CHAPTER: 2

WRITING EFFECTIVELY
Prepared by:
Garte, Limuel M.
Llacer, Bernie John V.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LETTERS

1. Correctness- No error, fault, mistake or departure from truth.

2. Conciseness- Brief, short or limited in words. We should consider that business
people are always busy.
Fog Index- is a device used to estimate the reading level
appropriate to your letter.
PROCEDURE:
Step 1. Select a 100
Step 2. Find the average number of words per sentence in the sample.
Step 3. Count the number of words in the 100
Step 4. Add the average number of words per sentence to the number of three
3. Completeness- This means perfectness, fullness or sufficiency of the
letter as regards information and parts.
4. Courtesy- This is akin to acts or expressions that manifest, politeness,
civility, affability, urbanity, considerateness and
respectfulness.
5. Visual appeal- The worth of letter may exceed even the value of the
most expensive merchandise.
6. Tonal appeal- Statements may exude tense, hostility, artificial,
friendliness, naturality or sincerity of the communicator.
ELIMINATING WEAKNESSES IN
WRITING
1. For nouns and verbs
• Simply complex nouns
• Look for nouns that can be changed to strong verbs
• Use specific nouns rather than
• Strengthen verbs
• Reduce the number of linking verbs
• Use active visual verbs
2. For vocabulary
• Cut jargon
• Reduce the number of multisyllabic words
• Use vocabulary appropriate to the audience
3. For sentences
• Strive for average sentences
• Vary sentence length
• Be careful of compound subjects and verbs
• Use subject verb object word order
4. For content
• Concentrate on specific rather than abstracts
• Get to the message quickly
• Organize thoughts into logical order.
6. About weak phrases
Weak Better
Wealthy business person - Tycoon
Business prosperity - Boom
Carrying a child - Pregnant
Long years - years
One year old boy - one year of age boy
7. About Genderism
Bias Fair
If a woman drives - if a person drives
Businessman - businessperson
Man- made - artificial, synthetic; manufactured
Manpower - human power, workplace
Chairman - chairperson
Salesman - salesperson; sales clerk
Foreman - construction supervisor
8. About wordy lines
Wordy
Consensus of opinion
At this point in time
Please kindly do this
Attached herewith
Pleasant good morning
9. About Generality
General
Traveled in another country
One kilo of rice
Visit the province
My parent called me
Straight forward (Better)
- consensus
- at this time, now
- kindly do this or please do this
- attached is; or herewith is
- pleasant morning or good morning
Specific (Better)
- Traveled in Japan
- one kilogram of rice
- visit Quirino province
- my mother called me or my father called me
10. About Abstract Lines
Abstract Concrete (Better)
Long and winding road - 50 kilometers winding road
Waited for many hours - waited for 11 hours
Four long years - four years
11. Split Infinitives
Split Use Suggested Proximate Use
I want you to - I want you to consider seriously
Seriously consider the proposal - the proposal
She was trying to rapidly complete - She was trying to complete rapidly her report
Her report
12. Sentence Upgrading Strategy
Ordinary
My customer was sick
She is beautiful
The voice is familiar to me
They are members of the business club
I am comfortable here
The managers are tall
The ropes are six meters
Upgraded
- My customer got sick
My customer felt sick
- She looks beautiful
- She exudes beauty
- The voice sounds familiar to me
- They belong to the business club
- I feel comfortable here
- The managers stand tall
- The ropes measure six meters