communication writer please

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week_3_business_writing_style_brs.ppt

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Business Writing Should Be…

It’s concise and doesn’t waste the reader’s time.

It looks at the problem from the reader’s perspective.

It solves problems and conveys information.

Define your business writing goals. Get over the notion that longer is better—less is more in business writing. You are writing to express your ideas succinctly not impress the reader with overly long rambling explanations.

Your Style Shaped by

Audience, Personalities
Purpose
Customs in your organizations
Customs in your profession

Guffey’s 3x3 Writing Process

Five qualities of effective messages.

Business Writing is Concise
Use Short Sentences

Make Every Word Count

Avoid padding sentences with unnecessary words – think about what you want to say and say it.

Sentence length	Comprehension rate
8 words	100 percent
15 words	90 percent
19 words	80 percent
28 words	50 percent

Effective sentences are short and stress important ideas. Sentences of 20 or fewer words are easiest to understand.

Composing the First Draft With Effective Sentences

Use four sentence types:

Simple sentence

The entrepreneur saw an opportunity.

Compound sentence

The entrepreneur saw an opportunity, and she responded immediately.

The entrepreneur saw an opportunity; she responded immediately.

Types of Sentences

Complex sentence

When the entrepreneur saw the opportunity, she responded immediately.

Compound-complex sentence

When the entrepreneur saw the opportunity, she responded immediately; however, she needed capital.

Avoid Three Common Sentence Faults
p. 130 (p. 111)

Sentence fragments
Are usually broken-off parts of complex sentences
Can be identified by the words that introduce them: although, as, because, except, which
Run-on sentences
Sentence with two independent clauses not joined by appropriate punctuation
Comma-spliced sentences
Results when two independent clauses are joined by a comma

Identify the sentence faults.

Page 141, exercise 5.2 (Page 120, a,c,d)

Sentence Fault #1:
The Sentence Fragment

Is an incomplete sentence
Complete sentences include

a) a subject b) a verb c) make sense

Because 90 percent of all business transactions involve written messages. Good writing skills are critical.

Tip

Proofread sentences beginning with these words carefully.

Although…
Because…
As…
Since …
When…

Sentence Fault #2:
The Run-on Sentence

Robin visited the resorts of the rich and the famous he also dropped in on luxury spas.

Created when

Two complete sentences joined without correct punctuation.

Run-on Sentence Solutions:

1. Insert a comma before the coordinating conjunction.

Robin visited the resorts of the rich and the famous, and he dropped in on luxury spas. ^

complete sentence + comma + and + complete sentence

2. Insert a semi-colon.

Robin visited the resorts of the rich and the famous; he also dropped in on luxury spas.

3. Insert a period.

Robin visited the resorts of the rich and the famous. He also dropped in on luxury spas.

Sentence Fault #3:
Comma Spliced Sentence

Disney World operates in Orlando, EuroDisney serves Paris.

Created when

A comma joins two complete sentences.

Solutions:
Comma-spliced sentence

Original: Disney World operates in Orlando, EuroDisney serves Paris.

1. Insert a coordinating conjunction after the comma.

Disney World operates in Orlando, and EuroDisney serves Paris.

2. Replace comma with a period or semi-colon.

Disney World operates in Orlando; EuroDisney serves Paris.

3. Insert a conjunctive adverb and punctuate correctly.

Disney World operates in Orlando; however, EuroDisney serves Paris.

^ ^

Taking Time to Revise:
Tighten your message by being concise.

Eliminate flabby expressions.

Limit long lead-ins.

Drop unnecessary there is/are and it is/was fillers.

Remove redundancies.

Purge empty words.

Ch. 7, Slide *

Eliminate Flabby Expressions,
p. 146

Say it more concisely.

at such time, at which time

at this point in time

due to the fact that, inasmuch as

at a later date

despite the fact that

when

now

because

later

although

Ch. 7, Slide *

Delete long lead ins, p. 147

Unclutter your sentences.

This is to inform you that we have a toll- free service line.

Ch. 7, Slide *

Delete long lead ins

Unclutter your sentences.

This is to inform you that we have a toll- free service line.

We have a toll-free service line.

Ch. 7, Slide *

Remove Unnecessary
Opening Fillers
There is/are + it was/were

Avoid wordiness.

Wordy: There are four new menu items we must promote.

Concise: We must promote four new menu items.

Ch. 7, Slide *

Eliminate Redundancies

Say it only once!

collect together

contributing factor

past history

basic fundamentals

personal opinion

perfectly clear

unexpected surprise

few in number

Taking Time to Revise:
Make Your Message Clear

Keep it short and simple.
Dump trite “business” phrases and clichés.
Avoid slang and buzzwords.
Rescue buried verbs.
Control exuberance or intensifiers.

Ch. 7, Slide *

Dump Trite “Business” Phrases

Eliminate stale, puffed-up expressions.

as per your suggestion

pursuant to your request

enclosed please find

please feel free to call

thank you in advance

as you suggested

as you requested

enclosed is

please call

thank you

Ch. 7, Slide *

Unbury Your Verbs, p. 152

Use simple, dynamic verbs.

conduct an investigation of

give consideration to

make a decision about

perform an analysis of

take action

investigate

consider

decide

analyze

act

Ch. 7, Slide *

Controlling Intensifiers, p. 152

Overuse of these words can sound unprofessional.

Very

Definitely

Quite

Completely

Extremely

Really

Actually

Totally

Awesome