THE AMA HANDBOOK OF BUSINESS WRITING phần 7

Section 2 The Business Writer’s Alphabetical Reference 361 Figure 2.9 Program Window Second Conditional The second conditional is used to express future actions that depend on the result of another future action. Usually, there is only a small chance both conditions will be satisfied. The second conditional is formed with if + past simple tense + would + base form. Example: If I found a buried treasure, I would buy my own island. Select See Press, Type, Click, Strike, Hit, Select. Semicolon A semicolon is used when the conjunction is omitted between parts of a compound sentence. Example: I went with them; I should have stayed at home. 362 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing A semicolon precedes words such as however, moreover, or otherwise when they introduce the second of two connected full sentences. Example: She is arriving at noon; however, she will not stay long. If parts of a series contain inner punctuation such as a comma, the parts are separated by a semicolon. Example: He came to see his mother, who was ill; his sister, who lived in the next town; and his old schoolmate. Semiweekly, Semimonthly See Biweekly, Bimonthly, Semiweekly, Semimonthly. Sensor, Censor See Censor, Censure, Sensor, Censer. Sentence A sentence has a subject and a verb (predicate) that can stand alone. A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark. Sentence Fragments Asentence fragment fails to be a sentence because it cannot stand by itself. It does not contain at least one independent clause. A group of words may appear to be a sentence but turn out to be a sentence fragment instead for several reasons: The sentence fragment may contain a series of prepositional phrases without a proper subject-verb relationship. Section 2 The Business Writer’s Alphabetical Reference 363 Example: in Texas, sometime in early April, just before the bluebonnets appear The sentence fragment may be a verbal phrase intended to modify something that is missing. Example: working deep into the night in an effort to get his taxes completed The sentence fragment may have a subject-verb relationship, but it has been subordinated to another idea or word so that it cannot stand by itself. Example: although he was taller than his older brother Sentence Subject The subject of a sentence is the person, place, or thing that is the main agent in the sentence. To find the subject of a sentence, first locate the verb. Then answer the ques-tion, what or who is being “verbed”? Example: The monkeys in the treetops must be observed. [verb; So, what must be observed? The answer is the monkeys.] A simple subject is a subject without any modifiers. Example: The upcoming event [simple subject], stripped of all the hype, is nothing but a fund-raiser. Sometimes a simple subject can be more than one word or even an entire clause. Example: What he had forgotten about the law was amazing considering how many years he spent in law school. 364 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing Usually, when the subject of a sentence is you and the sentence is a sugges-tion, order, or command, the you is left out. Example: Get out of the way! [You is understood to be the subject.] For sentence analysis, the person who initiates an action in a sentence is called the agent. When the active voice is used, the subject is the agent. Example: The class [subject/agent] failed the test. When the passive voice is used, the agent is not the subject. Some passive sentences don’t contain an agent. Example: The test was failed by the class [object of the preposition “by”]. Sentence Types The types of sentence structures are: Simple—one independent clause Example: He went to the store. Compound—more than one independent clause Example: He went to the store, and he bought groceries. Complex—one independent clause and at least one dependent clause Example: He went to the store, where he bought groceries. Compound complex—more than one independent clause and at least one dependent clause Example: He went to the library, and then he went to the store, where he bought groceries. Section 2 The Business Writer’s Alphabetical Reference 365 Periodic—beginning with modifying phrases and clauses and ending with an independent clause Example: Having gone to the store, he bought groceries. Cumulative—beginning with an independent clause and ending with a series of modifying constructions Example: He ran his morning errands, buying groceries, dropping off his prescription, and getting cash from the ATM. Sentence Variety A sentence is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate. How you use the many types of sentences in your writing, the order in which you use them, and how you combine and punctuate them determine your writing style. It is relatively easy to write short sentences. However, if you use only short sentences, your writing will appear to be a primer style and give your read-er a poor impression of your level of professionalism. To write more compli-cated sentences, you have to create constructions of clauses and phrases. Consider these tips: Long sentences and run-on sentences are not the same thing. Combining too long a series of clauses may confuse the reader. Many writers are afraid they’ll create run-on sentences and tend to lean toward the shorter variety. By coordinating clauses and punctuation, you can allow the complexity of a sentence to develop after the verb, not before it. The key is to make the subject-verb connection and then allow the sentence to paint the picture sur-rounding that subject and verb. One issue that is difficult for many business writers is the need to repeat key terms in long sentences. The repetition feels awkward. When properly han-dled, though, repeated phrases can create a rhythm that helps to emphasize the meaning of the sentence. ... - tailieumienphi.vn