Business English Part 67

That is why he earns a good salary.

Because John is a good reporter, he earns a good salary.

Combine the sentences of each group below into a single sentence, either simple or complex, omitting as many words as possible but no ideas:

1. We stayed at home for two reasons: first of all, we thought Baltimore might be unpleasantly warm. Then, the other reason was that we thought we ought to economize.

2. In China the wedding takes place at the bridegroom's house. This has been decorated with strips of bright red paper, and they have the word "Hsi" on them. This means "Live in happiness."

3. First in the procession come the standard bearers.

They are hired for the occasion. These men have red coats put on over their dirty clothes. The men they hire are usually beggars.

4. Six years ago I went sailing on Lake George with my father. I was ten years old at that time. Two other men went along with us. The boat that we went in belonged to my father and these men.

5. The wind was high and it would come in gusts. This made it hard to sail. It s.h.i.+fted the sails so quickly that it would throw the boat over on one side.

6. Several times the boat leaned over at an angle of forty degrees. This let the water come in on that side. When this happened, we all had to jump to the other side. We did this so that the boat would right itself.

7. The heart is the most important organ in the body.

This is because if the heart stops beating, you cannot live. Besides, all the other organs are connected with it. It is something like the main spring in a watch.

8. This is a good machine. And since that's the case, I don't see why it is that it doesn't work as it should.

9. In every business there are many bad debts. Some can be collected and others cannot be. This is because the men who made them were given credit, and they didn't have any money.

10. The night was dark, and there were no stars. The fishermen stood on the sh.o.r.e, and they gazed at the wild sea. A storm had arisen, and they could not go out in their boats.

=Exercise 201=

As in the preceding exercise, rewrite the following, omitting as many words as possible, but no ideas. Use shorter, simpler expressions wherever possible.

1

Uncle Sam now has an aerial navy, but it's a small one, and foundations of it were recently laid. This was done when contracts were signed for the delivery of three aeroplanes and they are the first aeroplanes that the United States bought. These aeroplanes are of the latest development. They are all capable of rising from land or water. They are able also to land on water or on the deck of a s.h.i.+p, and they can carry at least one pa.s.senger and are equipped with wireless outfits. Two of them are Curtis machines and the third is a Wright, and they ranged in price from $2,700 to $5,500.

2

The United States produces more steel than any two European countries, and it is continuing to produce more. Moreover, it has the productive capacity to produce more than any other three or four countries put together. This capacity is being still further increased. At the present time, there is one very important steel company. It is very large, and seems to wish to monopolize the entire iron and steel industry. Even at this time it owns half the princ.i.p.al plants that are now producing steel and iron, and controls half the trade of the entire steel and iron industry, and when such a thing happens, it is a matter of international concern.

3

Condense the following into a single sentence, either simple or complex:

The iron and steel industry is very important, and it includes a great deal. First, the ore has to be mined, and then the work includes everything up to making the finest wire for musical instruments. Or, to put it another way, you can say from smelting the ore to building a battle s.h.i.+p. This is a very interesting occupation and, as said before, very important. There is hardly anything more interesting or important except agriculture.

=Exercise 202--Dangling Expressions=

Sometimes a sentence is not clear because it contains a participle which does not modify anything in the sentence. A participle is part _verb_ and part _adjective_. As a verb, it expresses the idea of the verb from which it is derived. As an adjective, it must modify a noun or a p.r.o.noun. The important point is that this noun or p.r.o.noun must be expressed in the sentence and not lie in the mind of the writer, as it does in the following:

Riding from Saugatuck to Holland last year, the country showed unmistakable signs of lack of rain.

Here the writer means, _We saw that the country_, etc., but he says that the country rode from Saugatuck to Holland.

Again, an expression may be used which is really an incomplete clause.

Do not use such a clause, unless the understood subject is the same as the subject expressed in the independent proposition.

_Wrong_: When almost exhausted, the camp was reached.

_Right_: When almost exhausted, we reached the camp.

Recast the following sentences, correcting the dangling expressions:

1. You should not stop studying your lessons until thoroughly prepared.

2. In talking to the postman yesterday, he said that his route had been changed.

3. Owing two months' rent, the foreman laid me off.

4. Before becoming a physician, the law sets a very severe examination.

5. Having eaten our luncheon very hastily, the typewriters were soon clicking merrily again.

6. The difficulty could easily be settled, going about it in the right way.

7. Although determined to get my money, the task was harder than I had expected.

8. Having installed an adding machine, our office work could be done in half the time.

9. On entering the car, the first thing that caught my attention was the sign at the end.

10. Silk should be washed with warm water and a mild soap, being careful not to rub it.

11. The house was redecorated, making it clean and homelike.

12. The book should be carefully studied, reviewing each chapter after it is read.

13. Going to work this morning, an accident happened.

14. Having entered college, Mr. Brown watched his son's progress with pride.

15. Soon after abandoning the boat, it sank.

16. They say he will be lame, caused by a fall on the ice while skating.

17. While trying to break the half mile record, his back was injured.

18. Many people object to football, because in tackling the boys' hearts are weakened.

19. He did not wish to take up an extra study, thus lessening his chance of being eligible for athletics.