SAINT MICHAEL COLLEGE OF HINDANG, LEYTE INC.

A Bonifacio St., Poblacion II, Hindang Leyte

Website: smchindang.edu.ph
E-mail: smchindang@gmail.com

Material : Handouts
Inclusive Dates : August 23- September 04, 2021
Semester : First Semester
School Year : 2021- 2022
Course : Business Writing and Report Making
Department : Business Department
Instructor : Remedios Abiera Bianes

CHAPTER 1: THE NATURE OF BUSINESS ENGLISH

What is Business English?

Business English is the kind of English used in conducting business or in buying and selling activities. Its extensive use in
commercial transactions leads to the accumulation of its own business terms which the other fields of knowledge may
sometimes borrow. This proves that Business English is not exclusive or snobbishly aloof language. It exists as the same kind of
language used in other aspects of life. It is not any specialized or particular language intended only for people involved in
business.

Business English in “informative, affective, adaptive and derivative”. It is informative because it uses words that can
always point to actual events referred to. This is possible through its use of simple and specific terms that give a clear relation
between the word and its referent- a denotation that results in the creation of an extra or one and only meaning of the term.
Getting of information will be very easy if the word gives only one meaning rather than multiple meaning that cause ambiguous
sentences. However, the meaning of the word does not come only from its relation to its referent, but also from its relation to
the feelings of the sender and the receiver. Hence, the use of negative, positive, prejudicial and figurative language that
connotes personal meanings or expresses emotions explains why Business English is affective. In its attempt to create beautiful
feelings, it uses positive, original, vivid and concrete words instead of negative, cliché, stereotyped and abstract terms.

Another word to describe Business English is adaptive. One proof that this language is adaptive is the You Attitude
principle in business letter writing. The You Attitude means that the writer has to adapt the language of this letter as well as the
other aspects of it to the nature of the reader- his intelligence, education and the other socio- cultural factors affecting the life
of the reader who may be a layperson, an expert, an executive or a user who knows very little or much about the subject matter
of the letter. Having a clue of who his reader is or how much knowledge he has about the content of the letter, the writer can
appropriately use a tone, style or vocabulary that can help the reader understand the message easily.

The meanings, forms and relationships of the words of the letter determine the true definition of Business English. This
type of English is epitomized by this expression, “Time is gold.” Having this kind of understanding about the language of a
buying-and-selling act, a business letter therefore has to use expressions that are simple, direct, concise and active. This is the
kind of language in business transactions that can instantly elicit readers’ decisions on the message of the letter

Business letter writing is not poetry writing that requires the use of figurative, idiomatic and circuitous expressions.
Rather, it needs words that truly serve the primary purpose of business which is to create an immediate agreement between or
among the parties involved in the business deal. Thus, a letter loaded with wordy expressions like clichés, jargons, clutters and
other “businesses” or long and high- sounding terms are deterrent to the reader’s speedy judgment about the letter. Instead of
motivating the reader to act on the letter immediately, these redundant and difficult words drive him to shelve the letter, to
postpone reading it and worst to throw the paper nonchalantly into a trash can.
CHAPTER 2: THE 8C’s OF A BUSINESS LETTER

The Business Letter is the most widely or commonly used form of external written communication. With the various
intentions a business correspondent has in writing a business letter, one finds difficulty in giving a precise definition of a
business letter. Indeed, how can there be a specific meaning of a business letter when it serves many purposes. It seeks to
explain, to sell, to introduce, to apologize, to invite, to refuse, to promise, to complain and to organize. However, despite its
uncertainty in meaning, it is easier to give judgment on it. You can easily determine whether it is a good or bad letter or it has
been written well or poorly. The yardstick you can use in judging the quality of a letter is the 8C’s or eight characteristics of a
business letter, namely: clearness, courtesy, cheerfulness, consideration, character, conciseness, correctness and concreteness. To
be effective, every letter regardless of its purpose must have all these qualities.

CLARITY
What is the main idea of the letter? Does the letter clearly convey the message? These are the questions you may ask to
test the clearness of a business letter. If at the time of writing your mind is cluttered or is not properly set on the act of writing,
you can never produce a clear letter because clear writing always results from clear thinking. Writing with cluttered mind means
writing with the intention to gain praises rather than to explain something. Remember, one cardinal principle in business letter
writing is- Write to express not to impress. The focus of this kind of writing is the reader, not the writer. If your priority in writing
is to impress, you will become unmindful of the impact of the language of your letter on the reader. This will result in an unclear
letter, enough to create confusion in the mind of the reader who, because of his doubts, can not immediately make decisions
during his first reading of the letter.

How then can you achieve clarity in business writing?

Consider the following ways to produce a letter with clarity:

1. Think first before you write. Before writing the first sentence of your letter, decide and organize your thoughts about
the focus, the reason and the beginning of your letter. For example, you may ask yourself these questions:

Why am I writing this?

How will I begin my letter?
What will I stress or emphasize in my letter?

Business letter writing is a composition writing that involves three stages: Pre- writing, Writing and Post- writing.

A. Pre- Writing Stage. This is the first step in writing that will make you plan or think about the information your letter
should convey to the reader. You can generate ideas for the body of your letter through the following pre- writing
strategies:

1. Brainstorming session- writing on a piece of paper every idea that comes to your mind regarding your topic.
2. Group discussions- filling up your mind with ideas that result from your exchanging of ideas or opinions with your
classmates.
3. Reading- collecting data about your topic from the reading materials in the library.
4. Semantic webbing/ clustering- writing your ideas in circles that are ordered away from bigger topics placed at the
centermost part of the paper.
5. Mapping- illustrating or drawing on a piece of paper your concepts or ideas related to the topic.
6. Outlining- classifying your ideas into major and minor ideas; the smaller concepts falling under the bigger ones.
7. Charting- putting in a line graph, table or any diagram your ideas about your topic.
8. Interviewing- asking people questions about your topic.
9. Listing- writing every idea that comes into your mind about your topic in a column on a piece of paper.
10. Looping or free- writing- writing your ideas in a paragraph without paying attention to language errors cropping up
during the writing act.

You are now in knowledge society where there is an extensive use of technology, Internet and English. Some say this is the
Era of Information Technology. Hence, presently, your data collection for the body of your letter does not happen only in
libraries but also through the following electronic tools of communication:

1. Electronic searches. If you are familiar with the w.w.w. (world widw web), you will be amazed by the extensive or
abundant knowledge the web can offer you in relation to your topic. To reach a particular web site, you have to use one
of these web search tools:
 Search Engine Address
Alta Vista http://www.altavista.com
Google http://www.google.com
Go http://www.go.com
Lycos http://www.lycos.com
Excite http://www.excite.com
Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com
WebCrawler http://www.webcrawler.com
Electric Library http://www.elibrary.com
InfoSeek http://www2.infoseek.com
Internet Services List http://www.spectracom.com/islist

2. Electronic databases. A database consists of a set of data accessible to computers. Using a computer, you can- “scan
electronic indexes that list thousands of bibliographic sources, abstracts and texts”. (Wyrick, 2002) Unlike a web search
that exposes you to a vast amount of knowledge about a topic, a database search gives you a delimited knowledge by
subject area. The following are some of the computerized databases found in libraries:

ERIC (Education Resource Information Center)

NTIC (National Technical Information Center)
SCI SEARCH (Science Citation Index)
MLA (Modern Language Association Bibliography)
OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog)

3. Intranets. This is an electronic tool for communication inside a business company for accessing information, exchanging
ideas, forming decisions and making inquiries.
4. Extranet. Intranet is used for communicating with people inside the company; extranet, outside the company. This
happens when the company tries to get in touch with people who have something to do with the operation,
production and marketing system of the company.
5. On- line Survey. This is an electronically constructed questionnaire that is designed to know the respondents’ thoughts
and feelings about a certain topic. It is similar to a paper questionnaire except that the reading and answering of
questions including the collecting of responses are done through a computer.
6. Personal Digital Assistance (PDA). This is a “palm- sized micro- computer” whose main purpose is to keep a record or to
give an up- to- date information about opportunities, addresses, phone numbers and financial records. Likewise, PDA is
good at transferring data to or receiving information from your desktop computer, following time and stock markets,
exhibiting charts, computing loans and doing other tasks wanting detailed descriptions. Being a programmable
electronic device, PDA is easy to subject to your personal desires, needs or requirements.
In this Pre- writing stage of writing, you have to consider too, the Purpose as well as the Reader of your letter because a
qualitative business- letter writing is writing from the reader’s point of view rather than from the writer’s point of view.
Your planning act in this initial stage of writing will give you the opportunity to organize, classify or group your ideas on
a certain basis. You can easily do this through the use of an Outline. Munter (2003) calls this outline in business- letter
writing an “organizational blueprint”.

B. Writing Stage. After having a clear mental picture of what you want to write, you are now ready to make a draft of your
work. Your draft is the rough or preliminary version of your letter that embodies what you have planned in the pre-
writing stage. This stage requires you to compose your thoughts in a discourse or paragraph style. Central to this is the
“nutshelling”; that is, expressing only the main points or ideas instead of merely listing facts. This straight- to- the- point
manner of writing is possible through the use of simple, short and direct language. (Ibid, 2003).

C. Post- Writing Stage. The draft you have produced in the writing stage is not error- free. Thus, to come out with an
organized and grammatically correct letter, enough to get the nod or the yes answer of the reader, you have to go
through this last stage of the writing act that will give you and the other people around you, like your classmates, the
time to edit, proofread and revise your letter.

2. Express yourself in simple and familiar words. Basically. The purpose of your letter is to inform. However, your work
cannot achieve this if it is loaded with “high falutin”, high sounding or complex words. Study the examples below:
 Long and Complicated Familiar or Common
Conjecture guess
Utilize use
Ameliorate improve
Terminate end
Conflagration fire
Edifice building
Indisposed ill
Enumerate list
Modification change
Recapitulate review
Domicile home
Fundamental basic
Disbursement payment
Remuneration pay
Endeavor try
Compensation pay
Fabricate make
Component part
Severance quit
Fluctuate change
Parameters limits
Monumental great
Methodology method
Liquidate clear
Participate join
Discontinue stop
Repudiate deny
Encounter meet
Facilitate help

3. Avoid using the following words:

a. Verbal Dead Words or Cluttering Words. These are expressions using three- to four words for the same idea that
will result in unnecessary and needless repetition of words.

Cluttering Words Clear

Affixed his signature sign
Basic essentials essentials
At this point in time now
Meet together meet
Like for example like
Plan in advance plan
Attached herewith attached
Visible to the eyes visible
Along the lines of like
Past experience experience
For the purpose of for
Pertaining to about
With regard to about
Made up his mind decide
On the part of by
With the exception of except
In spite of the fact though
At this time now
Ahead of schedule early
In the amount of for
Subsequent to after
In short supply scarce
 From time to time occasionally
In the event that if

b. Horse- and- buggy words. Old expressions like the ones listed below were used by people riding in a carriage drawn
by horses during the period of Queen Victoria.

Horse and Buggy Modern

I deem I think
With your kind permission May I
Advise tell
Your kind favor Your letter
Favor us with a reply Please, reply

c. Jargons. Words used by a certain set of people with common interest or in the same profession are called jargons.
Persons not in this kind of group do not find these technical words easy to understand. Words commonly used by
lawyers, physicians, engineers or businessmen are meaningful only to these set of professionals. Ordinary persons
in our society can hardly understand these technical terms.
Examples:
Legal profession- habeas corpus, preliminary injunction, subpoena, corpus delicti, status quo
Business world- rebate, assets and liabilities, amortization, balance sheet, debtor, inventory
Medical world- stethoscope, hypertension, sodium chloride
Teaching profession- lesson plan, grade sheets, inductive deductive methods, class record, intrinsic motivation

Other examples:
A quantum leap
Accountability
Alternative architectures
Architectural rigor and discipline
Boundary- less behavior
Premier corporate citizen
Business case analysis
Interactive communication
Clean- slate philosophy
Personal accountability
Communication apprehension
Process modeling
Core process designing
Re- engineer
De- selection process reskilling
Departmental boundaries
Road map
Energizing visions
Steering committee
Error- free product
Strategic plan objectives
Functionality bundles
Value added
High- performing culture
Z teams
Technology- enabled visioning
Virtual leadership
Cultural diversity
Essential enabler
Positive confrontation
Measurement tool

d. Buzz words. Content words that explain important messages in the letter, but give buzzing sounds and seemingly
complex structure to impress people are called buzz words. Top government officials and media men are fond of
 using these long complicated- sounding expressions. Because of the popularity of these words, some people pick
them up and use them, too. Consequently, their act of copying these buzz words indicates their lack of originality in
expressing their ideas.

Examples:

Buzz Words Better

Normalize to make it normal
Agendize to prepare the agenda
Prioritize to give priority
Strategize to create a strategy
Unionize to form a union
Operationalize to operate
Departmentalize to form a department
Other examples of complex- looking words:
Bottom line scenario
Done deal impact (verb)
Interface paradigm
No- brainer user- friendly
Parameter vision statement

e. Slang Words. Slang Words are spoken by a particular group of people in a given period of time. Since these
expressions come from a specific class of persons at a certain time, they do not evolve among English- speaking
people in a wider context and in a longer or more lasting span of time. The frequent use of these slang terms in
informal communication setting makes them inappropriate in business letter writing that requires formality.

Study these sentences with slang expressions.

Slang: We’re gonna E-mail the document next week.

Better: We are going to E-mail the document next week.
Slang: Do you wanna join the Daffo Marketing Company?
Better: Do you want to join the Daffo Marketing Company?
Slang: To buy the item, the accounting clerk needs extra bread.
Better: To buy the item, the accounting clerk needs extra money.
Slang: Your sudden resignation turns the manager’s stomach.
Better: Your sudden resignation upsets the manager.
Slang: They may stab you in the back for that new job policy.
Better: They may become disloyal for that new job policy.

4. Maintain short sentences and paragraphs because the readers can easily get the main point of your letter if the
sentence or the paragraph use just the words necessary to express the main idea. Long and winding sentences or
paragraphs will confuse the reader in getting the core of the letter.

5. Express yourself in the active voice than in passive voice to put more life in your letter.

Examples:
Poor: The letter was received by me last week.
Better: I received the letter last week.
Poor: The board meeting was presided over by the president of the company.
Better: The president of the company presided over the board meeting.

CONCISENESS
The meaningfulness of a letter depends greatly on the relationships of words in the letter. Hence, employing too many
words to show structural relationship that determine meaning formation delays thinking and decision- making. A concise
message is complete without being wordy. It saves time, effort and space on the part of the writer. Time is gold is a favorite line
of businessmen, thus, conciseness is very much needed in the busy world of buyers and sellers. To achieve conciseness, you
have to eliminate wordy expressions, avoid unnecessary repetitions and include only relevant matter.
CONSIDERATION
The You- viewpoint, which means looking at the situation from the standpoint of the reader, is what consideration
means. It makes you adopt an attitude of mind that focuses on the reader’s abilities, interests, likes and dislikes- an approach
that emphasizes the You as it deemphasizes the I and We. What are highlighted in the letter are those about the reader- the
benefits and the advantages he can get by entering into a business transaction. This thoughtful consideration serving as the
foundation of goodwill and the means of influencing people is also called empathy, human touch and understanding of human
nature.

Establishing a link and goodwill between or among people is the purpose of your letter. This is easy to achieve if you
use words that will appeal to, consider or understand all kinds of readers, notwithstanding their differences in religious beliefs,
physical appearance, economic condition, marital status, political affiliation, age, race and gender. Non- agist, non- racist, non-
sexist and other bias- free or neutral words, phrases and job courtesy titles do not favor any specific category or exclude and
offend any member in society. Considering all types of people- males or females, black or white, rich or poor and Asians or
Americans- your letter sounds like it wants every person to feel good and comfortable in reading the letter.

Applying the You Attitude, you have to keep in mind the following guidelines in avoiding expressions that are offensive or
ambiguous to the readers.

1. Give equal importance or attention to both male and female.

2. Use gender- neutral language instead of gender- sensitive words.

Examples:
Gender Sensitive Gender Neutral
Layman layperson
Foreman supervisor
Policeman police officer
Mailman mail carrier
Repairman repairperson, mechanic
Deliveryman delivery person
Man- made synthetic, artificial, manufactured
Salesman salesperson, sales representative
Chairman chair, chairperson, moderator
Businessman business person, or a specific title like: executive, accountant, department head,
owner of a small business, men and women in business
workman worker, employee, or a specific title like: telephone operator, street cleaner
waitress server
manpower workforce
mankind society, humanity
fireman firefighter
congressman congressperson

3. Modify words with gender- free expressions. Don’t say: female architect, male nurse, lady lawyer, lady dentist or
gentleman lawyer.

4. Use appropriate gender pronouns like the plurals they, you, their and the pronoun pairs- he or she/ his or her- instead of
the traditional pronouns: he alone or she alone.

Examples:
Sexist: Every manager wants his work to be appreciated by the whole department.
Non- sexist: Managers want their work to be appreciated by the whole department.
Sexist: She fills out her SSS form completely.
Non- sexist: You fill out your SSS form completely.
They fill out their SSS forms completely.
He or She fills out his or her SSS form completely.
COURTESY
 Just like consideration, courtesy is an attitude of the mind that cultivates goodwill and friendliness. It requires the use
of polite expressions such as please, thank you, kindly, would you, could you, that show the writer’s sincerity, tactfulness,
thoughtfulness, gratefulness and respect towards the reader.

CONCRETENESS
The only way by which you can create a clear and convincing picture of what you are selling through a letter is the use
of descriptive or mental pictures about the product. Through words, the reader can form images. Hence, rich imagination
results from rich sensory experiences and words that create beautiful images. These are those that appeal to the reader’s
senses. General, vague and abstract terms that exist only in the mind do not activate the senses. To produce an alive, active and
real letter capable of eliciting instant decisions from the reader, use concrete, vivid, specific and other image- building words.

Examples:
General Terms Specific Terms
Walk wobble, zigzag, stroll, strut, promenade
Eat munch, nibble, smack, devour, chew
Store department store, boutique, drugstore, shoe- store
Businessman capitalist, grocer, banker, manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer
Machine typewriter, sewing machine, computer, HP printer
Vehicle truck, jeep, bus, automobile, delivery van
Musician pianist, violinist, guitarist, flutist, saxophonist
Employee secretary, clerk, cashier, teller, accountant, bookkeeper
Physician dentist, dermatologist, surgeon, veterinarian, ob-gyne
Abstract Terms Concrete Terms
Profession engineering, teaching
Business broadcasting, legal, writing, banking, importation, realty

CHEERFULNESS
“Smile and the whole world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone.” Indeed, if you have a lively disposition in life, you
will have more friends; a dim outlook in life will drive people away from you. Generally, nobody would like to live with a person
preoccupied with ugly thoughts about the world. Analogously, a letter loaded with negative expressions will not elicit favorable
responses from the reader. It is easier to motivate the reader to act on the message of the letter if the words are capable of
cheering up and showing willingness to serve. Polite, courteous and friendly words, instead of tactless, offensive and blunt
expressions are the right words to give the quality of cheerfulness to your business letter. Among the positive words to which
people react favorably are benefit, cordial, happy, help, generous, loyal, pleasure, thanks and thoughtful. Words with negative
connotations that often arouse unfavorable reactions include blame, complaint, failed, negligence, regret, trouble, unfair,
forbid, fail, refuse, prohibit, deny, can not and many more. Bad news are inevitable at times, but they are supposed to be
conveyed in a tactful, positive, cordial or euphemistic manner by avoiding the use of negative and unfriendly words.

Examples:
Bad: The executive table is not made of cheap wooden material.
Good: The executive table is made of first- class wooden material.
Bad: It is not impossible that our company will merge with the Dafo Inc.
Good: It is possible that our company will merge with the Dafo Inc.
Bad: Your complaint about the machine has already reached the manager’s office.
Good: Your request about the machine has already reached the manager’s office.

CORRECTNESS
This refers to the right level of the language- formal or informal- the accuracy of the figures, facts, grammar, spelling,
punctuation marks and the layout of the letter.

Study these confusing and often misspelled words:

Accept Please accept my delayed payment for the machine.

Except All of you will come, except Ms. Lim, my secretary.
Affect The new job policy will greatly affect the rank- and- file.
Effect What effect will it have on the employers?
Desert (accent, 1st syllable) Only camels can cross the widest desert on earth.
Desert (accent, 2nd syllable) They expect him to desert his on- going project at the Sahara Desert.
Dessert (accent, 2nd syllable) Have candies as your dessert, after finishing that packed lunch.
Lay Please, lay your notepad near the fax machine.
Lie You’ll be more comfortable if you lie down on that sofa.

CHARACTER
What makes a person special or interesting? The answer is his unique or distinct personality or individuality. Comparing
a business letter to an individual, you can find the former interesting, if such letter uses words and introduces ideas that are
natural, original, fresh, rather than expressions that are worn out, cliché, stereotyped and plain imitations. A letter written
through the writer’s own style of expression, not by his act of borrowing, reflects the writer’s strength and confidence.

Avoid using the following clichés:

Needless to say
Enclosed herewith,
Please find.
Hesitate to call
We deem advisable.
It has come to my attention
The undersigned
According to our records
It goes without saying that
Our records indicate that
Take this opportunity to
If it can be further helped
Company policy requires
Get the ball rolling.
Just in the nick of time
By the same token
Let’s keep all avenues open.
Move to greener pasture
There’s a 50/50 chance.
Please be advised that

SAINT MICHAEL COLLEGE OF HINDANG, LEYTE INC.

 A Bonifacio St., Poblacion II, Hindang Leyte
Website: smchindang.edu.ph
E-mail: smchindang@gmail.com

Material : Activity
Due : September 03, 2021

ACTIVITY I

Directions: In not more than five sentences, answer the following.

1. Define Business English.

2. Compare Business English to the other kinds of English, like Literary English.
3. Explain this- Business English is affective.

ACTIVITY II (8Cs)

Conciseness. Eliminate wordy and unnecessary expressions from the sentence to achieve conciseness.

1. It was learned that there were several principles that should be applied.
2. She purchased chairs that are of executive types.
3. We hereby wish to make you cognizant of the fact that our firm is satisfied with the confidence you have reposed in us.

Consideration. Rewrite the sentence to emphasize the YOU attitude.

1. We know we delivered our products to you last week.

USE NON- SEXIST LANGUAGE IN THESE SENTENCES.

2. The mailman delivered the package to the owner of the restaurant.

3. The invitation is extended to all congressmen.

Concreteness. Use exact and precise language to make the message more concrete.

1. The Philippines is making progress in attracting tourists.

2. Professor Abad will give consideration to the report.

Clarity. Make these sentences clear by using precise, simple, and familiar words, and by creating effective sentences.

1. While writing the letter, she remembered her ex- boyfriend.

2. He speaks with precision about the pertinent data that he subjected to his perusal.

Courtesy. Show courtesy in these sentences by using words that express tactfulness, thoughtfulness and appreciation.

1. Let’s meet face-to-face to discuss my qualifications about the position.

2. Your failure to indicate the number of the street where the goods will be delivered is inexcusable.
3. You are probably ignorant of the fact that our company does not entertain applicants with no doctoral units.

Cheerfulness. Emphasize positive and pleasant facts in these sentences.

1. We don’t refund if the returned item is soiled and saleable.

2. When you travel on company expense, you will not receive approval for first class fare.

Character. Make these sentences have character by changing the hackneyed or trite expressions into original and fresh expressions.

1. Attached herewith are my transcript of records and diploma.

2. I want to take this opportunity to apply for the position.
Correctness. Underline the correct word or words that could be used in each sentence.

1. Write your letter on the best kind of (stationary, stationery).

2. Have the rug (lie, lay) (smooth, smoothly) on a bench at the threshold.

NOTE: PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERED ACTIVITIES THROUG E-MAIL (rbianes@smchindang.edu.ph) OR

DROP THEM TO MY DROPBOX IN SCHOOL.