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Business English Certificate Study Course (Foundation Level) by bunPeiris
Lesson 1: Sentence Structure and Clarity

Although herein is a study course in Business English, I have opted to explain the subject material in a chatty, conversational style since such delivery of the content would draw you guys in, make it easier to comprehend and absorb all well. Nevertheless, the main content, the core material would be presented in formal English. Do you find any colloquial words, phrasal verbs, and idiomatic expressions that we make use of in day-to-day language in the following paragraph?

Introduction to Sentence Structure and Clarity
                  In writing and speaking, clear and well-structured sentences rock, among other things, the business world. Superior command in sentence structure and clarity begins with a firm grasp of subject-verb agreement—ensuring that subjects and verbs match in number and tense. To avoid confusion, it’s also essential to get rid of common issues such as sentence fragments (incomplete thoughts), run-on sentences and comma splices (fusing ideas without proper punctuation), and incorrect or misplaced punctuation. Such issues can meddle and muddle meaning. Still more, using concise sentences over overly complex ones helps maintain readability. Finally, accuracy in word choice, particularly with homophones and commonly confused words, prevents misunderstanding and sharpens the message. In this lesson, we’ll cover each of these elements to help you build clear, accurate, and effective sentences. Sentences with a punch. Eh! that’s a fragment. do not leave fragments hanging here and there. [*1]

Follow Subject-Verb agreement
and avoid
[a] Sentence fragments [pieces]
[b] Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices
[c] Incorrect or Misplaced Punctuation
[d] Overly Complex Sentences
[e] Incorrect Use of Homophones or Commonly Confused Words

Rewriting the Letter splattered with fragments

Subject: Quarterly Project Status Update

Dear Mr. Green,

I hope this message finds you well. As we move forward with our initiatives, including the new product launch scheduled for next quarter. We have made significant progress on various projects across departments. The development team has completed the prototype phase, ensuring all technical specifications are met. Alongside the marketing team, preparing a comprehensive campaign. Which aims to maximize outreach in key markets. Additionally, several key performance indicators show positive trends. For instance, customer satisfaction levels, which have consistently improved over the past quarter. While our efficiency metrics reflect a 10% increase.

I look forward to discussing these developments in greater detail during our next meeting. To provide a more detailed analysis of our progress.

Best regards,
Sarah Lee
Operations Manager

[a] Sentence Fragments:
Fragments are incomplete sentences that lack either a subject, a main verb, or a complete thought.
Fragments are often phrases or dependent clauses written as if they were sentences.

Example of a Fragment: “While reviewing the quarterly report.”

Why It’s a Fragment:
The phrase “While reviewing the quarterly report” is a dependent clause. It does not express a complete thought because:
[a] It lacks a main clause to complete its meaning.
[b] It does include a verb (“reviewing”) but lacks a subject and finite verb to form a complete sentence.

3. Sorting Activity: Identify Subtle Fragments

Fragments	Why Do We Call It A Fragment
“As we move forward with our initiatives, including the new product launch scheduled for next quarter.”	Lacks an independent clause; it’s a dependent clause needing more context.
“Alongside the marketing team, preparing a comprehensive campaign.”	Lacks a main verb (participial phrase).
“Which aims to maximize outreach in key markets.”	Starts with “which,” making it a dependent relative clause.
“For instance, customer satisfaction levels, which have consistently improved over the past quarter.”	Dependent clause with no main verb in the sentence.
“While our efficiency metrics reflect a 10% increase.”	Dependent clause beginning with “while.”
“To provide a more detailed analysis of our progress.”	Infinitive phrase lacking a subject and main verb.

Dear Mr. Green,

I hope this message finds you well. As we advance with our initiatives, including the new product launch scheduled for next quarter, we are committed to meeting all deadlines. We have made significant progress on various projects across departments, and the development team has now completed the prototype phase, ensuring that all technical specifications are met. They are currently working with the marketing team to prepare a comprehensive campaign designed to maximize outreach in key markets. Additionally, several key performance indicators are showing positive trends. For example, customer satisfaction levels have consistently improved over the past quarter, which reflects strong results. Our efficiency metrics also indicate a 10% increase.

I look forward to discussing these developments in greater detail during our upcoming meeting, where I will also provide a detailed report to further analyze our progress.

Best regards,
Sarah Lee
Operations Manager

Supplementary Notes For This Lesson [i]
Key Terms in Sentence Structure and Grammar Discussed Herein

Sentence: A group of words that expresses a complete thought and has a subject and predicate.
Example: “Our team will complete the project by Friday.”

Independent Clause: A group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence because it has a subject and a main verb.
Example: “The report was submitted on time.”

Dependent Clause: A group of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence and depends on an independent clause for meaning.
Example: “If the meeting is rescheduled”

Subject: The main noun or pronoun in a sentence that performs the action or is described.
Example: “The team exceeded its sales targets.” (Subject: The term)

Predicate: The part of a sentence that contains the verb and tells what the subject does or is.
Example: “The team exceeded its sales targets.” (Predicate: exceeded its sales targets)

Finite Verb: A verb that shows tense, subject, and number, forming the core of a complete sentence.
Example: “The company expands its operations annually.” (expands is finite because it shows tense and agrees with the subject)

Non-Finite Verb: A verb form that does not show tense, subject, or number. It often functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence, typically appearing in forms such as infinitives, gerunds, or participles.

Infinitive: “To finalize the contract, we need to review all terms carefully.”
Here, to finalize is a non-finite verb acting as the subject of the action.

Gerund: “Training employees regularly improves productivity.”
In this example, training acts as a noun and is the subject of the sentence.

Participle: “The revised proposal, approved by the board, will be sent tomorrow.”
The word approved is a participle that describes the proposal.

These examples illustrate how non-finite verbs can be used in business communication to convey actions or states without indicating a specific time or subject agreement.

Fun Facts [i]: “I saw Her Standing There.”

What is the finite verb and non-finite verb in the above sentence?
Why do you say so?
“I Saw Her Standing There” is a classic song by The Beatles, featured as the opening track on their debut album, Please Please Me, released in 1963. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, it captures the energy and excitement of early rock ‘n’ roll. The song’s catchy bassline, lively beat, and upbeat lyrics about young love make it one of the standout tracks of their early years.

For the answer to the above question and analysis of the sentence, please contact bunpeiris@gmail.com WhatsApp: 0777100060