Fundamentals of Business Writing notes.ppt

FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS WRITING  Adaptation and Selection of Words

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 Construction of Clear Sentences and Paragraphs

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 Writing for effect

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The Basic Need for Adaptation What do we mean by “adaptation” ?  

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Fitting the message to the specific reader Readers do not all have the same ability to understand a message( vocabulary, knowledge of subject or the same mentality)

To adapt …

we must…..know the person with whom we wish to communicate & form our message to fit that person’s mind 

Visualizing the reader  Adaptation BEGINS with …. visualizing the reader- imagining what he/she knows, feels, thinks and such

Example : in talking to a child, we naturally adapt the language to the child. Similarly, in business comm. We need to adapt the language to the reader

Techniques of Adapting 

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Often you will need to write at levels lower than your own In writing to less educated workers, you may need to simplify (write differently for highly educated people

 Adapting to Multiple Readers 

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If you write for 1 person in a GROUP, you may miss the other.

To communicate with all, write for the LOWEST member of the group.

SELECTING WORDS Use Familiar Words Unfamiliar Words :The machine has a tendency to develop excessive and unpleasant audio symptoms when operating at elevated temperatures

Familiar Words- This machine tends to get noisy when it runs hot

: Company operations for the preceding accounting period terminated with a substantial deficit Exercise

Choose Short Words 

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Short words generally communicate better than long words Long words sometimes leave an impression of difficulty & hinders communication Use long word only when you think your readers know it.

Long words The decision was  predicted  on the assumption that an abundance of monetary funds was forthcoming.

Short words The decision was based on the belief  that there would be more money

Use Concrete Language 

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opposite of abstract concrete words (exactness) stand for things the reader can SEE, FEEL, TASTE or SMELL it can refer to reader’s experience

 Abstract 

The majority In the near future Substantial amount

Concrete

62 percent By noon Thursday RM123,456.78

Suggestions for Nondiscrimanatory Writing 

Avoid Sexist Words ( he, him, his, man-made, businessman, etc)

When an unauthorized employee enters the security area, he is subject to dismissal An employee who enters the security area is subject to dismissal

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Avoid words that Stereotype by Race, Nationality, , Sexual Orientation or Those with Disabilities

(Janji Melayu, Malay Contractor, Tauke Cina, China man, teenagers, deaf & dumb)

In summary…

Explain the role of adaptation in selecting words that communicate

Simplify writing by selecting short and familiar words

Use technical and acronyms appropriately

Discuss the differences in the strength of words and select the words that communicate your message best.

Write with clarity and precision by selecting the right words

Use words that do not discriminate

Let’s discuss !

Refer to Activity Sheet 1