Business Writing for Project Managers
Vigor Industrial & CLIMB Center for Advancement
Portland Community College
Facilitated by George Knox
Overview of Workshop Modules
Document Development (Formats, Styles & Strategies)
Proofreading, Revising & Editing Effective E-mail & Electronic Delivery Note-taking, Agendas & Minutes
Diction (Word Choice and Order)
Diction affects:
MeaningToneEmphasis
Diction: Barriers to Meaning
Misused words– See Commonly Confused Words
Nonspecific nouns– Area, factor, issue, problem, thing
Slang, regional expressions, figures of speech, inappropriate jargon
Euphemisms, pretentious language– Adult language, collateral damage, disadvantaged,
economic downturn, pre-owned, rightsizing
Sexist language
Diction: Barriers to Tone Inappropriate level of formality
– Contractions and acronyms
– Slang, jargon, figures of speech
– Proper or strict language
– I’d like to get that info you’ve got posted on your web page. VS. I would like a copy of the information posted on your web site.
Improper connotation– Images and emotions associated with a word or phrase
– The details he gave were fictional. VS. The details he gave were not factual. VS. The details he gave were incorrect.
Figures of speech, clichés
Diction: Barriers to Emphasis Multiple terms for same subject
– First term has emphasis and sets tone– My client is innocent. I am confident that the jury
will find him not guilty due to insufficient evidence.
Active vs. passive voice– Focus on actor or result– The company laid off 300 workers. VS. Three
hundred workers were laid off by the company.
Front load vs. back load
Diction: Editing and Revising
Consider PAT Proof for meaning, tone and emphasis Default to direct meaning and formal
tone (unless writing personal narratives and correspondence)
Generally avoid jargon and slang Check a dictionary and/or thesaurus
Diction: Editing and Revising
Consider the following statements: Your client is responsible for the accident. Your client caused the accident. Your client is liable for the accident.
What is the meaning of each sentence?
What is the connotation for each sentence?
Where is the emphasis in each sentence?
ProofreadingPurpose: Locate and mark errors and needed changes in a document.
Proof at least twice– Content (purpose, meaning, accuracy, emphasis,
tone)– Mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, style,
document design) Mark errors, don’t fix them Organize your approach to proofing
– Proof in “chunks”– Read silently and aloud– Checklist?
Proofreading Tips
Accept that most drafts are not perfect Plan/schedule for proofreading Proof electronically AND hard copy Proofread multiple times Read your document aloud Have someone else proofread Practice proofreading
AND …
Proofreading Tips (Cont.)
Organize your proofreading:– Proof in sections. Complete a section
before moving on.– Proof for revision first. Make revisions.
Then proof for editing.– Proof general to specific (Paragraph –
Sentence – Word – Punctuation)– Read backwards (especially for editing)
Proofreading for RevisionPurpose: Check content and order for clarification or restatement
Read for overview Determine purpose of the document Find the main point or thesis Find the evidence or details Check paragraph order and “weight” Proof paragraphs for relevance and flow Repeat as necessary
Proofreading for EditingPurpose: Find sentence-level problems and mechanical errors
Proofread again after revising content Check your problem areas first Find topic sentences before supports Ensure 1 topic sentence per paragraph Check spelling separate from grammar Use but don’t trust writing assistants
Proofreading for Grammar (Sentence Level)
When proofing and editing, focus on meaning and clarity Know your grammatical weaknesses, and check those first Read a sentence aloud to confirm “verbal grammar” Look for shifts in voice, person and tense Identify subject, predicate, clauses and phrases within a
sentence Quickly cover the basics:
– Complete sentences (and ideas)– Agreement between elements– Clear and appropriate modifying phrases– Correct punctuation
Use the writing assistants to find likely errors (but check again for yourself)
Keep a good grammar guide handy
Revising Strategies Focus
– Clarify introduction of main “thesis”– Check for competing ideas– Delete unnecessary text
Content– Emphasize main ideas– Add facts, details, examples, definitions– Rethink central argument/insight
Point of View– Maintain consistency– Change POV?
Revising Strategies (Cont.) Organization
– Add/sharpen topic sentences– Move blocks of text– Re-paragraph
Audience Appeal– Use appropriate tone/language– Let the readers know why they are reading– Motivate the readers to read on
The “Rule of Ones”
Editing Strategies: Movement
Check paragraphs– Topic sentence followed by support sentences– Transitional sentences/phrases
Arrange paragraphs appropriately– Time (chronological, narrative, process)– Space (descriptive, setting)– Dramatic (build to climax, back load)– Logic (argument, essay)
Link ideas
Editing Strategies: Linking Ideas Use key words
– Repetition– Variety
Maintain parallel structures– Similar info presented in similar ways– “Visual” balance
Check for consistent style– Between paragraphs/chapters/sections– Subject identity– Perspective
Editing Strategies: Transitions Use “roadmap” sentences/paragraphs Choose appropriate phrases
– Addition (and, also, further, in addition to, moreover, next, too)– Compare (also, in the same manner, in this way, like, likewise,
similarly)– Contrast (although, but, even though, however, in contrast,
nevertheless, still)– Summary (In conclusion, in other words, in short, therefore, to
sum up)– Relation [time, order, place] (after, as, during, finally, later,
when, first, second, next, last, above, beyond, farther on, near, opposite)
– Logic (as a result, consequently, if, since, so, therefore, thus)
Editing Strategies: Sentence Level
Correct grammar– Sentence fragments– Run-on sentence (fused, comma splice)– Subject-Verb agreement– Pronoun references and agreement– Misused modifiers– Active vs. passive voice
Correct spelling and punctuation
Also Consider …
Utilizing a peer review Testing documents on sample audiences Requesting feedback from target audience(s) Developing measurements of effectiveness Rotating assignments to assess strengths
and weaknesses of writing staff Group writing for projects
On-line Materials Course Website: http://puck.topcities.com/workshop/vigor/ The American Heritage® Book of English Usage The Elements of Style, William Strunk
On-line at http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html Merriam-Webster Dictionary & Thesaurus
On-line at http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm Common Errors in English
On-line at http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/ Better English Grammar
On-line at http://www.better-english.com/grammar.htm Proofreading, Revising and Editing Checklist, G. Knox
On-line at http://puck.topcities.com/workshop/cheklist.pdf