BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION

Lesson

1 English Grammar and

its Usage 5

2 Enriching Vocabulary 30

3 Comprehension of Passage
and Art of Summarising 60

4 Concept of Business Communication 80

5 Listening Skills 107

6 Business Correspondence 121

7 Concept of E-Correspondence 146

8 Common Business Terminologies 161

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2 Business Communication

CONTENT

S.No. Lesson Topics Covered

1 English Grammar and its Usage • Parts of Speech in English

• Sentence Construction

• Paragraph Construction

• Prefixes and Suffixes

• Combination Words

• Punctuations

2 Enriching Vocabulary • Choice of words

• Synonyms

• Antonyms

• Homophone

• Homonym

• Single Word for Group of Words

• Words Frequently Misspelled

• Spellings and Pronunciation

• Spelling Errors

• Stress and Rhythm

• Abbreviations

• Idioms and Phrases

• Proverbs

• Foreign Words and Phrases

3 Comprehension of Passage • Important Strategy to Solve Comprehension
and Art of Summarising Passages

• Examples

4 Concept of Business Communication • Concept of Communication

• Business Communication
 Business Communication 3

• Features of Communication

• Importance of Communication

• Communication Process

• Principles for Effective Communication

• Johari Window

• Types of Communication

• Communication Flows

• Means and Modes of Communication

• Mediums of Digital Communication

• Communication Networks

• Ways to Overcome Barriers to Communication

5 Listening Skills • Introduction

• Outline Profile of Four Basic Communication

Skills

• The Purpose of Listening

• Listening and Hearing

• Types of Listening Skills

• Active and Effective Listening

• Types of Listeners

• Barriers to Active Listening

• Principles of Effective Listening

• Barriers to Effective Listening

• Ways to Overcome Barriers in Listening

6 Business Correspondence • Introduction

• The Essentials of a Good Business Letter

• Business Messages

• Business Reports

• Inter and Intra-Departmental Communication

• Management Information Systems (MIS)

4 Business Communication

7 Concept of E-Correspondence • Introduction

• What is Web?

• What is Browser

• What is Internet?

• What is E-Correspondence?

• Email Etiquette

• Intranet

• Extranet

8 Common Business Terminologies • Ten Basic but Most Important Terms / Words in
Business English

• Other terminologies
Lesson 1

ENGLISH GRAMMAR
AND ITS USAGE

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6 Business Communication

GRAMMAR AND ITS USAGE

English language follows a set of rules like all other languages. Broadly speaking, the part of Grammar
concerned with changes in the form of words by internal modification or by affixation is known as accidence
and the manner in which these words are arranged in the form of a sentence is called syntax. For example,
the root word‘contradiction’ is a noun. It can be changed into different parts of speech. If you say ‘contradict,
it becomes a verb and if you say ‘contradictory’ it becomes an adjective.
Good dictionaries give all the changes that a root word can undergo.

Good to Know!!!
Some words may be used as different parts of speech without any change in their form.
For example, the word beat remains unchanged in the following sentences; though it is a
different part of speech in each sentence :
• The angry mob was beating the thief mercilessly. (verb).
• The beat of the drum sent people into frenzy (noun)
• The beat generation (young people with unconventional dress and behaviour as an
expression of social philosophy) has its own ethics. (Adjective)
Sometimes it is possible to use the same word, with a slight modification, as a different part
of speech:
For example, the root word confirm is used here as a noun in the first, as a verb in the
second and as an adjective in the third sentence.
• We received confirmation of the order in writing yesterday. (Noun)
• The party confirmed the receipt of the consignment. (Verb)
• He is a confirmed defaulter. (Adjective)

Parts of Speech in English

Words are divided into eight classes according to the work they do in a sentence. They are as follows:

PARTS OF SPEECH

Noun Pronoun Adjectives Verbs Adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Interjections

 Business Communication 7

These word classes are called Part of Speech.

They are explained below:
Nouns
A noun is a “naming word”. It names somebody or something.
Rahul took the dog to the park.
The car makes a lot of noise.
Look at the example above. A noun is a name of a person (Rahul), animal (dog), place (park), thing
(car) or idea (noise).

Kinds of Nouns

Nouns may be divided into (a) common nouns and (b) proper nouns.

Common nouns are the names given in common to all persons, places or things of the same class. For
example, bank, shop, market, etc.

Collective noun : Common nouns include another class known as collective nouns. A collective noun
names a group of people, animals or things regarded as a whole., e.g., batch, company, university,
crowd, flock, etc.

Proper nouns are the names of particular persons, places or things. For example, India, Larsen and
Toubro, Delhi, January, etc.

Pronouns

Pronouns are used in place of nouns. Pronouns may be Personal and Relative.
Personal Pronouns : To represent a person or things., e.g., I, we, you, she, he, it, him, us, them, etc.
Relative Pronouns : The most common relative pronouns are whom, which and that.
A relative pronoun acts as a pronoun and as conjunction at the same time.
This is the boy who saved my life.
Possessive Pronouns : These show possession, e.g., mine, ours, yours, their, its and hers.

Adjectives

A word used to describe or point out, a person, animal, place or thing which the noun names, or to tell
the number and quantity is called an Adjective.
Rani is a clever girl (Girl of what kind?)
He gave me six books (How many books?)
Two or more words can be joined with a hyphen to form a Compound Adjective, e.g., government-
financed project.
Verbs
A verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or thing. Verb comes from Latin Verbum,
meaning a word. It is so called because it is the most important word in the sentence.
8 Business Communication

A verb may tell us :

1. What a person or thing does; as
Rohit runs.
The bell rings.
2. What is done to a person or thing; as
Ram is beaten.
The door is broken.
3. What a person or thing is, as
The boy is hurt.
The chair is broken
I feel sad.
Hence, a verb is a word used to tell or assert something about some person or thing.
Adverb
While Adjectives qualify or add to the meaning of nouns, adverbs modify the meaning not only of
verbs, but also of adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, etc.
The following sentences illustrate the varied use of adverbs:
Small investors find it very difficult to invest wisely.
(The first adverb very modifies the adjective difficult, and the second adverb wisely modifies the verb
invest).
The CEO is an exceptionally sharp manager.
(The adverb exceptionally modifies the adjective sharp).
The cash counter is right behind you.
(The adverb right modifies the prepositions behind).
We have given this book to you only because you are a good reviewer. (The adverb only modifies the
conjunction because).
Preposition
A Preposition, by definition, is placed before a noun or its equivalent in order to show its relationship
in terms of time, place, etc.:
The space above the room houses the conference facility.
(The preposition above explains the relationship between the room and the conference facility).
There are hardly any rules governing the use of prepositions, some people feel that it is inelegant to put
them at the end of a sentence since they are basically used as link-words. However, as Fowler points
out, “Almost all our great writers have allowed themselves to end a sentence or a clause with a
preposition.” The thumb-rule is that the sentence should read well.
 Business Communication 9

It is largely the usage that determines the choice of a preposition. Americans tend to drop them but it
is largely colloquial. A wrong preposition certainly changes the intended meaning. Therefore, we have
to learn the use of prepositions carefully. All standard dictionaries list the root word along with different
prepositions or adverbial phrases and also show the difference in meaning.
For example:
The root word get conveys italicised meanings when used with:
…about, move or spread
…across, be understood

…ahead, make progress

…along, manage

…at, gain access to

…away, escape

…over, forget
…round, persuade
Conjunction
Conjunctions join words or even sentences conveying related ideas. Two commonly used
conjunctions are:
• and
• but.
We received your letter and telegram but regret our inability to attend the meeting.

Conjunctions may also be used in pairs, e.g. neither-nor, either-or, not only-but also, both-and, whether-or
etc.

Such conjunctions are known as Correlative Conjunctions.

Interjection

Interjections are words which are used in a sentence to express strong emotion or feeling. They may
not form a part of its grammatical structure. Some of the common interjections are: Hi !, Alas !, Oh
!, etc.

Types of Voices

As a general rule, we should use Active Voice in our sentences. Such sentences are shorter, direct
and emphatic.
For example
Please place the order within sixty days of the receipt of the quotation.
An exception is however made when sending out negative messages or fixing responsibility.
For example, out of the two responses given below, the latter is likely to be received better:
10 Business Communication

You have failed to place the order in time.

Unfortunately the order has been delayed.
Passive Voice is also found more suitable while drafting legal formulations as no identifiable subject
can be mentioned.
For example:
Follow the traffic rules, while driving. (Active Voice)
The traffic rules should be followed while driving. (Passive Voice)
Articles
The words a or an and the are called Articles. They come before nouns. A or an is called the Indefinite
Article, because it usually leaves indefinite the person or thing spoken of; as,
A doctor; that is, any doctor.
The is called the Definite Article because it normally points out some particular person or thing; as,
He saw the doctor; meaning some particular doctor.
The indefinite article is used before singular countable nouns, e.g.,A car, an apple, a table.
The definite article is used before singular countable nouns, plural countable nouns and uncountable
nouns,e.g., The pen, the milk, the idea.
The article ‘an’ is used when the noun to which it is attached begins with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o and
u). It is the vowel sound and not the vowels that determines the use of ‘a’ or ‘an’. Vowels with consonant
sound take ‘a’ and not ‘an’. For example,
Bring me an apple.
He walks like an Egyptian.
She has planted a eucalyptus tree.
He is an honest man.
He has joined a union.
I have lost a one-rupee note.
Usage
Usage implies the manner in which the native speakers of a language use it. The “body of conventions
governing the use of a language especially those aspects not governed by grammatical rules”, “habitual
or customary use”often lays down new standards of acceptance.
For example, ‘It is me’ is generally accepted on grounds of usage even though ‘It is I’ is considered
grammatically correct.
Usage may be learnt by reading standard texts and listening to educated speakers of a language.
Tenses
“In Grammar – a set of forms taken by a verb to indicate the time (and sometimes the continuance or
completeness) of the action in relation to the time of the utterance”; is the meaning that the Concise
 Business Communication 11

Oxford Dictionary assigns to the word ‘Tense’. The word tense comes from Latin word tempus, meaning
time.
Read the following sentences.
1. I write this letter to my mother
2. I wrote the letter yesterday.
3. I shall write another letter tomorrow.
In sentence 1, the verb write refers to the present time. Hence a verb that refers to the present time is
said to be in the Present Tense.
In sentence 2, the verb wrote refers to the past time. Hence it is said to be in Past Tense.
In sentence 3, the verb shall write refers to a future time. Therefore, it is said to be in the Future Tense.
Read these sentences :
1. I read a book. (simple present)
2. I am reading a book. (Present continuous)
3. I have read a book. (Present Perfect)
4. I have been reading a book. (Present Perfect Continuous)
The verbs in all of these sentences refer to the present time, and are therefore said to be in the present
tense.
In sentence 1, however, the verb shows that the action is mentioned simply, without anything being
said about the completeness or incompleteness of the action.
In sentence 2, the verb shows that the action is mentioned as incomplete or continuous, that is, as still
going on.
In sentence 3, the verb shows that the action is mentioned as finished, complete or perfect, at the time
of speaking.
The tense of the verb in sentence 4 is said to be Present Perfect Continuous, because the verb shows
that the action is going on continuously, and not completed at this present moment.
Thus we see that the tense of a verb shows not only the time of an action or event, but also the state of
an action referred to .
Just as Present Tense has four forms, the Past Tense also has the following four forms :
1. I jumped from the window. (Simple Past)
2. I was jumping from the window. (Past Continuous)
3. I had jumped from the window. (Past Perfect)
4. I had been jumping from the window. (Past Perfect continuous)
Similarly, the Future Tense has the following four forms :
1. I shall/will jump (Simple Future)
2. I shall/will be jumping. (Future Continuous)
12 Business Communication

3. I shall/will have jumped. (Future Perfect)

4. I shall/will have been jumping. (Future Perfect Continuous)
Hence, we may define Tense as that form of a verb which shows the time and the state of an action or
event.
Sentence Construction
Various Purposes of a Sentence
A group of words, which makes complete sense, is called a sentence.
Grammar also lays down rules for arranging words in a certain order to form meaningful sentences.
Sentences may be formed to:
• Make a statement : The government has decided to disinvest its stake in Air-India.
• Pose a question : Would this step enable them to turn this PSU around?
• Give a command : Bring about a change of ownership.
• Make an exclamation: What a way to bridge the fiscal deficit!
A sentence consists of two parts:
Subject : The part which names the person or thing we are speaking about is called the subject of the
sentence.
Predicate : The part which tells something about the subject is called predicate.
A Phrase is a group of words, which neither has a finite verb nor makes any sense by itself. Depending
on its place in the sentence, it may be a:
• Noun
• Adjectival or
• Adverbial Phrase.
Examine the following pair of sentences.
(i) Raj is a wealthy man.
(ii) Raj is a man of great wealth.
In the first sentence, the word wealthy described the noun Raj.
In the second sentence of great wealth also tells us what sort of man Raj is. It qualifies the noun just as
an Adjective does. Hence, it is called an Adjective Phrase.
Adverb Phrases
Just as the work of an Adjective is often done by a group of words called an Adjective Phrase, so the
work of an Adverb is often done by a group of words. Examine the following pair of sentences.
(i) He answered rudely. (How?)
(ii) He answered in a very rude manner. (How?)
Since the phrase very rude manner does the work of an Adverb, it is called an Adverb Trial Phrase.
 Business Communication 13

Noun Phrase
A Noun Phrase is a group of words that does the work of a Noun. For example,
(i) My demat account has been closed.
(ii) To win a prize is my ambition.
In the above sentences, italicized phrases are noun phrases because they are doing the work of a
noun.
Types of Sentences
The basic knowledge of grammar helps us understand different sentence structures or patterns so that
we can communicate in a clear, concise and correct manner.
A group of words that form a part of a sentence, and has a subject and a predicate of its own, is called
a clause.
The clause that makes good sense by itself, and hence could stand by itself, as a separate sentence is
called a Principal or Main Clause.
A clause which cannot stand by itself and makes good sense but not complete sense is called a
Dependent or Subordinate Clause.
A sentence which has only one finite verb and one independent clause is called Simple sentence. For
example,
This courage won him honour.
A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses. For example, Night come on
and rain fell heavily and we all got very wet.
A complex sentence has an independent clause and atleast one dependent clause.
For example,
The human brain never stops working until you stand up to speak in public.
Sentence Construction
Sentences can be constructed using different structures or patterns. The simplest sentence may have:
– a noun or a pronoun in the beginning,
– a verb in the middle,
– another noun or its equivalent in the end.
For example
The budget affects the stock market.
This sentence structure may also be shown as:
Subject + verb + object
The structure of an imperative sentence is different. Here the subject is understood.
For example,
Mail this letter, is the shorter form of (You) mail this letter.
14 Business Communication

It is important to use varying sentences structures in your writing so that the interest of
the reader is not lost.
Sentence Construction is based on the kind of writing in question.
Sentences are also constructed on the basis of complexity of writing.
Loose sentences are suited to simple style of letter writing and are closer to the spoken form. They
begin with the main statement and develop it to its logical conclusion.
For example
The Reserve Bank of India intervened in the forex market as there were strong rumours about an
intense speculative activity caused by the spurt in imports.
Periodic Sentences are decorous and emphatic but more difficult to write. The order is reversed and
the main statement is made at the end.
For example
As there were strong rumours about an intense speculative activity caused by the spurt in imports, the
Reserve Bank of India intervened in the forex market.
Sentence Construction on the basis of Length
The length of a sentence is also an important factor in sentence construction.
Shorter Sentences are easier to write as well as understand. But a long sequence of short sentences
may not make very pleasant reading:
Thank you for the order. The goods will be sent soon. The duplicate copy of the bill is enclosed. The
payment must be made early.

Longer Sentences are prone to grammatical errors and need careful thought and planning. Such
efforts at constructing marathon sentences should be avoided.

It may be a good idea to mix the shorter and longer sentences to sustain the interest of the reader.

For example

The conference opens on the tenth of June in Simla. More than two hundred company secretaries will
take part. The purpose is to deliberate on the merits of the new Companies Act, 2013 and propose
amendments. The discussions are likely to go on for three days.

Paragraph Construction

The construction of a paragraph is equally important. If a good sentence should focus on a single
thought, a good paragraph should restrict itself to a single topic or idea. The topic sentence of a
paragraph sums up its central idea and develops it further. It is usually at the beginning or the end of the
sentence; though, in some cases, it can be written somewhere in the middle too. Shorter paragraphs
should be preferred because they enable the reader to follow the writer’s plan.
Prefixes and Suffixes
An affix “is an addition to the base form or stem of a word in order to modify its meaning or create a new
word”.
(The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Tenth Edition).
 Business Communication 15

Prefix
If the affix or addition to the root word comes at the beginning, it is called a prefix.
The word ‘prefix’ in itself is an apt example of a prefix as it is made up of the root word ‘fix’-’to join or fix’,
with the affix ‘pre’- meaning ‘before’, added to it.
Groups of Prefixes
Prefixes fall into a number of distinct groups such as:

Groups of Prefixes

Supportive Prefixes

Opposing Prefixes

Negative Prefixes
Reversative Prefixes

Derivative Prefixes

Place Prefixes

Size Prefixes

Time Prefixes

Number Prefixes

Class Changing Prefixes

Miscellaneous

Supportive Prefixes are prefixes that support or are for the root word.
*Pro is used with the meaning favouring/supporting as the prefix. Pro, as a prefix has other meanings
too, such as ‘in substitute of ’ or ‘before in time, pace or order’.
Examples of Pro as a supportive prefix are Pro-choice, Pro-market, Pro-life.
Opposing Prefixes are prefixes that are opposed to the action denoted by the root word.
Anti (against) - antibody, antibacterial, antibiotic, anticlockwise, antidote, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
etc.
(Spurious) - antihero, antiChrist, antiself (affected person)
16 Business Communication

Contra (against) - contraception, contraindicate, contravene, contramundum

(Contrasting) - contraflow, contra-active, contradict, contradistinction

Counter (opposition/retaliation) - counteract, counter-example, counter- attack, counterblast,

counterbalance, counterclaim, counterculture, counter-in-surgency, countermeasure,
counterproductive, etc.

Negative Prefixes are prefixes that denote the absence of distinguishing features of the root word.

(The prefixes marked with * can convey different meaning besides those specified herein.)

*a (not, without) - amoral, ahistorical, atheist, asymmetric

*an (not, lacking) - anaesthetic, anaemic, anaerobic

*dis (not) - disloyal, disable, disarm, dishonest, distrust, disadvantage

*in (not) - injustice, inactive, inconsiderate, inconsonant, incomprehensible, incomplete, incompetent,

inconsecutive

*il (this is another variation of the prefix ‘in’ and is used before a word beginning with ‘I’) - illegal,
illiterate, illegible, illegitimate

*im (this is a variation of the prefix ‘in’ which is used before a word beginning with ‘b’, ‘m’ or ‘p’.) -
imbalance, immaterial, immeasurable, immobile, immovable, impassable, impatient, impossible, imperfect

*ir (this too is a variation of the prefix ‘in’ which is used before a word beginning with ‘r’) - irreplaceable,
irregular, irresistible, irrational, irrecoverable, irreconcilable, irredeemable, irreducible

non (not) - non-aggressive, non-interference, nonconformist, nonentity, nonsense, nontoxic, non-

stop (not-regarded as) - non-person, non-event

* These prefixes also have other meanings in which they can be used in, besides those specified herein

un (not) - unproductive, unacademic, unselfish, unavoidable, unaware, unbearable, unbroken, unburnt

Reversative Prefixes are prefixes that denote the act of undoing the previous act that the root word
denotes as being done.

de* (reverses the meaning) - decriminalise, dehumidify, deselect, decontaminate

dis* (reverses the meaning) - disqualify, dishonest, disinvite

un* (reverses the meaning) - untie, unscramble, unlock

Derivative Prefixes are those that denote the meaning of removing something or depriving something
or someone.

de (remove something)-debug, defrost

de (depart from) - deplane, detrain, decamp

dis (remove something) - disarm, disillusion, disambiguate

un (remove something) - unleaded, unmark, unhouse, uncap, uncover
 Business Communication 17

Pejorative Prefixes are those that express contempt, disapproval, bad or wrong.
mis (badly/wrongly) - miscalculate, misgovern, misspell, mismanage, misalign, misapply, misbelief
Place Prefixes are prefixes that indicate a place or placing of things, situation, etc.
ante (before) - antecedent, antechamber, anteroom
circum (around) - circumvent, circumnavigate, circumlocution, circumbulate, circumlunar
cis (on this side) - cisalpine, cisatlantice, cislunar
extra (outside/beyond) - extracurricular, extrasensory, extraordinary, extraterrestrial
fore (front/before) - forefinger, forecourt, forearm, forebear, forebrain, forecheck, forefront,
foregather
in, il, im, ir (in) - indoors, in-patient, inside, indebt
inter (between) - interbreed, interfere, interject, interracial, international, interdisciplinary, internet
intra (inside/within) - intravenous, intramural, intranet
intro (inwards) - introvert, introspect
post (after/behind) - post meridiem (P.M.) postpone, postgraduate, posthoc, postscript
pre (before)-prearrange, preface, precaution, prefabrication, preamble
out (outside)-outdoor, out-patient, outhouse
(surpass)-outrun, outdistance, outbid, outnumber
over (outer/above)-overthrow, overshadow, overcoat
retro (backwards)-retrograde, retrospection, retrospect
sub (below)-subway, subsoil, subconscious, submerge
(secondary)-sub-inspector, sub-editor, sub-committee, subtitle, sublet
(below the norm)-substandard, subhuman
super (above)-superstructure, superimpose
(beyond the norm)-superhuman, superstar, superpower
(excessive)-superconfident, supersensitive, supernatural
supra (above)- suprasegmental, supranational
sur (above)-surcharge, surtitle, surtax
trans (across)-transatlantic, transnational, transcontinental
ultra (beyond/extreme)-ultraviolet, ultra-thin, ultra-modern, ultramarine, ultramicroscopic,
ultrasonic, ultra vires
under (below/too little/subordinate)-underground, undercharge, underpay, undercook,
undersecretary
underclass, underrepresent, undersell, undersigned
18 Business Communication

Size Prefixes denote size. They are -

mega (very large)-megaphone, megastar, megalith, megawatt
midi (medium)-midi-computer, midibus
mini (small)-minibus, miniseries, minicab, minimarket
Time Prefixes denote time. They are -
ante (before)-antenatal, antedate
ex (former)-ex-wife, ex-president, ex-student
fore (before)-forenoon, foresee, foretell, forecast
neo (new, recent)-neo-conservative, neoplasia, neophyte
post (after)-post-war, post-modernism, postdate
pre (before)-prepay, pre-existing, predate, preschool
re (again)-reprint, reapply, replay, renew
Number Prefixes are those that denote number. They are -

mono (one/single)-monorail, monochrome, monopoly

uni (one)-unidirectional, unilateral, unicycle, unity

bi (twice/double)-bicycle, bilateral, bilingual

di (two, twice)-dioxide, dichromatic

duo/du (two)-duologue, duplex

tri (three)-triangle, triplicate, tripartite

quadri/quadr (four)-quadrilateral, quadrangle

tetra/tera (four)-tetrachloride, terameter
penta/pent (five)-pentagon, pentacle
sex (six)-sextant, sextile, sextuple
hexa/hex (six)-hexapod, hexagram
hepta/hept (seven) heptagon, heptameter
octo/oct (eight)-octopus, octuple
deca/dec (ten)-decade, decalogue,
decinialdeci (a tenth)-decibel, decimal
demi (a half)-demigod, demitasse
hemi (half)-hemisphere, hemistock
semi (half)-semiconductor, semidetached
 Business Communication 19

hecto/hect (hundred)-hectogram, hectare

kilo (thousand)-kilogram
milli (thousand)-millisecond, millipede
mega (a thousand)-megahertz, megabuck, megabit
poly (many)-polytechnic, polygon
Status prefixes are those that denote a status.
co (joint)-copartner, coauthor, cofounder
pro (deputy)-proconsul, pro-vice chancellor
vice (deputy)-vice president, vice admiral, vice chancellor
Class Changing Prefixes have the effect of changing the word class, like making transitive verbs from
nouns, adjectives, an intensifying force of the verbs used, etc.
be-besiege, bewitch, besmear, bewail, belittle, befoul, beribboned
en/em-encode, endanger, ensure, enlist, enroll, embark, embitter, enrich
Miscellaneous : Some of the common prefixes that do not fall into the above categories are
eco (abbreviation of ecology)- eco-friendly, ecosystem
Euro (abbreviation of European)- Eurorail, Eurocurrencies
para (ancillary)- paramilitary, paralegal, paramedic
para (beyond)- paranormal
quasi (like)- quasi-intellectual, quasi-judicial
self- self-motivating, self-denial, self-satisfaction.
Suffix
It is a morpheme (minimal meaningful language unit) added at the end of a word to form a derivative.
In other words, an addition to the end of a word to form a derivative of the root word is a suffix.
Groups of Suffix : Suffixes fall into the following categories:
– Noun Suffixes – Adjective Suffixes
– Verb Suffixes – Adverb Suffixes
Noun Suffixes are as follows:
acity (indicates a quality and state of being)-audacity, capacity
ant (denoting attribution of an action or state)-appellant, informant, arrogant, (denoting an agent)-
deodorant, oxidant
al (verbal action)-betrayal, dismissal, deferral
age (denoting an action or its result/function/state or condition/set of place or abode/aggregate
number of) leverage, spillage, homage, bondage, baggage, postage, vicarage, mileage
20 Business Communication

ation/ion (denoting an action or its result)-collaboration, exploration, evolution, exaltation,

inhalation, communion, oblivion, objection
cle, cule, ule (indicates small size)-miniscule, particle, molecule, capsuleic-lyric, mechanic
ist (denotes a member of a profession, who uses something, etc.)-dentist, flautist, novelist, atheist
ity (quality/condition/degree of)-responsibility, technicality, publicity, humility
ling (smallness or lesser stature)-duckling, seeding, hireling
ment (means or result of an action)-arrangement, embarrassment, curtailment, bewilderment
ness (a state or condition)-usefulness, carelessness, willingness, kindness,wilderness
ship (quality or condition, status, tenure, skill, etc.)-scholarship, companionship,citizenship,
workmanship, membership
tude (indicates condition or state of being)-exactitude, longitude.
Verb Suffixes are as follows:
fy/ify (indicates or becoming)-beautify, purify, gratify, electrify, pacify, personify
ise, ize (quality, state or function)-capitalize, modernise, popularise, terrorise, expertise
Adjective Suffixes - Some of them are as follows:
able/ible (inclined to, capable of, causing)-audible, uncountable, readable, reliable, terrible,
peaceable, profitable
al/ial (kind of)-tidal, accidental managerial, musical
ed (having, affected by)-cultured, heavy-handed, talented
ful (having the qualities of)-sorrowful, powerful, careful, resentful, fretful, forgetful
ic-Arabic, aristocratic, dramatic
less (free from, without)-careless, harmless, restless, flavourless
oid (resemblance)-ovoid, humanoid
some (a tendency)-meddlesome, awesome
y (having quality of/inclined to)-messy, funny, sleepy, choosy
Adverb Suffixes : Some of them are as follows:
ly (forms adverbs from adjectives)-amiably, candidly, surprisingly, greatly
wise (of manner or respect or direction)-clockwise, notewise, taxwise, anticlockwise.
Combination Words
These are word elements or combining forms that can be combined with other words that already exist to
form new words. These combining forms have a singular form and a clear and consistent meaning, which
is probably because they are of fairly recent origin. Many of them are also technical and therefore their
meanings are less susceptible to change. Most combining forms are of Greek or Latin origin. Some of them
are:
arch (chief)-archbishop, arch-rival
 Business Communication 21

auto (self)-autograph, autopilot

bio (life)-bio-diversity, biology, biography
crypto (concealed)-crypto-farest, cryptogram, cryptocrystalline, cryptonym
mal (improper/inadequate/faulty)-malpractice, malnutrition, malpractice, maladminister, maladjusted,
maladaptive, malfunction, maltreat
macro (large)-macro-organism, macroeconomics
micro (small/minute)-micro-organism, micro-computer, microsurgery, microgram, microscope
mid (middle)-midfield, midair, midway, midsection, mid-afternoon, midwinter, midnight
tele (at a distance)-telescope, television, telephone, telephoto, telecommunications.
Punctuations
The marks, such as full stop, comma, inverted commas, hypen and brackets are used in writing to separate
sentences and their elements and to clarify meaning, are called punctuation marks.
The importance of punctuation in writing can be compared to the importance of pause, intonation and
emphasis used in the spoken word.
Therefore, one can state that the chief purpose of using punctuation is to make the meaning of a written
passage clear. The punctuation marks remove ambiguities, if any.
Punctuation can also serve other purposes such as:
– introducing delicate effects in style.
– altering the flow of a sentence.
– highlighting certain words.
– bringing about modulations in sentence.
Some aspects of punctuations are rule-governed, i.e., those that you have to follow, but usage of some
becomes a matter of choice and judgment.
The various punctuations used in the English language are:
– capital letters – colon – underline – space
– full stop – dash – quotation marks – italics
– hyphens – stroke – bold emphasis – apostrophe
– asterisk – ellipsis – question mark – semicolon
– paragraph – comma – abbreviations – numbers
– brackets – exclamation mark
Uses of Punctuation Marks
Let us see how some of these punctuation marks are used.
Space is the most basic form of punctuation which separates words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters.
22 Business Communication

Usually one alphabet space is used between words and punctuation, and also after sentences, unless
it is the last sentence of a paragraph, when the rest of the space on that line is left blank.

Space of one line or more is left between paragraphs to distinguish them and at times a slight indention
is also used on the first line to distinguish the beginning of a new paragraph.

The amount of spacing used would depend on individual style and taste or a pattern followed in an
organisation or the type of writing, e.g., a letter, a presentation, a book, etc.

The Full Stop (.) also known as a stop, point or period (in American English) is used to end a
declarative sentence, a sentence which is not a question or an exclamation.

Full stops are also used to end a request politely framed as a question such as:

Would you kindly fix an appointment with Mr. Sharma.

A full stop may also be used after initials or after a shortened form of a word to indicate an abbreviation.
For example
Mr. Prof. Etc.
B.A. Fig.
a.m. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

However, increasingly the full stop after initials of names is being done away with, though both usages
are correct.

A full stop is also used at times to denote abbreviated numerals, such as a date or a number, though at
times full stop, slash or hyphen is also used to denote date, such as:

10.11.19, 10-11-19, 10/11/19

However this can be interpreted in two ways as 10th November 2019 by the Britishers and 11th
October 2019 by the Americans. Therefore, it is advisable to always write the month and the date in
words, e.g. 10th November 2019 or 10 November 2019

Full stop is also used before decimal and between units of money:
10.50 per cent; Rs. 33.50
Omission of Full Stop
In the following cases the full stop is omitted:
– after addresses that head letters and on the envelopes
– after dates
– after name that ends letters
– after title of books, newspaper headlines, chapter headings, sub-headings, page numbers
– after acronyms which are pronounced as one word. For example:
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
 Business Communication 23

– in between alphabets of the abbreviations that are a series of letters. For example:
WTO (World Trade Organisation)
GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
– in shortening of words where the first and last alphabets of the word are present.
Mr., Mrs., Dr., Rd., Ltd.
though it is correct to use a period after these words, the general practice today is to omit the
full stop.
– space is used for the initials of personal names instead of a full stop.
A K Singh, D S RAJAN
– abbreviations for measures, chemicals elements, etc. are used without a full stop.
Kg (Kilogram), s (Second), Hz (Hertz)
Sq (Square), km (Kilometer), m (minute)
amp (ampere), O (oxygen), H (Hydrogen)
– If a sentence ends with an exclamation mark, question mark, or an abbreviation that is followed
by a period for the abbreviation the full stop is not used.
Comma(,) is easily the most important punctuation mark within a sentence. Commas separate or
enclose subordinate clauses and phrases in sentences. Its most typical use is to separate two main
clauses that are linked by a conjunction. Here the comma mark appears just before the conjunction.
The house was almost in ruins, but the tree-studded avenue was lovely.
He is not rich yet he is very generous.
Uses of Comma
Some other uses of comma are as follows:

– To separate main clauses even when they are not linked by a conjunction:

The higher the price, the better the quality of goods.

– Before tags/questions and comments:

You were late for the meeting, weren’t you? (tag)

I was just joking, you see. (comment)

– To denote words left out:

Romeo loved Juliet; Majnu, Laila.(Here the comma denotes the word loved.)

– Enclose additional thoughts, qualification or information. Here the commas are used in pairs and
they separate parenthetical elements in a sentence.
My son, Ajith, is the head boy of the school.
24 Business Communication

The movie was, I believe, well picturised.

– To set off direct speech:
To quote Confucius, “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in
great danger”.
– “I’m tired”, he replied, “However, I will complete the work before leaving”.
– To set off comparative or contrasting statements.
The more he kept repeating that he did not steal the chain, the less the police believed him.
– To separate adjectives, numbers into units, names, and title or honour, or degree, day, month and
year in a date, etc:

• He is a smart, reliable, sincere and hard-working student.

• 1,25,000.

• Angelina Thomas, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

• Shri Ram Nath Kovind, The President of India.

Hyphen (-) is used between words to clarify meaning. It also links words to form a compound word.

The use of hyphen varies in different places; therefore there are no complete set of rules that can be
applied to the use of hyphen.

Therefore, only some general guidance on the use of hyphens is given here. It is advisable to consult a
good dictionary when one is in doubt to find out whether the word to be used should be hyphenated
or not. A hyphen is usually used in these cases:

– After a few prefixes or other word elements.

– ex-partner, half-truth, quasi-judicial, semi-government, self-appointed. (We have already read about
prefixes).
– Before a few suffixes where the last alphabet of the first word and the first alphabet of the second
word are the same, in order to avoid an unattractive sequence.
Bull-like, get-together, profit-taking, self-financing, water-resistant.
– When the main part of a word begins with a capital letter.
un-American, neo-Darwinism, neo-Nazism, anti-Indian.
– When the prefix is repeated.
Sub-subcommittee.
– When a noun and a verb are combined to form a word.
hand-operated, hand-pick, hand-held.
– When an adjective and a noun are combined to form a word.

blue-pencil, loose-leaf, long-grained open-air, simple-minded, middle-aged, community-oriented,

high-fibre.
 Business Communication 25

– When two adjectives are combined to form a word.

old-fashioned, short-sighted, red-blooded.
– When compound words express an ‘and’ relation.
bitter-sweet, deaf-mute, socio-economic, secretary-treasurer.
– When compound numbers between 21-99 are spelt out. This practice is gradually fading.
fifty-five(55), six hundred and thirty-one(631).
– It is also used to link the starting and ending point of a series.
The Delhi-Jaipur Highway.
– When a word has to be broken at the end of a line of print or writing.
– To avoid confusion or ambiguity.
an Indian-history teacher/an Indian history-teacher.
– To prevent confusion between a new formation and a conventional word with the same prefix.
re-creation (recreation), re-formed (reformed).

Semi colon (;) is used to separate two or more independent clauses that are placed together and
which are of equal importance in the sentence. The use of semicolon emphasises or adds weight to the
second clause.

To err is human; to forgive divine.

Semi colons are also used to:

– join words, group of words, sentences.

– separate word groups that already contain commas:

Those present at the function included Mr. and Mrs. Jain, their children Usha, Amit and Raghu; Paul
and Joe Thomas; Raj and Ravi Malhotra; Colonel and Mrs. James, and their children Jyotsna, Julie and
James Junior; etc.

– To provide pauses before certain adverbs such as none the less, however, etc.

He worked very hard; however, he did not succeed in his endeavour.

– To emphasise contrasts:

It is a superb car; however, it is very expensive to maintain.

Colon (:) is a punctuation mark that has three major functions:

– To introduce some kind of explanation.
They did not sleep last night: they must be tired.
– To introduce examples.
Today they face another threat to their survival: starvation.
– To introduce quotations or direct speech.
26 Business Communication

Functions of Colon
Some of the other functions of the colon are:
– To point the reader’s attention forward.
This function can be best explained through the words of the grammarian Henry Fowler. He says
that the function of a colon is “that of delivering the goods that have been invoiced in the preceding
words”. What he meant by goods here might be a conclusion, summary, a list or a contracting
statement.
– To introduce a number of items listed separately.
The conference hall facility has everything: furniture, mikes, amplifier, projector, screen, generator
backup, catering, dining hall and even a huge parking lot.
– To present a conclusion.
After sixty years in the business, Mr. Rajan realised that there was only one certainty in life: the
inevitability of change.
– To introduce a question.
They all agreed that the essential issue was simply this: Will making an investment in Sweatland
Limited be a mistake or not?
– To link contrasting statements.
Man proposes: God disposes.
– To substitute a conjunction.
Another Monday morning: and it is pouring.
– After headings in correspondence.
Subject:
Reference:
– To introduce subtitles.
Credit cards: Power of Plastic; Past Promises: Failure to deliver.
– In bibliographical references, colon can be used after the place of publication.
(Delhi: 2010).
An Apostrophe (’) is used
(i) to denote possession and other kinds of relationship.
This is Walter’s book.
(ii) contractions of words.
It was the court’s order.
Isn’t (is not) it a great day?
Can’t (cannot) you come today?
O’er (over) the hills.
 Business Communication 27

Possession and other kinds of relationship

When apostrophe is used to denote possession and other relationships, the basic rules to remember
are:
– The apostrophe comes before the ‘s’ if the noun is singular.
The girl’s dresses (dresses belonging to one girl).
– The apostrophe comes after the ‘s’ if the noun is plural.
Girls’ dresses (dresses belonging to many girls).
However, possessive personal pronouns ending in ‘s’, e.g. its, ones, theirs, etc. do not take on an
apostrophe.
– Indefinite pronouns, except for ‘each’ take on an apostrophe, anyone’s, either’s, one’s, someone’s
nobody’s,etc., when denoting possession or some relationship.
– In contractions of words, the use of an apostrophe is required. Though words are generally
contracted in informal writing and speech, it should be avoided in formal writing.
– The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters.
is not-isn’t (o is the missing letter)
The apostrophe is also found in the contraction of some single words.
– ‘of ’ is sometimes contracted especially in certain phrases:
will-o’-the-wisp, seven o’clock
– certain words that are in common use:
ma’am (madam)
– The apostrophe is at times used to denote the omission of part of some number:
the swinging ‘60s (1960s).
Generally, nowadays the use of an apostrophe in these cases is omitted.
– To denote certain names especially of Celtic origin:
O’ Connor, O’ Sullivan.
It comes from the Irish O’-which means a grandson or descendant.
Mc’ Donald.
Here again, Mc is the contraction of Mac which means ‘son of.’
– It is important to remember that ‘its’ and ‘it’s’ are differently used.
‘Its’ is a personal pronoun and does not need an apostrophe. Whereas ‘it’s’ is a contraction of either ‘it
is’ or ‘it has’ and therefore it takes an apostrophe.
The child wants its (personal pronouns) toy.
It’s (it has) been a wonderful day.
Quotation Marks (“ ”/‘ ’) also known as quotes or inverted commas are used to enclose material
that is introduced into a text from outside it, such as quotations or words used by other people.
28 Business Communication

For example
The motto of the market was “Let the buyer beware”; now it is “Customer is king.”
There are two types of quotation marks single and double.
One can use either single or double quotation marks in enclosing introduced material. However, if you
begin the quotation using double quotation marks, you have to close it also with the same and vice
versa.
Both quotation marks are used in a single sentence when another quotation is inserted in the main
quotation.
For example
She asked, “Did he say ‘diseased’ or ‘deceased’?”
Some of the other functions of quotation marks are:
– to enclose cited words or expressions:
What is the difference between an “order” and a “decree”?
– to enclose expressions that the author does not take responsibility for:
In ‘good old days’ the women in this village walked several kilometers to fetch drinking water.
Brackets also known as parentheses are of two kinds:-
• Crescent shaped ( )
• Square shaped [ ].
Brackets are used to enclose certain contents, which the writer sets out apart so that the flow of the
sentence is not interrupted.
The contents set apart may be in the form of added information, like an explanation, an after thought,
a clarification, a comment, an illustration, or an expression of doubt, etc. For all these only round or
crescent shaped brackets are used.
A number of (unsuitable) candidates had sent in their applications.
On the basis of their usage, brackets have been divided into three types. They are:
Crescent brackets
Crescent brackets are used in the following:
– to enclose an abbreviation that is subsequently used in the text, e.g.
The Department of Company Affairs (DCA) issued a circular on the matter.
– to enclose a translation or equivalent expression, e.g.
The agreement was void ab initio (from the beginning).
– to enclose references from other topics in a text, e.g.
Example
As depicted in (Fig. 1.1) it is obvious that the process of communication is quite complex.
 Business Communication 29

– To enclose bibliographical references (square brackets can also be sometimes used in such cases).
Square Brackets are used to enclose words that are not usually intended to be the part of a sentence,
but only as an editorial or authorial interjection. They are also used at times to enclose parentheses
within another parentheses.
For example
I appreciate it [the honour], but I must refuse.
We have not received [Sic] your letter (editorial interjection).
Sarah and Tanisha [Sarah’s sister (as mentioned earlier)], went for a movie.
Other Brackets : The other types of brackets are:
*Brace brackets { } Example: Select your animal {goat, sheep, cow, horse} and come to the market.
*Angle brackets <> Example: I found it on Games.com <http://www.games.com./>.
These brackets are used only in specialised texts, mathematics and technical works.

Summary of Punctuations
Full Stop (.)
Comma (,)
Hyphen (-)
Semi colon (;)
Colon (:)
Apostrophe (’)
Quotation Marks (“ ”/‘ ’)
Crescent brackets ()
Square Brackets []
Brace brackets {}
Angle brackets <>

***
30 Business Communication

Lesson 2

ENRICHING
VOCABULARY

30
 Business Communication 31

INTRODUCTION
Enriching Vocabulary
Vocabulary is a person's own knowledge of words. It may be anyone, not necessary to be a just language
user and it is really very useful to have a good vocabulary because today we can't keep up without any
good treasury of words in our minds.

There are really many benefits that an enriched vocabulary can give to someone. The biggest benefit is the
impact on others. When you use a language with good words, it makes a positive impact on others. There
are many reasons why it is important to enrich your list of vocabulary words. Some of them are as follows:

• Building your vocabulary is important in reading comprehension.

• Building your vocabulary will improve your communication skills- verbal and written
communication skills will improve and you may be able to better understand another individual.

• Building your vocabulary may help improve your personal life, social life and professional life.

Good to know!!!
We should know the exact meaning of the words we propose to use.
Many words, which are listed as synonyms or words with the same
meaning have subtle differences. Consulting a good dictionary regularly
helps in building a good repertoire of vocabulary. It is equally important
to learn in what context a particular word can be used and what is its
exact meaning, e.g., “erudite” means “having or showing knowledge or
learning”.

You can say Mr. X was an erudite speaker, but you cannot say that Mr. X’s
speeches were erudite.

To enrich one’s vocabulary following topics are discussed in details below:

32 Business Communication

Choice of words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Homonyms
Vocabulary topics

Homophones

Single Word for Group of Words

(One word substitution)

Words frequently misspelt

Idioms and Phrases

Proverbs

Foreign words and phrases

commonly used

Abbreviations
 Business Communication 33

1. Choice of Words

The words you would choose to communicate with someone depend on the following factors:

• The range or repertoire of your vocabulary - Unless you know a word, you would not be able to
use it.
• Your audience or person you are communicating with - Firstly, you must assess the literacy level of
the audience or person. Then try to find out what kind of situation you are in – whether the
audience or person is senior or junior to you; whether you are formal or informal with them, etc.,
these considerations will help you greatly in the choice of words.
You could hardly use slang or a code word in describing a colleague in an official memo, Can you?
• Type of communication - Whether it is formal or informal, oral or written, these factors will also
influence your choice of words.
• The message you intend to convey - The urgency, disappointment, the level of accuracy required,
etc. can also be conveyed through the apt words. Therefore, these too will influence your choice
of words.
• Context and usage - Certain words can only be used in a particular context, and if they are used
otherwise, they would convey the wrong sense; hence influencing the choice of words.
• Regional or national differences in language or connotation also influence your choice of words
- ‘Liberal’ in Britain has a positive meaning. It means generous and open minded, whereas in
America it is used as a term of political abuse.
• Improving Vocabulary – Try and understand the root/etymology of the words. Good dictionaries
give all the changes that a root word can undergo.

To choose words that communicate clearly and with the appropriate tone, you should learn everything
possible about those with whom you wish to communicate and take into account any prior
correspondence with them. Then you should word your message so that it is easy for them to understand
it and respond favorably. Tailoring your message to your readers is not only strategically necessary, it is
also a sign of consideration for their time and energy. Everyone benefits when the message is clear and
appropriate to the correspondent’s situation.

Adaptation - The Best Strategy for Effective Wording

As with every other element of your messages, your choice of words needs to be guided by the
audience and its purpose. For example, knowing that your writing should be “clear and concise” is not
enough; What this means will depend a great deal on the situation. As we have suggested above, what
is clear for one person may not be clear for at all for another. People occupy different language
domains, and anything outside their domains will not be clear unless it is explained in their language.
As for conciseness, you must be careful not to sacrifice effectiveness for brevity. if you cut your
communications too short for your readers- for example, by omitting important details in a persuasive
message or critical information in a report- you have written an incomplete, not a concise message.

Tips for choosing the right words

However, some general points to remember in communication are:

• Simplicity : Simple language produces the best and the quickest response from everyone. But
one must try not to sacrifice precision or dignity. However, there are occasions when easy
34 Business Communication

comprehension must take a back seat. At times, long and unusual words have to be used because
they are more precise. For example, legal language is far from simple. Hence the legal draftsman
has to keep the complexity of the situation in mind. He may end up using complex language.

Using familiar words does not mean using colloquial English. Colloquial English is perfectly polite
and acceptable in informal conversation, but is avoided in formal writing. For example, haven’t,
won’t and can’t have no place in prose, unless you have reproduced the text of a conversation.

Apart from colloquialism, there is no set rule for using familiar words. The important thing is to
avoid a show of pedantry (an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning) and undesirable
complexity.

• Use familiar words : Use familiar words i.e., the words with sharp and clear meanings in the
mind. As words which are familiar to some people may be unfamiliar to others, so you will need to
select familiar words with care.

Specifically, using familiar words means using the language that is used by most of us in everyday
conversation. We should avoid stiff, more difficult words that do not communicate so precisely or
quickly. For example, instead of using the more unfamiliar word endeavor, use try. Instead of using
terminate use end.

The suggestion to use familiar words does not rule out the use of some more difficult words. You
should use them whenever their meanings fit your purpose best and your readers understand
them clearly. The mistake that many of us make is to overwork the more difficult words. We use
them so much that they interfere with our communication. A good suggestion is to use the
simplest words that carry the meaning without offending the readers’ intelligence.

• Jargon : Jargon is a language that is unique to a particular field of knowledge, e.g., science,
technology, art, trade or a profession. There is for instance legal jargon, military jargon, and
political jargon. For e.g. the word ‘Operation’ takes on different meanings depending on the
context in which it is used.

Should we avoid all jargon in our writing? The question is not easy to answer. Jargon has two
parts: One is the private language that only the persons in that particular field can understand. The
other is wider acceptance of certain words and phrases in the general language used by the
public. There cannot be any objection if this kind of jargon is used in writing.

• Avoid using superfluous words/Verbosity : Verbosity (an expressive style that uses excessive
or superfluous words) or using more words than necessary is a common weakness. The speaker/
writer uses more words than needed in the hope of diverting/retaining audiences. This tendency
is seen in writing too. It has been well defined as an extension of Parkinson’s Law-words increase in
number to fill the quantity of paper available. More words do not necessarily lead to greater clarity.
Nor do difficult and high sounding words lend weight to the argument. They obscure meaning
and tire the reader out.

• Choose short words : According to studies of readability, short words generally communicate
better than long words. Of course, part of the explanation is that short words tend to be familiar
words. But there is another explanation i.e. heavy use of long words, even long words that are
understood, leaves an impression of difficulty and hinders communication.

The suggestion that short words be chosen does not mean that all short words are easy and all
long words are hard. Many exceptions exist. Thus, you should concentrate on short words and
use long words with caution. Use long words only when you think your readers know it.
 Business Communication 35

• Select words for precise meaning : Writing requires considerable knowledge of the language
being used. But beyond basic familiarity with vocabulary, good writers possess a sensitivity to
words’ shades of meaning.

Knowledge of language enables you to use words that carry the meaning you want to
communicate. For example, fewer and less means the same to some people. But careful users
select fewer to mean “smaller numbers of items” and less to mean “reduced value, degree or
quantity”. Similarly, careful writers use continual to mean “repeated but broken succession” and
continuous to mean “unbroken succession”.

• Use Gender-neutral words : All too prevalent in today’s business communication are words
that discriminate by gender. Although this form of discrimination can be directed against men,
most instances involve discrimination against women because many of our words suggest male
superiority. This problem has evolved because our language developed in a society in which it
was customary for women to work in the home and for men to be breadwinners and decision
makers. As a result, our language displays this male dominance. For the reason of fair play and to
be in step with today’s society in which gender equality is the goal, you would do well to use
gender-neutral words. For example, the word Chairman refers to both sexes, yet it does not
sound that way. More appropriate and less offensive substitutes are chair, presiding officer,
moderator and chairperson.

In business today, men and women, the young and the old and people of all races work side by side
in roles of mutual respect. It would be unfair to use words that discriminate against any of them.

2. Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have very nearly the same meaning, for example:

(i) easy, simple, light, effortless, facile, smooth.

(ii) effort, exertion, pains, trouble,

(iii) elastic, flexible, supple, springy, resilient.

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find two words in English which have exactly the same
meaning and usage. Words that seem to be identical on a closer examination can be distinguished by
some shade of meaning or some manner of usage. Therefore, most of the time they cannot be
interchanged. Finding and knowing synonyms is helpful in the sense that it enhances your vocabulary
by increasing your stock of words. Moreover, it helps you to pick and choose the appropriate word
which alone can convey the proper meaning.

Begin, commence, start and initiate, are all synonyms which mean ‘to set something going or in progress’.
Begin is the most common word, commence is used on formal occasions, for court proceedings,
religious and other ceremonies and military operations; start suggests a setting out from a particular
point on a journey, course, etc.,often but not necessarily after an action or waiting; initiate implies
taking of the first step or steps as in a process.

You can say:

They started from their home. The ship has set out on its voyage.

If you use any other synonym in the place of ‘set out’ it would take on a different meaning. Two words
may look alike and yet there may be a slight shade of difference in their meaning.
36 Business Communication

Some examples –

Word Synonym Word Synonym

Adept proficient, skilled Abstain refrain, withhold

Abridge shorten, curtail Abundant plentiful, ample, copious
Accessory additional, auxiliary Achieve accomplish, execute, gain
Adept proficient, skilled Adequate sufficient, satisfactory
Adherent follower, disciple Admiration praise, approbation
Brisk lively, agile Callous hard, unsympathetic
Cordial gracious, congenial Captious censorious, hypercritical
Cogent valid, convincing Deteriorate degenerate, decline
Dexterity skill, deftness Didactic moralising, preach
Effete exhausted, worn-out Ephemeral transient, short-lived
Extravagant excessive, wasteful Fabricate concoct, contrive
Fatal deadly, disastrous Fastidious messy, fussy
Gaiety festivity, merriment Gigantic colossal, huge
Hazardous dangerous, risky Inadvertent careless, unplanned, unintentional
Insidious astute, cunning Judicious sensible, prudent, wise
Malice ill will, spite Morbid morose, sickly
Negligent careless, lax Obtuse dull, stupid, blunt
Onerous burdensome, oppressive Panegyric eulogy, encomium
Penury want, poverty Reticent silent, reserved

Ruinous destructive, wreckful Sterile barren, infertile

Thrive prosper, flourish Urbane cosmopolitan, suave, cultured

Wholesome healthy, sound, healing Yearn crave, pine

Zenith summit, culmination

3. Antonyms

Antonym is a word opposite or contrary in meaning to another word.

As has already been noted that there are no true synonyms, that is, no two words mean exactly the
same thing. There is often some shade of difference in the meaning. In most cases exact meaning or
appropriateness of a word depends upon the context in which it is used. It being so, a word may have
more than one antonym.
 Business Communication 37

Example : The antonym of soft that comes at once to mind is hard. But there are many other possibilities.

Soft drinks against hot drinks

Soft colour against bright colour

Soft tones against weird tones

Soft texture against rough texture

Soft light against glaring lights

Similarly the opposite of

A slender cane would be a thick cane,

A slender man would be a fat man,

A slender chance would be a bright chance.

Some examples of Antonyms:

Word Antonym Word Antonym

Ability Inability Able Unable

Abnormal Normal Accurate Inaccurate
Bankrupt Solvent Economical Extravagant
Diligent Dilatory/lazy Economical Extravagant
Emigrant Immigrant Explicit Implicit
Exit Entrance/Enter Fact Fiction
Flattery Criticism Flexible Rigid
Fresh Stale Genuine Spurious
Growth Decline/Stagnation Haste Slowness
Hope Despair Humble Proud
Idle Busy Import Export
Inferior Superior Loud Quiet/Soft
Meager Plentiful Narrow Broad
Native Foreign Omission Addition/Inclusion
Oral Written Original Duplicate
Outward Inward Peace War
Quick Slow
38 Business Communication

4. Homophone
The word, homo, means “same,” and phone means “sound.” Homophones are two words that sound
the same, but have different meanings. For example, the words two – too, ate – eight, there-their, in-
inn, ring-wring or more difficult, like principal-principle, stationary stationery, except-accept. These are
called homonyms. These words have to be cautiously used while writing.
Some more examples:

(1) Access, Excess

Access : The workers could access the manager freely. (approach)

Excess : The production is far in excess to the target. (more than)

(2) Advice, Advise

Advice is a noun the end-sound is-s.

Anyone can offer advice.

Advise is a verb and the end sound is-z.

My father advised me to work hard.

(3) Ate, Eight

Ate is the simple past tense of the verb “to eat.”

I ate an entire pizza and now I’m really full and tired.

Eight is noun, the number after seven and before nine.

Charles will wake up at eight o’clock tomorrow morning.

(4) Bare, Bear

Bare (adjective): If something is bare, it means that it’s not covered or not decorated.

Tom likes to walk around his house in bare feet. He says it’s more comfortable than wearing shoes.

Bear (noun): A large mammal.

When you go camping, you should be careful to not leave any food or anything with a scent in
your tent because they can attract bears.

(5) Cell, sell

Cell (noun): A cell is a small area or room, usually in a prison. A cell can also be one of the smallest
divisions of a living organism.

The prisoner spent 10 years in his cell.

To sell (verb): To exchange a product or service for money. Like “buy,” it was probably one of the
first verbs you learned.
 Business Communication 39

We would like to sell our car, but we don’t think we’d get very much money for it.
5. Homonym
There’s another word that begins with homo-, which speakers often confuse with homophone is
known as homonym. Again, the word homo- means “same,” but – nym means “name.” A homonym is
a single word (with one spelling) that has more than one meaning.
An example of a homonym is the word “bear.” You probably know about the animal called a “bear,” but
the word “bear” can also be a verb that means to tolerate. For example, “I’m so nervous about watching
this game, I can’t bear to watch the last minute!”
Some more examples:
Address – Address
I can give you the address of a good attorney.
That letter was addressed to me.
Band – Band
The band was playing old Beatles songs.
She always ties her hair back in a band.
Bat – Bat
I am afraid of bats.
It’s his first time at bat in the major leagues.
Match – Match
If you suspect a gas leak do not strike a match or use electricity.
Her fingerprints match those found at the scene of the crime.
Mean – Mean

What does this sentence mean?

He needed to find a meaning between frankness and rudeness.

Right – Right

I’m sure I’m right.

Take a right turn at the intersection.

6. Single Word for Group of Words
The skill to substitute a single word for many helps the speaker/writer express himself/ herself better.
Some examples are:
Greed - Inordinate desire to gain and hoard wealth Avarice
That which cannot be taken by force Impregnable
One who learns a subject as a hobby Amateur
That which can be easily broken. Fragile
40 Business Communication

To show indecision/to sway to and fro in a decision Vacillate

Pleasant sound Euphony
Deliberate killing of whole community or race Genocide
The place where an aeroplane is housed Hangar
A person who is dissatisfied and is inclined to rebel Malcontent
To pretend to be sick in order to avoid work Malinger
One of a race or tribe who has no fixed location and
wanders from place to place Nomad
The study or collection of coins, bank notes and medals Numismatics
A blood feud started by murder-seeking vengence Vendetta
A person who deliberately damages private or public property Vandal

7. Words Frequently Misspelled

According to the Oxford Dictionary, spelling is hard and misspellings are not only common, but also
awkward in professional contexts.
When you receive an email or document with spelling errors, it is difficult to trust the person sending
it. Correct spelling used in written communication shows the attention as well as level of education of
the person sending it.
There are a lot of tricky spelling rules in the English language. Following is a list of some of the most
commonly misspelled words.
Some examples:

Correct word Commonly misspelt as

absence abcense, absance
accommodate accomodate
achieve acheive
calendar calender
liaison liason
receipt reciept
tomorrow tommorow, tomorow

Spellings and Pronounciation

English is an infamously difficult language to spell and pronounce. Students are often bewildered by the
seemingly anarchic sound/spelling system of English. There often seem to be more exceptions than the
rules, and the mastery of accurate spelling and pronunciation appears a daunting and demotivating task.

Though there is a relationship between a sound and the way it is expressed in writing, the same sound is
often conveyed through different spellings.
 Business Communication 41

For example
The sound in the middle of words ‘steep’ and ‘breach’ is the same and phonetically shown as [i] in the
dictionary.
The letter ‘a’ may be pronounced in several different ways. In words like brag, flap, grab, have, etc, the
sound is phonetically shown as [ae], in barge, false, half, ask, etc. as [a:], in words may, tray, stay, way, etc.
as [ei], and in call, flaw, raw, talk, etc. as [o:].
Good dictionaries also have a phonetic chart, which helps to learn the correct pronunciation of different
words.
Specialized dictionaries of pronunciation are also available for consultation.
Spelling Errors
Adequate care should be taken to spell words correctly in all communications so that you are able to
communicate effectively and impressively.
Spelling errors are common when :
(i) certain alphabets/letters are repeated in a word. For example, tomorrow, occasion, beginning,
profession, etc.
(ii) one has to sometimes choose between ‘ei’ and ‘ie’. For example, receive and believe. It is interesting
to note that we always use ‘ei’ after ‘c’ (conceive, deceive, perceive, etc.) and ‘ie’ in the rest
(achieve, chief, convenience, etc.)
(iii) ‘e’ can be either dropped or retained when changing the root word. For example, true changes
into truly but sincere changes into sincerely.
(iv) an extra letter at times alters the meaning of the word. For example, lose and loose.
(v) when noun and verb forms of the same word have different spellings. For example, advice/advise
or practice/practise.
(vi) words have the same pronunciation but different spellings. For example, whether/weather, brake/
break, there/their.
(vii) when a choice has to be made between ise(merchandise, enterprise, franchise, etc.) and ‘ize’
(size, prize, etc.). Some words are spelt differently by the Britishers and Americans, the latter prefer
‘z’ over ‘s’,
e.g. criticise/criticize, realise/realize, recognise/recognize, etc. Though both the spellings are
acceptable, one should stick to either ‘s’ or ‘z’ for the sake of consistency.
(viii) when a word similarly spelt has two variants with different meanings in past and past participle
forms. For example:
Lie-lied-lied
Lie-lay-laid.
Stress and Rhythm
A syllable is the minimum rhythmic sound of a spoken language. A word may have one or more syllables.
For example, there is only one syllable in fame, name, claim, train, etc., two in address, confess, redress,
transgress, and three in credentials, sacrifice, tarpaulin, etc., four in retribution, satisfaction, transatlantic
and even five in words like conglomeration.
42 Business Communication

Good to know!!!
Dictionaries generally show the main stress marks by putting the symbol
/’/ above and before the stressed syllable e.g. re’port. It is also important
to know that the same word when used as a noun, is stressed differently
e.g. ‘re port. Only one syllable in a word carries the main stress; other
syllables are unstressed.

In order to achieve good and clear speech, we must learn to recognize the stressed syllable in a word.
Abbreviations
Abbreviations are the shortened form of a word, phrase or text.
Usually one uses abbreviations of words or names in private letters, while taking notes in between lectures
or noting down some important points, thoughts, etc., as a means of saving time and also to be able to
understand text at a later time.
However, in formal writing it is best to use only well-known abbreviations that are understood by all and are
infrequent practice.
For example:
Etc. is the widely used abbreviation for ‘etcetera’, whereas someone may be in the habit of using ‘eta’ as an
abbreviation for the same word, which only that person would understand to mean ‘etcetera’. Hence,
such practice in formal writing should be avoided.

Types of Abbreviation
– the first letters of two/three words or names are used to form an abbreviation. For example:
M.A. (Master of Arts)
P.M. (Post Meridiem)
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
In the examples given above abbreviations can be used without the full stop also, according to the
emerging trend.
Ms (Manuscript)
However, a shortening of a word can be used with a full stop at the end Prof., Capt., Maj., Gen.
– Acronyms are words formed from the initial letters of other words. UNICEF (United Nations
International Children Emergency Fund)
FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
Note that these acronyms do not take on full stops in between and are frequently pronounced as
a word.
Some abbreviations can be used with or without a full stop at the end, e.g.
– the first and last letters of a single word.

Mr./Mr (Mister)

Dr./Dr (Doctor)
 Business Communication 43

– Scientific terms

Weights and measures are used both in full form as well as in abbreviated form.

Kg, lb, m, amp, ft, yd, mph.

– Chemical symbols

Abbreviated words are also used as chemical symbols, such as:

Ca (Calcium), H (Hydrogen), NaCl (Sodium Chloride), H2O (Water).

Plural in Abbreviations

– The general rule to make an abbreviation plural is to repeat the same alphabet, such as: P-page, pp-
pages

– It can be made plural by adding an ‘s’ if the abbreviation is of more than one alphabet, such as:
MAs,MPs, Capts

However, there are some exceptions to these rules, e.g.:

– ’Mr.’ which is ‘Messrs’ in plural and cannot obviously become Mrs.

– Abbreviations of scientific terms denote both singular and plural in the same form, for example:

1Kg. 4Kg., etc.

– To introduce a possessive relationship in an abbreviation apostrophe ‘s’ is added to the abbreviation.

For example:

M.P.’s or MP’s-These should not be mistaken as the plural of MP.

Idioms and Phrases

A simple word like go is a part of a child’s vocabulary, so much so that the primitive bushman had an
equivalent for it in his language. But look at the following sentences:

(i) Ever got a Mumbai number at first go?

(ii) He is always on the go.

‘Go’ is no longer a simple word from a child’s vocabulary.

Take ‘fall’-the sparrow’s fall, and the Roman Empire’s fall, and so on. Now combine ‘go’ with another simple
word ‘down’. Look at ‘the boxer going down on the first count. In the company of ‘down’, ‘go’ has changed
beyond recognition. There is more to it. Think of Churchill who would go down in history as the man who
saved England from total collapse. This time the meaning has changed without ‘go’ forming a new alliance.

A literal translation of this two-word combination ‘go down’ will not help. And this happens very often with
many words in English. ‘Go down’ has to be understood in its own right and in its particular context. This is
an ‘idiom’ which the dictionary defines ‘as the form of expression peculiar to a language.’

As such idioms are not peculiar to English language alone, they are found in other languages as well. But,
as already said, they cannot be transliterated [to change (letter, words, etc.)] into corresponding characters of
another alphabet or language] from one language to another. All such combinations of words used in a
peculiar fashion are called idiomatic expressions.
44 Business Communication

A Phrase is a group of words, a part of the sentence which does not make a complete sentence, but has an
independent meaning and makes some sense: on the hill, about town, under the tree, etc.
A phrase is quite often equivalent to an adjective, adverb or noun. We would here, however, confine
ourselves to phrases which are used idiomatically.
In the language itself, therefore, idioms are the source of sparkle and polish. Very often an idiomatic
expression has no exact equivalent in the language itself. Take for example, ‘bring up’. We know by long
usage what it means. And yet the dictionary meaning ‘rear’ is at best a poor substitute for it.
The list below is by no means exhaustive. Even so it is fairly long. A glance at them will brush up your
memory. You would come across these expressions, and need them yourself, quite often in your career. Use
of idiomatic expressions in writing enriches your language.
Some Verbal Idioms
We shall begin with idioms, each consisting of a verb and a preposition. A single verb can give us a number
of idiomatic expressions by attaching different prepositions to itself. For example, turn out (to expel), turn
up (to appear at some place), turn down (to reject some request or appeal), etc. You may have become
familiar with the usage of most of the verbal idioms. To refresh your memory here are just a few:
1. Beat back (compelled to retreat) The firemen were beaten back by the flames and the building was
reduced to ashes.
2. Boil down to (to amount to) His entire argument boiled down to the fact that he would not join
the movement unless he saw some monetary gain in it.

3. Cast aside (to reject, to throw aside) People normally cast aside truth and honesty for immediate
gains.

4. Cut off with a shilling (to give someone a mere trifle in the will) The father was so angry with the son
over his marriage that he cut him off with a shilling.

5. Gloss over (to ignore) Even if you are an important person your faults cannot be glossed over.

6. Labour under (to suffer from some disadvantage or distress) Let us not labour under the delusion
that our friends will come to our aid in times of difficulty.

7. Play off against (to set one party against another for one’s own advantage). It best serves the
interests of the super powers to play off one poor nation against another.

8. Pull one through (to recover, to help one recover) Armed with the latest medicines, the doctor
will pull him through.
Idiomatic expressions in which the principal word is the verb
1. Cast a slur upon (by word or act cast a slight reproach on someone) Many a men cast a slur on
their own good name by some mean act.
2. To catch a Tartar (to encounter a strong adversary) When Hitler marched on to Russia he hardly
knew that he would catch a Tartar in the tough people of that country.
3. To cut the Gordian knot (to remove a difficulty by bold or unusual measures) The Indian Parliament
threw out the Bill for Abolition of Privy Purses. The Government cut the Gordian knot by abolishing
the purses through a Presidential Ordinance.
4. To fall to someone’s lot (to become someone’s responsibility) It has fallen to the lot of the eldest
brother to pay off the debts of the father.
 Business Communication 45

5. To get the upper hand or to get the better of (to prevail over) Hari got the better of Suresh in the
Degree Examination.
6. To give someone the slip (to dodge someone who is looking for you) The police had nearly
arrested the dacoits when the latter gave them the slip and hid himself in the Chambal ravines.
7. A give and take policy (a policy of mutual concessions) A give and take policy alone can restore
peace between India and Pakistan.
8. To go to rack and ruin (reach a state of despair through neglect) If a big war comes, our economy
will go to rack and ruin.
9. To have a bone to pick with (to have a difference with a person that has not yet been fully expressed)
The extreme leftists have a bone to pick with the police and if ever they come to power.
10. To have the whip hand (to have a position of power or control) Even after the split in the party he
has the whip hand in the party.
11. To have too many irons in the fire (to have so much work in hand that some part of it is either left
undone or done very badly) His performance is poor because he has too many irons in the fire.
12. To have the right ring (to be genuine) The Americans’ pronouncements of world peace do not
usually have the right ring.
13. To have an axe to grind (have personal interests to serve) Bigger nations supply arms to the smaller
ones primarily because the former has their own axe to grind.
14. To keep a thing to oneself, to keep one’s own counsel (to be silent about one’s intentions) A great
leader must ultimately keep his own counsel.
15. To keep the wolf from the door (to keep away extreme poverty and hunger) Lakhs of people in
India still have to fight daily to keep the wolf from the door.
16. To make short work of (to bring to a sudden end) The locusts made short work of the standing ripe
corn.
17. To make amends (to compensate or make up for a wrong doing) By being polite today, he has
made amends for his past insolence.
18. To make common cause (to unite in order to achieve a shared aim) During the elections the
princes made a common cause with the rightist parties. Both went down.
19. To make a virtue of necessity (Pretend or believe that something which one is obliged to do or
accept is good for one’s character, moral development, etc.) When a Minister knows that he is
going to be booted out of the cabinet he makes a virtue of necessity and resigns ‘on health
grounds’.
20. To make much ado about nothing (to make a great fuss about a trifle) Crying over the loss of ten
rupees is really making much ado about nothing.
21. To make a cat’s paw or a tool of someone (to use someone as a means of achieving one’s goal) The
super powers have made a cat’s paw of the smaller nations of Asia in their game of power politics.
22. To put the cart before the horse (reverse the proper order or procedure) Preparing the blue print
of a project without analysing market potential is like putting the cart before the horse.
23. To rise to the occasion (show the daring, imagination etc., which fits a particular occasion) A flood
threatened to burst the reservoir but the villagers rose to the occasion and did not relax till they
had made all secure.
46 Business Communication

24. To set store on (to consider to be of a particular degree of importance) India did set much store on
the Indo Soviet Treaty of friendship.
25. To set one’s own house in order (to arrange one’s affairs harmoniously) Let Pakistan set his own
house in order before talking about the welfare of the Kashmiris.
26. To take the bull by the horns (deal decisively with a difficult or unpleasant situation) The doctor
had to take the bull by the horns by deciding to amputate the patient’s leg in order to save his life.
27. To take a leap in the dark (take a risky action/step in the hope that it is right) You took a leap in the
dark in going into partnership with that man.
28. To throw cold water upon (to discourage someone from doing something) The doctor threw
cold water upon my plans for a world tour by declaring that I would not be able to stand the strain
of it.
29. To throw in the sponge/towel (to give up a contest/acknowledge defeat) Faced with stiff competition
from big companies, many small companies throw in the sponge.
30. To turn the tables (gain an advantage after having been at a disadvantage) Pakistan started with a
blitzkrieg but the superior tactics of our armed forces soon turned the tables on them.
Miscellaneous Idiomatic expressions formed with the help of verbs
1. To cook or doctor an account/a book (to tamper with or falsify the facts of figures/ accounts) From
the balance sheet presented to the shareholders, the company seemed to be flourishing, but later
on it turned out that the management had cooked the accounts.
2. To bear the brunt of (to bear the main force or shock of) The infantry forces have to bear the brunt
of a battle.
3. To beard the lion in his den (to oppose or challenge someone in his stronghold place) The Indian
Army broke through strong Pakistan fortifications, and in the Shakargarh area bearded the lion in
his own den.
4. To blunt the edge of (to make something less effective) Time blunts the edge of grief.
5. To burn the candle at both ends (to make too great a demand on one’s physical or mental
resources by overwork or overindulgence in some activity) In any kind of job, especially academic,
you cannot afford to burn the candle at both ends, if you want to be productive every day.
6. To cross the Rubicon (to take an important action or step that cannot be reversed) The Government
will have to think of many things before nationalising the textile industry for once they cross the
Rubicon there will be no going back.
7. To curry favour (to win favour by gifts or flattery/try to flatter) He was trying to curry favour with the
boss by offering him an expensive gift.
8. To flog a dead horse (waste one’s energies on a lost cause) We will be flogging a dead horse if we
try to make Sanskrit the national language of India.
9. To feather one’s nest (to provide for oneself through dishonest means) Many bureaucrats feather
their own nest while they have the opportunity.
10. To eat humble pie (to have to humiliate oneself) Since no one came to his support he had to eat
humble pie and give in to their demands.
11. To eat one’s words (to retract one’s assertions under compulsion) It is hard for a haughty man to
have to eat his words.
 Business Communication 47

12. To throw down the gauntlet, to take up the gauntlet (to issue a challenge, to accept a challenge).
In order to defend his title the young Brazilian wrestler threw down the gauntlet.
13. To run the gauntlet (to undergo severe criticism or ill treatment) Most books have to run the
gauntlet of the literary critics.
14. To burn one’s fingers (to get oneself into trouble through miscalculation/ foolishness) If you’ve
never played the stock market in the past this is not the time to start, as you are likely to burn your
fingers.

15. To force one’s hand (to compel one to do something unwillingly or earlier than when one wished
to do it) The Government wanted to do all that it could to meet the workers’ demands. But the
violence by the strikers forced their hands to declare a lockout.

16. To haul over the coals (reproach/reprimand someone severely) If your bad habits become known,
you will get hauled over the coals and you richly deserve it too.

17. To let the grass grow under your feet (to unnecessarily cause a delay in taking action) The authorities
should listen to students’ grievances. If they let the grass grow under their feet the situation would
turn from bad to worse.

18. To lord it over someone (to behave in a superior or domineering manner with someone) The
intoxication of power is so strong that when a man gains it he begins to lord it over his fellows.

19. To mind one’s P’s and Q’s (to be punctiliously careful about one’s speech or behaviour) The
manager suspects his chief clerk of dishonesty, and if the clerk does not mind his P’s and Q’s, he will
soon find himself out of job.
20. To pass muster (to be accepted as satisfactory) Though my work in college was not as good as it
could have been, it passed muster and I got good results.
21. To pay one back in one’s own coin (to give tit for tat; to retaliate) Howsoever revengeful you may
be, unless you are strong enough you cannot pay him back in his own coin.
22. To plough a lonely furrow (to work without help or support) In the organised society of today no
individual or nation can plough a lonely furrow.
23. To rest on one’s laurels (to rest satisfied with one’s achievement and make no further efforts) Even
if he wins the biggest award, a film star will never rest on his laurels. He will try to reach greater
heights of stardom.
24. To harp on the same string (to keep repeating the same things over and over again) This gentleman
keeps harping on the same string that he is from Oxford and deserves the best.
25. To rise like a phoenix from its ashes (the phoenix is a mythical Arabian bird. It had no mate but
when it was about to die, it made a funeral pile of wood and aromatic gums and burned itself to
ashes on it. From the ashes a young phoenix is believed to have risen; to rise up to former glory
after being totally destroyed) Germany was completely decimated in the Second World War. But it
has risen like a phoenix from its ashes.
26. To rule the roost (be the one who directs others in a business, community, household, etc.) In rural
areas, it is normally the Sarpanch who rules the roost.
27. To scatter to the winds (to waste (i) to scatter) Whatever we had gained by independence we
scattered to the wind.
28. To see which way the wind blows (to observe what influence, whether it is favourable or adverse,
48 Business Communication

is likely to affect the existing state of things) In party-politics people sitting on the fence keep on
watching which way the wind is blowing before deciding whom to support.
29. To see a thing through coloured spectacles (to regard something unfavourably because of one’s
prejudices)
30. Pakistan has for long looked at India through coloured spectacles and never trusted even the
most genuine of her peace moves.
31. To see through something (to understand the true nature of something beneath deceptive
appearances) They saw through the game of the enemy.
32. To speak volumes about (to have abundant evidence about something) The success of democracy
in India speaks volumes about the maturity of her people.
33. To split hair (quibble or argue on minor points) As the drought played havoc in Bihar, the authorities
were busy splitting hair trying to decide whether there was ‘scarcity conditions’ or ‘famine’.
34. To steal a march on (to do something so as to gain an advantage over another) While we were still
debating the desirability of joint ventures with foreign concerns, Singapore and Malaysia stole a
march over us and opened their gates to foreign investment in a big way.
35. To stick at nothing (behave in an unscrupulous way to get what one wants) An ambitious politician
will stick at nothing if that serves high ends.
36. To strain every nerve (to use one’s utmost efforts) We have to strain every nerve to get over the
poverty line.
37. To stretch a point (to extend a regulation/definition to cover something not included in it) Targetting
small bakeries as part of the drive to move polluting industries from residential areas to industrial
ones is stretching the point a little too far.
38. To strike while the iron is hot (to take immediate advantage of an opportunity) By going in for
general elections immediately after the war, the Congress struck while the iron was hot.
39. To talk shop (to discuss matters connected with one’s trade or profession) During tea breaks at any
seminar you will always find the participants talking shop.
40. To tie somebody’s hands (to restrict somebody’s activities) Although the management was aware
about the severe financial crisis one of their employees was going through, it could not pass the
loan for its hands were tied by the Company’s policy.
41. To throw mud at (to talk ill of) Some people specialise in throwing mud at others.
Idiomatic phrases formed by the combination of a noun and an adjective each, noun phrases and
adverbial phrases
1. Bad blood (ill will towards each other, enmity) There has been bad blood between India and
Pakistan since 1947.
2. A bone of contention (subject of dispute) Kashmir continues to be a bone of contention between
India and Pakistan.
3. A bosom friend/pal (A very intimate and trusted friend) Bosom friends never betray one another.
4. Like a bull in a China shop (someone who is too clumsy, rough, coarse, etc. to suit his/her
surroundings and company or to handle a delicate situation) Don’t let him handle the labour
problem, with his short tempered nature he will only be like a bull in a China shop and worsen the
situation.
 Business Communication 49

5. A cold comfort (inadequate consolation) The mere promise of a better future is only cold comfort
to the frustrated youth of today.
6. Creature comforts (material comforts that contribute to physical ease and well-being) A poor
labourer is more concerned about creature comforts than spiritual development.
7. A dog in the manger (a person who prevents others from having things that he does not need
himself)) The affluent nations follow a dog in the manger policy. They would rather destroy what
they can’t use themselves than give it to the poor nations of Asia and Africa.
8. Elbow room (adequate space to move or work in) Too many rules and red-tapism hardly gives one
elbow room to try out new methods that might prove more profitable for an organisation.
9. A fair-weather friend (a friend who deserts you in difficulties) A fair-weather friend disappears the
moment your money disappears.
10. French leave (absence from work or duty without permission) Don’t take too many French leaves
now, it will mar your chances for a promotion.
11. Good offices (influence) One can get a good job only through the good offices of someone in
power.
12. A herculean task (a job requiring greater effort) Eradication of poverty is a herculean task requiring
the collective efforts of the entire country.
13. Lynch law (Mob law, law administered by private individuals and followed by summary execution)
In African countries they often resort to lynch law to punish criminals.
14. A maiden speech (the first speech of a new member in a public body as in Town Hall or in Parliament)
Every MP looks forward to his maiden speech because it is an opportunity for him to make a good
impression.
15. A nine-day wonder (a person or event that attracts a lot of notice for a short time but is soon
forgotten) The controversy of the match-fixing charges in the cricket match was but a nine-day
wonder.
16. The rising generation (the young people). The rising generation is quite techno-savvy.
17. Scot free (without suffering any punishment or injury) Because he had influential connections,
the culprit went scot free.
18. A sheet anchor (a dependable person, or thing relied upon in the last resort) In times of immense
strain and problems, one’s family and friends are one’s sheet anchor who keeps one from giving in.
19. Tall talk (boastful language) If we have no real accomplishments, we indulge in tall talk to delude
ourselves and others too.
20. A white elephant (something expensive to maintain) I had to dispose off the car as it turned out to
be a white elephant.
21. A white lie (a harmless lie told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings) His white lie that everything
was alright with him, helped soothe his agitated mother, who had heard that he had met with an
accident.
22. A wild-goose chase (a useless search, investigation or enterprise) The hoaxer had sent the police
on a wild-goose chase.
23. An apple of discord (a subject of dispute/rivalry) Kashmir continues to be the apple of discord
between India and Pakistan.
50 Business Communication

24. The gift of the gab (eloquence, fluency in speech) The gift of the gab invariably makes for a successful
politician.
25. The ins and outs (the full details, intricacies, complications of a thing) We are yet to learn the ins
and outs of the Mao-Nixon agreement.
26. The lion’s share (an unfairly large share) The big nations continue to have the lion’s share of world
trade.
27. The three R’s (mastery in reading, writing and arithmetic) The three R’s have been the main focus
of primary education for many decades now.

28. Penelope’s web (a work which seems to be going on and yet never comes to an end) A housewife’s
chores are a Penelope’s web.

29. The powers that be (any governmental, legislative, managerial body) Unless you agitate against
powers that be, they will never do anything for your welfare.

30. The pros and cons (various points or arguments for and against someone or something) Before
taking a major decision it is always best to weigh its pros and cons.

31. By the skin of one’s teeth (narrowly escape or avoid by a small margin) The storm broke up the ship
but the sailors escaped by the skin of their teeth.

32. A storm in a tea cup (a great fuss over a trifle) The commotion over the bomb explosion turned out
to be a storm in a tea cup; it was a Diwali cracker burst by an urchin.

33. Null and void (invalid, valueless, no longer in force) The court declared the appointment of the
managing director by ‘X’ limited null and void.

Prepositional and other Phrases in English used with the verb “to be”

1. To be worth its weight in gold (extremely valuable) In the desert a bottle of water is often worth its
weight in gold.

2. To be Greek or double Dutch to one (unintelligible, incomprehensible language) He spoke so fast

that all he said was double Dutch to the audience.

3. To be at sea (confused, uncertain) I am quite at sea as for as economics is concerned.

4. To be at sixes and sevens (in a state of confusion or disarray) I haven’t had time to arrange
everything, so I’m all at sixes and sevens.
5. To be at one’s wits end (be completely at a loss as to what to do) With the master shouting from the
bathroom and the mistress from the kitchen the servant was at his wits end as to who to attend first.
6. To be in the doldrums (feeling depressed; in low spirits or depression) He has been in the doldrums
ever since his wife left him.
7. To be on the wane (becoming weaker or less vigorous) After the Second World War, the British
rule was on the wane.
8. To be on the carpet (being severely reprimanded by someone in authority) The unpunctual clerk
was repeatedly on the carpet.
9. To be on one’s last leg (near the end of life, usefulness or existence) With the increasing use of
computers in offices, it seems the typewriter is at its last leg.
 Business Communication 51

Idiomatic expression belonging to particular subject

(i) Money, debt, business, etc.

1. Ready money or cash (money immediately available for use) Earlier it was time consuming to
withdraw cash. Today ATMs provide ready money in no time.

2. Bad debts (debts regarded as irrecoverable) Every year the company compiles a list of bad debts
and writes them off.

3. In short supply (not easily available) Sugar is in short supply because of the strike in sugar mills.

4. To bring a thing under the hammer (to sell something by auction) If a person goes insolvent, his
creditors bring everything that he owns under the hammer to recover their money.

5. To drive a hard bargain (insist on the best possible price when negotiating with somebody) The
Sheikh drove a hard bargain while selling oil to western countries.

6. To pay one’s way (earn enough to cover one’s expenses) While at college, he paid his way by
working as a newspaper vendor.

(ii) Warfare

7. To take something by storm (to capture a place by sudden and violent attack) The men mounted
an all out attack from air and land and soon took the enemy country by storm.

8. To strike one’s flag or colours or to show the white (to surrender) After the army surrounded their
hiding place, the terrorists showed the white and were thereafter captured.

(iii) Sea and ships

Many of the expressions belonging to this group are used metaphorically, i.e., in areas other than that
to which they belong.

9. To weather the storm (to come out of a crisis successfully) In a crisis it is unity which helps a nation
to weather the storm.

10. To sail before the wind (sail in the direction in which the wind is blowing or act in a safe way) An
opportunist is one who sails before the wind (Its opposite is to sail close to the wind, i.e., behave or
operate in a risky way).

11. To cast anchor (to settle in a place for the time being) After travelling around the world, he finally
cast anchor in Paris because he liked the city.

12. To give a broadside (a naval phrase meaning to charge at once at an enemy by arranging all the
guns along one side of a ship. Metaphorically it means to make a vigorous attack upon an opponent)
The Prime Minister bore all criticism with patience and then gave a broadside that silenced all
criticism.

13. To be in the same boat (be in the same difficult circumstances as others) In a nuclear war, the rich
and the poor nations will be in the same boat. None will be able to protect itself.

14. To take the wind out of one’s sails (upset or disturb an overconfident or pompous person) Before
he goes any further, confronts him with the evidence of his wrongdoings and take the wind out of
his sails.
52 Business Communication

(iv) Fire, light, candles

15. The game is not worth the candle (the advantage or enjoyment to be gained is not worth the time
spent in gaining it) Journey to the moon is an elaborate and costly affair and some people with a
pragmatic approach feel the game is not worth the candle.

16. Not hold a candle to something or someone (be inferior to someone) She writes quite amusing
stories but she can’t hold a candle to the more serious novelists.

(v) Death

All the phrases given below mean, ‘to dies a natural death’ as opposed to a violent or sudden death
(from murder, in accident or in battle-field, etc.). These phrases also apply to death after a long illness.

To pass away, to go the way of all flesh, to breathe one’s last, to be gathered to one’s fathers, to join the
great majority, to kick the bucket.

Proverbs

Proverbs contain home truths as well as universal truths. Naturally, therefore, they are translatable-so far as
their meaning goes from one developed language to another. Their appeal is direct. Many of them had
their origin in folk literature; hence they are simple and unadorned. They point out the incongruities
(inappropriateness) of situations in life, throw light on the diversity in human life and character, and
contain a grain of advice to the wayward, the forlorn and the common folk. They are everyman’s philosophy.
Every one of them tells a story in a single sentence. In fact, most of them have some history- legendary or
real-behind them. Some of them are gems from the works of great masters, like Shakespeare, Dryden and
Aesop, the Greek fable writer. Others go back to antiquity. Many of them come out of the Bible. Their
meaning, often enough, is quite clear. Here are some proverbs with their meanings:

1. Hope springs eternal in the human breast (one never loses hope).

2. Better late than never.

3. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. (Said of reckless persons).

4. There is no fool like an old fool. (An aged lover).

5. A fool and his money are soon parted.

6. Example is better than precept. (Precept means moral instruction).

7. He who pays the piper calls the tune. (One has to act according to the wishes of one’s master).

8. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. (Said of something impossible).

9. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

10. Birds of a feather flock together. (People of like character come together).

11. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

12. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. (What is good for one may be harmful for another
person).

13. Out of the frying pan into the fire. (From one trouble to another bigger trouble).

14. It never rains but pours.

 Business Communication 53

15. The last straw breaks the camel’s back. (The smallest addition to an already heavy task or burden
makes it intolerable).
16. Fore-warned is fore-armed. (A prior warning should prepare one for the contingency).
17. To err is human; to forgive, divine.
18. Out of sight, out of mind. (Once you lose sight of a thing, you forget it altogether).
19. Distance lends enchantment to the view. (Things look nice and beautiful when they are not within
reach).
20. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. (Be revengeful).
21. Haste makes waste.
22. Look before you leap. (Do not be reckless and impulsive).
23. Make hay while the sun shines. (To make full use of the given opportunity).
24. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. (There can be no choice about things given in charity or gift).
25. Beggars can’t be choosers.
26. Nearer the Church, the farther from God. (The more opportunities you have the less you benefit
from them).
27. Two heads are better than one.
28. None but the brave deserve the fair.
29. All is well that ends well.
30. To rob Peter to pay Paul. (To harm one person [or side] in order to benefit the other).
31. Rome was not built in a day. (Things take time to complete and to mature).
32. One swallow does not make a summer.
33. You can’t have the cake and eat it too.
34. Every man for himself and God for us all.
35. To hit the nail on the head.
Foreign Words and Phrases
English has borrowed generously from other languages, more so from Latin, Greek, French and German.
Many of the borrowed words have been anglicised and today are an integral part of English vocabulary in
their original or modified form, e.g., restaurant, rapport, viva voce. There are many other expressions
which are liberally used in English and yet continue to retain their foreign flavour. They are still outsiders
and, in print, are italicised.
Some examples given below are of a technical nature pertaining to law, philosophy, politics and ‘officialdom’.
The language of origin is indicated after the word or phrase within brackets. Here ‘L’ stands for ‘Latin’; ‘F’ for
‘French’ and ‘G’ for ‘Greek’.
ab initio (L) : from the beginning
ab origin (L) : from the origin
addenda(L) : list of additions (addenda to a book)
ad libitum (L) : speak or perform in public without advance preparation. (Extempore)
ad valorem (L) : according to value
54 Business Communication

ad hoc (L) : a body elected or appointed for a particular work (ad hoc committee)
ad infinitum (L) : to infinity, endlessly, forever
alma mater (L) : a school or a college which one has attended
a la carte (F) : according to the card/list (A la carte dishes are available here)
a la mode (F) : according to the fashion
alter ego (L) : the other self; alternative personality; intimate friend (He is my alter ego - we go everywhere
together)
amende honorable (F) : a public or open apology, reparation

amour proper (F) : self-love; self-esteem

ancient regime (F) : the former order of things, a political or social system that has been displaced by a
more modern one.

a posteriori (L) : empirical, from effect to cause

a priori (L) : from cause to effect (presumptive) Every science cannot be taught a priori.

apropos (L) : with reference to (apropos our talk)

au courant (L) : fully acquainted with matters, well-informed, up-to- date

au fait (F) : expert, having detailed knowledge

au revoir (F) : until we meet again (to say au revoir at parting)

avant-propos (F) : preliminary matter, preface

avant-garde (F) : new, unusual or experimental

beau ideal (F) : the ideal of perfection

beau monde (F) : the world of fashion

beaux sprits (F) : men of wit

bete noire (F) : a special aversion (India has always been bete noire for Pakistan)
bona fide (L) : genuine sincere (He is a bona fide citizen of India).
bizarre (F) : strange, unknown
bon voyage (F) : have a good journey
casus belli (L) : that which causes or justifies war
causecelebre (F) : a famous case in law, controversial well-publicised issue
charged’affaires (F) : a deputy to the Ambassador/a diplomatic representative to a minor country
chef d’ oeuvre (F) : masterpiece (Mona Lisa is Vinci’s chef d’ oeuvre.)
circa (L) : approximately (‘circa 1930’)
confere (F) : colleague
contretemps (F) : a minor dispute or disagreement
 Business Communication 55

corrigenda (L) : a thing to be corrected (in a book)

coupd’etat (F) : violent change in government (There was a coup d’etatin Cambodia and the King was
overthrown.)
coup de grace (F) : a finishing stroke (The coup de grace of the Russian Revolution brought about the
total annihiliation of the Czar family.)
cul-de-sac(F) : a blind alley (The failure of the policy of non- alignment in 1962 saw our foreign policy
reach a cul- de-sac.)
debacle (F) : an utter failure or disaster (debacle of opposition in the election)
de facto (L) : actual or in fact (de facto recognition to a state)
de jure (L) : from the law, by right
de novo (L) : anew, again (trial of a case)
de’ nouement (L) : the end of a plot or narrative (in a play)
deprofundis (L) : a heartfelt appeal or feeling
dernierressort (F) : last resort
détente (F) : easing of strained relations especially between countries
dramatis personae (L) : characters of a novel, play or narrative
elite (L) : select group or class (The elite of town)
enfant terrible (F) : child who asks awkward questions; person or thing causing embarrassment by
unruliness
entrepreneur (F) : a person who sets up business taking greater financial risk
en masse (F) : all together (They took leave en masse.)
en rapport (F) : in harmony
entourage (F) : group of people accompanying a dignitary (P.M.’s entourage)
errata (L) : list of errors
esprit de corps (F) : the animating spirit of a particular group like a regiment
et cetera (L) : and the rest
eureka (G) : I (have) found it !
ex-officio (L) : by virtue of his office/status/position
expose (F) : a report in the media that reveals something discreditable
ex post facto (L) : with retrospective action or force
fait accompli (F) : a thing already done/accomplished fact
faux pas (F) : a social blunder
gauche (F) : unsophisticated/socially awkward
56 Business Communication

hoi polloi (G) : the common people

impasse (F) : a deadlock (Talks reached an impasse.)

in extenso (L) : in full

in memoriam (L) : in memory of

in toto (L) : entirely/as a whole (The Committee’s recommendations were accepted in toto.)

ipso facto (L) : by that very fact or act

laissez-faire (F) : a policy of non-interference

mala fide (L) : in bad faith (opposite of bona fide)

malapropos (F) : ill-timed/inappropriately

modus operandi (L) : a way of doing something (of a gang, group, etc.)

mutatis mutandis (L) : with the necessary changes (Rules will come into force mutatis mutandis.)

noblesse oblige (F) : privilege entails responsibility

nota bene (L) : note well (Abbreviation-N.B.)

par excellence (F) : better than the others of the same kind
paripassu (L) : side by side, equally or equivalently per se (L) : by itself
piece de resistance (F) : the important feature of a creative work or meal, etc.
poste restante (F) : a department in the post office that keeps letters for a period till called for
post mortem (L) : examination/analysis made after death/or an event has occured
prima facie (L) : at first view of consideration (It is prima facie a good case.)
probonopublico (L) : for the good of the public
pro forma (L) : denoting a standard document or form
pro rata (L) : according to rate or proportion
protégé (F) : one under the protection/guidance of another older or experienced person
(SouthVietnam was U.S.’s protege.)
quid pro quo (L) : a favour or advantage given in return for something
raison d’ etre (F) : the most important reason for a thing’s existence
resume (F) : a summary or curriculum vitae
sanctum sanctorum (L) : holy of holies (temple, church, etc.)
seriatim (L) : point by point
sine die (L) : without a day being appointed (The meeting was adjourned sine die.)
status quo (L) : the existing condition (status quo on the border should be maintained)
 Business Communication 57

ste t(L) : let it stand, do not deter

subjudice (L) : under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion (The case
is sub judice.)
subrosa (L) : confidentially/done in secret
sui generis (L) : in a class by itself
summumbonum (L) : the chief good
terra incognita (L) : an unknown territory
tour de force (F) : a notable feat of strength or skill
ultra vires (L) : beyond one’s authority
verbatim (L) : word for word
vice versa (L) : conversely
videlicet (L) : namely, more formal term for viz.
vis-à-vis (F) : in relation to, as compared with, in a position facing one another
viva voce (L) : an oral examination
voxpopuli, vox Dei (L) : the voice of the people is the voice of God
Zeigeist (G) : the defining spirit of a particular period or age.
Abbreviated Form of Words
An abbreviation is a short way of writing a word or a phrase that could also be written out in full. The word
“abbreviation” comes from the Latin word abbreviate (to shorten) which is related to brevi (short). While
some people disagree, all methods of shortening words or phrases are subsets of abbreviation. Abbreviations
when used properly can enhance communication because they act as ‘short-hand’ and therefore increase
the efficiency of communication. In other words, more meaning is conveyed in less time and fewer words.
Abbreviation is defined as:
A shortened form of a word or phrase used for brevity in its place consisting of the first letter, or the first few
letters of the word, followed by a period (full stop).
Abbreviations are very rarely used in formal writing. Frequent use of unnecessary abbreviations makes the
text irritating and complex to read. It is far more important to make the writing easy to read than to save a
few seconds in writing out the complete word or phrase.
The rule about using these abbreviations is very simple: don’t use them. Their use is only appropriate in
special circumstances in which brevity is at a premium, such as in footnotes. It is a very poor style to spatter
your pages with abbreviations. Moreover, it could be disastrous to use them without being quite sure of
what they mean. If you do use one, make sure you punctuate it correctly. Here is an example.
The recommended form is this:
Several British universities were founded in the Victorian era; for example, the University of Manchester
was established in 1851.
The following version is not wrong, but it is a bad style:
Several British universities were founded in the Victorian era; e.g., the University of Manchester was
established in 1851.
58 Business Communication

But this next version is disastrously wrong, because the punctuation has been omitted:
Several British universities were founded in the Victorian era e.g. the University of Manchester was
established in 1851.
Using an abbreviation does not relieve one of the obligations of punctuating the sentence. Again, if one
avoids abbreviations, one will not get into this sort of trouble.
Observe it is usual to write abbreviations in italics, but this is not strictly essential, and generally people don’t
do that.

Things to remember while using abbreviations:

Do not use an In an abbreviation, use Do not forget to punctuate

abbreviation if it can full stops and capital the rest of the sentence
easily be avoided. letters in the conventional normally.
way.

Latin Abbreviations
A.D. Anno Domini : Used to date years by reckoning the date of Christ’s birth, as opposed to B.C., the years
“Before Christ.” Anno Domini means “In the year of the Lord.”
c. circa.: Used by historians to show that a date is approximate. The word means “around,” and it is sometimes
abbreviated as “ca.”
etc. et cetera. : “And so on.” This is one abbreviation most students already know, and the one they tend too
veruse. Note that, since etc. already means and, it is redundant to write, “and etc.”
Eg : e.g. exempli gratia. : “For example.” Literally, “free as an example.”
Eg : “We have numerous problems to deal with before implementing welfare policies, e.g., the trade deficit,
medicare, and social security.”
i.e. id est. : “That is more precisely.” It is commonly used to refine a general statement or provide additional
information.
Eg : “Karan’s wife always managed to turn the conversation toward a job, i.e., the possibility of working after
marriage.
sic : Indicates a misspelling or error in a quoted source, in order to verify to the reader that the researcher
did not create a typographical error, but instead exactly reproduces the way the word or statement appeared
in the original material.
Eg : There are, according to the writings of seven-year old Mohit, “Manee wayes of riting words” [sic].
 Business Communication 59

Ph. D. Philosophiae Doctor. : “Doctor (or Doctorate) of Philosophy.” It can refer to the individual as a title, or
to the degree itself. Note that it is redundant to write, “Dr. Aggarwal is a Ph. D.”
Eg : “Vijay Aggarwal earned his Ph. D. in art history.”
vs. versus. : “Turned against.” Often used in abbreviations for legal trials-though “v.” is more common.
Eg : “In the case of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court eventually decided that abortion was a medical right.”
a.v. ad valorem. : “In proportion to the value of [something else].”, “To the value.”
Eg : “The monetary worth of the rupee is figured a.v. the price of gold.”
i.a. in absentia. : “In absence.”
Eg : “With further evidence i.a., it is impossible to provide a definitive answer.”
MS. manuscriptum. : A document, particularly an ancient or historical manuscript, that was not printed, but
rather drawn or written.
P.S. post scriptum . The abbreviation indicates a last-minute addition to a letter or document.
Eg : “That’s all for now. Take care. Love, Tarun. P.S. Don’t forget to write me back!”

Don’t Abbreviate the following :

In formal academic prose, it is undesirable to abbreviate words simply to save space, time, or energy. In the
following cases, abbreviations should be avoided:
– Words such as through (thru), night (nite).
– Days of the week or months of the year (in the normal flow of text).
– Words at the beginning of a sentence.
– People’s names, unless those abbreviations have come to be accepted as nicknames for those
particular individuals.
– Courses such as eco (for economics) or pol sc (for political science).

***
60 Business Communication

Lesson 3

COMPREHENSION
OF
PASSAGE AND ART
OF
SUMMARISING

60
 Business Communication 61

INTRODUCTION

The word comprehension means the ability to understand what you listen or what you read. It is an
exercise which aims at improving or testing one’s ability to understand a language. In a comprehension
test, you are given an unseen passage or a paragraph or two. These paragraphs show the idea or mood,
concerning issues and their solutions that the author provides. Your main task is to answer the questions
asked from the passage.
Important Strategy to Solve Comprehension Passages
• Read the passage as fast as possible.
• Get thoroughly involved with the paragraph to understand it.
• Underline important lines or parts of the passage to answer the questions. It will also help to
understand the main idea of the passage or the tone or mood of the author.
• Try to translate a complex line in an easy one in your own words and your own language. This will
help you in analyzing the main idea of the paragraph and in seeking the cause and effects of the
passage.
• Underline or mark the keywords. These will help you to discover the logical connections in the
passage and help in understanding it better.
• Try to understand certain unfamiliar words by reading the line thoroughly. The theme of the line
will make you understand the meaning of the words.
• Determine the main idea, tone or mood, inferential reasoning, and other details from the paragraph.
• Do not assume anything based on your personal belief.
• Look back at the paragraph when in doubt.
• Read the questions and all the alternatives provided and choose the most appropriate one.
Things to remember

Thing to remember

1. Find the central idea in the passage

2. Focus on Details
3. Logical structure
4. The Tone of the passage

1. Find the central idea in the passage

This is important to get an overall understanding of the passage and to mentally make a note about
the category it belongs to. The topic should be obvious to you in the first five lines of the passage.
This helps since when you solve the questions, it becomes easier to eliminate options that are, in a
way, not consistent with the central theme of the passage.
62 Business Communication

2. Focus on Details
Sometimes, questions in reading comprehension might be related to extremely specific details in
the passage. In such a situation, questions are often direct and can be easily attempted. However,
to do this, one must be able to sort such details of the passage without wasting too much time on
skimming or reading the passage again. So, it is advisable to note down some points that may feel
important to you. You can do this while reading the passage. You will get a better hold of what is
important and what is not as you practice more.
3. Logical structure
Sometimes, questions are asked about the passage. Having a proper understanding of the passage
is essential for such questions. Always pay attention to the way certain words shape the passage.
Moreover, questions such as “What should be the most apt title for the passage?”are much easier
to answer if you have an overall idea about the structure of the passage.
4. The Tone of the passage
This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of the passage. But there are certain ways to solve questions
like these. Firstly, recognize words that have a positive or negative connotation, used by the
author. Look for descriptive phrases. Secondly, study and understand the various tones there are.
Some of the most common tones are acerbic, biased, dogmatic, optimistic, humorous, grandiose,
and introspective (these are only a few, tones are many) sometimes, authors may have a neutral
tone and sometimes mixed.
Requisite Skills
To develop a better level of comprehension one requires certain skills like:

• Logical ability

• Fluency

• Inference Power

• Analytical ability

• Reasoning ability

• Sentence construction and cohesion

• Reading speed

• Vocabulary power

• Working memory and attention

 Business Communication 63

Logical
ability

Analytical Inference
ability power

Comprehension

Reading Vocabulary
speed power

Memory and
attention

Key Takeaways
• Analytical ability, fluency, and vocabulary skills are key to reading
comprehension.
• Being able to connect ideas within and between sentences helps in
understanding the whole text.
• Reading aloud and talking about experiences can help build reading skills.
• Reading speed should be fast in order to scan and skim to summarise the major
points of the passage.
• Paying attention while reading allows taking in more information from the text
and working memory allows them to hold on to that information and use it to
gain meaning.
64 Business Communication

Examples

1. Directions (1-10): Read the given passage carefully and attempt the questions that follow.
It is an old saying that knowledge is power. Education is an instrument which imparts knowledge and
therefore, indirectly controls power. Therefore, ever since the dawn of our civilisation, persons in
power have always tried to supervise or control education. It has been handmaid of the ruling class.
During the Christian Era, the ecclesiastics controlled the institution of education and diffused among
the people the gospel of the Bible and religious teachings. These gospels and teachings were no other
than a philosophy for the maintenance of the existing society. It taught the poor man to be meek and
to earn his bread with the sweat of his brow, while the priests and the landlords lived in luxury and
fought duels for the slightest offence. During the Renaissance, education passed more from the clutches
of the priest into the hand of the prince. In order words, it became more secular. Under the control of
the monarch, education began to devise and preach the infallibility of its masters, the monarch or king.
It also invented and supported fantastic theories like “The Divine Right Theory” and that the king can
do no wrong, etc. With the advent of the industrial revolution, education took a different turn and had
to please the new masters. It now no longer remained the privilege of the baron class, but was thrown
open to the new rich merchant class of the society. The philosophy which was in vogue during this
period was that of “Laissez Faire” restricting the function of the state to a mere keeping of laws and
order while on the other hand, in practice the law of the jungle prevailed in the form of free competition
and the survival of the fittest.

1. What does the theory “Divine Right of King” stipulate?

(a) The king are God

(b) That the right of governing is conferred upon the king by God.

(c) They have the right to be worshipped like Gods by their subjects.

(d) That the right of king are divine and therefore sacred.

2. Who controlled education during the Renaissance?

(a) The common people.

(b) The prince

(c) The church and the priests.

(d) None of the above.

3. What did the ruling class in the Christian Era think of the poor man?

(a) That he is the beloved of God.

(b) That he deserves all sympathy of the rich

(c) That he should be strong and lord over others.

(d) That he is meant for serving the rich.

 Business Communication 65

4. Who controlled the institution of education during the Christian Era?

(a) The secular leaders of society
(b) The church and the priests
(c) The monarchs
(d) The common people.
5. What does the word “infallibility” mean?

(a) That every man is open to error

(b) Sensitivity

(c) The virtue of not making mistake

(d) That some divine power is responsible for determining the fate of the man.

6. What do you mean by the “sweat of his brow”?

(a) Very hard work
(b) The tiny droplets of sweat on the forehead
(c) The wrinkles visible on the forehead
(d) The sign of innocence.
7. What does the policy of “Laissez Faire” stand for?
(a) Individual freedom in the economics field
(b) State control over law and order in society
(c) Joint control of the means of production by the state and private enterprise
(d) Decontrol over law and order by the ruling class.
8. Which of the following describes the writer?
(a) Concerned
(b) Unconcerned
(c) Aggressive
(d) Frustrated
9. Choose the correct synonym out of the four choice given:
Gospels
(a) Chitchat
(b) A teaching or doctrine of a religious teacher
(c) Rumour
(d) Guidance.
66 Business Communication

10. Choose the correct synonym out of the four choices given:
Vogue
(a) Uncertain
(b) Out-dated
(c) The prevailing fashion or style
(d) Journey.
2. Read the following passage and answer Q. no. 1 to 5 based on the passage.
India loses grain crops worth crores of rupees every year because of pests. In fact, the increased food
production made possible by modern technology and agricultural research would become more
evident if farmer is able to effectively combat the various pests and insects that destroy crops. While
some of the crops are destroyed after harvesting, a large quantity of grains is destroyed in the fields.
True that Indian farmer today is better able to combat these destroyers of grains, for he made available
to him better storing facilities for the harvested crops, and modern chemical aid like insecticides with
which he may spray the growing crops in his fields. But, one has to remember that not all insects are
harmful. The common earthworms, for instance, is a friend of man, because it works like a dustman by
breaking up the dead leaves and wood from plants and mixes them with the soil, thus making the soil
richer. Therefore, when a farmer sprays his field with chemicals that kills insects, he destroys his friends
with his enemies.

1. A large part of the increased food production is lost because of:

(a) The lack of irrigation facilities

(b) The inadequate rainfall in the country

(c) The destruction caused by the harmful insects

(d) Bad eating habits of the people

2. The function of the insecticide is:

(a) To protect the growing crop

(b) To nourish the growing crop

(c) To harvest the growing crop

(d) To store the harvested crop

3. When the farmer sprays his field with chemical that kills insects:
(a) He spoils his growing crop
(b) He kills good as well as bad insects
(c) He fertilizers the soil
(d) He decreases his food productions
4. The common earthworm:
(a) Is the greatest destroyer of crops
 Business Communication 67

(b) Reduces the grain to dust

(c) Breaks up the leaves on the crop

(d) Makes the soil more rich

5. After harvesting what the farmer needs is:

(a) A good supply of seeds

(b) Ability to combat the weather

(c) A safe place for storage

(d) A lot of chemical fertilizers

3. Read the following passage and answer Q. no. 1 to 9 based on the passage.

In the second century of the Christian era, the empire of Rome was the most fair part of the earth, and
the most civilized portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by
ancient renown and disciplined valour. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had
gradually cemented the union of the provinces. Their peaceful inhabitants enjoyed and abused the
advantages of wealth and luxury. The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence:
the Roman senate appeared to possess the sovereign authority, and devolved on the emperors all the
executive powers of government. During a happy period of more than fourscore years, the public
administration was conducted by and depended on the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian,
and the two Antonines.

The principal conquests of the Romans were achieved under the republic; and the emperors, for the
most part, were satisfied with preserving those dominions which had been acquired by the policy of the
senate, the active emulations of the consuls, and the martial enthusiasm of the people. The seven first
centuries were filled with a rapid succession of triumphs; but it was reserved for Augustus to relinquish
the ambitious design of subduing the whole earth, and to introduce a spirit of moderation into the
public councils. Inclined to peace by his temper and situation, it was easy for him to discover that
Rome, in her present exalted situation, had much less to hope than to fear from the chance of arms;
and that, in the prosecution of remote wars, the undertaking became every day more difficult, the
event more doubtful, and the possession more precarious, and less beneficial. The experience of
Augustus added weight to these salutary reflections, and effectually convinced him that, by the prudent
vigour of his counsels, it would be easy to secure every concession which the safety or the dignity of
Rome might require from the most formidable barbarians. Instead of exposing his person and his
legions to the arrows of the Parthians, he obtained, by an honourable treaty, the restitution of the
standards and prisoners which had been taken in the defeat of Crassus. On the death of that emperor,
his testament was publicly read in the senate. He bequeathed, as a valuable legacy to his successors,
the advice of confining the empire within those limits which nature seemed to have placed as its
permanent bulwarks and boundaries: on the west, the Atlantic Ocean; the Rhine and Danube on the
north; the Euphrates on the east; and towards the south, the sandy deserts of Arabia and Africa.
1. Arrange the following sentences from bottom to top.
A. He bequeathed as a valuable legacy to his successors.
B. The experience of Augustus added weight do these salutary reflection.
C. The seven first centuries were filled with rapid succession of triumphs.
D. Their peaceful inhabitants enjoyed and abuse the advantages of wealth and luxury.
68 Business Communication

(a) A,B,C,D
(b) C,A,B,D
(c) B,D,A,C
(d) C,A,D,B
2. What is the antonym for ‘legion’?
(a) unlimited
(b) lavish
(c) limited
(d) none
3. What is the synonym for ‘relinquish’?
(a) renounce
(b) announce
(c) currencies
(d) B and C
4. Find word from the passage which means the same as senate
(a) assembly
(b) argument
(c) fight
(d) none
5. What is the homophone of decent?
(a) descent
(b) dissent
(c) disent
(d) A and B
6. Which of the following statement given below is not correct?
(a) On the death of his emperor his testament was privately read in the senate.
(b) The principle conquest of the Romans were achieved under the Republic India.
(c) Instead of exposing his person and his legions to the arrows of the Parthians he obtained by
honourable Treaty the restitution of standards and prisoners which had been taken in the
defeat of Crassus.
(d) A and B
7. How is the passage?
(a) Narrative
 Business Communication 69

(b) Descriptive
(c) Interrogative
(d) None
8. Highlight the adverb form of the word luxury.
(a) legions
(b) luxurious
(c) possessing
(d) none
9. The above passage is related to.
(a) history
(b) geography
(c) law
(d) physics
4. Directions (Q. 1 – 6) : The questions in this section is based on the passage. The questions
are to be answered on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage. For some of the
questions, more than one of the choices conceivably answer the question. However, you
are to choose the best answer; that is, the response that most accurately and completely
answers the question.
Although the legal systems of England and the United States are superficially similar, they differ profoundly
in their approaches to and uses of legal reasons: substantive reasons are more common than formal
reasons in the United States, whereas in England the reverse is true. This distinction reflects a difference
in the visions of law that prevails in the two countries. In England, the law has traditionally been viewed
as a system of rules; the United States favours a vision of law as an outward expression of community’s
sense of right and justice.
Substantive reasons, as applied to law, are based on moral, economic, political and other
considerations. These reasons are found both “in the law” and “outside the law” so to speak. Substantive
reasons inform the content of a large part of the law: constitutions, statutes, contracts, verdicts, and
the like. Consider, for example, a statute providing or purposes were explicitly written into the statute
was to ensure quiet and safety in the park. Now suppose that a veterans’ group mounts a World War II
jeep (in running order but without a battery) as a war memorial on a concrete slab in the park, and
charges are brought against its members. Most judges in the United States would find the defendants
not guilty because what they did had no adverse effect on park’s quiet and safety.
Formal reasons are different in that they frequently prevent substantive reasons from coming into play,
even when substantive reasons are explicitly incorporated into the law at hand. For example, when a
document fails to comply with stipulated requirements, the court may render the document legally
ineffective. A Will requiring written witness may be declared null and void and, therefore, unenforceable
for the formal reason that the requirement was not observed. Once the legal rule– that a Will is invalid
for lack of proper witnessing – has been clearly established, and the legality of the rule is not in question,
application of that rule precludes from consideration substantive arguments in favour of the Will’s
validity or enforcement.
Legal scholars in England and the United States have long bemused themselves with extreme examples
70 Business Communication

of formal and substantive reasoning. On the one hand, formal reasoning in England has led to wooden
interpretations of statutes and an unwillingness to develop the common law through judicial activism.
On the other hand, freewheeling substantive reasoning in the United States has resulted in statutory
interpretations so liberal that the texts of some statutes have been ignored.
1. Which one of the following best describes the content of the passage as a whole?
(a) An analysis of similarities and differences between the legal systems of England and the United
States
(b) A re-evaluation of two legal systems with the use of examples
(c) A contrast between the types of reasons embodied in the United States and English
legal systems
(d) An explanation of how two distinct visions of the law shaped the development of legal reasoning
2. It can be inferred from the passage that English judges would like to find the veterans’ group
discussed in the second paragraph guilty of violating the statute because
(a) not to do so would encourage others to act as the group did
(b) not to do so would be to violate the substantive reasons underlying the law
(c) the veterans failed to comply with the substantive purpose of the statute
(d) the veterans failed to comply with the stipulated requirements of the statute
3. From the discussion on Wills in the third paragraph it can be inferred that substantive arguments
as to the validity of a Will might be considered under which one of the following circumstances?
(a) The legal rule that a Will be witnessed in writing does not stipulate the formal of the
(b) The legal rule requiring that a Will be witnessed stipulates that the Will must be witnessed in
writing by two people
(c) The legal rule requiring that a Will be witnessed in writing stipulates that the witnessing must
be done in the presence of a judge
(d) A judge rules that the law can be interpreted to allow for a verbal witness to a Will
in a case involving a medical emergency
4. Which one of the following best describes the function of the last paragraph of the passage?
(a) It presents the consequences of extreme interpretations of the two types of legal
reasons discussed by the author
(b) It shows how legal scholars can incorrectly use extreme examples to support their views
(c) It corrects inaccuracies in legal scholars’ view of the nature of two types of legal systems
(d) It suggests how characterisations of the two types of legal reasons can become convoluted
and inaccurate
5. The author of the passage suggests that in English law a substantive interpretation of a legal rule
might be warranted under which one of the following circumstances
(a) Social conditions have changed to the extent that to continue to enforce the rule would be to
decide contrary to present-day social norms
 Business Communication 71

(b) The composition of the legislature has changed to the extent that to enforce the rule would be
contrary to the views of the majority in the present legislative assembly
(c) The legality of the rule is in question and its enforcement is open to judicial
interpretation
(d) Individuals who have violated the legal rule argue that application of the rule would lead to
unfair judicial interpretations
6. The author of the passage makes use of all of the following in presenting the discussion of the
English and the United States legal systems except
(a) Comparison and contrast
(b) Generalisation
(c) Explication of terms
(d) A chronology of historical developments
Para Jumbles, Sentence Correction, Sentence Arrangement and Sentence Completion
Para Jumbles
Para Jumbles are basically jumbled paragraphs. You are provided with a paragraph but the sentences are
not in the right sequence. You have to rearrange the sentences so that they turn out into a meaningful
paragraph.
Key skills required
• Understanding the topic of the paragraph : You should be able to understand what is being talked
about in because it will help in establishing link with other sentences of the paragraph.
• Understanding the information flow : The next thing which is very important is the to identify that the
information should be in a flow and to understand what exactly the paragraph is trying to convey.
A pre-requisite to both the above skills is to possess the qualities of good reader.
72 Business Communication

Examples

Direction (1-5) : The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced, from labelled
with a letter. Choose the most logical order of sentences from among the given choice to
construct a coherent paragraph.

1. a. People who start up their own business typically come from twoextreme backgrounds:One is
the business family background and the other is a steady professional family background.

b. Typically, people from different background face different kinds of basic problems.

c. The people from both the backgrounds find it very difficult to establish and manage an
enterprise.

d. Starting up and managing a small business is no joke.

(a) d b c a

(b) b a c d

(c) d a c b

(d) c d a b.

2. a. venture capital is recommended as the ideal source of financing for a successfully small business.

b. Several companies including start-ups have been funded by dedicated venture funds during
this decade.

c. Despite this, an average Indian entrepreneur understands and appreciation of venture capital
concept has been woefully inadequate.

d. In the Indian context, though venture capital has been a relatively late entrant, if has already
made a reasonable impact.

(a) a b c d

(b) a d b c

(c) a c b d

(d) a d c b

3. a. Progress in diagnosis, in preventive medicine and in treatment, both medicinal and surgical,
has been rapid and breath taking.

b. Much in medicine which is not taken for granted was undreamt of even as recently as 20 years
ago.

c. Presently small pox has been eradicated, poliomyelitis practically banished, tuberculosis has
become curable and coronary artery disease surgically relievable.
 Business Communication 73

d. The dramatic surge in the field of molecular biology and research by immunologists and
geneticists has succeeded in controlling parasitic disease like malaria and river blindness that
affect millions of people round the world.

(a) b d c a

(b) b a c d

(c) b c a d

(d) b d a c

4. a. Instead, many deaths and injuries result from failing objects and the collapse of buildings,
bridges and other structures.

b. Earthquakes almost never kill people directly.

c. Fire resulting from broken gas or power lines is another major danger during a quake.

d. Spills hazardous chemicals are also a concern during an earthquake.

(a) c a b d

(b) d a c b

(c) d c a b

(d) b a c d

5. a. The Winchester or hard disk drives can store much more data than what can be stored on a
floppy diskette.

b. Hard disks come sealed and they cannot be removed or changed likes floppy diskettes.

c. Often floppy disk system is used in conjunction with the Winchester disk system.

d. This makes for an ideal system for secondary storage.

(a) c a b d

(b) c b d a

(c) b a c d

(d) a b e d

Sentence Correction
Sentence Correction or Error Spotting is the one of the most scoring area of verbal section.A sentence is the
basic unit of language. A sentence is a group of words that have a syntax and convey a certain meaning. A
complete knowledge of a sentence and its structure is necessary to spot any error in the sentence and vice
versa. In this exercise, one or more sentences are given. You are required to check if there is any error in the
sentence or in the marked parts of it. Accordingly, you will choose the option, which is grammatically
correct or incorrect.
6. Arrange the following sentences in the correct order.
a. Till date it has no cure.
74 Business Communication

b. Ebola outbreak is the most deadly virus in human history.

c. Research is still at large to find the cure.
d. It has taken numerous lives in Africa.
What is the correct order of the sentences?
(a) b d e d
(b) a b c d
(c) a c b d
(d) b d c a
7. Arrange the following sentences in the correct order.
a. I Got an expensive watch
b. Who is very loving
c. By my grandfather
d. On my 22nd birthday
What is the correct order of the sentences?
(a) a b c d
(b) d c b a
(c) a d c b
(d) b c d a
8. Arrange the following sentences in the correct order.
a. The president is the head of the legislature.
b. Two houses Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
c. India has the largest democracy in the world.
d. It has a parliament which comprises of,
What is the correct order of the sentences?
(a) a b c d
(b) d c b a
(c) c d b a
(d) b c a d
9. Arrange the following sentences in the correct order.
a. While China and the US would see slower growth in coming years,
b. Earnings on Wall Street have risen to peak and the US economy might slip into recession.
c. India is expected to grow at a higher rate according to the IMF.
d. Further, concerns over global economic growth are rising.
 Business Communication 75

What is the correct order of the sentences?

(a) a b c d
(b) c b a d
(c) d b a c
(d) b d a c
10. Arrange the following sentences in the correct order.
a. Put into a cylindrical mould, and fired in a kiln.
b. The core of a pencil is made of graphite, clay, and water.
c. Today, pencils are mass-produced by machines that cut down the wood, insert the lead, and
stamp or print a design.
d. During the 17th century, the graphite and clay were grounded down by hand,
What is the correct order of the sentences?
(a) b d a c
(b) c b a d
(c) b a d c
(d) b c d a
76 Business Communication

Examples

In the following questions, a group of sentences about a single topic are given. One or more of
the sentence(s) is/are grammatically incorrect. You have to identify the incorrect sentence(s).
1. I. It began with acquisitions in information technology and related services sector.
II. In pharmaceuticals, Wockhardt has bought C.P. Pharma of the United Kingdom for $ 10.85
million.
III. Tata Tea has taken over Tetley of the UK, the world’s biggest tea bag maker, for $ 430 million.
IV. With the processes, it has become the world’s second largest tea company.
(a) II and IV
(b) IV only
(c) II and III
(d) I, II and IV
2. (I) There are two main reasons for that predatory mood.
(II) Having established a domestic presence, the component makers are now looking foran
international presence.
(III) Second, having improved their productivity, quality and reliability, Indian companies feel
more confident about spreading their wings abroad.
(IV) Various other factors are being attributed to this Indian penchant for the takeover game in all
sectors.
(a) I only
(b) I and II
(c) II only
(d) III and IV
3. (I) Moving one by one step away from the expected with the graphics and photographycan also
create reader’s interest.
(II) Try using a conceptual image or photo to highlight your main message versus very first thing
to come to mind when thinking about your product of services.
(III) Another form of contrast is in the actual design.
(IV) An unusual fold in a brochure or direct mail piece can add excitement.

(a) I and II

(b) II and III

 Business Communication 77

(c) I and IV

(d) No error
4. (I) The typeface that you choose for your print project is an important piece of theforemost
overall design process.
(II) First, narrow down your choice by selecting the tone you want to present.
(III) Typefaces can convey personality.
(IV) For instance, if you are in the banking industry you might choose a classic serif font, such as
Garamond, to convey dependability.
(a) I only
(b) II only
(c) III only
(d) IV only
5. (I) Readability is crucial.
(II) Be sure of the font we choose is legible and logical.
(III) With all of the newest and interesting typefaces available today, it is tempting to pick one that
you think looks “cool”.
(IV) This can work if you are going for an edgy look that will appeal to a young audience, but your
copy still needs to be easily understood.
(a) I and IV
(b) II only
(c) III only
(d) II and III
6. I. Harish told Raj to plead guilty

II. Raj pleaded guilty of stealing money from the shop.

III. The court found Raj guilty of all crimes he was charged with.

IV. He was sentenced to three years in jail.

(a) I only

(b) II and IV

(c) III and IV

(d) I and II

7. I. It was a tough situation and Manasi was taking pains to make it better.

II. Slowly her efforts gave fruit and things started improving.
78 Business Communication

III. Everyone complemented her for her good work.

IV. She was very happy and thanked everyone.

(a) I and IV only

(b) II only

(c) II and III

(d) III and IV only

8. I. The college has organised a science fare.

II. This is to notify that a leather wallet has been lost.

III. Shortly blood donation will begin a camp.

IV. The agenda of the meeting is available on the website.

(a) Only I

(b) Only II

(c) I and III

(d) II and IV

9. I. He restricted from all temptation.

II. Mr. Dev died on the morning of 15th

III. The teacher beat him black and blue.

IV. I was taken ill yesterday.

(a) Only I

(b) Only II

(c) II and III

(d) III and IV

10. I. We got into the train at last.

II. They fought to the last man.

III. I don’t remember to have met you before.

IV. On entering the room I found the light quite dim.

(a) Only II

(b) I and II
 Business Communication 79

(c) Only III

(d) III and IV

Sentence Arrangement
Jumbled Sentences are a must for good English. This is usually known by many names like rearranging of
words, rearranging sentences, jumbled words, word order exercises, make a sentence with the word, put
the words in the correct order to make sentences, sentence order, sentence formation etc. Rearranging
the words in a meaningful sentence is an art. So below is an exercise on the same to help understand the
topic.

***
80 Business Communication

Lesson 4

CONCEPT
OF
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION

80
 Business Communication 81

CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATION
The word ‘communicate’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘Communis’, which means to ‘share’.
Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common
system of symbols, signs or behaviour. It is the expression of facts, opinions, ideas or feelings. A number of
definitions have been given to the term “Communication”. A few important ones are:

“Communication in its simplest form of conveying of information from one person to another”
- Hudson
“Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another whether or not it elicits
confidence”
- Koontz and O’Donell
“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.”
-George Terry
“Communication is the sum of all things, one person does when he wants to create understanding
in the mind of another. It is a bridge of meaning. It involves a systematic and continuous process of
telling, listening and understanding.”
- Allen Louis

Communication is an essential condition of our existence and the most important activity of human
beings. Communication is a two-way process. There must be at least two persons to allow the completion
of the process. One takes up the role of a sender the other that of the receiver. Webster’s dictionary states
that “communication is the act of exchanging information and understanding from one person to another”.
For communication to be successful, the exchange of ideas and information must result in imparting and
understanding its intended meaning. Its purpose is to effect desired changes in the behaviour of the
receiver of the message. Thus communication is the transfer of information from one person to another
person. Its goal is to have the receiver understand the message as it was intended. Whether we
communicate through writing or speaking, language continues to play an important role. The increasing
use of telephone, mobile, recording devices, such as dictaphone, answering machines, live broadcasting
and telecasting, and video conferencing have nowadays, shifted the focus from writing to speaking.

Business Communication

When one communicates to transact some commercial activity, that is, providing goods or services, with
the intention of generating profits, it is termed as business communication. According to Scott,
“administrative communication is a process which involves the transmission and accurate replication of
ideas ensured by feedback for the purpose of eliciting action which will accomplish organizational goals”.
The importance of communication to an organization, all the more so to a business organization, cannot
be over emphasized. It links not only the various components of the organization but also its internal world
with the external world. In order to be proficient in business communication, it becomes imperative to
acquire skills of effective writing and speaking. In fact, lack of these may result in loss of business opportunities.
Therefore, curriculums of most business schools the world over cover the subject of business communication
extensively. It is also common for the prestigious companies to insist upon excellent communication skills as
a requirement at the time of recruitment.
Features of Communication
(1) Communication is essentially a two-way process. The success or the failure of communication is
decided by the feedback we get. Hence, feedback is essential to communication.
82 Business Communication

(2) Communication is an ongoing process. Communication is essential in all kinds of organizations

and at all levels of management. No manager can be effective in his role unless he is able to
communicate. Professional and result oriented organizations are always looking for managers
who can communicate persuasively and competently.
(3) Communication consists not only of facts but ideas and emotions too. Communication is much
more than words. The tone and facial expressions often carry greater meaning than words. We
can communicate a lot through signs, symbols and gestures. For example, a victory sign made by
two fingers communicates better than words.
(4) Communication is a dynamic process. It incorporates the changing shape of the participants and
the environment.
(5) Communication is a goal-oriented process. Communication can be effective if both the sender
and the receiver are aware of the goal of communication and there is congruence of their goals.
(6) Communication is an inter-disciplinary science. Knowledge derived from several sciences is used
in communication. Anthropology (study of body language), Psychology (study of persuasion,
perception and attitudes), Sociology and Political science (study of voting behaviour) have provided
insights to make communication effective.

Importance of Communication

Effective communication has always been essential for success in business. In recent times, communication
has become all the more essential due to the following reasons:

(i) Increase in Size : Business firms have grown tremendously in the scale of operations. A large
business firm today employs thousands of people and has operations in different parts of the world.
An efficient system of communication is required to carry out its activities across successfully.

(ii) Growing Specialization : Narrow division of work results in different activities being handled by
different departments. Sound communication is essential for ensuring mutual cooperation and
understanding among different departments without which no organization can function smoothly.
If, for example, there is no communication between production and sales departments, the sales
department might book such orders that the production department fails to supply.

(iii) Cut-throat Competition : Liberalization and globalization have resulted in severe competition among
public sector, private sector and foreign banks. Persuasive communication in the form of
advertisements, personal contacts and publicity becomes essential to survive in the race of
competition.

(iv) Trade Union Movement : In organisations, employee’s unions are very strong and powerful.
Management must consult union leaders on several matters. Regular exchange of information
and ideas between managers and union officials helps them to maintain healthy relations with one
another.

(v) Human Relations : Effective communication between management and employees is necessary to
develop mutual trust and confidence. Participation of employees in the decision-making process
and other activities helps to develop among them a sense of belonging and loyalty to the
organization.

(vi) Public Relations : Society expects a sense of responsibility from managers. Business has to keep the
Government, distributors, suppliers, investors and other sections of society well-informed about its
contribution to society. Public relations help business to improve their image in society, and big
enterprises employee professional experts for this purpose.
 Business Communication 83

(vii) Personal Asset : Communication skill is essential for success in every job. Managers are required to
deliver speeches, write documents and conduct interviews. Teachers, advocates, journalists,
receptionists need a high degree of communication skills. The ability to communicate effectively is
equally essential for promotion in career.
Communication Process
The communication process consists of a series of steps by which a sender reaches a receiver with a
message. It involves six steps:
(1) Develop an Idea : It is an idea or thought which the sender wishes to transmit. This is the key step.
Unless there is a worthwhile message to communicate all further steps are rendered useless.
(2) Encode : In this, the idea is encoded with suitable words, charts, or symbols for transmission. At this
point, the sender determines the method of transmission.
(3) Transmit : The finally developed message is transmitted by the method chosen. Senders also
choose certain channels and communicate with careful timing, but they try to keep their
communication channels free of barriers.
(4) Receive : Clear reception of a message is a condition precedent to its effective interpretation,
storage and use. In an interpersonal mode, it would involve attentive listening too.
(5) Decode : Step five is to decode the message so that it can be understood. The sender wants the
receiver to understand the message exactly as intended. But, due to different perceptions of two
different people, the receiver sometimes does not understand exactly what the sender intends.
Hence, the sender must before land assess the abilities of the receiver to make the communication
happen.
(6) Feedback : Feedback is the receiver’s response to the sender’s message. Feedback enables the
sender to know whether or not his message has been received and interpreted correctly. The
exchange of information through feedback can be very helpful in improving the communication
process.
(7) Noise : Most of the time communication failure is caused by noise. Noise is distracting and interferes
with the communication process. If the channel medium we are relying upon is faulty the message
may be at times encoded wrongly. Sometimes distortion in sound or a speech defect also hampers
the process of effective communication. Besides noise, sometimes sender’s attitudes, personal
prejudices, certain assumptions, frame of mind or use of wrong tone interfere with the
communication process. Similarly, on the other end the receiver’s background, prejudices, his
ability to understand the message as intended, influence the effective communication. Apart from
these factors speech defects, distracting body language, illegible hardwiring, etc. bring about the
failure of communication.

SENDER MESSAGE ENCODING RECEIVER DECODING MESSAGE

FEEDBACK

PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
84 Business Communication

Principles for Effective Communication

As the key to efficient business lies partly in communicating effectively, we must therefore make a conscious
effort to master it. Effective communication depends mainly on three things: “understandable messages,
credibility of the sender, and how the message is affecting the receiver.” Effective communication can be
achieved by having a thorough knowledge of the communication process in an organisation. And also
being aware of the various barriers that exist and taking relevant steps to overcome the same while keeping
in focus the objective of the communication, whom it is meant for and under what circumstances it is being
made.
The Seven C’s of Effective Communication

Clarity

Consideration Completeness

7 C's
of
Communi-
cation
Correctness Conciseness

Courtesy Concreteness

• Clarity of expression,

• Completeness of information,

• Conciseness of message,

• Concreteness in presentation,

• Courtesy towards recipient,

 Business Communication 85

• Correctness of facts, and

• Consideration for receiver.
1. Principle of Clarity
Communication should be clear so the recipient can understand what the sender really wants to
communicate. The sender always desires how the recipient interprets the particular meaning
while using the exact same meaning. For this, the sender ought to help to make the particular
meaning free of ambiguity and also vagueness. The following tips are offered for making meaning
clear:
• Picking out the brief, acquainted and also effortless words and phrases.
• Picking out conversational words and phrases rather than poetic types.
• Constructing successful paragraphs and also grammatical construction.
• Supplying illustrations, cases along with visual supports while appealing.
• Staying away from techie words and phrases and also jargon’s.
2. Principle of Completeness
The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts required by the audience. The
sender of the message must take into consideration the receiver’s mindset and convey the message
accordingly. A complete communication has the following features:
• Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an organization.
• Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing and no additional cost is
incurred in conveying extra message if the communication is complete.
• A complete communication always gives additional information wherever required. It leaves
no questions in the mind of receiver.
• Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the audience/readers/receivers
of message as they get all desired and crucial information.
• It persuades the audience.
3. Principle of Conciseness
Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what you want to convey in least possible
words without forgoing the other C’s of communication. Conciseness is a necessity for effective
communication. Concise communication has following features:
• It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.
• It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and needless words.
• Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words to the audience.
• Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience.
• Concise message is non-repetitive in nature.
4. Principle of Concreteness
Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than fuzzy and general.
Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message has following features:
• It is supported with specific facts and figures.
86 Business Communication

• It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation.
• Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.
5. Principle of Courtesy

Courtesy in message implies the message should show the sender’s expression as well as should
respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective
and enthusiastic. Courteous message has following features:

• Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings of the receiver of
the message.

• Courteous message is positive and focused on the audience.

• It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message.

• It is not at all biased.

6. Principle of Correctness

Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical errors in communication.

Correct communication has the following features:

• The message is exact, correct and well-timed.

• If the communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level.

• Correct message has a greater impact on the audience/readers.
• It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the message.
• It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.
7. Consideration for Receiver
Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective communication must take the
audience into consideration, i.e, the audience’s viewpoints, background, mindset, education
level, etc. Make an attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements, emotions as well as
problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not at
harm. Modify your words in message to suit the audience’s needs while making your message
complete. Features of considerate communication are as follows:
• Emphasize on “you” approach.
• Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will stimulate a positive
reaction from the audience.
• Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is possible” rather than “what is
impossible”. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial, committed, thanks, warm, healthy,
help, etc.
Apart from the above Principles, the following guidelines ensure effective communication:
Choose the right means and mode
It is most important to choose the right means and mode of communication. This would depend on, the
organisation, its size, its policy, cost involved, urgency, distance, resources available, confidentiality, safety,
security, necessity for an official record of the communication, the recipient and the resources available.
 Business Communication 87

Own your messages

It is important to take responsibility for what we say. It is common to come across instances where the
sender chooses vague or general terms to denote the sender. When you state that many shareholders are
unhappy with the proposed merger of the company, you may or may not be speaking the truth. You do not
specify who those shareholders are. Therefore the officials of the company may not accept your statement
at face value. Your message may be taken seriously if you are willing to own it. So use personal pronouns to
lend credibility to your messages. Long business reports, commercial terms and conditions or legal provisions
are an exception since they may be drafted using passive verbs and employing a formal tone.

Offer complete and relevant information

Messages must offer complete and relevant information in order to become effective. Incomplete
information makes it necessary to begin another cycle of communication to issue clarifications. For example,
it is not enough to just say that the register will remain closed from 28th to 30th March. It does not become
clear to the receiver which register we are talking about and why it will be closed. Our message must state
clearly that the register of shareholders will remain closed in order to determine the names of the
shareholders entitled to receive the dividend.

Obtain feedback

Feedback is the culmination of the communication process. It confirms that the receiver has correctly
understood our message. We may get a feedback through an appropriate closing. The closing line of a
business letter often invites such a response. When sending out a cheque, we often ask the receiver to
acknowledge its receipt. Similarly, we ask the other party to confirm that the appointment is suitable for it
when we proposed an important business meeting.

Think of the recipient

Effective messages are invariably “You-centered”. We do not address the President of our company in the
same manner as we speak to a fellow manager. The rank of the former demands careful thought and
respect. Familiarity with the latter may make us feel more at ease. A doctor may discuss a case with a
specialist in medical terms but switches over to a layman’s language when talking to the patient. A lawyer
does not use the legal jargon with a client: he reserves it for the court-room. Therefore, we must take into
account the attributes of the receiver before drafting the message.

Verbal and Non-verbal congruence

As explained earlier, meanings are often communicated in more than one way. For example, our words as
well as gestures simultaneously send out signals. A message of welcome should ideally be uttered with a
smile. Angry words are spoken with a frown. To put it in another way, our words and facial expressions must
send out the same message. A reprimand administered with a smile would send out wrong and conflicting
signals. It will leave the receiver guessing whether the sender is actually annoyed or is just pretending to be
so.

Repeat if necessary

Repetition is generally avoided in order to save time and space. However, in exceptional circumstances,
repetition ensures that the crucial part of the message is not ignored or overlooked. Telegraphic messages,
which by nature are brief, often use repetition to good effect. DO NOT REPEAT DO NOT DESPATCH
GOODS TILL FURTHER NOTICE. In ordinary communication, we may state the same fact using different
words to get the benefits of redundancy and ensure comprehension. Use of different channels of
communication also ensures successful communication. For example, a telephonic message may also be
sent in writing later just to confirm the same.
88 Business Communication

Do not judge
Unfavourable judgments provoke reactions and are better avoided. If a subordinate has not finished the
work allotted to him on time, then the boss has two options. He may either point out this fact in a plain and
matter of fact tone or may reprimand him for being lazy, good-for-nothing guy who should be fired
immediately. The first option is clearly preferable and strengthens the credibility and trustworthiness of the
sender.
Rely on facts
Facts lend credibility to our communication since it is not possible to refute them. If a candidate claims that
he has a typing speed of fifty words per minute, then it is possible to verify this claim. Opinions on the other
hand are subjective. A claim that one is a good typist is at best vague. It depends on what the claimant
expects a good typist to be like. While it is not possible to exclude opinions from our messages, we can make
them acceptable by quoting facts in their support. However, reliance on selective facts will only affect our
trustworthiness.
Johari Window

The Johari Window, named after the first names of its inventors, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, is one of
the most useful models describing the process of human interaction. A four paned “window,” as illustrated
below, divides personal awareness into four different types, as represented by its four quadrants: open,
hidden, blind, and unknown. The lines dividing the four panes are like window shades, which can move as
an interaction progresses. In this model, each person is represented by their own window.
Adjectives selected by both the participant and his or her peers are placed into the Arena quadrant. This
quadrant represents traits of the participant of which both they and their peers are aware. For example, I
know my name, and so do you. It may also be called “open” quadrant.
 Business Communication 89

Adjectives selected only by the participant, but not by any of their peers, are placed into the Façade
quadrant, representing information about the participant of which their peers are unaware. It is then up to
the participant whether or not to disclose this information. For example, I have not told you, what one of
my favorite ice cream flavors is. This information is in my “Façade” quadrant. As soon as I tell you that I love
“Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia” flavored ice cream, I am effectively pulling the window shade down,
moving the information in my façade quadrant and enlarging the arena quadrant’s area. Façade quadrant
also called “hidden” quadrant.

Adjectives that are not selected by the participant but only by their peers are placed into the Blind Spot
quadrant. These represent information of which the participant is not aware, but others are, and they can
decide whether and how to inform the individual about these “blind spots”. For example, we could be
eating at a restaurant, and I may have unknowingly gotten some food on my face. This information is in my
blind quadrant because you can see it, but I cannot. If you now tell me that I have something on my face,
then the window shade moves to the right, enlarging the arena quadrant’s area.

Adjectives which were not selected by either the participant or their peers remain in the Unknown quadrant,
representing the participant’s behaviors or motives which were not recognized by anyone participating.
This may be because they do not apply, or because there is collective ignorance of the existence of that
trait. For example, I may disclose a dream that I had, and as we both attempt to understand its significance,
a new awareness may emerge, known to neither of us before the conversation took place.

The process of enlarging the open quadrant is called self-disclosure, a give and take process between me
and the people I interact with. Typically, as I share something about myself (moving information from my
hidden quadrant into the open) and if the other party is interested in getting to know me, they will reciprocate,
by similarly disclosing information in their hidden quadrant. Thus, an interaction between two parties can
be modeled dynamically as two active Johari windows. For example, you may respond to my disclosure
that I like “Cherry Garcia” by letting me know what your favorite ice cream is, or where a new ice cream
shop is being built, kinds of information in your hidden quadrant.

A Johari Window consists of 55 adjectives used to describe the participant, in alphabetical order:

• able • accepting • adaptable • bold • brave

• calm • caring • cheerful • clever • complex

• confident • dependable • dignified • energetic • extroverted

• friendly • giving • happy • helpful • idealistic

• independent • ingenious • intelligent • introverted • kind

• knowledgeable • logical • loving • mature • modest

• nervous • observant • organized • patient • powerful

• proud • quiet • reflective • relaxed • religious

• responsive • searching • self-assertive • self-conscious • sensible

• sentimental • shy • silly • spontaneous • sympathetic

• tense • trustworthy • warm • wise • witty

90 Business Communication

Types of Communication
Communication may be divided into two types : Internal and External.

Internal communication

Communication

External communication

Internal Communication

When people within the organisation communicate with one another, it is said to be an internal
communication. Employees of an organisation do so to work as a team and realise their common goals.
Internal communication could be official or unofficial. It could be individual to individual, individual to
group, group to individuals, department to department, etc. Most of the internal communication is in the
oral form and the tone is generally informal.
People also communicate within the organisation at a personal level. This is known as informal
communication. A good example is that of grapevine, which is present in some measure everywhere. If the
atmosphere is secretive, it encourages the spread of rumors and half-truths. Intelligent managers use this
human weakness to their advantage by sharing favourable information with the employees.
Of the various modes of visual communication, the most likely ones to be used in internal communication
are slides, internet without use of multimedia and pager.
All modes of non-verbal communication may be used in internal communication.
Some of the modes of written communication are Memo, Report, Office order, Circulars, Staff Newsletter,
Email, Fax, Notice, Agenda, Notes on Agenda, Minutes of Meetings, Manuals, etc.
Other than the Radio, all other modes of oral communication stated earlier, could be used in internal
communication.
Internet with multimedia, video conferencing and presentations either electronic or with visual aids are
the likely modes of audio-visual communication that can be used in internal communication.
External Communication
When the people in an organisation communicate with anyone outside the organisation it is called external
communication. These people may be clients or customers, dealers or distributors, media, government
agencies, general public, regulatory bodies, authorities, etc. Letters and circulars, Price-lists, Manuals,
Purchase Orders, Customised reports, Brochures and service calls, Tender documents, Advertisements,
Customer’ feedback material are all external communication methods. Modern business houses spend
considerable time, money and effort on improving their public image since they realise that they are
dependent on external support. External communication has been mainly formal and largely documented,
 Business Communication 91

but there is an increasing trend to make it informal.

Some of the modes of written communication that may be used are Circulars, Graphs/Charts, E-mail, Fax,
Form/Questionnaire, Letter, Advertisement, Customer Newsletter, Press Release, Invitation, Leaflet/
Brochure/Handbills, Manuals, Telegram, etc.
Other than intercom, dictation, teleconferencing, brainstorming sessions and grapevine, all other modes
of oral communication stated earlier can be used in external communication.
All modes of visual and audio-visual communication too may be used in external communication.
All modes of Non-verbal communication may also be used in external communication depending on the
circumstances and means of communication chosen for the purpose.
Communication Flows

The flow of communication in an

organisation depends on its size,
Downward structure and philosophy. Smaller
organizations, with fewer levels of
Flow hierarchy and people may be
having fewer communication
problems. In larger organisation
with many hierarchical levels, the
Flow process is more complicated.
Horizontal of Upward However, a comprehensive
Flow Flow organisational chart will help in
Communi-
clearly marking out the lines or
cation channels of communication. The
flow or pattern of communication
may be downward, upward,
diagonal or horizontal.
Diagonal Flow
Downward Flow
Traditional organisations have a
vertical structure. All the
important decisions are taken at
the top. These are communicated through different levels of hierarchy to the workers. The disadvantages
of such a chain of command are many. Firstly, it creates an authoritarian atmosphere in the workplace.
Secondly, the message is often distorted as it comes down through different levels. Thirdly, it also consumes
a lot of time and leads to avoidable delays.
Upward Flow
With the passage of time, management styles have also undergone a change. The role of workers in the
progress of industry has begun to be appreciated. Workers’ empowerment and their participation in
management are the buzz-words. It is natural for the workers to feel involved in their organisations once
they realise that their interest coincides with that of the management. The result has been an increase in
the flow of upward communication.
Diagonal Flow
Often there arise situations where tasks to be completed involving more than one department in the
92 Business Communication

organisation and there is more often no obvious line of authority. In such circumstances the insistence on
the use of proper channels in communication may affect the efficiency of management and may cause
undue delays in the completion of the task.
Sometimes, it is just not possible to give or seek crucial information only through the right channel. It has
also been found that information is suitably distorted or filtered by superiors before it is allowed to reach the
decision makers. Therefore, one has to enable people to talk to lower or higher ranks freely rather than wait
indefinitely. Diagonal communication is based on cooperation, goodwill and respect between the parties
concerned.
Horizontal Flow
This type of communication flow usually takes place between people of the same status/level of hierarchy
in the organization. However, as flatter organizational structures have now become the order of the day,
people of different ranks now manage to converse with less reserve and formality. There are many
advantages of such openness. Policy decisions are no longer shrouded in mystery. Workers are encouraged
to ask questions and understand the compulsions of hard decisions. There is better understanding and
coordination. However, it is important to continue to respect the authority, use appropriate language and
show good behavior.
Means and Modes of Communication
Business communication is generally interpersonal since the discharge of business functions requires
interaction with others.
Means of Communication
The means or methods of communication, as is evident from the Figure below, are broadly classified into (i)

Means of
Communi-
cation

Verbal Non-verbal
communi- communi-
cation cation

Written Oral Visual Audio visual

verbal communication which entails the use of words to convey messages either in speech or through
writing; and (ii) Non-verbal communication where messages are communicated through body language
(i.e.) facial expressions and gestures. There are a variety of modes through which one can communicate
most of which you may be familiar with and may have also used or been the recipient of at some point of time.
 Business Communication 93

Verbal Communication
It is a written or spoken message that uses words to exchange ideas/ information. Words are selected in
phrases, sentences and paragraphs depending upon the results the verbal communication is trying to
achieve.

The means of verbal communication are:

• Written communication

• Oral communication

• Visual communication

• Audio-visual communication.

1. Written Communication

In the written form, it may require drafting of letters and circulars, proposals, memos and business
reports of varying kinds and includes:

• Memo

• Report

• Office order

• Circulars

• Graphs/Charts

• Staff Newsletter

• E-mail

• Form/Questionnaire

• Letter

• Notice, Agenda, Notes on Agenda

• Minutes of Meetings

• Advertisement

• Customer Newsletter

• Press Release

• Invitation

• Leaflet/Brochure/Handbills

• Manuals

Advantages and Disadvantages of Written Communication

Written Communication has several advantages, although the disadvantages of written communication
are equally serious.
94 Business Communication

Advantages
1. It allows us sufficient time for planning the document we propose to create, taking into account
the purpose for which it is being written.
2. It also enables us to revise the contents if we find them unsuitable for the recipient from the point
of view of clarity or interest.
3. To display what we have written, we have a variety of recent and traditional trends to choose from.
There is also a scope to use tastefully designed stationery for the purpose.
4. The use of headings and bullets enables us to organise the material for better understanding.
5. Information in the written form may be filed or retrieved at our convenience. Its permanence
facilitates prolonged correspondence.
Disadvantages
1. It takes much more time to compose a message in writing. Therefore it is expensive.
2. It also tends to suffer from the limitations of the sender, like the assumptions or prejudices, and the
delayed feedback makes it worse.
3. The inadequacies of the first message may only be revealed when the reply arrives.
4. Communication in writing suffers from a lack of congruence with non-verbal communication
2. Oral Communication
Research studies have shown that 80% of communication by executives of a company is in the oral
form. The modes of Oral Communication include:
• Telephone/Cellular phone
• Messages
• Intercom
• Face-to-face discussion
• Meetings/Conferences
• Presentation
• Dictaphone/Dictation
• Conversation
• Radio
• Teleconferencing
• Speeches
• Brainstorming sessions
• Grapevine
• Interview
Importance of Oral Communication in Business
Speech is one of the earliest as well as the widely used medium of communication. We can retrace our
memory to the days of Socrates, Demosthenes and others who were great and renowned orators. In
 Business Communication 95

fact, talking has achieved brought into being great institutions. The world-renowned insurance company
Lloyds is the brainchild of some merchants and ship owners who used to meet and discuss the matters
of mutual interest at a coffee house on the banks of the river Thames.
The Bank of England, the oldest in U.K. was born out of the deliberations the goldsmiths had amidst
themselves. There were and there are great personalities who hold the audience spell-bound.
Everyday in business, people come into conversation-the superior with the subordinate, superiors
among themselves, subordinates among themselves, the customers with the suppliers and suppliers
with clients and so on and so forth. Effective oral communication is a passport to success in business.
No fixed norms can be set for effective oral communication. Factors like the audience, size of audience,
the degree of significance attached to the information to be spoken out, fear of the boss, fear of status,
fear of one’s own self-advancement, all affect oral communication. Often the Chief of a Corporation
appearing on television or radio or at a meeting picks his words as if he is a tight rope walker knowing
that a single word wrongly uttered may shatter his image or that of the corporation which he heads.
It is true that all business managers should be adept at communication since they have to communicate
to various people at various places, various facts and figures, financial or non-financial, implications of
which may have a significant impact upon the management of the business. Business communication
itself is a difficult subject, it is also very difficult to separate it from every day activity of business people as
it has acquired special significance in the life of the people in business. It is said a successful businessman
should be first of all well conversant with the techniques and the art of communication in order to
make his assignment a successful one.
In the early days, much time was spent in generating data of all kinds. However, not much attention
was given to quality of transmission of information. It depends upon the presentation of information by
using appropriate words and medium, which upgrades the value of the information by the receiver.
As stated earlier, oral communication is the most frequently used means of transmitting messages in
business. It is resorted to more often than any other type of communication. The reasons for the
popularity of oral communication are its advantages. They are:
1. Oral communication saves time. It is said time is money. Wherever and whenever action needs to
be taken instantly or immediately, the best way to expedite action is to transmit necessary messages
orally. Oral communication helps busy people to reassign their workload quickly by giving necessary
instructions, guidance and providing information to subordinates. It thus saves time and quickens
the action.
2. Oral communication provides the opportunity for feedback and clarification. This process of
communication helps the sender of the message to clarify each and every point instantly. The
receiver, at the same time, can also express his opinion, views or emotions on the spot. He can ask
for clarifications wherever required and get himself satisfied. Thus, clarity is better ensured and
makes the communication more effective and purposeful.
3. Oral communication helps to convey the message more appropriately with a suitable tone, voice
and use of words. It can instantly make the receiver of the message understand the content of
communication and significance thereof assigned to any particular matter of communication.
4. Oral communication is an effective tool of persuasion in management. It gives a personal touch to
the communication. For this reason, supervisors and executives in all sorts of business enterprises
prefer to communicate their views, ideas and opinion orally.
5. Oral communication is very effective in communicating with groups. It helps the speaker to establish
personal contact with a group of people and make the group understand his opinion and views at
a single point of time. The speaker can also hear about the group’s reaction subsequently.
96 Business Communication

6. Oral communication is economic also. It saves manhours to be spent in preparing notes, explanation,
circulars, etc. It also saves the stationery of the organisation.

7. Withdrawal of oral communication is comparatively an easy task. There are at times situations in
business where oral communication is preferred to written communication for, the latter may
create an official record which may be used as evidence against the person on any legal matters
arising later in point of time.

Disadvantages of Oral Communication

The disadvantages of oral communication also deserve equal mention, as oral communication by
itself, is not effective always. It mainly depends upon the attitude of the sender and receiver of messages.
It should always be kept in view that communication is not a onesided activity. The communicator will
have to use appropriate words to convey the message as well as develop an ability to receive and react
to the communication spontaneously. The use of right words especially in oral communication makes
the communication more effective. Saying the right word at the right time to the right person will
receive the best possible response from the receiver. It is not what you say but how you say it that
matters in oral communication, only the right word will get the right response. People especially in
business should develop a habit to listen to the whole message with meanings, ideas, feelings, intentions
and facts conveyed, including things that are unpleasant and unwelcome.

Oral communication is totally dependent on listening. Therefore bad or partial listening may affect the
comprehension of the message. Since the feedback is instant, therefore the process may become
extremely lengthy. Some meetings go on endlessly without producing proportionate results. Oral
communication generally has no record or legal liability. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to
confirm important oral messages in writing. Similarly, the economy of oral communication is dependent
on control. Telephone calls, unless kept brief, may also cost a lot of money. Unfamiliar accents and
pronunciation caused by regional variations and mother-tongue interference often lead to temporary
difficulties for the recipients. In short, it is important to exercise control in order to derive the benefits
of oral communication.

3. Visual Communication

Visual communication could be with words or pictures or a combination of both and includes:

• Graphs

• Tables/charts

• Maps

• Models

• Demonstrations

• Slides

• Flipcharts

• Neon Hoardings

• Printed/Painted Pictures (Posters etc.)

• Internet without use of multimedia

 Business Communication 97

The modes of visual communication are useful tools for conveying information in a manner that
makes the data and any relationship between variables clearer and easier for the receiver to follow.
They can be used on their own. But the maximum benefit can be gained from them if they are used as
a complement to the main message because they are more capable of attracting and retaining the
attention of the receiver than speech or written words.
The main advantage of using visual communication is that the message conveyed using this mode is
easily remembered by the receiver and for a long period too. However, using this mode is also expensive
which is its major disadvantage.
4. Audio-visual Communication
The rapid advancements taking place in the field of information technology have brought about
unprecedented changes in the communication systems the world over. In this scenario the modes of
audio-visual communication assume more importance.
The means of audio-visual communication include:

Television/
video/cable

Presentation
using visual aids Cinema
or electronic Audio-
presentation visual
communi-
cation

Internet
Video with
conferencing multimedia

The greatest advantage of this mode is that it aims at stimulating the senses of both sight and hearing
simultaneously and thus enhances the effectiveness of the message. The other advantages are its
wider reach and the fact that the message is remembered for a much longer time than it would be if it
had been conveyed by any other mode of communication. Here again the high cost factor involved
is its greatest disadvantage.
98 Business Communication

Non-verbal Communication

Non-verbal Communication includes:

Facial
expressions

Physical Gestures
appearances

Non-verbal
Communication

Nodding the Movements

head

Eye contact

It is an unspoken or unwritten message that uses body language. This may be used by itself e.g., frowning or
smiling at someone or along with oral communication. In a situation involving the use of oral communication,
non-verbal signs play an equally important role. While listening to someone, one may also be looking at the
person. Their facial expressions such as a smile or a frown may strengthen the verbal message. The entire
body language, from large gestures to proximity with the listener, may help emphasise the contents of the
message.
Alternatively, if non-verbal communication is absent, it leaves the recipient guessing. The “British stiff upper
lip” which looks down upon display of emotions in public is a good example. Similarly in the case of verbal
and non-verbal incongruence, the result may be confusion and even a communication failure. It is
important to note two things. In simple situations, non-verbal communication may suffice in itself. For
example, it will be perfectly in order to smile at a guest and escort him in without speaking a word. Second,
this form of communication has a strong cultural content. The Arabs and Latin Americans are prone to
move closer to the listener as well as maintain more eye-contact than the Europeans do. Similarly, physical
contact is considered a powerful tool of communication. But touching an acquaintance, the handshake
excepted, is almost taboo among the British, insignificant in America and common in Latin America.
Choice of Means and Mode of Communication

Organisation Nature of Distance Cost Resources

size and Policy Message Involved Factor
 Business Communication 99

Choosing the right means and mode of communication plays a vital role in the effectiveness of the message
being communicated and such choice depends on various factors such as:

1. Organisation size and Policy

If the organisation is small, probably more communication will be oral, than in larger organisations
where it may be in writing. The policy for communication also would play a major part in influencing
one’s choice of mode of communication.

2. Cost Factor

The main point to be considered here would be to evaluate whether the cost involved in sending
the message would be commensurate with the results expected.

3. Nature of Message

Whether the message is confidential in nature, urgent or important etc., and whether a matter
would require hand-delivery or be sent by registered post etc. also influences the choice of mode
and means of communication.
4. Distance Involved
Where the message is to be sent is also another vital factor that could influence the choice of
means and modes of communication. For example, if a letter is to be sent to a partner in a joint
venture in Japan and it is urgent, you would not think of sending someone to personally deliver it.
5. Resources
The resources available to both the sender and receiver would also influence your choice. You
can only send a fax if the other person/organisation has a fax machine.
Therefore we can see that the choice of a particular mode and means of communication will depend on
a case to case basis and is influenced by various factors.
Mediums of Digital Communication
We are living in the Information Age, and
the digital technologies have revolutionized E-mail
communication in the modern world. The
Internet and cell phones are two of the most Video Instant
prominent examples of the influence of the conferencing messaging
Information Age, but there are many other
types of digital communication technologies
used nowadays. There are many different
ways of communicating digitally. Most of them Mediums of
Mobile
are used in everyday situations. Some of the Skype Digital phones
most common mediums of digital Communication
communication are:
Electronic mail (or e-mail)
It is a method of creating, sending, storing Blogs PDA
and receiving messages over an electronic
communication system. It uses a protocol (a Forums of
rule) for sending messages called Simple Mail Newsgroups
Transfer Protocol (SMTP for short). One can
send e-mail over an internet connection or
100 Business Communication

over an intranet (a collection of computers within a specific area like an office building). E-mail users can
communicate with each other by sending and receiving messages. Sometimes you want to store messages
to read later and your email software will allow you to do this.
Instant messaging
Instant messaging (IM) is like e-mail but it is done in real-time (get a response very quickly). The instant
messaging software installed on the computer and in the software a contact list of people is set-up with
whom one wants to connect. Most IM software lets you know who is online and available to chat. You can
send text, pictures and even video using IM and whoever you are communicating with can respond as
soon as they see the text appear in their IM software.
Mobile phones
Mobile phones are used by lots of people today to talk, send text messages, take and send pictures, listen to
music, or surf the internet. In fact, you can do so much with a mobile phone it can be a complete
communication tool. The Short Message Service (SMS) allows text messages to be sent and received via
your subscriber service. If the phone you are sending the text message to is out of range or turned off, the
service provider will store the text message until it can be delivered.
PDA
PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) are hand-held computer devices that can perform a number of different
things, like receiving e-mails, sending messages, writing text (in a word processor). Newer PDAs are also
telephone devices, receiving both audio and video. A PDA connects either through a local telephone
network, or a local intranet or an internet connection.
Forums or Newsgroups
A forum or newsgroup is an online discussion group where people can subscribe (join) a group and post
messages to that group. They can take part in discussions with other people in the group and reply to
messages posted by other members of the group. The group can be closed (private) which is often used for
communication between project groups working on a project together, like a survey or sharing project
documents. An open (public) group is often used by people sharing a common interest. When you join a
group you will need to register your details. This creates an account for you so you can post e-mail
messages to the group.
A thread is just a group of related messages on a particular topic, for example pruning roses, or the latest
film, everyone in the group has seen.
Emoticons are little graphical pictures that represent how people are feeling, like a smiley face for happy, or
a face to say you agree with something.
Blogs
A blog (‘web log’) is a form of online journal that allows text, images and video clips (and links to websites)
to be displayed as a webpage but also allows comments to be posted by readers of the blog. Some blogs ask
you to register with the site first before allowing you to post anything. There can be moderation of posts as
with forums but that is determined by the owner/administrator. Blogs often contain information about a
particular topic like food, politics or local news. A blog contains text, images and links to other blogs, forums
or other web pages related to the blog topic.

Skype

Skype is not new to communication. It has been around since 2005, but has become very popular. Skype
users receive calls on their computers dialled by regular phone subscribers to regular phone numbers.
 Business Communication 101

Skype permits users to subscribe to numbers in many countries including the UK and USA. Callers pay only
local rates to call a number. Skype supports voicemail, chat, video calling, SMS messaging to mobile phones
and skype casting. Multiple users can access Skype. A user will need a headset and a microphone or a Skype
handset, which looks very like a mobile phone to talk to other Skype users.

Video conferencing

Video conferencing provides two-way video transmission between different sites. It could be between two
buildings, or even across different countries. Every video conferencing facility allows for call set-up, call
coordination and display of participants. It is normally used with a video conferencing screen so you can
see the people in each of the video conferencing rooms. Video conferencing makes use of specialist
equipment like a computer, video camera and a network like an intranet or internet connection to connect
the two sites together. Video conferencing can save people time, and the expense of travelling between
sites for meetings.
Communication Networks

Vertical Network
Types of Communication

Circuit Network
Networks

Chain Network

Wheel Network

Star Network

The pattern of contacts among the members of the organisation and flow of information among them is a
communication network. Network helps managers to establish contacts in different patterns through
communication flows. The network depends upon the magnitude of the organisation, nature of
communication channels in the organisation and the number of persons involved in the process. There
can be many patterns of communication network.
102 Business Communication

The most frequently followed networks are the following:

1. Vertical Network
The vertical network is usually between the superior and subordinate and vice versa. It is two-way
communication. The immediate feedback is possible in this type of communication network. It is
formal network.

2. Circuit Network

Under this network two persons communicate with each other. Say Mr. ‘A’ sends message to Mr.
‘B’. After receiving message Mr. ‘B’ communicates the feedback message to Mr. ‘A’. So communication
takes the form of a circuit. Therefore it is known as circuit network. It is similar to vertical network
but in circuit network ‘A’ and ‘B’ are not necessarily superior and subordinates.

3. Chain Network
This network of communication follows the organisational hierarchy and chain of command. All
subordinates receive commands or instructions from their superior. B, C, D and E, F, G are the
subordinates to A in the organisational hierarchy and receive commands from ‘A’ which follows
the way shown in the diagram.
 Business Communication 103

4. Wheel Network
Here all subordinates receive commands from one superior. This is highly centralized type of
communication network where each subordinate receives commands or instructions from a
single authority or superior ‘A’ and wants the immediate feedback.

5. Star Network
Under star communication network
all members of the group
communicate with each other and
exchange information. This network
is a must for group communication
or where teamwork is involved. This
network channel of communication
is open to all members of the group.
The members communicate with
each other without hesitation.
The effectiveness of the above
networks of communication
channels depend upon their users
i.e. the managers at all levels, their
104 Business Communication

subordinates and other members of the organisation and above all the seriousness with which all
these human resources make use of the facilities provided to them by the organisation to accomplish
its objectives.
Barriers to Communication
There are certain barriers that cause communication failures. Communication failures may have serious
effects. They affect personal or professional relationship to the extent of causing a rupture. At the personal
level, such failures may cause low self-esteem. As the confidence level falls, the productivity graph also
plunges lower and lower.
Failure to communicate effectively within the organisation, may cause disruption or delays in achieving targets.
From the point of view of finances, a communication failure may mean higher project cost and thus affect
profitability. In business, the role of communication is even more important. A failure to communicate effectively
may result in financial loss. For example, a failure to explain the terms clearly may lead to the cancellation of an
order. There may even be a loss of goodwill if an aggrieved customer is not handled tactfully.
Communication failures may be caused due to many reasons. A few of them are as follows:
(i) Lack of Planning : Every message is conveyed with a specific purpose in mind. One needs to know
one’s own abilities to express the message well. Simultaneously, the personality and attributes of
the recipient and the limitations of the medium also have to be considered. If a message is
communicated without adequate planning, the desired result would not be obtained.

For example, an invitation to potential investors to deposit money in a mutual fund may not offer
all the relevant details, such as entry and exit points and all the risks involved. This would lead to
a loss of interest of the investors in the scheme. While drafting a message, one has the option of
revising it. In oral communication, the words are comparable to arrows, once released, they do
not return. Therefore, one must choose one’s words with care.

(ii) False Assumptions : In many communication situations, the sender starts with several assumptions,
which may not be true. The receiver may also wish to be understood in a certain way and
encourage false assumptions by the sender. Therefore, the result will be anything but along the
expected lines.

For example, a Quality Control Manager should first check whether the workers are familiar with
the Six Sigma Standards before pulling them up for non-adherence. Their silence during the
verbal onslaught may only mean that they do not want to admit their ignorance.

(iii) Ambiguity : We must remember that our intentions are strictly private. They are only known to us.
Therefore, the receiver may not accurately understand the meaning intended by us. A wrong
inference is often drawn when the message yields more than one meaning. For example, the
instruction that relevant details must be submitted for preparation of order by Saturday is ambiguous.
It does not clarify whether the details are required by Saturday or that the order must be prepared
by that day.
(iv) Distortions : many distortions in communication do not register because the receiver is busy or
preoccupied with other things. While the sender believes that he has delivered the message
correctly and the desired action will follow, the truth is that the receiver has not understood it at
all; or he may have done so in part only. It is also common for a receiver to distort the meaning to
suit his expectations.
‘Productivity linked bonus will be paid on the 7th of next month subject to realisation of outstanding
payments ’has a conditional clause. The workers could conveniently forget this when they storm
the office to claim the money on the 7th.
 Business Communication 105

(v) Passing Judgments : Many communication failures are caused because the message tends to pass
a judgment against the receiver. Therefore, it is not received at its face value. Giving precedence
to expression of opinion over the facts and use of offensive or annoying expressions ensure that
the receiver becomes guarded and defensive.

For example, a supervisor was aghast when he found a worker using a welding torch close to
where the inflammable material was stored. He showered abuses at the worker, pushed him away
and accused him of trying to destroy the factory. When he returned after ordering the removal of
the material, the workers had proceeded on a spontaneous strike. It took half a day to assuage the
feelings of the striking workers and to restore normalcy.

Had the supervisor only stated the facts and explained the risks, the communication failure and
the repercussions could have been avoided.

(vi) Implied Meanings : Messages may not always convey a meaning in a straightforward manner. If the
background of the sender and the receiver is not similar. In such a case it is possible for the latter
not to uncover the implied meaning. For example, a reference to weather is often indicative of a
desire to change the topic of discussion. Lack of familiarity with slang or colloquial expressions
often causes communication failures.

(vii) Lack of Trust : The relationship between the sender and the receiver plays an important role in a
effective communication. If the two of them do not share trust and understanding, there is a
strong possibility of a communication failure. The information shared by them will be minimal.
Both of them will also tend to treat the information received with suspicion.

For example, even a compliment paid by a hostile boss is likely to be received by a subordinate with
caution. He may wonder what the actual intention of the boss is.

(viii) Problem of Semantic Distortion : Messages communicated through words may be distorted
intentionally. However, there are words that often mean different things to different people and
thus cause non-deliberate distortions. The senior selects the words according to his own frame of
reference which he thinks appropriate to convey the meaning intended to be communicated.
The receiver, on the other hand, reads or listens to the message and interprets it within his own
frame of reference.
Ways to Overcome Barriers to Communication
In order to remove hindrances in the way of communication the following steps are worth consideration:
(1) Clarify Ideas before Communication
The person sending the communication should be very clear in his mind about what he wants to
say. He should know the objective of his message and, therefore, he should arrange his thoughts
in a proper order.
(2) Communicate According to the Need of the Receiver
The sender of the communication should prepare the structure of the message not according to
his own level or ability but he should keep in mind the level, understanding or the environment of
the receiver.
(3) Consult Others before Communication
At the time of planning the communication, suggestions should be invited from all the persons
concerned. Its main advantage will be that all those people who are consulted at the time of
preparing the communication plan will contribute to the success of the communication system.
106 Business Communication

(4) Be Aware of Language, Tone and Content of Message

The sender should take care of the fact that the message should be framed in clear and beautiful
language. The tone of the message should not injure the feelings of the receiver. As far as possible
the contents of the message should be brief and excessive use of technical words should be
avoided.
(5) Convey Things of Help and Value to the Listener
The subject matter of the message should be helpful to the receiver. The need and interest of the
receiver should specially be kept in mind. Communication is more effective in such a situation.
(6) Ensure Proper Feedback
The purpose of feedback is to find out whether the receiver has properly understood the meaning
of the information received. In the face-to- face communication, the reaction on the face of the
receiver can be understood.
But in case of written communication or some other sort of communications some proper method
of feedback should be adopted by the sender.
(7) Consistency of Message
The information sent to the receiver should not be self- contradictory. It should be in accordance
with the objectives, policies, programmes and techniques of the organisation. When a new message
has to be sent in place of the old one, it should always make a mention of the change otherwise it
can create some doubts.
(8) Follow up Communication
In order to make communication effective the management should regularly try to know the
weaknesses of the communication system. In this context effort can be made to know whether to
lay more stress upon the formal or the informal communication would be appropriate.
Similarly, suggestions can be invited in respect of the medium of communication (oral, written and
gestural) to know as to which medium would be more effective and appropriate.
(9) Be a Good Listener
It is the essence of communication that both the sender and the receiver should be good listeners.
Both should listen to the each other’s point of view with attention, patience and positive attitude.
A sender can receive much relevant information by being a good listener.

***
 Business Communication 107

Lesson 5

LISTENING SKILLS

107
108 Business Communication

INTRODUCTION

According to Oxford Living Dictionaries, to listen simply means giving attention to sound or action. In fact,
effective listening is the process of analysing sounds in a language, organizing them into recognizable
patterns, interpreting the patterns and understanding the message by inferring the meaning. Listening is
the “receiving” part of communication. And listening is all about receiving information through both our
ears and eyes! It is an active, integrated communication skill that demands energy and know-how. It is
purposeful, powerful and productive. It is a technique used for understanding, what is being said by taking
into account how something is said and the nonverbal signs and body language that accompanies it. This
technique requires a lot of practice and patience as listening is not easy. Good listening skill is the foundation
of effective human relations. It is of paramount importance to both the managers and workers. It is to be
inculcated by both of them. Communication is not complete without effective listening. Good listeners can
be good negotiators and thus can face or handle a crisis or critical situations. It comes first in human life.
Unfortunately, still it is rarely taught in the classroom.

Outline Profile of Four Basic Communication Skills

Listening is not to be confused with hearing. Hearing is a physiological process which involves receiving
the sound waves by the eardrum and transferring them to the brain. It is an involuntary act that happens
automatically. Hearing refers to the sounds that enter your ears. It is a physical process that happens
automatically. Listening, however, requires more than that. It requires focus and concentrated effort, both
mental and sometimes physical as well. Listening is more than hearing. It involves the process of interpretation
and inference. It is a voluntary activity and hence it is deliberate. Hence, listening means paying attention
not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his
or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to
listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages.

Research shows that effective communication involves 50% more listening than speaking. So, it is more
important to realize that listening is not just paying attention to the other person’s words but also to his
tone, facial expressions, and body language. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily
misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily
become frustrated or irritated. In fact, the skill of listening is intimately related to the skill of speaking. Both
are the natural keys to communication. To be an excellent communicator one needs to develop both
the skills. Your competence in listening is directly proportional to that of speaking. In fact, both the skills
complement and supplement each other and their relationship is symbiotic resulting in a fine
communication.

Listening is not a passive process. In fact, the listener can, and should, be at least as engaged in the process
as the speaker. The phrase ‘active listening’ is used to describe this process of being fully involved. To be an
effective listener, one has to be completely involved in the communication process, and fully present. Here
‘fully’, means physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically present or alive. A person may be mentally
present but then emotionally disturbed by something else. A student may be physically present in the
classroom but mentally absent. Probably the student has to go home for vacation and daydreams of the
celebration that will take place at home. Similarly, when the teacher announces that she is going to ask
questions to students by random selection, psychologically, a weak student will feel intimated.

The Purpose of Listening

Undoubtedly effective listening is an extremely important as it serves a number of possible purposes depending
on the situation and the nature of the communication:
 Business Communication 109

To specifically focus on the messages being communicated,

avoiding distractions and preconceptions.

To gain a full and accurate understanding into the

speakers point of view and ideas.
Purpose of Listening

To critically assess what is being said.

To observe the non-verbal signals accompanying what

is being said to enhance understanding.

To show interest, concern and concentration.

To encourage the speaker to communicate fully, openly

and honestly.

To develop a selflessness approach, putting the speaker

first.

To arrive at a shared and agreed understanding and

acceptance of both sides views.

Often our main concern while listening is to formulate ways to respond. This is not a function of listening.
We should try to focus fully on what is being said and how it is being said in order to understand the speaker.

Listening and Hearing

Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening
is the key to effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily
misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become
frustrated or irritated.

Hearing refers to the sounds that enter your ears. It is a physical process that, provided you do not have any
hearing problems, happens automatically. Listening, however, requires more than that. It requires focus
and concentrated effort, both mental and sometimes physical as well.

Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and
how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-
verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and
understand these messages.

Listening is not a passive process. In fact, the listener can, and should, be at least as engaged in the process
as the speaker. The phrase ‘active listening’ is used to describe this process of being fully involved.

Listening is different from hearing because hearing is basically a physical activity. You hear blaring horns
and get exposed to noise pollution when you are in a traffic jam. However, listening is a mental activity that
involves and uses the brain.
110 Business Communication

Types of Listening Skills

Following are the various types of listening:

Active
Listeners

Evaluative TYPE OF Passive

Listeners LISTENERS Listeners

Non
Listeners

Discriminative listening
Discriminative listening is the most basic type of listening, whereby the difference between different sounds
is identified. If you cannot hear differences, then you cannot make sense of the meaning that is expressed
by such differences.
We learn to discriminate between sounds within our own language early, and later are unable to discriminate
between the phonemes of other languages. This is one reason why a person from one country finds it
difficult to speak another language perfectly, as they are unable to distinguish the subtle sounds that are
required in that language.
Likewise, a person who cannot hear the subtleties of emotional variation in another person's voice will be
less likely to be able to discern the emotions the other person is experiencing.
Listening is a visual as well as an auditory act, as we communicate much through body language. We thus
also need to be able to discriminate between muscle and skeletal movements that signify different meanings.
Comprehension listening
The next step beyond discriminating between different sound and sights is to make sense of them. To
comprehend the meaning requires first having a lexicon of words at our fingertips and also all rules of
grammar and syntax by which we can understand what others are saying.
The same is true, of course, for the visual components of communication, and an understanding of body
language helps us understand what the other person is really meaning.
 Business Communication 111

In communication, some words are more important and some less so, and comprehension often benefits
from extraction of key facts and items from a long spiel.
Comprehension listening is also known as content listening, informative listening and full listening.
Critical listening
Critical listening is listening in order to evaluate and judge, forming an opinion about what is being said.
The Judgment includes assessing strengths and weaknesses, agreement and approval.
This form of listening requires significant real-time cognitive effort as the listener analyzes what is being said,
relating it to existing knowledge and rules, whilst simultaneously listening to the ongoing words from the
speaker.
Biased listening
Biased listening happens when the person hears only what they want to hear, typically misinterpreting
what the other person says based on the stereotypes and other biases that they have. Such biased listening
is often very evaluative in nature.
Evaluative listening
In evaluative listening, or critical listening, we make judgments about what the other person is saying. We
seek to assess the truth of what is being said. We also judge what they say against our values, assessing them
as good or bad, worthy or unworthy.
Evaluative listening is particularly pertinent when the other person is trying to persuade us, perhaps to
change our behavior and maybe even to change our beliefs. Within this, we also discriminate between
subtleties of language and comprehend the inner meaning of what is said. Typically also we weigh up the
pros and cons of an argument, determining whether it makes sense logically as well as whether it is helpful
to us.
Evaluative listening is also called critical, judgmental or interpretive listening.
Appreciative listening
In appreciative listening, we seek certain information which will appreciate, for example that which helps
meet our needs and goals. We use appreciative listening when we are listening to good music, poetry or
maybe even the stirring words of a great leader.
Sympathetic listening
In sympathetic listening, we care about the other person and show this concern in the way we pay close
attention and express our sorrow for their ills and happiness at their joys.
Empathetic listening
When we listen empathetically, we go beyond sympathy to seek a truer understanding of how others are
feeling. This requires excellent discrimination and close attention to the nuances of emotional signals.
When we are being truly empathetic, we actually feel what they are feeling.

In order to get others to expose these deep parts of themselves to us, we also need to demonstrate our
empathy in our demeanor towards them, asking sensitively and in a way that encourages self-disclosure.

Therapeutic listening

In therapeutic listening, the listener has a purpose of not only empathizing with the speaker but also to use
this deep connection in order to help the speaker understand, change or develop in some way.
112 Business Communication

This not only happens when you go to see a therapist but also in many social situations, where friends and
family seek to both diagnose problems from listening and also to help the speaker cure themselves, perhaps
by some cathartic process. This also happens in work situations, where managers, trainers and coaches
seek to help employees learn and develop.

Dialogic listening

The word 'dialogue' stems from the Greek words 'dia', meaning 'through' and 'logos' meaning 'words'. Thus
dialogic listening means learning through conversation and an engaged interchange of ideas and
information in which we actively seek to learn more about the person and how they think. Dialogic
listening is sometimes known as 'relational listening'.

Relationship listening

Sometimes the most important factor in listening is in order to develop or sustain a relationship. This is why
lovers talk for hours and attend closely to what each other has to say when the same words from someone
else would seem to be rather boring.

Relationship listening is also important in areas such as negotiation and sales, where it is helpful if the other
person likes you and trusts you.

Selective Listening

This is a more negative type of listening, it implies that the listener is somehow biased to what they are
hearing. Bias can be based on preconceived ideas or emotionally difficult communications. Selective
listening is a sign of failing communication – you cannot hope to understand if you have filtered out some
of the message and may reinforce or strengthen your bias for future communications.

Active and Effective Listening

Active listening occurs when the listener attempts to understand as clearly as possible what the speaker
says. Effective listening is attempting to understand the perspective of the speaker and empathize, not
sympathize, with him or her.

Active and effective listening are combined and subsumed under listening. Combining both makes good
sense for one reason: a person cannot separate one from the other. To effectively listen, he must listen
actively. To listen actively, he must listen effectively. Although both are distinct conceptually in their
implementation it is virtually impossible to separate one from the other.
To be an effective listener, one has to get completely involved in the communication process, and be fully
present. When it is said fully, means physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically present. A person
may be mentally present but then emotionally disturbed by something else. A student may be physically
present in the classroom but mentally absent. Probably the student has to go home for vacation and
daydreams of the celebration that will take place at home. Similarly, when the teacher announces that she
is going to ask questions to students by random selection, psychologically, a weak student will feel intimated.
Types of Listeners
Listeners are of four types, namely, active listeners, passive listeners, non-listeners and evaluative listeners.
The characteristic of these types of listener are as under:

Active Listeners
As the term implies, active listeners involve themselves actively in the communication process by keenly
listening not only to the message but also to the way it has been delivered.
 Business Communication 113

They focus on the content as well the manner in which it is delivered. This means that they will take note
of the verbal content along with its nonverbal subtexts. They will not hesitate to seek clarifications, ask
leading questions, show their approval by nodding head, and summarize to clearly indicate that they
fully follow the speaker. In this way, the active listeners are quite sensitive towards the feelings of others,
they understand the mood of the audience. They show empathy and make the audience or the other
person cared for. Once the audience get the feeling that they are being cared for, they will devote
themselves fully to the communication process. Once there is mutual involvement, there will be hundred
per cent success in terms of communication. The message sent will be received correctly and feedback
is given in a favorable manner. So it leads to a win-win situation and causes effective communication.
Contrarily, if the audience would sense that the speaker is insensitive towards their feelings, they would
remain cold and distant.

Passive Listeners

Passive listeners exhibit exactly the opposite behavioristic traits of active listeners. They pay attention only
to partial message and lack sensitivity to the nuances, inner meanings, nonverbal subtexts involved in
communication. They allow someone to speak, without interrupting or seeking clarifications. They do not
make notes, nod their head in approval, maintain eye contact and keep themselves idle. Passive “listening,”
is actually hearing not listening! Since passive listeners keep their minds closed, communication with them
is futile and incomplete.

Non Listeners

The non-listeners do not listen at all because they are genuinely disinterested in the subject. These
people pretend to follow the speaker while they are actually preoccupied with something else. So, they
will fake attention, but they could easily be recognized by their blank stare, impatient and nervousness
mannerisms.

They might be suffering from rigidity of thinking and egotism. Their complete insensitivity and insensible
nature makes them incapable of understanding others. In fact, they do not even make an effort to hear
what the other person is saying.

You will find non- listeners among authority figures who will do most of the talking and will not let their sub-
ordinates easily express their ideas. Although, they frequently interrupt by saying “I understand,” and “I
know,” they actually do not know anything or understand the subject!

Marginal Listeners

Impatient to listen to the main ideas, marginal listeners pay superficial attention, and are interested only in
the bottom line. They merely hear the sounds of words, but fail to grasp their meanings. They do not go to
the deeper level in arguments. They use external distractions to excuse themselves from conversations.
They will not have the patience to sit through complex technical presentations, and jump to findings and
conclusions. It is risky to communicate with marginal listeners because they are not focused on the main
ideas and often misunderstand their import.

Evaluative Listeners

Evaluative listeners literally assess the verbal content on the basis of words not paralinguistic or nonverbal
cues. Generally, they use logic to understand the content, hence, they distance themselves emotionally
from the subject. As a result, they do not show empathy or sensitivity to the speaker. They are mostly
prejudiced and judgmental as they presume the meaning before actually the speaker completes a
sentence.
114 Business Communication

Characteristics of Active Listener

An active listener is serious about the whole process of communication. He pays attention to the speaker’s
stance, perspective, point of view, bias and prejudices. He is intensely involved in the interaction and
expends maximum energy to have full comprehension of the subject matter through their eye contact,
receptive body language, and appropriate facial expressions and nonverbal affirmations, they make the
speakers feel delivering the message to them is a pleasing and pleasurable experience.

Nonetheless, there are some barriers which impede one’s efforts to become an active listener.
Communication theorists list eight fundamental barriers to action listening.
Barriers to Active Listening

Pre-Judging Negative
the Speaker/ towards the
the Speech Speaker
Dis-
interested- Diffidence
ness

Partial Over-
Listening Enthusiasm/
Intolerance

BARRIERS
Inadequate
TO Deep-Rooted
Language
Beliefs
Base
ACTIVE LISTENING

Inadequate Language Base

Sufficient language background is required to fully understand the speaker. Despite one’s best efforts to
intensely participate in the communication process (a lecture delivered, for instance), an inadequate
language base will act as a deterrent. Weak language proficiency, lack of technical vocabulary, combined
with fear and shyness, will hinder the progress of learning a new subject.
Partial Listening
Partial listening occurs when people happily indulge themselves in multitasking and allow themselves to be
distracted easily. For instance, when talking over the phone during a conversation, many people are
habituated to flip through a book, or surf through the internet due to which they fail to pay full attention to
 Business Communication 115

the speaker. Because the mind is involved in too many things, important details are missed in partial
listening.
Disinterestedness
Lack of interest in the subject prevents one to pay complete attention. Students, for instance, may remember
a pop song more easily than the name of an author. So, due to disinterestedness in the subject, during a
conversation, the listener may focus on other interesting subjects.
Pre-Judging the Speaker/the Speech

The listeners form biased opinions by looking at the speaker’s look, dress and mannerism. The bias against
the speaker can be formed due to one’s own gender and colour preferences. Even the status of the
speaker, depending on whether it is high or low, can affect the logical thinking of the listener.

Negativity towards the Speaker

The major cause of poor listening is due to the listener’s emotional, mental and psychological mind-set. If
there is any dislike for the speaker and disapproval to his/her ideas, the listener will certainly reconstruct a
distorted and negative message. When there is negativity, the listener shows animosity, undermines the
speaker’s capabilities, and keeps disagreeing with the speaker’s viewpoints. The listener will even go to the
extent of ridiculing, insulting, and humiliating the speaker in public.

Diffidence

Some listeners suffer from a defeatist attitude. Hence, underestimate their self-capabilities and decide in
advance that they cannot understand what they are going to hear. Mostly, new students and participants
in a conference suffer from this kind of self-diffidence and affects the listening process.

Over-Enthusiasm/Intolerance

There are listeners who often become over-enthusiastic and intolerant and start supplying gaps in the
speaker’s ideas. This generally comes out of impatience from the listener’s side who finds the speaker slow
to communicate his/her ideas. So the listener advances the questions and interferes quickly preventing the
speaker to finish the talk on his/her own pace. In the process, the listener assumes the speaker’s flow of
thoughts in advance and impedes his/her own mind from active listening.

Deep-Rooted Beliefs

Sometimes one tends to become close-minded due to one’s own deep-rooted beliefs and convictions.
Socio-culturally embedded beliefs and convictions become so strong and firmly rooted in one’s mind and
act as barriers to new thoughts and fresh ideas. For instance, if one has a deep rooted conviction on caste
system based arranged marriage, then the person will not be able to openly listen to a talk on the benefits of
inter-caste love marriage. Such deep-rooted beliefs lead to superficial listening and cause disagreement
with the speaker’s stance and viewpoint.

To become an effective listener, one should be attentive all the time and actively responsive. And should be
conscious of and in complete control of preoccupations, and distractions. Students often get distractive
for very small things, especially in the classroom. A passerby, or a chirping bird can easily make them lose
their concentration. Moreover, as Robert Schuler says, “the mind is like a parachute, it functions only when
it is open.” Only when the mind is open, it will be able to receive ideas, receive concepts, assimilate them,
interpret and critically think. To keep one’s mind open, one should train the mind to listen without any
prejudice. What is prejudice? Prejudice is forming an opinion in one’s mind even before actually confronting
the situation; it is being judgmental before verifying the facts. The following example clearly demonstrates
how people tend to keep their minds closed and remain prejudiced most of the times.
116 Business Communication

Principles of Effective Listening

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE
LISTENING

• Stop Talking
• Prepare Yourself to Listen
• Put the Speaker at Ease
• Remove Distractions
• Empathetic
• Be Patient
• Avoid Personal Prejudice
• Listen to the Tone
• Listen for Ideas-Not Just Words
• Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal
Communications

1. Stop Talking
Don't talk, listen. If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and
one ear. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over
them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished
talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately.
2. Prepare Yourself to Listen
Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of your mind. The human mind is easily
distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is
it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are
being communicated.
3. Put the Speaker at Ease
Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other
gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show
you are listening and understanding what is being said.
4. Remove Distractions
Focus on what is being said. Don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails
or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and
send message to the speaker that you are bored or distracted.
 Business Communication 117

5. Empathise
Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of
preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the
speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter
what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others.
6. Be Patient
A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient
and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say
and how to say it. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone.
7. Avoid Personal Prejudice
Try to be impartial. Don't become irritated and don't let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract
you from what the speaker is really saying.
Everybody has a different way of speaking - some people are for example more nervous or shy than
others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace
whilst talking - others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery.
8. Listen to the Tone
Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and
tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume
of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said.
9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words
You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult
aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others.
With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier.
10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication
Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our
ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via
non-verbal communication.
Barriers to Effective Listening
Listening is the most important part of the communication process. However, listening skills do not come
naturally to most people; they require willingness, practice, and patience to develop. There are many
things that get in the way of listening and we should be aware of these barriers, many of which are bad
habits, in order to become a more effective listener. There are many reasons individuals fail to listen
successfully. These include:

1. Preconceived ideas or bias - effective listening includes being open-minded to the ideas and opinions
of others, this does not mean you have to agree but should listen and attempt to understand.
2. Interrupting is a problem for many reasons. First, it is aggressive behavior and will most likely bring
a negative response from the speaker being interrupted. Second, it is difficult to listen and speak at
the same time. When the listener is interrupting, he or she is certainly not listening fully.
3. Previous experiences – we are all influenced by previous experiences in life. We respond to people
based on personal appearances, how initial introductions or welcomes were received and/or
previous interpersonal encounters. If we stereotype a person we become less objective and
therefore less likely to listen effectively.
4. Preoccupation - when we have a lot on our minds we can fail to listen to what is being said as we're
118 Business Communication

too busy concentrating on what we're

thinking about. This is particularly true when Preconceived ideas or bias
we feel stressed or worried about issues.
Interrupting
5. Having a Closed Mind - we all have ideals and
values that we believe to be correct and it
Previous experiences
can be difficult to listen to the views of others

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
that contradict our own opinions. The key to
effective listening and interpersonal skills Preoccupation
more generally is the ability to have a truly
open mind - to understand why others think

LISTENING
about things differently from you and use this Having a Closed Mind
information to gain a better understanding
of the speaker. Bringing in Emotions

6. Bringing in Emotions - Emotions erect barriers Noise

to effective communication. A listener's
senses are not likely to be functioning at their
Faking attention
optimum level when he or she is angry.
Likewise, it is not possible to understand or
appreciate what the speaker is saying if the Becoming emotional
listener is excessively sad.
To avoid jumping to Conclusions
7. Noise - Noise is any unwanted sound. It is a
great impediment to clear communication. It
is impossible to listen in a noisy environment Distraction
– it becomes a frustrating experience for both
the speaker and the listener.

8. Faking attention (often associated with tuning out) can be offensive and is usually hard to hide. This
is hurtful and sends the message to the speaker that the listener doesn't really care about what the
speaker is saying. If an individual cannot listen actively in the present moment, it is best to let that
be known and suggest that the communication process be put off until a point when there are no
distractions.

9. Becoming emotional can hinder one's ability to listen. It is important that the receiver be aware of
his or her emotions. If the sender is sending a message that is offensive, it is important to acknowledge
that fact and be aware of the fact that something is threatening a breakdown in the process. When
a receiver is angered, it is easy for him or her to miss the most important part of the sender's
message.

10. To avoid jumping to conclusions, it may be helpful for the listener to wait until the speaker is finished
before responding. It can also be helpful to ask questions throughout the conversation to clarify
issues, or to let the speaker know that he or she is communicating in a way that suggests a certain
thing, which may not be what they are intending to say.

11. Distraction - It is easy to become distracted while trying to communicate. Often one has many tasks
to do or there is a lot of other activity taking place while someone is trying to communicate. This
can be a problem because it leads to miscommunication, faking attention, and tuning out all
together-all of which threaten future communication.
 Business Communication 119

Ways to Overcome Barriers in Listening

Although the reasons for listening breakdowns are numerous, there are many ways to improve listening
skills. These are:
Provide clues that you are actively involved
Clues that one is actively listening can go a long way. It is important for the speaker to feel like the listener
cares about what the speaker is saying. This is because it tends to send a message about whether or not the
listener cares about the speaker in general. When people don't feel like you care about them, they don't
trust you and the communication process quickly breaks down. Therefore, it is important to use verbal and
non-verbal clues that you are listening, including eye contact, gestures, and acknowledging statements.
Concentrate
Concentration requires willingness and practice. Practicing active listening helps with concentration but
there are other elements that contribute to your ability to concentrate on what someone is saying. When
you're involved in an exchange of information, you can't be multi-tasking. It's important to position yourself
in a way that maintains eye contact while allowing you to watch for body language and other non-verbal
forms of communication.
Refrain from formulating an immediate response
It is important to refrain from formulating an immediate response. You won't be able to fully concentrate on
forming a genuine understanding of what the speaker is trying to say if you are too busy thinking about
what you are going to say in response to them whenever it is your turn to talk. Instead, it is important to
approach the communication as a dialogue. Dialogues help us to learn what others have to say by forcing
us to think about their message and to acknowledge what we have heard rather than just responding with
our own opinions.
Try to prepare beforehand
Preparation can have a huge impact on the outcome of a dialogue or any form of communication. To
prepare for an interaction where effective listening will be important, it is essential to keep in mind the
purpose of the exchange. What decisions need to be made and how the collaboration between sender
and receiver relates are important factors to keep in mind. It is also helpful to approach the situation with
the attitude of really caring about and wanting to know the truth. The dialogue should be viewed as an
opportunity to uncover the truth and make progress, rather than as a challenge or conflict.
Be prepared to accept revisions
A willingness to accept revisions will keep the communication process running smoothly. Often people are
so busy trying to defend their positions that they fail to really stop and think whether they could be improved
upon or viewed in a different way. This is what is often referred to as "spending 90 seconds expressing an
opinion and 900 seconds blindly defending it."
Be sure the environment is conducive to listening
Choosing the right environment is important because it will help the listener focus and avoid distractions.
Although there is no set environment which is best for all communication, in general it is best to avoid
areas where there are high levels of activity, loud noises, an uncomfortable temperature, poor air flow, etc.
Implementing these techniques takes willingness and patience. The effort is worthwhile however, as the
long-term benefit of improved communication skills will greatly increase one's chances of success in the
business world. Effective listening is the most important part of the communication process. It is probably
the most difficult to master also. There are many barriers to effective listening, but practicing listening
techniques will help one overcome these barriers and become a good listener.
120 Business Communication

Provide clues that you are actively

involved

Concentrate

Refrain from formulating an

WAYS TO IMPROVE
LISTENING SKILLS

immediate response

Try to prepare beforehand

Be prepared to accept revisions

Be sure the environment is

conducive to listening

***
 Business Communication 121

Lesson 6

BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE

121
122 Business Communication

INTRODUCTION
When you speak, you can smile, and the listener can see your smile. Regardless of your choice of words, the
listener recognises that you wish to be pleasant in conveying your message. You can also watch your
listener and change your approach if you see any favourable reactions. A person reading a letter cannot
see your smile, hear your voice, or observe your gestures. The message is complete when it leaves your
hands; you can’t change your approach if the reader reacts unfavourably. Thus there is a need to draft a
business letter very carefully.

A business letter is usually a letter from one business entity to another, or between such organizations and
their customers or clients and other related parties. The overall style of the letter depends on the purpose
of the letters and relationship between the parties concerned. A business letter is sometimes useful because
it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms
of communication.

It is a known fact that rules exist for business letter writing, as some typically posed questions are: How
should I end this type of letter? ,What is the rule for addressing a person you don’t know?, How should this
offer be laid out?, and many alike. Over a period of time, the norms, or conventions, for drafting a business
letter have been stabilized. But still, the writer of a letter has a lot of discretion at his end to word and style
the letter. In the following chapter, we would discuss the standard form and contents of a business letter,
style of writing it, and tips for writing good business letters.

Note that the today’s business letters with their conversational tone and the application of psychology are
a big improvement over the letter of bygone days.

The Essentials of a Good Business Letter

In spite of the latest technological advancements, the importance of a business letter has not been reduced.
Rather we witness that most of the softwares are available for helping and guiding for producing an
effective business letter. In any case, they are the only tools and may be used if necessary. However, we must
understand the mechanical details of a business letter.

Letterhead

Letterhead, along with other printed materials like business cards and brochures, are a visual representation
of any business. A letterhead is the printed stationery,
which carries the essential information about the
company or the organisation. Since the first contact
with a company is usually made through its • Company logo
letterhead, companies spend considerable time,
• Tag line
effort and money on getting it designed. A letterhead
generally carries a company logo, tagline, the name • Name and address of Registered
and address of the registered office, corporate office Office, Corporate Office
of the company, Corporate Identity Number (CIN) • Contact numbers
and its contact numbers and website and e-mail
addresses of the company. Sometimes the letterhead • E-mail address of the company
carries the addresses of the various offices of the
company like in case of bank, the letterhead of
branch office caries the branch office address and contact details.
 Business Communication 123

A Letterhead generally carries:

Reference Number
A reference number helps us in retrieving the letter at a later stage. It may contain the initials of the letter
writer, the department from which the letter originates, and the distinctive number allotted to it. It is for an
organisation to decide what the contents of a reference number should be. Some business letters show the
reference numbers of both the correspondents or display printed pre- numbered stickers for the purpose.
Date
The date must be written in full without abbreviating the name of the month. For example, 1.6.2019 may
preferably be written as 1 June, 2019. This removes the possibility of any misunderstanding as Americans
are likely to read the date given in numerals as 6th of January, 2019. The date may be written either below
the reference number or to its extreme right.
Special Markings
A few spaces below the date, one may show special markings such as Confidential, Air Mail, through
Registered Post/Courier/Speed Post etc. When the contents of a letter are confidential, then care should
be taken to superscribe the envelope also with the same marking.
Inside Address
The complete name and address of the recipient is written below the special markings. It must be ensured
that the inside name and address is exactly the same as that used on the envelope.
Attention Line
If the letter is addressed to a company or one of its departments but the sender wishes it to be dealt with by
a particular individual, then an attention line may be inserted either above or below the inside address.
This may read like:
For the Attention of Mr. Harish Arora, Manager (Industrial Credits)

Salutation

The choice of a salutation depends on the extent of formality one wishes to observe. The following list
shows different salutations in descending order of formality:

Sir

Dear Sir/Madam

Dear Mr./Ms X

‘Dear Sir/Madam’ may be used as a standard salutation. When informality is aimed at, then the surname of
the addressee is preferred for use by most correspondents. The use of first name was traditionally avoided
in business letters but salutations in business now are becoming increasingly direct.

The use of “Respected Sir” should also be avoided, as the word respected, not being an adjective, is
grammatically unacceptable.

Subject Heading

It is useful to provide a subject heading in longer letters. This helps the reader find out in the first instance
what the contents of the letter are. Subject headings may be written in initial capitals with the rest in lower
case and underscored or in capitals as shown:
124 Business Communication

Sub: Erection Work of Bikaner Project (or)

Sub: ERECTION WORK OF BIKANER PROJECT

The usual place for a subject heading is either above or below the salutation. In brief letters, a subject
heading may be redundant, in some circumstances a subject heading may also be useful in short letters as
it would ensure that the letter reaches the right person, at the earliest, who would be dealing with that
subject matter. It would be of immense help especially if it is addressed to a large organisation which has a
central department where all mails are received and sorted.

Main Body

The main body of the letter may be divided into three parts. Most business letters begin with a brief
introduction, which states the purpose of the letter.

This is followed by a longer middle section, which presents relevant facts in a logical and coherent manner.
This section may be divided into several paragraphs, each dealing with a separate point and written
coherently.

The conclusion is a polite rounding off. It may mention the feedback required.

Some of the expressions are given below:

We thank you in anticipation.

We look forward to a favourable response.

We will be glad to furnish additional information.

We expect you will continue to extend patronage to us.

We hope it is the beginning of a long business relationship.

We regret it may not be possible to deliver the goods immediately.

It is not advisable to round off every business letter with the phrase “Thanking You”. If the intention is to
really thank the recipient, then a complete sentence may be used since a phrase beginning with an “ing”
word is neither a complete sentence nor grammatically acceptable. This again would depend largely on
the practice being followed in an organisation.

Complimentary Close
The complimentary close should match the salutation in terms of formality or lack of it. The following table

Salutation Complimentary
Close

Sir Yours truly

Dear Sir Yours Faithfully
Dear Mr. X Yours Sincerely
 Business Communication 125

may be helpful
A common error is to use an apostrophe in Yours (Your’s). Care must be taken toavoid it. “Truly” and
“sincerely” are often misspelt. It should be remembered that truly does not have an ‘e’ in it while “sincerely”
retains both the ‘e’s.
Signatory

After leaving four to five spaces for the signature, the name of the sender may be written in capitals within
brackets followed by the designation as shown below:

(AMBUJ CHANDNA)

Regional Sales Manager

Enclosures/Copies Circulated

List of enclosures or details of those to whom copies of the letter are being circulated may be given below
the designation of the sender. In some cases, copies of the letter may require circulation while keeping the
original recipient in the dark. The abbreviation in such cases is suitably changed to bcc in the letters being
circulated alone.

Annexures

If we wish to annex some documents with the letter, then information about these may be listed at the end.

Type of Business Letters

Business Letters are basically of two types:

1. Formal Business Letter –Formal business letters are the typical or standard business letters meant
for legal or official correspondence. These include letters regarding business deals, order,
claim,dispute settlement, agreements, information request, sales report and other official matters.

2. Informal Business Letter –Informal Business Letter is used for casual correspondence but doesn’t
necessarily has to have a casual tone of language. These letters include memorandums, appraisals,
interview, thanks, reference letters, cover letter, customer complaint letters, e-mails and others
which are less important or regular.

Layout of Letters

Layouts of letters are of two types-Blocked and

Semi Blocked. Given below are examples of Type of
the two types of layout: Layout
of
Blocked Format
Letters
In the blocked format of letter layout, the date
of the letter, all references, subject, salutation,
the paragraphs in the body of the letter,
conclusion and signature, all commence at
the left margin as is shown in the specimen
below. Another point to note is that in this Blocked Semi-
format no commas are used after inside Blocked
126 Business Communication

address, salutation or complimentary close.

Sundar Chemicals Limited
Regd. Office: 28 M G Road, Chennai-600 023.
Phone: 011-8387666 email: [email protected]
Comp/Mar 01/26
March 15, 2019
The Manager
X Traders & Company
256, Anna Road
CHENNAI-600 070
Ref: Order No. 288/2019
Dear Sir,

We are thankful to you for promptly complying with our request to supply a Digital Printer Model ZX1 as per
our Order No.285/2019 dated 10th March 2019.

However, after the machine was installed and a test run was conducted, it was found that clear photocopies
were not being produced. We referred the matter to your engineer Mr. Srivasanwho has informed us that
this problem is due to some inherent manufacturing defect in this machine.

We are still within the guarantee period of one year within which the machine will be replaced if there are
any manufacturing defects.

Therefore, we request you to kindly replace our Printer model ZXI with a new machine that has no defects,
at the earliest.
Yours faithfully

(Maninder Singh)
Administrative Manager
Semi-Blocked Format
This style is often termed as modified block style letter. In the semi-blocked format of a layout of a letter the
date of the letter, conclusion and signature are aligned to the right of the letter. The subject or reference is
centrally aligned. The paragraphs of the body of the letter all commence with a slight indent and commas
are used in the inside address (however a common practice now is to omit the use of comma in the inside
address), salutation and complimentary close.
Sundar Chemicals Limited
Regd. Office: 28 M G Road, Chennai-600 023.
Phone: 011-8387666 email: [email protected]

Comp/Mar 01/26 March 15, 2019

The Manager
X Traders & Company,
 Business Communication 127

256, Anna Road,

CHENNAI-600 070

Ref : Order No. 288/2019

Dear Sir,

We are thankful to you for promptly complying to our request to supply a Digital Printer Model ZX1 as
per our Order No.285/2019 dated 10th March 2019.

However, after the machine was installed and a test run was conducted, it was found that clear
photocopies were not being produced. We referred the matter to your engineer Mr. Srivasanwho has
informed us that this problem is due to some inherent manufacturing defect in this machine.

We are still within the guarantee period of one year within which the machine will be replaced if there
are any manufacturing defects.

Therefore, we request you to kindly replace our Printer model ZXI with a new machine that has no
defects, at the earliest.

Yours faithfully,
(Maninder Singh)
Administrative Manager

Either of the two formats can be used while drafting letters. However, care must be taken to follow any one
format completely throughout the letter.The overall style of letter depends on the purpose of the letters
and relationship between the parties concerned. A business letter is sometimes useful because it produces
a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of
communication.
Note : As a result of globalisation of commercial activities in recent years, there has been an increased use
of American spellings in day-to-day
correspondence in respect of international
trade, the word ‘favour’ is spelled as ‘favor’, CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD
‘labour’ as ‘labor’, ‘centre’ as ‘center’ etc. BUSINESS LETTER
Even the rules of grammar are getting
relaxed. Both the conventional as well as
COMPLETENESS
the simplified American spellings are in
vogue, but care must be taken to be CLARITY
consistent with whichever spelling you are
following/using. SIMPLICITY

Essentials of a Good Business Letter ACCURACY

The following points are considered as BREVITY

essentials of a good business letter and SINCERITY
before writing any letter, these points should
be observed by the draftsman. COURTESY
• Completeness
STYLE
128 Business Communication

The letter must be complete in itself. It should contain all the information required by the addressee.
The important and relevant matter should not be left out. Incomplete letters do not produce the
desired effect on the mind of the reader. When a letter is incomplete, an unnecessary delay is
caused in seeking clarifications. The writer should try to grasp all the relevant facts and arrange
them logically and systematically to incorporate them into the body of the letter.
• Clarity
The writer must be clear about what he wants to convey and then he should try to express it in
simple and straightforward language. Clear writing and clear thinking should go hand in hand,
and the person who thinks straight is usually able to write straight. Before writing, the writer
should plan the message to be conveyed in order to avoid vagueness. Planning helps to produce
an orderly kind of letter that creates a good impression because its message is clear.
• Simplicity
A Business letter should be in a plain and simple style, clear and easily understood. Accordingly,
the language of business letters should be very simple. The use of winding expressions and high
sounding phrases should be avoided.
• Accuracy
A business letter should not have any false or misleading statements. There should be no mistakes
which usually creep into a letter due to negligence. Mistakes, however small, should be avoided,
as they cause much inconvenience and trouble. All facts and figures references should be as
accurate as possible and documents like bills of exchange, invoices, statements of accounts should
be carefully prepared and checked.
• Brevity
In a business letter, unnecessary words and superfluous matter should be avoided. As brevity in a
letter is the soul of commercial correspondence, the writer must see that every sentence he has
written is impregnated with appropriate meaning.
• Sincerity
Whether a person is writing a personal letter or a business letter, he needs to write it with sincerity.
In other words, he must be himself and not an imitation of somebody else. The business letter may
seem to be a common piece of writing, if all letters are modelled to a set style. It must have
originality of the sort that expresses the thoughts of its writer in his own style.
• Courtesy
In a business letter, courtesy should be present everywhere, as it pacifies anger and pays in the long
run. Courtesy means that the general tone of the letter should be mild and there should be a
consideration for the feelings of others. Curt and rude letters have got no place in the business
world. Courtesy should not be sacrificed for the sake of brevity. Discourteous and unpleasant
language should be avoided even while writing letters of complaint or letters of refusal.
• Style
The words used in a business letter and the way in which they are used express the writer’s
personality and give the letter what is called its style. Style in writing as in other walks of life is a
quality peculiar to the individual. It is determined by the background, training, experience of a
person and the way he thinks. If one writes with naturalness and ease, the letter so produced will
reflect the personality of the writer. It is correctly said, therefore, that Style is the man.
Business Messages
 Business Communication 129

Businesses messages include messages from the Chairman of the Company to the shareholder, employees
or related to sales and purchases, products, and services, confirmation or cancellation of orders, invoices,
company announcements and notifications, employee related news such as promotions, awards,
increments, bonus, appraisals, resignation and termination. These messages are very crucial for the business
be it in the form of an advertisement in print or in electronic mode or in the form of any other internal or
external communication. Good business messages are essential to keep the business relationships in good
health too. There are many types of business messages that a business can write to another business on
day- to-day basis.
In business messages, the self-centered approach preparing communication to see each situation from
own points of view may lead to a writer oriented approach, resulting the message is prepared on the view
point approach wherein the writer places emphasis on himself and his interests rather than on the interest
of the readers and stakeholders.
Generally, these types of approaches does not cater the positive responses in the readers, because they too
are self-centered resulting the reader does not focus on what you want them to do. It is always advised that
to achieve more positive effects of the Business message, the writer should write from the reader’s point of
view.
The ‘You attitude’ in Business Writing
The ‘you attitude’ is a writing style that emphasizes readers rather than the writer. To write a business letter,
the writer should not focus or put ourselves in the place of receivers. However, the desires, problems,
circumstances, emotions and probable reactions of the recipient are to be taken into consideration. Business
letter must be written from ‘you viewpoint’ instead of ‘I or we viewpoint’. You viewpoint emphasize the
reader’s interest and helps to win the reader’s mind and attention. For example:
I or We attitude : We are sure that our new discount policy will attractive to you.
You attitude : You will surely appreciate new discount policy.
I or We attitude : I am happy to hear that you have selected our Company.
You attitude : Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.
I or we Attitude : I will give you 10% discount on credit card purchase.
You attitude : You can get 10% discount on credit card purchase.
Thus it can be stated that by adopting you viewpoint following benefits can be enjoyed:
• Creation of friendly atmosphere
• Motivation the reader
• Establishment of mutual trust
• Can create favorable outcome even in a bad-news situation
• Accomplishment of the goal of the letter
• Enhance goodwill of the firm
To summarise, it can be said that the ‘you attitude’ is not only important but also essential for effective letter
writing and business messages.
Positive Messages
Positive messages include messages where the audience is expected to react in a neutral to positive
130 Business Communication

manner. Positive messages tend to consist of routine or good news. These messages might be items such as
congratulations, confirmations, directions, simple credit requests, or credit approvals.
Following messages are considered as positive communication when:
The receiver likes or expects this news (product shipped on time)
The receiver needs little education or background to understand the news (travel arrangement for
the conference)
The receiver considers the message routine, even if not completely positive (parking lot closed for
three days for new striping)
Negative Messages
Negative messages include messages where the audience is expected to react in a negative manner.
Negative messages consist of bad news. In these messages, the sender’s goal is to convey the bad news in
a manner that preserves the business relationship. While the sender must deliver bad news, the sender
wants to avoid an employee quitting or a customer finding another vendor. These messages might be items
such as refusal to provide a refund, cancellation of an event, inability to support an event and more.
Following messages are considered as negative communication when:
The receiver may be displeased (cost for repair is to be borne by receiver, not the company)
The receiver needs a little persuasion (new log-on procedure takes longer but is more secure)
The receiver may be somewhat uncomfortable (new performance appraisal system is underway but
employees are used to the old ways of performance appraisal)
Persuasive Messages
The third, overlapping category is persuasive messages. In this type of message, the audience is expected to
need encouragement in order to act as the sender desires. In some cases, the receiver is more like a
positive audience; for example, when you’re asking for a recommendation letter or when you’re inviting
someone to attend an after-hours work function. In other cases, the receiver is more like a negative
audience; for example, when you’re requesting additional payment as a result of a shared error or when
you’re providing an extension to an impending due date.
Following messages are considered as persuasive communication when:

The receiver may be reluctant (please speak to the new employee group)

The receiver is being asked a favor (please write recommendation letter)

The receiver may be invited to something somewhat outside regular duties (please supervise a new
book club that will meet on campus after work)

Business Reports

The word ‘Report’ is derived from the Latin “reportare” which means to carry back (re=back+ portare =
to carry). A report, therefore, is a description of an event carried back to some who was not present on the
scene.
The report is a message to management. It travels from an employee to a supervisor, from a supervisor to an
executive, or from the executive to the management. Simply stated, a business report conveys information
to assist in decision-making. A report is the means to present this information. Some reports might present
 Business Communication 131

the actual solution to solve a business problem; other reports might record historical information that will
be useful to assist in future decision-making. Either way, information is being “reported” that will be useful
in making a decision.
Thus the term report can be defined as an orderly and objective presentation of information that helps in
decision-making and problem solving. Note the different parts of this definition:
1. The report must be well-ordered so the reader can easily find information.
2. It must be objective because the reader will use the report to make a decision that affects the
organization.
3. It must present information facts and data. Where subjective information is required, as in drawing
conclusions and making recommendations they must be presented ethically and be based on the
information contained in the report.
4. It must aid in decision making and problem solving. There is a practical, “need-to-know” dimension
about business reports that differentiates them from academic or scientific reports.
A business report can be defined as an evaluation or assessment or review of a particular event, issue,
period or set of circumstances which is related to a business. The business report can be on compliance
status, financial position, report of the Board of Directors of the company, Sales or on any other matters for
which the report is required by an expert or authority.
The business report is usually written in response to a request by an authority of the company, Business
reports are one of the most effective ways to communicate. Although the scope of the business reports' are
broad, however broadly, we can categorise the same into the following:
Business Report Categories
The various forms of reports are as under:
1. Compliance Report
2. Corporate Governance Report
3. Sustainability Report
4. Recommendation Report
5. Investigation Report Executive
6. Feasibility Report Summary
7. Research Report
8. Periodic Report
9. Situational Report
Writing Effective Business Report
A business report should not be written BUSINESS
in essay format and it should be in an Conclusion REPORT’S Body
abridged style that allows the reader to FOUR
navigate the report quickly and to ELEMENTS
identify key elements. It uses appropriate
headings and subheadings and, if
necessary, bullet points, diagrams and
tables. The main function of a business
report is to communicate relevant
information quickly, clearly, and
efficiently. Key Findings/
Recommendations
132 Business Communication

Business reports can range from brief one-or-two-page reports, to reports of a hundred pages or more with
several chapters and, quite possibly, a number of appendices. A lengthy report would include a table of
contents and possibly an index. However, usually include the following four elements:

• Objective of the Report

• Format of the report
• Use of the Report
• Requisite information or Input data
EFFECTIVE • Collection of the data and facts
BUSINESS • Analysis and fact finding procedure
REPORT • Executive Summary

To write an effective business report, it is necessary to understand and identify the following:

The Executive Summary acts like the Abstract of a regular essay. It will briefly state the purpose of the report,
it will briefly describe the methodology used to investigate the issue and it will list the key points and findings
that are found in the report.

The Body gives details of the evaluation process. It will describe your methodology and identify particular
issues that impacted on your evaluation. It might also allude to, or give a brief preview of your findings.
Relevant tables and/or diagrams will appear in the Body.

In the Key Findings/Recommendations section you will identify and discuss/describe your key findings and
make your recommendations.Your Conclusion will neatly sum up your findings, and in doing so will ensure
that these relate back to the original question or issue that has given rise to the report.

Inter and Intra-Departmental Communication

Inter and intra-departmental communication has largely been a formal affair. The chief executives assumed
that they were expected to be direct, brief and functional, wasting little time on niceties. Employees were
usually taken for granted - bound by archaic service rules to listen and to comply unquestioningly. No
wonder the documents produced were staid and standardised.
Over the years, there has been a greater appreciation of the important role the staff play in an organisation.
Their stake in the organisation has also gone up with schemes like Employee Stock Option Plans becoming
popular as one of the means of compensation. They now take a greater interest in framing of policies, get
more respect and enjoy confidence.
 Business Communication 133

Inter-departmental communication is largely a formal affair. Inter-departmental communication will be

effective when it is supported by good infrastructural facilities. There are various documents used in inter
departmental communication, they are:
1. Memorandum
The term Memorandum (Memos) has often been misunderstood as a part of disciplinary proceedings.
Far from it, the word at best means a note or record for future use. It is a useful mode of internal
communication. A memorandum (memorandums or memoranda in plural) plays a convenient and
flexible role. While much of inter and intra-office communication is being done over the phone,
memorandums are preferred when one needs to convey information in writing.
There are minor variations in format but most memos have the same headings. The difference with the
letter format is obvious. Inside name and address are done away with. Nor are salutation and
complimentary close used. Informal tone and use of personal pronouns are allowed. Numbering is
optional. Titles such as Interoffice Communication, Office Memorandum or Interoffice Correspondence
may be used in place of more commonly used Memorandum. When addressed to all employees, a
memorandum is as good as an Office Circular:
A few specimens of Memos are given below:
Specimen 1
BEEM ELECTRONICS LIMITED
BANGALORE

Ref : 81/C/2019 11th April 2019

Office Memorandum
With reference to his request for a grant of Special Casual Leave, Shri P. Sachdeva is informed that
Special Casual Leave has been granted to him for four days from 23rd April to 26th April 2019 for enabling
him to participate in the District Level Athletic Meet.
Sd/-
Ramesh Kumar
Administration Manager
To
Shri P. Sachdeva
Secretarial Department
Through : Company Secretary
Specimen 2
SUMAN ENGINEERING LIMITED
PUNE
Ref:81/1/2019 13th May2019
Memorandum
Shri Mukesh is hereby informed that the office has no objection to his pursuing part time M.A. Degree
Course in the evenings after office hours. However, grant of leave for study/examination is subject to
exigencies of office work.
Sd/-
Surendar GhoshManager
(Personnel)
134 Business Communication

To
Shri Mukesh
Assistant, Sales Department
Through: Manager - Sales

Specimen 3

SEETHA ELECTRICALS LIMITED

KANPUR
MEMO/17 21st March, 2019
With reference to his letter dated 4th March, 2009 requesting for change of seat on health grounds, Shri
Badal Singh is informed that the matter is under consideration and the decision would be communicated
to him soon.
Sd/-
Bipin Kumar
Manager (Administration)
To
Shri Badal Singh
Stores Department
Through: Stores Manager
Memos are also issued in the cases of disciplinary actions to be taken against employees and replies thereto.
These include memos relating to show-cause notice, charge sheet etc.,
2. Office Circulars
Office circulars are for disseminating information to a large number of employees within the organisation.
Since it is an internal communication, therefore it has traditionally been brief and business-like formal
and devoid of salutation.
A few specimens of office circulars are given below:
Specimen 1
Inviting Suggestions

SUMAN ELECTRICALS LIMITED

PUNE - 411 004
Circular No. 345/2019
3rd April, 2019
The manual of instruction which was last revised in June 2017 is proposed to be updated. Constructive
suggestions are welcome from employees. Suggestions are to be sent to the undersigned latest by 30th
April, 2019.
Sd/-
Manager O&M Cell
 Business Communication 135

Specimen 2

Insisting Punctuality

MINI CONDUCTORS LIMITED

PATNA - 800 003
Circular No. 12/2019
25th May, 2019
Employees are requested to strictly adhere to the office timings. Tendencies to move around unnecessarily
in corridors and canteens would be viewed seriously.
Co-operation of all the employees is solicited in maintaining decorum and discipline in the office premises.

Sd/-
Bhagat Singh
Manager, Personnel

Specimen 3
Information regarding annual day celebrations

SEEMA ELECTRICALS LIMITED

PUNE - 411 004
Circular No. 23/2019
3rd April, 2019
The Annual Day Function of the company is to be celebrated on the 30th May, 2019 with usual gaiety and
fervour. There will be a special meeting at 9.00 a.m. Shri NanalalBhat, Managing Director would address all
the employees. It is proposed to honour employees who have put in more than 15 years of service in the
Company.
At 3 p.m. there would be sports events for men and women. Tea, lunch and light refreshments will be served
in the course of the day’s celebrations. At 6.30 p.m. there would be a prize distribution function. From 7 p.m.
to 9 p.m. there would be a light music programme by the famous Europhia and a dance party followed by
dinner.
All employees are requested to attend the celebrations with their family members and make it a great
success. Suggestions are welcome.

Sd/-
Suresh Kumar
Assistant Manager, Personnel
136 Business Communication

Specimen 4
Announcing a new bonus scheme for employees

XCE LTD.
HYDERABAD - 500 012
Circular No. 2/2019/HRD
1st January, 2019
The undersigned is pleased to inform you that Board of Directors of the Company has decided to introduce
a Productivity Linked Bonus Scheme for Employees of the Company with effect from 1st April, 2019. The
much awaited scheme is really intended to give more financial benefits to the employees as well as to
increase the output. Further details of the scheme will be announced soon.
Sd/-
Personnel Manager

To : All Employees

3. Office Orders
Office Orders have a format similar to that of memorandums. What makes them different is the purpose
and tone employed. They generally deal with matters affecting the rights and privileges of employees.
The language used is formal and legally common. Passive verbs are preferred. They carry a number
since they remain in force till revoked and are filed for future reference. In addition, they carry a bold,
underlined heading to help us identify them. Copies are sent to concerned people:
A specimen office order is given below:

Specimen 1
Order No. 34/4 7th March, 2019

OFFICE ORDER
Mr. J.K. Saxena, Manager (Credits), Friends Colony branch is transferred to the Regional Office on the
same rank and pay. He shall hand over charge to the Chief Manager and report at the Regional Office by
10th March, 2019.
Sd/-
Personnel Officer

cc:
Chief Manager,
Friends Colony branch,
Mr. J.K. Saxena, Manager (Credits)
 Business Communication 137

Specimen 2
Order posting a new recruit to a department

AMERICAN STEEL COMPANY LTD.

CHENNAI - 600 012
Ref.: 23/Per/2019 25th July, 2019
Office Order
Shri Rajan Pillai has been posted to the Accounts Department as ‘Assistant Accountant’ w.e.f. today.
Sd/-
Mukesh Jain
cc: Accounts Officer
Specimen 3
Transfer order
BRITISH INDIA COMPANY LTD.
KANPUR - 208 002
Ref.: 23/2009/Per 12th January, 2009
Office Order
Shri Kushal Jain is transferred to the Stores Department. He shall report to the Stores Officer latest by 14th
January, 2009 after handing over charge of his duties to the Accounts Officer.
Sd/-
Mangal Singh
(Senior Admn. Officer)
To : Accounts Officer cc: Stores Officer

Specimen 4
Promotion order

MANGALAM PAINTS & CHEMICALS LTD.

COIMBATORE - 641 018
Ref.: Per/45/2019 31st March, 2019
Office Order
Shri Ashok Shinde, Senior Accountant is promoted with immediate effect as ‘Assistant Accounts Officer’.
He will draw a basic pay of Rs. 5,500 in the scale 5500- 40-5700-50-6000.
He will be on probation for a period of one year.
Sd/-
Mangal Dass
Manager, Personnel
To : Shri Ashok Shinde, Accounts Department.
138 Business Communication

4. Office Notes
Office Notes are exchange between two different departments. Companies follow a particular format
for ‘notes’ of this type. The actual layout of the ‘Note’ may differ from company to company. It is a matter
of style and individual preference. A few formats are given below :

Specimen 1

LATEX BALLS LTD.

T.T. PURAM - 695 001

Ref.: LD/ST/3 Date: 18th June, 2019

From : Legal Deptt. To: Admn. Deptt.
Subject : Additional Stenographer
The Extraordinary General Meeting of the company is to be held on the 18th July, 2019 to transact some
urgent business. Therefore two very urgent Board meetings are to be held in quick succession for discussing
a detailed agenda.
The preparation of the relevant papers and other documents in connection with the above is to be given
top priority. Considering the workload likely to arise on account of this, an additional stenographer may
please be posted to this department for a period of one month.
Sd/-
T. Viswanath
Manager (Law)

Specimen 2

CLIMAX INSTRUMENTS LIMITED

Ref: ST/1/92 Date: 24.3.2019
From: Stores Deptt. To: Admn. Deptt.
Subject: Stock taking for the year ending 31.3.2019
The stock taking for the purpose of closing the accounts for the year ending 31.3.2019 would commence
on 30.3.2019. All the Departments may be advised to draw their requirements latest by 29.3.2019. Also,
there would be no supplies to customers from the stores on 30th and 31st March, 2019.
Sd/-
Ashok Lalla
Stores Suptd.

Points to Remember
— A memo is different from a letter, both in format and in its effect on the addressee. It is important to
 Business Communication 139

note that a memo does not have a salutation and complimentary close. But the subject is clearly
written and underlined.

— Memos are used commonly for issuing instructions to the staff, change in the policy inviting
suggestions, giving information, making requests etc.

— Whatever be the subject matter, the language of the memo should be polite and courteous.

Management Information Systems (MIS)

The MIS Concepts

Executives in an organization provide leadership and direction for planning, organizing, staffing, supervising,
and controlling business activities. Each of these business activities involves decision making process. For
making decisions, executives need the information. The required information is to be provided by an
information specialist or by the data processing department. With the increasing competition in the era of
information economy, the demands for organized, need base information is increasing day by day.
Depending on the hierarchy the information need differs, accordingly different types of information systems
are required. To achieve this goal, different types of information systems are devised by the organizations.
The MIS is derived from these information systems used in the organizations.

Major postulates of Management Information Systems are:

1. Information form of a MIS is periodic, exception and based on demands.

2. Information formats are pre-specified and fixed.

3. Information is provided by extraction and manipulation of operational data.

4. It provides information about the performance of the organization.

5. It supports the intelligence and implementation stages of decision making.

6. It supports structured decisions for operational and tactical planning and control.

Purpose of MIS

A well-defined MIS provides information to all levels of management for the following purpose:

– To report the organization performance to tax authorities, shareholders, regulatory authorities

and other stakeholders such as suppliers and customers etc.

– To prepare future plans for short and long term basis.

– To exercise day-to-day control on various operations in the different functional areas in the
organization.

– To allocate different type of resources to different functional areas.

– To allow management by exception.

– To develop database of business partners and to devise procedures to deal with them.

– To develop the training tools for the new recruits in the organization at all levels.
140 Business Communication

Elements of MIS
MIS is a system that helps management in the process of decision making. The three elements of MIS are
Management, Information and System. It is necessary to understand these three components:

Elements of
MIS

Management Information System

Management

The term “Management” as defined by Marry Follett is “The art of getting things done through people” It
also refers to a set of functions and processes designed to initiate and coordinate group efforts in an
organized setting, directed towards promoting certain interests, preserving certain values and pursuing
certain goals. It involves mobilization, combination, allocation and utilization of physical, human and other
needed resources in a judicious manner by employing appropriate skills, approaches and techniques. It is
a process of conceiving and converting certain worthwhile ideas into results by getting things done
through people by offering them monetary and other inducement in return for their contributions.
In short “Management” may be thought of as the sum total of these activities which relate to the laying
down of certain plans, policies and purposes, securing men, money, materials and machinery needed for
their goal achievements; putting all of them into operation, checking their performance and providing
material rewards and mental satisfaction to the men engaged in the operation.
Information
It is a source for increment in knowledge. In MIS, it is obtained by processing data into a form meaningful
to the users. To illustrate, the concept, let us discuss the following situations; if somebody throws the word
eleven during the discussion, it means nothing to the participant. It is a data item, but it is placed within a
context familiar to the intended recipient. Let us analyze another situation, if a manager is asking a question,
“What are the sales of the packaged goods by marketing department and projection for the next quarter?”
The answer would be 11 only. Here, it is information not the data item since the number 11 is being used in
a context.
System
A physical system is a set of components that operate together to achieve a common objective or multiple
objectives. These objectives are realized in the outputs of the system. An efficient system uses its inputs
economically in producing its outputs. An effective system produces the outputs that best meet the objectives
of the system. MIS can be thought of as a system (set of hardware, software, manpower, procedures, etc) to
provide timely and accurate information to the management users in an organisation. The objective of the
 Business Communication 141

management information system is to provide formal informational support to the members of the
organization.
Structure of Management Information System
Management Levels and their information needs
The levels of management consist of top, middle, and first line management (supervisory). The activities in
the organizations are of three types:
– Strategic planning,
– Tactical and
– Operational
Each of these levels to perform - strategic planning, tactical, and operational activities and requires different
set of information. The activities and information needs of three levels of management are illustrated in the
following.
1. Top level (Strategic level) Management and their information requirements
Top management is defined as a set of management positions, which are concerned with the
overall tasks of designing directing and managing the organization in an integrated manner. They
are responsible for interacting with representatives of the external environment, such as financial
institutions, political figures, and important clients of the organization.
The structure of top level normally consists of Chairman and members of the Board of Directors,
Chief Executive Officer and the heads of the major departments of the company. In fact, this level
consists of those executives, whose responsibilities relate to the whole organization or in other
words, they are accountable for effectiveness and efficiency of the operations of the organization
as a whole.
Top management’s main responsibility is in the direction of determining the overall goals and
objectives of the business. It deals mainly with long-term strategic plans, policy matters and broad
objectives of the company. Also, it establishes a budget framework under which the various
departments will operate.
Top management needs information on the trends in the external environment (economic,
technological, political and social) and on the functioning of the internal organizational sub-
system. Apart from historical information, top management requires ongoing or current information
also which is generated through forecasts of the future. Thus, mostly the information utilized by
top management is futuristic and external in nature. Much of the information so generated for
strategic planning purpose tends to be incomplete and not fully reliable. It may not be available on
time. For control purposes, top management receives summary and “exception reports”
(For example on production, sales, cash, profits, and so on) from the middle management. The
distinction between strategic planning information requirement and tactical information
requirement is not always clear because both systems use some of the common information.
2. Middle level (Tactical level) Management and their Information Needs
Middle level management is defined as a group of management positions, which tend to overlap
the top and supervisory management levels in the hierarchy. Middle management positions consist
of heads of functional departments and chiefs of technical staff and service units. Middle
management, therefore, includes such people as the Manager of Sales, the Manager of Purchasing,
Finance Manager, and the Manager of Personnel etc. Middle management may be viewed as
“administrative” management in the sense that it is responsible for the elaboration, classification
142 Business Communication

and operationalization of organization goals, strategies and policies in terms of action programmes
and norms of performance. Middle management is concerned with the task of formulating
pragmatic operating policies and procedures for the guidance of supervisory management.
The nature of information required at the middle management level is less diverse and complex.
Middle management is fed with information both from top management and supervisory
management. Much of the information used by the middle management is internal in nature.
Middle management does not require much“futuristic” information since its decisions are not
strategic and long-range in nature. For example, the information needs of a sales manager are:
corporate sales goals and targets, strategies and policies for operationalising them, he also needs
information on sales potential and trends in different market segments, geographical territories,
competitive conditions and so on. Further, he needs information on weekly sales turnover from
different zones and for different products, customer complaints, delay in dispatches, finished goods
inventory position and the like for the purposes of control. Tactical Information Systems are
designed to generate a variety of reports, including summary reports, exceptional reports, and ad
hoc reports.

3. Supervisory level (Operational level) Management and their Information Needs

Supervisory management is defined as a team of management positions at the base of the hierarchy.
It consists of section officers, office managers and superintendents, foreman and supervisors who
are directly responsible for instructing and supervising the efforts of rank and file, clerical and
“blue-collar” employees and workers. Supervisory management is also called “operation
management” in the sense that it is concerned with implementing operational plans, policies and
procedures for purposes of conversion of inputs into outputs. At the supervisory level, managers
are responsible for routine, day-to-day decisions and activities of the organization, which do not
require much judgement and discretion. The function and process of the supervisory management
are standardized as far as possible. The perspective of supervisory management is generally short-
range and insular. It functions in a relatively closed environment.

Supervisory management mostly needs internal information on operational aspects of the

functioning of activity units. It in fact, generates internal information for example, on purchase and
sales, production, use of inputs etc. at the operating level. It also receives information from the
middle management levels on operational plans and programmes. The nature of information is
routine and structured. It tends to be reliable and relatively complete.

There is a little element of complexity of uncertainty involved in the information.

Characteristics of MIS

Some of the main characteristics of MIS are listed as under.

1. Comprehensiveness : Management Information System is comprehensive in nature. It takes inputs

from transactions processing systems and process information primarily for managers at all levels.
It caters to the need of a large variety of people in different hierarchy as routine information
requirement exist practically at all levels. Therefore reporting system in the form of MIS is the most
sought after information system in any organization.
2. Co-ordinated : Management information system is centrally co-ordinated to ensure that information
is passed back and forth among the sub-systems as needed and to ensure that the information
system operates efficiently.
3. Sub-systems : A MIS is composed of sub-systems or quasi separate component system that is the part
of the overall - unified system. Each of these systems shares the goals of the management information
 Business Communication 143

system and of the organization. Some of the systems serve just one activity or level in the organization,
while others serve multi-levels or multiple activities. The overall structure of the multiple systems
should be carefully established as a part of long-range system planning.
4. Integration : A MIS is rationally integrated, so as to become more meaningful. Sub-systems are
integrated so that the activities of each are inter-related with those of the others. This integration
is accomplished primarily by passing data between these systems. Computer programmes and files
can be designed to facilitate data flows among the systems, and manual procedures are also used
to accomplish this integration. While integration makes information processing more efficient by
reducing both intermediate processing and the incidence of independent generation of the same
data by multiple departments, and even more important benefit is that it provides more timely,
complete and relevant information. Senior managers particularly, benefit from integrated systems
because they need cross-functional information. Although total information of sub-systems is
neither achievable nor desirable, a substantial degree of integration is required for an effective
management information system.
5. Transformation of Data into Information : A MIS transforms data into information in variety of ways.
When data is processed and is useful to a particular manager for a particular purpose, it becomes
information. There are many different ways in which data must be transformed within an information
system. For example, cost data for a particular organization may be summarized on a full-cost,
variable-cost, and standard-cost basis for each organization unit, as well as by each cost type,
customer type, and product, line. The numerous ways in which MIS should transform data into
information are determined by the characteristics of the organizational personnel, the
characteristics of the task for which information is needed.
6. Enhance Productivity : A MIS enhances productivity in several ways. It enables routine tasks such as
document preparation to be carried out more efficiently, it provides higher levels of service to
external organizations and individuals, it supplies the organization with early warnings about
internal problems and external threats, it gives early notice of opportunities, it facilitates the
organization’s normal management processes and it enhances managers’ ability to deal with
unanticipated problems.
7. Conforms to Managers’ Styles and Characteristics : A management information system is developed
in recognition of the unique managerial styles and behavioural patterns of the personnel who will
use it, as well as the contributions made by managers. At the organization’s more senior levels, the
management information system is likely to be carefully tailored to each individual manager’s
personal tastes. At the organization’s lowest levels, the management information system is more
likely to be tailored to the unusual way in which clerical and operations personnel use information
and interact with the information system. For middle managers, the information system is tailored
to the general characteristics of managers. For professional and technical personnel, the
information system is tailored to the nature of the specialized task, but attention also given to the
way the minds of these specialists process information.
8. Relevant Information : A MIS should provide only relevant information. Determining what
information is relevant may be difficult in situations in which analyses vary for different managers
or according to particular circumstances, such as in the case of special problems. Systems designers
must carefully consider the human factor when developing a management information system.
Otherwise, the resulting system will be ineffective and probably will be discarded by its users.
9. Uses Established Quality Criteria : A management information system must be designed to the
required tolerance for timeliness, relevance, and accuracy of information. These tolerances vary
from task to task and from level to level within an organization.
10. Feedback : A management information system should provide feedback about its own efficiency
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and effectiveness. The reporting of computer malfunctions and transactions processing error
rates is a simple example of this feedback. Statistics prepared by the system about who uses each
system facility and how much they use each one are more sophisticated forms of feedback. Computer
programs can record and report how much computer time is used by each user, how many pages
are printed for each user, and how much internal data file space is utilized by each user’s data, as
examples; these and other usage statistics can be used for managerial analysis or as basis for
charging each user for computer usage if desired.

11. Flexibility : It must be designed to be easily modified if, for example, different information is needed
because the environment changes or if the organization undertakes new activities (such as
introducing new products) which require new modes of processing. The information system
should be capable of being easily expanded the accommodate growth or new types of processing
activities and also easily contracted.

12. Modularity : The MIS should be composed of many modules or sub-systems rather than be designed
as one and only one for a few large systems.

13. Selective Sharing of Data : Another desirable quality of an MIS is selective sharing of data. Two or
more managers often need to utilize the same information; the system should have features, which
allow ready access to information by multiple managers. An advanced feature that promotes this
sharing is databases.On the other hand, it is often important to reserve certain information for the
exclusive use of only selected managers. Sometimes, this need extends down to the record or field
level, in which case some parts of a record are available to all managers, but only certain managers
are permitted to examine other parts. For example, an employee’s current address or marital
status may be needed by an employee or other personnel, but access to information about pay
rate, hours worked, gross pay, and other details of payments may be restricted to certain payroll
managers. This selective sharing quality can be established by controls that are part of the computer
programs.

14. Computerized : It is possible to have an MIS without using a computer. But its use increases the
effectiveness of the System. In fact, its use equips the system to handle necessary attributes of the
computer to MIS, for example accuracy and consistency in processing data and reduction in staff.
These needs in management information system make the computer a prime requirement.

To sum up, business correspondence is the backbone of a good organisation or company.

Basic Requirement of MIS

In the present context, most of the organizations are using computer-based management information
system in the era of information economy. The basic requirements of a computer based MIS are listed as
below :

1. Hardware : It refers to the physical computer equipment and associated devices. The hardware
must provide five basic functions, i.e., input of data entry, output, secondary storage for data and
programmes, central processor (Computation, Control, and primary storage) and communication.

2. Software : It is a broad term; it means the instructions or programs that direct the operation of the
hardware. The software requirement is of book types: System Software and Application Software.

3. Database : The database contains all data utilized by the application software. An included set of
stored data which is often referred to as a file. The physical existence of the stored data is known as
a database.

4. Procedures : Formal operating procedures are physical components because they exist in a physical
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form such as a manual or instruction booklet. Basically, three major types of procedure are required:
– User Instructions (for users of the application to record data, employ a terminal to enter or
retrieve data, or use the result) – Instructions for preparation of input by data preparation personnel
– Operating instructions for computer operations personnel.

5. Operations Personnel : It includes personnel such as Computer operators, system analysts,

programmers, data preparation personnel.
Limitations of MIS
The main limitations of MIS are as follows:
1. The quality of the outputs of MIS is basically governed by the quality of inputs and processes.
2. MIS is not a substitute for effective management. It means that it cannot replace managerial
judgement in making decisions in different functional areas. It is merely an important tool in the
hands of executives for decision-making and problem solving.
3. MIS may not have the requisite flexibility to quickly update itself with the changing needs of time,
especially in the fast changing and complex environment.
4. MIS cannot provide tailor made information packages suitable for the purpose of every type of
decisions made by executives.
5. MIS takes into account mainly quantitative factors; thus it ignores non-quantitative factors like
morale, attitudes of members of the organization, which have an important bearing on decision-
making process of executives.
6. MIS is less useful for making non-programmed decision-making. Such type of decisions is not of a
routine type and thus they require information, which may not be available from existing MIS to
executives.
7. The effectiveness of MIS is reduced in the organization, where the culture is to hold information
and not share with others.
8. MIS effectiveness decreases due to frequent changes in top management organizational structure
and operational team.

***
146 Business Communication

Lesson 7

CONCEPT OF
E-CORRESPONDENCE

146
 Business Communication 147

INTRODUCTION
Today in 21st century globalized world, the uses and needs for the 24 hours availability system of internet
have been unprecedented.
Professionals, non-professionals, experts or students, we are all turning increasingly to the internet in our
daily lives. Whether we want to find educational openings abroad, do banking operations online, find
research material on any issue, send corporate e-mails, internet is the place where we go most often. From
the trivial to the highly complex, we look for answers to most of our questions in the vast ocean of knowledge
called World Wide Web (www).

The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. With a web
browser, one can view web pages that contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia and navigate
among them via hyperlinks.

Many people use the terms Internet and World Wide Web interchangeably, but in fact these two terms are
not synonymous. The Internet and the Web are two separate but related things.

What is Web?

The World Wide Web, or simply Web, is a way of accessing information over the medium of the Internet. It
is an information-sharing model that is built on top of the Internet. The Web uses the HTTP protocol (one
of the languages spoken over the Internet) to transmit data. Web services, which use HTTP to allow
applications to communicate in order to exchange business logic, use the Web to share information. The
Web also utilizes browsers, such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox to access Web documents
called Web pages that are linked to one another via hyperlinks. Web documents also contain graphics,
sounds, text and video.

The Web is just one of the ways through which information can be disseminated over the Internet. The
Internet, not the Web, is also used for e-mail. So the Web is just part of the Internet, albeit a large part, but the
two terms are not synonymous and should not be confused.

What is Browser

A Web browser is software application that enables you to find, retrieve, and display information available
on the World Wide Web (WWW). Browser also allows you to traverse information resources on the WWW.
The information on the Web is organized and formatted using tags of a Markup language called Hypertext
Markup Language or HTML. A web browser converts the HTML tags and their content into a formatted
display of information. Thus, a web browser allows you to see the rich web contents from a website. Some
of the popular web browsers are - Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Opera.
A brief description about some of these interactions/buttons is as follows:
• Back/Forward Buttons : Back button can be used by you for going back to the previously visited web
page whereas the Forward button is used to visit the nextpage (if you are not on the most recent
page visited by you, this may happen when you have pressed the back button at least once).
• Tab : It allows you to view multiple web pages in the same browser without opening a new browser
session.
• Address bar : Also known as URL Bar is a place where you can type the web page address that you
want to retrieve from the web address. It also displays the address of the web page currently being
visited by you.
• Recent History : This shows the links to the web pages previously visited by you.
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• Refresh : This is also called as reload button. It reloads the current web page.
• Stop : It cancels loading of the current web page. This button is used when the page is in the
loading state.
• Home : This button will bring you back to the home page of your website. Home page is the first
page of any website.
• Search : Search box allows any term to be searched by the search engine from the web. It can also
be used for searching of contents from the website visiting.

What is Internet?

The Internet is the network of networks and is used for many applications. Internet allows you to share
resources and applications with ease. The Internet can carry any digital signals such as text, graphics,
sound, video and animation. Today, Internet has thousands of networks and millions of users, using many
services. The Internet is a massive network of networks - a networking infrastructure. It connects millions
of computers together globally forming a network in which any computer can communicate with any
other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet. Information that travels over the
Internet does so via a variety of languages known as protocols. The Internet uses TCP/IP as its basic
protocol on which many more application level protocols have been developed.

The terms Internet and World Wide Web are often used in everyday speech without much distinction. The
Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks. In contrast, the Web is one of the services
that runs on the Internet. It is a collection of textual documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks
and URLs, transmitted by web browsers and web servers. In short, the Web can be thought of as an
application “running” on the Internet.

Viewing a web page on the World Wide Web normally begins either by typing the URL of the page into a
web browser or by following a hyperlink to that page or resource. The web browser then initiates a series of
communication messages, behind the scenes, in order to fetch and display it.
“The letters written by one party to another, and the answers thereto, make what is called the
correspondence of the parties. Such correspondence if done through electronic signals via internet is
called E-correspondence.”

What is E-Correspondence?

E-Correspondence is commonly known as ‘email-correspondence’ or ‘electronic correspondence’. It is

an electronic method of providing you with important information on your email address. You must supply
a valid email address in order to receive information via email. For example: [email protected].
Concept of Email
“Electronic mail” or “e-mail” as it is commonly called is the process of sending or receiving a computer file
or message by computer modem over telephone wires to a pre-selected “mail box” or “address” on another
computer. E-mail can also be sent automatically to a large number of electronic addresses via mailing lists
(through ‘mail-merge’ option). E-mail messages can range from the simplest correspondence to business
presentations, engineering blueprints, book chapters, or detailed contracts. Graphics, files of artwork or
photography can be transmitted via this technology as well, though text messages comprise the vast
majority of e-mail transmissions.
Today, e-mail stands as a central component of business communication, both within business enterprises
and between business enterprises, because of the many advantages it offers over regular mail in terms of
efficiency, speed, and 24-hour availability. These characteristics have made electronic mail a truly ubiquitous
presence across the globe. Indeed, in terms of sheer volume, more than 536 billion pieces of e-mail were
 Business Communication 149

delivered in the United States in 1999, according to the eMarketer Internet research firm. Moreover, the
eMarketer estimates that in 2000 the number of active e-mail users in America reached 111 million.
Since e-mail has emerged as such an important method of business communication in recent years, it is
important for small business owners to know how to use this technology effectively. Towards that end,
consultants generally recommend that small business owners and entrepreneurs should select and shape
such e-mail packages that emphasize convenience and ease of use.
Electronic mail, known commonly by its abbreviation ‘email’, is probably the most used medium of
communication today. 50 years ago, had someone said that it would be possible to instantly deliver
documents to a recipient sitting halfway across the globe, he would have been a laughing stock. But, email
came, saw and conquered the World Wide Web. Today, with email, there’s so much more than just written
text communication. Ability of the email to securely forward multimedia, photos, software, etc. has made it
very popular. It’s rightly said that ‘necessity is the mother of all inventions’, and we humans have always
found a way whenever the need arose. The history of email communication is very interesting and intriguing.
History of Email
In 1965, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the first to demonstrate the use of the first
email system known as MAILBOX.
The history of email addresses can also be attributed to Tomlinson. He chose the ‘@’ symbol to provide an
addressing standard in the form of “user@host”, which is in use till date. This is why Tomlinson is called the
‘father of email’ and is credited with its invention.
By 1974, email in its improved form was being used by the US military. By 1975, efforts to organize the email
bore fruit. A general operating area, known as email account, was created for users who wanted to avail
the email service. Access controlling was done by giving the user a secret password, which only he/she
would know. Separate folders were created depending on the purpose. Inbox for incoming messages and
outbox for outgoing messages.
The year 1976 was a watershed year in the history of email marketing. Email service was being offered in
commercial packages and per-minute charges were applicable to those using these services. This led to the
requirement for offline reading, which meant that users could then download their emails on to their
personal computers, and read them leisurely without using and paying for the airtime. This led to the
development of applications, which were similar to what Microsoft Outlook does today.
Requirement for protocols was felt almost immediately, and in 1972 file transfer protocol (FTP) was put in
use to send email messages. The main drawback here was that FTP created a separate mail for every
recipient and then dispatched it, which resulted in the loss of precious memory space. This prompted the
creation of the more efficient SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) in the early 1980s, which became a
standard protocol to be used in sending email messages. But the initial versions of SMTP failed to control
the cases of forgery and proved to be a naive protocol in the verification of the authenticity of a user. Email
viruses, worms and spammers began exploiting these loopholes in SMTP, and even though many new and
improved versions have been released, this problem continues to be addressed till date.
If SMTP is used to send messages, POP (Post Office Protocol) is a standard for receiving emails. This protocol
is used by email clients to retrieve messages from the mail server using a connection. One drawback of POP
is that it does not support offline retrieval of messages. This demerit has now been overcome, by the more
capable IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). This is how one comes to know about the offline
messages, i.e., messages received when the receiver is not signed in.
By the early 1990s, free and user-friendly email service providers had taken the industry by storm. Players
like ‘yahoo’ and ‘hotmail’ were competing for the market share. It was this decade that saw the .com boom,
to the extent that almost everyone wanted an email account. Today, there are more than 600 million email
users across the globe, with newer players like Google (Gmail) and Rediff entering.
150 Business Communication

There’s so much more about the origin and history of email, but these were the most important landmark
events. Looking at its current usage, we can only add that instant messaging via email is here to stay!
Features of Email
– Electronic : It is an electronic mode of message transmission as it is sent using HTML (Hyper Text
Markup Language)
– The computer code used to create web pages.
– Cost-Effective : It is one of the cost-effective modes of fast communication. Today with the advent
of smartphones, communicating through emails has become even more cost-effective.
– Packages : Packages like ‘Messenger’ and ‘Outlook’ help us compose new mails or forward the
received ones to one or all of the people whose email addresses are stored in the ‘Address Box’.
They allow us to change font, sizes and colour of the text; highlight, delete, store or save; align,
center or justify the text; italicize, bold, underline or even print what we write or receive as email.

– Interface: An interface between email programme and word processing programme allows us to
cut, copy and paste material from one place to the other.
– Attachments : The ‘Attach’ option allows us to share documents, worksheets, presentations, pictures
and videos along with the mails.

– Spam : Unsolicited or Junk mails can be filtered by using the ‘spam’ option which forbids unwanted
mails to enter your inbox. These unwanted mails may be advertisements, job offers, competition
forms, etc. which one does not want to receive frequently.

– Signature : We can customize our signature as we want it to appear in the complimentary closure
of every email. Once you add your signature it automatically appears at the end of every mail that
you compose. One need not write the name, designation, contact no, etc. again and again.

– Search : The search option helps us to locate old email communications. This can be achieved by
typing the sender’s name in the search box and clicking the search button. It will reflect all mails
containing the name so typed.

– Cloud Storage : A more recent feature is cloud storage. Data can be stored on cloud. This facilitates
access and instant updates to multiple users. Google Drive, Dropbox etc. are examples of companies
offering cloud service solutions to enterprises.

– Changes at the Workplace : This trend of online work has brought about other changes like virtual
workplaces, work from home, flexi-time etc.
Features of an Email Accounts
An email account, in general has the following folders:
Inbox: Inbox is the main folder in your email account. It contains all the e-mails that have arrived in your e-
mail account. You can click on inbox to see the mails that you have not read (shown in bold) as well as the
mails that you have already read (in normal font).
Sent Mail : It shows all the e-mails sent by you from your e-mail account.
Drafts : This folder stores those messages that you have created but has not been sent by you so far.
These messages are saved by you for more work.
Spam : Spam is unsolicited e-mails or junk mail. It is generally e-mail advertising sent to a group of
people. We can also term spam as unwanted e-mails. Spam mails are also a big cause of computer
 Business Communication 151

viruses. Spam mails are identified by the mail services and placed in this folder. These spam mails are
automatically deleted after a few days.
Trash : Any deleted mail is put in the Trash folder. Trash folder allows you to get back an e-mail which
has already been deleted. But it is important to know that you can get back the mails only within a few
days from trash after its deletion. After a few days, mails are permanently deleted from the trash folder.
An email account, in general has the following options:
Compose Mail : Composing is addressing, writing, and sending an e-mail message. By clicking on the
Compose Mail button a window appears where we can write our message in the message box and the
email addresses of the person we want to send the mail.
Contacts : The Contacts helps you to find email address of a person whom you have saved in your
Contact list. We can also quickly find email conversations associated with a contact, and store additional
information about our other persons whose email id is stored in our contacts (such as a mailing
address, title, phone number, etc).
To field - you have to put the address of the receiver. In case you want to send an email to more than
one receiver then put commas between their email addresses or add cc. or add bcc.
Cc stands for Carbon copy the persons whose address is listed in this field will receive a carbon copy of
the message and Bcc means blind carbon copy similar to Cc but the only difference is that the recipient
who had got Bcc is invisible to other recipients.
Subject : The main heading of your mail i.e., it will explain that the mail is regarding which issue. Please
note that the subject should be descriptive of the mail to help the receiver understand what mail is
about without having to open the mail.
Text Area : The message is written in this area.
Send : you can send the mail by clicking the Send button.
Group Contacts is one such list as explained earlier. Contacts can be organized in different groups like
office, school, relatives etc.
Electronic Mail System
Today companies are able to customize their e-mail services to meet their own unique communication
needs. E-mail management tools in the market can help entrepreneurs and managers address a wide array
of issues from excessive volumes of e-mail and/or excessively large file attachments –both of which can clog
e-mail gateways or create network storage burdens –to virus detection, spam blocking, and search ability
of e-mail data stores.
Optimizing Personal Email Use
Experts in the fields of business and electronic communication agree that managers and small business
owners can take several steps to maximize the efficiency of their company’s e-mail systems. These tips
extend from patterns of personal e-mail use to guidelines for company wide e-mail policies.
Professional appearance and content are paramount in an e-mail. Some basic guidelines and action points
to be followed are:
– The standards of professionalism that dictate postal correspondence stay –Proper Grammar, correct
spelling, tone, courtesy, structure, content etc.
– Avoid ‘Emoticons” – smileys, winks etc in official correspondence.
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– Maintain separate accounts for official and personal e-mails. Many organizations have firewalls
against personal mails like Yahoo, Gmail etc.
– Avoid ‘spamming.’ Maintain a proper distribution list of recipients for your mails.
– Limit the size of attachments to be received or sent out by e-mail. Organizations have policies and
limits for the size of attachments. This helps monitor data security, virus attacks etc.
– Have a standard signature for your official e-mails – Name, Designation, Phone numbers. This helps
in accurate identification.
– Respond promptly to official e-mail messages – less than 24 hours. In case the response takes more
detailed information, write a short reply explaining how long it would take for you to give a proper
response. Non-response sends out wrong signals.
– Set up efficient daily e-mail practices. Today, e-mails are configured on smartphones, further
reducing the expected response time.
– Delete old messages that can clutter up your inbox. Ensure that your inbox is not cluttered and
allows for incoming messages without delay.
– Review incoming e-mails only at two or three set times a day, rather than peeking at each one as it
comes in; and
– Invest in supplementary tools that can block e-mail spam that clogs many systems.
– Use the “Reply/Reply All” features with care. Your response may be intended only for the sender
and not for all included in the mail.
Important
Use the fields ‘to,’ ‘cc,’ and ‘bcc’ appropriately. The recipients in the ‘to’ are those who need to take action
based on your e-mail; those in ‘cc’ are included for information; those in ‘bcc’ are included when the
recipients are not known to each other and their e-mail ids are to be kept confidential.
This is important, because spammers love to see a whole slew of e-mail addresses that they can send spam
to. Your friends will have good intentions, but those you may only know from a list may not. Hackers now
have the addresses of everyone who will be receiving your e-mail. This is neither appropriate nor safe.
Instead, choose to send a group or list of people the same message using BCC, which is the kindest and least
obvious way to send mail short of encryption.
Also remember that all e-mail sent through normal channels can be intercepted. Therefore, only write
what you want the world to see.
Again, the desire to say what we feel must be overcome with the desire to be courteous and professional,
which we all know in our hearts, is the better way to communicate.
Proper E-mail Correspondence
Most of us e-mail back and forth every day, so we all deal with different types of e-mail correspondence.
Whether it be for business, for personal use or for school, we all need to know the proper ways of sending
emails to other people. Keep reading to see if you’re being professional about it or not.
As stated above, e-mail correspondence comes in various colours and designs and it is as creative as the
sender makes it. E-mail a decade ago was definitely not the same as the e-mail today. We must be more
careful about what we say and how we say it. Words used in an e-mail are like a small, lit match; they can be
used to mend fragile relationships, warm the heart and light the way, or they can ignite a whole forest
aflame that could cause havoc and destruction.
 Business Communication 153

Here is one scenario that may influence varied responses:-

Example

You just paid for some software over the Internet with your credit card. You were told that the software
would reach your house in a few days. The item does not reach you in promoted time. No problem, you
think. You will just call the 1-800 number they have on their Website but after redirecting your call four
times, you hear the dial tone. You are upset, but you try calling again.

Now, after this phone calling nightmare for almost 45 minutes, you are angry that no one is answering. After
all, you paid for the item and you want it. Should you not be angry? Of course you should be, but you can’t
get hold of them, so you decide to write an e-mail explaining your mounting frustration about how their
customer service was always unavailable over the phone. You are careful to tell them that you have not
received your purchase and also include the invoice statement as proof of what you bought. Three days
go by and counting. You cannot get this dilemma off your mind. Another e-mail lands you nowhere. You do
not know what to do. You tried contacting them, but you got no reply. You decide that you no longer want
their software and want your money back. You swear not to deal with this company again, right?

So, you write a third e-mail, but you are not so polite this time. You say, “I will never do any business with you
again. You are deaf to my phone calls and e-mails and insult my intelligence. I demand my money back. You
are a thief and should not be in business and I will get to the bottom of this.”

Surely, this is a letter you can write, but do you really think you should? Would it make you feel any better?

Maybe, but will it get you what you want? Not likely. In so many cases, we are obliged to overcome how we
feel by an act of the will to do what we ought to do.

Now, let’s take the same scenario and use a different technique. Instead, say something like, “Gentlemen, I
am writing this e-mail as an addition to my other two. I have not received the item I paid for. It should have
arrived two weeks ago. I am concerned that it may have gotten lost in transit or perhaps was overlooked
with the many deliveries you are responsible for at your warehouse. I have also tried to contact you by
phone twice, but there was some difficulty and my calls never got through. I would appreciate hearing from
you regarding this matter.
Thank you.”
A reply from the company finally comes and it says, “We apologize for not being able to get back to you
about your purchase. Our servers were hacked into and we just got back online. It was also very alarming
that we found our customer backup data was deleted. Please accept our apologies. Because of this delay,
we are sending your purchase free of charge and we hope that this might retain you as one of our loyal
customers.”
Again, the desire to say what we feel must be overcome with the desire to be courteous and professional,
which we all know in our hearts, is the better way to communicate.

There are many occasions however, when you simply do not hear back at all from a vendor. What do you
do then? There is one more example of the proper way to send an e-mail.

This is one that is sent to many people. There is a thoughtful way to include others that will be the recipient
of such mail. We all have had times that we find something useful to send or we find that there are stories
that are uplifting that we want to share. How do we send a story like that to many people where safety and
courtesy are concerns? Certainly, one way is to address your e-mail to each recipient. There is nothing
wrong with this. Each person receives it and each person feels special, because you addressed your e-mail
to him/her alone.
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Suppose however, you would like to send the same e-mail to all of your readers at one time. Most of all e-
mail recipients are known to have what is called Carbon Copy (CC) and Blind Carbon Copy (BCC). Here
we want to be careful that only one person at a time will see your mail without seeing the address of every
person you are sending it to. If we use CC, every person’s address is listed for each e-mail recipient to see,
but if we use BCC, only the address of a person in the ‘To:’ box is seen.
This is important, because spammers love to see a whole slew of e-mail addresses that they can send spam
to.
Your friends will have good intentions, but those you may only know from a list may not. Hackers now have
the addresses of everyone who will be receiving your e-mail. This is neither appropriate nor safe. Instead,
choose to send a group or list of people the same message using BCC, which is the kindest and least obvious
way to send mail short of encryption.
Also, remember that all e-mail sent through normal channels can be intercepted. Therefore, only write
what you want the world to see.
Email Etiquette
While a lot of people understand the importance of following certain rules when writing a business letter,
they often forget these rules when composing an email message. Here’s a refresher.
– Mind Your Manners : Think of the basic rules you learned growing up, like saying please and thank
you.
– Address people you don’t know as Mr., Mrs., or Dr. address someone by first name only if they imply
it’s okay with them to do so.
– Watch Your Tone : Merriam-Webster defines tone as an “accent or inflection expressive of a mood
or emotion.” It is very difficult to express tone in writing, but make sure that you should come
across as respectful, friendly, and approachable. You should not sound curt or demanding.
– Be Concise : Get to the point of your email as quickly as possible, but don’t leave out important
details that will help your recipient answer your query.
– Be Professional : This means, stay away from abbreviations and don’t use emoticons (those little
smiley faces). Don’t use a suggestive email address for business communications.
– Use Correct Spelling and Proper Grammar : Use a dictionary or a spell checker whichever works
better for you. While you can write in a conversational tone (contractions are okay), pay attention
to the basic rules of grammar.
– Wait to Fill in the “TO” Email Address: Career Planning Site visitor Larry Batchelor says, “I never fill
in the ‘TO’ email address until I am completely through proofing my email and I am sure that it is
exactly the way that I want it. This will keep you from accidentally sending an email prematurely. In
the past, I have accidentally clicked on the send icon, when I really meant to click on the attachment
icon.”
Advantages and Disadvantages of Email
Email has changed the way we do business. Sure, people complain about the amount of Email they receive.
But when all is said and done, use of Email has made a positive impact on business and has an edge over
other methods of communication.
Here are five advantages of using Email:
(i) Managing Email is Easy : You can manage all your correspondence on screen and so can your
customers. Your proposal can be answered, revised, stored, and sent to others, all without reams
of paper involved.
 Business Communication 155

Advantages of
Using Email

Managing Email is Email is Transmission

Email is Easy
Email is Easy Fast Inexpensive is Secure and
to Filter
Reliable

(ii) Email is Fast : Mail is delivered instantly from your office to anywhere in the world. No other
method of delivery can provide this service. Timely buying and selling decisions can be made in
one heartbeat.
(iii) Email is Inexpensive : Compared to telephone calls, faxes, or overnight courier service, Email is less
expensive.
(iv) Email is Easy to Filter : The subject line on an Email makes it easy to prioritize messages. The reader
can identify critical correspondence quickly and deal with it immediately. Unlike regular mail
which needs to be opened and reviewed, or voice mail which requires you to either listen to or
scan all your messages for those that require immediate attention.
(iv) Transmission is Secure and Reliable : The level of security in transmitting Email messages is very high,
and the industry continues to strive to develop even tighter security levels. Email is private. Often
telephone and fax messages are not. If the address information is correct, rarely does an Email go
astray. Fax machines can be out of order or out of paper and this prevents an important message
from being delivered in a timely manner.
Email has been credited for increased efficiency, business readiness, and a host of other advantages tied to
increased productivity.
However, there are some disadvantages.
(i) Time Consuming : Writing an email
takes less time than it takes to print
a letter and mail it off the ease with Disadvantages of using Email
which an e-mail is sent implies that
an average person may do more
correspondence electronically
than he would if all • Time Consuming
correspondence was done by
postal mail. Sometimes the • Security
message is better communicated
over the telephone or directly. • Impersonal Communication
Organizing and reading through
emails can also eat up a great deal • Misunderstanding
of time and prove an obstacle in
the way of a worker’s productivity. • Vulnerability
• Internet Connectivity
156 Business Communication

(ii) Security : Sensitive information can be easily shared and distributed within a business through
email. It does not matter if the email is sent accidentally or deliberately, the damage remains the
same. Moreover, when someone hands you a business letter, you are the only person who receives
that letter. An e-mail can be intercepted by a hacker or go on an incorrect email address and wind
up in someone else’s inbox. Your sensitive information and messages are easily accessible to hackers
and to even unsuspecting recipients.
(iii) Impersonal Communication : While email can be faster, the meaning of the message is often lost in
the text. It can make customers or employees forget there are people involved in the transaction,
which can affect customer service. Since email recipients cannot see one another, the emails do
not have any voice inflection or emotion that can help in proper interpretation.
(iv) Misunderstanding : Pronouns and popular jargon can lead to conflicts in emails. In addition, email
is filled with abbreviations and short descriptions, which can often be misunderstood and/or
interpreted the wrong way.
(v) Vulnerability : It would take a manual effort on the part of someone to access all his important
printed documents and destroy them. But all of your emails and important information can be lost
with a simple hard-drive crash. Even if you store your email information on another server, you
could lose your data if that site goes down or gets out of business.
(vi) Whether an organisation depends on internet connectivity: E-mail depends on the internet
connectivity which can get disturbed or disconnected due to various reasons.
– Email cannot be considered a confidential mode of communication.
– Email should not be considered as a replacement for direct, face-to-face communication.
– Email cannot be relied in case of emergency messages as the receiver may read it at his own
convenient time.
– Email depends on the internet connectivity which can get disturbed or disconnected due to
various reasons.

Intranet

The word ‘intra’ means within or internal. It is like the internet, except that it contains information specific
to a particular organization. External people, who are not on the network cannot access the intranet.
The intranet is the most effective of all types of electronic communication.
A company intranet helps to keep employees atleast with various happenings within the company, and it
can be used to communicate within the company by posting various newsletters, articles, and company
training documents.
The intranet implies that only the company employees who are set up on the server can access the
company pages. It is different from the Internet which is open to everyone who has an Internet connection.
Most companies use their intranet in place of paper and emails because it gives information to everyone
within the company, regardless of their location. Thus, all employees in an organisation get to know about
the carried happenings.
Intranet for companies are very secure in the sense that no one outside the company can access it once
the security is set in place.
The benefits of an intranet are that it allows a central communication area for the entire company. Many
people work in remote locations; therefore, it helps them in having a sense of connectedness with the
company as a whole, regardless of the place someone is located in.
Intranet have been quite effective in keeping communication open to all employees, but at the same time,
 Business Communication 157

it is essential that they log into the intranet several times each day. Many companies make the intranet the
default start-up page from any browser within the company, which makes it easier for employees to remember
to log in for important information.

Benefits of Intranet

Workforce Productivity

Time

Communication

Web Publishing

Business Operations and

Management

Cost-effective

Enhance Collaboration

Promote Common Corporate

Culture

Immediate Updates

Supports a Distributed
Computing Architecture

Benefits of Intranet
An intranet is a great tool that may be used in order to get messages across to the staff members. There are
many creative ways in which one could use the intranet to one’s advantage within the company. One can
promote the workplace issues on just about any topic on an intranet.
158 Business Communication

Below are the benefits of the intranet

– Workforce Productivity : Intranets can help users to locate and view information faster and use
applications relevant to their roles and responsibilities.

– Time : Intranets allow organizations to distribute information to employees on an as-needed basis.

Employees may link to relevant information at their convenience, rather than being distracted
indiscriminately by electronic mail.

– Communication : Intranets can serve as a powerful tool of communication within an organization,

vertically as well as horizontally. From the communication standpoint, intranets are useful to
communicate strategic initiatives that have a global reach throughout the organization. By
providing this information on the intranet, staff has the opportunity to keep up-to-date with the
strategic focus of the organization. Some examples of communication are chat, email, and blogs.

– Web Publishing : It allows cumbersome corporate knowledge to be maintained and easily accessed
throughout the company using hypermedia and Web technologies. Examples include: employee
manuals, benefits documents, company policies, business standards, news feeds, and even training
can be accessed using common Internet standards (Acrobat files, Flash files, CGI applications).
Because each business unit can update the online copy of a document, the most recent version
usually becomes available to the employees using the intranet.

– Business Operations and Management : Intranets are also being used as a platform for developing
and deploying applications to support business operations and decisions across the internetworked
enterprise.

– Cost-effective : Users can view information and data via a web-browser rather than maintaining
physical documents, such as procedure manuals, internal phone list and requisition forms. This
can potentially save the business money on printing, duplicating documents, and the environment
as well as document maintenance overhead. For example, people using internet services “derived
significant cost savings by shifting HR processes to the intranet”.

– Enhance Collaboration : Information is easily accessible by all authorized users, which enables
teamwork.

– Promote Common Corporate Culture : Every user has the ability to view the same information within
the Intranet.

– Immediate Updates : When dealing with the public in any capacity, laws, specifications, and
parameters can change. Intranets make it possible to provide your audience with “live” changes
so they are kept upto-date, which can limit a company’s liability.

– Supports a Distributed Computing Architecture : The intranet can also be linked to a company’s
management information system, for example, a timekeeping system.
Purpose of Intranet
The purpose of the intranet is for internal communication. Increasingly, intranets are being used to deliver
tools and applications, e.g., collaboration (to facilitate working in groups and teleconferencing) or
sophisticated corporate directories, sales and customer relationship management tools, project
management, etc., to advance productivity.
Intranets are also being used as corporate culture-change platforms. For example, large numbers of
employees discussing key issues in an intranet forum application could lead to new ideas in management,
productivity, quality, and other corporate issues.
 Business Communication 159

When part of an intranet is made accessible to customers and others outside the business that becomes
part of an extranet. Businesses can send private messages through the public network, using special
encryption/ decryption and other security safeguards to connect one part of their intranet to another.
Intranet user-experience, editorial, and technology teams work together to produce in-house sites. Most
commonly, intranets are managed by the communications, HR departments of large organizations, or
some collaboration among these.
Web communication is here to stay and will only grow in use and importance.
Difference between Internet and Intranet

S. No. Internet Intranet

1 Internet is used to connect different Intranet is owned by private firms.

network of computers simultaneously.
2 In internet, there are multiple users. In intranet, there are limited users.
3 Internet may be unsafe. Intranet is safe.
4 In internet, there are more number of In intranet, there are less number of visitors.
visitors.
5 Internet is a public network. Intranet is a private network.
6 Anyone can access Internet. Anyone can’t access the Intranet.
7 Internet provides unlimited information. Intranet provides limited information.

Extranet
An extranet is a private network that uses Internet technology and the public telecommunication system to
securely share part of a business's information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers,
or other businesses. An extranet can be viewed as part of a company's intranet that is extended to users
outside the company. It has also been described as a "state of mind" in which the Internet is perceived as a
way to do business with other companies as well as to sell products to customers.
Companies can use an extranet to:
(i) Exchange large volumes of data using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

(ii) Share product catalogues exclusively with wholesalers or those "in the trade"

(iii) Team up with other companies on joint development efforts

(iv) Jointly develop and use training programs with other companies

(v) Provide or access services provided by one company to a group of other companies, such as an
online banking application managed by one company on behalf of affiliated banks

(vi) Share news of common interest exclusively with partner companies.

Difference between Intranet and Extranet

S.No. Intranet Extranet

1 Intranet is a tool for sharing information Whereas Extranet is a tool for sharing information
throughout the organization. between the internal members and external
members.
160 Business Communication

2 Intranet is owned by a single organization. While Extranet is owned by either a single or a

many organization.
3 In intranet, security is implemented through Whereas in this, security is implemented through a
a firewall. firewall in order to separate the extranet and the
internet.
4 Intranet is managed by an organization. Whereas Extranet is managed by many
organizations.
5 Intranet has a limited number of connected Whereas in the extranet, connected devices are
devices. comparable with the intranet.
6 Intranet is a private network type for an While it is also a private network in which public
organization. network is used in order to share the information
to the suppliers and customers.
7 Intranet is used in order to get employee While it is used to check status, access data, send
information, telephone directory etc. mail, place order etc.
8 Intranet is the limited and compromised While Extranet is the limited and compromised
version of Extranet. version of Internet.
9 A particular organization is the regulating While it is regulated by multiple organizations.
authority for intranet.
10 It is accessible to only the members of It is accessible to members of organization as
organization. well as external members with logins.
11 It’s restricted area is upto an organization. It’s restricted area is upto an organization and some
of its stakeholders.
12 It is derived from Internet. It is derived from Intranet.

***
Lesson 8

COMMON BUSINESS
TERMINOLOGIES

161
162 Business Communication

The topic of ‘Business Terminology’ is the main vehicle by which facts, opinions and other ‘higher’ units of
knowledge are represented and conveyed. Sound terminology work is meant for reducing ambiguity and
increasing clarity. Terminology can thus be a safety factor, a quality factor and a productivity factor in its
own right. In other words, the quality of specialist communication depends to a large extent on the quality
of the terminology employed. Moreover, it is not possible to look up a word in a dictionary all the time. Thus,
voluntarily or involuntarily we memorize the words of daily use. Making these terms a part of our daily
conversation can surely help us to instil these terms in the memory. Hence we need a glossary of business
terms providing us with definitions of the common words used in all aspects of the business. This business
glossary serves as a ready guide for business proprietors, managers, students and general readers. Various
spheres and topics have been covered ranging from accounting, banking, taxation, advertising, business
law, communications, economics, finance, insurance, international business, management, marketing,
real estate and various other areas of business. Therefore, we need to know their origins and meanings.
Firstly let us have a glance at the most ‘basic’ and the most ‘advanced’ terms of 21st century just for
curiosity, motivation and involvement:
Ten Basic but Most Important Terms / Words in Business English
• Management : those in charge of running a business
• Business : the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and
industrial aspects
• Marketing : the commercial processes involved in promoting and selling and distributing a product
or service
• Profit : the amount of money left over after expenses are taken out
• Telecommuting : involves working at home usually on a computer
• Downsizing : a planned reduction in the number of employees needed in a firm in order to
reduce costs and make the business more efficient
• Outsourcing : contracting out selected functions or activities of an organization to other
organizations that can do the work more cost efficiently
• R & D or Research and Development : Business or government activity that is purposely
designed to stimulate invention and innovation
• Headquarters : (usually plural) the office that serves as the administrative center of an enterprise
• Market : the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold

Other Terminologies

ACCEPTANCE Assent given by a party to a bill of exchange by signing across the face
(BILL OF EXCHANGE) of it. Acceptance may be done online by clicking on the Accept button.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The signature of a clerk or attorney certifying that the person signing the
document has signed by his or her free act and for the purposes set forth
therein.

ACQUISITION COSTS Acquisition costs are the incremental costs involved in obtaining a new
customer.

ACT OF GOD A term usually used in insurance to denote risks and dangers arising out
of natural causes that are beyond human control.

ACTION Also called a case or lawsuit. A civil judicial proceeding where one party
 Business Communication 163

sues another for a wrong done, or to protect a right or to prevent a

wrong.
ADB Asian Development Bank
ADJOURNMENT Postponement of a court session until another time or place.
ADJUDICATION A decision or sentence imposed by a judge
AFFIDAVIT A written statement signed in the presence of a judicial officer, a Notary
Public or an Oath Commissioner that is admissible as evidence in a court
of law.
AFFIRMATION Declaring something to be true under the penalty of perjury by a person
who will not take an oath for religious or other reasons.
AGENDA A program listing items of business to be transacted in a meeting.
AGENT A person appointed to act generally or for a special business purpose on
behalf of the Principal usually on payment of a commission.
ALLEGATION Saying that something is true. The assertion, declaration or statement of
a party in a case, made in a pleading.
ALLOTMENT Issue of shares or debentures to an applicant after payment of notified
price.
AMALGAMATION The coming together of two or more previously autonomous businesses
into a single undertaking.
AMERICAN DEPOSITORY A receipt showing evidence that shares of a foreign corporation are
RECEIPTS (ADR) held on deposit or under control of an U.S banking institution. Used to
facilitate transactions and expedite transfer of beneficial ownership for a
foreign security in the United States.

AMORTISATION The extinction or gradual writing off of liability or debt over a period of
time, loosely speaking, through depreciation of wasting assets through
operation of a sinking or purchase fund.

ANNUAL RETURN A statutory document filed by every company annually with the Registrar
of Companies, stating the particulars such as status, names of directors,
shareholders, indebtness etc. of the company.

ANNUITY A fixed sum of money payable for the whole or a part of a person’s life
under the terms of an insurance policy or a Will.

APPEAL Appeal is a process by which the correctness of the decision of a lower

court or tribunal is questioned in a higher court.

APPEARANCE The official court form filed with the court clerk which tells the court that
you are representing yourself in a lawsuit or criminal case or that an
attorney is representing you. All court notices and calendars will be mailed
to the address listed on the form. When a defendant in a civil case files an
appearance, the person is submitting to the court’s jurisdiction.

APPELLANT The party appealing a decision or judgment to a higher court.

ARBITRAGE The business of taking advantage of difference in price of a security traded

164 Business Communication

on two or more stock exchanges, by buying in one and selling in other or

vice versa.

ARBITRATION A quasi-judicial arrangement whereby a dispute between parties is

resolved by referring it by mutual consent to arbitrators whose decision
is binding.

ARREST When a person is taken into custody by a police officer and charged with
a crime.

ASSET Anything to which money value can be attached, owned by a business

or individual. It may be financial such as cash; physical, such as land/
building; tangible, such as patent, trademark; or intangible, such as
goodwill.

ASSET TURNOVER Asset turnover is sales divided by total assets. Important for comparison
over time and to other companies of the same industry. This is a standard
business ratio.

ASSETS Assets include everything that a company owns and has some economic
value.

ASSIGNMENT A transfer of right, title or interest in a property from one person to another.
For an assignment to have legal effect it must be absolute, in writing and
be communicated to the one owing the right.

ASSOCHAM Associated Chamber of Commerce & Industry - one of the bodies

representing the Indian industry.

ASSURANCE The term originally denoted a form of protection against events, which
must happen i.e. death. Insurance was used for cover against loss linked
with contingencies such as fire or lightening.

ATTACHMENT A lien on property or assets to hold it to pay or satisfy any final judgment.
ATTESTATION Attestation is authentication of a signature by an authorized person,
who could be an oaths commissioner or a notary public.
ATTORNEY A person legally appointed or empowered to act on behalf of another
during the latter’s lifetime for a specific or general purpose.
ATTORNEY OF RECORD Attorney whose name appears in the permanent records or files of a
case.
AUCTION A public sale conducted by the auctioneer in which the goods are given
away to the highest bidder at the fall of a hammer.
AUDIT An examination of accounts and their underlying records in order to be
able to express an opinion on their honesty and trueness, with a report
on them by the internal staff or a firm of auditors.
BAD DEBT An open account balance or loan that is proved to be impossible to be
collected.
BAIL Also called Bond. Money or property given to the court for the temporary
release of a defendant, to ensure that the defendant will return to court.
 Business Communication 165

BALANCE SHEET The financial statement generally prepared at the end of a period usually
the financial year showing the assets, liabilities and net worth of an
organisation.
BANK ACCOUNT A bank account allows the account holder to deposit, safeguard his
money, earn interest, and make cheque payments.
BANK RATE The maximum lending/borrowing rate determined by the Reserve Bank
of India from time to time taking into account the state of economy.
BANK STATEMENT A statement issued in loose-leaf or Passbook form by the bank showing
credit-debit entries and the balance in an account during a given period.
BANKRUPTCY A legal condition where a person or a business in which liabilities exceed
the assets and the debtor is unable to repay amounts owed.
BOOK VALUE The value of an asset as appearing in the Books of Accounts, after the
accounting processes to which it has been subject and is not necessarily
the market value of the said asset.
BOOKKEEPING A method of accounting that involves the timely recording of all financial
transactions for the business.
BOUNCED CHEQUE A bounced cheque is a normal cheque which a bank refuses to pay. The
reasons for refusing it include insufficient funds, signature mismatch, or
some other valid reason.
BREAK-EVEN POINT Break-even point is output of the standard break-even analysis. The unit
sales volumes or actual sales amounts that a company needs to equal its
running expense rate and not lose or make money in a given month.
BUY-SELL AGREEMENT A buy-sell agreement is an agreement designed to address situations in
which one or more of the entrepreneurs wants to sell their interest in the
venture.
CALL A demand made by a limited company to the holders of partly paid-up
shares to pay a further instalment towards the nominal value of their
shares.
CAPITAL The amount of money, invested in a business; available for working;
manifest in tangible goods like building and machinery or in the form of
circulating assets. The term has several specific uses. Money spent on
improvement of fixed assets and not chargeable against profits is known
as Capital Expenditure.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE Spending on capital assets (also called plant and equipment, or fixed
assets, or long-term assets).
Capital assets are long-term assets, also known as fixed assets.
CASE A lawsuit or action in a court.
CASE LAWS Judgments by courts usually of higher courts, in leading cases, which
are treated as authorities and quoted and relied on in similar cases by
the lower or same level courts.
CASH DISCOUNT A discount offered in addition to normal trade discounts when payment
is made in cash before the expiry of the period of credit.
166 Business Communication

CASH FLOW STATEMENT The cash flow statement is one of the three main financial statements
(along with income statement and balance sheet), the cash flow statement
shows actual cash inflows and outflows of the business over a specified
period of time.
The cash flow statement reconciles the income statement (profit and
loss) with the balance sheet.

CAUSE LIST Cause list is issued by the Registry of the matters to be heard by the court
on any day. Cause list contains information like bench, courtroom number
and the position of the matter.

CAVEAT EMPTOR A legal doctrine literally meaning ‘let the buyer beware’ of what he is
buying and satisfy himself about the quality and condition of what he is
buying.

CHEQUE A negotiable instrument drawn on a bank where the drawer has an

account ordering the bank to pay the stated sum to a person or to the
order of another person. When the cheque is bearer, payment is made
on presentation. Order cheques require endorsement while crossed ones
are paid into an account. Blank cheque is for an unspecified amount
while a stale cheque is more than six months old and no longer valid.

COLLATERAL A security generally in the form of fixed assets and offered in addition to
those already furnished.
COMMISSION (i) A payment in percentage terms made to an agent or a broker for
goods sold or services performed. When responsibility for payments
is also accepted, an extra del credere is payable.

(ii) The charge based on the percentage of funds invested which is paid
by an investor to a broker or a financial advisor.
COMMON LAW Laws that develop through case decisions by judges. Not enacted by
legislative bodies.
COMPLAINT A legal document that tells the court what you want, and is served with
a summons on the defendant to begin the case.
CONDITION A stipulation that is binding on signatories of a legal contract and the
breach of which entitles the aggrieved party to rescind the contract.
CONSIGNMENT Transferring the title of goods, the details of which are given in the
Proforma Invoice, to an agent for sale. The proceeds and account of sale
are furnished to the consignee periodically.
CONSORTIUM An association of companies formed for the purpose of undertaking a
particular activity. There may be no other connection between the
companies outside the scope of activities. It is usually to share the limited
resources and risks associated with the activity undertaken.
CONTEMPT OF COURT A finding that someone disobeyed a court order. Can also mean
disrupting court, for example, by being loud or disrespectful in court.
CONTRACT An agreement between parties in order to create legal obligations under
a seal or for a consideration and enforceable by law.
 Business Communication 167

CONVICTION To be found guilty of committing a crime

COSTS Expenses in prosecuting or defending a case in court. Usually does not
include attorney’s fees.
COVER NOTE A document issued by an insurance company to provide cover to the
insured till a formal policy document is issued.
CREDIT Literally “trust or belief”. In commerce, it means giving goods the payment
for which is to be made at a subsequent date.
CREDIT NOTE A document sent by a seller to a buyer to rectify an error of overcharge
in an invoice or to allow credit for goods returned. It is entered in the
books of account.
CRISIL Credit Rating and Information Services of India Limited. It is an agency
set up in April 1988 that
CRISIS Reckless heavy short sales leading unduly to depressed prices. In such a
situation the Governing Board of the Stock Exchange may prohibit short
sales, fix minimum prices below which sales or purchases are not permitted
and also take any other suitable corrective action.
CROSS-EXAMINATION Questioning by a party or the attorney of an adverse party or a witness.
CRR Cash Reserve Ratio notified by the Reserve Bank of India from time to
time. It indicates the reserves of commercial banks set apart as a measure
of security.
CURRENT ASSETS Current assets are the same as short-term assets.
CURRENT DEBT Current debt refers to short-term debt and short-term liabilities.
CURRENT LIABILITIES Current liabilities refers to short-term debt and short-term liabilities.
DAMAGES Compensation awarded by a court of law for breach of contract in a civil
litigation.
DAY ORDER An order which remains valid for the day it is entered, unless matched, it
is automatically cancelled at the end of the trading.
DEBENTURES An instrument/security through which a company may borrow funds
from public or public financial institutions, on which interest usually is
payable on specific dates and principal amount repayable on a particular
date on redemption of the same.
DEBIT NOTE A note sent by seller to buyer to rectify an undercharge in the original
invoice. It is in the nature of a supplementary invoice.
DEBT AND EQUITY Debt and equity is the sum of liabilities and capital. This should always be
equal to total assets.
DEBT FINANCING When you borrow money from a lender and agree to repay the principal
with interest in regular payments for a specified period of time, you’re
using debt financing. Traditionally, it has been the most common form of
funding for small businesses.
Debt financing can include borrowing from banks, business credit cards,
lines of credit, personal loans, merchant cash advances, and invoice
168 Business Communication

financing. This method creates a debt that must be repaid but lets you
maintain sole control of your business.
DECLARATION An unsworn statement of facts made by a party to the transaction, or by
one who has an interest in the facts recounted.

DEED A legal document in writing, signed, sealed and delivered by the person
making the deed.
DEFAULT To fail to respond or answer to the plaintiff ’s claims by filing the required
court document; usually an Appearance or an Answer.
DEFENDANT In civil cases, the person who is given court papers, also called a
respondent. In criminal cases, the person who is arrested and charged
with a crime.
DEMATERIALISATION Conversion of debentures from electronic form. securities paper or such
as physical shares/ form to

DEPOSITORY The system of organisation which works through registered members

called depository participants, to maintain a record of securities in
electronic or dematerialised form. Transactions in such shares are
recorded immediately by the depository participants in the accounts of
shareholders who hold the shares in dematerialised form.

DEPRECIATION The fall in the value of a fixed or movable asset due to wear and tear or
passage of time. Such amounts may be written off or provide a
replacement through another fund.

DERIVATIVE MARKETS Markets such as futures and option markets that are developed to satisfy
specific needs arising in traditional markets. These markets provide the
same basic functions as forward markets, but trading usually takes place
on standardised contracts.

DIFFERENTIATION Differentiation is an approach to create a competitive advantage based

on obtaining a significant value difference that customers will appreciate
and be willing to pay for, and which ideally will increase their loyalty as a
result.
DISBURSEMENT A legitimate payment of money out of some fund.
DISCOUNT A reduction from a stated amount.
DISCOUNTED BILL A Bill of Exchange encashed for a charge by the banker before the date
on which it becomes payable.
DISMISSAL A judge's decision to end the case.
DISPOSE Ending a legal case or a judicial proceeding.
DISPOSITION The manner in which a case is settled or resolved.
DISSOLUTION The legal end of a marriage, also called a divorce.
DIVIDEND A return on investment on securities such as shares dependent on the
profitability of the company. It is distributed through dividend warrants
similar to cheques. Alternatively it may be credited to the bank account
or Demat account of the shareholder.
 Business Communication 169

DOCUMENTS OF TITLE Documents which provide conclusive evidence of ownership of some

asset. Usually denotes non- negotiable documents such as Bills of Lading
or Delivery Challans showing the transfer of title to the transferee for a
specific period or purpose say transportation. In international trade,
usually attached with bills of exchange.
DOMICILE The permanent home of a person. A person may have several residences,
but only one domicile.
DRAFT A document requiring one party, usually a bank, to make payment to
another from funds which are held by the former.
DUMPING Selling goods in a market usually overseas, at a price well below cost,
usually with an intention to ruin the indigenous market/competition.
EARNEST MONEY A refundable security in the form of demand draft or bank guarantees
to keep off non-serious applicants usually for tenders. It is also given by
a buyer to the seller to bind the bargain and may be adjusted later with
the cost of the purchase.

EARNINGS BEFORE EBIT refers to earnings before interest and taxes.

INTEREST AND TAXES
(EBIT)
EARNINGS BEFORE Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (or
INTEREST TAXES EBITDA) is equal to the gross margin (the difference between total
DEPRECIATION AND sales revenue and total direct cost of sales) minus total operating
AMORTIZATION (EBITDA) expenses (tax-deductible expenses incurred in conducting normal
business operations, such as wages and salaries, rent, and so on), plus
any depreciation (The loss of value of assets over time) and amortization.
This is similar to earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). The difference
between the two is that EBIT subtracts all expenses, including
depreciation, as an expense, and EBITDA subtracts all expenses except
depreciation and amortization.
ECONOMIES OF SCALE Economies of scale refers to the benefit that larger production volumes
allow fixed costs to be spread over more units lowering the average unit
costs and offering a competitive price and margin advantage.
ED Enforcement Directorate, that looks into violations involving foreign
exchange.
ENCUMBRANCE Some liability which is attached to a property and thereby, imposes a
burden on the owner.
ENDORSEMENT A writing on the back of a bill of exchange i.e. an Order cheque authorising
the bank to pay to the bearer or a specified person or prohibit further
endorsements. The effect of endorsement is to vary the terms of the
document.
ENTREPRENEUR An entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business venture; someone
who recognizes and pursues opportunities others may not see as clearly,
and finds the resources necessary to accomplish his or her goals.
EPS Earnings per share. A company’s net profit attributable to equity/ordinary
170 Business Communication

shareholders divided by the number of such shares that have been issued
and paid-up.
ESCROW A legal document kept in the custody of a third party, taking effect or
made available only when some conditions are satisfied or some period
of time has elapsed.
ESOP Employee Stock Option Scheme.
ESTIMATE A forecast of the total cost of a particular work given before the work is
actually undertaken by the person who may be called upon to undertake
it.
EVIDENCE Testimony, documents or objects presented at a trial to prove a fact.
EX GRATIA Some action, normally the payment of money, taken where there is no
legal necessity to do so but where some moral obligation is recognised.
EX PARTE Done for, or at the request of, one side in a case only, without prior notice
to the other side.
EXCHEQUER The treasury of the Government.
EX-DOCK/SHIP/ The prices, which exclude all expenses after the goods have been
WAREHOUSE delivered on the docks, the side of the ship or at the designated
warehouse.
EXECUTOR A person named in the Will of the deceased testator to administer/carry
out its provisions/ directions.
EXPECTED RETURN The return an investor might expect on an investment if the same
investment were made many times over an extended period. The return
is found through the use of mathematical analysis.
EXTRINSIC VALUE The amount by which the market price of an option exceeds the amount
that could be realised if the option were exercised and the underlying
commodity liquidated. Also known as time value.
FACE VALUE A value evident from an examination of the object itself. Usually means
the amount printed on the face of a security as opposed to its market
value. Also known as nominal value, which may be higher or lower than
the market value.
FACTOR A mercantile agent who deals in his own name but enjoys the right to
hold and dispose off goods on behalf of the principal at pre-negotiated
terms.
FEMA The Foreign Exchange Management Act, which replaced and is
considered more liberal than FERA, the Foreign Exchange Regulation
Act.
FICCI Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, is also a
representative body of Indian industry.
FIDUCIARY Imposing the obligations of a trust. A fiduciary relationship imposes a
legal as well as moral relationship.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS An integral part of the loan application process is furnishing information
that shows your business is a good credit risk. The standard financial
 Business Communication 171

statement packet includes four main reports: the income statement, the
balance sheet, the statement of cash flow, and the statement of
shareholders’ equity, if you have shareholders.
Lenders and investors want to see that your business is well-balanced
with assets and liabilities, has positive cash flow, and will have capital to
make expected repayments.
FINDING The court’s or jury’s decision on issues of fact.
FIPB Foreign Investment Promotion Board, which clears proposals involving
foreign direct investment (FDI) into India.
FIRM A collective name given to partners in a business.
FIRM OFFER A commitment to sell at a certain price subject to acceptance of offer
within a specified time.
FISCAL Relating to the raising and use of money by the Government.
FIXED ASSETS Also known as long-term assets or non-current assets, these are things
that are of a fixed nature because they cannot be easily converted into
cash and often require complex procedures and a significant amount of
time before you can have their cash value in hand. For instance, fixed
assets would encompass things like land, real estate, machinery and
equipment, and furniture.
FIXED INTEREST RATE The interest rate on a loan that is established in the beginning and does
not change for the lifetime of the loan is said to be fixed. Loans with fixed
interest rates are appealing to small business owners because the
repayment amounts are consistent and easier to budget for in the future.
FLOATING INTEREST RATE In contrast to the business finance term and definition fixed rate, the
floating interest rate will change with market fluctuations. Also referred
to as variable rates or adjustable rates, these amounts may often start out
lower than the fixed rate percentages. This makes them more appealing
in the short term if the market is trending down
FOREIGN EXCHANGE A term denoting currency of another country. When held by the State, it
constitutes the forex reserves. The rates of different currencies are settled
either by market forces or by the State, which may link its own currency
with a single or basket of external currencies.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE The price of one currency in terms of the other.
RATE
FORWARD CONTRACT A contract where a party agrees to deliver at a specified future time a
certain amount of specified securities at an agreed rate.
FORWARD DELIVERY A term implying that goods transacted will be delivered at a future date
on agreed terms.
FORWARD TRADING It means deferment of contracts traded at present to some future date at
current prices.
FREIGHT A consideration paid for the carriage of goods. An account of freight
payable is called Freight Note.
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FUTURES The purchase of commodities or currencies or financial instruments for

delivery at some future time. It protects the buyer against a possible rise in
prices. Trading in futures may carry an element of speculation and is also
done as a hedging exercise.
GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
GDP Gross Domestic Product - The total value of all the goods and services
produced by a country for use within its own borders during a particular
period.
GDR Global Depository Receipts.
GOODWILL An intangible saleable asset, such as reputation or location of a business,
which makes the business worth more than its book value.
GRIEVANCE A complaint filed against an attorney or judge, claiming an ethics violation.
GROSS PROFIT This business finance term and definition can be calculated as total sales
(income) less the costs (expenses) directly related to those sales. Raw
materials, manufacturing expenses, labor costs, marketing, and
transportation of goods are all included in expenses.
GUARANTEE An undertaking by a person in writing to be answerable for the deeds of
another. The liability of guarantor or surety is secondary and is invoked
only when the original party defaults.
GUARANTOR A guarantor creates a trust which takes the responsibility of repayment of
a loan. Usually, a guarantor is not liable for the repayment of the loan.
However, in some cases, the liability and responsibility of repaying the
loan lie with the guarantor.
GUARDIAN A person who has the power and duty to take care of another person
and/or to manage the property and rights of another person who is
considered incapable of taking care of his or her personal affairs.
HABEAS CORPUS A court order used to bring a person physically before a court in order to
test the legality of the person's detention. Usually, it is directed to the
official or person detaining another, commanding him to bring the person
to court for the judge to determine if that person has been denied liberty
without due process of law.
HEDGE Reducing risk by taking a position which offsets an existing or anticipated
exposure in financial operations.
HIRE-PURCHASE An agreement to hire goods for use with an option to transfer the title
after payment of the instalments agreed upon.
HOLDING COMPANY A company which controls the activities of one or more companies which
are known as subsidiary companies.

HYPOTHECATION The act of pledging or mortgaging movable or immovable assets.

IAS International Accounting Standards.

IMF International Monetary Fund.

INCOME STATEMENT The income statement is where you analyze your company’s profits and
 Business Communication 173

losses. As such, it should come as no surprise that the income statement

is also commonly referred to as the “profit and loss statement.”
This document summarizes the profits and losses incurred during a
specified period, which is usually a fiscal quarter or a full calendar year.
As such, it provides important information about your company’s ability
to generate profit by increasing its revenue, decreasing its losses, or a
combination of both.
INCOME TAX A direct and graded tax imposed by the government upon income. The
tax on income of corporate and other business enterprises may be higher
than that of individuals.
INDEMNITY A contractual obligation to compensate some other person in the event
that a loss is suffered by them for a specified cause.
INDENT An order sent to the agent to buy goods. It may mention specific goods
or source from which to procure. Alternatively it may be left to the agent.
INDENTURE It is deed signed between two or more parties as opposed to one made
by a single party.
INFLATION An increase in money supply without a corresponding increase in
production. This leads to an increase in prices.
INJUNCTION It is an order of the court directing a person to act or refrain from acting
in a certain manner. Injunctions are often issued to prevent people from
harming others.
INSIDER TRADING Trading in a company’s shares by a person connected with and having
access to its sensitive, unpublished and confidential information.
INSOLVENCY A state where the total assets of an entity are insufficient in value to meet
its total liabilities. It may lead to bankruptcy with the pronouncement by
a court.
INSTRUMENT A formal, legal document.
INSURANCE It is an arrangement under which the insurer agrees to compensate the
insured in the event of a loss on payment of a premium. A proposal form
has to be submitted. The premium depends on the extent of cover and
the risk perception of the insurer. In the event of default in payment of
premium, the contract becomes null and void unless revived.
INTANGIABLE ASSET An asset which has no physical or documentary form.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY A valuable intangible asset created by the exercise of human intelligence
and imagination.
INTEREST It is a payment made for the use of borrowed funds. It may be either
simple or compound. It may be calculated on the basis of a flat rate on
the total principal or on the reducing balance of the principal, as per the
loan agreement.
INTEREST RATE All loans and other lending instruments are assigned the business finance
key term interest rates. This is a percentage of the principal amount
charged by the lender for the use of its money. Interest rates represent
the current cost of borrowing.
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INTERNET BANKING Most banks allow account holders to access their accounts using the
internet. You can also perform certain transactions using this system.
This is internet banking or online banking or e-banking.
INVENTORY It is a list of items in stock at a given point of time.
INVOICE It is document sent by a seller to the purchaser giving descriptions of
goods, their quantity/ number, prices and total amount payable.
IRDA Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

JUDGMENT The decision/ruling of a court of law in a civil or criminal litigation.

JUMBO CERTIFICATE A document issued by consolidating or aggregating a large number of

market lots into a single composite share certificate.

JURY It is a body of persons appointed to hear evidence and give their verdict
in a criminal trial.
KIND The basis of payment made in the form of goods or services rather than
money.
LABOUR INTENSIVE The characteristic of production methods which require large application
of labour and uses relatively little capital.
LANDING ORDER It is an order to facilitate the delivery of a ship’s cargo issued after the completion
of formalities. The loading or the discharge of cargo has to be completed
within the lay days failing which a demurrage has to be paid.
LAUNDERING The process of passing funds through a number of transactions with the
intention to conceal their origin.
LEASE The right to use a property for a specified term in lieu of lease-money or
rent paid periodically. The lessor has to execute a deed in favor of lessee
containing terms and conditions of lease.
LEGAL TENDER The form of money that may be legally used to pay for the goods procured
or the services used. For example, the currency notes issued by the
Reserve Bank of India constitute a legal tender in India.
LETTER OF CREDIT It is a letter addressed by a banker to a correspondent abroad authorising
payment of a specified sum on its credit to the mentioned beneficiary
under stated conditions, i.e., delivery of goods in a satisfactory condition.
Letters of Credit are common in international trade and protect the
interest of the exporter.
LIABILITIES A legal obligation, by an individual or a body of persons, expressed in
terms of money. Current liabilities are those that have to be discharged in
the near future, like bills payable or bank overdrafts. Contingent liabilities
are those whose existence or otherwise will be confirmed by the outcome
of some future event and at times may not have to be met at all if the
event does not occur.
LIBEL Defamatory material in recorded form as opposed from slander which is
oral. The victim may file a suit for damages.
LICENCE A document issued by a competent authority granting permission to
 Business Communication 175

carry on some activity, which otherwise will be unlawful.

LIEN The right to retain some asset till a claim is settled or a contractual
obligation has been fulfilled. A General lien refers to a right to retain any
property of the debtor’s while a Particular lien permits the retention of
the particular property connected with the claim.
LIMITED LIABILITY The liability of a member to contribute to the assets of a company upto
the nominal value of the shares held and not paid by him.
LIQUIDATOR An official appointed to conduct the winding up of a company in
accordance with due process of law.
LIQUIDITY Liquidity is an indicator of how quickly an asset can be turned into cash
for full market value. The more liquid your assets, the more financial
flexibility you have.
LITIGANT A party to a case.
MANDATE Authority given to take some action.
MANIFEST A declaration by the master of the ship about to set sail. It gives details
about the crew, cargo, passengers and the port of destination.
MARKET LOT The minimum number of shares, say 100, required for a transaction on a
Stock Exchange. Fewer shares constitute an odd lot. In Demat form,
even a single share may be traded.
MCA Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
MEDIATION A dispute resolution process in which an impartial third party assists the
parties to voluntarily reach a mutually acceptable settlement.
MEMORANDUM OF A fundamental document which contains the provisions of the
ASSOCIATION company’s constitution, which is filed with the Registrar of Companies
at the time of the incorporation of a company. It states the name of the
company, its objectives, the amount of capital etc.
MERCHANT BANKER A financial institution that specialises in securities market activities such
as underwriting and trading, and in advisory activities such as mergers
and acquisitions. Merchant Banking also typically refers to acquisition of
equity stakes in companies either for strategic or temporary investment
purposes.

MERGER The amalgamation of two or more enterprises which were previously

separate usually to achieve greater viability and control. The new entity
may retain the old name in full or part thereof for reasons of Goodwill.

MINIMUM SUBSCRIPTION The minimum number of shares for which applications have to be
received by a company in a public issue before allotment can be made by
it.

MONOPOLY A exclusive right or privilege created through law or by acquiring and

exercising control with a view to regulating the price. When used by
State for public benefit, a monopoly may be useful but as a matter of
principle, it is harmful.
MORATORIUM A freeze on the payment of debts by a government in times of national
176 Business Communication

crisis or an emergency.
MORTGAGE A legal charge on property which holds it as security for a loan.
NABARD National Bank for Agricultural & Rural Development.
NASDAQ National Association of Security Dealers Automated Quotations.
NEGOTIABLE A document in which property may be transferred to another in
INSTRUMENTS good faith by simple delivery, for e.g. Cheques, Bank Notes, Treasury Bills,
Dividend Warrants. When made to order, they require endorsement but
if in favor of bearer, they may be negotiated straightaway.

NET PROFIT The amount remaining after all expenses have been deducted from the
gross profit. It may be distributed in the form of dividend.

NET WORTH This business finance term and definition is an expression of your business’s
total value, as determined by your total current assets less the total liabilities
currently owed by the business. With your business’s most recent balance
sheet in hand, you can calculate the net worth using a simple formula:
Assets – Liabilities = Net Worth.

NO-DELIVERY PERIOD The time during which the register of shareholders of a company remains
closed. Transactions continue but the trades are settled later. This is
done to avoid confusion about the beneficiaries of dividend.
NON-CUMULATIVE Implies that arrears of dividend will not accrue.
NON-CURRENT Also referred to as long-term liabilities, this category encompasses
LIABILITIES debts or obligations that your company must repay in over a year’s time.
For example, non-current liabilities would include things like business
loans, deferred tax liabilities, mortgages, and leases.
NON-OPERATING ASSETS Finally, non-operating assets are those that are not critical for a company
to provide its product or service, but which are nevertheless essential to
establish and run a business. For example, many intangible assets fall into
this category, such as brands, trademarks, and patents.

NOTARIZE To formally complete a document by acknowledgement or oath.

NOTARY PUBLIC A person who attests or certifies documents by the authority of the court.

NSE National Stock Exchange.

NYSE New York Stock Exchange.

OATH To swear/affirm to the truth of a statement/document.

OPERATING ASSETS These assets are those that are required for a business to complete its
day-to-day functions. In other words, these are things that a company
uses to produce its product or service and can include fixed and current
assets, as well as tangible and intangible assets. Some of the most common
items included in this category are cash, a company’s bank balance,
inventory, and operating machinery.

OPTIONS The contractual right but not the obligation, to buy and sell a specific
 Business Communication 177

amount of a given security at a previously fixed price or at a priced fixed

at a designated future date.

ORDER A written direction of a court or judge to do or refrain from doing certain

acts.

OUT-OF-POCKET- Expenses incurred by a professional carrying out duties on behalf of

EXPENSES a client that are to be reimbursed by the client in addition to any fee
payable.

OVERDRAFT An amount, which may be drawn from a current account in excess of

the balance available. It is a revolving credit negotiated beforehand and
unlike a loan, interest is payable on amount used. The banker holds lien
on securities offered during the use of the facility.

OVERHEADS These are the indirect expenses incurred in the production of goods
and cannot be put under a specific heading. They represent the difference
between the prime costs covering wages plus material and the total cost
of a product.

PATENT A right or privilege granted by law to an inventor also called a patentee,

to enjoy the fruits of his invention for a specified period.

PAYEE A person to whom the amount is payable or in whose favor the Bill of
Exchange is drawn.

PAY-IN SLIP A form filled up to deposit cash or cheque in a bank. The account holder
retains the counterfoil. For bulk users, they may be bound in a Pay-in-
Book.

PERJURY Making false statements under oath.

PERQUISITE Some benefit which is attached to an employment apart from the wages
or salary paid.

PERSONAL GUARANTEE If you’re seeking financing for a very new business and don’t have a high
value asset to offer as collateral, you may be asked by the lender to sign a
statement of personal guarantee. In effect, this statement affirms that you
as an individual will act as guarantor for the business’s debt, making you
personally liable for the balance of the loan even in the event that your
business fails.

PETITION A formal written request to a court, which starts a special proceeding. In

juvenile court, the legal document which specifies the complaint against
the juvenile and/or family; it includes the name, age and address of the
minor and his/her guardian, as well as the statutory grounds and facts
upon which the request for the court intervention is based.

PETITIONER Another word for plaintiff, the person starting the lawsuit.

PETTY CASH A small amount of cash kept to cover day-to-day trivial or miscellaneous
expenses.

PIG Operators who get killed by the speculators.

178 Business Communication

PLACING A prior arrangement to place or sell shares to select investors such as

financial institutions.

PLAINTIFF The person who sues or starts a civil case, also called the petitioner or
the complainant.

PLEA An accused persons answer to a criminal charge. For example: not guilty;
guilty; no contest.

PLEA BARGAIN The agreement a defendant makes with the prosecutor to avoid a trial.
Usually involves pleading guilty to lesser charges in exchange for a lighter
sentence.

PLEADINGS The court documents filed with the court by the parties in a civil or
criminal case. For example: motion to dismiss; motion for modification.

POLICY A comprehensive document issued by the insurer to the insured setting

out detailed terms and conditions governing the cover. It is common to
spell out the risks, sum assured, premium payable and the date of renewal
or maturity. Once issued a policy is not cancelled. Changes may be made
through endorsements.

PORTFOLIO A list of securities owned by a person or an institution.

POST-DATE To affix a future date while executing a document or issuing a Bill of

Exchange. Such an instrument becomes valid or payable only on the
date mentioned. Conversely, a document may be antedated i.e carry an
earlier date.

PRICE BAND The limits within which the price of a security is allowed to fluctuate.

PRICE RIGGING It is the collective effort of bulls or bears to manipulate the price of a
security without any regard for fundamentals of the company.

PRINCIPAL (1) The sum of money lent on which interest is being paid. (2) The party
whom an agent represents.

PROPRIETOR A person who owns or has a share in the ownership of a business.

PROSECUTE To carry on a case or judicial proceeding. To proceed against a person

criminally.

PROSECUTOR Also called the state's attorney. Represents the state in a criminal case
against a defendant.

PROSPECTUS A document issued by a company inviting subscription to the public

issue of its securities. It lists information for the use of investors and has to
include the risk factors.

PROXY One who acts on behalf of another, usually used to denote a person
authorised by a member of a company to be present and vote on his
behalf in a meeting.

QUORUM The minimum number of members required to be present in order to

transact business at a meeting.
 Business Communication 179

QUOTATION A firm statement of the total cost for which specified work will be
undertaken.
QUOTE DRIVEN TRADING It refers to trading in which the brokers quote for buying and selling a
security simultaneously.
RECESSION A condition of the economy of a country under which business is
conducted at a reduced level. It is also characterised by unemployment
and falling prices.
RECONCILIATION An explanation of the difference between two figures which purport to
express the same quantity.

RECORD DATE A date on which the records of a company are closed for the purpose of
determining the stockholders to whom dividends, proxies, rights, etc.
are to be sent.

REMITTANCE An amount of money sent by one person to another, usually by post.

REPO RATE Repo Rate or the Repurchase Rate is the rate at which a bank borrows
money from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The bank pledges or sells
government securities to the RBI for the same.

Also, these loans are usually for a period of up to two weeks. Hence, it
refers to short-term loans. It is different from the Bank Rate with respect
to the tenure of the loan.

RESERVE An amount set aside out of profits or surpluses to meet contingencies.

RESERVE PRICE The minimum price set in advance, that is acceptable to the auctioneer,
so as to ensure that the object for sale will not be sold at too low a value.

RETAIL TRADE The sale of goods to the final consumer.

RETAINED EARNINGS Just like it sounds, this term represents any profits earned that are retained
in the business. This can also be referred to as bootstrapping.

RETROSPECTIVE Taking effect as though it had occurred at an earlier date.

REVERSE REPO RATE When banks have surplus funds and they deposit them with the RBI for
short periods, the RBI offers them a Reverse Repo Rate.

REVOLVING CREDIT The facility to borrow money up to a certain specified amount and to
replace one borrowing that has been paid off with another so long as the
overall limit is not exceeded.

RIGGED MARKET Manipulation of share prices to attract buyers and sellers to the rigger’s
advantage.

ROYALTY Payment made to the owner of a property for permission to use it.

RUMMAGING A thorough search of a ship by custom officers to detect contraband or

undeclared dutiable cargo.

SAFTA South Asian Free Trade Area. It is one of the aims of SAARC group of
countries.
180 Business Communication

SALVAGE Recovering items from a site of destruction.

SAMPLING A method of drawing conclusions about the whole by examining portions

of it selected at random.

SCAM A fraudulent activity where usually small sums of money is obtained from
a large number of persons, so that the activity is not detected.

SEBI Securities and Exchange Board of India.

SECURED LOAN Many lenders will require some form of security when loaning money.
When this happens, this business finance term and definition is a secured
loan. The asset being used as collateral for the loan is said to be “securing”
the loan. In the event that your small business defaults on the loan, the
lender can then claim the collateral and use its fair-market value to offset
the unpaid balance.

SEGMENTAL REPORTING Reporting on the various segments of a business’s activity.

SET-OFF A claim of one party when adjusted against an amount payable to another,
so that only the balance remains payable or the whole debt is paid off.

SETTLEMENT It is the scrip-wise netting of trades by a broker at the end of the trading
cycle.

SHARE A unit of capital in a limited company. Preference shares are entitled to a

fixed rate of dividend. After their claim is exhausted, Equity shares become
eligible to get returns. Bonus shares are allotted without any payment to
existing shareholders out of accumulated profits. Rights shares are issued
on pro rata basis and have to be paid for.

SHARE CERTIFICATE A certificate issued to shareholders in paper or physical form. Besides the
names of the holders, it carries the certificate, folio and distinctive
numbers. It is signed by an authorised signatory and carries the common
seal of the company.

SHAREHOLDER A person holding shares of a company. His rights include an invitation to

attend and vote in Annual General Meetings, to receive a copy of audited
results and receive dividend whenever declared.

SIB Securities and Investments Board of UK.

SPLITTING Sub-division of a share of large denomination into shares of smaller

denominations. Also means sub- division of holdings. The opposite
process of combining shares of a small denominations into one of higher
denomination is called consolidation.

SPOT Spot Cash means payment is due immediately. Spot Price indicates the
price on as is where is basis. Spot Sale promises an instant delivery. Spot
Trading implies delivery and payment of shares on the day of purchase
or the next. Spot Delivery implies delivery and payment on the same day
of the contract or the day following the day of the contract.

STAG (1) An applicant, for a new issue of shares, who hopes to sell the shares
 Business Communication 181

on allotment at a profit once trading commences in the secondary

market;(2) A speculator who buys and sells stocks rapidly for fast profits.

STAMP DUTY The ad valorem duty paid, evidenced by the affixing of revenue stamps
on the instrument, to give legal effect to the same. For e.g. for transfer of
shares.

STANDING ORDER An instruction, which remains in force till withdrawn. It is useful to order
routine and regular payments such as to an insurance company.
STATUTORY BOOKS Records mandatory to be maintained under some law, such as those
relating to charges, members, minute book for directors and
shareholders’ meetings etc.

STOCK EXCHANGE An organised market for the sale and purchase of securities. In India
stock exchanges are regulated by the Securities & Exchange Board of
India. The movement in prices of select active scripts in reflected in Sensex
or sensitive index in terms of points. Trading in major exchanges is Screen-
based these days where buying & selling is done online. Matching of
trades is done on computers installed in Stock Exchanges.

STOP TRANSFER It is an instruction given by an account holder to his banker not to encash
any payment for cheque/ demand draft from his account in case of loss,
theft etc. of the same.

SUB JUDICE A matter pending decision by a Court is called sub judice. Parties to such
a matter should not to do anything that would affect the outcome of the
case.

SUBROGATION The legal principle that entitles an insured only the actual loss sustained
in cases of pure indemnity.

SUMMONS A legal paper that is used to start a civil case and get jurisdiction over a
party.

SUO MOTO The Court may take action on its own when facts requiring legal
intervention reach its notice. The Court is then said to be acting suo
moto.

SWAP A financial transaction which exploits arbitrage opportunities between

markets and in which two counter parties agree to exchange streams of
payments over time according to a predetermined rule.

TAKEOVER The acquisition of control of a company by another company achieved

by the purchase of the majority of its shares.

TANGIBLE ASSETS As the name implies, tangible assets are those assets that you can see and
touch. This can include items that may also be referred to as current or
fixed assets. For instance, cash — a current asset — is a tangible asset
because it’s something you can physically touch. Most fixed assets are
also tangible assets for the same reason. Land, real estate, machinery,
equipment, and furniture are, after all, things you can see and touch.

TARIFF A list of applicable rates of duty under excise or customs.

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TAX HOLIDAY A period of time established under statute, during which a business is not
required to pay tax on its earnings.

TAX LIEN If your business fails to pay taxes owed to the designated government
entity, namely the IRS, you may find your assets seized by the claim of a tax
lien. The government can not only seize your assets for liquidation to
resolve the tax debt, but they can also charge you penalties on the amount
you own.

TENDER Usually an offer to provide goods or services at mentioned prices and

understated conditions in response to a notice published in a newspaper.
The sealed bids are opened and contract awarded to the lowest bidder.

TERM LOAN These are debt financing tools used to raise needed funds for your small
business. Term loans provide the business with a lump sum of cash up
front in exchange for a promise to repay the principal and interest at
specified intervals over a set period of time. These are typically longer
term, one-time loans for start-up expenses or costs for established business
expansion.

TESTIMONIAL A certificate issued by a responsible person to an individual about his

conduct, ability, qualifications or credit.

TITLE Legal recognition of the ownership of property, usually proven by a

document.

TORT A civil injury or wrong to someone else, or their property.

TQM Total Quality Management.

TRADE DISCOUNTS A discount given by one business to another which is making a purchase
for resale to ultimate customers thereby enabling the buyers to earn profits.
Sellers may adjust trade discounts to counter price fluctuations without
having to change the catalogue prices.
TRADEMARK A distinctive mark or sign or symbol protected by law and placed on
goods to identify the manufacturer.
TRAI Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
TRANSMISSION It is the process of transferring the ownership of securities after the death
of the holder to the legal heirs.
TREASURY BILLS A short term bearer discount security issued by Governments as a means
of financing their cash requirements. Treasury Bills play an important role
in the local money market because most banks are required to hold them
as part of their reserve requirements and because central bank open
market operations undertaken in the process of implementing monetary
policy are usually conducted in the treasury bill market.
TRESPASS To enter someone’s land or property without their permission. It is an
offence which is punishable in law.
TRUSTEE A person who holds property in trust for another for the use or benefit of
another.
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TURNOVER The total value of goods and services sold or provided in a given period,
usually during a year by a trading organisation.

UNDERWRITER One who undertakes in return for a commission to purchase shares

offered to public and not subscribed for, up to an agreed number.

UNSECURED LOANS Loans that are not backed by collateral are called unsecured loans. These
types of loans represent a higher risk for the lender, so you can expect to
pay higher interest rates and have shorter repayment time frames. Credit
cards are an excellent example of unsecured loans that are a good option
for small business funding when combined with other financing options.

USURY The unlawful practice of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest.

This occurs usually when the borrower is in desperate need of money
and not in a good position to negotiate.

VAKALATHNAMA Document by which an advocate is authorized to represent a party in

court.

VANILLA ISSUE A straight fixed rate issue which has terms and conditions usually accepted
as being conventional to a particular securities market.

VAT Value Added Tax, a tax levied at specific rates on the selling price of
goods at each stage of production and distribution so that only the value
added at each stage is taxed and thereby cascading tax is avoided.

VENTURE CAPITAL Capital invested in a business on the basis that the investor receives a
share in the outcome of the enterprise rather than an agreed fixed rate
of return.

VISA It is an endorsement made on the passport of the traveller by the envoy

of the country to which he intends to travel.

VOUCHER A document or some such evidence of some transaction, usually payment

of money.

WAGES Remuneration paid to manual workers.

WARRANT A tradable instrument giving the holder the right to buy from the issuer a
fixed income security or equity stock under specified conditions after
some period of time.
WARRANTY A contractual obligation, which entitles the injured party to seek damages
but not to cancel the contract.
WATCHDOG A general term applied to a person or group appointed or set up to
safeguard the interests of a particular group.
WINDING UP Liquidating an asset with a view to distributing the receipts among
creditors. It is the process that brings to a conclusion the life of a company.
WINDOW DRESSING A manoeuvre engaged in by companies, banks, mutual funds etc., at the
end of the accounting period in order to impress stock holders who will
be receiving the report showing that funds are better managed and
invested than what might have been drawn up.
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WOLF Speculators who make a kill in the market.

WORKING CAPITAL Not to be confused with fixed capital, working capital is another business
finance 101 term. It consists of the financial resources necessary for
maintaining the day-to-day operation of the business. Working capital,
by definition, is the business’s cash on hand or instruments that you can
convert to cash quickly.

WRIT A document issued by the court directing the respondent to do or not to

do some specified act.

WRIT & WRIT PETITION A writ is a direction that the Court issues, which is to be obeyed by the
authority/person to whom it is issued. A petition seeking issuance of a
writ is a writ petition.

WRITE OFF It is to extinguish or cancel a debt, treating it as if it has been paid by

debiting it from the profit and loss account.

ZERO COUPON BOND A bond that pays no interest while the investor holds it. It is sold originally
at a substantial discount from its eventual maturity value, paying the
investor its full face value when it comes due, with the difference between
what he paid initially and what he finally collected representing the interest
he would have received over the years it was held.

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