Business writing: Grammar workshop 3

Improving Business Writing
Writing Workshop Series: Grammar Skills
December 3, 2015 Rachael Walker

Overview
Part 2: Context
Conditional
Problems hit list
Describing change

Conditional and Subjunctive
Backslide

Future
Backslide

Future Possible
Backslide

Future
I will win tomorrow.
Possible
Backslide

Future
I hope
Possible
Backslide

Future
I hope I win tomorrow.
Possible
Backslide

Future
You will give a mouse a cookie.
Possible
Backslide

Future
If you give a mouse a cookie, he
will want a glass of milk.
Possible
Backslide

Future
If you give a mouse a cookie, he
will want a glass of milk.
Possible

Future (possible)
Future or present (impossible)
Past
In use

Present
Backslide

Present impossible
Backslide

Present
I have a dog.
impossible
Backslide

Present
I have a dog now.
I wish
impossible
Backslide

Present
I have a dog now.
I wish I had a dog now.
impossible
Backslide

Future impossible
Backslide

Future
I will win $1million.
impossible
Backslide

Future
I wish
impossible
Backslide

Future
I wish I would win $1million.
impossible
Backslide

Future
If I won $1million,
impossible
Backslide

Future
If I won $1million,
I would be happy.
impossibleFuture possible

Future
If I won $1million,
I would be happy.

Future
If I won $1million,
I would be happy.
If I win tomorrow, I will
be happy.

Future
If I won $1million,
I would be happy.
impossiblePresent impossible

Future
If I won $1million,
I would be happy.
I have a dog.

Future
If I won $1million,
I would be happy.
I have a dog.
If I had a dog, I would
be happy.

BE
Backslide

BE
I am taller.
Backslide

BE
I am taller.
I wish I were taller.
Backslide

BE
I am taller.
I wish I were taller.
If I were taller I would play
basketball
Backslide

Past
Backslide

Past
I studied in high school.
Backslide

Past
I wish I had studied in high school.
Backslide

Past
If I
Backslide

Past
If I had studied
Backslide

Past
If I had studied, I would have graduated early.
Backslide

Past
If I had studied, I would have graduated early.
would did
Backslide

Future
If I won $1million, I
would be happy.
impossible

Future
would be happy.
impossiblePast

Future
would be happy.
impossiblePast
I studied.

Future
would be happy.
impossiblePast
I studied.
If I had studied, I
would have
graduated early.

Future Possible
If I win tomorrow,
Backslide

Future Possible
If I win tomorrow, I will be happy.
Backslide

Future Possible
Future Impossible
If I won $1million,
Backslide

Future Possible
Future Impossible
If I won $1million, I would be happy.
Backslide

Future Possible
Future Impossible
Past
If I had won $1million,
Backslide

Future Possible
Future Impossible
Past
If I had won $1milliom, I would have been happy.
Backslide

Stating a general rule

Future speculations

Future speculations
Promises and threats

Future speculations
Imagining

Future speculations
Imagining
Bargaining

Future speculations
Imagining
Bargaining
Past speculation

Future speculations
Imagining
Bargaining
Past speculation
Varying language

Conditional in Context
Stating a general rule or habit

Simple present:

(Zero Conditional)
Simple present:

(Zero Conditional)
Simple present:
When she arrives at work, she checks her email.

(Zero Conditional)
Simple present:
If you order bulk, you get a discount.

(Zero Conditional)
Simple present:
If you order bulk, you get a discount.
If the paperwork is incomplete, the order is usually
delayed.

Speculating about the future

Future possible:

Future possible:
If we implement the new system, there will be a marked
increase in efficiency.

Future possible:
If we implement the new system, there will be a marked
increase in efficiency.
If we fail to update the database, we will lose revenue.

Unless and if

Unless and if
Unless = if + not

Unless and if
Unless = if + not
If we do not update the
database...

Unless and if
Unless = if + not
database...
Unless we update the
database...

Unless and if
Unless = if + not
database...
Unless we update the
database...
we will lose revenue.

Promises, warnings, and threats

Future possible

Future possible
Promise

Future possible
Promise
Warning

Future possible
Promise
Warning
Threat

Future possible
Promise If you order now you will get a free gift!
Warning
Threat

Future possible
Warning We will not continue with production unless the
factory complies with our request.
Threat

Future possible
Warning We will not continue with production unless the
factory complies with our request.
Threat Unless we receive payment this week, we will
be forced to pursue legal action.

Imagining

Imagining
Unlikely or impossible

Imagining
Unlikely or impossible
If we hired an agency, we would recover debt more easily.

Imagining
Less probable situations

Imagining

Imagining
we could recover debt more easily.

Imagining
we might recover debt more easily.

Imagining
we might recover debt more easily.
What would happen if the stock market crashed?

Bargaining

Bargaining
If you give a us a 5% discount, we will make a repeat order.

Bargaining
If you give a us a 5% discount, we will make a repeat order.
If you gave us a 5% discount, we would make a repeat order.

Past speculation
Past
If the price-earnings ration had been higher, we would
have purchased more shares.

Past speculation
Past

Past speculation
Past
If the price-earnings ratio had been higher, we would have
purchased more shares.

Past speculation
Past
Had we anticipated the power failure, we would have
updated sooner.

Past speculation
Past
Had we anticipated the power failure, we would have
updated sooner.
The program could have succeeded if management had
been competent.

Conditional in context
Varying language

Varying language
Provided (that)

Varying language
Provided (that)
On condition that

Varying language
Provided (that)
On condition that
In case of

Varying language
Provided (that)
On condition that
In case of
Provided they don't renege on
their offer, we will sign the
contract next week.

Conditionals in Context
Varying language
Mixed conditionals

Varying language
Mixed conditionals
If the factory weren't so far from here (present)
we would have bought it already. (past)
If we had bought it earlier (past)
we wouldn't need to deal with Mr. Smith. (present)

Varying language
Mixed conditionals

Varying language
Mixed conditionals
I

Varying language
Mixed conditionals
If we had bought it earlier (past)

Polite requests
If you will come this way, I'll show you to your office.

Polite requests
If you come this way,
We would be grateful if you would please refrain from
spreading the news just yet.

Polite requests
If you come this way,

Dear Abby Activity
Phase One – Write a letter to Dear Abby
1. You forgot to lock your car and as a result, your books were stolen from the back seat.
How could you have avoided having your books stolen?
2. You were absent from class on Monday when the teacher told the class there would be a
test on Tuesday. How could you have avoided failing the test?
3. Your dog always barks late at night. As a result, your neighbor has threatened to kill the
dog. What will save your dog’s life?
4. You were out having a good time. On your way home, a policeman gave you a ticket for
speeding. How could you have avoided getting a ticket?
5. Although you know that you are not a very good cook, you prepared dinner for all of your
friends. As a result, all of your friends got sick and had to be taken to the hospital. How
could this situation have been avoided?
7. Every time you go shopping, you go at 5:00 when the store is busiest. As a result, you
always have to stand in a long check-out line. How can you avoid standing in a long line
the next time you go to the store?
Phase Two – Switch and respond

Overview
Part 2: Context
Conditional
Describing change
Prepositions activity
Speculation
Problems hit list

Describing change
Past trends
Present trends
Key words

Describing change
Past trends
Finished
Simple past
Nike's market share increased by from April to May.

Describing change
Past trends
Context
Past Continuous
Nike's stock was increasing when she bought the shares.

Describing change
Past trends
Interruption
Past perfect continuous
Nike's stock had increased by 5% when she bought the
shares.

Describing change
Past trends
Using numbers
Past perfect
Nike's stock had been increasing when she bought the
shares.

Graphics
Present Trends
Ongoing change
Present continuous
Nike's market share is increasing.
Nike's market share increased.

Graphics
Present Trends
Ongoing change
Present perfect
Nike's market share has increased.
Nike's market share has been increasing.
Nike's market share is increasing.

Describing change
Present trends
Using numbers
Nike's market share has increased by 5%.

Describing change
Key words
How long
Time until now

Describing change
Key words
How long
During
From
Until
For
Time until now

Describing change
How long?
During
During the first few years we broke even.
During the first few years we were breaking even.

Describing change
How long?
From
From 1991 – 1999 the economy improved dramatically.
From 1991 – 1999 the .com bubble was inflating.

Describing change
How long?
Until
The economy seemed healthy until the bubble burst.
The economy was growing rapidly until the bubble burst.
The economy had been growing rapidly until the bubble
burst.

Describing change
How long?
For
Length of time Length of time Length of time
Now Now Now

Describing change
How long?
We will target the new demographic for 6 months.
We targeted the new demographic for 6 months.
We have targeted the new demographic for 6 months.
We have been targeting the new demographic for 6 months.

Describing change
Key words
How long
Time until now
Since
Over

Describing change
Time until now
Since
The new system has been in operation since 2010.
They have been learning to operate the machinery
since April.

Describing change
Time until now
Over
Over the last five years, the business has grown.
Over the last five years, the business has been growing.
Over those years, the business grew.

Overview
Part 2: Context
Conditional
Describing change
Getting things done
Problems hit list

Prepositions of change
____ the end of April, sales stood ____ $150 million,
having risen _______ a low point ______ just _______
$100 million.
_______ the next couple of months, they rose steadily to
reach a peak ______ $190 million. They then fell sharply
_____ $35 million towards the end of July, but have crept
up _____ $160 since then.
of to by at under from over

Getting Things Done
Have something done
Emphasis
Language variety

Getting Things Done
Passive
They are having their boilers cleaned.
They get them cleaned every year.
They have always had them cleaned on site.

Getting Things Done
Passive
Requests
Could you have this authorized for me?

Getting Things done
Passive
The telephone was invented by Graham Bell.
We had the catering staff prepare the meal.
They have had IT update the operating system twice.
I got maintenance to test to air conditioning.

Getting Things Done
Linguistic variety
Done:
attend to contend with deal with follow up on
handle process see to take care of
There are many things to attend to before the fair.
All orders are processed in three days.

Overview
Part 2: Context
Conditional
Describing change
Getting things done
Suggestions
Problems hit list

Problems Hit List
Which / that
Lay / lie
Fewer / less
Amount / number
Then / than
Who / whom
Affect / effect
Continual / continuous
Nor
Whether / if
Different from / different than
Farther / further
eg. / i.e.

Problem Hit list
That
Restricts –
I don't trust fruits that aren't organic.
Which
Qualifies –
I recommend organic fruits, which are available in
most grocery stores.

Problem Hit list
That
Restricts –
The house that is burning is mine.
Which
Qualifies –
The house which is burning is mine.

Problem Hit list
Lay
Direct object
Lay the pencil down.
Lie
No direct object
I'm going to lie down.

Problem Hit list
Fewer
Countable
The firm has fewer employees.
Less
Uncountable
I have less work to do today.

Problem Hit list
Number
Countable
The number of employees is growing.
Amount
Uncountable
The amount of work is unbearable.

Problem Hit list
Than
Comparative
The price is higher than is was last year.
Then
Time
They will change the system, then they will fix
unforeseen problems.

Problem Hit list
Who
Subject pronoun (he)
Who is coming? (He is coming.)
Whom
Predicate pronoun (him)
Whom should I invite? (I should invite him.)
To whom should this be addressed?

Problem Hit list
Affect
Verb
The situation affected earnings.
Effect
Noun
The situation had an effect on earnings.

Problem Hit list
Continual
Always (repeatedly)
They are continually monitoring safety.
Continuous
No stops
The continuous noise has caused employee
complaints.

Problem Hit list
Nor
And not
Neither the manager nor the employees
have the password.
The factory does not have a cafeteria or vending
machines.
The factory has has neither a cafeteria nor vending
machines.

Problem Hit list
Whether
Alternatives
It is unclear whether the manager will be
let go.
If
No alternatives
If the manager is let go, they will have to replace him
quickly.

Problem Hit list
Different from
Preposition (noun)
The new manager is different from the last.
Different than
Clause (clause indicator)
The college is different than when I was in school.

Problem Hit list
Farther
Measurable distance
The new site is farther from HQ.
Further
Abstract distance
The policy was terminated before further damage
could be caused.

Problem Hit list
e.g.
“For example”
HR has several serious problems, e.g. the ability to
efficiently replace managers.
i.e.
“In other words”
He objects to the changes, i.e. he will not accept
them.

Business writing: Grammar workshop 3

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