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Enhancing Business Writing Skills

Facilitated by Mosedimosi Business Training

September to October 2009

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED COPYRIGHT

The views expressed in this document are not necessarily those of the Seta’s.

Table of Contents

Module 1..........................................................................................................4

Planning and constructing documents....................................................................................4Cultivate your writing skills......................................................................................................5Set the objective(s)................................................................................................................. 6Purpose and Scope................................................................................................................8Planning the document...........................................................................................................9

Module 2........................................................................................................16

Mind Maps............................................................................................................................ 16Structure of draft report.........................................................................................................19Tactics to get rid of writer’s block..........................................................................................24

Module 3........................................................................................................25

The foundations of your writing skills....................................................................................26English a complex language.................................................................................................27Grammar.............................................................................................................................. 30Word use.............................................................................................................................. 33Pomposity............................................................................................................................. 39Verbs.................................................................................................................................... 41Sentences............................................................................................................................. 44Paragraphs........................................................................................................................... 45Punctuation........................................................................................................................... 47

Module 4........................................................................................................54

Producing documents which are clear, effective and professional.......................................54Ambiguity.............................................................................................................................. 54Choosing the correct tone.....................................................................................................55Style in business writing.......................................................................................................57Ten principles for effective writing........................................................................................60

Module 5........................................................................................................61

Document types, layout, structure and content.....................................................................61Checklist: Inter-office memos...............................................................................................62Structure of a letter...............................................................................................................64Business letter examples......................................................................................................68E-mail................................................................................................................................... 80Informal reports.................................................................................................................... 88Proposed structure of final report.........................................................................................94Report writing - example of an executive summary..............................................................95Example of a structure of a business plan............................................................................96Financial and statistical reports............................................................................................97Guidelines for writing an effective précis............................................................................100Persuasive report writing....................................................................................................102Preparing the Notice...........................................................................................................105A specimen agenda of a routine board meeting.................................................................111The minutes of a meeting...................................................................................................112Specimen minutes of a monthly board meeting..................................................................119

Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 2

Module 6......................................................................................................121

Analysing and editing your own documents........................................................................121Proof reading...................................................................................................................... 121Editing................................................................................................................................. 122Presentation....................................................................................................................... 123Document polishing check-list............................................................................................127Gunnings Readability Index (The fog index).......................................................................128Where do you go from here?..............................................................................................130Can you raed tihs? Olny srmat poelpe can.........................................................................131

To learn is to change. Education is a process that changes the learner.

George B Leonard

Module 1

1 Planning and constructing documentsEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 3

After attending this module delegates will be able to

Understand the need and importance of written communications in their business environment

State the objectives and characteristics of different types of written communications

State the purpose and scope of the proposed document

Compile a plan for the process of conceiving and writing the document

Consider the information needs of their audiences

Follow the required steps to gather information

Analyse and process information

Submit a potential solution.

1.1 The importance of written communication

Methods of communicating

The most practical ways to communicate with other persons in business are

Face to face

By telephone

In writing

Most of us prefer talking face to face or on the telephone because we are more practised at it.

Feedback is also quicker and more effective – we can make certain that the listener understands the

message.

Writing has the benefit of forcing us to “think the matter through”. Writing encourages us to gather the

facts before we communicate an idea, instruction or message. It prompts us to present the facts in a

logical fashion.


Value of the written word

The written word is vitally important in business:

it provides a permanent record of the communication

it can be shared among many people

it is readily accessible when stored on paper or magnetic media (memory stick, hard disk)

it can be re-used and be expanded upon for new ideas.

However, time spent thinking, writing, typing, reading and clarifying is expensive. We must therefore

use time effectively to prevent miscommunication which forces the reader to refer back to the writer.

Resistance to writing

Writing requires

a disciplined mind

taking responsibility; an attitude of “do it now”

being creative

an understanding of the needs of the reader

proper planning

a good command of language

Cultivate your writing skills

discover your brain power:

Both the “left” and “right” side of the brain are engaged in writing. “Left” brainers tend to produce

precise, structured, procedural writing – (non-fiction). “Right” brainers tend to produce imagery,

fantasy, drama, comedy – (fiction). Whether “left” or “right” orientated YOU CAN WRITE.

initially force yourself and practise

critically analyse the writing of others

sharpen your language skills through extensive reading, particularly books, magazines and articles on websites and blogs related to your field of expertise

witness the power of your writing: people act upon your ideas, requests, commands, expression of appreciation, etc

discover your own creativity (even if it is producing a “dry” procedure manual). Soon you will

produce valuable new ideas from your own ”think-tank”

the written word is mightier than the sword

the most brilliant ideas cannot be implemented if they are not reduced to writing.


1.2 Set the objective(s)In the finance related professions a host of documents require to be compiled; e.g. letters, e-mails,

contracts, proposals, reports, minutes. While each one has its own format and structure, the essence of

communication is the same: providing information on which decisions can be based.

Get the purpose clear to make sure that you communicate most effectively and efficiently with the

reader. Always get the IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT? … quite clear in your mind. This forces you

to focus on the result rather than being content with the reason.

Formulate the “what”, “who”, “how”, “when”, “why”, “where”.

Here are some questions to ask:

WHY WRITE?

Would speaking not be more effective than writing?

WHO AM I WRITING TO?

How skilled is the reader in the subject matter?

Who else will read it?

Why will they want to read it?

What do they know already?

WHAT DO I WANT TO ACHIEVE?

Is it to inform? To persuade? Or to record?

What does the reader need to know?

What does the reader need to do?

What answers do I need from the reader?

HOW WILL THE READER REACT?

Are they senior of junior?

What sort of tone should I use?

How can I make it clearer?

WHEN WILL IT BE READ?

By when must it be completed?

Might it be read in years to come?

WHERE WILL IT BE READ?

Home or abroad?


In the office or at home?

At a meeting?

In court?

Internal or external to the organisation?

All these points concern the Reader rather than the Writer. Think of the reader

Exercise: Write a report on why you believe tax should be paid by all.

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1.3 Purpose and Scope

1.3.1 Purpose

There is always (or should always be) a reason for asking someone to spend time and effort in

compiling a document, and this needs to be clear. The purpose is the criterion against which the

agreement, report, proposal; etc. will be judged and must be stated specifically. If this is not done,

when the naming, shaming and blaming begin, who is wrong? Take a report as an example

the manager/client who requested the report without defining the purpose properly and/or

communicating it clearly, and

the staff member/service/provider who agreed to write it without a clear idea of what s/he was

supposed to achieve, and did not ask!

Often a report is requested because there is a "bit of a problem" showing. The report aims to find out

how big the problem is - like an iceberg there may be a huge amount of hidden material or very little.

Under these circumstances, the report would need to begin with a reference to the "tip of the iceberg" -

the reason that a problem has been noticed, or an investigation requested.

1.3.2 ScopeIt is also necessary, when requesting or undertaking a report, to be clear about how wide an area needs

to be covered. If the brief is "What are the implications for medical aid fund administrators of the

government’s intention to introduce a national health insurance scheme", the brief is wide, and the

report is a huge undertaking. If the brief is "Jane, find out why Mary Lekabe is again absent from work",

Jane simply needs to find out what the story is with Mary and get it onto a single sheet of paper. She

does not have to investigate the organisation’s sick leave policy and recent Labour Court judgements on

that topic.

The scope of a report to be written in terms of an act or regulation is usually well defined and needs to

be strictly complied with. It is essential that the author of such a report makes a careful study of the

topics specified and the nature of the texts to be produced.

1.4 Planning the document


Before you start to write, you need to be clear about what you want to achieve and what you want to

say. This will involve proper planning. If you plan a letter, agreement, proposal, report; etc well, it will

save time - and will save much drafting and redrafting.

1.4.1 When following the planning process, you need to:

Understand why the document is required (the purpose, objective), and the terms of the brief

Know the due date and undertake that you will have the document complete and ready on that date

Plan how you will proceed to gather information

Plan how you will meet the deadline - estimating how long each part of the process will take.

Allocate a time to each section, and get on with it without procrastination

Proceed with your information gathering

Record the results of your information gathering

Consider the information. This requires time for you to "mull it over", chat to someone about it

(make sure that you do not chat about confidential information to an unsuitable partner), let it

simmer in your head etc. You need to plan some time to evaluate your conclusions

Consider what can be done about the problem or to meet the objective - this usually involves going

into "creative mode" where you generate as many alternative solutions as you can think of

Draft the document - and let it sit a while (you must make provision for this time interval!). If it is a

complex or very important report, for instance, you might ask someone to read it and discuss it with

you. Check that you have findings in Findings, conclusions in Conclusions etc.

Redraft the document (professional documents are not written - they are re-written.)

Proof-read it and check the presentation.

1.4.2 State the purpose

Get the purpose clear to make sure that you communicate most effectively and efficiently with the

reader. Always get the IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT? … quite clear in your mind. This forces you

to focus on the result rather than being content with the reason.

Ask the “objectives” questions given in paragraph 1.2 above.

What are the objectives for your document?


1.4.3 Consider the audience

Even before starting to gather information it is imperative that you consider your readers. Unlike letters

and memos, reports and proposals usually have a far wider distribution. Many people may be involved

in a decision-making process and need to read the information in the document.

Your job is to make it easy for the reader. In order to make reading your document easier, think in terms

of the reader.

Each audience has unique needs. Some audience considerations include:

Need (for the information)

Education level

Position in the organisation

Knowledge of your topic or area

Responsibility to act

Age

Biases

Preferences

Attitudes

Some false assumptions commonly made regarding audiences are:

1. That the person who will first read or edit the document is the audience

2. That the audience is a group of specialists in their field

3. That the audience is familiar with the subject of the document

4. That the audience has time to read the entire document Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 10

5. That the audience has a strong interest in the subject of the document

6. That the author will always be available to discuss the document

To avoid making these false assumptions, writers should identify everyone who might read the

document; characterise those readers according to their professional training, position in the

organisation, and personal traits; and determine how and when the reader might use the document.

Audiences are basically of three kinds:

Primary People who have to act or make decisions on the basis of

the document

Secondary People who will be affected by actions the primary

audiences are going to take in response to the document

Intermediate People responsible for evaluating the document and

passing it on the right people

For the document you intend to write, who are your audiences?

Primary

Secondary

Intermediate

1.4.4 Gather required information

Once you have a clear understanding of the purpose and scope of your document and

who you are writing for, you are ready to gather information.

It is necessary to identify the information sources and to determine the organisational procedures for

obtaining and distributing information.


What type of information do you need for your document?

Who/what are your information sources?

The information you gather can be of two types: Secondary and Primary. Secondary refers to

information gathered and recorded by others. Primary refers to information you gather and record

yourself.

Type Sources Caution

Secondary Books, internet, reports, newspapers,

magazines, pamphlets, and journals

Information may be inaccurate,

out of date, or biased

Primary Meetings, interviews, questionnaires,

surveys, observation, experiments,

historical information, and raw data

Information must be gathered

carefully to ensure it is accurate

and bias free.

At this point you should be doing your research. Think where you are going to find your information. If

the purpose of your report requires market research, you will have to consult professional researchers.

For certain types of information you can consult your own professional institutes. Magazines, journals or

newspapers and institutions such as the BER of the University of Stellenbosch, Statistics SA and the

BMR of UNISA may offer just the information you are looking for. A vital resource is the Internet.

Conduct a search using keywords to find information that will be useful to you in search engines such as

Google, Yahoo, etc. Subscribe to RSS feeds such as those offered by Google Alerts.


Notes on drafting a questionnaire

Ask yourself:

How am I going to get people to answer my questions?

How many questions will my target group be prepared to answer?

How am I going to record their answers or get back their questionnaires?

Do my questions relate directly to what I want to know?

Do I want closed questions? Open-ended questions? Opinions? Facts? Ideas?

Are my questions appropriate - courteous, not personally offensive or invasive?

Are they clear, unambiguous and easily understandable?

Are my questions in the correct sequence to get people thinking?

It is always best to test a questionnaire on a small pilot group before using it to investigate. You may

think it is clear, polite etc, but two or more heads are better than one in this respect.

1.4.5 Analyse your information

Now that you have information, you need to analyse it.

The purpose of the analysis is to make sense, objectively, out of the information you have gathered.

You will not want personal bias of any kind to enter into the analysis.

Information is compared and contrasted in an effort to find new ideas or select the best ideas. Separate

facts and figures need to be interpreted by explaining what they mean --what significance they have.

At what conclusions have you arrived?

It is essential, before you start an investigation, to have the willingness to learn from what you discover, Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 13

and the courage to act on the new information.

1.4.6 Determine the solution

Based on your analysis, you will be ready to offer a solution (or solutions) to the problem you have been

studying.

Your conclusions have to reflect your findings. Personal integrity demands that you put aside your

favourite opinions and leave behind your pride and your prejudices. Let your conclusions reflect exactly

what you found - even if you don't like them.

Therefore the gathered information should be the basis for making this decision. There is also a

tendency in business report writing to "slant" information to lead the reader to the decision the writer

wants. Make sure you report all pertinent information--good and bad. The credibility of the document

(and your credibility) is at stake.

Generate as many possible solutions or courses of action as you can think of to deal with any

problems you have uncovered

Go back and work out which of the solutions you thought of are possible.

Of the possible courses of action, which do you think would be best? This could be a single action

or a number of actions. These are your recommendations.

What are the solutions you hope to offer your management/client?

1.4.7 Organise your document


You've got your topic, your information, and your proposal/recommendation. Now you're ready to

determine how to present your information.

Before actually writing, organise your information into an outline form. You can formulate an outline for

your document by choosing the major and supporting ideas, developing the details, and eliminating the

unnecessary ideas you've gathered. This outline becomes the basic "structure" of your document.

Module 2

2 Writing with increased confidence in a structured and disciplined manner

At the end of this module delegates will be able to:

Apply mind mapping skills

Introduce the content with terms of reference, purpose and background

Achieve flow by means of simple language, short sentences, good paragraphing and

descriptive headings

Structure contents in a logical sequence

Select relevant information in line with the objective of the document

Uphold the integrity of the facts in conclusions and recommendations


Overcome writer’s block

2.1 Mind Maps

A Powerful Approach to brainstorming and drafting your document

2.1.1 Introduction

How to use the tool:

Mind Maps are very important techniques for improving the way you brainstorm content and drafting

your document. By using Mind Maps you show the structure of the subject and linkages between points,

as well as the raw facts contained in normal notes. Mind Maps hold information in a format that your

mind will find easy to remember and quick to review.

Mind Maps abandon the list format of conventional brainstorming. They do this in favour of a two-

dimensional structure. A good Mind Map shows the 'shape' of the subject, the relative importance of

individual points and the way in which one fact relates to the other.

Mind Maps are more compact than conventional notes, often taking up one side of the paper. This helps

you to make associations easily. If you find out more information after you have drawn the main Mind

Map, then you can easily integrate it with little disruption.

Mind Maps are useful for:

summarising information

consolidating information from different research sources

thinking through complex problems, and

presenting information that shows the overall structure of your subject

Mind Maps are also very quick to review, as it is easy to refresh information in your mind just by

glancing at one.

Mind Maps can also be effective mnemonics (a word intending to help your memory). Remembering the

shape and structure of a Mind Map can provide the cues necessary to remember the information within

it. They engage much more of the brain in the process of assimilating and connecting facts than

conventional notes.

2.1.2 Drawing Basic Mind Maps


To make notes on a subject or preparing your draft document using a Mind Map, draw it in the following

way:

Write the title of the subject in the centre of the page, and draw a circle around it.

For the major subject subheadings, draw lines out from this circle. Label these lines with the

subheadings.

If you have another level of information belonging to the subheadings above, draw these and

link them to the subheading lines.

Finally, for individual facts or ideas, draw lines out from the appropriate heading line and label

them.

As you come across new information, link it in to the Mind Map appropriately.

A complete Mind Map may have main topic lines radiating in all directions from the centre. Sub-topics

and facts will branch off these, like branches and twigs from the trunk of a tree. You do not need to

worry about the structure produced, as this will evolve of its own accord.

2.1.3 Improving your Mind Maps

Your Mind Maps are your own property: once you understand how to make notes in the Mind Map

format, you can develop your own conventions to take them further. The following suggestions may help

to increase the effectiveness of your Mind Maps:

:

Use single words or simple phrases for informationMost words in normal writing are padding, as they ensure that facts are conveyed in the correct context,

and in a format that is pleasant to read. In your own Mind Maps, single strong words and meaningful

phrases can convey the same meaning more potently. Excess words just clutter the Mind Map.

Print words: Joined up or indistinct writing can be more difficult to read.

Use colour to separate different ideas: This will help you to separate ideas where necessary. It also helps you to visualise the Mind Map for

recall. Colour also helps to show the organisation of the subject.

Use symbols and images: Where a symbol or picture means something to you, use it. Pictures can help you to remember

information more effectively than words.


Using cross-linkages: Information in one part of the Mind Map may relate to another part. Here you can draw in lines to show

the cross-linkages. This helps you to see how one part of the subject affects another.

Key points:Mind Maps provide an extremely effective method of taking notes and preparing the main points for

writing your report.

They show not only facts, but also the overall structure of a subject and the relative importance of

individual parts of it. Mind Maps help you to associate ideas and make connections that you might not

otherwise make.

Acknowledgement: "Mind Map" is a trade mark of the Buzan Organisation

2.2 Content structure

Once you have compiled a mind map you are ready to draft your document. The example below is that

of an investigative report. You can borrow from this approach to compile other documents such as

proposals and agreements.

2.2.1 Terms of Reference

This section sets the scene for your report. It should define the scope and limitations of the investigation

and the purpose of the report. It should say who the report is for, any constraints (for example your

deadline, permitted length) - in other words, your aims and objectives - the overall purpose of your

report and more specifically what you want to achieve.

Write down the answer to the following questions:

to whom is the report to be addressed?

why are you writing the report (What is the "tip of the iceberg"?)

what is the objective of the report?

how wide is your brief?

when must the report be ready?


2.2.2 Introduction/background

This will help to tune your readers in to the background of your report. It is not another name for a

summary and should not be confused with this. They can be two separate sections or combined:

background detail could include details of the topic you are writing about. You could take the opportunity

to expand on your Terms of Reference within the introduction and give more detail as to the background

of the report.

Report writing - example of an introduction


In an article entitled, Few honours for e-degree, Joe Gelonesi (2002)

presents many a cautionary tale for institutions embarking on e-learning.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the issues raised in this

article on Beacon University’s increasing use of online technology in the

delivery of its courses. The information gathered was to assist in

continuous improvement and decision-making with regard to modes of

course delivery.

Based on Federal Government and industry reports (DEET 1999;

McInnis 2001; Smith 2001) it was assumed that competition from private

educational organisations will increase and that student engagement with

universities is changing. This will necessitate universities rethinking what

they offer and the way they offer it.

The experiences of academics currently teaching in three Schools were

considered in terms of changing student needs and acceptance of the

new technologies by students and academics.

Information was gathered by way of interviews with the selected

academics. This was supplemented by a review of current literature on

e-learning.

Although expressions of interest were sought from students for focus

group discussions, none were received and interviews were therefore

limited to academic staff. While the lack of a student voice on such an

important issue is a limiting factor, much of the literature makes clear the

issues for students in the current educational-economic climate.

In this report, the issues raised in Gelonesi’s article are identified and set

amongst the current literature relating to online learning. These findings

are then contextualised at Beacon by considering the perceived student

and staff .needs as identified through structured interviews.

The reasons for undertaking the study are outlined

Any assumptions made in the study are noted

The scope or extent of coverage is clarified

Methodology (how the research was conducted) is outlined

Limitations of the study are explained

Plan of the report is specified

2.2.3 ProceduresEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 20

This section outlines how you investigated the area. How you gathered information, where from and

how much (e.g. if you used a survey, how the survey was carried out, how did you decide on the target

group, how many were surveyed, how were they surveyed - by interviews or questionnaire?)

What do you need to do to investigate the problem?

call a meeting, visit information sources or arrange interviews?

speak to people who have already expressed views on the problem areas or on possible

solutions?

send out questionnaires or set up a telephone "hot-line"?

search the web for topics published internationally?

research business custom, regulations, industry standards?

consult other offices that have undertaken similar projects?

2.2.4 Preliminary findings

It reflects the current situation - it describes the size, shape and nature of the "iceberg below the water

line".

This is the main body of the report, where you develop your ideas. The nature of this section will depend

on the brief and scope of the report. The sections should deal with the main topics being discussed -

there should be a logical sequence, moving from the descriptive to the analytical. It should contain

sufficient information to justify the conclusions and recommendations that follow. Selection of

appropriate information is crucial here: if information is important to help understanding, then it should

be included; irrelevant information should be omitted.

What are your findings?


2.2.5 Conclusions These are drawn from the analysis in the previous section and should be clear and concise. They

should also link back to the Terms of Reference. At this stage in the report, no new information can be

included. The conclusions should cover what you have deduced about the situation - bullet points will be

satisfactory.

Report writing - example of a conclusion

Online learning has become an important aspect of the way education is

delivered. Initially, in tertiary education this push came about as a way of

reducing course delivery costs, but as Gelonesi (2002) points out, online

delivery is not necessarily a cheaper way of doing things. Some in the

education sector also argue that online education is ‘second-rate’

because education is fundamentally interpersonal, and technology

interferes with and reduces this interaction.

However, it is becoming evident that students are seeking greater

flexibility in their engagement with universities. For tertiary institutions like

Beacon University, online delivery is an important way of providing this

flexibility. As a major provider of tertiary education, Beacon has begun to

introduce an online component into many of its courses. Most of

Beacon’s course materials are online, as are some administrative

processes. A significant move is now being undertaken to put student

support services online.

So, while the concerns about online education cannot be ignored,

universities need to embrace this development, not as a replacement for

face-to-face teaching, but as an alternative delivery mode. In some

situations it may well be a more flexible alternative that better suits the

needs of students. As Professor Anne Martin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at

Deakin University notes, “…[online learning is] a developing field and it’s

very exciting but it’s important it’s offered only where it’s going to be

better, more effective and more efficient” (in Gelonesi, 2002, p.3).

Restatement of questions/problems that led to the preparation of the report

Summary of key points

Link back to the purpose of the report

What are the conclusions you have come to?Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 22

2.2.6 Financial implications

What are the benefits vs. costs and risks from the suggested solution?

2.2.7 Recommendations

Write down your recommendation with emphasis on how the project/solution will be implemented

Recommendations always look forward, to the future, and each point which you make under

Recommendations is a "should". Once again, your recommendations must arise logically from your

conclusions. Summarise the key strengths and weaknesses of the resources. Discuss strategies that

can be implemented to minimise the risk factors. Suggest starting off with a test market

2.3 Tactics to get rid of writer’s blockStart brainstorming


Jot down all the possible ideas you can think of. At first, these will be fairly logical. Then, as you run out

of options, you'll find that you start to come up with more innovative ideas. These might be just what you

need to get you going again.

Ease into your writing

Start your writing session with something that's 'easy' - a routine letter, e-mail or even a 'to do' list. Then

go back to your “difficult” assignment. You may find, as others have in the past, that a half-hour session

of processing simple correspondence is a good warm-up for a writing session.

Take some time out

Only you know how much time this should be. It might be a few minutes, an hour or even a day.

Sometimes the subconscious simply needs time to work its magic.

Revisit the last few pages

If you have already written some content go back a few pages and revise. You could even retype the

last page completely, and see if that releases new ideas.

Use the tried and true 'carrot' trick. Reward yourself!

Think of something you'd really, really like. A chocolate? See a movie that night? Dinner out? New

clothes? Give yourself a reward that is commensurate with the size of the task - and DO IT.

Pressure Cooker Tactics

Some of us work well only under pressure. You'll probably know if this applies to you by thinking back to

how you handled the previous assignments. If you can produce when the pressure's on, then set

yourself a deadline. Don't make that deadline too unrealistic, though, or you may find that you're setting

yourself up for failure - again.

Change the time and venue

J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book in extended stints in a cafe (or so the story goes). Roald

Dahl (children books author) worked in a battered garden shed. Try changing the venue or the time of

your writing - from the office to a coffee shop (if you have a laptop); from late afternoon to early morning;

perhaps even at a table in the corner of your bedroom.

Meditate or go walking

Sometimes it helps to get out in the fresh air, or to sit quietly and move into a meditative state and just

let the ideas flow. Or not flow. Perhaps what you need is to dissociate yourself from the world for a

while.


The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.”

Mark Twain


Module 3

3 Avoiding common errors and grammar mistakes


Resort to accuracy, brevity, clarity: the ABC of business writing

Explain the need for applying a simple vocabulary

Modify “useless”, “negative”, “big”, “redundant”, words

Solve ambiguity and pomposity

Distinguish between active and passive verbs

Compile sentence and paragraph structures

Apply appropriate punctuation

3.1. The foundations of your writing skills

In writing your major task is to create a message which is clearly understood and will induce the reader

to take the desired action. Readers should not be left with questions or irritations in their mind.

Writing, to be professional, requires working to a system.

The system focuses on four rules

A clear objective

Correct grammar

Proper structure

Attractive layout

Its foundations are

1. Accuracy

2. Brevity


3. Clarity

- the ABC of good writing

English a complex language

For many people who will be reading your documents, English will be their second or third language. If

you do not know your reader, assume always that her/his home language is different from yours.

We are living in a country with 11 official languages. Co-workers may speak Sotho, Afrikaans, Venda,

Zulu, Tswana, or Xhosa.

If you assume that the person receiving your letter, memo, e-mail, report or minutes is not a first

language English speaker, you will probably be right.

It is therefore vital that you keep vocabulary and sentence structure simple in all the documents you

produce.

What you are up against learning English:

If GH stands for P as in hiccoughIf OUGH stands for O as in doughIf PHTH stands for T as in phthisisIf EIGH stands for A as in neighbourIf TTE stands for T as in gazetteIf EAU stands for O as in beau

The POTATO would be spelt GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU

(FROM James Clark, Stoep Talk, The Star, Thursday 25 November 1993)

H. Schultz v The New York Cleaning Department

A saga in three acts!

Act 1

Dear Sir.Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 27

I find Hydrochloric Acid fine for cleaning pipes. Is this OK?

Signed. H Schultz – Plumber

Dear Mr Schultz

In response to your enquiry regarding the use of Hydrochloric Acid for cleaning pipes should be clearly

recognised that this is not efficacious. The Hydrochloric Acid interacts with a variety of metals to

produce salts of various natures, depending on the composition of the metals involved, which would be

more than mildly toxic to any person or persons (or animals) who might ingest the substance in

question. The precise result which would stem from such ingestion would depend, amongst other less

crucial matters, on the proportion of Hydrochloric Acid and metallic radical to other dilutory substances

in the original combination of substances that induces the salt producing reaction initially.

Signed. B Pearson, New York Cleaning Department

Act 2

Dear Mr Pearson

Thank you for your interesting letter. Can you please now tell me if it is OK to use Hydrochloric Acid to

clean out pipes?


Dear Mr Schultz

As was explained in our previous letter to you it is the opinion of this Department that the use of

Hydrochloric Acid for cleaning would increase the susceptibility of the population at large to varying

degrees of virulence. The precise degree of virulence in any specific case would depend, of course, on

the total amount, and percentage of toxic content in that total amount, of debilitating solution imbibed,

and naturally the frequency of such reflections by the person or persons in question.

We trust the position is now clear to you.

Signed. B Pearson, New York Cleaning Department


Act 3

Dear Mr Pearson

It’s real nice of you to trust me. I am now cleaning many more pipes with Hydrochloric Acid.


Dear Mr Schultz

Don’t use Hydrochloric Acid for cleaning pipes. It poisons the water.

Signed. B Pearson

The moral of this story is ….?


3.2 Grammar

3.2.1 Introduction

The rule is to be natural and human, not pompous and unnatural. If in doubt, ask: “What would I say to

this person face to face?” Writing should be more like speaking.

Letters and documents become difficult to read if they contain:

LONG WORDS

LONG SENTENCES

LONG PARAGRAPHS

3.2.2 Getting tenses right

Present

SIMPLE

he works

CONTINUOUS

he is working

PERFECT

he has worked

PERFECT CONTINUOUS

he has been working

Past

SIMPLE

he worked

CONTINUOUS

he was working

PERFECT

he had worked

PERFECT CONTINUOUS

he had been working

Future


SIMPLE

he will work

CONTINUOUS

he will be working

PERFECT

he will have worked

PERFECT CONTINUOUS

he will have been working

Conditional

SIMPLE

he would work

CONTINUOUS

he would be working

PERFECT

he would have worked

PERFECT CONTINUOUS

he would have been working

Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don’t.

Pete Seeger

“Yesterday is historyTomorrow is a mysteryToday is a gift – That is

Why it is called a present!”

3.2.3 Words


3.2.3.1 Introduction

Short words are easier to read than long words because they are easier to recognise and interpret. We

get more practice in using the words we speak;

so when we see a word which we do not use in conversation, it is harder for us to understand.

Never try to impress the reader by deliberately using long words

Always try to use words whose meanings are precise, and not open to doubt

Use a short word (or even two or three) instead of one long one. However, at times we may need to use some long word for variety and precision. Try to keep long words below 10% of the total by cutting out the unnecessary ones.

Write to express not impress!

What does “hot” mean? List the possible meanings of the word “hot”

One factory has this accident recorded: An electrician put a sign “hot” on a bare and protruding piece of metal. A workman was “careful” to equip himself with metal tongs before trying to pick it up. He got the shock of his life.

To an electrical engineer “hot” means alive with electric current.

To a metallurgist it may mean simply high in temperature.

To some physicists the first meaning would be “radioactive”.

To some of the men around the office the first meaning of “hot” is sexy.


3.2.3.2 Word useKeep it short and simple!

Rather than: Use:discontinue stop

submit for consideration propose

proceed go

commence start

occurrence event

dispatch send

in respect of of, about

make modifications to modify, change

demonstrate show

is in a position to can

we would be grateful if you would please

facilitate help

Be precise, avoid jargon and clichéscorrespondence i.e. letter

communication e.g. report, memo, telephone call

illustration graph or diagram

a large proportion of many

concerning about

at the present time now

currently now

despite the fact that although

furnish particulars give details

in conjunction with with

in the course of during

on account of the fact that because

assuring you of our best attention NOTHING. Leave it out!

Enclosed please find I enclose

Trust this meets with your approval NOTHING. Leave it out!

Perhaps use: I hope this is what you wanted”

But remember – ultimately, Accuracy and Clarity are more important than Brevity.

3.2.3.3 Useless words


There are several “weasel” words in the English language. These are words which do not add anything

to your writing.

It appears that Customer Service will

It should be noted that we will

There are some departments that will

You will be left with:

Customer Service will…………………………………………….

We will ………………………………………………………………

Some department will ……………………………………………..

Other weasel words that should be edited out of writing

Actually Definitely

Hopefully Fortunately

Carefully Pretty sure

Quite sure Rather

Real Really

Somewhat Very

Slightly Extremely

For example: He is rather intelligent. It is very large, very high, very clear.


3.2.3.4 Nice wordsFind a more descriptive adjective as a substitute of “nice”

Nice man Nice woman

Nice food Nice house

Nice flowers Nice holiday

3.2.3.5 Positive and negative words


Analyse words for positive and negative emotional meanings. For example, “efficient” is positive, so is

“punctual”; “you must” is negative, so is “impossible” or “incorrect”.

A positive tone encourages a favourable, desirable association with a product or service. A negative

tone is a “red flag” word. It plants seeds of doubt, or conveys an image that is unfavourable,

undesirable, unattractive, or even frightening. However, too positive a tone will lead to accusations of

“pushy”.

Positive words

EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE WORDS

Appreciate Satisfaction

Assurance Responsible

Committed Quality

Confidence Honest

Dependable Service

Established Willingness

Negative words

EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE WORDS

Blame Fault

Sorry Inconvenience

Failure Regret

Never Complaint

Can’t Disagree

Unfortunate Difficult

Prejudiced Unable

Wrong Neglect


Negative phrases

EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE PHRASES

Your delay

Your dissatisfaction

Why didn’t you

We cannot understand your

You claim

You forgot to

You must

You are misinformed

Negative and positive ways of saying things

EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE WAYS OF SAYING THINGS

Complaints department

Customer service

Our office doesn’t open until 09h30

Our office opens at 09h30

I was surprised to learn that

I learned from your letter that

Mistakes are bound to happen

We shall take care to prevent a similar occurrence

We hope you won’t find our product unsatisfactory

We are sure you will find our product satisfactory

You won’t have difficulty operating your new mower if

Your new mower will operate efficiently and easily when

Your failure to write leads us to believe that you

Since we have not heard from you we are sure you

It will never happen again

We have taken the appropriate steps, or

We are committed to improving our service

3.2.3.6 Don’t use big words


In promulgating your esoteric cogitation, or articulating your superficial sentimentalities and amicable,

philosophical or psychological observations, beware of platitudinous ponderosity. Let your

conversational communications possess a clarified conciseness, compact comprehensiveness,

coalescent consistency and a concatenated cogency. Eschew all conglomerate of flatulent garrulity,

jejune, babblement and asinine affectations. Let your extemporaneous descanting, and unpremeditated

expatiation have intelligibility and veracious vivacity without rodomontade or thrasonical bombast.

Sedulously avoid all polysyllabic profundity, pompous prolixity, psillacious vacuity, ventriloquil verbosity

and vaniliquent vapidity. Shun double entendres, prurient jocosity and pestidiferous profanity,

obscurant or apparent.

In other words, write plainly, briefly, naturally, sensibly, truthfully, purely. Keep from slang. Don’t put on

airs. Say what your mean, mean what you say, and don’t use big words!

3.2.3.7 When to use a “BIG” word

There are four legitimate reasons for using a big word. “Ask yourself if your big word fits one or more of

these four reasons.

S 1. It’s SIMPLER or more familiar than the short word equivalent. Average is

more familiar than mean, and sponsorship, more familiar than aegis.

U 2. It’s UNIQUE. It can’t be said in small words. Most technical vocabulary is

included here (amortise, inventory, appreciation), as well as such non-

technical words as communicate, civilisation, democratic.

R 3. It’s RICH. It conveys precision. Examples are: implement, document,

designate, develop, introduce. For instance, calling a marriage license a

document is more precise than paper.

E. 4. It’s ECONOMICAL. It saves a lot of small words. Unemployment is more

economical than the fact that a lot of people are without jobs; and

destination more economical than the place to which (someone) is going.


3.2.4 Pomposity

Avoid these phrases:

Herewith attached please find the document as requested by yourselves

You are cordially invited

The above refers, your letter refers

Hope you find the above in order

Your attendance will be highly appreciated

Ensuring you of our best attention at all times

It would be highly appreciated if you …

Suggest an alternative for the “business” terms and phrases:

I would like to give confirmation _____________________________

It is apparent that _____________________________

We are in receipt of _____________________________

Re your enquiry concerning _____________________________

It will be our endeavour _____________________________

Assuring you of our best attention at all times _____________________________

For the purpose of _____________________________

Trusting this meets with your approval _____________________________

I refer to previous correspondence regarding _____________________________

It would be greatly appreciated if you would

advise us _____________________________

I would be pleased if you could arrange _____________________________

After some discussion within the Department

a decision was reached _____________________________

I hope this information will be sufficient in

resolving your problem area _____________________________

The Committee gave further consideration to a

memorandum containing proposals with regard

to _____________________________

The necessary enquiries have been instituted

with a view to ascertaining the causes _____________________________

It is desired to bring to the attention of all

employees that _____________________________

Eliminate the redundant words from the following sentences:

1. You will see what I mean if you refer back to the introduction


2. We will be able to meet the deadline if we combine together the sections we have prepared

3. There are too many redundant phrases which add nothing

4. The consensus of opinion favours a June election

5. The new desks are oval in shape

6. Will you please repeat the sentence before I continue on with my typing

7. Come on Monday together with your assistant

8. We are now currently employing two thousand staff

9. I have received your letter along with enclosures

10. The two departments will be amalgamated together in May

“Creative” pomposityJudy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Hillary Clinton’s great-great

uncle, Remus Rodham, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. The only

known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this

inscription: “Remus Rodham; horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887,

robbed the Montana Flyer six times.

“Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.”

Judy allegedly e-mailed Hillary Clinton for comments. Hillary’s staff sent back the following biographical

sketch:

“Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include

valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted

several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings

with the railroad. In 1887 he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton

Detective Agency. In 1889 Remus passed away during a function held in his honour, when the platform

on which he was standing collapsed.”

That’s how history is rewritten. (Source: Space, Barry. Untitled. Sunday Times Magazine: p3).


3.2.5 Verbs

3.2.5.1 Active and Passive

The verb is the most important part of the sentence. It generally conveys action. There are three types

of verb:

1. the ACTIVE VERB (this is direct and concise: 4 words)

Thabo writes a lease

2. the PASSIVE verb (this has less impact: the same message in

6 words)

A lease is written by Thabo

It is easy to recognise the passive voice – it always has some form of the verb “to be” in front of the

verb: “was”, “will be”, “must be” …

To convert it to the active, the reader has to answer the question “by whom?”, e.g. The lease is written –

“by whom?’ – by Thabo.

In the above example the writer has answered the “by whom?” question. But often the writer forgets to

answer it and this leads to confusion. E.g. “In the event of a rail strike, road transport will be supplied”.

“By whom?” No answer!

In this case the readers do not know who is going to take the action, so they will probably have to spend

time finding out.

3. the VERBAL NOUN (this is dull, verbose and is used as

padding, as in school essays. Total of 10

The writing of the contact was words)

carried out by Thabo

So – WRITE in the ACTIVE VOICE unless there is a good reason for using the PASSIVE.

Active voice


Leads to writing which is clear and generally more emphatic. The active voice forces us to say exactly

what we mean. We have to clarify who took, or should take the action. The active leaves the reader

with complete understanding and steers clear of ambiguity and vagueness, and we have to accept full

responsibility for our statements.

Passive voice

Use of the passive avoids being specific; leaving room to manoeuvre, or as a safeguard against being

tied down too closely. Inappropriate use of the passive is the most common fault in writing and leads to

lack of directness, more words, and confused and heavy reading. It is particularly risky to use the

passive where actions and procedures are involved – they may never get done by anyone.

Example

Passive

The problem of the need for revision of stock taking procedures was discussed last year. It was pointed out that no responsibility could be accepted for the inadequacy of the system at that time.

Active

We discussed the need to revise your stock taking procedures with Mr Brian Dawes last year. We believed the system was inadequate then and we could not accept responsibility for it.

3.2.5.2 When to use the passive voice

Sometimes the passive may be appropriate

To avoid the impression of being critical of people.

e.g.: The accounts have not been completed.

To emphasise the object of the sentence rather than the subject.

e.g.: Standards of safety have been allowed to deteriorate.

To soften a passage which is predominantly active, particularly in scientific reports where “by

whom” will be self-evident.

e.g.: The computer was installed to mechanise the accounts.

3.2.5.3 Long word and passive verbs

Effective writing is clear, simple and direct.Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 42

To surround your ideas in a web of passive verbs, verbal nouns and abstractions only confuses the reader.

Please rewrite the following sentences in the active form:

1. Your letter was received by us.

________________________________________________________________

2. The following action is to be taken when processing an insurance claim

________________________________________________________________

3. A cheque for R1 987,00 was sent to the customer by me.

________________________________________________________________

4. The audit was accomplished by us in under two days.

________________________________________________________________

5. Forty seven people were interviewed by the research team.

________________________________________________________________

6. The firm is being advised on this matter by legal experts.

________________________________________________________________

7. This will require the consideration of several factors on our part.

________________________________________________________________


3.2.6 Sentences

A ‘sentence’ is a unit of thought. It should be able to stand on its own. Sentences are separated by

major punctuation marks.

Major punctuation marks are . ? ! : ; -

However, we must not overlook the use of minor punctuation marks.

Minor punctuation marks are , ( ) “ “ ‘ ‘

The golden rule is to always use punctuation marks to clarify the meaning of the passage.

Sentence length

Sentences should on average be about 14 – 20 words long – more than this, and ideas can become

clouded.

But it is best to vary the length of sentences; it is often dull and tiring if all sentences are of the same

length. In contrast, if the sentences are too short it is difficult to make the piece flow.

We can keep sentences short by:

- Keeping to one unit of thought per sentence

- Using active verbs

- Avoiding unnecessary words or phrases which add nothing to the meaning

Sentence structure

Sentence structure is just as important as length

- The more difficult a text is, the simpler its structure should be.

The best order for a sentence is: subject, verb, direct object, e.g. “The company secretary

writes the minutes”.

- The essence of the message should be in the first part of the sentence, as the reader

always retains this part better.


3.2.7 Paragraphs

3.2.7.1 Signposts

Every paragraph should begin with a brief statement of theme. This topic sentence acts as a signpost

to help the reader. The first sentence should not be more than 14 - 15 words.

Efficient readers use the signposts when they skim a document to decide how closely they need to read

it.

3.2.7.2 A new idea or development needs a new paragraph

Paragraphs are there for your reader - to show him/her that you are beginning a new point.

There should be one, clear idea per paragraph.

Every paragraph has a controlling idea. This is called the topic sentence and is the thought or vital

piece of information from which the rest of the paragraph flows.

3.2.7.3 Introduce a paragraph with the topic sentence. It should be quite short.

In the following example, please underline the topic sentence, and then work out how you could restructure

the passage so that it comes first.

After our discussions, I thought about the matter and felt that I needed advice. I have always felt that our

Personnel Officer is a competent woman, and she has often shown integrity in staff matters so I decided to

make an appointment and to discuss the matter with her. She was very helpful and I finally decided to

accept the transfer to Cape Town, partly because of the educational opportunities for my children and partly

because of the promotional prospects the transfer will offer me.

When people write long, unstructured sentences, and the ideas in them ramble on and merge into the next

idea, this usually means that they did not plan what they wanted to say in the first place. If a writer decides


on the central ideal of a paragraph before writing it, he or she will usually put the topic sentence first. This

will make it easier for the reader to understand immediately what the paragraph is about.

3.2.7.4 Use the order of your paragraphs properly

Paragraph 1 should refer back to any previous communication, action etc., and should set your letter in

context.

The middle paragraph(s) should deal clearly with the matter(s) you are writing about.

The closing paragraph should look to the future, explaining exactly what action you are taking now, or what

you want the receiver to do. Be specific. Do not write "Please let me know" - rather say "Please let me

know by return of post", or "Please send me the cheque by close of business on Friday, 4 August 2000"

3.2.7.5 A paragraph is a theme – a cluster of related sentences.

Separate the themes into paragraphs and the reader will be able to get an understanding of the

central message. Do not include more than one theme per paragraph.

Good paragraphing helps to make reading easy and clear.

If the paragraphs are short, the reader can concentrate easily on each aspect of the report. If, on

the other hand, the paragraphs are long and heavy, the reader will very soon get confused and give

up. Short paragraphs make reports look easier to read.

A good ‘rule of thumb’ is that paragraphs should on average be 6 sentences or fewer. Sometimes

a one-sentence paragraph is very effective to grab the reader’s attention or to make a key point.


3.2.8 Punctuation

3.2.8.1 Meaning

(1) The use of various signs or marks for dividing words, or groups of words, from one another.

(2) It is an artificial means of indicating the various stops, pauses and stresses which would occur if

the sentences were spoken instead of written.

3.2.8.2 Purpose

Its object is to help in making the sense and grammatical relationships easier to understand and thus to

avoid ambiguity.

Punctuation marks may be divided into two groups.

(1) "True" punctuation marks which differ from each other only in a time sense. In order of length of

pause these are: -

(a) Comma (,)

(b) Semicolon (;)

(c) Colon (:)

(d) Full stop or period (.)

(2) Other marks, which are used more or less in an explanatory manner, to bring out the full sense of

the words that are affected by them. These are:-

(a) Question mark (?)

(b) Exclamation mark (!)

(c) Inverted Commas - double and single (" " ' ')

(d) Parenthesis or brackets ( )

(e) The dash (-)

(f) Apostrophe (‘)

(g) Hyphen (-)

(h) Asterisks (*)

(i) The caret or mark of omission

(j) Capitals.

A. USES OF THE COMMA

(1) To separate words or groups of words in a list; e.g. The chief exportsEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 47

are gold, diamonds, wool, feathers and hides.

(2) To mark off the nominative address:-

e.g. Dear Sirs,.......... Ladies and gentlemen, .......... John, come here!

(3) At the beginning and end of participial phrases; e.g. The Prime Minister, speaking in Afrikaans,

(4) said .....

(4) To separate words used in apposition; e.g. London, the capital of England, stands on the

Thames.

(5) Gerundial infinitives should be marked off by commas; e.g. To tell the truth, I am in difficulties.

(6) To mark off the absolute construction:

e.g. Considering the state of affairs, it is what I expected. Do not, however, write: "The lecturer,

having finished the lesson, the students left the room". (N.B.) The comma after lecturer should be

omitted).

(7) Interjections are marked off by commas, preceding and following them: e.g. however, indeed,

therefore, thus, unfortunately, etc.

(8) To separate phrases or clauses which interrupt the connection between other parts of the

sentence; e.g. (1) If you will permit it, I shall leave now.

(2) The man, whose money was stolen, was very wealthy.

(N.B.) NOTE that a first noun clause is not separated from the principal clause, though a succession of

noun clauses are separated from each other by commas; e.g. The speaker said (1) that he had seen

the district, (2) that he had questioned the people, and (3) that he was convinced that they had a

grievance.

(9) When "and" is used between a series of words, the comma is omitted, though it is generally

included when the conjunction is used between clauses.

B. USES OF THE SEMI-COLON

This mark indicates a longer pause than that required by the comma.

(1) To mark off co-ordinate clauses in compound sentences; e.g. Johannesburg is an interesting

place; Durban is a pretty town; but Pretoria is the most attractive of them all.


(2) It is often used for effect, since the comparatively long pause that it allows gives the reader time

to grasp the significance of preceding words; e.g. To be or not to be; that is the question.

C. USES OF THE COLON

(1) To introduce a quotation; e.g. Most people know the proverb: "Time is money".

(2) To introduce a series of names explaining a previous statement; e.g. The chief towns in South

Africa are: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban; etc.

(3) Between two statements in opposition to each other; e.g. To err is human: to forgive divine.

D. USES OF THE FULL STOP

(1) To mark the end of a complete sentence.

(2) At the end of every abbreviation.

There is a tendency for beginners to over-punctuate their work, but this may be counteracted by reading

the work aloud, giving each stop its due pause.

E. THE DASH

(1) Used to give the reader a sense of strong, deliberate continuation; to introduce an unexpected

ending to a sentence; e.g. He was always ready to spend money - on himself.

(2) Used before i.e. to indicate a pause; e.g. Write the following in narrative form - i.e. as a story.

(3) To introduce a list of names and indicate a strong continuation; e.g. He has visited many cities -

London, New York, Paris......

(4) Doubled, it serves the purpose of brackets; e.g. At the age of twelve - such is the power of genius

- he knew Latin.

F. QUESTION MARK (OR MARK OF INTERROGATION)

(1) Is placed at the end of every sentence that contains a direct question; e.g. Where are you going?

A common omission in business correspondence is found in such sentences as: Will you please send

me 1 box oranges?

G: EXCLAMATION MARK


(1) Used after sentences expressing emotion, exclamatory sentences or interjections; e.g. He

failed! What a pity! "Oh!”, she gasped.

H. THE PARENTHESIS

Encloses explanatory words which clarify or amplify the meaning of a sentence; e.g. A receipt for fifteen

rands (R15) is enclosed.

I. INVERTED COMMAS

(1) Double. (a) Used to enclose a quotation or title; e.g. Have you read "Les Miserables?" We

read that in the "Cape Times".

(b) To enclose words used in direct speech; e.g. "I shall be honoured", he said, "to accept the

position".

(c) To enclose unusual words, or words used in an unusual manner; e.g. In Venice each year "King

Carnival" holds high festival.

(2) Single. (a) To enclose a quotation within a quotation; e.g.

He said "I saw in the ' Mercury' that ' Hamlet’ was being staged".

(b) When words are borrowed from another author, they are usually enclosed in single inverted

commas as a token of acknowledgement.

The correct position of inverted commas is outside all other marks such as exclamation and question

marks.

J. APOSTROPHE

(1) To denote the omission of a letter or letters; e.g. you'll, don’t etc. (These words must not be

used in business correspondence).

(2) To denote the possessive case; e.g. Girls’ High School, Princess’s Palace.

K. HYPHEN

Is used to unite the parts of a composite word; e.g. ox-eyed, worn-out, never-to-be-forgotten; etc.

It has been dropped from many compound words which are now written as one word;

e.g. bareheaded, breakdown.

It should however be used where there is ambiguity e.g. re-form, and reform.

L. ASTERISKSEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 50

Indicate the deliberate omission of words from a copied or repeated message.

A series of dots is sometimes used instead; e.g. "Come',' cried the Baronet -"cheer up, man, and fill

another tumbler; here's ****** going to give us the Tailor".

M. CAPITALS

A capital letter is used: -

(1) To mark the beginning of a sentence.

(2) As the first letter of the first word in a quotation.

(3) For proper nouns.

(4) For the names of ships, books, papers, titles and events.

(5) For all proper names.

(6) For words which are to be emphasised - in advertisements.

(7) For pronoun "I" and interjection "O" or "OH".

(8) In words: Dear Sir, or Madam, at the beginning of a letter, and in Yours, at

the end.

3.2.8.3 Punctuation exercise

Without removing any words, please punctuate the following paragraph. There are no mistakes in the

paragraph below.


He told me where he was going to see James and I replied that he might see Brenda there at

the same time the dog started barking again I had to shout as I asked will you tell him I I tried to

quieten the dog but I failed to shut him up of course I should have given him a bone I know Bill

did not hear me I thought he smiled as he went away without my having had a chance to

question him for the second time I went home dissatisfied

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.

Anonymous

3.2.8.4 Punctuation options

Option 1

He told me where he was going - to see James - and I replied that he might see Brenda there.

At the same time the dog started barking. Again I had to shout as I asked, “Will you tell him I-?”

I tried to quieten the dog, but I failed; to shut him up, of course, I should have given him a bone.


I know Bill did not hear me. I thought he smiled as he went away, without my having had a

chance to question him. For the second time I went home dissatisfied.

Option 2

He told me where he was going to see James, and I replied that he might see Brenda there at

the same time. The dog started barking again. I had to shout as I asked, “Will you tell him I … I

tried to quieten the dog, but I failed to shut him up. Of course, I should have given him a bone,

I know.” Bill did not hear me, I thought. He smiled as he went away. Without my having had a

chance to question him for the second time, I went home dissatisfied.


Module 4

4 Producing documents which are clear, effective and professional


Choose concise language

Avoid repetition

Express ideas concisely

Ensure quality

Select and develop an appropriate style and tone

4.1 Ambiguity

Avoid ambiguity – write as clearly and accurately as possible.

An ambiguous word or phrase can have disastrous results.

Have a look at the following phrases and try to work out their various meanings.

Bi-monthly

Notice in a pharmacy: We dispense with accuracy.

Letter to an insurance company: Dear Mr Jennings, I am glad to inform you that my husband reported missing is now dead.

In reply to your letter, I have given birth to a 2 kg boy. I hope this is satisfactory.

I was thrown from my car as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.

I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.

I was on my way to the doctor with rear-end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident.

Mrs R has not clothes and has not had any for a year. The clergy have been visiting her.

I want money as quick as you can send it. I have been in bed with my doctor all week and he does not seem to be doing me any good.

Re your enquiry, the teeth in the top are all right but the ones in my bottom are hurting terribly.

4.2 Choosing the correct tone

4.2.1 Word tone


When writing, the words you choose to use carry two kinds of meaning

“denotative meaning” - what the words actually means

“connotative meaning” - the emotional value of the word and its associations

snake - a reptile

snake - devious and untrustworthy

If you are not sure of both meanings of a word, be careful of using it. When in doubt, keep it simple and

keep to the words you are sure of.

slim

slender

thin

scrawny

lean

thankful

grateful

appreciative

indebted

obliged

steadfast

determined

stubborn

firm

obstinate

angry

mad

enraged

furious

irate

wayward

erratic

untrustworthy

unreliable

changeable

unacceptable

unsuitable

inappropriate

impossible

unfit

What can happen if you use the wrong tome?

4.2.2 Tone in text

It is a “strange but true” fact that you can often assess a person’s personality, educational level, gender,

mood, attitudes etc. relatively easily from a piece of his/her writing.

4.2.2.1 ExerciseEdit the following pieces of writing:From: Bethuel Unkind

To: All staff

Date: Tue, sept, 15, 2009 8:31 AM

Subject: Locking of offices

Dear colleaques


As a key Custodian of the National Office i am requesting everyone that we are living with danger and

people of now-adays are untrustfull even if we are both colleaques but we dont like each-other so my

advise is these ,to all of us: Please please lock your offices 3 steps away from your office. Because

within a second an incident happend, Everyday there is a report of theft, e.g. wallet,handbag,cellphone,

carkeys,are stolen when you ask the person that did they broke in to your office,she or he would say i

am not sure?

Does these sure give me an answer {no}.You will ask she or he another question was your office locked

when that happend the answer will remain the same i am not sure that i did lock or not.SO good people

lets work hand in hand, because according to all these i have mentioned it shows every-one that other

people are irresponsible for their own belongings together with the state assets, because when you

live your office being unlocked you invite any danger to happened into it.

When all these happened they run over to Security to report,and they send them to me Is where they

started to hit the rocks Because when i started to ask questions of what happened ,people start to

contradict themselves, when you request them to write reports on what happened they failled to

comply.They want me to remind them about submiting their reports, Then is there you see them started

to be irritated.whereas their the ones who came-up with a problem.

So let me advise on these i am a key-custodian and the rules that i am using if all of us can comply with

them there will be no theft all over our Departments,Nationaly Provincialy and Regionaly

So the motto is 3 steps away from your office you lock it to AVOID DANGER'''''''''

I AM VERY VERY STRICTLY WHEN COMING TO LOCKING AND UNLOCKING OF YOUR OFFICES,

BECAUESE YOU PUT THE STATE PROPERTY IN DANGER INSTEAD OF PROTECTING AND

SECURING THEM ,

Hope we will comply posetively

Kind regard

Bethuel


4.3 Style in business writing

STYLE – The way something is written as opposed to its content.

4.3.1 What constitutes style?

Style is the personal aspect of writing. It is hard to pin down precisely but the following factors will

certainly influence our style.

Word choice - Use of adjectives

- Abbreviations, e.g. can’t, won’t

- Using names and/or personal pronouns

Sentence construction - Long or short

- Main point at front or hidden

Asking direct question of the reader - “ … ask yourself what would happen if …”

Using the imperative - “Do not contact Dr Mathers without first …”

The blend of active/passive voice

Paragraphing - Use of headings and layout

Imagery - Creating an atmosphere

Tone - Formal, light-hearted, commanding, inviting

4.3.2 Should we vary our style?

A novelist is likely to have a distinctive style of writing. In the context of “literature” this is important –

professional writers often work hard to perfect a distinctive style.

In business writing people will also have their own natural style. However, in business it is a great

advantage to be able to adapt style to the needs of the situation. We do not want an inappropriate style

to prevent our message achieving the desired result.

The style will depend on the AIM – particularly WHO we are writing to, and for what PURPOSE. Clearly

different styles are required for a factual, scientific or technical report, and a persuasive memo asking

for an increase in your budget. Remember, writing is a creative activity – so think about the style you

use.

4.3.3 A positive personal styleEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 57

This style is appropriate when we want to appear enthusiastic or confident – e.g. giving good news,

action requests (especially from superior to less senior people), getting people to take note of a

proposal.

If the right balance is struck it will create a positive and favourable impression. If over-done it can

appear too flamboyant or pushy.

To be positive:

Use the active voice, stand up en be counted. Be precise.

“I will present the results at the next committee meeting on 22 May”

rather than

“The results will be presented at a future meeting of the committee” Avoid weakening words and phrases such as possibly; maybe; perhaps;

“It would be concluded that …”

Use names and personal pronouns to make it more friendly

Try to write more like you speak

State your opinions and the facts clearly.

4.3.4 Technical and scientific reporting style

Traditionally, technical and scientific reports have been written in the passive voice. All the evidence

shows scientists prefer to read a simple style, yet they tend not to write it themselves, since they are

afraid they will be accused of ignoring scientific objectivity and injecting too much opinion into their

writing.

Recent surveys have shown that scientific colleagues regard a simple active style as not only easier to

read, but also as evidence of greater technical competence. This esteem is due to the writer’s apparent

dynamism, thoughtfulness and enthusiasm for the subject. It also shows regard for the ordered and

objective way they communicate. Consequently the style in which we report enhances the image of our

work.

The message is clear: if we wish to gain recognition for our technical expertise – we must write in simple

terms.


4.3.5 George Orwell’s five rules for using language to express thoughts

1. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

2. If it is possible to cut a word, delete it.

3. Never use the passive voice where you can use the active voice.

4. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or jargon if you can think of an

everyday English equivalent.

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

Thomas Jefferson


4.3.6 Ten principles for effective writing

1. Use variety in your writing. On the average, sentences should be short; 18 - 20

words is ideal. Paragraphs should contain 5 – 7 sentences.

2. Avoid weak language. For example words such as rather, very, little, pretty.

We should all try to do a little better and be very watchful of this

rule, for it is a rather important one, and we are pretty sure to

violate it now and then.

3. Avoid clichés, buzzwords, and jargon.

4. Avoid unnecessary words (padding) such as “the, that, I think, I feel, I believe”.

5. Use active not passive sentences.

6. Write as you would talk. Use conversational and familiar language. And always

remember your “company” manners.

7. Don’t nominalise by adding “tion” or “ment” to verbs. For example, don’t say

“utilisation of” when you mean “use”.

8. Don’t dangle. For example: “The document was filed by the employee who had

been working on it in the wrong drawer”.

9. Use active verbs. Stay away from forms of the verb “to be, to make, to do, to have”. A

sentence beginning “There are …” is a sure tip off that you are falling into bad habits. Don’t

write, “There are several tax problems requiring resolution,” when you can write, “Several tax

problems require resolution”.

10. Write to express not to impress.

Based on Robert Gunning


Module 5

5 Writing for a specific readership and for different circumstances

After attending this module delegates will be able to:

Plan the content and layout of the business letter

Draft templates for various routine letters

Formulate written responses to complaints

Adopt the correct approach to e-mail

Evaluate examples of good and poor e-mails

Respond to clients’ e-mails

List forms of e-mail etiquette

Embark upon précis writing

Develop a framework for a routine report

Propose a framework for an investigative report

Develop an outline for a proposal

Explain the concept and content of the executive summary

Interpret financial and statistical information on behalf of the reader

Explain the concept and structure of a persuasive report

Construct the content and layout of a notice of meeting

Organise the content and layout of an agenda

Explain the structure and contents of a set of minutes

Apply Gunning's Readability Index


5.1 Inter-office memos

5.1.1 Checklist

1. Define your topic and state it accurately

2. Consider your reader when you determine the tone of the memo. In most cases,

use a friendly informal style.

3. Put the main point of your memo in the first sentence.

4. Use the body of the memo to provide necessary details and background

information. All sentences should be directly related to the topic stated in the subject line.

5. Memos should be specific, to the point, and contain simple, direct language.

They must evoke response and action.

6. Keep copies of the memos you write. They are often useful for future reference.

7. Do not use a salutation nor a complementary close. However, if you wish to, it is

permissible to use the name of the person you are writing to in the beginning of

the body.

8. Keep your paragraphs short and crisp. If necessary number them.

9. Only write a memo when a telephone call is not sufficient, or when a written

record is needed, or when you have to reach many people.

10. Be sure your terminology, sentence length and structure, and paragraph length

and structure all make for quick, clear, easy reading. Itemisation and tabulations may help.

5.1.2 Example Memo


From: IT department

To: Limpopo area reservation staff

Date: 15 September 2009

New Monthly Reporting System

We’d like to go over some of the changes in the new monthly reservation reporting system that we

discussed at Monday’s special meeting.

This new system will save you time when reporting future sales. We understand your concern about the

effort that will be required initially to input your visitor data. However, we are confident that you will all

soon enjoy the benefits of this new system.

Here is a look at the procedure you will need to follow to complete your area's client list:

1. Log on to the company web site at http://www.leisureparks.com

2. Enter your user ID and password.

3. Once you have logged on, click on "New Visitor".

4. Enter the appropriate visitor information.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have entered all of your visitors.

6. Once this information has been entered, select "Place Visitor".

7. Choose the client from the drop down list "Visitors".

8. Choose the camp from the drop down list "Camps".

9. Click on the "Process Visitor" button.

As you can see, once you have entered the appropriate visitor information, processing reservations will

require NO paperwork on your part.

If in doubt about any of the procedures described above please contact me.

Thank you for your help in putting this new system into place.

Regards

Rebecca Fundi

5.2 Letters

5.2.1 Structure of a letter

The business or formal letter usually consists of the following parts:

AddressEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 63

The address of the (private) writer of a business or formal letter is written on the right-hand side of the

page. A letter from an organisation will have an official letterhead.

The name and address of the recipient are written on the left-hand side of the page.

Example 340 Walker Street

SUNNYSIDE

0002

15 September 2009

The Commissioner

South African Revenue Service

Private Bag X923

Pretoria

0001

The business or formal letter is always directed to a person or designation and not to the name of the

organisation. For instance, a letter to SARS is directed to The Commissioner.

Date

Position the date above the details of the addressee.

Salutation

Double space (or as much as you need to put the body of the letter in the centre) and include the

salutation.

When the recipient’s name is known the most common form of salutation is:

Dear Mr Khumalo


Should the recipient have a title, for example “Professor”, it must be used in the place of “Mr”. The

abbreviated form of the title may be used: for example Prof., Dr, Rev.

Note: A full stop is not used in abbreviations when the abbreviation ends with the same letter as the

word or title which has been abbreviated.

When the recipient’s name is not known you may use the form Dear Sir or Dear Madam.

The term Messrs is no longer in use.

Subject line or heading

The subject line is an indication of what the letter is about. It must be short, even a single word and

clearly detail the contents of the letter.

Use capital letters

The abbreviation “Re” to introduce the content reference (i.e. Re interest on provisional tax) is no longer

used.

There is no full stop after the subject line.

A line is left open after the salutation and the content reference.

It is no longer considered wrong to write business letters in the first person. Generally, when you are

writing on behalf of your firm you should say we, but if you have had personal contact with the

addressee, e.g. by telephone, you may say ‘I’.

The first paragraph

Give the reason for writing.

If you are replying to a letter, you should acknowledge receipt of it. If you have not used a heading,

your first paragraph should also refer to the subject matter, e.g. “Thank you for your letter of 11

September 2009 about non-receipt of funds …”Most business letters, however, should have a heading.

Introduce your subject at the beginning of your letter so that the reader knows at once what you are writing about and why.

The body of the letter


This part of the letter should set out the information or question you have in mind. It must be clear,

concise and easy to read. Make any request you may have (i.e. "I would be grateful if you could include

your statement..."

Be sure of your facts and do not contradict yourself. There should not be any misunderstanding.

Plan carefully. State your business concisely, clearly and simply. Write only what is absolutely relevant.

Each new paragraph should contain a significant thought or argument.

The final paragraph

The way you finish your letter is important. The final paragraph is where you should clearly express

your expectations or intentions. It is your opportunity to leave your reader in no doubt as to the purpose

of the letter.

If there is to be further contact, refer to this contact (i.e. "I look forward to meeting you at...")

Never finish with such outmoded phrases as “Assuring you of our best attention at all times”.

The closing paragraph should be used to point the way forward precisely and explicitly.

Conclusion

Close the letter with a thank you (i.e. "Thank you for your prompt help...")

The close of the business or formal letter must be in keeping with the tone of the salutation and letter.

You cannot begin your letter with “Sir” and then end it with “Yours sincerely”.

The close most commonly used is “Yours faithfully”.

Include 4 spaces and type your full name and title. Sign the letter between the salutation and the typed

name and title

The business or formal letter is signed legibly by the writer who then prints his name underneath his

signature. A woman who writes a business or formal letter gives an indication of her marital status by


adding Mrs or Miss or Ms between brackets before or after her printed name. (She may write her first

name should she wish to do so). An indication of the writer’s rank, status or occupational responsibility

may be given to avoid embarrassment or misunderstanding. A man does not normally add the title “Mr”,

e.g.

A. Smith

(Managing Director)

A. Lessing (Prof.)

E.J. Miles (Mrs)

5.2.2 Business letter examples

5.2.2.1 Opening an account

The following letter outlines the terms of a newly opened business account.

Useful Key Phrases

Thank you for opening an account with...

I would like to take this opportunity ...

Invoices are payable within ...

As..., I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding...

...and therefore encourage the use of...

We consider this incentive...


Dear ____,

YOUR NEW ACCOUNT

Thank you for opening an account with our company. As one of the leaders in this industry, we can

assure you that our products and our services will not disappoint you.

I would like to take this opportunity to briefly set forth our terms and conditions for maintaining an open

account with our firm. Invoices are payable within 30 days of receipt, with a 2% discount available if your

payment is remitted within ten (10) days of receipt. We consider this incentive an excellent opportunity

for our customers to increase their profit margin, and therefore encourage the use of this discount

privilege whenever possible. We do, however, require that our invoices be paid within the specified time,

for our customers to take advantage of this 2% discount.

At various times throughout the year we may offer our customers additional discounts on our products.

In determining your cost in this case, you must apply your special discount first, and then calculate your

2% discount for early payment.

As the credit manager, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your new

account. I can be reached at the above number. Welcome to our family of customers.

Yours sincerely

5.2.2.2 Enquiries – asking for information

We write an enquiry when we want to ask for more information concerning a product, service or other

information about a product or service that interests us. These letters are often written in response to an

advertisement that we have seen in the paper, a magazine, a commercial on television when we are

interested in purchasing a product, but would like more information before making a decision.

Remember to place your or your company's address at the top of the letter (or use your company's

letterhead) followed by the address of the company you are writing to.

Important Language to Remember

The Start: Dear Sir or Madam

Giving Reference: With reference to your advertisement (ad) in...

Regarding your advertisement (ad) in ...

Requesting a Catalogue, Brochure, etc.: After the reference, add a comma and continue - ... ,

would (Could) you please send me ...

Requesting Further Information: I would also like to know ...

Could you tell me whether ...


Signature: Yours faithfully - (formal as you do not know the person to whom you are writing)

Example:

Corporate Secretarial Services cc

P O Box 789

Pretoria

0001

6 October 2009

The Manager

Progressive Office Automation (Pty) Ltd

2 Bloukranz Street

Highveld Ext 2

Centurion

0157

Dear Sir/Madam

CATALOGUE


With reference to your advertisement in yesterday’s (5 October) Pretoria News, could you please send

me a copy of your photocopier catalogue.

I would also like to know if it is possible to lease your equipment instead of outright purchase.

Yours faithfully

(Signature)

Moeketsi Tshabalala

Administrative Manager


5.2.2.3 Responding to an enquiry/request for information

It is very important to make a good impression when responding to enquiries from potential customers.

Of course, the best impression will be made by providing the materials or information that the

perspective client has asked for. This positive impression will be improved by a well written response.

Remember to place your or your company's address at the top of the letter (or use your company's

letterhead) followed by the address of the company you are writing to. You can also include a reference

number for correspondence.

Important Language to Remember

The Start:

Dear Mr, Ms. Use Ms for women unless asked or indicated to use Mrs or Miss)

Thanking the Potential Customer for His/Her Interest:

Thank you for your letter of ... enquiring (asking for information) about ...

We would like to thank you for your letter of ... enquiring (asking for information) about ...

Providing Requested Materials:

We are pleased to enclose ...

Enclosed you will find ...

We enclose ...

Providing Additional Information:

We would also like to inform you ...

Regarding your question about ...

In answer to your question (enquiry) about ...

Closing a Letter Hoping for Future Business:

We look forward to ... hearing from you / receiving your order / welcoming you as our client

(guest).

Signature:

Yours sincerely (remember use 'Yours faithfully' when you don't know the name of the person

you are writing and 'Yours sincerely' when you do.

ExerciseEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 71

Write a letter in response to a customer enquiring about a product/service that your firm supplies, using

the above outline as a guide.

5.2.2.4 Claim letter

The following letter makes claims against unsatisfactory work.


Useful Key Phrases

As someone who has worked with ...

we were very disappointed to find / see / have discovered ...

As our written agreement stipulated, we expected ...

I think you will agree that a communication problem exists.

We would like you to ..., or provide us with a refund.


P O Box 789

Pretoria

0001


26 October 2009

Ms Zanele Moloi

Manager


2 Bloukranz Street

Highveld Ext 2

Centurion

0157

Dear Ms Moloi

Tishimolto M 580 photocopier

As someone who has been using Tishimolto photocopying equipment for over 3 years, I am very

disappointed with the quality of the copies I have been obtaining from the new machine.

As our written agreement stipulated, we required the machine to copy full colour documents. Instead,

the only output we could achieve so far was black and white reproduction. I think you will agree that this

is a serious shortcoming.

You must please deliver a photocopier capable of reproducing both black and white and colour, or

cancel the lease.

Yours sincerely

(Signature here)

Tanya Ndou (Mrs)

Office Manager

5.2.2.5 Claim adjustment letter

The following letter adjust claims against unsatisfactory work or service.

Useful Key Phrases

I was very disappointed to read your letter of ... dealing with ...


As someone who values your business, I have already ...

Also, we will deduct another X percent of the bill for the misunderstanding.

Thank you for your patience.


2 Bloukranz Street

Highveld Ext 2

Centurion

0157

30 October 2009

Mrs Tanya Ndou

Office Manager



P O Box 789

Pretoria

0001

Dear Mrs Ndou

Tishimolto M 580 photocopier

I was very concerned to read your letter of 26 October 2009 dealing with the issue of your newly

acquired printer not being able to reproduce documents in colour. As someone who values your

business,

I have given our technician, Thabo Mabuzo, instructions to come and investigate the problem as the

equipment in question is definitely capable of printing in colour.

In the meantime you can make use of our equipment to print your documents. We will come and collect

and deliver your copying work. Also, we will reduce your October lease bill by10 percent for the

inconvenience you have suffered.

Thank you for your patience.

Yours sincerely,

(Signature here)

Ms Zanele Moloi

Manager

5.2.2.6 Regret letter

Exercise: Compose a letter to inform a candidate that (s)he has not been successful in her/his job

application.

5.2.3 Answering complaints and enquiries

Welcome the letter of complaint. It gives you one of your best opportunities to improve your

organisation’s goodwill. To take advantage of the opportunity, your attitude must be positive and helpful

– not miserable or grudging.

Every complaint is important to the person who makes it, so don’t be offhand. Answer promptly and

show that you are trying to be fair. Don’t argue or criticise; don’t antagonise with such phrases as ”you

claim” or “you state”.


5.2.3.1 If you are in the wrong

Take the attitude that the reader is trying to help you. Don’t run your own organisation down by writing

about “poor results” or “failures”, or remind the reader that the incident is “unfortunate” or that he/she

has “complained”.

Acknowledge frankly that you are at fault, and apologise for any trouble that your reader has suffered

(but if you suspect a law suit may result: beware).

Explain the cause of the trouble as honestly as you can; then state what you are doing to put matters

right, and try to build goodwill.

5.2.3.2 If you are in the right – but will give way

Don’t try to make the correspondent feel small. Aim to get the maximum goodwill out of the situation.

Thank the reader for writing and sympathise. Then say what you are going to do: don’t sound grudging!

Finally, suggest how similar trouble can be avoided in the future – be constructive, not critical of the

past.

5.2.3.3 If you are in the right – and cannot give way

A difficult letter to write. Your aim is not only to save your organisation money; it is also to keep goodwill.

Try to educate the reader to use your product. Begin by getting on to some common ground, agree with

something in the letter, thank them for writing and sympathise. Then state your point of view, and either

say that you cannot accept responsibility or say w hat you can do to help; try to convince them that you

are being fair. Suggest how similar trouble could be avoided in the future. Finally, regain their

confidence in your organisation.


5.2.4 Structure for answering complaint letters

Case A: Company is wrong

1. Thank you for your letter

2. Say I am sorry, etc.3. Explain what happened

4. Say what you will do about it (now and in the future)

Case B: Company is right, but will do something


10. Sympathise – I am concerned11. Say what you are prepared to do for them

12. How to prevent the same occurrence in the future

Case C: Company is right, and cannot do anything


2. Sympathise with their problem3. I can understand your point

4. But this is our point

5. Because of our point I am sorry that we cannot help

6. Advice for the future

Remember: Our sympathy and concern will show that we care about our reader.

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we did not.

Erica Jong


5.2.5 Exercise

Decide what type of complaint the following complaints are and choose one that you are going to respond to in writing.

1. Your customer complained that another customer received a reduced rate, but he paid the full price. He insists to also pay the reduced rate

2. You had a product on special until yesterday. An elderly woman complains that she couldn’t get to your organisation yesterday and insists on still getting the product at the old price

3. A customer wants to change the order after it has been processed

4. A very rude customer complains about a rude staff member

5. A customer complains that one staff member made a promise and another now says that the promise can’t be fulfilled as it’s against the policy


5.3 E-mail

5.3.1 Adopt the correct approach

It is accepted that e-mail is mostly used for memo-type communication.

Obviously, e-mail must conform to the usual rules of written business communication.

There are people who misuse the convenience of e-mail – and swamp co-workers by sending them

information they do not need, in an age of information overload.

Some people cannot resist the temptation to send some communications (like the fact that they will be

away on the 21st ) to the whole company!

Remember: NO E-MAIL IS EVER COMPLETELY PRIVATE. IT departments back up their networks

regularly and the records are there for many years.

So … e-mail should be used professionally … but often it isn’t ;-)

So be careful what you send – you may just click on the wrong key and send it to the whole company –

including the MD.

Hi my mate :-))

So how’s life hey? Hey?

You wanna hear a good jokE?

Pop by my office and i’ll tell you sometime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The boss was really p’ed orrrrrfff this morning wasn;t he? }8-(

Hey where is that report you promised me? ;-(

I’ll be werry pleased if I can have it by lunch time

PPPPPWWWWWEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZ?????????? )

With a rose

@---

Luv ya

S

5.3.2 Exercise


Please assess the following e-mails. Consider the content, structure, layout/format, tone etc. Decide

what type of impression each would make on the person receiving it.

Example 1

HI JOHN

I AM A XYZ CAR DEALERSHIP IN ILLOV.IHAVE SPOKEN TO JANE IN CONNECTION WITH

YOU WANTING TO ACQUIRE A DEMO MODEL.IF YOU COULD KINDLY FURNISH ME WITH

DETAILS AS TO WHICH CAR YOU ARE LOOKING FOR i.e. 1600 OR 1300 AND ALSO +- YEAR OR

A BIDGET AS TO WHAT YOU WOULD LLIKE TO SPEND

I CAN TRY TO SOURCE A DEMO FOR YOU IF

I DON’T HAVE ONE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.

REGARDS

GEORGE

[email protected]

tel:(011) XXX-XXXX

fax:(011) XXX-XXXX

cel: 08X-XXX XXXX

Your evaluation:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Example 2

Hi!


To celebrate my new 17MB Internet line (not yet available in SA I am afraid) I'd love to try something

new.

On Thursday evening, at 7pm, I will present a free 60 minute seminar on starting your own business.

The concepts will apply to both online and offline businesses, and the goal is simple: To remove ALL

the risk from your startup.

You will need a PC and a little Internet. The faster the better, but we tested the system yesterday, and a

volunteer ran into the Kalahari with a GPRS connection, and she could hear and see just fine.

Strangely, she kept coughing as she spoke, but she could text us to ask questions. (At least it sounded

like coughing, but then the Kalahari can do weird things to a person.)

So, if you know anyone who is considering starting down this very lonely entrepreneurial road, won't you please invite them to register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/465161553

And then let’s have a fun interactive session at 7pm South African time in your

lounge/study/office/bedroom.

It's not a sales exercise. But I'd like to test how many folk we can talk to at the same time. (Our research

shows that about 20 times more folk are searching for help opening businesses than are looking for

help closing them.) We're limited to 500 seats. So don't delay.

No animals were harmed in the creation of this uber-green event. No flights were taken, and no cars

were used. This live, online seminar has a zero carbon footprint.

Peter Carruthers talks about how to take all the risk out of starting your own business, whether offline or

online. It's interactive. It's online. And it should be fun. Ah yes, and did I mention it is free?

Register before 5pm today, and you WILL get the relevant password. After that, who knows.

Title: How To Start a Business From Scratch

Date: Thursday, August 6, 2009

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM CAT

All the best

Peter Carruthers


https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/465161553

5.3.3 Replying to clients e-mails - example

Reply

Subject line: Fw: Lawyer required to sue for outstanding debts

Good day Christine,

Please see below the details as required. Should you whish to use these attorneys, you need to give us

the details of the defaulters and we will refer it to the lawyers.

WRIGHT ROSE-INNES INCORPORATEDMICHELE RENNIE PH: 011 646 9991FAX: 086 635 8496E-MAIL: [email protected]

POTGIETER MARAIS ATTORNEYSMIKE POTGIETERPH: 012 342 0343FAX: 012 342 0372E-MAIL: [email protected]

Regards,

Debby van der Westhuizen

Accountability Administration

Telephone 0861 90 90 90

Fax 0861 90 90 91

www.accountability.co.za

Original

Sent: 31/07/2009 02:26 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Lawyer required to sue for outstanding debts

Could you please give me contact details of your appointed lawyers to help me recover a debt from a business in

Central Johannesburg and one in Central Pretoria.

Thank you

Christine Maslow

General Manager


mailto:[email protected]


Informatica

Tel (011) 963 3621

079 325 2463

[email protected]

5.3.4 Practical session

Write an e-mail to your team in which you invite them to a lunch on Friday to celebrate your team’s success in exceeding the monthly target.

5.3.5 E-mail etiquette

In e-mail usual standard social rules still do and should apply. By adhering to them, you not only

enhance your e-mail communications – you could keep yourself and your company out of legal and

regulatory trouble.



Be careful using e-mail at work

Companies are increasingly establishing guidelines regarding the use of e-mail. This is to protect

themselves legally and to ensure resources are not abused. Employees need to be familiar with these

policies. An adequate policy should spell out what is appropriate and inappropriate use of e-mail.

Short e-mails communicate betterIn the age of the Internet, attention span is limited. A short e-mail message that goes straight to the

point is more likely to be read than a long message. If a longer message is necessary, then attach a file.

Use a clear and descriptive subject line Most e-mail users see only the address of the sender and the subject line of incoming e-mail. The

subject line could be the difference between an e-mail being read and ignored. A good subject line is

typically less than ten words, clearly describes the content and avoids words all in upper case and

exclamation marks.

Spelling and grammar still appliesWrite to your audience. Poor writing can leave a negative impression of the writer and the writer's

organisation. To avoid this, you can set up Outlook to automatically spell check e-mails before sending

them out.

Limit the number of recipients

Make sure only appropriate people receive a copy. You will not only be doing recipients a favour, you’ll

be increasing the likelihood of your e-mail being read.

Use a signature It is standard polite practice to identify yourself. E-mail programs have an option to automatically

append information to identify the sender. This file can also include your name, organisation, job title

and any other relevant information. Include a telephone number to the signature of the email. This will

give the recipient the chance to telephone if necessary. It is not necessary to include your email address

as the recipient can just reply to the email. When replying eliminate all the information that is not

necessary. Only leave the sections of text that are related to your reply. This will save your reader time

when reading your email.

Respect the privacy of e-mail addresses

When sending e-mails to multiple recipients, do not put in an e-mail address in the To or Cc field if one

or more recipients have no need to know that address. If sending an e-mail to multiple recipients and

you don't want the recipients to see any other address, then put the list of addresses in the Bcc field.


The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.

Evan Esar


5.4 Report writing

5.4.1 What makes a good report?

Leads to action

The value of the report lies in the message it needs to get across. It has no other purpose than

providing the information requested by the party concerned and it is mostly compiled to form the basis

of a decision. A report must convey to the reader what he is supposed to do. A good report achieves

that quickly and easily.

Gets to the point

Don’t expect the recipient to read every word. Structure your report in such a fashion that by browsing

the reader gets an immediate grasp of the salient points. Therefore, put your conclusion and

recommendation right up front. If they need the detail make it easy for the readers to locate it.

Is user friendly

It must have a structured layout which displays

a descriptive title

a table of contents

identifiable chapters

headlines

spacious presentation

logical sequence of arguments

clear findings

simple language

correct grammar

Needless to say, a good report is one that is produced at the stipulated frequency and is delivered to the

designated persons timeously.

In your situation, what are the requirements of a good report?


Good reports are the result of good thinking

5.4.2 Informal reports

It is often necessary, within an organisation, to put information on paper. It can be to update other

members of staff (e.g. to prepare them for a meeting), report back to a departmental head or other

manager, explain situations, record information, etc. The matters are usually fairly simple and do not

justify carefully impersonal language, conventional headings, etc. Such reports are usually done in a

flexible format similar to that of a memorandum.

5.4.2.1 Layout of an informal report: example

To:


From:

Date:

HEADING OF REPORT

First paragraph(s) briefly give an introduction - this may refer to the background of the matter or the

situation that led to the report being written.

Middle paragraph(s) outline the information or findings that the report is communicating.

Last paragraph(s) give any conclusions or outline any recommendations or action required.

As with formal reports, the date and name/position of the writer can appear at the start or the end of the

report.

5.4.2.2 Language and tone of informal reports

Informal reports must still keep the neutral, logical tone of a communication whose main objective is to

inform.

They still obey all the rules of good business communication - clear, simple language - vocabulary and

sentence construction, good logical structuring of ideas, clear, concise communication in accordance

with a clear objective, etc.

However, the impersonal language of formal reports is not necessary, and using "I, me, my, we, our" etc

is appropriate.


5.4.2.3 Example

Study the format of the following example of an informal report (taken from a Pitmans model).

REPORT

To: Mr J F Khumalo/ Office Manager

From: Mpho Tshabalala / Administrative Officer

Date: 28 September 2009

MAIL ROOM PROCEDURES

As requested, I have looked into the general complaints about the efficiency of the mailroom staff, and

into the specific matter of 625 invoices which were prepared for dispatch on Monday 7 September but

not posted until Wednesday afternoon.

I reviewed the complaints, observed the mailroom procedures and discussed the problems with the mail

room staff.

On 7 September and Tuesday 8 September, the receptionist was ill and Jane Mthembu, the mailroom

clerk, spent Monday afternoon and all of Tuesday morning on switchboard/reception duty. Other

members of staff were not able to help out as all departments are experiencing staff shortages as a

result of the 'flu epidemic.

The situation in the mailroom is already difficult, as there has been a growing volume of mail without any

increase in staff numbers, or upgrading of equipment to deal with the increase.

There seem to be a number of possible solutions and suggestions including:

The employment of an additional staff member, who could be based in the mail room with Jane

and help her for a certain number of hours a day

Reorganisation of mail collections, and an agreement with secretarial staff to ensure that any

invoices to be posted will be placed in the collection boxes by the agreed time

Help from the IT Department for printing mailing labels from the client database. Jane also

needs training on how to adjust her computer layout so that labels are printed quickly and

accurately

An electric franking machine to replace the hand operated one.


I attach to this report some leaflets on mail room equipment. If you would like to see the sales reps for

the equipment shown in the brochures, or discuss the above suggestions, please contact me.

(Signature and designation/position of the writer)

5.4.2.4 “Rapid Reports”

After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a 'Gripe Sheet' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft.

The mechanics correct the problems; document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the Gripe Sheets before the next flight. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.

What makes these even funnier is that they are real!!

In case you need a laugh: Remember, it takes a college degree to fly a plane but only a high school diploma to fix one. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour.

By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.

S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.

S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.

S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.

S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute Descent.

S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.

S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.

S: DME volume set to more believable level.


P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.

S: That's what friction locks are for.

P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.

S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.

S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.

S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny........... (I love this one!)

S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.

S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.

S: Cat installed.

And the best one for last..................

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a

hammer.

S: Took hammer away from midget.

5.4.2.5 Exercise

Please write a submission to your manager proposing that a new colour printer be purchased for your

department (you need to convince her/him that you really need this printer). Assume that your current


laser printer is 10 years old, prints black and white only, regularly breaks down requiring technician

intervention and spare parts being difficult to source.

Use a mind map to draft your report.

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life

is to keep your mind young.Henry Ford


5.4.3 Proposed structure of final report

1. Title

It needs to tell your reader instantly what the report is about

2. Contents page

It divides your report into manageable pieces to enhance understanding

3. Recommendation

Give your recommendation, advise people what to do, tell them what they should know

4. Executive summary

Brief detail of the objective, main problems, proposed solution, benefits, payback of investment.

5. Terms of reference

Background, reason for project, previous investigation, time scales, etc

6. Data gathering

Identify information resources and organisational procedures for obtaining information

7. Discussion

List the findings of your research and/or investigation

8. Conclusion

Give an objective opinion of your findings

9. Recommendation and implementation

Elaborate on the main point of (3) above

10. List appendices

11. List references

5.4.4 Executive summary


This is a most important part of many reports and may well be the only section that some readers read

in detail. It must contain the main point that you want to get across. It should be carefully written and

should give a complete overview of the message in the report, with a clear summary of your

recommendations.

Report writing - example of an executive summary

The purpose of this report was to examine the implications on university

teaching raised in the article by Joe Gelonesi in the Education

Supplement of The Age (27/2/02). Research for this report included a

review of current literature on web-based tuition and interviews with

three experienced academics.

The major findings indicate that while there is a need for some caution,

e-learning should be seen as a way of enriching the teaching and

learning currently being offered in universities.

While it is clear that student needs will vary, this report recommends that

Beacon University continue to develop and implement its e-learning

approach if it wishes to continue providing quality education for

traditional on-campus students as well as those who for work, family,

geographic location or other reasons choose to study through distance

education.

Purpose

Methodology

Findings

Conclusion &Recommendations


5.4.5 Example of a structure of a business plan

5.4.5.1 Function

A business (project) plan has several functions which may change as the project progresses. It

Makes an idea measurable

Helps convey the concepts to stakeholders

Gives insight into all the aspects of the proposed project

Is an exercise to assess the viability of the idea

Helps the originators and stakeholders to familiarise themselves with potential problems

Provides a step by step approach towards reaching a decision

Becomes a working manual in the execution of the project

Provides the means to measure progress during implementation.

5.4.5.2 Structure

Executive summary

It is the most vital part of the business plan.

It is self-standing and has to sell your strategy

The summary is written last but is placed up front in the presentation

Introduction and backgroundState the identification of an opportunity in the market

Indicate what attempts have been made in the past to satisfy the consumers’ needs

Highlight the shortcomings of the attempts so far and the opportunity for intervention

Explain why this opportunity is ripe now for exploitation

Business outlineGive an overview of what your business is intended to achieve over a period of time

Identify the potential revenue stream

Provide an indication of cost.

Indicate risk and the probability of success

Indicate proposed starting date

Data gatheringProvide an overview of the target market (industry sector)

Describe market structure e.g.

Number, size and type of households

Estimated revenue within market

Estimated income within market (EBITDA)


OperationsList the required manpower resources and costs necessary to run the business

Show current availability and additional manpower needs

Identify other resources such as office space, equipment, vehicles, stationery and show costs

Identify strengths and weaknesses in the organisation

Highlight previous successes of similar businesses elsewhere

FinancialProvide a pro forma income statement of the business outcome over five years

If feasible, provide a cash flow projection covering the next five years

Risk / reward assessmentSummarise the critical opportunities and threats of the business

Sum

5.4.6 Financial and statistical reports

One of the most important functions of directors, departmental heads and managers is to exercise

financial control of their departments.

It is essential that financial reports are provided frequently and at regular intervals with up-to-date and

reliable information.

It is vital that these reports are made available to the boards, committees and other decision making

bodies with the least possible delay.

It is important to emphasise that this information should not only be laid before the committee or board

timeously, but also that members should be able to comprehend and appreciate its significance.

For this reason, the use of such visual aids as highlighting noteworthy items and the presentation of

simple graphs and diagrams to reveal trends that are not so easily identifiable from schedules or figures

greatly enhances the value of the data submitted. The resourceful report writer will use every

opportunity to assist executives by devising such graphs and diagrams.

Moreover, since comparison is an essential element here in using management data, comparative

figures for the corresponding period - be it a month, a quarter or a year - should always be provided. For

ease of comparison also, the manner in which data is presented and illustrated should, wherever

possible, follow the same pattern as was previously adopted.


The resourceful report writer may well add to the usefulness of the diagrams and graphs by appending

a brief report emphasising the salient features and significant movements in the figures presented. This

will assist the members in rapidly comprehending the full significance of the data laid before them on

which they must make their decisions.

In drawing up any report involving recommendations, it is essential that the costs involved in

implementing the recommendations, both short-term and long-term, be carefully and dispassionately

examined. A payback analysis or explanation of total cost of ownership comes to mind.

Poorly presented figures, far from making the point, can actually obscure it. Figures can be very

daunting, and graphs can be difficult to interpret without a struggle, so it is not surprising that some

people “switch off” when faced with quantitative information. Communication breaks down at that point.

So we must try to present figures in such a way that they communicate their meaning easily.

5.4.6.1 NumbersHere are some tips which help the reader to get the “numbers message” more clearly:

Comparison – the key to understandingPut figures in a comparative context whenever possible.

Put the smaller figures below the bigger one. We are used to subtracting in our head this way, and it is

easier for the reader.

ColumnsArrange figures to read down columns rather than across rows if possible. They are easier to compare

like that.

DecimalsThe use of decimals should reflect the accuracy of measurement. The numbers 5, 5,0 and 5,00 indicate

different degrees of precision.

For values less than one a zero should be placed before the decimal point (0,25 not ,25). Modifying

words such as “about”, “more or less” should not be used with decimals.

Consistency

Be consistent

same numbers of decimal places

same units use signs + - or ( )

make sure totals add up!

DiagramsFrom the writer’s point of view, a diagram is often the clearest and most striking way to present facts.


From the reader’s point of view, it is always easier to remember diagrams than it is to remember written

sets of facts.

If it is possible and appropriate, don’t hesitate to use some kind of pictorial representation. But where

the exact numbers have to be read, rather than illustrated as a generalised flow, you will need to use a

table.

ColoursUse more than one colour if possible in tables and diagrams. Colours do two things which help the

reader:

They distinguish one part from another

They highlight important aspects.


5.4.7 Precis Writing

5.4.7.1 Introduction

Précis writing is one of the most useful skills you can acquire for your work as a professional (the

'executive summary' of a report is an example of a précis).

Précis writing involves summarising a document or several documents to extract the maximum amount

of information, then conveying this information to a reader in the minimum number of words. The

condensed version usually reduces the report to one third of the original by paraphrasing from the

original document.

Paraphrasing simply means the expressing of ideas from the original document(s) in your own words.

When you paraphrase, you should try to write as concisely as possible, cutting out all the unnecessary

verbiage, but you must always be very careful not to lose or distort the original meaning.

5.4.7.2 Guidelines for writing an effective précis

Identify the reader and purpose of the précis

This determines how much detail should be included and how formal the précis needs to be.

Read the original document

Skim-read the document to get an overview, then read it again more slowly to identify the main themes

and to distinguish the key ideas and concepts from the unimportant ones. Identify an explicit statement

as the main topic of each paragraph or large portion of text. Place incidents, processes or actions in the

correct order. This is of particular importance when more than one document needs to be précised.

Compare information by identifying similarities and differences and sort in logical order in appropriate

categories.

Underline the key ideas and concepts

Note the important points. Be careful to follow the train of thought of the original. Each paragraph should

have one key topic, which the rest of the paragraph clarifies, supports and develops.

Prepare a draft summary

Use the words of the original document, but omit all irrelevant material. Do not worry if it appears too

long at this stage. Check your summary against the original. Have you noted all the salient points?

Write a précisEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 100

Paraphrase (expression of the same thing in different words) to express the summarised points more

concisely and to develop them into coherent sentences, expressing all important points in a generalised

form. Eliminate any repetitions or irrelevant details. If you have too many words look for opportunities to

reduce sentences to clauses, clauses to phrases and phrases to single words. Attempt to put the précis

in your own words if possible.

Review and edit

Again compare your précis with the original document and make sure that it emphasises the same

points. Ensure that the précis is clear, concise and coherent. Check your sentence structure, grammar,

punctuation and spelling. Consolidate information from texts from multiple sources into a synthesised

text.

5.4.7.3 Example of précis writing

Original document

Because the ability to communicate effectively plays an important part in an accountant's success on the job, many employers screen prospective accountants for adequate skills in oral and written communication. In fact, one study shows communication skills to be the most important factor in decisions to hire. Employers view the ability to write and speak effectively even more important than a prospective employee's academic results.(66 words)

Action: underline key words or ideas

Action: write note-form summary

ability to communicate effectively important to accountant's success

important factor in decision to hire

employers value communication skills even more than academic results

Action: Use your own words to express these key ideas more concisely and to develop a full sentence paraphrase which conveys the original message accurately and is clear, concise and coherent.

Employers recognise the importance of oral and written communication in accounting, and therefore prefer to hire graduates with effective communication skills.(21 words)


[Note that the words have been changed to express the key ideas more concisely. In changing the

words in this way, always make sure the key ideas are not lost or distorted].

Source: Curtin University of Technology: Ten principles for effective writing

5.4.8 Persuasive report writing

Persuasive writing is intended chiefly to change the reader’s opinions or attitudes or to prompt the

reader into action.

When writing an argument, you plan, draft, revise and design a document that needs to be

appropriate for your audience and the context. In addition you need to consider what it will take

to persuade your audience to agree with you.

When writing an argument you should always consider your purpose. It may be to pursue the

truth until you have formed an opinion and it seems reasonable. Or it may be to persuade an

audience to agree with an opinion that you already hold.

You need to develop your argument by choosing a question that needs an answer or show that

you have found the answer and you want your audience to accept it.

When you explore your subject and consider what you think about it, you must be able to

distinguish between facts and opinions. Facts are reliable pieces of information that can be

verified through independent forces or procedures. They are valued because they are believed

to be true. Opinions are assertions or inferences that may or may not be based on facts.

Be careful not to claim more than what you can prove. The stronger the claim, the stronger the

evidence needed to support it. Be sure to consider the quality and significance of the evidence

you use.

You must explore your subject in enough depth to have the evidence to support your position.

In addition, you should consider the reasons why other people might disagree with you and be

prepared to respond. Be sure to provide sufficient evidence from credible sources to support

your claim: facts, statistics, examples and testimony.

It is essential that you appeal to the feelings of your audience. Ethical appeals establish a

writer's credibility, logical appeals help an audience to think clearly and emotional appeals can

reinforce an argument.

The logical organisation of your argument plays a vital role in getting your point across. A

classical arrangement follows the following sequence:


Introduction

background information

proposition

proof

refutation (shows why you are not persuaded by the arguments of people who hold a

different position).

o conclusion.

Applying logic to an argument is vital to convince others of your opinion. It is a means through

which you develop your ideas, reach new ones and determine whether you are thinking is clear

enough to persuade readers to agree with you. By arguing logically, you increase the

likelihood that your arguments will be taken seriously.

Logical fallacies can weaken an argument. Fallacies are lapses in logic that can result from

relying on faulty premises, from misusing or misrepresenting evidence or from distorting the

issues. They can be the result of poor thinking or they can also be a deliberate attempt to

manipulate.

You can improve your ability to write persuasively by studying the arguments of other writers.

Source: The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook

Exercise:

Write a report to motivate the Treasury to do away with capital gains tax.


5.5 Perfecting documentation for meetings

5.5.1 Definition of a meeting

A meeting is “an assembly of persons, a coming together for a common lawful purpose of two or more persons.” Requirements for a gathering to be regarded as a lawful meeting are:


at least two persons must be coming together

there is common purpose e.g. discuss issues and decide on a course of action

5.5.2 Cycle of a Meeting

This cycle is for a monthly meeting assuming it is held on the 1st of each month. Numbers in brackets

are target dates for each action.

For less frequent meetings, the principle of an agenda sent out a week before, minutes sent out within

the week after, should still be applied.

For weekly meetings, the dates change from a week to a couple of days. This cycle may seem to set

very tight deadlines, but:

If you don’t enjoy typing up your minutes, they only get worse with procrastination

If you have to phone a participant and ask for clarification on content, it is better to do it while

s/he can still remember what was said

If the minutes are not circulated quickly, the action points are a waste of time – it will be too late

for participants to take action

You look inefficient if the minutes are not circulated until the next meeting


The meeting (1st)

Cycle of a Monthly Meeting


Deadline for agenda items & papers (23rd)

Chairperson/secretary briefing meeting (30th)

Draft minutes typed (2nd)

Agenda approved & dispatched (26th)

Agenda Drafted (25th)

Minutes amended by chairperson (3rd)

Minutes approved & dispatched (6th)

Routine administration (room booking, etc.)

5.5.3 The Stages in the cycle

First draft of minutes – One day after the meeting

The first draft should be the minutes, typed as the secretary perceives the discussion. They may well

contain gaps where the chairperson’s guidance is needed, but should be as near complete as possible.

Chairperson’s approval – Two to three days after meeting

The chairperson should check the minutes for factual accuracy and ‘political correctness’ – phrasing that

may cause offence or that does not represent the view of the group. The chairperson should not add

any extra information or change the minutes to suite personal views.

Minutes dispatched – Five days after meeting

The minutes should be sent to all committee members and anyone else who gets a copy. Any papers

that were distributed at the meeting should be attached for those who did not attend.

Routine administration

Booking of venue, catering arrangements, etc.

Deadline for agenda items – Around eight days before next meeting

Under ‘Date of next meeting’ in the minutes, a deadline for agenda items should have been given.

Anything that is received after this can be dealt with under ‘Any other business’.

All papers for discussion at the meeting must be submitted by this date so they can be included with the

agenda. In reality, the secretary is usually left to ring or e-mail to nag participants for agenda items and

papers.

Draft agenda – Seven days before next meeting

The secretary should put together the agenda and pass it to the chairperson for approval.

Agenda Dispatched – One week before next meeting


Each participant should receive an agenda and all papers to be discussed. The agenda should be

cross-referenced to indicate which papers relate to each agenda item. Hints as to other preparation may

be included (Objectives Agenda).

Briefing – One or two days before next meeting

The chairperson and secretary should meet to discuss the content of the meeting, identify any problem

areas and deal with any concerns either party has about the meeting. This is seldom a formal event, but

is often a brief chat before, or on the way to, the meeting.

The formality will be influenced by the style of the people involved and the importance of the meeting.

The meeting

If the rest of the cycle of the meeting is in place, the event itself should be efficient and successful.

5.5.4 Preparing the Notice

A few days prior to the meeting a notice will be sent to each of the directors, unless they have agreed to

hold meetings at regular intervals at a fixed time and place and to dispense with the necessity of notice

being served on them. It is not usual to set out in the notice details of the business to be considered at

the meeting, but it is strongly recommended that secretaries circulate the agenda with the notice in

order that directors may be aware of the matters which are to come up for discussion and may take

such preparatory steps as they may consider desirable or necessary.

Where special business is to be transacted, a brief intimation of the nature of the business should be

embodied in the notice. Further, where a director has undertaken to present any information or a report

to the meeting, the secretary should include the director’s written report in the agenda papers for the

meeting.

5.5.5 Specimen of notice of board meeting

BATAVIER ENGINEERING SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED

Batavia Building

SANDTON

2240Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 108

28 September 2009

Dear Mr Nkosi

I wish to inform you that a meeting of the directors of the company will be held in the Board Room,

Batavia Building, Sandton on Friday 23 October 2009 at 10:00.

Yours sincerely

J JONES

SECRETARY

“Meetings are cul-de-sacs down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled”

5.5.6 Preparing the Agenda

The agenda sets out the headings of the business to be transacted at the meeting, in order in which it is

anticipated that each item will be taken. In drawing up the agenda, the secretary should work in close

collaboration with the chairman, to ensure that no item of importance is overlooked.

The agenda for board meetings is generally typed on loose sheets, sufficient copies being taken to

provide each of the directors with a copy. It is a good practice to set out the business on the left-hand

side, leaving a wide margin on the right-hand side, on which the chairman, secretary and each of the

directors may make his/her own notes of the decisions arrived at.


The notes made by the secretary on his copy will constitute the basis of the preparation of the minutes,

while the chairman and directors may use their notes as a check on the accuracy of the minutes of the

meeting when these are submitted for verification at the next meeting.

The business to be transacted at the meeting should be set out in logical order in the agenda, so that it

will not become necessary for the chairman to vary that order. Moreover, routine matters should be

placed first, while special business requiring careful consideration will be dealt will thereafter, matters of

a similar nature being grouped together.

5.5.7 A specimen agenda of a routine board meeting

BATAVIER ENGINEERING SOUTH AFRICA LIMITEDAGENDA

For meeting of directors to be held in the Board Room on

Friday 23 October 2009 at 10:00

Result

1. Apologies.

2. Approve and sign minutes of board meeting

held on 25 September 2009

3. Matters arising out of the minutes

4. Appoint Mrs P Tshabalala as director in placeEnhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 110

of Mrs B Toto, resigned.

5. Produce summary of the cash book for the month ended

30 September together with certificate of bank balance

and reconciliation statement, and confirm the transaction

reflected in the summary.

6. Submit income statement for the month ended

30 September together with unaudited balance sheet at

that date and supporting schedules

7. Submit production director’s report on operations for the

month of September 2009 as circulated.

8. Submit a report of the company’s consulting civil engineers

dated 30 September 2009 and authorise the following

Vote No 200 Extensions to the Midrand

factory R4 207 340

Vote No 201 Novice CAD equipment R1 700 000

Vote No 202 Armada Punching machine R1 500 000

R7 407 340

9. Correspondence:

(a) Letter from Computer Resources (Pty) Limited.

(b) Request from Aids Prevention Care Group.

10. General

5.5.8 Note-taking skills

5.5.8.1 Get the complete picture

In addition to learning how to listen effectively during a meeting, it will be important for you to develop

the ways in which you record your information. Many ineffectively organised notes resemble a simple

"shopping list" of points with no apparent relationships between the ideas noted and this usually reflects

a note-taker's lack of understanding of these relationships. The effective listening skills outlined above

will assist you in comprehending the discussions.

First Step – PREPARATION

Use a laptop/computer rather than paper and prepare a template. If you don’t have access to a

computer/laptop, use a large, loose-leaf notebook. Use only one side of the paper (you then can lay

your notes out to see the direction of a discussion). Draw a vertical line 60 mm from the left side of your

paper. This is the recall column. Notes will be taken to the right of this margin. Later key words or

phrases can be written in the recall column.

Second Step - DURING THE MEETING


Don’t record notes in paragraph form. Use a new line for every thought and use a “-“ to indicate a new

thought. Capture general ideas, not illustrative ideas. Skip lines to show end of ideas or thoughts. Using

abbreviations will save time. Write legibly.

Third Step - AFTER THE MEETING

Read through your notes and make it more legible if necessary. Now use the column. Jot down ideas or

key words which give you the idea of the discussions. (REDUCE) You may have to reread the

discussions and translate them in your own words.

Suggestions

Think over the following suggestions and improve your note-taking system where needed.

Listen actively - if possible think before you write - but don't get behind

Be open minded about points you disagree on. Don't let arguing interfere with your note-taking

Raise questions if appropriate

Develop and use a standard method of note-taking including punctuation, abbreviations, margins, etc

Use a laptop/computer rather than paper

If using a computer is out of the question, take and keep notes in a large notebook. The only merit to a small notebook is ease of carrying and that is not your main objective. A large notebook allows you to adequately indent and use an outline form

Leave a few spaces blank as you move from one point to the next so that you can fill in additional points later if necessary. Your objective is to take helpful notes, not to save paper

Do not try to take down everything that the speakers say. It is impossible in the first place and unnecessary in the second place because not everything is of equal importance. Spend more time listening and attempt to take down the main points. If you are writing as fast as you can, you cannot be as discriminating a listener. There may be some times, however, when it is more important to write than to think

Listen for cues as to important points, transition from one point to the next, repetition of points for emphasis, changes in voice inflections, enumeration of a series of points, etc

Many speakers attempt to present a few major points and several minor points in a discussion. The rest is explanatory material and examples. Try to see the main points and do not get lost in a barrage of minor points which do not seem related to each other. The relationship is there if you will listen for it. Be alert to cues about what the speaker thinks is important

Make your original notes legible enough for your own reading, but use abbreviations of your own invention when possible. The effort required to recopy notes can be better spent in rereading them and thinking about them. Although neatness is a virtue in some respect, it does not necessarily increase your learning.

If a motion to be proposed at the meeting is complex it should be reduced to writing. It must then be included in the notice and agenda. It must be clearly expressed.

Be prepared with a book (not pieces of paper – they get lost) to write in. Have two pens, the minutes of the previous meeting for amending/signing etc. If you are tape recording, set it up well before the meeting and test your system. Have more tapes than you think you will need. If you take minutes in a meeting on a laptop, save to the hard drive and to a removable disk as you go along.


Sit in the correct chair – the secretary in a meeting should sit at the right hand side of the chairperson. REFUSE to sit in a corner (Photocopy this instruction and give it to your chairperson!).

Concentrate on the discussion: ask yourself: what is the main point that Person X is making? What is the core issue in Person Y’s objection to this idea? You need only make a note of these main ideas.

Take GOOD, full notes of things which people agree to do – try to write down exactly what they must do, by when, whom they must give it to etc. Make careful notes of any dates, times or amounts agreed in the meeting. Your minutes are a reminder service to the participants. Make sure that they are accurate.

Take all motions and resolutions down verbatim, and record who proposed and seconded, and how the vote was taken. If someone disagrees strongly with a decision, record this.

Assertiveness is a key skill when taking minutes. Interrupt the meeting calmly, clearly, in adult-business-professional style if you do not have any information which you need. If you are not sure of something, simply say ”I have minuted ____________ “(read out your note). Is this correct?”

Type up minutes as soon as possible after a meeting. NEVER put them away for another day – you will forget what your notes meant, and then you become anxious and put them off even longer. Eventually you will hate doing minutes.

Get help wherever possible – tape record very formal/serious meetings if you feel you need to – but still take notes. If someone presents a report, ask for a copy of his/her notes.

Don’t fuss over minutes. You are not writing a nation’s constitution – just a record of a meeting with a focus on what people need to do as a result of the decisions taken at the meetings. Get them done and get them distributed quickly.

People like short, clear minutes which are easy to read and easy to work from.

Full but short sentences are best, and clear layout will make your minutes “user friendly.”

Like any business writing, minutes can only be judged against their objective. Ask yourself what job your minutes are supposed to do. Then assess whether they do this job effectively. If they do, they are good minutes.

5.5.8.2 Ways to streamline notes

Eliminate small connecting words such as: is, are, was, were, a, an, the, would, this, of.

Eliminate pronouns such as: they, these, his, that, them. However, be careful NOT to eliminate these three words: and, in, on.

Use symbols to abbreviate, such as:

+, & for and, plus = for equals - for minus # for number x for times > for greater than, more, larger < for less than, smaller, fewer than w/ for with w/o for without w/in for within ----> for leads to, produces, results in


<---- for comes from / for per

5.5.9 The minutes of a meeting

Minutes are a brief, summarised record of the procedure followed at a meeting

Minutes record discussions and decisions taken

Minutes must be a factually correct report of a meeting

The secretary who takes down the minutes must be objective and not allow personal reactions or the mood of the meeting to influence his report

Decisions made and instructions given should be minuted verbatim

Minutes are written in the past tense.

Heading:

The name of the organisation, place, date and time of the meeting

Capital letters are used.

The heading need not be underlined

Attendance register

The names of all the members who attended the meeting are recorded

The chairperson’s name is usually given first

The designation, e.g. managing director, may be written after the names of members who fulfil a role.

APOLOGIES

Opening and welcome

Minutes of the previous meeting


The secretary confirms that the minutes of the previous meeting were read, accepted and signed by the chairman

Matters arising

Matters arising from the previous meeting may now be discussed.

The facts are carefully minuted by the secretary.

New business

(This item is the most important part and the actual reason why the present meeting is being held).

The secretary carefully minutes what is important about each discussion. Vitally important is recording what has been agreed and resolved.

General

Closing

Only the time when the meeting ended is minuted.

The secretary may minute the chairman’s thanks to the people who arranged the meeting and who served refreshments.

The chairman’s initials and surname are typed at the end of the minutes with enough space for his signature and the date.

5.5.10 Necessity of minutes

The principal uses and value of minutes may be summarised as follows:

they constitute the permanent official record of the business transacted at meetings;

they are available for inspection by interested parties, e.g. the directors, the secretary and

the auditors;

they can be produced as evidence in legal proceedings.

They provide a written reminder of what members have undertaken to do and by when.

It is interesting to note that if it can be proven that a resolution was indeed passed but was left out of the

minutes, it can be deemed valid.

However, there is no common-law rule that minutes must be kept, and an unincorporated association

need not keep minutes of the proceedings of its meetings unless it is required to do so by statue or by

its constitution.

For example, there is no statute applicable to sporting bodies and they are not obliged to keep minutes

unless the rules of the particular club so require. It is, however, highly desirable that every association of

persons should record proceedings of its meetings in a minute book as this would eliminate much

argument in the event of a dispute.

It should be noted that the signature of the chairperson to the minutes of both general meetings and of

board and managers’ meetings not only makes them evidence but constitutes them prima facie correct.


5.5.11 Minutes of narration

Formalities

The minutes of every meeting should set out the following:

the nature of the meeting

the date, time and place at which it was held

how the meeting was constituted, for example who occupied the chair, and what other persons

were present i.e. either their individual names or a reference to the attendance register in

which their names are to be found, or, in the case of a general meeting at which an attendance

register was not kept, a statement of the number of members present (which will, of course,

need to be in excess of the necessary quorum)

any apologies for absence that have been received by the chairperson or the secretary

the names of persons attending ex officio e.g. attorneys, auditors, etc., who may have been

present, and of all paid officials who were in attendance

a statement that the chairperson declared the meeting duly constituted

a record of the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting, if indeed they were approved

at the meeting.

5.5.12 Minutes of resolution

Each decision should be recorded in a separate sentence commencing: ‘it was RESOLVED:

That’, the exact wording of the resolution (as amended, if such was the case) being

reproduced.

These decisions should be recorded in the order in which they were agreed to at the meeting.

A motion that was submitted to the meeting but was not adopted should normally not be

included unless the member moving it expressly requests that it be recorded as submitted but

defeated.

Where important matters are being decided, the objections of individual members, particularly

at board meetings, should be recorded, especially when there is a request for such record to

be made.


In addition to the decisions taken at the meeting, the minutes should explicitly record full details

of all contracts, matters of a financial nature, appointments, and other actions that were

approved or authorised, but trivial matters should be rigidly excluded.

Whilst brevity is desirable, and unnecessary detail is to be avoided, care must be exercised to

ensure that the exact intention of the meeting is accurately, explicitly, and unequivocally

recorded.

Where a draft agreement or other important document is submitted to a meeting of members

for their approval, the nature and, if practicable, the main terms of the agreement should be

stated in the minutes, or the document should be otherwise identified.

A method of identifying a document is to refer to it in the minutes as ‘the draft agreement of 4

May 2007 which is initialled by the chairperson for purposes of identification.’

It is advisable to attach a copy of the agreement to the minutes that record the approval

thereof, unless this is too bulky to be practicable.

The minutes will usually conclude with a statement that the chairperson declared that the

business of the meeting was completed, or that the proceedings terminated.

This will be followed by some such formula as ‘Signed as correct record.’

………………… 20…….. ……………………………………

Chairperson

Resolutions are drafted by the secretary in consultation with the chairperson. The chairperson may get

the advice of the members while the meeting is in progress for the sake of clarity on the motion before

the meeting.

A well-formulated resolution will have the following characteristics. It is

concise, clear with the minimum of words

contained in a single sentence

worded in the positive

if lengthy, broken down in distinct components, particularly where sub-clauses are introduced

starting with the word “That”

Where a decision becomes immediately effective, the words “and is hereby” are added to the resolution.


5.5.13 Specimen minutes of a monthly board meeting

BATAVIER ENGINEERING SOUTH AFRICA LIMITEDMinutes of monthly meeting of Directors held in the Board Room,

Batavia Building, Sandtonon Friday 23 October 2009 at 10:00

Present: Mr L King (Chairman)

Mr P Nkosi

Mr J Prince

Mr F Gatsha

Mrs P Tshabalala

In attendance: Mr K Watchman, Secretary

The chairman declared the meeting duly constituted.

1. Apologies: There were no apologies.

2. Minutes: The minutes of the board meeting held on 25 September

2009 as circulated, were taken as read and signed as a

correct record.

3. Matters arising out of the Minutes: Nil.

4. Directorate: It was RESOLVED:

That Mrs P Tshabalala be and she is hereby elected a

director of the company to fill the casual vacancy caused

by the resignation of Mrs B Toto.

The chairman thereupon welcomed Mrs Tshabalala to her

first meeting of the Board.

5. Finance: A summary of the Cash Book for the month ended

30 September 2009 showing a balance of R3 265 421

together with certificate of bank balance and reconciliation

statement was submitted. The transactions reflected in the

summary were duly confirmed.

6. Accounts: An Income Statement for the month ended 30 September

2009 together with an unaudited Balance Sheet as at that

date and various supporting schedules, was submitted and

discussed.

7. Operations: The production director’s report on operations at the


Midrand factory for the month of September 2009 as circulated was tabled

and the salient features noted.

8. Consulting The report of Greenfield Consulting Civil Engineers, dated

engineer’s report: 30 September 2009 was considered and it was

RESOLVED:

That vote No 200, extensions to the Midrand factory

be proceeded with at a total expenditure of R4 207 340

It was further RESOLVED:

That the following votes for capital expenditure be and

they are hereby authorised:

Vote No Description Amount201 Novice CAD Equipment R1 700 000202 Armada Punching machine R1 500 000

R3 200 000

9. Correspondence: A letter form Computer Resources (Pty) Limited was considered and it was RESOLVED:

That no further action be taken in the matter.

A letter from the Aids Prevention Care Group was considered and it was RESOLVED:

That the matter be referred to Mr P Hanson, the Human Resources manager, for consideration.

10. General: There was no further business.

The chairman then declared the meeting terminated.

Signed as correct record.

27 November 2009L. King

Chairman

Module 6

6 Analysing and editing your own documents


After attending this module delegates will be able to:

Ensure accuracy with spell checks and proof reading

Follow a logical approach to editing

Provide guidelines for presentation and layout

6.1 Proof reading

Proof-reading differs from revising or editing. Revising requires you to consider and possibly reorganise

your ideas. Editing makes sure your writing is as clear, accurate and stylistically consistent as possible.

Proof-reading pays particular attention to the conventions of grammar, mechanics and punctuation and

to spelling errors that may have slipped through the editing process.

Proof-reading also checks for and corrects layout errors and serves as a final check to make sure all

necessary revising and editing have been done. The first step of proof-reading is to make use of your

computer's spell-checker. Thereafter it is necessary to perform a manual proof-reading process to

ensure faultless presentation.

Source: the Writer’s Harbrace Handbook

Check and recheck

When writing, be mindful of the fact that once something is in written form, it cannot be taken back.

Particularly in reports there is little room for error. Incorrect spelling, grammar and punctuation as well

as poor writing style and vocabulary put the credibility of the report at risk.

Thankfully, today’s technology makes report writing much easier by providing reliable tools that check

and even correct misspelled words and incorrect grammar use. Unfortunately, these tools are not fail

proof and will require your support, making your knowledge in this area important.


6.2 Editing

It can be useful to put your draft report aside for a few days before rereading it. This will allow you to

become more detached from it and be able to spot errors more easily.

This checklist may help you in editing your report - could you tick off each item?

The purpose

Have your clarified your purpose?

Have you identified your readers' needs/characteristics?

Have you remembered these when considering the items below?

Information

Have you included the main points?

Are points supported by evidence?

Is the information relevant to the purpose?

Accuracy

Are there spelling mistakes?

Do the figures add up?

Are the references correct, in the text and at the end?

Are all sources of information listed in the References section?

Are abbreviations consistent?

Images

Are images clear?

Format

What is the balance between sections?

Do the most important items have the most space?

Is the report easy to follow?

Is it easy to find information in the report?

Are headings and numbering clear?

Are the arguments followed through?

Is it logical/easy to follow?

Language

Is it clear, direct, easy to read?


Will the readers understand it?

Will its tone help you achieve the purpose?

Can unnecessary words/phrases be deleted?

Is the grammar/punctuation correct?

Is there any repetition?

Presentation

Is the layout appealing?

Does it highlight important points?

Relevancy check

Once the report has been written it is vital that it be checked with the relevant parties to establish that

the reported information is in accordance with requirements.

It is advisable to draw up a table to list each of the relevant recipients of the reports and a space for

comments and an overall rating of the report in terms of whether it meets the information requirements

and purposes. The form needs to be distributed to recipients and their comments evaluated to

determine the usefulness of the report. Possible amendments to reports are made in line with

suggestions from recipients. (see Table 8)

(Source: The Student Skills Guide, Sue Drew and Rosie Bingham)

6.3 Presentation

Good presentation can make a report clearer. Consider the following points when writing your report:

Overall impact - make use of templates in the organisation and templates available in word processing

software. Your final product should be presented in a folder or plastic wallet - whatever you think is

suitable.

Headings - should be clearly ranked. Restrict yourself to three styles of headings: one for main

sections, one for sub-sections, and one for further sub-sections.

Numbering - numbering your sections makes the report easier to follow. A common system is to

number a main section, then for sub-sections to place a dot after the main section number and begin to

number again. You can continue to a further level. This makes it easier to refer the reader to a specific

part of the report; e.g. paragraph 3.2.2, rather than to say "about half way down page 5".

Layout

It is vital to use a clean spacious layout that clearly displays the main points.


Plenty of white space

Makes report inviting and user friendly

It lets headlines and graphics stand out

Draws attention to key paragraphs

Enhances readability

Don’t economise on paper: it only forms a small part of overall costs

Saves time in reading and comprehending

The right fonts

Stick to one or two fonts in a single report

Abstain from using fancy fonts which are difficult to read

Limit headings to three types/sizes

Beware of too many combinations of bold, italics, underline, bullets, wingdings etc

Other factors enhancing layout

Page numbering

Headers and footers

Indentations

Right hand margin justification

Tables

Margins

Spacing

Numbering

6.4 Exercise

Editing written work from a check-list

You should work from a very specific check-list, examining particular aspects of language and style to

make sure that the whole passage is just the way you want it. Once you have made the necessary

correction, you then proof-read again to see whether more editing is needed.Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 123

Here is a ‘well-intentioned’ check-list that may be useful once you have made some adjustments to it!

1. Don’t never use no double negatives

2. Concord between verbs and their subjects are vital.

3. Be alert when you proof-read, to make sure that you don’t any words out, or write any words

words twice.

4. Be careful to never split an infinitive.

5. Use a dictionery to look up difficult words.

6. Because every sentence needs a main clause.

7. Writing correctly, unrelated participles must be avoided.

8. Punctuation, is important, but avoid the temptation, to use, too many commas.

9. Remembering to check carefully for a finite verb in every sentence.

10. Conjunctions can be used to join sentences, however sentence adverbs cannot.

11. Not ending a sentence with a preposition is another convention that attention must be paid to.

12. Your teacher and me insist that the correct pronouns should be selected; sorry, I mean your

teacher and myself insist.

13. Eliminate the utilisation of unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

14. Limit the Use of Capital Letter to the Beginning of Sentences and for Proper Nouns.

15. The bottom line is, don’t use clichés at this point in time; basically, always look for a viable

alternative.

16. Do not begin a sentence with ’and’. And do not begin a sentence with ‘but’ either.

17. At all times and under all circumstances avoid repetitive, unnecessary redundancies, which

often appear here, there and everywhere.

18. Remember that American spelling is out of favor.

19. Inappropriate use of hyperbole is a stylistic flaw that should be punishable by death.

20. Grow your writing skills by avoiding irregular verb forms that are impacting the language these

days.

21. Paint your writing colourfully with a variety of flavours, but be careful not to mix your

metaphors.

22. Do not ‘use’ too many “inverted ‘commas.’”

23. Never use more than one exclamation mark!!

24. Sentences must be joined with conjunctions, they can never be spliced together with commas.

25. Use a thesaurus, which will help you not to use the same word repeatedly.

26. For consistency of style and register, don’t chuck colloquial stuff into a formal sentence.

27. Do not write long, rambling sentences, avoiding particularly those in which long strings of

prepositional phrases follow interminably one upon the other, like a weary line of exhausted

hikers staggering through the narrow pass at the top of steep hill at the end of a long day.

28. If you proof-read your work carefully, looking for repetition that can be removed, you will find

many examples of unnecessary repetition that can be eliminated by proof-reading and editing.

29. Express yourself simply and concisely on a daily basis.

30. Ellipsis is fine, but we always have and always will insist that it must be controlled carefully.

31. … The other kind of ellipsis must also be used sparingly and purposefully …


32. Elect words that are seemly in the context in which you are wielding them.

6.4 Document polishing check-list

OBJECTIVE

Is purpose clear? In order to achieve WHAT?

Am I writing to the right people? Who? What? Why? Where?

Can I expect feedback? When? How?

STRUCTURE

Order appropriate to objective Persuade or inform?


Introduction Purpose given?

Background sufficient?

Discussion Facts stated

Deductions sound

Recommendation Next action clear?

Summary Can be read and understood by

itself?

LANGUAGE

Words Simple and well chosen?

Jargon?

Verbs Active / passive balance right?

Sentences One thought only? Length?

Paragraphs Signposted? One topic only?

Clarity index Around 30?

LAYOUT

Headings Help reader?

Paragraphs Numbered? White space?

Detail In appendix?


6.5 Gunnings Readability Index (The fog index)

Two factors affect the readability of any document:

The length of sentences (i.e. how many word per sentence)

The number of words used, which have three syllables or more

To apply the Gunnings Readability Index, you need to do the following:

Select a passage of as close to 100 words as possible

Divide the number of sentences into the total number of words (if there are 100

words, and 4 sentences, you average 25 words per sentence)

Count the number of words that consist of 3 syllables or more

Add these two figures (2 & 3)

Multiply the total by 0.4

Result

18

17 Very difficult

16____________________________________________________________________

15

14

13 Difficult

12

DANGER LINE

____________________________________________________________________

11

10 Fairly difficult

9

EASY READING RANGE

8

7 Standard level

____________________________________________________________________

6

5 Very easy level (may sound patronising)

For example:


The question of office productivity has been around for over fifty years, but consultants’ advice to

managers is still much the same as it was in the early years – motivate your people, train your people,

give them objectives, give them a reasonable working environment etc. The changing aspect of

productivity theories that is most noticeable today, however, is the new emphasis on the role of all

members in the work force in improving productivity. Instead of a few “Heads” at the top thinking, and

many “hands” at doing tasks at worker level, today all staff members are considered responsible for

organisational productivity.


6.6 Where do you go from here?

Put the principles you have learnt on this course into effect immediately.

Practise these principles every day and you’ll soon see an improvement.

If you postpone the changes because you “haven’t time”, you most probably will forget all you have learnt.

Write, and keep on writing, until competent writing becomes second nature to you.

Learn from others. Read with a critical eye the letters and memos you receive. Edit other peoples’ letters. What can you learn from them? Can you say it better?

When editing the letters of your subordinates, don’t edit with a closed mind. If asubordinate says it differently – that’s quite permissible. There’s no single rightway. The English language allows for many variations.

PASS ON WHAT YOU KNOW.

SET ASIDE SOME TIME, PERHAPS ONCE A MONTH, TO REVIEW YOUR WRITING. ASK YOURSELF WHETHER IT HAS IMPROVED.

It’s good to go on a refresher course every few years to keep up to date and learn the change in trends.

Remember, YOU ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF GOOD BUSINESS WRITING.

6.7 Can you raed tihs? Olny srmat poelpe can

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the

hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 129

ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn

mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas

tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Why the English language is hard to learn (how did we ever learn it?)

• The bandage was wound around the wound.

• The farm was used to produce produce.

• The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

• We must polish the Polish furniture.

• He could lead if he would get the lead out.

• The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

• Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

• A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

• When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

• I did not object to the object.

• The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

• There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

• They were too close to the door to close it.

• The buck does strange things when the does are present.

• A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

• To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

• The wind was too strong for us to wind the sail.

• After a number of injections my jaw got number.

• Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

• I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

• How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is neither egg in eggplant nor ham in a hamburger; neither

apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats

are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing

rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers

don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth?

One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you can comb through annals of

history but not a single annal?


If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of either one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian

eat? By the way, how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are

opposites?

How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather

be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?

Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent?

Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown?

Or met a sung hero or experienced requited love?

Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable?

And where are all those people who ARE spring chickens or who would ACTUALLY hurt a fly? Where did the

beauty who was OUT OF THIS WORLD go?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in

which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of

course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible.

However, when the lights are out, they are invisible. Why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up

this essay I finish it.

And lastly, why do we have to hit the START button first to STOP running 'Windows 7'!!?!

Confusion, thy name is English!

7 English business writing resources

7.1 Grammar7.1.1 Kenneth Beare – About.com English second language (ESL) Guide.

Sign up for their weekly newsletter.Enhancing your Business Writing Skills September to October 2009 131

http://esl.about.com

7.1.2 English grammar 4 u online: www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar

7.1.3 Business English – Communication: www.ego4u.com/en/business-english/communication

15.1.4 Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/english_grammar

7.2 Self-testsEnglish grammar 4 u: www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests

7.3 Writing/structure/templates7.3.1 Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/sitemap

7.4 Proof-reader7.4.1 Essay Rater: www.essayrater.com $19.95 per month

7.5 Agreements7.5.1 Legal Write. Software of templates for compiling legal agreements in South Africa. Available from

Makro, Incredible Connection and other software retailers.

The distributor is Softline. R599.95

7.5.2 “Business in a box.” More than 1 200 templates, but designed in USA.

Internet download: www.business-in-a-box.com $199.95

7.6 HR documentationWorkinfo.com is an online website that provides subscribers with access to a wealth of information in

the following areas:

HR policies and procedures

Employment legislation

IR policies and procedures

Training and development


http://www.business-in-a-box.com/

http://www.essayrater.com/

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests

http://eb.wikipedia.org/wiki/english_grammar

http://www.ego4u.com/en/business-english/communication

http://www.ego4.com/en/cram-up/grammar

http://esl.about.com/

The following online manuals are also included in the annual membership fee to Workinfo.com:

Comprehensive HR Policies and Procedures Manual

Employment Equity Implementation Manual

Workforce and Succession Planning Manual

Workplace Communications Manual

Retrenchment Manual

Training Manual

Developing an HR Strategic Plan - manual and templates

Talent Management Manual (end Aug 2009)

Subscribe to the website for R1 539, 00 including VAT per member per annum and have access to all

the subscriber content on the site.

www.workinfo.com

Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you will ever have is your mind and what you put into it.

Brian Tracey


http://www.workinfo.com/

Documents

Modern Business Writing · Web viewPassive voice. Use of the passive avoids being specific; leaving room to manoeuvre, or as a safeguard against being tied down too closely. Inappropriate