Friday, November 21, 2008

MODULE 3 & ASSIGNMENT 3

Please post questions or comments about Module 3 and Assignment 3 here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Should the Resume be double spaced in Word as well before handing in?

Veronica Baig said...

That's a good question. Because a resume uses different formatting, it is all right to use single spacing--or other spacing--if you want.

Scott said...

What exactly is "passive sentence structure" and what habit needs to develop to avoid it. I understand the importance to have clear and direct writing but find it difficult to express charisma or amicable language. This was particularly challenging when writing the cover letter. Please advise.

Veronica Baig said...

A passive sentence is one in which the usual word order ( subject + verb + object) is reversed:
e.g. The boy broke the window. (active)
The window was broken by the boy. (passive)
Use it when the person doing the action is not as important as the fact of the action. You can see that it is a more indirect and wordy way of expressing yourself. Particularly in business communication, which needs to be direct and to the point, you should avoid it. You can find more information on pages 80 to 84 on Barron's Business English. There is also more information online--check the Write Site (English Grammar Handbook and Concise ESL Support).