Writing 2111F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Semicolon, Dangling Modifier, Financial Statement
8 Feb 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Writing 2111G – Week 4
Assignment #1: Dotsworth Press rough draft due next Tuesday
ROUTINE MESSAGES
• Refers to the communication of daily activities
• E.g. pay cheque’s being sent out, invoices, financial statement, requests, answering a
request, and birthday party in the lounge
Formats
• Letter
o Always include the date
o No indent
• Email
o Even with emails, you should include a salutation with a colon
• Memo
o Can be hard copy or electronic format
o Very brief message
Patterns
• When you introduce your message, if you have any good news, share it immediately
o People will be more attentive
• In the body of the routine message, give the necessary background and provide reader
benefits
o Anticipate questions and answer them
o Provide any information that is important
o How is this action going to benefit the reader (use the “you” attitude)
• In the body you also include any negative information
o Can only be negativity that is easily diminished/counteracted
o Serious negative information should not be communicated through a routine
message
• Should include goodwill – something that is positive or forward-looking
o “You have been an asset to the company…”
o Could be a compliment
• Should be easy to read
• Have a friendly tone
• Maintain professionalism
• Should be visually appealing so that people will read it
NEGATIVE INFORMATION
• Two goals when delivering a negative message
o You want your reader to feel they have been take seriously
▪ You want your reader to feel that they have been heard
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Assignment #1: dotsworth press rough draft due next tuesday. Routine messages: refers to the communication of daily activities, e. g. pay cheque"s being sent out, invoices, financial statement, requests, answering a request, and birthday party in the lounge. Formats: letter, always include the date, no indent, email, even with emails, you should include a salutation with a colon, memo, can be hard copy or electronic format, very brief message. Patterns: when you introduce your message, if you have any good news, share it immediately, people will be more attentive. If you need a reference letter for the future, i can provide one for you : e. g. In an email, put the negative information in the subject line. If you convey the message verbally, you must follow up with a letter: for legal purposes, bad news is delivered gradually, the bad news and explanation should be in the same paragraph, avoid emotional words.
