We assert that schools and textbook publishers ineffectively emphasize gram
mar. To see if traditional instruction in grammar prepares students for busi
ness communication classes and the corporate world, we investigated specific
writing skills of both native and nonnative business students. Although most
students passed objective grammar and punctuation tests—the two groups
showed no statistical differences—some cannot write. High schools, the study
found, pass these students. The university also passes writing-deficient stu
dents on to employers who must train them. We searched for reasonable solu
tions to reduce the number of graduates who lack English skills for the
workplace.
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