BCOM Exam 2

Avoiding the Use of Passive Voice

"to be" + verb Am was been Is were have been Are has had been

Sentence Unity

a. Unrelated ideas (page 83 - three ways to avoid unrelated ideas) b. Excessive details

Chapter 5 - Writing for a Positive Effect:

1. Build Goodwill 2. The "You - Viewpoint" 3. Accentuating the Positive 4. Managing Emphasis for a Positive Effect

Chapter 4 - Constructing Clear and Concise Paragraphs

1. Limit Sentence Content 2. Managing Emphasis in Sentences 3. Sentence Unity 4. Dangling/Misplaced Modifiers 5. Paragraphs

Paragraphs

1. Unity - sticks to a single topic; developed throughout 2. Topic Sentences 3. The Three Transitional Devices a. Coherence b. Repetition of key words and ideas c. Transitional words (therefore, likewise)

Word Choice

a. Use familiar words - "plain language" b. Use short, concise words c. Avoid slang and clichés

Precise Language

a. Concrete vs. Abstract language b. Specific vs. Vague language - quantify things c. Denotation (dictionary definition) vs. Connotation (implied meaning) Example: She was notorious/noted for her concern for the poor. If we look at the word notorious vs. noted, we feel that the word notorious has more of a negative connotation than the word noted, and is therefore not the appropriate choice between the two.

Accentuating the Positive

a. Use positive words, remove the negative Negative: Smoking is not permitted anywhere, except in the lobby. Positive: Smoking is permitted in the lobby.

Chapter 3 - Adapting Your Words to the Reader

1. Word Choice 2. Precise Language 3. Appropriate Usage 4. Avoiding the Use of Passive Voice 5. Avoiding the Use of Camouflaged Verbs

Avoiding the Use of Camouflaged Verbs

Acquire Acquisition Make an acquisition Appear Appearance Make an appearance Investigate Investigation Hold an investigation

Dangling/Misplaced Modifiers

Putting modifiers in the wrong place or giving them nothing to modify in the sentence is another common way that sentence logic can go awry. Consider this sentence: Believing the price would drop, the purchasing agents were instructed not to buy. The sentence seems grammatically correct...but it doesn't make sense. It looks as though the purchasing agents believed the price would drop—but if they did, why did someone else have to tell them not to buy? The problem is that the people whom the opening phrase is supposed to modify have been left out, making the opening phrase a dangling modifier. You can correct this problem by putting the right agents after the opening phrase: Believing the price would drop, we instructed our purchasing agents not to buy. Having finished the assignment, the TV turned on. Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV. After reading the study, the article remains unconvincing. After reading the study, I find the article unconvincing.

Limit Sentence Content

Write short, clear sentences by limiting sentence content and economizing on words. a. Avoid "cluttering phrases" b. Eliminate surplus words c. Eliminate redundancies/repetitive phrasing

The "You - Viewpoint"

Writing from the "you - viewpoint" means focusing on the reader's interests, no matter what type of message you are preparing. It is fundamental to the practice of good business communication. Also called the "you - attitude". a. Potential for ethical implications

Build Goodwill

a. Conversational language More formal: studied, investigated, or analyzed Less formal: looked into b. Cutting out "rubber stamps" Expressions used by habit every time a certain type of situation occurs. They are used without thought and are not adapted to the specific situation. As the term indicates, they are used much as you would use a rubber stamp. Examples: I am happy to have received your message. This is to inform you that... I will appreciate your cooperation on this. Thank you for your time. Please let me know if you have any questions. Perhaps you are asking yourself, "What's wrong with thanking the reader for his or her time or with offering to answer questions?" The answer is that such rubber stamps are not specific enough. They signal that you have quit thinking about the reader and his or her situation. A better ending is one that thanks the reader for something in particular or that offers to answer questions about a particular topic.

Managing Emphasis in Sentences

a. Short sentences create more emphasis b. Independent/Dependent Clauses Independent Clause: phrase that can stand-alone Dependent Clause: phrase that cannot stand-alone; sentence fragment "Which of the following sentences contains a dependent clause/independent clause?" Need to be able to identify examples on the exam. c. Coordination vs. Subordination Coordination: place equal emphasis on two ideas The company lost money last year, and the loss occurred despite record sales. Despite record sales, the company lost money last year. Subordination: one idea is emphasized over another Although the company experienced record sales, it lost money.

Appropriate Usage

formal vs. informal

Managing Emphasis for a Positive Effect (Three Techniques)

i. Emphasize By Position By putting things at the beginning/ending of a sentence or paragraph - they stand out. ii. By Sentence Design Short sentences, independent clauses - most emphasis Dependent clauses, modifying clauses - least amount of emphasis iii. By Space The more physical space is used, the more emphasis placed