Практикум по стилистике деловой переписки на английском языке. Пунктуация. Учебное пособие

REINFORCEMENT EXERCISES

Part II. SEMICOLON AND COLON

LEVEL I.

A. For each of the following sentences, underline any errors in punctuation. Then in the space provided write the correct punctuation mark plus the word preceding it. Write C if the sentence is correct.

Example: Breeding and raising horses can be profitable, consequently, large sums of money are being

invested. ________________profitable;

1.Horse breeding has become a big business and investors are supplying large sums for thouroughbreds._________________________________

2.Most employees enjoy company’s benefits it is usually a month before they can start using their medical insurance.______________________

3.Investors’ expectations are high therefore, competitive bidding for profitable investments is brisk.__________________________________

4.Mr. Marks invested, Mrs. Villaflor was interested, and Mr.Phipps declined.___________________________________

5.Savings accounts yield the highest prices; but Certificates of Deposit can also be extremely expensive.___________________________________

6.The average auction price has tripled in the last five years profits form stock trading have climbed even faster.__________________________

7.Horse breeding can be an exciting and profitable venture, thus many investors are choosing horses over stocks and bonds.________________

8.Several investors may form a syndicate to buy a good stock, the syndicate then shares expenses and spreads risks.__________________

9.Important financial operations are being conducted at financial centers or financial institutions such as Wall Street, New York, New York; the Square Mile, London, England; and Hong Kong IFC, Hong Kong.______

10.To reduce the money supply, some central banks sell Treasury Bills to commercial banks, to increase the money supply they buy them back,

31

paying with newly created money which is put into circulation this way._____________________________________

B.Add any necessary commas or semicolons to the following sentences. (Do not add periods.) In the spaces provided write the number of punctuation marks you inserted. Write C if a sentence is correct as written.

Example: Banks and retailers sent out privacy notices; however, many of the notices were confusing and ineffective._____________2____________________

1.German shoppers generally bring their own plastic or cloth bags for groceries therefore they were unaccustomed to Wal-Mart’s bagging techniques.________________________________

2.Greenland is the largest island in the world it is about ten times the size of Great Britain._________________________________

3.Buildings swayed lights flickered and dishes rattled._____________

4.Serving on the panel of experts are Pam Reynolds marketing director Santa Rosa Associates Evelyn Lyons sales supervisor Broome Products and Carrie Finchley market analyst Tyler Enterprises.___________________________

5.Babies under six months old can breathe and swallow at the same time adults cannot do this.______________________________________

6.Your account is now several months past due consequently it is impossible for us to grant you further extensions.______________________________

7.The shortest recorded reign of any monarch was that of Louis XIX of France it lasted only 15 minutes.________________________________________

8.Every Christmas we hire a number of temporary office workers hence I am writing to you to make this announcement of job openings to your students.___________________________

9.Jeremy worked Jennifer supervised and Jean entertained._______________

10.Web advertising attempts to reach large international audiences television advertising is aimed at national or local audiences.____________________

11.Microsoft hired over 2,000 new employees last year it plans to hire even more next year.________________________________________________

32

12.Computer hackers can easily decode short passwords thus passwords should be at least six to eight characters long and be a mix of letters and numerals.______________________________

13.We have hired “white hat” hackers and their job is to test how well our computer systems withstand assaults by real hackers.

14.Smart companies assume their computer networks will be broken into consequently they develop computer-use policies to limit the damage.___________________________________

15.Among the oddly named towns in the United States are Accident, Maryland; Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; and Slap Out, Alabama.___________

16.Speakers for the afternoon session include Ms. Karen Whitman executive vice president Security Systems Professor Linda Padilla Department of Office Administration Los Angeles City College and Dr. Jane Pimms director of research Miami Industries.___________________________

17.Consumers expect anytime anywhere access to businesses therefore wireless cell phone use is growing._______________________________________

18.If you open your account immediately your first 500 checks will be supplied free moreover you will receive a bonus gift if you are among our first 50 customers.__________________________

19.Such training nevertheless can usually be completed in six to ten months thus you can begin earning wages in less than a year.___________________

20.Guests on his show have included Winston a singing dog Polly a talking bird and Reggie a water-skiing squirrel._________________________________

LEVEL II.

A. For each of the following sentences, underline any errors in punctuation. Then in the space provided write the correct punctuation plus the preceding word. If a colon should be omitted, write Omit colon. Write C if the sentence is correct.

Example: Special invitations were sent to: President Owens, Vice President Spears, and Treasurer

Avery. Omit colon________________

33

1.The best speakers at the Denver convention were: Henry Castillo, Myrna Gilstrap, and Paula Evard._______________________________________

2.Our trip last summer included visits to the following historical sites: Mount Vernon, Virginia; Gerrysburg, Pennsylvania; and Concord, Massachusetts._____________________________

3.Smart phones are available from the following three companies: Please check on prices.

Motorola Nokia Samsung

4.Dr. Marlyn Hall said; “Never underestimate the value of stories and humor in delivering and organizing your speech. People forget facts and graphs; they remember and retell memorable stories and anecdotes that illustrate your points.”____________________________________

5.The head of the computer security firm admitted one big problem: finding good people without criminal records.______________________________

6.Five of the worst computer passwords are: your first name, your last name, the Enter key, Password, and the name of a sports team._______________

7.We have requests for information from three local companies: Sterling Laboratories, Putnam Brothers, and Big Dog, Inc._____________________

8.Because of the urgency of the problem, we have sent Express messages to: Pat Dorn, Pam Rippin, and Eunice Smith.____________________________

9.The most commonly observed holidays are the following: Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Christmas, July Fourth, and New Year’s Day.______________

10.Arriving late for class, the student offered a convincing excuse: her car had run out of gas three miles away._________________________________

B. For the following sentences, add any necessary but missing punctuation marks. For each sentence indicate in the space provided the number of additions you have made. Mark C if the sentence is correct as it stands.

Example: Computer chips must be sent to the following places: Dallas, Sacramento, Cleveland, and Zurich. 4

34

1.Three similar types of tropical storms with different names are cyclones typhoons and hurricanes._________________________________________

2.Japan faces a serious economic threat its dependence on oil imports endangers its future economic growth.______________________________

3.Polygraph examination generally consist of four elements a preexamination interview, a demonstration, questioning of the examinee, and a postexamination interview.____________________________________

4.Records of the following employees will be reviewed for salary evaluation Please send the records by October 1 __________________

Vicki Torres Julie Mauer Tony Watkins Ivan Smirnoff

5.Each balance sheet is a statement for assets liabilities and owner’s equity.__________________

6.We offer a selection of more than 50,000 computer products including the following digital cameras notebooks and camcorders.__________________

7.Energy in this country is supplied from a number of sources oil natural gas coal nuclear fission and hydropower.________________________________

8.For graduation you must complete courses in mathematics, accounting, English, management, and computer applications._____________________

9.The law of supply and demand can function only under the following condition: producers must know what consumers want._________________

10.Professor Marilyn Simonson asked that research reports contain the following sections introduction body summary bibliography._____________

11.A distribution network includes producers,wholesalers, retailers, distribution channels, and customers.________________________________________

12.Warren Bennis said “The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.”________

13.Of all the discoveries and inventions in human history, the four greatest are said to be these speech, fire, agriculture, and the wheel.________________

35

14.Business letters generally include four parts date, inside address, body, and complimentary closing.________________________________________

C. Writing Exercise.

Write original sentences to illustrate the following. Talk about your experience in using the Internet and email. For example: I generally use the Internet for email; however, I plan to get better at using it for research.

1.(Semicolon with conjunctive adverb)___________________________

___________________________________________________________

2.(Semicolon without conjunctive adverb)_________________________

___________________________________________________________

3. (Colon with listed items) ____________________________________

__________________________________________________________

LEVEL III.

A.Insert necessary punctuation. In the space provided write the number of punctuation marks that you inserted. Write C if the sentence is correct.

1.Four employees have been recognized for achievement awards; namely, Michelle Taylor, Corrine Chan, Todd Wilde, and Heidi Moore._______

2.Foreign Service secretaries may be assigned to a number of countries; for example, India, Brazil, Finland, and France.____________________

3.Daily newspapers in the United States, of which there are approximately 1,800, have combined circulation of 65 million; and daily papers that publish Sunday editions, of which there are about 700, have a combined circulation of over 52 million._______________________________

4.The meeting started promptly at 1:15 p.m. and ended at 3:45 p.m.______

5.Many banks now offer automated transfers from savings to checking accounts that is money may be kept in an interest-bearing savings account until needed.__________________________________________

6.All employees are urged to observe the following rule: When in doubt, consult the company style manual.______________________________

7.The writer of a research report should include a variety of references; for example, books, periodicals, government publications, and newspapers.____________________________

36

8.Karen Desch considered naming her book Successful Investing A Complete Guide to Your Financial Future._______________________

9.For the opening session of the convention, the keynote speaker will be systems analyst Bill Mowbry; and for the afternoon general membership meeting, the speaker will be NASA representative Catherine Peck._________________________________________________

10.You may repay your loan according to one of the following plans: the annual plan, the semiannual plan, the quarterly plan, or the weekly plan._____________________________

B. For the following sentences, add necessary punctuation. For each sentence indicate the number of additions you made. Mark C if correct.

Example: If she completes the proposal, Sharon Allen will fly to Washington on Tuesday; if not, she will leave on Thursday._____________3________________

1.When completing your resume be sure to include relevant activities for example intern experience work-study experience and volunteer work.__________________________

2.Because of her computer expertise Denise Kay was chosen as our network administrator and because of her people skills Keira Cooper was chosen as trainer._______________________

3.One of the titles Christine Spindler is considering for her book is Your First Resume A Complete Guide to Strategies and Techniques.________________

4.Many of the best convention cities are the most expensive for example San Francisco New York and Honolulu.________________________________

5.Three times have been desingated for the interviews Thursday at 4 30 p.m. Friday at 3 30 p.m. and Monday at 10 a.m.___________________________

6.An author, composer, or photographer may protect his or her product with a government-approved monopoly namely a copyright.__________________

7.Our school operates on the quarter system that is the school year is divided into four equal quarters.______________________________________

8.We ordered desktop computers, printers, and fax machines and notebook computers and copiers were sent instead.___________________________

9.Stories circulated about Henry Ford founder Ford Motor Company Lee Iacocca former CEO Chrysler Motor Company and Shoichiro Toyoda former chief Toyota Motor Company._______________________________

37

10.The most important factors affecting employment decisions are the following salary benefits and working environment.___________________

С. Challenge

The following progress report contains intentional errors representing spelling, proofreading, punctuation, and language principles covered thus far. You should mark 40 changes.

LONESTAR PRODUCTIONS

Interoffice Memo

TO:Patrick M. Young

FROM: Kellie Whitford

DATE:February 2, 20xx

SUBJECT: SITES FOR “BODEGA BAY”TELEFILM

This memo describes the progress of my search for appropriate rustic home, villa or range.

To be used for the wine country sequences in the upcoming telefilm Bodega Bay. As you requested three sites has been selected for you to inspect on February 21.

Background. To prepare for this assignment I consulted Director Mario Polero who gave me his preferences for the sight. He wants a picturesque ranch home, that is located near grape vineyards, moreover he would like redwoods in the background. I also consulted Producer Tucker Setterberg who told me that the site must accommodate 55 to 70 production crew members for approximately three weeks of filming. Jocelyn Garcia who is our telefilm accountant requested that the cost of the site not exceed $24, 000, for a three week lease.

Work Completed. For the past eight days I have searched the Russian River area in the Northern California wine country. Since this area is rich with history I was able to locate many possibilities including: turn-of-the- century estates, Victorian mansions and rustic farmhouses. One of the best sites is the Country Meadows Inn a 97 year old farmhouse, with a breathtaking view of vallies, redwoods and distant mountains. The most

38

promising towns are the following Duncans Mills, Monte Rio, and Guerneville.

Work to Be Completed. In the next few days I’ll search the Sonoma

County countryside, and inspect winerys at: Korbel, Field Stone and Napa. Many of these old winerys has charming structures, however they also attract tourists, and crowds of people.

By February 14, you’ll have my final report, that describes the three better locations.

Part III. OTHER PUNCTUATION

OBJECTIVES

When you have completed Part 3, you will be able to do the following:

LEVEL I.

Use periods to correctly punctuate statements, commands, idirect questions, and polite requests.

Use periods to correctly punctuate abbreviations, initials, and numerals.

Use question marks and exclamation points correctly.

LEVEL II.

Recognize acceptable applications of the dash.

Use parentheses to de-emphasize information.

Explain when to use commas, dashes, or parentheses to set off nonessential information.

Correctly punctuate and capitalize information set off by parentheses and dashes.

LEVEL III.

Correctly use double and single quotation marks.

Correctly place other punctuation marks in relation to quotation marks.

Use brackets and italics appropriately.

39

PRETEST

Insert appropriate punctuation in the following sentences.

6.Will you please send the calalog to Helen Smith and M L Vasquez

7.Miss Rivera Ms Johanson and Mr Seigel have been appointed to the FCC

8.The chapter titled Breaking the Mold was the best one in the new book For Team Members Only

9.Have all candidates for the CEO position completed M B A degrees

10.Did Dr Carrie Scott say There will be no class Friday

This unit will teach you how to use other punctuation, such as periods, question marks, and exclamation points (Level I) correctly. It also includes suggestions for punctuating with dashes, parentheses (Level II), single quotation marks, double quotation marks, brackets, and underscores or italics (Level III).

LEVEL I.

USES FOR THE PERIOD

To Punctuate Statements, Commands, and Indirect Questions

Use a period (.) at the end of a statement, a command, or an indirect question.

Steven Woods was promoted and his salary increased. (Statement)

Deliver the food for the party before 5 p.m. (Command)

Melinda asked whether we had sent the price list. (Indirect question)

To Punctuate Polite Requests

Use a period at the end of a command phrase as a polite request. These requests ask the reader to perform a specific action instead of responding with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Would you please send me your latest catalog. (Polite request)

May I suggest that you follow the instructions in your manual. (Polite request)

40