Appendix 1

WORDS & EXPRESSIONS TO AVOID

According to our records Often superfluous and can be omitted. Acknowledge receipt of your letter- Overformal. Better, We thank you for your letter. (Please advise- Better inform or tell unless actually soliciting advice. Agreeable to your letter- Old fas!ioned. Along t!ese lines- Better, the gist of his remarks or simply like. Amount of, preceded by in the, to the, for the- Better say, he k or remittan e for "#### (Please arrange to return- $ufficient to say, !lease return. As per your letter- As !er, is a legal term, t!erefore out of place in an ordinary letter. Better, a or"ing to, or as mentione" in. As stated above- Better to repeat w!at you stated, or as I ha#e mentione". As yet- %or yet$ Assuring you of- Old fas!ioned. As to Awkward. At all times, at t!is time- &sually superfluous. At !and- &sually superfluous. Attac!ed you will find- Overformal. Better, %e are atta hing or %e are en losing$ At t!e present time- No% is preferable. At t!is writing- %ormal. Better no%. At your earliest convenience, at an early date, at t!e earliest possible moment- Better, soon$ Awaiting your favor- Better, !lease let us hear from you soon$ Beg- 'elic or old-fas!ioned courtesy, now abandoned in business correspondence. (laim- Avoid in t!e sense of to assert or assertion) mig!t antagoni*e. (ommunication- %ormal. Better, message& letter& re!ort& in'uiry, etc. (omplaint- Aggressive sound. &sually better to say re'uest for a"(ustment. +n compliance wit! your re,uest- Overformal. (ontents noted- $uperfluous. (-o date- Overformal. .-o date we !ave not received/- better, %e ha#e not yet re ei#e"$ 0eal- +mproperly used for transa tion$ +t is desired t!at we receive- +nactive, weak, and long-winded. Better, %e %ant to re ei#e or %e)" a!!re iate re ei#ing. 1e !ave duly investigated- Duly is superfluous.

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2ac! and every- Ea h or e#ery is sufficient by itself. 2arly date- 3ay mean two or t!ree dates or two or t!ree weeks. Better be specific. 2nclosed please find- Better here is or I en lose. 2steemed- Old-fas!ioned. 2ven date- (meaning today Better be specific. $ay your letter of this morning or of De em*er++++,-+++++ 2vent- Avoid .in t!e event t!at/. If is preferable. %avor- +n t!e sense of letter- old-fas!ioned, better say your letter of ###. Only proper, nowadays, w!en referring to a specific act of kindness. %or t!e reason t!at- .e ause is preferable. %orward- Sen" or shi! are preferable. %or your information- $uperfluous. Omit. 4and you- Sen" out he k or en lose your he k preferable. 4ave your acknowledgement- $impler to say .t!anks/. 4erewit!- $uperfluous. 4oping- 1eak and usually superfluous. Avoid, especially as dangling participle before complimentary close of letter. +nasmuc! as- 5ust say, *e ause. (1e are in receipt of- Overformal. Better, %e ha#e re ei#e" or thank you for. +n order to- 5ust say to$ +n reference to- Overformal, avoid. Better, a*out. +n regard to- 5ust say a*out. +n reply would wis! to- Overformal, avoid. +nstant- Abbreviated as +nst., meaning t!e current mont!. A legal term, out of place in an ordinary correspondence. Better, name of t!e mont!- instead of t!e .6t! +nst./. $ay O to*er /$ +n t!e nature of- 7ong-winded. 5ust say like$ +t is t!e !ope of t!e undersigned for I ho!e. 8indly let us know- 8indly is old-fas!ioned. Please let us kno% is preferable. 7iberty (3ay we take t!e liberty to.. - &sually no liberty involved. Preferable to be direct and say may %e$ 7ine- $ometimes inaccurately used in sense of a business. (-o lineup- 9ague. Better say try to interest& try to sell& etc. 7ot- Often inaccurately used to indicate ,uantity. 1atc! it. 3iss- Avoid using alone. Always use wit! a name. 3ust say- Avoid. 5ust say it. Oblige- Anti,uated.

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Our 3r:.- Pretentious. +f t!e name doesn;t sufficiently identify !im, describe !im as 0r1$&our re!resentati#e, or our 2hi ago manager, etc. Passive constructions- Avoid t!em. 'ecast w!en convenient into active constructions. +nstead of The goo"s or"ere" *y you ha#e *een shi!!e", say We ha#e shi!!e" the goo"s you or"ere"$ Permit me to say- <o permission needed. 5ust say it. Pertaining to- A*out is better. Pleasure (1e take pleasure in - Overformal. Better, We are sen"ing or %e are gla" to sen". Posted- +n sense of informed, is a poor usage. Better say informe" or %ell informe". Prior to- .efore is better. Pronoun- $!ould not be omitted because of risk of sounding curt. Avoid .=oods received. $ending c!eck today./ Better say, .1e !ave received t!e goods and are sending you our c!eck today./ Proposition- Avoid using t!em in t!e sense of task. /-o s!ip t!is order during t!e (!ristmas rus! will be a difficult proposition/ is not as good as .-o s!ip t!is order during t!e (!ristmas rus! will be difficult./ Pro>imo- (abbreviated as pro>. 3eaning ne>t mont!. 7egal term, out of place in an ordinary business correspondence. $ay ne3t month$ Pursuant to your order- Overformal. Better say follo%ing your "ire tions. 'ecent date- your letter of- Preferable, your letter or your or"er of :(give dates . 'egret- 1!en used t!e following way? we regret very deeply, or most sincerely, overformal. Better I)m sorry or I regret. 'eplying, 'egarding, 'eferring- 1eak. Avoid !anging participles. -!e simple straig!t statement is more direct and forceful. 'eturn mail- $!opworn. Better, this %eek. $ame- $tilted. +nstead of .1e received t!e goods and found same satisfactory/, .1e received t!e goods and found t!em satisfactory/. $tate- <ot as good as simple word say or some ot!er e>pression. %or e>ample? +nstead of state" a*o#e, use as %e ha#e sai" or merely repeat t!e statement. -!anking you in advance- A trite device) may antagoni*e as unwarranted. -!ank you again- Once is enoug!. -rust- 4o!e& *elie#e& think, etc. preferable. &ltimo- (Abbreviation ult. 3eaning last mont!. A legal term, out of place in business correspondence. Better say, last month. &nder separate cover- &se sparingly. Better specify means of s!ipment, %e are sen"ing you *y !ar el !ost$
INTERACT business communications for CONNEX

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(-!e undersigned- Overformal. Preferable to say I. 9alued- %ormal word. Avoid e>pression like your #alue" !atronage. 1e- +n place of I, is rig!t only w!en emp!asis is on action by t!e firm. Ot!erwise it is preferable to say I$ 1is! to say- $ay it. 1ould say- $ay it. (-!e writer- Overformal. 0on;t !esitate to say I$

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