1. CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Office Administration Chapter 7: Composing and Editing Written Communication

2. 2 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Positive Language and Tone Focus on the reader by using pronouns like “you” and “your” People react to positive Limit the use of negative expressions in a message Avoid words using not, regret, neglect, fail Tone should be friendly, conversational, and professional

3. 3 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Familiar Words Use common synonyms for unfamiliar words Avoid using unfamiliar technical words outside of your profession Use English equivalents for foreign expressions Refrain from using jargon in business writing Spell out acronyms the first time they are used in a document Avoid slang

4. 4 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Concrete vs. Abstract Language Concrete refers to the use of words that are precise in meaning; abstract to those where meaning can be interpreted differently A word or phrase may be added to an abstract word to define it more precisely The abstract term may be defined in the sentence Use the most specific word when it impacts the meaning Short, simple words convey meaning more directly

5. 5 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Active Words Active verbs convey precise meaning, the action happening Active voice refers an emphasis on the performer of the task and passive voice to an emphasis on the action being taken Descriptive adjectives are also called key words or descriptors Descriptive adverbs convey precise meanings

6. 6 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Contemporary and Confusing Words Use of contemporary words makes writing more relevant Effective word selection between confusing words takes a lot of effort and practice. Be sure to distinguish between accept and except advise and advice all ready and already among and between awhile and while bad and badly complement and compliment effect and affect good and well lay and lie lose and loose most and almost proceed and precede principal and principle real and really set and still site, cite, and sight stationary and stationery their, there, they’re than and then to, too, two who, which, that

7. 7 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Unbiased Language Gender-free language should be used instead of masculine or feminine word, men and women should be treated equally Avoid labels, stereotypes, and using “man” and “woman” as the prefix or suffix of a word Language should be ethnically and racially unbiased Types of jobs held by people should not be stereotyped

8. 8 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Constructing Effective Sentences Avoid common sentence construction errors like fragments, run-on sentences, and comma-splices Vary sentence types for interest; use a combination of simple, compound, complex, and compound- complex Vary sentence length Sentences should be connected to show related ideas Choose the best sentence format for the message

9. 9 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Writing Organized Paragraphs Thoughts or ideas should be separated to begin writing paragraphs Choose between a deductive (direct) and inductive (indirect) approach for the paragraph Compose each paragraph to include an overview statement, supporting statements, and detail statements referring to the main idea

10. 10 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Effectiveness Criteria Coherence is demonstrated through consistency in style, word choice, and usage Emphasis means that greater importance is placed to a particular fact or idea Unity suggests a coherent flow of ideas Concise writing is brief, yet comprehensive Variety in writing maintains the reader’s interest Clarity is accomplished by knowing the purpose Accuracy in message, format, and language is key

11. 11 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Development of Goodwill Considerateness for others Empathy toward the reader, use the “you” approach Courtesy and concern for the reader Sincerity expresses confidence in others Respect should be shown to the company, products, and readers

12. 12 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Proofreading Techniques Proofread for typographical errors BESIDES using spell check Proofread by office professionals, read aloud if two people are available Proofreading technique Proofreading symbols should be used 1.Read the copy slowly and concentrate on the material 2.Align the copy with a ruler, especially with statistical material 3.Proofread vertically if keyed horizontally 4.Count entries and compare with the original 5.Delay final proofreading, if possible wait to proofread

13. 13 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Copyediting The revision of a draft for consistency, conciseness, and grammatical accuracy Revisions are marked manually in the text or using software tools Document should be keyed in rough-draft format Editing skills should be strong in areas of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and composition

14. 14 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Editing for Organization Check for clear and logical writing There should be open dialog and communication among the team of writers There should also be open communication between the writer(s) and copy editor The copy editor should be aware of the writing approach used The outline used by the writer can also be used by the copy editor

15. 15 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Editing for Completeness and Content Use reference manuals to look up rules as necessary Check and double-check the document for accuracy in facts and structure Be consistent with grammar and punctuation Maintain the author’s writing style while editing Use specific document formatting guidelines The document should have a neat, attractive appearance

16. 16 CPS ® and CAP ® Examination Review OFFICE ADMINISRATION, Fifth Edition By Schroeder and Graf ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 Use of Editing Software, Style Sheets and Symbols Spelling and grammar check tools are available in all productivity software Software editing tools may include highlighting changes, tracking changes in text, and collaborative writing A style sheet displays all the formatting points the author is expected to follow, helps editor Copyediting symbols are used to make manual editing easier