Fundamentals of Business Communication, 1st Edition Page 186 (186 of 476)

186
Unit 3 Writing for Successful Communication
• identify each new main idea and supporting ideas so that the reader can
follow the logic of the message
• break up text copy to make the communication appear more inviting to the
reader
Apply Logic
Writing is logical when you have presented and connected ideas so that
they make sense to the reader. Logic is tied to the order in which your thoughts
are arranged in the writing, whether on paper or in digital form. Ask yourself
these questions.
• Does the fi rst paragraph introduce the topic?
• Are the points made in a logical sequence?
• Does each paragraph build on the previous one?
Following the writing process of prewriting, writing, and post writing will
help you establish a logical fl ow in each paragraph.
Remember that when you write the fi rst draft, your goal is to get all your
thoughts down without stopping to revise and edit. The revision stage is the
time to check the organization of your work. Does the order make sense to
the reader? Is a technical term used in paragraph two, but not defi ned until
paragraph four? Does the piece jump from point A to point C without covering
point B? It is not uncommon to fi nd that paragraphs need to be moved around
to tighten the logical fl ow. Taking the time to do this will ensure that the work
makes sense to the reader.
Control Paragraph Length
There is no standard for how many sentences a paragraph should
contain. Paragraph length will vary according to subject matter and sentence
construction. Sometimes a paragraph may consist of only one sentence,
although these are generally avoided. The one-sentence paragraph is often
used effectively as the opening or closing of a message.
Always keep the reader in mind as you write. Generally, as with sentences,
business readers want paragraphs to be short and clear. Shorter paragraphs
help readers to skim and scan, techniques you will learn in Chapter 15 for
reading and absorbing information in the business setting. When you revise a
draft, notice if there are long paragraphs. If so, look for places where it makes
sense to begin a new paragraph. Do not force a break if the thoughts are so
closely connected it would not be logical to have a break between them. In
most cases, however, you will fi nd that long paragraphs have points where a
break can be made.
Use Transitions
The key to connecting thoughts between sentences and paragraphs is the
use of transitions.
Transitions
are words, phrases, and sentences that connect
ideas and clarify the relationship between sentences and paragraphs. Consider
the following examples. The transitions are shown in bold.

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186
Unit 3 Writing for Successful Communication
• identify each new main idea and supporting ideas so that the reader can
follow the logic of the message
• break up text copy to make the communication appear more inviting to the
reader
Apply Logic
Writing is logical when you have presented and connected ideas so that
they make sense to the reader. Logic is tied to the order in which your thoughts
are arranged in the writing, whether on paper or in digital form. Ask yourself
these questions.
• Does the fi rst paragraph introduce the topic?
• Are the points made in a logical sequence?
• Does each paragraph build on the previous one?
Following the writing process of prewriting, writing, and post writing will
help you establish a logical fl ow in each paragraph.
Remember that when you write the fi rst draft, your goal is to get all your
thoughts down without stopping to revise and edit. The revision stage is the
time to check the organization of your work. Does the order make sense to
the reader? Is a technical term used in paragraph two, but not defi ned until
paragraph four? Does the piece jump from point A to point C without covering
point B? It is not uncommon to fi nd that paragraphs need to be moved around
to tighten the logical fl ow. Taking the time to do this will ensure that the work
makes sense to the reader.
Control Paragraph Length
There is no standard for how many sentences a paragraph should
contain. Paragraph length will vary according to subject matter and sentence
construction. Sometimes a paragraph may consist of only one sentence,
although these are generally avoided. The one-sentence paragraph is often
used effectively as the opening or closing of a message.
Always keep the reader in mind as you write. Generally, as with sentences,
business readers want paragraphs to be short and clear. Shorter paragraphs
help readers to skim and scan, techniques you will learn in Chapter 15 for
reading and absorbing information in the business setting. When you revise a
draft, notice if there are long paragraphs. If so, look for places where it makes
sense to begin a new paragraph. Do not force a break if the thoughts are so
closely connected it would not be logical to have a break between them. In
most cases, however, you will fi nd that long paragraphs have points where a
break can be made.
Use Transitions
The key to connecting thoughts between sentences and paragraphs is the
use of transitions.
Transitions
are words, phrases, and sentences that connect
ideas and clarify the relationship between sentences and paragraphs. Consider
the following examples. The transitions are shown in bold.

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185
Chapter 8 Writing Style
Revision
The CD you sent by messenger arrived today at 11:30 a.m. Unfortunately,
the meeting to discuss photography for the brochure was at 9:00 a.m., so
I was not able to present your photos for consideration in the brochure.
When your writing is concise, you do not waste time explaining every detail of
the situation. Subsequently, the reader does not waste time either.
✔Checkpoint
1. Why should you avoid a series of short sentences?
2. In which voice is the subject doing the action?
3. What role do frills play in business writing?
CASE
The Price Is Right
Dane Kravitz is a self-published author whose book Modern Home Renovation
is for sale on his Web site. On Monday, he received an e-mail from Dorothy Greco, a
customer who had purchased the book online. Ms. Greco had been charged $28.45
on her credit card statement and was questioning the price of the book. She said
she had expected to be charged $24.95, the price advertised on the Web site. Dane
knew why the price was higher—the Web site had neglected to list the shipping cost
that the customer would be charged. This is the copy that was on the Web site:
Modern Home Renovation is a book that every homeowner should have on
the shelf. This book will help you learn all the angles to not only remodel your
home but make it a showplace. Your friends and neighbors will think you are
awesome and wonder how you learned to be so creative without a contractor.
For a limited time, you can buy this book for only $24.95. Don’t waste time—
order today.
1. Did Dane use the right words when writing the Web copy?
2. Did Dane use the four C’s of communication while writing this Web copy? Why
or why not?
3. Rewrite the copy to make it more clear and concise. Be sure it includes the
shipping cost.
Writing Effective Paragraphs
Effective paragraphs are a series of well-written, coherent sentences
arranged in a meaningful order. Think of a paragraph as having three main
parts: introduction or topic sentence, developmental sentences, and closing or
summarizing sentence. Good paragraphs:
• use general statements to introduce and summarize main ideas
• provide specifi c statements that support the main idea

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187
Chapter 8 Writing Style
The promotion will begin on September 15. Consequently, sales should
be brisk during October.
Your account is seriously past due. As a result, your charge privileges
are temporarily suspended.
Let’s examine the reasons for the new procedure. First, we need a
process that is more effi cient.
Transitions prepare the reader for what is coming and move the reader
from one idea or set of ideas to another. This aids the reader’s understanding
of the message. Transitional words and phrases also add balance to sentence
length when used to connect two short sentences.
Notice how paragraph two below reads more smoothly than the paragraph
one, while paragraph three overuses transitions. The transition words are
shown in bold.
Paragraph 1
We are increasing the price of the new merchandise. Regular customers
will still get a discount on large-volume purchases. They will be able to
take advantage of this discount only if they place orders every 60 days or
less.
Paragraph 2
We are increasing the price of the new merchandise, but regular
customers will still get a discount on large-volume purchases. However,
they will be able to take advantage of this discount only if they place
orders every 60 days or less.
Paragraph 3
We are increasing the price of the new merchandise, but, on the other
hand, we will still give a discount to our regular large-volume purchasers.
Accordingly, these purchasers will be able to take advantage of this
discount only if they place orders every 60 days or less.
Without transitions, your writing will sound choppy, the relationship
among ideas will be unclear, and readers may be confused. But, when
these connectors are overused, your writing will sound overly wordy as
in paragraph three. Choosing the right transitions and moderate use of
transitions will help you achieve a smooth and readable writing style.
The English language has many useful transitional words and phrases that
serve various purposes in sentences. To use them appropriately, you need to
be aware of when and where these words and phrases add meaning and make
the writing more effective. Figure 8-2 lists commonly used transitions and
their purpose.
Choose Direct or Indirect Approach
Paragraphs may be constructed using a direct or indirect approach. These
topics are discussed in Chapter 7. With the
direct approach,
the topic sentence
is followed by descriptive details. The direct approach is a very readable format
and is most often used in business writing. With the
indirect approach,
details
precede the main idea of the paragraph. The indirect approach is useful when
you must give the reader bad news. Such an arrangement allows you to present
reasons before directly stating the bad news. Consider the following examples.

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Page 20Unit 1 Communicating for Success click to expand contents

Page 88Unit 2 Grammar Basics for Successful Communication click to expand contents

Page 146Unit 3 Writing for Successful Communication click to expand contents

Page 252Unit 4 Speaking for Successful Communication click to expand contents

Page 318Unit 5 Listening and Reading for Successful Communication click to expand contents

Page 362Unit 6 Writing for Successful Business Purposes click to expand contents

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