{"id":39,"date":"2019-02-05T10:48:41","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T10:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/chapter\/adapting-to-your-audience\/"},"modified":"2023-02-09T15:38:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-09T15:38:36","slug":"adapting-to-your-audience","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/chapter\/adapting-to-your-audience\/","title":{"raw":"Adapting to your audience","rendered":"Adapting to your audience"},"content":{"raw":"
Using the \u201cYou\u201d Attitude<\/span><\/div>\r\nAdopt the \u201cyou\u201d attitude by<\/span>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Replacing terms that refer to yourself and your company with terms that refer to your audience<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • Empathizing with your audience sincerely and genuinely<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • Avoiding the word you<\/em> when its use would be impolite or accusatory<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • Following company style regarding the use of personal pronouns<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
    Maintaining Standards of Etiquette<\/span><\/div>\r\nMaintain the highest standards of etiquette:<\/span>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Be courteous to members of your audience.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
    • Control your emotions and communicate calmly.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
    • Be even more tactful in written messages.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
      \r\n\r\nEmphasizing the Positive<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
        \r\n \t
      • Soften the blow of negative news.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
      • Criticize constructively without dwelling on a person\u2019s mistakes.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
      • Emphasize audience benefits rather than your own.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
      • Use euphemisms to avoid words that are hurtful or offensive to your audience\u2014but don\u2019t use them to sugar-coat unpleasant news.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
        Using Bias-Free Language<\/span><\/div>\r\nUse bias-free language by avoiding words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to<\/span>\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • Gender<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • Race and ethnicity<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • Age<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
        • Disability<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
          Adapting to Your Audience: Building Strong Relationships<\/div>\r\nEstablishing your credibility and projecting your company\u2019s image are two vital steps in building and fostering positive business relationships.<\/span>\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • Establishing Your Credibility<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nCredibility is the measure of your believability based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others.<\/span>\r\n\r\nTo establish your credibility, emphasize<\/span>\r\n
              \r\n \t
            • Honesty<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
            • Objectivity<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
            • Awareness of audience needs<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
            • Credentials, knowledge, and expertise<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
            • Endorsements<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
            • Performance<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
            • Sincerity<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nCredibility can take a long time to establish\u2014and it can be wiped out by a single careless or foolish mistake.<\/span>\r\n\r\nProjecting Your Company\u2019s Image<\/span>\r\n\r\nProject the proper image for your company by subordinating your own views and personality if necessary and mastering your company\u2019s style.<\/span>\r\n\r\nObserve more experienced colleagues to see how they communicate, and never hesitate to ask for editorial help.<\/span>\r\n
              \u00a0Adapting to Your Audience: Controlling Your Style and Tone<\/span><\/div>\r\nStyle is the way that words are used to achieve a certain tone (the impression made by your words).<\/span>\r\n
              Using a Conversational Tone<\/span><\/div>\r\nTo achieve a conversational tone, try to<\/span>\r\n
                \r\n \t
              • Understand the difference between texting and writing<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
              • Avoid stale and pompous language<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
              • Avoid preaching and bragging<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
              • Be careful with intimacy<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
              • Be careful with humour<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                Using Plain Language<\/span><\/div>\r\nPlain language is a way of presenting information in a simple, unadorned style that your audience can easily grasp without struggling through specialized, technical, or convoluted language.<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlain language can make companies more productive and more profitable simply because people spend less time trying to figure out messages that are confusing or aren\u2019t written to meet their needs.<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlain language helps non-native speakers understand your messages.<\/span>\r\n
                Selecting the Active or Passive Voice<\/span><\/div>\r\nIn active voice, the subject performs the action and the object receives the action.<\/span>\r\n
                  \r\n \t
                • The subject (\u201cactor\u201d) comes before the verb<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                • The object (\u201cacted upon\u201d) comes after the verb<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn passive voice, the subject receives the action.<\/span>\r\n
                    \r\n \t
                  • The subject comes after the verb<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                  • The object comes before the verb<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                  • Combines the helping verb to be<\/em> with a form of the verb that is usually similar to the past tense<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUse the active voice to<\/span>\r\n
                      \r\n \t
                    • Produce shorter, stronger sentences<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                    • Make your writing more vigorous, concise, and generally easier to understand<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nGenerally, avoid the passive voice because it<\/span>\r\n
                        \r\n \t
                      • Is cumbersome<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                      • Can be unnecessarily vague<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                      • Can make sentences longer<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHowever, the passive voice is best in some cases to demonstrate the \u201cyou\u201d attitude:<\/span>\r\n
                          \r\n \t
                        • When you need to be diplomatic<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                        • When you want to avoid taking or attributing the credit or the blame<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                        • When you want to avoid personal pronouns to create an objective tone<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                          Composing Your Message: Choosing Powerful Words<\/span><\/div>\r\nAs you compose your first draft, you<\/span>\r\n
                            \r\n \t
                          • Can improve on your outline by rearranging, deleting, and adding ideas (as long as you don\u2019t lose sight of your purpose)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                          • Try to let your creativity flow (don\u2019t draft and edit at the same time)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                          • Try to overcome writer\u2019s block<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nYou can jog your brain to overcome writer\u2019s block by<\/span>\r\n
                              \r\n \t
                            • Skipping to another part of the document<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                            • Working on nontext elements such as graphics<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                            • Switching to a different project<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                            • Starting to write without worrying about what you\u2019re writing or how it sounds<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAs you create and refine your messages, learn to view your writing at three levels:<\/span>\r\n
                                \r\n \t
                              • Strong words<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                              • Effective sentences<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                              • Coherent paragraphs<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIf you have questions about grammar and usage, be sure to consult handbooks or online guides.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe words you choose to use must be correct:<\/span>\r\n
                                  \r\n \t
                                • Grammatical or usage errors cause you to lose credibility with your audience<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                • Poor grammar implies that you\u2019re uninformed and your audience may not trust you<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                • Poor grammar can imply that you don\u2019t respect your audience enough to get things right<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSuccessful writers and speakers take care to find the most effective words and phrases to use.<\/span>\r\n\r\nRich languages such as English provide you with a variety of options when choosing words.<\/span>\r\n\r\nSelecting and using words effectively is often more challenging than using words correctly because it\u2019s a matter of judgment and experience.<\/span>\r\n\r\nReading widely is the best way to expand your vocabulary and thereby give yourself more options when it\u2019s time to choose words in your own writing.<\/span>\r\n
                                  Understanding Denotation and Connotation<\/span><\/div>\r\nWords may have two meanings:<\/span>\r\n
                                    \r\n \t
                                  • The denotative meaning is the literal or dictionary meaning.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                  • The connotative meaning includes all the associations and feelings evoked by the word.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn business communication carefully use words that have multiple interpretations and are high in connotative meaning.<\/span>\r\n
                                    Balancing Abstract and Concrete Words<\/span><\/div>\r\nA word may be<\/span>\r\n
                                      \r\n \t
                                    • Abstract (expressing a concept, quality, or characteristic)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                    • Concrete (standing for something you can touch, see, or visualize)<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nConcrete words are often more effective than abstract words because they are more precise, but that isn\u2019t always the case.<\/span>\r\n\r\nBlend abstract terms with concrete ones to be as effective as possible.<\/span>\r\n\r\nEven though they\u2019re indispensable, abstractions can be troublesome.<\/span>\r\n
                                        \r\n \t
                                      • Abstract words tend to be fuzzy and subject to multiple interpretations<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                      • Abstract words seem less \u201creal\u201d and pose a challenge to getting readers excited<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                                        Finding Words That Communicate Well<\/span><\/div>\r\nTo find the words that communicate, think carefully about the right words to use for each individual situation:<\/span>\r\n
                                          \r\n \t
                                        • Choose powerful words<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                        • Choose familiar words<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                        • Avoid clich\u00e9s and be careful with buzzwords<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                        • Use jargon carefully<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>\r\n
                                          Composing Your Message: Creating Effective Sentences<\/span><\/div>\r\nTo make every sentence count, you<\/span>\r\n
                                            \r\n \t
                                          • Arrange carefully chosen words<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                          • Select the optimum type of sentence<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                                            Choosing from the Four Types of Sentences<\/span><\/div>\r\nFour types of sentences are<\/span>\r\n
                                              \r\n \t
                                            • Simple: one main clause (single subject and single predicate)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                            • Compound: two main clauses that express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance, usually joined by and<\/em>, but<\/em>, or or<\/em><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                            • Complex: expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more subordinate, related thoughts (dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as valid sentences)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                            • Compound-complex: two main clauses, at least one with a subordinate clause<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhen constructing sentences, choose the form that matches the relationship of the ideas you want to express.<\/span>\r\n
                                                \r\n \t
                                              • Use two simple sentences or a compound sentence if you have two ideas of equal importance<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                              • Use a complex sentence if one of the ideas is less important than the other<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nTo achieve the clearest writing possible, strive for variety and balance by mixing all four types of sentences.<\/span>\r\n
                                                Using Sentence Style to Emphasize Key Thoughts<\/span><\/div>\r\nYou can emphasize key ideas through sentence-style by<\/span>\r\n
                                                  \r\n \t
                                                • Describing an important element with more detail<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                • Adding a separate, short sentence to augment the thought<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                • Making a thought the subject of a sentence<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                • Placing the key idea either at the beginning or the end of a sentence<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn complex sentences, the placement of the dependent clause hinges on the relationship between the ideas expressed.<\/span>\r\n
                                                    \r\n \t
                                                  • Put the dependent clause at the end of the sentence (the most emphatic position) or at the beginning (the second most emphatic position).<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                  • Put the dependent clause within the sentence if you want to downplay the idea.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                                                    Composing Your Message: Crafting Unified, Coherent Paragraphs<\/span><\/div>\r\nA paragraph organizes sentences related to the same general topic.<\/span>\r\n\r\nReaders expect each paragraph to<\/span>\r\n
                                                      \r\n \t
                                                    • Be unified and focus on a single unit of thought<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                    • Be coherent and present ideas in a logically connected way<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                                                      Creating the Elements of a Paragraph<\/span><\/div>\r\nA paragraph is made up of several elements:<\/span>\r\n
                                                        \r\n \t
                                                      • Topic sentence\u2014introduces the topic, gives readers a summary of the general idea that will be covered in the rest of the paragraph, and reminds audiences of the purpose of each paragraph<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                      • Support sentences\u2014explains, justifies, or extends the topic sentence with specifics; are more specific than topic sentences; provides another piece of evidence to demonstrate the general truth of the main thought, and are clearly related to the general idea being developed<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                      • Transitions\u2014words or phrases that tie ideas together by showing how one thought is related to another, help readers understand the connections you\u2019re trying to make, and smooth your writing<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                                                        Establish transitions by<\/span><\/div>\r\n
                                                          \r\n \t
                                                        • Using connecting words<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                        • Echoing a word or phrase from a previous paragraph or sentence<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                        • Using a pronoun that refers to a noun used previously<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                        • Using words that are frequently paired<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                                                          Transitions are able to:<\/span><\/div>\r\n
                                                            \r\n \t
                                                          • Serve as mood changers<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                          • Announce a total contrast with what\u2019s gone on before<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                          • Announce a causal relationship<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSignal a change in time<\/span>\r\n\r\nUse transitions to help readers understand your ideas and follow you from point to point:<\/span>\r\n
                                                              \r\n \t
                                                            • Inside paragraphs to tie related points together<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                            • Between paragraphs to ease the shift from one distinct thought to another<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                            • Between major sections or chapters<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
                                                              Choosing the Best Way to Develop a Paragraph<\/span><\/div>\r\nDevelop a paragraph in one of five ways:<\/span>\r\n
                                                                \r\n \t
                                                              • Illustration<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                              • Comparison or contrast<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                              • Cause and effect<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                              • Classification<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nProblem and solution<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn practice, you\u2019ll occasionally combine two or more methods of development in a single paragraph.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThink through other alternatives before accepting your first choice.<\/span>\r\n
                                                                Using Technology to Compose and Shape Your Messages<\/span><\/div>\r\nWriting and publishing software provides a wide range of tools to help you compose your business documents:<\/span>\r\n
                                                                  \r\n \t
                                                                • Style sheets, style sets, templates, and themes<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                                • Boilerplate and document components<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                                • Autocompletion and autocorrection<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                                • File merge and mail merge<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
                                                                • Endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and tables of contents<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nTry to learn enough about word-processing features to be handy with them, without spending so much time that the tools distract from the writing process.<\/span>","rendered":"
                                                                  Using the \u201cYou\u201d Attitude<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                  Adopt the \u201cyou\u201d attitude by<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                    \n
                                                                  • Replacing terms that refer to yourself and your company with terms that refer to your audience<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                  • Empathizing with your audience sincerely and genuinely<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                  • Avoiding the word you<\/em> when its use would be impolite or accusatory<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                  • Following company style regarding the use of personal pronouns<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                    Maintaining Standards of Etiquette<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                    Maintain the highest standards of etiquette:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                      \n
                                                                    • Be courteous to members of your audience.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                    • Control your emotions and communicate calmly.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                    • Be even more tactful in written messages.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                      \n

                                                                      Emphasizing the Positive<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

                                                                        \n
                                                                      • Soften the blow of negative news.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                      • Criticize constructively without dwelling on a person\u2019s mistakes.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                      • Emphasize audience benefits rather than your own.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                      • Use euphemisms to avoid words that are hurtful or offensive to your audience\u2014but don\u2019t use them to sugar-coat unpleasant news.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                        Using Bias-Free Language<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                        Use bias-free language by avoiding words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                          \n
                                                                        • Gender<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                        • Race and ethnicity<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                        • Age<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                        • Disability<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                          Adapting to Your Audience: Building Strong Relationships<\/div>\n

                                                                          Establishing your credibility and projecting your company\u2019s image are two vital steps in building and fostering positive business relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                            \n
                                                                          • Establishing Your Credibility<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                            Credibility is the measure of your believability based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                            To establish your credibility, emphasize<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                              \n
                                                                            • Honesty<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                            • Objectivity<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                            • Awareness of audience needs<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                            • Credentials, knowledge, and expertise<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                            • Endorsements<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                            • Performance<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                            • Sincerity<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                              Credibility can take a long time to establish\u2014and it can be wiped out by a single careless or foolish mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                              Projecting Your Company\u2019s Image<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                              Project the proper image for your company by subordinating your own views and personality if necessary and mastering your company\u2019s style.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                              Observe more experienced colleagues to see how they communicate, and never hesitate to ask for editorial help.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                              \u00a0Adapting to Your Audience: Controlling Your Style and Tone<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                              Style is the way that words are used to achieve a certain tone (the impression made by your words).<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                              Using a Conversational Tone<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                              To achieve a conversational tone, try to<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                \n
                                                                              • Understand the difference between texting and writing<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                              • Avoid stale and pompous language<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                              • Avoid preaching and bragging<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                              • Be careful with intimacy<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                              • Be careful with humour<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                Using Plain Language<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                Plain language is a way of presenting information in a simple, unadorned style that your audience can easily grasp without struggling through specialized, technical, or convoluted language.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                Plain language can make companies more productive and more profitable simply because people spend less time trying to figure out messages that are confusing or aren\u2019t written to meet their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                Plain language helps non-native speakers understand your messages.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                Selecting the Active or Passive Voice<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                In active voice, the subject performs the action and the object receives the action.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                  \n
                                                                                • The subject (\u201cactor\u201d) comes before the verb<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                • The object (\u201cacted upon\u201d) comes after the verb<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                  In passive voice, the subject receives the action.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                    \n
                                                                                  • The subject comes after the verb<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                  • The object comes before the verb<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                  • Combines the helping verb to be<\/em> with a form of the verb that is usually similar to the past tense<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                    Use the active voice to<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                      \n
                                                                                    • Produce shorter, stronger sentences<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                    • Make your writing more vigorous, concise, and generally easier to understand<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                      Generally, avoid the passive voice because it<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                        \n
                                                                                      • Is cumbersome<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                      • Can be unnecessarily vague<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                      • Can make sentences longer<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                        However, the passive voice is best in some cases to demonstrate the \u201cyou\u201d attitude:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                          \n
                                                                                        • When you need to be diplomatic<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                        • When you want to avoid taking or attributing the credit or the blame<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                        • When you want to avoid personal pronouns to create an objective tone<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                          Composing Your Message: Choosing Powerful Words<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                          As you compose your first draft, you<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                            \n
                                                                                          • Can improve on your outline by rearranging, deleting, and adding ideas (as long as you don\u2019t lose sight of your purpose)<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                          • Try to let your creativity flow (don\u2019t draft and edit at the same time)<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                          • Try to overcome writer\u2019s block<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                            You can jog your brain to overcome writer\u2019s block by<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                              \n
                                                                                            • Skipping to another part of the document<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                            • Working on nontext elements such as graphics<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                            • Switching to a different project<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                            • Starting to write without worrying about what you\u2019re writing or how it sounds<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                              As you create and refine your messages, learn to view your writing at three levels:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                \n
                                                                                              • Strong words<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                              • Effective sentences<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                              • Coherent paragraphs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                If you have questions about grammar and usage, be sure to consult handbooks or online guides.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                The words you choose to use must be correct:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                • Grammatical or usage errors cause you to lose credibility with your audience<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                • Poor grammar implies that you\u2019re uninformed and your audience may not trust you<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                • Poor grammar can imply that you don\u2019t respect your audience enough to get things right<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                  Successful writers and speakers take care to find the most effective words and phrases to use.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                  Rich languages such as English provide you with a variety of options when choosing words.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                  Selecting and using words effectively is often more challenging than using words correctly because it\u2019s a matter of judgment and experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                  Reading widely is the best way to expand your vocabulary and thereby give yourself more options when it\u2019s time to choose words in your own writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                  Understanding Denotation and Connotation<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                  Words may have two meanings:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                  • The denotative meaning is the literal or dictionary meaning.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                  • The connotative meaning includes all the associations and feelings evoked by the word.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                    In business communication carefully use words that have multiple interpretations and are high in connotative meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                    Balancing Abstract and Concrete Words<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                    A word may be<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                    • Abstract (expressing a concept, quality, or characteristic)<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                    • Concrete (standing for something you can touch, see, or visualize)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                      Concrete words are often more effective than abstract words because they are more precise, but that isn\u2019t always the case.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                      Blend abstract terms with concrete ones to be as effective as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                      Even though they\u2019re indispensable, abstractions can be troublesome.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                      • Abstract words tend to be fuzzy and subject to multiple interpretations<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                      • Abstract words seem less \u201creal\u201d and pose a challenge to getting readers excited<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                                        Finding Words That Communicate Well<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                        To find the words that communicate, think carefully about the right words to use for each individual situation:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                        • Choose powerful words<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                        • Choose familiar words<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                        • Avoid clich\u00e9s and be careful with buzzwords<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                        • Use jargon carefully<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                          \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                          Composing Your Message: Creating Effective Sentences<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                          To make every sentence count, you<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                          • Arrange carefully chosen words<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                          • Select the optimum type of sentence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                                            Choosing from the Four Types of Sentences<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                            Four types of sentences are<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                            • Simple: one main clause (single subject and single predicate)<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                            • Compound: two main clauses that express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance, usually joined by and<\/em>, but<\/em>, or or<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                            • Complex: expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more subordinate, related thoughts (dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as valid sentences)<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                            • Compound-complex: two main clauses, at least one with a subordinate clause<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                              When constructing sentences, choose the form that matches the relationship of the ideas you want to express.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                \n
                                                                                                              • Use two simple sentences or a compound sentence if you have two ideas of equal importance<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                              • Use a complex sentence if one of the ideas is less important than the other<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                                To achieve the clearest writing possible, strive for variety and balance by mixing all four types of sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                Using Sentence Style to Emphasize Key Thoughts<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                                You can emphasize key ideas through sentence-style by<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                                • Describing an important element with more detail<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                • Adding a separate, short sentence to augment the thought<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                • Making a thought the subject of a sentence<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                • Placing the key idea either at the beginning or the end of a sentence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                                  In complex sentences, the placement of the dependent clause hinges on the relationship between the ideas expressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                    \n
                                                                                                                  • Put the dependent clause at the end of the sentence (the most emphatic position) or at the beginning (the second most emphatic position).<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                  • Put the dependent clause within the sentence if you want to downplay the idea.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                                                    Composing Your Message: Crafting Unified, Coherent Paragraphs<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                                    A paragraph organizes sentences related to the same general topic.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                    Readers expect each paragraph to<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                      \n
                                                                                                                    • Be unified and focus on a single unit of thought<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                    • Be coherent and present ideas in a logically connected way<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                                                      Creating the Elements of a Paragraph<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                                      A paragraph is made up of several elements:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                        \n
                                                                                                                      • Topic sentence\u2014introduces the topic, gives readers a summary of the general idea that will be covered in the rest of the paragraph, and reminds audiences of the purpose of each paragraph<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                      • Support sentences\u2014explains, justifies, or extends the topic sentence with specifics; are more specific than topic sentences; provides another piece of evidence to demonstrate the general truth of the main thought, and are clearly related to the general idea being developed<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                      • Transitions\u2014words or phrases that tie ideas together by showing how one thought is related to another, help readers understand the connections you\u2019re trying to make, and smooth your writing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                                                        Establish transitions by<\/span><\/div>\n
                                                                                                                          \n
                                                                                                                        • Using connecting words<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                        • Echoing a word or phrase from a previous paragraph or sentence<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                        • Using a pronoun that refers to a noun used previously<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                        • Using words that are frequently paired<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                                                          Transitions are able to:<\/span><\/div>\n
                                                                                                                            \n
                                                                                                                          • Serve as mood changers<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                          • Announce a total contrast with what\u2019s gone on before<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                          • Announce a causal relationship<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                                            Signal a change in time<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                            Use transitions to help readers understand your ideas and follow you from point to point:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                              \n
                                                                                                                            • Inside paragraphs to tie related points together<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                            • Between paragraphs to ease the shift from one distinct thought to another<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                            • Between major sections or chapters<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                                                                              Choosing the Best Way to Develop a Paragraph<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                                              Develop a paragraph in one of five ways:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                \n
                                                                                                                              • Illustration<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                              • Comparison or contrast<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                              • Cause and effect<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                              • Classification<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                                                Problem and solution<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                In practice, you\u2019ll occasionally combine two or more methods of development in a single paragraph.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                Think through other alternatives before accepting your first choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                Using Technology to Compose and Shape Your Messages<\/span><\/div>\n

                                                                                                                                Writing and publishing software provides a wide range of tools to help you compose your business documents:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                                                                                                                  \n
                                                                                                                                • Style sheets, style sets, templates, and themes<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                • Boilerplate and document components<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                • Autocompletion and autocorrection<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                • File merge and mail merge<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                                                                                • Endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and tables of contents<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                                                                                  Try to learn enough about word-processing features to be handy with them, without spending so much time that the tools distract from the writing process.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-39","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":38,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/39","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/39\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":338,"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/39\/revisions\/338"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/38"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/39\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=39"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=39"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-prd.let.ethz.ch\/WP0-CIPRF9765\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}