Ch. 3-1

1
Chapter 3

• Improving Writing techniques

2
Formal Research Methods for Gathering Information

• Search manually (books, magazines, journals).
• Access electronically (Internet, databases,
  compact discs).
• Go to the source (interviews, surveys,
  questionnaires, focus groups).
• Conduct scientific experiments (measure variables
  using control groups).

3
Informal Research Methods for Gathering
Information

• Look in organization files.
• Talk with your boss.
• Interview the target audience.
• Conduct an informal survey.
• Brainstorm for ideas.

4
Organize Information With an Outline

• Title
• I. First major component
• A. First subpoint
• 1. Detail, illustration, evidence
• 2. Detail, illustration, evidence
• B. Second subpoint
• 1. Detail, illustration, evidence
• 2. Detail, illustration, evidence

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Organize Information With an Outline

• II. Second major component
• A. First subpoint
• 1. Detail, illustration, evidence
• 2. Detail, illustration, evidence

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Organize Information With an Outline

• Tips
• Define main topic in title.
• Divide the topic into 3-5 main points.
• Break the components into subpoints.
• Strive to make each component exclusive (no
  overlapping).
• Dont put a single item under a major component.
• Use details, illustrations, and evidence to
  support subpoints.

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Organizing Business Messages

• Direct Strategy
• Main idea comes first followed by details and
  explanations

• Indirect Strategy
• Explanation precedes main idea

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Organizing Business Messages

• Direct Strategy
• Advantages
• Saves readers time
• Sets a proper frame of mind
• Prevents frustration
• Appears businesslike

• Indirect Strategy
• Advantages
• Respects feelings of audience
• Encourages a fair hearing
• Minimizes a negative reaction

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Organizing Business Messages

• Direct Strategy
• Useful when
• Receiver is receptive
• Receiver requires no education about topic
• Message is routine

• Indirect Strategy
• Useful when
• Receiver may be upset
• Receiver may be hostile
• Receiver must be persuaded or educated
• Message is sensitive

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Effective Sentences

• Complete sentences have subjects and verbs and
  make sense (are capable of standing alone).
• Example
• Subject Verb
• Employees send many e-mail messages.

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Effective Sentences

• Clauses also have subjects and verbs.
  Independent clauses can stand alone dependent
  clauses rely on independent clauses for their
  meaning.
• Example
• Dependent Clause
  Independent Clause
• When you speak, you reveal yourself.

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Effective Sentences

• Phrases are groups of related words without
  subjects and verbs.
• Example
• Phrase
  Phrase
• In the afternoon, I work at the mall.

13
Effective Sentences

• Avoid sentence fragments.
• Fragment
• Even though the pay was low. Many candidates
  applied.
• Revision
• Even though the pay was low, many candidates
  applied.

14
Effective Sentences

• Avoid run-on (fused) sentences.
• Fused
  Sentences
• Two candidates applied only one was hired.
• Revisions
• Two candidates applied. Only one was hired.
• Two candidates applied only one was hired.
• Two candidates applied, but only one was hired.

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Effective Sentences

• Avoid comma-splice sentences.
• Comma Splice
• Many were qualified, Jeff was hired.
• Revisions
• Many were qualified. Jeff was hired.
• Many were qualified Jeff was hired.
• Many were qualified however, Jeff was hired.
• Many were qualified, but Jeff was hired.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following to avoid fragments, run-on
  sentences, and comma-splices.
• You can create a Web-based job portfolio it will
  impress potential employers.
• You can create a Web-based job portfolio it will
  impress potential employers.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following to avoid fragments, run-on
  sentences, and comma-splices.
• Send a scannable résumé. When you apply for a
  job.
• Send a scannable résumé when you apply for a job.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following to avoid fragments, run-on
  sentences, and comma-splices.
• Although technical skills are important.
  Communication skills are also in great demand.
• Although technical skills are important,
  communication skills are also in great demand.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following to avoid fragments, run-on
  sentences, and comma-splices.
• College used to be for young people, however many
  older students now seek degrees.
• College used to be for young people however,
  many older students now seek degrees.

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Emphasis Through Mechanics

• Underlining
• Which of these methods do you prefer?

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Emphasis Through Mechanics

• Italics and Boldface
• The use of boldface and italics captures the
  readers attention.

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Emphasis Through Mechanics

• All Caps
• Notice how EXPENSE-FREE stands out.

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Emphasis Through Mechanics

• Dashes
• Other methodsincluding dashesmay be used.

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Emphasis Through Mechanics

• Tabulation
• Listing items vertically emphasizes them
• 1. First item
• 2. Second item
• 3. Third item

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Emphasis Through Mechanics

• Other means of achieving mechanical emphasis
  include the following use of white space, color,
  lines, boxes, columns, titles, headings, and
  subheadings.

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Emphasis and Deemphasis Through Style

• To emphasize an idea
• Use a vivid expression (bug-free software
  rather than dependable software).
• Label the idea with expressions (more
  importantly, the principal reason, or the best
  alternative).
• Put the important idea first or last in the
  sentence.
• Put the important idea in a simple sentence or in
  an independent clause.

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Emphasis and Deemphasis Through Style

• To deemphasize an idea
• Use general words, rather than specific words
  (some customers complained, rather than 125
  customers complained).
• Place the idea in a dependent clause connected to
  an independent clause containing a positive idea.
• Example
• Although items cannot be returned for cash, you
  will receive store credit for any returned
  purchases.

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Active- and Passive-Voice Verbs

• Active-voice verbs show the subject performing
  the action.
• Examples
• Most major employers require drug testing.
• (Active voice the subject is
  acting)
• Dr. Smith recommended Tina for the job.
• (Active voice the subject is acting)

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Active- and Passive-Voice Verbs

• In passive-voice sentences, the subject is being
  acted upon. Passive-voice verbs require helper
  verbs.
• Examples
• Drug testing is required by most major employers.
• (Passive voice the subject is being
  acted upon)
• Tina was recommended for the job by Dr. Smith.
• (Passive voice the subject is being
  acted upon)

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Active- and Passive-Voice Verbs

• Use the active voice for most business writing.
• Use the passive voice to emphasize an action or
  the recipient of the actionrather than the actor
  (i.e. Specialists were hired Laura was honored).
• Use the passive voice to break bad news (i.e.
  Although your lease cannot be renewed, we can
  offer . . . ).

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Try Your Skill

• Convert the following sentence to active voice.
  You may have to add a subject.
• Our membership meeting was postponed by the
  president.
• The president postponed our membership meeting.

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Try Your Skill

• Convert the following sentence to active voice.
  You may have to add a subject.
• The résumés of job candidates are sorted quickly
  by the software program Resumix.
• The software program Resumix sorts résumés of job
  candidates quickly.

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Try Your Skill

• Convert the following sentence to active voice.
  You may have to add a subject.
• Computer paper was ordered yesterday.
• Rachel ordered computer paper yesterday.

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Try Your Skill

• Convert the following sentence to passive voice.
• We must delay shipment of your merchandise
  because of heavy demand.
• Your merchandise shipment must be delayed because
  of heavy demand.

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Try Your Skill

• Convert the following sentence to passive voice.
• The technician could not install the computer
  program.
• The computer program could not be installed.

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Developing Parallelism

• Parallel expression results from balanced
  construction.
• Match nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs,
  phrases with phrases, and clauses with clauses.

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Developing Parallelism

• Poor The process of writing involves
  organizing, composing, and revision.
• Parallel The process of writing involves
  organizing, composing, and revising.
• (Matching endings of verbals)

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Developing Parallelism

• Poor We are very concerned with the quality
  of raw materials, where they are located, and
  how much it costs to transport them.
• Parallel We are very concerned with the
  quality, location, and transpor- tation
  costs of raw materials. (Matching nouns)

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Developing Parallelism

• Poor Serena takes the telephone orders,
  Matt locates the items in the warehouse, and
  the items are sent by Yolanda.
• Parallel Serena takes the telephone orders,
  Matt locates the items in the warehouse, and
  Yolanda sends the items.
• (Matching voices of verbs)

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Try Your Skill

• How could parallelism be improved in the
  following sentence?
• Our knowledge management system focuses on the
  collecting, storage, and sharing of best
  practices.
• Our knowledge management system focuses on the
  collecting, storing, and sharing of best
  practices.

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Try Your Skill

• How could parallelism be improved in the
  following sentence?
• We are pleased to recommend Elizabeth because she
  has sincerity, she is reliable, and she works
  with diligence.
• We are pleased to recommend Elizabeth because she
  is sincere, reliable, and diligent.

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Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

• For clarity, modifiers must be close to the
  words they describe or limit.
• Be particularly careful to place a logical
  subject immediately after an introductory verbal
  phrase.

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Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

• Poor After considering the problem
  carefully, new procedures were suggested by
  management.
• Revised After considering the problem
  carefully, management suggested new
  procedures.

44
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

• Poor Any student has full online privileges
  who is enrolled in the college.
• Revised Any student who is enrolled in the
  college has full online privileges.

45
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

• Poor Its hard to understand why employees
  would not go to our technical support staff
  with software problems.
• Revised Its hard to understand why
  employees with software problems would
  not go to our technical support staff.

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Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

• Poor Using a search engine, the Web site was
  finally located.
• Revised Using a search engine, we finally
  located the Web site.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following sentence to correct any
  misplaced modifiers. Retain the introductory
  phrase.
• To be hired, two years of experience is required.
• To be hired, one must have two years of
  experience.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following sentence to correct any
  misplaced modifiers. Retain the introductory
  phrase.
• Dipped in butter, you can really enjoy a fine
  lobster.
• Dipped in butter, a fine lobster can truly be
  enjoyed.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following sentence to correct any
  misplaced modifiers.
• She died in the house in which she was born at
  the age of 88.
• At the age of 88, she died in the house in which
  she was born.

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Try Your Skill

• Revise the following sentence to correct any
  misplaced modifiers.
• To receive an employment form, fill out this
  application. (Tricky!)
• The sentence is correct as it stands. You is
  the understood subject of a command.

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Three Ways to Achieve Paragraph Coherence

• To help guide your reader or listener from one
  thought to another, develop coherence by using
  one of these devices
• 1. Repeat a key idea or key word(s).
• Next month we plan to launch a promotion
  for our new Web site. The promotion will
  involve newspaper and TV campaigns.

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Three Ways to Achieve Paragraph Coherence

• 2. Use a pronoun.
• Considerable interest is now being shown in
  our extended certificates of deposit. They are
  more profitable when left on deposit for long
  periods of time.

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Three Ways to Achieve Paragraph Coherence
3. Use an appropriate transitional expression.

• Time Association
• before, after
• first, second
• meanwhile
• next
• until
• when, whenever

• Contrast
• although
• but
• however
• instead
• nevertheless
• on the other hand

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Three Ways to Achieve Paragraph Coherence
3. Use an appropriate transitional expression.

• CauseEffect
• consequently
• for this reason
• hence
• therefore

• Additional Idea
• furthermore
• in addition
• likewise
• moreover
• similarly

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Three Ways to Achieve Paragraph Coherence
3. Use an appropriate transitional expression.

• Illustration
• in this way
• for example

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Paragraph Length

• Paragraphs with eight or fewer printed lines
  look inviting and readable.

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Composing the First Draft

• Complete all necessary research.
• Find a quiet place to concentrate and work.
• Prohibit calls, visitors, and interruptions.
• Organize information using an outline.
• Decide whether to sprint write (get your thoughts
  down quickly and revise later) or revise as you
  go.
• Imagine you are talking to a reader or listener.

58
KIM Bank Co. Ltd.

• Job application will be closed on 31st August
  2011.
• Please send your resume (or CV) along with the
  cover letter to Miss Suwattana Sawatasuk Human
  Resources Manager at KKUIC address.
• You can make all details up in your resume and
  cover letter, but they need to be in the formal
  form.

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End