Business English: A Practice Book — Text and Context

Grammar as a Business Tool

Part I devotes substantial space to word-study and grammar, a field the preface says is commonly neglected in business books. Buhlig treats grammar not as abstract rules but as a practical foundation. Exercises ask students to correct sentences like 'Electric lights are economical, clean, and give more light than gas'—a faulty parallelism that muddles a sales claim. Another exercise targets the 'comma fault' where two principal clauses are run together without a conjunction. The method is inductive: examples precede rules, and students learn by revising flawed prose. The book assumes that business people are 'woefully weak in the grammar of our language' and aims to remedy that deficiency directly.

The Paragraph as a Unit of Clarity

Chapter XIV on the paragraph reveals Buhlig's concern with reader comprehension. She warns against two extremes: the one-sentence paragraph, which 'business men in their letters and advertisements use too frequently to concentrate the attention of the reader,' and overly long paragraphs that lose focus. A sample letter demonstrates the 'jerky effect' of short, disconnected paragraphs—each sentence isolated, the topic shifting without warning. Buhlig insists that a paragraph must treat one topic and reveal it unmistakably, often through a topic sentence. This advice reflects her broader principle: writing must aid the reader to follow the thoughts being presented, not merely express the writer's ideas.

Oral English and the Demand of Situation

Part II addresses oral as well as written composition, a feature the preface singles out as unusual for the time. Buhlig regards the spoken word as important as the written word. Part III then analyzes 'the situations arising in many different kinds of business,' teaching students to first learn what a situation demands before writing. The approach is practical: exercises are 'live, practical, and up-to-date,' requiring students to practice meeting specific demands. This emphasis on situational awareness—knowing before writing—distinguishes the book from purely grammatical manuals. It frames business communication as a response to real-world problems, not a set of fixed formulas.

Readers approaching this textbook should note its dual character: it is both a grammar primer and a composition guide, rooted in the belief that effective business writing requires mastery of standard English. The exercises reward careful attention to detail, and the inductive method means that examples often carry the instructional weight. The book's 1914 origin shows in some references, but its core lessons—clarity, audience awareness, and the rejection of empty formalism—remain pertinent for anyone seeking to write with purpose in a professional context.

There’s a peculiar comfort in old books that argue with patience—whether teaching letters to clerks or soothing a minister’s dispute. Business English never shouted; it simply showed, gently, how context shapes meaning. That same unhurried quiet lives in The Members of the Established Church Vindicated from certain charges, direct or implied, in a letter addressed to them by the Rev. John Alexander, on the subject of — Text and Context, where every sentence respects its reader’s good sense. Both speak as if conversation matters more than conclusion.