business english at work © 2003 glencoe/mcgraw-hill

Business English at Work

The PeriodThe Periodand the Commaand the Comma

ObjectivesUse periods correctly at the end of declarative and imperative sentences, courteous requests, and indirect questions.Identify miscellaneous uses of the period.Use commas correctly between items in a series and in compound sentences.Use commas correctly with independent adjectives.

PP 16-1a

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Objectives

PP 16-1b

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Use commas correctly to set off appositive and parenthetical expressions. Use commas correctly with introductory expressions.Use commas correctly with nonrestrictive clauses.Identify miscellaneous uses of the comma.



Declarative Sentences

PP 16-2

Use a period at the end of a declarative sentence.

Rick finds job openings on the Internet.Sara’s final interview with the company is on Friday.



Imperative Sentences

PP 16-3

Use a period at the end of a sentence that indicates a command or a strong suggestion.

Proofread your cover letter carefully.Fill out the job application within 24 hours.



Courteous Requests

PP 16-4

Use a period at the end of a sentence that makes a courteous request.

Will you please call the applicants to tell them that the position is filled.May I have the phone numbers of your last three supervisors.



Indirect Questions

PP 16-5

Use a period after an indirect question.

I wonder whether Bob applied for the accounts payable position.Jamey asked how I posted my résumé on the Internet.



Decimal Points

PP 16-6

Use a period to separate dollars and cents. $5.59 $178.25 $14,382.38

Do not place a period after a dollar amount if there are no cents involved.$5 $802 $78,455 Use a period as a decimal point to express whole numbers and fractional amounts.0.008 0.09 5.2 29.5



Abbreviated Words and Measurements

PP 16-7a

Use a period at the end of an abbreviated word.

assn. associationasst. assistantbldg. buildingintl. internationalmfg. manufacturingpd. paid



Abbreviated Words and Measurements

PP 16-7b

Do not use a period after a measurement that is abbreviated on most business or technical forms.Ft foot, feet oz ounce, ouncesgal gallon qt quart, quartshr hour, hours yr year, years

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Spell out measurements when they are used in general or nontechnical writing.



Small and Capital Letters

PP 16-8a

Use a period after each letter in abbreviations that consist of small letters. a.k.a. also known asc.o.d. collect on deliveryf.o.b. free on board (within sentences)

Do not use a period after each letter in most abbreviations that consist of all capital letters.CEO chief executive officerHMO health maintenance organizationPIN personal identification number



Small and Capital Letters

PP 16-8b

Exceptions

P.O. post officeU.S. United StatesM.A. Master of ArtsM.D. Doctor of MedicineB.C. before Christ

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Personal Names and Corporate Names

PP 16-9

Use a period after the initials or with abbreviations of most names.J. C. Williams Thos. C. McGraw Do not use a period with a nickname. Skip Jenner Red Stocker Use the same format that an individual uses in a signature or that a company uses on its letterhead as its official designation Harry S Truman JCPenney



Titles, Academic Degrees, Professional Identification

PP 16-10a

Use a period after an abbreviation of a person’s title.Mrs. Ms. Mr. Dr.

Use a period after each element in the abbreviation of an academic degree or professional identification.B.A. Ph.D. M.B.A. M.D.



Titles, Academic Degrees, Professional Identification

PP 16-10b

ExamplesDr. Carole Bennett accepted a position as a technical writer.Sara Wong, M.D., hired Rose to work as a receptionist.Gretchen Carpenter, M.B.A., uses the Internet to post company job openings

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Seniority Designations

PP 16-11

Use a period after an abbreviated seniority designation.Jason Harrison Jr. accepted a position in Nevada.Anthony Biasi III applied for an international banking position.



The Period and Geographic Locations

PP 16-12

Use a period after an abbreviation of a country, state, or province unless the abbreviation appears in ZIP Code format.

NC North Carolina N.C.

AR Arkansas Ark.

ON Ontario Ont.

ZIP Code State or Standard Abbreviation Province Abbreviation



Shortened Forms of Words

PP 16-13

Do not use a period after shortened words or foreign words that are not abbreviations.

info informationrep representativespecs specificationstemp temporaryad hoc for a particular purposein re or re concerning



Outlines and Lists

PP 16-14a

Use a period after the numbers or letters that identify items in an outline or list unless the numbers or letters are in parentheses.

I. EMPLOYMENT MATERIALS

A. Resume

1. Chronological

a. Advantages

(1) Shows job history



Outlines and Lists

PP 16-14b

Use periods after complete sentences, dependent clauses, and long phrases in a list or outline.

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The keys to salary negotiation are the following:

1. Discuss salary at the end of the interview.

2. Let the interviewer introduce the issue of salary.

3. Do research on salaries for your field.



Outlines and Lists

PP 16-14c

Do not use periods after short phrases listed on separate lines if the lead-in statement is complete.

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Avoid the following job-hunting methods:

1. Unsolicited resumes

2. Employment agencies

3. Employment advertisements



Compound Sentences

PP 16-15a

Use a comma to separate two independent clauses in a compound sentence.Place the comma before the coordinating conjunction (and, or, nor, but) that joins the two clauses.Most public libraries have company directories, and most online services also offer access to these directories.Everyone knows about doing job hunting research, but few people do it well.



Compound Sentences

PP 16-15b

Omit the comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence if either or both of the two independent clauses are very short (four words or less). Read the job description and fax your résumé.

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Do not omit the comma if it is necessary for clarity.Kyle interviewed me, and Maria tested my skills.



Compound Sentences

PP 16-15c

Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction when a subject is not expressed (but implied) in one or both clauses in an imperative sentence.Call companies that interest you, and ask to speak to people who can give you specific information about available positions.Prepare a portfolio of your best work, and bring it with you to the interview.

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Compound Sentences

PP 16-15d

Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins a compound subject, predicate, object, or subject complement.

Stress educational achievements and extracurricular activities in your cover letter.Working in temporary positions will introduce you to different industries and help you discover the types of jobs available.

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Series

PP 16-16a

Use commas to separate words, phrases, or clauses in a series.Include the comma before the coordinating conjunction.

Be selective when listing job duties, skills, and accomplishments on your résumé.Please bring your résumé, a sharpened pencil, and a list of references to the interview.Interviewing effectively means listening to suggestions of others, reading about interviewing, and participating in as many interviews as possible.



Series

PP 16-16b

Do not use commas to separate items when each item is connected by a conjunction.

Cover letters require the exact last name of the person and the exact spelling of the name and the title of his or her position.

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Series

PP 16-16c

Use commas in a series of names in an organization exactly the way that the organization uses the commas on its letterhead or on another verifiable source.Do not use a comma before the ampersand (&) in the name of an organization unless the company itself does.

The firm of Farrell, White, and Jones specializes in recruiting hospital employees.Henderson, Hernandez, & Holmes fills its positions through networking.

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The Comma and Etc.

PP 16-17

Use a comma before and after the abbreviation etc. When etc. appears at the end of a sentence, use a comma before the abbreviation only. The abbreviation etc. means and so forth or and others.Do not use the phrase and etc.Most experts recommend cream, white, off-white, etc., bond paper for résumés.



Independent Adjectives

PP 16-18a

Place a comma between independent adjectives that precede a noun unless they are already separated by a coordinating conjunction.To determine whether adjectives are independent, reverse their order or place the word and between the two adjectives. If both revisions sound satisfactory, place a comma between the two adjectives.



Independent Adjectives

PP 16-18b

Examples

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James offered vague, disorganized answers to the interview questions.Anne conducted a successful, well-organized job search.A study of successful female job hunters indicated that attention to detail is vital.



Appositives

PP 16-19a

Use commas to set off an appositive if it is not essential to the meaning of a sentence.

Kris Hing, CEO of Hing and Associates, looks for candidates who speak at least three languages.JOBS, an online listing of professional positions, helped me narrow my job search.



Appositives

PP 16-19b

Do not use commas to set off an appositive that explains or clarifies the noun preceding it.

The newspaper National Business Employment Weekly offers job hunting strategies.The year 2001 was the year that I was promoted to assistant manager.

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Parenthetical Expressions

PP 16-20a

Parenthetical expressions interrupt a sentence. These side remarks do not add to the clarity of a sentence, and they are set aside by commas.




PP 16-20b

Below is a partial list of parenthetical expressions.

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after all as a consequence

as a matter of fact as a result

as a rule as you know

at any rate believe me

by the way for example

however I am sure

I assure you I believe




PP 16-20c

Examples

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Being unemployed, as you can see, allowed me to return to school.Unfortunately, Jack lost his disk that contained his résumé.Group interviews, by the way, are popular with educational institutions.



Introductory ExpressionsDependent Clauses

PP 16-21a

Use a comma to separate an introductory dependent clause from the independent clause.If I have to move to another state, I will turn down the job offer.Although the competition was intimidating, Carrie still secured the job.



Introductory ExpressionsDependent Clauses

PP 16-21b

Generally, do not use a comma when the dependent clause follows the independent clause or when the comma is necessary for the meaning of the sentence.

Do thorough research on a company before any job interview.

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Introductory Expressions Prepositional Phrases

PP 16-22

Use a comma to set off an introductory prepositional phrase from the independent clause that follows.Within one year, he received a promotion to the position of accounts payable supervisor.From an employer’s standpoint, a thank-you note that is sent after the interview is important.



Introductory Expressions Infinitive Phrases

PP 16-23

Use a comma to set off an introductory infinitive phrase from the rest of the sentence.To save time, more companies are using résumé scanning software.

Do not use a comma when an infinitive phrase is the subject of a sentence.

To purposely lie on your employment application may cause dismissal from most positions.



Introductory Expressions Participial Phrases

PP 16-24

Use a comma to set off an introductory participial phrase from the rest of the sentence. Surprised by the results of my skill tests, I decided to set new goals.Reviewing my cover letter, I realized that I had used an incorrect telephone number.



Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses

PP 16-25

Use commas to set off a nonrestrictive adjective clause from the rest of the sentence.

Drug testing, which is becoming more prevalent, is a requirement for some occupations.I carry my resume in a leather portfolio, which was a graduation gift.



Restrictive Adjective Clauses

PP 16-26

Do not set off a restrictive adjective clause (necessary for the meaning of the word it modifies) from the rest of the sentence.Job applicants who arrive late for their interviews are usually not hired at our firm.A college degree that emphasizes communication skills is valuable in today’s job market.



Contrasting Expressions

PP 16-27

Use commas to set aside a contrasting expression from the rest of the sentence. A contrasting expression often begins with the word not or never. A contrasting expression contradicts the noun or idea it follows.

The interview, not the résumé, gets you the job.The position for which Nina is interviewing is an existing position, not a new one.



Direct Address

PP 16-28

Use commas to set off the names of individuals who are being addressed directly.

You will be pleased to know, Larry, that you will receive a bonus this year.Sheila, you are a finalist for the position.



Tag Questions

PP 16-29

Use a comma to separate a tag question from the rest of the sentence.

We have five job candidates to interview today, don’t we?We do not need to interview the job candidates on Saturday, do we?



Quotations

PP 16-30

Use a comma to introduce a direct quotation or set it off from other parts of a sentence. Mr. Bertoli asked me, “How do you define success?”“Success,” Mr. Bertoli said, “depends upon your own definition.”

Do not use a comma to set off an indirect quotation.Mr. Bertoli said that success depends upon your own definition.



Dates

PP 16-31

Use a comma before and after the year when a date includes a month, day, and year.I hope to graduate by June 30, 2005, or at the latest December 31, 2005.

Do not use a comma if only the month and day or only the month and year are in a sentence.Mr. Elias indicated that he would notify me by August 5 about the position.My first interview was in October 2001 for a retail sales position.



Addresses

PP 16-32

Use commas to separate parts of an address or geographical location.Do not place a comma between a state name or a two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP Code within a document or on an envelope.I applied for a position at Sonoma State University, 1801 East Coati Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA 94953, last week.



Occupational Designations, Academic Degrees

PP 16-33

Use commas to set off occupational designations or academic degrees when they follow a person’s name.Do not use both a personal or job title before a name and a job or academic degree designation after the name.Pamela Guzman, M.S., refers her clients for vocational assessment.Dylan works with Leslie Salazar, Ph.D., and Luis Pardue, M.B.A.



Seniority Designations

PP 16-34

Do not use commas to separate seniority designations from the name unless the person being referenced prefers to use commas.

Lonnie Lamont Jr. works for Diamond Lane Communications.Nielson Electronics promoted Richard Whitmore II to the position of comptroller of their Canadian operations.



Company Names

PP 16-35

Do not use commas to separate Inc. or Ltd. from the rest of the company name unless the company’s letterhead or other official source indicates commas are necessary.

Fantastic Foods Inc. offers excellent profit sharing bonuses to its employees.



Numbers

PP 16-36

Use a comma in a whole number with more than four figures. Some prefer to insert a comma in a number such as 3,482.Rhonda discovered 12,325 career sites on the Internet.

Do not use a comma in a policy, account, page, serial, model, or check number or in a house number in an address.Policy 1503 describes our hiring procedures.

business english at work © 2003 glencoe/mcgraw-hill

Documents

b use periods

lists pp

objectives pp

declarative sentences

capital letters pp

imperative sentences

courteous requests pp

indirect questions pp