Business Writing Essentials v2.7

Business Writing Essentials
British Council Professional Development Centre

480 Lor 6 Toa Payoh, HDB Hub, #09-01 East Wing Singapore
310480
Tel: 6470 7265 - Fax: 6397 2242
pdc-enquiry@britishcouncil.org.sg
www.britishcouncil.sg
Business Writing Essentials v2.7 www.britishcouncil.org.sg
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© British Council 2018 2

Key to icons
Group based task Role play task Writing task
Pair based task Individual think task Quiz
Instructor-led discussion Task continues over page Self-study task
Verbal practice task Video task Assessed task
Presentation task with video

Reference task Presentation task
camera
Hand-outs Learning game Computer activity

Workbook

Table of contents
Course objectives 7
What you will need to do on this course 8
Competencies 9
Introduction and overview 10

Your writing 11
Your objectives 12
The 5 Cs 13
Case study 14
Complete 15
Purpose 16
Reader: internal and external 17
Reader: reason and subject knowledge 18
Action 19
Planning diagram 20
Planning practice 22
Section summary: is it complete? 23
Clear 24
Being specific 25
Linking 26
Paragraphs 27
Logical structure 30
Layout and design 31
Section summary: is it clear? 33
Correct 34
Some common errors 35
Subject-verb agreement 36

Commonly confused words 37

Sentence structure 39
Section summary: is it correct? 40
Courteous 41
Relationship with your reader- the level of formality 42
Use active verbs not passive 43
Talk to your reader 43
Section summary: is it courteous? 45
Concise 46
Short familiar words 47
Verbs instead of nouns 48
Splitting sentences 49
Repetition 50
Redundancy 51
Section summary: is it concise? 52
Summary 53
Vetting your work 54
Checklist 55
What next? 56
Resources 57
1.Paragraphs (Answers to laminates) 58
2. How to write an effective paragraph 59
3. Clichés 60
4. Collocation 61
5. Passives 62
6. Sample report 63
7. Punctuation 65
8. Sample layout and design 68

Course objectives
This comprehensive workshop provides you with a thorough understanding of
modern business writing. This will enable you to write all types of documents
more effectively and professionally.
Through analysis and hands-on activities, you will learn how to plan, write and
edit a variety of documents. You will write case studies and receive feedback
from your trainer and other participants on your strengths and areas to
improve.
Benefits
 Feel more confident in your knowledge of modern business writing
 Communicate your ideas more effectively
 Learn how to give a professional image

What you will need to do on this course

We believe that people learn best by doing. So this course has a strong emphasis on
practical activity. Much of this course requires you to actively engage in ‘hands-on’
work.
We also believe that people learn best through collaboration. You will be working in
pairs and in groups for much of the course and will be expected to listen, discuss,
share ideas, and negotiate tasks and outcomes.

Competencies
The skills developed in Business Writing Essentials link to the following
competencies.
Analytical Thinking
Analytical Thinking is about bringing disciplined analysis to data and situations, to
see cause and effect and to use this to make effective decisions.
Customer Service Orientation

Customer Service Orientation is the willingness and the ability to give priority to
customers, delivering high quality services which meet their needs.
Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to adapt to and work with a variety of situations, individuals
and groups. It is about being able to think on your feet, and not being disconcerted or
stopped by the unexpected.
Professional Confidence
Professional Confidence is a justified belief in one's ability to do the job, providing an
opinion or advice when necessary and being prepared to take a decisive course of
action.
Relationship Building
Relationship Building is about building bonds with others and using these to
persuade, convince or gain support in order to achieve positive outcomes for the
organisation.

Introduction and overview

By the end of this section, you will have:
 set your objectives for this course
 understood the scope of the course
 discussed some of the types of writing you do at work

Your writing
What kind of writing do you do at work? Do you write emails, faxes, letters, press
releases, memos, reports, minutes or proposals? How frequently do you write? Who
do you write to? What are their names? What is your relationship to them (colleague,
boss, supplier, customer, potential customer)?
What do you write and how frequently? Who are your readers?

Your objectives
What are the features of good business writing?

What do you do well?

What do you need to improve?

The 5 Cs
What do the 5 Cs of business writing mean to you?

Case study
We would like to see a sample of your writing so we (and you) can analyse your
strengths and areas for improvement.
Case study
You are part of a project team supported by the management and are responsible for
implementing a staff suggestion scheme within the business unit.
The aim of this scheme is to engage employees by providing a channel for them to
contribute ideas that could improve business excellence. These could include service
to clients, work environment, productivity and efficiency etc. Employees can submit
their suggestions using an online form which will be available in the intranet when the
scheme is launched.
You have to test the online form before it ‘goes live’ and your task now is to write an
email inviting a group of colleagues to participate as users in a ‘trial and test’ and
provide you with feedback.

Complete
By the end of this section, you will understand the importance of:
 establishing the purpose of your writing, be it an email, letter, report, proposal,

press-release or any other document
 being aware of your reader and tailoring your texts to suit your reader
 making explicit the action that you will take or you want your reader to take as a
result of the document
 brainstorming all the necessary facts to include before you start writing

Purpose
Whenever you write something you must ask yourself the question: “Why am I
writing this?” You usually state the reason for your document in the opening sentence
and/or in the heading e.g.:
 I am writing to complain about the behaviour of one of your staff.
 Request for unpaid leave
 This paper investigates the causes of an accident in the Machine Room on 14

April and makes recommendations to prevent a recurrence.
 Here are the main points we discussed earlier.
Brainstorm three different purposes for writing about each of these topics. Use an
appropriate to+verb structure.
1. Laptops
2. Child care centres
3. Office furniture
4. Training subsidies
What is the purpose of the document you wrote in your case study? Write a purpose
statement on a post it note and share it with your colleagues.

Reader: internal and external

After you have decided on the purpose of the document, you should be clear to whom
you are writing; who is your reader? Is your reader within your organisation (internal)
or outside your organisation (external)?
This message on a notice board in the foyer of a building was meant for both, people
working there and for visitors:
Due to reorganisation, the basement (YL) will be on the second floor, the lower half
of the second floor (TDU) will be on the first floor, but the upper half (E&E) will
remain on the second floor. First floor (PDC) will move to the basement.
Would internal readers understand this notice?
Would external readers understand this notice?
Why?

Reader: reason and subject knowledge

What groups of people are these three texts aimed at? Identify the reader(s) Give
reasons for your choice.
1. ___________________
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a common childhood illness. It causes sores in the

mouth and on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks and legs. Mouth sores can
be painful and may make it hard for your child to eat. The disease is not serious, and it
usually goes away in a week or so.
2. ___________________
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness of infants and
children. The disease causes fever and blister-like eruptions in the mouth and/or a skin
rash. HFMD is often confused with foot-and-mouth (also called hoof-and-mouth)
disease, a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine; however, the two diseases are not
related—they are caused by different viruses. Humans do not get the animal disease,
and animals do not get the human disease
3. __________________
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral illness with a distinct clinical

presentation of oral and characteristic distal extremity lesions. Most commonly, the
etiologic agents are coxsackieviruses, notably coxsackievirus A16, members of the
Picornaviridae family.
What is the difference in content and language between the three texts?
Now go back to page 11 and think about how this applies to your readers

Action
When you have decided what your purpose is and what your reader needs, you must
decide what action you want to happen as a result of your communication.
The Action is the next step you will take or the response you expect from your reader
e.g.
 I’ll send everyone in the team the first prototype on 23 March
 Please send me your application before 19 June 2018
 I recommend that we review our long-term capital expenditure soon with a view
to bringing forward the purchase date of the new plant.
 Steve to investigate getting some part-time help by 31 January
To make your document clear, you should think about the 3Ws:
 Who will do it?
 What will be done?
 When will you or they do it?
Now identify the 3Ws in the four examples above

Planning diagram
Diagrams are a useful way of generating and organising ideas before beginning to
write. Below is the plan of Jessica Wong’s letter from the next page. Identify what
information is missing on the blank lines, and then add it to the branches below.

Dear Mr Tan
The Future of HRD Conference 2018 – 7 & 8 October
I am pleased to invite you to the Future of HRD Conference 2018. This year the
conference is at the Two Towers Hotel on Thursday and Friday, 7 and 8 October.
Highlights of the conference include:
 Keynote speakers from the UK, US and Asia
 HRD Past, Present and Future
 Innovation in systems and training
 The new revolutionary HRD management robot from Japan
You will see presentations from a distinguished panel of professional speakers who
will be able to give you expert advice on any area of HRD. I have enclosed a detailed
outline, which I am sure you will find interesting.
If you would like to join us this year, please complete and return the enclosed
registration form to me by 30 September.
Please call me if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely
Jessica
Jessica Wong
Conference Secretary
+65 92386239
Enc

Planning practice
Now draw a spider diagram for your case study.
Take a blank sheet of paper and turn it so that it is horizontal (landscape). Now write
your purpose in the centre and draw a diagram that radiates out from the centre.
Think of all the information the reader needs to know, and all the information you
want them to tell you. Think also about who is expected to do what and by when.

Section summary: is it complete?
 Have you stated a clear purpose right up front?

□
 Who are your reader(s)?
□
 Are they internal or external?
□
 Are you directing it to your readers with the right amount of
detail? □
 Do they know the terminology?
□
 Have you made it clear what action will follow, when and who
will do it? □
 Did you brainstorm all the necessary facts on a spider diagram
and prioritise them in the sequence in which you wrote them? □

Clear
By the end of this section, you will understand how to:
 add content to make your information more specific
 be sure your paragraphs are well structured and flow logically
 structure your documents in the most logical fashion
 make your document more presentable

Being specific
You should use words that are precise in meaning. Which sentence do you prefer?
a) We are prepared to extend the deadline on condition that you take necessary
measures.
b) You now have until 31 March to remove all machinery from the site.
The words below are often used because the writer has not defined exactly what he or
she wants to say. Suggest ways to make them more precise. You may make up any
other information that is necessary.
1. Some clarification is required.
2. Hoping to receive a favourable reply.
3. Please rectify the problem.
4. The procedure should be regularised.
5. Please let me have any feedback.

Linking
Linking words help you to connect ideas and sentences. Here are some examples:
Contrast: He works hard, but he doesn't earn much.

Sequencing: First, I will share some background, then its importance.
Cause: We need to hire more staff because the company is expanding.
Result: The company is expanding so we need to hire more staff.
Addition: We spoke about marketing problems and finance issues.
Now take words from the box and put them in their appropriate columns:
however since next

before also hence
another although therefore
as too during
as a result due to despite
Contrast Sequence Cause Result Addition
In your teams now make sentences with at least one ‘linking word’ from each
category.

Paragraphs
Your trainer will give you two paragraphs (on laminated strips) to put in sequence.
Which paragraph do you prefer? Why?
What are the similarities? What are the differences between the two paragraphs?

So what makes a good paragraph? Answer these questions about the two paragraphs
you put in sequence using the laminates, on the previous page:
1. What is the topic of the paragraph?
2. In which sentence did you find the topic?
3. What do the other sentences in the paragraph do?
4. How many supporting points are there?
5. Why are the points in that particular order?
6. What does the final sentence do?
7. How long is the paragraph?

Now write a paragraph:
Read the notes on how to write an effective paragraph in the Resources section at the
back of the workbook. Then create a paragraph in your group. You can choose any
subject to write about. Here are some suggestions:
 Food
 Things to do in Singapore
 Staying healthy
 The Great Singapore Sale
Your paragraph should have:
 A topic sentence
 4 main supporting ideas
 Linking words
 Unity (one topic per paragraph)
 Logical flow (based on time, cause/effect, order of importance etc)
 A concluding sentence
 A maximum of 8 lines

Logical structure
Match the example with the headings and then write a definition.
Headings Example Definition
1. Situation a) I opened fire.
2. Problem b) The enemy ran away
3. Solution c) I was on sentry duty one night
4. Evaluation d) I heard the enemy approaching
This is a generic structure that can be used for a variety of documents including
reports. Match these four headings to the appropriate sections of the mini report
below:
The Mayfield Prison currently transports its patients with communicable

diseases to the Franklin Community Hospital. While this insures proper care
and isolation, the institution experiences a depletion in available man-power.
Transporting patients also creates a safety concern for the surrounding
community and channels funds from other projects into this outside contract.
Various medical journals indicate the necessity for proper isolation, especially
for inmates afflicted with tuberculosis. Other local prisons, such as Plank
Prison, are currently operating an in-house hospital unit quite successfully.
Although building such an in-house facility at Mayfield will require a large
initial investment, the long-term benefits will make such a commitment
worthwhile.
Could you have used this structure in your case study?

Layout and design

Are these statements true or false? Be prepared to give reasons for your answers
1. In modern correspondence, Dear Ms Customer and Yours

sincerely are followed by a comma
2. Put a line space between paragraphs
3. Always use the same font throughout the document
4. In modern business letters, punctuation is not used in the

receiver’s address
5. Put a full stop after Mr. or Ms.
6. The first line of every paragraph should be indented.
7. Use 1.5 line spacing in most documents
8. Use bullet points if the items in your list can go in any order
9. Use upper case for the subject heading or titles in your

documents to make them stand out
10. Emphasise words by making them bold or by underlining or

UPPERCASING them

11. Always use ‘fully justified’ layout
12. Use wide margins on both sides of your document
13. Headings should be left justified and bold (rather than

underlined)
14. Prefer serif font to sans font
15. When writing dates, just write the number followed by

the month e.g. 1 August, not 1st August
16. To show hierarchy or order in a list , use numbered

points.
17. Number every paragraph in a letter
18. Bullets should all start with the same type of word e.g.
all nouns or all verbs
19. Only use bullet points when you are listing items
20. The usual font size for most documents is 11 or 12 point

Section summary: is it clear?

Now is a good time to check your case study:
 Did you use specific language?
 Are your paragraphs appropriately structured?
 Did you use linking words to explain how your ideas logically connect?
 Is your argument logically structured?

Situation – Problem – Solution – Evaluation (Result of
implementing)
 Have you adopted block style layout with plenty of white space?

Correct
By the end of this section, you will be more aware of:
 common grammatical errors in Singapore business writing
 subject verb agreement
 commonly confused words
 complex sentence structure using conjunctions and subordinate clauses

Some common errors

Below are some common errors made in Singaporean documents. All the sentences
are genuine. Can you spot the mistakes?
1. I look forward to hear from you soon.
2. I will like to request for unpaid leave.
3. If you required further clarifications please call me.
4. I have received a letter from you on Monday.
5. We apologised for the inconvenience caused.
6. We would inform you the result soonest possible.
7. The driver will send him to the airport.
8. I will appreciate if you can return the form latest 15 May.
9. Reference to your conversation with our Winston Boo
10. As spoken, staffs will be reminded about punctuality.

Subject-verb agreement
Read the following email and highlight the errors:
Thank you for your letter of 29 April asking about our printer.
We have a range of printer. Each printers cover a range of use. The printer you
referred to in your phone call last week are no longer available. They have now been
replaced with a new versions that have more feature and has a longer ink cartridge
life-span.
The ink cartridges now lasts four time longer than before and are way ahead of the
capability of our competitor product.
If you would like a demonstrations please call me on 699804444.
What are the rules for subject-verb agreement?

Commonly confused words

In Singapore many grammar and vocabulary errors occur because of pronunciation or
similar spellings. Choose the correct word from each pair:
1. She made her point with her (morale/moral) stance on the issue of raising
(morale/moral).
2. I (ensure/assure) you that we will make every effort to (ensure/assure) that this
will never happen again.
3. I would (advise/advice) you to seek qualified legal (advise/advice) about how to

handle this situation
4. We must (devise/device) a way to reduce overheating in the plant; the present

(devise/device) doesn’t work
5. The café was (formally/formerly) an expensive restaurant where guests were

(formally/formerly) met at the door
6. The (past/passed) two weeks have been hard for Sean. He has not (past/passed)
any of his exams. When he walked (past/passed) me, I told him to forget the (past/
passed) and look to the future.
7. I heard that the trainer (maybe/may be) absent today. (Maybe/May be) the
workshop will be cancelled
8. We travelled (farther/further) in one week than any of us had expected. The

journey took us (farther/further) into debt.
9. Everyone (accept/except) the drivers (accepted/excepted) the wage offer.
10. We must (adopt/adapt) ourselves to changing circumstances. This may involve

(adopting/adapting) new work styles

11. (Besides/Beside) the Marketing Director, the Finance Director also stood
(besides/beside) me at the presentation.
12. It is my (personnel/personal) opinion that people in large organisations are

administered, not led. They are treated as (personnel/personal), not people.
13. A: “Business Writing Essentials is a nice (compliment/complement) to Grammar

for Business”
B: ”Really! Well, thanks for the (compliment/complement)
14. Scientists continue to study the (affects/effects) of artificial sweeteners on

humans. Controversies over the use of such sweeteners have not seriously
(affected/effected) the sales of diet soft drinks.
15. LTA will (access/assess) the effectiveness of disabled (access/assess) facilities at

bus interchanges.
16. Because your belt is (lose/loose), you will probably (lose/loose) your trousers!

Sentence structure
Small, simple sentences can be joined together to make more complex ones.
Look at these examples; underline the linking word or conjunction in each sentence;
and then mark the subjects, verbs and objects:
1. The painters finished work on Friday and we moved the furniture back in.
2. I’d like to come to the meeting, but I’ve got an appointment this afternoon.
3. Although there’s a 15% discount included, it’s still quite expensive.
4. The painters worked very hard so that the room would be ready in time.
5. When the painters finished, we moved the furniture back in.

Section summary: is it correct?

Check your case study:
 Do your subjects and verbs agree?
 Have you used the correct words?
 Are your simple sentences grammatically complete?
 Have you used complex sentences correctly?

Courteous
By the end of this section, you will understand:
 how to tailor your writing to fit specific readers
 the use of active and passive voice
 the importance of avoiding over formality

Relationship with your reader- the level of formality

We saw earlier in the course that our relationship with the reader affects the level of
detail and jargon in our documents. This relationship also influences our choice of
language. What are the differences here? Which one do you like the best and why?
Dear Sir
Thank you for your correspondence of the 11th of last month. The management
regret that they are unable to accommodate this request, but would always be happy
to hear from customers again should you have any further similar requirements.
Yours faithfully
John Tan
Dear Mr Khan
Thanks for the enquiry but I’m afraid we don’t supply that model. I think XYZ do it,
so you may have some success there. Sorry we couldn’t help this time, but I hope
you try us again.
Best regards
John Tan
Hi Imran! Sorry, my friend, cannot-lah! Try XYZ?
JJ

Use active verbs not passive

Which sentence do you prefer? Why?
a) I wrote a letter to you
b) A letter was written to you
Read this email. The passive is used a lot. Underline all the examples of the passive.
What is the tone of the letter? How formal is it supposed to be? Is it appropriate for
this particular reader? Which passive verbs would you change to the active to achieve a more
appropriate tone?
Dear John
It is regretted that the decision has been made not to renew your contract for the
design of our new Wine brochure for 2018
It is felt by the Board that the quality of the brochure has declined over the past two
years and a loss of trade has been the result.
Your work for our Company has been appreciated but now a new provider will be
found to undertake the design of the new brochure.
It is hoped that you understand the position of the Board and we wish you every
success in your future projects
Regards
Brian
Now re-write the email, paying particular attention to the verbs.

Talk to your reader
“I have never seen so many young people use so many old expressions.” Shirley
Taylor.
Choose the best sounding phrase in each pair:
1. a) Thank you for your letter of 8 November 2017.
b) With reference to your letter dated 8th November 2017.
2. a) The next management meeting is on 8 August 2018.
b) Please be informed that the next management meeting will be held on 8th
August 2018
3. a) Enclosed herewith, a copy of the contract duly completed for your retention.
b) I have enclosed a completed copy of the contract.
4. a) Thank you
b) Thanking you in advance for your kind cooperation in this matter
5. a) The matter will be investigated in due course.
b) We will certainly look into this complaint and get back to you by Monday.
6. a) Please review the attached proposal and let us know your decision by 30 June
2018.
b) Please find attached the proposal for your kind perusal and necessary action.
7. a) I hope this is fine
b). Trusting this meets with your approval

8. a) The undersigned may be contacted should you require further clarification.
b) Please call me if you have any questions.
9. a) Any inconvenience caused is regretted
b) I am very sorry for the level of service you received
10. a) As per your request, three sets of the contact returned for your due processing
b) As you requested, I am returning three copies of the contract.
11. a) For your information, please
b) You may find this report relevant to your project management presentation
12. a) Please reply to us by Friday
b) You are required to reply forthwith
Now think of other old fashioned business writing phrases you would never say aloud:

Section summary: is it courteous?

 Have you checked to see if you are addressing your readers

correctly?
 Do you have the right degree of formality/informality?
 Make sure you have used warm regular words with ‘I’ and
‘we’ instead of ‘stuffy’ ‘legalistic’ language.
 Are you using language you could comfortably speak?

 Avoided using passive forms and used active instead?

Concise
By the end of this section, you will understand the importance of:
 short words instead of big ones
 verbs rather than nouns to make shorter sentences
 sentence length
 avoiding repetition and redundancy

Short familiar words

Shorter words help keep your sentences concise. Find shorter words for these:
Long and Old Short and New
1. commencement
2. regarding
3. purchase
4. subsequently
5. additional
6. furnish
7. per annum
8. amend
9. beneficial
10. pertaining to
11. in excess of
12. in the event of
13. in connection with
14. in view of the fact that
15. at the present time
For simple English words see

Verbs instead of nouns

Nouns tend to be more formal and longer and make sentences more complicated. To
make your writing easier to understand, it is better to use verbs. Divide the words
below into two groups: verbs and nouns.
complete arrangement failure use completion
provision utilisation introduce investigation arrange
introduction investigate provide fail
Which have more syllables? Nouns or verbs?
Now replace some of the nouns with verbs in these sentences
1. We will have a discussion about the parking problems
2. We have decided to take action now
3. We have designed the auditing course for the training of auditors in conducting
reviews and evaluations of policies
4. This report makes recommendations on measures for the prevention of future

accidents.
5. The function of the interface is the improvement of user productivity.

Splitting sentences
The Institute of Industrial Psychologists in the UK researched the link between readability and
sentence length. They asked 100 people to read three sentences once only and then checked the
comprehension levels of each person. Guess the results:
Sentence length Understanding at one reading
7 words ___%
17 words ___%
27 words ___%
What conclusion can we make from this research?
Split these sentences:
1. The downturn in business activity that began in 2017 is expected to continue and
possibly accelerate in 2018 and gross domestic product should fall by $10 billion,
representing an 8 per cent fall over 2017, which is significantly more than the
modest 0.1 decrease in 2017.
2. While we have not definitely determined the causes for the decline in sales
volume for the month, we do know that during this period construction on the
street adjacent to the shop severely limited traffic flow and that because of
resignations in the advertising department, promotion efforts dropped well below
normal.
(Hint: Look for the ‘ands’, the ‘buts’ and the ‘commas’ and try replacing them with a
full stop)

Repetition
Look at these two sentences: What do they have in common? What is the difference
between them?
Linguistics, or the study of language, is still a rapidly expanding field.
One of my main duties is responsibility for ensuring that clients are correctly
invoiced.
Delete any unnecessary repetition in the following sentences.
1. Each year well over a million foreigners and outsiders visit Singapore.
2. Although I warned him, but he carried on irregardless.
3. As this payment is now overdue and outstanding, please return the goods back to
this office, together with the invoice and your IC card.
4. We were glad and delighted at the response to our first annual sale, and we
therefore intend to repeat it again next year.
5. As this arrangement has brought no benefit or advantage to my client, I see no

reason to prolong the arrangement any further.
6. As Singapore has grown and developed into an ultra-modern society, it has had to
face new challenges and problems.

Redundancy
Sentences can also become more complicated because the writer includes unnecessary
words. Read the sentences and cross out the redundant words.
1. Travel & Expense claims are payable in respect of each and every quarter.
2. You will be sent an update for your SOP Manual from HR not less than once a
year
3. Should you be unable to fill out the questions asked in the questionnaire on-line or
you have any further questions thereon, please write in to this department at the
address overleaf, enclosing a photocopy of your IC and the statement.
4. You are required to notify the concerned department immediately in the event of
your unavoidable absence from work for sickness or any other reason and the
attached policy document explains your obligations in this respect
5. Notice must be given of your intention to cancel the agreement a period of 30 days
prior to your cancellation.

Section summary: is it concise?

 Revisit your writing and see if you can replace your longer words
with shorter ones.
 Make sure you are not using nouns instead of verbs to describe an
action or process. These will make for longer sentences.
 Remember short sentences are easier to understand and cause fewer

grammar mistakes. No more than 15-20 words.
 Look for signs of long winded sentences in your text. What extra
phrases or words can you cut out to make your writing more concise?
 Short paragraphs make for better reading. No more than 8 lines.

Summary
By the end of this section, you will know how to:
 check your own work knowing what to look for in the 5 Cs
 vet the work of others

Vetting your work

Make some notes about what to look for in each section of your work:
Completeness
Clarity
Correctness
Courtesy
Conciseness
Now use this checklist to vet your partner’s case study.

Checklist
We hope you have enjoyed Business Writing Essentials and that it will help you write
effectively in your work place.
 Plan carefully before you start writing. Use an outline or a mind map so that
you know exactly what you’ll be writing about.
 Organise your document logically.
 Use everyday English whenever possible.
 Avoid jargon and legalistic words, and explain any technical terms you have to
use.
 Keep your sentence length down to an average of 15 to 20 words. Try to stick

to one main idea in a sentence.
 Use active verbs as much as possible. Say ‘we will do it’ rather than ‘it will be
done by us’.
 Be concise.
 Imagine you are talking to your reader. Write sincerely, personally, in a style
that is suitable and with the right tone of voice.
 And always check that your document is accurate, clear, concise and readable.

What next?
The British Council’s Professional Development Centre believes in continuous
learning. That is why we offer over 60 courses in 7 major areas:
 Creativity and Innovation

 Customer Service
 Diversity and Inclusion
 Interpersonal Communication
 Leadership and Management
 Performance and Productivity
 Written Communication
Here are some other courses that will complement or extend what you have
learned on Business Writing Essentials:
Grammar Foundations
This essential workshop reviews the foundations of English grammar, with a focus on
areas where Singaporean English differs from Standard (British) English.
Reports that Work
Good decisions come from good reports. This effective workshop guides you through
the fundamental skills needed for planning, structuring, writing and checking your
reports.
For more information on these courses, talk to your HR department or send us an

email at pdc-enquiry@britishcouncil.org.sg .
We hope to see you again soon.

Resources

1.Paragraphs (Answers to laminates)

Paragraph 1
Singapore is an ideal place for foreigners to live. Firstly, it is safe. Crime rates,
especially for violent crime, are far lower than in most Western countries. Singapore
is also clean. Few places in the world have such stringently enforced food hygiene
regulations for example. Food is another plus point. Whether you like to eat local or
international food, there is plenty of choice to suit every budget. Finally, Singapore is
the perfect base for travelling. It is right in the middle of Southeast Asia’s
extraordinary and exotic mix of cultures. In short, if you have an opportunity to live
here, you should seriously consider taking it.
Paragraph 2
Singapore is an ideal place for foreigners to live. It is:
 safe: crime rates, especially for violent crime, are far lower than in most
Western countries.
 clean: few places in the world have such stringently enforced food hygiene
regulations.
 famous for delicious food: whether you like to eat local or international food,
there is plenty of choice to suit every budget.
 well-situated: Singapore is right in the middle of Southeast Asia’s

extraordinary and exotic mix of cultures.
If you have an opportunity to live here, you should seriously consider taking it

2. How to write an effective paragraph

The definitions below will help you create an effective paragraph; they will also help
you to identify where you can improve a paragraph you have written.
Topic sentence: introduces and summarises the whole paragraph. It must therefore be
general and specific enough to cover the whole content of the paragraph it relates to.
By telling your reader what they are reading, you will help them to understand it the
first time they read it.
Unity: when the content of the paragraph relates to the topic sentence, the paragraph
demonstrates unity. Without unity, the reader will be distracted or puzzled.
Support: the content of the paragraph must somehow support the topic sentence or
develop it adequately. The topic sentence can be self-contained; more often it
demands development.
Logical flow: the points you make should be in a logical order. The most effective
order is to put your points in the order of their importance to your reader, starting with
the most important.
Transitions: if you follow the traditional paragraph structure, transitions show where
one supporting idea ends and the next begins. This makes their relationship clear to
your reader. Transitions are words like ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘also’ and ‘then’. Transitions
are unnecessary when you use bullet points.

3. Clichés
How many clichés can you identify in the following memo to the sales team?
Your new agenda: be proactive and interface with customers. Start networking.
Finalize sales. Rack up the done deals that will impact the bottom line. Vis-à-vis our
competitors, we’ve got world-class, state-of-the-art, user-friendly products. That’s our
competitive edge. We’ve also got the know-how for a major breakthrough to put us on
the fast track to a win-win situation. We need your hands-on input, so start the sales
dialogue now.
From Philip R Theibert, Business Writing for Busy People
 How would this memo make you feel if you were the reader?
 Does the memo achieve its purpose?
 What clichés are popular in your organization?

4. Collocation
What is wrong with this sentence?
Don’t take such risks, you’ll damage yourself
Each of the following examples contains a similar mismatch. Spot the mismatch and
give the Standard English version. Use the dictionary if necessary.
1. I am undergoing a course in Business Communication.
2. When I got back after lunch, my boss really scolded me.
3. The new secretary is 1.73 metres high.
4. The new trainee is also currently learning Chemistry at NUS.
5. The printer is spoilt.
6. Remember to keep the books in the cupboard after the training session.
7. We can get a cheap price for the computers.
8. Please revert to me by the end of this week.
9. I went to a very impactful presentation last night.

5. Passives
Generally, the passive voice sounds distant and impersonal. Since it does not mention
the person who carries out the action, it can also sound as if the writer is avoiding
responsibility or concealing information.
However, sometimes it is appropriate to use the passive voice.
a) You don’t know who carried out the action.
Eg. The missing file was returned to my desk.
b) You want to avoid making accusations
Eg. The report was submitted late.
c) The action is more important than the person who did it.
Eg. The new travel allowance scheme was approved.

6. Sample report
Introduction
This paper reports on the causes of an industrial accident which occurred in the
Machine Room on 14 April 2008, and makes recommendations to prevent recurrence.
Background
When working on the sheet-cutting lathe, operators are required to wear overalls,
gloves and helmets with visors. These protect them from shards which are
occasionally thrown up. These shards are often sharp and are capable of reaching
temperatures of 75C despite the machine's water cooling system.
Findings
On 14 April 2001, the Machine Room had a large backlog of sheets to be cut. We had
received a rush order from T K Manufacturers Pte Ltd on 10 April, and operators had
therefore been transferred at short notice from the Maintenance Department. While
these operators were familiar with workshop practice, they had not received specific
training in safety procedures.
One of the Maintenance Dept operators, Mr Ong Y H, who wears glasses, put on
protective overalls and gloves, but did not realise that the visor was also required. He
assumed that his glasses were adequate protection.
While he was working on Machine #22, a shard flew up and hit him in the face. As it
was hot, it burnt his cheek. It also cracked his glasses, although fortunately there was
no damage to his eyesight.
Conclusions
There were three main causes of the accident:

 Mr Ong was at fault by not wearing the protective visor. That is, he did not follow
standard workshop safety procedure.

 While Mr Ong was at fault, we feel that the main cause of the accident was) that
he had not been trained properly. In short, this is a training problem rather than
one of procedures being broken.
 We notice that there is no signs on or near the machines reminding workers of the
need for full protective clothing, including visors.
Recommendations
 We feel that Mr Ong's injury is reminder enough to him, and that no disciplinary
action needs to be taken.
 Training in safety procedures should be included in the basic training given to all
new recruits.
 Signs must be displayed on all machines reminding workers that full protective
clothing has to be worn.

7. Punctuation
The purpose of punctuation is to make the meaning as clear as possible. The wrong
punctuation mark can sometimes cause misunderstanding or confusion.
Capital letters (also called upper-case letters)
 begin a sentence Thank you for your letter of…
 for people's names John, Mr Brown, Suriaty
 for names of places Singapore, London, Asia, Cecil Street
 for names of organisations British Council, European Community
 for days, months, festivals Monday, April, Lunar New Year

Full-stop
 comes at the end of complete sentences: a comma is not strong enough
 cannot come at the end of a dependent clause standing by itself: If the outstanding
amount is not paid. is incorrect
In general, punctuation with abbreviations is omitted nowadays eg. ASEAN
Question mark
Fairly obvious, comes at the end of a question - but remember that a reported question
is no longer a question, has statement subject-verb word-order, and therefore takes no
question mark: ‘Are you going to London next week?’ > The Chairman asked if I was
going to London the following week.
Semi-colon
This is the least understood punctuation mark. It is much closer to a full-stop than to a
comma, and can never be substituted for a comma. Sometimes there is a choice
between full-stop and semi-colon. A semi-colon is used to:
 join two closely related sentences: I wrote the letter; John posted it.
 separate long items in a list: Her responsibilities include line management of six staff; annual
budgetary control; sourcing and ordering of supplies; and the design and implementation of
the promotional plan.

Comma
A comma in writing represents a brief pause in speech. Some people like plenty of
commas - others don't! You have considerable freedom in the use of commas,
excepting the seven important rules given here:
 A comma by itself can never be used between two independent clauses or

sentences (see semi-colon).
 A comma is usually used when a dependent clause precedes an independent

clause, but not when the independent clause comes first: compare “Although it
was raining, he went for a walk” with “He went for a walk although it was
raining”. This is because we naturally pause when saying the first sentence, but
not the second.
 While two commas can be used as brackets between subject and verb, one comma
can never go between a subject and its verb: Mr Lim, the President of our
company, is 63 years old. But: Mr Lim, the President of our company is 63 years
old. (The second example has a different meaning. It means that you are telling Mr
Lim the age of the President.
 Commas are used in horizontal lists, with an optional (and American) comma
before ‘and’: He speaks French, German, Hokkien (,) and Malay. Commas are
unnecessary in vertical lists.
 Commas are used after linking words at the beginnings of sentences: Finally, he
managed to pass his driving test.
 Commas are necessary with non-defining relative clauses (clauses which give
unnecessary or extra information). Compare “The man who is sitting over there is
my uncle” with “Winston Churchill, who lived to be 90, was in Parliament for
over 60 years”.
 Commas are used to introduce direct quotes but are not used in reported speech.
Compare: “The director said, 'It will mean overtime for most of the staff' “ with
“The director said it would mean overtime for most of the staff”.
Colon
 A colon is used when one sentence leads into, or points directly towards, another:
He looked out of the window: the sky was cloudy and overcast.
 A colon is used to introduce a list: We have offices in five countries: Australia, Japan, Korea,
Singapore, and Thailand.

Dash
This is more common in note writing and rarely used in business writing. It can be
used to indicate an:
 afterthought: We shall arrive on Monday - at least, I hope so.
 discontinuity in the thought, or an interruption: Winston Churchill - whom I

briefly met when I was a child - had a career in Parliament which spanned 65
years.
Quotation marks (also known as inverted commas or speech marks)
 Single quotation marks are often used when we talk about a word, or use it in an
unusual way: The word 'esplanade' can be pronounced two ways.
 Either single (‘ ’) or double (“”) quotation marks can be used for quoting speech.
For a quotation inside a quotation, use the form not used for the main quotation.
 Names of books, newspapers and magazines should be italicised, not in quotation

marks. Quotation marks are used for names of articles or chapters: I read Margaret
Chan’s article on “Where to find the best Roti John” in the Straits Times last year.
Hyphen
There are no good rules for hyphenating nouns. Use a dictionary - but even
dictionaries sometimes disagree!
Hyphenate adjectives when the individual components alone do not make sense: A
four-foot-tall man must have two hyphens, since, four, foot and tall in this context are
nonsensical. (Note: foot, not feet, because English adjectives have no plural forms.)
Apostrophe
An apostrophe is used to indicate possession: —’s: the company’s annual report for
one company; —s’: the companies’ annual report for several companies.
Apostrophes are used to indicate missing letters in shortened verb forms: he’s for he is or he has;
she’d for she had or she would.

8. Sample layout and design

SNG/0618/
11 January 2010
Ms Excellent Customer
Life Long Assurance Company Ltd
216 Raffles Quay #21-00
Shamrock Tower
Singapore 048580
Dear Ms Customer
Style Guide for Letter Writing
I am writing this letter to show you a model example of structure and layout for written
correspondence. I hope that this letter will give you some idea of how to present written
information in a way that is consistent with your company’s professional image.
Usually a letter is divided into four parts:
 Opening
 Details
 Action
 Closing
The opening of the letter is usually quite short: only one or two sentences long. It introduces
the reason for writing and usually sets the context by stating any relevant dates (previous
correspondence, meetings or phone conversations). The opening often relates to the subject
line. The subject line will often contain lengthy names and titles if this makes it easier for the
reader to identify the purpose of the letter at a

glance. The opening also sets the tone of your letter, so choose your words carefully!
The details section of the letter can stretch to several paragraphs. Or it can take the form of
bulleted or numbered lists. You must decide which is most appropriate and easiest for your
reader to understand.
The action and closing sections of the letter point the way forward. They tell your reader what
will happen next. It is helpful if you are very specific at this point by making sure that you
state any deadlines.
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the way I have presented this letter on the page.
This letter is set out in block style, where the text of the letter is justified to the left margin
(with a ragged right margin), with no indentations and a single line space between paragraphs.
There is also no punctuation outside the body of this letter. This style is the most common in
use today, because it is easy to type and read.
If you would like to know more about how to write good correspondence, please ask one of
our training consultants today. They will be delighted to help you.
I look forward to meeting you on one of our training courses later this year.
Yours sincerely
What do you notice about?
 Headings  Margins  Spacing  Bullets  Uppercas
 Punctuation  Paragraphs  Justification  Font  Numberin

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British Council Professional Development Centre

© British Council 2018 2

Group based task Role play task Writing task

Pair based task Individual think task Quiz

Instructor-led discussion Task continues over page Self-study task

Verbal practice task Video task Assessed task

Presentation task with video

Hand-outs Learning game Computer activity

© British Council 2018 3

© British Council 2018 4

Introduction and overview 10

© British Council 2018 5

Commonly confused words 37

© British Council 2018 6

 Feel more confident in your knowledge of modern business writing

 Communicate your ideas more effectively

 Learn how to give a professional image

© British Council 2018 7

What you will need to do on this course

© British Council 2018 8

Customer Service Orientation

© British Council 2018 9

Introduction and overview

 set your objectives for this course

 understood the scope of the course

 discussed some of the types of writing you do at work

© British Council 2018 10

© British Council 2018 11

© British Council 2018 12

© British Council 2018 13

© British Council 2018 14

 establishing the purpose of your writing, be it an email, letter, report, proposal,

© British Council 2018 15

 I am writing to complain about the behaviour of one of your staff.

 Request for unpaid leave

 This paper investigates the causes of an accident in the Machine Room on 14

 Here are the main points we discussed earlier.

2. Child care centres

© British Council 2018 16

Reader: internal and external

Would internal readers understand this notice?

Would external readers understand this notice?

© British Council 2018 17

Reader: reason and subject knowledge

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a common childhood illness. It causes sores in the

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral illness with a distinct clinical

© British Council 2018 18

 I’ll send everyone in the team the first prototype on 23 March

 Please send me your application before 19 June 2018

 Steve to investigate getting some part-time help by 31 January

 Who will do it?

 What will be done?

 When will you or they do it?

Now identify the 3Ws in the four examples above

© British Council 2018 19

© British Council 2018 20

The Future of HRD Conference 2018 – 7 & 8 October

Highlights of the conference include:

 Keynote speakers from the UK, US and Asia

 HRD Past, Present and Future

 Innovation in systems and training

 The new revolutionary HRD management robot from Japan

Please call me if you have any questions.