SLOW BUT GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT WINS THE RACE!!!

Let us go back to your school days… Remember when you were in Standard II your teachers used to tell you to concentrate on grammar. Your language used to instruct you to use “is” after “This” and “are” after “These”. Hey do you remember how you used ask your teacher that if we should use “has” after singular subject, then why do we use “have” after “I”? If “They” should be accompanied with “are” then why do we write “You are”?

Having grown up, you have realized that the usage of correct grammar is mandatory for any sort of academic writing. However, when you have submission pressure, you tend to miss out on some of the grammatical specifications!!! So let us quickly recapitulate!

Conjunctions: Do not begin a sentence with conjunctions like “AND” and “BUT”. REMEMBER CONJUNCTIONS are supposed to be like “GLUE”. It has to be put in between two or more things!!!!

Be careful of the usage of the prepositions: Prepositions help in directing the actions done by the subject. Use the correct prepositions to bring out the correct meaning of the sentences. Hope you know the difference between “look over” and “overlook”, “come out” and “outcome”, “income” and “come in”, “beside” and “besides”. You should also know where to make the correct use of “across”, “through”, “over”, “above”.

Punctuation Marks: Do not underestimate them! They are not mere ink dots or scratches.

i) There are huge differences between a full-stop (.) comma (,) colon (:) and semi-colon (;). Although these four looks like twin sisters yet there are differences. Let me give you a small home work of finding out the difference between them!

ii) When to capitalize a noun (example-cup and World Cup)

iii) Using the apostrophe (in case of possessive nouns)

Usage of Tenses:

DO NOT MIX between PRESENT, PAST & FUTURE TENSE. Seems to be a hotch-potch!!!

Types of Sentences:

i) Use ‘ASSERTIVE’ type of a sentence-ending with full stop (.)

ii) NO usage of ‘INTERROGATIVE’ type of a sentence-having words like HOW? WHAT? in between sentences

iii) NO usage of IMPERATIVE type of sentences- sentences which have a sense of request, command or order

iv) NO usage of EXCLAMATORY sentences- sentences that end with exclamation mark (!)

Usage of Voice:

i) Use ACTIVE VOICE

ii) Avoid using PASSIVE VOICE

Usage of speeches:

i) Use INDIRECT SPEECH

ii) Cannot use DIRECT SPEECH

Usage of Narratives:

i) NO FIRST PERSON or SECOND PERSON NARRATIVE like “I/We found that it is appropriate to use Hofstede’s Model while evaluating…” or THIRD PERSON NARRATIVE like He/She. (Exception: Reflection Report)

ii) U should use NEUTRAL NARRATIVE “The researcher focuses on the application of the Hofstede’s Model while analysing…” or “This research/study aims in…”

Avoid any VAGUE words or phrases:

Every sentence needs to be meaningful and to-the-point. You cannot beat around the bushes!!!

Use the FULL FORMS of words

Rather than: 'TV', 'memo', or 'quote' You could try: 'television', 'memorandum' or 'quotation'

Avoid CONTRACTIONS

Rather than; 'don't', ‘isn’t’, 'can't', 'it's', 'should've', You can try: 'do not', 'cannot', 'it is', 'should have'

You can use ACRONYMS like PESTLE, SWOT, NGO, CSR, and CRM

Avoid ABBREVIATIONS like E.g., Ex.

Avoid using TABOO LANGUAGE like “The Blacks”, “The Whites”, “The Negroes”, “The Untouchables”

Avoid COLLOQUIAL WORDS like cool, hot, fantabulous, kind of, as well as