This document provides characteristics and guidelines for effective business letter writing. It lists 6 key characteristics of effective letters: correctness, conciseness, completeness, courtesy, visual appeal, and tonal appeal. It then gives tips for eliminating weaknesses such as simplifying language, reducing jargon and multisyllabic words, varying sentence structure, and getting straight to the point. Specific examples are provided for improving word choice, avoiding biases, abstractness, and wordiness.
This document provides characteristics and guidelines for effective business letter writing. It lists 6 key characteristics of effective letters: correctness, conciseness, completeness, courtesy, visual appeal, and tonal appeal. It then gives tips for eliminating weaknesses such as simplifying language, reducing jargon and multisyllabic words, varying sentence structure, and getting straight to the point. Specific examples are provided for improving word choice, avoiding biases, abstractness, and wordiness.
This document provides characteristics and guidelines for effective business letter writing. It lists 6 key characteristics of effective letters: correctness, conciseness, completeness, courtesy, visual appeal, and tonal appeal. It then gives tips for eliminating weaknesses such as simplifying language, reducing jargon and multisyllabic words, varying sentence structure, and getting straight to the point. Specific examples are provided for improving word choice, avoiding biases, abstractness, and wordiness.
WRITING EFFECTIVELY Prepared by: Garte, Limuel M. Llacer, Bernie John V. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LETTERS
1. Correctness- No error, fault, mistake or departure from truth.
2. Conciseness- Brief, short or limited in words. We should consider that business people are always busy. Fog Index- is a device used to estimate the reading level appropriate to your letter. PROCEDURE: Step 1. Select a 100 Step 2. Find the average number of words per sentence in the sample. Step 3. Count the number of words in the 100 Step 4. Add the average number of words per sentence to the number of three 3. Completeness- This means perfectness, fullness or sufficiency of the letter as regards information and parts. 4. Courtesy- This is akin to acts or expressions that manifest, politeness, civility, affability, urbanity, considerateness and respectfulness. 5. Visual appeal- The worth of letter may exceed even the value of the most expensive merchandise. 6. Tonal appeal- Statements may exude tense, hostility, artificial, friendliness, naturality or sincerity of the communicator. ELIMINATING WEAKNESSES IN WRITING 1. For nouns and verbs • Simply complex nouns • Look for nouns that can be changed to strong verbs • Use specific nouns rather than • Strengthen verbs • Reduce the number of linking verbs • Use active visual verbs 2. For vocabulary • Cut jargon • Reduce the number of multisyllabic words • Use vocabulary appropriate to the audience 3. For sentences • Strive for average sentences • Vary sentence length • Be careful of compound subjects and verbs • Use subject verb object word order 4. For content • Concentrate on specific rather than abstracts • Get to the message quickly • Organize thoughts into logical order. 6. About weak phrases Weak Better Wealthy business person - Tycoon Business prosperity - Boom Carrying a child - Pregnant Long years - years One year old boy - one year of age boy 7. About Genderism Bias Fair If a woman drives - if a person drives Businessman - businessperson Man- made - artificial, synthetic; manufactured Manpower - human power, workplace Chairman - chairperson Salesman - salesperson; sales clerk Foreman - construction supervisor 8. About wordy lines Wordy Straight forward (Better) Consensus of opinion - consensus At this point in time - at this time, now Please kindly do this - kindly do this or please do this Attached herewith - attached is; or herewith is Pleasant good morning - pleasant morning or good morning 9. About Generality General Specific (Better) Traveled in another country - Traveled in Japan One kilo of rice - one kilogram of rice Visit the province - visit Quirino province My parent called me - my mother called me or my father called me 10. About Abstract Lines Abstract Concrete (Better) Long and winding road - 50 kilometers winding road Waited for many hours - waited for 11 hours Four long years - four years 11. Split Infinitives Split Use Suggested Proximate Use I want you to - I want you to consider seriously Seriously consider the proposal - the proposal She was trying to rapidly complete - She was trying to complete rapidly her report Her report 12. Sentence Upgrading Strategy Ordinary Upgraded My customer was sick - My customer got sick My customer felt sick She is beautiful - She looks beautiful - She exudes beauty The voice is familiar to me - The voice sounds familiar to me They are members of the business club - They belong to the business club I am comfortable here - I feel comfortable here The managers are tall - The managers stand tall The ropes are six meters - The ropes measure six meters