Week 3: Positive and Negative Correspondence/Messages
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Learning Objectives
Understanding How to Write All Kinds of Messages: Routine, Positive, Negative, and Persuasive
Readings
Part 4—Brief Messages:
Chapter 10: Writing Routine and Positive Messages (pp. 255-270)
Chapter 11: Writing Negative Messages (pp. 279-300)
Chapter 12: Writing Persuasive Messages (pp.313-329)
Individual Presentation #1 Due: Business Topic of Your Choice
Homework
Required Assignment 2: Write a Positive and a Negative Letter using the Scenario Handout
Option: Business Writing Laboratory—Assignment #2
Week 3: PowerPoint Presentation (Positive and Negative Messages
Dear Students,
After you review all course materials please write a Recommendation Report based on the Scenario Handout.
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You are required to respond to the assignment question posted above with no less than 100 words. To support your response you are required to provide at least one supporting reference with proper citation. Your response will be reviewed by Unicheck, the plagiarism tool synced to Canvas. Unicheck will submit a similarity report a few minutes after you post your assignment. If similarity index is above 30%, please redo and resubmit your assignment after you cite the sources properly to avoid plagiarism. Please review the PowerPoint slides explaining how to avoid plagiarism and post your assignment accordingly. Even a single plagiarized statement will not be tolerated. APA writing format is recommended.
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Chapters 4-6: Preparing Written Messages
Preparing Written Messages Lesson Outline
Seven Steps to Preparing Written Messages
Effective Sentences and Coherent Paragraphs
Revise to Grab Your Audience’s Attention
Improve Readability
Proofread and Revise
Seven Steps to Preparing Written Messages
Seven Preparation Steps
Step 1: Consider Contextual Forces
Step 2: Determine Purpose, Channel, and Medium
Step 3: Envision Audience
Step 4: Adapt Message to Audience Needs and Concerns
Step 5: Organize the Message
Step 6: Prepare First Draft
Step 7: Revise, Edit, and Proofread
Effective Sentences and Coherent Paragraphs
Step 6: Prepare the First Draft
Proceed Deductively or Inductively
Know Logical Sequence of Minor Points
Write rapidly with Intent to Rewrite
Use Active More Than Passive Voice
Craft Powerful Sentences
Rely on Active Voice—Subject Doer of Action
(Passive—Subject Receiver of Action Sentence Is Less Emphatic)
Passive Voice Uses
Conceal the Doer/Avoid Finger Pointing
Doer Is Unknown
Place More Emphasis on What Was Done
(Receiver of Action)
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Emphasize Important Ideas
Techniques
Sentence Structure—place important ideas in simple sentences/place in independent clauses (emphasis)
Repetition—repeat a word in a sentence
Labeling Words—use words that signal important
Position—position it first or last in a clause, sentence, paragraph, or presentation
Space and Format—use extraordinary amount of space for important items or use headings
Develop Coherent Paragraphs
Develop Deductive/Inductive Paragraphs Consistently
Link Ideas to Achieve Coherence
Keep Paragraphs Unified
Vary Sentence and Paragraph Length
Position Topic Sentences and Link Ideas
Deductive—topic sentence precedes details
Inductive—topic sentence follows details
Link Ideas to Achieve Coherence (Cohesion)
Repeat Word from Preceding Sentence
Use a Pronoun for a Noun in Preceding Sentence
Use Connecting Words (e.g., Conjunctive Adverbs)
Link Paragraphs by Using Transition Words
Use Transition Sentences before Headings,
But Not Subheadings
Paragraph Unity
Keep Paragraphs Unified—support must be focused on topic sentences
Ensure Paragraphs Cover Topic Sentence, But Do Not Write Extraneous Materials
Arrange Paragraphs in a Logical and Systematic Sequence
Vary Sentence and Paragraph Length
Vary Sentence Length (Average—Short)
Vary Sentence Structure (Sentence Variety)
Vary Paragraph Length (Average—Short
8-10 Lines)
Changes in Tense, Voice, and Person in Paragraphs Are Discouraged
Revise to Grab Reader’s Attention
Cultivate a Frame of Mind (Mind-set) for Revising and Proofreading
Have Your Revising/Editing Space/Room
View from Audience Perspective (You Attitude)
Revise until No More Changes Would Improve the Document
Be Willing to Allow Others to Make Suggestions (Writer’s Pride of Ownership?)
Ensure Error-Free Messages
Use Visual Enhancements for More Readability
Add Only When They Aid Comprehension
Create an Appealing, Easy-to-Read Document
Use Enumerations—place a number, bullet, or letter before text elements
Enumerated or bulleted lists (called chunking—increases retention by 50 percent)
Headings—readers more likely to pay attention
Tables and Graphs—simplifies/clarifies information
Lines and Borders—partitions text/focuses attention
Relevant Images—use various interesting shapes
(e.g., clip art and photos)
Improve Readability
Measure the Reading Difficulty of Your Writing (i.e., size of words/# of syllables)
Fog Index
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Calculator—measure length of sentences and difficulty of words
Grammar and Style Feature
Improve Readability Step 7: Revise for Style and Tone
Eliminate Outdated Expressions—they provide a dull, stuffy, unnatural tone
Curb Jargon and Clichés—overused words/ expressions, respectively
Eliminate Profanity
Use Simple, Informal Words—enable reader to understand message clearly and quickly
Communicate Concisely—all details using the fewest possible words
Techniques to Produce Concise Messages
Eliminate Redundancies
Use Active Voice
Review the Main Purpose of Your Writing
Eliminate Clichés
Do not Restate Ideas That Are Implied
Shorten Sentence Length
Use Compound Adjectives
Project a Positive, Tactful Tone Suggestions
State Ideas Using Positive Language
Avoid Using Second Person (“you”) When Stating Negative Ideas
Use Third Person When Presenting Negative Ideas
Use Passive Voice When Conveying Negative Ideas
Use Active Voice to Promote Positive Ideas
Use the Subjunctive Mood—speak of a wish, necessity, doubt, or condition contrary to fact
Include a Pleasant Statement in Negative Sentences
Use Euphemisms Cautiously
Euphemism—a kind of word used that may offend or suggest something unpleasant
Avoid Too Much Sugarcoating/Exaggeration
Avoid Doublespeak—the distortion of truth often found in military, political, and corporate language
Avoid Condescending or Demeaning Expressions
Condescending—coming down from a level of superiority (i.e., talking down to people)
Demeaning—makes an idea seem negative or disrespectful (e.g., bean counters, ambulance chasers, shrinks, and spin doctors)
Use Respectful Expressions That Build and Protect “Goodwill”
Use Connotative Tone Cautiously (i.e., literal meaning plus extra message)
Connotative Words Can Be Misinterpreted
Use Specific, Bias-Free Language Guidelines
Guidelines to Avoid Biased Language
Avoid Referring to Men and Women in Stereotyped Roles and Occupations
Four Approaches to Avoid Gender Bias:
Avoid Using a Pronoun
Repeat the Noun
Use a Plural Noun
Use Pronouns from Both Genders
Use Occupational Titles That Reflect Gender Sensitivity (e.g., Flight Attendant and Office Assistant)
Avoid Designating an Occupation by Gender
Avoid Using Perceived Gender-Biased Expressions
Avoid Racial or Ethnic Bias
Avoid Age Bias
Use Specific, Bias-Free Language Guidelines
Guidelines to Avoid Biased Language
Avoid Referring to Men and Women in Stereotyped Roles and Occupations
Four Approaches to Avoid Gender Bias:
Avoid Using a Pronoun
Repeat the Noun
Use a Plural Noun
Use Pronouns from Both Genders
Use Occupational Titles That Reflect Gender Sensitivity
Avoid Designating an Occupation by Gender
Avoid Using Perceived Gender-Biased Expressions
Avoid Racial or Ethnic Bias
Avoid Age and Disability Bias
Proofread and Revise
Effective Proofreading Must Be Done Several Times: Each Time for a Specific Purpose
Use the Spell Checker to Locate Simple Keying Errors and Repeated Words
First, Proofread the Document in Three Areas:
Content
Organization
Style
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Proofread and Revise
Second, Proofread for Mechanical Errors
Grammar, Punctuation, Numbers, etc.
Word Substitutions (e.g., Homonyms)
Entire Document
Edit for Format and Layout
Document Using the APA Style Guide
Ensure Numbered Items Are in Correct Order
Evaluate Visual Impact of Document
Ensure Document Is Signed or Initialed
Proofread and Revised
Third, Print a Draft and Proofread Again
Print on High-Quality Paper
Sample Rough Draft (p. 72)
