week 3 dis.

Please use the following link to read the article from the OWL Writing Center.

OWL article on tone in business writing

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/tone_in_business_writing.html

Then log into MyBCommLab to view the following video: Chapter 6 Video - Giant Robot Magazine

Finally, on the discussion board, post a message that describes how the the OWL paper and video related to material presented in this unit. Specifically discuss:

Why tone is important in business writing.

The one or two major points you learned about tone in business writing from the OWL paper.

The one or two most important points you learned about writing business messages from the video.

One of the following questions about the video:

Based on Borok's comment that messages should be "politically correct to a degree," what might result from excessive emphasis on political correctness?

Eric Nakamura states that it's best to create messages in a text-editing program rather than as an email. What are the advantages of this approach?

Borok comments on the benefits of using an outline to help organize your ideas in developing business messages. Why is it important to remember that your outline is not set in stone? Your message should include at least two paragraphs and should also be written using professional business language.

Once you've posted your message, please respond to at least two "Writing Business Messages Discussion" posts. Your responses must be at least two paragraphs in length and offer your opinions about other students’ ideas. Discuss what you agree with and why, what you disagree with and why and any other related topics. (Replies may be posted by selecting a thread and using the "Reply" button.)

1.Tone is important in business writing because it is your overall attitude towards your audience, it makes an impression, and affects how the audience receives or interprets your message.

The OWL article teaches us how to set the tone when delivering a negative message. First, we should thank the reader for their involvement, gently state the bad news (such as declining an offer), and if needed, follow up with an explanation. We should be sincere and generally avoid using an active voice to draw less attention to the unpleasant message. The OWL article also discusses how to properly emphasize or subordinate ideas. To emphasize an idea, we should start with a short sentence in the beginning paragraph to show importance, then offer more information in follow up sentences. To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence and place it in a middle paragraph.

In the video, Michelle Borok stresses the importance of using bias-free and plain language in order to display your message as objective and clear. Bias language can make you appear as if you are passing judgement on your audience. Plain language makes your message “black and white” and leave less room for interpretation. Borok also discusses how the use of an outline can be helpful in business communications. It is important to keep in mind that outlines are not set in stone, conversations or messages can fluctuate according to the feedback from the audience. Borok mentions having an outline that included a possible art show for a client, but as she learns that the client has a book coming out, a book signing would be more appropriate.

2. Tone is important because your tone of writing will determine how the audience interprets your message. You can intend to have a positive message but the tone of your writing can come off negative. One major point I learned from reading the OWL paper is the appropriate way to respond to a message when factoring in multiple factors. Depending on the topic in which you are responding will determine what tone you would like to use for your writing. Also, you want to determine who your audience is for the difficulty of your writing should be. For example, if your intended audience is children, your writing will be easy to read and most likely in a positive tone. A major point that I took away from the video is that an outline can really benefit you in many ways. For example if you have an outline your writing will stay on track and you can control your tone more because you know who your intended audience is and what your would like your final product to be like.

When Eric Nakamura stated that the best way to respond to an email may be in a text-editing program rather than an email, I thought that was a great idea. It would be a great idea because if it is a sensitive subject, you don't want to respond based on your current emotions. With writing it out and reading over it a couple of times before sending it, you are able to remove the emotion behind the response. This will help you remain professional.