1. Unit 3: Business Writing
ENG 4CI

2. Types of Business Writing
Business Letters
Memos s
Reports

3. Principals of Business Writing
Language is formal
Avoid contractions, slang and colloquialisms
Clear and concise language is used
Paragraphs are short, focused and to the point
Organization is KEY! Organization is dependent on the type of writing.

4. Principals of Business Writing
Based on facts
Audience– Language and Content should be appropriate for the audience
Purpose - Always state your purpose at the beginning of the piece
Statistics and quotations should be referenced

5. Report Writing
Over the next few classes we will explore report writing.
We will look at examples
We will discuss the qualities of an excellent report
Our final goal is to write a formal report

6. Report Writing Purpose: to inform the audience about a subject
Reports are made up of facts and arguments on a specific subject
Information is presented in an ordered way
Reports present findings and make recommendations
Reports are focused on research

7. Report Writing Written in the third person (No “I”)
Use headings & Subheading– states what will be addressed
The purpose is stated in the introduction
Includes a works cited page
Focuses on research
Think about answering Who, What, Where, When, Why and How

8. Parts of a Formal Report
Title
Table of Contents
Introduction
Findings
Conclusions

9. Sample Table of Contents
Title
Headings and subheadings are numbered
Single Spaced
Headings in bold & in caps
Subheadings are also in bold. No caps
Subheadings are specific
Subheadings can have subheadings
An appendix is a spot to put diagrams or charts

10. Sample Reports
1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this report is to analyse two portable computers and recommend a suitable machine for the training staff to use at client locations. 1.2 Scope While investigating these two computers it is important to consider their suitability for corporate use, standard features, optional benefits and warranties. 1.3 Method The information used in this report was collected by consulting an independent review by the Australian PC Authority magazine and contacting the individual companies for additional information on the technical specifications and warranties on the machines.
Heading
EVERY REPORT BEGINS BY STATING THE PURPOSE!!!!
Clear, concise language is used. Notice the sentence structure
Subheading

11. Sample Report 2. Findings Lists need to have an introductory sentence
2.1 Micro-pro 8500 Series
The following information was discovered about the 8500 series:
Cost: $7895 RRP
Weight: 4.5 Kg
Size: (W x D x H) 357 x 275 x 50mm
Screen size: 15.1"
Clarity of screen image: Resolution could be higher, set at 1,024 x 768 you can see the pixels, but very easy on your eyes. (Australian PC Authority, April 1998, 'PCs and Notebooks - Reviews, p. 81)
RAM: 64 Mb, RAM can be raised to a maximum 128Mb for $1140
Disk Drive: CD-ROM and 3.5" FDD
Speed of the CPU: Pentium processor
Lists use bullets