There are a few common and fairly obvious grammatical pitfalls that can negatively impact the structure and professionalism of your curriculum. These include run-on sentences, incomplete explanations, or language that is too casual for a business document.

Identifying these pitfalls- then rewriting to eliminate them, is a fairly straightforward process since these unprofessional occurrences are often accompanied by some easily identifiable indicator words.

Let’s take a look at five of the most common grammatical “red flags,” with an example of improper usage and a suggested rewrite for each.

 

1. “Then”

Frequent use of the word “then” is indicative of an inability to properly segue thoughts and ideas. The result is an improper structuring of content that detracts from the professionalism of the overall presentation of content..

Unprofessional Usage Example

“First press the green button to start the machine. Then turn the black dial to set the motor speed. Then put the power switch in the “on” position to begin the process.”

Professional Rewrite

“The first step is to press the green button to start the machine. Once the machine is running turn the black dial to obtain the desired motor speed. When the motor is running at the proper speed, put the power switch in the “on” position to begin the production process.”

 

2. “Because”

The word “because” is often used as a shortcut in lieu of a more suitable cause and effect transition. The use of this term can cause the content to come across as choppy, and can detract from the necessary context required in providing a clear and relevant explanation. The following example illustrates both.

Unprofessional Usage Example

“These safety procedures must be followed because they are required and because it is dangerous to ignore them.”

Professional Rewrite

“There are two reasons for adhering to the safety procedures presented. First it is required by law and our organizational policy is to remain in compliance with all applicable regulations. Second, and most importantly, failure to follow these procedures could result in serious injury.”

 

3. “You”

The occasional use of pronouns, particularly in introductions and summaries can be effective in adding a personal touch to the material presented, for example, “what you will learn in this module.”

But too much inclusion of the word “you” becomes obvious and distracting to the reader, who will quickly detect the deviation from the sentence structuring expected in a professional business document.

Unprofessional Usage Example

“First you will click the green start button. You will now hear the unit run through a self-test. You will then click OK when you see the prompt after the self-test.

Professional Rewrite

“Click the green start button. A unit self-test is initiated. Once the self-test has been completed the test results will display. Click OK to continue.

In the professionally rewritten instruction the “you” count went from 4 to 0.

 

4. “Is when”

In addition to sounding grammatically incorrect, the use of the words “is when…” to explain a concept or term inherently omits part of the explanation.

As demonstrated in the examples below, these words are often and incorrectly used in a part of a sentence that should otherwise contain pertinent information

Unprofessional Usage Example

Gravity is when objects are drawn back to earth

Professional Rewrite

Gravity is a force of nature by which objects are drawn towards earth.

Unprofessional Usage Example

A bear market is when stock prices fall.

Professional Rewrite

A bear market is a period in a financial market that is characterized by falling prices.

Note the additional detail in the sections of the sentences previously containing the “is when” references.

 

5. “Need to”

“Need to” statements can be detrimental to effective content delivery, as they often lack the necessary “how” or “why” explanations,

In addition to omitting pertinent “how” or “why” detail, these “need to” statements may make the training audience feel that they are being addressed in the way that a parent or school teacher may address a child.

Unprofessional Usage Example

“You need to turn the black dial to number three. Next you need to press the green Start button.”

Professional Rewrite

“Before starting the production run it is necessary to use the black dial to select the packaging line that will receive the finished good. In this case it will be line number 3. Once the line number has been selected press Start to begin the production process.”

In the unprofessional usage example, the training audience may be left subliminally wondering why they need to do these things, and thus may not properly absorb the rest of the instructions.

The rewritten statement provides the added dimension of why the specified actions are performed and is delivered in a more “adult” tone as expected in a business environment.