Slide 1

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 2

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 3

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 4

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 5

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 6

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 7

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 8

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 9

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 10

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 11

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 12

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 13

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 14

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 15

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 16

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 17

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 18

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 19

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 20

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 21

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 22

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 23

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 24

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 25

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415


Slide 26

BBI3415
Professional Writing

ASSOC. PROF.
D R . M A R D Z IA H H A Y A T I A B D U L L A H
[email protected]
[email protected]
03-89471404 / 89468718

Overview
2

 Course materials
 Course assessment
 Understanding professional writing

MHA BBI3415

Course materials
3

Compulsory course text and notes
 BBI3415 Module (not written by instructor)
 Notes from the two FTF slide shows / videos
Recommended reference text
 Guffey, M.E. & Almonte, R. (2008). Essentials of Business
Communication. 7th Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson.
Useful online resources (examples)
 Professional Writing Style
http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/16/
(Some content in this slide show has been borrowed or adapted from the
sources mentioned above.)
MHA BBI3415

Course Assessment
4

Refer to page 3 of the module
 Portfolio (20%)

o Tutorial work Units 5 – 8* only (*note this change)
 Mid-semester test (40%) – 1 hour 30 min
o Structured questions based on Units 1 – 6 and notes
from the FTF slide show
o Writing a letter
 Final Exam (40%) – 1 hour 45 min
o Structured and essay questions based on all the units
and notes from the FTF slide show
MHA BBI3415

What is professional writing? (1)
5

 What is professional writing?
o Writing in and for business and various professions, following
accepted conventions
o Writing for a specific audience in a profession to achieve a specific
purpose

 What is the general nature of professional writing?
o Action-oriented: it aims to effect positive change
o Rhetorical: it uses persuasive and informative strategies
o User-centred: reader must understand the purpose of the written
communication

MHA BBI3415

What types of writing are involved?
6

o
o
o
o
o

MHA BBI3415

Letters
Memos
Reports
Circulars
Notices, etc.

How do you communicate?
7

 Channels

o Print
o Email
 Forms

o Verbal
o Visual

MHA BBI3415

What do you need to consider?
8

 Focus and purpose
 Audience
 Rhetorical requirements
 Design of documents

MHA BBI3415

Focus and purpose
9

 Why is the document being written?
 Do you intend to
o provide information?
o persuade?
o inquire?
o complain?
o apologise?, etc.
 What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes

reading the document?

MHA BBI3415

Audience awareness
10

• Audience
To whom am I writing? Who will read the
document?
o How do I want to position myself in relation to
the reader?
• Context
o What is the situation in which the document is
being written? What is the background?
o

MHA BBI3415

Rhetorical awareness
11

• Language
o Transactional and interpersonal functions
o grammar and vocabulary

• Tone
• Format and design conventions, etc.

MHA BBI3415

Language in professional writing
12

• Transactional and interpersonal functions
o Transactional – focus on content and message
=> What should I write to get the message across?
o Interpersonal – focus on the relationship between writer and
reader
=> How should I sound?

• To fulfill both functions, you need appropriate
o Tone
o Grammar and vocabulary
MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY
Study the two memos shown and discuss
o which memo you would like to receive,
and why
o When it might be appropriate for one
memo to be used instead of the other

MHA BBI3415

13

Tone in professional writing (1)
14

 Tone refers to how a communication “sounds”

o Serious, cheerful, authoritative, gentle,
demanding, threatening, forgiving, patronizing,
inviting, panicky, confident, uncertain, plaintive,
reassuring, etc.
 Tone in your writing that lets your readers know

how you regard them and the topic of the
written communication

MHA BBI3415

Tone in professional writing (2)
15

 General tone for business communication: confident,

courteous, and sincere
 General guidelines

o
o
o
o
o
o

Be confident.
Be courteous and sincere.
Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
Use non-discriminatory language.
Stress the benefits for the reader – the ‘you’ attitude.
Write at an appropriate level of difficulty for the reader.

 Exceptions: writing a negative business message, e.g.,

denying a job offer or a customer request.

MHA BBI3415

Being confident
16

 Assume a confident tone - you want the reader to do as you ask or

to accept your decision.
 A confident tone will have a persuasive effect on your audience.
 Do not appear overconfident, arrogant or presumptuous.
o You must agree that my school is the best. X
o My school’s achievements make it outstanding. √

MHA BBI3415

Being courteous and sincere
17

 Be polite and sincere. Without sincerity, politeness can sound

condescending.
 If we are respectful and honest, readers will be more willing to
accept our message, even if it is negative.
o Your system did not work because you did not follow the installation
instructions carefully. X
o The system will not work if there are mistakes in the installation
process. √

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (1)
18

 Help readers to understand the relative importance of ideas by

using emphasis and subordination.
 To emphasize an idea, place it in a short sentence. A short and
simple sentence will most effectively convey an important idea. You
can provide further explanation, sufficient examples, or evidence in
following sentences.
 To subordinate an idea, place it in a compound sentence.
o Emphasis
Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The
committee on employee health and safety reached this
decision after considering evidence from researchers and
physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
o Subordination
The committee on employee health and safety has finished
considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that
smoking will no longer be permitted in the building.

MHA BBI3415

Using emphasis and subordination (2)
19

 Ideas placed in the first paragraph of a document or message

receive the most emphasis, followed by information placed in the
last paragraph. You can subordinate an idea by placing it in middle
paragraphs of your message because these paragraphs receive the
least emphasis.
 Use active voice to emphasize the person or thing performing an

action and passive voice to emphasize the action that is being
performed.
o Active: Scientists have conducted experiments to test the hypothesis.
o Passive: Experiments have been conducted to test the hypothesis.

MHA BBI3415

Using Nondiscriminatory Language
20













Use neutral job titles
o Not: Chairman
But: Chairperson
Avoid demeaning or stereotypical terms
o Not: After the girls in the office receive an order, our office fills it within 24 hours.
But: When orders are received from the office, they are filled within 24 hours.
Avoid words and phrases that unnecessarily imply gender.
o Not: Executives and their wives
But: Executives and their spouses
Omit information about group membership.
o Not: Connie Green performed the job well for her age.
But: Connie Green performed the job well.
If you do not know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation.
o Not: Dear Gentlemen:
But: To Whom it May Concern:
Do not use masculine pronouns.
o Not: Each student must provide his own lab jacket.
But: Students must provide their own lab jackets. Or Each student must provide his or her
own lab jacket.

MHA BBI3415

Stressing Benefits For the Reader
21

 Write from the reader's perspective. Instead of simply writing from

the perspective of what the reader can do for you, write in a way
that shows what you can do for the reader.

o I am mailing you the agreement tomorrow. X
o You should receive the agreement in a week. √

MHA BBI3415

The ‘you’ attitude
22










Use the pronouns “you” and “your” liberally.
Focus on the reader’s needs and benefits, or on how something affects the reader.
Don’t write about your own emotions unless you’re very sure that would be
appropriate and welcome.
Don’t tell the reader how to feel or what to decide; feeling and decision is the
reader’s privilege.
Give the reader lots of reference points from her perspective. Refer to her previous
communications, her company’s challenges and goals, her concerns.
Name yourself, your work group, your co-workers, your company, your organization
to give “flesh” to constructions like “SafeCo will protect you and your family,” “You will
open your eyes in the recovery room to find Nurse Fred Feelwell attending to you.”
Example of a “we-attitude” sentence transformed into a “you-attitude” sentence:
o After years of research, our company has been successful in developing a
corrosion-resistant metal finishing alternative for counter tops.
o Your company can now take advantage of a new product from ACME that will
make the finish on your counter tops more resistant to corrosion.

MHA BBI3415

ACTIVITY (1)
Change each sentence below to reflect a ‘you’ attitude.
 I have sent item #446 out of our Dallas location this afternoon; I've used
priority mail, so the package should arrive in no more than two days.

 Customers will be glad to know that our new insurance cards are now honored
by pharmacies all over Canada.
 We are happy to report that our diesel engines passed every EPA emissions test
with flying colors.

 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.

MHA BBI3415

23

ACTIVITY (2)
 Next week the location of office thermostats is being changed; they will be
placed near doorways.
 We are proud to announce our new line of impact-resistant, lightweight laptop
computers.
 I'm delighted to hear of your much-deserved promotion to Unit Manager;
congratulations!
 All gear, including sleeping bag, food, and eating utensils, is provided in a prepacked backpack at the trail head.

MHA BBI3415

24

Design of documents
25

 Follow the conventions accepted in your

organisation.

MHA BBI3415

Submission details
26

 Please submit your portfolio assignment as a hard copy, before or

on the date of the final exam
 All assignments should be sent through UPMET (the PJJ
administration) for their records. Please do NOT send assignments
directly to me.


MHA BBI3415