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Big Stuff, Little Stuff: A Decennial Measurement of Executives' and Academics' Reactions to Questionable Usage Elements

California State University-Long Beach

Don Leonard

Arizona State University

Many factors, such as word choice, organization, suitability to reader and dis course community, and numerous other rhetorical considerations, influence read ers' perception of "good writing." The factor provoking instant and powerful abre action from a reader, however, is often a perceived error in grammar or usage. This study tests the extent to which business executives and business communica tion academics were bothered by selected examples of these questionable usage ele ments. Results show usage elements that troubled readers most were basic sen tence-structure errors such as run-ons, fragments, nonparallel structure, and danglers. Several usage errors, such as the use of "disinterested" for "uninter ested" and the use of qualifiers with absolutes such as "unique," may be in transi tion to acceptability. The error of completing a linking verb with an adverbial clause troubled few. Executive readers were bothered less by the questionable usage elements, overall, than academic readers, and younger readers less than older readers. Acknowledging to students that usage changes, clarifying differences between written and spoken dialects, and exemplifying and explaining the most bothersome errors (using a minimum of traditional grammar terminology) can help students overcome some writing weaknesses.

Key Words: Usage • Grammar • English Language • Business Writing • Pedagogy

Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 38, No. 4, 439-471 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/002194360103800403


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