| abstract | A short, written summary that gives an overview of a report, study, or proposal; usually associated with scientific studies but equivalent to an executive summary or a synopsis.
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| academic writing | A formal style of writing in which a thesis statement is used to develop the introduction, body, and conclusion; characterizes research papers, arguments, essays, and creative writing and sometimes includes a story line, embellishment, or emotional hooks. Compare business writing.
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| accent | The unique language pronunciation that characterizes persons in a particular group or geographic region; can be a barrier to communication.
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| acronym | An abbreviation pronounced as a word (e.g., AIDS, SADD).
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| action plan | A detailed plan for achieving a goal; includes action steps, deadlines for completing them, and a list of any obstacles and ways to overcome them.
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| action research | A research method for collecting information to use in an immediate environment: identify problem, gather information via meeting or brainstorming session, analyze data, and take action to rectify problem.
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| action step | In an action plan, an identified task along with who will complete it and when it is due.
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| action verb | A verb that transfers action from a subject to an object; in English, all verbs except 11 linking verbs. See also state-of- being verb.
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| active listening | A listening skill that involves focusing on the meaning, intent, and feelings of the person who is speaking to gain clear understanding of the message.
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| active voice | As applied to verbs, a term indicating that the subject performs the action of the verb (e.g., "Bob wrote the report"). Compare passive voice.
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| adjective | A word that modifies a noun or pronoun.
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| adverbial conjunction | A word or phrase (e.g., however, therefore, thus) that serves as a transition between sentences or paragraphs; shows the relationship between ideas and plays a significant role in punctuation.
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| agenda | A planning tool for a meeting that lists the topics to be discussed; sometimes includes the amount of time for each topic and the roles of participants.
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| AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action) model | A traditional approach for formatting persuasive messages: grab reader's attention, develop reader's interest, explain benefits for reader (desire), enable reader to contact writer (action).
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| antecedent | The word or words to which a pronoun refers.
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| application letter | See cover letter, (2).
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| appositive | A restatement; a brief explanation that identifies the noun or pronoun preceding it. See also essential appositive.
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| attitude | A person's way of thinking that underlies his or her behavior and feelings; part of the unobservable context in which communication is held.
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| authenticity | The quality of displaying genuine emotions and values; in global communications, a tool for getting past ethnocentric thinking.
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| authoritative leadership style | Top-down leadership, in which decisions are made by leaders, with team members carrying out assigned tasks in prescribed ways. Also called autocratic or heroic leadership.
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| autocratic leadership style | See authoritative leadership style.
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| auxiliary (verb) | A verb (such as any form of be, have, do) that used with another verb to convey a different meaning or tense. Also called helper verb.
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| background thinking | A person's thoughts about how he or she arrived at a conclusion or how readers will interpret that conclusion; a type of meta-discourse that should be eliminated from writing.
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| backstabbing | Talking about a person in a negative, distorted way behind his or her back to derail the person's success; similar to "backbiting."
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| bar chart | A graphics tool that displays information in vertical or horizontal bars; enables the reader to easily compare and contrast different items.
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| base form | The "original" state of a verb. See also infinitive.
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| benefit | The value, both tangible and intangible, that a proposal for an idea, product, or service will produce for a client; derived from evidence.
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| bibliography | A comprehensive list of the sources cited in a document (and sometimes of sources consulted but not cited); follows standard format, including author, title of work, and publication or other identifying data for each work.
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| bicultural | Capable of functioning like a native in more than one culture.
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| bidialectual | Fluid in speaking both Edited American English and a community dialect.
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| bilingual | Capable of speaking two languages.
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| block style | A formal letter style in which all lines start at the left margin; the standard format for most business letters. Also called full-block style.
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| body | The part of correspondence that contains the message; consists of one or more paragraphs giving information, explanation, and evidence.
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| body language | The "language" of eye contact, gestures, and other body movements; conveys, often unintentionally, a message that contributes to the meaning of verbal and nonverbal communication.
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| business letter | A formal tool used to communicate with outside clients; formatted in traditional styles and structured to connect with the reader, tell facts, and state action to be taken.
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| business writing | A direct style of writing in which context is used to define the purpose of the message; characterizes letters, memos, and e-mail that get to the point quickly. Key components are connect with reader, relate main points, and clarify action to be taken. Compare academic writing. See also professional writing.
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| captive team | A team in which the members have an ethical obligation to fulfill their roles, whether they want to or not.
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| career portfolio | A collection of relevant job search information and documents, including a résumé, sample cover and contact letters, and network contacts, among other items.
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| case | The function a pronoun performs in a sentence, such as nominative (or subjective), objective, possessive, and reflexive.
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| CAT (connect-act-tell) strategy | In e-mail messages, a structural approach that connects with the reader, states desired action, and then gives supportive information.
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| centered heading | In documents, a main heading that is centered between the margins to indicate a major break in content; typed in all-caps or bold cap and lowercase letters, followed by 1 blank line before the text below. Also called section heading.
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| central idea | A thesis statement that expresses the main point of a paper.
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| chronological format | For résumés, a traditional structure that emphasizes job history; lists education, positions, and accomplishments in order, starting with the most recent and working backward in order of occurrence.
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| clarity | Clearness and simplicity.
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| cliché | A fixed or stereotyped expression that has lost its significance through frequent repetition.
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| clip art | Public domain artwork that can be used in PowerPoint presentations or on Web sites without paying a fee or providing a credit for the illustrator.
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| closing | (1) The last paragraph of a letter, stating action the recipient needs to take; (2) a complimentary sign-off (e.g., for letters, Sincerely or Sincerely yours; for e-mail, Thanks or Regards).
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| coherent | A term referring to a paragraph that presents a logical flow of ideas, developing a topic in a consistent, rational way. One idea leads to another.
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| cohesive | A term referring to a paragraph that presents one main topic along with details to support that topic, demonstrating connectedness among the ideas it contains. All the ideas adhere together for a common purpose.
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| collaborative approach | See participative leadership style.
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| collaborative leadership style | See participative leadership style.
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| collectivist thinking | A viewpoint that places priority on the way the cultural group thinks as compared to the individual's perspective. Compare individualist thinking.
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| colloquial | Informal; in language, any conversational pattern that includes slang and nonstandard English. Also called idiomatic.
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| colloquialism | A saying that is not to be taken literally; expresses an idea unique to a specific time and location (e.g., "That dog can't hunt").
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| colon | A traditional mark of punctuation; alerts the reader that information will follow that explains or illuminates the information that preceded it.
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| comma splice | A grammatical error in which two independent clauses are joined with only a comma, causing a run-on sentence.
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| communication cycles | The cyclical sending and receiving of messages until those involved reach an understanding; involves speaking to convey meaning and listening to understand.
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| community dialect (CD) | Any language pattern that differs from Edited American English (Standard English); informally known as "home talk" or "talkin' country." Most Americans speak a community dialect with family and friends.
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| comparative form | The form of an adjective that is used when two items are compared; for regular adjectives, formed by adding the suffix er or by using more or less before the adjective.
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| composing | Creating, inventing, discovering; in writing, planning or mapping a message and drafting ideas on a page.
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| consecutive interpretation | Interpretation in which the interpreter interprets chunks of speech, no more than 3 minutes long, each time the speaker has finished a sentence or a paragraph.
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| consensus | The point at which group members are in general agreement, at least to some degree, on an issue.
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| constructive feedback | An appraisal that identifies the problem, offers a possible solution, and opens a dialogue among those involved. Compare negative feedback.
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| contact letter | In networking, a letter that introduces oneself to a contact and asks for assistance with one's job search; should be personalized and present a mutual objective for sender and receiver.
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| context | The entirety of circumstances and situations that influence a message or communication; the amount of innate and largely unconscious understanding a person brings to a particular communication setting.
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| coordinating conjunction | A word that joins items of equal grammatical structure, such as independent clauses or items in a series. Such words are and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so.
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| correlative conjunction | A pair of conjunctions (e.g., not only . . . but also) that compares or contrasts ideas. The information after each conjunction must be presented in the same grammatical form (parallel construction).
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| courteous request | In written communications, a question that prompts the recipient to act rather than respond in words; ends with a period rather than a question mark.
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| cover letter | (1) Enclosed with a proposal, a letter that summarizes key points in the proposal; (2) enclosed with a résumé, a letter that summarizes the sender's interest in a company, highlights his or her accomplishments, and requests an interview. Also called application letter.
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| credibility | Believability; equates to trust, a critical element in all relationships.
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| critic's block | A barrier to writing that is caused by being too critical of one's ability to write well or improve writing skills.
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| cultural informant (CI) | A credible, qualified resource person who can filter information about a given group or culture and provide insight into what is considered appropriate within the group or culture.
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| culture | The pattern of beliefs and social traits within a group; often associated with the way people behave, speak, and dress. Cultures characterize nations, ethnic groups, regions, industries, companies, families, religions, and even small groups.
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| curriculum vitae (CV) | A detailed chronological record of a person's professional and academic credentials, listing job history, fields of study, publications, and awards; an alternative to a résumé in the global job market.
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| cycles of communication | See communication cycles.
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| dash | A substitute for the comma, semicolon, period, or colon, used to emphasize the information that follows it; appropriate in both formal and informal documents.
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| dependent clause | A group of words that has a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought; cannot stand alone as a sentence.
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| direct address | The use of a person's name or title in addressing the person directly.
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| direct approach | In written communications, a style that gets right to the point; conveys the purpose and main point in the first paragraph, followed by supporting information or details. Compare indirect approach.
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| direct style | A low-context form of communication in which the words are more important than the situation; in general, characteristic of Americans. Compare indirect style.
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| drafting | Creating a preliminary piece of writing.
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| Edited American English | The type of written and spoken language that, for the most part, follows the standard rules of English usage; used by formal media programs (such as newscasts) and academia. It is basically the same as Standard American English but has a broader audience.
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| editing | Improving the flow of writing by changing the wording and cutting unnecessary words to make the writing more concise and readable; part of the composing stage but done as breaks from composing, not while composing.
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| editing strategy | An approach to editing that focuses on turning passive, wordy writing into simple, clear, and concise writing.
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| ellipsis marks | Three spaced periods used to indicate the omission of a word or words from a quotation. (Add a fourth period if the ellipsis [plural, ellipses] occurs at the end of a sentence.)
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| e-mail | Electronic mail, the most widely used form of written communication; in business, used to communicate with colleagues in-house (on an intranet) or with associates outside the company (on the Internet).
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| e-memo | An electronic memo sent on a company's intranet to its own employees; formatted like a traditional memo created by means of a template.
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| emphatic | An adjective or adverb used to place emphasis on the word it describes; can detract from the message rather than emphasize it, so should be used sparingly.
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| empty information | Information that adds nothing of value for your reader.
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| enunciation | Pronunciation.
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| e-résumé | A résumé specifically formatted for electronic transmittal; at the top, summarizes work skills and experience in keywords that are scanned by employers for matches with their needs.
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| essential appositive | A word or phrase that identifies a particular person or thing in a sentence where the identity would not be clear without the appositive; should not be set off with commas.
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| essential element | Any part of a sentence that cannot be removed without compromising meaning or structure; should not be set off with commas. Also called restrictive element.
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| evaluation | A subjective appraisal based on labels and vague terms (e.g., "excellent work," "the worst letter") that summarizes with a rating or ranking rather than offering a constructive description. Compare feedback.
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| evaluator | In a team, a person who assesses the group's progress and proposes changes the group could make to become more effective.
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| evidence | Proof of an assertion or research finding; typically consists of objective data, such as facts and figures, thereby eliminating bias.
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| exclamation point | A mark of punctuation used to indicate surprise or excitement; can be used after a word, phrase, or complete sentence.
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| executive summary | A short, written synopsis that gives an overview of a report, study, or proposal; used in business writing, but equivalent to an abstract or a synopsis.
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| expletive form | In a sentence, a word or phrase at the beginning that indicates something later in the sentence but adds nothing to the meaning (e.g., "It is" or "There are").
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| explicit | Distinct and clear; a characteristic of language whose meaning is easily understood and does not depend on the context.
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| external due date | A project completion date specified by the person or agency commissioning the project. Compare internal due date.
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| face | (1) In communication, personal dignity, consisting of one's internal qualities, status, good name, and good character; (2) in formatting, the style of type, or type font (e.g., Times, Courier, or Arial). See also serif and sans serif.
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| facilitator | In meetings, the person who leads the discussion and, if feasible, creates an agenda.
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| fact sheet | A one-page document that presents all the pertinent details about a product or service.
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| fax | A copy of a document that is sent via phone lines to a fax machine or computer. (The term is derived from facsimile, meaning "a copy.")
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| feasibility report | An abbreviated form of written proposal, used primarily within a company.
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| feedback | An objective appraisal based on specific details (e.g., about work processes and means of improvement) that offers a constructive description rather than a vague summary. Compare evaluation. See also constructive feedback, objective feedback.
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| filler | An empty word that adds no value to a message (e.g., just, like).
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| filter | In communication, a screen through which a person perceives others and the world; creates subjective viewpoints that can hinder communication.
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| flowchart | A graphic representation of information that depicts progression through a procedure or system.
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| fluency | In speech, a smooth flow of words and the lack of distracting vocal habits.
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| focus group | A research tool in which a small group of people meet and express opinions related to the topic being studied; often used as a representative sample of a larger population.
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| focused speaking | An approach to public speaking in which the speaker keeps his or her attention on the topic and the audience, not on himself or herself.
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| focused writing | A writing technique that involves writing about a topic for 10 to 20 minutes simply to put ideas on the page, without expecting to produce usable material.
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| font | The style of type face, such as Times or Arial. Fonts number in the hundreds, and each word processing program includes its own series of fonts. See also serif and sans serif.
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| forced writing | A writing technique that involves writing about a topic for 10 to 20 minutes with the expectation of producing material that can be used.
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| formal persuasion | The activity of influencing clients and coworkers through proposals and presentations developed for specific objectives. Compare informal persuasion.
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| formal proposal | A detailed written analysis of a problem and how it will be addressed, including the resources and credentials of those involved. Document format and items to include vary from organization to organization.
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| format | The overall appearance of a document, including placement of the entire text and of individual parts (e.g., dateline and salutation) and the use of special features and white space.
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| fragment | A phrase or dependent clause that is incorrectly punctuated as a complete sentence.
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| freewriting | A writing technique that involves writing one's thoughts freely, in a "stream of consciousness," to release feelings and stress and gain insight.
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| functional format | For résumés, a nontraditional structure that highlights experience and accomplishments in each area of expertise; lists skills and education before work experience.
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| fused sentence | A grammatical error in which two independent clauses are connected without a comma or conjunction.
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| gender bias | In writing, the exclusion of one gender by using only masculine or feminine pronouns in contexts that apply to both genders. Plural pronouns and the phrase he or she are gender-neutral.
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| generalization | According to Whitehead, the most advanced stage of learning, in which the learner applies concepts and skills in creative ways to solve problems.
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| gerund | The "ing" form of a verb (e.g., going, seeing, following); functions as a noun.
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| gerund phrase | A gerund followed by a preposition, noun, and any modifiers (e.g., going to the meeting, being on time); functions as a noun.
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| global | In business, a term referring to a company that combines local know-how with a multinational presence, leveraging the opportunities presented by different world regions and their markets in a systematic way.
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| global communication | Communication across language and cultural borders.
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| global diversity | The variety of language and cultural patterns in the world. Every culture has its own unique customs, ways of thinking, and ways of conducting business.
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| goal | Abroad statement of an intended achievement. Compare objective.
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| grammatical subject | A subject that generally precedes the verb but may or may not be the actor or agent that performs the action of the verb; in an active-voice sentence, the same as the real subject. Compare real subject.
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| groupthink | A phenomenon in which everyone in a group "goes along" just to "get along," agreeing with decisions regardless of their quality; occurs when a need for approval (or a fear of disapproval) exists among members.
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| growing edge | An area in which a person needs more expertise or experience. Also called weakness.
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| hard copy | A paper copy of a document. Compare soft copy.
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| hedge | A word or phrase that qualifies a statement by making it less than universal (e.g., usually, sort of); can weaken the message, so should be used sparingly.
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| helper (verb) | See auxiliary.
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| heroic approach | See authoritative leadership style.
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| heroic leadership style | See authoritative leadership style.
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| hierarchy of needs | Maslow's classification of human needs on the basis of their importance for survival: physiological, safety, social ties, esteem, and self-actualization. The basic needs must be adequately filled before a person will seek to attain higher needs.
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| highly formal (writing) | A style of writing characterized by use of the passive voice, complicated language, abstract references, no contractions, and Latin abbreviations.
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| hypothesis | A theory or testable explanation for a phenomenon or an event.
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| idiolect | An individual's unique language pattern; differs from others' patterns on the basis of grammar, word use, and pronunciation.
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| idiomatic | See colloquial.
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| implicit | Implied or inferred; a characteristic of language whose meaning is not expressed entirely in words and depends also on the context of the communication.
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| independent clause | A clause that has a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought; can stand alone as a sentence.
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| indirect approach | In written communications, a style that presents details and explains purpose before getting to the main point; often used in messages that convey bad or unwelcome news. Compare direct approach.
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| indirect style | A high-context communication style in which the situation is highly important and the words alone may not convey the meaning of the communication. Compare direct style.
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| individualist thinking | A viewpoint that places priority on the individual's perspective rather than the cultural group's way of thinking. Compare collectivist thinking.
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| infinitive | The base form of a verb preceded by to (e.g., to see, tobe, to speak); functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
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| infinitive phrase | An infinitive along with an object and any modifiers (e.g., to go to the store, to see the latest book reviews); functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
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| informal persuasion | The everyday activity of influencing coworkers and clients through interaction and correspondence; builds credibility and trust among those involved. Compare formal persuasion.
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| informal speech | The language pattern used for speaking in everyday situations, as compared to doing a formal presentation; does not adhere strictly to standard rules of English usage.
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| informality | Casualness; characterizes behavior that is not based on rigid rules, norms, or customs. In business interactions, Americans tend to be more informal than other cultures.
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| information flow | In writing, the transition between ideas. Presenting old information that leads to new information creates smooth transitions and ensures that messages are cohesive and coherent.
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| initialism | An abbreviation pronounced letter by letter (e.g., IBM, NYPD).
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| inside address | The part of a letter containing the name and address of the recipient. (The address on the envelope should mirror the inside address.)
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| integrity | Adherence to one's values; exists when there is no difference between a person's internal set of beliefs and his or her actions-actions and beliefs are in sync.
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| internal due date | A project completion date that group members set among themselves to ensure they will meet external requirements. Compare external due date.
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| international | In business, a term referring to a company that sells goods or services in, or has suppliers in, more than one country.
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| interpreter | A professional who interprets one language to another at meetings and presentations.
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| interview | A research technique that involves collecting information from a source by talking with the person face-to-face or on the phone.
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| intransitive verb | A verb that cannot transfer action to a direct object. Compare transitive verb.
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| introductory paragraph | In a letter, the opening paragraph; connects the reader with the writer's purpose.
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| irregular verb | A verb that forms its past and past participle in an irregular way (e.g., fly, flew, flown; sink, sank, sunk).
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| jargon | Idiomatic language specific to a particular field or group; characterized by the use of initials, abbreviations, and technical or occupational terminology as a sort of verbal shorthand.
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| job search profile | A compilation of information about a person's skills, qualities, interests, education, and employment history; serves as the basis for a résumé, job search, and job interviews.
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| language pattern | A system, or dialect, of language, such as Edited American English and any form of community dialect. Most people speak several different dialects; social situations help determine which pattern to use at a given time.
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| lateral transfer | A job change that does not include a promotion. Such changes are good for one's career.
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| leader | A person who is able to influence the behavior and thinking of others.
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| leadership | The ability to do the right thing by providing others with vision and direction as to how they should think and act.
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| letter of application | See cover letter (2).
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| line graph | A graphics tool that displays changes in data over a period of time; enables the reader to easily see trends.
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| linking verb | See state-of-being verb.
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| listener | In the communication process, the receiver of a message.
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| localization | The process of making a product culturally appropriate to the country and language where it will be marketed and sold.
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| main verb | The last verb in a string of verbs. In English, as many as five verbs can string together to form meaning.
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| meeting | Any get-together, formal or informal, between two or more people (face-to-face or through telecommunications) to give and receive or gather information.
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| memorandum | An internal communication tool used to inform or make announcements to peers, subordinates, and supervisors within an organization; in hard-copy form, sent via interoffice mail or posted on boards. Also called memo. See also e-memo.
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| meta-discourse | As coined by Joseph Williams, a term that refers to the language a writer uses to describe his or her own thinking process; usually consists of unnecessary information.
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| method | The "how, when, where, and who" of accomplishing a project.
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| minutes | A legal document that summarizes the discussion, resolutions, and actions taken at a meeting.
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| mirroring | Paraphrasing what a speaker said to ensure the message was received clearly.
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| mission statement (company) | A company's purpose statement; summarizes the company's reason for being.
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| modified-block style | A letter style that follows the block style but starts the dateline and complimentary closing at the center (rather than the left margin).
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| modifier | A word or group of words that describes another word.
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| multinational | In business, a term referring to a company that has functions established in more than one country.
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| negative feedback | An appraisal that identifies the problem but does not offer a solution. Compare constructive feedback.
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| networking | Engaging in social and professional activities that facilitate interaction with people who can provide assistance with one's career or problem-solving endeavors.
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| new information | Information that the reader does not already know and that the writer wants to convey to the reader.
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| nominal | A noun that originated as a verb; often formed by adding tion or ment to the base form of the verb (e.g., development, from the verb develop).
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| nominative case | The form of pronouns that function as subjects of verbs. Subject pronouns must be followed by a verb (either real or implied). Also called subjective case.
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| nonverbal behavior | Body language that communicates feelings and thus can affect the meaning of a verbal message.
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| nonverbal cues | Hand gestures, eye contact, and other types of body language that affect communication.
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| null hypotheses | A hypothesis that is negated so that statistical analysis can be used to disprove it, thus showing the likelihood that the original hypothesis is valid.
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| object | A word, phrase, or clause that follows a verb and receives the action of the verb.
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| objective | A narrow, precise statement of a specific and measurable intended action. Compare goal.
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| objective case | The form of pronouns that function as objects of verbs or prepositions (e.g., me, him, her, them).
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| objective feedback | An appraisal that describes behavior by including facts and examples. Compare subjective feedback.
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| office politics | The unspoken relationships and attitudes that affect behavior and decisions.
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| old information | Information that is obvious or has already been presented or that the reader already knows.
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| open punctuation | In letters, a punctuation style in which no punctuation follows the salutation and the complimentary closing.
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| organization chart | A graphics tool that maps the chain of command within a company or organization.
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| outcomes | The results a project will produce and how people affected by the project will change or grow.
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| paragraph heading | See run-in heading.
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| paraphrase | Put someone else's ideas or words into one's own words; requires a citation to the original source. Incorrect paraphrasing (making a few changes in word order, leaving out a word or two, or substituting similar words) is a form of plagiarism.
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| participative leadership style | Leadership in which leaders and team members collaborate in the decision-making process, with team members given freedom as to how to accomplish objectives. Also called collaborative or participatory leadership.
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| participatory leadership style | See participative leadership style.
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| passive voice | As applied to verbs, a term indicating that the subject does not perform the action of the verb (e.g., "The report was written by Bob"- the subject, report, did not perform the action, was written). Compare active voice.
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| past | The simple past form of a verb, used without a helper verb (e.g., worked, did, was, followed).
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| past participle | A verb form that consists of the past form preceded by a helper verb (e.g., have worked, had done, have been, had followed).
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| PEER (purpose, evidence, explanation, recap) model | A guide to structuring information while composing or revising: define purpose, provide evidence, give an explanation or examples, recap main points.
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| performance appraisal | A formal system for evaluating employee performance; can be traditional, covering a specific time period, or developmental, including future goals and expectations.
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| period | A punctuation mark used to indicate the end of a statement; also used with some abbreviations and with Web addresses. Also called dot.
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| persuasion | The process of influencing someone to take a specific course of action. See also visual persuasion.
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| phrase | A group of words that form a unit but do not usually include a subject and a verb and cannot stand alone as a sentence; functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb. Types include prepositional, gerund, and infinitive phrases, among others.
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| pie charts | A graphics tool that displays information as "slices" of a circle; enables the reader to easily see both the relationship of one item to another and the relationships of all parts to the whole.
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| plagiarism | The use of another's ideas or words without crediting the source; constitutes a form of stealing. (The term is derived from the Latin plagiarius, "an abductor," and plag-zare, "to steal.")
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| Platinum Rule | An unwritten rule of communication that states, "Treat others as they want to be treated"; in global communications, a tool for getting past ethnocentric thinking.
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| portfolio | For a job search, a collection of pertinent documents and information (e.g., purpose statement, résumés, work samples, reference letters, networking contacts, business cards).
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| possessive case | The form of pronouns that show possession of nouns or other pronouns (e.g., my, mine, his, her, its, their).
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| PowerPoint | An audiovisual tool for preparing slides to be used as visual support in presentations.
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| precision | According to Whitehead, the stage in the cycle of learning in which a learner practices intensely to master a skill.
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| prepositional phrase | A preposition along with an object and any modifiers (e.g., with Bob, to the store); functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
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| prioritizing | Identifying what is important versus what is not important.
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| process facilitator | An outside person who is called in to lead groups that are confronted with difficult decisions or conflict; does not have a stake in outcomes and thus is able to be objective (sometimes brought in to ensure that group members express themselves freely in an unbiased environment).
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| professional (writing) | A direct style of writing characterized by use of the active voice, simple words, personal pronouns (e.g., I, you, we), and at times contractions (e.g., can't for cannot); used in most business communications. Compare highly formal.
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| profile card | A business card that includes a few simple bulleted points about the person's accomplishments.
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| progressive tenses | Verb tenses in which the main verb ends in ing and is preceded by a helper verb; used to indicate continuous action in the past, present, or future.
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| pronoun | A word (e.g., I, you, he, she, it, we, they) that is used in place of a noun or another pronoun; must agree with its antecedent in number, person, and gender.
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| pronoun viewpoint | The point of view that emanates from the number, person, and gender of a nominative case pronoun (e.g., the "I" or "you" viewpoint); should be consistent within sentences, paragraphs, and at times documents.
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| proofread | Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word usage; part of the editing process but also stands on its own as the final, critical step in producing a document.
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| proofreader's marks | A table of established marks that editors and printers use to indicate changes made in a document.
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| proposal | A formal or informal document that presents an idea, product, or service in the hope that it will be adopted; combines informative and persuasive writing.
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| protocols | Formalities and rules of order and etiquette; play an important role in global business, governing interactions such as introductions, greetings, and written communications.
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| public domain | A term that refers to written material or graphics that can be used by the public without paying a fee or crediting the writer or illustrator.
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| purpose statement | (1) For business writing, a sentence that defines the writer's mission; (2) for teams, a statement that defines a project; (3) for individuals, a directive that identifies personal and professional goals, identifying priorities, focusing energies, and gauging career decisions.
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| qualitative research | Research that involves collecting narrative data to gain insight into phenomena of interest; often done by administering surveys and questionnaires.
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| quantify | Express numerically; a way to describe an achievement or goal (e.g., as a percentage, length of time, or amount of money) that shows its contribution to the bottom line.
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| quantitative research | Research that involves collecting numerical data to explain, predict, and/or control phenomena of interest; often done by applying the scientific method, with experimental and control groups.
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| question mark | A punctuation mark used to indicate a question the writer expects the reader to answer; sometimes can occur after individual words and after sentences structured as statements.
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| random sampling | A research technique in which the researcher surveys a group of people who are chosen at random and thus believed to be representative of the broader population; reduces bias and enables calculation of a margin of error.
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| rate of speech | The speed at which a person speaks. Listeners understand slow speech more effectively than fast speech.
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| read/reflect/respond | A process strategy for replying quickly to e-mail messages: read message and map response, compose response, edit and revise response.
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| real subject | The actor or agent that performs the action of the verb but may or may not appear in the sentence; in an active-voice sentence, the same as the grammatical subject. Compare grammatical subject.
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| record keeper | In meetings, a person who takes notes on the proceedings, recording the group's decisions and other important details.
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| reflexive case | The form of pronouns that reflect back to subjective case pronouns (e.g., myself, yourself, ourselves). Also called intensive case.
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| regular verb | A verb that forms its past and past participle by adding -ed to the base (e.g., walk, walked, have walked).
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| research | The process of investigating, inquiring, and examining; involves seeking answers in a methodical, objective manner that includes an established line of thought and credible experience.
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| resistance | A barrier consisting of the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that keep people from moving forward with a decision; can stem from tangible sources (e.g., lack of resources) or from intangible sources (e.g., lack of trust) and from valid or invalid concerns.
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| results | See outcomes.
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| résumé | A concise document summarizing a person's education and work history. See also chronological format, e-résumé, functional format, scannable résumé.
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| revise | Improve the way written ideas are presented by moving sentences or paragraphs and ensuring that major parts of the document achieve what is intended; intertwined with editing as the document progresses but on its own as a final check before proofreading.
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| romance | According to Whitehead, the stage in the cycle of learning in which the learner engages in the subject in a playful, explorative manner, without evaluation or grading.
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| roundtable discussion | A formal discussion for which the leader presents a topic beforehand so that participants come prepared to participate substantially, with the leader keeping them focused and engaged.
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| run-in heading | In documents, a lower-level heading that starts on a paragraph indent and is directly followed by text; typed in bold cap and lowercase letters followed by a period (or sometimes a colon), with two spaces after it to the text. Also called paragraph heading.
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| run-on sentence | A sentence that consists of two independent clauses joined with only a comma.
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| "s" form | The third-person singular form of a verb in simple present tense (e.g., works, does, is, follows).
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| salutation | The opening greeting of a letter or e-mail message.
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| sans serif | A font in which the top and bottom of the letters are uniform in thickness and look flat; literally, "without the line." Compare serif.
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| scannable résumé | A hard-copy résumé that summarizes work skills and experience in keywords that are scanned by employers for matches with their needs. See also e-résumé.
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| screening interview | A preliminary interview for the purpose of developing a pool of qualified candidates; may occur over the telephone, online, or in person.
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| section heading | See centered heading.
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| self-appraisal | A performance review in which the employee assesses his or her strengths, weaknesses, and achievements during a specified period.
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| semicolon | A punctuation mark used to separate two independent clauses and sometimes items in a series; stronger than a comma but weaker than a period, can be considered a "full stop" that is not "terminal."
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| sentence | A group of words that have a subject and verb and express a complete thought; one or more independent clauses, with or without one or more dependent clauses.
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| serif | A font in which the edges of the letters end in short lines, creating a pointed or sharp look (e.g., Times New Roman). Compare sans serif.
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| set of commas | A pair of commas that set off nonessential information in a sentence.
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| side heading | In documents, a second-level heading that starts at the left margin; typed in bold, either all-caps or cap and lowercase, followed by 1 blank line before the text below. Also called subheading.
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| signal anxiety | A type of anxiety that has positive effects; alerts a person to a task that needs attention and provides the energy to achieve it.
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| simple, clear, and concise | The characteristics of a writing style that is effective for business writing.
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| simplified style | A streamlined letter style that follows the block style but emphasizes the subject of the letter and omits the salutation and complimentary closing; the style of choice when there is no specific recipient.
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| simultaneous interpretation | Interpretation in which the interpreter, often using a microphone and headset, interprets the target language at the same time that the words are spoken.
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| skill sets | Skills that a person can perform in various areas of employment.
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| slang | Informal, nonconventional language (e.g., jargon, colloquialisms) that reflects a dialect rather than standard English; not acceptable in multicultural communication exchanges.
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| small-world phenomenon | The hypothesis that everyone in the world can be reached through a short chain of acquaintances.
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| soft copy | An electronic version of a document. Compare hard copy.
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| speaker | In the communication process, the sender of a message.
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| split | The situation that occurs when team members divide and take sides; causes extremely challenging group dynamics that can often spiral out of control.
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| Standard American English | The type of written and spoken language that follows the standard rules of English usage; used in most books, in classrooms, and in public and professional forums. See also Edited American English.
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| standard punctuation | In letters, a punctuation style in which a colon follows the salutation and a comma follows the complimentary closing; the most common for business letters.
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| state-of-being verb | A verb that does not transfer action but instead links a subject to a subject complement (rather than a direct object); any form of to be (is, are, was, were), appear, become, and seem, and at times smell, taste, feel, sound, look, act, and grow. Also called linking verb.
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| storyboarding | A technique for planning presentation slides; involves depicting the ideas by dividing a horizontal sheet of paper into two columns and putting text in one and a sketch or a graphic in the other.
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| strategy | An approach to solving problems or accomplishing a vision that consists of developing goals, objectives, and action plans that align with company mission and vision statements.
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| stress interview | An interview characterized by intense questioning and quick subject changes; intended to test an applicant's response to pressure.
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| style | In writing, the overall manner of presentation in a document; determined by many individual decisions that contribute to the total effect.
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| subheading | See Side heading.
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| subject | Together with the verb, the core of a sentence; can be a noun, phrase, or clause. See also grammatical subject, real subject.
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| subjective case | The form of pronouns that function as subjects of verbs. Subject pronouns must be followed by a verb (either real or implied). Also called nomative case.
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| subjective feedback | An appraisal that presents personal interpretations of behavior and personality traits and at times uses labels to summarize performance. Compare objective feedback.
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| subjunctive mood | The form of a verb that is used to express a condition that is improbable, highly unlikely, or contrary to fact; also used with certain requests, demands, recommendations, and set phrases.
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| subordinating conjunction | A word or phrase (e.g., when, as, if, as soon as) used to connect a dependent clause to an independent clause; defines the relationship between the ideas in the clauses.
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| summary | On a résumé, the section that highlights one's experience, achievements, and greatest skills and abilities.
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| superlative form | The form of an adjective that is used when three or more items are compared; for regular adjectives, formed by adding the suffix est or by using most or least before the adjective.
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| survey | A research tool in which a questionnaire is administered to a number of people; designed to elicit responses about a specific topic being studied.
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| synergy | The energy created in team dynamics that leads to the whole becoming more than the sum of its parts.
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| synopsis | A short, written summary that gives an overview of a report, study, or proposal; used in academic writing but equivalent to an abstract or executive summary.
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| syntax | The orderly arrangement of words. Also called grammar.
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| table | A graphics tool that displays data in columns and rows.
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| tag-on | An unnecessary preposition at the end of a phrase or clause (e.g., "Where do you live at?"); grammatically incorrect and should be eliminated.
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| team | A group of people who come together to work on a common goal.
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| telegraph model | A traditional communication model that explains communication as a process consisting of a "sender" (speaker) and a "receiver" (listener).
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| text-based conference | An online meeting in which participants communicate by sending electronic messages written in an informal and immediate style.
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| theory/practice method | A learning technique that involves first learning a principle and then applying it; enables a learner to connect how something is used with the principle that defines how it should be used and thus develops analytical, critical thinking skills.
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| topic sentence | Abroad, general sentence that gives an overview of a paragraph.
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| topic string | A series of sentences that develop the specific idea presented in a topic sentence.
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| transferable skills | Qualities, skills, and expertise that characterize a person regardless of his or her job description or profession and thus transfer with the person from one job to another.
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| transitional paragraph | In a document, a paragraph that summarizes the key ideas of the current section and indicates how the major theme of the document will be developed in the next section.
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| transitional sentence | A sentence that provides a logical connection between paragraphs.
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| transitive verb | A verb that transfers action and must have a direct object to be complete. Compare intransitive verb.
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| translator | A professional who translates documents from one language to another.
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| values | The qualities that determine the principles, ethics, and ideals of a culture; part of the unobservable context in which communication is held.
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| verb | Together with the subject, the core of a sentence; conjugated on the basis of subject and tense. Verb usage indicates whether an event happened in the past, is happening at the present, or will happen in the future. See also action verb, intransitive verb, state-of-being verb, transitive verb.
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| verb parts | The basic forms of a verb (e.g., past, past participle).
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| videoconference | A meeting in which participants communicate from different locations by means of phone lines and video monitors; may include text-based conferencing.
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| vision statement | Abroad statement that establishes the context in which a business exists.
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| visual persuasion | In written communications, a means of influencing the reader by the appearance of the document; involves the use of headings and special formatting features (e.g., bold, italics, numbered and bulleted lists) so that key points are instantly visible.
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| voice mail | Verbal communication by means of recorded phone messages.
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| "we" viewpoint | In written messages, a pronoun point of view that expresses teamwork and indicates that the ideas are those of the company as well as the writer; frequently used in business today.
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| Webcast | A meeting that consists of a phone conference, an online dialogue, and an online presentation all at the same time.
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| white noise | Extraneous, irrelevant communication that masks the real issues, adding clutter to a message.
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| white paper | A document, usually in the form of a narrative, that contains facts about a product or service and often includes a marketing strategy and research information to support the strategy.
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| works-cited list | In the MLA reference style, the end-of document references list; equivalent to a bibliography.
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| "you" viewpoint | In written messages, a pronoun point of view that helps the writer connect with reader and focus on the reader's needs.
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