Writing Skills

WRITING SKILLS : Copyright @ 2011 IILM Institute of Higher Learning. All rights Reserved. Business Communication WRITING SKILLS

INTRODUCTION : INTRODUCTION Writing is a skill that can be acquired. Perfecting the art of writing, however, requires a lot of hard work. It is a skill that can distinguishes a person from the group. A successful executive, while sharing the reasons for his quick promotions in the first five years’ of his career admitted that it was largely because he could write better than others. The verbal edge is the winning edge - a competitive edge over rivals.   There is a famous saying, “reading makes a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man”. It must be understood that whatever is written or said is the real self of the persons doing so. A good writer feels from the heart and then writes

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION : DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Written communication is a very critical recipe for success of managers and leaders. Following famous statement also underpins the importance of writing skills:  “Beneath the rule of men entirely great, The pen is mightier than the sword!”  Written communication has the following unique features: (1) Creativity :Written communication is the product of a well thought out process: It is not a spontaneous response as is the case with oral communication. Message written in the form of letters (and even emails) are deliberate and creative.  (2) Delayed response:Since crafting a written communication takes some time, the response to the sender is not as prompt as it is for the oral communication. (3) Limited cycles of exchange:In oral communication whether face-to-face or otherwise, in a short span of time, it can complete several cycles of communication and all doubts get cleared quickly. In written communication, ideally responses should be complete and clear in the first instance but in case, some clarification is needed, one has to make do with one or two cycles of communication only. (4) Feedback from the receiver:There may be considerable time lag in receiving the response from the receiver. A fax message (telex of old days), may be answered quickly, possibly within a few hours. If it is a letter, receiver may take a day before it is read and responded, if at all. Similarly, a written report (including soft copy sent on line) may be read in a few days. Thus time lag is longer. In many cases, it may not happen at all. Lack of feedback / response can arise from lack of concern, forgetfulness or even contempt!

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION : BASIC PRINCIPLES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION The core principle of any communication is that of ‘adaptation’. The sender must use words, phrases, signs and signals that the receiver is familiar with. Sender must be very sensitive and good at visualizing the level of audience. If it is not done, he may be talking Greek to some one – it is like using a foreign language quite unknown to the receiver. Following two aspects must be borne in mind: Process of adaptation Governing rule of adaptation   Process of adaptation: One has to work hard to be able to express one’s thoughts accurately. It is so difficult that most people seem to be happy in using the first word that flashes in their mind. The process should begin with visualizing the receivers – what they know, feel or think. It often means communicating with readers (who are customers) at levels lower than yours. Adaptation is easier if one is communicating to a single person or a homogenous group. If addressing a mixed or diverse group, one has to adapt at the lowest level. (2) Governing rule of adaptation:An overriding rule that should govern the adaptation process is that of simplicity. Choice of simple words and phrases, woven in to simple sentences and use of simple rules of grammar can propel a person forward and fast in his learning curve for developing effective writing skills. The ‘KISS’ principle is easy to learn and remember; it is a reminder to ‘keep it simple and short’.

THREE LEVELS OF LEARNING WRITING SKILLS : THREE LEVELS OF LEARNING WRITING SKILLS Learning how to write effective communication, can be described at three levels:  Choosing the right words Constructing sentences Designing paragraphs  (1) Choosing the right words:A skilled writer should choose words such that the receiver gets the meaning in a precise manner, without different interpretations. Following guidelines are useful:  (i) Searching words that the receiver understands:Adaptation is a process of simplifying; it is not as easy as it sounds because:  Many individuals write at a more difficult level Writers know the subject better than the receiver  Extensive experience supports simplification. (ii) Using familiar words:Familiar words enhance communication because they are easy to understand and absorb. Human memory favours familiar words as it speeds up filing and storage! For example, use:  ‘Show’ in place of ‘demonstrate’ ‘Use’ instead of ‘utilise’ ‘Try’ for ‘endeavour’

Slide 6 : (iii) Choosing short wordsShort words communicate better; use:  ‘Quit’ in place of ‘terminate’ ‘Agreed’ in lieu of ‘accorded’ ‘Last year’ instead of ‘previous year’  (iv) Using technical words with caution:Every field of specialization has words that have specific meaning in that field and should be used when communicating with persons from the same area of specialization. They do not communicate well with others and hence should be used with caution, if at all.  (v) Adding vigour to words:Our senses and mind do not respond equally to all words – words with vitality attract better attention. Thus one must add zing to one’s writings by using strong words. As a rule, a word is strongest when used as a verb, followed by when it is used as a noun. Adjectives and adverbs are comparatively weak and should be used sparingly. A few useful tips are:  (a) Selecting strong and vigorous words:The main purpose of any writing is to attract the attention and time of the reader. We know that strong and vigorous words attract attention from senses and mind. Use:  ‘Tycoon’ in place of ‘eminently successful businessman’ ‘Boom’ instead of ‘period of business prosperity’  (b) Using concrete words:Using concrete words makes writing more interesting instead of abstract words. Use of specific words adds exactness in ones’ expressions. (c) Preferring active to passive verbs:Active form of expression is better than the passive form - it is stronger and shorter. Passive form has a place only when ‘doer’ is not important.

Slide 7 : d) Avoiding camouflaged verbs:Do not camouflage verbs in to nouns; they dilute expressions. For example, use:  Cancel and not cancellation Acquire and not acquisition (vi) Selecting words for precise communication:One should have good command over the vocabulary. It helps in searching for the correct words and phrases that convey precise meanings in a given situation. Writer must try to have a very good collection of idioms, maxims and proverbs. They are very powerful in conveying ones’ thoughts in a precise manner.  (vii) Avoiding sexist wordsThese are words that show male dominance e.g., manly figure or manly habits. (viii) Avoiding pronouns indicating sex:Do not use pronouns like he, she, him or her. This can be done by:  Making them plural Rewording the sentence Going in for neutral expression like one, someone etc (ix) Avoiding words derived from masculine words:Do not use words like manpower, chairman, postman, watchman etc (x) Avoiding words that are demeaning to women:Words like womanizing, prostituting etc should be left out of writing as they offend some readers.

Slide 8 : (2) Constructing sentences :Length of the sentence is the most important feature of constructing sentences. In general, sentences should be adapted to readers. Long sentences are hard to read and harder to absorb. Short sentences enhance readability. A sentence should have 16 to 18 words, on the average. Sometimes longer or shorter sentences may be justified. A few good suggestions are: (i) Limiting content of a sentence:Limiting content of a sentence would reduce its length. However, it should not be overdone. Too many short sentences make the reading choppy! (ii) Economizing on words:Always look for shorter ways of saying things. A few suggestions are: (a) Avoiding cluttering phrases:Go in for shorter expressions like: ‘If’ for ‘In the event that’ ‘Like’ for ‘Along the lines of’ ‘To’ for ‘With a view to’ (b) Eliminating superfluous words :Some words do not add any meaning and a quick scrutiny can go a long way. (c) Avoiding round about ways of saying thingsRound about ways of saying add words and verbosity to the sentences. Being direct makes it simple, short and impressive. (d) Avoiding repetition of words and phrases:Repeating words and phrases is very boring and should be excluded from ones’ writing. Only exception is when the writers want to emphasize something. (iii) Determining emphasis in the construction of sentence:Short sentences emphasize content and long sentences dilute it although determining emphasis in a sentence is largely a matter of judgement. (iv) Imparting unity to a sentence:All parts of a sentence should relate to one ‘single thought’. This unity is often violated in the following three ways:

Slide 9 : (a) Including unrelated thoughts:Unrelated thoughts vitiate unity of a sentence and can be taken care of by:  Using separate sentences for unrelated thought Making one thought subordinate to the other Adding words to show that the thoughts are related (b) Giving excessive details:Giving too many details dilutes the unity of a sentence. Avoid details or put them in a separate sentence within parenthesis. (c) Constructing illogical sentences:Constructing illogical sentences can spoil the unity of a sentence. It results from: Mixing active and passive forms of expressions Going in for mixed construction of sentences. Using correct rules of grammar for sentence clarity :Rules of grammar have emerged as a result of some customs but mostly because they help write logically and clearly. Students must know these rules of grammar to acquire effective writing skills. (vi) Learning power of punctuationThis is a group of distinctive signs that are used in writing and every writer must learn them properly. Some of the uses change like fashion over time and writers must remain updated on them. They add power to ones’ expressions.

Slide 10 : Designing paragraphs:Paragraphs form the third link that is critical to acquiring effective writing skills. Besides words and sentences, they play a major role. Paragraph designing requires a clear thinking and a systematic mind. Design of paragraphs has a direct impact on the layout and presentation of the writing and contributes significantly in attracting and retaining readers’ attention. A few guidelines are: (i) Paragraphs should exhibit unity of idea or topic:Contents of a paragraph should relate to one idea (group of thoughts) or topic. However, unity can vary and so can the size of a paragraph. Ideally, a good test for a paragraph is that it should be possible to reduce the contents of a paragraph to one sentence or one statement. If it is not possible, unity of the paragraph is likely to suffer. (ii) Paragraphs should be kept short:A paragraph should consist of 8 to 9 lines only. Paragraphs larger than 10 lines should be critically examined and ‘fat’ cut off  Large paragraphs are heavy and make reading dull and difficult Short paragraphs appear well-organized and invite readers to read on with attention  Paragraph positioning enhances layout design. Suitable system of headings and subheadings can further improve the attractiveness of the prose. These days printers use colour schemes for titles etc to give ‘come hither’ look to the readers. (iii) Positioning topic sentence to advantage:Writers must become aware of the importance of positioning topic sentence in the design of a paragraph. It can help in designing good paragraphs. However, where it should be placed in a paragraph depends upon the writers’ plan:

Slide 11 : Placing topic sentence first:It is the best option and many firms have adopted it as a policy guideline. Placing topic sentence last:Here the beginning sentence in the paragraph serves as an introduction. The paragraph ends with the topic statement that is the real content. Placing topic sentence in the middle:If topic sentence is placed in the middle of a paragraph, it dilutes the content. It is rarely used but, in specific situations, it can impart the requisite impact. Leaving unnecessary details out of the paragraph:This requires good visualization of the receiver. One can make the paragraph smarter by omitting extraneous details. Much depends upon the writers’ judgement. (v) Paragraphs should move the text forward:Each new paragraph is the next additional step in moving towards the goal of the message. If each paragraph represents the orderly development of the ideas, it facilitates move forward. Smoothness in writing style and good proficiency in choice of words and sentences can move the idea forward through each paragraph. Once a while, short paragraph is incorporated to organize the transition from previous paragraph to the next.

ROLE OF LANGUAGE / GRAMMAR IN COMMUNICATION : ROLE OF LANGUAGE / GRAMMAR IN COMMUNICATION Communicators must understand the role and importance of language and use of proper grammar in enhancing their written communication skills: Importance of language:A Chinese sage of distant past was once asked by his disciples what he would do first if he was given the power to set right the affairs of the country. He answered, “I would certainly see that the language is used correctly”. “Surely”, said the disciples, “This is a trivial matter. Why should you deem it so important?” The Master replied, “If language is not used correctly, then what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone. If this remains undone, morals and art will be corrupted, justice will go astray. If justice goes astray, the people would stand about in helpless confusion”. Lee Iacocca, the famous former CEO of Chysler, USA emphasized it further, “You can have brilliant ideas but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t go anywhere”. It must be remembered that knowledge is nothing but messaging of information and communication; it is the only factor of production that is not subject to the law of diminishing returns.  (2) Importance of grammar in a language:Grammar is a branch of linguistics dealing with the form and structure of words (Morphology) and their interaction in a sentence (Syntax). The study of grammar reveals how the language works. By mastering the rules of grammar, one can become a better ‘wordsmith’ – an essential ingredient for becoming a good communicator.

WORDS AS BUILDING BLOCKS OF LANGUAGE : WORDS AS BUILDING BLOCKS OF LANGUAGE Word is a fundamental building block of any language. These are used in different parts of a sentence. Word’s part in a sentence or speech is not inherent in the word itself – it comes from the way the word is used in the sentence. It is thus an important part of the skill set of the communicators.Words can be placed in any part of the sentence or speech. It is decided by the way it is going to be used i.e., whether as a noun, a verb, an adjective etc. Important types of words have been detailed in the following paragraphs: (1) Nouns:Noun is a Latin word and its literal meaning is ‘name’ – it is the naming ability of words. We need to name: A person A place A thing An idea  Types of nouns are:  (i) Proper nouns:These are names of specific persons, place or entity. First alphabet of these nouns is always in capital e.g., Anil, Agra etc (ii) Common nouns:These are names of generic category like ‘boy’, ‘boss’, ‘brother’ etc. Here first alphabet is not a capital. A quick test is that if noun can be modified quickly by adding an adjective, it must be a common noun! For example, a good boy, a nice boss, the older brother etc

Slide 14 : Verbs:Verb is a word used to express action or to describe a state of being. Verbs are of two types: (i) Action verbsThey express action e.g.,Sheena smiled ,Ruchi replied etc Linking verbsThey describe the subject e.g.,Food was tasty,Book became the best seller,Movie got a very good response Tenses of verbs:All verbs have tenses. Two importance aspects of tense are: (i) All verbs have three tense forms:Present e.g., ‘is”,Past e.g., ‘was’,Future e.g., ‘will / shall’ (ii) All verbs have four conjugation forms: Present Past Participle Continuous Write Wrote Written Writing Speak Spoke Spoken Speaking

Slide 15 : Adjectives :Adjectives play three roles as below: Noun modifiers:As noun modifiers, they always precede the nouns they modify e.g. Loud explosion,Beautiful girl,Sick old man,Golden voice etc Predicate adjectivesThe predicate adjectives follow the linking or descriptive verbs and describe the subject e.g.The play was terrific,The crust turned brown,Please keep quiet Determiners / Modifiers:The adjectives can also be determiners or modifiers. These are diverse group of words that precede descriptive adjectives and can be grouped in to following subclasses: (a) Articles:In all there are three articles (the, a, an) in the English language and can be categorized as: Definite article – ‘the’ is the only article in this category Indefinite articles – ‘a’ and ‘an’ are the only two articles in this category Their applications are discussed as follows:

Slide 16 : Definite article – the use of ‘the’:  To define, particularize or single out a noun e.g., I have read ‘the’ book. To make obvious of what we mean e.g., ‘The’ movie ran for three hours. To single out the superlative form of noun e.g., ‘The’ best employee of ‘the’ firm. To highlight title of the dignitary e.g., ‘The’ Chief Justice To single out things that are one of its kind e.g., ‘the’ sky, ‘the’ sun, ‘the’ moon etc To common noun that represents a class e.g., ‘The’ staff should be part of management. To adjectives that indicate a class of persons e.g., ‘The’ rich should help ‘the’ poor. To a distributive measure e.g., Milk is sold by ‘the’ litre or by ‘the’ kilogram. To abstract nouns when particularized e.g., ‘The’ honesty of taxi driver was applauded. To the names of rivers, mountains, seas, scriptures, newspapers etc e.g., The Ganga, The Himalayas, The Arabian Sea, The Geeta, The Hindustan Times etc Indefinite article – use of ‘a’ and ‘an’  Article ‘a’ is used:In singular nouns e.g., a meeting, a message, a class etc With words starting with a consonant e.g., a man, a situation, a behaviour etc With words beginning with sound of ‘y’ or with ‘o’ as in one e.g., a young-man, a one-rupee coin

Slide 17 : Article ‘an’ is used:In singular nouns starting with a vowel e.g., an engineer, an officer etc With words where first alphabet is not sounded e.g., an honourable person etc  (iv) Demonstratives:These are – ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘these’ and ‘those’. Everyone must learn to use them properly in oral and written communication. (v) Number words:These have two subgroups: Cardinal numbers like one, two, three etc Ordinal numbers like the order in which things occur - first, second, third etc (vi) Possessives:These are words that are used as adjectives e.g., Rita’s friend, Anita’s puppy We also have possessive pronouns like me, your, his, her, its, our, their etc (vi) Quantifiers:These are – ‘some’, ‘many’, ‘several’ etc

Slide 18 : (4) Adverbs:These are words that modify verbs, adjectives and even other adverbs. Two types are: (i) Those that modify verbs e.g.,Ruchi drives the car ‘carefully’.,Rohil parked the car ‘there’.,Anjana parked the car ‘yesterday’. (ii) Those that modify adjectives :These are – ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘too’, ‘enough’ etc (5) Pronouns:A conventional definition of pronoun is that it is a word used in place of one or more nouns. It replaces or represents a noun or nouns. For example, ‘Pankaj wondered where Rumi was’ can be rewritten as ‘he wondered where she was’.Pronouns have four subclasses:  Personal nouns Reflexive nouns Indefinite pronouns Demonstrative nouns These are explained in the following paragraphs:

Slide 19 : (i)Personal pronounsThese have three further categories – Subject, Object and Possessive and each category has three forms – First person, Second person and Third person and each of them can be either singular or plural as shown below: Singular Plural First Person Subject I We Object Me Us Possessive Mine Ours   Second Person   Subject You You Object You You Possessive Yours Yours

Slide 20 : Third Person Subject He, She, It They Object Him, Her, It Them Possessive His, Hers, Its Theirs (ii) Reflexive Pronouns:These are unique and easily recognizable group of pronouns that end in ‘–self’ in singular form or ‘–selves’ in plural form as explained below:   Person Singular Plural  First Person Myself Ourselves Second Person Yourself Yourselves Third Person Himself Themselves (iii) Indefinite pronouns:These pronouns use the same words as are used in adjectives and can, therefore, be confusing. However, we must remember that the indefinite pronouns stand alone by themselves whereas adjectives always modify nouns. For example,  Sanjay would like some. Here ‘some’ is indefinite pronoun. Sanjay would like some spinach. Here some is used as ‘adjective’ as it precedes and modifies a noun.  (iv) Demonstrative pronouns:These are a group of four pronouns – ‘This’, ‘That’, ‘These’ and ‘Those’. Similar to indefinite pronouns, the same words are also used as adjectives. However, as explained above, pronouns always stand alone - demonstrative pronouns are no exception.

Slide 21 : (6) Prepositions:These are little words – ‘By’, ‘To’, ‘With’, ‘About’, ‘Over’ etc and are used to make prepositional phrases which consist of a preposition plus its object that can be either a noun with or without adjective or a pronoun. For example,  ‘In’ the morning ‘Under’ the bridge ‘By’ Shakespeare ‘To’ them  Prepositions come as a part of a package. They are bound by their objects to form prepositional phrases. These cannot be looked at in isolation! (7) Conjunctions:These are words used to join or conjoin words or group of words. Conjunctions have two subclasses: (i) Coordinating conjunctionsThese can be easily remembered by adopting an acronym of ‘FANBOYS’.  F - For A - And N - Nor B - But O - Or Y - Yet S - So   A few illustrations are:   Amit loves coconut ‘and’ bananas. Sanjay is poor ‘but’ honest. Ruchi wanted biscuit ‘or’ chocolate   (ii) Subordinating conjunctions   They join or conjoin groups of words of unequal status and are not much in use.

POWER OF PUNCTUATIONS : POWER OF PUNCTUATIONS Punctuations are a set of conventions that make it easier to read any language. In the English language the various rules are no more than conventions. Conventions are agreed ways of separating a text so that the readers’ eyes and brain can assimilate easily. These conventions are like table manners that change over time. These are like fashions with which most writers try to experiment and innovate. However, some rules are clear and remain unaffected and have been explained for each of the punctuation mark in the following paragraphs: (1) Full stop (.) It is the longest pause that a reader should observe while reading a text. Full stop is used:  At the end of a sentence except in interrogative and exclamatory sentences. After the initials or abbreviations e.g.   P. Dhingra for Pankaj Dhingra Esq. for Esquire  These days full stop is omitted from well-known abbreviations like UNESCO, WHO, WTO, BHEL etc  (2) Comma (,):To indicate omission of a word e.g., ‘Quality is excellent; the appearance, attractive; the price, low’. To separate direct speech from the rest of the sentence e.g., ‘Mr. Seth, you have been very careless in your work’.  Commas are useful in separating one part of a sentence from another. They also have a role in speaking; they may not suggest a pause long enough to be noticed but if observed properly, these can enhance your skills in delivering a speech. (3) Semicolons (;)If two sentences are closely related in meaning and it is not desirable to separate them by a full stop, semicolon is used. For example,  ‘You type the letter; I shall type the bill’.

Slide 23 : (4) Colons (:)Colon is used to:  Introduce a list e.g., ‘Please arrange these items: a personal computer with printer, a pad, a pack of envelops, gum stick, paper pins and paper clips’. Introduce an explanation e.g., ‘The problem is this: we cannot get trained hands at such a short notice’. Separate two contrasts e.g., ‘Managers make plans: insincere workers sabotage them’. (5) The question marks (?):It is used after a direct question e.g., ‘Can I help you?’ It should never be used after an indirect question. Grammatically, an indirect question is not a question at all e.g., ‘The Accounts Manager asked Mr Malhotra why he did not put the amount in fixed deposit’.  (6) The exclamation marks (!):It is used at the end of a sentence that expresses a strong feeling e.g., ‘Congratulations to all the winners!’  (7) Quotation marks or inverted commas (“ ”):These are also used in the text. A few tips are: (i) The direct words of a speaker (the words that one actually hears) are enclosed in inverted commas. Since these are also used to enclose quotation ascribed to an eminent person, these inverted commas are also known as quotation marks. (ii) An interrupted speech is also put within inverted commas e.g., “I would rather starve,” he said, “than accept such a job”. (iii) Titles of books, magazines, newspapers, essays, poems etc are also enclosed in inverted commas e.g., “City of Sorrow” has raised a lot of interest.

Slide 24 : (10) The dash ( -)A few useful rules are: (i) It is used to show a sudden change of thought e.g., ‘The substance of the story is us – but do you have the time to listen to me’. (ii) It is also used for explanation e.g., ‘In this term, there are three core subjects – Strategic Management, Project Management and Quality Management. (11) Parentheses ( ):They serve the purpose of double dashes. They separate from the main sentence, a phrase or a clause that does not belong to it e.g., ‘The scheme (see the enclosed brochure) is designed to give you the maximum return on your money’. (12) Capital letters :It is not a part of punctuations but it is useful to understand where in a text, capital letters are used:  First alphabet of a sentence First alphabet of a quotation All proper nouns Names of religious sects, political parties All nouns and pronouns referring to God Pronoun ‘I’ Interjection ‘O’ All words in a heading excepting the articles, prepositions and conjunctions Abbreviations of degrees, titles etc Forms of address e.g., Dear Sir / Madam etc

Slide 25 : Acknowledgments We wish to acknowledge the people who actively contributed to the writing and delivery of the learning material Author Prof. Manohar L. Gulati Presenter M.Sadiqur Rahman, Fullbright Scholar, Lecturer, Employability Skills & Business Communication A special thanks to the technical support team who were instrumental in the design and implementation of this presentation.

Slide 26 : Contact Details For further information, please contact: IILM Institute for Higher Education 3, Lodhi Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi- 110003 Email: learning@iilm.edu Web : www.iilm.edu

Thank you : Thank you