson, Chadwick, Ind. My dear Sir: I have your letter of July 24, asking about the work at Avalon College. In our catalog, which I am mailing you to-day, you will find answers to your questions as to tuition rates, living expenses, courses of studjr, etc. Avalon College is not a "cheap school" in the sense in which this term is co:ninonly used," neither are our charges higher than is consistent with good service. The watch-word at Avalon is WORK. It is a school for young men and v/omen who are in earnest, and who want results. It is no place for dawdlers and snobbishly inclined young folks who want the name of "going to college", but do not care to do the work required in getting a genuine education. Now, Mr. Nelson, if, as I hope, you are looking for this kind of a school, you are pretty sure to be pleased with Avalon, and we shall be glad to give you a hearty welcome . Hoping that you may decide to become one of us, I am. Sincerely yours, Chas . S. Casterlin, Recristrar There is a cordiality, as well as a businesslike directness in the following letter, that would make it appeal strongly to the favor of a business man, even though he did not accept the writer's proposition. Note the expressions that put life and vim into this letter. Brookton, 111., May 29, 19 The Anderson Grocery Co., Peoria, 111. Gentlemen : Are you quite satisfied with your present means of getting country produce? If not, you may be interested in what we are doing in this line. Knowing the trouble that first-class houses have in getting from the commission men really choice produce fresh from the farm and garden, we have adopted the plan of working up a line of special con- tracts with the farmers, gardeners, and dairymen, by which we buy only the best SELECTED STOCK, which we deliver to our customers within a few hours aftei' purchase. Our plan is to send wagons to the farms early each morning, gather up the very choicest products, and get them to you by the time your doors are open. Thus, you are always sure of a full supply of the best goods to be had, and in a condition that will bring smiles to the faces of your customers. Of course, such goods cost a shade more than the cold- storage stuff from the commission houses, but people are willing to pay more for choice things with the morning dew still on them, and your pofits may easily be maintained. If our idea strikes you favorably, and you are in a position to do business with us, kindly drop us a line and one of our men will call on you at once and go into the matter in detail. Very truly yours, C. P. Harper & Sons. THE BODY OF THE LETTER 01 218, Cant terms, meaningless expressions, etc. Custom lias long sanctioned the use, in business letters, of a certain conventional jargon, which is quite meaningless, and really serves no useful purpose whatever. Belonging in this category arc such expressions as the following: "Your esteemed favor at hand." "Your favor of the 3rd came duly to hand." "Replying to the same would say." "We beg to advise you," "We beg to suggest." "Allow us to call attention to the fact." "Enclo.sed please find." "We trust you will recognize the importance." "We take pleasure in informing you." "Your esteemed favor at hand and contents noted and in reply to same would say." "Kindly permit us to call your attention to." "We beg to acknowledge your esteemed favor of the 19th." The foregoing and similar expressions have nothing but usage to justify them. Anyone who should use such language in personal intercourse, would have his sanity called into ques- tion. Furthermore, these formalisms are fast falling into disuse among modern business letter- writers. We advise the student to dispense entirely with these and other expressions of the same class. They are opposed to simplicity, directness, and naturahiess, and tend to give to a letter that very stiffness and formality most to be avoided. Beyond the terms of courtesy in be- ginning and ending a letter, put nothing into it that you would not say to your correspondent were you talking instead of writing to him. 219. Paragraphing. A paragraph is a sentence, or a group of sentences relating to some particular matter. A letter may consist of one or of several paragraphs, according as it treats of one or of several distinct matters. No definite rules can be laid down to govern paragraphing. It is often a question of taste or of individual judgment as to whether a given matter is sufficiently distinct from the rest of the letter to require a paragraph. It is very important that the several topics of a letter should be introduced in a natural order, and that each should be completed fully before another is taken up. Nothing is more confusing or annoying than to receive a letter in which sentences in no wise related are thrown together at random, just as they came into the mind of the writer, and with no attempt at co- herence or logical arrangement. As a rule, the first paragraph of a business letter should show the purpose, or occasion, of the letter. If it is in answer to another letter, the date and purport of this letter should be given, as in the following: "We have yours of June 10 relating to our recent shipment of sulky plows." "This is in answer to your letter of January 6, as to the advisability of our establishing an agency in your city." "Your kind letter in answer to ours of June 7 reached us to-day." If the letter is not written in answer to another letter, it is still advisable, as a rule, to have an opening paragraph setting forth the purpose of the letter. Ex.-^MPLES: "W'e are writing this to make some inquiries as to your new ruling inachine, advertised in the February 'Inland Printer'." "Our house is in the market for a line of straw board, and we have thought it well to take up the matter with you by letter." "This letter is to interest you in a new cutter and feeder that we have just put on the market." A separate paragraph should be given to any concluding phrases of a courteous or com- plimentary nature ; as — "Hoping to receive further orders from you, we are" etc. "Thanking you in advance for an early answer to our inquiry, we remain" etc. An excellent custom is followed in many business offices, of separating the paragraphs of a letter by extra spacing. This facilitates reference to the several matters contained in the let- ter. The following model letter illustrates the method and purpose of paragraphing. Study it carefully, after which, proceed with the work required in Exercise 6. BUSINESS ENGLISH Hammond, Ind., Apr. 6, 19 Mr. R. E. Thayer, Beatrice, Nebr. Dear Sir: We are writing this letter of inquiry at the suggestion of Mr. C. W. Pierce, of Chicago, who assures us that you can give us reliable data as to the matters about which we ask. We are manufacturers of various grades of straw- board, wrapping, and other coarse-fiber papers, and we are considering the advisability of establishing a branch factory at some good town in your state. Mr. Pierce tells us that Beatrice has some advantages for the location of such an enterprise, but he is unable to give us such de- tailed information as we require. Can you tell us whether there are any straw-board factories in your part of the state, and, if so, where they are located? Do the farmers in the vicinity of Beatrice raise much small grain, and is there any demand for straw, aside from the ordinary uses? What is the present market price of straw per ton, and is baled straw shipped from your town to any consider- able extent? Are straw-board boxes, cases, etc., much used in your part of the state in shipping eggs, fruit, or other products? Do you think any concessions in the way of remission of taxes, the providing of a site for the factory at a nominal cost, etc., could be obtained from your people, in the event that it should be found feasible to locate the factory at Beatrice? We shall regard it as a great personal favor if you will kindly send us answers to the foregoing questions, with any other information bearing on the matter, which you may be able to give. We also request that you will, for the present, regard this letter as confidential. Thanking you in advance for an early answer, we remain. Very truly yours, J. P. Hannibal & Sons, per J. P. H. Exercise 6. If a letter is brief, occupyin.s^ mucli less tlian a full paqe, with ordinary margins, it is com- mon to have the margins mucli wider, thus decreasing the length of the lines, and giving a more pleasing general effect. In the forms on pages 93-94 (he improvement effected by the wider margins in No. 2 is evident. The spacing (distance between lines) may also vary in the case of typewritten letters, de- pending on the length and character of the letter, short letters being often double-spaced, while the single space is used for longer ones. In many offices, however, all letters, regardless of length, are single spaced and have standard margins. While most of the model letters in this THE BODY OF THE LETTER 93 book are thus presented, the student, in preparing the letters required in the exercises, may use his taste and judgment as to spacing and margins. 1. Write an answer to the preceding letter, setting forth such assumed facts as might be given in response to such a letter. Paragraph your letter, as required by the different matters leferred to, answering the questions in the order that they are asked. When your letter is fin- ished, fold it properly, enclose in a correctly addressed envelope, and hand it to your teacher. 2. Reconstruct the following letter, correcting all errors. Give careful attention to the errors in punctuation, form, etc. In recasting this letter, do not attempt to follow the writer's arrangement. Omit all needless matter, and tr_\- to have your letter well arranged, definite, and businesslike. St. Louis, Mo. No. 69 Broad St. Feb. 17 05 Mr. C. W. Walker Esq. Murrayville, Ills. Sir: There is a firm in your town or was last year named Clarke and Reynolds that ewes me for a Bill of Goods that I sold them on credit nearly two years ago. As I understand that you make a business of collecting these kind of accounts I thought I would write to you. Can you tell me whether they are any good or not. Our bill is for $47.25 and I dont want to lose it. What per cent do you charge for collecting such bills? Th3 bill is for our Patent Roofing it is all right and they promised to pay in 60 d. but didn't. Do you charge the same when you have to bring a law suit. please answer as soon as possible as I want to get this account straightoneri 'jp. Yrs very Respectfuly J . Peters Form No. 1. Wide Measure. Springfield, 111., May 20, 19--. Ames & Robinson, Fairview, Texas. Gentlemen: This in answer to your letter of May 15, relating to weight and form of packages of our Red Eagle Buckwheat Flour, We advise that this brand is supplied only in five- pound cartons, and in three-pound hinge-lid tins. You will find these quoted in our Price List for this quarter. Divi- sion L. We believe a copy of this has been mailed you. Very truly yours, THE ACME MILLING GO. 94 BUSINESS ENGLISH Form No. 2. Narrow Measure. Springfield, 111., May 20, 19--. Ames & Robinson, Fairview, Texas. Gentlemen : This in answer to your letter of May 15, relating to weight and form of packages of our Red Eagle Buckwheat Flour. We advise that this brand is supplied only in five-pound cartons, and in three- pound hinge-lid tins. You will find these quoted in our Price List for this quarter, Divisiom L. We believe a copy of this has been mailed you. Very truly yours. The Acme Milling Co. LESSON 7. Special Hints and Cautions. 220. Neatness and the correction of errors. A letter tliat is marred by blots, erasures, soiled or wrinkled paper, etc., is more than an offense to the eye; it is an indication of a care- less and slovenly personality. Paper to be used for letter-writing should be kept where it will not be soiled or wrinkled. Before handling the letter-paper or envelopes, one should be sure that his hands are free from dust, perspiration, ink-stains, etc. If errors in a letter are corrected by means of erasures, the erasing should be so carefully done that the receiver of the letter would not suspect that an error had been made. If there is not time or opportunity to make correc- tions by means of erasures, it is better to draw an ink line through the incorrect word, and re- write it correctly and neatly in the space above. If several errors occur, rewrite the letter. 221. Fijifures and abbreviations. The use of figures and abljreviations in the body of a letter is to be avoided, except in indicating a sum of money or in preparing lists of merchandise. with quantities, prices, etc. In .giving an address, as "Moline, HI." "Fremont, Nebr." "119 Wal- nut St., "Room G5 Plymouth Bldg.." abbreviations should be used. The name of a state should be written in full when not used as ])art of an achlress. It is very bad form to abbreviate ordinary words, as "ad" for advertisement, "Mdse." for merchandise, except in special cases re- quiring such abbreviations. Some expressions, as "C. O. D." (collect on delivery), "f. o. b." (free on board), are always abbreviated. NOTE. — See le.SSOii cm ••.Milnovijitions." 222. Specifyinjf dates. In specifying the date of a letter that is being answered, the ab- breviations, "inst." (instant), "ult." (ultimo), "prox." (proximo), are sometimes used. "Inst." means the present month, "ult." means the preceding month, and "prox." means the succeeding month. In many offices these terms have been discontinued, the date being indicated bv .giving the name of the monlhrfnuUlatc; as, "We have your letter of May 29," instead of, "We have your letter of the 29lli ult," ruid. "Our representative will call on ynu ;d)nnt June 10." insteail of, "Our representative will call on you about the lOtb prox." Tlic nu'tlioil of d;ite-rclVrence here recommended has obvious advantages. SPECIAL HINTS AND CAUTIONS 95 223. When to enclose stamps. In writing a letter to a stranger, -or to a slight acquaint- ance, requesting information or other favors relating to a matter in which the one written to has no personal interest, always enclose a stamp, or, better still, a self-addressed stamped en- \-elope, or postal card. A stamp is not necessary in writing business letters about a matter in which the person written to is interested, or to public ofBcials for information that is properly requested of thciu. It shows affectation, also, to enclose a stamp for reply, in a letter written to a friend or familiar acquaintance. 224. Writing on both sides of paper. This is allowable only in personal correspondence. In writing a business letter, use the second sheet in all cases, when a letter is too long to be writ- ten on one page. This is also a fixed requirement in all printing-offices, in the case of letters, advertising, or other matter received for printing or publication. 225. Paging. When a letter requires two or more sheets, these should invariably be paged. Failure to do this may occasion much incpnvenience to the person receiving the letter, and may cause him to overlook entirely some of the sheets, should he be interrupted in the course of the reading. 226. Placing in right envelope. When several letters are written, it is of the utmost im- portance that they should be enclosed in their proper envelopes. Mistakes in this matter have often caused serious embarrassment or misunderstanding. As soon as a letter is written, the envelope should be directed and the sheet or sheets inserted under the flap of the envelope, in- cluding enclosures, if any, there to remain until the letter is folded and enclosed. In the case of correspondence prepared by stenographers, the letters and envelopes should be thus arranged when presented to the dictator for signature. 227. Disposal of letters when received. The systematic disposal of correspondence in a business office is a very important matter. When a "mail" is received, consisting of a number of letters, they should be sorted before opening, in order to lay aside any of them that may be of a private or personal nature, to be opened only by the persons to whom they are addressed. In opening letters, a letter-opener should be used; this usually consists of a narrow blade of metal or bone made for the purpose. The blade of the letter-opener is inserted beneath the flap of the envelope, and the latter is separated at the edge where it joins the face of the envelope. In using a letter-opener, care should be taken not to injure the contents of the envelope. If a letter- opener is not at hand, a penknife may be used. Never open a letter by tearing the envelope • across the end. In doing this, one is likely to mutilate the letter or other enclosure. In some offices, all the envelopes are opened before the contents of any of theiu are removed : in other offices, the contents of each envelope are disposed of before any of the others are opened. In case there are many letters, the former method will be found the more expeditious. The envelopes should not be destroyed when the contents are removed, but kept until all the correspondence is disposed of. It frequently haonens that the writers of some of the letters fail to write their addresses, or even their signatures, and it is necessary to refer to the postmark on the envelope to learn where the letter was mailed in order to ascertain wdio w^rote it. If the letter contains a check, draft, receipt, or other enclosure, a note of the fact, together with the amount (in case of a remittance), should be entered on the face of the letter at the time it is taken from the envelope. In some cases it is found advisable to pin the enclosure to the letter, where it remains until the answer is dictated to the stenographer. Exercise 7. Prepare written answers to the following review questions. E\-ery answer should be in the form of a complete sentence. Some of the questions are not directly answered in the text. Their purpose is to give exercise to the student's judgment and to his thinking faculties. 1. As the luanager of a business, would you consider it good policy to have your cor- respondence neat and businesslike? Why? 2. \\'hat corrections would you make in these sentences : "He came here four or five years ago from Mich. I met him about the 1st of Sept. 1915. At the time I sold him 25 bu. of Oats, but he did not pay me, and soon after moved to Rockport, Illinois." 3. Illustrate the meaning of "inst.," "ult.," and "prox." \\'hy is it preferable to give the month and date instead of using these abbreviations? ■4. In what cases would you enclose a stamp in a letter requiring an answer ? W'hen would you not do so? 96 BUSINESS ENGLISH 5. Wl\v should a business letter be written on but one side of the paper? 6. What precautions will prevent the enclosure of letters in wrong envelopes? 7. What is done with a letter that is mailed without a stamp? 8. Why should opened envelopes not be destroyed until the letters in them have been read or answered? 9. What troubles might occur through failure to observe proper methods in disposing of incoming mail ? 10. Give two reasons for answering correspondence promptly. LESSON 8. Special Hints and Cautions. 228. Copying, filing, etc. In many business offices, copies are kept of all letters sent out. These are usually made by means of carbon sheets at the time the letters are typewritten, or else with a copying-press, by means of which impression copies are made in books consisting of blank leaves of tissue paper, specially manufactured for the purpose. Various methods are used for systematically filing the letters received, and the copies of those sent out. The object of the filing system is to provide a convenient means of referring to any letter that has been received or sent. Filing systems are also used, consisting of boxes or cases filled with cards alpha- betically arranged and containing special data pertaining to the business. A general under- standing of the methods of copying and filing is an important part of a business education. 229. Use of postal cards. The use of postal cards for ordinary business correspondence is not to be recommended. The postal card is, at best, but a makeshift, and is generally looked upon with disfavor among business men. Postal cards and private post-cards, on account of their cheapness, are used extensively for brief advertising announcements, and by the officers of lodges, societies, etc.. for sending out notices, but they Sliould not be used for more important business communications. - - - ' A postal card is rendered unmailaWcby writing or printing anything but the address on its face, or address side, (picture post-cards provide space for a message on the address side), or by pasting or otherwise attaching anything to the card. Postal cards may be used for brief and unimportant personal comiuunications when the use of ordinary stationery is inconvenient. In such communications the heading should be given, but the letter-address and the closing words of courtesy may be omitted. 230. Promptness in answering letters. To respond to a letter promptly is as much a re- quirement of ordinary courtesy as it is to answer when one is spoken to. If circumstances make a delay necessary in returning a complete answer to a letter, an acknowledgment of its re- ceipt .should be sent, briefly explaining tlie necessity for the delay. -Some letters, in the nature of the case, do not require an answer, but letters containing remittances of money or other im- portant enclosures should always be answered promptly, and the receipt of packages sent by mail or express should always be acknowledged. The rule of courtesy requiring answers to letters does not a]ipl\' to circular letters or to those of a purely advertising character, even though they may contain a request for an answer. But the receipt of circulars, catalogs, etc., ivhcn sent m response fo a request, should always be acknowledged. 231. Confidential letters. It is a general rnlc that all letters not written fnr publication are "confirlcntial," and their contents should not be revealed (unless by the express ])c'rmission of the writer), to any one other than the person written to, or to those having confidential relations with him. To violate this rule is entirely dishonorable. A business employee is also in honor bound to regard as confidential all correspondence whicli may pass through his hands while per- forming his duties. It is also especially mean and dishonorable to read, unless by express permis- sion or ref|uest. the letters intended onlv for tlie eve f)f another. Violnlions of this rule are justifiaitle only in extreme cases, as, for instance, bv those engaged in detecting crime. SPECIAL HINTS AND CAUTIONS 97 Letters of a personal or specially confidential character addressed to a business proprietor or manager, and intended to be read by him only, should, if sent to the firm address, be marked on the envelope, "Personal." 232. Abusive letters. Only a coward will make use of a letter to write insolent or abusive things that he would not dare to say were he face to face with the person written to. It is a good rule never to write a letter when one is angry. Nothing is more vulgar or degrading than to carry on a coarse quarrel by means of the mails. If an offensive letter is received, either ig- nore it entirely or answer it briefly in terms of dignity and courtesy. This is the way that a lady or gentleman "gets even" with the writer of an insulting letter. It may be necessary occasion- ally to write in terms of severity, but such letters should never show anger, and they should al- ways be kept within the bounds prescribed by courtesy and good breeding. An anonymous letter is one that is purposely sent without a signature, or over a fictitious signature. A forged letter is one to which the name of a person other than the writer is signed without his consent. Anonymous letters are written only by the cowardly, the vicious, or the criminal. If they are received, it is usually best to ignore them altogether. 233. Definiteness and brevity. The ideal business letter is the one that carries its message in the fewest words and, at the same time, is so definite that its meaning cannot be misunderstood. There is no objection to a long letter, provided it is no longer than necessary. In trying to make a letter brief, it may be made so indefinite that it might as well have been left unwritten. Con- sider, for instance, the wording of the following letter : Gentlemen : I have just seen your ad. Send me one of the books at once . Yours truly, J. Smith. The firm written to may have a score of advertisements, and may publish hundreds of books. The "brief" letter would probably result in Mr. Smith's receiving a book that he did not want, or else of putting the firm to the trouble of writing a letter of inquiry, and Mr. Smith to the fur- ther trouble of writing again. By mentioning in his first letter the name and date of the peri- odical containing the advertisement, and the name of the book wanted, this trouble would be avoided. Hardly less annoying than the indefinite letter, is the rambling, badly constructed letter with its long involved sentences full of "buts" and "ands," and containing irrelevant matter and needless repetitions. The best business letters are made up of short, crisp sentences that go straight to the mark and leave nothing to be guessed at. It is a pleasure both to receive and to answer such letters. 234. Business and social matters. Books on letter-writing generally teach that matters of business and of friendship should not be referred to in the same letter, but this rule is not generally observed in business correspondence among business men who are friends or ac- quaintances. Indeed there seems to be no good reason for the rigid observance of such a rule. A country merchant, for instance, might, during a visit to the city, be entertained socially by the members of the firm with whom he does business. On returning to his home town, he might write to this firm on a business matter and, in the course of the letter, refer to the courtesies re- ceived or ask to be "remembered" to mutual friends, etc. Such things add a human element to business affairs and, so far from being objectionable in a letter, may, and often do, have a dis- tinct business value. If any matter of a personal or social nature be introduced into a business letter, however, it should be given a separate paragraph, preferably near the close of the letter. 235. Postscripts. A postscript is an additional paragraph added to a letter, either below the signature or on a separate sheet. Its purpose is to set forth something that was um"nten- tionally omitted when the letter was written. The postscript is introduced by the letters. P. S. (abbreviation of the Latin expression, "postum scriptum," meaning "after the writing"). In signing a postscript, the writer uses his initials instead of his ordinary signature. Postscripts should be avoided, as much as possible, in everv kind of correspondence. 98 BUSINESS ENGLISH Exercise 8. Prepare written answers to the following ijuestions, as in Exercise 7: 1. Would you consider it advisable to include in a circular letter a special request for an answer? Why? 2. What reasons should induce a stenog-rapher or office clerk to treat as confidential the contents of letters received or written by his employer? .1. What means may be used to secure brevit}' in a business letter? 4. \Miy should long sentences be avoided? 5. Why is it not advisable to devote a considerable portion of a business letter to personal or social matters? G. What means may be taken to avoid the need of a postscript? 7. What advantage is gained by putting into separate paragraphs the different matters discussed in a letter? 8. In what way are filing systems advantageous? 9. Why should important enclosures be folded with the letter? 10. \Miy should the envelope be addressed at the time the letter is written ? LESSON 9. Classes of Business Letters. 236. Acknowledgment. Letters of acknowledgment are usually very brief, consisting of a few lines announcing the receipt of money, etc. If the payment is in currency, the receipt, written in due form, should be enclosed with the letter. If the payment is by check, draft, or other commercial paper, a separate recei])t is usually unnecessary. The following is an accept- able form for a letter of acknowledgment : Davenpor-t,, lov/o,, Jane Z5 , IC C. P. Davis 2c Co. , Springdale, 111. Gentlemen: This is to acknowledge your letter of June 22 contain- ing remittance of Chicago draft for $62.45 in settlement of your account to date. Thanking you for the favor, we are Very truly yours. Miller & Day. A letter acknowledging the receipt of a payment should not fail lo uR'nliim the amount and ]mrpose of the ])aymcnt and the form of remittance, whether by (hafl. nioncy-ordcr, etc. 237. Enclosing payments. Letters enclosing payments should mention the amount, pur- pose, and form of payment, 'idiey may or may not refer to other matters of a business nature. The next leller illustrates the usual fi>rm. 749 East Ave., Dayton, 0., March 20, 19 . C P. Hamilton & Co . , 175 Fourth St., Cincinnati. Gentlemen : Find enclosed express money-order for $247.15, in pay- ment of your invoice dated February 26, 1906, less discount of five per cent. Very truly, George H. Bell & Sons. CLASSES OF r.USlMOSS LIOTTIOUS 99 238. Ordering goods. It is the custom in most business offices, in ordering goods by mail, to itemize the articles wanted, on a special form called an order-sheet, instead of specify- ing the goods in the body of tlic letter. Many firms supply order-sheets to their customers. It is very important, in ordering goods by letter, to siiecify clearly the kinds of goods wanted, also, to make no mistake as to quantities required. Such orders are in the nature of written contracts, and mistakes are at the risk of the party giving the order. If the goods ordered are listed in the catalog, it is best to give both the catalog number of the article and the name. In the first of the two following letters, it is supposed that the goods are listed separately on an enclosed order- sheet. In the second letter, the goods are hsted in the body of the letter. Clear Lake, Wis., May 14, 19 , The Badger State Manufacturing Co., 526 Water St., Milwaukee, Wis. Gentlemen : Please ship goods as per enclosed order-sheet, as soon as possible, routing them over North-Western Railway. We shall expect the usual sixty days' credit, with discount of six per cent, if paid before maturity. Very truly yours, J. P. Ames & Go. Henderson, Ind. , Sept. 4, 19 C. A. Spencer & Co., 347 Lake St., Detroit, Mich. Gentlemen: Please ship us by U. S. Express the following goods at prices as given in your catalog of 19 : 1 doz . prs . Shears, #735. I " "Keenkutter" Knives #598. 1-1/E doz. Combination Knives #613. 3 sets Rogers' Knives and Forks #827. 5 doz. " Table Spoons #598. 5 sets " Teaspoons #841. Please get these goods to us as soon as possible. Very truly, J. W. Rice. In letters ordering goods, the method of transportation, whether by freight or express, should be specified. If desirable, the letter may also indicate, in the case of a freight order, the raih-oad over which the buyer wishes the goods shipped, and, if by express, the name of the ex- press company. Exercise 9. General Directions. In this and all subsequent exercises in letter-writing, use stand- ard business stationery. Properly fold and enclose your letters in a correctly addressed en- velope, but do not seal the envelope. If you are not provided with imitation stamps, indicate the position of the stamp, as in the model forms on page 77. In writing your letters, use your own phraseology; do not copy the forms of expression em- ployed in the model letters. 1. A. M. Blair & Co., of Mendota, 111.. ha\e sent }ou a postal money-order for $21.40, in settlement of their account to date. AVrite a proper letter of acknowledgment and en- close a receipt for the payment. 2. Write a letter to Geo. S. Clarke, 247 \\'estern Ave., Chicago, enclosing a check for 100 Business English $75, to be applied as a payment on your note in his favor, of June 6, 1915. Request a receipt for the payment and say that you will pay the remainder of the note at an early date. 3. ^^'rite to the Western Plow Co., 241 River St., Moline, 111., ordering one dozen Acme Cultivators, Style C, Catalog number 79. Direct shipment by I. C. Ry., and say that you will remit the amount of the bill as soon as the goods are received. 4. Write to R. C. Watson & Co., 1146 Broad St., Philadelphia, ordering a bill of dry- goods, as per an enclosed order-sheet. Order shipment by B. & O. Ry. and ask them to bill the goods at sixty days. 5. Write to the Central Publishing Co., 376 Lake St., Toledo, .Ohio, enclosing a New York draft for $27.15 in payment of their bill (specifying date). Also, include in the body of your letter an order for forty Robinson's Spellers, to be sent by American Express and billed at thirty days. LESSON 10. Classes of Business Letters. 239. Responses to advertisements. Letters responding to advertisements should always mention the name of the periodical containing the advertisement. Care should be taken that the letter sets forth clearly the writer's wishes in connection with the matters referred to. Let- ters of this character take wide range as to form, length, etc., depending on the nature of the advertisement that is being answered. The following letter illustrates the usual form ior this class of letters : 35 Pine St., Kalamazoo, Mich,, July Z, 19 Mr. C. B. Wilson, Room 247, Tribune Bldg., Chicago. Dear Sir: I am writing this in response to your advertisement of this date in the Chicago Record-Herald, relating to fruit lands in Southwestern Iowa for sale by you. I am in a posi- tion to consider an investment of this kind and should like to hear from you further regarding the location, character, and price of the lands referred to. Awaiting your response, I am Yours very truly, Charles S. McDonald. 240. Applications for positions. This is a very important class of letters, especially for young iK-ople who are studying stenography, bookkeeping, etc., with the view of applying for office positions. The qualifications of an applicant for a position are likely to be juilgcil by the character of his letter of ap])lication. It is for this reason that employers often require applica- tions for such positions to be made by letter. If, as is usually the case, the application is in re- sponse to an advertisement, the writer should refer to the periodical, date of advertisement, etc. He should be particular to set forth in his letter all information that may be called for in the advertisement. He may also mention any other facts that may be relevant to his qualifications for the desired position. The letter may be cither ty])c\vritli'ii t>v in the writer's own hand- writing. In writing a letter of application, great care should be taken tn have the letter neat and busines.s-like, also, to have no errors in spelling, capitalizing, punctuating, etc. The following is an acceptable form for such a letter: CLASSES OF BUKINIOSS LIOTTRRS 101 241 Elm Ave., Madison, Wis., Oct. 24, 1905. Reynolds Printing and Binding Co., 51 Ninth St., St. Paul, Minn. Gentlemen: I am writing you in response to your advertisement for an assistant bookkeeper, as published in the Pioneer Press of Oct. 22. I am a graduate of the Madison School of Commerce, class of '03, and have had nearly two years' experience with the firm of Clark & Wilson, wholesale grocers of this city, my present employers. For the past six months, I have had full charge of the books in their tea and coffee department and I have also had some experience in collect- ing. The manager of this firm, Mr. A. C. Clark, permits me to refer you to him as to my qualifications for the position applied for. I may say that my position here is a fairly remuner- tive one and my relations with my employers are most pleas- ant, but I should like to secure a position in a larger city, where I shall have a better opportunity for advance- ment as an accountant. Hoping to receive an encouraging response from you, I remain Yours sincerely, Orville T. Brooks. Exercise 10. 1. Answer the following advertisement, requesting- full particulars; say that you are in a position to make therequired investment if everything is satisfactory : FOR SAI>10. Stock in a reliable mamifaetiiriug coiietni payiiis annual cUvidenil of 12 per cent. Offers of less than .$500 not considered. Address, Holmes Manufa'-turing (_'o., Tribune. Chicago. 2. Write a letter of application for the position referred to in the following advertisement : WANTED. An assistant bookkeeper, either lady or gentleman. Must be a good penman, with working knowledge of bookkeeping and office methods. References required. C. P. Lane & Sons, 1047 6th Ave., New York. 3. Answer the following advertisement. Ask about nature of business and chance for promotion ; STENOGRAPHER WANTED. Bright young man or woman who can take ordinary dictation. Must liave had good English training and know something about business. Give (inalifications fully, with references as to character, ability, etc. Address, Wilson & Harper, 74 Monroe St., Detroit, Mich. LESSON 11. Classes of Business Letters. 241. Requesting- information. Letters of this class, if they are addressed to a stranger and relate to matters in which he has no interest, should be accompanied with a stamp or stamped envelope for answer. The model letter given in Lesson 6 will serve as a suitable ex- ample. Make no mention of the enclosed stamp. 242. Soliciting trade. Of all letters that business men are called upon to write, those soliciting trade arc probably the most important. Thev belong to the class of letters that are expected to yield results in dollars and cents. They should be direct and business-like and so composed as to please as well as to convince. A good example of such a letter is the one ad- dressed to the Anderson Grocery Co., on page 90. 102 BUSINESS ENGLISH 243. Dunning-letters. These are letters requesting the pa^yment of money or the adjust- ment of accounts. They require the exercise of great care and good judgment. To write a (kuming-letter in such form that it will accomplish its purpose without giving offense, some- times requires a most diplomatic and facile pen. Circumstances may require that a dunning- letter he peremptory, or even severe, in its terms, but it never should be tliscourteous or of- fensive, no matter what the provocation may be. Tlie character of a dunning-letter, whether persuasive, conciliatory, formal, or peremptory, will depend wholly upon the nature of the case. The following examples illustrate some of the forms such letters may take in tlie case specified : 1. Notice of Approaching Maturity of Note. xjea.r Sir: Your note in our favor for $175.25, dated October 16, 19 , matures on the 15th of the present month. You will confer a favor by arranging to take care of this matter promptly. Yours very truly. Day, Morton & Co. 2. Calling- Attention to Overdue Account. Gentlemen : We enclose statement of your account, now some weeks past due . We suppose the matter has been overlooked and hope that you will kindly give it prompt attention. Very truly, Eugene Snow & Sons. 3. Persuasive and Conciliatory Request for Payment on Account. Dear Sir: I am writing this to request earnestly the payment of some portion, at least, of your account. As you doubtless know, the amount is long past due, and I have several times requested payment. You will surely agree that I have been quite patient in this affair, but J. am just now very much in need of money, and I hope you will favor me with a payment at once. Trusting that you will not disappoint me in this matter, I am Sincerely yours, James S. Marvin. 4. More Peremptory. Dear Sir: ■-Ve have several times requesttd the payment of the amount you C'-;e this firm, now some six months overdue, but, tnus far, you seem to have ignored our request. I.liich to our regret, we are now constrained to take effective measures for the collection of the amount due us. Unless you arrange at once for the satisfactory adjustment of your account, either by cash payment or by properly se- cured note, we must take the necessary step.? for its collec- tion through the courts. Hoping for a prompt response, we are Very truly, Hammond & Sons. CLASSES OF BUSINESS LETTERS 103 I Exercise 11. Write to Chas. S. Moore, County Supt. of Schools, IJawley, Rock Co.. Colo., asking- in- formation as to teaching- in his county. Enquire as to nui-iiber of teachers, length of term, and salaries paid. Ask. also, as to the climate and resources of the county and the railway connec- tioi-is with Denver. 2. Answer the preceding letter, giving tlie required information. 3. .\ssuming that you have decided to open a book- and stationery-store in your town, write a circular letter, such as you might appropriately mail to the leading citizens of the coni- munity, for the purpose of announcing your business and soliciting trade. 4. Mr. Very Slowpay has for some months been owing you a considerable atnount and ])ays no attention to statements rendered. Write him such a letter as should, without offending liini. induce him to pay the debt. 5. You have decided to resort to the courts for the collection of a debt owed to you for a year or more by D. B. Dodge, of Hoaxville, N. Y. Write him a i)ei-emptory letter demanding a settlement. LESSON 12. Classes of Business Letters. 244. Requesting credit or other favors. These letters also call for the exercise of much tact and judgment on the part of the writer. They should contain no suggestion of fawning or severitv, neither should they have a whirling or a complaining tone. Like all other business letters, they should be direct and manly, and have the ring of truthfuli-iess and sincerity. Since it is not supposed that anyone would write a letter which prefers an unreasonable request, a let- ter asking for a business favor may be written in the tone of confidence which assumes that the favor will be granted. Followii-ig is an example of such a letter: Gentlemen : I am carrying on a small but prosperous retail grocery 'business in this town and have decided to move into a large.!' biii Iding and work for an increased trade. If this is done. 1 must carry a larger stock than heretofore, and I am •?7riting this to learn whether your house is willing to ex- tend me a credit of, say, from $500 to $600 on goods bought at ninety days. I am quite aware that my commercial rating, really, does not justify such a credit, but it has occurred to me that, considering the circumstances, you might be disposed to allow it If desired, I shall be glad to file with you a certi- fied financial statement, and I can also give you the best of local references as to my business standing and prospects . Awaiting a favorable response, I am Very truly yours, John H. Allri-h-^ - 245. Letters of Introduction. The purpose of a letter of introduction is to introduce, the person receiving it to one -who has never met him personally. It is not mailed, but is deliv- ered by the person presenting the letter. The words. "Introducing Mr. ," should be writ- ten near the lower left-hand corner of the envelope. (See Fig. 5, page 79.) A letter of intro- duction should iiever be sealed. On presenting it. the person introduced should give his name and residence, and mention the writer of the letter. The person receiving the letter should read it before engaging the bearer in conversation. Letters of introduction mav be either fornial or familiar, but they should always be brief, and contain nothing not essential to their purpose. As a rule, they should be pen-written. 104 BUSINESS ENGLISH The following are appropriate forms : (Formal.) Dear Sir : This will introduce to you Mr. Amos S. Jennings of this city, one of our leading dry- goods dealers, and an entirely reliable business man. You will find Mr. Jennings a very agreeable gentleman, and altogether worthy of any courtesies you may be al)le to show him. Very truly, Arkwrigiit & Co. (More familiar.) My Dear Weston : The gentleman who presents this letter, Mr. Henry Shields, lias for many years been a valued friend of mine. I think you have heard me speak of him. Mr. Shields is one of the best-known electricians in our city, and goes to Washington to look after certain patents in which he is interested. This is his first visit to the capital, and he will gratefully appreciate the courtesies that I am sure you will be glad to show him. Your friend, Tom L. Mason. Mr. David Weston, Washington, D. C. 246. Letters of recommendation. Letters of this class are either G'r»rr(7/ or i'/rna/. The former are addressed to the public in general, and the latter to individuals. They are usually written by employers for the purpose of endorsing and commending those who have been in their employ. A special letter of recommendation may also serve the pm-pose of a letter of introduction. Letters of recommendation, to be effective, should be concise and should set forth the special as well as the general capabilities of the person recommended. If the latter is leaving the employ of the person who gives the letter of recommendation, the reasons for his leaving should be given in such a way as to show that there has Ijeen no dissatisfaction witli his work. This adds greatly to the value of the letter. No one having a proper regard for his word will write either a general or a special letter of recommendation for the benefit of a person who is not fairly entitled to it. Weak and easy- going employers sometimes violate this rule, and give letters of recommendation to those whom they have actually discharged for incompetency. Such a practice is not only reprehen- sible but clearly dishonorable. Others will evade the matter by giving to unworthy persons let- ters of recommendation so vaguely worded as to mean but little as an endorsement. Much bet- ter is it firmly to refuse such letters to all but those who are entirely deserving, and. when giv- ing them to those who are worthy, to write the letter in such unmislakable terms that it will really be of value to the one receiving it. Study the following forms : General Letter of Recommendation. To the Public. We take much pleasure in giving the bearer. Miss Jennie L. Stanton, this unqualified endorsement of her merits as a capable and accurate amanuensis stenographer. Miss Stanton is courteous and obliging, as well as painstaking and con- scientious, in all her work. She h?.s been in our employ for three years and leaves on accou^- '„ of the removal of her family to another city. A. C . Bowen & Co. , per A. C. D. FORMAL AND SOCIAL LETTERS 105 Special Letter of Recommendation. Gentlemen: We are informed that the bearer, Mr. Harry E. Turner, is applying for the position of manager of your silk de- partment . It is a pleasure for us to say that we know Mr. Turner to be alert and diligent, as well as faithful to his duties and loyal to his employers. He is a fine judge of goods and has done most of the buying in our dry goods department for the past two years. We regret to lose him, but the position he seeks in your house is probably much better than anything we have to offer, and we hope that you viill decide to employ him. Very truly yours, Sear?: °-. ■^■'_;. iderson. Exercise 12. 1. Suppose ti-at you owe for a bill of. goods bought of Venable. Moore & Co., 176 Madi- son St., Chicago, mat the bill matures soon, and that it is inconvenient to meet the obligation on maturity. Write requesting an extension of thirty days. Assume the necessary dates, amount of bill, etc. ■ 2. You are about to open a book and stationery store in your town. Write to A. C. May & Co., 247 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, asking the privilege of opening a ninety-day ac- count to the amount of $1,000. Cive particulars as to class of goods wanted, and refer to local bankers and business houses, etc. 3. Write a formal letter introducing to yotn- teacher, a friend who expects to enter school. 4. Write to a friend who is attending some school, introducing another friend who expects to enter school. 5. Write a general letter commending tine courses and instruction at the school you are attending. 6. "You have a friend who seeks employment as a bookkeeper in a business house with which you have had dealings. Write a suitable letter of recommendation. LESSON 13. Formal and Social Letters. 247. A full consideration of social and personal letters does not come within the purpose of this course, but some suggestions regarding the more important requirements of this class of correspondence are offered in this lesson. 248. Invitations and acceptances. These are of two classes. Formal and Informal. Special stationery is used, the style and quality varying with the constantly changing rules of etiquette and fashion. Formal invitations may be either printed or pen-written, and are usually (but not always) phrased in the third person. The following examples illustrate the usual forms : INVITATION TO DINE. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stuart request the pleasure of :\Tr. Frank L. Snow's company at a dinner-partv to be given ^^^ednesdav, INlay 6th, at six o'clock. 126 Maple St. • .\CCEPT.\NCE OF THE ABOVE. Mr. Frank L. Snow takes nuich pleasure in accepting Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stuart's kind invitation for May 6th. NON-ACCEPT.^NCE, OR "rEGRET." Mr. Frank L. Snow regrets that important business engagements prevent the acceptance of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stuart's kind invitation for May 6th. 106 BUSINESS ENGLISH GENERAL INVITATION. The ladies of St. Mary's Guild request the pleasure of your attendance at a reception to be given at the social parlors of the Seventh Avenue Church. Tuesday. Oct. 12. at eight o'clock. INIusic and light refreshments. Mabel Lane, l Esther Miller, • Committee. RpsE C. Stevens, ' INFORMAL INVITATION. 241 Center A\e., June 6, '13. Dear Tom : ^^'e are to have a few friends at an informal dinner Thursday. June 7, at five o'clock, and especially wish you to be with us. Please don't disappoint us. Thomas N. ( 125 Elm St. Your friends. Mr. Thomas N. Carter, Mr. and Mrs. Charles ]\Iorton. ACCEPTANCE. 125 Elm St., June 6. '13. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Morton: It will afford me great pleasure to be numbered among your guests at the dinner-party on June 7. Sincerely, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Morton, Thomas N. Carter. 241 Center Ave. All s])ecial in\"itations should be answered prom])tly. In\-itations of a general nature, as those inviting attendance at receptions, etc.. given by clulis or societies, do not require an an- swer, unless there is a special request to that effect. 249. Congratulation. Letters of congratulation may appropriately be sent to one's friends or business acf|uaintances. on the occasion of any fortuitous event, as a wedding, an election, or appointment to a position of honor or profit, or upon the accomplishment of any notable or ])raiseworth\' achievement on the part of the person who is congratulated. Letters of congratulation should be sincere and natural, rather than formal and perfunctory, and if jus- tified bv the relations (A the jicrsons, may be fann'liar and colloquial. Study the following: Mv Dear Sir : T have just IcaiMied, through the llostoii ]);i])ci-s. of your a])pointnK'nt to the ( "dasgow con- sulate. Your many friends here in your old home will join me in the jilcasurc of sending heartiest congratulations. We all know how wisely the President has chosen. That vou may find the duties of your new field of work pleasant and congenial as well as remunerative, is m\- earnest wish. Sincere))- yours, CiiAS. S. Ramsicv. (More fann'liar.) Dear i Ifa.v.n : The arrival of Ibis month's Home Joni'iial containing your delight fnl poein. occasioned a joyous commotirin in our little household, ijow eagerly was it read, and how ardently do we all join in sending you congratulations! hA'en "Tiny 'i'im" seemed to realize the ini])f)rtance of the occasion, and crowed e.xidtantly. Apart from our natural interest in its clever author, and mn- |)ri;Ic in bring numbered among her friends, we all agree that the poem is a real gem and will mrderially add to your already well-won reputation. Yonr sincere friend. Amy French. TELEGRAPHING 107 250. Letters of condolence. These letters are written on the occurence of any misfor- tune to our friends, as the death of near relatives, business reverses, etc. Like letters of con- gratulation, they should Ije heartfelt rather than formal, and free from commonplace cant, as \^ell as from tlie terms of extravagant or overwrought emotion. It is scarcely worth while to give examples of such letters. One should write naturally, and as he really feels, and in a way to exi)rcss a sincere sympathy that will he welcome to the afflicted one. 251. Friendship or aflfection. The unfailing charm of a letter of friendship or afifection is iiatnralucss. It does not require a person of literary skill to write delightful letters. All that is needed is the art of putting into a letter what one would say were he in the presence of his friend. Beyond this, very little helpful instruction can be given as to the construction of this class of letters. A few suggestions, however, may prove helpful. 1 . Do not presume on friendship or on family or other relationship, to write careless or untidy letters. The higher the regard in which one holds his correspondent, the more care he should take to write a faultless letter. It is but a shabby indication of regard to scrawl on cheap or soiled paper, a penciled letter to the dearest friend one has in the world, because it is "only" father or mother or brother Will! 2. One should take the same pains to give a proper heading to a letter of friendship that he takes in the case of a business letter. He should sign it with his full signature unless he uses a special request envelope ; otherwise, in case of miscarriage or non-delivery, the postal authorities will he unable to return it to the writer. Thousands of dollars accumulate annually at the dead-letter office at \A'ashington, the money being taken from unsigned letters that are improperly or incompletely addressed. In the case of social or other letters beginning with a familiar salutation, the name and address of the person written to should be written at the left-hand side of the page, below the closing. This is to enable the postal authorities to send the letter to its destination, if, through any accident, the envelope should be destroyed or the superscription obliterated during trans- mission. (See No. 7, page 75.) Exercise 13. 1. ^'our cla.ss is to give a banquet as a feature of the graduating exercises. Write a suit- able invitation to be sent to the guests. Specify the place, date, and hour of the banquet. :]. Write an informal invitation to attend an evening party. Write an acceptance of your invitation, also a "regret." o. Prepare a letter of congratulation to a business acouaintance who has been appointed rri\-ate Secretary to the Governor of your state. 4. You have learned of tlie death of a former schoolmate. Write a suitable letter of con- dolence to the parents. LESSON 14. Telegraphing. 252. The writing of telegrams requires the greatest brevity of expression that is consisr- cnt witli clearness. Telegrams of ten words or less arc charged for at certain rates, which varv with the num- ber of times the message must be "repeated," or re-telegraphed, during the course of transmis- sion. For a message of more than ten words, there is an additional charge for each extra word. It becomes important, therefore, for those who do business by telegrapli, to learn to write their messages in the fewest worrls ])ossible. In telegraphing, it is customary to omit all words not absolutelv necessary to the understanding- of the message. Notice how^ this is accomplished in the following examples: 108 BUSINESS ENGLISH MESSAGE. CONDENSED. The Acme brand of starch is out of stock. Out of Acme starch. Can ship Nonpariel Shall we ship our Nonpareil, which is about same grade. Wire. the same ,?rade? Please telegraph us. (10 words.) ^ (24 words.) I have succeeded in effecting a satisfac- Satisfactory settlement with Con.wlidated. tory settlement with the Consolidated Coal & Leave to-night. At Palmer House Saturday. Iron Co. and shall start for Chicago to-night. (10 words.) Will see you at Palmer House Saturday. (28 words.) Please ship by express as soon as possible, Express forty Brown's Arithmetic. Re- forty copies Brown's Arithmetic. Will remit nn'ttance upon receipt of goods. cash on receipt of goods. (9 words.) (19 words.) EXAMPLES SHOWING C0NDENS.\TI0N OF PHRASES, CLAUSES, ETC. 1. If the sale is to be made to-day, tele- 1. If sale to-day, wire, graph me at once. 2. Please ship at once by express. 2. Express. 3. The attorneys for the parties who I)c- 3. Plaintiff's attorneys. gan the suit. 4. It is generally believed that the fire is 4. Incendiarism generally suspected, the work of an incendiary. 5. The stockholders of the Warriner f). Warriner stockholders want forty thun- Manufacturing Co. will not sell for less than sand. forty thousand dollars. 6. Telegraph me at once. 6. Wire. Rules Relating to Telegraph Messages. 253. ]. Figures are never telegraphed, but, if written in a message ,are estimateil ac- cording to the number of words required to write them out. Thus, "$1974" would be tele- graphed "nineteen seventy-four dollars" — four words. 2. Hyphenated words, as half-morocco, twenty-five, eighty-pound, letter-heads, etc., are counted as two words. In names, each given name or initial counts as a separate word. Thus the name, J. M. Jones, would be charged for as three words, should it occur in the body of a message. The initials, C. O. D. (collect on delivery), f. o. b. (free on lioanl), A. M., P. M.. and a few other abbreviations, go as one word. 3. Telegrams may be prepaid or sent "collect," that is, to be paid for by the person to whom the message is sent. As a rule, telegrams should be sent prepaid, but they may be sent "collect" when they relate to business in which the person to whom they are sent is interested. 4. No charge is made for the date, or for the address from which the message is sent; neither is there a charge for the name and address of the person telegraphed to, nor for the signature of the writer. Code-words. Firms doing much business by telegraph or ocean cable often use a system of code words, as a means of shortening messages, one word standing for a descriptive phrase or title of several words. Some business cotles are very elaborate, and by means of these a ten-word message may be made to convey information lliat, without ilic employment of a code, would ref|uire hundreds of words. Night letters. The leading telegra|)h companies of .\merica now ])crmit the sending of a so-called "night letter" not exceeding fifty words, at the same charge as for a ten-word day mes- sage. Night letters will be sent onlv bclwecii the hours of six o'clock P. M. and midnigjit. TJie service extends to all points in the United .States, and most of Canada, but not to .Mnska or the' island possessions of the United States. The use of code words is not permissible in night letters. Day letters, not exceeding fifty words, may also be sent at a special rate, with reduced charges for additional words. USB OF TELEPHONES 109 Exercise 14. Condense the following telegrams so as to bring thcni within the ten-word limit: 1. A fire broke out this morning and partially destroyed our warehouse at No. 6 Water Street. Loss about $10,000. 2. Your proposition is satisfactory, l)ut 1 can not commence work until Jan. 1. Wire me if this is satisfactory. 3. Your brother Waiter is seriously ill. 'i'he doctor says there are symptoms of pneu- monia. If he does not improve, T will wire. 4: Mr. Johnson is willing to go to work for our firm f(jr ninety dollars per month for one year. Shall I engage him? 5. You sent us No. 8 shuttles instead of No. 10. We must have the No. 10. Ship them at once. 6. The failure of the Clarke Publishing Company seriously alTects our house. Cancel all your orders and return at once. 7. Butler County gives Mason a majority of two thousand votes. He is elected beyond a doubt. 8. I can get five thousand tons Hocking Valley at three dollars and ninety cents per ton. Shall I close the deal ? Let me know before to-morrow. 9. I am advised that Coulter is 1)uying all the lard in sight and that the price is likely to rise. .Shall I buy a carload? 10. You may sell the apples at two dollars per barrel, but hold the potatoes until the twentieth, for a better price. Condense the following messages to the lowest word-limit consistent with clearness. Omit all obviously unnecessary matter : 1. I arrived here early this morning, and at once looked up Mr. Henderson. Found him about ten o'clock at the Harlan House and had a two hours' talk with him. He is unwilling to close the deal with us unless we pay him a bonus of $10,000 and allow him twenty per cent of the stock. I do not think we can get any better terms from him. If you want me to close with him in accordance with his demands, wire at once. 2. A disastrous fire occurred in our city yesterday, and our firm is numbered among the unfortunate. Both of our large store-rooms were entirely destroyed, and Init a small part of our stock was saved. Our loss is probably from twenty-five to thirty-five thousand dollars, upon which we have insurance to the amount of twenty thousand. It will be several weeks be- fore we are able to resume business again. Under the circumstances, you would better discon- tinue road work, and come in at once. LESSON 15. Use of Telephones. 254. Notwithstanding that the telephone is in such general use, there are many who are unfamiliar with the business rules relating to it. In most communities, there are two kinds of telephones; viz; "long-distance" and "local." 255. Long-distance telephones now connect practically all the cities and important towns of the eastern and central portion of the United States and Canada. The rates for using this service are practically uniform and are as follows: One-fifth of a cent per minute for each mile of distance, the minimum charge being for not less than three minutes. Thus, if the distance were one hundred miles, the charge for a three-minute connection would be one hundred times three-fifths of a cent, or sixty cents. If the connection is longer than three minutes, an extra pro rata charge is added of one- fifth of a cent per mile for each minute or fractional part of a minute of the excess time. Thus, if one used a long-distance telephone for QYi minutes where the distance is 500 miles, his charge would be for seven minutes, and would equal seven-fifths of $5.00, or $7.00. For short distances, there is usually a fixed minimum charge, somewhat in excess of the toll as calculated by the distance-rate for a brief service. 110 BUSINESS ENGLISH Long-distance connections can usually be had through the local telephones. If a local sub- scriber wishes to use the long-distance telephone, he calls "central" and asks for "toll." He is put in connection with the toll-operator, and gives the name of the town and the person with whom he wishes to talk. He then liangs up the receiver and waits till the operator notifies him that the person at the other end of the line is ready to receive his message. No charge is made for the time required to effect the connection, neither is there any charge if the person called cannot be reached, or, for any other reason, is unable to respond. 256. Local telephones connect the homes or ofifices of residents of the same com- munity. In many places, there are two or more independent systems, each having its own subscribers. Local telephone service is usually charged for by the , month, and the subscribers are not limited as to time in sending messages. In most of the larger cities, a charge (usually five or ten cents) is made for .each message sent by non-subscribers. A slot- telephone is often used, in which the person making the call deposits the required coin when the operator makes the desired connection. In using a telephone of this class, one should not d.eposit the coin until notified to do so by the operator. In many places, if the telephone is used beyond the time-limit ( usually five minutes), another fee is charged. 257. Rules for the use of the telephone. Those using telephones will find it to their advantage to observe the following rules : 1. Before making a local telephone call, ascertain the telephone-number of the person or firm to be called, consulting the Telephone Directory if necessary. 2. Before making the call, think just what you want to say. 3. Speak deliberately and in a low tone and with clear enunciation. 4. Begin your message by giving your name, and if you are addressing a stranger, your place of residence and business. Come at once to the point, and make your message as Ijrief as possible. 5. Never interrupt one who is speaking to you through a telephone. 6. Do not engage in disputes, or use discourteous or objectionable language while using a telephone. Persons who carry on a quarrel by telephone are liable to the imputation that they dare not quarrel face to face. 7. Always avoid impatient or offensive language in addressing the telephone-operator. If tlie service is unsatisfactory, report the matter courteouslv to the management. 8. Try to respond to all telephone calls pmmptlv, and in case of unavoidable delay, make a suitable apology. 9. Do not make use of a telephone to visit with office employees, students of a school, or other busy persons. A telephone is for business, not social intercourse. 10. If you answer a telephone-call for a person who is absent, ask for the name or the telephone number of the person calling, in order that it may be reported to the perstm called for when he returns. 11. After using a teleplionc, always hang up the receiver, the bell or buzzer. The foregoing rules may seem obvious, but thev are often disregarded, greatly to the in- convenience of telephone jiatrons and emi^loyees. Exercise 15. Calculate the cost for the use of ;i lung-distance lelcphum' in each of the fi L r)50 miles for 43^2 minutes. 2. 275 " 3 3. 150 " 2 4. vm " 5 5. !).")() •• 5;/. LESSON 16. Letters for the Newspapers. 258. I-eltcrs or articles CI mtiibuted for publiciliim in ;i newspaper or magazine simuld usually be accompanied with a brief persoii;d letter of explanation to the editf)r or pni)Iisher. Circumstances will dftcrmine whether ;i writer shoulil sign his n;tme lo a C(inimunic;iled ar- LETTKKS FOR THE NEWSPAI'KK.S 111 tide for publication, but tlie name and address of the writer are necessary to secure an editor's attention to the article. Editors usually ignore all anonymous communications. It is an imperative rule in most newspaper offices, that all matter for publication shall be written on oiw side of the paper only. If the article is pen-written, the writer should take especial pains to have his writing legible, and his punctuation, spelling, etc., accurate. It is better, whenever possible, to have the matter typewritten, with double spacing between the lines for possible corrections. 259. Need for brevity. Brevity and clearness of statement are — from the editor's stand]K)int at least — the sovereign virtues of a newsjiaper article. "Boil it down," is the stand- ard and paramount rule in all publication offices. Newspaper space has a cash value and is not to be wasted. Newspaper articles or letters for publication should usually be written in a more formal style than business or other letters. Colloquialisms are not usually permis- sible, unless the article is of a humorous nature. But there should be the same avoidance of "big words" and involved or lengthy sentences, that is advised in the case of business letters. Let the student compare the following letters, paragraph by paragraph, and notice how the ponderous sentences of the wordy but dull contributor, contrast with the crisp and business- like statement of the man of ideas rather than words. The one may have scholarship, but the other will get the attention of the public : WORDY AND DIFFUSE. To the Editor of the Daily Lookout : My Dear Sir: If I am not intruding too lengthily upon your valuable space, I hope you will allow me to express my disapproval of the inadvisable and wholly unconsidered and un- necessary action of the City Council in re- ducing the number of electric lights by wdiich our city is illuminated. Considerations of economy surely do not re- quire, in the present satisfactory condition of the finances of the municipality, that our citi- zens should be deprived of so very essential and desirable a thing as adequate illumination. With the material diminishment in the num- ber of the lights, there come to the criminally disposed many opportunities for burglary and other forms of robbery that do not exist when the city is sufficiently lighted. In addition to the foregoing considerations, it is furthermore true that our sidewalks are lamentably out of repair, and pedestrians will find it most exasperating to attempt to traverse them wdien the streets are enshrouded in Ethiopian darkness. In urging upon the Council that it may de- cide upon the advisability of reconsidering their inconsiderate action, and giving to our city an increase rather than a decrease in the number of electric lights, I believe that I am only voicing the deliberate judgment of the majority of our tax-payers. Thanking you for the opportunity to direct public attention to this matter through the medium of your valuable journal, I remain. Yours most respectfully, Solomon Wiseman. MORE TO THE POINT. Editor of the Lookout : Sir : The recent action of the City Council in reducing the number of street-lights, seems quite needless. The city is not in need of such cheese-paring ecenomy, and most of us would rather have the lights, even though they do make our taxes a trifle higher. Putting out the lamps will of course give the burglars and other thieves a better chance to ply their calling, but it will hardly help the honest citizen who must walk after nightfall over our broken sidewalks which are surely hard enough to travel over in the daytime. I believe I voice the views of a large ma- jority of our tax-payers when I ask that the Council reconsider its action of last week and give us more, rather than fewer, lights. I am. Sir, John T. Bright. 112 BUSINESS ENGLISH Exercise 16. Select any two of the three requirements foUowing : 1. Write for newspaper publication, a description of some occurrence of public interest, as a fire, a public entertainment, a school debate, etc. 2. Write a short letter for your local paper, calling attention to some needed public im- provement. 3. Write a letter for publication, criticising the administration of some public service as the street-cars, the waterworks, the lighting system, the police department, etc. LESSON 17. Advertising. 260. No application of business English is more important than that which relates to ad- vertising. No other kind of language skill commands a higher price in the employment market than the ability to write clear and attractive athertisements. There are men whose cleverness in this field enables them to earn from $15,000 to $20,000 a year. 261. While much of the attractiveness of an advertisement depends on the arrangement of the matter, and the type, illustrations, etc., it is quite evident that the choice of words and the style of composition are also very important. In the work of the best advertising experts, brevity and clearness are combined with a frank conversational style, that tends to appeal at once, and with force, to the understanding of every reader. Let the student study the construction and phraseology of the following examples : 1. Extracts from a successful soap advertisement : Just an aid to Nature, that Is all. It opeiLS the pores and sets the delicate glands to doing their proper work. Under its magic touch, the harshest, muddiest complexion quickly becomes smooth, fresh, and delicate. A toilet luxnr3' and necessity. Its use is a fine habit. The article in question may or may not be better than (itliers of its class, but such praise as the foregoing zvill lead people to buy it. 2. From an advertisement of a patent coffee-pot: It is so simple that a child can make just as good coffee as a hotel chef. Fits any coffee-pot or any tea- pot, as shown in the cut. Makes excellent coffee almost as quickly as a pocket-camera snaps a picture; uni- form in quality and in strength. No boiling, no obnoxious bag; no waste, no eggs; no coffee dregs; no bitter taste; and always piping hot. You can make one cup just as easily as five or ten. Could anything be more appealing to a cofFee-drinker than that? 3. Following is a characteristic advertisement by a famous maker of lani])-chinineys, who is credited with accumulating millions, mainly through the success of his advertisements: Lamp-Fits. Hozv do you know zvhat chimney fits your lamp? Your grocer tells yon. Hoiv does he know? He doesn't knozu. Do you then? That's about how lamps are fitted zvith cliiiimcys by people zvho don't use my index; and they complain of bad chimneys! Lamp-fits indeed. Do you zuant the index? Free. 4. The following is from an advertisement by a man who has grown wealthy advertising a certain brand of rubber shoe-heels. It is printed in a space having the shape of a shoe-sole: Ilccis of now rubber have the sprhigy, elastic tread that makes walking healthful and delightful. Eminent scientists say that a person, weighing 150 pounds, who walks three miles a day, lifts 1,18S.000 pounds. Where do rubber heels come In? Doesn't It stand to reason that the heel of new rulil)er Is esseiitialV That it shcallis yo\n' walk tlirough life with comfort because It carries out what nature intended? Exiierience teaches that heels of new rubber are economical. They also make you look energetic and feel young. ADVERTISING 113 The foregoing advertisements sufficiently illustrate the clear-cut, direct, familiar style of expression used by successful advertisers. The student will find many other interesting ex- amples by studying the pages of the popular magazines or the ad\ertising panels in street cars. 262. Besides a happy and original style, an advertisement should have the further merit of setting forth clearly those special, advantages or qualities of the goods advertised that belong to them and to no other. Good advertising does not consist in mere indiscriminate praise. Advertisers and salesmen always lay stress on what they call the "talking points" of the goods. It is, therefore, necessary for the writer of successful advertisements to be thoroughly familiar with the business or goods that are to be advertised. One cannot learn by any amount of gen- eral instruction to advertise successfully a business or an article that he knows nothing about. 263. Announcements, reading notices, etc. Some very effective advertising is often secured, especially by retailers in our smaller cities, through the medium of brief "locals" and business announcements printed in the columns of the local paper. Following are some good examples of this kind of advertising : Yes, nearly everybody knows about our "Gilt Edge" butter. Delivered right from our cold storage rooms. It'.s firm, it's fresh, it's sweet. Try it once and you will always want it. Phone 206. The Harper Grocery Co. A Stationer's Special. Do you read? If so, you will want to see that large collection of specially selected new books that have just been put on sale at Ilillman's. They afford a rare chance to add some new treasures to your library. Standard editions as well as all the late popular books. And there is a big cut in prices, too ; In fact, the greatest book-bargains ever afforded in the city. Don't miss them. Exercise 17. 1. Study the "want column" of some daily newspaper, after which write a brief advertise- ment for a position as stenographer, stating qualification, etc. 2. You are about to open a small book and stationery store. W'rite a suitable announce- ment for publication in the local paper. 3. Write an advertisement setting forth the merits of some special make of bicycle, sew- ing-machine, typewriter, or other article with which you are familiar. 4. You liave decided to open a real estate and insurance office in your town. Write a suitable announcement for publication. Mention the kinds of real estate property in which you propose to deal, also the insurance companies for which you have secured the agency. 5. You have taken a position as a public stenographer in a leading hotel. You will take dictation and prepare letters for travelers and business men and do general typewriting work for the public. Prepare a suitable business annovmcement for publication. LESSON 18. Payments and Remittances. 264. Letters enclosing checks, drafts, luoney orders, etc., for the purpose of effecting payments of money, comprise a considerable part of the correspondence of most business of- fices, and it is important for the person who handles this class of correspondence to have a knowledge of the rules governing such papers. 265. Commercial substitutes for money. Probably more than nine-tenths of the com- merce of the United States is carried on without direct payment of money. Goods are bought and sold, debts settled, collections made, and remittances forwarded by means of checks, bank and commercial drafts, postal and express money orders, telegraph orders, etc. In many .great business houses where the sum of annual transactions runs far into the mil- lions, very little actual money is handled, and the convenient custom of keeping one's money in the bank, and paying bills by means of checks, is coming more and more into popular favor. The extensive use of these various substitutes for money, makes it a matter of importance for all who expect to transact business, to become familiar with the ordinary customs observed 114 BUSINESS ENGLISH in their use, also to know the obligations that devohe upon those who give or receive these commercial instruments. 266. Use of personal checks. In making and receiving payments by means of personal checks, the following rules should be observed : 1. Make payments by check to those only to whom you are known personally or in a business way. 2. Do not accept payment by check from strangers. NOTE. — These rules, of course, cio not apply to checks that have been indorsed by a responsible person who is known to the payee. 3. Indorse no check unless you expect to bs lield responsible for its payment. 4. Present promptly for payment or deposit, all checks received. Delay in the presenta- tion of a check may cause the payee to lose his right of recourse on the maker, or indorser, in the event of there being a default of payment. 5. When your own checks are paid and returned to you, file them in order of their datings and keep them as vouchers for the payments. 267. Remittances. In making payments by mail, the amount and character of the re- mittance should be mentioned in the letter accompanying it. Remitta^ices in currency should be made only by registered letter, unless the amount is quite small, -n which case, stamps or small coins may be sent, but always at the risk of the sender. (Form No. 6001) $. 100 space above this line is fur Pustmaster's record, to be filled by him Application For Postal Money Order. A.mount.. ?.'.. Dollars {° Sent to Goodyear- Marshall Publishing Co. Cents 268. Postal money orders. These may be purchased at specified postoffices. UOMESTIC throughout the United States, also, in most foreign countries. The person wish- ing to purchase a money order, fills out an application blank, as herewith shown, and hands it with the necessary money and fee to the money order clerk. The latter makes out a money order for the amount required, payable by the post- master at the place to which the money order is sent. He also gives the remitter a receipt for the amount remitted, for use in case it should be necessary to make further inquiry regarding the order. In form, a money onler does not differ materially from a draft. It does not require the indorsement of either the purchaser or payee, but the latter must at- tach his signature to the order as a receipt when it is presented for ])ayment. Money orders are not negotiable, but by signing a blank form provided for the purpose on the back of the order, the payee may authorize payment to be made to annthor person. In case the payee is unknown per- sonally at the postoffice where jiayment is made, he must be idenlified, but the sender of the money order may, at his Auviress o own risk, waive the identiiicati(jn, if he thinks it may occasion inconvenience to the persnn 1m whnm the remittance is made. Postal money orders arc not issued for a sum grealer than >f)KH), but any number of these may be pur- chased at one time. e.\cci)t in case of orders payable at fourth-class offices; of these, not more than $300 payable to one i)ersnn can be issued on the same day. Cedar Rapids, Street and No 3±S^.^ondSi._ City or town .Stale Iowa. Sent by Chas. P. Robinson, A Urn. in. I Sender ^.:.^^i.^r?^h „ .Street. PAYMENTS AND REMITTANCES 115 UNITED STATES POSTAL MONEY ORDER Alton, Illinois .1 90/ Feh. 5. '/fo. 8706 Not Payable in Canadai Mexico, or in anv Other Foreign Country, or in Cuba. This Order Must Torrcspond in Particu- lars to Its Advico of Same Number and Date- PAY TO THE ORDER OF (,'oodvear-Mars/iall Publishing Co. $- 21 -DOLLARS- 40 CENTS AMOUNT FOR WHICH ISSUlo) Ttce'tty-one Fur OoU^irs Write Wurds In Above Spaces Wnte tho Amount in Figures. On Next Line, in Body 0' Order, CENTS Repeat the Amount, 1 h re Using a Word (it For Ceuts Use Figures Words to Express Number of Do'lari. .DOLLARS 40 TO THE POSTMASTER AT Cedar Rapids Iowa W. T. iVarlin. a: POSTIVI ASTEm Tlie M.axiinum Amount For Whicli :xny Postal Order Can Lawfully be issued is One Hundred Dollars. Sisu Name (tpposito Wtien Payment is Made. Received Paytnent 269. Registered letters. The delivery of a letter or other mailable package tc the per- son to whom it is addressed, may be rendered more certain by having the letter or package registered by the postmaster who receives it. A receipt for the letter is given to the sender by the receiving postmaster, and afterward, by each postotifice official into whose hands it passes during the process of transmission. Finally it is receipted for by the person to whom it is delivered. The Postofifice Department does not guarantee the delivery of a registered letter, nor does it reimburse the sender, in the event of the letter's being lost or stolen, '^ut the extra precautions taken render its proper delivery practically certain. The registry fee is eight cents, which, of course, does not include postage. Not being so safe nor so satisfactory as money orders or drafts, registered letters are rarelv used in business for remitting money. They are more frequently einployed for safe transmis- sion of manuscripts, documents, or other valuable packages, also for important letters of the delivery of which the sender wishes to be assured. 270. Express money orders. These are issued by the various express companies, under conditions similar to those governing the issue of postal money orders. Express orders, however, are negotiable by indorsement, and no written application is required of the pur- chaser. Express orders are payable at the offices of all express companies doing a monev-order business, and are accepted by banks generally, as the equivalent of cash. The rates charged for express money orders are about the same as those for postal orders, and vary from 3 cents for orders of $'2.50 or less, to 30 cents for orders amounting to $100. Express money orders are not issued for amounts greater than $50. but one may purchase as many of these orders at one time as may be desired, and at a proportional reduction of rate for the total amount. Postal and express orders are limited as to amount, in order to lessen their liability to forgery. 271. Telegraph orders. Money may be "telegraphed," (transmitted by telegraph) through the agency of the various express and telegraph companies, under conditions similar to those governing express and postal orders. A higher rate is charged for telegraph orders, and thev may be secured for larger amounts. They are employed only in emergencies, when there is an urgent necessity for the immediate transmission of monev. 116 BUSINESS ENGLISH KouNTZE Brothers CaRCCIiAIC I.CTTJeR OF CREDIT N? 9810 Expiring ^-;;^^^ /4 /f^ (Z) ^ y{/jn^yC^tvY//dya/^}^m'{m^m l(@oii City andMdland Bank. Limited, .^^(^nAe^zw^y^^^^^-^^/^'/y)^^^ 9810 Fig 1. Letter of Credit. PAYMENTS AND REMITTANCES 117 m u \ ^ ^ 118 BUSINESS ENGLISH 272. Bank drafts. By far the greater part of the monetary exchanges of the world are effected by means of bank drafts. The bank draft system is operated as follows : Banks in the smaller towns keep funds on deposit with banks in the larger cities, against which they issue drafts in favor of persons who wish to buy "exchange" on these cities. Banks generally charge a low rate of exchange (usually about 25 cents per $100) for these drafts, but some banks, unless the amount is large, issue them to their regular customers without ex- change charge. Drafts on New York, Chicago, and other large cities are usually received as cash by banks throughout the country, but the person presenting them, if unknown to the bank officials, must be identified. 273. Cashier's Checks. These are checks drawn by the cashiers of large city banks. They are made payable by the bank issuing them, and serve the same general purpose as bank drafts. (Signature) (Signature] cfCoumyk^ oBtol^^^i^t^' Fis. 3. Form of Idciititiratioii. 274. Bills of exchanjre. This is a general term used to designate bank drafts payalile in foreign countries. When purchased by travelers or emigrants, they are often made out in duplicate, so that in the event of one of them being lost, the other can be presented and paid. W'lien made out in this form they are known as "sets of exchange." aufl are so phrased that but one bill of the set can be collected. 275. Letters of credit. Travelers find it convenient to secure funds for their current expenses in the different countries they visit, by means of letters of credit. These are issued by banks, and addressed to their correspondents or banks in other countries with which the bank docs business. The letter of credit authorizes its holder to receive from any bank named in tile list attached to the letter, any money he may require — to an amount not exceeding the sum for whicli the letter is issued, or such portion of it as may remain mi(; BUSINESS English Washington Wash. Mexico Ilex. West Virginia W. Va. Netherlands Neth. Wisconsin ' Wis. Nova Scotia N. S. Wyoming Wyo. North West Territory N. W. T. Philippine Islands P. I. Ontario Ont. . Prince Edward's Island P. E. I. Foreign Countries. West Indies W. I. In sending letters to foreign addresses, it The Names of the Months. Name. Abbreviation. Jannary Jan. is usually advisable to write the name of the country in full. The following abbreviations, however, are often used : February Feb. August Aug. Names. Abbreviations. September Sept. October Oct. November Nov. December Dec. Austria Aust. Australia Austral. British America B. A. Belgium Belg. The following should not be abbreviated: ^^ '"'" .•.•.•.•.•.•.•.■.■.•.•.•.•.•.•.■.•.•.■.•.■.•.•.•.•.■.•.•.•.•.•.V.^n: March. April. May, June, July. Cape of Good Hope C. G. H. NOTE. — Usage has supported the abbreviations. East Indies E. I. Mar.. Apr., Jun., and .lul., respectively, for March. England Eng. April, June, and July, but in most modern oflSces, their Finland Fin. use has been discontinued. Business Abbreviations. The following list contains the more important abbreviations commonly used in business. In making out bills or inventories of merchandise, it is often found convenient to use many ab- breviations not authorized by general usage, btit which are familiar to those engaged in the special line of business in which the abbreviations are used. NOTE. — Abbreviations for weights or quantities, as, bu., lb., pljg., are usually capitalized in bills, inventor- ies, etc., but are begun with small letters in most other cases. Attorney .... Att. or Atty. Charged Cgd. Foot or Feet ft. Payment Payt. Account Acct. or acct. Check Ck. Forenoon A. M. Peck pk. Adventure adv. Cleared eld. Forward Ford. Piece pc. Advertisement . . ad. or adv. Clerk clU. Free on board f. o. b. Pieces ps. Afternoon P. M. Collection Coll. Freight Frt. Pint pt. Against ( versus I vs. Collect on Delivery... CO. D. ( iallon gal. Post oHicc P. O. Ager.t Agt. College Coll. Gentlemen or Sirs.. .Messrs. Postofflce Order. . .P. O. <). All correct O. K. CommerciaL.Com. or Coml. (Jross gr. or gro. Pound lb. Amount Amt. Commission Com. Haudkercliief Hdkf. Premimn Prem. And so forth. . . .&c or etc. Consignment Con. Hogshead Hbd. President Pres. Answer Ans. County or Company. . . .Co. Hour hr. Quart qt. Arrive ar. Creditor Cr. Hundred 0. Qua rter qr. Article Art. Current (this month). .Cur, Hundred Weight Cwt. Kail Itoad R. R. Assorted Asstd. Custom House C. H. Inches in. Railway Ry. At (Si Day Book D. B. Instant f this month ) . . inst. Received Rec. Average av. Days ds. Insurance Ins. Sales Book S. B. Avoirdupois Avoir. Deadhead (free) . . . .D. II. Interest Int. Secretary . . . .Sec. or Secy. Bags Bgs. Debtor Dr. Inventory Invt. Sbijiment Shipt. Balance Bal. Department Dept. Invoice Inv. Steamer Str. Bales .Bis. Deposit De)). Invoice Book I. B. Stenographer Sten. Bank Bk. Discount Dis. Junior Jr. Street St. Barrel lirl, or libl. Ditto (the same) do Journal .1. Sui)erfine Super, Bill book P., B, Dollars dolls, or Dolls, Journal Folio J, F, Sundries Sunds Bill of lading B. L. Dcmiestic dom. Ledger Folio L. F. ' , ..' , \t iV Bills Pa.vable B. Pa.v. Dozer, <]»■/.. Miunifadnring Mftg. ^^^^ Notice N, H. Bills Receivable . . .B. Rec. Draft Dft, MenKirnndnni Mem. That is i. e. Black BIk. Ea,.p^;i,i,>iit V. Pres. Bushel Bu. Exchange Exc. Ncxl month I'rox. " By way of via Expense Exp. Number No. ^ <»ww > oi. Capital Cap. Express mone.v order Oinice oz. Way Bill W. B. Carat Car Ex. M. O. Pa<-kago pkg. AVeek wk. Case cs. Favor Fav. Pago p. welirht Wt Cash Book C. B. Figured FIgd. Pages pn. ., , „ , Cashier Cash. First Quality A 1 Paid Pd. '^nrdn .mi. Cents cts. Folio F. or Fol. Pair pr. Year yr. TITLES AND SALUTATIONS Titles and Salutations. in addressing business or ofiicial letters to members of the learned professions or to per- sons holding important official or other positions, one should always use the form of address and salutation prescribed by custom or etiquette. Failure to do this may give offence or, at least, prejudice the purpose for which the letter is written. The following classified reference list of such addresses and salutations will prove of serv- ice to those who may have occasion to write letters to persons incluiled in the classes above re- ferred to : GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. To the President. To the President, Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C. Sir (or Mr. President) : NOTE. — The President is the only Koverument of- ficial whose name should be omitted in the address. In conversation, the President is addressed as "Mr. President." To the Vice-President. To the Honoral:)le Thomas R. Marshall, Vice-President of the United States, Senate Chamber Sir: Washington, D. C. To a Cabinet Officer. To the Honorable A. S. Burleson, Postmaster-General, Post Office Department, Washington, D. C. Sir To a United States Senator. Hon. Chester I. Long, Senate Chamber, Washington, Senator : D. C. NOTE — If the writer is nn .ncqnaintance he may write, "My dear Senator." To a Justice of the Supreme Court. Hon. Charles E. Hughes, Justice of the Supreme Court, Washington, D. C. Sir : To a Congressman. Hon. James W. Good, M. C. House of Representatives, \\'ashington. D. C. Sir: To a Governor. To Plis Excellency, Woodbridge N. Ferris, Governor of Michigan. Sir (or Governor) : Other civil or judicial offices of the United States, or of the several states, are given the title "Hon." and the salutation "Sir" or "Dear Sir." The title "Hon." is now rather loosely em- ployed in the case of any prominent person who holds, or has held, any important official position. The title "Esq." (esquire) is often used with the names of lawyers or persons holding minor ofiicial position. TO PERSONS IN THE MILITARY OR NAVAL SERVICE. To a General. Maj. Gen. Arthur Murray, U. S. A., Commanding Western Division, San Francisco, Calif. General : Brig. Gen. Frederick A. Smith, U. S. A., Commander Dept. of the Missouri, Omaha, Nebr. General : To a Minor Commissioned Officer. Maj. A. T. Buel, U. S. A., Commanding 2nd Battalion, 7tli Inf., Ft. Sheridan, 111. Major : NOTE. — It is military etiquette to give the rank salu- tation, as. General. Colonel. Cajiatin. etc., to any arm.v or navy officer above the rank of lieutenant. A lieu- tenant or a non-commissioned otficer Is given the salu- tation, "Sir." To a Rear Admiral. Adni. Alfred Reynolds, U. S. N., Commanding Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Francisco, Rear Admiral : Cal. To a Commander. Com. Wm. W. Phelps, U. S. X., Commanding Battleship "Iowa," Commander : NOTE. — In addressing an array or nav.v officer in ac- tive service, liis command should lie designated. In the case of a retired officer, the address and salutation are the same as for an officer in active service. The salutation. Sir, is given to other persons connected with the army and nav.v, as, quarter-masters, adju- tants, etc.. but these are given their rank-title In the address, as. Gen., Maj., Col., etc. A complete list of the rank-titles of all officials of the army and navy of the United States may be obtained by addressing the War and Navy Departments at Washington. 128 BUSINESS ENGLISH TO MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY— PROT- ESTANT. To a Bishop (Other than a Methodist.) To the Right Reverend Henry L. Stone, D. D. Bishop of Pennsylvania. Right Reverend Sir : To a Methodist Bishop, or Other Clergyman, Priest, Rabbi, Rector, of Any Denomination. Rev. Samuel S. Jones, Pastor Seventh Avenue Baptist Church, Henderson, 111. Reverend Sir (or Rev. and Dear Sir) : NOTE.— The pastoral charge or other position should, when known, be given in the address. TO MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY- ROMAN CATHOLIC. It would not be appropriate in a work of this kind to attempt a full consideration of ths many titles and salutations of respect or cour- tesy used in correspondence with the various officials of the Roman Catholic church. As a rule, non-Catholics would not be expected to use the forms of address and salutation that would be appropriate for Catholics to use. The following forms may be serviceable to those who may have occasion to write business letters to members of the Roman Catholr- clergy or to officials of the various orders and societies : To a Cardinal. To His Eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, Cathedral, Baltimore, Md. Most Eminent and Reverend Sir : To an Archbishop. Most Reverend John Ireland, Archbishop of St. Paul, Cathedral, St. Paul, Minn. Most Reverend Sir : NOTE. If the Christian name of the prelate is un- known the address niav lie simply, "Most RevercMul Archbishop Ireland, Cathedral, St. Paul, Minn." To a Bishop. Right Reverend Francis Dunn, D. D., Bishop of St. Louis. Cathedral, St. Louis. Right Reverend Sir: To a Rector or Head of a Religious Order. Very Reverend Stephen I'rady, S. J., Rector (or Prior) House of the Good Shepherd. Albion, Oliio. Very Reverend Sir : NOTE. — The initials of the order are usually ap- pended to the name; as, S. J. (Society of .lesus), O. S. B. (Order of St. Benedict). To a Female Superior of Order. Reverend Mother Coleta, Superior, Convent of the lioly Cross, Indianapolis, Ind. Rev. and dear Alother : To a Female Member of a Religious Order. Sr. M. Genevieve, Sacred Heart School, Davenport, Iowa. Rev. and dear Sister: To a Priest. Rev. Joseph Delaney. D. D., St. Benedict's Church, Fenton, Ohio. Rev. and dear Sir : or, Rev. Father Delaney, St. Benedict's Church, etc. TO SECULAR PROFESSIONS. To the President of a College. Pres. Henry L. Ames, LL. D., Elmhurst College, Clinton, Nebr. Dear Sir : NOTE. — If the head of a college (as is usually the case) is a clergyman, the address should be, "Rev. Henry L. Ames, LL. D. (or other degree title), Presi- dent Elmhurst College," or, "Rev. Dr. Henry L. Ames," etc. To a Professor. Chas. A. Snow, Ph. D., Professor of Biology, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. Dear Sir: or. Prof. Chas. A. Snow. Ph. D., Department of Biology, etc.. or. Dr. Chas. A. Snow, Professor of Biology, etc. "Professor" and "Doctor." Any scholastic degree containing the letter D. entities its liolder to the address title "Dr." or "Doctor," but this title is not usually given unless the holder is a clergyman, a teacher in a college, or a practicing physician, surgeon, dentist, etc. The title "Prof." or "Professor" is properly employed only in the case of a teacher who holds a scholastic degree, and who teaches in a college or other institution conferring schol- GBNBRAIi REVIEW 12!) astic degrees. The abuse of this title is very prevalent. In some parts of the country, al- most every teacher is given and complacently accepts the title "Professor," and the title is also appropriated by musicians, sleight-of- hand performers, dancing-masters, and various other persons whose employments are some- what out of the usual order. A proper regard for the real dignity and value of the title "Professor" should lead intelligent persons to confine its application to those wlio are really entitled to it. To a Physician. C. W. Hall, M. D., Holbrook, Ohio. Dear Sir (or Dear Doctor) : or. Dr. C. W. Hall, etc. NOTE.— Do not use both the title "Dr." and the de- gree letters. Thi.s is permissible only in the ease of clersymen or professors in colleges. The title "Mr." is never used when the degree letters are given. To a Lawyer. Mr. Chas. S. May, Attorney at T.aw, Bennington, Vt. Dear Sir : or, Chas. S. May, Esq., etc. NOTE. — The title "Esq." (esquire) was formerly given to lawyers and to private citizens having a cer- tain official or social pi-oniinonce but not enough to justify the title "Hon." The title "Esq." is now but little used in America, and its use is not really e.ssential in any case. Never use both "Mr." and "Esq." in the same address. TITLES APPLIED TO WOMEN. A woman who holds an official or other position, is given the same title that would in the same case be given to a man. If, for in- stance, Mary J. Brown were to be elected gov- ernor of Colorado, her address would be, "To Her Excellency, Mary J. Brown, Governor of Colorado. Madam (or Governor)." If a woman holds a degree and teaches in a college or other degree-conferring institution, she is given the title "Dr." or "Prof.," as in the case of a man. The titles "Miss" or "Mrs." may or may not be used, but they should not be employed when the title "Dr." or "Prof." is used. Examples. Miss Mary L. Stone, A. M., Professor of English History, Vassar College. Mrs. Alice A. Marvin, Ph. D., Professor of Modern Languages, Delphi College. Dear Madam : Professor Ellen E. Davis, A. M., Dept. Domestic Science, Lewis Institute, Chicago. Dear Madam : NOTE. — The salutation "Madam" is given unless the title "Miss" Is used. In the latter case, the salutation should be omitted in formal letters. If the writer i.s a friend, student, or acquaintance, the salutation may be, "Dear Miss Davis," or "Dear Professor," etc. HUSBAND'S TITLE. A woman should never be given her hus- band's title; as, "Mrs. Gov. Henry T. Davis," "Mrs. Col. A. B. Jones," etc. The address should be "Mrs. Henry T. Davis," "Mrs. A. B. Jones," unless the woman is addressed by her own christian name. Neither should a woman engaged in a professional pursuit be addressed by the title "Mi'S." or "Miss" in combination with the professional title : as, ^'Mrs. Dr. Sarah Wilson," "Rev. Mrs. Cynthia Stuart," or, "Miss Dr. A. Shaw," etc. SALUTATIONS. In the secular professions generally, the sal- utation "Sir" or "Dear Sir" is given to men and "Madam " to women. More familiarly. either men or women, may be given the saluta- tion, "Dear Doctor." "Dear Professor," "My dear Professor," etc. For General Review. To the Teacher : The following lists of test ques- tions are intended to review the student's knowledge of the preceding lessons. It has been thought best not to divide this matter into lessons, but to leave the amount and method of assignment to the instructor. Nouns and Pronouns. Write short sentences, using the following nouns as subjects followed by is or are, as the case may require : ashes goods news riches tidings fish ^ dice calisthenics morals politics Correct the following where necessary : 1. men's hats. 2. science's discoveries. 130 BUSINESS ENGLISH 3. A women's right's meeting. 4. My aunt's Inisband's cousin. 5. Frank's brother's l)icycle's tires are punctured. 6. My friend's sisters were not at liome. 7. We don't sell Ijov's sizes, we have only the men's. Write the following sentences, choosing the correct word from those italicized : 1. JVhom zcho do you see? Him he and Harry. 2. He believed it to be us wc ; but it was thciii they. 3. I saw the man who whcuii they told me was to be appointed. 4. ll'hiom zuho do you suppose it to be? 5. Both they them and their confederates believed it to be us we who exposed them. Correct such of the following sentences as you consider incorrect and briefly indicate the reason for the correction : 1. It could not have been them. 2. All of us returned to their work. 3. Everyone brought their lunch. 4. The book is not our's ; it is her's. 5. He is a man who I know to be honest. (). He is a man whom I feel sure is honest. 7. He does not cross his ts or dots his is. S. We saw several deers and caught a fine string of fishes. 9. Neither of us had our lessons. 10. They came with Kate and I but we do not know who else they are acquainted with. 1 1 . The contract must be signed both by yourself and wife. 12. Everybody prescntcfl their tickets at the door. 13. You ma_\' make your complaint tn whoever you like. 14. He was with 1 and Harry when his friend arrived. Adjectives and Adverbs. Write a list gi\'ing the com])arative and superlative degree for such of the following adjectives as admit of comparison: black true round perfect good elegant handsome splendid hearty superior frank linnian handy false liumrme Correct such of the fallowing sentences as you think are incorrect : 1. We should try to look plea^ruitly even if we feel badly. 2. A more perfect specimen. I have never seen. 3. The fruit tasted flelicions. 4. \Ve had quite a nice time but were some tired when we got home. 5. ^\'e all looked seriously after he got through talking. 6. I saw him previous to his election. 7. I only intended to frighten him. 8. The house needs painting bacllv. 9. He stood silently for a couple of min- utes, and then walked away very slow. 10. I cannot run as swiftly as vou do. 11. She hasn't seen none of them since Easter. 12. I haven't no use for those kind of people. 13. That light complected young man is real smart ain't he? 14. I would not select them kind, thev are (|uite expensive. 15. He talks considerable, but not near so much as he used to. 1(). Id is statement is more complete than yours. 17. He has st)meone's else books. 18. Let e\-eryone enjoy theirselves. 10. All fy\t of the children (piarreled with each other constantly. 20. Your work- looks \ery nice indeed. Verbs. Write the fixe principal forms of each of the following verbs : write see set lie (to recline) go throw talk sit lay blow Write li\e sentences, each having a transi- tix'e \-erb or \-erbal with a ])ronoun for its object complement. Write correctly such of the following sen- tences as you consider incorrect, ;nul be ]ire- pared to give the reason for your correction; 1. Tlie odds is five to four in h' red's favor. 2. TwentN' dollars were pai. I shall tr)- and make tbe sale, but I am by no means sure that I will succeed. 7. You are not the one for whom I was looking. NOTE.— Tlie rule of the old rhetoricians. "Do not end a sentence witli a preposition." is no lousier ri.sridly oliserved by our liest writers. Such expressions as the following are now tpiite alliwable: "That was what I was lookinjr for." "lie had no one to talU to." "I had nothing to write witli." "We had niudi to talli aliout." "We iiad littk' to go on." (,)u<'slioiis. however, should not end with a preposi- tion. Say, "Of whom were you si)eakinK?" not "Wiiom were you speaking of?" 8, I shall try to immediately see him. .VOTE. — A modifier should not separate the parts of an iiiliuitive. This construction is known as a "siilit inhiiitive." i). He ijraised his lira very highl_\-, even compared him with a lion. 10. This is very different than where you are working at so much a week. 11. The gentleman jjroved to be none other than the President. 12. I honor him above all my friends. 13. I am the youngest of my four brothers. 14. Have you got a good pen to-day, Mark ? If not. you have got to get one before you begin writing. 15. Speak more distinct; I can scarcely understand you. 1(). Did you ever know of me doing a thing like that? 17. Shall I return the goods which remain unsold ? 18. The letter has laid on his desk for a week. 19. He was one of those boys who never does anything right. 20. I have no other friend but him. 21. It is nothing else but laziness that causes her to do her work so poor. 22. No one bttt me and Fred are to blame. 23. I did not hear about him going to Bos- ton till Thursday. 24. It would have gave me much pleasure to have gone. 25. He is a better penman tinau a book- keeper. 26. This is an old story of my friend Major Wilson. NOTE. — The aliove sentence may meau that the story was one told liy Jiajor Wilson or about him. Remove tlie ambiguit.v. 27. This is a sketch of my brother's when he was but sixteen. NOTE. — Tlie "double possessive" is condemned by some antliors, but is justified by good usage. To omit the sign of possession here would make the sentence mean that the sketch represented my brother, but was not his work. The double possessive could be avoided, however, by using the phrase "drawn by my brother," 28. You must either deliver the goods }Ourself or get someone else to. NOTE. — Ending the sentence with the infinitive par- ticiple to is considered inelegant, but is perhaps an al- lowable colloquialism, in such sentences as. "He doesn't need to." "He wants to." "We will try to." "I do not like to." etc.. where the verb is clearly under- stood. 132 BUSINESS ENGLISH 29. He is very much pleased at the result. 30. Mr. B., another one of the office force, and- who was an old bookkeeper, also helped me sometimes. 31. I have little use for these kind of people. 32. The rule relates to words ending in final c only. 33. We have both Byron and Moore's poems. 34. He issues orders as though he was the proprietor. 35. It is much the most costly of the two. 36. Neither of us are required to be at the office till eight. 37. Myself and Mr. A. were invited. 38. I did not go. If I had, I would prob- ab]\- liave been chosen. FOR ORAL REVIEW. Grammar. Why are the following incorrect? 1. One don't know how many gram- matical errors they make until their attention is called to it. NOTE. — Errors iu grammar are not grammatical. 2. I will be obliged to cancel our contract. 3. We have a most complete stock of the very latest styles. 4. Him and Harry had thought it was us. 5. Each man has some good in him. G. Nell is always scared of cyclones. 7. I am so hoarse I can't scarcely speak. 8. I have most finished my new book. 9. Who is this letter for ? 10. It is fifteen minutes to nine. NOTE.— The moauiug i.s that it laclis fifteen minutes of being nine. 11. He is not as tall as me. 12. You study harder than him. 13. He wasn't much sick Monday, but he is awful bad to-day. 14. Only three or four people were present. 15. Five of we girls roomed together and we quarrelefl with each other nearly every day. 1 fi. A case of eggs were bought. 17. I can't go without you do. NOTE. — Avolil using without as a conjunction. 18. He was real sick, but not exactly dan- gerous. 19. So soon as I said my say, I struck oul for home. 20. T am afraid I cannot spare the money to-day. 21. I could do a lot better if I had a new machine like Joe. 22. We rode over in a horse and buggy. 23. We are to have company for supper. • NOTE. — This remarl; was not made by a caunibal. 24. He asked me to go and fetch him a morning paper. 25. We are going to go to-day. 26. He hadn't ought to stand for it ; if I was him T would look out for my rights. Misused Words. In many of the following sentences, there are from two to four misused words. Try to find all of them : 1. I recollect the date; it was June 1, 1913. I am certain of this, although I am generally liable to forget dates. 2. Do you know how soon it will be be- fore you go to St. Louis again ? 3. I was stopping at the Palmer House before the accident transpired. 4. At that school, every girl has got to take a two hours' dictation a day. 5. Each dog has his day. 6. He is now quite a musician and thinks of adopting music as an avocation. 7. We talked as much as an hour, and he did not seem as mad at us as he did at the Brown Company. 8. You had better fetch your umbrella along ; it is apt to rain. 9. His account was partially settled last month. 10. We have hardly enough paper to do us till Saturday. 11. The book abounds in errors, and we have been able to sell but a small portion of the invoice. 12. He was not adapted for selling goods and in tins regard I had the advantage of him. 13. You need solicit us no farther; our answer is definite. 14. W''e have plenty of this brand for pres- ent orders, but our supply is not adequate for the demand that will come with the opening of the sea.son. 15. Your conduct has antagonized our patrons, and we feel that such acts are not be- coming of you. 16. One iiarty left us because he thought the business is not a healthy one, but, of course, that is a mistake. 17. "[^Q stated that he had been acquitted from all lil;nne in the matter. GEJNEEAL REVIEW 133 18. I thought when I bought the new feeder that it would prove a good proposition, but the machine is not a success. 19. About an hour ago he was killed dead by an accident. 20. T was sick with pneumonia for quite a while. 21. Tlicy iiavc got a neostyle in the office, but I am still awkward at using it. 22. You will have exceptionable oppor- tunities for proving yourself a success. 23. I will be very pleased to meet you. 24. You had ought to be more careful in directing the envelopes. 25. He sent a postal asking for a raise in salary. 26. I greatly appreciated that ride to the beach ; your new carriage is indeed fine. 27. Our statement was confirmed with the evidence given by two of the witnesses. 28. He died with heart disease most a year ago. 29. He is an enemy to our house, and I am bound to beat him in that territory, if possible. 30. The kind of letters you write are cal- culated to antagonize our best patrons. 31. As we thought there was no necessity of our being in a hurry, we stopped at the park a while and listened at the music. 32. I parted with him about two o'clock, and took a trolley for Boston. 33. You can transcribe this letter now, and I shall dictate the other one later. 34. He seemed to feel some resentment at me, but he did not charge me with neglect for my duties. 35. I expect he has been tampering among the records and I calculate to watch him from now on. 36. We were delighted at the work of the new machine ; it is certainly hard to beat. 37. He claims that we have a prejudice to- ward him, but this is not right; we have treated him the same as others. 38. The profits for this work aren't large. 39. We consider that you had ought to be satisfied with what you have already got. 40. We beg, herewith, to advise you that your shipment of June 1 is at hand. 41. We are gratified to be able to state that your conduct has been abundantly satisfactory. 42. Can I speak to you a few minutes about a business deal ? 43. He footed the bill and I have got tlie money from him. Please find a check for the amount enclosed. 44. You have got to quit giving such big discounts. The house won't stand for it. 45. tie was raised in Maine and is well posted in the lumber business. 46. There has been a general raise in prices, and I prophesy that they will go higher yet. 47. He was sick with nervous prostration for a while, but has absolutely recovered. 48. We consummated the deal to-day, and I am sure it is a good proposition for us. 49. We are anticipating a large trade this winter. 50. The abominable weather has prevented me making more than two or three towns this week, but I anticipate a better record for next week. 51. Our house usually donates abundantly to all benevolent propositions. Letter- Writing Exercises. Write the letters called for in the following exercises (using pen or typewriter, as your teacher may direct), address the required en- velopes, and prepare and insert all necessary enclosures. Do not seal the envelopes unless so directed by your teacher. Answer any three of the following adver- tisements : 1. Wanted. A competent young lady with fair edu- cation to act as office assistant. Person with some knowledge of bookkeeping preferred. Answer In own handwriting. Maxwell Printing Co., Times Office. 2. A Bright Young Man can earn a good salary .selling our specialties. Plenty of good territory. Must be a hustler. Address. McB. & C, Tribune. 3. Stenographer Wanted. Experienced lady or gentleman. Good salary to thoroughly competent per- son. Address, giving references and experience, Han- nibal & Sons, 156 State St., Chicago. 4. Wanted. A competent bookkeeper to take charge of the books in a manufacturing business. Must under- stand latest methods and corporation accounting. Men- tion references and experience. Address, C. P. A., Herald Office. 5. Shipping Clerk Wanted. Must be a ready pen- man and familiar with express and railroad business. Young man preferred. Salary $20 per week. Address in own handwriting, giving particulars as to qualifica- tions and experience, The Beeler Co., 175 W. Madi- son St. 6. Wanted — Saleslady. Permanent position with chance for advancement. Must have fair education and pleasing address. Person with home in city pre- ferred. Address at once, Harkwood, Times Office. 7. \\'rite a general letter of recommenda- tion for a friend who wants a position as book- keeper. 8. Write a formal invitation to an even- ing partv, an answer to the same, and a "regret." 9. Write to Chas. S. Weaver, Supt. of Schools, Haverhill, Ohio, applying for a posi- 134 BUSINESS ENGLISH tion as teacher in Grade -i. Give all necessary particulars as to your qualifications. 10. \\'rite to a friend in Blooniington, 111., inc|uiring as to the demand for stenographers in that city, salaries paid, cost of living, etc. 11. C. W. Marvin has sent you a postoffice money order for $29.75 in payment for an in- voice of goods recently purchased, \^'rite let- ter of acknowledgment, enclosing receipt. 12. Write a letter politely calling attention to an overdue account. Supply names, dates, amount, etc. 13. An agent who has been selling goods for you on commission has failed to make his reports promptly. \\'rite a letter requesting an immediate settlement. 11. Order from Lyon & Healy, 178 U'a- bash Ave., Chicago, a Washburn mandolin, catalog number lllSj/, price $15.75. Have the instrument sent by American Express and enclose Chicago draft in payment. (Use slip of paper suitable size for enclosure.) 15. A friend of yours has received an ap- pointment to enter the U. S. Military academy at West Point. Write hini a letter of con- gratulation. 16. A business acquaintance has lost his store and stock of goods by fire. Write a suit- able letter expressing your regret at the occur- rence and your hope that he may soon be es- tablished in business again. 17. Write a letter to a delinquent debtor, demanding payment and saying that you will appeal to the courts unless the account is ad- justed at once. 18. Answer the letter called for in the previous exercise, enclosing a check for the amount, and make a suitable explanation for the delay in settlement. 19. Write to the Emerson Puljlisln'ng Co.. St. Paul, Minn., ordering the following goods: ■±5 Strong's Arithmetics, 25 Harper's El. Bookkeeping, 50 Main's Shorthand Manuals, 3 Reams Letter Paper — Cat. No. 121, 25 Check-Books— " " 214, 25 Note-Books— " " 175. Enclose order-sheet giving your shipping address, freight route, etc. Say that you will remit for goods on thejr arrival. 20. \\'rite a telegram of not more than ten words, stopping the shipment of the foregoing order and saying that a letter giving particu- lars will follow. 2L \Vrite to the Emerson Publishing Co. informing them that owing to a fire that par- tially destroyed your school and equipment, it is necessary to close the school temporarily and that the goods will not be needed at present. 22. \\'rite a letter for the Emerson Pub- lishing Co. in answer to your last letter, ac- knowledging the receipt of your telegram and letter, but saying that the books had been shipped before the telegram was received. Say that the goods may be kept and paid for when needed, or i-eturned, as you may think best. 23. The proprietor of a fruit and candy store offers a prize of ten pounds of choice candy for the best advertisement of their busi- ness for display in the local street cars. Com- pete for this prize, enclosing your advertise- ment, with a suitable letter addressed to the firm. 24. Write a letter for iiublicatimi in a local ()a])er, advocating the establishment nf a ])ub- lic reading-room and library. 25. Write a letter to the Secretary of the U. S. Civil Service Commission, Washington. D. C, asking for information as to the ex- amination of applicants for ])ositions as gov- crnnRMil stenographers. INDEX. Page Ahlncviatiuns 94, 125-126 AeceptiUR'e of Iiivitatioiis 105 Address GS Adjectives 12, ?,()-:V.^ Adverhs 12, :«)-.•« Advertising 112-113 Aiiil>if;uit.v 62 Antecedent l.S Attribute Complement 11 Anxiliar.v Verbs 20 Auxiliaries, Misuse of 25 Bank Drafts 118 Bare Subject and I'redicate 10 Bit: Woi-ds 52-54 Bills of Exchange 118 Brevity 64. Ill Business Letters, Parts of 68 Cant Terms !)1 Capitalizing 54-.56 Cashier's Cheeks 118 ( 'hecks. Personal. Use of 114 Clas.ses of Busine.ss Letters 98-105 Clauses 33 Clauses. Restrictive and Non-Restrictive 5S Clearness 62-63 Closinj: 74 (\illo(iuialisnis 37, 89 Commas, (ieneral Rule for ITse of 59 Commas, Use of 58, 59. 60 Comparison .30-31 Complements 11-12 Compound Subjects 23 Confidential Letters 96 Conjunctions, Errors in Use of 35-36 Connectives .33-34 Copula 11 Copulative Verbs 11 Cop.\lnK 96 Correct Expressions. Qualities of 54-66 Dates. Specifying 94 Diacritical Marks 38 Dictation. Sugsestioiis Ri>,u'ardin,i; 120 Diction 36 Dictionary. Use of 38 Domestic Mail Matter 85 Drop Letters 86 Dunnini; Letters 102 Elements of the Sentence 13 Enclosures 81-,85 Envelopes 76-80 En\'elopes, Placing Letter in Ri.i.;ht One 95 Essential Elements 13 Erasures 94 Figures and .\blireviatinns 94 Filing 96 Folding ■. 81 Folding. Cuts Illustrating 82 -.84 Foi'ce 64-66 Forethi>ught 4 Forms of the Vei-lis 20 Pago Gender 1 .s General Review 129-134 Heading of Manuscripts 4 Heading of a Letter 68 Hints for Stenographers 119-124 Hyphenated Words 47-48 Improper Verbs 45 Indentation for Envelopes 123-124 Indentation for Letters 121-122 Independent Elements 13 Inflection 15 Interrogatives 34 Inverted Elements ■. . . . 58 Invitations 105 Irregular Verbs 24 Letters. Abusive 97 Letters. Acknowleilgments 98 Letters, Applications for Positions 100 Letters, Condolence 107 Letters, Confidential 96 Letters, Congratulation 106 Letters containing Business and Social Matters.. 97 Letter.s-. Credit 118 Letters. Definiteness and Brevity 97 Letters, Disposal of 95 Letters, Dunning 102 Letters, Formal 105 Letters, Friendsbiii 107 Letters, Introduction 103 Ijetters, Ordering Goods 99 I^etters. Parts and Forms 67-76 Letters for Publication , 110-112 Letters. Recommendation 104 I>etters. Requesting Favors 103 Letters. Requesting Information 101 Letters. Resjionses to Advertisements KM) Letters. Social 105 Letters, Soliciting Trade 101 Letters. Typewritten 121-122 Letter-Writing. Hints and Cautions 94-98 Mail Matter, Classes of 85-86 Mall Matter, Preparation of 87 Mailable Matter. Reference List of 87-88 Margin 121 Margin for Manuscripts 4 Marking Papers 5. 6. 7 Measures, Wide and Narrow 92-94 Misused Adjectives and Adverbs 45-48 Misused Nouns 39-41 Misused Prepositions 4Vt-52 Misused Verbs 42-45 Misused Words 39-52 Mode and Tense Forms 21 Jlodel Closings 75 Model Openings 71-73 Model Letters. Construction of 89-90 Model Letter. Pen-Written 70 Model Letter. Typewritten 69. 122 Modifiers. Classes of 10 Mone.v. Substitutes for 113 Money Orders. Express 115 Money Orders. Form of 115 Jlone.v Orders. Postal 114 136 INDEX Page Neatness 4 Needless Words 65 Negatives 32-33 Note Books 119-120 Nouns, Inflection of 15-18 Nouns, Misuse of 39-41 Number 15-16 Object Complement 12 Omission of Verbs 28 Paging 95 Paper for Letters 67 Paper, Writing on Both Sides of 95 Paragraphing 91-92 Parcel Post 86 Participles 20 Parts of Speech, Brief Consideration 5 Payments and Remittances 113-119 Penmanship 68 Pen or Pencil 120 Personal Checks, Use of 114 Phrases 13 Position of Elements 63 Possessives 17-lS Postage and Mailing 85-88 Postal Cards, Use of 96 Postscripts 97 Prepositions 49-52 Prepositional Phrase 13 Promptness in Answering Letters 96 Pronouns 14. 18-19 Pronouns, Agreement of 19 Publishers' Mailing Rates 86 Punctuation 56-62 Punctuation, Intermediate .58 Punctuation, Terminal 57 Punctuation Marks 57 Punctuation Marks, Special Use of 60-61 Registered Letters 115 Regrets 105 Page Relative Pronouns 34 Remittances 114 Salutation 71, 127-129 Second Sheet, When Required 122 Sentence 9-10 Sentences, Structure and Elements 9-14 Shall and Will 25 Should and Would 26 Signature 74 Spelling Rules 20-21 Stamps, When to Enclose 95 Stationery for Business Letters 120 Stenographer's Equipment 1 19-120 Stenographers, Suggestions, etc 119-124 Superscription 80 Superscriptions, Model Pen-Written Forms 77-79 Superscriptions, Typewritten 122-124 Telegrams, Rules Relating to 108 Telegraphing 107-109 Telegraph Orders 115 Telephones 109-110 Tense 20 Titles and Salutations 127-129 Transcription 121 Transitive Verbs 1 2. 24 Typewriting, Suggestions, etc 119-124 Unmailable Matter 87 Verbals 27-28 Verbal Phra.se 13 Verb Forms 20 Verbs and Verbals 19-30 Verbs, Agreement of 22 Verbs, Misuse of 42-45 Verbs and Adjectives Misu.sed for Nouns 41 Words of Courtesy 74 Word Study 37-38 Written Exercises, Preparation of 4 UCSUUTHtHN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 1 illl''|i|i1il'l'!'i|l'''l'll''|ri D 000 903 104 8 t i