Page 179 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Communication Skills-II

notes (f) Check words for spelling and usage: For effective written communication, while revising
you must check the spellings of the words and proper usage of the words.

Brevity
It means conciseness or saying only what need be said and leaving out unnecessary words or
details. Brevity brief does not mean saying less than the occasion demands. Brevity alone can
help maintain focus on the purpose of business communication.
Brevity, however, not achieved at the cost of clarity. Likewise, it is not to gain by sacrificing
proper English. In order to achieve brevity, keep the following essentials in mind.
1. Avoid wordiness: Do not use four or six words when one or two will do.
2. Wordiness can be avoided by changing clauses into phrases.

Example: Wordy: Mr. Singh, who was a newcomer to the city, mentioned earlier in this
report, proved to be a very able administrator. Concise: Mr. Singh, a newcomer to the above-
mentioned city, proved to be a very able administrator (clause reduced to phrase and phrase
reduced to single word).
3. Drop ‘which’ and ‘then’ clauses when possible.

Example: Wordy: I need cards that are of formal type.
Concise: I need formal cards.

4. Do not use the passive voice.

Example:
Dear Sir,
We are in receipt of your letter dated July 10, and have pleasure in informing you that
the order you have placed with us will receive our best and immediate attention and the
20 computers you require will be provided to you as soon as we are able to arrange and
supply them to you.

We are, however, very sorry to say that our stock of these computers is at this moment of
time quite short, and we have been informed by the manufacturers that they are not likely
to be in a position to supply us with a further stock for another three weeks or so.
We are extremely sorry not to be in a position to satisfy your requirements immediately;
but we wish to assure you that we will always try to do everything we possibly can to see
that your order for 20 computers is met as soon as possible. If you are not able to obtain
from elsewhere the computers you need, or if you are able to wait for them until the end of
the next of the month, you are requested to immediately inform us.

Once again expressing our sincerest regret at our inability to fulfill your esteemed order on
this occasion with our usual promptness and trusting you will continue to favour us with
buying from us.
Yours truly,
The brief and concise form of the above letter is as follows:

12 July, 2008
Dear Sir,
We thank you for your order of 10th July, but regret that due to the exceptional demand
for computers, we are at present out of stock of the make you ordered. The manufacturers,

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