1. CHAPTER 4 Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Preparing Written Messages

2. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Process for Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages

3. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Step 6: Prepare First Draft ● Get all ideas out, on paper. ● Do not worry about errors 3

4. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Step 6: Prepare the First Draft ● Craft _________ sentences ─ Use correct sentence _________ ─ Rely on ______ voice ─ __________ important ideas ● Develop _________ paragraphs ─ Position _____ sentences appropriately ─ Link ideas to achieve __________ ─ Keep paragraphs _______ ─ Vary sentence and paragraph ______ powerful structure active Emphasize coherent topic coherence length unified

5. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Step 7: Revise and Proofread Improve readability ─ Apply visual enhancements for easier reading ─ Understand readability measures ─ Assess and adjust to receiver’s needs Proofread using systematic procedures 5

6. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Visual Enhancements Improve Readability Enumerated or bulleted lists Headings Tables and graphs Lines and borders Relevant images

7. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Using Bulky vs. Broken Text

8. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Before and After Examples COURTESY OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION.

9. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Factors Affecting Readability ● “Difficult” words Three or more syllable words Does not include compound words, proper nouns, or words in which a suffix adds a syllable ● Sentence length and structure Passive voice Desirable readability index for business writing: Grade 8–11

10. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Measuring Readability with Word Processing Software 10

11. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Steps in Proofreading Process 1. Spell check, grammar check, readability 2. Proof for: Content (Include all info? Correct dates? Etc) Organization (Logical? Deductive/Inductive?) Style (Meaning clear? Concise? Focus on receiver?) 3. Proof for mechanical errors : Grammar, capitalization, punctuation Word substitution (to, two, too) Misc. parts (names, addresses, etc. 4. Proof for format & layout: - Balanced on page? - Block, modified block, etc. 5. Print out hard copy & read again 11

12. Copyright ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Step 7: Revise for Style and Tone Step 7: Revise for Style and Tone (See Step 4) Curb clichés and eliminate profanity Use simple, informal words Communicate concisely Project a positive, tactful tone Avoid demeaning expressions Use euphemisms and connotative tone cautiously Use specific language appropriately Use bias-free language