Basic Writing Skills for Business

Basic Writing Skills for Business
Presented by Sue McCullough Workplace Learning Resource Center Funded by an economic development grant Welcome to the “Business Writing” workshop. My name is Sue McCullough. I have been an adult education instructor at Santa Ana School of Continuing Education since January 2004, have been a business owner since 1988 of a secretarial service, then resume writing and career coaching service. Prior to that worked as an Assignment Supervisor for a temporary placement service and as a Marketing Coordinator for a computer company. Ask all the questions you want, even if it’s a word that doesn’t sound familiar. We’re here to learn. Your handouts have all the information that is on the slides. Feel free to take notes if you wish. It is a pleasure to lead you through this training program. The goal is to help you reinforce your ability to prepare professional business correspondence. Each section of the program includes a lecture followed by a practical exercise where you will be able to practice the concepts. Towards the end of the program, you’ll have an opportunity to complete several writing assignments designed to mirror what you might encounter on the job. At the conclusion of this training you should have a good understanding of the various parts of speech, guidelines for their proper usage, and how to avoid the most common writing pitfalls.

Basic Writing Skills for Business 2006 Sue McCullough
Business Writing Effective communication is a key element in an organization’s success. It is important that employees communicate effectively. The goal of this workshop is to reinforce your writing skills to make you a more effective business writer. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Nouns Nouns name a person, place, or thing. Person (student), place (Tustin), thing (desk) The subject of a sentence is a noun or pronoun. A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place or thing. Mary, Orange County A compound noun is made up of two or more words. File cabinet, staff meeting, time card Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Adjectives An adjective is a word that modifies a noun. It describes or tells about the noun. Big table, new computer, staff meeting Notice the difference between the following two sentences: The dog barked. The tiny Pomeranian dog barked. A sentence may contain more than one adjective. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 3 – Identifying Adjectives Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Verbs Verbs are words that describe an action--a physical action, a mental action, or even a condition. A verb tells what happens to the subject, or what the subject does. Physical actions: run, type, work Mental actions: think, remember Conditions: am, are, is, will, was A sentence may contain more than one verb— “The men played soccer and then ate pizza.” Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 2 – Identifying Verbs Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Adverbs Adverbs are used to modify verbs. James walks quickly. In this sentence, the noun is “James”, the verb is “walks”, and the adverb is “quickly”. Sentences may contain more than one adverb. Most adverbs end in the letters –ly. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 4 – Identifying Adverbs Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Pronouns A pronoun can be used in place of a noun or nouns. It can stand for a person, place, or thing. Anton left work at 4:45 and drove to the movies. Anton saw a movie and then went to Anton’s home. Anton left work at 4:45 and drove to the movies. He saw a movie and then went to his home. Pronouns continue on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Pronouns (continued) When determining which pronoun to use in place of a noun, there are several things to consider. First, determine the case of the pronoun. There are three case forms that pronouns can take: Subjective- pronoun acts as the subject: He wrote the letter Objective- pronoun acts as the object: Claire saw her. 3. Possessive- pronoun possesses something: This is my book. Pronouns continue on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Pronouns (continued) Also determine whether the noun you are replacing is masculine (he, him) or feminine (she, her). And determine whether the noun you are replacing is singular or plural. When using a possessive pronoun, you must also look at whether it is used with a noun (my, his, her) or without a noun (mine, his, hers). Possessive pronouns do not take an apostrophe, because the pronoun is already possessive (its, theirs, yours). Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 5 – Correct Usage of Pronouns Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Sentence Structure A sentence is a complete thought that contains both a subject and a predicate (verb). The subject is the part of the sentence that tells “who” or “what” the sentence is about. The predicate or verb is the part of the sentence that describes what the subject did or what happened to the subject. The dog howled. Writing a Good Sentence is continued on the next slide. From now on we will call predicates verbs. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Sentence Fragments When writing for business, write in complete sentences. If a part of the sentence is missing, it is called a fragment. The young cat This fragment does not contain a verb. Without a verb, the thought is incomplete. looked for its mother This fragment does not contain a subject. In order for these fragments to be considered a sentence, we need to combine both the subject and predicate portions, like this: The old dog ran to his owner. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Sentence Fragments (continued)
It is possible for a group of words to contain a subject and a verb and still not be a sentence. Since the man ran to the bus The phrase starting with “Since” does not express a complete thought, and thus is a fragment. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 6 – Sentences vs. Fragments Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Run-on Sentences A run-on sentence occurs when two complete sentences are joined together. They are difficult to read and confusing. The principal was visiting we wanted students to be quiet. This run-on sentence has two complete thoughts, not separated by proper punctuation. Run-on Sentences are continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

3 Ways to correct a run-on sentence
Divide the run-on into two separate sentences. The Principal was visiting. We wanted students to be quiet. Use a semicolon to divide the sentence into two complete thoughts that are closely related. The Principal was visiting; we wanted students to be quiet. Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction, such as “and, but, or, so, for, yet, nor”. The Principal was visiting, and we wanted students to be quiet. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 7 – Correcting Run-on Sentences Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Subject/Verb Agreement
The subject and verb must agree in number. When the subject of the sentence is singular (only one), then the verb must be singular, or the sentence is not correct. If the subject is plural (meaning more than one), the verb must also be in plural form. Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Additionally, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be in singular form. The employee eats lunch. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. The employees eat lunch. In this example, the subject (employees) is plural, so the verb (eat) must also be plural. If the subject and verb do not agree, the sentence is grammatically incorrect. Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Making Nouns Plural In order to understand the concept of subject/verb agreement, we must first address how to make words plural. Many singular nouns can be made plural simply by adding an s to the end of the word. computer → computers desk → desks folder → folders Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Making Nouns Plural (continued)
When a noun naturally ends in the letter s, add the letters es to make the word plural. address → addresses class → classes Nouns that end in the letter z, x, sh, or ch also need an es ending to make them plural. quiz → quizzes box → boxes dish → dishes batch → batches Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Making Nouns Plural (continued)
When nouns end in the letter y there are two ways to make them plural. If the letter preceding the y is a consonant, change the y to an i and add es. penny → pennies lobby → lobbies story → stories When the letter preceding the y is a vowel, add s. nay → nays day → days tray → trays Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Irregular Nouns As with many things in English, there are some exceptions to these rules. There are many irregular nouns that need special attention to make them plural. half → halves knife → knives chief → chiefs If in doubt, consult a dictionary. Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Non-count Nouns Non-count nouns cannot be counted individually. Non-count nouns always take the singular form of the verb. news The news was sad. heat The heat is unbearable. RAM More computer RAM was needed. music The music is loud. media All media is important. Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Non-count Nouns (continued)
There is an exception. Certain words can be considered non-count or count, depending on how they are used in the sentence. Count We bought six lights. Non-count- How much light came through the curtain? Count We need three spaces in the parking lot. Non-count- How much space is left on the disk? Subject/Verb Agreement is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Generally, if the subject is singular then the verb will have an s ending. The data entry operator inputs the data. The computer calculates the data. If the noun is plural, or you are using the pronoun I, then the verb does not end in an s. The executives golf on weekends. Computers calculate data. I calculate the total to be 120. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 8 – Subject/Verb Agreement Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Subject/Verb Agreement (continued)
Words that naturally end in the letter s, such as boss, may still be paired with a verb ending in the letter s. The boss works hard. The bus transfers data. The circus comes to town once a year. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 8 – Subject/Verb Agreement Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Subject/Verb Agreement (continued)
The following pronouns take the singular verb form: each either someone somebody something that neither everyone everybody everything This whoever no one nobody everybody The following pronouns take the plural verb form: few many some both several We others these those they Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 8 – Subject/Verb Agreement Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Commonly Misused Words
Many words with similar spelling or meanings or the same sound can be easily confused. Some examples follow: to direction, intention, until I went to the file cabinet to file the papers. too also, besides, to an excessive degree That memo was too long. two the number that comes between one and three The computer was two years old. Commonly Misused Words is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Commonly Misused Words (continued)
accept to take on willingly I will accept the invitation to lunch. except to exclude or omit Everyone went to lunch except Sam. thorough completely He created a thorough report. through from one end to the other. He walked through the restaurant. Commonly Misused Words is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

insure to obtain insurance on We will insure the business for $2 million. ensure to make certain Please ensure that that the project is complete. advise a verb, to recommend a course of action I advise you to arrive early. advice a noun, a recommendation or suggestion He gave her good advice. Commonly Misused Words is continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

all together a group united as one The team was all together that day. altogether totally, completely The printer stopped working altogether. affect to influence The change did not affect me. effect (n) the result of an action What was the effect of the new program? effect (v) to cause or accomplish The agent was able to effect a change. Please refer to the list of additional commonly misused words. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 9 – Commonly Misused Words Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

ad an advertisement as in a newspaper I am calling about your ad. add to put two or more items together Please add your hours on your timesheet. access the ability to enter; the act of reaching He was denied access to the office. excess beyond a usual or reasonable amount He did everything to excess. maybe uncertainty, perhaps Maybe we can meet for dinner Monday. may be to possibly be, might be He may be stuck in traffic. Please refer to the list of additional commonly misused words. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 9 – Commonly Misused Words Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

than compared to I would rather cook than clean. then referring to time We first eat dinner, and then have dessert. who’s who is Who’s going to the baseball game? whose relating to ownership Whose chair is broken? you’re you are I am sure you’re going to be successful. your belonging to you It is your future. * We will discuss contractions more thoroughly in the next section. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

it’s it is It’s your turn to clean the office. its belonging to it The cat hurt its paw. they’re they are They’re not going to be here tomorrow. there a relative location (not here) I put the files over there. their establishing ownership It is their responsibility to plan the meeting. Please refer to the list of additional commonly misused words. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 9 – Commonly Misused Words Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Contractions Contractions are special words that are created when two words are combined into a single word. An apostrophe is added to the contracted word in place of the letters that have been omitted. couldn’t (could not) they’ve (they have) we’ve (we have) won’t (will not) wouldn’t (would not) Avoid using contractions in business writing. Instead, use the pair of words listed to the right. Contractions are continued on the next slide. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Contractions (continued)
Here are contractions that sound like other words that have a different meaning. it’s, its you’re, your they’re, there, their who’s, whose We don’t have to think about which word to use when speaking since the words sound the same. However, when writing, be sure to use the correct word. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 10 – Proper Use of Contractions Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Confusing Words Dear Albert, Congratulations on topping the sells in the district candy drive. This was the most successful drive sense we started. As you no, these funds effect many district programs. This year I challenged our schools too approve income over last term’s drive, and your school was the first to except the challenge! We can never do to much for our students and the quality of they’re education. Please advise me on the prizes chosen by your top salespeople. Mary Brown, Assistant Superintendent Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Basic Writing Skills for Business
Presented by Sue McCullough Workplace Learning Resource Center Funded by an economic development grant Welcome to the “Business Writing” workshop. My name is Sue McCullough. I have been an adult education instructor at Santa Ana School of Continuing Education since January 2004, have been a business owner since 1988 of a secretarial service, then resume writing and career coaching service. Prior to that worked as an Assignment Supervisor for a temporary placement service and as a Marketing Coordinator for a computer company. Ask all the questions you want, even if it’s a word that doesn’t sound familiar. We’re here to learn. Your handouts have all the information that is on the slides. Feel free to take notes if you wish. It is a pleasure to lead you through this training program. The goal is to help you reinforce your ability to prepare professional business correspondence. Each section of the program includes a lecture followed by a practical exercise where you will be able to practice the concepts. Towards the end of the program, you’ll have an opportunity to complete several writing assignments designed to mirror what you might encounter on the job. At the conclusion of this training you should have a good understanding of the various parts of speech, guidelines for their proper usage, and how to avoid the most common writing pitfalls.

Vocabulary and Spelling Tricks
Clever little devices and memory tricks i before e except after c, or when sounded as ‘a’ as in ‘neighbor’ and ‘weigh’. ‘Too’ has too many o’s (to remember the correct spelling of ‘too’ vs. ‘to’. New Word List Start a new word list with dictionary spelling, phonetic spelling, and meaning noted for each new word. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Where to Put Commas Before the conjunction that connects two thoughts (compound sentence) Bill was best, but Mary won. I stayed home, and now I’m glad. To separate three or more items in a series. Correct: I saw Frank, Sam, and Shirley at the theater. Incorrect: We met Mary, and Tran for dinner. To set off the following: Names used in direct address. Molly, come to the table. Introductory words, phrases, clauses. Before I can graduate, I must pass the test. Parenthetical comments. The test, by the way, is hard. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Avoid Overuse of Words Unnecessary words or groups of words quickly take the reader’s attention away from the message. Example: “Thank you very much for the very generous donation.” Solutions: Delete all occurrences of the repeated word. Delete one occurrence. Use synonyms. Reword the sentence. PRACTICE: Underline the needless repetitions below, then rewrite the sentences as indicated. I am most grateful for your most generous contribution to this most important crusade. Delete all occurrences. Delete two occurrences. Delete one occurrence, and then use a synonym for one occurrence. 2. Julian thinks that George’s plan is best. He thinks it will save time. Completely reword the sentences by combining the two. 3. Hopefully, your check for this overdue account will be received within ten days. This, hopefully, will pay your overdue account in full. Rewrite to correct any needless repetitions. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

One Word Or Two? Correct any errors in the following sentences: Everyone worked late. Our records are already for the audit. Our method is indirect conflict with board policy. No body wanted the job. Does anyone have a suggestion? Put the English classes altogether for the assembly. All ways be courteous. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Spotlight the Reader Focus on the reader (instead of the writer) to stimulate interest in the content of your message. “I think you do fine work and I want to thank you.” (Writer centered) “Thank you for doing such fine work.” (Reader centered) Use positive language. Avoid don’t and can’t. Use active voice. Make the subject the doer, rather than the receiver, of the action. PRACTICE: Rewrite the following sentences to reflect reader-centered, positive, and active phrasing. I want to tell you that your program was excellent. 2. I would like to know your opinion. 3. Mr. Hernandez can’t meet with you tomorrow because he is too busy. He will not be able to see you until next Tuesday. 4. The letter was mailed by you in June. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Suggestions Keep it simple; use short sentences. Follow the rules we have learned. Pay particular attention to subject/verb agreement. Fragments may be acceptable in numbered or bulleted lists, but you should only use one or the other in each bulleted or numbered list. Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 11 – Case Studies Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Email Suggestions (continued)
Consider writing your message in MS Word. Use its spelling and grammar features, then copy and paste the message into your . Before you hit “send” be sure to proofread your to ensure that It provides or requests the desired information It is clearly written and brief There are no errors in spelling or grammar Turn to your workbook and complete Exercise 11 – Case Studies Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Etiquette Don’t use for thank-you notes or congratulations. Hand-write a note. Don’t send personal from the office. Don’t send jokes over office . Don’t use as a substitute for a face-to-face meeting. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Email Etiquette (continued)
Use proper grammar and punctuation. Don’t write in all lower case. Don’t write in all CAPS (shouting). Keep sentences short. Don’t repeat. Use bullet points and headlines Use a spell checker. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Never forward without the original author’s permission. Don’t send anything in that you don’t want to see on the office bulletin board. Watch the tone of all your writing. Perception of the receiver is reality. Deleted can be recovered and retraced. Your company owns and has the right to read employee . Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Avoid phrases that irritate. Have someone else read your written communication before you send it to make sure your tone is appropriate. Set it aside for a few minutes, then come back and reread it before sending. Think before you hit send. Replace “You’ll have to” or “I need you to” with “It would be helpful if” or “Could you please?” Replace “Where is your report?” with “Please update me on the status of your progress.” Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Good Business Communications
Focus on the reader (audience). Maintain a formal but conversational tone. Contain short sentences that are organized. Include words that are easy to understand. Are professional in appearance and style. Must be proofread for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Write respectfully. Spotlight the reader. Find out what your reader needs to know. Communicate who, what, why, when, where, and how. It is important to get a person’s name and title correct. Call the business and ask for the correct name, spelling, and title. After you have written a first draft, see if you can remove extra words. One grammatical, spelling, or punctuation error can ruin an otherwise effective business communication. Use a spell checker, then carefully proofread the correspondence again. Read the document backwards Spot check for common errors and number accuracy Have someone else proofread as well. Check all references to days and dates. Know your “corporate culture” Rules for document formatting. Rules for use of language. Rules for use of punctuation. Templates and samples of correspondence, memorandums, forms, reports, and other methods of communication. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Assignment A Prepare the following s by using your program and printing the . Do not send the s. Case Study A Your supervisor, Sam Brown, has a policy in place for requesting time off. The policy states that if employees need time off from their regularly scheduled workday, they must submit the request in writing with as much advance notice as possible. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Assignment B Case Study B Please prepare an to Mary Graham, Purchasing Agent at your corporate headquarters, requesting a new copier for the office in Santa Ana. Your present machine is small and inadequate for your needs. You need a copier that has these features: enlarging, reducing, stapling, collating, automatic feeder. You produce reports, manuals, and lesson plans for your corporate-wide training programs. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Assignment C Case Study C Please Anna Haro and ask that she contact John Day at the Monroe Plaza Hotel and get this information by Tuesday: Room & meal costs for 360 people & 180 double rooms for two nights and three days Costs for the Grand Banquet Hall for these three days A cordless microphone in the Banquet Hall Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Writing Business Letters & Memos
Business letters and memos are ways you communicate with others. Neatness counts – no errors in spelling or grammar. Organized in a very specific way following an exact format. Use “Formal English” with no slang or casual chat. All parts “left Justified” on the left side of the page. It is important to get a person’s name and title correct. Call the business and ask for the correct name, spelling, and title. One grammatical, spelling, or punctuation error can ruin an otherwise effective business communication. Use a spell checker, then carefully proofread the correspondence again. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Parts of a Business Letter
Return address – address of letter writer. First and last name, address, city, state and zip code. The date Inside address – of recipient. First and last name, title, Company address, city, state and zip code. Salutation – If the person is not a friend, write “Dear Mr. Smith”. If the person is a friend, you may say “Dear Sally”. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Parts of a Business Letter (continued)
Body of Letter – this is the purpose of the letter. It should be clear and concise, with more than one paragraph. Closing – “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” “Yours truly,” etc. Space for a handwritten signature Typed name of writer Ms. Anna Garcia 100 N. Bristol Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 January 3, 2007 Mr. Sam Silva Manager Best Toys 500 17th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Dear Mr. Silva: This letter is to inform you of a problem I have had with a toy that I purchased at your store. I purchased a karaoke machine at your store on December 20, It was a Christmas gift for my son. When I first tried to test the machine, the CD started to play sound, but there were no words on the screen. We read the directions and tried other CD’s, but the machine never worked. As you may guess, my son was very disappointed. When I attempted to return the machine at your store, the salesperson said to bring the machine in when you were in the store. Please call me at (714) as soon as possible to let me know the earliest date when this machine may be returned. I look forward to hearing from you by Friday, January 5. Sincerely, Anna Garcia Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Parts of a Business Letter (continued)
Use the list of word choices to answer the following questions: __________ is the place for the writer to handwrite their name. The recipient’s name, company name, and address are called the _______. The purpose of the letter is included in the __________. Yours truly, is an example of a _______. The last line in a business letter is the _______. The _______ is when the letter is written. The __________ is the address of the letter writer. Dear Mr. Johnson is a __________. Salutation date complimentary closing signature Inside address body writer’s typed name return address Write your own formal business letter, using a separate piece of paper. Include all parts of a formal business letter and be sure it is in the correct format. There should not be any spelling or grammatical errors and it must be written in clear, concise language. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Keep Your Writing Concise
Use short, familiar words. Get rid of extra words. Use a conversational tone Be positive Be specific Don’t use jargon Make items parallel Keep terms consistent Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Verbs Are Power Words Use active voice. Use verbs. Be specific. Tell the reader what to do. Tell the reader what you will do. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Keep it Short and Simple
Write shorter sentences. Create Must-read Reference Lines. Get To The Point. Close with Goodwill. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Design Your Page Visually
Use headings and labels. Make letters and memos scannable. Leave lots of white space. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

Creating Successful Memos
Memos have a specific subject and a purpose. Consider the who, what, where, when, why, and how before writing a memo. Good memos clearly state their purpose and indicate any required action requested of the reader. Basic Writing Skills for Business Sue McCullough

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