English: Reading and Writing Skills 10/4/2016

PREFINALS HANDOUT

English: Reading and Lesson 1:

Writing Skills Professional
PREFINALS HANDOUT Correspondence,
by: AdDU-SHS English Department Business
Correspondence, &
Application Letters

Professional Correspondence What is a Resume?

• Professional correspondence is communication
intended for career and professional advancement.
• Unlike personal correspondence, professional
correspondence is formal and impersonal i.e.
meaning is conveyed not just from person to
person but from person to institution (Mirasol &
Miranda, 2011, p. 83).
• The goal of professional correspondence is to
create and leave a good impression on potential
employers as you apply for a job or on universities
and colleges as you apply to the college of your
choice.
• For those who are graduating or seeking new
employment, no professional correspondence is as
important as the resume.
• A resume is an outline or summary of
your background and your qualifications
for the job you want (Camp &
Satterwhite, 2007).
• Since it is only an outline or summary, it
is crucial to know how to highlight the
important skills that match the job you
want. Your goal is to be hired, thus
knowing what to put in a resume is very
essential.

Application Letters
Basic Information
Activities • An application letter or a cover letter is a
Position document that accompanies your resume.
Objective

Educationa References
• It is a sales letter about you.
l
Backgroun
d
• The goal of an application letter is to
Specia
highlight your qualifications as it
l Skills
summarizes the contents of your resume
Work
Experienc
and to persuade your potential employer to
e grant you an interview (Brantley & Miller,
2008; Camp & Satterwhite, 2007).

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Business Correspondence: Business Letters

Business Letters, Memos, Emails
• A business correspondence…
Is a written document that is used to
transact business.
Aims to serve as a record and to
secure action from the recipient or
reader.
Has the goal to be able to express
the writer’s objective clearly.
• Business letters are different from the
personal letters you send to friends or
people you know. The tone, style, and format
of most business letters are different as it
reflects a professional business image.
• The goals of most business letters are to
inform (e.g. routine letters, good news
messages, thank you letters, etc) or to
persuade (sales letters, donation letters,
collection and claims, etc).

Things to remember!

• There are two types of heading: modern (letterhead) and

conventional.
• Date: September
1, 2014 (American
Parts of a English Style)
Business Letter 1 September 2014 (British English
Style)
• Content of the Body:
 first paragraph: introduction and reason for writing
 following paragraphs: explain your reasons for writing in more
detail, provide background information etc.
 last paragraph: summarize your reason for writing again and make
clear what you want the recipient to do

Formats of Business Letter: Full Block Style

• Full Block Style • Using this style, all parts of the entire letter
are left justified. This is considered the most
• Modified Block Style popular and easiest of all the styles because
• Semi-block Style the encoder or the typist is no longer
concerned with indentions, thus, saving time
and effort; however, this style shows an
imbalanced letter. The left side seems so full
while the right part becomes barren.

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162 Aguinaldo Street, Brgy. 12 (HEADING)

Modified Block Style
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
January 5, 2015 (DATE)
Ms. Evan Mae Lavisores (INSIDE ADDRESS) • In this type, the body of the letter is left
Guidance Counselor
Jose Maria College
Davao City, Davao del Sur
justified. However, the date and
Dear Ma’am Lavisores (SALUTATION) complimentary close begin near the
The AB Normal University is the newest Aviation School and Technical Training Institution in the
city which offers world-class aviation education………..school can offer. (BODY)
center going to the right margin. This
In lieu with this, our marketing team is conducting a Career Guidance Orientation………. gives a balanced look to the letter.
We are looking forward to your positive response to this matter.
Yours truly, (COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE)
Rose Ann Rebelleza (SIGNATURE)
Marketing Officer

(HEADING)162 Aguinaldo Street, Brgy.

Semi-block Style
12
Tuguegarao City,
Cagayan
(DATE) January 5, 2015 • It is much like the modified block style
Ms. Evan Mae Lavisores(INSIDE ADDRESS)
Guidance Counselor
Jose Maria College
except that each paragraph is indented
Davao City, Davao del Sur

Dear Ma’am Lavisores:(SALUTATION)

instead of left justified. It is the most
The AB Normal University is the newest Aviation School and Technical Training Institution in the city
which offers world-class aviation education………..school can offer. (BODY)
balanced of all styles.
In lieu with this, our marketing team is conducting a Career Guidance Orientation……….
We are looking forward to your positive response to this matter.
(COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE)Yours truly,
(SIGNATURE)Rose Ann Rebelleza
Marketing Officer

Street, Brgy. 12
(HEADING)162 Aguinaldo Memo
Tuguegarao
City, Cagayan
(DATE) January 5, 2015 • Memo (short for Memorandum) is a
Ms. Evan Mae Lavisores (INSIDE ADDRESS)
Guidance Counselor
Jose Maria College form interoffice communication. Most
Davao City, Davao del Sur

Dear Ma’am Lavisores (SALUTATION)

organizations are large and diversified
The AB Normal University is the newest Aviation School and Technical Training Institution in
the city which offers world-class aviation education………..school can offer. (BODY) with branches and locations located in
In lieu with this, our marketing team is conducting a Career Guidance Orientation……….
We are looking forward to your positive response to this matter.
different places. Memos allow you to
(COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE)Yours truly, coordinate with people within an
(SIGNATURE)Rose Ann Rebelleza
Officer
Marketing organization – especially those who do
not have access to e-mail (Camp &
Satterwhite, 2007).

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Advantages of Memos (Camp & Satterwhite, 2007, p. 359)

Quick Word processing programs make it easier for people to

write memos; technology like fax and e-mails also make it
easier to send memos.
Inexpensive Compared with telephone calls and meetings, memos are
an expensive way to transmit messages within an
organization.
Convenient Memos offer access to people who are not seen on a
regular basis. In addition, reading a memo requires less
time than a phone call or personal visit.
A Written Memos serve as a written record for both reader and
Record writer. In many situations, a well-written memo can help
prevent misunderstandings
Emails
Electronic mail or e-mail is a form of written
communication just like memos and letters.
However, unlike memos and letters, e-mails
are sent via the Internet. E-mails can be for
interoffice communication like e-mails or can
be for communication outside the organization
like letters. Just like other forms of written
communication, the purpose of your message
determines the appropriateness of the mode
of communication to be used.

According to Brantley and Miller (2008),

the following messages are not suitable
as e-mail messages.
Negative or emotionally Messages such as reprimands, condolences, and other bad news are

Lesson 2: Article
significant messages best handled face-to-face or through a confidential letter.

Time-sensitive messages Not everyone reads e-mails frequently, so a quick delivery doesn‘t

Review
necessarily guarantee a quick response.
Long and/or complicated Lengthy messages should be sent as attachments rather than as part of
messages an e-mail. The e-mail message should be brief and refers to the
attached document.
Confidential messages Remember e-mail is not private. It can be intercepted and can be
retrieved even if they are ‗deleted‘. It can also be easily forwarded,
printed, and distributed without the sender‘s knowledge.

Messages that may be Tone of voice and body language are absent in e-mails so it can be easy
misinterpreted to misinterpret a message sent via e-mail.

What is a REVIEW?
- a “critical evaluation of a text, event, object or
phenomenon” (Book Review, n.d.). Common types of reviews are:
- rarely exceed 1000 words (but sometimes it is more or less
depending on the kind of review being made).

What do Reviews do?

1. Book review
- it can look into a variety of books, articles, entire genres
2. Literature review
or fields of literature, architecture, art, fashion, etc. 3. Article Critique/Review
- it makes an argument.
- is not just a summary of content but a commentary; the
review should identify the strengths and weaknesses of a
particular work.

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Book Review
- a description and an evaluation of a
book.
- should focus on the book's purpose,
contents, and authority.
ARTICLE CRITIQUE/REVIEW
- written for an audience who is knowledgeable in the subject
matter instead of a general audience.
- presents more than just an opinion; creates a response to
the scholarly writer's ideas by using ideas, theories, and research
from your own studies. Your critique of the article will be
based on proof and your own thoughtful reasoning.
An article critique/review:
1. summarizes the main ideas, arguments, positions, and
findings, and then;
2. critiques the article's contributions to the field and
overall effectiveness
Factors to consider in writing an Article
Critique/Review:
10/4/2016
Literature Review
- discusses published information about a
particular subject area and sometimes in a
particular subject area within a certain time
period.
- simply summarizes and synthesizes the ideas
of others without adding new contributions.
ARTICLE CRITIQUE/REVIEW
Before you begin writing your critique, it is better if
you check your article‘s background information.
Include the following basic information:
1. Name(s) of the author(s)
2. Title of article
3. Title of journal, volume number, date, month,
and page numbers
4. Statement of the problem or issue discussed
5. Authors‘ purpose, approach or methods,
hypothesis, and major conclusions
- The writer of an article critique writes a summary of
the pertinent details about the article (ex. title and
author).
- You as the writer should state your general evaluation of
the article which will be the main idea of your critique .
- The main idea must be supported by specific
points that you want to make about the writing (can
be further supported by including sample lines from
the article).
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- its main purpose is to persuade readers of a
particular genre or researchers in a specific
field to whether read or not read the article.
- to a certain extent, the critique tells how
useful and credible a piece of writing is.
The following are some questions you may want to address in your
critique no matter what type of article you are critiquing.
*Reminders: Use your discretion. These points don‘t have to be discussed
in this order, and some may not be pertinent to your particular article.*
1. Is the title of the article appropriate and clear?
2. Is the abstract specific, representative of the article, and in the
correct form?
3. Is the purpose of the article made clear in the introduction?
4. Do you find errors of fact and interpretation?
5. Is all of the discussion relevant?
Lesson 3: Position
Paper
10/4/2016
The pattern of development to use is the
persuasion pattern:
1. First, state a general argument as your main
idea.
2. Then, support that main idea with specific
points which need to be backed up by relevant
details (ex. quotations from the article or notes
from other sources).
6. Has the author cited the pertinent, and only the pertinent, literature? If
the author has included inconsequential references, or references that are
not pertinent, suggest deleting them.
7. Have any ideas been overemphasized or underemphasized? Suggest
specific revisions.
8. Should some sections of the manuscript be expanded, condensed or
omitted?
9. Are the author‘s statements clear? Challenge ambiguous statements.
Suggest by examples how clarity can be achieved, but do not merely
substitute your style for the author‘s.
10. What underlying assumptions does the author have?
11. Has the author been objective in his or her discussion of the topic?
What are position papers?
A position paper supports and describes a
position on an issue and the writer‘s reasons
for that position. Like your previous lesson on
argumentation, the position paper issues an
arguable opinion about an issue (How to write
a position paper, 2014, June 2).
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In general, a position paper But how do you go about taking a

should… side on a subject?
- Use evidence to support your position, First, you should first establish the “arguability” of a
such as statistical evidence or dates and topic that interests you. Ask yourself the following
events questions (Writing a position paper, n.d.):

- Validate your position with

- Is it a real issue, with genuine controversy and
authoritative references or primary uncertainty?
sources - Can you identify at least two distinctive positions?
- Examine the strengths and weaknesses - Are you personally interested in advocating one of
of your position these positions?
- Is the scope of the issue narrow enough to be
- Evaluate possible solutions and suggest manageable?
courses of action

The body
Structure of a Position Paper - Background information
- Point 1 of your position and support (at least
3 supporting evidence)
Introduction - Point 2 of your position and support (at least
3 supporting evidence)
- Identification of the issue - Point 3 of your position and support (at least
- Provide background of the topic 3 supporting evidence)
- Counterargument
and explain why it is important - Refutation of the counterargument
- Statement of the position
A conclusion
- Suggestion courses of action
- Possible solutions

• The introduction of a position paper first identifies the issue

and states the author‘s position.
• The body of a position paper contains several paragraphs.
Every paragraph presents a specific reason or point of a
position. Every point must then be supported by evidence or
facts. Evidences can be primary source quotations, statistical

Lesson 4:
data, interviews with experts, and indisputable dates or
events. The body of the position paper may also begin with
some background information and should incorporate a
discussion of both sides of the issue to avoid bias. The body

Research
also contains the paper‘s counterarguments.
Counterarguments are the ideas that disagree or contradict
with your given position. Once you have thought of your

Proposal
counterarguments, consider how you will respond to them.
This is what you call refutation. The refutation should then
tell the reader why your position is still better despite the
counterarguments.
• Finally, the conclusion of the position paper should
summarize the main concepts and ideas of the paper and
reinforce your stand regarding the issue. It can also include
suggested courses of action and possible solutions.

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WHAT?: THE DEFINITION WHY?: THE PURPOSE

• A high quality research proposal not only
promises success for the project, but also
impresses your Thesis Committee (Research
Panelists) about your potential as a researcher.
• A research proposal is a concise and coherent
summary of your proposed research. It sets
out the central issues or questions that you
intend to address. It outlines the general area
of study within which your research falls,
referring to the current state of knowledge
and any recent debates on the topic.
• A research proposal is intended to convince
others that you have a worthwhile research
project and that you have the competence
and the work-plan to complete it.
• A research proposal should contain all the
key elements involved in the research
process and include sufficient information
for the readers to evaluate the proposed
study.

HOW?: THE PROCESS The Process cont.

• Research proposals must address the following
questions:
What do you plan to accomplish? (Objectives)
Why do you want to do it? (Problem Statement)
How are you going to do it? (Methodology)
• The proposal should have sufficient information to
convince your readers that you have an important
research idea, that you have a good grasp of the
relevant literature and the major issues, and that
your methodology is profound.
• The quality of your research proposal
depends not only on the quality of your
proposed project, but also on the
quality of your proposal writing.
• A good research project may run the
risk of rejection simply because the
proposal is poorly written. Therefore, it
pays if your writing is coherent, clear
and compelling.

What do we include in a Research

Proposal?
• Tentative Title
• Introduction (Background,
Context/Situation)
• Statement of the problem
• Objectives
• Preliminary Literature Review
• Methodology
• References