ETCE - Notes - New 2023 Split - Complete All

Comprehensive Notes of ETCE Unit 1 to 5
Unit I Definition and Features of Technical Communication

 Definition and features of technical communication (precision, relevance, format,
style, use of visual aids)
 Difference between general writing and technical writing
 Types of technical communication (oral and written)
“Technical communication” is the process of gathering technical information and presenting

it to a targeted audience in a clear, useful, accurate, comprehensive, grammatically correct,
and easily understandable form (to name a few measures). The term “technical” includes
scientific, mechanical, chemical, legal, economic, medical, procedural, or other specialized
information.
Technical Writing is a genre of non-fiction writing that encompasses not only technical
materials such as manuals, instructions, specifications, and software documentation, but it
also includes writing produced in day-to-day business operations such as correspondence,
proposals, internal communications, media releases, and many kinds of reports. It includes
the communication of specialized technical information, whether relating to computers and
scientific instruments, or the intricacies of meditation. And because oral and visual
presentations are such an important part of professional life, technical communication also
encompasses these as well.
Process of Communication
The process of communication involves decisions and activities by the two persons involved,
the sender and the receiver.
The sender begins the process of communication. The sender has to be clear about the
purpose of communication and about the target audience (or listener) of the communication.
This is because we communicate because we want to make someone do something or think or
feel in a certain way, that is, to influence the other person.
The speaker has to decide what information to convey, and create the message (or content) to
be conveyed by using words or other symbols which can be understood by the receiver. The
process of putting the idea into words or non-verbal cues is called encoding.
The speaker also chooses a suitable channel or medium (mail, telephone, face-to-face talk) by
which to send the message. In face-to-face interaction the medium is air.
The receiver receives or understands the message, that is, he decodes the message. Finally the
sender gets the feedback from the receiver in the form of response. The process of
communication is said to be complete only after receiving the feedback.
Stages / Process of Communication:
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Ideation Encoding Transmission Decoding
Feedback
All these components together build a model of the communication process:
1. A sender encodes information

2. The sender selects a channel of communication by which to send the message
3. The receiver receives the message
4. The receiver decodes the message
5. The receiver may provide feedback to the sender
a. Ideation is the initial step of communication process. It is concerned with the ‘what’ aspect
of communication. It is determined by the sender’s knowledge, experience, abilities, purpose.
The message chosen to be communicated by the speaker may be logical or emotional.
Logical messages are factual in nature, while emotional messages are associated with feelings
and emotions, hence are more personal in nature.
b. Encoding is the process of changing information into logically coded form, and is based on
the purpose of communication, and the relation between the sender and the receiver. It
includes:
Selecting a language- right language that does not cause a barrier to communication;
Selecting a medium of communication – choosing aptly among the available options- when it
is concerned with interpersonal communication- speaking, writing and also using non-verbal
signs and symbols.
Selecting an appropriate communication form- is generally decided by the goal of

communication and the relationship shared by the sender and the receiver. It may take any of
the forms of oral (discussions, conferences, presentations, debates, telephonic conversations)
or written communication( reports, letters, proposals, memos, emails).
c. Transmission refers to the flow of message over the chosen channel. It is one of the most
basic aspects of communication because it also involves choosing the proper time (when to
communicate), proper place (where to communicate), and a proper way (how to
communicate). In fact, for communication to be effective, it is essential that the right time,
the right place, and the right method is chosen.
d. Decoding is the process of converting a message into thoughtsin order to understand the
message communicated. The receiver has to assign meaning to a message in order to
understand it. The process of decoding involves interpretation and analysis of a message.
Decoding in written communication refers to reading and understanding a written message.
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On the other hand, in oral communication, decoding includes listening and understanding.
Effective decoding is very important for successful communication as any misinterpretation
of a message leads to communication breakdown and creates confusion and
misunderstanding.
e. Response/ Feedback is the last stage in the communication process. It is the action or
reaction of the receiver to the message. It helps the sender know that the message was
received and understood. Based on the receivers’ ability to decode, he/she may ask for more
information or clarification. Response is, thus, the key to communication as the effectiveness
of communication depends on how congruent a receiver’s response is with the meaning
intended by the sender.
Features of Technical Communication
Technical communication is characterized by the following features:
Accuracy : this includes- accuracy of information

ex: Some of the workers are on leave
today, so the work cannot be completed.
And accuracy of expression:

no errors in grammar, punctuation and
spelling no ambiguity in sentences, the reader should not misunderstand the message.
Brevity
Brevity is the quality of being brief, to the point.Try to give maximum information in
minimum number of words possible
Ex: A computer performs several important functions, which include performing fast and
accurate calculations (13 words)
Revised: A computer performs fast and accurate calculations.(7 words)
Be concise, to the point

Avoid unnecessary information
Never include emotional outbursts.
Provide factual information using graphical aids instead of lengthy sentences.
Avoid giving obvious information
Use one-word substitutes wherever possible
Clarity
It is the quality of being unambiguous and easily understood.
Clarity can be achieved by using direct language, specific words, and proper constructions of
sentences.
Ex: I will contact you later. - (at a specific time/on a specific day, etc)
He will meet you soon – (in an hour, after two hours, etc)
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As technical communicationaims at communicating a specific message to a specific audience
with a specific purpose, it should be relevant to the topic or subject chosen.
Format and style : For presenting the technical communication, especially in written form, a
specific format is followed. Technical communication may be in the form of:
Business Letters
Official Letters
Reports
Proposals
All these pieces of technical writing follow a specific format.Structuring a piece of

technical writing helps in easy transfer of information.
Style:The difference in attitude and approach determines the style of a piece of writing
It refers to the way how something is said than what is said
Depends on:
1. Audience: the same message when addressed to a superior is expressed in a formal tone,
can be expressed in an informal way to a subordinate:
sir, I wish to avail a leave tomorrow as I need to attend a ritual
Sridhar, I am not coming tomorrow, so we will finalize the invoice on Friday.
2. Communicative context and Purpose:making requests, instructing, communicating good

or bad news, trying to convince someone etc.,
Style can be formal as in a business letter or a technical report or informal as in a personal

letter.
Format
use of visual aids: technical communication is better represented through visual aids like tree
diagrams, pie charts etc., one can follow the information at a quick glance. It also gives the
clarity of expression.
Objectivity: objectivity refers to being impersonal and unemotional. Messages are framed as
facts, not as one’s opinions. Ex: report and a letter.
Difference between General Writing and Technical Writing
General Writing Technical Writing

1. Content:
The content of the text is general,that is, it The content of the text is specific, or
can be understood by any reader. specialized, that is, only the reader who
Ex: Manners and Etiquette. knows the technical jargon can understand it.
Ex: Polymers.
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2. Vocabulary
The vocabulary used is general. Specialized or technical vocabulary is used.
Ex: We need windows in a house for Ex: MS Office includes Word where we can
ventilation. access multiple windows simultaneously.
3. Style
It can be both formal and informal in style. It is always formal in style.
4. Facts and figures

It may not be factual. It should include facts and figures.
Ex: A personal letter on a visit to NTR Ex: A report on the accident in a factory/ a
gardens. report on a visit to a cement factory.
5. Approach
It can be both Objective and subjective in There is no scope for biased statements,
approach. personal emotions, and hence, Objective in
nature.
6. Format & Structure
May not follow a particular grammatical The structure is important. For example, a
structure always. report is generally written in indirect speech
Ex: A personal letter and passive form.
7. Background knowledge
It is always written for general readers. It is intended for readers with technical
Ex: A narrative/ novel. background.
Ex: C Programming.
8. Use of Visual aids
It may or may not involve graphics. Representing facts and figures with suitable
graphic aids is must.
Types of Technical Communication
Oral communication:
Professional presentations
Seminars
Conferences
Discussions
Product Reviews
Written Communication:
(Business) correspondence
Proposals (Technical/Business)
Reports
Scientific Papers
Technical Research Articles
Manuals/Product Description
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Channels/ Flow of Communication:
Communication in organizations may flow in many ways as exemplified:
1. Vertical Communication: When information gets transferred from top to bottom, or

bottom to top, such flow is called vertical communication.
a. Upward: Flow of information from subordinates to superiors is upward

communication. Such communication may include requests for process of information,
leave, etc. It always follows the protocol of the organization.
b. Downward: Many situations demand the processing of information at different

workstations from the subordinates, or people working at a relatively lower level of
hierarchy. Instructions to the subordinates for information process, sending correspondence to
different groups, directions, suggestions from the Higher-ups falls under this category.
In either of the cases, one has to abide by the protocol of the organization.
2. Horizontal Communication: Flow of Communication at the same level is called

Horizontal communication. Peer group work, team work discussions among the people
involved in the same projects constitutes an example of horizontal communication.
It promotes strong sense of bonding , gives scope for developing interpersonal skills, and
team spirit. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that the success of any organization to a
great extent is determined by the cooperation and coordination extended by the peer group in
accomplishing their goals.
3. Diagonal /lateral Communication: Flow of communication in random directions as per

the need of the situation, with a focus on completion of work and meeting deadlines is called
lateral communication.
The main implication of this type is to avoid stagnation of work.
Yet another category of communication is Formal and informal communication.
Formal communication may take any of theforms as in oral or written ones; informal one, on
the other hand is the grapevine or gossiping (rumours) which is often considered as a
valuable feedback for the improvement of the existing conditions.
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UNIT-2
Technical Writing 1 (official correspondence)
 Emails
 IOM
 Business Letters
 Business Proposals
E-mails
Importance
Basically an email is a message sent through the internet. The advantage over a printed letter
sent by post is that a single email can be sent a group of people simultaneously.
Though an email is not considered a legal record, its use has grown enormously. The main
reasons for popularity are:
 Being relatively informal, it is easy and less time consuming

 The transmission of the message is instant
 Its delivery is confirmed immediately
 An attachment with n number of pages can be sent
 A message can be sent to a number of persons with the click of a button
 Cost is affordable, even small organisations can use the systems
 One can read or draft an email at one’s convenient time
Structure of an email
1. From: Email address o the sender

2. Date:
3. To: Email address of the receiver
4. CC: Email address of those to whom the copies can be mailed
5. Subject: A word or phrase reflecting the main content of the message
6. Salutation: Greeting before giving the message
7. Body: The message
8. Leave taking – generally the phrases like with best wishes, best regards are used.
Procedure:
1. Logon, connect yourself to the network.

2. Type the email address of the receiver.
3. Draft the message.
4. Read it carefully once again and revise, if necessary.
5. Click on send to transmit the message.
To check the emails received,

1. Log on
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2. Look at the list of emails you have received
3. Choose the email you wish to read through.
4. Handle the message which may be important: replying, forwarding, storing, taking
a printout, or even deleting.
Email – style:
Even in an email, one can include different fonts, type sizes, colours, graphics and tables.
1. Emails are instant messages. So the degree of formality is less. But at times, the tone
of an email should be checked twice depending on the recipient and situation.
2. Specific Subject Line:Don’t ignore the subject line. Invest in the subject line and give
a smart heading to your mail through the subject line. Whether a professional will
read your mail or delete it without reading depends on two factors – your name and
the subject line. Build a reputation for sending good, interesting, brief, and useful
mail.
The subject line should be brief, clear and specific and to the point. Never
include unrelated items in a single mail, as it becomes difficult to give a
suitable subject line. It is better to send separate mails or include separate
attachments.
The most common defect found in subject lines is that they are too broad and
vague. For example, if the mail is about `urgent need for a service engineer in
the nitrogen plant’ all the following subject lines expect the last one are too
broad to attract the attention of the reader:
Nitrogen plant
Problems in the factory
Nitrogen plant maintenance
Breakdown
A request
Mail from branch office
Maintenance requirements
Urgent need for service engineer in nitrogen plant.
3. Important Information First: don’t give voluminous information. Put the most
important message in the beginning.
4. It is always advisable to start with a warm-up statement, referring to the previous
correspondence. Here are some examples for formal and informal emails:
 Thank you for calling me in the morning. It was a pleasure to hear the voice of
a person with whom I was so far been in touch only through emails
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 It was very thoughtful of you to have invited me for dinner last night. I was
able to meet quite a few persons I wanted to meet.
 Your email has clarified the issue. I shall sign and send the agreement today
itself.
 Thank you for giving the details of the proposals. There are, however, just a
few points I on which I would like to seek clarifications.
 We greatly appreciate the efforts you are putting in to make the seminar a
spectacular success. The details you have asked for are given below
5. Don’t mix business with pleasure. Have a separate mailbox for personal mails.
6. Try to reply within 24 hours. Speed is the essence of the e-mail.
7. Don’t make your mail box a junkyard. Put it in order. The mails build up in your box
within no time. It is essential to manage them as per the requirement. Delete messages
which require no more attention from you.
 You may create subfolders in the inbox and outbox and save mails in them which
need future attention.
8. Keep your mail short: The reader wishes through browse many mails he might have
received. It is always be short and brief. Reading from a monitor is harder and slower than
reading a printout.
 Brief doesn’t mean being abrupt
9. Mind your language – the spelling and grammar: The problem of grammar and spelling is
more with e-mails than any other means of oral and written communication. Firstly, while
chatting with someone we tend to use conversational, informal English. The medium is so
quick and immediate that an informal style appropriate to a `speed’ conversation has emerged
for the purpose of e-mailing. So we don’t tend to check the spelling and grammatical
mistakes while sending a message. Secondly, we cannot check the mistakes instantly as we
can do with MS Word.
10. Hold back angry outbursts: strong emotions may spoil the relationship with the other
person, so never send a mail when you are disturbed psychologically or emotionally.
11. Don’t try to use the words like urgent, confidential or top priority too often.
12. Never use only the upper case while mailing someone. In the uppercase, all the letters of
same height and it becomes difficult to read.
NEVER USE ONLY THE UPPER CASE WHILE MAILING SOMEONE. IN

THE UPPERCASE, ALL THE LETTERS OF SAME HEIGHT AND IT
BECOMES DIFFICULT TO READ.
Never use only the upper case while mailing someone. In the uppercase, all
the letters of same height and it becomes difficult to read.
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13. Abbreviations and acronyms are shortcuts that save everyone’s time. It is easy to
understand common acronyms like MBBS, USA, UK, etc., but the problem arises with the
acronyms which are not common. Never use abbreviations and acronyms unless you are sure
that the reader understands them.
Here are a few abbreviations one is likely to find in mails:
RGDS regards
ASAP as soon as possible
NLT no later than
TMRW tomorrow
THX thanks
PLS please
MSGS messages
IMHO in my humble opinion
PMFJI pardon me for jumping in
BTW by the way
FWIW for what it is worth
FYA for your amusement
FYEO for your eyes only
FYI for your information
OBTW oh, by the way
OTOH on the other hand
PTP pardon the pun
WRT with regard to
WEF with effect from
:- ) = happy 8- ) =happy face with glasses
:- ( = sad :-/ =skeptical
:-< = really upset :-II = angry
:- (o) = yelling :-D = laughing
:-) = winking :-o = shocked
o/o-)= happy, confused o/o-(= sad, confused
14. Email ethics: don’t read others mails even if you happen to know the password or if you
find a mailbox of your colleague which is unattended for some time.
Sample Email
From: “Christine-coombe” Christine_Coombe@hct.ac.ae

To: “ashraf Rizvi” <ashrafrizvi@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: TACON 2019 Proposal
Date: Sat, 30 November 2020 12:58:20 + 05 00 (BST)
Cc: beth_wiens@hct.ac.ae
Bcc: binumathews@yahoo.com
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Dear Dr Rizvi,
We are pleased to inform you that your presentation for the 9th Annual TESOL
Arabia Conference to be held in Dubai from December 21 – 23, 2020, has been
accepted. Further details about the schedule for your presentation will follow.
Please note that all presenters must pay for membership of TESOL Arabia –
either 50 AED or 100 AED, depending on your place of employment – and
pre-register for the conference.
The last day for the early registration is the 15 December, 2020, and the last
date for pre-registration is 18 December, 2020. See the TESOL Arabia website
for accommodation information and for a downloadable copy of the conference
registration form. You can register for the conference and pay membership
fees together on this form.
Would look forward to your presentation.
Regards,
Christine Coombe & Beth Wiens
Proposals Co-chairs
Acknowledgement:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/email_etiquette.html
Email Etiquette
How do I compose an email to someone I don't know?
There are a few important points to remember when composing email,
particularly when the email's recipient is a superior and/or someone who does
not know you.
• Be sure to include a meaningful subject line; this helps clarify what your
message is about and may also help the recipient prioritize reading your email
• Just like a written letter, be sure to open your email with a greeting like
Dear Dr. Jones, or Ms. Smith:
• Use standard spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. THERE'S
NOTHING WORSE THAN AN EMAIL SCREAMING A MESSAGE IN
ALL CAPS. Do not use text abbreviations (like u instead of you, for example).
• Write clear, short paragraphs and be direct and to the point; professionals
and academics alike see their email accounts as business. Don't write
unnecessarily long emails or otherwise waste the recipient's time
• Be friendly and cordial, but don't try to joke around (jokes and witty
remarks may be inappropriate and, more commonly, may not come off
appropriately in email)
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• Make sure to include a signature block that contains the necessary
information for someone to reach you should a reply be necessary and/or
expected; typical closings include a sign off phrase (e.g. best, thanks, sincerely)
and the sender's name. Additional information may be included when
appropriate (e.g., department, office location, position, etc).
What are some guidelines for continuing email conversations?
Once you have exchanged emails with a person on a given subject, it is
probably acceptable to leave greetings out of your follow-up emails. Here are
some other points to consider about continuing conversations over email:
• Try to respond within a reasonable time frame, though "reasonable" will
depend on the recipient's expectations and the subject being discussed
• Trim back the old messages: most email clients will keep copying older
messages to the bottom of an email. Delete older messages so as to keep your
message size from getting too large, and to keep your messages looking clean.
• If someone asks a lot of questions, it may be OK to embed your answers
into the sender's message copied at the bottom of your email. However, if
you're going to do this, be sure to say so at the top, and leave generous space,
for example:
> How long are you staying?
Less than two weeks.
>Will you have time to visit with us?
I'm really hoping to, but my schedule will be pretty tight. Let me get back to
you about that after the weekend.
What sorts of information shouldn't be sent via email?

Most people do not realize that email is not as private as it may seem. Without
additional setup, email is not encrypted; meaning that your email is "open" and
could possibly be read by an unintended person as it is transmitted to your
reader. With that in mind, never send the following information over email:
• Usernames and passwords
• Credit card or other account information
Additionally, avoid sensitive or information that could be potentially damaging

to someone's career and/or reputation, including your own. Beyond email's
general lack of security and confidentiality, your recipient can always
accidentally hit the Forward button, leave their email account open on a
computer, or print and forget that they've printed a copy of your email.
What about sending attachments?

Here are some guidelines you should follow:
• Never send an attachment to someone you don't know the first time you
contact them (unless, of course, the contact has posted a job ad requesting a
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resume in a Word document). They (or their computers) might think it is spam
or a virus, and delete your message.
• Avoid unnecessarily large file sizes, digital photos especially. Most
digital photos come off the camera much larger than can be viewed on screen.
Learn how to resize your digital photo files.
• When you must send a large file or set of files, do the recipient the
courtesy of sending an email telling them what you'll be sending and why.
• Be sure to have anti-virus software installed on your computer to scan all
of your outgoing and incoming messages for viruses.
Is the etiquette different in email listservs and discussion groups?
Poor email behavior is always cropping up on email listservs and discussion
groups. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
• Double-check the To: area of your email when you reply. Too many
people have intended to reply to the original sender alone, when in fact, their
reply went to the entire list—much to their embarrassment. If you want to be
extra careful, start a new email and type the single recipient's address.
• Do not air your grievances or beefs about your school, colleagues, or
employer on a list. Personal attacks should also be avoided. Such postings
make the organization you are associated with look bad, while also making you
sound like a gossip and whiner. Particularly on large lists, you also may not
know who else is on it. Be professional, and likewise avoid piling onto
discussions about who's got it worst at work, school, etc.
• If you are new to a discussion list, you should "lurk" for a while—that is,
just be a reader to get the sense of what the group talks about, how it talks
about it, and what types of behaviors are expected from list members. Only
when you have gotten that sense should you initiate a post.
Inter Office Memorandum
Memoranda are written communication that stay within an organisation. Business letters are
written communication to recipients who are external to the organisation of the sender.
A memorandum is a short piece of writing generally used by the officers of an organization

for communicating with the personnel of the organization. The main purpose of a memo is to
record or convey information and decisions or to make short requests. A memo orm can be
used for a short report too – a memo in which an officer sends some information to another
officer which would enable the latter to take a decision.
The style is direct, matter-of-fact and lucid in expression. No attempt is made to make an
emotional appeal. A memo ensures quick and smooth flow of information in all directions. A
memo comes to one’s aid when one wishes to avoid coming into personal contact with
certain colleagues.
Another useful function of a memo is to establish accountability. Since it is a record of facts
and figures and important decisions, it can be stored for future use.
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The following essential items o information must be given in a memo:
1. The designation of the receiver
2. The designation of the sender
3. Reference (to a previous letter, report, or a memo)
4. Date
5. Subject
Organising the message
1. Direct pattern
 Answers come before explanations

 Requests come before reasons
 Summaries come before details
 Conclusions come before discussions
 General statements come before specifics
Useful where the reader might be more receptive.
2. Indirect pattern
 Reasons come before requests

 Details come before summaries
 Background comes before conclusions
 Explanations come before refusals
Useful for conveying negative messages or sensitive information
ELITECYCLES LIMITED
JAIPUR
Interoffice Memorandum
Date: 10 May 2019
To: Production Manager

From: Personnel Manager
Subject: Change in Working hours
Please refer to your memo pd/12 dated 6th May 2019 requesting for a change in working hours of
your division because of the extremely hot weather conditions.
As desired by you, the Vice President, Personnel, has agreed to change the working hours. The
new timings will be from 7.00 A.M. to 1.00 P.M. (Monday through Saturday) with effect from
17th May 2019 to 16th July 2019.
Kindly inform all the employees working under you.
K.S.Shah
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Best Institute of Management
Gemini Circle
Chennai
Date: 31 July 2019
To: All Wardens
From: Chief Warden
Subject: Water Conservation
To help save water in student hostels, the following conservation measures are to be enforced
with immediate effect.
 Washing more than four clothes per student will be prohibited

 All taps will be checked for leakage
 Float valves will be checked to avoid overflowing of water
 Wardens will have a meeting with all students to create awareness about conserving
water
I am confident that these measures will reduce the wastage of water and I will greatly
appreciate your efforts in enforcing them in your respective hostels.
Raman
Cc: Dean, Students Welfare Division
Sample Memo - 3
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AFRON PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES
Ansari Road, Daryagunj, New Delhi – 110002.
www.afronpharma.ac.in
Date: December 5, 2021
To: Meghana
District Manager
From: Suhas Sharma

Regional Manager
SUBJECT: NEW PROCEDURE FOR STOCK VERIFICATION
we are starting a new procedure for stock entry and verification. Instead of keeping three
different registers for recording stock of expired medicines, past stock, and new arrivals, we
will use only two registers for the three types of entries, one register for expired medicines
and one for the past stock and new arrivals.
The change will make it easier to record and verify existing stock. This will avoid the present
confusion created by triple entries and will save time, space, and energy. District managers
will continue to be the stock verification officers for their respective district.
This change will go into effect from March 15, 2014. I am sure the change will make stock
entry and verification in our company more organised and logical.
Suhas Sharma
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Sample Memo-4
SK P Ship Management
Remi Bizourt, V D Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai – 400053
Date: December 5, 2021

To: Meghana, Training Manager
From: Suhas Sharma, Managing Director
SUBJECT: SPECIAL WORKSHOP ON “SHIP MANAGEMENT AND MODERN
TECHNOLOGY”
Please refer to your memo dated November 30, 2021 containing the proposal to organise a special
workshop on “Ship Management and Modern Technology” for the junior executives of our
company. I am pleased to inform you that the Executive Board has approved your proposal.
You may send us the final list of resource persons to be invited in the workshop. You may consider
including the names of a few senior executives working in the ship management industry. This may
help us in making the workshop more focused and need-based.
I would like to express my appreciation for the effort that you have put in to design the structure of the
workshop. Keep up the good work and keep these ideas coming.
Suhas Sharma
Business Correspondence
Letters are one of the most used communication instruments in day-today life. Letters (in the
form of e-mail too) are used for both personal, official and business correspondence.
Letters help one in building both personal and professional relationships. At times something
which cannot be explained through a conversation can be expressed more clearly through a
letter. This is because, we take some time to draft the letter keeping the reader in mind. We
get time to use better words and expressions which at times help us to drive a point home.
This is an advantage of the written mode of correspondence.
However, since it is not a face-to-face conversation, care should be taken while choosing the
words and expressions. A misinterpretation of a message can be clarified during
conversations through immediate feedback. Also, we can complement and supplement an
oral message through (positive) body language. Care should be taken that the reader
understands the message correctly.
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Sounding courteous is also important while drafting a letter, because a letter may also
communicate one’s attitude, beliefs and the image of the writer. A letter drafted without
much care and caution may spoil both a personal and professional relationship. If drafted
carefully, a letter enhances the relationship.
Personal letters are a means of communication between friends and relatives
Official correspondence is the correspondence among the personnel of an organisation.
Care should be taken, especially while drafting a business letter, because` it is a form of
communication written by an authorised person. The signature of the person along with the
designation makes all the difference. One becomes responsible of the content of the letter as
it becomes a document once it is signed.
Recipient Salutation Complimentary close

A Company Dear Sir Yours faithfully / truly
Someone not known to you Dear Sir / Madam Yours faithfully

personally
A woman (married or Dear Ms. Verma Yours sincerely

unmarried)
Someone known to you Dear Mr. Shivraj Yours sincerely

personally
A married woman you know Dear Mrs. Purnima Yours sincerely

personally
An unmarried woman you Dear Miss Prathibha Yours sincerely

know personally
A woman you do not know Dear Madam Yours faithfully

personally
A friend or acquaintance Dear Prakash Yours friendly/lovingly
Types of Letters:
Letter of Enquiry: A Letter of Enquiry is written to enquire a product or a service. The

points to be considered while writing an enquiry letter are:
1. State clearly and precisely what type of information you require – a catalogue, some
general information, samples, price list, quotations, etc.,
2. Ask about the time period the supplier is likely to take in facilitating the order.
18
3. Seek clarification regarding the mode of payment, discount offer, credit facility, if
any.
Letter Placing an Order: This letter acts as a legal document of the transactions. An order
letter needs to include the following points:
1. An accurate and complete description of the goods required.

2. Quantities of goods required.
3. Prices already agreed between the two parties.
4. Specifications of the goods ordered (both general and technical).
5. Details regarding delivery requirements – place, date and mode of payment.
6. A concluding sentence urging the suppliers to send the material well in the time
(mentioned)
Complaint Letter: A complaint letter is written to tell someone that an error has occurred in
the consignment (a batch of goods to be delivered) and that needs to be corrected as soon as
possible. However, the tone should be polite and not harsh. State the problem without using a
blaming note.
The steps to be followed:
1. Inform about the problem in a clear and precise way.

2. Refer to the invoice/order number to avoid ambiguity in communication.
3. Avoid being rude in tone.
4. If necessary, suggest a solution to help the other party rectify the problem.
Adjustment Letter: Dealing with a complaint is usually is not a happy situation to respond
to. However, A complaint letter helps the company to improve the services wherever
required.
The steps to be followed:
1. Acknowledge the complaint immediately and it would be graceful to accept the mistake.
The person other side has already suffered and one can’t expect to wait further for the reply.
2. Handle the complaints with sympathy and consideration.
3. Even if the complaint or claim is baseless, avoid being rude. Explain the rules once again,
using a polite tone.
4. Do not blame any other employee or the transport in-charge for the mistake. One should
take it as a team effort and share the responsibility.
5. Thank the customer for bringing the matter to your notice.
Formats of a Business Letter

Block format
19
Sender’s address (Heading)
Date
Receiver’s address (Inside Address)
Salutation
Sub:
Para 1 (Intro)
Para 2 (Content)
Para 3 (Conclusion)
Thank you.
Complimentary Close
Signature line
Modified Block
Date
Salutation
Sub:
Para 1 (Intro)
Para 2 (Content)
Para 3 (Conclusion)
Thank you.
Complimentary Close
Signature line
Semi-block
20
Date
Salutation
Sub:
Para 1 (Intro)
Para 2 (Content)
Para 3 (Conclusion)
Thank you.
Complimentary Close
Signature line
Encl:
Simplified Layout (no salutation included in this format)
21
Date
Sub:
Para 1 (Intro)
Para 2 (Content)
Para 3 (Conclusion)
Thank you.
Complimentary Close
Signature line
Encl:
Business Letters - samples
A Letter of Enquiry
National Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd.

M – 15/6, South extension, New Delhi – 110 049
National Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd.
www.nationaltours.com.
May 18, 2020
Ms. Savitha Kumar

Training Manager
Sarna Cooperate Training Pvt. Ltd.
D-28/15, Ring Road, Delhi 110 052
Dear Ms. Kumar:
Sub: Requisition for details of training programming – Reg.
Please provide information regarding training courses for field staff involved in aggressive
selling of tour packages.
22
We presently have 24 sales trainees who need intensive training in sales and marketing skills.
Kindly send us the following information to enable us to choose the right course for them.
1. List of courses best suitable for the sales staff.

2. Duration of each course.
3. Course details.
4. Fee structure.
We would appreciate if you send us the information before May 25th. We look forward to
hearing from you.
Regards
Sd/-
P R Mehta
General Manager
Positive Response to Enquiry
Reva Computers
Dealers in HP
Ajmer Road, Jaipur-302 006.
May 8, 2019
Rakesh Mathur
Purchase Manager
Avy Trading Corporation
Court Lane, Civil Lines, Delhi
Dear Mr. Mathur
As you requested, we are sending you detailed information about the HP Scanjet 3200C
model.
We are the main dealers of HP scanners in North India and would be privileged to do
business with reputed companies like yours. You could also visit our website
www. Reva computers .com to receive more information about our company.
We hope that the enclosed information will help you make your decision. Just send us an e-
mail if you need any other information. We look forward to receiving a purchase order from
you.
Sincerely
Ravi Malhotra
Sales Manager
23
Negative (polite) Response to Enquiry.
S F CONSULTANTS
906/805, Excel Dalamal Tower
Nariman Point Mumbai – 400 021
May 10 2019
Ms. Lily Thomas

26-B, RanaPratapMarg
Lucknow
Dear Ms. Thomas
We appreciate your efforts to improve the professional knowledge and skills of your sales
staff, and would be privileged to arrange training courses for reputed companies like yours.
We receive a large number of requests from big companies to organize training courses for
their sales staff. However, we conduct only ten sales training courses in a year. We have
already finalized the list of the companies for whom we are going to conduct the courses
during 20018-19. Therefore, we are not in a position to give you the course details, and other
relate information for this year.
We thank you for your interest in our organization and our training packages. If you wish, we
would be glad to include your name in the list of the companies for 2020- 21 training year.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
S Ashraf Iqbal
Training Manager
Placing Orders
S F CONSULTANTS
906/805, Excel Dalamal Tower
Nariman Point Mumbai – 400 021
11 May 2020
The Sales Manager

AK Shyam& Co.
36, Chandpole Bazaar
Jaipur
Dear sir,
24
Sub: Placing order for the required stationery items – Reg.
This letter is in response to the telephonic conversation and subsequent mails. We are
opening our office in a prime location of the city. We would like to place an order with you
for stationery items for our office. Please ensure the following items are of the highest quality
and latest trend.
S.No Items Quantity Catalogue No. Offer Price Total

1 Camel Office Files 100 pieces 5 150/- each
2 Steindler Pens 25 pieces 20, 25, 31 and 37 25/-, 40/-,
(from the 55/- and 20
selected
catalogues)
3 Decorative Accessories 4 18 3,000/-
Payment will be made by DD drawn from AB Bank once we receive the items at our office.
We request you to send the stationery by 20 th May, 2019.
Regards
P. Rakesh Mathur
Purchase Manager
Letter of Complaint
Steelco Furnitures
50, Lenin Sarani
Kolkata
Our Reference: TT 472
Your Reference: MA/32
11 May 2019
The sales manager

Apex Mattresses Ltd.
Daryagunj
New Delhi
Dear sir,
Thank you for promptly delivering 200 mattresses in response to order No. TT/472 on 3 May,
2009. We are sorry to inform you that on checking the consignment, we found that 65 of the
200 mattresses are badly soiled and faded.
We propose to sell the mattresses at a winter sale. Advertisements for the same have already
been made through the local media. Therefore we request you to replace these 65 mattresses
immediately as we have very little time to arrange it from elsewhere.
The damaged products would be sent back to your factory within two days. Kindly send us
the replacement within two days of receiving the damaged material.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
25
Yours sincerely
Madhurima Gupta
Sales Manager
Letter of Adjustment
Steelco Furnitures
50, Lenin Sarani
Kolkata
Our Reference: TT 472
Your Reference: MA/32
11 May 2019
The sales manager

Apex Mattresses Ltd.
Daryagunj
New Delhi
Dear Sir,
We are sorry to learn from your letter dated 3rdFeruary, 2019 about the difficulties you have
faced in receiving the consignment containing Sheldon’s Best Laid Plans in bad shape. This
has caused us a great deal of concern and we are thankful to you for bringing this to our
notice.
Having looked into the matter, we understand that the consignment containing books was
damaged due to careless handling by the transporter. This has led to inconvenience to you
and financial loss to us.
We have acted swiftly on your complaint. The erring transporter has been blacklisted by our
company and we are sending you a fresh consignment containing another 100 copies of
Sheldon’s Best Laid Plans and 30 copies of Ken Follett’s The Third Twin.
Further, your account has already been credited with the invoiced value of the 90 books
returned to us including the postage expenses incurred in returning us the earlier
consignment. A fresh invoice towards the cost of 130 books now being sent is enclosed.
We again apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you and your customers and look
forward to a continued association in the times to come.
Yours truly
26
Ashok Arora.
Sr. Sales Manager.
Sales Letters
Sample Sales Letters -1
Dear Sir
With summer approaching, you must be thinking of how to keep your office cool, so that you
and your colleagues can continue to work efficiently. To meet your needs, we have produced
room-coolers of different capacities. The detailed specifications are given tithe enclosed
pamphlet. We shall give a guarantee for five years against all manufacturing defects and
repair, or replace any part that may cause trouble, at our cost.
At the end of the pamphlet you will find a card. Please fill in and mail to and we shall send
our technician to survey your office , assess your requirements, and advise you about the
location of coolers so that your entire office may be maintained at the same temperature
throughout summer.
If you place the order before 30 April, we shall give you a special discount of 5 perc cent,
owning the responsibility of transportation and installation at no extra expense.
We trust, you would like to avail yourself of this offer.
Yours faithfully
P.H. Lal
Sales Manager.
Sandra Smith
555 Weston Way
Vacaville
FLA, 33505
Dear Ms. Smith,
27
For as little as $150 you can have your entire home clean and sparkling, without enduring the
nasty odor of chemical cleaners. We care about the environment and use only state-of-the-art
green cleaning methods to ensure that you and your family are not exposed to any harmful or
allergy-causing cleaning products. You'll love what we do because:
 All our cleaning products are completely non-toxic—safe for children and pets!
 We leave surfaces clean, sparkling, and hygienic.
 Our staff are bonded and fully insured.
 We offer senior discounts to those aged 65 and over.
Satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not happy with the service, we promise to make it
right. As one of our customers says, "GreenClean does a top-notch cleaning job for a
reasonable price."
Another of our customers says, "I can't believe they get things so clean and sparkling without
the use of toxic chemical cleaners!"
Call us at 250-342-8923 or email us at info@greenclean.com for a free estimate. Get your
house cleaned and do your part to help the environment!
Sincerely,
James Hallom
GreenClean Inc.
P.S. We are offering a 10% discount for first-time users of our service until the end of the
year.
Introductory Sales Letter Example

This form of a letter is written to introduce a business or a product to a customer. It also
demonstrates how the product or service will benefit the customers.
From,
Natural Beauty Cosmetics,
Shah Mansion , P12-P24,
East Marredpally,
Hyderabad.
14 Dec 20XX.
To,
Garima Sen,
General Manager,
KDF Beauty Parlour,
Navi Mumbai.
Subject: Introducing a Product for Sale.
28
Dear Ms. Smith,
Natural Beauty Cosmetics is pleased to announce our newest addition to our beauty lotions
collection. We can assure you that we never lowered our quality levels, and it is currently one
of the best on the market. This product has also gained a foothold in the international market
and has received positive reviews.
We have unveiled our goods at a very fair price so that every customer can take advantage of
their benefits. Our new merchandise receives many positive reviews from buyers, and many
of our suppliers are very pleased with it. We would appreciate it if you could come to one of
our locations and try out the latest product for yourself.
We are looking forward to your visit.
Sincerely,
Christine James,
Natural Beauty Product
Sample Sales Letters -Thank You Sales Letter Example
You write this letter to thank the customers for supporting your business. It shows the
customer’s worth
From,Gen X StoreBoston, MA21 Jan 20XX.
To,
James King
Boston, MA
Sub: Thank you for your purchase at Gen X Store
Dear Mr.King,
We sincerely thank you for visiting our store and buying a lovely diamond package for your
spouse. At Gen X, we are constantly developing new and creative concepts that are in sync
with our customers’ needs.
We are grateful to have customers like you who consistently value our goods. I am attaching
a $700 discount on your next order from our store as a small token of our appreciation.
We wish to thank you once again for believing in our brand and supporting it.
Sincerely,
Kevin Johnson,
General Manager,
Gen X Store.
29
Selling Incentive Sales Letter Example

It promotes current goods to existing users. This type of letter arouses the reader’s
interest in purchasing the product.
From,
Phil Jones
General Manager
Promax Papers
Kenya
22 July 20XX.
To,
Jason Brandt
Purchase Manager
Bingwa Books
Kenya
Dear Mr. Brandt,
We are pleased to be working with your organization. Your company is one of the
best notebook makers. Your organization maintains high standards in the quality of
the papers used in your notebooks. We want to introduce you to a new form of paper
made from sorghum waste that we’ve created.
These high-quality papers were produced by our company using starch. The texture
of the paper is considered to be superior to that of standard paper. Since this is a
new product, we are offering a 35% incentive discount.
To learn more about these deals, please contact us at the phone number and
address given. We are looking forward to a successful business transaction.
Sincerely,
Phil Jones.
30
Resume writing
A resume is a selective record of an individual’s background. It presents a summary of an
individual’s education, professional training, experience, skills, abilities, achievements, and
references. It introduces the applicant to a potential employer.
The design of a resume largely depends on a person’s background, employment needs, career
goals, and professional conventions in the areas of specialization.
Resumes may have to be written for every new job application because every job has its own
requirements. Keeping a resume job-specific gives it the required focus and makes it more
effective. Regardless of the design, resume must answer the following questions.
1. How can the employer contact the candidate?

2. What are his/her career objectives?
3. Which institution has been attended?
4. What courses have been completed?
5. What is the work experience?
6. What are his/her career achievements?
7. What are his/her special skills or capabilities?
8. Honours/Awards?
9. Activities/special interests/hobbies?
10. References?
Resume Design:
a. Heading should include complete contact information – name, postal address with pin
code, telephone number with area code and e-mail address
b. Position sought
c. Career objective which is generally a one-sentence focused statement expressing
career goals in relation o the targeted position.
d. Professional summary (for experienced persons)
e. Education should provide the specific details about education in reverse
chronological order
f. Work experience (where applicable for experienced persons) should be given in
reverse chronological order, by listing the most recent employment first.
g. Special skills, abilities and aptitudes may include skills of computer programming,
foreign languages, machinery operation, consulting and drafting
h. Activities and Interests: Activities that project applicant’s dynamic and enthusiastic
nature such as Extra-curricular, Co-curricular, Professional activities, and hobbies and
interests must be mentioned.
31
i. Achievements and accomplishments can include scholarships, fellowships, awards,
distinctions, or anything that shows achievement or recognition
j. References are persons who know applicant’s work or professional competence
through formal and professional interaction with him/her.
Samples Resumes:
1. Chronological
2. Functional
3. Combination
Chronological resume
The Chronological resume focuses on education and experience with the following sections:
Ajit Sinha
C-28/358, III lane,
Sector-45, New Delhi -110021
Email: Ajit_Sinha245@gmail.com
Position Sought Manager-project

Objective To contribute to the growth of a leading project management
company by working in a challenging position where I will
have opportunities to utilize my exposure to project
management methodologies and experience as project leader in
product development of large scale engineering projects.
Experience Project Leader, Symbiosis Technologies Ltd., Connaught
Circle, Sector 52, New Delhi – 110030
August 2013 to present
 Executed analytics projects within the scheduled period
 Contributed to and supervised the launch of
“Proanalytics” software
 Developed system support software “ Launch analysis”
 Collaborated with Suntechs Ltd., in training programme
personnel
Education P.B.S.R. Engineering College, Greater Noida B.Tech in

Computer Science Engineering, July 2009
IIT, Delhi, M.Tech. (Management Information Systems), 2011
Certificate in Computer Programming, IGNOU, 2012
32
Special Skills Proficient in Hardware and Software
Good problem-solving skills
Competent in speaking Spanish
Activities Member, Institute of Engineers
Member, National Cadet Corps, 2004-2007
Interests Badminton, Football, Cycling

Classical Music, Movies, Fiction
Functional Resume
Functional Resume focuses on accomplishments and emphasizes skills.
Ajit Sinha
C-28/358, III lane,
Sector-45, New Delhi -110021
Email: Ajit_Sinha245@gmail.com
Position Sought
Manager-project
Objective
To contribute to the growth of a leading project management company by working in a
challenging position where I will have opportunities to utilize my exposure to project
management methodologies and experience as project leader in product development of large
scale engineering projects
Project Management
 Executed complete analytics projects within the scheduled period

 Contributed to and supervised the launch of “Proanalytics” software
 Developed system support software “ Launch analysis”
 Collaborated with Suntechs Ltd., in training programme personnel
Special Skills
Proficient in Hardware and Software
Good problem-solving skills
Competent in speaking Spanish
Education
P.B.S.R. Engineering College, Greater Noida B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering, July
2009
33
IIT, Delhi, M.Tech. (Management Information Systems), 2011
Certificate in Computer Programming, IGNOU, 2012
Employment Record
2013 / present Project Leader, Symbiosis Technologies Ltd., Connaught Circle, Sector
52, New Delhi – 110030
Activities
Member, Institute of Engineers

Member, National Cadet Corps, 2004-2007
Interests
Badminton, Football, Cycling
Classical Music, Movies, Fiction
Cover Letter
The cover letter is like personal notes that will allow you to target resume to a particular
person in the company, for a specific position
It is basically a self- promotion instrument used by the applicant to boost professional value
and career prospects
It serves the following purposes:
Introduces the applicant to the hiring organization
Introduces the applicant’s resume
Highlights the applicant’s positive personal traits and achievements
Shows how the applicant’s special talents that will benefit the organization
Emphasizes how the applicant is right for the job by matching the requirements of the job
with his/her qualifications
Asks for an opportunity to be interviewed by the organization
Cover letter has three major parts:
An opening that explains why you are writing

The body which mentions your accomplishments to the company’s needs
The closing
The employer is likely to spend about 8 seconds of his/her time. Considering this fact, do not
duplicate resume information, summarize, expand on add additional information
A separate letter for each employer and position should be written
Use simple, direct language, avoid clichés.
Proofread for grammatical and spell errors. Refer to sources of information
34
Cover Letter:
Heading
Opening: The job application letter should open with an attention catching
statement that could be a reference to the source of information, the applicant’s
credentials, a reference to a particular person for a solicited job, a starting
statement, a stimulating question, or an expression of appreciation for unsolicited
jobs. The purpose is to get the reader to devote a few moments of attention to the
letter.
Body: Significant information about the applicant’s qualifications should be given

to build the interest of the reader in the applicant and to convince him/her that the
applicant is worth hiring. A summary of the lighting his /her strengths, assets and
skills should be presented. The applicant should relate his/her qualifications and
experiences to the needs of the employer.
Closing: After supporting his/her candidature, the applicant has to conclude the
letter by motivating the reader to contact him/her. The reader should be told how
he/she can get in touch with the applicant and a formal interview should be
requested. In order to persuade the reader to act, key career points should be
emphasized and all claims should be substantiated by facts, figures, testimonials,
guarantees, and logic. ______________________
______________________
Encl.: Resume
Business Proposal
Definition: It is a document that’s designed to persuade an organization to buy a product or

services. A Proposal (offer, suggestion, tender, scheme) is written to present one’s ideas in a
style that reader accept the message and take action. It’s an offer by one party to provide a
product or service to another party in exchange for money. They aim to solve a problem
.The main objective is to persuade.
They aim at providing new and sound ideas to accelerate/speed up the advancement of our
society. It is a document used by a B2B or business-facing company (this may not always be
the case) where a seller aims to persuade a prospective buyer into buying their goods or
services.
A Proposal is usually solicited or unsolicited
35
Labor
150 hours basic building labor
Plus overseer for the project
Costs
Material 110,000
Labor 100,000
Permits 50,000
Overview 10,000
Total Cost: $270,000
Time Table
Construction could be started as soon as mid-May and completed by the fall of 2014.
Please review the attached documents. Red Oak Building prides itself on attention to detail
and completes projects on a highly defined timeline.
Contact me directly for further information:
Adam York
932-422-0445
AdamY@RedOakBuilding.com
Differences between Memo, E-Mail and Letter
Characteristic Memo E-Mail Letters

Structure contains lesser contains most of the Contains several elements
elements than letters elements which a letter has starting from heading to
and does not include but addresses are the e- distribution segment
salutation and mail addresses or e-mail
complimentary close ids
Layout heading elements given in prescribed format Elements are arranges in
are aligned with the by the e-mail service any of the layouts (Block,
left margin providers Semi, Modified)
vertically
purpose to share information, to convey short routine To persuade and to share
to direct, to messages quickly information
recommend, to
congratulate
audience generally high-tech generally multiple readers Generally low-tech and lay
or low-tech, mostly with various levels of readers, such as vendors and
44
business colleagues knowledge; could include clients
instructors, company
supervisors, and
subordinates as well as
family and friends
degree of generally informal less than both in memos More formal than memos
formality because of internal and letters and follows a because of external
circulation conversational style destination
short forms, to be avoided unless to be judiciously used to be avoided
abbreviations, very common
acronyms, etc among the
employees
circulation internal both internal and external external
Unit 3
Report Writing
Dr.Sunita Vijay Kumar
Report writing is an essential skill for engineering students. Engineering reports analyse data,
present results and conclusions, and make recommendations in a logical, precise and
accessible manner. Report writing is both a requirement for completing an engineering
qualification at university and a central part of succeeding in future employment.
Writing a report is an art. It is a planned procedure requiring the logical presentation of ideas
and information .The word ‘report’ comes from the Latin word meaning “ to bring back”. It is
a serious written communication, the style is accurate, fluent and concise, with headings to
indicate the content of each section, every report must be totally adapted to the needs of its
reader. So. a report has been defined as a ‘piece of factual writing based on evidence,
containing organized information on a particular topic’. The prime purpose of reports is to
have accuracy of facts. The report is written for a specific purpose, it is a functional
document.
Features of a good report
• It is factual and not imaginative
• Concrete words are used.
• It is objective, without any personal bias.
• It is orderly and properly structured.
• It is comprehensive.
• It is logical
• It is coherent and clear.
• A Good Report has
• clarity of Thought
• is complete and Self-explanatory
45
• is Comprehensive but Compact
• is Accurate in all Aspects
Purpose of a report
 It is written for a reader, so
 The information should be precise and short.
 It should be organised for the convenience of a report user.
 It should supply factual information in a precise manner.
 The writing should be accurate, concise and unobtrusive.
 It should organise information graphically, with appropriate labels.
 It should Summarise, giving the whole information , in miniature.
 Reports should not have factual errors and inconsistencies.
 The report should look neat and attractive
The information should be put into one of three categories:
1. Obviously important information which must go into the report because it is completely
relevant to the objectives;
2. Borderline information which might be useful to some readers, or which might amplify or
substantiate other more important material
3. Information which is interesting (or not) to the writer, but which is not relevant to the
objectives of the report.
Language
• The Language of the report is in passive voice.
• Reports are written in the past and past perfect tenses
• First person pronouns are avoided, such as, I, we you, his…
• Shorter sentences are preferred to longer sentences, a variation of both creates a good
effect.
• The rules of punctuation have to be followed because it aids accuracy.
• There should be no spelling and typing errors.
Punctuation
Punctuation matters because it aids accurate reading and also because it may affect the
meaning. In the sentence: The rules of punctuation, unlike those of spelling, are easy to learn,
and the bibliography at the end of the Guide suggests helpful books
Spelling
When the engineer has completed a section of the report, it should be checked for spelling
and typing errors.
Basic structure of a report
A report usually has these components:
The full format of a long report can be as follows:
 Cover page
 Title page
 Acknowledgements
 Summary
 Table of Contents
 Introduction/Terms of Reference/Scope
 Procedure
 Findings (the evidence)
46
 Conclusions
 Recommendations
 Appendices
 References
 Bibliography
 Glossary
 Index
Cover page
It should consist of essential information in an attractive way. It consists of essential
information. such as, i. report number ii. name of the organisation iii. title of report iv. name
of author and v. date.
Title page
The title page is the first page of the report proper, it is the first right hand page of the report.
In addition to all the information on the cover page it contains i. project or reference number
ii. the title and iii.author’s name,iv. the report reference number and v. date, vi. its
classification (‘confidential’, etc) if appropriate,vii. the name and designation of primary
recepient, viii. the company’s name and logo if desired, a statement of copyright if
appropriate, and no more.
Acknowlewdgements
Is a way of recording your sense of gratitude to people who helped you with the study, a
mention has to be made about any help assistance or guidance received from different
persons and organisations.
Table of Contents
Its function is to help reader locate specific information, it helps the reader to an overall
picture of what the report contains. It is patterned after the final report is drafted. For prop[er
organisation it should follow the decimal numbering system in listing topics and subtopics.
Table of Contents
1. Cover page i
2. Title page ii
3. Acknowledgements iii
4. Table of Contents iv
5. Abstract / Summary v
6. Introduction/Terms of Reference/Scope 1
7. Procedure / Discussion 3
8. Findings (the evidence) 5
9. Conclusions 7
47
10. Recommendations 9
11. Appendices 10
12. References 11
13. Bibliography 12
14. Index 13
Decimal system of numbering
1. Heading First Main Section
1.1 Second order heading (sub-heading)
1.2.1 Third order heading (sub-sub-heading)
2. Heading Second Main Section
Summaries
Summaries and abstracts are different from one another, and used in different ways, although
they are often confused. The summary is the last part of the text to be written, and it is
perhaps the most difficult.
The use of summaries is widespread, and they serve several purposes
Abstracts
Abstracts are intended to bring together the report and prospective readers, and to guide
readers who might not necessarily consider that a particular report is relevant to their needs.
As summaries are usually best written by the report writer, abstracts are usually best written
by somebody else, perhaps a librarian with specialist knowledge and training in abstracting.
Difference between an abstract and a summary

The summary gives the substance of the report whereas the abstract tells us in concentrated
form about the report. The summary is 5% to 10% of the original size. An abstract is 2% -5
% of the original size of the report.
Introduction
The Introduction gives the reader the necessary background information. It can
include:
• a description of purpose(s) and objective(s)/topic(s)
• a statement of the problem(s)
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• a survey of background information
• a review of previous work/research and the relationship to the current project
• the method(s) of approach
• an indication of the scope and limitations of study
• an outline of material presented in the rest of the report
It Prepares the reader for the content of the report and is a good starting point for one who is
not familiar with the subject, In writing the introduction the writer should keep in mind the
following: what the report is about?, why is it written?, who wanted it ? what problem will it
solve? what methods are used to arrive at the facts?.
Procedure followed in collecting and analyzing the data
Scientific reports based on experiments, the following areas, with appropriate
headings, may be included:
• methods/procedures and materials used
• data collected/information presented
• findings or results/comparisons with previous work
• discussion or analysis of the material
Gives the means through which the data was collected on which the report is based. The main
function of this section is to describe the main part of the report. It contains the data and
organised discussion using visual aids, the analysis of the data which is arranged in a logical
order yields results and admits of certain inferences. They are then evaluated and judgements
are formed and they ultimately lead to the formation of conclusions.
Discussion or Findings of the Report
This is a detailed discussion of the data which has been collected and its analysis.
Conclusion
The conclusion(s) of a report must be related to, and resulting from, the material
which appears in the report. The content of the Conclusion will be linked to the
Introduction. The Conclusion places findings in perspective without introducing any
new material, and it may include:
• a clear and concise summary of the main points
• the context and significance of the information
• a reference to the original aim(s)/purpose(s) of the report
• the application(s) of the results
• the limitations and advantages of the findings
• the writer’s judgment/evaluation
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It is of great value to a busy researcher or an executive, in fact it is the first thing that is read
in a report to arrive at a decision. It contains the findings that are arrived at through analysis
in the discussion, no new material is added at this stage. All coclusions are logically arrived
at from what has gone before they may be in the form of series of numbered points or in
paragraphs. Before giving a final shape to conclusion it has to be correlated with what has
nbeen promised in the introduction.
Recommendations
Not all reports include recommendations, but if they are required recommendations
should emerge from the conclusions of the report. This section is important to those
who must act on the findings. The writer may include a brief, persuasive statement
before presenting the recommendations clearly listed in numbered or bullet points. A
series of recommendations may be worded in instructional language; for example,
each beginning with a verb. There are styles of reports where the Recommendations
follow the Introduction. Recommendations may involve:
• strategies, procedures or techniques for solving the problem(s)
• an indication of further work which needs to be completed
Are derived from conclusions and indicate future action, these recommendations are the basis
for decision making, they are listed in descending order of importance accompanied by some
explanation
Appendices
Contains material that needs to be in the report but is not an essential and integral part of the
main presentation. It supports the discussion and substatiates the findings. It relieves the main
body from voluminous details, it provides a place for essential details for record purposes,the
material in it is neatly organised and properly presented and reference should be made to it in
the main text. Each appendix is a separate unit and should be numbered as A,B and C. These
could be questionnaires, charts, graphs, official letters from an organisation and other
statistical data.
References
If the report writer has quoted from either a published or unpublished source the writer
should give credit to the authors by citing them in the text and listing them at the end of the
report. The entries in the list should be made in a alphabetic order giving the full
bibliographical details
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Bibliography
Is a list of sources consulted, it is serially numbered and the entries are made alphabetically.
The details appear in the same sequence as in the list of references
Glossary
Is a list of technical words or terms used by the report writer in a special sense
Index
An index is given only in voluminous reports where a table of contents may not be adequate
for a reader to locate a topic or a sub topic or any other material easily.
Notation
Headings within the organisation of the report be as specific as possible in order to be useful.
The pattern is this:
1. MAIN HEADING
1.1 Lesser Heading
1.1.1 Small Heading
and this will be maintained throughout the report:
Conventions
The conventions that you follow while writing must be followed when writing a report.
conventions for diagrams must be followed.
Tables
These are the most common forms of diagrams used in technical reports. Tables can give a
great deal of accurate information if they are effectively presented.
Graphs
Graphs are used either to show trends or to give accurate technical information. All graphs
must be clearly labelled, and scales identified. If graphs are to be compared, the same scale
must be used for each.
Diagram references
Diagrams of all types must be numbered and clearly referenced in the text.
Format of pages
Paper and margins
• white A4 paper is appropriate, and printing on one side only is often preferred for
assessment purposes
• each major section of the report begins on a new page; this may be
inappropriate for very short sections or short reports
• wide margins are recommended; for example, allowing 2.5 cm on all sides
• bound reports have a left-hand margin of at least 3.5 cm, and 1.5 on the
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other three sides
Page numbering
• the cover to the abstract summary page should not be numbered roman numerals — i, ii, iii,
iv etc. — are usually used to number the preliminary pages (Abstract, Contents etc.)
• all other pages may be numbered either in the right-hand upper corner, or in the centre at the
bottom of the page
• arabic numerals — 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. — are used to number the text from the
Introduction page to the end of the Appendices
• alternatively, pages in the Appendices can be numbered internally,
according to the letter of the individual appendix and the number of pages
within each appendix — A1, A2, B1, C1, C2, C3 etc.
Headers and footers

• headers or footers position page numbers automatically
• two different headers or footers must be created so that the preliminary
pages are numbered separately from the text of the report
Font
• a font (such as Times New Roman or Arial is usually chosen for the text of a
report, as these fonts tend to be easier to read
• the same font should be used throughout the whole report, unless a
second font is chosen for headings and tables
Size and style of type
• 12 point type is the normal size for the text of a report
• 10 point may be used for long, indented quotations, figures and tables
• italics can be used to emphasise text where necessary (but it should not be
overused, particularly as there may be confusion with italicised titles)
• underlining or bold is avoided in emphasis of text as it is distracting
• the use of precise words may be sufficient to create the required emphasis
Types of Reports
Reports can be broadly of two types Formal Reports and . Informal Reports.
Informal Reports
The informal report functions to inform, analyse, and recommend.. It usually takes the form
of a memo, letter or a very short international document like a monthly financial report,
monthly activities report, research and development report, etc.this report differs from the
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formal report in length and formality. It is written according to organization style and rules,
but usually does not include the preliminary (front) and supplemental (back) material.
 Credit report
 Literature review
 Feasibility report
 Financial report
 Personnel evaluation
 Sales activity report
 Progress report
Formal Reports
It is often a written account of a major project. The formal report is complex and used at an
official level. The formal report is the collection and interpretation of data and information.
the advisability of launching a new project line, results of a study or experiment,
• an annual report,
•  Recommendation reports
• Analytical reports
• Informational reports 
• Project Report
• FeasibilityReport
• Research Report
• Business Report
• Scientific Report
• Investigation Report
• Director’s Report
Feasibility reports
A feasibility report is written so that the decision makers can decide on the course of action
by assessing whether it is feasible or not. It may help in the difficult task of choosing between
viable options. Recommendations, or feasibility reports as they are called here, go one step
further than any other reports. They not only provide information but argue for certain
courses of action to build or not to build, to purchase or not to purchase.
Feasibility reports present information to prove whether a project can be done and whether it
is worth doing. For example, a company may benefit from a new technology: but no one is
sure whether the expense, the downtime, and the pay-off will be worth it or a community
may be considering a plan to build some new facility or to start some new program: but
people disagree about its value or potential benefit to the community. Again, a feasibility
report tries to answer these questions.
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So the structure of a feasibility report should address for whom and why is this feasibility
report written?If the report is based on a survey, then by whom, where and how was the
survey carried out? what is the purpose of this report?
A feasibility report is generally structured in this way
1.Prefatory part of a Report
 Cover page
 Title page
 Acknowledgements
 Table of Contents
 Abstract / Summary
2.Main part of the Report
 Introduction/Terms of Reference/Scope
 Method of investigation
 Advantages or disadvantages of the place...
 Possible drawwbacks
 Conclusion
 Recommendations
3.Supplementary/ Back part of a Report
 Appendices
 References
 Bibliography
 Index
Given below are four sample reports
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Evaluation Report
Dept of S&H
MVSREC,Hyderabad
An evaluation is an assessment of certain topics or subjects typically conducted for a
specific purpose. An evaluation report, in the simplest sense, is a document which
reports the results, findings, interpretations, conclusions, or recommendations
derived through an evaluation. An evaluation report primarily gives an executive
summary of the points covered by the evaluation. It also presents an overview of the
evaluation process.
Importance of an Evaluation Report
An evaluation report is an essential way of presenting an evaluation to a certain
audience. It is intended to promote awareness on how the evaluation reached its
outcomes and conclusions.
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An evaluation report is an effective way to disseminate findings of an evaluation to the
people concerned. It is essential to report the conclusions derived from a specific
evaluation to ensure its transparency, and to be able to properly use such conclusions in
the future.
This is also for the people to properly understand the purpose of the evaluation plan,
and of course, know the outcomes and the possible effects to the subject or su bjects of
the evaluation. An evaluation report is also presented to determine if the time and
resources allocated for such evaluation were used accordingly.
These reports document the various experiments conducted in the laboratory. The
observation, calculation, and results sections of these reports must be prepared with utmost
accuracy and precision.
Evaluation reports have the following sections:
Executive Summary
Introduction to the Project
Purpose of the Evaluation
Objective of the Evaluation
Methodology
Evaluation / Findings
Strength of the project
Areas of Improvement
Conclusion
Recommendation
Appendices
Components of an Evaluation Report
Evaluation formal reports contain an essential parts and processes of an evaluation. It is
thus important for one to know what constitutes a good evaluation report. The following
are the key components commonly discussed in an evaluation report.
Title or header.
This includes a clear and concise title, the authors’ names, date of preparation, etc.
Executive summary.
The executive summary of an evaluation report is a shortened version of the full report. It
highlights the purpose of the evaluation, key questions, research methodology, evaluation
findings, conclusions and recommendations. This summary provides a condensed version of
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the different sections – usually one to four pages – and is placed at the start of the report. To
write an effective summary, the original document must be fully read with key ideas and
important points highlighted. Re-write the highlighted sentences briefly, skipping the
unimportant details. The executive summary should contain the following details in brief
formThis should contain a brief summary of the subject of the report.
Table of contents.
This includes an overview of the contents of the report and their respective pages.
Introduction to the project.
Mainly a short report introduction on the purpose, and target of the evaluation. states
what the project aims to achieve and what measures are to be taken for this purpose. Here
information about the project team, target area and donors can also be provided briefly.
Purpose of the Evaluation / Scope. This discusses the evaluation focus. It is a statement
of why the assessment is needed, how it will benefit the program/project. In this section the
evaluator should state the purpose of this practice that may be to assess the degree of
achievements of the objectives and results of the project, as outlined in the proposal.
The purpose of the evaluation is usually mentioned in the Request for Proposal (RFP) too, so
that document can also be used as reference here.
Objectives of the Evaluation
Objectives of the evaluation include assessing the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency,
impacts and sustainability of the project and its activities. These should be realistic, in line
with the RFP and the given resources (time and money).
Objectives of the evaluation can also include what challenges were faced during
implementation of the project, important lessons learned and recommendations for the future
project implementation. Sometimes the main purpose of the evaluation can be to focus on the
process of implementation rather than on its impact, since this would be minimal if the
project has started short time ago or was a short duration project.
Problems and Needs (Relevance) , How well was beneficiaries’ and stakeholders’ (including
government) participation incorporated in the project cycle? & How was the exit strategy
defined, and how this will be managed at the end of the funding period?
Methodology
The evaluator should make use of this section to define what methods of research
(Quantitative / qualitative) used, what documents/reports did he/she study, how was the
sampling done and how did he/she arranged for knowing about the community’s feedback on
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the project. In short, the evaluator should mention all of the sources of data collection,
sampling techniques used, methods of data collection , data analysis and documentation.
Here he/she can also select or finalize the key areas of investigation like:
1. Impact on beneficiaries and the community
2. Community participation
3. Selection and processing of beneficiaries
4. Project management and overall implementation process
Strengths of the Project
The evaluator should use this section to portray the strengths of the organization like staff
commitment, staff efficiency, organizational links and strong local presence, level of
government support, availability of resources (field office, equipment etc.), successful
activities of project implementation etc.. The evaluator should answer the following
questions:
Areas of Improvement
Equipping field office, staff capacity building, staff turnover, increasing community
involvement, improvement in checks and balances system (M&E), planning and
implementation, sustainability strategy (exit strategy), security issues, linkages between
outputs, outcomes and impact.
Conclusions & Recommendations /solutions.
This provides an idea on information dissemination and intended use of the evaluation’s
findings and conclusions.Evaluations often make recommendations about how a program
can be improved, how the risk of program failure can be reduced or whether a program
should continue. However, the inclusion of recommendations is based upon the provided
terms of reference for the evaluation. These should be formed on the basis of the evaluation
findings and processes which involve all the stakeholders.
Appendices if any can be attached in this section
Reference This contains the references used by the authors upon report writing the
evaluation.
Tips in Writing an Evaluation Report
An evaluation report gives the audience a general idea about the whole evaluation. For
it to effectively convey information, it needs to be constructed properly. Consider the
following tips in writing an evaluation report.
Think of a purpose. This creates the foundation of the evaluation business report. One
needs to determine the purpose of creating an evaluation report to determine its focus.
Gather the most important details of the evaluation to be included in the report.
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Know the audience of your report. This includes the people who will view the report,
its users, and in most cases, the evaluation’s subjects. Anticipate the questions and
concerns they might ask regarding the technical report.
Divide the report into different sections. This will promote better distribution of ideas
and contents of the evaluation itself.
Write in a clear manner. This will allow your audience to comprehend the ideas you
present better.
Proofread your report. Proofreading is the best way to get rid of the possible errors
your report might contain.
Progress Report

Dept of S&H
MVSREC,Hyderabad
A progress report is typically written for a supervisor, colleagues, or client. Depending on the
scope and complexity of the project, you might need to give a progress report weekly or
monthly, or for every 25% project milestone .A progress report may be written daily, weekly,
or monthly. It may be written for an individual or a team.
You write a progress report to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about progress
you've made on a project over a certain period of time. The project can be the design,
construction, or repair of something, the study or research of a problem or question, or the
gathering of information on a technical subject. You write progress reports when it takes well
over three or four months to complete a project. In the progress report, you explain any or all
of the following:
 How much of the work is complete

 What part of the work is currently in progress
 What work remains to be done
 What problems or unexpected things, if any, have arisen
 How the project is going in general
Progress Report
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Importance of a progress report.
It gets everyone updated.
Each person who receives a copy of the report will know what has been accomplished. This
prevents confusion about what has been or has yet to be done.
It facilitates collaboration.
This is especially important when different teams work together. Knowing what the other
team is up to helps prevent working in isolation and also reduces task redundancy. It also
helps one team identify areas where it can offer help or team up with others.
It improves transparency and accountability by providing a record of the progress
When you submit your report, you’ve placed on record that you’ve accomplished a task or
explained why your results were different than expected. Once the document has been
accepted, it becomes part of the project’s official documentation.
It improves project evaluation and review
Onecan examine documents, including progress reports, of previous projects to find out what
was done right, what went wrong, and what can be improved. Previous reports can shed light
on systemic issues, loopholes, and other causes of delay or failure – both internal and external
– that must be avoided or resolved.
It provides insights for future planning
When the supervisor knows what tasks have been accomplished, he or she can focus on
monitoring progress towards the next stages of the project. When a report shows that delays
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have occurred, the supervisor is able to investigate the problems that hindered progress and
take steps to prevent them from happening again in the future.
Structure of a progress reporttypically should have
Header
Executive summary
The progress of the component value
Summary
Next Report due date
Conclusion
These can be written as
1. Introduction
This part provides an overview of the contents of the progress report. It’s best to write this
after you’ve completed all the other parts of the report. That way, you’ll be able to provide an
accurate summary. Keep it short and simple. One or two paragraphs will do.
2. Accomplishments
Numbers and details are your friends, especially when writing this section of the progress
report. The accomplishments you write should correspond to your goals.
3. Goals
What were your goals for the period covered by the report? This could be a goal for the day,
week, month, or quarter. On the other hand, it could be a team goal, too. Be concrete when
writing goals.
4. Roadblocks
Explain what situations, if any, prevented you from achieving your goals, or may prevent you
from reaching this month’s targets. But don’t stop there. Be proactive and present an action
plan and timeline for resolving the roadblocks. Include details, such as funds, materials, and
human resources you may need to implement the solution.
Use graphics to supplement the text
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When using graphs or charts, try out several types to determine which ones best presents your
data. You might use a bar graph, pie chart, line graph, or even scatter plot. When doing so,
spend time in distinguishing different data sets from the others by using labels and colours.
In a progress report, these are the following contents you may include:
1. How much of the work is complete?

Write down all the details of how far are you from reaching your goals and if
you have set short-term goals for your long-term one, list down how many of
those short-term goals have already been achieved.
2. Part of the work is currently in progress
You wouldn’t be creating a progress report if you have already achieved your
goal, right? You might still be halfway towards achieving your goals and there
might still be part of the work that is still currently in progress. Make sure you
take note of this in your progress report.
3. What work remains to be done?
You have already included the part of your work that is already done and the p art
of the work that is currently in progress. Now, you also have to write down the
part of the work that is still not done.
4. Problems, unexpected events, and setbacks
You might already have created an action plan before you started making
progress towards your goals but some things happened that made you not do
some of the things you have planned. Take note of all the problems, unexpected
events, and setbacks that made you not do a part of your plans because all those
things might happen again in the future. Knowing this beforehand will enable
you to create a plan on how you are going to resolve it so you will not be
affected the way you were affected before.
5. How is the project going in general?
You could measure it by percentage. Let’s say, for example, you are already 50%
done since you have already accomplished 5 out of 10 short-term goals towards
your long-term one.
Functions of Progress Report
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1. Someone might have ordered you to create a progress report. The recipient of the
report will feel assured that there is progress in the project and that is has been
going smoothly until its completion.
2. If ever there are problems in the progress of the project, the recipient of the
report will be able to know about this and can help with the situation at hand.
3. The recipients of the progress report will be able to look at the findings or the
parts of the work that has been done already or are currently in progress.
4. The recipients of the progress reports will enable the recipients to give an
evaluation of the progress you have made. This is also a chance for them to
request some changes of the way you are handling a project in order for it be
completed earlier and easier.
5. If you have problems, this is also your chance to express it to the recipient of the
progress report so that they can offer or advice some solutions.
6. If you are lagging behind and are already not following the planned timeframe,
the progress report can motivate and even force you to redo your plans and
establish a new work timeframe so that you will be able to complete the project
on the time it is required to be completed. Progress reports can also enable you
to project a sense of professionalism towards your work.
Progress reports have several important functions:
 Reassure recipients that you are making progress, that the project is going smoothly,
and that it will be complete by the expected date.
 Provide their recipients with a brief look at some of the findings or some of the work
of the project.
 Give their recipients a chance to evaluate your work on the project and to request
changes.
 Give you a chance to discuss problems in the project and thus to forewarn recipients.
 Force you to establish a work schedule so that you'll complete the project on time.
Timing and Format of Progress Reports
In a year-long project, there are customarily three progress reports, one after three, six, and
nine months. Depending on the size of the progress report, the length and importance of the
project, and the recipient, the progress report can take the following forms:
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 Memo--A short, informal report to someone within your organization
 Letter--A short, informal report sent to someone outside your organization
 Formal report--A long, formal report sent to someone outside your organization
You can use the same format on progress reports as you can on proposals: memo, letter,
separated report; or cover memo or letter with separate report.
Organizational Patterns for Progress Reports
The recipient of a progress report wants to see what you've accomplished on the project, what
you are working on now, what you plan to work on next, and how the project is going in
general. To report this information, you combine two of these organizational strategies: time
periods, project tasks, or report topics.
Time periods. A progress report usually summarizes work within each of the following:
 Work accomplished in the preceding period(s)

 Work currently being performed
 Work planned for the next period(s)
Project tasks. Practically every project breaks down into individual tasks: An example of a
Progress Report of Building municipah all parks on city- owned land.
Project Individual tasks
Building municipal Measuring community interest

hall parks on city- Locating suitable property
owned land Clearing the property
Designing the bleachers, fences, etc.
Writing a report Studying the assignment

Selecting a topic
Identifying the audience of the report
Narrowing the topic
Developing a rough outline
Gathering information
Writing one or more rough drafts
Documenting the report
Revising and editing the report draft
Typing and proofreading the report
Putting the report in its final package
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Report topics. You can also organize your progress report according to the work done on the
sections of the final report. In a report project on cocombusting municipal solid waste, you
would need information on these topics:
For each of these topics, you'd explain the work you have done, the work you are currently
doing, and the work you have planned.
A progress report is a combination of two of these organizational strategies. The following

outline excerpts give you an idea of how they combine:
Progress report A Progress report B Progress report C
Task 1 Work Completed Topic 1

Work completed Task 1 Work completed
Current work Task 2 Current work
Planned work Task 3 Planned work
Task 2 Current Work Topic 2

Task 3 Current Work Topic 3

Work Completed
As of this time, I have completed almost all of the research work and am
putting the sections of the final report together. Here is a breakdown of
the work that I have done so far.
Development of the Bottle
In the development section of my report, I have written a technical descrip-

tion of a typical PET soft-drink bottle. It is very complete and gives the
reader a good idea of what the product should look like and able to
accomplish.
Favorable Properties
The section of the report describing the properties of PET is finished.
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I have chosen four physical properties that many raw materials containers
are tested for, and I have shown how PET withstands these tests.
Manufacturing Processes
For the section on manufacturing processes, I have done research to help

me recommend one particular production method for PET bottles. Here, I
have described this chosen method and have explained exactly how a plastic
bottle is produced on an assembly line.
Economics
I have finished work on half the economics section of this report. So far,
I have written an econimic comparison of the use of plastic and glass
bottles.
PRESENT WORK
Right now I am mainly involved in determining just which areas of my

report are lacking information. Also, I am continuing my work in locating
financial information on PET bottles.
Manufacturing Processes
In the manufucaturing section, I am currently . . .
Parts of Progress Reports
In your progress report, you also need
(a) an introduction that reviews the history of the project's beginnings as well as the purpose
and scope of the work,
(b) a detailed description of your project, and
(c) an overall appraisal of the project to date, which usually acts as the conclusion.
Review the details of your project's purpose, scope, and activities. This will aid recipients
who are unfamiliar with the project, who do not remember certain details, or who want to
double check your approach to the project. The introduction can contain the following:
 Purpose of the project

 Specific objectives of the project
 Scope, or limits, of the project
 Date the project began; date the project is scheduled to be completed
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 People or organization working on the project
 People or organization for whom the project is being done
 Overview of the contents of the progress report
Checklist for Progress Reports
As you reread and revise your progress report, watch out for problems such as the following:
 Make sure you use the right format. Remember, the memo format is for internal
progress reports; the business-letter format is for progress reports written from one
external organization to another. (Whether you use a cover memo or cover letter is
your choice.)
 Write a good introduction-in it, state that this is a progress report, and provide an
overview of the contents of the progress report.
 Make sure to include a description of the final report project.
 Use one or a combination of the organizational patterns in the discussion of your work
on the final report.
 Use headings to mark off the different parts of your progress report, particularly the
different parts of your summary of work done on the project.
 Use lists as appropriate.
 Provide specifics-avoid relying on vague, overly general statements about the work
you've done on the final report project.
 Be sure and address the progress report to the real or realistic audience-not your
instructor.
 Assume there will non specialist reading your progress report. But don't avoid
discussion of technical aspects of the project-just bring them down to a level that non
specialists can understand.
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Project Reports
Dept of S&H
MVSREC,Hyderabad
A project can be defined as a sequence of unique, complex, and connected activities having
one goal or purpose and that must be completed by a specific time, within a budget and
according to specification. At the end of a project the person or the team who has
accomplished it writes a report explaining the details. For instance, as a part of their
curriculum, students of technical and professional courses may undertake some projects of
theoretical or practical nature under the guidance of professors.
Structure of Reports A key feature of reports is that they are formally structured in sections.
The use of sections makes it easy for the reader to jump straight to the information they need.
Unlike an essay which is written in a single narrative style from start to finish, each section of
a report has its own purpose and will need to be written in an appropriate style to suit – for
example, the methods and results sections are mainly descriptive, whereas the discussion
section needs to be analytical. Understanding the function of each section will help you to
structure your
information and use the correct writing style. Reports for different briefs require different
sections
Title
The title needs to concisely state the topic of the report. It needs to be informative and
descriptive so that someone just reading the title will understand the main issue of your
report. You don’t need to include excessive detail in your title but avoid being vague and too
general.
Abstract (Also called the Summary or Executive Summary) This is the ‘shop window’ for
your report. It is the first (and sometimes the only) section to be read and should be the last to
be written. It should enable the reader to make an informed decision about whether they want
to read the whole report. The length will depend on the extent of the work reported but it is
usually a paragraph or two and always less than a page.
A good way to write an abstract is to think of it as a series of brief answers to questions.
These would probably include:
• What is the purpose of the work?
• What methods did you use for your research?
• What were the main findings and conclusions reached as a result of your research?
• Did your work lead you to make any recommendations for future actions?
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• What is the purpose of the work?
• What methods did you use for your research?
• What were the main findings and conclusions reached as a result of your research?
• Did your work lead you to make any recommendations for future actions?
Introduction (Also called Background or Context)
In this section you explain the rationale for undertaking the work reported on, including what
you have been asked (or chosen) to do, the reasons for doing it and the background to the
study. It should be written in an explanatory style. State what the report is about - what is the
question you are trying to answer? If it is a brief for a specific reader (e.g. a feasibility report
on a construction project for a client), say who they are. Describe your starting point and the
background to the subject, for instance: what research has already been done (if you have
been asked to include a Literature Survey later in the report, you only need a brief outline of
previous research in the Introduction); what are the relevant themes and issues; why are you
being asked to investigate it now? Explain how you are going to go about responding to the
brief. If you are going to test a hypothesis in your research, include this at the end of your
introduction. Include a
brief outline of your method of enquiry. State the limits of your research and reasons for
them,
Literature survey also called Literature Review or Survey/Review of Research This is a

survey of publications (books, journals, authoritative websites, sometimes conference papers)
reporting work that has already been done on the topic of your report. It should only include
studies that have direct relevance to your research. A literature survey should be written like
an essay in a discursive style, with an introduction, main discussion grouped in themes and a
conclusion. Introduce your review by explaining how you went about finding your materials,
and any clear trends in research that have emerged. Group your texts in themes. Write about
each theme as a separate section, giving a critical summary of each piece of work and
showing its relevance to your research.
Methods also called Methodology You need to write your Methods section in such a way
that a reader could replicate the research you have done. There should be no ambiguity here,
so you need to write in a very factual informative style You need to state clearly how you
carried out your investigation. Explain why you chose this particular method (questionnaires,
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focus group, experimental procedure etc), include techniques and any equipment you used. If
there were participants in your research, who were they? How many? How were they
selected? Write this section concisely but thoroughly – go through what you did step by step,
including everything that is relevant. You know what you did, but could a reader follow your
description?
Results Also called Data or Findings This section has only one job which is to present the
findings of your research as simply and clearly as possible. Use the format that will achieve
this most effectively e.g. text, graphs, tables or diagrams. When deciding on a graphical
format to use, think about how the data will look to the reader. Choose just one format - don’t
repeat the same information in, for instance, a graph and a table. Label your graphs and tables
clearly. Give each figure a title and describe in words what the figure demonstrates. Writing
in this section should be clear, factual and informative.
Discussion This is probably the longest section and worth spending time on. It brings
everything together, showing how your findings respond to the brief you explained in your
introduction and the previous research you surveyed in your literature survey. It should be
written in a discursive style, meaning you need to discuss not only what your findings show
but why they show this, using evidence from previous research to back up your explanations.
This is also the place to mention if there were any problems (for instance, if your results were
different from
expectations, you couldn’t find important data, or you had to change your method or
participants) and how they were or could have been solved.
Conclusion Your conclusions should be a short section with no new arguments or evidence.
Sum up the main points of your research - how do they answer the original brief for the work
reported on? This section may also include:
• Recommendations for action
• Suggestions for further research
References also called Reference List or Bibliography List here full details for any works
you have referred to in the List here full details for any works you have referred to in the
report, including books, journals, websites and other materials. You may also need to list
works you have used in preparing your report but have not explicitly referred to - check your
instructions for this and for the correct style of referencing to use. If you're not sure, the rule
is to be consistent and to give enough details that a reader can find the same piece of
information that you used.
80
Appendices The appendices hold any additional information that may help the reader but is
not essential to the report’s main findings: anything that 'adds value'. That might include (for
instance) interview questions, raw data or a glossary of terms used. Label all appendices and
refer to them where appropriate in the main text (e.g. ‘See Appendix A for an example
questionnaire’). Which section should I write first? It can be helpful to write up sections as
you go along. This means that you write about what you've done while it's still fresh in your
mind and you can see more easily if there are any gaps that might need additional research to
fill them. In addition, you don't end up with a large piece of writing to do in one go - that can
be overwhelming.
Here is a suggested order for writing the main sections:
1. Methods and Data/Results: As a rough guide, the more factual the section, the earlier you
should write it. So sections describing ‘what you did and what you found’ are likely to be
written first.
2. Introduction and Literature Survey: Sections that explain or expand on the purpose of
the research should be next. What questions are you seeking to answer, how did they arise,
why are they worth investigating? These will help you to see how to interpret and analyse
your findings. 3. Discussion: Once you’ve established the questions your research is seeking
to answer, you will be able to see how your results contribute to the answers and what kind of
answers they point to. Write this early enough that you still have time to fill any gaps you
find.
4. Conclusions and Recommendations: These should follow logically from your
Discussion. They should state your conclusions and recommendations clearly and simply.
5. Abstract/Executive Summary: Once the main body is finished you can write a succinct
and accurate summary of the main features.
If you haven’t been given instructions on how to structure your report, look at examples of
other reports in your discipline. Your department may have examples of past report writing
assignments that you can see. For some reports, (often business or management reports) it
isn’t appropriate to use the 'introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion' model.
Instead, you have to create appropriate sub-headings depending on the brief you have been
given.
All reports aim to inform the reader about a specific investigation so you need to select the
best headings to lead the reader through the different stages of this investigation. Read your
brief carefully, brainstorm what you need to include, then group similar ideas together; see if
these groups would make logical sub-headings.
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Checklist for Effective Reports
• Does it answer the purpose stated (or implied) in the brief?
• Does it answer the purpose stated (or implied) in the brief?
• Has the material been placed in the appropriate sections?
• Has all the material been checked for accuracy?
• Are graphs and tables carefully labelled?
• Is data in graphs or tables also explained in words and analysed?
• Does the discussion/conclusion show how the results relate to objectives set out in the
introduction?
• Does the discussion/conclusion show how the results relate to objectives set out in the
introduction?
• Have you discussed how your results relate to existing research mentioned in your literature
survey?
• Has all irrelevant material been removed?
• Is it written throughout in appropriate style (i.e. no colloquialisms or contractions, using an
objective tone, specific rather than vague)?
• Is it jargon-free and clearly written?
14
• Has every idea taken from or inspired by someone else’s work been acknowledged with a
reference?
• Have all illustrations and figures taken from someone else’s work been cited correctly?
• Has it been carefully proof-read to eliminate careless mistakes?
Writing the Report

Any project or study ends with a report. After deciding and formulating a topic, the writers
carry out various activities such as data collection, analysis, discussions, etc. Then they start
writing the report. So this process is the culmination of all the hard work put forth by the
report writers. As the report is the only tangible evidence for their efforts, they need to take
utmost care of its structure, layout, and style.
First Draft
Once the work is completed, the writer starts preparing the first draft of the report. Writing
the first draft is a step between the preparation and the editing of the report. As already
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mentioned, a writer generally prepares the main chapters of the report, then the introduction
and finally the other parts of the report. Once the main chapters (topics) are written, the writer
can get a comprehensive view of the main chapters and then he/she can write the introduction
and abstract. Start writing Chapter 2 and go on till the concluding chapter. Then write the
Introduction and the Abstract Prepare the references/bibliography as and when you prepare
the main topics
Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
After completing the first draft of the report, it should be reviewed carefully. The type of the
report, its utility, the time available, and also the effectiveness of the first draft determine the
amount of revision needed.
The first draft is reviewed for the following:
• Accuracy of facts
• Clarity of expression
• Overall organization
• Adequacy and appropriateness of the contents to meet the set objectives
• Suitability and conformity of illustrations
• Effectiveness in expression
• Grammatical accuracy
• Correctness of layout
Basically, editing is the same as revising because its purpose is to correct and improve the
report, and to prepare and check the final copy.
Unit IV
Technical Writing – III (Manuals)
 Types of manuals
 User manual
 Product manual
 Operations manual
A manual is a concise reference handbook dealing with a particular process, procedure,

operation, mechanism, job instruction, etc., It is essentially a how-to-do-it document prepared
with meticulous care containing details of the concerned subject – matter. It explains how a
certain thing happens or how a particular job should be done.
83
A manual grows out of sheer necessity and the concern of an organisation to keep running
smoothly and getting jobs done efficiently. It is unique in as much as it deals with only one
appliance or machine.
Typical Uses of manual are:
1) Instructions to customers on the use of the equipment /appliance you are supplying.
2) Instructions to customers’ representatives on how to instruct their own employees on
how to instruct their own employees
3) Instruction to management, supporting staff or helping staff on the use of equipment
or procedures.
4) Instruction to other departments on how to liaise (communicate) their operations with
yours.
Tips
 The manual should help the reader see the machine from the designer’s point
of view.
 Explain what the parts, and explain what they cause, how to stop or undo what
they cause and also what other parts work in sequence with them.
 Explain how to perform the sequences.
 Spend time working on the machine so you can tell someone else how to work
it.
 Divide each section into as many subsections easily.
 Use heads and white space so readers can find sections and subsections easily.
 Use clear text and visual aids so readers figure out how to do the actions
confidently.
 Develop credibility. Give warnings before you explain the step; state the
results of actions or give clear visual aids so that readers can decide if they did
the right thing.
Planning the Manual

 Consider the Audience: one should characterise one’s readers and their
situation so that you can include text, visuals, and page design that give
them the easiest access to the product.
 First, determine how much they know about general terms and
concepts.
 Readers do not read a manual like a story. Instead, they go to the
section they need. So use format devices – such as heads and tables of
contents – that make information accessible and easy to find.
 Consider where the audience would use the manual. This knowledge
will help you with page design. For example, manuals used in poor
lightening might need big pages and typefaces.
 The sequences your manual should include about using a product
 How to assemble it.
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 How to start it
 How to stop it
 How to load it
 how it produces its end product
 How each part contributes to producing the end product.
 How to adjust parts for effective performance
 Analyse the Steps: determine both the end goal and the starting point of the sequence
and provide all the intermediary steps to guide the users from start to finish.
 Analyze the Parts: to analyse the parts, list each important part and explain what it
does. A three part row table can be used for this:
S.No Name of the Part Verb Effect

1 Stop Button Stops/ends All functions stop
2
3
 Select Visual aids

Visual aids – photographs, drawings, flow charts, and troubleshooting charts – all
help the reader to learn the product.
 Format the Pages as per the requirement. Use consistent format.
Writing a User Manual

Introduction: Explain the purpose of using the manual and whatever else the reader needs to
become familiar with the product; how to use the manual, the appropriate background, the
level of training required to operate the machine.
Arrange the Sections:
A manual has two major sections:
Description of the parts (for example, the function of all the buttons on the control panel)
Instructions for all the sequences (for example, how to start the machine from the control
panel)
The Parts Section: This section provides a drawing of the machine with each part clearly
labelled. The description explains the function of each item.
The Sequence Section: It enables users to master the product. This section is arranged
operation-wise, not part-wise. Sub-sections are given for each operation based on the manner
or order of the use of the machine.
Other Sections:
Manuals may have a number of sections:

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Comprehensive Notes of ETCE Unit 1 to 5

Unit I Definition and Features of Technical Communication

“Technical communication” is the process of gathering technical information and presenting

Stages / Process of Communication:

All these components together build a model of the communication process:

1. A sender encodes information

Selecting an appropriate communication form- is generally decided by the goal of

Features of Technical Communication

Technical communication is characterized by the following features:

Accuracy : this includes- accuracy of information

And accuracy of expression:

Be concise, to the point

All these pieces of technical writing follow a specific format.Structuring a piece of

2. Communicative context and Purpose:making requests, instructing, communicating good

Style can be formal as in a business letter or a technical report or informal as in a personal

Difference between General Writing and Technical Writing

General Writing Technical Writing

4. Facts and figures

Types of Technical Communication

Communication in organizations may flow in many ways as exemplified:

1. Vertical Communication: When information gets transferred from top to bottom, or

a. Upward: Flow of information from subordinates to superiors is upward

b. Downward: Many situations demand the processing of information at different

2. Horizontal Communication: Flow of Communication at the same level is called

3. Diagonal /lateral Communication: Flow of communication in random directions as per

The main implication of this type is to avoid stagnation of work.

Yet another category of communication is Formal and informal communication.

 Being relatively informal, it is easy and less time consuming

1. From: Email address o the sender

1. Logon, connect yourself to the network.

To check the emails received,

Urgent need for service engineer in nitrogen plant.

6. Try to reply within 24 hours. Speed is the essence of the e-mail.

NEVER USE ONLY THE UPPER CASE WHILE MAILING SOMEONE. IN

From: “Christine-coombe” Christine_Coombe@hct.ac.ae

Would look forward to your presentation.

What sorts of information shouldn't be sent via email?

Additionally, avoid sensitive or information that could be potentially damaging

What about sending attachments?

Inter Office Memorandum

A memorandum is a short piece of writing generally used by the officers of an organization

Organising the message

 Answers come before explanations

Useful where the reader might be more receptive.

 Reasons come before requests

Useful for conveying negative messages or sensitive information

To: Production Manager

Kindly inform all the employees working under you.

 Washing more than four clothes per student will be prohibited

Date: December 5, 2021

From: Suhas Sharma

SUBJECT: NEW PROCEDURE FOR STOCK VERIFICATION

Date: December 5, 2021

Personal letters are a means of communication between friends and relatives

Official correspondence is the correspondence among the personnel of an organisation.

Recipient Salutation Complimentary close

Someone not known to you Dear Sir / Madam Yours faithfully

A woman (married or Dear Ms. Verma Yours sincerely

Someone known to you Dear Mr. Shivraj Yours sincerely

A married woman you know Dear Mrs. Purnima Yours sincerely

An unmarried woman you Dear Miss Prathibha Yours sincerely

A woman you do not know Dear Madam Yours faithfully

A friend or acquaintance Dear Prakash Yours friendly/lovingly