Download VU Lecture #12

Business Communication Workshop
Course Coordinator:
Ayyaz Qadeer
Lecture # 12
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Improving Writing techniques
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
We have discussed…..
Emphasis Through Mechanics:
• Italics and Boldface :
• All Caps: Notice how EXPENSE-FREE stands out.
• Dashes:
• Tabulation:
Emphasis and Deemphasis Through Style
Effective Sentences (Comma-splice Sentences)
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
We have discussed…..
• Effective Sentences (Developing Parallelism)
• Effective Sentences (Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers)
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Sentence Readability
Number of words
Readability
8 or less
Very easy
11
Easy
14
Fairly easy
17
Standard
21
Fairly difficult
25
Difficult
29 or more
Very difficult
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
5
Avoid Strings of Choppy Sentences
• Choppy: Both models offer safety belts, Both
models have counterbalancing. Each one has a
nor. Each one has lights. One offers wing-sided
seats. These seats enhance safety.
• Clear:
Both models offer safety belts,
counterbalancing, a horn, and lights. Only one
offers wing-sided safety belts, which enhance
safety.
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Long Lead-Ins
Instead of this:
Try this:
This memo is to inform
you that all employees
meet today.
All employees meet
today.
I am writing this letter to
say thanks to everyone
who voted.
Thanks to everyone who
voted.
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Outdated Expressions
Outdated:
Modern:
as per your request
at your request
pursuant to your request
at your request
attached hereunto
attached
under separate cover
separately
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Fillers
Revise sentences to avoid fillers such as there
and it when used merely to take up space.
Instead of this:
Try this:
There are two employees
who should be
promoted.
Two employees should
be promoted.
It was Lisa and Jeff who
were singled out.
Lisa and Jeff were
singled out.
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Try Your Skill
Revise the following sentences.
• This e-mail message is to inform you that in all probability we
will actually finish in two weeks.
We will probably finish in two weeks.
• There are many brokers who are quite certain that these stocks
are completely safe.
Many brokers are certain that these stocks are safe.
• Pursuant to your request, there are two contracts that are
attached hereto.
As you requested, two contracts are attached.
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Redundant Words
Avoid unnecessarily repetitious words. What
words could be omitted in these expressions?
advance warning
close proximity
exactly identical
filled to capacity
final outcome
necessary requisite
new beginning
past history
refer back
thought and consideration
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Jargon
Avoid technical terms and special terminology that
readers would not recognize.
Computer jargon:
Alternative language:
queue
list of documents waiting
to be printed
export
transfer data from one
program to another
Internet capacity
bandwidth
Is jargon ever permissible?
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Slang
Avoid slang (informal expressions with arbitrary
or extravagantly changed meanings).
to bag on
clueless
turkey
chill/chill out
to tease, to nag, to complain
unaware, naïve
someone stupid or silly
relax
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Clichés
Avoid clichés (overused expressions). Substitute
more precise words.
Last but not least, you
should keep your nose to
the grindstone.
Finally, you should work
diligently.
We had reached the end
of our rope.
We could go no further.
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Clichés
Poor use
Better use
Reside
Live
Terminate
End
Utilization of
Use
Optimum
Best
Finalize
Finish
At this point in time
Now
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
15
Try Your Skill
Revise the following sentence to avoid slang, clichés, and
redundancies.
• Last but not least, the attorney referred back to an exactly identical
case.
Finally, the attorney referred to an identical case.
• With a little advance warning, we could have sold out before our
stocks tanked.
With warning, we could have sold out before our stocks hit
bottom.
• Ms. Miller, who shoots straight from the shoulder, demanded final
completion by January 1.
Ms. Miller, who is straightforward, demanded completion by
January 1.
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
3. Choose a Tone for the Reader
• Forceful:
• Use the active voice
• Use the subject-verb structure
• Do not use ‘weasel words’
(possibly, may be, perhaps)
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
3. Choose a Tone for the Reader
• Passive:
• Avoid imperatives
• Use the passive voice
• Use ‘weasel words’
• Use longer sentences
• Doof not
explicitly
take
Essentials
Business
Communication,
Asianresponsibility
Edition
3. Choose a Tone for the Reader
• Personal:
• Use the active voice
• Use first names
• Use personal pronouns
• Use short sentences
• Use contractions
Essentials
of Business
Communication,
• Direct
questions
atAsian
theEdition
reader
Recapitulation
• Avoid Strings of Choppy Sentences
• Avoid long lead-ins, Outdated Expressions, Fillers,
Redundant Words
• Avoid technical terms and special terminology that
readers would not recognize.
• Avoid slang (informal expressions with arbitrary or
extravagantly changed meanings).
• Avoid clichés (overused expressions). Substitute more
precise words.
• How to choose a Tone for the Reader
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition
Thank You
Essentials of Business Communication, Asian Edition