Write Your Way to Success:

Enhance Your Business English Writing Skills

Timothy Hogan
Educational Maxim

The best way to learn more about a topic

is _________________.

C. go to a cram school
D. hire a private tutor
E. read a book about it
F. Google it on the Internet
Educational Maxim

To improve your ability to do something, you

must __________.

 learn from the experience of others

 learn from your own mistakes
 follow a proven method
 figure it out for yourself
 do all of the above
Common problems

 Unfamiliarity with common expressions

 Translating from Chinese to English
 Inaccurate use of grammar
– Verb tenses, prepositions, articles, clauses
 Lack of appropriate vocabulary
 Inadequate amount of detail
 Use of inappropriate style or tone
The Challenge

 Make a good first impression.

 Logically organize your thoughts.
 Clearly express your main points.
 Provide adequate development.
 Leave the reader with a clear idea of what
action he or she should take.
Writing to fit the task

 Memos  Layout
 Letters  Purpose
 E-mails  Content
 Reports  Style
Techniques you can use

 Fill
in the blanks
 Order words in a sentence
 Identify the purpose of a sentence
 Arrange sentences in the correct order
 Practice writing
Fill in the blanks

It ___ my pleasure to speak with you at the

management seminar in Tainan this past
weekend.
A. will be
B. was
C. is
D. has been
Fill in the blanks

You expressed interest ___ our company’s

products, so I took this opportunity ___ send
you a catalog.

You expressed interest in our company’s

products, so I took this opportunity to send
you a catalog.
Order words in a sentence

and schedule / you would like / please call /

sales representatives / if / one of our / to visit
your office, / an appointment

If you would like one of our sales

representatives to visit your office, please call
and schedule an appointment.
Identify the purpose of a sentence

 We would like to invite you to visit our campus and

speak to our students.
Inquiry
Invitation
Illustration

 We are sorry that we are unable to offer you a

discount on your order.
Apology
Identify the purpose of a sentence

 We were extremely dissatisfied with your

refusal to discuss this matter.
Complaint

 Wewonder if you would be able to send us a

sample.
Request
Arrange sentences in the correct order

 This is unacceptable, and we expect you to

replace these defective gloves with
undamaged ones immediately.
 When our employees put on the gloves, they
noticed that there were holes in them.
 I am writing to inform you of a problem with
the latex gloves you sent us last week.
Arrange sentences in the correct order

 Request action
 Provide key details
 State the purpose for writing

5. State the purpose for writing

6. Provide key details
7. Request action
Arrange sentences in the correct order

1. I am writing to inform you of a problem with

the latex gloves you sent us last week.
2. When our employees put on the gloves,
they noticed that there were holes in them.
3. This is unacceptable, and we expect you to
replace these defective gloves with
undamaged ones immediately.
Practice writing

You saw a product advertised on television.

Write to the manufacturer for information
about it.
You met someone at a conference who could
be a useful business contact. Write to the
person and ask about his or her company.
Self-directed learning

 Assess your ability.

 Build up your skills through regular practice.
 Start slowly, but move on to bigger projects.
 Learn from experience, not just from books.
Assess your business English writing
ability

 BULATS (Business Language Testing Service)

– Standard Test
– Computer-based Test
– Speaking Test
 Writing Test
– 2 Tasks
– Scoring your test
Scoring your test

 How accurately do you use English?

 How appropriately do you use English?
 How well do you organize your ideas?
 How effectively does the writing achieve its
purpose?
Useful reminders

 Read the instructions carefully.

 Plan your ideas before writing.
 Cover all of the points in the instructions.
 Use the most appropriate format and style.
 Check your work carefully.
Task 1: specifications

 Short message or letter

 15 minutes
 50 to 60 words
Task 1: sample

You have seen this advertisement for some part-time

job vacancies:

PART-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Part-time vacancies for students in our
Marketing, Accounts and Customer Service Departments.

Applicants must be students on business-related courses.

Apply to David Jenkins, Mirai Computers

Task 1: instructions

Write a short letter applying for one of the jobs:

– say which job you are interested in;
– confirm that you meet the requirements;
– say when you are available to start work.
Say which job you are interested in

Dear Mr. Jenkins,

I’m writing about your job advertisement in the Daily

City News. I would like to apply for a part-time
position in your marketing department.
Confirm that you meet the
requirements

I am currently a third-year student at State

University, and I major in business administration. I
plan on pursuing a career in marketing after I
graduate next June. Therefore, I would like to gain
experience working in the marketing department of
Mirai Computers.
Say when you are available to start
work

I can start work immediately. My classes are on

weekday mornings, so I am available afternoons,
evenings, and weekends.
Close the letter

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Respectfully,

Timothy Hogan
Task 2: specifications

 Report or letter
 30 minutes
 180 to 200 words
Task 2: sample

Your company is deciding whether it needs

new office equipment. You have been asked
to write a report on the office equipment in
your department and suggest any changes
that need to be made.

Write the report describing the office

equipment in your department.
Task 2: instructions

Write about:
– how important those types of equipment are;
– how well they work now;
– what changes you would like to see;
and any other points which you think are important.
The 3 Cs

 Clear
 Concise
 Cohesive
Clear
Use headings

Office equipment used in the marketing department

– desktop computers
Each employee has an IBM desktop computer at his or
her desk. These computers are connected to the office
network that employees routinely use to share
documents with each other.
– copy machine
The staff members in our office use a two-year-old
Minolta DX-724 to make black and white copies. On
average, this machine makes 250 copies per day.
Clear
Use paragraphs appropriately

One of the most important pieces of office equipment that our

employees use is the desktop computer. Each staff member
has an IBM desktop computer at his or her desk. …

In addition to the desktop computer network, we also regularly

use a two-year-old Minolta DX-724 to make black and white
copies. ...
Concise
Avoid long, complex sentences

Besides, the staff members and some of the

managers use a Revco 312 paper shredder, daily,
usually in the afternoon, to completely shred draft
copies of documents once the final copies have been
completed, and this shredder has a bag that must be
emptied at least once a week, …
Concise
Avoid long, complex sentences

and it is pretty loud, so we have to close the door to

the printing room where it is located, and you have to
feed paper to it one page at a time, which wastes a
lot of time, and it is already three years old, so
maybe it should be replaced.
(1 sentence, 101 words)
Concise
Avoid long, complex sentences

Our office also has a Revco 312 paper shredder. It is

three years old and is in daily use. The noise it
makes when operated has gradually increased. Last
year, we moved it into the copy room so others
would not be bothered by the noise. When we use it,
we must feed paper to it one page at a time, which
wastes a lot of time. If possible, we would like to
have this shredder replaced with a new one.
(6 sentences, 81 words)
Concise
Avoid vague language

Sometimes, people use a special

telephone to make calls.

Once a week, we use an Acer

Videophone to communicate with
employees at our overseas branches.
Cohesive
Use transitions to link ideas

 First, Second, Furthermore, Additionally, Finally

 The most important …, Another important…
 For example, To illustrate this idea
 However, In contrast, Similarly, Like …
 Therefore, Consequently, Because of this
 In conclusion, To summarize
Accept the challenge

 Assess your ability

 Develop your skills
 Put them to use
 Remember the 3 Cs

Thank you
On the Internet

www.tabf.org.tw

www.lttc.ntu.edu.tw

www.bulats.org

timothyhogan@hotmail.com