Standard test English

II

Director School of English , Author of "The Art of Writing and Speaking the English Language" "100% Self- Correcting Course in English" "How to Deal with Human Nature in Business" "Commercial Tests and How to Use Them" etc.

JlL

ASSOCIATION PRESS

New York: 347 Madison Avenub 1920

Copyright, 1920, by

The International Committee of

Young Men's Christian Associations

Incorporating "How to Do Business by Letter"

Chapter XVI. Talking in a Letter 199 Exercises in Business Letter Writing 207

Suggestions on Correspondence Practice 209

How to Study Business Correspondence 210

Centering a Typewritten Letter 211

Note on Pen-written Letters 211

Facts Required in Different Types of Letters 211

The National Business Ability Test on Letter Composition. . 213

How to Fold a Business Letter 220

Addressing Envelopes 221

Facsimile Letters to be Answered 223

Preface

This book is the latest development of a life effort to apply the principles of scientific method to the study of language and literature. Current teaching of English has been open to two serious objections — the work was so indefinite it has never been possible to know where the student really stood or to measure his progress toward practical efficiency in the business world with any exactness; and consequently the study has been very distasteful to those who were required to take it. Standardized tests make the work definite, and as soon as each student knows where he stands and what he needs to do, he sets out to reach the goal with enthusiasm and determination.

The opening tests in grammar and punctuation are scientific measures of practical ability in applying principles in everyday practice. The student can see for himself just how he measures up, and doesn't feel that after all the result is only the opinion of some teacher. Parallel tests, worked out for the use of the largest single private employer of stenographers in the w^orld, are available through the Business Standards Association to measure improvement from month to month.

The exercises in punctuation and the test exercises in grammar are intended to give practice on each principle, one at a time, to fit for the tests. The most frequently used points are covered first, and the aim is to produce correct habits. It is not worth nearly as much to know what is right and what is wrong as to have the habit of doing the thing right, and for the first time a sufficient number of habitforming exercises on the commonest points of grammar and punctuation are provided.

v vi STANDARD TEST ENGLISH

These exercises are supplied in pad form as well as in the book, so that no time need be wasted in mechanical copying. Before study each student can quickly ascertain just what he is weak on so he can concentrate on these points. After study he should mark the same exercise in another pad, to see if he has really mastered the points he missed the first time. When he has finished these exercises he should be able to pass any standard measurement test at the 100 per cent point, since he will have formed correct habits of dealing with all principles and cases that might be found in any such test.

There is another form of exercise in Part II on Correct Grammatical Usage, namely the composition of original sentences in which the principle is correctly applied. These little sentence compositions are the finest possible preparation for actual use of what has been learned in constructive writing and talking.

For practical everyday purposes, the unit of composition is the business letter, which is simply a short talk on paper. To write a good letter you need to be able to talk it first, and talk it just as you would face to face with the person to whom you w 7 rite. To see that person sitting by your desk is an exercise of the imagination which is essential to the writing of natural, easy letters. This is the object of Part III of this book. Facsimile letters in the best style are provided to be answered, and the text gives five or six letters illustrating what the answer ought to be. Questions cover the points of correctness and style brought out in the notes, and a running review of punctuation and grammar is provided to keep fresh in the mind the points already studied.

A teacher's manual may be obtained from the publishers by actual teachers. No teacher should attempt to handle this method without the manual.

NATIONAL ABILITY TESTS IN ENGLISH

The following tests were first worked out to measure the ability in English of employes in such business houses as the National Cash Kegister Co., Burroughs Adding Machine Co., Swift & Co., The Underwood Typewriter Co., National Cloak & Suit Co., Filene's (Boston), etc., where they were given experimentally through the courtesy of the employment managers.

Then they were given to some thousands of young people in schools, especially to grammar school and high school graduates, including the 700 seventh, eighth, and ninth grade pupils in Gary and 1,500 in Eacine, by courtesy of the superintendents in those cities. They were also given to some 10,000 eighth grade graduates in New York City.

The first thing a student needs to know is on what level he stands. Of course the test gives a fair measure only in case the key on the back is not looked at before the test is taken, and after the test has once been taken, another measurement requires another test of equal difficulty but fresh material. During this course a fresh test should be given occasionally, and results compared with the first test to see what degree of progress has been made.

vii

Elementary Grammar Test

(Time, 5 mins.) Correct the following with pencil on this sheet. Divide Par. 1 into sentences, inserting periods and capital letters. Cross out wrong forms if choice of two or more is given; write in the correct form if all are wrong. If both forms are right, leave both.

1. Once upon a time there was a little chimney-sweep his name was Tom that is a short name you have heard it before you will not have much trouble in remembering it.

2. I have (went — gone) to town.

3. He has (wrote — written) a letter to his mother.

4. He has (drunk — drank) all the water.

5. He (did — done) the job yesterday.

6. I am going with you, (ain't — aren't — what?) I?

7. I (saw — have seen) him before I saw you.

8. I (haven't heard — didn't hear) from him yet.

9. He (has spoken — spoke) to me already.

10. He (did — has done) the work yesterday.

11. He (has not spoken — didn't speak) to me so far.

12. It is (me — I).

13. It is (they— them).

14. It is (she — her).

15. Between you and (me — I).

16. (Whom — who) will the paper be read by?

Total Errors

Standards Average grammar school graduates would make. 8 mistakes

Average high school graduates would make 5 mistakes

Experienced employes (stenographers) would

make 3 mistakes

See key on next page.

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Key to Grammar Test

I. Once upon a time there was a little chimney-sweep. His name was Tom. That is a short name. You have heard it before. You will not have much trouble in remembering it. (Count one point for each wrong sentence division — four points only in this paragraph.)

The correct word, which should be left after the wrong form has been crossed out, is as follows in each sentence:

2. gone

3. written

4. drunk

5. did

6. am I not? (must be written in)

7. saw

8. have n't heard

9. has spoken 10. did

II. has not spoken

13. they

14. she

15. me 16 whom

(There are twenty points in all in this test).

ix

Elementary Punctuation Test

(Time, 10 mins.)

1. Draw a short line under each letter that should be a capital, marking directly on this sheet:

John ^.askam, .esq., was awarded the degree of 11. d. at the last commencement of dartmouth college. He is a professional bacteriologist in the service of the state of massachusetts, i. e., he is employed by the state Jboard of health. In his appointments president wilson favored the east rather than the west, he wrote for the national educator.

2. Insert commas where needed: In the course of time, when you have grown older and wiser you will find men and women who will appreciate your hard work you will get your reward and the satisfaction of having done your best will be a compensation in itself.

In the first place if I know anything about John Higgins it is morally certain that he was not the thief. However I should not advise you to do it for I fully believe you will lose money if you do^as the speculation is risky.

Will you kindly let us know by return mail just when you expect to ship our order No. 4568 a No. 46 sideboard r to be sent direct to our customer ) James ^akley , Pocahontas ) Mont. Our customer wishes to get this sideboard at the earliest possible moment and we have promised to hurry it as much as possible.

Total Errors

Standards

Grammar school graduates would make 12 errors

High school graduates would make 8 errors

Experienced employees would make . . 8 errors

See key on next page.

r

Key to Punctuation Test

1. The words that should be capitalized are as follows: John — Askam — Esq. — LL.D. (notice both Ps capital; if

wrong, count only one error) — Dartmouth — College — State — Massachusetts — State — Board — Health — President — Wilson — East — West — He— National — Educator.

If any other words have been capitalized, such as "professional bacteriologist/' mark each word as an error. There are eighteen words to be capitalized in this part of the test.

2. Commas should be inserted after the following words : time, wiser, work, reward (comma optional here, right whether inserted or omitted), place, Higgins, However, it, do, No. 4568, Oakley, Pocahontas, moment.

Commas both before and after "by return mail" should not be considered wrong, though a comma only before or only after would be wrong. Commas after "order," "sideboard," and "customer" may be considered optional — not wrong if inserted, though it would be better that they should not be inserted. Any additional commas (except those recognized as optional) should be marked as errors. There are twelve points in this part of the test, making a total of thirty.

XI

Introduction

How to Prepare Lessons on Fundamental Grammar and

PUNCTUATON

All rules and definitions of grammar are developed in these lessons as needed, on the assumption either that the student has never studied grammar before or has forgotten what he knew. But definitions and rules are given only when they are needed, as for example the distinction between a common noun and a proper noun to know when to capitalize. The first thing a student needs to know is something about sentence structure, and this is best studied in connection with dividing language into those standard word groups, phrases, clauses, and sentences, by means of punctuation marks. For that reason punctuation is taken up before correct grammatical usage, since it gives a practical opportunity to study the fundamental formal grammar of sentence structure.

The author of this book holds that being able to do the thing desired is a much better proof of the knowledge of principles of grammar than ability to state definitions or rules. On that account these have been given very briefly, rather for the reference of the teacher than for the study of the student, who ought rather to study the many illustrations and examples so as to see how the principle works and come to understand it that way.

For the best results the author recommends the following method of preparing exercises :

1. The student should mark a page of exercises on a sheet taken from a pad in the class, papers should be exchanged, and as the teacher gives the key all errors should be marked. Papers should then be returned to the students, who should draw a short line in their bound textbooks under any point where an error appears, and also make a small checkmark in the first blank checking column. This becomes the assignment for special study. If there is not time for checking papers in the class, the teacher may check errors and return papers to students in time for noting errors and preparing the next lesson. In all cases the exercise papers should be returned to the teacher, who will keep them for future reference.

2. After study the student should be given a second exercise sheet from a pad, which he should mark in the class, and which should be corrected in the class with the teacher. In this case it is best that students correct their own work, and a recitation upon the exercise should be conducted for the purpose of discussing all points in regard to it. Exercises in punctuation should be read aloud, so as to lay emphasis on bringing out the meaning by proper word-grouping as shown by the voice in reading as well as by following the rules of punctuation. It should be borne in mind that rules are only rough helps, to intelligent word-grouping and an instinct for exj>ressing the meaning is far better than memorizing or mechanically applying rules, all of which have their exceptions. Errors made on the second marking of the paper should be checked in the second blank column both on the pad sheet and in the permanent textbook. These errors will call for the most intense future study.

3. Occasional tests parallel to the National Ability Tests with which the course starts are very desirable to measure the practical progress made by .the student.

CHAPTER I Capitalization

1. Nouns. The names of things are called nouns. The name of a single person or place, or such a thing as a special newspaper or magazine, is called a proper noun } but the general name of many things of the same kind is called a common noun.

For example, your name is what? Is it John Walter Jones, or Helen Jerome Evans? These are names of single persons. But all young persons of the male sex are called boys, and young persons of the female sex are called girls. Boys and girls are common nouns, but the special names are proper nouns.

Proper nouns and words derived from them are capitalized.

NAMES OP SINGLE PLACES WORDS DERIVED FROM THEM

America American, Americanize

Germany German

Britain British

Philadelphia Philadelphian

France French

Exercise i, page 25.

2. Some words are used in two different senses, and so are sometimes capitalized and sometimes written with small letters, according to the meaning.

When you speak of the direction south, east, west, or north, as in the sentence, "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west/' no capital letters are required, because there is no name of one person or place; but when you speak of that part of the United States that is south of Ohio, as the South, or the part of the United States that is west of the Mississippi Kiver, as the West, or the states along the Atlantic Ocean as the East, you make south, west, and east proper nouns and must capitalize them,

When you speak of Fourteenth Street, 'New York City, fourteenth and street become the name of one special place and must be capitalized. If you speak of Linden Avenue, Avenue is part of the name and must be capitalized as much as Linden. The Congress of the United States is the official name of the body of persons who make the laws for the United States, and of course if we say just Congress for short, we capitalize the word just the same. But if we say "A congress of religions will be held in San Francisco," the word a before congress shows this is just a common noun, and so should not be capitalized. So if we speak of the Chicago Association of Commerce we must use capitals, but an association of commercial men would not be capitalized. What word shows it is a common noun? Notice that Street, Avenue, and River are part of the names Tenth Street, Oak Avenue, and Hudson River, and must be capitalized. We capitalize all official titles, as John Brown, Esquire; Henry Simpson, President; and titles of books and articles.

3. I, meaning the person speaking, is always written as a capital, and so is the exclamation 0, but oh is not, except at the beginning of a sentence. The names of the days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and the months of the year (January, February, March), are capitalized, but spring, summer, autumn, and winter are not capitalized.

Not only do we begin every complete sentence with a capital letter, but also every formal quotation (which is one

CAPITALIZATION 7

sentence introduced into another sentence), and every line of poetry.

Formerly all words referring to God or Jesus Christ were capitalized, as "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ; He leadeth me in green pastures and beside the still waters. I submit myself to His will." The modern tendency to reduce the use of capital letters has caused many publications to cease to capitalize he, his, and him referring to deity.

It is assumed that these uses of capital letters have been sufficiently learned in the elementary grades, but if they have not, the best method of learning them is to copy from reading books, first out of the book and then the same passage from dictation.

4. Special — Advanced* Certain common abbreviations are capitalized, such as — Xo. for number (No. 916), C. 0. D. (meaning Collect on delivery), MS. (meaning manuscript) , Dr. (meaning debtor) and Cr. (meaning creditor), A.B. (the degree Bachelor of Arts), AM. (the degree Master of Arts), Ph. D. (the degree Doctor of Philosophy), D.D. (the degree Doctor of Divinity), M.C. (meaning Member of Congress), Esq. (for Esquire), St. (for Street), Ave. (for Avenue), Co. (for Company in the firm names such as "Marshall Brown & Co.," where the short form of and is also required), etc.

But other abbreviations common in business are not capitalized, as pr. (for pair), doz. (for dozen), do. (for ditto or the same), etc. (for et cetera, the Latin of and others), inst. (for instant meaning this month in the expression on the 3rd inst.), i.e. (for the Latin id est or that is), and e.g. (for the Latin exempli gratia meaning for example).

In a bill of goods, either an invoice or an order, the chief

* The word "advanced" is used to designate such subjects, in a short course, as may be omitted the first time over, if time is pressing.

words are usually capitalized, though other words are not capitalized, as in —

4 bbls. Pillsbury's Best Flour, extra fine

CHAPTER II Punctuation of Sentences

5. Verbs. Words that assert, command, or question are called verbs. These may be simple words such as is, are, does, walked, ivrote, or two or more words used together as a verb phrase, such as will be, has been, can see, mast have gone, will have been tallied (about).

6. Subjects and Predicates. When a verb asserts something about somebody or something, it is called the predicate of a sentence, and the noun or other substantive about which the assertion is made is called the subject of the sentence.

John runs (a complete sentence, "John" the subject and "runs" the predicate) .

That little boy named John runs rapidly toward his father (a complete sentence with modifiers: "boy," the simple subject; "that little boy named John," the complete subject; "runs," the simple predicate; "runs rapidly toward his father," the complete predicate) .

"Do this work" is a command ; the verb is imperative, and the subject you is always implied — "(You) do this."

Pronouns are small words that stand for names, and are used to avoid repeating the name too many times. They include the following : I, ice, you, he, she, it, they, who, which, that, those, these — which may be the subject of a sentence as well as a noun.

7. The Sentence the Basis of Punctuation. Punctuation is a modern device for arranging words in groups so that we may catch their relationships more rapidly as we read than if they were not so divided. The ancients did not use punctuation.

The most important word-group is the sentence. We have been taught that a sentence is a group of words that expresses a single idea ; but ideas run into each other so closely that many people have difficulty in deciding where one sentence ends and another begins. A sentence is really a matter of grammar. It is a group of words which has one main subject and one main predicate, constituting what is called the main clause, together with other possible subjects and predicates, constituting coordinate or subordinate clauses, which must be connected to the main clause by conjunctions (expressed or implied).

Simple sentences (simple subjects in italics, predicates in small capitals) : The lighthouse is a tall building. It has a light at the top. This warns the vessels. There is a lighthouse at every dangerous place on the coast.

Compound sentences (two or more equal clauses) : There are twenty-four hours in a day, and every day is divided into * two parts called day and night. Day is light, and night is dark. Men work in the day, but they sleep in the night.

Complex sentences (with subordinate clauses) : You ask me what / am doing. I reply that / am driving a milkwagon. As long as / remain here, / shall keep this job, although / do not like it.

See that every ordinary sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period if it asserts, a question mark if it asks a question, or an exclamation point if it is exclamatory.

CHAPTER III The Use of the Comma

8. We use commas to group words inside a sentence, so we can see at a glance those which are closely related, and separate them from those with which they are less closely related.

9. Compound Sentences. We separate the two clauses of a compound sentence by placing a comma between them, before the conjunction. And, or, nor, but, are called coordinate conjunctions, because they connect equal clauses, words, and phrases, and one of these will usually be found between the clauses of a compound sentence.

Examples: Your remittance was duly received, and we have entered your order for the table. We are sorry indeed for the delay in our factory, but we can promise no more than to make shipment next week. We will refund your money, or you can place an order for another style. We greatly regret your inconvenience, we had hoped to ship this week, but under the circumstances nothing else is possible.

10. // the subject of the second part of the sentence is not expressed, we have a compound predicate only, and no comma should be placed before the conjunction, except but. But nearly always has a comma or semicolon before it. So has for.

Examples: Your remittance was duly received and placed to your credit. We are planning to make shipment tomorrow and send bill of lading the next day. We greatly regret your inconvenience, but will gladly refund your money if you wish.

11. Subordinate Clauses. Compound sentences are made up of two or more equal clauses connected by coordinate or equal conjunctions (and, or, but), but a complex sentence is made up of two clauses of which one is subordinate to the other or dependent on it. These subordinate clauses are always introduced by a subordinate conjunction.

The commonest subordinate conjunctions are — when, ivhere, while, if, unless, ivhether, before, after, until, since, because, that, how, why, as, though.

Who, which, what, and that are subordinate conjunctions, and at the same time they take the place of nouns as the subjects of sentences, etc. They are called relative pronouns.

That is sometimes a relative pronoun and sometimes a plain subordinate conjunction.

Usually subordinate clauses are set off from the main clause by a comma.

Examples: When you get to my office, please wait till I come.

Before you go, be sure to give me your address.

We are attracted by the plan, because it seems likely to benefit us both.

When you have further purchases to make, we shall be pleased to have you send us your order.

We inclose freight receipt, on which the agent at Vandalia has made a statement.

If he gets here before I do, I wish you would ask him to wait for me.

Unless I hear from you to the contrary, I shall order the goods for you next Monday morning.

THE USE OF THE COMMA 13

12. // subordinate clauses are very short and closely connected in meaning with the main clause, they are not set off by commas. If a subordinate clause of whatever description is so necessary to the meaning that it cannot be omitted and still leave complete sense, it is said to be restrictive and is not set off by a comma.

The commonest clauses not set off by commas are those beginning with that, as in "I told him that he would fail."

If you say "The man whom I saw was dressed in khaki" the word the indicates a man who must be explained by the subordinate clause "whom I saw" in order to make sense. But if I say "A man on the street, who looked like John, called after me/' the subordinate clause "who looked like John" is merely additional explanation and could be dropped out without spoiling the sense of what remains. "The man was dressed in khaki" would meaning nothing, but "A man on the street called after me" would make good sense.

Examples of short clauses: When I see him I shall tell him what you say. (Point out the two subordinate clauses in that sentence.) I want to see you before you have dinner. We can postpone discussion until we meet again. Unless you insist I will refuse to give him the book.

Note. When we wish to emphasize the separation between clauses, we place a comma between them; when we wish to show their close connection, we omit the comma. Thus shades of meaning are shown by punctuation, and often the same words may be given a different meaning by different punctuation. Such words as also, so, therefore, otherwise, following, and, or or increase the emphasis and the need of a comma or even of a semicolon before the conjunction.

13. Participial Phrases. A participle is a form of the verb which may also modify a noun or pronoun, an'd so is not a complete verb in itself. There are two participles, the present participle ending always in ing, as — doing, walking, seeing, thinking, looking, laughing; and the past participle, usually ending in ed, as — considered, supposed, liked — though a few are irregular, as — written, done, hit, horn, bent, built, bought, hurt.

A participial phrase is a group of words consisting of a present or past participle with its modifiers (which are the same as those of the regular verb). It is almost equivalent to a subordinate clause.

Sentence with Participial Phrase: Sitting by her side during the illness, I was able to appreciate her character.

Same Sentence icith Subordinate Clause: As I sat by her side during the illness, I was able to appreciate her character.

Write subordinate clauses corresponding to the participial phrases in the following sentences :

Henry Jones, seriously hurt in the wreck, died before noon.

Thinking the work finished, I went home early.

The house was beautiful, although built on the open prairie.

Having done what he could to help me out, he hurried to keep his own appointment.

Seen from a distance, the tower showed remarkable lines of beauty.

Mrs. Durand, married while still very young, was left a widow at twenty-four.

I know a boy named Henry.

I saw him going past the window.

At John's house I met Henry Dixon, just come home from college.

Participial phrases are punctuated like the corresponding

THE USE OF THE COMMA 15

subordinate clauses, that is, if they can be dropped out without spoiling the meaning of the rest of the sentence they are usually set off by a comma or commas, but if they are very short, or necessary to the meaning of the rest of the sentence so that they cannot be omitted and still leave good sense, they are not set off by commas.

14. A Preposition is a word that connects a noun to some other word, and a preposition with its noun (or pronoun) is called a prepositional phrase. Some of the common prepositions are — for, ivith, by, in, on, over, under, through, like, from, of, to, before, beyond, without, against, between.

Examples of Prepositional Phrases: We went through the wood, under the bridge, and over the hill, until we came to the road that runs by the old farm.

15. Words and phrases thrown in for additional explanation are set off by commas. Prepositional phrases out of their natural order, nouns thrown in to explain other nouns or pronouns (said to be in apposition) , independent words like however, too, therefore, including names of persons addressed, and other explanatory groups of words come under this rule.

Examples: General Joffre, head of the French Army, is a remarkable man. General Mackensen, with a full supply of ammunition at last, attacked the Russians all along the line.