Arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced for easier use, the book presents clear examples of how to (and how not to) create winning materials every time. The authors' step-by-step instructions begin with an overview of the writing process, from preparation and research right through to final review and publication.

Table of Contents

• INTRODUCTION
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• SECTION 1 The Writing Process
• Audience Analysis
• Brainstorming
• Research
• Interviewing
• Outlining
• Writing a Draft
• Business Writing Style
• Using Visuals
• Page Design
• Publication Design
• Editing
• Proofreading
• Document Review
• Revisions
• Documenting Sources
• Global Communications
• Collaborative Writing
• Promotional Writing
• SECTION 2 The Business Writer's Alphabetical Reference
• A, An
• Abbreviations
• Abbreviations for Measurements
• Abbreviations for Numbers
• Above, Below
• Absolute Form of an Adjective
• Absolute Phrase
• Absolutely
• Abstract Nouns
• Accent Marks
• Accept, Except
• Access, Excess
• Acronyms
• Action Verbs
• Active Voice
• A.D.
• Adjectival Noun
• Adjectival Opposites
• Adjective Phrase
• Adjectives
• Adjuncts, Disjuncts, and Conjuncts
• Adverbial Clause
• Adverbial Phrase
• Adverbs
• Advice, Advise
• Affect, Effect
• Affixes
• African-American
• Age
• Agents
• Agreement
• Aid, Aide
• Alike
• A Little
• Allegories
• Alliteration
• All Right, Alright
• Allusion, Illusion
• Alone, Lonely
• A Lot, Alot, Allot
• Already, All Ready
• Altogether, All Together
• Ambitransitive Verbs
• American English, British English
• Among, Between
• Ampersand
• A.M., P.M.
• an
• Anadiplosis
• Anaphora
• And Also
• And/Or
• Angry, Mad
• Animate Nouns
• Antagonyms
• Antecedent
• Anti-
• Antimetabole
• Antonyms
• Any, Either
• Any, Some
• Apart, A Part
• Apodosis
• Apostrophe
• Appears, Displays
• Appendix
• Apposition
• Appositives
• Articles
• As, Like
• Assure, Insure, Ensure
• Asterisks
• As to Whether
• As Well As
• Autoantonyms
• Auxiliary Verbs
• Average, Mean, Median
• A While, Awhile
• Awful, Awfully
• Bad, Badly
• Back-Channeling
• Backslash, Slash
• Back up, Backup
• Base Form of a Verb
• Basically, Essentially, Totally
• B.C.
• Because, Since, As
• Been, Gone
• Being That, Being As
• Below
• Beside, Besides
• Between, Among
• Bias, Biased
• Biased or Sexist Language
• Bibliography
• Billion
• Biweekly, Bimonthly, Semiweekly, Semimonthly
• Blind
• Blog, Weblog
• Bold Fonts
• Bored, Boring
• Both, Alike
• Both, Each
• Brackets
• Brake, Break
• Brand Names
• Breath, Breathe
• Bring, Take
• British English
• Bulleted List
• Bushel
• Business, Right
• Buzzwords
• By, Bye, Buy
• By, Until
• Call Back, Callback
• Call Out, Callout
• Callouts
• Came By
• Can, May
• Cannot
• Can't Seem
• Canvas, Canvass
• Capital Letters
• Capital, Capitol
• Capitalization
• Decorations
• Degrees (Academic)
• Districts
• Captions
• Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
• Case
• Cataphora
• Causative Verbs
• Caution Notice
• CD, DVD
• Censor, Censure, Sensor, Censer
• Champaign, Champagne
• Check, Control
• Chiasmus
• Chicano, Latino, Hispanic
• Choose, Chose
• Cite, Site, Sight
• Citing Publications
• Clauses
• Cleanup, Clean Up
• Cleft Sentences
• Clichés
• Click
• Click and Drag
• Click On
• Closed Compounds
• Coleman-Liau Index
• Collective Adjectives
• Collective Nouns
• Collocations
• Colloquial
• Colon
• Combination
• Comma
• Common Adjectives
• Common Nouns
• Company and Product Names
• Comparatives
• Compared to, Compared with
• Complement, Compliment
• Complements
• Complex Prepositions
• Compound Nouns
• Compound Predicates
• Compound Sentences
• Compounding Sentence Elements
• Compound Words
• Comptroller, Controller
• Concord
• Concrete Nouns
• Conditional Perfect
• Conditionals
• Conjunctions
• Conjunctive Adverbs
• Conjuncts
• Connote, Denote
• Considered to Be
• Consonants
• Continuous Verbs
• Contractions
• Contranyms
• Control
• Convince, Persuade
• Cooperate
• Coordinated Adjectives
• Coordinating Conjunctions
• Copula Verbs
• Copyright
• Correlative Conjunction
• Could of, Might of
• Council, Counsel, Consul
• Count Nouns
• Credible, Credulous
• Cross-Reference
• Cut-and-Paste
• Danger Notice
• Dangling Modifiers
• Dangling Participles
• Dash
• Data
• Dates
• Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Deal
• Decimals
• Declarative Mood
• Declarative Sentence
• Defining Relative Clause
• Definite Article
• Defuse, Diffuse
• Degree Adverbs
• Degree Titles
• Deixis
• Demonstrative Adjectives
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Denominal Adjectives
• Denote, Connote
• Dependent Clauses
• Descriptive Writing
• Desert, Dessert
• Determiners
• Device, Devise
• Diacritic
• Different from, Different than
• Diffuse, Defuse
• Dimensions
• Direct Objects
• Disability
• Disc, Disk
• Discreet, Discrete
• Disease Names
• Disjuncts
• Display, Monitor, Screen
• Disyllabic
• Ditransitive Verbs
• Ditto Marks
• Do, Does, Did
• Dollars and Cents
• Don't, Doesn't
• Do's and Don'ts
• Dot-Com
• Double Negatives
• Double Possessives
• Double-Click
• Download, Upload
• Downtoners
• Drag-and-Drop
• Due to the Fact That
• DVD
• Dynamic Adjectives
• Dynamic Verbs
• Each Other, One Another
• Each, Their
• Effect, Affect
• Eggcorn
• e.g., i.e.
• Either, Neither
• Elicit, Illicit
• Ellipses
• Elliptical Clauses
• Email
• Embedded Questions
• Em Dash
• Emigrate, Immigrate
• Eminent, Imminent, Immanent
• Emoticons
• Empathic Forms
• Empathy, Sympathy
• En Dash
• Endnotes
• End Result
• Endophora
• Engine, Motor
• Enough, Not Enough
• Enquire, Inquire
• Ensure, Assure, Insure
• Enthuse, Enthusiastic
• Entitled
• Envelop, Envelope
• Epanadiplosis
• Epanalepsis
• Epistemic Modality
• Epistrophe
• Epizeuxis
• Equally as Important
• Equations
• Ergative Verbs
• Essentially
• et al.
• etc.
• Euphemisms
• Everyday
• Everyone, Every One
• Every Time
• Except, Unless
• Excess, Access
• Exclamation Point
• Exclamatory Sentence
• Exclusive Adverbs
• Existential There,
• Exit
• Exophoric
• Expect
• Expletive Constructions
• Expository Writing
• Extranet
• Extraposition
• Factitive Verbs
• Faint
• Fair, Fare
• FANBOYS
• Farther, Further
• Faze, Phase
• Feint, Faint
• Female, Woman
• Fewer, Less
• Few, A Few
• Figuratively
• Figure of Speech
• Figures
• Finite Verbs
• First Conditional
• Fix, Situation
• Flair, Flare
• Flesch-Kincaid Index
• Flier, Flyer
• Focus Adverb
• Fog Index
• Font, Typeface
• Foot, Feet
• Footnotes, Endnotes
• Forego, Forgo
• Foreign Words and Phrases
• Forever, For Ever
• For, Fore, Four
• Formatting
• Formulas
• Forward, Forwards, Foreword
• Fractions
• Fragments
• Full Time, Full-time
• Further
• Fused Sentences
• Future Perfect
• Future Perfect Progressive
• Future Progressive
• Gage, Gauge
• Gender
• Genitive Marker
• Gerund
• Gigabyte
• Gigahertz
• Glossary
• Gone, Went
• Good, Well
• Got, Gotten
• Grammatical Hierarchy
• Gray, Grey
• Guess
• Handicap, Disability
• Hard Disk, Hard Drive
• Headings and Subheadings
• Helping Verbs
• Hendiatris
• Heteronyms
• Highlighting
• Hispanic, Latino, Chicano
• Hit
• Homographs
• Homonyms
• Homophones
• Hypallage
• Hyperbaton
• Hyperbole
• Hyperlinks
• Hyphens
• Hyphenated Compound Words
• Hyphenated Numbers
• Hyponyms
• Hypophora
• Hypothetical Questions
• Hysteron Proteron
• Idiolect
• Idioms, 230i.e., e.g.
• If, When, Whether
• Illicit, Elicit
• Illusion, Allusion
• Illustrations
• I, Me, Myself
• Immanent, Eminent
• Immigrate, Emigrate
• Imperative Mood
• Imply, Infer
• Inanimate Nouns
• Inaugurate
• Inchoative Verbs
• Indefinite Articles
• Indefinite Pronouns
• Independent Clauses
• Index
• Indicative Mood
• Indirect Objects
• Indirect Speech
• Inductive Antonomasia
• Infinitives
• Inflection
• Inherent and Noninherent Adjectives
• Initialisms, Acronyms
• Innuendo
• In Order to
• Inquire, Enquire
• In-Sentence Lists
• Inside of, Within
• Insure, Ensure, Assure
• Intensive Pronouns
• Interjections
• Internet, Intranet, Extranet
• Interrogative Pronouns
• Interrogative Sentences
• Intranet
• Intransitive Verbs
• Introductory Modifier
• Invite
• Irony
• Irregular Plurals
• Irregular Spelling
• Irregular Verbs
• Isocolon
• Italics
• Its, It's
• Jargon
• Job Titles
• Joint Possessives
• Jr., Sr.
• Kenning
• Keyboard Terminology
• Kilobyte
• Kilohertz
• Kind, Kinds
• Kind of, Sort of
• Latino, Hispanic, Chicano
• Latin Terms
• Latitude, Longitude
• Lay, Lie
• Lay Out, Layout
• Lead, Led
• Learn, Teach
• Leave, Let
• Led, Lead
• Lend, Loan
• Lessen, Lesson
• Less, Fewer
• Let, Leave
• Lets, Let's
• Lexical Density
• Liable, Likely
• Lie, Lay
• Lighted, Lit
• Like, As
• Line
• Linking Verbs
• Lists
• Literally, Figuratively
• Lit, Lighted
• Litotes
• Little, A Little
• Loan, Lend
• Log On, Log Off, Logon, Logoff
• Lonely, Alone
• Longitude, Latitude
• Loose, Lose
• Lost, Lost Out
• Lots
• Mad, Angry
• Margin Notes
• Mass Nouns
• Mathematical Equations
• Maybe, May Be
• May, Can
• May, Might
• Mean, Median, Average
• Megabyte
• Megahertz
• Meiosis
• Me, Myself, I
• Metaphor
• Metonymy
• Mfr., Mfg.
• Might Could
• Might, May
• Might of, Should of, Would of, Could of
• Minimal Pairs
• Misplaced Modifiers
• Mixed Conditionals
• Mixed Metaphor
• Mnemonics
• Modifiers
• Monitor
• Monosyllabic
• Mood
• More Than, Over
• Morpheme
• Most of All, Almost
• Motor, Engine
• Mouse Terminology
• Multicolumn Lists
• Myself, Me
• Names
• Negative Adverbs
• Negative Formations
• Negative Pronouns
• Neither, Either
• Neologism
• Never
• Nominal Adjectives
• Nominative Absolutes
• Nominative Case
• Nominative Possessives
• Noncount Nouns
• Nondefining Relative Clause
• Nonfinite Verbs
• Noninherent Adjectives
• Nonrestrictive Clauses
• Notices
• Noun Case
• Noun Clause
• Noun Phrase
• Noun Plurals
• Nouns
• Nouns of Address
• Number Abbreviations
• Numbered List
• Numbers or Words
• Object
• Object Complement
• Objective Case
• Off
• Offline
• On Account of
• One
• One Another, Each Other
• Online, Offline
• Only
• Onomatopoeia
• Open
• Open Compounds
• Ordinal Numbers
• Over, More Than
• Oxford Comma
• Oxymoron
• Page Breaks
• Page Numbering
• Palindromes
• Paragraphs
• Parallel Construction
• Paraphrasing
• Parentheses
• Parenthetical Elements
• Participle
• Participial Phrase
• Parts of Speech
• Party
• Passed, Past
• Passive Voice
• Past Perfect Progressive Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Progressive Tense
• Past Simple Tense
• People
• Per
• Percent
• Percentage
• Perfect Aspect
• Perfect Infinitive
• Perfect Tense
• Period
• Person
• Personal Pronouns
• Personification
• Persuade, Convince
• Phase, Faze
• Phatic Speech
• Phrasal Verbs
• Phrases
• Phrases and Words to Omit
• Pidgin
• Plagiarism
• Pleonasm
• Pluperfect
• Plurals
• Plurals of Numbers
• Plus
• P.M.
• Point in Time
• Polyptoton
• Polyseme
• Polysyllabic
• Possessive Adjectives
• Possessive Case
• Possessive Pronouns
• Possessives
• Posted, Informed
• Postmodifier
• Precede, Proceed
• Predeterminers
• Predicates
• Preface
• Prefixes
• Premodifier
• Prepositional Phrase
• Prepositions
• Present Infinitive
• Present Participle
• Present Perfect Tense
• Present Progressive Tense
• Present Simple Tense
• Press, Type, Click, Strike, Hit, Select
• Previous
• Principal, Principle
• Problem Pronouns
• Proceed, Precede
• Progressive Verbs
• Pronouns
• Pronouns and Antecedent Agreement
• Proper Adjectives
• Proper Nouns
• Protatis
• Quantifiers
• Question Mark
• Question Types
• Quitclaim
• Quit, Exit
• Quotation Marks
• Raise, Rise
• Rational, Rationale
• Real
• Reciprocal Pronouns
• Recur, Reoccur
• Redundancy
• Reflexive Pronouns
• Regard, Regards
• Regular Verbs
• Relative Adverbs
• Relative Clauses
• Relative Pronouns
• Reoccur
• Reported Speech
• Restrictive Clauses
• Resultative Adjective
• Resumptive Modifier
• Rhetorical Question
• Rhyme
• Right, Business
• Right-click
• Rise, Raise
• Roman Numerals
• Root, Rout, Route
• Run
• Run-On Sentences
• Same
• Sarcasm
• Satire
• Screen
• Screen Terminology
• Second Conditional
• Select
• Semicolon
• Semiweekly, Semimonthly
• Sensor, Censor
• Sentence
• Sentence Fragments
• Sentence Subject
• Sentence Types
• Sentence Variety
• Setup, Set Up
• Sexist Language
• Shall, Will
• Shape
• Should, Must
• Should of
• Should, Would
• Shut Down, Shutdown
• Sic,
• Sign In, Sign Out, Sign On, Sign Up
• Simile
• Since, Because
• Singular
• Sit, Set
• Site, Sight, Cite
• Slang
• Slash
• Small Caps
• So
• Software Menus and Commands
• Solidus
• Some, Any
• Sometime, Some Time
• Sort of, Kind of
• Spaces After Periods
• Split Infinitive
• Sr., Jr.
• Stative Adjective
• Stative Verb
• Subheadings
• Subject
• Subject Complement
• Subjective Case
• Subjective Pronouns
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Subject-Verb Inversion
• Subjunctive
• Submittal, Submission
• Subordinate Clause
• Subordinating Conjunctions
• Suffix
• Summative Modifier
• Superlative
• Syllable
• Symbols and Special Characters
• Sympathy, Empathy
• Synecdoche
• Synonyms
• Table of Contents
• Tables
• Tag Question
• Take, Bring
• Tautology
• Teach, Learn
• Telephone Numbers
• Temperature
• Tense
• Terabyte
• Than I, Than Me
• Than, Then
• That, Which
• There, Their, They're
• Third Conditional
• Time
• Time Zones
• Titled, Entitled
• Titles
• Tmesis
• To, At
• Tone
• Topic Sentence
• Totally
• Toward, Towards
• Transitions
• Transitive Verb
• Try and, Come and, Be Sure and
• Type, Enter
• Typeface, Font
• Unbiased Language
• Uncountable Noun
• Underlining
• Understatement
• Until, By
• Upload, Download
• Uppercase
• URL
• U.S.
• Used to
• Utterance
• Vain, Vane, Vein
• Verbal Phrase
• Verb Complement
• Verb Forms
• Verb Group
• Verbiage
• Verb Mood
• Verbose Expressions
• Verbs
• Verb Tense
• Versus, vs.
• Vertical Lists
• Visually Impaired, Blind
• Voice
• Voice Mail
• Vowels
• Wait On
• Wander, Wonder
• Web
• Weblog
• Web Pages, Web Site
• Weights and Measures
• Well, Good
• Went, Gone
• When, Whether
• Where
• Whether or Not
• Which
• Who's, Whose
• Who, Which
• Who, Whom
• Will, Shall
• Within, Inside of
• Woman, Female
• Wonder, Wander
• Word Classes
• Words or Figures
• Wordy Expressions
• Would of
• Would, Should
• Xmas, Christmas
• Yes/No Questions
• Zero Article
• Zero Conditional
• Zeugma
• Zip Code
• SECTION 3 Sample Business Documents
• Abstracts
• Acceptance Letter
• Acknowledgment Letter
• Adjustment Letter
• Announcement Letter
• Annual Report
• Application Letter
• Brochures
• Business Letter
• Business Plan
• Collection Letter
• Commendation Letter
• Complaint Letter
• Cover Letters
• Directives
• Email
• Endorsement Letter
• Forms
• Fund-Raising Letter
• Grant Proposals
• Instructions
• Introductions
• Inquiry Letter
• Job Descriptions
• Job Offer Letter
• Meeting Agenda
• Meeting Minutes
• Memorandum
• Mission Statements
• Newsletters
• Notices
• Permission Letter
• Policies, Rules, or Guidelines
• PowerPoint Presentations
• Press Releases
• Procedures
• Progress Reports
• Proposals
• Questionnaires and Surveys
• Reference Letters
• Refusal Letter
• Reports
• Request Letters
• Research Report
• Resignation Letter
• Résumés
• Sales Letters
• Seasonal Correspondence
• Specifications
• Speeches and Oral Presentations
• Summaries
• Termination of Employment Letter
• Training Manual
• Trip Report
• User Guide
• Warning Letter
• Web Sites
• White Papers