1. Composing Business Messages
Chapter 3
Composing Business Messages

2. The Writing Process
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 2

3. Phase 2 of the Writing Process
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 3

4. Phase 2: Researching Informal Research Methods/Idea Generation
Look in the files.
Talk with your boss.
Interview the target audience.
Conduct an informal survey.
Brainstorm ideas.
Formal Research Methods
Search manually.
Access electronically.
Go to the source.
Conduct scientific experiments.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 4

5. details and explanations
Phase 2: Organizing
DIRECT STRATEGY
Organizing
Business
Messages
Main idea comes
first followed by
details and explanations
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 5

6. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 6

7. Phase 2: Organizing Organizing Business Messages Explanation precedes
main idea
Organizing
Business
Messages
INDIRECT STRATEGY
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 7

8. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 8

9. Phase 2: Composing Business writers must be able to:
Develop effective sentences.
Improve writing techniques.
Draft powerful paragraphs.
Compose a first draft.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 9

10. Effective Sentences Complete sentences have subjects
Phrases
Clauses
Complete sentences have subjects
and verbs and make sense
(are capable of standing alone).
subject verb
Employees send many messages.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 10

11. Effective Sentences dependent clause independent clause
Complete
Sentences
Clauses
Phrases
Clauses also have subjects and verbs.
Independent clauses can stand alone.
Dependent clauses rely on independent clauses for their meaning.
dependent clause independent clause
When you speak, you reveal yourself.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 11

12. Effective Sentences phrase phrase
Complete
Sentences
Clauses
Phrases
Phrases are groups of related words without subjects and verbs.
phrase phrase
In the afternoon, I work at the mall.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 12

13. Effective Sentences Use four sentence types to achieve variety.
Simple sentence (one independent clause) LinkedIn decided to sell its stock to the public.
Compound sentence (two independent clauses) The company went public, and the price per share doubled the first day.
Complex Sentence (one independent and one dependent clause) Because LinkedIn’s IPO was so successful, the entire stock market went up.
Compound-complex sentence (at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause) Although many investors bought LinkedIn stock the first day, some were disappointed; however, they were able to purchase shares shortly after.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 13

14. Effective Sentences Avoid three common sentence faults. 1. Fragment
Even though the pay was low. Many candidates applied.
Revision:
Even though the pay was low, many candidates applied.
2. Run-on (fused) sentence
Two candidates applied only one was hired.
Revisions:
Two candidates applied. Only one was hired.
Two candidates applied; only one was hired.
Two candidates applied, but only one was hired.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 14

15. Effective Sentences Avoid three common sentence faults.
3. Comma Splice
Many were qualified, Jeff was hired.
Revisions:
Many were qualified. Jeff was hired.
Many were qualified; Jeff was hired.
Many were qualified; however, Jeff was hired.
Many were qualified, but Jeff was hired.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 15

16. Improving Writing Techniques
Achieve emphasis through mechanics.
Underlining:
Which of these methods do you prefer?
Italics and Boldface:
The use of boldface and italics captures the reader’s attention.
All Caps:
Notice how EXPENSE-FREE VACATION stands out.
Dashes:
Other methods–including dashes–may be used.
Tabulation: Listing items vertically emphasizes them.
1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 16

17. Improving Writing Techniques
Achieve emphasis through style.
To emphasize an idea
Use a vivid expression, such as in error-free document rather than good document.
Label the idea with expressions such as more important, the principal reason, or the best alternative.
Put the important idea first or last in the sentence.
Put the important idea in a simple sentence or independent clause.
To de-emphasize an idea
Use general, rather than specific, words (some customers complained, rather than 125 customers complained).
Place the idea in a dependent clause connected to an independent clause containing a positive idea.
Although items cannot be returned for cash, you will receive store credit for any returns.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 17

18. Improving Writing Techniques
Use active- and passive-voice verbs.
Active-voice verbs show the subject performing the action.
Use active voice for most business writing.
Most major employers provide health insurance.
(Active voice; the subject is acting)
Latoya submitted her report on time.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 18

19. Improving Writing Techniques
Use active- and passive-voice verbs.
In passive-voice sentences, the subject is being acted upon. Passive-voice verbs require helper verbs.
Use the passive voice to emphasize an action or the recipient of the action and to deliver bad news.
Health insurance is provided by most major employers.
(Passive voice; the subject is being acted upon)
The report was submitted on time by Latoya.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 19

20. Improving Writing Techniques
Develop parallelism, balanced construction.
Match nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, phrases with phrases, and clauses with clauses.
Poor
Parallel
Training sessions
have been stimulat-
ing and a challenge.
Training sessions
have been stimulat-
ing and challenging.
(Matches -ing verbals)
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 20

21. Improving Writing Techniques
Avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers. For clarity, modifiers must be close to the words they describe or limit.
Poor
Improved
After considering the
problem carefully,
new procedures
were suggested by
management.
After considering the
problem carefully,
management
suggested new
procedures.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 21

22. Drafting Powerful Paragraphs
A paragraph is a group of sentences about one idea. Paragraphs are most effective when they contain:
A topic sentence
Support sentences that expand and explain the main idea
Techniques to build coherence
Achieve paragraph coherence by using one of these devices:
Repeat a key idea or key words.
Use a pronoun.
Use an appropriate transitional expression.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 22

23. Composing the First Draft
Complete all necessary research.
Find a quiet place to concentrate and work.
Prohibit calls, visitors, and interruptions.
Organize information into an outline.
Decide whether to write quickly (freewriting) OR revise as you go.
Imagine you are talking to a reader or listener.
Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition
Chapter 3, Slide 23

24. END