The AMA Handbook of Business Writing · The Ultimate Guide to Style, Grammar, Punctuation, Usage, Construction, and Formatting by Kevin Wilson, Jennifer Wauson -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS SECTION 1 The Writing Process

Audience Analysis Brainstorming Research Interviewing Outlining Writing a Draft Business Writing Style Using Visuals Page Design Publication Design Editing Proofreading Document Review Revisions Documenting Sources

Footnotes and Endnotes Bibliographies

Global Communications Collaborative Writing Promotional Writing

SECTION 2 The Business Writer’s Alphabetical Reference

A, An Abbreviations

Titles Before and After Names Names Mathematical Units and Measurements Long Phrases Words Used with Numbers Common Latin Terms States and Territories Things You Should Not Abbreviate Spacing and Periods for Abbreviations Guidelines for Using Abbreviations in Your Writing

Abbreviations for Measurements Abbreviations for Numbers Above, Below Absolute Form of an Adjective Absolute Phrase Absolutely Abstract Nouns Accent Marks Accept, Except Access, Excess Acronyms Action Verbs Active Voice A.D. Adjectival Noun Adjectival Opposites Adjective Phrase Adjectives

Placement of Adjectives in a Sentence Use of Multiple Adjectives Degrees of Adjectives Irregular Form Adjectives A-Adjectives

Adjuncts, Disjuncts, and Conjuncts Adverbial Clause Adverbial Phrase Adverbs

Prepositional Phrases Acting as Adverbs Infinitive Phrases Acting as Adverbs Adverbs in a Numbered List Adverbs to Avoid Positioning Adverbs in a Sentence Order of Adverbs Inappropriate Adverb Order Viewpoint Adverbs Focus Adverbs Negative Adverbs

Advice, Advise Affect, Effect Affixes African-American Age Agents Agreement Aid, Aide Alike A Little Allegories Alliteration All Right, Alright Allusion, Illusion Alone, Lonely A Lot, Alot, Allot Already, All Ready Altogether, All Together Ambitransitive Verbs American English, British English Among, Between Ampersand A.M., P.M. An Anadiplosis Anaphora And Also And/Or Angry, Mad Animate Nouns Antagonyms Antecedent Anti- Antimetabole Antonyms Any, Either Any, Some Apart, A Part Apodosis Apostrophe Appears, Displays Appendix Apposition Appositives Articles As, Like Assure, Insure, Ensure Asterisks As to Whether As Well As Autoantonyms Auxiliary Verbs Average, Mean, Median A While, Awhile Awful, Awfully Bad, Badly Back-Channeling Backslash, Slash Back up, Backup Base Form of a Verb Basically, Essentially, Totally B.C. Because, Since, As Been, Gone Being That, Being As Below Beside, Besides Between, Among Bias, Biased Biased or Sexist Language Bibliography Billion Biweekly, Bimonthly, Semiweekly, Semimonthly Blind Blog, Weblog Bold Fonts Bored, Boring Both, Alike Both, Each Brackets

Changes to Quoted Material Digressions within Parentheses

Brake, Break Brand Names Breath, Breathe Bring, Take British English Bulleted List Bushel Business, Right Buzzwords By, Bye, Buy By, Until Call Back, Callback Call Out, Callout Callouts Came By Can, May Cannot Can’t Seem Canvas, Canvass Capital Letters Capital, Capitol Capitalization

Acts of Congress Associations Book Titles and Their Subdivisions Railroad Cars and Automobile Models Churches and Church Dignitaries Cities Clubs Legal Codes Compass Points Designating a Specific Region Constitutions Corporations Courts Decorations Degrees (Academic) Districts Educational Courses Epithets Fleets Foundations Geographic Divisions Government Divisions Historical Terms Holidays Libraries Localities Military Services Nobility and Royalty Oceans and Continents Parks, Peoples, and Tribes Personification Planets and Other Heavenly Bodies Rivers Sports Stadiums, Teams, and Terms

Captions Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers Case Cataphora Causative Verbs Caution Notice CD, DVD Censor, Censure, Sensor, Censer Champaign, Champagne Check, Control Chiasmus Chicano, Latino, Hispanic Choose, Chose Cite, Site, Sight Citing Publications Clauses Cleanup, Clean Up Cleft Sentences Clichés Click Click and Drag Click On Closed Compounds Coleman-Liau Index Collective Adjectives Collective Nouns Collocations Colloquial Colon

Emphasis or Anticipation Time Titles

Combination Comma

Compound and Complex Sentences Introductory Expressions Other Transitional Words Prepositional Phrases Contrasting Phrases Nonrestrictive Modifiers Infinitive Phrases Designating Dialogue Repeated Words Word Omission Transposed Adjective Order Numbers Addresses Titles Company Names

Common Adjectives Common Nouns Company and Product Names Comparatives Compared to, Compared with Complement, Compliment Complements Complex Prepositions Compound Nouns Compound Predicates Compound Sentences

Compounding Sentence Elements

Compound Words

Open Compounds Closed Compounds Hyphenated Compounds

Comptroller, Controller Concord Concrete Nouns Conditional Perfect Conditionals Conjunctions

And But Or Punctuation for Coordinating Conjunctions Other Conjunctions Subordinating Conjunctions Correlative Conjunctions

Conjunctive Adverbs Conjuncts Connote, Denote Considered to Be Consonants Continuous Verbs Contractions Contranyms Control Convince, Persuade Cooperate Coordinated Adjectives Coordinating Conjunctions Copula Verbs Copyright Correlative Conjunction Could of, Might of Council, Counsel, Consul Count Nouns Credible, Credulous Cross-Reference Cut-and-Paste Danger Notice Dangling Modifiers

Characteristics of Dangling Modifiers Revising Dangling Modifiers

Dangling Participles Dash Data Dates Deaf or Hard of Hearing Deal Decimals Declarative Mood Declarative Sentence Defining Relative Clause Definite Article Defuse, Diffuse Degree Adverbs Degree Titles Deixis Demonstrative Adjectives Demonstrative Pronouns Denominal Adjectives Denote, Connote Dependent Clauses Descriptive Writing Desert, Dessert Determiners Device, Devise Diacritic Different from, Different than Diffuse, Defuse Dimensions Direct Objects Disability Disc, Disk Discreet, Discrete Disease Names Disjuncts Display, Monitor, Screen Disyllabic Ditransitive Verbs Ditto Marks Do, Does, Did Dollars and Cents

Dollar and Cent Signs Decimal Points

Don’t, Doesn’t Do’s and Don’ts Dot-Com Double Negatives Double Possessives Double-Click Download, Upload Downtoners Drag-and-Drop Due to the Fact That DVD Dynamic Adjectives Dynamic Verbs Each Other, One Another Each, Their Effect, Affect Eggcorn e.g., i.e. Either, Neither Elicit, Illicit Ellipses Elliptical Clauses Email Embedded Questions Em Dash Emigrate, Immigrate Eminent, Imminent, Immanent Emoticons Empathic Forms Empathy, Sympathy En Dash Endnotes End Result Endophora Engine, Motor Enough, Not Enough Enquire, Inquire Ensure, Assure, Insure Enthuse, Enthusiastic Entitled Envelop, Envelope Epanadiplosis Epanalepsis Epistemic Modality Epistrophe Epizeuxis Equally as Important Equations Ergative Verbs Essentially et al. etc. Euphemisms Everyday Everyone, Every One Every Time Except, Unless Excess, Access Exclamation Point Exclamatory Sentence Exclusive Adverbs Existential There Exit Exophoric Expect Expletive Constructions Expository Writing Extranet Extraposition Factitive Verbs Faint Fair, Fare FANBOYS Farther, Further Faze, Phase Feint, Faint Female, Woman Fewer, Less Few, A Few Figuratively Figure of Speech Figures Finite Verbs First Conditional Fix, Situation Flair, Flare Flesch-Kincaid Index Flier, Flyer Focus Adverb Fog Index Font, Typeface Foot, Feet Footnotes, Endnotes Forego, Forgo Foreign Words and Phrases Forever, For Ever For, Fore, Four Formatting Formulas Forward, Forwards, Foreword Fractions Fragments Full Time, Full-time Further Fused Sentences Future Perfect Future Perfect Progressive Future Progressive Gage, Gauge Gender Genitive Marker Gerund Gigabyte Gigahertz Glossary Gone, Went Good, Well Got, Gotten Grammatical Hierarchy Gray, Grey Guess Handicap, Disability Hard Disk, Hard Drive Headings and Subheadings Helping Verbs Hendiatris Heteronyms Highlighting Hispanic, Latino, Chicano Hit Homographs Homonyms Homophones Hypallage Hyperbaton Hyperbole Hyperlinks Hyphens

Line Breaks Substitute Words Pronunciation Compound Adjectives

Hyphenated Compound Words Hyphenated Numbers Hyponyms Hypophora Hypothetical Questions Hysteron Proteron Idiolect Idioms i.e., e.g. If, When, Whether Illicit, Elicit Illusion, Allusion Illustrations I, Me, Myself Immanent, Eminent Immigrate, Emigrate Imperative Mood Imply, Infer Inanimate Nouns Inaugurate Inchoative Verbs Indefinite Articles Indefinite Pronouns Independent Clauses Index Indicative Mood Indirect Objects Indirect Speech Inductive Antonomasia Infinitives

Infinitive Phrase

Inflection Inherent and Noninheren Adjectives Initialisms, Acronyms Innuendo In Order to Inquire, Enquire In-Sentence Lists Inside of, Within Insure, Ensure, Assure Intensive Pronouns Interjections Internet, Intranet, Extranet Interrogative Pronouns Interrogative Sentences Intranet Intransitive Verbs Introductory Modifier Invite Irony Irregular Plurals Irregular Spelling Irregular Verbs Isocolon Italics Its, It’s Jargon Job Titles Joint Possessives Jr., Sr. Kenning Keyboard Terminology Kilobyte Kilohertz Kind, Kinds Kind of, Sort of Latino, Hispanic, Chicano Latin Terms Latitude, Longitude Lay, Lie Lay Out, Layout Lead, Led Learn, Teach Leave, Let Led, Lead Lend, Loan Lessen, Lesson Less, Fewer Let, Leave Lets, Let’s Lexical Density Liable, Likely Lie, Lay Lighted, Lit Like, As Line Linking Verbs Lists

In-Sentence Lists Vertical Lists Numbered Lists Bulleted Lists Multicolumn Lists

Literally, Figuratively Lit, Lighted Litotes Little, A Little Loan, Lend Log On, Log Off, Logon, Logoff Lonely, Alone Longitude, Latitude Loose, Lose Lost, Lost Out Lots Mad, Angry Margin Notes Mass Nouns Mathematical Equations Maybe, May Be May, Can May, Might Mean, Median, Average Megabyte Megahertz Meiosis Me, Myself Metaphor Metonymy Mfr., Mfg. Might Could Might, May Might of, Should of, Would of, Cloud of Minimal Pairs Misplaced Modifiers Mixed Conditionals Mixed Metaphor Mnemonics Modifiers

Initial Modifiers Midsentence Modifiers Terminal Modifiers Combining Modifiers Misplaced Modifiers

Monitor Monosyllabic Mood More Than, Over Morpheme Most of All, Almost Motor, Engine Mouse Terminology Multicolumn Lists Myself, Me Names Negative Adverbs Negative Formations Negative Pronouns Neither, Either Neologism Never Nominal Adjectives Nominative Absolutes Nominative Case Nominative Possessives Noncount Nouns Nondefining Relative Clause Nonfinite Verbs Noninherent Adjectives Nonrestrictive Clauses Notices Noun Case Noun Clause Noun Phrase Noun Plurals Nouns Nouns of Address Number Abbreviations Numbered List Numbers or Words

Printed Text and Prose Text At the Beginning of a Sentence Legal Documents Round Numbers Sets of Numbers Large Numbers Separating Digits

Object Object Complement Objective Case Off Offline On Account of One One Another, Each Other Online, Offline Only Onomatopoeia Open Open Compounds Ordinal Numbers Over, More Than Oxford Comma Oxymoron Page Breaks Page Numbering

Page Number Formats

Palindromes Paragraphs

Elements of a Paragraph Paragraph Development When to Start a New Paragraph Paragraph Transitions

Parallel Construction Paraphrasing Parentheses Parenthetical Elements Participle Participial Phrase Parts of Speech Party Passed, Past Passive Voice Past Perfect Progressive Tense Past Perfect Tense Past Progressive Tense Past Simple Tense People Per Percent Percentage Perfect Aspect Perfect Infinitive Perfect Tense Period Person Personal Pronouns Personification Persuade, Convince Phase, Faze Phatic Speech Phrasal Verbs Phrases Phrases and Words to Omit Pidgin Plagiarism Pleonasm Pluperfect Plurals Plurals of Numbers Plus P.M. Point in Time Polyptoton Polyseme Polysyllabic Possessive Adjectives Possessive Case Possessive Pronouns Possessives Posted, Informed Postmodifier Precede, Proceed Predeterminers Predicates Preface Prefixes Premodifier Prepositional Phrase Prepositions

Time: At, On, In, For, and Since Place: At, On, In Location: At, On, In Movement: To, Toward Combinations

Present Infinitive Present Participle Present Perfect Tense Present Progressive Tense Present Simple Tense Press, Type, Click, Strike, Hit, Select Previous Principal, Principle Problem Pronouns

I: Nominative Case, Never an Object She, He: Nominative Case, Never an Object They: Nominative Case, Never an Object We: Nominative Case, Never an Object Me, Us, Her, Him, Them: Objective Case Never a Subject

Proceed, Precede Progressive Verbs Pronouns

Pronouns and Anteceden Agreement

Proper Adjectives Proper Nouns Protatis Quantifiers Question Mark Question Types Quitclaim Quit, Exit Quotation Marks

Quotations within Quotations Quotations for Titles Quotation Marks and Punctuation

Raise, Rise Rational, Rationale Real Reciprocal Pronouns Recur, Reoccur Redundancy Reflexive Pronouns Regard, Regards Regular Verbs Relative Adverbs Relative Clauses Relative Pronouns Reoccur Reported Speech Restrictive Clauses Resultative Adjective Resumptive Modifier Rhetorical Question Rhyme Right, Business Right-click Rise, Raise Roman Numerals Root, Rout, Route Run Run-On Sentences Same Sarcasm Satire Screen Screen Terminology Second Conditional Select Semicolon Semiweekly, Semimonthly Sensor, Censor Sentence Sentence Fragments Sentence Subject Sentence Types Sentence Variety Setup, Set Up Sexist Language Shall, Will Shape Should, Must Should of Should, Would Shut Down, Shutdown Sic Sign In, Sign Out, Sign On, Sign Up Simile Since, Because Singular Sit, Set Site, Sight, Cite Slang Slash

And/Or Combinations Indicating Other Relationships

Small Caps So Software Menus and Commands Solidus Some, Any Sometime, Some Time Sort of, Kind of Spaces After Periods Split Infinitive Sr., Jr. Stative Adjective Stative Verb Subheadings Subject Subject Complement Subjective Case Subjective Pronouns Subject-Verb Agreement Subject-Verb Inversion Subjunctive Submittal, Submission Subordinate Clause Subordinating Conjunctions Suffix Summative Modifier Superlative Syllable Symbols and Special Characters Sympathy, Empathy Synecdoche Synonyms Table of Contents Tables Tag Question Take, Bring Tautology Teach, Learn Telephone Numbers Temperature Tense Terabyte Than I, Than Me Than, Then That, Which There, Their, They’re Third Conditional Time

Dates

Time Zones Titled, Entitled Titles

Formatting the Title of a Manuscript

Tmesis To, At Tone Topic Sentence Totally Toward, Towards Transitions

Transitional Expressions Repeating Key Words Pronoun Reference Parallelism

Transitive Verb Try and, Come and, Be Sure and Type, Enter Typeface, Font Unbiased Language

Sexist Language

Uncountable Noun Underlining Understatement Until, By Upload, Download Uppercase URL U.S. Used to Utterance Vain, Vane, Vein Verbal Phrase Verb Complement Verb Forms Verb Group Verbiage Verb Mood Verbose Expressions Verbs Verb Tense Versus, vs. Vertical Lists Visually Impaired, Blind Voice Voice Mail Vowels Wait On Wander, Wonder Web Weblog Web Pages, Web Site Weights and Measures Well, Good Went, Gone When, Whether Where Whether or Not Which Who’s, Whose Who, Which Who, Whom Will, Shall Within, Inside of Woman, Female Wonder, Wander Word Classes Words or Figures Wordy Expressions Would of Would, Should Xmas, Christmas Yes/No Questions Zero Article Zero Conditional Zeugma Zip Code

SECTION 3 Sample Business Document

Abstracts Acceptance Letter Acknowledgment Letter Adjustment Letter Announcement Letter Annual Report Application Letter Brochures Business Letter

Business Letter Writing Style Business Letter Format

Business Plan Collection Letter Commendation Letter Complaint Letter Cover Letters Directives Email Endorsement Letter Forms Fund-Raising Letter Grant Proposals Instructions Introductions Inquiry Letter Job Descriptions Job Offer Letter Meeting Agenda Meeting Minutes

Corporate Minutes Corporate Resolutions

Memorandum Mission Statements Newsletters

Newsletter Articles

Notices Permission Letter Policies, Rules, or Guidelines PowerPoint Presentations

Planning a Presentation

Press Releases Procedures Progress Reports Proposals Questionnaires and Surveys Reference Letters Refusal Letter Reports

Memorandum Report Letter Report Short Report Formal Report

Request Letters Research Report Resignation Letter Résumés Sales Letters Seasonal Correspondence Specifications Speeches and Oral Presentations Summaries Termination of Employment Letter Training Manual Trip Report User Guide Warning Letter Web Sites White Papers

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