INTRODUCTION

Anne Lamott who is an American novelist and non-fiction writer once said that “All good
writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” Yes, many people find
writing as a very intimidating and challenging task. However, in this digital world, writing is an
important soft skill that everyone including engineers, should consider developing for the
betterment of their careers. Engineers need to develop good writing skills since they need to
simplify complex scientific terms and data. In this module, you will be presented with the
following areas of writing.

A. BUSINESS LETTER WRITING

Business people have to communicate with the customers, the suppliers, the debtors, the
creditors, the public authorities and the public at large as well as among themselves for the
purpose of exchanging their views and of sending and receiving information. This is required to
initiate, carry out and to conclude transactions.
Communication can be in two ways:
A. Oral Communication B. Written Communication
In this learning module, the focus would be on the written communication which is
otherwise called correspondence. The word correspondence has a sense of ‘similarity’ and
‘association’ in it. To correspond means to be in conformity or agreement with something or
somebody.
Correspondence or written communication may take place between any two persons or
parties. Commercial correspondence means correspondence by the business people on matters of
commerce.
The word correspondence has a sense of plurality. It means letters or a pair of letters
consisting of an original letter followed by a reply. ‘A’ letter has little value. The communication
is complete when a letter is replied or an action is taken in response to a letter.
Essentials of Business Writing
According to Barrot and Sipaccio (2018), writing correspondence is an essential activity of
any business, academic, or industrial organization. Generally, correspondences or technical
reports aim to inform and persuade their intended readers. They also have certain advantages
over the spoken mode. These are listed as follows:

✧ They allow the writer to have time to think about the message he/she wants to convey
thoroughly.

✧ They are more accessible and can be retrieved by the reader at any time convenient to
him/her.
✧ They present the message in detail
They can be documented and filed.
B. MEMORANDUM WRITING
Memo - a shortened form for memorandum, is one of the most frequently used words in
the corporate world. However, some employees are still confused on what a memo is. Memo as
defined by Collins Dictionary (2020) is a short official note that is sent by one person to another
within the same company or organization to remind the recipient. It is a clipped or shortened
term for memorandum. It is one type of business correspondence together with business letters,
contracts, certifications, and endorsements which is written for the purpose of effective
management.
According to Locker (2006), some organizations force writers to be concise by requiring
or encouraging one-page memos. In simple situations, a page may be more than you need. In
other situations, careful revising and editing may enable you to cut your memo to a page. When
you can’t get everything on one page even with careful revision, put the key points on one well-
designed page and attach appendices for readers who need more information.
Memorandum versus Letter (Adapted from Gerson, S.J. & Gerson, S.M., 2003)

Characteristic Memorandum Letter

Destination Internal: correspondence written to External: correspondence

colleagues within a company. written outside the business.

Format Identification lines include “Date”, Includes letterhead address,

“To/For”, “From”, and “Subject”. The date, reader’s address,
message follows these. salutation, text,
complimentary close, and
signatures.

Audience Mostly business colleagues. Vendors and clients.

Topic Abbreviations and acronyms are often Abbreviations and acronyms

allowed. are usually defined.

Tone Informal (peer audience) More formal (audience of

vendors and clients)

Attachments or Hard copy attachments can be stapled to Additional information can be

Enclosures the memo. enclosed within the envelope.
Complimentary copies can be
Complimentary copies can be sent to sent to other readers.
other readers.

Delivery Time Determined by a company’s house mail Determined by the destination

procedure. Memos could be delivered (within the city, state, or country).
with in three days (more or less). Letters could be delivered within
three days but may take more than
a week.
B. LITERARY WRITING
Literary writing is defined as creating new creative work, such as poems or novels, and
compilations or volumes of creative work. It is also humanistic in a sense that it allows for creative
expression or aesthetics. Humanism rules literary writing and makes life as its subject. Literary
writing is usually fictional, and it makes use of figurative or symbolic language.
Kinds of Literary Writing

✔ Novels, short stories, poems

✔ Plays and musicals

✔ Movie and TV scripts

✔ Parodies and satire

✔ Memoirs and thoughtful essays

Features and Characteristics

✔ Focus is on the conscious, deliberate use and arrangement of words

✔ Purpose: to entertain, to give aesthetic pleasure

Main Characteristics

✔ Usually fiction that displays a sense of reality

✔ Tension or conflict

✔ Artistic unity (a main idea is conveyed)

✔ Figurative language

Minor Characteristics

✔ First-person or third-person pronouns (usually)

✔ Style: informal/colloquial/vulgar

When you use the Literary Purpose to Write

✔ Think about what you want to say.Pay attention to the words you choose.

✔ Play with language to produce pleasure or emotional release for the reader.

✔ Use figurative language.

✔ Use sensory appeals.

✔ Include some sort of problem or tension, along with a resolution of that problem.
 ✔ Try to give some essential meaning or idea to the reader.

C. ESSAY WRITING
An essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an argument or narrative based on
evidence, analysis and interpretation. The content and length of an essay depending on your level,
subject of study, and course requirements. However, most academic essays share the same goal:
They aim to persuade the readers of a position or perspective through informed arguments.
Three Stages in Writing an Essay:
1. Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
2. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence
in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
3. Revision: Check the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and
formatting of your essay.
Parts of an Essay
1. Introduction. This part is very important both to grab the reader’s interest and to
inform them of what will be covered in the essay. It comprises 10-20% of the text.
Tips in Writing an Introduction:
1. Hook your reader by piquing interest and curiosity.
2. Provide background and context on your topic
3. Define the objective and formulate the thesis statement
4. Provide a map of the content
2. Body. This is where you make arguments supporting your thesis statement, provide
evidence, and develop your ideas. Its central purpose is to present, interpret and analyze
the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.
3. Conclusion. This is the final paragraph of an essay and it generally take up no
more than 10-15% of the text. A strong essay conclusion:

✔ Draws connections between the arguments made in the essay’s body

✔ States the outcome of your arguments

✔ Emphasizes the relevance and significance of the thesis statement for policy,
academia or the wider world.
✔ Explores the broader implications and importance of the topic.
D. TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING
A technical report is a document written by a researcher detailing the results of a project
and submitted to the sponsor of that project. It is a formal report designed to convey technical
information in a clear and easily accessible format. It must also be informative, factual,
understandable, and neatly presented (McKean , 2005).
Technical reports vary but generally, technical reports may have the following
characteristics:
1. Graphics: The report should have graphics like drawings, diagrams, photographs,
illustrations of all sorts, tables, pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, flow charts, and so on. Only
use graphics whenever the situation naturally would call for them.
2. Factual detail: The report should be very detailed and factual.
3. Information sources: Your report should make use of information sources which
include not only books and articles that can be found in libraries but also technical brochures,
interviews or correspondence with experts, as well as first-hand inspections.
4. Documentation: When you use borrowed information in your technical report, be sure
to cite your sources.
5. Realistic audience and situation: The report must be defined for a real or realistic
group of readers who exist in a real or realistic situation. Most students invent an audience and
situation.
6. Headings and lists: The report should use the format for headings that is required by
the company.

E. JOURNALISTIC WRITING
What Is Journalistic Writing?
In the pre-Internet days, people had limited options for accessing the news. Daily news came
in the form of newspapers or television news programs, while the less urgent stories could be
found in magazines or weekly newspaper supplements. Nowadays, we have instant access to any
type of news in any format, thanks to the Internet. Yet, while the ways in which people consume
the news have changed dramatically, the style and principles that guide journalistic writing have
remained largely unchanged.
Journalistic writing is the style of writing used to report news stories in newspapers,
television broadcasts, on radio and on the Internet. Unlike other styles of writing, which can be
flexible and casual, the characteristics of journalistic writing are pretty easy to spot. For instance,
if you opened a book to a chapter and set it next to a newspaper article, you'd probably notice
that, unlike the book, the article is written in short sentences and paragraphs and quickly gets to
the point.
 In addition to their brevity, news stories have a particular structure that is easily recognizable.
The big, bold headline, for example, is intended to grab readers' attention, while the first sentence
or paragraph lays out the story so the reader knows what to expect. These are the most common
elements of journalistic writing and, as you'll see, they have a lot to do with the function of
journalism in society.

F. NEWS ARTICLE AND EDITORIAL

News articles cover the basics of current events. They answer the questions: who, what,
where, how and when? The best way to structure a newspaper article is to first write an outline.
Review your research and notes. Then jot down ideas important detail as this becomes the
foundation upon which to build your story.
Important Characteristics of a News Article
1. TIMELINESS. The news story that shall be covered should be fresh and timely.
2. IMPACT. If is newsworthy if it affects readers—physically or emotionally.
3. PROMINENCE. A well-known person, place, or event has a stronger news angle than
something that the audience isn’t familiar with.
4. PROXIMITY. It is newsworthy if an event took place near the target audience
and creates a notable impact on them.
5. SINGULARITY (AKA NOVELTY). If something has never happened before, it
just might be news. Deviations from the normal—unexpected or unusual events, conflicts
or controversies, drama or change—are more newsworthy than the commonplace.
6. CONFLICT OR CONTROVERSY. Conflicts on social issues and notable
personalities arguing about different political perspectives are stories that are worth
covering in the news.
An Editorial is an article that presents the newspaper’s opinion on an issue. It reflects the
majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the newspaper made up of editors and
business managers. Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking,
and sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. Indeed, an editorial is an opinionated
news story.
Editorials have the following characteristics:
1. Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories.
2. An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues.
3. A timely news angle.
4. Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issues the writer
addresses.
 5. The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional manner. Good editorials
engage issues, not personalities and refrain from name-calling or other petty tactics of
persuasion.
6. Alternative solutions to the problem or issue being criticized. A good editorial should
take a pro-active approach to making the situation better by using constructive criticism and
giving solutions.
7. A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer's opinion.
G. SCIENCE WRITING
People usually got confused with Scientific Writing and Science Writing. What is the
difference between the two? Scientific writing is technical writing by a scientist, with an
audience of peers -- other scientists. For example, journals like Nature and Science published are
called scientific writing. On the other hand, Science writing is writing about science for the
popular media. The audience is much more general -- anyone with an interest in science. Science
writing is published in Scientific American or Discover Magazine, or even National Geographic.
This module is geared toward the latter -- scientists who are publishing technical writing on
focused research fields.

Characteristics of a Good Science Writing

● Clear - it avoids unnecessary detail.

● Simple - it uses direct language, avoiding vague or complicated sentences. Technical
terms and jargon are used only when they are necessary for accuracy.
● Impartial - it avoids making assumptions like “Everyone knows that …” and unproven
statements such as “It can never be proved that …”. It presents how and where data were
collected and supports its conclusions with evidence.
● Structured logically - ideas and processes are expressed in a logical order. The text is
divided into sections with clear headings.
● Accurate - it avoids vague and ambiguous language such as about, approximately,
almost.
● Objective - statements and ideas are supported by appropriate evidence that demonstrates
how conclusions have been drawn as well as acknowledging the work of others
INTRODUCTION

Reading for information is a life-long skill that we all should master. Whether we are
looking at a project plan, web page, trade journal, press release, email, or any other type of text –
being able to read it efficiently and effectively is a key professional skill.
Summarizing is a technique used to retain important information from a technical text as
it helps an individual learn to determine essential ideas and consolidate important details that
support them. It also allows to take a large selection of text and reduce it to the main points for
more concise understanding. Summary is a brief, clear statement giving the most important facts
about something (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020)
The need to give summary is a communication skill for technicians to condense reports,
articles, speeches or discussion for a superior who is too busy to read or hear the original work.
The purpose of summary is to describe, inform, and evaluate the original work. the main
requisite of any summary is to present a concise and clear presentation of the main ideas that
form the meaning of the written work (or of other type of resource), while eliminating the
unnecessary details that are not absolutely necessary for the overall understanding.

CATEGORIES OF SUMMARIES

A. Informative Summary accurately conveys the information contained in a text or in

other type of resource. It should be objective i.e. “without personal opinions in presenting the
ideas in the source text”.Thus, informative summaries are recommended for scientific,
non-fictional works or to present objective reports of factual content. The main types of
informative summaries are: outlines, abstracts, and synopses.

TYPES OF INFORMATIVE SUMMARIES

1. Outlines - present the plan or the “skeleton” of a written material. It also
shows the order and the relation between the parts of the written material.
2. Abstracts - present the major point of long piece of text or an article.
Abstracts help readers to decide whether or not they want to read the longer text.
3. Synopsis - is a brief overview of an article, story, book, film, or other
works. A synopsis is a concise, chronological description of a historical event,
news event, historical event or other experiences as they develop in time.

B. Descriptive Summary depicts the original text (material) rather than directly presenting
the information it contains. A descriptive summary should portray, in an objective way, the texts
structure and main themes. Descriptive summaries often play the role of reviews for fictional or
literary works: books, movies, video clips, articles, essays etc. In this case, the descriptive
summary can include statements about sense and significance of the summarized work.

C. Evaluative Summary gives comment on the material’s accuracy, completeness, plus the
writer’s judgments on its accuracy, completeness and usefulness. It includes the material in the
informative summary plus an assessment of the original. The writer should look over the work
very carefully, noting the opening and the closing paragraphs, the major concern of the work, the
organization, and the method of presentation. He should understand what the author is trying to
communicate. Specifically, he should identify the material being summarized.

I. ESSENTIALS OF DOCUMENTING SOURCES

Proper documentation is deemed necessary for all borrowed ideas, concepts, information,
arguments and other academic writings. This can be done through proper citations and it serve
the following purposes:
1. To avoid plagiarism. This term means taking someone’s ideas, information or
concepts without properly citing the author.
2. To make your paper more scholarly. According to Barrot and Sipacio (2018),
scholarly writing means that you are able to exhaustively use related and current
ideas, information, concepts, arguments, or information coming from an expert
and to properly attribute
these to the original source.
3. To help your target audience identify your original source. Proper
citations enable your target audience to easily access or identify the location of the
original source
used in your paper.

Two Forms of Citations

1. In-text citation. This is done by citing the author/s last name/s of the name of the
organization, the year of publication and page numbers (for direct quotation) of the original
source. This appears in the text and the citation style depending on the format being followed.

2. Reference citation. This is done by citing the complete bibliography entries such as the
author’s last name, year of publication, title of publication, and name of publisher. This appears
in the reference list found at the last part of the paper.

Note that a source that is cited in-text should also appear in the reference list. The use of
citations are governed by rules of styles and structures which are generally published as style
guides or manuals. Some of the widely used style guides are:
A. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
B. The Modern Language Association Style Guide (MLA)
C. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
D. American Medical Association Manual of Style (AMA)
E. The Chicago Manual of Style
STYLE GUIDE DISCIPLINE
APA Psychology, education, nursing, hotel and restaurant management,
business, economics, and other social sciences
MLA Literature, arts, and the humanities
IEEE Engineering
AMA Medicine, health sciences, and other natural sciences
CHICAGO MANUAL Reference books, non-academic periodicals
OF STYLE (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and journals, among others)
(Adapted from Barrot, J. S. & Sipacio, P. J., 2018)

GENERAL GUIDELINES IN USING THE APA FORMAT FOR IN-TEXT AND

REFERENCE CITATION

⮚ Place the reference section on a new page separate from the text of your writing; label this
page “References” centered at the top of the page (do not boldface, underline, or use
quotation marks for the title).

⮚ Apply hanging indentation.

⮚ Double-space all texts just like the rest of the paper.

⮚ Follow this sequence in writing the names of the author: last name, then the initial of the
first name including the middle initial.

⮚ Arrange the references in alphabetical order by the last name of the first author of each work.

⮚ Use capitalization in all content words in academic journal titles.

⮚ Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title, the first letter of the first word of its
subtitle after a colon, and a proper nouns.

⮚ Italicize the titles.

⮚ Place a period at the end of the entry for print sources only.

⮚ Put “n.d.” (no date) for sources with no date.

⮚ The publisher location is no longer included in the reference.

 ⮚ The in-text citations for works with three or more authors is now shortened right from the
first citation. You only include the first author’s name and “et.al.”.

⮚ URLs are no longer preceded by “Retrieved from ,” unless a retrieval date is needed. The
website name is included (unless it is the same as the author), and web page titles are
italicized.

APA 7TH EDITION

CATEGORY EXAMPLES OF IN- EXAMPLES OF REFERENCE CITATION

TEXT CITATION

Book (Single Parenthetical citation: Sendjaya, S. (2015). Personal and organizational

Author) excellence through servant leadership:
(Sendjaya, 2015) Learning to serve,serving to lead, leading to
transform. Oxford University Press.
Narrative citation:
Sendjaya (2015)

Book (2 authors) Parenthetical citation: Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2008). The student
- Ebook or leadership challenge: Five practices for
audiobook (Kouzes & Posner, 2008) exemplary leaders. Jossey-Bass
without a DOI
Narrative citation: Kouzes
(Digital Object
and Posner (2008)
Identifier), with
a non-database
URL
Book (multiple Narrative citation: Sander Sander, M. R., Downer, J. L., Quist, A. L. Lucas, C.
authors) without et al. (2009) L., Cline, J. K., & Campbell, D. R. (2014).
a DOI Doing research in the university library.
Parenthetical citation:
(Sander et al., 2009) Corbin Press.

Narrative citation: American Psychological Association. (2020).

American Psychological Publication manual of the American
Book – corporate Association (2020) Psychological Association (7th ed.).
author, publisher https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-00
as author, with Parenthetical citation: 0
DOI (American
Psychological
Association, 2020)
Book – 2nd or Narrative citation: Jennings, J. H., Caldwell, J. S., & Lerner, J. W.
later edition (2010). Reading problems: Assessment and
Jennings et al. (2010) teaching strategies (6th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
 Parenthetical citation:
(Jennings et al., 2010)

Secondary Source

Note that if you are unable to access and read the primary source, identify the primary source,also
citing the secondary source. In the references, only list the secondary source.If the text of your paper,
identify the primary source and then write, “as cited in” the secondary source. Include the year of the
primary source if known.
Reference Citation Example:
Calkins, L. (2015). A guide to the reading workshop: Primary grades. Heinemann.
In- text Example:
Much of children’s reading happens without them consciously recognizing that they are
processing the print on the page and understanding the meaning of the content (Clay, 2001, as cited
in Calkins, 2015, p. 116).
Dissertation or Narrative citation: Berry, R. S. (2001). Children’s environmental print:
thesis from a Reliability, validity, and relationship to early
database Berry (2001) reading. (Publication No. 3007766) [Doctoral
dissertation, University of North Carolina at
Parenthetical citation: Chapel Hill]. ProQuest Dissertations and
(Berry, 2001) Theses Global.

Encyclopedia - Narrative citation: Grayson, K. A., Kotler, P., & Hibbard, J. D. (2020,
online January 9). Marketing. Encyclopaedia
Grayson et al. (2020) Britannica Online.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/marketing
Parenthetical citation:
(Grayson et al., 2020)
Note: The examples in this guide are based on the Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition, which is
adapted from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition.

DOCUMENTING SOURCES: FOOTNOTES AND ENDNOTES

What are Endnotes and Footnotes?
Certain academic fields and advanced-level academic papers require endnotes or
footnotes to cite sources. Even though the majority of professors will not require this format of
documentation, some professors may, so ask your professors for their preferences in using notes.
Footnotes and endnotes are used to provide additional information relevant to what is being
written and references for text in a document.
What is the difference?
The basic difference between the two is where it is placed. Footnotes appear at the
bottom of the same page, while endnotes are found at the end of the paper.

(Source: https://www.atlantiswordprocessor.com/en/help/footnotes.htm)

(Source: https://www.atlantiswordprocessor.com/en/help/footnotes.htm)

Disciplines that commonly use Footnotes and Endnotes:

● Art
● Theater
● Theology
● Music and Dance
● History

APA Format for Documenting with Notes:

Footnotes and Endnotes have their own format for the documentation of sources:
⮚ Instead of the in-text parenthetical citation used by APA, endnotes and footnotes are
indicated at the end of a word or sentence by the use of small superscript numerals.

⮚ If you use more than one notation within a page or paper, place the numerals in order (1 , 2 , 3 )
that corresponds consecutively with the respective footnotes or endnotes.

⮚ In APA format, either footnotes or endnotes are acceptable. APA requires the first line of
every note to be indented one half inch, just like the first line of a paragraph
WRITING PRODUCT DEFINITIONS
The world of business and industry depends on clear definitions (Markel, 2012). Say for
instance you learn at a job interview that the employer pays tuition and expenses for employees’
job-related education. You will need to study the employee-benefits manual to understand just
what the company will pay for. In here, you are going to find out answers to questions like: How
does the company define an employee? What is tuition? (Does it cover incidental laboratory or
student fees? What is job-related education?
Definitions then, play a vital role in business communication. All the readers from the
general reader to the expert, need effective definitions to carry out their jobs. The very first step
in writing effective definitions is too analyze the writing situation: the audience and the purpose
of the document.

Determining the Kind of Definition to Write

Definitions can vary depending on your audience and purpose. They can be short or
long, informal or formal. The following are the three basic types of definitions.

A. Parenthetical Definitions - is a brief clarification within an existing sentence.

Sometimes, this type of definition is simply a word or phrase that is enclosed in
parentheses or commas or introduced by a colon or a dash. In the following examples,
the
term is shown in italics, and the definition is underlined.
Example:
The computers were infected by a Trojan Horse (a destructive program that
appears to be harmless).
Before the metal is plated, it is immersed in the pickle: an acid bath that
removes scales and oxides from the surface.
Parenthetical definitions are not comprehensive; rather, they serve as quick and
convenient ways of introducing terms.
B. Sentence Definitions - is a one-sentence clarification and is more formal than a
parenthetical definition. This type of definition usually follows a standard pattern: the item
to be defined is placed in a category of similar items and then distinguished from them.
Example:
Item = Category + Distinguishing characteristics
Crippleware is shareware in which some features of the program are disabled until the
user buys a license to use the program.
Hypnoanalysis is a psychoanalytical in which hypnosis is used to elicit
technique information from a patient’s unconscious mind.
 C. Extended Definitions - is a detailed explanation using one or more paragraphs --
of an object, process, or idea. It often begins with a sentence definition, which is then
elaborated. For example, the sentence definition “An electrophorus is a laboratory instrument
used to generate static electricity” tells you the basic function of the device, but it doesn’t
explain how it works, what it is used for, and its strengths and limitations. Thus, an extended
definition will address these and other topics.

WRITING DESCRIPTIONS

Technical communication often requires descriptions: verbal and visual representations of

objects, mechanisms, and processes (Markel, 2012). For example, an employee who wants to
persuade the management to buy some equipment includes a mechanism description of the
equipment in the proposal to buy it. A company manufacturing a consumer product provides a
description and a graphic on its Website to attract buyers. The examples mentioned only
highlight the important role of writing description in the world of business.

In this module, the focus would be on writing process description. Process descriptions
explain how something happens. Readers of process description want to understand the process
and not how to perform the process.

Things to Consider in Writing Process Descriptions

1. Give a general description to your introduction.
2. Provide a graphic that introduces your readers to the overall concept.
3. Provide illustrations and images.

Guidelines in Writing Process Descriptions

1. Structure the step-by-step description chronologically. If the process is a closed

system -- such as the cycle of evaporation and condensation- and thus has no first step, begin
with any principal step.

2. Explain causal relationships among steps. Present the steps according to how they
are linked with each other. In many cases, one step causes another.

3. Use the present tense. Discuss steps in the present tense unless you are writing
about a process that occurred in the historical past.

4. Use graphics. Use graphics to clarify each point. For example, in a description of
how a four-stroke gasoline engine operates, use diagrams to illustrate the position of the
valves and the activity occurring during each step
Guidelines in Creating Specifications
The following are the list of guidelines that Gurak and Hocks (2011) have mentioned in
creating product specifications:

⮚ Consider the different kinds of readers who will use your specs to
actually make the product.

⮚ Collect all the specific technical details needed through research.

⮚ Include every part you would need to build or install the product.

⮚ Organize your information sequentially as a list from most to the

least important.

⮚ Provide schematic drawings or sample illustration if possible.

⮚ Lay out the document using using sections, headings, and subheadings.

⮚ Try out the specs yourself to make sure no steps are missing.

⮚ Test your steps on target users before publishing them.

BUSINESS LETTER
According to Baraceros (2011), business letter is the most widely or commonly used
form of external written communication. It serves many purposes and is used to explain, to sell,
to introduce, to apologize, to invite, to refuse, to promise, to complain, and to organize.

Characteristics of a Business Letter

1. Clarity - the letter should clearly convey the message
2. Conciseness - it should contain complete message without being wordy as it saves
time and effort on the part of the reader and writer.
3. Consideration - it considers all types of people by avoiding discriminatory and
offensive expressions that might hurt the readers.
4. Courtesy - it requires the use of polite expressions such as please, thank you, kindly,
would you, could you, that show the writer’s sincerity, thoughtfulness and respect towards
the reader.
5. Concreteness - it uses concrete, vivid, specific, and other image-building words.
6. Cheerfulness - It uses polite, courteous and friendly words and avoid words with
negative connotations that often arouse unfavorable reactions. These words that should be
avoided are blame, complaint, failed, negligence, regret, trouble, unfair, forbid, refuse,
prohibit, deny, can not, and many more.
7. Correctness - it refers to the right level of the language - formal or informal - the
accuracy of the figures, facts, grammar, spelling, punctuation marks, and the lay-out of the
letter.
8. Character - it should reflect the writer’s own style of expression, not by his own act
of borrowing ideas and expressions from others.

Parts of a Business Letter

Parts Functions
Letterhead It identifies the writer, his/her address, and contact numbers.

Date It is placed between the letterhead and the inside address. It should never use
plain numerals for dates as it may create confusion.

Inside Address It identifies the reader’s name, position, and company, and address. It should
be placed immediately below the date.
Attention Line It is used when the writer wishes to address the whole company but wants to
bring it to the attention of a particular person in the company. It can be
written in two formats:

Attention Peter Burkin

Attention: Peter
Burkin

Salutation It refers to the writer’s greeting to the reader. It can appear in different
formats:

Dear Sir:

Sir:

Dear Mr. Burkin:

Body It contains the message of the letter. Paragraphs are single-spaced internally
but double-spaced to separate paragraphs. If the letter is too short, the body
can be double-spaced or triple-spaced to separate paragraphs.

Complimentary It is an expression used to end a letter. Below is the level of formality of the
Close complimentary close (Merriam Webster’s Guide to Business
Correspondence, 1996):

Highly formal

Respectfully

yours,

Respectfully,

Very respectfully,

Polite and formal

Very truly yours,

Yours very truly,

Yours truly,

Less formal
 Sincerely yours,

Yours,

Cordially yours,

Informal and friendly

As ever,

Best

regards,

Kindest regards,

Regards,
Signatur This part includes the signature and the typed name of the sender. The typed
e block name be in all caps (PETER BURKIN) or CLC format (Peter Burkin). The
space for the signature should be three to five lines.

Identification It indicates the typist’s initials if the sender is not te one who personally typed
initials the document.

Enclosure It indicates the attachments to the letter. It can be written in the following
Notation formats:

Enclosures (2)
Enclosure
Enc./encl.

Copy notation It indicates the name of the secondary recipients of the letter. IT is indicated
by cc: which means carbon copy or courtesy copies.

Three Formats of a Business Letter

A. Full Block. When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the
format and font used. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format.
Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space
between paragraphs.

B. Modified Block. Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In
this type, the body of the letter and the sender's and recipient's addresses are left justified and
single- spaced. However, for the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type.
C. Semiblock. The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified
block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.

Take note that different organizations have different format requirements for their
professional communication. While the examples provided contain common elements for the
basic business letter (genre expectations), the format of your business letter may need to be
flexible to reflect variables like letterheads and templates. The examples are merely guides.
Common Types of Business Letters

A. Application Letter
This is also known as a cover letter and since you are applying for a job, it should be
written persuasively. This letter is usually accompanied by your resumé for additional
information of your experiences and skills.
In writing your application letter, you may follow the following format:

B. Letter of Inquiry
Is a letter that asks for a particular information or assistance. This is direct and the
questions are made to get the information straightforwardly.

C. Letter of Reply or Response

This is written in response to a letter of inquiry which directly answers all the
inquiries about the company’s products or services. Most companies promptly reply to all
the inquiries addressed to them.

D. Letter of Request
This is used everywhere as we commonly use it in academe, in industry, even in
corporate world. The main purpose of this type of letter is to request for something you
need.
E. Letter of Order
This type of business letter is written for the purpose of purchasing items that are for
sale.

An order letter according to Rosales et al. (2009) usually contains the following:
a. Name of the item ordered
b. Description of each item, giving size, style, finish, quality, material,
weight, or whatever will help in identifying the article wanted.
c. Catalog number of the item, if it is available
d. Quantity of each item wanted
e. Price of each item and the total price of the order
f. Method of shipment desired by the buyer
g. Address where the goods are to be shipped or delivered
h. Date of shipment
i. Credit references, if payment is made from an account
j. Mode of payment
PROGRESS CHECK

Instruction: Read the given paragraph below and write a letter of inquiry based on the
given scenario.
Mr. Anthony Herrera is the proprietor of a certain company (Elysian Events Specialists)
located at Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City. On July 1, 2020, he wrote a letter of inquiry to
Mr. Eric Lee, the Business Manager of Tiffany Chairs and Tables Corporation located in Ermita,
Manila City.
Mr. Herrera inquired if Mr. Lee’s corporation can provide 1,000 pieces of golden tiffany
chairs and 500 pieces golden tiffany tables to be delivered on August 23, 2020. Mr. Herrera
hopes to hear Mr. Lee’s response by July 20, 2020 so that he can find some alternate solutions if
ever they cannot meet their needs.
He also needs to find a bulk supplier of tiffany chairs and tables for their events and he
has the following questions in mind:
1. Can they provide the total number of chairs and tables needed?
2. Can they deliver the products on August 23, 2020?
3. Do they accept credit card or cash only?
 Imagine that you are the branch manager of a renowned engineering company and you want
to impose a new working arrangement starting next month. This is to ensure your employees’
safety in relation to the increasing number of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in your
locality. How would you professionally inform your employees about the said changes? Will you
just send them a personal message on their social media accounts, or will you call for a meeting
in order to discuss the said matter? Surely, you will say that the latter is the best option isn’t it?
While it is true that it is needed to gather for a meeting, but it is best if you accompany it with a
written memorandum. You will understand the reason why as you go along this module.
MEANING OF MEMORANDUM
In the previous lesson, we cited the definition of Collins Dictionary (2020) which states
that a memorandum or a memo is a short official note that is sent by one person to another within
the same company or organization to remind the recipient. Baraceros (2011) added that it is the
most commonly used means of inter-office correspondence or intra-organization communication.
This document is used for internal communication within an organization and might include
announcement that is often posted in common areas of an office. Since it is a form of
communication, it is therefore essential for business managers and administrators to write
effective memorandum. A well-written memo may express its message successfully and
effectively. On the other hand, if memorandum is drafted poorly, it might fail to deliver its
purpose and might even give negative impressions about the writer.
FUNCTIONS OF A MEMO
A memo’s function is generally to inform but it can also serve the following purposes like:

a. giving summaries;
b. giving announcements;
c. expressing short messages;
d. asking/giving information;
e. ordering a person to act on a certain subject; and
f. disseminating minutes or written records of meetings.

Memorandums are also written because it is a convenient means of communication and it

helps in maintaining written records which can serve as future references when misunderstanding
occurs or when other policies are made in relation to the previous memos issued.
PARTS OF A MEMORANDUM
Rosales et al. (2019) states that a memorandum just like any business correspondence must
consist of the following basic elements:
1. Heading - most of the time, companies create their own heading
2. Dateline - the actual date when the memorandum is issued
3. Number - refers to the frequency of the issued memos
4. Receiver - the person whom the memorandum is to be sent
5. Sender - the person who issued the memo.
6. Subject - the topic or the title of the memo.
7. Enclosure - an optional part which includes the attachments.

HOW LONG SHOULD A MEMO BE?

There is no standard length of a memo because it all depends on the SAP (Subject, Author
and Purpose) and the company or organization’s policy. You can write a one-page memo, an
economical E-mail or the formatted memo with the usual “TO, FROM, and DATE” format. One
thing that you just need to bear in mind is that the unnecessary information should be removed
and make sure that the word choice should remain straightforward and professional (Inc. 2016).
HOW TO FORMAT A MEMORANDUM?
There are guidelines that one should generally try to follow. The general appearance of a
memo may vary depending on the organization where one is affiliated with, but all memos are
structured similarly, observing a justified alignment format in all paragraphs. They also have the
following principal parts:

A. Heading Segment. The heading segment follows this general format:

DATE: (complete and current date)

TO: (readers' names and job
titles) FROM: (your name and job title)
SUBJECT: (what the memo is about, highlighted in some way)

Note that each part is written in big letters, flush left and is followed by a colon (:). The
order may not necessarily be the same for every organization because sometimes, they put the
date below the “FROM” or sometimes below the “SUBJECT”. However, it is necessary that
“TO” precede “FROM” because according to Baraceros (2011), it suggests courtesy.

B. Opening Segment/Introduction. The purpose of a memo is usually found in the

opening paragraph and includes the following:

a. the purpose of the memo;

 b. the context and problem; and
c. the specific assignment or task.

Take note that there is no salutation greeting in a memo as it is in business letters

or emails. Also, make sure to give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will be
about before overwhelming the reader with details and the context. Choosing how
specific your introduction will, depends on your memo plan style. The more direct the
memo plan, the more explicit the introduction should be. Including the purpose of the
memo will help clarify the reason the audience should read this document. You should
also make sure that the introduction should be brief -- approximately the length of a short
paragraph.

C. Discussion. According to Purdue Writing Lab (n.d.). This is the longest portion of the
memo and this includes all the details that support your ideas. Begin with the
information that is most important. This may mean that you will start with key
findings or recommendations. Start with your most general information and move to
your specific or supporting facts (be sure to use the same format when including
details: strongest to weakest). The discussion segments include the supporting ideas,
facts, and research that back up your argument in the memo. Include strong points
and evidence to persuade the reader to follow your recommended actions. If this
section is inadequate, the memo will not be as effective as it could be.

D. Conclusion. Take note that there is no closing signature in a memo. The best ending
for a memo is a clear closing action, stated in the last paragraph. Also, you need to be
very clear about what you want your reader to know or do after reading the memo,
which makes it easy for your reader to respond (Cullen, n.d.).
of the memo also clearly states the context and the existing problem of the said company which
is also the reason why the memo was written. The second paragraph, on the other hand, discusses
the recommendation that they want the staff to follow and be reminded of. Lastly, the third
paragraph instills confidence to the employees that the company still trusts on them and it clearly
indicates what they want the readers to do -- continue to support the company’s endeavor.
 In most instances, the above saying is partially correct since documentation is necessary
in today’s world. A well-written inspection reports will lead to action to finish the job. Writing
an effective report is not easy but it is all worth it. Effective inspection reports are concise,
factual, well-structured. The discipline, style, or structure needed for an inspection report is
likely different than other reports. Yet it is similar in its key points: Know your audience,
understand the purpose of the report, and know how the report is being used by the audience
(Dosland, 2015).

What is an Inspection Report?

In the world of business and engineering, inspection is the critical appraisal of materials,
items, or systems involving examination, testing, and gauging ("What is an inspection?
Definition, types, and examples," 2019). We may inspect a building or organization to make sure
that it meets specific standards. The inspectors need to ensure that nothing is faulty and that
nobody is breaking any laws. They also he to make sure that whatever they are inspecting is safe.
Professional inspectors take measurements, make comparisons, and write formal evaluations or
organized written report.

An inspection report refers to any document written or generated by a trained and

certified professional (template.net, 2020). Some countries require them before a particular
undertaking will be approved such as in food inspection and home inspection reports.

General Information Needed in Writing an Inspection Report

✔ Name of the firm handling the site project work

✔ Name of the site project

✔ Date of inspection

✔ Detail(s) about the inspector

✔ Time of inspection

✔ Weather condition(s)
 ✔ Inspection type (is it weekly, monthly, or yearly inspection?)

✔ Progress/observation of the project work

✔ The other relevant things you need to inspect in the site

Having an inspection report allows you to keep track of the flow of work and identify if the
project has any loopholes. They can help you fix problems and complete the project on time.

Different Types of Inspection Reports

Inspection reports come in different types depending on their purpose. Here are the following
sample templates for each type.

1. Site
Inspection
Report
2. Quality Inspection Report
3. Home Inspection Report

A home inspection report as an assessment of a real property’s condition in the course of

promoting its use and sale. The home inspector will comprehensively assess every part and
corner of the house from the roof, electrical works, plumbing, and many more. This can help
unfold hidden defects and issues that can affect the overall value of the real property.
4. Building Inspection Report
5. Property Inspection Report
6. Safety Inspection Report
Tips in Writing Good Inspection Reports

Writing a good inspection report is not that easy. There are standards and formats
required by each country. The inspector must be knowledgeable of all the technicalities.
Gathering results from the inspection is one thing. Looking for ways on how to present them in
logical and systematic manner is challenge for most inspectors. Here are some tips that you may
consider if you’re tasked to make inspections:

✔ Writing an objective and neutral report. The biases and prejudices of the inspector must

be set aside. An inspection report is an objective and not a subjective report. He or she
must present the facts justly and fairly.

✔ Logically structure your report. At the end of the day, the inspection report must be

understood by the reader. Taking into account that not all readers have a technical
background, the inspection report must be presented in an exact manner. For instance, you
must shy away from using acronyms because not all audiences understand them.

✔ Make proper citations. If ever there is a need to quote certain testimonies from witnesses,

ensure that you give reference to them accordingly. Preserve the integrity of their
statements. Do not add or include words that are not written by them.