Business grammar focuses on grammatical accuracy, formality, style choice, and handling of correspondence. Grammar checker software and proofreading by multiple people are recommended to avoid embarrassing mistakes.
Writing educational texts, personal correspondence and business communication materials have similar grammatical principles, but also differences. While traditional grammar is important, some of the most important tenets of business grammar relate to the professional tone and connotation of the communication.
One of the first principles of business grammar is to check for grammatical errors and accuracy. Fortunately, there are tools that can help check this automatically. Grammar checker software exists for almost every type of word processing program. Since it is difficult for an individual to know all the grammar rules, the software helps detect the grammatical errors which can cause some embarrassing mistakes for the business.
Formality is another of the principles of business grammar. Generally, grammar and tone are more formal in business correspondence than in personal correspondence. This isn’t the case for all businesses, but as a general rule it is. Some companies operate on a more informal premise, which results in a more relaxed and informal tone in business communications.
Another of the principles of business grammar is to choose a style for the grammar. Most companies choose between the Chicago Manual style or the AP Manual style. There are grammatical differences between the two styles. The manual style that the business chooses to operate can alter the use of grammar in business communications.
Some of the grammatical differences are in the way numbers are written. For example, business grammar principles dictate whether you want to specify the numbers one through nine. These same principles say to use numeric numbers for any digit greater than nine. Principles can also provide guidance on whether “and” in a list contain a comma before the last part of a list or not.
The principles of business grammar also dictate the handling of business correspondence. For example, it is recommended that companies send commercial communications through an extensive proofreading process. It’s wise to have at least two people review the spelling and grammar in a piece before it becomes a form of internal or external communication. If possible, at least three people should review the piece for grammar and spelling errors, as well as the accuracy of the information.
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