Collins

Eng I ish for Business

WRITING

Nick Brieger

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

HarperCollins Publishers

77-85 Fulham Palace Road

Hammersmith

London W6 8JB

First edition 2011

4 3

Reprint 1 0 9 8 7 6 5

2 1 0

©Nick Brieger 2011

The author asserts his moral right

to be identified as the author of this work

ISBN 978-0-00-742322-4

Collins® is a registered trademark

of HarperCollins Publishers Limited

www.collinselt.com

A catalogue record for this book is available

from the British Library

Typeset by Davidson Publishing Solutions, Glasgow

Printed in Italy by LEGO SpA, Lavis (Trento)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may

be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,

without the prior permission in writing of the

Publisher. This book is sold subject to the conditions

that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise,

be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated

without the publisher's prior consent in any form

of binding or cover other than that in which it is

published and without a similar condition including

this condition being imposed on the subsequent

purchaser.

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

About the author

After a first degree in Law and an M.A. in

Applied Linguistics, Nick Brieger's early career

included language training and teacher training

in Eastern and Western Europe. In the 80s,

he worked with teachers and trainers on

developing communication skills programmes

for managers in Poland, Hungary, Russia,

Ukraine and Georgia. In the 90s, as the focus

for global business moved towards Asia, he

worked on programmes to develop English

language competence for those wishing to

follow an international career. In recent years,

he has worked with a range of major public

and private international organisations on

communication, team building and intercultural

training programmes. In addition to his training

activities, he is the author of more than 20

books in the field of language, communication

and culture.

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Contents

Introduction

2

Section 1 Who are my readers?

-

Unit 1

Choosing the correct amount of information

4

Unit 2

Choosing the right techn1callevel

8

Unit 3

Plann1ng the document

12

Section 2- What structure and organisation for my document?

Unit 4

Layout for an email or letter

16

Unit 5

Linking 1: Connecting sentences

20

24

Unit 6

Linking 2: Sentence structure

Section 3 - What tone for my readers?

Unit 7

Recognising and using tone

28

Unit 8

Varying tone with words and expressions

32

Unit 9

Varying tone using sentence structure and sentence length

36

Section 4 - What language for my document?

Unit 10

Starting off: Greeting, introduction and reference

40

Unit 11

The main part: Signalling intentions

44

Unit 12

Finishing off: Next steps, pre-closing and farewell

48

Section 5 - How do I write efficiently?

13

Unit

Wntlng clearly and simply

52

Unit 14

Writing transparently

56

Unit 15

Writing quickly

60

Unit 1 6

Editing for accuracy: Checking and correcting language

64

Section 6- How do I put it all together?

Unit 17

Best practice 1 : Emails

68

Un1t 18

Best pract1ce 2: Business reports

72

Unit 19

Best practice 3: Minutes

76

Unit 20

Best practice 4: Business writing

80

Appendix 1 Key phrases for business letters and emails

84

Appendix 2 Linking words and phrases

88

Appendix 3 Reporting verbs

89

Appendix 4 Sample documents

90

Glossary @

102

Answer key

110

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Introduction

Collins English for Business: Writing will help you to write more effective business documents in

a more efficient way.

You can use Writing:

•

as a self-study course

•

as supplementary material on a business communication or business English course.

Writing will help you develop your knowledge of and skills in business writing. The book is

divided into two main parts:

1 the elements of an effective document

2 the process of efficient writing

The starting point for the first part is a framework to introduce the core elements of effective

documents: emails, reports, and minutes of a meeting. The second part helps you become more

efficient by writing more clearly, more simply and more quickly.

Writing contains 20 units. These are arranged into six sections.

1 Who are my readers?

2 What structure and organisation for my document?

3 What tone for my readers?

4 What language for my document?

5 How do I write efficiently?

6 How do I put it all together?

At the back of the book there are:

• the Appendices

• a Glossary- this highlights the most difficult words from each unit giving definitions and

further examples from the Collins COBUILD Advanced Dictionary

•

the Answer key- providing model answers to the exercises

Unit structure

Each of the 20 units of Writing focuses on a separate feature of business writing. In order to

develop your knowledge and skills, each unit provides:

•

an introduction to the writing feature, explaining and demonstrating its relevance to

business writing

• tasks to practise the specific feature of business writing.

In order to increase awareness of the international dimension of communication, each unit

includes a short cultural note. This is intended to encourage reflection on the impact of culture

on your business writing.

2 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Using Writing

There are three ways to use this book:

1 Work through the units from 1-20

2 Choose from the Contents page (as trainer or learner) those units which correspond with

your specific learning needs

3 Refer to Unit 20 to assess your personal learning needs

Study tips

For ease of use, each unit follows the same structure. It is recommended that you follow these

steps when working though a unit:

•

read through the first section which explains the writing feature and demonstrates its

relevance to business writing

•

work through the practice tasks

•

compare your answers with the key

•

regularly revise and go over what you have learnt

Language level

Writing has been written to help business learners at 82 level and above (Upper Intermediate to

Advanced).

Other titles

Also available in the Collins English for Business series: Listening and Speaking.

I

lntmductlon

3

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 Choosing the correct amount of information

I'm sony I wrote you such a long letter; I didn't have time to write a

short one. - Blaise Pascal (French theologist and mathematician)

The first step in writing a document is choosing the content. To do this effectively,

ask yourself the following questions:

1 How much information does the reader actually need?

2 If you are asking for information, is your request concise so that the

reader knows how to reply?

3 If you are giving information, is your message precise and easy to

understand?

Using correct language is only a small part of effective writing; you need to think

about the appropriate information for your document.

When writing professional documents, it is easy to include more information than

is required. For example, when a specialist communicates with a non-specialist, the

specialist may overestimate how much the non-specialist needs to know; or perhaps

the specialist wants to show their expertise by giving a very full answer to a question,

when a brief response would be better. Therefore it is important to spend time on

planning the content of your writing before you start and editing the content of

your document after you have written the first draft.

As a skill, writing requires more planning (before) and editing (after) than speaking.

When you speak, you can check your listener's understanding by the feedback you

receive. When you write, this feedback is less immediate, as it takes time for written

communication to be exchanged.

Finally, we live in a world with easy access to enormous quantities of data. Make your

readers' lives easier by converting the data into usable and useful information.

Useful tips

Planning

Editing

• What does my reader already know about

• Is there too much or too little detail for

this subject?

my reader?

• How much information do they need to know?

• Is there any redundant information,

e.g. repetition?

• How can I present the information in a concise

way so that it is easy to understand?

• Are there any gaps in the information which will

make 1t difficult for the reader to understand?

I 4 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 I Choosing the correct amount of information

II

Whether a document contains redundant information will depend on:

the writer's view of how much information the reader needs

2 the reader's view of their actual needs in terms of information

However, to encourage you to think about the right q uantity of information for

your reader, here are some expressions which give examples of redundant language.

In each phrase, put brackets around the redundant word(s).

1 advance planning

6 close proximity

1 1 general public

2 advance reservations

7 difficult challenge

12 past experience

3 all meet together

8 each and every

1 3 reason is because

4 basic fundamentals

9 end result

1 4 regular routine

5 cheap price

10 estimated roughly at

1 5 unexpected surprise

Read through the following email written by a computer maintenance company about

a customer's problem with their computer monitor. In the email, find the following:

a three examples of redundant information. Cross these out.

b two examples of missing information. Put asterisks where this information should be.

To: jknowles@knowles.com

Subject: Returns

Your reference: monitor XT3458

Dear customer

We have received your request to return the faulty monitor, which is not displaying the correct colours.

We will process this as fast as possible. In order to provide a quick and reliable service, we kindly ask

you to follow these instructions closely:

Within the next twelve hours, you will receive two emails from GTS. In the first email you will find a link

to a GTS return label. Please print out this label with a laser printer. With this number you can track the

delivery status of your item on the Internet.

Please pack your defective device into its original packaging. Afterwards please stick the return label

clearly onto the box so that it is easily visible. When your parcel is ready for collection. please call GTS

to arrange for collection.

Make sure you pack your defective device in the

packaging! If you don't have the original

packaging or any other secure packaging for transportation, contact us by email so that we can provide

you with suitable packaging. Please let us know.

Please only send in your defective LCD display together with its stand and the external power adapter

(without its power cord). You will be charged for extra shipping costs in case we need to send back any

accessories which you sent to us in error.

Yours sincerely

Electronic Computer Services

Section 1: Who are my readers?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

I 5

IJ

Read the two job-related emails:

a an email for a job in sales and m arketing

b an email for a n internshi p.

Look at the quantity of information in each document and decide if there is too

much or too little.

II To: seansmith@autosales.com

Subject: Application

Dear Mr Smith

I am responding to your advertisement 1n The Daily Observer of 8 January 2011, regarding

the Automotive Sales Representative position. Attached is my CV, showing my education,

experience, and background.

As you will see from my CV, I graduated from the University of Watersville in 2007 with an

upper second class honours degree 1n Bus1ness Adm1nistrat1on. Dunng my f1nal year I was

attracted to the areas of sales and marketing, and followed a three-term speCialist course,

which focused on:

• Fundamentals of Marketing

• Business Communications

• Fundamentals of C ustomer Care

• Managing Marketing Information Systems

• Promotional Pract1ce

• Sales & Marketing Operations

• Promotional Practice Management

• Marketing Communication Strategy

My CV lists the jobs that I have held. As you will see, I worked as a trainee 1n the

marketing department of Custom Vtsuals for two years (2007-2009), where I learned

about advertising and orgams1ng promotional events. I was then promoted to the pos1t10n

of marketing execut1ve, where I worked on planmng and 1 mplement1ng advertising

campa1gns. However, after one year 1n that pos1t1on, I decided to move to Q Cars, where

I managed key accounts, especially m the area of car leasmg. I learned a considerable

amount about planning and organising events. After two years at Q Cars, I decided to

move on and found a position as marketing manager for SpecTex, a specialist textile

company. There I headed up a small sales team, as well as having responsibility for

marketing activities in terms of product distribution. Throughout my sales and marketing

career I have won top sales awards, and, in my last job, was involved in training other sales

representatives in specific sales techniques to increase the1r sales. I hope my application will

be of interest to you. I am available to come in for interv1ew at a mutually convenient time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Mary Green

I

6 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 I Choosing the correct a mount o f information

To: jenbryant@nt.ac.uk

Subject: internship

Dear Ms Bryant

I am interested in applying for the scientific research internship that I recently saw

advertised in the University Career Services Office.

I have had lots of laboratory experience in chemistry, biology, and geology. So, I feel I

would be a suitable candidate. And last summer, I worked as an assistant for a small

pharmaceutical company near my home.

I hope you find my application of interest.

Yours sincerely

Sarah Bentley

IJ

look at the two emails again and list the information that you think should be

included. Then rewrite them.

Email a

Email b

•

•

•

•

•

•

The quantity of information that you may find in communication, including written

documents, is not the same for all national cultures. The major difference is between

low context cultures and high context cultures.

In low context cultures, people typically expect information to be made explicit in

their communication and can comfortably manage large quantities of data. Words are

typically used to transmit information and data.

In high context cultures, on the other hand, background information tends to be

implicit and assumed to be shared. Words are used in a more indirect way, leaving

the reader to work out for themselves the full significance of the message from the

context.

Section 1: Who are my readers?

7

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

2 Choosing the right technical level

W11en something can be read without effort, great effort lias gone into its

writing. - Enrique Jardiel Poncela (Spanish playwright and novelist)

Technical level refers both to information and to language. Choosing the right

technical level for your readers means standing back from both your technical

expertise and your technical language, and putting yourself into your readers' shoes.

When you do that, you can start to pitch your writing at an appropriate technical

level for your reader.

The 'silo effect' is a phrase that is often used to describe the failure of communication

in business communities. What does it mean?

A silo is a storage building for grain. It has no windows so people working inside one

silo cannot see others- either people inside other silos in their own organisation or

outside.

Within a silo, people speak the same language and understand each other

comfortably. They have developed a shared specialist code of language using

acronyms (WAH- working at home; MSRP- Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price),

abbreviations (ch. ppd.- charges prepaid; biz dev- business development), technical

forms, and shortcuts to meanings. However, when they are asked to communicate

outside their silo, they lack the sensitivity to adapt their communication so that other

people understand them without effort.

Therefore, to be understood without effort, communication requires:

•

a sensitivity to your readers

•

an understanding of their technical level

•

an awareness of how much information they need

•

a 'bridge' to their communicative world.

·:. 'Gobbledygook'

( · Thf!-,t�r,m �gobbledygook' was invented by former US Representative Maury

Maverick to describe any text containing jargon or complex language which

__

unnecessarily hard to understand.

-

'

·The Plain·English Campaign encourages writers to avoid the use of jargon as it

makes the reader feelinferior, frustrated, and angry, and causes a divide between

· ·

....

writer.. and the reader .

I'--�

. ' �• .,. .,.

•• :· -

;

�

8 I Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 2 I Choosing the right technical level

Useful tips

Do

Don t

'

• ask yourself what your readers already know

• use jargon from your silo

about the subject

• use abbreviations unless you know your readers

• write at an appropriate technical level for your

understand them

readers

• include technical detail that is beyond the

• be specific, concrete; give examples

knowledge of your readers

• remember to edit your writing to check for

• write in complex language (vocabulary, sentence

comfortable understanding

length, sentence structure) that makes the

meaning difficult to understand

• use abstract ideas when concrete facts would be

easier to understand

Here are some examples of over-complex writing. First, we have used the Don't l ist

from the Useful tips box to identify the reasons why it is so difficult to understand,

and then we have suggested improvements.

1!1

From an education policy document:

Before improvement

High-qua/tty learnmg envtronments are a necessary precondition for

facilitation and enhancement of the ongoing learning process.

Why is it d ifficult to understand?

• Abstract idea

• Complex vocabulary

After improvement

Children need good schools if they are to learn properly.

Em

From a legal contract between a lender and borrower:

Before improvement

All transactions effected pursuant to this instrument shall be effected

for the account and risk and in the name of the undersigned, and the

undersigned hereby agrPes to indemnify and hold you harmless from. and

to pay you promptly on demand, any and all losses arising therefrom or

any clebit balance due thereon.

Section 1 : Who are my readers?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

I 9

Why is it difficult to understand?

• Complex vocabulary

•

Long sentences

• Complicated sentence structure

After improvement

You will be responsible for anything you owe on your account.

From a healthcare policy document:

Before improvement

The a1m of th1s resource pack ts to help organisations promote and implement

the use of an HR Leadership Qualities Framewor¥ that describes those behav1ours

whiCh enhance HR capacity and capability to tmprove the patient experience.

Why is it difficult to understand?

• Complex vocabulary

•

Technical detail

After improvement

This resource pack w11/ help otganisartons promote and mtroduce a Human

Resources Leadership Qualities Framework The framework will help HR

departments to improve the expenence of patients.

Now use the Don 't list from the Useful tips box to identify the main reasons why the

following paragraphs are d ifficult to understand. Then try to rewrite them so that

they are easier to understand. The first two require only small changes, while the

last two need more major work.

D

From a letter of application for a job:

Dunng three years ar XYl and four years at ABC I built up a broad fundamental

knowledge of food science and processing. My desire to extend my contribution

through to product completion necessitated that I provide a commumcatJon

interface between the scientifically focused, laboratory-based personnel and

the process-driven pilot plant research groups. In the international working

enwonments offered by XYl and ABC, I gamed the necessary mterpersonal

skills to exclude cultural and scientific mtsunderstandings, and employed fully my

linguistic skills to ensure optimal projf'ct results and sociable working relations

1 0 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 2 I Choosing the right technical level

FJ

From a policy statement:

This year we have reviewed our quality Improvement plan to focus on and

cross-reference to the new Blueprint For Excellence so we are workmg towards

fulfilling future expectations enabling a more workable and live document which

will meet with the approval of the BGDF

From the promotional material for a new IT product:

We are pleased to announce our new, easy to use and improved cutting-edge

technology leverages innovative, robust and high-performance outcomes while

uniquely positioning us to focus on world-class partnerships. Next generation

outcomes are easily scalable and flexible up to 720 percent.

!I

From a contract for transportation of goods:

The Carrier shall nor be liable for mjury or damage to or destruction or loss of

the Goods or any other property arising out of or incidental to or in connection

with or occurring during the provision of the Services or for the mis-delivery or

non-delivery of the Goods and whether or not caused or contributed to by the

default (including negligence) of the Carrier or any agent, servant or officer of

the Carrier or any other person entitled to the benefit of these conditions.

Not all cultures place the same value on simplicity. In some contexts, simplicity may

be seen as a lack of professionalism or true understanding of the subject. Simple

language may also be judged as simplistic language and may be seen as a lack of

competence.

It is important, therefore, to put your writing into the cultural context of your readers

so that you can choose the appropriate technical level. Too complex and your writing

may remain unread because it is too difficult; too simple and your writing may be

ignored because it is not demanding enough.

Section 1: Who are my readers?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

3 Planning the document

lf you do11 't know where you are going, any road will get you I II ere.

Lewis Carroll (English author)

-

The four-box document plan

1 Purpose (15-second rule)

2 Background or explanation

• key message

• give background, if necessary

• arouse interest

• reinforce or explain your key message

• use key words to give right feeling

• arrange ideas

3 Details

4 What next?

• keep this section as short as possible

• summarise main ideas

• move supporting material to an appendix

• use powerfulrdea to end

• state who is going to do what, and when

The four-box document plan is a tool to help you organise the content of your

document. It is particularly useful for planning reports which need to appeal to a

wide readershi p or for emails to be sent to a mailing l ist, i.e. multiple recipients.

Having put the relevant information into the four-box plan, you will be ready to

start drafting. First, let's look at this planning tool in more detail.

1 Purpose

Generally speaking, readers decide very quickly whether a document, such as a

report or a multiple-recipient email, is relevant to them. Therefore, it is i mportant to:

• capture their interest

•

specify the purpose of the document

•

inform them what you want them to do, know, or feel.

The ' 1 5-second rule' refers to the fact that your readers will take just 15 seconds to

decide:

1 what your document is about

2 whether it applies to them.

121 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 31 Planning the document

2 Background or explanation

This section sets the scene for the detail which follows in box 3. To make an impact,

your readers may need some additional information to support your key message in

box 1 . Make sure that you:

•

give only the necessary background information. Avoid repeating

information they already know

1

• highlight and extend your key message from box so that it has more

impact

• give the information that your readers need in order to agree to your

request, solve a problem, ana lyse a situation, make a decision, etc.

3 Details

This part of your document should include useful and necessary details to

reinforce box 2, e.g. schedule, steps in a procedure, technical description, financial

information.

Keep this section as short as possible so that readers can follow the development of

ideas. Where possible, put supporting information into an appendix. Also remember

not to include details just to impress your readers.

4 What next?

Repeat the purpose of your document. Make sure your readers clearly know the next

steps in terms of:

• who

• what

• when.

Ensure that there are clear channels for future communication, e.g. if more

information is required.

D

Here are the details of a four-box document plan to recommend a new selection

process for a company's suppliers. Draw yourself a four-box document plan and

put the details into the most suitable box.

•

Categories for supplier evaluation

•

Changes to documentation

•

Concern about selection of most suitable suppl iers - price and quality

•

Decision on implementation within 4 weeks

•

Directors to review new system

•

Discussion at next meeting

•

New system

- Use e-procurement

- List main advantages

• Old system

-Based on local suppl iers

- List main disadvantages

Section 1: Who are my readers?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 3

• Procedure for introduction

• Proposed timescale for implementation

•

Recommend introduction of new evaluation system for suppliers

• Replace existing system with more transparent system

• Results: more transparency and savings

• Training in use of new system

fJ

Now decide which element in box 3 could be moved to an appendix.

IJ

Below is a short report on working from home. Read through the report and then

map the information into a four-box plan.

Introduction

In our origmal report, we proposed to offer the poss1bility of home-workmg to a group

of employees so that they could carry out the majority of their work at home. Th1s was

Implemented 1n Apnl 201 1 after the relevant IT and telecommunication links were set up

to the office, colleagues, and customers. It is now proposed to extend the possibility of

full time home-working to staff who already work from home 20% (one day a week) of

the time.

Bcncftls of home-working

These are:

- Improvement to the serv1ces provided to customers

- sav1ngs in accommodation 1n terms of both space and cost

- positive implications for both recruitment and retent1on of staff

- belief that home-working will offer staff the opportunity to balance work with other

aspects of their life, in particular care responsibilities

- the opportunity for individuals who previously would have been unable to enter 01

remain in work to do so

- perception that fewer office InterruptiOns assooated w1th office-based work would

result 1n 1ncreased productivity levels.

Challenges of home-working

HomE: -working employees must agree to

- stay focused on the JOb and avo1d distractions

- st1ck to des1gnated hours- clearly schedule the days and hours of work

- set up a work phone number and email address; only g1ve these details out to clients

and potential customers

- turn off personal mobile phone and let the home phone go to the answering machme

- plan work and sooal life separately

141 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 3 I Planning the d o cument

Conclusions and next steps

Effectively managed, home-workmg wdl cont1nue to increase efficiency and provide

cost sav1ngs at the same t1me as maintaming and, in some cases, improv1ng performance.

A copy of the 'Cost benefit analys1s report' is attached.

Further deta1led discussions will be required in order to assess the potential impact of

home-workmg on th1s new group of employees. Before these discussions, we will hold

a general consultation meeting with all department heads on 4 September 201 1 to

deal with questions and issues In advance of this meeting, department heads should

familiarise themselves w1th the attached documentation.

Box 1 of a four-box document plan needs to capture the readers' interest. One way

of doing this is to inform your readers what you want them to do, know, or feel.

However, it is important to recognise that not all cultures have the same attitude

towards the expression of feelings.

Some cultures, called affective, have a tendency to display their emotions more

openly and immediately; whilst other cultures, called neutral, have a tendency to keep

their emotions hidden or controlled. However, neutral cultures are not necessarily cold

or unfeeling, and affective cultures are not necessarily impetuous. It is simply the case

that the amount of emotion we show is often the result of shared behaviour (cultural

norms).

So, when it comes to writing, it is important to bear this contrast in mind. The affective

writer may be seen as getting too close to his/her readers; or perhaps overreacting to

the situation. On the other hand, the neutral writer may be seen as too remote from

his or her audience; or disinterested in the issue.

Section 1: Who are my readers?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 5

4 Layout for an email or letter

There are no rules i11 writi11g. There are useful pri11ciples. - Will Shetterly

(American novelist)

The a bove quote is particularly appropriate when talking about emails. The reason

is that this modern channel of written communication does not always have fixed

outlines, and different writers adopt different approaches and layouts. As business

letters traditionally have a fixed layout, many email writers use this as a starting

point for their structure. However, it is important to differentiate between different

types of business emails, as follows:

1 formal emails written in the style of business letters

2 emails written i n the style of informal letters

3 email exchanges in the style of phone calls, but written down

4

email responses or acknowledgements written in a very concise or

informal way, often using no more than a single phrase and an initial

as a signature, e.g.

Thanks for the info.

John

Types 1 and 2 a bove can generally follow the classical structure of a letter. Here is the

typical structure for a business letter:

1

2

3

4

Greeting

Introduction/

Mam content

Pre-closin g/

reference/

next steps

purpose

When transferring this business letter model to an email,

it is necessary to add a meanin gful Sub ject hne

You can find examples of specific language for each of these phases in Appendix 1 .

I n contrast, types 3 and 4 above generally don't have a formalised structure, as John's

brief acknowledgement (above) shows. They have informational content (i.e. they

convey a message) but it is difficult to establish any rules for their structure.

So, where does this leave email writers? You need to decide what type of email

you are writing. In particular, the formality (or informality) of the relationship with

your reader will help you decide whether you need to follow the classical model of

a business letter or whether it is appropriate to use a more informal approach. In

conclusion, the format of email writing is less about formal rules and more about a

flexible approach to email structure: different layouts for different audiences.

16 1 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 41 Layout for a n email or letter

Useful tips

For writing formal documents

For writing informal documents

• Break up your document into meaningful sections so that your

• Emails can be written as you

reader can easily get an overview.

would speak.

• Put white space between the paragraphs.

• Remember to remain friendly

and polite.

• Don't create unnecessary white space - it makes the

document unfocussed and difficult to read.

• Use headings, (bulleted) lists, and bold type to help readability.

• Avoid underlining.

• Use phrases from Appendix 1 to create transparent structure.

II

The paragraphs and bulleted lists in the following three emails have been mixed up.

Decide in which order the paragraphs should appear and then rewrite the emails in

the correct order.

To: nick.jones@veeyo.com

Subject: Schedule

Lisa

Please could you let me know whether you would be interested in working on the

main tasks, as outlined above? For the additional notes, I realise you don't have much

information yet and may not be able to give us an answer.

Many thanks for getting back to me so promptly. It's great to hear that you are interested in

working with us. Apologies for my delay in replying. I was unwell last week.

We are still looking into your suggestion about the scope of the additional notes. At this

stage, we have not made a final decision. I plan to discuss this with my team next week and

aim to send you more details over the next two weeks.

With best wishes

With regards to timings and details, we plan to have the main tasks for this project ready by

the middle of October. We would send you the task list then, and would like you to devise

a number of categories with which to label certain key business categories. We would like

to receive the list, arranged according to category, by the middle of November. Please could

you let me know whether this would be acceptable to you?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Nick

Section 2: What structure and organisation for my document?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 7

To: Maximore Customers

Subject: Customer Survey

Make your voice heard in just a few minutes

Annetta Sherbourne

With a few simple questions and a few m1nutes of your t1me. we can begin to understand

what matters to you. We want to increase awareness 1n the media of the challenges

savers face. By sharing your feedback with selected financ1al JOUrnalists we hope to draw

attention to the issues that really matter to you and maybe even start the wheels of

change. We will of course also use your feedback to see how we can also help you to

overcome some of the issues you currently experience as a saver.

Dear Mr Bennett

Win £50 Harwells vouchers

Customer Relations Manager

There can be no denying that we are experiencing times of unprecedented economic

uncertainty. As a new UK bank, Maximore believe it's vital that we really understand

the issues that savers are confronted with today. Which is why I'm writing to invite you,

as a valued Maximore Savings customer, to take part in our first Customer Survey.

As a thank you, on completing the survey you can enter our free prize draw to win one of

twenty £50 Harwells gift vouchers.

Kind regards

You will also have the opportunity to join our new Customer Survey Panel. Jo1n1ng our

Panel means you will exclusively be invited to take part 1n future surveys and have your say

on other issues which affect you. And of course, you'll have the chance to win even more

vouchers.

Thank you in advance for your time and feedback.

Completing the survey is simple and your answers are anonymous. Just click on the link

and follow the instructions online. The survey is open until midn1ght Sunday 24 October

2011.

Your opinion is important - join Maximore Customer Survey Panel

1 18Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 41 Layout for a n email or letter

To: stephen@stephenhenley.com

Subject: Expenses Claim

Rotarongan International Airlines Ltd.

• IBAN number:

Having assessed your claim, and as a gesture of goodwill we will credit an amount of

GBP1 00 to your bank account. In order to make the transfer, could you please provide us

with the following information:

• costs directly linked to travel delays

Feedback Management

• approved receipts provided

Thank you for your recent claim for reimbursement of expenses, incurred as a result of the

disruption to your flight from Rotaronga to London Heathrow. We wish to assure you that

we did everything in our power to minimise the consequences for all passengers. Therefore

we deeply regret that we were unable to assist you as much as we would have wished in

this difficult situation. We apologise for any inconvenience you experienced as a result.

• reasonable expenses incurred

We appreciate you taking the time to inform us about your experience and we hope

that this incident will not discourage you and your family from choosing Rotarongan

International Airlines in your future travel arrangements.

• Swift code:

Yours sincerely

• Account name:

Dear Mr Henley

As the flight irregularities that occurred were clearly due to ' force majeure'. we are only able

to offer you limited financial compensation, based on:

Maryam Mobara

• Bank name:

In recent years. email has developed as the channel of choice for both national and

international written communication. However, without agreed standards for email

writing, writers have felt free to use their own preferred practices, based on cultural

norms or personal style.

At an intercultural level, this has led to an emergence of a variety of features, some of

which may seem unusual to some writers. One example is the blending of social and

professional exchanges within the same document. Does the writer who starts their

email with the phrase 'How are you?' really expect a response? Or is it simply a polite

phrase. as one would expect in a face-to-face encounter?

When it comes to emails, a chatty style at the beginning of a professional document

might well be a feature of the writer's personality.

Section 2: What structure and organisation for my document?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

5 Linking 1: Connecting sentences

Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted. - Jules Renard

(French author)

Writing needs to flow - from the fi rst line to the last. Just as we talk about a fluent

speaker, whose language flows natural ly, we can talk about a fluent writer. The

techniques for fluent speech and fluent writing are different, but the effect is the

same. In fluent writing, the reader can easily follow the internal structure of a

document a n d the connections between the writer's ideas. So, while Unit 4 focused

on the external structure of a document in terms of its clear format and layout, this

unit will look at techniques for creating a transparent internal structure.

We will look at two types of linking:

1 Logical connections, e.g. as a result, in contrast, in addition

2 Chronological connections, e.g. first, second, after that, finally

Both types of link ing make it easier for the reader to follow the flow of ideas or

information. Leaving them out gives the reader a sense of uncertainty and makes it

more difficult to read comfortably.

Let's look first at logical connections. I n the sample text below, the logical linking

words are shown in bold:

We launched the new products at a ttme when competltton was fierce.

Therefore was difficult for us to get the comm1tment of all our senior

·

management In addition, the high bank interest rates made it hard for us to

get the necessary fmancial backmg; however, after lengthy negotiations we

managed to ..

Notice how the l inking words are used either between sentences (separated by a

fu ll stop) or between cla uses (separated by a semi-colon).

The linking words and phrases above have very specific meanings:

•

therefore: cause i n the previous sentence; result i n the present sentence

•

in addit1on: extra information in the present sentence to be read together with the

first information given in the previous sentences

• however: contrast between expected outcome, based on expectation from

previous clause, and actual outcome as stated in the present clause.

You can find a fuller list of logical linking words and phrases in Appendix 2.

I

20

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 5 I Linking 1 : Connecting sentences

Chronological connections, as you would expect, have to do with time and order of

occurrence. You can see some uses of chronological linking words in the following

sample text. The linking words are shown in bold:

I would like to go over the actton plan before our next meeting so that we are

aligned on the next steps. First of all, you will need to extract the sales figures

from the P&L account. Next, these figures wtll require some analys is so that we can

see where the major sales outlets are. At the same time, we will be in a better

position to identify where we have incurred stgnificant costs. Finally, I would like

you to put these figures into a spreadsheet and circulate it to the whole team.

Here the writer shows the time link between ideas or actions, i.e. what comes first,

second, next, etc. Chronological links include phrases such as:

•

First/first o f all/initially/to start with/the first step/at the first stage

•

Second/secondly/the second step/at the second stage

•

Then/after that/next/subsequently/the next step/at the next stage

•

Finally/the final step/at the final stage

You can find a fuller list of chronological linking words and phrases in Appendix 2.

Again, the use of these phrases makes the relationship between information and

actions explicit and transparent, and, as a result, improves the readabi lity of the text.

Useful tips

• Linking words and phrases show the relationships between your ideas and information.

• They make your writing more fluent and your documents easier to read.

• Logical links help the reader to follow the logical relationships between your ideas and information.

• Chronological links help the reader to follow the time relationships between information and actions.

II

Underline the linking words and ph rases in the following conclusion from a

marketing report.

In short, last year was a fantastic year for us. Obviously, we are confident about next year; however,

we recognise the risks of over-rapid growth Therefore, we are going to put 1n a prudent forecast.

For 1nstance, we feel that some of the Far Eastern markets have bounced back too quickly. In addition.

Eastern Europe is still somewhat unstable, though it has become a lot firmer 1n the last few months.

In other words, let us not become overconfident. Usually a company 111 our pos1t1on would take a very

optimistic v1ew of future prospects Our competitors have. For example. lntersearch IS investing huge

sums in development. Similarly, QWX has bought a number of smaller prov1ders in various countries.

We, too, have been act1ve. In particular, our acquisitions in Northern Europe have taken us into the

heart of technological developments. Yet. let us not be complacent. In conclusion, this is a tough

market but we can feel quietly confident.

Section 2: What structure and organisation for my document? 1 21

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Underline the linking words and phrases in the following extract from a report

about Corporate Responsibility.

In recent years Corporate Responstbility (CR) has moved further and further up the agenda

of the world's biggest orqanisauons. but what does CR really mean? In short, CR is the 1dea

that an organisation should choose to demonstrate respect for the rights of workers. local

communities. and the envtronrtlent throughout thetr operations. In other words. the obligations

of the organisation extend beyond what they are legally requ1red to do. In fact, C R encourages

organisattons to voluntarily tty to improve performance 1n a wide range of areas.

Globalisation has clearly Increased the power and tmpact of transnational organtsattons but this

1mpact can be both positive and negative. For example, the current media locus on green issues

has htghlighted public concerns about protecting the environment. Compantes. therefore, need to

take responsibility and respond to these wornes.

CR can bnng many beneftts to an organtsauon. For 1nstance. 1t can help a company establish a

clear posttton tn a busy market, alternatively, it can help to protect a part1cular brand. The process

of creating a new set of values and responsibilities can also create a more developed identity for

an organisation. However, it is cnttcal for the CR process to be part of the day-to-day running of

the company rather than it just being a process to please stakeholders.

The linking words and phrases in the following marketing email have been omitted.

Complete the email with a suitable word or phrase from the list below.

Note: sometimes, more than one option is possible.

alternatively

consequently

however

normally

as a result

finally

tn addition

of course

first of all

tn summary

secondly

clearly

for example

naturally

therefore

To: peter.burrows@ecs.co.uk

Subject: New product

Dear Peter

We would like to draw your attention to a new product that we have added to our range.

1 .

. .

, as a stockist of our products. you are aware that customers have

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

been asking for an enhancement to the 'utility' feature on the Alpha model. We have,

2

. . .

.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , developed the new Alpha Plus to provide customers with just this function. 3 . . .

. .

.

. . .. . . . . . . ... . . . . . . the new model offers increased efficiency; 4 . . . ..................... ,

as you will see, the operation has been simplified by the new 'Quick Start' button.

5 .

.... .. , we expect that customers will appreciate the new control panel,

. .... . . . . . . . . .

.

. .

which looks much more attractive than in previous models. 6 . . . . . . .. .. . .. . . , this is a

.

.

. .. . . . .

major renovation for a well-established product, which we believe will be very attractive

to your customers.

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 5 1 Linking 1 : Connecting sentences

7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , you would expect that the above enhancements would involve an

.

.

.

increase in price 8 . . . . ....... .. . . . . .. . . we have managed to negotiate favourable terms with

.

.

.

our sub-contractors. 9 . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . , we are able to offer you the Alpha Plus at the same

. . .

.

.

.

price as the Alpha. This compares very favourably with competitor products. The Blaster,

1 0 ... . . . . . . . .... . . . . . , retails at £59.99.

.

.

.

. .

1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. .

, I hope that this pricing will be an incentive for you to place an initial

order for this product.

We are planning a promotional campaign next month, and will be demonstrating the

product to our key customers. 12 . . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . we would like you to be the first in your

.

.

.

.

.

.

region to stock the product. 13 ..... ..... . . . . .. . . . we hope you will take advantage of our

.

.

.

.

.

.

free demonstration service. We will be in your area from 1 3- 1 5 November and our sales

rep will be pleased to visit you at a convenient time. 1 4 ....... .... ..... . . . . . . if these dates are

.

.

.

not suitable, we can arrange a visit at another time.

1 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , one of our sales team will call you in the next few days to get your

. .

.

.

. .

.

feedback. 1 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .' .. . if you'd like to speak to me personally, please call me on

. .

. . .

0845 5632 5683.

Regards

Ranjit Mahotra

Regional Sales Director

The texts presented in this unit follow a particular development, going from the

general. i.e. presentation of the topic, to the specific, i.e. detailed information. This

approach is typical of deductive logic. The aim of this pattern is to establish the topic

immediately so that people know from the start what you are talking about. After

that the details can be presented deductively as they are needed. This is a common

Western approach to business communication.

In inductive logic, you go from specific to general. The minor points of an argument

are stated first and the main point is then arrived at as a conclusion. The focus here

is on how the details relate to the whole. Inductive logic requires you to gather the

information so that you can reach a logical conclusion. This creates a different feel

to communication, making it less rigid than the deductive approach. The inductive

pattern is a common Eastern approach to business communication.

Section 2: What structure and organisation for my document?

23

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

6 Linking 2: Sentence structure

A ll the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary it's just a matter of arranging them into the right se11tences.

- W. Somerset Maugham (English playwright and novelist)

I n Unit 5, we looked at one aspect of document structure - con nectors between

sentences. In this unit, we will look at another dimension of structure which can

further improve the readability of your document. This is the relationship between

information within a sentence. To do this, we need to differentiate between the

following three types of sentence structure:

1

Simple sentences

2 Compound sentences

3 Complex sentences

The following sample sentences from reports i l lustrate these three types:

1

The product was launched ten years ago.

This is a simple sentence consisting of one clause.

2

lntersearch is investing huge sums in development and QWX has bought a

number of smaller prov1ders in various countries.

This is a compound sentence consisting of two cla uses, linked by 'and'. Clauses i n

compound sentences can also be linked by 'or' a n d 'but'.

3

lntersearch, who entered the market recently, is investing huge sums in

development.

This is a complex sentence consisting of two clauses, linked by the relative pronoun

'who'.

Bank interest rates made it hard for us to get the necessary financial backing,

especially since they were very h1gh initially.

This is a complex sentence consisting of two clauses, linked by the subordinating

conjunction 'since'. Complex sentences consist of two (or more) clauses, linked by

either a relative pronoun or a subordinating conjunction .

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 6 1 Linking 2 : Sentence structure

The main relative pronouns are:

The main subordinating conjunctions (with the meanings they express) are:

because/

if

when/as

after/

while

while

(al)though

as

before

reason

condition

tiiTIE>

time

time!

purpose

contrast

contrast

We can now compare the various methods of connecting information and ideas

within a single sentence. As these sentences demonstrate, the effect is quite d ifferent:

They only set up the operat1on three months ago but they've already gone

bankrupt.

This is vaguer and less emphatic.

Although they only set up the operation three months ago, they've already

gone bankrupt.

Here, the subordinate clause is reduced to a less important role.

They only set up the operation three months ago; however, they've already

gone bankrupt.

In this example, more emphasis is placed on 'they've already gone bankrupt'.

None of these techniques is better or worse than the others. However, you need to

be aware of these techniques and make your choice on which to use in order to

create:

•

different effects in your writing

•

variety in your writing

Useful tips

• Use a range of techniques to show the relationship between information within a sentence.

• Use linking words and phrases to show the relationship between sentences (see Unit 5).

• Use a variety of sentence structures to make your writing more interesting and engaging.

Section 2: What structure and organisation for my document?

25

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

D

What type of sentence is each of these? Write the sentence number into the correct

column.

Simple

Compound

Complex

1

1 The economic crisis has clearly had a significant effect on our business environment.

2 Although our sector has been affected by the impact of the global recession,

it has shown a greater resilience than other parts of the economy.

3 As we are all aware, during periods of rapid economic decline, our customers look

carefully at their expenditure.

4

We have therefore responded to this pressure on household and business expenses

with new price plans that are specifically designed to address customers' needs.

5

If we look at society, our services have clearly become increasingly i m portant in

the day-to-day lives of our customers.

6

We see this especially in the way in which our services offer people new flexibility

i n their business and personal lives.

7 This new flexibility will encourage more growth and lead to more social changes.

8 We have also continued to see pricing pressure in Europe.

9 Because the period of rapid growth in new customer numbers is now over we

need to adjust our resources accordingly.

10 So that we can remain competitive, we are committed to reducing operating costs.

1 1 We will maintain this focus over the coming year and drive down costs.

1 2 Unfortunately, this involves reducing our workforce but our company will

certa inly continue to be a good place to work.

FJ

In the following text, underline all the words and phrases used to link clauses

together within a single sentence. Remember that a subordinate clause may appear

at the beginning of a sentence.

As we are changing the current reporti ng process, we must keep a clear record

of the number of products which we have renewed. This will enable us to

monitor our progress more closely. So, when the new version of the XYZ Technical

Production Management software is installed, we will be able to maintain this

information directly within the database. After all technical reports have been

created within the database, we will be able to ana lyse data directly, which will

eliminate the need to request this information from Application Groups via

surveys, as it is done today.

The new technical solution will provide us with global visibility on products so

that we can see the specific renovations that we have plan ned. The quality of the

database is, of course, dependent upon the quality of the data which has been

entered by the Application Groups. Data must be reliable and credible so that it

can su pport analyses within the organisation. It must also allow commun ication

to external partners, when this is relevant. It is, therefore, critical that Application

Groups enter and maintain correct data.

26 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 6 1 Linking 2: Sentence structure

The following extract from a report includes simple, compound, and complex

clauses. Where there is a gap, complete the sentence with a suitable word or phrase.

In some cases, there is more than one possible option.

Over the last year, our strategy has focused on the development of our new

technology for agricultural uses 1 .... .. ......... .... we have made significant advances

.

.

.

in the commercialisation of the associated products. There was a significant

m ilestone in spring 201 0 2 . ....... ............. we got approval for the launch of these

.

.

products. 3 ...... ......... .... . we were required to carry out one further study, this did

.

.

.

not delay the product launch. This additional work has now been completed

4 ......... . . . . . . . we hope to have the final results around the end of this year.

. . .

. . .

.

During 2009, negotiations were opened with a n umber of different local

companies 5

. . . . . . . are interested in representing us in Europe. This will

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

help to make us better known in countries 6 ... .

.

.

. we currently don't have

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

an office or a representative.

We have also made significant changes to our personnel 7 .. .. ........ ...... the

. .

. .

.

company has developed into new areas, especially developing contracts and links

with industry. Peter Bartlett has been appointed to the post of Managing Director

8 . . .................

. . . .

I hope you will join with me in congratulating him on this well-

earned promotion. Meanwhile, Jane Davies has moved on 9 ... . ................. I would

. .

like to express our thanks to her for all her work d uring the early stages of the

company. 10 . . ...... ..

. we are moving on to this new stage, it is appropriate

. .

.

. . . . . . . .

for Peter to assume that role.

1 1 . . ..... ... ..... . I look ahead, there are two things which I would like to comment

.

.

. . .

.

on. We now feel 12 .

. . . . . . the company can move to the stock market

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . .

in the next two years 1 3

. . . . . . .. . . we will investigate that objective at

. . . . . . .

.

. .

. .

the beginning of next year 14

. . . . . ... we can be sure to have sufficient

. . . . . . . . . . .

. .

.

capabil ity for the new opportunities 15 . . ............ . . I described earl ier.

. . .

. . .

So, we are now in a much better position to move forward 1 6 .. . . .

. .. . . . the

.

. . . . . . .

.

. .

options have become much clea rer. In a year's time, I hope 17 .

. .

. .

. we will

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

be able to report on a significant number of events 1 8 . .... . .. ..

. have occurred

.

. . .

. . .

. . . .

in that period.

The contrast between structured and flexible styles is commonly used to describe

differences in personality. However, it is also a feature of cultures, where some prefer a

more planned approach to working, while others prefer a more organic style.

When we look at documents, we can see this difference reflected in approaches to

writing. In some cultures, it is important to have a document structure with a clear,

logical development of information. In others, more attention is paid to building the

relationship with the readers or to creating impact by the flow of ideas. When writing

for an international audience, it is important to reflect on one's own preferred writing

approach; and also to analyse the approach of others.

Section 2: What structure and organisation for my document?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 27

7 Recognising and using tone

Tone can be as important as text.

Edward Koch (American lawyer and

-

politician, Mayor of New York C ity from 1 978 to 1 989)

Tone in writing refers to the writer's attitude towards:

• the reader

•

the subject of the message.

For example, the writer might want to establish a close, friendly relationship with

the reader; alternatively she or he might want to communicate in a neutral, formal

tone. Or in a request, the writer might think it appropriate to use direct, forceful

language; alternatively she or he might want to express the request in a more

indirect, collaborative tone. These features fall into the category of tone.

Tone is important and is present in all communication. It affects the relationship and

the message as much in writing as it does in speech. Business writers should therefore

consider the tone of their message, whether they are writing an email, letter, report,

or any other type of business document.

Tone comes from:

•

your choice of words

•

your sentence structure and sentence length

•

the structure, order, clarity, and precision of the information you present.

There are two main challenges for business writers:

1 recognising the range of tones in written documents

2 producing the appropriate tone in your documents

This unit will focus on point 1. Point 2 will be dealt with in Units 8 and 9.

Useful tips

• Tone is about language being appropriate, to your reader and your message.

• Tone is not about right and wrong language; it is about choosing the most appropriate

way of expressing yourself.

• Tone comes from your words, your sentences, and your information.

• Tone is important for creating the right relationship with your reader(s).

The following list is a starting point for exploring and recognising the range of tones

in comm unication. Each pair in the list represents a contrast in tone, which can be

expressed with language in terms of:

28

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 7 I Recognising a nd using tone

a choice of words

b sentence structure and length

c content

Formal

Informal

or

'Dear Mr Brown '

'Hi Peter'

Distanced

Personal

or

'It has come to our attention . . . '

We have seen . . . '

Precise

Vague

'We expect 236 delegates at our conference. ' or

'There'll be around 250 of us at the meeting. '

Complex

Simple/straightforward

'Although procedures vary widely. they

'Procedures vary widely, but they do share

share some characteristics, especially in

some characteristics. In particular, planning

terms of planning and reporting, which are

and reporting are carried out monthly using

carried out on a monthly basis using the

or

the standard software tool. Th is tool was

standard software tool that was introduced

introduced a t the end of last year on the

at the end of last year on the main company

main company sites. It will be phased in to

sites, except in South America, where it is

South America later this year. '

planned to phase in the too/ later this year. '

Direct

Indirect

'Please send the information by

or

'We would be very grateful if you could

13 January. '

send the information by 13 January. '

Emotional

Neutral

'We were totally overwhelmed by the

or

'The questionnaire was completed by a

response to our questionnaire. '

large number of people. '

Assertive

Encouraging

'The report must be completed by the

or

'We hope that you'll be able to complete

end of the week. '

the report by the end of the week. '

Task-oriented

Relationship-oriented

'The minutes of the staff committee

'The minutes of the staff committee

meetings should be circulated no later

meetings are vital for follow-up after our

or

than 48 hours after the meeting. '

meetings. We therefore expect the minute-

taker to circulate the minutes no later than

48 hours after the meeting. If this is not

feasible, please contact the chairperson in

order to agree a new date for circulation. '

The email on the next page is fairly formal. The writer remains distanced from his/

her readers, particularly because the email is not directed at one specific recipient. It

is fairly precise in its content, and the information is somewhat complex. It is neither

particularly direct nor particularly indirect, but it is definitely neutral rather than

emotional. Its matter-of-fact presentation of information means that it doesn't really

fit into the assertive or encouraging brackets. However, the facts also mean that this

text can be categorised as task-oriented.

Section 3: What tone for my readers?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

From: customersupport@el-soft.org

Subject: EL-Soft planned service outage

This message is to notify you that EL-Soft is planning a scheduled service interruption on

Sunday, 31 October. On this day EL-Soft will move its entire computer centre to a new

location and all machines and all services will necessarily be interrupted for a time.

The service outage is planned to start at 9.00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and will last for

six hours. During this time, no network-reliant services will be available. Affected services

will 1nclude email, FTP. sales statistics, and website access. However, all mail in transit will

be preserved and will be processed normally when service is restored. List Owners may wish

to inform their list subscribers of this interruption.

We apologise for the inconvenience and we appreciate your selecting EL-Soft for your

list-hosting needs. The new computer centre will enable us to serve you better. If you have

any questions or concerns about how our move will affect your service, please write to:

customersupport@el-soft.org

II

Look at the following email and decide which tones from the list on the previous

page the writer has used. Not all the features from the list apply.

To: nick@helpathand.com

Subject: Work

Hi Nick

Great to hear from you. Many thanks for getting back to me so promptly. Very glad that

you're interested in working w1th us. Apologies for my delay in replying. I was unwell last

week.

Now on to timings and details. We plan to have the main tasks for this project ready

by around the middle of October. Not exactly sure of the date yet, but when the guys

have written the project specs, we'll send you all the tasks, and we'd like you to break

them down into a number of categories. Your first job will be to put the tasks into the

appropriate business category. We'd like to receive your list, arranged according to

category, by the middle of November. OK?

Please could you let me know whether you'd be interested in working on the main tasks,

as outlined above? We really hope you'll agree. For the additional notes, sorry that you

don't have much information yet and may not be able to give us an answer. Of course, I

understand.

I look forward to hearing from you.

With best wishes

Lisa

30 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 7 1 Recogn ising and using tone

B

The following letter has a very different tone. Decide which tones from the list the

writer has used. Again, not all the features from the list apply.

lnvestorChoice

Iii Kamal

We have some great news for you in thrsc cash-strapped limes. Transfer your investment

accounts to enjoy our low trading costs - and get up to £100 cash back.

lnvestorChoire is pleased lO announcr we will not be i11creasing our low fees from .Janumy. That's

right. We won't be charging you a penny more for phone trading. And we won't be passing on any

new charges lo you in order to cover our own costs. Our low-priced trading charges will Jl'm<lin

low. Transfer to us and you'll also receive up to C !OO cash back for every account you transfer

(based 011 0.5Wo of tile l'aluc of the trmt�{er).

Find out more by talking to onL' of our agents. Call us now o n 0801 987654.

We look forward to heariug from you.

The team at lnJJcstorC!toicr

EJ

The following document is the end of a report on the potential of online learning.

As you read the report, decide which tones the writer has used. Not all the features

from the list will apply.

71u• pD!t'tJfitll of oulirl<.' framing

Conclusion

The study shows that, 1n general, online learn1ng provides clear benefits in terms of:

• scheduling

•

flexibility

• costs

However, 11 1s not yet clear whetl1er our current resources (tr<uners, matenals, and approaches) can be

adapted to online teach1ng or whether they will need a total overhaul before we can move forward to

creating a new framework for teaching and learn1ng. It IS therefore proposed that th1s report be used as

the bas1s for a future project, which w1ll lay the groundwork for the next steps

Therefore the following steps will need to be carried out by the end of October:

1 . A detailed rev1ew of all training matenals

2. An assessment of current training approaches

3. A programme of retraining for current tra1ners

Team members for this study will be appo1nted within the next two weeks.

The distinction between direct and indirect tone in communication is both a personal

and a cultural feature. Groups that prefer direct communication focus on the explicit

meaning of words. They prefer to say what they mean and to deal with conflict directly.

Indirect communicators, however, do not believe that everyth ing needs to be said. They

tend to belong to cultures that are more group-focused, rather than individual-focused,

so their communication style aims to maintain harmony within the group. They prefer to

rely on implied meaning. They avoid conflict and avoid saying 'no'.

Section 3: What tone for my readers? 31

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

8 Varying tone with words and expressions

It is the tone that makes the music. French proverb

A skil led writer can express the same information using a variety of tones. For

example, the following phrases all express a request, though with different levels of

directness:

Could you please . . . ?

I'd like you to . . .

I'd be grateful If you would

Similarly, the following express suggestions:

Let's . . .

How about . . ?

I suggest that we/you . .

It is recommended that you . .

The difference is in their level of formality. For a list of tone contrasts, refer back to

the list in Unit 7 .

When w e look beyond the phrase a t longer texts, sentence structure a n d vocabulary

combine to create tone. However, it is important for you to be able to both recognise

and use each of these sepa rately. In this unit we will concentrate on varying tone by

selecting from a range of words or expressions with the same (or similar) meanings.

Unit 9 unit will deal specifically with sentence structure and length.

These example sentences say exactly the same thing, but they change the tone using

different levels of vocabulary:

I'm sorry but your payment terms are

I regret to inform you that your

not OK for us.

payment terms are not acceptable.

(simple vocabulary)

(more professional vocabulary)

You wrote that you'd send the document

Could you please clarify the meaning

'by EOD* on Friday'. What does this mean/

of the phrase 'by EOD* on Friday'?

(simple vocabulary)

(more professional vocabulary)

*EOD stands for 'end of day' and refers to the end of the business day i n whichever time zone

the writer is in. You may also see EOB 'end of business', COP 'close of play' or a number of other

variations on this theme. They all mean the same thing.

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 8 1 Varying tone with words and expressions

Useful tips

The writer should focus on getting the tone right at two stages of the writing process:

when writing the first draft

2 when reviewing and editing the first draft

In fact, many writers omit the second stage - or if they do review their texts. they look at the content. not the

tone. To avoid this mistake. you should include tone review as a specific stage in your writing.

D

The following expressions indicate similar content with d ifferent tones. Match the

expressions which communicate the same content.

a It is of the utmost importance that you . . .

f The next stage of the process is to . . .

b I a m looking forward t o seeing you on

g I would appreciate i f you could ...

17 October.

h Don't hesitate to let me know i f I can be

c I am very pleased that you are able to . . .

of further assistance.

d Dear Mr Bentley

I am writing in connection with . . .

e I would b e g rateful i f you could clarify .

.

.

.

I regret to inform you that . .

1 See you next week . ....... . ...... .

2 Hi Peter .............. ..

3 This email is about . . . ............ ..

4 It is good that you can . . . .. .. .. . ... .. . .

.

5 This is not at a l l clear . ............ .

.

6 You must . . . ............ ..

7 Unfortunately, . ... .. ..... ..

.

8 Next we are going to . . . ............ ..

9 Let me know if I can help . . ... ..... . .. . . .

1 0 Make sure that you . . . .............. .

Now look at the pairs of expressions on the next page and decide which aspect of tone

they reflect (See Unit 7 for further explanation of the aspects of tone). For each pair of

expressions (one on the left and one on the right), choose the feature of tone that is

being contrasted. Use each contrast once. The first one has been done as an example.

Feffl't8'1----vs-tflfo ffflttl

Distanced vs Personal

Precise vs Vague

Assertive vs Encouraging

Complex VS Simple/straightforward

Direct vs I ndirect

Emotional VS Neutra l

Task-oriented VS Relationship-oriented

Section 3: What tone for my readers?

33

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

I am looking forward to seeing

See you next week.

Informal

Formal

you on 1 7 October.

I would appreciate 1t if you

Please . .

could .

It IS good that 1t will be

I am very pleased that you

possible for you to . . .

can

The next stage of the process

Secondly we are go1ng to . . .

is to ..

Don't hesitate to let me

Call me 1f you need any help.

know 1f I can be of further

assistance.

Make sure that you

I believe that we should . . .

We expect to see around 50

48 people have Indicated that

participants at the conference

they will attend the forum.

I am wnting in connection

Reference is made to your last

with the last email that you

email.

sent.

The email below could be described as informal, vague, and direct in tone.

Rewrite the same email but this time make it formal, precise, and indirect.

To: dominic321 @ailol.com

Subject: Training session

Hi Dominic

Just to let you know that we are planmng a tra1ning sess1on on virtual project management

next week. Am trying to find an OK day for everyone. How is Tuesday at 1 6.00 CET for

you? If that works, it'll give everyone a chance to take part. We'll use a conf call to bnng all

the project guys together. Let me know if you need any technical support.

I hope you can join us. Let me know.

Regards

Jamie

34

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 8 I Varying tone with words and expressions

!I

This next email could be categorised as formal, d istanced, complex, and neutral in

tone. Rewrite it to make it informal, simple, personal, and emotional.

To: nickhenry@cttinternet.com

Subject: IT support

Dear Nick

I am writing in connection with your email, offering IT support to our organisation.

The range of services offered is impressive and does, indeed, match our requirements.

However, I regret to inform you that there is no possibility at present to increase our current

budget for IT services. Therefore it will not be possible for us to take up your generous

introductory offer. Going forward, we will monitor the budgetary situation and if it

changes, I will definitely contact your organisation.

Finally, I would like to thank you again for contacting us.

Regards

Pavel Stokowicz

One result of changing the tone is to change the relationship with your reader(s).

However, when writing in an international context, how can you decide which is

the most appropriate tone to use? For example, is there a risk of creating the wrong

impression by being too formal or too informal, too direct or too indirect? And, if there

is a risk in using the wrong tone, what should one aim for in order to reduce the risk?

While there is no absolute answer to these questions, the keys are to:

• get to know the cultural background of your reader(s)

• try to adapt your writing so that your writing tone is appropriate.

Section 3: What tone for my readers?

35

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

9 Varying tone using sentence structure

and sentence length

There is never a ny justification for things being complex when they could

be simple.

Edward de Bono (Maltese physician, author, and inventor)

-

In Unit 8, you saw how the choice of words and expressions can vary the tone of your

writing and affect the relationship with your reader. In this unit, you will see how

the following features also contribute to tone:

• sentence structure

• sentence length

In Unit 6, you were i ntroduced to the three main types of sentence structure:

simple, compound and complex. Here is a quick reminder.

A simple sentence consists of a single clause with a subject and a verb, e.g.

The goods

have arrived.

subject

verb

or a single clause with a subject, a verb, and a complement, e.g.

We

have received

your email

subject

verb

complement

Simple sentences are usually easy to understand. However, a document with many

simple sentences may not be. The reason is that simple sentences tend to be short.

As a result, the reader has to continually stop and start reading. So, the process

of reading lacks smoothness. Smoothness is important for fluent reading.

This paragraph, written in short sentences, demonstrates the stop/start effect.

And what is the tone created by simple sentences? On the one hand, they tend to

create a straightforward tone. However, for some readers this straightforwardness

may indicate a lack of language knowledge or technical expertise.

A compound sentence consists of two or more simple sentences (cla uses) connected

with 'and', 'or', or 'but'.

Th�.. goods have been despatched

but

they have not arnved yet.

clause 1

connector

clause 2

A compound sentence, consisting of two clauses, is usually easy to understand.

However, longer compound sentences may not be. In addition, compound sentences

tend to create a less precise tone. This is because they present all the information

at the same level, i.e. each clause is a main clause. This is in contrast to complex

sentences (see below). In addition, they lack the straightforwardness of the short

simple sentence, which can be used to create a precise tone in a document. As a

result, they should be avoided, where there is a more effective alternative.

36 1 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N I T 9 I Va rying tone using sentence structure a n d sentence length

A complex sentence consists of a main clause and a subordinate clause, e.g .

If you reqwre any further information,

please don 't hes1tate to con,act me.

subordinate clause

mai n clause

A complex sentence will become more difficult to understand with each layer of

complexity. For example, a sentence consisting of a number of subordinate clauses

requires effort to understand, as in the following example:

Your email, which included your offer for services, did not include the essential

information about prices, which we will need in order to make a decision about

whether to invite you to provide us with references from other customers who

have used your services.

Does this mean that complex sentences are to be avoided? Particu larly long, complex

sentences are usually not effective because they can be confusing. However, complex

sentences can be effective because they can combine a number of ideas within

a single structure. This allows the reader to read fluently, following the logical

development of ideas.

In terms of tone, complex sentences tend to create a seriousness of tone - a series of

long complex sentences can become so heavy that the text is unreadable. However,

when used carefully, complex sentences will contribute a tone of professionalism to

a document.

The conclusions are that:

•

sentence structure contributes to the tone of a document

•

you shou ld be aware of the effect that the choice of sentence structure has

•

you shou ld use a variety of sentence structures to make for more effective

writing and more interesting reading

•

when Edward de Bono said 'There is never any justification for things being

complex when they could be simple', he was correct - but he was not thinking

in terms of sentence types!

Useful tips

• Simple sentences convey a light, straightforward, precise tone.

• Compound sentences are less precise than simple sentences. They are also less serious than complex

sentences.

• Complex sentences can contribute to a serious, professional tone.

• Reading can become more difficult if you have too many short simple sentences as well as too many long

complex ones.

• Edit your document to check that you have used a mix of sentence structures and sentence lengths.

Section 3: What tone for my readers?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 37

a

The following extract contrasts the use of simple and complex sentences. This

combination g ives the text impact (short simple sentences) as well as seriousness

(longer complex sentences). As you read the text, label the sentences with:

[I] for simple sentences [I] for complex sentences

Thts has been a strong year of recovery, as we continued to focus on the tmplementation of the plans outlined

last year. 0 Our performance over the last year has increased confidence among customers, colleagues, and

shareholders. 0 The key to recovery is to increase sales. D We are on track to htt our target of £256 2

million. 0 As we move forward, we expect to see financial rewards to shareholders ansing from improved

sales performance and our continued focus on cost reductions. 0

In March, we completed a major refinancing. D This provided cost-effecttve long-term finance by recognising

the value in our property portfolio. D At the same time we retain ownership of these valuable assets. D

At our AGM in July, we will be proposing a new incentive framework with arrangements to be put in place

over the next ten years. 0 This will build on last year's plan, applytng to around 1 ,000 senior managers tn

order to retain and motivate key talent. D

The many activities that have taken place this year give encouraging signs that our recovery plan is well on

course. D Once again there has been great change for everyone. D However, there is a real sense now

around the business that the company has renewed enthusiasm and ambition. D This view is also being

echoed by many stakeholders and I would like to thank them, as I did last year, for their continued support and

the part they are playing in our recovery plan. D

fJ

Look at the following email. It only consists of simple sentences, making it hard to

read. Edit it by combining some of the sentences to make it:

• easier to read

•

more serious in tone

To: martin.craven@edc.co.uk

Subject: Meeting of 25 April

Hello Marttn

Thank you for your email. I am writing to confirm the detatls of our meeting. The meeting

will take place on 25 April. The start time will be 14.00. The meeting will last about 2

hours. We will meet in Room 405.

At the meeting, John and Sarah will present the current status of the project. We would

like you to prepare a short presentation for the meeting. Please inform us about the project

resources for the future. The meeting room tS equipped with a laptop and LCD projector.

Bring your presentation on a memory stick. Do you need any further support? Let me know.

In other news, a new member is joining the project team. She will be at our meeting

next week. Her name is Louise Devallois. She joined the company 6 months ago. Her

background is in packaging. She has considerable international experience. This will be

very important for us in the future.

I look forward to seeing you on 25 April.

381 Regards, Bernard de Haas

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 9 1 Varying tone using sentence structure and sentence length

Look at the following extract from a report about health and safety. It consists of a

series of long complex sentences, making it hard to read. Edit it by dividing some of

the sentences into simple sentences to make it:

•

easier to read

•

lig hter in tone

Make any other changes that you think will improve it. You might find that adding

bullet points and numbered lists will help to simplify things.

It is the policy of our compnny to take all reasonable steps to ensure the he<llth and

safety at work of all employees and to take all necessary steps to implement such

a policy by providing a sare working environment and monitoring sale working

practices for all employees. especially those whose activities are carried out in the

production a rea where there is a greater risk of injury as a result of the industrial

processes which are central to our operations.

The attention of all employees is drawn to the safety rules and procedures, which

arc displayed throughout the production area and in other locations on the company

premises. and employees should be aware that disciplinary action, involving

warning. suspension, and even dismissal (in serious cases). will be taken against

any employee who is found to have violated these rules and procedures either

intentionally or negligently.

As p<lrt o f the continuous focus on health and safety, t he company will consult

with all employees periodically (and not less than twice per year) to check what

additional measures might be taken to increase awareness o f health and safety

issues, for example through thl� use of newsletters, bulletins, and posters, and t o

ensure that all necessary measures arc taken to make our health and safety policy

effective and to reduce the risk or i nj ury to empl oyees and contractors.

The company will consult with the employee representat ives periodically (and not

less than four t imes per year) and will take whatever measures may be necessary

to ensure proper training, supervision. and ins1ruction of all employees in matters

relating to their health and safety so that all employees have the right both to be

informed about exisling and new measures as well as to be trained to deal with

events which could lead to injury.

In this unit, you have seen how the tone of a document changes with different sentence

structure and different sentence length. In particular, complex sentences, used fittingly,

can add a serious and professional tone to your writing. But are these features always

the sole objective of business communication? Or is there a role for humour in business

writing? What about the use of emoticons to add lightness to your emails?

Humour is a feature of all cultures; however, not all cultures share the same sense of

humour. Therefore, what might be seen as funny in one culture might be a sensitive

issue in another. So, at first sight it would seem safer to avoid humour. However, it is

undeniable that a little humour with a light touch can help to build a closer relationship

with one's business partners. And, as business relationships are developed through

effective communication, humour can facilitate the process of relationship-building.

Section 3: What tone for my readers?

39

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 0 Starting off: Greeting, introduction and

reference

I always do tile first line well, but I llave trouble doing the others.

Moliere (French playwright and actor)

-

If you are one of those writers who feels overwhelmed by a blank piece of paper or

an empty computer screen, this unit will help you overcome your block. The key to

starting off your document is to have:

•

a reason for writing

•

a plan for your document

•

some key phrases for the beginning

This unit will focus on the key phrases for writing emai ls.

The main parts at the beginning of an email include:

1

the greeting

2 the introduction

3 the reference

4 the purpose

Sometimes it is also appropriate to write a social opening at the beginning of an

email, similar to an expression that would be used in a face-to-face meeti ng. This

would probably go after the greeting.

You can find some key phrases for these parts of an email in Appendix 1 .

1 The greeting

e.g. 01•ar Mr Reynolds

Your choice of greeting depends largely on:

•

your relationship with your reader

•

your attitude towards ema il as a medium of communication

Addressing your reader by h is/her surname creates a distance and formality, which

is suitable for some relationships. However, in recent years, emails have evolved as

a n informal channel of communication. One result of this informality has been the

growing use of first names. I n addition, email is often used as a substitute for phone

calls or face-to-face meetings. This has led to the use of greetings typical in such

situations, such as 'Hi' or 'Hello'.

2 The introduction

e.g. I was gtwn your name by . . .

This can be used for the general context or background to the email. It should help

the reader to understand immediately why the email has been sent.

40 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 0 I Starting off: Greeti ng, i ntroduction a n d reference

3 The reference

e.g. On the subject of . . .

This points to specific information that will be the subject o f the email. This may be:

•

a new topic raised by the writer

•

in response to another email which has already been received by the writer

4 The purpose

e.g. I am wntmg to ask . . .

This i mportant part makes a clear statement about the writer's objective(s).

Social openings

e.g. How are you?

These reflect:

•

the informality of the relationship between the writer and the reader

•

the nature of the medium somewhere between writing and speech

II

Divide the phrases below into the correct categories.

Greeting

Introduction

Reference

Purpose

Social opening

4

1 I was given your name by Andreas Schmidt, who suggested

that . . .

2 Just a quick email to confirm . . .

3 We've had a very rainy summer this year.

4 HeHe-Sebbte:-

5 I a m writing to enquire about . . .

6

When we met last month, you mentioned that you were

interested i n . . .

7 I have received your email of 1 2 September i n which you wrote

that . . .

8

How are you?

9 Ladies and gentlemen

10 Thank you for your email of 4 December about . . .

1 1 What's the weather like over there?

12 Dear Peter

1 3 With reference to . . .

1 4 I would like to check that . . .

1 5 I recently read your article about . . .

Section 4: What language for my document? 41

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Useful tips

• Choose an appropriate greeting (Dear, Hello, or Hi) and name (surname or first name), based on your

relationship with your reader.

• Use a social opening, when it will help to build the relationship with your reader. When in doubt, don't use a social opening.

• Establish the context for writing; introduce the context in which you are writing and establish a clear

reference.

• Give the purpose for writing.

To complete the introductions to the following three emails, choose an appropriate

phrase from the box below. Use each phrase only once.

a How are you? It's much too hot for

f I am writing now to enquire

work here.

whether you are interested

b Hi Jackie

in meeting me when I am in

Manchester next month to find out

c I am pleased to learn that the

more about our services.

dates for the programme are now

confirmed.

g Hello Andreas

d Dear Mr Fields

h I was given your name by John

Spalding, who mentioned that you

e I am writing now to ask whether I

might be interested i n our services.

need to book the travel or whether

your office will do it.

Thanks for your last message about

the timetable for the assessment.

1 · · · · · · · · · ·

2 .. . . .. .. . SP Components is a supplier of a wide range of parts for the motor industry.

.

We can provide next-day delivery throughout most of the country.

3 ......... .

4 . . . . . . . . . .

5 ......... .

6 .. . . .. . .. The schedule is absolutely fine for me.

.

7 ......... .

8 . . . . . . . . . .

9 ......... .

42

Once I hear back from you, I will make any further arrangements that may be needed.

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 0 I Starting off: G reeti ng, introduction a nd reference

Below is a chain of email introductions. Mr Brackley and Ms Shorter are discussing

a job opportunity. Complete the gaps with a suitable phrase. Note that there are

many possible answers.

Dear Ms Shorter

. . . . . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in the Spottisberg Standard for a laboratory assistant to work in your research department . . .

Dear M r Brackley

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . ............... . . . . . . . . . . . . . about the laboratory assistant position to work in our research department.

you for interview on . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.

Dear Ms Shorter

. . . . . . ......................................................... , I would like to confirm that the date proposed is fine for me.

Dear Mr Brackley

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............. for interview yesterday . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . that you have not been successful on this occasion. We felt that . . .

Dear Ms Shorter

.......................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... that I have not been chosen for the position of research assistant. Thank you for letting me know.

The term interpersonal space describes the distance between speakers i n a

conversation or interaction. On the one hand, there are clearly different distances for

different contexts, ranging from intimate situations with family and close friends to

public situations when addressing groups of people. On the other hand, intercultural

research shows that this behaviour is culturally conditioned. In other words, the

physical comfort zone between communicators from different cultures varies.

Although this feature is more observable in face-to-face contact, the same effect may

happen in written communication. For example, an informal writing style i n either a

greeting or a social opening may make the reader feel uncomfortable as the writer

has not kept the expected interpersonal distance from the reader. For this reason, it is

important in i nternational communication to think carefully about what is acceptable

in your culture, as well as what is acceptable in your reader's culture.

Section 4: What language for my document?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

143

1 1 The main part: Signalling intentions

Words are the most poweiful drug used by mankind. - Rudyard Kipling

(British writer)

In previous u nits, you have seen the importance of clarity and transparency for

effective writing. This unit will look at one dimension of clear a n d transparent

writing : signalling intentions. This phrase means that you explain to your readers the

reason(s) for writing. Below are some sample phrases categorised by their intention.

Intention

Sample phrase

Requesting

I would be grateful if you could . .

Informing

I am pleased to inform you . .

Asking for clarification

Could you supply us with more mformation . .

Making suggestions

I propose that . . .

Drawing attention and reminding

I would like to point out . . .

You can find a full list of phrases for signa lling intentions i n Appendix 1 .

If you are writing a short email, then you will signal your intention i n the 'purpose'

section (see Unit 1 0), which gives a clear statement about your objective. However, if

you are writing a longer email, then you may have a number of objectives or points,

where each one is written in a separate paragraph.

In summary, effective writing means helping the reader:

•

u nderstand your intentions in each paragraph of your document, and

•

follow the detail in each paragraph of your document.

Appendix 1 will enable you to choose phrases that can be used in a paragraph

(usually at the beginning or the end) to clarify your intention.

Units 4 and 14 list techniques to help your reader follow the details.

Useful tips

• Clear and transparent writing makes for easier reading.

• State your overall reason for writing at the beginning of your email.

• Help your reader follow both the structure and objectives within the main part of your email.

• Divide your main part into meaningful paragraphs.

• Use key phrases from Appendix 1 to signal your intentions in each paragraph.

44

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 1 I The m a i n part: Signalling i ntentions

D

Choose the correct intention for each key phrase.

a Expressing improbability

d Refusing a request

g Requesting

b Making suggestions

e Asking for approval

h Informing

c Acknowledging

f Giving bad news

Giving assurance

1 I note that you have . . . . ...... .

2 We hope that you will have no objection to . . .

3 It i s unlikely that . . . ....... .

4 I will do my best to ensure that . . .

5 I'm afraid that . . . ....... .

6 We would like to tell you that . . .

7 We strongly recommend that . . . ....... .

8 Unfortunately, we are unable to . . . ....... .

9 I would appreciate it if you could . . . ... ... .

.

Here are a further nine key phrases, but they have been mixed up. Reorder the

words to create a useful phrase. The intention is provided to help you.

1 Offering: would be / I / if you're I interested,/ happy to ............................................ .

2 Providing documentation: attached I find I please ............. ....................................... .

3 Asking for clarification: explain I could I please I you .............................................. ..

4 Expressing urgency or necessity: i mportant I it I very I is I that ............................... .

5 Giving good news: you I delighted I that I will / to hear I be .................................. ..

6 Confirming: in / I / now I a I a m I confirm I position I to . . . ......................................... .

7 Expressing disappointment: 1 / very I unable I y o u I sorry I a m I that I are I to

8 Reminding or highlighting: I'd / like I draw I your attention I to I to ..................... ..

9 Expressing wishes: would I to / I / much / like I very ................................................. ..

Section 4 : What language for my document?

45

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

IJ

In the following main part from an email, choose which intention is missing and

circle it. Then, write an appropriate phrase into each gap. You can take the key

phrases from exercises 1 and 2 above, or you can find a lternative phrases in

Appendix 1 .

1 [Confirming/Giving good news] ........... .......... ........................................................ .

. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . the next steps for our collaboration in the FastForward project. Firstly, we will send you a document describing your responsibilities within the project. This document

requires careful reading, as it will provide the basis for our relationship. Once you are

satisfied with all the terms and conditions, 2 [Providing documentation/Requesting]

... ... ..... . ... ..... ..... . . . .. ... .. .. . . . . . .. . .. . ...... ... ....... . ... . .... ...... .. . . ..... .. . . ... print and sign two copies of the document and return them both to me.

3 [Expressing urgency or necessity/Offering] ....... ............. ....... ...... ....................... .

15

............ .. ................ ..... ...... this document is returned by

December. This date will be

the start date of the project and we need to have all parties on board by then. If you are

not able to return the document by this date, 4 [Giving assurance/Giving bad news]

our offer will be

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

withdrawn with immediate effect.

5 [Refusing a request/Requesting] .............................. .................................................. .

.... ......... .. . .................. change any of the dates in the project schedule, as requested 1n

your offer of services. Therefore, please ensure that your sub-suppliers are able to observe

the schedule, as you will be responsible for any delays in delivery. 6 [Reminding or

highlighting/Asking for approval] ...................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the penalty clauses for late delivery. In the past, these terms have caused some confusion.

The current terms replace previous terms and shall take effect from the project start date.

7 [Asking for clarification/Making suggestions] . . . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . ............................ .

........... .. . ........... ...... .... you seek legal advice before entering into this contract. Of course,

our lawyers will be happy to liaise with your lawyers over any issues requiring further

clarification.

8 [Providing documentation/Confirming] ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................ .

.... ........................ ....... the following documents:

1 . scope of responsibilities

2. terms and conditions of collaboration (one copy for reference)

Your signature is required on two copies of item 1.

!J

You work in the training department of a large company. You have been asked to

write an email to middle management colleagues in the company to find out their

professional training needs for the next year. On the next page you will find the

beginning and ending of your email. You should complete the main part, using the

words in italics as inspiration.

46 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 1 I The main part: Signalling intentions

To: Department heads

Subject: Staff training

Dear colleagues

I am writing with regard to further professional development, as discussed in our last

meeting.

1 [Confirming] budget/agreed. This will enable us to organise about thirty training days

over the next year.

2 [Expressing improbability] able/all/without exceeding. However, depending on

the number and range of requests. we may be able to negotiate additional budget at our

half-yearly meeting.

3 [Expressing urgency or necessity] everyone/responds/email; otherwise not all

needs can be considered and your team members could miss out on opportunities for

training.

4 [Giving bad news] all training/done/on premises. I understand that some of you

would like to send colleagues to out-of-house courses but, under the current financial

circumstances, this is unlikely to be possible.

5 [Offering] discuss/individual requests. Please feel free to contact me by phone or

email.

The deadline for receiving requests is 1 2 September. This will give me enough time to

analyse your requests and get back to you with training proposals by the middle of

October.

Regards

James McGee

Training Manager

One of the features highlighted by acclaimed Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede

in his research on cultural dimensions for international business is 'uncertainty

avoidance'. This dimension of intercultural difference indicates the extent to which

a culture programmes its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in

unstructured situations.

In the context of business writing, overall clarity is one way of reducing the risk of

misunderstanding. More specifically, the techniques for signalling intentions in written

documents, illustrated in this unit, contribute to greater transparency of writing and

increase the probability that your objectives and intentions will be understood.

Section 4: What language for my document?

47

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 2 Finishing off: Next steps, pre-closing, and

farewells

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is rhe art of ending.

Hemy Wadsworth Longfellow (American poet)

-

With the end of your document in sight, there is often a temptation to rush the final

stage. The key to a n effective close to your document is to make sure that your

reader knows what is going to happen next. We'll ca ll these the 'next steps'. With

this stage completed, you should close the document with suitable phrases for:

• pre-closing

• farewell

This unit will focus on emails and minutes. You can find the key phrases for emails in

sections 4-6 of Appendix 1 .

1 Next steps

One way of defining the next steps is by using the 3 W's: what, who, and when.

• What will define the action to be taken

e.g. We will need to analyse the information before we can make a deos1on.

• Who will define the person with responsibility for the action

e.g. Peter has agreed to do chis.

• When will define the deadline for completion of the action

e.g. The deadline is 24 April

Using the 3 W's will help you to check that you have covered the most important

elements for the next steps.

Clarifying next steps is important in a range of document types, including emails and

mi nutes. In minutes, where there is usually a time gap between the meeting and

the circulation of the minutes, the next steps section is particularly important so that

roles, responsibil ities, and timeframes or deadlines are clearly defined, as shown in

the summary box below. ·

Agenda Item

Next Steps

Topic

Discussion

Action

Person

Timeframe/

(WHAT)

responsible

Deadline

(WHO)

(WHEN)

48

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 2 1 Finishing off: Next steps, pre-closing, a n d farewells

The following sentence from the mi nutes of a meeting captures the 3 W's:

Pete (WHO) to analyse the figures (WHAT) by 24 April (WHEN).

2 Pre-closing

In emails, the pre-closing bridges the gap between the main content of the document

and the social farewell. While it rarely adds any new business content to the email, it is

seen as a polite way of making the transition to the end of the document, e.g .

If you have any further questions, please contact me.

/ look fofllllard to meeting you.

When the pre-closing sentence is om itted, the ending of the email may sound too

abrupt.

3 Farewell

As noted in Unit 4, in recent years emails have evolved as an informal channel of

communication. One result of this informality has been the growing use of informal

farewells, such as Regards or Best wishes. These farewells have the effect of creating a

closeness between the writer and the reader that may not be intended for the business

relationship. However, more formal farewells, such as Yours sincerely and Yours

faithfully, which were widely used in business letters, are gradually disappearing.

Useful tips

• Use the 3 W's to clarify the next steps.

• Use a polite pre-closing phrase to round off your email.

• Choose an appropriate farewell, based on the relationship with your reader.

II

In which part of a document do each of these phrases belong? Write the numbers

into the table.

Next steps

Pre-close 1 :

Pre-close 2:

Pre-close 3:

Farewell

Offering further

Friendly sign-off

Final thanks

assistance

1

Let me know i f you need any more help.

9 We would like to finish this phase by . . .

2 I look forward to receiving your report.

1 0 Thank you once again f o r your assistance.

3 Thank you for your understanding in this

1 1 The plan for the next phase is:

matter.

1 2 If you have any further questions, please

4 Could you please confirm that you can . . .

contact m e .

5 Best wishes . . .

1 3 See y o u next week

6 I a m looking forward to meeting you on . . .

14 Yours sincerely

7

8 Thanking you in advance.

15 Do not hesitate to contact us again if you

Regards

require further assistance.

Section 4: What language for my document?

49

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

The table below shows the notes from a staff meeting.

Agenda Item

Next Steps

Topic

Discussion

Action

Person

Timeframe/

(WHAT)

responsible

Deadline

(WHO)

(WHEN)

1. Recruitment

1. 22 new jobs

Possible to

DB

Info at next

2. recruitment

reduce?

meeting

drive now

3. hard to get

people In post

- long checks

2. Turnover

down 3%: uncertain Monitor

AF

Info at next

job market

meeting

3. Sickness

6%: too high

Make

RP

30 September

questionnaire

4. Staff

1. Away Day

1. Contact local

HM

1 December

development

successful.

training

2. Suggestion:

organisations

plan another for

2. Get ideas

spring

3. Circulate info

5. Christmas

1. Budget has been 1. Contact party

AF

1. 1 September

party

slashed

planners for

2. Suggestion:

quo tee

Xmas party held in 2. Circulate info

2. Decieion next

office to save on

meeting

venue coets

3. No agreement

The minute-taker is writing up the minutes using the above notes, but has yet to put

in the next steps. Choose the right sentences to complete the minutes below.

a A decision to be taken at the next

g DB to report back at next meeting.

meeting.

h AF to contact party planners to

b AF to monitor the position and report

investigate financial and practical

back at next meeting.

logistics.

c

DB to check if this could be reduced.

RP to design a questionnaire to find out

d HM to circulate info by 1 December.

more about reasons for absence.

e Deadline for q uestionnaire design: 30

The results to be circulated by

September.

1 September.

f

HM agreed to contact local training

organisations to get ideas for themes.

50 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 2 1 Finishing off: Next steps, pre-closing, and farewells

Minutes from Staff Meeting, 1 1 th August

I.

It \Hts noted that 22 n�\\ posilluns had h�cn cn.:att.:d and a recruitment drive was

undt.:r way. There was still somt.: di fliculty in bringing people into the posts, due to

the time taken lor pre-employment investigation� . ..................................................... .

2. Turnover

lias gone down by 3% a rellcction of the i nscwri ty in employment market. .......... .

3. Sickness

Absence remains at 6%. This is eonsidcrt.:d too high.

4. Staff development

I B reported on success lid Away Da) for senior stall It \\'as recommended that

another Away Day be timt.:tabled lor next spring . ...................................................... ..

5. Christmas party

I t was suggested that significant savings could be made by holding the Christmas

patiy in the office. This would allow more oft he reduced budget to be spent on

catering and entertainment. !'he sta IT at the ml.!cting could not agree. .. . . .

.

............. ... . .

One of the key aspects of laying out the next steps is to define the timescale or

deadline for a task. Although every day consists of 24 hours, not all cultures share the

same understanding of how time works.

In monochronic cultures people see time as divided into fixed elements - seconds,

minutes, hours, days. Tasks can then be organised and scheduled within a specific

time block. This sense of time contrasts sharply with that shared by people from

polychronic cultures. For them time is continuous and not divisible. Where the

monochron prefers to do one thing at a time, working on a task until it is finished,

the polychron prefers to work on many tasks at the same time, switching comfortably

from one activity to another. For the polychron, this way of working is both stimulating

and productive. While monochrons organise their activities around schedules and value

promptness, polychrons place emphasis on relationships. The result is that timeliness

will depend on the 'importance' of the person in the hierarchy. This contrast has

obvious implications in an international context for agreeing the schedule for next

steps - and for its fulfilment.

Section 4: What language for my document? 51

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 3 Writing clearly and simply

To write simply is as difficult as to be good.

W. Somerset Maugham

-

(English playwright and novelist)

In this unit, we will focus on the process of writing - in particular, writing clearly and

simply. In general, clear and simple documents are easier to write and also easier to

understand. So, what are the significant factors that contribute to simple writing and

easy reading? They are:

Knowledge of vocabulary

2 Sentence length and sentence structure

3 Paragraph length

4 Subject knowledge and cultural knowledge

5 Technical knowledge

6 Density of ideas

7 Level of reasoning

Of these seven factors, the first three are the most important for clear and simple

writing, so let's look at each of them in a little more detail:

1 Knowledge of vocabulary

Here are three easy guidelines to make sure that you choose the right vocabulary:

1 Use words that you know. Try to avoid using a dictionary to find

words, unless you are sure what they mean.

2 Use vocabulary that your reader knows. If you are writing to a

professional from the same area as yours, then it is likely that they will

share a common vocabulary with you, including technical terms. You

can therefore use these terms with a reasonable expectation that your

reader will understand them .

3 Most im portantly, if you are writing to someone who doesn't share

your professional area, then you may need to simplify your vocabulary

to make it understandable.

2 Sentence length and sentence structure

Sentence length refers to the number of words in a sentence. The ideal average

sentence length for business writing is between 1 5 and 20 words. However, don't

make all your sentences the same length. Vary it to make your writing interesting

and engaging. Use short sentences for impact; longer sentences for supporting

information.

52 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 3 1 Writing clea rly and simply

Sentence structure refers to the type of sentence construction - simple, compound,

or complex. (See Unit 6 for a full explanation of these three types). There is also a link

between sentence structure and readabil ity. At first sight, simple sentences would

seem easier to read. However, a series of them makes your document fragmented

and difficult to read. On the other hand, long complex sentences can also make your

document hard to follow. The recommendation is, therefore, to vary your sentence

structure.

Use bul let points to make lists of items easier for:

•

you to write

•

the reader to read

•

the reader to remember.

3 Paragraph length

Fi rstly, you should a i m to keep your paragraphs between two and six sentences long.

Just as with the length of sentences, your reader's attention will drop the longer your

paragraphs are. Second ly, start your paragraph with a topic sentence so that your

reader knows what the subj ect of the paragraph is. Thirdly, use a heading, where

appropriate, to make the theme of the paragraph clearer.

Useful tips

• Have a mix of shorter and longer sentences.

• Where you have a long sentence with several commas, consider splitting it into several sentences.

• Where you have a series of short sentences, consider combining some of them into a longer sentence.

• Use paragraphs, headings, and (bul leted) lists to help readability.

• Use words that your readers know; don't use long words to impress you readers.

II

Compare these two extracts from a report on sustainability and list the techniques

used in the second version to make it clearer and simpler.

Version 1

Sustainability means being able to continue indefinitely. This is done by minimising

environmental and social impacts. It can also ensure financial stability. Developing your

business more sustainably can help you reduce your costs, control risk, improve your

reputation, and create new business opportunities. For example, you might reduce wasted

energy, water, or raw materials and so make the best of new markets for innovative or

better performing products, and, as well as helping the environment and society at large,

becoming more sustainable directly benefits the financial performance of your business.

But while one-off improvements are worthwhile, you should use a strategic approach to

make the most of your opportunities. For example, you might drive long-term change by

establishing key objectives and implementing a management system to help you achieve

them.

Section 5: How do I write efficiently?

53

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Version 2

Sustainability means being able to continue indefinitely by minimising environmental

and social impacts. It can also ensure financial stability. Developing your business more

sustainably can help you:

- reduce your costs

- control risk

- improve your reputation

- create new business opportunities.

For example, you might reduce wasted energy, water, or raw materials. This could help you

make the best of new markets for innovative or better performing products. As well as

helping the environment and society at large, becoming more sustainable directly benefits

the financial performance of your business.

However, while one-off improvements are worthwhile, you should use a strategic approach

to make the most of your opportunities. For example, you might drive long-term change

by establishing key objectives and implementing a management system to help you achieve

them.

f)

Adapt the following document to make it simpler and clearer, simply by splitting up

some of the longer sentences.

How to Start an E-Commerce Business

Today, the growth of affordable technology has made business opportunities accessible

to almost anyone with a computer and a connection to the Internet. In the past, opening

a business was a huge commitment in terms of finances and risk as traditional business

owners typically had to give up their jobs, negotiate bank loans, and sign leases before

they even generated a single penny of turnover. So, it is not surprising that 95% of them

faced bankruptcy within five years. Today, business opportunities are available to anyone

with ambition who is willing to put in the time and effort to learn about the world of

e-commerce and best of all, you can establish an e-commerce business with minimal funds

and very little risk.

The first step to creating your own e-commerce business is to find your niche, for example

by examining your hobbies and interests for potential business ideas or by opening a

business that is similar to your current job, where you have insider knowledge. Now that

you have a few business ideas, it is time to investigate the demand because if you plan to

sell to the general public, you'll want to find out how many people are looking for your

products or services. Next, find out your would-be competitors, check their websites, and

spend some time exploring each one to get an idea of what you are up against.

In order to conduct business, you will need to establish a business entity and go through

the various formalities of registration. When you are registered as a legitimate business

owner, it is time to open a business bank account. After that, you can start creating your

website. One of the keys to successful e-commerce businesses is a professional website

as your website is the first and often the only impression your visitors will have of your

business.

54 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 3 I Writing clea rly and sim ply

II

The following email is unclear because the sentences are too simple and there is a

lot of unnecessary information. Rewrite it to make it clearer.

To: hjohnson@isleton.gov.uk

Subject: Application for post of assistant

Dear Mr Johnson

I am writing to apply for the assistant position advertised in the Evening Post.

As requested, I am enclosing my resume. Let me introduce myself. My name is Elise

Boulanger. I am currently working as an assistant at Burgil's HQ. My email address

is eliseboulanger@burgil.com

I obtained a commercial diploma in 2000. Then I worked for 4 years as HR administrative

assistant for a local food company. During that time I spent 2 months in Barcelona

learning Spanish. Upon my return, I joined AFV's H R Department as 'on-the-job training'

administrative assistant. My main task was the organisation of specific training for the

company's technical personnel worldwide. I also organised language classes for all AFV's

employees. Four years later, I joined the Zone Americas H R team. There, I worked on

transfers to the markets. I was also responsible for welcoming expatriates to the head

office.

During the next 7 years. I worked for the Productivity Team. I was the assistant to a team of

60 people. I was also given the opportunity to work for 5 mGnths at AFV's Portugal Head

Office. There I worked as an assistant to the Public Relations Manager. During the last few

years, I have also developed my organisational skills. I have organised two workshops per

year with about 1 00 participants.

Throughout my past jobs, I have developed my international skills. Thanks to the diversity

of nationalities, I have also improved my language skills. I am bilingual in French and Italian.

I am also fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. I have a good working knowledge of English.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding my application.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Elise Boulanger

Clear and simple communication (both in speech and writing) is an agreed target for

almost everyone working in an international environment. Global corporations put

it into their mission statements and leadership principles; and companies invest in

training their staff to be better at communicating around the world. However, what

constitutes clear and simple communication differs both between national cultures

and between individual personalities. Some cultures tend to value detail and to make

decisions based on precision; others prefer a general overview and emphasise the

big picture. Both would claim that they value clarity and simplicity. However, their

underlying values make their expectations of clarity and simplicity, well, just different.

Section 5: How do I write efficiently?

5 5

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

14 Writing transparently

Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. Tha t is the only

secret.

Matthew Arnold (British poet and cultural critic)

-

Clarity is achieved by using the following techniques:

•

setting a clear format for your document (Unit 4)

•

using linking words and phrases (Unit 5)

•

varying sentence structure (Unit 6)

In this unit we will focus on techniques to make your document more transparent

in a visual sense. In general, visually transparent documents are simpler to navigate

around (to skim) and therefore easier to understand.

Here are some of the techniques that you can use:

1

headings

2 bulleted and numbered lists

3 page n umbering

4 underlining and italics

5

font weights

1 Headings

Use headings to label the major sections and subsections of your document.

This is necessary for longer documents. Make sure that each heading is short and

meaningful so that your reader can easily scan your document to understand its

overall organisation. Final ly, don't use too many headings - only about two or three

headings per page of text; and don't use capitals and bold, or capitals and underlining,

for headings.

2 Bulleted and numbered lists

Lists help readers to find the most i mportant points within a longer stretch of text.

I n this way, they help you to present complex information in a more digestible and

memorable format. To be memorable, they should be short and to the point. Try to

avoid bulleted lists for long sentences.

Modern word processing programs provide many options for bullets, e.g. • + 0 0 .

These allow the writer considerable creativity in the design of documents. However,

it is preferable to use a simple bullet point that is easy to read, i.e. •

Bulleted items do not usually end with a full stop unless they are complete sentences.

When writing a bul leted list with phrases, put a full stop after the last item in the list.

The sentence introducing your bulleted list should start with a colon (:)

e.g . The following documents are needed to complete your application:

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 4 1 Writing transparently

Use numbered lists when you are working with instructions to be done i n sequence,

and the numbers suggest an order. This also applies when you want your reader to

refer to specific items by number. If numbers are not essential and the list can be

re-ordered without losing its meaning, use bullets.

3 Page numbering

Do not forget to number your pages - either at the top or the bottom.

In reports, the title page is Roman numeral i, but is not shown on the document.

The pages that appear before the main content of the report starts are written in

Roman numerals ii, iii, iv, etc. The main content of the report starts with page 1 .

4 Underlining and italics

can be used to emphasize words within a text. It can also be used to

highlight headings. It is often an alternative to using a bold font, for example in

a heading.

Italics can also be used to highlight certa in words or to differentiate them from

others within the text. In general, italics and underlining do the same job; therefore,

it would be unusual to use both within the same text.

I n addition to emphasis, italics are used for:

•

widely-used loan words from other languages, e.g. The results per se (in

themselves) are not conclusive; however, they ind icate a strong likelihood.

•

the first use of foreign words in a text, e.g. The German word Effizienz

is often transl ated as 'effectiveness'.

•

titles of works, books, reports, etc.

5 Font weights

Another way to attract the attention of your reader is to set some text in bold. Use bold

to emphasise important points; use italics or underlining to highlight words. However,

be careful not to overuse bold type, as whole paragraphs of text set in bold are hard to

read. Bold type creates emphasis because it slows down the reader and forces their

eyes to concentrate more carefully on the text. Remember, though, that if you slow

them down too much, they may just miss out the text as it takes too long to read.

Useful tips

• Use headings to help your reader see the overall structure of your document. Use these techniques to

highlight:

1 separate sections of your document

2 key information in your document

3 specific details in your document

• Don't overuse these techniques, especially bold and underlining.

• Always check that you have used the techniques consistently throughout your document.

Section 5: How do I write efficiently?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

II

In the following text, the headings are missing, and the bullet points and numbering

have been removed from lists. Choose the most appropriate heading for each

paragraph from the choice below. Then, decide where you would put in bullets and

numbering to make the document easier to read.

Environmental policy

People

Future outlook for the business

Research and development

M a i n uncertainties

Turnover

Operating costs

Our revenue has continued to grow for the 9th consecutive year. Although sales have only

achreved growth of 1 %, this is still an excellent achievement considering the world economy

during this period.

We have focused on our costs this year and have chosen to be quite defensive. Our targets have

been to reduce hiring, to re-engineer our products. to refocus our marketing efforts, and to drive

our cost base down. The difficult times have made this necessary and our overall performance has

been improved by our new finance team.

We continue to invest in the quality and design of our products. We believe continued investment

in this area is fundamental for two reasons. Firstly, to continue the growth of the business; and

secondly to create new products for the future.

The company as a whole continues to look for ways to develop our policy. It is our objective to

improve our performance by focusing on better waste treatment. more efficient energy use, and

improved indoor air quality.

Our strategy remains the same: to grow the company internationally. Thrs year has seen the most

difficult period for the UK and world economy in living memory. On balance this has done us no

harm. This alone makes us very optimistic for the future. Given that we have survived the last

twelve months, we should be well placed to for any future recovery.

The management of the business and the nature of the company's strategy are subject to a

number of risks. The directors have set out the princrpal risks facing the business. These are the

continued economrc downturn, the high proportion of fixed costs, our out-of-date products, and

the fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

We have a very dedicated team that is focused on creating the best possible servrce we can

provide. I would like to thank them all for the hard work and commitment over the past year.

58

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 4 1 Writing transparently

In the text below, the following features have been removed:

• underlining

• font types (italics and bold)

Rewrite the document in order to improve its transparency.

New Finance Opportunities

A recent report by the Chicago Institute of Bankers. entitled New Developments in

Developing Country Financing has refocused attention on mashwa-hattan, or micro-

financing, as it is better known to us. This publication, part of the New Developments i n

Global Financing series, has become a standard work for economists wishing to find out

about key issues around the world. The authors of the current work state emphatically that

they do not want to promote mashwa-hattan as the sole way of motivating grass-roots

entrepreneurs. However, they do say that mashwa-hattan has created not only an alternative

method of financing, but also a new spirit of independence amongst many poorer people,

resulting in significant increases in per capita income among the rural population. A recent

article in the Times of Rotaronga pointed to real progress in the rural economy since its

introduction. In a recent statement, A fran Segozzi, the Minister for Rural Affairs, welcomed

these new initiatives, saying that they had made a positive contribution to finifranga, the

Rotarongan term for the rural economy.

Is there a right and wrong way to create a business document? The answer to this

question will come, at least in part, from your cultural background. Those coming from

universalist cultures are more comfortable if they are given (or can find) the right

way. On the other hand, those from particularist cultures are comfortable with fewer

rules and therefore greater ambiguity. So, depending on your cultural perspective, you

may be looking for the right way to create a business document; or you may be happy

with a variety of alternative techniques that you can draw on.

Section 5 : How do I write efficiently?

59

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 5 Writing quickly

Do11't get it right, just get it writte11. - James Thurber (American author

and regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine)

One of the biggest chal lenges when writing in a foreign language is to write quickly.

Of course, it would be unrealistic to expect that you can write as quickly in English

as in your first language. However, the amount of time needed should be realistic

in relation to the writing task. So, if you feel you are spending too long on writing

your emails, minutes, and reports, then you need to reconsider the efficiency of your

writing process.

The following flow chart is a starting point for looking at how you approach the

writing process. By considering what you could or should be doing at each stage,

hopefully you can streaml ine the process.

Think about your reader(s):

What is your purpose in writing to them?

What are their expectations from your document?

l

Make a start: collect information

Note down the information to support stage 1 .

l

Select the relevant information (focus on content)

3 From the mformation noted down at stage 2, choose only the information

that is relevant for your purpose and your reader(s)

l

Write your first draft (focus on structure and style)

l

Once you have your ideas down in your first draft,

then you can edit the document in detail.

l

Finally, revise and write a final draft.

In this un it, we will concentrate on successfully completing stage 4 of this flow chart

- the first draft. Stages 5 and 6 are part of the 'editing' process and will be covered i n

Unit 1 6.

60 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N I T 1 5 1 Writi ng quickly

Here are some guidelines to stick to when writing your first draft:

1

Put the selected information from stages 1 -3 into a structured framework for your

document.

2 Don't focus on language accuracy in your first draft - that comes later. Concentrate

on getting your ideas and information down on paper as concisely as possible.

3 Quickly read through your first draft, focusing on:

- conciseness and relevance of content

- transparency of structure

- appropriateness of style

4 Make necessary changes until you are satisfied with the information and the structure.

5 If time permits, you can now leave a longer document and return to it later for

detailed editing. For a shorter document, now move on to detailed editing (see

Unit 1 6).

Useful tips

• Use the procedure in the above flowchart to write your first draft quickly.

• Give yourself a (reasonable) time limit to write the draft, then stick to it.

• Don't be afraid to use lists to capture your information and ideas.

• Do not focus on accuracy - you will edit your document later.

D

Your company regularly organises an end-of-year party for all the employees and

their children. However, this year there has been a suggestion to give the party

money to a children's home, where it could be used to buy presents for the children.

You work in the Administration Department and have been asked to write an email

to all employees to ask them about their preferences. You have completed stages

1-3 from the above flowchart. Now write your first draft (stage 4).

Subject: end-of-year party

Objective: to get feedback from the staff

Background: - annual end-of-year party = party for employees and their children

- alternative suggestion = to give party money to a children ' s home

Issues: 1 . Party

- expensive I·Jith presents , entertainment, and big lunch for children and parents

- good opportunity for socialising and building relationships between

colleagues

2 . Children ' s home - children have very little and would appreciate presents

Options :

1 . continue with party

2 . give money to children ' s home

3 . ?

Section 5: How do I write efficiently?

61

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

You are Head of Information Technology in a company with an unwritten policy on

work clothes. Male employees should wear ties and jackets; female employees smart

dresses, skirts, or trousers. However, some staff working in your IT department have

started wearing casual clothes - jeans, T-shirts, trainers, etc. You have decided to

write an email to your IT staff. Use the notes below that you have made in stages

2-3 of the writing process to write your first draft (stage 4). You can add any other

ideas that you would like to. Try to be firm, but polite.

Subject : work clothes

Objective : to get agreement on dress code from the IT staff

Background: - normal dress code

- IT current standards of dress

Issues :

- Bad feeling among other staff

- Image with visiting customers and clients

Options :

1 . agree on formal clothes for IT

2 . agree on different dress code for IT

II

You took the following notes at a recent employee committee meeting. Use the

notes to finish your first draft of the minutes on the next page.

Agenda Item

Next Steps

Topic

Discussion

Action

Person

Timeframe/

(WHAT)

responsible

Deadline

(WHO)

(WHEN)

1 Communication Questions:

1. Review the

1. AB to propose a

by May2011

in meetings (AB)

1. Are there too

number of

reduced schedule

many meetings?

meetings

of meetings for

next year

2. Are meetings

2. Streamline

2. JC to organise

efficiently run?

the procedures for

training in effective

meetings

meetings

2. Foreign travel

Requests for:

(JL)

1 . Special

1. Review payments

1. VD

1. By next meeting

compensation for

weekends away

2. Family support

2. Investigate whether

2. FK

2. By next meeting

this is affordable

.3. Intercultural

3. 0rganise

.3. JL

.3. By May 201 1

training

intercultural training

3. Newcomputer Pro/Jiems:

Hold meeting

FY to arrange

asap

system (FY)

1. More staff

with computer

meeting

training needed

system provider to

2. System very

identify solutions

slow sometimes

to both issues

62 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 5 1 Writing quickly

Minutes of employee committee meeting held on 3 April 201 1

Present: A B . JC. VD, FK, JL, FY

Apologies: MN

I . Communication in meetings

AB rai�(;d the following questions:

I . Arc there too many meetings?

2 . Are meetings run efficiently?

The mceti ng agreed to:

)

.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. streamline the proccdun.:s for meetings

AB .............................................................................................................................. .

.

JC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................................................................................... .

Both act ions ................................................................................................................ .

2. Foreign travel

JL requested:

I . spc<.:ial <.:ompcnsation for weekends away

2. family support

3. intercultural trai ning

The meeting agreed that:

J . YO \\ ill ................................................................................................................... .

.

2. FK will ..................................................................................... at the next meeti ng 3. JL will ...................................................................................................................... .

3. Ne" computer system

In this unit, you have seen some techniques for streamlining your writing in order

to make the process less time-consuming. Although time is based on measurable

units (seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc.), not all cultures have the same attitude

towards time. A distinction is made between long-term orientation and short-term

orientation. In long-term oriented societies, people value actions and attitudes that

affect the future. This is a reflection of the influence of Confucianism. Countries in this

group include East-Asian cultures such as Korea, Japan, and China, where people tend

to understand social interactions in the context of the long term.

Short-term-oriented societies are more directed towards the past and the present. In

the West (Europe, USA, Canada), the objective of any transaction is to achieve the best

give and take on that specific occasion. Therefore, an emphasis is placed on immediate

gains - not on long-term benefits.

Section 5: How do I write efficiently?

63

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 6 Editing for accuracy: Checking and correcting

language

Proofread ca refully to see if you any words out.' Author unknown

-

Language covers the areas of:

1

grammar

4 sentence linking

2 vocabulary and expressions

5 sentence structure

3 spel ling

6

sentence length

For language to be described as 'accurate', the writer must apply all of these

language areas correctly.

Many writers try to achieve accuracy of language at the first draft. As discussed i n

Unit 1 5, this slows down the process of writing a n d forces the writer t o concentrate

on too many aspects at the same time. For example, if you are trying to decide on

the appropriate content, structure, and style, as well as checking your language, you

are likely to struggle. The result may be inefficient writing. Therefore, when working

in a foreign language, it is especially im portant to have a procedure for writing. This

will help you to write efficiently.

The following flow chart, first introduced in Unit 1 5, will remind you of a procedure

for efficient writing:

1

Think about your readers

Make a start: collect information

3 Select the relevant information (concentrate on content)

4

Write your first draft (concentrate on structure and style)

5

Review and edit (concentrate on structure, style and language)

6

Revise and write final draft (concentrate on all areas)

'Quote should read: 'Proofread carefully to see if you have left any words out.'

64 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 6 1 Editing for accuracy: Checking and correcting language

As the flow chart demonstrates, you should focus on editing your language in stages

5 and 6 - a fter you have written the first d raft of your document. In this way, you can

give your full concentration to your language.

Here are the main language points to check for when editing your document:

1 Grammar

• verb tenses

• agreement between subject and verb (e.g. use of 's' on third person

singular of present tenses)

• prepositions

• adjectives and adverbs

• articles

•

nouns (countable vs uncountable; capitalisation of proper nouns, etc.)

2 Vocabulary and expressions

• precise use of words

• missing words

•

avoidance of repetition, (by using a thesaurus)

•

use of key phrases (see Appendix 1 )

3 Spelling

Use a spel lchecker to identify basic mistakes. However, do not rely completely on a

spellchecker, as Engl ish has many homophones (words which sound the same but are

spelled differently and mean different things). For example, the following sentence is

accepted by the spellchecker:

Their coming too sea if its reel.

However, the writer is more likely to be trying to say:

They're coming to see if it's real.

4 Sentence linking

Check that you have included suitable links between your sentences to make your

writing flow. You can find more information on sentence linking in Unit 5.

5 Sentence structure

Check that you have used a variety of sentence structures: simple, compound, and

complex. This will make your writing more interesting to read. You can find more

information on sentence structure in Unit 6.

6 Sentence length

If in doubt, reduce the length of your longer sentences by creating some short simple

sentences, especially for key information. You can find more information on sentence

length in Unit 1 3 .

Section 5 : How do I write efficiently?

65

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Useful tips

• When? Edit your language after you have written your first draft.

• How? Concentrate on your grammar, vocabula ry, spelling, and sentences (linking, structure, and length).

• Why? Check that your use of language is as accurate as possible.

• How long? Read through your document thoroughly at least once to check your language.

• Remember that your objective is to write a document which communicates your ideas or information in an

effective way.

II

The following extracts from business documents contain mistakes of grammar,

spelling, and vocabulary. Correct the mistake in each line.

1

Regarding your recent enquiry, we are pleased to inform you that the goods are now

in stock and will be mailed out to your later today.

2

According with our records, we have not received payment for our invoice dated

1 1 September.

3 Our payment terms clearly state that payment is due within 30 days. Payment should

therefore have been received until 12 October.

4 I am writing to confirm you the details of our next meeting, which will take place on

15 October at 14.00.

5 Could you please provide us with more informations about your requirements. We will

then be able to respond in more detail.

6 Could you please explain more precisely what you mean with 'unexpected delay to

our delivery'?

7

I regret inform that the goods you ordered will not be in stock until next month.

8

If I will hear nothing to the contrary, I shall assume that these terms are acceptable

to you.

9

We hope that you will have no objections to change the delivery address.

10 I suggest to postpone the meeting until next month so that we can be sure that more

of the project team will be available.

11 We would like to move forward with arranging a meeting. Therefore could you please

get back to me as soon possible.

12 I can absolutely ensure you that the information will be treated in the strictest

confidencee.

13 It is unlikely to have all the necessary information in time for the next meeting.

Therefore I suggest we postpone the discussion till February.

14 I would like to congratulate you for passing the exam and wish you every success in

your new position.

15 Do not hesitate to contact us again if you have any further question.

16 I look forward to hear from you as soon as you have read through the report.

66 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 6 I Editing for accuracy: Checking and correcting language

Edit the following document in terms of:

• sentence lin king

• sentence structure

• sentence length

Dear Mr Harrison

I wouild like to apply for the HR advisor position. lt was advertised on your website.

I have two years' experience as an assistant in an international company in the food

industry and worked in the central HR team and this has enabled me to develop know-how

i n recruitment and training and development, and I am currently supporting a companywide project. This investigates the effectiveness of assessment centres.

I am pragmatic. dynamic, and independent, have a strong sense of creativity and have good

organisational skills and am familiar with some office sofhvare. I am keen to learn to usc

other HR software tools. I believe that ! would be an asset to your organisation. The

assistant position would provide me with the ideal opportunity to develop my skills.

I would be delighted if you would like to meet me. Then we can discuss if my

qualifications match the requirements for the position.

I have enclosed my resume for your review. I hope that you will find it of interest.

I look forward to speaking to you.

Yours sincerely

Claire Martinez

Not all learners have the same attitude towards correctness. Is this difference a result

of cultural background or personality variation? In other words, are some cultures

more concerned about correctness than others?

It is clear that some cultures emphasise accuracy and precision, for example in terms

of information, detail, promptness, and quality. They are less comfortable with

vagueness and ambiguity. These cultures are generally task-focused. They like linear

commun ication which gets straight to the point in a clear, precise, and accurate way.

In contrast, there are cultures which are more relationship-focused. In relationshipfocused cultures, there is less focus on accuracy and precision, and more on people: building trust and maintaining harmony.

Section 5: How do I write efficiently?

67

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 7 Best practice 1: Emails

Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication

ability, but that commu11ication is totally disorganized.

Marilyn vos Savant

-

(American magazine columnist and author)

Throughout this book, you have followed two models for effective writing, based on:

1 the elements of an effective document:

Content (Section 1 )

Structure (Section 2)

Tone (Section 3)

Language (Section 4)

2 the steps for an efficient process (Section 5):

Write simply

Write transparently

Write quickly in order to produce your first d raft

Review and edit the language in order to produce your final draft

Now, in Section 6, we will shift focus to look at the differences in how you should

commun icate depending on the medium. First, let's look at the most common means

of written communication - email.

Email has become the channel of choice for written business communication. It is:

•

easy to write, with relatively few rules

• instant to send

• immediate to receive almost anywhere in the world.

As a result of its simpl icity, some people in the business community say that email is

an overused resource. For people who receive (and need to read) 1 00 or more em ails

a day, email is both a curse and a blessing.

To complement the units in this book on writing documents, the following table

gives you some top tips to make sure your emails are read. However, it is i mportant

to consider these as tips and not as rules, since one of the defining features of email

as a medium is its flexibility.

68

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 7 I Best practice 1 : Emails

D

Read each emailing tip, and decide if you adhere to it always, sometimes or never.

Put a cross (X) in the relevant column.

Top 10 Tips

1 Use the subject field appropriately

a Make the subject relevant to the topic of the email. In other words, if you are replying

D O D

to an email and the subject has now moved on, reflect this change in the subject field.

b Avoid treating the subject field as a greeting. 'Hello' is not useful in the subject field

when the reader is looking through emails trying to find the one about the budget for

D O D

the packaging project. Consider the subject field as the headline for your text.

c Always fill the subject field - do not leave it blank.

D O D

d Limit your subject field to 50 charaders or less.

D O D

e Keep it short. The best email subject lines are short, descriptive, and provide the reader

D O D

with a reason to explore your message further.

2 Quote the original email in your replies

a Include the complete email. Do not cut the text of the original email to include only

the relevant portions that you are replying to. Taking something out of context is often

D O D

confusing, and emails are generally short enough for this not to be necessary.

3 Make it easy for the reader to find your message

a Write your response above the quoted text. Readers don't like having to scroll down

just to find what you have written. Writers already know what they have written; and if

D O D

they don't remember, they can scroll down to look.

b Make your message as easy to read as possible. Use a font that is easy to read, and

don't use too many colours - unusual colours and fonts will reduce the readability of

D O D

your message.

c Avoid sprinkling your replies in the middle of quoted text. This creates confusion when

D O D

the exchange continues for more than a couple of emails.

4 Use 'Reply', 'Reply (to) all', 'cc', and 'bee' appropriately

a Only use 'Reply to all' if you want your message to be seen by each person who

received the original message and if you want to invite them to contribute to the

discussion. Use only when you are confident that everyone will be interested in your

D O D

response.

b Use 'cc' sparingly: make sure you, as the writer, know why you are ccing someone into

the email; and make sure the recipient in the cc field knows why they are receiving a

copy of the message. Overuse can lead to confusion, as the recipient may not know if

D O D

they are expected to ad on the message; and also to inbox overload, as the recipient

has to read the document.

c Remember that 'bee' is a useful function. Use 'bee' (blind carbon copy) to tertiary

recipients. Bee recipients will receive the message without anyone else (including the

'to', 'cc', and 'bee' recipients) seeing who the tertiary recipients are. It is common

D O D

pradice to use the 'bee' field when addressing a very long list of recipients who do not

need to (or who should not) know who else has been copied.

Sedion 6: How do I put it all together?

69

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Use emoticons with caution

a Avoid emoticons unless you are sure the recipient understands their meaning and their

cultural significance. Tone is easy to mistake in emails and, while emoticons can help, in an

D O D

international context they can very easily mcrease confusion.

6 Be careful attaching files

a Avoid attaching large files to the first email you send to someone.

D O D

b Check with your recipient before sending large files.

D O D

c Include attachments only when necessary and relevant. For example, graphic attachments,

D O D

e.g. logos, take up space and are not necessary in every email.

7 Know when to use abbreviations and acronyms - and when not to

a Use commonly understood abbreviations and acronyms: these can help you to write clearly

D O D

and concisely, but . . .

b Use acronyms for clarity and simplicity, not out of laziness. Don't fill your emails with

acronyms like OTOH (on the other hand). EOD (end of day) and AFAIK (as far as I know).

If you're too busy to spell something out in your message, send 1t when you have more

D O D

time to write in full. Messages like 'Pete, AFAIK, the report is due EOD. HTH. BFN' ('Pete, as

far as I know, the report IS due at the end of the day. Hope that helps. Bye for now.') are

difficult to read and best leh to text-messag1ng teenagers.

8 Answer quickly

a Reply to all emails within 24 hours (preferably within the same working day).

D O D

b If an email is complicated and requires more thought or work, reply to the sender saying

D O D

that you have received their email and giving the date by which you will get back to them.

9 Avoid using email to send personal or confidential information

a Be aware that sending confidential information by email 1s dangerous. Email is not a secure

method of communication; in addition, 1n an open working environment, emails can easily

D O D

be accessed by others who are not intended readers.

b Keep personal information out of emails. Including personal mformation that you do not

want to be publicly known can lead to trouble.

D O D

c Protect confidential information sent by email by usmg secure encryption.

D O D

10 Use a disclaimer

a Include a disclaimer in all external emails to help protect your company from legal liability.

For example, if an employee accidentally forwards a virus to a customer by email, the

customer may decide to sue your company for damages. If you add a disclaimer at the

D O D

bottom of every external mail, saying that the recipient must check each email for viruses,

this can be used in court to avoid liability.

70 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N I T 1 7 I Best practice 1 : Emails

The purpose of the previous exercise was to get you to evaluate your own writing

by indicating whether you are in the habit of using each tip:

•

a lways

•

sometimes

•

never

list below three of the tips that you think are important and that you are confident

you always remember to use:

1 ....................................................................................................................................... .

2 ....................................................................................................................................... .

3 ....................................................................................................................................... .

Now list three tips that you sometimes use, but which are not always part of your

established practice for writing emails. How are you going to change your email

writing practice to integrate these tips?

1

....................................................................................................................................... .

2

3 ....................................................................................................................................... .

Finally, list three tips that you never use. Why do you not apply these tips to your

writing? Do you think you should try to in the future?

1

....................................................................................................................................... .

2 ......................... .............................................................................................................. .

3

Cultural note

The emergence of email as the main channel for written communication has led to a

search for standards. At an international and intercultural level, two questions arise:

1 Is it possible to have agreed international standards for emails?

2 Is it important for the future development of emails to have agreed standards?

In order to answer these questions, one needs to think about the cultural differences

between standardisation and adaptation. In other words, it is i mportant to recognise

the distinction between:

•

cultures where people are more comfortable with a set of standardised practices.

Such cultures, whose members seek certainty in accepted rules, are commonly

termed risk-avoidance cultures. They look for standardised approaches for

activities, including email writing.

•

cultures where people are more comfortable finding their own way of doing

things, without having them imposed by external rules. Members of these cultures,

commonly termed risk-embracing cultures, do not need the certainty of accepted

rules. They are comfortable with flexible practices, and are more open to adaptation

and innovation.

Section 6: How do I put it all together?

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 8 Best practice 2: Business reports

This report, by its very fellgth, defends itself against the risk of bei11g read.

- Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister, 1 940-45 and 1 9 5 1 -55)

A business report is a document which reaches conclusions and offers

recommendations. These recommendations may be for the solution of a problem

or a proposal for future action. Before making these recommendations, the report

writer carries out:

•

a thorough study

•

a collection of all relevant facts and information

• a detailed ana lysis

After this, the report writer reaches a conclusion . The conclusion is supported by:

• statements

• other relevant data

These conclusions then lead to the suggested next steps - the recommendations.

There are many types of business report. Here are just a few:

• general business report

•

business plan

•

business proposal

• marketing plan

• strategic plan

•

business a nalysis

• project report

•

project review

• financial plan

Although these reports are all different, the report-writing process will be essentially

the same.

1 Structure

A report is a tool that helps people make decisions by giving them data in a structured

way. A busi ness report has a linear structure. It moves in an organised way through a

series of steps. The typical structure of a report is:

1 Title page

2 Table of contents (or TOC)

3 Executive summary

4 Introduction/Background

5

Main body

6

Conclusions and recommendations

72 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 8 1 Best practice 2: Business reports

7 Recommendations

8 Appendices

2 Visuals

Visuals can be used to make reports more effective. Here are some ideas of types of

visuals:

•

tables

•

pie charts

•

line charts

•

bar charts

•

timelines

•

others, such as pictograms, maps, and flow charts

Here are some important reasons for using visuals:

•

to arouse reader interest

•

to emphasise key information

•

to summarise a large quantity of information

•

to simplify concepts

•

to help non-native readers

3 Reader engagement

Final ly, where should you place your energies when developing your skills?

The following table shows which parts of a busi ness report are likely to be read

by the average executive. This can also guide you as to where you should place the

emphasis for your future development.

Part of report

Will the executive read it?

1 Title page

Always

2 Table of contents

Always

3 Executive summary

Always

4 Introduction

Sometimes

5 Main body

If interested in data and findings

6 Conclusions and recommendations

Nearly always

7 Appendices

Rarely

Section 6: How do I put it all together? 73

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

a

Elements a-k are from a business report. Match each element with the section that

you would expect to find it in. Write your answers in the table.

a Main arguments and options

g Suggested next steps

b Detailed evidence

h Additional information

c The authors

Short version of the complete report

in one or two paragraphs

d Outline of the context of the report

The date of publication

e Summary of findings

k Detailed data

f Part of the report showing where to

find information

Report section

Report element

1 Title page

2 Table of contents (or TOC)

3 Executive summary

4 Introduction/Background

5 Main body

6 Conclusions

7 Recommendations

8 Appendices

4 The stages of writing a good report

Busi ness reports are essential documents as they provide information on how an

organisation is performing. Therefore, good report-writing skills are vital i n the

business environment. However, reports are often:

• too long

• poorly written

•

boring to read

The result is that, even when the content of the report is important, it is unl ikely

to be fully read. So, what can you, as a writer, do to increase the chances that your

report will be read?

The key stages in the report-writing process are:

1 Preparing

2 Writing the first draft

3 Editing and producing the final version.

74 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 8 1 Best practice 2: Business reports

Look at the key stages from the writing process listed on the previous page. Now

use what you have learned in earlier units about efficient writing to match the tasks

shown below with the relevant stage of the process. Write your answers in the table.

a check if there is any redundant

h make a plan

information

check that my document is written in

b write briefly, simply, and quickly

correct language (spelling, grammar,

and vocabulary)

c write the Table of contents

choose language that is easy to read

d make sure what type of report is

required

k carry out initial research

e use diagrams and pictures wherever

check that the report is divided into

possible

short paragraphs of between two and

six sentences

f write the Executive summary

g check that my document is easy to

navigate

Report stage

Report task

1 Preparing

2 Writing the first draft

3 Editing and producing the final version

Central to the model of the business report presented in this unit is rational argument.

It is based on the type of thinking that developed in the west, which came from Greek

philosophy. The Greek culture placed great emphasis on:

•

the use of language

•

the creation of categories, and

•

the value of debate

in order to reach conclusions.

However, this practice is not universal; other cultures have different approaches.

Consider the following contrast:

- Western cultures consider opposing views in order to reach conclusions; they use a

process of debate, which evaluates differences and finally reaches a result. This is

the basis for the report model in this unit.

- Eastern cultures, in contrast, resolve differences by looking for commonalities. This

method achieves results through harmonising opposites.

Therefore, the challenge for report writers in an international context is to find a

model which is comprehensible in different cultural settings.

Section 6: How do I put it all together?

75

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 9 Best practice 3: Minutes

Mi11utes are primarily written for people who were at the meeting,

not for people who were not! - Anon

Minutes are the written record of a meeti ng. The document usually gives:

•

date, time, and place of the meeting

•

a list of those present

•

apologies for absence for those not present

• approval of the previous meeting's minutes

• matters arising: a report on the discussion of issues arising from the

minutes of the previous meeting

•

for each item on the agenda, a record of the principal points discussed

and decisions taken

•

AOB (Any Other Business): a record of any discussion of items not

listed on the agenda

•

time, date, and place of the next meeting

•

name of the person taking the m inutes

In fact, there are two entirely separate documents created for a minuted meeting

- the notes and the minutes. Notes are usually written during the meeting by the

minute-taker or secretary, though sometimes, they are aud io-recorded. They are then

written up into minutes, filed for future reference, and circulated to the meeting

participants and other interested parties. However, they are primarily written for the

people who:

• attended the meeting

•

apologised for their absence

M inutes are important because they show:

•

what was decided in the meeting

•

what was achieved in the meeting

•

what was agreed i n terms of next steps (action items)

Without minutes, time is wasted trying to remember what was covered in the

previous meeting.

To be effective, mi nutes must be:

•

brief (a summary - not a word-for-word account)

•

relevant (record important information, especially decisions and next steps}

76 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 1 9 1 Best practice 3 : M i nutes

The key stages for the min ute-taker are:

before the meeting (preparing)

2 during the meeting (taking notes)

3 after the meeting (writing up the minutes)

First look at some of the tasks for each of these stages:

1 Before the meeting

•

read the agenda

•

check with the chair of the meeting if anything on the agenda is not

clear

2 During the meeting

• listen

•

summarise the discussion

• take notes of the decisions and next steps

• use appropriate language, especially vocabulary

•

report what was said (see Appendix 3 for a list of 'reporting verbs')

3 After the meeting

•

write u p a first draft from your notes

•

edit the first draft (focus on content - brevity and relevance)

•

ask the chair if any items are not clear

• proof read the first draft (focus on language - accuracy and tone)

• produce the final draft

•

file the m i nutes for future reference, and circulate them if appropriate

A form such as the one below can be used for taking notes before and during the

meeting. Go to Appendix 4 for a full-sized version of the form that you can use for

your own note-taking.

Date:

Present:

Apologies for absence:

Time:

Place:

Discussion at the meeting

Required follow-up after the meeting

Agenda item

Discussion

Action

Person

Timeframe/

(WHAT)

responsible

Deadline

(WHO)

(WHEN)

1 . Matters

arising:

Section 6: How do I put it all together?

77

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

II

Now look at the additional tasks listed below. At which stage does each task

come for the minute-taker? The stages are:

1 before the meeting

2 during the meeting

3 after the meeting

Write 1, 2, or 3 in the right-hand column.

Tasks

Stage

a Check that the minutes follow the order of points

on the agenda.

b Note down a summary of the major points raised.

c

Check that the minutes give each point a separate

paragraph.

d Make a map of the seating so that I know the names

of the participants and where they are sitting.

e Distribute the agenda so that participants can

prepare for the meeting.

f Distribute the minutes.

g Edit the first draft - preferably within 48 hours -

to improve language and tone.

h Read through the minutes of the last meeting.

i

File the minutes so that they can be easily found

for future reference.

j

Make a note of those present and those absent.

k Check that the minutes state, for each point, the

main issues, decisions taken and next steps.

I

Prepare an outline for the minutes based on the

agenda and leave space for notes.

m Get the approval of the chair that the minutes are

correct.

n Think where you are going to sit in relation to the

chair and other participants.

0

Write up the first draft of the minutes - preferably

within 24 hours.

78 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 9 1 Best practice 3: M i n utes

El

Below are ten quotes from a business meeting. Imagine that you are the minutetaker for the meeting. Make yourself a copy of the form on page 77 (or go to Appendix 4 for a ful l-size version) and then write your notes, based on the quotes

below, into the relevant boxes in the form.

1 'Okay, let's get started. I'm afraid that Pete Bartlett can't be with us

this afternoon, as he has had to meet a client.'

2 'Ca n we now move on to the second item on the agenda : staff recruitment?'

3 ' I 've received one item of Other Business: project p la n n ing software.'

4 'Thanks, everyone, for your input. To summarise, three of us are in

favour of recruiting a n ew trai nee.'

5 'Does 4 July suit everyone for our next meeting?'

6 'John, can you please prepare the job specification for the trainee position?'

7 'It seems that 4 July is not convenient for everyone. How about a week

later? That's 1 1 July. 9 o'clock start.'

8 'OK, let's start with the action from last month's meeting: additional

office space. I bel ieve that this has now been resolved.'

9 John: 'No problem. I'll work on it next week. And I'll circulate the

document by 1 5 June.'

1 0 'Let's hold the next meeting in the Boardroom - it's bigger than here,

and more comfortable.'

It is universally agreed that the aim of minutes is to provide a record of a meeting so

that it can achieve its highest potential. So, why is it sometimes the case that minutetakers fail to circulate the minutes in a timely manner? Or those who agreed to take on follow-up tasks fail to deliver on time?

It is clear that multi-tasking is becoming more important in the modern business

environment as staff are asked to take on more tasks with ever-shorter deadlines.

,

Perhaps it is not surprising then that, for some, the additional tasks agreed to in the

heat of the meeting are overtaken by other priorities. Hence the need for minutes to:

• back up decisions

• maintain a record of decisions and discussions

• help everyone stay on track

Section 6: How do I put it all together?

79

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

20 Best practice 4: Business writing

Every writer I know has trouble writing.

Joseph Heller (American

-

novelist, short story writer. and playwright}

The following self-assessment questionnaire is intended to help you discover how

good your business writing practice is. First, answer the questions below by putting a

cross (X) in the relevant column.

The questionnaire is divided into five sections:

1 Content

2 Structure

3 Tone

4 Language

5 Writing the first draft; then editing it and producing the final version

These five sections reflect the key themes of this book.

II

1 Content

Before starting to write, I ask myself . . .

a what m y reader already knows about the subject.

D D D D D Un1t 1

b how much information the reader needs to know about

D D D D D Unlt 1

the subject .

c how I can present the information in a concise way.

D D D D D Unit 1

d what is the appropriate technical level for my reader(s).

D D D D D Unit 2

e if there is too much or too little detail.

D D D D D Unit 2

2 Structure

When writing, / . . .

a break u p my document into meaningful sections.

D D D D D Unlts 4, 13, 14

b use paragraphs, headings, lists, and bold type to make the

D D D D D

document easier to read.

Units 3, 4, 1 3

80 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 20 I Best practice 4: Busi ness writing

c use linking words and phrases to show the relationships

D D D D D

between my ideas and information.

Unit S

d use a variety of sentence structures and sentence

lengths to make my writing more interesting and

D D D D D Units 5, 6, 9, 13

engaging.

3 Tone

When writing, I . . .

a choose language appropriate to the relationship with my

D D D D D

reader(s).

Units 7, 8

b choose a tone that is appropriate to the subject of the

D D D D D

message.

Units 7, 8

4 Language

When writing, I . . .

a start by specifying the purpose of my document.

D D D D D Unit 10

b use clear language in order to make my document easy

D D D D D

to read.

Unit 1 1

c bring my document to a transparent end so that my

D D D D D

reader knows the next steps.

Unit 1 2

5 Writing the first draft, editing the first draft,

and producing the final version

When writing my first draft, I . . .

a write briefly and concisely

D D D D D Unit 13

b write transparently

D D D D D Unit 14

c write quickly

D D D D D Unit 15

After writing my first draft, I check . . .

d if there is too much or too little detail.

D D D D D Unit 1

e if there is any redundant information.

D D D D D Unit 1

f that my document has a transparent external

structure.

D D D D D Units 3, 4, 14

g that my document has a clear internal structure and

development.

D D D D D Units 5, 6

h that my document is written in an appropriate tone.

D D D D D Units 7, 8, 9

i that my document is written in correct language

(grammar and vocabulary).

D D D D D Units 1 1,16

Points

X 5

X 4

X 3

X 2

X 1

Section 6: How do I put it all together?

81

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Now you can check your overall score. For every cross (X):

•

i n the 'always' column, you score 5 points =

• i n the 'usually' column, you score 4 points =

•

i n the 'sometimes' column, you score 3 points =

•

in the 'rarely' column, you score 2 points =

• in the 'never' column, you score 1 point =

Now add your points together.

Total

How to interpret your score.

105-1 1 5 :

You have a very good knowledge of the elements of business writing

in terms of content, structure, tone, and language; you also know the

importance of reviewing your documents.

90-104:

You have a good knowledge of the elements of busi ness writing; however

you need to focus more on specific elements of business writing - either in

terms of the process of writing/reviewing or on the final document.

Look at your lowest scores in order to identify any specific weaknesses that

you would like to work on.

70-89:

You have a basic knowledge of the elements of business writing; however,

you need to place more energy on both the process of writing and on the

final written document.

Choose three areas of weakness that you need to work on and review the

relevant units.

55-69:

You need to spend more time both on writing and on reviewing in order

to develop a better process for writing and create better final written

documents.

Choose five areas of weakness that you need to work on and review the

relevant units.

Below 55:

You need to gain a clearer understanding of the elements of business

writing in terms of the process of writing and the final written documents.

You should choose eight areas from the book that you would like to

concentrate on.

82 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 20 I Best practice 4: Busi ness writing

The purpose of the self-assessment questionnaire is to identify:

• strengths, i.e. those areas where you scored high points

• weaknesses, i.e. those areas where you scored low points

List below three strengths. These are areas which you feel comfortable with:

1 ········································································································································

2 ....................................................................................................................................... .

3 ....................................................................................................................................... .

Now list three weaknesses. These are areas where you need further development:

1 ....................................................................................................................................... .

2 ....................................................................................................................................... .

3 ....................................................................................................................................... .

Finally, list the units in English for Business: Writing which you aim to review:

1 ....................................................................................................................................... .

2 ....................................................................................................................................... .

3 ········································································································································

Feedback is one of the ways that we find out about how we are performing. It

provides us with information about our strengths and weaknesses. When feedback is

delivered in an appropriate manner, it can be a powerful force for both personal and

professional development. But what is 'an appropriate manner'? There is a difference

between those cultures which celebrate success and those which downplay it.

In cultures which celebrate success, the idea is that you motivate people to do better

by giving them positive feedback. In other words, success creates more success. The

positive circle starts with a pat on the back or words of praise. This makes the listener

feel good. This leads to increased self-confidence, which, in turn leads to higher

performance. However, not all cultures have the same attitude towards positive

feedback. In some cultures, negative feedback, which highlights mistakes, is seen

as the way to develop. In other words, the road to improvement lies in understanding

one's weaknesses and taking action to overcome them.

Section 6: How do I put it all together?

83

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

APPENDIX 1

Key phrases for business letters and emails

-

1. Greetings

What's the weather like? It's awful I terrible I

Dear(+ first name)

depressing here. It's great I beautiful I marvellous

here. It's sunny I really hot I bitterly cold.

Dear Mr I Ms (+ surname)

Dear Sir I Madam (British English)

3. Main part

Ladies and gentlemen (American English)

The precise phrases will, of course, depend on

Hello I Hi (+fi rst name) (informa�

the purpose of the email. Below are the key

phrases for some typical purposes. In addition,

2. Introduction I reference I purpose

these key phrases can be used at the beginning

Introduction

of paragraphs to signal your intentions. For more

information on signalling intentions, see Unit 1 1 .

You may recall that we met last week ... In the

course of the conversation you mentioned . . .

Requesting

I recently read your article I advertisement .. .

I would be grateful if you could .. .

I was given your name by [name] ... who

I would appreciate 1t if you could .. .

suggested that . . .

Could you please send I supply I confirm . . .

Reference

Please send I supply I confirm . . .

Thank you for your letter I email I message of

Informing

[date] concerning I about I enclosing I enquiring . . .

I am pleased to inform you .. .

I have received your letter I email o f [date] . . .

I would like to inform you . . .

Further to I With regard to I Regarding I With

I am now in a position to inform you I confirm ...

reference to . . .

O n the subject o f . . .

Expressing wishes

I n terms o f . . .

I would (very much) like to place the following

order I organise a meeting ...

I n response t o . . .

I (particularly) want to ...

According t o my records, . . .

I (do) hope ...

R e your email . . .

I require I need ...

I am pleased I sorry t o hear I learn that . . .

It would be great to . . .

I note that . . .

I would prefer not to .. .

Purpose

I would rather not . . .

I am writing to request I enquire I inform I check I

I a m reluctant to . . .

confirm I ask . . .

Just a quick email to . . .

Asking for clarification

Sometimes i t i s appropriate to write a social

It is not clear whether ...

phrase, similar to an expression that would be

I am not sure if ...

used in a face-to-face meeting .

Could you clarify I supply us with more information ...

Social openings

Am I right in thinking ... ?

How are you?

Could you please explain what you mean by . . . ?

How's life?

Offering

How're things?

I can I am able to I would like to offer you I provide

you with . . .

84 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

If you wish, I would be happy to ...

You must I have t o . . .

Would you like me to ...

I t is o f the utmost importance that . . .

Shall I ...

O n n o account . . .

Do you want me to ...

Under n o circumstances . . .

Providing documentation

I t i s important I vital I essential . . .

I am enclosing I attaching . . .

. . . a t your earliest convenience.

I enclose I attach . . .

. .. as soon as possible.

Please find enclosed I attached . . .

. .. without further delay.

Confirming

. . . by return of post.

If I hear nothing to the contrary, I shall assume

. . . by Friday I the end of January

that . . .

Giving good news

I hereby confirm . . .

I am delighted to inform you I hear that . . .

I a m able I pleased to confirm . . .

You will be delighted t o hear that . . .

Drawing attention a n d reminding

You'll be happy to hear that . . .

I would like to point out . . .

Giving bad news

May I draw your attention t o . . .

I regret to inform you that . . .

Please note that . . .

Unfortunately, . . .

Agreeing

I a m afraid . . .

I am willing to . . .

I ' m sorry but . . .

I agree t o . . .

Expressing disappointment

I am happy t o . . .

I was disappointed to hear your decision . . .

. . . is acceptable I fine.

I a m very sorry that you feel that I unable t o . . .

Disagreeing and refusing requests

Apologising

Unfortunately, I am unable to . . .

I am I was sorry to hear I learn that . . .

I am unwilling t o . . .

I apologise for . . .

I cannot agree with I to that . . .

Please accept our apologies for

Asking for approval

I regret that . . .

We hope that [our solution) will be to your

Refusing politely

satisfaction I meet with your approval.

I (fully) appreciate your point of view I difficulties

We hope that you will have no objections to . . .

but . . .

Making suggestions

I'm afraid that we are not in a position t o . . .

I propose I suggest that . . .

Regretfully, I have t o inform you that . . .

I would (strongly) advise I recommend . . . .

We realise this is not ideal. However, . . .

I t i s advisable . . .

Threatening

You might consider . . .

If you do not .... I shall . . .

Might I suggest that . . .

Unless you . . . , I shall . . . be forced t o place the

Expressing urgency and necessity

matter in the hands or our lawyers.

I should like to remind you . . .

I t i s obligatory I necessary for . . .

You are obliged (by law) to I I t i s required

(by law) to . . .

Appendix 1 : Key phrases for business letters and emails

85

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Giving assurance

4. Next steps

I assure you I give you my assurance that ...

What

You may rest assured that ...

The next steps are as follows:

I shall I will do my utmost to ensure that ...

The plan for the next phase is:

Expressing need for confidentiality

We expect to move forward as follows:

Please treat this as strictly confidential I in the

We are now in a position to . . .

strictest confidence.

Who

I should be grateful if you would handle this

Therefore I would be grateful if you could ...

matter with discretion.

Could you please confirm that you can . . .

Guaranteeing confidentiality I discretion

We would appreciate i f you could . . .

Any information will be treated as strictly

When

confidential.

The deadline for receiving the information is . . .

The matter will be handled with discretion.

The timetable for project completion i s . . .

Acknowledging actions and instructions

We would like t o finish this phase b y . . .

I note that you have . . .

We must I have t o I need to finish I complete

I have received I taken delivery o f . . .

. .. by ...

I note that I must . . .

Reminding

5. Pre-closing

May I remind you . . .

Offering further assistance

I would like t o remind you . . .

Do not hesitate to contact us again if you require

Just to remind you . . .

further assistance.

Don't forget t o . . .

If you have any further questions, please contact me.

Let me know if you need any more help.

Expressing confidence a n d hope

Please contact me if I can be of further assistance.

We are confident that . . .

We trust I hope that you will . . .

Friendly sign-off

We expect I anticipate I forecast I think I envisage

I look forward to meeting I seeing you next week I

I believe . . .

in January.

I am looking forward to meeting I seeing you . . .

Expressing certainty, probability, possibility,

improbability, impossibility

I look forward to I I a m looking forward t o hearing

from you.

It is certain that ...

There is no doubt that ...

I look forward to receiving your report . . .

I a m looking forward t o receiving your order . . .

I am confident that ...

It is likely I probable I possible that . . .

Looking forward t o . . .

There is some doubt as to whether .. .

See you ...

It is unlikely that . . .

Final thanks

It i s impossible for u s t o . . .

Thanking you in advance.

Thank you once again for your assistance.

Congratulating

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

I would like to take this opportunity to

congratulate you on ...

I would like to congratulate you on ...

Congratulations on ...

86

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

6. Farewell

Yours faithfully

Yours sincerely

(Best) regards

Best

Best wishes

Notes

The greeting and the farewell are usually linked,

as follows:

Dear (first name), Hello (first name), Hi (first name)

Best, Best wishes, (Best) Regards

Dear Mr I Ms (+ surname) (British English)

Yours sincerely

Dear Sir I Madam (British English)

Yours faithfully

Ladies and gentlemen (American English)

Yours sincerely

7. Social phrases for emails

Questions I Comments

How are you?

How's life?

How're things?

Hope you're not overworking !

Long time no hear.

Hope life is treating you well .

Greetings from sunny England I France I Germany

I Sweden . . .

Greetings from rainy Italy I Spain I Greece.

What's the weather like over there?

It's awful I terrible I depressing here.

It's great I beautiful I marvellous here.

It's sunny I really hot I bitterly cold.

Answers I Comments

We are very busy here at the moment.

I've just returned from my holidays and I'm still

catching up.

I'm going away next week, so there's a lot to do.

Appendix 1 : Key phrases for business letters and emails

87

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

APPENDIX 2 - Linking words and phrases

Addition

also

in addition

too

as well

•

•

•

Alternation

instead

alternatively

•

Cause

therefore

so

consequently

thus

•

•

•

Comparison

similarly

in the same way

l ikewise

•

•

Concession

anyway

at any rate

•

Conclusion

in conclusion

fina l ly

lastly

•

•

Condition

then

in that case

•

Contradiction

in fact

actually

•

as a matter of fact

•

Contrast

yet

however

but

nevertheless

•

•

•

Equivalence

in other words

that means

namely

that is to say

•

•

•

Example

for example

for instance

•

Generalisation

usual ly/normally

as a rule

in general

•

•

Highlight

in particular

especially

•

Inclusion

for example

for instance

such as

as follows

•

•

•

Counter-evidence

on the other hand • conversely

Stating the obvious

obviously

naturally

of course

•

•

Summary

to sum up

overall

in brief/short

•

•

88

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

APPENDIX 3 Reporting verbs

-

Sample sentences

Form

G&D have

to deliver by the end of the

The sample sentences on the left are examples of six

month.

common constructions that you find with verbs for

2 The CEO admitted that 1t had been a tough year

reportmg·

3 The Finance Director

the budget

by 2 %

1

verb + 1nfin1t1ve With 'to'

4 The Market1ng Director

her new

2 verb + 'that' clause *

5 The new boss

the staff to attend a

3 verb + '-1ng' form

meeting at 8 o'clock.

4 verb + object (only)

6 The cha1rman of the board assured

5 verb + object + infinitive with 'to'

the company would show a profit the following year

6 verb + object + 'that' clause *

· The word 'that' can sometimes be om1tted.

Uses

Here are some reportmg verbs and the constructions they take

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

6

add

•

•

guess

•

•

admit

•

•

•

indicate

•

•

agree

•

•

inform

•

announce

•

•

invite

•

answer

•

•

maintain

•

•

argue

•

outline

•

assure

•

notify

•

authorise

•

•

predict

•

•

believe

•

•

present

•

claim

•

•

presume

•

comment

•

promise

•

•

•

•

•

confirm

•

•

propose

•

•

•

•

consent

•

prove

•

•

consider

•

•

•

recommend

•

•

•

•

declare

•

refuse

•

•

decline

•

•

reply

•

demand

•

•

•

report

•

•

deny

•

•

•

requ1re

•

•

•

•

describe

•

say

•

•

disclose

•

•

state

•

•

emphasise

•

•

stress

•

•

estimate

•

•

suggest

•

•

•

explain

•

•

tell

•

•

•

forecast

•

•

threaten

•

•

•

Appendix 3: Reporting verbs

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

1 89

APPENDIX 4 - Sample documents

The following pages show emails and letters linked to meetings. They follow the steps before and after a

meet1ng and include:

• invitation to a meeting (informal email)

•

offering availability (informal email)

•

invitation to a meeting (formal letter)

• apologies for absence (informal email)

•

apologies for absence (formal email)

•

confirmation of attendance (neutral)

•

confirmation of meeting and request for agenda items (informal)

•

postponing I rescheduling of the meeting (neutral)

•

sending out the minutes (neutral)

•

remmders about outstanding actions (neutral)

•

apology for late completion of outstanding act1on (neutral)

They demonstrate the difference between informal, neutral and formal tones of writing.

In addition, you will find:

•

a sample report to be read before a meeting

•

sample agendas for informal and formal meetings

•

template for writing notes during a meeting

•

sample notes written during a meeting

•

minutes document written using the notes

90 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Email invitation to a meeting (informal)

To: Management London

Subject: Quarterly meeting

Dear all

We need to fix a time for our quarterly meeting. In the past, we have allocated 3 hours to

go through the agenda. This quarter, because of the number of major issues to address, I

think we will need a little longer. I am attaching a draft agenda and would like to have your

thoughts on the timing for these items.

We normally schedule the meeting for the last week of June. For this meeting, I propose

an afternoon session, starting at 1 3 .30. Could you please get back to me asap with your

availability and feedback on the timing for the agenda items.

Finally, I am attaching the report on training, staff development and career development

prepared by the Staff Development Team. Please ensure that you have read it before the

meeting so that we can start to identify solutions. See point 3 on the agenda.

Regards

Peter

Draft agenda (informal)

Agenda

Quarterly meeting: date to be confirmed

Matters arising

1 . Directors' bonuses

- new basis for calculatron

- payment schedule

2. IT i nfrastructure

- plans

- investment

- scheduling

3. Trai ni ng staff development and career development

,

- discussion of report findings

- next steps

4. Shared services

- departmental mergers

- staff issues

- team meetings

AOB

Appeodi' 4o Sample dowmeots

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Report on training, staff development and career development

TRAINING, STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

A. Introduction

This is the second report produced by the Staff Development Team, which we set up in

2008 as part of our initiative to implement a staff development plan. The purpose of the

report is to consolidate the developmental feedback gained from the employee survey

carried out during the autumn into training, staff development and career development.

B. General points

Training:

Employees felt, in general, that although there was a commitment to training, the

company had very l ittle to offer in terms of staff development and career progression.

In particular:

•

Few staff had received formal training despite the changes to their work roles.

•

Most staff experienced practical obstacles to obtaining the traimng they felt they

needed.

•

The biggest obstacles were reduced funding for training, spending priorities and the

lack of time to undertake training.

Further qualifications:

•

Several members of staff were studying for further qualifications which they did

largely in their own time and at their own expense.

Staff development:

•

Most administrative and support staff did not feel that the company was committed

to staff development.

Career progression:

•

Staff expressed most frustration over their opportunities for career progression

within the organization. In particular:

•

The majority felt that they had no opportunities for progression at all.

•

They identified the structure of the company and lack of funding as the major

constraints on their career progression.

•

Many believed that the only way to progress was to move outside the company.

C. Specific comments

The following comments represent some of the key issues raised by employees:

. . . when I was appointed . . . I was offered no training at all, so it was up to me to go

•

and find it, which I did. But then they paid for it . . . they were fine.'

' We are encouraged to go, but I want to do a computer technicians' course. and the

cost is so high . . . There is encouragement to do it provided it doesn't cost too much.'

'I think it's very difficult for us to justify commercial courses, costing over a thousand

[pounds] for a few days, [even though they're better courses] . . .

' I think managers are scared to send you o n training courses, because i t means you're

going to want new technology, you're going to want new services, that are going on in

that training course.'

92 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

· . the facilities are available, there are courses put on . . . but

.

.

I do not have the time to

go.'

'When I came into the firm I didn't have any qualifications. I felt I had to have them,

you know, to be on a level . . . to justify my existence I had to have qualifications, and . . .

I actually feel it makes m e able to d o my job.'

'I think the way the structure is built up is wrong in a sense. There's no middle tier that

you could move up to slowly, climb up and climb up . . . It's a very steep pyramid.'

D. Recommendations

We recommend that we separate the issues so that we can address them in a more

consistent way. The points fall into the following main categories:

1 . opportunities for training

2. obstacles in training provision

3. training for qualifications

4. commitment to staff development

5. formal procedures for staff development

6. opportunities for career progression

7. obstacles to career progression

We propose that these 7 areas be put onto the agenda of the next quarterly meeting

so that we can start to define solutions.

Email offering availability for a meeting (neutral)

To: peter.ford@tribetech.com

Subject: RE: Quarterly meeting

Dear Peter

Thanks for your email and the documentation for our quarterly meeting.

I am available on the following dates in the afternoon :

24 June

2 5 June

27 June

I propose the following timings for the agenda items:

1 . Directors' bonuses (90 minutes)

2 . IT infrastructure (45 minutes)

3. Training, staff development and career development (60 minutes)

4. Shared services (45 minutes)

Regards

Jeremy

Appendix 4: Sample documents

93

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Apologies for absence at meeting (informal)

To: peter. ford@tribetech.com

Subject: Staff committee meeting

Hi Peter

I'm afraid that I won't be able to make tomorrow's staff committee meeting . Something important has

come up here in Dubai and I will need to resolve it before I come back to the UK. I will be back in time

for the quarterly meeting in the last week of June.

Sorry I couldn't give you more notice.

Regards

Shafiq

Confirmation of attendance at meeting (neutral)

To: peter.ford@tribetech.com

Subject: RE: Agenda

Dear Peter

Thank you for sending me the agenda for the forthcoming meeting. I confirm that 27 June at 1 4.00 is

OK for me.

In your email. you asked for additional points for the agenda. I would be grateful if you could add an

item on 'Environmental initiatives'.

I look forward to seeing you on 27 June.

Regards

Murray

Apologies for absence at meeting (formal)

To: k.p.appleby@tribetech.com

Subject: RE: IT Rollout Meeting

Dear Mr Appleby

Thank you for sending me the details of the forthcoming IT Rollout Meeting for the Asia Pacific Region.

I regret to inform you that I will be on annual leave at the time of the meeting and will, therefore, not

be able to attend.

Yours sincerely

Francis K Stormont

WciHog

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Confirmation of meeting and request for agenda items (informal)

To: Marketing All

Subject: Marketing meeting confirmation and agenda

Dear all

Thanks for sending me details of your availability in April for a marketing meeting. I confirm that the

meeting will take place on 18 April at 09.00 in my office.

I am attaching the latest version of the agenda. If you have any further items to add, please let me

know asap.

See you all then.

Regards

Julie

Postponing/rescheduling of the meeting {neutral)

To: International Sales Department

Subject: RE: April meeting

Dear team members

Thanks for sending me details of your availability in April for a face-to-face project review meeting.

It seems that April will not be possible because of various international work commitments. Therefore

the April meeting will need to be rescheduled.

Could you please let me know your availability for a face-to-face team meeting in May.

Thanks and regards

Thi

Sending out the minutes {neutral)

To: Command Project Group

Subject: Follow-up from last week's meeting

Dear all

Thanks for your participation at last week's meeting.

As we all know, virtual meetings can be difficult because of time differences, technology issues and

diversity challenges. But I'm sure you'll agree that Manfred did an excellent job as facilitator; and I was

particularly pleased with the level of contributions from all of us all around the world.

I am attaching the minutes with this email. Please read through them. If there a re questions about the

content or about your follow-up tasks, please contact me.

Regards

Saphyra

Appeodl' 4o Sample docomeots

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

195

Reminder about outstanding actions (neutral}

To: helen@commandproject.com

Subject: Overdue work

Dear Helen

I'm wntmg to remind you about the follow-up action aher our last meeting that you agreed to take on:

supplier analysis. The due date for me to receive your analys1s was the end of last week.

Please could you let me know when I can expect your report? If you would like to discuss the task. feel

free to contact me.

Regards

Artur

Further reminder about outstanding actions (neutral)

To: helen@commandproject.com

Subject: RE: Overdue work

Dear Helen

I'm disappointed not to have heard from you after my last ema1l, reminding you about the agreed

follow-up: supplier analysis.

I would appreoate if you could give me a call before the end of the week to let me know when I can

expect your report.

Regards

Artur

If Artur has not had a response after two email reminders, he should call Helen.

Apology for late completion of outstanding action (informal)

To: artur@commandproject.com

Subject: RE: RE: Overdue work

Hi Artur

I'm very sorry about the delay in getting the supplier analysis to you. I've been really busy with end-

of-quarter figures. But, we've now completed the quarterly tasks and I promise that you will have the

analysis by next Wednesday.

Sorry again for the delay. Hope you understand.

Best w1shes

Helen

96

Writ1ng

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Letter of invitation to a meeting (formal)

PRC Hammerslow

1 5 November 20 1 1

Dear member

PRC HAMMERSLOW BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

You are invited to the PRC Branch Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 18 February 201 2 at

1 6.00 at The C ivic Centre in Hammerslow (see enclosed map).

An agenda is enclosed together with a form for nomination of officers and a form for submitting

motions. Completed forms should be returned to me by Tuesday 1 1 February 2012.

As well as dealing with elections, the AGM will be an opportunity to find out more about what

the group has been doing over the last year and to make plans for the coming year. There will also

be plenty of time to discuss issues which concern you.

There will be an invited speaker, who will present current campaigns and this will be a useful

opportunity to find out how matters are progressing. It will also give you a chance to have your

say about what you think should happen next. After the meeting there will be a social even t.

All members are invited to this.

If you would like further information, including details of disabled access, please contact me at the

above telephone n umber. I look forward to seeing you on 1 8 February.

Best wishes

John Smith

PRC Hammers/ow Branch Secretary

Appendi' 4' Sample dowments

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

197

Agenda for an AGM (formal)

PRC HAMMERSLOW BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

TUESDAY 1 8 FEBRUARY 201 2

The Civic Centre, Hammerslow

Agenda

Welcome by the cha1r

Apologies for absence

Minutes of prev1ous AGM and matters arising

C ha1r's report

Secretary's report

Financial report

Election of committee and branch officers: Representative, Secretary, Treasurer

Talk by Guest speaker

Discussion on branch development, recruitment, organisation, adm1mstration

Mot1ons

Date of next AGM

THERE WILL BE A BUFFET AND REFRESHMENTS AT THE CLOSE OF THE MEETING

98 1 Wdting

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Template for writing notes during a meeting

Date:

Present:

Apologies for absence:

Time:

Place:

Discussion at the meeting

Required follow-up after the meeting

Agenda item

Discussion

Action

Person

Timeframe I

(WHAT)

responsible

Deadline

(WHO)

(WHEN)

1 . Matters

arising:

2.

3.

4.

5. AOB:

Next Meeting

Date:

Time:

Place:

Append;, 4' Sample documents

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

199

Sample notes written during a meeting

Date: 27 June

Present:

Apologies for absence:

Time: 1 8.:30

DG, LB, PL, FG, YS, NM, CW. NB, JC, MS

JP

Place: Boardroom

Discussion at the meeting

Required follow-up after the meeting

Agenda item

D iscussion

Action

Person

Timeframe I

(WHAT)

responsible

Deadline

(WHO)

(WHEN)

1 . Matters arising: All actions from

minutes of quarterly

meeting on 28 March

completed. Minutes

of quarterly meeting

on 28 March were

approved.

2. Directors' bonuses New basis for

Circulate spreadsheet PL

by 1 July

calculation was

to Directors.

approved.

Three alternative

FG

by 1 August

Payment schedule to

models to be defined

be presented at next

meeting

3. IT infrastructure

Medium-term plans

Two plans to be

NB

by 1SJuly

were discussed.

circulated to

Investment options

Directors.

by 1 September

were outlined.

Bank to be approached

Possible timescales

re funding.

were discussed.

No decision at this

stage.

4. Training, staff

Report findings were

Establish working

DG to lead working

by 15August

development and

presented.

group to provide

group

career development

Reasons for

concrete provisions

demotivation and

for report

dissatisfaction were

recommendations 1,

reviewed.

8and6

5. AOB:

Environmental

Initiatives:

MS presented ideas

for sustainability.

To be added to next

agenda.

Next Meeting

Date: September; date to be decided

Time: To bedecided

Place: Boardroom?

1 00 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

Minutes written using notes from previous page

Minutes of quarterly meeting held on 27 June 2011

Pr�scnt: DG. LB, PL. FG. YS. NM, CW. NB . JC. MS

Apologi�s: J P

1 . Matters al'ising

All actions from minutes of quarterly meeting on 28 March completed.

Minutes of quarterly meeting on 28 March were approved.

2. Directors' bonuses

I . A new basis for cak:ulation was approved.

2. The payment schedule is to be presented at the ne>.t meeting.

The meeting agreed that:

I . PL will circulate spreadsheet Lo Directors by I July.

2. FG will define three alternative models by I August.

3. IT infrastr·uctm·c

I . Medium-term plans were Jiscus�ed.

2. 1nvestmcnt options were outlined.

3. Possible timescales were discussed.

The rnc�ting agreed that:

I . NB will circulate two plans to the Directors by 1 5 .July.

2. CW to approach a bank about funding by I Septcmbc1.

3. No decision has been made at this stage.

4. Training, sh1ff development and career development

I . Report findings were presented.

2. Reasons ror demotivation and dissatisfaction were reviewed .

The meeting agreed that:

I . DG would lead a working group with the aim of proviuing concrete provision for

the report recommendations I . 3 and 6. The working group should be held by J 5

August.

5. AOB: Environmental initiatives

I . MS presented ideas for �ustainability.

2. This matter should be added to the next agenda.

documeots 1 01

Appeodi< 4, Somple

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

GLOSSARY

The most difficult words from each

are defined here in this glossary.

The definitions are extracts from the Collins COBUILD Advanced Dictionary.

Unit 1

ex plic it ADJ Something that 1s

com plex AOJ In grammar, a complex

explicit IS expressed or shown clearly

sentence contains one or more

con cise AOJ

and openly, w1thout any attempt to

subordinate clauses as well as a main

Someth1ng that is

concise

h1de anythmg. • .. explicit references

clause

says everyth1ng that

to age m recruitment advertising.

1s necessary without us1ng any

edit (edits, editing, edited) VERB If

unnecessary words. • Burton's text is

im plic it ADJ Someth1ng that 1s

you edit a text such as an article

concise and informative. • Whatever

implicit 1s expressed m an 1nd1rect

or a book, you correct and adapt it

you are writing make sure you

way • Th1s is seen as an implicit

so that it is su1table for publishing.

are clear, concise, and accurate

warnmg not to continue with military

• The majority of contracts give the

• con cise ly ADV • He'd delivered h1s

action.

publisher the right to edit a book after

report clearly and conosely

It's done • ... an edited version of the

pre cise ADJ

speech.

Something that IS precise

IS exact and accurate in all 1ts details.

com pe tence N·UNcouNT

• They speak very precise Engli

sh. • He

Competence is the ability to do

does not talk too much and what he

Unit 2

someth1ng well or effectively • His

has to say is precise and to the pomt.

competence as an economist had

ap pro pri ate

been reinforced by his successful

AD Someth1ng

pitch (pitches, pitching, pitched) vrRB If

fight agamst inflation. • We've always

that IS appropriate is SUitable

somethmg is pitched at a part1cular

or acceptable for a particular

level or degree of d1fftculty, 1t

regarded him as a man of integrity

IS set

Situation. • It is appropriate that Irish

at that level

and high professional competence.

• I thmk the material

names dommate the Jist • Dress

1s pitched at too h1gh a level for our

neatly and attractively in an outfit

purposes. • The government has

appropriate 10 the job. • The teacher

pitched High Street mterest rates at a

can then take appropriate act1on

new level

• ap pro pri ate ly ADV • Dress

ab stract

Unit 3

ADJ An abstract 1dea or way

appropriately and ask mtelligent

of th1nkmg IS based on general 1deas

questions. • It's entitled, appropriately

rather than on real thmgs and events.

draft (drafts, drafting, drafted) VERB

enough, 'Art for the Nat1on'

• .. abstract prmoples such as JUStice.

When you draft a letter, book, or

• a p pro pri ate ness N·UN< our·n • He

• It's not a quest1on of some abstract

speech, you wnte the first version

wonders about the appropriateness of

concept

of 1t.

each move he makes.

•

.. the faculty of abstract

• He drafted a standard letter

reasonmg

to the editors. • The legislation was

ex per tise N·UNCOUNT Expertise

short cut

drafted by House Democrats.

(short cuts) also short-cut

IS special skill or knowledge that

also shortcut N·COUNT A short cut IS

arouse (arouses, arousing, aroused)

IS acqu1red by training, study, or

a qu1cker way of gelling somewhere

vERB If somethmg arouses a

practiCe. • The problem 1s that most

than the usual route

particular feeling or inst1nct that

local authorities lack the expertise to

• I tried to take a

short cut and got lost

exists 1n someone. 1t causes them to

deal sensibly in this market

expenence that feeling or 1nst1nct

re dun dant

jargon ti·UNCOUNT You use jargon

ADJ Someth1ng that

strongly.

to refer to words and expressions

• There IS nothing like a long

IS redundant is no longer needed

walk to arouse the appetite.

that are used in speoal or techn1cal

• He

because 1ts JOb is be1ng done by

aroused her mothering instincts.

ways by particular groups of people,

someth1ng else or because 1ts JOb 1s no

often makmg the language difficult to

ex tend (extends, extending, extended)

longer necessary or useful • Changes

understand. • The manual 1s full of the

vERB If you extend somethmg, you

in technology may mean that oncejargon and slang of self-improvement

make it longer or b1gger.

valued skills are now redundant.

• Th i

s year

• ...

courses.

they have mtroduced three new

the conversion of redundant buildings

•

.. the reading habits of

600, 000 C2 males (marketing wgon

products to extend the1r range.

to residential use.

• The

for skilled manual workers).

building was extended in 1500. • ... an

extended exhaust pipe.

1 02 1 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 1-6

im pact (impacts) N-COUNT The impact

process or event of its com1ng into

happened • I have arranged these

that something has on a SituatiOn.

existence • . the emergence of

stories in chronological order.

process. or person IS a sudden and

new democracies m East and Cenrral

• chrono logi cal ly ADV • The

powerful effect that 1t has on them.

Europe.

exhibition is organised chronologically.

• They say they expect che meeting co

blend (blends, blending, blended)

rig lid ADJ Laws. rules. or systems

have a marked impact on the future

VfRB If you blend ideas, pol1cies, or

that are rigid cannot be changed or

of the country. • The maJor Impact

styles. you use them together 1n order

vaned, and are therefore considered

of this epidemic worldwide IS yet to

to ach1eve something. • His 'cosmic

to be rather severe. • Several colleges

come. • When an executive comes

vis1on' is to blend Christianity wl/h

m our study have rigid rules about

mto a new job, he wants to quickly

'the wisdom of all world religions'

student conduct. • Hospital routines

make an impact.

• . . . a band that blended jazz, folk and

for nurses are very rigid.

im petu ous ADJ If you describe

class1cal music.

someone as impetuous, you mean

en counlter (encounters) N-COUNT

that they are likely to act quiCkly

An encounter with someone IS a

and suddenly Without thmkmg or

meeting w1th them, particularly one

be1ng careful. • He was young and

that IS unexpected or significant • The

U n it 6

impetuous. • He tended to react in a

author tells of a remarkable encounter

heated and Impetuous way

with a group of South Vietnamese

em ph at ic ADJ An emphatic

re mote (remoter, remotest) ADJ If

soldiers.

response or statement 1s one made 1n

you descnbe someone as remote.

chat ty ADJ A chatty style of writmg

a forceful way, because the speaker

you mean that they behave as if they

or talking is friendly and 1nformal.

feels very strongly about what they are

do not want to be fnendly or closely

• He wrote a chatty letter to his wife.

• His response was immediate

1nvolved with other people. • She

and emphatic. • I answered both

looked so beautiful, and at the same

questions w1th an emphatic 'Yes'.

time so remote. • re mote ness

N·UNCOUNT • His remoteness was

en gag ing ADJ An engaging person

resented.

or thmg IS pleasant, Interesting, and

Unit 5

enterta1n1ng. • .. one of her most

engaging and least known novels.

• He was engaging company.

inJcenltive (incentives) N-VAR If

somcth1ng is an incentive to do

or gan ic ADJ Organic change or

Unit 4

someth1ng, it encourages you to do

development happens gradually

1t • There IS little or no incentive

and naturally rather than suddenly.

ac knowl edge ment

to adopt such measures. • Many

(formal) • .. to manage the company

compames in Britain are keen on the

and supervise 1ts organic growth.

(acknowledgements) also

1dea of tax incentives for R&D.

acknowledgment N-COUNT An

milejstone (milestones) N-couNr

acknowledgement is a letter or

ocJcu rl renee (occurrences) N-COUNT

A milestone IS an 1mportant event

message that you receive from

An occurrence is something that

in the history or development of

someone, telling you that something

happens. (formal) • Complaints

something 01 someone. • He said

you have sent to them has arrived.

seemed to be an everyday occurrence.

the launch of the party represented

• I have received neither an

• The food queues have become a

a milestone in Zambian history.

acknowledgment nor a reply.

daily occurrence across the country

• Startmg school is a milestone for

dif fer en ti ate

both children and parents.

(differentiates,

de due tive ADJ Deductive reason1ng

differentiating, differentiated) VERB If

mvolves draw1ng conclusions logically

re sili ent ADJ People and th1ngs

you differentiate between th1ngs

from other th1ngs that are already

that are resilient are able to recover

or 1f you differentiate one tiling

known. (formal) • She didn't seem at

easily and quickly from unpleasant

from another, you recogn1ze or show

all 1mpressed by his deductive powers.

or damag1ng events. • George Fraser

the difference between them. • A

was clearly a good soldier. calm

in due tive

child may not differentiate between

ADJ Inductive reason1ng 1s

and resilient • When the U.S. stock

h1s Imagination and the real world.

based on the process of mduction.

market collapsed in October 7 987, the

• At th1s age your baby cannot

chronojlogijcal ADJ If things are

Japanese stock market was the most

differentiate one person from another.

descnbed or shown in chronological

resilient. • re sili ence N-UNCOUNT • ...

emer1gence

the resilience of human beings to fight

N-uNcouNT The

order, they are described or

after they've been attacked.

emergence of something is the

shown in the order in which they

Glossary

1 03

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

over haul (overhauls, overhauling,

treated with the utmost seriousness.

• You should proceed with the utmost

Unit 7

overhauled) VERB If you overhaul a

system or method, you examine 1t

caution. • Utmost care must be taken

carefully and make many changes

not to spill any of the contents.

coi!Jabo ra tive ADJ A collaborative

111 it 1n order to 1mprove it. • The

re gret (regrets, regretting, regretted)

p1ece of work is done by two or

government said it wanted to

VERB You can say that you regret

more people or groups workmg

overhaul the employment trainmg

someth1ng as a pohte way of saying

together (formal) • .a collaborative

scheme to make it cost effect1ve.

that you are sorry about it. You use

research project. • The Frrst Day'

• The legal system needs to be

expressions such as I regret to say

1s therr fim collaborative album.

overhauled N-coum • Overhaul IS

or I regret to inform you to show

• col labo ra tive ly ADV • He was

also a noun. • The study says there

that you are sorry about something.

not the kmd of art1st who worked

must be a complete overhaul of air

• 'I very much regrec the injuries he

collaboratively.

traffic control systems

sustained, · he sa1d. • I regret that

dar ity N·UNCOUNT The clarity

che United States has added its voice

of someth1ng such as a book or

to such protests. • Her lack of coargument IS 1ts quahty of be1ng well

operation is nothmg new. I regret to

explamed and easy to understand. • ...

say. • I regret to mform you he d1ed as

the ease and clarity w1th which the

Unit 8

a consequence of h1s mjuries

author explains difficult technical and

budg et ary ADJ A budgetary

scientific subjects.

di rect ADJ If you describe a person or

matter or policy IS concerned w1th the

vague (vaguer, vaguest) ADJ If

their behav1our as direct, you mean

amount of money that IS ava1lable to

someth1ng written or spoken IS

that they are honest and open, and

a country or organ1zat1on, and how

vague, it does not expla1n or express

say exactly what they mean. • He

it IS to be spent. (formal) • There

th1ngs clearly. • A lot of the talk was

avoided giving a dtrect answer • The

are huge budgetary pressures on all

apparently vague and general. • The

new songs are more direct. • No

governments in Europe to reduce their

descnption was pretty vague. •

direct reference was made to the

armed forces.

vague information.

call by the Foreign Office mmister.

as ser tive

• di rect ness N·UNCOUNT • Using '/'

ADJ Someone who 1s

adds directness to a piece of wrttmg.

assertive states the1r needs and

• '/ like Rupert enormously. ' she said,

opmions clearly, so that people take

with a directness which made Pat

not1ce. • Women have become more

Unit 9

flush.

assertive m the past decade • .an

assertive style of management

omit (omits, omitting, omitted) VERB II

straight forward ADJ II you

har mo ny

you omit to do something, you do

N-UNCOUNT If people are

descnbe a person or the1r behav1our

not do it. (formal) • His new gtrlfriend

hvmg in harmony with each other,

as straightforward. you approve

had om1tted to tell him she was

they are livmg together peacefully

of them because they are honest

married.

rather than fightmg or argu1ng

and direct, and do not try to hide

• We must try to ftve m peace and

neultral ADJ If someone speaks 1n

their feelings. • She is very blunt,

harmony w1th ourselves and those

a neutral vo1ce or 1f the express1on

very straightforward and very

around us. • He projected himself as

on the1r face is neutral, they do

honest. • I was impressed by his

the protector of nat1onal umty and

not show what they are thmking or

straightforward mtelligent manner.

harmony.

feehng.

•

• Isabel put her magazine

straight forward ly • His daughter

say.s straightforwardly that he was not

ori ent ed

down and said in a neutral voice,

or orientated ADJ II

'You're very late, darling.· • He told

good enough.

someone is oriented towards or

her about the death. describmg the

oriented to a particular th1ng or

layler (layers) N-COUNT If something

events m as neutral a manner as he

person, they are mamly concerned

such as a system or an idea has many

could

with that thing or person. • It seems

layers, it has many different levels or

almost inevitable that North Afncan

uti most ADJ You can use utmost

parts. • ... an astounding ten layers

economies will still be primarily

to emphasize the Importance or

of staff between the factory worker

oriented towards Europe. • Most

senousness of somethmg or to

and the chief executive. • Critics and

students here are onented to

emphas1ze the way that it is done

the public puzzle out the layers of

computers.

• It is a matter of the utmost urgency

meaning in his photos.

to find out what has happened to

jus1ti fi ca tion fjustifications) N-VAR

these people. • Security marcers are

A justification for something is an

Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 7-1 1

acceptable reason or explanation for

a period of time into something

approval for an aid package for

1t. • To me the only justification for

d1fferent and usually more advanced.

Moscow. • The chairman has also

a zoo is educational. • I knew from

• ...

a tiny airline which eventually

gwen his approval for an investigation

/he beginning that there was no

evolved into Pakistan International

into the case. • The proposed

justification for what I was doing.

Airlines. • Popular music evolved from

modifications met with widespread

negjli gent

folk songs. • As medical knowledge

approval.

ADJ If someone in a

evolves, beliefs change. • This was

position of responsibility is negligent,

asjsurjance (assurances) N-VAR If you

when he evolved the working method

they do not do something which they

give someone an assurance that

from which he has never departed.

ought to do. • The jury determined

something is true or will happen, you

that the airline was negligent in

sublstiltute (substitutes) N-COUNT

say that it is definitely true or will

training and supervising the crew.

A substitute is something that you

definitely happen, in order to make

• The Council had acted in a negligenl

have or use instead of something

them feel less worried. • He would

manner. • neg li gentlly ADV • A

else. • She is seeking a substitute for

like an assurance that other forces

manufacturer negligently made and

the very man whose departure made

will not move into the territory that

marketed a car with defective brakes.

her cry. • ... tests on humans to find

h is forces vacate. • He will have been

fitting

a blood substitute made from animal

pleased by Marshal Yazov's assurance

ADJ Someth1ng that is fitting

blood.

of the armed forces' loyalty.

is right or suitable. • A solitary man,

it was perhaps fitting /hat he should

inter act (interacts, interacting,

ac!claim (acclaims, acclaiming,

have died alone. • The President's

interacted) VERB When people interact

acclaimed) VERB If someone or

address was a fitting end to a biller

with each other or interact, they

something is acclaimed, they are

campaign. • fit;ting ly ADV • ... /he

communicate as they work or spend

pra1sed enthusiastically. (formal) • She

four-storeyed, and fittingly named,

time together. • While the other

has been acclaimed for the TV drama

Htgh House. • Fittingly. she will spend

children interacted and played

'Prime Suspect'. • He was acclaimed

her year off training her voice to sing

together. Ted ignored them. • ...

as England's greatest modern painter.

blues and jazz.

rhymes and songs to help parents

• The group's debut album was

interact with their babies.

immediately acclaimed a hip hop

sole ADJ The sole thing or person of a

• inter acjtion (interactions) N-VAR

classic. • aciclaimed ADJ • She has

particular type is the only one of that

• Th is can sometimes lead to

published six highly acclaimed novels.

type. • Their sole aim is to destabilize

somewhat superficial interactions with

the Indian government.

overlall ADJ You use overall to

other people. • ... our experience of

1ndicate that you are talking about

informal social interaction among

a situat1on 1n general or about the

adults.

whole of someth1ng. • ... the overall

ob1serv able ADJ Something that is

rise in unemployment. • Cut down

your overall amount of physical

Unit 10

observable can be seen. • Mars is

too faint and too low in the sky to be

activity. • It is usually the woman who

observable.

assumes overall care of the baby. ADV

overjcome (overcomes, overcoming,

• Overall is also an adverb. • Overall,

overcame)

Unit 1 1

! like Connie. I think she's great.

The form overcome is used in the

• Overall / was disappointed. • The

present tense and is also the past

college has few ways to assess the

clarilfy

participle.

(clarifies, clarifying, clarified)

quality of education overall.

vmo To clarify something means to

VERB If you overcome a problem or

make it easier to understand, usually

uri gent ADJ If something is urgent.

a feeling, you successfully deal w1th it

by explaining it in more detail. (formal)

1t needs to be dealt with as soon as

and control it. • Molly had fought and

poss1ble.

• Thank you for writing and allowing

• There is an urgent need

overcome her fear of flying. • Fti1d a

me to clarify the present position.

for food and water. • He had urgent

way to overcome your difficulties.

business in New York. • ur gen cy

• A bank spokesman was unable to

ex pres sian

N UNCOUNT • The urgency of finding a

(expressions) N-COUNT

clarify the situation. • clari fi ca tion

wre attracted some of the best minds

An expression is a word or phrase.

(clarifications) N·VAR • The union

•

m medical science. • It is a matter of

She spoke in a quiet voice bul used

has written to Zurich asking for

utmost urgency.

remarkably coarse expressions.

clarification of the situation.

evolve

lilaise (liaises, liaising, liaised) VERB

(evolves, evolving, evolved)

aplprovlal N-UNCOUNT If you win

When organizations or people liaise,

VERB If something evolves or you

someone's approval for something

or when one organization liaises

evolve it, it gradually develops over

that you ask for or suggest, they agree

to it. • ... efforts to win congressional

with another, they work together and

Glossary

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

keep each other informed about what

inflammation of the eyeball which

susjtain able ADJ You use

is happening. • Detectives are liaising

needs prompt treatment.

sustainable to describe the use of

with Derbyshire police following the

fuljfil ment

natural resources when this use is kept

also fulfillment

bomb explosion early today • The

at a steady level that is not likely to

N·UNCOUNT The fulfilment of a

three groups will all lia ise with each

promise. threat. request. hope, or duty

damage the environment. • ... the

other to help the child. • Social

management. conservation and

IS the event or ad of it happening

services and health workers liaise

or being made to happen. • Visiting

sustainable development of forests.

closely.

Angkor was the fulfilment of a

• Try to buy wood that you know has

childhood dream.

come from a sustainable source.

• sus!tainjabil ity N·UNCOWT • ... the

time frame (time frames) N-COUNT The

growing concern about environmental

time frame of an event is the length

sustainability. • sus tainjably ADV

Unit 1 2

of time dunng which it happens or

• It wants timber to come, where

develops. (formal) • The time frame

possible, from sustainably managed

within which all this occurred was

sources.

tempjta tion (temptations) N-VAR If

from September 1985 to March 1986.

you feel you want to do something

misjsion

• Discussions at the U.N. could include

N-SING If you say that you

or have something, even though

a time frame for action.

have a mission, you mean that you

you know you really should avoid

have a strong commitment and sense

it, you can refer to this feeling as

of duty to do or ach1eve something.

temptation. You can also refer to

• He viewed h is mission

the th1ng you want to do or have as

in life as protecting the weak from

a temptation. • Will they be able to

the evil. • There is an enormous sense

resist the temptation to buy? • ... the

Unit 1 3

of mission in his speech and gesture.

many temptations to which you will

conjsti tute (constitutes, constituting,

be exposed.

denjsity (densities) N·VAR Density

constituted) V·LINK If something

tranjsijtion

is the extent to which someth1ng is

(transitions) N-VAR

constitutes a particular thing,

filled or covered with people or things.

Transition is the process in which

it can be regarded as being that

• ... a law which restricts the density

something changes from one stale

thing. • Testing patients without

of housing. • The region has a very

to another. • The transition to a

their consent would constitute a

high population density. • ... areas

multi-party democracy is proving to be

professional and legal offence.

with high densities of immigrant

difficult. • ... a period of transition.

• The vote hardly constitutes a

populations.

victory. • What constitutes abuse?

abjrupt ADJ Someone who IS abrupt

imjpress (impresses, impressing,

speaks in a rather rude, unfnendly

under ly ing ADJ The underlying

impressed) VERB If something

way. • He was abrupt to the point

features of an obJect. event. or

impresses you, you feel great

of rudeness. • Cross was a little

situation are not obvious. and 1t may

admiration for it. • What impressed

taken aback by her abrupt manner.

be difficult to discover or reveal them.

him most was their speed. • ... a group

• abjrupt Jy ADV • 'Good night. then. '

• To stop a problem you have to

of students who were trying to

she said abruptly. • ab rupt ness

understand its underlying causes.

impress their girlfriends. • Cannon's

N·UNCOUNT • I think Simon was hurt by

• I think that the underlying problem

film impresses on many levels.

your abruptness this afternoon

is education. unemployment and bad

• im pressed ADJ • I was very

housing.

round off PHRASAL vERB If you round

impressed by one young man at my

off an ad1vity with something, you

lectures. • I'm very impressed with the

end the activity by doing something

new a1rport • He went away suitably

that provides a clear or satisfadory

1m pressed.

conclusion to it. • The Italian way is

fragjment (fragments, fragmenting,

to round off a meal with an ice

Unit 1 4

fragmented) VERB If something

cream. • ... a dazzling firework d1splay

fragments or is fragmented, it

which rounded off a lovely day. • This

skim

breaks or separates mto small pieces

(skims, skimming, skimmed) VERB If

rounded the afternoon off perfectly.

or parts. • The clouds fragmented

you skim a piece of writing. you read

• He rounds off by proposing a toast

and out came the sun. • Fierce

through it quickly. • He skimmed the

to the attendants.

rivalries have traditionally fragmented

pages quickly. then read them again

prompt ADJ A prompt act1on is done

the region. • By the first century

more carefully • I only had time to

without any delay. • It is not too late,

BC. Buddhism was in danger of

skim through the script before I flew

but prompt action is needed. • ... an

fragmenting into small sects.

over here.

106 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 1 2- 1 6

Ia bel (labels, labelling, labelled)

stick to If you stick to rules, you

AM. use labeling, labeled

do what they say you must do.

Unit 1 6

• Obviously we are disappomted

VERB If somethmg is label led, a label

but the committee could do nothing

1s attached to it giv1ng 1nformat1on

less chan stick to the rules. • Police

proofjread (proofreads, proofreading)

about it. • The stuff has never

must stick to the highest standards

also proof-read VERB When someone

been properly Jogged and labelled.

tf they are to win back public

proofreads something such as

• Meat labelled 'Scotch Beef' sells

confidence.

a book or an art1cle, they read it

for a premium in supermarkets.

before 11 is published in order to find

• All the products are labelled with

time-consuming also time

and mark m1stakcs that need to be

comprehensive instructions.

consuming ADJ If something is

corrected. • I didn't even have the

time-consuming, it takes a lot of

scan (scans, scanning, scanned) VERB

chance co proofread my own report.

t1me. • It's JUSt very time consuming

When you scan written material, you

to get such a large quantity of

acjcujrajcy N·UNCOuNT The accuracy

look through 1t quickly in order to find

data • Starting a new business.

of informat1on or measurements is

1mportant or mteresting 1nformat1on.

however small, is a time-consuming

the1r quality of being true or corred,

• She scanned the advertisement

exercise.

even 1n small deta1ls. • We cannot

pages of the newspapers. • I haven't

guarantee the accuracy of these

read much into it as yet I've only JUSt

give and take PHRASE If you say

figures.

scanned through it. N·SING • Scan is

that somethmg reqUires give and

also a noun. • I JUSt had a quick scan

take, you mean that people must

over11oad (overloads, overloading,

through your book again.

comprom1se or co-operate for it to be

overloaded) VERB To overload

successful. • ... a happy relationship

someone with work, problems, or

se quence (sequences) N-COUNT A

where there's a lot of give and take.

information means to give them more

particular sequence IS a particular

work, problems, or information than

order 1n wh1ch things happen or are

gain (gains, gaining, gained) VERB If

they can cope with. • ... an effective

arranged. • ... the colour sequence

you gain from something such as

method that will not overload staff

yellow. orange. purple, blue, green

an event or Situation. you get some

with yet more paperwork. N·UNCOUNT

and white. • The chronological

advantage or benef1t from it. • The

• Overload 1s also a noun. • 57 per

sequence gives the book an element

company didn't disclose how much it

cent complained of work overload.

of structure.

expects to gain from the two deals.

• The greatest danger is that we

• There is absolutely nothing to be

am bi gu ity (ambiguities) N·VAR If you

simply create information overload for

gained by feeling bitter. • It is sad that

say that there 1s ambiguity 1n

our executives.

a maJor company should try to gain

somethmg, you mean that it is unclear

from other people's suffering.

thor ough • thorough ly ADv

or confus1ng, or 1t can be understood

• Food that is being offered hoc

1n more than one way. • There is

draft (drafts, drafting, drafted)

muse be reheated thoroughly.

constderable ambigutty about what

N·COUNT A draft 1s an early vers1on of

• ... a thoroughly researched

chis part of the agreement actually

a letter. book. or speech. • I rewrote

and illuminating biography.

means. • . . the ambiguities of

hts rough draft. which was published

• thor ough ly ADV • I thoroughly

language.

under my name. • I faxed a first draft

enjoy your programme. • We returned

or this article to him . • ... a draft report

home thoroughly contented.

from a major U.S. university. • ... a

draft law.

linjear IIDJ A linear process or

development IS one 1n which

firm (firmer, firmest) ADJ If you descnbe

something changes or progresses

Unit 1 5

someone as firm. you mean they

stra1ght from one stage to another.

behave in a way that shows that they

and has a startmg point and an

stream line

are not going to change their m1nd,

(streamlines, streamlining,

cnd1ng po1nt. • Her nove/subverts

or that they are the person who IS

streamlined) vERB To streamline an

the conventions of linear narrative.

1n control. • She had to be firm with

organization or process means to

It has no neat chronology and no

hun. 'I don't want to see you again '

make it more efficient by remov1ng

tdy denouement. • ... the linear view

• Perhaps they need the guiding hand

unnecessary parts of it. • They're

of ttme. with the idea that the pasc

of a firm father figure.

making efforts to streamline chetr

is moving mea che present and che

normally cumbersome bureaucracy.

present into the future.

• They say things should be better

trust (trusts, trusting, trusted) VERB If

now that they have streamlined

you trust someone. you believe that

application procedures.

they are honest and sincere and will 1107

Glossary

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

not deliberately do anything to harm

of somethtng relating to a number of

group of people. • The document

you. • 'I trust you completely. ' he

different countries or groups (mainly

was previously etrculated m New

said.

brit) • The bar chart below shows the

York at the United Nations. • Public

• He did argue m a general way

that the president can't be trusled.

huge growth of U.K. car exports over

employees, teachers and liberals are

• trust ed ADJ • After speaking to a

the past few years.

circulating a petition for h1s recall.

group of her most trusted advisers.

AM, use bar graph

• Th is year anonymous leaflets have

she turned her anger mto act1on.

been circulatmg m Beijing.

post pone

ra tion al ADJ Rational decistons and

(postpones, postponing,

brev ity N-UNCOUtjT The brevity of

thoughts are based on reason rather

postponed) VERB If you postpone an

something IS the fact that 11 IS short

than on emot1on. • He's asking you

event, you delay 11 or arrange for 11

or lasts for only a short lime. (formal)

to look at both sides of the case and

to take place at a later tune than was

• The bonus of th1s homely soup is

come to a rational decision. • Mary

origmally planned

the brevity of its cooking ttme • The

• He dec1ded lo

was able to short-circuit her stress

poslpone the expedition until the

brevity of the letter concerned me.

response by keeptng her thoughts

followmg day • The vis1t has now

calm and rational

back up If someone or something

been postponed indefinitely

com mon al ity

backs up a statement, they supply

(commonalities)

evidence to suggest that it IS true

I•·VAR Commonality IS used to refer

• Radio signals received from the

to a feature or purpose that IS shared

galaxy's centre back up the black hole

by two or more people or thtngs.

lheory. • Her views are backed up by a

Unit 1 7

(formal) • We don't have the same

7989 Home Office report on crime.

commonality of interest. • There are

an amazmg number of commonalities

sumlmary (summaries) N-COUNT A

between systems.

summary of somethtng IS a short

account of 11, whiCh gtves the main

points but not the details. • What

Unit 1 9

follows is a brief summary of the

process. • Here's a summary of the

shift (shifts, shifting, shifted) VERB If

day's news.

Unit 1 8

• Milligan g1ves a fa1r

you shift something or if it shifts, it

summary of his subject within a

moves slightly. • He stopped, shifting

relatively short space PHHASt You use

agen da (agendas) N·COUNT An

his cane to his left hand. • He shifted

in summary to indtcate that what

agenda IS a list of the items that have

from foot to foot. • The entlfe pile

you are about to say is a summary of

to be dtscussed at a meeting. • Thts

shifted and slid, thumping onto the

what has JUSt been sa1d • In summary,

1s sure to be an ttem on the agenda

floor. • .

11 is my opinion that this complete

.. the squeak of his boots in

next week. • Htgh on the agenda

the snow as he shifted his weight.

treatment process was very successful

of tomorrow's meeting will be the

COn cJu Sion

turmoil m Japan.

blank (blanks, blanking, blanked) ADJ

(conclusions) tj- OliNT

Somethmg that IS blank has nothing

When you come to a conclusion, you

chair tiLOUNT The person who IS the

on it. • We could put some of the

dectde that someth1ng IS true after

chair of a committee or meetmg is

pictures over on that blank wall over

you have thought about 11 carefully

the person 1n charge of it. • She is

there. • He tore a blank page from his

and have considered all the relevant

the chair of the Defense Advtsory

notebook. • ... blank cassettes

facts. • Over the years I've come to

Commmee on Women in the Military

the conclusion that she's a very great

scroll (scrolls, scrolling, scrolled) VERB If

prin Ci pal (principals) ADJ

musician.

Principal

• I have tried to give some

you scroll through text on a computer

1dea of how I feei-<Jther people will no

means first m order of 1mportance.

screen. you move the text up or down

doubt draw their own conclusions.

• The principal reason for my change

to find the information that you need.

of mmd is th1s. • ... the country's

pie chart

(computing) • I scrolled down to find

(pie charts) N-coum A pie

prinetpal source of foreign exchange

'United States of America'.

chart is a circle d1v1ded 1nto sections

earnings. • Their principal concern is

to show the relat1ve proportions of a

bound to be that of winning the next

sprin kle (sprinkles, sprinkling,

set of thmgs.

general election.

sprinkled) VERB If something is

bar chart

sprinkled with particular thtngs, it

(bar charts) r, coum A bar

cir cu late (circulates, circulating,

has a few of them throughout 11 and

chart IS a graph whiCh uses parallel

circulated) VERB If a ptece of wnung

they are far apart from each other.

rectangular shapes to represent

circulates or is circulated, cop1es

• Unfortunately. the text IS sprmkled

changes in the size, value. or rate of

of 11 are passed round among a

with errors.

somethmg or to compare the amount

• Men m green army

108 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 1 7-20

uniforms are sprinkled throughout the

sue cess (successes) N-UNCOUNT Success

huge auditonum.

Unit 20

IS the ach1evement of somethmg that

dis claim er (disclaimers) N·COUNT

you have been try1ng to do. • It's

A disclaimer is a statement in wh1ch

important for the long-term success

strength (strengths) N-VAR Someone's

a person says that they d1d not know

of any diet that you vary your meals

strengths are the qualities and

about someth1ng or that they are not

• ... the success of European business

abJiit1es that they have which are an

responsible for someth1ng. (formal)

in buildmg a stronger partner.ship

advantage to them, or wh1ch make

between management and worker.s.

• The di

sclaimer asserts that the

them successful. • Take into account

company won't be held responsible

your own strengths and weaknesses.

downlplay (downplays, downplaying,

for any inaccuracies.

down played) VERB If you downplay

• Vi

sion and ambition are his great

stand ard ize (standardizes,

strengths. • Tact was never Mr

a fact or feature. you try to make

standardizing, standardized)

Moore's strength.

people think that 11 1s less important

• Organisation is

or serious than it really is. • The

in BRIT. also use standardise

the strength of any good army • The

book's strength lay in its depiction of

government is trying to downplay the

VERB To standardize th1ngs means

present-day Tokyo.

violence. • .. to downplay the dangers

to change them so that they all have

of nuclear acodents.

the same features. • There IS a drive

weak (weaker, weakest) ADJ Your

virtu ous

both co standardise components

weak po1nts are the qualities or

ADJ If you descnbe

and to reduce the number of models

talents you do not possess, or the

someone as virtuous, you mean that

on offer.

thmgs you are not very good at.

they have done what they ought to do

• He feels standardi

zed

• You

education does not benefit those

may very well be asked what your

and feel very pleased with themselves,

children who are e1ther below

weak points are. Don't try to claim

perhaps too pleased. • I cleaned the

or above average mtelligence.

you don't have any • Geography was

flat, which left me feelmg virtuous.

my weak subject.

• vi r tu ous ly ADV • 'I've already

• stand ardi za tion N-UNCOUNT • ...

• His short stories

the standardisation of working hours

tend to be weak on plot.

done that, ' sa1d Ronnie virtuously

m Commumty countries.

• weak ness N-VAR • His only

pat (pats, patting, patted) If you give

weakness is his temperament.

ad ap ta tion (adaptations)

someone a pat on the back or if you

• There's some weakness m their

pat them on the back, you show

N-UNCOUNT Adaptation IS the act of

teaching ability

chang1ng something or changing your

them that you think they have done

behav1our to make 11 su1table for a

weak ness (weaknesses) N·COUNT If

well and deserve to be pra1sed. • The

new purpose or SituatiOn.

you have a weakness for something,

players deserve a pat on the back. • If

• Most

!tvmg creatures are capable of

you like 1t very much, although th1s

you do something well, give your.self a

adaptauon when compelled to

IS perhaps surpns1ng or undesirable.

pat on the back.

do so.

• Stephen h1mself had a weakness for

cats • H1s one weakness, apart from

aeroplanes, is 1ce cream.

Glossary

109

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

ANSWER KEY

U NIT 1

D

Please only send in your defective LCD display

1

(advance) planning

together with its stand and the external power

2 (advance) reservations

adapter (without its power cord). You will be charged

3 all meet (together)

for extra shipping costs in case we need to send back

4 (basic) fundamentals

any accessories which you sent to us in error.

5 cheap (price)

Yours sincerely

6 (close) proximity

7 (difficult) challenge

Electronic Computer Services

8 (each and) every OR each (and every)

9 (end) result

ll

1 0 estimated (roughly) at

II The content is:

1 1 (general) public

• too detailed, as the information repeats what the

1 2 (past) experience

reader can expect to find in the CV

1 3 reason is (because)

• m1ssing information about personality and soft skills

1 4 (regular) routine

1 5 (unexpected) surprise

m The content IS:

• too brief

• too vague

Dear customer

II

We have received your request to return the faulty

II

monitor,

Suggested content:

We will process th1s as fast as possible. In order to

• Give a general overview of your suitability

provide a quick and reliable service, we kindly ask

• Point out your specific experience in relation to

you to follow these instructions closely:

the position

Within the next twelve hours, you will receive two

• Give informat1on about awards and special

e-mails from GTS. In the first e-mail you will find a link

responsibilities

to a GTS return label. Please print out this label with

• Include information about your personality and

a laser printer. "' • • * * * * * • * * * * * * * * * * * . With this

soft skills

number you can track the delivery status of your item

on the internet.

Model email

Please pack your defective device into its original

Dear Mr Smith

packag1ng. Aftervvards please clearly stick the return

label or. the box

When

I am responding to your advertisement in The Daily

your parcel is ready for collection, please call GTS to

Observer of 8 January 201 1 , regarding the Automotive

arrange for collection. * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * *

Sales Representative position. Attached is my CV,

showing my education, experience, and background.

Make sure you pack your defective device in the

original packaging. If you don't have the original

(Give a general overview of your suitability)

packaging or any other secure packaging for

As you will see from my CV, I gained a degree

transportation, contact us by email so that we

in Business Administration. During my final year

can provide you with suitable packaging.

I specialised in sales and marketing, areas that I

became particularly interested in. A her graduation,

1 1 0 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 1-2

I decided to follow a career in sales and marketing.

•

Pomt out your specifiC experience in relat1on to the

You will find more details 1n my CV.

1ntern posit1on

• Include awards and scholarships to show you are a

(Point out your specific experience in relation to

suitable cand1date

the position)

In relation to the specific requirements listed 1n the

advertisement, I have five years' experience in the

Model email

sales and marketing field. From this I developed

s�ills in �Ianning and advertising, organising events,

Dear Ms Bryant

d1stnbut1on. and sponsorship. In addition, 1 have

experience of working within the motor industry,

I would like to apply for the scientific research

as a sales executive at the Q Cars dealership network.

internship that was advertised in the University Career

Services Office.

(Give information about awards and special

responsibilities)

(Write why you want the internship)

Throughout my sales and marketing career 1 have won

I believe that this position will help me gain the

top sales awards, and, in my last job, was involved

necessary experience to find a JOb as a laboratory

m

training other sales representatives in specific sales

researcher in the field of environmental risk analysis.

techniques to increase their sales.

(Point out your specific experience in relation to the

(Include information about your personality and soft

intern position)

skills).

The attached CV shows the details of my education

I am regarded as an outgomg person who can talk to

and practical skills. In particular, I would like to point

people at all levels and have been complimented on

out that I have already gained laboratory experience

my ability both to communicate clearly with and listen

in chemistry, biology, and geology, both indoors and

to others. I have recognised that I also enjoy working

in the field. In the lab, I have performed chemical

w1th the public, demonstrating products, and educating

reactions and I am currently using microscopes to

others in their uses. I believe I would excel in automotive

observe many specimens. In environmental field

sales because I find sales a challenging and rewarding

studies, I have conducted outdoor experiments to

career.

assess water chemistry.

I

(Include awards and scholarships to show you are a

hope my application will be of interest to you.

suitable candidate)

I am available to come in for interview at a mutually

conven1ent time. I look forward to hearing from you.

During my final year at university, I gained a distinction

for my practical work in soil investigation.

Yours sincerely

I hope my application will be of i nterest to you.

Mary Green

I am available to come in for interview at a mutually

convenient time. I look forward to hearing from you.

�� Suggested content:

Yours sincerely

•

Write why you want the internship

Sarah Bentley

UNIT 2

D

Suggested improvement

Why is it difficult to understand?

During three years at XYl and four years at ABC 1 built

up a broad fundamental knowledge of food science

• Too much technical deta1l

and process1ng. As I w1shed to extend my activities

• Complex vocabulary

through to product completion, I needed to be able

to communicate with both the scientifically-focused,

•

Long sentences

laboratory-based personnel and the process-driven

pilot plant research groups. In the International

working environments at XYZ and ABC, I gained the

necessary interpersonal skills to reduce cultural and

scientific misunderstandings. In addition, 1 used my

1111

Answer key

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

language skills fully to achieve optimal project results

• Suggested improvement

and friendly work1ng relationships.

Our new product has the followmg features:

• latest technology

• easy to use

Why is it difficult to understand?

•

1nnovat1ve

• Long sentences

•

robust

• Too much techn1cal detail

• flexible

• Too many abbreviations

It delivers h1gh performance and can easily be adapted

to client needs.

Suggested improvement

This year we have reviewed our quality improvement

plan m order to focus on and align with the new

Why is it difficult to understand?

Blueprint For Excellence. As a result, we are workmg

towards meeting future expectations. This will enable

• Complexity of vocabulary

us to produce a document that is easier to use and

• Sentence length

adapt in the future. We expect that this will meet with

• Sentence structure

the approval of the Business Growth Designers Forum

(BGDF).

Suggested improvement

II

If anything happens, it's not our fault.

Why is it difficult to understand?

• Jargon

UNIT 3

D

The four-box document plan

1. Recommend new system

2. Why change?

Concern about selection of most suitable

Old system

suppliers - price and quality

- Based on local suppliers

Recommend introduction of new evaluation

system for suppliers

- List main disadvantages

Replace existing system with more transparent

New system

system

- Use e-procurement

Results: more transparency and savings

- List main advantages

3. Detailed information

4. What next?

Categories for supplier evaluation

Directors to review new system

Procedure for Introduction

Discussion at next meeting

Changes to documentation

Decision on implementation within four weeks

Training in use of new system

Proposed timescale for implementation

1 1 2 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N IT 3

Categories for supplier evaluation

II

Suggested key

1 . Introduction

2. Benefits of home-working

• Original report

•

Improvement in customer service

•

Current proposal

•

Savings in accommodation (space and cost)

•

Positive implications for recruitment and

retention of staff

•

Opportunity to balance work with other aspects

of their life, in particular care responsibilities

•

Opportunity for individuals previously unable to

enter or remain in work

•

Fewer office interruptions results in increased

productivity

3. Challenges of home-working

4. Conclusions and next steps

•

Stay focused on the job; avoid distractions

Home-working can:

•

Stick to designated hours

•

Increase efficiency and cost savings

•

Set up a work phone number and email address;

•

Maintain and even improve performance

only give details out to clients and potential

customers

•

'Cost benefit analysis report' attached

•

Further detailed discussions will be needed

• Turn off personal mobile phone and let the home

before offering home-working to new groups

phone go to the answering machine

of employees

•

Plan work and social life separately

•

Group consultation with department heads

4 September 201 1

•

Before meeting, department heads to familiarise

selves with attached documentation

Answer key

1 1 3

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 4

D

to draw attention to the issues that really matter to

you and maybe even start the wheels of change. We

will of course also use your feedback to see how we

Dear Nick

can also help you to overcome some of the issues you

currently experience as a saver.

Many thanks for getting back to me so promptly. It's

great to hear that you are interested in working with us.

Win £50 Harwells vouchers

Apologies for my delay in replying. I was unwell last week.

As a thank you, on completing the survey you can

enter our free prize draw to win one of twenty £50

With regards to timing and details, we plan to have

Harwells gift vouchers.

the main tasks for this project ready by the middle of

October. We would send you the task list then, and

Your opinion is important - join Maxi more

would like you to devtse a number of categories wtth

Customer Survey Panel

which to label certain key business categories. We

You will also have the opportunity to JOin our new

would like to receive the list, arranged accordtng to

Customer Survey Panel. Jotning our Panel means you

category, by the middle of November. Please could you

will exclusively be invited to take part in future surveys

let me know whether this would be acceptable to you.

and have your say on other issues which affect you.

And of course, you'll have the chance to win even

We are still looktng into your suggestion about the

more vouchers.

scope of the additional notes. At this stage, we have

not made a final decision. I plan to discuss thts wtth

Complettng the survey is simple and your answers

my team next week and aim to send you more details

are anonymous. Just click on the link and follow the

over the next two weeks.

tnstructions online. The survey is open until midnight

Sunday 24 October 201 1 .

Please could you let me know whether you would be

interested in worktng on the main tasks, as outlined

Thank you in advance for your time and feedback.

above. For the additional notes, I realise you don't

have much information yet and may not be able to

Kind regards

give us an answer.

Annetta Sherbourne

I look forward to hearing from you.

Customer Relations Manager

With best wishes

Lisa

Dear Mr Henley

Thank you for your recent claim for reimbursement of

expenses, tncurred as a result of the disruption to your

Dear Mr Bennett

flight from Rotaronga to London Heathrow. We wtsh

to assure you that we did everything tn our power

There can be no denying that we are experiencing

to minimise the consequences for all passengers.

times of unprecedented economic uncertainty. As a

Therefore we deeply regret that we were unable to

new UK bank, Maximore believe it's vital that we really

assist you as much as we would have wished tn this

understand the issues that savers are confronted with

difficult situation. We apologise for any inconvenience

today. Which is why I'm wnting to invite you, as a

you experienced as a result.

valued Maximore Savings customer, to take part in

our first Customer Survey.

As the flight irregularities that occurred were clearly

due to 'force majeure', we are only able to offer you

Make your voice heard in just a few minutes

limited financial compensation, based on:

With a few simple questions and a few minutes

of your time, we can begin to understand what

• reasonable expenses tncurred

matters to you. We want to increase awareness in the

• approved recetpts provided

media of the challenges savers face. By sharing your

• costs di rectly linked to travel delays

feedback with selected finanoal journalists we hope

114 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNITS 4-6

Having assessed your claim, and as a gesture of

your experience and we hope that this incident will

goodwill we will credit an amount of GBP1 00 to your

not discourage you and your family from choosing

bank account. In order to make the transfer, could you

Rotarongan International Airlines in your future travel

please provide us with the following information:

arrangements.

• Account name:

Yours sincerely

• Bank name:

Maryam Mobara

• Swift code:

Feedback Management

• IBAN nu mber:

Rotarongan International Airlines Ltd.

We appreciate you taking the time to inform us about

UNIT 5

II

IJ

In short

In addition

too

Suggested key

Obviously

In other words

In particular

1

of course

1 1 naturally

however

Usually

Yet

2 therefore

1 2 clearly

Therefore

For example

I n conclusion

3 first of all

1 3 consequently

For instance

Similarly

but

4 secondly

1 4 alternatively

5 in addition

1 5 finally

EJ

6 in summary

1 6 however

7 normally

but

clearly

alernatively

8 but

In short

For example

also

9 as a result

In other words

therefore

However

1 0 for example

In fact

For instance

UNIT 6

II

renovations lliill we have planned . The quality of the

database is, of course, dependent upon the quality of

Simple

Compound

Complex

the data which has been entered by the Application

1 , 8

7, 1 1 , 1 2

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 1 0

Groups. Data must be reliable and credible so that it can

support analyses within the organisation. It must also

allow, communication to external partners, when this is

relevant. It is, therefore, critical that Application Groups

enter and maintain correct data.

As we are changing the current reporting process, we

must keep a clear record of the number of products

YYhkh we have renewed. This will enable us to monitor

IJ

our progress more closely. So, when the new version of

the XYZ Technical Production Management software is

Suggested key

installed, we will be able to maintain this information

directly within the database. After all technical reports

1

and

7 as

1 3 and

2

have been created within the database, we will be able

when

8 and

1 4 so that

to analyse data directly, which will eliminate the need

3 Although

9 and

1 5 which

to request this information from Application Groups via

4 and

1 0 As

1 6 and

surveys, � it is done today.

5 who

1 1 When

1 7 that

The new technical solution will provide us with global

6 where

1 2 that

1 8 that

visibility on products so that we can see the specific

Answer key

1 1 5

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 7

Suggested answers

Complex

X

Simple/straightforward

X

X

II

II

Direct

X

Indirect

Formal

X

Informal

X

Emotional

X

X

Neutral

X

Distanced

Personal

X

X

Encouraging

X

X

Assert1ve

X

Precise

X

X

Vague

X

Task-oriented

X

Relationship-oriented

X

UNIT S

I am looking forward to seeing you

Formal

II

on 1 7 October

I would appreciate it if you could . . .

1

b

6 a

2

Indirect

d

7 j

I am very pleased that you can . . .

Emotional

3

8 f

The next stage of the process is to

4 c

9 h

Task-oriented

5 e

1 0 g

Don't hes1tate to let me know 1f I can

Complex

be of further assistance.

B

I believe that we should . . .

Encouraging

48 people have indicated that they

Precise

See you next week.

Informal

will attend the forum.

Please . .

Direct

Reference is made to your last email.

Distanced

I t i s good that i t will b e possible for

Neutral

you to . .

Secondly we are going t o . . .

Relationship·

oriented

Dear Dominic

Call m e i f you need any help.

Simple

I am writing to inform you that we are currently

Make sure that you . . .

Assertive

orgamsmg a tra1n1ng sess1on on virtual project

management. I would like to find a suitable date

We expect t o see around 50

Vague

next week. Please could you let me know if Tuesday

participants at the conference.

at 1 6.00 CET is poss1ble for you? If so, it'll give

everyone a chance to participate. We plan to schedule

I am writing in connection with the

Personal

a conference call to bring all the project members

last email that you sent.

together. Please let me know if you require any

techn1cal support.

I hope that you can join us. I look forward to your

response.

Regards

Jamie

1 1 6 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNITS 7-9

However, unfortunately at present we can't increase

our spending on IT services so we won't be able to

take you up on that generous introductory offer. For

Dear Nick

the future, we will monitor the situation and if things

change, I will definitely contact you.

Thanks for your email and your offer of IT support for

our organisation.

Thanks again for contacting us.

I was very impressed by the range of services you

Regards

offer. These do, indeed, match our requirements.

Pavel Stokowicz

UNIT 9

D

Suggested answer

This has been a strong year of recovery, as we

continued to focus on the implementation of the plans

Hello Martin

outlined last year. [g

Our performance over the last year has increased

Thank you for your email. I am writing to confirm

confidence among customers, colleagues, and

the details of our meeting, which will take place on

25

shareholders. IIJ

April from 1 4.00-16.00 in Room 405.

The key to recovery is to increase sales. IIJ

We are on track to hit our target of £256.2 million. IIJ

At the meeting, John and Sarah will present the

As we move forward, we expect to see financial

current status of the project. We would like you

rewards to shareholders arising from improved

to prepare a short presentation about the project

sales performance and our continued focus on cost

resources for the future. The meeting room is

reductions. [g

equipped with a laptop and LCD projector so you

can bring your presentation on a memory stick.

In March, we completed a major refinancing. IIJ

Please let me know if you need any further support.

This provided cost effective long-term finance

recognising the value in our property portfolio.

In other news, Louise Devallois is joining the team as a

At the same time we retain ownership of these

new project member and will be at our meeting next

valuable assets. IIJ

week. She joined the company six months ago with

a background in packaging. She has considerable

At our AGM in July, we will be proposing a new

international experience, which will be very important

incentive framework for

to be put in

for us in the future.

place over the next ten years.

This will build on last year's plan, applying to around

I look forward to seeing you on 25 April.

1 ,000 senior managers in order to retain and motivate

key talent. (g

Regards

Bernard de Haas

The many activities that have taken place this year give

signs that our recovery plan is well on

course.

Once again there has been great change for

everyone. rn

However, there is a real sense now around the

business that the company has renewed enthusiasm

and ambition. (g

This view is also being echoed by many stakeholders

and I would like to thank them, as I did last year, for

their continued support and the part they are playing

in our recovery plan. [g

Answer key

1 1 7

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

IJ

As part of the continuous focus on health and

safety, the company will consult with all employees

Suggested answer

periodically (and not less than twice per year) to check

what additional measures might be taken to increase

It is the policy of our company to take all reasonable

awareness of health and safety 1ssues. These may

steps to ensure the health and safety at work of all

mclude the use of'

employees. In particular, the company will take all

• newsletters

necessary steps to implement the policy by:

• bulletins

• providing a safe working environment

• posters

• mon1toring safe workmg practices

The objective is to ensure that all necessary measures

for all employees. These steps are especially Important

are taken to make our health and safety policy

for those whose activities are carried out in the

effective and to reduce the risk of injury to employees

production area where there is a greater risk of

and contractors.

injury as a result of the industrial processes wh1ch are

central to our operations.

The company will consult w1th the employee

representatives periodically (and not less than four

The attention of all employees IS drawn to the safety

times per year) to take whatever measures may be

rules and procedures. These are displayed:

necessary to ensure:

• throughout the production area

• proper trainmg

• in other locations on the company premises

• superv1s1on

Employees should be aware that disophnary action,

• instructions

mvolving warning, suspension, and even dismissal

of all employees in matters relating to their health and

(in senous cases), will be taken against any employee

safety. All employees therefore have the nght both to

who is found to have violated these rules and

be informed about existing and new measures as well

procedures either intentionally or negligently.

as to be trained to deal with events which could lead

to injury.

UNIT 1 0

D

Dear Mr Brackley

Greeting

Introduction

Reference

Thank you for your email about the laboratory

4, 9, 12

1 ' 6, 1 5

7, 10, 1 3

ass1stant posit1on to work in our research department.

I am writing now to invite you for interview on .

Purpose

Social opening

2, 5, 14

3, 8, 1 1

Dear Ms Shorter

With reference to your last ema1l, I would like to

confirm that the date proposed is fine for me.

1

d

4 b

7 g

2 h

5 a

8 c

Dear Mr Brackley

3 f

6

9 e

Thank you for coming for interview yesterday. We

regret to inform you that you have not been successful

on this occasion. We felt that . . .

IJ

Suggested key

Dear Ms Shorter

I was sorry to read that I have not been chosen for the

Dear Ms Shorter

position of research assistant Thank you for letting me

I recently read your advertisement in the Spottisberg

know

Standard for a laboratory assistant to work in your

research department . . .

1 18 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 1 0- 1 2

UNIT 1 1

II

3 [Expressing urgency or necessity]

It is very tmportant that

1 c

4

7 b

4 [Giving bad news]

2 e

5

8 d

I'm afraid that

3 a

6 h

9 g

5 [Refusing a request]

Unfortunately, we are unable to

6 [Reminding or highlighting]

I'd like to draw your attention to

1

If you're tnterested, I would be happy to . . .

7 [Making suggestions]

2 Please ftnd attached .

We strongly recommend that

3 Could you please explain . . .

8 [Providing documentation]

4 It is very important that . . .

Please find attached

5 You will be deltghted to hear that . . .

6 I am now in a position to confirm . . .

7 I am very sorry that you are unable to . . .

Suggested key

8 I'd like to draw your attention to . . .

9 I would very much like to . . .

I a m now i n a position t o confirm that a budget

has been agreed.

2 It is unlikely that we will be able to fulfil all

II

requirements without exceeding this budget.

Suggested key

3 It is very tmportant that everyone responds to this

memo.

[Confirming]

4 I'm afraid that all training will need to be done on

I am now in a position to confirm

our premises.

2 [Requesting]

5 If you wish, I would be happy to discuss individual

I would appreciate it if you could

requests with any of you.

UNIT 1 2

II

2. Turnover

Next steps

Pre-close 1 :

Pre-close 2:

Has gone down by 3% - a reflectton of the insecurity

Offering further Friendly sign-off

tn employment market. (b) AF to monitor the posttion

assistance

and report back at next meeting.

4, 9, 1 1

1 , 1 2 , 1 5

2, 6, 1 3

3. Sickness

Pre-close 3:

Farewell

Absence remains at 6%. This is considered too htgh.

Final thanks

(i) RP to design a questionnaire to find out more about

3, 7, 1 0

5, 8, 1 4

reasons for absence. (e) Deadline for questionnaire

design: 30 September.

4. Staff development

IB reported on successful Away Day for senior staff.

1 . Recruitment

It was recommended that another Away Day be

I t was noted that 2 2 new positions had been created

timetabled for next spring. (f) HM agreed to contact

and a recruitment drive was under way. There was still

local training organisations to get ideas for themes.

some difficulty in bnnging people into the posts, due

(d) HM to circulate info by 7 December.

to the time taken for pre-employment investigations.

(c) DB to check if this could be reduced. (g) DB to

5. Christmas party

report back at next meeting.

It was suggested that significant savings could be

Answer key

1 1 9

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

made by holdmg the Chnstmas party in the off1ce. This

planners to investigate financial and practical logistics.

would allow more of the reduced budget to be spent

(j) The results to be circulated by 1 September. (a) A

on catenng and entertainment. (h) AF to contact party

decision to be taken at the next meeting.

UNIT 1 3

a

Combined simple sentences to create a longer, more

coherent sentence

Suggested key

2 Created a bulleted list which is easier to understand

and to remember

Dear Mr Johnson,

3 Divided long complex sentence into two sentences

1 am writmg to apply for the assistant position

4 Split a very long paragraph into two separate

advertised in the Evening Post. As requested I am

paragraphs

enclosing my resume. As you will see, I am currently

working as an assistant at Burgil's HQ.

FJ

After obtaining a commercial diploma in 2000, I

worked for 4 years as HR administrative assistant

Today, the growth of affordable technology has

for a local food company. During that time I spent

made business opportunities accessible to almost

2 months in Barcelona learning Spanish. Upon my

anyone with a computer and a connection to the

return, I joined AFV's HR Department as 'on-the-

Internet. In the past, opening a business was a huge

job training' administrative assistant. My main tasks

commitment in terms of finances and risk. Traditional

were the organisation of specific training for the

business owners typically had to give up their jobs,

company's technical personnel worldwide, as well as

negotiate bank loans, and s1gn leases before they

organising language classes for all AFV's employees.

even generated a single penny of turnover. So, it is

Four years later, I joined the Zone Americas HR team,

not surprising that 95% of them faced bankruptcy

where I worked on transfers to the markets and was

within five years. Today, business opportunities are

responsible for welcommg expatriates to the head

available to anyone with ambition who is willing to

office.

put in the time and effort to learn about the world

of e-commerce. Best of all, you can establish an

During the next 7 years, I worked for the Productivity

e-commerce business w1th minimal funds and very

Team as the assistant to a team of 60 people. I was

little risk.

also given the opportunity to work for 5 months at

AFV's Portugal Head Office, where I worked as an

The first step to creating your own e-commerce

assistant to the Public Relation Manager. During the

business is to find your niche. You can do this by

last few years, I have also developed my organisational

examining your hobbies and interests for potential

skills, in particular by organising two workshops per

business ideas; alternatively you can open a business

year with about 1 00 participants.

that is similar to your current job, where you have

insider knowledge. Now that you have a few business

Throughout my past jobs, I have developed my

1deas, it is time to investigate the demand. If you plan

international skills. Thanks to the diversity of

to sell to the general public, you'll want to find out

nationalities. I have also 1mproved my language skills.

how many people are looking for your products or

I am bilingual in French and Italian, fluent in Spanish

services. Next. find out your would-be competitors.

and Portuguese and have a good working knowledge

Check their websites and spend some time exploring

of English.

each one to get an idea of what you are up against.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any

In order to conduct business, you will need to

quest1ons regarding my application.

establish a business entity and go through the various

formalities of registration. When you are registered

I look forward to hearing from you.

as a legitimate business owner, it is time to open

a business bank account. After that. you can start

tlise Boulanger

creating your website. One of the keys to successful

e-commerce busmesses is a professional website.

Remember that your website is the first and often the

only impression your visitors will have of your business.

1 20 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 1 3-14

UNIT 14

II

• continued economic downturn

• high proportion of fixed costs

Turnover

• out-of-date products

Our revenue has continued to grow for the 9th

consecutive year. Although sales have only achieved

• fluctuations in currency exchange rates

growth of 1 %, this is still an excellent achievement

considering the world economy during this period.

People

We have a very dedicated team that is focused on

Operating costs

creating the best possible service we can provide. I

We have focused on our costs this year and have

would like to thank them all for the hard work and

chosen to be quite defensive. Our targets have been

commitment over the past year.

to:

• reduce hiring

El

• re-engineer our products

• refocus our marketing efforts

Suggested key

• drive our cost base down.

The difficult times have made this necessary and our

New Finance Opportunities'

overall performance has been improved by our new

A recent report by the Chicago Institute of Bankers,

finance team.

entitled New Developments in Developing Country

Financing1 has refocused attention on mashwa

Research and development

hattan3, or micro-financing, as it is better known to

us. This publication, part of the New Developments

We continue to invest in the quality and design of our

in Global Financing4 series, has become a standard

products. We believe continued investment in this area

work for economists wishing to find out about key

is fundamental for two reasons:

issues around the world. The authors of the current

1 To continue the growth of the business

work state emphatically that they do not5 want

2 To create new products for the future

to promote mashwa-hattan6 as the sole way of

motivating grass-roots entrepreneurs. However, they

do7 say that mashwa-hattan has created not only

Environmental policy

an alternative method of financing, but also a new

The company as a whole continues to look for ways

spirit of independence amongst many poorer people,

to develop our policy. It is our objective to improve our

in significant increases in per capita8 income among

performance by focusing on:

the rural population. A recent article in the Times

of Rotaronga9 pointed to real progress in the rural

• better waste treatment

economy since its introduction. In a recent statement

• more efficient energy use

Afran Segozzi, the Minister for Rural Affairs, welcomed

• improved indoor air quality

these new initiatives, saying that they had made a

positive contribution to finifranga'0, the Rotarongan

term for the rural economy.

Future outlook for the business

Our strategy remains the same: to grow the company

internationally. This year has seen the most difficult

Key to changes

period for the UK and world economy in living

1

Underlining or bold for heading

memory. On balance this has done us no harm. This

2 Italics for title of report

alone makes us very optimistic for the future. Given

that we have survived the last twelve months, we

3 Italics for first use of foreign words in text

should be well placed to for any future recovery.

4 Italics for title of publication

5 Bold for important point

Main uncertainties

6 The second use of mashwa-hattan is not italicised

The management of the business and the nature of

7 Bold for important point

the company's strategy are subject to a number of

8 Italics for loan words

risks. The directors have set out the principal risks

9 Italics for title of newspaper

facing the business. These are:

1 0 Italics for first use of foreign words in text

Answer key

1 2 1

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 5

I

Model answer

Suggested key

To: All staff

Minutes of staff committee held on 3 April 201 1

From: Jana Lipsky

Present: AB, JC, VD, FK, JL, FY

Re: End-of-year party

Apologies: MN

I am writing in connection with our end-of-year party.

This year there has been a suggestion that we give

Communication in meetings

the money to a children's home, where it could be

AB raised the following questions:

used to buy presents for the children. As there is not

1 Are there too many meetings?

enough money for both the party and the children's

home, we need to make a decision on this matter.

2 Are meetings run efficiently?

Please consider the following points:

The meeting agreed to:

The party is:

1 review the number of meetings

• a good opportunity for socialising and building

2 streamline the procedures for meeting.

relationships between the staff

AB will propose a reduced schedule of meetings

• expensive

for next year

The children at the children's home:

JC will organise training in effective meetings.

Both actions are to be completed by May 201 1 .

• have very little and would appreciate some

additional money for presents

2 Foreign travel

Please let me know by 2 5 October whether you think

JL requested:

we should:

1 special compensation for weekends away

1 continue with the party

2 family support

2 give the money to the children's home.

3 intercultural training

Please also feel free to propose another alternative.

The meeting agreed that:

1 VD will review current payments and report back

at the next meeting

2 FK will investigate whether this IS affordable and

Model answer

report back at the next meeting

3 JL will organise intercultural training by May

To: IT staff

201 1

From: Andreas Olander

Re: Dress code for IT staff

3 New computer system

I have received a number of comments from

FY reported on the followmg problems:

colleagues about the casual clothes worn by some of

1 more staff training needed

the IT staff. As you know, there is no offic1al policy on

2 system very slow somet1mes

work clothes in the company. However, normally male

employees wear ties and jackets; female employees

The meeting agreed that:

smart dresses, skirts, or trousers.

FY will arrange a meeting with the computer

There are two key concerns:

system provider asap to 1dentify solutions

1 The casual clothes worn in IT are causing bad

feeling among other staff from other departments,

who feel these clothes are Inappropriate

2 The casual clothes create a poor image with visiting

customers and clients

I would therefore like to propose that for now

everyone in IT wears formal clothes at work. We can

then discuss this matter at next month's departmental

meeting and reach agreement for everyone in IT.

1 2 2 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

U N ITS 1 5- 1 6

UNIT 1 6

II

Regarding your recent enquiry, we are pleased to

Model answer

mform you that the goods are now in stock and w1ll

be ma1led out to you later today.

Dear Mr Harrison

2 According to our records, we have not rece1ved

payment of our invoice dated 1 1 September.

I would like to apply for the HR assistant position

which was advertised on your webs1te.

3 Our payment terms clearly state that payment IS due

w1thin 30 days. Payment should therefore have been

I have two years' experience as an intern in an

received by 1 2 October.

international company in the food industry, where I

4 I am writing to confirm the details of our next

worked in the central HR team. This has enabled me

meet1ng, which will take place on 1 5 October at

to develop know-how in recru1tment and training and

1 4.00.

development. In addition. I am currently supporting a

5 Could you please provide us with more information

company-wide project to investigate the effectiveness

about your requirements. We will then be able to

of assessment centres.

respond in more deta1l.

6 Could you please explain more precisely what you

1 am pragmatic, dynamic, and independent. I also

mean

have a strong sense of creativity and have good

by 'unexpected delay to our delivery'?

organisational skills. Although I am familiar with some

7 I regret to inform you that the goods you ordered

office software, I am keen to learn to use other HR

will not be in stock until next month.

software tools. I therefore believe that I would be an

8 If I hear nothmg to the contrary, I shall assume that

asset to your organisation. Furthermore, the assistant

these terms are acceptable to you.

pos1tion would provide me with the ideal opportunity

9 We hope that you will have no obJections to

to develop my sk1lls.

changing the delivery address.

1 would be delighted 1f you would like to meet me to

1 0 I suggest postponing/that we postpone the

discuss if my qualifications match the requirements

meet1ng until next month so that we can be sure that

for the position.

more of the project team will be available.

1 1 We would like to move forward with arranging a

1 have enclosed my resume for your review and hope

meet1ng. Therefore could you please get back to me

that you will find it of interest.

as soon as possible.

1 2 I can absolutely assure you that the information w1ll

I look forward to speaking to you.

be treated 1n the strictest confidence.

1 3 It is unlikely that we will have/We are unlikely

Yours smcerely

to have all the necessary information in time for the

next meet1ng Therefore I suggest we postpone the

Claire Martinez

discuSSIOn till February.

·

14 I would like to congratulate you on passing the exam

and w1sh you every success in your new posit1on.

1 5 Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further

questions.

1 6 I look forward to hearing from you as soon as you

have read through the report.

Answer key

1 23

Scanned for Agus Suwanto

UNIT 1 8

D

Note: 'Detailed evidence' and 'detailed data' could go in

either the main body or the appendices, depending on

Report section

Report element

the length of the report.

1 Title page

c. J

2 Table of contents (or TOC)

f

3 Executive summary

4 Introduction/Background

d

Report stage

Report task

5 Main body

a, (b), k

1 Prepanng

d, k, h

6 Conclusions

e

2 Writing the first draft

b, e, j

7 Recommendations

g

3 Editing and producing

a, c, f, g, i, I

the final version

8 Appendices

b, h, (k)

UNIT 1 9

D

a 3

e

1

3

m 3

b 2

f

3

2

n 1

c 3

g 3

j k 3

0

3

d 2

h

I

1

FJ

Date:

Present:

Apologies for absence:

Time:

PB

Place:

Discussion at the meeting

Required follow-up after the meeting

Agenda item

Discussion

Action

Person

Timeframe/

(WHAT)

responsible

Deadline

(WHO)

(WHEN)

1 . Matters arising:

Additional office

Resolved

space

2. Staff

3 in favour of

Prep job spec.

John

Circulate

Recruitment

recruiting new

by 1 5 June

trainee.

AOB:

Project planning

software

Next Meeting:

Date: 4-duly 1 1 July

Time: 9 a.m.

Place: Boardroom

1 24 Writing

Scanned for Agus Suwanto