Distinctions between literary writing and
business letter writing
4. Point of View
1. Purpose
Literary Writing - may use 1 person or 3rd point
Literary Writing - to entertain or amuse the of view or even the point of the observer as
reader; to suggest the writer's message; to impart omniscient.
a lesson; and to broaden someone's outlook.
Business Writing - employs the 3rd person point
Business Writing - to provide a useful of view.
information; to convey the writer's ideas directly;
to give direction; and to serve as a basis for
decision making.
5. Tone
Literary Writing - tone is personal, subjective,
2. Subject Matter and emotional.
Literary Writing - Focuses on man's experiences Business Writing - the tone is objective,
and life including Intricacies of the human heart. impersonal and unbiased.
Business Writing - deals with subject related to
business industry merchandise, products,
services, goods, etc... Business Correspondence is the communication
or exchange of information in a written format
for the process of business activities between
organizations, or between the customers and the
3. Language organization, and must follow widely accepted
formats.
Literary Writing - uses figurative words, slang,
colloquial terms, and imaginary vocabulary;
words are beautifully and rhythmical interwoven
to produce a poetic interpretation of life. Nature of Business English
Business Writing - uses formal and serious What is Business English?
terminologies suited for its purpose.
• It is the kind of English used in conducting
Ex. We are at a loss..… business or in buying and selling activities.
• It's all about vocabulary and topics used in
We cannot understand the world of business, trade, finance and
international relations.
I beg to remain.... Please
We are desirous.....We wish
Informative
• Because it uses words that are simple and
specific terms that give a clear relations
between the words and its referent —
denotation that results in the creation of an
extra or one and only meaning of the term
Why am I writing this?
Affective How will I begin my letter?
• The use of negative, positive, prejudicial and What will I emphasize in my letter?
figurative language connotes personal
meanings or expresses emotion explains why
business English is affective.
Business-letter writing is a composition that
*Consider the feeling of the receiver. involves stages:
• It attempts to create beautiful feelings; it uses • Pre-writing - make a plan or think about the
positive, original, vivid, and concrete words information you want to convey. Generate
instead of negative, cliché, stereotyped and ideas of your letter by using pre-writing
abstract terms. strategies; brainstorming, group discussions,
reading, outlining, semantic webbing, etc.
• Writing - this stage requires you to compose
your thoughts in a discourse or paragraph
Adaptive style.
• Post-writing - this stage should come out
"You Attitude principle in business letter with an organized and grammatically correct
writing." letter.
• The writer has to adapt the language of this
letter as well as other aspects of it to the
nature of the reader (intelligence, education, 2. Express yourself in simple and familiar
and other socio-cultural factors affecting the words. Avoid "high-falutin," or complex
life of the reader) words
Ex. conjecture guess
8 C's of a Business Letter edifice building
1. Clarity repudiate deny
* What is the main idea? Monumental great
* Does the letter clearly convey the message? Severance quit
One cardinal principle in business writing is — Ameliorate improve
Write to express not to impress.
Modification change
The focus of this writing is the reader, not the
writer.
Avoid: Verbal Dead Words or
How can we achieve Clarity? Cluttering Words
1. Think first before you write. Ex. Cluttering words
Ask yourself these questions: Affix his signature
Basic essentials
At this point in time 4. Maintain short sentences and paragraphs.
Long and winding sentences or
Meet together paragraphs will confuse the reader in
getting the core of the letter.
Attached herewith 5. Express yourself in active voice than in
passive to put more life in the letter
Ex Poor: The letter was received by me last week.
Avoid: Horse-and-buggy-words
Better: I received the letter last week.
(Old expressions)
Poor: The board meeting was presided over by
I deem the president of the company.
With your kind permission Better: The president of the company presided
the board meeting.
Advise
Favor us with reply
6. Avoid using Slang Words
Modern
Ex.1. We're gonna E-mail the document next
I think, May I, tell, and Please, reply week.
2. Do you wanna join the Daffo Marketing
Company?
Jargons
3. To buy the item, the accounting clerk, needs
extra bread.
Buzz words-are content words that explain
important messages in the letter, but give buzzing
sounds and seemingly complex structure to
impress people are buzz words.
2. Conciseness
Ex.
• Brief but meaningful
Buzz Words Better • employing many words delay thinking
and decision-making, avoid being wordy
but ensure completeness of message
Normalize- to make it normal
• It saves time, effort and space; Time is
gold is a favorite line in the business world
Agendize- to prepare the agenda
Prioritize- to give priority
3. Consideration
Strategize- to create a strategy
Operationalize- to operate • The You-viewpoint which means looking
at the situation from the standpoint of the
reader..
Applying the You Attitude, as sender, you have
to keep in mind the following guidelines in
avoiding expressions that are offensive or
ambiguous to the readers
[Link] importance or attention to both male and
female. 6. Cheerfulness
2. Use gender-neutral language instead of • the use of positive words and expressions
gender-sensitive words.
Ex. Gender Sensitive Gender Neutral
7. Correctness
Layman layperson
• Refers to the level of language; formal or
Foreman supervisor informal, the accuracy of the figures, facts,
grammar, spelling, punctuation marks,
Policeman Police officer and letter lay-out.
waitress server *be careful of the words that are confusing and
misspelled words. Ex. Except, accept, affect,
Mankind society effect, dessert, desert, its, it's, their, they're, there,
where, were, we're, ware, some time, sometimes,
businessman entrepreneur whose, who's, loose, lose, loss, etc..
3. Modify words - with free expressions. Don't 8. Character
say: female architect, male nurse, lady lawyer,
lady dentist or gentleman lawyer. • It uses words and introduces ideas that are
natural, original, fresh, rather than
4. Use appropriate gender pronouns like the expressions tat are worn out, cliché,
plural they, you, their, and the pronouns pairs-she stereotyped, and plain imitations.
or he/his or her-instead of the traditional
pronouns he alone or she alone.
4. Courtesy
• It is an attitude of the mind that cultivates
goodwill and friendship. It requires the use
of polite expressions that shows sincerity,
tactfulness, gratefulness and respect
towards the reader.
5. Concreteness
• it is the use of vivid, concrete, simple
terms.
