我们学习过了第一个P——polite，这次来继续学习第二个P——positive。
BeingCourteous:HowToBePositive
Towritecourteoussentences,youneedtobepolite.Youalsoneedtousethesecond"P"-bepositive.
Onceagain,thinkofyourselfasthereader(orcustomer).
Howwouldyoufeelifyougotaletterthatsaid...
"Youcannotwithdrawthemoneyuntilyourchequehascleared."
Thissentenceisverynegative,isn'titIttellsyouwhatyoucan'tdo.
"Youcanwithdrawthemoneyassoonasyourchequehascleared."
Youcanmakeasentencepositivebystatingwhatthereadercandoinsteadofwhatthereadercannotdo.
SAYWHATYOUCANDO
Youonlyhavetochangeafewwordstochangeanegativesentenceintoapositiveone.
Youonlyneedtosaywhatthereadercandoratherthanwhatthereadercan'tdo.Youcanalsobepositivebysayingwhatthecompanycandoratherthanwhatitcan'tdo.
Lookatthetwosentencesbelow.Bothsentenceshavethesamemeaning.Butoneispositiveandoneisnegative.Whichsentenceispositive
"Ourofficeclosesat4:00pm."
"Ourofficestaysopenuntil4:00pm."
Thesecondsentencesoundsmuchbetter,doesn'titTheword"open"ispositive,while"close"isnegative.
There'sanotherwaytowritepositively.
Thinkofyourselfasabankcustomer.You'vejustreceivedaletterinvitingyoutoapplyforaClassicVisacard.Intheletter,youreadthissentence:
"YouneedanannualincomeofHKD42,000toapplyforacreditcard."
Howdoyoufeel
Thesentenceistrue,butitcouldbewritteninamorepositiveway.So,trytorevisethesentence.(Hint:Youmaywanttobeginthesentencewith"if".)
"IfyouhaveanannualincomeofHKD42,000,youcanapplyforacreditcard."
USETHE"IF-CONTRACT"
Whenyouusethe"if-contract",youstatewhatyou,yourcompanyorthereadercando...IFthereadercanmeetaspecificcondition.
The"if-contract"emphasiseswhatispossible.It'samuchmorepositivewayofexpressingyourideas.
Lookattwomoresentences.Bothhavethesamemeaning,butwhichonesoundsmorepositive
"Youmustreplywithinfivedaysorwecannotprocessyourapplication."
"Ifyouapplywithinfivedays,wecanprocessyourapplication."
Doyouseehowthe"if-contract"makesasentencemorepositive
Wheneveryouusethe"if-contract",you
lbeginwithan"IF"clauseand
lendwithan"action"clause(whichstateswhatyouoryourreadercandoiftheconditionismet).
Youcanpractisewritingpositivesentencesintheexercisebelow.
Tryrevisingthefollowingsentences,whicharenotverypositive.
1)Wecannotprocessyourapplicationuntilnextmonthunlessyoureplypromptly.
2)Youneedareferencebeforeyoucanopenanaccount.
3)Settlepaymentimmediatelyoryouwillbechargedanadditional$15.
4)YoumustsendthedocumentsbyFridayorwecannotprepareaLetterofCredit.
5)Unlessyouhavefiveyears'experienceinpersonalfinance,youcannotapplyfortheposition.
Suggestedrevisions:
1)Ifyoureplypromptly,wecanprocessyourapplicationbytheendofthemonth.
2)Ifyougiveusareference,youcanopenanaccount.
3)Ifyoupayimmediately,youwillnotincuranyadditionalcharges.
4)IfyousendusthedocumentsbyFriday,wecanprepareaLetterofCredit.
5)Ifyouhavefiveyears'experienceinpersonalfinance,youcanapplyfortheposition.
NOTE:Inallofthesesentences,youcanchangetheorderofthetwoclauses.eg"Wecanprocessyourapplicationbytheendofthemonthifyoureplypromptly."