Chapter 7

Pay attention to transitions; make one point relevant to the next; conclusion should mirror introduction and not introduce new material; use organizing principles such as chronological, spatial, compare/contrast

true

Five Steps in Evaluation (of someone else's writing)

1. Understand the assignment. 2. Evaluate how well the writing carries out the assignment. 3. Evaluate assertions. 4. Check facts. 5. Look for errors (grammar, spelling, punctuation etc.)

A serif

is a small cross line, often perpendicular to the stroke of the letter, that is decorative but also serves the useful purpose of differentiating characters that could otherwise look similar (e.g., "m" and "rn," "d" and "cl," or "3" and "8"). For this reason, serif typefaces, such as Times New Roman and Garamond, are often easier to read, especially when the font size is small.

Style

is created through content and organization, but also involves word choice and grammatical structures; is document in a informal or formal tone? If writing with other writers, make sure to unify the document across the different authors' styles of writing; needs to have a consistent voice!!

Infinitive (form of a verb)

is one without a reference to time, and in its standard form it includes the auxiliary word "to," as in "to write is to revise." It has been customary to keep the "to" next to the verb; to place an adverb between them is known as splitting the infinitive.

Visual Aids

make sure that the verbal and visual messages complement each other. The visual should illustrate the text, and should be placed near the words so that the relationship is immediately clear.

Typeface

refers to design of symbols, including letters and numbers

Verb tense

refers to the point in time where action occurs. The most common tenses are past, present, and future.

Readability

refers to the reader's ability to read and comprehend the document; tools are available to make an estimate of a document's reading level (often correlated to a school grade level) - can often use tools menu of your word processing program to determine the approximate reading level of your document.

errors have negative impact on performance

true

may need to spend some time away from document and revisit it with a fresh perspective

true

revisions include considering the value of the writer's findings and also mechanics of the document (grammar, spelling, etc.), presentation, organization and design.

true

Names

Always spell a person's name correctly; attribution is one way we often involves a person's name, and giving credit where credit is due is essential; incorrect spelling of names can undermine your credibility + can have a negative impact on your organization's reputation (or could even have legal ramifications).

The comma is probably the most versatile of all punctuation marks

true; can use judgement as a writer to if need to use one, but possible errors involving commas are also many; careless writers may put one when it is not needed

In business writing, our goals aim more toward precision and the elimination of error; a good business document won't read like a college essay.

true; clarity is a central goal

Dash

This is more difficult than it seems — buyers are scarce when credit is tight.

To give the document visual variety and to emphasize key information, consider the following strategies:

1. Bullets 2. Numbers 3. Boldface 4. Italics 5. Underlining 6. Capitalization (all caps)

The apostrophe has two uses: 1. it replaces letters omitted in a contraction, (Because contractions are associated with an informal style, they may not be appropriate for some professional writing.) and 2. it often indicates the possessive.

1. It's great news that sales were up. It is also good news that we've managed to reduce our advertising costs. 2. (second example for possessive in another card)

Commas in a series

A comma is used to separate the items in a series, but in some writing styles the comma is omitted between the final two items of the series, where the conjunction joins the last and next-to-last items. The comma in this position is known as the "serial comma." The serial comma is typically required in academic writing and typically omitted in journalism. Other writers omit the serial comma if the final two items in the series have a closer logical connection than the other items. In business writing, you may use it or omit it according to the prevailing style in your organization or industry. Know your audience and be aware of the rule.

Designing Interactive Documents

Be careful when integrating a web link within your document, as your audience may leave your message behind and not return. If you create a link associated with clicking on a photograph or icon, make sure that the scroll-over message is clear and communicates whether the reader will leave the current page.

Obscured Verbs

Business writing should be clear and concise. If the meaning is obscured, then revision is required. One common problem is the conversion of verbs into nouns with the addition of suffixes like: -ant,-ent, -ion, -tion, -sion, -ence, -ance, and ing. Instead of hiding meaning within the phrase "through the consolidation of," consider whether to use the verb forms "consolidated" or "consolidating." Similarly, instead of "the inclusion of," consider using "including," which will likely make the sentence more active and vigorous.

Facts

Check your facts!! (people get employed to do this for magazines or newspapers); fact checking involves looking up facts in encyclopedias, directories, online sources, etc. Ask, "does my writing contain any statistics or references that need to be verified?" and "where can I get reliable information to verify it?"

Spelling

Correct spelling is essential for your credibility; wrong spelling can have a negative impact on your reputation as a writer and will seem like you lack attention to detail or do not value your work; spelling errors can become factual errors and destroy the value of content; cannot just rely on spell checks as you might even have a word that is spelt correct but has incorrect meaning

The "Is It Professional?" Test

Does your document represent you and your organization in a professional manner? Will you be proud of the work a year from now? Does it accomplish its mission, stated objectives, and the audience's expectations? Business writing is not expository, wordy, or decorative, and the presence of these traits may obscure meaning. Business writing is professional, respectful, and clearly communicates a message with minimal breakdown.

Commas are used for introductory phrases and to offset clauses that are not essential to the sentence. If the meaning would remain intact without the phrase, it is considered nonessential.

Example: After the summary of this year's sales, the sales department had good reason to celebrate. OR The sales department, last year's winner of the most productive award, celebrated their stellar sales success this year.

Commas are often used to separate more than one adjective modifying a noun.

Example: The sales department discovered the troublesome, challenging forecast for next year.

Commas are used to offset words that help create unity across a sentence like "however" and "therefore."

Example: The sales department discovered, however, that the forecast for next year is challenging. OR However, the sales department discovered that the forecast for next year is challenging.

Semicolons have two uses. 1. They indicate relationships among groups of items in a series when the individual items are separated by commas. 2. A semicolon can be used to join two independent clauses; this is another way of avoiding the comma splice error mentioned above. Using a semicolon this way is often effective if the meaning of the two independent clauses is linked in some way, such as a cause-effect relationship.

Examples: 1. Merchandise on order includes women's wear such as sweaters, skirts, and blouses; men's wear such as shirts, jackets, and slacks; and outwear such as coats, parkas, and hats. 2. The sales campaign was successful; without its contributions our bottom line would have been dismal indeed.

Commas are used to separate addresses, dates, and titles; they are also used in dialogue sequences.

Examples: John is from Ancud, Chile. Katy was born on August 2, 2002. Mackenzie McLean, D. V., is an excellent veterinarian. Lisa said, "When writing, omit needless words."

Ellipsis (...)

Lincoln spoke of "a new nation...dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Apostrophe

Michelle's report is due tomorrow (shows possession)

Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers describe a subject in a sentence or indicate how or when the subject carried out the action. If the subject is omitted, the modifier intended for the subject is left dangling or hanging out on its own without a clear relationship to the sentence. For example, WHO is doing the seeing in this sentence? Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, celebrations were in order.; this is a dangling modifier

Misplaced Modifiers

Modifiers that are misplaced are not lost, they are simply in the wrong place. Their unfortunate location is often far from the word or words they describe, making it easy for readers to misinterpret the sentence.

Irregular verbs

Most verbs represent the past with the addition of the suffix "ed," as in "ask" becomes "asked." Irregular verbs change a vowel or convert to another word when representing the past tense. Consider the irregular verb "to go"; the past tense is "went," not "goed."

What are six specific elements of every document to check for revision?

Specific revision requires attention to: FORMAT, FACTS, NAMES, SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, and GRAMMAR

Semicolon

Theresa was late to the meeting; her computer had frozen and she was stuck at her desk until a tech rep came to fix it.

Colon

This is what I think: you need to revise your paper.

Faulty Comparisons

When comparing two objects by degree, there should be no mention of "est," as in "biggest" as all you can really say is that one is bigger than the other. If you are comparing three or more objects, then "est" will accurately communicate which is the "biggest" of them all.

12 strategies to help clarify your writing style

a 1. Break Up Long Sentences, 2. Revise Big Words and Long Phrases (don't confuse, keep it simple), 3. Evaluate Long Prepositional Phrases, 4. Delete Repetitious Words (Synonyms are useful in avoiding the boredom of repetition), 5. Eliminate Archaic Expressions or References (Some writing has been ritualized to the point of cliché and has lost its impact; Example: Heretofore is an outdated word that could easily be cut from the previous sentence.), 6. Avoid Fillers (Review your writing for extra words that serve the written equivalent of "like" and omit them.), 7. Eliminate Slang (If your goal is to be professional, and the audience expectations do not include the use of slang, then it is inappropriate to include it in your document.), 8. Evaluate Clichés (Clichés are words or phrases that through their overuse have lost their impact. That definition does not imply they have lost their meaning, and sometimes a well-placed cliché can communicate a message effectively. As an effective business writer, you will need to evaluate your use of clichés for their impact versus, 9. Emphasize Precise Words (Concrete words that are immediately available to your audience are often more effective than abstract terms that require definitions, examples, and qualifications. Qualifiers deserve special mention here. Some instructors may indicate that words like "may," "seems," or "apparently" make your writing weak. As a business writer, your understanding of audience expectations and assignment requirements will guide you to the judicious use of qualifiers. 10. Evaluate Parallel Construction (When you are writing in a series or have more than one idea to express, it is important to present them in similar ways to preserve and promote unity across your document.) 11. Obscured Verbs and 12. The "Is It Professional?" Test

Prepositional phrase

a phrase composed of a preposition (a "where" word; a word that indicates location) and its object, which may be a noun, a pronoun, or a clause. Some examples of simple prepositional phrases include "with Tom," "before me," and "inside the building security perimeter." (could replace an adverb in place of a long prepositional phrase: it will allow for a reduction in the word count while strengthening the sentence.)

organization could include having

an introduction, body and conclusion

direct approach of organization

announce main point or purpose at the beginning

Punctuation marks (punctuation)

are the traffic signals, signs, and indications that allow us to navigate the written word; a period indicates the thought is complete, while a comma signals that additional elements or modifiers are coming; correct signals will help your reader follow the thoughts through sentences and paragraphs, and enable you to communicate with maximum efficiency while reducing the probability of error

Three goals to keep in mind while reviewing and evaluating documents written by myself and others

being correct, clear, and concise; also effectiveness and efficiency

What are the four main categories that provide a template for general revision?

content, organization, style and readability

General revision requires attention to

content, organization, style, and readability

Margins

create space around the edge and help draw attention to the content. One-inch margins are standard, but differences in margin widths will depend on the assignment requirements.

Design Evaluation

framing, typefaces, paragraphs, visual aids, designing interactive documents

Delivering the Evaluation

have to be careful with how your evaluation is delivered because some people take it as a personal attack; Until you know the author and have an established relationship, it is best to use "I" statements, as in "I find this sentence difficult to understand." The sentence places the emphasis on the speaker rather than the sentence, and further distances the author from the sentence. Avoid the use of the word you in your evaluation, oral or written, as it can put the recipient on the defensive. This will inhibit listening and decrease the probability of effective communication. Just as speakers are often quite self-conscious of their public speaking abilities, writers are often quite attached to the works they have produced. Anticipating and respecting this relationship and the anxiety it sometimes carries can help you serve as a better evaluator. To help the recipient receive your evaluation as professional advice, rather than as personal criticism, use strategies to be tactful and diplomatic.

Content

have you included the content that corresponds to the given assignment, left any information out that may be necessary to fulfill the expectations, or have you gone beyond the assignment directions? Content will address the central questions of who, what, where, when, why and how within the range and parameters of the assignment.

Format

involves the DESIGN expectations of author and audience; should conform to the company style or typical style of a specific document; should be properly formatted according to the expectations of your organization and your readers

Grammar

involves the written construction of meaning from words and involves customs that evolve and adapt to usage over time; Grammatical errors can undermine your credibility, reflect poorly on your employer, and cause misunderstandings.

Line justification

involves where the text lines up on the page. (Letters often have a left justify etc.)

An assertion

is a declaration, statement, or claim of fact.

Independent verification

look up the fact in a different source from the one where you first got it

Framing

refers to how information is presented, including margins, line justifications, and template expectations; the frame of a page influences how information is received.

Parallel construction

refers to the use of same grammatical pattern; it can be applied to words, phrases, and sentences. For example, "We found the seminar interesting, entertaining, and inspiring" is a sentence with parallel construction, whereas "We found the seminar interesting, entertaining, and it inspired us" is not. If your sentences do not seem to flow well, particularly when you read them out loud, look for misplaced parallels and change them to make the construction truly parallel.

Templates

represent the normative expectations for a specific type of document. Templates have spaces that establish where a date should be indicated and where personal contact information should be represented. They also often allow you to "fill in the blank," reflecting each document's basic expectations of where information is presented.

The two general categories of typeface

serif and sans serif

Paragraphs

the basic organizational unit for presenting and emphasizing the key points in a document.

white space

the space on the page free of text

As a business writer, your goal is to make your writing clear and concise, not complex and challenging

true

By revising for format, facts, names, spelling, punctuation, and grammar, you can increase your chances of correcting many common errors in your writing.

true

By treating the document as a product, and focusing on ways to strengthen it, keeping in mind our goals of clear and concise as reference points, you can approach issues without involving personalities.

true

Focus on the document as a product, an "it," and avoid associating the author or authors with it.

true

Left justify often produces the appearance of balance, as the words are evenly spaced, while left and right justify can produce large gaps between words, making the sentences appear awkward and hard to read.

true

Phrasing disagreement as a question is often an effective response strategy.

true

Professional proofreaders often use standard markings that serve to indicate where changes needed to be made on a physical document.

true

Proofreading and design put the finishing touches on a completed document.

true

Revising for style can increase a document's clarity, conciseness, and professionalism.

true

Sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Helvetica, lack the serif and can be harder to read in long text sequences. They are most commonly used for headings.

true

Sentences that start with "It is" or "There are" can often be shortened or made clearer through revision.

true

Similar to outdated words and phrases, some references are equally outdated.

true

The first point presented is often the second in importance, the second point is the least important, and the third point in a series of three is often the most important. People generally recall the last point presented, and tend to forget or ignore the content in the middle of a sequence. Use this strategy to place your best point in the most appropriate location.

true

The rule of thumb, or common wisdom, is to limit your document to two typefaces, contrasting sans serif (headings) with text (serif). Take care not to use a font that is hard to read, creating an unnecessary barrier for your reader. Also, use a font that conveys the tone of your professional message to enhance your effectiveness.

true

When evaluating the work of others, make sure you understand the assignment, evaluate how well the writing carries out the assignment, evaluate assertions, check facts, and watch for errors. Deliver your evaluation with tact and diplomacy.

true

When you indicate possession, pay attention to the placement of the apostrophe. Nouns commonly receive "'s" when they are made possessive. But plurals that end in "s" receive a hanging apostrophe when they are made possessive, and the word "it" forms the possessive ("its") with no apostrophe at all.

true

sans means without

true

In traditional publishing, proofreading and design are the final stages a book undergoes before it is published. The emphasis is on catching any typographical errors that have slipped through the revision process, and "pouring" the format into a design that will enhance the writer's message.

true; If the earlier steps of research, organizing, writing, revising, and formatting have been done carefully, proofreading and design should go smoothly.

Commas are not used simply to join two independent clauses. This is known as the comma splice error, and the way to correct it is to insert a conjunction after the comma.

true; example of comma splice error: The advertising department is effective, the sales department needs to produce more results. Correct way to use comma: The advertising department is effective, but the sales department needs to produce more results.

Commas are used to separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction like "but", "and", and "or".

true; example: The advertising department is effective, but don't expect miracles in this business climate.

A double negative

uses two negatives to communicate a single idea, duplicating the negation; a double negative in English causes an error in logic, because two negatives cancel each other out and yield a positive. Don't use double negatives!! (unless you're speaking Spanish lol)

indirect approach of organization

will present an introduction before the main point