DeVry Addison Academic Support Center

from the ASC Room 244, ext. 8365

http://add.devry.edu/Academic_Support_Center.html

A Brief Guide to
Professional Writing
Prepared Fall 2002 by J. Hagemann and L. Danley
Revised 7/08

If you are like most DeVry Addison students, you’ll take Professional Writing (English
227) in your 5th or 6th term. But you may be asked to write in the business context long
before that. This brief guide is intended to get you through those assignments.

In this document, we can only introduce you to some of the fundamental concepts of
professional writing—concepts you’ll work on in more depth in your courses. Therefore,
TAKE THE ADVICE OFFERED ONLY AS GUIDELINES. When you get to your English 227
class or to your workplace, your instructor or supervisor may give you more specific
suggestions about how they want you to write.

What is professional writing?

Professional writing is writing done in a workplace context to enable and support the
work of a company (i.e., buying, selling, producing goods and providing services, making
profits, etc.). To facilitate that work, professionals have to communicate with each
other, and they have developed a number of formats and conventions to make the
exchange of ideas go more smoothly.

Professional people typically write to

• inform—share information with—their audience; and/or
• persuade—build goodwill with or enlist the help of—their audience.
They typically communicate through the following formats:
• Forms (e.g., time cards, billing invoices, inventory tracking forms, etc.)
• E-mail messages and memos (typically to an audience inside the business)
• Letters (typically to an audience outside the business)
• Reports
• Proposals

How is professional writing similar to / different from the kind of writing you have
done before?
Whenever you encounter a new situation, your brain recalls relevant past experiences
to give you some idea of what to do in the new situation. However, it usually happens
that some aspects of the past experiences transfer to the new, but not all. The trick is to
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learn which aspects transfer and which do not. For those aspects that are so different
that you cannot transfer your experiences, you have to learn how to approach them.

In the case of writing in a professional context, your brain recalls past writing
experiences. For most students, that past experience is school writing, such as essays for
an English class. Let’s look at how a typical school essay is similar to and different from
writing a business memo.

Typically, School Essays … Typically, Business Memos …

Similarities
• Are written through a process of planning, • Are sometimes written through a process of
drafting, revising, and publishing (handing planning, drafting, revising, and publishing
in). (sending).
• Require writers to use such cognitive tasks • Require writers to use such cognitive tasks
as describing, summarizing, illustrating, as describing, summarizing, illustrating,
comparing/contrasting, determining cause & comparing/contrasting, determining cause
effect, identifying problems & solutions, & effect, identifying problems & solutions,
evaluating, etc. evaluating, etc.
Differences
• Are written to a general audience—you are • Are written to a specific audience but may
expected to include enough background also be read by multiple audiences—you
information so essays are meaningful and are writing to a specific person or group
relevant to any reader at any time. familiar to you and to your purpose for
writing, so you may not have to fill in a lot
of background information. Your memo is
often meaningful and relevant only for a
short time.
• Are written to fulfill a variety of purposes, • Are written for a limited number of
such as to inform, to persuade, to entertain, purposes, usually to inform (to share
to express one’s views, etc. information) and to persuade (to build
goodwill with superiors, colleagues, and
customers).
• Are written on a variety of topics, depending • Are written on a limited numbers of topics,
on purpose. namely those that further the work of
business.
• State a main idea and develop it with more • State a main idea and develop it with more
specific verbal details. Essays may be long, specific verbal and/or graphic details.
broad in scope, and they may take awhile to Memos are brief, limited in scope, and to
get to the point. the point.
• Are written in a variety of tones, depending • Are written in a polite, respectful, formal
on purpose. tone.
• Are written individually, though with • May be written collaboratively.
feedback from readers.

In other words, professional writing is typically more focused on the specific context of
business, but in general, you use the same thoughtful, organized process to generate a
business text as you do a school essay.
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What does professional writing look like?

To make communication easier, businesspeople have developed a number of
conventional formats, such as the business letter, the memo, the e-mail message, and
the report. Below is a discussion of each of these formats.

Remember, however, that regardless of the format, the content of a business text
requires you to use the same cognitive tasks as you might in school writing. Therefore,
for example, if you are writing a memo in which you compare/contrast two products,
you can use the same organizational patterns you might use in a school essay—except
that you need to attach memo headings to the beginning.

Also remember that these formats are just guidelines. The company that you
(eventually) work for might have its own style of writing memos, letters, reports, or
forms. When you write for that company, by all means, use its style.

How is professional writing formatted?

Just as there are some similarities and differences between school writing and
professional writing in terms of purpose, there are similarities and differences in terms
of formatting.

Typically, for Essays, You … Typically, for Memos, You …

Similarities
• Use an easy-to-read font, such as Times New • Use an easy-to-read, professional-looking
Roman or Arial. font, such as Times New Roman or Arial.
• Use an easy-to-read type size—10 or 12 • Use an easy-to-read type size—10 or 12
point is standard. point is standard.
• Use standard margins—the default margin • Use standard margins—the default margin
of MS Word is 1.25 inches on each side. of MS Word is 1.25 inches on each side.
Differences
• Double-space. • Single-space.
• Indent the first line of each paragraph 5 • Start each line at the left margin. This is
spaces. called block style.
• Don’t insert blank lines between paragraphs. • Use blank lines to separate paragraphs.
• Use conventional paragraphs. • Use conventional paragraphs AND bulleted
lists, headings/subheadings, tables, charts,
etc. to make information easy to find and to
read.
What does a memo look like?
See p. 8 of this handout for some advice about formatting memos.

What does a business letter look like?

See p. 9 of the handout for some advice about formatting letters.

What does an e-mail message look like?

No doubt, you’re familiar with e-mail messages because you have sent and received
hundreds of them from your family and friends. But e-mails in a professional context
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are different, mainly because your relationship with your audience is different. In a
professional context, you have a professional (formal, distant) relationship with your
audience, so your language has to be more formal.

In Informal E-mail Messages … In Formal E-mail Messages …

Differences
• Use the sender’s first name in the greeting • Use the sender’s title and last name in the
or no greeting at all. greeting.
• May simply end without a closing or name. • Close with the sender’s name and title.
• Do not need much background information • Require enough background information so
because your family/friends will know what your audience will know what you are
you are writing about. writing about.
• Use informal language and slang. • Require formal language.
• Use informal spelling [thru, u, etc.] or • Use standard spelling (through, you, etc.)
emoticons [:-), lol, etc.]. • Do not use emoticons.
• Do not worry about capitalization and • Use standard capitalization and
punctuation. punctuation.

See p. 10 of the handout for more advice about formatting formal e-mail messages.

Memos, e-mail messages and letters have similar purposes; how are they
different? Which formats do you use in which situations?

Memos E-mail Messages Letters

Similarities
• The purpose is to inform or • The purpose is to inform or • The purpose is to inform or
persuade the audience. persuade the audience. persuade the audience.
Differences
• Audience is usually internal • Audience may be either • Audience is usually external
to the workplace. internal or external to the to the workplace.
• Audience may be broad. workplace. • Audience is usually specific.
• Audience may be a specific
group or person.
• Use a To + From + Date + • Use a To + From + Date + • Use a Dear ____ greeting
Re: heading and no closing Subject heading, and esp. and a Sincerely + signature
if the audience is external closing
or formal, a closing.

What are the different parts of a report?

The purposes and formats of reports are so varied that we could write another
whole pamphlet just on reports. Generally speaking, reports are “factual accounts
that objectively communicate information about some aspect of the business” (Thill
& Bovée, 1999, p. 265). But reports can be written for internal or external audiences,
can be informational or analytical, routine or special.
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It is difficult in this brief guide to give you examples of every kind of report, so we
have created another document on just one example: the proposal. Please see our
separate handout, A Brief Guide to Proposal Writing, for information on basic
proposal writing.

Why is it important to revise and proofread your professional writing?

Just as you are graded on the quality of your writing in a school essay, you are judged by
the quality of your writing in the workplace. Your readers will notice if your writing is
not clear and well-organized or does not follow standard, formal grammar; this will
probably lower their impression of you. Because you also represent your company to an
external audience, poorly constructed professional writing will lower their impression of
both you and your company.

In a 2001 study, businesspeople were asked how they responded to writing that did not
follow conventional grammar (Beason, 2001). The majority responded that they found
the mistakes annoying, which in turn, caused them to lower their estimation of the
writer. The respondents said they thought the writer was too lazy or careless to write
well, and they wondered if they would be lazy and careless at conducting business as
well. They were less likely to want to pursue business opportunities with the writer.

So, it is extremely important that you take the time to read what you have written to
make sure it is clear and easy to understand. You should read it at least twice yourself—
at least once for the content and once for the grammar—and ask someone else to read
it as well.

When you are reading for content, check to make sure you
• have enough background information for your readers to understand the
purpose of your text and the ideas in it.
• have enough details or reasons to support your points.
• Have not left out any words. It’s especially important that you do not omit
negative words, because that changes the meaning significantly.
Revise any paragraphs you think will be unclear to your audience.

When you are reading for grammar, check to make sure you have used formal spelling,
grammar, and punctuation.

Using the spell check and grammar check functions are the first two steps of the
proofreading process, but you cannot stop there because, unfortunately, these
functions may not catch the most common mistakes. They will not catch, for example,
• homonyms—e.g. there vs. their vs. they’re. Do you have the right spelling for the
context?
• informal language—e.g., come up with vs. estimate or forecast. Are your words
appropriate to a formal context?
• punctuation mistakes, such as sentence fragments. Are your sentences complete
sentences? Have you punctuated them correctly?
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Because the grammar check may not call your attention to these kinds of mistakes, the
third step in proofreading is always to read your writing yourself—or have someone one
else read it.

It’s hard for me to find my mistakes when I proofread; what can I do to be a better
proofreader?
If you are like most people, you find it hard to proofread your own writing. That may
be in part because you are reading too fast to really “see” the words on the page.
You have to “see” the words to judge whether they are spelled correctly or are
grammatical. To help yourself focus on each word, it helps to slow down your
reading. Some ways to slow down are the following:
• Read your paper aloud. You cannot talk as fast as you can read, so you are
forced to read more slowly.
• Follow along with a pencil as you read silently. Your pencil doesn’t move as
fast as your eyes, so it forces you to slow down.
• Use a sheet of paper to expose your text line by line. Again, your hands do
not move as fast as your eyes, so you are forced to read more slowly.
• Read one sentence at a time from the end of the text to the beginning. This
takes each sentence out of context, so you are more likely to focus on the
words and not the meaning.

Another reason you may find it hard to proofread your writing is that it “sounds” all
right. We naturally project sound onto our words when we read. This enables us to
connect written words to concepts stored in memory, but it may also be misleading.
For example, you may not notice that your words are too informal for the context
because you hear people saying them all the time. Or you may not notice the
spelling of homonyms, because the “sound” of the word is fine. You can’t simply
“turn off” the “sounds” you project as you read, so it is useful to learn how to
harness the “sounds” to help you identify errors. Some ways to use sound in
proofreading are the following:
• Read your paper aloud. This will also alert you to places where you stumble
because the sentence structure is awkward or you have left some words out.
These are places to revise.
• Associate certain words with “alarm bells.” When you hear the sound of
homonyms, for example, you should stop and check the spelling to see if it is
right for the context. Or, if you have trouble with sentence fragments
containing because, that word might also be an alarm bell for you.

Also, if you know you have trouble with certain words, such as because, try using the
Search function to help you find those words so you can check more easily that you
used/spelled/punctuated them correctly.

Where can you go to get more help than this brief guide can provide?
If you need more help, here are two resources to consult:
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• the Writing tutors at the Academic Support Center.

Find out their current schedule by calling ext. 8365, stopping by Room 244,
or checking the Web at
http://add.devry.edu/Academic_Support_Center.html

• the online advice from the OnLine Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.
OWL is probably the best writing center in the nation and is a useful resource
for many writing topics. For an index of topics on business writing, check the
Web at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/index.html#sub6 and
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/index.html#business
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Sample Memo

The title can be centered or justified with the left

MEMO margin.

TO: Linda Shepich

The heading should include TO, FROM,
FROM: Doug Gerard DATE, and SUBJECT followed by a colon and
Erin Medina the appropriate information.
Pearl Ferguson

CC: Board of Directors

DATE: 10/11/01

Re: Proposal to Reduce Plastics Department Safety Stock

As you know, Naïve is moving in to the Nagilluc facility. The effect of The first paragraph
these two companies merging into the same facility is a scarcity of space. summarizes the
Currently Nagiluc has sufficient space to meet its own inventory needs attached report
comfortably but the entrance of an additional company will impose a problem. and introduces the
memo’s purpose.
As Naïve moves into the facility, there will not be enough space for both
companies to store inventory comfortably. In order to accommodate both
of these companies’ inventory demands for space, there must be a reduction
of Nagilluc’s safety stock.

We propose a four-step process for addressing this problem. The implementing The second block
paragraph contains
of these four steps will bring about the following benefits to both of the
specific details that
companies: develop the purpose
and provide further
1. Additional space for both of the companies’ inventories. explanation. The
information is
2. Carrying costs for Nagilluc’s plastics department’s safety stock organized in a
will be reduced. numbered list.

3. A need for expansion of the factory will not be necessary.

4. ABC analysis will determine the most pertinent parts in the

plastics department at Nagilluc.

Please read through the enclosed detailed report of the problem, solution The final paragraph
proposal, and scope of the project at your earliest convenience. We would refers to the attached
like to meet with you to discuss the proposal next Wednesday. report to conclude the
memo and requests a
specific action from the
Unlike a letter, a memo contains no greeting or salutation
reader.
and no complimentary close. Paragraphs are separated by
a blank line and justified to the left margin.
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Sample Business Letter

10543 South Ave.

Melrose Park, IL 60164 The headings include the
writer’s address, followed by
the date and the receiver’s
April 5, 2002 name and address. The
addresses and date are
Paul’s High Performance separated by a blank line.
3715 Commerce Street
Jackson, MI 49203
The greeting is followed by a colon. The greeting
includes the recipient’s title and last name, if known; if
Dear Sir or Madam: not known, use Sir or Madam.

I am considering the purchase of one of your stage two drag pack Mustangs.
The opening states
I have a few questions about the stage two and would appreciate your
the letter’s purpose,
prompt response. its main idea.

1) What is the minimum octane gasoline that I could safely use in

the stage two?
The body block
2) What is the peak horsepower level at the rear wheels? paragraphs provide
specific details that
3) Does the Lentech transmission option include an SFI approved support, explain, and
develop the purpose
bell housing? stated in the first
paragraph. The
4) Are the sub frame connectors welded in or bolted in? paragraphs are
separated by a blank
If possible, I would like to receive the requested information by April 30. Thank line.
you in advance for your prompt reply.

Sincerely,
The closing is followed by a The conclusion paragraph sums up the
comma, then the sender’s letter by referring to the purpose and
signature. They are separated setting up a time for a response.
by four blank lines.
Evan Jones

If another document will be included with

the letter, this can be indicated by
including Enclosure after the writer’s
name.
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Sample E-mail Message

The sender’s name should
From: Abel Willing <[email protected] always appear at the end of
Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 10:34 AM the text of the e-mail message.
To: I. Eat <[email protected]>
Subject: New Flavors

Dear I. Eat: E-mail messages to superiors

or individuals outside the
We are happy to tell you that we do make a Light Low Fat Bailey's organization should contain a
greeting. E-mail messages are
Frozen Yogurt in a rocky road flavor. Hopefully, your local usually brief and to the point.
supermarket will soon be carrying it. If not, let your supermarket The first line in this message
know that you would like to see this great new flavor on the shelf. addresses the customer’s
question. The courteous
Thank you for taking the time to send us your e-mail message. attitude and friendly style
demonstrated in the greeting
If you should have any more questions or comments about our
and closing paragraph leave
products, please contact us again. lines of communication open.

Sincerely,

Abel Willing
The sender’s name should
always appear at the end of the
Bailey's Customer Services text of the e-mail message.

Adapted from Beason, L. (2001). Ethos and error: How business people react to errors. College
Composition and Communication, 53, 33-64. / Lamarre, Helene. (2001). Student Writing Guide:
DeVry Institute of Technology DuPage Campus. Unpublished manuscript. / Madraso, J. (1993).
Proofreading: The skill we’ve neglected to teach. English Journal, 82(2), 32-41. / Rosen, L. M.
(1998). Developing correctness in student writing. In C. Weaver (Ed.), Lessons to share on
Teaching Grammar in Context (pp. 137-154). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. / Thill, J. V. & Bovée,
th
C. L. (1999). Excellence in business communication (4 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall.

We want to thank the DeVry University Addison Business and General Education deans and faculty who
graciously read and commented on earlier drafts of this guide.