Pre-Requisites to writing Developing Writing

Skills

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 Chapter Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this chapter, you should be able to:
• Use a dictionary and a thesaurus to select the correct word.
• Use spelling rules to improve your spelling.
• Recognize and correct errors in thought units.
• Write effective sentences and paragraphs.
• Revise, edit, and proofread documents.
 The Dictionary
• Dictionaries provide the following word information.
– Spelling.
– Definition.
– Capitalization.
– Hyphenation. For example: Com•mu•ni•cate
– Pronunciation and Division into Syllables. ‘käm-plə-mənt.
• Phonetic spelling indicates syllables, pronunciation, and accents.

– Inflectional Forms and Derivatives.

• Inflectional forms show tense, number, and other meanings.
• A derivative is a word formed from another word.

– Synonyms are words that have almost the same meaning as the entry.
 The Dictionary
• The dictionary provides other information.
– Signs and symbols used in various fields of study.
– Biographical names, their proper spelling and pronunciation.
– Geographical names, pronunciation, location, population, and so on.
– A handbook of style includes sections on rules of punctuation,
italicization, capitalization, and plurals; citation of sources; and forms
of address.
 The Thesaurus
• When there is a general idea of the meaning someone wants
to convey, a thesaurus provides specific words to express it.
• Use a thesaurus to:
– Find the most suitable word.
– Avoid overusing a word.
– Find the most specific word.
– Replace an abstract term.
 Electronic Dictionary and Thesaurus
• Word processing programs have an electronic dictionary and
thesaurus.
• An electronic dictionary will indicate misspelled words.
• Most programs have an automatic correction feature,
changing teh to the automatically.
• To be an effective communicator, you must use the right word
at the right time; use words correctly; avoid excessive words;
and predict how readers will interpret the words.
 The Correct Word
• Careful writers know the difference between correct and
nonstandard usage. Irregardless is not a word.
• Homonyms are words that look or sound alike but have
different meanings.
– The tenants of a large apartment building receive a letter urging “all
the residence to protest the proposed rent increase.”

• Pseudo-homonyms are words that sound somewhat alike but

have different meanings.
– The statement “David, Harry, and Susan placed orders for $800,
$1,000, and $1,300, respectfully,” is incorrect.

• Good spelling shows readers the results of careful, hard work.

 Using Words Effectively
• Words Suited to the Audience.
– Use nontechnical terms to better hold the attention of the audience.

• Words with Varying Connotations.

– The dictionary meaning of a word, the denotation, is often different
from its connotation, which is the meaning readers associate with the
word based on their experiences and emotions.
• A solitary person might be called a wallflower, a recluse, or a rugged
indivdiualist.
 Words to Avoid
• Avoid negative words.
– You neglected to specify the sizes and colors of the dress shirts you
ordered. We cannot ship the order with such incomplete information.
– The four dozen dress shirts you ordered will be shipped as soon as you
tell us what sizes and colors you prefer.

• Unnecessary words are a waste of the reader’s time.

• Out-of-date words suggest the writer is behind the times.
• Replace overused words with more exact, colorful terms.
• Clichés are overworked expressions such as crystal clear.
Exhibit 8.7 Multisyllabic Words
What resources can you use to assist you in doubling letters in words of more than
one syllable?

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 Use Creativity to Achieve Variety
• Choosing suitable synonyms is the most direct means of
achieving variety in vocabulary.
• An antonym is a word that means exactly the opposite of
another word. For example, light is an antonym of dark.
– Also formed by adding the prefixes il, in, ir, non, and un before a word.

• Descriptive words make readers or listeners “see” what is

described.
– Our building is well-located and the apartments are comfortable.
– Our new high-rise building is located on a quiet, tree-lined street near
the center of town. The apartments are spacious and equipped with
all the latest modern conveniences.
 Guides to Correct Spelling
• Final y
– Many common nouns end in y: company, attorney, entry, supply, day.
– If the y is preceded by a consonant, change y to i and add es:
company, companies; entry, entries.
– If y is preceded by a vowel, leave the y and add s: attorney, attorneys;
day, days.

• Ei and ie Words
– Among the most frequently misspelled words are: believe, belief,
conceive, conceit, deceive, deceit, perceive, receive, receipt, relieve,
and relief.
 Guides to Correct Spelling
• To spell the endings ful, ous, ally, and ily correctly:
– The suffix ful has only one l: beautiful, careful, masterful, skillful.
– An adjective ending with the sound “us” is spelled ous: humorous,
miscellaneous, obvious, previous, various.
– The ending ally has two l’s: basically, finally, financially, incidentally,
originally.
– The ending ily has one l: busily, gloomily, hastily, necessarily.
 Doubling a Final Consonant
Words of More Than One
Words of One Syllable Syllable
• If the vowel sound is long, • Double the final consonant
do not double. if the last syllable of the
base word is accented,
• If the vowel sound is short,
– if the vowel sound in the last
double the final consonant. syllable is short, and
• Do not double the final – if the suffix to be added
consonant of words ending begins with a vowel.
in w (saw) or x (fix). • Such as commit, committed,
or equip, equipped.
• Not doubled is the accent is
on the first syllable.
– Benefit, benefited.
 Dictionary Alerts
• Even the best spellers need to use a dictionary.
• Learn to recognize your own spelling pitfalls.
• Word Beginnings.
– Two pairs of prefixes—per, pur, and ser, sur—present a spelling
difficulty because the words in each pair sound like they could be
spelled with the same prefix.
• For example: permanent, surplus, purchase, service.
 Word Endings
• The endings ant, ance, ent, and ence are all usually pronounced
“unt” and “uns.”
– Accountant, compliance, silent.

• The sound “uhble,” which might be spelled able or ible, is

another trap.
– Changeable, moveable, capability.

• Words ending with the sound “shun” might be spelled tion,

sion, cian, tian, sian, cion, or xion.
• The ending sound “shus” might be spelled cious, tious, or xious.
– Ambition, collision, anxious.
 Word Endings
• The ending that sounds like “shul” is sometimes spelled cial
and sometimes tial.
• A “shent” ending might be spelled cient, or tient.
– Partial or prodicient.

• The ending sound “ize” might be spelled ize, ise, or even yze
(analyze).
• A “kul” ending cound be spelled cal or cle (identical).
• Words ending in ar, ary, er, ery, or, and ory should be
recognized as spelling hazards—verify each spelling.
 Word Endings
• Merely a handful of words end with the sound “seed,” but
they are often written incorrectly.
– Only one word ends in sede—supersede.
– Only three words end in ceed—exceed, proceed, and succeed.
– All other “seed” words are spelled cede.

• Business writers must take the time to learn the correct

spellings of the words used most often in their written
communications.
 Structuring Phrases and Clauses
• A combination of words that properly belong together is
called a thought unit.
– Incorrect placement: Calling the meeting to order, the new
smartphone drew the praise of the vice president of sales.
– Misplaced adjective: Gigantic men’s clothing sale begins today!
– Misplaced adverb: The idea for changing our sales emphasis came to
me after I had opened the meeting suddenly.
– Incorrectly placed phrases: A hard drive can be installed by anyone
who has studied the computer manual in 20 minutes.
– Misplaced clause: Our goal in marketing is to encourage the public to
try our products until our health foods become better known.
 Confusing Pronoun References
• A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Each pronoun
borrows its meaning from a noun.
• When using the pronoun he or she, make certain the
antecedent—the noun to which the pronoun refers—is clear.
– Incorrect: Ms. Reynolds asked Adena to write a report immediately
after she returned from the regional sales meeting.

• Using the pronoun it to refer to something not immediately

clear is a common mistake.
– Incorrect: I will place the football in the kicking tee, and when I nod
my head, kick it.

• Speakers uncertain of their sources use the vague “they say.”

– Incorrect: They say that the joint venture between FedEx and the U.S.
Postal Service will be launched early next year.
 Correcting This Faults
• A common writing fault is the use of this to refer to an entire
preceding thought.
• Inexact use of this can detract from the point the writer is
trying to make.
– Incorrect: Employees cannot find parking spaces. This has existed
since we hired 50 new employees.
– Correct: Employees cannot find parking spaces. This shortage of
parking spaces has existed since we hired 50 new employees.
 Structuring Phrases and Clauses
• The word which is a relative pronoun that refers to another
word in the sentence.
– Incorrect: Our gallery has a book on important nineteenth-century
American paintings, which you can purchase for $19.95.

• Violations of the thought-unit principle can cause doubt or

uncertainty as to who did what.
– Incorrect: If not satisfied, we will refund your money.

• A who-did-what violation is sometimes called a dangling

modifier.
– Incorrect: Mr. Edwards saw the prospective customer leaving the
stockroom.
 Writing Effective Sentences
• Sentences that use the you-attitude emphasize the reader
instead of the writer.
– I-attitude: I would like to thank you for your interest in Fibertec, Inc.
– You-attitude: Thank you for your interest in Fibertec, Inc.

• Using a negative word with ‘you’ can result in a negative

sentence.
– Negative: You were not late in making deliveries last month.
– Positive: You made all of your deliveries on schedule last month.

• Planned repetition can emphasize an important idea.

• Excessive repetition of certain vowel or consonant sounds can
create tongue twisters, detracting from the message.
Exhibit 8.8 Positive or Negative?

How can the following sentence become more positive?

It is not difficult to fill your order by April 19.

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 Proper Subordination of Ideas
• Main idea = main clause; subordinate idea = subordinate clause.
– Incorrect: Your proposal is interesting, although it does not meet our
specifications.
– Correct: Your proposal does not meet our specifications, although we
did find it interesting.

• When a sentence contains two idea of equal importance, divide

the sentence into two main clauses.
– Jess will review the cost estimates, and Maria will write the report.

• The writer can fail to see that the thoughts belong not in two
main clauses but in a main clause and subordinate clause.
 Proper Subordination of Ideas
• Writers destroy proper subordination by writing the lesser
idea as an interrupting expression.
– Incorrect: You are, considering the risks involved in such an
investment, very fortunate.

• Sentences using so and and so to introduce a clause may be

improved by substituting a more meaningful conjunction.
– Incorrect: Andrea has been a dedicated literacy volunteer for ten
years, so we gave her a special tribute at last night’s fund raising
dinner.
– And so is not a two-word conjunction. It is two separate conjunctions
used for form a vague connection between two clauses.
• Incorrect: Mr. Turner is a talented electronic publications specialist, and
so we recommend that you hire him.
 Active Versus Passive Voice
• Voice is that property of a transitive verb that shows whether
the subject acts or is acted upon.
– Passive: A program upgrade was sent to us by the company.
– Active: The company sent us a program upgrade.

• Passive voice is used in business writing to soften the impact

of negative news.
– Active: Because the college did not send us a copy of your transcript
we cannot consider your application to our program at this time.
– Passive: Your application to our program will be considered when a
copy of your transcript is sent to us by the college.
 Parallel Structure
• Parallel structure is a must for similar parts of a sentence.
– Nonparallel: The new assistant coordinator is eager, diligent, and has
much knowledge.
– Parallel: The new assistant coordinator is eager, diligent, and
knowledgeable.

• Comparisons are balanced only when they are complete.

– Unbalanced: Recent studies show that women spend more money on
eating in restaurants than men.
– Balanced: Recent studies show that women spend more money on
eating in restaurants than men spend.
 Parallel Structure
• Omission of single-word modifiers can destroy the balance of
a sentence.
– Incorrect: The company is hiring a receptionist and software engineer.
– Correct: The company is hiring a receptionist and a software engineer.

• Structural balance demands no verb part should be omitted.

– Incorrect: Jaya always has, and always will, do a good job.
– Correct: Jaya always has done and always will do a good job.
 Parallel Structure
• The omission of preposition can throw a sentence off balance.
– Incorrect: Senior documentation writers must demonstrate expertise
and knowledge of software programming.
– Correct: Senior documentation writers must demonstrate expertise in
and knowledge of software programming.

• Omission of subordinating conjunctions may destroy balance.

– Incorrect: Neil often talks about the time he had neither money nor
position.
– Correct: Neil often talks about the time when he had neither money
nor position.
 Parallel Structure
• Avoid incomplete, or • Incorrect:
elliptical, clauses. – You are responsible for:
– Incorrect: Did Mr. Chrisman 1. Researching the data.
pay the bill or his accountant?
2. Analysis of the problem.
– Correct: Did Mr. Chrisman pay
the bill, or did his accountant 3. The format of the report.
pay it?
• Correct:
• The elements of a list should – You are responsible for:
be parallel to each other.
1. Researching the data.
2. Analyzing the problem.
3. Formatting the report.
 Building Effective Paragraphs
• Message—one purpose
• Paragraph—one main idea
• Sentence—one main thought
• Limit a written communication to one main purpose.
– More than one purpose: Thank you for inquiring about our
automobile loans. Enclosed is a loan application form for your review.
You may also be interested in our certificates of deposit. We offer
variable interest rates for three-month, six-month, and nine-month
certificates.
– One purpose: Thank you for inquiring about our automobile loans.
Enclosed is a loan application form for your review. We offer flexible
payment schedules for all automobile loans so that you can select a
monthly payment that fits your budget.
 Paragraph Control
• The main idea of a paragraph is stated in the topic sentence.
• All other sentences should support the main idea, creating
paragraph unity.
• A paragraph should have no more than six to eight lines.
• Writers use traditional words and phrases provide
connections between sentences and between paragraphs.
– Sequence: After he receives the spreadsheets, Dan will make a
recommendation to management.
– Location: Below is a list of building specifications.
– Emphasis: More important, this new insurance policy will be cost-
effective for all employees.
– Conclusion: Therefore, in recognition of Doris Gebel’s outstanding
sales record, we are naming her Employee of the Year.
 Paragraphing Decisions
• Content determines paragraph length. When practical, adjust
paragraphs to fit the following guidelines.
– Keep the first and last paragraphs short, usually two to five lines each.
– Keep middle paragraphs an average of four to eight lines in length, and
make them longer than the first and last paragraphs.
– Combine several short paragraphs to avoid a choppy appearance.
– Avoid writing several long paragraphs.
– Avoid a top-heavy appearance or a bottom-heavy appearance.
– Use an odd number of paragraphs.
 Sentence Control
• Readability is the ease with which something can be read.
• Extremely long sentences tend to bury the main thought.
• A succession of short sentences weakens writing.
– The answer is variety.

• A communication that lacks variety lacks interest.

• Dull communication uses only simple sentences, all
compound sentences, or all complex sentences.
 Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
• Revising improves the content and organization of writing.
• Editing refines the revised draft and adds polish.
• Proofreading spots content, grammatical, and typographic
errors.
– Proofreader marks include marks for: capitalization, changes and
transpositions, deletions, insertions;
– and format symbols such as boldface and underscore, centering, page
and paragraph, and spacing.

• Proofreaders’ marks are particularly useful in reorganizing the

content of a memo, letter, or report.
 What Is Revising?
• Revising is the process of “seeing again.”
– Check purpose, audience, and tone.
– Review the organization.
• Is the organization logical?
• Do all sentences stick to the point?
• Are transitions used to connect ideas?
– Review the language.
• Are words used correctly?
• Are the words vivid and specific?
• Are any words overused or unnecessary?
• Is the sentence structure varied?
• Is the message written in the active voice?

• A grammar-checker is software that evaluates grammar and

suggests ways to improve the grammar and wording of a document.
 What Is Editing?
• Editing is the process of • The six Cs of editing.
checking a revised draft to – Is it clear?
make sure it meets the
– Is it complete?
criteria of the six Cs of
communication. – Is it concise?

• The purpose of editing is to – Is it consistent?

make the document as – Is it correct?
effective as possible. – Is it courteous?
 What Is Proofreading?
• Proofreading is the process of examining a document to find
errors that need corrected.
• Business writers are responsible for the quality of their
communications no matter who prepares the final document.
• Proofreading is an essential step in the writing process,
whether proofreading your own work or someone else’s.
• Technology offers some assistance but spell-checkers will not
locate a missing word or a misused word if spelled correctly.
– Incorrect: We submitted the completed from bye March 2.