Business Writing Or Technical Writing Or Workplace Writing

Lesson 2

Business Writing or Technical Writing or Workplace Writing

Introduction:

Business writing is the written form of communication which the people perform in connection with their work. The writings (letters) deal with the main work or activities of the businesses or professions or vocations of their writers. For example, a business person, executive or manager might find it necessary to write to members of his staff, reply to job applications, respond to sales enquiries, place orders, acknowledge correspondence, and reply to complaints etc. Also, he or she might have to discuss internal administrative matters with managerial colleagues, or make reports to seniors and/or directors.

Business letters, therefore, deal with the main work or activities of the businesses or professions or vocations of their writers.

The term ‘business letters’ also refer to letters written by people such as accountants and auditors, lawyers, educationists, doctors, architects, engineers, and others - who refer to themselves as being in ‘the professions’and not in business.

However, in general the letters they write in connection with their professions or vocations need to conform to the same rules as those which are written by business people.

What is Technical writing?

Technical Writing is a skilled approach to business writing that “transfers information about a situation, product, service, or concept etc. to audiences of varying levels of technical knowledge, so that each member of the audience clearly understands the message.

The word “technical” means skilled, specialized, and strict. Therefore technical writing in business refers to skilled writing that adheres to rules, procedures and protocols.

There arevarieties of reasons why business letters have to be written is huge, as is the variety of circumstances which necessitate them. And, of course, much depends on the activities in which a particular enterprise is engaged and on the work performed by a particular executive or other employee.

Some enterprises send and/or receive very few letters, whilst other enterprises send and/or receive large numbers of letters every working day. Some business people and managerial staff write relatively few business letters, whilst others might spend large proportions of their working hours writing such letters, as well as reading the many received.

No person can hope to succeed in business without being able to write GOOD business letters.

Characteristics of Technical Writing

Characteristics of
Technical Writing / Description of Characteristics
Understanding Why
You are Writing
(Purpose) / Is the purpose of writing…
a)To inform: to provide information without expecting any action on thepart of the reader?
b)To instruct: to give information in the form of directions, instructions,procedures, so that readers will be able to do something?
c)To propose: to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) or to suggest aplan of action for a specific problem?
d)To recommend: to suggest an action or series of actions based onalternative possibilities that have been evaluated?
e)To persuade: to convince readers to take action, to change their attitudesor behaviors based on valid opinions and evidence?
Writing for the
Audience / Since the goal of technical writing is information transfer (sending a clear, noisefreemessage), what you say and how you say it depends on the audience. It is important to understand who is reading the document so that theinformation you convey is transferred effectively.
Satisfying Document
Specifications
(Genre/Type of
Document) / Document specifications include…
Adherence to document type (genre)--understanding what is expected in different types of communications such as writing an email, memo or a formal letter.
Format-- different document types specify a specific format to be followed with regard to
--font
--margins
--labeling for figures and graphics
--line and paragraph spacing
--number of words per document or per section
--section headings and subheadings
Providing Accurate
Information / Being truthful and accurate are the cornerstones of technical writing. Technicalwriting is rarely about opinion. It is scientific writing based on facts. Providing inaccurate, insufficient or wrong informationcauses readers to question writers credibility and reliability.
Organizing
Information Logically
and Linearly / In general, technical writing is organized in a direct, linear format. ALL technicaldocuments have a clear
Introduction: this is where you provide motivation andcontext/background for the topic/material/information being presented inthe document; always provide the “big picture” before jumping into thetechnical details
Body: this is where the information is explained upon and wheretechnical details are given
Conclusion: this is where the main points are re-emphasized and where the
“big picture” is once again discussed and action required is suggested.
Expressing
Information Clearly / While you may be able to say the same thing in a variety of ways, being clear anddirect are the most important characteristics of technical writing. Expressinginformation clearly is crucial; you NEVER want to make your reader work harderthan necessary to understand the message/idea/information you are conveying.
Sentences must have a single meaning with no room for ambiguity. Technicalwriting should be direct, not suspenseful.
Making
Ideas/Information
Accessible / Technical writing is known for its use of headingsand subheadings and for the way information is made easily accessible bygrouping material into “chunks.”
Paragraphs are usually much shorter in technicalwriting than in other types of writing.
Pages full of text only and long paragraphsare discouraging to readers. Readers want to be able to quickly accessinformation, and the best way to help them find the info they need is to providethem with visual cues such as descriptive headings, and to make use of numberedlists and bulleted items.

Tips to write a good business letter

Body / Contents / Examples
Opening or Introduction / Why are you writing?
Refer to a previous letter, contact, document, reference or interaction. / Thank you for your letter of…….
With reference to your letter …….
I am writing in connection with……
Refer to our telephonic conversation…..
Refer to our meeting dated ………….
Refer to my meeting with Mr. Smith……….
Purpose as to why you are writing – provide all relevant information / Give information
Ask for information
Provide all relevant details / We are pleased to inform you ……..
We are sending …………..
Would you please send us………….
We would be grateful if you could……….
I am enclosing ………………
Attached herewith is ……………..
Response – action
(conclusion) / Action the reader should take
Action that you will take
Give a deadline if necessary / Please send us the goods immediately……
Please respond to the offer before…… (date)
If the goods are not sent within 3 days ……..
If the offer is not availed in 3 days………..
Closing / A simple one-line closing sentence / We look forward to hearing from you soon
A prompt reply would be appreciated
Please feel free to contact me for further details
Please let us know about your intentions

Lab Practice 2

Task 1

Rearranging the sentences:

Re-arrange the scrambled words to get meaningful sentences.

Example:

gain experience – I would – a reputed company – before joining – like to

I would like to gain experience before joining a reputed company.

I will – to learn – have the opportunity – the techniques – of business

______

you have - I appreciate – shown in – our company – the interest

______

my application - you will - I hope - for the job - consider

______

your application – received - we have

______

if you – my application – into consideration – appreciate – I would – take

______

Task 2:

Make pairs of synonyms with the following words. (note: synonyms are the words having same meaning).

Companygainappreciateopportunity

Occasion profitableacquirelike

Beneficialfirm

Example: start = begintraditional = conventional

______= ______2. ______= ______

3. ______= ______4. ______= ______

5. ______= ______

Task 3:

You are interested to go for training abroad. For this purpose you are required to fill in the following personal details.

First Name ______Last Name______

Age: ______Gender______

Nationality______

Address______

Study Level______Major ______

College:______Department______

GPA______

Courses Desired______

Desired country ______

Start date ______Duration ______

Task 4

Use of Tenses

Complete the table below by using proper tenses.

Infinitive / Past tense / Pr. Perfect / Infinitive / Past tense / Pr. Perfect
To be / was / have been / To buy / ……………
To make / made / have made / To catch / ……………
To feel / felt / have felt / To drive / ……………
To find / …………… / …………… / To spend / ……………
To write / …………… / …………… / To sell / ……………
To build / …………… / …………… / To send / ……………
To get / …………… / …………… / To leave / ……………
To know / …………… / …………… / To speak / ……………
To grow / …………… / …………… / To give / ……………
To pay / …………… / …………… / To sell / ……………
To read / …………… / …………… / To lead / ……………
To seek / …………… / …………… / To ring / ……………

Task 5:

Complete the following paragraph using the appropriate tense of the words given in parenthesis.

The ABC Company LLC (start) ______its operations, in Oman, in July 2010. In the same year the company (appoint) ______Mr. Al Mawali as its general manager. Mr. Mawali has before (work) ______in various parts of the world. In his career Mr. Mawali has (meet) ______people with different cultural backgrounds, having wide experience in different aspects of business. His professional experience (gain) ______him a good reputation in the industry. During last two years, he (make) ______the company to achieve high growth. The company this year (produce) ______a promotional CD for the European market.

Task 6: PAIR WORK

Ask your partner the following questions. Rewrite these questions with proper form of verb given in parenthesis, starting the question with ‘have’. After completing reverse the roles.

Example: A - (watch) any movie last week.Have you watched any movie last week?

B – No, I haven’t watched any.Yes, I have watched one.

A – (write) any report this week?______?

B - ______

A – (see) any movie this month?______?

B - ______

A – (meet) any foreign students this years?______?

B - ______

A – (have) a holiday abroad recently?______?

B - ______

A – (read) any novel this week?______?

B - ______