RULES OF GOOD WRITING

Presenters
 Table Of Contents
01 Key rules of good wirting
02 Jargon _Gobbledegook
03 Effective proofreading

04 Composing letters
05 Review
Business communication (writing)
OLD BUSSINESS COMMUNICATION
Dear Mr Johnson
Thank you for your e-mail of even date.
For the audit of Turner Communications Pte Ltd, kindly
furnish us a copy of the company’s Balance Sheet,
Expenses statements and all the invoices/bills
(incorporation and legal fees, etc.) paid by the holding
company to our office at the earliest.
We will revert to you on the treatment of the Intangible
Asset and the financials of Turner Communications Inc. as
soon as possible.
Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Old-fashioned,
Best regards long-winded jargon
Bernard Williams
MODERN BUSSINESS COMMUNCATION
Dear Mr Johnson
Thank you for your e-mail today.
For the audit of Turner Communications Pte Ltd, we will need
a copy of the company's Balance Sheet, Expenses statements
and all the invoices/bills (incorporation and legal fees, etc.)
paid by the holding company. Please send these to me as soon
as possible.
I will be in touch with you soon on the treatment of the
Intangible Asset and the financials of Turner Communications
Inc.
Please give me a call on xxxx if you have any questions.
Natural, in a friendly,
Bernard Williams
informal style.
The secret of good writing:

Using plain language

As if you are having a conversation.
 01
Key rules of
good writing
 6 KEY RULES OF GOOD WRITING
for the 21st century

Tips 1 Tips 2 Tips 3

Come straight to the point Remember the KISS principle Use active not passive voice

Tips 4 Tips 5 Tips 6

Use the right tone Use modern language Use neutral-gender language
 1. COMING STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

Busy business people haven’t got => Direct and to the point – but courteous
time.
 2. REMEMBERING THE KISS PRINCIPLE

Short sentences
Keep It Short and Simple Simple words

Don’t try to impress your

reader with big words – they
will not be impressed – they
will just have to reach for
the dictionary.
 3. USE ACTIVE NOT PASSIVE VOICE

 Voice’ : the relationship of a verb to its subject.

‘
 Active voice : the subject of the sentence does the action.
 Passive voice: the subject of the sentence receives the action

Ex: Passive The study was completed by marketing

director.
Active The marketing director completed the study.
 3. USE ACTIVE NOT PASSIVE VOICE

Use active in your writing:

 This is more alive, more focused,
more personal , much more interesting
and clear
 3. USE ACTIVE NOT PASSIVE VOICE

 Occasions when passive would be more

appropriate:
1. Make a particular important noun the subject
of the sentence
 Give an extra emphasis.

Ex: Our restaurant has been recommended by all

the leading hotels in Singapore.
 4. USE THE RIGHT TONE

 Written communications may be worded .

 They sound polite, friendly, firm, bossy, sarcastic,
condescending, even rude.
 Use the wrong tone in a written communication
 Cause real offence to your reader.
 Try not to vent your emotions in writing.

 Your objectives will be achieved only with carefully

considered and appropriate
wording.
 5. USE MODERN LANGUAGE

• The main rule of writing today is to write as

you speak.
• If you find yourself writing something that
you would not say to the person  you
should not be writing it either.
 6. USE NEUTRAL-GENDER LANGUAGE

 The Use of the masculine gender

in generic sense is our great
grandfather’s style of writing with
more and more women entering in
the world of business, it’s
appropriate that our writing is free
from gender biases.
02
Jargon or
Gobbledegook
 Definiton
Jargon (Biệt ngữ)
Special word and phrases used by particular groups of
people, which are difficult for others to understand.

Gobbledegook
Also known as Gobbledegook, jibber-jabber or gibberish.
Indicate meaningless word.
You don't understand what people talking or
writing about.

Leave you confused

Seriously interrupted your business' ways

Time-consuming and unprofessional

Abbreviation: A short form of a word or phrase.
IMO = In My Opinion ASAP = As Soon As Possible
TBH = To Be Honest CTA = Call To Action
 Using Jargon

Readers get bored and stop Readers trying to figure out what
reading you meant

Solution
Using KISS principle

Keep It Short and Simple

Short sentence and simple word

 03
Effective
proofreading
What does “ PROOFREADING” means?

Proodfreading (n)
 the process of finding and correcting mistakes
 in text before it is printed or put online:
 Tips For Effective Proofreading

1. Avoid distractions
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 It’s best to proodfread in a quiet environment

* Proodfread (v): to read a text to see if there are any errors and correct them

 Tips For Effective Proofreading

2. Read the work out loud.

 identifying faulty sentence construction + poor punctuation and grammar

3. Concentrate on reading one word at a time.

+ Take time to practice
+ Make a conscious effort to look at each word one at a time
 Tips For Effective Proofreading

4. Be methodical – read one line at a time.

+ Use a ruler to guide your eyes ( pencil, highlighter., your finger,…)
(img). (Img). (Img)
 don’t miss the odd line.
 Tips For Effective Proofreading

5. Take a break occasionally.

+ set a time limit and then take a break.

6. Remember to look also for inconsistencies in style and presentation

- For in stance:
+ suddenly switch from capitals to lower case
+ a change in font or spacing.

 Tips For Effective Proofreading

7. Leave a decent period of time between writing and proofreading the work.
 help to spot more mistakes.

8. Print out a hard copy for the final proofreading.

 Avoid missing a few errors if proofreading on screen.
 Tips For Effective Proofreading

9. Keep your knowledge of punctuation and grammar up-to-date.

 can spot mistakes.

10. Ask someone else to do a final check of important documents

+ We are much better at spotting other people's mistakes than our own!
 04
Composing letters
COMPOSING LETTER – KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER
1. Use short sentences
Short sentences => - your meaning clear
- ensure easier understanding.
 
2. Choose simple words
- Simple words => your message clearly.
- Using unaffected language => achieve the right tone.
- Some simple words:
+ Accomplished –> do
+ Communication –> letter
+ Purchase –> buy
+ Request -> ask

3. Avoid wordiness
Choose words care and be economical , remembering the need for courtesy.
COMPOSING LETTER – KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER
4. Use an appropriate tone
- Choose a tone suit the reader & subject matter.
- can be firm or friendly, persuasive or conciliatory => depends on the impression to convey.
- Failure to adopt an appropriate tone => that the reader’s attention is attracted more to: how it is
worded > to what is being said.
 
5. Be precise
Your letter should be long enough to serve its purpose, but no longer.
 
6. Ensure accuracy
- Double check all figures, dates, numbers, and prices, as well as spellings, punctuation, tenses,
- word endings, etc.

7. Check consistency
Ensure consistency of presentation as well as consistency of expression.
 COMPOSING LETTER – KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER
8. Use your initiative INSTEAD OF SAY
Ensure the reader knows everything.
‘next week’ state a day and date If
Ex: an overseas visit is planned give the
time of arrival and flight number.
 

9. Use active not passive voice

Active voice makes your writing more alive and interesting, more specific and clear,
and it also makes your sentences shorter.

10. Write as you would speak

INSTEAD OF SAY
Use everyday language as if you were having a
conversation. Please be good enough Please tell ( or inform us)
For Ex: to advise us
 A–Z OF BLOOPERS AND BLUNDERS,
COMMON ERRORS AND CLICHÉS:
1. Dated DO NOT SAY SAY
Replying to a letter: Thank you for your letter dated on . . - Thank you for your letter dated . . .
- Thank you for your letter of . . .
=> should not say ‘dated on’.
2. Discuss
- Not correct to say: ‘discuss about’ or ‘mention about’
- Discuss / mention = to talk about
- Cut out the ‘about’
Ex: Say ‘Mary mentioned the poor weather recently’
Not: ‘Mary mentioned about the poor weather recently’
3. Due to the fact that
We can use the simple word expression: ‘As’ / ‘Since’ / ‘Because’
 IN THE BIN
• During the period from
• Duly
05
Review
I. Review
II. Choose the best answer
1. Which one is the good opening line?

a) Thank you for your letter of 10 October. 

b) I am very pleased to receive your letter on October 10th. Today I would like to give you feedback.

2. Which one is the good closing line?

a) If there are any points on which you require explanation or further particulars we shall be glad to furnish such additional

details as maybe required by telephone.

b) If you require any further information, feel free to contact me. 

(giải thích)
II. Choose the best answer
3. Which statement is true?

a) Use short sentences in business letter. 

b) Long words should be used more in business letter.

4. Which of the following sentences should and shouldn’t be used in business letters?

a) (1) The last meeting will be attended by all shareholders of the company. should

(2) The last meeting will be attended by all the sleeping partner of the company. shouldn’t

b) (1) They are working hard. should

(2) They’re burning the candle at both ends. shouldn’t

( giải thích tại sao)

“Thank you for your
listening”