I = word/phrase usually in the initial position in a sentence M = word/phrase usually in the mid position in a sentence F = word/phrase usually in the final position in a sentence Inf = informal usage Appendix B Punctuation Punctuation in written English is used as a means of conveying your message clearly and unambiguously. Thefullstop has two main uses: To signify the end of a sentence, e.g., The European Union has faced a lot of oppositionfromsomepoliticalpartiesinallcountries.Thereisstillalongwaytogo beforeEuropeistrulyunited. To show that a word has been abbreviated, e.g.,Mr.,Dr., e.g., Remember to keep sentences in English short and simple otherwise it may be difficult for your reader to follow you. Thecomma is used in sentences to show a pause between sense groups of words, e.g., The car industry expanded in the eighties, slowed down in the nineties, and it is anybody’sguesswhatitwilldointhecomingdecade. The comma is also used to separate words in a list, e.g.,Thesteel,coal,chemical,and gasindustriesallfacealotofcompetitionfromtheFarEast. Commas are also used for non-defining relative clauses, e.g., The response, which came rather late, surprised everyone concerned. Remember that in defining relative clauses no commas are needed e.g., The item which you ordered is no longer in production. Commas are not generally used before linking words like or, but or then, e.g., The presentation was quite long but everyone listened with great concentration. Commas are, however, used after subclauses in front position, e.g.,Althoughinterestrateshave beenfalling,thereisnosignofanyrecoveryintheeconomy.

Keywords

About the authors

Annie Broadhead is an English language teacher at a language school in Cambridge and a lead examiner at the University of Cambridge.
Ginni Light is a trainer in language, communication, and intercultural skills for major companies across Europe.
They have both published numerous books on English as the international language of business.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: English for Personal Assistants
Book Subtitle: The essential handbook for doing business internationally
Authors: Annie Broadhead, Ginni Light
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-9237-6
Publisher: Gabler Verlag Wiesbaden
eBook Packages: Business and Economics, Business and Management (R0)
Copyright Information: Gabler Verlag | Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, Wiesbaden 2007
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-8349-0130-9Published: 24 May 2007
eBook ISBN: 978-3-8349-9237-6Published: 18 December 2007
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: 223
Topics: Office Management

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

Front Matter

Back Matter

About this book