Module-4 Writing

Business Correspondence
Good letter writing-Art and technique
Good letter-substitute for personal interaction
Don’t turn it into legal documents
Purpose of business letter-creating and maintaining image of the organization
Language and style in business letter
1. Avoid business jargon
Example- Thanking you in anticipation, I, the undersigned.
2. Dealing with technical terms
3. Meaning and association of words- competition- for traders- consumers
4. Tactful use of language
Asking for action- complaint-enquiry
Handling negatives-use sandwich method
Exa- our office closes at 5p.m.
Our office is open till 5 p.m.
5. Talking about errors
Don’t blame the person, explain the situation
Exa-you didn’t pack the goods properly
Goods were not packed properly.
6. use of active(pleasant message) and passive(unpleasant message) voice
7.Appearance of a business letter- stationary, continuation sheet, envelopes,
typing, margins, punctuation, paragraphing.
AIDA principle of letter writing (sales letter) - attract attention, arouse
interest, create desire, proper action.
 7 cs of Business Correspondence

1. Completeness
Your message should be complete, delivering all the facts needed for the
Recipient to make an informed decision. Incomplete messages often receive
poor responses.
To ensure your communication is complete, ask if it answers the what, when,
why, who, where, and how.
Example:
“You haven’t completed the task that I set you,” is a message full of ambiguity.
Instead, make sure you include all relevant facts:
“The data analysis for client ABC that I asked for on March 5 should have been
completed by today. Will you have it finished this afternoon?”
2. Conciseness
Never use more words than is necessary.
Brevity is more easily understood, though you must avoid discourtesy. Concise
messages save you and the recipient time, too. To be concise, follow these rules:
 Eliminate unnecessary words
 Use action verbs
 Remove repetition
 Example:
 “As a matter of fact, during the month of June, all employees must ensure
that they
Becomes:
“Indeed, during June, employees must wear appropriate clothing to stay cool
while the air-conditioning is repaired.”
3. Consideration
Be considerate with your messaging by putting yourself in the position of the
recipient. Focus on communicating to‘you, considering needs and issues
experienced by the recipient. Example: Imagine that you are unable to pay a
promised bonus. How do you communicate?
“We are unable to pay bonuses now. The business is awaiting payment from a
major client. Once this payment is received, we can consider paying contractual
bonuses as soon as is practicable.”
This could be better conveyed as follows:
“Unfortunately, we are not presently in the position to pay your bonus.
However, as soon as our major client has settled their account, we will pay any
bonuses owed to you. We’re sorry about this delay, but are sure you understand
our need for positive cash flow and the long-term benefits this will deliver to
you.”
4. Concreteness
Concrete communication is specific, clear, and meaningful. It avoids
vagueness, uses available facts and figures to add authenticity, and builds
around an active voice. Example:
An example would be poor communication of underperformance during a one-
to-one. You might say, “Your sales numbers are on the low side. They need to
be improved to at least the team’s average.”
Give your employee concrete direction with evidence and an active voice:
“Your sales conversion rate is below 50%. You must improve this to the team
average of 65% or higher.”
5. Clarity
Practicing clarity in your communication ensures that the message is received
accurately. You should know what you wish to say and how to say it. Use
language that can be easily understood, and resist the temptation to include
unnecessary information.
Example: Instead of saying, “We have considered the consequences of the
existing policy on the hiring strategies we employ with our human resources
department and updated them accordingly,” say, “We have updated our hiring
policy.”
6: Courtesy
Employ courtesy when communicating. This shows you respect the recipient
and helps to build goodwill. You must ensure that you are sincere, thoughtful,
and do not use discriminatory language. Example: “I don’t appreciate how your
team ignores requests for collaboration from my team. The work we do is
equally as important as your work. Could you make certain that your team
collaborates more readily from now on?”
Such a message is unlikely to encourage a negative response. Instead, a more
effective approach would be: “I understand that your team is extremely busy
and receives many requests to collaborate on project work. However, my team
is working a highly urgent project with enormous mutual benefits. I would
greatly appreciate if you could ask your team to collaborate more effectively
with mine to move this project forward faster. If there is any help that we can
provide to make this happen, please let me know.”
7. Correctness
You must communicate with correctness – correct grammar, language, data, etc.
In written communication, you should proofread before sending.
Example: “You may enter the building during opening hours but must show
relevant I.D.”
Immediately, the recipient of this information has two questions: “What are the
opening hours, and what ID is considered relevant?
Correctness in this communication is conveyed by saying, “You may enter the
building during the opening hours of 9am to 5pm daily, but must show your
employee identity card.”
Parts of a formal letter
1. The Heading or Letterhead It usually contains the name and the address
of the business or an organization. It can also have an email address,
contact number, fax number, trademark or logo of the business. If you are
writing as an individual, write your name, address and contact details to
the top left side of page.

•  2. Reference

It shows the department of the organization sending the letter. The letter-
number can also be used as a reference.

Exa- ASP/341/21

3. Date line

We write the date on the left-hand side corner of the letter below the
heading. Date can be written as 15 May 2021 or May15, 2021.
Never write date as 1/2/21

4. Inside address

It includes the name, address, postal code, and job title of the recipient. It
must be mentioned after the date line. One must write inside address on
the left-hand side of the sheet.

5. Attention line (optional)- it is used when letter is addressed to the

department

Exa- sales department- Mr. patil, Head clerk

6. Subject line(optional)-

It is a brief statement mentioning the reason for writing the letter. It

should be clear, eye catchy, short, simple, and easily understandable.

7. Salutation- It contains the words to greet the recipient. It is also

known as the salutation. The type of salutation depends upon the
relationship with the recipient.

It generally includes words like Dear, Respected, or just Sir/Madam. A

comma (,) usually follow the salutation.

Dear Sir/Madam

Dear Mr. Shah/ Dear Ms. Shah

Dear HR Manager, Dear Sales Manager etc.

Dear Sirs/Mesdames( when addressed to the company)

Respected sir

Sir/Madam

8. The Body Paragraphs (Main content)

This is the main part of the letter. It contains the actual message of the
sender. The main body of the mail must be clear and simple to
understand. The body of the letter is basically divided into three main
categories.
 Opening Part: The first paragraph of the mail writing must state the
introduction of the writer. It also contains the previous correspondence if
any.

Main Part: This paragraph states the main idea or the reason for writing.
It must be clear, concise, complete, and to the point.

Concluding Part: It is the conclusion of the business letter. It shows the

suggestions or the need of the action. The closing of the letter shows the
expectation of the sender from the recipient. Always end your mail by
courteous words like thanking you, warm regards, look forward to
hearing from your side etc.

9. The Complimentary Close

It is a humble way of ending a letter. It is written in accordance with the

salutation. The most generally used complimentary close are

Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely.

• Dear sir- Yours faithfully

• Dear Mr. Sharma- Yours Sincerely

10. Signature and Writer’s Identification

It includes the signature, name, and designation of the sender. It can also
include other details like contact number, address, etc. The signature is
handwritten just above the name of the sender.

Signature

Name

Designation

11. Enclosures

Enclosures show the documents attached to the letter. The documents can
be anything like cheque, draft, bills, receipts, invoices, etc. It is listed one
by one.

12. Copy Circulation

It is needed when the copies of the letter are sent to other persons. It is
denoted as C.C.
13. PostScript

The sender can mention it when he wants to add something other than the
message in the body of the letter. It is written as P.S.

14. Identification Marks- initials of typist and concerned authority

Open punctuation

Complete/ full Block Format

THE HEADING

REFERENCE NUMBER

DATE LINE

INSIDE

ADDRESS

SUBJECT LINE

SALUTATION
 BODY OF THE LETTER (MAIN CONTENT)

COMPLEMENTARYCLOSE

SIGNATURE

NAME

DESIGNATION

ENCLOSURE

Feature of complete block format

• Left alignment
• Open punctuation
• No indentation
• Two line spacing
• Advantages-
• easy to type, no punctuation, no margin, modern, preferred for
typewritten letter
• Limitations-
• difficulty to see date and signature without opening the file, heavy on left
side, barren on right side.

Writing a Formal Email

 Avoid- Spelling errors, Mistakes in a name, Typos, Grammatical errors

 Remember, a sloppy email full of mistakes makes a bad impression.

• Here are some examples of appropriate and inappropriate email address:

• Email Address #1
•  KittenL0ver73%@example.com
• Save this type of email address for casual emails to your family and
friends.
• Email Address #2
• TaylorJones@example.com- for formal communication
• firstnamelastname@collegename.edu

Sample Sales Letter

 Dear Sir/Madam

My name is Kumar Tiwari and I hereby write on behalf of TCB cosmetics.

We take pleasure in introducing to you our Anti-dandruff TCB hair food.
This is a unique product that is made from natural ingredients to maintain
health and slickness of natural hair. We wish to introduce this product to
your business Bluesprings Salon since it can be effective for your customers.

Natural hair is tough to maintain because of scalp drying and dandruff and
most hair products are unable to solve this problem. Anti-dandruff TCB hair
food is made to keep the scalp moist and prevent it from scrapping. Your
customers would be love this product since it also makes the hair smooth and
shiny. 

We have tested this product and it has passed the relevant certifications. We
have not received any complaints about side effects. This product will make
your customers love to keep natural hair.

Please find a sample for your consideration and a pamphlet with more details
about the product. We have a special offer of 20% discount for all
customers. Kindly contact to order or to inquires at info@tcb.com.

We look forward to a long business relationship. 

Best Regards

Kumar Tiwari

Claim Letter (Complaint Letter)

Written for many reasons- delay in delivery, damaged goods, mistake in billing,
misbehaviour.

Don’t use offensive and discourteous language and words like- dishonest,
careless, you didn’t keep the word. Control anger, don’t blame anyone directly.
Opening- purpose, reference of order number, date, description of mistake.
Body of the letter- relevant information. Closing- request for appropriate action

Enclosure- bill, receipt, cash memo etc.

Claim letter is addressed –customer service, consumer affairs department or

head office.
Sample claim letter
Question- You have ordered 5000 mango pulp tins from a regular supplier
from  Ratnagiri. When the consignment arrives, you find that nearly 200 tins
are  punctured and dented. You have to send this consignment next week to
your  regular customer in Australia. Write a claim letter to the supplier
informing this  and also write what adjustment you want.

SUNRIPE PRODUCTS
Sector-32A, Shop no-21 

New Panvel-410206

1 June 2022

Our Reference- AVD/135/21

Your Reference- CN/451

Mr ABC
Manager
Fresh Fruits Private Limited
Building no-2, S.B. Road
Ratnagiri

Sub- Our order No-SS- 7642 

Dear Sir

Thank you very much for the prompt delivery of 5000 mango pulp tins under
our order no- No-SS- 7642 dated 15 May2021. We received the order today
morning. The package containing the goods was in perfect condition so we did
not raise any concern while taking delivery of the order. When the order was
opened, we found that 200 mango tins were dented and punctured.
It seems that the order has been handled carelessly somewhere before packing.
We have to send this consignment to Australia next week to our regular
customer. We have kept the damaged tins aside for your inspection.
Kindly collect those tins and replace them with new ones immediately so that
we can send it next week to our customer without any delay.
Thank you 
Yours faithfully 
XYZ
Name
Assistant Manager

Encl: Photocopy of bill

Dear Sir/ Madam
Sample sales letter

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Sign.
Name
Designation 
Identifying Themes
Literary works are used to entertain, to teach a moral lesson, to convey
meaning, or more importantly, to make the reader aware of some aspect of the
human condition. Through their work, writers creatively share their ideas and
express themes that are timeless and universal. certain themes can be
understood by people regardless of age, gender, geography, or culture. This
commonality makes them universal. Universal themes developed in a story,
poem, or play ultimately expand the reader’s knowledge of being human by the
expression of experiences through different perspectives.
Common themes can include:
Loneliness, oppression, repression, transformation,
good versus evil, struggle and accomplishment,
death, rebirth, initiation, redemption, and free will. With a specific purpose in
mind, the author carefully crafts themes
Style:
The 4 Types of Writing
1. Narrative
Writers who use the narrative style are telling a story with a plot and
characters. It’s the most common writing style for fiction, although nonfiction
can also be narrative writing as long as its focus is on characters, what they do,
and what happens to them.
Common Places You’d See Narrative Writing

 Novels
 Biography or autobiography
 Poetry
 Short stories
 Journals or diaries

2. Expository
Writers use the expository style when they are trying to explain a concept.
Expository writing is fact-based and doesn’t include the author’s opinions
or background. It’s basically giving facts from the writer to the reader.
Common Places You’d See Expository Writing

 Newspaper articles
 Academic journals
 Business memos
 Manuals for electronics
 Textbooks
 Recipes
 How-to books and articles

3. Descriptive
Descriptive writing is, as you may guess, when the author describes
something. The writer could be describing a place, person, or an object, but
descriptive writing will always include lots of details so the reader can get a
clear and complete idea of what is being written about.
Common Places You’d See Descriptive Writing

 Journals or diaries
 Poetry
 Fiction passages that describe something

4. Persuasive
When you’re trying to persuade the reader to think a certain way or do a certain
thing, you’ll use persuasive writing to try to convince them. Your end goal
could be to get the reader to purchase something you’re selling, give you a job,
give an acquaintance of yours a job, or simply agree with your opinion on a
topic.
Common Places You’d See Persuasive Writing

 Advertisements
 Cover letters
 Opinion articles/letters to the editor
 Letters of recommendation
 Reviews of books/movies/restaurants etc.
 Letter to a politician

The Purpose of a Text

Writers write for a reason. They have something to say, and they have a motive
for saying it. In other words, every piece of writing has a purpose. 
The purpose of a text is simply the writer's reason for writing. Many texts have
more than one purpose, but usually one will stand out as primary. Readers have
the job of determining the purpose or purposes of a text and understanding why
the writer is writing and what the writer wants the reader to do with the text. 
A Variety of Purposes
Writers may choose from a variety of purposes, which usually fall into three
main categories: to entertain, to inform, and to persuade. Let's take a close look
at each of these. 
First off, some writers write simply to entertain or amuse their readers. Texts
created to entertain are often imaginative works like novels, stories, or poems.
Such texts may also, of course, make important observations about human
nature and the ways of the world, but the entertainment factor is primary. Think
about that mystery novel you had a tough time putting down or a poem you
enjoyed years ago or just last week. Were you entertained by these? Then the
writer achieved his or her purpose. 
Second, writers often write to inform their readers. These texts provide facts
about some topic that the writer believes is important and necessary for the
reader to understand. Informative writing is usually clear and well-organized.
Think about the textbooks you've studied for classes or the encyclopaedia
articles you've read. These are examples of informative texts. 
Writers who write to inform may also be writing to instruct, explain, or
describe. When writers instruct their readers, they offer a series of steps to
accomplish a specific task. Instruction manuals, how-to books, and recipes are
types of instructional writing. When writers explain, they tell their readers how
something works. An article about the discovery and use of electricity, for
instance, fulfils the purpose of explanation. When writers describe, they provide
sensory details that allow their readers to form a mental picture of some person,
place, or thing. An eye-witness account of a traffic accident or a personal essay
about the writer's childhood are examples of descriptive writing. 
Finally, writers frequently write to persuade their readers to assent to a
particular belief or opinion or to act in a particular way. Persuasive writing
states the writer's position, offers evidence to support that position, and invites
the reader to adopt the position. Persuasive writing is found in everything from
advertisements to movie reviews and from academic arguments to political
speeches. 
How to Determine Purpose
To determine a text's purpose, readers should ask themselves the following
series of questions. 
1. Is the text a novel, a story, or a poem? If the answer is yes, its purpose is
probably to entertain. 
2. Does the text offer a set of facts? If so, its purpose is probably to inform. 
3. Does the text provide a series of steps to accomplish a specific task? If so, it
is a text that instructs. 
4. Does the text tell how something works? If so, its purpose is to explain. 
5. Does the text provide sensory details that allow the reader to form a mental
picture? If the answer is yes, it is probably a text that describes. 
6. Does the text attempt to change the reader's opinion about something or
encourage the reader to act in a particular way? If so, it is probably intended to
persuade. 

Effective Means for Writing a Paragraph

Paragraphs separate ideas into logical, manageable chunks. One paragraph
focuses on only one main idea and presents coherent sentences to support that
one point. Because all the sentences in one paragraph support the same point, a
paragraph may stand on its own. To create longer assignments and to discuss
more than one point, writers group together paragraphs.
A strong paragraph contains three distinct components:
Topic sentence. The topic sentence is the main idea of the paragraph.
Body. The body is composed of the supporting sentences that develop the main
point.
Conclusion. The conclusion is the final sentence that summarizes the main
point.
Developing a Topic Sentence
Pick up any newspaper or magazine and read the first sentence of an article. Are
you fairly confident that you know what the rest of the article is about? If so,
you have likely read the topic sentence. 
A good topic sentence provides an accurate indication of what will follow in
the rest of the paragraph.
A good topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea or
opinion. A good topic sentence is clear and easy to follow. A good topic
sentence does not include supporting details. A good topic sentence engages
the reader by using interesting vocabulary.
Topic sentences contain both a main idea (the subject, or topic that the writer is
discussing) and a controlling idea (the writer’s specific stance on that subject).

Read the following examples.

Marijuana is a destructive influence on teens and causes long-term brain
damage.
The anti-nausea properties in marijuana are a lifeline for many cancer patients.
Legalizing marijuana would create a higher demand for Class A and Class B
drugs.
Although the main idea—marijuana—is the same in all three topic sentences,
the controlling idea differs depending on the writer’s viewpoint.
Circle the main idea and underline the controlling idea in each of the
following topic sentences.
Exercising three times a week is the only way to maintain good physical health.
Sexism and racism are still rampant in today’s workplace.
Raising the legal driving age to 21 would decrease road traffic accidents.
Owning a business is the only way to achieve financial success.
Dog owners should be prohibited from taking their pets on public beaches.
Choose the most effective topic sentence from the following sentence pairs.
a. This paper will discuss the likelihood of the Liberals winning the next
election.
b. To boost their chances of winning the next election, the Liberals need to
listen to public opinion.
a. The unrealistic demands of union workers are crippling the economy for three
main reasons.
b. Union workers are crippling the economy because companies are unable to
remain competitive as a result of added financial pressure.
a. Authors are losing money as a result of technological advances.
b. The introduction of new technology will devastate the literary world.
a. Rap music is produced by untalented individuals with oversized egos.
b. This essay will consider whether talent is required in the rap music industry.
Using the tips on developing effective topic sentences in this section, create
a topic sentence on each of the following subjects. Remember to include a
controlling idea as well as a main idea.

An endangered species:
________________________________________________________________
_____
The cost of fuel:
________________________________________________________________
_____
The legal drinking age:
________________________________________________________________
_____
A controversial film or novel:
_____________________________________________________________

A concluding sentence may do any of the following:

Restate the main idea.
Example: Childhood obesity is a growing problem in North America.
Summarize the key points in the paragraph.
Example: A lack of healthy choices, poor parenting, and an addiction to video
games are among the many factors contributing to childhood obesity.
Draw a conclusion based on the information in the paragraph.
Example: These statistics indicate that unless we take action, childhood
obesity rates will continue to rise.
Make a prediction, suggestion, or recommendation about the
information in the paragraph.
Example: Based on this research, more than 60 percent of children in North
American will be morbidly obese by the year 2030 unless we take evasive
action.
Offer an additional observation about the controlling idea.
Example: Childhood obesity is an entirely preventable tragedy.
Identify the topic sentence, supporting sentences, and concluding sentence
in the following paragraph.

The desert provides a harsh environment in which few mammals are able to
adapt. Of these hardy creatures, the kangaroo rat is possibly the most
fascinating. Able to live in some of the most arid parts of the southwest, the
kangaroo rat neither sweats nor pants to keep cool. Its specialized kidneys
enable it to survive on a minuscule amount of water. Unlike other desert
creatures, the kangaroo rat does not store water in its body but instead is able to
convert the dry seeds it eats into moisture. Its ability to adapt to such a hostile
environment makes the kangaroo rat a truly amazing creature.
Select one of the following topics or choose a topic of your choice:

Drilling for oil in Alberta

Health care reform
Introducing a four day work week
Bringing pets to work
Create a topic sentence based on the topic you chose, remembering to include
both a main idea and a controlling idea. Next, write an alternative topic sentence
using the same main idea but a different controlling idea.