Technical Writing Handouts PDF

TECHNICAL WRITING WHAT IS TECHNICAL WRITING? Acclaimed proponents of technical writing Mills and Walter (1981) gave several definitions to aid us in understanding the nature of technical writing. According to them: Technical writing is writing...

TECHNICAL WRITING WHAT IS TECHNICAL WRITING? Acclaimed proponents of technical writing Mills and Walter (1981) gave several definitions to aid us in understanding the nature of technical writing. According to them: Technical writing is writing about scientific subjects and about various technical subjects associated with the sciences. Technical writing is characterized by certain formal elements, such as its scientific and technical Page | vocabulary, its use of graphic aids, and its use of conventional report forms. 1 Technical writing is ideally characterized by the maintenance of an attitude of impartially and objectivity, by extreme care to convey information accurately and concisely, and by the absence of any attempt to arouse emotion. Technical writing is writing in which there is relatively high concentration of certain complex and important writing techniques, in particular description of mechanism, description of process, definition, classification, and interpretation. To students perhaps, Technical Writing may just be a requirement to pass an assignment, but to professionals, it may be any of the following which is required to fulfil a task. These are the products of technical writing:  A business letter is a type of written communication. It is written using formal language and follows formal elements of letter writing. People usually write business letter to communicate with companies, organizations or individuals with the purpose of applying for a job, making requests, seeking appointments, etc.  Contract is a written agreement between two people under mutually agreed terms.  Monograph is a detailed essay or book on a very specific topic. It is usually written by professionals or academicians on topics of interest concerning their specific fields.  Printed action memo is a ready-format memorandum that only requires a checkmark on the appropriate box that contains the message. This is especially useful for busy people who need to make quick decisions and act on the circumstance or situation.  Graphic aids are drawing, sketches and illustrations that aid the readers in understating the presented data.  Instructional manuals are written to guide the readers on how to assemble, maintain, and operate an apparatus, machine or gadget.  Brochures are pamphlets or flyers that endorse a product in such a way that the potential customer will be convinced that the product is effective and eventually avail of the product.  Proposals are written suggestions on how to make the company or organization more productive and successful. Most companies and organizations require this before an agreement is reached.  Memoranda are inter-office written communication used to disseminate information. In today’s world, the demand for accomplishing more written outputs makes a professional who is skilled in this are all the more needed. In whatever field, a skilled technical writer is needed, thus, taking note of the FIVE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES in GOOD TECHNICAL WRITING separates a talented writer from an ordinary writer. Bear in mind the following: 1. Always have in mind a specific reader, real or imaginary, when you are writing a report. Always assume that he is intelligent, but uninformed. 2. Before you start to write, always decide what the exact purpose of your report is, and make sure that every paragraph, every sentence, every world make a clear contribution to the purpose. 3. Use language that is simple, concrete, and familiar. 4. At the beginning and end of every section of your report, check your writing according to this principle: “First you tell the reader what you’re going to tell him, then you tell him what you’ve told him.” 5. Make your report attractive. On the other hand, while bearing in mind the important principles of technical of technical writing, it would also help to distinguish the purpose of technical writing so that we do not confuse technical writing FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING technical writing with other writing forms. So, what are the technical writing with other writing forms. So, what are the purposes of technical writing? 1. It serves as basis for management decision. 2. It furnishes needed information. 3. It gives instructions. 4. It records business transactions through proposals. Page | 5. It procures business proposals. 2 6. It serves as basis for public relations. 7. It provides report to stockholders of companies. Properties of Technical Writing The following properties of technical writing are also known as “considerations” when writing reports. 1. Subject matter. In writing technical papers, you must ask the question, “What will I write about?” The subject matter is an essential element in technical report writing. Some examples of this are descriptions of a process, writing about a theory, or submitting a policy. 2. Audience. When thinking about audience, ask “Whom am I writing for? Or who are my intended readers?” This is a property which pertains to a particular reader of a technical literature. 3. Expression. This property refers to two basic modes in which a technical report has to be delivered – writing it or reading it. Your expression of the content will depend on your awareness of your audience’s/ reader’s psychology and your style in writing to be able to reach your audience’s/ reader’s understanding. 4. Style. This refers to how the materials is written. A technical writer uses clear, specific point of view, objective, impartial, and unemotional style in writing. 5. Arrangement of materials. This pertains to how ideas should be organized in chronological, spatial or logical order, from general to specific to general, and use illustrations to present the information. Earlier, technical writing is treated as a unique from of written communication because of its important qualities, purposes, and properties. Let us elucidate it further by enumerating striking differences between this form of writing which is more formal and academic compared to other writing forms. For instance, writing can be grouped into five basic types:  Technical writing conveys specific information about a technical subjects to a specific audience for a specific purpose.  Creative writing is fiction-poetry , short stories, plays, and novels-and far different from technical writing.  Expressive writing is a subjective response to a personal experience-journals and diaries-whereas technical writing might be objective observations of a work-related experience or research.  Expository writing “exposes” a topic analytically and objectively, such as news reports. Like technical writing the goal of expository writing is to explain or reveal knowledge, but expository writing does not necessarily expect a response or action from the reader.  Persuasive writing depends on emotional appeal. Its goal is to change one’s attitudes or motivate him/her to action. Differences between Technical writing and Creative Writing Writers have different writing styles. There are writers who are more inclined to the straightforward or direct form of writing while others are on the creative or literary. Below are differences between technical writing and creative writing based on content, audience, purpose, style, tone, vocabulary, and organization. Technical Writing Creative Writing Content Factual, straight forward Imaginative, metaphoric or symbolic Audience Specific General Purpose Inform, instruct, persuade Entertain, provoke, captivate Style Formal, standard, academic Informal, artistic, figurative FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING Tone Objective Subjective Vocabulary Specialized General, evocative Organization Sequential, systematic Arbitrary, artistic Below are ethical considerations in writing technical papers, some however are opposite practices. Underline all the ethical practices. Page |  Abide by the appropriate corporate or professional code of conduct. 3  Tell the truth.  Avoid discriminatory language.  Make false implications.  Exaggerate.  Use euphemisms.  Mislead you readers.  Be clear.  Acknowledge assistance from others.  Abide by relevant laws. RELEVANT LAWS AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO TECHNICAL WRITING There are four bodies of law that are relevant to technical communication. Technical writers must be aware of legal and ethical considerations when preparing technical papers. 1. Copyright law covers the protection of the rights of the author. 2. Trademark law pertains to federal protection (different from registered trademark). 3. Contract law covers written warranties or their implied warranties. 4. Liability law pertains to responsibilities or obligations of writers especially claims they made on their paper. Principles of Ethical Communication Technical writers are like researchers. Both take into considerations the bounds and limitations to things that they write. They carefully study the information to be presented and they are aware that prudence has to be exercised. Do’s of Technical Communication  Abide by relevant laws.  Abide by the appropriate corporate or professional code of conduct.  Tell the truth.  Be clear.  Avoid discriminatory language.  Acknowledge assistance from others. Don’ts of Technical Communication  False implications – assuming the outcome of a project or making sweeping generalizations  Exaggerations – expressing situations in extreme proportions  Euphemisms – writing about situations in seemingly good conditions even though they are not.  Don’t mislead your readers. THE WRITING PROCESS Pre-writing Stage. It is what the writer does before he writes the first draft. In this stage, the writer composes or supplies information pertaining to: a. Purpose of the paper. This is necessary to determine the content of the paper to be included, the organization and style of the paper. b. Choice of topic. A writer has to explain or justify his/her chosen topic. c. Gathering information. A writer must be able to find sources of information to enrich his/her topic. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING Pre-writing techniques: Below are some techniques which will help you get started in writing: 1. Keep a writer’s journal by recording personal experiences, perceptions, and ideas. 2. Do free writing. Write about whatever comes to mind. 3. Brainstorm by listing ideas as quickly as they occur. 4. Cluster by drawing lines and circles to show connections between ideas. It is also called webbing or making connections. Page | 5. Ask questions using the news reporter’s 5W’s – Who? What? Where? Why? When? And How? 4 6. Read with focus. This entails reading efficiently to locate and collect specific information. 7. Listen with focus. This means listening efficiently to locate and collect specific information. 8. Observe by noticing details around you through the senses. 9. Imagine. Probe your imagination of ideas, often use a “What if?” approach. Writing Stage. This stage is where we begin to write our first draft. We know that not everything that we write is perfect at the first go. Hence, you must remember what to do and what not to do during this stage. Do’s and Don’ts of Writing a First Draft 1. Don’t overanalyse your writing. 2. Do not feel free to follow the flow of ideas where it is leading you, even if it is not what you initially planned. 3. Don’t exaggerated details. 4. Do work on the details as much as possible to keep the story fresh in your mind. 5. Don’t worry yet about how good your writing is. 6. Do have fun! Re-Writing Stage This stage is also known as the “revision” stage. We revise to ensure that: 1. the content of the paper is relevant; 2. there is organization and coherence in the arrangement of the ideas; and 3. grammar and mechanics are clearly observed. EXPLORING EXPOSITORY TECHNIQUES Exposition is a writing technique used by a writer when his/her intention is to explain something, to analyze an idea, to classify a thing, to give the correct definition of term, to make others follow directions, to point out similarities or differences, to clarify causes and effects, to present data, to interpret research work, and others. Therefore, many textbooks and other printed or electronic material make use of this type of writing. It is probably the most utilized form of writing. LESSON 1: CLASSIFICATION Classification is dividing something into groups, classes, categories, etc. This is normally done in accordance with several criteria (standards or principles on which judgments are based). Classification is done by the writer when he/she believes that there are shared qualities or characteristics about a subject matter. Take for example the passage below: GENDERED POWER PATTERNS Research (Helgessen, 1990; in Wood, 2001) reveals general differences in how women and men define and use power. Men tend to see power as finite and as something to guard closely. Women are more likely to regard power as unlimited and to share it freely. Another difference is how the sexes see the ends of power. In general, men see power as something an individual has and uses to enhance individual status. The tendency among women is to perceive power as a resource for empowering others and building strong collaborative teams. Differences in orientations toward power are consistent with gender communication cultures and the divergent rules of communication they teach men and women. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING How to Classify One way of classifying objects or ideas is to look for relationships among them and to organize them into groups. It may either be on the basis of their similarities or differences. Try to find the similarities or differences of the words listed below by classifying them into identifiable categories. Be ready to explain why you grouped the words in those categories. Page | 5 Ignition Vietnam Conjunction Car seat Noun Wiring harness Albert Bandura Cambodia Philippines Gloria Arroyo Break system Verb Rodrigo Duterte Jean Piaget Engine Oil System Fidel Ramos John Dewey Adjective Benigno Aquino, III Singapore The passage on "Gendered Power Patterns" illustrates a simple form of classification. Let us try and analyze the next passage on "Education in the Philippines" an article which is published in Wikipedia. Education in the Philippines Education in the Philippines is provided by public and private schools, colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions. Funding for public education comes from the national government. At the basic education level. Department of Education (DepEd) sets overall level, the educational standards of and mandates standardized tests for the K-12 basic education system, although private schools are generally free to determine their own curriculum in accordance with existing laws and Department regulations. On the other hand, at the higher education level the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) supervises and regulates colleges and universities, while the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for technical and vocational institutions regulates and accredits technical and vocational education programs and institutions. For the academic year 2017-2018, about 83% of K-12 students attended public schools and about 17% either attended private schools or were home-schooled. By law, education is compulsory for thirteen years (kindergarten and grades 1-12). These are grouped into three levels: elementary school (kindergarten-grade 6), junior high school (grades 7-10), and senior high school (grades 11-12); they may also be grouped into four key stages: 1st key stage (kindergarten-grade 3), 2nd key stage (grades 4-6), 3rd key stage (grades 7-10) and 4th key stage (grades 11-12). Children enter kindergarten at age 5. Institutions of higher education may be classified as either public or private college or university, and public institutions of higher education may further be subdivided into two types: state universities and colleges and local colleges and universities. LESSON 2: DEFINITION There are times when we are asked by people around to us define or give meaning to an unfamiliar word. How do you reply? Do you find yourself saying "it is like this...," "it resembles that...." "it is similar to...?" When we define words or unfamiliar terms, we give concise but exact meanings of unfamiliar words and special meanings of familiar words. For people of all ages, definition is a useful technique in oral or written communication. It is particularly a must for a technical writer to be able to define the terms with, multiple meanings and those that are unfamiliar to the reader. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING Methods of Defining Terms There are two methods of defining terms: simple and extended definition. A simple definition could be formulated by bearing in mind its three parts: the species, genus, and differentia. This method of definition is commonly used in technical writing whether formally, semi-formally, or non-formally. When using simple definition, note that a species or the term to be defined may be introduced by a determiner, Page | a genus or the class/category where the term belongs is always connected to the species by a linking verb. Both 6 species and genus can be introduced by a determiner. To make the definition complete, a differentia is written to give the characteristics of the term that make it different from other terms belonging to the same genus. Species (term to be Genus (the class where the term Differentia ( a characteristic of defined) belongs) the term) Language is a form of communication An architect is a professional who designs buildings Communication is a process of giving and receiving information Another method of defining a term is by expanded definition. This is done by stipulation, operation, explication, cause and effect, classification, example, and other rhetorical functions. Example: species Communication is a systematic process in which genus people interact with and differentia (containing explication example) through symbols to create and interpret meanings. Informal definition on the other hand does not follow a pattern. The only objective is to give meaning to a word that is unfamiliar or explain the special meaning of a familiar word. Word meanings enter informal definition by means of providing denotative or connotative meaning. Denotation is the basic literal meaning or the dictionary meaning of words while connotation is the additional shade of meaning that words imply aside from its dictionary meaning. Connotation is the positive or negative associations a word naturally carries. Activity: Supply the meanings of the terms in the table below: Term Denotation Connotation (positive or negative) A school is an institution where children are educated. A star famous person A dove is a type of bird. Orange is a fruit. A dog is a man’s best friend. Pointers when Defining Terms 1. Never give definitions of a term that include any of its derivatives. For example: definition is the act of defining. 2. Do not use "is where" or "is when" to define a term. Don't say "Christmas is when Jesus Christ is born" or "A classroom is where you will find students." 3. Use the simple present tense (active and passive voice). Consider the following examples: Documentation is the process of acknowledging the sources used in developing a research paper. (active) The process of acknowledging sources is called documentation. (passive) 4. Often we use relative clauses to give additional information. For example, FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING "Documentation is the process of acknowledging the sources used in developing a research paper. This is also another way of helping researchers who may be later on reading your work to do further research themselves." LESSON 3: DESCRIPTION OF A PROCESS There are writing tasks that entail an explanation of how something works, how something is done, or how Page | something is made. That is why knowing how to describe a process will enable a technical writer and his/her 7 reader to perform or do something. In describing a process, a writer explains the arrangement of a sequence in chronological order. As it is used in technical writing, the process is akin to mechanism description. Here, process description includes sequence, instructions, and procedure. There are two separate concepts which we must briefly explain here: "How to do something" and "How something occurs." The first calls for instructions or procedure; the second, for sequence. In like manner, process is also a description of equipment, materials, and procedures. Graphic materials are used for detailed presentation of the process. The writer makes use of sequence markers to follow the natural or mechanical system. When we describe a process or procedure, we often use the present passive tense: is/are + v+ed. For example: is manufactured, is controlled, etc. When describing a process, we use sequence markers to link sentences like first, second, then, next, subsequently, finally, at last. How Do You Make Paper from a Tree? If you look at a tree, you might have a hard time imagining how something so tall and strong could be turned into something as thin and weak as a sheet of paper. The process begins with the raw wood, which is made up of fibers called "cellulose," The cellulose fibers are stuck together with natural glue called "lignin." When the lignin is removed and the cellulose fibers are separated and reorganized, paper can be made. It's also possible to make paper from a variety of other types of plant fibers such as cotton, flax, bamboo, and hemp. For example, cotton fibers are often used to make the paper that money is printed on. The overwhelming majority (about 95 percent) of the raw material used to make paper, though, comes from trees. To make paper from trees, the raw wood must first be turned to "pulp." Wood pulp is a watery "soup" of cellulose wood fibers, lignin, water, and the chemicals used during the pulping process. Wood can be turned to pulp in a couple of different ways. Mechanical pulping involves using machines to grind wood chips into pulp. The resulting pulp retains most of its lignin, though. The short fibers created by grinding leads to weak paper most suitable for newsprint, phone books, or other types of low- strength papers. The more commonly used method is chemical pulping, also known as "kraft." Chemicals are used to separate lignin from the cellulose fibers, leaving pulp mixture that can make stronger papers. Depending on what type of paper is desired, the pulp mixture might need to be bleached to create whiter paper. Paper makers use a variety of chemicals to bleach pulp to the color they want. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING Once the pulp is ready, it is then used to make paper in a process that is quite similar (in the basic actions) to the process first used by the ancient Chinese more than 1,900 years ago. Because the pulp mixture is so watery (sometimes as much as 99 percent water!), the cellulose fibers need to be separated from the watery mixture. Huge machines spray the pulp mixture onto moving mesh screens to make layered mat. The mat of pulp then goes through several processes to remove water and dry it out. Page | Finally, the mat is run through heated rollers to squeeze out the any remaining water and compress it into one 8 continuous roll of paper that can be up to 30 feet wide. When the paper has the desired thickness, it may be colored or coated with special chemical to give it a special texture, extra strength, or water resistance. As a last step, the paper rolls are cut to size and packaged for shipping to other facilities for additional processing to turn it into all sorts of specialized papers. LESSON 4: DESCRIPTION OF MECHANISM We may belong to different fields and disciplines but there are certain machines or apparatuses that we use to make our work easier. Description of a mechanism is an explanation of a system or parts of an apparatus. This includes the characteristics and functions of a piece of the device and the totality of the mechanism. It also explains the arrangement and shape of an object in space. In writing a description of a mechanism, the writer may be guided by the following questions:  What is it (equipment, machine, device, apparatus)? What is its function?  What does it look like?  How does it work?  What are its principal parts? Below are examples of machines and how they work. Read the passages and perform the activities that follow. How the Refrigerator Works A refrigerator is really nothing more than a box in which articles can be kept at a cool temperature. The temperature inside the box is regulated by means of a thermostat. Apart from the thermostat, the refrigerator mechanism includes a motor- driven compressor, a condenser and a set of thin, metal evaporated coils, into which is pumped a liquid refrigerant called freon: When a liquid evaporates, it absorbs heat. The refrigerant used in a refrigerator has a very low boiling point and it evaporates in the metal coils. As this happens, it absorbs heat and as a result, the evaporator coils cool down. As soon as the temperature inside the refrigerator rises from above a predetermined level, the thermostat causes the motor to start. Freon vapor is drawn from the evaporator coils by the compressor, reducing the pressure and allowing liquid refrigerated to move into them. The liquid in its turn evaporates, absorbing heat and cooling the refrigerator. The cool refrigerant passes through the condenser, where it is changed back into a liquid form and is eventually forced back into the evaporator coils. The process continues until a preset temperature is reached. At this point the thermostat cuts out the compressor and the refrigerator remains idle. When the temperature rises above the pre- determined level, the thermostat triggers the compressor into action once more and the cooling cycle recommences. (Thorn and Badrick, 1990) WRITING BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE Lesson 1: Communication in Business and Organization Communication in Business Effective communication is the key to success in business. That is why business depends so much on communication. People must communicate to plan products; hire, train, and motivate workers; coordinate manufacturing and delivery; persuade customers to buy; and bill them for sale (Locker, 2006). Certainly, communication can’t be set apart from business for it gives life and light to any business transactions. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING However, presently, according to Steimle (2017)), many entrepreneurs become more estranged from their teams, turn off partners, and lose deals all because they lack basic communication skills. Often, this lack of skill gets passed down to teams and the problems are perpetuated through the organization. Indeed, great knowledge on proper and effective communication skills in business and in organization is vital. Page | Basically, business communication refers to how people communicate, whereas organizational 9 communication deals with whom to communicate. Understanding the requirements of good business communication, developing good communication skills, and understanding the channels of communication in your organization will ensure success in your career (Custodio et. al.,2013). Communication in business is a two-way process that follows the common communication process of sending and receiving messages. However, business communication differs on the medium for it uses paper, pen, typewriter, or computer to make the message tangible to the receiver. Communication in Organization An organization according to Rosales et. al. (2009) is comprised of people who are committed to a common goal and are ready to share information and resources of pursuit of a desired goal. Communication in organization is relaying messages or information between or among people inside and outside an organization. There are several written documents needed to run an organization. Every single document has one or more of the three basic functions of organizational writing which is to inform, to promote goodwill, or to persuade. To inform Basic Functions od hjjjjof To persuade To promote goodwill of h of Communi cation The following internal and external documents are some of the specific documents needed in an organization (Adapted from Locker, 2006) Table 1: Internal Documents Produced in One Organization Document Description of document Purpose(s) of documents Transmittal Memo accompanying Inform: persuade reader to read document, telling why it’s being document; build image and forwarded to the receiver goodwill Monthly or quarterly Report summarizing profitability, Inform: build image and good will report productivity, and problems (report is accurate, complete; writer during period. Used to plan understands company) activity for next month or quarter Performance Evaluation of an employee’s Inform: persuade employee to appraisal performance, with improve recommended areas for improvement or recommendation for promotion Memo of Congratulations to employees Promote goodwill congratulations who have won awards, been promoted, or earned community recognition. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING Table 2: External Documents Produced in One Organization Document Description of document Purposes(s) of document Quotation Letter giving price for a specific Inform: promote goodwill (price product, fabrication, or service reasonable Page | Claim/adjustment Letter granting or denying Inform: promote goodwill customer request to be given 10 credit for defective goods Annual report Report to stockholders Inform: persuade stockholders to summarizing financial retain stock and others to buy; build information for year. goodwill (company is a good corporate citizen) Thank you letter Formal and Informal Channels of Communication There are two basic structure that make up the communication channels of an organization: 1. Formal channel of communication follows the usual pattern of an organizational chart where the superiors are classified from the subordinates through connecting the lines of communications to every member of the organization. 2. Informal channel of communication follows an unstructured channel of communication where the lines and patterns of the organization are vague. This is sometimes referred as grapevine because it usually relays more information than the formal communication through chismis or rumor-mongering. Lesson 2: Personal and Business Letters Personal Letters Despite the numerous changes on how people communicate, traditional letter writing remains the best way to communicate among persons. There are two basic kinds of letter, the personal and the business letters. The two extremely differ from each other in terms of their nature, purpose, scope, structure, formality, size, and language. Personal letter is a written type of communication of an individual to another concerning personal or family affairs rather than business matters. This kind of letter does not follow certain rules or structures and uses a less formal wording or colloquial language. An example of a personal letter is a birthday greeting given to someone whom we know personally who is celebrating his special day. Personal letter maintains and develops personal relationships with people whom you consider a friend or a family. Lastly, this type of letter can be type- written or handwritten depending on the length of the content. Business Letters Business letter is a formal type of written letter concerning business transactions and other business related issues and information. This kind of letter must adhere to certain rules, restrictions, and formats and must use a formal language. In addition, an effective business letter should sound like a person talking to another person. An example of this is an application letter written by an applicant who is interested in a vacant job. Finally, a business letter is commonly written on an 8 ½ x 11 inch-size clean bond paper. It follows certain margin and free from dirt and scratches in order to build a good impression to the reader. PERSONAL VERSUS BUSINESS LETTERS The Business Communication page posted eleven (11) comparisons of personal letter and business letter. 1. Nature: Business letter or commercial letter is impersonal and universal in nature. Personal letter is fully personal in nature. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING 2. Purpose: Business letter is exchanging various business-related issues and information. Personal letter is exchanging personal or family-related affairs and information. Personal letter is exchanging personal or family-related affairs and information. 3. Scope: Business letter scope is wide and contains various types of business information. Personal letter scope is limited and contains only personal information. 4. Structure: Business letter follows officially recognized structure. Personal letter does not follow any Page | recognized structure. 11 5. Formality: Business letter maintains formal rules and procedure. Personal letter is informal. 6. Size: Business letter generally is concise in size and avoids irrelevant matter. Personal letter may be concise or large in size. 7. Types: Business letter can be categorized differently. Personal letter generally cannot be categorized. 8. Salutation: Business letter salutation can be Sir, Dear, Dear Mr. X, etc. Personal letter salutations are Dear friends, my dear x, dear x, etc. 9. Language: Business letter language should be easy and simple. Personal letter language may be easy, poetic, emotional, etc. 10. Copy: Business letter copy of business letter should always be preserved. Personal letter copy of personal letter may or may not be preserved. 11. Method: Business letter uses direct and persuasive method. Personal letter uses only direct method. Whether you are writing a personal or a business letter , the way you construct the message and the way the receiver decodes the message are very important. The Technique of Writing Business Letters To make your letters effective in terms of today’s business world, you should understand and make use of four basic psychological techniques according to Mager and Mager (1968): 1. Write from the “you” attitude. Every person is interested primarily in himself and thus responds to a letter written from his point of view. To test the effectiveness of your letter on this point, count the number of I’s and you’s in your letter and let them compare. A good letter should have a preponderance of you’s and a minimum of I’s. but more than this, your letter should have the reader’s viewpoint in mind throughout the text. Compare: I : I was happy to hear that my letter of January 5th provided sufficient information for the completion of the order for us. You :Thank you for your assurance that you had sufficient information for the completion of your order. 2. Accentuate the positive. Even a letter that has to say “No” can be written from a positive point of view. Make it an absolute rule never to start or end your letter with a negative. Whenever possible, avoid words with a negative connotation, such as argument, careless, complaint, disagreeable, error, neglect, and unfair. Compare: Positive: Thank you for your order. The merchandise will go out to you as soon as… Negative: We regret to inform you that we will not be able to ship your order until… 3. Make your letter smile. A business letter should leave a pleasant impression. Get a smile into your letter, a bit of your personality, an atmosphere of good will. A sour letter, piqued attitude, complaining understone, is comparable to a surly manner in your conversation. Some phrases have a built-in smile. Here are some friendly phrases that you can and should use freely: We shall be glad to… It is a pleasure… FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING Thank you… We appreciate very much… With our compliments… 4. Make your copy live. The reader should feel what you say. If possible, create a visual experience. Let the reader see himself doing something-running a machine, telling his friends about his triumphs, selling Page | more accounts, reinterpreted the same copy. 12 Characteristics and Elements of a Business Letter The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of light of letters, is simplicity. - Walt Whitman Characteristics of a Business Letter Business letter is one of the vital components in the success of a business. To ensure that we are writing an effective business letter, there are "Ten (10) Cs" we should consider. 1. Completeness refers to the inclusion of complete information. The business letter should answer the question WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and HOW to produce a good and complete business letter. 2. Correctness refers to the correct grammar, punctuation, spacing, information, and structure. It also refer to the correct format of a business letter. To attain correctness, double check the spelling of the names, address letters properly, verify numbers and amounts, always check the dictionary. 3. Conciseness refers to being direct and brief without compromising the complete idea. In writing a business letter, we should not include unnecessary information which might confuse the reader. Example: Instead of saying: At the present time Say: now Instead of saying: Prior to Say: before Instead of saying: Pitch in Say: join to Instead of saying: Start from scratch Say: make new from nothing Instead of saying: Meet the deadline Say: complete the job 4. Coherence refers to the smooth flow of ideas in business letter. The content of a business letter should be in order and easy to follow. Some of the devices that you may use to achieve coherence are use of synonyms, use of transitional words, easy use of pointers, use of repetition of words, and use of sentence patterns. 5. Clarity refers to readability of information which is to understand. We should bear in our minds that simple words are more preferred than complex ones. 6. Concreteness refers to the use of specific words not general words. Example: Instead of saying: Return of investment Say: profit Instead of saying: Market penetration Say: successful selling 7. Courteousness refers to the politeness of the tone of the business letter. Being friendly by showing positive approach is the key for a successful communication in business. Below are some examples of the negative and positive word. But then again, positive words are more preferred in doing business. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING Negative Positive bad good sad glad old new hard easy slow fast Page | disagree agree 13 delay early demand request 8. Consideration refers to the use of professional tone to show respect to the reader of the letter. Also, we need to anticipate the "YOU" attitude in writing our letter. Example: Instead of saying: We are glad to offer you the best services. Say: You will be pleased to find must-try services in our branch near you. 9. Consistency refers to the uniformity of the time and style of the writer of a business letter. 10. Credibility refers to the personality of the writer as himself which might reflect on his writings. Elements of a Business Letter Because business letter is part of communication, it also follows the communication process. There are three elements in the communication process that are also present in business writing. There should be a sender, message, and receiver. The sender of the letter is the one who is writing it. It is one of the protocols in business writing that the receiver of the letter should be known by the sender. The complete name, position, as well as the address of the receiver should be included in the letter. The sender or writer must be also knowledgeable in basic grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics skills so that he might build a good impression to the receiver of the letter. The message is very important in the communication process because it is the reason that moves the sender to start the communication process. The message of the letter should be well-written, simple, and understandable. The message should be direct and persuasive and should avoid including unnecessary information. It should be concise and complete so that everything you want to say is included. Sender Receiver Message Lastly, the receiver of the letter completes the elements of communication process. The main role of the receiver is to carefully decode the message of a business letter and provide a feedback that will complete the entire communication process. BASIC AND OPTIONAL PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, not forget what importance it used to play in people's lives. -Anatole Bropard Basic Parts of a Business Letter A business letter is composed of the following basic part letterhead or heading, dateline, inside address, salutation, body of the letter, complimentary close, signature line, and write signature. 1. Letterhead - This part of a business letter includes the company, company name, company mailing address, and contact numbers. It may also contain the company logo or symbol of the organization. Today, most of the companies have their own personalized letterhead exclusive for the employees' use. In case you will write a business letter not on behalf of any company, you may use a heading or a return address. A heading/return address is composed of your complete, correct, and specific address. In writing the heading of your business letter, the lot and block number, street, barangay, municipality or city, province, region, and even the zip code must be included properly. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING 2. Dateline - This part contains the month, day, and year when the business letter was written. There are certain rules in writing the correct dateline: A. You should not use abbreviations when writing the dateline. For example, 10-13-92 or 10-13-1992 or 10/13/92 or Oct. 13, 1992. B. You should not include st, nd, or th after the day of the month. For example, September 1", October 2nd, or November 3rd. C. You may use the conventional style, January 15, 2007 or the military style, 15 January 2007. Page | 14 3. Inside Address. This part consists of three, four or five lines which include the complete name as well as the job title/s of the receiver on the first line, the complete position of the receiver on the second line, the complete division or department of the receiver on the fourth line, and the complete name of the company or organization followed by the complete address of the company or organization. There are certain rules that are worth considering in writing the inside address: A. The inside address is like the address written on the envelope. B. You use Miss when addressing a single woman; Mrs. Of married woman. If the status is not known, use Ms. If the firm is comprised of women; use Mesdames or its abbreviation Mmes. C. Use Mr. in addressing a man. You may also use its plural form Messieurs (French) or its abbreviation Messrs. D. You may abbreviate the title Doctor to Dr. For example, Dr. Silvia C. Ambag. E. The title Reverend should not be abbreviated and it should be preceded by The. For example, The Reverend Sonny Ramirez. F. You may or may not abbreviate the title Professor. For example, Professor Danilova A. Lorenzo Or Prof. Danilova A. Lorenzo But if only surname is available, the title should not be abbreviated. For example, Professor Lorenzo G. Company or organization positions such as Supervisor, Manager, Secretary, Superintendent, Proprietor or even President may either precede or follow the name of the receiver of the letter. For example, Ms. Armie Joie A. Rivera Proprietress Elysian Events Specialist Or Ms. Armie Joie A. Rivera, Proprietress Elysian Events Specialist H. The title Honorable is used by Judges of the Court Members of the Cabinet, Congressmen, Senators or important other government officials who hold an important position and office in the city, province, or country. You may or may not abbreviate the title Honorable. For example, Honorable Rodrigo R. Duterte Or Hon. Rodrigo R. Duterte 4. Salutation is composed of the word "Dear" followed by the last name of the receiver of the letter. Use the colon (American English) at the end of the salutation or comma (British English). For example. Dear Mr. Alcaraz: Or Dear Mr. Dela Cruz, 5. Body of the Letter. This consists the message of the writer. Some claim that the first and last sentences are the most important parts of the body of the letter. The first sentence should make the reader feel at ease and the last sentence should make the reader pleased and content. 6. Complimentary Close - This is sometimes called closing., the part where sender says goodbye to the receiver of the letter in a formal way. You may use the standard complimentary close such as Sincerely or Sincerely yours or Respectfully or Very respectfully yours. We should take note that the first letter of the first word is the only capitalized letter on the complimentary close. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING 7. Signature Line. This is composed of the complete typewritten name of the writer and his official designation, or the name of the company. Very formal or legal: Miguel Rodriguez Galit Less formal or business: Miguel Galit Miguel R. Galit For Married Signature: Truly yours, Page | 15 Or Daily Dellosa (Mrs.) Daisy A. Dellosa President For Unmarried Signature: Very respectfully yours, Or Nora Alvarez (Miss) Nora T. Alvarez Supervisor For Company Responsibility: Sincerely yours Elysian Events Specialist 8. Written Signature - This refers to the sender clearly scribing or affixing his specimen signature on the space between the complimentary close and the printed name. Allot enough space (3-4 spaces) for this between the complimentary close and the signature line. The signature part also follows certain rules: Optional Parts Of A Business Letter 1. Attention Line - This is used when the letter urgently needs to be received by the best person who can handle it. Commonly, the attention line is at the center. For example: Elysian Events Specialist San Mateo, Rizal Attention: Miss Armie Joie A. Rivera 2. Subject Line - This is used in short reports to let the reader know the content of the letter immediately. It may be placed above or below the inside address; maybe flushed to the left, indented, or centered. For example: Elysian Events Specialist San Mateo, Rizal Subject: Inquiry on Wedding Package 3. Identification Initials or Reference Initials - This includes the initials of the secretary or typist who took the dictation in lower case and initials of the one who dictated or dictator in upper case placed at the lower left hand corner of the letter two spaces below the last line of the signature part. For example: EAG/ jtd Or EAG: go 4. Enclosed or enclosed reference or enclosure notation- This is composed of the attached materials on the letter. This is usually abbreviated Incl. and placed below the reference initials. For example: Inc 1. Grade Sheets 2. Class Records 3. Anecdotal Records 5. Copy Notation - This consists the names or department of other people who also received the letter. 5.1. Carbon Copy Notation (cc) - This notation is indicated on the original copy and all the duplicate copies. For example: cc: Mr. John Paolo Sarce cc: Human Resource Department 5.2. Blind Carbon Copy Notation (bcc) This is a notation not indicated on the original copy but indicated on all duplicate copies. For example: bcc: Miss Sarrah Mae Amata FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice  TECHNICAL WRITING 6. Mailing Notation - This notation refers to the special postal services such as air mail, special delivery, or registered mail. BUSINESS LETTERS PUNCTUATIONS AND STYLES Changing writing styles is like an actor taking on a different part. -Ed McBain Page | Punctuations Used in Business Letters 16 There are three ways on how to punctuate our business letters. We can use Open Punctuation, Standard Punctuation, and Mixed Punctuation. 1. Open Punctuation In writing a business letter, open punctuation does not include any punctuation after any part of the letter except the body of the letter or the message. 2. Standard Punctuation This is the most common style of punctuating a business letter which includes punctuation on salutation and complimentary close only. The punctuation on salutation is colon while on complimentary close, it's comma. 3. Mixed Punctuation This format uses comma (British Style) or colon (American Style) after the salutation and uses comma after the complimentary close. A Sample Application Letter 101 Rosal St., Roberto Homes, Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City May 28, 2017 DR. CONCHITA DE GUZMAN Director Philippine Science High School-Main Campus Agham Road, Diliman, Quezon City Dear Dr. De Guzman: Good day. With great interest, I would like to apply for the position of full-time English teacher of Philippine Science High School. Furthermore, working in a prestigious school like Philippine Science High School is really a great opportunity. I graduated at Polytechnic University of the Philippines last 2015 with a degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English. After graduating, I reviewed for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) at the Philippine Normal University (PNU) and passed the board examination at the same year. I appreciate your honorable consideration for my application. I am always prepared to be interviewed anytime which is convenient for you. The accompanying resume may serve to provide you with greater details of my background and what I can offer. Thank you very much for reading my letter. Very respectfully yours, Eliz Navarro Applicant Reference: Rosales, M. (2019). Technical Writing: a Resource Guide to Writing Across Discipline. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing House. FSPANGINEN | ELJMC: Excellence, Leadership, and Justice