can benefit from the careful attention college asked that the receiver con It might also help you if you see to of a skilled second reader. Here are a tribute for a new building. In one it that your staffers follow"The 12 few examples of things that should place, it used the phrase"needless Commandments"of good writing never have been sent out by the busi- to say "and in another "it goes with- ness concerned- but they were out saying. "The writer's third-grade 1. Thou shalt remember, above all One of the nation,s largest banks grammar teacher should have told else, that accuracy counts sent a letter to "Dear Bill Jones(not him that if something is"needless to 2. Thou shalt employ thy brain first, his real name). There's nothing say" and"it goes without saying then use spell check and gram rong with"Dear Mr. Jones. At then don't say it! mar check east, they didn't open with"Dear Another unit at the college sent 3. Thou shalt learn to use and Friend"or"Dear Bill, both of which out a letter asking for money. It was a respect the comma, which, like are presumptuous in the extreme and nice letter, but it took 320 words to dynamite, is small and powerful cause a lot of people to deposit the get its message across. Just a little 4. Thou shalt watch keenly for the communication in the circular file. bit of tightening cut it to 250 words cliche, which thou shalt smite hip Unfortunately, the second sentence Most people resent it when others and thigh of the letter added to the problem waste their time by being"windy"; 5. Thou shalt always remember that when it said: "We will arrange for the then they turn right around and do in the English language, the best credit reporting agency to send a the same thing to someone else order of presentation of informa copy of you (emphasis mine) triple- tion is: Subject-Predicate-Object bureau credit report to you, Bill 6. Thou shalt pay due respect to Jones. "Aside from the bad grammar. brevity, remembering that con it's just plain awkward. Mr Jones did Thou shalt learn to use ciseness is an aid to communica not avail himself of the opportunity tion offered and respect the comma, 7. Thou shalt treasure short words The same bank referred to above which, like dynamite, is leaving their longer brethren to sent Mr Jones another missive apol- small and powerful less skillful writers ogizing for a letter they sent telling 8. Thou shalt strive for active voice him his credit cards were about to in thy writing, reserving the pas- expire and his accounts would be sive for those special situations closed. They said it was all a"systen Remedies where it works best problem"that caused the letter to be If you recognize your business and 9. Thou shalt seek out strong verbs, sent in error. In this five-sentence its communications in any of the for they possess power. document, two important commas above, there are things you can do to 10. Thou shalt give deep thought to were omitted, the phrase" due to" remedy your problems. In the short the nature of thine audience was used when they meant"because run, you can get professional help before putting fingers to keyboard of, "and the bank said it valued"your Believe it or not, there still are people because it affects thy style relationship. "Jones swears he has who have a firm grasp of the English 11. Thou shalt remember that"close no relationship with the bank language and are able to help others counts in horseshoes, not gram romantic, blood kin, or any other; he remember whatever they might have just does business with them- per- learned a long time ago about good 12. Thou shalt engrave permanently haps not for much longer writing on thy brain -because their A national non-profit organization, For the long haul, the obvious proper use is the only way to asking for the receiver to renew her answer is to do whatever you and guarantee entry at the Pearly support, included the phrase".and your business can to improve the Gates- that"its"is the posses- the millions of Americans with dia- system that produces your future sive pronoun and"it's"is the con- betes who we assist each year. "As employees -our schools. Perhaps traction you know, the " who"should be the education system needs to be whom reminded that even with all the tech- Finally, always keep in mind that The nation,s largest wireless ser- nology now available to us, a com- your messages, wherever or in what- vice closed a letter with"Sincerely, mand of the language is still as much ever format they appear, create the Verizon Wireless Customer Service of a necessity for success in the busi- image the public has of you and your Department. "That really adds a per- ness world as it was 50 years ago, business It's up to you to ensure that sonal touch to the letter, doesnt it? And grammar has to be taught; it it is the one you want it to be LI A letter from a highly respected can't be learned through osmosis Business& Economic Review/ April-June 2004 15