PART 1
USE TEXTUAL FEATURES AND CONVENTIONS SPECIFIC TO BUSINESS TEXTS FOR EFFECTIVE WRITING
Outcomes:
On completion of this section you will be able to use textual features and conventions specific to business texts for effective writing.
On completion of this module you will be able to;
- Identify and indicate specific texts to particular function in a business environment;
- Understand Industry specific and/or legislative requirements Texts specific to a particular function;
- Identify texts specific to a particular function in a business environment produced in response to defined requirements;
- Explain the implications of not following the industry specific or legislative requirements for a specific type of text;
- Identify the possible consequences of non-compliance;
- Appropriately use terminology and conventions specific to a particular function in a business environment.
Introduction
Performance by employees is measured in terms of their ability to deliver tangible results for the organisation they represent. These results may be measurable or perceived. Regardless of the way in which delivery is measured employees should be communicating to achieve that goal.
Performance delivery is determined by:
- Clear vision of the target.
- Clear plan of action to achieve the target
- Resources
- Implementation and correction
- Ability to communicate the target, the plan, departmental or other needs and the result.
Communication can be oral or written. Written communication can include letters, reports, memos, minutes, agendas among others.
The people with whom you correspond will judge the quality of your work, your department, and your organisation by the quality of your correspondence. Every time you figuratively put pen to paper you create “a moment of truth”
Definition of key terms
TEXTUAL FEATURES:
These are the elements of a text that constructs a specific meaning or message. The textual features vary depending on the type of text and the primary intention for which the text was produced.
- Table of contents
- Index
- Pictures
- Headings and titles
- Use of colour
- Size of print
- Labels and captions
- Diagrams and graphs
- Charts and maps
WRITING CONVENTIONS:
These include spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, grammar, and paragraphing. The writer should use conventions to enhance the readability of the paper. Spelling should be correct on all words. Punctuation should be smooth and guide the reader through the paper. Capitalisation should be used correctly. Paragraphing should reinforce organisation. The writer may manipulate conventions for effect.
TEXT SPECIFIC TO A PARTICULAR FUNCTION IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT:
Have you ever noticed that all law firms seem to correspond in the same way? Marketing departments and tax offices use their own jargon appropriate to their industry. Examples from the insurance industry could include terminology like premium, underwriting, claims-made basis valuable benefits, and payout. Insurers tend to be more factual, emphasizing benefits. Marketers and politicians tend to be more verbose or descriptive and lean more on emotional benefits than factual statements.
TEXTS SPECIFIC TO A PARTICLAR FUNCTION IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ARE PRODUCED IN RESPONSE TO DEFINED REQUIREMENTS
Marketing of training products
It is a well known fact that there is a serious lack of fundamental skills for the unemployed, school leavers, skilled and non- skilled; they all have to make a decision as to what their next step is toward their future profession. We have identified a number of areas of expertise that are the foundation of every individual to prepare them to achieve those professional and personal goals. We have structured the courses so that they will be exposed to various career opportunities thus empowering them to make more educated decision as to their future professions.
We strive to maintain the highest quality and cost effective skills development methods by sourcing our training material from highly qualified professionals, utilsing the latest Information and training methods.
Presenting the overview of a course
The Menzies Leadership Programme is a six module process and the training objectives focus on giving the delegates an overview of management and leadership issues as well as specific skills which they can use on their return to their workplace.
The workshop is participative throughout, with many group discussions, partnership or syndicate exercises, role-plays and demonstrations. The facilitator's role is to explain concepts, facilitate rigorous thought and keep delegates thinking in terms of specific issues and actions, instead of vague generalisations.
Presentation on the assessment process
ELSA (English Literacy Skills Assessment) is a standardized RPL measuring instrument. It is a measuring instrument that can quantify and diagnose. ELSA quantifies a respondent's English literacy (and numeracy if required) skills performance, equating the functioning level to that of a mother tongue user. In diagnosing, ELSA shows up an individual's strengths and weaknesses in an English speaking work / training environment. It is an audio / pencil and paper assessment and takes approximately one and a half hours to perform. It is a group test (20 delegates per session).
THE IMPLICATIONS OF NOT FOLLOWING THE INDUSTRY SPECIFIC OR LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC TYPE OF TEXT
Often texts have to adhere to certain legal requirements and non-compliance could have legal implications. Some of the legal implications can include:
Penalties to the organisation: For example if the Annual Report of bank does not disclose their solvency margins and risk management plans, penalties can be levied by the Central bank.
Bad market reputation: Failure to follow industry specific requirements for specific text can result in the organisation featuring in the media. This can damage its dominance in the market.
Loss of investors: Investors are always concerned with the legal risk to their investments so an organisation that fails to abide to industry specifications is bound to experience loss of shareholders.
Legal costs: Customers and consumer groups may also sue the organisation if the documents that they produced are not according to industry specifications and are bound to affect the customers purchasing decisions.
TERMINOLOGY AND CONVENTIONS SPECIFIC TO A PARTICULAR FUNCTION IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
As discussed earlier on, different business functions correspond in the same way. The same applies to terminology and conventions. That is, each field or business sector uses the same terminology to make it easy to communicate with stakeholders.
Example 1: Assume an underwriter is writing a letter to an insurance client. The following terminology can be evident
After carrying out a risk assessment on your property in Midrand Johannesburg, our team of assessors recommended that for your premiums to be reduced by 20% the following must be done;
- A night watchman must be on the premises every day.
- Fire extinguishers must be properly maintained.
- Claims experience must be reduced by 30%
Example 2: Assume a lawyer is defending her client in court, who is accused of stealing. The following terminology can be evident
After cross examining the witness brought to the stand their accounts were prima facie shallow and thus cannot be taken as submissive evidence.
PART 2
IDENTIFY AND COLLECT INFORMATION REQUIRED TO WRITE TEXT SPECIFICY TO A PARTICULAR FUNCTION
OUTCOMES:
On completion of this section you will be able to use textual features and conventions specific to business texts for effective writing.
On completion of this module you will be able to;
IDENTIFY AND COLLECT INFORMATION NEEDED TO WRITE TEXT SPECIFIC TO A PARTICULAR FUNCTION
Identification of the intended or incidental audience, for whom the text is to be written
Audience identification assists you as writer of a specific letter/memo or report to specifically target the major group of readers for a document. It enables you to discover what the readers need to know in order to perform their jobs better or in order to increase their knowledge about a specific subject. It also assists you to determine what the readers will do with information they have read.
Audience analysis questions like the following are important as they enable you, to get a picture of what the projected audience is like.
- Who are you writing to?
- Are they a superior or a colleague, peer, owner, manager?
- What style and tone would be most suited to this audience?
- Is it internal or external correspondence?
- What does the reader need to know?
- Why do they need to know this?
- What background do I need to fill them in on?
- What are they going to do with this information?
- Who, other than the recipient, will be exposed to this information?
- Are my objectives clear?
- Define your targeted reader and your objectives.
- Is there a need for research of factual checking?
The purpose of the text is identified
The purpose of your correspondence will determine how you write it. Ask yourself, "What is the task?" and "What is the purpose of my correspondence?" It can serve any number of purposes. For example, your purpose could be;
- To analyse
- To evaluate
- To report
- To define
- To interpret
- To self-express
Questions to ask during information gathering
Remember that you may not always have all the necessary information at your fingertips; or you may need to establish whether the information that you have is factually correct.
There are different types of questioning that can be used to gather necessary information.
Open-ended questions
These require a fuller answer than ‘yes’ or ‘No’. Begin with How; What; where; who…? Used to;
- Gain information “what happened as a result”
- Explore thoughts, feelings, attitudes and opinions “what’s your opinion about’
- Explore options “what are the possible solutions for’
- Why? Questions might sound judgmental “why did you do that’
Closed-ended questions
Require a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer meaning they limit the response. Can be used to some up a discussion or briefing, ‘so, in a nutshell, you are saying.
Leading questions
Suggest that a particular answer is expected.
“Shouldn’t you be considering?
Multiple questions
Several questions are asked in one sentence. Lead to confusion. "Is it that you feel…or that you think it would be better if". Or perhaps that she should…?
Follow the 5Ws and an H question rule
- What?
- Why?
- When?
- Where?
- Who?
- How?
Again, refer to the pre-course assignment. Check whether the information is complete by asking the previous questions. Remember that you do not have to include all this information in your correspondence, but you should have it at your fingertips should the need arise. At least now, you are absolutely sure of the facts!
Ensure that you have gathered all the necessary data required for your text. It is always good to read any supporting material for a better understanding of the subject. Remember that knowledge is power and the more you know about a subject, the better. Also, information backed up by research or evidence carries a lot more weight than emotionally charged statements.
Information required for the document is accessed from a variety of sources.
Information can be accessed through primary data sources and secondary data sources
Primary data:
In primary data collection, you collect the data yourself using methods such as interviews and questionnaires. The key point here is that the data you collect is unique to you and your research and, until you publish, no one else has access to it. There are many methods of collecting primary data and the main methods include: questionnaires, interviews, focus group interviews, observation, case-studies, diaries, critical incidents, portfolios.
Secondary data:
All methods of data collection can supply quantitative data (numbers, statistics or financial) or qualitative data (usually words or text). Quantitative data may often be presented in tabular or graphical form. Secondary data is data that has already been collected by someone else for a different purpose to yours. For example, this could mean using: data collected by a hotel on its customers through its guest history system, data supplied by a marketing organisation, annual company reports, and government statistics.
Beware of using biased language as this could, unintentionally, give a negative tone to your correspondence. Avoid discrimination by:
- Being as politically correct as possible
- Avoiding sexist terms e.g. Chairman instead of Chairperson
- Highlighting skin colour if irrelevant
- Describing people in stereotypical ways e.g. all women are bad drivers!
- Being insensitive to or too focused on people's social stature and needs
- Using terms that would be considered negative to describe groups of people:
EXAMPLE RATHER USE
Blind Sight impaired
Poor Low income
People's perceptions of certain words or phrases depend on their frame of reference or attitude.
Deciding on information to be included
Before a text is written the writer must decide on the information that must be included.
The information to be included depends on:
The information to be included depends on:
- Purpose of the communication is. This should help you to evaluate which information is relevant. Keep to your objective(s) and the relevant facts.
- The time frame. That is the time period for delivering the information. For example if the time frame is to short, then information must be summerised.
- Audience - The type of audience determines what information must be included.
- Creation of a checklist to facilitate reflection and editing.
A writer can use a checklist as a tool to assist him or her to facilitate and edit the text that he/ she is writing. A checklist serves as a reminder to the writer to prevent him or her forgetting parts of the texts to be included.
For example given a research project titled: The sustainability of SMME advertising in Mhlanga District. The following can be a structure of the checklist;
PART 3
COMPOSE A TEXT USING PLAIN LANGUAGE FOR A SPECIFIC FUNCTION
OUTCOMES:
On completion of this section you will be able to compose a text using plain language for a specific function.
On completion of this module you will be able to:
COMPOSE A TEXT USING PLAIN LANGUAGE FOR A SPECIFIC FUNCTION
A format and structure is selected for the text that is appropriate for the intended audience and function.
Many people miss out the first step of writing - the planning phase.
- Plan what the purpose of your correspondence is
- Brainstorm all possible information
- Group ideas that fit together
- Decide which arguments you will use and discard the others
- Organise them into a logical flow of information
- Only then, may you start writing!
Planning helps you to organise your business writing and allows for a free flow of information from the brain to paper. It also allows you to check whether you have sufficient information and whether your arguments have enough supporting information. Another important benefit to planning is that it allows you to order your information. Without ordering your information, your writing will not flow easily or be clearly understood. Ordering also allows you to organise the content to ensure a positive unloading rate.
Part of the planning process involves deciding on the layout and structure of the text. The layout is determined by the objective for communication and the audience.
EXAMPLES OF FORMATS
LETTER OF REFERENCE
RESIGNATION LETTER
THANK YOU LETTER
Logical structure
By logical structure is meant the natural unfolding of a story as the reader progresses through the document. This is achieved by going from the general to the specific, with the background material preceding the technical expose, which should lead logically to the conclusions.
Consider a good joke. It has the structure as shown in Fig.1:
In our case, the punch line is the set of conclusions. Everything should support the conclusions and naturally lead up to them. Remember this when constructing your contents list! A typical technical report has the following progression:
FIGURE 2 REPORT STRUCTURE
The main points to be included in the text are identified and the necessary supporting details are added.
Formulate your topic sentence (see 3. Paragraphs for more information)
The topic sentence states your main point. It is important to always have a topic sentence. Newspapers demonstrate this principle exceptionally well. E.g. "Mr. Smith was sentenced to five years' imprisonment today. Although Mr. Smith's lawyer presented his client's case confidently, the judge was not convinced of his innocence. Judge Mofokeng warned that white collar crime would not be tolerated in South African society."
DEVELOP AN OUTLINE
Outlines help you organise all the information you have gathered. For a formal outline, use Roman numerals, letters, and numbers to organise your ideas.
Writing the first draft
Once your plan is complete, you can start to write. If you are struggling with a difficult introduction, go back to it once you have completed everything else. Sometimes, with all the other text complete, it will fall into place. Make sure that you follow a logical train of thought and that the end result is flowing text. Make long texts easier to download by breaking up the information with headings, numbers or bullets.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs are the building blocks of your correspondence. A paragraph discusses one idea in detail and aids the development of an overall topic. Paragraph lengths will vary depending on the purpose of the paragraph.
Parts of a Paragraph
The basic paragraph consists of three parts: a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence. This basic paragraph format will help you to write and organise a paragraph and make each paragraph lead to the next.
Topic Sentence
The main idea of each paragraph is stated in a topic sentence that shows how the idea relates to the thesis or overall focus of the correspondence. Generally, the topic sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph. All subsequent points made in the paragraphs should support the topic sentence.
Supporting Details
Supporting details elaborate upon and prove the topic sentence. Supporting details should be drawn from a variety of sources and based on research, experiences, etc. plus the writer's own analysis. Using a combination of different supports is the most common and effective way to strengthen a paragraph. The following are common ways to provide supporting details:
- Expert Opinion
- Facts and Statistics
- Personal Experience
- Others' Experiences
- Research Studies
- Brief Stories
- Journal Entries
- Personal Analysis
- Interviews
- Metaphor
Concluding Sentence
Each paragraph could end with a final statement that ties together the ideas brought up in the paragraph and emphasises the main idea one last time. If the assignment is longer, it should transition to the ideas of the next paragraph.
Example Paragraph
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires eating a nutritious diet and getting regular exercise. A nutritious diet includes eating a variety of foods from each of the four food groups: fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy and grains. Regular exercise is also an essential part of keeping a healthy lifestyle. Most experts recommend exercising at least thirty minutes a day, six days a week. These two aspects, eating a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis, will maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Topic Sentence
- Supporting Detail #2
- Supporting Detail #1
- Supporting Detail #3
- Concluding Sentence
Sentences
Sentence lengths should vary, but should seldom exceed 20 words. They can be reduced by not using adverbs and adjectives unless they add value to the text. Objectives are often easier to understand if you use shorter sentences. When you write succinctly, your reader has a better chance of understanding what the objective of the communication is. So write concisely and get to the point. Avoid the repetition of words at the beginning of sentences, making a conscious effort to start each sentence in a different way.
Suggest an alternative for "I have accepted the position that I was offered. I am excited about the new venture. I think it is going to be challenging and I am hoping to make a success of it. I cannot wait to start."
Use transitions, or repeat key words to move smoothly between sentences and show how they relate.
When listing ideas of the same relative importance, use parallel structure.
NON PARALLEL: My responsibilities include evaluation, drafting proposals, and to prepare budgets.
PARALLEL: My responsibilities include writing evaluations, drafting proposals and preparing budgets.
Emphasise the main idea within a sentence by placing it in the main clause. In each of the following examples, the subordinating conjunction although introduces the first group of words, making them a dependent clause (group of words with a subject and verb that could not be an independent sentence). The second group of words in each example is not introduced by a subordinating conjunction, so it is the main clause, which receives more emphasis.
EXAMPLE: Although she was extremely busy, Laura wrote the proposal.
Written communication is a fundamental part of business. A well-worded document can make a positive impression on your reader, whereas a poorly chosen word can negatively affect business relationships and transactions. The following examples and general guidelines demonstrate important principles about word choice in business writing.
PART 4
ORGANISE AND STRUCTURE A TEXT APPROPORIATELY FOR A BUSINESS FUNCTION
OUTCOMES:
On completion of this section you will be able to organise and structure a text appropriately for a business function.
ORGANISE AND STRUCTURE A TEXT APPROPRIATELY FOR A BUSINESS FUNCTION
The first draft is checked to ensure that appropriate grammar has been used and rewritten in plain language
After the first draft has been written, it must be checked for correctness, grammar and where necessary rewritten in plain language. The following are some of the common grammatical errors
Common writing errors
Ain't:
Some people believe that we should never use the word "ain't" in the English language. It is, however, a legitimate and valid word – if it is used in the right place. It is a contraction for "am not."
The sentence, "I ain't going to school today," is therefore correct. It means, "I am not going to school today." It can be used only for the first person singular (I). It can not be used with "we," "they," "you," "thou," "he," "she," or any proper noun.
Advice versus Advise:
Advice is a noun, something that you give. It is a thing. Say, "Please give me some advice."Advise is a verb, something that you do. It is some action. Say, "Please advise me."
Affect and Effect:
As verbs, they differ. To affect some thing is to have some influence upon it. To effect some action is to cause it to happen.
As nouns, they also differ. Affect is like affection, related to emotion. Effect is a result.
Apart and a Part:
One is a single word; the other includes two words. "Apart" means two things are separate or away from each other. A "part" means one thing is a portion or an element of another.
A wall is usually seen as a "part" of a house, for example, while a fence is seen as "apart" from the house.
Complement and Compliment:
The change from an "e" to an "i" makes a big difference in these two words. The word "complement" is related to the word "complete." If one thing complements another, then the two together make a whole.
In contrast, the word "compliment" is an observation of some good quality in a person. It is considered more sincere than flattery.
etc:
End of thinking creatively (E.T.C.). Avoid using "etc."
Fewer and Less:
"Fewer" is used for counting while "less " is used for measuring. You can say my car has fewer litres of fuel than yours , because you measure fuel, not count it.You can say that Palesa has fewer shillings than Mpumi, or you can say that Palesa has less money than Mpumi. (You can not say that Palesa has less shillings ). Money is measured while coins and bills are counted.Grocery store managers display their illiteracy when they put up signs in the express lanes saying ten items or less instead of ten items or fewer.
Forum and Fora:
A forum is a place being used for communication within a group or collection of persons. Historically it was a physical gathering place, but metaphorically it could be in a newspaper or on the internet. More than one "forum" is not "forums." They are "fora." The word has a Latin origin so we do not make the plural by adding the letter "s." The word "fora" refers to several places for discussion. Few people use the word "fora" any more.
In general, "s" is not used to indicate plural for words that are borrowed from Latin. The singular (one) should end in "um" while the plural (more than one) should end in "a." Examples include: medium, media; datum; data. (The word "media" means more than one medium of communication; ie newspapers, radio and TV).
Hippopotomonstrousquipedalianism:
Do not use long words.
Hopefully:
Do not use "hopefully" unless you state exactly who is doing the hoping. Say: "They stood hopefully in the rain waiting for the rock star to appear."Do not say: "Hopefully the bear will stay out of the village," or "Hopefully I will come in time." Say "We hope that the bear will stay out of the village," and "I hope that I will come in time." Avoid all "...fully" words if you do not specify who is doing the action.
In Spite:
There is no such word as "inspite." Make sure you use the two words separately, "in" and "spite."
Input and put in?
An "input" is a noun, a thing, It is what you put into a project or a process.
"Input" is not a verb. You can not say you input something into a project or a process. You put something in, where "put" is the verb.
Isn't it?
When you make a statement, then immediately ask if it is not true, you can use "isn't it" only if the question used the verb "to be" (ie "is" or one of its forms), the original question was positive, and if the subject of the sentence is third person singular (it). It is correct to say, for example, "It is coming, isn't it?" In many other languages, "isn't it" can be used without having to modify it to relate it to the original question. In English, you must make it consistent (with both the subject and the verb) – and negative. Thus: "He is coming; isn't he?" "I am coming; ain't I?" "You are coming; aren't you?" "He ate the food: didn't he?" "You will bring the gift; won't you?" "You will not do that; will you?"
Kindly:
Be careful when you use the word "kindly." It is used to begin a request that the listener or reader do something or refrain from doing something. It is polite and appropriate to use it on public notices, posters or broadcasts. It is rude to use it when talking to a single person. It implies that the listener is in an inferior class or is your servant and you are annoyed with him or her. When asking an individual to do something, it is best to use the word, "Please."
Loose and Lose:
The two words, "loose" and "lose," look similar, especially to those who speak English as a second language. It is easy to mix them up.
The word, "loose," means something is not tight or securely fastened down. It might easily fall apart or fall off. The word "lose," in contrast, means to have something go away and become
lost.
Number of:
Do not use the phrase "a number of" to indicate an unknown number of something. Instead, use the word "several."Remember that zero is a number, so it is true that I had a number of sexual adventures with beautiful Hollywood starlets.
Opposed to:
Do not use "opposed to" when you mean "contrasted with". Opposed means there is a conflict between the two. Contrast means there is a differenc
Passive Voice:
The word "obfuscation" means to write or speak in such a way as to look as if you are saying something, but reveal very little. Using the passive voice is a common way to say less than people want to read or hear. In the passive voice you say, "The orange was eaten."That way you hide the subject and so do not reveal who ate the orange. If you use the active voice, you must reveal the subject. "Aziz ate the orange." The active voice is simpler, and it always identifies the subject, ie who did the action. Nothing is hidden. Always use the active voice in writing or speaking.
Quotation Marks:
English is not a logical language. We would think, if we are logical, that we should put a full stop, as the end of a sentence, after the closing set of quotation marks. Not so. We first put the full stop (period) to end a sentence, then we put the closing quotation marks. The same with a comma. When we use quotation marks, the second set of marks are put after the comma, not before, as we might logically assume .For other punctuation marks, they go inside the quotations if they refer to the content of the quotation, or outside the quotation marks if they refer to the sentence as a whole.
Revert:
To revert means to degenerate to an earlier condition. Say, "They reverted to barbarism." It does not mean to reply, as in "reply to a message." Say, "Please reply to this email message."
Slash:
A slash (/) can be used as "either or" when the choice is between "and" and "or." Say: "She is bringing chocolates and/or wine." Do not use the slash, however to make the same statement about nouns (do not say chocolates/wine) or in other places where the two concepts are interchangeable.
Substantive and Substantial:
Do not say substantive when you mean substantial. Substantial refers to a large amount. Enough or more than enough for the purpose. Substantive refers to content, in contrast to form or superificial characteristics.
Upholding and Holding Up:
When you uphold someting, you support and help to maintain it. When you hold something up, you hinder it or prohibit it from continuing or developing.
Unique:
The word "unique" means "one of a kind." There can only be one of that kind. This is an either/or situation; either something is unique or it is not. It can not be more or less.
That means something can not be "very" unique or something can not be "more" unique than something else. It is like being pregnant; either you are or you are not; you can not be just a little bit pregnant, or less pregnant than Isobel.
Can you read these correctly ... the first time?
1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The landfill was so full; they had to refuse more refuse.
4. Please polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could be in the lead if he would get the lead out.
6. Since there is no time like the present, it is time to present the present.
7. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
8. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
1. I shall write to them when I will have them.
2. We did not expect having met the mayor by this afternoon.
3. This is the best thing that has ever, or can, happen to us.
4. They would be happy if you had called them.
5. That information I would have given to anyone who asks for it.
6. We were hoping that you are successful.
7. He reports that he did have made very good progress.
8. The letters were sent out early, which my typist knows is the best thing to do.
9. I did have returned two weeks ago.
10. You people ought to be punctual.
Different ways of presenting the same information are considered and used where these enhance the meaning of the text.
As text is being edited the presentation of the information can be changed to enhance ease of understanding and meaning of the text. Information can be presented in;
- Text,
- Graphs,
- Tables,
- Flow charts and
- Diagrams.
The following is part of a draft report on the progress of a small business owners training workshops.
The much awaited small business training workshop began on the 1 of January 2010. In January 100 people were trained, February 50 were trained, March 70 were trained, and April 40 were trained.
The following numerical information can be presented as follows;
Bar Graph
Line Graph
Technical or marketing terms and jargon are interpreted and rephrased in plain language.
To avoid misunderstanding when using technical jargon, all technical terms and jargons must be interpreted correctly or reduced to plain language.
Example:
After carrying out a risk assessment on your property in Midrand Johannesburg, our team of assessors recommended that for your premiums to be reduced by 20% the following must be done;
· A night watchman must be on the premises every day.
· Fire extinguishers must be properly maintained.
· Claims experience must be reduced by 30%.
Since the above text contains technical insurance terms, they must be interpreted.
· Premium- amount that the policy holder must pay the insurance company for protection against possible future losses.
· Assessors- are people who examine properties to have a better understanding about them for insurance purposes.
· Claims experience- means the history of past losses
Ensuring the document is ordered in a sequential, logical and meaningful manner.
Like a musician composes music, so you need to put your text together. There needs to be a logical flow of information from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph. We need to group together our thoughts on the introduction, body and conclusion.
The introduction should outline the purpose of the text. The body should provide all the supporting detail, moving from the general to the specific. The body may contain various paragraphs, each with its own thought and may include bullet points for easy reading. The conclusion should bring all the arguments together and leave the reader with a clear call to action.
Leave out irrelevant detail, waffle or repetition. Remember though, that you could have the best grammar in the world, have a perfect writing style, your tone could be ideal and your flow of information superb BUT all of this could count for nothing if your information is not factually correct! Be sure of all your facts!
PRESENT A WRITTEN TEXT FOR A
PARTICULAR FUNCTION IN A
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
PARTICULAR FUNCTION IN A
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
OUTCOMES:
On completion of this section you will be able to organise and structure a text appropriately for a business function.
PRESENT A WRITTEN TEXT FOR A PARTICULAR FUNCTION IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Selecting text type, format and layout
Simplicity is key! Stick to one font, altering the type size for headings and using bold, italics or underlining to differentiate if necessary.
When would you use a cursive font?
A cursive or script font is-old fashioned and tiring to-the eye. It could add a personal/or elegant touch- to-an invitation, but not should not beused in business writing.
An acceptable font size is between 10 and 12 points, although this varies for headings.
Examples of theme fonts include
Graphics and illustrations can be used in non-correspondence type texts e.g. newsletters, flyers or brochures. Do be aware of copyrighting issues though. Remember though that clip art is copyright free. Charts and tables can be of considerable value when used correctly. Only use visuals if they really add value to your text, or they may be viewed as being irritating. If you do choose to use visuals, place them near the text to which they refer.
Use of layout and formatting techniques
It is important to use the right layout and formatting techniques to increase readability.
Letter formats
When writing a business letter, you must pay attention to both the parts of a business letter and to your choice of formats. This section will explain both concepts. When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.
Emails
Email etiquette offers some guidelines that can be use to facilitate better communication between writers and readers. One overall point to remember is that an email message does not have non-verbal expression to support what we are "saying." We mostly judge peoples intentions by their tone of voice, gestures, and their proximity to us. Without the above misunderstandings can occur, making it much easier to offend or hurt someone in email. Therefore it's important to be clear and concise.
How do I know if I am using the correct etiquette?
Before clicking the "send" button on your email, consider the following:
- How should I format my email?
- To whom am I sending my email?
- Can I send attachments?
- How long should my email be?
- Am I flaming someone? (And what does "flaming" mean?)
- When should I not send an email?
How should I format my email?
In addition to general rules about formatting email, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Be sure that your email is formatted to wrap your text after about 70 characters. This keeps the email from looking disorderly. Usually, settings for character length will be found in the "preferences" option on the tool bar of your email client. Consult your help menu for more information.
Here are some additional formatting tips to consider.
- Keep the email brief (preferably to one page) to avoid scrolling.
- Return emails the same day that you would a phone call and use capitalisation and punctuation in the same way that you would in a document.
- Format your email to be sent in plain text because some email clients may not read HTML.
- Write a greeting for each new subject email. However, an exception can be made when you are exchanging several emails over the same topic it's similar to a conversation.
- Clearly define your subject in the subject line so that the recipient knows what to expect. For example: "22 April production team meeting agenda" instead of "meeting."
Memos
Memos have one purpose in life: "Memos solve problems." Memos solve problems either by informing the reader about new information, like policy changes, price increases, etc., or by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, keep toilets clean, or change a current production method. Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most successful when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader.
Parts of a Memo
Standard memos are divided into segments to organise the information and to help achieve the writer's purpose.
Heading Segment
The heading segment follows this general format:
To: (readers’ names and job titles)
From: (your name and job title)
Date: (complete and current date)
Subject: (What the memo is about, highlighted in some way)
Make sure you address the reader by his or her correct name and job title. You might call the CEO "Mash" on the golf course or in an informal note, but "Robert Mashego, CEO" would be more appropriate for a formal memo.
Be specific and concise in your subject line. For example, "Bugs" as a subject line could mean anything from a computer virus to a pesticide problem. Instead use something like, "Bug infestation in aircon ducts."
Opening Segment
The purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraphs and is presented in three parts: the context and problem, the specific assignment or task, and the purpose of the memo.
- The context is the event, situation, or background of the problem you are solving. You may use a paragraph to establish the background and state the problem or simply the opening of a sentence, such as, "In our effort to eliminate bugs in the aircon ducts...." Include only what your reader needs, but be sure it is clear.
- In the task statement you should describe what you are doing to help solve the problem. If the action was requested, your task may be indicated by a sentence opening like, "You asked that I look at...." If you want to explain your intentions, you might say, "To determine the best method of controlling the bugs in the aircon, I will...."
Finally, the purpose statement of a memo gives your reason for writing it and forecasts what is in the rest of the memo. This is not the time to be shy. You want to come right out and tell your reader the kind of information that's in store. For example, you might say: "This memo presents a description of the current situation, some proposed alternatives, and my recommendations." If you plan to use headings for your memo segments, you can refer to your major headings in this forecast statement to provide a better guide for your reader.
Troubleshooting hints:
Include only as much information as is needed by the decision-makers, but be convincing that a real problem exists. Do no ramble on with insignificant details.
If you are having trouble putting the task into words, consider whether you have clarified the situation. You may need to do more planning before you're ready to write your memo.
Make sure your purpose statement forecast divides your subject into the most important topics that the decision maker needs.
Closing Segment
Now you're almost done. After the reader has absorbed all of your information, you want to close with a courteous ending that states what action you want your reader to take. Make sure you consider how the reader will benefit from the desired actions and how you can make those actions easier. For example, you might say, "I will be glad to discuss this recommendation with you during our Tuesday trip to the spa and follow through on any decisions you make."
Evaluation of information in the document in terms of its appropriateness for the intended audience and business function.
No matter how many times you read through a "finished" document, you're likely to miss many of your most common mistakes. This exercise will help you proofread more effectively:
- By giving you some useful general strategies for editing well.
- By giving you strategies which personalise editing so you can identify errors you typically make.
- By giving you specific strategies for identifying and correcting those mistakes.
General Strategies
Begin by taking a break. Allow yourself sometime between writing and editing. Even a five-minute break is productive because it will help get some distance from what you have written. The goal is to return with a fresh eye and mind.
The following strategies will help you slow down as you read through a document and will therefore help you catch errors that you might otherwise overlook. As you use these strategies, remember to work slowly. If you read at a normal speed, you won't give your eyes enough time to spot errors.
Read aloud: Reading a document aloud forces you to read every little word. Read with a "cover" Moving a blank sheet of paper down the page as you read encourages you to make a detailed, line-byline review of the document.
Role-play: Playing the role of the reader encourages you to see the document as your audience might. Reading your document backwards.
Editing: In addition to using the general strategies already listed, you'll need to personalise the editing process. You won't be able to check for everything (and you don't have to), so you should find out what your typical problem areas are and look for each type of error individually.
Here's how:
To locate and correct errors in your correspondence, find the strategies below which correspond to your typical problem areas and follow the step-by-step instructions provided for you. Each strategy is designed to focus your attention on only one particular error, so to be most effective, use only one strategy at a time.
Final draft is proof-read and self-assessed
The final draft must be proof read and self-assessed to check that it is completely correct. Self-assessment can be done using a checklist based on the requirements of the writing task.
