5 Biggest Business Writing Mistakes

We use the expression “there’s no room for mistakes” when we want to underline the importance of doing something correctly. But still, as you probably know from experience, mistakes appear whether there’s room for them or not. When they turn up in your business reports, memos, business emails and letters, and job applications, it can be downright embarrassing. We’ve gathered the biggest and most embarrassing, potentially devastating, and sometimes sneaky mistakes people make in business writing.

1 Using i.e. and e.g. Interchangeably

I.e. and e.g. might look similar. They even have somewhat similar meanings. But they are not the same, and they shouldn’t be used interchangeably. I.e. is an abbreviation of “id est,” which translates from Latin as “that is,” and e.g. is an abbreviation of “exempli gratia,” which translates as “for example.” Use i.e. to expand or explain something you’ve already introduced. Use e.g. to introduce an incomplete list of examples for something you mentioned earlier in the sentence.

2 Writing with an Improper Level of Formality

Different industries and different types of businesses are accustomed to different levels of formality in written communication. For example, if you were to write a business letter to a partner in a law firm or a big corporation, you’d be well advised to use a very formal business writing style—use a colon after greeting and follow all the other conventions of formal business letters. On the other hand, a CEO of a startup, even if it’s a very successful startup, might not mind if you start a business letter with “Dude!” Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but things like emoticons have no place in traditional business writing, even though they might be okay in industries that are more open to informality. When in doubt, err on the side of formal.

3 Overusing Exclamation Points

There are some things that you should never do with exclamation points in business writing. You shouldn’t write three of them in a row, even if you want to make sure your point really gets across. You shouldn’t write three of them in the same paragraph either, because that has to be one exclamatious (not a real word) email you’re writing if there’s such a need to exclaim. Generally, you can use actual words to express excitement, disbelief, surprise, or whatever you are tempted to use the exclamation points for. Save them for those really important occasions when you really need them, or when you want to express enthusiasm in the greeting or closing of a letter.

4 Problems with Clarity

“Problems with clarity” is an umbrella term we’ll use here for a whole bunch of mistakes people make that affect the clarity of their business writing. Mistakes such as writing too much in the passive voice, overuse of prepositional phrases, and confusing pronouns can all lead to problems with clarity. Overly complex sentences kill clarity. In business writing, it’s often best to keep it as short and informative as you possibly can. Exceptions exist, as they always do, but the rule of thumb is to never use two words when one will do, and never use complicated language when you can say it in plain English.

5 Bad Timing

You can craft a perfectly worded email, chock full of well-explained and well-presented information, and you can proofread it over and over until there are no mistakes in grammar or spelling. But if you send it too late, the information might lose its relevance and then all the work you put into it won’t matter much. This is especially important when replying to business-related messages. With emails, the standard is to respond within twenty-four hours; for written correspondence, it’s five days. If it takes you longer than that, the person waiting for your reply can become worried, frustrated, angry, insulted, or simply uninterested in what you have to say.

7 Homophone Mistakes to Avoid

When you’re speaking out loud, homophones sound alike, but when you’re writing them out, it’s a different story. Though they have the same pronunciation, homophones may have slightly different spellings and totally different definitions. Since using the wrong one can completely change the meaning of your statement, it’s important to make sure you have the right word in mind. Here are seven homophone mistakes to avoid.

Than vs. Then

Despite their single letter of difference, misusing “than” and “then” can change a statement completely. “Than” is the word to use in a comparative statement, such as “You’re a better writer today than you were yesterday.” Use “then” when describing a sequence of events, like “Write a good sentence, and then compose a great paragraph.”

To vs. Too

While “to” and “too” sound the same, remember that the former is a preposition, while the latter is an adverb. “To” typically means “toward,” while “too” can either mean “excessively” or “also.” For example, you could say, “When you go to the beach, take me too.”

Your vs. You’re 

Though it’s a common mistake, using the wrong version of this word can make your writing look sloppy. “Your” is always a possessive pronoun, so when you use this word, be sure you’re declaring ownership. For instance, you could say, “your book” or “your professional writing sample.” “You’re,” on the other hand, is a contraction of the words “you” and “are.” When using this word, check yourself by reading it with the words “you are” in place of the contraction to make sure it makes sense.

Threw vs. Through

“Threw” and “through” may be different parts of speech, but they can be tough to keep straight. The first word in this homophone pair is the past tense of the verb “throw,” or the act of tossing something in the air. “Through,” however, is a preposition that indicates movement across space or time. You could say, for instance, “The pitcher threw the baseball through the air like a pro.”

Stationary vs. Stationery

Many writers confuse these homophones, since the only spelling difference is a single vowel toward the end of the word. “Stationary” and “stationery,” however, have very different meanings. “Stationary” refers to standing still, while “stationery” refers to cards, paper, or other writing materials. Your stationery may be stationary, but never the other way around.

Seas vs. Sees vs. Seize

As if two homophones weren’t enough, you will find three spellings of this sound-alike. “Seas” is a noun that describes oceans and other large bodies of water, while the verb “sees” refers to looking or observing. Finally, “seize” means to take possession of something. “She sees the opposing forces seize the seas” demonstrates the unique meaning of all three.

There vs. Their vs. They’re

You’ll also find three of these tricky homophones. “There” refers to a general location or distance. When describing where you parked your car, for instance, you might say, “My car is in the parking lot over there.” “Their” serves as a possessive form for more than one person. When referring to the vehicles belonging to a group of people, for example, you would say, “their cars.”

Finally, “they’re” is a contraction of the words “they” and “are.” Whenever you use this term, make sure that what you really mean is “they are.” For instance, you could say, “They’re parking.” If you’re really ready to show off your knowledge of homophones, try out the statement “They’re parking their car in that lot over there.”

Homophones may sound the same, but their meanings are very different when you use them in writing. Study up on which words you need to use (and when to use them) because many spelling and grammar checkers cannot correct words that are spelled correctly but used in the wrong context. (Lucky for you, Grammarly can!)

What’s your biggest homophone mistake?

Monday Motivation Hack: Breaking Bad Habits

At any given time, everyone is trying to break at least one bad habit.

Bad habits sap our confidence, time, and energy and keep us from living our healthiest, most productive, and happiest lives.

Whether you want to eat better, improve teamwork skills, quit smoking, listen more, or something else, we’ve compiled some best practices that will have you breaking bad habits for good.

Before You Start Breaking Your Bad Habits. . .

I’ll be straight with you—jumping into this whole-hog is a recipe for disaster. Human brains are primitively hard-wired to seek rewards, which makes changing habits time-consuming and difficult.

If you’re going to do this, do it right.

• Clarify your bad habit. What habit do you want to break? Think about it seriously. Regularly remind yourself about it. Then, ask yourself why you want to change it. What are you losing out on now? What do you stand to gain?
• Write it down. Journal or make notes about your bad habit. Pay special attention to the triggers and context that accompany it.

Here’s a tip: Critically observe a bad habit for at least one week before trying to make any changes.

How to Break Bad Habits

1Get Your Mind Right

Stop thinking of yourself as a practitioner of your particular bad habit. Marie Forleo recommends changing your inner dialogue from “I can’t” to “I don’t” as a powerful starting point.

2Give Yourself Time

On average, it takes sixty-six days to change a habit, and there is a lot of variance. It’s a commitment. Consequently, some experts recommend taking a month to reflect on a bad habit before making a change.

Itching to start? Do a test run. Drop the habit for a week, then review to iron out the kinks.

3Take Small Steps

Make every step as simple as possible. Jenny C. Evans, author of The Resiliency rEvolution advises making changes so minute that they remain undetectable by the primitive brain and do not trigger a stress response. So, if you want to quit smoking, cut back how much you smoke daily instead of going cold turkey.

4Build in Accountability

Make new habit-formation a team effort by involving friends—it’s easier and more motivating than going solo. Remain accountable to yourself by setting reminders. Trying to eat better? Set daily reminders to order a side salad instead of fries. If you need something more compelling, bet money on it with 21habit and have your investment keep you honest.

5Strengthen Your Willpower

Avoiding relapse is impossible without self-control. Willpower is a muscle you can strengthen with simple tips, like changing your environment (the out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach) or creating an If-Then Plan.

6Make Alternatives Concrete

Often you’re not only stopping a bad habit, but also trying to replace it with something better. The Simple List Method is ideal for this situation. Basically, list the behavior you want to see and a corresponding concrete action, e.g., Listen better → Don’t bring a phone to meetings.

7Associate Bad Habits with Something Negative

Break the magical hold of a bad habit by focusing on why it’s awful. Being mindful is surprisingly good at helping you with that. Imagine practicing mindful smoking or mindful procrastination. It’s naturally unappealing—exactly what you’re after!

8Track Progress and Analyze It

Whether you journal or keep a table of success like the Simple List Method, it’s important to track progress, reflect periodically, and find patterns. Analyzing your results helps you understand if you fall off the wagon on certain days or in certain contexts. This knowledge will inform your habit-breaking approach moving forward.

Just Memorize These Irregular Verbs

Is there a foolproof strategy for remembering irregular verbs? Absolutely. Just memorize them! Of course, that’s easier said than done. Do memory tricks actually work? Why not try to create a mnemonic for each of these common irregular verbs?

Henry L. Roediger III, a psychology professor at Washington University’s Memory Lab, confirms that songs help encode information into the hippocampus and frontal cortex of the brain. The rhythm of music provides patterns that serve as memory cues, making it easier for people to retrieve information. One teacher, known on YouTube as FluencyMC, makes rap songs of irregular past participles and grammar rules. Can you compose a song to memorize the present tense conjugation of “to be?” You might begin with the tune of a simple song such as, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” or “Row Your Boat.”

To Be I am You are He/She/It is We are They are

You can also take the letters or beginning sounds of verbs to form an acrostic poem or an acronym. According to “Your Memory: How It Works and How to Improve It” by Kenneth L. Higbee, acronyms and acrostics work because they make the information more meaningful than words do alone, and they combine information together so that you have less to remember at once. Can you use an acrostic or acronym to memorize the past participles of the irregular verbs “to teach,” “to catch,” and “to fight?” Remember, you can use the beginning sounds, not just the beginning letters to form memorable words, phrases, or sounds.

Teach, taught, taught Fight, fought, fought Catch, caught, caught

Did you notice a similarity between the past participles of teach, fight, and catch? Memorizing information in groups rather than single units is called chunking. You can find many charts of irregular verbs grouped together by their past participles or some other similar feature. The tables are great for reference, but if you really want to master the verbs you should investigate the patterns and create your own charts.

Some people are visual or kinesthetic learners. In other words, they retain information from seeing and doing. If you learn well this way, create a physical or visual cue for the items you want to recall. For verbs like “to see” and “to run,” it’s easy to make a drawing or perform an action that represents each verb.

See, saw, seen Run, ran, run

For other verbs, such as “to have,” a visual or physical cue might not be effective. In this case, the most tried-and-true method should be employed: practice, practice, practice… Thankfully, practicing doesn’t have to be boring. You can make flashcards, quiz a friend, or play an online game such as the MacMillan Dictionary Verb Wheel. Because “to have” is such a common verb in English, you will have plenty of opportunity to use it in conversation.

How will you master irregular verbs? You can try setting them to a catchy tune or clapping out a rhythm. You can take the first sounds to create an acronym or an acrostic. You can create charts to organize the verbs in patterns that will help you to chunk the information together. Finally, you can create visual aids or physical actions to make a lasting impression. If all else fails, practice, practice, practice. You may have a lot of fun trying to figure out ways to memorize these essential irregulars. Which way will be most effective for you? There’s only one way to find out—give them all a try.

How Is Grammar at Work Changing?

Articles with Plural Nouns

The indefinite articles a and an are used to modify singular nouns. When using a plural noun, these two articles are unnecessary. Plural nouns can take either a definite article or no article at all.

The definite article is the word the. It precedes a noun when something specific (i.e., definite) is being referred to.

The phone is ringing.

Indefinite articles, on the other hand, are used before nouns that are nonspecific within their class.

I bumped into a lady on the sidewalk.

We do not know from this statement who specifically this lady is. We only know generally that the person is a lady.

Plural nouns can be used with the definite article or no article at all; to use an indefinite article would be incorrect.

I have a books in my locker.

I have books in my locker.

I have the books in my locker.

It is also unnecessary to use an indefinite article if there is an adjective in front of a plural noun.

When he is in public, he does an embarrassing things.

When he is in public, he does embarrassing things.

When he is in public, he does an embarrassing thing.

When selecting courses, there are a many options to choose from.

A is not necessary in this sentence and should be removed. However, if you want to refer to the specific quantity of options, the sentence can be rephrased to use the definite article the with a plural noun:

You may select courses from the many options available

.

You can explore more by reading Articles: Grammar Rules and Plural Nouns: Rules and Examples.

How to Read Between the Lines of a Job Description

Guest post from Jennifer Parris, Career Writer for FlexJobs

On the surface, a job description might seem fairly straightforward. It lists the job title, a smattering of responsibilities, and contact info by which you can apply for the position. But upon a second reading, you’re sure to find many layers to the posting, full of nuances and hidden messages that a seasoned job seeker might be able to pick up. If you’ve ever read a posting and wondered, “What are they really asking for?” here are some tips on how to read between the lines of a job description—and submit a job application that will get you the position.

Pay attention to the placement.

By their very nature, job descriptions are fairly short and succinct. Without having pages to list every single job duty, company background, and so on, hiring managers will write what’s most important at the top of the job description. It’s there that they’ll give you—in either a sentence or two—an overarching idea of what they want from their potential employee. As a job seeker, it’s important for you to repeat that information (in your own words, of course) in your cover letter. Not only does it show that you read through the job description, but that you can do the work as well.

Respect the responsibilities.

A typical job description might have upwards of ten or more job duties listed. Generally, the top five are the most critical ones and those that can make or break your job application. Make sure you actually can perform these duties, particularly if some of them are listed as “requirements” or “qualifications.” If you don’t, your job application will be rejected by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or the actual person who is reading your resume.

Learn the lingo.

Team player. Strong organizational skills. Leadership qualities. There are some terms that go hand in hand with a job description. But what do they really mean—and do you really need to possess these skills and traits? A team player means that you’ll be working with others, and you’ll need to do so without any drama or complaining. Strong organizational skills is code for having a very busy workload and having to be able to manage it all well without dropping the ball—or making your prospective boss look bad. If you’re expected to have leadership qualities, you’ll need to command the respect of your colleagues and lead and inspire them, which will require you to think outside of the box at times and be adaptable.

Share the love.

In an effort to avoid being inundated with job applications, some companies will refrain from posting the company’s name in the job description. If the company’s name is listed, though, you should make a concerted effort to offer up some praise about the organization in your cover letter. If you’re not very familiar with the company, do some research first, and then include a couple of sentences in your job application that depict how much you want to work for that specific organization. For example, you might write something like, “I admire your organization’s policy on workplace flexibility.” After all, a boss is more apt to hire someone who specifically wants to work for his company as opposed to someone simply looking for any old job.

Find out the compensation.

It’s the question of any job seeker: how much does this job pay? Unfortunately, very few job postings will name a dollar amount. That doesn’t mean you can’t find out how much the company is willing to cough up for the position, though. By using sites such as salary.com, you can find out comparable salaries for the job you’re after, and you can use this info to determine if it’s worth applying for the position or not.

When you’re deep in the throes of your job search, it’s easy to quickly scan a job description so that you can submit your application ASAP. But taking the time to thoroughly read through the posting can help you submit quality job applications that will get you hired for a position that you truly want—and deserve.

 

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About the Author

Jennifer Parris is a Career Writer for FlexJobs, an award-winning service that helps job-seekers find professional opportunities that offer work flexibility, such as telecommuting, freelance, part-time, or alternative schedules. To learn more about Jennifer, visit FlexJobs.com or tweet @flexjobs.