Correspondence Procedures free essay sample

For administrative assistance, have your training officer or NCO log on to the MCI home page at www. mci. usmc. mil. Marines CONUS may call toll free 1-800-MCI-USMC. Marines worldwide may call commercial (202) 6857596 or DSN 325-7596. MCI Course 0131K iii (This page intentionally left blank. ) MCI Course 0131K iv Study Guide Congratulations Congratulations on your enrollment in a distance education course from the Distance Learning and Technologies Department (DLTD) of the Marine Corps Institute (MCI). Since 1920, the Marine Corps Institute has been helping tens of thousands of hard-charging Marines, like you, improve their technical job performance skills through distance learning. By enrolling in this course, you have shown a desire to improve the skills you have and master new skills to enhance your job performance. The distance learning course you have chosen, MCI 0131K, Correspondence Procedures, provides instruction to all Marines having administrative duties. This course consists of providing basic information on methods of preparing, typing, and filing correspondence. †¢ Your Personal Characteristics YOU ARE PROPERLY MOTIVATED. You have made a positive decision to get training on your own. Self-motivation is perhaps the most important force in learning or achieving anything. Doing whatever is necessary to learn is motivation. You have it! YOU SEEK TO IMPROVE YOURSELF. You are enrolled to improve those skills you already possess, and to learn new skills. When you improve yourself, you improve the Corps! YOU HAVE THE INITIATIVE TO ACT. By acting on your own, you have shown you are a self-starter, willing to reach out for opportunities to learn and grow. YOU ACCEPT CHALLENGES. You have self-confidence and believe in your ability to acquire knowledge and skills. You have the selfconfidence to set goals and the ability to achieve them, enabling you to meet every challenge. YOU ARE ABLE TO SET AND ACCOMPLISH PRACTICAL GOALS. You are willing to commit time, effort, and the resources necessary to set and accomplish your goals. These professional traits will help you successfully complete this distance learning course. Continued on next page †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ MCI Course 0131K v Study Guide, Continued Beginning Your Course Before you actually begin this course of study, read the student information page. If you find any course materials missing, notify your training officer or training NCO. If you have all the required materials, you are ready to begin. To begin your course of study, familiarize yourself with the structure of the course text. One way to do this is to read the table of contents. Notice the table of contents covers specific areas of study and the order in which they are presented. You will find the text divided into several study units. Each study unit is comprised of two or more lessons and lesson exercises. Leafing Through the Text Leaf through the text and look at the course. Read a few lesson exercise questions to get an idea of the type of material in the course. If the course has additional study aids, such as a handbook or plotting board, familiarize yourself with them. The First Study Unit Turn to the first page of study unit 1. On this page, you will find an introduction to the study unit and generally the first study unit lesson. Study unit lessons contain learning objectives, lesson text, and exercises. Reading the Learning Objectives Learning objectives describe in concise terms what the successful learner, you, will be able to do as a result of mastering the content of the lesson text. Read the objectives for each lesson and then read the lesson text. As you read the lesson text, make notes on the points you feel are important. Completing the Exercises To determine your mastery of the learning objectives and text, complete the exercises developed for you. Exercises are located at the end of each lesson, and at the end of each study unit. Without referring to the text, complete the exercise questions and then check your responses against those provided. Continued on next page MCI Course 0131K vi Study Guide, Continued Continuing to March Continue on to the next lesson, repeating the above process until you have completed all lessons in the study unit. Follow the same procedures for each study unit in the course. Preparing for the Final Exam To prepare for your final exam, you must review what you learned in the course. The following suggestions will help make the review interesting and challenging. †¢ CHALLENGE YOURSELF. Try to recall the entire learning sequence without referring to the text. Can you do it? Now look back at the text to see if you have left anything out. This review should be interesting. Undoubtedly, you’ll find you were not able to recall everything. But with a little effort, you’ll be able to recall a great deal of the information. USE UNUSED MINUTES. Use your spare moments to review. Read your notes or a part of a study unit, rework exercise items, review again; you can do many of these things during the unused minutes of every day. APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED. It is always best to use the skill or knowledge you’ve learned as soon as possible. If it isn’t possible to actually use the skill or knowledge, at least try to imagine a situation in which you would apply this learning. For example make up and solve your own problems. Or, better still, make up and solve problems that use most of the elements of a study unit. USE THE â€Å"SHAKEDOWN CRUISE† TECHNIQUE. Ask another Marine to lend a hand by asking you questions about the course. Choose a particular study unit and let your buddy â€Å"fire away. † This technique can be interesting and challenging for both of you! MAKE REVIEWS FUN AND BENEFICIAL. Reviews are good habits that enhance learning. They don’t have to be long and tedious. In fact, some learners find short reviews conducted more often prove more beneficial. Continued on next page †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ MCI Course 0131K vii Study Guide, Continued Tackling the Final Exam When you have completed your study of the course material and are confident with the results attained on your study unit exercises, take the sealed envelope marked â€Å"FINAL EXAM† to your unit training NCO or training officer. Your training NCO or officer will administer the final examination and return the examination and the answer sheet to MCI for grading. Before taking your final examination, read the directions on the DP-37 answer sheet carefully. Completing Your Course The sooner you complete your course, the sooner you can better yourself by applying what you’ve learned! HOWEVERyou do have 2 years from the date of enrollment to complete this course. Graduating! As a graduate of this distance education course and as a dedicated Marine, your job performance skills will improve, benefiting you, your unit, and the Marine Corps. Semper Fidelis! MCI Course 0131K viii STUDY UNIT 1 NAVAL WRITING STANDARDS Overview Understanding and applying naval writing standards is critical for commands to properly communicate with one another. Correspondence must be clearly presented, grammatically correct, and easily understood by the reader. This study unit will provide you with the knowledge needed to properly write naval correspondence. Upon completion of this study unit, you should be able to apply the principles and standards of naval correspondence, proper writing techniques, and stationery and typeface rules. This study unit contains the following lessons: Lesson Proper Writing Techniques Principles and Standards of Naval Correspondence Revising Correspondence See Page 1-3 1-39 1-57 Scope Contents In This Study Unit MCI Course 0131K 1-1 Study Unit 1 (This page intentionally left blank. ) MCI Course 0131K 1-2 Study Unit 1 LESSON 1 PROPER WRITING TECHNIQUES Introduction Whether writing formal or informal correspondence, you must clearly state the message so the reader easily understands it. In this lesson, you will learn basic grammar rules and techniques for clear and effective writing. Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Use proper punctuation in correspondence. Use proper capitalization in correspondence. Use proper spelling in correspondence. Properly organize writing. Apply active voice to correspondence. Scope Learning Objectives In This Lesson This lesson contains the following topics: Topic Introduction Background Punctuation Capitalization Spelling Organized Writing Natural Writing Economical Writing Active Voice Lesson 1 Exercise See Page 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-9 1-14 1-17 1-21 1-27 1-31 1-35 MCI Course 0131K 1-3 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Background Information for this study unit came from the following reference material. †¢ SECNAVINST 5216. 5D, Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual, specifically Chapter 3, Naval Writing Standards References United States Air Force Academy Executive Writing Course †¢ United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, viewable online at http://www. gpoaccess. gov/stylemanual/browse. html Note: The Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual is commonly referred to as the Navy Correspondence Manual. Guidance All Marines who draft, review, or sign correspondence should read and follow the naval writi ng standards outlined in chapter 3 of the Navy Correspondence Manual. MCI Course 0131K 1-4 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Punctuation This lesson covers punctuation most commonly used in naval correspondence. For assistance with punctuation not covered here or for additional information, check out the U. S. Government Printing Office Style Manual, any good dictionary, or enroll in MCI Course 0119H, Punctuation. Use an apostrophe (’) to show possession. To show possession for a singular word, put an ’s at the end of the word. However, if the word ends in s, put an ’s or an ’at the end. †¢ Corporal Lake’s rifle is clean. †¢ Corporal Harris’s rifle is clean. †¢ Corporal Jones’ rifle is clean. To show possession for a plural word that ends in s, put ’ at the end. For a plural word that does not end in s, put ’s at the end. The corporals’ rifles are clean. †¢ The fire alarm is on the wall next to the men’s locker room. To show two people or groups possess the same object, put ’s or ’ at the end of the second person or group, depending on the singular or plural case. †¢ Sergeant P epper and Corporal Lake’s room is clean. †¢ The sergeants and corporals’ billeting building is clean. To show two people or groups possess different objects, put ’s or ’ at the end of both names or groups, depending on the singular or plural nature. †¢ Corporal Wilson’s and Private Smith’s uniforms are wrinkled. The sergeants’ and corporals’ rooms are spotless. Note: For any of the above rules, if the second s makes the word difficult to pronounce, use only the apostrophe. Continued on next page General Apostrophe MCI Course 0131K 1-5 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Punctuation, Continued Do not use an apostrophe to indicate possession by anything other than persons or animals. †¢ The objective of this letter (not this letter’s objective) †¢ The muzzle of the weapon (not the weapon’s muzzle) Exceptions are in the following table: Expressions of Time a week’s leave a month’s stay Colon Apos trophe with Possessive Objects Expressions of Value fifty dollars’ worth a nickel’s worth Set Expressions or Idioms a hair’s breadth a snowball’s chance Use a colon (:) †¢ To introduce a list Attendees must bring the following items: notepad, pen, pencil, and a three-ring binder. †¢ Before an explanation Our mess hall is very convenient for lunch: The line always moves fast. Note: Capital letter on â€Å"The†Ã¢â‚¬â€it begins a complete sentence. †¢ Before a direct quotation When questioned, the captain reverted to the standard answer: â€Å"No comment. † Note: Capital letter on â€Å"No†Ã¢â‚¬â€it begins a quotation. †¢ In the salutation of a business letter Dear Ms. Jones: Continued on next page MCI Course 0131K 1-6 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Punctuation, Continued Use a hyphen (-) to connect elements of certain compound words. This table (derived from MCI Course 0119H, Punctuation) lists some of the more common rules: Rule Use a hyphen in compound adjectives that precede a noun but not in those that follow nouns. Example The weapons of twentieth-century warfare differ greatly from those of the nineteenth century. Hyphens Note: The noun is warfare. In a series of hyphenated adjectives The report must contain short- and with the same second word, you may long-range plans. mit that word (but not the hyphen) in all but the last adjective of the series. Use a hyphen after the prefix all-, Senator-elect Stephens will be the ex-, self- , quasi-, and before the guest speaker at the all-important suffix -elect. seminar on self-control. Use a hyphen if a compound word Sun Tzu was a pre-eminent (not would otherwise create a double preeminent) theorist on war. vowel, a triple consonant, or a word that would be difficult to pronounce. Use a hyphen to write out fractions One hundred thirty-four Marines in words and to write out whole (one-half of the company) attended numbers from 21 to 99. he safety class. Semicolon Use a semicolon (;) to separate items that contain commas. Here are some examples: †¢ The guest speakers were Colonel Williams, an OIF veteran; Sergeant Major Jones, an OEF veteran; and First Sergeant Smith, a Desert Storm veteran. †¢ The itinerary will include visits to Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Continued on next page MCI Course 0131K 1-7 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Punctuation, Continued Rewrite the following sentences using correct punctuation in the spaces provided. Check your answers against the solutions at the bottom of the page. This directives purpose is to outline the steps for completing the AA Form. ______________________________________________________________ _________ _____________________________________________________ †¢ Thirty-three Marines violated the colonels order not to consume alcohol. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Practice Practice Solutions Check your answers against these solutions. †¢ The purpose of this directive is to outline the steps for completing the AA Form. The â€Å"directive† is neither a person nor an animal and does not qualify to receive an apostrophe to possess â€Å"purpose. † You must rewrite the sentence. †¢ Thirty-three Marines violated the colonel’s order not to consume alcohol. â€Å"Thirty-three† is a whole number between 21 and 99 so it is correctly written with a hyphen. The colonel possesses the â€Å"order† and needs an apostrophe to indicate that. Practice Summary If you changed the sentences using correct punctuation, continue to the next topic. If not, review this topic and take the challenge again. MCI Course 0131K 1-8 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Capitalization There are far too many capitalization rules to cover each one in detail. This lesson will cover a few. You can find more rules and examples in the U. S. Government Printing Office Style Manual or in MCI Course 0119H, Punctuation. Always capitalize the first letter of the first word of a sentence. †¢ The telephone is on the desk. †¢ Tomorrow is another day. First Letter of Direct Quotation General First Letter of Sentence Capitalize the first letter of the first word of a direct quotation if the quotation is a complete sentence. †¢ The colonel said, â€Å"We will taste victory. † †¢ Have you heard the expression, â€Å"death before dishonor? The d in death is not capitalized because the quoted phrase is not a complete sentence. Continued on next page MCI Course 0131K 1-9 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Capitalization, Continued The term proper refers to nouns that belong to specific persons, places, or things. This table contains examples of proper nouns: Condition Proper Noun Days, Months, Official Holidays, †¢ Monday and Periods of Time †¢ November †¢ Veteran’s Day †¢ Middle Ages Historic Events †¢ Revolutionary War †¢ World War I †¢ Battle of Second Manassas Military Operations †¢ Operation Enduring Freedom †¢ Operation Iraqi Freedom †¢ Desert Storm Organizations †¢ American Red Cross †¢ Disabled American Veterans †¢ World Health Organization Persons †¢ Archibald Henderson †¢ Al Gray †¢ Lee Trevino Places †¢ Iowa; State of Iowa †¢ Asia †¢ U. S. Capitol building Note: Capitalize the C in Capitol when referring to the building in Washington, DC. †¢ Cherokee †¢ Hispanic †¢ English †¢ Urdu Proper Nouns Races, Ethnicities, and Languages Proper Adjectives Proper adjectives are adjectives derived from proper names. †¢ The American way of life. †¢ The Eastern United States is heavily populated. Continued on next page MCI Course 0131K 1-10 Study Unit 1, Lesson 1 Capitalization, Continued Always use a capital letter for a military rank or civilian title when preceding a name, but not general references. †¢ The colonel asked Captain Jones to meet with Mayor Smith this afternoon about the governor’s visit to the base. †¢ I questioned Mr. Smith about missing his doctor’s appointment with Dr. Jones. Capitalize titles that follow or replace a person’s name if the title is one of high distinction. †¢ George W. Bush, President of the United States †¢ The President of the United States or Mr. President †¢ General Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps Do not capitalize titles that are not of high distinction. Master Sergeant Johnson, treasurer of the club †¢ Mr. John Smith, executive secretary Military Abbreviations Titles In official military correspondence, capitalize all letters of authorized abbreviations (with periods). Words and Definitions accept: to believe or to receive except: to exclude affect: to influence (verb) effect: the result of an action (noun) or the act of causing change (noun) capital: official seat (city) of government or asset (money or property) or upper-case letter or extremely serious capitol: building for state legislature it’s: it is its: belonging to it lose: to be deprived of loose: free, not fastened personal: belonging to a particular person personnel: body of people in an organization or office concerned with the body of people in an organization their: belonging to them there: in, to, or toward that place they’re: they are than: to show comparison or an alternative then: a reference to time (past or future) or in that case; accordingly or in addition; moreover The war had a despairing effect on him, but it did not affect me the same way. West Virginia opened its first capitol building eight years after Charleston was named the state capital. It’s ti me for the committee to release its report. You might lose your shoe if you don’t tighten that loose shoestring. Do not leave personal belongings in the waiting area of the personnel office. When Bob and June get there, they’re going to realize their tickets are still on the coffee table. I saw the rifle range results and then realized I scored lower than the average. Additional Help Enroll in MCI Course 0118K, Spelling, or look in a desktop dictionary for more help with spelling.