How do I Fix Punctuation & Grammar Mistakes in Business Letters?

Grammar and punctuation mistakes can be corrected through proofreading.

A concise, error-free business letter is a professional way to convey information and ideas to a recipient. Such a letter can establish a good first impression or strengthen the writer's reputation as an effective communicator. Reading multiple drafts of your letter in different formats, following professional guidelines and enlisting the help of a skilled proofreader are ways to ensure your business letter is free of mistakes and effectively states your thoughts.

Things You'll Need

• computer
• word-processing software
• printer
• paper
• pen
• letter-writing guidebook or website
• friend or co-worker

Instructions

1. Consult a letter-writing guidebook or website to study examples of business letters and determine proper punctuation requirements. For example, a colon should be used after the salutation, and a comma after the closing. Letter-writing guides may also include lists of common grammatical mistakes that you can check your writing against.

2. Run the spelling and grammar checker of your word-processing software to identify grammatical mistakes, such as run-on sentences and subject-verb disagreement, and implement appropriate suggested fixes. Analyze each suggestion to ensure the program does not insert errors into your letter. Most spelling and grammar checkers give you the option of highlighting possible errors as you type, but you can also wait until you have finished typing the letter to run the program.

3. Print a copy of your business letter. Wait a few hours or, if possible, a few days before proofreading to let yourself view your writing afresh. Use a pen to mark errors in the text, focusing on grammar during one read-through and punctuation during another. Read the letter aloud to identify additional grammar and punctuation errors. Open the document in your word-processing program and incorporate the corrections.

4. Print a revised draft of your business letter and ask a friend or co-worker to proofread the new copy. Choose someone who writes well or has editing experience. Give the person a printed copy on which he or she can mark errors, or provide a digital copy the person can edit on a computer screen. Make the suggested changes to your letter and print the final draft.

Tips & Warnings

• Changing the font size or page view of your letter can help you more easily identify grammatical mistakes, punctuation errors and typos in your writing.

• Proofreading techniques such as circling all punctuation marks, reading the letter backwards, or isolating sentences for individual editing may help you catch more mistakes.

References

• The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Editing and Proofreading

Resources

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing the Basic Business Letter
• The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Business Letters