Business Communication for Career Readiness
High Impact Business Writing Module 2
with Sue Robins, M.S.
Lesson 1: Spelling and Word Misuse Learning Objectives
• Recognize spelling differences based on country • Know how to select the correct word form • Utilize correct spelling rules and exceptions • Know common word choice errors and their corrections
British vs. American English
British vs. American English • -ou instead of –o, as in colour vs. color • -re instead of –er, as in centre vs. center • -ise instead of –ize, as in realise vs. realize
Common Errors • “I” before “e” except after “c” – Thief, believe, priest – Receive not recieve; ceiling not cieling
• Or when sounded “EYE” or “AY” – Einstein, stein, Heidi – Eight, vein, veil
• Exceptions – Neither, weird, foreign, leisure
I Before E, if Taken with Caffeine "I before E Except after C, Unless pronounced A As in 'neighbor' or 'weigh'" Education is forfeit for reinforcing such rules! Sound a feisty reveille while eyeing the schools! Neither will our heirs be agreeing to deceptions Once seeing, herein, these sufficient exceptions: We were seized by a feeling For fleeing on the ceiling To a leisurely meal With Keith, Sheila, and Neil We drank madeira, so foreign, in steins Along with a surfeit of weird blueish wines Being foolish, took codeine, ate ancient proteins Therein guaranteeing these ogreish scenes
Wherein we're canoeing to a new sovereign state While deicing a kaleidoscope on a hot jadeite plate And kneeing obeisance to an overseeing king Our plebeian lips kissed his counterfeit ring. Then we unveiled their sleight-of-hand trick Deifying a heifer, with effect atheistic And falling from the heights with a loud seismic crunch We reignited the nonpareils we had heisted for lunch. So I before E Except after C Unless pronounced A? False decreeing, I say! ©1995 by Jef Raskin
Pronouns and Contractions • Pronouns and pronoun-linking verb contractions which sound similar
Pronouns and Contractions • Pronouns and pronoun-linking verb contractions which sound similar 1. Who’s vs. whose Ex: Who’s going to find out whose car is blocking the alley?
Pronouns and Contractions • Pronouns and pronoun-linking verb contractions which sound similar 1. Who’s vs. whose Ex: Who’s going to find out whose car is blocking the alley? 2. Their vs. They’re Ex: They’re very happy to see that their house was still there after the flood.
Pronouns and Contractions • Pronouns and pronoun-linking verb contractions which sound similar 1. Who’s vs. whose Ex: Who’s going to find out whose car is blocking the alley? 2. Their vs. They’re Ex: They’re very happy to see that their house was still there after the flood. 3. Your vs. You’re Ex: You’re going to get your money back.
Yes, it’s ok to start a sentence with..
And However But Additionally
Common Errors Words we spell incorrectly because we pronounce them incorrectly:
Diffrence VS Difference
Common Errors Similar sounding words that have different meanings such as, accept/except. • Except for the parents, the team accepted the loss gracefully. • We will only accept properly addressed packages, except those that contain brownies which will be opened and consumed if mis-addressed
Common Errors Words that are inappropriately used to sound more formal such as, utilize/use. •
•
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She utilized the talents of the word processing staff to create more effective registration forms. At first he used a stick to prop open the door, then utilizing his engineering knowledge, he designed a no-fail doorstopper. The witch used her cauldron to make a love potion, then utilizing its sound reflecting surface, broadcast her haunting melody.
Common Errors Words that are used incorrectly such as unique Incorrect: The purple cow was very unique. Correct: The purple cow was unique in her coloring as was the blue-striped one standing next to her.