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Unit 12: Basics of Official Correspondence

7. Publishing: What’s the point of writing if no one will ever read it? Though some of us are notes
content to write diaries or notes to ourselves, the mangers write only with the need and
desire for others to read and hopefully enjoy or benefit from their documents. So the last
stage is getting your document published for future use.
self assessment

Fill in the blanks:
9. In the ………………… stage, managers plan the document.
10. ………………… is the key to effective documents.
11. Thorough check for grammar, mechanics, and spelling is done in the ……………… stage.
12. ………………… is the last stage of the writing process.

12.4 Principles of Writing General and Official Correspondence

Effective writing communication is possible only when the following three principles are
adhering to:
accuracy

For accuracy, there is need to check or double-check the information regarding facts, figures, words,
language and tone. Following are the main principles to attain accuracy for effective writing.
1. There should be correctness of words: Check the choice of words for correct usage.

Example: We should always write between you and me and not between you and I.
As a matter of fact, the correctness of words is determined by the appropriateness of words
for the subject, audience and purpose for a particular piece of writing.
2. Communication language should be technically accurate: A message should be
communicated correctly in terms of grammar, punctuation, and spellings. Of course, it is
not easy to be accurate in expression; still some obvious pitfalls can be avoided by being
alert to some of the things indicated below:
(a) Concord: The rule of agreement between words in gender, number, case, or person.

(b) Dangling Modifier: A word or phrase that modifies a word that is not clearly mentioned
in the sentence.
(c) Unnecessary Shift in tenses: Tenses should be consistent within the sentences and from
sentences within the paragraph.
(d) Prepositions: Wrong prepositions change the meaning of the statement. Here are no
rules for correct prepositions. They are governed by usage.

Example: Wrong: He pointed the target.
Correct: He pointed at the target.
(e) Punctuation: In English, punctuation matters. It determines the meaning of the
sentence and paragraph. Sometimes, even the meaning of a word gets changed by
the punctuation mark.
Wrong: The president’s speech was so long, it’s actual message was lost.
Correct: The President’s speech was so long its actual message was lost.

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