Page 214 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Unit 14: Writing and Planning Effective Business Letters

self assessment notes

State whether the following statements are true or false:
1. Being accurate only involves the truthful presentation of facts and figures.
2. A dangling expression is any part of a sentence that logically fits in with the rest of the
sentence.
3. Competent writers use specialized vocabulary to communicate with specialists who
understand it.
4. You should not be afraid of using a long word if it says just what you want.
5. A buzz word is an expression that has become monotonous through overuse.
6. Cliché is an important-sounding expression used mainly to impress other people.
7. A hidden verb is a verb that has been changed into a noun form, weakening the action.

8. Positive language builds goodwill for you and your organization and often gives more
information than negative language.
9. A simple sentence is one that contains more than one independent clause.
10. A compound-complex sentence is one that contains two or more independent clauses and
one or more dependent clauses.
11. You should use passive sentences most of the time in business writing.

12. In order to appear interesting, you should use different terms for the same idea.

14.2 types of Business letters

There are different kinds of business letters, used for different purposes. Business letters include
sales letters, request letters, goodwill letters, acknowledgement letters, credit and collection
letters, inquiry letters, demand letters etc.

14.2.1 routine Business letters

Routine business letters will fall into one of three categories: they may be asking for information
or action or they may be placing orders for products or they may be making a claim requiring an
adjustment when something has gone wrong. Writing routine letters is one of the most helpful
manners of communicating with customers; therefore, it is important to follow the rules of creating
direct requests, direct replies and goodwill messages. Successful business letters contain several
attributes such as clear content, goodwill tone, and correct form. The writing process includes
three phases: analysis, anticipation, and adaptation; research, organization, and composition;
revision, proofreading, and evaluation. Here, we focus on creating direct request letters, direct
replies, and goodwill messages.
Direct requests can be divided into three groups: information or action request letter, order letter,
and direct claim letter. Although these three types of letters have different purposes; they have
similar attributes in the writing process. In fact, working with the direct pattern requires writers
to put their requests first, followed with a detailed explanation of the purpose or facts, and finally
showing appreciation and an end date.
Direct replies consist of complying with requests, recommendation letters, and adjustments
letters, creating direct replies has some similarities with writing requests letters, such as stating
the purpose directly at the beginning, explaining supporting information in the body, and ending
with a pleasant expression. However, there are also some additional factors to be considered
when writing replies and these are: the use of a subject line, provide information about the
candidate, and win customer’s confidence.

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