Features of Written and

Oral Communication
UNIT 1 FEATURES OF WRITTEN AND
ORAL COMMUNICATION
Structure .
1.0 Objectives .
1.1 Warm Up
1.2 Making a Choice: Different Styles of Communication
1.3 Written Communication
1.4 Reading: Letters, Memos, Office Orders and Circulars
1.4.1 Downward, Non-interactive Internal Communication
1.4.2 Office Order
1.4.3 Circulars
1.5 Grammar: The Order of Adjectives
1.6 Let Us Sum Up
1.7 Answers

1.0 OBJECTIVES
In this Unit you will learn about:
• Basic forms of communication

Verbal and Non-verbal
• Styles of communication

The Relater

The Socializer

The Thinker

The Director
• Internal business correspondence
• Types and functions of internal business correspondence
o Downward, non-interactive internal business correspondence
− Memo
− Office Order
− Circular
• How to write them?

1.1 WARM UP
Activity 1

1) Before we begin to learn about the modes and styles of communication, it is

important to know what does the word communication means. Does it mean:

− sharing/ exchanging information, feelings, thoughts etc. with others?

− imparting/transmitting news, information, ideas, motions etc.?
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Business Writing − being connected with eachother
− succeeding in conveying one’s meaning?
Does the word ‘communication’ mean any one of the above meanings or all
of them? Well, it means all of the above.

2) Think about the following:

i) How can you communicate effectively?
ii) Think of an instance when your meaning was distorted because of
miscommunication.
iii) Did it create a ‘comedy of errors’ or lead to a ‘sad situation/sorry state of
affairs’?

3) How will you react when faced with the following situations? Give your answers
in both media, verbal and non-verbal. The first one has been done for you.
i) Your grandparents have come to visit you.
You will greet them verbally by saying ‘namaste’, ’salaam’ etc. The non
verbal greeting would be a warm hug, a welcoming smile and/or touching
their feet in respect. The communicative mode is thus a mix of both formal
and informal.
ii) You have gone with your friends to see a film. You meet your teacher at
the theatre who is going to administer a test the next day.
iii) You meet an old friend unexpectedly at a restaurant.
iv) You want to complain to the municipal authorities about the increasing
menace of stray animals in your area.
v) Your boss has asked you about the marketing strategies your team has
adopted regarding the latest product of the company.
vi) You have to visit your boss who has lost his father recently.
You must also mention whether you want to use the formal or informal mode of
communication or both.

1.2 MAKING A CHOICE: DIFFERENT STYLES

OF COMMUNICATION
Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow:

Styles of Communication
The way in which we express ourselves is our style of communication. Consider the
situation of a delay in the departure of a Rajdhani train. The different ways of
reacting to this situation are:
a) Some people become very angry and show it through their facial expressions and
body gestures. They may walk up to the customer help desk and shout at the
person sitting behind the counter, using bad language and a rude tone.

b) Others may react in a passive way by shrugging their shoulders and resign
themselves to a long wait.

c) Some others may walk up to the counter and try to enquire about the cause of
delay. They may probably be given the option of refund of fare or a food voucher
and they will, in all probability, walk away smiling.

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The situation is the same for all groups yet the reactions are differently conveyed. In Features of Written and
Oral Communication
order to communicate effectively it is important to understand our own style of
communication which could fall into any one of the above categories or be a
combination of these styles.

The Relater
For such people the focus is relating to people and building interpersonal
relationships. They are easy to work with and are cooperative. They are ready to
provide a listening ear and help out others. They do not like conflicts, disagreements
or arguments and prefer to have matters sailing smoothly. They may not be amenable
to change if it upsets their smooth pattern of working (this could work negatively).

How to deal with them:

• Share personal experiences or common interests with them
• Build a rapport with them
• While discussing any matter, impress upon them and focus on how any changes
that are required may benefit relationships

The Socializer
They are enthusiastic, expressive individuals who value relationships, social
acceptance and personal prestige. They are useful to have on a team as they can
motivate others and work well in a group. Their focus on the larger picture rather than
on smaller details can prove to be negative at times. They dislike routine and prefer
change and challenges. For them, disagreements are a matter of spirited discussion
rather than a setback. They often make decisions based on their intuition rather than
on facts.

How to deal with them:

• Try and keep pace with them
• Be patient and bring them to the main subject when they stray from it
• Involve them in group activities
• Keep a watch on them if they have been assigned any job independently

The Thinker
They are systematic, logical people with a tendency to focus upon facts and figures.
They approach problems in a precise methodical way and prefer to work
independently. They could lose sight of the larger picture in their efforts to focus on
details. Emotions and conflict have no place in their scheme of working. They are not
very open to change and need time to adjust to it.

How to deal with them:

• Present new ideas in a logical format backed with data and evidence
• Do not rush them in conversation or in work
• In case of changes taking place, help them by presenting a logical explanation as
to why the changes are necessary

The Director
Such people tend to be forceful, dominating and aggressive. They are bold, direct and
don’t believe in a soft approach. They believe that achieving a goal is more important
than focusing on the ways to accomplish it. It is not a matter of concern for them if a
few people are hurt in the process. For them, people and emotion are secondary to the 7
Business Writing goal. They handle conflict mainly by imposing their ideas upon others. They may not
be able to work as a team as they are confrontational and not open to listening to
other people’s views.

How to deal with them:

• Do not ramble, get to the point directly
• Communicate your ideas clearly and quickly
• Relate your ideas to the set goals
• If working in a group with them, try to maintain peace and amicability as such
people disrupt smooth functioning with their aggressive behavior

 Check Your Progress 1

1) Answer the following questions:
i) Mention any two characteristics of relaters and say how you can handle them.
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ii) Does ‘socializers’ mean socially acceptable people? What are the ways of
dealing with them?
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iii) Thinkers are obviously people who think their way through things. Does this
mean that they have intellectual abilities but no heart? How will you deal
with them?
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iv) Suppose your colleague at work is dominating and aggressive in his manner,
into which category or type would you put him/her? What will you do to
ensure smooth functioning of work?
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2) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the words/phrases given Features of Written and
Oral Communication
below:
i) Responding
ii) A gesture to show disinterest
iii) To accept something because you feel that you cannot change the situation
iv) Willing to do something
v) A special bond / an affinity
vi) Showing great energy and determination
vii) Instinct, unexplained feeling
viii) Someone behaving in an insistent and forceful way without caring for
other’s feelings

 Check Your Progress 2

Look at the table given below. Some parts are filled in while others remain empty.
Fill in the gaps with suitable and appropriate information. You will have to assess and
think about the information asked for. Check your answers with the ‘Answers’
provided at the end of the Unit.
Factors Types
Relaters Socializers Thinkers Directors

How to recognize Helpful, like

them positive
attention, want
people to like
them
Tend to ask: Why, Who? (The personal, What? (The
How, What, Who? dominant question) result
(Choose the correct oriented
question type) question)
What they dislike Don’t like Don’t like boring
people to be explanations, or too
uncaring many facts and
towards them, figures
hate rejection

Reaction to Become Become more

pressure argumentative and dominating
try to sell their ideas and take
charge and
control
Best way of Provide lots
dealing with them of data and
information
Like to be Friends, close Results
measured by relationships achieved,
goal oriented

Best results with Inspire and Structure a

encourage them to framework
better and bigger or “track”
accomplishments to follow

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Business Writing
1.3 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Activity 2
Given below is a list of messages in telegraphic form. You have to write them out in
complete sentences. The first one has been done as an example.
i) Consignment arrived rail freight yesterday stop one package damaged another
defective.
The consignment of goods has arrived by freight railway yesterday. However,
one package is in a damaged condition and another contains defective goods.
ii) garment company rep expected Delhi 9.00 flight
iii) no response from computer maintenance company stop send reminder letter or
phone
iv) Sewa Company cheque cleared SBI stop supply goods earliest
v) purchase Dell computers stop normal order procedure
vi) receive Managing Director at IGI Airport 18 hours flight from Hong Kong stop
take him company guest house stop arrange room and food earlier

Activity 3
Read the two passages given below. Can you identify their writers and the receivers?
Do you think a response is required for them? Give reasons.

1) MEMORANDUM

To: Managers (Sales, Production, Finance, Quality Control)

From: MD
Date: 24/02/20xx

Subject: Export batch of garments, no. GT-01/08 to Singapore

We have been informed by Serangoon Garments; Singapore that the last batch of
garments sent to them has the following problems:
 Edges of garments have not been interlocked.
 Some colors do not correspond to the ones we had asked for.
 A few garments are defective.
 The total number of garments is less than the original order.

We need to address this problem at the earliest. All concerned managers are expected
to come to my office at 11.30 am tomorrow to review and suggest remedies for this
problem. Please come with explanations and solutions.

Attachment: Copy of the letter from the Manager, Serangoon Garments, Singapore

2) Serangoon Garments
Serangoon Road
Singapore
Tel: 934-23456 Fax: 934-23457
Date: 27th February 20xx
Your Ref no. 395/IG//20xx
Our Ref no. 120/SG/20xx
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Mr. Shiv Sareen Features of Written and
Oral Communication
Managing Director
India Garments
5, Okhla Industrial Estate
New Delhi 110023

Dear Mr. Sareen,

Sub: Discrepancies in your last consignment of garments

No. IG-01/108

I have already sent a fax to you regarding the above mentioned consignment of
garments received from your company at our Singapore warehouse. After inspection,
I regret to say that some discrepancies have been noted. The discrepancies are,
fortunately, not major, and we hope you will be able to rectify them at the earliest so
that we can start selling the garments by August this year. The discrepancies are as
follows:
1) Edges of garments have not been interlocked.
2) Some colors do not correspond to the ones we had asked for.
3) A few garments are defective and torn in some places.
4) The total number of garments is less than the original order.

We may be able to sell some of the unpopular colours at a discount and get the edges
interlocked at our factory. We are sending back the defective pieces. We also have to
request you to make suitable and necessary adjustments in the bill for the balance
amount to accommodate the losses incurred on these counts.

Yours truly,

Hwang Cho
Manager
Serangoon Garments
Singapore

1.4 READING: LETTERS, MEMOS, OFFICE

ORDERS AND CIRCULARS
Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow:

The importance of using language correctly and clearly in order to communicate

effectively through writing is undeniable. Barbara Tuchman (noted historian) rightly
remarks that it takes two persons to fulfill the function and purpose of the written
word. However, “this function can be largely met only when the writer keeps the
written form simple, concise and brief”.

For composing effective business letters, take care to adhere to certain guidelines.
These principles form the backbone of any effective writing and are as follows (you
have already looked at a letter in the Warm Up section):

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Business Writing
Be clear – select words carefully in order to make sense. Do not use high
sounding, pretentious words or vague, outdated phrases like “We beg to
acknowledge the receipt …”

Be courteous – use the appropriate level of formality. Use a salutation suitable to
the status of the recipient at the beginning of the letter and at the end too.

Be concise – use few, effective words instead of being verbose. Do not repeat
yourself and include relevant material only.

Be concrete – your message should be specific, definite and vivid rather than
vague or general. Use the active voice rather than the passive.

Be considerate – use the ‘you attitude’ where the focus is on the reader.

Be complete – include all facts, data and necessary information that the reader
requires for correct understanding and for making the response that you want
from her/him.

Be correct – use grammatically correct language. Other than accuracy in spelling
and punctuation, use accurate facts, figures and words.

Be gender sensitive – avoid the use of sexist language, e.g. ‘The chairman of the
company delivered the valedictory speech’. Change this to ‘The chairperson … ’.

Be original – to make business letters more appealing, particularly for sales
promotion, and on special occasions such as the introduction of a new product, it
may be a good idea to achieve originality of form, expression and style.
Stereotyped forms and phrases should be replaced by more natural forms.

Activity 4
Can you add more guidelines?
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1.4.1 Downward, Non-interactive Internal Communication

Memorandum

You have already seen what a memo looks like in the ‘Warm up’ section. The word
‘memo’ or its complete formal equivalent ‘memorandum’ has more than one meaning
if you look at a dictionary. It comes from the Latin word memo rare which means to
mention or tell. Hence its meaning is usually taken in the sense of a message.

Have you noticed that the memo given earlier contains no mention of the company
name? How will the receiver know the origin of the message? The message is not
sent on the company letterhead because it is sent within the company. Generally,
companies use plain paper or printed memo forms to send any message to another
department or to another office (of the same company) located in another city. The
memo is less formal than a business letter and contains no salutation. It is concise in
form and content and may contain direct imperatives depending upon the nature of
communication.
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Definition: “A memo is a short, official, written statement prepared for a specific Features of Written and
Oral Communication
person or a committee within the organization, in order to give information about a
particular matter” (Sinha 2001: 101)

Features of a Memo
• The memo carries the word MEMORANDUM on top of the page whereas a
business letter makes use of the company letterhead. The memo form contains
space beneath the heading for writing the name (and/or designation) of the sender
and receiver(s), the date and the subject.

• It is often short, running to a few lines. Sometimes, it may be a few paragraphs

long, though it rarely exceeds a page. However, a memo does not, necessarily
have to be confined to one page. A letter is usually a page or more in length.

• It is less formal than a letter. It has no salutation at the beginning or at the end.
Unlike a letter, it has no inside address and the designations of the receivers is
written informally such as ‘Managers: Sales, Prod’ etc.

• A memo states its purpose directly, while a letter usually refers to a previous
communication and leads to the main message by stating the context first.

• Politeness markers, which are an indispensable part of a business letter, are less
used in a memo. A request is made directly (e.g. ‘Please come to my office’) and
not indirectly as in a formal letter (e.g. ‘I hope it will be possible to ……..’).
However, it must be remembered that polite expressions are not dispensed with
altogether. Courtesy is never cast aside as it is an integral part of any business
communication.

Uses of a Memo
• To make announcements, requests, policy measures, reminders, suggestions,
acknowledgements, etc.
• To confirm decisions taken in meetings or telephone conversations
• To inform employees about new policy decisions
• To circulate in-house reports of different kinds like investigation reports, progress
reports, etc.
• To seek explanations
• To request action, information or suggestions
• To issue instructions
• To keep a permanent record of any matter that should be known to all employees.
It helps to keep the record straight and protects the sender from future
apprehensions and controversies.

Writing a Memo
A memo should be brief and state the main message directly. The modern style of
memo writing favors a direct approach and avoids words that do not contribute to the
communication. There should be a subject line which clearly defines what the memo
is about. The sentences should be short and simple. Use the active voice as far as
possible. Write about the main purpose of communication and avoid personal
opinions. State your subject precisely and itemize the points if there is more than one.
Highlight important information. Use separate paragraphs for each point and begin
each paragraph with a bullet, letter or number. An effective memo is one which
connects the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader.

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Business Writing Avoid Saying
“This is in continuance with the decision taken in consultation with the workers’
union about providing recreational facilities in the factory premises. The workers can
now use the new recreational facility constructed next to the cafeteria from the first of
next month.”

Instead Word it Like This

“Workers can use the newly constructed recreational facility next to the cafeteria
from the 1st of September.”

1.4.2 Office Order

When any matter like withdrawing the rights of employees, imposing restrictions on
them, conveying information about transfers, postings and promotion / retrenchment,
or about granting / withholding annual increments or about disciplinary action taken
against a particular employee needs to be communicated, an office order is issued. A
polite tone and simple, clear language is used. Facts and reasons should be given
while no personal comments should be made in an office order. Unlike the memo, the
office order is not addressed to the concerned receiver but it is about her/him. Usually
the third person is used and details are given about the person and the action to be
taken. It has the following format:
1) The company letterhead (this is optional as this form of communication is
usually sent within the organization)
2) The reference number of the order
3) Date of the order
4) The heading of the written communication, in this case ‘OFFICE ORDER’.
5) The text of the message
6) The signature of the person issuing the order
7) The names and designations of persons to whom copies of the order are being
sent

Definition: An office order is a written formal downward communication which is

normally used to convey information relating to employees’ rights and service
conditions.

It is important to remember to choose your tone and words carefully while drafting an
office order. Use courteous and polite language. Words should be effectively used in
clear and concise sentences. The tone and language should be objective. Given below
is the format of an office order.

India Garments
New Delhi
No………..…. Date: .………………
OFFICE ORDER
Text of message……………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………......………
To: ……….
Signature
(Designation)
Cc: a)
b)
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Given below is an example of an actual office order: Features of Written and
Oral Communication

GOVERNMENT OF PONDICHERRY
OFFICE OF THE COLLECTOR-CUM-DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER
KARAIKAL DISTRICT: KARAIKAL

No.: KKL/CK/PA/2006/159 Dt. 03.03.2006

OFFICE ORDER

Sub: Elections – 2006 – Ban on Issue of Free Pattas, beneficiary services, etc.
***
As directed by the Chief Electoral Officer, Pondicherry in the meeting held
in the Chamber of Collector, Karaikal on 03.03.2006, you are directed to freeze
any further distribution of pattas, benefits under other beneficiary schemes, etc.
and such things shall remain suspended stopped until the General Elections for
Pondicherry Legislative Assembly, 2006 is over.

(SUDHIR KUMAR)
COLLECTOR
CUM
DISTRICT ELECTION
OFFICER
To KARAIKAL DISTRICT
The Dy. Collector (Revenue)
Karaikal

Copy to:
1 The Chief Electoral Officer, Pondicherry
2 All Heads of office, Karaikal – for compliance
3 Office copy

1.4.3 Circulars
The word ‘circular’ has its root in the Latin word ‘circularis’ which means to
disseminate information in a circle in order to reach a wider audience. Circulars are
written when employees of a company have to be informed of changes in policy
procedures, events taking place within the company, posts for internal appointment or
about new schemes/ventures undertaken by the company. It is a well-known fact that
“all business messages have a general purpose: to inform, to persuade, or to
collaborate with your audience” (Bovee et al 2006: 81). It is important to remember
this as the “purpose determines both the amount of audience participation you need
and the amount of control you have over your message”. That is why circulars have
to be carefully planned, composed and completed so that the relevant information is
clearly communicated to the intended receivers. They can be physically distributed or
mailed. The format of a circular is as follows:
− The letterhead of the company
− The descriptive label of the message (in this case ‘CIRCULAR’ and its reference
number)
− The date
− The subject line
− The text of the message
− Name and designation of the sender

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Business Writing Activity 5
1) As the Finance Manager of your company, write a memo about the decisions
arrived at in a meeting between the MD and you. The decisions were about the
guidelines for executives traveling on company business.
i) Company executives will travel in economy class in planes and AC two tier
class in trains.
ii) They will stay at 3-star hotels.
iii) The Travel Department of the company will make all arrangements for
their travel including booking of tickets and hotel reservations.
iv) The executives can withdraw cash up to Rs. 10,000/- as advance for
incidental expenses.
v) Hotel bills shall be settled directly by the company. Payments unrelated to
company business shall be made by the executive.
……………………………………………………………………………...
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……………………………………………………………………………...
2) Draft an office order for the following situation:
Ms. Sheela Nair, Deputy Manager Sales, was promoted to the next higher grade
of Senior Manager on 26th of July 20xx.
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3) Write a circular on behalf of the Delhi Transport Authority for the purpose of
informing all bus commuters that Grey-line buses have been taken off the roads
because of traffic violations and the recent spate of accidents involving them. It
has also decided to introduce more DTA buses on all major routes.
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 Check Your Progress 3

Now that you have read about some types of downward, non-interactive internal
communication, answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
1) What are the principles of effective business correspondence?
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2) When are memos and office orders written? Features of Written and
Oral Communication
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3) What is the difference between these two kinds of communication?
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4) List 3 characteristics of a memo.
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5) Enumerate at least 3 differences between a memo and a business letter.
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6) What factors should be kept in mind while drafting a memo or an office order?
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7) What is the purpose of writing a circular?
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Business Writing 8) Make the following memo brief and write it in the proper format:
Funky Toys Garments has threatened to break off business relations with us
because of the last batch of defective toys sent to them by our company. The
problems with the above mentioned consignment were:
i) some of the teddy bears were not properly stitched and were coming apart.
ii) Some of the dresses of the dolls were torn in places.
iii) The number of dolls was less than ordered

We are human and we do make mistakes. But it is important to look into the
matter immediately and decide how to rectify it. This work has to be done on top
priority. You are requested to come to my office tomorrow i.e. 28th of February,
at 11.00 am with workable solutions and concrete suggestions to stop our client
from severing relations with us.
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1.5 GRAMMAR: THE ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

Read the following sentences from the text:
1) They are enthusiastic, expressive individuals..
2) Such people tend to be forceful, Dominating and aggressive.
3) ''this function can be largely met only when the writer keeps the written from
simple, concise and brief'”
4) vague, outdated phrases..
5) use few, effective words...

When we use more than one adjective before a noun, the adjectives are sometimes
placed in a certain order. In sentences, 1and 2 the order of adjectives is not fixed and
the adjectives can be moved in each other's place. In sentences 3, 4 and 5 there is a
certain order that has to be maintained. Let us briefly discuss the order of adjectives.
Some adjectives give a general opinion, examples:
Simple, vague, bad, good, nice, important.
There are other adhectives which give a specific opinion examples:
Food: tasty; delicious
Furniture: wooden, steel, comfortable/ uncomfortable
In sentence 3 simple gives a general opinion while concise and brief refer specifically
to communication. Hence, simple comes before concise and brief.

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Given below is a table which shows you the order of adjectives in most cases. Features of Written and
Oral Communication
Article Size/ Quality/ Age Colour Shape Nationality Material Noun
quantity description

A, an, Large, Slim, Young, Blue, Oval, Russian, Silk, Table,

the tall smart, old red round Indian cotton field,
strong film,
woman

Therefore in sentence 5, few would come before effective.

 Check Your Progress 4

1) Put the adjectives in the correct order wherever necessary.
i) He is a young, smart man.
ii) They sat around an oval, large table.
iii) My sister has bought a silk, new saree.
iv) A beautiful, slim, tall girl came to our house.
v) This is a folk, old Punjabi song.
vi) I love this modern, lovely town.
vii) She is wearing a cotton, green new dress.
viii) It is a sunny lovely day.
ix) This is a bold new effort.
x) This is an old interesting story.

2) Use two or three adjectives of different categories to describe each of the

following nouns:
i) shirt
ii) lady
iii) table
iv) dog
v) morning
vi) class
vii) year
viii) field
ix) letter
x) shop

1.6 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you have learnt about the basic types of communication. Now you know
the difference between verbal and nonverbal communication and when to use the
suitable form of communication. You have also learnt about the different styles of
communication according to which people are categorized as Relaters, Socializers,
Thinkers and Directors. You were also made aware about the different types of non-
interactive, downward internal correspondence. You know what a memo is and the
purpose of writing it. In the same way, you have learnt about an office order and a
circular and their functions within the business organization. You have also learnt
how to write these instruments of communication. In the grammar section we have
given you practice in using adjectives in the correct order. 19
Business Writing
1.7 ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1
i) For relaters the focus is in relating to people and building interpersonal
relationships. They are easy to work with and are cooperative. They can be
handled by sharing personal experiences or common interests with them and by
building a rapport with them.

ii) Socializers are enthusiastic, expressive individuals who value relationships,

social acceptance and personal prestige. They are useful to have on a team as
they can motivate others and work well in a group. We can deal with them by
trying to keep pace with them and by involving them in group activities and by
keeping a watch on them if they have been assigned any job independently.

iii) Thinkers are systematic, logical people with a tendency to focus upon facts and
figures. They think their way through things. This does not mean that they have
intellectual abilities but no heart. We can deal with them by presenting new
ideas in a logical format backed with data and evidence and not rush them in
conversation or in work. In case of changes taking place, help them by
presenting a logical explanation as to why the changes are necessary

iv) A dominating and aggressive colleague at work could be put under the category
of ‘director’. To ensure smooth functioning of work with such a person, we
could communicate our ideas clearly and quickly and directly get to the point.
We should try to maintain peace and amicability while working with them in a
group.

2) i) Reacting
ii) Shrugging their shoulders
iii) Resign themselves…
iv) Amenable
v) Rapport
vi) Spirited
vii) Intuition
viii) Aggressive
Check Your Progress 2

Factors Types
Relaters Socializers Thinkers Directors
How to Helpful, like They get excited They ask for They like to
recognize positive and are data, ask too have their own
them attention, enthusiastic. many questions, way; they are
want people and function decisive and
to like them methodically & have strong
systematically views and
opinions
Tend to ask: Why? (The Who? (The How? (The What? (The
Why, How, personal non personal, technical, result oriented
What, Who? goal question) dominant analytical question)
(Choose the question) question)
correct
question type)

20
 Features of Written and
What they Don’t like Don’t like boring They don’t like They don’t like Oral Communication
dislike people to be explanations, or spontaneous anyone being
uncaring too many facts and occurrence of in charge or
towards them, figures things; don’t making
hate rejection like being decisions for
caught on the them
wrong foot or
being
unprepared
Reaction to Become Become Seek out more Become more
pressure silent, argumentative data and dominating,
withdrawn and try to ‘sell’ information for and try to take
and their ideas analysis and charge and
introspective problem solving control
Best way of Support them Catch their Provide them Allow them to
dealing with by caring for enthusiasm and with lots of data be in charge
them them express your and information
ideas and
feelings
Like to be Friends, close Praise, feedback Being busy and Results
measured by relationships and recognition involved in achieved, goal
activities that oriented
lead to results
Best results Give them Inspire and Structure a Give them
with care and encourage them framework or freedom to do
provide them to better and “track” to follow things their
with specific bigger own way
plans and accomplishments
activities to
be achieved

Activity 2
ii) The garment company representative is expected to arrive in Delhi tomorrow.
His flight is scheduled to land at 9:00 am.

iii) There is no response from the computer maintenance company. Please send a
reminder about the complaint either through a letter or a phone call.

iv) The Sewa Company cheque has been cleared by the State Bank of India. The
goods should be supplied to them at the earliest.

v) Place an order for the purchase of Dell computers according to the normal
procedure that is followed.

vi) The Managing Director is expected to arrive at IGI Airport from Hong Kong at
6pm. Make provision for his conveyance to the guest house. Please ensure that
a room is available and order dinner.

Activity 4
Be comprehensive – ensure that you have answered all queries and discussed all
ideas that you wished to communicate.

Be coherent – you must write sentences and paragraphs according to the principles of
unity and coherence.

21
Business Writing Activity 5

i) Memo about the guidelines for executives traveling on company business:

MEMORANDUM

To: Managers (Sales, Production, Marketing, Quality Control)

From: Finance Manager
Date: February 22nd 20xx

Subject: Guidelines for business travel

The following were the decisions taken regarding business travel in the meeting
chaired by the MD on 20th February, 20xx.
1) Company executives will travel in economy class in planes and in AC two tier
class in trains.
2) They will stay in 3-star hotels.
3) All arrangements including booking of tickets and hotel reservations will be
made by the Travel Department.
4) A sum of Rs.10, 000 can be availed as advance for incidental expenses.
5) Hotel bills shall be settled directly by the company. Payments unrelated to
company business shall be made by the executive.
All business executives are requested to adhere to these guidelines hereafter.
Attachment: Copy of the minutes of the meeting held on 20/02/20xx

2) Office Order: (Promotion of Ms. Sheela Nair):

No: ASD/PM/CK/20xx/24 Date: 27/02/20xx

OFFICE ORDER

Sub: Promotion of Ms. Sheela Nair as Senior Manager

The MD and Board of Directors decided to promote Ms. Sheela Nair, Deputy
Manager Sales, to the grade of Senior Manager in a meeting convened on 20th
February, 20xx. She will now be overseeing the sales in Gurgaon and South
Delhi region.

Vivek Bhatia
Secretary

To
Ms. Sheela Nair
Deputy Manager, Sales

Copy to:
i) All the Senior Managers and Deputy Managers
(Sales, Production, Marketing, Quality Control and Finance)
ii) The Finance Division
iii) Office copy

22
3) Circular on behalf of the Delhi State Transport Authority Features of Written and
Oral Communication

Delhi State Transport Authority

Scindia House,
Connaught Place
New Delhi-110001
Ph. 011- 23317445

CIRCULAR

Ref no: GDL/KDJ/HF/LMK/20/17 24/2/20xx

Sub: Removal of Grey-line buses from the city roads

The number of traffic violations and accidents involving Grey-line buses

have increased manifold especially in the last quarter of 20xx. Due to the
negligent attitude of the bus owners as well as drivers it has been decided to
remove the Grey-line buses plying on all major routes in Delhi and NCR.
DSTA will be adding 400 DTA buses to replace them. Any inconvenience
caused to the commuters is deeply regretted.

Prashant Sharma
Chairman – DSTA

Check Your Progress 3

1) The principals of effective business communication are as follows:

One has to be brief and use few and effective words instead of long winding
sentences with high-sounding words. Courtesy has to be maintained with
appropriate level of formality. One has to be precise and take care to include all
relevant facts, data and necessary information. Focus should be on the reader and
it must be stated clearly what is the response expected from him/her. Language
used should be gender sensitive as well as grammatically correct with accurate
spelling and punctuation. The active voice has to be used. Being original will
make the correspondence more appealing and effective.

2) Memos and office orders:

Memos are short, official, written statements prepared for a specific person or a
committee within the organization, in order to give information about a particular
matter, e.g. to make announcements, requests, give reminders,
acknowledgements; to inform about new policy decisions; to circulate in-house
reports, progress reports etc; to seek explanations; to request action, information
or suggestions. They are written to keep a permanent record of any matter that
should be known to all employees.

Office orders are formal downward communication, which are written to convey
information relating to employees’ rights and service conditions. For e.g.
transfers, postings and promotion/retrenchment, about annual increments or about
any disciplinary action taken.

23
Business Writing 3) The difference between memo and office order
i) In a memo the name and designations of the sender and receiver is given. It
is addressed to the concerned receiver while an office order is not. The
office order is about a particular person but usually a third person is used
and details are given about the person and the action to be taken. The
names and designations of persons to whom copies of the order are being
sent are mentioned in the Office order.

ii) The memo is usually not sent on the company letterhead whereas for the
Office order the company letterhead can be used.

iii) Politeness markers are less used in a memo whereas in an office order a
polite tone should be used.

4) The memo has the following characteristics:

i) It carries the word MEMORANDUM on top of the page and contains space
beneath for writing the name (and/or designation) of sender and receiver(s),
the date and the subject.
ii) It is often brief and states the main message directly.
iii) It is less formal than a letter as it has no salutation at the beginning or the
end. Neither does it have any inside address and the designations of
receivers are written informally.

5) The business letter and memo are different in the following respects:
i) The business letter is formal with appropriate salutations while the memo is
less formal and contains no salutations.
ii) The business letter has the address of the sender and the receiver whereas
the inside addresses are absent in the memo.
iii) The business letter is sent on the company letterhead whereas the memo
does not because the latter is meant for in-company communication. It is
sent on a plain paper or on printed memo forms.
iv) The business letter is usually a page or more in length whereas the memo is
often concise in form and content and rarely exceeds a page.
6) While drafting an office order or a memo brevity and precision of the
message should be given importance. The purpose should be stated directly and
the active voice used as far as possible. The sentences should be short and
simple. The tone and language should be objective as well as courteous.
Personal opinions/ comments should be avoided in both cases.

7) The purpose of writing a circular is to inform employees of a change in

company policy procedures, events taking place within the company, posts for
internal appointment or about new schemes/ventures undertaken by the
company.

8) MEMORANDUM
Date: 27/2/20xx
To: Managers (Sales, Production, Quality Control)
From: MD

Subject: Urgent meeting concerning Funky Toys.

24
There is a threat that Funky Toys may break off business relations with us. Features of Written and
Oral Communication
This is because of the defective toys sent in the last consignment. The defects
were:
i) some of the teddy bears were not properly stitched and were coming
apart.
ii) Some of the dresses of the dolls were torn in places.
iii) The number of dolls was less than ordered

We must look into the matter immediately and take remedial measures.
Please come to my office tomorrow; i.e. 28th of February at 11.00 am with
practical solutions and concrete suggestions to prevent this important client
relation from being severed.

25
Business Writing

UNIT 2 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Structure .
2.0 Objectives .
2.1 Warm Up
2.2 Language Focus
2.3 Reading - I: Different Types of Informative and Persuasive Letters
2.4 Vocabulary: Multiple Meaning of Words
2.5 Writing-I: Sequencing
2.6 Grammar
A. Noun Clause
B. The Present Perfect Tense
C. The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
2.7 Reading-II: Email Guidelines
2.8 Writing-II: Writing an Email
2.9 Let Us Sum Up
2.10 Answers

2.0 OBJECTIVES
In this Unit you will learn about:
• What is external business correspondence?
• The mechanics of drafting external business correspondence
• Types and functions of external business correspondence
• More types of external business correspondence
o Informative and Persuasive Letters
− Routine letters
− Sales letters
o Letters for Special Purposes
o Problem Letters
• How to write
o Routine Letters
− Letter of inquiry
− Letter seeking information
− Letter of request
− Letter of quotation
o Sales Letters
− Prospecting letter
− Cover letter with offers etc.
− Follow up letter(s)
− Sales appreciation letter
26
 o Letters for special purposes External
Communication
− Agency letters
− Personnel letters relating to employment
− Status enquiries
− Seeking finance
o Problem letters
− Complaints and follow ups
− Concessions
− Collection Letters on account of overdue/pending payment
• Emails
o Some guidelines for writing them
• How to write these letters

2.1 WARM UP
There are two letters written by the same person for different purposes. Do they have
the same tone, format and content? What is similar / different about them?

Letter 1

Apt # 505
Himalaya Apts,
Sector-9, Dwarka
N. Delhi – 75. Date: 23rd February 20xx
Dear Jatin,

How are you? I hope you are fine. Guess what happened the other day?! I met the
film actress Priyanka at a birthday party of a mutual friend. I was so excited to meet
her, more so because it was unexpected. The food was good and the music great, but
all the guests were taken up with Priyanka. She looked pretty and as attractive as she
does on the screen. All the boys (including me of course) were crowding around her
and trying to shake her hand or talk to her. I was very impressed by the fact that she
was friendly and did not mind people jostling around asking for her attention. After
signing countless autographs, she danced to the songs from her films which were
played repeatedly as a sort of tribute to her.

How are your parents and others at home? Are you still working for Satyam? When
are coming to Delhi? Do make it soon so that we can meet. Convey my regards to
your parents.

With love
Samar

27
Business Writing Letter 2

To
The Marketing Manager
The Entertainers
Jhandewalan
Delhi
Date: 22nd February 20xx

Sir,

I had recently bought an HD LCD TV from your showroom. However, after using it
for less than even a month, I find that the high definition picture quality is simply not
there. At times there is distortion of picture too. I find it extremely disturbing that our
new and expensive TV is malfunctioning. As the set is within a two-year warranty
period, I request you to send someone immediately to repair/replace the TV.

Yours Sincerely
Samar Singh
(Apt # 505, Himalaya Apts,
Sector-9, Dwarka, N. Delhi – 75)

Both letters are examples of external correspondence but the second letter is formal in
tone and the content is in the nature of a complaint in a business context. The first
letter is informal, casual and non-business in content and context.

Differences between Formal and Informal Letters

Formal letter Informal letter

It is written to make a specific point to It can address different topics and is
a person/organization known or written to people you know.
unknown to us.
Its primary aim is to convey Generally it deals with private
information. thoughts, feelings and topics of interest
to the person to whom the letter is
addressed.
It contains certain linguistic features It contains expressions which
which are formal in nature. characterize conversation –
exclamatory expressions (Guess what
happened the other day?!), questions
(How are your parents and others at
home?), contracted forms (It’ll take
some time), etc.
It is generally brief, clear, precise and It may talk about different subjects and
complete. It is well-organized and even ramble a bit. Its organization and
points are arranged in a logical logical continuity is more loosely
sequence. structured.

28
 External
Activity 1 Communication
Can you add some more differences?
...………………………………………………………....…………………………
...………………………………………………………....…………………………
...………………………………………………………....…………………………
...………………………………………………………....…………………………
...………………………………………………………....…………………………
...………………………………………………………....…………………………
...………………………………………………………....…………………………

2.2 LANGUAGE FOCUS

We use language - both spoken and written - for specific purposes. The words and
phrases used to convey one purpose would have to be changed to fulfill another
purpose. Chunks of language that serve a specific purpose can be referred to as
structures. These are often formulaic expressions that fulfill language functions. They
also provide different levels of formality to create a variety of moods. For example,
“I’m afraid this is really not possible” is a polite way of refusing something. A
number of ways of conveying the same intent is possible in situations of differing
degrees of formality.

No way (most informal)

Not possible
Absolutely not
This is simply impossible / not possible
It seems difficult for this to happen
I’m afraid this is really not possible
I’m sorry it may not be possible …
I regret to inform you that this may not be possible (most formal)

Instead of writing in a stilted, official language, use a more personal, down-to-earth

style. It is true that there are certain conventions that we have to follow in business
correspondence. But the tendency to use outdated phraseology makes our language
stylized and pompous. See the following letter:

Dear Mr. Sareen,

Thank you for your gracious letter of the 7th instant. In response to your query, I wish
to state that we no longer sell the equipment you enquired about. Be advised that
Sanburn & Co. could be of some help to you. You may address further
correspondence to that firm for assistance in the matter.

Thank you,

Yours sincerely,

Hiten Saxena
Store Manager
29
Business Writing
Surely there are some words and phrases you would like to omit? We could replace
words/phrases like ‘gracious’, ‘of the 7th instant’, ‘I wish to state’, and ‘Be advised’
with less archaic and more contemporary forms. Now read the re-written letter given
below. Does it sound better?

Dear Mr. Sareen,

Thank you for your letter of 7th Oct 20xx.

We no longer sell the equipment you enquired about. However, we are aware that
Sanburn & Co. deals with such items. The company executives may be able to help
you. You may like to write to them for assistance.

Sincerely yours,

Hiten Saxena
Store Manager

Activity 2
Apart from being polite and clear, you should be concise too. Here are some more
examples of words/phrases you must avoid in your writing. Can you replace them
with concise forms? See the answers given at the end of the unit to check your
responses.
1) In due course
2) Please find attached the file you requested
3) It was realized by Mr. Sareen that we must cut down costs
4) There are some rules that must be observed
5) I beg to state that
6) After a dialogue with you
7) Causative factors
8) The issue of utmost importance is collaboration
9) Answer in the affirmative
10) In accordance/compliance with your request
11) Pursuant to our conversation
12) I enclose herewith the papers
13) Notwithstanding the fact that
14) In the majority of circumstances

After reading on external correspondence you must have realized the importance of
using language correctly and clearly in order to communicate effectively through
writing. Barbara Tuchman (noted historian) rightly remarks that it takes two persons
to fulfill the function and purpose of the written word. However, “this function can be
largely met only when the writer keeps the written form simple, concise and brief”.

Activity 3
To write effectively, you need certain skills that will enable you to write simply,
clearly, correctly and briefly. Read the following paragraph.
30
 External
Communication
When the mall owners were contacted on December 23rd, the assistant manager
informed the senior chief engineer that they were thinking over advertising block 1
for sale. But he also expressed his inability to take a firm decision by requesting this
company to confirm their intention of buying the block within a month when their
president will come back from a business trip, which will be January 22nd 20xx.

The two things you would have understood after reading the above paragraph is that
the mall owners were contacted on December 23rd and the president is returning on
January 22nd. The important information about the sale of the block of shops is
muddled up by the use of excessive words.

How will you rewrite this paragraph to make sense? Check your writing with the
answer given at the end of this unit.
….…………..………………………………………………………………………
….…………..………………………………………………………………………

The Mechanics of Writing a Letter

A business letter should be neat, attractive and create a positive impression in the
mind of the receiver/reader. While there should be accuracy in both facts and
presentation, attention should be paid to the following points:
The letter should give the date i.e. tell when the letter was sent.
It should have the name and designation of the recipient. Ensure that the name is
spelled right as nothing turns off a reader more surely than her/his name being
misspelled. Do not address a lady as Mr. or as Mrs. if she is unmarried.
The recipient’s address should be given correctly.
The letter should also give the address of the sender i.e. from where it is being
sent.
It should have the name and designation of the sender.

It is a good idea to plan your letter before writing it. There are some steps involved
in it:

Ask yourself: What is the purpose of this letter?

Assemble all relevant information and documents

Decide upon the key points you wish to convey

Analyze your audience and write your messages according to the reader’s age,
status, characteristics and attitudes especially when he or she belongs to a culture
other than your own.

Draft the document stating your purpose.

Format the document with care. Use a conventional format and appropriate
courtesy titles and proper salutations at the beginning and end of the letter.

Revise your message with care and then type your final draft. Read it again
before sending it. Check for grammar mistakes.

Forms of Salutations, the Beginnings and the Endings

A business letter usually begins with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or even a simple
‘Sir/Madam’ is enough. If you know the name of the person you are writing to,
address her/ him by their surname, e.g. ‘Dear Dr. Sinha’. Then begin the letter by
saying why you are writing, e.g. “I am writing to ask………., or ‘I am writing to
31
Business Writing confirm ……………..’ etc. When you write a letter seeking a favor, or information,
you close it by saying “Thank you, Yours Sincerely” or “Sincerely yours”. If you
wish to get an answer to your letter, you may close by writing “I look forward to
hearing from you” or “An early reply would be greatly appreciated”.

Activity 4
Given below is a list of verbs and verb phrases. Choose a suitable verb to complete
the sentences below. Begin your sentence with “I am writing to ………………” or “I
would like to ……….”

ask inquire about confirm apologize for

invite inform complain about
thank request allow for

i) … the poor quality of the cloth used ….

…………………………………………………………..………………….
ii) … the rude behavior of my clerk…
……………………………………………………………………………...
iii) … you for the excellent arrangements …
……………………………………………………………………………...
iv) … the post you advertised…
……………………………………………………………………………..
v) … the dates which we agreed on …
……………………………………………………………………………..

2.3 READING-I: DIFFERENT TYPES OF

INFORMATIVE AND PERSUASIVE LETTERS
Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow:
There are various kinds of business letters which may be classified according to the
nature of the situation for which the letter is written. They can be broadly classified as
Informative and Persuasive Letters (Routine and Sales Letters), Letters for special
purposes and Problem letters. Given below is a list of different types of such letters.

Informative and Persuasive Letters

• Routine Letters
 Enquiries, seeking information and requests
 Quotations
 Orders and acceptance
 Payment
• Sales Letters
 Prospective or Promotional letters
 Cover letters with offers, fliers, catalogues etc.
 Proposal letters
 Follow up letters
 Sales appreciation letters
32
• Letters for Special Purposes External
Communication
 Agency Letters relating to banks, insurance agents/company, government and
regulatory agencies, etc.
 Personnel letters relating to employment
 Circulars
 Status enquiries
 Seeking finance
• Problem Letters
 Complaints and follow ups
 Concessions
 Collection Letters on account of overdue/pending payment

Examples of Different Types of Informative / Persuasive Letters

Letter of Enquiry
These are generally addressed by prospective buyers to possible suppliers of goods to
seek information regarding availability of goods and the terms and conditions of
supply and delivery. Such a letter may include a description and specifications of
goods required.

[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Subject: Catalogue of dresses for your consideration

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

We saw your advertisement in the last issue of the monthly magazine Garments
Today. We require Indian and Western style dresses for women of all age groups for
our store in Connaught Place, New Delhi. We would like to have a look at some
sample dresses and their prices before we can place an order with you. Please let us
know when we can see them.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address, if not using your letterhead]

Letter Seeking Information (for a business plan)

[Date]
Your address if not
using letterhead
[City, State PIN code]
[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]
33
Business Writing
Subject: Seeking help for a business plan

Dear [Ms. /Mr. last name]

I have been a regular customer of your business and have always admired the way
you operate and handle it.

At present I’m trying to set up a new venture of my own for a service business which
is quite different from yours. But there are some similarities in the way customers are
handled. Would you mind if I called you to ask some questions regarding your
philosophy about customer service?

I have enclosed a self-addressed, stamped postcard with some questions so that you
can reply by simply ticking off in the appropriate places. Then I will call at whatever
time is convenient to you. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address, if not using your letterhead]

Letter of Request

Such letters may include requests for goods and services or for information of various
sorts (examples given above).

Activity 5
Read the following letter of request and fill in the gaps with appropriate words in
their correct form.
[Date]
Your address if not
using letterhead
[City, State PIN code]
[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name if you know it or Madam/Sir]

We are ……………. (arrange) a college trip to Kashmir and we are particularly

interested in ………….. (visit) Gulmarg. We ……….. (could/would/should – choose
correct option) like some information about your tours to the Kashmir valley.

It would be greatly ……….. (appreciate) if you could ……… (sent) details about bus
fares, their timings and whether they ………. (be) comfortable and air-conditioned or
not. We would also like to know if you …………………… (provide) concession
fares for student groups in the past. This information ……… (be) important to us
because we …………… (be) a large group of 50 students.

Kindly let us know the required information at the earliest.

Thank you for your time.

Yours Sincerely,
[Your name]

34
Letter of Quotation External
Communication
When an enquiry is received about goods from a prospective buyer, a letter of
quotation has to be sent in reply. Business quotations should give complete
information about the nature and quality of goods asked for, time and mode of
delivery, prices, any additional charges for packing and shipping or other services,
and terms of payment. The letter given below is written in response to a letter of
enquiry (see above).

[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

Thank you for showing interest in the dresses made by our team of designers. We
have enclosed a copy of the catalogue of our dresses so that you can have an idea of
the kind of dresses we make and their prices.

You will see that our designs are contemporary as well as ethnic. Our prices too are
unbeatable and very reasonable. I would also like to mention that we have been
working in this field for at about 7 years now and supply dresses to most of the well-
known and exclusive garment showrooms across North India.

I am also enclosing an order form and a document detailing our terms and conditions
of payment, discounts on bulk orders and mode of delivery for your attention and
information. We also provide a replacement guarantee on our products in case of any
problems/defects.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

[Your name]
[Your address, if not using your letterhead]

Enclosures: i) Catalogue
ii) Order form
iii) Document of details regarding payment etc.

Sales Letters
The main aim of this kind of communication is publicity and advertisement of a
company’s products and/or services offered in anticipation of growth in sales and
customer base. The different types of sales letters are:

 Prospecting letters – This is sent to prospective or potential customers for your

products or services.
 Cover letters – They accompany catalogues, fliers, information sheets and offers
by companies.
 Proposal letters – These are written to take on new products, services etc.

35
Business Writing  Follow up letters – They help to outline in writing what you and the recipient
have discussed in a meeting or phone call and what you two have decided. They
can also work as reminders to customers who may have discontinued patronizing
your products or may be in the form of replies to queries by customers.
 Sales appreciation letters – Such appreciation letters acknowledging a
customer’s patronage build both good will and business.
Some important factors to consider while writing sales correspondence:
 While composing a sales letter, you should be able to catch the attention of your
reader with an effective opening and generate an interest in her/his mind to know
more.
 Identify your potential customers’ need. Sales letters should not only be about
what you have to sell; they should address the customer’s need and how you can
satisfy this need.
 A sales letter should make the act of purchasing easy. It should clearly state what
the customer is expected to do in case s/he wishes to buy a product. The action to
be taken should be within easy reach and possibility of the customer.
 You should also indicate reader benefit, that is, how the action performed will
benefit the receiver of the letter
 Be polite and conversational in your sales letters. Don’t try to be comic or
flippant as most people regard parting with their money as serious business.
 Check and revise your letter for accuracy.
Prospecting Letter
Activity 6
In the prospecting letter that follows the prepositions are missing. Fill in appropriate
ones.
[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

I enjoyed meeting you ….…(i) the conference ……(ii) Digital Photography held
…(iii).. [date]. Thanks a lot ……(iv) the tips ……(v) taking better images….
……(vi) digital cameras. In fact, I went ahead and invested .……(vii) the latest
digital camera which is a very handy, convenient and user friendly piece…. …(viii)
equipment. I have been shooting short videos too which is another great feature
…..…(ix) this camera.

I remember you mentioning that you have a photography store ……(x) central Delhi.
I would like you ..…(xi) know that I am ……(xii) the business of selling
photographic paper. I have enclosed a flier ……(xiii) my company’s [company
name] products. I hope you will consider buying paper ….…(xiv) us and
recommending us …..…(xv) your contacts. We take great pride .…(xvi) offering
high-quality products. Thank you and good luck…. …(xvii) your new store
….…(xviii) south Delhi.

Yours Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address if not using letterhead]

36
Activity 7 External
Communication
Special Offer Letter
In the following letter, the sentences are grammatically incorrect. Rewrite the letter
with grammatically correct sentences.

[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name if you know it or Madam/Sir]

This news coffee lovers! Just think - you never have wait to go out buy coffee your
supply over. Try new mail order coffee service you wonder you managed without it.
We sure you find our service convenient easy that we offering free coffee maker with
initial order/subscription.

Our service care your preferences. You can increase or decrease order any time by
simply visiting web site [give URL] adjusting/altering subscription. We enclosing
catalogue showing different flavours coffee caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties.
We ensure you pure coffee only as all coffee organically grown.

Act fast add new coffeemaker to home. The free product limited time till stocks last.
We look forward you joining our [company name] family discerning coffee lovers.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address if not using company letterhead]

Follow Up Letter 1

[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

We have noticed that you have not been buying our products recently and we are
wondering if there is a problem. If you have any complaints regarding our products or
services please don’t hesitate to call us and let us know the reason for your
dissatisfaction. I am sure we can solve your problem.

I am enclosing a discount coupon valid for your next order as an incentive to continue
buying our products and services. As an added incentive, we will extent this discount
to a year’s purchases if you place a standing order for the whole year.

We look forward to having you back as our valued customer.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address if not using company letterhead]

37
Business Writing Activity 8
Follow Up Letter 2
Complete the letter given below.

[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

It has been a month since we installed your new dishwasher

…………..……………………….………………………...………….………………
………………………………………………………………………….……………..
Please help us to serve you better by filling in the enclosed customer feedback form.
…………………………………..……………………………………….…………
………………………………………………………………………………….…..

Thanks for buying our product. ……………………………………………….……

………………...…………………………………………………………………....
Sincerely,

[Your name]

 Check Your Progress 1

Now that you have seen how business letters are written for different purposes,
answer the following questions:
1) What are the different kinds of business letter?
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
2) What factors should be kept in mind while making an enquiry?
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
3) What are the details that need to be included in a letter of quotation?
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
4) What are the different kinds of sales letter?
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………..……
38
5) Prepare a checklist of writing effective sales letters. Collect 2-3 samples of sales External
Communication
correspondence and see if they are effective. If not, what changes would you like
to make in them?
.....……………………………………………………………..……………..……
.....………………………………………………………………….………..……
.....……………………………………………………………………….…..……
.....…………………………………………………………………………………
2.3.1 Read the following text, attempt the activities and then answer the questions
under check your progress:

We have already learnt about routine and sales letters. Now, you will read about
Letters for Special Purposes and Problem letters.
1) Letters for Special Purposes are:
i) Agency Letters relating to banks, insurance agents/company, government
and regulatory agencies, appointing business agents, etc.
ii) Personnel letters relating to employment
iii) Status enquiries
iv) Seeking finance
2) Problem Letters are:
a) Complaints and follow ups
b) Concessions
c) Collection Letters on account of overdue/pending payment

2.3.2 Special Purpose Letters

i) Agency Letters
• Correspondence with Banks
A company needs to be in constant touch with its bank for various commercial
transactions like opening a current account, stopping payment of cheque, request
for an overdraft, loan, bank guarantee etc.
[Date]

[To – Name of branch manager]

[Name of bank]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Subject: To open a current account

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

We are in the business of manufacturing garments and we have recently opened a

new showroom of our products in this area. We have a turnover of Rs 2 crores
annually. For our financial transactions we need a current account and would like to
open one in your bank. Kindly let us know about the formalities that have to be
fulfilled in this respect. We look forward to an early response.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your designation]
[Your address, if not using your letterhead]
39
Business Writing • Request for Agency

Business firms which do not find it suitable to open branches usually establish agency
relationships with other business firms in different towns and cities. This helps to
expand business and save the cost of operating and maintaining branches.

There is a particular process of establishing an agency. A business concern may

advertise or apply to a manufacturer or supplier for an agency explaining its financial
resources, business connections, area and scope of operations, guarantee of business,
rate of commission, requirement of sole agency or otherwise and lastly business
references. When such relevant information is provided, the objective is to achieve a
positive response from the interested party.

The manufacturer or supplier makes enquiries regarding the financial position and
business dealings of the applicant from the referees. When the interested party is
convinced of the applicant’s credentials, a draft agreement or form is sent for
completion and signatures.

[Date]

To
[Company name]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Subject: Request for Agency

Dear Madam/Sir

In response to your advertisement for appointing agents for your products in Dwarka,
New Delhi, we would like to offer our services.

Our firm has been in the business of selling children’s clothes for more than 10 years.
We are interested in selling your products and we are confident that we will be able to
boost the sales of your products in this area.

We charge 5% commission on gross sales and guarantee all payments within a period
of 90 days from the date of receipt of consignment. Our bankers are United Bank of
India, Sector 4, Dwarka. You can refer to M/s Fancy Clothing, Sector 6, Dwarka, for
seeking information about our financial integrity.

We shall do our best to promote your business in the Dwarka area and look forward
to a fruitful relationship.
Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Your company address, if not using your letterhead]

40
Activity 9 External
Communication

Read the letter of appointment of agent and fill in the gaps with appropriate words.

[Date]
Your address if not
using letterhead
[City, State PIN code]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name if you know it or Madam/Sir]

Sub: ……………………………..

We are ………… to inform you that we would like to …………….. you as our sole
agent for the Dwarka area in New Delhi. Your name has been ……… recommended
and we hope we …………. also establish good business relations in the future.

To ………….. with, we quote below ……. prices of different kinds of dresses

………… have been recently …………….. out by us.

1) Dress with thread embroidery medium size @ Rs 2000/- per piece.

2) Dress with thread embroidery large size @ Rs 2500/- per piece.
3) Dress with thread embroidery small size @ Rs 1500/- per piece.

You will be ……………. 5% commission on sales as per our agreement. Please

……….. the enclosed Form of Agency and …………… it by return post.

We are also sending …… separate post our latest catalogue ………. price list of our
products. Kindly ……………… receipt of our products.

Yours ………………….,
[Your name]

ii) Personnel Letters

Activity 10
Such letters relate to conditions of employment. Given below is a letter of application
for the post of sales manager in a commercial organization. The beginning and the
end of the letter are missing. Complete the letter by filling in gaps.

[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

41
Business Writing Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]
………………….…………..………………………………………………………
………………….…………..………………………………………………………
………………….…………..………………………………………………………
………………….…………..………………………………………………………

I am 34 years old and have at least 10 years of sales experience in a reputed firm
[give company name]. I have also headed a team of 8 sales executives and have been
involved in devising innovative sales strategies, from the planning to the execution
stage.
………………….…………..………………………………………………………
………………….…………..………………………………………………………
………………….…………..………………………………………………………

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

[Your name]
[Your address]

Activity 11
Look at the incomplete response to the above application. Fill it in with the correct
form of the verb given in brackets.

[Date]

[Name]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name if you know it or Madam/Sir]

We …………………….. (receive) your resume and application for the post of Sales
Manager which we……………………..(has) advertised in the [newspaper title].
Your qualifications ………….(be) excellent and we ………………… (add) you to
the group of applicants we …………… (like) to bring in for the interview.

This position ……. (be) an important one and a key to the growth of our company.
That is why we ………….. (be) extremely careful in our selection process. We
………(be) in touch with you within the next 2 weeks to set up a phone interview.
After that we will bring in semi-finalists for an in-person interview.
We appreciate your patience and your interest in ………………. (work) with us. We
look forward to ……………….. (talk) to you soon.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

42
iii) Status Enquiry Letter External
Communication
Enquiries about the credibility, financial standing and dealings of business firms,
customers and clients are often made. For this purpose confidential letters are sent to
known referees or to other business houses and institutions which may have dealings
with the firms. It is expected that all these letters as well as replies to the same are
written in good faith and in strict confidence. A straightforward opinion which does
not reflect any bias or exaggeration should be given when such enquiries are made.

[Date]

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

Thank you very much for your order dated February 5th 20xx, for 100 dresses on
credit for 2 months. As you are dealing with us for the first time, we shall be grateful
if you could furnish to us either a bank guarantee or a Delhi reference known to us.
This is standard and usual practice. Meanwhile, we shall give our attention to your
order.

Sincerely yours,

[Your name]

[Your company address]

iv) Letters Seeking Finance

These letters are written to banks or other financial institutions asking them to extend
loan facility to business concerns.

2) Problem Letters

a) Complaint Letter

Given below is a letter of complaint to the Railways.

[Date] [Your address]

The Superintendent
Railway Parcel Section
New Delhi Station.
New Delhi

Dear Madam/Sir
This is to inform you that on January 15th 20xx, we had sent a consignment of our
products to Mr. Salve of Mumbai vide railway receipt no.[give number and date]
from New Delhi station. The railway receipt was sent to our customer.

43
Business Writing However, we have received a complaint from Mr. Salve that the parcel has not yet
reached him. Please look into the matter and let us know what happened to the parcel.
Sincerely yours,

[Your name]

b) Letters Asking for Concessions

These letters are usually written by business organizations to financial institutions
requesting for concessions in the terms and conditions of loan repayment.

c) Collection Letters
They are sent by business firms to defaulting customers. They are also known as
‘dunning letters’. The tone of such a letter should be courteous and polite. The usual
practice is to write these letters in 3 stages, first in the form of a mild reminder, the
second as a persuasive letter and the third is the last resort stage. The first mild
reminder is the ‘will pay’ stage where the company is confident of receiving
payment. The second ‘persuasive letter’ is the ‘should pay’ stage. The business house
has to persuade and appeal to the erring customer. When all reminders and persuasive
letters fail to elicit the desired response from the customer, the ‘last resort’ letter is
sent. This letter is short and to the point. It gives the customer one last chance to pay.

Activity 12

Complete the body of the letter.

[Date]
[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]
Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

We regret to point out that we have written to you repeatedly, on 10th and 25th
December, 20xx and again on 21st January 20xx, calling your attention to our
unsettled account of Rs 22,250/- against supply of dresses as per your order.
………………………………………………………………………………..……
………………………………………………………………………………..……
………………………………………………………………………………..……
………………………………………………………………………………..……
………………………………………………………………………………..……
………………………………………………………………………………..……
………………………………………………………………………………..……

We trust you will make this action unnecessary by settling our account immediately.

Sincerely yours,

[Your name]
[Your company’s address]

44
 External
 Check Your Progress 2 Communication
Now that you have seen how business letters are written for different purposes,
answer the following questions:

1) What are the principles of effective communication?

….……………………..……………………………………………………
….…………………………………………..………………………………
….………………………………………………..…………………………
2) What are the points to be considered in drafting a business letter?
….……………………..……………………………………………………
….…………………………………………..………………………………
….………………………………………………..…………………………
3) Why do business firms appoint agencies instead of opening branches?
….……………………..……………………………………………………
….…………………………………………..………………………………
….………………………………………………..…………………………
4) Define collection letters.
….……………………..……………………………………………………
….…………………………………………..………………………………
….………………………………………………..…………………………
5) Describe the stages of sending collection letters.
….……………………..……………………………………………………
….…………………………………………..………………………………
….………………………………………………..…………………………

Activity 13
1) Write a letter to Punjab National Bank seeking finance for your new venture.
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………..
2) Write a letter of complaint against a TV company which has delivered a defective
TV.
………………………………….…………………………………………..
…………………………………….………………………………………..
……………………………………….……………………………………..
………………………………………….…………………………………..
…….………………………………………………………………………..
……….……………………………………………………………………..
………….…………………………………………………………………..
…………….………………………………………………………………..

45
Business Writing
2.4 VOCABULARY: MULTIPLE MEANING OF
WORDS
Activity 14
Some words can be used as a noun, verb, adjective or adverb. For example, the word
‘sound’ can be used as a noun (‘The ugly sound of honking cars is a regular feature of
life in Delhi’), as a verb (‘As soon as the siren sounded, the people left their work
stations to go home’), as an adjective (‘She gave me sound advice’) or as an adverb
(‘She slept soundly’).

Fill in the sentences below with the appropriate words given in the box. Remember to
make the necessary changes in the word.

frequent storm sparkle question

1) a) Some business letters are in the form of a questionnaire in which you have to
answer a set of ………………………..

b) When the Manager ………………………. his subordinates about the missing

file, they answered quite fearlessly.

c) His …………… spirit has not dimmed with advancing years.

d) He looked at me …………….………………..

2) a) The …………………. weather kept people at home.

b) The MD …………..……….. out of the meeting after meeting stiff opposition

to his proposal.

c) The strike was like a …………..……….. in a teacup because it ended within

a few hours of its beginning.

3) a) The dewdrops glinted and …………. in the morning sunshine.

b) The ………..……….. waters of the spring gushed out from the side of the
mountain.

c) A ……………..… of mischief lit up the face of the child.

4) a) He is a …………….……. visitor to Delhi.

b) The Manager noticed that employees …..………. the cafeteria and concluded
that they were either fond of eating or of shirking work.

c) After his retirement, the management spoke of him ……… ………. and with
great affection.

d) The ………………… of swine flu is increasing in an alarming manner.

46
 External
2.5 WRITING - I: SEQUENCING Communication

Activity 15
Given below are sentences taken from an application for the post of a sales officer.
Rearrange the sentences in the correct order and organize them into separate
paragraphs.

i) My present job requires me to not only to sell goods but also to keep an account
of the sales and do some typing too.
ii) I am 26 years old and hold an MBA degree.
iii) I am interested in applying for the post of a sales officer which was advertised
in The Hindustan Times on 30th of July 20xx.
iv) I enclose my CV and will be happy to give you further information if required.
v) You can contact me at my home phone or on my mobile during business hours.
vi) The reason for wanting to leave this job is that I find the office routine too
monotonous.
vii) I have been working in a department store for the last three years where I have
been the sole in charge.
viii) Since the job advertised involves traveling and meeting people, it would suit
my abilities and temperament.
………………………………………..…………………………………….
………………………………………..…………………………………….
………………………………………..…………………………………….
………………………………………..…………………………………….
………………………………………..…………………………………….

2.6 GRAMMAR
In this section we study Noun clause, the present perfect and present continuous
tense.
A) Noun Clause
Read the sentences below from the text:
1) Barbara Tuchman rightly remarks that it take two persons to fulfill the function
and purpose of the written word.

2) He was informed by the assistant manager that the company was thinking of
selling Block 1 of the shops.

The clauses underlined above are noun clauses because they do the work of
nouns.

i) As subject to the verb as in the sentence, examples:

How the leopard enter the factory was a mystery.
Whatever happens, it is His will.

47
Business Writing ii) As object to the verb as in the sentence, examples:
We are confident that we will be able to boost the sales of your products in this
area.
The young girl knew who the thief was.
She also knew where he lived.

iii) A noun clause is object to a preposition, example:

The executive did not pay attention to what the customer was saying.

How do you identify a noun clause in a sentence?

Ask the question “what” about the verb of the sentence and the group of words that
give you the answer, will be the noun clause. Example
Research has proven that the sooner a complaint is resolved with the customer the
greater the satisfaction…
Here you may ask “What has the research proven?” and the answer to this, “that the
sooner a complaint…” is the noun clause.
The following words called subordinating conjunctions introduce noun clauses.

that Who When however what whoever

whenever Where whatever why how wherever

whether

 Check Your Progress 3

1) Complete the following sentences by adding noun clauses as objects. Use the
clues given in brackets and the appropriate subordinating conjunction.
i) I don’t know ………………………….. (get/money back).
ii) Can anyone tell me …………………….(the matter/with him)?
iii) Please confirm …………………… (you can come/on Sunday).
iv) It is a good thing ……………… (he/working hard).
v) The airhostess asked me ………………………(want/coffee, tea or juice).
vi) I don’t understand ……………………………………………... (she
couldn’t/come/event).
vii) Preeti hasn’t decided …………………………. (go/Mumbai).
viii) Jitendra didn’t say ………………………..……….. (he/stay in Delhi).

2) Complete the sentences with appropriate noun clauses. We have done one for
you.
i) My boss said, “You ought to work harder.”
My boss told me that I ought to work harder.
My boss suggested that I ought to work harder.

ii) The Managing Director said, “Riya, why don’t you go for a leadership
training course?”
The Managing Director suggested ………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………..
48
 The Managing Director hoped …………………………………… External
Communication
……………………………………………………………………..
The Managing Director wanted …………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………..

iii) The Office Manager told the staff, “please come to office on time.”
The Office Manager advised ……………………………………...
The Office Manager hoped ……………………………………….
The Office Manager wanted ………………………………………
The Office Manager suggested …………………………………...

iv) Aliya said, “I wish I didn’t have to work so hard.”

Aliya wished ………………………………………………………
Aliya hoped ……………………………………………………….
Aliya wanted ……………………………………………………...

v) The Manager said, “It is hard work that pays in the end, not flattering the
boss.”
The Manager advised ……………………………………………..
The Manager commented ………………………………………..
The Manager suggested …………………………………………..

B) The Present Perfect Tense

Read the sentences given below. They are from the unit.
1) I had recently bought an LCD TV from your showroom.
2) We have already read about the different kinds of non-interactive, internal …
3) I have been a regular customer of your business and have always admired
the way you operate and handle it.
The words in bold are in the Present Perfect Tense.
Has/have + past participle of the verb

Function
• The Present Perfect Tense is used to talk about the present result of past
actions. It is also used to talk about recent events.
1) I have given your report to the Director. (S/He has it now.)
2) I have sent them the samples they wanted.
(I have sent them, they are in the post now.)

• The Present Perfect Tense is used for a finished action at an unknown or

unstated time, often with ever, never, just, already, yet, since and for.
1) Sunil has never been to England.
2) I’ve just finished reading the report.
3) My office has been here since 1950.
4) Have you spoken to Sushant yet?
49
Business Writing C) The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Read the sentences given below:
1) We would like to know if you have been providing concession fares for
student groups in the past.
2) I have been working through the day.
Function:
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used with for, since and how long? and
other expressions of duration (e.g. all day) to talk about activities that started
happening in the past and are still happening now. The activity may have been going
on continuously or repeated several times.
1) They have been manufacturing scooters here for 10 years.
2) I have been trying to call him all day.

 Check Your Progress 3

1) Complete the following sentences by putting the verbs into the Present Perfect.
i) I’m going to send them a reminder. They ……………… (not pay) us for
the last shipment.
ii) I ………………………. (work) enough. I want to retire now.
iii) I arrived late to the airport, I …………………….(miss) my flight.
iv) We ………………..…….. (spend) a lot of money on modernizing the
factory, and it is now very well equipped.
v) Sumit, …………………………(you/meet) Kiran Nadar? She’s is our
Managing Director.
vi) The dollar…………………….. (fall) sharply.

2) You are in charge of a project. Write a short paragraph saying what you have
already done and what you haven’t done yet. We give you an example:
We have already completed the needs analysis…
We have not started collecting the data as yet.
……...………………………………………………………………………
……...………………………………………………………………………
……...………………………………………………………………………
……...………………………………………………………………………
……...………………………………………………………………………
3) Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect
Continuous.
i) I ……………….………(write) a report for Mr. Kanduri. (it is finished)
ii) I …………………….. (not/take) a holiday for two years.
iii) I …………………. (not/feel) well recently.
iv) We …………………..(visit) potential sites for the new office, but we haven’t
found anything suitable yet.
v) Since January, our turnover ……………………. …..(increase) by 40%.

50
 vi) The legal cell …………………….. (look) through the MOU, but they say External
Communication
they need another day to read it all.
vii) I deserve a pay hike because I ………………………… (met) all my targets
this year.
viii) I ……………………….. (work) on those figures. They are almost ready.

2.7 READING - II: EMAIL GUIDELINES

Email or “electronic mail” is a process of sending text messages in electronic form.
The messages can also include images and video clips. Email has the characteristics
of both writing and speaking. It is presumed to not be subject to the same standards as
other written correspondence. As it is a fast and convenient way of communicating,
some people believe that it is almost as immediate as a phone call. But the tone of
voice and the facility of being able to explain immediately when you sense that there
is miscommunication are missing from email. Hence, the correct use of language is
important to communicate effectively.

Given below is a sample email page:

51
Business Writing

How email really works

http://support.kavi.com/khelp/kmlm/user_help/html/how_email_works.html
Some rules have to be observed while writing emails. These guidelines constitute
‘email etiquette’. They are:
Make your mail easy to read.
Use the subject line to tell the recipient the purpose of the message.
Use concrete words that avoid negative connotations.
Use the appropriate level of formality. If you are writing to your boss, be as
formal as you would be in printed letters.
Write in a clear and organized manner. Use short and simple sentences. Use
correct spelling and basic grammar.
Generally, the length of your message should be kept to one screen only. If there
is a file or document you want your reader to view, send it as an attachment with
your email.
Just like a written letter, be sure to begin your email with a greeting like ‘Dear
Dr. Gupta’ or ‘Dear Ms. Sahgal’ and also close with a salutation.
Use standard spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Do not write in all upper
case letters as this denotes shouting/screaming. This is also called “flaming” and
considered bad manners.
Write clear, short paragraphs and be direct and to the point; professionals and
academics alike see their email accounts as business. Don't write unnecessarily
long emails or otherwise waste the recipient's time.
Adopt the “you” attitude, emphasize positive points, be polite, use bias-free
language and project the company’s image.
Be sure to revise your letter after writing it.
Don’t think email is a private affair. Some people send information to recipients
who shouldn’t read, receive or don’t need it.

52
 Don’t send usernames or passwords through email. Information about credit External
Communication
cards or bank accounts should never be given via email. Avoid sensitive or
information that could be potentially damaging to someone's career and/or
reputation, including your own.
Do not overuse email acronyms or abbreviations.
Don’t use exclamation marks in every important sentence. This is too informal.
Don’t use emotions in business letters.
Activity 16
Can you add more guidelines?
…………..………………………………………………………………………….
…………..………………………………………………………………………….
…………..………………………………………………………………………….
…………..………………………………………………………………………….
…………..………………………………………………………………………….

 Check Your Progress 4

1) How is email better than other forms of communication?
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
2) Enumerate some rules/guidelines (at least 5) to observe while writing email.
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………..
3) What kind of language should be used in emails?
……………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………..

2.8 WRITING - II: WRITING AN EMAIL

Activity 17
Compose an email in the correct format for the following situation:
Your company, India Garments, wants to buy good quality Chinese silk from a
Chinese company. Write an email to the business head of the Chinese company
stating your purpose.
…………………………………………….………………………………………..
……………………………………………….……………………………………..
53
Business Writing
2.9 LET US SUM UP
In this unit you have learnt what interactive external business correspondence is. You
also learnt about the principles of effective communication and the mechanics of
letter writing. You have also become familiar with writing informative and persuasive
letters which include routine and sales letters. You were also shown how to write
letters of inquiry, letters seeking information and letters of request. For writing
different kinds of sales letters, you were given examples of writing prospecting
letters, cover letters with promotional / discount offers, follow up letters and sales
appreciation letters. You have been introduced to various types of such
correspondence and the purpose for which they are written. You have also become
familiar with letters written for special purposes and Problem letters. The former
includes agency letters for appointing business agents, letters to banks, insurance
companies, financial institutions, government agencies or regulatory bodies, letters
relating to personnel and status enquiry letters. The problem letters include
complaints and follow ups, concession letters and collection letters.

Email is another form of communication which is transmitted electronically. You saw

how easy it was to use email as a casual piece of conversation. You also read that this
should not be the case in the business world and great care has to be taken in drafting
emails.

We hope you find the unit useful and interesting.

2.10 ANSWERS
Activity 1
i) The formal letter contains the sender’s and receiver’s address whereas this is not
required in the informal letter.
ii) In the formal letter we use salutations like Dear ... while in the informal letter we
use informal salutations like Dearest, My Dear, etc.
iii) The formal letter is concise and to the point whereas an informal letter is like an
extended long distance private conversation.
Activity 2
1) Soon
2) The file you requested is attached
3) Mr. Sareen realized that we must cut down costs
4) Some rules must be observed
5) I wish to say
6) After talking to you
7) causes
8) The most important issue is collaboration
9) answer/say yes
10) as you asked for/ requested
11) after what we talked / spoke about
12) I enclose the papers
13) Although/ even though
14) Usually

54
Activity 3 External
Communication
Suggested answer:
The senior chief engineer contacted the mall owner, on December 23rd to enquire if
block 1 was on sale. He was informed by the assistant manager that the company was
thinking of selling block 1. He was further told that the decision would not be taken
until the president returned / came back from a business trip on January 22nd 20xx.
Activity 4
i) I am writing to complain about …
ii) I would like to apologize for …
iii) I would like to thank …
iv) I am writing to apply for …
v) I am writing to confirm …

Activity 5

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name if you know it or Madam/Sir]

We are arranging a college trip to Kashmir and we are particularly interested in
visiting Gulmarg. We would like some information about your tours to the Kashmir
valley.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could send details about bus fares, their timings
and whether they are comfortable and air-conditioned or not. We would also like to
know if you have been providing concession fares for student groups in the past. This
information is important to us because we are a large group of 50 students.

Activity 6
Appropriate prepositions are:
i) at ii) on iii) on iv) for v) on
vi) through vii) in viii) of ix) of x) in
xi) to xii) in xiii) of xiv) from xv) to
xvi) in xvii) with xviii) in

Activity 7

This news is for coffee lovers! Just think - you will never have to wait to go out and
buy coffee once your supply is over. Try our new mail order coffee service and you
will wonder how you ever managed without it. We are so sure you will find our
service very convenient and easy that we are offering a free coffee maker with your
initial order/subscription.

Our service takes care of your preferences. You can increase or decrease your order
any time by simply visiting our web site [give URL] and adjusting/altering your
subscription. We are enclosing a catalogue showing different flavours of coffee in
both caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties. We ensure that you get pure coffee only
as all our coffee is organically grown.

Act fast and add a new coffeemaker to your home. The free product is for a limited
time till its stocks last. We look forward to you joining our [company name] family
of discerning coffee lovers.

55
Business Writing Activity 8
Dear [Ms. /Mr. last name]

It has been a month since we installed your new dishwasher. I am writing to know if
it is functioning properly and taking care of your needs. Please help us to serve
you better by filling in the enclosed customer feedback form. It will take a few
minutes to do so. To return it to us, simply drop the completed form into a post
box as it is already stamped and addressed to us.

Thanks for buying our product. If there is anything further I can do for you, please
feel free to call us at the numbers given on the letterhead.

Check Your Progress 1

1) Different kind of business letters are as follows
Informative and persuasive letters:
i) Routine letters may include the following:
 Enquiries, seeking information and requests
 Quotations
 Orders and acceptance
 Payment

ii) Sales letters such as:

 Promotional letters
 Cover letters with fliers, catalogues etc.
 Proposal letters
 Follow up letters
 Sales appreciation letters.

iii) Letters for special purposes

 Agency letters relating to banks, insurance agents/company, government
and regulatory agencies etc.
 Personnel letters relating to employment
 Circulars
 Status enquiries
 Seeking finance

iv) Problem letters

 Complaints and follow ups
 Concessions
 Collection Letters on account of overdue/pending payment

2) In a letter of enquiry one must ensure that one has asked for all the information
that one needs regarding the availability of goods and the terms and conditions of
supply and delivery. One may include a description and specifications of the
goods required.

56
3) The letter of quotation is the response to a letter of enquiry from a prospective External
Communication
buyer. It should contain complete information about the nature and quality of
goods asked for, time and mode of delivery, prices, any additional charges for
packing and shipping or other services and terms of payment.

4) The different kinds of sales letter are as follows:

a Prospecting letters
b Cover letters
c Proposal letters
d Follow up letters
e Sale appreciation letters

5) Some important factors to consider while writing sales correspondence:

• It should have an effective opening to get the attention of the reader and
generate interest.
• It should address the customer’s need and how you can satisfy his/her need.
• It should clearly state what the customer is expected to do in case s/he wishes
to buy a product. The action to be taken should be within easy reach and
possibility of the customer.
• It should also indicate how the action performed will benefit the receiver of
the letter.
• The tone should be polite and conversational. Humour should be avoided.
• It should be checked and revised for accuracy.

Activity 9
Dear [Ms./Mr. last name if you know it or Madam/Sir]

Sub: Appointment of Agency

We are glad to inform you that we would like to appoint you as our sole agent for the
Dwarka area in New Delhi. Your name has been highly recommended and we hope
we shall also establish good business relations in the future.

To begin with, we quote below the prices of different kinds of dresses which have
been recently brought out by us.

1) Dress with thread embroidery medium size @ Rs 2000/- per piece.

2) Dress with thread embroidery large size @ Rs 2500/- per piece.
3) Dress with thread embroidery small size @ Rs 1500/- per piece.

You will be allowed 5% commission on sales as per our agreement. Please fill in the
enclosed Form of Agency and send it by return post.

We are also sending by separate post our latest catalogue and price list of our
products. Kindly acknowledge receipt of our products.
Activity 10
Missing lines are given in bold:
[Date]
57
Business Writing

[To - Name]
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

I would like to apply for the post of Manager (Sales) that was advertised in The
Times of Hindustan on 15th July 20xx.

I am 34 years old and have at least 10 years of sales experience in a reputed firm
[give company name]. I have also headed a team of 8 sales executives and have been
involved in devising innovative sales strategies, from the planning to the execution
stage.

I enclose my curriculum vitae and would appreciate an opportunity of being

interviewed. I would then be able to give you a better idea of my abilities.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours,
[Your name]
[Your address]
Activity 11

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name if you know it or Madam/Sir]

We have received your resume and application for the post of Sales Manager which
we had advertised in the [newspaper title]. Your qualifications are excellent and we
have added you to the group of applicants we would like to bring in for the
interview.

This position is an important one and a key to the growth of our company. That is
why we are being extremely careful in our selection process. We will be in touch
with you within the next 2 weeks to set up a phone interview. After that we will bring
in semi-finalists for an in-person interview.

We appreciate your patience and your interest in working with us. We look forward
to talking to you soon.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your designation]
Activity 12
Missing lines are given in bold:

[Date]

58
[To - Name] External
Communication
[Company]
[Address]
[City, State PIN code]

Dear [Ms./Mr. last name]

We regret to point out that we have written to you repeatedly, on 10th and 25th
December, 20xx and again on 21st January 20xx, calling your attention to our
unsettled account of Rs 22,250/- against supply of dresses as per your order. But you
have not responded to any of our letters.

In such circumstances we are compelled to inform you with great reluctance that
unless our account is settled by the end of February 20xx, we shall place the
matter in the hands of our solicitor.

We trust you will make this action unnecessary by settling our account immediately.

Sincerely yours,

[Your name]
[Your designation]
[Your company’s address]
Check Your Progress 2
1) The principles of effective communication are as follows:
One has to be brief and use few and effective words instead of long sentences.
Courtesy has to be maintained with appropriate level of formality. One has to be
precise and take care to include all relevant facts, data and necessary information.
One has to be simple, clear, correct and brief.
2) There are some points to be kept in mind while drafting business letters.
• The letter should be attractive to create a positive impression on the reader.
• It should be accurate in facts as well as presentation.
• It should have the date, sender’s and receiver’s address.
• It should have the name and designation of the sender as well as the receiver
with the right spelling.
• It is good to chalk out a plan before writing the letter. This includes listing
out the purpose, the key points to be conveyed, analyzing the audience- the
reader’s age, attitudes and cultural background- and also acquiring the
relevant documents and information.
• Once the planning is done, make a rough draft. Next format the letter with
care using appropriate courtesy titles and salutation at the beginning and end
of the letter.
• Revise with care and type the final draft. Check for grammatical errors.
3) Business firms appoint agencies instead of opening branches as this is more cost
effective. They can expand business by establishing agency relationships with
other business firms. This would help them save the cost of operating and
maintaining branches.

59
Business Writing 4) Collection letters are sent by business firms to those customers who have pending
payments. They are also known as ‘Dunning letters’. Such letters should have a
courteous and polite tone.

5) The collection letters are written in three stages usually:

i) The first in the form of a mild reminder. This is the ‘will pay’ stage where the
company is confident of receiving payment.

ii) The second ‘persuasive letter’ is the ‘should pay’ stage. The business house
has to persuade and appeal to the erring customer.

iii) The third is the ‘last resort’ stage when all reminders and persuasive letters
fail to elicit the desired response from the customer. This letter is short and to
the point. It gives the customer one last chance to pay.

Activity 13

1) Letter to Punjab National Bank seeking finance:

1st February, 20xx

To
Mr. Anand Kapoor
Branch Manager
Punjab National Bank
IGNOU Branch
Maidan Garhi, Delhi-110068

Subject: Finance for opening a bookshop on M. G. Road.

Dear Mr. Kapoor,

We plan to open a bookshop and have ear marked a suitable location on M.G. Road
for our new venture. It would include a reading space cum cafeteria. Such a bookshop
is the need of the hour in our city. The estimate to set up the shop is Rs. 15,00,000.
We need a loan to meet the expenses. We request you to let us know the formalities
that have to be completed in order to apply for the loan. We would be greatly obliged
if you could do so at the earliest. We look forward to an early response.

Sincerely,

Shalini Mathew
F-129, Golf Links
Defence Colony
New Delhi- 110069

60
2) Letter of complaint against a TV company which has delivered a External
Communication
defective TV.

2nd February, 20xx Shalini Mathew

F-129, Golf Links
Defence Colony
New Delhi- 110069
The Manager
Quantum Electronics
72, M.G. Road
Pune, Maharashtra

Dear Madam/ Sir

This is to inform you that the television which was sent to me on 25th January, 20xx
has been malfunctioning. The model number is HYX-09 and the Bill no. is 187490
dated 25th January 20xx. After switching on the television, it goes into the ‘power off’
mode in a few minutes. It is unfortunate that a reputed company such as yours has
provided a defective product.

Please arrange to replace the defective television at the earliest.

Thank you

Sincerely yours,

Shalini Mathew
Activity 14
1) a) questions(noun) b) questioned (verb) c) questioning (adjective)
d) questioningly (adverb)
2) a) stormy (Adj) b) stormed (verb) c) storm (noun)
3) a) sparkled (verb) b) sparkling (adj) c) sparkle (noun)
4) a) frequent (adj) b) frequented (verb) c) frequently (adv)
d) frequency (noun)

Activity 15
Paragraph 1: sentence (iii) Paragraph 2: sentences (ii), (vii), (i)
Paragraph 3: sentence (vi), (viii) Paragraph 4: sentence (iv), (v)

Check Your Progress 3

1) Completed sentences:
i) I don’t know how to get the money back.
ii) Can anyone tell me what’s the matter with him?
iii) Please confirm when you can come on Sunday.
iv) It is a good thing that he is working hard.
v) The airhostess asked me whether I wanted coffee, tea or juice.
vi) I don’t understand why she couldn’t come for the event.
61
Business Writing vii) Preeti hasn’t decided how she should go to Mumbai.
viii) Jitendra didn’t say where he stayed in Delhi.

2) Completed sentences with appropriate noun clauses:

ii) The Managing Director suggested that Riya should go for a leadership
training course.
The Managing Director hoped that Riya may go for a leadership training
course.
The Managing Director wanted Riya to go for a leadership training
course.

iii) The Office Manager advised the staff to come to the office on time.
The Office Manager hoped that the staff would come to office on time.
The Office Manager wanted the staff to come to office on time.
The Office Manager suggested that the staff should come to office on
time.

iv) Aliya wished that she didn’t have to worked so hard.

Aliya hoped that she didn’t have to work so hard.
Aliya wanted that she should not have to work so hard.

v) The Manager advised the group that it is hard work that paid off in the
end, not flattering the boss.
The Manager commented that it is hard work that paid off in the end,
not flattering the boss.
The Manager suggested that it is hard work that paid off in the end, not
flattering the boss.
5.6 Listening (tape script)

There may be occasions when discrepancies arise between the stipulations in the
order placed by the buyer and the actual manner or execution of the order by the
supplier. The quantity and quality of goods received may not conform to the goods
ordered, or the goods received may be less in number or in a damaged condition.
There could be another reason for the discrepancy – the terms and conditions of
payment, delivery, etc. may have varied. Letters of claims and complaints may have
to be written by the buyers on such occasions.

A letter of complaint should be written in polite language giving only bare facts
which should be substantiated by sufficient evidence. The letter should never start
with the assumption that the other party is a cheat. Complaints may arise due to some
unintentional acts and circumstances and benefit of doubt should be given unless
otherwise proved.

When complaints are received, the suppliers should attend to them immediately and
speedy action should be taken to rectify the wrong, if any. If the complaint is not
justified, the reply must be given in a polite manner and without being offensive. All
letters of complaints, claims and adjustments must be clear and definite and should be
supported by relevant documents.

62
Activity 16 External
Communication
More on email etiquette:
i) Double check the name(s) you have entered in the “To” line before sending your
mail.
ii) Reserve the “high priority” label for emails that are in reality “high priority”.
Don’t label all mails as “high priority” as nobody will take your mail seriously
after some time.
iii) Keep attachments to a minimum.
iv) Use bullets/markers/numbers so that the recipient can focus at once on the
important details.
v) Being gender sensitive helps when replying to women.
vi) Do not use jargon and slang.

Check Your Progress 4

1) Email is better than other forms of communication in following ways:
• It has characteristics of both writing and speaking.
• Email messages can include images and video clips.
• Can be almost as immediate as a phone call.

2) Use standard spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Do not write in all upper
case letters as this denotes shouting/screaming. This is also called “flaming” and
considered bad manners.

Write clear, short paragraphs and be direct and to the point; professionals and
academics alike see their email accounts as business. Don't write unnecessarily
long emails or otherwise waste the recipient's time.

Adopt the “you” attitude, emphasize positive points, be polite, use bias-free
language and project the company’s image.

3) Language can be formal or informal depending on the context.

Activity 17

To:
Cc:
Subject:

Dear Madam/Sir,

We have heard a lot about the good quality of silks manufactured by you. We deal in
making and selling silk dresses and we are based in New Delhi, India. As such, we
require high quality silk fabrics for our products. Could you please send us
information about the variety of silks manufactured by you and their corresponding
prices as soon as possible? Please let us know about freight, custom and other charges
(if any), as such charges may be applicable to transnational business orders involving
two countries. This will enable us to place our order with you.

We look forward to hearing from you and to the beginning of a new relationship. In
case you wish to verify our credentials, please contact the referees given below. One
of them is a company with whom you already share a business relationship and who
had recommended your name to us. 63
Business Writing

1) ………………………………………………….
2) ………………………………………………….
3) ………………………………………………….

[Give names, addresses and contact details of business associates/concerns who know
you well]

With regards,

[Your name]
[Your full company address with contact details]
[Give your company’s website address if you have one]

64
 Writing Reports

UNIT 3 WRITING REPORTS

Structure .
3.0 Objectives .
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Purposes of Reporting
3.3 General Kinds of Report
3.4 Business Reports – Internal
3.5 Feasibility Report
3.6 Project Report
3.7 Grammar:
A. Reduced Relative Clauses
B. Spotting the Errors
3.8 Let Us Sum Up
3.9 Answers

3.0 OBJECTIVES
After going through the unit, you should be able to identify:
• the purposes of report-writing;
• the different kinds of reports;
• the features of a report;
• the steps to be followed in writing reports; and
• appropriate sectioning of reports.

3.1 INTRODUCTION
Written records are a part of all official work. Actions need to be documented. A
report is a formal written document on a particular function or operation carried out at
the workplace. A report becomes the basis for any future action. It also serves as a
source of reference for whatever is done in the future related to a particular event or
operation. Reports can also be delivered orally, such as Annual Reports at Company
Meetings or project reports in a presentation format to colleagues or superiors. The
process of writing in-house reports for the management is to take decisions based on
the recommendations.

As reports are written after an action is taken (ATR stands for Action Taken Report)
or an operation executed or the occurrence of an event, they are mainly written in the
past tense.

The audience, that is, the people to whom we are writing, decides the kind of format
that we use for writing a report.

• Is it addressed to

a superior within the organization,

a small circle of colleagues,

or people in the field outside the organization?
• Is it confidential in nature or for public information?
65
Business Writing The answers to these and other questions will determine the kind of format we use for
a report.

Reports may be several pages in length or just the length of a single page. They may
be in the form of short memos, or letters or lengthy booklets. Government reports on
important issues may be published in bound volumes. The language of reports is
generally formal, but needs to be simple and clear as it involves the transmission of
information that will be used by others.

Sometimes we may be asked by an external agency to study a proposal and submit a

feasibility report. A feasibility report is a document which indicates whether a project
is worth undertaking or not. A project is undertaken on the basis of a feasibility
report. A feasibility report may recommend or not recommend a project to be
undertaken

A project report is a document that is written after the completion of the project.

3.2 PURPOSES OF REPORTING

Activity 1
What are the kinds of function carried out in an organization? List them here:

……………………...………………………………………………………………
……………………...………………………………………………………………
……………………...………………………………………………………………
……………………...………………………………………………………………
……………………...………………………………………………………………

Some of the functions in an organization are listed below along with their purposes.
Compare them with those on your list.
o Visits: to know about the location, physical layout of a place or understand the
functioning of a factory or an office.
o Inspection: to check whether machinery procured has been rightly installed and
functioning for the purposes for which it was procured, to assess the damages
caused to property for settling insurance claims.
o Stock Verification: to physically check the quantity of stocks in a warehouse or
godown.
o Feasibility assessment: to assess whether the location of a site is suitable for
setting up a premises there.
Reports can be written on each of the above functions.
In addition to these, the performance of operations within an organization is also
periodically assessed.
o Performance Reports: to apprise the company on the functioning of a unit over
a given period of time.
o Company Annual Reports: to apprise the shareholders about the activities,
capital investments and net profits of a company.
o Sales Reports: to provide information about sales figures region-wise.
o Project Reports: to provide information about the achievement of a project
undertaken.

66
An organization may also conduct surveys in order to gather information on various Writing Reports
matters of relevance to it:
o Survey Reports: to gather information about people’s opinions on a service or
product, market needs etc.
o Market Survey Reports: to assess market demand for services or products,
collect information about existing products.
o Field Reports: to provide information about what is exactly happening in a field
of action.
o Opinion Reports: to obtain information on popular opinion related to societal or
business issues.

3.3 GENERAL KINDS OF REPORTS

Reports are not exclusive to the business field. Reports can be written on various
events, achievements, research findings, academic progress etc.

3.3.1 News Reports

When we talk of reporters, who are the people that come to mind immediately?
Newspaper reporters surely! We will start with these most common forms of public
reports and then proceed to business reports.

Newspapers post staff at different locations in the field to cover events. The news
gathered by reporters is selected and presented to readers in a way in which it will be
interesting and useful to them. Events happen all the time and in all places. The
reporters, the editors in the newspaper office and the readers decide what is
newsworthy.

Activity 2
Read the following newspaper reports and identify the purpose of the reports:

A) Farmer electrocuted

A farmer was electrocuted at his field near his house at Gumma village in RR district
on Sunday. T. Ramesh (42) was trying to put off a transformer connection when he
got electrocuted, according to a police report.

B) Two-Day workshop on women’s health

St. Pious Degree and Postgraduate College for Women, Nagpur, conducted a two-day
workshop on ‘Healthy Women − A Step towards Healthy Society. Interaction with
Neighbourhood on August 30 and 31.

Objective
The objective of the conference was to create awareness among women on dietary
habits and health. It attracted about 200 hundred women including faculty members
and students from various colleges of the city. Experts from the National Task Force
for Women in Science, NGOs and scientific bodies delivered lectures on Nutrition,
Health and Diet.

67
Business Writing
C) Restricting recurrence
Health: Stomach cancer and a common germ

Eradicating a common bacterium after stomach cancer surgery may reduce the
risk that cancer will recur, a new study reports.
The germ, Helicobacter pylori, is also a cause of peptic ulcer.

Japanese researchers studied 544 patients with early stomach cancer. After their
operations, half received an H. pylori eradication regimen, while the others
received standard care. The patients were followed with periodic examinations
over three years to see how many would develop recurrences.
The researchers found that 24 in the untreated group and nine in the treated
group developed new lesions.

After controlling for location and type of tumour, sex, age and other factors, the
researchers conclude that eradication of H. pylori reduced the risk of recurrence
by about 65%.

Activity 3
1) List the features that are common to all the three reports
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
2) List the features that are different in each report.
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
Discussion:
A) Did you notice that:
1) the tone is objective and neutral,
2) facts are stated,
3) no personal opinion is reflected,
4) all points are relevant to the topic,
5) all points are of significance to readers,
6) they are concise and to the point,
7) reported speech is used,
8) Past tense is used?

68
B) Did you notice that: Writing Reports

1) A) is a report on an incident; it has personal details, actual location;

2) B) is a report on a public event; it states the objective of the event and the
details of the participants involved;
3) C) is a report on a scientific study; it starts and ends with the research
finding and gives details of the study to validate the claim?
Purpose of the reports: Making available information about events, studies etc.

While newspaper reports are based on facts gathered, reporters protect themselves
with verbal hedging devices so that they are not challenged by the affected parties.

Vocabulary Box:
To adopt an objective stance, newspaper reporters use the following
reporting verbs:
claim, report, allege, appear, seem, indicate, according to

3.3.2 Academic Reports

In academic settings, the most common kind of report we are all familiar with are
school progress reports. All schools report on the progress of their students. These
are called progress reports. The information in these reports is generally in the form
of marks which indicate achievement or progress levels.

Students record the procedure, observations and findings of experiments in record

books or journals. These are called lab reports. Lab reports have a specific format.

- Aim
- Apparatus
- Procedure
- Observation
- Findings
At the higher levels this becomes the framework for research reports. Research
reports begin with an abstract which summarizes the objective, method and findings
of a study.

School Annual reports announce and record their achievements.

3.4 BUSINESS REPORTS – INTERNAL

In the previous section, we looked at different kinds of reports. In this section we will
examine business reports. Reports are necessary for various kinds of activities
undertaken by a business organization. Reports provide information on aspects
crucial to the running of a business establishment.

3.4.1 Market Survey Reports

The first step in introducing a product or service in the market is assessing customer
needs. Marketing personnel are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying a
niche for a new product. This may be done along certain specific criteria.
Let us do a simple activity to understand this better.

69
Business Writing Activity 4
You work for a company manufacturing soaps and oils. The company wants to
introduce a new brand of hair oil. You have to go out and find out about:
i) Available brands
ii) Price range
iii) Kinds of packaging
iv) Volume-sizes available
v) Customer Preferences
vi) Customer dissatisfaction with existing brands

Collect the information required. You can make use of the following table.

Available Price Range Packaging Volume-sizes Customer

Brands Available Preferences

Discussion
On the basis of the information you collected, you will then have to write a report.
You could prepare a table like the one above to show the details of the available
brands.
The report can have the following parts:
- Introduction
- Statement of Objective
- Sample selection and mode of data collection
- Observations
- Recommendations based on the observations

3.4.2 Sample Market Survey Report

Read this report:

Survey Report on the Cellular Service Provider Market

Introduction: Over the past decade the number of mobile phone users has shown an
Describing astronomical increase. This has resulted in big business for both cell phone
Background manufacturers as well as network providers. The field is very competitive with each
Need for
service provider making the most of the growing demand. This has resulted in
survey
customers often being misled about the advantages and cost-benefits of various
services available in the market.

Objective: The survey was conducted to identify the key factors that are crucial (in
Stating order of importance) for the setting up of a subsidiary unit of M&N which provides
purpose networking services to over 2 million customers in the country. Because of
Government regulations, it is difficult to modify the terms and conditions of the
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existing services. An attempt to explore possibilities of setting up a subsidiary Writing Reports
service to overcome the limitations of the existing services and to add value to them
seems necessary.

Sample Size: In order to understand what it takes to make a cellular service efficient Describ-
ing
and what the options that drive the customer to choose a particular cellular service
sample
over others are, a questionnaire was sent to 22 people residing in Hyderabad and group
Bangalore respectively. Among the 22, 15 were students and 7 were full-time
working people. On an average, they spend about 30-40 minutes on the phone in one
day.

Data obtained from questionnaire:

• Type of service used by consumers:

Statistical
Prepaid Postpaid
information
13 07

• Current service providers of the respondents.

M&N 07
Charter 05
Indus 01
Convince 02
I-speak 02
BSNL 03

• Ways in which the consumers gathered information about their current cellular
service provider:
Peers 10
Family 03
Advertisements 04
Work (Office) 05

• Reasons for choosing a particular cellular service provider

Availability of Schemes 06
(ISD, sms, local)
Network Coverage 05
Availability of Easy 02
Rechargeable options
Free Roaming 04
Peer influence 01
Cost-effective SIM 03
Others (Advertisements) 01
Internet ---

• Average preference level of the respondents on the various other service

providers.

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Business Writing
Charter 06
Convince 01
BSNL 04
I-speak 03
M&N 07
Indus 01

• Percentage of users willing to change to a different service provider: 10%

• Most common reason for change in service providers (in percentage).

Non-availability of services: 10%

Cost: 10%
Bad coverage: 20%
SIM loss: 10%
• The factors that consumers look for before applying for a service provider

Coverage 08
Cost-effectiveness 05
Schemes 06
Roaming facility 02
Internet 01

• Does the media have an influence on your choice?

Yes: 65%
No: 35%

ANALYSIS

Post-survey analysis of the popularity of cellular service providers indicates that

Findings consumers prefer to go for cellular service providers who are able to cover a
wider range of places, network coverage being most crucial. Among the 22
people, only 10 of them were influenced in their choice by their peers, 4 by
advertisement campaigns while 5 were influenced by work groups and 3 by
family.

With regard to the factors perceived to be important to enhance customer

response and connectivity, the availability of schemes and network coverage is
seen as the most essential features. Out of the 22 people interviewed, 8 people
indicated their first preference as good network coverage, 6 on schemes (STD,
SMS), 5 on cost effective planning, 2 on roaming facilities and 1 on internet.
This data is indicative of the importance of efficiency in coverage and flexible
schemes. A company must ensure that network towers are set up for greater
network coverage which will ultimately improve roaming facilities as well.
Moreover with new cellular phone companies coming up with newer cellular
phone models, another option that service providers could employ is to
collaborate with a cell phone company so that cost-effective schemes can be
introduced and utilized.

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Customers seek a well-sketched cost-effective networking solution for the Writing Reports
changing face of technology. Telecommunications at present comes with a
heavy package and service providers need to branch out on their networking
solutions.

Conclusion: It appears from the data that M&N is the most

Summing up
preferred service provider. However, customers seem to feel that
certain weaknesses and drawbacks in the service need to be improved
upon. It is evident that there is stiff competition between M&N and
Charter services in Hyderabad and Bangalore at present, with the
variety of schemes available and more so, free roaming facilities.
Among the 22 people interviewed, only 2 people have indicated that
they wouldn’t mind shifting to another cellular service provider
which indicates that most of the companies know pretty much all
there is to know about telecommunications and networking. If a
company strives to achieve efficiency in networking and come up
with cost- effective solutions, then it has a very good chance in
becoming ‘first among equals’.

Language Focus:
Reports are for the main part written in the past tense. Notice that there is a shift in
the tense use from section to section.

Introduction: You will notice that there are several instances of the present perfect
use as in “has resulted”

The present perfect is used for events that have begun in the past and continue to hold
good for the present. They may be events that occurred in the past whose impact is
felt in the present.

Objective and Methodology: The main section describing the objective and
procedure of the survey are written in the past tense. Notice the passive forms “were
sent”, “were interviewed” etc. Reports, as have already been mentioned are formal
and objective. The use of the passive voice helps in maintaining the impersonal tone.

Notice the point headings of the questionnaire. These are verbless sentences. Such
sentences are usually used for headings and listed points.

Analysis: This section is in the present tense for the most part. It deals with the
implications of the survey findings. It also indicates what needs to be done in the
future.

3.4.3 Internal Inquiry Reports

Corporate functioning is beset with various problems which need to be attended to as
they affect business. An organization needs to look into these problems which could
be related to customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, salary structures, business
competition or problems related to all of these. When such problems arise,
committees are appointed to study the problems and suggest solutions. The scope of
each issue is defined and a time specified for the report to be submitted. In this
section we will study a sample of this kind of report.

It is an in-house report.
The boxes on the left indicate the tense and grammatical forms used.
The boxes on the left indicate the content.
As you read, understand why a particular tense is used for a particular section.

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Business Writing
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

28 February 2…

The Vice-President
Customer Affairs
Address LOKAIR
Mumbai

Dear Sir,
I am submitting the report compiled by the Special Committee appointed
Present
by you to examine the causes of the growing customer dissatisfaction with Topic
Continuous LokAir services.
I hope that the recommendations of the Committee will help us set right the
problems arising from customer complaints and get our operations back
Present for
future
again on the growth track. Expected
outcome
indication
Yours truly,
Beni Yanthan
Manager, HRD

REPORT ON
GROWING CUSTOMER AND EMPLOYEE Title
DISSATISFACTION
Submitted to
Ms. Yogini Madhav
Senior Vice President
official
CUSTOMER AFFAIRS, LOKAIR

by
Person
Beni Yanthan responsible for
Manager the study

HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION

28 February

Language focus: A report is written on something.

A report is submitted to someone by someone.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive summary P. Nos.
Terms of reference
Background
Objectives
Procedure
Findings
Recommendations
Conclusion
Enclosures 15

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 Writing Reports
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Past A Special Committee consisting of five members appointed by the Vice Purpose
President, Customer Affairs inquired into the causes for growing customer and
Pres. employee dissatisfaction that have plagued LOKAIR for a year now.
Perfect
Surveys and interviews indicated that customer complaints were related to
baggage loss, lack of information, overbooking, delayed flights and poor on-board
Data
Past service. collected

The staff response to the above complaints was that it was a result of
understaffing, long working hours, low wages and weak communication channels
Feedback
Past between operations planning and execution. Poor on-board service was a result of from staff
insufficient procurements and stocking and lack of communication between
ground staff and flight attendants.

Recommendations include increase in compensation, rationalizing working hours, Recomm-

open channels of communication between staff and customers, management and endations
Present
operations. Improved mechanisms for baggage security, on-board facilities and
customer relations, flight frequency and flight schedules have also been suggested.

TERMS OF REFERENCE
The following were the members of the Special Committee, set up by the Vice Sign-posting
listing
President, Customer Affairs to investigate the reasons for increasing customer
and employee dissatisfaction in LOKAIR:
Ms Beni Yanthan, Manager, Human Resources Division (Chairperson)
Ms Kabita Chiring, Security Affairs
Ms Sulagna Ganguly, Customer Care Affairs
Ms Christine Thur, Reservation and Provisions
Ms Aku Kiewhuo, Cabin and Ground Crew
Past
Passive The committee was asked to study the reasons for the steep fall in passengers in
LOKAIR during the year 2.... - 2…., examine customer complaints and employee
responses and submit its report to the Vice President by March 5, 2….
Sign-posting
The study was to include the following six cities listing

• Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Guwahati

BACKGROUND
LOKAIR proposes to open new routes between Bhubaneswar and
Present Bhopal, Dibrugarh and Hyderabad and Jaipur and Visakhapatnam. At
this point of time, it is highly unlikely that license will be granted to us, Discussing
Issues and
the chief reason being increasing customer dissatisfaction with our giving reasons
prevailing services. Media reports and customer letters about for
the study
deterioration in services – overbooking, lost baggage, delayed flights,
Pres.Perf inadequate information to the passengers and impoliteness have caused a
sharp fall in business. There are a number of factors responsible for this.
Present
Growing discontent among the employees has become obvious which in
Pres.Perf turn has adversely affected their performance. The Committee was
appointed to look into the causes for this through direct interaction with
Past passive customers, travel agents and employees with a view to getting the
business back on rail.

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Business Writing
To+ verb
OBJECTIVES W
To study
a) customer discontent
b) employee behaviour and
c) and recommend remedial measures

PLANNING
Past passive A preliminary meeting of the committee was held on August 7, 20… to Step 1
decide upon the modalities of the inquiry.
It was decided that five representatives from each of the divisions, Customer
Care, Security and Baggage, Reservation, Cabin Crew and Ground Crew Decision
Modal verb in a
passive to from all the six cities along with 10 representatives of the Employees’ Union
indicate future would be invited to attend a meeting at the Head Office in Mumbai to
understand the employees’ perspective of the problems on Aug 15, 2...,

Survey questionnaires would be distributed to 50 customers in-flight to obtain

information regarding services. Long-standing customers who have opted to b
fly other airlines would be identified with the help of Travel Agent records
and personally or telephonically contacted. c

Discussions would be held with three important Travel Agents in each of the six cities in
order to obtain their opinion. This was considered important as they have direct and personal
dealings with the customers.

d The responsibilities were divided among the Committee members as follows:

Manager, Human Resource Division: Overall Coordinator

Kabita Chiring (Baggage and Security): Reasons for loss of baggage.

Sulagna Ganguly (Customer Care Affairs): Reasons for discourteous behaviour by

employees, lack of motivation

Christine Thur (Reservation and Provisions): Provisions on-board, overbooking, delayed

flights.

Aku Kiewhuo: Problems of Employees-cabin and ground crew.

The entire process would be completed by February 1, 2…. and the report submitted by
e
February 28, 2…

Past PROCEDURE
passive
A series of 5 meetings was held with the staff to gather first-hand information on the
various aspects of operational difficulties once a month.
Past
passive The meetings were held in a democratic manner to allow for free and frank expression of
views.
Past
passive
Survey forms were distributed to 50 in-flight customers and detailed information regarding
various service aspects was gathered.
Past
passive
Two discussion meetings were held at each of the six locations with three leading travel
Present
passive
agents and useful information gathered.

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 Writing Reports

FINDINGS related to employees

Findings I
Sources: meetings, interactive sessions, personal investigation by Aku
Kiewhuo and Sulagna Ganguly]
Signposting
The major reasons of employee dissatisfaction:
Present perfect
LOKAIR wage structure has remained the same for the past five years, Point a
4.8 % lower than the rationalized revision adopted by newer airlines. The
employees want this discrepancy to be rectified.
Present
LOKAIR imposes 8 hour shifts for ground staff and does not compensate b
for overtime when employees stand in for absentees. Facilities for pick-up
Present perfect
and drop of staff have become very irregular resulting in late reporting for c
duty and leaving later than duty hours.

Present LOKAIR management adopts a very stiff and unsympathetic attitude

towards employees’ personal problems. There is no one to go to when d
there are crises.
Present LOKAIR does not explain the rationale for overbooking by Travel
Agents to the Airport desk staff. Lack of communication between the e
reservation officials and the check-in officials results in confusion at the
counters and the latter have to face the customers’ ire when flights get
overbooked.

All these problems affect the overall performance, motivation and skills Summary
of the employees resulting in angry outbursts and discourteous behaviour
Present perfect
with customers, which have proved to be detrimental to LOKAIR’s
public image and business.

Graph showing the comparative average wage structure of four private consumer
airline employees:

Graph showing the percentage of dissatisfaction of employees about various

issues:

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Business Writing

FINDINGS related to customers Findings

II

Sources: questionnaires, personal investigation by Kabita

Chiring and Christine Thur
Present
Signposting
The following are the major problems faced by customers during
the period covered by the survey:
Past passive a
Overbooking creates confusion and inconvenience to passengers.
Overbooking was reported in 45 LOKAIR flights. 487 passengers
missed their flights due to overbooking.
b
Past Delayed flights: 61 flights were delayed and 17 cancelled,
although passengers were accommodated in the earliest next
flights.

Past passive Loss of baggage: 103 passengers lost their baggage without c
recovery. Baggage of 161 passengers were lost and recovered.
The main reasons for loss of baggage are: security measures not
in place, poor condition of electric baggage trucks, and confusion
due to overbooking.
Present d
Lack of information to passengers: Due to poor communication
channels within LOKAIR, passengers do not get the right
information related to flights timings, schedules etc. in time
Past
e
Lack of courtesy: Passengers reported several instances of
indifference and curtness by ground staff when approached for
help with problems.

78
 Writing Reports

FINDINGS from in-flight interviews with passengers Findings

II
Past 200 passengers were interviewed in-flight on LOKAIR services. They
passive
were asked whether they find services of other airlines better than
Past those of LOKAIR. 85 percent people answered in the affirmative.

Last-minute cancellations and rescheduling of flights seem to be a

Present major cause of inconvenience. Comment

23 passengers reported delays in retrieving baggage because of wrong Point a

Past
coding systems.

Past 67 passengers complained about the quality of in-flight catering. Point b

36 passengers admitted to being the butt of curt behaviour of the

Past ground staff at one time or the other while asking for help. Point c

Findings
FINDINGS FROM INTERVIEWS WITH TRAVEL AGENTS III

Past Interviews with three major travel agents in the six cities covered by the a
survey revealed that incentives and commissions provided to them and
discounted fares available to customers by other airlines were far higher
b
Past than those offered by LOKAIR. All the travel agents admitted that there
was a fall in the rate of reservation of LOKAIR flight tickets.

Past
Clients’ perceptions about LOKAIR had also become more negative. c
perfect

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Business Writing
Link
RECOMMENDATIONS with
previous
On the basis of the above findings, we recommend the following: section

Nomina- 1 A 5% increase in wage structure and allowances. Parity with other

List of
lised airlines recommen
Cons- -dations
tructions a, b
2 Rationalization of working hours. Compensation for overtime.
Notice
preposi-
tions
3 Intensive training programmes for customer relations management.
following c
subjects 4 Open information systems with complete transparency.
d
5 No overbooking.
e
6 Complete revision of flight schedules in consultation with AAI in
order to avoid delays and cancellations. f

7 Improvement in coding systems for prevention of loss of baggage.

g
8 Improving on-board catering.
h
9 Increase in discount fares to woo back customers.
i
10 Advertisement campaign to improve company image.
j

11 Incentives to Travel Agents to promote LOKAIR.

k

CONCLUSION Summary
statement

Present The committee suggests an immediate implementation of the

recommendations. Keeping in view the present scenario, it is
quite unlikely that license to open new routes would be granted to
us. New routes would also mean added work and responsibilities.
Future The Committee therefore suggests that LOKAIR should
indications concentrate on arriving at earliest possible solutions of the
problems at hand before it expands its business.

Check Your Progress 1

1) Summarize the above detailed report as a letter.
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2) What is the purpose of this report? Writing Reports
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3) What are the functions of each section?
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3.5 FEASIBILITY REPORT

Scenario:

AZN Group, a private transport company has been asked to study the feasibility of
introducing auto rickshaws in the small town of Manigunj by the Municipal Transport
Corporation. AZN Group studies the proposal and submits a feasibility report to the
Director, Municipal Transport Corporation.

You are a representative of AZN group. How will you begin the study?
You will find out about
Step 1: the area of the town
the population of the town
the kinds of movements of the people
the factories, banks, offices, schools, educational institutions in the
town
the commuters’ needs for local transport
Step 2: the existing local transport facilities available in Manigunj
Step 3: the condition of the roads in the town
Step 4: the number of auto rickshaws that can be introduced for it to be worth the
investment
Step 5: the number of drivers who will be willing to take this up as a viable
occupation
Step 6: the number of petrol/diesel outlets in the town
Step 7: the problems that may be encountered in introducing auto rickshaws
Step 8: other advantages that may accrue from the introduction
81
Business Writing Any other points you find relevant to the study.
After you have collected the information you will be ready to write a report on the
feasibility of introducing auto rickshaws.
It might include points like the following:

Manigunj is a developing semi-urban center. 7 factories and 11 schools and 5
colleges have come up in the last five years. The factories and the educational
institutions are located at a radius of 12 km from the center of the town. The
urban limits of the town which earlier measured about 254 sq. km are now
expanding to include the neighbouring villages to about 452 sq km.

The population of Manigunj has risen from 75,000 in 2006 to 1,55000 in the
current year. People from neighbouring villages are moving to Manigunj because
of the increasing number of employment and educational facilities. There are 5
branches of major Indian banks in the town. Many people commute from their
original locations and travel 10-15 km.

Major trains on the Bhilpur –Mandha route stop at Manigunj which has become a
junction for several villages and towns in the region.

All buses on this route also stop at Manigunj.

Local conveyance from the bus and train stations is horse driven jatkas and cycle
rickshaws. These ply long distances up to15 km often taking an hour or so. Public
transport buses along the ring-route are at a frequency of 15 minutes. They are
very crowded as this is the sole means of local transport.

Most roads in Manigunj are just about 15 feet wide and are lined by open sewers
leaving much less moving space. There are two main roads running North-South
and East-West, intersecting the town at the center. All the other roads branch off
from the two main roads. Widening of at least 11 side roads will be necessary
before they become fit for auto rickshaws.

On an experimental basis, 20 auto rickshaws may be introduced for a month to
assess the demand.

There are a large number of youngsters in the age-group 20 to 30 who are willing
to take up driving as an occupation, if auto rickshaws are introduced. Quite a
number of cycle rickshaw pullers are also willing to try their hand at driving auto
rickshaws.

At present the number of private car-owners in Manigunj is about 35 only. Many
Manigunj natives are employed in other major cities and come down for a
vacation or on some personal work in their cars/ scooters.

There are five petrol/diesel outlets in the town at present. If auto rickshaws are
introduced there would be a need for at least 20 more outlets.

Jatka and cycle rickshaw owners may see the introduction of auto rickshaws as a
threat to their livelihood. They may be persuaded to learn driving and given
concessions and incentives to change their mode of operation to sustain their
livelihood.

Introduction of auto rickshaws may facilitate greater mobility for the inhabitants
of Manigunj and the economic face of the town might get a lift. They may be
introduced gradually and jatkas and cycle rickshaws may continue with auto
rickshaws and phased out eventually
Now that you have the points, you can put it in the framework that you are already
familiar with in the previous unit on reports.
• Letter of Transmittal
• Title page
82
• Table of Contents Writing Reports

• Executive Summary
• Terms of Reference: members of the committee
• Procedure
• Findings
• Feasibility statement
• Recommendations

Activity 5

Write the feasibility report. You may write in your note book and merely jot down the
points here.

The feasibility statement should contain an emphatic statement that it is possible (or it
is not possible) to introduce auto rickshaws in Manigunj. Compare your report with
what is given at the end of this unit.

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Language:

A report is written mainly in the past tense. Passive constructions are used when
mention of the agent is not required.

For events in the recent past which have relevance to the present the present perfect is
used.

The tone is formal and impersonal.

3.6 PROJECT REPORT

A feasibility report is written before a project is undertaken. After the project has
been completed, a completion report has to be submitted. When submitting the
completion report references to the original proposal and the modifications that were
necessary during the implementation will have to be made.

The format remains the same. Make sure that the report has all the relevant
information.

83
Business Writing As for all other business writing these four principles must be adhered to:
• Completeness
• Clarity
• Conciseness and
• Correctness

The Writing Process entails the following:

Collection of data
Compiling data
Checking for accuracy: dates, facts, etc.

Audience analysis
Audience expectations
Anticipating audience queries

Introducing the subject: (providing background)

Stating purpose
Delimiting scope

Describing procedure
Stating problems
Stating how problems were countered
Stating proposal specifications
Stating actual achievement
Explaining mismatches

Sectioning
Subtitling
Preparing charts, graphs, etc.
Commenting
Concluding

Activity 2
Given below are parts of a draft project report that are not in the right order. Arrange
them coherently. State the function that each part performs. Notice the tense forms
and explain why that tense form is appropriate. Add more details and improve on the
report to make it more complete. Write the transmittal letter. The beginning of the
transmittal letter is given:

I am enclosing a report on the completion of the road extension project on the S.P
Road stretch.
The project was undertaken by Stresscrete Consultants for the Municipal
Corporation of Nikhilabad

………………………………………………………………………………...……
…………………………………………………………………………………...…
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Report on the road extension project undertaken on S.P Road Nikhilabad. Writing Reports

The six kilometre stretch on S.P. Road between Greenlands and S.Q. Chowk was to be
extended. The project was assigned to Stresscrete Consultants to be completed within
a period of six months beginning November 2… .

Cost of demolition escalated the project expenditure. Leasing of cranes became

problematic because of heightened construction work in the city. This also increased
the costs. Labour problems had to be countered. Wages had to be increased by 20%
for night labour. The costs overshot the initial budget estimate by 10 lakh.

Legal notices were issued to the owners of properties adjoining the roads seeking
cooperation. Adequate compensation @ Rs.1000 per sq. ft. was offered. Negotiation
with reluctant owners delayed the land acquisition process by 3 months. Further
trouble was encountered by religious groups who staged violent protests against the
relocation of wayside shrines. This added to the delay.

A revised expenditure statement is enclosed.

Traffic on S.P Road has increased in the last 5 years because it directly connects the
eastern and western parts of the city. This has been compounded by the fact that the
number of cars and two wheelers has increased three-fold during this period. There
were many bottlenecks caused by uneven array of showrooms interspersed by small
wayside shrines and bus-bays encroaching upon the road space. The extension of the
roads became imperative to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

The Mayor drove through the stretch and expressed his satisfaction. He has suggested
traffic islands at 3 points and pedestrian crossings at 6 points at 1m distances

All the problems were overcome and the acquired stretches have been concrete
surfaced and tarred. Traffic on the thoroughfare has eased reducing the movement
time across the stretch to 10 minutes. The roads look very neat.

The project was undertaken in a phased manner. In the first phase the extent of the
road space required on both sides of the road was measured. Bottlenecks were
identified. The buildings that had to be demolished or taken in were identified.
Markings were made on the walls indicating the extent of space required.

Activity 3
Reproduced below is part of a report by the Chairperson of an Airline addressed to
the guests on board taken from a Travel magazine. Fill in the blanks with suitable
verbs.

Dear Guest,
The global economic environment is challenging for all industries including civil
aviation. In India, in the past year, the airline industry’s situation ……………………
by an unprecedented escalation in fuel prices and several other factors such as double-
digit inflation.

The airline industry ………………. to tackle the difficult environment through

alliances aimed at enhancing connectivity. In keeping with these international trends
we …………………… a number of measures to reduce costs even while continuing
to strive towards delivering excellence in customer services.

Consequently we …………………… into code-share arrangements with several

airlines.

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Business Writing
3.7 GRAMMAR
In this section we study Reduced Relative Clauses and the Spotting the errors.
A) Reduce Relative Clauses
Adjective clauses can also be reduced to phrases, which modify the noun, without
changing the meaning of the sentence.

Let’s look at the rules for reducing adjective clauses used as subject of the clause.

1) Omit the relative pronouns who, which, that and the be form of the verb (is, was,
were, etc.)
Example:
a) A report is a formal written document on a particular function or an operation
which is carried out at the workplace.

2 In adjective clauses that do not contain the verb be, it is often possible to drop the
relative pronoun, and change the verb to its –ing form.
Examples:
a) IIC members who have their library tickets may borrow books.
b) IIC members having their library tickets may borrow books.

3) Some adjectives clauses can be reduced to appositive phrases. An appositive

phrase is simply placing one noun or noun phrase next to another, with a
comma between them.
Examples:
a) Mrs. Gupta, who is our MD, is very fond of parties.
b) Mrs. Gupta, our MD, is very fond of parties.

 Check Your Progress 2

1) Which of the following phrases can be considered ‘reduced’ versions of relative
clauses?
i) The lady in the front row
ii) The worker in the street
iii) The voice of authority
iv) The destruction of the habitat
v) The point to consider
vi) The proposal discussed during the meeting

2) First pick out the adjective clauses. Then change the adjective clauses to adjective
phrases or appositive phrases.
i) Mr. Anil Kumar is the new Branch Manager who is in-charge of the Delhi
Office.
ii) The employees who are in Mr. Kanwar’s branch are having a great time.
iii) Mr. Kanwar has written management books which are used in colleges all
over the country.
iv) He’s just completed a new book which is Working Can Be Fun.

86
 v) Management, which is a difficult subject, is made interesting and entertaining Writing Reports
by him.
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…………………………………………………………………………............
…………………………………………………………………………............
…………………………………………………………………………............
…………………………………………………………………………............
…………………………………………………………………………............
A) Spotting the Errors
Activity 4
Let us play a game. These sentences have something wrong with them – spot the
errors and correct them. First one has been done for you.

Sl. Incorrect sentence Correct sentence

No.
1 Neha is happy and neither is Nisha. Neha isn’t happy and neither is
Nisha.
2 I met Shobha on Monday in the morning
at 6’o clock.
3 When you will come to my office?
4 Fauzia wrote the presentation
themselves.
5 Mary is late always.
6 Since last year I have spoken to Salil
hardly.
7 I asked Mohit where does he work.
8 We have visited Nainital last summer.
9 I’ve left London last year.
10 Sonu is working at this company for the
last seven years.
11 Don’t buy more bread, there are many
breads in the breadbox.
12 Both her sister-in-laws live close by.
13 I’m in this new town for two months, but
I have not making any friends yet.
14 This is more better then I expected.
15 The manager who deal with sales is on
leave for a month.
16 Housing is a problem in many large
cities. There are a few good apartments
available at reasonable prices.
17 Sunil failed his driving test three times
because he doesn’t know how to park the
car.
18 My friend just bought a new cell phone.
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Business Writing
19 Does many countries have a pollution
problem?
20 Rajiv will play a badminton match to
night. He planned it a week ago.
21 I have talked to my parents every weak.
22 I will talk to the boss three days ago.
23 By this time next month, I am living in
Pune.
24 The phone rang, yet someone knocked
on the door.
25 You must neither tell the truth or be
penalized.
26 We must clean up our rivers and lakes,
therefore the fish will die.
27 Ram Prashad took instructions in English
before he went to America.
28 The accommodation available here are
very expensive.
29 I love at Kolkata. W

30 It is more cooler today isn’t it?

3.8 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we looked at the genre features of reporting. We began with noting down
the purposes of reporting and examined general kinds of reports. We then moved on
to business reports and studied the language and discourse features of reports written
within a company for various purposes. The samples provided will give you support
in writing reports on various kinds of activities you undertake in your work situation.

You have worked on two reports in this unit. The first is a report on whether a project
can be undertaken or not. The second is on the completion of a project. The writing
process and the genre features have been discussed. You have worked on the tasks.
This would have given you an understanding of how to write reports in the contexts
in which you will work in future. These were samples created for your understanding.
Actual workplace reports may require suitable adjustments to this basic framework.

3.9 ANSWERS
Activity 2
a) Informing the public
b) Reporting Event
c) Publicizing research findings
Activity 3
1) The features that are common to all the reports are that it provides information
about the particular happening and all related details are given.
2) The first report is a precise account informing the public of an unfortunate
mishap that had occurred in a village giving personal details and the actual
location. The second one is a detailed report of an event along with the objectives
88
 and the details of the participants whereas the third one is to publicize the Writing Reports
research findings of a scientific study.
Check Your Progress 1
1) 28 February 2…

The Vice-President
Customer Affairs
LOKAIR
Mumbai

Dear Sir,

A detailed inquiry has been made into issues concerning customer discontent
and employee behaviour plaguing our company. We are likely to be refused
the license for our new routes between Bhubaneswar and Bhopal, Dibrugarh
and Hyderabad and Jaipur and Visakhapatnam.

The report is based on the findings related to employee dissatisfaction,

customer feedback and interviews with the passengers and travel agents.

The recommendations based on these findings have been given for your
consideration. An immediate implementation of the recommendations is
needed. These problems could be overcome by the solutions proposed by
these findings.

I hope the report would be instrumental in resolving all the drawbacks of our
company.

Yours truly,
Beni Yanthan
Manager, HRD

2) Investigating the reasons for the problems and suggesting solutions

3) Letter of Transmittal: Letter to the person who appointed the committee,

stating that the report is enclosed.
Title Page: Clear indication of the subject matter of the report, who it is
addressed to and who is submitting it. Date must be mentioned.
Table of Contents: Indication of the sections with page nos. for easy reference.
Executive Summary: Gives the main points of the report.
Terms of Reference: Defines the scope of the study and the members involved.
Background: Describes the situation why the investigation became necessary.
Planning: Describes the steps taken in planning the study.
Procedure: Describes the steps in the conduct of the study.
Findings: Three sets of findings according to the different groups interviewed.
Recommendations: suggestions given based on the study.
Conclusion: Summing up the entire report for consolidation.

89
Business Writing Activity 5
Feasibility Report

Report on the feasibility of introducing auto rickshaws in the Municipal

Town of Manigunj
Executive Summary:
AZN Group is a private Transport company running tempos and vans for local
conveyance of goods as well as passengers for travel to short distances within a
radius of 25 km of Manigunj. The company was assigned the task of assessing
the feasibility of introducing auto rickshaws within the town. It was found that
in view of the expanding industrial, economic and educational growth of the
town, local transport at affordable fares needs to be augmented. The local bus
service does not reach all the corners of the town and is not adequate to meet
the commuter demands. Introduction of auto rickshaws will solve the transport
problems of the local population both within the city and the outskirts where a
number of institutions are coming up.

Terms of reference:

A committee of 5 senior officials was appointed by the AZN group to study the
feasibility of introducing auto rickshaws in the town of Manigunj. The
committee was asked to submit the report by 5 September 2… .

Background:

Until recently, Manigunj was a small sleepy town. In the last five years there
has been an increase in he town’s activities due to new industries being set up.
The local population has almost doubled in the last two years. Schools and
colleges have come up in response to local demands. The town is expanding
and its limits are extending to a number of villages up to a radius of 20 km of
the town.

Local conveyance is by horse-driven jatkas and cycle-rickshaws. There is a

local bus service which covers the two main roads crisscrossing the city. People
have to walk long distances from the bus-stop to their residences in the interior.
The younger generation has begun to invest in two-wheelers but a large
segment of the population still does not own vehicles. Tempos and vans meet
the needs of transport of goods and group conveyance for outings outside the
town. Public transport facilities are not adequate.

Procedure of the Study:

The committee met twice before the launch of the study to discuss the modus
operandi. It was decided to divide the responsibilities among the team
members.
It was decided that:
a. Ms. Oza and Mr. Pundalik would study the road layout of the town.
b. Mr. Vasan and Ms. Pestonji would study the existing transport system
and the local mobility needs.
c. Ms. Vasudha will study public opinion and responses.

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 Writing Reports

a. Road Layout of Manigunj

Map of Manigunj

As can be seen from the map two main roads criss-cross through the town North-South and
East-West. These are the two roads that connect to other neighbouring towns. The length of
the N-S Road within the town limits is about 15 km. The length of the E-W Road is 20 km.
We can see that these are the only two main thoroughfares through which buses can pass.
Residential areas with independent single-storeyed and double-storeyed houses lie in a
haphazard, unplanned manner. Throwing open the side roads for bus transport is not
feasible.
The residential areas spill into the outskirts of the town limits. Outer ring-roads may be laid
encircling the entire area. Within the town limits, however there is very little
maneuverability.
The inner roads branching of irregularly from the two main roads are less than 15 feet wide
in most places.
Emmar factory is right at the center of the city. The other 10 factories are pushed more to
the outer limits of the town on all sides.
2 old schools and 1 college are within the town limits. The others are spread on the
outskirts. The Government Hospital is in the south-central part of the town and occupies
about 300 sq.feet space. 2 more hospitals are located in the North-east and South-east
regions.
One or two large maidans are unoccupied and may be considered for road-laying, although
this would involve compensating for demolitions of market space.
Small canals cut across the town at various points. Small ponds are also seen as a perennial
feature at 3 locations. These will have to be negotiated by building small culverts across
them.

b. Existing transport system and local mobility needs

Buses ply across the two main roads of the city. For small distances and the interior streets,
people depend upon horse-driven jatkas and cycle-rickshaws. These are not convenient
when people have to travel more than five kilometers.
There is a fleet of four public transport buses and these connect the areas across the two
main roads at half-hour intervals. The running time of each bus is 35-40 minutes.
The services begin at 7am and stop at 9pm.
People now need to travel more than 10 km to reach newly setup hospitals and educational
institutions. People arriving at the railway station also find it difficult to reach the
destinations.
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Business Writing
c. Public Opinion

A survey was conducted and interviews were held with 1500 respondents. Survey
questionnaires were distributed among employees working in institutions and
business establishments.

Citizens waiting at bus-stops were interviewed over a four-week period. The data-
collector also traveled by the local transport vehicles to gain first-hand experience of
the problems faced by the commuters.

Interviews were held with the municipal transport authorities.

Opinion was also gathered from cycle-rickshaw and jatka drivers.

Findings
It was found that:
a) The present transport services are not adequate to meet the needs of the local
population.
b) Extensive road laying and extensions of existing roads needs to be undertaken.
c) Auto rickshaws will prove to be a boon to the citizens.
d) 70% of the cycle-rickshaw and jatka pullers were positive to the introduction of
auto rickshaws provided they were given concessions in hiring the new vehicles
and were given free driving lessons.
e) Many citizens who were concerned about the increase in pollution of auto
rickshaws were brought in and suggested that at the introduction stage itself,
measures should be taken to make the fuel pollution-free.

Recommendations
20 auto rickshaws may be introduced initially to assess public response.
Depending on the response, the number may be gradually increased in subsequent
months.
Cycle-rickshaws may be allowed to continue along with auto-rickshaws.
Jatkas may be withdrawn after two months so that they do not interfere with the three-
wheeler traffic. The time is just right for the introduction of auto-rickshaws.
An evaluation of the performance will be undertaken after two months and a report
submitted to the authorities

Activity 2
Title:Verbless
sentence Report on the road extension project undertaken on S.P
Road, Nikhilabad.

Task assigned.
The six kilometre stretch on S.P. Road between Greenlands and
Purpose. S.Q. Chowk was to be extended. The project was assigned to
Past passive Stresscrete Consultants to be completed within a period of six
with infinitive months beginning November 2… .

92
Traffic on S.P Road has increased in the last 5 years because it Writing Reports
Background
directly connects the eastern and western parts of the city. This Present perfect
has been compounded by the fact that the number of cars and and past
two-wheelers has increased three-fold during this period. There
were many bottlenecks caused by uneven array of showrooms
interspersed by small wayside shrines and bus-bays encroaching
upon the road space. The extension of the roads became
imperative to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

The project was undertaken in a phased manner. In the first

phase, the extent of the road space required on both sides of the
road was measured. Bottlenecks were identified.

The buildings that had to be demolished or taken in were

Procedure
identified. Markings were made on the walls indicating the Steps
extent of space required. Adopted

Legal notices were issued to the owners of properties adjoining

the roads seeking cooperation.

Adequate compensation @ Rs. 1000 per sq. ft. was offered.

Negotiation with reluctant owners delayed the land acquisition

Problems
process by 3 months.

Further trouble was encountered by religious groups who

staged violent protests against the relocation of wayside shrines.
This added to the delay.

Cost of demolition escalated the project expenditure. Leasing of

cranes became problematic because of heightened construction
work in the city. This also increased the costs. Labour problems
had to be countered. Wages had to be increased by 20% for
night labour. The costs overshot the initial budget estimate by
10 lakh.

A revised expenditure statement is enclosed.

All the problems were overcome and the acquired stretches

have been concrete surfaced and tarred. Traffic on the Effects
thoroughfare has eased reducing the movement time across the
stretch to 10 minutes. The roads look very neat and easily
navigable.

The Mayor drove through the stretch and expressed his

satisfaction. He has suggested traffic islands at 3 points and Conclusion
pedestrian crossings at 6 points at 1km distances. Work on this
is scheduled to begin next week.

Note on language points:

The report for the most part is in the past tense except towards the end. “A revised
expenditure statement is enclosed” and the last sentence which is indicative of the
future are in the present tense form.

The passive voice is used quite frequently. This places the focus on the action rather
than on the people doing the action. Public works are generally reported in the
passive voice.
93
Business Writing Note on the moves:

1 Title
2 Terms of reference
3 Background
4 Procedure
5 Problems
6 Effects
7 Conclusion
Transmittal Letter

Sub: Completion of the Road Extension Project on the S. P. Road

Dear Sir,

I am enclosing a report on the completion of the road project on the S. P. Road

stretch. The project was undertaken by Stresscrete Consultants for the Municipal
Corporation of Nikhilabad.

An assessment was made to check the need for the extension of the road. After a
feasibility report justified that such an extension was necessary, the project was
undertaken in a phased manner. Details of these are given in the report. The report
also lists the reasons for the delay in the completion of the project. A revised
expenditure statement is also enclosed.

Thank you

Abhilash Mehta
DTS Builders Ltd.

Activity 3
has been further impacted (affected)
has tried
have taken
have entered

Activity 4

Sl. Correct sentences

1 Neha isn’t happy and neither is Nisha.
2 I met Shobha at 6 in the morning on Monday.
3 When will you come to my office?
4 Fauzia wrote the presentation herself.
5 Mary is always late.
6 Since last year I have hardly spoken to Salil.
7 I asked Mohit where he works.
8 We visited Nainital last summer.
9 I left London last year.
10 Sonu is working in this company for the last seven years.
11 Don’t buy more bread, there is a lot of bread in the breadbox.

94
 Writing Reports
12 Both her sisters-in-law live close by.
13 I have been in this new town for two months, but I’ve not made any friends.
14 This is better than I expected.
15 The manager who deals with sales is on leave for a month.
16 Housing is a problem in many large cities. There are few good apartments
available at reasonable prices.
17 Sunil failed his driving test three times because he didn’t know how to park
the car.
18 My friend has just bought a new cell phone.
19 Do many countries have a pollution problem?
20 Rajiv will play a badminton match to night. He had planned it a week ago.
21 I talk to my parents every week.
22 I talked to the boss three days ago.
23 By this time next month, I will be living in Pune.
24 The phone rang, as someone knocked on the door.
25 You must tell the truth or you will be penalized.
26 We must clean up our rivers and lakes, otherwise the fish will die.
27 Ram Prashad attended classes in English before going to America.
28 The accommodation available here is very expensive.
29 I live in Kolkata.
30 It is cooler today, isn’t it?

Check Your Progress 2

1) i) The lady in the front row ‘reduced’
v) The point to consider ‘reduced’
vi) The proposal discussed during the meeting ‘reduced’

2) Adjective clauses:
i) who is in-charge of the Delhi Office.
ii) who are in Mr. Kanwar’s branch
iii) which are used in colleges
vi) which is Working Can Be Fun.
vii) which is a difficult subject,

Adjective phrases or appositive phrases.

i) Mr. Anil Kumar is the new Branch Manager in-charge of the Delhi Office.
ii) The employees in Mr. Kanwar’s branch are having a good time.
iii) Mr. Kanwar has written management books used in colleges all over the
country.
iv) He’s just completed a new book Working Can Be Fun.
v) Management, a difficult subject, is made interesting and entertaining by him.

95
Business Writing

UNIT 4 WRITING PROPOSALS

Structure .
4.0 Objectives .
4.1 Introduction
4.2 A Proposal
4.3 Need for Proposals
4.4 Features of a Proposal
4.5 Framework for Proposals
4.6 Grammar: The Passive Form (Revision)
4.7 Basic Components of Business Proposals
4.8 Business Proposal Letter
4.9 Proposal Document
4.10 Let Us Sum Up
4.11 Answers

4.0 OBJECTIVES
After going through the unit, you should be able to
• understand why proposals are written;
• identify the features of a proposal;
• identify the parts of common kinds of proposals;
• understand the importance of project proposals;
• identify the purposes for the different components of proposals; and
• write sample business project proposals.

4.1 INTRODUCTION
You have studied various forms of business correspondence. In this unit you will be
exposed to the processes involved in writing proposals and reports.

Any activity or project undertaken in business organization needs to be formalized

and documented. Before launching a project, all aspects involved in it will have to be
visualized in order to arrive at the benefits that will accrue from it. This is
documented in a proposal. If the proposal is viable, the project is undertaken. After
the completion of the project, a report is submitted. The report will indicate the
success of the project and whether the objectives stated in the proposal have been
achieved or not. Reports become the basis for future proposals. Proposals and reports
are thus integral to the functioning of any organization.

We will also examine the importance of business project proposals sent outside the
organization and the process of writing them.

Business implies the buying and selling of a product or a service for profit. This
involves a series of transactions with agencies outside the organization. It may also
involve extended communication with Government bodies.

96
Communication is generally executed through letters. These could be for enquiry and Writing Proposals
sales, placing orders and executing them, dealing with complaints and negotiating.

Another important format of business communication when a business organization

undertakes to offer a service or deliver a product to a client is the technical proposal.

Technical proposals have a definite format. Formats help in giving all the requisite
information and help the reader to look for specific items of information. In order to
win business, proposals must be drafted with care and attention.

4.2 A PROPOSAL
A proposal indicates the direction of a future action. Any action begins with an idea.
The idea develops into a plan of action. The plan needs to be elaborated upon. The
prospects and consequences of the plan need to be visualized. If the plan shows
promise of being executed, then it needs to be written down with the costs worked
out. This document is called a proposal. The proposal is scrutinized by colleagues,
superiors or authorities within an organization or by clients outside and approved or
rejected based on its viability and financial implications.

Written proposals form the basis for projects undertaken by an institution,

organization, or a business firm. They serve as blueprints for projects and sources of
reference during and after the execution of projects.

Oral presentations of proposals are also made before a select audience, especially if
the project is undertaken for an outside client.

A proposal can be in the form of a short letter or a long document with supporting
graphics and visuals.

As proposals are projections into the future, ‘modal verbs’, that is, “will”, “shall”,
“may”, “can” are generally used along with the main verbs.

4.3 NEED FOR PROPOSALS

Let us begin with a short mental activity.
Activity 1
Imagine that you have a certain amount of money and you plan to buy a house. List
the steps in planning that you would take:
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
Discussion
I have put down the following points. Match them with yours.
1) Why do I want to buy a house?
[Being a tenant is troublesome. Rents are high. etc]
[It is a good investment. I can let it out on rent]
[I want to design the place I live in]
97
Business Writing 2) What kind of a house do I want? (apartment/ independent house)
[Why do I choose to buy an apartment and not a house or
Why do I choose to buy a house and not an apartment?]

3) Which locality do I want to buy the house in?

[Why have I chosen that particular locality? Reasons]

4) How will I look for good places?

[Look at advertisements? Advertise what I am looking for? Ask for advice]

5) What is my budget?
[How much money do I have in hand? How much money can I get as loan from
other sources?]
This is a mental blueprint. This will give you a direction in identifying the kind of
house you wish to buy.

Let us extend this to various activities and projects that have to be undertaken by
large institutions and firms. All the things that you do mentally for your personal
purchase will have to be formally stated and documented. Your purchase is a private
decision.

You might consult family and friends. An official proposal will have to be examined
and approved by the executive authorities in the organization.

If certain problems are encountered in the proposal stage, ways to overcome them
may be considered, or the proposal may be dropped because it is not viable.

This is why proposals are written down.

If a project is undertaken without a well-thought out proposal, it may get stuck mid-
way and might entail loss of money.

Proposals, therefore, are the basis of undertakings.

Activity 2
List five activities for which proposals will be needed in any organization of your
choice. (You can choose a school, a bank, a retail outlet, a sports club etc.)
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………...

4.4 FEATURES OF A PROPOSAL

A proposal is made for something that does not exist or to add on to something that
already exists. Creating, acquiring, or presenting something new, involves investment
of effort and money. This investment has to be justified.

A proposal usually begins with a description of what exists. It then moves on to what
is required. This has to be supported with reasons for investing. The benefit or profit
of the venture is then stated with a view to obtaining approval of the proposal.

98
The functions that are in play in writing a proposal thus are: Writing Proposals

Describing

Stating problem

Proposing solution

Providing reasons or justifying

Highlighting benefits

Persuading or urging action

Here is a short one-paragraph draft proposal for a public facility:

The traffic on the M.G. Road is very heavy from 7am to 10pm. Two schools and
three colleges line the 5 km stretch of the road from Police quarters to the General
Street Metro station. There is no pedestrian crossing anywhere in between. It is
impossible to cross the road during the daytime. School children and college-goers
are forced to go by vehicles or public transport even if the distance is within 1 km.
Three foot-over bridges at 1.5 km distance from each other should be built to ease
the problems faced by pedestrians.

Check Your Progress 1

1) What is the function performed in sentences 1- 3?
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
2) What do sentences 4 and 5 convey?
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
3) What is the solution proposed in sentence 6?
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
4) Notice the verb forms in sentences 1-5
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….

99
Business Writing 5) Underline the verb phrase in sentence 6.
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
6) What is the notion indicated by the modal verb “should”?
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
7) Why has the passive voice been used in sentence 6?
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
...………………………………………………………………………………….
The answers to these questions will give you an idea of how a proposal is presented.
Refer back to the functions performed through proposals mentioned earlier in this
section and match your answers with them.

Activity 3
You are the sports secretary of your institution or organization. Make notes for the
proposal to be prepared for the provision of a table-tennis room on the premises.
……………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………... B
……………………………………………………………………………………... o

……………………………………………………………………………………...
Discussion
Did you include the following?
Background: Description of the organization and the nature of work done
Rationale: Recreational facilities required for better work performance
Representation in tournaments adds to image of the organization
Proposal: Identification of space on premises
Number of tables required
Specification of recreation timings
Costs: ………
Justification: Desire of staff
Other organizations have the facility
Need to encourage sports
Request for Action: Provision of a table-tennis room as soon as possible
Proposals are put up for various kinds of purposes: for starting institutions, building
bridges, buying furniture, machinery etc.
To start a film club in a university, interested students may approach teachers or the
Vice Chancellor and express their wish. A teacher may be asked to help the students
in framing a proposal. The proposal is drafted.
 It states the objective.
 It talks of the number of students who are interested.
100
 It lists the activities that the club will perform. Writing Proposals

 It states the requirements for setting up the club. It projects the funds that will be
required.
 It urges action.

On a larger scale, proposals are submitted for the Five-year plans of the Government.
The budget allocations are made on the basis of the proposals. They are called Plan
Proposals

Language focus
Notice the contexts in which the word ‘proposal’ is used. You will then have an idea
of what a proposal involves, in what contexts proposals are generally written and the
kind of importance they have.

The proposal must be approved by the Commerce Department.

The Board approved a management proposal to increase the number of authorized
dealers.
The proposal to rebuild the Bund came in the year 1998.
Under the proposal, the Company’s shareholders would receive 10%dividend
The company had access to inside information when it made its proposal to the
Railway Board.
The company rejected the proposal and recalled its agent
He was asked to outline his proposal at the earliest possible time.
The Committee voted for Council’s proposal to finance the long-awaited trade pact
with the Government.

Notice the phrase ‘proposal to …’. to + verb is used to show intention or purpose. A
proposal expresses an intention or purpose or plan.

A proposal is ‘presented’ or ‘put up’ for approval. A proposal can be ‘outlined’. A

proposal is ‘approved’ or ‘rejected’.

4.5 FRAMEWORK FOR PROPOSALS

In the previous sections we looked at the basic features of proposals. In this section,
we will examine certain common kinds of proposals for facilities within an
organization/institution.

A proposal has a framework which can be expanded. It may run into several pages. If
it is a detailed proposal, it begins with an executive summary. This summary must be
carefully written in order to impress the reader at the first instance. The executive
summary condenses the content of the proposal and states the objective clearly.

In the following section, each part of a proposal will be examined. The questions that
follow each proposal are learning questions that will enable you to understand the
process of writing proposals better.

Sample Executive Summary:

This proposal is submitted for the setting up of a digital language laboratory for the
English Department of the O.N. L.V. University. Most undergraduate students are in
need of acquiring proper pronunciation and have expressed a desire for focused
training in pronunciation as they have had their schooling through non-English
medium. Digital laboratories are used for many science courses but now all students
101
Business Writing are quite adept at using computers. Hence helping them improve their English
pronunciation through the technology medium with which they are already
comfortable will be a welcome step. Several software packages are readily available
and could be installed to make learning possible through Self-Access.

Check Your Progress 2

1) What is stated in the first sentence?
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
2) What does the second sentence convey?
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
3) What function do the last three sentences perform? B
o
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………...

Let us look at a sample proposal presented within an organization:

Proposal for Acquiring Additional Floor Space for KIDS’

WORLD, Vishakhapatnam Branch

Submitted to the General Manager

KIDS’ WORLD

By the Regional Manager, Visakhapatnam

12 September

TITLE PAGE

Check Your Progress 3

1) What information does this page give you?
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2) What is being proposed? Writing Proposals

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

It is proposed that the floor space of KIDS’ WORLD, Vishakhapatnam be

increased in view of the tremendous increase in the volume of sales over the
past three years. The first floor of the present premises has been identified as
suitable for the purpose. The cost of investment for the lease can easily be
compensated for by the returns on it by way of increased sales.

Check Your Progress 4

1) What does the summary indicate?
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Business Writing 3) Will the reader view the proposal favourably on reading the summary?
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BACKGROUND

Kids’ World, Vishakhapatnam has been doing brisk business since its inception in
the year 2005. It is located in the main shopping area of the city. Its central location
has been a reason for the growing business. The concept of a retail outlet
exclusively for children is fairly new to this city and there are very few shops here
that offer such a wide range of toys including educational CDs, DVDs and
storybooks. The shop also stocks all ancillary items for school-going children,
including stationery, shoes, gift items etc. The demand from the clientele for a
variety of other items is so great that the present floor space of 2000 sq. feet is just
about adequate for stocking and display.

Check Your Progress 5

1) What does this section tell you?
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2) What do the first four sentences do?
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3) What does the last sentence imply?
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4) Is there a shift in the function?
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Check Your Progress 6 Writing Proposals

1) What is the purpose of this section?

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3) What will the writer ask for next?
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PROPOSAL
In view of the above-mentioned factors, more floor space is required for the retail
outlet here. Since the location has been very favourable for sales growth, it is
advisable to retain the present premises and add on to it.

The 2000 sq. ft space on the first floor of the premises will be ideal for the expansion.
This space has been recently vacated and advertised for letting out on lease. This
arrangement will help us display our goods more attractively and also stock more
quantities. Children will also have more moving space and can spend more time in the
showroom.

A staircase needs to be built from within our shop at the front end so that the entrance
will be the same for both the floors. Special permission from the owner has to be
sought for this.

The Hyderabad unit had made a similar arrangement and it has proved to be very
successful.

Check Your Progress 7

1) What is the connecting link between the rationale section and the proposal
section?
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Business Writing 2) Is the link needed? Why?
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3) What new information is presented in the Proposal section?
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4) What supporting statement is added to press the proposal
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ESTIMATED BUDGET

Lease amount for a two-year period: Rs. 30,00000

Cost of renovation and setting up display
shelves, boards: Rs. 1,00000
Capital investment in items for sale: Rs. 10,00000
Salaries for 5 sales staff: Rs. 5,00000
Salaries for 2 cleaning staff: Rs. 1,00000
Maintenance costs: Rs. 1,00000
Transport: Rs. 1,00000

Miscellaneous: Rs. 1,00000

Total Rs. 50,00000

Estimated Returns on Sales Rs. 1,000000

Check Your Progress 8

1) Why is this section needed?
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2) What does it tell you at a glance? Writing Proposals

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BENEFITS
 Increased visibility
 Increased volume growth in sales
 Customer needs fulfillment
 Increased popularity among children
 Brand Image enhancement
 Increased profit margin

Check Your Progress 9

1) What does this section highlight?
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CONCLUSION
It may be seen from the facts and figures presented above that this is a
viable proposal that will yield good returns. There are many competitors
bidding for this space. An early decision on this proposal will prove
worthwhile.
The proposal is submitted for approval.

Signed
Regional Manager

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Business Writing
Check Your Progress 10
1) What is the function of the above section?
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Check Your Progress 11
Reproduced below is a proposal presented as one chunk. Section it and write suitable
headings for each section using the table of contents given below.

Proposal for setting up a 24 x 7 café on the campus submitted to the Vice Chancellor,
XYZ University, by Pankaj Mongia, President XYZ Participants’ Association

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Statement of Problem

Objectives

Plan Proposal

Work Plan

Total Budget Estimates

Conclusion

Economic, technological, informational, demographic and political forces have

changed the way people live and work. These changes and the rate of change will
continue to accelerate. Educational institutions like businesses, communities and
families, must adapt to changing conditions to thrive. These institutions are struggling
hard to keep pace with the astonishing rate of change in students’ lives outside these
institutions. Students will spend their adult lives in a multitasking, multifaceted,
technology driven, diverse, vibrant world and they must come equipped to do so.
[1]

Our institute strives to provide every student a rich experience as far as academics is
concerned. Entertainment and recreation of the students, however, have not been duly
taken care of. There is a need to provide the students with a truly global experience so
that they don’t become misfits but work for its betterment and development. The
proposal for a 24 x 7 café is an endeavor of XYZ Participant Association to bridge
the gap between academics and entertainment.
[2]
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XYZ attracts students from all over the country and across the globe. Some of these Writing Proposals
students come from metros while others are from small towns. They have different
backgrounds and different identities. However they never get to meet each other,
know each other better, and share ideas, thoughts and opinions simply because there
is no place where they can meet and interact. The students make small groups and
spend most of their time in these groups without bothering to introduce themselves to
the members of the other groups. They go out, eat out and enjoy only in their own
groups. Recently some students had a bitter experience when they had to go out at
night in search of food at an unearthly hour.
[3]

Following are the objectives of this proposal:

• To ensure that the students get a global experience on the campus round the clock
• To provide the students with a place where they can refresh themselves for the
next day’s work
• To provide round the clock facilities to the students
• To blend academics with entertainment [4]

The 21st century student is not bound by the limits of time. He/she is a 24 x 7 student.
The XYZ Participants’ Association has come up with the proposal to set up a 24 x 7
café which takes care of all the needs of the 21st century students and provides them
with a truly global experience on the campus round the clock. [5]

The 24 × 7 café will have:

• a cyber café with at least 30 computers with internet access to provide the
students with high speed internet access to explore the world wide web.
• a cafeteria which will provide the students with fresh snacks, mini-meals, fresh
fruit juices, etc.
• a small library where the students can access books, newspapers and journals.
• a reading room which will allow the students to sit and read books.
• a tête-à-tête hall where the students can sit and discuss the issues that concern
them.
• a TV room where the students can watch TV
• a music room with headphones and juke box where the students can listen to
music.
• a sports corner where the students can play games like carom, table tennis,
badminton etc and work out in the gym. [6]
The entire plan will be carried out by two sub-committees- one responsible for
procuring equipment for the café and appointing personnel; and the other one
responsible for selecting the site for construction, inviting tenders and supervising
the construction of the café. [7]

The plan will be carried out in two phases: In the first phase, three best sites for
the construction of the site will be selected, the feasibility report will be prepared and
tenders will be invited. [8]

In the second phase, when the construction would have begun, the equipment will be
procured for the café and personnel will be appointed. [9]

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Business Writing 1) Budget for Salaries/Wages

Personnel required

Place Manager/Instructor Attendant

Cyber Café 1 1
Cafeteria 1 2
Gym 1 -
Library 1 1
General - 2

Monthly Emoluments (per person-per month in Rs.)

Place Manager/Instructor Attendant

Cyber Café 5000 2500
Cafeteria 4500 2500
Gym 5500 -
Library 5000 2000
General - 2000

Budget for Equipment (in Rs.)

Air Condi- Furniture Equipment Sports Electronic Cafeteria Cyber

tioners (for for Gym Accessories Equipment (kitchen Café
reading (for Health (for TV & appliances
room, Club) Music including
discussion Room) automatic
hall, TV soft drink
and Music vending
room) machines)

20,000 30,000 15,000 10,000 25,000 20,000 100000

2) Budget for Construction Related Expenditure (in Rs.)

Soft Material including electronic

equipment etc. 10,00,00
Hard Material including cement, 70,00,00
bricks etc
[10]
The aim of education in the modern world is not just limited to academics but going
beyond it. It aims at overall personality development of the students. The educational
institutions should provide the students with every possible opportunity to grow as a
professional as well as a person. The 24 x 7 café is essentially global in nature and
strives at the fusion of academics and entertainment. It also aims at providing the
students a truly rich and global experience. There is a great need to have such multi-
utility cafes on the campus to ensure that the students have all the facilities within
easy reach and get them round the clock.
[11]

That was a proposal written by a student representative of an educational institution.

It gives you an idea of what elements need to be included in a proposal and an overall
structure of a proposal that is sent to authorities within an organization.

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 Writing Proposals
4.6 GRAMMAR: THE PASSIVE FORM
(REVISION)
Read the following sentences from the reading passage:
1) The proposal is scrutinized by authorities within the organization.
2) Oral presentations of proposals are also made before a select audience.

The underlined sentences are in the passive voice.

The passive voice is formed by using the verb be and the past participle. (e.g. bought,
used, etc.) Examples:
Advanced degrees (Ph.D.) are listed on business cards…
Status is determined by age, university degrees and profession.

We use the passive in the following situations:

 We often use the passive to focus on something that happens to someone, when
we do not want to focus on the person who does the action.

Example: Over 30% of Indians are employed in the agricultural sector.

 The passive is often used to talk about systems and processes. Example:

The US is characterized by a ‘scientific’ approach to business. Every aspect of

commercial life is studied and analyzed.

 The passive is often used in business correspondence because it is less personal

than the active voice. Example:

Thank you for your letter which was received at this branch today.

 The present perfect passive is often used when we are describing changes that
have taken place. Example:

Globalization has brought the world closer together and helped to reduce
cultural diversity.

 To downplay the action or when you don’t want to fix blame when something
goes wrong. Example:

The sales targets were not met.

How to form the passive with other tenses:

 Present Continuous Passive
Example: I am being asked to work every weekend.
 Past Continuous Passive
Example: We only noticed the mistakes when the book was being published.
 Present Perfect Passive
Example: Various models have been used to explain this concept.
 Past Perfect Passive:
Example: They emailed us to say that the shipment had been delayed.

111
Business Writing The passive forms of the verb in different tenses would look as follows:

Tense Simple Continuous Perfect

Present Is / am / are + past Is / am / are + Has/have+ been

participle being+past participle +part participle

Past Was / were + past Was/were + being + Had + been + past

participle past participle participle

Future Will/ shall + be + - -

past participle

Activity 4
1) Change the following sentences into the passive voice. Omit the doer where it is
necessary.
i) China produces these types of telephones
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ii) We make water from a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.
B
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o
iii) Someone hit my car from the back.
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iv) Employers pay many manual workers weekly.
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v) Madam Curie discovered Radium.
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vi) They announced the winners of the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry
yesterday.
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vii) Countries store most nuclear waste underground.
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viii) If there is a vacancy, we first ask suitable in-house candidates to apply.
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ix) They have cleared all the roads in this area due to VIP movement.
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x) They elected a new mayor yesterday.

2) Rampur as a small city has changed a lot in the last 10 years. Rewrite the
sentences below about Rampur using the passive form. The first one is done for
you.
i) They built a new stadium. A new stadium was built.
ii) They are building a new hospital.
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iii) They will finish it by next December.
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 iv) They have knocked down the old shopping complex. Writing Proposals

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v) They are going to build a new modern one soon.
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vi) They are constructing a new multiplex movie hall.
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4.7 BASIC COMPONENTS OF BUSINESS

PROPOSALS
A business sustains itself on the amount of work it does. Work generates money.
Work in business is goal-oriented. Hence the objective of work is of utmost
importance. A business proposal is an undertaking to complete a project with a
specific goal in a stipulated time period with maximum cost benefits.

Let us consider a gigantic public utility project like the Metro Rail Project. Think of:
 the costs involved
 the staffing required
 the time for completion
 the number of parties that will have to collaborate
 government procedures and regulations
 financial support from banks and investors
 quality assurance

In such cases, bids are invited from business firms. These are called solicited
proposals. Each business firm sends in a proposal to undertake the project. The
proposal which is the most economical and the most beneficial is accepted. Winning
the project among a number of competitors will depend not only on the financial
potential of the organization but also how well the firm has projected the work plan
and the costs of construction. Proposals can also be submitted voluntarily after
ascertaining customer needs.

Activity 5
An institution is setting up a digital laboratory for its students. It asks for proposals
from digital companies. You are working in the company and are asked to prepare a
proposal. Put down the points you will include in the proposal.
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Business Writing Discussion
Have you included the following points?
1) Introduction: Background of your company and the extent of experience that it
has in undertaking such projects. (Instilling trust and confidence)
2) Reasons for taking up the project: Sharing of know-how; Benefits of service to
the educational sector; Growth and expansion. (Stating objectives clearly)
3) Hardware requirements
4) Software requirements
5) Electrical equipment
6) Installation procedures
7) Demonstration and Training on use of Equipment
8) Operational Maintenance
9) After-Sales Service
10) Budget Estimate: Costs of items 3-9
11) Time schedule for project (Presenting facts and figures)
12) Conclusion: Summing up of benefits to client; highlighting unique selling
points (USPs)
13) Offering addresses of previous clients for verification of quality standards of
product and service.
Summary Format
 Executive Summary
 Background
 Technical Description
 Overview
 Hardware Details
 Technical Requirements
 Business Issues
 Total Cost Matrix

Proposals from a number of business players in the field are compared by the client.
Hence a great deal of research and analysis is essential before framing the proposal.

The manner of presentation and the use of language are equally important. The
proposal needs to be complete in all respects. The proposal, as already mentioned, is
the blueprint for the formal contract to be signed by the supplier and the buyer.

4.8 BUSINESS PROPOSAL LETTER

In its basic form a proposal may be written as a letter in response to an enquiry.
How would you begin writing a proposal? Do this simple activity.
Activity 2
Imagine you are a bookseller and a library in a residential colony has approached you
to supply books. What are the first questions that would arise in your mind? Put them
down.

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Discussion: Writing Proposals

You will begin to think about:

 the kind of residents and their interests
 your own previous experience supplying books to such libraries
 catalogues
 collections in other libraries
 your benefits in dealing with this kind of business
 the kinds of discounts you can offer
In other words, we begin by collecting information.
You can now begin to write a letter of proposal in reply to the letter soliciting a
proposal from you. This is the letter you receive from the library:

FRIENDS’ HOME LIBRARY

MASROC, Vanagaon, Pin: 408675
13 Jan 2…

Mr. Santosh Yadav

Manager
Popular Booksellers
MG Road
Nashik

Dear Mr. Yadav,

1
We wish to stock our library with various kinds of general, fiction and technical books
for the residential colony library of the industrial township of MASROC located 100
km from Nashik.
2
We understand that you are one of the leading book suppliers in this region. Please
send us a proposal for the kinds of books you will be able to supply us, the discounts
you can offer and the modes of payment along with catalogues.
3
We would like you to submit your proposal as early as possible. 4

Thank you

Regards,
Meenakshi Patil
Librarian

Let us examine the stages in the letter:

Move 1: States the customer’s requirement

Move 2: States reason for approaching the supplier
Move 3: Asks for proposal with details
Move 4: Urges quick action

Your response will include:

Move 1: Thanks, acknowledgement of request.

Move 2: Introduction of your firm
Move 3: Description of business dealings
Move 4: Emphasize experience in such business
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Business Writing Move 5: Willingness to supply
Move 6: Offer of maximum discount
Move 7: Enclosure of catalogues
Move 8: Urging order
The Proposal letter can now be drafted along these lines.
Thanks, acknow- Thank you for approaching us with the request to supply books to your residential
ledgement of library. We are happy to know that you wish to order bulk stocks.
request [1]

We have, indeed, been in this business for almost a decade now and have established
Introduction of ourselves as leaders in this region. We supply books to more than 50 educational
firm, Description of institutions in the Nashik region. We also are suppliers for factory and office libraries
business dealings, in and around Nashik. In fact, we have been a steady supplier to three other
Emphasis on residential colony libraries in the townships of Mure and Kopegaon. We supply both
experience in such
technical and academic books in English as well as fiction, poetry, religious
business
literature and general informational books in English, Marathi and Hindi. We have
had an excellent relationship with our customers because of the professionalism in
delivering stocks and replenishing them when required. [2]

Willingness to We would be very happy to honour your requests. As a first time offer, we will be
supply, Offer of able to offer you 30% discount on academic and technical books and 25% discount
maximum on fiction, drama, poetry and general books. We also allow for retaining of books for
discount approval for a period of 15 days and 90 days’ credit from the date of delivery. [3]

Enclosure of We are enclosing our catalogue. Please select the titles that you would like to order.
catalogues We will deliver whatever is in stock immediately and will arrange for delivery of
books not in stock at our warehouse here, within 10 days’ of the receipt of the order.
Urging order
[4]

We look forward to an early order from you.

Language focus:

Notice the use of present perfect form of the verbs, ‘have been’, ‘have established’,
in paragraph 2 to describe past and present status. The present perfect is used for
actions which happen in the past and continue in the present or have an impact on
or relevance to the present.
The forms ‘will be, would be’ are used (in paragraphs 3 and 4) to indicate the
future along with the notion of willingness.

4.9 PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

In the previous section we looked at a letter proposal. Now let us examine a detailed
proposal document in response to a letter of solicitation.
Activity 3
After every section of the document, there are questions given which you need to
answer. These answers will help you in understanding the process of writing
proposals better.

Project Description: Renovation of a Heritage Well in PNR college campus

A proposal is accompanied by a Letter of Transmittal or in other words a “Cover
Letter” which introduces the proposal.
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I) LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Writing Proposals

21 Jan 2….

The Principal
PNR College
Erode

Dear Madam,
Sub: Renovation and Landscaping of the Heritage Well site Stating
objective
We are submitting our proposal expressing our intent to undertake
the project of renovating and landscaping the Heritage Well located
on your premises.

As a first step our engineers have assessed its feasibility and

submitted a report. Based on this, the undertaking would involve Brief
repair of the structural damages, reinforcement of existing structures, Descrip-
laying new water conduits for the tank and beautification. The tion
landscaping would be designed by our landscape architect and can be
maintained by your gardeners thereafter.

We expect the project to be completed within four and half months in

time for the Golden Jubilee Celebrations next year. The expected Time
expenditure for the initial phase of the project will be Rs. 5 lakhs. Cost
The maintenance will require Rs. 50,000 annually for cleaning and Projec-
painting and other basic repairs. tions

A detailed document is enclosed.

Thank you
Atia Mathai-Luke and Dipannita Chakraborty
For Veekay Consultants

1) What is the purpose of this letter?

….…………………………………….……………………………………………
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II) TITLE PAGE

PROJECT
C PROPOSAL
for Comprehensive
RENOVATION AND LANDSCAPING title
OF THE HERITAGE-WELL SITE
Submitted to
The Principal Addressee
P.N.R. College of Science
Erode

By
Veekay Consultants
Name and Address
16, Tarun Towers of Proposer
M.G. Road, Coimbatore

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Business Writing 2) What is the purpose of the title page? Is it necessary? (Why/Why not?)

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III) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page nos.

1) Project Chart Preliminary information …

2) Executive Summary at a glance
3) Background Qualification …
4) Project Plan Visualizing …
5) Proposed Procedure …
6) Project Schedule Planning …
7) Budget …
8) Conclusion …

Now answer the following questions:

3) What does the Table of Contents indicate?
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4) Why do we need this table?
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5) Will the items be the same for all kinds of proposals?
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6) Which items will be found in all proposals?
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IV) PROJECT CHART

Project Title RENOVATION AND

LANDSCAPING OF HERITAGE
WELL-SITE
Name and Address of Proposer Veekay Consultants
16, Tarun Towers
M.G. Road, Coimbatore
Project Location PNR College, Erode
Time required for the commencement of the
project after receipt of approval 1.5 Months
Duration of the Project 3 Months
Estimated Budget Project cost: Rs. 5 Lakh
Recurring expenses: Rs. 50000 p.a.

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Answer the following questions: Writing Proposals
7) What is the function performed by this chart?
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8) Why is a table format used?
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9) Why is the matter in the left hand column highlighted?
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V) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This proposal is submitted for the renovation of the Heritage Well at Prefatory
PNR College, Erode. statement

The feasibility of renovating the old well in the PNR College

premises has been studied. The well, identified by the Archeology
Department of the Government as a heritage site in the precincts of Problem
the college built in the 1826, is currently in a state of severe disrepair
and the structure needs extensive renovation measures and
landscaping. It can be transformed into an ideal site for open-air
concerts, literary evenings, dramatic presentations and pop music
Solution
concerts. Drainage and water connections will need to be replaced.

The work will be entrusted to a civil engineer, assisted by two junior

engineers and a landscape architect after the primary phase of Procedure
structural repairs are completed.
The project will commence 45 days after approval and will take Time
about 90 days to be completed from the date of commencement of
work. The cost has been estimated at about Rs. 500000 for the
Cost
renovation of the site and landscaping of the surroundings at present
and a further Rs. 50000 yearly for maintenance of the structure.

10) Why is the summary placed before the actual proposal?

……………………………………………...………………………………
……………………………………………...………………………………
11) What are the main items mentioned?
……………………………………………...………………………………
……………………………………………...………………………………
12) Is the summary concise, clear and complete?
……………………………………………...………………………………
……………………………………………...………………………………
13) Does it create interest in the reader?
……………………………………………...………………………………
……………………………………………...………………………………

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Business Writing Language Focus

Notice the underlined verb forms: is submitted, will be entrusted etc.

You can recognize them as passive forms. The passive voice is used to convey the
formal, impersonal tone. It also indicates that the work done is more important than
the agents of action.

Notice that the passive can be applied to all tense forms:

is submitted, has been studied, will be completed

PROPOSAL
VI) BACKGROUND

Veekay Consultants are one of the leading pioneers in the field of architecture and
Establishing
landscaping. We have had experience in restoring several old monuments to shape,
credentials in and around Coimbatore, Salem and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu. We have units
in almost every state in the country doing similar work.

Recent undertakings include the renovation of the Shiva temple in Kuttipalayam, the
Substantia- museum building at Umapur and the Maharaja’s Palace at Peliyur. Public
ting claims commendation of the work is our credential. Our technical team has an academic
interest in the projects we undertake, most of which are in the field of restoration of
historical heritage.

We are very excited about the discovery of this ancient well in the PNR college
Procedures premises and would like the structure to retain its historical significance while it
offers an attractive venue for cultural events. Our research team will be on the job of
unearthing descriptions of the heritage site in books of history and the personal
autobiographies, letters and personal notes written by the people who lived in the
heyday of this particular royal family with the support of its living descendants.

14) Why is it necessary to present the background?

…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
15) Why do we need three paragraphs here?
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
16) What details does this section give which may not find a place in the proposal
proper?
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………

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 ………………………………………………………………………………… Writing Proposals

VII) PROJECT PLAN

Our proposed project plan visualizes the present dilapidated structure to be made Defining
attractive so as to serve as a meeting-place for cultural events and concerts. objective

As it is As proposed

A blueprint of the layout is being submitted.

The heritage well needs to undergo a thorough cleansing by professionals since the
well needs to be dredged to clear it of sediments. The water pipes and the drainage Require-
system need to be replaced. This has to be followed up with regular maintenance ments
measures.

Phase wise Procedure

Phase I
o Assessment of the structural damage to the heritage well and the extent of
renovation required

Phase II
o Leveling of dilapidated portions and erection of support structures to hold the
superstructure without changing the original contours
o Reconstruction of façade
o Removal of the old drainage system and replacement with modern conduits
o Drilling to augment water source
o Construction of Auditorium: Step-gallery and central arena, stage and dais

Phase III
o Electrification
o Landscaping of the area surrounding the heritage well up to a radius of 100ft
o Beautification of open-air auditorium
o Weatherproof painting
o Follow-up maintenance
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Business Writing

17) What is the format of this section?

…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
18) What is the sequence of the items?
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
19) What is the pattern of the sentences?
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
20) Why are there no full stops at the end of each item?
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
VIII) PROJECT SCHEDULE
PHASE I: 10 days
PHASE II: 50 days
PHASE III: 30 days
TOTAL: 90 days

BUDGET ESTIMATE
Given below is an estimate of costs likely to be incurred in the renovation and
landscaping of the Heritage Well site. The recurring costs shall be additional to the
initial estimate and have been worked out in Table 2.

Table 1 : Capital costs

Sl. No. Category of Expenditure Cost in Rs. *

1 Civil construction 000000
2 Plumbing and drainage 000000

3 Equipment 000000
4 Project office maintenance 000000
5 Technical staff payment 000000

6 Landscaping artist and employee payment 000000

7 Contingencies 00000

8 Miscellaneous 00000

Total 000000
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 Writing Proposals

Table 2: Recurring expenses per year

Sl. No. Category of Expenditure Cost in Rs.*

1 Salaries and wages 00 000

2 Maintenance 00 000

3 Contingencies 00 000

*(Figures have not been given.)

CONCLUSION

The cost of renovation quoted is a very modest estimate as our primary objective is
Urging
more academic than financial. Any modifications in our blueprint required will be
Action
considered. An early approval will be appreciated.

Check Your Progress 12

Draw a chart describing the sequence of the parts of a proposal.

.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
.……….……………………………………………...……………………………..

Check Your Progress 13

Draw up a proposal for a package tour of all the important tourist destinations in your
state in response to enquiries by an educational institution with an international
student population. They will need you to organize this tour on a regular basis three
times a year.

Preparation:
Collect information about students: nationality, age group, attitudes
Collect information about suitable tourist destinations
Collect information about travel and accommodation tariffs
Calculate number of days required for a comprehensive tour
Calculate staff costs
Calculate profit margin
……….……………………………………………...……………………………..
……….……………………………………………...…………………………….. 123
Business Writing ……….……………………………………………...……………………………..

4.10 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have examined the need for writing a proposal, the features of
proposals and the framework of proposals. The language functions used are:
describing, justifying and persuading. In the grammar section, we concentrated on the
passive form.

Proposals can be solicited or unsolicited. You learnt about the basic components of a
business proposal. Proposals can be in a letter format for small projects and document
format for big projects. Proposals are written after a great deal of preparation.
Collection of information about various aspects is the essential first step.

Proposals should anticipate all questions that may be raised by the client. They should
factor in competitors’ potential and build in a cutting edge element.

4.11 ANSWERS
Activity 2
We have given some sample proposals. You could have your own list.
i) Providing computer labs with internet facilities.
ii) Starting clubs.
iii) Starting new courses.
iv) Opening a new branch of a bank.
v) Providing crèches for children of employees.

Check Your Progress 1

1) Sentences 1-3 perform the function of describing the situation on M.G. Road.
2) Sentences 4 and 5 state the problem. Traffic on M.G. Road makes it impossible to
cross the road during the day time and school children and college-goers are
forced to make use of transportation even for a short distance.
3) The solution proposed is that of building three foot-over bridges at 1.5 km
distance from each other.
4) The verb forms in sentences from 1-5 are stative verbs.
5) To ease
6) The modal verb ‘should’ is indicative of obligation.
7) The passive voice used in the sentence to put the onus on the authorities
concerned.

Check Your Progress 2

1) The first sentence states the proposal for setting up of a digital language
laboratory for the English Department of O.N.L.V. University.

2) The second sentence states the need and desire of the students in acquiring proper
pronunciation in English.

3) The last three sentences provide the reasons for having a language laboratory and
highlight the benefits the students would accrue if they have access to such a
language laboratory. There is persuasion for the proposal to be implemented.
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Check Your Progress 3 Writing Proposals

1) The information conveyed here consists of- the proposal made, to whom it is
addressed and by whom the proposal is made.
2) The proposal is for acquiring additional floor space for KID’S WORLD,
Vishakhapatnam.
3) The proposal is addressed to the general Manager of KID’S WORLD.
4) It is proposed by the Regional Manager, Vishakhapatnam.
Check Your Progress 4
1) The section states the proposal for increasing the floor space of KID’S WORLD.
The solution to the problem has also been identified along with the economical
feasibility of the proposal.
2) It highlights the benefits of already having identified suitable space for the
expansion and the economical sense behind the proposal.
3) The reader by all means would view the proposal in a favourable light.
Check Your Progress 5
1) This section acquaints the reader with the present situation at KID’S WORLD.
2) The first four sentences impress upon the reader the success of KID’S WORLD.
The shop is located strategically and has done well with the novel concept of
exclusive children’s retail outlet.
3) The floor space of 2000 sq. feet gets used up for stocking and display of items
leaving the shop with no extra room.
4) With the last line there is a shift from description to the statement of the problem,
that of lack of space.
Check Your Progress 6
1) The purpose of this section is to state the problem of scarcity of space in the
outlet.
2) Due to the shortage of space in the outlet, they are forced to stock reserve stocks
in a warehouse which is 20 km away from the city. As the average sales per day
is very high, the stock gets used up fast leading to a short supply of items in
demand. This forces them to make their customers wait for a day or two until the
stocks are replenished. Customers would prefer to shop at one place so there is a
need to expand the range of products in order to cater to all the needs associated
with children.
3) Next the writer would ask for more floor area to overcome all the shortcomings
mentioned in the previous lines.
Check Your Progress 7
1) The connecting link between the rationale section and the proposal section is the
need for increasing the floor area.
2) The link is needed because it gives a logical flow and cohesion to the proposal.
3) The proposal also mentions the need for a staircase to be built from within the
shop at the front end so that the entrance will be the same for both the floors.
4) The proposal is supported by stating how a similar arrangement had been
successfully made by the Hyderabad unit.

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Activity 7 Writing Proposals

1) The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce the document. It is a personal

communication appealing to the client directly and indicates what the proposal
contains.

2) The title page is necessary. A long project proposal is submitted as a booklet,

usually in a spiral-bound form. The title page highlights the topic and states the
name of the proposer and the addressee.

3) The Table of Contents indicates the major heads under which the proposal is
organized with the page numbers much like a published book. As stated above,
the proposal document is a booklet and follows most of the conventions of a
published book.

4) The table of contents helps in quickly understanding what the proposal contains
and helps in going to specific pages according to what one is looking for. For
the writer it is an organizing support. This, in fact could be the preliminary
outline that a writer makes before preparing the proposal

5) Not necessarily.

6) The essential elements are: Executive summary, Background, Budget

Estimate, Conclusion. The other elements will depend upon the nature of each
individual proposal.

7) The chart presents at a glance what the proposal aims at.

8) The tabular format helps in quickly identifying essential information.

9) The highlighting of the elements in the left column emphasizes the heads under
which information is presented. These are the basic questions that the client
would be interested in before reading the proposal in detail. It also helps in
preparing the client for what is being presented later. It acts as checklist for the
writer to see if all the possible questions have been answered.

10) The summary is placed before the actual proposal as it helps the reader
understand the major implications of the proposal. The title page, the table of
contents, the project chart and the executive summary all help in building up a
picture of the detailed proposal in increasing degrees of detail.

11) The main items mentioned are the introductory statement, the problem, the
solution, the procedure, the time and the cost?

12) It is.

13) It does, because it is brief, gives the essential points, is direct and does not
repeat anything. It is to the point and matter of fact.

14) It is necessary to present the background of the proposing company in order to

inform the client about the company’s business standing and instill confidence
in the client that the project can be entrusted to it.

15) The first paragraph informs the client about the company’s business standing.
The second paragraph gives instances of similar projects undertaken to
substantiate the claims made earlier and helps the client to verify the claims
made. The third paragraph informs about the company’s professional way of
working
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Business Writing Check Your Progress 8
1) This section gives the reader an idea of the expenditure to be incurred.
2) This section is a concrete way of looking at the estimated budget involved in
implementing the proposal. It shows the proposal to be economically viable.

Check Your Progress 9

1) This section highlights the benefits of the proposal.
2) The proposal is convincing as it deals in detail all the pros and cons involved in
implementing the proposal.

Check Your Progress 10

1) The section concludes the proposal in a logical and convincing manner.
2) The section is needed because it persuades the reader to make a favourable
decision at the earliest.

Check Your Progress 11

Executive Summary: paras 1, 2
Statement of Problem: para 3
Objectives: 5,6
Plan Proposal: 7
Work Plan: 8,9,10
Total Budget Estimates: 11
Conclusion: 12

Activity 4
1) i) These types of telephones are produced by China.
ii) Water is made from a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.
iii) My car was hit from the back.
iv) Many manual workers are paid weekly by employers.
v) Radium was discovered by Madam Curie.
vi) The winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry were announced
yesterday.
vii) Most nuclear waste is stored underground.
viii) If there is a vacancy, suitable in-house candidates are asked first to apply.
ix) All the roads in the area have been cleared due to the movement of VIP.
x) A new mayor was elected yesterday.

2) i) A new hospital is being built.

ii) It will be finished by next December.
iii) The old shopping complex has been knocked down.
iv) A new modern one is going to be built soon.
v) A new multiplex movie hall is being constructed.

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Business Writing 16) It gives information about the company’s standing, earlier projects undertaken
and the kind of academic attitude it has adopted in relation to such projects and
the background research it undertakes. All this cannot find a place in the
proposal proper.

17) The format of this section is a list of actions

18) The sequence of the items is: Preparatory work, Actual structural work in
step-wise stages, Basics to accessories, and External appearance.

19) Verbless sentences. Nominal phrases. Uniform pattern. Helps in packing

maximum information with minimum words.

They are not full sentences.

Check Your Progress 13

This is not a complete proposal. You need to fill in rest of the details.
Title Page:
A Proposal for a Package Tour of All the Important Tourist Destinations in
Gujarat
Submitted to the Principal of Lady Sophie College by Global Tourister
Table of Contents:
1) Project Chart
2) Executive Summary
3) Background
4) Project Plan……………………..etc.
Project Chart:
Name and Address of Proposer: Global Tourister
22/B Vardhman Towers
Limda Chowk, Rajkot
Time required for the commencement
of the project after receipt of approval: 30 days

Locations selected: Gandhinagar, Veraval-Somnath,

Dwarka, Palitana, Daman and Diu,
Porbandar and Kutchch-Bhuj.

Executive Summary:
This proposal is submitted for the implementation of the proposed tour programmes
for the students of Lady Sophie College, Rajkot on a regular basis three times a year.

Information about suitable tourist destinations across Gujarat has been collected. We
have short listed some of the most popular tourist destinations across the state which
are easily accessible. Some of the destinations we propose are - Gandhinagar,
Veraval-Somnath, Dwarka, Palitana, Daman and Diu, Porbandar and Kutchch-Bhuj.
However, you are free to add more to the list. We will be getting the governmental
clearance wherever required.

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Background: Writing Proposals

Global Tourister is one of the leading tour operators in Gujarat. We have been
conducting tours and sightseeing for the past ten years. As our name suggests, we
also have a national and global presence. ……….

Recently we were given the project by Ambe Group of Educational Institutions of

Baroda to organize tours on regular basis for their students from the primary section
to post graduation classes. …….

Project Plan:

Our proposed project plan is a visualization of the tour packages we would be

offering Lady Sophie College on a regular basis three times a year.

We propose to organize the tours during the months of February, June and October.
Each tour package shall consist of ten days. ……..

Project Schedule:
Time required for implementation – 30 days
First phase of the tour – February 10-20, 2….

Budget Estimate:
Given below is an estimate of expenditure likely to be incurred for a single tour
package. We have included travel and accommodation tariffs, boarding and other
related expenses. The recurring costs shall be additional to the initial estimate and the
break-up is given in the table:

………..
………..
………..

Conclusion:
The terms and conditions worked out are viable economically and will be to the
satisfaction of both the College management and the students. We are open to
discussion and further clarification.

We would appreciate an early response so as to accommodate further changes.

129