Written Communication

Mrs. Nidhi Bandaru

This Module covers

Purpose of writing Clarity in writing The 3X3 writing process for business communication:
Pre writing Writing Revising

Principles of effective writing Approaching the writing process systematically Specific Writing Features

Purpose of Writing
Effective writing does not come by chance. It does not just happen. It required a set of skills to write simply, clearly, accurately and briefly. As a writer you will check the grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentences and paragraphs and follow clarity, simplicity and directness of style. The first task for writing effectively is to identify the purpose of the communication. There are mainly two purposes of communication in business situations to inform and to persuade.

Writing to Inform

When the writer seeks to give information and offers to explain it, the writing is called informative writing. It is also called expository writing because it expound or expresses ideas and facts. The focus on informative writing is on the subject or the matter under discussion. Informative writing is found in accounts of facts, scientific data, statistics and reports. The purpose of informative writing is to inform(without any bias) and not persuade.

Checklist Does it focus on the subject under discussion? Does it primarily inform rather than persuade the reader?

Does it offer complete and exact information?

Does it present information logically and clearly? Does it make good reading?

Writing to Persuade Persuasive writing aims at convincing the reader about a matter, which is debatable. It expresses opinion rather than facts. The writing is also called argumentative, for its supports and argues a certain viewpoint. The matter has two or more sides to it. But the writer seeks to influence and convince the reader to accept the position put forth. In persuasive writing the writer attempts to change the readers thinking and bring it closer to his own way of thinking. Checklist Does it focus on the reader?

Does it basically seek to convince rather that inform?

Does it support its viewpoint by giving information or valid reasons? Does it clearly follow a logical arrangement of thought and reasoning? Does it finally evoke intended response from reader? the the

Clarity in Writing

As a writer one has to follow the principles of unity and coherence that binds words into sentences, sentences into units or paragraphs, and paragraphs into essays. Whenever this transformation of thought into language is not effected under the guiding principles of language, the muddy clutter hides the meaning and makes it difficult to understand. The written word often gets cluttered with our complex construction of sentences.

A Muddled Paragraph

Revised Paragraph

When the owners were contacted on July 25, the assistant manager, Mr Rathi, informed the chief engineer that they were considering or ordering advertising block 25 for sale. He, however, expressed his inability to make a firm decision by requesting this company to confirm their intentions with regard to buying the land within one month, when Mr. Jain, the president of the company will have comeback from a business tour. This will be August 25.

The chief engineer contacted the owner on July 25 to enquire if block 25 was on sale. He was informed by the assistant manager Mr Rathe, that the company was thinking of selling the block. He was further told that decision would not be taken until the president Mr Jain returned from a business tour on August 25. Mr Rathe asked the chief engineer to submit a written proposal from the same.

Writing Process Models

Several models for the writing process exist.

Some contain three steps (prewriting, writing, revising); Some, contain four (collecting, shaping, drafting, revising)

The 3X3 Writing Process

The model used for this course has three main steps. The three major categories are
Prewriting Writing Revising

Each main step has three sub categories.

Prewiriting
Analyzing the Purpose and Audience Anticipating Audience Needs Adapting the Message to the Purpose and Audience

Prewriting: Analyzing the Purpose and Audience Analyze your purpose.

What is my purpose? What do I want to achieve? What is the best channel (form) for the message?

Analyze the audience.

Who is the audience? What are some characteristics of this audience?

Prewriting Anticipating Audience Needs

Anticipating audience needs means that you examine the characteristics of your audience and think about how they will affect your message. For example:
What type of language is appropriate? How much background information is necessary? Should the tone be formal or informal? Does the reader agree with me? If the reader disagrees with me, why? How can I keep this persons attention? What information will this person be particularly interested in?

Prewriting Adapting the Message to the Purpose and Audience This step involves synthesizing all of the information youve collected so far. Think about how you can fulfill your purpose while still taking into account the audiences needs.

Writing
Researching the Content Organizing the Content Composing a Draft

Writing Researching the Content

Researching involves gathering information for your document.
Formal Research: Internet or library searches, experiments, surveys, etc. Informal Research: Idea generation, such as brainstorming alone or with others.

Writing Organizing the Content

First, decide on an overall patterndirect or indirect.

Direct: Main idea appears at the beginning of a message, in the first paragraph or even in the first sentence. Used for routine and good news messages. Indirect: Main idea appears in the middle or end of a paragraph. Used for bad news or persuasive messages.

Writing Organizing the ContentA Checklist

Analyze the ideas that youve generated. Eliminate unnecessary details. Add any other details you can think of. Group ideas according to similarities. Assign each group to a section of your message. What belongs in the introduction? What belongs in the body? What belongs in the conclusion? Write an outline; even an informal list of ideas will do.

Writing Composing a Draft

Using your outline or list of ideas, write a draft of your document. Keep these items in mind:
Focus on content; editing can be done later. Think about the three part formintroduction, body, and conclusion. Start with the easiest part; if one section gives you difficulty, come back to it later.

Revising
Revising the
Content Organization & Style

Proofreading for grammar, spellings and punctuation Evaluating the effectiveness of the document

Revising for Content

Are any of my details unnecessary or redundant? Do I need to add more details or information? Have I fully explained each detail? Is the purpose of the document clear? Have I adapted to my audiences needs?

Revising the Organization

Does my message have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion? Does the order of my points make sense? Does each detail flow smoothly into the next? Do I make clear transitions between my topics? Does each paragraph contain only one main idea?

Revising the Style

Is the wording of the message clear? Can any empty words or phrases be eliminated? Is the language natural-soundingnot stuffy or too formal?

Evaluating the effectiveness of the document

Once youve finished revising your document, give one last thought to its effectiveness. You may find yourself revising several times before you are satisfied with the document.

Also, seek feedback from others.

Oftentimes, a readers fresh eye will pick up on things you didnt.

Proof Reading
Proofreading involves checking for errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, etc. Spelling and grammar checks can be helpful, but they cant be trusted 100%. For example, a spell check wont pick up on a mix-up between its/its or their/there.