The Gregg Reference Manual

1. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

2. Letter Formats Modified-Block Style – Standard Format The date line and the closing items begin at the center. All other lines begin at the left margin. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

3. Modified-Block Style – Standard Format

4. Letter Formats Modified-Block Style – With Indented Paragraphs Exactly the same as the standard format except that the first line of each paragraph is indented 0.5 inches. This style is also referred to as the semi-block style. The Elegant letter template in MS Word reflects this style. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

5. Modified-Block Style – With Indented Paragraphs

6. Letter Formats Block Style All lines typically begin at the left margin. Nothing is indented except for displayed quotations, tables, and similar material. This style is also referred to as the full-block style. The Professional letter template in MS Word reflects this style. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

7. Block Style

8. Letter Formats Simplified Style All lines begin at the left margin. The salutation is replaced by a subject line in all-caps. The complimentary closing is omitted. The writer’s signature block is typed in all-caps on one line. Open punctuation is always used. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

9. Simplified Style

10. Letters – Inside Address • Do not abbreviate words such as Street and Avenue in the inside address. (¶1328) • Use figures for house and building numbers except 1; for clarity write One. (¶1329) • ex. One Park Avenue (not: 1 Park Avenue) • Visit www.usps.com to confirm the ZIP code for a specific address. (¶1332) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

11. Letters - Titles • For a letter to a married couple, use Mr. and Mrs. (Not: Mr. & Mrs.). (¶1328) • Do not use a title before the name of a lawyer if the term Esq. follows. (¶1323) • ex. Doris P. Scott, Esq. (not: Ms. Doris P. Scott, Esq.) • Do not insert an academic degree after a person’s name in the inside address. • ex. Dr. Carl D. Roberts (not: Carl D. Roberts, Ed.D.) • Exceptions: • ex. Ann Matthews, M.D. (not: Dr. Ann Matthews, M.D.) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

12. Word Division • Whenever possible avoid dividing a word at the end of a line. If necessary, divide words only between syllables. • Do not set off a one-letter syllable. • Try not to end more than two consecutive lines with a hyphen. • Try not to divide at the end of the first line or the end of the last full line in a paragraph. • Dates may be divided between the date and year, but not the month and day. • ex. August 15, – 2007 (not: August – 15, 2007) • Dividing online addresses (¶1510) • Use one space after the end of a sentence (¶102) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

13. Letters – Continuation Pages • Do not staple pages before mailing them. If you have too many pages to fold, clip them together in a way that can be easily undone. (¶1366) • Never use letterhead for pages after the first page. Type the continuation pages on plain paper or use a continuation-page heading. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

14. Letters – Closing • Signature block: Use the appropriate academic degree after the writer’s name, not before it. (¶1350) • ex. Carl D. Roberts, Ed.D. (not: Dr. Carl D. Roberts) • Reference initials: Type the initials of the typist at the left margin, on the second line below the writer’s name and title. (¶1355) • ex. mat or cdr/mat (not: CDR/mat) • Enclosure versus Attachment (¶1358) • Copy notation: Either cc: or c: is acceptable. (¶1361) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

15. Envelopes • Both the inside address style and the all-cap style are acceptable. (¶1368, ¶1369) • Place a comma and one space after the city. Place one space but no comma after the state. (¶1332) • ex. Elkton, MD 21921 or Elkton, Maryland 21921 • Visit www.usps.com for abbreviations. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

16. Memos • Designed to simplify the exchange of information within an organization • In many ways memos have been replaced by e-mails. • The GRM states e-mails should be used for topics of a temporary importance, such as arranging meetings and exchanging comments on routine matters, while memos should be used for topic to form part of a permanent record. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

17. Memos ¶1374 • Include a title (ex. Memo, Memorandum, Interoffice Memorandum) in bold caps or bold caps and lowercase. • Include a minimum of four guide words: To, From, Date, and Subject. • Other guide words such as Department, Phone number, Copies to, etc. can be added. • Type guide words at the left margin; use double spacing and bold caps or bold caps and lowercase. • Set a tab after guide words so that entries will all block at the left and will clear the longest guide word by at least two spaces. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

18. Memos • Type names without titles. • Type the body of the memo on the second or third line below the last line in the heading. • Paragraphs can be blocked or indented. • If the memo continues beyond one page, use a continuation heading on subsequent pages. • Same style as the continuation heading used for letters The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

19. Memos

20. E-mails • You must observe the standards that apply to other forms of business communication. • Remember e-mail messages can be cited as part of a legal action. • It is e-mail, not email. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

21. E-mails ¶1379 • The Bcc box can be used to protect the privacy of recipients’ e-mail addresses. • If you use the Bcc it is helpful to include a list of the recipients in the body of your e-mail. • To avoid accidentally sending a message, do not include anything in the To box until after you proofread your message. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

22. E-mails • Write a clear, concise subject in the Subject box (¶1380) • Do not leave this box blank or use a generic subject, ex. Message. • Sometimes you can fit the entire message into the Subject box. • Use the high priority symbol and return receipt sparingly. • Only use special abbreviations and smileys in informal messages. (¶1382) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

23. Commas • Do not use commas to set off Jr., Sr., or numerals following a person’s name unless you know that person prefers to do so. (¶156) • ex. Mr. Alan Smith Jr. (not: Mr. Alan Smith, Jr.) • The same rule applies for organizations. (¶159) • ex. Smith Markets Inc. (not: Smith Markets, Inc.) • In a list of three or more items, place a comma before the conjunction (and, or, or nor) preceding the last item. (¶162) • ex. apples, oranges, and pears (not: Benefits, Food and Nutrition Services and Payroll) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

24. Quotation Marks • Periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation mark. (¶247) • Sign your name wherever you see an “X.” • The package was labeled “Fragile,” but that meant nothing to the delivery crew. • Semicolons and colons always go outside the closing quotation mark. (¶248) • Last Tuesday you said, “I will mail a check today”; it has not yet arrived. • Please send me the following items from the file labeled “In Process”: the latest draft of the lease and the meeting minutes. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

25. Numbers • Figure Style: Spell out numbers from one through ten; use figures for most numbers above ten. (¶401) • Word Style: Spell out numbers from one through ninety-nine; use figures for most numbers 100 and above. (¶404) • Exceptions: • dates, money, time, ratios, the beginning of a sentence, etc. • Use the same style to express related numbers above and below ten. • ex. The Board of Education reviewed 2 teacher resignations and 19 teacher appointments. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

26. Numbers – Special Rules • When the day precedes the month or stands alone, express it either in ordinal figures or ordinal words. (¶407) • ex. The conference begins on the 8th of June. (or: eighth of June.) • When the day follows the month, use a cardinal figure. • ex. The conference begins on June 8. (not: June 8th.) • Only use superscript for informal writing. For business writing, remove this default feature from your software. (¶425) • ex. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (not: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

27. Plurals and Possessives • When a word has more than one acceptable plural, use the first plural listed in the dictionary. • When forming the plural of an italicized or underlined proper name, do not italicize or underline the plural ending. (¶617) • ex. I have a stack of Cecil Whigs. (or: … Cecil Whigs.) • Capital letters and abbreviations ending with capital letters are pluralized by adding s alone. (¶622) • ex. three Rs, ISTs, DVDs, S&Ls, Ph.D.s • Use an apostrophe before the s where confusion might otherwise result. • ex. three A’s, too many I’s, two U’s The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

28. Troublesome Words • Affect/Effect • The court’s decision will not affect the legal precedent. • The full effect will be seen in a year. • Ensure/Insure • I want to ensure everything goes well. • You need to insure your new car. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

29. Troublesome Words • Its/It’s • Its last page contained errors. • It’s not going to be easy. • Their/They’re/There • The students submitted their reports. • They’re going to meet less often next year. • Place the notebooks there. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

30. Pronouns for Common Gender Nouns • When using a common-gender noun such as parent, secretary, student, or nurse, it is inappropriate to assume a gender and use a gender-specific pronoun. (¶1051) • In this case use the phrase “he or she”. The GRM states it is incorrect to use he/she, s/he, or any such abbreviation. • The book notes that this solution works well in isolated cases, but can get awkward if repeated frequently. They suggest rewording the sentence if necessary. • ex. Every employee must complete his or her health form. (changes to: All employees must complete their health forms.) The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

31. Compound NounsContaining Man or Men The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

32. How to Write Good Follow these tips, and you’ll be writing gooder in no time! • Prepositions are not words to end sentences with. • Avoid clichés like the plague – they’re old hat. • It is wrong to ever split an infinitive. • Contractions aren’t necessary. • Do not use a foreign word when there is an adequate English quid pro quo. • One should never generalize. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007

33. The Gregg Reference Manual Administrative Professionals Inservice July 12, 2007