Topic Business

5 Writing 1

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Describe the different parts of a formal letter and their respective
functions;
2. Write various types of business letters with the right format and
layout; and
3. Use correct punctuation and appropriate language to effectively
convey the message in business writing.

INTRODUCTION
This topic provides you with lots of practice on using appropriate language in
business writing. You will get to hone your writing skills through exercises
related to choosing the right words, coming up with the right sentence structures,
paragraphing and word ordering (please refer to Figure 5.1). In addition, you
will also be introduced to the various formats of business letters. You can also
brush up on your grammar, in particular, the use of singular and plural forms of
nouns in the English language.

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Figure 5.1: Choosing the right words is crucial to letter writing

Source: [Letter Writing]. Retrieved February 11, 2010, from:
http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/24700/24714/letter_writi_24714.htm

5.1 THE LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS WRITING

Language is the communication tool that enables you to give form and shape to
ideas, feelings and events. In business writing, it is important that you express
yourself effectively so that your message is communicated to the receiver
without any misinterpretation. A direct writing style is encouraged. Choose a
style that is reader-friendly that aims to get the message across easily and
quickly.

You will need to work with words, sentences, paragraphs and the layout of the
document. Selecting the right words will contribute to a courteous tone and offer
greater clarity. Make sure that the sentences are of the appropriate length and
that there is proper paragraphing.

Consideration of these factors will minimise misunderstanding arising from

ambiguity and improve the effectiveness of business communication.

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5.1.1 Choice of Words

In business writing, it is better to use words that are familiar to your reader. It is
important to get to the point quickly. The use of long sentences and unnecessary
words should be avoided as these will only get in the way of the message and
result in ambiguity. Do not use clichs. As far as possible, try to use non-sexist
language e.g. staff or workforce instead of manpower. This will protect
you from accusations of gender bias.

ACTIVITY 5.1

The phrases below contain unnecessary words. Find a suitable word or

expression to replace these unnecessary words and write your answers
in the space provided on the right. The first one has been done for you.

No. Unnecessary word/clich Better expression/word

1 on the occasion of when
2 a number of different
3 the majority of
4 wise words of wisdom
5 completely eliminate
6 your good self
7 at this point in time
8 reside
9 optimum
10 terminate
11 beg to acknowledge receipt of

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5.1.2 Sentence Structure

When talking about sentence structure, we need to look at two things
readability and punctuation.

Short sentences are easier to read and convey the message more clearly. Long
sentences may cause confusion and end with important points being lost to the
reader. Too many short sentences lumped together, however, may result in the
piece of writing sounding jerky and monotonous.

It is better to use sentences of various lengths to improve the flow of ideas. The
general rule in business correspondence is to keep sentences within a length of
between 15 and 20 words. While you may be an accomplished writer and able to
construct long, complex sentences, your reader may not be able to understand
such sentence structures.

In the same way, the use of proper punctuation helps the reader to pause where
necessary; this often adds clarity to the message.

ACTIVITY 5.2

Rewrite the following long sentence into a paragraph of shorter sentences.

Use appropriate punctuation to add clarity to the message. You may
change some of the words or use any of the following phrases:

Like many other types of .

Some of these are to
Two general strategies
Of course

Like many other types of writing, a piece of persuasive writing uses

several different strategies to persuade readers, including gaining
the readers attention, interest, desire for the product or service and
their willingness to take action. A good piece of writing will
consider its purpose and the needs of the receiver; persuasive
writing also uses these two strategies.

ACTIVITY 5.2

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5.1.3 Paragraph Structure

The coherence and cohesion of your writing depends not only on your choice of
words and sentence structure but also on how well you construct your
paragraphs. The structure of the paragraph is therefore important. However,
because business writing is considered a specialised type of writing, attention to
the order of information is also important in paragraphing.

Basically, business writing has three functions, namely:

To inform;
To instruct; and
To persuade.

To do this effectively, it is important to organise your ideas to suit the purpose of

your communication.

ACTIVITY 5.3

The following paragraph is choppy and disconnected when read.

Rewrite the paragraph. You may combine short sentences or change the
expressions used. You may also use connectors such as because, as and
while to link your sentences together. Begin with ...

Different seating arrangements

Seating arrangements can affect communication between members at a

meeting. Round or oval tables are ideal. People see each others actions
and reactions. Rectangular tables are less ideal. They give power to the
people at one end of the table. Tables invite formality. Sit above the
rest and you have more power. Sit below other people and they have
more power.

5.1.4 Tone
In business communication, the choice of words and order of information in
paragraphs often help to convey the right tone. It is important to be courteous at
all times, regardless of the nature and purpose of your communication.

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Remember, in business communication, you must always strive to retain your

customers goodwill.

In a written document, words are a permanent record which cannot be deleted

once they have reached the customer. An aggressive and patronising tone as in
How could you have allowed a stop payment cheque? is threatening and
belittling.

We note that a stop payment cheque has been allowed conveys the same idea
in a non-threatening manner. Avoid using imperatives e.g., Send your payment
as soon as possible. Add please to sound more polite so that a statement still
fulfils the function of requesting an action.

Finally, sentences in each paragraph must have a logical development. The use of
connectors such as however, while, therefore and as will help to make a text
more coherent.

ACTIVITY 5.4

Read the following letter and describe its tone. If you are the recipient
of this letter, how would you feel? Now, rewrite the letter to give it a
more appropriate tone. Remember, this exercise focuses on the tone
and not the content of the letter.

Dear Madam,
Your allegations of a delay in processing your credit claim have been
considered and dismissed by our department.
Please consider the needs of an overworked staff before you put pen to
paper and write to this organisation again.

Yours sincerely,
Adam Tarika

5.1.5 Word Order

When constructing sentences, it is important to bear in mind that each and every
sentence should be complete. Almost all sentences in the English language
contain a subject (S) and a verb (V). The verb may or may not be followed by an
object (O). A simple sentence has one clause.
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The subject is the person or thing that the sentence is about. The object is the
person or thing affected by the action or situation. The complement tells you
more about the subject. Read the examples in Figure 5.2 for a better
understanding of word order and the components of a complete sentence:

Figure 5.2: Word order and the components of a complete sentence

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ACTIVITY 5.5

1. Why is it important to have grammatically correct sentences in

business writing?
2. The following sentence is too long:

I am very keen on joining your organisation and my

considerable interest in the field of advertising is based on a
long-term involvement with publishing houses, the media and
people and I am writing to offer my comprehensive skills and
talents to meet your organisations needs.

(a) Break the sentence into three short sentences. You may need
to correct the grammar, and change/add words in order to
convey your message clearly.
(b) Identify the subject, verb and object or complement in each of
the sentences.

ACTIVITY 5.6

The following are the Seven Cs of effective written communication.

Write the correct term next to its description.

Concrete Complete Clear Concise

Courteous Correct Considerate

Characteristics of Effective Description

Communication
Readable, coherent and unambiguous.
Contains all necessary details.
Has relevant details only.
Aware of the receiver.
Tactful and sensitive.
Not vague or abstract.
Specific details, grammar, punctuation
and spelling.

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5.2 THE FORMAT OF BUSINESS LETTERS

As in other types of communication, a successful business letter is one that elicits
the desired response. Business letters are usually sent to people in other
companies. As they deal with work-related issues, they tend to be more formal
than other types of correspondence.

The style of writing in business letters can be varied to reduce formality,

depending on the degree of familiarity with the recipient.

The layout of the letter provides the frame for the body of your letter. There are
essential and optional parts in the layout as you will soon see.

The following explanation will give you an idea of the purpose of the different
parts of a letter.

(a) Letterhead
The letterhead gives information about the writer, the organisation he/ she
represents, the address and the telephone number. Most business
organisations use company stationery with a letterhead which includes
these details. Often the telex, facsimile number and e-mail address are also
included. Some company letterheads also provide reference for use when
the need arises (Our Ref. or Your Ref.).

(b) Date
The date is placed between the letterhead and the inside address. A
common way of writing the date is 4 August 2000, although people in the
United States state the month first. Thus, it is better to write out the month
in full to avoid confusion over what the numbers in a date stand for.

(c) Inside address

The inside address is placed after the date and before the greeting or
salutation. It contains the name of the addressee and/or designation and
the company address. Double spacing is recommended between the date
and the salutation.

(d) Attention line

In business correspondence, letters are usually addressed to the management
but if you know the specific section or person who is responsible for
responding, then an attention line would hasten the process. The attention
line is added two spaces below the last line of the inside address.

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(e) Greeting
Sometimes referred to as the salutation, the greeting is placed two lines
below the inside address or the attention line as the case may be.

Dear Madam and Dear Sir would mean you do not know the
recipients name and add to the formality. You may use the first name of
the recipient if you plan to communicate with a more personal tone.

The name or expression is often preceded by titles that identify the gender
or marital status of the recipient. Mr and Mrs differentiate between
gender; Miss and Mrs convey marital status. Ms is reserved for
women whose marital status is unknown or if the recipient prefers to be
addressed in that manner.

Some examples of greetings or salutations are:

Dear Sir Dear Madam Dear Ms Lim Dear Mrs Nathan
Dear Clarence Dear Mr de Souza

(f) Subject line

The subject line defines the letter s subject or purpose. It should be no more
than 10 words and placed after the greeting. If a subject line is not used,
then reference to subject and purpose of communication should be made in
the opening paragraph.

(g) Body
There are three parts to the body including the opening and the closing. The
opening paragraph catches the reader s attention, explains the situation
and states the intention.

The middle section, sometimes also referred to as the body of the letter,
contains details about the purpose of the communication and should
prompt the reader to take the desired action. The ending is usually worded
courteously to maintain goodwill.

(h) Complimentary close

The complimentary close used should match the form of address used in
the greeting. A formal greeting e.g. Dear Sir/Madam should close with
Yours faithfully. This is followed by the senders signature, name and/ or
title or designation. If the recipients name is used in the greeting, then close
with Yours sincerely.

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(i) Signature block

The signature block refers to the writers signature, name and position or
job. Except for the signature, the other details are usually typewritten.

ACTIVITY 5.7

The following are the different parts of a business letter. Tick () to

indicate whether each part is essential or optional.

Parts of a business letter Essential Optional

Subject line
Complimentary close
File number
Greeting
Senders telephone extension
number
Date
Senders signature and job title or
designation
Reference initials
Inside address (intended readers
address)
Body of the letter
Senders name and address
Attention line
Enclosure
Sender s e-mail or website details

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ACTIVITY 5.8

Label the different parts of the letter. Write the names of the parts in the
boxes provided.

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5.3 GRAMMAR: SINGULAR AND PLURAL

FORMS
When constructing sentences in business writing, it is important to pay heed to
subject-verb agreement. The subject of a sentence is usually a noun or a noun
phrase. Nouns belong to two broad categories: countable nouns and uncountable
nouns.

5.3.1 Countable Nouns

Countable nouns:
Are individual things, people and places: a diary, a memo, a letter, a
photograph, a receptionist, a factory;
Are units of measurement such as a metre, a mile, a kilo, a pound, a litre, a
gallon;
Are used with a/an;
Can be used in the plural (diaries, memos); and
Follow words such as many, these, several, few, a number of ...

One of the more effective ways of confirming whether a noun is countable or

uncountable is by referring to the dictionary. Each word listed in the dictionary
will be described according to its part of speech; n denotes noun, v denotes verb
and adj denotes adjective. Nouns are further described as C for countable and
UC for uncountable.

Look at the extract of the word report taken from a dictionary (please refer to
Figure 5.3):

Figure 5.3: Extract taken from a dictionary

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5.3.2 Uncountable Nouns

(a) Uncountable nouns include:
Substances: Gas, glass, gold, iron, oil, plastic, water;
Abstract ideas: Health, humour, profitability, progress, relevance,
safety; and
Verbal nouns: Brainstorming, job-sharing, restructuring, shopping, timing.

(b) Uncountable nouns:

Do not take the when used in the general sense (e.g. Travel broadens
the mind, not The travel broadens the mind);
Take the singular form of the verb; and
Are placed after words like much, a little and a great deal of.

ACTIVITY 5.9

1. (a) Identify all the countable nouns in the letter (Activity 5.8),
e.g. brochure, products.
(b) Make a note of whether the nouns you identified are
singular or plural. If the noun identified is singular, write
down its plural form, and vice versa.

2. The following words and phrases are taken from a letter of

acknowledgement. Tick () the correct column to indicate
whether each term is countable or uncountable.

Nouns Countable Uncountable

meeting
minutes of meeting
community
growth
importance
landmarks
concern
dedication
group
time slot

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5.3.3 Plural Nouns

Here are some rules on how to change a noun to the plural form.

(a) We add s to form the plural of most nouns.

Example: letters, minutes.

If the noun ends in s, x, or ch or sh, we add es.

Examples: classes, boxes, bunches, crashes.

(b) If the final consonant of a noun is followed by y, the y is replaced with

ies.
Examples: industries, deliveries

(c) There are nouns which only occur in the plural. For example:
Earnings per share have increased.
Their headquarters are in Johor.
The goods will be sent by special delivery.
We have opened new premises in Senawang.
Their new factory is on the outskirts of Bangi.
Many thanks for your invitation.

(d) Singular nouns ending in s

Some nouns end in s but are not plural:
The news was good.
Politics has never been one of my favourite subjects.
Economics is not an exact science.

(e) Groups and organisations

Singular nouns such as bank or committee can be seen either as a number of
people (plural) or as a collective unit (singular). As a result, the verb or
pronoun that follows such nouns may be either singular or plural.

(f) Irregular plurals

Some words do not take an s but have other forms, other endings or stay
the same. See examples given in Table 5.1:

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Table 5.1: Irregular Plurals

Singular Plural
aircraft aircraft
criterion criteria
foot feet
formula formulae/formulas
matrix matrices
person people
phenomenon phenomena

ACTIVITY 5.10

The following sentences contain common mistakes related to nouns.

Correct the mistakes in the words underlined.
(a) Their offices are on the outskirt of Seremban.
(b) The demand for good and services is lower this year.
(c) Our new premise are located near the municipal library.
(d) He is the officer in charge of the engineering work.
(e) The employees were happy that their earning had increased.
(f) The products were returned because they did not fulfil all the
criterion specified.
(g) The shelf were removed to make way for the new furniture.
(h) They had been receiving a great number of fax for the past two
hours.
(i) The news are bad, Im afraid.
(j) She knows a great many persons.
(k) Stress at work is not a recent phenomena.
(l) The new hostel for the workers is situated in pleasant
surrounding.
(m) The staffs are unhappy with the new arrangements.
(n) Statistics are a subject about which I know very little.
(o) The goods you ordered has arrived.

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5.4 LAYOUT
The parts of a business letter can be arranged in different ways. There are three
main types of layout:
(a) Full block layout;
(b) Modified block layout; and
(c) Modified block layout with indented paragraphs.

5.4.1 Full Block Layout

The full block layout has all the parts of the letter aligned against the left-hand
margin. Even the optional parts such as enclosure, copy notations and reference
file numbers are set this way. The letter in Activity 5.8 is an example of a full
block layout.

ACTIVITY 5.11

Rewrite the following letter by:

(a) Using the full block letter format. Add the missing essential
parts of a business letter, e.g. the salutation. The (/) signs
indicate line break.
(b) Organising the body of the letter into three paragraphs
a beginning, middle and ending.

Ms Jennifer Mead/Secretary/Fairview Residents Association/76

Fairview Park/43100 Petaling Jaya/Selangor
We would be very happy to approve your request for Meena Trimble
to speak at our next association meeting for approximately 20
minutes. The business community in Sri Layang welcomes growth
but at the same time strives to be sensitive to the importance of
preserving our landmarks. We appreciate the concern and dedication
you and your group have in preserving our landmarks. Mr Wilkes
will be contacting you by phone about the time slot we have for your
remarks. Thank you for the concern you demonstrate for our
community.
Yours sincerely / Jose E Morales / Director

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5.4.2 Modified Block Layout

Modified block layout centres the sender s address or aligns it with the right-
hand margin. The date is placed straight underneath and in line with the senders
address. The inside address (recipient s name and address) and the greeting are
placed against the left-hand margin, and so are the paragraphs. The
complimentary close and signature block are set in line with the writers address
and the date. Modified block is a more conservative style of layout in comparison
to the full block layout.

An example is presented in Figure 5.4:

Figure 5.4: Modified block layout

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ACTIVITY 5.12

Read the letter in Figure 5.4 and answer the following questions.

(a) What is the subject line of the letter?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

(b) What is the information contained in the beginning or opening

paragraph of the letter?
_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

(c) What action must the receiver of the letter take?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

(d) How does the sender end the letter courteously?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

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5.4.3 Modified Block Layout with Indented

Paragraphs
Generally, this layout is the same as the modified block format except that the
first line of each paragraph is indented (please refer to Figure 5.5):

Figure 5.5: Modified block layout with indented paragraphs

5.5 PUNCTUATION STYLES

There are two styles of punctuating a business letter, namely:
(a) Open style; and
(b) Mixed style.

The open style does not use punctuation except in the body of the letter. The mixed
style places a comma after the greeting and after the complimentary close e.g. Dear
Mr Devadas and Yours sincerely.

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Selecting the right words is an important part of business communication.

Sentence structure, word order and proper paragraphing are other important
considerations in effective business writing.

The tone of business letters depends on the degree of familiarity between the
writer and the recipient of the communication.

There are various types of business letter formats full block layout,
modified block layout and modified block layout with indented paragraphs.

All the different parts of a business letter letterhead, date, inside address,
attention line, greeting or salutation, subject line, body, complimentary close,
signature have different functions.

Business letter Open punctuation styles

Inside address Subject line
Mixed punctuation styles Tone
Modified block layout Word order
Modified block layout with indented
paragraphs

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