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 MOV 2 1 1951 ,
 
 ENGLISH IN BUSINESS 
 
 FOR STUDENTS IN COMMERCIAL 
 AND GENERAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS 
 
 By 
 
 DUDLEY MILES, Ph.D. 
 
 Chairman of Department of English, The Evander Childs 
 High School, New York City; Instructor in Business Eng- 
 lish, New York Chapter, American Institute of Banking 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 THE RONALD PRESS COMPANY 
 
 1920 
 
 40&54
 
 Copyright, 1920, by 
 The Ronald Press Company
 
 b 
 PI,; / V \51^ 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 This book is for boys and girls who are going out into active 
 life rather than for those who go on to college. It will meet 
 the needs of those commercial high schools that train ex- 
 clusively for a business career. It will also meet the needs 
 of the general high schools with commercial departments or 
 elective courses in business, for it contains the fundamentals 
 of good writing for any purpose whatever. It should prove 
 useful in all those continuation and corporation schools that 
 give training to boys and girls who have gone to work before 
 securing a high school diploma. In short, it is designed to 
 meet the needs of all secondary schools that pursue the larger 
 aims of business education. 
 
 Business men are no longer content with boys and girls who 
 have been prepared merely as stenographers and bookkeepers. 
 Commercial courses, to be sure, endeavor to train young 
 people to do one thing, or a few related things, with skill and 
 accuracy. But they also endeavor to furnish wide knowledge 
 of the whole business field, so that the pupil may pass easily 
 from his first position into those business activities which his 
 or her peculiar abilities will make most congenial. 
 
 In this wider training, the instruction in English is of prime 
 importance. As the Committee on Business Education 1 
 phrases it: "English is the most fundamental, universal, and 
 important subject of the commercial curriculum." But, to 
 
 1 The Committee on Business Education of the Commission on the 
 Reorganization of Secondary Education, appointed by the National 
 Education Association. 
 
 111
 
 iv PREFACE 
 
 be of most value, English teaching must place the emphasis 
 on the right matters. The best thinking of the country 
 on this problem is to be found summarized in the report 
 "Business Education in Secondary Schools." The emphasis 
 there placed on such matters as oral composition and com- 
 mercial correspondence is reflected in the present volume, 
 "English in Business." 
 
 During the last few years, moreover, teachers of English 
 have been engaged in a systematic search for the most direct 
 and effective methods of teaching. The conclusions of the 
 minds most actively engaged in this campaign are expressed 
 in striking form in the report on "The Reorganization of 
 English in Secondary Schools" 1 and with fuller detail in the 
 findings of the different sections of the Committee on Econ- 
 omy of Time of the National Council of Teachers of English. 
 The findings of the other committee in particular have made 
 many clearings in the forest of rhetorical theory. They have 
 thinned out some three or four regions so well that we can get 
 our bearings for a successful journey. The present volume is 
 an effort to make these directions available for all who try 
 to teach others how to express ideas, whether in the set forms 
 of discourse or in the situations of business and industrial 
 life. 
 
 What to omit is the first matter that has received the con- 
 sideration of those who have tried to improve English teach- 
 ing. Successful teaching can exist only where the essential 
 topics have been selected. Upon selection, these topics can 
 not only be made clear to every student but can be given such 
 
 1 By the National Joint Committee on English representing the 
 Commission on The Reorganization of Secondary Education of the 
 National Education Association and the National Council of Teachers 
 of English.
 
 PREFACE v 
 
 emphasis and reiteration that the boy or girl may gain a 
 mastery of them. The results of the many experiments and 
 investigations to determine what is actually essential have 
 been winnowed out by the Committee on Economy of Time 
 mentioned above. The report of this committee is followed 
 in this book, which presents the topics that seem necessary 
 to learning how to express one's thoughts in the English 
 language. 
 
 How to advance is the second matter regarding which 
 teachers are coming to agreement. The present volume 
 applies throughout the plan worked out by the committee 
 referred to above. " Master one thing at a time " is the slogan 
 of success in teaching secondary English. For example, do 
 not try to teach a freshman all rules for punctuation. Drill 
 him on an essential rule or two at a time. During this drilling 
 make sure that he habitually applies these rules in his daily 
 writing. Pay no attention to his other errors. When he has 
 formed the right habits for these particular rules, pass on to 
 new rules. With every new advance "dig in and consolidate 
 your holdings." In the next semester the teacher can then 
 count on the pupil's having a basis from which to set 
 forward. 
 
 In the present volume, certain sections in Parts I and III 
 are marked with a star. Such sections are the minimum re- 
 quirements established by various scientific studies referred 
 to above. These minima should be mastered. Merely to cover 
 them in the book is not sufficient. The principles and forms 
 should become second nature to the pupil. At least three-quarters 
 of each class should be brought to a J 00 per cent attainment in 
 these essentials. Without this mastery all future progress will 
 be haphazard. 
 
 The present volume provides a great many exercises toward
 
 vi PREFACE 
 
 accomplishing this end. It indicates how the principles can 
 be applied in the criticism of the pupil's speech and writing. 
 For example, in Exercises 9 (2), 10, 22 (2), 23 (3), reference 
 is made to the principles which are developed in § § 228, 206, 
 209, 200, and upon which there has been drill in Exercises 232, 
 202, 209, 192. If the abundant exercises in the book should 
 with any class prove insufficient to give the pupil the neces- 
 sary skill, the teacher may wish to devise similar exercises to 
 develop the pupil further in the application of the rule. In 
 many matters, as in Exercises 25, 27, 30, the teacher can pro- 
 vide such drill by selecting illustrations of the error from the 
 writings of the class and by having the list put on the board 
 or distributed in mimeographed form. 
 
 How to develop in the pupil the ability to apply the funda- 
 mental principles to the criticism of his own work is the third 
 point emphasized in this book. Careful proofreading of his 
 writings by the teacher or faithful correction of his spoken 
 English will not usually succeed. He must work with a mo- 
 tive. With many pupils a reading of the introduction for 
 boys and girls may supply an incentive. But the incentive of 
 usefulness, though never lost sight of, should be supplemented 
 by constant training of the pupil's critical powers. When 
 each class becomes a co-operative society to detect and correct 
 each other's errors in the specific matters set for study, nearly 
 every pupil is likely to develop expertness in recognizing a 
 fault when he sees or hears it. With proper guidance, every 
 pupil can also be brought to see how to remedy the fault. 
 When he can see his errors, and correct them, he is in a posi- 
 tion to use English effectively. 
 
 The exercises in this book lead the student at every turn 
 to apply the principles discussed to the speaking and writing 
 of himself and his classmates. Class discussions arc con-
 
 PREFACE vii 
 
 stantly introduced to establish the application and validity 
 of the principles studied. Throughout the text, as in the 
 written Exercises 22 and 23, the pupil is directed to exchange 
 his paper with a classmate. The teacher may wish to have 
 one class exchange with another or in letter writing to ask 
 the pupils to address their letters to individual members of 
 another class. Such devices have proved so successful in 
 many schools that the users of this book will probably find 
 them invaluable. 
 
 Part I deals with the use of English in the simplest business 
 situations. Part II deals with English in situations that re- 
 quire judgment, tact, diplomacy, or keen intelligence. Part 
 III presents the fundamentals of good English wherever it 
 may be used. Much of Part III is, for high school pupils, 
 essentially review material. It is, however, material that 
 must be mastered at the outset of the course if the student is 
 to attempt the other work of the book satisfactorily. 
 
 Chapters XXVII and XXVIII deal with the construction 
 of the sentence, the foundation of all writing and speaking. 
 Until the student has acquired a sentence-sense he cannot go 
 further. The selection of topics for the first-year work in the 
 sentence is based partly on the reports of the Committee on 
 Economy of Time referred to above and partly on a study of 
 minimum essentials in Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, 
 Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The order in which the topics 
 are taken up in class is, in the opinion of the Committee, 
 important. The sections represent successive steps in the 
 development among the pupils of a feeling for what consti- 
 tutes a sentence. 
 
 Chapters XXIX, XXX, and XXXI deal with the correct 
 use of the various parts of speech. Chapter XXIX, which 
 deals with nouns and pronouns, gives chief attention to pro-
 
 viii PREFACE 
 
 nouns inasmuch as they present more difficulties than do the 
 nouns. 
 
 Chapter XXXII deals with spelling. It embodies fully the 
 findings of the Committee on Economy of Time on that sub- 
 ject. It is based on the scientific lists drawn up by Jones, 
 Ayres, and other students of the field. 
 
 Chapters XXXIII and XXXIV deal with the use of capital 
 letters and with punctuation. The rules in Chapter XXXIII 
 follow closely the phrasing of the Committee on Economy of 
 Time. They have the virtue of being so specific as to be 
 easily observed by young people. 
 
 The arrangement of the book, it will be seen, is intended 
 to fit the growing abilities and needs of various classes of 
 pupils. In the first year, the teacher of well-trained classes can 
 in general follow the order of chapters in Part I. Whenever 
 faults appear, he can turn to the matters upon which drill is 
 furnished in Part III, particularly to the sections marked with 
 a star. With less well-trained classes it may be advisable, as 
 was suggested above, to spend a good deal of time on Part III 
 at the beginning in drilling the first-year students into a 
 sentence-sense and the correct use of grammatical forms. 
 As the mastery of essentials is the basis of progress, such drill 
 will in the long run result in saving time. The sections of 
 Part III not marked with a star can most profitably be de- 
 ferred to the second year. 
 
 The second year should carry the study through Part I 
 and to Chapter X in Part II. The unmarked sections of Part 
 III may also be taken up with profit. Throughout the year 
 the starred sections should receive constant review. These 
 essentials cannot be implanted too firmly in the practice of the 
 pupils. 
 
 The third (or fourth) year will be completely filled with the
 
 PREFACE ix 
 
 work of Chapters X to XVI, Part II. The problems of these 
 chapters will remain theoretical with the students until they 
 acquire some practical business experience. The sales letter 
 in particular is very difficult to teach to students who have 
 never worked in a store or factory. But a study of even the 
 sales letter may be made very profitable for the understand- 
 ing it will give of the underlying purposes of business. 
 
 This text is thought to be in advance of other texts in its 
 exemplification of what to omit, its emphasis on minimum 
 essentials, and its development of ability to criticize one's 
 own work. Much of it has worked well in actual classroom 
 procedure for some years past. But every teacher who uses 
 the text will confer a favor upon the author by sending 
 in his or her suggestions for improvement in the second 
 edition. 
 
 In preparing a work of this kind an author contracts obliga- 
 tions that are too numerous to mention in a preface. Many 
 business houses have very generously furnished letters from 
 their files, and other material without which it would have 
 been impossible to write the chapters on commercial corre- 
 spondence. They have in many cases been very kind in pro- 
 viding suggestions and advice on the problems that have 
 arisen in their own experience with letter writing. Conse- 
 quently the chapters on that subject are not a theoretical dis- 
 cussion but represent the efforts of those all over the country 
 who have been engaged in the "Better Letters" campaign. 
 The author takes this opportunity to thank representatives 
 of the following houses: 
 
 American Multigraph Sales Company, Burroughs Adding 
 Machine Company, George La Monte and Son, The Glidden 
 Company, The B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company, Dennison 
 Manufacturing Company, Diamond Crystal Salt Company,
 
 x PREFACE 
 
 Du Pont Fabrikoid Company, Eaton, Crane and Pike Com- 
 pany, Felt and Tarrant Manufacturing Company, Gerhard 
 Mennen Chemical Company, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber 
 Company, H. W. Johns-Manville Company, John Lucas and 
 Company, Inc., Kalamazoo Loose Leaf Binder Company, 
 L. C. Smith and Bros. Typewriter Company, Montgomery 
 Ward and Company, National Cash Register Company, 
 The National Refining Company, Norton Company, The 
 Office Appliance Company, Packard Motor Car Company, 
 Palmolive Company, Portland Cement Association, The 
 Pyrene Manufacturing Company, Remington Typewriter 
 Company, Sayles Finishing Plants, Schieffelin and Company, 
 Sonora Phonograph Corporation, The Studebaker Corpora- 
 tion, Swift and Company, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. 
 
 In addition, the author is indebted to The Better Letters 
 Association for permission to use the paragraphs printed on 
 pages 28-29, 164, 166; to The Guaranty Trust Company for 
 the paragraphs taken from "Trading with Australasia," on 
 pages 23 _ 24; and to Printer's Ink for the report printed on 
 page 203. 
 
 Many persons have aided in the preparation of the book. 
 Ralph Starr Butler, of The United States Rubber Company, 
 Sherman Perry, of The American Rolling Mill Company, 
 and Frank L. Pierce, of The Remington Typewriter Com- 
 pany, have contributed in matters both of design and of detail, 
 particularly with regard to commercial correspondence. The 
 selection and presentation of material in Part III has bene- 
 fited much from the criticism of Sterling Andrus Leonard, of 
 the Lincoln School of Teachers College. 
 
 Similar assistance on many chapters throughout the book 
 has been received from E. van B. Knickerbocker, Ernest S. 
 Quimby, and Charles W. Raubicheck, all of the English De-
 
 PREFACE xi 
 
 partment of The Evander Childs High School. Others, who 
 prefer that their names be not mentioned here, have done 
 much to improve the appearance and the arrangement of the 
 entire volume. 
 
 Dudley Miles. 
 
 New York City, 
 April 5, 1920.
 
 TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS WHO USE THIS 
 
 BOOK 
 
 Why are you planning to study English in business? Is it 
 merely because the course is required? Or do you expect to 
 use the training in the business life into which you hope to 
 enter? If it is for the latter reason, you may be sure your need 
 will be great. Indeed, those who know most about the mat- 
 ter think the importance of training in English can hardly 
 be overestimated. Ralph Starr Butler of the United States 
 Rubber Company declares: "Among the -qualifications for 
 success in the business world I know of none more important 
 than a command over English." A high official in one of the 
 largest banks in the country reported only the other day: 
 "We have a very bright young man in one of our depart- 
 ments. I once thought he had great promise. But now I am 
 not sure he will ever rise from the position he holds. He 
 simply has no ability to make a report." Every business man 
 who is trying to find capable assistants voices the same de- 
 mand. There was never a greater opportunity for boys and 
 girls with a command over English. 
 
 Even if you should never wish to secure a position, you 
 would need to know English. You will be talking all your 
 life, and every time you speak you will wish to make others 
 understand what you are saying. You will frequently have 
 to make purchases at a shop, and will wish to indicate your 
 preferences clearly, so that the clerk will give you or send you 
 what you want. You will repeatedly be asking questions or 
 answering them, and in neither case will you wish to necessi- 
 
 xiii
 
 xiv TO THE STUDENT 
 
 tate too many other questions. In fact, no one can engage 
 successfully in the business of living without the power to 
 say what he means so that other people will comprehend his 
 meaning. 
 
 The boy who expects to enter the great world of buying and 
 selling has a particular need for command over the English 
 language. At the very threshold of his career, his securing 
 the position he wishes may depend on the kind of letter he 
 will write or the way in which he can carry on a conversation. 
 If he applies by letter, his letter must make a better impres- 
 sion than the hundred other letters the employer may receive. 
 He cannot afford to write an awkward or ungrammatical 
 sentence, or to misspell or fail to punctuate, or to make choice 
 of the wrong word. If he is granted an interview, he must be 
 able to utter his words so that everyone will be heard and 
 must express his ideas so that they will be grasped as soon as 
 they are spoken. These requirements are equally impera- 
 tive in the case of a girl. 
 
 Business men require that applicants should at least be 
 able to write letters. Letter writing follows rules just as base- 
 ball does. When you leave school and apply for a business 
 position you will be expected to know the rules for letter 
 writing as well as the rules for writing sentences and para- 
 graphs. Your relatives and friends even now expect you to 
 know a good deal about the acceptable form for the letters 
 you write to them. The business man is likely to be much 
 more exacting. 
 
 Your first employment may perhaps be carrying documents 
 or filing papers for a great corporation in a twenty-story office 
 building; or it may be driving the delivery wagon and helping 
 out in a corner store. You must be able to understand direc- 
 tions exactly and to repeat messages clearly and intelligently.
 
 TO THE STUDENT xv 
 
 Or your work may consist of wrapping up ribbon and spools 
 of thread, and taking orders when the manager is out at 
 luncheon. You will need to be able to win the customer's 
 attention pleasantly and to satisfy her thoroughly with her 
 purchases. All this is included in the field of business English. 
 It must be mastered if you are to succeed as a salesman. If 
 you have visions of becoming a department head or "buyer" 
 or of managing your own firm some day, you must master 
 perfectly the secret of satisfying your customers. 
 
 Your first position may be writing routine letters along 
 with a hundred other typists or collecting the monthly bills for 
 a small grocer. You may think that English is of little con- 
 cern to you. You will find that for advancement much skill 
 in English is required. Even in writing, routine letters, 
 ability to spell and punctuate correctly and to place the 
 message on the page with pleasing margins all about will 
 single you out for promotion. To collect money either in 
 person or by letter requires in many cases an exceptional 
 command over the English language. He who can both get 
 the money and keep the customer will become so valuable to 
 his employer that his progress in business will be assured. 
 
 Besides, every shop and store, whether it fill a single room 
 on a village street or a ten-story building covering a city block, 
 has patrons who are dissatisfied with the cloth or the fruit 
 they have purchased or with the way the goods were de- 
 livered. Angry customers may cause a good deal of trouble 
 unless one knows how to hear claims and how to meet them 
 in a way that will keep the customers friendly. A thorough 
 training in English for business will help to develop that 
 ability. One who succeeds in developing it may be sure that 
 his services will become indispensable to his employer. 
 
 Your duties may require that you prepare a card for the
 
 xvi TO THE STUDENT 
 
 window or a bulletin announcing some event to the em- 
 ployees in the office. If you can produce cards or bulletins 
 that attract favorable attention, you may come to prepare 
 announcements and advertisements for the newspaper, where 
 your ability to present matters in such a way as to win others 
 to your point of view will be more certain of reward. Nearly 
 every business nowadays has to advertise in one way or 
 another. The man who knows how to advertise in a way that 
 brings in business is sure to find his services in demand. 
 
 English in business is not only essential but may be the key 
 to the highest positions in the business world. It leads out 
 into many avenues of influence and of power. But to practice 
 the art of salesmanship or to succeed in winning the con- 
 fidence of your customers and your employers and associates 
 in the many delicate situations of business, always rests upon 
 a thorough mastery of the fundamentals. Can you speak 
 and write perfectly clear sentences? Can you explain your 
 ideas so that others understand and agree? Until you have 
 taken these first steps — actually the most difficult in the race 
 — you cannot hope to start toward the goal. 
 
 Let us begin, then, with the essentials.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Part I — Expressing Ideas in Elementary Business 
 
 Situations 
 Chapter Page 
 
 I. Speech in Business 1 
 
 II. Letters of Order and Acknowledgment. ... 12 
 
 III. Grouping Thoughts 23 
 
 IV. Unity in the Sentence 32 
 
 V. Words 41 
 
 VI. Coherence and Emphasis in the Sentence . 51 
 
 VII. Remittances 65 
 
 VIII. Letters of Application 82 
 
 IX. The Newspaper 92 
 
 Part II — Expressing Ideas for Effective Business 
 Communication 
 
 X. Letter Form 105 
 
 XL Letters of Recommendation and Introduc- 
 tion 127 
 
 XII. The Letter as a Whole 133 
 
 XIII. The Wording of the Letter 141 
 
 XIV. Letters of Inquiry and Information 152 
 
 XV. Developing Ideas Fully 160 
 
 XVI. Social and Official Correspondence 170 
 
 XVII. Developing Ideas Clearly 182 
 
 XVIII. Explanation 192 
 
 XIX. Letters of Claim and Adjustment 205 
 
 xv ii
 
 xviii CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 XX. Argument 224 
 
 XXI. Credit Letters 234 
 
 XXII. Collection Letters 242 
 
 XXIII. Sales Letters— Making the Contact 253 
 
 XXIV. Sales Letters— Securing Action 264 
 
 XXV. Sales Talks 277 
 
 XXVI. Advertising 286 
 
 Part III — Expressing Ideas Clearly and Correctly 
 
 XXVII. Simple Sentences 305 
 
 XXVIII. Complex and Compound Sentences 318 
 
 XXIX. Correct Use of Pronouns and Nouns 336 
 
 XXX. Correct Use of Verbs 353 
 
 XXXI. Correct Uses of Other Parts of Speech 369 
 
 XXXII. Spelling 378 
 
 XXXIII. Essential Uses of Capital Letters and 
 
 Punctuation 389 
 
 XXXIV. More Difficult Punctuation 400 
 
 Appendix 
 
 Appendix A — Glossary 413 
 
 B — States and Territories of the United 
 
 States 424 
 
 C — Abbreviations of Commercial Terms . . . 425 
 
 D— Telegrams 428 
 
 E— Filing 431 
 
 F — Proofreading 436
 
 ENGLISH IN BUSINESS 
 
 Part I — Expressing Ideas in Elementary 
 Business Situations 
 
 CHAPTER I 1 
 
 SPEECH IN BUSINESS 
 
 *1. Speaking Clearly — Its Necessity. — In business life the 
 voice is used a good deal more than the pen. The clerk be- 
 hind the counter has to explain why one piece of goods is 
 better than another. The secretary in the office has to give 
 clearly and pleasantly over the telephone the answers to 
 numberless questions. The manager has to dictate letter 
 after letter either to the secretary or to the dictating machine. 
 In the meeting of a board of directors he may have to argue 
 for a change of policy in the conduct of the store. The travel- 
 ing salesman who comes to his store may have to talk a long 
 time to persuade him to buy an adding machine or a brand of 
 candies. In short, success in any field of business is likely to 
 depend on one's ability to talk. 
 
 *2. Speaking Clearly — The Means. — The first require- 
 ment in all speech is that every word be heard and under- 
 
 1 The principles on which this chapter is constructed are explained 
 in the Preface. The star (*) indicates that the work is suited to first- 
 year pupils. The rest of the chapter should be deferred to the second 
 year.
 
 2 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 stood. The vowel sounds in particular must be clearly and 
 correctly uttered. To say champeen for champion or dooty 
 for duty at once marks you as slovenly and ill-educated. To 
 utter jist for just, kin for can, wuz for was, or gwan for go on 
 may result in confusion. The sentence may have to be re- 
 peated to be understood, and that is always a serious, some- 
 times a fatal, drawback to a business interview of any kind. 
 Everyone expecting to enter business should study the vowels 
 closely and practice until he can utter them correctly. 
 
 The beginnings and the ends of words are another source 
 of confusion. Wot for what may be understood, but it is 
 slovenly. To say "I got'm" leaves one uncertain whether 
 one means " I got him" or " I got them." Hisn and hern for 
 his and her are little worse than sawr for saw. Final d's, t's, 
 and the g in ing should be uttered with particular care for 
 sharpness. Each word must come from the mouth with 
 distinctness. 
 
 Indistinctness comes often from speaking too rapidly. 
 When words are run together, the listener may receive so 
 blurred an impression that he can only guess at what is said. 
 "Seein' she's sorter sore 'bout't, whaddyethinkud be th' 
 straight thing ter do?" A man who leaves his listener's mind 
 in such a whirl as this uninterrupted stream of sounds would 
 produce, is not likely to rise in business. Not only should 
 each word be distinct, but the words should be grouped, with 
 pauses between groups, so that the reader can catch the 
 meaning without a moment's loss. 
 
 If one can speak not only distinctly but in such a way that 
 others like to listen, success is more nearly certain. The tone 
 of voice ought to be as pleasant as it can be made, yet loud 
 enough to be heard in all parts of the room or hall. Most 
 Americans pitch the voice too high. The lower tones are
 
 SPEECH IN BUSINESS 3 
 
 richer and more pleasing. If your voice sounds unpleasant, 
 few persons will want to listen to you. Indeed, you may be 
 regarded as a nuisance. If your voice sounds pleasant, you 
 will probably be thought an agreeable person and you will 
 have less trouble carrying on any business you may have in 
 hand. " The voice with the smile wins." Only practice before 
 someone who can criticize will make your voice both perfectly 
 clear and quite pleasant. Yet both clearness and pleasant- 
 ness are necessary to progress in business. 
 
 In fact, learning to speak well is very much like learning 
 a game. After you have read the rules, practice is necessary. 
 Your practice, however, should be accompanied by criticism. 
 Otherwise you may learn to play, indeed, but to play badly. 
 A coach will show you where you are going wrong and how 
 you can improve. 
 
 This book contains the chief rules in the game of learning 
 to speak well. But your learning depends on how much you 
 practice and how well you heed the coaching. Your teacher 
 and your classmates will be glad to coach you while you 
 do your best. 
 
 *3. Reports. — One form of speech which will be required 
 of you from the very beginning of your business life is making 
 reports. At first they may be fairly simple — perhaps only 
 answers to questions put to you — but if the queries were not 
 important they would never have been asked. Besides, you 
 may be asked to report on your daily routine work. If you 
 are unable to give a good account of your work, your em- 
 ployer will probably conclude that you have failed to get it 
 well in hand, although such may be far from the case. 
 
 As you are advanced to more important duties, you will 
 probably be sent out now and then to gather information on
 
 4 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 some phase of the business. At such a time a good report 
 never fails to make a good impression, but a poor one will 
 probably prove fatal to future advancement. 
 
 Accuracy is essential to all reports. Close observation is 
 necessary in order to make sure of the facts. Notes taken at 
 the time will help one to avoid confusion or to keep from 
 omitting important details. The facts should be arranged in 
 the order easiest for the superior to follow. To make sure of 
 finding and using such an arrangement, some kind of outline 
 is needed. If the report is lengthy or contains precise details, 
 the outline may be held in the hand during the report. 
 
 Give a report as careful attention as you would a telegram, 
 making it both brief and clear. Avoid adjectives and adverbs 
 as well as all words implying uncertainty. Each word you 
 use costs the firm money. The higher the chief to whom you 
 are reporting the more expensive each word becomes; for the 
 time of executives demands pay proportionate to their ability. 
 A long introduction is rarely necessary. Select the main 
 points of your report and present them first, withholding the 
 details until they are asked for. A selection of the main 
 points will require a great deal of thought and will result in a 
 better understanding of the subject. You will find this un- 
 derstanding useful if your superior should care for detailed 
 information. 
 
 Messages require even greater care for the reason that three 
 or more persons are always involved — the person who sends 
 the message, you who carry it, and the person to whom you 
 deliver it. An express company will not receive a package 
 improperly packed. A messenger cannot afford to accept an 
 obscure message. With an express package, care must also 
 be exercised in transit, or delivery in good condition will be 
 impossible. Messages are thought packages. Repeat the
 
 SPEECH IN ENGLISH 
 
 message before you start, to make sure that you understand 
 it. Repeat it on the way, to make sure you do not confuse 
 parts. Then you will be able to deliver it correctly. 
 
 Make your reports so clear and accurate that they can be 
 relied on. 
 
 * Exercise 1 
 
 1. Let a pupil at the front of the class go to some pupil in the rear, 
 ask one of the following questions, listen carefully to the answer, 
 then at the front report the main matter in that answer. 
 
 (a) When and where is the next game? Where do you secure 
 
 tickets, and what is the best way to reach the contest? 
 
 (b) When and where is the next meeting of your club or society, 
 
 and what is to be the business? 
 
 (c) What is your business arithmetic (or any other) class 
 
 studying? 
 
 (d) What did you do yesterday? 
 
 (e) For what three reasons do you come to school? 
 
 2. The class may criticize for the points in §§ 2, 3, pages 1-5. 
 The pupil who gave the information may criticize for the accuracy of 
 the report. Which pupil makes the best report during the period? 
 
 Exercise 2 
 
 *1. You have been appointed on the sanitary squad of the school 
 to assist the teacher. Go to the rooms which you have been asked 
 to visit and report : 
 
 (a) Writing on the blackboards. 
 
 (b) Chalk and erasers not put away. 
 
 (c) Chalk lying on the floors or in the hallways. 
 
 (d) Paper and books left lying about. 
 
 Let the class discuss (1) whether your report was delivered in a 
 clear and pleasant voice, and (2) whether the statement of facts was 
 accurate and easy to follow.
 
 6 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 *2. Make an oral report on one of the recitation periods of your 
 class. The details may be settled by the class, or you may consider 
 these points: 
 
 (a) Which student made the best recitation and why? 
 
 (b) How many pupils contributed to the lesson? 
 
 (c) Did all of the pupils understand the lesson by the end of the 
 
 period? 
 
 (d) What features made the period interesting or dull? 
 
 Let the class judge as in part 1 of this exercise. They may also 
 report on whether you used the proper cases of pronouns. (See 
 §§ 197, 200.) 
 
 *3. You have been selling War Savings Stamps or tickets for some 
 school event, or soliciting advertisements for the school paper, or 
 collecting money for some charitable purpose. Make a report, 
 with which you will probably wish to file some tabulated statement 
 of the sources of the funds and the amounts collected. Let the class 
 judge as above. They may also report on whether your pronouns 
 agreed in number with the antecedents. (See § 198.) 
 
 *4. Your class has decided to give a party, and you have been 
 appointed business manager. Make a report on the best place to 
 hold it, the nature of the preparations, the cost of providing refresh- 
 ments or music, and other matters. What is the best point in the 
 report for your recommendations to the class? 
 
 6. As business manager of some athletic team, you have been 
 asked to report to the treasurer on the necessary equipment. You 
 will have to outline the investigation carefully before you make it, 
 including such points as the number of men, the equipment each 
 needs, the kinds of equipment available, the amount required from 
 the treasurer to cover these expenses. Again, you will wish to file 
 a tabulated statement. What shall it contain? 
 
 Exercise 3 
 
 A number of interesting subjects for reports will be found in 
 Exercises 55, 57, 59, 61, 63.
 
 SPEECH IN ENGLISH 7 
 
 Exercise 4 
 
 1. Prepare a report to the class on one of the inventors and their 
 inventions listed below: 
 
 (a) Watt and the steam engine. 
 
 (b) Arkwright and spinning. 
 
 (c) Eli Whitney and the cotton gin. 
 
 (d) Robert Fulton and the steamboat. 
 
 (e) Sir Henry Bessemer and steel. 
 
 (f) S. F. B. Morse and the telegraph. 
 
 (g) Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone, 
 (h) Thomas A. Edison and the electric light. 
 (i) Selden or Haynes and the automobile. 
 
 (j) The Wright Brothers and the airplane. 
 (k) Marconi and wireless telegraphy. 
 (1) McCormick and the harvester. 
 
 You will find information about these men in the encyclopedias 
 or in books dealing with inventions. You may find biographies of 
 some of them. In dealing with the life of an inventor it is interest- 
 ing to discover (1) how he came to make the invention. What 
 were the conditions in the industry or in common life before the 
 invention? How did the inventor become interested in making the 
 invention? It is also interesting to discover (2) how the invention 
 has improved conditions. Has it made work easier for men? Has 
 it increased production? 
 
 Consider these matters in gathering your material: 
 
 (a) How can you interest your classmates by your first sentence? 
 
 (b) How early should you tell them your exact subject? 
 
 (c) Draw up an outline or set of notes, on which you write 
 
 down the sentence with which you expect to begin each 
 division of your talk. This sentence ought to summarize 
 in some way the preceding division and announce the 
 topic of the present division. 
 
 (d) Is the order of the ideas easy for the class to follow? 
 
 (e) How can you end so as to make your classmates feel that you 
 
 have added something to their stock of information or 
 ideas?
 
 8 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 2. Let the class be divided into committees, each committee to 
 consider one of the following topics : 
 
 (a) Distinctness of utterance and pleasantness of voice. 
 
 (b) Ease of posture. 
 
 (c) Beginning and conclusion. 
 
 (d) The plan and the connectives. 
 
 (e) The substance of the talk, including the invention and the 
 
 effect of the invention. 
 
 When the speaker has completed his address, he may call on some 
 member of each committee to criticize the speech from the point of 
 view of that member's committee. 
 
 Exercise 5 
 
 1. Prepare for a report to the class on one of the business men 
 listed below: 
 
 (a) Marshall Field. 
 
 (b) Andrew Carnegie. 
 
 (c) Edward Harriman. 
 
 (d) John D. Rockefeller, the elder. 
 
 (e) James J. Hill. 
 
 (f) George Peabody. 
 
 (g) Charles M. Schwab. 
 
 (h) John Pierpont Morgan, the elder, 
 (i) The wealthiest man in your state, 
 (j) The most successful business man in your town. 
 
 In dealing with the lives of business men you will find it very 
 interesting to study (1) the reason for their success. Was it great 
 mental ability? Was it due to ability to size up men and induce 
 them to co-operate? What part did opportunity, or good fortune, 
 or sheer luck have to do with their rise? It is also interesting to 
 study (2) the service they rendered to their country. Did they de- 
 velop new resources? Did they organize better methods of business? 
 Did they engage in philanthropic work?
 
 SPEECH IN ENGLISH 9 
 
 You will find material for the lives of these men in: 
 
 The New International Encyclopedia. 
 
 The International Year-Book (published each year as a supple- 
 ment). 
 
 The magazines (use the index or the Cumulative Index). 
 
 Biographies or histories. (Induce the librarian to help you find 
 what books are available for the subject you choose.) 
 
 In preparing your talk consider the following questions: 
 
 (a) What ideas at the beginning will catch the attention of the 
 
 class? 
 
 (b) How can you give a notion of what your purpose is? 
 
 (c) Are your plan and your connectives so clear that every 
 
 member can follow you? Watch particularly the way in 
 which you lead from one topic to another. 
 
 (d) Does your conclusion make the class feel that you have 
 
 done what you promised to do in the beginning? 
 
 2. Let the class be divided as in Exercise 4, part 2, and report. 
 
 Exercise 6 
 
 Similar exercises may consist of studies of great military leaders, 
 statesmen, lawyers, explorers, scientists, medical men, teachers, or 
 of painters, musicians, and authors. 
 
 4. Telephone Conversation. — Every day the telephone is 
 becoming more important in business life. Knowledge of its 
 use is a valuable preparation for many positions. Before 
 trying to use it, read the directions in the telephone book. 
 Keep your lips close to the transmitter and direct your voice 
 into the mouthpiece. Speak slowly and distinctly, and re- 
 member the slogan : "The voice with the smile wins." Your 
 first words over the telephone should be : "Mr. Doe speaking,"
 
 10 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 or "This is Mr. Doe." No time will then be lost in inquiries 
 before stating the business of the conversation. You should 
 not interrupt a person while he is speaking. You may need 
 to make pencil notes so that you can answer his points when 
 it comes your turn. At the close of the conversation do not 
 merely hang up the receiver. Say "Good-bye" courteously. 
 The man at the other end will be more likely to think of the 
 whole conversation pleasantly. 
 
 Note: For exercises in telephone conversation, turn to 
 Exercises 113 (2), 119, and 133 (1). 
 
 5. Dictation. — A very good way to test your command of 
 language is to dictate letters. The first requirement is that 
 before you begin dictating you plan the letter carefully. 
 Know what each point is that you are going to present and 
 what details you intend to use to make that point clear. If 
 you can picture your correspondent, 3^011 are more likely to 
 adapt the letter to the needs of the case. 
 
 If you are dictating to a stenographer, you must heed what 
 has been said of vowels. Every syllable should be sounded 
 distinctly. You cannot say accidenlly for accidentally if you 
 expect the word to appear correctly in the letter. If you say 
 inseprable, you cannot expect to find inseparable. Your pro- 
 nunciation must be correct, too, or you will find wrong spell- 
 ings in your letters. If you say gap, you cannot expect to 
 find gape. If you say crick, you can hardly hope to find 
 creek. 
 
 You should, moreover, help the stenographer to get the 
 sense of what you say as well as the syllables. You can do 
 this best by grouping the words. Every sentence falls natur- 
 ally into groups of phrases. The words of those phrases 
 should be spoken so that the ear will catch them as a group.
 
 SPEECH IN ENGLISH 11 
 
 You can help her further by announcing the period at the 
 end of each sentence. 
 
 In speaking into the tube of a dictating machine you should 
 be equally careful to utter each vowel and syllable distinctly, 
 to pronounce correctly, and to group words into phrases. 
 You will in general have to speak more slowly, so that every 
 vibration of your voice will be recorded by the moving needle 
 on the cylinder. Remember that the typist who is transcrib- 
 ing from a dictating machine has no facial expression to guide 
 her and must rely on the sounds alone. 
 
 There is one feature of the dictating machine that must 
 be borne in mind. You cannot cross off anything that has 
 been dictated. The letter must therefore be carefully planned 
 — very carefully planned — before dictating begins. The 
 paragraphs and the periods should be carefully indicated. 
 Let every feature be so clearly pointed out that the typist will 
 have to make no alterations. 
 
 Note: For exercises in dictation, see Exercises 113 (1-b), 
 114-117, 131, 132, 133, 135.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 LETTERS OF ORDER AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT 1 
 
 *6. An Example of an Order Letter. — Though speech is 
 beyond doubt the commonest use to which English is put 
 in business, letters occupy a very important place. Proba- 
 bly the simplest and most frequently written kind of busi- 
 ness letter is one ordering goods. It is a kind of contract- 
 between the purchaser and the seller, and therefore repre- 
 sents the essential elements of business. Study the following 
 model carefully: 
 
 1335 Wheeler Avenue 
 Mount Vernon, N. Y. 
 April 1, 1930 
 
 Messrs. Grimalkin Brothers 
 3033 Sixth Avenue 
 New York, N. Y. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 As advertised in the "Times" this morning, please send 
 me by parcel post the following items: 
 
 1 Blue Serge Middy Suit, with knee trousers, size 8 $8.50 
 3 Wash Suits, Oliver Twist style, Color, light 
 
 blue, size 5, at $3.50 10.50 
 
 6 Boys' Blouses, madras, mixed blaok and pink pat- 
 terns, size 9, at .89 5.34 
 
 $34.34 
 
 I enolose my check for Twenty-six Dollars ($36) to 
 cover possible delivery charges. Please refund any balance 
 due me . 
 
 Yours truly, 
 (Mrs. Allan Fontaine) Mary L. Fontaine 
 
 1 It will be recalled that sections marked with a star are thought best 
 adapted to work with first-year pupils. 
 
 12
 
 ORDER AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT LETTERS 13 
 
 Why is the address legibly written at the top? Why is the 
 address of the firm given? (Consult pages 109-114.) Why 
 are the items of the order arranged on separate lines? Why 
 are the figures kept in a column and added up? Does the 
 clerk know all he needs to know about each item? Can you 
 explain what each point in each description means? How 
 does Mrs. Fontaine indicate payment? Why is the state- 
 ment of payment made last instead of first? 
 
 Many mistakes are made in stating the inclosure of money. 
 That is the reason the words "Twenty-six Dollars" are 
 spelled with capitals. An additional precaution that should 
 always be taken is to indicate the sum by both words and 
 figures. If the figures had been placed after the word Twenty- 
 six, the dollar sign would have been omitted, as "Twenty-six 
 (26) Dollars." 
 
 *7. Cautions. — When you order goods by mail, you 
 should foresee any possible mistakes. Picture what will 
 happen when the letter reaches the firm or person who is to 
 fill the order. 
 
 1. Will he in every instance be able to give you exactly 
 the article you wish? That is, have you given the size, shape, 
 color, style, quality, catalogue number, etc., of the article, so 
 that he can make no mistake? 
 
 2. When he has filled the order, will he know where and 
 how soon to send it? 
 
 3. Will he know how the order has been or is to be paid 
 for? 
 
 If you are dealing with a firm that furnishes an order blank, 
 you would do well to use the blank, because it helps the clerks 
 to check up items more accurately. 
 
 In ordering, think of the clerk who fills your order.
 
 14 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 *Exercise 7 
 
 Order from the Victoria Talking Machine Company, Dallas, 
 Texas, the following records for the Victoria Talking Machine: 
 Taps, N. Y. by Schumann-Heink, No. 87299, $2; On Wings of Song, by 
 Heifetz, No. 74583, $1.50; Hawaiian Moonlight, by Smith's Orches- 
 tra, No. 18531, .85; That Wonderful Mother of Mine, No. 18524, 
 .85. Give the date of the catalogue from which you order, and pay 
 for the total by money-order. (If you have never seen a money- 
 order turn to pages 65—67, and learn what a money-order is.) After 
 you have written, ask yourself the three questions on page 13. 
 
 Exercise 8 
 
 Order from the Hathaway Publishing Company, 1,000 Broadway, 
 New York City, the following books: Harrington's "Advertising," 
 $2; Smith's "Salesmanship," $4; Nelson's "Business Forms," 83. 
 Pay by express money-order. (See pages 65-67 for a description of 
 the express money-order.) 
 
 Have you arranged the items so that the shipping clerk can check 
 up easily? 
 
 *Exercise 9 
 
 (a) To a seedsman for six different kinds of seed for your flower 
 
 garden. It would be well to consult a catalogue. 
 
 (b) To the same seedsman for six different kinds of seed for 
 
 your vegetable garden. 
 
 (c) Ten dollars' worth of staple groceries to be shipped by 
 
 freight. 
 
 (d) A set of uniforms for a baseball, basketball, soccer, or foot- 
 
 ball team. Be sure to give all the specifications needed. 
 
 (e) Subscribe to some weekly magazine, such as The Literary 
 
 Digest, The Outlook, The Saturday Evening Post, or The 
 Independent. 
 
 (f) Subscribe to some monthly magazine (e. g., The Metropolitan, 
 
 The American) to be sent to a friend.
 
 ORDER AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT LETTERS 15 
 
 (g) Order sleeping-car accommodations to Chicago. (If you 
 live near Chicago, order them to New Orleans, Boston, or 
 Portland, Oregon.) 
 
 1. Write orders for each of the following. 
 
 2. After completing each, consider these two points: (1) Is 
 every word spelled correctly? (2) Have you used the comma properly 
 in every series? (See § 228 [3].) 
 
 *Exercise 10 
 
 You are preparing for a camping party of two weeks. Order 
 from the list such supplies as you think you may need. Be careful 
 to give clear shipping directions so that the goods will surely arrive 
 when needed. After writing the letter, look it over and answer 
 these two questions: (1) Are all the words spelled correctly? (2) 
 Is every series properly punctuated? (See § 228 [3].) 
 
 Soup— R. &. R. Chicken Broth 
 
 with Rice Tin .12 
 
 Puffed Wheat — Quaker.. ..Pkg. . 12 
 
 Corn Flakes— Quaker Pkg. . 08 
 
 Hominy — Granulated .... Carton . 1 1 
 
 Yellow Meal Carton . 1 1 
 
 Honey — Airline Strained 
 
 5 Oz. Bottle . 18 
 
 Marmalade — Gold Leaf — Cali- 
 fornia 15 0z.Jar .29 
 
 Apricot Preserves — Mayflower 
 
 12 Oz. Jar .26 
 
 Raspberry Preserves — May- 
 flower 12 Oz. Jar .26 
 
 Ground Chocolate Powder — 
 
 Maillard's 1 Lb. Tin .59 
 
 Olive Oil — Excelsior Brand 
 
 Full Quart Tin 1.15 
 
 Chow Chow— A. M. & C. 
 
 19 Oz. Jar .35 
 
 Brandied Peaches — H.S. Brand 
 
 —California 27 0z.Jar .90 
 
 Marshmallow Mousse— Mail- 
 lard's Container .24 
 
 Tea — Romona . . 1 Lb. Canister .50 
 
 Coffee — Plantation.! Lb. Pkg. .35 
 
 Tomatoes — Standard Brand. Tin . 11 
 
 Tomatoes — California 
 
 No. 2^ Tin .15 
 
 Tomatoes — Strained. . No. 1 Tin .06 
 
 Peas — Noreca — Early June. .Tin . 15 
 
 Corn — Kravemore Tin . IS 
 
 Soap — Noreca Borax Cake .06 
 
 Box of 100 Cakes 5.80 
 
 Clarola Peanut Oil. Pint Tin .45 
 
 Quart Tin . 75 
 
 Gallon Tin 2.75 
 
 Mackerel — Special Pails . .Each 1 . 35 
 
 Sardines— California. Small Tin . 17 
 
 Large Tin . 28 
 
 Salmon— A. M. & C. Large Tin .35 
 
 Small Tin .23 
 
 Witch Hazel— A. M. & C. 
 
 Yl Pint Bottle .27 
 
 Pint Bottle .47 
 
 CastileSoap— A. M.&C. Cake .17 
 
 Box of 6 Cakes .95 
 
 Peroxide of Hydrogen 
 
 Yl Pint Bottle .14 
 
 Wash Boards- — Carolina Brand 
 
 — Medium Size Each . 29 
 
 Scrub Brushes — White Swan 
 
 Each .11
 
 16 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Exercise 11 
 
 Order from the articles in the following list. Make sure your de- 
 scription is so exact that your order can be filled to your satisfaction. 
 
 25E67 Women's black or white Silk 53E77 Women's Oxfords of brown 
 Hose, with lisle tops and soles; 3 pairs, cordovan calfskin; leather heels. Special 
 special, $3.75; per pair. . $1.35 $8.50 
 
 14E66 Hemstitched Collar-and-cuff 
 
 22E64, 22E65, 22E66 Women's Gloves Set of organdie; white combined with 
 
 of French glace real kidskin of unusual beige, hand-embroidered in beige and 
 
 pliability and wearing quality, and em- brown ; also white combined with Copen- 
 
 bodying the essential points of the hagen blue, embroidered in Copenhagen 
 
 finely-sewed and well-fitting glove. In blue and navy blue. Special . $2.45 
 tan, beaver, slate or white ; also in white 
 
 with black stitching. The usual selling 44E57 Women's Hat Box of black en- 
 price of gloves of this quality is $3.00. ameled duck, lined with cretonne; two 
 Specially priced for this occasion, per hat forms, and two pockets; leather 
 pair, $1.95 corners and handle (size 18 x 18 x 12 
 
 inches). Initials marked in red or white 
 
 „ , , . , . without additional charge . $5.75 
 
 87E20 Sweetmeat Jar of glass, in urn 
 
 shape entirely overlaid with satin bro- 2 1E52 Envelope Bag of Persian leather, 
 cade in rose, old-blue or gold, finished with adjustable handle; black, blue, 
 with gilt galloon. Special . . $3.85 brown or tan; also in black long-grain 
 
 patent leather; colored moir6 lined, 
 53E75 Women's Pumps of black satin; fitted with three compartments, inside 
 Louis XV covered wood heels. Special f rame P° cket and mirror - S Pf- cia l 
 
 $5.85 
 
 $3.50 
 
 34E68 Sailor Hat of glossy straw, with 
 53E76 Women's Dress Pumps of patent rolling brim trimmed with ribbon. In 
 eather; Louis XV covered wood heels. black with old-blue ribbon, or in navy 
 Special $7.85 blue with old-rose ribbon. Special $7.50 
 
 Exercise 12 
 
 Order four or five articles of wearing apparel for yourself. You do 
 not know the exact prices, and you have no catalogue for the de- 
 scription. Can you make the description complete, including price? 
 
 *Exercise 13 
 
 Write to Montgomery Ward and Company, Chicago, 111., ordering 
 a baseball bat, two baseball^, two catcher's mitts, a mask, and a pair 
 of baseball shoes. One mitt and one ball are to be delivered to a 
 cousin in a neighboring town. The rest are to be shipped to you. 
 How can you arrange this order clearly? How can you make the 
 shipping directions easy to follow?
 
 ORDER AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT LETTERS 17 
 
 Acknowledging Orders 
 
 8. Examples. — Now put yourself in the place of the seller. 
 Consider what he should do with the orders he receives. In 
 particular, how should he acknowledge an order which is so 
 indefinite that he cannot fill it? There is an old-fashioned 
 way and a modern way. The old-fashioned way thinks 
 only of the convenience and safety of the firm. 
 
 Poor: 
 
 March 13, 1920 
 Mr. Cyril Towbin 
 Bunker, S. C. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 Your esteemed order of recent date duly at hand and received 
 prompt attention. In reply we beg to state that we are unable to 
 fill your order as the same does not specify which part of the order is 
 to be sent to your cousin. You must have ordered from an old cata- 
 logue, and the cost of each article is now much higher. Besides, you 
 enclosed no money in the letter. 
 
 If you will write out another order from our latest catalogue and 
 enclose the necessary funds, we will ship the goods at once. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 Smith, Jones & Co. 
 
 The modern way treats the customer as a friend, and 
 speaks of the whole transaction with an eye to his interests. 
 It consequently does not use the stilted and sometimes mean- 
 ingless language of the ' Poor" letter above, but a simple 
 and natural wording. Since it is friendly in spirit, it gives 
 all the information that- the customer may need to secure 
 exactly the goods he wants. Compare the letter on the next 
 page very carefully with the one above.
 
 18 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Better: 
 
 March 13, 1920 
 
 Mr. Cyril Towbin 
 Bunker, S. C. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 We thank you for your order of March 10, but as we 
 should like to please you in every detail, we are sending 
 our latest "Sports" catalogue. 
 
 The baseball goods begin on page 25. You will find 
 that the price of all leather goods has advanced since the 
 1916 issue of our catalogue, from which you ordered. The 
 quality, however, we have kept as dependable as ever. 
 
 You request us to send one mitt and one ball to your 
 oousin in Beaver. Is his name the same as yours? In what 
 county is Beaver situated? We do not find it in our 
 postal dlreotory. 
 
 If you will order on the enclosed blanks, we shall be 
 pleased to fill the order to your complete satisfaction. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Exercise 14 
 
 1. Take up each of the points made in Chapters XII and 
 XIII. Address the class, comparing the two letters above on 
 each point. 
 
 2. If you are not ready to do this, answer the following ques- 
 tions: As an acknowledgment, does each contain: 
 
 (a) Hearty thanks for the order? 
 
 (h) Definite reference to the order, by the date of the order, 
 
 the name of the article, the customer's order number, or 
 
 the shipper's order number? 
 (c) Conclusion that gives evidence of a desire to serve'.' 
 
 9. Special Cases of Acknowledgment. — Good business 
 houses are very careful about acknowledgment. Many ha ve
 
 ORDER AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT LETTERS 19 
 
 the rule that orders shall be acknowledged the same day they 
 are received. For this purpose post-card forms requiring the 
 insertion of only a date or order number are used. Orders 
 from new customers, however, are usually answered by a 
 letter. Why? 
 
 Where for some reason the order cannot be filled, extreme 
 care must be used. These cases may be: 
 
 1. Only part of the order can be filled, or the stock may be 
 exhausted or discontinued. In the first case a letter should 
 accompany the part which is shipped, stating what articles 
 are forwarded and explaining the reason* why the remainder 
 will be delayed. In the second case the customer may be 
 asked whether he wishes the money refunded or the goods 
 supplied at a later date. He may be informed of what 
 stock may be substituted or of where the articles may be 
 purchased. 
 
 2. The description is inadequate. If an old catalogue has 
 been used, possibly a little judgment will enable the clerk to 
 select the article. If the description is too indefinite, the 
 request for definite information should be so phrased as to 
 give no offense. 
 
 3. The customer has forgotten to enclose money or has 
 enclosed an insufficient sum. Or perhaps he has ordered 
 goods to be sent on credit, and his "credit standing" may 
 require investigation. The customer should be courteously 
 reminded of his oversight or requested to furnish proper 
 references. 
 
 4. The delivery may be delayed by traffic conditions. The 
 customer should be notified of these conditions. This should 
 be done when the goods go forward. In large shipments, the 
 bill of lading or the bill of lading and the invoice are sent by 
 mail as a notice of shipment. In any case, some notice should
 
 20 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 be sent, which may serve as a means of checking the goods 
 which go by another route than the letter. 
 
 Exercise 15 
 
 1. Write appropriate acknowledgments to the order letters you 
 have written. 
 
 2. You are manager of a shoe factory at St. Louis, Mo. A strike 
 of the employees in the Terminal Railway Company, which controls 
 all rail shipments from St. Louis, makes it uncertain when the goods 
 can leave your factory. Write the acknowledgment of a large 
 order. 
 
 3. You are a correspondent in the firm to which you sent the 
 order in Exercise 10 (page 15). Five of the items are temporarily 
 out of stock. Write an appropriate acknowledgment. 
 
 4. You are correspondent in the mail-order house of Buyers and 
 Best, 191 Market St., San Francisco, Cal. You have received from 
 Mrs. A. M. Burgess, 12 Santa Clara Ave., Sunapee, Cal., the follow- 
 ing order : 
 
 1 boy's cap, price about SI. 00 
 
 1 doz. men's linen handkerchiefs at about 3.50 
 
 1 pr. low shoes, not over 7.00 
 
 1 blouse, pink, size 36, about 5.00 
 
 Express money-order enclosed for $16.50. 
 
 You can fill the second item, but on the others you need more 
 definite information. Write an appropriate acknowledgment. 
 
 5. Buyers and Best have discontinued men's furnishings, and 
 carry only women's and children's goods. Write an appropriate 
 acknowledgment. 
 
 6. The express money-order is not in the envelope that is received 
 by Buyers and Best. Write an appropriate acknowledgment. 
 
 7. As correspondent for Buyers and Best, assume that the de- 
 scriptions are adequate but that Mrs. Burgess asks you to charge the 
 amount to her aunt, Mrs. Dewey Simpson, 193 Landscape Ave., 
 Sunapee. You have received no authorization to that effect from 
 Mrs. Simpson. Write an appropriate acknowledgment.
 
 ORDER AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT LETTERS 21 
 Following up an Order 
 
 10. How to Secure Delivery. — Formerly a good many 
 order letters ended with "send at once" or "ship at your 
 earliest convenience." Such expressions are useless. No 
 house can succeed today that puts off business matters. It 
 makes shipment as promptly as possible. If the goods are 
 needed by a particular date, the order should specify the 
 time and explain the reason for haste. It is well to request a 
 promise of delivery by that date. The shipper will then 
 probably make it a "rush order" so that he may live up to 
 his promise. 
 
 If you fail to receive the goods when promised, you may 
 have to write an inquiry urging immediate action. In such a 
 letter the demand for courtesy is imperative. Never betray 
 your anger. If you have received a letter acknowledging 
 the order, refer to the acknowledgment by number or date. 
 Instead of emphasizing your disappointment, make the 
 shipper feel that he is hurting himself. You may threaten to 
 discontinue your patronage if you do not secure better service 
 in the future. 
 
 Exercise 16 
 
 1. Your dramatic society has decided to present Alfred Noyes's 
 "Sherwood." A week ago you ordered five copies from the F. A. 
 Stokes Company, New York City. Write again urging haste, as 
 your society has only a limited time in which to prepare the play for 
 production. 
 
 2. You are the person who sent in the order in Exercise 10 and 
 received acknowledgment 3 in Exercise 15. You were promised 
 that the five remaining articles would arrive the day before 
 setting out for your camp. They have not arrived. Write a 
 courteous but firm letter, countermanding the order.
 
 22 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 3. You are the purchasing agent for your school store, in which 
 you sell tablets, note-books, pencils, erasers, pennants, armbands, 
 and school pins. Order from the Towne Manufacturing Company, 
 812 Lake St., Chicago, 111., your supplies for the first month of the 
 new term. 
 
 4. As a correspondent of the Towne Company, acknowledge the 
 order, but promise the school pins in two weeks, as they have to be 
 made up according to earlier specifications. 
 
 5. As purchasing agent .you have waited three weeks. Write an 
 appropriate letter, urging haste, as the demand for school pins is 
 greatest among the incoming freshmen. 
 
 6. As the correspondent (4), explain that the manufacturing 
 jeweler who makes up the pins for you has had unusually heavy or- 
 ders ahead of yours. Promise that the pins will go forward the 
 next day. 
 
 7. Write your coal dealer, reminding him that it is now one full 
 week past the date when he contracted to deliver you seven tons. 
 
 8. As the dealer, explain that the railroad was unable to deliver the 
 coal from the mines. Promise delivery for the following Monday. 
 
 9. Have you enough business letters to illustrate the three types 
 studied in this chapter? On each specimen, write a comment on the 
 arrangement of the order, its definiteness, the courtesy of the ac- 
 knowledgment, and the other qualities described in this chapter. 
 Bring the best example of each type to class. For ease in filing, you 
 may wish to make a separate folder for each of the three types. 
 
 Exercise 17 — Oral Reports 
 
 1. Some orders with which you (or your family) have had trouble. 
 Make clear whether you or the firm was at fault and how. 
 
 2. How orders are handled in a large firm. Trace the order from 
 the time the envelope is opened to the shipment of the goods. 
 
 3. Some acknowledgments that caused trouble. Illustrate, if 
 possible, the value of courtesy in writing an acknowledgment. Read 
 some actual letters illustrating this point, if you can secure them. 
 
 4. Some "rush orders" that were not rushed. Illustrate, if 
 possible, the difficulties of carrying out promises. Should a firm 
 promise if it cannot be certain of performing?
 
 CHAPTER III 
 GROUPING THOUGHTS 
 
 *11. Necessity for Grouping. — When you talk or write in 
 business, you do not engage in aimless chatter. You have a 
 purpose. You wish to put your thoughts before others. You 
 wish them to understand something; for example, the reason 
 for the high price of eggs. You wish to interest them, as in 
 the merits of a new typewriter or adding machine. On most 
 occasions you wish to bring about some action on their part, 
 as the purchase of the eggs or the trial of the adding machine. 
 
 To accomplish your purpose you must talk or write so that 
 your readers see clearly what you mean. They must be able 
 to follow your ideas, and each idea must be developed fully 
 enough for them to grasp your meaning without effort. The 
 less trouble they have in getting your thought, the more 
 successful your business communication will be. Therefore, 
 take the point of view of the person you are addressing. 
 
 Australia is the greatest producer of wool in the world. It ranks 
 high among the nations exporting wheat. It is also a metallurgist's 
 paradise, containing rich workings of iron, zinc, gold, copper, tin, 
 silver, molybdenite, tungsten ores, platinum, and radio-active uran- 
 ium ores. It has in addition deposits of diamonds, sapphires, 
 emeralds, opals, turquoise, tourmaline, and rubies. In short, the 
 resources of Australia are already beyond measure. 
 
 Australia's resources can be so developed that she could easily 
 support a population of fifty millions. Her eastern states (New 
 South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland) have comparatively little 
 arid interior. All the states are undoubtedly capable of great 
 development. In Queensland, which runs into the tropical and 
 
 23
 
 24 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 subtropical zones, practically anything can be grown. Dairy pro- 
 ducts and grain abound along its southern border, and a few hundred 
 miles to the north pineapples, bananas, and sugar cane grow in 
 abundance. South of Victoria the small island of Tasmania has a 
 climate probably unequaled anywhere in the world, with fine re- 
 sources of minerals and grain. In a few years these states may be 
 filled with a population that will be buying goods in every corner 
 of the world. 
 
 The Australian market is especially desirable to the United 
 States, because the seasons are the reverse of those here, the Aus- 
 tralian summer being at the time of the American winter. Besides, 
 Australian merchants are accustomed to placing their orders about 
 nine months before the goods are required. Consequently, if the 
 American manufacturer secured Australian orders in sufficient 
 volume, his factories could run continuously in the domestic "off 
 season." He could fill orders during the dull season, which occurs 
 in the United States between the regular seasonal shipments for 
 domestic trade, and thus keep his plant running full time the year 
 round. 1 
 
 What is the topic of this passage? Can you sum up the 
 thought of all of it in a sentence? What is the topic of each 
 paragraph, that is, of each indented part? Sum up each para- 
 graph in a sentence. Would it be more difficult to read this 
 passage if it were not divided into paragraphs? Why? 
 
 A paragraph is, then, a distinct step toward your purpose. It 
 is a group of ideas that belong together because they develop 
 or make clear a thought essential to your purpose. The in- 
 dention merely helps the eye to see that one of these new steps 
 or groups is beginning. Just as a capital letter is used to 
 announce a new thought or sentence, so indention is used to 
 announce a new group of thoughts. It helps the reader to see 
 your ideas more quickly and with less effort. 
 
 "Trading with Australasia," issued by Guaranty Trust Co.
 
 GROUPING THOUGHTS 25 
 
 The paragraph, moreover, helps you as a writer. To plan 
 your thought in paragraphs is an aid to making sure that you 
 are taking the point of view of the reader. Are the steps in 
 the proper order to lead him easily to the conclusion? In 
 each paragraph do all the sentences help to make clear that 
 stage of thought? Are the paragraphs fully enough developed 
 to be clear? Are the sentences in them arranged in the clearest 
 order? By answering these questions, you can make sure you 
 are putting your thoughts into the form easiest for the reader 
 to understand. 
 
 *12. Topic Sentence. — One way to help the reader is to tell 
 him in a sentence exactly what you are going to discuss in 
 the paragraph. Such a sentence may be called a topic sen- 
 tence. It frequently is introduced near the beginning. In 
 the passage above, for example, the third paragraph begins 
 with the statement: "The Australian market is especially 
 desirable to the United States." 
 
 In the first paragraph, however, the writer prefers to lead 
 up to the thought which is contained in the last sentence: 
 "In short, the resources of Australia are already beyond 
 measure." 
 
 It sometimes happens that no one sentence sums up the 
 thought of the paragraph. But, whether the writer furnishes 
 a topic sentence or not, every good paragraph can be summed 
 up in a single sentence. 
 
 Exercise 18 
 
 Read the following letter sent out by a large firm to all its traveling 
 salesmen. What is the topic of the letter? Can you sum it up in a 
 sentence? What is the topic of each paragraph? Find or make a
 
 26 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 topic sentence for each. Why are the paragraphs shorter than in the 
 first passage quoted? 
 
 "One of our salesmen who was in the office a few days ago made 
 the statement that one of his competitors, who represented one of the 
 largest packers, had worked one of his towns with a population of 
 over 10,000 without securing a single order. 
 
 "We asked this salesman if this was the fault of the man, the ser- 
 vice, the price, or the quality of the goods. He said it was 'the 
 man.' 
 
 "This competitor salesman had been on that territory over four 
 years. He thought he must have a cheap price to sell goods, and, 
 accordingly, quoted the lowest priced product he had, resulting in the 
 dealer's receiving a cheap price and cheap goods. This left the dealer 
 dissatisfied and under the impression that the products of that house 
 were inferior. 
 
 "You should not quote #6 cows to a dealer who should have #1 
 steers, neither should you quote Excelsior Bacon to a dealer whose 
 trade demands nothing better than Southern Squares. It is your 
 duty to sell your customers the quality of goods their trade demands. 
 You cannot do this without knowing your line, and when you are 
 able to do this you increase your prestige and improve your sales- 
 manship. 
 
 "Cheap things are offered for people who cannot pay more— who 
 must 'get along' the best they can, and these people who buy cheap 
 goods invariably pay out more in the end by having paid less in the 
 beginning. 
 
 "If you have dealers who cater to the cheap class of trade, sell 
 them the cheaper goods — but be careful. Remember that quality 
 products are not necessarily the most expensive. Generally it is the 
 other way." 
 
 Exercise 19 
 
 Bring to class a newspaper or magazine editorial on a subject that 
 interests you. What is the topic it deals with? Can you sum it up 
 in a sentence? What is the topic of each paragraph? Find or 
 make a topic sentence for each.
 
 GROUPING THOUGHTS 27 
 
 *13. Plan of the Whole Composition. — Reread the letter 
 on page 26, noting especially the plan of the whole, which 
 may be drawn up in this way: 
 
 1. The competitor 
 
 (a) The competitor's failure 
 
 (b) The explanation of it 
 
 (c) His method 
 
 2. You 
 
 (a) Your duty 
 
 (b) The reason for it 
 
 3. The proper price 
 
 Everything in the letter leads to the final paragraph. The 
 writer wished his salesmen to get the notion that the goods 
 with the lowest price are not the cheapest. Every business 
 writer must take the same care in thinking out the steps of his 
 message that will bring him to the goal. Plan your own 
 letters and talks, with your reader or hearer constantly in 
 mind. 
 
 Exercise 20 
 
 1. Outline, in a form like that above, an editorial in a daily paper 
 or a weekly review, such as The Outlook, The Independent, The 
 Literary Digest. Show how each paragraph fits into the purpose of 
 the writer. (For the formal requirements of a plan, see § 112). 
 
 2. Take a short magazine article and treat it in the same way. 
 
 3. Apply these directions to the letters in § § 121, 122, 124, 125. 
 
 4. Draw up an outline for three of the following letters. Do the 
 topics lead up to the conclusion? 
 
 (a) A request for the use of a vacant lot or field as a ball diamond. 
 
 (b) A letter explaining a holiday bicycle run, a walking trip, or 
 
 an automobile trip.
 
 28 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 (c) A letter in which you endeavor to sell a particular kind of 
 
 typewriter. 
 
 (d) A letter requesting your principal to permit certain mem- 
 
 bers to leave school early to play a scheduled ball game. 
 
 (e) A letter to a college, setting forth your qualifications for a 
 
 scholarship. 
 
 (f ) A letter requesting your teacher to permit the class to prepare 
 
 and present a program during the regular class period. 
 
 (g) A letter inducing students to subscribe to the school period- 
 
 ical, 
 (h) A letter urging students to attend the next ball game, with 
 directions how to reach the point where it is to be played. 
 
 *14. Outlines. — Every paragraph that consists of more 
 than a single sentence has to be planned. The arrangement 
 of the sentences in it is as important as the arrangement of 
 the paragraphs in the letter or report. Business writers and 
 talkers are extremely careful of this matter, as the following 
 address shows: 
 
 An appeal, regardless of what it is, in a letter or advertisement 
 makes either a favorable or an unfavorable impression. I remember 
 Hugh Chalmers saying, " Never put into a letter anything which has 
 not a cash value." In other words, make every word cf your letter 
 pay a profit; and if what I have to say is properly applied, it will 
 make the words and sentences and paragraphs and demonstration 
 parts of your letters more effective. It will make every word pay 
 a profit. 
 
 The first sentence is either going to kill your letter or otherwise. 
 The psychology that I have for the first sentence was learned when I 
 was on the road as sales manager of a little concern up in Michigan 
 a good many years ago. I went over the territory with a man who 
 didn't seem to be producing very well. We sold a line of perfumes. 
 We went into a druggist's one afternoon, and this is what he said, 
 handing the proprietor a bottle of perfume : "I represent the So-So
 
 GROUPING THOUGHTS 29 
 
 Chemical Company, and we have a nice line of perfumes, and I 
 think it will make you a good seller," or words to that effect. The 
 druggist looked over his shelves, whereon he had as many kinds of 
 perfume as the grocery store has kinds of breakfast food, and decided 
 that he was not interested in our particular perfume. 
 
 In approaching the next place it seemed to me that we ought to 
 try a new point of contact, in other words, make our first sentence 
 psychologically correct, so I made this suggestion: "When you go 
 into this man's place of business, hand him the bottle of perfume and 
 say something like this, 'Here's a perfume, Mr. Jones, which will 
 make you 40 per cent net profit, and if these sizes don't sell we will 
 exchange them for sizes that will sell in your community.' " Immed- 
 iately we developed a point of contact there which was right. It 
 emphasized a cash profit to the man to whom we were talking. That 
 is the kind of psychology that I brought back from that trip and ever 
 since have been putting into my letters. ' 
 
 The plan of the first paragraph may be drawn up thus: 
 
 1. An appeal is favorable or unfavorable. 
 
 2. Hugh Chalmers' test of a favorable appeal. 
 
 3. My address will show you how to meet the test. 
 
 Exercise 21 
 
 1. Make an outline of the second and third paragraphs of the 
 quotation from Mr. Fay, similar to the one for the first paragraph. 
 
 2. Select one of the subjects below, and prepare an outline from 
 which you can deliver a one-minute speech. Be sure to sum up in a 
 single sentence what you have to say. 
 
 (a) My chum. 
 
 (b) How I prepare my lessons. 
 
 (c) Earning a dollar. 
 
 (d) The study I like best and why. 
 
 1 Robert C. Fay in 1918, " Proceedings of Better Letters Association.'
 
 30 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 (e) A position I should like to fill. 
 
 (f ) A successful grocer or druggist. 
 
 (g) The pleasures of a farmer's life, 
 (h) The qualities a teacher needs. 
 (i) A well-spent Saturday. 
 
 (j) The best doctor I know. 
 
 When you have sat down, one of your classmates will report on 
 whether: (1) he could hear every word; (2) he could follow your 
 thought easily; (3) you included anything that did not help him to 
 understand your topic. 
 
 Exercise 22 
 
 1. Write outlines for two of the following topic sentences. 
 
 (a) Every girl should know how to cook and sew. 
 
 (b) Every boy should have a hobby. 
 
 (c) High school subjects help one to select a life-work. 
 
 (d) Every student should decide on his life-career while he is in 
 
 high school. 
 
 (e) My chum returned to school because . 
 
 (f) I lost my position because . 
 
 (g) There are as manjr opportunities today as there ever were. 
 (h) Every boy should have a weekly allowance. 
 
 Exchange with your classmates. Let each determine whether 
 the ideas in the outline he receives are in the best order. 
 
 2. Prepare to develop orally one of the outlines you have drawn 
 up. Let one of your classmates answer the three questions in 
 Exercise 21, part 2. Another may report whether you used any im- 
 proper forms of the verb (see § 206) or verbs in the wrong number 
 (see § 209). 
 
 3. Write out the paragraph on another of the outlines. In what 
 part of the paragraph is the topic sentence? Are all your sentences 
 necessary to the development of the thought? A classmate may 
 review it to see whether you have always made the pronouns refer 
 unmistakably to their antecedents. (See § 199.)
 
 GROUPING THOUGHTS 31 
 
 Exercise 23 
 
 1. Draw up an outline on one of the following topics. Talk over 
 the topic with several persons who know something about it, and 
 then think over very carefully whether .you have selected the most 
 important points. A classmate can look over your outline and tell 
 you whether you have selected the right points and arranged them 
 so that the strongest comes last. 
 
 (a) Qualifications of a good telephone operator. 
 
 (b) Trials of a girl at the switchboard. 
 
 (c) How to care for a typewriter. 
 
 (d) The business news in some daily newspaper and how to find 
 
 it, 
 
 (e) The uses of a dictionary, a telephone directory, a city 
 
 directory, "Who's Who," or some other directory or book 
 of reference. 
 
 (f) How to handle incoming and outgoing mail. 
 
 (g) Difficulties of cutting and printing a stencil. 
 
 (h) A business magazine that the class should know about. 
 (i) An industry with which you are familiar. 
 (j) A position you are capable of filling. 
 
 2. Deliver orally an address based on the final revision of the 
 outline just prepared. In addition to the questions in Exercise 
 
 . 22 (3), the critic may note whether you mispronounced any words. 
 
 3. Write a paragraph developing one division of the speech. 
 Where is the topic sentence? Do all the sentences make the thought 
 clearer? A classmate may read the paragraph to see whether all 
 relative pronouns are properly used. (See § 200.)
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 UNITY IN THE SENTENCE 
 
 *15. Necessity for Unity. — We long ago learned what makes 
 a good sentence. We know that it must have a subject and a 
 predicate. We know that the predicate must assert something 
 of the subj ect , that it cannot be a participle or an infinitive. We 
 know that it cannot be a dependent clause, because in the sen- 
 tence a dependent clause performs the function of some word. 
 Consequently, no clause beginning with a subordinating con- 
 j unction can stand by itself as a sentence. A sentence must ex- 
 press a complete thought ; otherwise its meaning is not definite. 
 
 *16. Dividing the Thought.— 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 It is an investment in city bonds. Bonds that are as safe 
 and as secure as the city itself. 
 
 Any reader coming to the first period will at once think the 
 statement is completed. He will fail to understand the next 
 group of words. The second group is not a sentence; most 
 of it is a subordinate clause (see § § 188, 193, 194). More- 
 over, this clause is needed to complete the first group, to 
 give the reader the proper notion of the nature of the in- 
 vestment. The statement should read as follows: 
 
 Right: 
 
 It is an investment in city bonds— bonds that are as safe 
 and as secure as the city itself. 
 
 Always make sure that you have all of your sentence 
 together. 
 
 32
 
 UNITY IN THE SENTENCE 33 
 
 Exercise 24 
 
 The sentences below fail to put all of the thoughts together. 
 Correct them. 
 
 1. We feel that we can discover Mr. Jones and collect the claim 
 through other persons. Although this will entail some expense, as 
 the debtor is very tardy in paying his accounts. 
 
 2. The rate would be 12 cents a pound, or 48 cents in all. The 
 total amount of the order not being sufficient to entitle you to free 
 delivery at such a distance. 
 
 3. The reason for this is that the express charges to Texas are 
 necessarily high. In case a shipment is not received for any reason, 
 we are obliged to bear the charges both ways. 
 
 4. Will you favor us in confidence with your opinion of the man- 
 agement, financial position, and general standing of the Rockville 
 Company of your city? Stating at the same time whether the com- 
 pany pledges its assets to secure loans? 
 
 5. The part of the course that particularly appealed to me was 
 the instructions as to the general contour of letters. Such as the 
 beginning and the ending, and the elimination of time-worn expres- 
 sions (that are persistent in the average business man's dictation). 
 
 6. If the typed message leaves a better impression, that fact 
 makes any letter better than the ordinary one. Which arouses no 
 more personal interest than the average person we meet every day. 
 
 7. When in need of either substitute or permanent office help, 
 just call our employment department. Stating always the neces- 
 sary qualifications. 
 
 8. There is always the clanger that those who go into service at an 
 early age will acquire the hired man's habit of doing only that which 
 must be done when under oversight or direction. Thus becoming 
 unfitted for anything but the hired man's job. 
 
 9. All jobs of this kind are much alike. Whether in store, office, 
 or factoiy. 
 
 10. There is a prospect that the manual laborer may prepare 
 himself to manage others. That the worker in the market garden 
 may do his work so well that he may acquire the confidence to be- 
 come his own employer. That the digger of the trenches may find a 
 way to become a contractor on his own account. 
 
 3
 
 34 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Exercise 25 
 
 The class can overcome this fault soonest by selecting from their 
 writing a number of examples of it. If the mistakes are placed on 
 the blackboard or mimeographed, the class can correct them with 
 great profit. They should thereafter scan their writing narrowly 
 for this error. 
 
 *17. The Comma Blunder. — Possibly the worst habit 
 in writing sentences, and the one hardest to break, is the 
 running of sentences together with only the comma to sepa- 
 rate them. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He came to see me in the evening, if he had come in 
 the afternoon he would have found me. 
 
 Now two thoughts can be found in this group of words, 
 but the childish punctuation obscures them. To replace the 
 comma after "evening" with a period clears up the meaning. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He came to see me in the evening. If he had come in 
 the afternoon, he would have found me. 
 
 Sometimes the confusion arises from the use of however, 
 therefore, consequently, and other conjunctions that can never 
 properly be introduced to connect parts of a sentence. In 
 such cases, also, punctuation is usually a sufficient remedy. 
 
 Exercise 26 
 
 What are the main ideas in the following sentences? What change 
 in the punctuation will make these ideas stand out? Are other 
 changes needed?
 
 UNITY IN THE SENTENCE 35 
 
 1. I had quite a bit of homework last night, I have not recovered 
 yet. 
 
 2. That is a new story, I just got it out of the library on the first 
 floor. 
 
 3. Money is the commonest reward of successful business, it is 
 not all that is worth while in life. 
 
 4. Think of the convenience of our library, you never have to go 
 out of the building to get a book or return it. 
 
 5. I know you are interested in construction and scientific work, 
 in our library you will find such magazines as Popular Mechanics 
 and The Scientific American. 
 
 6. Most employers treat their employees with absolute fairness, 
 it is fundamental in good management of any business. 
 
 7. The first-class man is exceedingly rare, he is cheap at almost 
 any price. 
 
 8. You must have heard of vacuum cleaners, although they are 
 not so common as carpet-sweepers, they clean rugs very much better. 
 
 9. He had only one good eye, the right one was made of glass. 
 
 10. It was a long hill, consequently we had to rest two or three 
 times before reaching the top. 
 
 11. She had never seen a mimeograph, that did not keep her from 
 trying to use it, however. 
 
 12. The bell rang, I ran as hard as I could, but the teacher shut the 
 door in my face. 
 
 13. My typewriter is out of order, I cannot move the carriage to 
 the right. 
 
 14. The Board of Education had declared Wednesday a holiday, 
 we therefore went home before the first recitation. 
 
 15. The class set out some young trees in front of the building, 
 they looked too slender ever to grow into shade trees, however. 
 
 16. I was in a hurry to get to school, however, I was very curious 
 about what the crowd was looking at. 
 
 Exercise 27 
 
 Read over the last two or three themes and copy out all the 
 comma sentences you find. Bring these to class to place on the 
 blackboard for the other pupils to correct. Hereafter, read over
 
 36 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 every theme you write to make sure that it contains no sentences 
 illustrating the comma blunder. Be ashamed to hand in any writ- 
 ing with so childish a fault. 
 
 *18. Too Many Ideas. — A habit related to the comma 
 blunder leads to stringing together too many ideas by means 
 of anoVs and but's. The writer does not think of his separate 
 ideas. He does not think of his reader. He hurries on to 
 another idea without pausing. For example: 
 
 Confusing: 
 
 I deposited this check in my bank and this morning re- 
 ceived word that the item had been returned for "Not 
 Sufficient Funds," and no doubt you have received or will 
 receive a notice to this effect. 
 
 Now all this refers to one subject — the check. But the 
 meaning is confused because three different ideas about the 
 check are put into one sentence: the deposit, my notification, 
 the indorser's notification. The ideas will become clear at 
 once and without effort if the sentence is broken up. 
 
 Right: 
 
 I deposited the check at my bank. This morning I 
 received word that the item had been returned for "Not 
 Sufficient Funds." No doubt you have received, or will re- 
 ceive, a notice to this effect. 
 
 Confusing: 
 
 Mrs. Irene Smith, a dressmaker of your city who keeps 
 an account with your institution, has written to us asking 
 us to open a charge account in her name, and we would 
 thank you for any information you may be able to give us 
 as to her credit standing.
 
 UNITY IN THE SENTENCE 37 
 
 Right: 
 
 Mrs. Irene Smith . . . name. We . . . standing. 
 
 To make sentences accomplish their purpose, follow this 
 rule : Make your central thought stand out so that the reader 
 gets one main impression at a time. This is called unity. 
 
 Exercise 28 
 
 The following sentences from unskilful writers lack unity. First, 
 does the writer have more than one purpose? Second, what are 
 the main purposes? Third, rewrite so as to bring these purposes out 
 unmistakably. 
 
 1. Mrs. Halsey has always kept a balance, and although not very 
 large, it has always been steady. 
 
 2. I have now explained fully the plan, and I hope to see you 
 around in my office in a short time taking out one of these certificates. 
 
 3. I have now on hand a number of bonds which I am going to 
 offer for sale, and I am writing to let you know before I put them 
 on the market for sale at par to see if you wish to buy some of them. 
 
 4. A porter in a warehouse earned enough to support himself by 
 working nine hours a day, but by using a quick ear, a ready memory 
 and a good command of English he mastered stenography in an 
 evening school, and when a vacancy occurred in the office he re- 
 ceived his promotion with an increase of $200 a year to his earnings. 
 
 5. The attached letters are sent out by us to certain lists of trade, 
 and you may be able to find some helpful suggestions in them. 
 
 6. These have all been enumerated on the statement, together 
 with all credits applying against them, and we believe that you will 
 find, after carefully checking up the different sums, that we are 
 really entitled to the balance of $327.33 mentioned. 
 
 7. We assure you that we have no desire to embarrass or trouble 
 you, but it is necessary that this account be settled at once, and we 
 trust that you will see that it is for your interest to adjust the 
 matter without delay.
 
 38 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 8. So that your letter will come to my personal attention I am 
 enclosing a stamped return envelope, and I shall be pleased to for- 
 ward descriptive circulars if you will fill out the accompanying card. 
 
 19. Subordination.— One of the worst faults in sentence 
 structure and one of the hardest to overcome is failure to 
 bring out clearly the relations among ideas or thoughts. Re- 
 view what is said in § § 189, 193, 194 about subordinating 
 conjunctions. Note how much easier it is to grasp the 
 thought when the subordinating conjunction is used: 
 
 Confusing: 
 
 We wish to have some reliable information and we ask 
 your opinion concerning the reliability of this company 
 
 Clearer: 
 
 Since we wish trustworthy information, we ask your 
 opinion concerning the reliability of this company. 
 
 Confusing: 
 
 The lead in this pencil is smooth, but it is very firm and 
 durable and seldom breaks. 
 
 Clearer: 
 
 Although the lead in this pencil is smooth, it is very 
 durable and seldom breaks. 
 
 Confusing: 
 
 He had a very winning smile and they accepted his offer 
 at once. 
 
 Clearer: 
 
 He had so winning a smile that they accepted his offer 
 at once. 
 
 Put the main thought in an independent clause.
 
 UNITY IN THE SENTENCE 39 
 
 Exercise 29 
 
 Study the following groups of ideas. Determine how many main 
 ideas there are in oach; that is, how many sentences are needed in 
 each. Then combine the ideas into sentences by using subordinat- 
 ing conjunctions, relative pronouns, or infinitive or participial 
 phrases, so as to bring out the proper relations in thought. 
 
 1. At a quarter past ten he drove up to the hall. It housed the 
 latest interest of Vernon society. It was the Community Theater. 
 
 2. The Boulevard Set were the "best people in town." They 
 belonged to the Community Theatre Association. The leader of 
 it was the daughter of the general manager of the railroad. 
 
 3. The individual official does not keep in his own care papers 
 and memoranda. He may need them from day to day. He may be 
 engaged on a piece of work. They are taken in charge at the end 
 of the day by the filing department. They are returned to him 
 at the time he appoints. It may be the next day or some future 
 day. 
 
 4. The fruit is of the best quality. It is prepared in strictly 
 sanitary factories. It is a big value for the money. 
 
 5. You will receive a catalogue. You will examine it. You will 
 find that the courses are arranged for you. They fit the needs of 
 the business of this locality. 
 
 6. A new class is entering on February 1. We shall be pleased to 
 number you among them. 
 
 7. The boy was fast approaching manhood. Marbles and kites 
 had no interest for him. He had begun to think for himself. 
 
 8. Russell Sage became a wealthy man. He was asked for the 
 keynote of his success. He said, " Buy your straw hats in winter." 
 
 9. Andrew Carnegie became a multimillionaire. He was a poor 
 boy. He gave a recipe for getting rich : "Save a thousand dollars. 
 Then begin prudent investment." 
 
 10. We have written to our agent in your territory. We asked 
 him to call on you during his next visit to your city. Perhaps 
 difficulty in your easy handling of our duplicator remains. If so, 
 he can give you assistance. 
 
 11. Our ribbons are manufactured abroad, recently imported, and 
 our store is the onlv one that sells them.
 
 40 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 12. We have failed to draw forth a settlement of your past-due 
 account. You must prefer to deal with an attorney. 
 
 Exercise 30 
 
 Scan one or two of your recent themes or letters closely. You 
 will find several places where you fail to put the main thought in the 
 main clause. Bring these themes to class, so that your classmates 
 may discuss the proper subordination of the less important ideas.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 WORDS 
 
 *20. The Dictionary. — Have you ever tried to chop wood 
 with a razor? Docs your father shave with a broad axe? 
 Would a carpenter attempt to build a house with nothing in 
 his tool-box but a saw? Just as there is a different tool for 
 every use, so there is in language a different word for every 
 meaning and shade of meaning. You cannot expect to build 
 a good sentence unless your tool-box is filled with words. 
 
 Your tool-box cannot be filled all at once. You must fill 
 it yourself word by word. The best treasury from which to 
 draw is the dictionary. It will give you not only the words 
 in the English language but a good deal of information about 
 them. Look up five or six words and see what information is 
 given. You will observe that in connection with each word 
 the dictionary indicates: 
 
 1. The spelling (including the division into syllables). 
 
 2. The pronunciation (including both the sounds of the 
 
 letters and the accent). 
 
 3. To what part or parts of speech the word belongs. 
 
 4. The various meanings, often with illustrative sentences. 
 
 5. The derivation, that is, the other words and languages 
 
 from which the word is descended. 
 
 6. In some cases, its synonyms. 
 
 You should own a dictionary. An edition of Webster or of 
 the Standard intended for high school students will serve 
 your present needs best and will help you for many years to 
 
 41
 
 42 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 come. If a good many of the words that you hear are un- 
 familiar, or if you are not always sure of the spelling, you will 
 find much comfort in a small dictionary that may be carried 
 in a boy's pocket or a girl's handbag. You should form the 
 habit of consulting it whenever the need arises. If you put 
 the matter off, you will forget all about your good intention. 
 In using both the large and the small dictionary, you can 
 waste a great deal of time in looking for words unless you 
 follow two simple rules. First, learn to calculate where in 
 the volume the word will occur, so that you can turn almost 
 to the page on opening the book. Second, when you have 
 opened to the proper part of the dictionary, note the guide- 
 words at the top of the page, so that you will not have to look 
 up and down the columns until you have reached the proper 
 page. 
 
 *21. Pronunciation.- — You must make sure that you un- 
 derstand all that is told j^ou about the word. To do so 
 you must study the explanatory notes and the key to pro- 
 nunciation given in the front of the dictionary. Study par- 
 ticularly the symbols indicating the sounds of the vowels and 
 consonants, the division into syllables, and the accents. 
 
 Exercise 31 
 
 1. With these principles in mind look up in a dictionary the proper 
 pronunciation of these words: 
 
 
 (a) 
 
 
 aviator 
 
 audacious fellow 
 
 factory 
 
 aviation 
 
 ask follow 
 
 heroism 
 
 dirigible 
 
 father theory 
 
 donkey
 
 produce 
 
 answer 
 
 endure 
 
 educate 
 
 revenue 
 
 duty 
 
 WORDS 43 
 
 (b) 
 
 sword jest 
 
 bouquet just 
 
 palm gist 
 
 2. Pronounce the following words correctly, and explain how the 
 words in each column differ from each other in meaning. 
 
 (a) 
 bile pillar point prevision affect accept 
 
 boil pillow pint provision effect expect 
 
 (b) 
 advice cease formerly lose metal weather 
 
 advise seize formally loose medal whether 
 
 3. If you find that you mispronounce any of these words or if 
 you mispronounce other words which you are accustomed to use, 
 list all of them on a page in your notebook entitled, "Pronunciation." 
 Mark the proper pronunciation. Read the list over every day until 
 you have cured all your mispronunciations. 
 
 Learn the correct pronunciation of every word you see. 
 
 *22. Specific Words. — Study the words in italics in the 
 following sentences: 
 
 1. Her apparel consisted of a sport skirt, a blouse, a 
 cape, and a purple straw hat. 
 
 2. For dessert he ordered layer cake, ice-cream, and tapioca 
 pudding. 
 
 3. In her baking she prepared not only light bread, but 
 rusk, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and angel-food cake. 
 
 How does the first word in italics in each sentence differ 
 from the others? Which are generic and which specific? 
 What advantage is gained by using generic words? By using 
 specific words?
 
 44 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 As you see, the generic terms name a whole class of objects. 
 They are useful when you wish to deal in general ideas. The 
 specific words bring up some kind of picture or feeling. They 
 are useful when you wish to be clear, exact, or to make a 
 strong impression on the mind of your readers. 
 
 In your talk this need of specific words is particularly acute. 
 We are all tempted to use some few words in a very vague 
 sense, to apply them to nearly every object and situation. 
 For example, we may say: 
 
 1 . We had a lovely time. 
 
 2. She was simply lovely to me. 
 
 3. It was the loveliest sunset I ever saw. 
 
 4. Your pie is just lovely, Mrs. Read. 
 
 You can improve your conversation greatly by substituting 
 specific words for these vague expressions. 
 
 Exercise 32 
 
 1. Draw up a list of specific words for each of six of the following 
 words. Which member of the class has the longest list? Do all the 
 words in it belong under the generic words under which they are listed? 
 
 dress house material art 
 
 work illness sewing color 
 
 food cleaning footwear country 
 
 2. Find the generic term under which each of these specific terms 
 should come. The dictionary will help you. 
 
 banana celery cologne damask 
 
 bank draft chamois corduroy dimity 
 apricot cashier coupon executor 
 
 3. Make a short speech to the class on one of these subjects. 
 Choose as many specific words as you can to bring the matter vividly 
 before them.
 
 WORDS 45 
 
 City Noises In the Woods A Morning in the Kitchen 
 
 Making Hay Our Garden A Carpenter Shop 
 
 A Dog Fight A Haberdashery A Ball Game 
 
 4. Draw up a list of specific words that belong to school life or the 
 schoolroom. Use them in a short composition entitled "A Day at 
 School," in which you explain matters to a visitor from Japan. 
 
 5. Draw up a list of words, such as capital, interest, checks, that 
 are used in banking and the handling of money. 
 
 6. Draw up a list of words such as clerk, counter, showcase, that 
 are connected with business. 
 
 7. Substitute a specific word for lovely in the sentences on page 44. 
 
 8. Select from the following list three words that you overwork. 
 Write out five sentences from your conversation in which these 
 words appear. Rewrite with specific words inserted. What im- 
 provement do you note? 
 
 great smooth terrible 
 
 nice sweet thing 
 
 peach swell wild 
 
 9. Write out some conversation you have held recently about 
 baseball or some similar subject. It may contain some words, like 
 dope, not recognized by dictionaries in the sense in which used. 
 Rewrite it, employing specific expressions throughout. 
 
 10. Slang consists of such unrecognized expressions as appear in 
 the first draft just written. Prepare a talk on the subject of slang. 
 Make an outline beforehand, in which you note the illustrative ex- 
 pressions you are going to use in the talk. 
 
 awful 
 
 good 
 
 fine 
 
 grand 
 
 fierce 
 
 mean 
 
 Always have a specific word ready for use. 
 
 23. Unfamiliar Meanings. — Study the words in italics 
 in these sentences. Can you give the meaning of each? 
 
 1. The log of the airship was printed in full. 
 
 2. He caught sight of her out of the tail of his eye. 
 
 3. The horse was kind in harness. 
 
 4. The skipper drew the painter into the bow of the boat.
 
 46 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Are the following sentences quite. clear? Before consulting 
 a dictionary try to explain the meaning of each sentence. 
 Now consult an unabridged dictionary for the words in italics 
 to find the exact meaning that fits in these sentences. 
 
 1. Corporations, which have extensively succeeded the 
 old form of partnership, obtain the capital they need chiefly 
 by the issuance of stocks and bonds. 
 
 2. These securities are sold to many not directly inter- 
 ested in their enterprises. 
 
 3. By means of these instruments, the accumulated sav- 
 ings of a multitude are turned into a common channel. 
 
 Unfamiliar meanings of familiar words and the meanings 
 of unfamiliar words are the two sources from which you can 
 fill 3 r our word-chest, so that you will have always at hand the 
 word you need. You should watch the new meanings of 
 familiar words and the exact meaning of unfamiliar words. 
 Make sure of every meaning you do not understand. 
 
 Exercise 33 
 
 1. Note in your memorandum book any unfamiliar meanings or 
 words that you hear in an address in the school assembly or in a 
 public speech or in a sermon at church. Look up the meanings. 
 Which words or meanings will be useful to 3 r ou in your writing? 
 
 2. In a new section of your notebook begin a list which you call 
 "My Vocabulary." Write in it every new word or new meaning 
 that you can make use of. From now on, before writing your ex- 
 ercises, look over this list to see what expressions you can employ. 
 Once a week compare it with lists kept by other pupils, to see which 
 classmate is drawing up the longest list. 
 
 24. Synonyms. — Words that are synonyms of one another 
 convey the same general meaning, but with a shade of differ-
 
 WORDS 47 
 
 ence which should be observed very carefully. They are fre- 
 quently useful in giving a pleasing variety to the expressions 
 of the same idea. Note the difference in the effect of the 
 two following passages: 
 
 Clumsy: 
 
 We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 
 April 5th. We will be able to handle the matter of which 
 you speak. We will not be able to take any action on the 
 matter, however, until our board meets, which will be on 
 the first of May. We will be able to after the decision. 
 
 The constant repetition of able and will creates an impres- 
 sion of poverty. The reader may even conclude that the 
 writer has no ideas, since he has no variety of words. The 
 following creates confidence because of the pleasing variety 
 in the diction. 
 
 Smoother: 
 
 We feel confident we can handle the matter referred to in 
 your letter of April 5th. We shall not, however, be able to 
 take definite action on it until our board meets on May 1st. 
 Immediately after the meeting we hope to notify you that 
 we have been empowered to carry out your request. 
 
 The unpleasant repetition of the future tense is removed 
 by a change in construction. The repetition of be able is re- 
 placed by can in the first sentence and empowered in the third. 
 Moreover, empowered more exactly expresses the meaning. 
 The first form assumes that the board will grant the power. 
 That idea of granting power is more precisely conveyed by 
 empowered. Besides, the new sentence admits the possibility 
 of adverse action by the board. Variety of expression makes 
 for precision.
 
 48 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Exercise 34 
 
 Look up in the dictionary the differences of meaning between 
 the words in each group below, and then write a short sentence 
 bringing out the peculiar meaning of each word; 
 
 at-in healthful-healthy-wholesome 
 
 amount-number-quantity into-in 
 
 financial-pecuniary-monetary likely-liable-apt 
 frequently-generally-commonly 
 
 Use synonyms for variety, but use them precisely. 
 
 25. Misused Words and Expressions. — In the Glossary, 
 Appendix A, you will find a list representing a kind of study 
 that you can profitably keep up so long as you write. Take 
 five of those groups at a time and write a sentence for each 
 word in the five groups, showing what is the proper use of 
 each. When you have completed the list, review it until you 
 always use the expressions correctly. Add to the list when- 
 ever other expressions are called to your attention. 
 
 26. Tone in Diction. — We have thus far sought for words 
 that express the idea precisely. We have seen how we can 
 find words that will express our meaning exactly. This is of 
 the first importance, but in business it is necessary to consider 
 the reader also. Use the kind of words that will suit both the 
 reader and the particular kind of letter you are writing him. 
 In writing to a banker, we should generally adopt a more digni- 
 fied tone than in writing to a garage manager. Letters to a 
 large manufacturer asking him to pay a bill might contain 
 almost the same ideas as a collection letter sent to a laboring 
 man, but the ideas would be expressed in quite a different set
 
 WORDS 49 
 
 of words. The language suitable for the manufacturer would 
 hardly be apt in addressing the laborer. You can develop a 
 feeling for the proper tone only by noticing carefully the fit- 
 ness of the words to the reader you are addressing. 
 
 In general, you can choose between two different levels of 
 style. Your words may be of a familiar, colloquial turn, or 
 they may be of the standard, rather literary level. Note the 
 difference in the impression left by these sets of words: 
 
 Colloquial Standard 
 
 1. He got a job. He secured a position. 
 
 2. All right. All the details are satisfactory. 
 
 3. Wait a bit. Will you remain here a few minutes? 
 
 4. You can't, though. You will be unable to secure per- 
 
 mission. 
 
 5. You don't want that. This article will not fit your needs. 
 
 Consider, too, the following sentences from letters written 
 to collect money: 
 
 Familiar (to a private customer of a retail store) : 
 
 Won't you help us out with a check? It will be better 
 for both of us. 
 
 Standard (to the proprietor of a store who has asked for credit 
 on a bill of goods) : 
 
 As our business relations will probably be more mutually 
 beneficial if conducted on a cash basis, we hope that we may 
 have your co-operation in this respect. 
 
 Familiar (to a humble retail customer who refuses payment 
 of his bill) : 
 
 If you do not talk the matter over with us by next 
 Saturday, we shall be forced to ask our lawyer to see you.
 
 50 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Standard (from a manufacturer to a retail merchant who has 
 long deferred payment) : 
 
 Should we not hear from you hy the next mail, your ap- 
 parent indifference will oblige us to protect our interests by 
 calling for the assistance of an attorney. 
 
 In short, you must keep in mind not only the ideas you are 
 expressing but the person to whom you are expressing them. 
 Make your words fit not only the subject but the reader.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS IN THE SENTENCE 
 
 27. Necessity for Clearness. — To make a sentence com- 
 plete is not sufficient. It must also be clear. Although unity 
 helps, it does not always secure clearness. Yet if you are go- 
 ing to deal with business men, you must be clear. If you 
 do not make every sentence clear enough to be understood at 
 a glance, busy men may not take the time to puzzle out your 
 meaning. Make all the parts of the sentence hang together. 
 Make the plan of the sentence consistent from beginning to end. 
 
 28. Change of Subject. — One of the commonest mistakes 
 is to change the subject. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He entered a lunchroom to be alone, but there were a 
 half-dozen men loafing in the place. 
 
 The writer first directs our attention to the man and then 
 shifts it to the loiterers. See how much smoother the sen- 
 tence is when he keeps the same subject before the mind: 
 
 Better: 
 
 He entered a lunchroom to be alone, but found a half- 
 dozen men loafing there. 
 
 Exercise 35 
 
 Rewrite the following sentences to make them hang together 
 better. Be careful not to change the subject. 
 
 51
 
 52 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 1. As this system of shorthand was invented by Gregg, his name 
 is naturally used to designate it. 
 
 2. George's enlistment had been early, and pretty soon they or- 
 dered him to France to finish his training. 
 
 3. She dressed for dinner in black silk and old lace, and the table 
 was laid with fine china and silver, but she ate only corn-meal mush 
 or something cheaper. 
 
 4. When you buy an incubator from us, it is right here on the floor. 
 6. You can pick it to pieces, and if there's a scratch on it, it 
 
 needn't be kept. 
 
 6. Some dealers took the retail business over, and it was handled 
 extremely well. 
 
 7. We apologize and you will find enclosed Uncle Sam's steel 
 engraving for excess postage. 
 
 29. Change of Construction. — A second mistake is to 
 change the construction in parts of a sentence that express 
 similar or parallel ideas. If you have phrases in one part, use 
 phrases in the other part. If you begin with a clause, express 
 the corresponding idea in a clause. If you make use of a verb 
 for one idea, find a verb for the parallel idea. This balanced, 
 or parallel, structure is not only very clear, but very forceful. 
 Ideas thus expressed attract the attention and are remem- 
 bered longer. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 The firm was established in 1900 by Sullivan, but ten 
 years later he formed a partnership with O'Brien. 
 
 Right: 
 
 Sullivan established the firm in 1900, but in 1910 he 
 formed a partnership with O'Brien. 
 
 Note the arrangement in each clause: subject, verb, object. 
 Even the phrase "in 1900" is repeated in the new phrase "in
 
 COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS 53 
 
 1910." Sometimes this balancing is used only in parts of a 
 sentence. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He was very reluctant about playing the piano or to 
 recite poetry in company. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He was very reluctant about playing the piano or reciting 
 poetry in company. 
 
 Exercise 36 
 
 Rewrite the following sentences in balanced form. Note how 
 much clearer they are. 
 
 1. There is an important difference between " knocking" and when 
 you make fair comparisons. 
 
 2. The better policy is always to acknowledge a superiority in a 
 competitor's goods but emphasizing the value of the goods you sell. 
 
 3. We appreciate your subscription and that your present failure 
 to remit is not intentional. 
 
 4 When dealers do business in this way, the public will be better 
 served, your profits will be higher, and our expenses will be lowered. 
 
 5. He came in great haste, but when he went out his gait was 
 leisurely. 
 
 6. The suit was first steamed, then pressed, and delivered im- 
 mediately. 
 
 30. Change of Thought. — 1. A shift in the construction 
 of a sentence is difficult to remedy when it arises from a shift 
 in the intention of the writer. For example, 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 At the age of twelve both her parents died. 
 
 Here the writer at first intended to write about the girl, as 
 we see from the phrase, "at the age of twelve." Though he
 
 54 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 began on this plan, he did not keep to it, for the thought of 
 her parents flashed across his mind and he at once started to 
 talk of them. The remedy is to restore the plan or intention 
 with which the sentence begins. 
 
 Right: 
 
 At the age of twelve she lost both parents. 
 
 How does the same shift occur in this sentence? 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 Walking down the hall, a window opened at your left. 
 
 Right: 
 
 Walking down the hall, you saw (or found) a window at 
 your left. 
 
 The name "dangling participle " is frequently given to this 
 construction. Participles at the beginning of a sentence 
 should modify the subject, but the writer of the sentence 
 forsook his first plan and introduced a new subject. 
 
 2. When you make comparisons, you should be particu- 
 larly careful not to forsake your plan. Think very carefully: 
 "What objects am I comparing?" and be sure your sentence 
 brings them logically together. For example, 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 The advantages of a city high school are greater than 
 the country. 
 
 You do not mean that the advantages are greater than the 
 country. The mistake is that you have not carried out the 
 logical plan you started with, for you meant to compare high 
 schools in the city and in the country. Make clear what are 
 the two objects compared.
 
 COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS 55 
 
 Right: 
 
 The advantages of a city high school are greater than 
 those of a country high school. 
 
 Watch your sentences carefully to see that they carry 
 out your plan or intention. 
 
 Exercise 37 
 
 Rewrite these sentences so that they follow one consistent plan. 
 
 1. Rushing out into the street at dismissal, the rain wet him to 
 the skin. 
 
 2. Our business is different from any company in the country. 
 
 3. Referring to your request of April 17th, free copies cannot be 
 forwarded unless postage accompanies the request. 
 
 4. He declared that the subjects in the commercial course were 
 more valuable than the general course. 
 
 5. While talking to my English teacher this morning, he asked 
 me if you were ill. 
 
 6. The production of steel in the United States is greater than 
 any two European countries. 
 
 7. Although a studious girl, her grades were never very high. 
 
 8. He said studying those Latin lessons in the first year were his 
 most miserable moments. 
 
 9. While too young to hold a book, my mother would read me to 
 sleep every night. 
 
 10. The teacher kept me in after school, and thus I was forced to 
 miss the ball game. 
 
 11. The reason for my being kept in was on account of whispering 
 in the arithmetic lesson. 
 
 12. On opening the door, blackboard erasers were flying through 
 the air. 
 
 13. Shouting for instant order, the room became still as a tomb. 
 
 14. The cause of the unseemly disturbance was due to two boys, 
 who got into a fight. 
 
 15. Although very angry, the teacher's voice was ominously 
 quiet.
 
 56 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Exercise 38 
 
 Read over the last two or three themes you have written and 
 copy out examples of sentences that change the plan or intention 
 with which the sentence was begun. Bring these to class for your 
 classmates to correct. 
 
 31. Sequence of Tenses.— 1. We are told (§ § 207, 208) the 
 meaning of each tense. We should here study the way in 
 which tenses fit together. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He said he is going home. 
 
 Now the use of is is wrong because you are referring to an 
 event in the past, and past time is expressed by a past tense. 
 What he said was, " I am going home." If you wish to give, 
 not the exact words which "he" spoke, but the substance in 
 your own words, you may write, "He says he is going home." 
 But when you put says in the past tense, "He said, " you must 
 put the object clause also in the past tense. That is, after a 
 past tense in the main clause, you must use a past tense 
 in the dependent clause. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He said he was going home. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He said they have gone home. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He said they had gone home. 
 
 The change is necessary in the last sentence because the 
 dependent clause expresses an action completed. To express
 
 COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS 57 
 
 this idea of completed action after a past tense in the main 
 clause, you need a past perfect tense in the dependent 
 clause. 
 
 2. These rules hold with respect to the infinitive. When 
 the action expressed by the infinitive occurs at the same time 
 with the action expressed by the main verb or at a future time, 
 use the present infinitive. When the action expressed by the 
 infinitive is completed before the action of the main verb, use 
 the perfect infinitive. 
 
 He was said to be wealthy. 
 
 He was said to have been wealthy. 
 
 The first sentence indicates that he was still enjoying his 
 wealth. The second indicates that he had lost it. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He rejoiced to have learned that Monday would be a holiday. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He rejoiced to learn that Monday would be a holiday. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He was content to have offered himself to his country, 
 even though he had been rejected. 
 
 3. There is one exception to these rules. The present tense 
 is used to express unchangeable truths, or facts that, though 
 subject to change, are true at the time. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He declared that the presidency is the highest honor 
 in our country. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He asked what the duties of the president are.
 
 58 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Exercise 39 
 
 Explain why the tenses are used as they are in the following 
 passage. 
 
 "Oyster Bay awoke to a white world of falling snow and the sad- 
 dest day in its history this morning. From the flagstaff in the square 
 the Stars and Stripes flew at half-mast, and snow lay thick upon the 
 trophy cannon that had been Colonel Roosevelt's gift to his towns- 
 people. Snow was still falling when those who had been bidden to 
 the funeral began to arrive. A few near and dear to his heart were 
 admitted to the big, mournful house on Sagamore Hill. They were 
 chiefly men high in the nation's councils who had fought under his 
 leadership. The flag that he loved with a surpassing devotion still 
 lies upon his coffin. Beyond his grave the steel-blue waters of the 
 Sound stretch away, and at right and left and above his resting 
 place, rise his beloved hills." 
 
 Exercise 40 
 
 Which of the forms in each parenthesis is correct? Why? 
 
 1. What (is- was) the name of the preacher we heard this morning? 
 
 2. What did you tell me the salary of the mayor (is- was)? 
 
 3. He said that in the future he (will-would) trade elsewhere. 
 
 4. If I knew his name, I (shall-should) ask him to join us. 
 
 5. He said he (is- was) a stranger in town and (does-did) not 
 know where (to find-to have found) a better hotel. 
 
 6. Do you think that he (will- would) be more watchful? 
 
 7. I should think you (will-would) come on time. 
 
 8. What did you say (is-was) the legal rate of interest in Texas? 
 
 9. He reported that the manager (is-was) out for lunch. 
 
 10. He said that the bookkeeper (sends-sent) out the collection 
 letters. 
 
 11. She went down-town in the morning so that she (may-might) 
 miss the crowds. 
 
 12. She was disappointed (to find-to have found) no ginghams on 
 sale. 
 
 13. She would have bought a dozen yards if she (found-had 
 found) a purple pattern.
 
 COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS 59 
 
 14. She will go down next Monday if she (sees-has seen) it ad- 
 vertised. 
 
 15. He was glad (to discover- to have discovered) the truth in time. 
 
 16. I am glad (to have-to have had) the opportunity of seeing 
 him just before his death in 1919. 
 
 17. By the time school is out I shall (complete-have completed) 
 all the copying. 
 
 18. He soon learned what the distance (is- was) to St. Louis and 
 what (are-were) the fastest trains. 
 
 19. I remembered how tired he was, and I got out of bed without 
 my clothes on. I hardly (know-knew) it had happened until the 
 captain put his head in. The captain went away, but in ten minutes 
 he (come-came) back. We could hear a terrible confusion, but there 
 (is-was) not the least thing to indicate that there was any trouble. 
 
 32. Emphasis in the Sentence. — One of the simplest 
 methods of making an idea in your sentence attract the 
 reader's attention is to begin with capital letters the words 
 expressing that idea, to underline them, or to print them in 
 red if you have a red-and-black ribbon on the typewriter. 
 
 Example: 
 
 I enclose Five Hundred Dollars. Mail the enclosed 
 envelope now. 
 
 In general, however, the best way of bringing words to the 
 reader's attention, is to place them where he can hardly fail 
 to see them. Two places are sure to catch his eye — the 
 beginning and the end of the sentence. Place the words you 
 wish him particularly to notice at one of these two places. 
 If these words would not normally come there, they are that 
 much surer to attract him. 
 
 Unemphatic: 
 
 There is an out-of-the-way shelf and a storeroom closet 
 in every retail store.
 
 60 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Better: 
 
 In every retail store there is . . . closet. 
 
 Unemphatic: 
 
 The same old question, "Why?" comes up at nearly 
 every meeting of creditors in bankruptcy cases. 
 
 Better: 
 
 At nearly every meeting of creditors in bankruptcy cases, 
 the same old question comes up — "Why?" 
 
 When you have several items in a series, the most important 
 should come last. Such arrangement is called climax. 
 
 Your visiting guests need it, the automobile owners 
 need it, the wagons hauling heavy goods need it, and the 
 farmers need it. 
 
 Farmers are mentioned last because they form the most 
 numerous class in the community, and consequently the 
 largest buyers of the article. 
 
 What you want the reader to note particularly, place at 
 the beginning or at the end of a sentence, or at the close of 
 a climax. 
 
 Exercise 41 
 
 Make these sentences more emphatic by placing the parts to which 
 you wish to attract attention where they will attract attention. 
 
 1. He was invited to take a trial position with a leading firm be- 
 cause the manager liked his activity as assistant secretary of a 
 Sunday school. 
 
 2. Nearly all the people are farmers, who suffer from all diseases 
 crops are heir to, drought, cold, and hail. 
 
 3. He felt lonely, deserted, oppressed, and cold. 
 
 4. Two attentive, friendly, kind old ladies met her in a cold- 
 looking, huge, dusty, smelly factory.
 
 COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS 61 
 
 5. Suggestion in advertising is sure, strong, and swift. 
 
 6. It is well worth the time to produce and to study the kind of 
 action that is almost automatic, if possible. 
 
 7. There would be no advertising if this were a world that 
 through reason ate its favorite breakfast food, chewed its favorite 
 gum, and smoked its favorite cigars. 
 
 8. This book is always preaching about honesty, neatness, punc- 
 tuality, co-operation, and cheerfulness. 
 
 9. He found the manager, after hunting through every part of 
 the factory. 
 
 10. Indirect suggestion, unchallenged, passes a sleeping sentinel. 
 
 11. He repeated it on the way to school, while eating breakfast, 
 during study period, and as he rose from bed. 
 
 12. Employers think a youth has strength of character if he has 
 finished his high school course in the usual period of time. 
 
 13. Employers will conclude that he will be able to obey orders in 
 the shop or in the office if he has formed the habit of getting along 
 with his associates in school. 
 
 14. The manager's duties are exacting, distinguished, responsible, 
 and many. 
 
 15. A young man should find out what firms offer the best condi- 
 tions of work if he has to accept some less desirable position. 
 
 16. He should file with the best firms formal applications for work. 
 
 17. The same care should be taken in making statements in inter- 
 views with employers that you take in writing a letter. 
 
 18. The manager reminded me that the position would soon be 
 easier and more highly paid and was new. 
 
 33. Emphasis in Successive Sentences. — Short sentences 
 are easier to understand and remember than long ones. Read 
 over this sentence: 
 
 Weak: 
 
 If you ask the man at the bench or the machine, his 
 foreman, the superintendent, engineer, general manager 
 or anyone from the bottom to the top of your organization,
 
 62 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 you will find every person agreeing so completely that 
 better lighting means better production that you will 
 not need any figures to convince you of the advantages. 
 
 Close the book and see how much of this you can give in 
 your own words. Now read these sentences: 
 
 Stronger: 
 
 Ask the man at the bench or the machine. Ask his fore- 
 man. Ask the superintendent, the engineer, the general 
 manager. Ask anyone from the bottom to the top of your 
 organization. You will find all hands in agreement. 
 They all know that better lighting means better produc- 
 tion. They don't need figures. They simply know it 
 must be so. 
 
 How many ideas now become distinct that were obscure in 
 the first form? The result is quite natural, for it is surely 
 easier to understand ten words in a group than fifty. 
 
 To help the reader remember, make your sentences short. 
 
 34. Choppiness. — The first four sentences in the stronger 
 paragraph in § 33 are very much alike. They begin with the 
 same verb and contain the same kind of object. This repeti- 
 tion arouses a keener suspense, but to keep on writing in 
 short, simple sentences would become monotonous. The 
 shortness would cease to interest the reader and might in the 
 end keep him from reading at all. 
 
 Choppy: 
 
 A customer comes into the store. He bought some shirts 
 the day before. He complains of the shirts. The sleeves 
 are too short. The clerk waits. Then the customer de- 
 mands his money back. The clerk should meet him 
 halfway. He should show him the policy of the store. 
 The store says, "Money back if you want it."
 
 COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS C)3 
 
 So long a series of short, simple sentences is annoying. 
 How much pleasanter and smoother is the following state- 
 ment of the same thought? 
 
 Smoother: 
 
 If a customer who bought some shirts the day before 
 comes into the store and complains that the sleeves are too 
 short, the clerk shouldn't wait for him to demand his 
 money back. Meet him halfway. Show him that the 
 policy of the store is, "Money back if you want it." 
 
 This is clearer because it brings out the relations better. It 
 is pleasanter because it is more varied. It is more emphatic. 
 The important thought, "Meet him halfway," stands out 
 among the longer sentences by its shortness. 
 
 To keep your reader interested, vary the length and 
 structure of your sentences. 
 
 Exercise 42 
 
 1. Rewrite the last of your themes, breaking up the long sen- 
 tences into shorter ones. Have you made your ideas easier to 
 remember? 
 
 2. Look over the last few themes or letters of a classmate to see 
 whether they contain any "choppy" passages. Talk them over with 
 him and reach an agreement about how they should appear rewritten. 
 
 Exercise 43 — Review 
 
 Rewrite the following letter, which illustrates nearly every fault 
 in sentence structure. Explain in what ways you strengthen or 
 clarify each sentence. 
 
 My dear Mr. Short:— I wish to thank you for giving me 
 the recommendation, which the Federal Reserve Bank re- 
 quested, but as luck would have it two of the other men 
 whom I had given references, failed to answer the letter
 
 64 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 which was sent them, thus, I had the misfortune of losing 
 the opportunity of getting the position. 
 
 I have heard it was a very good place to get into, and I 
 was very anxious about getting it, but inasmuch as I did 
 not get it, I will have to look for something better, as the 
 position that I have now is the same one as I first went to, 
 but there is not a very good chance to get ahead, I am look- 
 ing around to get something better, with a larger chance 
 for advancement. 
 
 I have gone to night school and have studied stenography 
 and I am almost finished and then I am going to continue 
 with bookkeeping, of which I have a very good foundation, 
 all of which I had learned in your class. 
 
 Hoping that I have caused you no trouble, I remain, 
 
 Yours respectfully,
 
 CHAPTER Vli 
 REMITTANCES 
 
 35. Forms Seldom Sent by Mail. — Frequently, as when 
 ordering goods, a business man is obliged to send money 
 through the mails. A study of the various forms of remit- 
 tance will show that, though several different forms are avail- 
 able, usually one form is better than another for the particular 
 business in hand. 
 
 As silver, currency, and stamps may be lost very easily, 
 they should never be sent through the mails. Besides, there 
 is no receipt to show whether the remittance was sent or re- 
 ceived. An exception is sometimes made with small amounts, 
 if the person or firm to whom they are sent assumes all risk. 
 In that case, stamps should be folded in paraffin paper. 
 Coins should be inserted in a coin card, which can be made 
 easily from a heavy piece of cardboard by cutting holes just 
 the size of the coin with a sharp penknife. After the coin 
 is inserted, a stout piece of paper should be pasted on each 
 side. 
 
 36. Money-Orders. — A money-order is an order issued 
 by one express office or post-office and payable at sight at 
 another. Express money-orders are convenient and cheap. 
 They may be purchased for a small fee at any express office 
 or at the agencies in drug stores and similar places. As the 
 face of the order bears the sum and the remitter's name, and 
 as the payee musi indorse it before receiving payment from 
 the company, an express money-order provides a record of the 
 
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 66
 
 REMITTANCES 67 
 
 transaction. After payment, the company keeps the order as 
 a part of its records, so that it can be referred to if needed. 
 
 Though the postal money-order is obtainable at nearly every 
 post-office, it is an expensive way of sending more than $25. 
 Besides, the post-office cannot issue an order for over $100. 
 This form is merely an order by the postmaster at one place 
 upon the postmaster at another to pay a stated sum to the 
 person named in the order. The remitter writes out an appli- 
 cation and is given a receipt, which, however, does not bear 
 his name and which is therefore not a full record of the 
 transaction. 
 
 37. Checks. — Checks are growing in use as the number 
 of bank depositors increases. When you deposit money in 
 the bank, you are furnished with a check-book containing 
 blank checks. On these you write an order over your signa- 
 ture directing the bank to pay a stated sum to the person you 
 name. You are called the drawer or maker; the person you 
 .iame is the payee; the bank is the drawee. When the bank 
 pays the check, it deducts the sum from your account. 
 
 The chief disadvantage of the personal check is that the 
 payee has no assurance that it is good ; that is, that the drawer 
 will have that much money on deposit. Another is that in 
 large cities there is a charge for collecting many out-of-town 
 checks. This charge should always be added to the face of 
 the check to protect the creditor against loss. 
 
 Before the payee can cash the check, he must indorse it. 
 He does this by turning it face downward with the left end 
 at the top. Across the top he writes the indorsement which 
 is, in effect, a receipt for the money. The payee indorses it 
 if he simply writes his name. He indorses it in full if he 
 writes "Pay to the order of — " and signs his name. The
 
 
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 72 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 bank returns the indorsed check to the maker, who then has a 
 complete record of the transaction, including the receipt. 
 
 The certified check is drawn like a personal check, but the 
 bank certifies that it is good, that is, that the signature is 
 correct and that the amount is in the bank. This it does by 
 stamping across the face "good," or "certified," and adding 
 the signature of the cashier or paying teller. Naturally, it 
 does not wish to be troubled with certification of small sums. 
 At the time of certifying, the bank deducts from the account 
 the amount of the check. With such a guarantee the check is 
 anywhere practically as good as the money itself. 
 
 A cashier's check is drawn by the cashier of a bank or treas- 
 urer of a trust company on his own bank. If you wish such a 
 check, make out your personal check for the amount you 
 desire. The bank cashier will then make out a cashier's check 
 in your favor. This you can indorse in favor of anyone you 
 may name. It is the equivalent of a certified check or bank 
 draft, and furnishes a record of the transaction. 
 
 Voucher checks are growing in favor, as they provide a 
 receipt on the face of the check. On a voucher check the 
 items for which it is a payment are listed, and often the ad- 
 dress as well as the name of the payee is given. Sometimes 
 two signatures by the company or corporation drawing it are 
 necessary for validity. 
 
 38. Drafts. — A bank draft is a kind of check which one 
 bank draws on another in some financial center of the coun- 
 try. As no exchange is charged for cashing drafts on financial 
 centers like New York and Chicago, banks and business 
 houses frequently require that remittances be sent in drafts. 
 
 If you wish to make such a remittance, you would draw a 
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 74 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
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 which you are remitting if j^ou so requested, but usually he 
 would make it out in your favor. You would then indorse it 
 in favor of the firm to which you are remitting. The payee 
 indorses it when he cashes it at his bank. Thus the draft 
 itself supplies a complete record of that piece of business. It 
 is then returned to your bank, where you might in case of 
 need examine it as a receipt. 
 
 Time drafts are sometimes used in meeting obligations. As 
 in bank drafts, two banks carry on the transaction. If a 
 merchant owes a firm for goods but is not in a position to pay 
 when the bill becomes due, the firm may extend his time by 
 sending a time draft through its bank to the bank in the 
 merchant's town. This bank presents it to the merchant, who 
 signifies his intention of paying by writing " Accepted" 
 across the face, adding the date and his signature. The time 
 draft is then returned to the bank with which the firm de- 
 posits. If the firm needs money, the bank will discount 
 the draft; that is, the bank will pay the draft, but will 
 keep a small part of the face value as a return for interest 
 charges and for its services in collecting the draft when it 
 falls due. 
 
 A sight draft is like a time draft in every respect except that 
 it must be paid at sight instead of after a lapse of time. In 
 the United States it is frequently used to collect bills that are 
 overdue. 
 
 39. Acceptances. — Since the Civil War the American way 
 of doing business has been by means of credit. A merchant 
 buying a bill of goods may be given 30 or 60 days, and some- 
 times longer, in which to pay for it. Thus he is granted time 
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 76
 
 REMITTANCES 77 
 
 the money for payment. If he is willing to pay at once, within 
 10 days, he is usually granted a discount of 2 or 3 per cent. 
 
 In recent years there has arisen a movement on the part 
 of jobbers and manufacturers to secure funds at once for the 
 goods they sell. Along with the invoice they send an accep- 
 tance, a statement that the merchant has received the goods 
 and that he promises to pay for them within 30 days. This 
 acceptance the manufacturer can discount at the bank and 
 thus obtain funds for carrying on or expanding his business. 
 If the merchant is not ready to pay at the end of 30 days, 
 when his local bank presents the acceptance, it can run for 
 another 30 days at interest. 
 
 40. Notes. — Sometimes payment is made by 'promissory 
 note. That is, a person writes out a promise to pay a set sum 
 at the end of a stated period, with a specified rate of interest. 
 The payee can frequently discount the note at the bank, if 
 both the maker and the payee are favorably known to the 
 bank authorities. The payee then guarantees payment by 
 writing his name across the back of the note. 
 
 41. Letter of Remittance. — The letter of remittance 
 should be as careful in details as a lawyer's contract. It 
 should specify the enclosures, such as notes, drafts, checks, 
 money-orders, acceptances, so that any wrong enclosures or 
 incorrect amounts may be detected at once. It should also 
 specify the accounts upon which they are to be applied. 
 Otherwise the creditor will apply them as he sees fit. 
 
 Enclosures should be laid with upper edges along the top 
 of the letter and the left-hand ends even with the correspond- 
 ing edge of the sheet, and should be fastened in place with a 
 pin or small paper fastener. The statement of enclosures is
 
 78 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 often made specific (see letter on page 79) so that the 
 stenographer or mail clerk will make no mistake. The 
 one who opens the envelope can also check up the items 
 at a glance. 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 No. — 1367 New York. tllcuVcL 23 w oq 
 
 t??EquitableTrustCompanyofNewYork . -z 
 
 gins. o)/ntUJ\. ^Jd-tuy^oCta. fe^paynu ft 51? 
 
 Dollars 
 
 Uaroh 33, 1930 
 
 The Smith Publishing Company 
 30 Broadway 
 New York City 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 The enoloeed cheok for five hundred 
 twelve dollars and thirty-three oents 
 ($513.33) 18 In payment of the shipment 
 of books made on January 33. 
 
 Very truly yours. 
 
 Enclosure 
 
 3aJ^^ u>
 
 REMITTANCES 79 
 
 42. Acknowledgment of Remittance. — The acknowledg- 
 ment of a remittance should be very prompt. It should state 
 the amount received and should be a conspicuous example of 
 that courtesy that looks to the future. 
 
 THE GENERAL ORGANIZATION 
 The Martha Washington High School, Denver, Colorado 
 
 Ootober ~1, 1920 
 
 The Towne Manufacturing Company 
 813 Lake Street 
 Chicago, Illinois 
 
 Gentlemen:' 
 
 I enclose a draft for $45.55 in payment of the sta- 
 tionery you sent on September 3 and a certified check for 
 #78.40 in payment of the school pine delivered on September 
 2b, $80 less 3 per cent for payment in 10 days. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 0. B. Blaok 
 
 Enc. draft $45.55 
 
 Eno . cert, check $78-40 
 
 THE TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY 
 
 School and Office Supplies 
 812 Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 
 
 Ootober 4, 1919 
 
 Mr. 0. B. Blaok 
 
 Martha Washington High School 
 
 Denver, Colorado 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 We thank you for your draft for $45.55 and oertlfled 
 check for $78.40, which settled your account in full. 
 
 We hope that the high quality of the "stationery and 
 pins will bring your name on our books for another order. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 The Towne Manuf acturing Company
 
 80 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 Exercise 44 — Oral 
 
 1. An advertisement offers rat paste for roaches and water-bugs 
 for 25 cents a tube. How would you pay for a tube ordered from the 
 Rat Biscuit Company, Springfield, Ohio? 
 
 2. Houghton Mifflin Company, 4 Park Street, Boston, Mass., 
 offers "A Treasury of War Poetry' ; for $1.25. How would you 
 remit? If you pay by check, for how much would you draw it? 
 
 3. You are in a jobbing business. Samuel Lee, a new customer, 
 sends in an order amounting to $48 and offers to pay by personal 
 check. You do not wish to lose his patronage. You wish to protect 
 yourself against loss. What are you going to do? 
 
 4. You live in Turner Center, Idaho, ten miles from the railroad. 
 You have bought a bicycle of the Mead Cycle Company, Chicago, 
 111., on the instalment plan. How would you remit $5 a month? 
 
 5. You live in Dudleyville, on the railroad, and wish to pay the 
 cost of the bicycle ($35) at once. You have no bank account. 
 What form of remittance would you use? 
 
 Exercise 45 — Written 
 
 Cut pieces of paper the proper size for checks, notes, and drafts 
 (about 3^2 x 8 inches). Make them out properly and enclose them 
 in the following letters. 
 
 1. Send an acceptance to J. C. Wilson Company, Detroit, Mich., 
 of $912.60 for a shipment of motor trucks and parts. 
 
 2. Write to the St. Louis Sheet Metal Company, remitting $72.62 
 in payment of your account as shown by their last monthly state- 
 ment. What form would j^ou use? Have you used the proper 
 tenses? (See § § 207, 208.) 
 
 3. Write to the freight agent in your town, paying the month's 
 freight bill. How would you remit? 
 
 4. Write Whitman and Barnes, Akron, Ohio, sending them a note 
 for $250 on your account. 
 
 5. You are in business at Oxford, Miss. Send a bank draft to 
 Cutter and Robson for $138.50 for your month's bill for fruit and 
 candies. 
 
 6. You have bought a house and lot in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The
 
 REMITTANCES 81 
 
 price is $6,500. You pay, $1,500 down to Samuel Birbeck, the 
 owner, in Des Moines, Iowa, and arrange for further payments in 
 instalments. Use certified check. Have you used the future 
 tense properly? (See § § 208, 210.) 
 
 8. Eben Lewis, Sentry ville, Ariz., has sent you a check to apply 
 on his account. Acknowledge the receipt of it. 
 
 9. You have requested Wilson and Winder to settle their account 
 in full. They send a draft for $90, leaving $110 to be paid. Write 
 an acknowledgment. What reference can you make to the unpaid 
 balance? 
 
 10. Mr. George Kenna writes you that he is enclosing a check for 
 $32.25, but forgets to enclose it. Write an appropriate reply. 
 
 11. Mr. Alfred Whiting writes that he is sending $28.30, the 
 amount he owes you. By mistake he draws the check for $30.28. 
 Return the excess by check with an appropriate acknowledgment. 
 
 Exercise 46 — Oral Reports 
 
 Plan very carefully a paragraph on one of these topics and deliver 
 it before the class. 
 
 1. The advantage of each form of remittance. 
 
 2. The importance of a business signature. 
 
 3. Why a depositor needs a pass-book. 
 
 4. How to keep your check -book balanced. 
 
 5. How to make a deposit of coin, bills, and checks. 
 
 Let a member report whether: (1) he could hear you easily; (2) 
 your plan was clear; (3) you used adjectives for adverbs. (See 
 § 213.) 
 
 6
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 LETTERS OF APPLICATION 
 
 43. What They Are. — If you will suppose that you have 
 completed the high school course or that ill-fortune forces you 
 to go to work, imagine also that you are trying to secure a 
 position. If you do not have relatives or friends who can aid 
 you in this, your success will depend on your ability to con- 
 vince prospective employers that you are the best person for 
 the position they wish to fill. How much ability of that kind 
 is revealed in the two following answers to advertisements? 
 
 The natural course for you to follow would be to watch the 
 advertisements in the newspapers and apply for such posi- 
 tions as attract you. Very often the applicant is instructed 
 to write a letter stating his qualifications and giving some 
 account of himself. 
 
 There are two ways of arranging the material of such a 
 letter. Both arrangements are good. You will choose one or 
 the other according to the circumstances of the particular case. 
 
 When the position is one for which there will probably be 
 many applicants, so that the employer can give only a little 
 time to each letter, what is known as the tabular form is use- 
 ful. It tells more at a glance than does the ordinary letter 
 arrangement. 
 
 44. The Tabular Form.— 
 
 Boy in Office 
 
 wanted for woolen concern. Apply in type 
 St hand-writing, stating experience. Ad- 
 dress MM210, Daily News Record, 8 E. 13th 
 St. 
 
 82
 
 LETTERS OF APPLICATION 83 
 
 2791 Balnbrldge Avenue 
 East St. Louis, Illinois 
 April 1, 1930 
 
 101210 
 
 Dally Hews Record 
 8 Ea3t 13 Street 
 Saint Louis, Mo. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 I wish to apply for the position of Boy In Office adver- 
 tised in today's "Hews Record." 
 
 My qualifications are as follows: 
 
 Age — sixteen years 
 
 Education — two years In Commercial High School, East St. 
 
 Louis. I plan to study textiles in evening school. 
 Experience — eurr..-ncr, 1918, office boy of Smith-Ernes Company, 
 
 313 Locust Street for two months. 
 
 summer, 1919, office boy with Slawson and Decker, 
 tailors, 113 Maynard Place, for 
 nine weeks. 
 References, by permission — Character — Principal Gilbert B. 
 
 Sykes, Commercial 
 High School, East St. 
 Louis, Illinois. 
 
 Business ability ~ Mr. A. B. Decker 
 113 Maynard Place 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 For some positions, however, the tabular form of applica- 
 tion might seem too bare and abrupt; the items of fact need 
 to be given with somewhat fuller comment or background. 
 Or the position might be one in which the candidate's skill 
 at writing letters with or without supervision, would be espe- 
 cially important. In such a case the ordinary letter arrange- 
 ment of material is preferable. 
 
 45. The Letter Form.— 
 
 Young Lady as Stenographer and Typist, 
 well educated, with experience in keeping files. 
 Hours 9-5. Apply in own typewriting, nam- 
 ing former employers. Address SW33 Times 
 Democrat.
 
 84 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 831 Jackson Boulevard 
 New Orleans, Louisiana 
 March 30, 1920 
 
 SW33 
 
 Times Democrat 
 New Orleans, La. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 I feel myself competent to fill the position ae 
 stenographer and typist advertised in this morning's "Timee 
 Democrat." Here are my qualifications: 
 
 My general education was gained at the Sophie Newcomb 
 College, where I was graduated in June, 1918. My business 
 training was gained at Claridge's Secretarial School. I can 
 transcribe with speed and accuracy both from my own notes 
 and from the dictating machine. 
 
 My experience covers the year 1919 in the offioes of 
 Messrs. Hartwell and Buck, Attorneys at Law, where I am now 
 in oharge of the filing. I also act as private secretary 
 for Mr. J. 0. Buck. 
 
 My references, by permission, are: 
 
 Mrs. Marion Ellwood, Dean of Sophie Newcomb College, who 
 can speak of my character and' general ability. 
 
 Mr. J. 0. Buck, of the law firm of Hartwell and Buck, who 
 can testify as to my ability in filing and secretarial 
 work. 
 
 If you think my qualifications fit me for the position, 
 I shall be glad of in interview at your convenience. My 
 home telephone is Ponchartraln 815. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Exercise 47 
 
 What is the purpose of each letter? What is the difference in the 
 kind of position sought? What is the difference in the body of each? 
 What is the usefulness of tabulation? Do you think either letter 
 would stand out among the many other applications for the same 
 position? Will the employer during the interview say to himself, 
 "This is the person who wrote that letter?" Do you think either 
 applicant exceptionally qualified for the position sought?
 
 LETTERS OF APPLICATION 85 
 
 46. Importance and Purpose. — Such letters of applica- 
 tion may easily be the most important you will write, at 
 the beginning of your business career. If you reply to a 
 "blind" advertisement, like the two to which replies are 
 given above, where the name of the firm is withheld and 
 only very general requirements are mentioned, you will have 
 many competitors. If the name of the firm and the qualifica- 
 tions required are mentioned, you may not have many but 
 you will have strong competitors. Even where you have been 
 recommended, you should put your best foot forward. 
 
 In any case, you wish to convince some business man that 
 you are the best person for some particular position. In order 
 to select the arguments that will impress him most, try to 
 imagine yourself sitting at his desk and asking some applicant 
 the questions you would like to have answered. If the ad- 
 vertisement is not a "blind" one and you can find out some- 
 thing about the advertiser's methods of doing business or 
 his prejudices and other peculiarities, make your letter fit 
 them. Watch the following points. 
 
 47. Beginning. — In the first sentence apply for the posi- 
 tion, stating how you learned of it. For example: 
 
 Please consider me an applicant for the position of office girl, 
 mentioned in your advertisement in this morning's Times. 
 
 I wish to apply for the position of bookkeeper advertised in this 
 afternoon's Sun. 
 
 Observe that advertisement is not abbreviated, and that the 
 writer does not waste time by saying that he has seen or read 
 or noticed the advertisement. 
 
 48. Qualifications. — Age is nearly always an important 
 qualification. Business experience is always helpful. If .you
 
 86 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 have been employed before, give the employer's name and 
 the nature and duration of the service. If you desire to 
 change your present position, give your reasons as briefly as 
 possible. If you are applying for a kind of position new to 
 you, show how your past experience prepares for it. 
 
 If you have had no past experience, it is unnecessary to 
 mention the fact, but show how your education and your 
 hopes for the future fit you for the position. In any case, 
 you will do well to name the schools which you attended and 
 the subjects that you studied. In some cases, it may be well 
 to state whether you live with your parents and what salary 
 you expect. 
 
 49. References. — It is only courteous to ask your teachers 
 or former employers for permission to use their names before 
 giving them as references in a letter of application. State 
 whether the person can speak for your character, your effi- 
 ciency, or some other qualification. Always give the full 
 name and the exact address, even if you must spend some time 
 in looking them up. If you have already secured letters of 
 recommendation, enclose copies of them, but the personal 
 letters from your references will have much more weight than 
 general recommendations. 
 
 50. Ending. — Most letters of application merely prepare 
 for an interview. You will therefore do well in the conclu- 
 sion to mention your telephone number or indicate how and 
 when you may be found. Use Yours truly, or Very truly 
 yours, in closing. Respectfully yours is appropriate only where 
 you are applying to one in high position. Most applica- 
 tions are matters of business where no particular deference 
 is due.
 
 LETTERS OF APPLICATION 87 
 
 51. Appearance. — Use unruled paper of business size, 
 and of good quality. Write very neatly, with the neatest 
 possible arrangement on the page. Be very careful of 
 spelling, grammar, punctuation. Make your letter of ap- 
 plication stand out favorably from all others. 
 
 Exercise 48 
 
 Compare the following letters with the two at the beginning of the 
 chapter. Note the way the following examples begin, the statement 
 of qualifications, the inclusion of references, and the ending. Then 
 rewrite each in such a way that it will meet the requirements of 
 § § 47-51. 
 
 1. 
 
 A34 
 
 Times Downtown 
 
 Some time ago I saw your ad. The position is one I think would 
 suit me, as the hours seem not too hard. I have a pretty good job 
 now, but my boss tries to make a packhorse out of me and doesn't 
 give me any hope of advancement. I should like to enter the ser- 
 vice of an enlighted employer like you. 
 
 If you want references, ask anyone who has ever employed me. 
 But I should prefer to call in person. Hoping to hear from you 
 without delay, 
 
 What point of view does the writer of this letter take? 
 
 2. 
 
 Mr. A. B. Yorke 
 Care Dallas News 
 
 Dear Mr. Yorke: 
 
 I learn from this morning's "News" that you need a typist and 
 office assistant. As I am about to graduate from Pyne's Business 
 College and would like to have a good place, I think you will wish
 
 88 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 to investigate my qualifications. Of course, I haven't had any real 
 experience, but our school is just like an office, so I know all about 
 your work. 
 
 If you wish references, I do hope you will write to Mr. Goode, my 
 typewriting teacher. He knows all about me. 
 
 Respectfully yours, 
 
 Are the qualifications and references convincing? Why? 
 
 3. 
 
 Mr. A. L. Butler 
 411 Bond Street 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 A friend of mine informs me you are in need of a bookkeeper. 
 Now bookkeeping is my long suit. I am about to graduate from the 
 Eastern High School, where I have been keeping the books of the 
 Eastern Organization. You know it runs everything in school, all 
 the athletics, and the lunch room, and everything. We last year 
 did a business of $12,000. And I kept all the books. The faculty 
 adviser audited them and couldn't find any mistakes. Of course, 
 he had given me directions every once in a while, but the work was 
 all mine. In short, I feel confident I know the bookkeeping game 
 now. 
 
 After I get a position I expect to study at night until I become a 
 C.P.A. I shall be glad to see you any day after three o'clock for a 
 personal conference. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 Is the tone of this letter likely to make a good impression? Will 
 the employer conclude that the boy will carry out instructions or do 
 things his own way? 
 
 Exercise 49 
 
 1. Positions (b), (e), (g), (i), on the following page are open to 
 boys. Write a letter of application for each, tabulating the quali- 
 fications as in the example in § 44.
 
 LETTERS OF APPLICATION 89 
 
 2. Write a suitable letter of application for each of the positions 
 (a), (c), (d), (f), (h). Before handing it in make sure of these two 
 points: (1) Is every compound sentence properly punctuated (for 
 the rule, see § 228 [1])? (2) Are all adverbial clauses properly set 
 off (for the rule, see § 228 [6]) ? 
 
 (a) 
 
 BOOKKEEPER and bill-clerk; state 
 age, nationality, experience, salary expected. 
 Frothingham, L 217 Times. 
 
 BOY to operate small switchboard and 
 (Y)) run errands; must be of good appearance; $8 
 V ' to start. Write Room 1605, 50 East 42d St. 
 
 YOUNG MAN wanted in high-class 
 
 retail store to assist in selling; salary $15 to 
 
 (n\ start, with prospect for good advancement. 
 
 Address in own handwriting, giving age and 
 
 experience. G 524 Times Downtown. 
 
 YOUNG MAN wanted, assistant book- 
 keeper steamship office ; state salary expected. 
 J 647 Times Downtown. 
 
 (d) 
 
 (e) 
 
 (g) 
 
 (h) 
 (i) 
 
 BOY BOY BOY— 
 
 for light office work and errands; good chance 
 for advancement; start $8; large wholesale 
 house. Write Mr. Luetgens, Jaburg Bros., 10- 
 14 Leonard St., New York City. 
 
 BOY of American parentage, about 17 
 years of age, as junior mail clerk and to assist 
 , f > in office; must have good education, come 
 \i) highly recommended; state salary expected 
 and experience, if any. Address Manufac- 
 turer, H 754 Times Downtown. 
 
 BOY wanted as clerk in foreign depart- 
 ment of commercial house ; salary to start, $10 
 per week, with rapid advancement; apply by 
 letter. C 665 Times Downtown. 
 
 BOY, INTELLIGENT. For growing 
 advertising agency; excellent opportunity for 
 advancement. Write Room 1009, 110 West 
 34th St. 
 
 BOY to run errands. Herbert & Hughes 
 Co., 18 East 42d St. 
 
 Exercise 50 
 
 1. Positions (a) and (d) on the next page are open to girls. 
 Write a letter of application for each, tabulating your qualifications 
 as in the specimen in § 44.
 
 90 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 (a) 
 
 CLERKS, between the ages of 16 and 
 18, in the office of a large corporation ; experi- 
 ence unnecessary ; hours 9 to 5 ; half day Satur- 
 day throughout the year ; vacations with pay ; 
 salary S10 per week to start; rapid advance- 
 ment to higher paid positions. Write, stating 
 age, education, experience, if any, &c, H 483 
 Times Downtown. 
 
 TYPIST. Refined young lady for main 
 
 office of a large company; must be a fast, ac- 
 
 /U\ curate operator; no stenography required; 
 
 starting salary, S12-S15 a week. Address J. H. 
 
 Williams & Co., 152 Hamilton Av., Brooklyn. 
 
 TYPISTS. — Immediate and permanent 
 
 (c) work; compensation governed by ability. 
 
 Address Boyd's, 19 Beekman St., N. Y. City. 
 
 GIRLS, bright, to make themselves 
 generally useful. Frank Brothers' Shoe Store 
 588 5th Av., (48th St.) 
 
 (d) 
 
 2. Write a suitable letter of application for positions (b) and (c). 
 (1) Is every compound sentence properly punctuated (for the rule, 
 see § 228 [1]) ? (2) Are all adverbial clauses properly set off (for 
 the rule, see § 228 [6]) ? 
 
 Exercise 51 — Oral 
 
 1. Let a committee of the class be appointed to pass upon these 
 applications. A large proportion of the applications will probably 
 be rejected on the mere appearance of the letter. Of those remain- 
 ing, a selection should be made of those most likely to fill the posi- 
 tion so far as you can judge by their statement of qualifications and 
 manner of writing. 
 
 (a) Does the letter definitely explain how the writer is fitted for 
 
 the position in question? 
 
 (b) Is it paragraphed in an orderly manner, and careful in spell- 
 
 ing and punctuation? 
 
 (c) Does it suggest any unpleasant traits, such as conceit? 
 
 2. Let the committee report to the class its findings. 
 
 Exercise 52 
 
 Write a letter of application for each of these positions. 
 1. There is open a position as teacher in the high schools.
 
 LETTERS OF APPLICATION 91 
 
 2. Rogers and Black of New Orleans wish a stenographer who can 
 translate from and into Spanish and Portuguese and who is familiar 
 with the business customs of South America. State age and ex- 
 perience. 
 
 3. Bookkeeper — man — familiar with recent accountancy systems, 
 to inaugurate system of new firm. Address S. W., Los Angeles 
 Times. 
 
 4. Stenographer, familiar with legal terms, legal filing, and rou- 
 tine of law office. Address Stephen Bonselle, Wilson Building, 
 Omaha, Neb. 
 
 Exercise 53— Oral 
 
 Let a member of the class act as employer. He will interview 
 those chosen in Exercise 51 and finally select an applicant for the 
 position sought.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 THE NEWSPAPER 
 
 52. Reason for Reading. — The newspaper is read by 
 virtually everyone. It is read by men as they hurry to work 
 in vast cities. It is read by women sitting in hamlets far from 
 the railroad. It is read calmly by venerable statesmen intent 
 upon the significance of a speech in some foreign land. It is 
 read eagerly by excited boys who pursue the career of their 
 favorite batter in a baseball league. The newspaper should 
 be read by everyone. The world is one vast community. 
 Anyone who hopes to be intelligent must become acquainted 
 with the activities of the world. Anyone who enters business 
 must know how this country and other countries are pro- 
 gressing. 
 
 53. What the Newspaper Gives. — Obviously, a newspaper 
 ought to give the news. What is news? It must be some 
 current happening that is interesting. Would a dog-fight be 
 interesting? It surely interests the circle gathered round it, 
 but it would not arrest the attention of many who might see 
 it mentioned in a paper. It would not be unusual enough. 
 It has nothing of the new in it. It does not record any change 
 that will affect people's lives. To be news a dog-fight would 
 have to interest many readers outside the circle watching the 
 fight. If a boy showed some daring in stopping the fight — 
 if there were any striking contrast with ordinary life — the 
 account might become news. 
 
 92
 
 THE NEWSPAPER 
 
 93 
 
 The demand for interest must be met even by the shortest 
 account, called a "news item." The first few words must 
 catch the reader's attention. The first sentence must show 
 what is the most important feature of the event. The whole 
 account must give definite facts, in simple, direct wording, in 
 clear sentences, arranged in an order very easy to follow. 
 
 Exercise 54 
 
 Concerning the two following news items printed the same after- 
 noon, answer these questions : 
 
 1. Which account contains the most definite facts? 
 
 2. Which uses the simpler words? 
 
 3. In which are the sentences easier to understand? 
 
 4. Which account is the easier to follow? 
 
 COLLEGE FLYERS TO RACE FOR 
 CUP 
 
 FIRST COLLEGE AIR RACE SET 
 FOR MAY 6 
 
 At Least Six Institutions to Take Part 
 in 550- Mile Competition in May. 
 
 The first intercollegiate air race will 
 be held over a 550-mile course on May 
 6 and 7 with at least six universities and 
 colleges taking part. 
 
 The American Flying Club to-day 
 offered a cup to be competed for an- 
 nually by the college flying teams. The 
 institutions already interested are Yale, 
 Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Williams 
 and Cornell. Final details will be an- 
 nounced on March 13 by the newly or- 
 ganized Intercollegiate Flying Associa- 
 tion. Each college will be permitted to 
 enter two machines. 
 
 The start will be made at Columbia 
 Flying Field or the army aviation field 
 at Mineola. The course will include 
 stops at the competing colleges. 
 
 American Flying Club Announces 
 Trophy Offer 
 
 Aviation, which will have its inning 
 as a college sport with the inaugura- 
 tion of the intercollegiate air race May 
 6 and 7, bids fair to rival in popularity 
 intercollegiate rowing as a spectacle. 
 Six of the leading universities are pre- 
 paring to compete in this 500-mile 
 circuit flight , the American Flying Club, 
 which is offering a cup to be competed 
 for annually, announced to-day. 
 
 Laurence L. Driggs, president of the 
 club, states, in connection with the an- 
 nouncement that the club has voted to 
 hang up the trophy, that for the first 
 race, the club is cooperating with rep- 
 resentatives from Yale, Princeton, 
 Columbia, Harvard, Cornell and 
 Williams.
 
 94 
 
 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 54. Interesting the Reader. — In longer accounts the 
 newspaper writer has to do much more than present the 
 facts clearly. He must decide what feature of the event will 
 be most likely to interest the reader. Then he must dwell on 
 that feature. The first few sentences, called the "lead," 
 must present this aspect in such a way as to catch the reader's 
 attention. These sentences should not only show the signif- 
 icance of the event, but should lead the reader on to read 
 the rest of the article. Once the writer has settled on the 
 "feature" of the event, he will know what to omit in his 
 article and what to develop at the greatest length. The selec- 
 tion of the feature will depend sometimes on what the readers 
 of the paper are interested in. Often it will depend on what 
 the paper wishes the readers to believe. "Featuring" is 
 essential to making a news article attractive and worth read- 
 ing. To practice selecting features in the events one writes 
 up will help one more than anything else to develop a sense of 
 what is news. 
 
 Note in the following accounts of Edison's birthday the 
 very different featuring. The World features the eight-hour 
 day. The Tribune features his scientific achievements. 
 Which is to you the more interesting? How much of this 
 interest is due to featuring, and how much to the way the 
 article is written? Which uses "73" more interestingly? 
 
 EDISON, 73 TO-DAY, SAYS: "I 
 
 COULDN'T HAVE DONE MUCH 
 
 UNDER 8-HOUR RULE" 
 
 Those who remain of the telegraphers 
 of the good old days will put a little 
 extra zest into the "73" they flash over 
 the wires to-day to Tom Edison, for 
 this is the Greatest Telegrapher's 
 seventy-third birthday anniversary. 
 
 EDISON AT 73 IS THE CENTER 
 OF REUNION 
 
 Thomas A. Edison was seventy-three 
 years old yesterday and the Edison 
 Pioneers, an organization of about 
 fifty men, who became associated with 
 him between 1870 and 1885, gave a 
 luncheon in his honor at the Edison 
 Laboratories, in Orange, N. J.
 
 THE NEWSPAPER 
 
 95 
 
 and in the code of his old craft "73" 
 means "best wishes," "good luck," or 
 "many happy returns." 
 
 President Woodrow Wilson was 
 among those who sent messages of con- 
 gratulation. The letter from the Presi- 
 dent was sent to T. Commerford Martin, 
 Vice-President of the Edison Pioneers, 
 and read: 
 
 "I cannot deny myself the pleasure of 
 sending a message to be read at the 
 celebration of Mr. Edison's seventy- 
 third birthday. I am proud to count 
 myself among the friends and admirers 
 of Mr. Edison, and I beg that you will 
 convey to him my warmest congratula- 
 tions and my hope that he will see many 
 very happy returns of the anniversary, 
 marked by an increasing number of 
 scientific triumphs." 
 
 ""I'm glad that the eight-hour day 
 had not been invented when I was a 
 young man," Mr. Edison said to-day. 
 "On my birthdays I like to turn for a 
 moment and look backward over the 
 road I have travelled. To-day I am 
 wondering what would have happened 
 to me by now if fifty years ago some 
 fluent talker had converted me to the 
 theory of the eight-hour day and con- 
 vinced me that it was not fair to my 
 fellow workers to put forth my best 
 efforts in my work. 
 
 "If my life had been made up of 
 eight-hour days," said Mr. Edison, "I 
 don't believe I could have accomplished 
 a great deal. This country would not 
 amount to as much as it does if the 
 young men of fifty years ago had been 
 afraid that they might earn more than 
 they were paid. There were shirkers in 
 those days, to be sure, but they did not 
 boast of it. The shirker tried to conceal 
 or excuse his shiftlessness and lack of 
 ambition. 
 
 "I am not against the eight-hour 
 day or any other thing that protects 
 labor from exploitation at the hands 
 of ruthless employers, but it makes me 
 sad to see young Americans shackle 
 their abilities by blindly conforming to 
 rules which force the industrious man 
 
 Shut off by defective hearing from 
 reactions to felicitous speeches that 
 praised his past achievements, the in- 
 ventor of the electric power and light- 
 ing system that traps and harnesses 
 energy for countless tasks on land and 
 sea, sat heedless of their voices. 
 
 While they talked in the way of post 
 prandial speakers and while telegrams 
 were read that expressed the congratu- 
 lations of President Wilson and Henry 
 Ford and other men who identified 
 themselves as "Milt" or "Theodore" 
 (T. N. Vail), Mr. Edison's blue eyes 
 squinted until his bushy dark brows 
 knit to shut out the smoke of a long 
 cigar uptilted from the corner of his 
 mouth. He was ruminating over new 
 marvels that he promises will be as 
 astonishing to this generation as his 
 talking machine was to that which 
 thought the idea was a fantastic dream. 
 
 Souvenirs were distributed, porcelain 
 incandescent lamps with a likeness of 
 the inventor printed on the white sur- 
 face, and the party was at an end. 
 Shaking hands and exchanging all sorts 
 of gossip, Mr. Edison started back to 
 work, but at the door he was surrounded 
 by newspaper men. 
 
 He was asked if he was working on 
 a new invention which might be con- 
 sidered as fantastic as his earlier 
 achievements. 
 
 "Oh, I'm working on forty inven- 
 tions ; I'm always working," he laughed. 
 Then, sobering: 
 
 "But there is one that is great. Can't 
 talk about it until its ready. But — 
 she's going to work." He rubbed his 
 hands together and his eyes shone. 
 
 Then he was diverted into the past 
 with a query as to what he considered 
 his greatest invention. Mr. Edison 
 seemed a bit embarrassed but answered: 
 
 "Well, I think the electric power and 
 lighting system was most important." 
 Then, after a minute of reflection: "I
 
 96 
 
 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 to keep in step with the shirker. If 
 these rules are carried to their logical 
 conclusion it would seem that they are 
 likely to establish a rigid system of vo- 
 cational classes which will make it diffi- 
 cult for the workingman to improve his 
 condition and station in life by his own 
 efforts. 
 
 If Thomas Alva Edison had his way 
 about it, nobody would make much of 
 a fuss over his birthday anniversaries; 
 but his friends and neighbors and well- 
 wishers in Orange, N. J. — and that 
 means the 35,000 inhabitants of that 
 wide-awake and wealthy community- — 
 think otherwise and are displaying flags 
 and running off a little programme to 
 show their delight at having a genius 
 among them. If he follows precedent, 
 Edison will not even dress up, but will 
 "putter 'roun" his laboratory a little. 
 
 Edison is a native of Milan, O. At 
 twelve he was selling newspapers on 
 Grand Trunk Railroad trains. Then 
 he picked up telegraphy. His life and 
 achievements are one of ten thousand 
 ready answers to the American boy who 
 says there are no opportunities nowa- 
 days. 
 
 think motion pictures are pretty good, 
 too!" 
 
 The Pioneers, however, showed what 
 they thought about it by their enthu- 
 siastic applause of the statement by 
 Major Hammer in his speech that the 
 greatest Edison invention was the pho- 
 nograph, a thing hardly dreamed of by 
 scientists until it was an accomplished 
 fact. 
 
 And that was the end of the inter- 
 view, except that as Mr. Edison started 
 downstairs on the way to those regions 
 where he works out his problems, he 
 called out: 
 
 "Where's the Tribune man? Say, 
 ask Darling to draw a cartoon showing 
 a harried spirit trying to get into com- 
 munication with Sir Oliver Lodge." 
 
 On the wall over the deserted lunch- 
 eon room an arrangement of incan- 
 descent bulbs, some elongated and 
 others round, continued to flash a 
 Morse message, "Dash, dash, dot, dot; 
 dot, dot, dot, dash, dot," which trans- 
 lated is "73," and to all telegraphers, 
 including Thomas Alva Edison, means 
 "Best regards!" 
 
 [The (New York) Evening World. 
 February nth] 
 
 [The New York Tribune, 
 February 12th] 
 
 55. Head-Lines. — Having made his account as interest- 
 ing as he knows how, the newspaper writer must still adver- 
 tise it so that it will be read. He advertises it by a head-line. 
 Of course, he must summarize the news in the article, or the 
 reader will gain no notion of the subject. But the head-line 
 must be so concrete and specific that it will arouse interest 
 in the subject. The wording should not be sensational, that
 
 THE NEWSPAPER 
 
 97 
 
 is, it should not mislead the reader or work on his prejudices; 
 but it should be so definite that he can determine whether he 
 wishes to read the article, and it should emphasize the feature 
 which makes it news. Note in the following articles, all 
 of which appeared on the same morning, the variety of em- 
 phasis in the head-lines and "leads." Even the top line 
 varies, from the colorless record of The Sun and New York 
 Herald to the condemnation implied by The World. The 
 subhead, or "second deck," as it is called, presenting facts 
 that are considered less important, contains the same varia- 
 tion. These head-lines represented the policies of the 
 respective papers concerning America's joining the League 
 of Nations. 
 
 What do you think is the policy of each paper on this 
 matter? 
 
 Does the "lead" support your conclusion? 
 
 LEAGUE OF NATIONS MEETS 
 IN LONDON 
 
 LEAGUE COUNCIL MEETS IN 
 LONDON 
 
 Eight Countries Represented; Absence 
 of America Is Regretted 
 
 LONDON. Feb. 11.— The Council of 
 the League of Nations formally opened 
 its meeting here at noon to-day. Arthur 
 J. Balfour, representing Great Britain, 
 assumed the chair on the suggestion 
 of Leon Bourgeois, representative of 
 France. 
 
 {The Sun and New York Herald] 
 
 Balfour, Presiding, Expresses Regrei 
 
 at the Absence of an American 
 
 Delegate 
 
 LONDON, Feb. 11.— With complete 
 absence of formality, the Council of the 
 League of Nations began to-day in the 
 Picture Gallery of St. James's Palace 
 its first business session. Members of 
 the press and diplomats of all nations 
 attended as spectators of a great his- 
 toric event, but Ambassador Davis was 
 absent. He had explained to The New 
 York Times correspondent that he 
 would not be there unless he received 
 special instructions from Washington, 
 and they did not come. 
 
 The New York Times]
 
 98 
 
 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 U. S. IS MISSED AS COUNCIL OF 
 LEAGUE MEETS 
 
 Balfour Expresses Regret That Only 
 Eight Nations Instead of Nine Are 
 Represented in Proceedings 
 
 By Arthur S. Draper 
 
 LONDON, Feb. 11.— If great things 
 have small beginnings, then the league 
 of nations doubtless will become as 
 powerful as President Wilson promised 
 in the days when the whole world was 
 talking of nothing else. The opening 
 session of the conference council in the 
 picture gallery of St. James's Palace 
 aroused little more interest and in- 
 spired no more enthusiasm than a 
 gathering of archaeologists, but for that 
 America may be blamed. 
 
 [The New York Tribune] 
 
 BRITAIN DEPLORES ABSENCE OF 
 
 U. S. AT COUNCIL OF 
 
 LEAGUE 
 
 Says America's Moral Influence Is 
 
 Needed When Life of New 
 
 Society Is at Stake 
 
 By Joseph W. Grigg 
 
 LONDON, Feb. 11.— The failure of 
 the United States to find a way out of 
 the treaty impasse and to lend its great 
 strength and moral support toward 
 the solution of the critical world prob- 
 lems yet to be reckoned with, is deplored 
 more than ever by well informed opin- 
 ion here, especially as the Council of 
 the League of Nations got down to 
 business for the first time to-day when 
 they met in London and the United 
 States was not represented. 
 
 [The New York Morning World\ 
 
 Exercise 55 — Oral 
 
 Prepare a series of talks to the class about the newspaper on the 
 basis of these questions. 
 
 1. What newspapers, daily or weekly, are taken at home? What 
 parts of which paper do you read? Do you read foreign news; 
 political news; sporting news; editorials; advertisements? Why do 
 you read the paper? 
 
 2. What kinds of material are found in newspapers? What news 
 appears on the front page? Where is the sporting news? Is there 
 business or financial news? What does it include? Where is the 
 editorial page? How does an editorial differ from news? Does the 
 paper contain cartoons or pictures? Why? What other depart- 
 ments does the paper contain? What class of readers does each 
 department interest? 
 
 3. Compare two newspapers. What class of readers would each 
 paper interest? Is there a political difference? Do the two place 
 the same news on the front page? Do they use the same style of 
 type? Read aloud two editorials or news stories. Are they written
 
 THE NEWSPAPER 99 
 
 in the same manner or style, that is, are the words and sentences 
 equally easy to understand? Can you explain why they differ? 
 Is it because of the personal views of the editor or is it an effort to 
 reach a certain kind of reader, for instance, a farmer, a business man, 
 a housewife, or a laboring man? 
 
 4. Compare two news accounts of the same event in recent pa- 
 pers. What is the source of the news? (Study the set of head-lines 
 on pages 97, 98.) Is it a great organization for gathering news, like 
 the Associated Press? Is it a specially named reporter? Is it an 
 unnamed reporter? Do you think any part of the accounts may 
 have come from an encyclopedia or other book? 
 
 Do the first sentences in each news account, or "lead," sum it all 
 up? (Study the "leads" on pages 97, 98.) Do they tell who did the 
 deed? Or do they give what was the striking feature of the event? 
 Or do they emphasize why or how it happened? Or do they make 
 where and when important? Are the first words emphatic and 
 striking? Do these first sentences catch the attention of the 
 reader? How? 
 
 Exercise 56 
 
 1. Write a news story of some event in school. You may find your 
 subject in some action of the principal, some athletic event, some 
 club meeting, a new teacher, some story by the janitor of an accident 
 or improvement. 
 
 (a) Have you all the facts truthfully reported? 
 
 (b) Does your "lead" catch attention? 
 
 (c) Does it feature who, what, why, how, where, or when ? 
 
 2. When you have read it to the class, remain standing to answer 
 any questions. If you have written interestingly, there will be 
 questions. 
 
 Exercise 57 — Oral Report 
 
 Compare, if possible, several recent newspaper accounts of the 
 same event. What is featured in each account? Which is the most 
 interesting "lead"? What feature of the event takes the most
 
 100 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 space in each account? Select the most interesting account. How 
 much has featuring to do with the interest? 
 
 Exercise 58 
 
 Let all the class write a news account of the same school incident. 
 In class let the "lead" of each be read. The class will then decide 
 which it wishes to have read first. Another way is to let each row 
 vote separately on the best among its members. Does the rest of 
 the account develop the matter featured in the "lead"? 
 
 Exercise 59 — Oral Report 
 
 News stories, as we saw on page 96, have titles or head-lines. 
 To write a good head-line tests one's command of language. Re- 
 member that it must be brief but grammatical. It must be concrete 
 to attract attention. It must bring out the significant feature of the 
 story. 
 
 Collect ten head-lines, some of which fulfil all three requirements 
 and others of which are poor in some or all respects. Explain to 
 the class the merits and shortcomings of these examples. 
 
 Exercise 60 
 
 Write suitable head-lines for the news stories you have written. 
 If they are placed on the board, the class can determine which one 
 it considers the best. 
 
 56. Editorials. — The editorial page is generally used for 
 the interchange of ideas between the editors and the readers. 
 The readers are frequently represented by letters in which 
 they express their opinions of events or of the statements in 
 the editorials. The editorials themselves generally attempt to 
 interpret the events recorded in the news columns. In many 
 daily papers the news may have been printed the day before, 
 but the comment must be timely if it is to be read. What the
 
 THE NEWSPAPER 101 
 
 interpretation may be depends partly upon the policy of the 
 paper. Political faith is the most common governing prin- 
 ciple, but a leaning toward capital or labor very frequently 
 inspires the interpretation. Of course, local questions may 
 be considered apart from these points of view. 
 
 The interpretation depends also on the kind of reader the 
 paper reaches. The business man usually wants brief, bright 
 editorials or those taking a conservative view of important 
 questions. The laboring man generally seeks a very short, 
 plain statement of facts, with some appeal to his feelings and 
 a strong demand for the people's rights. The man of leisure 
 will take time to read weighty discussions of considerable 
 length. 
 
 Some editorials summarize news so as to bring out its sig- 
 nificance. Others treat a subject humorously. But the ma- 
 jority discuss topics with the purpose of bringing the readers 
 to a definite belief one way or another, or of persuading them 
 to a course of action on some issue. Editorials should conse- 
 quently be judged as we judge any other piece of argument 
 (see § 131). 
 
 The editorial page is still very influential and deserves 
 study. 
 
 Exercise 61 — Oral Report 
 
 1. Compare the editorial pages of two papers on the same day. 
 
 (a) What topics are treated by both? How does each edi- 
 torial begin — by a timely reference or an appeal to the 
 reader? What is the difference in opinion expressed? 
 Are the opinions developed to the same length? Can 
 you explain why? Do both use the same facts? Are 
 both accurate in stating facts? How can you test this 
 accuracy?
 
 102 ELEMENTARY BUSINESS SITUATIONS 
 
 (b) What topics are treated by one paper alone? Do other 
 
 issues of the paper show that this inclusion is due to edi- 
 torial policy? Is it due to the class of readers addressed? 
 
 (c) Do you think that the readers wish only one side of the 
 
 question? Do they wish a full statement of facts or a 
 strong appeal to feeling? Are they busy or leisurely? 
 
 2. Select from The Saturday Evening Post, The Independent, The 
 Outlook, or some Sunday paper an editorial summarizing the news. 
 Draw up a plan and report it orally to class. Then call on someone 
 to state in a single sentence the purpose of the editorial or to give a 
 brief outline of the thought. 
 
 3. Select some humorous editorial. Is the humor due to satire? 
 If so, what is ridiculed? Is it due to witty or epigrammatic remarks? 
 Is it due to serious treatment of something trivial? 
 
 4. Select an editorial that takes sides on some important public 
 question. 
 
 (a) Write out a statement of the proposition. 
 
 (b) Draw up an outline, so that you can develop clearly before 
 
 the class the separate arguments which the editor brings 
 forward. 
 
 (c) Criticize the editorial as an argument. Does the writer 
 
 rely on reason or evidence for proof. Is the evidence full 
 and convincing? 
 
 5. Select an editorial page which your father likes very much or 
 which you are accustomed to read. Where does the editor get his 
 ideas? What are his sources of information — observation, hearsay, 
 reading dispatches, studying books, conversing with leading men? 
 Does he display unusual knowledge? Has he sound judgment? 
 Has he prejudices? Illustrate your answer to each question. 
 
 Exercise 62 
 
 Write a controversial editorial. How can you catch the reader's 
 attention — by a timely reference or by a striking statement? How 
 can you get him to agree with you at the start? Have you a belief 
 or a course of action to recommend? Have you proof that will carry 
 your reader with you?
 
 THE NEWSPAPER 103 
 
 57. Departments. — The departments of a paper are in- 
 tended to meet the particular interests of various types of 
 readers. As many readers are interested in baseball or box- 
 ing, there is nearly always a sporting page. As most papers 
 wish to interest women, there may be a fashion column or a 
 children's corner. Business men will look for financial news, 
 and students will enjoy reviews of plays and new books. The 
 number and kinds of departments will depend on the various 
 classes of readers the paper tries to reach. 
 
 Exercise 63 — Oral Reports 
 
 1. Report carefully on the following points with regard to some 
 paper of wide circulation : 
 
 (a) What departments does it conduct? 
 
 (b) What is the purpose of each department, and what class of 
 
 readers does each reach? 
 
 (c) Which is the most interesting to you, and why? 
 
 2. Report on the best plan for reading a newspaper. 
 
 (a) Of what news stories would you read only the head-lines? 
 
 (b) Of what_ones would you read also the "lead"? 
 
 (c) Of what ones would you read the whole story? 
 
 (d) What editorials would you read? 
 
 (e) What departments would you read? 
 
 (f) What departments would you skip entirely? 
 
 (g) In what way can you read a paper well in ten or fifteen 
 
 minutes?
 
 Part II — Expressing Ideas for Effective 
 Business Communication 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 LETTER FORM 
 
 58. Importance of Form.— Oliver Goldsmith, the cele- 
 brated English author, in his youth lost an opportunity for 
 advancement in life by appearing for a church examination 
 in scarlet breeches. The examiners thought he should have 
 appeared in sober black. If you wished to employ a young 
 man as your secretary, should you select one who appeared 
 in a soiled collar, with his finger nails in mourning, and the 
 color of his shoes obscured by mud? 
 
 Just as you judge persons by their attire, business men 
 judge their correspondents by the appearance of their letters. 
 If you wish to be well thought of, you will strive to make 
 every letter an attractive representative of yourself or your 
 firm. You can accomplish this only by following some of 
 the long-established rules about letters. Only after you 
 know thoroughly the usual forms, can you safely begin to 
 make your letters so individual as to attract favorable 
 attention. 
 
 59. Typewritten Form. — Nearly all business letters now 
 are written on the typewriter. A pleasing arrangement is 
 the following : 
 
 105
 
 106 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Heading 
 
 Inside 
 Address 
 
 Salutation 
 
 Body 
 
 Complimen- 
 tary close 
 Signature 
 Special data 
 
 334 Gleason Street 
 Piano, Texas 
 September 1, 1930 
 
 Mr. Royal Marston 
 
 Skowhegan 
 
 Minnesota 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 May I inquire whether you are still Interested in the 
 option on the tract of timber land situated ten miles east 
 of Longvlew, Texas, which you requested in your letter of 
 April 2, 1920? You will remember that ihe option expires 
 on the fifteenth of September. 
 
 By arrangement with the trustees of the Clark Estate, 
 I can offer you more attractive terms of payment than in 
 the spring: five thousand dollars ($5,000) down and five 
 thousand dollars (#5,000) on the first of January, April, 
 June, and September, 1921. 
 
 If I should not hear from you by September 15 I shall 
 assume that I am free to consider the offers of other pur- 
 chasers. 
 
 DD^sm 
 
 Very'^ruly yours. 
 Treasurer of Cla/k Estate 
 
 60. Handwritten Form.— The usual handwritten form is 
 shown on page 107. 
 
 61. Letter-Heads.— Nearly all firms employ some kind of 
 letter-head to furnish part of the information supplied in the 
 heading of the letter above. Some of the styles are shown 
 on page 108. The letter-head should not fill more than one 
 fifth of the sheet and should not contain a date-line. Whether 
 you have it printed, lithographed, or engraved, you will 
 strive for simplicity and symmetry. It is better to avoid 
 the use of colors and illustrations. On all such matters secure 
 the advice of your printer or stationer.
 
 LETTER FORM 
 
 107 
 
 Heading 
 
 Inside 
 Address 
 
 Salutation 
 
 Body 
 
 Complimen- 
 tary close 
 Signature 
 
 61.%.%. z 
 
 Qconts 24, iqicj 
 OWL UauaJVloHlj. oL gi&ufoa/ 
 
 VKU Jtm/ ficu> (Zo-nvploikxis /tin -fluj£, 2cA,oo£> 
 iUjiA- Sclcju UnjfiS ikiLy /brurffi&aj o-L^j^y CilyCtuAM, 
 
 62. Stationery. — Business letters should be written on 
 white paper about 8j^ by 11 inches. Most business houses 
 use some kind of bond paper. In the effort to be original 
 some firms use colored papers. In the neutral tints the effect 
 is frequently unobjectionable, but for people of education or 
 taste white is the safest paper to use. The envelope, which 
 should be of the same paper, should bear the return address 
 in the upper left-hand corner. Only in social correspondence 
 should the return address appear on the flap of the envelope. 
 
 It is much better to avoid the use of half-sheets. Many of 
 the best houses now write very short letters on full sheets 
 by using very wide margins and placing the message midway
 
 108 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY 
 
 ROCHESTER, N Y 
 
 e ©liddbn Company 
 
 P*l»I5.MB-ISMS.SI*mS.t«*MTLS 
 
 Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 S)c4iMicX>tiG. l \lniiu^adii iinq do. 
 
 ThC »*G M AH COS ^ 
 
 ■■-..-. - -,.- _. . 
 
 fRAMiNGM»M mass 
 
 Guaranty Trust Company of New York N 
 
 HO Broadway 
 nn<Aver.u^ ofnc« Capital $ 25.000.000 Surplus S 25 .000,000. 
 
 Fifth Avrnue and *<--,( 
 
 iu4,..:i.„ 1,... , Member of redcTAJ Krsrnr Svntem 
 
 Coble Address "Fidehias* 
 
 New York. 
 
 uo< Publicity 
 ttfcdd™. S Dayicn •» replying please rrfer 10 aunbrr. 
 
 between top and bottom. The shorter the message, the wider 
 the margin. 
 
 Exercise 64 
 
 You should now begin a collection of business letters. Either 
 buy a folder or make one. You can make one easily by cutting a
 
 LETTER FORM 109 
 
 piece of heavy wrapping paper obtained at a hardware store to a 
 size 18 by 113^ ins. Crease it, so as to make a folder 9 by ll 1 ^ ins. 
 This size will hold all business letters. When we come to study the 
 types of business letters, you will wish to make a separate folder for 
 each type. 
 
 Your father and your father's friends will be glad to furnish you 
 with letters they no longer need. Arrange them alphabetically by 
 the names of the writers. Examine your file now for the kinds of 
 stationery represented and the varieties of letter-heads. How many 
 kinds have you? 
 
 63. The Parts of a Letter. — The six divisions of a busi- 
 ness letter may be seen from page 106. They are: the head- 
 ing, the inside address, the salutation, the body, the compli- 
 mentary close, the signature. Many letters have a seventh 
 division, the special data. 
 
 64. The Heading. — The heading gives two important 
 facts: the address where the letter is written and the date 
 when it is written. The address is necessary as a direction 
 for the reply. The date is necessary for filing and reference. 
 Never omit either. 
 
 1. The heading should be placed in the upper right-hand 
 corner, two or three inches from the top of the paper, and 
 with a margin of at least an inch at the right. 
 
 2. The following are among the best arrangements for the 
 heading: 
 
 (a) ' (b) 
 
 329 Main Street Owenville , Kansas, 
 Dallas, Texas October 29, 1920. 
 
 December 1, 1920 
 
 (c) 
 Boston, Ohio, Nov, 22, 1920
 
 110 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 You will observe that most addresses require three lines. 
 This is particularly true of handwritten addresses. The first 
 line contains the street number, the post-office box, or the 
 rural free delivery route. The second gives the city and state. 
 The third gives the date. If there is more than one line, the 
 date should always have a line to itself, and should come last. 
 In the block system every line begins at the same distance 
 from the edge of the paper. This arrangement is illustrated 
 by (a) above and the specimen letter on page 106. The slant 
 system, though in wider use, seems to be yielding to the block 
 system in typewritten letters. The arrangement marked (b) 
 is an example of the slant system. Whichever form you select, 
 follow it in the other parts of the letter — in the inside address, in 
 the conclusion, and on the envelope. 
 
 3. One of two systems of punctuation may be followed. In 
 the usual form, there is a comma at the end of every line but 
 the last, where a period occurs, as in (b) above. The comma 
 takes the place of a word, as in the following: 
 
 70 Morningside Drive, (in) 
 New York City, (on) 
 May 10, (in) 1920. 
 
 A form growing in favor is to omit all punctuation at the 
 ends of lines in the various parts of the letter, as in the head- 
 ing (a) on page 109. If you adopt this system, which is 
 simpler, use it also in the inside address and on the envelope. 
 
 4. The sign # or No. should not be used with street num- 
 bers. The abbreviations st, nd or d, rd or th should not be 
 used. They add nothing, and in carbon copies frequently 
 cause confusion. 
 
 5. The names of numbered streets and avenues should be 
 spelled out instead of written in figures, except where they 
 consist of two or more words, as 21 Avenue, 129 Street.
 
 LETTER FORM 111 
 
 Names of streets should not be abbreviated. This applies to 
 the words East, North, South, West where they are parts of 
 the names of streets. 
 
 6. The names of cities should not be abbreviated, nor 
 should the name of the state be omitted. There are 12 Bos- 
 tons, 27 Clevelands, and 28 Washingtons in the United States. 
 If you abbreviate the names of states, follow the list approved 
 by the post-office authorities. (See Appendix B.) 
 
 7. The date should be written out in full, as, February 10, 
 1920. The form 2/10/20 is suitable only for notes. It is better 
 not to abbreviate the name of the month. May, June, and 
 July are never abbreviated. If your employer wishes it, you 
 may use the following: 
 
 Jan. Apr. Oct. 
 
 Feb. Aug. Nov. 
 
 Mar. Sept. Dec. 
 
 Exercise 65 
 
 1. Arrange and write correctly the following: 
 
 (a) Chicago ill lake street aug 21 '20 
 
 (b) 401 wilson building 15 nov dallas tex 
 
 (c) no 512 euclid av Cleveland o jan 12 '20 
 
 (d) 1745 e 116th pi st louis mo dec 15 1920 
 
 (e) adelbert rd 2100 oct 27th '21 Cincinnati o 
 
 (f) 516 w esplanade st n y cit}' apr 19 '20 
 
 (g) 968 anderson av hendersonville tenn jan 20 1920 
 (h) jan 17 '20 denver col landscape av 12 
 
 (i) apt 55 claremont av 30 n y c June 30 1921 
 (j) 40 e 132d st July 12, '19, n y city 
 
 2. Exchange with a classmate. (1) First determine what rule 
 governs each particular case; (2) then examine to see if the rule has 
 been followed.
 
 112 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 3. Sketch out with appropriate lettering a letter-head for each 
 of the following. Consult § 61 and page 108. 
 
 A grocer A tailor 
 
 A druggist A manager of a livery stable 
 
 A banker A manager of a chain of stores 
 
 A newspaper A coal and wood yard 
 
 65. The Inside Address. — The inside address gives the 
 name and address of the person or firm written to. It should 
 be written like the outside address, the one on the envelope. 
 To omit the street and number, as some writers do, would 
 be very serious if the letter were inserted in a window en- 
 velope, where the postal clerks read the address on the letter 
 through transparent paper in the front of the envelope. 
 
 1. The inside address is placed at the left-hand margin, at 
 least an inch from the edge of the paper, and two or three 
 lines below the heading if the letter is to be typewritten. A 
 space of one or two lines should be allowed if the letter is to 
 be hand-written. The first word should begin even with the 
 margin of the body of the letter. See the models on pages 
 
 106, 107. 
 
 2. The arrangement of the lines should be uniform with 
 
 that adapted for the heading. 
 
 Mr. Sidney Mahler Mr. Sidney Mahler 
 320 Main Street or 320 Main Street 
 Dallas, Texas Dallas, Texas 
 
 3. The punctuation will depend on the choice in the head- 
 ing. Keep it uniform. 
 
 4. The name of the person addressed should be preceded 
 by his title. To omit it is an inexcusable business discourtesy. 
 Mr. (Mister) is the common title in addressing one man.
 
 LETTER FORM 113 
 
 Esq. (Esquire) is falling out of use. If you employ it, it 
 should follow the name, and no title should precede the name, 
 as, John Latham, Esq. 
 
 Where your correspondent has arrived at any distinction, 
 you will please him by recognizing that fact. Dr. (Doctor) is 
 usually applied to those who have taken degrees in medicine, 
 dentistry, and the like, but also includes the degrees of Ph.D., 
 D.D., LL.D., and others. Rev. or The Rev. (Reverend) is 
 used in connection with clergymen only. Prof. (Professor) is 
 properly used only with those who hold positions of the rank 
 of professor in a college or university. Hon. (Honorable) is a 
 title given to important government officials, as the mayor, 
 judge of a court, member of a state legislature, member of 
 congress, or a cabinet officer. 
 
 Miss, the title of an unmarried woman, is not an abbrevia- 
 tion and should not be followed by a period. Mrs. (which is 
 pronounced misiz, but comes from the older form Mistress) 
 is the title used in addressing married women. If the woman 
 is a widow, her given name should be used, as, Mrs. Maud 
 Warren, not Mrs. Josephus Warren. Never in addressing 
 a woman add her husband's title. Write Mrs. John Bellman, 
 not Mrs. Judge Bellman; Mrs. Stephen Black, not Mrs. Dr. 
 Black. 
 
 The proper plurals for firms are few. Messrs. (Messieurs) 
 is the only one that can be used where the firm name carries a 
 notion of separate personalities; e.g., Messrs. Partridge and 
 Smith. In the case of corporations, the word The is used fre- 
 quently. Follow the letter-head of the firm. It is wrong to 
 use Messrs. with the corporate name. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 Messrs. International Harvester Company.
 
 114 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Right: 
 
 The International Harvester Company. 
 
 Misses or Mesdames is the title used for a firm of women. 
 Sometimes The is used. Mmes. is the abbreviation sometimes 
 used for Mesdames; e.g., Misses Woodman and Coster, Mes- 
 dames Graves and Center, The Misses Sunderland. 
 
 5. Only one of the titles of respect listed above may be 
 used before any one name. However, the name may be fol- 
 lowed by an additional title indicating official capacity. The 
 latter title should not be abbreviated. For example, 
 
 Mr. G. S. Blakely, Principal 
 The Evander Childs High School 
 New York City 
 
 6. The rule for abbreviations in the heading should be 
 followed in the inside address. The abbreviations of titles 
 just listed are more usual than the full forms. It will give 
 your letters courteous distinction, however, if you use in the 
 inside address the full forms for all except Dr., Mr., Mrs., 
 and Messrs. 
 
 Exercise 66 
 
 1. Write the following inside addresses in correct form: 
 
 (a) Jones and Black, 556 Bond St. 
 
 (b) Elizabeth Danielson, Denwood, Pa. 
 
 (c) The mayor of } r our city 
 
 (d) Mildred Coppersley (widow of James Coppersley) Tulsa, 
 
 Oklahoma 
 
 (e) Perrin Nicolson (Physician) 119 Forest Boulevard Atlanta, 
 
 Fla. 
 
 2. Exchange and criticize for: (1) placing, (2) observance of the 
 rules above.
 
 LETTER FORM 115 
 
 66. The Salutation. — The salutation is an established 
 "part " of a business letter. It corresponds to " Good Morn- 
 ing" in conversation. The correct forms are: Dear Sir, when 
 addressing one man; Gentlemen, when addressing a firm or 
 corporation ; Dear Madam, when addressing a woman either 
 married or single ; Ladies or Mesdames, when addressing a firm 
 or company of women. If you wish more formality, use 
 My dear Sir, My dear Madam. The most formal of all is 
 Sir or Sirs. It sometimes implies strained relations. A less 
 formal business .form is My dear Mr. Jones, or My dear Miss 
 Smith. The least formal is Dear Mr. Jones or Dear Jones. 
 The latter two are so friendly that the inside address is usu- 
 ally placed at the lower left-hand corner of the sheet. Dear 
 Sirs is passing out of use so rapidly that you should always 
 avoid it. Use Gentlemen instead. 
 
 1. The salutation of a typewritten letter should be placed 
 two spaces below the inside address, and flush with the mar- 
 gin. For the handwritten form study the example on page 
 107. In either kind it is a very serious mistake not to begin 
 at the margin. 
 
 2. The salutation should be followed by the colon. The 
 semicolon should never be used. 
 
 3. Abbreviations are never permissible in the salutation. 
 
 Exercise 67 
 
 1. Write the following inside addresses and salutations correctly: 
 
 (a) saks and company sixth av & 34th st new york city sirs 
 
 (b) long and skiptwith druggists plainfield ky my dear sirs 
 
 (c) prof ashley candor Columbia university new york city my 
 
 dear sir 
 
 (d) ronald press company 20 vesey st new york n y gentlemen
 
 116 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (e) prof howard w opdycke dean of college of arts and sciences 
 
 emory university atlanta georgia dear sir 
 
 (f) hiram Johnson mayor city of cedar falls n m sir 
 
 (g) thomas a edison inc orange n j dear sir 
 
 (h) philip gibbs 513 beverwyck st utica n york my dear sir 
 
 (i) the reliance equipment co st Joseph mo gentlemen 
 
 (j) t r roscommon cashier the first national bank silver springs 
 
 idaho my dear sir 
 (k) ketcham and cheatham attorneys at law crystal river florida 
 
 gentlemen 
 (1) o b orr secretary of the Johnson corporation room 2122 
 
 masonic temple Chicago Illinois dear sir » 
 
 2. Exchange and correct for:(l) placing and (2) observance of all 
 the rules above. 
 
 Exercise 68 
 
 1. Write the proper heading, inside address, and salutation for 
 each of the following: 
 
 The mayor of your town The wife of a dentist 
 
 The superintendent of schools The widow of a business man 
 
 Your teacher Two women engaged in a mil- 
 The minister linery business 
 
 A friend on a matter of busi- A dairy farmer on a rural free 
 ness delivery route 
 
 2. Exchange as in Exercise 66, part 2. 
 
 Exercise 69 
 
 Examine your folder of business letters. Do you find that all the 
 letters follow the rules laid down here for business correspondence? 
 Make an oral report to the class on the subject. 
 
 67. The Body. — The body of the letter is the message, 
 which varies according to the purpose of the writer. If it is
 
 LETTER FORM 117 
 
 written or typed on paper having a letter-head, the ink or 
 ribbon should harmonize with the printing on the sheet. 
 The safest color is black. 
 
 1. The most important matter of form in connection with 
 the body is the placing of the letter on the page. Carefully 
 estimate the length before writing. You should leave margins 
 at right and left that will be pleasing to the eye, and should 
 try to keep the right-hand margin even. The space at top 
 and bottom should always be ample to avoid the appearance 
 of crowding. The shorter the letter, the wider the margins 
 and the top and bottom spacings. "Too little attention is 
 paid to this important matter," writes the president of Office 
 Appliances. "Business firms buy first-grade correspondence 
 paper and ornament it with a well-designed letter-head, but 
 fail to perfect the impression because they put the copy in 
 the wrong place on the sheet." Study the placing of the 
 letter on the sheet. 
 
 2. In typewritten letters the body should begin two spaces 
 below the salutation. All the paragraphs, including the first, 
 should be indented the same distance from the margin, no 
 matter how long the salutation may be. The usual indention 
 is five or ten spaces. Some houses start every line at the 
 margin. Note the letter on page 210. A very few begin the 
 first line of every paragraph at the margin, and indent all 
 the others. For an example, see page 158. 
 
 Paragraphs should be single spaced but should be distinctly 
 separated from each other by double spacing. Only in very 
 short letters, where the body needs to cover as much of the 
 page as possible, should the paragraph be double spaced. 
 
 3. When the letter runs to more than one sheet, the second 
 sheet should be paper which does not bear a letter-head 
 but which is of the same size and quality. The typist should
 
 118 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 enter at the top some running title which will enable anyone 
 to put the sheets together should they become separated. 
 This reference should include the page, the person to whom 
 the letter is sent, and sometimes its subject. The second 
 sheet should never contain merely the complimentary close 
 and the signature. By changing margins and spacing, either 
 put all the material on the first page, or bring part of the 
 message to the second page. 
 
 68. The Complimentary Close. — The complimentary close, 
 like the salutation, is a mere formal expression of respect, but 
 its omission might be taken as discourteous. The usual forms 
 are: Yours truly, Yours very truly, Very truly yours. The 
 yours should never be omitted. Respectfully (not respectively) 
 may be substituted for truly in writing to women or superior 
 officers or in asking favors. Sincerely yours and Cordially 
 yours should be reserved for social communications, or letters 
 where a friendly relation exists, since their use implies, to 
 some men, that the writer is becoming too familiar. 
 
 1. In a typewritten letter, the complimentary close should 
 begin two spaces below the last line of the body at the middle 
 of the line. (See model on page 106.) 
 
 2. The first word only should be capitalized. 
 
 3. Abbreviations should never be used — nor should the 
 forms, and oblige, believe me, I am, or / beg to remain be used. 
 
 Exercise 70 
 
 Write and place correctly : 
 
 Respectively yours, Cordially 
 
 Very Truly Yours Yours resp'lly 
 
 I am Sincerely Believe me, y'rs truly 
 
 Y'rs I remain faithfully yours
 
 LETTER FORM 119 
 
 69. The Signature. — The signature, which is the writer's 
 name, is important. We all like to deal with individual per- 
 sons, not with intangible companies. The signature should 
 never vary. If a man signs his checks A. B. Walkley, he 
 should sign his letters in that way, not Arthur B. Walkley, or 
 Arthur Bell Walkley. 
 
 1. The placing of the signature depends on the style fol- 
 lowed in the heading and the inside address. If they are in the 
 " block system," on a vertical line, the signature should begin 
 immediately beneath the first letter of the complimentary 
 close. With the "slant system," it should come farther to 
 the right. In this connection study the signatures on the 
 next page, and those in your own collection. 
 
 2. If the name and position of the writer do not appear on 
 the letter-head, the signature should be above the statement 
 of the writer's position, as Secretary, Chief Clerk, Manager, 
 but it should never be preceded by titles or followed by the 
 mark of a degree. For the arrangement, study the specimens 
 given on page 120. 
 
 3. As a matter of legal protection, it is customary to use 
 the firm or corporation signature in connection with the 
 writer's. When that is done, the word by, or per, or pro is 
 frequently inserted before the signature. By is to be pre- 
 ferred. Study the specimens again. 
 
 4. When there may be doubt as to the spelling of the sig- 
 nature, this confusing possibility can be prevented by having 
 the name typed. As many signatures are difficult to decipher, 
 the precaution is a sensible one. Note the Palmolive and 
 Pyrene letters on page 120. 
 
 5. In some offices it is customary to indicate whether the 
 signature is that of the writer by a stamp, as, Dictated but not 
 signed. Since many regard this practice as discourteous, it
 
 120 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 
 With all good wishes, 
 
 » — Really yours, 
 
 ITHE PA1M0LIVE COMPANY 
 
 Maxwell Drolce - ab Dealers' Prooolion Dep't. ______> 
 
 c»flc ^^-^ _____ _ 
 
 
 Yours truly, 
 SAYlgSjJZNISHTN'G PLANTS 
 
 cel/mmm 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 STUDEBAKES - SOUTH BEND. 
 
 OSB-WB Advertising Manager. 
 
 Yours vary truly, 
 
 PYRENE MANUFACTURING COMPANY 
 
 Asst. Sals s S: Adv. Mgr. 
 J, 0. ACKER 
 
 n 
 
 is better, where it is quite impossible for the writer to sign, to 
 have the clerk sign and add an initial. A rubber-stamp signature 
 is acceptable legally, but it destroys the personal quality of a 
 letter. The only right way to sign a letter is with pen and ink.
 
 LETTER FORM 121 
 
 6. An unmarried woman, particularly when writing to a 
 stranger, should place Miss in parentheses before her name, 
 as (Miss) Anna Shaw. A married woman may sign her full 
 name, and place below or at the left her married name 
 
 Muriel Stone Henderson 
 (Mrs. Arthur Henderson) 
 
 7. Signatures are no longer followed by periods. 
 
 70. Special Data. — Various notations are frequently 
 added to help in future reference to the letter. 
 
 1. The commonest is a system of identifying the one who 
 dictates and the one who types. Among the signatures on 
 pages 106 and 120 observe the notation at the lower left-hand 
 corner for some of the various forms. 
 
 2. When other papers should be enclosed in the same 
 envelope with the letter, it is well to note that fact below the 
 item just mentioned. The word Enclosure may be abbre- 
 viated, and is sometimes enclosed in parentheses, as, End. 
 (Enclosures). 
 
 Where the papers are sent in a separate envelope, that fact 
 may also be noted, as, Booklet mailed. 
 
 3. Postscripts nowadays are not used for matter overlooked 
 and added as an afterthought. They are used to attract 
 attention. For example, read the following note typed below 
 the signature of a letter of inquiry : 
 
 Wouldn't this morning be a mighty good time to fill out and 
 return the list? You'll find a stamped, addressed envelope enclosed. 
 
 4. Matters that are important to the person answering the 
 letter are placed at the top. In the letter-head of the Guar- 
 anty Trust Company (page 108) note the printed line "In 
 replying please refer to number " Sometimes the typist
 
 122 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 enters some such request near the top of the sheet. Where 
 your letter is to reach a particular person or department, you 
 can help the mail clerk in that firm to place it on the right 
 desk if you type in the middle of the line, just below the in- 
 side address and above the salutation, the request: 
 
 Attention of Mr. Durand 
 
 The underlining serves to attract immediate attention and 
 facilitates the arrival of the letter before the proper official. 
 
 5. A form which appears in the letter-head of army com- 
 munications and which has been adopted by some firms may 
 read: 
 
 To Date 
 
 From Subject 
 
 This facilitates filing because the essential items are all 
 placed together. The matters taken up in the body of the 
 letter are also usually numbered. For the correspondence 
 between departments of a business house in particular, the 
 form has obvious advantages. 
 
 6. The use of a letter subject is growing more popular, and 
 deservedly so. One of the largest firms inserts it in capital 
 letters three spaces below the date-line, e.g., Adjustment of 
 Account, Typewriter in Laundries, etc. A large manufacturer 
 omits the salutation and places the subject like a title above 
 the body and underlines it, e.g., 
 
 Payment of Account, Terms. 
 See the example on page 153. 
 
 71. Folding the Letter. — The most convenient method of 
 folding the letter for the envelope is very simple. 
 
 1. Fold the bottom edge over until it is within about a half-
 
 (1) 
 
 
 ~^~^^ 
 
 lllllll 
 illllliii.. 
 
 Ster^^ 
 
 
 (2) 
 
 — rmTTTTTTTTTTmiTlir 
 
 (3) 
 
 (5)
 
 124 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 inch of the top and crease. If the creasing is done with the 
 face of the thumb nail, it will be neater. 
 
 2. Now fold a little less than the right-hand third over on 
 the middle. 
 
 3. Fold the left-hand edge over to the right so that it pro- 
 jects a little beyond the folded edge. For the legal or official 
 envelope (which measures 9x4 inches or more), the bottom is 
 folded up for about a third, and the top folded down over it. 
 Study the diagrams in the figure on page 123. 
 
 In inserting the letter in the envelope, keep the free edge 
 toward the back of the envelope. If the enclosures have not 
 been folded in with the letter, insert them in the front of the 
 envelope. 
 
 72. The Envelope. — The address on the envelope should 
 be the complete direction for delivery. If the letter goes to a 
 city, the street number should be stated. If it goes to a very 
 small village, the county should be mentioned. 
 
 1. The address should be placed on the envelope with as 
 much care for symmetry and proportion as you take with the 
 letter itself. If you will use the double space between the 
 lines, you will make the task of the postman easier and in- 
 crease the chances of prompt delivery. 
 
 2. The arrangement and punctuation of the parts should 
 exactly correspond with the style adopted in the heading and 
 inside address. Study the model on page 125. 
 
 3. Often specific directions are placed in the lower left- 
 hand corner, as, In care of. . . ., c/o, Please forward, Personal. 
 
 4. The return notice, containing the address of the sender 
 of the letter, should be placed in the upper left-hand corner. 
 Otherwise you may wait a long time before the letter is re- 
 turned if the addressee cannot be found.
 
 LETTER FORM 125 
 
 A. B. Copper 
 6032 Ellis Avenue 
 Chicago, 111. 
 
 Mr. Charles H. Dunlevy 
 91 Bedford Park Boulevard 
 Omaha 
 Nebraska 
 
 5. The stamp should be placed in the upper right-hand 
 corner. The stamping machine in the post-office will cancel 
 
 nnlv fhnf. nnrf r>f +Vip> pm \rcA rmo 
 
 only that part of the envelope 
 
 Exercise 71 
 
 1. What special data do you find in your own collection of business 
 letters? 
 
 2. Write to the Postmaster-General for a small pamphlet, "Postal 
 Information." It will be furnished free of charge and will give 
 you much useful information. 
 
 3. A good way to add to your collection of business letters is to 
 note the advertisements of mail-order houses and write inquiries 
 concerning the articles that interest you. Write a post-card in 
 which you observe the rules for letter-writing. Sometimes space 
 demands that the message on a post-card begin on the same line 
 with the salutation. To make sure you get every detail correct, 
 write everything out first on a piece of paper of the same size as the 
 post-card and have a classmate criticize it. Keep in your folder 
 the letters you get in reply.
 
 126 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Exercise 72 
 
 1. Write and correct, so as to follow all the rules above, the follow- 
 ing parts of letters : 
 
 (a) 12 diversey boulevard los angeles calif January 19 John picket! 
 
 turner professor of philosophy n y university n y city dear 
 prof cordially sam benelli 
 
 (b) mr solomon wyse room 319 mason bldg st louis mo dear sir 
 
 yours truly new process flour mills by timothy todd ship- 
 ping agent 1219 front street minneapolis minn 
 
 (c) 213 w 119 st detroit mich sept 10 1919 prin h a shands central 
 
 high school new Orleans la dear sir harrison auto co by 
 james sullivan 
 
 (d) room 719 mooney bldg denver colo July 16 1919 paul eldredge 
 
 and copley 97 whicher avenue abilene texas dear sirs re- 
 spectively western reporter pub co james shirley 
 
 2. Exchange your paper with a classmate, and check up carefully 
 the arrangement of his paper. You and he can then talk over the 
 mistakes each of you finds. 
 
 Exercise 73 — Oral 
 
 1. After making careful notes concerning the letters in your folder, 
 report to the class what firms follow the directions laid down in this 
 chapter. What explanation do you offer for divergence? Is it due to 
 ignorance on the part of the manager? Is it due to poor training on 
 the part of the stenographers? What is the resulting impression you 
 get of each firm from the letters? 
 
 2. Read to the class what you think the best letter in your collec- 
 tion so far as form is concerned. Place on the board any features 
 that you think especially worthy of imitation. 
 
 3. What different arrangements of the parts of a letter do you 
 find? Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of each ar- 
 rangement.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION AND 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 73. Recommendations. — When applying for a position, 
 one may use a letter of recommendation, which may be either 
 general or special. The general recommendation, which is 
 enclosed in an unsealed envelope, is addressed To whomever it 
 may concern. These words are usually typed all in capitals, 
 but in handwriting only the first word is begun with a capital. 
 Such letters are not very helpful in securing a position be- 
 cause they are so indefinite in their language as to give little 
 indication of one's fitness for a particular position. 
 
 The special recommendation letter is one, written to a 
 particular person with reference to a particular position. It 
 should include the following topics: 
 
 1. The occasion for writing. Sometimes the opening para- 
 graph may include a description of the particular require- 
 ments of the position: "My secretary, Mr. Joseph Shands, 
 informs me that you need the services of a private secre- 
 tary." Or, "In reply to your inquiry of August 3, I am 
 glad to write in behalf of Mr. Henry Grady as a salesman of 
 footwear." 
 
 2. The facts concerning the applicant's connection with 
 the writer's business or office. The section giving these 
 facts should be a plain, straight-forward account of his 
 activities. 
 
 3. An estimate of the applicant's fitness for the position 
 under consideration. Here the writer must exercise great 
 
 127
 
 128 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 care to show whether the applicant actually meets the needs 
 of the situation. Of course, nothing derogatory need be said. 
 Where shortcomings are present, silence is the better course. 
 In reference to the qualities which the applicant does possess, 
 however, enthusiasm should not run away with sound judg- 
 ment. Instead of using many glowing adjectives, mention 
 the specific traits and abilities which fit the man or woman 
 for the position sought. Instead of saying, "She is one of the 
 best stenographers I have ever had, " say, "She has an artistic 
 eye for placing the message properly on the page ; the letters 
 she writes for you will be a credit to the house." 
 
 4. A summarizing reference to the applicant. This con- 
 clusion may repeat the distinctive traits of the person in ques- 
 tion, so that he will not seem merely one of a horde. It may 
 even contain a promise to answer further questions. But it 
 should not be unfair to the applicant by giving an impression 
 that he cannot live up to. 
 
 One who is asked to write a letter of recommendation 
 should inquire at the time the nature of the position and 
 secure any facts concerning the applicant he may be uncer- 
 tain about. This will keep the letter from falling into the 
 class of vague and unguarded general statements which sel- 
 dom receive attention from business men. 
 
 74. Introductions. — Letters of introduction are written 
 by one man to an acquaintance, introducing a third person. 
 They should at the beginning mention the name and tell 
 something of the station of the third person. The reason for 
 the introduction should then be explained, to guide the ac- 
 quaintance or friend in his activities. Last, they should 
 make some personal request in accordance with the needs of 
 the person introduced.
 
 RECOMMENDATION AND INTRODUCTION 129 
 
 The tone of such letters may indicate whether the third 
 person is a close friend or .merely a slight acquaintance, 
 whether its purpose is to make two persons acquainted or to 
 indorse the social standing or business integrity of the one 
 introduced. The writer should, in fact, be careful that he 
 conveys the desired impression. 
 
 The friend to whom a letter of introduction is sent should 
 reply, as he would to any other friendly letter. It is only 
 polite to say something pleasant of the person introduced. 
 When the letter introduces only a slight acquaintance, the 
 reply may be unnecessary. 
 
 Exercise 74 
 
 1. What is the purpose of this letter of introduction? What is 
 the tone of it? Do you think it successful? 
 
 Dear Sin / 
 
 Mr. Andrew Blank will now represent the Barnes Rubber Foot- 
 wear line in your territory, replacing Mr. Joseph Day, who 
 is no longer connected with the Company. 
 
 You will find Mr. Blank thoroughly informed on the footwear 
 business. He is especially well qualified to give construc- 
 tive suggestions for increasing your sales and your profits. 
 
 We thank you for the courtesies you have shown Barnes repre- 
 sentatives in the past, and for the good orders with which 
 you have favored the house. 
 
 It is our sincere desire that the cordial relations which 
 have so far existed may continue. We are sure Mr. Blank will 
 serve you and your interests in a way that will be very 
 acceptable. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 2. What is the purpose of the following letter of introduction? 
 What is the tone of it? Do you think it successful?
 
 130 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Georgetown, Texas 
 April 10, 1920 
 
 My dear Mr. Tilton: 
 
 This will introduce to you and your wife Miss Anne Christopher, 
 who is to be in New Rochelle during the coming winter and who will 
 on many occasions venture into your village. Please allow her to 
 tie her horse to your hitching post. 
 
 Miss Christopher belongs to one of our best Texas families. She 
 won considerable distinction while in Southwestern University by 
 her writing and secured enviable attention during her year in 
 Wellesley. She has, besides, the charming manners for which you 
 will remember the girls in alma mater. 
 
 If you and Mrs. Tilton can lead her to some of the oases of South- 
 ern hospitality among the wastes of Manhattan, I shall feel deeply 
 in your debt. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 Alice Sanders 
 
 Mr. Adolphus Tilton 
 70 Morningside Drive 
 New York City 
 
 3. A friend of yours is to spend the summer near the farm where 
 you have lived for five summers. Write a letter to the farmer's 
 wife introducing your friend. 
 
 Exercise 75 
 
 1. You are an old man. You are retiring from business. Your 
 manager seeks a position with Marshall Field and Company in 
 Chicago. Write a letter of recommendation for him. 
 
 2. You have just been graduated from high school and now wish 
 to secure office work. Write the general recommendation from 
 your English teacher. 
 
 3. Write the specific recommendation of your English teacher for 
 some position you know of, or for one of those advertised on pages 
 89, 90.
 
 RECOMMENDATION AND INTRODUCTION 131 
 
 4. Decide which part of your school training would be most useful 
 in that position. Then write the letter which your teacher in that 
 branch of your school work could honestly write. 
 
 5. One of your classmates wishes to secure a position with James 
 Ficklin, a grocer, whom he barely knows, but who wishes an assist- 
 ant to keep his books and take charge of his correspondence. Your 
 father, who has known Mr. Ficklin for years, knows your friend be- 
 cause he has seen him at home with you many times. Write the 
 letter your father could honestly write. 
 
 6. You are in prosperous middle life. One of your young friends 
 has just completed his hospital training following his medical course. 
 He wishes to be official physician for the Angier Saw Mills at Con- 
 way, Ark., but he knows no one there. Write the letter of recom- 
 mendation by which the Dean of the Medical School secures him the 
 position. 
 
 Exercise 76 
 
 1. One of your oldest friends is a successful physician in Conway. 
 Write a letter of introduction for your young friend. 
 
 2. Write the reply of the physician. 
 
 Exercise 77 
 
 The principles to be followed in writing letters of recommendation 
 apply with equal force to spoken recommendations. Imagine that 
 the next day after your father wrote the letter called for in Exercise 
 75 (5) you happen to be in Mr. Ficklin's grocery store. He asks you 
 a number of questions about your friend. Write out the conversa- 
 tion. In this imaginary conversation have you given a truthful 
 and favorable account of your friend? 
 
 Exercise 78 — Oral 
 
 1. Have your father and his friends furnished you enough letters 
 of recommendation and introduction to warrant a separate folder? 
 Bring to class the best examples of the two kinds of recommendation 
 and of introduction, and explain in what respects they are excellent.
 
 132 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 2. Consult various business men of your acquaintance concerning 
 their experiences with recommendations. Report to the class what 
 kinds of recommendation they like best and why. 
 
 3. Too strong a recommendation is worse than none. Gather 
 illustrations of this from the experiences of business men. Weave 
 them into an address to the class.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 THE LETTER AS A WHOLE 
 
 * 75. The Beginning. — The most important parts of a 
 business letter are the beginning and the end. The beginning 
 of any piece of writing attracts the attention most strongly. 
 The end lingers longest in the mind. Consequently you need 
 to consider carefully what you put in either position. 
 
 The beginning is very often wasted. Thousands of letters 
 begin with time-killers like Your favor of the 10th inst. received 
 and contents duly noted. In reply would state, etc. Not only 
 does this tell the reader what he has sense enough to guess, 
 but at the very moment when he is most open to the message 
 you wish to give him it dulls his eagerness by trivial phrases. 
 It is possible to include in the first sentence or two (1) the 
 date and (2) the subject of the previous letter and yet (3) to 
 center the reader's interest on the subject of the present letter 
 and (4) to suggest the writer's personal interest in the subject. 
 
 Bad: 
 
 Your favor of first inst. at hand but in reply we will say 
 that we cannot help you out on the proposition you 
 mention. 
 
 Better: 
 
 We are very sorry that we cannot help you out in the 
 matter you mention in your letter of March 1. 
 
 Bad: 
 
 Yours of the 27th received and contents noted with 
 interest, but in reply we beg to state that we have not any 
 that would suit you. 
 
 133
 
 134 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Better: 
 
 Answering your letter of March 27. 
 
 Although I am very much interested in Better Business 
 Letters, in our work here we do not have any that would 
 answer your purposes. 
 
 In the revised form of these beginnings the acknowledg- 
 ment is not made the main idea of the opening sentence. 
 Sentences like these require some thought and possibly some 
 experimenting, because it is not always easy to put the main 
 idea of a letter in such a way as to catch the attention of the 
 reader and create a cordial atmosphere. The first impression 
 which the letter makes on the reader, however, is so im- 
 portant that time is well spent in learning how to make 
 the right impression. 
 
 Make your first sentence mean something. 
 
 Exercise 79 
 
 *1. Rewrite the following opening sentences so that the first im- 
 pression will include the four points mentioned on page 133. 
 
 (a) Yours of 19th rec'd and contents noted and in reply would 
 
 say that if the shoes do not arrive soon we suppose we 
 shall have to credit you with same. 
 
 (b) Replying to your request of 10th inst. would state that we 
 
 will not need any further shipments this month. 
 
 (c) We are in receipt of your favor of July 26, and in response 
 
 will say that the dry batteries of which you complain may 
 be returned, and we will always in future make sure you 
 get fresh ones, 
 (d) Referring to your letter of December 10, would advise you 
 that we are sorry your shipment has been delayed by 
 factory conditions.
 
 THE LETTER AS A WHOLE 135 
 
 (e) I write in regard to the electrical goods I ordered of you 
 
 a month ago and have not yet received. 
 
 (f) Referring to your final paragraph, we must reply that it is 
 
 not in accord with our policy to allow discount after 30 
 days. 
 
 2. Exchange as in Exercise 72. 
 
 * 76. Clearness Through Unity. — All writing should be 
 clear, but a business letter must be as clear as day. The 
 reader must not have to glance at any sentence a second time. 
 At the first hasty reading he must get an exact notion of what 
 you want. 
 
 The first requisite is to confine a letter to a single subject. 
 If you are writing to a house of any size, each subject would 
 have to be referred to a different department, but there is no 
 certainty that your letter actually would be handed from one 
 department to another. Moreover, as in modern business all 
 letters are kept on file, your letter should be part of the re- 
 cords of each department you deal with. Even when you are 
 corresponding with a small house, business men are so accus- 
 tomed to taking up only one matter at a time that you run 
 the danger of confusing your reader if you try to put forward 
 more than one matter in a letter. 
 
 To be sure that you are succeeding, you must decide quite 
 clearly what you wish your correspondent to do. See if you 
 can sum up the whole letter in a single sentence. Then omit 
 everything that does not help to achieve your purpose. If 
 your purpose is to secure a position as bookkeeper, you need 
 not describe your work as office boy or your experience in 
 driving a car. If you are ordering a set of books, do not talk 
 at length about your love of reading and the number of
 
 136 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 volumes you already own. The summary sentence is fre- 
 quently included in the letter. For example, 
 
 Your letter notifying us that you are not pleased with the Amer- 
 ican Beauty Range we shipped you and that you are returning it 
 was a disappointment to us. 
 
 Here is our check for $64.40. to pay you for the harness you re- 
 turned and the transportation charges of $2.27. 
 
 How much Palmolive advertising do you want this year? 
 
 See that everything you put into a business letter can be 
 summed up in a sentence expressing its purpose. 
 
 Exercise 80 
 
 *1. Rewrite the following letter. (Note that this is the letter to 
 which the reply is printed on page 138. If necessary, make two or 
 more letters of this inquiry.) 
 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 The lamp you sent me has no extension and so I cannot use it the 
 way I wanted to. Please send me an extension at once. There 
 must be something else the matter with it, for it smokes terribly 
 when I turn it up. You'll have to do something about it. 
 
 The book catalogue, I have noticed, is three years old. Haven't 
 you anything more recent? I'm thinking of buying quite a library, 
 but I want it up-to-date. Give me the newest you have. 
 
 Hoping to hear from you right away. 
 
 Resp'y y'rs, 
 
 Mrs. W. Smythe 
 
 *2. Improve the following letter by rewriting. In how many 
 ways have you bettered it?
 
 THE LETTER AS A WHOLE 137 
 
 183 S. Haley St. 
 Springfield, Mass. 
 June 1, 1920 
 Mrs. James Holland 
 Juniper Point, Me. 
 
 Dear Madam : 
 
 Please save us rooms for a fortnight. There'll be five of us and 
 we'll come in our own car. Hope to have a good time. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 A. S. Holmes 
 
 77. Clearness by Considering the Reader. — Failing to be 
 clear often results from not putting yourself in the reader's 
 place. You assume — very often incorrectly — that matters 
 quite clear to you must be well understood by other people. 
 A better attitude is to picture yourself in the reader's place. 
 Try to think of how much information he now has. Then 
 supply whatever details are needed for a satisfactory explana- 
 tion. You will be surprised often to see how much care you 
 must take before the explanation is satisfactory. No matter 
 how much study is necessary, master every detail that will 
 help the reader to see the matter as you do. 
 
 Examine the following letters sent to a woman who had 
 ordered a lamp from a mail-order house. 
 
 Dear Madam: 
 
 You will see from the catalogue that we furnish no extension with 
 the Angle lamp. As per your request we are sending today an ex- 
 tension at $2.25. You complain that the lamp smokes. Now 
 madam, the Angle lamp has been sold successfully for a number of 
 years, and we are confident that if you understand the operation 
 you will be pleased with the purchase. 
 
 It should have been evident to the writer that the pur- 
 chaser had not found any statement that the extension was
 
 138 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 not part of the lamp. He should therefore direct her where 
 in the catalogue to rind that statement. He should also give 
 the catalogue number of the extension he is sending so that 
 
 she can identify it. The paragraph concerning the smoking 
 is even more faulty. The woman is quite ignorant of the 
 operation of the lamp. It was the duty of the writer to ex- 
 plain the cause of the trouble. Observe how the following 
 rewritten form attains clearness by giving full details. 
 
 De.r Madam: 
 
 It" you >-ll carefully read the catalogue description o:' the 
 
 . ... you will find that *;• do not furnish ar. extension 
 with this model. .he extensions are listed at the bottom of 
 page . 
 
 cccrdir.g tc your revues: we _re sending a nickel finish 
 extension, r.u.t.-er S0C3594, price $3.25. You will receive a 
 statement after shipment is -..ie. 
 
 In addition *e r.cte that you ure h..vir.g some trouble with the 
 lamp's smoking, .bis is generally due to the globe's not 
 fitting firmly cr the tick's not being t rin-ed~properly. We 
 
 ?st : -t yeu ex^iir..- the burner screens. If these are 
 :.:: perfect, »e -ill ser.i you a new set without charge. 
 
 . ice the Angle la=p haa ceer. used successfully for a nur.ee r 
 ::" years, we -.re confident that as soon as you understand the 
 operation you rill be pleased with your purchase. 
 
 Reread every letter from the point of view of your corre- 
 spondent, to make sure that you have included every detail 
 that will make the letter clear to him. 
 
 "78. The Ending. — The two most emphatic points in a 
 business letter are the beginning and the end. The beginning 
 is the point to engage the reader's attention and arouse his 
 interest. The end is the point to make sure of the purpose of 
 the letter, to drive home the main idea. It is the part that 
 will remain longest in the reader's mind. 
 
 Nevertheless, in many business letters the end is made 
 weak and sometimes meaningless by such a participial ex-
 
 THE LETTER AS A WHOLE 139 
 
 pression as, "Hoping for a continuance of your patronage, 
 Very truly." In the first place, an expression in this form is 
 of course ungrammatical; a noun or pronoun is needed for 
 the participle to modify. That is not the chief trouble, how- 
 ever. To add, "We beg to remain," or "We remain" would 
 indeed render the phrase correct grammatically, but it would 
 fend to obscure further the real purpose of the letter. Using 
 the participial phrase at all robs the message of the impression 
 that comes from a live, breathing man with a warm hand- 
 shake and a smiling face. Such endings destroy the atmos- 
 phere the whole letter has tried to create. 
 
 The reason they are introduced is that the writer wishes to 
 avoid a curt conclusion. He wishes to express some pleasing 
 sentiment, to thank the reader for a courtesy, or to hope for 
 further pleasant relations. When these ideas are the proper- 
 conclusion to the message, they should be included, but not 
 in a participial phrase. Put them in a complete sentence, 
 which leaves a distinct and definite impression. 
 
 The following illustrates the uselessness of such phrases. 
 The whole letter is diffuse, but the conclusion is inexcusable. 
 It implies either that the writer is not sure of himself or that 
 he thinks it hard to make the customer understand. Anyone 
 who attempts an explanation should not rest satisfied until 
 he makes it as clear as day. 
 
 Replying to Mr. Smith's letter of December -i regarding the B/L 
 dated November 4 covering cases 1851-1853 and 1870 consigned to 
 yourselves, New York. 
 
 The goods in these cases are style 3614. The note on the bill of 
 lading which states that these cases contain style 1053 is wrong as 
 it should be style 3G14. Will you please correct your bill of lading? 
 
 Trusting that this explanation wall make this matter clear, we beg 
 to remain
 
 140 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 The revised form is not only more concise but it leaves both 
 a definite and a pleasing impression upon the reader. 
 
 Cases 1851-1853 and 1870, shipped to yourselves, New York, 
 concerning which Mr. Smith wrote December 4, contain style 3614 
 as invoiced. 
 
 Please change the bill of lading dated November 4 to read style 
 3614. We are sorry it was not made out correctly. 
 
 If you wish to end with some graceful expression, do so, 
 but be sure that your last sentence will make the letter accom- 
 plish what you want it to. In particular, never end with 
 the participial closing. 
 
 Exercise 81 
 
 1. Which of the following conclusions contain useful ideas? 
 
 (a) Trusting we shall hear from you with an order, we beg to 
 
 remain, 
 
 (b) Awaiting your early reply, we are, 
 
 (c) Hoping upon receipt of this you will favor us with your 
 
 valued order and thanking you for past favors, we are, 
 
 (d) We promise you every consideration, thanking you in ad- 
 
 vance for a trial, we beg to remain, 
 
 (e) Trusting that you will find this procedure satisfactory, we 
 
 are, 
 
 (f) Special tickets and tags 1354. 
 
 With information we received in your letter of Decem- 
 ber 3 signed by W. H. A. regarding these tickets, we have 
 been enabled to locate same, therefore, if you will please 
 cancel our letter of December 2 as we do not need these 
 tickets now. Thanking you, we remain 
 
 2. Rewrite them in proper form.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 THE WORDING OF THE LETTER 
 
 79. Importance of Wording. — It is very easy for anyone 
 dictating a letter to use words with little thought of their fit- 
 ness. Indeed, to choose words for their suitability to the 
 letter in hand requires very close thinking and long practice. 
 Yet only one who does think out discriminatingly the phrasing 
 of his ideas will come to write the best business letters. 
 
 80. Coherence. — The first problem is only partly a matter 
 of diction. Coherence is primarily the arrangement of ideas, 
 sentences, and paragraphs so that the reader can follow the 
 thought most easily. All that has been said in regard to it 
 on pages 27-29 applies to letters. Your ideas should be 
 arranged in a clear order and should be well connected. But 
 the order or plan in a business letter is governed by special 
 considerations. Since the time order is the easiest to follow, 
 you should arrange all narrative letters, or narrative para- 
 graphs in letters, in the strict order of time. Since business 
 men wish the gist of the matter at once, you should begin 
 with your conclusion or general statement and follow it with 
 the supporting or explanatory details. In all cases you should 
 put yourself in the reader's place and start your letter with 
 what most interests him and with what he already under- 
 stands best. 
 
 However, there is one class of words — conjunctions — that 
 aids coherence at every turn. In business letters in particular 
 you cannot be too skillful in the use of connectives. The 
 
 141
 
 142 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 majority of business letters are weak in this respect, for the 
 connection between paragraphs is very often entirely disre- 
 garded. You should not only plan your paragraphs, but you 
 should provide a bridge from each one to the next. Help 
 your reader along at every break or change in the thought. 
 In every letter you write study the order and the con- 
 nectives. 
 
 Exercise 82 
 
 1. What is the plan of this letter? Are the parts properly ar- 
 ranged and connected? 
 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 You shipped our order of fruit jars on June 10, and it arrived on 
 June 13. On counting the cases we were surprised to find that 
 you had not followed instructions. You sent two dozen cases of 
 quart jars and the balance two-quart. 
 
 On June 1 we sent that order, No. 316, for forty cases, exactly 
 like the copy enclosed. You will see that it specifies three dozen 
 cases of quart jars and four cases of two-quart jars. 
 
 You sent a dozen cases of two-quart jars by mistake, and we are 
 holding them subject to your directions. As we shall need all the 
 quart jars we ordered as soon as the canning season begins, we ask 
 for an immediate shipment of the dozen cases of one-quart jars 
 omitted from our order. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 Marr and Marston 
 
 2. Is the following properly arranged? Are the best connectives 
 used? Point out the particular features that bear out your view. 
 
 Dear Mr. Laurentis: 
 
 You're no doubt thinking of a new spring top-coat or suit — all 
 the fresh new clothing which helps so much in enjoying this wonder-
 
 THE WORDING OF THE LETTER 143 
 
 ful time of year. To our suits, in particular, we want to call your 
 attention. You'll find them natty, with that individual style 
 which bespeaks careful tailoring. They are most reasonably priced. 
 May we hear from you sometime soon with an order? 
 
 Much of the value of a set of furs comes from the personal pleas- 
 ure one gets from them, and if those we sent did not come level with 
 your expectations we're mighty glad you returned them. 
 
 The days are warming too fast to talk of furs for immediate wear, 
 but next winter-time we hope you will give us another opportunity 
 to fill your order from our carefully dyed stock of skins. 
 
 Our enclosed check for $63.95 includes the value of the fur set you 
 returned to us, and the $.26 parcel post charges. 
 
 81. Diction for the Reader. — When we consider the fit- 
 ness of words themselves, we should be governed by three 
 definite factors. The language should suit the reader. It 
 should be concise. It should be individual. 
 
 The language of the letter should suit the reader. If he 
 is a lawyer, it should be very precise; special care must be 
 taken if it contains legal terms. If he is an old man, the 
 language should be dignified. If he is young and progres- 
 sive, it may contain even slang and quiver with snap and 
 "punch." If he is a stranger in the community, it may 
 be well to take special care to make the language cordial 
 and friendly. 
 
 To make the language suit the reader is an ability slowly, 
 developed. It requires study not only of the different classes 
 of men but of the value of words. Your letters may for a time 
 seem strange because of the introduction of new words or of 
 old words in unusual senses. (See pages 43-50.) But when 
 you have become a master, your letters will be the envy of all 
 who read them and may add very considerably to your salary.
 
 144 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Exercise 83 
 
 1. You are the student manager of the baseball, or basketball, 
 or football, or hockey, or some other team of your school. Write a 
 report to the principal about a game played away from home. 
 Write also a colloquial account to an intimate friend who is now a 
 freshman at college. How does the language of the two differ? 
 
 2. You have let a house to a workman in a factory, who owns an 
 automobile but has not paid last month's rent. Write a letter in- 
 ducing him to pay. To succeed in this attempt, what qualities of a 
 business letter should you particularly watch? 
 
 3. Suppose that the tenant is a widow with an infant daughter. 
 Her husband died two months ago. She has not paid the rent since 
 his death. Write a letter inquiring about her plans. How does the 
 language of this letter differ from that in (2) ? (See pages 48-50.) 
 
 82. Diction for Conciseness. — The language should also 
 be concise. Business men have no time to waste. The man 
 who reads fifty or a hundred letters in a morning will be much 
 annoyed if he cannot find your meaning crystallized and in 
 tablet form, so to speak. Besides, to use too many words 
 wastes your own time and the time of your stenographers. 
 Conciseness is profitable all around. 
 
 Conciseness is not quite the same thing as brevity, for it 
 adds to shortness the idea of completeness. Concise expres- 
 sions convey the whole of a thought, and in the process they 
 make every word count. Conciseness does not mean omit- 
 ting pronouns, articles, and prepositions, or using abbrevia- 
 tions, or substituting a phrase for a sentence. It does not 
 require, " In reply to yours of 28th will say," but "In reply to 
 your inquiry of October 28, I will say"; not "Shipment rec'd. 
 Crate in order missing," but "Your shipment of August 10 
 has been received, but one crate of peaches is missing." Un-
 
 THE WORDING OF THE LETTER 145 
 
 grammatical expressions are not concise. They indicate lazi- 
 ness or discourteous haste. 
 
 What conciseness does mean is expressing your idea with- 
 out diffuseness, putting thoughts tersely, making one word 
 carry the full thought of two. The concise writer says at 
 present instead of at the 'present time; through our oversight 
 instead of through an oversight on our part. He has a definite 
 plan for the whole letter, so that he does not ramble or repeat 
 or insert unnecessary explanations. 
 
 He does not write: 
 
 As these goods were shipped by Clyde Line and shippers were 
 quite anxious to know the first stop that would be made by the Clyde 
 Line, at the time of writing we were unable to give them this in- 
 formation, but advised them we would advise them in a day or so. 
 
 We cannot find where you replied to our letter, and we are today 
 in receipt of another letter from the shippers asking us if we were suc- 
 cessful in obtaining the desired information. 
 
 We will be pleased to have you investigate this matter and ad- 
 vise us, if you are in a position now to give us the information re- 
 quested. 
 
 He compresses it by a quarter thus: 
 
 These goods were shipped by Clyde Line, and the shippers are 
 anxious to know the first stop that will be made by the Line. We 
 wrote them that we would try to get this information for them in a 
 day or so. 
 
 We cannot find that you have replied to our letter. Today we 
 received another inquiry from the shippers for this information. 
 
 Please tell us if you are now in a position to give the information 
 requested. 
 
 Compare these two forms sentence by sentence. How does 
 the rewritten form attain conciseness? 
 
 Study to be brief but always with courteous completeness. 
 
 TO
 
 146 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Exercise 84 
 
 The following passages have been extracted from actual business 
 letters. Rewrite each in the most concise form in keeping with 
 courtesy. 
 
 1. If you have not forwarded same today, we hope that 
 you will send the same by return, as we will not be able to 
 process these goods until invoice is received. 
 
 2. Will you please procure for us the original B/L, 
 and upon receipt of this paper we will take the matter up 
 with the transportation Co. and have a corrected B/L 
 issued. 
 
 3. Again replying to your letter of the 4th, signed by 
 DAR regarding the #49 Monogram stamp for Order 
 #X-31, Style 3413. 
 
 We wish to call your attention to the fact that this 
 stamp was received by us this morning via Parcel Post. 
 
 4. We find that although we stated in writing you on 
 Dec. 3rd, that we were returning the credit, we omitted to 
 enclose same and are therefore sending same herewith. 
 
 5. We are enclosing herewith duplicate Bill of Lading 
 covering this case and have also requested the Railroad 
 Company to trace same. 
 
 6. We are, in accordance with your request, returning 
 herewith this postal card, also the copies of the B/L 
 which you sent. 
 
 7. The bill of lading referred to, showing this ship- 
 ment going to Norfolk, Va., should have read Baltimore, 
 Md., and if you will have the bill of lading returned to us, 
 we will have the same corrected and mail same to you 
 promptly. 
 
 8. We have notified our ticketing department when 
 short of labels #433A that they may use label 43A on this 
 and all other orders until a supply of the former labels 
 #433A are sent us, therefore, we will be governed accord- 
 ingly. 
 
 9. Shippers claim that their customer has not received 
 the goods and would ask you to kindly take this matter
 
 THE WORDING OF THE LETTER 147 
 
 up, immediately, with your connecting lines as the case 
 has been in transit ample time to be delivered, and do 
 all you possibly can to have the goods delivered to customer 
 without any further delay. 
 
 10. Some time ago you requested us to have the original 
 B/L returned for Cases 77093-76968-77088 and 76967, 
 shipped to Topkes Bros., Smyrna, Del. 
 
 We have today received this B/L from the customer and 
 enclose same herewith. We believe this will comply 
 with your request. 
 
 83. Diction for Personality. — The language of a business 
 letter should in the third place be individual. It should seem 
 to come from a man, not a machine. It should stand out from 
 ordinary letters. It should get away from the time-worn 
 expressions of business correspondence. It should breathe 
 the personality of the writer. 
 
 Beginners in particular feel that to be businesslike they 
 must use stereotyped phrases that have appeared in thou- 
 sands of business letters. They frequently study models, 
 and try to write as much like the model as possible. The 
 notion is a sad mistake. Do not try to be clever or smart or 
 pretentious. But do get away from the hackneyed wordings 
 often thought of as "business English." The expressions 
 noted under "The Beginning" (page 133) are only one class. 
 Such stereotyped phraseology as advise, at hand, at this time, 
 beg to remain, esteemed favor , would state must be shunned like 
 poison if you hope to arrive at any distinction in writing busi- 
 ness letters. Study the Glossary, Appendix A, again and again. 
 Avoid these trite or misused words. Put your thoughts in 
 fresh, original phrases. Use simple, straightforward, conver- 
 sational wording. Imagine your correspondent across the
 
 148 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 desk from you. Write to him as naturally as you would talk. 
 Use words that are within his grasp. Make all your state- 
 ments specific, direct, and human. Make the letter from first 
 to last your representative. 
 
 Exercise 85 
 
 Revise the following letter so that the language will represent 
 you better: 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 Your esteemed favor of the 30 ult. has just come to hand and 
 contents carefully noted. In reply thereto I beg to advise you 
 that at this time we are all out of size No. 9. Kindly find enclosed 
 herewith our check for $16.92 to cover your order for the same. A 
 fresh stock will come from the factory at about the loth prox., 
 and we shall be pleased at that time to supply your needs. Thank- 
 ing you for past favors and hoping for a continuance of your valued 
 patronage, we beg to remain, as ever, 
 
 Respectfully yours, 
 I. M. Gentrv. 
 
 *84. Diction for Courtesy. — Every good business letter 
 looks beyond the shipment or the acknowledgment with 
 which it deals. It aims to be more than clear, concise, 
 and individual. It looks to future dealings. It tries to 
 make friends. It seeks to build up in the reader a feeling of 
 good-will toward the writer. 
 
 It is always polite. It uses please and thank you. It says 
 "We are glad to help you in this matter," or "We are sorry 
 we cannot furnish you the information." Indeed, it is more 
 observant of these polite forms than face-to-face conversa-
 
 THE WORDING OF THE LETTER 149 
 
 tion. Nevertheless, politeness can be excessive. Many ex- 
 pressions in the Glossary are to be avoided on that account. 
 Kindly is much overworked in correspondence. Your es- 
 teemed or valued favor is a similar mistaken effort. Will you 
 be so good as to tell me is too roundabout to be in good taste. 
 Please find enclosed is painful because there is no favor con- 
 ferred by finding an attached or enclosed paper. Thanking 
 you in advance for the favor is by many regarded as discourte- 
 ous. It implies that the reader is certain to render the kind- 
 ness, that he is under some kind of obligation to do so. To 
 Imply that lessens your gratitude. But worse still, it implies 
 that you are too busy to take the trouble to thank him 
 afterwards. 
 
 A business letter is more than polite; it has more than the 
 forms of courtesy. It is written from a conviction that co- 
 operation is the keynote to business progress. It takes the 
 point of view of the other fellow. It always strives to give 
 the other man a square deal. It takes account of his difficul- 
 ties and tries to be fair. It is sincere, honest, truthful. It 
 owns up to mistakes. It treats the reader as an equal. 
 
 Let a spirit of unfailing courtesy animate your letters. 
 
 Exercise 86 
 
 *1. Rewrite the following excerpts from business letters so that 
 they will make friends of your customers. 
 
 (a) With the information given in your letter we were able to 
 
 locate all of these tickets. 
 
 (b) Our ticketing department reports these cannot be found, 
 
 in fact, they have no record of their having been received, 
 therefore, cannot return them as requested.
 
 150 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (c) In future when you wish us to divert a case in this manner 
 
 if you will advise us by telegram it will save us a great 
 deal of trouble and unnecessary delay in reshipment of 
 the case. 
 
 (d) We have not received a reply to our letter, and will you 
 
 please advise. 
 
 2. Revise the following letters so that they may meet the demands 
 of business correspondence. 
 
 Wichita, Kan., May 5, 1920. 
 Hudspeth Clothing Co. 
 
 Kan. City, Mo. 
 Dear Sirs : 
 
 Rec'd your shipment. 10 boys suits not included. We told you 
 we needed them for commencement in June. Can't pay anything 
 till we get them. 
 
 Y'rs, etc. 
 
 Read and W T allace. 
 
 Kansas City, Mo., May 8, 1920. 
 Read and Wallace 
 
 Wichita, K. 
 Dear Sirs : 
 
 Yours of recent date received, and in reply to same will say we 
 can't understand your complaint. How do we know what suits are 
 missing? You don't give us invoice numbers. We fill thousands 
 of orders every week and have to have the invoice to tell what's 
 wrong. We sent all the goods you asked for, when you promised to 
 pay in ten days. Isn't your word any good? 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 The Hudspeth Clothing Company 
 per James Sears. 
 
 Exercise 87 — Oral 
 
 In your folder of business letters, have you enough to illustrate 
 each feature mentioned in Chapters XII and XIII. If you can
 
 THE WORDING OF THE LETTER 151 
 
 find the examples it will be very much worth the time to collect in 
 separate folders the best examples of good beginnings, explanations 
 clear to the reader, exceptional coherence, excellent choice of words, 
 courteous spirit, and emphatic ending. 
 
 Study every letter you receive for its attainment of the essential 
 qualities of a business letter. 
 
 1. Read to the class, with comments, some of the letters best 
 illustrating the qualities studied in Chapters XII and XIII. You 
 may have enough letters to make a separate talk on each section in 
 the chapters. 
 
 2. Compare a business letter with a business conversation, fol- 
 lowing the topics in this chapter. 
 
 3. Interview some business men. Report to the class their opin- 
 ions about the various features of a letter studied in this chapter.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 LETTERS OF INQUIRY AND INFORMATION 
 
 85. Essential Qualities. — Asking questions seems a very 
 simple matter. We ask them every day. If at first we do not 
 get the right answer, we try again. Perhaps that is one reason 
 why we do not think carefully enough, when writing a letter of 
 inquiry, about its clearness. We do not put ourselves in the 
 place of the reader and picture the scores of letters which he 
 glances at one after another. If we did, we should strive more 
 for the utmost clearness and conciseness. 
 
 86. Conciseness. — We should be careful to leave out 
 everything that will not help the reader to answer the inquiry. 
 
 You will be helped in the concise phrasing of your ideas by 
 reading over § 82 and carefully writing out Exercise 84. The 
 following illustrates the application of this quality to letters 
 of inquiry: 
 
 Diffuse: 
 
 Dear Sirs: 
 
 Picking up the Fireside Journal and Household Companion which 
 we have been taking for a number of years, I noticed your advertise- 
 ment for the first time. As I am a diligent reader, I don't see how I 
 missed it before. I note your generous offer of a catalogue free. If 
 you still have one to spare, I should like to receive it. I am inter- 
 ested in baseball and hope to get up a team among the boys in our 
 neighborhood. 
 
 Thanking you in advance for this valued favor, 
 
 Respectfully yours, 
 
 152
 
 INQUIRY AND INFORMATION LETTERS 153 
 
 This is certainly not concise, since it contains only one in- 
 quiry, which might be phrased thus: 
 
 Concise: 
 
 Please send me a catalogue, particularly about baseball 
 goods, according to your offer in the Fireside Journal and 
 Household Companion for May. 
 
 Everything else, then, should be omitted, unless the writer 
 is desirous of equipping a team. If he is, he should add in a 
 separate paragraph a further inquiry: 
 
 Do you offer a reduction when goods are purchased in 
 large quantities for a nine? 
 
 87. Clearness. — Clearness demands that you begin with 
 the general subject and follow with the specific inquiries to 
 which answers are needed. Good business men are very care- 
 ful in this matter. Note how very carefully the accompany- 
 
 January 20, 1920 
 
 James & Barton Company 
 2040 Main Street 
 Worcester, Mass. 
 
 Quotation on 
 Steel Balls 
 
 Please quote us your best price and inform us how 
 soon you can deliver these in lots of 1000 to 3000, ranging 
 in sizes from li" to 2|". 
 
 We would make use of them in the centrifugal cups 
 on the XC type of machine which y-ou furnished uo last year. 
 The quality can be of any range from soft to hardened steel. 
 
 The question of delivery is highly important since 
 our need is very urgent. 
 
 NORTON COMPANY 
 LLB Purohaslng Department 
 
 91
 
 154 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 ing letter is written. Price, delivery, size, quality, use are all 
 specified. How is the general subject made prominent? 
 How is the importance of delivery made emphatic? 
 
 Where the inquiry is detailed, each question should occupy 
 a separate paragraph and the arrangement should be the 
 clearest for your reader. There will then be little chance of 
 having any point overlooked. Note how clear the tabulation 
 is here: 
 
 South Bend 
 
 Indiana 
 
 April 31, 1930 
 
 Mr. J. H. Kendrick 
 Boothvllle, Kansas 
 
 Dear Mr. Kendrick: 
 
 DOES YOUR LOCAL ADVERTISING PAY? 
 
 YOU CAN ANSWER this question for us, and we are 
 greatly interested in having you do so. 
 
 It will take just a few minutes. The questions are 
 on the Dack of this letter. Answer as many as you will, 
 and mail back to us in the stamped envelope which is en- 
 closed. 
 
 We want the views of every one of our dealers. 
 May we have yours? 
 
 Truly yours, 
 
 STUDFBAKER — SOUTH BEND 
 Sales Department 
 0SB/1S 
 
 Population of your town 
 
 Give names of papers published in your city, below : 
 
 Daily 
 Name Circu- How much How much Rate or 
 
 lation in city in country per inch Weekly 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 3
 
 INQUIRY AND INFORMATION LETTERS 155 
 
 What paper do you consider best, why? 
 
 Do you advertise in any of these papers? 
 
 How much space do you use? 
 
 How often does your ad. appear? 
 
 Have you our Electrotyped Ads. on hand?. . . .Do you want any? 
 
 Do you mail circular letters, printed matter, etc., to your trade?. 
 How many names on your list? How often do you mail? 
 
 What other methods do you employ for getting printed matter to pro- 
 spective customers? 
 
 Do you want printed matter? How much? 
 
 For what purpose? 
 
 Does your town have a Moving Picture Theater? Do you want 
 
 Slides? 
 
 Do you post signs along your roads? How many miles do you 
 
 cover? How many signs do you put up? 
 
 Do you want signs? How many? 
 
 Do you have Opening or Sales days? Do you exhibit at your 
 
 County Fair? Do you conduct prize contests? 
 
 What is your attitude towards various kinds of advertising, and what 
 particular one brings you the best results? 
 
 88. Courtesy.— The third requirement of any inquiry is 
 courtesy. Courtesy requires first of all that you make no in- 
 quiries where you have no right to seek information. Con- 
 sider your reader before you inquire. If you decide that your 
 question falls directly within his interests, do not apologize or 
 say you fear you are using his valuable time. Make a con- 
 cise inquiry, using please and kindly and other courteous 
 expressions wherever they are in place. In the conclusion, 
 however, do not use the time-worn expression Thanking you in 
 advance. Instead, be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped
 
 156 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 envelope for the reply, and if you receive an answer, send a 
 brief letter of thanks. 
 
 Use every effort to make any inquiry clear, concise, and 
 courteous. 
 
 89. Credit Inquiries. — One of the commonest inquiries 
 
 among business houses is concerning credit. Such inquiries 
 
 are of a confidential nature. The following is a courteous 
 
 form for this common request. Point out in what respects it 
 
 begins and ends well. Is it clear and concise? Why do you 
 
 think so? 
 
 South Bend, Indiana 
 Ootober 10, 1920 
 
 Farmers' State Bank 
 Boothville, Kansas 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 We have received our initial order from Mr. J. H. 
 Kendrick amounting to $368. He has given us permission to 
 write to you concerning his present financial standing. 
 Additional business is expected; we shall therefore be 
 obliged to you If we may have your candid opinion as to his 
 reliability from a credit standpoint. 
 
 Any information which you may see fit to give us will, 
 we assure you, be held confidential, and if at any time we 
 can be of similar assistance to you, we shall be pleased to 
 reolprooate. 
 
 Truly yours, 
 Studebaker-South Bend 
 Credit Department 
 
 90. Information. — The reply granting information should 
 be sent immediately and cheerfully. It should give as com- 
 plete an answer as is possible. In case the inquiry is not clear, 
 do not say that you cannot make out what it means. If 
 possible, guess at it. If it should be necessary in a business 
 matter, ask for further instructions. The following will show 
 to what trouble a business house will go in its replies.
 
 INQUIRY AND INFORMATION LETTERS 157 
 
 Dear Mr. Armstrong: 
 
 You are certainly welcome to any of our catalogues. For a com- 
 plete line of Baseball Outfits, we are mailing you our number 90 or 
 general catalogue, which you will receive within the next few days. 
 
 On pages 410 and 411 you will find everything used by the Base- 
 ball Player. Let us call your attention to the uniforms on page 410. 
 You will notice that they can be furnished in various styles. The 
 Leader Uniform, which is the lowest in price, is a heavy weave 
 flannelette, very strong and serviceable, and can be had in Navy 
 Blue, Gray, or Maroon. 
 
 There is also a Championship, a Club Special, and The Major 
 League. These are slightly higher in price but of course are better 
 finished and of better quality goods. 
 
 Our Major League Uniforms are made of wool mixed athletic 
 flannel and are made in the same careful manner and from the same 
 pattern that is used in producing the uniform for the Major League 
 Teams. 
 
 These suits consist of shirt, pants, cap, stockings, and belt. 
 
 If you wish letters on your suits we can furnish them at 5 cents 
 each. We do not letter the uniform, but you will have no trouble in 
 doing this yourself. 
 
 We also have a full line of other baseball goods, such as baseballs, 
 from the official league ball at $1.50 and $2.00 each, which is the 
 regulation size and weight, made to conform with the specifications 
 and requirement of the National and American League rules, to 
 balls less expensive though excellent in material. We also call your 
 attention to the full line of baseball bats, gloves, masks, and pro- 
 tectors — all of which are standard in every way. 
 
 As the Baseball Season will soon be here it will be advisable to get 
 your order in as soon as possible. To help you place your order we 
 enclose an order blank that we ask you to use when placing your 
 order. Mail it today. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 Montgomery Ward & Company 
 
 Why are the pages of the catalogue referred to? Why are 
 the descriptions full? Is the paragraphing good? Is the
 
 158 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 order of paragraphs good? Is the tone of the letter appro- 
 priate? Why? 
 
 Where a delay is necessary, some kind of reply should be 
 sent at once. Any possible annoyance should be guarded 
 against by the phrasing of the letter. 
 
 We want you to have our very lowest prices for the gummed rein- 
 forcements referred to in your recent inquiry, so we shall carefully 
 estimate the cost of their manufacture. This will necessitate a 
 delay of several days, but we feel sure it will result to our mutual 
 advantage. 
 
 91. Declining a Request. — Even though the information 
 requested must be withheld, the tone can still be kept cordial 
 and friendly. 
 
 My dear Mr. Doby: 
 
 The little paper called "Topics," about which you asked in 
 your letter of January 4, is really a method of writ- 
 ing confidential sales letters to our field organiza- 
 tion. It is not for public vOonsumptlon, and for that 
 reason we never send oopies to people outside of our 
 organization. 
 
 You may be sure I appreciate your interest. I an sorry I 
 
 oannot accommodate you, but it is not consistent with 
 our house policy. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 The Electron Company 
 
 Exercise 88 
 
 1. Select an advertisement that invites inquiry about a device 
 or matter you are interested in. 
 
 (a) Write the letter. 
 
 (b) Let a classmate criticize it 
 
 (c) Rewrite it and mail it.
 
 INQUIRY AND INFORMATION LETTERS 159 
 
 2. Write to Montgomery Ward and Company, Chicago, for a 
 catalogue of some goods in which you are particularly interested. 
 
 (a) Is the general subject of your inquiry clear? 
 
 (b) Are the specific questions definite? 
 
 (c) Let a committee examine all the letters and select the five 
 
 which are most concise without sacrificing clearness and 
 courtesy. 
 
 3. Your school plans to issue an annual, or a weekly or monthly 
 periodical. Write to some printer for a bid. What specific points 
 must you include? What is the best order of arrangement for your 
 letter? 
 
 4. You are desirous of purchasing the best history of the World 
 War. Write to The Independent, The Literary Digest, The Review 
 of Reviews, or some similar periodical for an opinion. Should you 
 enclose an envelope? How definite can you make the inquiry? 
 
 5. You are planning to go away to some business or technical 
 school. Write to the secretary for information concerning fees, 
 board, rooms, and any other expenses you need to know about. 
 
 6. Write to the school about supporting yourself during attend- 
 ance. 
 
 Exercise 89 — Oral 
 
 1. You are the leader of a very important interschool debate. 
 You wish to get the best recent books on the subject. Where will 
 you write? What persons can you write to for expert information? 
 
 2. Have you enough letters of inquiry and information to make a 
 separate folder? Bring the best examples to school and read to the 
 class with comments.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS FULLY 
 
 92. Importance of Development.— The commonest mis- 
 take of a young writer is to assume that mentioning an idea 
 makes it perfectly clear to the audience or the readers. Now, 
 as a matter of fact, mentioning an idea is seldom sufficient, 
 particularly when you are addressing a business man, because 
 he has usually been thinking of his own affairs. Besides, the 
 topic may be one about which he has never thought much. 
 You must therefore amplify, expand, develop your ideas to 
 the point where he will have no difficulty in getting your 
 whole meaning. He should be able to follow every step with 
 immediate understanding. 
 
 Develop each thought fully enough to be perfectly clear. 
 
 93. Time Order. — In such development of ideas very im- 
 portant is the order of the parts. Probably the easiest order 
 to follow is the order of time. It is the order followed in most 
 narratives. 
 
 One young woman in New York, who had had five years of expe- 
 rience in various positions, entered the office of a cloak and suit 
 house as secretary for $15 a week. She accepted the low salary 
 because the new work interested her. Within a year she was earn- 
 ing $30 a week. Her interest was so genuine that she learned enough 
 about the manufacture of suits and cloaks to be worth that much to 
 her employer. To her deep disappointment, she then had to move 
 with her family to a western city. There she took a position with a 
 publisher at $14. She lost all incentive to work amid these new 
 
 160
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS FULLY 101 
 
 and unfamiliar surroundings. After a two weeks' trial she was dis- 
 missed. By good luck she immediately secured a place with a 
 manufacturer of ladies' dresses. The details were similar to those 
 in her last New York position. She at once became interested in the 
 business. She applied herself with energy. In six months she was 
 discharging her duties so intelligently that her pay envelope held 
 a week. 
 
 This method of developing a paragraph is very useful in 
 business talking or writing, because the time order is so easy 
 to follow. The following paragraph illustrates its use in a 
 business letter: 
 
 I had been looking at this house and had made up my mind to 
 sell the owner Wear-Well Gloss Paint the next time I saw him. 
 When he asked for nry advice, I could give him but one answer, — 
 "Use Wear- Well." I then figured up the surface he had to cover, 
 and gave him an estimate on the amount of paint required for the 
 work. He was more than surprised when I quoted the price, as he 
 had expected to pay half as much again. To make a long story 
 short, I sold him enough Wear- Well paint for the job, and he is 
 going to have a responsible painter put it on for him. 
 
 Exercise 90 
 
 1. Prepare to talk to the class on one of the following topics: 
 
 (a) The best piece of work I ever did. 
 
 (b) From farm-hand to millionaire. 
 
 (c) How I won a promotion. 
 
 (d) My first plowing. 
 
 (e) Working for a stranger. 
 
 (f) On the harvester. 
 
 (g) A visit to a factory. 
 
 (h) Trying to find the right address. 
 (i) Soliciting advertisements (or subscriptions), 
 (j) In a book store, 
 n
 
 162 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 A classmate will report on whether: (1) you interest him at the 
 very beginning; (2) the order of time was clearly followed; (3) the 
 conclusion gave him a feeling that you had completed the talk. 
 Another classmate may report whether 3^011 followed the proper 
 sequences of tenses (see pages 56-59) . 
 
 2. Write out your talk, taking particular care with the last sen- 
 tence. A classmate will review the paragraph to see if you have any- 
 where divided the thought (see pages 32-34) or used a comma sen- 
 tence (see pages 34-35). 
 
 3. Find in the news columns of the paper or among the stories in a 
 magazine a narrative paragraph that you think particularly skillful. 
 Read it to the class and explain where the skill lies. 
 
 94. Details. — Another way of developing a paragraph is 
 by use of details. In this case to think out the order is very 
 important, because the order is rrot made for you. You should 
 note distinctly every step that the reader will need to take. 
 The best order is probably that of growth or climax. Every 
 sentence should be a step in advance; it should be more in- 
 teresting, or more important than the preceding. There 
 should be no letting down of interest at the end. 
 
 In a vertical system of filing, that is, where the papers are filed 
 standing on edge, the correspondence is kept in folders of heavy 
 manila paper which are indexed by means of thick manila or press- 
 board guides made to fit the drawers. Where the correspondence is 
 small, a miscellaneous folder placed just behind each guide will 
 hold the letters. If the guide is " Li," the folder will contain letters 
 from Lieberman and Lindsay and Livermore and other corre- 
 spondents whose names begin with the letters " Li." But when 
 four or five letters have been received from Lieberman, they are 
 removed and placed in an individual folder. The tab on it bears his 
 name, his address, and the year. It is filed back of the miscellaneous 
 folder. In time the other names mentioned are also provided with 
 special folders. When Mr. Lieberman's correspondence becomes too
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS FULLY 163 
 
 bulky to fit into one folder, it is separated and placed in dated folders. 
 One may hold the letters from January to June, and the next from 
 July to December. Thus the folder is the unit in a vertical system 
 of filing. 
 
 Where is the topic sentence? What steps are taken? 
 What details are given? How do they develop or make clear 
 the step in the thought or the topic sentence? 
 
 Business men are particularly likely to lose patience if the 
 order of climax is not followed. Note the skill of the following 
 paragraph from a business letter: 
 
 The little keychain we send you is different from the one you 
 carry; in fact, it first appealed to us because it was different. We 
 looked for the reason, and learned that it was designed to save 
 seconds of the busy man's time. Most men carry several keys on 
 their ring. Some they use much more than others. The desk key 
 and one that opens the office or the front door at home are called 
 into use daily or oftener. They can be kept apart from the others 
 by clipping them on the metal loop and putting the inactive ones on 
 the chain. Very simple, but how significant of the demand for 
 things that will save time. 
 
 What is the topic sentence? What details are given that 
 are not about the ring? How do they develop the paragraph? 
 Can you show that the last five words are the guide for select- 
 ing all the details? 
 
 Exercise 91 
 
 1. Prepare a talk on one of these topics : 
 
 (a) A good housekeeper. 
 
 (b) A kind employer. 
 
 (c) Sounds in city streets. 
 
 (d) A beautiful tree.
 
 164 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (e) A crowded car. 
 
 (f) The most inviting classroom. 
 
 (g) Our garden. 
 
 (h) My room as I should like to have it. 
 
 Let a classmate report whether: (1) he knew at the beginning 
 what you were going to talk about; (2) the details all helped to 
 develop the topic; (3) you repeated details unnecessarily. 
 
 2. Write out your talk as a paragraph. A classmate may review 
 it to see if in any sentence you have tried to put too many ideas (see 
 pages 36-38). 
 
 3. Find in a magazine or newspaper a paragraph developed by use 
 of details in which you think the order is skillful. Read it to the 
 class and explain why it is well arranged. 
 
 95. Illustration. — In some ways the best method to de- 
 velop an idea is to introduce illustrations or examples. The 
 examples must be chosen carefully to bring out the point in 
 mind. They must be so presented as to make the point clear. 
 In the following paragraph, what is the point to be made? 
 Does the example illustrate it? 
 
 In short, grammar — that much hated and much dreaded study — 
 is neither difficult nor dull for the average adult provided you start 
 him right. A Southern farmer wrote me that he had an ambition to 
 become a business correspondent. His letter might have been used 
 as a complete example of all possible faults of English. It was 
 wrong from start to finish. You might have thought that of all the 
 inhabitants of the State of South Carolina, he was least fitted to write 
 effective business letters. But we set to work, and he proved to 
 have the grit and patience to do his part. In a few months that 
 farmer was writing letters that would be a credit to any office. 
 
 The following example from a business letter is in two 
 paragraphs, but it illustrates the same method. Indeed, illus-
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS FULLY 165 
 
 tration is one of the best possible methods in business talking 
 and writing. 
 
 Let me illustrate by a concrete individual experience how national 
 advertising benefits the dealers. The writer read the Brighto Elec- 
 tric Two Battery Lantern advertisement in the "Saturday Evening 
 Post" of October 16th, and was impressed with it, but not sufficiently 
 to get pen and paper and send a check to the concern. Walking clown 
 the street last evening, however, I came across an attractive window 
 display, through which scattered signs were in evidence, reading: 
 
 "These are the famous electric lamps 
 
 Advertised in the Saturday 
 
 Evening Post." 
 
 Here was a direct connection between the desire (aroused by 
 the advertisements) and the purchase (suggested by the goods in 
 front of me). I went in, intending to spend $2; I came out some . 
 twenty minutes later after leaving over $14 in that shop, compris- 
 ing a few dollars invested in Brighto lamps, a storage battery 
 brought to my attention by the dealer, and a few sundries on 
 which he made a handsome profit. 
 
 Exercise 92 
 
 1. Write a paragraph in which you develop one of these thoughts 
 by illustration. Make sure (1) that your illustration actually fits 
 the thought, and (2) that you so present it that it brings the point 
 out clearly. 
 
 (a) A wise man reflects before he speaks. 
 
 (b) Haste makes waste. 
 
 (c) Books are the best friends. 
 
 (d) Procrastination is the thief of time. 
 
 (e) Filing a paper is useless if you cannot find it afterwards. 
 
 (f) The best position always goes to the best prepared. 
 
 (g) One's use of language is a determining factor in advance- 
 
 ment, 
 (h) The use of recreation is to fit us for work.
 
 166 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 2. Exchange with your classmates and criticize for the two points 
 specified in paragraph 1. 
 
 3. Deliver a talk on another of the sentences. Introduce several 
 illustrations. Let your classmates judge of your success by the 
 same two tests. 
 
 96. Comparison. — Sometimes the best way to make the 
 thought clear is to develop by a comparison. If the compari- 
 son is with something quite familiar to the reader, the thought 
 which the writer desired to explain becomes clear and firm. 
 The reader feels at home with it. 
 
 In this paragraph, note the means taken by the writer to 
 explain to you how to make a letter clear. 
 
 Carrying a reader along from idea to idea and from argument to 
 argument is like walking up a flight of stairs. If the reader's legs 
 are not long enough to take big steps, we must make each step short. 
 If the reader is familiar with everything we have in mind and wish to 
 say, we can take long steps and high ones and make our letter short 
 and to the point. If every writer of any kind of business letter 
 would size up his reader and realize the reader's position and mental 
 limitations, there would be less misunderstanding and less cause for 
 complaint and adjustment in the end. 
 
 In business letters the parts of the comparison are some- 
 times put in separate paragraphs. The object used for the 
 comparison must be perfectly familiar to the class of business 
 men addressed, or it will confuse instead of explain. 
 
 There was a time when typewriters were considered valuable on 
 correspondence only. Today they are being used in billing depart- 
 ments, statistical departments, bookkeeping, and in fact, in every 
 place where figures have to be written. 
 
 Some customers use their computing machines splendidly in one 
 department, when they would be just as valuable in the billing, in 
 the bookkeeping, on statistical work, or on pay-roll.
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS FULLY 167 
 
 Exercise 93 
 
 1. Plan a paragraph in which you note the points of likeness or 
 difference between two objects. (1) What is your purpose in the 
 comparison? (2) Does the comparison help the listener? 
 
 (a) Baseball and football. 
 
 (b) Telephoning and telegraphing. 
 
 (c) The typewriter and the printing press. 
 
 (d) Department store and ant-hill. 
 
 (e) A factory at closing time and a beehive. 
 
 (f) A business letter and a personal representative of the firm. 
 
 (g) Talking with an angry customer and pouring oil on troubled 
 
 waters, 
 (h) The aeroplane and a bird. 
 
 2. Deliver the address. Let a classmate report on the two ques- 
 tions in paragraph 1. He may also review the sentences to see if 
 you have used parallel structure (see pages 52-53) where it would 
 make the sentence clearer and stronger. 
 
 3. Write out another paragraph, benefiting from the class criticism. 
 
 97. Contrast. — What is the difference between compari- 
 son and contrast? What is the value of contrast in making- 
 clear an idea? How is the method used in the following 
 paragraph? 
 
 The salesman will frequently meet the good-natured, genial sort 
 of buyer who is friendly and well disposed to all the world. A cus- 
 tomer of this sort will grant an interview, if he has any time, even 
 though he may not know the salesman. He is quite unlike the cold 
 and critical purchasing agent, who acts much differently. His 
 usual greeting is curt and abrupt. "Well, what do you want?" 
 or, "I have little time to spare — be quick," he may snap out. 
 Though the first, in the natural friendliness of his disposition, greets 
 everyone cordially, his practical business sense causes him to drive
 
 168 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 a keen bargain. If he cannot at first be convinced that the offer is a 
 timely one, he may be won in the end if the salesman cultivates 
 friendly relations. With the second, who usually avoids making 
 any favorable comment when samples or catalogues are displayed, 
 the salesman should go straight to the point, talking earnestly but 
 without any open expression of enthusiasm. He will succeed best 
 by a reasoned appeal to the motive of profit. If he is not shaken 
 by the customer's indifference, his earnest belief in the merits of the 
 offer will insensibly produce an effect. 
 
 Can you sum up the contrast in a single sentence? 
 
 Note the difference in paragraphing in the following part 
 of a business letter. What methods are used in developing 
 the idea? Sum it all up in a single sentence. 
 
 Some conveyor belts wear off on the edges, where the belt comes 
 in contact with the guide pulleys. When the edges wear off, espe- 
 cially where belts are used under wet conditions, the plies separate 
 and a belt that ought to have lots of service left in it is thrown on 
 the scrap heap from no other cause than ply separation. 
 
 We have overcome ply separation and wearing at edges, in our 
 Extra Duty Conveyor Belting. Extra Duty is a high grade of con- 
 veyor belt. It has a tenacious friction, which holds the plies to- 
 gether, and has a patented cushion edge to prevent the guide pulleys 
 from wearing the edges of the. belt. 
 
 The rubber facing is tough, resilient, white cover stock that resists 
 the abrasions of material conveyed. The white rubber facing, like 
 the rubber covering on an automobile tire, protects the fabric and 
 resists the action of materials conveyed. 
 
 Contrast is one of the commonest methods in business 
 writing that attempts to sell. A contrast that brings home 
 the merits of an article as compared with its competitors has 
 particular weight with men in business, who are always 
 balancing advantages and disadvantages.
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS FULLY 169 
 
 Exercise 94 
 
 1. Outline a paragraph on one of the following contrasts. (1) 
 What is your purpose in the contrast? (2) Are the points of con- 
 trast chosen and developed so as to make your thought clear? 
 
 (a) A business street at noon and at night. 
 
 (b) The automobile truck and the horse-drawn dray. 
 
 (c) The Democratic and the Republican parties, 
 (d)- Dressmaking by pattern and by measure. 
 
 (e) Summer hats and winter hats. 
 
 (f) A bargain sale and daily sales. 
 
 (g) Mountain climbing and swimming as exercises, 
 (h) The life of a farmer and a storekeeper. 
 
 (i) Movies and reading as recreation, 
 (j) Office work and school work. 
 
 2. Deliver the address outlined. Let one of your classmates 
 answer the two questions in (l). 
 
 3. Write out another paragraph, taking advantage of any class 
 discussion. Let a classmate consider whether you have placed your 
 correlatives properly. (See § 187.)
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 SOCIAL AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 98. Friendly Letters.— When you come to write letters to 
 your friends, you will need to remember most of the points 
 about the form of business letters, but you should write with 
 an entirely different purpose. Let us look at a specimen 
 letter (see page 171). 
 
 Compare the letter with the business letter on page 106. 
 Has it the "parts" described on pages 109-122? Are they 
 arranged in the same way? What is the difference in purpose 
 of the two letters? How does that affect the form? 
 
 99. The Paper and " Parts."— There is no such uni- 
 formity in friendly correspondence as there is in business 
 letters. The paper is of various sizes, and for women is often 
 tinted. Men use most commonly a white bond. In nearly all 
 forms the paper is a folded sheet. Where the message covers 
 only one page, the fold is frequently kept at the right. If it 
 covers two pages, the fold is kept at the left, and the writing 
 may be placed on the first and third pages. If the letter is 
 longer, it will be less confusing to the reader if you write on 
 consecutive pages. As different writers follow many different 
 orders, you may help further by numbering the pages. When 
 the letter is complete, the paper is folded by bringing the 
 bottom to the top and creasing with the thumb. When you 
 put the letter in the envelope you should insert this fold first. 
 The return address on the envelope, instead of being placed 
 in the upper left-hand corner, is now often written on the 
 
 170
 
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 Jk&Ks omAs jfaA/uxtte. dfrCvy ? J/Ks /ybwh, Q«n- ">*& alt ih. Ttuoa 
 
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 171
 
 172 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 flap. The return address should not be omitted, for it is just 
 as necessary as in business letters to insure the return of the 
 letter to you in case of misdirection. 
 
 The heading should never be omitted from even the most 
 intimate correspondence. If the return address on the en- 
 velope should be forgotten, the heading would be necessary 
 for returning the letter to the writer in case it had been 
 misdirected. The slant system for all parts is almost uni- 
 versally followed in pen-written letters. The lines may be 
 followed by punctuation or not, as you please. The in- 
 side address is in all friendly correspondence placed in the 
 lower left-hand corner just after the signature. The saluta- 
 tion varies with the intimacy of the correspondents. The 
 most formal is My dear Mr. Thome. Less formal would be 
 Dear Mr. Thome, Dear Thome, My dear John, Dear John, 
 Dear Jack. The comma is the less formal way of punctuating 
 the salutation. The complimentary close varies in the same 
 way. Faithfully yours, or Sincerely yours, seems not so inti- 
 mate as Cordially, which in turn is not so warm as Affection- 
 ately or Lovingly. The yours should not be omitted. If you 
 write the full sentence, / am sincerely yours, you can easily see 
 why. The yours after am refers back to /. Sincerely is an ad- 
 verb and modifies yours, which is as grammatically essential 
 here as in business correspondence. The signature in the same 
 manner indicates the familiarity or intimacy of the writer. 
 
 The body of the friendly letter is markedly different from 
 the body of the business letter. The business correspondent 
 wishes to produce some action; that is, he tries to get his 
 reader to do something. A friendly correspondent expresses 
 his own personality, by giving his own experiences, thoughts, 
 and feelings. He is, in short, visiting by mail. His language 
 may be very informal, even chatty, and he may write at as
 
 SOCIAL AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE 173 
 
 great length as he pleases so long as he is sure of interesting 
 his friend. 
 
 When you write a friendly letter, make it as interesting 
 as you are. 
 
 Exercise 95 
 
 1. One of your school friends is now at home in a small town near 
 your home after two weeks in the hospital with a broken leg. Write 
 him of the events in school that would interest him. Make sure 
 that all the "parts" of the letter are correct and that each page has 
 neat margins on both sides and a space at top and bottom that 
 will be pleasing to the eye. Enclose it in an envelope that is fully 
 directed. 
 
 2. Exchange with a classmate the letters written for the assign- 
 ment above. Let him write out a sentence or two of criticism on 
 each part. You and he can then talk over each point and decide 
 who is right. 
 
 3. Suppose you are the Richard White on page 171. Write a 
 reply to George's letter. What subjects will interest him? Have 
 you every part correct? Again secure the assistance of a classmate. 
 
 Exercise 96 — Oral 
 
 Let the class elect or ask the teacher to appoint a committee of 
 two or three to visit the post-office and learn every stage from the 
 time the letter leaves your hands until it reaches your friend. 
 The teacher can probably pave the way for this visit, but you can 
 make it profitable only by drawing up a list of questions beforehand. 
 Let the committee make a report to the class. 
 
 Exercise 97 
 
 1. Pretend that you are spending the summer at the seashore or 
 in the mountains or at some place of which you have read. Write
 
 174 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 to a classmate an interesting account of some of your experiences. 
 When you have completed it, reread it aloud and answer these 
 questions : 
 
 (a) Does it sound like you? 
 
 (b) Does it give a good impression of what you think and feel? 
 
 2. Exchange letters with a classmate. Let him write out a 
 criticism of your letter in answer to the questions above, and also 
 with regard to its "parts." As a result of his criticism you may 
 wish to rewrite this first version before handing the letter to the 
 teacher. 
 
 3. You have spent a holiday with your grandparents or with the 
 parents of a classmate. Write what is called "a bread-and-butter" 
 letter, thanking them for the good time they have provided you. 
 What were the most enjoyable features? How can you show that 
 you genuinely enjoyed the holiday? 
 
 4. Let a classmate write out his opinion of the "bread-and- 
 butter" letter, adding whether he would feel like entertaining you 
 again. 
 
 5. Write to a cousin or an uncle or an aunt about an entertain- 
 ment of some kind that you organized or took part in. 
 
 6. Let a classmate write a criticism, adding whether you really 
 interested him. 
 
 *100. Informal Notes.— 
 
 (1) 
 
 Dear Jack, 
 
 How is the week passing with you? We're going out to Gun Hill 
 on Saturday evening. The moon will be full. There will be two 
 bob-sleds. There is room in one of the sleighs for you. Are you 
 with us? 
 
 Yours, 
 Helen 
 1213 River Road 
 Wednesday
 
 SOCIAL AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE 175 
 
 (2) 
 
 1 Highland Park Avenue 
 December twenty-eight 
 Dear Helen, 
 
 I am very sorry I forgot to tell you that Uncle Ned and I last 
 week completed all the arrangements for a hunting trip on Friday 
 and Saturday. No matter how much fun the hunting provides, it 
 will not be easy to miss the sledding. 
 I shall want to learn all about it as soon as I see you. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 Jack 
 
 (3) 
 
 My dear Mrs. Dudley, 
 
 Will you and Dr. Dudley give us the pleasure of your company 
 at dinner on Friday, November tenth, at half-past seven? 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 Phoebe Imbrie 
 21 Enid Terrace 
 
 (4) 
 
 My dear Mrs. Imbrie, 
 
 Dr. Dudley and I shall be glad to dine with you on Friday, 
 November tenth, at half-past seven. 
 
 Very sincerely yours, 
 Florence Dudley 
 Ten Afton Boulevard 
 
 (5) 
 
 T. E. Ranch 
 Wiwurna, Wyoming 
 July 10, 1920 
 Dear Edith, 
 
 That was a very lucky choice you made for my reading on the way 
 out. How could you possibly know that I had never read "The 
 Harbor"? I finished it as we were nearing Cody.
 
 17G EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 The story of the hero's boyhood is so real that I don't believe it's 
 fiction at all. The story of the strike is so graphic that I felt I had 
 lived through it, and yet found more meaning in it than I should 
 have found in the actual experience. You have demonstrated 
 again your happy gift of fitting your deeds to the taste of each of 
 your friends. 
 
 As I laid down the book, I thought of how delightful you had made 
 my long trip. Your alert but kindly intellect is a blessing to all 
 about you. 
 
 Very sincerely yours, 
 Mary 
 Mrs. Edith Graves 
 Riverton, New Jersey 
 
 (6) 
 
 Ellwood, Wisconsin 
 December 11, 1920 
 Dear Jane, 
 
 Mary writes that you are the first member of the family to be 
 made president. The Senior Class of the Endicott High School 
 must be made up of very discriminating girls. I am sure you will 
 preside with unruffled dignity and that wisdom will dictate all your 
 policies. 
 
 I congratulate you heartily on your attaining the highest honor 
 which your classmates can confer upon you. May the faculty like- 
 wise reward your merits. 
 
 Your cousin, 
 Eugene 
 Miss Jane Elder 
 Endicott, Wisconsin 
 
 (7) 
 
 1119 Heather Lane 
 June 1, 1920 
 My dear Randolph, 
 
 The death of your mother was a sad shock to us. We were just 
 rejoicing over her recovery from the influenza when the news came.
 
 SOCIAL AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE 177 
 
 Her loving kindness and utter unselfishness have always made her 
 dear to every member of the family alike. 
 
 But you will not forget that we shall watch you go on through 
 college and life in the manly way she would have wanted you to 
 follow. We as well as you will feel her presence like a guiding angel 
 along our footpaths. Everyone who knew her will forevermore be 
 better because she lived. 
 
 Your loving 
 Aunt Christabel 
 
 How do these differ from friendly letters? What is the 
 purpose of each? Which are invitations? Which accepts? 
 Which regrets inability to accept? Which expresses thanks, 
 congratulation, condolence? What is the difference in for- 
 mality. How do they differ in arrangement of parts? Does 
 the arrangement suit the purpose and tone? Why is the 
 name of the city sometimes omitted? (See letters 1-4.) 
 Under what circumstances is the day of the week a sufficient 
 date? (See letter 1 .) When is the date put in the body of the 
 letter? (See letters 3 and 4.) Why is an informal reply 
 modeled on the invitation? 
 
 Make your informal notes suit the occasion. 
 
 Exercise 98 
 
 1. Invite a friend to your home some evening to pop corn or make 
 candy. Which example comes nearest your situation? 
 
 2. Reply to the invitation, accepting it. 
 
 3. Reply to the invitation, explaining that on that evening you are 
 to practice with the school glee club. 
 
 4. Your mother is inviting two or three couples in to dinner. 
 Write an invitation for one of them in her name. 
 
 5. Accept the invitation for one of the families. 
 
 6. Decline the invitation for another. 
 
 12
 
 178 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Exercise 99 
 
 In these letters assume that you are now a business man or woman. 
 What is the best form for the letter in each case? 
 
 1. You are in Chicago. A friend from Mississippi is staying at 
 the Blackstone for a few days. Not being able to reach him by 
 telephone, you write him an invitation to take lunch with you at the 
 City Club. 
 
 2. Write his acceptance. 
 
 3. One of your friends was injured in a street-car accident. You 
 cannot call him up at the hospital, but you write him of your sym- 
 pathy and promise to call on him soon. 
 
 4. Write the letter the patient would dictate, thanking him for 
 flowers and his letter. 
 
 5. A friend of yours has been made president of the City Club. 
 Congratulate him. 
 
 101. Formal Notes. — Formal notes are used only for 
 ceremonious occasions where many persons only slightly ac- 
 quainted with each other are to gather. The message is 
 always couched in the third person, and as it is usually en- 
 graved or printed, the lines are arranged in balance or other 
 symmetrical design. 
 
 Colonel and Mrs. Dallas Thompson 
 
 request the pleasure of 
 
 Mr. London Napier's 
 
 company at dinner 
 
 on Tuesday Evening, December first 
 
 at eight o'clock 
 
 Seventy Riverside Drive 
 
 November twenty- fifth 
 
 Invitations to receptions and church weddings need not be 
 answered. The reply to a dinner invitation should be sent
 
 SOCIAL AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE 179 
 
 within twenty-four hours. It should follow the form and the 
 phrasing of the original as nearly as possible. It must be in 
 the third person throughout. 
 
 Mr. Napier accepts with much pleasure the kind invitation of 
 Colonel and Mrs. Dallas Thompson for Tuesday evening, December 
 first, at eight o'clock. 
 27 Bedford Parkway 
 
 November twenty-sixth 
 
 Mr. Napier regrets that a previous engagement prevents his accep- 
 tance of the kind invitation of Colonel and Mrs. Dallas Thompson 
 for Tuesday evening, December first. 
 27 Bedford Parkway 
 
 November twenty-sixth 
 
 Exercise 100 
 
 1. Bring in a list of six different occasions on which a formal invi- 
 tation should be used. 
 
 2. After class discussion, write as many of the invitations and 
 replies as your teacher may direct. 
 
 102. Official Letters. — In business life there are numerous 
 occasions when letters are addressed to officers of the govern- 
 ment, of a society, or of an institution and when no question 
 of profit or loss enters. Such "official letters" are frequently 
 written on special stationery, folded like social letter-paper, 
 but with the address of the writer or his name embossed or 
 stamped on the last page; that is, with the fold to the right. 
 The message, if it should prove long, must of course extend 
 to one of the inside pages. 
 
 The inside address is always written at the left-hand side 
 at the end of the letter. The salutation is always Sir. The
 
 180 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 complimentary close is Respectfully yours or Very respectfully 
 yours. There should be no abbreviations anywhere. Great 
 care should be used with the titles of the person addressed. 
 The President is addressed as The President; a governor as 
 His Excellency the Governor; a mayor as His Honor the Mayor. 
 Honorable is applied to other government officers. 
 
 THE AMERICAN LEGION 
 
 519 Coyote Street 
 Cheyenne, Wyoming 
 October 2, 1920 
 
 Sir: 
 
 The American Legion of this city is planning a celebra- 
 tion of the signing of the Armistice on November 11, In the 
 City Hall. Will you do us the Very great honor of addressing 
 the meeting at eight o'clock in the evening? Not only the 
 Legion but all other citizens of Cheyenne feel that no other 
 speaker could give proper dignity to the occasion. 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 Henry L. Ogden 
 President 
 
 His Excellency the Governor 
 The Executive Mansion 
 Cheyenne 
 
 Exercise 101 
 
 1. Write to the mayor of your city, requesting his presence at 
 some meeting of public interest. 
 
 2. Write his reply. 
 
 3. Write to your representative in Congress urging upon his at- 
 tention some matter of national interest on which your section has 
 convictions. 
 
 4. Write to the president of your state university expressing the 
 request of a mass meeting that university extension lectures be es- 
 tablished in your town. 
 
 5. As auditor, write to the president the letter with which you 
 present your report of the condition of the Orono Company.
 
 SOCIAL AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE 181 
 
 6. As secretary, write a letter of thanks to the governor or some 
 other speaker who has addressed the City Club. 
 
 Exercise 102— Oral 
 
 1. You can probably form with ease a large collection of friendly 
 letters and informal notes, and possibly some examples of formal 
 invitations and official letters. Bring to class the best examples of 
 each kind, read them, and indicate their good points. 
 
 2. Consult some printed collection of friendly correspondence. 
 Find the best examples of each type of letter. Read them to the 
 class with comments. 
 
 3. The best way to gain practice in writing friendly letters is to 
 correspond with the members of some other class or school. English 
 classes have corresponded with schools in England and Australia, 
 and French classes here have written to pupils in French schools. 
 The replies are often much more interesting even than was expected. 
 Particularly interesting letters or passages may be read aloud to the 
 class, with comments.
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS CLEARLY 
 
 103. Unity. — You have already seen that to get your 
 thought before other people you must proceed a step at a 
 time, and that you must develop each step fully enough to 
 be quite clear. In developing thoughts, unless you plan very 
 carefully beforehand, you are almost certain to mix up ideas 
 that should be separate, or to introduce statements that do 
 not help the reader to see your point. 
 
 In the following paragraph can you easily sum up the 
 thought in a sentence? Is the order of topics clear? What 
 has the fourth sentence, "We hear a lot, etc., " to do with the 
 topic? 
 
 You won't frighten your correspondents if you place this course 
 before them. It is comprised in a series of five books. Five short, 
 compact little volumes called " Knacks of Selling." This course is 
 teachable and it really does teach by telling stories. It sugar-coats 
 a whole lot of psychology. We hear a lot about the psychology of 
 selling and advertising. This course starts by discussing the mo- 
 tives that underlie a sale. Out of the experience of the salesmen 
 from whom the incidents have been gleaned, "Knacks of Selling" 
 tells the writer-salesman [correspondent] that there are five motives 
 that impel people to purchase, and that one or more of the motives 
 may account for every sale that is made. These motives are: gain 
 of money, gain of utility, satisfaction of pride, satisfaction of cau- 
 tion, and yielding to weakness. Your men can carry these little 
 volumes in an inside pocket and read them without knowing they are 
 doing any studying. They will really start to think without realiz- 
 ing it. He gets psychology but does not get it under that name. 
 
 182
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS CLEARLY 183 
 
 He is learning about salesmanship but not under the name of sales- 
 manship. 
 
 In the rewritten form that follows, we see that the speaker 
 had two subjects in mind. He wished to tell (1) how the 
 course taught salesmanship and (2) what it taught. That is, 
 the form above violates unity, which requires that we talk or 
 write about one thing at a time. 
 
 You won't frighten your correspondents if you place this course 
 before them. It is comprised in a series of five books, five short, 
 compact little volumes called "Knacks of Selling." Your men can 
 carry these little volumes in an inside pocket and read them without 
 knowing they are doing any studying. They will start to think 
 without realizing it. They will learn about salesmanship but not 
 under the term salesmanship. They will get psychology but they 
 will not get it under that name. 
 
 The course, in fact, sugar-coats a whole lot of psychology. It 
 starts by discussing the motives that underlie a sale. Out of the 
 experience of the salesmen from whom the incidents have been 
 gleaned, "Knacks of Selling" tells the writer-salesman [correspond- 
 ent] that there are five motives that impel people to purchase, and 
 that one or more of these motives may account for every sale that is 
 made. These motives are : gain of money, gain of utility, satisfac- 
 tion of pride, satisfaction of caution, and yielding to weakness. 
 
 Develop one step of your thought at a time. 
 
 Exercise 103 
 
 1. On one of the following topic sentences deliver to the class an 
 address which shall hold as closely to the topic as possible. One of 
 your classmates will tell (1) at what point in your speech he knew 
 what you were going to talk about, and (2) whether you made state- 
 ments that did not help him to understand the topic. 
 
 (a) Going shopping with mother is an education. 
 
 (b) Looking for a job is very wearisome.
 
 184 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (c) Boys should be interested in business books. 
 
 (d) There are good movies as well as bad ones. 
 
 (e) Our fire drill came as a surprise. 
 
 (f ) The store window at the corner attracted my eye. 
 
 (g) We are never in a hurry when go'n^ home from school. 
 (h) Only part of the daily paper interests me. 
 
 (i) I seem never to complete all my little duties at home, 
 (j) The shops near my home supply nearly all our needs. 
 
 2. As a result of the criticism write out the paragraph so that it 
 shall not violate unity. Let a classmate consider whether any of 
 your sentences lack unity (see pages 32-37). 
 
 104. Coherence by Arrangement. — It is not sufficient 
 that your reader never be puzzled with statements that do 
 not develop your thought. He must also be able to follow 
 your thought easily. Business men have no time to puzzle 
 over statements. If your letter is not clear, it may be thrown 
 into the waste basket. 
 
 To make sure that he can follow your thought easily, take 
 pains to plan it carefully. Choose some order of arrangement, 
 and stick to it. If you wish to follow the order of time (see 
 page 160), be sure you do not vary from it. If you wish to 
 reach a climax (see page 162), think out the steps carefully. 
 Often you will wish to follow a purely logical order. The 
 order best adapted to business may be called deductive: 
 begin with the general statement which your reader is chiefly 
 interested in, and follow it with the statements which support 
 or establish it. When you are on doubtful ground, and wish 
 to present the reasons convincingly before you state the con- 
 clusion, the reverse order may be followed. But most busi- 
 ness men wish to learn at once the gist of a matter.
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS CLEARLY 185 
 
 Exercise 104 
 
 1. Outline the paragraphs on pages 186-187. Which order is 
 followed in each? Is it always natural and easy to follow? 
 
 2. Which would be the best order with each of the following sub- 
 jects? Draw up an outline to show why you think so. 
 
 (a) How to open an account at a bank. 
 
 (b) A place where I should like to live. 
 
 (c) Why I like to read or to go to the movies. 
 
 (d) A plea to your father to let you go on a class picnic on a river, 
 
 to be gone all day. 
 
 105. Coherence by Connectives. — In addition to arrange- 
 ment, you can employ connectives to help the reader follow 
 your thought. Familiarize yourself with these connectives 
 by looking up the exact meaning of each in the dictionary, 
 and then try to use them whenever you have need. 
 
 1. To indicate that the thought to come is of the same kind 
 as the thought just closed: also, and, besides, further, further- 
 more, in addition, likewise, moreover. You will often be able 
 to use adjectives, as, another, a second, a similar, a third, and 
 so on. 
 
 2. To indicate contrast: and yet, but, however, on the one 
 hand, on the other hand, nevertheless, only, still, whereas, yet. 
 
 3. To indicate an alternative: else, not, or, otherwise. 
 
 4. To indicate result: accordingly, consequently, hence, 
 therefore, wherefore. 
 
 106. Coherence by Construction. — Besides using con- 
 nectives, you can increase the ease with which your reader 
 follows your thought if you will keep to the same sentence 
 structure within the paragraph. Observe the difference in 
 the two versions of the following paragraph. (1) How is the
 
 186 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 same sentence structure adhered to? Note the second and 
 third sentences of the second quotation. (2) How is the order 
 of the ideas improved? (3) What violation of unity is also 
 eliminated? 
 
 1. No salesman knows when he starts out Monday morning what 
 the week will bring forth, but if his desire for success comes from the 
 back-bone instead of the wish-bone, you cannot stop him. He will 
 have accomplished maximum results Saturday night. You may 
 have every other good quality under the sun, but your success will 
 be retarded without back-bone. 
 
 Back-bone will gain you the dealer's respect; it is the outgrowth 
 of determination and is the ability to never give up, no matter how 
 hard the task. 
 
 2. No salesman, when he starts out Monday morning, knows 
 what the week will bring forth, but if his desire for success comes 
 from the back-bone instead of the wish-bone, you cannot stop him. 
 Back-bone will gain him the dealer's respect. It will put his route 
 in the million class. It will enable him to beat his best record. By 
 Saturday night he will have accomplished maximum results. 
 
 By order, connectives, and similar construction keep 
 your reader on the track. 
 
 Exercise 105 
 
 1. In the first paragraph below note the underlined expressions. 
 They are the connectives. How many kinds are there? How does 
 each one help? 
 
 "If you forget everything else in this little talk, keep always in 
 mind the next twenty-four words: Every attractive display of a 
 properly advertised, nationally knoivn product which goes into your 
 show-window is an insurance policy against the loss of customers. 
 I wil l explain that statement. You go into a store to buy a hat. 
 Two styles suit you equally well. You take a look at the name 
 plates. One is a Stetson, the other an unknown brand. You choose 
 the Stetson, because you have confidence in it, Not only has it
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS CLEARLY 187 
 
 been nationally advertised, but it has been properly advertised. 
 Stetson advertising has carried prestige for years. Your customers 
 have confidence in this properly advertised merchandise. When 
 you feature these articles in your show-window, their confidence 
 extends automatically to you and your store. Retain your cus- 
 tomer's confidence and you need not worry about retaining your 
 customer. 
 
 "Having considered window display sales from all other angles, 
 let us now see what would have happened had you chosen to feature 
 the Unknown brand, on which, we will contend, the profit per sale 
 is a fraction more. You would have more profit on each transaction. 
 That goes without saying. But your volume of sales would have 
 been greatly reduced. You would have lost money in the long run. 
 Let me tell you why. Unknown, or little known merchandise is 
 never presold. There is no existing demand for it. The entire 
 selling burden is placed upon the display. And that is asking too 
 much of a show-window. For the window does its most efficient 
 work, not as an actual seller of merchandise, but as the final link, 
 localizing proper national advertising in a proper manner. 
 
 " I have already outlined a few of the difficulties which often pre- 
 vent the window display from making immediate sales. But when 
 the Unknown brand is featured, the sales must be immediate or not 
 at all. The show-window is the only sales medium. There are no 
 supplementary aids or reminders. The sale is made or lost in a 
 moment. And finally, the display of the Unknown brand has no 
 prestige-building or customer-insurance value. You might go on 
 featuring unknown brands for years, and gain not one iota of cus- 
 tomer confidence. You are at the mercy of any competitor who 
 chooses to display and feature properly advertised merchandise." 
 
 2. Pick out the different means of connection in the second and 
 third paragraphs immediately above. 
 
 Exercise 106 
 
 1. On the following topics write paragraphs in which you make a 
 particular effort to make your thought clear by connectives or 
 similar construction.
 
 188 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (a) How to make a hat (or a dress, or a cake). 
 
 (b) What I owe my parents (or my school). 
 
 (c) Manners in the lunchroom (or during the assembly exercises, 
 
 or on the playground). 
 
 (d) What I admire in teachers (or schoolmates, or children). 
 
 (e) Judging people by their looks (or their actions, or their 
 
 language). 
 
 (f ) How wheat (or corn, or cotton) is grown. 
 
 2. Let a classmate review a paragraph to see if you have in your 
 sentences used proper subordination (see pages 38-40)? 
 
 3. Let another paragraph be reviewed for its proper use of con- 
 junctions in the sentence (see § 189). 
 
 107. Emphasis. — You wish not only to make your 
 thought clear. You wish to impress certain parts of it upon 
 your reader or hearer. Now in the paragraph the points that 
 attract attention are the beginning and the end. What you 
 wish the reader to remember longest, you should place at one 
 of these two points. Sometimes, you can gain particular 
 emphasis by summing up the paragraph in a single, short, 
 final sentence. 
 
 In business letters a frequent means of emphasis is the 
 short paragraph. It makes the thought stand out distinctly. 
 If it is not used too often, it will prove effective. Note its use 
 in the letter on the following page. 
 
 Exercise 107 
 
 1. What means of emphasis is employed in the selections on pages 
 160-168. 
 
 2. Bring to class five paragraphs from the advertising pages of a 
 magazine which you consider skillful in emphasis. Explain to the 
 class how the skill appears.
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS CLEARLY 189 
 
 Here la a sample of the best leather substitute for 
 the manufacture of gun, fish rod, tackle and other sporting 
 goods cases. It Is our Leatherold, 6900 Quality, a material 
 muoh stronger and more durable than any leather that la compar- 
 able in price. 
 
 We want you to note the toughness, strength and 
 leatherlike character of the eampls. Then a6k us for prices 
 and a working sample from which to make up a case. Once you 
 have done this and figured your cost we know you. will decide 
 to push a complete Leatherold line, because these facta will 
 be very evident: 
 
 Leatherold cases are quite aa attractive aa leather. 
 Their appearance la identical in color, gruin and flniah. 
 
 Leatherold caae8 are water-proof, affording better 
 protection than leather casea for the artlclea contained. 
 
 Leatherold casea are greaae-proof , etaln-proof and 
 washable. They do not scuff or peel. Their beauty is 
 permanent . 
 
 Leatherold cases can be sold at retail at a price 
 the average sportsman can easily afford. This means larger 
 sales. 
 
 The patriotic sportsman prefers Leatherold to 
 leather, which he knowa should be conserved for military pur- 
 poses. 
 
 Leatherold caees offer a better profit to the manu- 
 facturer, jobber, and retailer and more buslnesa all around. 
 
 The working sample of Leatherold is .free. May we 
 send It? 
 
 Exercise 108 
 
 1. Outline a paragraph on one of the following topics. 
 
 (a) A book I have read and reread. 
 
 (b) Shopping in a five-and-ten-cent store. 
 
 (c) Where do the fruits on a fruit stand come from? 
 
 (d) How to manage or edit a school paper. 
 
 (e) A cake-and-candy sale. 
 
 (f) Using the telephone to order groceries or notions. 
 
 Let a classmate report on what matters in it impressed him most. 
 Were they the statements you wished to emphasize? 
 
 2. Write the paragraph out so as to make use of the class criticism. 
 A classmate may review it to see if the sentences are emphatic (see 
 pages 59-63).
 
 190 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 108. Connecting Paragraphs. — Your listener or reader 
 must follow you from paragraph to paragraph, just as he 
 follows you from sentence to sentence within the paragraph. 
 (Read again pages 184-186.) He must see immediately the 
 connection in idea between any two paragraphs. You can 
 aid him with what are called transitional expressions. On 
 pages 186, 187, note the variety of such expressions as: "If 
 you forget everything else in this little talk, keep always in 
 mind the next twenty-four words." This sentence makes a 
 definite reference to preceding paragraphs and points for- 
 ward to the new paragraph. Every perfect transition 
 should do both. "Having considered window display sales 
 from all other angles, let us now see" — this phrase does the 
 same two things. How is the third paragraph on page 187 
 introduced? 
 
 Note in the letter on page 189 how the paragraphs are 
 bound together by parallel phrasing. All but one of the short 
 paragraphs begins with "Leatheroid cases." No reader can 
 mistake the connection in thought. 
 
 Exercise 109 
 
 What means of transition between paragraphs are employed 
 in the following letter? 
 
 Slipping 
 
 "There is one thing above all others that the salesman should 
 guard against, and that is slipping, going backward not necessarily 
 in volume and results, but in the productiveness of his efforts. 
 
 "Slipping is a disease of the imagination. All salesmen are ex- 
 posed to it. Some succumb, others see its pitfalls and overcome it. 
 
 "Some of the symptoms are a tendency to be grouchy, a listless or 
 dissatisfied attitude, a feeling that the house never does anything
 
 DEVELOPING IDEAS CLEARLY 191 
 
 right, a disposition to ignore the small dealer, impatience, an abhor- 
 rence for answering correspondence and handling claims, indiffer- 
 ence to the specialty man, and a general loss of morale. 
 
 " Some of the causes are not keeping posted on the line, not taking 
 advantage of the information in the bulletin, getting the impression 
 that you have nothing more to learn about your line, being on the 
 same territory too long and not having enough territory to occupy 
 your time fully. 
 
 "The cure is to admit to yourself that you are in a rut. Don't 
 be discouraged if something goes wrong. It's part of the business. 
 Compare' the number of orders you take with the number taken 
 the previous week. Keep all of your claims filed promptly. An- 
 swer correspondence immediately. Do not allow your work to drag. 
 Keep on the lookout for the new customer. Familiarize yourself 
 with every product you have to sell. 
 
 "It is easier to work than to loaf. Inoculate your mind against 
 this disease of slipping." 
 
 Exercise 110 
 
 1. In the daily or weekly paper, find some news article and some 
 editorial that employ transitions skillfully. Which is the more 
 skillful? Which type (the news story or the editorial) does the class 
 find to be more skillful? 
 
 2. Bring in some paragraphs in a weekly or monthly magazine 
 where transitions are skillful. Are magazines more skillful than 
 papers?
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 EXPLANATION 
 
 109. Planning an Explanation. — Can you guess how much 
 of speech used in business, or for that matter in any other 
 part of our life, is explanation? More than half. To succeed 
 in the effort to make others understand a matter requires 
 at least two things. You must first understand the matter 
 thoroughly yourself. If the blind lead the blind, will they not 
 both fall into the ditch? Secondly, you must consider how 
 much or how little your listener already knows. You will 
 have to begin with the matters that he does know. Think 
 over Che points that will have to be made clear. Arrange 
 them in an order that he can easily follow. Be careful not 
 only to make every step clear but to warn him when you ad- 
 vance to a new step. Choose your words so that they will be 
 exact, precise, but not unfamiliar. 
 
 In preparing any talk, you should jot down the various 
 topics as they occur to you. If you carry a memorandum 
 book, the best way will be to set aside a page for your subject. 
 When you have thus collected all the ideas and information 
 you think you need, rearrange the topics in the manner 
 clearest for the audience or listener. 
 
 110. The First Plan. — For example, you have decided to 
 explain to a friend why you wish to become a private secre- 
 tary. You have talked with a good many persons about it, 
 and read some books on the subject. You are full of your 
 ambition. But your friend knows no more about it than one 
 
 192
 
 EXPLANATION 193 
 
 would learn from taking the same commercial course that 
 you do. Probably you can best begin by mentioning the 
 duties of a secretary that coincide with those of a typist or 
 plain stenographer. Your j ottings may be somewhat like this : 
 
 Taking dictation Kind of employer 
 
 Typing Kind of office 
 
 Transcribing notes Chances of advancement 
 
 Writing from phonograph dictation Pay 
 
 Filing Hours 
 
 Telephoning Responsibilities 
 
 In looking over this list of items you discover that some of 
 the ideas belong together. The groups of ideas thus formed 
 constitute the main divisions of your talk. All of the items in 
 the left-hand column above seem to deal with the kinds of 
 work which a secretary has to do. Some of the items in the 
 right-hand column seem to deal with the surroundings of a 
 secretary's work and others with the rewards of his work. 
 The single items seem to fall into four main divisions: 
 
 I. Kinds of work 
 
 A. Typing 
 
 B. Taking dictation 
 
 C. Transcribing notes 
 
 D. Writing from phonograph dictation 
 
 E. Telephoning 
 
 F. Filing 
 
 II. Surroundings of work 
 
 A. Kind of office 
 
 B. Kind of employer 
 
 C. Hours 
 
 III. Rewards of work 
 
 A. Chances of advancement 
 
 B. Pay 
 
 IV. Responsibilities 
 13
 
 194 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 111. The Revision. — Closer inspection shows you, how- 
 ever, that this arrangement does not entirely carry out your 
 purpose. You started out to explain why you hoped to be- 
 come a secretary. Merely to enumerate the duties which 
 you would have will not explain your reasons for choosing 
 such a career. You will have to show how those duties differ 
 from the ordinary stenographer's duties. A little reflection 
 tells you that a secretary's duties include some not here men- 
 tioned, such as meeting callers, caring for the employer's 
 mail, and learning the details of his business. The fourth 
 main division of the outline above should therefore be merged 
 with the first. 
 
 The third section, as it stands, is very short. Yet in ex- 
 plaining why you wish to become a private secretary that 
 section is very important. It should be developed in greater 
 detail. Reasons should be given for the higher pay which 
 the position carries and for the better chances of advancement. 
 Some of the reasons would be : the knowledge of such matters 
 as spelling and good English; the form and tone of business 
 letters; your ability to relieve your employer of many details; 
 your ability to think and act without bothering him. 
 
 In the last place, is the order of the parts the most logical 
 you can find? Have you thought out how the reader is to 
 pass from point to point? The main heads seem well placed, 
 because they are in the right order to explain your ambition. 
 But the subheads do not progress from the simpler to the 
 more complex. A change in order is necessary. 
 The revised outline may be drawn up in this way: 
 
 I. Kinds of secretarial work 
 
 A. Responsibility in ordinary office duties 
 
 1. Tact and accuracy in telephoning 
 
 2. Perfection in typing
 
 EXPLANATION 195 
 
 3. Speed in taking dictation 
 
 4. Judgment in transcribing notes 
 
 5. Care in writing from phonograph dictation 
 
 6. Intelligence in filing 
 
 B. Responsibility in special duties 
 
 1. Caring for employer's mail 
 
 2. Meeting callers 
 
 3. Learning details of employer's business 
 
 II. Surroundings of the work 
 
 A. More variety in the work 
 
 B. Less crowded office 
 
 C. Better class of employer 
 
 D. Hours of service 
 
 111. Rewards of the work 
 
 A. Reasons for higher pay 
 
 1 . More intelligent work in details 
 
 2. Use of your own judgment 
 
 3. Taking duties from the employer's shoulders 
 
 B. Better chances for advancement 
 
 1. Your knowledge of the business 
 
 2. Your taking more responsibility 
 
 112. Formal Requirements of an Outline. — Note the fol- 
 lowing features of a good formal outline : 
 
 1. A separate kind of notation is used for each rank of 
 heading. In the specimen given above, for example, all the 
 main headings are in Roman notation. 
 
 2. Each rank of heading is indented to the same depth. 
 All those with Arabic notation, for example, are placed at the 
 same distance from the margin. 
 
 3. Headings of similar rank are phrased in parallel struc- 
 ture. 
 
 4. There are never fewer than two subheads.
 
 196 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 113. Presenting the Talk. — If your speech is to be a long 
 one, a more convenient way to collect and arrange the ma- 
 terial is on slips of paper or cards. Once you settle the main 
 divisions, it is easy to put each on a separate card and to jot 
 down the subheads on that card, as they occur to you. The 
 mainheads can then be arranged in any order that you find 
 best. 
 
 In presenting the material to your hearers you can very 
 often make a point clear by an example, a comparison, a 
 contrast, a diagram, or a picture. Indeed, any of the methods 
 of developing a paragraph may prove useful. They should, of 
 course, always be chosen with an eye to the particular hearers 
 you may be addressing. An explanation must be clear to 
 the hearer or it is no explanation. 
 
 Exercise 111 
 
 1. A stranger sees you at the entrance to the schoolhouse and asks 
 you to direct him to the nearest railway station. 
 
 (a) Have you made each turn clear? 
 
 (b) Draw a diagram on the board which would help him. 
 
 The class will act as the stranger. Let a separate member report 
 on each of these points: whether (1) you spoke each word distinctly; 
 (2) you spoke slowly enough; (3) the directions would be clear to 
 one ignorant of the locality; if not, why not? (4) the manner was 
 courteous. 
 
 2. You meet a friend at the railway station but cannot accompany 
 him to your home. Give the directions (making a diagram if it 
 would be helpful) so that he can be sure of finding the house. Let 
 the class criticize as in 1. 
 
 3. Your friend wishes to come to the school from the house later 
 in the day. Give directions that will enable him to find the prin- 
 cipal's office or your own classroom. Let the class criticize as in 1.
 
 EXPLANATION 197 
 
 4. You are in a school play to be given in the auditorium. You 
 give two reserved seat tickets, H12 and H14, to two friends. As you 
 are unable to come with your friends, draw a diagram and explain to 
 them how they are to reach the seats unaided. Let the class criticize 
 as in 1. 
 
 5. A. Draw up a complete outline for a speech on one of the sub- 
 jects in B. The outline may be placed on the board and criticized in 
 class. 
 
 B. Give directions how to: 
 
 (a) Prepare an English lesson. 
 
 (b) Drive a horse or start an automobile. 
 
 (c) Trim a hat or hemstitch. 
 
 (d) Dust a room or set a table. 
 
 (e) Load a film camera and take a picture. 
 
 When the speaker has concluded, let him answer any questions 
 that are put to him, or let him ask members of the class to answer 
 questions which he puts. Then let the class criticize as in 1, with 
 the following substitution for (4) : 
 
 (4) Are transitional expressions (see § 105 and Exercise 105) so 
 conspicuous and clear that each step stands out distinctly? 
 
 6. A. Draw up a complete outline for a speech on one of the sub- 
 jects below. It may be criticized in class. 
 
 B. Explain by the use of examples, comparisons, contrasts, or in 
 some other concrete way, one of the following topics: 
 
 (a) My memory at its best and at its worst. 
 
 (b) A bad habit of mine. 
 
 (c) What I should do if I were very rich, or very powerful, or 
 
 very wise. 
 
 (d) What do people say about me — as, my father, my mother, 
 
 my chum, my older or younger brother, my teacher, and 
 so on? 
 
 (e) If I were stranded in a strange city, how could I make my 
 
 living? 
 
 (f) The best piece of work I ever did. 
 
 When the speaker has concluded let the class criticize, as in 5, 
 adding:
 
 198 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (5) Is the order of the main divisions the clearest possible? 
 
 7. A. Make a complete outline for a speech on one of the subjects 
 in B and place it on the blackboard for class criticism. 
 
 B. Explain to one who knows nothing or little of the subject: 
 
 (a) A street-car transfer and its uses. 
 
 (b) What is fire insurance? 
 
 (c) How and why to ventilate a room. 
 
 (d) The qualities of a good toothpaste. 
 
 (e) How to begin in learning to typewrite. 
 
 (f) The purpose and principles of shorthand. 
 
 (g) What is accounting and why is the demand for it increasing? 
 (h) A time-clock and how it operates. 
 
 Let speaker and class proceed as before. 
 
 8. A. Make a complete outline of one of the subjects in B, and 
 place it on the blackboard for class criticism. 
 
 B. Explain with full details one of these subjects. In this expla- 
 nation be very careful of your use of words. Avoid slang expressions, 
 and try to introduce as many precise and concrete words as possible. 
 
 (a) The art of shopping with the least waste of time. 
 
 (b) What is a boy scout? 
 
 (c) Who are the camp fire girls, and what is their purpose? 
 
 (d) What the Red Cross stands for. 
 
 (e) Why and how are income taxes levied? 
 
 (f) What are the purposes of an automobile license? 
 
 (g) What are the purposes of a cash register? 
 
 In the class criticism like that in 6-B, let there be an additional 
 committee for: 
 
 (6) Were the words precise and concrete? (See § § 22, 24.) 
 
 9. A. Draw up a complete outline, which the class will criticize 
 for thought as well as form. 
 
 B. Select one of these ideas that you think you understand very 
 well. Then explain it so that every member of the class will see 
 what it means. In abstract subjects, concrete illustration and com- 
 parison are particularly important. The application of the idea 
 must be so clear that no one can mistake it. Be particularly full 
 and definite with these subjects.
 
 EXPLANATION 199 
 
 (a) What is heroism? 
 
 (b) Can there be heroism in business? 
 
 (c) What is success? 
 
 (d) The value of cheerfulness and optimism in business. 
 
 (e) Experience is a hard school. 
 
 (f) Not failure but low aim is crime. 
 
 (g) What is system, and how great is its value? 
 
 (h) What is influence or "pull," and how does it operate? 
 
 (i) Can one rise by hard work and perseverance alone? 
 
 (j) Is there such a thing as luck in success? 
 
 (k) The rewards of unskilled labor, skilled labor, commercial 
 work, applied art, fine art, the professions, with regard 
 to interest of the work, social standing of the worker, 
 wealth, or benefit to the community. 
 
 (1) Efficiency and its lack as illustrated in your dealings with a 
 local shop, the post-office, a department store or mail- 
 order house, a trolley line or railway, an electric light or 
 gas company. 
 
 The speaker and class will proceed as in 8. 
 
 114. Minutes. — If one business man talks over some pro- 
 posal with another business man and the two reach an agree- 
 ment, one of them will embody the main points of the agree- 
 ment in a letter and send it to the other. He does this so that 
 there will be no occasion for misunderstanding. The same 
 necessity for a record frequently arises when groups of men 
 or women come together. If the meeting is important enough 
 to need a chairman, it usually needs also a secretary to take 
 down the minutes. 
 
 Minutes are the notes or record of any formally organized 
 meeting. They are written out from jottings made by the 
 secretary during the course of the meeting. The jottings 
 should record the exact wording of motions and the result of
 
 200 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 all votes. Important speeches should be summarized. The 
 order of events should be strictly followed. The complete 
 minutes should be written tersely, but with the utmost ac- 
 curacy, as they may be needed long afterward to settle some 
 uncertain point. It is customary for them to close with the 
 phrase, "Respectfully submitted," followed by the signature 
 of the secretary. The minutes of one meeting are usually 
 read aloud at the next meeting, in order that members who 
 detect inaccuracies may suggest corrections. When the 
 revisions are made, the chairman usually approves by a 
 signature. 
 
 Much valuable practice for business life can be gained by 
 class secretary reports of the discussions and conclusions of 
 each recitation. If there is a new secretary each day, the min- 
 ute-book can be passed around the class, so that each member 
 may gain some practice. The class may suggest corrections 
 as in a society meeting, and the teacher may finally approve. 
 The members will in this way develop a keen sense of what is 
 important and of how to state matters accurately. 
 
 Should the bare record become monotonous, the secretary 
 may be asked to select the feature of the period that best 
 merits further discussion. He should then add argument or 
 explanation to bring out the significance. 
 
 The minutes for Thursday were read by Mr. Dunlevy and 
 accepted. 
 
 The class were sent to the board to place on it the display lines 
 of their original advertisements. As a result of the discussion we 
 found that the best display lines were short. They contained not 
 more than five or six words and consisted chiefly of nouns and verbs. 
 They were often directed toward a particular class of readers. The 
 separate display lines should emphasize the same point, which 
 should be the talking point of the advertisement. In general, slo- 
 gans should not be displayed as prominently as the display lines.
 
 EXPLANATION 201 
 
 Mr. Sahulka's lines were pronounced the best because they em- 
 phasized the talking point most successfully and because, by reason 
 of their shortness, they were most certain of attracting attention. 
 His head-line, " Speed," was considered the head-line of the day most 
 certain to arrest the reader. The word "self-starting" in the center- 
 line brought forward the talking point so as to make it stick in the 
 memory. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 Walter Goodman 
 
 115. Written Reports. — In Chapter I we learned a good 
 deal about simple oral reports. In business, written reports 
 also are frequently required. They often result from investi- 
 gations, and are usually the basis for recommendations. As 
 they are submitted to busy executives, every effort should 
 be made to render them clear at a glance and easy to 
 refer to. 
 
 To make them clear at a glance requires great care in the 
 arrangement. An outline or plan is necessary to determine 
 what is the most logical and the easiest order of parts. The 
 conclusions should generally be stated at the beginning of 
 each division. Busy men do not wish to waste any time in 
 getting at the heart of a matter. The recommendations 
 would generally come at the end of each section. At the end 
 of the whole report there may be a conclusion repeating the 
 points made in the body of the discussion. 
 
 Clearness is enhanced if tabulation is employed wherever 
 classification is a part of the report and where figures enter. 
 If you are trying to show the increase in the running expenses 
 of a department, you might consider the increased number of 
 employees, the increased wages or salaries, the increased cost 
 of supplies. The best way to present these would be in a 
 table.
 
 202 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 1918 1919 Increase 
 
 Employees 32 45 40.6% 
 
 Wages $38,592.16 $67,536.30 75 
 
 Supplies 756.27 884.93 17 
 
 To make reference easy, the report should be conspicuously 
 divided into parts. Each part may have a title that will in- 
 dicate the substance of that section. The part title may be 
 written in capital letters, or typed in red, or underlined with 
 red ink. Subheads, summarizing subordinate sections, may 
 be indicated by underlining in black. Paragraph titles may 
 be typed in the margin, which should be wide enough to 
 permit insertion without crowding. In the body of the 
 report noteworthy words or sentences may be typed in 
 red or underlined. A table of contents in outline form and 
 an index may be supplied if the complexity of the report 
 warrants it. 
 
 Formal reports are usually accompanied by an official letter 
 (pages 179, 180) which gives the circumstances of the report, 
 the sources consulted in its preparation, and the ground that 
 it intends to cover. The letter is in the third person, except 
 where a personal and informal tone is desired. 
 
 The following is an illustration. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 In accordance with the resolution adopted at the meet- 
 ing of the Real Estate Board, the Own Your Home Committee 
 submits the enclosed report of its campaign during the month 
 of June. 
 
 It details the purposes of the campaign, the methods of 
 bringing before the public the advantages of owning a house, 
 and the results achieved. It appends recommendations for 
 the oonduot of future campaigns. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 Own Your Home Committee 
 by George Gulliver 
 Secretary
 
 EXPLANATION 
 
 203 
 
 A section of the report might be displayed thus: 
 
 GENERAL FEATURES 
 
 Number of While 'Metropolis has always been known 
 
 home owners as a home-owning city, the faots discovered 
 
 by the market analysis were that 65 per cent 
 
 of the population were boarders and renters. 
 
 This, It was determined, was due to the 
 
 recent rapid growth of the city. 
 
 Sources of This analysis was a compilation of faots 
 information and figures In possession of the local board, 
 
 checked up by the United States Census report. 
 
 It was believed sufficiently accurate for all 
 
 the purposes of the campaign. 
 
 Results of The board appropriated $1,000 for the 
 campaign campaign. On this slender fund, all that was 
 accomplished seems remarkable, as after Im- 
 possibilities were weeded out, the campaign 
 shows 245 ready-to-buy prospects in hand. 
 The accounting shows that the fund was suffi- 
 cient, with 40 cents to spare. These pros- 
 pects are being closed day by day as reported 
 by members to the board. Already all the 
 resale possibilities in the south and east 
 sections of the city have been exhausted. 
 Only builders can buy In these sections. . . . 
 
 ADVERTISING 
 
 Frequency The miniature house folder and the speeches 
 were backed up by newspaper advertising which 
 appeared in all three of the local newspapers, 
 running Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for two 
 weeks. In between these dates the newspapers 
 carried daily news stories of the factory meet- 
 ings. In all, the newspapers carried forty- 
 nine different stories of the movement during 
 the period of the campaign. 
 
 Appeal to The newspaper advertising asked readers to 
 
 aotion oall or write for the folder, "How to Own Your 
 Home." The same thing was impressed by the 
 window card used in the campaign. This card 
 was freely used by stores all over the city, 
 the promoters of the oampaign having no diffi- 
 culty in getting store owners to see the move- 
 ment aa one of public benefit. 
 
 Exercise 112 
 
 1. Make a report to the class on the newspapers of your town or 
 State. Compare them department by department. Recommend
 
 204 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 the one to be taken by the school library. In preparation for this 
 report, study Chapter IX, "The Newspaper." 
 
 2. Draw up a report on various weekly reviews, considering their 
 appearance, contents, policies, and other matters. Recommend 
 that one or more be taken for the school library. 
 
 3. Draw up a report on several monthly magazines, such as Har- 
 per's, Scribner's, The Metropolitan, The American, and recommend 
 that one or more be taken by the school library. 
 
 4. Write a report for the principal, examining conditions in the 
 school and recommending that the school establish a monthly 
 magazine, a weekly or daily paper, a year-book, or some other 
 periodical. 
 
 5. Write a report to the head of the English department concern- 
 ing the conduct of some school periodical and suggesting certain 
 definite improvements. 
 
 6. Draw up a report on the calling which you expect to enter, 
 discuss the changes which the World War produced in it, and point 
 out the advantages which it now offers. 
 
 7. Draw up a report on your study of business English, pointing 
 out the matters in which you have become most proficient, and 
 suggesting any changes in the study that will make it more useful.
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 
 
 116. Importance of Claims. — Wherever stores sell goods, 
 there are dissatisfied and even angry customers. They talk 
 to their friends, call up the store over the telephone, face the 
 clerk behind the counter, or write the management a letter. 
 They sometimes call names and use abusive language. 
 
 Progressive houses study such customers very closely. 
 The managers are eager to satisfy them. They believe that 
 "no sale is complete until the customer is satisfied, " and that 
 every customer is worth satisfying. For in modern business 
 it is only the "repeat orders" that pay a profit. Business is 
 service, and that house will succeed best that sells satisfaction 
 with every purchase. It will try to make a friend of every 
 customer. Such a house consequently no longer speaks of its 
 complaint department, but of its "bureau of claims and 
 adjustment." 
 
 117. Making a Claim. — Accordingly, when you are dis- 
 satisfied with goods, you will not give way to anger, no matter 
 how annoying the circumstances. You will not indulge in 
 sarcasm or caustic remarks or threats. You will accomplish 
 nothing thereby. If you write a letter in this spirit, it may be 
 handed about the office for a hearty laugh. It may provoke 
 a stinging reply. In any case, it will serve only to delay 
 settlement. A better plan is merely to state the facts of the 
 case in the order in which they occurred. Make the account 
 complete, so that the firm can find the proper papers among 
 
 205
 
 206 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 its records. Frequently the record alone will suffice; the firm 
 will be glad to correct any mistake or replace faulty goods. 
 But if the case warrants it, close your letter with a definite 
 request for adjustment. 
 
 Every claim letter should be precise but courteous. 
 
 Compare the effectiveness of the two letters following: 
 
 The Emporium 
 Market Street 
 San Francisco, Cal. 
 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 You may think you have a fine store, but I can tell you you don't 
 hold a light to the ones I've been dealing with in Denver. They 
 never try to cheat their customers. 
 
 Now I bought a large order at your place yesterday, and I was 
 counting on buying a whole lot more, but you don't see me get bit 
 twice. The lamp that I particularly wanted has not been sent. 
 Your clerk said the receipt would be sent with the lamp. But I 
 have a witness to the fact that I paid. And if you don't pay or pro- 
 duce that lamp, I face you with her. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 Mrs. Nelson Bigby 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 The bill of goods which I ordered at your store yester- 
 day morning, November 10, has been delivered with the excep- 
 tion of the electric library lamp. The clerk promised that 
 it would be delivered in the afternoon. As it is now the 
 evening of November 11, I feel there has been some oversight. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Irene Bigby 
 
 (Mrs. Nelson Bigby) 
 
 Which of these letters shows the better breeding? Which 
 is the more businesslike? Which would awaken the desire to 
 help the woman out of her trouble? Which would aid the 
 clerk in tracing the error? Which would sooner secure de- 
 livery of the lamp?
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 207 
 
 118. Adjusting Claims. — The attitude of the house, in 
 the matter of adjustment, is no less important than that of 
 the customer in the matter of a claim. Courtesy and con- 
 sideration are just as essential. Every house has its own 
 principles and system of answering the claims of customers. 
 Marshall Field, the great Chicago merchant, followed the 
 slogan, "The customer is always right." Another firm 
 always hands the money back first and then inquires into the 
 reason for dissatisfaction. All recognize that it is much easier 
 to keep an old customer than to get a new one and that the 
 small customer of today may be the big one of tomorrow. 
 Their aim is to build up such good-will that every customer 
 becomes a friend. They recognize that most men are honest, 
 that the customer is merely seeking justice, and that, as errors 
 are bound to happen, he is probably in the right. The firm 
 that serves its customers best is sure to serve itself best in the 
 end. 
 
 The wording of adjustment letters must be carefully con- 
 sidered. Claim letters are so often written in anger that the 
 correspondent is frequently tempted to reply in the same vein. 
 Such temptation must be resisted. Your duty as correspon- 
 dent is to look at the matter from the customer's point of 
 view, to consider his circumstances and conditions. Employ 
 only courteous expressions. Discourteous words may result 
 in the permanent loss not only of that customer but of her 
 friends. 
 
 Certain phrases that reflect upon the customer are particu- 
 larly to be avoided. The word complaint always conveys an 
 unpleasant suggestion that the writer has no basis for a de- 
 mand. The phrases, you say, or you state, or you claim, 
 rather disparage the veracity of the customer. "The lamp- 
 shade which you claim arrived in poor condition, etc.,"
 
 208 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 should read, "We are sorry to learn that the lampshade has 
 not arrived in good condition." " We cannot understand, " or 
 "We are at a loss to understand, " only increases the custom- 
 er's annoyance. Instead, you should put him in as agree- 
 able a frame of mind as possible. Do not say, "We cannot 
 understand how it could have been damaged," but "We shall 
 take pleasure in examining it." To say, "We do not question 
 your fairness, " is unfortunate. Make some positive reference 
 to your own policy of treating everyone justly. In short, put 
 yourself squarely in your reader's place and see if there is 
 anything to which he might take exception. If there is any- 
 thing wrong, change it. On the other hand, of course, do not 
 gush; be dignified. 
 
 Every adjustment letter should, by its purpose andphras- 
 ing, endeavor to make the customer a friend. 
 
 119. Arrangement. — The beginning of an adjustment 
 letter of any class is particularly important. You should 
 always find something in the customer's letter to agree with. 
 You should in some way assure him that his letter has aroused 
 a personal interest and a desire to help him out of his difficulty. 
 If you can grant his claim, do so in the first sentence as if you 
 were glad of the opportunity. If you cannot grant it, at 
 least find something that will put him in a favorable frame of 
 mind, even if it is nothing more than thanking him for calling 
 the matter to your attention. You can then give an explana- 
 tion that will leave any reasonable person satisfied. 
 
 Let the body of your letter be a very definite explanation, 
 which will make matters clear to the particular person you 
 are addressing. Consider the situation from his point of view. 
 Do not repeat, but give such facts and details as are needed 
 by the reader. Do not argue, but explain.
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 209 
 
 The conclusion should impress upon him that your interest 
 in his patronage is genuine and that your only effort is to be 
 perfectly fair. Do not say, "We hope this is satisfactory," 
 but "Sometime very soon we want the opportunity to serve 
 you in all the real meaning of that word." In short, the con- 
 clusion should leave him a friend of the house. 
 
 There is no means to this end more certain than a prompt 
 acknowledgment of his letter. If the case is one that needs 
 investigation, reply at once with a promise to sift the matter 
 thoroughly. Do not imply, however, that his claim will 
 certainly be granted. An investigation may reveal that the 
 fault lies with him. When you have placed the responsibility, 
 you can proceed in the firm but friendly manner suitable to 
 the adjustment necessary. 
 
 120. Fault Lying with the Seller. — In satisfying the cus- 
 tomer, the letter will vary according to the nature of the claim. 
 The first thing to do, always, is to fix the blame. No dissatis- 
 faction can be removed until the responsibility for it is placed. 
 Where the fault lies with the seller, he should in the first 
 sentence acknowledge the responsibility and very cheerfully 
 comply with the wishes of the customer. In doing so, he 
 should of course avoid as far as possible any loss to the house. 
 Where this is not possible, the only recourse is to carry out 
 the buyer's request but to make the explanation so clear and 
 satisfactory that the customer will continue his patronage. 
 
 The following letter was written to a man who had been 
 sent a printed postal card notice that his order could not be 
 filled for two weeks until a fresh stock arrived. He had re- 
 plied that he thought he "was dealing with a house that knew 
 its business" and that if they couldn't supply him, he knew 
 where he could get what he wanted without waiting. The 
 14
 
 210 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 writer first found the order letter in the files and the card of 
 notice sent. Observe how suavely 'the letter was written, 
 once the blame was fixed. It overlooks the anger of the cus- 
 tomer, begins with the adjustment that will incline him favor- 
 ably towards the house, repeats personally the explanation 
 of the delay, and tries to induce him to reorder. Study the 
 conclusion particularly. Do you think it will persuade Mr. 
 Simpkin to reorder? 
 
 Dear Mr. Simpkin: 
 
 We are returning your remittance for $4.47, which you sent 
 us on March 15 to pay for a pair of shoe3. 
 
 There is nothing we should have liked better than to send 
 off the shoes immediately upon receiving your order. That 
 would have been aocording to our usual way of doing things 
 here. But, as you know, we were not able to ship the shoes 
 beoause they were out of stock at that, time. We held baok 
 your order because we knew we were to receive a fresh 
 supply of these shoes later. 
 
 However, if it is your wish to have your money returned, by 
 all means we are glad to do it. 
 
 You still are going to want a new pair of shoes this spring. 
 Our footwear is astonishingly -low in price, and out in up- 
 to-the-minute styles. Hay we hear from you again- sometime 
 soon? 
 
 121. Vague Claims. — If a claim is very vague, the skill of 
 the correspondent may be taxed in dealing with it. The 
 writer of the following letter was apparently unaccustomed to 
 transacting business by mail. 
 
 January 10, 1920 
 The Roscommon Co. 
 Fort Worth, Texas 
 
 Dear Sirs: 
 
 I cannot see why you people don't keep better track of the orders 
 you send out. I've got to have those invoices, as you call them, to 
 tell how much you owe me. It's sure as death you've got to send
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 211 
 
 back $1.85 for the express I paid. Besides, I ordered you to send 
 by freight because it's a sight cheaper. Those weather strips never 
 have come through anyway. You've got things so mixed up I can't 
 tell where I am at until you get those invoices to me. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 Samuel Whigelt 
 
 A hasty reply read as follows: 
 
 Dear Sir : 
 
 Your letter of tenth inst. at hand. In reply beg to state that our 
 system has been built up through years of study and is the best in 
 the state. We sent you the invoices. They must be lying around 
 the house somewhere. 
 
 When you can show us how much we owe you, we'll be glad to 
 settle, but we are now at a loss to understand what you want. Draw 
 up a list and send it on. Awaiting an early reply, we beg to remain, 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 The Roscommon Company 
 by Sidney Homer 
 
 A better letter took account of the difficulties of the cus- 
 tomer and tried to clear them up for him. As this was the first 
 order of Mr. Whigelt, who would probably feel that the com- 
 pany cared nothing about treating him fairly, a particular 
 effort was made to impress him with the desire of the com- 
 pany to be just. 
 
 Dear Sir : 
 
 This has reference to your letter of January 10, regarding numer- 
 ous inquiries about an order purchased from us December 16. 
 
 We are sorry that we cannot furnish you with the invoice sheets 
 covering this order. It is a policy of this company to send all in- 
 voice sheets to the customer to show him just how the order was 
 handled. These are sent separately by mail, so as to reach him 
 before the shipment does. It is our belief that yours have been lost 
 on the way. However, if you will go to the trouble of listing just
 
 212 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 what articles you have received and of sending the list to us, we will 
 put on the price for you. This will serve the purpose as well. If 
 there is any amount due you, we shall be glad to settle with you at 
 the earliest possible moment. 
 
 The enclosed check for $10 we believe will complete your order. 
 It is based as follows. $1.85 is allowed for the express charges which 
 you paid on a package that we had paid for in advance. We do not 
 know the article number and price of the bundle of weather strips, 
 but we believe that $2 will cover this. The $2 is included in the 
 check. The remainder of this check represents the difference be- 
 tween express and freight charges, due you because we shipped 
 goods by express instead of by freight, as you ordered. 
 
 We must admit that your order was not handled properly, and 
 that you should have received word from us regarding the shipping 
 instructions, so that we could have pleased you. We are in a posi- 
 tion to serve you better and would like to receive another order from 
 you, which will be handled as it should be. You will not be troubled 
 with this inconvenience again. 
 
 We are sending a stamped envelope, Mr. Whigelt, so that you can 
 send us word as to whether you are satisfied with this adjustment or 
 not. Please address directly the writer of this letter, who will be 
 glad to investigate again in case we have overlooked some adjust- 
 ment due you. We should like very much to have you do this, as 
 we want you to be a steady and satisfied customer of ours. We 
 expect to hear from you if possible by return mail. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 The Roscommon Company, 
 by Sidney Homer 
 
 Exercise 113 
 
 1. Mrs. Alice Hanlon purchased on September 16 a pair of long 
 white gloves, two yards of silk tulle, and a pair of white silk stock- 
 ings, for a party on the 17th. The package was delivered late 
 on the 17th. When opened, it proved to contain a pair of child's 
 rompers.
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 213 
 
 (a) Write the letter of complaint. Have you made it definite 
 
 and courteous? 
 
 (b) Write the letter of adjustment. Have you followed the 
 
 best arrangement? Have you made the phrasing the 
 most courteous possible? 
 
 2. Mr. Oliver Whitson purchased of Williams and Company on 
 June 1 a traveling bag and a toilet kit. On the afternoon of June 
 2 it has not been delivered, and he is going off that night for a long 
 vacation. 
 
 (a) Write out the telephone conversation between Mr. Whitson 
 
 and the bureau of claims and adjustment. You may 
 make Mr. Whitson talk angrily, but not the adjustment 
 clerk. 
 
 (b) Two members of the class may make this adjustment orally 
 
 before the class as it would be made over the telephone. 
 
 122. Fault Lying with the Goods. — Where the goods ap- 
 pear to the customer to be misrepresented, or for any reason 
 are unsatisfactory, the correspondent has a delicate and diffi- 
 cult task. He must not in any way reflect on the veracity of 
 the customer, yet he should, where possible, induce the buyer 
 to keep the goods. This he can do only when he can at the 
 same time retain the good-will of the customer. In some 
 cases it will be difficult to place the company in the right 
 light. If the return of the goods is advisable, the letter should 
 contain no trace of reluctance. Instead of grudgingly, it should 
 cheerfully and generously grant the adjustment sought. 
 
 The following letter does not remark that Mr. Ray is 
 making an extraordinary demand, that he is making it too 
 late to expect any replacement of the machine, and that all 
 machines are perfect when they leave the factory. On the 
 contrary, it opens with positive thanks, explains carefully
 
 214 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 how the adj ustment can be made, and concludes with a strong 
 prediction of satisfaction. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 We thank you, Mr. Ray, for writing us regarding the sewing ma- 
 chine, number 286c72, shipped to your daughter-in-law, Mrs. J. R. 
 Ray, Pontiac, Michigan. 
 
 You have a right to expect the best of service from this Damas- 
 cus Rotary machine. Our machines are inspected carefully at the 
 factory and should reach the customer in good sewing order. We 
 can only conclude that the particular machine shipped to Mrs. 
 Ray was not assembled properly. You have not written us in detail 
 as to how the machine works and we are, therefore, unable to offer 
 any suggestions to overcome the trouble. 
 
 The machine has been out for more than three months, but in 
 view of the peculiar circumstances, we are going to make a special 
 concession, as we want you to have a Damascus Rotary that is a 
 good sewer and will give you years of service. 
 
 Accordingly, we have entered an order for a Rotary head to be 
 shipped by express prepaid, direct from our factory at Belvidere, 
 Illinois. Please return the machine head, detaching it from the 
 stand, to the National Sewing Machine Company, Belvidere, Illi- 
 nois, by express collect, making use of the enclosed tag. Send the 
 original express receipt together with this letter to our Chicago store 
 in order that our records may be kept clear. 
 
 We know you have been one of our best customers for a number 
 of years, and we regret very much that you should have had the 
 slightest cause for dissatisfaction. Your business is appreciated, 
 and we are only too glad to have the opportunity to ship you a new 
 head which we are confident will meet with your requirements in 
 every respect. 
 
 Exercise 114 
 
 1. Mrs. Olney Wedgewood, living in the suburbs, has purchased of 
 Oglethorpe and Company a boy's auto express wagon. When she
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 215 
 
 opens the parcel, she finds that the brown paper has stuck to the 
 sides, thus disfiguring the bright yellow paint. 
 
 (a) Write a letter asking the company to take the wagon back 
 
 and credit her with the price. Intimate that wagons 
 purchased in the suburbs will be perfect. Have you made 
 the letter both definite and courteous? 
 
 (b) Write an adjustment letter in reply. Send a bottle of furni- 
 
 ture polish to remove paper. Speak of inspection system 
 of store and express regret that a disfigured wagon was 
 sent. Ask her to inform you of the result. What is the 
 best arrangement? Can you convince her you regret the 
 disappointment of her little boy? Can you restore her 
 confidence in the firm? What is the cost to the company 
 of your adjustment? 
 
 2. Mr. A. S. Hill purchased of Frank Simonds Company a suit 
 which was to be altered. When he receives it, he finds the collar 
 is too high and the right side of the front does not lie flat. 
 
 (a) Write the claim letter. 
 
 (b) Write the adjustment letter. Mention the usual expertness 
 
 of your tailors and the completeness of your equipment for 
 such work. State your regret at failure and your eager- 
 ness to make the suit fit. Send for the suit and suggest a 
 time when he can try it on in the store. 
 
 3. Mrs. A. M. Murphy has purchased through an advertisement 
 a washing machine, which, she finds, leaks and does not really clean 
 the clothes. 
 
 (a) Write the claim letter. 
 
 (b) Write the adjustment letter. 
 
 123. Fault Lying with the Transportation Company. — 
 
 A very frequent cause of complaint is delay or damage in 
 transit. Sometimes the goods are missent, and either not 
 found for some time, or lost for good. The damage may be
 
 216 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 traced to rough handling or to exposure. Most firms request 
 the recipient to take up the matter with the railroad. A 
 good many, however, regard this as an opportunity to help 
 their customers. In such cases notice is sent: 
 
 We have today started a tracer of our shipment of November 
 12 by the A. B. C. Railroad, which you report has not arrived. We 
 trust that this will prove effective. If however the shipment is not 
 received in a reasonable time, please communicate with us again. 
 
 Where the damage is owing to bad packing, the shipper 
 makes good the loss. But when the transportation company 
 is at fault, the firm frequently helps the customer to secure 
 damages from the railroad or express company, by asking 
 him to obtain the necessary papers. 
 
 We are very sorry to learn that, in the framed picture shipped you 
 on March 3, the glass was broken in transit and the picture badly 
 marred. Please see the express agent and ask him to examine the 
 package and certify to the damage. If you will send his affidavit to 
 us, we will file claim in your behalf against the company. 
 
 We shall then forward another copy of the picture framed in the 
 same style, which we are sure will prove a joy forever. 
 
 Exercise 115 
 
 1. You have broken a rear axle in your automobile, and have sent 
 to the factory for a new one. A week has passed and you have not 
 received it. 
 
 (a) Write a claim letter expressing your annoyance at their 
 
 oversight. 
 
 (b) Write the adjustment letter, stating the date of shipment, 
 
 saying that you have sent a tracer, forward another axle, 
 and give directions for the return of the first should it 
 arrive. Criticize on the basis of § § 118, 119, 123.
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 217 
 
 2. You have bought a Morris chair through an advertisement. 
 When it arrives it is badly discolored and the cushions are wet. 
 
 (a) Write the claim letter, asking for your money back. 
 
 (b) Write the adjustment. What papers will you need from the 
 
 customer? Criticize as before. 
 
 124. Fault Lying with the Customer. — Where the cus- 
 tomer refuses to accept, or returns, goods in which there is no 
 defect, it is well to say as little as possible about the claims of 
 the customer. Put all the emphasis on the merits of the goods. 
 If you are dealing with a private purchaser, you may need to 
 make some concession to retain his confidence. Some houses 
 allow the return of all goods except those for intimate per- 
 sonal use. Such houses need particularly persuasive letter- 
 writers to turn these refusals into sales. 
 
 Can you explain why the two following letters proceed in 
 opposite directions? One begins with the adjustment; the 
 other closes with it. In neither was the firm or the trans- 
 portation company in any way to blame. 
 
 Dear Mr. Couett: 
 
 Here are our checks for $179.06, — the value of the diamond ring 
 you returned to us and the $.56 mailing charges. 
 
 You leave us a bit in the dark as to why you returned the ring, 
 but we're inclined to think it was through no fault with the stone 
 or its setting, but because of some personal wish. 
 
 After all, our likes, and dislikes, and personal feelings play such a 
 large part in the enjoyment of a stone like this, that it's upon this 
 very fact we can base our hope that, once having owned one of our 
 stones, you will not want to be long without one. 
 
 There's a friendly satisfaction in the flash of a really good diamond 
 which makes the strongest appeal for ownership. We can claim the 
 highest perfection for our stones. Our trained buyers have made 
 the pick of the market, and procured for us diamonds rarely seen at
 
 218 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 these prices. The settings, too, are beautifully designed, to enhance 
 the aliveness of the stone. 
 
 Then, too, have you considered the diamond as a savings bank? It 
 is something into which you can put your money, and draw interest 
 in keen enjoyment of it while you're wearing the beautiful stone. 
 Then, if it's really a good diamond — again, as ours are — you will 
 always find a ready sale for it if you want your money back. 
 
 We hope you will reorder sometime soon, and let us send you an- 
 other ring. But if you do not care to do this right away, how about 
 making a choice from our other merchandise showings? You'll find 
 the samo firm-rock guarantee of satisfaction backing them, as you 
 have in this case. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 Montgomery Ward & Company 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 We thank you for returning this casing, which has been care- 
 fully examined by our adjuster. 
 
 We fully appreciate that the mileage you received was some- 
 what disappointing. In addition to the enclosed booklet on 
 "Common Causes of Tire Injuries," may we explain Just what 
 caused the unsatisfactory service you received from this 
 tire? 
 
 As you doubtless know, there are two distinct 'types of rims - 
 the I. D. and S. B. - or Clincher and Straight Side. A cas- 
 ing designed for one cannot be used on the other successfully 
 without a bead filler. 
 
 This explains the trouble you experienced. However, the 
 Injury is so slight that it can easily be repaired, and in 
 view of the small service you received we are willing to do 
 the work at actual cost; namely, $3.00. 
 
 The Job will be fully guaranteed and should give you first 
 class service. May we have your instructions to prooeed 
 with the work? 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Exercise 116 
 
 1. Mr. James L. Monroe has purchased a mimeograph, hectograph, 
 or some other duplicating device. He cannot get good copies with it.
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 219 
 
 (a) Write the claim letter. 
 
 (b) Write the adjustment letter. Be particularly careful not 
 
 to give offense, for it is likely that the only reason for his 
 failure is his neglect to read the directions carefully. 
 Explain how it should be operated. Speak of its wide use 
 and predict satisfaction. 
 
 2. If you do not understand the operation of these duplicating 
 devices, choose some machine that you do understand. 
 
 125. Unjust Claims. — Though most customers believe 
 that they have just grounds for their claims, no firm can re- 
 main in business long without receiving claims that have no 
 just basis. In some quarters there is a feeling that no demand 
 on a great corporation is unjust. Where one is dealing with 
 a person of this convenient code of ethics, one should preserve 
 the utmost courtesy until the evidence is complete and over- 
 whelming. Do not tell him "he has another guess coming" 
 or that "there is nothing green in your eyes." Even where 
 you think he is trying to swindle you and to be gratuitously 
 unpleasant, you can attain your end better by stating the 
 position of the house firmly and in the most courteous terms. 
 
 Dear Madam: 
 
 The duplicate check for $19.40, which you returned with your letter 
 of March 9, has been replaced in our files. We thank you for the 
 attention you have given our request. Please accept this letter as 
 a receipt for the return of the duplicate. 
 
 In your letter you mention the fact that you have written many 
 letters in an attempt to adjust your account in a satisfactory man- 
 ner, and we would infer from your statement that to date you have 
 not obtained the results desired. 
 
 If there is anything involving an order that was placed with this 
 concern that has not received the attention it deserves, kindly give 
 us a review of the facts on the back of this letter, and return with this
 
 220 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 sheet any invoices or correspondence you may have received relative 
 to the matter involved. We assure you it will receive every atten- 
 tion. 
 
 Should it be that we are mistaken in our surmise and that there is 
 no adjustment you desire at this time, we shall not expect you to 
 reply to this letter, for we do not wish to cause our customers the 
 slightest inconvenience and would not expect anyone to reply to a 
 letter of ours when a reply is not required. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 Montgomery Ward & Company 
 
 Exercise 117 
 
 Miss Yolanda Ennis has bought of Dixon and Endicott a hand- 
 some evening gown, delivered on the afternoon of December 28. 
 On December 29 she writes to the firm, saying that the color seems 
 quite different out of the store and that it does not suit her com- 
 plexion. She asks the firm to send for it and return her money. 
 In the adjustment letter call her attention to the fact that such 
 articles are unreturnable because of the delicacy of the fabrics. 
 Remind her that the gown was tried on in artificial light, such as it 
 would be worn in, and that during the trying on she expressed 
 great satisfaction with the effect. 
 
 Exercise 118— Oral 
 
 Appoint a small committee to visit the local freight office to learn 
 what a "tracer" is. If the members of the committee think out 
 carefully their questions in advance, and proceed with courtesy, the 
 officials will probably be glad to explain to them just how complaints 
 are handled and how the company traces lost and damaged ship- 
 ments. 
 
 Exercise 119— Review 
 
 1. Two members of the class will impersonate the buyer and 
 the seller in each of these situations. The conversation may be
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 221 
 
 imagined to take place face to face or to be conducted over the 
 telephone. 
 
 (a) The telephone company has overcharged you on the monthly 
 
 bill, as you think, for some out-of-town calls. 
 
 (b) The tennis racket you bought of the local dealer has broken 
 
 the first time you used it. You show the imperfection 
 in the wood. The dealer shows you in the catalogue that 
 rackets of that price are not guaranteed. 
 
 (c) The lace curtains you sent to the laundry two weeks ago 
 
 have not been returned. You are very impatient. The 
 laundry man explains that the curtains have all to be 
 stretched on frames and that he had a good many orders 
 ahead of yours. 
 
 (d) Your milkman has been delivering milk and cream the last 
 
 three days after your breakfast hour instead of before 
 breakfast. Can he offer a satisfactory explanation? 
 
 (e) Your morning order from the grocery and market has not 
 
 been delivered at two o'clock though you told the pro- 
 prietor you were obliged to be out after three o'clock. 
 Can he make a satisfactory explanation and promise? 
 
 (f) Your dressmaker delivered Saturday afternoon a dress you 
 
 wished to wear to church on Sunday. You find it does 
 not fit perfectly. What should be done about it? 
 
 2. The class will criticize for clearness and courtesy. 
 
 Exercise 120 — Oral Reports 
 
 1. Keep a record for a week or longer of all occasions in your home 
 when there is opportunity for a claim and of the actual way in which 
 the adjustment was made in each case. Were the merchants skillful, 
 so far as you can judge from this chapter? 
 
 2. Let the class appoint a committee to visit a grocer, a druggist, 
 or a dry-goods merchant, to learn what kinds of complaints are made 
 and how they are adjusted. Let the committee note the directions 
 in Exercise 118. 
 
 3. If you have been employed in a store or office of any kind, try
 
 222 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 to make, under each of the five kinds of claims described in this 
 chapter, a list of actual cases you have observed. Was each adjust- 
 ment skillfully mode? Make a report to your classmates. 
 
 4. Look over your collection of business letters for specimens of 
 the claim and adjustment letters described in this chapter. Have 
 you a sufficient number for a separate folder of each kind? Bring 
 the best examples to class, and read them, commenting on their 
 merits and defects. 
 
 Exercise 121 
 
 1. Draw up an outline of each letter in this chapter. Is each well 
 planned? What is the reason for the order of the parts in each? 
 
 2. Write the claim letter and let a classmate the next day write the 
 adjustment letter to each of the following. The class will criticize 
 both for definiteness and courtesy. 
 
 (a) Mr. Robert Mountsier, 122 Connecticut Avenue, Cincinnati, 
 
 Ohio, has purchased at The Fair, Market and Madison 
 Streets, several articles of haberdasher}'. A dozen collars, 
 style Monroe, size 16, are omitted from the delivery. 
 
 (b) The telephone company a month ago was requested to install 
 
 a telephone in your home. The request was made over 
 the telephone. Nothing has been done. 
 
 (c) You have now been using the Washburn typewriter for a 
 
 week and find that it is not giving satisfaction. Write to 
 the local agent of the company. 
 
 (d) The cord of wood which you ordered from the local coal-and- 
 
 wood company proves to contain many unsound sticks. 
 
 (e) The bill of goods which you ordered ten days ago has not 
 
 arrived, though you explained at the time the demand for 
 haste. The shipper replies that shipment was made im- 
 mediately, sends a tracer, but at once duplicates the order. 
 
 (f ) The order from the wholesale grocer in the nearest large city 
 
 has arrived, but, in two cases of jellies and jams in glass 
 jars, many are broken. Be specific. The shipper replies 
 that they were packed with great care but offers to help 
 you with the railroad company. How can he do so?
 
 LETTERS OF CLAIM AND ADJUSTMENT 223 
 
 (g) Mrs. Ida Sparrow has purchased by mail a Fenway self- 
 filling fountain pen. After using it for a week she reports 
 that the point is twisted and that she wants another pen 
 or her money back. The company replies that the pen 
 left the office in perfect condition. It surmises that she 
 has let it drop from the table. What concession can be 
 made? 
 
 (h) Mr. Homer D. Ward writes to the Perfection Office Furni- 
 ture Company that the steel filing cabinets sent him are 
 unacceptable because they are finished in green when he 
 wanted oak. The company in reply points out that he 
 ordered from a catalogue number which designates olive- 
 green finish. What concession can be made? 
 
 (i) The Progressive Grocery Company of Kansas City, Mo., on 
 November 1 sold Mr. H. W. Fuller of Wichita, Kan., a 
 bill of goods amounting to $92. The terms were 2 per cent 
 discount 10 days, 30 days net. On December 10 Mr. 
 Fuller remits $90.16. The company cannot allow this 
 discount.
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 ARGUMENT 
 
 126. Purposes of Argument. — Wherever men — or women 
 — come together, before long someone will be trying to induce 
 another to agree with him or to do something he wishes done. 
 That is, someone will try to convince or persuade. In business, 
 just as in social life, such conversations must never descend 
 into wrangling or commanding. To accomplish one's purpose 
 several cautions must be observed. 
 
 127. The proposition. — 1. Make sure that you under- 
 stand the exact question under discussion. The best way of 
 testing it is to reduce it to a proposition. A proposition is a 
 complete sentence stating the point in dispute. It can conse- 
 quently (1) state only one matter and (2) make only affirmative 
 declarations. Otherwise both you and your opponent will find 
 yourselves so confused that you cannot tell where you stand. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 You should buy a vacuum cleaner and send your clothes 
 to the laundry. 
 
 Right: 
 
 You should buy a vapuum cleaner. (The laundry ques- 
 tion can be settled later.) 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 The school should not keep pupils in later than four. 
 
 Right: 
 
 The school should dismiss all pupils at four. 
 
 224
 
 ARGUMENT 225 
 
 Exercise 122 
 
 Frame an acceptable proposition on each of these subjects: 
 
 work school study hall 
 
 war industry football 
 
 money moving pictures auditorium 
 
 128. Definitions. — 2. Make sure that both you and your 
 opponent understand all the important words in the proposi- 
 tion. For example, the buying of a vacuum cleaner would 
 depend to a great extent on whether it is electrically driven 
 or hand-power. The kind you have in mind should be de- 
 fined at once. 
 
 Exercise 123 
 
 Taking three of the propositions you have framed in Exercise 122, 
 define any terms that could possibly be misunderstood. 
 
 129. The Issues. — 3. Think out clearly the points at issue. 
 If you are trying to sell an electrically driven cleaner, the first 
 point to determine is whether the house has electricity. If it 
 has, the second point would be the question of usefulness. 
 A third would be the price. A fourth might be the cost of 
 up-keep. The only way to discover these questions that have 
 to be settled is to put yourself in the position of the one who 
 is considering the purchase. Ask yourself questions. Think 
 the matter through to the end. Possibly a pencil and paper 
 will help you to cover the situation. If you find that you 
 haven't enough knowledge of the subject, study it until you 
 
 15
 
 226 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 know it thoroughly. You cannot discuss matters you do not 
 thoroughly understand. 
 
 Exercise 124 
 
 Taking one of the propositions in Exercise 122, draw up three 
 issues, or questions that have to be settled. Let these be placed on 
 the board or presented to the class in some other way. Then let 
 the class decide (1) which of all those presented are the three most 
 important issues; (2) which member found the most fundamental 
 issues. 
 
 130. The Order of Parts. — 4. Arrange the separate argu- 
 ments that you discover in such an order that they will be 
 most convincing to the person or group you are talking to. 
 If there is not a naturally logical order, place the strongest 
 argument last. Some striking argument should, however, 
 open the discussion. 
 
 Exercise 125 
 
 Taking the issues settled upon in Exercise 124, arrange them in 
 the best order. Explain why you consider this order the most 
 convincing. 
 
 131. Proof. — 5. Support each argument with proof. In 
 debate mere assertion is worth nothing. Some arguments can 
 be reasoned out. For example, you might sit at home and 
 reason out which would be the quickest way to go to the post- 
 office. By one way, you might go straight down one street,
 
 ARGUMENT 227 
 
 turn at a corner, and then go straight down a second. By 
 another way, you might have more corners to turn, but might 
 also be able to cut across squares, vacant lots, or a park, and 
 thereby save time. But you could also bring evidence by 
 taking the trip both ways and keeping an exact record of the 
 time consumed. Most arguments have to be supported by 
 such use of evidence; that is, by facts, figures, illustrations, 
 demonstrations. To prove that a vacuum cleaner would be 
 useful, a brief explanation of why it cleans thoroughly would 
 help to convince, but a demonstration of one in actual opera- 
 tion would bring full belief. 
 
 Exercise 126 
 
 1. One of the best ways to begin arguing is to study the advan- 
 tages and disadvantages of the proposed action. Select some calling, 
 such as secretarial work, accountancy, salesmanship, or law, medi- 
 cine, teaching, and discuss its advantages and disadvantages with 
 regard to: 
 
 (a) Training required 
 
 (b) Ability needed in the calling 
 
 (c) Working conditions 
 
 (d) Opportunity for advancement 
 
 (e) Rewards of success 
 
 (f) Service to the community 
 
 2. What proof have you of these advantages and disadvantages? 
 
 Exercise 127 
 
 1. Selecting one of the propositions below, think out what you 
 consider the most important issue. Then gather all the proof you 
 can find.
 
 228 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (a) Every high school should offer courses in typewriting and 
 
 stenography. 
 
 (b) Every girl in high school should take cooking and sewing. 
 
 (c) Any pupil making 85 per cent in any subject at the end of the 
 
 term should be excused from the final examination in that 
 subject. 
 
 (d) Every boy should take manual training before graduating 
 
 from high school. 
 
 2. How much of the proof is reasoning? How much is evidence? 
 What kinds of evidence do you find? Let the class decide: (1) 
 Who has the most fundamental issue? (2) Who has the fullest, 
 most convincing proof? 
 
 132. Refutation. — 6. Think out the arguments of your op- 
 ponents and the kind of answers they will make to your argu- 
 ments. Unless you can meet their arguments and objections, 
 you can have no hope of inducing them to take your point of 
 view. If the customer argues that he could not take care of a 
 vacuum cleaner, you may reply that it requires no care except 
 emptying the dust bag (you can demonstrate how easy that 
 is)/and oiling the machine every time it is used (which you 
 can also demonstrate). If the customer objects to the price 
 as too high, you can suggest a plan of monthly or weekly 
 payments. 
 
 Exercise 128 
 
 Taking the same proposition as in the last exercise, think out the 
 most fundamental argument of your opponent, and the strongest 
 objection to your own arguments. What answer can you find to this 
 objection? Let the class decide: (1) Who has the most funda-
 
 ARGUMENT 229 
 
 mental issue? (2) Who has the best objection? (3) Who has the 
 best answer to an objection? 
 
 133. The Brief. — 7. The best way to test your arguments 
 and their arrangement is by an outline. In such an outline, 
 every heading should be a complete sentence, and all proof, 
 whether reasoning or evidence, should be placed in subhead- 
 ings introduced by for. For example: 
 
 I. A vacuum cleaner would be very useful, for 
 
 A. It cleans everything so thoroughly that no dusting is 
 
 necessary, for 
 
 1. It cleans carpets and rugs, for 
 
 (a) It draws the dust with the air through the 
 
 carpets into the bag. 
 
 (b) The demonstration shows this. 
 
 2. It cleans upholstery, for 
 
 (a) An attachment can be moved easily over the 
 
 upholstery. 
 
 (b) A demonstration proves this. 
 
 3. It cleans hangings, for 
 
 (a) The attachment can be moved up and down 
 
 portieres and other hangings. 
 
 (b) A demonstration proves this. 
 
 B. It cleans with much less effort than a broom or carpet- 
 
 sweeper, for 
 
 1. All the real work is done by the motor and fan. 
 
 2. A demonstration by the housewife proves this to her 
 
 satisfaction. 
 
 In your actual speaking you may wish to follow the reverse 
 order to the one set down. You may wish to present the 
 evidence first and then announce the general statement or 
 conclusion. But the preliminary testing is never certain
 
 230 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 unless you follow the order just illustrated, and no argument 
 is safe until it is tested. 
 
 Exercise 129 
 
 Select one of the propositions below on which you have definite 
 knowledge or which you can study up easily; (1) proceed as in Exer- 
 cises 124 and 127 to find the three strongest arguments on each side; 
 (2) draw up an outline of these arguments, making sure that the 
 form is correct in every way; (3) would you in speaking present the 
 argument in the same or the reverse order? 
 
 1. Mail-order houses are beneficial to the country. 
 
 2. Bill-boards should be prohibited along roadways. 
 
 3. All postmasters should be appointed from a civil service list. 
 
 4. Every girl should be able to earn her own living. 
 
 5. Bargain sales are necessary to maintain business. 
 
 6. Advertising increases the cost of goods. 
 
 7. Every pupil should take a course in salesmanship. 
 
 134. Debating. — 8. The best way to conduct a debate in 
 class is to organize the class into a society. Often the teacher 
 does not wish to serve as chairman. She will then ask for 
 nominations of officers: a president, a vice-president if there 
 are to be several such meetings, a secretary, and in some few 
 cases, a treasurer to collect dues. 
 
 If a debating society is formed, the president should ap- 
 point a committee to draw up a constitution and a set of by- 
 laws. This document should specify an order of business 
 for each meeting, as: 
 
 1. Call to order. 
 
 2. Reading of reports, as the secretary's minutes of the 
 
 preceding meeting.
 
 ARGUMENT 231 
 
 3. The presentation and discussion of committee reports. 
 
 4. Conclusion of business that was not completed at the 
 
 previous meeting. 
 
 5. New business. 
 
 6. Program of the day, which would include the debate 
 
 and the decision. 
 
 7. Adjournment. 
 
 Unless this set order is followed, a great deal of time will 
 be wasted in accomplishing nothing. It is the duty of the 
 president to see that the business of the meeting is dispatched 
 quickly. He should become familiar with some book of par- 
 liamentary practice, as Robert's "Rules of Order." 
 
 In the debate itself the affirmative opens the argument 
 and closes it. Usually the closing speeches are made by the 
 leader of each side, the negative summing up for his side, and 
 the affirmative closing the whole argument. It is customary 
 to have three judges. The one first named acts as chairman. 
 He may have each judge ballot separately or may call the 
 judges into consultation before announcing the decision. 
 
 Exercise 130 
 
 1. Hold a debate on one or more of the propositions below. The 
 teacher may perhaps assign certain pupils as leaders and let them 
 select the affirmative and negative teams. Or the teacher may per- 
 haps appoint all of the speakers. The judges may be classmates, 
 invited pupils, or invited teachers. 
 
 (a) A subsidy is necessary to maintain the merchant marine of 
 
 the United States. 
 
 (b) The city should own the electric light and power plant. 
 
 (c) The government should own and operate the telegraph and 
 
 telephone lines.
 
 232 EFFECTIVE USINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (d) Labor unions benefit the public. 
 
 (e) The United States should maintain a larger standing army. 
 
 (f) Universal military training is necessary to our safety. 
 
 (g) Profit sharing should be introduced into every kind of 
 
 business, 
 (h) The study of mathematics in high school should be optional, 
 (i) Latin should be required for graduation from high school. 
 
 Let the class be divided into committees to consider: 
 
 (1) The delivery of the speeches. 
 Distinctness of utterance. 
 Posture and gesture. 
 Fluenc}^ lack of hesitation. 
 
 (2) The form of the speeches: 
 
 Were the beginning and the end clear and forceful? 
 Were the transitions so clear that each argument stood out 
 distinctly? 
 
 (3) The proof: 
 
 Did any speaker deal in mere assertions? Point out 
 
 exactly how. 
 Who gave the most convincing proof? What made it 
 
 particularly forceful? 
 
 2. Additional subjects for debate may be selected from the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 (a) The city manager plan is the best form of city government. 
 
 (b) The short ballot should be adopted in this state. 
 
 (c) This state should adopt a higher educational qualification for 
 
 suffrage. 
 
 (d) This state should prohibit women and girls from working at 
 
 night. 
 
 (e) This state should require all children to remain in school 
 
 until they are sixteen. 
 
 (f) A tax on incomes is the best form of taxation. 
 
 (g) Salaries should vary according to the purchasing price of the 
 
 dollar, 
 (h) This state should open a bank to lend money at lower rates 
 of interest.
 
 ARGUMENT 233 
 
 (i) The United States is justified in participating in European 
 affairs. 
 
 (j) The future of manufactures in the United States lies in 
 cultivating South American markets. 
 
 (k) Trade acceptances should be required in settling all debts 
 between retailer and wholesaler. 
 
 (1) The state forestry department should allow no trees less 
 than nine inches in diameter to be cut. 
 
 (m) The best preparation for business is actual business expe- 
 rience. 
 
 (n) Every school should provide a course in current events. 
 
 (o) The course in literature should include a study of modern 
 drama.
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 CREDIT LETTERS 
 
 135. Credit. — Hardly a business house in the country buys 
 goods on a strictly cash basis. Credit is much more conven- 
 ient. A man .can lay in a stock of hats and caps on the first 
 of the month for $50, with the privilege of paying for it on 
 the first of the next month. This is called an open account. 
 By the end of the month the merchant has sold the stock for 
 $75, with which he can lay in a still larger stock of any goods 
 his trade may demand. This sale of the stock is called turn- 
 over. 
 
 The terms on which goods are sold on open account depend 
 to some extent on the quickness of the turnover. Some 
 dealers in provisions permit only a week to elapse before pay- 
 ment. Some dealers in silks, on the other hand, permit six 
 months to elapse. The usual terms are cash in 30 days, with 
 a discount or reduction of 2 per cent if payment is made in 
 10 days. 
 
 To secure credit, however, the merchant must satisfy the 
 wholesale dealer from whom he buys that he is able and will- 
 ing to pay. For credit is the foundation upon which the whole 
 edifice of modern business is reared. If it fails, as it does in 
 times of panic, business comes to a standstill. Consequently, 
 when an order without payment in full is received from some- 
 one unknown, most houses seek information in regard to the 
 prospective purchaser's character and ability to pay. 
 Whether the house will grant credit depends upon three 
 things: (1) the amount of money the merchant has invested 
 
 234
 
 CREDIT LETTERS 235 
 
 in the business, or his capital; (2) his integrity and resolution, 
 or his character; and (3) his keenness as a business man and 
 the chances for making money in his locality, or his capacity. 
 Where the business is well established and of some size, an 
 estimate or rating will be found in the national reports of 
 Dun or Bradstreet or in those of smaller mercantile agencies. 
 When the merchant is not listed in such reports, the whole- 
 sale house usually requests from the merchant information 
 as to his standing, which is more or less detailed according to 
 the nature of the case. 
 
 136. Opening an Account. — The proper way to secure 
 credit is to request permission to open an account. The 
 following letter was successful: 
 
 Shreveport, La., April 20, 1920 
 
 The Harper Drug Company 
 122 Canal Street 
 New Orleans, La. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 I have purchased the business of Smith and Fowle of 
 this town, and wish to open an account with your house. For 
 four years I was in the employ of the Central Drug Company 
 of Houston, Texas, to whom I refer you for my business 
 ability. For my financial standing you may consult the First 
 National Bank of Shreveport . 
 
 If on investigation you decide to accept my orders, 
 please let me know what terms you can offer me. If you can 
 forward the enclosed order -early in May, I shall be pleased. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 A. M. Moody 
 
 137. Granting Credit. — The letter above was successful 
 because the writer's former employers held him in high esteem 
 and relatives in the bank were willing to advance him money. 
 But credit is not granted lightly. Let us suppose that the
 
 236 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 young man had given no references. The wholesale house 
 would then have had to proceed more cautiously, but just as 
 cordially. Note the care and courtesy of the following letter. 
 There is no wavering in the request, but the tone is friendly. 
 
 THE HARPER DRUG COMPANY 
 
 Wholesale Drugs 
 
 122 Canal Street 
 
 New Orleans 
 
 Louisiana 
 
 June 10, 1930 
 
 Mr. A. H. Evans 
 Yazoo City, Miss. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 It gives us pleasure to acknowledge your initial 
 order, which has been referred to the Credit Department. 
 
 Our records show that we have not dealt with you 
 previously. As a considerable time is necessary to obtain 
 credit Information through the usual channels open to us, 
 we would suggest that you send as references the names of 
 several concerns with whom you are now dealing on open 
 account. 
 
 If you are In Immediate need of the goods, perhaps 
 you will prefer to make an advance remittance for this order. 
 
 At the same time you might send the references 
 requested. We could then investigate them carefully with a 
 view to establishing your credit so we can accept your 
 future orders on open account without further question. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 The Harper Drug Company 
 
 by S. L. McCumber 
 
 138. Refusing Credit. — So important is credit that large 
 companies frequently give friendly advice to their customers. 
 The interests of wholesaler and retailer are really identical. 
 The wholesale house can flourish only as its customers are 
 prosperous. Any assistance the more experienced firm can 
 furnish will therefore help both.
 
 CREDIT LETTERS 237 
 
 The particular point of the letter below is discount. Dis- 
 count is the deduction from accounts, bills, charges, and the 
 like, allowed when payments are made within a specified time. 
 Occasionally the "specified time" is upon the receipt of the 
 commodity, but usually a longer period is granted. (See 
 page 234.) It is obvious that if a merchant has a monthly 
 turnover, and discounts each month at 2 per cent, he will in 
 a year be making 24 per cent on the money invested. In the 
 following letter, could the partners resent this friendly advice? 
 
 THE HARPER DRUG COMPANY 
 
 Wholesale Drugs 
 
 122 Canal Street 
 
 New Orleans 
 
 Louisiana 
 
 June 12, 1920 
 Messrs. Bishop and Hume 
 Laurel, Mississippi 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 Your good order of June 5 is much appreciated. We also thank 
 you for the financial statement you so kindly enclosed. 
 
 After carefully considering your interests, and how we can best 
 serve them, we question the advisability of shipping this entire order 
 at once. 
 
 You are but a few hours away from us. A letter or a wire will 
 bring prompt shipment of any goods you may need. 
 
 One of the hardest tasks in the world for a young firm is to pro- 
 gress under a heavy debt. We want } r ou to succeed — we are sincere 
 in our desire to serve — we want to merit your confidence, but we feel 
 that it would be nothing short of injury to "saddle your backs" with 
 a load of goods you do not need. 
 
 By keeping your stock down to actual needs, you keep down over- 
 head expenses, interest, and make possible quick turnovers. The 
 more times you turn over j^our stock, the greater are your profits. 
 
 You, we believe, will see that we are acting for your interest in 
 suggesting that you reduce the size of this order to say, $300. This
 
 238 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 will still give you some of every number, so you will be able to 
 
 supply fully the demands of your trade. 
 
 Remember, we are acting for your welfare. Your firm is good and 
 
 we would get every cent of the money for this order, but we want to 
 
 discourage the debt habit and encourage the discount desire. 
 Use the inclosed stamped envelope to tell us your views on the 
 
 course we recommend. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 The Harper Drug Company 
 
 by S. L. McCumber 
 
 Exercise 131 
 
 1. You own a grocery store at Rushville, Ga. Order of Swift and 
 Company, Macon, Ga.: 100 lbs. of premium ham; 100 lbs. of salt 
 bacon; 25 lbs. of fancy meats, assorted; 3 cases of laundry soap; 1 
 case of toilet soap. Give full shipping directions. 
 
 2. Write a reply from Swift and Company, acknowledging the 
 order but inquiring how the Rushville man is going to pay for the 
 goods. In the letter suggest a certified check for the present order, 
 and the names of two references for future orders. Explain that 
 terms are now cash weekly because the profit per sale is so low that 
 a quick turnover is necessary. Make a credit connection seem very 
 important to the new customer. Be sure to make the tone of the 
 letter cordial. 
 
 3. S. M. Kendrick adds a farm implement department to his 
 hardware store at Boothville, Kan. He orders from Studebaker, 
 South Bend, Ind.: 3 light farm wagons; 5 heavy farm wagons; 5 
 extra front and rear wheels for each kind; 3 buggies; a phaeton; a 
 surrey; and a dozen whips. He gives catalogue numbers for each 
 item. He names two references, says he wishes to open an account, 
 and asks for terms. 
 
 4. The Studebaker firm replies after investigation that its terms 
 are 60 days, with 3 per cent for cash in 10 days. The writer speaks 
 of the firm's experience of 65 years and his 168 acres of factory space. 
 He asks if he may enter Mr. Kendrick's name in his books on the terms 
 stated. Can you make this a welcome without seeming too eager?
 
 CREDIT LETTERS 239 
 
 5. The Studebaker firm thanks Mr. Kendrick for the order and 
 sends a blank on which to make out a statement of his assets and 
 liabilities. The letter explains that the company finds that many 
 customers prefer giving in such first-hand information to trusting 
 their credit standing to roundabout reports. The letter concludes 
 with a statement of the company's unrivaled means of supplying 
 all vehicles. 
 
 8. After study of the report of Mr. Kendrick, the Studebaker 
 correspondent writes Mr. Kendrick that the latter does not seem 
 to have sufficient capital to open the proposed department. The 
 letter suggests that he find someone to invest $2,000 in the business. 
 It emphasizes the friendly spirit in which this suggestion is made. 
 
 7. A small concern, called the New York Clothing Shop, at Meno- 
 shaw, Idaho, writes to the Regal Tailoring Company, State and 
 Randolph Streets, Chicago, 111., that it is the only clothing store in 
 the county and wishes to lay in a stock for the season. It orders: 
 100 suits, sizes 32 to 42; 100 boys' suits, sizes 12 to 18; and 50 over- 
 coats. It gives three references. Write the letter. 
 
 8. The Regal Tailoring Company writes to one of its traveling 
 salesmen, Samuel Upton, at the Broadwa}' Hotel, Boise, Idaho, en- 
 closing the letter of the New York Clothing Shop and asking him to 
 investigate. Write the letter. 
 
 9. Samuel Upton replies that he visited Menoshaw on Monday, 
 that the proprietor, Milton Lee, had only one clerk, and that he 
 (Upton) had plenty of time to talk to Lee. The shop had been open 
 for only a short time and the proprietor seemed unduly hopeful 
 about the future. The local bank did not know him very well. 
 Write the report. 
 
 10. The Regal Tailoring Company suggests to Mr. Lee that he cut 
 down his order about half and pay for his first order by certified 
 check. Try to speak in so cordial a way about the prospects at 
 Menoshaw and so glowingly about Regal service that he will act 
 upon the suggestion. 
 
 139. Extension of Time. — Should a merchant find that 
 he is unable to pay at the time the bill falls due, his proper
 
 240 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 course would be to request an extension of time and, if it is 
 possible, to give honestly the reason. The creditor can then 
 see the justice of the request. The following is an illustration : 
 
 Salem, Ue'oraska 
 January 10, 1920 
 
 Messrs. Owens and Davis 
 117 state Street 
 Chicago, Illinois 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 The enclosed clipping will show that my stock of goods 
 has been seriously damaged by fire. Until the Insurance 
 adjuster shall have completed his Investigation, I shall be 
 unable either to hold a sale to dispose of what is left or 
 to order a new stock. 
 
 Meanwhile, I should appreciate the kindness of an exten 
 slon of thirty days on the bills falling due on January 12 
 and January 20. The extension will enable me to so adjust 
 my affaire as to meet these obligations. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 W. H. Alston 
 
 Exercise 132 
 
 1. Write to your grocer, asking for a two weeks' extension of time. 
 On what grounds? 
 
 2. Hand your letter to a classmate. If he takes the place of your 
 grocer and thinks your reasons sufficient, he will courteously grant 
 the request. If he thinks you are not justified, he will suggest part 
 payments. How can he make this reply friendly yet persuasive? 
 
 3. John L. Bowman, Gainesville, Tex., writes to Selwyn and Com- 
 pany, St. Louis, Mo., explaining that the failure of the cotton crop 
 has made collections very slow and asking that he be allowed 30 
 days longer on a bill of $348.50. Can you make this frank and per- 
 suasive? 
 
 4. Let a classmate reply for Selwyn and Company. He will ad- 
 mit that trade is dull in your section, but he will suggest that your 
 excellent standing with the Farmers' State Bank of Gainesville will
 
 CREDIT LETTERS 241 
 
 enable you to borrow the sum. He will give as the reason for this 
 request the fact that the rising cost of labor and raw materials makes 
 it essential to collect bills as they become due in order to keep down 
 the costs to merchants. How can you make this friendly but firm? 
 
 5. H. J. Kelley writes his dry-goods merchant (use a local name), 
 to whom he owes $37.50, asking for an extension of 30 days. He 
 gives no reason and does not explain how he will be able to pay next 
 month. 
 
 6. Let a classmate reply for the merchant. He knows that Mr. 
 Kelley has not been delinquent since he opened an account a year 
 ago. What will be the proper reply? 
 
 7. The merchant knows that Mr. Kelley is behind in his payments 
 at several stores and that he has of late been spending money rather 
 freely. What would be a proper but tactful reply? 
 
 8. Mr. Amos L. Fortner, a druggist of Longview, Colo., is a recent 
 customer of the Roitan Company of Denver. He now orders $217 
 of new stock, though he has an account of $197.50 now 30 days past 
 due. Write a courteous letter suggesting that he settle the old ac- 
 count before you ship the new order. Can you make it clear that 
 you are seeking his interest? 
 
 9. Mr. Saul Thompson writes his grocer that he has been ill for 
 two weeks. He asks for a two weeks' extension because he has lost 
 the wages of the last fortnight. 
 
 10. Write a sympathetic letter granting the request. 
 
 r6
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 COLLECTION LETTERS 
 
 140. Reason for Collection Letters. — Many merchants 
 and many customers of retail stores do not take the trouble 
 to ask for an extension of time. They adopt the policy that 
 it is better to let the other fellow do the worrying. Assuming 
 that it is the business of the creditor to collect, they force him 
 to make all the moves. Such debtors may be: 
 
 1. Those who are slow but who can and will pay in the 
 
 end. 
 
 2. Those who are prevented by misfortune from paying 
 
 promptly. 
 
 3. Those who will not pay until they are forced to. 
 
 Collection letters are written to persuade someone in one 
 of these classes to pay. To determine in which of the three 
 classes the customer belongs is always important but often 
 difficult. 
 
 141. Purpose. — The difficulty is increased by a necessity 
 which a collection letter must meet. It must not only get 
 the money but keep the customer. To collect the debt but 
 lose all chance of future profit from that customer would be 
 very poor business. To fail to collect the money would bring 
 the house itself into bankruptcy. The writer of a collection 
 letter, therefore, needs to be very diplomatic, to know men 
 and women well, and to have command of the methods of 
 persuasion. 
 
 242
 
 COLLECTION LETTERS 243 
 
 The plan of a collection letter requires careful consideration 
 of the effect on the reader. It will accordingly vary with the 
 kind of person addressed. How does each letter in this chap- 
 ter begin? Is it courteous throughout? Does it anywhere 
 mention unpleasant matters? How does each letter end: 
 with a requirement upon the debtor, with a description of 
 other goods for sale, or with some pleasant reference to the 
 future? The problem always is: "Which shall I make more 
 prominent— getting the money or keeping the friendship of 
 the customer?" The beginning and the end are the most 
 important places. The request for money can be made less 
 emphatic by putting it at the beginning or end of some central 
 paragraph. The least emphatic position would be in the 
 middle of a paragraph. How many of these plans are followed 
 in the letters in this chapter? 
 
 142. Keeping the Customer. — To keep the customer's 
 friendship the language of the letter must be weighed with 
 great care. No phrase should be used which may give offense. 
 A man owing a sum of money is likely to have a very tender 
 pride. To call the sum a "debt " or to refer to him as a " deb- 
 tor" is sure to wound. Even to say you do not doubt his 
 honesty is likely to wound. To tell him his credit is not good 
 would be an insult. It is much better to employ the most 
 courteous circumlocutions. If the delinquent is treated like 
 a perfectly honest man, he is likely to be ashamed not to act 
 the part. Instead of saying, "Why don't you pay our past- 
 due bill of $22.15?" say: "Doubtless you have overlooked 
 our invoice of July 5, which amounts to $22.15. On our net 
 60 days' basis this became due September 3. If you find our 
 invoice correct, an early payment will be appreciated." Even 
 if he neglects to heed this gentle reminder, you need not tell
 
 244 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 him that he is slow pay .or a bad debt. The following letter 
 is more effective because it gives him every chance to explain. 
 
 On September 10 we wrote you concerning your over- 
 due account of July 5 amounting to &22.15. 
 
 Possibly you have some reason for withholding 
 payment, in which case we would be very glad to have you write 
 us about it. Otherwise we shall expect immediate payment of 
 the Invoice. 
 
 A very definite demand can be made without using harsh 
 language. To be clear one need not be severe. The simple 
 statement of facts, without any undignified loss of temper, 
 has unmistakably more force than abusive language. Study 
 the following letter sent out 10 days after the one just above: 
 
 Up to this writing no answer has been received to 
 our letters of September 10 and 20 requesting payment of our 
 overdue invoice of July 5 for $33. 15. 
 
 The material involved in this transaction wa8 
 shipped to you In good faith and payment for it was arranged 
 on definite terms, which, in fairness to our many other good 
 customers, should be without exception lived up to. 
 
 We do not feel that we can allow you a further 
 extension of time on this account and request that you send 
 us your check for $22.15 to be received here not later than 
 Monday, October 7. 
 
 If in extreme cases a sharp expression must be used, a single 
 one in the course of a letter will have more weight than a 
 dozen. The collection letter can make a perfectly definite 
 demand without forgetting to be courteous. 
 
 To avoid offense is not the only way to keep the customer. 
 You can suggest your friendship for him positively. You can 
 thank him for past favors or speak of present bargains that 
 you have to offer. That will make him feel that you are 
 thinking of his interests instead of merely your own. You 
 may ask him for co-operation or for a return of fair treat-
 
 COLLECTION LETTERS 24,5 
 
 ment. Could anyone refuse so friendly an appeal as the 
 following? 
 
 Will you please give us an opportunity to balance 
 your November account by remitting $3.50? Where thousands 
 of accounts are involved it is quite essential to dispose of 
 the small items as quickly as possible in order to avoid a 
 great deal of unnecessary clerical detail. 
 
 We feel sure that you will gladly assist us in 
 this Instance, and thank you for the courtesy. 
 
 143. Getting the Money. — The first aim of a collection 
 letter, after all, is to get the money. The letter must, there- 
 fore, be short, so that its meaning will be unmistakable. It 
 must be frank, so that the reader will know that you mean 
 what you say. You cannot afford to make any statement 
 that you do not intend to carry out. Do not say that you 
 need the money, lest you excite suspicion in his mind. Rather 
 treat the matter as a just obligation, which the customer is 
 going to meet. He will try to live up to your expectation. It 
 is still worse to suggest that part of the debt will be accepted. 
 He may wait still longer in hope of a further reduction. In 
 short, to collect money every letter must hint or state some 
 definite requirement. 
 
 144. Follow Up: Notification. — A single letter may not 
 be sufficient. In fact, the letter is not the first means resorted 
 to. When you buy a bill of groceries, an itemized list, or 
 sales slip, is sent with the purchase. On the first of the month 
 a monthly statement is made out, showing the total indebted- 
 ness for the 30 days just closing. If it is still unpaid at the 
 end of another month, it will be sent out again with a rubber- 
 stamp notice, "Please remit," or "Past due, please remit." 
 Sometimes gummed slips printed in red or adorned with 
 appealing pictures are attached. The wholesale house will
 
 246 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 send the notice out, not on the first of the month, but at the 
 end of 30 or 60 days from the date of purchase. This may be 
 called the stage of notification. 
 
 145. Follow Up: Types of Letters. — At this point the 
 letters may begin. If the customer still fails to respond, they 
 may run through three more stages. The first type is a re- 
 minder, like the one on pages 243, 244. It may be printed, 
 with blanks left for inserting sums and dates. It assumes that 
 there has been some oversight, The second type may ask 
 for explanation, like the one on page 244, or may itself explain 
 the fairness of the demand for payment or the necessity of 
 collections to keep down prices. The third type is a demand, 
 with some veiled or open threat of discontinuing his credit or 
 sending a draft or handing the account to a collection agency 
 or attorney. Any one of these stages may consist of several 
 letters, but each of them gives the impression of being final, 
 and each is more urgent than the preceding. The number of 
 them to be used would differ with the customer, but every 
 letter should be both definite and courteous. 
 
 146. Retail Methods. — The retail merchant does not 
 make so frequent use of letters. He is usually more generous 
 in extending credit. He sees his customers much more fre- 
 quently and can make personal appeals. He often sends out 
 a clerk or a bookkeeper with a sheaf of bills at the first of the 
 month. The personal representative is likely to be more per- 
 suasive than a letter can be. The merchant may speak of 
 the matter at some time when the customer is in the store, or 
 he may use the telephone in a tactful manner to suggest the 
 need of co-operation on the bill. Sometimes the customer 
 who has run up a bill discontinues purchasing. A letter may
 
 COLLECTION LETTERS 247 
 
 then be sent inquiring whether he has not been treated well, 
 or announcing bargains, or in some other way inducing him 
 to return to the store. Then the matter of past delinquencies 
 can be taken up in person. The merchant who thus keeps in 
 close cordial relations with his customers can both maintain 
 his collections and retain his patrons. 
 
 The use of models in collecting money, in all but formal 
 notification, is particularly dangerous. Success depends 
 upon sincerity and variety. The letters should be written to 
 meet the individual case in hand. They should contain what- 
 ever ingenious and original devices suit the situation. The 
 following series, however, illustrates a successful effort to 
 collect from a retail customer who was particularly dilatory. 
 
 Which of the letters are reminders? Which letters belong 
 to the stage of explanation? Which contain a demand? How 
 does each letter attempt to get the money? How emphatic 
 is the attempt? How is the request made more urgent from 
 letter to letter? How is it varied from letter to letter? How 
 is the friendship of the customer kept from letter to letter? How 
 emphatic is it in each letter? Is harsh language anywhere 
 employed? Why was the effort to collect successful at last? 
 
 July 15, 1920 
 Mr. Parker J. Butler 
 12 Tyrone Avenue 
 Centralia, Oklahoma 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 It is an easy thing to overlook an account when there are so 
 many other things to claim attention. 
 
 Evidently our June 1 statement, on which we listed instalments 
 now past due, has not had your attention. 
 
 We look forward to receiving your check for 135 by return mail 
 — sent with genuine pleasure. 
 
 Very truly yours,
 
 248 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 July 30, 1920 
 
 Dear Sir : 
 
 Since we have received no reply to our letter of July 15 requesting 
 payment of your April and May instalments on the piano you pur- 
 chased last winter, we assume there must be some good reason why 
 you have not sent us your check. 
 
 But you haven't told us, so until we hear otherwise from you, we 
 shall expect your check for $35 by return mail to cover your back 
 payments. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 August 13, 1920 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 Do you realize we have written you on two former occasions regard- 
 ing your back payments on the piano you purchased of us? 
 
 Your seeming indifference to our requests for payment is a surprise 
 to us. We sold you the piano in good faith. You have it in your 
 home and are enjoying its use. 
 
 It seems only fair that you should keep up your payments with- 
 out all these letters from us. 
 
 We feel we have met your convenience as far as you should 
 reasonably expect and must now ask that you forward your check 
 at once. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 August 23, 1920 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 Honest, now, haven't we been very patient in waiting for you to 
 make your back payments on the piano? 
 
 This is our fourth letter. You must know that we cannot carry 
 this account indefinitely. Surely you do not want us to take any 
 steps which might lead to unpleasant relations. 
 
 Your check for $35 by return mail will convince us that the delay 
 has not been intentional. You will find enclosed a self-addressed 
 and stamped envelope. Just slip the check into it and mail today. 
 
 Yours very truly,
 
 COLLECTION LETTERS 249 
 
 August 30, 1920 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 It seems that all our previous attempts to persuade you to send 
 in your payments have been unavailing. 
 
 You have given us no reason why the account should not be paid 
 to date. Neither have you as much as acknowledged any of our 
 former letters. 
 
 Unless your check for $35 is in our hands by September 15, we 
 shall be compelled to adopt stern measures for the settlement of this 
 account. 
 
 It is for you to say whether or not we shall take this step. Your 
 check by return mail will square everything to date, and we can be- 
 gin the new month with a clean slate. 
 
 What do you say? 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Exercise 133 — Oral 
 
 1. Mr. G. W. Davis has deferred paying for his bill of groceries for 
 two months. He has not taken any notice of statements. Call 
 him up over the telephone. (See § § 4, 146.) Let two students carry 
 on the conversation in which the grocer asks him to help out by 
 making pa3 r ment or part payment. (If the teacher prefers, this 
 may of course be written.) 
 
 2. Mr. U. R. Sawyer, who has owed for a bill of dry goods for 
 three months, making no reply to your statements, now comes into 
 the store to make new purchases. Invite him into the office, and 
 ask him for payment or part payment. Let two pupils hold the 
 conversation before the class. The class will decide (1) whether the 
 merchant is firm but genial and persuasive and (2) whether the cus- 
 tomer is willing or unreasonable. 
 
 3. You are collecting for the grocer who employs you. Last 
 month Mr. A. F. Slosson declined to pay on the ground that he had 
 unforeseen expenditures. He has not entered the store since or 
 purchased any goods. Express to him in a telephone conversation
 
 250 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (see page 243) your appreciation of his trade and tell of some bar- 
 gain you now have to offer. Let the class determine whether you 
 are persuasive enough. 
 
 4. Suppose that Mr. Slosson is very slow pay hut financially quite 
 able. How would the conversation proceed? Let the class deter- 
 mine: (1) Is Mr. Slosson ingenious in his excuses? (2) Is the 
 collector good-humored but persuasive? 
 
 5. Suppose that Mr. Slosson has been dealing with you for onby 
 three months and that last month he traded with Benson and Com- 
 pany. You find that he owns a Ford and seems to have enough 
 money for pleasures. How would you treat his case? 
 
 6. You find that Mr. Slosson has been a customer for 10 years, 
 that his orders have averaged some $60 a month, but that he has 
 always been irregular in payment. He is now in arrears S292. 
 How would you treat his case? 
 
 7. Dictate to the class such of the letters indicated above as the 
 teacher may direct. (See pages 10, 11.) 
 
 Exercise 134 — Oral Reports 
 
 1. How many examples of credit and collection letters have you 
 gathered for a separate folder? Bring the best ones to school, and 
 explain to the class which features of this chapter are illustrated by 
 them. 
 
 2. Let a committee of the class visit as many different kinds of 
 business houses as they can — drug stores, groceries, hardware 
 stores, dry-goods houses, and so on — to learn what terms of credit 
 are granted in different kinds of business. Let the chairman report 
 for the committee, or let each member report about some one type 
 of business. (See Exercise 118.) 
 
 3. Let a member of the class whose father or relatives are in busi- 
 ness report on the means of collection which jobbers and manufac- 
 turers employ, so far as the father or relatives have heard. 
 
 4. Let a committee talk with different merchants about collecting 
 from retail customers. Certain difficult cases (with only fictitious 
 names mentioned) should be reported to illustrate. Does the mer- 
 chant use the telephone, the private conference, or the letter?
 
 COLLECTION LETTERS 251 
 
 6. Let the committee report on the number of cases where col- 
 lection was impossible. What are the reasons? How do merchants 
 protect themselves against such losses? 
 
 6. How many different kinds of systems of collections has the 
 committee discovered? What is the advantage of each one? 
 
 Exercise 135 
 
 1. You have begun work as bookkeeper and correspondent with 
 Dierck and Spreckels, dealers in fine and staple groceries. You find 
 that Stanley Weyman has now failed to remit after the second state- 
 ment. Write a first letter. (1) How do you remind him of the 
 state of his account? (2) Do you offer an explanation of the cause of 
 delay? (3) How do you insist on payment? (4) Is the language 
 uniformly courteous? 
 
 2. Mr. Weyman does not answer. On the first of the following 
 month write a second letter. How do you make the request firmer 
 in tone? 
 
 3. You find that a third statement has been sent to Mr. J. B. 
 Hodgdon, who Mr. Spreckels informs you is "slow pay but good in 
 the end." Write a letter which will induce him to pay yet will give 
 no offense. (1) What kind of argument do you think will be most 
 effective? (2) Do you make collection or friendship the more em- 
 phatic? How? 
 
 4. He does not remit. Write a second letter. (1) What explana- 
 tions can you make that will induce him to pay? (2) What variety 
 can you give to the demand for payment? 
 
 5. You find that Mr. M. F. Brooke has not paid in six months and 
 has now run up a bill of S3S5.70. Mr. Spreckels reports that last 3'ear 
 he had to wait eight months for payment. How direct are you going 
 to make the first demand? Will it be a reminder, or an explanation? 
 
 6. Mr. Brooke does not reply by the first of the month. How can 
 you make your request more pointed? Can you appeal to his repu- 
 tation or his sense of fairness? 
 
 7. You have waited two weeks in vain for a reply from Mr. 
 Brooke. How can you insist on his remitting? Will it be well to 
 review your patience with him? Will a veiled threat serve } r our 
 purpose? What is the best plan for the parts of your letter?
 
 252 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 8. As you have not heard from Mr. Brooke, and as it is now after 
 the first of the next month, and as he has not entered the store for 
 two months, you decide that you have probably lost him as a cus- 
 tomer. Write him that you are going to hand the account over to a 
 lawyer if you do not receive payment by the fifteenth. How can you 
 leave a possibility of his returning as a customer? 
 
 9. You have entered the employ of Meyer Bloom and Company 
 who sell all kinds of talking machines on the instalment plan. You 
 find that collections have been lax. Write a letter that might be 
 sent out to those who are behind a month in monthly payments. 
 Refer to the pleasure the machine has given. Speak of the ad- 
 vantages of making payments regularly. 
 
 10. Write a reminder that might be sent out two weeks later. 
 How can you insist on payment without running the risk of having 
 the machine returned? 
 
 11. You belong to a boys' or girls' club, to which the dues are 50 
 cents a month. You find on becoming treasurer that some of the 
 members are as much as six months behind. To secure payment 
 from every one of them write an appeal to their loyalty and their 
 interest in a coming outing. How will this appeal differ from the 
 business appeals you have written above? 
 
 12. You are with the Amberson Company, wholesale shoe mer- 
 chants. Your terms are cash in 30 days. On September 10 you 
 sold to Eben Hillyer, Sampatch, Ariz., a bill of $290. It is now 
 November 1, but he has not replied to any of your notifications. 
 Write a reminder that will call his attention favorably to the matter. 
 In language and spirit how would this differ from a letter to a private 
 customer? 
 
 13. Up to December 1 Mr. Hillyer has not replied. Write a more 
 urgent letter. What appeal to fair play or pride or self-interest can 
 you make? What will be the best plan for the parts of this letter? 
 
 14. On January 2 write a demand for the money. What argu- 
 ments can you use for inducing him to pay? Have you said any- 
 thing to give offense? 
 
 15. On January 15 threaten him with a draft. How can you 
 make this a strong appeal for payment without making it impossible 
 for him to continue as a customer?
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 SALES LETTERS— MAKING THE CONTACT 
 
 147. What Is a Sales Letter? — Sales letters, in which an 
 effort is made to persuade someone to buy something, are the 
 hardest kind of letter to write. They are usually written by 
 the most experienced men in the business house. Even such 
 men spend hours in composing a single letter. But everyone 
 in business should know about sales letters, for they represent 
 the prevailing purposes and the essential elements of all busi- 
 ness dealings. 
 
 The sales appeal finds its way into many different kinds of 
 letters. The acknowledgment of an order frequently contains 
 a paragraph or two intended to secure orders for other goods. 
 Many adjustment letters refer to goods on sale which the 
 person presenting a claim may wish to buy. An application 
 is essentially an effort to sell one's services. Credit and col- 
 lection letters in the majority of cases contain some sales 
 appeal. Even letters conveying information are intended, 
 more often than not, to secure orders. In short, the writer 
 who understands sales letters will write any kind of business 
 letter better for that reason. 
 
 148. Its Purpose and Characteristics. — This is because 
 the sales letter represents the prevailing purpose and essential 
 elements of business dealings better than any other form does. 
 Its whole purpose is action. It tries to make the reader 
 want to buy. Consequently it must take the reader's point 
 of view from beginning to end. It must assume the "you" 
 
 253
 
 254 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 attitude throughout. A man is naturally suspicious of any- 
 one who tries to sell him something. He becomes eager only 
 when he acts for his own pleasure or interest. Note the effect 
 of these two ways of putting the same facts: 
 
 We are now placing on the mar- 
 ket a new loose-leaf note-book 
 that contains many improve- 
 ments over existing models. We 
 have several different sizes, each 
 of which we make in various 
 styles of binding. In fact, we 
 now make the best in the world. 
 
 Here at the opening of another 
 school year you are asking your- 
 self, "What note-book shall I 
 use? " Of course the answer is, 
 a Meyer's loose-leaf note-book. 
 You may need one to fit your 
 pocket or one large enough to 
 hold all your themes. You may 
 like one in flexible morocco bind- 
 ing or one in stiff boards. Again, 
 it is Meyer's that exactly suits 
 your needs and tastes. 
 
 The second letter takes the view, not of the manufacturer 
 who wishes to dispose of stocks, but of the buyer who feels a 
 particular need. It consequently pictures those needs as they 
 would occur to the purchaser. Its purpose is to create a desire 
 for the article, without suggesting a thought of the manu- 
 facturer's interests. 
 
 The second letter is also more personal in tone. It seems 
 to take an interest in the reader. It considers his particular 
 situation and seeks his satisfaction. Since every person is 
 primarily interested in his own affairs, he is much less likely 
 to throw the letter into the fire or the waste-basket. It means 
 something to him, and he reads on. 
 
 The kind of action which the sales letter seeks to accomplish 
 is particularly difficult. The sales letter tries to part a man 
 from his money. It must not only induce the reader to give 
 up his money but must make him feel highly satisfied in
 
 SALES LETTERS— MAKING THE CONTACT 255 
 
 giving it up. Furthermore, after he gets the article which 
 he has been induced to buy he must feel so well satisfied that 
 he will buy other articles or recommend them to his friends. 
 
 149. Its Parts. — The only way to make a sales letter 
 accomplish its purpose is to plan it carefully. You must 
 decide exactly what your object is, and then consider how you 
 may best reach the goal. Before you begin, decide what is 
 to go into every paragraph. Decide the order and length of 
 the paragraphs. Know where you are going to end, and make 
 every step a sure approach to that end. 
 
 In general there should be four steps. You must first make 
 some contact with the reader, to make sure that you catch his 
 attention and enlist his interest. No letter is worth anything 
 unless it is read. Second, you must convince him of the merits 
 of the offer. Third, you must -persuade him too that he needs 
 it now. Fourth, you must clinch the sale with some definite 
 action. 
 
 The following letter illustrates these steps: 
 
 SINCLAIR DOWDEN 
 
 Hardware Vehicles Implements 
 
 Paints and Oils 
 
 Olney Falls, Colorado 
 
 May 10, 1920 
 
 Mr. A. L. Vinson 
 
 R. F. D. 5, Olney Falls 
 
 Colorado 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 When passing your house last week, I made a mental 
 
 note to write you about a new coat of paint for it. To- 
 
 Contact day, more than ever before, it is real economy to keep 
 
 your buildings in good condition, and not allow them 
 
 to lessen in value through lack of paint.
 
 256 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 If you will let me give you an estimate on the cost of 
 
 Wear-Well Gloss Paint for the work, you will be sur- 
 
 Conviction prised to know that the expense is comparatively small, 
 
 when you take into consideration the great amount 
 
 of good it will do. 
 
 Wear- Well Gloss Paint will do the most good because 
 it is made of the best materials in the best way. It is 
 composed of pure white lead, pure white zinc, and pure 
 linseed oil, scientifically mixed by powerful machinery. 
 Hand-mixed paint is a thing of the past, just like the 
 spinning wheel or the cradle and the scythe. Wear- 
 Well Gloss Paint will do the most good because it is the 
 development of years of experience in the manufacture 
 of paint and varnishes, and represents the most durable 
 and satisfactory paint it is possible to make. 
 
 See how your house will look when painted with one 
 
 of the colors shown by the chips of Wear- Well Gloss 
 
 Persuasion Paint and the transparency enclosed. The chips show 
 
 the actual paint, and the paint you select will look just 
 
 like it on your house. 
 
 If none of these four colors is just what you want, x 
 
 have twenty others here at the store. Ask to see them 
 
 Clincher the next time you are in. If you prefer, your signature 
 
 on the enclosed postal will bring you a complete color 
 
 card. Mail it today. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 Sinclair Dowden 
 
 The contact is close because any man is interested in his own 
 house. Any reference to it will catch his attention. The 
 reference to the new coat of paint centers his attention at 
 once on the subject of the letter. The reason for that refer- 
 ence is given at once — not the appearance, which might give 
 offense, but the economy. The contact is complete. 
 
 The next stage is to convince the reader that he should buy 
 Wear- Well paint. After the assurance that it is not costly,
 
 SALES LETTERS— MAKING THE CONTACT 257 
 
 the superiority of the paint is made clear by an explanation 
 of its manufacture. A clear explanation is often the most 
 convincing argument . 
 
 The third stage is to persuade the reader that he needs this 
 superior article. He may in his mind see the value of the 
 paint without feeling very deeply that he should use it. His 
 emotions, his desires, must be aroused. He is therefore asked 
 to picture his own house repainted. The clear and beautiful 
 color on the chip makes him feel that he would be proud of 
 his house if it looked that way. 
 
 The fourth stage is needed to clinch this feeling. Otherwise 
 the feeling might evaporate and be forgotten. Some kind of 
 resolution must be taken. If he once acts on the feeling, he 
 will be much less likely to forget. Having started, he will be 
 more likely to proceed to the end. If he mails the card to- 
 day, he will probably remain dissatisfied until the paint is on 
 his house. 
 
 Asalesletter must catch the reader's attention and arouse 
 his interest, must convince him of the merits of the article, 
 must persuade him that he needs it, and must clinch his 
 resolution to buy it. 
 
 150. Contact — Study the Customer. — Before you can 
 make the right contact, you will be obliged to study the cus- 
 tomer you are addressing. If you have in mind only a single 
 person whom you know, the task may be easy. But nearly all 
 sales letters are prepared for whole groups of people. A local 
 merchant may address his customers in his own town. His 
 long experience may show him what kind of goods they pre- 
 fer. It would be more difficult for him to reach that class of 
 people all over his state. He would have to keep clearly in 
 mind the most prominent traits of people living in small 
 
 *7
 
 258 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 towns. But, difficult as it is, the writer must picture his 
 reader before him. Unless he can imagine himself in conver- 
 sation with the reader, the letter is not going tc mak^ the 
 right kind of contact. 
 
 If you picture your customer across the table from you, 
 there should be little difficulty in using the pronoun you in- 
 stead of / or ive. If you are writing to the county superin- 
 tendent of schools, you will not say : 
 
 I should like to call your attention to our superior school 
 busses. 
 
 You will not thrust yourself forward in that way. You will, 
 as was pointed out before, look at school busses from the point 
 of view of the superintendent. What would be his first con- 
 sideration in purchasing a bus? Would it be price? Impor- 
 tant, but probably not the most important, because he is 
 responsible for all the children who are carried to school. He 
 has to answer to all the parents. They will blame him if the 
 children are too badly crowded or if the bus tips over or breaks 
 down. If a child should be killed, he would not be forgiven. 
 Yes, safety is the matter he will consider first. Put that into 
 the first sentence, and you will have the right contact. 
 
 You are taking chances with the lives of your school 
 children when you transport them in vehicles that are not 
 built for that purpose. 
 
 151. Contact — Concreteness. — The contact will be the 
 closer if your first sentence is specific and concrete. General 
 statements seldom attract attention. They arouse interest 
 only in philosophic minds. Concrete details that will call up 
 a picture are pretty sure to interest. It is possible to take a 
 customer's point of view and still not be successful in interest- 
 ing him.
 
 SALES LETTERS— MAKING THE CONTACT 259 
 
 Suppose you are selling an adding machine to a business 
 man. Business men are interested in short cuts, in economy. 
 They like to have things done with the least effort and ex- 
 pense. You might put that into your first sentence: 
 
 You will find an adding machine a more economical 
 means of adding figures. 
 
 That takes the user's point of view, but it is not striking 
 enough to arrest his attention. It can be made into a concrete 
 situation: 
 
 If a man should walk into your office, look you straight 
 in the eye, and say, "I know a more economical way to 
 handle your office work, some short cuts that will save you 
 money," wouldn't you give him a chance to make good? 
 
 He can picture that, and will remember it. It is therefore 
 a better contact. 
 
 152. Contact — Curiosity. — Several devices can be re- 
 sorted to that will stimulate curiosity and thus make a better 
 contact. The short paragraph is essential. A long paragraph 
 gives an impression of difficulty. It will cause the reader to 
 put aside that letter when your effort should be to induce him 
 to read at once. A question is frequently effective, because 
 we are all interested by a question and naturally start to 
 answer it at once. This device has been used so frequently 
 that you must avoid the outworn forms, such as: "Have you 
 ever stopped to consider? " " Have you ever realized? " "Has 
 your attention ever been called to the fact? " " Are you inter- 
 ested in books?" But the advantage of the question form 
 must be obvious from the opening sentence quoted in the 
 paragraph above. A head-line that expresses the central idea 
 of the letter or a phrase of compelling interest to the reader
 
 2 GO EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 will induce him to read, just as the head-line in a newspaper 
 does. The wording should be made as attractive as possible. 
 If you are selling an adding machine, you may seize upon the 
 business man's interest in efficiency thus: 
 
 What's the Difference in Trained and Untrained Office 
 Help, Expressed in Figures? 
 
 A news item, either in the particular business of the man 
 you are addressing or from the daily newspapers, frequently 
 catches the curiosity of the reader. The difficulty with this 
 device lies in making the application to the purpose of the 
 letter. The " blind " heading that merely arouses curiosity is 
 likely to involve a loss of valuable space. But the following 
 makes so quick a connection that it succeeds. Sent out less 
 than a month after the armistice with Germany was signed, 
 it seized what was uppermost in everyone's mind: 
 
 The Brakes Are Off; Now for Full Speed Ahead! 
 
 Uncle Sam has taken his hand off the emergency, but it 
 takes more than permission to build furniture. It takes 
 raw materials, coal, lumber, steel — and Leatheroid. 
 
 Be careful, however, not to overdo your effort to attract 
 attention; keep away from the sensational! A letter is a con- 
 versation reduced to paper. In conversation shouting is out 
 of place. To begin with "Wanted for Murder" is not only 
 irrelevant to the purpose of the letter but is likely to offend 
 most readers. It repels instead of inducing one to read to the 
 end. 
 
 To sum up, remember that if you catch the reader in your 
 first sentence, he is likely to read your whole letter. You 
 can make contact with the reader by beginning with some idea
 
 SALES LETTERS— MAKING THE CONTACT 261 
 
 of genuine interest to him expressed in the most specific and 
 concrete words yon can find and put in such form as will 
 stimulate his curiosity. 
 
 Exercise 136 
 
 Concerning each of the contacts quoted below answer the follow- 
 ing questions: 
 
 (a) Does it take the point of view of the customer? 
 
 (b) What class does he represent? 
 
 (c) Is the idea put in a positive fashion? 
 
 (d) Is it a pleasant idea? 
 
 (e) Does it represent a deep interest of the customer? 
 
 (f ) Is the tone personal or sensational? 
 
 (g) Is the idea put in specific or concrete terms? 
 (h) What devices does it employ? 
 
 (i) Are they relevant and successful? 
 
 1. The Bridge and Souter Company, Canastota, N. Y., 
 have just taken on a Studebaker line of vehicles. We were 
 mighty glad to make this connection because we feel that 
 they are the logical people to handle our goods in your 
 locality. 
 
 2. "Get back into your pre-war program!" 
 "Begin your delayed Public Work now!" 
 
 Such statements are familiar to you. They express your 
 government's wish that you do all in your power to help 
 stabilize employment and industry. And so you're be- 
 ginning to lay your plans and to consider the purchase of 
 material and equipment necessary to carry out your 
 program. 
 
 3. How would you like to make this kind of report to 
 your board of directors: "2010 new accounts in five 
 months, with initial deposits amounting to $350,000, all 
 new business"?
 
 262 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 4. We beg to announce that we have now put on the 
 market a new lawn-mower that will put all others out of 
 commission. 
 
 5. System in your business saves money and labor. That 
 is why we want to talk to you for a few minutes regarding 
 tags for the garage. 
 
 6. The City of Columbus Says: 
 
 "After several years' experience with motor fire-engines, 
 we feel justified, from all points of view, in asserting they 
 are the most practical and economical fire-engine used here 
 so far." 
 
 7. I was mighty glad to find that little note on my desk 
 this morning. It plainly tells me that you are taking a real 
 interest in the Palmolive line. 
 
 8. Do you know that ours is the largest business college 
 in the city? Have you ever stopped to consider what that 
 means to our graduates? 
 
 9. You will undoubtedly be interested in a letter which 
 we have just received. It is from a large manufacturing 
 concern, which, in order to care for increased business, 
 added another building to its plant. 
 
 10. A good computing machine operator will extend and 
 foot your pay-roll in half the time it would take your high- 
 est paid foreman or clerks to do it. 
 
 11. Take this letter to Aldrich and Simmons, Pequot 
 City, and receive absolutely free a trial box of Black 
 Beauty Axle Grease. This trial box of Black Beauty 
 is sufficient to grease your largest wagon. 
 
 12. Let us send you a free book full of short-cut systems 
 for handling your office work with a computing machine 
 specially designed for the laundry business. 
 
 Exercise 137 
 
 1. Write the contact paragraph to one or more sales letters choos- 
 ing your subjects from among those given on page 263. Then con- 
 tinue the same subject or subjects through the other exercises on the
 
 SALES LETTERS— MAKING THE CONTACT 2G3 
 
 sales letter in this chapter and the next. That is, if you start three 
 letters in this exercise, you should continue the same subjects until 
 you have three complete letters. 
 
 2. A good way to test these beginnings is to read them aloud to 
 the class, which will discuss them to determine by vote which are the 
 best. The discussion should follow the questions in the last exercise. 
 
 (a) Write the contact for selling a loose-leaf note-book to the 
 
 students of your school. 
 
 (b) Sell the same loose-leaf note-book to the stationer on the 
 
 corner. What is the difference in contact? 
 
 (c) Sell a self-filling fountain pen to the students. 
 
 (d) Sell the same pen to a business man or a teacher. What is 
 
 the difference in the contact? 
 
 (e) Sell a watch to a student. 
 
 (f) Sell the same watch to a laborer. Is there a difference in the 
 
 contact? 
 
 (g) Sell the same watch to a jeweler, who deals in watches. Is 
 
 there a difference here? 
 (h) Sell a pair of shoes to a man. 
 (i) Sell a pair of shoes to a woman. Is there a difference in the 
 
 contact? 
 (j) Sell the shoes to a woman of wealth and high social position. 
 
 Is there a difference in the contact? 
 (k) Sell a vacuum cleaner or a carpet-sweeper. 
 (1) Sell a tireless cooker or a washing machine, 
 (m) Sell a hat to a boy of fifteen. 
 
 (n) Sell a hat to a man of forty. Is the contact the same? 
 (o) Sell a hat to a young woman of twenty. Is the contact the 
 
 same? 
 (p) Sell fire insurance or life insurance, 
 (q) Sell a motor cycle or an automobile, 
 (r) Sell a book or a set of books, 
 (s) Sell a magazine or newspaper, 
 (t) Sell a camera.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 SALES LETTERS— SECURING ACTION 
 
 153. Conviction. — To get your customer to believe in the 
 article you have to sell is first of all a matter of making him 
 understand it thoroughly. Once you have caught his atten- 
 tion, you should begin at once with the purpose of the letter. 
 Put yourself in his place. If he does not know about the 
 article, give such a description as will make it clear. Use the 
 language he can understand at a glance. If possible, show 
 the article in actual use. Be so specific, so concrete, so vivid, 
 that he can picture the object as he would enjoy it. 
 
 An illustration may be taken from the letter to the county 
 superintendent of schools quoted in § 150 on contact (page 
 258). The next paragraphs read as follows: 
 
 Safety should be the first consideration. The driver should have 
 a clear view on both sides and in front, and should not be bothered 
 by children on either side of him. He should have confidence in the 
 stability and quality of the vehicle he drives — confidence that it 
 will stand up in any emergency. 
 
 Comfort for the children is the second consideration. They 
 should be protected from the sun, wind, and rain, and should be 
 seated without overcrowding. 
 
 Our School Busses fulfil the requirements of both Safety and 
 Comfort. 
 
 The vestibule front with its individual driver's seat — the storm- 
 and wind-proof curtains or drop sash that can be opened or closed 
 quickly — the wide aisle — the roomy spring cushions — the ample 
 seating capacity — these are essential in proper school bus construc- 
 tion. 
 
 264
 
 SALES LETTERS— SECURING ACTION 2G5 
 
 In this case, pictures on the other side of the sheet made 
 the description all the clearer. That letter was not written on 
 the spur of the moment. It was the product of careful study 
 of the ways in which a school bus differs from other vehicles. 
 Not all of the differences are mentioned in the letter; only 
 those that would impress the school superintendent. These 
 are stated in definite terms; for instance "the driver has a 
 view on either side of him." 
 
 In this respect the letter is typical of all good sales letters. 
 It is the result of close study of the goods. No writer should 
 try to sell an article until he has studied it from many points 
 of view — the raw materials, the processes of manufacture, the 
 various uses to which it may be put. Only such study will 
 enable him to sift out those matters which will apply most 
 convincingly to the class of consumers he has in mind. If 
 experienced writers find this necessary, others should heed 
 even more carefully the admonition, "Study the goods." 
 
 154. Conviction — Concrete Proof. — Where the customer 
 knows the goods pretty well, description may be of the 
 briefest or omitted altogether. Conviction will then consist 
 of the evidence, that is, the reason or reasons which will make 
 the customer see the usefulness of the article or feel that he 
 needs the goods. A single page is so short that few letters 
 find room for more than one argument. That is not, usually, 
 a disadvantage. One argument well presented is worth more 
 than a score barely mentioned. The single argument sup- 
 ported by full evidence is clearer, reveals its bearing on 
 the customer's needs, and remains with him long after the 
 scores which have been merely mentioned have been for- 
 gotten. 
 
 Every man with a business large enough to need an adding
 
 2(56 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 machine probably knows what one is. He knows it is accurate, 
 but he may not realize how rapid it is in addition to its accu- 
 racy. It is worth while taking a whole letter to impress him 
 with the one quality of speed. But that cannot be done by 
 bare statements. There must be evidence or proof. The 
 letter below follows the head-line quoted in § 152, near the 
 top of page 260. 
 
 Read the following record of comparative tests on 
 mental figure work applied to 176 grammar and high school 
 girls on the day they entered our computing machine schools 
 and again on machine work at completion of training course. 
 Here are the figures: 
 
 MENTAL TEST: COMPUTING MACHINE 
 
 GRADUATES TEST: 
 
 Addition Addition 
 
 Average Number Columns Average Number Columns 
 
 added correctly added correotly 
 
 Per Hour Per Hour 
 
 0.71 of one column - as against - - 63.00 columns 
 
 Multiplication Multiplication 
 
 Number of Extensions Number of Extensions 
 
 made oorrectly made correotly 
 
 Per Hour Per Hour 
 
 36 Extensions - - - as against - - 350 Extensions 
 
 Bear in mind the mental test represents the work 
 of Inexperienced girls. They actually added an average of 
 7 columns an hour, of which only .71 of one column was cor- 
 rect. They would do better with training. But — well, 
 try it out in your own office and see how much. 
 
 It means that your figure work can be handled 
 faster, cheaper and more accurately by trained oomputlng 
 machine operators than even by experienced clerks. 
 
 Where the price of the goods is small the evidence does not 
 ueed to be so extended. The reasons are usually very easy to 
 understand. There exists, however, the same necessity for 
 definite, specific statements about usefulness or superiority. 
 Note in the following paragraph how convincing the state- 
 ments arc in spite of their brevity.
 
 SALES LETTERS— SECURING ACTION 267 
 
 If you find a customer undecided as to what salt he wants, 
 Juet ask him if he wants pure salt and then serve him with 
 Diamond Sparkle. We remove over two million pounds of 
 gypsum annually from our product. In addition to its being 
 pure, each grain of Diamond Sparkle Salt is a tiny flake, 
 and Just as a flake of snow' dissolves more readily than a 
 lump of hail, so a flake of Diamond Sparkle Salt will 
 dissolve more readily and flavor food more uniformly than 
 a cube of ordinary salt. 
 
 155. Conviction — Kinds of Proof. — A kind of proof that 
 used to be very common with patent medicines is still em- 
 ployed in brief form. The person whose testimony is quoted 
 should have an unquestioned standing. His position or re- 
 putation should be such as to win instant recognition. The 
 letter below follows the question quoted in Exercise 136 (3) 
 on contact (page 261). 
 
 It would make you feel mighty fine to be able to present such a 
 good showing, wouldn't it? 
 
 Well, that's the report that Mr. N. Baxter Jackson, Assistant 
 Cashier of the Cumberland Valley National Bank, Nashville, Tenn., 
 made on the first of the year to the Directors of his bank. 
 
 He says, in his letter to Mr. Kneller, "The Duplicating Machine 
 has proven of invaluable assistance for furthering our publicity work, 
 and I am a great believer in it for bank advertising. We have many 
 new accounts open which we can trace directly to letters that we 
 have sent out — that is, duplicate letters with appropriate folders and 
 circulars." 
 
 Isn't there a mighty big thought in this for you? 
 
 To make the proof stronger still, the complete letter of Mr. 
 Jackson was attached. 
 
 Possibly the best proofs are samples of the goods or sugges- 
 tions as to tests of qualit3 r which the customer can perform. 
 For example, the letter from which the quotation was just 
 taken had printed at the top, Printed on the Duplicating
 
 2 OS EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Machine. The sending of goods on trial, as in several of 
 the " clinchers " on page 272, is proof of the same kind. 
 
 For the goods you are trying to sell, the best way to find 
 out how to convince the customer will be to ask yourself, 
 "Why should I buy the goods?" If you cannot answer the 
 question unaided, ask people who use the article. Ask enough 
 persons to find out what reasons are best. When you have 
 written as convincingly as you can, read the paragraphs over 
 and ask, "Would this prove to me that / ought to buy the 
 goods?" When you have finally satisfied yourself, try the 
 letter out on the public. 
 
 To convince, picture the object in use, select the evidence 
 that will appeal most directly to your customer, present it 
 in the most specific, concrete way that you can, and be sure 
 always to look at the matter from his point of view. 
 
 Exercise 138 
 
 1. Continue each of the letters yon began in Exercise 137. After 
 writing, exchange with a classmate, who will write a sentence or two 
 on each of these points: 
 
 (a) Is the article new to the purchase]'? 
 
 (b) Does the writer take the point of view of the reader? 
 
 (c) Does the description picture the object as the purchaser 
 
 would use it? 
 
 (d) Is the evidence (1) facts and figures, (2) testimonials, or 
 
 (3) tests and samples? 
 
 (e) Would the evidence be perfectly clear and convincing to the 
 
 supposed reader? 
 
 (f) Does the whole argument show a complete knowledge of the 
 
 article as well as ability to take the point of view of the 
 reader?
 
 SALES LETTERS— SECURING ACTION 209 
 
 2. In the light of this criticism, rewrite this section of your letter 
 to overcome the weaknesses that are discovered. 
 
 156. Persuasion — Appeals. — The purpose of every sales 
 letter is to produce action, to induce the reader to buy. Per- 
 suasion is such arguing as will bring the customer to act. 
 What arguments will induce him to buy can be known surely 
 only from trial and experience. In general, however, he will 
 act more quickly if he is in a pleasant frame of mind. If he 
 is made to feel that he will find especial comfort in the chair, 
 or much pleasure in the use of the fountain pen, or a deep 
 pride in the ownership of an automobile, he is likely to buy. 
 Gain is another powerful instinct. If he is made to feel that 
 he can save money by purchasing now, or that the purchase 
 will increase his profits, he is likely to buy. Pleasure and 
 profit are always strong appeals. 
 
 157. Persuasion — Inducements. — LTpon these motives 
 are based the inducements that lead to action. Premiums 
 and trading stamps are offered in several businesses. A pub- 
 lisher of an encyclopedia, for example, may offer some other 
 book free as inducement to purchase. A statement that 
 the supply is nearly exhausted, or that the articles are being 
 closed out, or that the purchaser will be allowed a free trial, 
 or that satisfaction is guaranteed or money refunded— any 
 of these statements may be used to induce the reader to act 
 at once. All inducements should be offered for a limited time 
 only, since the purpose is to secure immediate action. 
 
 The letter last quoted (§ 155, page 267) proceeds as follows: 
 
 The portfolio we sent you — "Your Bank and the Duplicating 
 Machine " —tells our story. Such practical instances as the above 
 only add more proof to that already piled up.
 
 270 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 I don't maintain that you can revolutionize your advertising 
 printing methods with Duplicating Machine equipment — I don't 
 want you to revolutionize them. But surely there must be big 
 possibilities for you in a thing that has accomplished so much for 
 hundreds of other banks. 
 
 The persuasion here applies to the reader the argument 
 already adduced. It tries to make him feel that he is losing 
 an opportunity by delaying. You will observe that it is not 
 more insistent than befits the dignified standing of the banker. 
 The restraint adds to the air of sincerity and does not with a 
 banker detract from the enthusiasm. 
 
 Exercise 139 
 
 1. Continue the letters commenced in Exercises 137 and 138. 
 Exchange with a classmate, who will write a sentence or two on each 
 of the following points : 
 
 (a) What appeal is made for action, the customer's pleasure, or 
 
 his gain? 
 
 (b) Are inducements added to overcome lingering objections? 
 
 (c) Is the section both enthusiastic and sincere? 
 
 (d) Would this section produce immediate action? 
 
 2. In the light of this criticism rewrite this section so as to make it 
 
 as persuasive as you can. 
 
 (a) Have you made the persuasion follow naturally from the 
 
 conviction? 
 
 (b) Does the letter become more interesting in the new section? 
 
 158. Clincher — Its Tone. — In stimulating the reader to 
 action, there is one kind of obstacle which has to be overcome.
 
 SALES LETTERS— SECURING ACTION 271 
 
 He must know exactly what he is to do to secure the goods. 
 The directions must be detailed and specific. There must be 
 no room for confusion of any kind. He must find the action 
 easy and pleasant. If he thinks it involves too much trouble, 
 he will put it off until another time — which usually means 
 forever. If he can act at once, even if the action is merely 
 preliminary to purchase, he is more likely to carry the process 
 through to the end. If he writes a few words at the bottom 
 or on the back of the letter, if he fills out a blank or two on a 
 printed postal card, if he uses an enclosed envelope, he has 
 begun a course of action. Having begun, he will find it much 
 easier to proceed. 
 
 The final sentence should therefore be decisive. The par- 
 ticipial close here is fatal. Awaiting the favor of a reply, 
 Hoping that we have succeeded in interesting you, Trusting we 
 may receive your order in due course, Thanking you for your 
 patience in reading thus far, imply lack of confidence. If the 
 writer is not optimistic about the goods and the argument. 
 he can in no wise expect the reader to become interested. 
 Every word, phrase, and turn of expression must suggest 
 satisfaction and immediate action. The closing sentence 
 must be positive and decisive. 
 
 159. Clincher — Its Form. — For this reason the conclusion 
 is usually in the form of a request or a command. An order 
 is likely to be obeyed. If it is in keeping with the rest of the 
 letter, if the reader has actually been convinced of the merits 
 of the goods and persuaded of his need, he will think the 
 command or request quite natural. He will obey the sugges- 
 tion without delay. 
 
 The concluding sentence of the duplicating machine letter 
 reads as follows:
 
 272 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Consider these things, please, and then return the enclosed card. 
 You will not be obligated, and your bank may be materially benefited. 
 
 Other ways of suggesting action are illustrated by the 
 following. How is each adapted to the class of customer 
 addressed? 
 
 Whether you adopt any of the ideas, whether you buy a Burroughs 
 or not , you incur no obligation whatever by signing the enclosed post- 
 card. 
 
 Suppose you ring for your mailing clerk, now. 
 
 It will cost you nothing to test it. Ask a computing machine man 
 to come in— not for a talk fest— but to actually figure some of your 
 pay-roll and show you what the machine will do. 
 
 Isn't that a fair and logical proposition? 
 
 You can signify your acceptance of it by simply signing and re- 
 turning the enclosed card. 
 
 You incur no obligation, risk or expense whatever by signing the 
 enclosed post-card. 
 
 Sign it and drop it in the mail right now. 
 
 There is a field here for profitable business and we'd like to show 
 you more samples. May we? 
 
 Please obey the impulse now if you want the display, and we will 
 do the rest. 
 
 Remember that your conclusion must clinch the sale. 
 Just as you can make no sale if the beginning does not make 
 the right contact with the reader, so you will lose one if you 
 do not clinch it at the end.
 
 SALES LETTERS— SECURING ACTION 273 
 
 Exercise 140 
 
 1. Complete the letters already partly written. 
 
 (a) Is your clincher clear and easy to follow? 
 
 (b) Is it positive and decisive? 
 
 ((0 Is its tone in keeping with the rest of the letter? 
 
 2. Read the whole letter aloud to the class. Then ask how many 
 would buy. If some would not buy, ask them to explain the reasons. 
 If all would buy, ask them what was the most effective part of the 
 letter. 
 
 3. Select from The Outlook, The Literary Digest, The Saturday 
 Evening Post, or some similar periodical some advertisement of an 
 article about which you can learn a good deal. Write a complete 
 sales letter. Read it to the class for criticism. Let one row of 
 students make notes on contact, a second on conviction, a third on 
 persuasion, and a fourth on the clincher. 
 
 4. Rewrite the letter in the light of this criticism by your class- 
 mates. 
 
 160. Follow-Up Sales Letters. — One letter is usually not 
 sufficient to produce a sale. Consequently a series of them is 
 usually planned before the first one is sent out. The effort is 
 to present the claims of the article in such a variety of ways 
 that the reader will be won over. One way is to repeat the 
 argument in new and fresh manner time after time. Another 
 is to present new arguments or talking points in successive 
 letters. Sometimes one letter is chiefly occupied with making 
 contact, and later ones with successive steps. With some 
 articles, the letters are sent out in quick succession. With 
 others, they are mailed at long intervals. The problem 
 always is to present the buying appeal with such novelty 
 as to arouse interest, yet with such insistence on the bed- 
 
 18
 
 274 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 rock features that each letter will strengthen the impulse 
 to buy. 
 
 The two letters below follow the one on pages 255, 256. 
 
 Second Letter 
 
 Last week a neighbor came to me, and said — " I am thinking about 
 having my house painted, and I am undecided what to use. I know 
 you have handled paint and ought to know what will give the best 
 service. What would you suggest ?" 
 
 I had been looking at this house and had made up my mind to sell 
 him Wear- Well Gloss Paint the next time I saw him. When he 
 asked for my advice, I could give him but one answer, "Use Wear- 
 Well." I then figured up the surface he had to cover, and gave him 
 an estimate on the amount of paint required for the work. He was 
 more than surprised when I quoted the price, as he had expected to 
 pay half as much again. To make a long story short, I sold him 
 enough Wear-Well Paint for the job, and he is going to have a 
 responsible painter put it on for him. 
 
 There is no question about it, Wear- Well Gloss Paint will give your 
 property the kind of protection from decay and deterioration it de- 
 serves. I have tested Wear- Well Gloss Paint myself, and can assure 
 you it will substantiate all claims made for it. 
 
 Let me have a chance to estimate on the paint for your property. 
 It will give me pleasure to furnish you this information, and may 
 be the means of saving you from costly repairs at a later date. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Third Letter 
 
 How much are you paying each year for fire insurance? 
 
 If your buildings are valuable, I'll wager it's costing you consider- 
 able, for you cannot afford to take chances on having them de- 
 stroyed, with no recompense. Yet loss from fire happens only once 
 in a while. There is, however, another loss that is bound to happen— 
 the loss from decay and deterioration when buildings are allowed to 
 go unpainted, when they need it.
 
 SALES LETTERS—SECURING ACTION 275 
 
 Paint's first duty is to protect — its second to beautify. Many 
 people think of paint only as a beautifying agent. If that were all 
 it does, then a poor, cheap paint would be just as good as a quality 
 paint. The most important service of paint is to protect the sur- 
 face on which it is used, and for that reason, it is wisdom to buy a 
 good paint, one that you can depend upon. 
 
 Wear-Well Gloss Paint will give you both service and beauty, and 
 it will add many dollars to the value of your property. I have 
 facts that will prove that a coat of Gloss Paint will bring your paint 
 cost per year down to a minimum, because Wear- Well Paint covers 
 double the surface of cheap paints. Inferior paints cover 100 to 
 200 square feet, two coats, to the gallon. Ordinary ready-mixed 
 paints and hand-made paints cover 200 to 250 square feet per gallon. 
 Wear- Well Gloss Paint covers from 300 to 400 square feet, two coats, 
 to a gallon. 
 
 Inferior paints may cost 50 cents or more a gallon less than Wear- 
 Well Gloss Paint. Ordinary paints may cost 25 cents or more a 
 gallon less than Wear-Well Gloss Paint. Yet bv all the laws of 
 mathematics and common sense Wear- Well Gloss Pa : nt is in reality 
 the cheapest. 
 
 Not to prefer and buy Wear- Well Gloss Paint in face of these facts 
 would be like a woman blinded by bargain prices buying six yards 
 of 18-inch-wide silk for 79 cents a yard when she could get three 
 yards of 36-inch-wide silk for $1 .25 per yard. 
 
 I should be pleased to give you an estimate on the cost of Wear- 
 Well Gloss Paint for your house, and show you color suggestions. 
 Right now is a good time to have the work done. May I serve you? 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Is the argument in the second different from the first? Is 
 the manner of presentation different? Is the impulse to buy 
 strengthened? How? 
 
 Why is the third longer than the others? Does it contain 
 new arguments? Does it strengthen the impulse to buy? 
 How?
 
 270 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Exercise 141 
 
 1. On one of the subjects on which you have written a complete 
 letter and about which you know a good deal, write a follow-up 
 letter. In planning it, answer the following questions: 
 
 (a) What fresh point of contact have you? 
 
 (b) Do you present a new argument or talking point? 
 
 (c) Is the argument equally convincing? 
 
 (d) What fresh means of persuasion do you employ? 
 
 (e) Has the clincher enough variety to bring immediate action? 
 
 (f) Does the letter as a whole strengthen the impulse to buy? 
 
 2. Read the letter to the class. Let the class be divided into six 
 committees, one for each question. One member of each committee 
 should report on the letter. To answer (f) the first letter in the 
 series should also be read to the class. 
 
 3. On the basis of these reports, rewrite the letter. 
 
 4. Write a second follow-up letter, the third in the series. Treat 
 it as in (2) and (3) above. 
 
 5. Study thoroughly your collection of letters for the specimens 
 best illustrating the points taken up in Chapters XXIII and XXIV. 
 Make a written report on the actual practice of business firms with 
 regard to the points discussed in these chapters or at least some 
 of the points.
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 SALES TALKS 
 
 161. What Is a Sales Talk? — Most articles arc sold, not 
 by letter, but by the conversation of clerks behind the coun- 
 ter or salesmen traveling hither and thither. To know how 
 to conduct such a conversation so that the customer will 
 actually purchase is the most valuable ability anyone enter- 
 ing the selling end of business can possess. 
 
 A successful sales talk contains the same features as a sales 
 letter. It must make contact with the particular customer 
 or prospect. It must convince him of the desirability of the 
 article. It must persuade him to act. It must clinch his 
 resolution to buy. 
 
 162. The Contact. — The contact must first of all attract the 
 prospect's attention. In sales behind a counter, the advertis- 
 ing, a show-window, some display of goods on the counter 
 may have already attracted attention. But the salesman can 
 attract further favorable attention by neat dress, a brisk 
 approach, a pleasing voice, and a cultivated use of language. 
 He should never ask, " What do you want? " but, " What may 
 I show you today?" or, "In what way may I serve you?" 
 Once he has secured the prospect's attention he should, how- 
 ever, avoid asking many questions about size, quality, price, 
 and so on. To keep from annoying customers he should begin 
 by showing the best article that he thinks this particular 
 person will buy. 
 
 Whether behind the counter or on the road, a salesman 
 
 277
 
 278 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 should make a point of knowing the customers by name. 
 Frequently the best way to attract attention is to say, "Good 
 morning, Mrs. Brown." He should engage the customer's 
 entire attention, and listen closely to all he or she says. His 
 voice should be clear and distinct but not loud. He should 
 appear more eager to please than to sell. 
 
 In the second place, the contact must interest the pros- 
 pect. It must contain some reference to his affairs. It 
 may bring out some benefit to him, some saving of money 
 or increase of comfort. His mind must be turned from 
 what he is thinking about and fastened upon the offer the 
 salesman is to make. If possible, the salesman should get 
 the object or some diagram or picture of it into the pros- 
 pect's hands. He should use his most telling description 
 and his clearest explanation to show the customer the nature 
 of the offer. 
 
 163. Conviction.— To convince requires a very thorough 
 knowledge of the goods. In fact, a salesman should know his 
 goods so well that he can answer any question about them. 
 He must, of course, know the prices. He should know the 
 uses thoroughly. If he is selling shoes, he must know what 
 are appropriate for dancing and what for outdoor use, what 
 are best for working men and what should be recommended 
 for tender feet. Sometimes he can convince a prospect of the 
 desirability of an article by referring to some feature of the 
 history of its production or of its use. He should therefore 
 know thoroughly the process of manufacture. What are the 
 raw materials? Where and how is the article made? What 
 does it cost to manufacture and why? In what ways is it' 
 superior to other articles of the same kind? If he cannot 
 answer the last question satisfactorily, he can have little hope
 
 SALES TALKS 279 
 
 of success. Upon the answer depends the customer's decision 
 as to the usefulness of the article. 
 
 It goes without saying that the salesman's knowledge must 
 be genuine. He cannot hide ignorance by "bluffing." The 
 clerk who told a customer that a mercerized cotton coal lining 
 was "genuine Peruvian silk" succeeded once, but he de- 
 stroyed his further usefulness as a salesman, so far as that 
 customer was concerned. Genuine knowledge of the goods 
 tends to satisfy the customer, and inspires the confidence that 
 brings continued patronage. 
 
 The most convincing kind of argument is a demonstration. 
 If you are selling shoes, induce the prospect to feel the leather, 
 bend the soles, examine the sewing, try them on, or in some 
 other way actively use some of his senses. If you are selling 
 a piece of cloth, get the shopper to feel the texture, observe 
 the sheen, note the shade of color, or in some other way test 
 its suitability for her purpose. A demonstration or test is 
 the surest way to convince. 
 
 164. Persuasion. — To persuade frequently means to over- 
 come objections. The most skillful salesmen anticipate ob- 
 jections. They describe the use and the qualities of the 
 article so well that most objections are met. They do not 
 suggest the objection. They prevent it by the clearness of 
 the explanation! If objections are raised, they answer at 
 once. To evade would arouse suspicion. It need not be 
 repeated that a salesman should tell the truth. If he does 
 not know, the only safe plan is to admit his ignorance. His 
 purpose is not merely to sell the goods but to satisfy the 
 customer. 
 
 The most persuasive manner is one that suggests purchase 
 in every sentence of the sale. If the salesman is indifferent
 
 280 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 instead of enthusiastic, if he hesitates instead of speaking 
 confidently, he will have harder work to carry the customer 
 to a resolution to buy. He must at every step picture the 
 article as satisfying the customer, as something which the 
 customer will be proud to own or pleased to wear or enjoy 
 eating, or as in some other way affording personal pleasure. 
 He should not say, " Do you want to buy some of this candy?" 
 That might draw forth a "No." He should say, "You will 
 find this candy very delicious," or, "We have three different 
 assortments. Which do you prefer?" Never suggest doubt 
 or a negative. Always be positive in your suggestions. 
 
 The most common objections raised by customers may be 
 classified thus: 
 
 1. "I don't want it. " This indicates that the salesman has 
 not convinced the prospect that he needs the article. He 
 should begin from a new angle. 
 
 2. "I don't need it." Again the salesman has not been 
 convincing. He has not put enough emphasis on use. No 
 customer should buy anything he does not need. Some 
 further demonstration is necessary. 
 
 3. "It costs too much." Here a comparison with cheaper 
 articles should be made to show that it will cost less in the 
 end than a less expensive article. In retail sales the cheaper 
 article will be sold if the customer insists. 
 
 4. "I can't afford it." The statement may be true. In 
 that case it would be folly to overpersuade the prospect. To 
 do so would produce only dissatisfaction later. But often the 
 salesman can show that the purchase will save a great deal of 
 time or toil or money. He may even show that the prospect 
 cannot afford to be without it. 
 
 5. "I will come in later." This is frequently a polite way 
 of saying that the salesman has not interested the prospect.
 
 SALES TALKS 281 
 
 If it indicates merely inability of the prospect to make up his 
 mind, the salesman should show that delay will simply defer 
 his pleasure in the article, or that the price will be higher, 
 or that the stock will be depleted. He should suggest some 
 definite, positive satisfaction from immediate purchase. 
 
 During the process of persuasion or at any other point in 
 the sale, the salesman should never contradict the customer 
 or flatly oppose him. He should very tactfully supply the 
 facts which will undermine the customer's position and sug- 
 gest the satisfaction the article is certain to bring. He should 
 never fail to be cordial and deferential to the customer's 
 opinions, but he should at the same time be optimistic about 
 the goods he is selling. Full knowledge and enthusiasm 
 usually win the sale. 
 
 165. Clincher. — To clinch the sale requires a good deal of 
 skill. To know exactly when the purchaser is fully persuaded 
 about the good points of the article requires very keen insight. 
 Yet to keep on talking after a prospect has decided to buy 
 may weary her and lead her to change her mind completely. 
 The salesman should throw out a feeler, as, "Do you wish to 
 take this with you?" or, " Which style do you prefer?" When 
 the customer has assented, the salesman should at once make 
 out the sales slip, or secure the signature, or in some other 
 way close the transaction. If there is a pause while waiting 
 for change, he may fill it with directions for use or some other 
 suggestion concerning the merits of the article purchased. 
 When the customer leaves, the salesman should in some way 
 suggest that she will be pleased with the purchase. He should 
 thank her for it, not hurriedly, but in a tone that will show 
 that he means it. Even if she doesn't buy, she should be 
 made to feel glad she had come.
 
 282 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 166. A Retail Sale.— 
 
 Scene. The school store, run by the general organization. 
 Persons. A student salesman and a freshman customer. 
 
 Salesman. Good morning, John! 
 
 Customer. Good morning! 
 
 S. What can we do for you this morning? 
 
 C. I don't want to buy. I came to borrow a sheet of theme 
 paper. I forgot mine at home. 
 
 S. Sure! I'll give you one from my note-book. [He puts his loose- 
 leaf note-book on the counter, opens it, springs open the rings, 
 and takes out a sheet.] Here it is ! You ought to have one of 
 these, John. See how easy it is to carry all your paper around 
 in it. [Closing it and putting it in John's hand.] Whenever you 
 want to write, you just open it like this and begin writing. 
 [Salesman illustrates by opening and writing.] 
 
 C. Yes, but mine's cheaper. I'll bet yours cost half a dollar. 
 
 S. Guess again! It cost 39 cents, including the paper. It will 
 last as many terms as I take care of it. It will outlast a dozen 
 bound note-books. Besides, you can use it for every subject 
 you study. In the front j^ou may have your English notes, as 
 I have [opening to English notes], and farther on your history 
 [turning to the middle of the book]. 
 
 C. But mine cost only 10 cents, and I shall not use more than half 
 of it, 
 
 S. Yes, that is true, but you forget that the other half will go to 
 waste. If you tear out the written pages, you will ruin the 
 note-book. But look at this loose-leaf note-book. You can 
 remove any pages you don't need [removing a few], and [closing 
 the rings again] the rest of the book is new again. 
 
 C. I never thought of that, 
 
 S. Here's a brand new one. Shall I wrap it up? 
 
 C. Oh, no! I haven't enough money with me today. 
 
 S. That's all right. Make a small deposit, John, bring the rest 
 tomorrow, and you can use the book that first study period 
 this morning. 
 
 C. All right. Here's a dime.
 
 SALES TALKS 283 
 
 S. You will always be ready with your themes and notes now, 
 
 John. So long! 
 C. So long [walking ojf with the book and a proud smile of possession ] ! 
 
 Exercise 142 
 
 1. In this sale, does the salesman need to catch the customer's 
 attention? Why does he address him first instead of waiting? 
 
 2. How does he get the interest of the customer? 
 
 3. How does he convince the customer of the value of the article? 
 
 4. Is he tactful in urging the merits of his own note-book? 
 
 5. Does he ever allow the conversation to become an argument, 
 in which salesman and customer take opposite sides? 
 
 6. How does he persuade the customer to action? Does he show 
 any special knowledge of the customer? Does he make the desira- 
 bility of the article for this particular customer obvious? 
 
 7. How does he clinch the sale? 
 
 8. Classify the objections that are raised, according to the types 
 on pages 280, 281. 
 
 9. How does he suggest satisfaction in the sale? Should he have 
 thanked the purchaser? 
 
 167. Practice. — The conversation above was the work of 
 a student. It illustrates one of the best ways to learn how to 
 sell goods. The same article is assigned to two students for 
 sale. Each studies the strong arguments or talking points 
 for it, and also the most likely objections. The contact he 
 can plan pretty carefully, because few customers raise ob- 
 jections so early. For the rest of the talk he must rely upon 
 his knowledge of the article and of the competition it will 
 meet. At the class hour one of the two will be asked to act 
 as salesman and the other as customer. 
 
 The class may be divided into committees to criticize the
 
 284 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 talk in its four divisions. Some member of each committee 
 should report on each speech. By asking himself such ques- 
 tions as those on page 283, a committee member can bring 
 out the strength and weakness of each speech. 
 
 A student who engages in a sales talk every day for even a 
 single term will have gained enough experience to be able to 
 guide the conversation in almost any sales situation. He will 
 be more likely to succeed from the beginning of his actual 
 experience. 
 
 Exercise 143 
 
 1. The supposed customer in any of the talks below may be 
 changed to fit in with the experience of the pupil preparing the talk. 
 
 (a) Sell a fountain pen to a boy student. 
 
 (b) Sell a fountain pen to a girl. 
 
 (c) Sell book covers to a student. 
 
 (d) Induce a student to subscribe to the school periodical. 
 
 (e) Induce a boy to purchase a season ticket for the school ball 
 
 team. 
 
 (f) Induce a girl to purchase the same ticket 
 
 (g) Sell a ticket to a school play or concert. 
 
 (h) Sell some kind of laundry soap to a housewife. 
 
 (i) A safety razor to a man who has been going to a barber shop. 
 
 (j ) A set of books to a man who has children. 
 
 (k) A vacuum cleaner to a housewife. 
 
 (1) A dish-washer to a woman who does her own cooking. 
 
 (m) A clothes-washer to a woman who employs a laundress. 
 
 (n) An automobile delivery wagon to a grocer who has a horse 
 
 and wagon, 
 (o) A typewriter to a man who writes all his letters by hand, 
 (p) One make of typewriter to a man who owns another make. 
 
 2. After the delivery of each talk or conversation, let the class 
 criticize on the basis of the points in § § 162-165.
 
 SALES TALKS 28o 
 
 Exercise 144 
 
 1. While you are preparing your sales talk for any of the follow- 
 ing situations, consider the difficulties the salesman has to meet. 
 
 (a) Sell an adding machine to the owner of a garage. 
 
 (b) A mimeograph to the owner of a drug store with ten clerks. 
 
 (c) A multigraph to the vice-president of a bank in charge of 
 
 getting new business. 
 
 (d) An electric iron to a woman who has always used a sadiron. 
 
 (e) An electric percolator or chafing dish or stove to a woman 
 
 who has always cooked on a coal or gas stove. 
 
 (f ) A bread-maker or cake-mixer to a woman who does her own 
 
 cooking. 
 
 (g) A windmill to a farmer. 
 
 (h) A harvester to a farmer who has begun to raise grain. 
 
 (i) A threshing machine to a farmer who has always waited to 
 rent another man's. 
 
 (j ) A cream separator to a dairy farmer. 
 
 (k) A milking apparatus to a dairy farmer who employs milkers. 
 
 (1) A tractor to a farmer who has always used horses. 
 
 (m) An automobile to a farmer ten miles from the railroad. 
 
 (n) An automobile to a woman who has never driven. 
 
 (o) An automobile to a man who has driven another make of 
 car. 
 
 (p) Some particular brand of rubber tire for automobiles. 
 
 (q) Some kind of automobile accessory, as a lamp, storage bat- 
 tery, brake lining, self-starter. 
 
 (r) A particular make of pistol or rifle to a hunter. 
 
 (s) A particular brand of soap to a druggist for sale to his cus- 
 tomers. 
 
 (t) A particular brand of shoes to a merchant. 
 
 (u) A particular brand of ready-to-wear clothing to a merchant. 
 
 (v) A kind of hardware — as Keen Kutter or Sargent — to a 
 merchant. 
 
 (w) Any article you have seen advertised. 
 
 2. Let the class criticize as in Exercise 143 (2).
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 ADVERTISING 
 
 168. Nature of Advertising. — Advertising is salesmanship 
 in print. The fact that it is in print involves some dif- 
 ferences. First, it is not addressed to a single customer. It 
 reaches a wide public, but it loses the personal touch. If it is 
 intended to reach a particular class of readers, it must by its 
 wording make sure of reaching that class. Second, it has to 
 overcome more distractions than the salesman. In the news- 
 paper or magazine, it must compete with the news or the 
 stories and articles and even with other advertising matter. 
 In the street-car, it must compete with a book, or a newspaper, 
 or people in the car; and on a bill-board it must rival in 
 attractiveness the scenery near at hand. 
 
 169. Its First Problem.— Consequently, the writer of 
 the advertisement must try even harder than the salesman 
 to catch attention. An advertisement that is not read is of 
 no value to anybody. The devices are many. Head-lines 
 will frequently arrest the eye. Unusual kinds of type tend to 
 set the matter off. Pictures are very useful. In magazines, 
 colors are coming to be used more and more. But the "copy," 
 or body of the advertisement itself, should be compelling. It 
 should be so concrete, so vivid, that the interest will not 
 waver. Though the average reader, instead of a particular 
 person, is addressed, the language should seem to be directed 
 to the particular person who is reading it. The "you attitude " 
 should never be relaxed. 
 
 286
 
 ADVERTISING 
 
 2S7 
 
 170. Attracting Attention— Bulletins. — The principle of 
 attracting attention should be observed in all the notices dis- 
 played in or around the school. Even a notice on the black- 
 board can be poor or good. All posters announcing a base- 
 ball game or a society meeting should be good advertisements. 
 Use nouns and verbs, present active verbs, whenever possible. 
 Make each phrase stand out. Take the reader's point of 
 view. Place what is surest to interest him where it is certain 
 to meet his eye. 
 
 Poor display: 
 
 Our Team Will 
 Meet Wolfville 
 
 Saturday, at 
 Richmond Oval 
 
 Buy Your Tickets Here 
 
 This bulletin is too leisurely to attract attention. The 
 arrangement does not feature the important matters. It 
 does not urge sufficiently the immediate purchase of tickets. 
 If the student puts the matter off, he may not have the money 
 left, Besides, its invitation is somewhat forbidding. Buying 
 is in itself not often a very attractive idea. As we have seen 
 in Chapters XXIV and XXV, the buyer purchases to satisfy 
 some desire. A better form would omit "buy."
 
 2S8 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Better display: 
 
 See Our Team 
 Defeat Wolfville 
 
 Saturday, at Richmond Oval 
 
 Tickets Here. Buy Now 
 
 171. Arousing Interest — The Appeal. — Frequently the 
 bulletin adds some appeal to the announcement, Care should 
 be taken to make prominent what will interest the reader. 
 The arrangement, the wording, the whole design should win 
 attention. 
 
 Weak appeal: 
 
 Boys and Girls! Don't 
 Be Slackers! 
 
 Come out and Support 
 the Team Saturday- 
 It Cannot Win With 
 No One to Cheer 
 
 Buy Your Tickets Here
 
 ADVERTISING 
 
 289 
 
 The first line should be positive instead of negative. The 
 design of the bulletin does not make anything stand out con- 
 spicuously. Tin 1 following secures better emphasis and is 
 better adapted to the reader's feelings. 
 
 Stronger appeal: 
 
 Your Team 
 Needs You 
 
 Cheer it to Success 
 
 Help Stocker Win 
 
 Saturday, at Richmond Oval 
 
 Tickets Here 
 BUY NOW 
 
 The appeal to loyalty is stronger and more rousing than 
 the threat of ridicule or contempt. The appeal to support 
 the pitcher, Stocker, is more concrete and compelling than 
 the general statement, "It cannot win with no one to cheer." 
 "Your Team" attracts attention and arouses interest. The 
 next two lines deepen that interest and arouse response. The 
 final lines clinch that response with the definite call for action. 
 
 The whole problem of advertising lies in the answer to this 
 question! 
 
 How can I appeal to the reader so that he will act accord- 
 ing to my wishes? 
 
 19
 
 290 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Exercise 145 
 
 1. Examine the posters in the school corridors, the bill-boards in 
 town, or the cards in the street-car. Copy them exactly, and re- 
 port on the following points: 
 
 (a) Which are the best head-lines for attracting attention? 
 
 (b) What feeling or ideas are used in the appeal? 
 
 (c) How is the reader induced to act? 
 
 (d) In which are the important matters, by arrangement and 
 
 lettering, made most prominent? 
 
 2. Draw up a bulletin announcement of a new issue of the school 
 paper, of some athletic event, of a play, of a dance or other enter- 
 tainment, of an election or club meeting. 
 
 3. When these are placed on the blackboard, let the class criticize. 
 A good basis will be the questions in 1. 
 
 4. Draw up a form suitable for a bill-board or a card in a street- 
 car. Take as your subject some toilet article, a magazine or news- 
 paper, some article of food. 
 
 5. Let the class criticize as in 3. 
 
 172. Classified Advertising.— The type of advertising 
 just considered, where nearly the whole problem is catching 
 attention, is sometimes called "publicity advertising." An 
 opposite extreme is "classified advertising,"' where catching 
 the attention is almost eliminated. Such advertisements are 
 gathered in columns in daily newspapers. They are classified 
 under such heads as Help Wanted, Lost and Found. Only 
 interested persons read these columns. The advertiser gives 
 only such information as will help the right interested persons 
 to reply. The chief question is, "Does the statement give 
 the right kind and amount of information in the clearest, tho 
 simplest language?"
 
 ADVERTISING 291 
 
 Exercise 146 
 
 1. Cut out or mark in the classified columns the six best advertise- 
 ments. 
 
 (a) Why is the information of the exact kind and amount re- 
 
 quired? 
 
 (b) How is the language kept clear and simple? 
 
 2. Write five Help Wanted advertisements for different situations. 
 Have you given the exact requirements for each position? Have 
 you kept the information clear without making the notice more than 
 three lines long? 
 
 Exercise 147 
 
 1. Write five Situations Wanted advertisements for different posi- 
 tions. Have you indicated in each your best qualifications? 
 
 2. Write five Lost and Found advertisements for different articles. 
 Have you chosen details that will aid in identifying the articles? 
 
 3. Write other kinds of classified advertisements. 
 
 173. Display Advertising — The Display Lines. — Most ad- 
 vertising in newspapers and magazines is called "display 
 advertising," because parts are set or "displayed" in bold 
 type. The head-line attracts attention by mentioning some 
 feature of the article sure to interest the reader. It must be 
 concrete and concise. It must avoid generalities and tell 
 specific, unusual facts. It may be newsy or conversational. 
 It may appeal to curiosity, love of home, or personal vanity. 
 But it must be interesting. It should bring up a picture in 
 four or five words. 
 
 Do not say: 
 
 A preparation for owners of motor cars.
 
 292 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 But: 
 
 Remove Carbon the Easy Way. 
 
 Often a second line in the body of the advertisement names 
 the article, or some feature of it. The last line usually con- 
 tains the name of the manufacturer and some indication of 
 where the product may be purchased. 
 
 These two or three lines must not only interest the reader. 
 They must bring out the most telling features of the copy and 
 must harmonize with each other. They must tell the story 
 so that those who run may read. There is seldom room in an 
 advertisement for more than one talking point, and the dis- 
 play lines should help to drive that point home. Frequently 
 color and illustrations are employed, but all should add em- 
 phasis to the single purpose of the advertisement. Do the 
 display lines in the advertisement on page 293 combine all 
 these qualifications? 
 
 Exercise 148 
 
 Clip a news story from the daily paper. Cut off all the head-lines. 
 Frame head-lines of your own. Compare these with the ones just 
 cut off. How are those in the paper more interesting and more 
 accurate as summaries? Keep this up until you can write good 
 head-lines. 
 
 Exercise 149 
 
 Bring to class ten page-advertisements from magazines. 
 
 1. Do the display lines in each emphasize the central point and 
 
 harmonize with each other? 
 
 2. Arc the lines brief and concrete? 
 
 3. Do they lead you to read the advertisement?
 
 ' *- , — A, — .. v-,; ■■■-< ■„:^.,,-.-.- ... 
 
 *?%.■ 
 
 THE CHASE NATIONAL BANK. ^ 
 
 ySG'? BOO aTJWAY.-nKW jy>y 
 
 MvA»(.£ rm»o>i«n nrwvgflr r.awmc h^ust ./ * 
 
 Pay to tot: okxfk ui_ 
 
 
 
 How to insure checks against fraud 
 
 Checks are the safest form of currency — even though large sums of 
 money are lost each year through the fraudulent alteration of some kinds 
 of checks. 
 
 Examine the one above. The reproduction is, of course, im- 
 perfect; but a glance will show that it is not made on ordinary paper. 
 
 National Safety Paper 
 
 You've seen it scores of times, no doubt, 
 for it is nearly fifty years old, and hundreds 
 of banks, including over 70 per cent of those 
 in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia 
 use it. Perhaps your own checks, or those 
 furnished you by your bank, have that same 
 "wavy line" background. 
 
 Then be sure that you are not among those 
 who lose by check raising or changing. Any 
 attempted erasure of a check on National 
 Safety Paper, by knife, or by chemicals, will 
 produce an irremovable glaring white stain 
 
 in the paper, rendering a fraud instantly 
 
 George La Monte 8c Son 
 
 (Makers of Safety Tapers 
 61 Broadway New York 
 
 detectable. The amount is safeguarded, also 
 the payee, date and endorsements. And this 
 is the only way to make those four parts safe. 
 
 Those banks, which do not use National 
 Safety Paper exclusively, often have various 
 styles of' checks on hand. If you want 
 National Safety Paper it is usually only 
 necessary to ask your bank for it. 
 
 Some interesting facts about check frauds 
 and their preventieta are contained in our 
 book, "The Protection of Checks". We 
 shall be glad to send it to you; also samples 
 of National Safety Paper. 
 
 
 •;y^w.' : ^ ..^v; 1 ':: 1 . 1 ;, ■-■■■•■-■-■ *" • '■ ' <• - • /". . ^ ' *jg 
 
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 202
 
 294 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 174. The Copy. — The copy for the advertisement must 
 make the right appeal to get the desired action. It should 
 arouse the reader's interest by showing him that he needs the 
 article. It should describe or explain its uses or prove its 
 superiority in such manner as will gain his confidence. By 
 some special inducement or a direct command it should per- 
 suade him to act. The advertisement on page 293 illustrates 
 these five steps — attention, interest, confidence, persuasion to 
 act, clincher. 
 
 Exercise 150 
 
 1. In the advertisement on page 293: 
 
 (a) What catches the reader's attention? 
 
 (b) How is the contact made with the reader? What desire is 
 
 appealed to? 
 
 (c) What information that is novel arouses interest.'' Is this 
 
 information directly connected with the qualities of the 
 article? 
 
 (d) How is confidence in this particular article created? 
 
 (e) How is the reader persuaded to use it? 
 
 (f) How is his resolution clinched? 
 
 2. Select two of the advertisements i:i the Exercise 149. Explain 
 each by means of the questions just applied to the advertisement 
 on page 293. 
 
 175. Language. — The writer of advertisements must 
 study his language carefully. He may by one word mar the 
 whole impression. Since he is trying to catch the interest of 
 the average reader, he must be simple, direct, concrete. He 
 must make definite, not general, statements, must give 
 specific facts. His sentences should usually be short. His
 
 ADVERTISING 295 
 
 words should seldom be technical. They should be forceful 
 and catchy. Naturally the language used to sell bonds would 
 differ from that used to sell chewing gum. But always the 
 wording should be clear as the sun to the reader whom the 
 advertisement seeks to reach. 
 
 On the other hand, the language should set the advertise- 
 ment off from others in the reader's mind. The best way to 
 accomplish this result is to avoid exaggeration, to be as defi- 
 nite and concrete as possible. 
 
 Do not say: 
 
 Our sale of Wonderful Shirts. 
 
 But: 
 
 Shirts so varied in patterns, so full of sparkle in these 
 original colorings as to leave no room for disappointment. 
 Perfectly tailored, sleeves and body measurements in just 
 the correct proportions, every shirt in the collection has 
 been made over our well-tried measurements. The ma- 
 terials are fine printed Corded Madras and Sturdy Percales 
 that will give the best of service. 
 
 In other words, give the reader some image of the article 
 or its chief quality. Use words exactly, even if j^ou have to 
 search long in the dictionary. Avoid superlatives and many 
 adjectives and adverbs. Stick always to the specific nouns 
 and verbs. 
 
 Where the same style is maintained throughout successive 
 advertisements, it becomes more and more successful. The 
 reader remembers the earlier ones and greets the new one 
 with something of the familiarity of an old friend The ad- 
 vertiser thus builds up what is called "good-will." He is 
 likely to induce the reader not only to buy for himself but to 
 recommend the article to his friends.
 
 296 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 Exercise 151 
 
 1. In the advertisement on page 293, what statements are particu- 
 larly simple and direct? Where are specific words well used? Are 
 there technical terms? Should they have been used? What class 
 of reader is addressed? What is the talking point? How early is 
 it stated? How often is it emphasized? Are other matters 
 brought into the advertisement? 
 
 2. Apply these same questions to the two magazine advertise- 
 ments which you selected in Exercise 150 (2). 
 
 Exercise 152 
 
 1. Write out ten words appropriate for advertising each of the 
 following articles: bread, butter, coffee, soap, cereal, rugs, chairs, 
 jewelry, dresses, talking machines. 
 
 2. Select five advertisements from the daily newspaper which by 
 reason of general or exaggerated statements fail to create confidence. 
 Rewrite, improving the wording. Explain how you have improved 
 each one. 
 
 176. Suggestion. — There are in general two ways of 
 getting the desired response from the reader. The first way 
 is that of implanting proper suggestions in his mind. The 
 suggestions will act upon his senses or his emotions. They 
 shorten or remove the period of indecision. On the impulse 
 he will purchase the article advertised. 
 
 Some suggestions are direct: 
 
 Write today. 
 
 Bake it with Royal and be sure. 
 
 Say it with flowers. 
 
 But direct suggestions often arouse opposition. The more 
 indirect the suggestion, provided it be clear, the more certain
 
 ADVERTISING 2 ( .)7 
 
 it is of producing its effect. It relieves the purchaser of the 
 uncomfortable necessity of making up his mind. The famous 
 slogans : 
 
 It Floats. 
 
 His Muster's Voice. 
 
 Good morning! Have you used Pears' Soap? 
 
 Ask the man who owns one ! 
 
 There's a reason. 
 
 are admirable brief examples of indirect suggestion. Some- 
 times the method is more elaborate. You may describe the 
 lusciousness of an apple or the deliciousness of a drink in such 
 terms that the reader will not rest satisfied until he eats the 
 apple or drinks the beverage. You may raise such a picture 
 . of his pride in the ownership of an automobile that nothing 
 will content him but the purchase. You may stimulate such 
 fear of poverty or of hardship for his family that he will gladly 
 save considerable sums for investment or insurance. Prob- 
 ably the strongest of all emotions is love, as love of one's 
 children or family. 
 
 Pictures are nearly always a part of a suggestive advertise- 
 ment, because they appeal directly to the feelings and more 
 powerfully than words. But the words, too, should make 
 just as vivid an appeal as possible. The following shows how 
 simple, yet how suggestive, advertising style can be made 
 (see page 298) . 
 
 The power of suggestion is not suited to all commodities. It 
 is naturally strongest with foods and drinks, in which the senses 
 rightfully determine choice or rejection. It is strong likewise 
 with luxuries, where personal taste is a deciding element, and 
 with toilet articles and matters of ornament. In general, 
 articles for women and children are thought to sell best by 
 suggestion.
 
 Keep a Kodak Story of the Children. 
 
 In every day of their young lives are events of almost dramatic 
 interest: The painted gallop across the porch on the hobby horse; 
 the adventure with the puppy in the garden; sister's new frock and 
 brother's tricycle; that important morning when with stout hearts 
 they first trudge off to school — such pictures, preserving forever the 
 childhood days, mean a world of comfort to mother's heart — yes, 
 and to father's too. 
 
 And just a few years afterward: "That's you, Polly, when you 
 were — let me see. Oh yes, the film says it was August eight, nine- 
 teen nineteen, your fourth birthday. And Junior was five. " 
 
 Every picture worth taking is worth at least a date, if not a title. 
 It's all very simple with an Autographic Kodak, as simple as pressing 
 the button. And Autographic film costs no more than the other kind. 
 
 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY 
 Att Deahn - Rochester, N. Y., The Kodak City 
 
 298
 
 ADVERTISING 299 
 
 Exercise 153 
 
 1. Bring in ten examples of direct suggestion and ten of indirect 
 suggestion used in national advertising in magazines. 
 
 2. Rewrite the direct suggestions in indirect form. 
 
 3. Write rive direct suggestions to be used with: stockings, chew- 
 ing gum, tea, automobiles, toothpaste. 
 
 4. Write an indirect suggestion for each kind of article. 
 
 Exercise 154 
 
 1. With regard to the kodak advertisement on page 298, answer 
 the following questions: 
 
 (a) How is the attention caught? 
 
 (b) How is interest aroused? 
 
 (c) What are the most vivid phrases? Is the picturesqueness 
 
 maintained? 
 
 (d) What is the talking point? Is any other matter introduced? 
 
 Is the point emphasized? 
 
 (e) Is there any persuasion to action? 
 
 (f) Is there any clinching of the sale? 
 
 2. Bring to class five similar advertisements and be prepared to 
 explain each with the aid of the questions under 1. 
 
 3. Write a similar appeal for one of the following: 
 
 (a) Some kind of musical instrument. 
 
 (b) A toilet soap. 
 
 (c) A cold cream or face powder. 
 
 (d) Some article of food. 
 
 (e) Some kind of beverage. 
 
 (f) Accident insurance, fire insurance. 
 
 (g) A revolver or pistol, 
 (h) A tricycle. 
 
 (i) A diamond ring or other article of personal adornment, 
 
 (j) An illustrated gift book or a picture. 
 
 (k) Some brand of candy. 
 
 (1) A new cereal food.
 
 300 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 177. " Reason Why."— The other way of getting the 
 desired response from the reader is by reasoning with him. 
 Instead of starting impulses, you appeal to his intelligence. 
 You ask him to think the matter out. You give him evidence 
 of the superiority of the article advertised. Most of the ad- 
 vertisement is taken up with convincing his mind. 
 
 In general, three arguments are available to prove the 
 superiority of your article. The quality may be higher, either 
 because of the raw materials or of the expert workmanship. 
 The service may be better, either because it fills a long-felt 
 need in saving time and labor or because it will give satisfac- 
 tion longer than its competitors. The price may be lower, 
 and yet the quality and service remain equal to that of the 
 competing articles. Whatever the argument, the article 
 must be made distinctive in the reader's mind. It must stand 
 out from competing articles without any direct comparison. 
 It must rise above the dead level of the commonplace. 
 
 The advertisement on page 293 is a good example of 
 "reason-why" method. The type of article with which it is 
 here used is one that is unfamiliar to the public and about 
 which the pub'ic needs information if the demand is to be 
 increased. Where the price is higher than that of competing 
 articles, argument is necessary. Devices for saving time and 
 labor, like the typewriter and the mimeograph, are usually 
 sold best by argument. In general, articles for deliberate 
 buyers, as farmers and professional men, are thought to sell 
 best by "reason-why" methods. 
 
 Exercise 155 
 
 1. With regard to the advertisement on page 293, answer these 
 questions :
 
 ADVERTISING 301 
 
 (a) Which of the three kinds of argument are used? 
 
 (b) What evidence is used to support the argument? 
 
 (c) How is the comparison with competitors introduced? How 
 
 is it kept indirect? 
 
 2. Bring to class five similar advertisements, and be prepared to 
 explain each by means of these questions. 
 
 3. Write a similar advertisement for one of the following. Make 
 sure that you know the article thoroughly before you plan the 
 advertisement. 
 
 (a) Some particular make of phonograph. 
 
 (b) A vacuum cleaner. 
 
 (c) A set of furniture, or some one article, as a chair. 
 
 (d) A filing cabinet. 
 
 (e) A dictating machine. 
 
 (f) An adding machine. 
 
 (g) An addressing machine, 
 (h) An automobile. 
 
 (i) A pneumatic tire. 
 
 (j) Some automobile accessory, as a carburetor, a storage bat- 
 tery, or a self-starter, 
 (k) An encyclopedia or other set of books. 
 
 4. The class will test the advertisement by means of the questions 
 on pages 294, 296. 
 
 178. Local Advertising. — The examples studied so far are 
 of products sold all over the country. The same principles 
 apply to retail advertising, although they have not hitherto 
 been used with nearly the same skill. The national ad- 
 vertising has therefore been the better for study as models. 
 A great variety of forms is available in local advertising. 
 An interesting listing of them may be found on pages 154, 
 155, the most common of which are the advertisements 
 printed in local newspapers. In store advertising of this kind
 
 James McCreery & Co. 
 
 5th Avenue 35th Street 
 
 Second Floor 
 
 In Our New Fifth Avenue Men's Store 
 
 For Three Days Prior 
 To Christmas 
 
 Opportunity 
 
 Knocks Again 
 
 In This Sale 
 
 of 
 
 MEN'S WINTER 
 OVERCOATS 
 
 775 Ulster Type Overcoats 
 Formerly $65, $75 and $85 
 
 at 
 
 $52-50 
 
 When it gets along toward Inventory Time there is no 
 use of being reserved about the sacrifices you must 
 make. To reduce stocks you must reduce prices. 
 That's all there's to it. These Overcoats are from our 
 regular stock. And when it came to Overcoats there 
 was no store in New York that could touch us this year. 
 Another thing: These coats were reduced from $65, 
 $75and $85, but don't imagine that you could get them 
 elsewhere at those figures. A McCreery regular price 
 is equivalent to a sale price at another siore. 
 
 USE THE 5TH AVENUE ARCADE 
 
 302
 
 ADVERTISING 
 
 303 
 
 some few arguments are of very 
 frequent value and recurrence. 
 The commonest is probably the 
 bargain, offering either unusually 
 good values or unusually low prices. 
 The advertisement on page 302 
 is an excellent example. This argu- 
 ment takes many forms, but in es- 
 sence it is an appeal to save money. 
 Another common retail argu- 
 ment is quality. Some firms em- 
 phasize their reputation with the 
 purpose of making every customer 
 feel confidence in all his purchases 
 of them. Of course many other 
 appeals are made, but the com- 
 monest are money-saving and de- 
 pendable quality. The accom- 
 panying advertisement illustrates 
 the latter. 
 
 Autumn 
 for men 
 
 -up 
 
 Exercise 156 
 
 1. Find five examples of each of 
 these appeals in newspaper adver- 
 tising and bring them to class for dis- 
 cussion of their effectiveness. 
 
 2. Write an advertisement of one 
 of the articles listed below. On which 
 appeal will you chiefly rely? In what 
 other ways will you make the adver- 
 tisement effective? 
 
 An old 
 
 proverb says 
 that a crack- 
 ed bell can 
 never be 
 sound. Like- 
 wise, a thing 
 that lacks 
 quality will 
 always be 
 w a n t i n g. 
 There is 
 cheap cloth- 
 ing to be had 
 if you " are 
 not particular about its qual- 
 ity. Cheap shoes can be 
 found' (you've read of them) 
 if you don't care how they 
 are made nor how they look. 
 
 The Wanamaker Store 
 knows every turn of the mer- 
 chandise market, here and 
 abroad, and we know that 
 certain standards are abso- 
 lutely necessary to both 
 value and satisfaction. Any- 
 thing less is a compromise 
 that serves a bad end. 
 
 That is why Wanamaker 
 standards are so well re- 
 spected — they help us — and 
 you. 
 
 New Suits 
 
 — for men, all wool, are new 
 ready at $37.50 and $65. 
 
 Fine tops oats 
 
 — of imported fabrics — mix- 
 tures, have an appearance of 
 the unusual and a guarantee 
 of service — at $60. 
 
 Shoes at $7 
 
 — are substantial through- 
 out, and offered in six prac- 
 tical styles — tan or black — 
 broad or medium toe — bluch- 
 er or straight lace.
 
 304 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
 
 (a) 
 
 Shoes 
 
 (b) 
 
 Women's tailor-made suits 
 
 (c) 
 
 Men's silk hose 
 
 (d) 
 
 Men's hats 
 
 (e) 
 
 Men's cravats 
 
 (f) 
 
 China 
 
 (g) Dress goods 
 
 00 
 
 Girls' dresses 
 
 (i) 
 
 Hand-bags 
 
 (j) 
 
 Blouses 
 
 (k) 
 
 Boys' shoes 
 
 (1) 
 
 Sweaters
 
 Part III — Expressing Ideas Clearly and 
 
 Correctly 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII 
 SIMPLE SENTENCES 1 
 
 *179. What Is a Sentence? — If you wish to give a friend 
 a notion of a ball game, you say, "an exciting game," or, 
 "The game was exciting." The notion in the two expressions 
 is about the same, but the form is different. In the first your 
 friend will have to supply some words or wait for you to 
 supply them. The form is incomplete. In the second your 
 friend will not wait for any added words or supply any him- 
 self. The form is complete. The group of words makes an 
 assertion. It makes a statement about the game. It does 
 not merely mention a subject you are thinking about. It 
 makes an assertion about the subject. In other words, it 
 records, not merely the subject in your mind, but your 
 thought about it. 
 
 Exercise 157 
 
 Which of these expressions are sentences, that is. which of them 
 make complete assertions? Which of them merely mention no- 
 tions? Which of them do not complete the assertion that is begun? 
 
 1 Sections 179-185, marked with a star, should be taken up in the 
 first year. Sections 186, 187 can best be taken up, probably in the 
 second year. 
 
 20 305
 
 306 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 1. Where are the ball and the glove? 
 
 2. On the bench. 
 
 3. Oh, nonsense! 
 
 4. If you want to get a Spalding catalogue. 
 
 5. Having written for a new glove. 
 
 6. The letter which encloses a money-order. 
 
 7. We started to collect funds to equip the team. 
 
 8. Everybody contributed. 
 
 9. The applicant came with letters of recommendation. 
 10. A crowd made up of office boys and clerks. 
 
 *180. Parts of a Sentence. — Every sentence has two parts. 
 Some subject is talked about. Something is said about it. 
 For example, 
 
 The ball landed in center field. 
 
 is a complete sentence. It tells about the ball. That word is 
 the subject. What is told about it is that it landed, or fell. 
 That word is the predicate. Every sentence must have these 
 two parts: subject and predicate. 
 
 Sometimes the subject is not expressed and must be sup- 
 plied by the mind. In 
 
 Shoot the bear, 
 
 the subject you is understood. Sometimes the subject con- 
 sists of two or more words and is called compound: 
 
 Both the boys and the girls were invited. 
 
 Sometimes the predicate consists of two or more verbs and is 
 called compound: 
 
 The girls stole away and ran home.
 
 SIMPLE SENTENCES 307 
 
 But both subject and predicate are essential to every 
 sentence. 
 
 Exercise 158 
 
 In each sentence pick out the subject and the predicate. 
 
 1. Most large offices have a list of instructions for office boys. 
 
 2. These instructions apply to messengers too. 
 
 3. Boys shall be courteous and shall conduct themselves at all 
 
 times in a quiet and orderly manner. 
 
 4. The mail clerk, or, in his absence, the file clerk gives orders 
 
 to the boys. 
 
 5. Courtesy, a rule in all good offices, makes friends for yourself 
 
 and the company. 
 
 6. It reduces the friction of your work and raises your standing 
 
 with your employer. 
 
 7. Your manner of expressing yourself is very important. 
 
 8. Loitering and loud talking in the elevators or corridors of the 
 
 company's building are prohibited. 
 
 9. During office hours you must not smoke cigarettes, or chew 
 
 gum, or read personal letters, or look over the daily paper. 
 10. Neatness, cleanliness, carriage, and address are marks of self- 
 respect and add to the efficiency of a boy in the estimation 
 of everyone. 
 
 *181. Position of Subject and Predicate. — In the sen- 
 tences you have just studied the subjects come before the 
 predicates. But it does not always do so. Sometimes the 
 predicate comes before the subject. At other times part of 
 the predicate comes at the beginning, so that the subject is 
 in the middle. Both of these ways of arranging the words of 
 the sentence may be called the inverted order.
 
 308 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 159 
 
 Pick out the subject and the predicate in each sentence. 
 
 1. Do you pay attention to interesting things? 
 
 2. Can you hold your mind on one subject for five minutes? 
 
 3. On the platform, behind the railing, stood the mail clerk. 
 
 4. Above the click of the typewriter keys could be heard the 
 
 clear tones of his voice. 
 
 5. Very difficult, in this confusion, was the task of noting his 
 
 instructions. 
 
 6. First and foremost among your numerous duties is accuracy, 
 
 7. Can you afford, from fear of asking a question, to deliver a 
 
 message incorrectly? 
 
 8. Much better would it be to have the message repeated. 
 
 *182. Modifiers. — Most sentences consist of a good many 
 words besides the bare subject and the bare predicate. Look 
 at the sentence: 
 
 The best batter in the American League stepped confi- 
 dently to the plate. 
 
 Several words are added to the subject batter and the pre- 
 dicate stepped. The and best are word modifiers of batter. 
 They are called modifiers because they modify or make more 
 definite the meaning of batter. Batters may be of all kinds, 
 short or tall, old or young, fat or thin, skillful or bungling. 
 In this sentence the writer wishes to talk about only one, the 
 best, and so he modifies or makes definite the simple subject 
 by these words. Such modifiers are called adjectives. They 
 are used to modify nouns or pronouns. 
 
 He also uses a phrase modifier, in the American League, 
 because he wishes to limit the meaning still further. Batters 
 are to be found in country fields and vacant city lots, on
 
 SIMPLE SENTENCES 309 
 
 school teams and in the professional leagues. But this sen- 
 tence refers only to one of these professional leagues, and the 
 phrase modifier is added to make (he meaning definite and 
 exact. It is called a phrase modifier because it is a group of 
 related words which has no subject or predicate of its own. 
 It may also be called an adjective modifier. 
 
 In the predicate the same kind of modifiers may be used. 
 Confidently is a word modifier of stepped, and to the plate 
 is a phrase modifier. They may also be called adverbs, 
 because they modify the verb. Adverbs modify a verb, 
 an adjective, or another adverb. 
 
 Exercise 160 
 In Exercise 158 point out all the word and phrase modifiers. 
 
 Exercise 161 
 
 Add both word and phrase modifiers to both subject and predicate 1 
 in the following sentences. 
 
 1. Visitor came. 
 
 2. Boy told. 
 
 3. Manager looked. 
 
 4. Boy went. 
 
 5. Visitor waited. 
 
 6. Bell rang. 
 
 7. Boy answered. 
 
 8. He took message. 
 
 9. Papers were sent. 
 10. Work ended. 
 
 *183. Verbs. — The predicate is always a verb. Only 
 verbs can assert or state something of a subject. Often the
 
 310 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 verb consists of several words, as, had done, has been told, will 
 be proceeding. 
 
 Some verbs express an action that passes over to or affects 
 an object; as, 
 
 The ball hit the boy's nose. 
 
 The action expressed by hit passes over to or affects nose. 
 Such verbs, called transitive, need an object to complete 
 their meaning. Other verbs do not require such a word to 
 complete their meaning; as, 
 
 He came slowly. 
 
 Came does not express any action passing over to or affecting 
 an object. Such verbs are called intransitive. 
 
 Exercise 162 
 
 In Exercises 158 and 159 pick out the transitive verbs and their 
 objects. 
 
 *184. Participles. — Certain kinds of phrase modifiers are 
 sometimes confusing because they contain forms of the verb 
 which do not assert. For example, 
 
 Coming to the office, she found the door locked. 
 
 Now the only assertion here is, she found the door locked. 
 Coming expresses action but it does not assert it of any sub- 
 ject. It is used to modify she, the subject of found. In the 
 sentence: 
 
 Look out! He is coming.
 
 SIMPLE SENTENCES 311 
 
 the word coming is used as part of the predicate, is coming 
 —a verb which does assert something of the subject he. 
 Take another example: 
 
 Struck on the forehead by the ball, the batter uttered 
 a groan. 
 
 The only assertion is, the batter uttered a groan. The 
 word struck expresses an action, to be sure, but it does not 
 assert it of any subject. It merely modifies batter, the subject 
 of uttered. On the contrary, in 
 
 The batter was struck by the ball. 
 
 the word struck is part of the verb was struck, which does 
 assert something; about its subject, batter. 
 
 Now such words as coming and struck are forms of the veil) 
 and are called participles. They express action, but when 
 they are used like an adjective to modify some noun or pro- 
 noun, they do not assert and consequently do not form a 
 predicate. 
 
 Exercise 163 
 
 Pick out the subject and the predicate in each sentence, and tell 
 how each participle is used. 
 
 1. The check, properly indorsed, was deposited the next day. 
 
 2. Avoiding slipshod, careless, and indifferent habits, the office 
 
 boy took pains to fold correspondence neatly before insert- 
 ing it in the envelope. 
 
 3. Economy, meaning to make the greatest use of everything in 
 
 your possession, applies to little things like lead pencils 
 and stationery. 
 
 4. Not being busy himself, the clerk looked about to find some 
 
 one in need of help.
 
 312 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 5. The new messenger passed through the corridors of the com- 
 
 pany's building, studying the names of the departments and 
 inquiring about their business. 
 
 6. The drawer of the filing cabinet, filled with letters, fell to the 
 
 floor. 
 
 7. The clerk, stooping to gather the flying sheets, struck her 
 
 head against a corner of the case. 
 
 8. The typewriter, misused by all beginners, was now out of 
 
 alignment. 
 
 9. He now came to a sheet covered with blots. 
 
 10. He at length discovered a secret long withheld by his em- 
 ployer. 
 
 Exercise 164 
 
 The following was written by a pupil in a large high school, narrat- 
 ing how he induced a fellow-student to patronize the school lunch- 
 room. Which of the groups of words are sentences? Which make 
 no assertion? 
 
 1. I asked him what his sandwiches were made of. 
 
 2. He replied, " Rolls and 15 cents' worth of cheese." 
 
 3. The four rolls making the cost of his lunch 1 9 cents. 
 
 4. I then explained how he could get a hot lunch for 20 cents. 
 
 5. Mashed potatoes and any kind of vegetable costing 10 cents. 
 
 6. A good slice of meat included with them. 
 
 7. The first course thus costing 10 cents. 
 
 8. Next you can have a cup of hot cocoa or a glass of cold milk 
 
 for 5 cents. 
 
 9. Leaving a wide choice of desserts for his other nickel. 
 
 10. Among them delicious cake, a baked apple, an orange,_a 
 
 pudding. 
 
 11. I appealed to his sense of comfort. 
 
 12. Not being bothered by carrying a lunch and having it thrown 
 
 about. 
 
 13. Not having to bother his mother to prepare it. 
 
 14. Having a good, hot, appetizing lunch instead of dry rolls and 
 
 cheese.
 
 SIMPLE SENTENCES 313 
 
 15. Besides, he is helping the school, because the lunchroom is 
 run bv the school. 
 
 *185. Infinitives. — Another form of the verb which does 
 not assert but may modify is the infinitive. In the sentence, 
 
 To secure the position he applied in person. 
 
 the assertion is he applied. To secure expresses action, but it 
 does not assert. It modifies the verb, applied. In, 
 
 Eager to succeed, he studied at an evening school. 
 
 to succeed modifies the adjective, eager, and is consequently 
 an adverb. 
 
 His desire to stay on the team induced him to study harder. 
 
 Here to stay modifies the noun desire, and is therefore an 
 adjective. 
 
 To own at least one Liberty bond was his ambition. 
 
 Here to own is the subject that is talked about. To own is 
 therefore a noun, used as the subject of the verb was. 
 
 Infinitives may have subjects. For example, clerks is the 
 subject of to arrive in : 
 
 The managers request all clerks to arrive on time. 
 
 Yet clerks to arrive on time is not a sentence, because to arrive 
 is not an assertion — it expresses the action without asserting 
 it. The assertion that is made is, managers request. The 
 whole infinitive phrase, all clerks to arrive on time is the object 
 of the verb request.
 
 314 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 165 
 
 Which of the following groups of words are sentences? In the 
 sentences pick out the subject and the predicate of each, and the 
 participial or infinitive phrases. How is each such phrase used in 
 the sentence? 
 
 1. Regarding your letter of February 10, containing a check for 
 
 sixteen dollars (SI 6). 
 
 2. Referring the matter to his secretary, he took the first train 
 
 for the East. 
 
 3. To secure an early reply, he enclosed an addressed, stamped 
 
 envelope. 
 
 4. To reveal any information gained from your employer's 
 
 correspondence is an act of treachery. 
 
 5. He sent his personal representative, instructing him to 
 
 smooth matters over. 
 
 6. To induce you to become a member of our club. 
 
 7. Good, honest work, completed on time, is always a step to 
 
 promotion. 
 
 8. All dressed up and nowhere to go. 
 
 9. He sent enough to clothe a whole family well. 
 
 10. She spent most of her money in an effort to have a good time. 
 
 11. Beside the fireplace in far-off times he had lain on winter 
 
 nights, to hear his uncles tell tales of hunting, or to hear 
 them play the violin. 
 
 12. Removing the receiver, the boy spoke distinctly, but not too 
 
 loudly, into the mouthpiece, giving his employer's name. 
 
 13. Seeing a visitor enter the office, the stenographer ap- 
 
 proached him with a smile and asked him for his card. 
 
 14. Requesting the caller to wait, she went into the inner office 
 
 to learn the wishes of the manager. 
 
 15. The visitor was pleased with her courtesy and commented 
 
 upon it to her manager. 
 
 186. Order in the Sentence. — Modifiers, as we have seen, 
 are used to express the meaning more exactly. But careless
 
 SIMPLE SENTENCES 315 
 
 writers sometimes confuse their meaning; rather than express 
 it, because they do not follow a very simple rule: Modifiers 
 should be placed as near as possible to the words they 
 modify. 
 
 Confusing: 
 
 He went to the picnic grounds which were situated 
 some distance up the river in a canoe. 
 
 Better: 
 
 He went in a canoe to the picnic grounds which were 
 situated some distance up the river. 
 
 Exercise 166 
 
 Make these sentences clearer by placing the modifiers as close as 
 possible to the words they modify. 
 
 1. The store over there where the gentleman stands with the 
 
 glass front is my father's. 
 
 2. The number of the typewriter is 5A with a billing attachment . 
 
 3. A boy should not enter the high school who cannot spell. 
 
 4. In helpful hints this periodical surpasses all others to the 
 
 man who is selling drugs. 
 
 5. He wanted to have his typewriter packed as he was leaving 
 
 for the summer in a strong box. 
 
 6. Every soap is not good for washing silk. 
 
 7. Do not write without definite orders to manufacturers. 
 
 8. The boy was trying to sweep the floor with a dirty face. 
 
 9. He urged his brother to come to town in his letter. 
 
 10. He didn't ever recall having applied to the manager. 
 
 11. I once remember skipping rope till I dropped. 
 
 12. I only eat a roll for breakfast, but I have an appetite that is 
 
 terrible for dinner. 
 
 13. We have just published a pamphlet regarding Victory notes 
 
 which may be had for 25 cents.
 
 316 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 14. There are still something over in Europe like 1,560,723 
 
 soldiers. 
 
 15. The selfish American put his patriotism when the guns 
 
 stopped booming on the shelf. 
 
 16. We never had the golden opportunity before within our grasp 
 
 of securing a large share of the world's trade. 
 
 17. He stopped and waited for the other boys to run on in search 
 
 of him behind the counter. 
 
 18. The gentleman standing in the doorway with the high collar 
 
 is the principal. 
 
 19. Wanted: A girl who can take dictation with a high school 
 
 diploma. 
 
 20. He adds the totals of all the sales slips made out by the 
 
 clerks on an adding machine. 
 
 187. Correlatives. — Particularly troublesome are correla- 
 tives: not only — but also, both — and, either — or, neither — nor. 
 They should precede the words which they connect. 
 
 MVrong: 
 
 He not only scolded me when I was late but also after 
 school. 
 
 Now scolded is not joined with after school. The thought that 
 is related is expressed by the clause, when I was late. 
 
 Better: 
 
 He scolded me not only when I was late hut also after 
 school. 
 
 In general, the correlatives should precede the same part 
 of speech. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 Either he doubted my word or wished to make me an ex- 
 ample to the rest of the class.
 
 SIMPLE SENTENCES 317 
 
 This can be improved by putting the correlatives before the 
 verbs. 
 
 Better: 
 
 He either doubted my word or wished to make me an 
 example to the class. 
 
 Exercise 167 
 
 Improve the placing of the correlatives in these sentences. 
 
 1. They neither minded the rain nor the wind. 
 
 2. Either you understand the instructions or fail to understand 
 
 them. 
 
 3. Either she was too bashful to speak or too dull to understand. 
 
 4. He not only tried to make high grades in his studies but 
 
 good friends among the pupils. 
 
 5. They went home either during a thunderstorm or a cyclone. 
 
 6. The boy neither succeeded in the office nor in the factory.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 1 
 
 *188. Dependent Clauses. — Most of the sentences that 
 we have been studying are simple, for they contain one asser- 
 tion only. That is, they have one subject and one predicate, 
 either or both of which may be compound. To go back to 
 some of our earlier sentences, compare these forms: 
 
 1. The best batter, in the American League stepped to 
 the plate confidently. 
 
 2. The batter, who was the best in the American League, 
 stepped to the plate confidently. 
 
 1. Coming to the office, he found the door closed. 
 
 2. When he came to the office, he found the door closed. 
 
 1. Struck on the forehead by the ball, the batter uttered 
 a groan. 
 
 2. Because he was struck on the forehead by a ball, the 
 batter uttered a groan. 
 
 1. To secure the position, he applied in person. 
 
 2. That he might secure the position, he applied in 
 person. 
 
 The first sentence in each set has the same main assertion 
 as the second sentence. But the second, in place of a word or 
 phrase, has a group of words containing its own subject and 
 predicate: who was the best in the American League; when he 
 
 ' Sections 188-192 should be studied in the first year. Sections 193- 
 195 can better be taken up later, probably in the second year. 
 
 318
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 319 
 
 came to the office, etc. This group of words is called a de- 
 pendent clause. It differs from a participial or infinitive 
 phrase because here the verb asserts something of its sub- 
 ject. If a group of words asserts something, it is a clause. 
 
 A dependent clause is like a phrase or word because it takes 
 the same part in the sentence as that word or phrase. That 
 is, it performs the same function. In the first two sentences, 
 in the American League describes batter, and, as it modifies a 
 noun, is used as an adjective. Who was the best in the Amer- 
 ican League likewise describes batter and is therefore an adjec- 
 tive clause. In the last two sentences to secure the position 
 explains why he applied. It modifies the meaning of the verb 
 because it tells the purpose of the action expressed by applied. 
 In other words, the phrase is used as an adverb. That he 
 might secure the position also tells why he applied. It there- 
 fore performs the same function, and is an adverb clause. 
 In short, function means use in the sentence. 
 
 A clause is dependent when it performs the function of a 
 word; that is, when it is used as an adjective, an adverb, or a 
 noun. Such a clause cannot itself be a sentence because it forms 
 part of another thought. It does not itself record a complete 
 thought. 
 
 Exercise 168 
 
 Which of these groups of words are sentences? Which are only 
 dependent clauses, that are in themselves incomplete? 
 
 1. If you wish to make a pleasing impression. 
 
 2. A letter must be neat, well arranged, and most important of 
 
 all, well expressed. 
 
 3. Since the first two qualities lie absolutely with you. 
 
 4. Smudged, misspelled, uneven letters, will very quickly affect 
 
 your standing.
 
 320 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 5. Your common sense and knowledge of English must be 
 
 constantly exercised for the proper interpretation of the 
 dictation. 
 
 6. Although the subject matter rests with the dictator. 
 
 7. As thoughtful, careful attention to work is essential. 
 
 8. When you are suffering from headaches and other ailments. 
 
 9. Through systematic work, proper diet, rest, and recreation, 
 
 you must cultivate good health. 
 
 10. Which is an indispensable requisite to good work. 
 
 11. If you do not give proper attention to your health. 
 
 12. You will not find yourself every morning fresh, well rested, 
 
 and in good spirits. 
 
 13. When you take an intelligent interest in your work. 
 
 14. So that you will enjoy the hours you spend at the office. 
 
 15. Learn to do your work systematically. 
 
 16. That your energy may result in the greatest output with the 
 
 least weariness. 
 
 17. Because the proper conservation of paper, pencils, pins, rub- 
 
 ber bands, and carbons will show your interest in the firm. 
 
 18. Your progress and pay depend on your attitude toward your 
 
 duties. 
 
 Exercise 169 
 
 Select the dependent clauses in the following sentences. Show 
 what function each performs in the sentence of which it is a part. 
 Point out in each clause the subject and the predicate. 
 
 1. When you leave school, you may have an inclination to enter 
 
 a factory. 
 
 2. Although the pay looks attractive, you should consider 
 
 your future before entering the factor}'. 
 
 3. If you walk along the street in a manufacturing district, you 
 
 will find many cards offering you work. 
 
 4. You will finally come to one where the offer seems attractive. 
 
 5. Without asking you any questions, the employment clerk 
 
 leads you between rows of machines until he comes to one 
 that punches two holes in a metal plate.
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 321 
 
 6. The operation of the machine is so simple and automatic 
 
 that one boy sixteen years old can feed and tend two or 
 three machines. 
 
 7. The boy must be alert, because he must stop the machine by 
 
 pulling a lever, if anything occurs to interrupt the opera- 
 tion of the machinery. 
 
 8. He must do this instantly that no harm may come to the 
 
 machine. 
 
 9. Unless something goes wrong, his only duty will be to pick 
 
 up the plates and arrange them in boxes. 
 
 10. The boy acts as if he enjoyed the work. 
 
 11. But you must ask yourself whether you would like to do this 
 
 sort of work for the rest of your life. 
 
 *189. Conjunctions. — If you look back over the sentences 
 just above, you will find that each subordinate clause is 
 introduced by one of these words: when, although, if, where, 
 until, so that, because, that, unless, as if, whether. These words 
 have a special name — conjunctions. A conjunction joins 
 words or groups of words. Since these conjunctions are used 
 to introduce dependent or subordinate clauses, they are 
 called subordinating conjunctions. 
 
 Exercise 170 
 
 Some of the chief subordinating conjunctions are: 
 
 although, though since (because) 
 
 as (because) than 
 
 as if, as though that 
 
 because unless 
 
 if whereas 
 
 lest whether (whether — or) 
 
 21
 
 322 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Look up the exact meaning of each one in a dictionary. Then 
 find in your text-books, or write out from your own mind, two sen- 
 tences for each conjunction in the list. Underline the subject and 
 the predicate of each dependent clause. Explain its function, or 
 the part it plays in the sentence. 
 
 Exercise 171 
 
 Other subordinating conjunctions are: 
 
 where whence 
 
 whither wherever 
 
 when whenever 
 
 while as (expressing time) 
 
 how why 
 
 before after 
 
 till until 
 
 since (expressing time) 
 
 Find in your text-books, or compose, two sentences for each word 
 in the list. Underline the subject and the predicate of each depen- 
 dent clause. Explain its function in the sentence. 
 
 *190. Relative Pronouns. — 
 
 The batter, who was the best in the American League, 
 stepped confidently to the plate. 
 
 The subordinate clause in this sentence is : who was the best 
 in the American League. The way in which it differs from the 
 subordinate clauses we have been studying so far is that it 
 has no separate introductory word or conjunction. The sub- 
 ject pronoun, who, is also the connecting word, referring to 
 batter. 
 
 Suppose we had these sentences: 
 
 That is the man. 
 He came yesterday.
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 323 
 We might combine them in this way: 
 That is the man, and he came yesterday. 
 
 He would be the subject of came, and and would connect the 
 two thoughts. Now in place of the connective and the pro- 
 noun he we can insert one word, the pronoun who, as follows: 
 
 That is the man who came yesterday. 
 
 The who is both the subject of came and the connecting word 
 that shows the dependence of this clause on man. Such pro- 
 nouns are called relative pronouns, because they are used not 
 only as pronouns but as connectives to show the relation of 
 the clause to its antecedent. 
 
 Exercise 172 
 
 The chief relative pronouns are who, which, and that. Write 
 five sentences to illustrate each one of these pronouns. Remember 
 that who refers only to persons, which only to inanimate objects, 
 and that to both. Point out the subject and the predicate in each 
 clause, and the connection between the clauses in each sentence. 
 
 Exercise 173 
 
 Pick out all the dependent clauses, and indicate the conjunctions 
 or relative pronouns by which they are introduced. 
 
 1. If you applied to yourself for a job, would you get it? 
 
 2. Are you treating your employer as you would have him treat 
 
 you? 
 
 3. You should know how orders are received and handled so 
 
 that the customer gets what he wants and is paying for. 
 
 4. If you dust and clean the typewriter every morning before 
 
 beginning to write, your letters will look much neater.
 
 324 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 5. When any repairs are required or the machine gives any 
 
 trouble, report the matter at once to the person in charge. 
 
 6. When you are taking dictation, write the date at the top of 
 
 the page when you begin work, so that you may have it 
 ready for future reference. 
 
 7. If the man who is dictating leaves out the marks of punctua- 
 
 tion, you should try to insert all marks that may be 
 necessary to make the meaning clear. 
 
 8. The letter which you write from your notes should be ar- 
 
 ranged in a way that will please the reader. 
 
 *191. Uses of Dependent Clauses. — As we saw on page 
 319, dependent clauses may be used as adjectives, to modify 
 nouns or pronouns; as adverbs, to modify verbs, adjectives, 
 or other adverbs; or as nouns, in some place where a noun 
 may be employed. You will understand sentences much 
 better if you note exactly in which of these three ways the 
 dependent clause is used in each sentence. You should form 
 the habit of thinking of the function of each dependent clause. 
 
 Exercise 174 
 
 Pick out the dependent clauses in the following passage, pointing 
 out the subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun, and showing 
 exactly how the dependent clause is used in the sentence. 
 
 "Feeling that his boy ought to be earning a living, the father set 
 out with him to find a job. He soon came to a place that offered 
 $12 a week. Entering the employment office, they were met by a 
 pale clerk who led them to a floor filled with clattering machines. 
 There they paused before a machine spinning copper wire and wind- 
 ing it on spools. Pleased with the clean surroundings and the light 
 coming from hundreds of windows, the father asked, 'What are the 
 chances for advancement ?' The clerk, accustomed to such inquir-
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 325 
 
 ies, began to mention actual occurrences in the factory. 'One 
 young man, blessed with observant eyes, saw that the most impor- 
 tant man in the factory is the mechanical engineer. By attending 
 evening classes he became in due time a successful mechanical 
 engineer. Some years ago another young man, dreaming of the 
 future while watching the machine, pictured himself the successor 
 of a grouchy foreman. By diligence at his work and suggestions 
 showing to the manager his sound judgment, he at length achieved 
 his ambition. Coming as he did from among the workers, he is 
 responsible for the excellent conditions to be seen here.' The 
 father, impressed by these examples, decided to think over the 
 prospects for the future of his son." 
 
 Exercise 175 
 
 Turn all the participial phrases in the preceding exercise into 
 clauses. What is the connective in each new dependent clause? 
 What is the relation expressed? What function does each new 
 clause perform in the sentence? 
 
 *192. Compound Sentences. — We have become ac- 
 quainted with two kinds of sentence. In Chapter XXVII 
 we learned that sentences containing only one subject and 
 one predicate are called simple. In this chapter thus far we 
 have been studying sentences containing one or more depen- 
 dent clauses. They are called complex. Now study this sen- 
 tence as an illustration of a third kind : 
 
 He looked into soap factories, paint factories, and 
 bread factories, but nowhere could he find a position certain 
 of leading to advancement. 
 
 How many sets of subjects and predicates has it? Is either 
 set dependent? What is the relation between the sets? What 
 word expresses the relation?
 
 326 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Now when two or more clauses in a sentence would each 
 make complete sense if standing alone, we call that sentence 
 compound. That is, a compound sentence contains two or 
 more independent clauses. The word but which connects 
 the two clauses in the sentence above is a conjunction, but it 
 is unlike the subordinating conjunctions that we have been 
 studying. The clauses which but connects are of equal or 
 co-ordinate rank, and but is accordingly called a co-ordinating 
 conjunction. 
 
 Exercise 176 
 
 In the following sentences select all the compound sentences, and 
 in each point out the subject and the predicate of each clause. 
 
 1. The act of parliament of 1660, which inaugurated the post- 
 
 office in England, was no mere accident, for it came at a 
 period when England took her first stride toward com- 
 mercial dominance. 
 
 2. A London firm that received one letter in the time of Charles 
 
 II would receive one thousand today, and it would receive 
 them with much greater dispatch and dependability. 
 
 3. Since 1660 not only has the bulk of commercial correspond- 
 
 ence grown immensely, but confidence in the postal system 
 and in the promises of men has also grown immensely. 
 
 4. The mail is the lever that starts the office machinery at the 
 
 opening time, and at the close it is the oil that lubricates 
 all of the machinery for the next day. 
 6. Should the mail clerks begin work as early as five o'clock, or 
 should the whole business of the day be delayed? 
 
 6. On ordinary days the number of letters received by one of 
 
 the New York banks is between two thousand and three 
 thousand, but on Mondays it rises to four thousand. 
 
 7. Not only must the mail clerk possess more than ordinary in- 
 
 telligence, but he must also be familiar with the activities 
 of all departments.
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 327 
 
 8. As soon as the letters and circulars are enclosed by one set of 
 
 clerks, another set takes up the duty of sealing them. 
 
 9. The president was opposed to buying an addressing machine, 
 
 but the manager finally convinced him that it would save 
 money. 
 10. The stamped envelope is for your use, and if it is convenient, 
 we should like your reply on the back of this letter. 
 
 193. Proper Subordination. — In all the sentences studied 
 thus far the dependent clause merely modifies or makes more 
 exact the meaning of the main clause. For example, in 
 
 A boy who had long been looking for a job found one 
 at $12 a week. 
 
 the clause who had long been looking for a job, describes the 
 boy, for it gives the reader a better notion of the boy. If the 
 main purpose of the writer had been to tell us of his persis- 
 tence, he would have written : 
 
 The boy who found a job at $12 a week had been looking 
 for it a long time. 
 
 for nearly always the main thought in a sentence is expressed 
 in the main clause. 
 
 This arrangement is so nearly universal that a reader is 
 generally puzzled when he comes across another order. 
 Therefore, for the sake of your reader, subordinate the less 
 important ideas ; that is, place them in a subordinate or lower 
 rank, in a dependent clause. 
 
 Place the main thought in the main clause.
 
 328 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 177 
 
 Combine the following groups of words so as to emphasize the 
 thought in italics by putting it in the main clause. For example: 
 
 Ideas: 
 
 A salesman will come in contact with all sorts and condi- 
 tions of men. He goes out on the road for his company. 
 
 Sentence: 
 
 A salesman who goes out on the road for his company will 
 come in contact with all sorts and conditions of men. 
 
 Do not use relative clauses in every sentence. In several, ad- 
 verbial clauses will be much smoother. You may have to alter 
 the wording considerably. 
 
 1. The salesman xvill come in contact with good-natured buyers. 
 
 They are genial, friendly, and well disposed to all the 
 world. 
 
 2. They are easy to approach. They act as buyers or purchas- 
 
 ing agents. 
 
 3. Some customers are cold and critical. Their usual greeting is 
 
 curt and abrupt. 
 
 4. Their manner conveys a definite impression. The salesman 
 
 must be brief and businesslike. 
 
 5. Samples or catalogues are displayed. The critical type 
 
 usually avoids making any favorable comment. 
 
 6. In the West the town home is kept open. The weather is cool 
 
 the year round. 
 
 7. Furs may be worn in San Francisco. To wear furs in the 
 
 sweltering heat of St. Louis would be insane. 
 
 8. In certain sections of the country showers fall suddenly in 
 
 summer. The omnipresent summer umbrella is necessary. 
 
 9. You cannot be convincing enough to sell a hungry man a dinner. 
 
 You know what you are talking about. You believe it 
 yourself. 
 10. You have seen soap, or hosiery, or bricks in the making. 
 You can then bring to your advertising accurate information.
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 32 ( .) 
 Exercise 178 
 
 Which part of the sentence you make important will depend on 
 your purpose. For example, you have these thoughts: 
 
 The Monastir road is the link between the Adriatic and 
 the Aegean Seas. 
 
 Along this highway Alexander and Xerxes and Galerius 
 once tramped with their legions. 
 
 If your purpose is to dwell on ancient history, you might combine 
 them thus: 
 
 Along the Monastir road, which is the link between the 
 Adriatic and the Aegean Seas, Alexander and Xerxes and 
 Galerius once tramped with their legions. 
 
 If your purpose is to dwell on its usefulness, you would probably 
 combine them thus: 
 
 The Monastir road, along which Alexander and Xerxes 
 and Galerius once tramped with their legions, is the link 
 between the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas. 
 
 In the following sets of ideas, combine so as to carry out the pur- 
 pose indicated in parentheses. 
 
 1. Nathan Hale was born on the sixth of June, 1755. He was 
 
 the most famous martyr-spy of the Revolution. (To 
 show who he was.) 
 
 2. He entered Yale College at fourteen. He intended to be- 
 
 come a minister of the gospel. (To emphasize his pur- 
 pose.) 
 
 3. The battle of Lexington was fought on April 19, 1775. 
 
 Young Hale at a town meeting demanded our indepen- 
 dence. (To emphasize the nature of his first public ap- 
 pearance.) 
 
 4. He secured release from the school. He was teaching school. 
 
 He enlisted in Webb's regiment, It was not quite two 
 years after his leaving college. (To bring out the change 
 in his plans.)
 
 330 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 5. Washington needed immediate information of the enemy's 
 
 plans. Hale went on a perilous mission. (To show his 
 action.) 
 
 6. His college diploma enabled him to pass for a Connecticut 
 
 schoolmaster. He took down the necessary information 
 in Latin. (To emphasize his method.) 
 
 7. The British burned five hundred buildings in New York. 
 
 The British tried Hale on September 21, and executed him 
 the next day. (To show British treatment of Hale.) 
 
 8. The provost-marshal burned before his face the letters. 
 
 Hale had written some letters to his friends. (To show 
 the character of the letters.) 
 
 9. He was refused a Bible before his execution. He was per- 
 
 mitted to address the people on his way to the gallows. 
 (To emphasize the occasion of his address.) 
 10. One sentence in that address has made his name immortal. 
 "I regret that I have but one life to give to my country." 
 (To show what the sentence was.) 
 
 Exercise 179 
 
 In the following group of ideas, join one of the thoughts to the 
 other with some subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun. 
 After you have written your complex sentence, explain how you 
 selected the idea for the main clause. 
 
 1. Your office duties are small things. They will make you a 
 
 big man or woman. 
 
 2. You will work for your employer's interests. You enter a 
 
 business house. 
 
 3. Your ideal will be to .co-operate. The success of your em- 
 
 ployer means success for you. 
 
 4. Rise above disappointments. Good work will be appre- 
 
 ciated in time. 
 
 6. Truthfulness always pays. Be truthful. 
 
 6. "Knocking" is an unprofitable trait. Learn to say some- 
 thing pleasant.
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 331 
 
 7. Study the men and women around you. They are the most 
 
 interesting books to be found. 
 
 8. Don't be a shirker. It takes time to do things well. 
 
 9. The whole business world is intricate and puzzling, like a 
 
 spider's web. It is a perfect system. 
 10. These things count a great deal in business. They make up 
 your habits or personality. 
 
 194. Relations Expressed by Conjunctions. — In depen- 
 dent clauses the relation is usually : 
 
 Time. He came when the bell rang. 
 Place. He went whither he was directed. 
 Purpose. He ran that he might not be late. 
 Cause. He was late because he missed the car. 
 Result. He missed the car so that he arrived eight 
 
 minutes late. 
 Conditions. // you are late, you are sent to the deten- 
 tion room. 
 Concession. Although he remained until four, he saw the 
 
 last half of the basketball game. 
 Manner. He wrote as he was directed to write. 
 
 Exercise 180 
 
 Classify the subordinating conjunctions in Exercises 170 and 171, 
 showing what relation is expressed by each one. 
 
 195. Meaning of Co-ordinating Conjunctions. — Co-ordi- 
 nating conjunctions express: 
 
 An addition: 
 
 He went to his seat, and the teacher said no more.
 
 332 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 A contrast or opposition: 
 
 He worked quietly, but his classmates all gazed at him. 
 A reason or result: 
 
 He did not lift his eyes, for he knew the teacher was 
 looking. 
 
 He continued busy, and so his classmates lost interest 
 in him. 
 
 A choice or alternation: 
 
 He must keep on working, or they would make fun of 
 him. 
 
 Exercise 181 
 
 Classify each sentence in this selection as simple, compound, or 
 complex. In the complex or compound sentences, point out the 
 conjunctions and explain exactly the relation expressed. 
 
 "There is a good reason why a secretary is paid more than a plain 
 stenographer or an expert typist. Even an expert typist is engaged 
 in work that may be called mechanical, for she merely uses her 
 fingers to copy neatly what she reads with her e^yes. A stenographer 
 needs more intelligence, because she needs to understand and execute 
 the thoughts of another person. A secretary, however, needs still 
 more intelligence. She does not simply execute the thoughts of 
 another. She is required in many different situations to think and 
 act without direction. Now the activity which has the highest 
 value in business is thinking and acting independently — knowing 
 what to do in the absence of instructions. The manager or presi- 
 dent, who must decide matters of great importance and bring many 
 different kinds of persons to work harmoniously, holds his position 
 and draws his salary because he displays independent executive 
 ability. 
 
 "A secretary lifts a great weight from the shoulders of a busy 
 executive. When callers arrive in the office she learns their business
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 333 
 
 and frequently answers their questions so well that they do not need 
 to wait until the manager is at leisure. If telephone calls are to be 
 answered, she takes down the receiver and often conducts the con- 
 versation while the manager is engaged in more important work. 
 Since she saves the time of the executive, and since she thus increases 
 his efficiency because she frees his time for the really important 
 duties of his position, a capable secretary is worth more to the busi- 
 ness world than even the speediest stenographer or typist." 
 
 Exercise 182 
 
 In the following sentences fill in each blank with the word that you 
 think expresses the proper relation. (See pages 321, 322 for lists of 
 conjunctions and page 331 for the relations expressed.) 
 
 1. Toothpowders and toothpastes may be used, they should 
 
 not be the main reliance. 
 
 2. Some powders, used too freely, are liable to thin the 
 
 enamel of the teeth. 
 
 3. The use of dental floss, care is taken not to press it 
 
 against the gums, is also helpful. 
 
 4. A brush should be used with bristles that are stiff and of 
 
 different lengths, the innermost crevices of the teeth 
 
 may be reached. 
 
 5. A moderately stiff brush can be used, the gums can bear 
 
 the more vigorous treatment. 
 
 6. He brushed his teeth every night, he frequently felt very 
 
 sleepy. 
 
 7. She called at the office, she unexpectedly found two of 
 
 her friends. 
 
 8. — — the airplane descended, the observer could gradually 
 
 make out the make of the machine. 
 
 9. It behaved badly the pilot had lost control. 
 
 10. It appeared so suddenly that he could not guess it had 
 
 come. 
 
 11. Neither could he guess it was now bound. 
 
 12. It was descending rapidly the whirr of the engine became 
 
 louder and louder.
 
 334 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 13. the danger was now great, the observer held his breath 
 
 in awe, the next moment the mad rush might land 
 
 them all in eternity. 
 
 14. After that he looked he saw the horrible sickening rush 
 
 to destruction. 
 
 16. The rules of hygiene are sound, medical men would not 
 
 agree about them. 
 
 Exercise 183 
 
 As in the exercise above, fill in each blank with the conjunction 
 which you think expresses the proper relation. 
 
 1. he came, there would be a demonstration in his favor. 
 
 2. he lived some distance from the car line, he was forced 
 
 to walk about a mile every day. 
 
 3. His employer, who rode to work in his automobile, walked 
 
 far less the clerks. 
 
 4. he was waiting for the car, he made out his plans for 
 
 the day. 
 
 5. 1 cannot afford to be ill, I take plenty of exercise every 
 
 day. 
 
 6. He asked one could find the name in the telephone 
 
 book. 
 
 7. you can promise me a two weeks' vacation, I shall be 
 
 unable to accept. 
 
 8. he has long been connected with this firm, and his 
 
 services to it have been varied and distinguished, therefore 
 be it resolved that we hereby express our regret at his 
 departure. 
 
 9. Can you tell me so many firms keep on writing old- 
 
 fashioned letters? 
 
 10. the boy came early went home late made little 
 
 difference to the secretary. 
 
 11. one has changed his habits, it is just as easy to arrive on 
 
 time to come in late every morning. 
 
 12. The rules of the office are not actually restrictive, they 
 
 help one to work with less fatigue.
 
 COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES 335 
 
 13. you decide on a typewriter, come in to inspect our 
 
 stock. 
 
 14. we moved into this office, there has not been a single 
 
 change in the staff. 
 
 15. The brokers shouted they were hoarse.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 1 
 
 *196. Pronouns. — A noun, we know, is the name of any- 
 thing. 
 
 John is a bank messenger. 
 
 John is the name of a particular boy. Bank is the name 
 applied to an institution that keeps your money safe. Mes- 
 senger is the name we apply to boys or men who carry mes- 
 sages and papers. 
 
 But in talking or writing we should find it very awkward 
 to use nouns all the time. Suppose we wished to say: 
 
 John is a useful boy. John leaves John's father's home 
 every morning after breakfast. John arrives at John's 
 employer's place of business at half-past eight. 
 
 The statement would be much simpler thus: 
 
 He is a useful boy. He leaves his father's home, etc. 
 He arrives at his employer's place of business. 
 
 These words that take the place of John are called pro- 
 nouns. Pronouns, then, stand for nouns. They refer back 
 to some noun, which is called the antecedent. 
 
 Sometimes the antecedent is a whole clause or sentence. 
 
 Place a period after every complete sentence. This is 
 a rule that must have no exceptions. 
 
 'Sections 196-204, marked with a star, should be mastered by all 
 first-year students. Section 205 may better be left until the second 
 year. 
 
 336
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 337 
 
 This refers to the whole sentence: Place a period after every 
 complete sentence. One word, what, lias no antecedent ex- 
 pressed. Study these sentences: 
 
 I learned the things that he did. 
 I learned that which he did. 
 I learned what he did. 
 
 What contains both antecedent and relative pronoun. 
 Therefore, never use " what " where the antecedent is ex- 
 pressed. 
 
 Exercise 184 
 
 Pick out every pronoun and its antecedent in these sentences: 
 
 "John, the bank messenger, thought he had too much to do. He 
 helped to open the mail before nine and delivered it to the different 
 departments for his boss, a rather sharp-featured woman who held 
 the position of mail clerk. You could hear him grumbling to 
 himself early of a morning as he hurried to work. We once 
 asked him into a restaurant to take a cup of coffee with us, but he 
 replied : 
 
 '"I must get to the bank to see the mail clerk before she fires me. 
 Her one ambition is to boss me about, and if I don't show up she 
 will think herself bound to work me overtime. I told her not to 
 worry about it, because her duties are too important for her to 
 bother with me, but she replied that mine are too light. You see, 
 she lies awake nights thinking up things for me to do for her.' 
 
 "The boys out in the street made his life miserable because he 
 took orders from a woman. They would stick out their tongues, 
 and when he ran after them they would try to trip him up and 
 would shout, 'Your boss won't like a boy who forgets himself/ 
 They were boys whose chief pleasure came from teasing their com- 
 panions."
 
 338 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 185 
 
 Pick out every pronoun and its antecedent in these sentences: 
 
 "'You are all a bunch of loafers!' he would shout at the top of his 
 voice. ' My bank is bigger than yours, I can tell you.' 
 
 "His bank was on the ground floor of a ten-story building on a 
 corner. It faced east on a wide street, an arrangement which made 
 its front always light and inviting. Its president, whom eveiyone 
 respected, was a hearty, genial man. He greeted everybody cor- 
 dially, whoever he might be or whatever his deposits might amount 
 to. His secretary would stand in the door of the anteroom and ask 
 quietly, 'Which of you is Mr. Elkins ?' That was her way. She 
 never grew weary or irritable. This fact had more than anyone 
 supposed to do with the president's success, the greatness of which 
 was well known all over the financial district." 
 
 Exercise 186 
 
 Pick out the transitive verbs in the sentences above. What form 
 of the pronoun is used as the object of the verbs? 
 
 *197. Objective Case. — The object of the verb must 
 always be in the objective case. That is, the only permissible 
 forms of pronouns used as the object of transitive verbs are: 
 me, you, him, her, it, us, them, which, what, that, whom. Of 
 course, any of these forms may be compounded with self, 
 selves, ever, or soever. But the forms in italics above should 
 always be kept in mind when writing the objects of verbs. 
 
 Exercise 187 
 
 Fill in each blank with the correct form of as many different 
 pronouns as you can find. In class, a pupil may list the correct 
 forms that the other pupils offer for each blank.
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 339 
 1. I know the bookkeeper meant Nat and . 
 
 2. He appointed Mary and as private secretaries. 
 
 3. and her sister I like immensely. 
 
 4. and her brother I expect to see tonight at the theater. 
 
 6. The men in the auto asked Fred and if we wanted a ride. 
 
 6. The nearest boy shoved into the ditch. 
 
 7. Both and 1 have seen often. 
 
 8. Who struck and ? 
 
 9. What do you mean by giving and candy? 
 
 10. To praise and— — before all the messengers was very 
 
 inconsiderate. 
 
 *198. Agreement with Antecedent. — One mistake in the 
 use of pronouns has to be guarded against. When the ante- 
 cedent noun is singular, the pronoun referring to it must be 
 singular. The difficulty is particularly common with each, 
 every, either, neither, anyone, someone, person, and other words 
 that point out one object or person. 
 
 Right: 
 
 Everybody must mind his own business. 
 
 Exercise 188 
 
 In the following sentences insert in the blanks the proper pronoun, 
 giving the reason for each insertion. In some cases you will also 
 have to select the proper verb to correspond with the pronoun 
 you insert. 
 
 1. Before leaving school every pupil must remove all papers 
 
 from desk. 
 
 2. Everyone must put away books in locker. 
 
 3. Every clerk must present at the manager's office before 
 
 going off duty.
 
 340 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 4. Will anyone lend me pen? 
 
 5. Which pupil was it who lent me book? 
 
 6. Everyone must admit (has, have) the duty of saving. 
 
 7. In battle a soldier must follow officer. 
 
 8. It was so warm this morning that everybody came without 
 
 wraps. 
 
 9. No one of the letters brought author a reply. 
 
 10. Everyone at the party declared had had a good time. 
 
 11. Each company must pay taxes on profits. 
 
 12. Every dry-goods house is trying to increase sales. 
 
 13. No one wishes to lose friends. 
 
 14. Every one of the stenographers must transcribe own 
 
 notes. 
 
 15. On appearing at the desk, a person is given a blank that 
 
 must fill out. chances of securing a position depend 
 
 on how definite answers are. 
 
 16. A new stenographer covers up errors by rewriting faulty 
 
 letters. 
 
 17. A new salesman does not know how to travel economically 
 
 over territory. 
 
 18. For the first three months a new employee costs firm 
 
 20 per cent of wages. 
 
 19. Each of the machines cost 10 per cent of purchase price 
 
 for repairs. 
 
 20. We all admit that everyone should do duty. 
 
 21. Neither the manager nor the clerk will admit (was, 
 
 were) in the wrong. 
 
 22. If anyone asks me, I shall give a piece of my mind. 
 
 23. The notice read that every workman must write on— 
 
 identification card, on line 3, the name of nearest 
 
 relative. 
 
 24. Every one of the girls (is, are) busy with various tasks. 
 
 Exercise 189 
 
 Look back over your own writing and write out the correct form 
 of ten sentences in which you have made mistakes. Explain how 
 you have improved each sentence.
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 341 
 
 *199. Clearness of Reference. — In every sent (Mice, the 
 pronoun should refer unmistakably to its antecedent, Mis- 
 takes are possible in two different ways. 
 
 1. The pronoun may refer to either of two antecedents. 
 For example: 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He went to Vesey Street with his brother Charles, 
 where he bought a typewriter. 
 
 Rett 
 
 er: 
 
 He went to Vesey Street with his brother Charles, who 
 bought a typewriter. 
 
 Sometimes the only way to clear up a sentence of this kind 
 is to use a direct quotation: 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 She told her mother that .sAe had to go to school to see 
 the principal about her lateness. 
 
 Better: 
 
 She said to her mother: "You have to go to school 
 to see the principal about my lateness.'' 
 
 Sometimes the antecedent is expressed but buried in some 
 way, so that you do not readily see the connection: 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 The bicyclist followed the man's car that had called his 
 name. 
 
 Better: 
 
 The bicyclist followed the car of the man who had called 
 his name.
 
 342 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Sometimes a change of order will clear up the problem of 
 which is the antecedent: 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 They gave grass to the animal which was not fit to be 
 eaten. 
 
 Better: 
 
 They gave the animal grass which was not fit to be 
 eaten. 
 
 2. The pronoun may refer to no single word but to a whole 
 clause or to some implied antecedent. In either case, the 
 single word should be supplied as an antecedent. For 
 example: 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 He decided that he had to start again from the begin- 
 ning, which is always discouraging. 
 
 Better: 
 
 He decided that he had to start again from the begin- 
 ning, a decision which is always discouraging. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 If you wish to give to the Red Cross, send it now. 
 Better: 
 
 If you wish to send a gift to the Red Cross, send it now. 
 
 Sometimes the pronoun must be omitted entirely: 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 In my town they don't pave the streets. 
 Better: 
 
 In my town the streets are not paved.
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 343 
 
 The word this is usually clear, but some noun used with it 
 removes possible obscurity. 
 
 Ambiguous: 
 
 Place a period after every complete [sentence. This 
 must have no exceptions. 
 
 Better: 
 
 Place a period after every complete sentence. This 
 rule must have no exceptions. 
 
 Exercise 190 
 
 Make the following sentences clear. If you use pronouns, see 
 that they refer unmistakably to their antecedents. Explain orally 
 why you make each change. 
 
 1. The new manager was lenient, but it did not make the clerks 
 
 negligent. 
 
 2. If you find that the shipment is damaged, ask the express 
 
 agent about it. 
 
 3. When he went to the drug store, they said they couldn't fill 
 
 the prescription. 
 
 4. Take out an accident policy before taking a trip. It's the 
 
 only safe way. 
 6. This was due to the driver's skill, who swerved to the right 
 just in time to miss the sled. 
 
 6. The fireman climbed to the roof on a ladder which had burst 
 
 into flames. 
 
 7. We next come to a machine where they stamp the titles on 
 
 the books. 
 
 8. They put a collar on the dog that was not fit to be used. 
 
 9. He hoped that the advertisement would catch some eager 
 
 boy's attention who would fulfil his requirements. 
 10. She gave her teacher the flowers, who was much pleased 
 therewith.
 
 344 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 11. A vacuum cleaner sucks up crumbs and dust from the carpet 
 
 when it is rolled slowly up and down the room. 
 
 12. In the story it tells of two office boys that got into a fight. 
 
 13. At our school they do a good deal to find positions for the 
 
 seniors when they graduate. 
 
 14. A large silver cup was placed on top of the desk which was 
 
 about eighteen inches high. 
 
 15. The cook took the skin off the banana and put it into the 
 
 salad. 
 
 16. Not knowing how to operate the typewriter, I had to ask the 
 
 man's advice who sold it to me. 
 
 17. The murder was perpetrated at a place they call Long Beach. 
 
 18. Getting tired of skating, he took them off, tied them to- 
 
 gether, and slung them over his shoulder. 
 
 Exercise 191 
 
 As in the exercise above, make the references of the pronouns 
 in the following sentences unmistakable. 
 
 1. We gathered around the dining-room table, which was at that 
 
 time the quietest room in the house. 
 
 2. The wireless is becoming more and more common. They 
 
 are used now for telephoning. 
 
 3. The cashier asked the messenger to bring his rubber stamp. 
 
 4. These nails are not rust-proof because the whole bagful is 
 
 covered with it. 
 
 5. Simplicity is desirable in an adding machine because it makes 
 
 it possible for anyone to use it. 
 
 6. Do not try to be original in the letter form but arrange them 
 
 according to some recognized standard. 
 
 7. He decided to call him into the office, which was always a 
 
 humiliating occurrence. 
 
 8. Going up to her teacher, she pinned some marigolds to her 
 
 dress. 
 
 9. The company went into bankruptcy, which always makes 
 
 people suspicious. 
 TO. They have a great many skyscrapers in Chicago.
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 345 
 
 11. Poor Falder raised a check, which led to his arrest and im- 
 
 prisonment. 
 
 12. It doesn't say in this book how you indorse a check. 
 
 13. He asked his employer what lie was going to do about Losing 
 
 his book. 
 
 14. It reads on that sign, "For Employees Only." 
 
 15. Everybody laughs at Mary's stories which makes her very 
 
 fond of telling them. 
 
 16. In the newspaper it reports that we are to have a holiday to 
 
 see the troops parade. 
 
 17. If you wish to subscribe to the magazine at these reduced 
 
 rates, send it in at once. 
 
 18. They knew he was the grocer's son who had recently moved 
 
 to town. 
 
 19. He opened up a new drug store on the same street, which was 
 
 rather risky, as everybody thought there were too many 
 drug stores already. 
 
 20. As he came down it sounded like a tin pan, which grew louder 
 
 every second until he stopped with a jerk in front of the 
 door. 
 
 21. I notice they are wearing high-heel slippers now. But I 
 
 would not do that for anything. It is not hygienic. 
 
 22. He was an irascible old man. He told his son he would leave 
 
 town if he continued to cut up such capers and disgrace 
 the family name. But his son replied he didn't care what 
 he said as long as he was able to make his own spending 
 money and didn't interfere with his business. 
 
 *200. Troubles with Relative Pronouns. — The relative 
 pronouns may trip you up. 
 
 1. Which should never refer to persons. 
 
 2. Who always becomes whom when used as the object of a 
 preposition or a verb. Sometimes the relative seems to be 
 an object when it is actually a subject. For these difficulties
 
 346 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 study these sentences, pointing out the function of each pro- 
 noun in the sentence. 
 
 Right: 
 
 He had a hired man who was skilful in tying knots. 
 Do you know the man whom they are talking about? 
 Who do you suppose it was? 
 
 In the last sentence, why is who the proper form? 
 
 Exercise 192 
 
 Explain the function of every relative pronoun in these sentences. 
 Do you always use the same form when you write sentences like 
 these? 
 
 1. Who do you think I am? 
 
 2. Who shall I say called? 
 
 3. That is the man who everyone thought would be chosen. 
 
 4. There is the messenger whom you asked me to send. 
 
 5. She is a girl whom you can depend upon. 
 
 6. He employed a very young man who called by chance one 
 
 day. 
 
 7. Who was that girl whom you were talking about? 
 
 8. He asked a question of the boy who came every morning. 
 
 9. The man whom he asked to come early didn't arrive until ten. 
 
 Exercise 193 
 
 Look back over your writing and select ten sentences in which 
 you have used a relative pronoun wrongly. Write out the sentences 
 correctly, and explain how you have improved each of them. 
 
 *201. Pronouns with the Verb "To Be."— 1. The pro- 
 noun is most troublesome after the verb to be. You must be
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 347 
 
 quite certain you use the right form. Always follow the rule: 
 Use the same form after the verb " to be " as for the sub- 
 ject of the verb. 
 
 Exercise 194 
 
 Read these sentences aloud until you can repeat them from 
 memory. 
 
 1. It was he. 
 
 2. Could it have been she? 
 
 3. Did you know it was If 
 
 4. It must have been they. 
 
 5. It might have been we. 
 
 6. What makes you think it was I? 
 
 7. Could it possibly have been she? 
 
 8. It is I. 
 
 9. That's they now. 
 10. It's we. 
 
 Exercise 195 
 
 Supply the correct forms of as many different pronouns in each 
 blank as you can. Read each form aloud several times. In class, 
 a pupil at the blackboard may list all the correct forms that the 
 members suggest. 
 
 1. These are . 
 
 2. Why do you think it is- 
 
 3. He told me it was 
 
 4. It was . 
 
 5. It might have been — 
 
 6. Could it have been 
 
 7. Why do you think it was not- 
 
 8. It may be . 
 
 9. It cannot be . 
 
 10. May it not have been-
 
 348 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 2. When the infinitive to be, coming after a verb, has no 
 subject of its own, the infinitive is followed by the subject 
 form of the pronoun. 
 
 Example: 
 
 In the distance it seemed to be he. 
 
 Exercise 196 
 
 Road these sentences aloud until you have memorized them. 
 
 1. I asked to be she in the play. 
 
 2. Should you like to be she/ 
 
 3. Should you wish to be he? 
 
 4. He said he wished to be /. 
 
 5. Did you say you should like to be she? 
 
 3. When to be has a subject of its own, both the subject and 
 the following pronoun are in the objective case. 
 
 Example: 
 
 They took me to bo her. 
 
 Exercise 197 
 
 Memorize these sentences. 
 
 1. The papers reported him to be unwilling to testify 
 
 2. They supposed vs to be them. 
 
 3. We believed you to be her. 
 
 4. They declared her to be either me or my sister. 
 
 5. I should like you to be her.
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 349 
 
 *202. Nouns. — 1. A noun is the name of anything. But 
 some words are the names of particular things; as, John, 
 France, Perkins and Hartung, Society for the Prevention of 
 Cruelty to Animals, respectively, for a boy, a country, a busi- 
 ness firm, an organization. Such words, called proper nouns, 
 should be remembered because they must each be begun 
 with a capital. 
 
 2. Some nouns are called collective because they desig- 
 nate groups. When we think of the group as a unit, the 
 noun takes a singular verb. When the members of the group 
 are thought of, the noun is used in its plural sense and 
 takes a plural verb. But you should not shift from singular 
 to plural. 
 
 Wrong: 
 
 Write to the bank and ask them for credit information. 
 Right: 
 
 Write to the bank for credit information. 
 Right: 
 
 The committee has made its report. 
 Right: 
 
 The committee were unable to arrive at a decision. 
 
 3. The words sort and kind are always singular. Never say 
 those sort or these kind. Always use the singular modifier: 
 that sort, this kind. 
 
 *203. Possessives. — Nouns form the possessive by add- 
 ing 's to the singular (a boy's suit) and the apostrophe to the 
 plural (boys' suits). Where the plural does not end in s, both
 
 350 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 the apostrophe and the s are used to form the plural (men's 
 suits). (See also § 220.) 
 
 Pronouns, on the other hand, never have the apostrophe in 
 the possessive, even if it ends in s. The following are the 
 only correct possessive forms ending in s: its, whdse, yours, 
 ours, hers, his, theirs. 
 
 Exercise 198 
 
 Look back over your writing to discover five misuses of those or 
 these, ten mistakes in the possessive of nouns, and ten in the pos- 
 sessive of pronouns. Write out the correct form of each sentence, 
 and explain how you have improved it. 
 
 *204. Contractions. — A frequent cause of error in the 
 writing of the possessive is the apostrophe used in contrac- 
 tions: it's for it is, who's for who is, you're for you are, they're 
 for they are. You're should never be confused with your, nor 
 they're with their, there, or theirs. 
 
 Exercise 199 
 
 In the following sentences select the right form, explaining why 
 you think it correct. 
 
 1. (Its-it's) time they were coming if they intend to go with us. 
 
 2. ( Your-you're) surely not going to wear that. 
 
 3. (Whose-who's) suit case is that? 
 
 4. (It's-its) owner just stepped out of the door. 
 
 5. (You're-your) guess may be right. 
 
 6. Are you sure (its-it's) his? 
 
 7. (There-their-they're) can be no doubt of it. 
 
 8. He went, (there-they're-their) sure, to get a taxi.
 
 CORRECT USE OF PRONOUNS AND NOUNS 351 
 
 9. He watched (they're-their-there) faces closely. 
 
 10. (Who's-whose) business is it in (your, you're) opinion? 
 
 11. (Its-it's) his duty to look after the heating. 
 
 12. Is it true that (your-you're) appointed? 
 
 Exercise 200 
 
 Look over the last two themes you have written, and underline 
 all the places where you have misused possessives or contractions. 
 
 205. Possessive with Verbal. — One use of the possessive 
 is frequently misunderstood. With the verbal, or participial 
 noun in ing, the only correct form is the possessive, because 
 a pronoun that modifies a noun must be in the possessive case, 
 and such verbals are always nouns. 
 
 Example: 
 
 He didn't object to Mary's arriving late, but he did 
 object to my leaving early. 
 
 Confusion often occurs when the participle is used as an 
 adjective to modify the noun or pronoun in the objective 
 case. 
 
 Example: 
 
 They heard a dog barking in the street. When they 
 looked they saw him running away. 
 
 The object of the verb is not the form in ing but the noun 
 dog and the pronoun him. Consequently the possessive form 
 is not needed in such sentences. Think out clearly the con- 
 struction or relative parts of such a sentence before writing 
 the sentence.
 
 352 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 201 
 
 Which of the two expressions in parentheses is correct? Why? 
 
 1. They saw (me-my) coming down the street. [What is the 
 
 function of the pronoun here?] 
 
 2. I have felt the pity of (him-his) coming home alone. 
 
 3. Conscientious work will lead to (you-your) being promoted 
 
 soon. 
 
 4. What do you say to (us-our) leaving early today? 
 
 5. He learned of (John-John's) being sent to Chicago with all 
 
 expenses paid. 
 
 6. I understand (him-his) declining the appointment, for I 
 
 met (him-his) coming up the stairs just now. [What is 
 the difference in function of the pronoun in these two 
 places?] 
 
 7. You can facilitate (him-his) returning soon by filling out this 
 
 blank. 
 
 8. Why has the president made no mention of (us-our) moving 
 
 into the new building? 
 
 9. I knew all along of (Mr. Dodd's-Mr. Dodd) planning to go 
 
 east. 
 10. They caught (the burglar-the burglar's) going out of the 
 window. [What is the function of the pronoun here?)
 
 CHAPTER XXX 
 CORRECT USE OF VERBS 
 
 *206. The Proper Form. — Verbs are the most important 
 words in the sentence. They are often also the most difficult 
 to use. Not all verbs are difficult. In fact, verbs that form 
 the past tense and the past participle by adding ed to the 
 present are easy. For example, nobody misuses kill, killed, 
 killed. Unlike these regular verbs, the irregular verbs give 
 a great deal of trouble, for the irregular forms are often con- 
 fused. For example, the verb come, came, come is misused 
 when you say, 
 
 He come home. 
 
 instead of 
 
 He came home. 
 
 You should therefore become so familiar with the forms you 
 are likely to misuse that you will, without thinking which is 
 right, invariably use the right form. 
 
 Exercise 202 
 
 Practice using the italic forms in the lists below until you never 
 make a mistake. A good way is to take three verbs at a time, and 
 
 1 Sections 206-209, marked with a star, are to be mastered by first- 
 year pupils. Sections 210-211 are intended for use with second-year 
 pupils. 
 
 23 353
 
 .354 
 
 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 frame five sentences for each form in italics. Another pupil can 
 then check up the forms that you underline, and point out any that 
 you have misused. 
 
 For example, your sentences for see might run thus: 
 
 I saw them. 
 
 They have seen me. 
 
 We saw them. 
 
 They were seen. 
 
 He saw you. 
 
 You have seen him. 
 
 He saw the accident. 
 
 They have seen the accident. 
 
 He has seen me. 
 
 I saw him. 
 
 Repeat this exercise until you never make a mistake in any of 
 the forms. 
 
 see 
 
 saw 
 
 seeing 
 
 seen 
 
 do 
 
 did 
 
 doing 
 
 done 
 
 come 
 
 came 
 
 coming 
 
 come 
 
 go 
 
 went 
 
 going 
 
 gone 
 
 run 
 
 ran 
 
 running 
 
 run 
 
 sit 
 
 sat 
 
 sitting 
 
 sat 
 
 lie 
 
 lay 
 
 lying 
 
 lain 
 
 cost 
 
 cost 
 
 costing 
 
 cost 
 
 buy 
 
 bought 
 
 buying 
 
 bought 
 
 give 
 
 gave 
 
 giving 
 
 given 
 
 begin 
 
 began 
 
 beginning 
 
 begun 
 
 ring 
 
 rang 
 
 ringing 
 
 rung 
 
 write 
 
 wrote 
 
 writing 
 
 written 
 
 take 
 
 took 
 
 taking 
 
 taken 
 
 break 
 
 broke 
 
 breaking 
 
 broken 
 
 sing 
 
 sang 
 
 singing 
 
 sung 
 
 drink 
 
 drank 
 
 drinking 
 
 drunk
 
 CORRECT USE OF VERBS 355 
 
 Exercise 203 
 
 Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the proper forms 
 of the verb see as indicated. If you do not understand clearly the 
 matter of tense, read the next section (§ 207) carefully. 
 
 1. He (past perfect tense) the parade. 
 
 2. Climbing to a ledge above the sidewalk, he (past tense) 
 
 the soldiers in their trench helmets. 
 
 3. "I (past perfect) many parades, but none like this," he 
 
 said. 
 
 4. He would have (past participle) more, but a policeman 
 
 who (past tense) him ordered him to get down. 
 
 5. (present participle) that there was no alternative, he 
 
 jumped down at once. 
 
 Exercise 204 
 
 You may continue the exercise with the other verbs in the list. 
 You will have to invent a new wording for many of the sentences. 
 Which member of the class has the best set of sentences for each verb? 
 
 *207. Tense. — Verbs by their forms indicate the time 
 when the action takes place. 
 
 I write a letter. 
 
 is a statement that indicates the present. The form that is 
 most often used to emphasize present time brings out more 
 clearly that the action is in progress: 
 
 I am writing a letter. 
 
 In all its forms, the present tense indicates action in the 
 present time. 
 
 I wrote a letter to Mother.
 
 356 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 is a statement in which the form of the verb, wrote, indicates 
 past time. 
 
 I was writing a letter when you telephoned. 
 
 also expresses past time, but adds the idea that the action 
 was in progress at the time. 
 
 I was too busy to study arithmetic, but I did write the 
 letter. 
 
 likewise expresses past time, but states it more emphatically. 
 In all its forms, past tense specifies the time as in the past. 
 The future tense indicates that the action is yet to take 
 place. For example: 
 
 I shall write tonight. 
 
 Another set of tenses indicates the action completed. 
 
 I have written the letter already. 
 
 indicates that the writing is completed at the time you speak. 
 It is called the present perfect. 
 
 I had written before you asked me to. 
 
 indicates that the action was completed by a specified time 
 in the past — the time when you made the request. It is called 
 the past perfect. 
 
 I shall have written the letter before you return. 
 
 indicates that the action will be completed at a specified 
 point in the future — the time when you return. It is called 
 the future perfect tense.
 
 CORRECT USE OF VERBS 357 
 
 Present: I write, am writing, do write. 
 Past: I wrote, was writing, did write. 
 Future: I shall write, will write. 
 Present Perfect: I have written. 
 Past Perfect: I had written. 
 Future Perfect: I shall have written. 
 
 In the perfect or complete tenses, do not use the vulgar 
 form of for have. In rapid speaking we say, "I've been there. 
 I must've been there." But in writing we should spell out 
 have in full. Say "could have gone," "would have written," 
 "must have seen." 
 
 Three tenses will give you trouble. The past tense should 
 be used when some point in past time is mentioned or thought 
 of: 
 
 He came yesterday. 
 
 The present perfect should be used where the action is com- 
 plete : 
 
 I have seen him many times. 
 
 The past perfect should be used where the action was com- 
 pleted before a specified time; 
 
 I had spoken to him when you saw me. 
 Think of ycur meaning when you choose a tense. 
 
 Exercise 205 
 
 Fill in the blanks with the tense indicated. Explain exactly what 
 the time relations are in each sentence. 
 
 1. He (past perfect of give) me the book before the teacher 
 
 saw him.
 
 358 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 2. He must (perfect of see) me reading it, but he said noth- 
 
 ing. 
 
 3. You would— — (perfect of laugh) if you could — —(perfect of 
 
 see) Bob as he slid from his seat. 
 
 4. I (past of ask) many questions before I found the way. 
 
 [What would be the meaning with the past perfect?] 
 
 5. He (past of ask) me where I was going. 
 
 6. I -(present of drink) more water than I ever drank before. 
 
 7. I (present perfect of sing) that song many times. 
 
 8. I (past perfect of ring) the bell when the teacher asked 
 
 me to. 
 
 9. He asked me where I (past of go). 
 
 10. He wouldn't (perfect of draw) the picture if he had 
 
 known that the boss was looking. 
 
 11. When I got home I (past perfect of run) ten blocks. 
 
 12. I (present perfect of sing) that song often before now. 
 
 13. I (past perfect of sing) that song often before he asked 
 
 me to learn it. 
 
 14. When the boy (past of come) to the cross roads, he 
 
 not (past of know) in which direction to go. " 1 
 
 (present perfect of lose) my way?" he asked himself. 
 
 "I (present perfect of run) until I am out of breath," 
 
 he said to himself, " but I see no sign-post to guide me out 
 
 of this wilderness. If I (past perfect of go) with the 
 
 others down the creek, I might now be in safety. But 
 
 after I (past perfect of climb) to the top of the tree, 
 
 the directions seemed plain. The path here might — 
 (perfect of be) plainer if I had not run so fast." At this 
 
 point, seeing a wagon approaching, he (past of give) 
 
 a yell and (past of go) off rapidly to meet it. The 
 
 driver could (perfect of stop) easily, but he thought 
 
 Charlie would clamber in without trouble. He (past 
 
 perfect of drive) on several feet when he heard Charlie 
 
 shout to him to stop. Looking back, he (past of see) 
 
 Charlie picking himself out of the dust. "What you 
 
 — (present perfect of do) ? " he asked. "I - —almost 
 
 (past perfect of climb) in when I lost my hold and 
 
 (past of fall) flat on the ground," explained Charlie. He
 
 CORRECT USE OE VERBS 359 
 
 (past of tell) all about the trip while they jogged 
 
 along at a leisurely pace. Even then he (past of 
 
 reach) home before the others (past perfect of find) 
 
 their way out of the woods. Indeed, he (past perfect 
 
 of finish) milking the cows before they arrived. 
 
 *208. Future Tense— Shall and Will.— The future tense 
 can imply two different meanings. It can imply that the 
 statement is a simple prediction of the future. It can also 
 imply that you wish or will or consent to or determine the 
 coming event. Study these sentences: 
 
 1. I will not do anything of the kind. 
 
 2. I shall take a walk in the woods, if it does not rain. 
 
 3. He will come home by six o'clock. 
 
 4. He shall go to school, even if I have to lead him there by 
 
 the ear. 
 
 In the first, you have made up your mind about the matter. 
 That is indicated by will. In the second, without giving 
 any promise or announcing any decision you make a simple 
 statement of your plans. That is indicated by shall. In the 
 third, you make a simple prediction. As the subject is in the 
 third person, will is appropriate. In the fourth, on the con- 
 trary, the speaker, probably an irate mother, has determined 
 upon the course of action which her son is to follow. She very 
 properly uses shall. We may, then, draw up two tables for 
 guidance in the use of these troublesome words. 
 
 Simple Future (Read without emphasis) 
 
 I shall go. We shall go. 
 
 You will go. You will go. 
 
 He will go. They will go.
 
 360 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Volitional Future (Emphasize will and shall) 
 (To express purpose, promise, determination, or command.) 
 
 I will go. We will go. 
 
 You shall go. You shall go. 
 
 He shall go. They shall go. 
 
 Exercise 206 
 
 In the forms above insert tonight after each line. Read the first 
 set without emphasis. Read the second with the emphasis indicated 
 by the italics. Then repeat the forms with see, come, sit, lie, begin, 
 and write. 
 
 Exercise 207 
 
 Explain exactly what each sentence means. 
 
 1. I will go if you will. 
 
 2. He will be here any minute now. 
 
 3. If you wait a few minutes, the editor will be glad to see you. 
 
 4. He shall never enter my house again. 
 
 6. They shall be beaten within an inch of their lives. 
 
 6. I shall be pleased to receive your check by the first of the 
 
 month. 
 
 7. They will come in when they get tired. 
 
 8. He will depart when the word comes. 
 
 9. He shall be promoted if he succeeds in placing that order. 
 
 10. I will return at five o'clock. 
 
 11. He will return by five o'clock. 
 
 12. I shall probably return before five o'clock. 
 
 Exercise 208 
 
 Where you find trill, insert shall, and where you find shall insert 
 will. What is the change in meaning in each case? 
 
 1. " I shall advance," said Marshal Foch. 
 
 2. We shall be pleased to receive your certified check for the 
 
 amount.
 
 CORRECT USE OF VERBS 361 
 
 3. You will report here before proceeding home. 
 
 4. 1 shall be glad to see you at any time. 
 
 5. I will be here at eight o'clock. 
 
 6. He will be here before the boat leaves. 
 
 7. We shall never forget you. 
 
 8. He shall be discharged the next time he makes an error. 
 
 *209. Singular or Plural Number of Verbs. — Some parts 
 of the verbs, particularly the third person of the present tense, 
 have two different forms, one to show "Miat the subject is 
 singular, and the other to show that it is pi aral. For example : 
 
 He does. They do. 
 
 He comes. They come. 
 
 In order to be certain that you are using the right form, it 
 is necessary to know the number of the word used as subject; 
 then the verb must agree with the subject in number. Study 
 these sentences : 
 
 One of the boys is coming home. 
 
 There were in the house six men. 
 
 Both Mary and her sister are coming. 
 
 Neither Mary nor her sister is coming. [Are both the 
 nouns thought of as the subject of the verb at the same 
 time ?] 
 
 Were you home yesterday? 
 
 In brief, watch: 
 
 1. The subject that is separated from its verb by a modify- 
 
 ing phrase. 
 
 2. The subject that follows its verb. 
 
 3. The subject that is compound, joined by and. 
 
 4. The subject that is compound, joined by or or nor. 
 
 5. The subject that is a pronoun of the second person.
 
 362 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 209 
 
 Fill in the blanks in these sentences with the proper verb form in 
 the present tense, explaining in each case why you select the form 
 you do. 
 
 1. I don't care if he (do) not like it. 
 
 2. There (run) in that valley a silvery stream. 
 
 3. By the roadway (stand), a little to one side, an abandoned 
 
 prairie schooner and a rusty plow. 
 
 4. Either the Gismond shop or the Elite (keep) that brand. 
 
 5. He tried to find out where you (to be) on Saturdays. 
 
 6. In what way (be) the pink, downy, and luscious peach 
 
 and the red, smooth, and hard apple to be prepared for 
 the table? 
 
 7. Is it true that he (do) not pay his bills promptly? 
 
 8. It is soon discovered that neither the old gentleman's will 
 
 nor his prosperous son's insurance (provide) for the 
 
 little girl. 
 
 9. He shouted, "It (do) not make any difference ! " 
 
 10. He complains that we (to be) not treating him fairly. 
 
 Exercise 210 
 
 Read your recent themes very carefully and collect examples of 
 the failure of subject and verb to agree. Place these on the board, 
 with the correct form immediately below. The class can discuss the 
 reason for each change. 
 
 210. Troublesome Cases of Shall and Will.— There are 
 two rules about shall and will that are given in books but are 
 not consistently followed in practice. Study them and listen 
 to the language you hear to see whether they are followed. 
 
 1 . In questions use the form you expect in the answer. 
 
 Shall you be at home tonight?
 
 CORRECT USE OF VERBS 363 
 
 Shall is used because you are asking about a fact. If you were 
 trying to get a promise, you would ask, 
 
 Will you be at home? 
 
 2. In a sentence containing an indirect quotation, use the 
 form that the speaker would have used. A pupil reports to a 
 classmate the words of a teacher. The teacher said, 
 
 No, John will not fail. 
 
 The pupil reports, 
 
 Miss Brown .says you will not fail. 
 
 using will because it represents the form employed by the 
 teacher. If the question had been one of permission to go 
 home, the teacher would have said, 
 
 He shall not go home. 
 
 The pupil would report, 
 
 Miss Brown says you shall not go. 
 
 using shall because it represents the form used by the teacher. 
 
 3. Another rule of more importance is: Should and would 
 follow in general the rules for shall and will. They are, in 
 fact, a kind of past tense for shall and will. Should some- 
 times expresses duty or obligation of some kind, as in, 
 
 He should know better than that. 
 
 Would expresses habitual action, as in, 
 
 He would come in at ten o'clock and leave at once.
 
 364 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 211 
 
 Fill the blanks so as to bring out the meaning you think intended. 
 Not only the three uses noted just above, but those in § 208 should be 
 borne in mind. 
 
 1. you do us a favor? 
 
 2. This information better enable us to serve you. 
 
 3. We appreciate the favor if you answer just as fully 
 
 as you can the questions on the reverse side of this 
 sheet. 
 
 4. This be a move in the right direction if it were printed 
 
 at regular intervals on the paper. 
 
 5. We like to know your frank opinion of the idea. 
 
 6. If you will kindly check the enclosed postal, we know 
 
 just how you feel about the matter. 
 
 7. If it doesn't, you not be interested in a system that ? 
 
 8. You be placed under no obligation to have our represen- 
 
 tative explain what this system do for you. 
 
 9-1- —be glad to discuss this matter in such detail as you may 
 wish. 
 
 10 - ~ you not let us tell you more about this latest typewriter 
 
 development? 
 
 11- we go upstairs or remain in the office? 
 
 12. We feel quite sure you find a visit here thoroughly en- 
 
 joyable, and certainly we — -do everything possible to 
 make it so. 
 
 13. We be glad to make reservation for you at any time. 
 
 14. What we do next? 
 
 15. If there are any questions you like to ask us, please do 
 
 not hesitate to write. 
 
 16. We be pleased to answer any questions you may put to 
 
 us. 
 
 17. He go home immediatelv from the office. (To express 
 
 duty.) 
 
 18. He sit in the anteroom, looking vacantly out of the 
 
 window. 
 19 - I - —like to leave early, but I suppose there is no chance. 
 20. What you do in my place?
 
 CORRECT USE OF VERBS 3(35 
 
 21. Where 1 go if you do not arrive on time? 
 
 22. Even if he be deprived of the title, he would still con- 
 
 tinue to fill the position. 
 
 211. Verb in "If Clauses." — The use of the verb in certain 
 if clauses should be watched closely. Study these sentences: 
 
 1. If I were you, I should remain at home today. 
 
 2. If the manager had been on hand, there would have 
 been no loss. 
 
 3. I wish you had been here. 
 
 In the first two, the supposition is contrary to the actual 
 state of affairs. In the third, you wish something that did 
 not happen. These untrue or contrary-to-fact expressions 
 require were or had been always. 
 
 Exercise 212 
 
 Fill in properly the blanks in the sentences below: 
 
 1. If I- — in his place, I should stick to the job. 
 
 2. He wished he a thousand miles away. 
 
 3. What if she on time? Would that have helped? 
 
 4. If he a little more alert, he might rise rapidly. 
 
 5. He thought that if his employer more considerate he 
 
 might have developed into a useful clerk. 
 
 6. If the price lower, I should have bought a dozen bunches. 
 
 7. If he made superintendent, the whole force would quit. 
 
 8. He would have entered the business, if his mother 
 
 willing. 
 
 9. She often wished that she a man. 
 
 10. You would be a very helpful clerk if your mother willing 
 
 for you to learn typewriting. 
 
 11. If I there, it would never have happened.
 
 360 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 12. He acted as if he —   — were angry. 
 
 13. As if it not enough to raise prices, he proceeded to dis- 
 
 continue some lines altogether. 
 
 14. If he coming at all, he would have arrived before this. 
 
 Exercise 213 — Review 
 
 Fill in the blanks with the proper forms of the verbs indicated. 
 
 Do 
 
 1. He not like to study. 
 
 2. He has nothing but run errands since morning. 
 
 3. He will as he pleases in spite of all you can say. 
 
 4. as one pleases is not good for one's character. 
 
 5. He will have nothing about it before Christmas unless an 
 
 earthquake shake him up. 
 
 6. He it because he was directed to. 
 
 Come 
 
 1. What did you here for? 
 
 2. upon them suddenly, he scattered them like leaves be- 
 fore the wind. 
 
 3. When he here, he hadn't a cent to his name. 
 
 4. He had from a great distance. 
 
 6. Calling me by name, he said, "I have ." 
 
 Go 
 
 1. I home in the dark that night. 
 
 2. I had only a few paces before I (past of see) a black 
 
 object. 
 
 3. up to it all in a tremble, I gazed at it steadily. 
 
 4. " What have I and done? " I cried as I kicked at it . 
 
 5. It was a dead horse that had fallen in his tracks as he was 
 
 to the next town.
 
 CORRECT USE OF VERBS 367 
 
 Run 
 
 1. I (past tense) away over the white, yielding sand as fast 
 
 as I could. 
 
 2. I thought I could hear the horse after me. 
 
 3. When I had until I was out of breath, I stopped to listen. 
 
 4. " on, you coward," something within me seemed to say. 
 
 Sit 
 
 1. I (past tense) down to listen more intently. 
 
 2. When I (past perfect tense) there for four or five minutes 
 
 I (past of see) something moving down the road. 
 
 3. It appeared to be an automobile with a white object 
 
 (present participle) at the wheel. 
 
 4. I should have (past participle) there till this day if the 
 
 driver had not stopped because of the sand. 
 
 5. I (past of run) down to where he was (present par- 
 
 ticiple) motionless. 
 
 6. He would have (past participle) there forever if I had not 
 
 shown him how to drive out. 
 
 Lie 
 
 1. I was (present participle) down when the bell rang. 
 
 2. I (past tense) there for a few minutes, wondering what it 
 
 was. 
 
 3. "If you (present tense) here much longer, you may never 
 
 find out," I said. 
 
 4. But I must have (past participle) there longer than I 
 
 thought. 
 
 5. When I got to the door I found that I (past perfect tense) 
 
 there too long. 
 
 6. If I— — (past perfect) here quietly, I should have been rested. 
 
 » 
 Exercise 214 
 
 You can prepare similar exercises for the other verbs in the list 
 on page 354. This kind of drill may be repeated every day or week
 
 36S CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 until you never make a mistake in either speaking or writing. If 
 your speaking or writing shows errors in other verbs, the drill should 
 take them up too until you habitually use the right form. 
 
 Exercise 215 — Review 
 
 Fill in the proper forms in the following sentences, explaining why 
 you select the forms you do and what the forms mean. 
 
 1. I said that he (past perfect of take) the pencil from my 
 
 desk. 
 
 2. He ought not to— — (past infinitive of do) it without your 
 
 permission. 
 
 3. You (to express duty me) above your disappoint- 
 
 ments. 
 
 4. The boy, somewhat frightened, (past of rise) quickly, 
 
 but said not a word. 
 
 6. "I just (present perfect of break) my pen," he finally 
 
 stammered. 
 
 6. "What do you mean ? " I -(past perfect of say). And he 
 
 (past of say), "It's hard for you to understand any- 
 thing that occurred so long ago." 
 
 7. The pipe— — (past of burst) late last night, but I didn't think 
 
 it would leak much. 
 
 8. I (future of write) forty letters today. 
 
 9. Oh, no, I (present perfect of become) used to such matters 
 
 since the manager left. 
 
 10. I (present perfect of drink) ten glasses of water since 
 
 morning, and I'm still thirsty. 
 
 11. The principal may- (past perfect of ring) the bell yester- 
 
 day, but it was Miss French who (past of ring) it 
 
 today. 
 
 12. She (past of bring) me a beautiful rose from the garden 
 
 yesterday morning, and now she (present of bring) 
 
 some carnations. 

 
 CHAPTER XXXI 
 CORRECT USES OF OTHER PARTS OF SPEECH 1 
 
 *212. Proper Adjectives. — Adjectives modify nouns. The 
 only ones that give much trouble are those derived from 
 proper nouns; for example, English, from England, Belgian 
 from Belgium. Note that the form is different from the 
 noun form, but that the adjective, like the noun, is spelled 
 with a capital. The noun should not be used as an adjective. 
 
 Exercise 216 
 
 Insert in the following sentences the correct adjective for the noun 
 indicated. 
 
 1. I have already written my (England) lesson, but I don't 
 
 know when I can begin the (France). 
 
 2. He was a poor (Belgium) who had lost a leg in the war. 
 
 3. What do we care if the (China) do leave? But I should 
 
 hate to see the (Scandinavia) return home. 
 
 4. The (Belgium) children suffered tortures in the war. 
 
 5. He was a (Texas), but not a cowboy. 
 
 6. Is he a (South) or a (West)? 
 
 7. The (Canada) are all right, but -(England) customs 
 
 seem strange. 
 
 8. He studied business (England) for a year, though all his 
 
 dealings were with a (South America) house. 
 
 'Sections 212-214, marked with a star, should be mastered by the 
 pupil before he goes forward to other matters. Sections 215-217 should 
 be deferred to the second year. 
 
 24 369
 
 370 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 9. It was a (Belgium) ship that entered the port to escape 
 
 from a (Germany) corsair. 
 
 10. What hope can you have of succeeding in business without 
 
 ability to use language that will influence the 
 
 (America) business man? 
 
 *213. Adjective or Adverb. — The place where the adjec- 
 tive gives most trouble is where it follows the verb. For there 
 it may be confused with the adverb, which modifies the verb. 
 Most adverbs are formed by adding ly to the adjective form. 
 In most cases the distinction between adjective and adverb 
 is so clear that to misuse the adjective puts you down as 
 ignorant. 
 
 Example: 
 
 The sun rose brigJd. 
 
 The sun rose quickly above the hilltops. 
 
 In the first bright modifies sun. It tells us how the sun 
 looked while it was rising. In the second, quickly modifies 
 rose, by telling us how the sun rose. Always make sure, then, 
 how the word following the verb is used, whether it modifies 
 the subject or the verb. Be particularly careful with verbs 
 of the senses, taste, feel, look, smell, sound, and the like. 
 
 That pie tastes good. 
 
 is correct, because good refers to pie, not to tastes. 
 
 Another trouble is in the word modifying an adjective. 
 
 Not: She's a real good typist. 
 But: She's a very good typist.
 
 USES OF OTHER PARTS OF SPEECH 371 
 
 Exercise 217 
 
 Which of the words enclosed in parentheses is correct; and why? 
 
 1. He (sure-surely) does like to brag about his firm. 
 
 2. That letter isn't (near-nearly) short enough. 
 
 3. He fell (deep-deeply) in love with her before summer was 
 
 over. 
 
 4. Why are you playing (bad-badly) tonight? 
 
 5. The letter-head is printed (neat-neatly) . 
 
 6. She thought he was (near-nearly) dead with fright. 
 
 7. That sounds (ridiculous-ridiculously) to me. 
 
 8. Are you keeping the right-hand margin (even-evenly) ? 
 
 9. She looks (fine-finely) this morning. 
 
 10. It seems to me that you write very (slow-slowly). 
 
 11. That apple tastes (sour-sourly) to me. 
 
 12. I write as (quickly-quick) as you do. 
 
 13. How (clear-clearly) he dictates! I never miss a word, be- 
 
 cause he is always (sure-surely) of himself, and talks 
 (steady-steadily) but (smooth-smoothly) right to the end. 
 
 14. The car was going so (swift-swiftly) that the passengers 
 
 began to feel (queer-queerly). In fact, things began to 
 look (serious-seriously) when the motorman called out 
 (loud-loudly) : "Whoa there, Betsy; slow down! " 
 16. He figures (good-well), but his writing is simply (beautiful- 
 beautifully). 
 
 16. Did you say you could (sure-surely) come? 
 
 17. She's a (real-very) nice girl, I know; she writes (fine-finely), 
 
 and does all her work (good-well), but I'm (real-very) 
 much disappointed to hear that the manager promoted her 
 so (quick-quickly). 
 
 18. Can't you work (quicker-more quickly) this morning? Of 
 
 course, we want the work done (nice-nicely) but you 
 needn't deal so (gentle-gently) with those bundles. 
 Treat 'em (rough-roughly) ! Silk goods won't break. 
 
 19. "That sounds (good-well)," said he, looking (bitter-bitterly) 
 
 "but do you feel (sure-surely) that that fruit will smell as 
 (sweet-sweetly) after it has lain in the cellar a month? " 
 "(Sure-surely)," replied the agent.
 
 372 
 
 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 20. He looked (sad-sadly) out of the window at the rain, but at 
 length he went (quiet-quietly) back to his desk, where he 
 grew (contented-contentedly) once more. 
 
 *214. Double Negative. — The negative gives untold 
 trouble until you form the right habit. There is a temptation, 
 to which boys and girls are particularly subject, which must 
 be resisted. That is the use of two negatives. Both of the 
 following sentences are correct: 
 
 Tell me no lies. 
 Don't tell me lies. 
 
 Exercise 218 
 
 The class may appoint a committee to take down all cases of the 
 double negative and to report them, with the proper form. When 
 negatives are no longer misused in the class, the committee may ex- 
 tend its activities to the playground. The members on the com- 
 mittee ought to be changed from day to day, or from week to week, 
 until every member of the class has served. 
 
 215. Prepositions and Conjunctions. — Note the words 
 in brackets in these sentences: 
 
 The dog jumped 
 
 I took it 
 
 over 
 
 under 
 
 upon 
 
 to 
 
 from 
 after 
 before 
 behind 
 beyond 
 Ifor 
 
 the table. 
 
 my brother.
 
 USES OF OTHER PARTS OF SPEECH 
 
 073 
 
 .w. 
 
 These words are called prepositions. They are here used 
 to show the relation of the word table to jumped or of brother 
 to took. Table and brother are called objects of the preposition. 
 Now prepositions always show the relation between this ob- 
 ject and some other word in the sentence. You should choose 
 the preposition that will express this relation exactly. Notice 
 the difference whether the dog jumps under the table, or upon 
 it, or entirely over it. What are the differences of meaning 
 conveyed by the prepositions in the second sentence? 
 
 The following list includes the commonest prepositions. 
 
 about 
 
 below 
 
 from 
 
 through 
 
 above 
 
 beneath 
 
 in 
 
 to 
 
 across 
 
 beside 
 
 into 
 
 under 
 
 after 
 
 between 
 
 like 
 
 up 
 
 against 
 
 beyond 
 
 of 
 
 with 
 
 among 
 
 but (except) 
 
 off 
 
 within 
 
 around 
 
 by 
 
 on 
 
 without 
 
 at 
 
 during 
 
 over 
 
 
 before 
 
 except 
 
 round 
 
 
 behind 
 
 for 
 
 since 
 
 
 
 Exercise 219 
 
 
 From this list fill the blanks below with as many different prepo- 
 sitions as you think will fit. What is the difference in meaning in 
 each case? 
 
 1. The soldiers marched the square. 
 
 2. Her report card was discovered - the sideboard. 
 
 3. He went the minister. 
 
 4. The robbery was committed - - the concert. 
 
 5. The accident occurred the gymnasium. 
 
 The proper meaning of a preposition can be learned only by care- 
 ful study of a large dictionary or a book of synonyms.
 
 374 
 
 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 220 
 
 Frame sentences which will bring out the distinctive meaning of 
 each preposition in the following list. Where a verb is given, the 
 verb should be used with each preposition. 
 
 at, in 
 
 beside, besides 
 
 between, among, amid 
 
 from, off (note the errors the class 
 
 commits) 
 in, into 
 
 on, upon (note the misuses of on) 
 round, around, about 
 agree to, with, upon 
 argue with, against 
 change for, with 
 contend with, against 
 confide in, to 
 
 compare to, with 
 
 connect with, to 
 
 come up with, to 
 
 correspond with, to 
 
 depart from, for, at, on, in 
 
 disappoint in, on 
 
 differ with, from 
 
 hang on, from, to 
 
 join with, to, in 
 
 live at, in, on 
 
 part with, from 
 
 talk to, with, of 
 
 speak to, with 
 
 216. Pronouns After Prepositions. — Many mistakes are 
 made in the objects of prepositions, particularly pronouns. 
 The only proper forms after the preposition are me, him, her, 
 us, them, whom, and their compounds. The trouble usually 
 comes where the preposition has two objects — as in, between 
 you and me. In this case me is just as much an object of the 
 preposition as you is. 
 
 Exercise 221 
 
 In the following sentences choose the correct form of the words 
 within parentheses. Prove that your choice is correct. 
 
 1. The details were settled by the secretary and (I-me). 
 
 2. He requests permission to call on you and (I-me).
 
 USES OF OTHER PARTS OF SPEECH 375 
 
 3. The tickets are for mother and (I-me). 
 
 4. We prepare our lessons with her sister and (she-her). 
 
 5. (She-her) and her sister came to school this morning with 
 
 my brother and (I-me). 
 
 6. The announcement was to be made by the president or 
 
 (I-me). 
 
 7. Everybody is going on the picnic except (he-him) and 
 
 (I-me). 
 
 8. The quarrel between his elder brother and (she-her) led to a 
 
 fight. 
 
 9. Oo you expect all the work to be done by (he-him) and (I- 
 
 me) ? 
 
 10. All but you and (I-me) have gone home already. 
 
 11. Quiet girls like you and (she-her) should succeed as secre- 
 
 taries. 
 
 12. They kept still for the sake of his father and (he-him). 
 
 13. Between you and (I-me), I think they did wrong. 
 
 14. They called to my companion and (I-me). 
 
 15. Everyone protested but (they-them) and (me-us). 
 
 16. The manager sent for (he-him) and (I-me), but not you and 
 
 (she-her) . 
 
 17. They discovered that his brother and (he-him) had never 
 
 been out of the city. 
 
 18. Uncle went downtown today to buy a bicycle for (she-her) 
 
 and (I-me). 
 
 19. All have handed in their reports except (he-him) and (I-me). 
 
 20. That novel appeals not only to grown-ups but to (we-us) 
 
 girls. 
 
 21. (Who-whom) do you take me for ? 
 
 22. He invited (they-them) to go with mother and (we-us). 
 
 23. (Who-whom) did he send you to? 
 
 24. He asked (who-whom) was the man across the street. 
 26. He asked (who-whom) the contract was between. 
 
 217. Preposition or Conjunction. — Prepositions and eon- 
 junctions are sometimes confused. (For conjunctions, re-
 
 376 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 view pages 321, 322). Like is never a conjunction. Conse- 
 quently, never use a verb after " like." If the expression is 
 one requiring a verb, use as or as if to introduce the clause. 
 This distinction is brought out in the following sentences: 
 
 He writes like me. 
 
 He writes as if he were crazy. 
 
 Than is not a preposition but a conjunction. But the clause 
 which it introduces, like many of the clauses which as in- 
 troduces, is left incomplete because a part of it can be so 
 easily supplied by the reader. The following sentences are 
 correct : 
 
 He writes faster than I [do]. 
 He writes as fast as I [do]. 
 
 Exercise 222 
 
 Insert the proper forms in the blanks below. 
 
 1. You act (like-as) a clown. 
 
 2. You cannot write (like-as) your brother can. 
 
 3. Are you taller than (I-me)? 
 
 4. Nobody knows less about a typewriter than (me-I). 
 
 5. He sharpened the pencils just (like-as) he was told to do. 
 
 6. You were nearer the door than (she-her). 
 
 7. He has a voice (like-as) his father's. 
 
 8. The boys found employment earlier than (she-her). 
 
 9. I shall select him rather than (she-her). 
 
 10. I hope you will laugh over the story (like-as) I did. 
 
 11. He talks exactly (like-as) you. 
 
 12. You always arrive earlier than (he-hhn). 
 
 13. No one congratulated him more heartily than (I-me). 
 
 14. She has a winning smile (like-as) her sister. 
 
 15. That cartoon in The Magpie looks (like-as) him.
 
 USES OF OTHER PARTS OF SPEECH 377 
 
 16. For old gentlemen there is no game (like-as) golf. 
 
 17. I am not so popular as (she-her). 
 
 18. He is brighter than (I-me), but I try harder than (he-him). 
 
 19. If you do (like-as) he does, you will not be promoted at all. 
 
 20. You are not as tall as (she-her), but she hasn't bright eyes 
 
 (like-as) you.
 
 CHAPTER XXXII 
 SPELLING' 
 
 *218. Spelling Demons. — When you come to write for 
 your employer, or for yourself, you may be discharged or 
 laughed at because of your misspelling. Every business man 
 expects you to spell correctly the common words. Strange to 
 say, the words you will have most trouble with are the com- 
 monest. Master the correct spelling of them first. 
 
 Exercise 223 
 
 1. Let a member of the class dictate today the words in the first 
 of the following lists. Tomorrow let some member dictate the words 
 in the second list. Proceed in that way until you have mastered all 
 the lists. After writing each list, compare your spelling with that in 
 the book. What per cent have you spelled correctly? What per 
 cent has the class as a whole spelled correctly? Are you better or 
 poorer than the average of the class? 
 
 2. Copy down in a page of your note-book all the words in these 
 lists that you have misspelled, under the title, "Words to Watch." 
 Read the list aloud, noting the syllables. Add to it from the words 
 misspelled in your letters and other writing. Possibly your teacher 
 will dictate them to you once a week, so that you can see how well 
 you are learning to spell them correctly. 
 
 1 As in previous chapters, the star indicates that the matter which 
 bears that mark should be mastered in the first year. 
 
 378
 
 
 
 SPELLING 
 
 i 
 
 376 
 
 
 
 (a) 
 
 
 
 any 
 
 know 
 
 
 such 
 
 went 
 
 does 
 
 many 
 
 
 there 
 
 where 
 
 first 
 
 much 
 
 
 they 
 
 write 
 
 goes 
 
 off 
 
 
 too 
 
 wrote 
 
 here 
 
 some 
 
 (b) 
 
 very 
 
 
 again 
 
 every 
 
 
 running- 
 
 tried 
 
 asked 
 
 having 
 
 
 school 
 
 two 
 
 been 
 
 hear 
 
 
 shining 
 
 when 
 
 buy 
 
 heard 
 
 
 stopped 
 
 which 
 
 coming 
 
 knew 
 
 
 sure 
 
 whole 
 
 cried 
 
 making 
 
 
 taking 
 
 whose 
 
 dear 
 
 near 
 
 
 their 
 
 writing 
 
 done 
 
 once 
 
 
 threw 
 
 
 dropped 
 
 only 
 
 (c) 
 
 told 
 
 
 afraid 
 
 doctor 
 
 
 loose 
 
 should 
 
 all right 
 
 early 
 
 
 lose 
 
 shows 
 
 almost 
 
 easy 
 
 
 loving 
 
 speak 
 
 already 
 
 enough 
 
 
 new 
 
 though 
 
 always 
 
 father 
 
 
 none 
 
 together 
 
 asks 
 
 forty 
 
 
 often 
 
 truly 
 
 beginning 
 
 friend 
 
 
 people 
 
 until 
 
 color 
 
 have (not 
 
 "of" known) 
 
 quite 
 
 women 
 
 could 
 
 its 
 
 (d) 
 
 says 
 
 would 
 
 across 
 
 choose 
 
 
 minute 
 
 through 
 
 also 
 
 don't 
 
 
 piece 
 
 Tuesday 
 
 among 
 
 easiest 
 
 
 pleasant 
 
 tired 
 
 before 
 
 fourth 
 
 
 ready 
 
 weather 
 
 believe 
 
 hour 
 
 
 receive 
 
 week 
 
 built 
 
 instead 
 
 
 Saturday 
 
 Wednesday 
 
 business 
 
 just 
 
 
 seems 
 
 written 
 
 busy 
 
 losing 
 
 
 sentence 
 
 
 can't 
 
 meant 
 
 
 straight 

 
 380 
 
 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 (e) 
 
 answered 
 
 either 
 
 replied 
 
 useful 
 
 break 
 
 except 
 
 since 
 
 wear 
 
 country 
 
 half 
 
 stretch 
 
 whom 
 
 didn't 
 
 isn't 
 
 tear 
 
 without 
 
 different 
 
 perhaps 
 
 toward 
 
 
 doesn't 
 
 really 
 
 (f) 
 
 trouble 
 
 
 certain 
 
 laid 
 
 separate 
 
 tries 
 
 crowd 
 
 led 
 
 speech 
 
 whether 
 
 describe 
 
 library 
 
 stories 
 
 won't 
 
 hoping 
 
 paid 
 
 studies 
 
 wouldn't 
 
 hurried 
 
 said 
 
 surprised 
 
 
 ladies 
 
 sense 
 
 (g) 
 
 thrown 
 
 
 chief 
 
 enemy 
 
 judgment 
 
 probably 
 
 copied 
 
 finally 
 
 lies 
 
 read (past) 
 
 description 
 
 foreign 
 
 lying 
 
 respectfully 
 
 destroy 
 
 generally 
 
 necessary 
 
 seize 
 
 disappointed 
 
 government 
 
 pretty 
 
 sincerely 
 
 disagree 
 
 grammar 
 
 (hi 
 dollar's worth 
 
 principal 
 
 
 accept 
 
 lady's 
 
 opened 
 
 at last 
 
 easily 
 
 ninth 
 
 preferred 
 
 definite 
 
 immediately 
 
 occasion 
 
 usually 
 
 divide 
 
 Jones's 
 
 occurred 
 
 
 219. Rules. — When you arc uncertain of the spelling, the 
 following rules will frequently come to your aid. 
 
 *1. Drop final silent e before a suffix beginning wit h a vowel 
 
 come + ing 
 sense + ible 
 move+able 
 
 coming 
 sensible 
 movable
 
 SPELLING 381 
 
 *2. Keep final silent c before a suffix beginning with a 
 consonant. 
 
 hope + ful hopeful 
 
 immediate +ly immediately 
 
 extreme + ly extremely 
 
 Exceptions are: argument, duly, ninth, truly, judgment. 
 
 *3. In words ending in ce and ge keep the e before a suffix 
 beginning with a or o, in order to preserve the soft sound of 
 c and g. 
 
 noticeable advantageous 
 
 courageous vengeance 
 
 4. Keep final y preceded by a vowel when adding a suffix. 
 
 stay stayed 
 
 journey journeys 
 
 5. When final y is preceded by a consonant, change y to i 
 before a suffix beginning with any other letter than i. 
 
 busy business fly flies 
 
 lucky luckily lady ladies 
 
 easy easier duty dutiful 
 
 *6. The most troublesome combination is ei or ie. Expect 
 i to come before e, as in the jingle: 
 
 i before e 
 
 Except after c, 
 
 Or when sounded as a, 
 
 As in neighbor and weigh. 
 
 The words Alice or lice may help you, because the I and c 
 are both followed by the letter they are followed by in spell- 
 ing other words. For example, believe and receive. 
 
 The*re are two sets of exceptions to the rule, "i before e"; 
 
 (a) Either, neither, seize, weird, leisure, inveigle. 
 
 (b) Friend, view, handkerchief, mischief, fiery, financier, sieve.
 
 382 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 These should be memorized and repeated every day, until 
 you never make a mistake in using them. 
 
 7. Monosyllables and words accented on the last syllable, 
 ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, 
 generally double the final consonant before a suffix beginning 
 with a vowel. This rule is very important in forming past and 
 present participles. 
 
 Stop, stopped, stopping 
 Prefer, preferred, preferring 
 
 You must always think of the accent when you apply this 
 rule. Open, for example, ends in a single consonant preceded 
 by a single vowel, but the accent is not on the final syllable 
 in any of the words formed from it; as, opened, opening. 
 
 Exercise 224 
 
 *You can help each other to become good spellers, if the teacher 
 will act as umpire. Let her send ten or fifteen to the board, each of 
 whom will number the section of the board at which he stands. 
 Then let one pupil after another of those remaining at their seatw 
 read a sentence, until the board is filled. Then the pupil who read 
 the sentence will judge whether there are any misspelled words in 
 the sentence which he read. Those at their seats can then take the 
 places at the board, and write from dictation. Each pupil will put 
 clown in his "Words to Watch" list all words that he misspells. 
 
 1. Dining, writing, and hoping for a check on the morrow, he 
 
 was yet sensible of having small ground for hope. 
 
 2. The argument was duly prolonged till the ninth inning, when 
 
 the prospects truly became more hopeful immediately. 
 
 3. It was noticeably advantageous to remain on peaceable terms 
 
 with the changeable and truly unmanageable foe until he 
 had lost his thirst for vengeance.
 
 SPELLING 383 
 
 4. The boys, as they walked down some green alleys past cages 
 of monkeys, thought of journeys and plays and other 
 strange subjects. 
 
 6. Luckily the business they were sent on did not rest heavily 
 on them, for they easily forgot their families in remember- 
 ing the stories they had read in books. 
 
 6. I believe he grieved for his niece who was lost in the fierce 
 
 siege of Antwerp. 
 
 7. ''If I am not deceived, ," said the financier, "I have received 
 
 an order for 10,000 square feet of ceiling." 
 
 8. One of the fiery freight handlers threw a heavy weight into 
 
 the sleigh without inveighing against the railroad. 
 
 9. A foreign sovereign, intending to stir up mischief among 
 
 friends, sent a sieve to one, a handkerchief to another, and 
 a counterfeit coin to the third. 
 
 10. Either seize the weird creature and allow him no leisure, or 
 
 I shall be forced to leave neither of you alive. 
 
 11. Hoping for a striped jersey, he planned a hopping contest 
 
 which should continue until he had dragged every student 
 out to it. 
 
 12. Rolling a cigarette of the tobacco he preferred, he referred 
 
 to a battle-scarred veteran who had scared him at the 
 beginning by omitting to bow. 
 
 13. The battle had occurred as they were compelling those who 
 
 had rebelled to submit themselves to the governor-general. 
 
 14. Suffering at the opening of the game from having traveled 
 
 without written permission, he offered to forfeit the match 
 to escape detection. 
 16. But at last he accepted the disappointment of not banqueting 
 in the dining-car, and bought a dollar's worth of cookies 
 immediately after the decision. 
 
 Exercise 225 
 
 Keep a list of the words coming under each rule. At the end of 
 the week, write out five sentences for each rule. Let each sentence 
 contain as many words under the rule it illustrates as you can put in. 
 After the first few sentences you will find it a very interesting game.
 
 384 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 *220. Possessives. — The proper spelling; of possessives is 
 very important in business writing. Always remember the 
 simple rule that the possessive singular is formed by adding 
 the apostrophe (') and s to the noun; as, the lady's slipper, a 
 boy's cap, Mr. Jones's horse. The apostrophe comes before 
 the s. In the plural possessives use the apostrophe alone; 
 that is, the apostrophe comes after the plural ending. For 
 example, ladies' gowns, boys' caps, the Joneses' manners. 
 
 Of course in a few forms the plural does not end in .9. Con- 
 sequently, the possessive of such plurals would be formed by 
 the apostrophe and s; for example, men's hats. 
 
 Never use the apostrophe in forming the plural of nouns; 
 e.g., the ladie's were planning a bridge party. Ladie's is in- 
 excusably wrong. 
 
 In firm names, the apostrophe and s are placed after the 
 complete name; as, Pierce and Hartung's hardware store. The 
 expression John's and Mary's bicycles would mean that each 
 owned a bicycle. 
 
 Exercise 226 
 
 Read over five or six of your themes and letters to detect mistakes 
 in the use of the apostrophe. Write out each sentence with the 
 correct form, and bring the list of sentences to class. 
 
 Exercise 227 
 
 The following lists consist of words that are particularly trouble- 
 some to high school students. Some of them represent the rules 
 studied above. Write them list by list, from dictation, as in Exer- 
 cise 223 until you never misspell a word. 
 
 
 (a) 
 
 
 affect (a verb) 
 
 benefit 
 
 hopeful 
 
 altogether 
 
 description 
 
 successful
 
 
 SPELLING 
 
 
 nevertheless 
 
 despair 
 
 useful 
 
 without 
 
 effect (usually a noun) 
 
 in fact 
 
 angel 
 
 whether 
 
 in spite 
 
 argument 
 
 one's 
 
 at last 
 
 ninth 
 
 another's 
 
 all right 
 
 truly 
 
 other's 
 
 (b) 
 
 cries 
 replies 
 
 athletics 
 
 changeable 
 
 lose 
 
 address 
 
 noticeable 
 
 move 
 
 approach 
 
 peaceable 
 
 prove 
 
 arrive 
 
 unmanageable 
 
 lying 
 
 supplies 
 
 vengeance 
 
 tying 
 
 amount 
 
 r ) 
 opinion 
 
 re-fcom+mend 
 
 around 
 
 com+mit+tee 
 
 possibly 
 
 arouse 
 
 mean-fness 
 
 preparation 
 
 imagine 
 
 drunken+ness 
 
 separation 
 
 imitate 
 
 re+col+lect 
 (d) 
 
 separate 
 
 arrangement 
 
 mysterious 
 
 happiness 
 
 definitely 
 
 religious 
 
 loneliness 
 
 safety 
 
 suspicious 
 
 its 
 
 surely 
 
 unconscious' 
 
 hers 
 
 curious 
 
 victorious 
 
 yours 
 
 famous 
 
 guard 
 
 their 
 
 generous 
 
 luckily 
 
 (e) 
 
 
 accustomed 
 
 captain 
 
 grammatically 
 
 apologize 
 
 villain 
 
 practically 
 
 particularly 
 
 village 
 
 occasion 
 
 disturb 
 
 corner 
 
 occasionally 
 
 originally 
 
 quarter 
 
 accidentally 
 
 similar 
 
 enthusiastically 
 
 especially 
 
 view 
 
 
 
 385 
 
 25
 
 386 
 
 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 221. Business Terms. — -You will be more valuable in any 
 business position if you know the terms peculiar to business. 
 These terms may be studied in two groups. One set is pecu- 
 liar to some particular kind of business, as the coal business, 
 for instance, or railroading. If you enter an office handling 
 such business, you should try to learn the exact meaning and 
 spelling of every unfamiliar word. Of course, a book like this 
 cannot give you much assistance in that matter. The other 
 set of terms involves the fundamental activities of business 
 life. Again, you should learn the spelling and exact meaning 
 of each term. The lists below are a good beginning. 
 
 Exercise 228 
 
 Let a member of the class dictate to the other members the words 
 in one of these lists today. After writing it out, compare your spell- 
 ing with that in the book. Those that you misspell you should 
 study carefully for tomorrow. You should likewise check those 
 whose meaning you do not understand. Tomorrow you should give 
 the meaning and the spelling of each word. These two exercises 
 can be repeated the next week with the second list, and so on until 
 the complete set is mastered. 
 
 (a) 
 
 acceptance 
 
 assign 
 
 chassis 
 
 accommodation 
 
 attest 
 
 clientele 
 
 accountant 
 
 attorney 
 
 collateral 
 
 acknowledgment 
 
 audit 
 
 collectible 
 
 affidavit 
 
 bona fide 
 
 competitor 
 
 analyze 
 
 bulletin 
 
 confirmation 
 
 arraign 
 
 certified 
 (b) 
 
 
 consign 
 
 delinquency 
 
 facilities 
 
 contract 
 
 deponent 
 
 feasibility
 
 
 SPELLING 
 
 
 copyright 
 
 depositor 
 
 finance 
 
 corporation 
 
 depreciate 
 
 fluctuating 
 
 credit 
 
 discount 
 
 foreclosure 
 
 default 
 
 economics 
 
 freight 
 
 defendant 
 
 embargo 
 (c) 
 
 
 guarantee 
 
 invoice 
 
 maintenance 
 
 honorarium 
 
 issuance 
 
 maturities 
 
 indorsement 
 
 jobber 
 
 mortgage 
 
 injunction 
 
 judgment 
 
 notions 
 
 intestate 
 
 ledger 
 
 partisans 
 
 inventory 
 
 liabilities 
 
 prestige 
 
 investment 
 
 litigation, 
 (d) 
 
 • 
 
 procedure 
 
 security 
 
 transit 
 
 protest 
 
 staples 
 
 treasurer 
 
 reciprocate 
 
 speculation 
 
 usury 
 
 rectify 
 
 statistics 
 
 utilize 
 
 reimburse 
 
 statute 
 
 voucher 
 
 remittance 
 
 stipulated 
 
 versus 
 
 riders 
 
 . subpoena 
 
 warranty 
 
 scanners 
 
 tracer 
 
 way-bill 
 
 387 
 
 *222. Hyphen.— Two features of spelling will trouble you 
 often when you get into business. One is using the hyphen in 
 compound words. Use the hyphen with compound adjec- 
 tives; as, the red-haired messenger, a tivo-dollar ticket. The 
 tendency now is to make words solid. If you feel pretty sure 
 the word needs a hyphen, look it up in the dictionary. That 
 is the only trustworthy guide. 
 
 The other matter is the dividing of a word at the end of a 
 line. The only rule is: Divide so that you can pronounce 
 each part separately.
 
 388 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 Exercise 229 
 
 Write to the Russell Sage Foundation, 130 East 22 Street, New 
 York City, for publication E139, "A Measuring Scale for Ability 
 in Spelling." The charge is 5 cents. It contains one thousand 
 words. If you can spell all of them, you will have little trouble in 
 business spelling.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII 
 
 ESSENTIAL USES OF CAPITAL LETTERS AND 
 PUNCTUATION 1 
 
 223. Capitalization. — Our language has habits, just as 
 you have a habit of holding a pen. If you do not observe 
 these habits, you will be thought ill-trained or uneducated. 
 One of these habits is the use of capital letters at certain 
 points. 
 
 1. Begin with a capital the first word of every sentence, 
 the first word of a formal resolution, the first word of every 
 direct quotation. 
 
 A salesman must have both tact and good humor. 
 
 Resolved: That salesmanship is a natural gift. 
 
 He replied, "You forget the necessity of persistence." 
 
 *2. Begin with a capital every proper noun and adjective, 
 including days of the week, months of the year, holidays, 
 official titles, words denoting relationship, etc. 
 
 The greatest of the French generals was Marshal Foch. 
 
 The South made millions out of cotton during the war. 
 (But: He lives twelve miles south of Charlotte.) 
 
 Tuesday, May sixth, was declared Liberty Day, in honor 
 of the Seventy-seventh Division. 
 
 Vice-Admiral Sims addressed the meeting. 
 
 Your uncle was present, but Aunt Mary and Sister were 
 detained by duties at home. 
 
 1 As before, the star indicates that the rules should become second 
 nature with the first-year pupils. All other rules should be deferred to 
 the second year. 
 
 389
 
 390 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 You should observe that titles are capitalized only when 
 they are used in connection with names; as, 
 
 Three generals were present, 
 but 
 
 The children greeted General Pershing. 
 
 Names of relationship are never capitalized when used with 
 a possessive pronoun; as, 
 
 Your uncle said so. 
 but 
 
 Let me see, Uncle. 
 
 Business spells with a small letter a good many terms like 
 oriental rug, turkey red, and other common articles of trade. 
 
 3. Begin with a capital the chief words in titles of books. 
 
 He bought a copy of "The Principles of Salesmanship." 
 
 4. Begin with a capital the first word of every item or 
 heading in lists or outlines. 
 
 Remittances may be: 
 
 1 . Silver and stamps 
 
 2. Postal money-orders 
 
 3. Express money-orders 
 
 4. Checks 
 
 5. Bank drafts 
 
 224. Punctuation. — Punctuation is needed to make your 
 meaning clear immediately. What can you make of this? 
 
 put me into the hampstead bus she said what's the num- 
 ber I've forgotten lm a bit off my head why are you alone 
 why did not your mother come we wouldn't have her nor 
 anybody don't you understand of course you don't you will 
 some day.
 
 CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION 391 
 
 To enable the reader to get your meaning with the least 
 trouble, follow these rules, which are very generally under- 
 stood by readers. 
 
 * 
 
 *225. The Period.— Use the period: 
 
 1. To mark the end of a declarative or an imperative 
 sentence. 
 
 The salesman meets two kinds of objections. 
 Distinguish between honest objections and trivial 
 excuses. 
 
 2. To indicate an abbreviation. 
 
 Dr. Hughes 
 
 Messrs. Gordon and Dillon 
 Fifth Ave. 
 Tenth St. 
 One doz. eggs 
 
 Miss is never an abbreviation, nor are expressions like 1st, 
 3rd. 
 
 *226. The Question Mark. — Use the question mark: 
 1. To indicate the close of a direct question. 
 
 *227. The Exclamation Point. — Use the exclamation point : 
 
 1. To mark the close of a sentence that expresses strong 
 feeling. 
 
 Call it anything you want to. This is what people want! 
 
 2. To indicate the force of interjections or exclamatory 
 phrases. 
 
 Oh, no! It will all go out as No. 1. 
 
 "A home run!" shouted the coach from the side lines. 
 
 228. The Comma. — When you have learned to mark the 
 end of every sentence, study the way in which to indicate to
 
 392 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 the reader's eye the parts of it. Make the parts stand out so 
 clearly that he can grasp the meaning at the first glance. 
 The most useful mark you can employ will be the comma. 
 
 1. Place a comma before the conjunction to separate the 
 clauses of a compound sentence. Certain conjunctions are 
 particularly important: but, as, so, for, and. 
 
 I was familiar with the whereabouts of this ditch, but 
 under the circumstances I naturally forgot it. I did not 
 intend to give myself up, so after a few seconds I jumped 
 out from behind the tree. 
 
 My fall was particularly fortunate, for otherwise one or 
 both of the shots might have hit me. 
 
 I ran only a short distance, as I was loaded down with the 
 heavy Russian overcoat. 
 
 By that time I had got probably six or seven steps 
 farther, and he fired. 
 
 Exercise 230 
 
 Punctuate the following correctly, giving the reason in each case: 
 
 1. The Poster Squad must be made up of workers and good will- 
 
 ing letterers are always needed. 
 
 2. The exceptional person begins at an early age his preparation 
 
 for a definite career and he continues it until, he reaches 
 the goal. 
 
 3. Few college students have at graduation well-defined plans 
 
 but those who go to work at an early age soon come to look 
 at life more seriously. 
 
 4. The thoughtful young man sees that the occupations for 
 
 which little training is required offer no future so he tries 
 to learn what kind of education is most desirable. 
 
 5. This is a hard task for he is perplexed by appeals from busi- 
 
 ness and correspondence schools which are operated for 
 profit.
 
 CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION 393 
 
 6. He could not go to college to become a civil engineer so he 
 
 consoled himself with a remunerative position in business. 
 
 7. You never saw a negro working in a Chinese laundry and 1 
 
 don't believe you ever will. 
 
 8. You will enjoy Ocean Nook for there you can do the very 
 
 things you like to do when you forget business. 
 
 9. Another point that is overlooked is the fact that large sums 
 
 are spent in securing new business but the appropriation 
 for keeping the old customers is so small that it becomes 
 quite negligible. 
 
 10. Complaints that are obviously justified should individually 
 
 and collectively be called to the attention of the clerks 
 who were responsible for them for they provide worth- 
 while experiences in all cases. 
 
 11. Usually the customer has a grievance and this very attitude 
 
 on his part makes it imperative that the correspondent 
 use the utmost care in handling the situation. 
 
 12. His house was burned so he had taken refuge in the little 
 
 house at the bridge. 
 
 2. Use the comma to set off yea, no, and all nouns of address. 
 
 Yes, the best values in town are at Hunter's. 
 You will agree, Mr. Brown, that we have been very 
 considerate. 
 
 Exercise 231 
 
 Punctuate these sentences correctly, giving the reason: 
 
 1. Yes chops were almost always properly broiled. 
 
 2. Boys your part is not a small one. 
 
 3. No you are heading directly into the German fire. 
 
 4. We can well understand Mr. Kicker how you feel about the 
 
 dyes in the last shipment of sweaters. 
 6. Another thing gentlemen is equally important.
 
 394 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 *3. Use the comma to separate words or phrases in a series. 
 If the conjunctions are all expressed, no commas are needed, 
 but if only the last conjunction is used, both the comma and 
 the conjunction are needed between the last two members of 
 the series. 
 
 He traveled along gravel roads, through lighted cities, 
 over woody mountains. 
 
 To be punctual, willing, and industrious was his constant 
 effort. 
 
 In one day he lost a knife, a oompass, a box of matches, 
 and a purse full of coins. 
 
 In firm names the comma usually does not appear before 
 and Company as, Browning, King & Company. 
 
 Exercise 232 
 
 Punctuate these sentences correctly, giving the reason for all 
 marks : 
 
 1. The president called me into his office asked me fully about 
 
 my plans expressed his interest in my future and then 
 offered to place me in charge of a new department. 
 
 2. The firm is active strong growing is rapidly advancing its 
 
 business and has connections with the leading employers 
 in New York. 
 
 3. Shall I give up my early laudable and long-cherished plan of 
 
 going to college? 
 
 4. The question was submitted to a group of experienced cold 
 
 hard-headed business men. 
 
 5. You can write a letter for a theater a park a summer resort a 
 
 boat trip a tour by land that will do the work every time. 
 
 6. Tennis bathing fishing side excursions to nearby points fill 
 
 up the days and the ocean-cooled nights make sleeping a 
 pleasure.
 
 CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION 395 
 
 7. It is healthful she can use it at any time it doesn't spoil it's 
 
 . for the emergency it's easily digested. 
 
 8. Some carry on adjustment correspondence in such a precise 
 
 legal cold-blooded manner that the whole smacks of court 
 procedure. 
 
 9. The adjustment correspondent should be acquainted with 
 
 business methods in general use with the complete manu- 
 facturing process the general systems of transportation 
 and the use to which the products are placed. 
 10. Play to learn self-control generosity in victory manliness in 
 defeat. 
 
 4. Use commas to separate words or phrases in apposition. 
 Note that the commas are needed on both sides. 
 
 Chicago, the largest city between the Alleghanies and the 
 Rockies, is the natural center of the Middle West. 
 
 Exercise 233 
 
 Punctuate these sentences properly, giving the reason for every 
 comma : 
 
 1. He a young business man with a business future before him 
 
 was advised to go to college. 
 
 2. That day the day when his four years of studious industry 
 
 had culminated in an engineering degree he received an 
 excellent position with a construction company. 
 
 3. Now pity has no place in business not pity as we look at it 
 
 from a charitable standpoint. 
 
 4. In that day you the boys of this day are to be the responsible 
 
 voting citizens. 
 
 5. Refugees most of them women were hurrying by in every 
 
 direction half-dressed only half-sane and horribly afraid.
 
 396 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 *5. Use the comma to set off participial and other adjec- 
 tival phrases when they are used appositively. Of course, 
 when such phrases modify the noun or pronoun closely, they 
 are not set off. Remember, too, the caution to use commas on 
 both sides. 
 
 The barn, standing in a pasture by itself, enabled me to 
 escape the rain. 
 
 The overcoat, similar in style to that of a German officer, 
 was a good disguise. 
 
 Exercise 234 
 
 Punctuate these sentences properly, giving the reason for every 
 comma : 
 
 1. Every foreign mainspring is an individual spring of uncertain 
 
 temper making the watch a liability. 
 
 2. We spent two days making the journey calling at villages on 
 
 the way and arriving at our destination late in the afternoon. 
 
 3. He sat for five minutes thereafter blinking at the interloper 
 
 like an exasperated white-haired owl. 
 
 4. The young engineer having worked another four years was 
 
 succeeding far beyond anything he could have expected 
 from his old employer. 
 
 5. Poor old Twinkle hearing himself eulogized for the first time 
 
 in his life sat in silence winking almost tearfully too 
 amazed to be pleased. 
 
 6. At last he did come pushing back his chair and walking 
 
 slowly up the room. 
 
 7. The young lady was looking forward with all interest prob- 
 
 ably wondering what the heroine would do at the critical 
 moment. 
 
 8. Old and young in little coveys of fours fives half-dozens 
 
 dozens ran along the sidewalks slipping and crashing over 
 the broken glass making a terrifying and unearthly racket 
 as they ran. 

 
 CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION 397 
 
 9. Two old men dragging a heavy bundle of household goods 
 between them abandoned it in the street and fled 
 screaming. 
 
 *6. Use the comma after a long adverbial clause that begins 
 the sentence. Certain conjunctions introduce clauses that 
 are always set off: as, since, though, and although. Clauses 
 beginning with if are usually set off. 
 
 If you were arranging furniture in a room, you would not 
 put a piano on one side and a frail chair on the other. 
 
 When you have mastered the theory of balance, you will 
 have conquered your first great artistic obstacle. 
 
 Since your first aim is to attract attention, you must 
 avoid generalities. 
 
 As very few can resist a bargain, you can make a very 
 strong head-line by appealing to the bargain spirit. 
 
 Exercise 235 
 
 Punctuate these sentences properly, giving the reason for every 
 comma : 
 
 1. When the river is in flood great trees come sweeping down. 
 
 2. If the other heard he gave no sign. 
 
 3. As one of his customers said he could take the gayest dinner 
 
 party that ever was and with a single glance of his faded 
 blue eyes reduce it to a pile of dirty dishes and the bill. 
 
 4. After he had spoken the phrase they all remembered it was 
 
 his. 
 
 5. If such a situation actually occurs the correspondents can 
 
 rest assured that there are bigger openings waiting for 
 them. 
 
 6. However unjust the complaint may be the adjustment 
 
 correspondent must never let such feelings get the better 
 of him.
 
 398 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 7. Since you have asked him to solve the problem it is good 
 
 business to grant his demands even when they are ex- 
 cessive. 
 
 8. Although I had letters to the town officials it was too early 
 
 in the morning to present them. 
 
 9. Since he sent the wro^ wheel I wrote him in this way. 
 
 10. As this occurred recently we have not j^et learned the 
 
 outcome. 
 
 11. If in doubt regarding the correct decision after all facts have 
 
 been reviewed put it up to the customer. 
 
 12. Though he had been a prisoner during the time the Ger- 
 
 mans were there they forgot him the morning the French 
 army arrived. 
 
 *7. Use commas on both sides of parenthetical or explana- 
 tory words and phrases. Some of the commonest words so 
 used are: however, moreover, nevertheless, indeed, in fact, in 
 the first place, I think, he said, in conclusion, it seems. But 
 you should always make sure that the expression is paren- 
 thetical or explanatory. 
 
 Take, for example, the slogan "Eventually — Why not 
 now? " 
 
 But, verily, truth is stronger than comparative prices. 
 
 There are, at times, good reasons why articles are reduced 
 and sold at actual cost 
 
 Human nature, despite all discussion, has not changed as 
 to the bargain instinct. 
 
 Exercise 236 
 
 Punctuate these sentences properly, giving the reason for every 
 comma: 
 
 1. Industry the giant transformer of Earth's raw materials into 
 the peaceful needs of man bends to his fruitful task again.
 
 CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION 399 
 
 2. When after the hearty exchange of greetings on board the 
 
 launch we went on shore a very old man came forward. 
 
 3. Maybe we're going to do the impossible after all doctor. 
 
 4. It was not of course advertised as that. 
 
 5. It was a curious place to look at too in a way. 
 
 6. Old Isham himself though would have been curious any- 
 
 where in the world. 
 
 7. When all the envelopes have been opened he directed the 
 
 contents of each should be opened and examined. 
 
 8. Care must be taken of course to see that everything has been 
 
 removed from the envelope. 
 
 9. An inexperienced mail clerk on the contrary may lose en- 
 
 closures for he may neglect to hold each envelope between 
 him and the light. 
 
 10. Moreover in glancing through the opened letter you should 
 
 look for the signature. 
 
 11. Occasionally a letter contrary to the usual practice is written 
 
 on plain paper and concluded without a signature. 
 
 12. Even if the writer's name does not appear on the envelope 
 
 you should in such cases attach the envelope to the letter 
 since the post-office stamp may identify the writer. 
 
 13. The department receiving the letter you see may be able to 
 
 discover the writer from the post-office address and the 
 subject of the letter. 
 
 14. An appeal regardless of what it is in a letter or advertisement 
 
 makes either a favorable or an unfavorable impression.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV 
 MORE DIFFICULT PUNCTUATION 1 
 
 229. Semicolon. — Use a semicolon to separate the in- 
 dependent clauses of a compound sentence, when they are 
 not joined by a conjunction, or when they are exceptionally 
 long. 
 
 Your account is long overdue; please remit by return 
 mail. 
 
 Where previous correspondence has in any way estab- 
 lished an acquaintanceship, a salesman may perhaps offer 
 to shake hands; but a safer rule to follow is to wait until a 
 prospect offers his own hand before the salesman offers his. 
 
 Exercise 237 
 
 Punctuate these sentences correctly, giving the reason for every 
 comma and semicolon: 
 
 1. Most letters containing enclosures begin with an expression 
 
 like "We are enclosing" some list the enclosures at the 
 bottom of the letter. 
 
 2. "We beg to remain " is not the way to close a letter close it 
 
 with some fact that will stick in the reader's mind. 
 
 3. Collectively complaints indicate quite graphically which 
 
 parts of the organization are at fault and if the cost of the 
 adjustment is also given the shortcomings are still further 
 emphasized. 
 
 1 The matters in this chapter should all be deferred to the second 
 year. Indeed, they should be taken up only after the rules in Chapter 
 XXXIII have become matters of habit with the pupil. 
 
 400
 
 MORE DIFFICULT PUNCTUATION 401 
 
 4. A great many complaint letters are harsh sharp and quite of- 
 
 fensive and it is a natural tendency of red-blooded Ameri- 
 cans to reply to the customer in a like manner especially if 
 the correspondent feels that the complaint is unwarranted. 
 
 5. In one way or another you are contributing your helpful mite 
 
 but you chafe because there is so little for you to do the 
 boy's share is so small so insignificant. 
 
 230. Distinction Between Restrictive and Non-Restric- 
 tive. — The chief problem in punctuation occurs in those 
 sentences where you have to decide whether a clause modifies 
 closely or adds some explanatory idea. However, follow this 
 rule invariably : 
 
 1. Use commas to set off clauses introduced by though, 
 although; so, so that y and so; and for, as, and since that show a 
 reason. 
 
 He was weary at eight o'clock, although his fellow-clerks 
 were working as rapidly as ever. 
 
 He folded the letter according to directions, so that it 
 ought to have fitted the envelope. 
 
 Great care should be taken with postage stamps, for they 
 are money. 
 
 He said nothing and, as he did not stop to try to under- 
 stand, I too fell silent. 
 
 I almost dropped the bowl of milk as that idea stung me. 
 (As here indicates time and introduces a restrictive clause.) 
 
 I sat before the fire warming myself, since I was shivering 
 too violently to stand. 
 
 I had not seen an American since I started out. (Since 
 here indicates time and introduces a restrictive clause.) 
 
 2. Use commas to set off when and where clauses when the 
 conjunctions mean and then, and there. 
 
 I know a bank where the wild thyme grows. (The xchere 
 clause here means on which and modifies bank very closely.) 
 
 26
 
 402 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 I was then seat out to Zurich, where I again found my 
 credit unlimited. 
 
 He rose when his name was called. (The when clause 
 means at the time at which or as soon as, and modifies rose 
 very closely.) 
 
 He was walking slowly along the broad highway, when 
 suddenly screams and shots in the woods at his left brought 
 him to a halt. 
 
 3. Use commas to set off who and which clauses when the 
 relative pronouns do not mean that particular person or that 
 particular thing. 
 
 He doesn't like to part with flowers which he has picked 
 or which have been given him. (Here both winch's mean 
 tlwse particular flowers.) 
 
 We leave this evening for the Chateau of Alcsuth, which 
 is not far from Budapest. (Here which means and it, so 
 that the clause is not restrictive.) 
 
 The Tsar, who arrived this morning, alighted at Coburg 
 Palace. (Here who means and he, so that the clause is not 
 restrictive.) 
 
 I gazed in admiration upon the beautiful heads of the old 
 Hungarian servants who took us to our rooms. (Here who 
 means those particular servants, so that the clause is re- 
 strictive.) 
 
 4.- Set off with commas because clauses when they do not 
 mean for the particular reason that. 
 
 He scolded the colonel because we waited lunch for him. 
 (Here because means for the particular reason that we waited 
 lunch for him. It is consequently restrictive and is not set 
 off by commas.) 
 
 The hour I spent with him was instructive from every 
 point of view, because I had no trouble in starting him on 
 the subject of the Tsar. (Here because does not mean for 
 the particular reason that, and the clause is consequently set 
 off.)
 
 MORE DIFFICULT PUNCTUATION 403 
 
 Exercise 238 
 
 Punctuate these sentences properly. St udy very carefully whether 
 the clause is restrictive or non-restrictive, and determine which of 
 the four rules applies to each case. 
 
 1. All money enclosures which may consist of stamps currency 
 
 money-orders checks or drafts are usually turned over to 
 the cashier. 
 
 2. A letter which requires the attention of some other depart- 
 
 ment than the cashier's should be sent to the other depart- 
 ment but the money should be sent tc the cashier. 
 
 3. As mistakes in the amounts enclosed are frequent the mail 
 
 clerk should note on the face of the letter whether the 
 amounts agree. 
 
 4. These big baskets laden with so many good things often dim 
 
 our eyes with tears when we see what comfort and pleasure 
 can be bought with little money. 
 
 5. We know from actual fact that that letter produced many 
 
 times the returns the former letter did simply because 
 it was the correct appeal to the sympathetic nature of 
 people. 
 
 6. Today however we have a number of live-wire concerns the 
 
 managements of which have a clear perception of the 
 business-building possibilities that are present in the ad- 
 justment of complaints. 
 
 7. The adjustment department conies to realize the view- 
 
 point of the customer who may have just cause for 
 complaint. 
 
 8. There are upwards of seventy-five sources of complaint 
 
 many of which have subordinate classifications. 
 
 9. With methodical regularity the German steel was pumped 
 
 into the doomed city except for brief pauses once every 
 hour when the artillery corps stopped to cool the guns. 
 
 10. The watch presents the same elements of mystery that once 
 
 surrounded the automobile. 
 
 11. He has always been a great favorite with his stepmother who 
 
 has trained him so well that few boys could surpass him in 
 gentle manners.
 
 404 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 12. She maintained rigid discipline which is characteristic of the 
 
 Kayan household. 
 
 13. The unfeigned joy with which these people welcomed the 
 
 return of their white ruler whom they had learned to rec- 
 ognize as their friend was a tribute of which any man 
 could be proud. 
 
 14. He liked as he said to talk about the moon. 
 
 15. Indeed they were inevitable because there people talked 
 
 about what they had thought about. 
 
 16. He was the least listened-to man because he rarely spoke. 
 
 17. It had seemed when the quiet little man first spoke as if it 
 
 was a question easily brushed aside. 
 
 18. Though it takes some extra time the mail clerk should make 
 
 a list of mail which is promised "under separate cover" 
 because he may otherwise forget for which department it is 
 intended. 
 
 19. He should check these lists daily for he can then notify the 
 
 different departments to write for duplicates lost in the 
 mail. 
 
 20. Although a business letter is usually addressed to the house 
 
 and not to individual members of the staff the name of the 
 department or the person for whom it is intended should 
 be displayed near the salutation. 
 
 21. This letter was so unbusinesslike as to require the attention 
 
 of several persons so the mail clerk wrote in the upper left- 
 hand corner the names of all of them. 
 
 22. Each person in turn attended to his part of the letter and 
 
 then checked his name so that no item in the letter might 
 be overlooked. 
 
 23. This delaying action at the bridge was very important since 
 
 a hundred and fifty thousand Germans might otherwise 
 have been able to fall on the French right flank during a 
 critical battle of the war. 
 
 24. I imagined a tall commanding woman would enter the 
 
 little sitting-room where I had been waiting that sunny 
 morning. 
 
 25. After a time he stopped in the center of the bridge where he 
 
 could see the tugs puffing up and down in the bay.
 
 MORE DIFFICULT PUNCTUATION 405 
 
 231. Colon. — 1. Use the colon to introduce an enumera- 
 tion or illustration. 
 
 He decided to employ the following advertising media: 
 circulars, circular letters, announcement cards, and bill- 
 boards. 
 
 I have discovered a new quality in Ferdinand: he -is the 
 best of teachers for his sons. 
 
 2. Use the colon to introduce a long quotation. 
 
 On December 30 we wrote you as follows : 
 
 "There is a balance of $27.81 shown by our ledgers as 
 
 past due on your invoice of August 25. Please take care of 
 
 the matter at once." 
 
 We have so far received no acknowledgment. 
 
 Exercise 239 
 
 Punctuate correctly. Give the reason for every mark you insert. 
 
 1. When revising the sentence this point was brought up no 
 
 one likes to feel that he has no part in the advertising that 
 he receives. 
 
 2. The following is based on correct principles as I interpret 
 
 them everything that will make your home more beautiful 
 is described in the furniture rug and drapery catalogue 
 sent today at your request. 
 
 3. Here are a few typical faults the tendency to regard the small 
 
 dealer as of little importance wordiness the idea that per- 
 sonality means cheap wit the use of stereotyped phrases. 
 
 4. The five motives that impel people to purchase are gain of 
 
 money gain of utility satisfaction of pride satisfaction of 
 caution yielding to weakness. 
 
 5. My answer would be this the colleges in order to help busi- 
 
 ness secure men who can think well and who can put their 
 thoughts into writing should first make sure that their 
 students do think accurately.
 
 406 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 232. Dash. — 1. Use the dash to denote a sudden change 
 or break in the thought. 
 
 Look over the details, note their correctness of architec- 
 ture—definite outlines, true to design throughout the 
 section. 
 
 Such use should *be very sparing, to avoid a slovenly ap- 
 pearance. Prefer periods and commas. 
 
 2. LJse the dash before repetition or modification, as an 
 indication of summary. 
 
 The illustrations, the borders, the press-work — all are of 
 the highest style of printing. 
 
 Fifteen minutes of reading will give you an intelligent 
 view of the whole paint problem — what paint is, how it 
 acts, how to use it. 
 
 3. Use dashes as a substitute for marks of parenthesis. 
 
 A few subscribers — only a small number- -have delayed 
 sending in their voting blanks. 
 
 Exercise 240 
 
 Punctuate correctly. Determine which rule for the dash applies 
 and what reason governs the use of the other marks of punctuation. 
 
 1. It is to make the works of a watch an open secret that these 
 
 advertisements are designed to instruct and protect you 
 in buying a watch. 
 
 2. The Punans live in the simplest form of houses mere leaf 
 
 shelters moving from place to place as they exhaust their 
 supply of food. 
 
 3. To think of it a vast self-sufficient brutal empire laid down 
 
 across the path of the world ! 
 
 4. He would move in the evening ponderously for he must have 
 
 weighed two hundred pounds among the tables listening 
 imperturbably to praise and blame.
 
 MORE DIFFICULT PUNCTUATION 407 
 
 6. The volume of mail was large to the new mail clerk a great 
 deal too large. 
 
 6. Their opposites selfishness indifference discontent unreadi- 
 
 ness to give up one's own ease and comfort in the interest 
 of the general health and prosperity may also develop. 
 
 7. To master science you must conquer mathematics arithmetic 
 
 algebra geometry. 
 
 8. It was almost amusing to think of the calm young Prussian 
 
 lieutenants of artillery the same sort as those I had seen in 
 Berlin two days before now five miles or more away from 
 us quietly and unemotionally directing that cyclone of 
 shells. 
 
 233. Marks of Parenthesis. — Use marks of parenthesis 
 to inclose explanatory or strongly subordinated elements in a 
 sentence. 
 
 Our heater utilizes the enormous chimney and ash pit 
 waste of top-feed heaters (25 to 40%). 
 
 Never use marks of parenthesis to enclose words you wish 
 to omit. Erase them neatly, or run a straight line through 
 them. 
 
 234. Quotation Marks. — 1. Use double quotation marks 
 (" ") to enclose a direct quotation — that is, the exact words 
 of the speaker. Note the different arrangements of quota- 
 tions and explanatory matter in these examples. 
 
 " Don't think us hopeless optimists, but really we cannot 
 print more stories with an unhappy ending," she wrote. 
 
 " I am sorry," she said, "but it is not a business proposi- 
 tion." 
 
 A moment later she returned, saying, "I am very sorry, 
 but, as I expected, our business manager doesn't find it 
 possible."
 
 408 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 One of the memorable points in the story is this: "She 
 shook hands with me and said, in the old sympathetic 
 manner, ' I cannot change the customs of our house, but I 
 am very sorry for you.'" 
 
 You will note in the last sentence that a quotation within a 
 quotation is enclosed in single quotation marks. 
 
 When the quotation is two or more paragraphs in length, 
 quotation marks should be placed at the beginning of each 
 paragraph, but at the close of only the last one. As an ex- 
 ample, study the paragraphs on page 26. 
 
 2. You may use quotation marks to enclose the title of a 
 book, poem, magazine, or article. Many printers, however, 
 like to set up titles in italics. If you prefer that style, draw a 
 single line under titles. Choose which you prefer, and follow 
 it consistently. 
 
 He was reading a book entitled, "The Principles of 
 Advertising." 
 
 Exercise 241 
 
 Punctuate properly. Be sure to place the quotation marks on 
 both sides wherever they are needed. 
 
 1. Well well Mr. Norvel he interrupted that is fairly conceded 
 
 I think. 
 
 2. Think of it yourselves he demanded. Put it into your own 
 
 words. 
 
 3. Did you say sir he asked that he went back three times. 
 
 4. I remember Hugh Chalmers' saying Never put into a letter 
 
 anything which has not a cash value. 
 
 5. Everybody all right I called strapping on my belt of gold 
 
 pieces and flinging on my clothes. 
 
 6. Hello Jimmie he yelled how are you come right in glad to see 
 
 you.
 
 MORE DIFFICULT PUNCTUATION 409 
 
 235. The Apostrophe. — 1. Use the apostrophe to denote 
 the possessive case of nouns. 
 
 He always looked out for his employer's interests. 
 Ketcham and Cheatham's offices are famous.. 
 
 2. The apostrophe should be used to represent omitted 
 letters. 
 
 They don't say it isn't time, for it's clear it is. 
 
 3. Form the plurals of letters, figures, and other signs with 
 the apostrophe. 
 
 Dot your i's and cross your t's. 
 
 We have in stock all sizes from 32's to 44's. 
 
 236. The Hyphen. — 1. Use the hyphen to join the parts of 
 a compound word. 
 
 Nothing in this window is over twenty-jive cents. 
 The blue-eyed girl and the black-haired boy each wore a 
 three-cornered hat. 
 
 In general, however, you should make your words solid. 
 With the exception of the rule for numbers and compound 
 adjectives, the only safe guide is the dictionary. 
 
 2. Use the hyphen at the end of a line to indicate that the 
 remainder of a word will be found at the beginning of the 
 next line. See line 9, page 408. Your only guide is that you 
 should be able to pronounce each part separately. 
 
 Exercise 242 — Review 
 
 Punctuate each sentence correctly, making quite sure of the reason 
 for each mark inserted.
 
 410 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 1. Barter the direct exchange of goods for goods said the gray- 
 
 haired professor has alwaj r s been practiced among all 
 peoples and is still in vogue to a limited extent everywhere 
 as in the trading at country stores exchanging eggs and 
 other produce for groceries and other goods. 
 
 2. In other words make every word of your letter pay a profit 
 
 and if what I have to say is properly applied it will make 
 the words and sentences and paragraphs and demonstra- 
 tion parts of your letters pay a profit. 
 
 3. If you could see the joy that comes into every home when 
 
 we deliver our Thanksgiving basket dinners those which 
 generous men like yourselves have made possible 3^0 u 
 would go the limit in giving this 3 r ear. 
 
 4. At noon salads sandwiches and cold meats are made appetiz- 
 
 ing and refreshing by a liberal use of this preparation and 
 when it replaces hot unhealthful condiments at dinner not 
 only are meats and vegetables more delicious but they 
 are more easily digested. 
 6. Where autocracy and bureaucracy all forms of selfishness in 
 government have been overthrown new forms of free gov- 
 ernment of the people by the people for the people must 
 be established. 
 
 6. The gold coins of the United States are the gold dollar not 
 
 coined since 1890 the 2J^ dollar piece or quarter eagle the 
 three dollar piece not coined since 1890 the five dollar 
 piece or half eagle the ten dollar piece or eagle and the 
 twenty-dollar piece or double eagle. 
 
 7. A former resident once told Tama Bulan a very intelligent 
 
 chief that the earth turns but Tama Bulan protested that 
 it could hardly be so for one could see that it is the sun 
 which moves and the matter was not referred to again for 
 several years when Tama Bulan one day remarked that 
 he had decided to accept the statement for every white 
 man he had asked said the same thing. 
 
 8. When we returned from our visit to Long Pelei the resident 
 
 induced a seventeen-year-old Kayan boy Kebing who had 
 not been well to come down the river in the hope that 
 medicine and a change would benefit him.
 
 MORE DIFFICULT PUNCTUATION 411 
 
 9. He might have been asleep or dead he remained so quiet yet 
 he was neither asleep nor dead for his eyes large wasted 
 and luminous gazed out unwinking from the little darkness 
 of his shelter into the vaster darkness of the night where a 
 star burned in slow mutations now sailing high now sailing 
 low over the rail of the ship. 
 
 10. The rate of exchange between countries varies according to 
 
 commercial and monetary conditions but the intrinsic par 
 of gold-standard countries remains at fixed rates that is 
 the United States gold dollar contains 23.22 troy grains 
 and the English pound sterling 113.0016 troy grains or 
 4.8665 times the value of the dollar. 
 
 11. As the men pass this general without a sword with no 
 
 medals no gold braid no overcoat and in old red trousers 
 the rain pelting on him the look on their faces is one of 
 adoration. 
 
 12. The President of the Republic went to the little ruined city 
 
 accompanied by the Presidents of the Senate and the 
 Chamber of Deputies and a great military entourage just 
 to hang the jeweled Cross of the Legion of Honor about 
 her neck although she was a little round apple-dumpling 
 sort of woman in man's costume. 
 
 Exercise 243 
 
 Divide into sentences and punctuate correctly: 
 
 1. Perhaps you have not realized that several items on the state- 
 ment enclosed have gone considerably past 30 days they total 
 $183.29 as we have shown oversights like this creep in on all of us 
 but now that your attention has been called to the matter you will 
 no doubt let us have your check for this amount at once and we trust 
 you will keep us in mind with further orders too how are you fixed 
 for soups if the government should mobilize the tin-can industry as 
 is not unlikely canned soups will be at a premium in sending your 
 check you would do well to put in a reservation for as many cases 
 of soup as you can use in the next few months.
 
 412 CLEARNESS AND CORRECTNESS 
 
 2. dear sir the time for final action on your account has come we 
 have used every honorable means to induce you to protect yourself 
 we have appealed to your honor we have tried to arouse your self- 
 respect apparently you are careless of both we are through we shall 
 not ask you again for payment we shall now refer the matter to the 
 proper authorities and you can explain to them which in view of 
 certain circumstances we think you will suddenly find yourself very 
 anxious to do.
 
 APPENDIX A 
 GLOSSARY 
 
 Ability means the power of accomplishing something. Capacity 
 means the power to receive training or instruction. You have the 
 ability to use most of the information that you have the capacity 
 to receive. 
 
 Accept means to take something when offered. Except means to 
 exclude or leave out. The law excepts aliens from taxes. The 
 lawyer accepted the fee. In business letters except is nearly always a 
 preposition; as, "Everybody except the cashier thought him an able 
 man." 
 
 Access means admittance. Accession means coming into posses- 
 sion of an office or position. "He gained access to the room through 
 a window." "On accession to the presidency, he abolished prece- 
 dents." 
 
 Accredit means to give credentials. Credit means to believe. "He 
 credited, the man's statements because he came properly accredited.'" 
 
 Admit should be distinguished from confess. "She admitted that 
 she arrived late." " She confessed that she had taken the money." 
 
 Advise means to give advice. It is much overworked in letters, 
 where it should be confined to the actual giving of counsel. One 
 large firm advises: "Avoid this word as you would a plague. It is 
 the most abused of all business English words." Claim means to 
 demand as a right. It, too, is overworked. Use assert, allege, main- 
 tain. Avoid following it with a noun clause. State means to set 
 forth in detail. It likewise is overworked. For all three of these it 
 is frequently better to use inform you, tell you, or say. 
 
 Affect means to influence, while effect means to accomplish. " He 
 had to employ a lawyer to effect his release." "His pleas affected 
 the judge visibly." Affect is never a noun in business letters. Effect, 
 as a noun, means a result. "The collection letter had the effect of 
 making the customer angry." 
 
 413
 
 414 APPENDIX 
 
 Agree among themselves, but to a proposal or decision, or with a 
 speaker. 
 
 Allow. See " Permit." 
 
 All right is always two words. 
 
 Allude implies an indirect reference, while refer means a direct 
 mention. "He alluded to a notorious bankruptcy, when he referred 
 to a celebrated attorney." 
 
 Allusion, meaning an indirect reference, must not be confused 
 with illusion, a deceptive appearance. "He was under an illusion 
 that rain was falling outside." " He never understood literary allu- 
 sions." 
 
 Almost, the adverb, must not be confused with most, an adjective 
 or noun. Do not say, "It is most time for dinner," but "almost 
 time." 
 
 Alternative properly means a choice between two things. It is 
 better, then, not to say "a third alternative." 
 
 Amount means the total of number or quantity. Number is used 
 of things that are counted. Quantity is used of things that are 
 measured. "The total amount of the booty consisted of a large 
 number of precious stones and an enormous quantity of silk." 
 
 Anywhere should be used instead of any 'place. 
 
 Apt indicates a natural or habitual tendency. Liable means un- 
 favorable probability. Likely may mean either favorable or un- 
 favorable probability. "Because he was apt at figures, his father 
 thought he was likely to become a banker, but his mother feared he 
 was liable to leave school before he earned his diploma." 
 
 As must not be used for that. " I don't know as it's true," should 
 be "i^it's true." 
 
 As per is frequently employed in business letters where according 
 to would suit much better. "The enclosed folder is sent according to 
 your instructions." 
 
 At all times or at this time is sometimes inserted in business letters 
 when it has no meaning: "We are enclosing at this time a picture of 
 the bungalow." Simply omit such useless expressions. 
 
 At hand or to hand is no longer in good standing in business letters. 
 Say, " We have received your letter of August 2." 
 
 Attached hereto. Hereto is meaningless. You cannot attach a 
 paper under separate cover.
 
 GLOSSARY 415 
 
 At the present time. Say at present, and halve the space. 
 
 Avocation is not the same as vocation. Your vocation is your calling 
 or regular occupation. Your avocation is. properly only an occa- 
 sional occupation. 
 
 Badly is frequently misused for ill, in the expression "I feel badly." 
 Since badly is an adverb, the word should be bad or ill. On the other 
 hand, " She's acting bad today " requires an adverb and should read, 
 "She's acting badly." Watch your grammar. 
 
 Balance means, in bookkeeping, the difference between the sums 
 total of two sides of an account. It should not be used for rest or 
 remainder, meaning what is left. Do not say, "The balance of his 
 time, " but the rest or the remainder. 
 
 Beg should properly be followed by leave. But in business letters 
 it is a relic of earlier formal courtesy, and should be omitted entirely. 
 Do not say, "We beg to acknowledge." but "We acknowledge with 
 pleasure. ." 
 
 Being that is an inexcusable expression for reason or cause. Use 
 since or because. 
 
 Beside means by 'the side of, while besides means in addition. 
 "Besides his other duties, he had to spend the noon hour beside the 
 door of the vault." 
 
 Bring always implies motion toward the speaker. Fetch means to 
 go after a thing and bring it back. Take suggests motion away from 
 the speaker. Carry means to bear without any reference to the 
 speaker. You cannot say, then, when you are on the second floor, 
 "I'll bring it down stairs for you." Say either carry or take. 
 
 Can signifies ability: may signifies permission. " I can do the work 
 today." "May I assist you?" or "He may come into the office 
 now." 
 
 Claim, a request or demand for what is due one, is a much better 
 word for business letters than complaint, which implies that the 
 customer is disagreeably finding fault. See also "Advise." 
 
 Compare to means liken to. Compare with means to point out 
 similarities and differences or to measure one thing by another. 
 Contrast means to point out only differences between two things. 
 
 Complaint. See " Claim." 
 
 Complement, meaning that which completes, must not be confused 
 with compliment, meaning praise.
 
 416 APPENDIX 
 
 Confer with means to talk with a person on a subject. Confer 
 upon means to bestow an honor upon a person. "The president 
 conferred with the faculty with regard to conferring an A.M. on the 
 novelist." 
 
 Contents carefully noted is a useless phrase that frequently creeps 
 into business letters. Omit it entirely. 
 
 Co-operate means to work together. Consequently together should 
 never be used with it. 
 
 Council signifies a group of persons who advise some president 
 or chairman. Counsel is either the legal adviser or the advice 
 itself. 
 
 Credible means believable, whereas creditable means worthy of 
 credit or praise. "It is entirely credible that the young man should 
 at length make a creditable showing." 
 
 Custom usually applies to a group of persons. Habit applies to an 
 individual and means the unconscious tendency to repeat an action. 
 "He did not fall in with the customs of the country because his 
 habits and beliefs were already formed." 
 
 Data, being plural, needs a plural verb. '"The data were very 
 carefully collected." 
 
 Definitive means conclusive, final. It should not be confused with 
 definite, meaning certain, precise. "Before presenting a definitive 
 report, may I request definite information on three points?" 
 
 Depreciate, meaning to lower the value of, is sometimes confused 
 with deprecate, which means to express disapproval of. "He depre- 
 cated the announcement that the goods had depreciated during the 
 summer." 
 
 Differ from expresses unlikeness; differ with, expresses divergence 
 of opinion. "I beg leave to differ with you; this cloth does differ 
 from the sample." 
 
 Different from should always be preferred to the inexcusable form 
 different than . ' ' Our goods are different from others. " 
 
 Disagree should be followed by with instead of from. "He dis- 
 agreed with his partner concerning the store policy." 
 
 Discovery is the finding of something already in existence. In- 
 vention is creating something for the first time. " Franklin discovered 
 the identity of lightning and electricity and invented the lightning- 
 rod."
 
 GLOSSARY 1 1 7 
 
 Distinct means separate or well defined; but distinctive means 
 that which distinguishes an object from others. "The distinctive 
 feature of this outing was a shore dinner." . 
 
 Due must not be confused with because of. It must always refer 
 to a noun. "His lateness was due to laziness." "Because of his 
 lateness, he was required to remain after hours." Due us, referring 
 to a pronoun, is not good English. Do not say, "You are due us 
 $2," but "A balance of $2 is due us." 
 
 Effect. See " Affect." 
 
 Enclose is often spelled inclose with no change of meaning. "En- 
 closed please find" should be "Enclosed is." Please is unnecessary. 
 See page 149. 
 
 Enormity, referring to moral quality, means great wickedness. 
 Enormousness means great size. "The enormity of his crime was 
 equaled only by the enormousness of her demands." 
 
 Enthuse is not yet in good use. Say, " He was enthusiastic about 
 the new clerk." 
 
 Esteemed in such expressions as " your esteemed favor" is no longer 
 in good use. 
 
 Etc. means "and so forth." To use it means that you have not 
 thought out your letter. 
 
 Everywhere is much preferable to every place. 
 
 Except, when used as a preposition, must have an object. With- 
 out is always a preposition and must always have an object. Unless 
 is always a conjunction and must introduce a clause. "I cannot go 
 except or without you go, " is consequently wrong. Say "unless you 
 go." See also "Accept." 
 
 Exceptional signifies out of the ordinary. Exceptionable signifies 
 imperfect or objectionable. "He was an exceptional secretary, yet 
 some of his transcribing was exceptionable." 
 
 Expect means to look toward the future. Suspect always implies 
 distrust. Suspicion should be used only as a noun. You do not 
 suspicion, but you suspect a man's motives. It is better to say 
 "you hope" than "you expect" that your order has been re- 
 ceived. 
 
 Farther should be restricted to distance in space. Further refers 
 to quantity or degree. ' ' I have written nothing further. " "He lives 
 farther out than I thought." 
 
 27
 
 418 APPENDIX 
 
 Favor means an act of kindness. It should not be used for letter. 
 You may say, "I thank you for the favor of an early reply," but not 
 " Your favor of recent date." 
 
 Few or fewer refers to number; less refers to quantity. "He had 
 fewer troubles because he had less money." 
 
 Find means to discover or come upon; locate means to establish or 
 place in a spot or position. " I cannot find him by telephone." " He 
 located a branch store on upper Broadway." 
 
 Former and latter refer to one of two persons or things. In refer- 
 ring to more than two you will express the idea more clearly by first, 
 second, last, etc. 
 
 From should be used instead of off of. The latter is entirely in- 
 correct, the of being unnecessary. "He borrowed a pencil from me." 
 "I got a nickel from my chum." "He took the book off the shelf." 
 " He jumped off the porch." 
 
 Funny means laughable. It should not be used in letters or other 
 writing for odd or strange, which mean "out of the ordinary." Not, 
 " It's funny, " but, "It's odd or strange, that he should not see the 
 disadvantage of disappointing his employer." 
 
 Good is an adjective and should be used to modify a noun. Well, 
 the corresponding adverb, should be used to modify a verb. "His 
 eyesight is good, but he does not follow copy well." In another sense, 
 well is an adjective. "Yes, I feel well this morning." 
 
 Guess signifies to indicate an opinion concerning what is unknown. 
 Do not use it in writing for think or suppose. Not, " I guess he will 
 let us go, " but " I think he will." "I guess it is in your right hand." 
 
 Habit. See ''Custom.'" 
 
 Had ought is entirely inexcusable. Say, "He ought to have come." 
 "He ought not to have done so." 
 
 Hand you, though once common in business letters, is absurd. 
 Say, send you. 
 
 Hanged should be used of criminals. Hung is said of pictures, 
 clothes, and the like. 
 
 Healthy usually applies to persons, healthful to surroundings, and 
 wholesome to foods. 
 
 Hereto. See " Attached." 
 
 Herewith should never be used in letters with enclose, which means 
 "put in this envelope."
 
 GLOSSARY 419 
 
 Hire means to obtain the use of a thing for pay. Let means to 
 allow the use of it for pay. Lease means to let by written contract. 
 "He leased the house for a year." "He hired a chauffeur from a 
 garage that had cars to let. " 
 
 Idea. See "Opinion." 
 
 If and whether are alike in implying uncertainty, but whether must 
 be followed by or not, expressed or understood. "// you prepare your 
 lessons now, you may go to the movies." "We shall be glad to learn 
 whether you find this satisfactory." 
 
 Ill is an adverb as well as an adjective. There is no such word as 
 illy. 
 
 Illusion. See "Allusion." 
 
 Inside of does not denote time. Say, " Within an hour I shall 
 return." 
 
 In so far as. Omit the in, which has no meaning here. 
 
 Inst., ult, prox. arc abbreviations of the Latin words instant, 
 ultimo, proximo (for instante mense "in the present month," etc.), 
 used to refer to the present, the last, the next month. They are no 
 longer used in good business letters. Refer to the month by name: 
 "Your letter of August 10." 
 
 Invention. See "Discovery." 
 
 Kind and sort are singular, and should never be modified by these 
 or those. Say, this kind, that kind. 
 
 Kindly and kind are frequently misused in letters in an effort to 
 be courteous. "Your kind letter," should refer only to one which 
 contains a gentle rebuke or some personal praise. Ordinary letters 
 do not deserve the epithet. Kindly is often misplaced. Do not say, 
 " I thank you kindly, " but " I thank you/or your kindness." "Kindly 
 report at the office," is not so courteous as, "Please report at the 
 office." 
 
 Latter. See "Former." 
 
 Learn means to acquire knowledge ; teach means to impart knowl- 
 edge. The child should learn what the school tries to teach. It can 
 teach you, but you must study to learn. 
 
 Leave means to depart; let means to permit. " Mother left me, " 
 means that she went away from you. " Mother let me play, " means 
 that she granted you permission. 
 
 Less. See "Few."
 
 420 APPENDIX 
 
 Liable. See "Apt." 
 
 Like is never a conjunction and consequently must never be used 
 for as or as if. Never follow like with a verb. "She writes like me." 
 " She writes as well as I do." "She writes as if she had all day to do 
 it in." (See page 376.) 
 
 Likely. See "Apt." 
 
 Line, in such expressions as " line of business " and " line of credit," 
 should be avoided. Say, " kind of business. " " We grant him credit 
 into four figures." 
 
 Locate. See "Find." 
 
 Love signifies a deep affection ; like signifies a slight attachment. 
 Do not say, "I just love apple pie! " You love your mother but like 
 apple pie. 
 
 Mad signifies insane. For the irritations of daily life it is better 
 in your writing to use vexed for the slighter and angry for the deeper 
 feelings. Not, "I'm mad at you, " but, " I'm angry with you." 
 
 Majority is more than half; plurality is more than the next highest. 
 Lincoln did not receive a majority in 1860, but he had a large plural- 
 ity. 
 
 Many refers to number; much to quantity. "He bought much 
 candy and many oranges." 
 
 May. See "Can." 
 
 Most. See "Almost." 
 
 Much. See "Many." 
 
 Mutual properly refers to only two persons. Common means what 
 belongs equally to two or more. "It is to our mutual interest to 
 settle the difficulty at once." "We all have this much in common, 
 that we wish to get on in the world." 
 
 News is singular. "The news was unexpected." 
 
 Nowhere near and nothing like are too colloquial to be used in 
 writing for not nearly. She is "not nearly so graceful as her sister." 
 
 Number. See "Amount." 
 
 Oblige should never be used in letters with "Yours truly." It is 
 long out of date. 
 
 Observance means keeping or celebrating as a holiday or an- 
 niversary. Observation is looking at or watching. " His observation 
 of every minute detail was close, but his observance of Sunday was 
 lax."
 
 GLOSSARY 121 
 
 Of is once in a while written for have. Not, "I should of writ ten," 
 but, "I should have written." 
 
 Off of. See "From." 
 
 On should never be used, in such expressions as, "It melted on 
 me." 
 
 Opinion is a conclusion or belief arrived at by thought. Idea is 
 a conception or supposition which may have little foundation. " His 
 ideas of courtesy were vague." "In his opinion, the campaign 
 would not succeed." 
 
 Our Mr. Smith appears sometimes in business letters in referring 
 to a salesman of the firm. Nowadays it is considered better form to 
 write, "Mr. Smith, our representative," or merely, "Mr. Smith." 
 
 Part should not be confused with portion, which means a part 
 assigned or allotted. " Will you give me my portion of the pie now? " 
 
 Party, except in legal documents, means a group of persons. Do 
 not say, "I had a talk yesterday with a party in town," when you 
 mean a single person. 
 
 Permit indicates formal consent; allow signifies tacit assent or 
 agreement. "The teacher allowed the pupils to talk. He permitted 
 John to leave the room. " 
 
 Plentiful is an adjective; plenty is a noun. "Fish are plentiful in 
 these waters." " He had plenty of money to spend." 
 
 Practical means characterized by common sense, not theoretical. 
 Practicable means capable of being accomplished. "A plain, prac- 
 tical man rose to propose a practicable plan of meeting the difficulty." 
 
 Principal means chief or most considerable. Principle means a 
 rule or truth. Observe the difference in spelling. 
 
 Proposal. See "Proposition." 
 
 Propose means to state a plan to others for consideration. Pur- 
 pose means to determine in one's own mind. "He purposed to go 
 home and study, but some friends proposed that they go to the ball 
 game." 
 
 Proposition is something to be discussed; a proposal is an offer of 
 some kind. "His proposal of 6 per cent was accepted." "The 
 proposition was whether the funds should be raised by selling bonds 
 or issuing new stock." Never say, "Here's a fine proposition for 
 you," meaning an offer or opportunity. 
 
 Prox. See "Inst."
 
 422 APPENDIX 
 
 Quantity. See "Amount." 
 
 Quite means entirely or noticeably. Quite some as in "Quite some 
 time, " is inexcusable. Say, "Along time," or "A considerable time." 
 
 Rarely if ever or rarely or never should be used instead of rarely 
 ever or rarely or ever. 
 
 Real is an adjective. " It is real dry here, " should be, " It is really 
 dry," or "It is very dry." 
 
 Recent date is a useless phrase in business letters. Say, "Your 
 letter of January 10," or "Your letter concerning the date of ship- 
 ment." 
 
 Reckon, which means to calculate, should not be used for think or 
 
 believe. 
 
 Same should never be used as a pronoun. Use it or they. ' Your 
 letter received and in reply to same," should be, "in reply to it." 
 Be particularly careful to avoid this error in business letters. 
 
 Seeing that should never be used for since or because. Not, " See- 
 ing that you are here, it will be all right for us to go," but, "Since 
 you are here, etc." 
 
 Seldom if ever or seldom or never should not be miswritten 
 seldom ever or seldom or ever. 
 
 Shall and will. See pages 359-361, 362-365. 
 
 So as are the proper correlatives with a negative. "She is not 
 
 so rapid a typist as her sister." But in positive statements: "He 
 is as rapid as I am." 
 
 Some is an adjective. It should never be used for the adverb 
 somewhat. " He is somewhat better today." 
 
 Something is a noun, and should never be used for the adverb 
 somewhat. Not, "He is something taller," but, "He is somewhat 
 
 taller." 
 Sort is singular. Do not say " those or these sort." See " Kind." 
 Splendid properly means brilliant, shining. It should not be used 
 for good or fine. Not, "She's a splendid dancer." Say, "She's a 
 graceful dancer." Note what is said on pages 43-45 about specific 
 
 words. 
 
 State is much overworked in business letters. Use say. " In reply 
 I beg to state" should be " In reply let me say." See also "Advise." 
 
 Suspect. See " Expect." 
 
 Suspicion. See " Expect."
 
 GLOSSARY 423 
 
 Them is always a pronoun, never an adjective. Never say "them 
 potatoes." 
 
 This here and that there are inexcusable. This and that are 
 sufficient. 
 
 Ult. See "Inst." 
 
 Valued is just as useless in business letters as esteemed. Omit it. 
 
 Ways is sometimes misused for way. "We are a long way from 
 home." 
 
 Well. See " Good." 
 
 What is frequently misused after than. Not, "This is better than 
 what you will find in the city," but, "This is better than anything 
 you will find in the city." 
 
 When means "at the time that." While means "during the time 
 that." " While he was there, I had time to take a swim and shave." 
 " When the bell rang, I was ready for dinner." 
 
 Whence means "from which place or cause." Consequently from 
 should not be used with it. " Whence he came I did not learn." 
 
 Whether. See "//." 
 
 Without. See "Except." 
 
 Would say, would thank you, wish to say, and similar expressions 
 are too old fashioned and clumsy to be used in business letters nowa- 
 days. (See page 147.) Use conversational language, instead of 
 "Would thank you to check this item," say, "Please check this 
 item." It is equally courteous and more direct. 
 
 Writer is sometimes used in business letters to avoid the pronoun 
 /. Such use is clumsy and to be avoided. Use we or us. "Your 
 inquiry has been referred to the writer," should be "to me."
 
 APPENDIX B 
 
 STATES AND TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED 
 
 STATES 
 
 The following abbreviations 
 the Post Office Department. 
 
 Ala Alabama 
 
 Ariz Arizona 
 
 Ark Arkansas 
 
 Cal California 
 
 Colo Colorado 
 
 Conn Connecticut 
 
 C. Z Canal Zone 
 
 D. C District of Columbia 
 
 Del Delaware 
 
 Fla Florida 
 
 Ga Georgia 
 
 111 Illinois 
 
 Ind Indiana 
 
 Kan Kansas 
 
 Ky Kentucky- 
 La Louisiana 
 
 Mass Massachusetts 
 
 Md. Maryland 
 
 Mich Michigan 
 
 Minn Minnesota 
 
 Miss Mississippi 
 
 Mo Missouri 
 
 Mont Montana 
 
 are recognized as official by 
 
 Neb Nebraska 
 
 Nev Nevada 
 
 N. C North Carolina 
 
 N. Dak North Dakota 
 
 N. H New Hampshire 
 
 N.J New Jersey 
 
 N. Mex New Mexico 
 
 N. Y New York 
 
 Okla Oklahoma 
 
 Pa Pennsylvania 
 
 P. I Philippine Islands 
 
 P. R Porto Rico 
 
 R. I Rhode Island 
 
 S. C South Carolina 
 
 S. Dak South Dakota 
 
 Tenn Tennessee 
 
 Tex Texas 
 
 Vt Vermont 
 
 Va Virginia 
 
 Wash Washington 
 
 W. Va West Virginia 
 
 Wis Wisconsin 
 
 Wyo Wyoming 
 
 The following names should not be abbreviated : 
 
 Alaska Hawaii Iowa Ohio Samoa 
 
 Guam Idaho Maine Oregon Utah 
 
 * 424
 
 APPENDIX C 
 
 ABBREVIATIONS OF COMMERCIAL TERMS 
 
 In business forms, as opposed to business letters, a great many 
 abbreviations are used, because they save a good deal of time. 
 The abbreviations vary with the kind of business in which the 
 forms are to be filled in, but the following are the commonest: 
 
 @ At 
 
 A 1 First-class 
 
 a/c Account or on 
 
 account 
 
 acct Account 
 
 ad., advt. . . .Advertisement 
 
 agt Agent 
 
 a.m (Ante meridiem), 
 
 forenoon 
 
 amt Amount 
 
 ans Answer 
 
 asst Assistant 
 
 atty Attorney 
 
 av Average 
 
 ave Avenue 
 
 bal Balance 
 
 bbl Barrel 
 
 bdl Bundle 
 
 B/E Bill of exchange 
 
 bgs Bags 
 
 bkts Baskets 
 
 B/L ) 
 
 B.Lf " 
 
 B-L ) 
 
 bldg Building 
 
 Bill of lading 
 
 bis Bales 
 
 bt., bot Bought 
 
 bu Bushel 
 
 bx Box 
 
 C One hundred 
 
 c, i Cents 
 
 cf Compare 
 
 c. a. f Cost and freight 
 
 chgd Charged 
 
 c. f . i Cost, freight, and 
 
 insurance 
 
 ck Check 
 
 elk Clerk 
 
 c/o Care of 
 
 C. 0. D Cash on delivery 
 
 Cr Credit, creditor 
 
 cr Crate 
 
 cs., c/s Cases 
 
 cwt Hundredweight 
 
 C. W. O Cash with order 
 
 d Pence 
 
 D. B Day-Book 
 
 dept Department 
 
 dft Draft 
 
 425
 
 426 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 dis., disct. . . .Discount 
 
 clist District 
 
 div Dividend, division 
 
 do The same, ditto 
 
 dol Dollar 
 
 doz Dozen 
 
 Dr Debtor 
 
 ds Days 
 
 ea Each 
 
 e. e., E. E.. . .Errors excepted 
 
 e.g For example 
 
 etc And so forth 
 
 ex Example 
 
 exch., ex Exchange 
 
 exp Express, expense 
 
 Fahr Fahrenheit 
 
 fgt., frt Freight 
 
 fig figure 
 
 F. O. B. ) 
 
 f. o. b. | ' 
 
 F. O. R Free on rails 
 
 for'd Forward 
 
 fr Francs 
 
 ft Foot, feet 
 
 gal Gallon 
 
 G. F. A General Freight 
 
 Agent 
 
 gi Gill 
 
 G. P. A General Passenger 
 
 Agent 
 
 gr. wt Gross weight 
 
 grs Grains 
 
 guar Guarantee 
 
 hdkf Handkerchief 
 
 Free on board 
 
 hf...: Half 
 
 hhd Hogshead 
 
 h. p Horse-power 
 
 hrs Hours 
 
 hund Hundred 
 
 ib., ibid In the same place 
 
 id The same 
 
 i.e That is 
 
 in Inches, inch 
 
 inc Incorporated 
 
 ins Insurance 
 
 inst (Instant) Present 
 
 month. (To be 
 avoided in refer- 
 ring to letters) 
 
 int Interest 
 
 inv Invoice 
 
 inv't . . '. Inventory 
 
 I. 0. U I owe you 
 
 jour Journal 
 
 kg. 
 
 Keg 
 
 lb Pound 
 
 L/C Letter of Credit 
 
 L. C. L Less than car-load 
 
 lot 
 £, s, d Pounds, shillings, 
 
 pence 
 Ltd Limited 
 
 M (Meridies), noon 
 
 M Thousand 
 
 m., min Minute 
 
 max Maximum 
 
 mdse Merchandise 
 
 memo Memorandum
 
 ABBREVIATIONS OF COMMERCIAL TERMS 427 
 
 mfd Manufactured 
 
 mfg Manufacturing 
 
 mfr Manufacturer 
 
 mgr Manager 
 
 Mine Madame 
 
 MS Manuscript 
 
 MSS Manuscripts 
 
 N. B., n. b.. .Take notice 
 
 No., Nos Number, numbers 
 
 O. K All correct or ap- 
 proved 
 oz Ounce 
 
 p., pp Page, pages 
 
 Payt Payment 
 
 p. c, % Per cent, by the 
 
 hundred 
 
 pc, pes Piece, pieces 
 
 pd Paid 
 
 pk Peck 
 
 pkg Package 
 
 p.M (Post meridiem), 
 
 afternoon 
 
 P. Post-Office 
 
 pr Pair 
 
 Pres President 
 
 pro tem (pro tempore), for 
 
 the time 
 
 prox (proximo) , next 
 
 month. (To be 
 avoided in refer- 
 ring to letters) 
 
 P. S Postscript 
 
 ree'd Received 
 
 rec't Receipt 
 
 ref.' Reference 
 
 ret'd Returned 
 
 R. F. D Rural free delivery 
 
 R. R Railroad 
 
 Ry Railway 
 
 s Shillings 
 
 S/D Sight Draft 
 
 sec Secretary 
 
 sq Square 
 
 S. S Steamship 
 
 stbt Steamboat 
 
 str Steamer 
 
 Supt Superintendent 
 
 T Ton 
 
 Ton., Tonn. .Tonnage 
 Treas Treasurer 
 
 ult r. .(u 1 1 i m o), last 
 
 month. (To be 
 avoided in refer- 
 ring to letters) 
 
 V Five 
 
 v., vs (versus), against 
 
 via By way of 
 
 viz Namely 
 
 vol Volume 
 
 W/B Way-bill 
 
 wk Week 
 
 wt Weight 
 
 qr Quarter, quire 
 
 qt Quart 
 
 yd. 
 yr- 
 
 .Yard 
 Year
 
 APPENDIX D 
 
 TELEGRAMS 
 
 Nature of a Telegram. — Telegrams are letters much abbreviated. 
 You must write briefly because the charge varies with the number of 
 words. You must make the meaning clear, else there is no excuse 
 for sending the message. But you need not try to be personal, or to 
 use elaborate courtesy, or to frame complete sentences. In fact, 
 you should rely chiefly on nouns and verbs. Where you need 
 them, bring in pronouns and adverbs. But avoid prepositions and 
 adjectives. Spell out figures, because each is sent as a separate 
 word. Make your meaning clear without punctuation, because 
 punctuation is not transmitted. 
 
 Rockland, Me. 
 March 15, 1920 
 
 Wordy message: 
 
 Messrs. Anson and Chalmers 
 12 Court Street 
 Boston, Mass. 
 
 I cannot keep appointment. I have been delayed by missing the 
 boat. Samples already on board. Hope to arrive on next 
 boat. 
 
 Abner Groves 
 
 This not only uses too many words, but leaves the firm uncertain 
 when Mr. Groves will arrive. He should not rely on their having 
 the boat schedule at hand. He should have kept the reader more 
 sharply in mind while he was planning his message to be sure of 
 giving exactly the information needed. He should also have kept 
 in mind his own pocketbook. The message can be stated even 
 more clearly in ten words. The form on the next page shows one 
 way of writing the message. 
 
 428
 
 TELEGRAMS 429 
 
 Improved: 
 
 Rockland, Me. 
 
 March 15, 1920 
 Messrs. Anson and Chalmers 
 12 Court Street 
 Boston, Mass. 
 
 Missed boat. Cannot keep appointment. Arrive with samples 
 Wednesday. 
 
 Abner Groves 
 
 Kinds of Telegrams.— There are four forms of telegrams: (1) the 
 regular telegram or day message, (2) the day letter, (3) the night 
 message, and (4) the night letter. You should be very careful to 
 indicate definitely the form you desire for your message. No 
 charge is made in any of the four forms for the address or the 
 signature. 
 
 Unless otherwise marked all telegrams are treated as day mes- 
 sages, that is, as ordinary full-rate telegrams, which are given pre- 
 cedence by the telegraph company over all other forms of messages. 
 The charge, varying with the distance the message is to go, is based 
 upon a message of ten words and increases with each additional word. 
 
 The day letter is accepted by the company at any time of day or 
 night, but it is transmitted at the company's convenience, yielding 
 precedence to regular telegrams. It is designed for longer com- 
 munications that will not suffer from the few hours' delay thus 
 caused. The charge for a day letter of fifty words is one and one- 
 half times the cost of a telegram of ten words. The company re- 
 serves the right to telephone the message at its destination to the 
 addressee. 
 
 A night letter of not more than fifty words may be sent at the 
 same cost as an ordinary telegram of ten words. It is accepted by 
 the company up to 2 a.m. for delivery on the morning of the ensuing 
 business day, but at its destination it may be mailed to the addressee. 
 It is frequently used to explain more fully the business mentioned in 
 the regular telegram sent during the day. 
 
 The rate of the night message is lower than that of the day mes- 
 sage. There is an extra charge for each word above ten. Conse-
 
 430 APPENDIX 
 
 quently, longer messages are usually cheaper when sent as night 
 letters. 
 
 In cablegrams every word, including names, address, and signa- 
 ture, is counted. For this reason nearly all cablegrams are sent in 
 code, where a whole phrase is represented by a single word. 
 
 For both cablegrams and telegrams, the sender should study the 
 rules on the reverse of the form provided for the message. 
 
 Exercises 
 
 Write telegrams in ten words, if possible, but keep them clear. 
 
 1. Reserve a section in a Pullman sleeping-car from Chicago to 
 New Orleans, or the reverse. Have you given the train, the date, 
 and so on? 
 
 2. Engage a room at the Blackstone in Chicago or the Grunewald 
 in New Orleans. Have you given clearly the date, kind of room, 
 rate, and so on? 
 
 3. Telegraph S. R. Hickson, of Chicago or New Orleans, saying 
 that you are to be in a specified hotel on a designated date and ask- 
 ing for an appointment. 
 
 4. Make an appointment for one of your salesmen to meet you at 
 one of the hotels in 2. 
 
 5. Your buyer has gone to New Orleans to purchase sugar. 
 Since his departure you have discovered a quantity sufficient for 
 immediate needs. You wire him: "Disregard sugar instructions. 
 Wire terms delivery November fifteenth. Letter follows." Write 
 him a night letter explaining the situation and stating your instruc- 
 tions for contract. 
 
 6. On account of a wreck you are unable to keep an appointment 
 with James Lavater, President of City Bank, Pittsburgh, Pa. Wire 
 him to that effect, and ask that the reply be sent to Reynolds Hotel, 
 Jonesboro, Tenn., in answer to your request for an appointment. 
 
 7. Write Mr. Lavater's reply.
 
 APPENDIX E 
 FILING 
 
 The Purpose of Filing. — Have you a good memory? Do you ever 
 forget whether you put the theme in the French book or the history? 
 When .you look for it, do you remember whether it was placed in the 
 front, or the back, or somewhere in the middle? 
 
 Filing systems have been invented to overcome such difficulties 
 and uncertainties. The business man, even if he has a remarkable 
 memory, cannot afford to' take chances with business papers. He 
 must be able to find any paper he wishes to lay his hands on. Con- 
 sequently, he must have a place for every kind of paper. In the 
 second place, he must be able to find the paper quickly. To look 
 through a pile of papers, and at the third search to find the letter 
 at the bottom of the pile is not only vexatious but costly. The 
 letter must be found at once. Security from loss, and ease of refer- 
 ence are essential in a file. 
 
 Box Files. — The simplest kind of file is a box about a foot square 
 and three inches deep. Inside, a set of index sheets is fastened to 
 the back. At the front or outer edge of each sheet is a projection or 
 
 431
 
 432 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 tab bearing a letter of the alphabet. The tabs are so arranged that 
 on opening the box one can see the whole alphabet at once. If a 
 letter or a carbon copy is to be filed, it is merely placed behind the 
 proper sheet. Thus correspondence with John Adams would be 
 placed behind the sheet bearing A. When one box is filled, a label 
 can be pasted on the back indicating the dates covered, as January, 
 1918, to June, 1919. Later correspondence would be placed in a 
 new box. 
 
 Sometimes drawers take the place of boxes. Some drawers have 
 a spring to hold the papers fast. Others have posts which run 
 through the correspondence and keep it from slipping. 
 
 Vertical Files. — In large offices the vertical file is found to be most 
 convenient. It consists of a drawer or set of drawers, large enough 
 
 to permit the letters to stand edgewise. The drawer can be drawn 
 out its full length, so that one can easily consult the letters and other 
 papers at the very back. 
 
 The correspondence is kept in folders of heavy manila paper, 
 which will hold as many as fifty letters upright. The rear edge 
 projects a half-inch above the front, or else contains a tab, on which 
 the name or subject of the folder may be written. 
 
 To increase the ease of reference, each drawer is fitted with a set 
 of guides of heavy pressboard, which will not bend and will therefore 
 keep the folders flat. Each guide carries a tab on which a letter of
 
 FILING 
 
 433 
 
 the alphabet or some name may be printed or written. A partition, 
 which may be locked in any position, keeps both guides and folders 
 vertical but loose enough for easy reference. 
 
 Alphabetical Filing. — To enable one to find at once the one letter- 
 that is.wanted among the thousand in the drawer, a system of index- 
 
 ing is needed. The commonest arrangement is in alphabetical < >rder. 
 In it all letters are filed under the name of the correspondent. The 
 guides each bear a letter. The letters from and to T. H. Hughes 
 would be placed in a folder behind the guide marked H. Where 
 the correspondence is large, the guides may number as many as 
 40, 80, or even more. For example/there might be two guides for 
 C, one headed Ca-Cl and the other Co-Cy. Letters from Clark would 
 be placed after the first, and from Curtis after the second guide. 
 
 Geographic Filing. — Where a manufacturer sells to dealers in 
 different parts of the country, an alphabetical file is useful. In such 
 a system the guides bear the names of the states, and the folders are 
 arranged alphabetically behind them. Not only his name but his 
 address has to be watched in filing these letters. Where the cor- 
 respondence is bulky, additional guides may give the names of towns 
 or counties and even the whole alphabet. 
 
 28
 
 434 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 Subject Filing. — In rare instances, as with railway companies, 
 the subject of a letter is of more importance than the name of the 
 
 writer or his address. Where such is the case, guides bearing the 
 needed subjects will be used, and the letters in each subject can then 
 be arranged alphabetically by the names of the correspondents. 
 
 Exercises 
 
 1. Compare the various systems for ease of filing, ease of reference, 
 security against loss of papers, and possibly ease of expansion. 
 
 2. What kind of file should you select for: 
 
 (a) The manager of a football, basketball, or baseball team in 
 school?
 
 FILING 435 
 
 (b) The principal of your school? 
 
 (c) The postmaster of your town? 
 
 (d) The largest dry-goods store of your town? 
 
 3. Can you find out how : 
 
 (a) The cards of the pupils in school are filed? 
 
 (b) The records of pupils who have left school are filed? 
 
 (c) The correspondence of the principal is filed? 
 
 (d) The papers of the station agent of the railway are filed? 
 
 (e) The records of a grocery store are filed? 
 
 4. Which system of filing have you developed for the filing of the 
 business letters you have collected. See Exercises 16 (9), 64, 69, 78 
 (1), 87, 89 (2), 102 (1), 120 (4), 134 (l), 141 (5).
 
 APPENDIX F 
 PROOFREADING 
 
 On the following page will be found an explanation of the 
 meaning of the symbols used by proofreaders to indicate cor- 
 rections to be made in proof. On page 438 is shown a badly set- 
 up paragraph which has been marked for correction. 
 
 The two pages represent a kind of symbol language which all 
 printers use. As one of your duties may be to see that an advertise- 
 ment or other printed matter appears as you wish it, you should 
 study these symbols carefully. 
 
 Your first care should be to furnish the printer the most legible 
 manuscript you can prepare. To do so will save you time, trouble, 
 and expense. Besides, it is only fair to the printer. 
 
 The compositor, that is, the man in the printing establishment 
 who sets up the type, arranges it, as he proceeds, in metal trays 
 usually about two feet long, called "galleys." As each galley is 
 filled, an impression of the type, called " proof," is taken on a strip 
 of paper. This " galley proof " is first read carefully by the proof- 
 readers at the printer's, to see that it corresponds with your manu- 
 script. The changes that are necessary are worked in the margin 
 by means of the symbols on the next page. Then a reviser goes 
 over the galley very carefully to see that all corrections are made 
 in the type. Sometimes this has to be repeated more than once to 
 reach a " clean " proof. This proof is sent you with the copy 
 which you furnished the printer. 
 
 You should examine this closely to see that the printer has not 
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 indicate all necessary corrections in the margin with ink, for pencil 
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 should use only these symbols to insure that your directions are 
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 436
 
 PROOFREADING 437 
 
 & Delete ; take prts out. 
 
 *% Make a new paragraph here. 
 
 Tio^fl Run on without a p arag raph here. 
 
 tk> Transpose lett^s (word^<or^ 
 
 5 Turn the rever^dletter. 
 
 # Let therebe a space. 
 
 j£. Take out the letter and close up. 
 
 VA The v spacing ^is bad; space evenly. 
 
 WtAJuin. Carry over to the next line. 
 
 c*rvti/u Put in the middle of the line or the page. 
 
 Q Indent one em (the space occupied by a letter in the same 
 
 size of type). 
 
 C £ Move to the left. 
 
 DMoJve to the right. 
 
 1   'g'levate. 
 
 i— i T . .owei r 
 
 *L Push down spact^Vhich has worked up. 
 
 HuA Insert lead 
 
 to widen space between lines. 
 
 Bi(gken type — correct it. 
 
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 alignment at 
 
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 (f) » Query to the author or the editor : Is this passage as 
 
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 -f
 
 438 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 1/ 
 
 
 fa 4/ 
 
 ^Royalties are basedontheretail selling price of a book and 
 the price at which a book is issued must be decided by 
 the publisher. This is ns,^ should b e. 
 
 The main factors in determining the price are-/- 
 
 1. The costs of material and manufacture 
 
 2. Discounts to booksellers 
 [3. Advertising 
 
 4. The time it will take to reimburse the publisher 
 >. for all these outlays. 
 
 ^N|Q publisher can afford to look up his capital too long 
 
 in, so he must set his price high enough to, reimburse 
 
 limself in a reasonable time. The author will gain in re- 
 
 eipts from frflt a royalties on a high price what he may 
 
 think he A will lose in the number of sales had his book 
 
 been, issued at a more popular price. 
 
 % 
 f 
 
 1 
 
 Zcll 
 
 ZaLJ
 
 INDEX 
 
 Abbreviations, 
 
 commercial terms, 425-427 
 letters, use of abbreviations in, 
 
 heading, 110,111 
 
 inside address, 114 
 
 salutation, 115 
 states and territories, 424 
 Ac jeptance, trade, 74, 77 
 
 Form, 75 
 Acknowledgment letters, 
 claims, 209 
 orders, 17-20 
 
 example, 17, 18 
 
 exercises, 18, 20 
 
 special cases, 18-20 
 remittances, 79 
 
 specimens, 17, 18,47,79,148.158 
 Address on envelope, 
 
 Form, 125 
 arrangement, 124 
 placing, 124 
 punctuation, 124 
 return notice, 124 
 specific directions in, 124 
 Adjective, 
 
 definition, 308 
 in place of adverb, 370-372 
 proper adjectives, 369, 370 
 Adjective or adverb, when tense, 
 
 370-372 
 Adjustment letters, 
 arrangement, 208, 209 
 exercises, 212-223 
 kinds of, 209, 219 
 principles, 207 
 specimens, 142, 150, 210-212, 
 
 214, 216-220 
 wording of, 207, 208 
 Adjustments, types of, 209-219 
 fault lying with customer, 217- 
 
 219 
 fault lying with goods, 213-215 
 fault lying with seller, 209, 210 
 
 Adjustments — Continued 
 
 fault lying with transportation 
 
 companv, 215-217 
 vague claims, 210-212 
 Adverbial clauses, 397, 401, 402 
 Adverbs, 309, 370 
 Advertisements (See "Advertis- 
 ing") 
 Advertising, 286-304 
 bulletins, 287 
 
 Forms, 287-289 
 copy, 294-301 
 
 language, 294-29(3 
 purposes, 294 
 reason-why, 300, 301 
 suggestive, 296-299 
 exercises in, 290-292, 294, 296, 
 
 299-304 
 kinds of, 290-293, 301-304 
 classified, 290, 291 
 display, 287-289, 291, 292 
 • Forms, 287-289, 293 
 local, 301-304 
 national, 291-301 
 local, 
 
 bargain appeal, 302 
 quality appeal, 303 
 questionnaire, 154 
 methods of, 296-301 
 reason-whv, 300, 301 
 suggestion, 296-299 
 nature of, 286 
 problems of, 286-289 
 Alphabetical filing, 433 
 Ambiguitv in use of pronouns, 
 
 341-343 
 Antecedent, 
 
 confusing reference to, 341-345 
 in grammar, 336 
 Apostrophe, uses of, 409 
 Appeal, 
 
 advertising, 296-301 
 bulletins, 288, 289 
 sales letters, 253, 257-261, 264- 
 272 
 
 439
 
 440 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Appeal — Continued 
 
 sales talks, 277-281 
 Appendices, 413-438 
 Application letters, 82-91 
 
 appearance, 87 
 
 beginning, 85 
 
 description, 82 
 
 ending, 86 
 
 examples, 82-84 
 
 exercises, 87-91 
 
 forms of, 
 letter, 83, 84 
 tabular, 82, 83 
 
 importance, 85 
 
 letter form of, 83, 84 
 
 purpose, 85 
 
 qualifications, 85, 86 
 
 references, 86 
 
 specimens, 82-84, 87, 88 
 
 tabular form of, 82-83 
 Argument, 
 
 brief, 229, 230 
 
 debating, 230-233 
 
 definitions, 225 
 
 issues, 225, 226 
 
 order of parts, 226 
 
 proof, 226-228 
 
 proposition, 224, 225 
 
 purposes, 224 
 
 refutation, 228, 229 
 Argumentation (see" Argument") 
 Army heading for letters, 122 
 Attracting attention, 
 
 advertising, display lines in, 
 287-289, -29 1,292 
 Forms, 287-289, 293 
 
 in sales letter, 277, 278 
 
 in sales talk, 287-289 
 
 B 
 
 Beginning of letter, 133-135 
 
 adjustment letter, 208 
 
 importance, 133 
 
 purposes of first sentence, 133, 
 134 
 
 sales letter, 257-261 
 Beginning of sales talk, 278, 279 
 Body of the letter, 1 16-1 18 
 
 definition, 116, 117 
 
 paragraphing in, 117 
 
 placing on page, 117 
 
 Body of the letter — Continued 
 second sheets for, 117, IIS 
 
 Box files, 431 
 
 Brief in argument, 229, 230 
 
 Bulletins, 287-289 
 Forms, 287-289 
 
 Business terms, 
 
 abbreviations of, 413-423 
 spelling of, 386, 387 
 
 Capitalization, 389, 390 
 Check, 
 
 cashier's, 72 
 Form, 70 
 certified, 72 
 Form, 69 
 indorsing, 67, 72 
 personal, 67 
 Form, 68 
 terms applying to, 67 
 voucher, 72 
 Form, 71 
 Choppiness of style, 62, 63 
 Claim letters, 
 
 how to make a claim, 205, 206 
 importance of, 205 
 specimens, 142, 150, 206 
 Classified advertising, 290, 291 
 Clauses, 
 
 co-ordinate, 325, 320 
 dependent, 318-321, 322-324 
 independent, 325, 326 
 relative, 322, 323 
 subordinate, 318-321, 322-324 
 Clearness, 
 
 inquiries, 153-155 
 letters, 135-138 
 
 considering the reader, 137, 
 
 138 
 keeping to one purpose, 135, 
 
 136 
 keeping to one subject, 135 
 reference of pronouns, 341-345 
 sentence, 51-56 
 Clincher, 
 
 sales letter, 271-273 
 sales talk, 281 
 Coherence (See also "Developing 
 ideas," "Sentences") 
 arrangement, 184
 
 INDEX 
 
 441 
 
 Coherence — Continued 
 
 between paragraphs, 190, 191 
 
 connectives, 185 
 
 construction, 185 
 
 in letter, 141, 142 
 
 paragraph, 184-188 
 
 sentence, 51-59 
 Collection letters, 242-252 
 
 exercises, 249-252 
 
 follow-up, 245-249 
 
 getting the money, 245 
 
 keeping the customer, 243-245 
 
 purpose, 242, 243 
 
 reason for, 242 
 
 retail methods, 246-249 
 Colon, uses of, 405 
 Comma, uses of, 391-399 
 
 adverbial clauses, 397 
 
 compound sentences, 392 
 
 in apposition, 395 
 
 in series, 394 
 
 non-restrictive clauses, 401- 
 404 
 
 parenthetical matter, 398 
 
 participial phrases, etc., 390 
 
 with nouns of direct address, 
 393 
 
 with yes, no, etc., 393 
 Comparisons in sentences, 54, 55 
 Complex sentence, nature of, 318- 
 
 321 
 Complimentary close, 118 
 
 abbreviations in, 118 
 ipitalization of, 118 
 
 cunns of, 118 
 
 placing, 118 
 Compound sentence, 
 
 nature of, 325-327 
 ^ punctuation of, 392, 400 
 Conciseness, 
 
 in diction, 144-147 
 
 in inquiries, 152, 153 
 Concord, 
 
 pronoun with antecedent, 339 
 
 verb and subject, 361, 362 
 Conjunctions, 
 
 confused with prepositions, 375- 
 377 
 
 co-ordinating, 331, 332 
 
 exercises in use of, 332-335 
 
 nature of, 321, 322 
 
 subordinating, 331 
 
 Construction of sentence, 
 
 change of, 52, 53 
 
 dangling, 53, 54 
 Contact, 
 
 sales letter, 256-263 
 
 sales talk, 277, 278 
 Contractions, 350 
 Conviction, 
 
 argument, 226-229 
 
 sales letter, 256, 257 
 
 sales talk, 278, 27«t 
 Correlatives, 316, 317 
 Courtesy, 
 
 claim letters, 205, 206 
 
 collection letters, 243-245 
 
 inquiries, 155, 156 
 
 wording of letter, 148-150 
 Credit, 
 
 basis. of, 234, 235 
 
 importance of, 234, 235 
 
 open account, 234 
 
 turnover, 234 
 Credit letters, 234-241 
 
 credit, 
 
 granting, 235, 236 
 refusing, 236-238 
 
 exercises, 238-241 
 
 extension of time, 239-241 
 
 inquiries, 156 
 
 opening an account, 235 
 
 specimens, 36, 37, 156, 235- 
 238, 240 
 Customer, 
 
 adjustment claims, 207, 210, 
 212, 217-220 
 
 collections, 242-24'. I 
 
 in a sale, 279-283 
 
 making claim, 205, 206 
 
 sales letters, 257, 258, 264-268 
 
 D 
 
 Dangling participle, 54 
 
 Dash, uses of, 406 
 
 Debating, 230-233 
 
 order of business, 230, 231 
 order of speakers, 231 
 organizing a society, 230 
 questions for debate, 231-233 
 
 Dependent clauses, 
 nature of, 318, 319 
 uses of, 324, 325
 
 442 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Developing ideas, 160-169 
 
 coherence by — 
 arrangement, 184 
 connectives, 185 
 construction, 185 
 
 comparison, 166 
 
 contrast, 167-169 
 
 details, use of, 162-164 
 
 exercises, 161, 167, 169, 183-191 
 
 illustration method, 164-166 
 
 importance, 160 
 
 in explanation, 196 
 
 paragraphs, connecting, 190 
 
 time-order method, 160-162 
 
 unity, 182-184 
 Dictation, 
 
 dictating machine, 1 1 
 
 stenographer, 10 
 Diction (See also "Wording," 
 "Words") 
 
 colloquial, 49 
 
 conciseness, 144 
 
 courtesy, 148 
 
 personality shown by, 147 
 
 standard, 49 
 
 suited to reader, 48, 143 
 Dictionary, 
 
 how to use, 42 
 
 what it contains, 41, 42 
 Discount, 237 
 
 Display advertising, 291-293 
 Display lines, 
 
 advertising, 291-293 
 Form, 293 
 
 bulletins, 287-289 
 Forms, 287-289 
 Double negative, 372 
 Drafts, 
 
 bank, 72-74 
 Form, 73 
 
 sight, 74 
 
 time, 74 . 
 
 Emphasis, 
 letter, 133-135, 138-140 
 paragraph, points that attract 
 
 attention in, 188 
 sentence, methods of emphasiz- 
 ing ideas in, 59-64 
 successive sentences, 61, 62 
 Enclosures, 77, 78 
 
 Ending of a letter, manner and 
 importance of, 138-140 (See 
 also "Letter, parts of") 
 Envelope, 
 
 Form, 125 
 
 placing of stamp on, 125 
 Exclamation point, uses of, 391 
 Explanation, 
 
 exercises in, 196-199 
 
 minutes, 199-201 
 
 planning, 192-199 
 
 presenting, 196-199 
 
 written reports, 201-204 
 Exposition (See "Explanation") 
 Extension of time, 239-241 
 
 Filing, 431-435 
 alphabetical, -133 
 box files, 431, 432 
 folders, 162, 432 
 geographical, 434 
 purpose of, 431 
 subject, 434 
 vertical files, 162, 432 
 Folding the letter, 
 Forms, 123 
 For business envelope, 122-124 
 For legal envelope, 124 
 Follow-up letters, 
 collections, 245-249 
 demand, 246 
 examples, 247-249 
 explanation, 246 
 notification, 245 
 reminder, 246 
 orders, 21 
 sales, 273-276 
 
 examples, 274, 275 
 Formal notes, 
 acceptance, 179 
 invitation, 178, 179 
 regrets, 179 
 Friendly letters, 170-174 (See 
 
 also "Letters, social") 
 Function, in grammar, 319 
 
 Geographical filing, 434 
 Glossary, 413-423
 
 INDEX 
 
 i-i:; 
 
 Grouping thoughts, 23-.') 1 
 necessity, 23-25 
 point of view in, 23 
 
 H 
 
 Handwritten form of letter, 106, 
 
 107 
 Heading of letter, 
 
 abbreviations in, 110, 111 
 
 army form, 122 
 
 arrangement of, 109, 110 
 
 date in, 111 
 
 placing, 109 
 
 punctuation, 110 
 
 street numbers, 110 
 Head-line, 
 
 newspaper, 96, 97 
 
 sales letter, 259, 260 
 Hyphen, uses of, 387, 409 
 
 "If clauses," 365, 366 
 Infinitive, 
 
 nature of, 313, 314 
 of to be, 348 
 Informal notes, 174-178 (See also 
 
 "Notes, informal") 
 Information letters, 
 
 declining information, 158 
 exercises in, 158, 159 
 requirements for, 156 
 specimens,. 137, 138, 157, 190, 
 191 
 Inquiry letters, 
 credit, 156 
 
 essential qualities, 152-156 
 clearness, 153-155 
 conciseness, 152 
 courtesy, 155 
 specimens, 36, 37, 106, 107, 136, 
 145, 152-156 
 Inside address, 
 abbreviations, 114 
 arrangement, 112 
 placing, 112 
 punctuation, 112 
 titles in, 112-114 
 Introduction letters, 
 contents, 128 
 exercises in, 130, 131 
 
 Introduction letters — Continued 
 
 replies to, 129 
 
 specimens, 129, 130 
 
 tone, 129 
 Inverted order of subject and 
 predicate, 307 
 
 Letter form, 105-126 
 envelope, 124, 125 
 folding the letter, 122-124 
 
 Forms, 123 
 handwritten, 106, 107 
 importance of, 105 
 letter-heads, 106 
 
 Forms, 108 
 parts of a letter, 109-122 (See 
 
 also "Letter, parts of,") 
 stationery, 107, 108 
 typewritten, 105, 106 
 Letter-heads, 106 
 
 Forms, 108 
 Letter, parts of, 109-122 
 beginning, 133-135 
 
 adjustment letter, 208 
 
 importance of, 133 
 
 purpose of first sentence, 133, 
 134 
 
 sales letter, 257-261 
 body, 116-118 
 complimentary close, 118 
 ending, 138-140 
 
 adjustment letter, 209 
 
 curt, 139 
 
 importance of, 138 
 
 meaningless, 138 
 
 participial, 139 
 
 sales letter, 270-273 
 heading, 109-112 
 
 army, 122 
 
 letter-heads, 106 
 Forms, 108 
 inside address, 1 12-114 
 salutation, 115-116 
 
 abbreviations in, 115 
 
 forms of, 115 
 
 placing, 115 
 
 punctuation, 115 
 signature, 119-121 
 special data, 121, 122 
 
 dictator, indicating, 121
 
 444 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Letter — Continued 
 
 special data — Continued 
 
 enclosures, calling attention 
 to, 121 
 
 letter subject, 122, 153 
 
 person addressed, indicating, 
 122 
 
 postscripts, 121 
 Letters, 
 
 acknowledgment , 
 
 claims, 209 
 
 orders, 17-20 
 
 remittances, 79 
 
 specimens, 17, 18, 47, 79, 148, 
 158 
 adjustment, 207-223 (See also 
 
 "Adjustment letters") 
 application, 82-91 (See also 
 
 "Application letters") 
 claim, 205-206 
 
 how to make a claim, 205 
 
 importance of, 205 
 
 specimens, 142, 150, 206 
 collection, 242-252 (See also 
 
 "Collection letters") 
 credit, 234-241 (See also "Cred- 
 it letters") 
 dictation, 10, 11 
 
 dictating machine, 1 1 
 
 stenographer, 10 
 folding, 122-124 
 
 Forms, 123 
 follow-up, 245-249 (See also 
 
 " Follow-up letters") 
 information, 156-159 
 
 declining information, 158 
 
 exercises in, 158, 159 
 
 requirements for, 156 
 
 specimens, 137, 138, 157, 190, 
 191 
 inquiry, 152-156 (See also 
 
 " Inquiry letters") 
 introduction, 128-131 
 
 exercises in, 130, 131 
 
 replies to, 129 
 
 specimens, 129, 130 
 letter form, 105-126 (See also 
 
 "Letter form") 
 official, 179, 180, 202 (See also 
 
 " Official letters ") 
 order, 12-16 
 
 cautions, 13 
 
 Letters — Continued 
 order— Continu ed 
 exercises, 14-16 
 nature of, 12 
 recommendation, 127-128 
 contents, 127, 128 
 exercises, 130-132 
 general, 127 
 special, 127 
 remittance, 77-79 
 
 acknowledgment, 79 
 sales, 253-276 
 
 (See also " Sales letters") 
 social, 170-179 
 example, 171 
 formal notes, 178, 179 
 friendly letters, 170 
 informal notes, 174-178 
 paper, 170 
 
 "parts" of, 170, 172, 173 
 Letter subject, 122 
 
 example, 153 
 Like, correct use of, 376 
 
 M 
 
 Messages, 4, 5 
 Minutes, 199-201 
 
 description of, 199, 200 
 example of, 200, 201 
 occasion for, 199 
 Misused words and expressions, 
 
 413-423 
 Model letters, 12, 18, 78, 79, 83, 
 84, 106, 107, 129, 130, 138, 
 153, 156, 171, 174, 177-180, 
 189, 206, 210-212, 214, 216- 
 220, 235-238, 240, 244, 245, 
 247, 249, 255, 256, 264, 266, 
 267, 274, 275 
 Modifiers, 308-309 
 adjectives, 308, 309 
 adverbs, 309 
 dependent clauses, 318, 319, 
 
 322-324 
 position of, 314-316 
 relative clauses, 322, 323 
 Money-orders, 65-67 
 express, 65-07 
 
 Form, 66 
 postal, 67
 
 INDEX 
 
 445 
 
 N 
 
 News item, 
 newspaper, 93 
 sales letter, 260 
 Newspaper, 02-103 
 departments, 103 
 editorials, 100-102 
 exercises, 93, 98-100, 101-103 
 "featuring," 94-96 
 head-lines, 96-98 
 
 exercises, 100 
 how to read, 103 
 "lead," 94, 99, 100 
 news item, 93 
 reason for reading, 92 
 what is news, 92, 93 
 Non-restrictive clauses, 401-404 
 Note, promissory, 
 description of, 77 
 
 Form, 76 
 Notes, 
 
 formal, 178, 179 
 
 acceptance, 179 
 
 invitation, 178 
 
 regrets, 179 
 informal, 
 
 acceptance, 175 
 
 condolence, 176, 177 
 
 congratulation, 176 
 
 exercises, 177, 178 
 
 invitation, 174, 175 
 
 regrets, 175 
 
 thanks, 175, 176 
 Noun 
 
 collective, 349 
 definition, 349 
 possessive of, 349 
 proper, 349 
 
 O 
 
 Objections, 
 
 kinds of, 280, 281 
 
 overcoming customers', 279-281 
 Objective case of pronouns, 338, 
 
 ^ 348, 374 
 Official letters, 
 
 exercises, 180 
 
 form of, 179, 180 
 
 occasions for, 179 
 
 Official letters — Continued 
 
 specimens, 180, 202 
 Open account, 234 
 Opening an account, 235 
 Oral, 
 
 reports, 3-5 (See also " Reports, 
 Oral") 
 
 salesmanship, 277-285 (See also 
 " Sales talks ") 
 Order letters, 12-16 
 
 cautions, 13 
 
 exercises, 14-16 
 
 nature of, 12 
 
 specimen, 12 
 Outlines, 
 
 brief, 229, 230 
 
 exercises, 27-31, 185, 189, 197- 
 199, 222, 223 
 
 first outline, 192, 193 
 revision of , 194, 195 
 
 paragraph, 28, 29 
 
 usefulness of, 28, 29 
 
 where to begin, 192 
 
 Paragraphing, 
 
 necessity for, 24, 25 
 topic sentence, 25 
 exercises, 25, 26 
 Paragraphs, development of, 160- 
 169, 184-188 (See also "De- 
 veloping ideas") 
 Parenthesis, marks of, 407 
 Participial, 
 
 ending, 139, 140 
 noun, possessive with, 351 
 phrases, punctuation of, 396 
 Participles, 310-313 
 Parts of a letter, 109-122 (See 
 
 also "Letter, parts of ") 
 Period, uses of, 391 
 Persuasion, 
 argument, 224 
 collection letters, 243-245 
 sales letters, 257 
 sales talk, 279-281 
 Planning an explanation, 192- 
 195 . 
 first plan, 192 
 revision of, 194
 
 446 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Planning an explanation — Cont'd 
 
 points to consider, 192 
 
 requirements, formal, 195 
 Plan of letter, 133-140 (See also 
 "Letter, parts of," "Let- 
 ters") 
 Plan of whole composition, 27-31 
 
 exercises, 27-31 
 
 outlining plan, 28, 29 
 
 point of view, 27 
 Politeness in business letters, 148, 
 
 149 
 Possessive, 
 
 noun forms of, 349, 384 
 
 pronouns, 349 
 
 with verbal, 350 
 Predicate of sentence, 
 
 definition, 306 
 
 position of, 307 
 Prepositions, 372-377 
 
 confusion of preposition and 
 conjunction, 375-377 
 
 lists, 373, 374 
 
 meaning of, 372, 373 
 
 pronouns after, 374, 375 
 Promissory note, 77 
 
 Form, 76 
 Pronouns, 
 
 agreement with antecedent, 339 
 
 definition of, 336 
 
 indefinite reference, 342, 343 
 
 objective case, 338 
 
 referenceto antecedent, 34 1-345 
 
 with verb to be, 346-348 
 Pronunciation, 
 
 exercises in, 42, 43 
 
 how to learn, 42 
 Proof, 226-228 
 
 evidence, 227 
 
 in argument, 226-228 
 
 in sales letters, 265-269 
 
 reasoning, 226 
 Proofreader's corrections, 438 
 Prospect, 277, 278 
 Punctuation, 390-412 
 
 comma, 391-399 
 
 exclamation point, 391 
 
 exercises in, 392-401, 403-412 
 
 need of, 390, 391 
 
 period, 391 
 
 question mark, 391 
 
 semicolon, 400 
 
 Qualities of a business letter, 133- 
 151 (See also " Clearness," 
 "Coherence," "Conciseness," 
 "Emphasis," "Unity.") 
 
 Question mark, 391 
 
 Questions for debate, 231-233 
 
 Quotation marks, 407, 408 
 
 Recommendation letters, 
 contents, 127, 128 
 exercises in, 130-132 
 general, 127 
 kinds, 127 
 special, 127 
 Refutation, 228, 229 
 Relative pronouns, 
 nature of, 322-324 
 restrictiveornon-restrictive,402 
 troubles with, 345, 346 
 Remittance letters, 77-79 
 
 specimens, 78, 79 
 Remittances, 
 
 acceptances, 74, 77 
 
 Form, 75 
 acknowledgment of, 79 
 checks, 67-72 
 
 Forms, 68-71 
 drafts, 72-74 
 
 Form, 73 
 exercises, 80, 81 
 forms seldom sent by mail, 65 
 money-orders, 65-67 
 
 Form, 66 
 promissory note, 77 
 Form, 76 
 Reports, 
 oral, 3-5 
 accuracy, 4 
 clearness, 4 
 
 exercises, 5-9, 22, 29-31, 80, 
 81,90,91,98-103,126,131, 
 132,150,151, 159,161-167, 
 169,173,181, 183,184,188, 
 191,220-222,249-251,283- 
 285 
 written, 201-204 
 clearness, 201,202 
 example, 203
 
 INI) FA' 
 
 447 
 
 Reports — Continued 
 written — Continued 
 purpose of, 201 
 reference to, 202 
 Restrictive clauses, 401-404 
 Rhetoric of the sentence, 32-40, 
 51-54 (See also "Coherence," 
 "Emphasis," "Unity" 
 Rules for spelling, 
 final consonant, 382 
 final silent e, 380, 381 
 final y, 381 
 
 words in ce and ge, 381 
 words in ei and ie, 3X1 
 
 Rales letters, 
 
 characteristics, 254 
 clincher in, 
 
 examples, 256 
 
 exercises, 273 
 
 form of, 271,272 
 
 tone of, 270, 271 
 contact, 
 
 concreteness, 258, 259 
 
 criticism of, 256 
 
 curiosity, appeal to, 259-261 
 
 example, 255 
 
 exercises, 261-263 
 conviction in, 
 
 concrete proof, 265-267 
 
 description as aid to, 264 
 
 example and comment, 256 
 
 exercises, 268, 269 
 
 kinds of proof, 267-269 
 definition, 253 
 follow-up, 273, 276 
 parts, 255-273 
 persuasion in, 
 
 appeals, 269 
 
 example and comment, 256, 
 257 
 
 exercises, 270 
 
 inducements, 269, 270 
 purpose, 253 
 securing action, 
 
 clincher, 270-273 
 
 conviction, 264-269 
 
 follow-up, 273-276 
 
 persuasion, 269, 270 
 
 Sales letters — Continued 
 
 specimens, L89, 255, 256, 264, 
 
 266, 267, 274, 275 
 subjects for, 263 
 Salesman, 
 
 manners of, 277, 278 (See also 
 
 Sales talks") 
 use of speech, 1 
 Salesmanship, methods of, 
 
 advertising, 286-304 (See also 
 
 "Advertising") 
 letters 253-276 (See also "Sales 
 
 letters") 
 oral, 277-285 (See also "Sales 
 
 talks") 
 Sales talks, 277-285 
 clincher in, 281 
 contact, 277-279 
 definition, 277 
 example, 282 
 exercises, 283-285 
 persuasion, 279-281 
 practice in, 283 
 Salutation of letter, 115, 116 
 abbreviations, 115 
 forms of, 115 
 placing, 115 
 punctuation, 115 
 Secretary, 
 
 outline for work of, 193-195 
 use of speech, 1 
 Semicolon, uses of, 400 
 Sentences, 
 
 coherence, 51-59 
 
 clearness, 51 
 
 construction, change of, 52 
 
 exercises, 51-59 
 
 thought, change of, 53-56 
 
 sequence of tenses, 56-59 
 
 subject, change of, 51 
 emphasis, 59-64 
 
 choppiness, 62 
 
 climax, 60 
 
 exercises, 62, 63 
 kinds, 305-332 
 
 complex, 318-325, 327-331 
 
 compound, 325-327, 331, 332 
 
 simple, 305-317 
 unity, 32-40 
 
 comma blunder, 34-36 
 
 dividing the thought, 32-34 
 
 necessity for, 32
 
 448 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Sentences — Continued 
 
 subordination, 38-40 
 
 too many ideas, 36-38 
 Series, punctuation of, 394 
 Shall and will, correct use of, 
 
 indirect quotation, 363 
 
 questions, 362 
 
 simple future, 359-361 
 
 volitional future, 359-361 
 Should and woidd, correct use of, 
 
 363 
 Signature to letter, 119-121 
 Forms, 120 
 
 corporate, 119 
 
 importance of, 1 19 
 
 placing, 119 
 
 punctuation, 121 
 
 stamp, 119 
 
 typed, 119 
 
 woman's, 12, 121, 206 
 
 writer's position, statement of, 
 119 
 Simple sentence, 
 
 definition, 305, 306 
 
 predicate, 306 
 
 subject, 306 
 Social correspondence (See "Let- 
 ters, social ") 
 Speech, 
 
 beginnings and ends of words, 2 
 
 clear speaking, 
 means of, 1-3 
 necessity of, 1 
 
 pleasant, 2 
 
 vowel sounds, 2 
 Spelling, 378-388 
 
 hyphen, use of, 387 
 
 lists, 379, 380, 384-387 
 
 misspelled words, 378-380 
 
 possessives, 384 
 
 rules for, 380-383 
 
 terms used in business, 386 
 Stationery, 107, 108 
 
 business letters, 107, 108 
 
 friendly letters, 170 
 
 official letters, 179 
 Study the goods, 
 
 sales letter, 265 
 
 sales talk, 278, 279 
 Subject-filing, 434 
 Subject of sentence, 
 
 change of, 51, 52 
 
 Subject of sentence — Continued 
 
 definition, 306 
 
 position of, 307 
 Subjects for sales talks, 284, 285 
 
 (See also "Sales letters") 
 Subordination, 
 
 exercises in, 328-33 1 
 
 reason for, 327 
 Synonyms, 46-48 (See also "Glos- 
 sary ") 
 
 Telegrams, 
 
 exercises, 430 
 
 kinds of, 429 
 
 nature of, 428 
 Telephone conversation,. 
 
 exercises in, 213, 220, 221, 246, 
 247, 249 
 
 principles of, 9, 10 
 Tense, 355-365 (See also "Verb") 
 Titles, writing of, 408 
 To be, pronouns with, 346-348 
 Transitions (See "Coherence") 
 Turnover, 234 
 
 Typewritten form of letter, 105, 
 106 
 
 U 
 
 Unity, 
 
 letter, 135-137 
 paragraph, 182-184 
 sentence, 32-40 
 
 Verb, 353-368 
 
 in "if clauses," 365, 366 
 intransitive, 310 
 nature of, 309, 310 
 number, 361, 362 
 proper form, 353-355 
 tense, 355-365 
 
 future, 356, 359-365 
 
 future perfect, 356 
 
 meaning, 355 
 
 past, 355 
 
 past perfect, 356 
 
 present, 355 
 
 present perfect, 356
 
 INDEX 
 
 449 
 
 Verb — Continued 
 tense — Continued 
 
 sequence of, in dependent 
 clauses, 56-59 
 transitive, 310 
 Verbal, possessive with, 351 
 Vertical files, 162, 432 
 
 W 
 
 Which, correct use of, 345 
 Who, correct use of, 345, 346 
 Whom, correct use of, 345, 346 
 Wording, advertisements, 294-296 
 (See also "Advertising") 
 bulletins, 287-289 
 
 Wording — Continued 
 
 letters (See also "Letters") 
 conciseness, 144-147 
 connectives, 141-143 
 courtesy, 148 
 for the reader, 143 
 importance, 141 
 individuality, 147 
 Words, 
 
 dictionary, 41, 42 
 misused, 48, 413-423 
 pronunciation, 42, 43 
 specific, 43-45 
 synonyms, 46-48 
 tone in diction, 48-50 
 unfamiliar meanings, 4f>, 46 
 Written reports, 201-204
 
 
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