Why grammar, punct. etc. matters (was Re: (Zachary) tayloring)

["MCCLAIN, WILLIAM D" <BMCCLAIN -at- SCANA -dot- COM>]

Eric, everybody, forgive me for helping beat this to death, but after a
college intern in our department wrote me a horribly punctuation-challenged
email, here's what I replied:


<mentor mode ON>

As a onetime working college student, I'd like to make the following
friendly suggestion:  Watch punctuation in your emails -- they're YOU.  In
the "real world," nobody takes points off for this kind of stuff, but it
certainly can color people's perceptions of you.  Just as you wouldn't come
to the office wearing horribly grungy old jeans and a torn sweatshirt with
holes in in it lest people wonder what your problem is, you want to meet the
criteria for standard, everyday business English.  Down the line, you'll
make a more favorable impression if you're careful to appear highly
literate.  (Also, correct punctuation can make writing easier for others to
read.)

<mentor mode OFF>




  ----- Bill McClain ------
  ------ 217 - 6559 -------
 <mailto:bmcclain -at- scana -dot- com>
  "nomenclature is destiny"


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